God's help in our weakness

Starting this week (and for several weeks to follow), The Electric Gospel will feature spiritual pieces written by participants in this summer's online workshop on Devotional Writing.  

This week's message comes from Gina Grove.  Gina has members of her family diagnosed with Lewy body dementia, "the second most common type of progressive dementia after Alzheimer's disease, [which] causes a progressive decline in mental abilities. ... In Lewy body dementia, protein deposits, called Lewy bodies, develop in nerve cells in regions of your brain involved in thinking, memory and movement [motor control]" (MayoClinic.org).  If you'd like to offer well-wishes or prayers on behalf of Gina and her family, do so by posting a comment in reply to the devotion.  (If you're on the page for just this blog post, comment box should appear at the bottom.  If you are viewing the website main page showing all recent devotions, at the bottom of the devotion, click on the link that shows number of comments so far; that will take you to the spot for adding your comment.)

Gina's devotion is written for persons in early stages of dementia as they look ahead at the struggles to come in their mental lives.

*****************

When Words Fail

by Gina Grove

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. Romans 8:26 (NIV) 

Word salad. For someone who’s munched on salad most of my life, this is one I wouldn’t willingly order.   Imagine a conversation where each word is a stand-alone piece of lettuce, a hunk of celery, a random cherry tomato. All the pieces are there, but they are tossed and disconnected.

I’ve been told that this is something to expect with my dementia.  I’ll know what I want to say, but my brain will scramble the words and syllables.  A confused offering of sounds with no apparent meaning will come out of my mouth.  

It’s terrifying to think I won’t be able to articulate what I want someone to know. “I love you.” “I wish you could stay longer.” “I miss my sisters so much.”    Or that my simple requests will go unheeded: “I need a sweater.” “I’m thirsty.” “The TV is really loud.”     My failing mind will send failed messages to my lips.   

Loving family members and caring providers will do their best to pick through the pieces of my salad to find meaning.  I hope I won’t realize they can’t understand me.  Will their non-specific responses of “Mm, hm” and “Really” be  enough for me to feel heard and understood?

So who am I if I can’t speak?  Who am I if I can’t express my thoughts and feelings?  I am still a child of I AM--the God who is and was and is to come.  I am a child of the eternal Father, who loved me enough to send Jesus to cry out on my behalf.  When I can no longer speak here on earth, my Savior will continue to plead my case before my Father in heaven. “We have Jesus Christ, who has God's full approval. He speaks on our behalf when we come into the presence of the Father. I John 2:1 (GOD'S WORD® Translation)

God has spoken and, by the cross of Christ, I am forgiven.  He has promised that this season of confusion is temporary.  As horribly scary and frustrating things may become, Jesus has promised that one day I will stand before his throne in heaven, singing loudly and clearly with the angels.  My days of word salad will be transformed into the most beautiful songs of praise: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive . . . honor and glory and praise!"  Rev. 5:12 (NIV)

Dear Lord, until I get to heaven and sing clear songs of praise to you, comfort my spirit, calm my fearful heart, and keep me close to you.  Amen.

Christian Life

In the history of the Christian church, theological writers often have titled their works in this straightforward fashion:

·        On the Incarnation  (Athanasius of Alexandria)

·         On the Trinity  (Hilary of Poitiers)

·         On the Freedom of the Christian  (Martin Luther)

This week's blog post takes up an assignment such as that -- "on the life of a Christian."

********************

On the Life of a Christian

by Danica Scharlemann

           There are two kinds of people in the world: those who recognize and accept Christ as their Savior from sin and those who reject Christ and his works of grace.  While members of the later grouping have no permanent hope on which to drive their lives, Christians have every reason to hope and live in joy, for they are compelled by the undying love of Christ.

            The life of Christians begins as the lives of the whole world—drowning in a pool of original sin. “There is no one righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10).  It was for this reason, moved by his love, that our heavenly Father gave up his only Son as a lamb without blemish to be sacrificed on our behalf.  And so Christ Jesus made in the flesh, yet being in the same nature God, made his dwelling among us and lived a life of perfection under the law of God and of man.  His perfect life only led to his suffering and crucifixion.  On the cross, Christ bore the punishment of hell for the sins of the entire world.  In doing so, our lives were redeemed and salvation was won. This is how the lives of the world were restored from their damning state.

Now we are precious children of our heavenly Father, and the Holy Spirit works in our hearts to create fruits of faith. It is this faith that determines our salvation.  We are members of God’s elect--those to whom he has graciously promised eternal life to through the works of the Father, Son, and Spirit.  It is not by our works, but by his works that we are granted life everlasting. This is the hope by which we live.

