Thinking About My Sixtieth

“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.”

Psalm 90:12

Tomorrow is my 60^th birthday, so I have been thinking a lot about these words from Psalm 90 - “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.”  How does one do that?  How does God want me to number my days?  As of tomorrow I will be 60.  I will have spent 38 of those years married to Linda.  I have been a Pastor for 34 years.  As of tomorrow, I will have lived 21,916 days.  (That included 16 leap years).  I have lived in Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri, Nebraska, Texas and Germany.  I have served 6 congregations and 1 campus ministry.  We have raised 4 children.  They are now grown.  We have six grandchildren and a seventh on the way.  This is the last day of my 6^th decade.  I have one day left… till I am 60.  I have one more day.  I have yet another day.  How should I number my days.

I think maybe there are a number of ways to do that.  One way would be take life one day at a time. That’s the way you are given your days.  We spend or should I say, waste too much time worrying about tomorrow and not enough living the day God has given us.  Jesus said,  “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”  I like the way the NIV translates that – “each day has enough trouble of it’s own.”  Worry is a big time waster.  What good does it do?  It robs us of the opportunities God gives us right now.  Jesus asked the question - And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?   Much better is to give your worries to the Lord and live the day He gives you.  After all, we don’t need to know what tomorrow holds.  We only need to know that the God who loved us and gave His Son for us – He holds tomorrow!

Another way to count our days might also be with a sense of urgency.  A member of the church in Flower Mound lived his life that way.  Al Senter was a teacher of the Scripture… teaching adult Bible class in several churches for over 60 years. For the last several years Al battled heart disease.  He had a real sense that his days were numbered.  So he spent his last years doing a 168 day podcast through the whole Scripture and then writing a two volume book based on those podcast… so that others could continue to grow through his teaching.   Because he knew that his days were few – he had a sense of urgency about getting that finished.  Could that be what Paul meant when He wrote to the Ephesians – “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil?”

Perhaps numbering our days means welcoming each day with gratitude and praise to God.   Perhaps it means seeing each new day and all the ones that have already passed as gifts from God.   The truth is God has been so good to me – loving parents, great sisters, a beautiful loving wife, adult children who love an believe in Jesus, two wonderful daughters in law and one great son in law, 6 grandchildren, 6 churches that have all been a joy to serve, giving me four years in my dream ministry – as campus pastor, a life time of friends (many of whom I am still in contact with), the opportunity to serve in Germany and to travel all over the world, the great privilege of preaching and teaching about Jesus and more.  As a Pastor the Lord has given me the privilege of being a part of every important event in people’s lives.  In difficult times, like the death of parents, He has watched over me and my family.  All the bazillions of times that I have done, said or thought something wrong – He has forgiven me again and again.  I could go on.  He has been so good to me.  So perhaps each new day can be greeted with “Good Morning Lord!”  No “Good Lord, it’s morning!”

Finally, I think numbering my days means looking forward to what God has promised.  For because of Jesus, when my last day in this life comes, He has in store for me an eternity of new days without number.  Jesus promised,  In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.   I am really looking forward to that day!  Amen!

The Gift of Confession

James 5:16 (ESV)

^“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed...”

Last night I had the opportunity to speak to our student ministry and teach confirmation class.  For me it was a blast.  Towards the end of the evening, one of the students asked me a great question.  “If God already knows my sin, why do I need to confess it to Him?”  The answer is really quite amazing.  God invites us to confess because we need to confess.  His invitation to confess our sins to him privately in prayer… publicly in worship… or when needed confidentially to a pastor is a gift… a precious gift.

Think of the story of our first parents in the garden, in Genesis 3.  God knew what was happening.  When they were hiding from Him among the trees, God knew they were hiding and where.  Yet still He called out, “Where are you?”  He already knew they had sinned.  Yet still He asked them, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”   Why?  Because they needed to recognize, to repent of what they had done.  The Lord wanted to give them the first promise of a savior.  But for that to mean anything… for them to fully appreciate God’s promise of a savior, of grace and forgiveness – they needed to admit to themselves and especially to Him what they had done… how far they had fallen.  Then He was able to give them that very first promise, I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” His invitation to confess was a gift!

The same is true in the story of King David.  After He had compounded sin upon sin – adultery, lies, murder and more, David’s soul was tortured with guilt.  He tells us in Psalm 32, “For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.”  So what did God do?  He sent Nathan the Prophet to confront David with His, to call David to repentance.  Why?  Because more than anything God wanted to offer David grace and forgiveness.  He wanted to lift David’s burden of guilt from His shoulders.  For it was when David finally confessed his sin, “I have sinned against the Lord.” That Nathan could then say to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die.  Psalm 32 is really a Psalm in which David celebrates the wondrous gift God gives us in confession and absolution.  “Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.  Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit…         I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.”

