You've Ruined My Life | Craig Answers

“You've Ruined My Life, Professor Craig!!”

Question:

Dear Professor Craig,

My name is Adam. I am an atheist, and have been one ever since I can remember. I was brought up in the Roman Catholic church, but could never really say that I held any theistic beliefs with any sincerity. For instance, one time, when I was around eight or nine years old, I asked a nun at my church where I "was" before I was born. She responded: "You were with God." I was still curious, so I asked her how long I was with God, before my being born, and she proclaimed: "For an eternity!" I then asked her why I could not remember "existing with God” for an eternity of time (is an eternity of time even a coherent concept?). She had enough with that question and proceeded to shew me away to play with the other children. Looking back, I am proud of my skeptical disposition.

Let's skip ahead a little bit. I found philosophy and I fell in love with it. I transferred schools in order to obtain my BA. Almost all of the papers I wrote as an undergrad were about atheism or God. I was on a mission to be as rational as I could with regards to my atheistic beliefs. Moreover, I was practically an "evangelical" atheist, proclaiming the good word of rationality! My beliefs were strident at best, and intolerant at worst. I thought I had the "God question" all figured out. It was a settled issue for me: God did not exist. The philosophy of religion was my initial and main draw to philosophy, but I soon found myself wanting to explore philosophy in all its glory. Philosophy, as a whole, was too interesting to just "stop", then move on to some "real job". I decided to apply to an MA program in philosophy at CSULA, and got accepted. Philosophy was something that I took very seriously. So much so, that I drove from NY to CA with no job and no place to live in order to continue my studies. I actually wrote a response to your paper The Absurdity of Life Without God and used it as my writing sample in order to get in to CSULA. I stayed up for months writing and polishing my responses to your claims of the inconsistency of atheism in its response to meaning, value, and purpose in life. I had too. You were telling me my life, as a direct result of my worldview, was worthless in every possible way. Well, as an ambitious philosophy student, I could not simply let you get away this. Your objections to atheism needed answers. And after wrestling with your paper for some time, I actually felt pretty good about the end product and presumed to have "answered" your objections to atheism in a satisfactory way. I could now move on, live my life with the excitement, consistency, and appreciation that I had before reading your essay.

I was wrong.

I should have known better too, since the first time I read that paper of yours, I couldn't sleep for two days. It completely shattered my worldview. Let me mention here that I was a huge fan of the New Atheists, but I always sensed something was askew with them. Something seemed off about them because whenever they were talking about meaning, value, or purpose, they answered in such ways that only a person ignorant of the objections in your paper could respond. In short (too late), your paper never left my mind, even years after I wrote a "response" to it. I knew, deep down, that not only did I not, but could not answer your objections to atheism. What you say the atheistic worldview entails is true. There is no escaping the nihilism as an atheist.

Everything has died for me.

You have ruined my life.

Before I go any further, let me say that you are and always have been my favorite living philosopher. I have seen every debate you have ever recorded and put up on the internet. I watch all your lectures and talks (Closer to Truth, youtube, etc.) I think you are the epitome of what a philosopher should be. You're uber logical, fantastically clear, and "computeresk" with the speed and precision of your responses to objections against your position, particularly the criticisms you respond to in your debates. For a long time now, I have wanted to be a philosopher as you are a philosopher. I want to have an argument posed against my position, and be able to dissect it in the same manner as you do. I can honestly say that I have learned more from reading what you have wrote and watching you on the internet than maybe all of my years in school, formally studying philosophy. I seem to owe you a lot, with regards to my philosophical development, at least.

Now, let's get down to business and why exactly it is that you have ruined my life. After reading your paper on the absurdity of life without God, I soon realized that I had to become a nihilist. To act otherwise would inevitably reduce into an inconsistency. Nihilism is the logical conclusion of an atheistic worldview. Yet, nihilism is unlivable. Christopher Hitchens used to say that you cannot derive any knowledge of what an atheist believes from the fact that she is an atheist. If someone claims to be an atheist, according to Hitchens, you can only conclude that she believes that "God does not exist" or that she "lacks a belief in God" (don't get me started with that distinction!!!) You cannot “go any further” and know if she is a Marxist or a Capitalist, etc. But your paper shows that Hitchens is patently false about this. Atheism necessarily entails nihilistic conclusions about certain questions, particularly those you bring up in your paper about meaning, value, and purpose.

There is a similar misunderstanding that shows how atheists fail to fully comprehend the severity of their own worldview. I feel like I need to say how disappointed I am in the New Atheists, and moreover, the professional philosophers, who do not understand the "moral argument" for God's existence. Why can't they comprehend the ontology of values? Why is this so difficult? It is all too obvious that you are not talking about whether people can act, or know of the, "good" on atheism, but rather that there is no foundation for morality outside of God. Sorry, I just had to rant a little, because it bothers me when philosophers, who should know better, don't comprehend the moral argument. I can only imagine how frustrated you must feel. Further, I hate all the nasty comments you get on YouTube. People don't even understand how well thought out your views are. You have the most coherent worldview I have ever heard anyone describe. Sorry, just wanted to say that you have at least one atheist on your side, sir.

So, this brings me to the problem (finally, sorry)-

Philosophically, I agree with almost everything you say. Not in a “follower” sense, but in that I find what you say either convincingly true or I find I come to the same conclusions that you do with regards to particular ideas that I have reasoned through on my own. With that said, I am still an atheist. How is this possible? How could my favorite philosopher be a Christian, I agree with almost everything he says, yet I am an atheist? Well, it seems that you make an extremely strong case for the rationality of an “abstract” notion of God, but I cannot get myself to go the extra step further and believe any of the world religions (not that I believe this abstract God actually exists either, it just seems to be becoming more and more plausible to me). I definitely cannot get myself to be a Christian. Christianity just does not seem true to me. However, the deeper I dive into philosophy, the more the theistic worldview seems more plausible. The concepts or “language” of mathematics seems to “cry out” as you put it for an explanation, objective moral values seem to be real (but they can't be “real”, if atheism is true), the idea of "existence" nauseates me to no end (just the thought of anything, at all, existing, and especially existing without any reason, frightens me,), and I could go on and on. You know, all the things you speak about in your YouTube videos.

