One Day at a Time

Meditation on I John 4:7-19

For the funeral of John Feldman

Oct. 5, 2013

***

      “Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.

     

     By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world. God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God. So we have known and believe the love that God has for us.

     

     God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. We love because he first loved us.” (I John 4:7-19)

***

      I don’t remember when I first visited John and Donna’s little white house on the corner of Main Street and Highway 212.  But I remember the visit well.

      

     I came to encourage them; John, a lifelong member and faithful attendee of Ebenezer, had been too sick to make it to church.

      

     Donna greeted me with a bright smile.  She struggled to her feet to give me a hug as a little dog barked fiercely and ran toward me oh so briefly, before climbing back into John’s lap to resume chewing on a bone.

     

     They told me the story of Coco the dog. Donna began the story, but John filled in the necessary details naturally and easily—as if only one person were speaking.  I could tell that Coco enjoyed not just the bones, but being stroked in John’s lap.

     

     Coco, John said, was his $40,000 dog. He wouldn’t sell her—not ever—for less than $40,000. Coco had been their son and daughter-in-law’s puppy.  But since they worked outside the home all day, no one was there to housetrain Coco. An undisciplined, untrained puppy is hard to love when you have a new home and you’re worried about your carpets. Bruce and Sandy gave Coco to John and Donna. And Coco grew into the ideal house pet, the story goes, as John and Donna lavished attention on her and enjoyed her as if she were their 9^th child.

    

     I left after my first visit to John and Donna’s feeling as if I had known them all my life. I knew about their 8 kids and quite a few things about their grandkids and great-grandkids.  I knew Coco the dog. I knew that John had been a farmer, bus driver and mechanic before he retired from the school district.  And that even in his late 80s, he still mowed and sprayed many lawns every summer—including the lawn of our church.

    

     I learned something of John and Donna’s courtship that first visit—how the country boy and the city girl met when she was visiting with a friend here one weekend.  More of the details would be revealed as time went by.      

      

     Donna was 18 when her friend Shirley, whose aunt lived across the street from Donna in Minneapolis, set her up on a blind date with John so they could go to the movies in Monte on a doubledate—Shirley and her boyfriend, John and Donna.  John, who was older than Donna and worked on a farm, was asked at the last minute—when his younger brother Tim wasn’t available. 

     

     Did I get the story right?

     

     But John didn’t mind. He said, “Sure, but let me finish my chores first.”

     

     They were married in March 1951—when Donna was 19 and John about 28.

     

     When I asked Donna what she saw in John, she said with a twinkle in her eye, “I thought he had a lot of money. I thought farmers were rich! After we got married, I discovered he didn’t have a cent!”

      

     But that isn’t what John said. When I asked him at that first visit, John looked over at Donna with happy tears filling in his eyes, as they often did when something touched his heart. Perhaps he was remembering the early years and all the difficulties they had come through.  Maybe he was thinking about the more recent health difficulties they were struggling with.  John’s declining health led eventually to him moving into a nursing home, Donna into an apartment, and their selling the little white house, the only home they ever owned, bought in 1971 for $8,000—after 20 years of marriage and 8 kids.

    

     “We loved each other,” John said, simply.   “If you have love, you have all you need.”

     

     John lived his life working hard at many different jobs. He was good at them all. But he is not one who came to realize the importance of family later in life—after the kids were all grown and moved out of the house.  He always loved and enjoyed his family—especially the grandchildren. And did his best to serve God and other people. 

     

     When John, at the age of 89, went home to be with the Lord on Wednesday, I posted a note on our church’s Facebook site.  A record numbers of visitors—more than 1,000 people—read that post. Some responded--sharing memories of his kindness and faithfulness during his 37 and a half years as a school bus driver and mechanic. Former students recalled him always getting them safely to school on time. He never got stuck in a snowbank. One said he let them listen to music on Q102, if they were quiet.

       

      They may not have known that John leaned on the Lord for his strength. And that his favorite song was “One Day at a Time.”

     

      The chorus goes like this.

