Dear Fellow Children of God,
I really enjoy owning and caring for a dog. Our
last dog, Susitna, is no longer with us. But, when she was alive she
brought many hours of fun, love, play, and companionship. However, Sue
also gave our family quite a bit of frustration, especially in her early
years. Perhaps you have noticed that dogs have their own minds.
Sometimes I could see in the eyes of my dog that she knew what she was supposed
to do, but some other desire would seem to take over. My wife, Kathy was
convinced that Sue would obey me, but was always willful with her. But,
when Sue would return from whatever bad behavior she had chosen, all I had to
do was say, “Bad Dog” and she would look down, bow her head and turn
away. She did not like being scolded.
I tell you this story, not so much to talk about dogs,
but because sometimes it is easier to discuss a difficult topic when talking
about someone else. The lesson here is that no one likes to be scolded.
No one likes to be wrong. No one enjoys being caught doing wrong.
But, let’s get personal now. We have all done wrong, and whether we know
it or not we have also been caught. God knows our sin.
God is our Creator and our
Heavenly Father. As a loving Father, God has told us how to live.
Jesus summarizes the law of our Father in Matthew 22. “Love the Lord
your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38
This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: Love
your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-39) Loving God first
and loving others is the summary of the law of God. God doesn’t give us
this law to control us. We are healthiest as children of God when we have
a good relationship with our Creator and Father, and when we have a good
relationship with others whom God has created as well. God gives His law
for our good.
But, all of us have often chosen
the unhealthy path. We often choose not to love and obey God, and not to
love others. Instead we indulge ourselves. That is why God says, “There
is no one righteous, not even one; 11 there is no one who understands, no one
who seeks God. 12 All have turned away, they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good, not even one." (Romans 3:10-12, Psalm
14)
So, no one likes to be wrong,
and no one likes to be scolded. But, since we have sinned against God and
others, what should we do?
Before I answer this question,
let me tell you about our dog again. Susitna craved love. She
responded so much better to rewards for good behavior than she did to
punishment for bad behavior. I found out that Sue learned better when
rewarded than when punished. But, she still needed to know what was right
and wrong.
Let me tell you about God’s plan
for His people. It revolves around the saving life and death of
Jesus. Jesus came as Savior. God says in John 3:17, “For
God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the
world through him.”
So, here is how God calls
wayward people to respond. “8 If we claim to be without sin, we
deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins,
he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all
unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:8-9) God
wants us to admit our sin to ourselves, to Him, and even others. And God
wants us to turn to Him for forgiveness, and to follow Him in the way that is
healthiest for our lives as His children. Turning from sin and turning to
God is called “repentance.” We ALL need to repent.
I share these round about
thoughts on guilt and God’s call to repentance because we are entering the
season of Lent. Lent is a season of the church year before Easter that
focuses on the suffering of Jesus for sinful people, and . . . for us.
Lent is a time in the church year that God’s people are reminded of God’s call
to attitudes and lives of repentance.
No one likes to be wrong.
But we are all sinful and wrong. No one likes to be scolded. We
respond better to love. So, God sends Jesus. He calls us to admit
that we, like everyone else are sinful and need to return to God.
So, during Lent, Christians have
chosen to focus on attitudes of repentance for our sin, and thankfulness for
the sacrificial love of God. One outward way we have reminded ourselves
of what we need to do inwardly happens on Ash Wednesday. If you come to
worship on Ash Wednesday you will receive the sign of the cross on your
forehead in ashes. The dirt of the ashes helps us to admit what we don’t
like to admit, that we are people who have sinned. But, the sign of the
cross tells us that when we deserved punishment, God gave forgiveness and love
in Jesus.
One last Bible verse sums this
all up. In Romans 6:23 we are told, “For the wages of sin is death,
but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” May
God bless your observance of Lent that we might grow closer to our Lord through
the love and forgiveness of Jesus.
A Child of God, Repenting and Believing in Jesus
Pastor Jonathan
P.S. Ash Wednesday begins our Lenten observance
this coming Wednesday, February 10. Our regular mid week Lenten
Service will be held at 6:30 p.m. The first Lenten service is
always “Ash Wednesday.” There is also a fellowship meal at 5:30
p.m. before the service being served by Darell and Brenda Schurman and by
Jerry and Diana Christensen.
HOWEVER, IN ADDITION, Hunter Richards will be offering a very short
Ash Wednesday service at noon on that day, specifically for those who
cannot come to worship in the evening, but want the opportunity to receive the
imposition of ashes.
P.P.S. Here are two fishing pictures from my first
ice-fishing trip after vacation. https://picasaweb.google.com/114993745799525883148/IceFishingWinter20152016#6246563526833079602
and
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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 regularly
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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