i • den •ti •ty Faith & Fellowship
- the distinguishing character or personality of an individual : INDIVIDUALITY
Church of the Lutheran Brethren
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i•den•ti•ty
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Two-Thousand Eleven
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Issue No. 1
In This Issue 4 6 8 10 12 14 15
LIKE ME
w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / i d e n t i t y n e t
FF
The Weight of the Word Andrew Foss
FAITH & FELLOWSHIP
Who is King?
Identity Issue No. 1
Tony Rogness
Free Grace Andy Olsen
Director of Communications: Tim Mathiesen tmathiesen@clba.org | twitter: @ffmag
Flat Tire
Editor: Brent Juliot bjuliot@clba.org
Ellen Geraghty
Snap Shot
Q & A with Maya Moore and Elizabeth Benedict
Find a Church Near You Church of the Lutheran Brethren
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re:Think Kirk Militzer
Bible Games
Publisher/Graphic Designer: Troy Tysdal ttysdal@clba.org Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright ©1973. 1978. 1984. International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.
A Message from Your Church Family Time flies! Are you ready for the next chapter of your life? It’s been a delight and humble honor to have been the hands and feet of Jesus during these critical years. From your first days in Sunday school, to confirmation, youth retreats, and even that rookie year at Bible Camp, our prayer has been simple: “Jesus, will you meet this precious child… middle schooler… teenager… (and before you know it) high school grad in a mighty way?” We’ll see you over the years, when you come back home on break or on a military leave. We’ll smile when you bring home your new collegiate friends and/or roommates. We’ll rejoice with you when that special someone has captured your heart and you desire to wed and together serve Jesus “until death do us part.” 2
We’ll commit to come beside you and pray for you when you are blessed with children of your own. Many things will change in the future: Probably your zip code. For sure technology. Bank on the fact that culture will morph and transform. You will change too. You will grow older and wiser. But as much as things change, some things won’t. Like God’s Word. Bank on God’s Word. Invest in understanding it. It speaks truth and correction as accurately today for you as a high school grad-to-be, as it will for the high school grads of 2022 and grads yet to be born! It must be said, Jesus never changes. There is a reason why you have heard us say over the years, “It’s all about Jesus.” He is the game changer of history. The real story of life is Jesus and how he
changes people, one by one. You have seen up close how he has changed our lives. You know we as a church aren’t perfect. Jesus is the focus of worship and praise. Jesus is our favorite topic of conversation and always will be. That won’t change. Bank on that. Now go with this blessing: You are extravagantly loved by Jesus. We love you too. We desire to be a safe harbor, a community of fellow Jesus-followers who will be here with open arms welcoming you home, rejoicing with your adventures, and – as always – willing to stand by you in times of joy and trials. Kirk Militzer serves as the East Campus Pastor at Triumph Lutheran Brethren Church in Moorhead, MN (www.triumphlbc.org).
