Devotion 8.29.22

"...I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. But I have calmed and quieted my soul,...." Psalm 131:1 - 2

The Psalms of Ascents, 120 - 134, is a psalmist, including David at times, describing the pilgrimage to the temple and entering the temple to worship. In 131, as the psalmist has drawn near in previous psalms, David writes that he is lowering himself as he approaches God, and that he has "calmed and quieted" his soul.

We had an incident near our house on Friday that brought out SWAT from Lubbock Police. I know the people who live at the house, so naturally my curiosity went to a higher level (like SWAT coming into the community is a normal, daily event - that alone made my curiosity high). However, having taken the Lubbock Law Enforcements' Citizen's Academy (no, I didn't get a badge), I noted a person there from a small unit that works with people who have mental disabilities or psychological disorders. I saw her in a squad car, so I thought she was brought in to disarm the person (figuratively) while SWAT disarmed the person (literally). LPD was successful as they brought the young man out that was at the center of the issue, and he was placed in a squad car. "He's had a bad day," one of the policemen said to me.

LPD had successfully "calmed his soul." I don't know what caused his distress, but I learned from the news the family had a restraining order on him. With the presence of the special unit I mentioned who deal with people who have mental or psychological disorders, I felt like he had something that posed a threat to his family in some way. I may never know, but my thought was with his family immediately. Now their souls were not quiet or calm.

What upsets our souls? David lays it out in the other psalms. He has enemies. He has people he doesn't trust, including his own sons who will try to take the throne from him in a coup attempt. He has himself in that he inflates his ego and thinks highly of himself, to the point he's willing to steal the wife of a general who is faithful to him and Israel (not laid out in a psalm but his prayer for forgiveness is - 51). What upsets our souls? What distracts us from God? What causes us to think about anything but worship when we enter church?

Psalm 131 gives us the words to help us focus on God, lowering our heads, not thinking of things too high, and seek to calm and quiet our souls. We pray for God's guidance to help us calm and quiet our souls in the midst of the storms we have in our lives.

Devotion 8.23.22

"Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!" Psalm 139:23 - 24

There was a man, once a member at Hope Lutheran, who was talking to me about David's psalms. To know this guy was to know a classic West Texan, self-made, very confident in himself but not in a sinful way (that I could tell because he was also humble in many ways), and a great sense of humor. He had held a high position in a global company and had been a Marine in service to his country, so I hope I'm accurately painting a picture of a guy you'd like to hang around.

Anyway, to David's psalms, he asked, "Do you ever just read those and think David is one whiny guy? Of course, he asked 42 or 43-year-old me back when I was full of self-confidence and self-assured as well, so I said I'd never really looked at David as "whiny." Yet, as I read his psalms more in-depth, I can see how he might hear that because David is very much a modern man. By that I mean David is certainly willing to be vulnerable. That was a word my dad's generation never uttered.

David, however, is different. He's king. He is a man after God's own heart. He's been saved by God on several occasions, including the big one when he murdered a faithful servant general in Israel's own army at war for his king, David. Yet, as David writes (on many occasions), he asks God to search his heart.

What's powerful about that for us to read is that David is confessing another modern aspect here: cognitive bias. I am blind to my own biases and should be open to the idea they exist. David isn't taunting God in this passage (the entire psalm is a confession to a God who knows us intimately with familiar passages like, "You formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made." (139:13 - 14) David is inviting God for a close and personal examination to not only search his heart, but to see where he is erring and to lead him in the way of the ever lasting.

As we confess on Sundays (and sometime during the week), do we invite God into our own hearts to show us where we stumble? Do we say to Him, "You know what I don't know - my blindness to my own sin - show me those errors and reveal them to me. Correct me, so I can seek forgiveness and have you lead and guide me to a more excellent way through your Son Jesus Christ."?

David's psalms are powerful prayers for us to use to open our eyes and our hearts to God and His Word. They are a "lamp to our feet and a light to our path." (109:105)

Masculinity - Winner

 "Again, if the trumpet makes an unclear call, who can get ready for battle?" 1 Corinthians 14:8

The leader decides and sends his troops to battle with the call of the trumpet in ancient times through the 20th century (maybe still in the Navy). Garry Wills, historian and author of the book that bore a title based on Paul's imagery, "Certain Trumpets (1995)," highlights historical figures who exemplified certain leadership traits and those who were the antithesis.

