"The World We Knew Changed"

"The World We Knew Changed"

By: Pastor Jack Schneider

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.”  [Ps.46:1,2, NIV]

 The world we knew changed on 9/11/2001. This was my column for the week following:

Tuesday morning, Sept.11, the term “reality tv” took on a new, unearthly definition. Forget Survivor’s petty relationships and Fear Factor’s contrived scenarios.  They paled in comparison to live terrorism and the overwhelming destruction unfolding before our eyes.  Our grandparents listened by the radio when Pres. Roosevelt spoke of “a day of infamy,” yet millions watched Tuesday, in real time, as death stalked America. More than one person would later wonder if Big Brother was a good idea after all.  Perhaps video cameras in public places could have helped prevent such devastation.

It was one of those defining moments in people’s lives. You’ll always remember where you were and what you were doing, and any cultural age of innocence for today’s younger generations is over. Never again will this current society step into an airport or skyscraper without a sense of vulnerability.

For a while, things will be different spiritually, too. For a while, Bible sales will soar, especially among those who fear we might be coming to the end of the world. For a while, worship and Bible study will be up, as people scramble to get their priorities straight and their lives in order. For a while, families will be better at telling one another “I love you.” Who knows when that chance will never come again, or only at the end of a frantic cell-phone call? For a while, even Hollywood will pull back from blood and guts sensationalism. No planes crashing into buildings, no hijackings, no terrorism; look for feel-good movies and maybe even a resurgence of wholesome westerns…for a while.

It’s not surprising. Jesus said in the last days there would be wars and rumors of wars. It’s always been this way, and always will be. Sin has a way of touching every generation with the reality of the last times.

Time passes, however, and wounds heal. Justice will be served. A city will be rebuilt. A memorial will be proposed. And, unfortunately, far too many will once again tuck God away for another day of shock reality. The thing is, we dare not forget that any day without God is as scary as last Tuesday.  He is the only One who can take the shaky, damaged skyscrapers of our lives, marriages, jobs, health and give them balance and support.

Look again at the Psalmist’s words. They don’t say we’ll not be tested or subjected to the evil plans of those around us but, rather, “not fear.” Even in the face of wars, rumors of wars, terrorism and sin. Bottom line, we win.

You want reality? Look to Jesus, God’s own Son, embracing the rough, splintered wood of Calvary. It’s His cross, anchored in love, and it’s for you. It’s free. It’s forever. And the gates of hell cannot prevail against it.

Eleven years later, where are you? Still in the Word, seeking Godly counsel and learning of His grace, telling loved ones how much they mean? Are your priorities straight, or have the words above been scary right as you’re right back where you were pre-9/11? We can’t afford to forget. “Now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation”

- Jack

"What's In It For Me?"

"What's In It For Me?"

By:  Pastor Jack Schneider

“There is always a price to be paid in energy, time, money, and pain to succeed. You will only sacrifice when you passionately believe in the outcome.” [Dave Ramsey]

“If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.”  [Mt.16:24,25, NIV]

“What’s in it for me?” he wanted to know. “My face on a Wheaties box don’t mean a thing without a big pile of dead presidents.”

No, to my knowledge, none of our Olympians have used this phrase; it’s imaginary, but not beyond our comprehension, is it? Straight, crass greed has afflicted these 2012 games -- just as previous Olympiads -- and at times I’ve been disappointed in the posturing and self-promotion. I suppose these are the athletes who figure they’ve paid the price of energy, time, money and pain, and now their actions and attitudes are justified and/or irrelevant. Swim, or get out of the pool; run with the big dogs, or get back on the porch.

But I’ve also seen plenty of medal winners…gold, silver, and bronze…graciously acknowledging those around them while displaying passion and heart. Clearly, they are not in London for the cash bonuses some countries are giving their medal winners [U.S. included]; witness 15-yr-old swimmer Katie Ladecky, the U.S. Gold medalist in the 800M freestyle, as she stood at the award ceremony with tears down her cheeks and lips trembling.