Faith & Fellowship
Glimpse You’re Getting an ‘A’ Gerald Mann was the longtime pastor of River Bend Church in Austin, Texas. When he was in seminary, he had to take a Hebrew language course from the seminary’s notorious Hebrew professor. The professor that nobody wanted. The professor who’d never given an A to anybody. Ever. So on the first day of class, Gerald was anxiously waiting for the Hebrew professor from you-know-where to show up. And then he walked in the door with a stack of books under his arm. He introduced himself to the class and grabbed one of his books. He held it up for everyone to see, and said, “This is my gradebook. And in the history of this school, there has never, ever, been an A recorded in this gradebook.” Gerald sat there with the rest of his classmates, and they were all thinking the exact same thing: “I’m never gonna make it through this class. I don’t even have a chance.” But then the Hebrew professor said something that Gerald would never forget: “Like I said, there has never been an A recorded in this gradebook. But this semester is going to be different. This semester I’ve already given each of you an A before our class has even started. The grading for this class has been finished. You can’t mess it up. You’re all getting an A.” And then he opened his gradebook and walked around the room and showed each and every one of those students that there was a great, big, giant A written next to their names. Gerald said, “We were so relieved! And we treasured and enjoyed this gift that we had been given so much that our class studied Hebrew unlike anyone at our school ever had. We truly loved studying Hebrew because we weren’t trying to avoid a bad grade. Studying Hebrew became a gift that was relished.” Just like Gerald in his Hebrew class, you’re getting an A, too. Not from your www.ffmagazine.org
JAY PRICE
HEBREW 101
teachers or professors, though. Even better. You’re getting an A from God. God has already given you an A. In Jesus Christ, you are fully and completely justified. Jesus has given you his perfect life, and his suffering death, and his victorious resurrection from the dead as free gifts. And as a result of these amazing gifts, all of your sins are permanently erased, and God puts you on the good and right path in life. God looks at you, and thinks about you, and treats you just like you have never sinned. As it says in Psalm 103:12, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” You’re getting an A. Nothing you do will ever make your grade better and nothing you do will ever make your grade worse. In other words, being a Christian doesn’t really mean behaving better, but believing better – believing in bigger, brighter, and deeper ways in everything that Jesus has accomplished for you. Even when you struggle... even when you stumble... even when you fall... you’re still getting an A.
No matter what challenges you face, Jesus himself, his Word, and your faith in him will carry you through it all. I know this probably seems too good to be true, but it’s not. It’s true. No strings attached. No ifs, ands or buts. No reading the fine print. In Jesus Christ you are completely and perfectly forgiven. You’re fully accepted by God. You’re clean. You can’t mess it up. It is finished. Enjoy it. Relish it. You’re getting an A. Jay Price serves as the pastor at Word of Life Church in Marysville, WA (www.wordoflifelb.org).
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OF THE
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WEIGHT WORD ANDREW FOSS
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ne of my favorite stories in Scripture is found in Isaiah 6. Isaiah comes into the temple, sees the Lord high and lifted up, and we’re told the whole earth was filled with God’s glory. It’s interesting to note that the Hebrew word for “glory” is a word that literally means “weight.” So when Isaiah writes of God’s glory he’s describing God’s weightiness. Maybe this will help you understand what Isaiah experienced: Let’s say an object that is heavier than water is thrown into water. What happens? Ripples form. The water quakes a little, and the surface takes on a different form. And the same thing happens when the reality of God comes down into your life. When Isaiah walked into the temple and beheld God’s glory, he didn’t say, “There really is a God, imagine that!” Isaiah already believed in God, but God was just a concept to him until that moment. Now you might be asking, “What’s the difference between a concept and a reality?” It’s all a matter of glory. God as a concept is lighter than you and most definitely doesn’t quake you. When you bring God as a concept into your life, you shape him, instead of him shaping you. But God as a reality is heavier than you. When the real God comes into your life, things start to give way to his glory. Things that you’ve always believed very deeply are changed by his Word because his Word is weightier than your beliefs. Has that happened to you? Can you remember a time in your life when God went from being a concept to being a reality? Is he contradicting you? Is he changing you? Is he demolishing your preconceived ideas of what’s true and real? www.ffmagazine.org
