What is at the heart of disobedience?

I got an email this morning with the a catchy subject line: Addressing the Primary Root of Disobedience

Catchy line. Made me open it. I was surprised at what I read: a long opinion on the importance of respect in the house (a very important thing!) and the lifelong rewards of learning to respect your parents (no argument there) . What surprised me was absolutely no mention of why anyone has the inclination or urge to disrespect in the first place. To teach the importance and rewards of respect without helping your child understand why they do it is more than useless; such teaching would tend to promote the idea that a child's behavior and choices will be his or her salvation. If you are very, very good, then you will not do these things; and if you do these things, you are very, very bad. Respect is an extremely important behavior to learn and teach, but to teach it without teaching law (you are born a sinner and are separated from God because of your sins) and gospel ( Christ died to save you from the penalty of your sins. Go forth and live in thanksgiving and praise for your salvation). That's how I read this article. How about you?

Two of your kids are fighting, another one won't pick up his toys, and your teenager just revealed the tattoo she got without your permission. You're exhausted, and all you want is peace.

You're not alone.

For many, disciplining children is a daily challenge. When it comes to discipline in my home, I only have one rule: respect.

Disrespect is the primary root of disobedience. Looking through Scripture, Adam and Eve sinned because they did not respect God's command. Cain killed Abel because he did not respect his brother's life. Lying, stealing, vandalism, strife and disobedience stem from an attitude of disrespect toward someone or something.

When your toddler pulls the dog's tail or your teenager rolls her eyes, it's — you guessed it — disrespect.

I'd choose this message instead:

Sin is the primary root of disobedience. Looking through Scripture, Adam and Eve sinned because they did not respect God's command. Cain killed Abel because he did not respect his brother's life. Lying, stealing, vandalism, strife and disobedience and disrespect stem from sin.

When your toddler pulls the dog's tail or your teenager rolls her eyes, it's — you guessed it — sin.

The close of the article is also off base in its clear message that its our job to master behavior and God is there to fill in the gaps if (not when) we fail. I've known many teens who successfully learned to act saintly while in their parents home, only to be completely unprepared to deal with sin issues on their own.

Emphasizing respect and honoring people are biblical concepts. Believers are told to respect the law (Proverbs 13:13), honor parents (Deuteronomy 5:16) and live lives worthy of respect (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12). With respect woven throughout Scripture, it's no wonder that it makes for a strong foundation for family and offers meaningful reward.

When I set a standard of respect in my home, the reward was relationship. My children became people I liked to have around. They trusted me as someone who respected and believed in them. Peace reigned and communication flowed between us.

But I didn't do this alone. God has been my guide and my support. His wisdom and strength carried me through the times when I felt too weary to press forward. His grace made up the difference when I fell short. And ultimately, He was my inspiration for my standard of respect.

I see a danger in teaching our children that we will have a relationship only if they act correctly. Scripture teaches that all of our children are born into sin and are in need of a savior. Although I strive to be someone who is worthy of imitation, I have made it a point to teach my children that I am in the same boat as they are. I instead point them to the cross. It is the ultimate act of pure grace that God created a way for us to have a relationship with him through the sacrificial death of his Son, Jesus Christ. The best models of God's grace I've seen are those who show others grace at the most unexpected moments...when least deserved.

Mark 16:16 goes WITH Mark 16:15

One thing I appreciate is being reminded to interpret scripture by using scripture, particularly the verses before and after!

Common question:

Why do Lutherans baptize infants when the Bible says, "Believe and be baptized?" This passage teaches that baptism is for the person who has accepted Christ and wants the Holy Spirit to come into his life.

What the passage actually teaches:

Believing in Jesus, that is, having saving faith, is indeed a requirement to receive divine blessings of personal forgiveness through baptism as well as through the Lord's Supper or the Word of God itself. But this is not a prerequisite for baptism. In fact, saving faith is given through baptism.

The Mark 16:16 passage is explained by the prior verse, Mark 16:15. Jesus is instructing his followers to preach the gospel. Then what follows makes perfect sense: whoever believes and is baptized will be saved.

