God the Father of Christmas: Part 1 of an Advent Conversation

God the Father and Christmas? Most people can name 3 people in the Christmas story. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. But there was a fourth individual who was part of the story long before Joseph and Mary: God the Father. Think back to the first chapter's of Genesis. God made the world and after finishing making people God said the creation—but especially people were more than good—they were very good. Women and men had been made in God's own image and likeness. 

But the story twists. A snake enticed Eve and Adam. They ignored God's directions and ate food God had forbidden them to even touch. Soon after Adam's and Eve's son Cain killed their other boy Abel. The creation that was very good changed: sin, death, and evil are present in our lives even though the Father hadn't planned the world to work that way.

Talk it over: How do people experience sin, death, and evil in our world today?

DIGGING DEEPER: The Father's reaching for us. Christmas is part God the Father's plan to rewrite the human story sending his Son straight into our world. God the Father eliminated any distance between us and Him. Jesus was God's son—his direct and personal way back into our our lives.

The prophet Malachi spoke on God's behalf to his people. God understood their questions and sent Jesus as the answer.

Malachi wrote: The Lord said, “I have loved you.”

But you ask, “How have you loved us?”
Malachi 1:2a NCV

Talk it over: In what ways do experience God's love?

Why might some people think God is distant and doesn't love them?

Malachi wrote: The Lord All-Powerful says, “A child honors his father, and a servant honors his master. I am a father, so why don’t you honor me? I am a master, so why don’t you respect me? You priests do not respect me.

“But you ask, ‘How have we shown you disrespect?’
Malachi 1:6-7 NCV

Talk it over: In what ways do people disrespect God?

Malachi Wrote: You have tired the Lord with your words.

You ask, “How have we tired him?”

You did it by saying,

“The Lord thinks anyone who does evil is good, and he is pleased with them.”

Or you asked, “Where is the God who is fair?”

The Lord All-Powerful says, “I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way for me. Suddenly, the Lord you are looking for will come to his Temple; the messenger of the agreement, whom you want, will come.”

Malachi 2:17-3:1 NCV.

Talk it over: What does God's “messenger” have to do with Christmas?

3 Advent Conversations

A writing project waits on this pastors to do list.
It's a fun project: write 3 conversation sheets for young people and mentors. These are more than sheets of questions. The goal: start 3 significant conversations about God's coming to earth in the person we call Jesus. One mentor asked to have all this available with time to think things through in advance. So over the next 7 days my goal is to create a starting point for 3 Advent Conversations.

1. God the Father's plan for us at Christmas
2. Why God's plan meant a turned over life for Joseph
3. Mary's whole self participation in God's plan

Please check back in and let me know what you think.
thanks, John

Feedback requested: Come to your Senses or How do sense God?

Have you ever been told to, "Come to your senses"  For some deep thinkers it's a common accusation, "you are being to cerebral" or "you are not in tune with what's actually going on in the world right around you";
In the next month we'll be working in churches in Fairmont, Minnesota USA toward a shared Lenten Series entitled Come to Your Senses: A Lenten Journey with God.
A possible theme verse is, The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14 NIV
I'm wondering how other people experience God through all five senses. I am most curious about the way you sense God in tangible ways through touch, taste, sight, hearing, and smell.
What has been your experience: How do you sense God?
What stories are you aware of that explore an experience of God's presence?
I am also very curious what scripture you point to as you explain experiences of God's tangible--incarnate--activity in the world.
thanks for your input. Pax, John.

How are you Holy?

We struggle as sinners to appreciate both the calling, out of our sins to faith, and the freedom that faith give us to live. Our trouble starts when we look for proof–for evidence–not of what God has done for us in Christ but of what we are doing for God. And this is where simple faith always stands strong and works always fail.
We sinners by our very nature need a redeemer–and no matter how hard we try to be pious or righteous we are still sinners saved simply by grace. One of the clearest teachers I've ever had was Gerhard Forde. And Dr. Forde pointed to Hans Joachim Iwand as a clear teacher about the nature of faith, grace, and salvation. When Dr. Forde wrote, “Justification and Sanctification” in the section Christian Life of Braaten and Jenson’s Christian Dogmatics (P 438-439) he was wrestling with these very real questions of personal identity as a follower of Jesus Christ. Dr Forde wrote,

Being holy or saintly in that sense cannot be identified with being Christian. The Reformation means a complete break with such thinking.

Here it finally dawns on one why Reformation comes about, because here it is not merely mistakes and shortcomings that are repaired, but here the ideal that shaped the entire life of the Middle Ages is rejected: “Therefore one is not called a Christian because one accomplishes much; something higher is here. Rather it is because one takes something from, draws from, Christ, and simply lets oneself be given to. When one no longer takes from Christ, then one is no longer a Christian. The name Christian stays only in the taking and not in the giving or the doing, and that one takes from no one except from Christ. When you begin to regard what you have done then you have already lost the name of Christian." [Hans Joachim Iwand Nachgellassene Werke, vol 5 Luthers Theologie]

