Dying in Winter...Rising in Faith

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Thursday, All Hallows Eve, October 31, 2019

(the beginning of All Hallows Tide)

Then this message came to Jeremiah from the Lord:  “This is what the Lord says:  If you can break my covenant with the day and the night so that one does not follow the other, only then will my covenant with my servant David be broken.  

The Lord gave another message to Jeremiah.  He said, “Have you noticed what people are saying?—‘The Lord chose Judah and Israel and then abandoned them!’  They are sneering and saying that Israel is not worthy to be counted as a nation.  But this is what the Lord says:  I would no more reject my people than I would change my laws that govern night and day, earth and sky.   Jeremiah 33 (selected passages)

Predatory behavior which takes advantage of public opinion and fears is what bullies do.  From the dawn of humankind’s existence there have been those who act this way, seizing on opportunities to put God in the background, and put themselves in charge.  It’s a form of Trick-or-Treat; the trick is the naysayers get to be in God’s place, while the treat is those tricked get to breathe a sigh of relief…false as the promises might be.

Masking and costumes are a way of attempting to diffuse the terror relationship we humans have with our mortality.  Among some of the ancient Celtic traditions is the practice of impersonating terrifying mythical creatures as a means of dissipating fear of the unknown.  Many pagan celebrations at this time of year are meant to stave-off the harsh impact of winter.  By imitating death with masks, it was thought to hold back the coming cold bleakness.  But, as with whistling in the dark, making light of reality changes nothing.  Ghost and goblin masks on children don’t have a chance against death.

For the church, today is the evening vigil before All Saints Day (All Hallows Eve or Hallowe’en), and begins three day’s observance of departed believers, ending on All Souls Day (the entire celebration is called All Hallows Tide[2]).  The central focus is on the faith which is common to both the church here on earth, and the church triumphant, those already in the presence of our Lord.

I would get disagreement on both sides of this argument (probably from both believers and pagans), but neither Halloween, nor horror movies scare me.  Nor does the practice of Trick-or-Treat bother me.  In my parents’ generation (Great Depression era), and in their part of the world, the cultural norm for the practice was not on October 31^st, but closer to Thanksgiving, when the children would go door to door.  Their phrase, with outstretched little palms, was Pennies for Thanksgiving.  (Well…it was a long time ago; today it would be 10-Bucks for Turkey Day)

Whether one is bothered by the holiday frenzy with Trick-or-Treating, or simply glad the children get to dress-up and have a ball, there is one matter that concerns (at least) me; I fear we have dropped the ball in the cycle of the Christian Year.  Our disconnect from a sacred observance of triumph over death (ironically celebrated in the culture by holding up death as the ultimate celebrity) further serves to isolate our culture’s children from the genuine cure for our morbid fears…Christ’s victory over death. 

It’s been fifteen years since Mel Gibson’s movie The Passion of Christ hit the big screens.  I recall watching that movie for the first time shortly after it was available on DVD; I couldn’t sleep for a week.  The depictions of the violence done to Jesus in the scourging and crucifixion gave the film an R rating.  It should have been “HS” for heart and soul-squeezing.  The sinister nature of Satan’s attempts to insert himself into Christ’s mind made any Steven King movie seem like a Sesame Street production.  In short…I bought the DVD and watch it every so often.  With our culture’s fascination with masks and unreality (Walking Dead, etc.), I want a constant reminder of reality; the Lord Jesus who never abandons me and takes all the fear out of death’s sting.

For You Today

If you’re into Trick-or-Treating you’ll get little criticism from me.  But while you’re taking your kids from door to door, don’t forget to teach them the real reason for this season!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day.

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[1] Title Image:  Wikimedia.com    Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation©

[2] Read more about this here:  Wikipedia.com

Troublemaker

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Tuesday, October 31, 2017

But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago.  We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ.  And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.  For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.  Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight.  He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.  For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin.  People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood.  This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time.  God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.  Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God?  No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law.  It is based on faith.  So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.  Romans 3:21-28^(NLT)

In last Sunday’s worship at First UMC, Lexington, which included a commemoration of the 500^th anniversary of the beginning of the Protestant Reformation, I was listening to the Pastor describe Martin Luther’s focus of the Three Onlies, only Scripture, only grace, and only faith.  Today is the day, 500 years ago, Luther nailed his faith in Scripture and Grace to the door of the chapel at Wittenberg, Germany.

