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Written by Pastor Patrick Curley
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Tuesday, 29 September 2009 03:28 |
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“The Way Through Halloween”
Halloween. What are we Christians to do with it? It certainly isn’t a church holiday though its timing before All Saints Day is not accidental. It’s definitely part of American culture coming in only after Christmas as the holiday people decorate for most. But we are all aware of the pagan background and context for many of the symbols of Halloween. Still, what kid doesn’t look forward to dressing up as their favorite super hero or other character? Carving pumpkins can be a creative, family activity. And let’s not forget all the candy. Whatever is a Christian parent to do?
They say that the devil is in the details. He likes the microscopic, dark and obscure land of fine print where deception often lies. But I think that he’s in the extremes, too. He likes it when we obsess about him and see him under every tree and around every corner. When we think that he is the source of every bump in the night and problem that we are having. But equally true, he likes it when we are oblivious to him and his evil intentions. The modern, scientific, educated man who denies the existence of the supernatural is right in his pocket. So around every corner or nowhere to be found, Satan likes either the magician or the materialist. He works in both.
There is, however, a way that lies in between the extremes that has no fine print either. This is Jesus who is Himself the Way, the Truth and the Life. Jesus has defeated Satan’s power over us. He resisted the devil in the wilderness. He was obedient to His Father’s will right through the bitter suffering of the cross. In His final words there, “It is finished,” Satan’s accusations were silenced forever. In Christ’s name, “one little word can fell him,” wrote Luther in “A Mighty Fortress is Our God”. This is where the truth lies. It lies with Christ.
Carving a pumpkin for Halloween won’t send you to hell any more than putting up a Christmas tree which also has some pagan origins regarding the winter solstice. If you don’t want to, then don’t but don’t judge those who do as less Christian than you. Granted, you may wish to choose wisely the images you use to have some fun but avoid pietistic fanaticism also. Avoid extremes. Otherwise Satan will have you either as a Pharisee or a libertine in no time. You must find your identity in God’s grace.
Dr. William Schumacker, who spoke recently at the PSW District Pastor’s Convention, said that Satan deserves to be mocked. I agree. Not feared, ignored nor obeyed but as St. Paul puts it in regards to the victory of Christ’s cross, publicly made a spectacle of as defeated (Colossians 2:15). Let it be that we do all to the glory of God and in Jesus’ name. Amen. See ya’ Sunday! |
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The Voice - September 2009 |
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Written by Pastor Patrick Curley
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Monday, 17 August 2009 03:18 |
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“Lessons for the Heart”
By Pastor Patrick Curley
It’s back to school month; back to packing lunches, getting up a little earlier for some and, of course, doing homework. And for some, it’s a kind of back to church month, too. Summer rest and recreation is behind us and now it’s time to get back into the routine including weekly worship. But leave your calculators, notebooks and pencils behind. You won’t need them Sunday because church isn’t school.
Now I realize we do teach at church. We have classrooms for everything from Sunday School and Bible study to confirmation. Jesus told us, “teach everything I have commanded you.” We use books, especially God’s Book, the Holy Bible. Even the sermon can be a kind of lesson but still, going to church isn’t like going to school.
We aren’t really appealing to the mind at church but rather to the heart. Our lessons are to do more than impart knowledge and encourage good citizenship. We are giving the revealed wisdom of God’s grace which has nothing at all to do with how smart or good we are or think we are. It is all about God’s love in Christ Jesus. Jesus studied hard and took the test for us. And He passed with an A+. His report card now becomes our own through faith. We who flunked now pass for Christ’s sake. This isn’t cheating; it’s grace.
If the church were only a school then probably most of you already know enough. You know Jesus died for your sins and rose from the dead. You know He is True God. You know He will return at the end of time. Sure, you know but that isn’t the only thing about salvation. It’s also believing. Faith is believing what you don’t know or can’t see and study. It’s trusting God’s promise for yourself. So faith requires constant renewing and strengthening. Faith requires worship around Jesus’ Gospel and study in His Word. It’s not just to remember what we once were taught. It’s rather to believe until we die in what Jesus gives us.