   “One day at a time sweet Jesus. That's all I'm asking from you. Just give me the strength to do everyday what I have to do. Yesterday's gone sweet Jesus. And tomorrow may never be mine. Lord help me today, show me the way. One day at a time.”

    

   ***

   

    John, although he may not have known it, sought to live like we are instructed in I John. In today’s reading, we find the familiar verse, “God is love.”  And we are told to imitate Him! To love one another as God has loved us, a love that has been revealed among us when “God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him.”

    

    God’s love is merciful and gracious beyond our understanding. We don’t deserve his love, but God loves us still. The Lord has made a way for us to be forgiven through belief in the atoning sacrifice of His Son.

      

     God accepts us—just as we are when we come to Him—undisciplined, disobedient, and selfish—but what’s more, He doesn’t leave us in the undisciplined, disobedient, and selfish state in which he found us.  I John tells us that His love has been perfected among us—in the Body of Christ.  So we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as Christ is, so are we in this world. 

     

     This means we do not have to fear death or judgment in the world to come. Nor do we have anything to fear in this world, because perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment.

     

      In a way, we are kind of like Coco—responding to God’s love for us like she responded to John and Donna’s love. Before she went to live with John and Donna, she was undisciplined, untrained and selfish, doing whatever she wanted to do. But after she came to live with John and Donna, their love and enjoyment of her changed her character. Changed her life. 

      

     But sometimes, we might not feel loved in our households. We might feel unappreciated in our family of faith. Or maybe we just find it hard to love and forgive ourselves.  We can’t see the new thing that God is doing with us, the new creation that God is making in us. We may begin to doubt that God is with us still.

    

    First John provides a three-fold test to determine if we are abiding or living in the Lord and He in us.

    

    Number 1. Do we have His Spirit to strengthen and guide us?  Yes!  God’s Spirit is a free gift to all who seek the Lord.  

    

    Number 2. Do we confess that Jesus is the Son of God?  Yes, Jesus is our Lord and Savior.

    

    And 3. Have we known and do we believe in God’s love for us? 

    

    Yes, we have known and do believe in God’s love.

    

    Friends, if you have said yes to these three with me, then you do live in the Lord and He lives in you.

    

     We truly have all that we need for abundant and everlasting life—now and forever.  We need not fear. We have God’s perfect love.

     

     And the Lord will help us today, show us the way.

     

     One day at a time.

You can hear and see Pastor Karen's sermon from Sunday, September 29.  Click on this link.


http://vimeo.com/75918156

“Take Hold of the Eternal Life”

Meditation on 1 Timothy 6:6-19

Sept. 29, 2013

***

     Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains. But as for you, man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep the commandment without spot or blame until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will bring about at the right time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords. It is he alone who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see; to him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.

        As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life. (I Timothy 6:6-19)

***

        At a wedding reception not long ago, I had to smile when I saw that beside each dinner plate was an unusual gift from the bride and groom.  A little jar of honey! A piece of knotted twine circled the lid and on the label were two contented-looking bees gazing into one another’s eyes. Printed in yellow above the bees was the message, “Thanks for bee-in with us.  Katy & Brian.”

        The gift went perfectly with a wedding in a barn.

        The honey jars would be a reminder of that crisp fall day when I was honored to preside over another wedding of two young people, pledging their constant faith and abiding love as long as they both shall live.

        The message on the honey jar also reminded me of some of the premarital conversations I have had with young couples. Along with money management, family and career planning, communication, recreation, and other topics, we talk about the importance of faith, taking time away from work to honor the Sabbath, and also making sure to spend time together—just to enjoy “being with one another.”

         The financial pressures some young couples face are great. They have to find jobs where they can make enough money to pay off school loans if they have them, be able to buy a home, and provide for their growing family’s needs, including food, clothing, and medical care.

      When I was in my 20s and 30s, it always seemed like we didn’t have quite enough money. We always seemed to need a little bit more.  Things were more expensive than we budgeted for; unexpected expenses often came up.  And sometimes we just felt we needed to have something because a friend, neighbor, or family member had just bought one—and we wanted one, too.