Honestly, the statistics don’t paint a positive response to those questions. Here’s what some are saying: • As little as 4% of today’s teenagers will remain Bible-believing Christians as adults” (Teen Mania Ministries, 2006). • “88% of children raised in evangelical homes will leave the church at age 18, never to return” (Southern Baptist Convention’s Family Life Council, 2002). • “70% of young adults stop attending church regularly for at least one year between ages 18-22” (LifeWay Research, 2007). • “61% of high school students stop attending church after they graduate” (The Barna Group, 2006). However you factor it, these are significant numbers. And regardless of who’s correct, the anecdotal evidence that we see year in and year out cannot be denied. The issue for the Church isn’t to find out who is more accurate in their assessment; it’s to make sure that none of them are! So what can be done to make sure you’re not just another statistic, but instead are one who continues in your faith “established and firm, not moving from the hope held out in the gospel...” (Colossians 1:23a)? I recently read Real Christianity by William Wilberforce, in which he makes
a number of keen observations about why young people often walked away from the faith back in the late 18th century. But of all of them, I believe the following insight speaks almost prophetically to today’s spiritually sobering trend. Wilberforce wrote, “Most [young people] don’t even attempt to take what knowledge is at their disposal and form Biblically accurate beliefs and convictions.” I couldn’t agree more. Do you know what “knowledge” Wilberforce is referring to? It’s God’s Word. If God is a reality to you, it’s because – like Isaiah – you’ve submitted to the fact that he alone “...is the way, the truth, and the life...” (John 14:6) and that “all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful...” (2 Timothy 3:16). But if God is still just a concept for you, I venture to say it’s because you haven’t taken the time to hear what God has to say through his Word. Please know that God has revealed himself to you and continues to speak today because his Word is “living and active” (Hebrews 4:12). It’s constantly at your disposal, as Wilberforce so aptly stated. I love the way the Apostle Paul describes God’s Word as a “hope held out” for you. Better yet, when the pages of Scripture are opened you will be confronted with a God who is “patient with you” (2 Peter 3:9), “who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4), and “who remains faithful forever” (Psalm 146:6). Andrew Foss teaches Bible classes at Hillcrest Lutheran Academy in Fergus Falls, MN (www.ffhillcrest.org).
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love some of the names in the Bible. I was reading in 2 Samuel about Mephibosheth, the grandson of King Saul. I can’t imagine going through Middle School with the name Mephibosheth. Not only would it take years to master spelling your own name, but every teacher you ever had would likely pronounce it wrong on the first day of class. If it were me, I would have seriously considered a nickname; perhaps I’d have had my friends call me “Fibi” for short. The story of Fibi is interesting, not just because of his strange name, but for other reasons as well. King David was looking for descendants of Saul (the former king). He found Fibi, a grandson who was crippled and living in another city. He was the son of David’s friend Jonathan. Because of the kindness that 6
Jonathan had shown David and because of their friendship, King David gave Fibi all the land that once belonged to his grandfather King Saul. I don’t know how much property that was, but I know it must have been significant because it was enough to take care of him and his family for the rest of their lives. I wonder how that transaction took place. In our society, there would have to be significant paperwork done and legal issues settled. I suspect that none of that was necessary for David and Fibi. After all, David was the king. It’s that simple. Since he was the king, he could simply declare that Mephibosheth owned the property and – just like that – it was his. Chapter 9 of 2 Samuel tells us that after he was given his grandfather’s former property, Mephibosheth moved to Jerusalem and ate regularly at the
king’s table. That means he was treated like one of the royal household. In fact he was treated like a son, as if he had been adopted. He was a prince. I suppose he could have continued living where he was, as a cripple in someone else’s house. But then he never would have experienced the benefits of the gift that King David so graciously gave him. Or, as a grandson of the former king, he might have tried to make a claim to the throne himself and deny that David was the actual king. He might have said “I am the descendant in the royal line, and I want to be king.” But if he had tried to assert his right to be king in that way, the benefits of royalty (eating at the king’s table, etc.) would have been denied him. The issue of who was king was critical to Mephibosheth. How often is this true in our lives? Often I wrestle with the issue of who is Faith & Fellowship
Who is
KING ? TONY ROGNESS