However, even when I don't think about the arguments, and I think about what you and others have said about the “Holy Spirit”, I cannot get myself to believe that this “Holy Spirit” exists and can authenticate my belief in God. As you know, Martin Luther thought the Holy Spirit would guide people in reading the Bible properly, when the Reformation was underway, since there was the concern that without the guidance of the church, people may interpret the bible incorrectly. The Holy Spirit's guiding capabilities seem to be have been proven empirically false though, due to such a wide variety of conflicting beliefs all being derived from the Bible. Now I know that the diversity of beliefs doesn't necessarily allow for the conclusion that all of the religious beliefs or experiences are false, that there aren't at least some beliefs or experiences that are true, and therefore the Holy Spirit does not exist. However, this disagreement does cause pause in me, and it makes the situation suspect enough to where I cannot seemingly distinguish between an authentic experience with the Holy Spirit or my being deluded. There does not seem to be anything here to help me out of the nihilistic rut. Lately though, I have been questioning why I even value “rationality”, or what it even means to “value” rationality on an atheistic worldview. That's another topic though, sorry.

Let me wrap this ramble up. I am now stuck in a nihilistic-atheistic world that I hate. Agnosticism is not even a coherent position to me, with regards to a Perfect Being, since I believe that the greatest conceivable being could give me knowledge of its existence, if it wanted to. Theism is a dream come true. The world would make sense, the existential mysteries that haunt me would be solved, life would be livable. It is atheism, however, which seems to be true, yet I do not want to live like this. I have become depressed to no end. I have been in a nihilistic rut for years now. I have become utterly recluse. Yet, even with all this, I cannot come to believe in God. What would YOU suggest I do? This letter is as sincere as it gets. You may be my last hope. Since I agree with you on so much, I was hoping you would have the answer to this. I know the “answer” is Christianity, but as I said, I cannot get myself to believe its truth. I am an atheist who hates atheism. I want there to be a God more than anything, yet I cannot get myself to believe in one. I cannot seem to give an adequate answer to Camus's question: “Is life worth living?”

A feel like a philosopher of your caliber is the only person I have left to turn to. A psychologist wouldn't get my concerns, at least I don't think think they would. I need the clarity and reasonableness of a philosopher. Please, help.

Your biggest atheist fan,

Adam

PS- Do me one favor? Even if you never have time to respond. Please, do not debate Lawrence Krauss anymore. As with most people not trained in philosophy, it is not even an argument in any sort of philosophical sense. He is a shouting bag of hot air with irrelevant criticisms and gross misunderstandings of the arguments. He does not deserve to be the face for atheism, we both know this. But maybe this is your plan. :)

Dr. Craig responds:

Adam, it is so encouraging to get a letter like yours! You have seen through the fog of often hateful rhetoric to discern the real issues. Your story reminds me so much of C. S. Lewis, who, as a scientific naturalist, found everything that he thought was real to be meaningless and unfulfilling, and everything he loved, such as myth, legend, and fantasy, to be imaginary and unreal. Like you, Lewis approached Christ gradually, shedding first his naturalism and then later his scepticism about Jesus of Nazareth. Lewis finally broke the bonds of the naturalism that had bound him, discovering in Christ the “true myth,” the fusion of rationality and imagination. Once you free yourself of your atheism, you’ll find the next step to Christian theism a relatively short one.

You mention your scepticism about Luther’s belief that the Holy Spirit “would guide people in reading the Bible properly,” for “The Holy Spirit's guiding capabilities seem to be have been proven empirically false. . . , due to such a wide variety of conflicting beliefs all being derived from the Bible.” Now I don’t subscribe to the belief you attribute to Luther; nevertheless, the argument you offer against it does not strike me as a good one. In order to prevent a plethora of divergent interpretations, what would be required is, not just that Holy Spirit would guide people into the truth, but that Holy Spirit would intervene to prevent aberrant interpretations of the Bible as well, and Luther never claimed that He does that. If Luther is right, one would expect to find people adhering to a correct interpretation and others departing from the true way and propounding deviant interpretations, which is exactly what we do find. Luther’s view would be falsified only if everyone departed from the truth.

I think that what the Holy Spirit does is to furnish believers with a fundamental assurance of their being properly related to God and unbelievers a conviction of their not being properly related to God but of being in need of His forgiveness and moral cleansing. While this entails the truth of certain core Christian claims, it does not guarantee proper interpretation of biblical passages. That is instead achieved through the use of proper hermeneutical techniques of literary interpretation.

I think you already discern the weakness of your objection, for you say, “I know that the diversity of beliefs doesn't necessarily allow for the conclusion that all of the religious beliefs or experiences are false, that there aren't at least some beliefs or experiences that are true, and therefore the Holy Spirit does not exist.” Right; you need to be open to the convicting witness of the Spirit in your life that you need God’s forgiveness and cleansing for your moral failures. Anyone who thinks hard about the moral argument should realize that if objective moral values and duties do exist, he falls desperately short of the moral good and so fails to discharge his moral duties and is thus in need of forgiveness and redemption. Indeed, I think probably no one comes to faith in Christ apart from a conviction of his guilt and need of moral renovation.

You have good things to say about the theistic arguments I’ve defended; but you do not mention my equally rigorous work, flowing out of my doctoral studies under Wolfhart Pannenberg at the University of Munich, on the historicity of Jesus’ resurrection. I was astonished to discover as a result of my study that the main facts undergirding the historicity of Jesus’ resurrection are actually agreed upon by the majority of historical Jesus scholars today, not just conservative scholars but the broad mainstream of New Testament scholars, including a good number of Jewish scholars, who teach at secular universities and non-evangelical divinity schools. So I think faith in Jesus is historically quite well-founded.

So now we come to the million dollar question: “What would YOU suggest I do?” I take this question very seriously. So here’s what I suggest you do:

1. Read C. S. Lewis’ book Surprised by Joy. I think you will resonate with Lewis’ struggle, both to free himself of atheism and then of his scepticism about Christian faith.

