Living Hope in the Light of Christ

Pastor Knecht's Christmas Letter 2011

2011-12-08T06:43:00.001-08:00

I wish everyone a blessed Advent and a very merry Christmas. There is a lot wondering out there about where we are headed these days. The Gospel of Jesus at Christmas has something wonderful to say about where we are going

On the right track?

One of the common questions pollsters ask is “is the country on the right track?” The question is used to help evaluate the chances of our leaders remaining in power and pursuing their intended policies. When we are on the right track, we are joyfully moving toward some supposed bright future. If the answer is no, then we are on the “wrong track” steaming towards some horrible destination. In my lifetime, we have hopped back and forth from the right track to the wrong track multiple times, so much so, that we never really seem to get anywhere. Like hikers lost in the woods we keep circling back to the same spot over and over again. To further the confusion one person’s right track is another’s wrong track.

Who’s driving the train?

The assumption of the right track wrong track question is that we have the power to drive the train and switch the tracks. It presupposes that only human effort matters in life. History and current events are therefore only the actions of men and women. It is a comforting illusion to believe that we have that much power, but it is still only an illusion. The reason our supposed tracks never lead anywhere is that we human beings have much less power to influence events for the good than we think we do. We can indeed act. Our actions have real consequences, but they are limited in scope. Only God can see the whole picture and only God can act in a way that fulfills the course of history. So we ride the train, we don't drive it. The Jewish Scholar Abraham Heschel writes: Human power is not the stuff of which history is made. For history is not what is displayed at the moment, but what is concealed in the mind of (God).

God’s Christmas train

For people a Christmas train is simply the circular loop that the model train makes around the tree. This train too never really goes anywhere, but this time of year, we Christians remember God starting a journey that really does go somewhere, to the place of peace. This is the journey of faith started in Bethlehem with the birth of our Savior. This train is certainly being driven by God. The real fun of this trip is that you actually do not worry about the destination because you feel so good about who you are with along the way. The God of all things who became as one of us. The ride then becomes the point, and not so much the destination. Perhaps if we feel unsettled these days it is because we are too obsessed with where the tracks are leading rather than who is with us as we ride the train.

No train in vain!

In the song “Train in Vain” by the Clash, lead singer Joe Strummer asks: “Did you stand by me? No, not at all. Did you stand by me? No way!” He laments that his beloved has abandoned him in his darkest days. Perhaps it is our fear of abandonment that leads us to focus so much on our destination rather than whom we are with on the journey. The promise of Christmas and the sending of God’s Son to our world shows us that we indeed are not alone. We read in Matthew:

She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. "All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: "Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means, "God is with us." (Matthew 1:21-23 NRSV)

We have a God who is promises to be with us every mile of our journey. We know this because he came as child in the manger to be with us in our world. This same Jesus promises to be with us until the end of the age. In Christian theology, we call this “incarnation” that God wants to be with us so much that he becomes one of us. This same God also secures the place where we are going through the action of Jesus at the cross and resurrection. So with the destination assured and God with us on the way we can indeed be joyful in all things this Christmas. If you would like to hear more of the Good News of Jesus Christ, we’d love to see you at Holy Cross this Christmas our schedule is as follows:

December 24rd at 3 pm Creatures at the Crèche Featuring a camel, sheep, donkey & more!
December 24th at 4 pm Family Christmas Eve Service
December 24th at 7 pm Candlelight Communion
December 25th at 10 am Christmas Day worship

Keep the Faith,
Pastor Knecht

The Myth of Atheism

2011-10-20T07:13:00.000-07:00

I don't believe in atheists. I do not merely mean that I reject what they espouse; (although that is obvious since I am a Christian pastor) I do not believe they actually exist. Now there are lots of people who confess some sort of atheism. What I am saying would anger them and they would protest that they do exist (not that they would listen to me anyway). I would counter that they are not really people without gods; people who call themselves atheists do have gods. They just do not recognize the fact that is what they are.

The first commandment is “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” (Deuteronomy 6:5) When Martin Luther taught student pastors these words, he also used the words of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:21) to explain how hard the first commandment is to keep. So he revealed the truth, “Where your heart is, there you will find your god.” Twentieth century theologian Paul Tillich would further elaborate on these words and say that our personal god is that which is our “ultimate concern.” Therefore, if you start from this preposition, atheism is impossible. They are just people worshiping the wrong god, not people without one. All of us place our hearts somewhere; everybody has an ultimate concern. As Bob Dylan said, “you gotta serve somebody.”

Where is your heart?

In this letter I am actually asking you to examine where (or with whom) your heart is. What (or who) is your “ultimate concern”? Not everyone who confesses that he or she is Christian places their heart in the hands of Jesus Christ. For many of us our ultimate concern may not be God; it might be something else. Therefore, I am asking you to examine your life critically and honestly to look where you are actually giving your time, your resources, and attention. Use the tools of prayer, scripture, reflection, and trusted conversation to find out in what way are you actually living out your life.Where you are putting those things of value in your life will tell you the object of your ultimate trust. So a prayerful look at your planning calendar, checkbook, and the topics of your daily conversation might help you discover where it is you are actually placing your faith.

Some false gods

Common to contemporary American life is to spend time, treasure, and effort in self-improvement. We live in a DIY (do it yourself) culture. Books, classes, video courses, and motivational speakers all teach the American gospel of self-improvement and make billions of dollars doing so. According to the preposition above, the self or ego of the person functions as a person’s god in this case. Likewise, if you spend lots of your time obsessing about the state of the country and hoping for the next political savior to get it back on track again, maybe your god is somewhere in our political system (oh perish the thought!). Indeed, if you let the fact that your favorite sports team has just been eliminated from the playoffs ruin your day so much that you make your family miserable, maybe that sports franchise serves as your god (Think I’m joking, just listen closely to how much religious language sportscasters, athletes, coaches and fans use). These are just some of the places where we place our hearts and concerns; we have not even begun to speak about money, sex or power.

The faith question

The question is not whether or not you have a god, but which god do you have? Moreover, there are lots of false gods out there. Some of us may even be putting our hearts into more than one at a time. These false gods are incapable of leading anywhere but death. The truth is that the God revealed to us in the Bible is the only one who leads to true life. This is why worship is so important, it is a time to remember to put the only true and real God first. It is a time to connect with others who are trying to live out the first commandment and learn that in order to do so we must all care for each other along our journey. As a church, we work with each other to answer the question of how to put God first, so that our lives are in the hands of the one with the power over all eternity and not something that is not even alive. Jesus invites you to come and live. I invite you to come this Sunday and learn how you just might find out where a real and blessed life might lie so you can place your heart there with Him.