Even if you have a PhD. in theology, you’ll always need church to renew a living faith. It’s something given, not learned or earned. You will never graduate from your need of God’s abundant grace in Jesus Christ given through the Word and Sacraments each time we gather in God’s name. See ya’ Sunday, |
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Written by Pastor Patrick Curley
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Friday, 17 July 2009 02:25 |
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“St. John’s Luthran Church”
By Pastor Patrick Curley
Notice something missing? No, not cooler weather. Look up… at our newsletter heading. The word “evangelical” is missing from our congregational name. I’m curious if you noticed, though? Not all Lutheran congregations place “evangelical” in their official name but it is, in fact, the historical name of our Church body since the Reformation. As such, I suggested we put it back in all our official publications and signs, etc, at St. John when I came as the new pastor in 1997. But this had more to do with real evangelism than historical accuracy or something for to be truly “evangelical” means to proclaim the Gospel. In both word and deed, I wanted our congregation to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ to our friends and neighbors.
I hope by now you’ve gotten used to saying and hearing “evangelical” whenever you think of St. John (we still have some of our members say “St. John’s” – apostrophe “s”, instead of “St. John”, but that’s a lesser matter). And I trust we have the Lutheran part down, too, although I remember someone once made a sign at my former congregation, Redeemer, and misspelled “Lutheran”; “Luthran” is how it read until some kid walking by noticed and told our secretary. How many members drove by that sign and didn’t notice the error (it faced away from my window, eh-hem)?
But these are just words, right? Maybe. If we share our faith in word and deed and are mindful of those who don’t believe in Jesus, then we are evangelical even though it may not be written in our official name. And if we believe we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection alone as God’s true Word says, then we are true heirs of the Reformation even though we may spell it wrong sometimes. We are Christ’s Church, not St. John’s. John was a disciple of Jesus as are we. Jesus alone is the Head of the Church here and everywhere. So even if it were “St. John’s Luthran Church” instead of as it is “St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church”, may it be that we continue to challenge ourselves and grow in real mission outreach, Christ-centered worship and fervent study of God’s Word. May it be that we lift high the cross of Jesus Christ our Lord.
There is some talk about changing our denominational name of Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod to something including “evangelical” and maybe “American” somewhere in the new name. Old names die hard, though. What would we think of changing St. John to… oh, I don’t know, maybe… St. Patrick or something? Wouldn’t go over with everyone, would it. We like St. John. It’s our name for almost 100 years. I don’t know what will happen at the synodical convention next year. I only hope we will always have a sincere zeal for reaching the lost with Christ’s Gospel, a faithful confession of Scripture’s truth and purity and a Spirit filled heart for Christ who leads us in all things-- no matter what our name.
Hope you’re enjoying summer. See ya’ Sunday! |
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The Voice - July 2008 - Brian |
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Written by Pastor Patrick Curley
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Thursday, 18 June 2009 04:34 |
“Brian’s Own Eyes”
What do you think Brian is doing right now? What is he seeing? It’s been almost two months since he went home having finally succumbed to the cancer. These are tricky questions and not just because we aren’t told much about heaven from Scripture. Paul can only say of it to the Corinthians, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” John in his apocalyptic vision recorded in Revelation paints some pretty amazing pictures of heaven too. But how much of this imagery are we to take at face value and how much is used symbolically to make a point without fearing Roman editing or censorship? We don’t know how time is reckoned in heaven either- two months or two millennia may feel quite the same. But whatever it is that Brian’s doing or seeing, it’s good for “to live is Christ, to die is gain.” To behold the beauty of God in His present and immediate, unfiltered glory defies human words and explanation. It is pure joy.
The problem with asking about Brian’s deeds and sights right now is that he still awaits with us the bodily resurrection. He is only spiritually in heaven, a time referred to as the interim state of the soul. But if body and soul can exist apart, do we even need the body in heaven? Why did Jesus assume flesh, die on the cross and rise bodily on the third day if we are to be only floating, afterglows of our former bodies for eternity? Some say it denies what it is to be human, a body and a soul always together, to say our loved ones are aware in heaven while only in their spirits. They would dismiss the whole thing and hope to avoid the Gnostic error by saying Brian is asleep. Scripture does use that term in connection to death but I believe as a euphemism to remove death’s sting in light of Christ’s resurrection. Death is like sleep for the Christian but it isn’t sleep anymore than being baptized into Christ’s death puts us into a coma until the second coming at the end of time.