If someone is converted by the Holy Spirit through the Word (as an adult, for example), the faith comes first and baptism will follow (so that the Holy Spirit will strengthen that faith). For obvious reasons, in the case of infants baptism is applied to them to create faith and then instruction in the Word follows to strengthen that faith. Questions or statements based on a person "accepting" Christ and "proclaiming his faith" through baptism are based on a false understanding of how people become believers and what baptism is and does. No one "accepts" Jesus on his own since by nature fallen mankind has no free will whatsoever in spiritual matters. Faith is a gift of God through Word and sacraments. And baptism is a work of God through which God proclaims promises and gives spiritual blessing; it is not given as a human work or testimony or act of obedience.

Changes

My family and I have gone through a multitude of changes. We've also been very, very busy. Busy + change does NOT equal time for reflection and blogging, not surprisingly. I anticipate time for reflection and writing once both are kids leave for college in a month.

God comes to us.

“It will also come to pass that before they call, I will answer” (Isaiah 65:24).

Ephesians 2:8–9 (NIV)

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.

Michael Spencer has died.

Michael Spencer , known fondly as the Internet Monk, has died. I had been waiting and watching for the news, but somehow missed it during Easter week. My first thought selfishly was that this is a first for me: a life and death known to me solely by the internet. I'm glad of I knew him, even if only virtually! Michael wrote of his differences with the earthly church he served, and of his relationship with his wife amidst her change in faith practices, and it blessed me greatly! While he was never a martyr for the faith, he clung to faith in Christ in the face of more criticism than most of us face for our faith. I was also deeply touched by his honest comments when his wife turned to the Catholic church.

John posts on his life and death at Confessing Evangelical blog. Below is Michael's last public statement, written after he knew he would most likely be dying much sooner than he had ever imagined:

Real apologetics

The ultimate apologetic is to a dying man.

That is what all those “Where is God?” statements in the Psalms are all about. They are, at least partially, invitations to Christians to speak up for the dying.

All the affirmations to God as creator and designer are fine, but it is as the God of the dying that the Christian has a testimony to give that absolutely no one else can give.

We need to remember that each day dying people are waiting for the word of death and RESURRECTION.

The are a lot of different kinds of Good News, but there is little good news in “My argument scored more points than you argument.” But the news that “Christ is risen!” really is Good News for one kind of person: The person who is dying.

If Christianity is not a dying word to dying men, it is not the message of the Bible that gives hope now.

What is your apologetic? Make it the full and complete announcement of the Life Giving news about Jesus.

As John wrote, "Amen. See you at the resurrection, Michael."

Dealing with a virtual death

Today, many in the virtual Christian blogosphere are dealing with the news that Michael Spencer (known as Internet Monk on his blog or @imonk on Twitter has stopped his cancer treatment and has elected hospice. I've followed him off and on since 2004. The news is also being discussed at Boar's Head Tavern.

Death and sin are ugly realities of our world. Anger is justified. Our source of hope is clear.

Peace to the Spencer family.

Fear And The Word, part 2

I had a wonderful conversation with a co-worker last night. We had both stayed late on a Friday night, which in hindsight is rather unusual. I was making up time and she was getting things organized for her vacation next week. As we walked back and forth in the office, each taking care of our business, I kept noticing that something just wasn't right with her. A well-meaning friend had cast judgment on her based on nothing but speculation and fear. We were led into a long discussion of our former backgrounds in fundamentalist Christian practice, discovering balanced law and gospel churches, the depravity of our souls and our wonderful gift of undeserved grace and of the true meaning of freedom in Christ. It was obvious to both of us that God had ordained that very moment at the copier where we suddenly were open to each other's state of being. And it wasn't just me somehow reassuring her through Christ's words; I was also healed and refreshed in a very unexpected way. I HATE mushy stuff like that, which made it all the more amazing! :)

Break over.

Break over. Time to start writing again. Writing is a funny thing. For years words can pour out like rain or tears and then there's suddenly nothing left to say. At least for a while. I am so thankful that I have this record of my thoughts as a I transitioned from a fundamentalist lifestyle to a grace-based lifestyle. Does anyone blog anymore? Do any of my old readers even check this blog any more. I'll find out, I guess. I spend a lot of time on Twitter because it suits me well. I follow several of the old Confessional Lutheran bloggers gang of 2004. I've also met some new Lutheran bloggers through Twitter. That's cool!

