Dear Fellow Children of God,
I recently read a prayer, I prayed this prayer, and this
prayer and it’s plea to our Lord is helping me with my Lenten journey.
As our special mid-week Lenten worship has focused on the
words of Jesus from the cross I am again finding myself convicted of my
sin. I watch Jesus suffering on the
cross and I realize again that it is my personal hard headedness that required
Jesus’ suffering for my sins. I listen
to Jesus’ words and can bring back memories of times that I have hurt
others. My sin and my failure make me
sad and convict me of my guilt.
There is a spiritual benefit in knowing our guilt. Lutherans talk about God’s Law and God’s
Gospel. God’s Law is like a mirror that
shows us our sin and our rebellion. We
have probably all experienced God’s law
pointing us to our failure. God’s Gospel
is the good news that points us to God’s forgiving love in Jesus. God gave the ultimate sacrifice, the death of
Jesus, to pay the price our sins deserved.
Jesus takes our punishment. What
love!
Sometimes people can take God’s love and forgiveness for
granted. I have seen people act like we deserve the love of God. But, when God’s law points to our sin and we realize
the penalty we deserve, then we see that the love of God is an amazing,
undeserved gift of grace.
The prayer I read was written by Henry Vaughn. He was an English medical doctor who lived
from 1621-1695. Vaughn suffered serious
illness which resulted in a deep spiritual conversion. He wrote on the whole
range of emotional experience.
This prayer from Vaughn helps me to acknowledge my sin,
and reminds me of God’s “amazing grace.”
My dear,
dear God!
I do not know
What
lodged thee then,
Nor where, nor how;
But I am
sure
Thou now dost come
Oft to a
narrow, homely room,
Where
thou too hast but the least part,
My
God.
I mean my sinful heart. Amen
I am sure my own heart is a narrow homely
room. I am tempted and often fail. I deserve the condemnation and punishment of
God.
Imagine that my God, the Creator of the universe
and the holy Savior of the world, would come to my narrow, homely, sinful
heart! But, God’s Word speaks truth to
my life and compassion to my heart. The
Spirit speaks through my conscience like a doctor who points to my personal
illness or injury and makes a diagnosis I know to be true. God’s love in the face of my sin brings a
surprise of joy. God’s forgiveness for
my specific failure brings sweet refreshing water to a parched soul.
And, the truth of God’s law and the victory of
God’s grace give me energy and life to keep going. I want to serve my Lord because of the grace
of His love.
There is another poem and prayer of praise that
most people know which is another accurate reflection of our journeys as children
of God.
Amazing
Grace, how sweet the sound.
That
saves a wretch like me.
I
once was lost, but now am found.
Was
blind, but now I see.
Well that is a glimpse into my Lenten journey again
this year. I am seeking to acknowledge
my sin and live in the grace and forgiveness God has won for me as Jesus nails
my sins to the cross. How is your Lenten
journey going?
A
Child of God, Sorry for my sin, and Thankful for God’s Forgiveness,
Pastor
Jonathan
P.S. That
last poem and hymn is written by John Newton.
He had been a slave trader and became a pastor. His past sin helped Him to realize the
“amazing grace” of God’s love.
P.P.S. Last Monday I
went ice fishing again. I thought I
might have a granddaughter with me but she decided not to come. So, I
chose a lake in which I had yet fished this year, one with a very steep
access. I caught a limit of 5 rainbow
trout. Three of the five were over 13
inches. Two were over 16”. My granddaughter did ask to eat fish when I
returned home, so she got her wish. https://plus.google.com/photos/114993745799525883148/albums/6123399455159385825?banner=pwa
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ABOUT ‘THOUGHTS FROM THE PASTOR’
- I am sending these e-mail messages, hopefully weekly, to all St.
John members and friends whose e-mails I have. (I am always adding new
names of friends and members – in case you are just receiving this e-mail for
the first time.) However, if you don’t want to receive this e-mail,
please let me know, and I’ll gladly leave your name off my list for this
message. . .
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