We Must Remain Steadfast!

I have joined the Brothers of John the Steadfast.

Are you a steadfast Lutheran yet? Visit the Steadfast Lutheran site here.

Illustration by Pastor Blazek.

Hey Look! The Emperor has no clothes!

Todd Wilken hits it out of the park with this paper.

HT: Steadfast Lutherans

Adiaphora, The Formula of Concord, and Treat Level Orange

We all agree that adiaphora can be safely practiced or ignored without sin. We also all agree that some adiaphora should be strongly encouraged because they are useful in promoting the faith.

We also agree with the Formula of Concord and the teachings of St. Paul that when it teaches that, in times of persecution and in case of confession, some matters that are adiaphora are no longer indifferent when they are used in such a way to attack or obscure the Gospel.

It is this teaching that is being used to assert that, in our current political and theological climate as American Lutherans, many things that are adiaphora in theory are not currently adiaphora in reality. In many cases, I agree with these assertions.

...but here is my question: Realistically speaking, when will those who make these assertions (myself included) conclude that the threats which make these matters no longer adiaphora have abated?

I submit to you the Homeland Security/TSA Airport Threat Level. The colors range from Green up through the Yellows Oranges and Reds of the color spectrum. There was a time (before the invention of these colors) when airports operated at Green. Now, the threat level seems to be Orange by default. When does anyone expect it ever to be Green again? More importantly, should it ever get to the situation where it is Green again, will people admit it and lower the security level?

It is easy to surrender freedoms. It is hard to have the custodians of those freedoms give them back to the people when the crisis is no longer a significant threat. Lets say that we manage to significantly limit matters that we all say are adiaphora so that we can defend the confessions and the Gospel.

How, when, and under what conditions do we get them back? Who will make that decision? Are you willing to surrender a matter of adiaphora over in defense of confessional unity if you know that you will probably never get it back? After the crisis is no longer an issue, will everyone remember why the adiaphora was surrendered in the first place?

...some things to consider when one considers limiting the freedom of the Gospel.

My Suffering as an Enthusiast Ended Through the Sign of the Prophet Jonah

I did all of that seeker stuff. I grew up in the Rick Warren movement. I was a Charismatic. I was a Southern Baptist. I spent years being mentored by former Pentecostals and seeking the ever elusive Holy Spirit Baptism. My father was a Promise Keeper. I’ve read the Purpose Driven Life. I was a praise and worship musician for the better part of a decade starting at the age of thirteen. We played 2-4 services a week and we went on tour to perform at other churches. As a young boy, I helped the liberal elements revamp our congregation with modern worship forms and enthusiast theology. When we joined the church, it had an organ and a few score in membership. When I left, we sat 300+ every Sunday, had a drum kit on the stage, and we hosted Christian punk rock band tours whenever they came to town.

I was also a songwriter. I wrote and performed my compositions before my church whenever the format permitted. The music of the enthusiast is an important window into what makes them tick. It is important to look at what they are singing and connect with them on a deep level.

Why? Because most enthusiasts are secretly hurting inside. Their hope is in the Law and they battle discouragement and disappointment daily. Imagine a life where Christ is most present in the worship that you create and that your connection to God is primarily evidenced by your feelings. Imagine serving a God who comes abundantly in some cases and trickles down in others. Imagine a Holy Spirit who only moves when we do the right things to invoke Him. Imagine a life devoid of the solid foundation that ancient Christianity was built on. Try to live a Christian life that only pays lip service to faith while seeking ever more elaborate ways to reassure itself through signs and miracles.

I submit a song that I wrote as an enthusiast. I performed this song for my congregation. It made people raise their hands, pray, and worship God. After the debut of this song, people came up to me and praised me for my insight and honesty. They thought I really had figured stuff out and that I had written a song that really spoke to the truth of living the life of a Christian. I know people who still love this song. How? It is hopeless! Looking back, my heart grieves to know that this song speaks for many of my brothers and sisters.

Fire by Night
By Mike Baker (when he was living in error as an enthusiast)

How long must I live in this harshest desert?
How long must I thirst as I wander though the heat?
I had a better time as a slave in Egypt,
I don’t know if You’ll provide for me now today.

But You, O God, know my inner questions
The answers You leave are there for me to see
The signs that You’re givin’ me
Lead me through the desert
Through Fire by Night and Cloud by Day

How high must I climb to feel you in abundance?
How far can I fall and still feel your grace?
How long can I live without your gentle healing?
Must there be less of me so I can hear your voice?

‘Cause You, O God, don’t talk the way you used to
The answers You leave are ones I do not see
The signs You are giving me are not out in the open
Like Fire by Night and Cloud by Day.

Maybe just once if you wrote a message in the stars
If I listened for a change… I would know Your heart.

But You, O God, are talking in a whisper
The answers You give are there for those who see
The signs You are giving me are there if I would listen
To the still small voice inside of me

If I listen for a change… can I know Your heart?


I weep for people who feel as I did when I wrote this song. I am horrified that people believe as I once did: that “Jesus being in my heart” means that I should rely solely on some inner voice or subjective experience to lead me in the faith.

This song leads you to false hope. When I wrote it, I was blind. I was searching for God, but I was so spiritually and theologically starved that He seemed elusive, hidden, and distant. I couldn’t know God’s heart because I was listening to the wrong things. Consequently, I felt that God the Father had largely abandoned His people… especially me.

The Enthusiast always wonders why things changed between the Bible and now. Why did God make things so easy for His people in the Old Testament and so hard for us today. Why did God speak verbally to Elijah but not to the church today? Why did God guide His people through visible miracles in the past and not in the present? Why did God speak in a loud voice before and not now? Why did God sit and eat with Abraham then, but not with the church today? They do not understand this mystery and they envy that kind of intimate relationship with God. They search for this relationship in worship and controversial signs, but never find it. They become so desperate that they start to see miracles, angels, and demons everywhere. They will believe anything that looks like a miracle. They will doubt anything that does not feel right. The world becomes bewildering and chaotic.

They are looking in the wrong place. God is not subjective and internal. He is objective and external. He does not change. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He does not treat you any differently than Israel. In fact, He treats you exactly the same because you are Israel. Paul tells us that Christians are children of Abraham by adoption. If you are looking for a personal relationship with God, look in the same places where the people of the Old Testament looked: In those places where God promises to be.

