South Lakeshore Christian Church

December 2018

12/1/2018

One of the complaints that have echoed across the halls of our church this year has been how early the Christmas season was promoted. Some families were still working on selecting candy for the little trick-or-treaters they were expecting to charge their porches and found themselves plodding through Christmas promotions on the way to the candy aisles. It seemed to many of us, myself included, that the Thanksgiving weekend was getting squeezed out. Some of us saw cartoons that depicted an angry turkey telling Santa to wait his turn. I have the tendency to examine an issue from different angles to see if I can understand alternate points of view. As I pondered retailer’s rush into Christmas promotion and an almost eerie silence regarding the Thanksgiving holiday, I tried to look at it from a business point of view. As a retailer with strictly “show me the money” attitude, I would focus my attention on what boosts sales and pleases my investors (if I answer to any). That means I am going to cultivate a mindset that turns to “what I want to get” instead of “let me be grateful for what I have been given”. Advertising strategy is designed to use language that generates a particular opinion that will affect how we shop. For instance,“Good mothers buy Jiff”. If I am a mother who is concerned with doing the best for my children, such language would encourage me to buy that particular brand of peanut butter because it fits with my desire to be a good mother.
Why do I bring this up? I’m glad you asked. Much of what we are bombarded during this month is designed to nurture the idea that what we give others is an extension of our love. The better the gift, the greater our love. Inversely, that means that what we get demonstrates how much others love us. Just in case you are wondering, “is Vic anti-gift?” let me assure you that is not the case. Just like the guy in the movie, Idiocracy, who said “I like money”, I can say without a doubt “I like presents”. I like getting them and I love giving them. Therefore, this is not an anti-gift rant where I tell anyone not to buy gifts for their loved ones. The point I am trying to make is
that this season is about celebrating the greatest gift any of us could ever get which is a demonstration of the greatest love possible.
John 3:16 tells us: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever
believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”
If we apply the “the better the gift, the greater the love” measurement, we are reminded of the colossal magnitude of our God’s love for each of us. When we do that, any gift we give or any gift we may be given pales in comparison. This month, if you are able to give gifts to your loved ones and friends, be thankful you are so able to. If you are blessed with a gift from a friend or loved one, be thankful that you have such people in your life. However, we should not overly stress finding the perfect gift because that gift has already been given. His name is Jesus Christ. To all who reach out and receive that gift, the gift expands to include salvation, forgiveness of sin, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and the promise of eternity with the Father. On top of all that, we are given a new life, participation in His plan, and a celestial purpose which is to share the message of His love.
This month, as we spend time with our loved ones and share in the season’s celebration. Share that what we are really celebrating is a gift that cannot be surpassed, a gift that proclaims the depth of God’s love for each one of us.

Have a wonderful December,
Vic

November 2018

11/1/2018

In the course of getting to know each other, I have confessed to you that I am a movieholic. This habit
provides a mixed bag of results or consequences. On the negative side, I will admit that there have been movies
that due to my movie addiction, I persevered till the end of the movie only to end up thinking, “well, that’s two
hours of my life I will never get back”. These negative experiences have been counterbalanced by fond memories.
One of those memories is of piling onto a futon with Pam and the boys surrounded by junk food, taking the
phone off the hook and dedicating a day to watching movies, eating junk food and soak in each other’s company. I
recall on those occasions all of us turning the volume down and keeping quiet while stifling a giggle until whoever
was ringing the doorbell left because we did not want to answer the door and interrupt our special time.
Other times, movies have been a source of sermon and lesson illustrations. For instance, in the movie Ar-
thur on the Rocks 2, Arthur’s wife serves meatloaf she brought home from work and asks Arthur to give the bless-
ing. He asked “blessings?” and she told him “say something you are thankful for” and so he closes his eyes and
says “Thank you that I got the smallest piece of the meatloaf”. That shows there is always something we can give
thanks for.
Thankfulness is something that comes to the forefront in the month of November when we celebrate
Thanksgiving. For many of us it is a time where we gather with family and friends and enjoy a festive spread and
give thanks for all we have been blessed with. For me it is a fantastic bride of almost forty years, two sons who
grew up to be men I am proud of, the tremendous privilege of being in ministry and a wonderful church God has
allowed me to pastor. Each day I give thanks for all of you and the way you have enriched my life.
I would be remiss, however, if I did not recognize that being thankful can be a challenge when someone
feels lonely; has suffered a recent loss; is going through financial difficulties; or has a loved one going through a
rough time. It is in those times we need to recall that Psalm 23 teaches us that God walks with us in the valleys of
our lives as well as the mountain peaks of abundance and blessings. Thus, even in difficult times we are to give
thanks to the Lord.
Paul wrote to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:4 [For everything created by God is good and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving.] The immediate context of that text is foods, which would include bad meatloaf. However, the idea of giving God thanks for what we have also means that we focus on what we do have and not lament the things we don’t. This is emphasized by Paul’s words to the Thessalonian church in 1Thessalonians 5:18[Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.]
As our minds gravitate towards Thanksgiving weekend, let us take time to recall that giving thanks to our
Lord is a daily endeavor. Another daily endeavor I would encourage us to practice is to give thanks for the blessings we find in our church family. In case I have not said it enough, I thank you all for your support, for your trust, and for the tremendous privilege of being the pastor of SLCC. Each of you have enriched my life in ways that words fail to adequately convey.