king. Am I trying to place myself on the throne, or do I allow the real king his rightful place? Jesus is the king of kings and he belongs on the throne, in charge of my life. He is not the king because we say so, because we want him to be or because it’s our tradition. He is the king because he is the almighty God from the beginning. Colossians 2:9 says that “in Christ all the fullness of the Deity [God] lives in bodily form,” and in John 10:30 Jesus clearly states, “I and the Father are one.” We can pretend that Jesus is not God, but that doesn’t change reality. Jesus is God and has always been God. That’s why his sacrifice is sufficient for us. That’s why he can forgive sin. Even when we think he can’t or won’t forgive us. He can and he will, not because of who we are, but because of who he is. That’s one of the lessons we learn www.ffmagazine.org
from the account of Mephibosheth in 2 Samuel. We can allow Jesus Christ to reign as king in our hearts and lives, or we can fight him for the throne. If we let him reign, we experience the riches and grace of God as his children. But, if we refuse to acknowledge that he is king, if we choose to rule over our own lives, we will never know the peace and joy that comes to those who have been given royal access. Just as it was for Mephibosheth, “Who is king?” is a critical question for us. And it is one we have to answer for ourselves. Not that our answer changes the reality. Jesus is the king whether we like it or not. But who we allow on the throne of our lives is up to us. Allowing Jesus his rightful place on the throne of our lives does not mean that we lose our royal place. We never had any right to royalty
to begin with. Rather, by acknowledging the true king and letting him reign, we can have all the rights and privileges of royalty, just like Fibi. So as you go through the ups and downs of everyday life, stop to ask yourself, “Who is king?” Is it Jesus, or are you trying to establish your own authority? Give up any illusions you have of being king. You aren’t king and never will be. None of us will. But, it seems to me that giving up something we can never have to get more than we ever deserve is a pretty great deal. Only King Jesus could offer a deal like that. Tony Rogness is the new Operations Director at Inspiration Point Bible Camp. He has been a teacher and volunteer youth leader for the past 15 years.
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e e r F Grace ANDY OLSEN
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still remember the excitement I felt on my first day of college. I was in a new city, living on my own, entering a world of promise and possibilities. What I didn’t realize at that moment was how deeply I was going to be shaped by a culture of performance and achievement during those years. Everyone around me was driven to succeed and be the best. I already had an internal drive to succeed – academically, athletically, musically, and socially. That drive was amplified in an environment where I compared myself to others and realized I wasn’t the best. I pushed myself to do more, work harder, and find my area of expertise. But as I did this, I began to define my worth in terms of my performance. I’m not saying that success is bad, or that we shouldn’t do things with excellence and determination. But our culture often promotes the idea that our value comes from how well we perform or how much we produce. And this can subtly shape the way we relate to God. We start to think that our value in God’s eyes depends on our performance – how much we pray, how “good” we are, how involved we are at church. Then, when we inevitably stumble and fail to measure up 8
to the level of performance we think God expects, we feel ashamed and defeated. This is why the message of “faith alone” is so important to grasp. The Gospel says that our standing before God and our value as a person has nothing to do with either our good performance or our failings. Our standing before God is based on what Jesus has done for us through his death on the cross. God forgives us and sees us as completely righteous, not because of our performance, but because of Jesus’ performance in our place. The way to receive this new standing is through faith – trusting him with our lives and believing in what he has done for us. The reason we say “faith alone” is to emphasize that faith is the only requirement to receive this free gift of God’s acceptance. There is nothing else we need to do. In fact, there is nothing that anyone could add to what Jesus accomplished for us. Paul puts it this way in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” When we grasp the reality of “faith alone,” it frees us! We no longer have
to try to prove our worth. We don’t have to strive to earn God’s acceptance and favor. We don’t have to be weighed down by shame and guilt when we fail. We can simply rest in knowing that Jesus has accomplished everything for us. In a culture where we feel the constant pressure to do more and get busier, it can be freeing to know that there is nothing we need to do to prove our worth. Ironically, once we stop striving to earn God’s favor and we accept his free grace, it actually leads us to live for him in a way we never could when we were trying so hard. We start living out of praise and gratitude for what he has done for us. We seek God’s direction for our lives because we know he has a purpose for us. As Martin Luther put it, “We are saved by faith alone, but the faith that saves is never alone.” The message of “faith alone” frees us to live our lives for the glory of God. Andy Olsen is associate pastor at Calvary Community Church in Fullerton, CA (www. calvarycc.net).
