And when will you be 11?

It's the return of the Friday Funny!

In some congregations, children ten and under get to attend Children's Church, while those 11 and up are expected to worship with the adults.  In an attempt to buck the system, one mom of an 11 year old girl told her daughter, "Now remember, Anna, if anyone asks, you are only ten.  Got it?"

Anna nodded her head.

At the beginning of Children's Church, the leader approached Anna.  "How old are you?" he asked.

"Ten, sir," she said.

"Ah, and when will you be 11?"

The girl though for a moment.  "As soon as Children's Church is over."

Have a great weekend!

Greeting card philosophy

One of my dear, sweet wife's favorite things to do is to shop for greeting cards.  She can spend hours (or so it seems) walking up and down the rows of cards at places like Hallmark, examining cards like a jeweler might look for fine diamonds.She is always happy to show me her "finds" and to tell me who she had in mind when she picked out the card.

One card which she had purchased for a dear friend included this sentiment: Good friends know your stories.  Great friends were there when it happened.

During our vacation this summer we had the chance to spend a few days with three of my classmates from seminary and their wives.  When we started our journey together we had no idea where it would take us all.  As we gather each year we often stroll down memory lane, talking about those experiences that have shaped our lives to this day.

While telling the stories we are reminded that those dear friends played a part in many of those stories.  They were there to offer encouragement or to wipe away tears.  They rejoiced as we rejoiced and mourned as we mourned.  Through it all some great friendship have been made.

Today, take a moment to pray and give thanks for the great friends that you have.  Praise the Lord that they were there...for you.

Joy Robinson Memorial Service Sermon

The Crown of Life

            If you will give me a moment, I want to do something I’ve never done before.  (Put on hat)

            There – that’s better! I’ve never preached from the pulpit while wearing a hat.  But I think Joy would be delighted.

            This hat thing found its inspiration is a Bible verse that the apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians.  He was addressing the issue of hair length, specifically that the length of men’s hair should not be that of a woman’s.  Down through time the tradition of women wearing hats in the church was considered a respectful and proper thing to do.

            Joy kept the tradition alive and we were glad for it.  Her hats were never outlandish or showy.  They always complimented the rest of her ensemble.  She dressed up – for her Lord.  Joy looked very classy.  She put the “S” in style.  And, if she were here she would probably be shaking her head at all of these platitudes.  Joy did not live for fawning compliments.

            But Joy lived up to her name, didn’t she? Some people suck the joy from every place they go.  But Joy filled the places she went to with an overflowing, abundant joy.  Her laughter was infectious.  Whether she was playing a hot game of cards or just visiting with good friends, people were touched by her joyful spirit.

            The word, “JOY” has sometimes been used as an acrostic to convey the message – Jesus…Others…You.  Here again, Joy lived up to her name.

            Joy’s love and trust in Jesus couldn’t be missed.  She loved being in God’s house.  She rejoiced in the singing of hymns…was filled with gratitude for the words of the forgiveness the Lord spoke to her as she made her confession…eagerly received God’s Holy Word as it was read and proclaimed…humbled by the Lord’s invitation to come to His table and receive His very body and blood for the forgiveness of sins.

            As I ministered to Joy and Terry in these last months I couldn’t help but admire her Bible.  It was worn.  It was being used a lot, regularly.  And still, in the midst of her pain, she never stopped from turning to her Lord and Savior to receive his Word of comfort and peace.  And she never stopped desiring the spiritual nourishment that the Lord’s Supper gave her.

            Yes, Joy loved Jesus.  But she loved others too.  Let me ask a question – how many of you here today received at one time or another, a greeting card or a phone call from Joy? Wasn’t it such a blessing to know that you were being thought of and prayed over by Joy? I can’t tell you how often I was lifted up by the cards she used to send me.  Or when she called the office and said, “Don’t want to bother you – just praying for you.”  And it wasn’t just to check on me – she called often to ask about someone on our 5:16 prayer list.  These gifts of prayer and encouragement given to Joy by the Lord did not go to waste.  She put them to good use.  And in that way her name, Joy, really came alive – Jesus…others…you.

