My daughter turns 9 this week, what that makes this dad think about

It was in the fall of 2014 that I put Nicole's first sonogram into our Sunday worship PowerPoint and told the congregation that I had a picture to share with them.  There were gasps right away from the ladies who knew what they were looking at, everyone else needed an explanation.  Clara Marie was born in 2015, changing my wife Nicole's and my own life for good, and changing it for the good.

I spent a lot of time dealing with unpleasant ideas and people, that isn't an indictment of my congregation or this town, as they have been stupendous in their support of myself and my family, but a reality that reflects the human condition.  I research, write, and speak about racism, nationalism, sexism, corruption, abuses of power, heresy, greed, lust, and all the rest.  I also get to talk about love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control (the Fruit of the Spirit), but my own nature as a communicator and my personality often draw me toward those people and causes who need to be defended against evil.  What does any of that have to do with Clara?  Clara is a ray of sunshine and a breath of fresh air.  She hugs her dad with clinging arms and gives far too moist kisses.  She laughs with gusto, believes the best is possible, and doesn't know yet that life and people can really kick you when you're down.  I know that some day Clara will change, somebody will disappoint her, break her heart, but I'll appreciate every day that she has remaining with her youthful optimism, and pray that they continue.

That Clara is about to be 9 already also reminds me of our need to make the most of the time we have in this life, to borrow from Dead Poets Society, we need to "seize the day."  Clara being 9 reminds me that I came to Franklin more than 12 years ago, that now more than half of our married life has been spent here in PA.  Until 2023, the longest tenure of my career had been teaching at Portland Adult and Community Education, now it is being here at First Baptist of Franklin.  Unless God has plans for me that I don't know about, this will be the longest and most impactful chapter of my life; that it also happens to coincide with the years that I have been blessed to be called "Daddy" by my little girl only amplifies that thought.  

I also think at times of reflection like this about the men and women who haven't been blessed with the role of parenthood, and those who have become estranged from, or have mourned their lost children.  It was at a funeral a few years ago when a church member about my own age asked me to read a poem about her dad that I realized that being a dad had changed my emotional make-up.  Funerals can be hard for me, other peoples' grief can hit me hard (that's inherited from my mom) but this wasn't that, it was the thought that popped into my head of Clara having to grieve me some day that choked me up so thoroughly that day.  That being said about a child mourning his/her parent, I can't imagine what those of you who have carried the scars of a child who was only in your hopes, or who was with you for far too short a time, have been through.  May God grant you peace, that you still function each day with that pain is a testament to the strength you must have.

Lastly, being Clara's dad is one of the top three things I've ever had a hand in.  I say top 3 because I'm not counting being a child of God who was redeemed by Jesus as something I had a hand in, that was 100% God's grace, the Spirit's calling, and my parents' faithfulness; I don't take any credit on that one.  Those three things are, then, being the pastor of a congregation, Nicole's husband, and Clara's dad.  God has been good to me, I'm blessed with all three of those right now, and the knowledge that the one that was all grace (my salvation) will remain even if/when the others have come to a close.

If you read this someday, Clara, know that your dad is amazed by his Silly Pants* and loves you more than the words he's typing can ever express.

*The nickname Nicole gave her, appropriately she has embraced this accurate description and refuses to have any other nickname.

Sermon Video: The Word Became Flesh - John 1:14

 Amidst the wonder of Christmas, the angels and shepherds, the wise men and the star, is a deeper amazing truth. That moment in Bethlehem when Jesus first took breath was the coming of the Word of God, Immanuel, God in the flesh, living here with us. Why? Not to start a political revolution, or lay forth an ethical or philosophical path, but to bridge a gap. A gap between a holy and righteous God and a sinful people living darkness. This task only God could complete, so he came here to make our salvation possible. Jesus did not receive grace, as do we all, but was its source, he did not seek Truth, he was the Truth. This story begins before the world was created with the plan of God, takes a massive step forward at Bethlehem, but was always headed to Calvary and the Empty Tomb of Easter. So let us give glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rest. Merry Christmas.