This hope is what defines the underlying confidence behind the life of a Christian. We walk through life, not as if our actions are meaningless and forgiveness is futile, but bearing the sign of Christ. “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, therefore all died” (2 Corinthians 5:14). It is not the old self of sin that thrives in us, but the new self in Christ, which strives to live in love and joy in every circumstance. We do not simply accept our salvation and become contented in our every action, for it is written, “Faith without works is dead” (James 2:17).  Christians do not act in attempt to win their own salvation, for it is not their works that assure them of heaven.  Instead it is God and God alone who is capable of bringing us to heaven.  As Paul stated, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20).  Our good works are surely not to be attributed to our own powers, but instead to God we give all glory.  Yet our sinful deeds are still of our own doing, and we still do sinful deeds in our lives now.  It is not until we reach our heavenly home that we will live in the totality of righteousness and holiness that only Christ attains.

Although Christians live with the confidence of salvation, they strive to live in the way of Christ, taking on the nature of a servant. We spend our days being models of Christ, showing through our own actions the wonders of our God.  Again, it is only through the Spirit that faith is found, but we work as instruments of the Spirit to spread the love of Christ to the world.  For who, with such wonderful knowledge of love and joy, would be able to keep from telling the world?  This is the joy, the confidence, and the love behind the life of a Christian: Jesus Christ and him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2).

Encouraging one another in worship

In my religion classes this past year, I showed students a letter from a church that aimed at improving church attendance.  But that letter (used in an actual congregation) did so in an exceedingly harsh and judgmental way.  I asked students to critique that letter or write a replacement letter.  Candace Hoefert wrote a letter with a wonderfully gentle and encouraging spirit.  I urge you to read it ... and to attend worship this weekend!  :-)

The Electric Gospel

An invitation to church

by Candace Hoefert

Dear members of the church, called to be faithful to the Lord,

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).

Isn’t that joyous news? God has forgiven us of our sins through his Son Jesus! This is something we want to share to one another and remind each other daily. Unfortunately we don’t have somewhere we can get together every single day to remind ourselves of this joyous news, but we do have somewhere we can gather at least once a week to praise our Lord for this gift he has given to all of us!

I know, you think that I’m here to preach to you about how you should attend church every Sunday and it is a sin to not be in church … but that’s not why I’m writing you this.  It is not for me to question someone’s faith based solely on their church attendance.  There are some circumstances that don’t allow for regular attendance and no one should automatically assume that because someone isn’t in church it’s because they don’t believe Christ’s word.  But the benefit of having a close community with your church is immeasurable – a family of believers who all look out for one another in love, strengthening and supporting each other in their faith and building each other up. These are things that are hard to find on your own outside the church. I encourage everyone to attend church because of that sense of family, the sense of belonging.  Christ promised us, “Where two or three gather in my name, there I am with them” (Matthew 18:20).  The opportunity to worship together with other believers surrounded by God is an incalculable sense of comfort.

You never know who in your congregation may need your faith and your smile to help them have a better day, to perhaps strengthen them in their own faith. The lives that I could change by sharing my faith among a community of believers is of great motivation to me. You don’t have to be a minister in order to be a worker of the gospel. Christ gave the command to all of us to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” (Mark 16:15).  This wasn’t just for your pastors or teachers, but the whole nation of believers, for me and for you.

Therefore I urge you in the brotherly love of our Savior to come and share your faith with one another in the Word. You have something to offer that no one else does, your own faith and your person and your unique experiences with God’s love in your life.  Rejoice with those who will joyfully say to you, “Let us go to the house of the Lord” (Psalm 122:1).

Thoughts on the day of Pentecost

Pentecost was an Old Testament festival -- a time at which worshipers would gather in Jerusalem.  The Lord used that occasion (fifty days after Passover and the death and resurrection of Jesus) to give birth to his New Testament church.  Miracles attested to the significance of the message the apostles were given to speak on that day ... but the message of Jesus was (and always is) the central thing.  Calling attention to Jesus is what the Spirit of God does.

In the church today, people sometimes get confused about the role played by the Holy Spirit.  The following message ponders the Spirit's work.

A Message, Not a Mumble[1]

[Jesus said to his disciples]: “Now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’  Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things.  But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.  When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment:  about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.

“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.” 

John 16:5-15

**************

When I was pastoring a congregation in West Texas, one day a young woman called our church. She was confused and searching in her religion; someone had told her Lutherans were reliable in that regard. She was 20 years old, and grew up experiencing Pentecostal-style worship. As she became an adult, she became skeptical and uneasy about much of what went on in her congregation.