Keep the Faith,
Pastor Knecht

This Fall at Holy Cross

2011-08-18T07:22:00.000-07:00

"Here's another way to put it: You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16 (the Message)

New Beginnings

As you come to church this fall, you will notice that God is doing amazing things with and among us. The first thing I would like to share with you is that God has richly blessed us financially this summer. We have been able to catch up with back payments on our debt service ahead of schedule and are now free to concentrate on the ministry and mission of our congregation. This has happened because of the generosity of our members, the wisdom of our Administration Board in finding ways to use our space to help other ministries, and by continuing to keep expenses low. While we still have to find ways to pay down the debt and keep expenses in check, the really good news is that any additional gifts you can help us with now will go to help our ministry grow. So please understand now is a time when your giving can be of a profound impact to this church’s ministry. It can help us keep the momentum to bring the light of Christ to our wider community.

We have been grateful for the ministry of Ed Nicholson at Holy Cross this summer. Ed has decided to continue the journey with us at Holy Cross to help us build a worship ministry of excellence that engages our entire congregation. We are blessed to have him working with us; his skills and passion are readily apparent. If you have not yet had a chance to introduce yourself to him please do so. Ed is a member of the band Three Crosses and has done various solo projects. He is an accomplished and experienced worship leader who has helped other congregations strive to use their gifts to give their all to God in dynamic and powerful worship. As we move into the fall, Ed will continue to help lead consistently excellent worship and work to expand congregational participation in the worship ministry. Please be in prayer that the spirit leads us to a deeper life of worship of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We also would like to welcome Jennifer Rossi as our new office administrator. Jennifer is a committed Christian who brings a diverse set of skills to help our office run effectively and provide a structure for our ministry to thrive. Please come and introduce yourself to her over the coming weeks; also please be in prayer for her ministry of administration with us.

We now have the unique pleasure of welcoming Katharina Köhler-Will to come and work with us for five weeks beginning in September. She will be serving with us as a pastoral student-intern. She is studying theology at the University of Munich. She comes to us through a program from the Lutheran Church of Bavaria designed to give her some practical experience working in an American congregation. She and her husband Roland were married earlier this summer and she has three younger siblings. During her time with us, she will be staying at the Frantz home. Let’s all give her a warm welcome and be in prayer that this experience can lead to more opportunities for our congregation to help students in ministry practice and develop their skills.

Our Journey Together Continues

On September 11^th we will pray for the start of the school year for our Christian Nursery School. We will have a ceremony of blessing for our teachers and staff. We will also lift up prayers for our country and world as we commemorate the 10^th anniversary of the tragedy at the World Trade Center and ask God for the healing and renewal of our land. After church, I will meet with the families in our confirmation ministry to start another fun filled but powerful year together. The following week, September 18^th we will kick off our Sunday School program year. We will dedicate our volunteers to God’s care and have a congregational celebration after church. We are also very excited to be starting with a new curriculum, which will focus on the central stories of the Bible to give our young people a firm foundation of scripture knowledge in the coming years. When you have a chance, speak to our Children’s minister Gail Werner about how you can help make a difference by helping out with our Sunday School ministry. Our Small Group ministry will also be bringing some exciting things to you in the coming months as we live the hope we have in the light of Christ though fellowship, scripture, prayer and service. Please take the opportunity to try one out this fall.

Living God’s Time!

I hope you are able to see the hand of God in all of this, I certainly do. The sacrifices and struggles that we have been through as a congregation have been preparing us for a time like now when we can bring the hope that is the light of Christ to a community and world in need of the Good News. This fall we will examine in our sermons what it means to live in God’s time rather than the illusion of the world’s view of the times. We will be working through the later chapters of the Gospel of Matthew where he presents the teachings of Jesus on the way the cross. The urgency they demonstrate and the teachings of what Christians should value in critical times can help people know that Jesus is with us in the midst of our times today. Please pray that the light of Christ will shine brightly in the hearts of all who come to Holy Cross this fall and that His light spread out in to the darkness where people need God’s hope.

Keep the Faith,

Pastor Knecht

Summer Reading

2011-06-20T08:31:00.000-07:00

Have you made out your summer reading list yet? Are looking for a good thriller, an engrossing biography, a gripping account of a unique time in history? Perhaps you are looking for some inspirational reading to provide you with some hope to empower you, or perhaps you are looking for a book to give you some practical advice, which will make your life healthier and richer if you follow it. If you want one book that has all of these things and more, I would recommend you put one more book on your summer reading list, the Bible. Perhaps you just might have something new happen in your life as God speaks to you through the words of its authors.

Mix it up!

If your Bible reading has fallen by the wayside, or your devotional life has gotten stale perhaps you should try a new translation. When you go to bookstore or search on Amazon, you will usually see a translation identified by its initials, which are usually printed on the spine. If you are looking for a basic translation of the Scriptures the New Revised Standard (NRSV) and New International Version (NIV) are reliable translations written about at an eighth grade reading level. The New Living Translation (NLT) is a less wooden and more accessible translation (I read this one with my 3rd Grade daughter); the New Century Version (NCV) and the Contemporary English Version (CEV) are also in this class. If you want to experience the English language in
all its poetic glory then the King James Bible (AV or KJV) is the way to go, but be careful, English grammar and many of the meanings of the words we still use have changed dramatically since it was translated in 1611. Finally if you want the most readable version of the Bible out there today try The Message by Eugene Peterson. His translation reads like a novel and one can meet the Bible in a new and unique way.

Essential Reading: the letter to the Romans

I ask you this summer to pay attention to one particular book of the Bible: Paul’s letter to the Romans. Paul wrote this letter to introduce himself to the Christians gathered in the various house churches of Rome. Much like a minister today would write a statement of faith or testimony to introduce her or his ministry to a congregation, Paul wrote out a comprehensive statement of his teaching and how he would apply it to the situation of the time that the Roman Christians lived in. In the letter Paul outlines the core principles of his faith in the crucified and risen Christ, how one can be a part of the hope that Jesus provided, and what implications and applications this faith has for the daily life of ordinary people of faith. It is the only letter or book of its kind in the Bible. It has been the most influential book of the Bible for the development of the basic teaching of the Faith. Nearly every great Christian leader has used this resource to help lead and teach others in the faith.

