You Have an Advocate

"I will ask the Father, and He will give you another counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth…I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you." John 14

Have you ever felt isolated and alone? Stupid question, right? Each of us could easily provide examples of times when we have felt all by ourselves. Those who serve in our nation's armed forces, along with their families, are often well acquainted with the pain of separation and all the uncertainties that come with it.

In 1999, Air Force Brigadier General Mark Welsh shared his combat experiences from "Desert Storm" in an address to Air Force Academy Cadets. On the night before they flew their first mission, he said, each member of the wing was asked to write a letter to his loved ones—a letter that could be mailed in case they did not return. He reflected on that time in his life with these words:

Now, if you haven't had the pleasure of sitting down and thinking about your family the night before you think you might die; if you haven't tried to tell your children that you're sorry you won't be there to see their next ballet recital or watch them play baseball; or high school football; or graduate from college; or meet their spouse; or get to know your grandkids; or if you haven't had the pleasure of telling your parents and brothers and sisters what they mean to you; or tried to tell your wife how the sun rises and sets in her eyes; and tried to do it all on a piece of paper, at midnight, 9,000 miles away from home, then you haven't lived.

Being separated from your loved ones in this or any other way makes how much they mean to us painfully obvious. It is just this type of difficult realization that Jesus is talking about when he says, "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you."

Jesus said these words to a group of people who had come to depend on him. They learned so much form his teaching and his parables. They felt secure and confident when Jesus was around, because time and again he proved to be bigger than their problems. When demons were encountered, he cast them out; when hunger was experienced, he multiplied loaves; when sickness threatened, he healed; when death overwhelmed, he gave life; when self-centered leaders tried to deceive, he brought the truth. Living with Jesus was amazing.

But now, Jesus was talking about leaving, and the disciples felt their hearts sink. It couldn't be! Is he leaving for good? What are we going to do?

Jesus knew the impact his leaving would have on his followers, and so he made them a promise: "I will ask the Father, and he will give you another counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth." Jesus promises to send them a counselor. When we think of a counselor, we usually think of someone who sits and listens to you and provides a word of advice now and then. But Jesus is talking about a counselor in the sense of legal counsel. The Spirit of truth is described as an advocate, who takes your side and represents you and looks out for your well-being. That's who you want on your side. That's who Jesus said He would send when the time came for Him to go. That's who Jesus sent to the disciples at Pentecost, making good on his promise. Now listen to this. That's who Jesus sent to you when you were baptized. That's who was sent to you when you first believed the good news of a God who sent his Son to die so that he could be your Father. Same Spirit. Same Counselor. Same Advocate. Do you see? You are never alone in your faith! The Spirit of truth is always working behind the scenes to sharpen your focus on Jesus. In a paradox that only faith can grasp, Jesus had to leave in order to get closer to His loved ones.

Here's what I mean: Jesus said, "When I leave, I will send you a counselor, the Spirit of truth, who will stay with you forever." And then he adds, and do not miss this, because this is the whole thing, "When that day comes, you will know that I am in my Father, and that you are in me, just as I am in you."

Jesus promises the Holy Spirit, who will bring Him into the closest possible relationship with His followers. Just as Jesus is in the Father; he draws his life and identity from the Father; there is no Jesus without the Father(!); just as that relationship flows, so Jesus is in us and we are in Jesus. We draw our life and identity from Jesus. We're nothing without Him! Jesus is in you thanks to the Holy Spirit.

I'm not just talking about imitating Jesus here. This is far deeper, far closer, far more mysterious than that. I'm talking about Jesus coming so close to you that he gets into your heart. And He gets into your heart so much that you begin to think and love and live like Him.

You can see the power of this union in the experience a missionary had while traveling through China some years ago. During one of his stops, the members of a nearby village gathered around him, and he began to tell them the story of Jesus for the first time. When he was done, one of the villagers said, "Oh yes, we know that man. He used to live here." The missionary was puzzled. "No—I'm talking about someone who lived many centuries ago." "But we did know him," the villagers insisted. "He lived in this village." Finally they took the missionary to the local cemetery, and pointed him to the grave of a medical missionary who had lived and worked and died among the people of that tiny town. You see, those people hadn't just been told about Jesus. They felt that they knew Him, because a Christian had carried Christ in Himself and carried Christ to them.

