Originally written for Shepherd of the Ridge Lutheran Church, apply these ideas to your local context.

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When Jesus taught His disciples to pray (Luke 11:1-13), He gave a great list to begin with, and in the Lord’s Prayer, we find in many ways a summary of all those things we pray about, but as you set time aside to be with God in prayer, do you ever find yourself at a loss what to pray about?

Here at Shepherd of the Ridge, we have a list each week of specific people seeking others’ prayers for them. That’s a great place to start. Even if you don’t know the details of that person’s need, God does, and He will provide as that person needs.

But consider praying for those you might not normally pray for:

• Those who annoy you: (Matthew 5:44) But I tell you this: Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you. Sometimes, “enemy” means that person who took 15 items into the 12 item checkout, or that person at work who just irritates you, or telemarketers. Pray that God would bless them with love and faith, and that He would give you opportunities to love those people.
• Terrorists: Speaking of loving our enemies, pray for those who’ve been fooled into thinking they’re doing God’s will by murder. Pray that God show them His love, that they may know His love, that His love would save them, and that they in turn would reach out to the world in love.
• Those farthest away from you & toughest to love: Think of those with whom you simply have nothing in common, those with tremendous needs that leave you feeling like you could never help them, and ask God for opportunities to help those you don’t think you could help.
• And if you’re brave, pray for faith. God often allows suffering to strengthen our faith, because it’s through those difficult times that we struggle the most and find ourselves running to God, whereas in times of abundance, we think we can do it ourselves.

Whom else can you pray for that you wouldn’t normally think of? God has given us love beyond our ability to comprehend, and we can share that love without fear of running out of love. Pray for opportunities to love. the wisdom to recognize those opportunities, and the courage to act on them.

Originally written for Shepherd of the Ridge Lutheran Church, apply these ideas to your local context.

Recently, the nation was held captive by a bizarre situation that appears to have turned out to be a publicity stunt for a potential “Reality TV” show. The “Balloon Boy” event caught our attention, and we’re still talking about it, even though it turned out to be nothing. Most of what I hear comes across as condemnation for abusing the public’s trust for personal gain.

Pastors live in the public eye enough that I often feel like I’m on a Reality TV show, but that’s the nature of the life God has called me to live. That said, I would not want a camera crew in our home at all times, broadcasting our family’s private lives. They’re called “private lives” for a reason.

At the same time, every Christian, not just pastors, lives under scrutiny. When you cut someone off on the road, and they see your “Pray for our troops” ribbon on the back of your car, what are you telling that person about Jesus? When we act judgmental and look down our noses at those we consider worse sinners than us or gossip about them, what are we saying about the unconditional love and forgiveness of God through Christ?

While our good works don’t save us—Jesus’ work for us has already done that—what message does your life send to others? If your family were on a Reality TV series, would the viewers know you’re Christians? What would you be telling them, through your lives, about Christianity?

You don’t have to be on a Reality TV series. The world is watching you. Let them see the life of a broken sinner who lives by the grace of God, whose sin has been forgiven, and who now reflects that love to the people He has brought into your life.

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Originally written for Shepherd of the Ridge Lutheran Church, apply these ideas to your local context.

The word “cult” gets thrown around a lot these days. I’ve discussed the term with my Mormon friends, and every time Scientology rears its head, the term tends to accompany it. Some call Christianity a cult. Others refer to any religion as a cult. But a difference exists, and it’s an important one. Some parents have come to me and said, “My child has joined a particular church. Is it a cult? I heard it is.” Cults have certain characteristics, and contrary to popular belief, it has nothing to do with size. Cults can have less than a dozen or millions of members. What makes a religion a cult comes down to how it treats its members, not any specific teachings, however strange they seem. (We believe in one God Who is three distinct persons, that He became human and died while still remaining God, and that He will forgive all sins. Even Scientology’s belief in an alien invasion isn’t as strange as that!)

Cults all share, to a greater or lesser degree, these characteristics:

• Brainwashing: When joining a cult, the cult will hold back some of its teachings from you, only giving it piece by piece. Questions tend to be discouraged, especially if the question expresses doubt of the organization’s teachings. Anyone who suggests an alternate view faces reprimand or is gently encouraged to just trust the leadership without asking questions. Those who ask too many questions can be threatened with expulsion.
• Members are allowed limited information, such as being discouraged or forbidden from viewing mainstream media, allowed only to read or view materials approved by the organization’s leadership.
• Members who consider leaving the organization face ostracism from other members of the organization. Remaining members are encouraged to avoid the ex-member, and often, spouses are encouraged to divorce the exiting spouse.
• Members are discouraged from contact, sometimes temporarily, sometimes permanently, with family or friends outside the cult except during proselytizing activities.
• They often have a single charismatic leader, although as cults age or grow, this can change or disappear or be replaced by a hierarchical structure. Regardless of the structure, the leadership is seen as infallible, often considered to be divine or receive immediate (i.e. without means like a book, rather directly through visions or dreams) revelation from the divine.