Often summer reading lists contain some classic literature that one never got around to reading, I would like you to consider this an opportunity to do the same for your faith. This letter will help you re-examine the hope of your calling in Jesus Christ, know God in a new way, and find concrete ways to live out your life a as a Christian disciple. I will be reading through the book with you this summer and in the sermons each week I will be highlighting the themes of the major sections of the letter. It is my hope that through the power of the Holy Spirit we can use the gift of the summer to mature and grow in our faith and discipleship of Jesus Christ.

The Core Mission

Paul introduces the letter and his theme by reminding the Christians of Rome of their common mission to their Savior. Through (Jesus) we received both the generous gift of his life and the urgent task of passing it on to others who receive it by entering into obedient trust in (him). You are who you are through this gift and call of Jesus Christ! (Romans 1:5-6 the Message).

These words are as true today as when Paul of Tarsus planned his trip and thought about what it would be like to board the boat and start his journey to what awaited him in Rome. May God inspire and lead you in the hope of your calling as you prepare for the next stage of your journey following your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Keep the Faith,
Pastor Knecht

Live Church vs. Virtual Church

2011-05-16T08:54:00.000-07:00

OK, I admit I am completely biased in this area.

For me a live church experience beats a virtual church every time. There is something to be said for being in the room as opposed to watching it on television or streaming over the internet.While I love the new opportunities that technology brings I find that it often brings more limitations to our spirits than we realize.

Virtual church is not something all that innovative; it has actually been around since the 1920’s when radios began to proliferate the country. People could listen to a church service over their radio in the home. With the advent of television after World War II many preachers took to the airwaves the so called “TV evangelists”. Some did good work; others gave complete justification for the negative stereotypes that have developed around them. With the growth of the internet in the 1990’s many more grasped the idea that the church could be broadcast directly into the home. Many churches today have virtual church ministries that stream over the internet to computers, tablets, and mobile phones. Most are just broadcasts, but some who realize the limitations are trying to make them more interactive and leverage the available social networking tools particularly Facebook and Twitter.

Facebook vs. Face to Face

While I myself use these same tools in my daily life and find them useful for certain things, there are some things that Facebook, Twitter, and the like are not able to do well at all. They do work well in helping people maintain contact over distance and time, to give people short updates about what is going on in their lives, and they can certainly get a whole bunch of people out to a party or flash mob very quickly.

What they are not able to do is tell a good story. They are also of little use for you to hear a good story. Listening and telling stories are the foundations of meaningful relationships. In a healthy marriage, a husband and wife find time to tell the stories of their lives each day. A healing conversation for a friend in trouble can only happen if you take time to hear his or her story; there are no shortcuts. While a broadcast can tell a church’s story, or more accurately, stories that people like me want you to hear, they are exclusively a one-way street. A virtual church is not able to hear your story in a meaningful way. The only way I can explain it is while a Facebook chat is nice, sitting with an old friend on my back deck sharing food and drink is way better. I really don’t know your true story until I am face to face with you sharing real food and real
drink. Therefore, a virtual church can never be sacramental, because to be so requires real physical contact. There are no hugs in cyberspace. Sacred things need a physical reality.

Live Church: Home and Away

I do share some things with those who advocate the virtual church. I am convinced they can be good tools to help people learn about Jesus and engage a real church. More importantly, I share the goal of the attempt to bring the church into your home. However, I am unwilling to settle for “virtual” church, at Holy Cross we want to bring the real church home. It is written the book of Acts Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts (Acts 2:46NRSV). It is a vision of church at home and at a community location.

It is much in line with what Moses taught Israel to do to bring their faith home. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:5-9NRSV). This is much more than passively staring at screen, it is really living the faith. So I invite you to come out again to church, bring the best of it home, and most of all, keep it real.

Keep the Faith,

Pastor Knecht

Why Church?

2011-05-03T09:44:00.000-07:00

In the coming weeks in worship, I will be exploring the question of “why church?” Why did Jesus leave us this vehicle that seems so imperfect at times? Some of you may wonder why even ask this question. The Church has always been there for you and you see the values of it plainly.

Unfortunately, this is not the case for many these days; church attendance in the United States overall has been in decline for many years. While there are examples of growing and thriving churches, their gains have been more than offset by the decline of the vast majority of Christian congregations. Society’s support for the church is also on the wane, the courts, the media, and the schools no longer encourage the activity of the church they way they once did. Left wing extremists blame the church for all the world’s problems even as its influence and power declines. Some libertarians and extreme individualists argue that one doesn’t need a church at,all that matters is your individual choice. Harold Camping and his so-called “Family Radio” says that every church is apostate (working against God) and that all you need to be saved is individual Bible study. The Church seems to be under attack from all directions.

Jesus’ Strategy

But as I heard while I visited another local church while on vacation this past Sunday, the Bible teaches that the Church is Jesus’ plan A, there is no plan B. The sad fact is that the attacks on the Church and its own acts of self-destruction over the years have left many confused about what he Church really is and why they should bother. Many are drifting off into false paths happiness and meaning, which only lead to further deterioration of individual lives and the health of our society. What is the greatest tragedy is that these people are the ones who may benefit from Jesus’ gift of the Church the most.

Reconnect with Your Faith

I recently completed reading a fascinating book by Dan Buettner called Thrive: Finding Happiness the Blue Zones Way. As part of a research project for the National Geographic Society, he examined what factors lead people to report high levels of happiness in surveys. When comes to conclusions about what a typical person can do to help promote happiness in his or her life, he writes the following:

“Just about every study done on the connection between religion and well-being shows that the two go hand in hand. While we’re not sure if churchgoing makes you happy or if happy people tend to be religious, research shows that people who belong to a faith-based community—regardless of the particular faith—and attend at least four times per month may live as much as 14 years longer than people who don’t. Churchgoers are less likely to engage in risky behaviors (which can lead to profound unhappiness), are satisfied with less money, have less stress, and—to the point of this section—have built-in social networks. You’ll amplify benefits if you join thechurch choir, volunteer as a greeter, or commit to read for the congregation. If you don’t belong to a church or have drifted away from the church of your birth, seek out a new church that matches your current values and worldview.”

The Abundant Life

Jesus told us in John 10:10 “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” The Church is part of God’s plan to bring this about. The good news is that this plan still works. Never get blinded by numbers. Remember Jesus started out with 12 disciples. The book of Acts tells us in its first chapter that at the time of Jesus’ ascension the church only had 120 people. And while the Church is in numerical decline in the United States it is growing exponentially in Africa and Asia. The question for you is whether you want to come aboard for the abundant life or not. Does the Church need you, yes! However, never forget that you need the Church.

I invite you to rededicate yourself to Jesus, or come to him for the first time and become part of the Church, which is nothing less than God’s strategy to fulfill His plan for you and our world. Come to Holy Cross this May and June and learn why God answers the question of why Church, with a resounding yes!

