Giving Thanks

Posted on October 24, 2022 by Wayne Gillespie

Some time ago, Andrae Crouch penned these words: “How can I say thanks for the things You have done for me? Things so undeserved, yet You gave to prove Your love for me. The voices of a million angels could not express my gratitude. All that I am, and ever hope to be, I owe it all to Thee.“

These words capture the essence of this special time of the year.

God has once again enabled sunshine and rain, soil and seed to work together to provide food that we’re going to need in the coming months. Martin Luther once reminded us that our “daily bread” consists of food and drink, clothing and shoes, houses and farms, money and property and spouses, little children and good government, good weather, peace, good health, good friends and neighbors, and all the rest…. We remember, as Christians, that when all manner of sin overwhelms us, God continues to choose us and bring us near, and for that we give thanks and praise.

Psalm 65 is one of my favorite psalms. The psalmist lifts up the peace that comes at sunset as a time to simply stop and rest in the arms of God, and the psalmist invites us to celebrate the joy of each day’s sunrise as a sign of new beginnings. The psalmist reminds us that God cares for the earth by filling irrigation ditches with water, by softening soil with gentle rain, by blessing the earth with growth and abundance, and even by calming storms and bringing an end to human conflicts. What a wonderful and amazing God we have!

The words of Andrea Crouch are not simply a statement of faith. His words are a question. How can we ever begin to adequately give thanks for the blessings that God has poured into our lives? How can we say thanks to the God who continues to choose us and bring us near when we are overwhelmed by the power of sin? How can we say thanks to the wonderful God who softens the soil with gentle rain and who combines that rain with sunshine, warmth and soil to feed us? How can we begin to thank God for food and drink, clothing and shoes, houses and farms, money and property and spouses, little children and good government, good weather, peace, good health, good friends and neighbors, and all the rest?

The Season of Harvest is a time of the year when we celebrate the incredible power of God at work in our lives and in our world. And the Season of Harvest is also a time when we are challenged to ask ourselves: “How can I give thanks for the things that God has done for me?” All that we are and ever hope to be is the result of God’s power at work in our lives; and our response to God’s love, mercy and bounty is how we give thanks and praise to the God who continues to bless us.

What Can I Do?

Posted on May 31, 2022 by Wayne Gillespie

There are times in life when words can’t fix things.

We were all stunned, last week, when a young man walked into an elementary school, and shot 19 little children and 2 of their teachers. Almost at once, people were inclined to say things like “You are in my thoughts and prayers” to people whose lives had been shattered and whose lives will never be the same. Politicians quickly aligned themselves in the Capitol Building and we heard the same rhetoric that we’ve been listening to for decades. We are divided. We can’t seem to agree about a path forward. Many of us probably feel powerless and unable to do anything in the face of continuing tragedy. We might even be asking each other, “What can we do?” or, more personally, be asking ourselves, “What can I do?”

Jesus once prayed for His followers in words that are now called the “High Priestly Prayer” which is found in the seventeen chapter of John’s Gospel. Jesus is praying for the Church. Jesus is praying that God will make us one with each other. Jesus realized that those who follow Him have an opportunity to change the world and make it into a better place.

And, with that in mind, if you’re asking yourself, “What can I do?” here are some ideas that spring from the “High Priestly Prayer” and that can help us to be “one”:

America is the way that it is right now because of the way that we act. We honk the horn on our automobiles or scream at other drivers who don’t burn rubber through intersections and get out of our way when stoplights turn green. We are tired and stressed, right now, partly because of the pandemic, and that is clearly visible in the ways that we act. We are all on edge. We drive and act aggressively. We argue about things on social media that just don’t matter. If you’re asking yourself, “What can I do?” perhaps it’s time to slow down; to think more intentionally about the ways you are interacting with others; and, in times of conflict, to ask yourself, “Is what I am doing helping the situation, or is what I am doing ratcheting the conflict up to a higher level?”