In his chapter on sports, he writes about Carl Stotz. It's timely given the fact that we watched the Litle League World Series recently. Carl founded the Little League. Wills writes, "Being the imitator of a hero is not the same thing as following a leader." Stotz envisioned a league that would allow boys to play and eventually end up in a World Series all its own. The rules he used to set it up avoided many pitfalls he saw in pro baseball. He developed a point system that would allow teams to draft but not be able to draft the "all stars." He made sure the kids played in the boundaries of their school zone and played in age brackets reflective of their peer groups in school. He put extra players on the field to encourage more kids getting playing time. The kids were to be coached by men who were committed to development of character using sports. 

To read the chapter is enjoyable to see a man with a vision to shape young boys into men with positive role models, but it is interesting to note the emphasis isn't on "winning." Given today's rhetoric of "we are just creating a nation of people who've done nothing but get participation trophies," it's interesting to note that the origins of youth sports, like Little League, were designed to focus on character development by giving kids structured activities to engage in play and learn in the process. When did the objective change to become a point of contention that made "winning" the objective, to the point that it stirs anger in some who comment that "these kids are spoiled by always getting participation trophies." Let's leave those analyses to the experts and focus on another aspect of this.

Paul writes about this interestingly enough, "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize?... but we receive an imperishable wreath." (1 Corinthians 9) Ironically in this discussion, we are the recipients of a participation trophy in our faith. It isn't merit based. It has no complex training schedule. Our imperishable wreath is based on nothing we do. It is all there as a gift. 

We all caught the video clip of the young man beaned by a pitch from a pitcher in Texas in the current Little League World Series. The young lad from Oklahoma, after getting on his feet and being okay'ed to play, trotted down to first base. He looked at the mound and noted the pitcher couldn't compose himself. He trotted to the mound and embraced the pitcher in an effort to calm him down. The Texas coach and team came out at that point and did the same to the pitcher as the boy trotted back over to first.

Masculinity isn't about "winning." Masculinity is about creating the attitude of a winner, but what does that look like? If we read Paul further, we read that Christ didn't see equality with God as something to be used to His own advantage (Philippians 2:6). In faith, masculinity is about complete humility in the sense that we are given a gift of faith based on nothing we can or will do. Our actions do not please God to the point of merit. We are forgiven and given grace based on our faith in Christ. In turn, we extend that forgiveness and grace to others. 

We pray we can exhibit the grace needed when we get "beaned" in life. We pray we can exhibit the same humility Christ did when He followed His Father's will. 

Devotion 8.15.22

 "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil." Ephesians 6:10 - 11

We said goodbye to our faithful servant Pastor Dan Borkenhagen yesterday at Hope Lutheran Church and School. Dan is returning to his roots in Minnesota, land of my own forefathers. My dad moved to Houston in 1954 from Minnesota, so I've claimed Minnesota as part of my heritage equal to my claim on Texas (Mom is a fourth generation Texan). I have a love of both.

Dan's final sermon was based on Ephesians 6 and included the passage above. I listened intently to his final words, and he said something significant during the course of his sermon. We may not align with our deeply divided culture in this world (as Christ referred to "this world" in our gospel lesson from John 17), but our opposition to our brethren on the other side of the debate doesn't identify them as "evil." Rather, we oppose the evil that may lurk behind them.

I once heard a speaker that said the biggest obstacle in our lives isn't those who oppose us, it is the person on your driver's license. I'm my biggest obstacle to my own progress for many reasons.  Oh sure, there may be a person who represents a different view in life that I may not agree with that may be contrary to God's Word, but I can only control my own reaction, the potential evil within me. As we get tested by God and tempted by Satan (James 1), we turn to God and ask for strength to live up to the test He's put before us, and to turn away from the temptation, the trap that Satan has set to lure us into a sin.

Dan has given us five great years of his own story, his own highs and lows. We, too, though, have the same kind of story. Successes and failure. 

We move on in Ephesians 6 to ask God to put on the gospel armor Paul describes in his epistle. We ask for strength and for God to protect us from evil, mainly our own weaknesses and temptations. We ask for God to guide us in "this world" and to keep us from being "of this world" while we live "in this world." We ask for God to help us be lights in a world of darkness.

Masculinity - Strength

 

^"38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’^[a] 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. ⁴⁰ And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well." Matthew 5:38 - 40

Okay, so when, exactly, is it manly to fight? When I was a kid, I was on the receiving end and I was on the giving end. My neighbor, a professional boxer, once heard I backed down from a fight and said, "You need to come fight at my gym." So for about a year, I went to workout at the local boxing gym where he and others trained.