Keep the Faith,
Pastor Knecht

The Power of Mealtime Prayer!

2011-04-06T08:50:00.000-07:00

Amazing Grace

A recent book titled American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us by Harvard sociologist Robert Putnam examines the role of religion in the public life of our country. The book has many powerful observations about the state of religion in America these days. It uses detailed and comprehensive collections of survey data about religious belief and practice to come up with some surprising conclusions. One I would like to share with you is the role that simple mealtime grace has in the life of faith of contemporary Christians.

According to Putnam and his team, the one faith practice that has the strongest correlation with religious participation and belief is saying grace before meals. The correlation is stronger than Bible reading, financial giving, small group participation, volunteerism and the like. Those who say grace more often are more likely to be actively involved in a faith community. Please understand me I am not advocating that mealtime prayer has more or less value than any other Christian practice. A committed life of Christian discipleship will have multiple practices that help keep it alive. However, there seems to be something powerful in the ordinary act of giving thanks to God for the food that is set before us.

Grace matters

If you are concerned about the state of your faith life, a reasonable recommendation for action is therefore simple and direct. If you don’t pray before meals, start now. If you only pray at home, try praying at the diner next time you are out. I do it often and nobody seems to stare or care. Quite the opposite, servers tend to be respectful. If you don’t have family prayer before meals I encourage you to do so.

If you want to pass on the faith to your children grace is an easy starting point. If you already say a simple standardized grace like “Come Lord Jesus be our guest and let these gifts to us be blest. Amen”, try a spontaneous grace. A common and fruitful practice that encourages dialog at the dinner table is to ask people around the table to give thanks for one thing that happened that day. The prayer leader of the family then prays for each of them and gives thanks to a Gracious God for providing good food to eat. Please come see me if you need some practical suggestions for encouraging mealtime grace.

Grace for Faith

Despite being one of the simplest faith practices, saying mealtime grace rests on the firmest theological foundation. The name itself gives away the key “grace”. Grace comes from the Latin word gratis or gift. So the daily bread that sits at your dinner table is a gift from a loving and providing God. When we are saying grace at a meal we are doing two things, we are first giving thanks to God while simultaneously saying something about God. The act of saying grace before meals reminds us of the true nature of the God who sent Jesus Christ. As Jesus speaks Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? (Matthew 6:26 NRSV)

The saying to mealtime prayer is not some magical incantation to keep a distant god happy, but a simple witness to the loving Father who provides our daily bread. Often used by Christians as a basis for mealtime grace Psalm 145 states: The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. You open your hand, satisfying the desire of every living thing. The LORD is just in all his ways, and kind in all his doings (Verses 15-17 NRSV).

In verse 15 The word translated as “look” is shavar, which more is commonly translated as wait or hope. So when you pray before meals you are also expressing your hope in the actions of the God who sent Jesus to bring salvation to all. In verse 17, the word translated “kind” is one of the most important words of the Hebrew Scriptures. The word hesed can mean steadfast love, faithfulness, kindness or mercy, and is often used to speak about how God acts. Most importantly for our discussion can be at times faithfully translated into the word “grace,” meaning that God is gracious.

Bread for the World

As Holy Week and Easter approach, I am reminded of the grace I speak each Sunday at the altar before we celebrate the meal of Jesus. The prayer is technically called the Eucharistic Prayer,which just means a prayer of thanksgiving. I would argue however that it is also “Grace.” For we give thanks to God and we are witnessing how gracious God is for sending Jesus to be the hope of all the world.

I am encouraging you therefore to take the gifts of Jesus’ meal into your homes. The life-giving Word of Jesus, that we have a gracious Father who loves us, and a Holy Spirit that abides with us, can be used before each simple meal to create community in your home. Mealtime grace creates a bond between you and God and those who share their bread with you. No wonder it is so central to faith formation. I wish you all a blessed Lent and Easter so that we may all know the God of grace.

Keep the Faith,
Pastor Knecht

Playing at Prayer

2011-03-08T07:10:00.000-08:00

Why Play?

People love to play games. Some like board games, others like cards, and others play athletic games long into adulthood. Recently I have been thinking about why people play games, everything from professional baseball to Candyland with their toddlers. While there may be a plethora of reasons people play games, they boil down to two basic needs. Some people play because they are competitive, either against others, or against themselves (like the drive to get a faster time in individual sports).Others play because it allows them to spend time with friends and families, or even make new connections.

In short, some play to win, others play to have fun and relate to people; in reality most of us do both. How the mix of competition verses interaction “plays out” when you play games may have an affect how you experience the game. Without completion you may get bored, without interaction you may become miserable (especially when you lose!). Therefore, healthy play involves a creative balance between these two competing poles.

Why Pray?

There is often a similar dynamic at work in prayer. Although, prayer is no game there are also two competing poles in prayer participation. Some pray to have a result and some pray to be close to God. Those who emphasize the results we expect from prayer tend to be more “religious”. Religion involves engaging in spiritual practice for a specific result. Prosperity preachers teach people pray so they will get rich. This is classic religious thinking. It sets up a quid pro quo with God. If I do this, God must do that. This thinking sets up God as an impersonal machine whose code can be cracked so one can get the results he or she wants. Their god becomes no God at all but an impersonal force to be manipulated.

People who pray without thinking about the results at all tend to be “mystics”. The good vibes, warm fuzzies, and intimacy are paramount. The problem with mystics is they tend to become too detached from reality. God only occupies space outside the world not within it. Thus, their god becomes a false god who only has limited power. Whenever God has a challenging word, they think they can retreat to the world where they can escape. When the world beats them up some more, they come back to their safe place and hide. Then they never become transformed into the person God has created them to be, and stay stuck in a tragic cycle of jubilation and despair.

Why Jesus?

When Jesus taught prayer, he taught us to care about the results. For example, he told us to pray in Matthew 6:11 NRSV “Give us this day our daily bread.” However, Jesus also taught us to care about the relationship. "When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. (Matthew 6:7 NRSV) Therefore, in Jesus, there is something more than a religion, or a mystical experience, there is the One True God who relates to you through the Holy Spirit. In Jesus, both the results and the relationship are held together in His person.

In a healthy prayer life, there will be times when you will need to be focused on the results. There will also be times when you just need to be present with God. The key for the disciple is to open oneself to God’s Holy Spirit to see where God is leading you at this place in time. The point is to hear the voice of Jesus through his Word and then apply it to your life. The Bible will be your most valuable asset in this task.

