​In Protestant churches around the world, the Reformation is usually observed on the last Sunday of October. For those who are still tracking with time in 2020, that’s this Sunday. The day is usually filled with reminders of reformers like John Calvin and Martin Luther clarifying and crystalizing the gospel message that God’s salvation is by grace alone through faith alone rooted in scripture alone which is all about Christ alone.

And while the spiritual outcomes of the Reformation are certainly foundational to who we are Jesus followers, I think the Reformation might mean something more for us - especially this year. It’s so easy to forget that the Reformation wasn’t just a spiritual renewal, but also one of political, economic, and social change and how Jesus is the only solution that can get us there.

For a moment, let’s think about the Reformation as a period of time between 1517 and 1648 (instead of a one-time event). LutheranReformation.org helps frame out its significance. Here are some highlights:

• Throughout the 1400s and 1500s, children were told stories of the 75 million people died from the mid-1300’s Bubonic Plague
• In 1436, information accelerated with the Gutenberg Press
• In 1444, the first European slave market started in Lago, Portugal
• Then, in 1450, Portuguese bring African slaves to Cape Verde Islands
• Columbus sailed the Ocean Blue in 1492
• Scotch is first reportedly made in 1494
• The early 1500’s saw political alliances form between the church and government partially resulting in a bloody crusade (Christianized ‘Holy War’) against the Turks
• Early 1500’s the peasant’s revolution begins underground over oppression and discrimination and eventually erupts in a 1524 war led by Thomas Münzer
• In 1510, the Wheelock firearm was introduced in Nürnberg, Germany; the same year the First African slaves were brought to the New World (Haiti)
• In 1543, Christians are burned at the stake, alive
• In 1543, Copernicus declares the sun is the center of the universe; in 1592, Galileo invented the thermometer; and in 1595, Janssen invented the microscope
• The Thirty Years War begins in 1618

We could sum it all up like this: in a world of blurred religion and politics, questioning science and discovery, increasing social disparity and inequity, rumors of revolution, and fractured relationships, the words of Jesus Culture’s song, One Thing Remains echoes in my mind:

Dread is real. And it takes a toll on our mental wellness.

On March 12, 2020, New York Times Opinion Columnist, David Brooks said, “Some disasters, like hurricanes and earthquakes, can bring people together, but if history is any judge, pandemics generally drive them apart. These are crises in which social distancing is a virtue. Dread overwhelms the normal bonds of human affection”. And to think, Brooks wrote these words before the economic uncertainty, social disharmony, and the national election really heated up.

Dread is a specific kind of fear that expects the worst. Even the most positive person experiences a sense of dread over something. Dread is real.

The good news is that Jesus finds himself in a world of dread - and He does something about it. Think about it:

• The government tried to have Jesus killed.
• One season of poor weather could be the difference between his country’s feast or famine.
• Culture was at a tipping point as Rome inched closer to taking over Jerusalem.
• Protests and riots were frequent in urbanized areas.
• Injustice and discrimination was commonplace for both Jews and Samaritans.
• Taxes were high. Morale was low. The debt that people owed needed to be reconciled.
• Dirty, backroom deals were made between supposed respectable leaders.
• And when leadership mattered most, the judge washed his hands of the situation.

I can only imagine how dread-filled people living in a dreadful moment received Jesus’ words.

“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life… Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life… your heavenly Father already knows all your needs” (selections from Matthew 6:25-32).

But, Jesus - don’t you see that we are in dreadful times? I sometimes feel like I’m losing my mind. We seem to be moments from chaos. There are rumors of food shortages. Families are divided by ideologies and opinions. It seems as if the world is falling apart. Protests and riots have become the norm. Injustice and discrimination is rampant. I’m not sure about taxes, but morale seems really low right now - and there is a whole lot of debt out there. Dishonesty, disloyalty, and dis-everything seems to be more of a character trait among leaders than integrity. And when it seems like the world needs leadership, we find ourselves in a vacuum. 

Jesus responds, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need” (Matthew 6:33).

You mean, you will give me everything I need to get through this dreadful day?

Jesus gently speaks, “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today” (Matthew 6:34).

Perhaps surprisingly, Jesus doesn’t eliminate dread. Instead, Jesus gives us a better alternative than to fixate on our dread.