What have I been doing for the past couple of years? Mostly working for my dad, trying to keep a warm and loving home and dealing with the chronic pain God has chosen to allow in my life. Also, what has kept me from writing is the less-controllable later teen years. When my kids were younger teens, I did not feel uncomfortable detailing their experiences (always anonymously). Then the later teen years hit, life got less picture-perfect (for me anyway) and I no longer felt that I had a right to write anything about them. What is left to write when your children are everything about you? As I've made the transition from living 24/7 with my children to being there for them, as they need, while forging their adult lives, I can see now my ability and right to reclaim my writing for myself. I am no longer 100% my children. I am slowly learning how to be me again. It was sad, at first, but now I am seeing the light at the end of the transitional tunnel. My husband and I are beginning to remember that we really like each other and like being with each other. That's pretty cool, I think. What a huge blessing. So many of our dear friends have discovered the opposite and have separated. At least 50 to 75% of our hockey friends are now divorced, baseball less so. Don't know why. Thankfully, most are pretty civil toward each other and tolerate us remaining friendly with both "sides".

Pain is also a very difficult and distracting companion in my life. It robs me of my thoughts or at least bends my thoughts towards it. That sucks. I am so ready to be done defining my life by pain...and yet it is still with me. My leg rarely stops aching. I'm like the fictional Greg House, thankfully without the Vicodin. But I do live with my friend, Tramadol. He's a distant cousin of Vicodin...related by marriage. My lower back is recovering, but the compression on the nerve cannot, so far, be lifted. I am continuing to battle, but progress is slow. What needs to happen is that I keep swimming (literally, in a salt water pool), continue with massage and chiropractic, move around as much as I can without actually walking (that's a trick) and become very lean. I would like to lose 50 pounds, which would make me very lean, but would help greatly going forward.

Work is the other tricky thing in my life. I need to work, but I'd like to develop a different way to earn the income needed. I sit all day long and this only compounds my pain problem. My work situation is very toxic for my body, currently. On the other hand, I really enjoy working for my father, I love the sales environment and the customer service aspect of my job. And I really enjoy the people of this office! I need to evaluate what I am good at, what interests me and what is good for me.

I continue on at King of Grace and am thankful every day that I found that church! I still continue my good Baptist habit of taking sermon notes. I also still believe I am the only one who does that! Thankfully, I don't do it to "look good", cuz the opposite would be true at my church. I do actually review my notes each week, so there!

Life is rarely fair; God is always good.

Our extended family is reeling from a cancer diagnosis. At first, we were incredulous, then upbeat and now angry at the very real possibilities of a cancer diagnosis. I've been reflecting on the saying, "life is not fair." It reminds me of that metal poster on the wall of Jimmy John's sandwich shop. No, I wouldn't send these words to someone with cancer.. but the list helps put the rest of life's annoyances into proper perspective. Life is rarely fair. God is always good. That is somewhat illustrated in Job 1. I think I will work on reading Job this week.

Job 1

Prologue
1 In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. 2 He had seven sons and three daughters, 3 and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East.

4 His sons used to take turns holding feasts in their homes, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would send and have them purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, "Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts." This was Job's regular custom.

Job's First Test
6 One day the angels [a] came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan [b] also came with them. 7 The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?"
Satan answered the LORD, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it."

8 Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil."

9 "Does Job fear God for nothing?" Satan replied. 10 "Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face."

12 The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger."
Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.

13 One day when Job's sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house, 14 a messenger came to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, 15 and the Sabeans attacked and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"

16 While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The fire of God fell from the sky and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"

17 While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"

18 While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, "Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house, 19 when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"

20 At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship 21 and said:
"Naked I came from my mother's womb,
and naked I will depart. [c]
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
may the name of the LORD be praised."

22 In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.

Discussing religion...

There are lots of places on the internet to discuss religion. When I first started writing on this blog, I was really sorting out my faith journey. I don't have much figured out yet, but I am at a place where I prefer to listen, learn and attempt to discuss without seeming to attack. That is not always possible though, because one person's perception discussion is often another person's perceived attack. What to do?

When discussing various facets of Christianity, you invariably end up discussing denominational differences. Calls for unity without examining the underpinnings of a denomination are not workable. Scripture calls us to examine teachings and avoid what is not compatible with scripture. Words of wisdom came today in an unusual place:

Secular Bible Study casts wide net
by JEFF STRICKLER , Star Tribune
February 20, 2009

As if it's not unusual enough that Trinity United Methodist Church and the Minnesota Atheists have joined forces to promote a project, wait till you hear what the project is: a Bible study class.