This is a gift He offers every day to you and me.  Anytime, we are troubled by some sin of thought word or deed, we are free to come to Him confessing our sin.  Every Sunday during worship, He opens His arms.  He gives us the opportunity confess together that we have “sinned in thought word and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone…” that we “deserve His temporal and eternal punishment…”  He invites us to confess not because He is anxious to condemn and punish but because His chief desire to forgive and justify.  He desires that so much that He gave His own Son Jesus to pay the price for our sin by His innocent suffering and death on the cross.  His word promises, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

The gift of confession doesn’t stop with private prayer or public worship.  Our Lord also offers us the gift of private confession to a pastor, an elder or another trusted Christian.  Some ask, “Do we have to confess our sins to another person?”  My friends, this is not a “have to”, it’s a “get to.”  No you and I are not conscience bound to confess every sin to a Pastor.   But there are times when some sin or struggle is really troubling our souls.  This is what was happening to King David.  This is the meaning of the words from James 5:16, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed...”  There are times when we really need to speak the truth of our sin to another person… when we are really struggling with something and it will help to have another trusted believer to walk along side us in that struggle.  There are moments when we need to speak the truth about ourselves to another person and both see and hear that living breathing person say, “God knows all that. Jesus paid for that sin too. You are forgiven.”  I will never forget when I was a teenager, taking aside a trusted adult leader and sharing with him my confession.  What a great gift it was for him to tell me, “Wayne you are forgiven in Jesus’ name.”  He never mentioned it again to me or anyone else.   For me God lifted a great burden.  That’s one of the reasons God gives us Pastors, DCEs, Stephen ministers, trusted Christian friends and the like… people we can trust and lay bare our souls… That’s why confession is such a great gift – for with that gift God gives us an even greater gift – His love, His grace and His forgiveness. 

A Walk in the Dark

Psalm 119:105 (ESV)

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

The last couple of mornings when I went for my walk with Molly it has been pitch black dark out there.  You almost couldn’t see a thing.  That always makes me nervous, especially with all the places where one piece of sidewalk has settled lower than the one next to it, leaving a little ledge to trip on.  Or what if I run into an animal on the path or even a snake?  What if I step in something I didn’t see like a puddle or worse. Well I went anyway.  After all, if I was going to get my walk in, I had to walk in the dark.

Well it struck me that the same is true about our lives in this world.  This world is a dark place.  This past year with all the “me too” headlines… all the news about sexual misconduct about priests… school shootings… the vitriol and hatred being spewed by the entire spectrum of partisan groups – has been a reminder.  Then there is the darkness that goes on in our own lives – depression, addiction, adultery, marriage problems, abuse, lying, betrayal, jealousy.  I am sure each of us can point to some temptation, some form of spiritual darkness that we encounter in our own personal worlds… perhaps in ourselves.  We live in a dark world.  Living in this world, is by nature a “walk in the dark.”   Far too often making right choices is difficult.  There are times when seeing the right path to take is not easy.

That got me to thinking.  I did just fine on the “walk in the dark” with Molly.  What might I learn from these early morning strolls that might help us in our walk through this dark world?  Well the first and most obvious is that light matters.  When I am out for a walk in the dark – the street lamps and the lights from the houses help a lot.  I also have the flashlight on my I-phone. 

Light is also important for our walk through this dark world.  Fortunately, God has provided one.  In Psalm 119:105 we read these wonderful words.  “Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light to my path.”  God’s word does two very important things.  It is a lamp that shows us where to take our very next step.  This is to keep us from stumbling over things that are right before us… to keep us, if you will, from spiritually “stubbing our toes.”  The word also serves like a flashlight, showing us the path ahead, where we are heading in our journey.  In other words, God’s Word is the light we need to help us discern right choices, make good decisions and choose the right path.  It may not give us specific direction in life’s big choices, but it does help us to know right from wrong.  The word reminds us of what are the really important questions to ask, such as, “How will this impact my family?  Will this help or make it harder to practice my faith?   Why am I doing this – jealousy?  Anger?  Love?”  God’s Word helps us to see through all those things.

Second, when I am walking in the dark, I have Molly with me.  She sees in the dark better than I do and guides me away from things I should avoid. Well she does most the time.  She is prone to walk straight through a puddle.  In life, you and I have an even better guide… one who walks with us, who never leads us wrong.  We have Jesus, our Savior who loves us and gave Himself up for us.  He sees in the darkness much better than we do.  He has walked through this darkness ahead of us, overcame the darkness and made a path for us through this life to His eternal home.  Trust your guide!