A living relationship in Christ will have concrete results, but it will also be intimate and even warm as all good relationships are. The goal directed life of the disciple is always focused on the next step of the way. Paul writes in Romans 8:26-27 NRSV; Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

Come Pray!

This Lent as we seek to lead people in prayer, we will be offering a five-week prayer course Tuesdays at 7:00PM starting March 15th and Wednesdays at 1:00PM starting March 16th. The goal will be to introduce some different ways of praying that help maintain the creative tension between praying for results and being present with God. We hope these tools will help you have a more fulfilling relationship with your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. May God bless you as you seek to find Him this Lent.

Keep the Faith,
Pastor Knecht

End Time Truth

2011-02-02T05:41:00.000-08:00

To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom, priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. (Revelation 1:5-6NRSV)

Apocalypse?

According to basic cable television, we only have one year left because the Mayan calendar runs out in 2012. According to the weather channel, the “snowpocalypse” is upon us, and as the Middle Eastern revolutions take hold, I am sure that there will be much talk of an upcoming battle of Armageddon.

In common parlance, the word “Apocalypse” means ultimate destruction. This is quite unfortunate, for the Bible uses the word in a completely different way. A Greek word, “apocalypse” simply means “revelation,” an open showing of the true situation and nature of things. The Apocalypse of John is in fact a common and accurate name of the last book of the New Testament. It is probably because of superficial readings of the book of Revelation that the word apocalypse has had a change of meanings over time.

One of the main themes of Revelation is that our current world is mortal. It, like us will have an end. The cause of that end will be the sin that has led ultimately to death. Focusing on that truth to the exclusion of the rest may lead us to confuse apocalypse with destruction. However, when we do this we limit the truth of what the Bible is trying to reveal to us. So when we read the Bible do not just focus on the big picture, but look for what God wants us to know about the little daily things that may have an impact on our selves, the world, and others.

Real Time Help

Before John even begins to speak about the end times, he teaches the seven churches whom he writes to about how to deal with their contemporary circumstances and daily challenges. Far less ink has been spilled and press given to the first three chapters of Revelation as the more dramatic visions that will come later in the book. This is unfortunate because they contain a key Biblical truth. The current state of your faith relationship matters.

How you treat people in this very moment is important. If you are not walking closely with God now, then how will you have any hope when things get bad? John gives each church both a word of affirmation and a word of challenge because the closer you hold to God, the less likely you are to be rattled by the headlines. For example, he writes to the church in Ephesus “I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance…. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. (Revelation 2:2-4) It as Rick Warren has spoken “your character today matters in eternity.”

Walking in the Light of Christ

A central premise of the book of Revelation is that the closer you walk with God the less you have to fear. The book and the Bible as whole close with John of Patmos’ vision of the New Jerusalem where “there will be no more night; they need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever. (Revelation 22:5)

When we participate in the classic practices of the Christian Faith, such as prayer, Bible reading, and service to the vulnerable, we work on living in God’s light. When we do this, we are reminded that we can be close to God. Whenever we are close to God, we understand the hope that has been given to us through Jesus our savior. So I invite you to keep the faith and continue to live hope in the light of Christ with us as we follow Jesus, the Christ.

Keep the Faith,
Pastor Knecht

Built up For Peace

2011-01-06T08:23:00.000-08:00

Meanwhile the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and was built up. Living in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers. (Acts 9:31 NRSV)

Back on track!

When I went to the gym this week, I noticed that I was not alone. In December, I had free run of the place, and at night it could almost be a place of contemplation as only the truly dedicated were around. Now the gym is full, it is noisy from the equipment being used and the conversations people are having while trying to get in shape. People seem to be using the New Year to get back on track. To build themselves up again, perhaps so they can feel better about themselves and have peace.

The verse in Acts above serves as a simple transition between the story of the conversion of Paul and the story of Peter bringing the Gospel to the gentiles for the first time. Luke who wrote Acts often uses verses like this to provide for a smooth transition between parts of the church’s story. However, they do more than that; they communicate the virtues and values of the early church that Luke finds so important.

Built up for peace!

Luke tells us that the church was built up and had peace. Since so many of us are looking for these exact two things in our own lives, perhaps we should look to what he says. What we find in Acts 9:31 is that being built up and having peace in our lives is conditional. The condition that allowed for this to happen in the churches of Judea, Samaria, and Galilee was that they were “walking in the in the fear of the Lord.” They understood that God was present and close. They understood that God was working with and among them. They also respected what God was doing with them.

Just as important, they were walking “in the comfort of the Holy Spirit.” The word we translate to mean “comfort” in the original Greek version of the Bible also means to counsel, to advise, or to advocate. Thus they were allowing the Holy Spirit guide and direct their decisions every moment of the day. The results were startling they were built up to become the people God had created them to be and they had peace, which in biblical terms means that they were completely whole once more.

Where to turn?

That the gym is full is sign to me that people are looking to be built up and have peace. That the churches are empty in January is a sign that people are looking in the wrong direction. The myth that you can whip yourself into shape without God and the power of the Holy Spirit is a lie of our culture. If you accept this temptation, you do so at your peril. For in reality the true Christian knows that there is in reality no self-help; there is only a path to follow. The path that our Savior trod to the cross and resurrection. By the first week in February most will abandon the gym again and it will quiet once more (good for me!) as people learn that being built up and having peace requires more than exercise.

For self-help will never be answer to our mortality, and until there is answer for that you will have no peace. So don’t leave the church just for the truly dedicated, come be built up and have peace which the world cannot give, but Jesus does.

Merry Christmas 2010

2010-12-08T07:18:00.000-08:00

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it… And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory…. John 1:5 & 14 NRSV

Many Christians can tell you from experience that it is truly wonderful and inspiring to share the story of Christmas with others. In John’s Gospel, the essential point of the Christmas story is made without the details we find elsewhere in the Bible. He simply states that Jesus came to live with us in our sometimes-dark world so He could bring us back into the light of God our Father in Heaven. When we hear the message of hope that Jesus brings, we do not lose heart even when our world may at times seem dark.

This Christmas we will celebrate Jesus who is the light of the world. This light cheers our spirits, reveals to us the truth of who we are, shows us where we need God, and invites us on the way to go forward in faith. If you sometimes feel that the world is dark and hurting, look to the light that is Jesus. He has come to give light to all who call on him. The people of the Bible and Christians today have hope because we know that there is light in Jesus our Savior.

As Senior Pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church, I wish you a very merry Christmas and a blessed New Year. We hope that the Spirit of Jesus Christ may enlighten you this Advent and Christmas season and that you may be filled with the joy of knowing our Lord and Savior.