Faith & Fellowship
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love road trips and vacations, don’t you? Picture it, you have the perfect destination picked out, and you’re packing everything into your car with excitement! You are double-checking to make sure it will be an absolutely perfect trip, and that you haven’t forgotten a thing. You take off in your car, music blasting with the windows down. Suddenly you get distracted by a hilarious billboard off to the left and feel… bump bump BUMMMMPPPP. Upon inspection you realize you now have a major flat tire. Unfortunately a car jack and spare tire didn’t seem to get packed in your suitcase full of swimsuits, suntan lotion, clothes, and snacks. What do you do? You guessed it… pull out that cell phone of yours and call for help! Beginning a college journey can sometimes feel exactly like that trip. You are all packed up and overflowing with excitement at the thought of your new adventure and freedom. Sometimes on 10
the journey, though, we get distracted, and often it is then that the bumps come! Attending the University of Maine, where I played college basketball, and later working with college students at the University of Connecticut, I have seen this same scenario over and over… and even in my own life. While students like you and me are getting adjusted to new surroundings, we all have a significant “longing for belonging.” This longing is a VERY normal, God-given desire. The problem, or “bump,” is that sometimes this longing also causes us to make decisions that we may not normally make as we face temptations. Some of these decisions can lead to unwanted hurts, bruises, and even major “flat tires” along our new college journey. Some temptations are completely new, and others have already been faced in high school. These pressures and new challenges may show up as invitations to drink or to try drugs to cope or fit in.
You may be tempted to gossip about other students, or lower your boundaries for sexual purity. Time management is almost always a challenge too, and it may become difficult to spend the time needed on your studies, or even to get up on Sunday mornings for church anymore. You may eventually begin to realize that you are lonely, and you really miss those parents and siblings that you couldn’t wait to get away from! One of the most amazing things about being a Christian, even when you hit a “bump,” is knowing that the Bible tells you we are NEVER alone. God knows exactly how you feel, what you are going through, and he will never leave you or forsake you. You can be encouraged because in 2 Corinthians 12:9 we are reminded that his grace is sufficient for us in any situation, and that his power is made perfect even in our weaknesses. The Bible also reminds us in 1 John 1:9, that as we confess our sins, he is faithful Faith & Fellowship
Flat
Tire ELLEN GERAGHTY
and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness. You may mess up and struggle at times, but God’s grace is always available to you and is a totally free gift! This truth can motivate us to keep walking with him even when we hit a bump! I challenge you to take time on your new “road trip” back to school this fall to be real with God, and with a few safe people who can encourage you to receive God’s grace. Take time with him to replace any lies you are believing with the truth of his word as you continue to walk tall in Christ. Buckle up with the love, forgiveness, and grace that Jesus offers (it will never run out), and you’ll be in for the ride of your life! Ellen Geraghty worked for Athletes in Action at the University of Connecticut and is a current graduate student at Liberty University in Lynchburg Virginia.