            She lived this life of Joy in spite of all the trouble her friend caused her – and Terry, I’m not talking about you!  Amazingly, she referred to MS – multiple sclerosis – as a friend.  I could think of other words and you could too.  Joy once wrote, “It is very strange how these two friends (MS and the Lord Jesus) have become so intertwined.  Each are silent, but very strong – yet always with me.  Each one has a definite hold on me, in their own way!!”

            Rather than curse God for allowing Joy to be saddled with this affliction, she rejoiced that God was present with her and giving her the power and strength not to be limited in the life she wanted to live.  Joy wrote, “For you see God is in my every movement, saying, “Go, gal, you can make it – I’ll see that you do.”  That was Joy, the woman who loved her husband, adored her sons and their families, prayed and cared for her church family, lived life as fully as any of us and put the “S” in style with her wonderful array of hats.

            And it gives us such great comfort today to know that even as Joy rests in the arms of her Lord and Savior, she has traded in her hat for something much better.

            It is a crown.  We call it the crown of life.

            The apostle James, the brother of Jesus, wrote about this crown in his epistle: Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when He has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.

            This crown is also described in the book of Revelation: Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.

            Notice that this is not something that is earned.  It is a gift from God.  It is given to the faithful.  Those who trusted Christ alone for the forgiveness of sins and the hope of eternal life.  It is placed on the heads of those who trusted Jesus in spite of personal suffering, like the suffering that is experienced by those afflicted with MS. 

            So Joy left behind her 150 something hats for something better, much better to wear.

            And it has happened because Jesus chose to wear a crown as well.

            A crown of thorns.  (Display crown of thorns)

            It is early on the Friday morning we call “good.”  Jesus has been illegally taken captive by the Temple Guard and unfairly tried by the Jewish religious leaders, the Sanhedrin.  He has been dragged before the Roman governor, Pilate, who sentenced Jesus to be crucified.  Jesus then received a horrific flogging and then was led into a place called the Praetorium where an entire company of soldiers gathered around him.

            Listen to St. Matthew’s description of what happened next: They (the soldiers) stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head.  They put a staff in His right hand and knelt in front of Him and mocked Him.  “Hail, king of the Jews!” they said.  The spit on Him, and took the staff and struck Him on the head again and again.  After they had mocked Him, they took off the robe and put His own clothes on Him.  Then they led Him away to crucify Him.

            These words are so very hard to read.  The Son of God being made sport of.  The King of heaven being made to wear a crown of torture.  Imagine the sharp thorns piercing Jesus’ scalp.  See the blood trickling down His cheeks.  Picture the pain etched on His face. 

            As horrific as those images are, they are nothing in comparison to what Jesus suffered next.  Jesus carried His own cross to Golgotha.  His hands and feet were nailed to that cross and then that cross was lifted up for the people of Jerusalem and for all the world to see.  He suffered fully and completely.  Those who should have been begging for His forgiveness mocked and baited Him.  They shouted out, “He saved others but He can’t save Himself.”

            But that which perhaps causes the greatest pain for us is to hear Jesus cry out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me.”

            It was bad enough that it seemed that the whole world, in that moment, had turned against Jesus.  But to be abandoned by His Father in heaven – why?

            It was because Jesus, as he hung from the cross, had become the biggest and worst sinner the world has ever known.  On the cross, as the apostle Paul teaches, Jesus became sin.  He bore Joy’s sins.  He bore your sins and mine.  Resting on Jesus were the sins of the whole world. 

            And because God is a holy God and will have nothing to do with sin, Jesus was punished for our sins.  He was punished and also abandoned by His Heavenly Father.  As He hung from the cross, Jesus experienced hell. 

            You and I can’t come close to imagining or appreciating what Jesus endured during those six hours of suffering on the cross.  But we can truly rejoice and offer our greatest thanksgiving and praise as we hear those wonderful words, “It is finished!”

            Finished – Jesus’ suffering is complete.  Our sins are paid for.  Our sins will no longer be charged to our account.  Jesus has paid off those sins accounts – in full! And as we sing in “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” “God and sinners reconciled!”

