Ash Wednesday 2015 - "Prayer & Fasting: More time with Jesus"

Below is my sermon for Ash Wednesday in the year 2015.  I pray it helps and edifies you as we begin this holy season of Lent.

In the Name of the Father, Son & Holy Spirit, Amen!

Ash Wednesday is the solemn & holy day we begin a new journey, a new season, the church season of Lent.  Many of us know where this journey will ultimately bring us & I pray that all of us will come to understand it by the time we reach Holy Week.

As we begin our journey to Holy Week we are given an excellent opportunity to begin anew the life-long lifestyle of prayer and fasting.  I challenge each of us Christians not to consider this new beginning as lightly as Western Civilization takes New Year's Resolutions.  New Year’s Resolutions sadly, have become a reliable way to break a promise or commitment.  These vows made at the beginning of the calendar year are forgotten when the journey of these resolutions begins to hurt one's preferred comfort level.

So, what are we going to be about this holy season of Lent?  Whatever form of prayer & fasting we take, I challenge each of us to approach it as Jesus directs us in Matthew chapter 6, “(Jesus said) When you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret.  And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” – Matthew 6:6

Prayer, fasting…identifying some unneeded thing and replacing it with time spent beside our Saving God in His Word, learning from Him, listening to Him in prayer and simply spending more time with Him through His Son, Jesus Christ.  May this restructured time, this replaced focus and changed lifestyle be special and confidential between our Saving God & us rather than something to pound our chest loud, proud and in public view (and on our friends’ social media feed).

“(Jesus said) And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites.  For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others.  Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward…And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think they will be heard for their many words.  Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.  Pray then like this: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your Name…” – Matthew 6:5, 7-9

As we consider what we'll "give up for Lent" let's make sure we understand that what is given up is not the point of fasting.  The point of fasting is Who & what is replacing that which is being given up.  Think about it, what would be the benefit of just giving something up and not replacing it with God’s Word?  Let’s be real…all that would afford us is free time to replace it with something else we’d misuse to take our focus, our worship and our lifestyle off of God Almighty.  There’s a lot of truth to the saying, “idle hands are the Devil’s playground” and even without Satan in the equation, our sinful nature would be more than sufficient to lead us to find something, anything other than God’s Word to fill empty time with.

In the Gospel of Matthew chapter 6, Jesus teaches His disciples & the whole world how to pray.  We just read the beginning of this model of prayer.  The beautiful prayer from Jesus known as the LORD's prayer includes our daily plea to our Saving God, "give us this day our daily bread".

Western Civlization Christians please read the following sentence seven times.  This is a prayer asking God to provide for our needs (NOT our wants).

This is ALSO a prayer to God to help us & teach us to grow, mature and get better at giving things up that we want, so that there is (by the power of the Holy Spirit) a growing amount of room in our hearts, time on our hands & changing lifestyles for that which God knows is best for His Creation.

Speaking of a change in lifestyle…I hope this gives us a different perspective of what to do about what we’re giving up for Lent once Lent is over!  If something is good (or bad) enough to give up for Lent for the purpose of more time with Jesus, then why would we ever consider less time with Jesus to get that thing back after Lent?

Whatever we decide to "give up for Lent" may we grasp the importance of REPLACING that which we're giving up with daily time (extra time!) committed to prayer, to reading & memorizing God's Word.  May we be about discipline & self-sacrifice (to live is Christ & to die is gain) rather than about the pursuit of a comfortable & self-seeking lifestyle.

Why should you even consider these words of exhortation & teaching from your pastor, from a fellow Christian & from your friend?  Let's consider what God says in Joel 2:14. "Who knows whether God will not turn and relent, and leave a blessing behind Him, a grain offering and a drink offering for the LORD your God?"

What if we came forward for the imposition of Ashes & there was no such thing as the Sacrament of the Altar, no such thing as confession WITH absolution from our Saving God?

After hearing "ashes to ashes, dust to dust...dust you are & to dust you will return" all we had was..."who knows? Perhaps the LORD will turn away from His wrath toward us that we deserve..."

Now THAT uncertainty would be reason to be grieved, dismayed and hopeless!  But like Joel's audience, we DO have God's assurance!  We NEVER have to say "who knows?  perhaps the LORD will turn away from His wrath toward us..." not only because of what God finishes promising in the rest of Joel chapter 2 but most importantly what Jesus said on that first Good Friday when He died on the Cross for our sake and for the sake of the WHOLE WORLD, in our place, with our sin and the punishment we deserved ALL on Him: Jesus said, “It is finished”, Salvation accomplished.