• Seek the things of God - His love, grace, mercy, humility, generosity, integrity, peace - above all else.
• Do the right thing, even when it’s difficult.
• Trust that Jesus gives you everything you need (and He does).

When our minds are consumed with dread, Jesus gives us everything we need to live with dread. Jesus lived through one of the most dreadful human experiences - not just abuse, being bullied, and humiliated - but crucified on a cross. Jesus experienced the worst: death. Jesus also comes back to life to tell us about it.

Indeed, we can find respite for our tired minds in Jesus’ words, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart; and you will find rest. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).

Here are some fantastic resources to help you get started!

• Parent Cue Mental Health Resources
• Maintaining Mental and Emotional Health Wellness in a Pandemic
• Manejando el miedo y la ansiedad durante una pandemia de salud

If you or somebody you know needs crisis assistance, please use one of the following resources:

• Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255
• Crisis Connections: 866-4-CRISIS (866-427-4747)
• Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
• Disaster Distress Helpline: 800-985-5990 or text “TalkWithUs” to 66746

One of the more influential people in my life is Dr. Dale Meyer, Emeritus President of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. While sitting in my “Holy Time Out” waiting for my CT scan, I read what “Dr. Dale” wrote on March 2, 2020 about the coronavirus:

“The virus can scare us because we don’t have control over it. Lack of control can lead to fear, and fear can lead to anger. Some blame China; others blame our government. In the blame-game anger is present. Anger comes when something we hold dear is threatened, in this case our lives and the lives of those close to us may be threatened. When we follow the news with spiritual eyes, we see human nature as it really is, as we really are apart from grace” (The Meyer Minute, March 2, 2020). You can read his entire devotion here.

On Monday, my idea of life has indeed been threatened - this time not by COVID-19, but by a small and painful calcified stone lodged in my cecum. How did it get there? Why is it there? What is its composition? Do I have “the c-word”? Everything at that moment (and still today as I write this), I couldn’t control.

As I waited for my name to be called, I reflected on some other life aspects that I couldn’t control.

These are a few things that scrambled through my mind.

• I’m seven months closer to seeing Jesus.
• Debates and the ongoing election process now occupy the majority of space in every one of my news feeds. 
• The elusive economy is as unpredictable as what Jonah will eat for breakfast.
• My mind races to process how best to love and serve such a diverse community that God has called me to serve and lead.
• My heart breaks as so many of us are flirting with pandemic burnout - a state of feeling gassed out, our schedules becoming maxed out, which leads us to check out.
• There are others, but this will suffice for now.

And as I sat there in the middle of a swirling world with a racing mind and broken heart, I started laughing to myself.

I was in God’s Holy Time Out. Just like a coach calls a time out to re-focus their team, a Holy Time Out is a way God huddles us together to bring focus to what He wants to do in us so that He can do something through us.

What did I do in my time out? I just sat there.

What did I see?

• Ambulances rolling in one after another with sick people who were loved by the same God who loves me.
• A few confused discharged patients waiting and wondering if their ride home would ever come.
• A woman who accidentally fell down the stairs and broke her ankle.
• Another woman sucker-punched by her (hopefully by now, former) boyfriend.
• A family struggling to check their daughter in because they spoke Spanish.
• Hospital workers responding to whatever situation presented itself.
• And so much more.

What did I learn in my Holy Time Out? It’s all out of my control.

I think about how the Hebrew people must have felt out of control in 586 BC. Babylon had conquered Jerusalem and taken everybody into a whole new world. And in the chaos, noise, and clutter of life, God calls a Holy Time Out. He sends Isaiah to get the attention of the Hebrew people saying, “But now, this is what the LORD says— he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine” (Isaiah 43:1).

Those words are true in my time out today as they were around 586 BC. And, they’re true for you today, too. 

When everything seems out of control, we’re in “time out”: God is in control. We have nothing to fear because God has redeemed us through Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. God has called us by name. We are God’s.

Which means even when our life and world is spinning out of control, we continue to love and serve the people around us.