            So because Jesus willingly wore that crown of thorns, we are blessed to receive the crown of life, a gift given to all who trust in Jesus alone for forgiveness and new life and salvation.  On July 2^nd, the Lord said to Joy, “Welcome home.  You’re the hat lady, right? Try on this crown – you’re going to love it.”

            You know, a crown is often seen as a symbol of victory.  It comforts us to think of Joy as victorious.  I’m reminded of some other words Paul wrote to the Corinthians: Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

            This is why we can celebrate even in the midst of sadness.  Joy is with Jesus.  She wears the same crown that you and I will receive. Those who believe in Jesus’ victory over sin and death and the devil will wear the crown of life.  On the Last Day, Resurrection Day, the dead in Christ will rise.  We will see Joy again.  You’ll know her and be able to hug and love on her.  But there’ll be something different about Joy.  That old friend, MS – gone, abolished, a thing of the past.  She will be whole.  No trouble with her legs.  No problems walking.  How wonderful is that?

            So you ladies – keep on wearing those hats.  They look great.  I think Joy would approve.  But don’t hold onto to them too tightly.  God has something even better in mind for you – and the guys too.  We’ll be just like Joy – wonderful wife, mother, grandmother, friend.  We’ll all be decked out in the crown of life – a gift promised to us by our merciful and gracious God.  Amen.

A simple question to ask

I am close to finishing Duncan Hamilton's impressive book, "For the Glory," which tells the life story of Eric Liddell.  I was introduced to Liddell through the film, "Chariots of Fire."  In the film, Liddell, a devoted follower of Jesus, stuns the world by refusing to compete on Sunday.  Liddell was convinced that Sunday was a day to rest in the Lord, to worship, pray and to make the day all about God's goodness and grace.  In the end, Liddell competes in a race he has not trained for and wins a gold medal all the same.

The first third of the book is about Liddell's early life and about the events that took place at the 1924 Olympics.  Following that, the focus in on Liddell's life as a missionary in China.

It is this part of Liddell's life for which Hamilton is truly interested.  I knew a bit of what Liddell faced while reaching out with the Gospel, serving a country (China) that becomes embroiled in war against Japan.  You can't help but admire a man who sets aside his own security and comfort in order to witness Christ to those without faith, without forgiveness, without salvation.

One aspect of Liddell's life in which Hamilton gives great insight is the devotional life Liddell led. Without fail, Liddell began each day with an hour given to Scripture reading, mediation and prayer. Liddell said, "Every Christian should live a God-guided life.  If you are not guided by God, you will be guided by something else."

Liddell wrote some short booklets which outlined a way to let God take the lead in daily life.  Liddell gave one example of how this worked: "If, in the quiet of your heart, you feel something should be done, stop and consider, whether it is in line with the character and teaching of Jesus.  If so, obey that impulse to do it, and in doing so you will find it was God guiding you."

Thinking about taking a meal to a friend? Tempted to look at pornography on your smart phone? That close to spreading a rumor about your employer? Liddell would advise you to ask one simple question: "Is what I'm about to say or do in line with the character and teaching of Jesus?"

I believe it was Martin Luther who once said something to the effect that it is better to have a few good books that you can go back to again and again rather than having a great many books that are read once and then put on a shelf to collect dust.  Hamilton's book is one of those few good books that I will read again and again. There is much to be learned from the life of Eric Liddell.

WELS Mobile

This year's summer vacation took us on a three week trip to the outer banks of North Carolina; then on to Stateville, NC (a suburb of Charlotte) to link up from friends from the Seminary I attended; then on to Green Bay,  Wisconsin to be with my youngest daughter and her family.

Because of the length of the trip my dear, sweet wife and I resolved to try and pack as lightly as possible.

Still, I had to bring a couple of books with me.  My iPod and headphones were a must.  But what about a Bible? What about my devotional materials?

Then I suddenly remembered (I am a little slow on the uptake!) - I have a Bible app on my phone so I'll have God's Word with me.  Then I remembered something else I had downloaded to my phone.