Third, when I walk in the dark I stick to paths I have already walked in the daylight.  Having walked this way before I know what to expect on the path ahead of me.  I know when the path makes turns and where the sidewalk has a slope to it.  This is important in life too.  When you practice your faith daily, you learn the right paths through life.  You know what to expect and where to go in the dark, because you have walked that way in the daylight.  If you are a person who prays regularly, then in times of trial and darkness, your first instinct will be to pray.  You will be like the father I love to tell about. A car suddenly swerved straight towards his car.  His first instinct was not panic.  It was not to cuss.  His first instinct was, “Lord, help us.”  If you walk God’s path daily, you will know that path even in the dark.

Plus, you will learn from your mistakes.  Last Spring I was out for a walk, not paying attention to what my feet were doing.  I suddenly hit a place where the sidewalk buckled.  I went straight forward and did a face plant in the grass.   Now, when I walk, I pay closer attention to where my feet are stepping, to what the path looks like in front of me.  In the same way, if being with a certain group, or taking just one drink leads you to trouble – learn to avoid those things. Stop going in that direction.  In other words, “Flee temptation.”

Yes, our walk through this world is a walk in the dark!  Thank God that we have Him to guide us and lead us through this world to the place where His light shines forever.  

Faith and Citizenship

“Our Citizenship is in heaven…”

Philippians 3:20

The partisan politics in our country have really gotten kind of ugly – on all sides.  On TV you see whole programs devoted to people arguing.  You hear politicians saying horrible things about one another.  On social media people express opinions in words that indicate no respect or tolerance for those who disagree.  I have heard of friends, life-long friendship that have fallen apart over political differences.  It’s not simply that people have different partisan political opinions.  There is nothing wrong with that. What concerns me is that those differences have become justification for hateful, hurtful words and deeds towards one another.   We are tearing our society apart.

That has had me struggling with our role as Christian citizens in the midst of all of that.  Jesus has called us “salt of earth” and the “light of the world.”  How are we to be salt and light in this world?  St. Paul tells us that “our citizenship is in heaven…”  Well as citizens of heaven, as followers of Jesus Christ, how are we to participate in the politics of this world?  What is our role as Christian citizens?  What can we do in our culture and society to bring God’s healing, reconciling love to bear?

God’s Word has guidance that has helped me and I would like to share with you.  In fact, the guidelines for our role as Christian citizens is quite simple.  They are the same two guidelines God gives us for how we live our lives – the two great commandments.  “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  I believe that those two commandments tell us the most important things we need to know about our role in this culture… about how our faith in Jesus should affect our citizenship.

First, keep the main thing the main thing. God is to be God of your life and mine – not our political opinions, not our partisan politics, not even our love for country should come before Him.  There is nothing wrong with having opinions, with believing in our politics, or for loving our country.  But when those things become so important to us, that we get angry and hateful towards others who believe differently – that tells me that I am letting those things become too important.  I am giving them a place in my heart that should belong only to God.  He knows what a danger this is for us. This why He gave His heart for us – gave His own Son Jesus to live, die and rise again.  That’s how badly our God desires to claim first place in our hearts.  When He has that place – then all those other things fall into proper perspective.

Second, “love your neighbor as yourself.”  This is what should govern our political words, actions and decisions – what choice, what words will be the most loving and beneficial for my neighbor?  That means first of all, that no political opinion should ever lead me to act hatefully towards someone else. That person, them knowing about God’s love in Jesus is way more important than me being right about some opinion.  You and I are called to let others meet Christ in us… .  Jesus says, “By this all men will know you are my disciples, that you love one another.”  Second, love for your neighbor, not simply your own interests should guide you and me in our political choices.  After all, we need not worry about ourselves.  Our citizenship is in heaven.  We are God’s children through faith in Christ.  He is watching over us. We need not act out of selfishness.  Remember what John tells us about when Jesus got up to wash the feet of the disciples.  He wrote that Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist and began to wash the feet of the disciples.”  Like Jesus, knowing that we have come from God and going back to God… knowing that we are loved and watched over by Him, we need not worry about ourselves. We are free to act in love for others.

I believe our role as God’s salt and light in this world is to refuse to start acting out of the anger and hatred that prevails in our political world.  Our role is to act in a manner completely foreign to the world around us… to act and live as citizens of heaven… to respond to the vitriol and hatred we encounter with the love of God that can alone heal and bring reconciliation.