#282 Confessing Seven Deadly Sins

Merry Christmas everyone! I'm going to keep my post simple this week and share some more prayers that I've written for use in church. Over the past couple months I tried writing some prayers of confession based on the Christian tradition of the seven deadly sins (pride, envy, gluttony, lust, anger, greed, sloth). These sins are relatable and convicting because they deal with our hearts—our feelings, desires, and thoughts. While we can maybe tell ourselves we avoid stealing, it's pretty hard to say there's no greed or envy in our lives. I don't know that these prayers turned out quite as well as my prayers of confession based on the Ten Commandments, but hopefully they're still helpful in getting us to recognize our sinfulness, turn to Christ for forgiveness, and seek to live new lives through His power.

Heavenly Father, we confess before you that our hearts and lives are filled with pride. We brag about our abilities and achievements and do not acknowledge all your blessings and gifts to us. We deny our sins and faults so that we can believe that we deserve all that we want. We think that we are always right; we tell ourselves that our desires and concerns are more important than others’. We turn away from you, foolishly believing that we know better than you what is good and right for us. Please forgive us. Teach us humility so that we may recognize our dependence on you, care for others, and glorify your holy name. Through Jesus, who humbled Himself to the point of death on a cross for our salvation. Amen.

Heavenly Father, we confess before you the envy that lurks in our hearts and minds. We are envious of each other’s possessions―houses, vehicles, clothing, jewelry, tools, and toys. We want others’ success or talent or popularity or power all to ourselves. We complain that our looks, our relationships, our church, our job aren’t as good as what others have. Please forgive us. Teach us to desire and seek our neighbors’ well-being, and motivate us to celebrate their joys and triumphs with them. Make us grateful for all that you give us. Through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

Heavenly Father, we confess before you that we are guilty of the sin of gluttony. At times we overindulge: eating too much, getting drunk, demanding delicacies and luxuries instead of being satisfied with meeting our needs. We waste food and drink while others do not have enough. Please forgive us. Teach us self-control. Empower us to gratefully enjoy your good gifts and be satisfied whenever we have enough. Help us learn to deny ourselves, abstain from excess, and care for those who hunger and thirst. In the name of Jesus, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

Heavenly Father, have mercy on us sinners. Lust and impurity infect our imaginations and twist our desires. We confess our wandering minds and our lingering, longing stares. We fantasize about sex with people on our screens and down the street. We reduce others to their bodies and treat them like objects to use for our own pleasure. We make crude comments, turn to pornography, and pressure each other because we don’t control our desires. Please forgive us. Purify our thoughts and desires so that we honor you with our bodies. Empower us to live chaste lives, to enjoy your good gift of sex only within marriage, and to protect our own relationships as well as others’. Through Jesus our Savior. Amen.

Patient and merciful Father, we confess before you our sinful anger. So often we grow irritated and upset at others and lash out at them with hurtful words and even violent actions. We harbor hatred in our hearts and hold tightly to grudges, seeking ways that we can get even with those we dislike and those we think have wronged us. We become bitter and cranky when life doesn’t go according to our plans or expectations. Please forgive us. Teach us to be patient when things don’t go our way and not blow things out of proportion. Fill us with mercy for others and make us willing to forgive and show love. Thank you for your grace to us in Jesus our Savior. Amen.

Heavenly Father, have mercy on us. We confess that we are greedy people who often are not satisfied. We love money and often desire more and more than we need. We hoard wealth for ourselves while others struggle. We own more toys and clothes and tools and furnishings than we use and sometimes even more than we ever could use, and yet we still want and buy and ask for extra possessions. Please forgive us. Teach us to live simply and gratefully. Make us generous in sharing and giving to others. Help us put our wealth and possessions to good use for your kingdom, imitating Jesus our Savior who graciously became poor for our sake. Amen.

Heavenly Father, we confess that we often do not do good things we should do because we are lazy. We make excuses because we do not want to help others with difficult or time-consuming work. We ignore opportunities to bless others with our service or friendship or encouragement because we figure others will do it. We don’t seek you in prayer or spend time in your Word as we should because it’s easier to entertain ourselves. Please forgive us. Make us diligent in doing good and loving others and walking with you so that we may show you gratitude for your great love for us in Jesus our Savior. Amen.

Grace and peace,

BMH

#281 From the Future

As a pastor, a lot of my work each week is focused on the next Sunday. I'm writing a sermon and preparing other parts of worship, keeping in mind what part of the church year we're in. Sunday is so much on my mind that it sometimes feels almost like I'm living in the future. Normally being a few days ahead doesn't make much of a difference, but lately it's been a little tough. See, this next Sunday is Christmas Day. So my mind keeps thinking that it's Christmas, only to realize that there's something like five more days to go.

(A somewhat similiar, though less disappointing, thing happens right before Easter Sunday. I spend all of Holy Week writing my Easter sermon, thinking about the resurrection. Suddenly Good Friday hits, and I have to jump back to the crucifixion. It's jarring, but at least I've spent the whole week reassuring myself that Jesus lives again and is alive forever and ever.)