What’s the passion and heart that can be seen in us -- you and me -- as those around us observe this everyday life of faith to which Christ has called us? In Philippians 3 Paul writes, “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. All of us who are mature should take such a view of such things!”

What’s in it for you? Why would you invest the energy, time, money and pain to live as a redeemed, joyful child of the King? Because, to use Ramsey’s answer, you passionately believe in the outcome.

You do…don’t you?

- Jack

"Voters Who Hold the Key"

"Voters who hold the key"

By: Pastor Jack Schneider

“Any story sounds good until someone tells the other side and sets the record straight.”  [Prov.18:17, LB]

In this election year, more than any other, it’s the independent and undecided voters who hold the key.  The percentage of those who have yet to make up their minds on how they are going to vote is higher than it has ever been; the stakes are enormous.  So as a candidate, which would you rather do: speak first, hoping to gain momentum and plant the early seed of confidence; or, speak last, counting on the opportunity to rebut and leave the stage with your own voice and image fresh in people’s minds?

We know it’s not that simple.  The coming weeks and months will be filled with both sides sniping at one another and the issues each does or does not address.  No story will be told without rebuttal, no question will be answered without careful dissection, no bit of personal history -- recent or ancient -- will escape scrutiny.  As another translation of Prov.18:17 tells it, “The first to speak sounds right, till another comes forward and questions him.”  Go ahead, give your spiel, but then be prepared to have your “spin” taken apart and translated from another’s perspective -- often not the way you’d like.

To tell you the truth, I’d rather go through Judgment Day than this kind of process.  Indeed, Judgment Day exposes all our deeds, lays bare our hearts and souls, and every page of our lives is an open testament -- but we have an Advocate, Jesus Christ, who stands with us, for us, and in our place [1 Jn.2:1].  Because He is our Substitute, His righteousness is ours, His perfect life is ours, His history is ours, and there is no charge to be laid at our feet [Romans 8:31-34].  Praise God, you and I have no fear of what any newspaper or magazine will print about us at that Day…no concern that satan will be able to dredge up some forgotten skeleton from our closet!

This election day you will have to choose the person[s] for whom you wish to vote, hoping and praying you make a wise choice.  How beautiful it is to know that God, in Jesus Christ, has made His choice for you, both now and forever.  He tells you point-blank, “You did not choose me; I chose you!” [Jn.15:16] and our love for Him flows out of His love for us [1 Jn. 4:19]. 

Remember, He is your story.  He got it straight at Calvary, and He signed it with a flourish in the empty garden tomb.  That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.  

"The Archetype of Advent: The Story of Redemption."

"The Archetype of Advent:  The Story of Redemption."

By: KC Knippa

"Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.  For in this hope we were saved.  In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express."   [Romans 8:23-24, 26]

            By now, I hope that we are beginning to see that the worlds of the fantastical and the real are actually one in the same.  Last week we saw that advent is centered on this often overlooked epic battle, which awakens our imagination and to see Christ’s real kingdom that is already here.  Tonight we continue our voyage into a look at classic Christmas literary works that present themselves as the archetype of advent.  And even though we have been awakened to the truth that the two worlds of fantastical and the real are the same, God now reveals that His reality is much greater than our own fantasies.

          To clarify, we need to first understand that our fantasies are far different than God’s fantastical reality.  What I mean by ‘our own fantasies’ is this; we tend to create for ourselves our own worlds of fiction…  Stories where, in a way, we become our own archetypes; we make ourselves the central focus.  This is much different from God’s Fantastical reality for us as he reveals through the Advent narrative.