In the Old Testament, you see many signs and objects that contain the very presence of God. God cleansed the earth with a flood and delivered Noah in an ordinary boat. The rainbow is a sign of God’s covenant with Noah. Circumcision is a sign of God’s covenant with Abraham. God speaks to Moses in a burning bush. God turns a staff into a snake. God saves the people from death through ordinary blood on an ordinary door. God resides on the Mercy Seat in the Holy of Holies. God feeds His people with mana. God saves His people from snakes through a snake on a pole. God wins a battle through the act of Moses outstretching his arms. God saved Rahab through a red chord in her window. God shows Gideon the way through a fleece. The secret of Samuel’s strength was his hair. Naaman’s leprosy was cleansed by bathing in the river Jordan. The list goes on and on and on.

Why do we not have these things today? Why doesn’t God come to the church and shout in a loud booming voice and end all of the debates and doubt? If we are wrong, why doesn't God prove His will through an unequivocal sign?

The Pharisees were enthusiasts, too. They wondered the same thing.

Matthew 12:38-41 [ESV]: Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, "Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you." But he answered them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here.”

Here's your sign! The sign of the prophet Jonah is your miracle, brothers and sisters. The church is guided by this one miracle. Man wants many miracles and asks for a great deal to prove God’s existence, but the salvation of mankind is given to all by just one sign: the sign of the prophet Jonah.

Christ’s death and resurrection is your objective proof of your salvation. If you doubt that God loves you, look to Christ. If you fear what will happen in the future, look to your greatest of signs: Christ. If you do not know what you are supposed to be doing or where you are supposed to go, look to the visible sign as the Israelites in the desert looked to the Fire and Cloud. Look to Christ’s death and resurrection. Gather strength through faith in this awesome miracle; this perfect and complete work.

So perfect is Christ's death and resurrection that all other signs point to, prefigure, and emulate this one. God providing the lamb instead of Abraham's son points to Christ. God saving His people through blood to ward off death points to Christ. God preserving His people through the Passover meal points to Christ. God curing people with a snake lifted up on a pole points to Christ. God laying Jonah in the depths for three days and then raising Him out of the depths points to Christ.

It is all about Christ. There is your proof! That’s it. That’s all you need. There is no other sign because no further symbol of God’s providence or love could add anything to Christ’s saving work. To know Christ is to know the Father. You know that God is just because of Christ. You know that God is holy because of Christ. You know that God is merciful because of Christ. You know that God loves you because of Christ. You know that God will eternally save you because of Christ.

Christ said about himself, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him."

At that point, Philip had an enthusiast moment and said, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us." How many songs are written by Christians today that ask Philip's question over and over again? We cry out, "Show us the Father! Show us His glory!" We sing, "Rain down Your presence on us! Fill this place with Your glory!" We ask, "Show us Your face O God! Reveal Yourself to us in this place!"

How did Christ reply to Philip? He said, "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works."

How can we ask for the Father as if we do not already see Him in the Son? There is not a mote of heavenly glory that was kept from Christ. The Father did not withhold an ounce of mercy, power, glory, might, honor, magesity, grace, wisdom, knowledge, omnicience, or love, but He gave it to His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ. You want to see the Father? Don't look in your worship. Don't look in your heart. Don't seek after it as though it was some elusive treasure. Look to the free gift of Christ.

Christ did all the work and He is all of proof of God's love that you will ever need. Remember? “IT IS FINISHED!” The sign of the prophet Jonah.

Why look anywhere else for hope or guidance? Why turn to someone as unreliable as yourself for proof of God's favor when Christ is the end of all doubt and rejection? Why flock to places that promise nothing more than miracles, emotional experiences, and wonderous signs? Why settle for something so cheap and temporary?

Christ is the door through which you obtain the holy relationship that Adam lost in the garden. Christ’s blood washes you clean and establishes that intimate relationship with the Father. If you want an intimate relationship that never waivers, look to Christ. You want real hope and security? Place your faith in Christ.

Does that mean that God is done serving His people through means? Of course not. God is working today as He was working before: He hides in ordinary, tangible things. He adopts you into His eternal family through ordinary water by the power of Baptism. He strengthens you in the faith through ordinary wine and ordinary bread in Christ’s Most Holy Supper. He forgives you through words of absolution that are spoken by ordinary men. He guides you through an ordinary book: Holy Scripture. What gives these mundane things such power and significance? The same thing that gave power and significance to the burning bush and the Holy of Holies: the real presence of God.

These means of grace deliver what was promised by the sign of the prophet Jonah. John tells us in his gospel that the "Word became flesh and dwelt among us." Later in that same book Christ says, "For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink." All of this is Christ presented before your eyes, spoken into your ears, and placed upon your lips.

Read what God has said. He does not lie and He does not construct elaborate tricks to confuse you or leave you in doubt.

Matthew 26:26-29 [ESV]: Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat; this is my body." And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, "Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom."

1 Corinthians 10:15-17 [ESV]: I [Paul] speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.

1 Peter 3:18-22 [ESV]: For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.”

John 20:21-23 [ESV]: Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you." And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld."

God uses tangible means to accomplish extraordinary miracles. Those means exist today and they are there for you to touch and hold. They are not there as some additional ceremonial rite or mnemonic device. God does not institute these things as observances that depend on you to reflect upon their symbolism and thus grow closer to Him by way of your mental capacity and personal wisdom. Why would God make coming to Him so difficult?

There is no abandonment. You ask for proof and God gives you Christ. Not only that, Christ is given to you in such a way that you can actually point to tangable objects and say, "Christ is right there. I don't know how it works, but I know that this miracle allows me to participate in Christ's death and resurrection. I don't need to doubt or fear because God keeps His promises regardless of what emotional state I am in."

These things exist to bless you and preserve you in the faith. Learn to embrace them as such. You already know that you cannot always count on that small voice inside of you. Sometimes it is wrong. Sometimes it leads you into sin. Sometimes it only tells you what you want to hear. You know that many times that voice is surely not coming from God. You know that sometimes you feel like your prayers don't go anywhere. You know that you need something solid to ease your doubts and comfort you.

Dead, old religion’s answer to this suffering is empty and false. Dead, old religion makes you do all the work and come up with the answers on your own. Dead, old religion tells you to pray, fast, and do this list of works until your heart tells you that you are going the right way. Dead, old religion tells you to suffer through the tough times alone. Dead, old religion makes you look to human teachers or within yourself for guidance. Dead, old religion hides behind alot of show, glitter, and flash. Dead, old religion distracts you and points your attention to itself instead of Jesus.