Now I don't only share this to give you a strange insight into the life of the pastor. I think there's something about this idea of living out of the future that relates to the Christian life. As Christians we believe we are citizens of God's kingdom. In some ways God's kingdom is here now, but in other ways we are still waiting for God's kingdom to fully come when Jesus returns. Then all other kingdoms will be done away with and disappear forever. We Christians are called to live the life of the kingdom now, to live according to God's standards of love and faithfulness, mercy and justice in the present day, even though our world so often doesn't operate that way yet. In this way we are a witness to Christ and the future that He is bringing. God has made His people new creations even as we wait for Him to make all things new. God is preparing believers for our future now. Through His power, let's live into what He calls us to be.

Grace and peace,

BMH

#280 Closeness and Comfort

As a general rule, I tend to feel closer to people I spend more time with. In my role as a pastor, I often spend a lot of my care time checking in with people who aren't able to regularly come to worship on Sundays. I'm calling and preferably sitting down with folks who don't get out of their own home or a nursing home much and/or have long-term health challenges. So as time goes on, I become really attached to these more vulnerable—and often older—church members. This is a great thing. Hopefully such people have family and friends that are looking after them, but I'm happy to be a(nother) person who cares for them if they're feeling lonely or forgotten.

However, elderly people in less than ideal health don't live forever. Again and again, some of the church members that I've spent the most time building a relationship with are the ones I end up doing funerals for. I had a funeral like that last weekend. A woman whom I'd been visiting twice a month for over a year died. She'd been living in a nursing home, and, largely due to all the COVID-related restrictions that were in place for months and months, I'd had more contact with her than all but maybe one or two other people in church throughout that whole period. She was only able to attend a couple services since I arrived. So when our congregation gathered for worship on Sunday morning, things didn't feel a whole lot different than any other week. But there's now a hole in my schedule and some grief in my heart. Thankfully I'm confident that my sister in Christ is with Jesus now. Even though it's difficult, I can go through this same process with others, because I serve the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him…. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words. - 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Grace and peace,

BMH

#279 Chatterbox

Lanie has long been a talkative little girl. Once she started talking, she never really stopped. Mia, however, seemed different. She understood what others were talking about, but she didn't seem interested in saying much. As far as we could tell, she was content to let her big sister do the talking. Then Lanie went to kindergarten. Suddenly Mia had her mom (and her dad on Mondays) all to herself for a huge portion of the week. It didn't take long for Mia to find her voice. This summer we could hardly get more than three words out of the girl. Now she's answering us in complete sentences and chattering away whether anyone's listening or not. Today Mia and I ended up sitting in the car for 15-20 minutes, waiting to pick up Tess from a doctor appointment after we'd dropped Lanie off at school. (Lanie had a late start this morning.) I think Mia talked the entire time we waited. I couldn't figure out exactly what she was jabbering about most of the time, but I don't think she cared. I guess she just likes the sound of her own voice.

Grace and peace,

BMH

#278 Here We Go Again

Tess and I are expecting our third child in May. We are incredibly excited! But we're also nervous. As longtime readers of this blog will remember, the birth of our second child, Mia, was an adventure. Seven weeks before Mia's due date we suddenly learned that she needed to be delivered ASAP. After that terrifying experience, we spent six weeks with her in the NICU before she was able to come home. For a while we weren't sure that we'd ever try pregnancy again. However, as Mia grew older, we started to think about expanding our family again. Before we shut the door on pregnancy, we decided to have Tess talk to her doctor. The doctor gave her plenty of reassurance, which made us feel confident enough to try again. Still, now that Tess is pregnant, it's not easy to completely push away our worries and fears. Mia—thank God!—turned out fine, but we're well aware of how easily things can go wrong. We have been and will be praying hard for this baby and for Tess, too. We'd appreciate your prayers. And I'll be sure to keep you updated if there are any important developments.

Grace and peace,

BMH

#277 Adventures in Baptizing

Yesterday, I preached at a different church. In our classis (regional group of churches), we pastors take turns filling in at churches that are between pastors. It's a good system. I get to meet some church members at one of our sister congregations, and they have a week where they don't need to find a preacher. The change of pace is almost certainly good for me and the church I serve. Plus, as an ordained minister, I can administer the sacraments at the other church.

So yesterday I baptized a baby at this different church. I've performed a handful of baptisms in my career, but baptizing a baby the day I met her and her parents was a new one for me. This little girl was a sweetheart. She was a little bit confused when I took her from her dad and told her, "For you Jesus came into the world. For you He died and conquered death. He did all this for you little one, though you know nothing of yet. We love because God first loved us." She started to fuss as I moved her over to the baptismal font. When I put the water on her forehead and said, "I baptize you in the name of the Father," she stopped and stared, giving me time to put the water on her head two more times: "and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen." Then I gave her back to her dad.

I'm sure this baby won't remember yesterday. I don't know if her parents will tell her the story and explain why an unknown pastor baptized her. But I won't forget her. I pray that she grows to believe in Jesus Christ, accepting the promises God made to her in her baptism. Who knows? Maybe I'll meet her again down the road.

