I had the chance to fill the Riverview pulpit this past week and expound upon Matthew 5.4: "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." You can catch the sermon audio here.
Coming up on 8 years ago - and it's strange to say that, because it doesn't seem that long ago - my wife's father ended a long battle with various illnesses and infections that had plagued his body for years. He had been in and out of the hospital for years, and had even had several brushes with death, but he was always able to pull through. But not this time. An infection took his life in his mid 50's.
The Mrs. and I had only been married for about two years at the time, and we were living with her parents and helping them to manage the house, so we were especially close to them. I'm not sure if I knew how to handle it at the time, let alone lead my young wife through the grieving process of losing her father. But those are situations that you don't really get practice for, and there are no do-overs after they are over. You're just thrust into those situations. You're not prepared for it, and it's hard.
This is something like what I think Jesus is talking about when he says, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." There are all kinds of things that cause people to mourn: death, unexpected and early death, disease, terminal illnesses, accidents, and so on and so forth. All of these things cause us to grieve.
But Jesus says that in our grief is blessedness. That's somewhat of a paradox. We would prefer to have the blessedness without the mourning, but that's not what Jesus says. When we mourn, our mourning can lead to comfort, and in this process we experience blessing.
Jesus would know. He experienced all kinds of suffering in his life that caused him to mourn. In fact, Isaiah 53 describes him as a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. When Jesus arrived at the graveside of his friend Lazarus, the Bible says that "Jesus wept." Ecclesiastes 3 says that there is "a time to mourn." Life is hard. Things happen, people die, accidents happen, terminal illnesses are diagnosed; relationships are severed, children rebel, kids have terrible debilitating diseases, etc. All of this is suffering, which causes us grief.
But one thing that we need to remember when we think about suffering and grief is that the Bible links all of the things listed above to the existence of sin in the world. Adam and Eve sinned, thereby transmitting their sin nature to all subsequent generations of human beings. The world is a broken place full of broken people doing sinful things. It's a recipe for someone to get hurt, and people do. Ever since then, all suffering and disease has been either the direct or indirect consequence of sin. People die because of sin, indirectly, because sin brought about death. And some people die as a direct consequence of sin. We sin, and the consequence of the sin is damaging, sometimes even to the point of death.
People die because of sin; accidents happen because of sin; we become discouraged and lonely because of sin; we experience illness and disease because of sin; relationships are severed because of sin; there is unrighteousness in the world that causes suffering and grief because of sin. Sin exists, and the effects of sin are real. Sin is why we mourn.
But Christians do not mourn as the world mourns. No, we do not grieve as those who have no hope because we believe that Jesus Christ died and rose again. This is the comfort that Jesus promises in Matthew 5.4. If sin is the root cause of our suffering and our grief, then the comfort that we must receive must deal with sin. There is a gospel of hope that tempers our mourning, and in this hope is true satisfaction and joy - the blessedness that Jesus says will come to those who mourn.
Why can we have hope in the midst of grief? Not because of a naturally cheerful disposition; not because time heals all wounds; not because someone empathized with me and said some kind words. No, we are comforted because we have a risen Savior who has defeated death and conquered the grave, and the same power that accomplished that is at work in those who believe.
Seriously, read 1 Corinthians 15.55-57 and Romans 6.6-11 for yourself. 2 Corinthians 7.10 says "godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death." Why does godly grief lead one to salvation? Because it points you to Jesus! The one who can deal with your sin and eliminate its eternal affect on you.
When we mourn the effects of sin in the world, our grief is tempered by the knowledge that we have a Savior who has overcome the power of sin. Sin can no longer have a permanent effect on us. It can still hurt us in this life and give us reason to be sorrowful and weep. But it cannot damage us eternally. We do not escape the effects of sin in this life when we trust the Savior, but the reach of sin is limited. There will come a day when it will all be done away with and there will be no more suffering, no more tears. There will be no accidents; there will be no disease or terminal illnesses; no one will ever be given a window of time in which to live; people won't get hurt; there will be no pain, no suffering, and no mourning. That knowledge alone should bring comfort to those who mourn.