One thing the pastor, Rev. Jamie Armstrong, said shook me into Google-mode, searching for connections.  He stated flatly:  …and without the Reformation Luther started, there’s a good chance the American Revolution never happened. 

The point is, and was aptly made by the pastor, that God is always working on us.  It took 249 years from Luther’s bold move to that day in Philadelphia Hall and the signing of the Declaration of Independence.  But it displays the reality that God is always working to reform and call us back to Himself; we see this at every point in history.

One author expressed it this way:

By the time Luther died, of natural causes, in 1546, his revolutionary beliefs had formed the basis for the Protestant Reformation, which would over the next three centuries revolutionize Western civilization.[2]

“Troublemakers” in the church are generally shown the back door.  Luther was no exception; he was excommunicated from the Catholic Church, and the edict of Worms declared him an enemy of the state and Christ, and fair game for being killed on sight by anyone without consequence.

Luther held in 95-theses nailed to the door, only grace, only faith, and only Scripture.  Three onlies, extolling the singular true theme of the ages:  ONLY CHRIST!

Five hundred years later we honor Luther’s sacrifice and bold stand for the grace of God, holding up Scripture as our authority and faith as our daily bread.  We can never forget that Luther (as Wesley decades later) would never want to be remembered above the Christ for whom he gave his entire life in service.  And that is the very thing that compels us to remember troublemakers like Martin Luther. 

For You Today

Kids in costumes looking for candy will probably knock on your door sometime today.  When they smile and say “Trick or Treat” be gracious and generous. 

But remember to wish the parents with them a Happy Reformation Day.  In the spirit of Martin Luther, our freedom to worship Christ is too important to let goblins and witches have the day.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road…have a blessed day!

Go to VIDEO

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[1] Title Image: Ferdinand Pauwels [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

[2] History.com

The Fear Factor

Monday – September 30, 2013

I’ve always been intrigued by the great speeches – Lincoln at Gettysburg, President John Kennedy’s inaugural “…ask not what your country can do for you…”  And, of course there is Franklin Roosevelt’s first inaugural address (1933), which contained a phrase that is ingrained in American history:  “…the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”

While that sentence is oft-repeated, it is hardly ever finished.  Check out the full line:

“…let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.”[1]

Of course President Roosevelt on that Inauguration Day faced the Great Depression; and his greatest concern was how to lift American hearts out of the fear and malaise brought on by financial ruin.  The “advance” he was seeking was a return to economic stability.  Fear runs counter to a heart for investment risk. 

Actually fear runs counter to any kind of “heart-healthiness”.  But, nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror…that is fear ramped-up to new heights!

And it’s scheduled for October 31^st!

Halloween has always been my least favorite holiday.  I just don’t get it – how people love to be scared.  Scary movies, haunted houses….BOO!  It’s beyond my comprehension.

And let us not forget “Fear Factor”!  You remember the TV show?  Now, there’s an attractive mess – jumping off into who knows what, blindfolded – so you can win the round and go on to eat the eyeball sandwich on the next show.  Whoa….what a blessing!  Shall we (if we so presume) add to Mr. Roosevelt’s speech, nameless, unjustified, unnecessary terror!

Don’t be a “party-pooper” Russell!

Sorry!  Can’t help it!

Now, I’m not going to write your name in the “evil-book” if you dress your kids in costume and head out to “Trick or Treat,” or have a party.  My point is simply that it is a pretty weak substitute for Christian witness to put all that energy, time and resources into something meant to scare people so we can laugh at them for being scared.

There is enough fear and humiliation in this world; followers of Christ live by a different standard.

So….is it the eyeball sandwich that I fear?  Well…it doesn’t help!

Today

Find a way to help someone overcome fear – encouragement is a powerful source of the kind of love that expels fear ^{(1 John 4:18)} from our lives.

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[1] http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5057/