July 19, 2016

“But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies. For while we live, we are always being given up to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you.” 2 Corinthians 4:7-12

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” Matthew 5:43-45

“I have learned that an age in which politicians talk about peace is an age in which everybody expects war; the great men (and women) of the earth would not talk of peace so much if they did not secretly believe it possible, with one more war, annihilate their enemies forever.” Thomas Merton (The Pocket Thomas Merton, p. 35)

Nothing is harder than to love your enemies. Nothing. Try it some time, if you haven’t already. Of course, loving our enemies is not just a feeling, it is a doing – doing good things for those who hate you, persecute you, and actively work against you. When we see the terror and the horrible crimes against humanity that happen all around the world, and even in our own country, loving our enemies and praying for them comes home to roost right in our own homes, churches and lives. The only hope we have for turning evil into good or destroying evil for good is to pray for G-d to turn their hearts and to work actively to take the love of G-d into the realms of the evil one. And when it seems this is too hard, we remember the words of Paul – that we are “…clay jars (that carry the love of Jesus inside us), so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies.”

This is how we love our enemies and pray for them.

Pastor Dave

July 18, 2016

“The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in Your name.” So He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy.” Luke 10:17-19

“We are living in the greatest revolution in history – a huge spontaneous upheaval of the entire human race… This revolution is a profound spiritual crisis of the whole world, manifested largely in desperation, cynicism, violence, conflict…fear and hope…progress and regression, programs that only dull the general anguish for a moment until it bursts out everywhere in a still more acute and terrifying form. All the inner force of man is boiling and bursting out, the good together with the evil.

The real trouble with “the world”, in the bad sense which the Gospel condemns, is that it is a complete and systematic sham, and he who follows it ends not by living but by pretending he is alive, and justifying his pretense by an appeal to the general conspiracy of all the others to do the same.” Thomas Merton (The Pocket Thomas Merton, p. 29-30)

Having just witnessed the shocking events in Nice, France last evening and the systemic killing of 84 (and that number will rise) men, women and children, we experience the “real” trouble of the world every day. This is the third “terrorist” attack in France in 18 months – and the numbers of victims are increasing. The attacker, the driver of the truck, though little is known about him at this time, well he most likely will be determined to be someone for whom the “world” failed him. Maybe it will be determined that he thought the world, as Thomas Merton writes, is just a sham, and that his only recourse was to end his life in a “grand way”. Or, perhaps he will have locked onto the ideology of ISIL or ISIS and determined that killing many people in the name of a sham, radical, and illegitimate arm of a peaceful religion would win him G-d’s favor. What we must fear now is that others who feel the same, who also feel as if the “world” has failed them will find another way to kill many to give their life “meaning”.

What gives our lives meaning, my friends, is the love, Grace, mercy and forgiveness of G-d – for us Christians that comes through Jesus Christ. This is what gives us identity. When the world seems to have failed us, we need not look all over the world hoping to find meaning for our lives. It begins with the recognition that G-d created us, and therefore G-d loves us unconditionally. And G-d’s love is a binding love – it is the love from which all the love we give to others should spring forth. If we do not have the love of G-d within us, we need to sit back and spend some time with the scriptures. We need to find a community of faith where people share the love of G-d – not profess that killing others will win G-d’s favor. What kind of religion promotes the killing of others except one that springs forth from the Evil One? Or at least one that has lost its true understanding of the love of G-d.

The world is experiencing a Spiritual Crisis. We need to be Apostles for G-d, sharing the words and teachings of Jesus – the sent out ones – people who are willing to share the love , mercy and Grace of Jesus to all in need – no matter their faith, race, culture or creed. Now is the acceptable time my friends.

Pastor Dave