The Spirit of Christmas, or the Spirit of Scrooge?

Scrooge is the enemy of the Christmas spirit. And he has taken over the holiday season. It’s time for us to fight back.

Ebenezer Scrooge, of course, is the villain of Charles Dickens’ holiday classic A Christmas Carol. In his greedy, miserly obsession with pinching every penny and maximizing the profit of his business, he ruined the lives of his tenants and clients, made life miserable for his clerk Bob Cratchit, and had no interest in relationships with his family or community. For Scrooge, Christmas was nothing but a nuisance that interfered with business and an excuse to fritter away money on charities and parties.

Today, the spirit of Scrooge looks a bit different. Instead of scowling “Bah, humbug!” in drab black clothing, it entices us with jingle bells and holly. But it is still focused on greed and on fattening the bottom line. The spirit of Scrooge has turned Christmas into a business venture. It perverts our holiday celebration by luring us away not only from its religious meaning but also from its secular sentiment. Scrooge has always been about making money, regardless of the human cost. And his spirit thrives today as we turn Christmas into an orgy of spending.

The original Scrooge was annoyed that Christmas interfered with his money-making. Today’s Scrooge is wiser; he sees Christmas as a way to make more money. He tells us that the holiday is about bringing joy to our loved ones through merchandise wrapped in pretty paper on Christmas day. The spirit of Scrooge has convinced us that the “proper” celebration of Christmas requires us to buy extravagant gifts for everyone we know, to outdo ourselves in decorating and baking. Make no mistake: behind the heart-warming Christmas commercials on television and the jolly music in the stores, there is a cynical spirit bent on putting as much money into its pockets as it can.

Perhaps my message bothers you. You may think that I’m being unpatriotic: aren’t we told that Christmas is good for the economy because so many companies depend on this end-of-the-year shot in the arm? You can use the same money that you would usually spend on gifts that end up in the back of someone’s closet for different purposes. If your money is spent by a food cupboard, a volunteer fire department, a homeless shelter, or a local library, it will stimulate the economy just as much as if it is used to buy tinsel and the latest hot toys or trendy fashion items.

Or, you may think that I’m criticizing the very spirit of the holiday. If you do, then Scrooge has won. If it “doesn’t seem like Christmas” without forking over money, you have bought the lie that Christmas can be bought in the mall, or that its joy comes with a budget. The spirit of Christmas comes not with a checkbook or a credit card, but with a heart that is open to our Lord and to the people around us.

This December, which spirit will you follow: Scrooge, or Christmas?

Peter

A Pastor-Congregation Covenant

When I came to Old Union Church (18 years ago in November), we established a covenant relationship between myself and the congregation, which included a series of mutual commitments to each other. Take a moment to review this covenant: am I honoring my commitments to you? Are you, as a member of the congregation, honoring yours?

Rev. de Vries: I will be diligent and hard-working.
Congregation: We will respect your need for personal and family time.

Rev. de Vries: I will prepare thought-provoking and faith-challenging sermons.
Congregation: We will provide you with preparation time, books and other resources, and continuing education.

Rev. de Vries: I will make emergency pastoral care my highest priority.
Congregation: We will inform you as quickly as possible about our needs for emergency pastoral care, such as hospitalization or death.

Rev. de Vries: I will provide leadership for the church, both personally and by supporting our lay leaders.
Congregation: We will recognize that our pastor is only one of several leaders for our church. With our elders and deacons, we will each assume our leadership responsibilities.

Rev. de Vries: I will strive continually to serve the congregation in the most appropriate ways.
Congregation: We, individually and through our Personnel Committee, will help you evaluate and set goals for your ministry.

Rev. de Vries: I will respect the traditions of the congregation, and will seek input from its members for future planning.
Congregation: We will consider your suggestions openly, and will participate in planning for the church's future.

Rev. de Vries: I will treat the manse with the same care I would use if it was my own house. I will keep the house and yard attractive.
Congregation: We will equip and maintain the manse in the same manner that we do our own homes. We will make repairs in a timely fashion.

Rev. de Vries: I will conduct my personal lifestyle as befits a disciple of Jesus Christ, as I best understand it.
Congregation: We will refrain from being overly critical or judgmental of you.

Rev. de Vries: I will receive constructive criticism openly, will strive to hear those comments non-defensively, and will take your concerns seriously.
Congregation: We will air concerns about you directly or through appropriate channels, rather than through gossip or other harmful means. We will present these concerns in a sensitive and constructive manner, with the goal of resolving any perceived problems.