Sermon Video: Sing to the LORD - Psalm 98

Why do we sing in Church?  What is it about singing that connects so well to worship?  If you've not thought about these questions, perhaps you should, because as the writer of Psalm 98 makes clear, the people of God need to sing to the LORD.  Why?  Because God has done marvelous things.  In particular, God has made his salvation, his willingness to rescue humanity, known to us.  That effort began with Israel, but it spread to all nations.  The end result?  The people of God can sing (!) while standing before the judge of all the earth.  Amazingly, we will not stand before our righteous and holy judge with fear, but with gratitude and joy.  Why do we sing in Church?  Because our hearts are full of joy, for God has done wondrous things among us.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Our warped definition of Christianity is disastrous

What, and how, we think is important; very important.  What we believe in, and what we believe about important topics and issues profoundly shapes who we are.  But there is more to it than what and how we think.  It is absolutely true that an individual cannot be a Christian if they do not believe in Jesus Christ, in other words, they believe that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God, and that he lived, died, and was raised to new life in order to set us free from sin (enslavement to, and debt because of).  {See John 3:16 as an example of this explained in one sentence}  Belief is not the end of the road.  Belief has to be accompanied by repentance {a turning away from sinful behavior} and has to lead to righteous living {by the power of the Holy Spirit} in order for belief to be effective.  In order for it to be real.  A belief in Jesus which does not change the trajectory of a person's life, in ways both small and great, is meaningless.  Herein lies the problem.  Consider the two passages of Scripture below which together illustrate the absolute necessity of "fruit" (ethical behavior) and give nine prime examples of what it looks like:

Matthew 7:16-20 New International Version (NIV)
16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

Galatians 5:22-24 New International Version (NIV)

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

To say, "I am a Christian" is not enough.  To have a particular political viewpoint is not enough (and often misleading).  To know the key words one should say in order to "sound like a Christian" is not enough.  To attend a church at Christmas and Easter, or even more often, is not enough.  To own a Bible, or even read it, is not enough.  To give money to Christian charities, or the Church itself, is not enough.  A person could have all of those things, and outwardly look the part, but without love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control; they would have nothing. {See 1 Corinthians 11}  Don't get me wrong, someone who goes to church, reads a Bible, and gives money to Christian charities is better off than someone who doesn't; but only if those factors eventually lead to the radical change of mind and heart that gives evidence to the presence of the Holy Spirit and results in the outflow from that person's life of the fruit of the Spirit.  If a person remains "associated with" Christianity, but never moves forward, they will actually be worse off on the Day of Judgment for having known better without acting.  {See Hebrews 6:7-8}

The Church in America, in particular, has a self-identification problem.  We've allowed cultural distinctions and political viewpoints to more strongly define our view of what Christianity is than righteous living.  We've minimized the immorality that doesn't bother us, pride, lust, and greed in particular, and allowed ourselves to accept the delusion that anyone who looks the part and is on "our side" in the Culture War is Christian enough.  The Word of God says otherwise.  We will be known by God by our fruit, judged as genuine believers in Jesus, or not, by it. 

Those who mimic the look of being a Christian, without the heart-motivated acts of righteousness to go with it, are either self-deluded or charlatans, either a danger to themselves or to the church as a whole.  As long as we accept those who are "like us" as being good enough because we view Christianity as cultural/political feud to be won, rather than a call to self-sacrificially serve the Kingdom of God that must be obeyed, we will continue to warp Christianity into something which is was never intended to be, with disastrous consequences.

Sermon Video: Joy to the World - Luke 2:8-18

Following the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, angels appear to shepherds in the night, amazing them and sharing the news that a Savior, the Messiah, has been born.  An incredible culmination to the humble narrative of the birth of Jesus, as God chooses shepherds to be the first witnesses and the first bearers of the glad tidings of joy and hope.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video: Come and see what God has done - Psalm 66

In a psalm of praise, the author speaks of our need to shout for joy to God, to sing the glories of his name, and then recounts the awesome deeds of God for his people and all mankind.  In addition, the psalm mentions that God preserves his people from "slipping" (immorality) through testing them with hardships.  In the end, the people of God, who have been shown the mercy of God, need to speak to others and share "what he has done for me."

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video: "He is not here, he is risen" Matthew 28:1-10

As the faithful women came to the tomb seeking to care for the body of Jesus on Sunday morning, they encountered a remarkable sight: An angel sitting atop the stone which had been rolled away from the entrance to the now empty tomb.  At that point, fear and confusion predominated, but thankfully the angel soon turned their sorrow to joy by proclaiming that, "He is not here, he is risen".  This was the first proclamation of the Good News, a message of hope and joy that would soon be spreading towards the ends of the earth.  For indeed Christ had risen, death could not hold him for it had no claim upon his sinless life, and in rising from the dead Jesus had forever broken the power of sin and death over humanity.  This is the turning point of history, the historical fact toward which God's prophets had pointed, and upon which the future would hinge.  What did the angel tell the women to do with this Good News?  Go and tell his disciples; share it, spread it, let it be known; and so it is for us today as well, let us share the Good News: Jesus is alive.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video: "good news of great joy" Luke 210-11

