Creation or Creator?

Earth Day originated in Wisconsin, the brain child of then US Senator Gaylord Nelson, in 1970. This “holiday” is considered by some as the birth of the environmental movement. In 2011 the 41st anniversary of Earth Day coincided with Good Friday. Not to worry, the leaders of the ELCA have approved a Good Friday substitute service that will satisfy our environmental sensibilities. The Tenebrae service is reserved for the most somber of occasions, the day that our Savior gave His life for us so that we may live. “A Tenebrae for the Earth” is an optional worship service for use during the Lenten season. This service was developed by the Women of the ELCA in 2009. First of all a globe is placed at the center of the altar, apparently giving it equality with our Savior. James 4:4, “You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” Don’t worry about this and other troublesome passages of Scripture that warn us to be in the world, but not of the world, this service places the earth where the ELCA believes is at its’ rightful place. Since Bishop Hanson is on President Obama's task force on faith and community, perhaps that is why our President offered an official notice acknowledging Earth Day, but was mute on Easter, the most important event to Christians. Some excerpts from this service include;

• During this time of solemn reflection, we will ponder the passion of our Lord as joined to the ongoing passion of creation. The format of this “worship” service follows the pattern of a traditional Tenebrae service, where a series of seven reflections are each followed by a diminishment of the light. The seven reflections used will lift up the ongoing suffering of the Body of Christ on Earth – both within God’s people and God’s created world. As we acknowledge and ponder the passion of the Earth, the passion of God’s creation, let us look deeply into our hearts and prayerfully ask ourselves:

• In what ways do we deny (like Peter) that we even ARE followers of Christ, when we look away from or deny the degradation of creation, which God so loves? In what ways do we continue to add to the wounds and suffering of Christ, in the ways we treat one another and this precious Earth? How are we, through our action or inaction, contributing to the degradation of God’s beloved creation?

• The Passion of the Earth: “Seven Degradations of Creation” include the degradation of the land, global toxification, degradation of the oceans, extinction of species, degradation of fresh water, global climate change & air pollution, and human social & cultural degradation.** Mud is placed on the globe and one light is extinguished after each petition.

• A series of prayers of sorrow about how we are destroying the earth complete with petitions such as; We pray for the resolve to change our habits and for the courage to speak out for public policies that will ensure cleaner water, air, and soil. (It really would be something if they asked us to speak out for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.) Further petitions accuse humankind of disgracefully misusing creation.

Although we are charged as stewards of this world, this service accuses humankind of cruelty to God’s creation simply by living on this planet. If only our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ held as high an honor to this misguided denomination as saving the planet, I wonder how many souls could be saved and brought to Christ? If only Jesus was as important as social justice to the leaders of the ELCA. What is particularly troubling is that so many fall prey to these false gospels. 2 Peter 2:18-21, “For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. 19 They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him. 20 If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. 21 It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them.” Even though the leadership of the ELCA is well aware of what our Lord commands, it would appear that the things of this world are more of a priority for them. One must fill their heart with the Truth that is our Lord and Savior before going out to try and save the world. Save enough souls and there will be many more good stewards of God’s creation. Only then will you be properly prepared to work for true justice in this world.

The Real Thing

Sometimes lost in our disagreements within God’s church are the things that really matter. We argue about doctrine, but often fail to realize that we are justified by our faith in the Risen Christ, alone. Not by our works and not because we cling to sound doctrine. But, sound Christian doctrine does matter, and it matters greatly. When we are marked by our Lord as His, we no longer are dead within our sin. We are a new creation. We turn away from the flesh and reach for the Spirit. In our efforts to please the One we love, we endeavor to obey His commands. We fill our lives with all the things that bring us closer to our Savior. Even though we are no longer under the law, we obey out of our love for Him who took our sins to the cross, suffered and died so that we may live. Whatever your sin, it does not matter to our Lord, who forgives us if we only ask for His forgiveness. Jesus said, Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. Some would cite this as a reason to allow those who fall into sin, to continue in sin because we are also sinners, no better than they, with no authority to offer correction. On the contrary, if a brother or sister falls into sin, it is our responsibility as a child of God to encourage that person back to the narrow path.

This is why it is so disturbing to those true to the Lord when they see a church fall away from Him, enamored with the things of this world. Our Lord and Savior hung on that cross, bearing the sins of all humanity for all time. He sacrificed Himself, suffering a horrible, excruciating death, receiving the punishment that we so justly deserve. And part of that punishment entailed God totally withdrawing from Jesus, leaving Him utterly alone, having to endure the awful burden of the past, present and future sins of the entire world. He offered Himself for us, each and every one of us. His blood bought us our salvation. Try to understand the suffering our Savior endured for us. Pilate had Jesus scourged as part of his punishment. A scourge was a cat of nine tails whip with wide metal hooks that actually tore out pieces of flesh with every lash. Every sin we commit caused those pieces of flesh to be torn out of our Savior. And death by crucifixion was slow and extremely painful. One had to hold up their entire body weight to keep from suffocating, then when totally exhausted, their own body weight would cause them to suffocate. And Jesus had to hold up His weight with limbs that were nailed to the cross. All this because he loved each and every one of us, with only one string attached, that we believe.

But, out of this terrible suffering came something so wonderful, so amazing that the world has been changed forever. Jesus defeated the powers of death and rose from the dead, paving the way for us to also defeat death. Once we believe, we are no longer under penalty of death. This world too shall pass away, but when we leave this world, something so very special awaits us. Our Lord and Savior promised in John 14:1-4, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.” The way to our Father’s house is through faith in the Risen Christ. When we believe. we are born again and become a new creation. When we believe we die to this world and begin our new life as a child of Christ. Nothing is the same. We live differently than we did before. We live to please our God.

John 14:23-24, Jesus said “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.” As Christians, we love our Lord above all else. We follow what He has taught. We joyfully obey God’s law. We look forward to our new life with our Lord. Jesus Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!