Have a blessed November,
Vic

October 2018

10/1/2018

As we enter into October, we will find ourselves at the end of the sermon series on the book of Romans. It has been a long journey that we began in mid April of this year. I have been encouraged by the positive feedback I have gotten from several church members and thankful that those who thought “Are we ever going to get done?” demonstrated grace and kept such thoughts to themselves. It has provided me with the opportunity to go back and dig into areas of belief that sometimes we don’t take time to visit enough. This sermon series also provided a challenge in presenting balanced differing views on some doctrinal issues in as objective fashion as I could muster. By the time this Newsletter is printed and distributed, we will have covered the fourteenth chapter of Romans. That chapter covers a sharp debate among the members of the Roman churches in regards to either partaking or abstaining from certain foods. The difference in how those foods or drink were regarded by church members was fodder for some strong debate and Paul’s primary goal seemed to be to maintain peace and communicate the need to practice Christian love by not passing harsh judgment on each other or causing those who were not in agreement to stumble. As I pondered what to write about for the month of October, I could not but help likening the debate in the Roman churches on this issue with something more contemporary in our life in twenty first century church life in Tacoma Washington. I am referring of course to the Christian debate on having our kids go out for candy on Halloween.

At the risk of being repetitious, I will repeat a quick summation that I noted two years ago. One view is
that Halloween is linked to the Celtic pagan holiday “Samhain” which marked the end of the harvest season and
the beginning of winter or “the darker half” of the year. It was believed to be a time when the transition between
seasons also provided a bridge to the world of the dead and the other world (fairies, etc). Some believed the dead would revisit families and often a place was set for them. The other view is that Halloween is linked to All Hallows’ Eve which is the day before “All Saints Day.” All Saints Day is a day in which all the Saints of the church are commemorated. Pope Gregory III dedicated a chapel in Saint Peter’s Basilica on November 1st in the mid eighth century to commemorate all the saints. The faithful would prepare for All Saints Day celebrations with prayer and fasting the day before.

The debate continues as to whether All Saints Day and All Hallows’ Eve were an effort to “Christianize” a pagan ritual or not. An argument persists that the Christian observances have no connection to Samahain other
than falling on the same days. The argument is that Halloween (as Hallows’ Eve) originated and developed independently than the pagan ritual. However, history shows us that during the Samhain celebrations included games, disguises, going door to door and reciting verses in exchange for food. Does this mean that one included something appealing of the other or is there a more direct connection? The debate goes on.

I mentioned that this was a summation. There is a lot more detail in the arguments for one side of the debate or the other. In our early years as a nation, the Anglican and Catholic church had no issue with celebrating All Hallows’ Eve while the Puritans strongly opposed it. Centuries have passed and the debate continues. What has not changed are Paul’s words to demonstrate some grace and not be judgmental of those who practice something we feel is inappropriate. While we may argue that such practice weakens our Christian witness, we should be graceful to those brothers and sisters who do not feel they are violating their Christian faith by allowing their children to go in search of free candy. In like manner, if we are of a mind that there is no contradiction in allowing our children to participate in the ritual of such sugar treasure hunting, we should not insist that those who oppose such practice, have their children participate. Paul said in Romans 14:29, ”Do not, for the
sake of food, destroy the work of God”. Let us not hinder that work either for the sake of a few candy bars.

Knowing how strongly some feel about this subject, it is highly likely that one side
or the other of this debate may disagree with me. Perhaps both sides will. It’s ok, I love you anyway and still call you my brother and sister in Christ. I pray that you will think the same of me and of each other.

Have a blessed October,
Vic

September 2018

9/1/2018

A habit of mine when preparing my comments for the monthly newsletter is to investigate what special days or weeks are observed in the relevant month. Sometimes it is to find some humor, a pertinent illustration or to see if something will trigger a thought. However, because of our background as missionaries in Chile, September always brings back feelings of nostalgia from our years there.