Such a view is preposterous to the world and the old Adam, but this is exactly what it means to die to the old and be born again to the new. One must simply be still and listen where God enters the scene—and believe, for only such faith will save. This rejection of the ancient ideal of piety and sanctity is what lies behind Luther's shocking advice to Melancthon: “Be a sinner and sin boldly, but believe even more boldly and rejoice in Christ, who is victor over sin, death and the world.” The point is that when one begins to be grasped by the overwhelming gift of grace, when one is beginning to die to the old, the temptation (Anfectung) will always sound: “Is it not dangerous?” “Are you not going to far?” “Is not this grace too cheap?” “If you lose your 'virtue' what will protect you then?” Luther's advice in such situations was: “Be a sinner and sin boldly, but believe even more boldly.” The point is not to go out and find some sins to commit. The point is rather not to be deceived by the glitter of ideals, of sanctity and piety, by the quest for the Holy Grail. Christ and Christ alone has dealt with sin and saves sinners. It is impossible for there to be any sin which is not removed by him and by him alone. “Be a sinner and sin boldly, but believe more boldly” is simply a stance of a faith which know that Christ alone saves sinners. Out of such faith good works come. Sanctification happens. The good works come out of the spontaneity, the freedom, the “hilaritas“ of faith. They come out of love and the hope that begin to dawn when one realizes the unconditionality of grace, when the old self dies. Gerhard Forde "Justification and Sanctification" 11th Locus: Christian Life Vol. 2 Christian Dogmatics ed. Braaten C., Jenson R. (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1984) p438-439

Freedom in Christ starts always in faith. Faith that God's Word is for us because of what Jesus has done. Faith that the Cross is for us us becuase of what Jesus has done. Faith that new life is for us because of what Jesus has done.

Thanks for the freedom

Election Day 2012 vote for your neighbor

It's election day in the United States of America. 
It's a day of honor and privilege for all citizens in our republic.  It's also the beautiful day when billions spent on advertising on television, internet, radio, print ads, bill boards, and phone calls comes to a blessed end.  And it's a day to remember our neighbors.
Christians are called to honor God first in their lives and God calls on us to honor our neighbor's lives and well being as we honor our own.   Election day is no different for Jesus followers. When we vote we vote for our neighbor's good as much as our own.

Jesus called his first followers to do onto others as they would have done onto themselves.  His direction to honor neighbors and look out for their well being isn't novel.  Jesus joined the great line of ancient Hebrew prophets who called on God's people Israel to honor God with lives of simple worship--lives in which the poor--specifically widows, orphans, and aliens in the midst of the nation--who were cared for by the people.
It's a day to look ahead as much as behind.  The good thing about our republic is that we are moving into the future together.  Even through great struggles like economic depression and natural disasters we have moved forward for nearly 225 years as a republic.  Some say there is too much resistence in our age--but looking back at the incredible resistance of the civil war in the 1860s and civil rights struggle in the 1960s it's clear that our republic is moving into the future together as imperfect as ever. 
So go and vote--vote for what's good for you and for your neighbor.
Pax, John
publish simultaneously at http://unlikelyj.tumblr.com/post/35124234741/election-day-2012-vote-for-your-neighbor

Building a new garage

There's been a little adventure for me this fall.  Tearing down two old garages to build one new.  About 2 months ago many good things came together; and we're able to build a garage.  After months of talking and cad work to design I've started framing this week.
3 weeks ago the work got going as good friends James, Peter, Dan, and Tim came to help.  Demolition was quite fun.  Thanks especially to Pete,who brought the splitting maul and really got the demolition going.  This picture is priceless
The demolition is over and now comes to construction.  3 10 yard dump trailers were hauled away full before the floor.  Dean, Donna and Greg do great work with concrete and really gave us a great surface to work with as we build. 

As a pastor I get some funny looks when people find I'm taking a vacation at home to build a new garage.  There's a lot of curiosity and a lot of support too.  There's something wonderful it all of it--wondering if this was part of Jesus experience.  He had all the creative energy of the universe and yet chose to work as a carpenter.  I don't have all his ability or strength--but I do wonder if he thought through the problems of laying out and creatively building.

The past 2 days have been framing days for me.  I'm about 2/3's done.  Tomorrow I'll hopefully get everything lined up to hoist trusses on Saturday.  I'm hoping for lots of friends will make up a healthy crew.
Peace, John
published simultaneously unlikelybanter.blogspot.com and unlikelyj.tumblr.com

Norah's Playhouse part 1

My summer includes building a playhouse this year.  As our youngest daughter will be the one who has the most chance to play with it I decided to name it Norah'.  The older two girls have protested the name so right now its just the playhouse for Norah and the club house for Faith and Gracia
The Floor:
Every building starts someplace and this one starts with a floor built up on concrete piers.  This playhouse sits on the wettest spot on our lot and the piers should keep it high and dry.  

The floor is a 6 foot span with 4x6 lumber on the sides and 6 2x6 joists in the middle.   I had a great deal of help from Faith setting screws for the floor.  She didn't quite understand why dad was insistent on drawing so many straight lines though.

I started work on the floor about 10 days ago.  Now its up been up 8 days and the walls which took about a week of evenings to construct are just about ready to go on.  If things go well the walls will be up before nightfall thanks to friends coming to help raise the sides of this little house.

The plans for this house are from a book with some alterations most especially for the roof but I will explain that in a later post. 

Look back for more updates as the progress continues.  

take care, John