America is the way that it is right now because of the ways that we talk to each other. We type words on social media platforms that we would never say to people face-to-face. We label people with words that pigeonhole all of us into enemy camps that are filled with people who cannot have a reasonable discussion. We, sometimes, even say things that we know are going to cut other people like a knife. If you’re asking yourself, “What can I do?” perhaps it’s time to stop for a moment and think about the words that you use. And, it’s not just about the words. Think about the context. Think about how you think others are going to hear what you say. Think about the setting. Are you trying to address a difficult issue when you are in a public setting where the person you are speaking with will be embarrassed? Studies have shown that discussing difficult issues while eating a meal can be absolutely disastrous. If you’re asking yourself, “What can I do?” watch the way that you are talking to other people.

America is, also, the way that it is right now because of the specific words that we use. We have, sadly, become more accepting of name-calling and abusive language. St. James once said that our words have the power to start a raging and consuming fire. If you’re asking yourself, “What can I do?” perhaps it’s time to think more about the words you use. Do your words build other people up, or do they tear others down? Do your words uplift, or belittle? How often do you swear? If you’re asking yourself, “What can I do?” perhaps you could select your words more carefully and stop setting fires?

American is, lastly, the way that it is right now because people have forgotten about the 8th Commandment. Martin Luther once said that the 8th Commandment is one that calls us to interpret the actions of other people in the best possible way. Most people are trying to do the best that they can. Most people do not live their lives intentionally trying to hurt people and do things that are wrong. If you’re asking yourself, “What can I do?” perhaps you could embrace a more charitable attitude toward other people. It’s easy to misinterpret the actions of other people – particularly when you are stressed and impatient. It’s easy to find yourself bearing false witness in times of conflict and disagreement. If you’re asking yourself, “What can I do?” perhaps you could look for the best in other people and interpret their actions in a more charitable way?

There are times when words can’t fix things; however, there ARE things that you can be doing during these unusual times to make our world a better place. We may not be able to control the behavior of other people, but we can control the ways that we act and interact with others. And, even though you may not be able to fix everything that’s happening in America, right now, we can all ask ourselves, “If it’s not going to be me, who is it going to be?”

Soul Business

Posted on May 16, 2022 by Wayne Gillespie

I will be celebrating the 34^th anniversary of my ordination on June 11^th. I was a Chemical Engineer before I went to seminary, and I served as a church organist for sixteen years. I worked in the rather cut-and-dry world of industry where bottom lines and annual reports dramatically shaped decisions and where mistakes were sometimes unforgiveable. But, in the course of my years, I’ve also met people, both living and dead, who shaped the ways that I think about life and especially the ways that I think about ministry.

My Bishop once warned me that I need to be careful to avoid allowing holy things to become ordinary, and I remember that every time I preside at a worship service. Martin Luther used to tremble when he held the chalice during Holy Communion because he remembered that the chalice is a Cup that contains the very blood of Christ that brings us the forgiveness of sins. Father Joel Nafuma, an Episcopal priest, taught me that strong and healthy ministries are built upon the effective sharing and utilization of spiritual gifts, not just upon finding people to do things that need to be done around the church. Jesus has taught me that life is filled with an abundance of holy moments when God connects with ordinary people, and that the life-bringing mission of the Church will always spring from the command of Jesus to “get out there and make disciples” in new and relevant ways.

Those of us who remain connected to the Church need to remember that we are in the Soul Business. I never really know how God will use the words that I preach, but I trust that God is at work every time I step into the pulpit. Sunday School teachers and those who work together to make Vacation Bible School possible don’t always know how God is going to use the seeds that they plant when little children gather to hear that they are loved by a God they might not even know. Have you ever considered the fact that there are people standing beside you in worship who need you to be there because they’re not able to sing the word “Alleluia” because of something that’s happening in their lives that you don’t understand? We are in the Soul Business when we welcome people and embrace them during these challenging times. We are in the Soul Business when we listen to each other and when we do something as simple as prepare a meal for someone who is homebound. We’re in the Soul Business when we worship and gather around the Table of the Lord where the Risen Jesus comes to us in a Holy Meal. And, yes. We are in the Soul Business every time we help people discover and celebrate their spiritual gifts, and enable them to find ways to use their gifts and talents in life-giving and personally-fulfilling ways to glorify God.