We of Holy Cross Lutheran Church invite and welcome you, your family and friends to come and see the glory of Christ as we worship him on Christmas Eve.

We hope you can be with us to experience the wonder and the joy of the season with your family and friends. We hope that you will hear, taste and see God’s message of hope for our world. The carols we will sing and Candles we light remind us that Jesus is “the true light which enlightens everyone.. (John 1:9).

Our Friday, December 24th Christmas Eve Schedule is as follows.

3:00PM Living Nativity on the Church Lawn
4:00 PM Family Christmas Eve Service
7:00 PM Christmas Candlelight Worship and Communion

Wishing you a blessed Christmas in the name of Jesus Christ,

Pastor Knecht

2010-11-17T17:26:00.000-08:00

Party on!

First, I wish everyone a blessed thanksgiving! I hope that your holiday will be blessed with good food, good company, and lively fun. Yes fun! Whether you celebrate thanksgiving with your family, friends or even strangers I pray you have fun. This is not merely a good wish. This is health for your spirit and rest for your soul. Genuine thankfulness always leads to fun. If you give thanks in a dour or dreary way, are you really being thankful?

When Jesus preached his first sermon in his hometown, Luke tells us that he started from the following text from the prophet Isaiah:

The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor… Isaiah 61:1-2 NRSV

The most succinct sermon ever delivered simply said: "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." Luke 4:21 The plain meaning that the Messiah had arrived to bring the Good News to life is all that needed to be said. So it’s time to party!

The hoped for response sadly did not occur as people were not able to get the party started. Jesus, setting the example for his later teaching, would move on to the next town in Galilee to find some more lost souls to party with. Sadly I must confess that at times I have behaved more like those sticks in mud at Nazareth than a joyful disciple of Jesus. My sin turns me inward to worry too much about tomorrow rather than being thankful for what God has so richly blessed me with right now.

In his book “the Church in the Power of the Spirit” the German theologian Jürgen Moltmann makes the point that when we through the Holy Spirit meet the risen Jesus we join the party without end. This party is the celebration of the freedom from sin and death won for us at the Cross. Our earthly lives are then transformed by our anticipation of our attending Jesus’ unending party in the next life. Through Jesus we are always free to have a twinkle in the eye and cheerful voice.

For this reason I pray that Jesus be the center of your thanksgiving and you realize the joy that comes from knowing him. I also hope that his Spirit will be with you. The Bible reminds us that during his earthly ministry he rarely passed up a good meal, so invite him into your heart and home this thanksgiving. Then you too can party on!

Pastor's Letter to Holy Cross Summer 2010

2010-07-20T10:11:00.000-07:00

"Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone? Or if the child asks for a fish, will give a snake? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him! (NRSV)

Ask

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus gives us some simple and direct recommendations for prayer. The first component is simply to ask God for what it is we need. The presupposition of this recommendation is that God is good. Martin Luther recommended in his Small Catechism that we do this boldly and confidently because God is a good and loving Father. For example, since the annual congregational meeting in June I have been asking for God’s favor that we reach 220 in worship a year from now. I do this because I believe that God has given us a mission to proclaim Jesus Christ as the light to the world. I also believe that people who know Jesus need to be part of a community of people that help them live out their hope and remain in Christ’s light. In your personal prayer life, you can be direct about what it is that you need. One need not be embarrassed to ask God for anything.

Jesus then instructs us to search. Searching paradoxically requires both action and waiting. It requires action because we need to be paying attention. Active listening through prayer is used so we remain humble and hopefully we learn that we are not just asking God to simply acquiesce to our wishes or desires. Searching through Scripture reading, worship, prayer, and faith conversations is all about being open to God’s Word for your life. It is a test to find out if what we are asking for is what we really need. Therefore, in our searching we need to be diligent in seeking the Holy Spirit’s answer, but also still enough to hear His voice so that we are not just confirming our own selfishness.

As I bring my prayer for 220 in worship at Holy Cross, I must be humble enough to receive the Holy Spirit’s answer. If the Spirit tells us that this prayer is only about our pride, then we must be gracious enough to listen to the truth. If however God responds that this is a genuine prayer for what we as a church need, then we must work to make it so. Sometimes the Spirit may actually be leading us into a place in between, so that for which we pray may be transformed into something holy. So in asking God’s favor for 220 in worship we are asking that each person who arrives is coming for God’s reasons and that each will genuinely find healing, hope, and renewal through Jesus. Following Jesus’ recommendations in the Sermon on the Mount ultimately means asking God to transform our longings to conform to His purposes.

Knock

Jesus teaches that once we have asked and search then we must knock. We are called to embrace God’s reality as presented to us. We do this by responding to what God is telling us. For example, since starting to pray for 220 in worship, I have become more proactive about inviting people to church. In social situations and casual encounters where previously I would have been content just to be friendly, I now directly ask people to come to Holy Cross and give them my card. What made the change was the simple setting of the numerical goal and praying for it. The Spirit immediately laid on my heart that I had previously been too passive. God is inviting me and giving me the privilege to work for what I am praying. I have used an example from my ministry to provide an illustration of Jesus’ principles of prayer, and to invite you to join with me in this prayer for 220 in worship.

Please know that the most important aspect of this article is following the pattern of prayer laid out by Jesus. This pattern of prayer will have unlimited applications in our daily lives. If you pray for a new career, to raise healthy children, to understand the purpose of your life, to be healed, given peace, or anything else concrete, or abstract, the same pattern will apply. As Christians we boldly ask, we search to find God’s answer, and we knock so that we can work with God along our path of discipleship. As those of us who have been doing this a while will tell you, God will not always give us what we ask, but our loving Father in heaven will always give us what we need. The truth is that we will never know the difference until we ask. Therefore, I invite you to ask, search and knock for anything that is on your heart to bring to Jesus this day.

Keep the Faith,

Pastor Knecht

Pastor Knecht's Annual Letter to Holy Cross

2010-06-08T12:44:00.000-07:00

Pastor’s Annual Report to the Congregation 2010

For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw-- the work of each builder will become visible, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each has done... Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? (1 Corinthians 3:11-16 NRSV)

There is no better time to be the church than today. There has never been a greater need for people to come and know Jesus Christ than now. There has never been a more important time to teach people who would like a closer walk with the Lord how to call on His name, listen to His Word, and be His hands than this very moment. There is only one reason to be the church and that is to learn how to live with God every minute of every day. My wish for Holy Cross this coming year is simple; I hope that we will walk with God.