All: We will all strive to bring glory to Jesus Christ through our relationship as pastor and congregation.

The Five R's of the Cross

At the its meeting in September, the Presbytery voted not to approve the request of a congregation to have someone serve as their next pastor. In 23 years, I’ve never seen this happen, and I can imagine how devastating it was for the church and the candidate. It’s not a decision that was made lightly, and was motivated primarily by the fact that he was unable to answer the question, “What difference does Jesus’ death on the cross make for humanity?” Various people tried to help him out by asking the question different ways, but it didn’t work. Because this is such a critical element of our faith, the Presbytery could not approve him to serve as a pastor. With that experience fresh in my mind, here’s the answer I’d give.

We are a broken and sinful people. We live in a world that perverts the goodness that God wants for us all. In spite of our best intentions, none of us are able to live lives that are pleasing to God because of our own selfishness, greed, pride, and willfulness. Left to our own devices, we destroy our relationship with a God who loves us. We wreak havoc upon other people, upon creation, and upon ourselves. The final destination of our lives would be misery and death.

But God’s love for us shines out in this bleak situation like a beacon in a storm. He loves us too much to allow us to destroy ourselves. So he came to us as Jesus Christ to give us life, hope, joy, and peace that would otherwise be impossible for us. And he did it through his death upon the cross.

There are many different explanations for what Jesus’ death actually accomplished. None of them tell the whole story, but each gives us an idea of how Jesus changed everything on the cross. On the cross, Christ became five R’s. Here’s a very simple explanation, and a brief Scripture reference, of each:

1. REDEEMER: Jesus paid the debt that we incurred with our sin. To put it another way, he took on the punishment that we deserved (Romans 3:21-26, 1 Peter 1:18-21).
2. RECONCILER: Jesus restored our relationship with God, and our relationships with each other, that we had demolished (2 Corinthians 5:16-21).
3. RESCUER: Jesus confronted and conquered the forces of evil that had enslaved us (Galatians 1:3-5).
4. RELATE-OR: By dying on the cross, Jesus endured the worst aspects of human experience. He can relate to the struggles and hardships we endure, because he went through it himself (Hebrews 2:17-18).
5. ROLE MODEL: Jesus shows us how we should live in the face of evil, and how we should offer ourselves up in love for one another. And he gives us the ability o do so (1 John 3:16-18).

Which of these “R”s touches your heart the most? Which one gives you something new to think about? And what answer will you give if someone asks you why Jesus died on the cross?

Peter

What Does the Bible Say About Marriage?

When I lead a series of premarital sessions with a couple whose wedding I’m about to perform, we spend time looking at what the Bible teaches about love and marriage. Something funny happens when we do this: the Bible doesn’t say what we think it says, or what we’ve been told that it says. While there are many passages in Scripture that describe love (both within the context of marriage and in other relationships), the two most significant passages that deal with marriage are Genesis 2, where we learn about the creation of the marriage relationship, and Ephesians 5, which describes the Christian concept of marriage. It’s important to keep in mind that these passages describe the ideal marriage. As long as we’re on this side of glory nothing is ideal, including our marriages. These passages describe the goal that Christian husbands and wives should work toward, but everyone should treat their partner with the grace that we all need as we seek to conform our lives to God’s desire for us.

GENESIS 2:18-25: When God created humanity, he created us to be in relationships. The Lord knew that it wasn’t good for Adam to be alone in the Garden of Eden; he needed a companion. Notice that God decided to make “a helper.” The marriage relationship isn’t simply about companionship and satisfying desires; it’s a practical matter. Husband and wife are to help and support each other in the work and calling that God has given them.

There were lots of animals with Adam in the Garden of Eden, but none of them fulfilled his need for companionship. First, the “livestock” are animals that we own; no one “owns” their spouse. In the ages before industrialization, internal combustion engines, and electricity, livestock were used to fulfill what people lacked: horses travel fast, oxen pull heavy loads, and so on. If you look to your spouse to fulfill what is missing in your life (physically or emotionally), your marriage is headed in the wrong direction. Second, the “birds of the air” are beautiful and enjoyable, with their bright feathers and pretty songs. If your attraction to your spouse is based solely on the pleasure you receive from them, or the physical attributes you enjoy about them, you have once again missed the mark of what marriage was created to be. And third, the “beasts of the field” were the animals that humanity was given authority over (Genesis 1:28). They are to be dominated and controlled, whether that means hunting or conserving. Neither husbands nor wives have been given that kind of role over each other.