Granted, it's not your normal one. At least, that's the hope. Called Secular Bible Study, the program aims to "foster and nurture relationships between folks who would otherwise avoid each other," said Chester O'Gorman, community outreach director for the northeast Minneapolis church. "Secular Bible Study hopes to attract a variety of people -- Buddhists, atheists, agnostics, Christians and even Jews and Muslims."

The weekly class will focus on the Bible's historical and cultural context. Organizers have drawn up a set of ground rules designed to keep participants from proselytizing, but that doesn't mean that they want to discourage disagreement. Just the opposite.

"We've discerned that people have lost or lack the skills to engage in constructive and respectful dialogue in the context of profound disagreement," O'Gorman said. "An emphasis will be placed on dialogue among the group of small groups (emphasis mine)."

I don't know the faith of Mr. O'Gorman, but I certainly agree with him that people have lost or lack skills to engage in constructive and respectful dialogue. That is a goal of mine which I imagine will take years to refine, God willing.

Mom, sing me that song....

I'm not great singer, but I love to sing. Both my husband and I were in various choirs as youth and we have been blessed with a songstress for a daughter. Our son also has a fine voice, but has refused to sing since becoming a teen. When my kids were younger, I sang to them a lot at bedtime. We had a cassette tape of Michael Card's Sleep Sound in Jesus to go along with the book. I had all the songs memorized. I also would make up songs to sing them at night. The other night, my daughter called me from college and asked me to sing one of the songs to her. Later, her friends called and asked me to sing it to the whole gang. They must have been having a group hug session and needed a reminder that they were once children and are still loved very much.

A pastor once suggested I learn some of Paul Gerhardt's hymns for encouragement. I've been slow at that suggestion, but I still end up "discovering" Gerhardt's hymns again and again. Last night for Lenten service we ended with Now Rest Beneath Night's Shadow. I found myself loving the words and wishing that I had been Lutheran when my kids were younger. This hymn would make a great nighttime song for a mom and her kids.

Now Rest Beneath Night’s Shadow
Words: Paul Gerhardt.
Music: O Welt, Ich Muss Dich Lassen, 15th Century German melody;
adapted by Heinrich Isaac, 1539;
harmony by Johann S. Bach, 1729 .

Now rest beneath night's shadow
The woodland, field, and meadow,
The world in slumber lies;
But Thou, my heart, awake thee,
To prayer and song betake thee;
Let praise to thy Creator rise.

The radiant sun hath vanished,
His golden rays are banished
By night, the foe of day;
But Christ, the Sun of gladness,
Dispelling all my sadness,
Within my heart holds constant sway.

The rule of day is over
And shining jewels cover
The heaven’s boundless blue.
Thus I shall shine in heaven,
Where crowns of gold are given
To all who faithful prove and true.

To rest my body hasteth,
Aside its garments casteth,
Types of mortality;
These I put off and ponder
How Christ will give me yonder
A robe of glorious majesty.

Lord Jesus, who dost love me,
Oh, spread Thy wings above me
And shield me from alarm!
Though evil would assail me,
Thy mercy will not fail me:
I rest in Thy protecting arm.

My loved ones, rest securely,
For God this night will surely
From peril guard your heads.
Sweet slumbers may He send you
And bid His hosts attend you
And through the night watch o’er your beds.

This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him

Today's sermon for Transfiguration Sunday had a timeless message for our family: It is good for us to be here! It was based on Mark 9: 2-9.

The Transfiguration

After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.

Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)

Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!"

Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.

As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

There were several scripture references that I didn't catch, but I'll get them and update this post. I appreciated a classic Lutheran sermon reminding me of why it is so good to be in God's house hearing God's word. In hearing God's word, I am preparing for the future and getting a glimpse of glory. His Word convicts me; it shows me my sins. His Word also shows me why I can hope for glory. His Word reminds me that wrath, condemnation and anger are all gone through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Facebook and church fellowship

I had the opportunity to hear a sermon by an ELCA pastor this past Sunday. This church is home to my brother's family. My nieces and nephews hear the gospel preached in this church and I am thankful for it. Still, my synod and their synod are not in altar fellowship. I did not join them in holy communion and I did not join in the prayers. I sang the hymns I knew and confessed our agreement in the Apostle's Creed. I was happy to know that my godson, a confirmand on that day, knew the saving gospel of Jesus Christ. I was curious, to say the least, to hear the pastor's sermon for that special day. His sermon title: Remembering and Responding. How did he start? Yep, with a Facebook story. He told a story about finding an old friend on Facebook and renewing the friendship. I'm pretty sure he figured he would draw in the confirmands with the mere mention of Facebook and he was probably right. In his story, he made a very clear point about fellowship...a point that I don't think he intended to make. In fact, I'm probably the only one who drew that point. He was commenting on how you become friends on Facebook and how it is a somewhat safe platform because two people become friends based an agreement. Yeah, I'm pretty sure I'm the only one who saw the irony in his Facebook story. Agreement on Facebook is important. AND... church fellowship - agreement on what scripture teaches - is also very important.