I am ever hopeful that we will be able to heed Jesus’ voice to follow because I have seen the fruit of those who are working to build on the foundation laid by Christ at Holy Cross. I have seen those working to call our congregation to prayer. I have seen others give of their limited time and resources make sure that knowledge of God is passed on to the next generation through our Christian Nursery School and Children’s ministries. I have seen our small groups work to help our church know that we must live out our faith in between the Sundays if we are to be counted among Jesus’ faithful disciples. I have seen a dedication and passion for worship among our four worship teams and our worship arts volunteers. I have seen faithful groundwork being done by our ushers, counters, trustees, and property volunteers to help make sure that we are good stewards of our resources so we can continue with the mission to bear Christ to our community. We are currently planning to restart our youth ministries as soon as we can so that our teenagers will both have the opportunity to learn about Jesus in a deeper way and also witness to us what God is doing in their lives. I pray that as God continues to build us up we will be able to follow faithfully in new areas of mission.

As we work together to build on Christ’s foundation we will face some challenges. Our ongoing financial struggles are still with us. Our leaders have diligently prayed and discerned how best to live within our means and have helped us to reduce our operating expenses as much as possible. We will need to continue to address these issues for the foreseeable future; we must follow the Holy Spirit’s guidance to find ways for us to continually fund our mission and ministry. I would ask you to be in prayer in how you can help us respond to this challenge.

Our second challenge will be learning to live according to God’s expectations rather than our own. The world attempts to measure success by accessing various statistics. When they are on the rise, the world tells us that we can puff out our chests and justify ourselves in the illusion of our own achievements. However, God does not demand success, but asks for faith. We are called to follow in faith and trust that the results are in God’s hands. This means that we must live in hope. Living in hope is a good thing because it means that we are waiting for and relying upon God.

This past year our communication team gathered to work on how best to communicate the vision and mission of Holy Cross to those our neighborhood. This led the group to discern not only strategies, logos, and colors but to prayerfully examine who we are at this time and come up with a way to talk about it so our community can understand. The tagline that they came up with is simple yet profound. Holy Cross is “living hope in the light of Christ”. We are living hope in that we are by our actions demonstrating that our hope is Jesus Christ. Therefore, we call each other to prayer and worship, we teach the faith, support each other and serve our neighbors in need because we have hope in Christ. We do this in the light of Christ as we realize that Jesus is the only way that we can go forward. This light is both joyful and illuminating. The hope we have in Christ allows us to examine ourselves for who we really are and also understand the truth of what Jesus has done for us in the cross so we can have faith and be joyful in all circumstances.

In order to continue to foster our future growth we have begun a process to access the overall health of our church. Some of you will have already taken a church health survey. The natural church development survey monitors the quality of church life in eight areas demonstrated to be vital for a church to grow. The eight areas are empowering leadership, gift-based ministry, passionate spirituality, effective structures, inspiring worship, holistic small groups, need-orientated evangelism, and loving relationships. The process would then be to focus some of our effort to address the area in which we need the most work. Often congregations are not able to grow because there is some issue of which it is not aware. Our goal is to have the courage to address any issue that stands in the way of our being a community that spreads God’s Word faithfully. After we receive our results there will be an effort to involve the entire congregation to work together to help address the area where God is calling us to work toward.

I am confident that God is calling us to a particular mission in this place and time. I am also sure that we are being tested in the fire of adversity, however I know that if we are in prayer God will continue to lead us through any dark valley. He has brought us so far already; I have no rational reason to doubt his continued presence and help. In conclusion, I ask you to be in prayer for our church and each other. I ask you to remember the blessings that God the Father has so richly showered upon us. I also ask you to pray that God see us through any adversity we might face. May our Lord Jesus be with you.

Submitted to you faithfully in Jesus Christ,

Pastor Knecht

2010-04-27T04:56:00.000-07:00

Will the church be there for me?

This is a question that is in the minds of many who attend church around the world. Every church no matter what denomination or persuasion will have people that answer this question in three ways.

Some will confidently trust that it will be so. They will participate faithfully trusting that it will be so. They will faithfully work to make it so.
Others will find it harder to trust that it is so, their experience of having expectations let down will give them pause. They may even answer that the church will not be there for them and depart from the church or from a life of faith all together.
Some however, will not even ask the question. They will assume that church will be there. The church has always been around so why worry. There are more important things in life anyway. “I can always come back to church when I need to.” Afraid to miss some chance that life has placed before them, they ignore the place that can hold their whole life together.

It is interesting that the Bible does not answer this question! There is no guarantee, rather there is an imperative. Jesus asks us to be there for each other. "I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:34-35 NRSV)

According to the Bible the church is those who gather in Christ. The truth is this; if we are not there for each other, the church will not be there for you.

Right now because of the economy and where we are in our journey of faith as a church, we need to be there for each other. Some ways that we can be there for each other that God may be calling you respond to are:

Make Sunday worship a priority (if we don’t show up we can’t be there for each other);
Join a small group (we can be there for each other in a more meaningful way);
Consider an increase in financial giving to ensure that we have the resources to reach to our community with the Good News of Jesus Christ (so we can have the joy of getting to know new people in Christ);
Step up to help with a volunteer ministry (so we have time to be there for each other).

Holy Cross is not a thing, it is us. We are Holy Cross. We are the people who God has called together in this place and time. We are God’s household in the here and now. We are called to depend on God and be there for each other so please be in prayer for how you will respond.

Keep the Faith,

Pastor Knecht

March Letter to Holy Cross

2010-02-18T13:00:00.000-08:00

The LORD will guide you continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail. (Isaiah 58:11 NRSV)

Distracted?

Sometimes we get distracted in our lives. We lose the focus of what we really want to do and where we would really like to go. In the world today we face many distractions: television, Internet, the race to have more possessions, and all the pressures that are part of normal American life. Often we become distracted because we have trouble setting limits on our own wants and desires. These can cause us to drift away from the center of our lives. Time with loved ones is reduced, adequate rest becomes scarce, and an active faith life is squeezed out. If we let the pattern of distraction continue in our life, then stress and isolation will build and we will indeed be headed for certain trouble. Each of us can only handle so much. Many contemporary sociological studies are saying that this is what is precisely happening to many people in America today. While we are getting busier all the time people are less likely to have dinner with their family, an evening with good friends or quiet time with God.