Living, real faith – that intimate relationship that you are seeking – is deeper and much more mystical than that. There is a real church that still has miracles and still follows God through the ways that He has established by Christ's specific, spoken promises. There is a real church that has no need for the petty miracles and signs that the Pharisees wanted. There is a real church that does not wickedly ask God to reveal His glory and power for the sake of a wondrous experience.

There is a real church that gathers together and does nothing but participate in the sign of the prophet Jonah: Christ’s death and resurrection. There is a real church who heeds God's Word and repents daily. There is a real church that is constantly transformed, refreshed, and vivified through repentance and faith in Christ Jesus.

It’s not about you. It's not about what you tell yourself is true. The proof is not found in what you do or don't experience when you feel God’s presence or when you don’t feel the presence. Even Pagans and Atheists are confirmed in their false beliefs through that fickle method. You don’t think that practitioners of other religions feel their god’s presence? You don’t think that their worship confirms their beliefs? What makes you different from them? How can you be sure that you are thinking, feeling, and believing correctly? The cold truth is that you can't know God by your feelings any more than you can know a person through how you feel about them. It is time to stop guessing about God. Start knowing God.

It is all about Christ. That is the difference. It is not about what you do or why. It is about what has been done for you. The firm foundation of Christ is objective and incarnate. Christ's death and resurrection is an objective fact that you can cling to. You know God loves you because of Christ.

Steadfast Middle Earth Quote of the Day

"He has a mind of metal and wheels; and he does not care for growing things, except insofar as they serve him for the moment."

-Treebeard

J.R.R. Tolkein's The Two Towers [Book III, Chapter IV]

Bread Crumbs?

Get out your tinfoil mind-defense hat and go to "A Little Leaven" and look at this article and the imbedded video:

http://www.alittleleaven.com/2007/11/ilife-is-that-w.html

Now go click on the "this church" link in the article and you will find the church that put on this sermon series. If the link doesn't work, here is their website:

http://www.crosspt.cc/

The iLife sermon series was put on in 2007 by "Crosspoint Community Church" in Decatur, AL. Here is a statement that I read earlier this year from their website (my emphasis added):

Crosspoint is an independent, bible-based inter-denominational Christian church. Were made up of people with various religious backgrounds at different stages of their spiritual Journey. Some people at Crosspoint have been Christians for many years, others are just beginning to find what it means to have a real realtionship with God. Others are seeking to find out who God really is. This means regardless of your background, you will feel welcome and have opportunity to get involved at Crosspoint.

Crosspoint is a member of the Willow Creek association of Churches. We associate with and recieve training and support from other churches around the country. These affiliations provide not only training and resources, but also accountability for the church and its leaders. This also gives us freedom to build a church for our generation that meets the spiritual needs we have, in a context that is both meaningful and biblical without the constraint of denominational politics.

[Remember their Willow Creek association and their distain for the "constraint of denominational politics". We'll come back to that.]

When I found this stuff, Gloria Dei Lutheran Church (LCMS) had the following picture on their website (http://www.gdlc.org/):

The following text was included with the iLife image:

Upcoming Message Series

Many families are running on empty. They feel hurried, and scattered, and have little hope that life can be any different. How about your family? Would you like to bring your family back together and back to life?

It’s easier than you think…Jesus said, “The secret of the Kingdom of God has been given to you.” (Mark 4:11) It’s time to discover what we’ve already been given.How to Bring Your Family Back to Life

May 11 How to Bless a Mamma's Heart

May 18 How to Help a Child Grow Up with Jesus

May 25 Spiritual Warfare: 101

June 1 How to Bless a Teenager

June 8 From Generation to Generation: A Legacy of Life

June 15 Dad: Leader of Spiritual Adventures

June 22 How to Release Life into Your Family

*************************************************

Do you see the iLife logo from A Little Leaven that I got from an LCMS congregation's website that I visited while at a district church growth conference? Read the titles of the sermon series and tell me if you think this is similar to the "Crosspoint Community Church" series that was put on in Decatur last year.

"Crosspoint Community Church" sounded familiar. There is a "Crosspoint Community Church" in Katy, Texas. They are LCMS, too. Here is their website (Note: if you enter the address manually in the address bar, make sure to type in ".org" and not ".cc" or you might go back to the other Crosspoint Community website in Decatur):

http://www.crosspt.org/OOOO/

Both "Gloria Dei" and "Crosspoint Community Church" (the LCMS one) were at that Texas District M2C conference earlier this year which was nothing less than a big inter-denominational, Rick Warren love fest. The key presenter at that LCMS church plant meeting was Phil Stevenson who is the "General Director of Evangelism & Church Growth" of the Wesleyan Church.

I also remember seeing and talking to Mark Schaefer and Patrick Miller at the M2C conference in 2008. They are from Water's Edge. If memory serves, they helped out at the M2C conference. I only mention them because they are on the list for the youth gathering we have all been talking about.

While you are at the youth gathering site, you might see another familiar church from the M2C website you just looked at. According to M2C, one of the presenters at the 2007 conference was St Paul/The Summit, Ft Worth. I was not at that one, but I am pretty sure it was the same sort of stuff that I saw this year in Tapatio. If I remember correctly, The Summit was also at M2C in 2008. Not to be outdone by Water's Edge, the Summit sent a speaker to this youth gathering, too.

That brings us to Kari Jobe. She is from Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas. Gateway is a non-denominational church that denies Real Presence, but Kari managed to get on the list of speakers at the LCMS youth gathering. You can find the head pastor of Gateway Church, Robert Morris, giving a glowing testimonial on this church growth website that cuts through all the buzz words and calls church growth what it is: "churchmarketing101". It isn't about spreading the Gospel. It is about marketing... and not even marketing Jesus. It is marketing YOUR church.

Kyrie Eleison! Jesus come quickly and overturn these tables in your temple!

While on "churchmarketing101", does another name on that tesimonial list jump out at you? It's none other than "Next Gen Pastor" Darren Whitehead of the mega-church Willow Creek. And we come full circle because Cross Point, Decatur (where I first saw the "iLife" logo) is a Willow Creek association member.

The book being marketed on churchmarketing101.com is used by Rick Warren to push his theology and is included in Relevant Magazine's "Relevant Leader's Pastor's Tool Kit". And if you look at where author Richard L. Reising is based... surprise: Dallas, Texas.

