ZION LUTHERAN CHURCH, GARRETT, IN
  Zion Lutheran Church Garrett, Indiana
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A Charity Commercial...

12/7/2022

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For the most part, the calendar month of December coincides with the Church’s season of Advent. For the church, this is a season of penitence and hope: we prepare for the Lord’s Advent (His “coming” to us) by abiding faithfully in His promises. We celebrate how He came to us at Christmas, how He comes to us now in His Word and sacraments, and look forward to His return on the Last Day. For the world, however, the blaring of commercials and commercialism gets cranked “up to 11” (on a scale of 10). The advertisements for store-bought happiness are almost as ubiquitous as the political ads a couple months ago. While one part of us is ready to blast the shallow commercialism for the idolatry-of-stuff that it is, it may be helpful to imagine a positive vision of how Christians can participate in the gift-giving of the season.
After all, it is entirely possible that the tradition of giving gifts at the end of December came from Christianity. Consider the example of the Magi who visited Christ Jesus. The Epiphany of our Lord celebrates their visit, and their kingly gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matthew 2:1-12). Or consider that St. Nicholas was a real person… a bishop of the town called Myra on the coast of Asia Minor. Over the years, legends about him grew, primarily for his works of charity: giving gifts to the poor, to help keep them free from slavery and poverty. For a long time, the tradition was for children to put out their boots on St. Nicholas’ Day (December 6th), and the good and bad children received sweets and coal, respectively (though we have to wonder… would a cold child without firewood appreciate the house-warming coal more?).
Best of all is the gift God the Father gave to us: His Son Christ Jesus took on human flesh and was born among us: to suffer, die, and rise, to forgive our sins and raise us to life everlasting. This self-giving gift proceeds from God’s perfect and overflowing love, and surpasses every earth-bound blessing we could possibly think of. While an overload of sweets or an armful of the latest gadgets from the store might satisfy us for the time being, the peace and joy of being set to stand rightly before God almighty… that’s something money cannot buy. Luther’s Small Catechism describes this when explaining the Second Article of the Creed: “I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true.”
Now, all this suggests that our gift-giving impulse at this time of the year is not wrong, it is good. We want to give good things to our beloved ones, because that is how love acts. God is sanctifying us, by His Word working in us to want to do good works. This includes good works of love and self-giving. “We love, because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). So when we think about giving gifts to others, consider what makes for a lasting gift: not to help them indulge in worldly, here-today-gone-tomorrow pleasures. The technology section is full of all sorts of new toys, but I have yet to hear of a parent who thought the newest and latest gadgets made their kids more faithful Christians. Give gifts to help build one another up in Christian virtues, the tools and wisdom to love one another as Christ first loved us.
To that end, I have two specific suggestions. First… I don’t know your family or what might best make them smile and have joy in their vocations. But I do always see books and Christian “swag” available at a variety of places nearby (We live in an area that is still “culturally” Christian). Suggestion #1: if you’re going to buy books or Christian-themed “swag” (which is a great way to teach and celebrate our faith), buy it from one of our in-house stores. Concordia Publishing House belongs to our own church body, and they have a variety of books and gifts available. Each of their books is written by a Lutheran pastor, and vetted to be doctrinally solid. I cannot say the same for everything you’ll see on sale in the “Spirituality” the local dollar store. Good doctrine matters, and builds for a lastingly good gift for anyone you love. I’m not in the business of doing commercials, but for the sake of the flock here in this place, when you go to purchase Christian books, go over to https://www.cph.org to see what’s there.
Suggestion #2: Give to the poor. We are supposed to give to take care of our own households. God provides you with good things so that you can take care of your own. (1 Tim 5:8 says: “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”) Yet Christian charity is not limited to that… there is good we can do to help others also. Even amid inflated prices and poor consumer sentiment across the entire country, we are still better off than many others. It’s possible that recently, on the day of Thanksgiving, you yourself were thanking God for what you did have. There are many ways to give to those who are in need. This isn’t about enabling anyone’s vices… don’t go give someone money to enable an addictive vice. But if a gift of food, or helping with Christmas presents can assist a neighbor in need to take care of their own, that is a good thing. Galatians 6:10 says: “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” This might mean helping out with the food bank at Zion, supporting the Christmas Family, the students at the Seminary, or best yet – personal, local acts of service to support people you know here and now.
In my short time here, I’ve been most proud of our congregation at two points: 1) when a member confesses the Christian faith purely, according to the scriptures and Lutheran confessions, and 2) seeing people (men, women, or youth) acting in unfeigned, unforced service for the good of those in need. I don’t often publicize these events, because I don’t want to put people into the center of attention unwanted. We do these things because of Jesus, and want to give Him the glory for it. But you have to know this: self giving love (sometimes called “charity”) is an amazing Christian virtue, and can transform the world around us for the better. When you love one another, give one another the benefit of the doubt, and work towards their good according to God’s Word… your work is not in vain. During Advent and looking forward to Christmas, we are blessed to be able to love one another with that kind of charity, because God first loved us, and gave His Son for us as the best gift of all time.