          Once again, we look at one piece that helps us understand the message of Advent.  The story that we are welcomed into tonight is a familiar tale… It is billed as a ‘Ghost story of Christmas’, better known as A Christmas Carol, written by Charles Dickens in 1843.  Dickens wrote this Victorian story based on his own past experiences and his sympathy for the poor.  He also wrote it in a very interesting way; in carol form.  Much as the title implies, the story is divided into 5 separate stanzas or verses.  And in an almost rhythmic way, the story unfolds as we see an old man living in his own fantasies… full of regret;

          The old man who is self-centered, mean-spirited, miserable, and surrounded by broken relationships is named Ebenezer Scrooge.  He sits in his counting-house on a frigid Christmas Eve. His clerk, Bob Cratchit, shivers in the anteroom because Scrooge refuses to spend money on heating coals for a fire. As the day goes on, Scrooge's nephew, Fred, pays his uncle a visit and invites him to his annual Christmas party. Later, Two portly gentlemen also drop by and ask Scrooge for a contribution to their charity. Scrooge reacts to the holiday visitors with bitterness and venom, spitting out an angry "Bah! Humbug!", and with it… 3 relationships denied.

          Later that evening, after returning to his dark, cold apartment, Scrooge receives a chilling visitation from the ghost of his dead partner, Jacob Marley. Marley, looking haggard and pallid, relates his unfortunate story. As punishment for his greedy and self-serving life his spirit has been condemned to wander the Earth weighted down with heavy chains. Marley hopes to save Scrooge from sharing the same fate. Marley informs Scrooge that three spirits will visit him this very night. After Marley disappears, Scrooge collapses into a deep sleep.

          Suddenly, He awakes to the sound of the clock bells chiming loudly, moments before the arrival of the Ghost of Christmas Past; a strange childlike phantom with a brightly glowing head. The spirit escorts Scrooge on a journey into the past to previous Christmases from his earlier years. Invisible to those he watches, Scrooge revisits his childhood school days, his apprenticeship with a jolly merchant, and his engagement to Belle, a woman who leaves Scrooge because his lust for money eclipses his ability to love anyone else. Scrooge, deeply moved, sheds tears of regret before the phantom returns him to his bed.

          Drifting back to sleep, he is again awakened by the sound of the clock as he sees the Ghost of Christmas Present; a majestic giant clad in a green fur robe.  He takes Scrooge through London to unveil Christmas as it will happen this year. Scrooge watches the large, bustling Cratchit family prepare a miniature feast in its meager home. He discovers Bob Cratchit's crippled son, Tiny Tim, a courageous boy whose kindness and humility warms Scrooge's heart. The specter then takes Scrooge to his nephew's to witness the Christmas party. Scrooge finds the jovial gathering delightful and pleads with the spirit to stay until the very end of the festivities. As the journey progresses, the spirit ages, becoming noticeably older. Toward the end of the day, he shows Scrooge two starved children who lived under his coat, named Ignorance and Want. He vanishes instantly as Scrooge notices a dark, hooded figure coming toward him.

          The Clock chimes once more as the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come leads Scrooge through a sequence of mysterious scenes relating to an unnamed man's recent death. Scrooge sees businessmen discussing the dead man's riches, some vagabonds trading his personal effects for cash, and a poor couple expressing relief at the death of their unforgiving creditor. Scrooge, anxious to learn the lesson of his latest visitor, begs to know the name of the dead man. After pleading with the ghost, Scrooge finds himself in a churchyard, the spirit pointing to a grave. Scrooge looks at the headstone and is shocked to read his own name. He desperately implores the spirit to alter his fate, promising to renounce his insensitive, materialistic ways and to honor Christmas with all his heart.  Suddenly, in a burst of light, he finds himself safely tucked in his bed.

          Overwhelmed with joy by the chance to redeem himself and grateful that he has been returned to Christmas Day, Scrooge rushes out onto the street hoping to share his newfound Christmas spirit. His once dead heart has been transformed;  He saw that life was not just about himself, he learned to let go of regret, and relationships that were once broken had been restored.  With his renewed joy, he sends a giant Christmas turkey to the Cratchit house and attends Fred's party, to the stifled surprise of the other guests. As the years go by, he holds true to his promise and honors Christmas with all his heart: he treats Tiny Tim as if he were his own child, provides lavish gifts for the poor, and treats his fellow human beings with compassion, generosity, and warmth.

