"To Him be glory forever": peace

Showing posts with label peace. Show all posts

Thursday, June 23, 2016

The Nature of Peace

This morning I preached at a funeral, using John 14:25-27 as the text. In that passage Jesus is speaking to his close disciples and He is preparing them for the rapidly approaching time of His departure from their presence. They have been together nearly three years and there are some things that He believes are very important for them to know now, and so in verse 27 He says:

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."

In this time of departure Jesus wants His disciples to know peace, and He wants them to know that the peace He gives is not the same thing as peace that is found in the world. Dictionary definitions of peace include:

The normal, nonwarring condition of a nation, group of nations, or the world; A state of mutual harmony between people or groups, especially in personal relations;

A state of tranquility or serenity.

These are all pretty good things to have, be it for an individual person, a group of people or even between countries. But they pale in comparison to the peace that Jesus gives to those who, by faith, follow Him. The peace that comes through the world is a transient thing. It is a temporary thing. It endures for a time, but that time always ends.

The peace of Christ is an everlasting thing. It is an eternal thing. It comes as a gift from one whose nature is everlasting, and so all the things He gives to those who follow Him are also everlasting. By faith in Christ we are restored in our relationship with God, and the peace that Christ gives cannot fail.

Having the peace of Christ does not mean that we won’t have times of hardship and suffering. But it does mean that even in those times we can know true peace, because Christ is with us. And this is the peace that I tried to point to this morning.

People were gathered to worship God and remember a man who was a husband, a father, a grandfather, a brother, and a friend. There was much sorrow and much grief. My prayer for them is that they take to heart the words Jesus spoke to His disciples and know the unfailing peace that is only found in Him. And may you know this peace too. Amen.

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Where is your center?

One of the stories in the news yesterday was the death of Brittany Maynard. She was the young woman who earlier this year had been diagnosed with a very aggressive brain cancer. As her cancer advanced she moved to Oregon with the intent of using means that are legal in that state to end her life in the time and manner of her own choosing, rather than face death in the increasing grip of her illness, and the very real pain and suffering that would come with it. Maynard's plans were first in the news about three weeks ago and over the weekend she followed through on them.

Maynard had a terrible illness, one that would quickly end a life that just one year ago seemed to be so full of potential and promise. She knew that cancer would bring pain and suffering not just to her, but also to those who loved her and would be with her through to her life's end. She chose to use the option that is called "death with dignity."

In one article online Maynard posted this in her final message on her Facebook page: "The world is a beautiful place, travel has been my greatest teacher, my close friends and folks are the greatest givers. I even have a ring of support around my bed as I type … Goodbye world. Spread good energy. Pay it forward!"

According to the report I read online from CNN, her last words were: "It is people who pause to appreciate life and give thanks who are happiest. If we change our thoughts, we change our world! Love and peace to you all."

I have been reading and pondering these stories of Brittany Maynard at the same time I have been reading and pondering the Bible passage I am preaching from this week. I have been preaching through First Peter and this Sunday will be the conclusion, 1 Peter 5:6-14. As I reflect on the intersection of this news story and this scripture two verses stand out. The first is verse 8, where Peter writes,

"Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."

And secondly are Peter's closing words, in verse 14:

"Peace to all of you who are in Christ."

The story of the last year of the life of Brittany Maynard is a tragic one. A young woman, newly married and with what appeared to be so much to look forward to. All of that potential taken by cancer, and for what purpose? That is a question that I can’t answer. I am a pastor and believe that God has purposes in all things, but there are times when I can't clearly determine what they are. This is one of those times.

Peter's words in verse 8 remind me that in places where we can't clearly see what God is up to we can be easily led astray by God's enemy. The shadows hide danger that is very real. It is easy for us to read Maynard's final words and to think that they are words of comfort and peace to those who cared for her, and that they offer parting wisdom to the world. While they may sound nice to our ears and perhaps bring a sense of order to our minds they offer no comfort to our souls. They are words that are rooted in the belief that each of us is the center of our own world. And this is the basic lie that the person Peter calls "your adversary the devil" desperately wants us to believe.

As his letter reaches the end Peter has given his readers a final warning, but he doesn’t just end there. His last words bring us back to the truth. They bring us to God's truth. In the end, peace is to be found in Christ. Lasting peace is found in Christ, and nowhere else.