A family at the church discovered several weeks ago that their youngest child had Leukemia. Understandably, this news rocked their world, and many tears were shed. The young boy's prognosis is good and hopeful, but he has a three year treatment plan ahead of him, much will be unpleasant.
So how does this beatitude speak to them? It is good and right for them to mourn, and they have a hard road ahead of them. They mourn the reality that they live in a fallen and broken world that has sickness and disease in it. They mourn the pain that will be brought about by this disease; they mourn the pain that will be brought about by the remedy for the disease. But they also have faith in a risen Savior who has power over all sickness and disease, because he has the power over the sin that brought the disease into the world in the first place. And the affect that this disease has on their family can only go as far as God lets it. Moreover, God has ordained that there will come a day where all sickness and disease will be wiped out. It will be done away with. There will be no more leukemia, no more cancer. No more tears, no more diagnoses or treatments.
Do you think that knowledge brings this family a measure of hope? Imagine going through something like this without know that Jesus has defeated death and sin, and that he is sovereign over disease. That is hopelessness. But we know that Jesus is who he says he is, and that he can do what he has said he can do, and so we are blessed even when we are grieving.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
How to Bring Biblical Ideas to the Public Square
I've never claimed to be on the cutting edge when it comes to current events of cultural commentary, and this post is more proof of that. A few weeks ago, Jason Collins of the Washington Wizards came out as the first openly gay professional basketball player. His coming out created quite the hubbub in the sports world and in the media.
Even more of a stir was created when Chris Broussard, an analyst for ESPN, called homosexuality a sin on live TV while talking about Collins' coming out on a live show on the network. Calls were immediately made for Broussard to be fired, and my Facebook news feed was clogged up with outrage about Broussard's comments. The entire interview is below. I highly commend it to you. Broussard's comments on the biblical view of homosexuality begin around 8:30.
Even though this is old news by now, it's worth some attention here, I think, because what we see in this interview are the marching orders for how Christians should bring biblical ideas to the public square. Chris Broussard masterfully brings the biblical worldview to bear on this discussion, and does so politely, lovingly, and yet firmly. Let's think for a few minutes about what he does right in this interview.
1. He appeals to the Bible as his authority. This is something that most Christians have failed to do in this debate, and when it has been done, it has mostly been done poorly. Unfortunately most Christians are quick to run to Leviticus and misuse Old Testament passages as proof that the Bible condemns homosexuality. Broussard does not do this. He just says that the acceptance of homosexuality as a biblically viable way of life is an affront to the message of scripture. Why does he hold these views? Because the Bible tells him so; not a study, not some statistics, but the Bible. The eternal, never-chaning word of God upon which we base our salvation.
2. He identifies sin as being open rebellion toward God. Not only does Broussard appeal to the Bible, but he unapologetically identifies homosexuality as sin - as something that separates people from God. Not because they are unlovable or because they are somehow worse than other people, but because it is sin. Welcome to the human condition.
3. He mentions the name of Jesus Christ. While this may seem rather insignificant, you won't find many Christians in venues like the one Broussard was in who will actually insist on the exclusivity of Jesus Christ. This, in a roundabout way, opens the door to the gospel. More on that in a minute.
4. He does not differentiate between homosexual sin and heterosexual sin. This is important, and something that Christians should be emphasizing when they enter into the conversation on homosexuality. Ray Comfort always said that when he witnesses to homosexuals he doesn't even bring the issue up. Why not? Because there's enough to convict people of their sin without even having to bring it up. In other words, people are big enough sinners that they can be convicted for their lies, theft, murder of the heart, lust, dishonoring of parents, etc., that you really don't even need to bring it up. Or if we do bring it up, we need to make sure to stress that homosexuality a deviation from the biblical prescription for sexuality, as is lust, fornication, adultery, promiscuity, etc.
5. He promotes tolerance - true tolerance. What is tolerance? Two people disagreeing with each other in a civil manner. It is not forcing people who disagree with you to abandon their convictions and adopt the status quo and then calling them bigots when they disagree with you. When we speak about tolerance in the public square, we should openly reiterate what tolerance actually is.