We refrain from saying a certain "A" word of thanksgiving & rejoicing during Lent as part of the solemn lifestyle change to prayer & fasting.  Yet, we are given such a wonderful gift in this simple realization that we DO have God's forgiveness, full & free, by the blood of Jesus Christ given for our sake on the Cross!  This Good News of Jesus Christ is something we NEVER have to go without.  That is amazing – I want more of that Gospel during this new season of Lent and every season left on this earth.  I want more time with Jesus, how about you?!

So...can we go without the pursuit of comfortable & self-seeking?  Isn't that what being a Christian, a follower of Jesus Christ is all about in Lent & every season on earth until Kingdom Come?  "For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." - Philippians 1:21

Here are some practical suggestions of giving up something for Lent and MORE IMPORTANTLY what you'll be replacing that thing, that time of fasting with.

When you give up your morning coffee, replace that five minutes of coffee (or whatever your morning drink is!) with those extra readings recommended in the Daily Treasury of Prayer.  I promise you…scratch that, God promises you that a whole Psalm and the rest of a chapter from the Epistle or Gospel reading is not going to be a waste of the additional five minutes you take.  Or how about 15 minutes reading the assigned texts in the Daily Treasury of Prayer if you’re not already in the habit of daily devotions individually and especially as a family, sitting in the same room together, reading, sharing God’s Word outloud daily.

Here’s something to consider: isn’t it sad when we’re pleading with one another about a few extra minutes with Jesus as if time was the bartering chip, the most valued treasure in life rather then seeing time as a precious gift to be with the most valuable treasure – God’s promises, God’s one and only Son, our one and only Hope, Jesus Christ and what He says?

When you give up a certain type of food or creature comfort, set aside a fixed time slot each day to recite the LORD's prayer & then a prayer to God in your own words, read a psalm & then stick to that daily routine.  Be disciplined & treat this dedicated time to prayer & fasting as the one thing you NEED each day (because we do need it more than anything else, as Jesus taught us in His daily example of prayer).  Jesus IS the bread of life (John 6:35) after all!

When you give up 30 minutes (or more!) of using technology for fun - think of how many times you pick up your phone to check for texts in the last 45 seconds, work emails in the last 5 minutes & missed “likes” to facebook posts since we last glanced at/bowed down to social media.

Why not use that routine action of picking up our "electronic leashes" to remind us to die to ourselves by setting the phones down & spending the next 30 minutes fasting from that technology so we can walk with Jesus.  That additional time with Jesus is used by God in His Word to give us knowledge, wisdom, truth - where real, eternal hope is found.  Hope is given, shed for you and the whole world at the Cross of Calvary where Jesus died to forgive our sins.  Hope was given to you by God Almighty at your Baptism when He declared you as His redeemed child, remember your Baptism!  Hope is given at the LORD’s Supper in the bread and wine which IS the very body and blood of Jesus Christ just as He said.  Take and eat Christ’s body broken for your forgiveness, take and drink, Christ’s blood was shed for your redemption, your salvation, Amen!

As we get into the practice of putting down our “electronic leashes” we’ll be afforded the time to realize that social media can not give us hope when facing the reality of our sin and just as important, facing the reality of our death and the death of everyone in the world.

Spending the next 30 minutes as if whatever is waiting for us on that phone is definitely less important than remembering Who has given us hope, joys & comforts in His spoken & written Word.  Jesus the Messiah, Jesus the Victor over Sin, over Death and the Grave…YOUR Grave.

Jesus taught us to pray.  Jesus taught us how to pray when we He went away to a quiet place (again & again & again) to pray to His Heavenly Father.  Will you fast from something this Lent season with a clear idea of what you'll be doing in place of that which was given up?  It's not about giving up something, it's about Him, Jesus who takes its place that matters in the spiritual discipline of fasting & prayer.  Jesus took away the sins of the world, certainly it won’t hurt things if He “takes” a few minutes of time in place of something unneeded!  It’s about knowing God’s Word, God’s promises better & better.

Christ died for our sake...that we would be declared righteous in God's sight, that we would be delivered from our sin, our death & the eternal punishment we deserve.  May that be more than enough to inspire us, instruct us & direct us to give something up for Lent & replace it with intentional time for prayer & fasting in God’s Word, by God’s Grace & through God’s Holy Spirit.