Now please don't hear that story and say, "Oh my goodness—how inspiring—I'm sure glad there are people like that out there, because I could never be one." Please don't say that. If you believe in Jesus, then the Spirit of truth has worked in you, and Jesus is in you. That's just the way it is, by Jesus' own reckoning. You can be that missionary. People can know that Jesus is real because you walked among them. Why? Because the same Christ that missionary carried in him is the same Christ you carry in you. Just let Him out once in a while. Preach a sermon every day—if necessary, use words. Do you understand what I'm saying? You are not alone in this. The Holy Spirit has gifted you with reliance on Jesus, and if you rely on Jesus, then He comes to live in you. He is making a home in your heart and mind. You really can think and love and live like Him. He's there. He's in you. Let Him out. Amen.

Which Way Are You Going?

Which Way Are You Going?

"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14: 6

Stephen King's novel, The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, tells the story of a nine-year-old girl named Trisha who gets lost while hiking part of the Appalachian Trail. King creates a memorable picture of something many of us can relate to—the feeling of being totally lost.

He writes, "There was going to be a fuss, maybe a big one involving game wardens and the Forest Service, and it was all her fault. She had left the path. This added a new layer of anxiety to her already disturbed mind and Trisha began to walk fast, hoping to get back on the main trail before all those calls could be made, before she could turn into what her mother called a Public Spectacle. She walked faster and faster, waving at the swirling clouds of mosquitoes, no longer bothering to skirt clumps of bushes but simply plowing straight through them. She listened and called, called and listened, except she wasn't listening, not really, not anymore. Her giving way to panic wasn't sudden, but weirdly gradual, a drawing in from the world, a shutting down of her outward awareness. She walked faster without minding her way; called for help without hearing her own voice; listened with ears that might not have heard a returning shout from behind the nearest tree. And when she began to run, she did it without realizing."

That passage captures the sheer panic that being lost can create. And in a deeper sense, it can also describe us, when we stray from the path that God has set for us. There is a right way to go; a right way to live; and when we wander off that path, certain things begin to happen. When you and I disregard God and his Word and live by our own rules, we've stopped listening to the only One who knows the right direction. When we ignore God's guidance and live as if he didn't exist, there comes a weirdly gradual drawing in from the world, a shutting down of our outer awareness. When we live like we don't need God, we end up walking faster and faster, calling for help without hearing our own voice, listening with ears that may not hear any longer. Are you on God's path? Or are you still blazing your own trail, getting more isolated all the time? Are you walking in step with your Lord and Savior? Or do you have the haunting feeling that you've gone in the wrong direction, and are running without realizing it?

We are not the first people to wonder if we have missed an important clue that could help us find the way. Look at the conversation of Jesus and his disciples in today's gospel reading. They were huddled together on Passover Eve for supper. There had been mounting opposition to his ministry. It was becoming more and more difficult to be one of Jesus' followers. They were more dependent than ever on Jesus just being with them—and then He starts talking about leaving them!

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me, that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place I am going."

The disciple Thomas found no comfort in these words. They seemed to raise more questions than they answered. So he spoke up, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Jesus answered him, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

How can you know the way? How can someone like you or me; someone who gets detoured and trapped and lost, find direction in life? The words that Jesus spoke to Thomas are also directed to you: Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life."

Now, these words may not have been, in fact, they probably weren't immediately helpful to the disciples gathered there at the Passover table; and they might not seem immediately helpful to you in your searching and seeking. You might be looking for a map with more explicit directions; a spiritual GPS unit that tells you when to turn left or right. But instead of a map that plots out each move for you, you have something much better. You have a guide who personally goes with you; someone who not only knows the way, but is the way. Jesus is the way. Your destiny is tied to a person. Your route is wrapped up in your living Lord, not some to-do list. Jesus does not show you how to find the right way; He takes you there. He paid for your sins by suffering and dying and passed from that agony into resurrected glory. Your life is bound to His. You are bound to everything Jesus is. As He takes you His way, your life is going to look more and more like His.

In a palace in Rome, there is a famous painting called "The Aurora," which is visible on a high ceiling. People complained that they were getting stiff necks and becoming dizzy from staring up at this work of art. Eventually the owner placed a big mirror near the floor. The painting is reflected in it, and now people can sit down and really study its beauty.

