Halloween and the Cross

From this month's newsletter's "Pastor's corner"...

As I sit here to write this thought, it is Halloween.  When I was little, I enjoyed the innocent activities of Halloween—dressing up as a superhero or ballplayer and going out to get candy in a plastic pumpkin.

 When I got to college, the guys that were into Halloween started to disturb me a little, with a fascination with death, torture and gore.  They liked to make replicas of old torture devices from past centuries and create “decorations” that re-enacted the bloody results of these sadistic contraptions.

It occurred to me the other day that if it weren’t for Jesus, a crucifixion cross would probably be one of the most popular features of these macabre displays. 

It is helpful to realize that even though we coat the cross in gold, Jesus’ cross was coated in His blood.  It was a cruel and gory and ugly way to die.  Jesus endured this death for us.

It’s also an illustration of what Jesus did in His death on the cross and at His resurrection.  Just as the cross itself has been redeemed from a symbol of torture to a symbol of life and hope, Jesus has defeated death and redeemed us to a life free from the fear of death and with the hope of glory.

 

Beyond the cartoonish displays that litter the landscape every October, there are symbols of death all around us, and spiritual darkness seems to abound. But Jesus has already won the victory. Look to the cross and take heart. And be urgent in your call to offer the hope of the cross to the world around you. See you this Sunday.

David, Pt 2: David and Goliath

David and Goliath is one of the few Bible stories that is still part of the popular lexicon.  Even this week as we prepare for the World Series, people have referenced "David and Goliath" in talking about the Kansas City Royals' improbable run to the pennant.  It's the classic underdog story.

Except when you really read the story in the Bible, it's not so much a story about an underdog overcoming overwhelming odds as it is about one young man who saw the true nature of the situation.  It wasn't David the underdog versus Goliath the giant.  It was a battle where a mere man had chosen to blaspheme and challenge the living God.

It is a story of perspective.  If we were to have the grace David had to see truth of our own challenging situations, what effect would it have on our lives?

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David, part 1: David the Worshiper

We begin our series on David this week with a look at David the psalmist and worshiper. God taught His people the forms of worship through Moses and the law. He taught us how to worship from the heart through David. 

(Fair warning: there is singing in this sermon. Probably bad singing.)
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Samuel: Samuel's Final Lesson

“But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’”

—1 Samuel 16:7

When God rejected Saul as king, Samuel thought his ministry was over. He mourned for Saul, but God had one more thing for Samuel to do and one more thing to teach him. It is a profound message that changes the way we look at ourselves, each other, and God: "God does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance. God looks at the heart."

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Samuel: The Problem with Saul

King Saul had great success as Israel's first king, but despite his real experience with God and all his outward gifts, he was ultimately a source of grief for both God and his mentor Samuel. How can someone with so much success and such great gifts, especially someone who seems to have rejected idols and takes pleasing God seriously, end up as such a mess? If we look beyond the "bad guy" caricature of Saul, we see someone who is not so different from ourselves. How do we avoid being like Saul?

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