It didn't change my perspective on who I was, or what my capabilities were when it came to "street fighting," but rumors persisted at school that now that I boxed, I thought I was a tough kid, so they said. So it did increase my opportunities to fight. To that end, I guess it worked, giving me opportunities to use the skills I learned to fight more, or to learn to back down from a fight in a more dignified way so the boxer wouldn't hear I "chickened out."

As we look at masculinity, strength and toughness come to mind, and in our culture, which ultimately defines masculinity, we gauge the strength of an individual in many ways - mostly by feats of strength or exhibition of toughness. Christ, however, has a final word on it as delivered in the "Sermon on the Mount."

Turn the other cheek is almost as foreign to our concept of being a man now as it was then, in spite of much of what you may read or hear. I'm almost certain King David, our warrior king who faced Goliath, may have turned to Christ and said, "Are you kidding me?" in the same way a West Texan teaching his boy the ways of manhood might. If I  turn the other cheek, my enemy (or enemies) will smell weakness and that is all they need to come after me and take me down.

I have to admit that as a principal at a school, there were times after a boy got in a fight that my impulse thought was, "If you keep acting like this, every boy in school will be in line waiting to beat your tail after school." I might have even uttered that a time or two. I know for a fact that after a school failed to intervene in a boy's continued bullying, I told the dad that sometimes suspension is worth it as long as he gets the first punch in (and make sure you land it firmly), but don't go starting a fight just to get the opportunity. His son did and the bullying ended. That's another devotion or series of devotions entirely though.

So where does Christ draw the line? The footnotes draw upon the Old Testament language and explanation that said that God intended on preventing evil from among His people. That authorities were the arbiter and dispenser of punishment (government, soldiers, etc). It notes that individuals should resist taking on punishment themselves as they see fit.

That makes sense because. our sin-filled eyes have such poor eyesight when it comes to God's righteousness that we confuse what is evil and worth righteous judgement with our own. So, Christ is telling us not to return evil with evil (an unjust act with unjust anger). Christ is telling us to strive to take the high road, and we know that our own actions, even if we believe we are righteous in our response, will face judgement. But God, who is faithful and just, forgives our sins as we confess from 1 John 1 because His Son suffered and died for our lack of ability to see the world in any way other than through the lens of sin.

A real man doesn't have to be a fighter to be masculine, A real man doesn't have to seek ways to exhibit strength to be strong. Christ was a sheep led to slaughter on our behalf and is ultimately our strongest advocate with God for our forgiveness and redemption.

Devotion 8.7.22

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ² looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Heb. 12:1-3)

 

This Scripture comes after a tour de force of examples of Biblical faith in Hebrews 11. The writer has talked with some depth about Noah, Abraham, Joseph, and Moses.  He realizes he’s going to go on forever so then he just piles the list up by mentioning Gideon, David, Samuel, and more.  He talks about how they’ve conquered kingdoms and endured persecution, seen miracles and endured heartbreak, but they’ve done it all through faith. 

If those kinds of examples are sitting out there, he reasons, then why can’t we too run with endurance through whatever is in front of us.  And ultimately, each of those examples points us to Jesus because it was he who strengthened them. 

 

In the five years I’ve been with Hope, I’ve been blessed by the examples of the faith I’ve seen here.  I hesitate to name names, but since this Scripture does, I think it’s only right to remember some of those that are now cheering us on from heaven.  I’ll never forget how many times I’d be teaching a Bible study and Ernie Kiesling would quietly raise his hand and ask a question that blew me away.  The product of a lifetime of following Jesus and reading his Word.  I’ll never forget my last visit with Brian Barnell when I brought him communion. He wasn’t eating anymore, but when he saw my box, he said, “there’s the food I really need.”  Yes, the examples of faith here at Hope, not just in those men, but in all of you has built me up.  The words we shared on 2^nd Saturdays.  Some overnight brisket cooks and crawfish boils.  And with so many of you, moments of conversation talking about life and how God was carrying you.

 

The hard thing is that sometimes after being built up, God calls us on to another task.  It would probably be easier to stay, but I’m seeing another leg in the race set before me.  And so we’re going to keep running and looking to Jesus for the strength to do it. I do, however, ask that you all continue to be part of my cloud of witnesses.  Pray for me and my family. Pray for our ministry. Pray that we successfully bring a little of Texas with us to Minnesota!  Know that I’m praying for you as well.  Your names are all over my prayer journal and I’ll keep those prayers coming.

 

May God bless you each as you cast aside whatever is hanging on you.  Keep running the race with Jesus!

Dan