          The types and parallels are ever present in this story.  We can see ourselves in many of the characters; Bob Crachit and his family, Fred the nephew, other townsfolk… or maybe even scrooge?  As much as we would like to not believe it, I feel we have way more in common with Ebenezer Scrooge than we would like to admit.  Far too often we live in our own worlds of regrets and fears.  In the story, Scrooge had forgotten how to love anything other than himself and had isolated himself from his fellow man.  His life had become nothing more than a series of past mistakes, regrets and failure; so much so that he created his own fantasy world to live in, one where he was at the center.  In fact, he had become so entrenched in his own fantasies that it took a dead friend and three spirits to finally show him the chains that he has shackled himself with, along with his own grave in which he dug.  The great scene of Scrooge ending at his own grave showed him the legacy of his story… and in a way, our own. 

          What shackles have we placed of ourselves?  What graves have we dug?  Like scrooge, we see that when we live in our own worlds of fantasy, we too are spiritually dead.  We are also a collection of past mistakes, regrets, and failures.    But – that is only one side of our story.  While we are still spiritually dead, we see that we are also made alive through the narrative of Advent – the story of redemption.

          We see that by the end of this Carol, Scrooge has found his redemption.  Not that he was able to redeem himself, but that he was led by the spirits to see how to live as one who has been redeemed.  When the Spirit awakens us to the truth that redemption does not depend on ourselves, we awaken our lives to live as the redeemed people of Christ.  This is the message of Advent.  Christ has come once and for all to redeem his lost people.  And now that He has redeemed this world, he has freed us to be transformed.

          The story of Advent is one of Justification, but many of us forget that it is also about Sanctification.  In the Christmas Carol, the three spirits not only point to Christ as the archetype, but also to our sanctifier – the Holy Spirit (it is not just a coincidence that Dickens uses the word spirit).  Just as the spirits help Scrooge see truth in his own world of lies, the Holy Spirit reveals to us the ultimate truth.  Now that Christ has redeemed us, the Holy Spirit works in and through us to be transformed, changed, and restored… to live redeemed.  It is not enough to just live in this truth, but we are moved, much like Scrooge, to now share this story of redemption with everyone we meet, awakening them from the sleep of our own fantasies to God’s great fantastical reality.

Through this story we see the types that reveal who we are and the archetype that points to God, but there is one more element of this story that helps us understand the narrative of Advent – the clock.

In the story, the sound of the clock marked the arrival of one of the spirits who then would take Scrooge on a journey through time – past, present, and future.  This helps us see how the Spirit works outside of time to show us God’s fantastical reality in our lives.  He points us to our past, spiritually dead selves and shows us our salvation in Christ.  He shows us our present, redeemed lives in which we serve those around us.  And he points to our future, eternal life and of the world to come.  We now live in a world where past and future collide with the present.  It is in this moment we live, we move, and we find our roles in the advent narrative as the redeemed people of God.

The name of Ebenezer Scrooge has and will continue to live on in infamy.  But, I would like to point out one thing.  What does  Ebenezer even mean?  The name Ebenezer is an old Hebrew name meaning, “stone of help” – it is anything that serves as a reminder of God’s real presence in our lives.  As we see the Ebenezer in this story reminds us of God’s true presence in our lives.  The question that we are now left with is this; how will we be an Ebenezer to those we meet?

We have been transformed.  Our very lives are to be a stone of help to those around us, a testimony to God’s work in this world. 

We no longer live in our own worlds of fantasy and regrets.  We see that God’s reality is far greater.  We have been awakened and restored to live as the redeemed people of God and now share this overarching message of Advent to the world around us.