2. Seek experiences that put you in touch with the transcendent. You need to escape the cloying bonds of naturalism by catching glimpses of a transcendent reality beyond the material world. This will help to prepare your heart for belief in God. So open yourself to experiences of sublime beauty. Listen to Schumann’s Träumerei, to Dvorak’s New World Symphony, to Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade, and so on. And when I say “listen,” I don’t mean to have it playing in the background while you go about your tasks. I mean to set all else aside for an allotted time, close your eyes, and just focus on listening to the music. Watch a video of ballroom champions Jonathan Crossley and Lyn Marriner performing a waltz or slow foxtrot. Drink in the stunning beauty of their performance. Watch a sunrise or sunset over a beautiful landscape or take in the beauty of pristine nature. Such beauty can sometimes produce an almost painful ache in us because of our inability to take it all in.

3. Read the Gospels about the life of Jesus. If you haven’t already done so, you’ll find the story of his life gripping. Jesus is a tremendously attractive person in the wisdom of his teaching, in his character, and in the authenticity of his life.

4. Look into the historical credibility of the personal claims and resurrection of Jesus. Read, e.g., the relevant chapters in Reasonable Faith (Crossway, 2008). Read my debates with sceptical New Testament critics like John Dominic Crossan (Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up?, ed. Paul Copan [Baker, 1998] or Gerd Lüdemann (The Resurrection: Fact or Figment? ed. Paul Copan [Inter-Varsity, 2000] and ask which way the evidence points.

5. Embark on a spiritual experiment. Begin to pray daily. Attend a church where the Gospel is faithfully preached and you can be with Christians to get to know them. You’ll find these people to be unlike ordinary people you meet, more reflective, more compassionate, more focused on spiritual things.

6. Finally, get a copy of Francis Thompson’s poem “The Hound of Heaven.” The person it describes is you, Adam! “With unhurrying chase, and unperturbèd pace, deliberate speed, majestic instancy,” He is after you and will continue His pursuit until you recognize in Him all that you are longing for.







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The Reasonings of Leibniz | Theodicy Essays

1 Background 

During the dawn of Modern thinking, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz was surrounded by well-known peers such as, Descartes, Malebranche, Hobbes, and Spinoza. His name entered the history books as “the last great philosophical system-builder of the seventeenth century.”[1] And, he was called many things: “Mathematician;” “Physicist;” “Psychologist;” even “The Prince’s Librarian.” But, while he lived, he was never called a professional philosopher. Instead, he declined academic chairs when offered them.


He was too busy. As the Prince’s librarian, Leibniz naturally became his political secretary and a confidant of the House of Brunswick. In those days, politics and theology had become so intertwined that the policy of the man and his doctrine were one and the same. “He was incapable of looking at the objects of any special enquiry without seeing them as aspects or parts of one intelligible universe.”

His priorities toward a holistic worldview motivated Leibniz to become a skilled political and theological debater. One of his most notable negotiations was with Bossuet with whom he attempted to find a basis for Catholic-Lutheran concord. Yet, by seeing so many differences with Catholicism as “non-essentials” many wondered whether or not Leibniz could be called “a true Protestant” at all. His debates may have brought him admiration, but they also raised a common sense of mistrust towards the debater.

Still, this did not stop Leibniz from seeking the pleasure “to appreciate good wherever he could see it, and to discover a soul of truth in every opinion.” In his own way, he carried his torch of theology into every corner of his life in order to illuminate the darkest questions he had. This runs contrary to the gap in theodicy found in the common philosophers of today.[2]

2 Theodicy 

The only one of Leibniz’ works to be published in his lifetime was Theodicy Essays on the Goodness of God, the Freedom of Man and the Origin of Evil. It would add to his image in the public eye, reflecting his view of the world to them. It expresses the peak of metaphysical speculation explored in the first years of the eighteenth century, reforming scholasticism in the light of new physical sciences.[3]

2.1 Preface

Leibniz begins the preface of his writing by relaying that “we are impressed by what is outward, while the inner essence of things requires consideration of such a kind as few persons are fitted to give.” He recognizes the difference between seeing things from an outer light and an inner one. His book then becomes an attempt to bridge the gap, addressing the issues which effect both how we interact with the world and how we understand ourselves.

Perhaps the main reason for the necessity of his writing was the plague which had overcome the minds of the masses he entitled, “Lazy Reason.” According to Leibniz, “Lazy Reason” had perplexed men in every age. “It tended towards doing nothing, or at least towards being careful for nothing and only following inclination for the pleasure of the moment.”

This led to faulty logic such as assuming that it was unnecessary for one to act because God’s will would be done without the help. Christian determinism turned into an excuse for sloth much like it had been in some cases of the New Testament. The idea of inevitable fate “relieve[d] oneself of the need to reason properly.” Leibniz, on the other hand, hoped to show that “God himself, although he always chooses the best, does not act by an absolute necessity, and that the laws of nature laid down by God… [are what] keep the mean between geometrical truths.”[4]

2.2 Dissertation on the Conformity of Faith with Reason

Before Leibniz is able to discuss God, he must first address how we can actually know anything about Him. The rise of skepticism and reason in his era led to many assumptions against the compatibility of faith and reason. Yet, without reason, it would be hard to see how any man could understand anything. And, without faith, how could a man believe in his understanding?

This highly educated author realizes the contradiction in his time. The secularists clung to reason, renouncing faith while the liberal theologians threw out reason, grasping faith. Leibniz understands that reason is needed to understand truth. Even those who speak against reason have a certain type of “counterfeit” reasoning, “corrupted and deluded by false appearances.”

The writer realizes that it might help to step back for a bit, to put things into a bigger perspective. He begins a historical summary guiding the reader to the understanding of how we got to where we are today. First, the philosophers of antiquity realized that there were certain evident truths about the world around them as well as different ways to understand those truths. He discusses both a posteriori and a priori reasoning as well as their natural philosophy:

In “natural philosophy we explain up to a certain point sundry perceptible qualities, but in an imperfect manner, for we do not comprehend them. Nor is it possible for us, either, to prove Mysteries by reason… All that remains for us then, after having believed in the Mysteries by reason of the proofs of the truth of religion… is to be able to uphold them against objections.”