When God created the first woman out of the first man, he made her from a rib. When I ask couples what a rib can represent or symbolize, they tell me that the rib offers protection for vital organs. It’s near the heart, which represents what we cherish the most. And it’s connected to your spine: the “backbone” of your life. I also point out to them that the rib is at your side, which is where spouses should be with each other. If God had used one of Adam’s toes to create the woman, she would be “under” him. If he had used Adam’s ear, the woman would be “above” him. But because she was made from the rib, husband and wife are meant to walk through life side by side, as companions.

The story of the creation of marriage ends with the comment that “the man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.” There’s more to this statement than the fact that no one had to do laundry in the Garden of Eden. We wear clothing to hide our intimate parts. There are things we don’t want everyone to see, to avoid embarrassment and even ridicule. This is true not only for on-the-body clothing, but also for our emotional and spiritual “clothing.” We wear “masks” to hide the real us from the world around us. There are things about us that we don’t want everyone to know. We put on different appearances based on the people that we’re with. Our friends see one side of us, our co-workers another, and so on. But, ideally, it’s completely different with our spouses. We don’t need to hide ourselves from them. We can “let it all hang out,” because we know that we’re safe with them. They won’t take advantage of our vulnerability or make us feel awkward about who we are. They will cherish and respect the most vulnerable parts of our being. The ideal marriage relationship is one of openness and trust; you don’t have to protect yourself from your spouse because they will do their best to care for and protect you.

EPHESIANS 5:21-33: This section of Paul’s letter to Ephesus begins a description of how Christians should relate to each other. It was common in that time to describe relationships as pairs between “superiors” and “inferiors:” husbands and wives, parents and children, masters and slaves. Paul borrowed this concept from his contemporaries and gave it a Christian twist. In so doing, he undermined the conventional understanding of power relationships. Instead of describing how some people have authority over others, he begins the section with a simple but challenging statement: “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” None of us have, or should have, power over others. We are all called to submit, or to open up our lives, to each other as an expression of our devotion to Christ.

Many people focus upon verse 22 of this passage: “Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.” For centuries, this verse has been used to justify the domination and even abuse of husbands over wives. The wife is supposed to do whatever the husband requires of her. He has authority over her, and her job is to obey whatever he tells her to do. And the passage goes on to compare the relationship between husband and wife to our relationship with Christ. Just as we call Christ our Lord and submit our lives to his will, wives are to follow their husbands. If Paul’s description of the marriage relationship ended at verse 24, it would be a very one-sided relationship; husbands are in charge and wives must do whatever they tell them to do.

But Paul goes on to describe the husband’s obligation to his wife. The husband is to love his wife the same way that Christ loved the church. Christ lived out his love for us by dying for us. Therefore, husbands ought to lay their lives down for their wives. Giving up your life for your wife means more than doing heroic things like catching a bullet for he, or putting yourself in harm’s way to protect her. These are the easier ways to “give yourself up” for your wife, because they’re splashy, one-time events. It’s much harder, and much more important, for husbands to lay down their lives for their wives through the regular events of life. The husband gets up from the couch to answer the phone so that his wife can relax. The husband foregoes the piece of sports equipment he had his eye on so that there’s money for his wife to get what she wants. The husband wakes up in the middle of the night to change the baby’s diaper so his wife can sleep. These are a few examples of the everyday ways in which a husband is to “give himself up” for his wife.

When Paul compares the husband’s headship over his wife with Christ’s headship over the church, he encourages us to consider the kind of a leader Christ is for us. He is not a taskmaster, demanding that we diminish our own lives for his benefit. To the contrary: Christ emptied himself of his very life so that our lives will be blessed. Christ calls us to “servant leadership,” which is a very different model from what most leaders in our world follow. If the husband is the leader of his wife, he is a leader who sacrifices himself for her welfare.

To make sure that we understand his counter-cultural message, Paul evokes the image from Genesis 2 of how the woman was made from the man’s rib. The wife is part of the husband’s body. For a husband to mistreat or fail to care for his wife is tantamount to abusing and neglecting his own body. If we are emotionally healthy, we don’t take pleasure in bashing in our kneecaps and dislocating our fingers. We tend to our aches and pains, and make sure that we get enough to eat. The instinctual ways in which we care for our bodies is a model for how husbands should care for their wives.