The Lutheran Confessions

How and why do people find and join a church these days? In my 30+ years as an adult Christian, I mostly chose a church because I liked the people and the music, along with the scripture-based sermons. Before joining our last and current church, our family didn't really know anyone and we weren't real keen on the "old-fashioned" hymns. However, the draw of a church, pastors and congregants who were dedicated to the concept of Sola Scriptura was like water to our parched throats! We each were given an opportunity to study scripture and learn about the Lutheran Confessions under the instruction of a pastor; my husband and I through Adult Instruction and our kids through a formal Confirmation program. Some Christians might wonder what exactly are the Lutheran Confessions. Some Lutherans might wonder why we need to even bother studying them. I found a great explanation, Why Study our Lutheran Confessions, while looking through my synod's website. It was written by Pastor Ted Gullixson. I have posted it here, in its entirety, based on the Creative Commons License.

“For every new book you read, also read three older books,” said the sainted Prof. Glenn Reichwald of Bethany Lutheran College. This advice has much wisdom. It is easy to lose one’s perspective in religious matters if one is reading what modern authors are saying about truth or the Bible.

One older book that is always worthwhile reading is the Book of Concord. This book contains the six confessions of the Lutheran Church and the three confessions to which all Christian churches claim to adhere. All but one of these confessions were written during times of doctrinal strife in the Christian Church. They were written to confess the truth which the authors found in the Bible.

As we read the Book of Concord we note that many Bible passages are quoted. The reason is that the confessors understood that the Bible is the only source of truth. This is proclaimed in the Formula of Concord: “We believe, teach, and confess that the prophetic and apostolic writings of the Old and New Testaments are the only rule and norm according to which all doctrines and teachers alike must be appraised and judged, as it is written in Ps. 119:105, ‘Thy word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.’” If the Bible is the only source of religious truth, it follows that “other writings of ancient and modern teachers, whatever their names, should not be put on a par with Holy Scripture.” (Tappert, pp. 464-465). This rule applies to the Lutheran Confessions also.

The Book of Concord is important for us to read because in this book are confessed the doctrines that the Holy Scriptures reveal to us. These confessions are “witnesses and expositions of the faith, setting forth how at various times the Holy Scriptures were understood by contemporaries in the church of God with reference to controverted articles.” (Tappert, p. 465)

This gives us another important reason to read the Book of Concord: the Lutheran Confessions are expositions of the faith and the Bible. Reading these confessions will give us a correct understanding of what God’s Word says. This is especially important when it comes to the biblical teaching that we are justified by faith alone. For the enemies of the gospel will point to many passages in the Bible that seem to teach that good works at least help get us to heaven. For they will point to texts such as Matthew 19:17, “If you would enter life, keep the commandments,” and Romans 2:13, “The doers of the law will be justified.” The Apology of the Augsburg Confession explains how these passages are to be understood: Keeping the law “cannot happen until, being first justified and regenerated, we received the Holy Spirit. For, it is impossible to keep the law without Christ; it is impossible to keep the law without the Holy Spirit.” (Tappert, p. 124)

Understanding the Bible and knowing its truths are two important reasons to read the Book of Concord. This book also teaches us God’s truth. In his preface to the Large Catechism, Dr. Martin Luther wrote, “I do as a child who is being taught the Catechism. Every morning, and whenever else I have time, I read and recite word for word the Lord’s Prayer, the Ten Commandments, the Creed, the Psalms, etc. I must still read and study the Catechism daily, yet I cannot master it as I wish, but must remain a child and pupil of the Catechism, and I do it gladly.” (Tappert, p. 359)

Luther further states that “nothing is so effectual against the devil, the world, the flesh, and all evil thoughts as to occupy oneself with the Word of God.” (Tappert, p. 359) By studying the Bible and the Book of Concord we fill our minds with what God has revealed. This is especially important since we live in a world filled with many temptations to regard science as more truthful, to regard fame and possession as providing a happier life, and to regard religion as being more harmful.