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Two Doors

9/30/2022

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“For Christ also suffered once for sins, 
the righteous for the unrighteous,
that he might bring us to God….
” 
​1 Peter 3:18a

   A brother pastor in the LCMS gave an interesting illustration recently, and thought I’d share it with you all, with a few added thoughts of my own. The text was 1st Peter 3, discussing the Christian’s reaction to suffering… why do we suffer, and the danger of that question. 
    “Imagine you’re in a room. That room is the suffering, the pain or heartache we endure. And there’s a door there in that room. On the door is a label: “Why.” And we’re very often tempted to think that the only way out of this room is through that door. So we try the door, but it’s locked. We knock, and no one answers. We start scraping at the door, pounding on it, convinced that that door is the only way out of that room. But the Lord has locked the door because He knows (there are lots of reasons) that there’s no comfort through that door. That’s not the way out. There are some things we are better off not knowing. 
   Yet in the room there is another door. This one is labeled “Who.” There’s this amazing response 1st  Peter 3 gives, when talking about this very topic. It mentions suffering several times (The Christians in those days were persecuted under the Roman empire, which involved no small amount of suffering for those who were scorned, beaten, or imprisoned). Yet when talking about suffering, St. Peter directs our attention back to Christ. His response is “Christ also suffered.” That’s what he says. He knows that the way through ... the comfort comes not through the “why” door but through the “Who” door. (Did we know that door was there?). The “Who” door isn’t a way of escape. That door opens and Jesus comes in. He comes into the room with us: He joins us in our suffering. 
   We always think that if we were more powerful or good we’d never have to suffer. But think about this: the One Who is all powerful and all good… He does something else, not for Himself but for us. He brings Himself into our suffering and suffers along us. One of the names scripture gives for Jesus is “Immanuel,” or “God with us.” (Matt 1:23). He’s even called “the man of sorrows” : “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:2a). 
   The comfort isn’t in the “why” direction, but in the “Who” direction: in Christ, Who suffers with us on the cross. He didn’t have to do this, yet He willingly laid down His life to forgive our sins and guarantee resurrection to the bliss of life eternal. Christ also suffered to bring us from death to life, from unholiness to forgiveness and righteousness. To bring us from discord to peace. From affliction to blessedness. From abandoned to adopted. All of these things. He comes into the midst of our suffering to bless us and carry us through it. God be praised the wisdom of the scriptures shows us that the “Why” door is not the way out, and that Jesus is the one Who comes in to be with us.” He created the heavens and the earth, He overcame death and the grave by rising on the third day; the room will not stay the same forever if Jesus is with us. This idea shows up in many places in scripture, though Psalm 23:4 expresses it very memorably: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
   What matters is that He is near to us. Didn’t He go about proclaiming: “repent, for the kingdom of God is near to you” ? (Matt 4:17) Where Christ Jesus is, there is His kingdom. There is His comfort, and His assurance that suffering and sorrow are not the end. Where He is, there also is the certain promise of joy in eternity. There’s some practical wisdom for those who suffer in abiding in the Word of scripture, in His teaching and in His sacraments. That’s why we Christians stick together, since Jesus said: “where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am among them.” (Matt 18:20)

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    Pulpit & Pen

    Rev. Christiansen serves as pastor at Zion Lutheran. Here are selected writings, sermons or newsletter articles. 

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                 Zion Lutheran Church | 1349 S. Randolph Street, Garrett, IN 46738 | 260.553-4202 | [email protected]