She said, “When the old men in the church get the spirit and start running around all wild, it scares me.” She was scared, too, by the preaching, which was mostly about judgment day, the rapture, and how you’d better be ready. But she wasn’t sure if she was ready or even how to be ready. It was supposedly a Spirit-filled church, but her spirit was spooked.

In our church, we’ve never experienced any of our old men--or young men or mothers or daughters, for that matter — hooting and hopping and running around the chapel all filled with a spirit. In many years of worship services, I don’t know of one where anyone stood up and spoke in tongues. So, does that mean we don’t have the Spirit — if we don’t babble in tongues or fall down slain or quake uncontrollably or burst into spontaneous laughter? Did the Spirit bypass us? Are those outward signs the best expression of what the Spirit does?

Some would say so. A flyer from a United Pentecostal Church says that after you determine to turn away from sin and after you decide to give yourself to Jesus, step three of God’s salvation plan is that you “receive the Holy Spirit baptism, evidenced by tongues,” because “tongues is the initial evidence of receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

But is that true? Is that always the evidence of the Holy Spirit’s presence?  Sure, he has given that gift on certain specific occasions for certain special reasons. At the birth of the church in the New Testament, on the day of Pentecost, he gave his apostles the power to communicate in other languages so they could better spread Christ’s message (Acts 2:1-12).  On occasion he used the gift of tongues as a way to verify that Gentiles were to be as much a part of his kingdom as were Jews (Acts 10:44-46, 11:15-18). But God never decreed as a general rule that tongue-speaking would be the mark of his church in every place or forever. In fact, the apostle Paul went on record saying, “Where there are tongues, they will be stilled” (1 Corinthians 13:8). In that section of his letter to the Corinthians, Paul described tongue-speaking as an aspect of the childhood stage of the church (cf. 1 Corinthians 13:11). It was no longer useful or necessary after the apostles’ time when the full Word of God was completed.

So now, let’s ask again: What is the real work of the Holy Spirit? What does the Holy Ghost do? Who has the gift of the Spirit and who doesn’t? 

Pentecost by El Greco  (ca. 1596)

Jesus answered those questions when he promised that the Spirit would come. He said that when the Holy Spirit comes, he comes to convince the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment (John 16:8).  He proves the world to be wrong in its views about sin, the way the world endorses sin and excuses sin and encourages sin.  He convicts individuals’ hearts with the message of God’s law.  He brings us to our knees in repentance.  And the Spirit also convicts or convinces the world in regard to righteousness and judgment.  He shows that all righteousness is in Jesus Christ, who is the ONLY way to the Father, who goes to the Father himself and is the one way and truth and life for us to come to God.  And the Spirit convinces the world that there is a day of judgment coming.  For, as the apostle Paul said when preaching to a pagan audience in the city of Athens, God “has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed (Jesus). He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead” (Acts 17:31).

So that’s what the Holy Spirit is all about—showing us the truth, convincing us we are sinners, revealing the only real way of righteousness, and announcing inescapable judgment on all who would believe otherwise. 

A lot of people within Christianity think that repenting of sin and believing in Jesus are things you need to do yourself.  That’s not the case.  The Spirit of God is the one who brings you to faith as the chief work that he does.  He causes you to repent of sin and creates within you a trusting attitude, a reliance on Jesus and his love.

Everything the Spirit says and does is to direct attention to Jesus. According to Jesus, the Spirit “will not speak on his own… He will bring glory to me by taking from me what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine” (John 16:13-15).

The Spirit isn’t into self-promotion. The Spirit doesn’t pump his own image or push his own agenda. The Spirit is one with the Father and the Son, and the message of the Father and the Son is the message that he shares. A so-called “Spirit-filled” church that isn’t pointing you strongly to Jesus isn’t really all that Spirit-filled.  That young woman in West Texas needed the Spirit’s comfort in Jesus most of all – and that’s what the Spirit really is all about.  The Spirit “brings glory to me,” Jesus said. He takes the message of Jesus and makes it known to you. He takes the Word of the Father and reveals it to you. The Spirit isn’t campaigning for his own election as the most important member of the Trinity. He quietly takes the role of servant and preacher to bring glory to the Father and the Son.  The true voice of the Spirit is a message, not a mumble. It is the message of Jesus Christ as the bringer of righteousness, the Savior from sin, our advocate in the judgment.  Just because something is full of excitement and enthusiasm and ecstatic hallelujahs (or less intelligible words) doesn’t mean the Spirit of God is in it. Where the Spirit of God is, there the message of Jesus is proclaimed.