So take a look at your church. Is it a religion or a cult? Let’s take a look at The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, of which Shepherd of the Ridge is a member.

• I always tell students and members, “When you become a Christian, don’t check your brain at the door.” Keep asking questions. Keep reading and talking. Feel free to read the opponents of our beliefs and consider their arguments. I’m even running a study on Sunday mornings to consider the arguments of an atheist who claims to prove the Bible to be fallacious. If what we believe is true, and I believe it is or I wouldn’t have this job, then we have nothing to fear from opposing viewpoints.
• When someone wants to leave to join another church or leave Christianity altogether, while we will miss them and are concerned about them being deceived by false teachings, we encourage all to love them and continue to pray for them and help however we can. Spouses should always stay married.
• We see family and friends as blessings from God, and short of an abusive relationship or one wherein friends are causing someone to get into some kind of trouble (with the law, a marriage, etc.), we would never tell people whom they should or shouldn’t be friends with. In fact, we actively encourage friendships with those outside the church as an opportunity to serve those not being served, whether their needs are spiritual or physical.
• While we believe Jesus is God and thus infallible, we don’t consider our pastors infallible, and I always encourage people to correct me when they disagree with me and am always happy to discuss those issues and learn more.

The International Cultic Studies Association has a more comprehensive list if you’d like to see other common characteristics. Note that what constitutes a cult is not always black and white, but more like a sliding scale. Most religions express one or two of the characteristics on the ICSA checklist, but when those characteristics start adding up, the organization can be considered more cultic.

Think about some of the groups that are considered cults at times. Do they fit the description? Talk to your friends who may be involved in these groups, and ask what they believe and why. Talk about how your beliefs differ, and discuss together the merits of both. But most of all, love them. These are not your enemies—they are people Jesus died for. So love them as He has loved you.

I said above that we encourage questions, so feel free to post questions, comments, or dissent in the comments below.

Originally written for Shepherd of the Ridge Lutheran Church, apply these ideas to your local context.

We’re busy, no question about it. Schools don’t respect Wednesday nights or Sunday mornings for church time, so not only might you sometimes have trouble getting here for a service, but forget about any other activities without some major restructuring of the schedule! When we came to North Ridgeville, we were looking forward to making friends and geting together, and while we’ve made friends, we’ve been so busy between work and our kids that we just haven’t had time for anything social, and I know we’re not alone in that.

Beyond just meetings, we’re not a business–we’re a family. We love each other and want to stay in touch with each other. When someone hurts, as strange as it may sound, we want to share that hurt, not just in sympathy, but so we can be praying for and encouraging each other. And as a family, we also benefit from being in God’s Word together!

So while there’s no substitute for being together and meeting face-to-face, because that’s just not possible, I’d like to propose an experiment to build each other up in the common bond we share.

On our website, I’d like to begin an online Bible Study. Genesis has a lot to talk about, so we’ll start there. (Good place to start: “In the beginning,” huh?) Each week, I’ll post a short reading, probably just a few verses, some comments or background information, and a couple open-ended questions, like, “Have you ever found yourself in a situation like this?” or something like that. Then you can leave comments and ask further questions. This way, anyone with internet access (if you don’t have a computer and are interested, the library does) can join in.

I’d appreciate your feedback on this idea. Does this sound like something you’d like to try? Should we make this a private members-only study, or should we use this as an outreach and allow guests around our community and world to join in the conversation? Would you like other groups on the site set up, like a parenting group (what to say when kids ask tough questions, where to find various resources, or even good places to go on the weekend for fun) or some other topic?

The toughest part of a project like this is getting the ball rolling. Once people get involved in the conversation, the project generally keeps pretty good momentum, but people tend to be afraid of being the first to comment, so I’d appreciate, if we begin this project, a few bold people being bold about commenting. Note that comments don’t need to be insightful or brilliant–this is all about relationships, not impressing people.

Again, this is not a replacement for seeing each other face-to-face. When someone is hurting, they will likely appreciate a personal visit from more than just the pastor. We still have phones to call each other and check in. We still need to work together to meet the needs of the community. And we still need to join our voices as we worship “with…all the company of heaven.”