The Wisconsin Synod has developed a new app called WELS Mobile.  It's free! And it's perfect for the traveler who wants to meditate on a God-inspired message each day.

So each morning I would grab my phone and do three things.  Read the Christ-centered devotion, which are really well done (they also have an audio version if that's more to your liking).  Then, there is a daily Scripture reading (currently going through Ezra).  And then there is a feature called "Worship Helps," which lists the upcoming pericope for Sunday and poses some questions and answers about each of the texts.

There are a few other features of the app that are nice but I really appreciated the big three listed above.  Each morning I would try to find a quiet place and go to the app.  And I didn't miss my books even once.

Since getting back home a couple of weeks ago I've continued to use the app.  It's enriched my devo time.  I'd encourage you to check this out and see if it doesn't help you draw closer to your Lord and Savior.

And did I mention that it's free?

Hats On!

Joy Robinson was the hat lady.  On Sunday morning folks would look around our church with a question - "What hat is Joy wearing today?" Joy's hats were never over-the-top outlandish.  They complemented her ensemble.  They were attractive.  She liked looking her best when she came into her Savior's house.

On July 2, Joy traded in her hats for something much better - the crown of life which the Lord gives to those who believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior.  This morning at 10 am we will hold a Memorial Service at Life in Christ for Joy and celebrate the new head gear that she is wearing.  A reception will be held afterward at the Lakes Clubhouse at Westbrook Village.

Later, LICL will have its Saturday worship service, starting at 5 pm.  Pat Herman and her group will provide the music.

Sunday, I'll be preaching on Genesis 18 and the title of the message is "Promises, Promises."  Join us at either 8 am or 10:45 am.  I'll also lead the ABC (adult Bible class) at 9:20 am and we'll continue with the series, "The Jesus I Never Knew," based on the book by author, Phillip Yancey.

Hope to see you this weekend.  And if you join us this morning, "Hats On!"

Godlessness in the Last Days

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.  People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God - having a form of godliness but denying its power.  Have nothing to do with them.  2 Timothy 3:1-5

The apostle Paul wrote these words in his last days.  Scholars believe that it was only days after he penned these words that he was taken from the dark, dank cell in which he was imprisoned and beheaded.

We believe he wrote these words by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.  God knows all things.  And although Paul wrote to Timothy 2000 years ago, his description of our days is spot on.  These are terrible days.

We have made millionaires out of talent-less people who are lovers of themselves.  How do you explain someone who tweets naked pictures of themselves for all the universe to see? The selfish sinful nature always wants to be put front and center.  Athletes are idolized and lifted up while making their boastful comments about their greatness.  Opinion polls often tout our society's "spirituality."  Many people think of themselves as spiritual, intent on worshiping a god made in their own image.  Meanwhile, the one true God, the maker of all things, who offers a new life and new way of living through Christ Jesus, is pushed farther and farther away.  Lord, have mercy.

The news from Nice, France last night left me in a state of shock.  Coming on the heals of so much recent death, destruction, hatred and tragedy, it was almost too much to take in.  Again, this weekend in our churches we will pray for those who mourn and implore the Lord to bring this nonsense to an end.  Christ, have mercy.

All of this has left me with the strongest feeling that our last, best and greatest hope is Jesus Christ. Jesus teaches us to have love - not for ourselves but for God and for our neighbor.  He sends us into this world to go and be merciful.  Have mercy on the poor.  Have mercy on the abused.  Have mercy on those hard to love.  Our new life in Christ changes us.  We realize that life is not all about "me, myself and I."  It's all about Jesus - His forgiveness, His grace, His hope, His salvation.

With apologies to Bob Dylan, "The times they are a'terrible."  But as His church and people, we trust in His power and wisdom.  Nothing is too hard for the Lord.  Nothing is impossible for God.  So we turn to God in this time of trouble.  We pray for mercy.  But as we pray, let us not be silent or inactive.  Go into your part of the world and witness Christ.  Share His love.  Give witness to His power to change hearts and lives.  We are not people who live without hope.

We have Jesus.

We have hope.