The young lady who was fearful about so-called “spirit-filled” religion decided she would leave her parents’ home and church and move to Memphis. I hope she found spiritual peace. The time we spent on the phone we talked about sin and grace, about righteousness and judgment. We talked about Jesus’ true message, about Jesus’ true comfort. Her heart was happy to hear such good news — the real good news of the gospel — not just spiritual-sounding noise.

Praise God that you heard the true voice of his Spirit, revealed to you in his Word, believed by you in your heart. If it happened quietly, in no spectacular fashion, that’s fine. You probably don’t even remember the first day you believed. But you do believe. In your heart you trust Jesus as Lord. That’s only possible when the Spirit of God is living in you.

So thank God for sending you his Spirit, and offer yourself--your lips, your words, your testimony--as an instrument for the Spirit to use in bringing faith to others. You don’t have to speak in tongues.  Simply communicate the love and truth of Jesus.

PRAYER:  

Jesus, thank you for delivering on your promise to send your Spirit to us.  We don’t look for your Spirit to come to us in flashy or spectacular ways.  What we need most is the conviction and comfort of the Spirit deep in our hearts.  Continue to bless us with your Spirit as he communicates with our hearts and minds in your holy Word, dear Jesus.  Amen.

---

[1] Adapted from article by David Sellnow in Lightsource, WELS Campus Ministry (2000)  and from message aired on the Lutheran Chapel Service radio program (KNUJ radio, June 8, 2014).

Last call for devotional writers' workshop

Starting next week, I'll be leading an online workshop for spiritual writers.  It's a college level course (and yes, you pay college tuition costs to take the course).  But we work very hard at honing your theological acumen and writing abilities.  

If you are interested in the online course on Devotional Writing (which begins on June 9), information and registration can be accessed via this link.

The course offers 1-credit and 2-credit options (depending how much writing you wish to do) -- as an accredited college course through the Continuing Education program of Martin Luther College.

- David Sellnow

Witnesses of the Ascended Lord Jesus

Forty days after his resurrection from death to life, Jesus ascended again from earth up to heaven.  A few days ago the Christian church observed the festival of Jesus' ascension.  I had opportunity to serve as guest preacher today for an ascension-themed service.  As this week's Electric Gospel blog post, I thought I'd share with you a version of my sermon.   - David Sellnow

Don't Stand Around Waiting for Heaven to Happen
-- Jesus Left Us Here for a Purpose

On the day of his ascension, Jesus was on the Mount of Olives with his disciples, and “he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight” (Acts 1:9).  His disciples “were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. ‘Men of Galilee,’ they said, ‘why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go’” (Acts 1:10-11).

*********

I wonder:  Like Jesus’ first group of disciples who stood staring into the sky after Jesus had ascended from their view, do we spend much of our time as Christians simply standing and staring up at heaven?  We have a tendency to see Christianity as a waiting process … waiting for the end of time, waiting for Jesus to return, waiting for heaven to become our home.  That is the end goal of our faith, but let’s not overlook what comes before that.  If Jesus had nothing else in his plans for us except heaven in the end, he could take us to heaven right now.  He could have taken his original disciples along with him up to heaven on the very day he ascended above the Mount of Olives.  But our Lord had something else in mind for them, and for us.  He wants us to be his witnesses in this world.  While we wait for the future glory of being with our Lord there, above, we have something important to do here, below.  We have a mission to our neighbor.  We have a mission to the world.

Let’s look at what was said and seen when Jesus ascended back to heaven and learn some lessons about our lives in the here and now.  First, Jesus said to his disciples, “Wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.  For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit”  (Acts 1:4-5).  Now, of course, the disciples already had the Holy Spirit – and indeed the Holy Spirit was very much involved in the baptizing that John the Baptist had done at the River Jordan.  But to these men, his apostles, Jesus had promised an additional, special outpouring of the Holy Spirit – giving them supernatural abilities.  They would speak in foreign languages (without needing language training) and would even perform miracles.  God’s purpose was to accentuate and punctuate the message they were speaking in his name, to call attention to their message with special demonstrations of his out-of-this-world power.  But the main aim of the Spirit was always in the message itself (not merely in the miracles).   Still today and every day we have the main power of the Holy Spirit with us – the power to change hearts when we share the word of Jesus.  When we go out in our day to day lives as witnesses for Jesus, we do so with confidence knowing we’re not on our own.  Jesus promised, “I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20), and also that “all Scripture is breathed out by God” (2 Timothy 3:16 CEV) – given to us by the Holy Spirit.  As we live our lives and speak about Jesus, we have the power of the Holy Spirit empowering us.  We can be bold and outgoing.  We need not be shy or afraid.