www.ffmagazine.org
Christian Resources Websites to find Christian connections and resources: www.everystudent.com www.ccci.org (Campus Crusade) www.intervarsity.org (Inter Varsity Christian Fellowship) www.athletesinaction.org (Athletes in Action) www.fca.org (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) www.worldmag.com (World Magazine–Christian world perspectives) www.focusonthefamily.com (college perspectives/counseling referrals) www.navigators.org (Navigators Christian Fellowship)
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Faith, Friendship, College, and Basketball
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aya Moore led the University of Connecticut women’s basketball team to back-to-back national championships (2009 and 2010). In 2011 she was drafted #1 overall by the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx. Elizabeth (Liz) Benedict plays guard for the U.S. Army women’s basketball team at West Point (the Black Knights). She is majoring in psychology. Maya and Liz are both from Atlanta, and they became best friends while playing on the same basketball team in high school. Recently Maya and Liz answered questions for Faith & Fellowship on faith, friendship, college, and basketball. F&F: When did you become Christians? Maya Moore: Around middle school I began my walk with Jesus. I was searching for something greater and he was it. I found a church that taught the Bible in a way I could understand and my relationship with God grew! Liz Benedict: I became a Christian at a young age, but it wasn’t until late in high school and early college that I truly began to follow Jesus. F&F: What are some of the greatest challenges you faced in college? Liz Benedict: One of my hardest challenges was to find good friends. I like to be with people and hang out. It is difficult to find people that like to hang out and make good decisions. Maya Moore: My problem was scheduling. You have to make the important things a priority or they will get passed by. F&F: How did you deal with those challenges? Liz Benedict: I journaled a lot of my struggles, and I remember praying a lot. Maya Moore: Pray constantly, surround 12
Maya Moore leading the UConn Huskies to back-to-back national championships
yourself with godly people, and don’t lose hope when you mess up! F&F: What advice would you give to future college students before they set foot on campus? Liz Benedict: College is, and can be kind of scary! Be aware that there are other people that feel the same way. It is important to not go a day without really getting into the Word. F&F: What are ways that you connected with God while at college? Liz Benedict: I really connected in the fact that I was growing up in so many ways but really trying to remember that I was still a child of God. Even though my parents were 1,000 miles away, and
didn’t have authority over me, God was, and is the ultimate authority over my life. Maya Moore: I would find a quiet spot on campus to study and pray. In that, I connected deeper with God and my relationship with him grew. F&F: How important was it to have Christian friends at college? Maya Moore: Friends are very important. They will have a huge impact on your life. You become like those you spend your time with. Liz and I were both seeking the Lord and we became spiritual support for each other. We would talk on the phone or go visit each other when we had a rare break in our schedules. It was hard work with Faith & Fellowship
with MAYA MOORE and ELIZABETH BENEDICT
Left: Maya visiting Elizabeth at West Point • Right: Elizabeth Benedict playing guard for the U.S. Army Black Knights
Liz being at West Point, and I at UConn, but God helped us grow a beautiful friendship. Liz Benedict: It was not always convenient, but we made a point to fit each other in no matter what. F&F: What does it mean to be a witness for Christ? Maya Moore: Being a Christian is about service and anyone can do that anywhere. I really try to be a servant leader like Christ was because he is the ultimate role model. No act of service is too small for God to use! Liz Benedict: We are all called to be witnesses for Christ and to tell of the free gift Christ has given us. www.ffmagazine.org
F&F: Have you been able to use your platform as basketball players to be witnesses for Christ? Liz Benedict: I am the only Christian on my team, so I am able to use a lot of situations to show people how amazing God is. I have learned the easiest way to use my platform is the way I use my words and having a constant joyful attitude. Maya Moore: I try to work as hard as I can to honor God with the talents he has given me. One of the coolest ways I try to do this is by staying humble. I ask God everyday to fill me with his Spirit so that people can see His love in me. F&F: What advice would you give
someone who feels like they’ve messed up? Maya Moore: Christianity is not about being perfect. It is living a life everyday admitting that we need God’s help and strength. And the beautiful part is, he gives it to us in ways we couldn’t imagine. Liz Benedict: The Bible tells us about God’s grace, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). F&F: Thank you for your time, and may God continue to bless both your careers and your lives.
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Canadian Region
Pacific Region
Central Region Eastern Region
Puzzle Answers can be found on p.16
Western Region
Find a Church Near You The Church of the Lutheran Brethren (CLB) began in 1900 in Milwaukee, WI when five independent Lutheran congregations made a decision to form a new denomination. Since that time the CLB has sent missionaries around the world, and expanded its reach in North America.
As you move away from home to attend college, work, or join the military, we encourage you to find a church that is grounded in Scripture and the truth that Jesus Christ is the one and only way to salvation.
www.clba.org/connect/locations
1 Samuel 17
Genesis 3
Matthew 3:13-17
Can you put the events below in order?
Revelation 20
Jesus is Baptized
The Fall
David Slays Goliath
1.
God in Heaven
Timeline
2.
2.