We live in a society which values experience and feelings as agents that validate the choices of one’s life. Society “forgives” a person who feels remorse but labels people as intolerant who believe they know the truth. The Book of Concord is filled with statements of biblical truth about the triune God, about Jesus as God and man, about Jesus as the only way to heaven, and about salvation through faith alone in Jesus. Reading this book will direct our thinking to know that truth is not what we feel but what God says. For Jesus said, “For this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice” (John 18:37).

We have just celebrated the 475th anniversaries of the Augsburg Confession and the Apology of the Augsburg Confession. They were written to confess the truth that sinners are justified alone by faith in Jesus Christ. Reading these confessions in the Book of Concord will bless us with the same faith that many others, who now reside in heaven, once confessed here on earth amid great difficulties.

It's a marshmallow world v.2009

We elves try to stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns and syrup.

~Buddy the Elf

It's just snowed a few powdery inches and now the temperature has plummeted well below zero. Out the window, it looks like a marshmallow world! For the few readers I have left, I've been thinking lately about why I haven't posted to Be Strong in the Grace for a while. Have I quit attending my fantastic church? Nope. Has my church changed and I've become disillusioned? No. Have I run out of thoughts? No. Have I allowed careless comments to bother me and make me second guess any thoughts of blog posts? No. Do I seem to have less time for posting? Yeah, I think that is it. Is Elf still one of my favorite movies of all time? Oh yeah!

Back in 2006, I must have been bothered by a few things. I wrote on this blog,

"In a perfect world, not only would I live at Santa's workshop with an all-candy and cocoa diet (watch Elf), there would also be no synods...only one perfect church. Seems I'm going to have to learn to live with the fact that not only is there no perfect synod, but I will also have to remain vigilant. I must accept the fact that others will criticize me and that I will sometimes need to criticize others. I will also have accept the fact that I must eat good meats, whole grains, salads, fruits and vegetables, with only the occasional candy cane and cup of cocoa."

At the start of 2009, I am bothered by fewer things. Mostly, time speeds by. Having a child in college is way different than I thought it would be. Dealing with my back injury seems to take up a lot of my time, oddly enough. And I'm really trying to stay on top of homemaking and other creative endeavors. I do expect to post more often in 2009, so stay tuned...

Mom, the stalker

"Mom! That's like....like...stalking me!"

Ouch! My son caught me in a lie the other day. Not a big lie...just one of those little lies parents might tell their kids to cover some secret parental spying that might make their child mad but is actually for their own good. You know, one of THOSE lies. I'm not even going to say what it was because it was really stupid. But it mattered to my nearly grown son and he knows what it was. I will tell you the shameful details. When I was first caught, I denied it. I even tried to blame his sister. Then I tried to blame my son. This was all in the first couple of minutes. As words came out of my mouth, I was disgusted with myself. Why was I lying? I hadn't done anything wrong. I was just embarrassed. I'm 48, a pretty good parent and here I was making really stupid lies. I quickly recovered, told him what I had done and gave my justification. What I had done wasn't wrong; lying about it was. God is good and He helped us in the next few days to have two good discussions about it. I have apologized to my son; no amount of good parenting can justify a lie...at least not the way I did it.

I cringed today when I read Pastor Walter Snyder's excellent commentary on lying, Leaving a Life of Lying. Ouch! How did he know? ;) He knows because we all are liars, whether we admit it or not. Some of us have practiced it too well and others battle some other sin, but we've all lied.

Like all their descendants, you’ve inherited our first parents’ sinful natures, including a similar gullibility regarding lying and honesty. As a Christian, you’ve also discovered the truth of Saint Paul’s lament: “I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. (Romans 7:19)” Lutherans call this situation simil iustus et peccator, meaning “at the same time saint (a justified believer in Christ) and a sinner.” Read more...

Ok, here's what I did. I was looking at his Facebook page one day - a given in our household. I have the right to see what my kids are writing when they are under age 18 and living at home. I visited some of his friends' pages and copied a few photos of him and his friends to my hard drive. As I was doing it, a little voice in me mentioned that, perhaps, I should ask him because I knew he might get weird about it, but I instead justified my actions by reminding myself that I had so few photos of him and his friends. The pics sat on my desktop for a month before he noticed them (I had forgotten). He immediately got upset, I think because of a photo of him and a particular girl, and him and a boy who is now in jail. That's when I started lying....ugh! Like I mentioned already, it turned out well, but I do wish I had quickly asked God for the grace to just be honest. Am I a chronic liar? No. Will I lie again in my lifetime? Probably. God give me strength!

