recently re-ran across this story about James Lovell, the commander of the Apollo 13 mission.  If you remember, Apollo 13 was on it’s way to the moon when an explosion crippled the space craft.  For the next several days hundreds of people worked day and night to bring the three astronauts home.  The following is evidently a true story that Lovell tells of his days before the space program, when he was an aircraft carrier pilot. I remember this one time - I'm in a Banshee at night in combat conditions, so there's no running lights on the carrier. It was the Shrangri-La, and we were in the Sea of Japan and my radar had jammed, and my homing signal was gone... because somebody in Japan was actually using the same frequency.  And so the signal was - it was leading me away from where I was supposed to be. And I'm looking down at a big, black ocean, so I flip on my map light, and then suddenly: zap. Everything shorts out right there in my cockpit. All my instruments are gone. My lights are gone. And I can't even tell now what my altitude is. I know I'm running out of fuel, so I'm thinking about ditching in the ocean. And I, I look down there, and then in the darkness there's this uh, there's this green trail. It's like a long carpet that's just laid out right beneath me. And it was the algae, right? It was that phosphorescent stuff that gets churned up in the wake of a big ship. And it was - it was glowing- it was leading me home. You know? If my cockpit lights hadn't shorted out, there's no way I'd ever been able to see that dim glow. So uh, you, uh, never know... what... what events are to transpire to get you home...

And The Lord said, My grace is sufficient for you.  My power is made perfect in weakness.  

Isn’t this how our faith works best, not in the light of day, but in the darkness, in the black ocean of trouble?  It’s here, in the place where everything fails, that direction appears.  For ours is a God so loving, that no matter what might happen he extends his carpet of grace, lays out His glowing love right beneath our feet.

dag

Scott Otto just sent this link.  It is a news article from the elca web page.

take a look!

 

http://www.elca.org/Who-We-Are/Our-Three-Expressions/Churchwide-Organization/Communication-Services/News/Releases.aspx?a=4499

 

 

As promised, here are the links.  You'll find plenty of information on each of these sites.

 

http://www.lutheranforum.org/

 http://www.lutherancore.org/

 http://www.elca.org/

 

 

 

During our conversation yesterday (Sunday, January 24th), I made reference to happenings in the Northeast Iowa Synod.  For those of you who are interested, here are a couple of links to the actions that synod leadership have taken.  The first link will take you to a resolution that was sent to Chicago.  The second link is internal (for the ne iowa synod) and affirms that the synod will and operate under the policies that existed before the Churchwide Assembly actions.

 

http://www.neiasynod.org/synod_news/pdf/CONFESSION OF FAITH RESOLUTION.pdf

 

http://www.neiasynod.org/synod_news/pdf/BOUND CONSCIENCE RESOLUTION.pdf 

 

Please read these links! 

 

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching.  We think of this day as a day for lovers and sweethearts to remember each other.  While it has become that (cards, flowers, romantic dinners, teddy grams, etc), Valentine’s Day has it’s origins in a much different place with a much different meaning.  

Valentine was a priest near Rome in about the year 269 A.D. At that time,  Emperor Claudius was imprisoning Christians for not worshiping Roman gods. During this persecution Valentine was arrested. Some sources claim that he was arrested because he was performing Christian marriages, while other sources cite his continued preaching of the Christian Gospel and his aid to those faithful Christians who were being persecuted.

During the trial Valentine was asked about the Roman gods.  When he confessed the God of Christianity as being the only true God, the government threw him in prison.

It is said that while in prison, Valentine continued to minister. He witnessed to the guards. One of these guards was a good man who because of Valentine’s message of God’s love brought his whole family to be baptized.  When Claudius heard that Valentine was still making converts even in prison, so he had Valentine clubbed and beheaded.

Valentine knew that he might get caught in his Christian activities. He knew that if he told the court the truth about the Roman gods that he would be thrown in prison. He knew that if he continued to witness to Christ in the prison, he could face death.  But because he loved those who needed to hear the Gospel, he continued his work.  

So yes, Valentines Day is about love, a love that lays down one’s life for others.

 

Recently someone handed me an article by Dr. Laura Schlessinger in which the popular talk show host claims that there are some sins that are and should be unforgivable.  Dr. Laura believes that most folk totally misunderstand the concept of forgiveness.  Dr. Laura is offended by the way some in our society cave into the evil engendered by the authors of heinous crimes.  Dr. Laura is outraged by what she calls compassion for such evil, remembering with distaste the two crosses representing the Columbine murderers that were added to those representing the victims.  Dr. Laura says that "forgiving the unforgivable is joining the evil." 

I think that if you were to ask most folk in our society, they would agree with Dr. Laura.  For most, forgiveness is the pollyanna approach to a very real world, a world in which very real evil is alive, and well.  Yes, most of us would cheer Dr. Laura on.  'You go, girl!'