Jesus taught us to pray so we would know how to spend our God-given time now that we're forgiven & set free.  We're not set free to return to our old way/own way of doing things - we're set free by Christ to pray, to rend our hearts & not our garments.  That is how we are fed, nourished and strengthened for the new life He gives us as we await the New Heavens and the New Earth in the Resurrection.  We have been fed and equipped with God’s Word to SHARE the hope He gives with the world around us (also known as, speak out loud the Gospel of Jesus Christ).  And what a time we live in…the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Victor over Death and Sin is certainly needed all over the world in this year, 2015!

May we take time to fast from that which gives no hope & watch the LORD fill us up with hope, thanksgiving & faith through His Word again & again, day after day for the next forty days.  Lent, like every season given by our Saving God teaches us... that “To live is Christ, and to die is gain." - Philippians 1:22

May we be about fasting from something that will never be able to give true and eternal hope.  By God’s grace, in God’s Word and through God’s Holy Spirit may that unneeded thing be replaced with more time with Jesus.  Devote time to the one & only hope - the One & Only, Jesus Christ & His Promise - the spoken, written & Holy Spirit-filled Word that really is our one & only Hope, this Lent & every season on earth.

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.  Dust you are & to dust you will return.  And then Jesus Christ will raise you up in the Resurrection to eternal life in His joy, His family & His Kingdom where sin, tears, sorrow, injustice & death will be no more.

Who wouldn't want more time to hear about all Jesus gives us?!  We take our first steps in Lent by taking more time with Jesus.

In the Name of the Father, the Son & the Holy Spirit, Amen & Amen!

Forth, and Fear No Darkness!

King Theoden's speech outside Minas Tirith in the Return of the King provides inspiring application to the Christ-follower's mortal journey on this good earth.  After giving final commands to three of his officers, King Theoden makes a declaration which stirs my heart every day as a Christ-follower, "Forth, and Fear No Darkness!"

In Ralph C. Wood's book The Gospel According to Tolkien there is a similar declaration Christ-followers can be strengthened and inspired by in the chapter "The Counter-Action to Evil".

"Most often the hobbits laugh because they possess the freeing capacity to stand outside themselves, to behold themselves at a critical distance, and thus not take themselves too seriously.  This freedom comes most notably to Sam in the tower of Cirith Ungol, where he thinks Frodo lies dead.  Despite his despair, Sam finds himself putting his own unaccountably hopeful words to one of the 'old childish tunes out of the Shire':

In western lands beneath the Sun

the flowers may rise in Spring,

the trees may bud, the waters run,

the merry finches sing.

Or there maybe 'tis cloudless night

and swaying beeches bear

the Elven-stars as jewels white

amid their branching hair.

This enduringly joyful, even comic sense of life arises from the Company's conviction that their errand constitutes a small action within a gigantic cosmic drama.  Though the machinations of evil often cause them searing doubt, they believe that the victory of good is ultimately assured, even if they may themselves fail and soon be forgotten...Tolkien may have had such moments in mind when he said that, at its best, fantasy serves as a 'far-off gleam or echo of evangelium in the real world' - a distant reverberation of the Gospel." (Wood p. 106-107)

As Christ-followers, I pray we make a daily, intentional & joyful habit of to recall our only Hope.  I challenge each of us to speak out loud (for our benefit AND for the benefit of the entire world) the following every day: "Jesus accomplished the Victory on the Cross, He gives us Joy in the Empty Tomb and He is the True HOPE of the Resurrection we look forward to, Alleluia!"

We live in a world of darkness, a world full of fear and when we're honest about it - we have no hope, ability or strength to overcome this darkness and fear on our own.  Why would we ever consider beginning the day with anything outside of the One Source of Hope?  Despite our failings and sinfulness - we are FORGIVEN!  Despite the despair of our impending mortality - we will be RESURRECTED!

Regardless of all the fallen world, the Enemy and our own sinful flesh do to assault us - the Victory has already been won by Jesus Christ!  Our present circumstances will not remain forever!  So if things are going well we thank the LORD and remember that earthly blessings will come and go - but even brief moments of joy in this life pale in comparison to the Joy that will NEVER end in the Resurrection.  When things are going terrible, we thank the LORD for being with us and remember that earthly hardships will come and go - but joy will remain forever in the Resurrection.

May these Words of Life stir our hearts to action and strengthen our daily journey with our Creator & Savior God: Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.  Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God.  On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God.  And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.  The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.  For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as LORD, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.  For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God's glory displayed in the face of Christ. - 2 Corinthians 4:1-6

Now we go "Forth, and Fear No Darkness" by speaking the Gospel out loud to assure the fearful and strengthen the hopeless, both ourselves and others, with the Powerful Name above all other names, Jesus Christ, who IS the Resurrection and the Life, Alleluia and Amen!