We sometimes forget that we are in the Soul Business. It’s easy to hurry up and “get down to business” without taking some time to pray before a meeting. It’s sometimes easy for the people, who volunteer to welcome folks when they come to worship with a smile, to forget that they may be offering the only smile that a person has seen in a week. It’s sometimes easy to forget that doing something as simple as lighting the candles on an altar, turning the lights on, or preparing an altar for a worship service allows other people to pause for a time of prayer before the service begins. It’s easy for the people who assist in worship to forget that every time a lesson is read during a worship service the Word of God is being spoken to God’s people. It’s easy to forget that every time wine is poured during Holy Communion the forgiveness of God is extended and received by those who have gathered.

I, sometimes, get tired. You, sometimes, get tired. We all have times when we don’t want to commit to doing one more thing because we are busy. It’s easy to reduce church budgets to a set of line items that can be trimmed and reduced with little thought about the effects that less funding will have upon life-giving ministries. And yet, Jesus’ call to each and every one of us is still one that is being extended today. We are called by our Lord to offer that friendly smile and welcome people who come to worship. We are called to take time out of our busy lives to visit the sick, to prepare meals for the homebound and to extend our compassion by doing things as simple as offering our care and support during a visit to a funeral home. We are called by the Holy Spirit to be a Church that keeps its eyes focused upon mission, upon new ways to share the message of God’s love, upon the fact that young people still need to hear the story of Jesus from the lips of Sunday School teachers and still need to hear about the love of Jesus at Vacation Bible School, and upon the fact that we have been called into the life-changing business of touching souls by Jesus Christ. Holy moments occur when we pray and study the Bible together. God stirs our hearts when we envision ministry as being about far more than bottom lines and quarterly reports. The Holy Spirit propels the Church toward an exciting future, even in these quickly changing times, as we keep our eyes upon God’s plan for our lives, for our communities, for our nation, and even for our world.

We must never forget that we are in the Soul Business. The ministry that we do together can touch and shape the lives of people in ways that nothing else can. And when we gather in prayer, in worship, in times of learning, and in times that we devote to caring for others, we must continue to remember that we are doing God’s work with our own hands because the things that we are doing bear testimony to our faith and bring God’s love into the world.

Handling Conflict – Part 1

Posted on September 28, 2020 by Wayne Gillespie

Conflict is something that has always been hard to handle.

Almost all of us are both tired and frazzled these days. The coronavirus has dramatically shaped our lives and our ability to interact with others, and the political atmosphere in our nation has deteriorated to the point where we’re being asked to take a side and to define everyone on the other side as our enemies. Many people are facing unemployment and are finding that their best path forward is not clear. Other folks have taken to the streets and have joined in peaceful protests, while others are looting businesses and burning buildings. History indicates that, in times of upheaval and uncertainty, caregivers and other people on the front lines begin to hit walls about six months after a disruption or disaster occurs, and that caregivers often respond to the burnout that they are experiencing by pulling back, by quitting their jobs, or by simply choosing to plod forward silently in the gray funk for another day. I read a story, just last week, about a 70-year-old man being dragged through a store by his hair and being thrown to the floor, where he was punched and kicked many times, because he asked another customer in the store to wear a mask.

Conflict is something that has always been hard to handle.

We tend to withdraw and to hunker down when conflict is swirling around us. We have the tendency to believe that we are totally right and other people are totally wrong. I suspect that we all find it easier to talk to our friends and family members about things that are going wrong in our lives than to talk directly with people who have stepped on our toes. Some people simply become silent during times of conflict, especially in times like these, because they just do not have the energy to walk a different path.

I am going to be exploring the issue of conflict in my next few posts because I believe that the teachings and principles of our faith are important in times like these. And I am going to start this series of posts by exploring the Eighth Commandment because I believe that the Eighth Commandment can help to unravel many of the conflicts in our lives long before we get to the point where hurts and disagreements become more difficult to handle.