This concept of the Ancient Greek writers would lead them to what is now referred to as a “god of the gaps.” There was something or someone missing, a part of truth that escaped them, but at the same time they realized it must be there. Leibniz continues that the early church conformed faith with this sort of reason. The Christian God fit into the gap of Platonism.

But, the church fathers became too dependent on their use of Greek Philosphers. Scholasticism erupted, teaching the church to see faith through (mainly Aristotelian) reason. This reduced the study of God to a “scientific form,” putting it into The Ancients’ taste for systems creating a compound of theology and philosophy. It was not very long before philosophy found itself “burdened” by theology, “which in its turn was suffering from association with a philosophy that was very obscure and very imperfect.”

Leibniz’ current conflict between faith and reason grew out of avveroism, the understanding that theology and philosophy are incompatible. The Protestant Reformations renounced the influence of the patriarchs and tore apart the dependency of the one school of thought to the other. Some Protestants despised philosophy itself while others “flew into a passion with philosophy.”

2.3 Interpretation Vs. Logic

An error in the culture of the era that Leibniz was quick to point out is the falsity in assuming that the logical must be against the metaphysical and interpretation against logic. He understood that opposites do not necessarily imply contradictions. This is similar to many aspects of Lutheran Orthodoxy.

Yet, Leibniz took the view that all reason is compiled of a chain of truths. Anything can and will be understood if the correct chain is linked. He compares it to a tower such as the ones many German towns would have at the time. The tower in reality is rectangular. But, from a distance, it appears rounded. It is only when one moves closer to the tower that one can see its sharp edges and flat sides. False reason, then, is built upon false premises. This is in agreeance with the school of Logic and Aristotelean thought.

The difference is that Leibniz did not necessarily believe that the ways of God are above man’s comprehension. But, that man cannot see the linked truths. It is a minor difference compared to the thought-process assuming that the Mysteries of God are above our own reasonings. Still, it is a proper introduction to his theodicy and summarizes the main concepts and background needed for such a work to be seen as relevant in the day of Modernism.

It is disheartening that these aspects of such an astute scholar seem to be lost in the conflict of faith and reason we are familiar with today. If those who take theology, philosophy, and theodicy seriously spent the time to read a summation of even just the beginning of his life’s work, they may be able to take one another seriously once again.

[1] (Robert C. Solomon, Kathleen M. Higgins 1993, 5)
[2] (Wilhelm Leibniz, Freiherr von Gottfried 1996)
[3] (Wilhelm Leibniz, Freiherr von Gottfried 1996)
[4] (Wilhelm Leibniz, Freiherr von Gottfried 1996) 

Freedom Fulfilled | Christmas 2014

PLEASE READ BELOW...
SOME OF THE MOST CRUCIAL PARTS ARE MISSING
FROM THE VIDEO

 ISAIAH 61:1-62:3

The Year of the Lord’s Favor

 The opposite of what you’d expect… In a good way.

 61:1Spirit of the Lord upon me, anointed me… To bring good news to the poor… Bind up the brokenhearted… Liberty to the captives… opening their prisons… 2Proclaim yr. of Lord’s favor, day of vengeance, comfort mourning 3Bearing a headdress instead of ashes… Gladness instead of mourning 4raise up from devastation, repair ruins 5strangers tend flocks 7instead of shame, a double portion... everlasting joy 9descendants recognized and blessed

 10Rejoice in the Lord… exult in my God… clothed me with garments of salvation… robe of righteousness 11righteousness and praise sprout up before all the nations Zion’s Coming Salvation 62:1 For Zion’s sake, will not keep silent… her righteousness will go forth as brightness, her salvation like a burning torch. 2nations will witness her righteousness… called by a new name 3crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord

 4 Forsaken no more… delight instead of desolate… 11 Behold, the Lord has proclaimed to the end of the earth… ‘Behold, your salvation comes; behold, his reward is with him.’ 12 And they shall be called the Holy People, The Redeemed of the Lord; and you shall be called Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken
 63 The Lord’s Day of Vengeance

GALATIANS 4:4-7

 The Law and the Promise

 Sons and Heirs

 Son, slave until the appointed time, our time has come.

 1 child heir is no different from a slave though he owns everything… he’s under guardians and managers until he reaches the date set by his father… when we were children, we were enslaved to the principles of the world

 4 But, when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born under the law to redeem those under the law so that we might receive adoption as sons… because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts crying ‘Abba!’ ‘Father!’ no longer a slave, but a son, a son, an heir through God

 Paul’s Concern for the Galatians
 What to do now that we are free

 8 were enslaved to those who were not gods. But, now that we know God… rather, we are known by God, how can you turn back? I may have labored over you in vain… become as I am…. Become as you are

LUKE 2:22-40

 Jesus’ Birth in a manger after Magnificat and Zechariah’s prophecy

 The Shepherds and the Angels Glory to God in the highest…

 Jesus Presented at the Temple

 22 Time came for purification according to the law (for the babe born under the law)… went to be presented to the Lord (we receive the opposite of expected when we are presented to him) and offer sacrifice according to the law of the Lord

 25 Man in Jerusalem, Simeon, a righteous and devout man waiting… the Holy Spirit was upon him (just as it had been upon Isaiah)… it was revealed to him that he would not see death before he saw the Lord’s Christ. (promises of God connection)… He came by the Spirit into the temple… when the parents brought the child Jesus into the temple, he took the child up into his arms and said,

 29‘Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.’

 33 His father and his mother marveled at what was said… Simeon blessed them, saying the Mary, ‘Behold, the child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.’

36 There was the old prophetess, Anna, who spent her time and her widowed life praying and fasting at the temple… at that very hour, she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.

39 They performed everything according to the law and returned to Galilee, to their own ton of Nazareth… the child grew and became strong… filled with wisdom… he had the favor of God upon him.