 

- KC

"The Archetype of Advent: The Story of Imagination."

"The Archetype of Advent:  The Story of Imagination."

By: KC Knippa

"However, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him”, but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.   [1 Cor. 2:9-10]

            Last week we began to look at this idea that sometimes the stories that the hardest to imagine can also be true.  This week, we once again open our eyes to the fact that the world of the fantastical and the world of the real are one in the same.  Through looking at classic Christmas literary works that present themselves as the archetype of the advent story, we will once again see that the real message of advent can be found all around us. 

            Just as archetypes point to something greater, tonight we again see that through our classic piece.  This story is one of vivid imagery, familiar songs, and dreams beyond belief.  But this story, as imaginative as it is, points to advent – the greatest story of imagination ever told.

            The word imagination is an interesting one.  For most people, myself included, the word imagination conjures up thoughts of ‘make-believe’ or that it is simply untrue in nature.  But in fact, the word “imagination” really means to ‘evoke worlds’; to imagine is just a mental process of seeing a vision or to gain an understanding of something by not physically seeing it.  In essence, imagination is nothing more than faith itself.

            The great body of work that we will discuss this week will be The Nutcracker.  The Nutcracker and the Mouse King was written by ETA Hoffman in 1816.  This original story is fairly dark in nature, focusing mostly of the epic battle between the Nutcracker prince and the Mouse King.  In fact, this tale may be much different than the version most of us have come to know and love.  The Nutcracker as we know it today is based on the adaption of this story into the ballet written by Tchaikovsky nearly a century later.  As we will see, this story has much to show us about the message of advent.

            The story of the Nutcracker, goes a little like this:

It’s a cozy Christmas Eve at the Stahlbaum’s house. Their house is decorated with Christmas ornaments, wreaths, stockings, mistletoe and in the center of it all, a majestic Christmas tree. As the Stahlbaum’s prepare for their annual Christmas party, their children, Fritz and Clara, wait anxiously for their family and friends to arrive. When the guests finally appear, the party picks up with dancing and celebration. All of a sudden, a guest arrives dressed in dark clothing, it is Clara’s godfather Drosselmeyer, the toymaker.  The celebration is interrupted once again when Drosselmeyer reveals to the children that he has brought them gifts. The girls receive beautiful china dolls and the boys receive bugles. Fritz is given a wonderful drum, but Clara is given the best gift of all… the Nutcracker. Fritz grows jealous, snatches the Nutcracker from Clara and plays a game of toss with the other boys. It isn't long until the Nutcracker is dropped and breaks. Clara is upset, but Drosselmeyer fixes it with a handkerchief and placed it in a small make-shift bed under the Christmas tree.

The party grows late and the children become sleepy. Everyone generously thanks the Stahlbaum’s before they leave. Clara fears for her new toy and its safety, she checks on her Nutcracker one last time and ends up falling asleep under the Christmas tree with the Nutcracker in her arms, full of despair.

At the stroke of midnight Clara wakes up to a frightening scene. The house, the tree and the toys seem to be getting larger. Is she shrinking? Out of nowhere large mice dressed in army uniforms, led by the Mouse King, begin to circle the room while the toys, the nutcracker, and the Christmas tree come to life. Clara’s Nutcracker groups the soldier toys into battle formation and fights the mouse army. The Mouse King traps the Nutcracker in the corner, but the Nutcracker can’t overcome the Mouse King’s strength. Clara makes a desperate move to save her Nutcracker from defeat and throws her slipper at the Mouse King. She hits him directly in the head! The Nutcracker is able to overcome the stunned Mouse King and claims victory. In defeat, the mice army quickly carries away their King.

Clara falls onto the Nutcracker’s bed, over-whelmed by the moment. As angels and delightful music hover over their heads, the bed turns into a magical sleigh, floating higher and higher. The Nutcracker is transformed into a human prince.  He gets on Clara’s sleigh and drives through a snowy forest where the snowflakes turn into dancing maidens.

