Monthly Archives: November 2015

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 4:44 am on November 18, 2015
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The Crosshairs of Evil — Rev. David J. Schreffler

 

image               November 18, 2015

“By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he stayed for a time in the land he had been promised, as in a foreign land, living in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. By faith he received power of procreation, even though he was too old—and Sarah herself was barren—because he considered him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one person, and this one as good as dead, descendants were born, “as many as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.” All of these died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them. They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth, for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of the land that they had left behind, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, he has prepared a city for them.” Hebrews 11:8 – 16

“In January 1915, the ship Endurance was trapped and crushed in the ice off the coast of Antarctica. The group of polar explorers, led by Ernest Shackleton, survived and managed to reach Elephant Island in three small lifeboats. Trapped on this uninhabited island, far from normal shipping lanes, they had one hope. On April 24, 1916, 22 men watched as Shackleton and five comrades set out in a tiny lifeboat for South Georgia, an island 800 miles away. The odds seemed impossible, and if they failed, they would all certainly die. What joy, then, when more than four months later a boat appeared on the horizon with Shackleton on its bow shouting, “Are you all well?” And the call came back, “All safe! All well!” What held those men together and kept them alive over those months? Faith and hope placed in one man. They believed that Shackleton would find a way to save them. This human example of faith and hope echoes the faith of the heroes listed in Hebrews 11. Their faith in the “substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” kept them going through great difficulties and trials (Heb. 11:1 nkjv). As we look out upon the horizon of our own problems, may we not despair. May we have hope through the certainty of our faith in the One Man—Jesus, our God and Savior.”
(Our Daily Bread, All Safe! All Well! October 14, 2015, Randy Kilgore)

Whether you are a pastor, or a butcher, a banker, or a shepherd, or even an engineer, no matter who you are and what you do, all of us will face some of the same life and death struggles. No, we may not be faced with the same experience as suggested in the story about the ship Endurance, yet a life of faith and service does not guarantee a life of happiness and harmony. I would argue for just the opposite – living a life of faith puts you in the crosshairs of evil every day.

Abraham is a good model for all believers – a model of perseverance, a model of trust, a model of hardship, and a model of faith in the face of tremendous odds. Not many of us will be asked to sacrifice our only child, yet Abraham went up the mountain to do just that. When the Lord saw his faith, he knew Abraham trusted and believed. Not many of us would trust the Lord’s promise of progeny when we are well beyond the age of giving birth, yet Abraham heard and believed. Our friend Job also was a faithful believer, and in the midst of horrific tragedy, he blessed the Lord saying, “The Lord gives and the Lord takes.” May we all reach that level of faith, and even if we do not, maybe we can learn from those who modeled faith in the face of terrible odds, so that we too can persevere in the faith.

Pastor Dave

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 4:44 am on November 17, 2015
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Find Joy In G-d, Not Stuff — Rev. David J. Schreffler

 

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November 17, 2015

“Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.”
As for the holy ones in the land, they are the noble, in whom is all my delight.
Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names upon my lips.
The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.”
Psalm 16:1 – 5

“The appearance of Psalm 16 in the lectionary is an opportunity both to appreciate its artistic beauty and to open ourselves to the challenge of Israel’s radical monotheism. In our pervasively self-centered context, for instance, what difference might it make if we entertained the conviction that life is not something we achieve, but rather something we receive as a gift from God? What difference might it make if we viewed the life-sustaining resources that most of us enjoy not as something we have earned or deserve, but rather as evidence of God’s goodness? Might a pervasive sense of entitlement begin to be replaced by a posture of humility and gratitude?

My tradition tries to capture the challenge of Israel’s radical monotheism in the first question and answer of the Westminster Shorter Catechism (which I paraphrase as follows): “What is the chief end of humankind? The chief end of humankind is to glorify God and enjoy God forever.” A symptom of our dis-ease is the fact that enjoying God is essentially nonsensical to most of us. But the psalmist knew what it meant to enjoy God! What difference might it make if we began to try to ground our pleasure and joy not in self nor in stuff but in God? It’s worth a try!” (Erhard Gerstenberger, Psalms: Part I(Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1988), Working Preacher Website)

“What difference might it make if we began to try to ground our pleasure and joy not in self nor in stuff but in God? It’s worth a try!” We live in a society that continually tells us that we need more stuff. This time of year is really challenging to me because the Christmas advertisements come out, especially on the television. If you watch one of the children’s stations, they inundate our children with ad after ad about the toy they just cannot live without. Pleasure and satisfaction are linked with how much stuff we have, how new our stuff is, and how quickly we can get the stuff. At some point in time, each person will come to the realization that joy and purpose do not come from stuff. But for some of those same people, that realization comes too late to make a real difference in their lives.

Begin now, today, to make a change in your life. If you are always thinking about your stuff, may I suggest that you may have a problem. And the problem that you have is not about having stuff – it is about the fact that your stuff has power over you. If we focused on our relationship with G*d and our neighbors who are in need, as much as we focus our time and money on our stuff, this world would be a lot better off. Relationships have much more value than stuff will ever have. Take a stance against stuff – and find joy in a relationship with Christ.

Pastor Dave