St. Michael and the dragon

I don’t remember ever attending a service for the Festival of St. Michael and All Angels, so yesterday’s service at Bethany Lutheran College was particularly meaningful since it was the first time we got to see our daughter sing in the BLC Concert Choir. BLC doesn’t have regular Sunday services (students are encouraged to become part of local congregations or travel to their home churches), but they hold services on special occasions, such as the annual Fall Festival.

The service followed the Office of Matins. I really miss use of singing psalms! It reminded me of my ALC days in the 70’s. Chaplain Don Moldstad gave a good sermon on the corresponding scripture of the day. He gave an excellent message about the goal of the devil (to destroy your soul forever) and of angels (to protect your soul to heaven). He explained that sin is not just specific acts that the devil might convince you to do, but part of an overall plan to create a way to separate you from God…a pattern of guilt…a weaker friend who will seemingly try to pull you away from God. Sin isn’t just an act; its part of a plan to pull us away from God. There was also a reminder that the world will continually tell Christians that their faith in Christ is irrelevant, out-dated…like walking around wearing night goggles during the day (a reference to an earlier comparison of faith in Christ to wearing night goggles). Your church is one place to recognize your fellow soldiers, where your “night goggles” of faith won’t look out of place. Beautiful choir music, directed by Dennis Marzolf, and wonderful band pieces directed by Adrian Lo. I enjoyed singing two ELH hymns I’d never sung before, to my knowledge: I Walk With Angels All The Way (ELH 252) and We Sing Thy Praise, O God (ELH45).

On voting for a woman ...

As a Confessional Lutheran Christian, I have been pondering the issue of men, women and headship in relation to the upcoming elections. I've done some research and found a very profound and timely commentary at WELS.net:

"...there may indeed be times when a Christian may come to the conclusion that a woman running for the office of president may be the best available choice. We may decide to vote for that candidate even though we would know that in a perfect world it would be otherwise. Often, it may be a judgment on the men of a nation that no well-qualified men step forward to lead.

Perhaps it may also help us to consider that even among God's Old Testament people, there was a time that he raised up a woman to lead Israel. In Judges 4-5 we see God using Deborah to help lead Israel against a nation that was oppressing God's people.

Yet before we make too much of that bit of Israelite history, we must remember that the book of Judges hardly holds before us an ideal part of Israel's history. In fact, the book of Judges reveals Israel often at its worst. What is more, Deborah's own words clearly indicate that things were not as they should have been in Israel. She vainly struggles to get Barak to take the lead of the armies of Israel without her by his side (see Judges 4:9)."

The purpose (and power) of God's Word

I read something really great in my daily Meditations booklet today. Here are some excerpts and corresponding scripture:

All are forgiven, but not everyone will enter eternal life. Is this because God does not desire everyone's salvation? Consider that question in the light of Jesus' crucifixion. No, the damned are ultimately responsible for their own fate.

God is both just and loving, as it is written: "The LORD is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished." Numbers 14:18

The problem is not God's lack of love but their own hard hearts that refuse to be loved. And so, after continual rejections or indifference to the gospel, the gospel will stand as a testimony against them, as Jesus himself says,

"There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day." John 12:48

There is a mystery here, to be sure. Only God can break through the hardness of a person's heart. Yet people are condemned for having hard hearts. How can that be? Scripture does not answer that question. Scripture only holds before us God's universal will for all people and points us to the Word, God's powerful tool to break through hard hearts and lead people to repent and believe.

My word that goes out from my mouth: it will...achieve the purpose for which I sent it." Isaiah 55:11

Be certain whom you are rejecting...

Quote of the week, at Cranach blog:

"Do not let people, especially God’s people, sour your taste for religion. One’s eternal destiny is not worth it. But if it is God that is not palatable to you, that is quite a different matter. No one can offer a better description of who God is, who we are, and what He requires of man than He has himself made clear in His word. This you seem to have rejected. There is no other offer on the table. And none else but Christ can persuade you."

~ Robert Landrum, Religious Contemplations