Simeon and Jesus in the Temple
December 28, 2014
1ST SUNDAY OF CHRISTMAS

All these words, hear them with your ears, and hold them in your hearts. Ez. 3:10

Freedom Fulfilled

It was just a normal day at school. None of the details really stick out to me. Perhaps, I had been reading books or hanging out with friends. Maybe I had been playing video games or typing papers. But, what I do remember is a call on the phone.

It was my one of my best friends. And, she was excited to tell me that they were having another baby!! This would be their second child, a girl, named Jocelyn Renee which means "joy reborn." She asked if I would be a godfather. After surpassing the amazement in the fact that she would choose me, I said "yes" right away.

Months later, I found myself in Michigan holding the child. We had had a wonderful service, where we made the vows to help teach her the ways of God. The sign of the cross was made across Jocelyn's forehead and her chest. The pastor covered her head with water in the name of the Father, the Son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Maybe you have been part of such a service, or at least witnessed the wonderful act.

After the hour was over, I held her again. I actually ended up being in most of her family pictures because I didn't want to let go. I couldn't help thinking that one day this baby would grow up and do amazing things. She could be anything she wanted, do any work that God had prepared in advance for her to do. Her life was just beginning.

I don't know what it is about babies. But, just being around them changes the entire atmosphere. They fill the room with cheer. Even the most hard hearted tend to smile in the presence of a child. Every time my friends post a picture or a video of their baby on Facebook, I can't help but look right away. Maybe it's the way they act, in curiosity and innocence. Maybe its the remembrance of our own childhood or the reflection of the aspects of their parents. Or, maybe its the glimmer of gentle and certain hope they give in our often dark and uncertain world.

That is what the man in one of our readings could have used that day. Isaiah knew that a storm was coming. At the point in history in which he lived, nations fought nations. Battles were waged. War was done. And, he knew that his people were in trouble. If they did not die, they would meet a fate worse than death. At least, in death, they knew they no longer had to be troubled with this world. But, if they survived, they became enslaved to the nations who had conquered them. They had given into idolatry and horrible deeds. Just as in the time of the judges, God's people turned away from God. So, why would their God remember them in their struggle?

Isaiah becomes the mouthpiece of the Lord. He is the voice that cries out to hear God once again. He pronounces judgments against nations. But, amidst his judgments, there is hope.

In the bulletin today, there's a "Space For Writing" section. It's for you to take notes either as I'm reading passage to you or later on. As you will soon see, God provides in the ways we'd least expect. If you think of some of the ways that He has provided or blessed you that you hadn't expected or things that stick out to you as unique or interesting in this message, be sure to right them down.

Here is the unexpected hope that the prophet speaks of:

He says, The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor... the poor hardly ever hear good news... to bind up the brokenhearted... those who are familiar with being torn apart are healed... to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor... although we know we deserve judgment... and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; ... comfort although we know we deserve wrath

to give us a headdress instead of ashes... adoring us instead of completely destroying us... bestowing upon us the oil of gladness instead of mourning... the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit... so that we may be strong and towering oaks of righteousness... glorified... instead of condemned and ashamed... instead of shame a double portion... instead of dishonor, rejoicing... everlasting joy...
These people were waiting for a calamity. They knew they were lost, their hope was fading. Yet, God promised that he will give them what they do not expect. It just took time. After the prophet spoke, the people entered into centuries of darkness. They became enslaved to the peoples around them. Their nation was broken apart, shattered into an unrecognizable visage.

But, there was a man who remembered the promise. He looked for hope among the turmoil... the headdress amidst the ashes.. the joy to replace the shame. He found Jesus years before the wise men had. He was waiting for him, at the temple, hoping to get a glimpse of the Messiah before he died.

Just eight days after Christ's birth, Simeon held him in his grasp. Wonder filled his face. Remember the hope and the light that we find in our own children.... the pondering of who they might be, the unexplained gladness and joy that just being in the same room as them supplies us. That gift was magnified. For, Simeon knew exactly who he held... the bearer of salvation, the light for revelation to the Gentiles... the glory of the people of Israel. This child would be the one to change the world, to redeem Israel, to bring them glory instead of judgment. He is the blessing that no one expected. While Herod searched for the man, Simeon held the babe.

He is the one who would finally free them from their slavery. It may seem as if the Jews were free at the time of Christ's birth. They could worship. They could work in society as fishermen and tax collectors. They gave Caesar what was Caesar's and they were typically went along with the government. But, they were still slaves to the Law. They understood that the only way to become righteous was to fulfill the commands of the Lord, to follow the Law to the letter. Although they tried, no one was able to do it.

 Then, Jesus was born under the Law. He became man, begotten of the Spirit, not to get rid of the Law, but to fulfill it. That is why he was at the temple on the eighth day, his circumcision was part of fulfilling the Law. That is why he was able to get lost in the temple and found in the garden. During his entire life, he kept the Law. Even in death, he stayed true to the letter. Only God could do that.

And, because it was God who had done that, finally reaching the ultimate fulfillment (arms outstretched) promised even from the first books of Genesis, he was able to restore us to himself. And, his resurrection brings us home. In his fulfillment we are freed. We are freed from the slavery of the Law and the slavery to sin. We are renewed.

Stepping back for a minute, before I left Michigan to return from Jocelyn's baptism, her parents told me, "You know, you didn't need to do this for us." And, all I could think was, "There is nothing I would rather do." In the same way, we tell God, "God, you didn't need to do this for me." "It's jut me... and you're God..." "Really, you didn't need to." And, he replies, "There is nothing I would have rather done for you." And, in what he has done he has made us his children, adopting us as heirs of God.

In many ways, even the child is a slave. The babe is dependent on the mother, the kids look to the parents for all their needs. They don't know anything else. Without Jesus Christ, we become slaves to the world. Just like the people Isaiah had prophesied against, we follow our own idols. We put our time, our money, ourselves first. We follow the world as our parent, enslaved to its bidding.

