December 21, 2023 — The “Freedom” of Religion

“Then the Pharisees went and plotted to entrap him in what he said. So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?” But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin used for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. Then he said to them, “Whose head is this, and whose title?” They answered, “The emperor’s.” Then he said to them, “Give therefore to the emperor the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” When they heard this, they were amazed; and they left him and went away.” Matthew 22:15 – 22

In this day and age does the state recognize the work of the church? In this day and age does the State influence the work of the church? In his writing “The Faith of the Christian Church”, Gustav Aulen writes: “There is nothing about which the church is more sensitive than the attempt of the state to give directives for and establish limits to the preaching of G-d’s word.” As a preacher I cannot agree more with his statement. I am worried today that the State may be trying to get involved in many of the teachings of the church that may go against “popular opinion”. I do not want the State coming in to the congregations of Pennsylvania and forcing the issue. As it stands right now, I can make a decision if I will or won’t perform a wedding – and the reasons can be manifold. The date may not be open in our schedule. I may finish counseling with the couple and decide that my conscience is not in favor of the wedding, and that decision I make stands for all couples. Or, I may feel I just do not have the time in my schedule. It seems clear to me that the State, and the court of public opinion, has opened the way for a couple to be refused by the church to perform their wedding, on a whole host of reasons, and the couple can claim we are bigoted and sue us for the “right” to have their wedding performed in our congregations. And the wedding is just one of the areas where culture may be opposed to church practice and opinions. Funerals, birthday parties, social events – they all are under the limitations of the availability of the pastor and the church.

You think I am crazy – or even worse, intolerant or a bigot? Do I not have a right to have a bound conscience for or against anything? How far away are we from the State interfering with the freedom of religion?

Pastor Dave

December 20, 2023 — We Are All Rebels

“Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.’ So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time.”  Matthew 21:33 – 41

Did you ever consider that everything we have has been leased to us by G-d? That is our Christian understanding. We do not own anything: our homes, family, possessions, children – everything belongs to G-d to whom we have been entrusted as caretakers. The care of all these things is in our hands. So how do we thank G-d for these blessings?

It appears that our human nature is to lean toward being rebellious and ungrateful. Instead of saying thanks, we decide that we deserve more. Instead of caring for what we have, we abuse it to the point of tossing it aside when it has lost its usefulness. Instead of inviting others to share in our blessings, we hoard what we have and protect it from “outsiders” with every possible piece of armor we have. And though we deserve a miserable death for how we have abused these blessings, instead G-d pardons us through the Son, Jesus Christ.

Next time the pastor offers forgiveness for your sins, remember the inestimable gift you have received, and then live into the blessings you have.

Pastor Dave