Jesus is a reflection of his Father. He is the mirror of the Almighty God. He interprets God to our hearts. In Jesus, God becomes visible to us. Everything we need to know about God can be found in Jesus, who is God stooping down to our level. As we get to know Jesus through Holy Scripture and at His Holy Supper, we get to know who God is. Jesus is the way.

Do you see what that means? If Jesus is a reflection of the Father, and if you are bound to Jesus through baptism and faith, then that means you are a reflection of Jesus and His Father. Do you realize that? If your life is, in fact, tied to Christ, then His compassion will be mirrored in you; His faithfulness will be mirrored in you; His passion for the truth will be mirrored in you; His servant mentality will be mirrored in you; and other people will see it. Do they? Not perfectly, of course, but does your life reflect the goodness of Jesus to others, and if not, why not?

He is the way to live today, and He is also the way to heaven. Despite what people like Stephen Hawking may say, Jesus proclaimed that heaven is a real; that there is more life beyond this one that can be lived in the presence of God. Listen again to His words: "In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."

By faith, you are walking hand in hand with Jesus through this life. That is wonderful news. There will still be sadness and suffering. Think of Jesus' own life! It was full of heartache and full of joy. There was celebration and disappointment. There was a cross as well as a crown. But here's the thing. Jesus always had a destination in mind. Remember, He said, 'I am going to prepare a place for you." As you walk in the way of Jesus, that place is your destination, too. The whole point of God stooping down to our level, preaching, healing, suffering, dying, rising, ascending and ruling is so that, one day, you can take your place in the room prepared for you in God's heavenly home. This is the journey you're on. Jesus is the way, and He will see you home. Amen.

Follow the Shepherd’s Voice

Once upon a time, I learned a song at Vacation Bible School that said: "I just wanna be a sheep, baa baa baa baa. I just want to be a sheep, baa baa baa baa, and pray the Lord my soul to keep; I just want to be a sheep, baa baa baa baa."

The same idea is expressed in a little more meaningful way in the hymn by schoolteacher Henrietta von Hayn, "I Am Jesus' Little Lamb." We are familiar with the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd, and we as His Sheep. Today {as Maddox has been embraced by the Good Shepherd in Holy Baptism/you seventh graders make confirmation that you follow the Good Shepherd}, we all have opportunity to think about this shepherd to sheep relationship. What does it really mean to be sheep, belonging to the Lord?

To start out, sheep have strong flocking and following instincts. They operate on two familiar principles: "Strength in numbers" and "follow the leader." That can often have unintended consequences. As recently as 2004, there was a report of a lead sheep trying to jump over a small chasm and unfortunately missing—with the rest of the flock following suit, to their destruction. It's not a stretch to suggest that we also have strong flocking and following instincts, with the same potential for disaster. At various times in your life, following the crowd may seem like the smart thing to do. Each of us wants to belong, to fit in somewhere. But if you get into a flock that is moving away from God, you can bet that you're heading for a cliff. There is strength in numbers, but only when Jesus is the shepherd of your flock.

Next, sheep are fully domesticated animals. That means they depend on interaction with humans in order to survive. So while it's true that a sheep would instinctively eat, it takes a caregiver—a shepherd-- to lead them to the best areas for grazing and to supplement their diet, when necessary. Also, sheep need to be sheared and cleaned. They can't do it themselves. This too captures our sheep-like qualities. We cannot spiritually clean ourselves. Like a sheep trying to operate an electric razor, it's just not possible. But we can be cleansed. We can be sheared of our sins. It happens when forgiveness is announced in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It happened when you were washed in the water of rebirth in Holy Baptism. It happens when you take your place at the Lord's Supper to feast on the body and blood of Jesus. And in this way your Shepherd feeds you. You need a steady diet of God's forgiving Word to sustain your faith. All you have to do is be there when it's feeding time.

That's good news, but there is this reality check: It is doubtful that sheep could survive in the wild. In fact, it's a given that sheep would be quickly taken down by predators if they had to fend for themselves. It's no secret that as a Christian, you have some powerful enemies. Some of them are obvious and others more subtle. All of them, however, would love to rob you of your faith, in one way or another. If we had to fend for ourselves, it is doubtful that we could survive the pressure. The attacks would become too hard to endure. It would be much easier to surrender to the herding instinct and follow the flock to our doom; but we are not left to try and defend ourselves. We have a shepherd who is willing and able to protect us. More than that, He would die to keep us safe. Listen to His words: "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—and I lay down my life for the sheep."