• So, I prayed for the unknown people being transported in on each ambulance.
• I asked God to give steady hands and a sharp mind to the rescue workers and medical teams.
• I sat for over an hour listening to stories from a scared Vietnam veteran wondering if his brother was going to pick him up.
• I laughed with a young woman share how she tripped over her own feet.
• I cried and encouraged the girl who was worried if her boyfriend was going to hit her again.
• I found Isaiah 43:1 in Spanish on my phone and shared it with the Spanish-speaking family in my "Gringo Spanish".
• And, as I left the ER that day, I told every nurse and tech I saw on my way out, "deep breath. God's got this and you do, too".

I don't share this to brag, but to share that perhaps God's Time Out was not just for me.

After all, I'm not in control.

This week, I find myself tired, sad, and exhausted.

Maybe you are, too.

I’m tired of a divided world. I’m saddened how easily humanity dehumanizes each other. I’m exhausted by the competition for a kind of human power that seeks to bend people to another’s will.
 
The great news is that Jesus is always more.

Jesus is more than our tiredness, sadness, and exhaustion. He’s more than division, dehumanization, and competition for human power. Jesus is more.

I’m continuing to read through the Gospels personally, and on Wednesday, I stepped into Matthew 14. The political power struggle is palatable. The world is divided. Herod dehumanizes John the Baptist to the point that he wants him dead. And then, Herod gives away John the Baptist’s head as a door prize at his birthday party.

Then, as the word spread about what happened, we find Jesus and his disciples tired, sad, and exhausted that they all withdrew (v. 13). The crowds of people who are unloved by their leaders, heartbroken and crushed by the broken world around them - they follow Jesus with everything they had: literally on their own two feet (v. 13). And, because Jesus is always more, Jesus continues to have compassion on the crowds of people who gather around him who are unloved by so many (v. 14).

What follows is a fascinating chain of events.

• The disciples ask Jesus to make them all go away (v. 15). 
• But, Jesus gives the disciples more work to do: “give them something to eat” (v. 16).
• “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish” (v. 17).
• “Bring them to me,” Jesus said (v. 18).
• Then, Jesus takes, looks up to heaven, gives thanks, breaks bread, and gives it all away (v. 19).
• Unloved people were loved in an unexpected way. “They all ate and were satisfied” (v. 19).
• And then… Jesus had more…  twelve baskets full (v. 20).

With Jesus, there is always more.

Jesus’ love meets us in the middle of our divided world and heals us on His cross, with the proof being our promised empty grave. Why? So that God can use us to heal people divided by human power that seeks to bend people to another’s will.

Jesus’ compassion empathizes with our sadness and walks with us the extra mile. Why? So that God can use us to walk alongside each person, He places around us to be “good news,” not “fake news.”

Jesus’ grace interrupts our exhaustion and encourages us to keep going with His power. Why? So that God can use us to encourage us that His love is the only love that satisfies an unloved spirit.

For each of us, Jesus is always more. And, that's more than enough for today.

Love you more than you know.

“Make it stop”. Have you said those words lately? Though we may disagree on the causes, I think we would agree that life keeps on spinning – sometimes seemingly out of control. Make it stop!

Recently, I’ve been reading through the Gospels over and over again in my personal devotion time. In Matthew 16, Peter knows a little about a “make it stop” world.

​As the great author Charles Dickens (p. 1) wrote, “It was the best of times. It was the worst of times”. At one moment, Jesus is telling Peter that his confession that “Jesus is the Messiah” will carry the church forward. And the next moment, Peter is listening to Jesus explain how he is going to die. Can you imagine? Make it stop.

And then, on top of everything, Peter is told by Jesus to “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns” (Matthew 16:23). Ouch. Make it stop.

The good news is that Jesus does make the world stop. The world stops as He dies on the cross and says, “it is finished”. The world stops as he places his life into the hands of God, our Father. The world stops as angels stand in awe on Easter morning when the dead Jesus is made alive.

Jesus doesn’t make anything stop in power, fear, force, or volume. Jesus doesn’t make anything stop in the destruction of people’s reputations, bending words, or burning bridges. Jesus makes it all stop when - as the song, O Praise the Name - Anastasis puts it: “I cast my mind to Calvary; where Jesus bled and died for me; I see His wounds, His hands, His feet; my Savior on that cursed tree” (Ussher, Sampson & Hastings, v. 1). 

What to do in a “Make It Stop” Moment and World

Remember that You’re in God’s Hands.
Call it what it is. Admit reality. You’re in a “make it stop” moment. Embrace it. Admit that you’re also in God’s hands. Nothing can separate you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus, our Lord (Romans 8:31-39).