       I look back on the years when my kids were growing up, and I remember being busy, tired, rushed, and working a lot. Yes, I enjoyed my family and have memories to cherish, but I wish I could have enjoyed my family more.  

       I wonder why I never seemed to learn to be content, to be at peace, no matter what my circumstances.  I wonder why I often focused on what I didn’t have rather than being grateful to God for his many blessings. 

       For the Lord always provided for our needs.  And the Lord always will.

*** 

        Ever notice how the Bible seems to talk about money a lot? Jesus often criticized rich people who led lavish, selfish lifestyles, neglecting the needs of the poor.  In Mark chapter 10, Jesus tells a man who asks the way to eternal life that he needs to sell what he has and give his money to the poor so he will have treasure in heaven. The man, who was rich, just walks away sadly, because he has many possessions.

        In today’s gospel, Luke chapter 16, a rich man who feasts sumptuously every day refuses to help a poor man begging at the gate of his home.  Lazarus is starving and covered with sores.  When Lazarus dies, the angels carry him away to live with Abraham in heaven; but when the rich man dies, he goes to Hades and begs for Lazarus to come help him when the flames torment him. Abraham tells the rich man that he already received all his good things in his lifetime; Lazarus greatly suffered.  So Lazarus will be comforted in heaven, while the rich man will be in agony in Hades.

        In today’s epistle, Paul tells his younger colleague Timothy at the church in Ephesus that those who pursue riches will eventually be plunged into ruin and destruction. “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil,” he says.  “In their eagerness to be rich, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains.”

     Most of us reading about the rich people in the Bible ignoring the needs of the poor find it hard to understand such callousness.  Why don’t they care about their poor neighbors?  How can they be so cruel?

      We think in terms of “they” for rich people because none of us would consider ourselves rich; nor would we fit the description of the rich person dressing in expensive clothing and feasting sumptuously every day.  Yet compared to the way that many needy people in other countries live, such as the poor of Bangladesh and those in the isolated villages of Nicaragua, we live very comfortable lives. It is good for us to examine our hearts regularly, asking ourselves if we are being faithful to care for our needy neighbors around the world.  And, are we neglecting the poor at our very gates?

     Today’s reading is a warning not just for people who are wealthy; it is a warning to all of us not to love money and possessions and to be eager to be rich. “For there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment,” Paul says, “for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it.”  He uses battle imagery to describe our inner struggle against the temptation to covet the things of this world. “Fight the good fight of faith,” he urges. Don’t set your hopes on the uncertainty of riches. Don’t place your trust in your own provision. Place your hope in the One who richly provides us with not just everything we need—but everything for our enjoyment.

      Pursue righteousness and godliness. Faith and love. Endurance and gentleness. Be rich in good works, generous and ready to share.

     “Take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called,” Paul says. “Take hold of the life that really is life.”

***

       Thinking about my mistakes in the past—all the wasted hours worrying about money and not being grateful enough for God’s blessings—I will share with you what I often tell couples about to be married. 

       And I want you to know that this message that I am sharing today is one that I need to hear, too.  Because it is a battle that goes on inside of us every day—the battle against loving and wanting the things of this world too much and worrying about tomorrow.  As long as we are in the flesh, the battle will rage on.

       We always think that we need a little more money, no matter how much we have. We will always have bills, and some will be unexpected. But when we are tempted to worry about money and pursue the things of this world, rather than seek to be pleasing to God…

         Let us recall the words of Paul: fight the good fight for the faith. Take hold of the eternal life, to which we were called. Take hold of the life that really is life.

         Seek help from Jesus Christ, our blessed and only Sovereign, our King of kings and Lord of lords, who was tempted in every way that we are tempted, but still did not sin.

        And may all the husbands and wives gathered here remain true to the promises you made on your wedding day.

       Remember to make time to just enjoy “being with one another.”

       And take time away from work each week to honor the Sabbath.

       May God grant you His peace as you give Him thanks for His many blessings.

      For the Lord has always provided for all our needs.  And the Lord always will.