Across 1. Without Flaw 2. A Big Heart
Down 1. A Judge’s Verdict 2. The Creator
Pentecost
SaY What? Can’t do it? Look them up!
Humankind
The Ten Commandments
Acts 2
Exodus 20
1.
The New Jerusalem
2. “When Jesus came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: “Blessed is the __________ who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (Luke 19:37-38). 3. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through __________, and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8).
2.
1. 1.
Those in Christ
1. “All __________ is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
2.
Across Down 1. Subject to Sin 1. Adversary 2. Morally Wrong 2. Without Life
Fill in the blank.
Puzzle Answers can be found on p.16
1.
Can’t do it? Look them up!
2.
2.
Across 1. Offspring 2. Bought Back
Down 1. Born of the Spirit 2. Without Charge
Faith & Fellowship is the official publication of the Church of the Lutheran Brethren, 1020 W. Alcott Ave., P.O. Box 655, Fergus Falls, MN 56538-0655, issued six times a year (January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, September/October, November/December) by Faith and Fellowship Publishing, 1020 W. Alcott Ave., P.O. Box 655, Fergus Falls, MN 56538-0655. Phone (218)736-7357. The viewpoints expressed in the articles are those of the authors and may or may not necessarily reflect the official position of the Church of the Lutheran Brethren of America (CLBA). Periodicals Postage Paid at Fergus Falls, Minnesota 56538.
(USPS 184-600) • (ISSN 10741712)
SUBSCRIPTIONS: Faith & Fellowship is offered to its readers at no charge. We would encourage your continued support with a donation and if you would like to be on our mailing list, please contact our office. Periodicals Postage paid at Fergus Falls, Minnesota. CHANGE OF ADDRESS: Please give both old and new addresses and allow four weeks. Direct all correspondence, including submission of articles, to: Faith & Fellowship, P.O. Box 655, Fergus Falls, MN 56538-0655; Telephone, (218)736-7357; e-mail, ffpress@clba.org; FAX, (218)736-2200. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Faith & Fellowship, P.O. Box 655, Fergus Falls, Minnesota 56538-0655
www.ffmagazine.org
FF 15
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am smiling. In fact, I can’t get this smile off my face. My smile is reflected in the music that is being played up here in my house. You’d love the music here – the music sings with themes that are deep and consistent with who I am and what I think of you. I smile because when I think of you, I see you as a one-in-6.9 billion masterpiece. No one will ever be like you. No one ever has been like you. No one in the future will ever be like you. You see, I create masterpieces every day. I call you a worldclass person of great significance. Here is the proof of how valuable I see you to be: You and I once were separated. A great distance existed between us. That distance was defined by ugliness, messiness, dirty attitudes of rebellion and unspeakable thoughts, painful actions and hurtful relationships. Do you remember that stuff? I don’t. That is why I am smiling. As a Dad, I made the ultimate sacrifice by sending my one boy, my #1 and only Son, to become a curse for that ugliness. My boy willingly gave up all his perks and privileges in my house to become something profane for you. I don’t smile because he became that profane curse. I smile now because he didn’t stay cursed or dead. In fact my Son is back home now. He came home but left his breath, our Spirit, for you. That Spirit seals you like a class ring, saying you belong to us, wherever you go, whatever you do, whoever you become… all three of us love you and will be with you. The cross my Son died on is the proof. Our Spirit in you is the daily reality. That is why I am smiling. I love you, child.
Periodicals Postage Paid at Fergus Falls, Minnesota 56538
FF
I Am Smiling
For change of address: Faith & Fellowship P.O. Box 655 Fergus Falls, MN 56538-0655
Kirk Militzer
LIKE ME
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Kirk Militzer serves as the East Campus Pastor at Triumph Lutheran Brethren Church in Moorhead, MN (www.triumphlbc.org). Puzzle Answers: God in Heaven: Perfect, Caring, Fair, God • Humankind: Enslaved, Evil, Enemy, Dead • Those in Christ: Child, Redeemed, Alive, Free
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