Remember that we cannot make it stop. Only Jesus can do that.
Peter heard Jesus talk about how he has to die and rise again. Peter is not OK with what Jesus is saying or the idea of what Jesus has to do. Peter sees Jesus’ death and resurrection as failure. In other words, Jesus’ death and resurrection cannot make his swirling life and world in that moment, stop. Yet, Jesus’ death and resurrection does make everything stop. Sacrifice, grace, and love is the cure for evil. It’s the solution to hate. It’s the antidote for the sickness of sin and brokenness. It’s boldness to the insecure. It’s wealth to the poor. We cannot make all the wrongs around us stop - only Jesus can do that. And, He does.

Remember it’s not about me... it's about God.
Jesus doesn’t seek more. Jesus doesn’t seek a greater understanding. Jesus doesn’t acquire anything. Instead, Jesus says that it isn’t about him… it’s about His Father (I’ll be talking more about tis in this weekend’s message!). Or, in the words of the song, Be Thou My Vision: “Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise; Be Thou mine inheritance, now and always; Be Thou and Thou only the first in my heart, O high King of heaven, my Treasure Thou art” (Forgaill, v. 4).

Did you notice what all three of these involve? Remembering. Jesus has already made the world stop once. He does it again and again when you’re reminded of who God has made you to be and what you are called to do in this moment as you love God, love people, and live like Jesus.

Love you more than you know. - pt

I have a lot on my mind these days.

• Is my microphone unmuted on this Zoom meeting?
• Do I have my mask?
• Did I eat lunch today?

OK… while those are very real things that I ask myself everyday, I have more serious things on my mind, too. Things like:

• How will I help contribute best to society?
• How do Beth and I best parent three active boys to love God and others like they’re loved?
• Was what I said in last week’s sermon interpreted the way I wanted it to be?
• What will other people think if I…

Real things. Real life. It might be easy for your mind to become overloaded, too.

Have you ever wondered what is on Jesus’ mind? Philippians 2:5-8 (NCV) gives us a good picture of what Jesus is thinking. It begins: “In your lives you must think and act like Christ Jesus…”.  

We discover that Jesus is not thinking about his own contributions or glory. He’s not thinking about how best to prove his point. He’s not even thinking about his own life, comfort, or pleasure.

What is Jesus thinking about? Jesus is thinking about the glory of God the Father. He’s thinking about serving others. He’s thinking about being obedient to God the Father - even to death.

As we move into the fall, I wonder how each of us can think more like Jesus. More about God’s glory - not our own. More about serving others - not ourselves. Less about our life, comfort, and pleasure - more about what God is asking us to do with Him, each day.

After all, following Jesus is about a relationship. Maybe the only thing on his mind is being with me… which means the biggest thing that needs to be on my mind is being with him every moment of every day.

Many years ago, a friend of mine made some poor decisions and lived with the consequences. But, this fall will be the first time he will be able to vote. Earlier this week, he applied for his first passport. His life is more than just turning lemons into lemonade – it is a living story of grace and transformation.
 
I never really considered my friend a religious person. So, you can imagine how surprised I was when he asked me, “would ‘you Christians’ accept someone like me?”

After a pregnant pause to process what I had just heard, I said, "I can't speak on behalf of all Christians, but this Christian - me, accepts you for you."

Silence. I could tell that he was getting emotional from the sniffles over the phone.

What he said next amazed me. "I know you accept me because you're my friend. I guess I just don't know if God accepts me."

If he could see my smile from ear to ear, I'd look like a kid by a sno-cone machine on a 100 degree day. "A friend told me that I did not choose him; He chose me. Do you know who that friend was?"

"No. Who?"

"Our friend, Jesus. Jesus, God's Son, was rejected and died in every way so that you and I can be accepted by God. He's done it for me. He's done it for you. I accept you because Jesus has accepted me."

​I'll spare you the details, but that evening, he said - perhaps for the first time ever (I didn't ask), "I believe this."

When was the last time you had a spiritually-oriented conversation with someone? Whether you have them regularly or have never had one before, will you join me in learning how to have more and better spiritual conversations with others?