“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”

Have you ever considered the fact that it is easy to bear false witness in times of conflict? Most of us want to believe that we are right in times of conflict and that other people are simply wrong. Many of us hunker down during times of conflict and withdraw from people who hurt or disappointed us because our first instinct is to believe that those who hurt and disappointment us are enemies. But one of the lessons I’ve learn in life is that, in one way or another, I interpret everything that happens to me; and sooner (rather than later) my interpretation of what actually happened becomes even more important to me than what happened itself. This can create a challenge.

How I feel about what happened can become more important to me than what actually happened.

Read those words carefully once again; and then, think about how your understanding of the Eighth Commandment can shape your thinking in times of conflict. Our interpretation of what happened may be true, or our interpretation may be false. The man who blows the horn on his automobile as soon as the stoplight turns green may be acting like a jerk, or he may be in a hurry to get to a hospital emergency room before his mother dies. And so, when we’re trying to make sense of things that happen to us, we need to step back for a moment and allow our interpretation of what happened to soften.

I still believe that most people are trying their hardest to do their best these days and that most people are not intentionally trying to make the lives of other people more difficult. But relationships can easily become strained when we are tired and frazzled. Little things can become big things and big things can become monstrous things. We tend to magnify things that happen when we are weary and exhausted; and, when we do that, we need to be careful that we do not break the Eighth Commandment.

Martin Luther, the 16th-Century Protestant reformer, offers some sage advice to us in his explanation of the Eighth Commandment in his Small Catechism (1529). Martin Luther wrote that parents should teach their children that the Eighth Commandment means: “We should fear and love God so that we do not tell lies about our neighbor, betray him, slander him, or hurt his reputation, but defend him, speak well of him, and explain everything in the kindest way.”

What would times of conflict in your life look like if you stepped back and intentionally tried to interpret the actions of people who step on your toes in the kindest way possible? What would happen if you installed an “Eighth Commandment Firewall” in your mind; so that, long before you start to interpret the actions of others, you remembered to be both charitable and kind?

Perhaps the tension and stress in our lives would begin to decrease if we learned to separate what is happening in our lives from our feelings about what is happening in our lives? Perhaps even the weary and frazzled could find a sense of peace by stepping back and by trying to interpret the actions of other people in a more kind and gentle way?
And today, I want to lift those thoughts up as the first step forward in times of conflict. What happened and our interpretation of and our feelings about what happened may be different; and, when we keep that in mind, many conflicts in our lives can be unraveled before they grow and become unmanageable.

Calming Music

Posted on April 6, 2020 by Wayne Gillespie

keyboard pic

Martin Luther once said that, next to the Word of God, the devil dislikes music more than anything else in the world. Music can calm our hearts and lift our spirits. Music can help to restore a sense of peace in our lives and quiet our racing thoughts. Sometimes, I like to simply stop at the end of the day and listen to calming music before I go to bed.

We are traveling through a very unusual and stressful time right now. And, in response to that, I’ve added a new menu option to my blog entitled Calming Music. I’ve enjoyed playing the piano for many years and have even written some music and hymns of my own. I, also, enjoy creating new arrangements of familiar songs and hymns. I am offering these original recordings of familiar hymns and other songs for you to enjoy hoping that they can bring you moments of calm and peace in the midst of this storm. Please feel free to share them with other people that you know.

One of the songs I have included in this collection is an original composition entitled, “Through the Years.” I wrote this song while journeying through life with a very dear friend who was dying. I recently added an oboe part to the score. I have, also, added some other instrumentation to some of the songs that I have included in this short collection to add some variety to your listening experience.

I hope that you will enjoy listening to these songs that I’ve played and that they will bring you a sense of calm and peace during these unusual and challenging times.

Click Here to Listen to “Calming Music”

Should Worship Challenge You?

Posted on October 29, 2019 by Wayne Gillespie

Luther Pic

This week, the clashing symbols at our worship services couldn’t go unnoticed.