Paul describes the ideal Christian marriage as a relationship in which each partner puts their spouses welfare above their own. It’s easy for a wife to submit to a husband whose chief goal in life is to do lay his life down for her. And it’s simple for a husband to lay down his life for a wife who respects and honors him. The mutual relationship of self-giving is summed up in Paul’s introduction to the topic: “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” When your spouse’s top priority in the marriage is to do what’s best for you, you don’t need to stand up for your rights to get what you deserve: he or she is doing it for you already. And your spouse doesn’t need to advocate for his or her welfare, because you’re already doing it for him or her. In this way, a marriage is not a battleground between two wills, vying to get what they want. Instead, it becomes a place where spouses delight in taking care of each other.

Keep in mind, however, that this is the description of an ideal Christian marriage. No earthly marriage is made up of perfect people. Our own willfulness and selfishness is always present, undermining our attempts at trust and support. We will fail to place our spouse’s welfare ahead of our own. The goal is one that is always before us. And the ideal becomes a nightmare in one-sided marriages: when one spouse is “naked” and submits to the other, while the other spouse is guarded and selfish. Instead, as husband and wife strive to get closer to this ideal, and forgive each other when they fail, they share a marriage that honors God and blesses each of them.

Why Celebrate Labor Day?

Labor Day, the unofficial end of summer, became a federal holiday in 1894 to honor the work of organized labor and trade unions. As Christians, however, we can observe this holiday for a different reason: to celebrate the work that God blesses us with.

For most of us, it seems odd thing to celebrate the work that we do. We typically think of labor as the unpleasant stuff that we have to do in order to pay the bills or keep things functioning. Labor is what we have to do; rest and recreation is what we want to do. However, by celebrating Labor Day with a Christian twist, we can distinguish between two types of labor, which I’ll call “work” and “toil.”

“Work” is the productive activity that we can do by using the abilities and calling that God has given us. Work can benefit the lives of other people, improve ourselves, make the world a better place, and increase the kingdom of God around us. There are lots of examples of “work” in the Bible, going all the way back to the garden of Eden, when “the LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it” (Genesis 2:15). We picture life in Eden as the ultimate vacation, but God didn’t put Adam there to kick back and take it easy. Adam worked in the Garden of Eden. And the work was a blessing: for Adam, for the garden, and for the Lord. “Work” is something that enhances our lives as we live out God’s calling for us. If you can’t imagine how “work” can make life better for you, spend some time with someone who isn’t able to be productive, because of health or aging issues. I’ve heard many people say that idleness and inactivity is the hardest part of their circumstances.

“Toil,” on the other hand, is very different. Toil breaks you down and diminishes the quality and joy of life. This is the kind of labor that destroys your spirit and makes life miserable. After Adam and Eve sinned and were thrown out of the Garden of Eden, Adam’s punishment was that his “work” became “toil:” “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life” (Genesis 3:17). People usually toil out of obligation: to struggle to make ends meet, or because of servitude. Examples of toil would be slaves in the pre-war South, coal miners who owe their soul to the company store, sweat shop workers who are isolated and abused, and people trapped in the 9 to 5 rat race.

God’s desire for us is the blessing of work, not the curse of toil. But because the curse is so prevalent in our lives, it’s hard for us to imagine that labor can be anything other than toil. We avoid it at all costs, and see it only as something negative. And yet, it can be a blessing. When God calls us, he does not call us to be passive recipients of his grace. He calls us to work in partnership with him. It is a wonderful thing when the labor you do to pay the bills and manage your responsibilities fills your life with meaning and purpose. It is a sad thing when your labor is a burden that tears away at the fiber of your being. And it is not what God wants for you.

Peter

Who Is the Holy Spirit?

For a hot but happy week in July, Old Union hosted a “Fruit of the Spirit” Vacation Bible School, where we learned about the blessings that come from the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Because there are nine fruits, but only five days of Bible School, we had to leave the last four fruits for everyone to learn about on their own!

Something else that we didn’t talk about at Bible School was the Spirit that provides these fruits in our lives. As it happens, we don’t seem to talk that much about the Holy Spirit. That’s unfortunate, because it is the Holy Spirit who brings God’s presence into our lives. As Christians, we believe there is one God with three Persons. Most of us have a pretty good handle on the Father and the Son, but the Holy Spirit is often overlooked, even as we’re enjoying the fruits of the Spirit in our lives.

Who is the Holy Spirit? First, the Spirit is our teacher and guide. He (or she) is the Counselor that Jesus promised to his disciples at the Last Supper (John 14). The Holy Spirit is the continuing presence of God in our lives, now that Jesus has ascended into heaven. The Spirit is behind everything in our lives that draws us to God: the Bible, our prayer lives, the church, and so on.