1. Be friends first. Friends are people to be loved; not products to be won. Jesus said it best, "I have called you friends" (John 15:15). We had lots of fun together. We also wrestled through some really hard times together. The trust we built, I believe, led to him being able to ask me about accepting him - which led to our conversation about Jesus. It takes time to earn the currency of trust to talk about spiritual things which are often times personal and sensitive. Be friends first. Then, let the deeper conversations flow.
2. Trade your periods for question marks. Listen more. Talk less. Ask questions. Jesus-oriented questions often times lead to spiritual conversations. My question was, "Do you know who that friend was?" Other questions might be like, "what do you think God thinks about this?" or "Do you think Jesus is part of this situation?" Then (as I tell our boys), "put your listening ears on." Trade your periods for question marks.
3. Trust that God is working. I didn't have a script. I didn't know my friend was going to ask me that question. But, when the opportunity presented itself, I took a deep breath and held onto God's promise, "I will give you the words I want you to say" (Isaiah 51:16). In every moment, I must trust God's work, not my own. I just get to be in the moment with God and echo his words.

​As we move into September, be encouraged that Jesus has spiritual conversations with you...

• My grace is sufficient for you (2 Corinthians 12:9).
• Surely it is God who saves us. We can trust in Him and not be afraid. (Isaiah 12:2).

• We are surrounded by others so that we can run this next stretch of life together in our homes, neighborhoods, and communities… with Jesus (Hebrews 12:1).

Happy conversing!
 
Love you more than you know. -pt

Jesus.

You are our king - even when this present moment feels like chaos.
You are good - even when life doesn't feel that good right now.
You are peace - even when anxiety spikes because of uncertainty.
You are able to heal brokenness - even when there is injustice in our relationships.
You are able to unify opposition - even in our political divisions.
You are able to rebuild destroyed cities - even in the wind and waves of hurricanes.
You own all things - even when we fear the loss economic stability.
You promise protection - even in this uncontrollable global pandemic.
You are near - even in these moments of physical distancing in every area of life.

Jesus - remind us that you are king.
May we feel your goodness and peace.
May we experience your healing and unity.
May we advocate for the least, the lonely, and those whose lives and cities have been destroyed.
May we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that all we have is yours.

You are for us.
You are with us.
You love us.

Thank you, Jesus for listening to me.
Thank you for your grace.
Thank you for your mercy.
Thank you for your forgiveness.
​Thank you for your love.

May I now be quiet and listen to you speak your grace and truth through silent moments, your spoken and written word, and the voices of the people you have placed in my life.

Amen.

Here are some ways you can pray with your kids!

• Cultivating a Prayer Habit by Nina Schmidgall
• Create a 30-Day Family Prayer Calendar

Find more resources on ParentCue!

The writer of Psalm 69 feels like he is drowning in injustice. What he is experiencing is not right. From being falsely accused to being discriminated against; and from being bullied to being shamed because of who he is - all of the "-isms" are seemingly experienced by this one person.

We might be able to in-part, relate. From economic uncertainty to educational instability and from community health to social injustice – these are all realities that are happening to us. Like the psalm writer, life is out of our control.

We discover that we and the psalm writer are after the same thing: grace and justice (judgment).

Grace and justice (judgment) are two sides of the same coin. But, I’ve never thought about it in the way my friend Keith and I unpacked it in this past week’s Monday Morning Preacher Podcast.

​Check it out.

"When we try to apply grace legalistically, what happens is that you end getting rid of justice". - B. Keith Haney

Wow. Grace was never meant to be legalized - it is meant to be liberally given, not by a policy or proclamation, but by a person.

"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14).

Making laws that govern grace never works to bring peace, freedom, a celebration of the diversity of God's creation, the equity of the gospel, or the inclusion of a mosaic of people with incredible gifts and abilities. If anything, making laws to ensure grace abounds only makes us more keenly aware of the grace that is lacking in our lives and in our world.

"God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant" (Romans 5:20).

If we want to pursue a more equal, inclusive, diverse, and just community, society, and world, then let's stop trying to legalize grace in a system that was never made to give it. We are the givers of grace. Person-to-person. Face-to-face. Life-on-life. 

"All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation" (2 Corinthians 5:18-19).

Who do you know needs "good news" today? Go and be it... and give it! Because the law isn't working anymore.