The Nutcracker guides Clara on a magical journey, revealing to her a world like she has never seen.  A large festival filled we dancing, song, and feasting unfolds around them – all coming from the Christmas tree itself.  Sugarplum fairies, snowflakes, and tasty treats come to life and awakens Clara’s imagination.  She becomes full of life and her night that once began with despair, is now transformed into an evening of wonderment and awe.

The celebration lasts for what seems like hours and days.  The festival concludes when everyone comes together on the court and bids Clara and the Nutcracker Prince farewell. She tells the Nutcracker she wishes the adventure would never end and he tells her it won’t for those who have an eye to see it.

Clara wakes up the next morning, under the Christmas tree with her Nutcracker still in held tightly in her arms – full of hope and joy.

            It may be hard to imagine, but there are many parallels and types to be seen between this story and with advent.  This story actually begins in much the same way as the advent story – with an epic battle scene.  Believe it or not, most people do not see the fact that advent is wrapped around this ongoing struggle and battle... without which, advent would not even be necessary.

            Think about it.  Just as the Nutcracker came to life in Clara’s hour of need, Christ has come into our world – became flesh – and fights in our hour of need.  Christ coming as a child in a manger was one of the first strikes against our own Rat king… The Evil One and sin.  If there was not a battle to be waged and a struggle to be overcome, then why would we need a savior?  It is for this very reason that advent must be seen in this way.

            Christ has come and defeated evil once and for all, claiming us as His own.  But that does not mean that we are without struggle.  Life is full of its ups and downs.  But just as the Nutcracker defeats the Rat King and shows Clara a new world, Christ has taken on and won this battle; to free us to begin to imagine new worlds.

            Now that we have become awakened to our battles and no longer need to fear or despair, we can focus on this imaginative world Christ reveals to us.  Can you see this world?  It is all around us.  If you close your eyes… you can begin to see it.  The world that Christ shows to us gives us a glimpse into the heavenly realms and of His Kingdom here on earth.  As He says many times throughout the gospels, the Kingdom is not in the future… it is now.  His fantastical Kingdom is also very real, and beyond anything our imagination can comprehend.  It is only revealed; it is only seen and heard to those who belong to Him.  He has opened our eyes.  Now, can you see this world?  It is all around us.  We are part of this story of imagination.

            The battle is won.  This new world is imagined.  Now we are left in awe as He prepares us to do more.  In the story, we saw Clara drift to sleep, full of despair; but awakened with hope, joy, and awe.  We are awakened in much the same way.  Christ calls us to not only see his fantastical kingdom and to just live in it… He calls us to help serve this Kingdom.  This sense of awe that we have can do nothing but cause us to share this joy with those around us… to awaken others to see the imagination of Advent.

            If we again look at the types in these two stories, we tend to see that we are Clara and that the Nutcracker points to Jesus – but again, I believe there is one piece in the story we are overlooking… The tree.

            In the story, the tree is the central focal point.  Everything revolves around and comes from the tree.  This focus on the tree is a beautiful reminder for us about the advent narrative.  In one story, another legend surrounding Martin Luther, we can see the importance of the Christmas tree.  It is believed that of our modern tradition of getting an evergreen tree, bringing it indoors, and decorating it was begun by Luther and his family.

            The reason he began this tradition was to remind us through placing candles in the evergreen, that Christ has come to bring light… His light, to a dark world.  He has come to bring life to our death.  Just as the evergreen lives through the winter, we are reminded of our new life and joy… our sense of awe.

            If the tree played such an important role in the story and acts as a reminder for us in the advent story, one question remains; how will we share our trees?

            With our renewed imaginations in what Christ has done and continues to do for us, we are to show our trees of hope, joy, and awe to all we meet.  Reminding all that even in advent, the battle has been won and His Kingdom that is beyond all imagination – is already here.

- KC