We can have peace in Christ when He is our center. It is a peace we can know now, no matter what the circumstances of our life might be at the moment, and it is a peace that will be everlasting. May His peace be the center of your life. Amen.

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Repeat

One of my favorite things I like to do when listening to music is to hit the ‘repeat’ button. It’s the button that plays the song I just finished one more time. And when it finishes I’ll often repeat it again. And again.

I like variety in my music and I also like to listen through entire albums. (Please pardon the use of ‘old-fashioned’ terms. I grew up in the 70’s and recently parted with my last vinyl records.) But once in a while I hear a song that just grabs me and I want to hear it again. And again. And again. It could be an old song, one that for any number of reasons is dear to me. It could be a song I’m familiar with but in which I’ve just noticed something in the music or lyrics that I had missed before and I want to listen to it more closely. Or it could be a new song. One I never heard before but have taken an instant liking to.

I had that experience this morning. Here is a link to the song. It is a cover version of the original, which I’ve never heard. But I do know that I like it. It grabs me both musically and lyrically. The words express deep biblical truth.

In the same way that I may listen to a piece of music over and over, there are pieces of the Bible that I turn to again and again. Some of my favorite parts of the Bible are similar to the message of this song, in that they speak of what is true and unchanging about God. They provide deep assurance of who He is, of what He has done, and of what He promises to do. I may have read them many times but I find myself going back to them again, reading them slowly and savoring each phrase.

One of my favorite passages to read again and again is Ephesians 1:3-14, where Paul writes:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

This is one passage where God never fails to bring me comfort, to bring me security, and to bring me a sense of awe at whom He is and what He has done.

In closing here are a few questions to ponder. There is no need to give an answer, just some things for you to think about.

Where does God speak through His word to your heart? Where in His word do you turn to find Him when your world seems to be on shaky ground? What verses do you return to in order to feast on His word?

Monday, May 6, 2013

Patience

Impatient! Suddenly it came to mind that what I was experiencing was impatience. I was out with my youngest daughter, doing some shopping for her mother’s birthday and Mother’s Day. It was our best opportunity of the week to get this task done. We left on our errands right after I came home from work and I hoped to get them done in an hour, when we would arrive back at home for supper.

On my way home from work I had had what I thought was a brilliant idea for a birthday gift, so that was our first stop. The planned gift turned out to be at the store I had guessed might have it but in completing the purchase things began to go. My credit card wouldn’t go through.

So I called the number on the back of the card and waited. And waited. About the time I had decided on “Plan B” someone picked up the phone and we worked out the problem. Bad news and good news. There appeared to be fraudulent activity so they were going to cancel my card, but they would allow our transaction to go through. We made the purchase and activated Plan B anyway, which was a side trip to the credit union to get some cash.

Off to the second stop of our trip, taking more time than was planned for. We had a bit of a roundabout trip due to all the traffic, as people drove home from work. After that stop I called home and told Robin we’d need another half hour. About the time I made that call the traffic got worse. Bumper to bumper through town. We moved over to let a fire engine through and when we got to the corner and made the turn we saw the fire engine a half mile down the road, at the location of our next turn.

Another roundabout path to our next destination, which was when it occurred to me that I was suffering from impatience, large and small. To end the story, we did get the errands done and home for an absolutely delicious dinner. But back to impatience.

It occurred to me that not only was I impatient due to relatively little things, such as getting these errands done and the obstacles that were appearing, but also due to several larger things, things that are really out of my hands and where I’m are waiting on the decisions of other people. And what occurred to me as soon as I realized I was being driven by impatience was the application of a sermon I read last week based on the Heidelberg Catechism. (I’ve written about the Catechism before, here and here.)

In describing God’s providence question-and-answer 28 of the Catechism says this:

Q. How does the knowledge of God's creation and providence help us?
A. We can be patient when things go against us, thankful when things go well, and for the future we can have good confidence in our faithful God and Father that nothing in creation will separate us from his love. For all creatures are so completely in God's hand that without his will they can neither move nor be moved.