We celebrated Reformation Sunday, as Lutherans, and the great hymns of Martin Luther were vibrating in the air. But, in the midst of the celebration, there was also a flickering candle in front of our altar that had been lit in memory of the eleven innocent people who were senselessly killed in the massacre at the Tree of Life Congregation in Squirrel Hill exactly one year earlier.

We celebrated the life, ministry and teachings of Martin Luther – a man who boldly and with great courage nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany in 1517. And yet, we remembered that Martin Luther vehemently attacked the Jews with words like these: “We are at fault in not slaying them. Rather, we allow them to live freely in our midst despite all their murdering, cursing, blaspheming, lying and defaming; we protect and shield their synagogues, houses, life, and property. In this way we make them lazy and secure and encourage them to fleece us boldly of our money and goods, as well as to mock and deride us, with a view to overcome us, killing us all for such a great sin, and robbing us of all our property as they daily pray and hope.”

We remembered that modern-day Lutherans have openly denounced these horrible words of Martin Luther. But, we also remembered that Adolph Hitler used the words of Martin Luther to convince the German people that Germans have always felt that the Jews should be “removed from society with no less mercy than a doctor cuts a cancerous tumor from someone’s body” – ultimately firing suspicions and fears that led to the Jewish Holocaust.

Even our altar was covered with red paraments that remind us of the Holy Spirit that continues to reform the Church even today; but, paraments that also remind us of the blood of those who have been killed because of their religious convictions.

Should worship challenge you?

I guess that I would respond by saying that if you’re attending a church where you are not feeling challenged and confronted from time to time, you need to find a new church.

The Bible continues to remind us that we are sinners, and that we want to continue to believe what we believe and act in the ways that we act because there is no fear of God before our eyes (Romans 3:18). But, the words of St. Paul remind us that God is at work in our lives to transform us and to restore a sense of peace in our relationship with God through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Set free by the love of Jesus, we can “fight the good fight” (1 Timothy 6:12) and find peace with God (and with each other) in a world that God created with wonderful diversity. Set free by the love of Jesus, we can join hands with others and be “good moral neighbors” in a world where hatred, racial and religious supremacy, and oppression need to be confronted by the Word of God and by the Church that’s called to proclaim that Word.

Abraham Lincoln once said, as he gazed across a muddy field that had been transformed into a cemetery after the battle at Gettysburg: “It is for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us. That we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain.”

If the death of those who were slain in the massacre at the Tree of Life Congregation in Squirrel Hill has called us to reflect upon the ways that we think about others and about new ways that we can work together to make our world a better place, those who were senselessly slaughtered (as they were worshipping) did not die it vain.

But, before we can begin to move in that direction, we need to allow the words of pastors and those who teach in the Church to challenge us and to even confront the ways that we think and behave. And, as long as that continues to happen, we will be challenged during worship services and we will continue to be called to be a part of the solution – not a part of the problem.

Click Here for This Week’s Message

Your Life and Your Money

Posted on October 22, 2018 by Wayne Gillespie

Money Pic

Mark 10:35-45

Many people cringe when their pastor begins to talk about money.

The story of our faith tells us that, in the Beginning, God created everything that we see and that God created it all to be “good.” In his explanation of the 4th Petition in the Lord’s Prayer, Martin Luther reminds us that, when we ask God to “give us this day our daily bread,” God responds to our prayer by providing food, drink, shelter, shoes, clothing, our homes, faithful rulers, good weather, peace, good health, good neighbors, and even the gift of money. Signs of God’s faithfulness are all around us; in fact, God’s continuing love and faithfulness is what keeps us alive.
And so, a natural question emerges: “How do we respond to God’s faithfulness?”

In today’s reading (Mark 10:35-45), James and John ask an interesting question. They have been following Jesus for some time. They have seen Jesus perform miracles and heal the sick. They’ve heard Jesus talk about Heaven and they decide that they want special seats in Heaven; and so, they ask Jesus to give them those coveted places.
But Jesus surprises them.