Many others look to Jesus’ plain words from the cross to the thief crucified with Him on Good Friday, “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” Jesus Himself released His spirit to the Father’s loving hands while His body was laid to rest in Joseph’s tomb. This wasn’t His divine nature which He was talking about. Moses joined the party with Jesus and Elijah (and Peter, James and John) on the Mount of Transfiguration although his body was buried many centuries before on Mt. Nebo. Paul longs to leave the “tent” of his present, sinful, mortal flesh to be with the Lord in the awaited heavenly dwelling (2 Cor. 5:1-9), writing also, “So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.”
The Christian goal and blessed hope is not to spiritually escape the body as some inherent evil. It is to trust in the body’s recreation at the Judgment Day. But even as our spirit is made alive and set free by grace through faith before this Day, why can’t we also say temporarily that this freedom is lived out after a death before this Day also. We don’t await the forgiveness of sins until Christ’s second coming. Why would we deny our reborn spirits the joy of that atonement until then either? It simply isn’t necessary to pin down exactly what the body, soul, mind and spirit of a man’s being and life are to deny dualism and maintain our true humanity. These are some funky times between heaven and earth and getting there a mystery beyond the blood of Christ that justifies us eternally. But maybe the greatest mark of our humanity is to comfort each other with the immediate, blessed hope of heaven when our loved ones die, not some deep freeze. Instead of splitting theological hairs, may we say with Job, “I know that my Redeemer lives… and after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see Him with my own eyes.”
I don’t know what Brian is doing in heaven right now, but take heart you who miss him for I know what he is seeing: the smiling face of Jesus, his Lord and Savior, even though, for now, that is through eyes of faith.
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Last Updated on Thursday, 18 June 2009 04:37 |
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Written by Pastor Patrick Curley
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Sunday, 31 May 2009 22:36 |
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"All Digital Jesus?"
By Pastor Patrick Curley
Something else historic is happening on June 12th this year other than George Bush Sr. and I turning another year older. From that day on, digital signals are replacing all analogue ones for TV. This time, for real. If you don’t have a converter box by then, you won’t be able to get your programming even with the biggest antennas. If you have cable or satellite TV, everything is already digital. You’re fine. Same with high definition. But just as video killed the radio star, so too, digital will replace a former familiar format as far as TV goes. Progress some would say.
Can you imagine someone not knowing that this transition is happening on June 12th? After turning on their sets, they will find nothing but white static and noise. Then they go up to their roof to adjust the antenna after first giving the set a few whacks. But nothing. Try as they might, they just won’t be able to get the signal. Their sets will not be capable of getting the only signal out there which will be digital as of the 12th. Harder than sending a MAC file to your friend who has a PC, this will be impossible. It would be like trying to play a CD on a phonograph. The device and the format are incompatible. Maybe some will just choose to do without TV for awhile? They can listen to their 8-Tracks or watch a Beta tape from their collection instead. For the majority, however, life goes on and digital TV with it. We’ll have made some transition by then to not be left behind.
What if Jesus went “all digital”, too? Let’s say to hear His Gospel, you could no longer read your Bibles or go to church and hear my sermon about your Savior anymore. Holy Communion was no longer offered either. Nobody would be baptized. I wonder how many would make “the switch” to the new format or just do without? The switch to an all digital Jesus would mean we would have no familiar way of receiving and strengthening our faith. There would be no way of knowing we had forgiveness of our sins and eternal life in Heaven without God’s “new converter box”. God’s love would just sound like static and look like meaningless, wavy lines.
Maybe we take the Gospel and our church for granted like turning on the TV. We just trust that sound and pictures will come on when we want them. Each week if we tune in we assume our favorites show will come to us via that familiar form. What would bother you more, no TV programs or no Christ-centered worship? I wonder. Well for the latter, nothing changes after the 12th. One Gospel, one faith, one baptism, one Church. “Jesus is the same yesterday, tomorrow and forever.” I may be a year older but the Good News of Jesus Christ will be ever fresh and offered at St. John, as always- through Christ’s holy and precious Word and Sacraments. So tune in. Same Jesus time, same Jesus channel.
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Last Updated on Monday, 01 June 2009 06:33 |
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