Christ Is Victorious

Finding Joy in Uncertain Times: A Great Word from Thomas a Kempis

 

I have been preaching a sermon series on Philippians entitled "Finding Joy in Difficult Times" I have been deeply appreciative of the positive and encouraging words of response that I have received from people at West Side and on line listeners (see www.wspc.org sermons). One of the great challenges we have in our North American culture is that we confuse the Christian gift and virtue of JOY with the American pursuit of happiness. Simply stated, Joy and Happiness are not the same thing, although as CS Lewis seems to suggest they can be related. Happiness is soley based on "happenings" (circumstances) while "joy" is a gift given and a virtue practiced despite the circumstances. Thus the Apostle Paul can write a joy-filled letter to the Philippians while incarcerated by the Roman Empire.

This past week, I finished my sermon with a prayer taken from Thomas a Kempis' famous book called THE IMITATION OF CHRIST. I have had many requests for it and so here it is:

My God and my love, you are mine and I am yours. Deepen your love in me, O Lord, that I may learn how joyful it is to serve you. Let your love take hold of me and raise me above myself, that I may be filled with devotion because of your goodness. Then I will sing a song to you of love and worship. I will follow you and my soul will never grow tired of praising you. Let me love you more than myself, and love myself only for your sake. Let me love others in you and for you, as your law of love commands.Through Jesus Christ. Amen

 

My Life Summarized in A Weekend: The Life of a Pastor-Theologian with Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Sarah McLachlan, Ronald Reagan, Babe Ruth, Bob Marley, Super Bowl XLV, The Green Bay Packers and My Family

   I do not usually spend alot of time reflecting around my birthday(s). Tomorrow, February 6th, I turn 52 years old. As I came home from teaching at Regent College in Vancouver, BC Canada (www.regent-college.edu) and attending AN EVENING WITH SARAH MCLACHLAN (www.sarahmclachlan.com) at the Paramount Theater here in Seattle, I began to reflect upon the fact that the various things which occupied my time over this weekend was an unusual summary of my life. Let me explain...

As I taught at Regent College, I lectured on the importance of Pastor-Theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer to students in both my Pastoral Ethics Course and my Systematic Theology courses. As February 4th was the 105th Anniversary of Bonhoeffer's birth I thought it was important to remind students who seek to be faithful witnesses to Jesus Christ that other than the Bible itself, Bonhoeffer was a great source to guide them as to what it truly means to follow Jesus with complete devotion and commitment (see other blog posts here).

Then, for my birthday, my wife Caroline treated me to one of the greatest concert experiences I/we have had, with SARAH MCLACHLAN at the Paramount Theater here in Seattle. My wife and I were deeply impressed not only with her music performed live with new arrangements, great band, and great acoustics and lighting, but the spirit in which she engaged throughout the evening. A great surprise was to learn how committed she is to WORLD VISION (www.worldvision.org) and its work around the world. World Vision even had a large booth in the lobby next to the various merchandise on sale and were encouraged by Sarah to visit the booth. We had eighth row seats and it could not have been a better evening spent together in one of the nicest venues in the USA. Caroline and I were deeply moved by the night together.

Yet, as my birthday is on Sunday (February 6th), I will have the privilege to be teaching on Ephesians 2 in Adult Education and leading in worship w/Holy Communion at West Side Presbyterian Church...living the dream as a pastor-teacher-theologian (see www.wspc.org) and then heading straight home to watch Super Bowl XLV between my Green Bay Packers (for those who do not know, I am proudly from Wisconsin...I possess every kind of Packer regalia including YES a Cheesehead) and the Pittsburgh Steelers...again, living the dream with my son, bratwursts from Wisconsin and hopefully a Packer win, as nothing would thrill me more or be a better birthday present than the Green Bay Packers winning another Super Bowl on my birthday. Then, I will return to Vancouver, BC Canada to teach at Carey College (www.carey-edu.ca) an intensive course on theology to pastors, teaching for my good friend Jonathan Wilson.

