South Lakeshore Christian Church

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

January 2018

1/1/2018

Happy New Year! What normally follows such a celebratory greeting is the question “What’s your New Year’s resolution?” It is a light-hearted question asking us about a commitment no one really thinks we will fol-low through on. When we examine the history of how resolutions on the new year began, we can go as far back as the Babylonians who began their new year with promises to pay their debts and return borrowed things (a con-temporary application could be returning books borrowed from the pastor’s library). The Romans attached it to a pagan god of doorways and used to begin the new year as looking back at one’s mistakes and forward to the fu-ture. Christians came along and followed the Roman practice of using the New Year celebrations to think back to one’s mistakes in the previous years and commit to doing better in the coming year. Christians inaugurated spe-cial services that included the reading of Scripture, hymnal singing and prayer to bring in the new year.
Despite the tradition’s religious roots, New Year’s resolutions today are mostly a secular practice. Instead of making promises to the gods, most people make resolutions only to themselves, and focus purely on self-improvement (which may explain why such resolutions seem so hard to follow through on). According to recent research, while as many as 45 percent of Americans say they usually make New Year’s resolutions, only 8 percent are successful in achieving their goals. But that dismal record probably won’t stop people from making resolu-tions anytime soon—after all, we’ve had about 4,000 years of practice.
So, there is a brief history on how we began this practice. As I looked at other special commemorations for the month of January, I came across a conundrum that was a clash of two observances and how to honor a
January observance and also try to improve behavior for the coming year. I will try to clarify. January is National Hobby month and National Get Organized Month. So, if my favorite hobby is“mañanismo” (I’ll do it tomorrow) or in other words procrastination, how can I be true to my hobby and be observant of “get organized” month? And if my hobby is procrastination and my New Year’s resolution is to be better, but January is National Hobby month, does that mean I wait until February to start? I feel about as torn as Paul conveys in Romans when he says, “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate” and “For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out”. (Romans 7:15, 18b ESV) Can anyone who has struggled with resolutions identify with me? The practice of looking back at mistakes and things we could have done better is a noble endeavor. We can look at our personal lives and our life as a church body. In both cases, there are things that as we look forward we could improve. What overlaps the indi-vidual with the corporate is the need we have of each other to successfully move forward. I think a good text to consider as we ponder what this looks like is found in the book of Hebrews “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one an-other to love and good works. Not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near”. (Hebrews 10:23-25, ESV) What is translat-ed as “stir up” in the ESV version is the Greek verb that is best understood as “spur” as in the sense of how one spurs a horse in order to get him to move forward or faster. Will you spur me on this year? Will we as a body spur one another on? Will you bear with me as I try to spur you on? Let us move forward into 2018 committed to improve.
Have a wonderful January,

Vic

December 2017

12/1/2017

I once heard a story of a birthday celebration where a house sent out a great many invitations to family and friends to celebrate the long-awaited birth of a baby. People were excited to celebrate and dedicated hours to shopping for the perfect gift for the family. A fair amount of time was also devoted to picking out an outfit that would reflect the specialness of the occasion. Some of the folks attending were not too keen with the fact that the cold weather forced them to wear a coat that hid the outfit they had allocated so much time to selecting. Thus, they were eager to shed their coats when arriving at the party. As guests arrived, the hall closets quickly filled and the guests began to toss their coats on the bed in the bedroom down the hall from the front door. The music was playing, food and drink was plentiful and the air was thick with merriment. The laughter; declarations of “I love your outfit”; and the clinking of glasses in ceaseless toasts almost drowned out the music.
Finally, the moment arrived for unveiling the content of the gifts. Someone blurted out: “Wait, shouldn’t the reason why we are celebrating be here when the gifts are opened?” Everyone agreed and began to ask about the baby and where it was. The parents said, we laid him down to sleep downstairs nearby. He is laying on the bed in the guest room near the front door. A quiet hush filled the room when the realization sank in that the bed in that room was heaping with winter coats. The parents rushed in to find the baby smothered under the weight of a many coats and struggling to breathe. They were none too happy and asked “How could you guys toss your coats on the bed with a baby sleeping on it?” One by one the guests admitted that they were so excited to join the party that they had not really paid attention to see if there was anyone on the bed.
The story illustrates how easy it can be to be so enthused with a celebration that we can end up smothering the reason why we celebrate. Over two thousand years ago, a group of frightened shepherds huddled together as they heard an angel declare: “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10 & 11 ESV) Such news should not get lost in our excitement to celebrate with gifts, food, friends, family and merri-ment.
This Christmas season, as we are thinking of that perfect gift; party outfit; and all the other concerns that surround celebratory gatherings, let us strive to not smother the reason why we are celebrating. We rejoice that to us a savior was born. Born to provide us an avenue of grace; forgiveness and a life of celestial purpose. We also rejoice and celebrate that those of us who professed Him Lord and Savior were gifted with a new family called the church. I thank God, the Father that in spite of all my flaws, sent His Son to be born and in that act, allowed me the opportunity to be part of His eternal plan. I also thank Him for providing me with all of you as my spiritual family. May your Christmas season be especially filled with joy this year and may your hearts stay true to what is of primary importance, that to us a Savior was born.
Have a blessed December and a Merry Christmas.
Vic

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