This Is What It's All About

It's been far too long, welcome back!  I invite you to begin our evening walk together with a passage of Holy Scripture.

"And I saw that all labor and all achievement spring from man's envy of his neighbor.  This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind." - Ecclesiastes 4:4

You know...I read this chapter of Ecclesiastes so often, nod my head and instantly think about "all those other people" who are chasing after the wind.  But this time, our Saving God's Holy Spirit pierces my heart with a convicting question - "Ben, what are YOU chasing after instead of Your King who died AND rose from the dead for your sake?"

Presently, the wind I'm chasing after is this: January I "live for" vacation in February, in February I "live for" March Madness, in March & April I "live for" the start of Baseball Season, in May & June I "live for" a summer breather from teaching Confirmation (which I'm honestly missing right now!), in July & August "I live for" the start of football season & a certain video game - HOLD UP Ben...are you serious?  A video game?  How trivial can you be?  You know what, I completely agree with you.  How can I, a Christ-follower, be so self-centered and so silly to chase after the wind.

How about you?  What are you chasing after like a dog chasing its tail or Reverend Dolby chasing after his "flavor of the month" piece of entertainment?  Could it be the perfect sun tan, the upcoming live concert, your next pay day or what other trivial thing are you chasing instead of our Saving God?

Do we REALLY value this "stuff" more than the One who gives us Hope Everlasting in place of the eternal punishment we bring upon ourselves in our sinfulness?  If not...WHY do we all give our time, our lives and all that we are into all these things as if they offered hope in the face of our sinfulness and our eventual earthly death?

"There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother.  There was no end to his toil, yet his eyes were not content with his wealth.  'For who am I toiling,' he asked, 'and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?'  This too is meaningless - a miserable business!

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up.  But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!  Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.  But how can one keep warm alone?  Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.  A cord of three strands is not quickly broken." - Ecclesiastes 4:8-12

So, as we're walking, I hope we agree that we all chase after the "wind", we all have chased after things that do not matter in the ultimate purpose of life.  The ultimate purpose of life is summed up and witnessed to in the following comments on Revelation 19:1-10, "It is also the witness which tells about Jesus' victory for the human race, that is, the Gospel message about His birth and ministry and life and death and resurrection." (Brighton p. 502)


Living in the Eucatastrophe - THIS is what it's all about in our life on earth.  What we're chasing after every day, that is NOT what life on earth is all about.

While I find myself chasing after "things" instead of joyfully declaring Jesus' victory for the human race; I am just as guilty of chasing the past, regretting the past and experiencing nostalgia instead of thankfully living in the present God has blessed me with!  I chase after regretting and grieving the past.

A perfect example, I miss my siblings and I will always wish I lived closer to them.  As a pastor, it is pretty much guaranteed that I will NEVER live close to them again (although five hours isn't too shabby, thank You Jesus!).  Isn't it interesting how we can be so blinded by that which we do not have that we treat God's eternal victory for our sake with contempt & foolishly take it for granted (as well as the earthly foretaste of the Resurrection He provides through the presence of other Christ-followers in our lives RIGHT NOW)?

PLEASE do not misunderstand me, there are many legitimate reasons to grieve when one lives far from family or especially grieving the terrible separation brought upon us by broken families, broken relationships and even separation because of death.

But instead of being consumed by the selfish pursuit of joys in this life (is it really enjoyable if it does not last forever?) or weighed down in hopelessness of grief, separation and sorrow (is it really hopeless since Jesus has accomplished the promise of resurrected life apart from sorrow and death - read Revelation chapter 21 if you're not quite sure!)...I joyfully invite you to be fed and experience the TRUTH with your own ears:

"Jesus said, 'My kingdom is not of this world.  If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews.  But now my kingdom is from another place.'  'You are a king, then!' said Pilate.  Jesus answered, 'You are right in saying I am a king.  In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth.  Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.'" - John 18:36-37

Now that we know what Jesus is testifying to, I hope we're listening carefully...I hope we all understand a little bit better why we hope and what living in the Eucatastrophe is all about.

The Fellowship we share with all believers in all places, times and circumstances is this: "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our LORD." - Romans 8:38-39

This is our Fellowship...Jesus' victory for the human race - God's free gift to us, Alleluia!  How Great is Our God!!