In discussing this question-and-answer G.H. Kersten wrote:

“All things happen according to God’s counsel, but it is a comfort for God’s children that the Lord will guide them with His counsel, and afterward receive them to glory. May the Lord comfort you with that thought. Endure the oppression and scorn of the world for a short season. Let men despise, exclude, and trample upon you; soon it will all be ended. Before the throne of God you will sing, more than anything else, of the deepest ways – singing unto Him who led you and redeemed you to praise and glorify Him forever. Amen.”

As I considered the Catechism and Kersten’s thoughts on it I came to the conclusion that what I needed to do was to lay my impatience before God, for I know and trust that all of creation, from the first day to the last, and all of my life, from conception to my last breath, is fully in His hands.

Neither the little things nor the big things that try my patience right now can compare to the eternal security I possess in the love of Christ, a love that holds me now and will never let go. A love that, as Kersten writes, has redeemed me to praise and glorify Him forever.

May you too know the providence of God's love, so that you can let go of your anxiety and impatience and live in His providence and peace, a peace as described by Paul in Philippians 4:7,

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

(Here is a link to a different translation of the Catechism, including the scripture references that underscore each answer.)

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Psalm 119:123

I had an “Aha!” moment in church this morning. A few days ago I received an email asking for prayer for the family of someone who had been connected with our church and had just died. The name of this woman was vaguely familiar but I couldn’t place it and I didn’t think about it very much.

As we started worship this morning our pastor led a prayer for this woman’s family. While she was not a member of our congregation she had been a regular presence at a weekly Bible study in our building. Later, during the sermon, he mentioned her one more time, this time including a very small bit of information, which was just enough to trigger my “Aha!’ moment.

I had met her about 8 years ago. As I think about it I can member the place and the circumstances of our meeting. Meeting her was connected to my meeting her brother, which took place at the same time and whom I got to know much better over the next year or so.

All of this came to mind as I was mulling over a verse from Psalms that Robin and I read last night. Psalm 119:123 says:

“My eyes long for your salvation and for the fulfillment of your righteous promise.”

In Psalm 119 the Psalmist offers heartfelt thanks and praise to God for the law that God, in His wisdom and grace, has given to His people. While he repeatedly encounters adversity and conflict, the Psalmist always comes back to the truth and security of God’s promises. God’s law is the unshakeable bedrock of his faith and life.

I barely knew my friend’s sister but I know enough about her life to know that it had its share of adversity. She lived daily with things that for many of us are unimaginable in their difficulty. And that is just the small part of her life that I knew about. I am sure that those who knew her well know both of other areas of struggle as well as the places where she experienced deep joy.

And now, as I write, she knows the fulfillment of God’s righteous promise, the eternal salvation found only in Christ Jesus. The longing of the Psalmist, the longing of my own heart, is her present reality.

In the difficult moments of your life, in the dark places, in the circumstances where all you would really like to do is run for a quiet place of respite, may you find the presence and peace of God. God, who is already there, and who is holding you with the firm grasp of His promised salvation. May His promised salvation always be the unshakeable bedrock of your faith and life.

Thursday, December 6, 2012

“How’s your mom?” Going Home, part 5

“How’s your mom?” That is a question I have heard numerous times since I last saw her, four days ago. Nearly everyone who has asked it already knows something of her situation.

Some asking the question know only that she is not well. That she has been in the hospital a few times recently and is now at home. And others who ask know enough of the fuller story. They know enough that they don’t expect an answer such as “She’s coming along” or “She’s doing fine.” She may be doing both of those things, but not in the ways that most people would understand those answers to suggest.

I usually start my response by noting that she is slowly failing. Then I add that she is at home, where she wants to be. Her pain is being managed. As best as she can she enjoys the people who visit her. The person asking and I are usually gently nodding our heads at this point, understanding what these statements mean without having to say any more.

My siblings and I are taking turns caring for her at home. We are doing so with excellent support from Horizon Home Care and Hospice. After being away for four days I am back now for a five-day shift. One of my brothers, who lives nearby, will be checking in and giving occasional relief during my stay.

Our mom is visibly weaker today than when I saw her last, and at that point she was weaker than when she came home from the hospital and began hospice care. Tonight I learned that her physician anticipated that at that time she would likely live no more than 8 days. In what has now been nearly three weeks there have been three nights where I slept in her room and she seemed to be having so much trouble breathing that I thought the night could easily be her last.