I look forward to your feedback and covet your ideas.

Originally written for Shepherd of the Ridge Lutheran Church, apply these ideas to your local context.

Michael Moore, famous for movies like Fahrenheit 9/11, has made the claim in his upcoming film, Capitalism: A Love Story, that Jesus would consider capitalism sinful. The hypocrisy of Moore’s net worth (gained from capitalism) aside, it seems worthwhile to ask the question, “What form of government does God prefer?”

In a recent Bloomberg interview, Movie Critic Rick Warner asks, “Several clergymen in the film say capitalism is anti-Christian and that Jesus would have deplored such a dog- eat-dog system. Yet you hear from the right that capitalism and Christianity go hand in hand. Are they reading different Bibles?” to which Moore responds, “The number one thing in the Bible is redemption. The number two thing is how we treat the poor. All the great religions talk about this. The right wing hijacked Jesus 30 years ago. It was all a big ruse, but people fell for it. I don’t think people are falling for it so easily now.”

Moore got the first point right, absolutely. The focus of the entire Bible is redemption: God paying for the sin of the world by sending Jesus to the cross on our behalf. The entire Old Testament lays out God’s preparation for His coming, and the entire New Testament focuses on that singular event and its repercussions.

Is Moore right about how we treat the poor? Yes. “All the great religions” may be an exaggeration if you consider the Hindu caste system, but yes, Christians all should agree that we need to help the poor as much as possible.

But the question comes down not to “whether,” but to “how.” In the United States, the Democratic Party holds essentially that we can best help the poor by giving our taxes to the government, which can then redistribute the wealth where it’s needed. The Republican Party doesn’t generally trust the government to do this properly or efficiently and prefers to encourage people to give of their own free will according to their consciences as they see need.

Of course, both systems, because they’re designed by sinners, fall short of perfection. “Wasteful government spending” is a household expression, so kudos to the Republicans. On the other hand, every time I refer someone in need to a government aid organization, I think of the Democrats. Plenty of other smaller political parties have other ideas which would be best.

So what form of governmental economy would Jesus endorse? If we were to only look at the Bible for governmental advice, we see only monarchies, but even those don’t get God’s stamp of approval. (1 Samuel 8:7-21) In fact, when Chronicles evaluates the various kings, their economic policies never enter into the equations. Rather, their faithfulness to the Living God is the sole scale by which they’re judged.

The Bible, rather than endorsing a specific form of government, focuses on hearts, not legislation. God wants us to help the poor, but out of love, faith, and gratitude, not compulsion. (2 Corinthians 9:7) We can debate about how this can best be done, but God will stay out of that discussion until the last day when He raises the dead and gives us the riches of His Kingdom because of the poverty of Christ. Meanwhile, we rejoice that He has given us the riches of His undeserved love and the promise of eternal life as we live as citizens of both heaven and earth.

Originally written for Shepherd of the Ridge Lutheran Church, apply these ideas to your local context.

As people live longer, we continue to strive for greater health advances and more longevity. Some futurists even suggest that a lifespan of 200 or more years may become the norm to those born within a few decades. In a recent episode of the Today Show (Sorry–I can’t find a link to the clip), a researcher suggested that the human DNA has no “death gene” and so, by eliminating disease and accidents, life expectancy can extend toward a thousand years. This lack of a “death gene” sounds a bit simplistic, but at the same time, it doesn’t surprise me.

God created human beings for immortality. Had Adam and Eve avoided the temptation to disobey God regarding the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 3), we would all live forever on this world. That our genetic structure seems to reflect this just confirms what we’ve known for thousands of years. It also shows the distinct possibility that our bodies after the final resurrection may well be very similar in composition to their current composition, except that it will lack the corruption that causes us to die–which is something called “sin,” a spiritual condition that modern microscopes can’t see.

But while we’d all certainly like to be healthier, and while we treasure life because it’s a gift from God, we need not incessantly pursue an escape from death. When Jesus died on the cross, He conquered death once and for all. He submitted Himself to death to turn it inside-out, and His resurrection proved that death cannot overcome the Lord of Life. Although Jesus raised Lazarus from death, Lazarus died again years later, but one day, He will raise Lazarus, you, and me to live forever, free from sin and free from death forever.

Originally written for Shepherd of the Ridge Lutheran Church, apply these ideas to your local context.