You have a shepherd who allowed himself to be devoured by the wolf of death so that you could live. On the rod and staff of the cross Jesus laid down his life for the sheep. And then, after laying down his life, he took it back up at his resurrection. His victory over evil and death is absolute. This is the shepherd who fights for you every day.

The story is told of a man who went to Ireland to visit his relatives. While he was staying at his cousin's farm, they decided to have some fun with him. After doing some chores in the fields, they told him to come in for dinner just as soon as he was through rounding up the sheep into the pen. After nearly an hour of chasing after sheep, trying to push, poke, prod, and even pull them with no success, he gave up and asked his cousins to help. They sent out their five-year-old daughter, who simply called out to the sheep, and within minutes they had all followed her through the gate into the pen.

You have a Shepherd who cleanses you, who feeds you, and who protects you for eternity. Wherever life takes you, follow his voice. Amen.

Why Do You Go To Church?

While He was at the table with them, He took the bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they knew who He was. Luke 24: 30—31a

There is a pattern and an order to most things we experience. That order gives us structure; a sense of security; within that framework we can safely encounter new things. Let me give you a few examples. If you've ever watched the TV show Mr. Rogers Neighborhood, what do you expect to have happen? You expect Mr. Rogers to come through the doorway, singing, "It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood," you expect him to hang up his sport coat, take off his dress shoes, and change into his cardigan and sneakers. You expect him to speak directly to you about the day's theme, you expect him to feed the fish, visit with his friends, take you on a tour of a factory or an artist's studio, and, of course, visit the Land of Make Believe. Finally, you expect him to change back into his coat and shoes and make his exit singing, 'It's Such A Good Feeling To Know You're Alive." It's the same show every time—but it's not. It's the same structure—but within the framework there is endless variety—try 998 episodes worth of variety.

Or consider the order of baseball game. I don't recall going to a baseball game wondering, "Are they going to play 4 innings or 25 innings tonight?" Normally, you go to a professional baseball game expecting 9 innings to be played. You know things are getting ready to roll with the singing of the national anthem. The players are introduced. You expect the teams to alternate between hitting and fielding. In the middle of the seventh inning, you expect to stand and sing "Take Me Out To The Ballgame," and if the game isn't tied after the bottom of the ninth, you go home. It's the same game every time—but of course, it's not. It's the same structure—but within the framework there is an endless variety of plays and outcomes, which statisticians have tracked for decades.

Or think of a normal school day. There is a pattern and a routine to the way teachers and students move through the day. There's no guessing when recess or lunchtime is. You know when your favorite subject and your not-so-favorite subject is coming. It's the same school day every time—but it's not. It's the same structure—but within the framework there is an endless variety of lessons to be learned, in and out of the classroom.

Or think of a special day like Mother's Day. Chances are, there is a type of routine that has developed over the years. We go to Mom's favorite restaurant faithfully every year. Or we get her this type of gift, or go over to so-and-so's house. It's the same Mother's Day every time—but it's not. Different cards are given, different people are able to make it, but there is a rhythm to the whole thing that we recognize.

And so you come to church on Sunday morning and you expect a Confession and Absolution, a series of readings from the Bible, usually Old Testament, Epistle and Gospel. You expect an explanation of God's Word for children and adults, you expect the opportunity to give an offering and to pray to the Lord, and most of the time you expect to participate in something we call the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, or Holy Communion. Along the way there are liturgical songs—portions of the Bible set to music—such as "Create In Me A Clean Heart, O God," "Lamb of God You Take Away The Sin Of The World," and many others. Along the way there are hymns—songs that teach the faith and give voice to our praise of God—many of which we have come to treasure. It's the same service every time—but it's not. It's the same structure—but within the framework there is an endless variety of stories and themes that center on the mighty works of God and the living presence of Jesus Christ in His Church.