Let us pray.

Eternal God, we thank you for your mercy and love.  Thank you for your Son, the King of Kings and our Lord of Lords, who died and rose from the dead to show us the way to eternal life.  Help us not to worry about money, Lord, and to trust you to provide for all our needs.  And if we are tempted to pursue riches or covet what our neighbor has, remind us that building our treasure in heaven is what we are called to do.  We came into this world with nothing and we will take no possessions into the world to come. Help us to remain focused on our gospel mission and be rich in good works. Move us to compassion so that we are generous with people in need.  Give us passion to fight the good fight of faith, pursuing righteousness and godliness, and resisting the temptations of this world.  Lead us to find contentment and peace in You… To take hold of the eternal life…and take hold of the life that really is life. In the name of Jesus we pray.  Amen.

  

           

“Our Mediator”

Meditation on I Timothy 2:1-7

Sept. 22, 2013

***

      “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings should be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God; there is also one mediator between God and human beings, Christ Jesus, himself a human being, who gave himself a ransom for all—this was attested at the right time. For this I was appointed a herald and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.” (I Timothy 2:1-7)

***

      “The words were printed in large letters on bright fluorescent colored signs: Frost Heaves.  They looked like placards from a low-budget political campaign stuck in the snow.  Some guys named Frost and Heaves were running for national office.

       “People who live in northern New England,” continues Jim Van Yperen in his book, Making Peace: A Guide to Overcoming Church Conflict, “know that frost heaves are not the names of politicians or a type of ice cream.  The two words describe what happens to our roads in March and April.  They freeze and they heave.

       “Frost heaves are caused during winter by thawing daytime temperatures followed by freezing nighttime temperatures.  When water that has collected in pockets underneath the road surface freezes, the expanding ice forces the road upward, often cracking open the surface an inch or two at the peak.

      “Frost heaves can cause roads to rise as much as six inches and they usually damage road surfaces permanently.  Driving a vehicle too fast over a frost heave can damage your shocks and shock your nerves.

      “One nine-mile stretch of road between our home and the next town must be one of the world’s worst roads for frost heaves.  In some sections of the roads, drivers who hit the heave just right can serve dinner, view an in-flight movie, and earn five hundred frequent flier miles before landing on the other side.  Well, so it seems.

       “People complain a lot about the roads and those who crew them.  But the real problem,” Van Yperen writes, “is underneath.  And that’s the way it is in most churches.  The real conflict lies below the surface. 

       “What is presented as the ‘problem’ is usually a symptom of what lies underneath.  As long as we treat the symptom, not the underlying problem, the conflict will always return.  It may lie dormant for a time, but it always comes back.  Always.”

       Van Yperen’s book was one of about a dozen I read for a class I took at Bethel Seminary in July.  The class was called “Understanding and Managing Conflict.”

       I can honestly say that when I registered for the one-week intensive course last spring, I wasn’t thrilled about it. The thought of conflict brought to mind angry people, drawing lines in the sand, insisting on their way or the highway.  I wasn’t convinced that a class about conflict would prevent conflicts or help me to better handle them.

     Still, I went to the class with hope, wanting to learn to be the peacemaker God has called me to be. As followers of Christ, we are all called to pursue lives of peace and godliness, as we learn in today’s reading in I Timothy, as well as other Scripture, such as Hebrews 12:14, which admonishes, “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.”

      Encouragement from an older, more experienced colleague in ministry helped strengthen my resolve to learn more about handling conflict.

      Sister Donna Wermus, formerly of Holy Redeemer parish, said the class sounded very practical.

     “Conflict,” she said, “is something from which we never escape.” 

***

       In our epistle today, Paul also encourages a younger colleague in ministry when he writes to Timothy at the church in Ephesus.

        Paul emphasizes, first and foremost, the need for prayer.  Pray for everyone, he says!  “On behalf of all people—on behalf of kings, and all who hold high office, so that we may lead a tranquil and peaceful life, in all godliness and holiness.”

        But what should we be praying for? 

