Lutheranism and Real Life

Lutheranism and Real Life How does the Christian faith play itself out in the real world?

The winners are in! Kudos to all of you who participated in Higher Things first annual writing contest! This was not an easy topic, but many of you came up with terrific responses. Some responses were serious, dealing with difficult issues like being teased for having unpopular views on premarital sex, drinking or drugs. Other responses were funny. Sam Lavrenz wrote, “I think it’s very hard to be a Lutheran, in that your parents won’t let you date outside of the Lutheran faith. That stinks! My dad just proofread this and I buried myself. Looks like many more years of catechism for me, but then this is the life of a Lutheran.”

Enjoy reading the top three winners, and look for more contests to come!

First Prize

Dare to Be Lutheran, Dare to be Different!

By Ryan Umbenhaur

It’s a challenge being a teen today.

There’s tremendous peer pressure. Especially when it means not being cool, it’s often difficult to do the right thing. Satan double dog dares you to go along with the crowd. As a Christian, God commands you to be different.

Friends want to embarrass people who are different. The taunting or mocking from a sibling can seem unbearable. The world tells you— don’t take it, get revenge! But God says, “Revenge is mine.” So, while the slap on your face is still stinging, walk away. But God commands you to do more than that. He says,”Forgive.”

Materialism surrounds us. It’s not enough to have shoes. It’s got to be Adidas or Nike. It’s not enough to have food on your plate. It’s got to be Domino’s. God supplies us with all we need. So shouldn’t it be easy to give to those less fortunate than us? Yes, it should. But let’s be honest, it’s often not. Still God commands you to “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Be selfless.

Now you’re forgiving. You’re sharing. You’re a number one Christian. But did you forgive enough? Can you ever share enough? So why try? Satan reminds you, “It’s impossible.” As a Lutheran you know you can NEVER do enough good deeds, you can NEVER be perfect enough. But you know you’re assured a place in heaven because Jesus died and rose again to take the punishment for your sins.

Still, as a Christian, you’re not immune to earthly troubles. Life can be depressing. The fear of war, worldwide disasters, and other things can make you wonder what will there be to look forward to in the future. However, you have the strength to face these trials through God.

“Though war should rise against me, yet I will be confident. One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in His temple. For He will hide me in His shelter in the day of trouble; He will conceal me under the cover of His tent; He will lift me high upon a rock.” Psalm 27:3b-5 (ESV)

With these words you have no need to worry. Knowing this, life’s trials and tribulations are now easier to face.You now can dare to live differently in your life through Christ.

Ryan (14) is an eighth grader in El Segundo, California. He loves to play soccer.

Second Prize

How the Catechism Helps Us Overcome Our Temptations

By Randy Maschman

It is a normal day at school. You go to your classes, talk with friends, and head home. At home your mother asks you, “How was your day?” You probably respond with “Okay,” or “It was alright.” But was it really alright? For me, no. Every day I am tempted to curse, swear, lie, cheat, or hurt someone. Satan is tempting me day after day, night after night, to break the Ten Commandments or fall away from God; or as my pastor told me in confirmation, fall out of my baptismal boat. Satan does this through people such as Bin Laden or even our friends. By just being around them, we pick up their bad habits. And for me, it is a real struggle to fight against these things when they want us to sin. But I have something he does not that gives me strength—the words of God in my catechism.

Luther’s Small Catechism’s six chief parts (especially the first three) help me to overcome Satan. They reassure me that God is with me at all times and is eagerly ready and willing to forgive my sins. Sometimes I feel sorry for the Baptists, Methodists, and other Protestant denominations that do not have the catechism. That is why I try to thank God every night for making me a Lutheran, because if I was not, I would not know where to turn if I was in trouble. Being a Lutheran not only helps me understand God’s Word clearly, but it also gives me the knowledge and strength to overcome the temptations I face everyday.

The Ten Commandments show us our sins and, therefore, we confess them to God who forgives us our sins.The commandments also tell us what we should and should not do. For example, the fourth commandment, Honor your father and your mother, tells us that “we should fear and love God so that we do not despise or anger our parents and other authorities, but honor them, serve and obey them, love and cherish them.” Some people think it just means our parents, and not our teachers and law enforcement. They do not realize though that the commandments do mean more than what they say. Since the fifth commandment tells us we should not murder, does that mean that we can hurt the person, even if we don’t kill him or her? No, of course not. That’s why Luther put meanings to all the commandments, the articles of the Creed and the Petitions of the Lord’s Prayer, and the rest of the catechism.