What news could you receive that you would consider to be good?  More than that, what news would also cause you great joy?  When an angel of the Lord appeared to several shepherds near Bethlehem, he brought to them "good news of great joy", but not just for them, for all peoples.  What news could fulfill that hype?  As we know, that news was the advent of the Christ child, the arrival on earth of the Son of God, in the flesh, to begin the process by which he would offer salvation to mankind.  The shepherds could only wonder at this news and the child they hustled to find, but we know the full impact of that miraculous birth, for he is indeed the savior of the world.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video: "Let us rejoice and be glad" - Revelation 19:6-9

This text was chosen for our Easter worship service because the event that it talks about, the future "wedding of the Lamb" is actually the long-awaited victory party for the triumph of Jesus' resurrection.  The Apostle John's vision of the Last Days includes a vast multitude which gathers to rejoice and praise God because the reunion of God with his people is finally to come about.  The symbolic wedding of Christ with his bride, the Church, demonstrates the complete removal of the barrier of sin that once stood between humanity and God, as such it is a time of joy that is has no parallel in our world, a world where all victories are only temporary or partial.  It was the resurrection of Jesus, following his willing sacrifice on the Cross, that sealed this victory and guaranteed that all those who put their trust in him will one day not only be at the wedding, but be among the great multitude that collectively constitute the bride of Christ.  The question then for us all is simple: will we be invited to this wedding to take our place in the family of God, or not?  The means of securing an invitation are equally simple: put your trust and hope in Jesus; he died to pay for your sins, he was resurrected open the way for us to new life after death.  Let us rejoice and be glad.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video

Sermon Video: "Woman, why are you crying?" - John 20:1-15

In the Easter resurrection appearance of the Gospel of John, the focus is upon the emotional state of the three participants.  Mary Magdalene is filled with anguish upon learning that the stone has been rolled away and fearing that Jesus' body has been stolen by those who would desecrate it.  She runs to tell Peter and John who both come to see the empty tomb for themselves, ponder the mystery of the burial cloths left behind, and leave believing that Jesus is alive but confused as to how and why this has happened.
As Mary remains behind, still in anguish over the apparently stolen body of Jesus, she first sees two angels, and then Jesus himself whom Mary mistakes for a moment as the gardener.  Jesus asks Mary, "Woman, why are you crying?"  When she doesn't recognize him, he simply says, "Mary" to which she responds with recognition, "Rabboni" (Teacher).  At once the cloud of sorrow is lifted off of Mary and replaced by extreme joy.  Jesus gives her the important task, and high honor, of being the first Christian missionary to spread the Good News that Jesus is alive.  As she runs to tell the disciples, the words of Jesus that he will soon be returning to his Father are a sobering thought amidst the joy that the worldwide task of preaching the Gospel will be the task of this small band of disciples; this is just the beginning.

To watch the video, click on the link below:
Sermon Video

The value of joyful music

Psalm 100:1-2 "Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
                        Worship the LORD with gladness;
                        come before him with joyful songs.

Those of you who are familiar with our story know that Nicole and I moved 450 miles away from home in January so that I could take over as the new pastor of the First Baptist Church of Franklin.  That sort of change involves a whole host of new experiences from things as small as where you can get the kind of cereal that you like to where you find spiritual nourishment.  For my wife, there has been an additional adjustment because she must also find a new church to attend for Mass.  Back home Nicole (and I) went to the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Grand Rapids where the music direction was handled superbly by Nick Palmer and the choir was led with gusto and fun by Tom Good.  Thus far in the Franklin area, we haven't found much to compare.  Nicole has been to several churches, and they will of course not feel the same as home, but the thing that always seems to be missing is the music.  It doesn't have the same life, the same joy.  It has been more often than not the same songs that we're used to from St. Andrew, but something is missing.
Of all the things that I learned by going to Mass with my wife a thousand times, the combination of reverence and joy in the music probably tops the list.  I grew up with uplifting music in church, and we certainly have beautiful music here as well, but I hadn't really felt the connection to the music until I saw it through my wife's eyes.  (A lot of that has to do with talent, she's got loads of musical talent, I have only a handful)  And so our search continues, I'm not sure if she will find that "something" that feels like it felt before, but when it isn't there you can tell.  I know that Baptists see the sermon as the culmination of the service, and Catholics feel that way about the Mass, but we should both remember how uplifting and fortifying our music can, and should, be to those who have come to join us in our worship of the Lord.  Shout for joy to the Lord!