But, since God sent his Son into the world, born of woman, born under the law, to fulfill the law, to redeem us, we have become children of God. We know better. We are free to reject the idols of the world, to follow him... to follow his law not because we have to but because we want to, knowing we will fail.. we will fall. But, he is there to pick us back up again, to forgive us. Although, we deserve to be ashamed, he renews our joy.

That is what Simeon knew when he held his Lord. His chains were finally broken. His life was made complete. Yet, we still have lives to live. We might not have as much time as an infant. But, we still have a good amount time to go.


What will you do with your freedom?


Amen.


Now may the peace that passes all understanding guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus from this time forth. Amen.

Dia de los Muertos

Seeds of the Church | Easter 2014

1 PETER 4:12-19; 5:6-11
JOHN 7

June 1, 2014
7TH SUNDAY OF EASTER

Grace, Mercy, and Peace to you from God, the Father, and Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.

All these words, hear them with your ears. But, receive them in your hearts.

Seeds of the Church

Wow. The epistle reading for today is a tough one to swallow. Here it is again: Peter writes, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.” Instead he says to “rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.” We are meant to rejoice in our sufferings. Doesn’t that sound odd?

Then, again, Christian persecution in America is pretty odd. Although we have the freedom of speech, we often become too timid to speak. Although, we are able to share freely share the Gospel with those around us, we often neglect to. Although we live in a “Christian nation,” biblical literacy is dropping.

The type of Christian persecution that we are used to might be losing a friend or not being the popular guy. We might get a couple of glares or snide remarks. In our world, Christian suffering has almost become the horror of getting up for church in the morning or giving time to God instead of using it for ourselves.

The turmoil we are put through is not swearing when we want to swear, not going to the movies we want to see, not lying or steeling, trying not to be selfish. Yet, this pales in comparison to Christian suffering on a global level, still in our world. They estimate that between 50,000 and 70,000 Christians are being held in North Korean labor camps. If they manage to escape by sneaking into China and are later captured, they suffer a worse punishment if a Christian or American had helped them. In Sudan, a woman who has just given birth this week, is condemned to death by hanging for believing in Christianity although her father is a Muslim. Christian persecution and suffering still persists in our world. Yet, we are to rejoice?

It may help to step back for a moment, to look at the life of an early Christian. In the early centuries, there was a girl named Perpetua. She has a long and imaginative tale, but it is an important one. As she sat at home, the call rang through the streets, “Perpetua is a Christian.” “Perpetua is a Christian.” As the soldiers burst down her door, she doesn’t leave. She doesn’t put up boundaries, she isn’t timid or afraid. They enter. She has a job, responsibilities, a baby son. But, she lets them take her. When she gets to prison, her father gets on his knees and begs her to renounce her faith. She replies, “I cannot. I cannot say that I am something other than what I am. And, I am a Christian.” Her fate is sealed. While she is in prison, the continually prays and God gives her two visions.

In the first vision, Perpetua sees a long golden ladder reaching up to the heavens. It is a lot like Jacob’s ladder in the Old Testament, but it too narrow for angels to ascend and descend. Only one person is able to climb it at a time. And, it would not be an easy climb. Weapons of violence and torture hung off of the rungs, clanging in the air.

As her line of sight went from the top of the ladder to its bottom, it followed a trail of smoke that had been pooling out of a dragon’s nostrils sitting at the ladder’s base. She was not startled at the presence of the serpent, but she did step back when she heard the voice of one of her friends.

From the top of the ladder, Perpetua’s friend called down to her. He was a friend she had not seen in a while. In fact, she had lost contact with him when she was arrested for being a Christian. It would have been reasonable to assume he had been martyred. He called out to her again, “Perpetua, I wait for you.” “Be careful not to be bitten by the dragon.”

She cried back, “Do not worry. In the name of Jesus Christ, even the dragon cannot harm me.” The dragon released a whimper at the sound of Jesus’ name and she used his head as the first step of the ladder to ascend toward heaven.

Perpetua eventually wakes up and shares her vision. In her heart, her prison cell becomes her palace. She becomes assured that God is with her. Instead of becoming dismayed, she rejoices when she finds out that her penalty is to be fed to the beasts in the arena. She is glad to be a witness for Christ. Imagine that. In the midst of this pain and struggle, this certain death, Perpetua felt joy. She rejoiced. She might still have a tear in her eye, but I can see the smile on her face. She might even start to sing something like, “I will rest in the promise of God to be with me. I will rest in the knowledge God cares. Though the world and its troubles confuse and disturb me, I will rest in the Lord in my prayers…” She knows that even in through her suffering, she has become closer to Christ.

In her second vision, one of Perpetua’s friends takes her by the hand and guides her to the arena where she will be killed. He says to her, “Do not be afraid! I’ll be here to help you.” And, then he leaves her as she stares out over the crowd. She wonders why the beasts hadn’t yet been turned loose. Instead, an Egyptian warrior comes to face her instead. She was left in rags to face him. They both stepped forward and fought with their fists. He picks her up. She kicks him. Finally, she punches him out. She becomes the victor, the winner of her freedom. And, then she wakes up, realizing that her battle would be the next day, she was still covered in chains. At that moment, she knew that she would not be contending with wild animals, but with the devil himself. She also knew that with Christ as her guide, she would win.

Perpetua had to be who she was. And, she was a Christian. In being a Christian, Perpetua was not surprised that she had to face trials. Instead, she rejoiced. She was not ashamed of her faith. Instead she uses the opportunity to glorify God. She entrusts her fate to her faithful Creator. She is His. She humbles herself in order that he might take care of her. She throws away her pride and her anxiety and rests in the hands of God. Here, she knows that she is not alone. Others around the world were suffering. And, Christ himself had suffered. Yet, she knew that the God full of grace will restore her, confirm her faith, strengthen her will, and give her a place in his kingdom. Renouncing her faith would just be falling into another one of the prowling Dragon’s traps.

Even in this suffering, she began to see the prison around her as a palace. She realizes that she had been blessed with a place to stay, food, clothes, shelter, and protection. She constantly prays to God.