I feel like a kook just assembling these observations together in the same place. Why does all this fit together so cleanly? What am I supposed to think of this?

Someone please come on here and explain to me how I am totally misreading all of these coincidences. I really really really want to believe that I am way off base and my line of reasoning is faulty. I left the Purpose Driven movement for a good reason. It draws people into a building, burdens them with works righteousness, and then spiritually starves them to death.

Please tell me that this is not going on in my district. Please tell me how this is baseless and I am acting off of guilt by association.

Is this layman tilting at windmills?

Preparing for Death - Part 3 "We Are All Dying"

We deceive ourselves sadly if we think of death only as taking place with the last breath of life here; on the contrary, day by day, hour by hour, moment by moment, we are dying. Step by step the future of life approaches us, and at the same time, step by step death advances towards us. And every moment added to this life is at the same time a moment subtracted from it. Death really never comes suddenly, but we always approach it gradually, step by step. This life of our is a path upon which we journey; every day we complete a part of it; life and death seem to be far distant from each other, when in fact they are as near as possible to each other. Life is always gliding along as if on a swift wing, while death is ever hovering near to strike us down. Like voyagers on the ocean, who are coming nearer and nearer to port, although as they are being borne along swiftly by the vessel, they often feel it not or think not of it, so on the voyage of life, whatever we do, whether we eat, or drink, or sleep, we are always coming nearer and nearer to death. Many have passed through life seeking only the means and the supplies to support it.

No one can cheerfully meet death unless he has for a long time been looking forward to it with calm composure. Die daily to thyself whilst thou art living, so that when thou diest thou mayest live with God. Before thou diest, let thy sins die in thee; in thy life let the old Adam die in thee, so in thy death Christ shall live in thee; in thy life let thine outward man perish day by day, so in thy death the inward man shall be renewed in thee. Death simply transfers us from time to eternity as we are, for "where the tree falleth, there it shall be" (Ecc 6:3). How anxiously then ought we to consider the hour of death! Time is quickly passing, and the infinite reaches of eternal ages stretch out before us; in time then prepare thyself for eternity!

-Johann Gerhard, "The Daily Consideration of Death"

Sacred Meditations, pg 248-249

“Terrible Customer Service”

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“Terrible Customer Service”
A Purpose Driven, Missional Play by Mike Baker

Narrator: “We come upon Stan, a middle-aged father of three, who is driving around in his pastel blue minivan in search of some place to eat. After driving around for quite some time, Stan settles on the Coral Ridge Restaurant. He decides not to hassle with the long line in the drive thru so he finds a decent spot in the massive parking lot and drags his family through the front door. There he is met by the smiling host, Chet, who is wearing a “Real Men come to Coral Ridge” T-shirt with tie-dye print.”

Chet: “Good morning, sir, isn’t it a great day to eat at Coral Ridge?”

Stan: “Yeah, sure. Can we get seats for four? I am starving.”

Chet: “We hear that a lot around here. You have come to the right place. This place is so popular that we had to expand our play area and put in a new parking lot.”

Stan: “….good for you. Are there seats available?”

Chet: “There is always seating available. Right this way, sir. So… is this your first time here at Coral Ridge?”

Stan: “Yes. I have heard a lot about it and wanted to see what the buzz was about.”

Chet: “Fantastic. We are really blessed and encouraged when we hear about the impact that we are having on the community. Did you get our promotional mailer?”

Stan: “Um… I think I saw something about it a few months back while I was looking for that water bill…”

Chet: “Fantastic. Here is your table, sir. Just so you know we are very family oriented here at Coral Ridge. There is a huge play area with sock puppets and clowns for your little kids. We also set up a child-friendly dining area so that the adults can enjoy their meal without being disturbed. The kids tend to have more fun that way, too.”

Stan: “Uh… thanks, but I want to eat with my kids. They can go play while I am waiting, but I am going to have them sit with me during the meal. We eat as a family.”

Chet: “Huh… interesting… I guess that would be okay. Go have fun kids!”

Stan: “Okay, let’s get down to business. I am starving.”

Chet: “Wow, it really sounds like it. I hate it when I am hungry. It really is a struggle sometimes. I guess that’s why we’re all here, right? Hehe. Say! Would you like some coffee to start out?”

Stan: “You know what, that sounds really good. I have been really run down lately. I could use a pick me up before I eat.”

Chet: “Exactly. Being a single dad must be tough. Divorce is never easy.”

Stan: “…actually, I am a widower.”

Chet: “I am sorry to hear that. It must be so hard for you to raise three girls on your own.” [Chet takes a moment to hug Stan in an uncomfortable embrace.] “You know, Coral Ridge can really help you out. We have day care every day so that you can take some time off and relax.”

Stan: “Really? I thought you guys were a restaurant. You run a day care?”

Chet: “Yes, sir! We got certified a month ago. We also have a home economics class, a swim team, a softball team, a yoga class, a quilting group, a fraternity, a youth group, a tween group, an interim tweeny youth group, S.T.A.R.S., H.E.A.R.T.S., M.O.O.N.S., F.O.U.R.L.E.A.F.C.L.O.V.E.R.S., an Alpha class, Beta class, Theta class, M class, semi-annual coffee drinking contests, three musical bands, and seven book clubs. Feel free to join the one that best suits your need. If you need a group that we haven’t thought of, please let us know and we’ll get it started right away. Coral Ridge is here to really serve the community.”

Stan: “I am really speechless. You guys go all out. When do you find time to cook?”

Chet: “Oh we knew it was going to be tough from the start, but we have an amazing staff and everyone works really hard in their particular area of interest. It really is a miracle that we are able to do all of this on such a tight budget. We have taken this humble little restaurant and made it into so much more than it used to be. It is effective, relevant, and really serves the people of this community. Here’s your coffee, sir.”

Stan: “Nice! This coffee cup is huge!”

Chet: “That’s what everybody says! We really pride ourselves on our coffee. No restaurant in town brews coffee like we do.”

Ted: [Walking up frustrated and confused] “Hey, Chet, I’ve been sitting here for a really long time and I haven’t seen my plate yet. I am on, like my eighth cup of coffee, but I really need something more substantial. Can you get someone over there to help me?”