And it is always interesting to discover who was actually born on the same day you were, so guess who was born on the same day as me? In order...Babe Ruth, Ronald Reagan and Bob Marley. No wonder I turned out the way I am...Anyhow, just some random thoughts as another year passes in my life...I could not have scripted this if I tried, but I remain grateful to God for the life He has given me thus far; for all my family (especially Caroline, Mark, Claire) and friends who have been part of the journey, and those who have made it all the more rich by their love, influence, even though they never knew it. To God be the Glory.

We are far too easily pleased...CS Lewis

 In one of the greatest sermons ever preached ("The Weight of Glory") CS Lewis begins by stating that AGAPE LOVE, not selflessness, is the greatest virtue of the Christian faith and that God's desire for us is to be filled with JOY rather than seeking our own desires and pursuing our own agendas, pleasures and enjoyment. He further challenges us to reflect upon the fact that for most of us "it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who want to go on making mud pies in a slum because (s)he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea." Lewis concludes that we as Christians and human beings are "far too easily pleased."

For me this is a great challenge as I desire various things in life but do not want to settle for the good but seek the best that God has in store for me, my family, the Church and the world. It creates witin me what I call a "divine discontent" with the status quo and that which calls me to something greater than what is in my own life, in the church and the world. It is the "weight of glory" which should weigh on every Christian's life and upon every Church that claims to follow Jesus Christ. Do not be too easily pleased with your own life, nor the life of the Church, nor the way of the world. Be filled with the divine discontent which will lead you to live more fully into the glory of God.

Most Recent Sermons at WestSidePres (Seattle) (see 4/15 and 4/22) can be heard at www.wspc.org (Inc. The Parables of Jesus, "Finding Joy in Difficult Times" Philippians Series & What Christ Thinks of the Church, Grace&Gratitude). Regular Posts Follow.

A Thanksgiving Meditation

 

Hear O People of God

 

Living as the People of God

 

Living As The People of God 2_

 

Pentecost-The New Wind of the Holy Spirit

 

The 10 Commandments as a the Way to Freedom

 

Stewardship- No More Needed

 

Joshua- Be Strong and Courageous

 

It Really Is All About Following Jesus

 

I Believe in Jesus Christ
 

(Video Link to Reformation Sunday Sermon Preached at Grace Lutheran Church in Huntington Beach, California pastored by my friend and colleague Rev. Chris Tweitmann who introduces me at the beginning of the video is http://vimeo.com/36052733). Password to view is Burton (case sensitive). Enjoy!

You may also listen to sermons I have preached at West Side Presbyterian Church in West Seattle where I am currently serving as a parish associate (go to sermons at http://www.wspc.org).

I offer these for my blog readers who have requested it. I will continue to post more in the near future. As one who loves preaching, I am humbled and honored everytime the invitation to preach comes to me. I have been blessed to preach to many great congregations through the years and I look forward to what lies ahead in the future.

For me, Karl Barth spoke profoundly to the call of Christian preaching when he wrote:

But, some might say, how can we theologians come to speak God’s Word in our words? Or, some congregation might say, how can we come to hear God’s Word in the words of this or that pastor who has nothing to offer us, or in the words of all pastors, none of whom we trust? … If we expected to hear God's Word more, we would hear it more even in the weak and perverted sermons. The statement that there was nothing in it for me should often read that I was not ready to let anything be said to me. What is needed here is repentance by both pastors and congregations…. This does not mean that congregations must say Yea and Amen to all the words of their reverend pastors. Pastors are sinners. They are unprofitable servants with all their words even though they do all that they are under obligation to do (cf. Luke 17:10). Nevertheless, they are servants of the Most High (cf. Dan. 3:26). They speak in his name. They carry out his commission, which is a reality even today. No matter how well or how badly they do it, this in the presupposition of listening to them…. They know fear and trembling whenever they mount the pulpit. They are crushed by the feeling of being poor human beings who are probably more unworthy than all those who sit before them. Nevertheless, precisely then it is still a matter of God’s Word. The Word of God that they have to proclaim is what judges them, but this does not alter the fact – indeed, it means – that they have to proclaim it. This is the presupposition of their proclaiming it.”

Karl Barth, The Göttingen Dogmatics, Vol. 1, 33-35.