Another interesting thing to note is what I believe to be Broussard's very fair and unbiased assessment of this situation during the first half of the interview. It's interesting that Broussard's comments caused such a stir, considering that most of them were fair and unbiased. He only offered his views because it was relevant to the conversation the guys in the interview were having. And yet his head is being called for.
The other interviewee, who is openly gay, has nothing but respect for Chris Broussard, even though they are on opposite ends of the spectrum on this issue. But yet (gasp!) they get along! They can have a conversation peacefully without accusing one another of being hate-filled bigots! The relationship that these guys have is one of tolerance - true tolerance - not the kind that says "either agree with me or shut up." Apparently the openly gay guy on the other end of the interview wasn't offended. Why were so many others?
If Broussard's presentation on this program could have been improved in any way, it simply would have been to reiterate that, although the Bible does say that homosexuality is sin, and that sin separates people from God, there is good news: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the chief. He saves homosexuals and heterosexuals who are steeped in sin. But let's not be too hard on Broussard for this omission, because it is one that Christians have made almost every time they come into the public square. It seems that we are very quick to denounce homosexuality as sin, but are less quick to affirm that Jesus saves sinners. This must be a part of our conversation. After all, we're gospel people. We revel in the forgiveness of sin and application of grace to our lives. Let's talk about how Jesus made us new, even though we were utterly hopeless and lost in sin, and how he can do that for anyone who comes to him.
I should know, he did it for me.
Even more of a stir was created when Chris Broussard, an analyst for ESPN, called homosexuality a sin on live TV while talking about Collins' coming out on a live show on the network. Calls were immediately made for Broussard to be fired, and my Facebook news feed was clogged up with outrage about Broussard's comments. The entire interview is below. I highly commend it to you. Broussard's comments on the biblical view of homosexuality begin around 8:30.
Even though this is old news by now, it's worth some attention here, I think, because what we see in this interview are the marching orders for how Christians should bring biblical ideas to the public square. Chris Broussard masterfully brings the biblical worldview to bear on this discussion, and does so politely, lovingly, and yet firmly. Let's think for a few minutes about what he does right in this interview.
1. He appeals to the Bible as his authority. This is something that most Christians have failed to do in this debate, and when it has been done, it has mostly been done poorly. Unfortunately most Christians are quick to run to Leviticus and misuse Old Testament passages as proof that the Bible condemns homosexuality. Broussard does not do this. He just says that the acceptance of homosexuality as a biblically viable way of life is an affront to the message of scripture. Why does he hold these views? Because the Bible tells him so; not a study, not some statistics, but the Bible. The eternal, never-chaning word of God upon which we base our salvation.
2. He identifies sin as being open rebellion toward God. Not only does Broussard appeal to the Bible, but he unapologetically identifies homosexuality as sin - as something that separates people from God. Not because they are unlovable or because they are somehow worse than other people, but because it is sin. Welcome to the human condition.
3. He mentions the name of Jesus Christ. While this may seem rather insignificant, you won't find many Christians in venues like the one Broussard was in who will actually insist on the exclusivity of Jesus Christ. This, in a roundabout way, opens the door to the gospel. More on that in a minute.
4. He does not differentiate between homosexual sin and heterosexual sin. This is important, and something that Christians should be emphasizing when they enter into the conversation on homosexuality. Ray Comfort always said that when he witnesses to homosexuals he doesn't even bring the issue up. Why not? Because there's enough to convict people of their sin without even having to bring it up. In other words, people are big enough sinners that they can be convicted for their lies, theft, murder of the heart, lust, dishonoring of parents, etc., that you really don't even need to bring it up. Or if we do bring it up, we need to make sure to stress that homosexuality a deviation from the biblical prescription for sexuality, as is lust, fornication, adultery, promiscuity, etc.
5. He promotes tolerance - true tolerance. What is tolerance? Two people disagreeing with each other in a civil manner. It is not forcing people who disagree with you to abandon their convictions and adopt the status quo and then calling them bigots when they disagree with you. When we speak about tolerance in the public square, we should openly reiterate what tolerance actually is.
Another interesting thing to note is what I believe to be Broussard's very fair and unbiased assessment of this situation during the first half of the interview. It's interesting that Broussard's comments caused such a stir, considering that most of them were fair and unbiased. He only offered his views because it was relevant to the conversation the guys in the interview were having. And yet his head is being called for.