I sometimes wonder what is keeping her alive. Is there any particular reason her failing body has not exhausted itself? It can’t be because of a tenacious inner desire to live as long as possible. If that were the case she would not have declined the surgery she was offered. She would have accepted the risks inherent in it and gone forward.

It also seems very unlikely that she is “waiting” for a last visit from a particular person. The people dearest to her, living both far and near, have all been to see her since beginning hospice.

Psalm 139:16 says:

“Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there were none of them.”

I can speculate on the “reasons” my mom is sleeping in her bedroom right now, rather than resting in the eternal grasp of her Lord and Savior. But all of my speculation doesn’t change the fact that all of her days, even this one, were known by God before a single one of them came to be. He has His reasons, and as I care for my mom on this visit I do so knowing that His reasons are always best.

“How’s your mom?” “She’s fine. She’s resting for the journey home.”

Monday, November 5, 2012

Better than 'okay'

I know someone in ministry out in New York who is seeking some suggestions for prayers to use with victims of Hurricane Sandy. Among the types of things that may be appropriate and meaningful are words of lament and words of hope. I think that the goal is to find things that are emotionally honest in speaking to God what comes to our mind when sudden and dramatic suffering occurs. The Psalms are saturated with these types of thoughts; thoughts that are honestly, painfully expressed by God’s people to God. My friend’s request was also specific in what was not wanted, i.e. “not any cheesy “It’s all gonna be okay” prayers.””

Which got me to thinking…

In times of suffering is it acceptable to pray “It’s going to be okay” in some way? Living through a Sandy, or Katrina, or 9/11 or any other catastrophe, be it large or small, affecting hundreds or thousands of people, or even just one person, amidst any other prayer we would offer in those circumstances can we also include “It’s going to be okay”? Should we include “It’s going to be okay”?

I think that part of the answer lies in where our vision is cast. Are we only looking around at the place where we are at and remembering what once was? In that case there is no way we can say, or even guess, that things will turn out to be okay.

Another part of the answer is found in the place where we are looking from. If we are looking from a place that is very firmly fixed in this world as the only form of existence, then to pray “It’s all gonna be okay” is to speak empty words into empty space, hoping to find something solid. And it won’t happen.

But if we are people who know God as revealed in Christ Jesus, then both the place where we are standing and the place we are looking towards are profoundly different. The place where we are standing is temporary and the place we have an eye towards is eternal.

The place where we are standing, or sitting, or crying, or wailing, even screaming out in hurt and brokenness is our home but for a time. It is a home that will one day be redeemed. And that redeemed home is the place where our vision is truly set upon. In Revelation 21:5 the promise of God is:

“And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.””

Bringing comfort into a painful place is a difficult thing and the Christian does well to seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit before speaking into those moments. And while it may take the passing of a great deal of time before the situation looks hopeful the Christian can know, with complete confidence, that the outcome won’t just be okay, but that in the end, God’s end, it will be so much better than “okay” even hints at.

Monday, September 17, 2012

Consoled

Yesterday I finished reading a book that I’ve been working on for two months, The Epistle to the Romans, by Karl Barth. I wrote a review, which can be read here. One thought that I took from the book and I am going to continue to mull over has to do with the way God shapes our conscience as we grasp the grace He gives us in Christ. Here is what I wrote:

“ In a section on the theme of grace he[Barth] writes, “Grace means also the possibility, not of a ‘good’(!) conscience, but of a consoled conscience.” (428, italics mine) We who know God through our faith in the finished work of Christ know that we will continue to sin against God, a God who continues to hold us and forgives us nonetheless. God forgives our sins. He removes them from our presence. But the sure grasp of this knowledge in our minds, the removal of our sin from God, does not remove the memories that we have of our sin. In Christ we are not changed existentially from ‘bad’ to ‘good.’ In the knowledge of who we are before God we are not so much ‘bad’ as ‘broken.’ And Barth reminds us that in our brokenness, through the work of Christ, we are consoled and comforted as we receive God’s mercy. This is a bit of the Good News that we need to be reminded of each day, sometimes many times each day.”

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Shelter in every storm

Last night we had dinner with Robin’s parents. After dinner, as we were saying our goodbyes, we learned that her Dad’s PSA level has increased significantly over the past six months. He has had prostate cancer for several years and this test result suggests that his cancer is progressing. He will be meeting with his medical team this week and seeing what treatment options are available.