Second, the Holy Spirit is our power and strength. She (or he) is the One who came upon the believers at the first Pentecost, and filled them with amazing power (Acts 2). As the presence of God in our lives, the Spirit brings power and authority into the circumstances we find ourselves in. When we are weak and confused, the Spirit who dwells within us accomplishes the impossible.

Third, the Spirit changes who we are. Romans 8 speaks at length about how the Spirit transforms us from being people who are controlled by sin and our natural desires, into children of God who have been set free from these things, so that we can experience the fullness of life that God wants for us. The “fruit of the Spirit” of Galatians 5 is one of several places in Scripture where we learn about the new kind of life that the Spirit works within us; Colossians 3:12-17 is another example.

The Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives is possible because of the redeeming work of Christ. Once we have accepted the grace that Christ’s death and resurrection brings, we begin the journey that the Spirit leads us on. With every passing day and year, our very character and identity changes, as the we bear the fruit of the Spirit’s work in our lives.

A Godly Government

Everyone has their idea of what the government should do. As the 2012 Presidential campaign heats up, we’re sure to hear all sorts of notions and theories from the candidates. For this Fourth of July, I’d like to turn to the Bible to consider a role for the government that we often overlook.

Back in the days of the Bible, and of the Old Testament in particular, the government was the king. He had some advisors and assistants, but everything centered on the king himself. So if we want to see what God has to say about government, we should look at what the Bible tells us about being a good king. One of the best passages that does this is Psalm 72. Take a moment to read this psalm; but replace the word “the king” with “the government.” This will help you recognize what God wants from governments of all sorts, including ours.

1 Endow the government with your justice, O God,
the capital with your righteousness.
2 It will judge your people in righteousness,
your afflicted ones with justice.
3 The mountains will bring prosperity to the people,
the hills the fruit of righteousness.
4 It will defend the afflicted among the people
and save the children of the needy;
it will crush the oppressor.
5 It will endure as long as the sun,
as long as the moon, through all generations.
6 It will be like rain falling on a mown field,
like showers watering the earth.
7 In its days the righteous will flourish;
prosperity will abound till the moon is no more.
8 It will rule from sea to sea
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
9 The desert tribes will bow before it
and its enemies will lick the dust.
10 The kings of Tarshish and of distant shores
will bring tribute to it;
the kings of Sheba and Seba
will present it gifts.
11 All kings will bow down to it
and all nations will serve it.
12 For it will deliver the needy who cry out,
the afflicted who have no one to help.
13 It will take pity on the weak and the needy
and save the needy from death.
14 It will rescue them from oppression and violence,
for precious is their blood in its sight.
15 Long may it live!
May gold from Sheba be given it.
May people ever pray for it
and bless it all day long.
16 Let grain abound throughout the land;
on the tops of the hills may it sway.
Let its fruit flourish like Lebanon;
let it thrive like the grass of the field.
17 May its name endure forever;
may it continue as long as the sun.
All nations will be blessed through it,
and they will call it blessed.
18 Praise be to the LORD God, the God of Israel,
who alone does marvelous deeds.
19 Praise be to his glorious name forever;
may the whole earth be filled with his glory.
Amen and Amen.
20 This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse.

This “royal psalm” can be read as a prediction of the kingdom of Jesus Christ. But it is also a down-to-earth, straightforward description of what God wants kings (and all governments) to do. The primary theme of the psalm is the king’s righteous care for the oppressed, the afflicted, and the needy. He is to bring justice who have no one else to help them. In other words, the king looks out for people who can’t look out for themselves. The king’s job is not to let people “sink or swim,” but to help those who have been taken advantage of by those who are stronger and richer.

It seems to me that this continues to be God’s desire for our government, even though we live in a democracy instead of a monarchy. God expects civil authorities to use their power and influence to help the disadvantaged and abused members of society. Yes, some people “work the system” to milk the government for more than what they deserve. And yes, there’s plenty of room for debate about who is truly “weak, needy, oppressed, and afflicted,” and who simply hasn’t made do with what they have. But when we move too quickly to these objections and exceptions, we sidestep the main point of the psalm. The job of the king, and of the government, includes helping the nation’s underclass.

In the days of the Old Testament, these words applied only to the king and his officials. But we, who live in a democracy, stand under the guidance of these words ourselves. Caring for the poor, the needy, and the disadvantaged is not only something that we should each do individually. As Christians, we are to use our role as voters and citizens to ensure that our government does it as well.

And if we do, we may discover that the other major theme of Psalm 72 will apply to our nation as well. The psalm describes the land under the authority of this sort of government as one filled with prosperity and abundance, receiving honor from all the other nations of the world. This is what it means for God to bless America.