The other interviewee, who is openly gay, has nothing but respect for Chris Broussard, even though they are on opposite ends of the spectrum on this issue. But yet (gasp!) they get along! They can have a conversation peacefully without accusing one another of being hate-filled bigots! The relationship that these guys have is one of tolerance - true tolerance - not the kind that says "either agree with me or shut up." Apparently the openly gay guy on the other end of the interview wasn't offended. Why were so many others?
If Broussard's presentation on this program could have been improved in any way, it simply would have been to reiterate that, although the Bible does say that homosexuality is sin, and that sin separates people from God, there is good news: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the chief. He saves homosexuals and heterosexuals who are steeped in sin. But let's not be too hard on Broussard for this omission, because it is one that Christians have made almost every time they come into the public square. It seems that we are very quick to denounce homosexuality as sin, but are less quick to affirm that Jesus saves sinners. This must be a part of our conversation. After all, we're gospel people. We revel in the forgiveness of sin and application of grace to our lives. Let's talk about how Jesus made us new, even though we were utterly hopeless and lost in sin, and how he can do that for anyone who comes to him.
I should know, he did it for me.
Friday, May 17, 2013
Turkey Shoot
Last fall I posted about my recent enjoyment of pheasant hunting. About four years ago that interest expanded into turkey hunting as well. So, for the past four years I've had the pleasure of pheasant hunting in the fall, and turkey hunting in the spring. As time has gone by, I've equipped myself more for both sports, and I actually have quite a good turkey hunting setup going, including my own ground blind, call, camouflage, and pretty much anything else one needs to hunt Ben Franklin's favorite bird.
So far, in my four years of turkey hunting, I have been successful once - my first year - which definitely set a bad precedent for each succeeding year. But that's the way it goes. I still enjoy the idea of potentially shooting a turkey even if I don't get one.
My trip this year brought me to Black River Falls, WI. A friend of mine has some land there, and it turns out that out of state turkey licenses aren't too expensive. After making our preparations, we took off and set up the blinds on a cold and wet Thursday evening. As I mentioned previously, I was able to get my own blind this year, purchased with a gift card that I had received for my previous birthday, leaving the cost of the blind to me to be no more than $2.50. I was pleased.
The first morning was cold and windy. Temperatures were forecast to be around 70 for that day, so I dressed lightly - too lightly. It was a cold morning, but thankfully things warmed up throughout the day - so much so that I was able to take a nap between 2-3 PM.
On the first day I saw a total of seven turkeys - three groups of two, and a lone hen who wandered by my blind in the afternoon. Hens are off limits in the spring season, so I couldn't take her. Four of them were approximately 150 yards away from my blind - much too far away to attempt a shot. And when I tried to lure them with my slate call, most of them just looked my way but didn't find the sound tempting enough to investigate. I did get one tom turkey to fan out though, which is always fun to see. The picture doesn't do it justice, as like I said, I
was about 150 yards away. I could see it more clearly in person. But even though he fanned out and showed off for what he thought was an interested female, he didn't come my way. Another two were about 200 yards away from me in the late afternoon. They likewise were more interested in the prospect of finding food than in a hen, so they kept walking.
My big break cam early on Saturday morning. I thought it couldn't get much colder than it was on Friday morning, but it was. And a lot more windy. It's funny how, when you're hunting, you're trying to pay attention to the landscape around you, to watch for movement, and to become familiar with the land. Hunting in a blind is a peculiar thing. The goal is to blend in with the environment to the extent that the wildlife regards the blind as just a regular part of the land, and is therefore comfortable enough to walk on by.
It also needs to be noted that hunting can be a rather boring activity. There are hours and hours spent being alone and quiet, with nothing much to do. You can't really do anything else, actually, because you want to be focused on your surroundings. On Saturday morning, it was around 7:30 AM, and I had been in my blind for about two and a half hours by then. I took a scan of the area around my blind, and then began to day dream and look around at things, as is want to happen. Throughout this time, I just casually looked in front of me, and there were three turkeys, right next to my hen decoy, directly in front of me. I quickly grabbed my range finder to see the exact distance: 25 yards.