Jesus describes being a Christ-ian as being a person who serves. Following Jesus is not about honor and prestige, and being great and visible. Following Jesus is not about power and authority and getting your own way. Christ-ians follow Jesus by living lives that are dedicated to loosing bonds and setting people free. Christ-ians untie bonds and help people move toward “wellness.” But, in a busy world, we don’t have enough hours in the day to support every good cause, do we? In a busy world filled is many obligations, we can’t set everyone free, untie all of the bonds that we want to untie, and help all of the people that we want to help move toward “wellness.” But, what we do have is a “vehicle” that we can use to do just that.
What would happen if you began to look at money as something that someone else gives to you in exchange for a part of your life that you can never get back?

That’s the truth that this week’s message, “Your Life and Your Money”, lifts-up. Our lives and our money are intimately connected. And our money is a “vehicle” that we can use to do things that we, otherwise, wouldn’t have the time or the physical ability to do.

We may not have time or the physical ability to visit the ill and the home-bound people in our community – but, through the “vehicle” of money, we can offer a part of our lives to restore people who are suffering and lonely to wellness by supporting the ministry of a person who makes those life-changing visits. We may not have the time or the physical ability to feed hungry people in our community – but, through the “vehicle” of money, we can give-up a part of our lives as Christ-ians to untie the bonds of hunger and place food on people’s tables by supporting the work of a local food bank. We may not have time or the physical ability to fight the raging battle against addictions in our communities – but, through the “vehicle” of money, we can give-up a part of our lives as Christ-ians, so that people who are battling addictions have a safe place where they can gather in supportive communities to fight their battle with the help of other people. We may not have time or the physical ability to rebuild homes after a hurricane has destroyed them – but through the “vehicle” of money we can restore hope and rebuild homes, and we can provide help to those who are traveling through one of the most difficult times in their lives.
When we give money to the Church, we offer a gift-of-life that will be used as a “vehicle” to restore people, to untie bonds, and to bring God’s people to a better place in life that’s marked with both health and wellness.

Money that’s given to the Church isn’t just used to support an institution or social club. Money that’s given to the Church isn’t just used to pay ongoing expenses, so that the doors of an aging building can remain open for another week.

The money that you give is a “vehicle” that we use to share our lives with others. Money that we give to the Church in thanksgiving is a “vehicle” we use to share time and energy and life with folks who need to be restored and who need to be brought to a better place in life in the name of Jesus.

Looking at Life Through Clean Windows

Posted on September 24, 2018 by Wayne Gillespie

dirty window

James 3:13-4:3

Clara was a woman who was never afraid to speak her mind.

She would rock back-and-forth in her rickety, old chair carefully observing things that were happening all around her. Clara’s grandchildren sometimes arrived at her home with spots of ketchup and mustard on their shirts. Clara always noticed when her grand-kids’ shoes weren’t tied, when Johnny had a hole in the knee of his pants, when the mug of hot coffee that her daughter brought to her didn’t have enough cream in it, and when there was dust on the piano. And that’s why Johnny wasn’t surprised when she got going.

“Hey, Johnny,” Clara said, “look at those sheets hanging on Esther’s clothes line! Aren’t those the dirtiest sheets you’ve ever seen?” “Just look at those filthy things! They just look like a bunch of dirty rags!”
And Johnny sat there as his grandma went on and on and on and on….

There wasn’t anything wrong with the sheets. And, after a few minutes of listening to his grandma’s newest complaint, Johnny got a little, quirky smile on his face and said, “Hey, Grandma, when was the last time you cleaned your windows?” “You’re seeing all of those dirty spots because you’re looking at Esther’s sheets through your own dirty windows.”
We’ve probably all had times when we looked at the world and at other people through our own set of dirty windows.

We’ve all been told to stay away from certain “kinds” of people and we do it. We’ve all had time when we’ve heard rumors about other people; and, suddenly, we discovered that we could never look at them in the same way. We’ve all been hurt or disappointed by others; and, when that happens, we decide that other people are “bad” and that they will never change. We usually believe that when people do things that are wrong they will always be people who do things that are wrong. And, that’s it. Period.

