Sermon Video: The Debt you cannot repay: Love - Romans 13:6-8a

After telling the followers of Jesus that they have an obligation to pay their taxes, along with other things they may owe to those in authority like respect and honor, the Apostle Paul broadens the conversation to show us that we should discharge all of our obligations to the people in our lives.  Sometimes these things are material (money, time, labor) and sometimes they are intangible (dignity, kindness, hope), in each case we ought to stive to do our part.  However, there is one debt that we cannot possibly repay, yet must continue to strive toward doing so anyway: the debt of love.  We owe God an infinite debt of love (How could it not be infinite when the price paid for our ransom was the blood of Christ?), but rather than focus that effort of love on God who is not among us and has no needs, we are told to consider ourselves in debt permanently to each other, as fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, with respect to love.

Why is the Truth treated like a second rate commodity? Life lessons from an ESPN article: Happy 59th! Or is it 58th? Cracking the mystery of Don Mattingly's birthday - by Sam Miller

Do yourself a favor, read the ESPN article: Happy 59th! Or is it 58th? Cracking the mystery of Don Mattingly's birthday - by Sam Miller.  In a world of pandemics and political turmoil, an innocent mystery about a baseball card from 1987 is like a relaxing balm.

Yes, I have this card; several copies of it.

This story connects with me on multiple levels: (1) I was an avid baseball card collector in my youth {thus spending nearly all my paper route money} with tens of thousands of cards now stored in boxes in my parents' basement back in MI, (2) Don Mattingly was one of the four players that I tried to get every card of {along with the Tigers' Matt Nokes, the Mets' Dwight Gooden, and my all-time favorite, the A's Ricky Henderson}, and (3) the reason why I'm sharing this, I too care about accuracy and truth.

Why is it that so many people today can't even be bothered to spend 30 seconds to determine (painlessly and for free) whether or not what they're about to share on social media is a hoax, fake, or an outright lie?  What happened to the idea that, "My word is my bond"?  Why doesn't it bother more people that they're being used as tools to advance causes they may/may not agree with on the basis of falsehoods?

Baseball historian Bill Haber spent countless hours tracking down the truth about even totally obscure baseball players, writing letters and spending money for public records because he cared about the truth.  The author of the story, Sam Miller, dug around until he found the answer to a mystery (It's an interesting mystery, read the story) because he too wanted to know the truth.

As Christians, the Truth is supposed to matter more to us, there's a reason why I use a capital "T" when talking about it as a principle.  Dozens of times in the Gospel Jesus begins an important statement with, "I tell you the truth..." {"Verily"is the old school translation in the KJV}.

Numbers 23:19 New International Version
 God is not human, that he should lie,
    not a human being, that he should change his mind.
Does he speak and then not act?
    Does he promise and not fulfill?

John 4:24 New International Version
God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

John 14:6 New International Version
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Those are but three of dozens of examples of the insistence upon the Truth from God and by the people of God.  When we lie, or share lies, we not only harm our own reputation as people who value Truth, but we are indeed committing acts of sinful rebellion against a God who rejects utterly the notion of using evil like a tool, no matter what the goal may be.  You may think you're serving a higher purpose by lowering the truth from a necessity to a nuisance, that your cause is worth the cost, but you're not, and it isn't.

Why don't we care more about Truth?  Why aren't we deeply concerned that we might inadvertently be spreading lies?  There is an answer, but you're not going to like what it says about us.    I use the plural pronouns because even though I do spend the time and put in the effort to honor the truth to the best of my ability, when some fellow Christians do not always do so, it is all of our reputation that suffers.  If we can't be bothered to care about the Truth in politics (to use a common example) why would anyone believe we know the Truth about life after death?  When enough Christians (or at least those professing to be Christians) have earned a reputation for dishonesty, that character flaw is ascribed to all of us, it becomes a weight that we must carry as we attempt to share the Gospel and impact our communities for the Kingdom of God.

Facts matter, honor matters, integrity matters, and yes, the Truth absolutely matters. If you can't be bothered to seek the truth, please stop pretending to represent Christianity.

Sermon Video: Honoring God through the House of the LORD - Haggai 1

What is the value of the place at which the people of God gather?  We know that the Church is the people of God, not the buildings they meet in or the institutions they create to organize themselves, but does that negate the value (spiritual, primarily, but also emotional) of the worship space of God's people?  The prophet Haggai was sent by God to the Jewish people returned from exile in Babylon to Jerusalem to reassert the need for God's people to rebuild the temple of Solomon that had been destroyed in 586 B.C.  Why did they need to rebuild the temple?  "so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored" (Haggai 1:8).  The place in which God's people meet to worship and fellowship is of immense value.  The returned exiles had neglected for rebuild the temple for 16 years and had thus incurred God's displeasure.  The place where God's people meet doesn't have to be fancy, it doesn't have to be costly, but it does have to function as a meeting place where the presence of God can dwell among his people.  Whether a church meets in a storefront, a simple brick building, or a massive cathedral, they ought to treasure that sacred space, honorably maintain it, and put it to the use intended by God as the Spirit of God dwells among them when they are gathered in his name.