She was willing to die for what she believed in. And, even more surprising than that, she rejoiced at the opportunity of becoming a witness for Jesus Christ. She looked forward to climbing that ladder filled with maces and swords, she had no fear of the scaly ruler of this world. She took on the Egyptian face-to-face.

At the end of the story, Perpetua is martyred. She becomes a friend at the top of the ladder, encouraging the perpetual number of martyrs who were sure to follow. A theologian once said, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.”

As the ages went on after Perpetua’s story, cultures such as the Romans and Greeks were awe-struck at the life-testimonies of Christians. The persecutors stood amazed as men, women, and children were willing to die in love rather than live in hate. The blood on the persecutor’s hands turned into mustard seeds and took root in their hearts. They began to wonder where this confidence, this attitude, this love had come from. They wanted to know, “Why would a Christian put up with all of this suffering?”

As they realized that the answer was in Christ Jesus, these same persecutors became believers. The Church grew. It became a mighty redwood. They put their faith and trust in God.

Yet, why are we often so surprised at suffering? Suffering has always been a part of the Gospel, marked by the cross. Jesus didn’t save us from suffering. He saved us through suffering. Suffering was needed once for us, to bring us to God.

Through this suffering, Christ endured his crucifixion. He died. He descended into Hell. His descent was the stomping on the head of the serpent. It was his victory march before he proved he had beaten death by his resurrection. He stepped on the snake, climbed the ladder filled with suffering, and he became the Way for us to follow. And, we rejoice at the possibility of following him. We pour out our hearts, loving those around us even when it hurts because he first poured out his heart to us. We become his witnesses and his martyrs to this world, because he had first witnessed to us. His blood had been the purest bloodshed to grow his Church. We are honored to be His instruments.

One part of Perpetua’s story I had always thought remarkably odd until now is that the man who had led Perpetua into the arena in her vision had told her not to be afraid because he was there to help her. But, then he left immediately. That is Jesus.

Although the time had come, he died, rose, and ascended, He still guides us. Although it may seem as if he has vanished, he still prays for us, that we may manifest his name and keep His word because we belong to him. We are not of the world, but we are in the world. That is why we suffer. Still, Jesus begged, that “We may be one just as He and the Father are one.” Although it might feel as though we are alone, Christ dwells with us and we dwell with each other. Although the world does not see him, we see him. We see that other followers rejoice in their suffering. Because it is in this suffering that we are blessed. For, in this suffering we know that we are set apart from this world. When our coworkers are disgruntled at our Christian music station; when we withhold from swearing, lying, cheating, steeling; when we spend our time serving the church instead of serving ourselves, we may suffer. But, we rejoice. To suffer as a Christian is not to be ashamed, but to glorify God. Amen.

Now may the peace that passes all our understanding, guard our hearts and minds to rejoice and pray in Christ Jesus from this time forth. Amen.

Josh Schmidt

Name Changer | Pentecost 2014

Text for meditation: Matthew 16 and Romans 12.

Grace, Mercy, and Peace to you from God, the Father, and Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.
All these words, hear them with your ears. But, receive them in your hearts.

Name Changer

Early in the morning, as the sun was still rising, Jesus went to the temple. Suddenly, there was a commotion. A young woman, barely clothed and screaming was dragged in by her hairand thrown to the ground. She had been caught in the act of adultery. Upon seeing this, what do you think Jesus’ face looked like?

The Pharisees who had dragged the poor woman into the temple asked Jesus, “What do you say about this woman’s adultery?” They hoped to test him, to evoke some unholy emotion within him, to make him act against his beliefs. Instead, he bent down and began to draw in the dirt.

They continued to pester him. Finally, he stood back up and told them that whoever has no sin should cast the first stone. After saying this, he bent back down, and drew once again on the ground. As he drew, the accusers walked away, dropping their stones. Jesus was left alone with the woman. He looked at her, with tears running down her face and horror in her eyes, she cowered away from his gaze. But, he said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” With a whimper in her quiet voice she replied, “No one, Lord.” Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and sin no more.” She left. Jesus left. But, the stones remained.

I thought it would be neat to take a moment here and just think about the power of stones. I know, they are something so simple. They lay in the dirt, lifeless. [Bring some rocks in for illustration] But, here, they are a cause of terror. They bear fear, anguish, and death. They are something so simple, yet in this circumstance they are crucial. Here, take one, hold it in your hand.

Stones are what made up the Pyramids, a marvelous wonder. They are the blocks which formed the Great Wall of China, a structure that can be seen from outer space. But, do you realize the cost of both of those buildings? Who can say how many slaves and workman died creating the Pyramids? Around 400,000 died in the making of the Great Wall, many of whom had been buried beneath its bricks. Stones were later used to create the Berlin Wall, a wall of separation. And, in the story of the adulteress, stones were almost used to slay. Stones seem so powerless, but in certain hands they can become either a secure foundation or an agent of death.

The Gospel reading for today is from Matthew Chapter 16. That entire chapter discusses stones. First, the Pharisees demand a sign; their hearts are hardened and they desire a way to build a secure foundation. Like the Pyramids, they wanted to be able to build up their own belief system, brick by brick. Instead, Jesus explains that they do not understand the things that have already been revealed to them. They will receive no other sign except the sign of Jonah.

Later, Jesus warns his followers not to think like the Pharisees. They do not need to build up their own brick house of beliefs; they solely needed to trust in him. Here, instead of the condescending tone that the Pharisees had used with Jesus to ask him “What do you say about this woman’s adultery?” Jesus asks in a gentler way, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”

He gets various replies: John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the other prophets. Those are the conclusions that others had built up to for themselves. Then, comes the true test. Jesus brings the question home. Instead of asking who “they” think he is, he asks, “Who do you say I am?”

Peter answers him, “You are the Christ the Son of the living God.”

Do you realize what has happened here? The rock cried out. Simon, the man Jesus had renamed “Peter,” which means “stone” or “rock,” was able to answer him with the truth. Jesus responds that Peter is blessed, calling him by his birth name, “Simon Bar-Jonah!” Simon the son of Jonah, Simon whose father was named after the prophet of the same sign Jesus would give to the Pharisees, he is blessed. Peter’s rock-solid confession is commended. It is on a rock that the Church will be built.