In this week’s message, “Looking at Life Through Clean Windows”, we take some time to explore the ways that we look at each other. St. James leaves us dangling between a “fractured” world filled with conflicts, disputes, greed and anger – and a world that is filled with Godly gentleness that’s born of wisdom. St. James tells us to “be doers of the word and not just hearers” (James 1:22) and to live lives that point others toward the Christ that we love and serve. But, sometimes, the ways that we “see” other people can stop us from doing that. Sometimes, the spots on our own dirty windows keeps us from seeing the goodness in others and causes us to interpret things in unhelpful ways.

Martin Luther, the 16th-century Church reformer once explained the 8th Commandment using these words: “We are to fear and love God, so that we do not tell lies about our neighbors, betray or slander them, or destroy their reputations. Instead, we are to come to their defense, speak well of them, and interpret everything that they do in the best possible way.”
How would our lives and our relationships change if we started to do that?

This week, try to find the good in other people. Try your hardest to interpret the things that other people do in the best possible way. Ask God to help you to clean your windows, so that you’re more able to see others in the ways that God does – knowing that when you are “Looking at Life Through Clean Windows”, you’re going to be happier – you’re going to have more friends and deeper relationships. You may even find that when you live your life seeing the goodness in others and accepting other people just as they are, other people will begin to see you and to treat you in the very same way.

God, Me, You and Them

Posted on October 30, 2017 by Wayne Gillespie

Martin Luther

“For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood to be received by faith.” ~ (Romans 3:22-25)

We commemorate the 500th Anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation this week.

A monk named Martin Luther had been struggling with a question that many of us have asked ourselves at some point: “How can I know that things are right between God and me; so that I can know that, when I die, I’m going to Heaven?”

Luther tried his best to make sense of how God responds to the sin. Luther struggled to understand how we can live with hope and peace in our lives knowing that, even when we’re trying to do our best to please God, we still fall short. And Luther also struggled to make sense of how Jesus fits into the picture. If Heaven is something that I earn by being a good, kind and loving person, why do I need Jesus? And on the other hand, if Heaven’s something that I earn by being a good person, how can I know that I’ve been good, kind and loving enough?

But something else was happening….

Faith was intensely personal. People were obsessed with Heaven and Hell, and their fate in the afterlife. And the Church was willing to help. In fact, the Church was telling people that they could take a big step in the right direction by purchasing indulgences – pieces of paper that indicated that a withdrawal had been made from the “Treasury of Merits” (an overflowing bank account that contained all the good deeds that had been done by the Saints in every Age). And that was the solution! But, Luther didn’t buy it (literally).

“God, Me, You and Them” is a message to encourage you to think about God’s relationship with you and with everyone else in the world. The Bible tells us that God sent Jesus into the world because sin is incredibly destructive. The Bible tells us that God sent Jesus into the world because He wants us to know that He loves us, and that His love is a love that’s always ready to welcome and embrace us. And that’s true for other people, too.

The Lutheran Reformation was about more than indulgences. And the Reformation of the Church is still about more than indulgences. It’s about the fundamental relationship between God and the world. Jesus came into the world because God loves you, and Jesus came into the world because God loves me, too. Jesus came into the world because God cares about people that you love and cherish, but He also came because God loves people that you find hard to love. Luther reminded us that God’s love is all about “God, Me, You and Them”. Luther reminded us that God’s love in Christ is extended to everyone. God’s come into the world through the life, death and resurrection of Christ because He has a better plan for us than what we’re seeing right now. God’s come into the world, in Jesus, because God loves us even when we’ve fallen short; and He’s willing to lift us up and dust us off and send us in a new direction with another chance.

“God, Me, You and Them” is about recapturing the heart of God’s message to the world in Jesus Christ. It’s about moving beyond the “God and Me” type of thinking that causes me to focus all of my attention upon my own personal salvation – while forgetting about the fact that Christ came into the world because God loves everyone.