Chet: “Sure! No problem. We are always here to help you guys. I’ll tell you what, enjoy the music from the live jazz band for a few more minutes and I will be with you personally right after I am done talking to Stan. I’ll tell you what. I think you are ready for the real stuff. It is obvious that you are ready for the house blend espresso roast. That stuff is really potent and will fix all your problems. Hey, Ted, have you met Stan?”

Ted: “No… my name is Ted. How are you doing?”

Stan: “Good. This is quite a place they’ve got going on here.”

Chet: “I’ll say, I come in here twice a week.”

Stan: “Really? You’d think they would treat a steady customer better than making you wait so much to get some chow.”

Ted: “It is no big deal. The purpose of a restaurant is to attract new customers. I understand that. A long time ago Chet’s family opened this restaurant to attract customers and feed them. I can’t blame Chet for putting so much effort into meeting the needs of people who may have never walked into Coral Ridge before. Coral Ridge is all about outreach. You can’t feed people if they don’t visit your restaurant.”

Stan: “I guess that makes sense. I’m no restaurant expert.”

Ted: “Plus, we have the best coffee in town and the live bands are amazing. I really feel at home here and the clowns in the kid area take good care of my kids. I don’t even have to look after them or teach them anymore. Coral Ridge does it all for me and they have certified people who are way more qualified than I could ever be. I am just a CPA. What do I know about all this stuff? It looks like my espresso is ready. I’ll see you guys later tonight for the Hearts Ablaze Smoothie Fellowship and Happy Hour.”

Chet: “Bye, Ted! It was really good talking to you.”

Stan: “Bye, Ted... I hope they let you eat soon. Hey, Chet, what is good here?”

Chet: “The coffee.”

Stan: “No seriously. Coral Ridge sounds like a seafood place. Do you guys have good seafood?”

Chet: “We tend to not really push the seafood. We have found that many of our new customers are turned off by the fish smell. We also have quite a few people who are from landlocked areas. They are not really into that whole fisherman thing. It is not what they know… you know? Plus, a lot of seafood restaurants have been in business for decades and they don’t understand how many people are allergic to shellfish! Isn’t that tragic? A restaurant that can’t feed everyone what they want is not doing what they should be doing.”

Stan: “Well then why the ocean-related name?”

Chet: “Oh… this area is a coastal community. After we conducted an extensive survey of the local neighborhoods, we found that Coral Ridge was the most marketable name for our restaurant. It really speaks to our intent to be a part of the community. We are all about serving the community.”

Stan: “Whatever… how about pasta. Do you have any good pasta?”

Chet: “Nope. Today’s people do not want to be weighed down by high carb foods. Pasta is not relevant to the modern customer. Nobody wants to be fat. It lowers their self worth.”

Stan: “Mexican Food?”

Chet: “…Too ethnically exclusive.”

Stan: “Wings and Pizza?”

Chet: “…Too masculine. Women 35-50 tend to shy away from that kind of food.”

Stan: “Fried Chicken?”

Chet: “...Too southern.”

Stan: "Sandwiches?"

Chet: "...Too traditional."

Stan: “Steak?”

Chet: [Gasps in shock] “What would the vegans say!?! Vegans are customers, too, Stan. Next you’ll be recommending that I make this place a steakhouse! Where are the vegans going to eat, Stan, huh? What about the poor vegans?”

Stan: “You know what? Just give me a menu.”

Chet: “Oh we don’t believe in menus. We find that menus are restrictive. Who wants a restaurant where they tell you the things that you have to order? Menus are so academic, inaccessible, and impersonal. People go into those places and order the same thing over and over again. It is almost like they don't even really pay attention to what they are ordering. They just read off the menu and eat what is given to them. We much prefer a personal relationship approach to the dining experience. Don’t you think that some menu restricts the broader vision of your food selection to have a menu in front of your face?

Stan: “No, the menu helps me know what you serve and what I should order… wait… you are slamming menus but your answers to my questions a few minutes ago just restricted by choices to saltine crackers and this wonderful coffee. What is the difference between a written menu and you just telling me what I should eat for dinner verbally? At least the menu forces you to be consistent.”

Chet: “Well… um… I’ll have to talk to the legal department about that one. Be right back.”

Stan: “No! If you go away, I may never see you again. Just bring me some food from the back… anything. And bring my kids something simple that I can convince them to eat. It doesn’t matter, just give me some food. I am starving at this point.”

Chet: “Well, you’ve been here for over fifteen minutes. You should be past that whole hunger thing by now. You admitted that you were hungry when you came in. You followed me to your seat. You drank the coffee. We really need you to become a self-feeder at this point. Here… put on this shirt and go wait some tables with me. The Coral Ridge family has to stick together and we’ve got some really needy customers tonight and I can’t help them without you. Besides, you are coming here pretty late in the evening. You’ve got some catching up to do if you are going to meet your service goal by closing time.”

Stan: “Listen to me, Chet, I am hungry. You are running a restaurant. Where’s the food? I have my own job down at the factory. I don’t have time to wait tables during the few minutes that I have to eat. My work is hard and I need food to keep me going. After you give me what I need, I still I have to help the kids with their homework, get them ready for bed, and crash so that I can get enough sleep to get up at 4am for the first shift.”

Chet: “We are all really busy, Ted. I understand your struggles. The thing is that each member of the family of Coral Ridge really should pull their own weight. Don’t you realize that there are people coming through that door all the time who were as needy as you were 15 minutes ago? It is not fair that 10% of the people sitting in this restaurant are doing 90% of the work. Here. Fill out this talent survey. It will help you determine if you should work as a barista or if you would be better suited for working over in the play area. You like kids after all. Maybe you are being called to be our next balloon clown. The last guy quit for some odd reason.”

Stan: “I’m not here for a job. I have a job.”

Chet: “…but working at Coral Ridge is so much more fulfilling than at that stinky factory. I understand that you have to make a living, but look at how happy everyone is here. Besides, these people need our help. There is nothing more important than running a quality restaurant. People need to be a part of a restaurant that loves them for who they are.”

Stan: “What they need is food… and I am still hungry.”

Chet: “If you are so hungry, you should have brought a boxed lunch or something. Oh! You should join one of our small home nutrition groups. They are run by customers just like you and you sit in a relaxed atmosphere and learn about food.”

Stan: "Me hungry... You restaurant... Stan need food from restaurant."

Chet: "Now you are just being confrontational."

Stan: "Finally... you are actually listening to me."