Later today we learned that my father was admitted to a hospital this morning and will be staying there for at least one night. He was not feeling well, in a vague way, last night and into this morning. So he went to the hospital where they checked a few things out and decided to keep him overnight for some more tests tomorrow.

Last night, in-between learning of these things about our fathers, Robin and I happened to read Psalm 46. We are currently reading through the Psalms as we pray together each evening. Psalm 46 seems to be the perfect biblical word to remind us, and our fathers, of what really keeps us secure, the perfect Shelter in every storm. In verse 1 it opens:

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

Verses 7 and 11 give identical affirmation of God’s power in the face of every threat, be it physical, emotional or spiritual, saying:

“The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”

We love our fathers dearly but neither they, nor either of us, nor anyone else, will live forever in the sense that we know of life in this world right now. But our fathers know their Savior and He promises to carry them through every storm of life, even the one that will one day end their earthly life, and into the joy of eternal life.

Martin Luther used the words of Psalm 46 as inspiration for his hymn A Mighty Fortress is Our God. Here is a link to a version of the song, and a link to the lyrics if you would like to read as you listen. And lastly, here is a link to Robin’s blog post today, with her thoughts after this news of our fathers.

Our hope at all times is God, and only God, which Luther reminds us in closing his hymn with these words:

“Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also; this body they may kill; God’s truth abideth still, His kingdom is forever.”

Friday, April 13, 2012

Transition

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” Matthew 6:25

We (my family and I) are in a transition. Some major things have been changing and we are expecting them to continue to change for a while. We have some ideas of how they may change but since several of the things we thought were imminent last summer haven’t happened we are less certain now about where we are headed and how we will “get there.”

Looking back it could be said that I’ve been in transition for the past ten years but this transition for our family began in earnest about one year ago. I graduated from seminary and Robin took a leave of absence from her teaching job. We had some feelers out to several churches but nothing was happening. We believed that God was leading us, somewhere, and we prayed that we would be able to listen well and be obedient when his call became clear. We sincerely wanted, and continue to want, to know and follow God’s lead rather than just going off in the direction that we may think is best.

Last fall we took what seemed to be a larger “leap of faith,” by putting our house up for sale. It made logical sense, as we did need to sell our house should God call us away from Rochester, and in this market we had no idea how long it would take to sell.

After four weeks on the market and an unexpected turn of events we took our house off the market. That turned out to be a good decision, although at the risk, in our minds, of having our house for sale for a longer time when we did attempt to sell it again.

And while selling our house would be a major step, we had the blessing of knowing a friend with a vacant house we could rent in the interim. That seemed to fit well with the whole notion of being “in transition.”

So this past February we put our house back on the market, and it sold in less than one week! The quickness of the sale caused us to wonder if God was up to something that would soon become clearer to us.

And last week we moved into our “back-up plan,” the vacant house belonging to a good friend. We knew when the rental plan was first made that the house needed a bit of work, work that is still underway as I write this. But it is working out okay. We are all settling in. We are unpacking boxes and placing furniture, some of which will be moved again soon, as the work is completed inside the house. And perhaps moved yet again, as God makes his plans for us clearer.

I’ll be honest and admit that while we believe that God is up to something and that we are in transition, we have had moments of anxiety, moments when we wish that he would just make things clear for us, and make them clear now. Robin and I have each, in our own way, had moments of being tired of waiting for God to act and to clear up the particular unknowns about our life at this point in time. I was reminded of this again yesterday, as I was reading from the Sermon on the Mount and came to the verse at the start of this post.

In that verse Jesus invites us not to be anxious, for we are always in his hands. He knows everything about our current situation. He knows every need that we have. He is able to meet every one of our needs, and we can trust that he will meet them, in the timing that he knows is right.

Later on, in verse 33, Jesus points us to the place where our attention should be in anxious times, saying,

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.”

I experience anxiety when my focus is on my own needs and concerns, rather than on my Lord and Savior. One year while I was in Community Bible Study we did a study of the Psalms and I memorized a verse that stays with me to this day. Psalm 143:8 says,

“Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you.

Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.” (NIV)

In all the seasons of life, both those of transition and those of stability, our rest and peace, our purpose and the means to do it, will always be found in God.