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As I write this, school is about to begin. Every store in town has pencils on sale, and they’re flying off the shelves almost as fast as employees stock them. We as citizens, parents, and members of our community put a lot of emphasis on education. We want good schools, and Cleveland’s recent poor school ratings upset a lot of people, but why do we place such importance on school quality? For many, the quality of a child’s education determines that child’s future, or at least places a significant impact on it. We know that and want the best for our children and for the future of our nation and the world, and we know that, the sharper we hone their minds, the more they’ll potentially accomplish throughout their lives. So why then do we place such little emphasis on spiritual education? Earthly education has undeniable importance, but spiritual education has eternal consequence. The Word of God is the only weapon that will fend off the devil’s attacks, but if we don’t train our children to use this weapon, they will be defenseless when the attacks come. To help parents, we offer the Divine Service, Sunday School, Confirmation Class, and other educational opportunities, but ultimately, the responsibility rests in parents’ hands. Assuming you want your child to remain in the faith until meeting Jesus on the Last Day, here are some simple parenting tips to help make that happen:

• Model the Christian life: Show your children that living as a forgiven child of God impacts every aspect of life by doing what you can to help those God has placed in your life.
• Show them Christ’s forgiveness: By His death, Jesus has forgiven all your sins. Show everyone that you believe in that forgiveness by forgiving others, because God has already forgiven them. When someone apologizes to you, instead of saying, “It’s OK” or something similar, say, “Your forgiven” (and mean it).
• Remember the Sabbath Day: Too many people understand this to mean “go to church once a week,” and while that’s included in this command, it doesn’t stop there. God gives us His love every day, so return that love by hearing His life-giving message at every opportunity through personal devotions and Bible reading in addition to study with others that you may grow from their insights. Spend family time discussing God’s Word and how it applies to the situations in their lives. When you see good examples, point them out.

Remember that we live in a fallen world, so sometimes, even the perfect parents will see a child wander from the faith due to circumstances beyond their control, and other times, by God’s grace, the children of atheist parents become Christians, so none of these guarantee anything, but know that God loves your children, grandchildren, Godchildren, and all children and will continue to reach out to them through means beyond our expectations to keep them with Him forever, so rest assured that you are not alone in your efforts. God Himself is with you in your task.

Originally written for Shepherd of the Ridge Lutheran Church, apply these ideas to your local context.

As the ELCA discusses the role or acceptance of LGBT clergy at the 2009 Churchwide Assembly, it seems like a good opportunity to discuss how God uses the sin in the world, not condoning it, but twisting it back to His glory. God never ceases to amaze me as He takes the pain and suffering and evil in the world, evil with no intrinsic good, and brings good from it just as He brought the universe from nothing. Best example: the Son of God is murdered, and the world gains eternal life.

While I’m saddened by the widespread dismissal of the Word of God as He speaks to the issue of sexuality, God will use this through us, and here’s how:

When Christians talk about “gay marriage,” they usually refer either to Leviticus or Romans. While both of these texts address homosexuality, I’m convinced that the “proof text” for Christians is found in Ephesians 5, God’s definition of marriage, and I believe it’s there we need to start in our discussions with others.

God defines marriage with a simple formula: one man, one woman, married for life. The man’s role is to serve his wife, giving his life over to her needs, and the wife acknowledges his loving service and supports him in love, so they give themselves to each other in lifelong service and self-sacrifice, modeling our relationship with Christ and showing that mutual unconditional love to each other.

Our society long ago already eliminated “married for a lifetime” from the equation, so it shouldn’t surprise us when the rest of the equation gets corrupted. But that formula isn’t just God being a bully—He wants us to know His love, and He has given us marriage that we may have a taste of His love. When we change the equation, we either end up with a church with no Savior or two Christs and nobody saved or church and Christ divided from each other without His unconditional love. And even on a practical level, if we eliminate God’s equation, we open marriage up to other corruptions like polygamy and more.

So take this opportunity to discuss the issue—it’s a “water cooler” topic now! And remember these points:

† All sexual sin, including heterosexual intimacy outside marriage, is equally rebellion against God but also equally forgiven by Christ’s blood.

† Jesus died for all people, regardless what sin tempts them. Since they were worth that much to Him, who are we to not love them?

† While some may find satisfaction in a man-made corruption of God’s natural order, God wants so much more for us—He wants us to know His love and experience it through each other until the great wedding feast on the last day.

Our rebellion against God’s good and loving will for us put Jesus on the cross, but on that same cross, we find our loving Bridegroom. God give us the opportunity to share His love through this sinful action and wisdom to season our discussions with the Good News of His true love.