Chet: "What you need to understand, Stan, is that there is a difference between a healthy restaurant and a fit restaurant. Healthy restaurants are harmonious and are doing what they are supposed to, but it is possible to be healthy and not fit. Fit is something totally different. Fit is extending beyond healthy and having the ability to really change the restaurant business for the better."

Stan: "............what?!?"

Chet: "You seem confused. I get that."

Stan: “No you don't get me at all. I am hungry. You aren't feeding me. That's because this is not really a restaurant. All you guys serve is coffee and play music. You may call yourselves a restaurant, and you talk a lot about being a good restaurant, but real restaurants serve food to hungry people. Having good coffee and entertainment is okay I guess, but I could go to Starbucks if that is what I was looking for. I didn’t come here for all of this junk. I came here to eat. The coffee and entertainment is all well in good so long as there is still food being served. That is clearly not happening. I think you guys have gotten a little distracted by all of the entertainment and advertising. You have forgotten why your family opened this restaurant in the first place: to feed people. I bet some people come in and don't even realize that they are supposed to get some kind of food here. What good is attracting people if you have no food to serve? Since you seem determined to help me do everything but get what my stomach demands, I am going to take my family elsewhere. We need to eat. Kids! We’re leaving!”

Chet: “Don’t go! You just got here!”

Stan: “Good bye, Chet. Good luck with your ‘restaurant’ and thanks for the coffee.” [Stan walks out with his kids.]

Ted: “Did Stan just leave?”

Chet: “Yeah… he decided that he wanted to go somewhere else. It is sad. Thank God that he admitted that he was hungry when he came in. If he hadn't done that, he might have starved to death. At least he felt lead to come down and sit at a table... even if it was only for a few minutes. We'll call him in a couple weeks and invite him back.”

Ted: “Yeah… the whole Stan thing is pretty discouraging. You know, we have a lot of people who leave like that.”

Chet: “Don’t worry. The program consultant predicted that we were going to lose a statistical number of visitors in the first couple of months of this new business plan. Most people who come in are just not going to stick around and be regular customers. We should level off to a steady number of about 800 customers here in the next couple weeks. This is normal.”

Ted: “Stan seemed pretty passionate… we could have really used him here at Coral Ridge. He seemed to know a lot about nutrition. He would have been perfect as a nutrition leader.”

Chet: “Yeah, but he couldn’t get past the whole “food” thing. He just couldn’t realize that people have so many more needs than just sitting there stuffing their faces. People aren’t going to go elsewhere for coffee and entertainment. If we don’t do these things who will?”

Ted: "They could go to a coffee shop. I hear lots of restaurant customers visit coffee shops from time to time."

Chet: "Yeah, but coffee shops aren't restaurants, Ted. People need to come to restaurants."

Ted: "I... don't really see the difference anymore."

Chet: "Don't be so negative, Ted. Everyone gets discouraged at times. Running a restaurant is not easy."

Ted: “Stan has a point about the food. I’ve lost, like, 40 pounds since I got here and I get woozy when I stand up too quick.”

Chet: “I’ll pray for you Ted. I’ve been there before, too. I’ll tell you what. Why don’t you go back inside and get yourself some more coffee. If you still feel bad, I may be able to go scrounge up a power bar or even one of those diet shakes.”

Ted: “Yeah. That always makes me feel better for a few minutes. Thanks, Chet.”

Chet: “Anytime, brother, anytime.”

******

Narrator: “Starving and more than a little angry, Stan drags his family into the little diner across the street. It is dirty, poorly lit and is filled with old people. On the surface, the diner is not as flashy as Coral Ridge, but that doesn’t matter. Stan can smell the food. He steps inside and is met by a grumpy-looking old man and his wife.

Olaf: “Howdy, folks. You hungry?”

Stan: “Starving.”

Olaf: “Hehe… ain’t we all? Hans, cook this boy up a special with extra gravy and I need three specials for his kids. Give them extra gravy, too. Oh, and lots of vegetables. Call me judgmental, but the oldest child is looking a little peekish.

Stan: “What’s the special?”

Olaf: “It’s what everyone is eating today. It is just what you need. You’ll love it. The special changes on a regular schedule, but it is still the same food week after week. None of that trans-fat, high fructose garbage that passes for food these days. Just food the way my grandpa taught me how to cook. Here is our menu. It’s all there in black and white. After we get this first course in your belly, you can pick what else you want to try. Most people skip the desert, but that is really the best part. Try it on my recommendation.”

Bill: “Hey Olaf, when are we going to expand this place and do more than just your grandpa’s cooking?”

Olaf: “We aren’t, Bill, so quit asking. I am here to cook. That is what I am here for. I already let you come in and do karaoke on Tuesday nights for the people who are into that kinda thing, but that is not what we should be all about. If you want to go dancing or make balloon animals then go home and do that on your own time. Right now, you are working here to feed hungry people. You’ve had your lunch break so get back on the line and help Hans get those specials out. If you are tired of running the fryer, then put this sandwich board on and go stand outside. Tell the people on the street that there is food in here. If they are hungry, they'll come in and we'll feed them.”

Bill: “That may have worked before, but hungry people don't just walk into restaurants anymore. We need to do more. Look, I am just trying to get more people in the door. Most of your old customers have died off, started eating out Italian every night, or gone to that Greek restaurant down the street. What is a diner without new customers? Maybe we should invite those guys from Coral Ridge over here to teach us a thing or two about running a restaurant.”

Stan: “NO! I just came from there and they don’t feed people! That place is bogus! Take it from someone who has just come from that place. It isn't a really restaurant at all.”

Bill: “Really? I thought their coffee was fantastic. Why are you being so harsh?”

Hans: “And what’s wrong with our coffee, Bill? I work hard on our coffee.”

Bill: “Look, Hans, I’m not trying to criticize your coffee. I am just saying…”

Hans: “I miss the good ole days when Olaf’s father used to serve the meals with metal forks and metal knives. Back then we only served German dishes and it was fantastic. Ever since you started working here, we’ve been selling out. Kareoke, non-German food, plastic forks, it just makes me sick. It is almost like we aren’t a restaurant anymore.”