Go celebrate Christ's victory for YOU with your church family this week and every week.  Go celebrate Christ's victory for YOUR FAMILY in your living room with your family by opening the Bible every morning & every evening together.


This is why we hope, this is the Eucatastrophe we're living in.  This Fellowship is what it's all about. This Fellowship of the Resurrection...OUR RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD, in Jesus' Name, Alleluia and Amen!

Great video on our Hope in Eternity by Rev. Fisk

An Introduction

Greetings!

My name is Ben and I'm excited to undertake this walk in Hope with you.  This walk will consist of reading/wrestling with/inwardly digesting the Word of God, excursions into Middle Earth, reflections about my family and other exciting topics I can't even imagine at this point.  I am stoked for the opportunities which will arise for me to learn from you.  I rejoice in the anticipation bonds of fellowship we will form in this dialogue of Why We Hope: Living in the Eucatastrophe.

 As you get to know me, you will see a Christ-follower who is learning how to love all other human beings and all of Creation more like my King, Jesus Christ, on a daily basis.  My purpose is not to persuade nor is my purpose to make noise and draw attention to myself (insert Yoda voice "boring & vain would that make me")...my purpose is to share, declare and proclaim Why We Hope.

With that in mind, I welcome constructive criticism of what I post/blog/share here.  But any dialogue that deteriorates into venomous, nasty speech will not be tolerated nor will I acknowledge it with an answer other than "moving on."  I'm all about learning from others and I want to learn from you.  That's what dialogue is all about!  After all, look how Jesus of Nazareth interacts with Nicodemus in the third chapter of the Gospel of John. What a great model of dialogue, of listening and speaking Jesus gives to all people.  It's also a great practical application piece of God's Word in James 1:19 - you've heard it before "quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry," that Jesus provides us in the actions of His life.


So here's to our journey together!


Sincerely, Ben

The Supreme Folly

I welcome you to walk on this journey of Hope with me.  I'd like for us to begin with something I've thought about every day since at least kindergarten.  By the grace of God alone, there is not a day I fail to consider (i.e. think long and hard) my mortality.  Every day, the reality that my biological, earth-bound body will cease to function from the tragedy of my Sinfulness combined with a tragedy of living in a fallen, sinful world stops me in my busy ways and ask sobering questions about life goals and life's ultimate purpose.  A reading of Genesis chapter 3, the Seventh Chapter of Paul's letter to the Roman Christians and the First Epistle of John Chapter 1, verses 5 through 10 speak God's Truth about this hard reality of life and sin.

Before my first post becomes too much of a "wall of text" I'll get right to the point.  The biggest mistake, "The Supreme Folly" is to fail to consider our mortality every day and Why We Hope while staring death in the face every moment of every day.

My parents gave me the greatest gifts parents can give to their child.  They gave me life, they raised me to know God's great Love for me and all people in His Salvific Plan victoriously accomplished in the Promise, Life, Suffering, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ...and they taught me how to read.  Consider these words from a book I am reading. 

The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with weary feet,
Until it joins some larger way,
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.
- Frodo Baggins

In an earlier version of his song, Bilbo had used the word "eager" rather than "weary," but age and experience have shown him that life drains even as it fulfills.  Yet Bilbo's exhaustion in no way diminishes his conviction that everyone has an "errand" - a mission and purpose - and that everyone undertakes a journey every day of one's life.  We are all bound on the same Road toward death - indeed, beyond death.  We are immersed in the river of time - the "ever rolling stream" which, in Isaac Watt's splendid rendering of the Ninetieth Psalm, "bears all its sons away."  To deny the constant nearness of death is, for Tolkien, the supreme folly. 
 
(excerpt from Ralph C. Wood's The Gospel According to Tolkien: Visions of the Kingdom in Middle Earth pages 45-46)

It is understandable that we would want to avoid taking time to consider mortality or to talk about death.  Death is awful, death is heart-breaking, death shares a bitterness that will never subside in this life and to be frank, death sucks.  But the greatest mistake, the Supreme Folly is to act as if we know our own mortality will not be realized in the foreseeable future, ignore the sobering questions concerning life and worst of all, despise the One who is our Hope.  When we seek to ignore the hard things in life, we cheapen and despise the euphoric joy given to us freely by our Saving God.

 

Will you take this first step with me and consider the constant nearness of death to all of us?  When we take this first step together, we will find ourselves on the Road that goes ever on and on...yes, even through death and beyond our mortality to a joy that man's speech can not hope to describe or accurately capture.

Come along with me and see Why We Hope, living in the Eucatastrophe.