To watch the video, click on the link below:

Sermon Video: Why do people get married? - 1 Corinthians 7:36-40

Why do people get married?  While the reasons abound, the Apostle Paul, in finishing the section of his letter to the Church in Corinth that focuses upon sex and marriage, touches upon four of the more common ones: honor, passion, compulsion, and happiness.  The text itself focuses upon issues relating to the decision to marry or not to marry from a 1st century cultural perspective, but the idea of why people choose to get married (and widows/widowers to remarry or not) is certainly relevant for any cultural setting.

In the end, the will of God allows freedom for Christians to decide if they want to be married, and when, within the framework of the Law of God as outlined in his Word.  Within that framework: one man, one wife, for life, it is not a moral issue for a disciple of Jesus Christ to marry or not.  Some will prefer to continue living in celibate singleness, some will decide that after losing one spouse to death that they do not want to remarry, but some will choose to enter into the holy bond of marriage, emphasizing some combination of honor, passion, or the pursuit of happiness in their minds (but hopefully not compulsion).  God wants his people to be happy, as our heavenly Father, God knows that true and lasting happiness is only found in union with him, not rebellion against him.  The Christian worldview thus emphasizes the primacy of obedience to the Law of God, placing issues of love, happiness, rights, or freedoms behind conformity to the dictates of God's righteousness, holiness, and justice (and not just relating to marriage, in all parts of our lives).  Within the framework of marriage (and sexual purity) ordained by God, there is room for us to consider what our honor, passion, and happiness is asking of us.  {FYI, the point in question: to marry or not, is illustrated in the sermon by my retelling of my own proposal of marriage to my beautiful wife Nicole, in October of the year 2000.}

To watch the video, click on the link below:

A father's prayer of thanksgiving to God

This is the closing prayer that I gave at the end of the baptism of our daughter, Clara.  My wife, Nicole is Catholic, I am the pastor of the First Baptist Church of Franklin.  Our marriage is a testament to the spirit of Ecumenism that I have hoped for (and found here in Franklin) in my ministry.  Thus long before Clara was born, we had already decided to honor her mother's tradition, and that of her mother's family, should we have children, through baptism into the Catholic Church.  Clara will be brought up to honor and respect the traditions of the faith of both her mother, and her father, attending as both Nicole and I do, church on Saturday (at St. Pat's) and Sunday (at 1st Baptist).

Sex and Marriage?

The role of sexuality in the life of those who follow God is a horribly misunderstood topic.  We've twisted it around and screwed it up to no end.  That being said, such a knot cannot be unraveled all at once, let me simply pull on one strand a bit and try to help...

What's the purpose of sex?  To those who engage in sex outside of the covenant of marriage, it is an act of pleasure that often tries to be the glue holding a relationship together.  It is an act of hope that is far too often placed in the wrong person.  It becomes damaged by bad experiences and ends up being something it was never intended to be.  Sex should not be a bargaining chip, nor a tool for getting one's way, it should not be bought or sold, nor should be be withheld or forced.  We, as a society, have morphed sex almost beyond recognition.

Sex within a marriage is an entirely different thing.  It is not the glue holding the relationship together, nor is it simply for pleasure.  The bond that holds the marriage together is honor, integrity, and a promise made in love before God, family, and friends.  Now, sex is pleasurable in a marriage, it is intended to be, but it also so much more.  It is a celebration of the union that exists between two people, of the molding of two separate lives into one, of the submission of two independent wills into one common goal of being a mutually beneficially partnership.

  If all of that sounds a little too idealistic to you, good, it should be.  God created the institution of marriage, and made sexuality as a part of it, for a very good reason.  We're not complete when we're alone.  We all feel it, we all know that the joys and sorrows of this life should be shared with another who is designed to compliment you.  A marriage works best when strengths and weaknesses are balanced out by the spouse, when needs and dreams are worked at together and not in competition.

Is sex a good thing?  Absolutely, all of God's creation was good in the beginning.  Has it been wrecked by sinful man?  Without a doubt, but we can begin to reclaim sex by supporting marriage.  Those who find themselves in the midst of divorce or failed relationships can begin again; you can reclaim your honor and integrity by saving your most intimate feelings for someone who is willing to publicly commit to you.  It may be idealistic, but it's also the truth.

