Seeing More Clearly

Here is this month's message from Pastor Chris Wicher, President of the Eastern District, Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod.

"Seeing More Clearly"


Like many houses in this part of the country, mine has a basement. There's nothing special about it. It's pretty normal, at least the way I count normal. It is used mainly for storage, laundry, exercise equipment, and it has a work bench. It's not on the guest tour, sorry.


One thing was for certain, it was a dark and shadowy place one impossible to use were it not the few incandescent bulbs hanging from the ceiling. Well, all that changed this winter, that is the lighting part of the basement, when I decided to rip out the old incandescents and replace them with florescents. It took some planning and effort and drilling and nailing and wire attaching but the job finally is done.


Now the same basement looks a whole lot different. I can actually see what is stored in boxes on the shelves and tucked away in plastic clothing containers. It's all a pretty good deal except for one thing. The brighter lighting actually has us notice a few things we hadn't noticed before. The place is pretty dusty, and the piles do look messy and there might be a painting project or two to tackle. All this because I thought I was doing the right thing installing better lighting.


Actually what I did made things better only now we notice work to be done. Light opens up our world. Light has us see more clearly the beauty and the dirt, the harmony and chaos that surround us.


The same can be said of God's love shining through Christ into our hearts especially remembered during this season of the Epiphany. In Christ we see clearly God's love for all, but that same Light opens our eyes to see the need to forgive, fix, and repair our world.


The poem "The Work of Christmas" by Howard Thurman perhaps says it better:

When the song of the angels has ceased,


When the star in the sky is gone,


When the kings and princes are home,


When the shepherds are back with their flocks,


Then the work of Christmas begins,


To find the lost,


To heal the broken,


To feed the hungry,


To release the captive,


To rebuild the nations


To bring peace to brothers,


To make music in the heart.

Seeing more clearly we might notice people who are carrying quite a burden in life as in Christian charity we move to help them out. Seeing more clearly we might notice people without a saving knowledge of Christ as in Christian joy we move to remove the barriers separating them from a closer relationship with the living God. Seeing more clearly we might put on a welcoming face at church as Christ welcomed us, shovel the drive way for the elderly neighbor, welcome cheerfully the guest, accept misunderstandings as an opportunity to "put the best foot forward", and just plain move people's needs before our own.


What I'm saying is God's love in the baby born in Bethlehem, enters our eyes and ears to our brains and hearts, the Holy Spirit has us embrace the truth of forgiveness, we are chosen, that faith reorders our lives, reordered lives take action in hands and mouths and feet, those actions play out in powerful ways in our lives to the notice and benefit of those around us, the benefit makes God's love and presence real as we are His ambassadors in action, finally the world enjoys the peace Christ came to bring. This is God's mission, His Kingdom growing.


Recently I received from a friend the following pointers as to why people come to church. Look them over and consider them for yourself. Do you see where you fit into this picture? Here are some of the reasons for coming:


-- The presence of a warm, welcoming, friendly church atmosphere.


-- A supportive, caring response from pastor or people of the church when a family difficulty or personal tragedy occurs, such as abuse, addiction, loss of employment, bankruptcy, divorce, traumatic loss of a loved one, etc.


-- A proper word of instruction and evangelical invitation to the communion rail, including the necessity of faith in Christ, belief in his real presence in the sacrament, self-examination, intention to amend one's sinful life, and belief in the sacramental reception of God's grace and forgiveness.


-- Being fed spiritually by dynamic congregational worship and pastoral, scriptural, relevant preaching.


-- Respect for and agreement with the church's understanding or articulation of matters of faith and life, including abortion, homosexuality, the role of women, , etc.


-- Parents who left another church at some point in their marriage and joined an LCMS congregation, taking their children along with them.


-- The experience of being present at an event in which an LCMS pastor's participating, praying or preaching left a positive impression - a baptism, wedding, community event, school baccalaureate service, funeral, etc.


-- A non-Christian or person of another Christian denomination marrying someone who is part of an LCMS congregation and coming to the church as a result.

We pray that this was edifying to you today.


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