Friday, December 15, 2006
It was winter, and Jesus was in Jerusalem for the Feast of Dedication. Jesus was in the area near the temple. Some of the Jewish people gathered around him and asked, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly."
Jesus replied, "I have told you, and you do not believe." Jesus told them that the signs he had he had done in the name of his Father testified that he was the Messiah, but those who were questioning him had not believed the testimony.
Jesus concluded with a simple statement: "The Father and I are one."
This assertion angered Jesus' audience. In fact, they picked up stones to stone him.
Jesus asked, "I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these are you going to stone me?"
They answered, "It is not for a good wor that we are going to stone you, but for blasphemy, because you, though only a human being are making yourself God."
Jesus' claim was certainly a bold one, but the timing of his words was even more bold. You see, the Feast of Dedication commemorated the dedication of the temple in 165 B.C. after it had been defiled by Antiochus IV Epiphanes, a ruler who also claimed to be divine. Surely Jesus' words reminded the Jews of this day and the horrible things done years before by Antiochus.
Though they made similar claims, Antiochus was a liar and a lunatic; Jesus was and is the Lord. John's gospel begins with these words, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God... and the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth."
The Feast of Dedication, or Hanukkah, begins tonight at sundown.
copyright Tom Pairan 2000
Friday, December 15, 2006
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Why I Go To Church
Thursday, December 14, 2006
One reason Why We Go to Church is to "Celebrate CHRIST." Celebrate CHRIST is the first aspect of our Christ Lutheran youth ministry purpose statement. It is our way of saying "worship."
This coming Sunday, the middle school youth and I will study the Ten Commandments at our Here We Stand confirmation event. The First Commandment says "You shall have no other gods." We are to worship the LORD our God only. The verses following this commandment are also about worship: "You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or worship the; for I the LORD your God am a jealous God. (Exodus 20:4-5a NRSV).
I think the Second Commandment also instructs us about worship: "You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the LORD your God." Martin Luther explained that this means "We are to fear and love God, so that we do not curse, swear, practice magic, lie or deceive using God's name, but instead use that very name in every time of need to call on, pray to, praise, and give thanks to God." Of course during worship services at church, we pray, praise and give thanks to God. But when we do these things in other places and at other times, we are also worshiping God and Celebrating CHRIST.
The Third Commandment reminds us to "Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy." For most Christians, our chief day of worship is Sunday (the first day of the week), rather than the sabbath day (the seventh day). Again Martin Luther's words are helpful as we consider what this means for us: "We are to fear and love God, so that we do not neglect God's Word or the preaching of it, but regard it as holy and gladly hear and learn it." On Sunday mornings, we hear lessons from God's Word read, we listen to Pastor Poisel and others preach the Good News, and we Celebrate CHRIST in Holy Communion. In Sunday School we discuss how God's Word applies to our lives as teenagers. During our confirmation events, we "gladly hear and learn" what God has to say through the Ten Commandments, the Lord's Prayer, and the Apostle's teachings.
We Go to Church to Celebrate CHRIST in obedience to commands given by a loving God—a God who brought his people out of the house of slavery in the land of Egypt; a God who revealed his name through a burning bush at Horeb, the mountain of God; a God who rested on the seventh day, after creating us and all that exists.
copyright Tom Pairan 2006
One reason Why We Go to Church is to "Celebrate CHRIST." Celebrate CHRIST is the first aspect of our Christ Lutheran youth ministry purpose statement. It is our way of saying "worship."
This coming Sunday, the middle school youth and I will study the Ten Commandments at our Here We Stand confirmation event. The First Commandment says "You shall have no other gods." We are to worship the LORD our God only. The verses following this commandment are also about worship: "You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or worship the; for I the LORD your God am a jealous God. (Exodus 20:4-5a NRSV).
I think the Second Commandment also instructs us about worship: "You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the LORD your God." Martin Luther explained that this means "We are to fear and love God, so that we do not curse, swear, practice magic, lie or deceive using God's name, but instead use that very name in every time of need to call on, pray to, praise, and give thanks to God." Of course during worship services at church, we pray, praise and give thanks to God. But when we do these things in other places and at other times, we are also worshiping God and Celebrating CHRIST.
The Third Commandment reminds us to "Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy." For most Christians, our chief day of worship is Sunday (the first day of the week), rather than the sabbath day (the seventh day). Again Martin Luther's words are helpful as we consider what this means for us: "We are to fear and love God, so that we do not neglect God's Word or the preaching of it, but regard it as holy and gladly hear and learn it." On Sunday mornings, we hear lessons from God's Word read, we listen to Pastor Poisel and others preach the Good News, and we Celebrate CHRIST in Holy Communion. In Sunday School we discuss how God's Word applies to our lives as teenagers. During our confirmation events, we "gladly hear and learn" what God has to say through the Ten Commandments, the Lord's Prayer, and the Apostle's teachings.
We Go to Church to Celebrate CHRIST in obedience to commands given by a loving God—a God who brought his people out of the house of slavery in the land of Egypt; a God who revealed his name through a burning bush at Horeb, the mountain of God; a God who rested on the seventh day, after creating us and all that exists.
copyright Tom Pairan 2006
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