September is the month that Chilean independence is celebrated and thus my memory banks are loaded with many fond memories of fun, fellowship and foods
that are part of the celebrations. As much as I love our fourth of July celebrations and the rich history those celebrations remind us of, I have to say that our national celebrations are short in comparison to what we experienced in Chile.

After Chile, we served in Mexico where again national independence is celebrated in September. More fond memories. As I sat at my desk reminiscing those times with friends I thought back to my world history lessons and remembered how many countries in the western hemisphere celebrate their independence in September.
There are nine. This made me look up how many countries worldwide celebrate their national independence in September and counted twenty. Twenty countries around the globe celebrating the same thing, their liberation. And yet, although each was liberated, we will find a difference in how they used that freedom. Some used their
freedom to develop into something that did not exist before they were freed from the powers that governed them. Others became a small mirror image of the country that had ruled them before they won their freedom. Some became fiercely independent while others maintained a culture of dependence on outside powers. Some flourished, others wilted. In short, they used their freedom differently.

The Bible tells us that in Christ we are freed from the shackles of sin that once ruled us. We have been liberated from the fear of death because we are told that in Christ we find life and life in abundance.
Romans 8:2
For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ from the law of sin and death
(ESV)
We know that the Scriptures tell us that in our new life, we are to grow spiritually, produce fruit for His kingdom, and also reflect Christ with our words, actions with our very lives. Yet, we are forced to sadly recognize that just as there are
countries that have misspent their freedom, there are persons who have misspent the freedom they have in Christ. Freedom given with the intent that we would flourish spiritually and be beacons of light is used for self indulgence and reflected by spiritual atrophy. Just as national independence celebrations are enhanced by others who remind each other what is being celebrated, our freedom in Christ is enhanced by the fellowship we find in our local church family. A family that reminds us of what we have been set free from; what we have been set free for; and
how to be good stewards of that freedom. Let us help each other remember the beauty of the freedom we found in Christ and encourage; empower; and excite each other to reflect who we are in Christ.

Have a wonderful September celebrating our freedom,

Vic

April 2018

4/1/2018

The vast majority of us are creatures of habit even when we fail to recognize it. One of my habits is finding off center days that are observed each month and including some of them in my monthly newsletter entry. However, this month, we cannot escape the peculiarity that two recognized days happen to fall on the same day. I am sure you can surmise that I am referring to Easter and April Fool’s Day. I could not remember this happening during my lifetime. To double check, I did a little digging and the reason why I could not remember this occurring was that the last time it happened was on April first, nineteen fifty six. I was two days shy of nine months old at the time so this time not remembering is not attributed to my poor memory skills.
April’s Fool Day is a day which is recognized as a day for practical jokes and hoaxes. Traditionally the originator of the practical joke would reveal himself or herself after the victim has taken the bait and gleefully declare “April Fool!” and no, they are not referring to themselves. My bride is a master at this and over the years I have fallen prey to her talents. In my defense, part of the reason why I make such an easy mark is that often I would forget what day it was and my defenses would be down. The other reason is that as my bride, she knows my weaknesses and where my buttons are so I am an easy target for her. I can’t help but think that on Easter, when Jesus rose from the grave, He played the ultimate April Fool’s joke on Satan. Imagine that you have been waiting for centuries for the Messiah to arrive and your goal has been to destroy Him. You plot and scheme; plan and lie; and you entice and manipulate people to help you. At last you sit gleefully watching as His body is nailed to a cross and you watch Him take His last breath. You cry “victory!” and you inform your minions it is time to celebrate on a cosmic scale. You have won, the Messiah is dead. The celebrations stretch from hours to days. Sunday morning you are tired from all the revelry but your heart is still aglow. Suddenly you hear words that make the blood in your veins turn cold. You hear the question, “Why do you seek the living among the dead?” (Luke 24:5) You realize that the tomb is empty and stand there on shaking legs thinking “this can’t be, I saw Him die”; Jesus comes on the scene and with a smile says “April Fool!” “You thought you had won but your victory was an illusion. You thought you could defeat me but I am the Resurrection and the Life, the grave cannot hold me! You are the ultimate April Fool.” Those of us who have professed Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are empowered to make the same declaration to Satan. There are times in our lives when we feel like we are being buried under stress, affliction, and a plethora of reasons to despair. In those times Satan is again smiling because he thinks he has beaten us. We are empowered to turn to him and say “April Fool! I am a child of God! You have nothing on me. My sins He has erased; my weakness He has made strong; my shame He has turned to joy.”

May God grant you an April that is filled with promise and opportunity to share His love and message.

Vic

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