Pastor’s Pen: Ashes to Ashes

We have now officially entered into the season of Lent. It is a time or a season of our church year where we can ponder the significance of God’s love for us in this person of Jesus. How is it that God would choose to become flesh, dwell among us, and then be led to a cross, all for our sake. It is a season of reflection, and we are going to be doing that during our Wednesday Lenten services as we use Luther’s Small Catechism to help guide us.

One of the sayings attributed to Luther was if we could simply follow the first commandment we wouldn’t need the rest. There seems to be some truth in this statement. In his Large Catechism, Luther expands on the meaning of the commandment in this way: “A god means that from which we are to expect all good and to which we are to take refuge in all distress, so that to have a God is nothing else than to trust and believe Him from the [whole] heart; as I have often said that the confidence and faith of the heart alone make both God and an idol.

If your faith and trust be right, then is your god also true; and, on the other hand, if your trust be false and wrong, then you have not the true God; for these two belong together, faith and God. That now, I say, upon which you set your heart and put your trust is properly your god.”

So, what is your struggle? I know that I find it easy to see in the many decisions that I make, on a regular basis, that I have many gods, or mainly my own wants and desires. I find that I can rationalize my way with the best of them. I claim it is about my own identity, but in reality, it is more often that I look to myself for my own comforts and desires. I often don’t trust God to fill those things. To be honest, I am more embarrassed by claiming them to be needs. So maybe Luther is right. Maybe looking more closely at this catechism can help me re-discover the longing that God has to welcome us back into the relationship for which we were created, and in doing so, discover the peace that only God can give.

Come walk with me during this Lenten journey and find purpose, meaning and a safe place to bring your questions.

Peace,

Pastor Tim