The Shame of Joe Paterno

There is no excuse.  That the family is trying to spin the Freeh report to protect his "legacy" is only adding to the shame he deserves.  Joe Paterno may have served his fellow man for decades, and he did, but what will he be remembered for?  Looking the other way to protect his buddy and his football program as children were raped by the man whose office was next door.  The legal ramifications for Penn State will be huge, and they should be, but the moral ramifications are beyond the pale.  Each of those students who gathered to protest the firing of Joe must now look themselves in the mirror and realize that they were helping to protect a man who made an inexcusable evil choice. 
Those of us who serve the public as our life's calling know that everything we have worked for could be ruined by a false accusation.  It makes us tentative, causes us to have rules about ministering alone with anyone, and plays to our fears.  It cannot be helped.  The innocent deserve our discomfort.
If any of these 4 leaders at Penn State (plus who knows how many more further down the ladder) had any sense of courage or honor, they would have gone to the police regardless of the consequences.  It is not a choice, it is an obligation.  Everything else that may be offered in their defense is meaningless.  They knew enough, they knew children were at risk, and they walked away.  Only one person needed to do the right thing to put a stop to Sandusky's predatory rapes of children; at Penn State, to their shame, there was none.
There is no excuse, only shame.

Memorial Day in PA

For the past five years I had led the service for Memorial Day at the little cemetery across the street from my church in Palo.  It was a privilege and an honor to do so each time.  This year, I wasn't there (as you know from our move to PA); I missed being there and seeing more than 100 people show up in that tiny town to pay their respects.  This past Memorial Day I was in Franklin, watching the parade with its thousands lining the streets, an impressive sight to be sure.  Then Nicole and I walked over and sat down at the bandstand to await the service expecting the whole park to be full of people (if only 1/2 those who had watched the parade came over, it would have been full of people).  I was saddened to see that only about 100 people stayed for the extra hour to listen to Mother Holly's prayers, watch the wreaths being laid, hear the list of those veterans who had died this past year, and the always moving 21 gun salute with taps.  I've been impressed with Franklin thus far; the town has great civic pride and does so much together, perhaps that was why I was disappointed to see so few linger to pay their respects.  I know that different towns had different traditions, but my hometown of Saranac always filled the cemetery at the end of the parade route for the service, the people of Palo more than represented their town by having more people at the cemetery than lived in the town; I guess I just expected more.  One thing I know, I'll be there next year.

What it takes to defeat evil.

I've been reading in the Bonhoeffer biography about some of the various attempts to kill Hitler throughout the war (there were far more attempts than most people realize beyond the famous Valkyrie plot).  Each attempt ended in failure, for a variety of often mundane reasons.  Bonhoeffer's advice to a Christian German staff lieutenant, Werner Von Haeften, (one of Stauffenberg's aides) who in his duties was close enough at times to Hitler to take out his revolver and shoot him, offers insight.  He cautioned this brave man that to simply kill Hitler was not enough.  Evil could not be so easily defeated; there were many of Hitler's henchmen (Himmler, Goring, Goebbels) who were as vile as he was and who would take up his cause if he were removed.  I think that we've identified Hitler so closely, and for good reason, with the Holocaust, that we've forgotten how very many individuals were a part of the evil he unleashed.  It was not hundreds, or even thousands, but tens of thousands of "ordinary" soldiers, functionaries, and citizens who actions helped the Nazis murder millions.  Beyond them, there were countless others who stood idly by, who failed to act, and whose inaction made them complicit in the crimes against the innocent.
What do we learn from such things?  That evil is not easily defeated.  It can be destroyed, but not in one fell swoop.  We would rather believe that easy solutions exist, that wars can be waged cleanly, that one politician is responsible for our troubles, etc. than come to grips with the reality that evil (on a grand scale) could never exist without many helpers.
We should also remember that the efforts of those who fail to defeat evil, even if they're martyred in the process, are never wasted.  Such honorable sacrifice will always ripple throughout our world and down through time as it inspires others to take action even when the prospects for victory seem slim.
In the end, our responsibility is to God.  We must answer when our time here is over for our efforts and contributions.  Did we stand by and let others suffer?  Did we take action for the sake of Christ?  Among the list of victims of the Nazis are a number of good Christian men and women who were martyred for their faith; they met God with a clean conscience.

Where heroes come from.