Olaf: [Lays down the specials for his new customers] “Quit your bickering, you two. I am so tired of this argument. This restaurant has been around for a long time and we’ve had tougher times than this before, remember? Bill, we are not going to stop serving food and we are going to stay away from anything that distracts us from our job as a restaurant. Get over it. Hans, don’t loose sight of the fact that serving food is the really important thing. We should not overcompensate and make it all about how food is served. If Bill wants plastic forks and it doesn’t really affect the taste then we can talk about what the best decision is. Remember that it is all about the food.”

Stan’s Little Girl: “Dad? When are we going back to Coral Ridge? That place is fun.”

Stan: “It is fun, but we didn’t go there to have a good time. We went there to eat. Did you see any food there?”

Stan’s Little Girl: “…no. They didn’t seem to care very much about food. It was all about all the other stuff. It was fun, though.”

Stan: “Hungry people need food. We have plenty of time and money to go have fun elsewhere, but we still need to eat. Chet has forgotten about that. You may not like this place as much right now, but at least you are getting what your body needs. Eating can be fun, but it is the eating that is really important. Fun without food is not eating. A restaurant without food is just a building full of hungry people. It is easy to get destracted when you are not starving, but your body can't go long without nourishment. If we stayed in Coral Ridge, we'd never get any food. Now, finish all those vegetables.”

Olaf: “I didn’t get your name, friend.”

Stan: “I am Stan. These are my kids. This place could use some work, but the food is still really good. It is food as it should be served. I am here for the food.”

Olaf: “Good to meet you, Stan. We are doing our best. There is always room for improvement, I guess.”

Stan: “Well, you are doing better than Chet across the street.”

Olaf: “Chet is my business partner. We are family. Our two diners used to look the same. A few years ago he listened to some slick businessman and revamped our second location. He took our family name off the sign and added a bunch of extra buildings. Most of my customers go over there now. They haven’t figured out that there is no food at “Coral Ridge”. I hear that Chet is thinking about expanding again to open a casino and his cooking show is supposed to start broadcasting next month.”

Stan: “But that isn’t really feeding people.”

Olaf: “I know. I keep trying to tell him that, but he won’t listen. He does not see the difference between just talking about food and actually feeding people.”

Hans: “Coral Ridge has ruined this place! I am so sick that we are even associated with them. We should just cut ties with Coral Ridge and let them go off and do their own thing.”

Olaf: “No. We are family. We have to keep reaching out to Chet. Maybe he’ll get a clue and go back to running a restaurant instead of just marketing his restaurant. It seems obvious that the business beauru is not going to help us out by making Chet change his business practices. It is up to us. If we don't teach Coral Ridge that a restaurant is all about food no one will.”

Hans: “Chet and his customers wouldn’t know food if it hit them in the face. Those guys are a lost cause.”

Olaf: [Pointing out the window] “Maybe not…”

Ted: [attempting to sneak into the diner]“Hey… are you guys still open? I gotta get something to eat or I’m going to pass out again.”

Olaf: “Come on in, Ted. It’s been a long time." [Olaf hands Ted a basket of dinner rolls which Ted quickly starts to eat.] "There's plenty more where that came from. ...How's Chet?”

Narrator: "The moral of the story is: If you truly love a starving man, you will put your own passions aside and feed him." [Or... never trust a skinny cook.]

Myth Alert! The Non-Denominational Church

If someone tells you that they belong to a non-denominational church, make sure to laugh at them good and loud.

Non-denominational churches do not exist. They cannot exist. There is real, fundamental disagreement in the church. You are either on one side of a given issue or another. The next time you find a non-denominational church, look at their statements of belief. If you read far enough you will reach an "ah-ha!" moment.

"Ah-ha!" This non-denominational church lied to me. They are covertly anabaptist. "Ah-ha!" This non-denominational church lied to me. They are covertly arminian/calvinist/methodist/emergent/etc, etc.

Alternatively, you find a place where no specific beliefs are stated. Everything is fair game. In this case, they are certainly non-denominational... but one could argue that a group without any truth is no longer the church.

Let's take this "non-denominational" church as an example.

Here is Article 7 - Baptism & the Lord's Supper:

"The Word of God enjoins... blah blah blah... pretty rhetoric... blah... baptism, is the outward sign of what God has already done in the individual's life... blah blah blah... Anabaptist jibberish... blah... Trinitarian Formula... Lord's Supper is a commemoration of the death of the Lord and is done in rememberance of Him... blah blah... Both institutions are restricted to those who are believers."

Now let's look at the SBC Faith & Message and see if it matches:

"Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer's faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Saviour, the believer's death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus. It is a testimony to his faith in the final resurrection of the dead. Being a church ordinance, it is prerequisite to the privileges of church membership and to the Lord's Supper."

"The Lord's Supper is a symbolic act of obedience whereby members of the church, through partaking of the bread and the fruit of the vine, memorialize the death of the Redeemer and anticipate His second coming."

Ah-ah! I think we have found a winner. So much for non-denominational.

So this is what we have learned:

When a church is "non-denominational", this may be what they are saying:

1. "We are distancing ourselves from the historic view of our former denomination."

2. "We think that changing our name will better fit in with our community-based missional program."

3. "We are moving to generic American religionism."

4. "We don't want you to know our beliefs up front."

5. "We don't want to be judged on the basis of our profession."

6. "We care about our deeds (works) rather than our creeds (faith)."

7. "We are really X denomination, but we can't get that denomination to sign off on some of our beliefs and practices."

Preparing for Death - Part 2 "Fading Legacies and Being Forgotten"

Today is a fitting day to continue this series on preparing for the inevitable approach of death. I had the privilege of presiding as the honor guard commander for the military funeral ceremony of a fellow Lutheran today. I always enjoy attending a good, Christian funeral. In my opinion, the funeral service is where the rubber of faith meets the road of reality. This is where all of our pet topics get stripped down to the real problem of sinful man: death. This is where people flock to hear St. Paul speak about the resurrection. This is where the full weight of the Gospel is most evident. The local Lutheran pastors pull out all of the stops at funerals. I cannot help but thank God for them as they continue to declare the message of Christ crucified and the hope of our rebirth through the power of the His resurrection.

I would be remiss if I failed to point out that the Lutherans of my city do not corner the market on fine funeral services. Death seems to bring out the best in most Christian preachers. The grave seems to strip away much of the pietism, humanism, and rationalism. The uncompromising power of the grave can leave even the most purpose driven Christian helpless at the feet of Almighty God.