But even as Jesus was speaking to his disciples about the power they would have from the Holy Spirit to go out into the community, out into the world, they were thinking of something else.  They asked Jesus, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6)  The disciples of Jesus were still somewhat stuck in a view that was common to their culture.  They thought that the Messiah would establish Israel as his nation on earth and the people of God would live in peace and power there in Israel, separate from the other nations of the world.  We can be like that too.  We like to cloister ourselves in our small circles with one another as a Christian citadel, somewhere where we can feel safe.  But is that what Jesus has in mind for us as his disciples?  No.   We will find safety in his eternal kingdom at the end of time, but in the meantime Jesus wants us living our lives in the world, acting as influences on our neighbors in the world, reaching out and speaking out in his name. 

Jesus said to his disciples, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).  Notice the pattern which Jesus established.  First they would be his witnesses in Jerusalem – right where they were at that time.  Then their efforts would spread throughout their region – Judea.  Then to the next regional area – Samaria.  And eventually their message would be spread – not just by them but by word of mouth from person to person after starting with them – all the way to the ends of the earth. 

So it is with us today too.   Jesus would say to us, “You will be my witnesses in your town or city, and in your state or region, and in the neighboring region, and to the ends of the earth.”  That doesn’t mean God expects each individual to become a world missionary and go to every place on the globe.  But he is commissioning each of us to be a witness to tell about Jesus’ love and forgiveness wherever we are living, all through our lives.  And through us one person after another will be influenced.  So every single Christian is a witness for Jesus in a constant, ongoing pattern of witness.

What will our lives look like if we are witnesses for Jesus?  I think sometimes we think about that in too complicated a way, as if you have to have a whole bunch of training or an official position as a pastor or teacher.  Certainly pastors and teachers do much outreach in the name of Jesus.  But when Jesus speaks of “witnesses” he means anyone who has seen, heard, experienced what the message of Jesus means and relates that meaning to someone else.  A good example would be a man whom Jesus had rescued from a plague of many demons.  He didn’t know much more about Jesus than that – that Jesus was the one who had saved his life. Jesus told him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and how he has had mercy on you” (Mark 5:19 CEV).

Being a witness for Jesus doesn’t have to be complicated.  You need not be an expert on every biblical doctrine.  You need not be a champion at Bible Trivia or know all the who’s who and what’s what of Bible history.  Certainly it’s good for you to read your Bible and become more familiar with the people and events detailed in the Bible.  But as a witness for Jesus the main thing is simply that you know Jesus himself.  You know that you are a sinner who so very much needed Jesus and needs Jesus, and that Jesus is so very much the Savior who has done for you everything you need.  And you simply live your life in acknowledgement of him, in confession of him.

On another occasion, Jesus said to his disciples, “All people will know that you are my disciples if you love one another” (John 13:35).   A compelling way we can give a witness to others about the kindness and love of Jesus is to be kind and loving toward the people around us.   People won’t want to know about our doctrine if it seems we care about doctrine more than we care about them.  People won’t inquire about our faith and religion if we don’t seem inquiring or interested in them as people.  But when faith in Jesus makes our lives come alive, when the hope of Jesus is evident in our lives, when the love of Jesus is overflowing from our hearts, we open paths to connect with others with the message of faith and hope and love. 

Jesus’ apostle Peter urged us, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Peter 3:15).  If our lives express hope, others will have a reason to ask us why we are so hopeful, and we will have opportunity to speak about Jesus.  If our lives display peace and contentment, someone may ask us, “How do you stay so calm and positive?” and we will have opportunity to speak about Jesus.  If our lives show love—unfailing love, unflinching love, love that keeps loving even when people are unlovable—people will wonder, “Why?”  And we will credit Jesus, for only he can fill us with such love.

My friends, disciples of Jesus, you are witnesses of the life and love and power of Jesus.  His life is what gives your life meaning.  His love is what moves your heart to love.   And his mission – to bring people to know about love and forgiveness in his name – is your mission.   So as his disciples, let’s not just stand around waiting for heaven to happen.  Don’t think of your faith life as something that happens just in church when you’re saying prayers and singing hymns.  You are a witness for Jesus wherever you are, whomever you’re with.  Live your life as someone knows and trusts Jesus.   Simply let others see “how much the Lord has done for you and how he has had mercy on you” (Mark 5:19).  And your Lord Jesus—who is in heaven but holds all power on earth and in heaven in his hands—will be with you always, in all you say and do.