By this time, the turkeys began to wander away, seemingly realizing that my hen was just a pretender and not interested in mating. I rummaged for my call, and began to squawk. They froze, put their heads up and looked around. Then they all began to come back to my decoy - back into my sights.
I had set up my blind next to a wood line overlooking a food plot, facing east. This was a great spot, except it had one drawback - I was looking directly into the sun. This meant that I was seeing more turkey silhouettes than actual turkeys. With the bright light in my eyes, I wasn't able to notice any distinguishing features on the birds that would clue me in to whether or not they were male or female. Tom turkeys (mature males) have what's called a beard - a long tuft of coarse hair protruding from their chest. Hens do not have this. Jakes (immature males) have very little beard, if any at all. The older a turkey gets, the longer his beard grows.
What I knew for sure was that none of the three turkeys I was looking at had beards. This meant that they were either hens, which were off limits, or jakes, which were fair game. But with the sun the way it was, I just couldn't tell. I decided not to take the shot rather than risk shooting a hen.
The trip ended that afternoon, and I left empty handed. That's OK. It was still fun to go, and it was a thrill to see the turkeys, especially those three up close. I really enjoy turkey hunting, and hope to make it a regular part of my year.
So far, in my four years of turkey hunting, I have been successful once - my first year - which definitely set a bad precedent for each succeeding year. But that's the way it goes. I still enjoy the idea of potentially shooting a turkey even if I don't get one.
My trip this year brought me to Black River Falls, WI. A friend of mine has some land there, and it turns out that out of state turkey licenses aren't too expensive. After making our preparations, we took off and set up the blinds on a cold and wet Thursday evening. As I mentioned previously, I was able to get my own blind this year, purchased with a gift card that I had received for my previous birthday, leaving the cost of the blind to me to be no more than $2.50. I was pleased.
The first morning was cold and windy. Temperatures were forecast to be around 70 for that day, so I dressed lightly - too lightly. It was a cold morning, but thankfully things warmed up throughout the day - so much so that I was able to take a nap between 2-3 PM.
 |
| A tom turkey fanning out as he walks with his hen. Click to enlarge. |
was about 150 yards away. I could see it more clearly in person. But even though he fanned out and showed off for what he thought was an interested female, he didn't come my way. Another two were about 200 yards away from me in the late afternoon. They likewise were more interested in the prospect of finding food than in a hen, so they kept walking.
My big break cam early on Saturday morning. I thought it couldn't get much colder than it was on Friday morning, but it was. And a lot more windy. It's funny how, when you're hunting, you're trying to pay attention to the landscape around you, to watch for movement, and to become familiar with the land. Hunting in a blind is a peculiar thing. The goal is to blend in with the environment to the extent that the wildlife regards the blind as just a regular part of the land, and is therefore comfortable enough to walk on by.
By this time, the turkeys began to wander away, seemingly realizing that my hen was just a pretender and not interested in mating. I rummaged for my call, and began to squawk. They froze, put their heads up and looked around. Then they all began to come back to my decoy - back into my sights.
I had set up my blind next to a wood line overlooking a food plot, facing east. This was a great spot, except it had one drawback - I was looking directly into the sun. This meant that I was seeing more turkey silhouettes than actual turkeys. With the bright light in my eyes, I wasn't able to notice any distinguishing features on the birds that would clue me in to whether or not they were male or female. Tom turkeys (mature males) have what's called a beard - a long tuft of coarse hair protruding from their chest. Hens do not have this. Jakes (immature males) have very little beard, if any at all. The older a turkey gets, the longer his beard grows. What I knew for sure was that none of the three turkeys I was looking at had beards. This meant that they were either hens, which were off limits, or jakes, which were fair game. But with the sun the way it was, I just couldn't tell. I decided not to take the shot rather than risk shooting a hen.
The trip ended that afternoon, and I left empty handed. That's OK. It was still fun to go, and it was a thrill to see the turkeys, especially those three up close. I really enjoy turkey hunting, and hope to make it a regular part of my year.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Thus & Such, Vol. 28
1. "The fact that Psalms [don't] include a soundtrack or notation clues us into what God values most in our worship songs." Bob Kauflin on the use of words in worship music.