We have a local Roman Catholic priest who excels at presiding over funerals. He once gave a fantastic sermon about the daily meditation of your own death. The primary point that he drove home was to keep your eyes fixed on the cross every day of your life and never allow your gaze to waver from it. Christ is all that matters. The foot of the cross is the one place where the shadow of the grave no longer falls. He observed that it is when we look away from the cross that we fall into fear and doubt. Apart from the hope of Christ is where death has the ability to haunt us.

Isn’t that always the case? When we think about death, we quickly look away from Christ and begin to consider other concerns… petty matters. Sinful man looks at what is to come and forsakes it in favor of what is about to pass away. We worry about the finances (our earthly treasure). We worry about how our loved ones will go on without us. We worry about the work that we have left undone. We worry about how the world will remember us. All of this blossoms out of concerns about our legacy. That is when dread begins to creep in and take hold. Death becomes an unwanted interruption. Death cuts a good man short. It is the thief that robs us of our good works and our ongoing pleasure.

This preoccupation with the worldly matters can offer us no comfort. These things are temporary and beyond our control. Our written wills can be contested, legacies tarnished, and great memorials forgotten. In time, the world will see our tombstones crumble, epitaphs erode, and eulogies forgotten. The obligatory grave site visits will cease, the acclaim will fade, and people will move on with their lives. Nothing made with human hands will last. I think that we fear death not only because of its finality but also because we are overpowered by the loneliness of it. Not only are we gone, but our memory is quickly dismissed and ignored.

I am reminded of a fellow Soldier that I honored earlier this year. The man lived well into his eighties and was a veteran of WWII. When members of my unit arrived to conduct the funeral, we were surprised and saddened that no one was going to attend and no clergy had been requested. The funeral staff explained that the man’s family lived far away and that none of them would make the long journey. His brother had requested that the funeral staff take photographs of the military honors and email it to him.

We performed our duty in the empty cemetery. The funeral director received the flag on behalf of the next of kin so that it could be sent to him. No one at the site knew this man apart from what was printed on the impersonal information sheet that we brought with us. He received a government funded funeral, a simple grave marker, and a flag as the meager compensation for his status as a war veteran. The decades of his life and the great sacrifices of his service culminated in an unattended ceremony and a brief mention of his passing in the local paper. What had he done in his life? What were his triumphs? His trials? Aside from being an old Soldier... who was he?

Whenever I am at that particular cemetery, I cannot help but go visit his grave. It is a poignant reminder about how lonely death can be. I highly doubt that anyone who knew him will ever visit the place where he is buried. Today, as I stood at his marker, I realized that his story is not particularly different than most. The loneliness of his grave was not that significant. His body had just become neglected earlier than most. The cemetery is full of forgotten graves and forsaken mausoleums. There are hundreds of people buried there who are at best little more than annotations in someone’s genealogy report. I think about all of the folk that I know whose graves I have never visited and whose names I rarely even remember.

Even the most famous and powerful among us are relegated to a few paragraphs in some fourth grader’s history report. Eventually time makes strangers of us all. None of us really know George Washington, Abe Lincoln, Emperor Meji, or Queen Elizabeth II any better than I know that man whose grave site I frequent. All that is left is dusty and impersonal academic knowledge. There is little mere more than the passing recognition of a familiar name as told to us by someone else who did not know them any better than we do. We know a birth date, a list of accomplishments, perhaps a book, speech, or song that the deceased once authored... and we know the day that they died. What is that hollow recognition really worth?

We are all forgotten in the end. Our legacies fade. The details that make us individuals will get lost in the shuffle. We are remembered for a season and then pushed to the back burner as the pressing concerns of the day take the lead and time creates a chasm of unfamiliarity. Cemeteries are full of attempts to fight this entropic trend. There are huge stone structures with symbols, favorite Bible verses, and quotes to remind us of the lives of those who are no longer able to speak on their own behalf. There are memorials that try their best to remind us of things that we collectively have just… forgotten about.

Grave sites are often accompanied by benches for loved ones to sit with the fallen and remember them. Those chairs are all empty now. Many were meant for people who have become too busy to sit. Many of the visitors are now bed-ridden or they moved far away. Some of these benches had to be moved because the people who once sat in them now lay next to the loved ones that they came to visit.

No wonder we hate to think about death! The world’s way of looking at it is just so depressing. Being truly remembered and preserved is an impossible task.

But there is One who does not forget His children. The saints who were purchased with the blood of Christ Jesus are remembered from eternity. Their names have been inscribed in the book of life since before the foundation of the world. This is not mere academic knowledge. This is not the Trivial Pursuit knowledge of the world. This is more than a fading list of archival data and accomplishments.

We are talking about a vibrant and living intimacy that is created and preserved by faith. Christ knows His sheep. He preserves them. This is an intimate and unbreakable bond that is more powerful than death. The only lasting legacy is the one of victory through faith in Christ Jesus. Though their bodies may lay forgotten to the denizens of this earth, the departed saints have not been abandoned by their loving Savior. They are not alone; no, far from it!

The graves of the saints may lie unmarked and unkept. Their memories may have passed from our recollection. Their accomplishments are taken for granted and their treasures have been divided by generations of heirs and hordes of debt collectors.

But there will come a day when the bodies of the dead in Christ shall be raised up. Jesus remembers each of His sheep and welcomes them to Himself. All of those forgotten names will be recalled on the Last Day. All of those lonely graves will burst forth with new life. Almighty God remembers us when we are forgotten. In Christ we are more than merely preserved, we carry the promise of being vivified and perfected on the Last Day. All of the money in the entire world cannot purchase such a legacy!

We get caught up in the temporary things that fade away in time. We worry about death because we see it from an earthly perspective. We look at death from this side of the grave. We place our hope in things that are sure to fail and fall short. It does not have to be this way for those whose hope rests in the eternal providence of God through the merits of His Son, Jesus Christ.

When we contemplate our mortality we tend to focus on what we leave behind rather than what we finally gain. We are tempted to try to preserve the ephemeral things that we have earned rather than laying hold of the eternal gift that was earned for us by Jesus Christ. Why cling to that which holds no eternal value? It is far better to free ourselves of such concerns and embrace the One who has conquered the grave for us. It is far better to cast our hopes upon Jesus Christ who perfectly remembers us eternally.

That priest was right: Christ is all that matters.

Ephesians 1:3-14 [ESV]: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth."

"In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory."

2 Timothy 1:8-12 [ESV]: "Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me."