Concentration

There is however another option. We can break the cycle of distraction by intentionally concentrating on the basic practices of our faith. In the Christian church we have set aside six weeks out every year to do just that. The season of Lent is the time in the church where we prepare for the celebration of Easter. We do this by focusing on the basic message of the death and resurrection of Jesus and what that means for us today as a community of believers and as individuals. In addition we commit ourselves to prayer, worship, witness, and service so that our lives have grounding in a living relationship with our God. By commitment to Christian practice we allow ourselves to be strengthened by being watered and fed once again. The living out of the faith allows for our lives to be restored anew as Isaiah spoke of in the quote above.

Focus!

One of the things that living out an active life of faith can give you is focus. Disciplined time for prayer gives you a moment to slow down and examine what is really going on in your life at any given moment. The act of expressing how you see God working in your life can help give you a new perspective on how to continue to live. The expression of pains or doubts can create a space for your fellow Christians to show you love in tangible ways. A commitment to help others through service can provide a sense of meaning in life. Worship can remind you that you are not alone in your problems and distractions. Confession and forgiveness can provide a healthy accountability to God and others.

Through a renewed commitment to living out the faith you can create an environment where it is easier to see God working. When our relationship with the Lord is strong it is easier for us to stay on the course God is calling us to follow. We become able to discern what is important and what really doesn’t matter so much. I pray that the Holy Spirit continue to guide you this Lent and that through a renewed commitment to living out the faith you may see all the great things that God has done.

Keep the Faith,
Pastor Knecht

February Letter to Holy Cross

2010-01-21T06:41:00.000-08:00

I therefore… beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ's gift. (Ephesians 4:1 & 7 NRSV)

Get me out of here?

I am always up for a good movie. The problem is that I never know if the film is good until I actually watch it. I recently received a film via the mail in the familiar red package from Netflix. It came recommended by film critics; the actors and the director were accomplished academy award winners. It was supposed to be the kind of movie that someone like me should like, but I didn’t. While the film tried its’ best to be shocking and deep, it turned out to be an unimaginative succession of stereotypes and had nothing to really say at all. The film was about a happy young couple whose life becomes a train wreck because they decide to move their kids to the suburbs. This film belongs to certain genre of film popular these days that likes to point out how suburban American life is supposed to be empty. It is as about as realistic as films that always depict our cities as “urban jungles” or rural areas as populated exclusively with “rubes”.

Empty Life?

I have spent the last 15 years ministering in Northern New Jersey the last 13 of which have been in the suburbs. I have seen that the life characterized in films such as the one I recently saw is a fiction with little connection to the lives people actually lead. It communicates this lie: the place where you live gives your life meaning. It is a lie because where you live matters less than who you are living with. It is the relationships we have with God and others that give our lives true meaning. Those who walk with Jesus find meaning and purpose in their lives no matter where they might live. Certainly the life I see today going on in the suburbs in which I have lived in is not empty. If anything our lives might in fact be too full.

A Meaningful Life

This leads me to discuss another lie of our culture: a full life is a meaningful one. Don’t we say upon a person’s death as a compliment that they “lived a full life”? Life and God’s Word teach us something different; an empty life or a full life is not the point. The point is revealed in the question “what are we actually filling our lives with”? A life filled with real people and real prayer will have more meaning than a life filled with random stuff. According to the Word of God contained in the Bible the place where life happens is not particularly important. How life is lived in that place is what will really matter. How that life will be lived will depend upon who or what we are filling our lives with.

Early Spring Cleaning

When St. Paul wrote to those Christians long ago in his letter to the Ephesians he advocated that we fill our lives with Jesus Christ and those who gather around him He argues powerfully in chapter 4 quoted above that when we do we will find purpose, peace, and solid ground to stand our lives upon. By remaining centered in Jesus Christ we will grow to learn who or what is best to fill our lives with. This coming month we will begin the season of Lent where we get back to what is essential about our faith. It is a perfect time to clean out our spiritual attics and garages of the random stuff that crowds out what is truly necessary to live a life of meaning. It is an opportunity to relearn the basic message of our faith. It is a time to meet Jesus once again and fill our lives with activities guided by God’s spirit. We have a chance to live a life of meaning if we so desire to fill our lives the grace bestowed upon us by his son our Lord Jesus. The message of the Gospel is that there is more than enough grace for all because of what was done at the cross.

Keep the Faith

Pastor Knecht

January Message to Holy Cross

2010-01-05T14:36:00.000-08:00

When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, "What are you looking for?" They said to him, "Rabbi" (which translated means Teacher), "where are you staying?" He said to them, "Come and see." (John 1:37-39 NRSV)

Searching

Jesus asks “What are you looking for?” The two new disciples of Jesus reply that they want to know where Jesus is staying. Jesus grants their request not by giving them any information at all but asking them to come on a journey and to see for themselves. The two who set out on this journey will be transformed by him. Andrew will be the first Christian evangelist as he will invite his brother Peter to come along on the journey to meet the Messiah he has found. The other disciple who will remain unnamed will occupy a special place in Jesus’ heart as John’s Gospel will call him beloved. (Church tradition names him John).

This simple encounter reveals to us God’s desire for those who seek Him. God does not want to merely give us information about Him; he wishes that we begin a journey with Him to see for ourselves. Jesus desires this out of love because He knows that good journeys always transform us. People need God because they are incomplete without Him. The only way to be with Him is to walk with Him.

Traveling

To have some information about a place is never the same as taking a journey to that place. We may know all the facts there are to know about Europe or Asia or even the Holy Land, but until we go through the security checkpoint and get on the plane and make the journey we will actually know very little about those places. Indeed the most important aspect of the journey will be getting to know the people who actually live there. The same is true of our faith, until we take the journey by actively following Jesus we will in reality know far too little about God. Until we meet those who are living with God we will know little about our faith. Please know that I understand that these journeys are expensive. I also know that they are messy, inconvenient, and we can sometimes lose sleep or even some of our luggage. There is a clear cost of discipleship.

The Real Danger

This is why the devil tries to tempt us with information. Satan is a master of information (just see his portrayal in Matthew 4, Luke 4, and Job 1-2); and he wants us to have the illusion that by obtaining only information we will have enough. The devil wants us to believe we can have it all free of any price. The devil wants you to stay home! Satan wants you to think that you can have it all without getting up and getting on the road with Jesus and may even try to convince you that the there is too much danger on the journey. Jesus reveals the truth that real danger is to stay home and miss the transformation that can happen in your life when walking with Him. This I know is true; Jesus turns around to us just as he did when we turned around for Andrew and John and asks us to come and see. There will be adventure and challenge on the road. These experiences will reveal to us what we are really made of, but there will be no danger because we will not be alone. God will be with us. So I plead to you, don’t stay behind; come and see! You will find Jesus, who will help you find your own soul.