2. "Seeing my children struggle with sin makes me squirmy." Here's a thoughtful reflection on trusting God with the salvation of children.
3. How do you end a prayer? With the word "amen," right? What does that mean? Why do we do that? Kevin DeYoung answers the question.
4. "When the law makes no sense, and is capriciously applied in a lottery-like fashion, the underlying logic of the whole system is totalitarian." Doug Wilson offers a poignant (as usual) reflection on the hypocrisy of charging a kidnapper who induced miscarriages in his victim with murder, while abortion is not only allowed, but celebrated.
5. Everyone has a story about "When I was a kid, my mom shoved us out the door until morning and didn't expect us back until supper time." We usually tell anecdotes like this as we bemoan the new overprotective parenthood that has gripped parents in my generation. Now kids have to wear helmets everywhere, have a GPS strapped to them, and can't do anything even remotely risky. We all say we appreciate our loose upbringing, but then why don't we raise our own kids that way? Turns out there's a website that's encouraging you to do things like drop your kids off at the park and tell them to find their own way home. They claim that worries about danger are over-exaggerated. Check out this whole website devoted to "Free Range Kids."
2. "Seeing my children struggle with sin makes me squirmy." Here's a thoughtful reflection on trusting God with the salvation of children.
3. How do you end a prayer? With the word "amen," right? What does that mean? Why do we do that? Kevin DeYoung answers the question.
4. "When the law makes no sense, and is capriciously applied in a lottery-like fashion, the underlying logic of the whole system is totalitarian." Doug Wilson offers a poignant (as usual) reflection on the hypocrisy of charging a kidnapper who induced miscarriages in his victim with murder, while abortion is not only allowed, but celebrated.
5. Everyone has a story about "When I was a kid, my mom shoved us out the door until morning and didn't expect us back until supper time." We usually tell anecdotes like this as we bemoan the new overprotective parenthood that has gripped parents in my generation. Now kids have to wear helmets everywhere, have a GPS strapped to them, and can't do anything even remotely risky. We all say we appreciate our loose upbringing, but then why don't we raise our own kids that way? Turns out there's a website that's encouraging you to do things like drop your kids off at the park and tell them to find their own way home. They claim that worries about danger are over-exaggerated. Check out this whole website devoted to "Free Range Kids."
Monday, May 13, 2013
A Time to Mourn
Today was a landmark day in Minnesota, as it was the day that the state senate voted to legalize same-sex marriage. The bill has only to be signed by Governor Dayton, which he will do within the week, and the law will take effect August 1, 2013.
This news comes during the week in which I am preparing a sermon on Matthew 5.4: "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." And in Ecclesiastes 3.4 it says there is "a time to mourn."
There is reason to mourn in Minnesota on this day, I believe.
There is reason to mourn, because the mayor of St. Paul apparently has the free reign to do this, an utterly and blatantly divisive and irresponsible thing to do, regardless of how you feel on the issue.
There is reason to mourn, because so many professing Christians are either falsely converted, or are so ignorant in the faith, that they believe homosexuality is a biblically viable lifestyle, exposing what seems to be a significant lack of good teaching (or an abundance of bad teaching) by the church.
There is reason to mourn, because I can't talk about this issue without my peers thinking I'm a hateful bigot. There is reason to mourn, because this reality is discouraging me from bringing my opinions to the marketplace of ideas - something that should never happen in a free society.
There is reason to mourn, because our society has come to the point that it believes that moral truth is decided by a majority opinion, and not by God.
There is reason to mourn, because this issue has become such a political hot button that it was shoved through the legislature as quickly as possible while other issues, many of which are arguably more worthy of the time and attention of our lawmakers, remain unaddressed.
There is reason to mourn, because the people of our state (and our country) seem to be less and less able to think rationally and logically, and instead are prone make decisions based on pragmatism and emotion. There is reason to mourn, because at recently as 5 years ago the vast majority of our state and country were vehemently opposed to gay marriage. What happened? How was such a drastic change accomplished in such a short period of time? I suspect it has something to do with the reason listed above.