        Not just peace and tranquility.  Pray for all to be saved!

For “God our Savior … wants all people to be saved and to come to know the truth!”  And the truth is that “there is one God and also one mediator between God and human beings—Christ Jesus, himself a human being.”

        Friends, without faith in Jesus Christ, we don’t have peace with God!  And we cannot pursue a life of peace and godliness if we neglect prayer and simply focus on good works and trying to help people in need. The promise of peace is there for all who daily pursue the Lord Jesus, our mediator, in prayer and seek to walk with Him.

       And this next part might be the hardest for those who are shy about sharing their faith.  If we want to pursue a life of peace and godliness, according to Paul, we must also look for opportunities to lead others to the Lord. Listen to what may be his strongest argument for universal salvation.  God wants “all people to be saved and to come to know the truth!”  Jesus “gave himself as a ransom for all!”  It’s as if Paul is saying, “What are you waiting for?  God wants everyone to be saved! So pray for everyone and get out there and share the gospel with the entire world!”

***

           Well, the summer class turned out to be amazing.  The Holy Spirit ministered to me through my classmates and instructor.  The class was small and intimate. The best part was when people openly shared about their struggles in ministry; even the teacher shared from his experiences.  

         We laughed.  We cried. And we prayed.

         When the week was over, I wasn’t ready for the class to end. I felt that I still had more to learn about understanding and managing conflict. But I had learned at least one very important thing; we must first deal with the conflict within ourselves before we can begin to address the conflicts going on all around us.  We must first look inside ourselves for our own brokenness, hurt, and sin—and then seek the Lord, our mediator, the one who has made peace between God and human beings, for His healing.

         I didn’t realize how broken I was until I took the time away from my ministry and caring for others.  I find it much easier, at times, to pray for the needs of other people, than to ask for the Lord’s help with my own needs.  My needs are small compared to someone who is struggling with cancer, recovering from surgery, or mourning the loss of a loved one. I forget sometimes that God is equally concerned about all our needs—and that we all need Him just the same.

       I know that there are other people here, like me, who enjoy caring for other people—and praying for other people—but sometimes you, too, may be reluctant to seek the Lord’s help for your own needs—for your own healing and wholeness.  You might even feel guilty about bothering God for help with a need so small.  And yet the need is a real need—something that causes emotional hurt or physical pain and keeps you from living the way the Lord wants you to live.  Maybe it’s just a sin that you are reluctant to confess because you don’t want to even think about it. And yet our gracious God longs to forgive you and reassure you of His love.

         Like Van Yperen says in his discussion of frost heaves, what lies beneath the surface of a conflict is the real problem.  The root is a spiritual problem, a deep down brokenness that only prayer, confession, and the Holy Spirit can repair.

         As a follow-up to my summer class, I am required to engage in a project that will apply my learning to my ministry. The first part of my project was a sermon series on the Epistle of James, whose church struggled with conflict and whose message is still relevant and inspiring to Christians today.  In a couple of weeks, I will begin the second part of my project when I will offer 5 or 6 classes in personal peacemaking for adults. It is my prayer that God will use this group of peacemakers as examples to others and so that others may be encouraged to be peacemakers, too.

       My hope for us all is that the Spirit empowers us to do as the Apostle Paul teaches—that we pursue a life of peace and godliness.  That we pray for all and share the gospel with all.

          Because God our Savior “desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 

          “For there is one God; there is also one mediator between God and human beings, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself as a ransom for all.”

Let us pray.

     God, our Savior, thank you for Christ Jesus, who is our mediator, the one who reconciled us with you when He died on the cross for our sins.  Forgive us when we forget how much we need You and we don’t pray enough.  Forgive us when we have neglected to seek You for help with our own needs because we think you don’t need to be bothered with such small things.  Forgive us for not understanding how much you love us—and how you are always waiting to graciously and mercifully forgive us through Jesus Christ. Thank you for your desire that all the world be saved. Please help us to be bold in sharing the gospel and to be peacemakers like your Son, the one who gave his life as a ransom for all.  In His name we pray.  Amen.