It may surprise you to learn that I agree with much of what Dr. Laura says.  For example:

Dr. Laura says that most folk misunderstand forgiveness.  I agree.  Dr. Laura is one of them. Understanding forgiveness as a caving to evil misses the point.  The unvarnished truth about forgiveness is that it sees evil for the dark, awful thing that it is, looks the evildoer in the eye, and says, 'You have profoundly wronged me.  The injuries you have inflicted are deep and intensely personal.  They have created unspeakable damage that cannot be retrieved or removed.  I forgive you.'  In doing this audacious thing, forgiveness strips evil of it's power, leaving our enemies toothless and defenseless.   

Dr. Laura says that forgiveness is offensive and outrageous.  I agree.  It is an outrage to think that the perpetrator of such terrible crimes should not pay.  In my mind, this is the great challenge of the Christian faith.  We have a God who we cannot follow.  We have a God who refuses to do what we would have Him do.  When every fibre of our being moves us to retain sin, seek retribution, and petition God for just desserts to rain down upon the evildoers, our God does the unthinkable.  He sends his son to announce forgiveness on those who have flogged, beaten, mocked and finally murdered him.  An outrage?  You bet your boots it is.  What's more is that this is the one we worship as Lord and savior.

 

Dr. Laura says that forgiving the unforgivable is joining the evil.  I agree.  So does Saint Paul "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." (2 Corinthians 5:21).  This little verse begs the question:  Is it naive to think that one should become evil in the hopes that evildoers might be changed or is this the very real power of forgiveness, a power that can overcome even the hardness of an evil heart?  

 

So which is the better read, the Gospel According to Saint Laura or the audacious story of God's forgiving love?  You make the call.

Many of you have asked for a copy of the resolutions that were passed at the December special meeting.  Attached (click on the icon below) you'll find a copy of both resoutions along with the letter I sent to Bishop Mark Hanson (Please note that there are three pages in this one file--after you open the file, you'll need to scroll down to see the resolutions).  Feel free to forward this link to anyone who might be interested

 

Every year at this time, I field questions about the way our culture changes the meaning of Christmas.  Every year I assure people that Christmas is alive and well.

Still, I thought it would be good to list out a few of those tidbits and set the record straight.  Here goes.

Christmas:  The word literally means Christ Mass---a worship service which centers around the Christ child. 

Xmas:  Some folks wonder about this one, find it objectionable.  I don't.  For you Bible students out there X is the first letter of the greek word for Christ.  An X is also a form of a cross.  I can live with that.  Can't you?

Happy Holidays:  This is being used by many to replace "Merry Christmas."  Let's take the word Holiday apart.  Holy + Day = Holiday.  I can live with that.  Can't you?

Santa Clause:  This name comes from the dutch Sinterklaus, or Saint Nicholas (btw, the name nicholas comes from a greek word that means "victory of/for the people").  Nicholas was a Christian bishop (thus the red clothing) who was known for secretly giving gifts to those who were without.  One story claims that those under his care would leave their shoes outside.  Nicholas would then covertly put coins in the shoes (thus the hanging stockings on the mantle).  All of this was done in the name of Christian charity.  i can live with that.  Can't you? 

There's so much more---but I think you're getting the idea.  Since the beginnings of our December 25th observances,  we have borrowed traditions from the world (ie:  while the pagan world was celebrating the winter solstice and the re-birth of the SUN we set our celebration at the same time, only we chose to celebreate the birth of the SON).   It's only right that the world would now borrow from us.  It also occurs to me that this borrowing might just be part of God's design.  It certainly fits His MO.  Afterall, we have a God who chooses to come to us not as the pure, majestic, and all powerful one and not in the clear and obvious ways we would expect a god to make entrance, but he comes hidden---hidden in a child, hidden in weakness, hidden in the world, hidden in ways that seek to charm and intice. 

So I say live and let live.  Spend time with those you love.  Share with each other the joy that comes from knowing the hidden one.

Oh yes, one more thing----Happy Holidays

 

If you've never been around here in the days before Christmas, you would not believe your eyes.  Audrey Best, Dianne See and their band of workers put the finishing touches on yet another "Giving Tree" project.  As I'm writing this, our fellowship hall is being loaded, piled, overflowing (I'm not exaggerating) with bright colored packages.    This year over 400 area children will receive enough gifts to cover the bottom of their Christmas trees.  Audrey tells me that she has collected over $25,000 in cash and gifts to make this important time happen.  It is an impressive ministry and we are thankful for the hard work of all these people.

Bethany House is one of Fort Dodge's faith treasures.  Since it's inception some 20 years ago, Bethany House has provided a place for prayer, worship, spiritual direction, and the deepening of one's faith.  While it is a low profile ministry, this is a vital piece of the Fort Dodge spiritual landscape.  Attached you'll find the 2009 newsletter.  Read it over, keep BH in your prayers, and the next time you see Carol Joslyn (the woman behind the ministry), please thank her.