There is reason to mourn, because it has become increasingly clear that God is removing his hand of grace from the collective mind of our country.
There is reason to mourn, because this legislation is further proof that much of the modern American church has failed in its job of proclaiming the gospel of grace.
There is reason to mourn, because the legalization of gay marriage will have untold and largely unknown effects on the worldview development of children, including my own.
There is reason to mourn, because the legalization of gay marriage is the first step down a slippery slope toward the validation of other sexually deviant practices, further confusing the idea of marriage and further encouraging people to venture deeper and deeper into depraved and destructive lifestyles that hurt the people in them, spiritually, emotionally, and physically.
There is reason to mourn, because the legalization of gay marriage is the a new frontier for the infringement of religious liberty in our land.
There you have it. I think there are several reasons why this is a time of mourning, and not just as Americans or Minnesotans, but as Christians - as the church.
At the beginning of this post I referenced Matthew 5.4, in which Jesus says, "Blessed are those who mourn..." But he doesn't end there. He speaks a word of comfort as well. But for right now I'm going to let the sting of the reality that is gay marriage sit with me a while, and allow it to sting. It needs to sting all of us: the church, the world, and everyone in between. There is a time for mourning, and this is it.
And let us all take heed of James 4.8-10 - me, you, and everyone else in our state and our country: "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you."
This news comes during the week in which I am preparing a sermon on Matthew 5.4: "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." And in Ecclesiastes 3.4 it says there is "a time to mourn."
There is reason to mourn in Minnesota on this day, I believe.
There is reason to mourn, because the mayor of St. Paul apparently has the free reign to do this, an utterly and blatantly divisive and irresponsible thing to do, regardless of how you feel on the issue.
There is reason to mourn, because so many professing Christians are either falsely converted, or are so ignorant in the faith, that they believe homosexuality is a biblically viable lifestyle, exposing what seems to be a significant lack of good teaching (or an abundance of bad teaching) by the church.
There is reason to mourn, because I can't talk about this issue without my peers thinking I'm a hateful bigot. There is reason to mourn, because this reality is discouraging me from bringing my opinions to the marketplace of ideas - something that should never happen in a free society.
There is reason to mourn, because our society has come to the point that it believes that moral truth is decided by a majority opinion, and not by God.
There is reason to mourn, because this issue has become such a political hot button that it was shoved through the legislature as quickly as possible while other issues, many of which are arguably more worthy of the time and attention of our lawmakers, remain unaddressed.
There is reason to mourn, because the people of our state (and our country) seem to be less and less able to think rationally and logically, and instead are prone make decisions based on pragmatism and emotion. There is reason to mourn, because at recently as 5 years ago the vast majority of our state and country were vehemently opposed to gay marriage. What happened? How was such a drastic change accomplished in such a short period of time? I suspect it has something to do with the reason listed above.
There is reason to mourn, because it has become increasingly clear that God is removing his hand of grace from the collective mind of our country.
There is reason to mourn, because this legislation is further proof that much of the modern American church has failed in its job of proclaiming the gospel of grace.
There is reason to mourn, because the legalization of gay marriage will have untold and largely unknown effects on the worldview development of children, including my own.
There is reason to mourn, because the legalization of gay marriage is the first step down a slippery slope toward the validation of other sexually deviant practices, further confusing the idea of marriage and further encouraging people to venture deeper and deeper into depraved and destructive lifestyles that hurt the people in them, spiritually, emotionally, and physically.
There is reason to mourn, because the legalization of gay marriage is the a new frontier for the infringement of religious liberty in our land.
There you have it. I think there are several reasons why this is a time of mourning, and not just as Americans or Minnesotans, but as Christians - as the church.
At the beginning of this post I referenced Matthew 5.4, in which Jesus says, "Blessed are those who mourn..." But he doesn't end there. He speaks a word of comfort as well. But for right now I'm going to let the sting of the reality that is gay marriage sit with me a while, and allow it to sting. It needs to sting all of us: the church, the world, and everyone in between. There is a time for mourning, and this is it.
And let us all take heed of James 4.8-10 - me, you, and everyone else in our state and our country: "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you."
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