September 11th, 2001 was just another day in the beginning.  All over the country people got up and went to work, life went on as usual.  That it was to be the last day for countless heroes, was beyond their knowing.  These men and women, mostly firefighters, first responders, and cops responded to a distress call like they had as part of their jobs each day.  This distress call was however, unlike any that came before.  They didn't know it at the time, but America was at war.  They were asked to respond to a cowardly act of war that cannot be compared with the Day of Infamy witnessed by the Greatest Generation.  Pearl Harbor was an undeclared act of war by a nation against another.  Armed forces fought each other that day, and those who lost their lives in the Arizona or elsewhere died in the service of their country.  9/11 was an act of terrorism against unarmed non-combatant men, women, and children.  It was no better than walking into a pizzeria and blowing yourself up.  Moral outrage is meaningless to those who don't value human life.
Such was the situation that these public servants rushed to confront as they converged on the burning towers.  Most did not return.  They left behind wifes, family, children; but they brought out of the fires thousands who would live to hug their own families because of their sacrifice.  They didn't know when they put on the uniform to start another work day that the ultimate sacrifice would be asked of them.  Were they scared?  Sure.  Hesistant?  Perhaps.  We honor them today because they went forward anyway.
Ten years have passed.  Wars have been fought in retaliation.  Thousands of soldiers have joined these men and women in sacrifice, and tens of thousands have returned home wounded in body and spirit.  Time will heal all wounds.  Decades from now few will be left who remember that day, as a new generation grows to adulthood in the shadow of the freedom provided by those who know that it is not free.
So where do heroes come from?  Most don't make a choice ahead of time to be a hero.  Heroes choose to put others ahead of themselves each day through small acts of service and sacrifice.  By dedicating themselves to help those in need they have already made the choice to trade their own lives for those of others.  All the men and women who put on uniforms that day (and any day) were heroes, some were asked to pay for that honor one last time.

Memorial Day observance Video

This is the video of our Memorial Day observance at the Palo cemetery, including my message honoring the eight Medal of Honor recipients from Iraq and Afghanistan.

To watch the video, click the links below:
Memorial Day Video
Memorial Day Video - Part 2

Remembrance

“Remember the Alamo!” We certainly do. “Remember Goliad!” Not so much. And yet, both were used as rallying cries by the forces that defeated Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto. Why is the Alamo remembered to this day, its legend celebrated in movie and song, but Goliad is known only to the few who paid attention in U.S. history in high school. In the same vein, the defeat at Pearl Harbor became “A date which will live in infamy”, but the defeat of American forces in the Philippines which occurred later that same day has been forgotten. What is the purpose of remembering the tragedies of the past? Why will we all tell the next generation years from now about what it was like on Sept. 11th 2001, much as our parents told us about the day that JFK was assassinated?


We remember the past because it helps us to understand the present. The tragic past also inspires us to make choices today which we hope will prevent us from repeating it. As Americans, we honor and celebrate those who risked their lives in service to their country throughout our history each Memorial Day. We have parades, go to the cemetery, and listen to speeches, often including a reading of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. We honor them because we know that our present freedoms were purchased with blood, and we honor them because we hope to avoid the wars that interrupted, and for too many ended, their lives.

As Christians we do the same thing. We celebrate Christmas and Easter every year to remember what Christ chose to do for us. Jesus chose to enter our world as a man, subject to the same pain that we feel. He chose to walk up to Jerusalem, knowing the Cross would be the ultimate destination, but also knowing that the empty grave awaited beyond it. We remember because it is “altogether fitting and proper” to honor Jesus for his sacrifice on our behalf. Likewise, we will always honor those who give the “last full measure of devotion” to America.

The hero's homecoming

This past week the members of the 1st Squadron, 33 Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) returned home to Fort Campbell after completing their deployment to Afghanistan. Included in that squadron is one of my best friends, Captain (Dr.) Zach DeYoung {the man who was influential in my own decision to join the Army reserves as a chaplain}. Upon their return, the unit was greeted with the pomp and ceremony befitting the honor due those who have served their countries. They were then of course mobbed by family members. After a year apart, husbands and wives held each other once again, children were scooped up and treasured once more. Zach was reunited with his wife Karen and his daughters Isabella (3) and Sophia (1). It would be difficult to picture a more touching family reunion. The virtues of patience, duty, sacrifice, commitment, and love could easily be extolled upon by those looking to inspire others to make virtuous choices of their own. This scene has been, and will be repeated, all over the country as men and women return home from tours of duty. They deserve our thanks.
As I pondered this homecoming, I couldn’t help but imagine for a moment what the homecoming celebration must have been like when Jesus returned in triumph to his own home. He too had been away a long time on a dangerous mission, and he, like too many others, was asked to give his life in service to that mission. Unlike the sacrifices made in defense of freedom, the cause that Jesus was willing to die for was the liberation of the souls of mankind. As noble as those sacrifices are (Jesus honored them with his own words, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” John 15:13), they can never match the victory over sin and death achieved by Christ at the cross and vindicated three days later at the empty tomb.
When Jesus returned home to his Father, amidst the throngs of angels and men and women whose hope had been in the Lord, the shout of triumph must have put to shame the thousands who will cheer at this year’s Super Bowl. Not only had Jesus lived a sinless life in order to make his sacrifice worthy, he had also passed the test at the moment of trial by proclaiming his allegiance to his duty, “may your will be done” (Matthew 26:42). On that day, when Jesus returned home to the embrace of his heavenly father, he stood victorious over sin and death, a hero whose example inspires us to sacrifice for each other as so many honorable soldiers already have.