But, is the rock Peter? I know you know the answer is “No.” Roman Catholicism has founded its papacy on this passage. But, we realize that the name Peter is masculine singular while this “rock” the Church is to be built on is feminine singular, implying a different referent. The Church is not built on Simon, the son of Jonah.

In fact, the next part of the chapter explains why not. Remember how it continues, Jesus begins to explain to the disciples what will happen in Jerusalem. He tells them that he must suffer, be killed, and on the third day rise again. This is when Peter rebukes him. Some commentators remark that perhaps Peter was too shocked by the fact that Jesus had to die to hear the last part of his teaching, he did not realize that Jesus was explaining that he would also live. I do not know whether this is true or not. But, the fact remains, that Peter’s heart skips beat and he becomes flustered swearing that this should never happen to Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God.

Jesus then calls him Satan. He warns the man who he had blessed to get behind him saying, “You are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man… If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. Whoever would save his life will lost it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

Do you see what had happened? The man who had known the truth, revealed by the Father, Peter, he had begun to build his own house. Like the Pharisees, he intended to construct a Great Wall, he had decided for himself what should be and what should not be. He let himself become the discerning rock instead of standing on the rock of his foundation, the rock the Church stands on, its cornerstone, Jesus Christ.

We do the same thing Peter did every day. Whenever we rely on ourselves, our own hearts, our lusts, and our wills, we shy away from God. We build man-made masterpieces without realizing the cost. This particular cost is more than just our lives For, what can a man give in return for his life? What profit is there if he gains the whole world and loses his soul? There is none.

But, we still misuse stones all the time. We throw them at the adulteress. When we see sin, is our first instinct to help or condemn them? If you see a homosexual, a transgender, a pothead, or someone struggling in a different sin, what goes through your mind? Do you pull out a Bible verse and shout it at her? Or is your hand clenching the stone of condemnation, because this person creeps you out. You insist on getting rid of the sinner, not just the sin.

Sometimes we clutch the stones that hurt and become consumed by the proper understanding of theology. We twist and turn our words so that the Word becomes more of a means than an end in itself. We hurl rocks at the problems we see and we sow divisions.

But, look at the stone differently. Imagine the rock rolled away from Jesus’ tomb. You have a piece of it. Now the rock is a symbol of the promise. This is the sign of Jonah. The rock is not a weapon or a wall of separation. But, the promise of the resurrection and forgiveness of our sins. We are built on the solid rock, the cornerstone of Christ, we become brickwork. It is not up to us to form the foundation, but to be formed by the foundation. We let our condemning stones drop at the foot of Christ. We have become living stones, transformed by Christ.

In Peter’s letter, he explains that with Jesus Christ as our rock, we become living stones. We “put away all malice and deceit, hypocrisy and envy, and all slander… As you come to Him, we are living stones. We may be rejected by others, but in the sight of God, we are chosen and precious. We build up a spiritual house and a holy priesthood in order to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” Peter, of all people, knows what this entails. He had been given his name, “the Rock” in order that he may share the name with us. The church is a nation of rocks. In one of CFW Walther’s sermons, the theologian insists that we are “rock-men.” We have been given the responsibility to let Jesus work through us.

What if when Jesus knelt down and drew in the dirt, he was remembering the dirt that had been breathed form man so long ago? As he hears these heartless accusations and name-callings, as he listens to the reproof of the Pharisees, as he holds himself back from giving into their pestering, maybe he was thinking of what man had been meant for. He sees the living stones they could have been. Imagine his face. We have been given that face. We are carved from that cornerstone. We are meant to bear his name. We are rocks built on The Rock. And, no longer are our hands clutching the rocks of condemnation, but have been formed as living rocks in the hands of our Lord, Jesus Christ.


Now may the peace that passes all our understanding, guard our hearts and minds by the formation of Christ Jesus. Amen.

Blood-Stained

Ezekiel 16 -- This devotion is not for the faint of heart.

“My son, listen to my words. Hear these sayings. Keep them in your heart. They are life to those who find them, and healing to their flesh… Do not be crooked in speech or deceitful. But, stay true. Ponder your path so that your steps may be secure. Stay true. Do not be turned away nor led astray.” Proverbs 4:20-27, 7:25 paraphrased.

A babe cries out, salty and fleshy odor follows in a warm gust of air. Peering down, an infant lies on the path, rolling in dirt, covered in blood. There is no protection; no nurturing; no love. Instead, a hole fills the heart. It is something better unseen. His eyes begin to fill with water, his hands reach unexpectedly down, and soon she is in his arms. The life of the babe is fading. Her cries begin to muffle. He hears his own voice before he decides to start speaking. “Live!” He is crying out to the babe in his arms, staining his shirt with blood, “Live!” She calms as his voice becomes a lullaby. She sleeps, safely within his arms.

There, in his security, she grows. He spoils her, buying her the latest trends and jewels. She is the apple of his eye. But, it is not long before his trusted beauty plays the whore. His heart is lovesick as she chases after strangers reeking of death. She does not remember her youth; her savior; her love. On a dark night, she cries out, finding herself steeped in death, the smell of her lovers had latched onto her. She cannot escape. Once again, he comes to her, he reminds her of his love. He comforts her. She is confounded, speechless in her shame. He atones for what she has done.

Israel had wandered astray, falling from the words of wisdom and leading a life of folly. Her steps had slipped and she had become a babe covered in sin. It was something better unseen. She cried out for a savior, “Hosanna!” along the path. Out of his compassion, he had entered the world, reaching down unexpectedly. After staining himself with blood, he cried out to the babe “Live!” She heard his cry. It became music to her ears. He took her death upon himself and gave her his life.

Through that sacrifice, we became the apple of his eye. But, it is not long before we surround ourselves with suitors. For less than a penny, we worship them in place of Him. The stench of their death flows into us. We cannot escape. Again and again, he comes to us. He reminds us of his love. He comforts us. And, we are speechless in our shame. For, he has atoned for what we have done.