We are sinful, or full of sin. So we need someone to take away our sin, right? Yes, and that person is Jesus. If you are to be a Lutheran, you must know about what they teach. Nothing better sums up the Christian faith better than the Apostle’s Creed. When I am tempted by Satan to do wrong, I think of the Creed. It tells us what Jesus did for us on earth. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born, led a perfect life, suffered, died, and was buried, then rose on the third day to life. All this He did for you and for me and for everyone.

The Lord’s Prayer is the prayer that Jesus taught His disciples to pray. In it is an introduction, seven petitions, and a conclusion. Sometimes people will tempt me to doubt that God really gives me the gifts He won on the cross. When they do that I think of the Lord’s Prayer and all its parts.They help me to overcome sin, death, and the devil.

Lutherans are tempted every day by Satan to lie, curse, cheat, or hurt someone. Satan also tries to get us to forget what Jesus did for us and to doubt that God will help us in our troubles. Having memorized the catechism, learning God’s Word, and believing it, I am fully prepared to battle against the evil foe who wishes to wreak havoc among us. So be prepared. Learn God’s Word, memorize the catechism, and believe it to be true so that we have the strength to overcome Satan through the Word of God found in the catechism.

Randy (16) is a freshman at Wellston High School in Oklahoma. He enjoys playing in the band, building models, and plans to become a pastor someday.

Third Prize

The Joy of Tribulations

By Nathan Fischer

In a world filled with trials and tribulations, it seems that Christians are at the front of enemy lines. Many people find Christians intolerant because we will not compromise what we know is right. Many people think Christians are too loud-mouthed because we actively spread the truth (the Bible) to those who do not know it. Many people think we are just plain wrong in our faith, and believe that they hold the only way to heaven or to the perfect utopia. Because of this, we, as Christians, face conflicts from every side. Peer pressure, drugs, lying, cheating, stealing—these are just a few trials that we face in our casual, everyday lives. How are we to view a world that is constantly bombarding us with criticism and thoughts that are contrary to God’s Holy Word? What are we supposed to do in these situations?

The world, and everyone in it, is sinful and in need of God’s gracious and loving forgiveness. That should be our view of the world in its simplest form. Of course, that is quite easy for a Christian to say. The hard part is convincing the rest of the world that it is sinful. This is something we simply cannot accomplish by our own means. Only God has the power to open someone’s eyes to the truth. But, if God does it all for us, then what is there left for us to do?

God can use us as His instruments to witness to others by our thoughts, words, and deeds. He can use us to show people a better life; one free from the sinful, human depravities that this world has to offer. Now, God does not force us to do these things. We have the power to turn away from His will, and, unfortunately, it is all too easy for us to turn away. Why? Because we believe that if we do what is good and right, we might possibly reap ridicule and persecution for our actions and words. Of course, those aren’t very good reasons, but it happens time and time again.

What does the Bible say about the trials that come our way? “Count it all joy, my brothers, whenever you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness” (James 1:2-3). God wants what is good for us, and He knows what is good for us, even when we cannot see it for ourselves. Through persecution, He strengthens our faith, and enables us to undergo even more strenuous tribulations, all for the glory of His name, and to the good of His perfect will.

Martin Luther states in the seventh petition to the Lord’s Prayer, “We pray in this petition, in summary, that our Father in Heaven would rescue us from every evil of body and soul, possessions and reputation, and finally, when our last hour comes, give us a blessed end, and graciously take us from this valley of sorrow to Himself in heaven.” As Lutherans, we know for certain that this is what we have to look forward to! God will deliver us from evil, and only allows us to endure that which we can bear. Those who believe can be rest assured that even with their last breath, the Father in heaven is surely carrying us to the place where we will be with Him for all eternity.

The world is sinful! It is drowning in its own sinful desires! That is why God sent His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus has already taken care of the hard part. In fact, He hasn’t just taken care of the hard part—He has taken care of EVERYTHING! Everything that is accomplished by us is done through the Holy Spirit, who enables us to do these things. We should stand firm in the face of persecution, because we know that God is the One holding us high. He is the cornerstone of our foundation. We will face trials and tribulations in this sinful world, but we find relief in Jesus Christ. Wouldn’t it be nice if those who do not know Jesus could say the same? Through God, who empowers us to go out into all the nations and spread His word, they can.

Nathan ( 17) is a junior in high school. He lives in Weatherford, Texas and loves to read and write.