Order serves us well. (Just think of what can happen when your getting-ready-in-the-morning routine is interrupted.) But it must be said that order and routine can also make us so comfortable that we are lulled to sleep. Nowhere is that more true than in worship. We've all the experience—let's admit it—of being in a worship service, while at the same time you're mentally making your grocery list, or wondering if kickoff is at 1:00 or 4:00. I would suggest the antidote to unconscious worship is simply to keep on asking "why"—to continually review together the purpose of our time spent in worship. Why do we interact with Jesus in the way that we do? The answer to that question is found in today's Gospel reading. If we are aware of the Biblical framework for worship, it will only enhance and revitalize this time we spend with Jesus.

The Emmaus experience described in Luke 24 is far more than just a neat add-on to the Easter story. It actually forms the foundation for how we experience Jesus in our lives! Here's what I mean: look for the pattern that emerges. The risen Jesus walks with two men, and during that walk, He explained the Old Testament to them. He went through Moses and the prophets, describing how these writings were pointing to Him! Later on, these men would say, "Didn't our hearts burn as he explained the Bible to us!"

Then, later that evening, Jesus sits down at the table with them and—listen carefully to this language—"he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them." Then their eyes were opened, and they knew who he was." They recognized it was Jesus at the table with them.
Did the pattern pop out at you? The first part of this experience was instruction in the Word of God. It made their hearts glow with wonder. But this experience was only complete when they moved to the table, and Jesus gave thanks over bread, broke it, and gave it to them. Now, Jesus was not only someone they learned about, but someone who was with them. Then he disappeared, he vanished from their sight, as if to say, "Now that I'm risen and will soon be returning to my Father, this is how I will come to you until I return at the Last Day. My Words will be with you; and my body and blood will be with you in the breaking of the bread and the drinking of the wine that happen at the table. You will know me in these ways that I am leaving behind for you."

Do you see the pattern? In the first part of our worship, the Bible explains who Jesus is; in the second part, Jesus Himself comes to our table. With the Emmaus experience, Jesus laid out how He was going to give himself to us. He is still doing it. And that's what we're really doing here.

A pastor once asked a group of very young children, "Why do you go to church?" One little girl responded, "We go to church to be with Jesus." Now before you say, "Oh, what a cute story," and then forget it, just understand this: That little girl was absolutely right. I urge you, in a time where there are "Jesus options" everywhere, from Internet and TV to the Christian bookstore and concert hall, to look for Jesus where He said he would be! At Emmaus he demonstrated He would be in His Word, and in the breaking of the bread. He continues to come to us through this pattern to save us from the depths of hell. He comes to us through Word, Bread and Wine to forgive our sins yet again! Within this framework, the risen and living Son of God touches you, forgives your sin, breathes faith and life into you, renovates your heart, resets your values and welcomes you to your place in His kingdom!

So I ask you: Why do you go to church? I pray that you are here to be with Jesus. Amen.

Have You Made Your Confirmation?

 

 

Nine young people in our church are about to do something extraordinary.

Consider these questions:

 

    Do you this day in the presence of God and of this congregation acknowledge the gifts God gave you in your baptism?

    Do you confess the doctrine of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, drawn from the Scriptures, as you have learned to know it from the Small Catechism, to be faithful and true?

    Do you intend to hear the Word of God and receive the Lord's Supper faithfully?

    Do you intend to live according to the Word of God, and in faith, word, and deed to remain true to God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, even to death?

    Do you intend to continue steadfast in this confession and Church and to suffer all, even death, rather than fall away from it?

 

These are pretty serious, aren't they? On May 15^th, nine seventh graders are going to stand in church and answer "yes" to each of these, confirming that the Holy Spirit has gifted them with saving faith. It is extraordinary that they would do this. It is extraordinary that anyone would answer "yes" to these questions. It is a testimony to parents, families, this congregation, those who have instructed them, the students themselves, and finally, the Lord of the Church: He continues to gather to Himself a people of His own, enabling us to say "yes" to Him.

Take another look at those questions up there. If you "made your confirmation" in a Lutheran church, then you answered these questions with a "yes," once upon a time, whether you remember it or not. Do you still live by these vows? Do you give an unconditional "yes" to these probing questions? Do you confirm the same things that our young people will be confirming?

One thing is certain: in sending His Son to the cross and raising Him to new life, God the Father has said "yes" to you. Jesus was perfectly faithful to you, even to death. You have the opportunity to live in God's extraordinary "yes," today and forever. As we encourage our young people to "continue steadfast in this confession and Church," let us renew our commitment to the same, joyfully receiving the blessing of God's "yes" to us in Christ.