Grace and peace,

BMH

#276 Meaning

Christians sometimes wrestle with questions like "Why is Jesus waiting so long to come back?" and "Why does God have most Christians continue living their imperfect (though thankfully slowly growing in holiness!) lives for so long after coming to faith in Christ? My daughter Lanie asked me a variation of the first question earlier tonight. Generally Christians talk about witnessing and evangelism and the growth of the church. I think that's a good answer. I told Lanie that Jesus waiting to return means more people can come to believe in Jesus and live with Him forever. We who love Jesus have time to tell others about Him.

But I think there's another good answer that we can give in addition to that one. Let me explain. I've been preaching from the book of Ecclesiastes for a couple months. The author of this book, who identifies himself with a Hebrew word that means something along the lines of "the Teacher," is on a search for meaning. Again and again he concludes that nothing we humans do on our own can give meaning to our lives. Ecclesiastes argues that everything is meaningless without God. As the Teacher sees it, human life ends at death. All our possessions are lost; all our achievements fade and are forgotten. So nothing is ultimately gained; in the end nothing matters. (Remember that the Teacher is presenting us with life viewed apart from God.)

Here's where Jesus comes in. Jesus comes to save His people from death and sin and misery. Christ conquers death for Christians in His resurrection, guaranteeing eternal life for everyone who belongs to Him. This isn't some sort of otherworldly spiritual life: Jesus promises to resurrect and transform our bodies for eternal life. Our life after death and resurrection isn't completely separate or detached from our life now; in a very real sense it is a continuation of our current life. That's why some places in the Bible talk about Christians already having eternal life.

(Now to be clear, some parts of the Bible also talk about how Christ gives us new life, emphasizing how Jesus puts our old, sinful nature to death and raises our new, godly nature to life. The Holy Spirit makes Christians different than we were before, and when Christ returns, He will change us even more so that we no longer sin. Our life as Christians is never the same as it was before. But we shouldn't lose sight of the continuity. These are our same bodies that Jesus transforms. These are our same souls that Jesus purifies. Jesus saves us.)

I think the fact that our Christian lives continue in God's eternal kingdom is part of why Jesus doesn't whisk Christians away once He leads us to believe in Him. He wants us to see and understand that He is saving our lives. Our lives have meaning because they matter to Jesus. Our long, slow process of growth as Christians isn't a waste. It's moving us toward Christ's goal for us. Everything Christ does in and through His people now carries over into eternity. Everything Christ does in and through us now is a further sign of how much He loves and values us and our lives. In Christ our lives don't end. In Christ our lives have meaning.

Grace and peace,

BMH

#275 Question from a Parent

Dear people who go all-out with Halloween decorations,

I hope that you've had a wonderful celebration of October 31. I am impressed by the amount of time and effort you've put into your decorations. I appreciate your generosity in handing out candy to trick-or-treaters. However, I'm not sure I understand your goals. Why do you want a bunch of small children to come up to your house for candy? Can't you see that they're terrified by the whole atmosphere? They don't really understand what's going on; they just know it makes them afraid. I'm not at all saying you can't decorate or get into character or scare some older kids and adults. Maybe I just don't get the thrill of being scared. But if you love Halloween and want little kids to enjoy Halloween, is scaring the living daylights out of them the best way to go about it?

Grace and peace,

BMH

#274 Comparisons

We human beings love to compare ourselves to others when it comes to how good or upright or moral we are. We've been doing it ever since Adam pointed his finger at Eve and argued—essentially—"Sure, I ate some of the forbidden fruit, but she was the one who gave it to me." Because we're not dumb, almost without fail we compare ourselves to other people that we think we're better than. "Sure, I'm not perfect, but at least I'm not a liar/drunk/cheater/fill in the blank yourself like they are."

I would say that for Christians there is—at least in general—no value in comparing ourselves to others. If we want to make comparisons, we have two valid choices. First, we can compare ourselves to who we were in the past: a year ago, five years ago, ten years ago, before we believed in Jesus, etc. Second, we can compare ourselves to Christ Jesus Himself. I think we need both of these comparisons. If we only compare ourselves to the people we used to be, there's a danger that we'll get too complacent. We might think that we've grown enough and stop striving to mature as Christians. If we only compare ourselves to Christ, we could become so discouraged by our sinfulness and imperfection that we want to give up, thinking we'll never make any real progress. But the two comparisons together should keep us balanced. We'll see that we still have a long ways to go in living up to the perfect standard of Jesus, but we'll also recognize how Jesus has been helping us little by little to become more like Him.

I know that what I've written here isn't groundbreaking. But it's something that I constantly need to remind myself of, and I'm guessing I'm not the only one. Rather than looking around at everybody else to evaluate my performance in living as a Christian, I need to look up to Jesus and look down into my own heart. Then I'll really see where I need to grow. Then I can pray for forgiveness and help to change. Thankfully, Christ loves to make us new.

Grace and peace,

BMH

#273 The Student Becomes the Teacher

This fall I started teaching the Heidelberg Catechism (one of my church's statements of faith and a good summary of the Bible's main teachings, for those of you who don't know) to a few teenagers at our church. It's my first time teaching a full-length class on the catechism, since we did not have a high school Sunday school class at my first church. I've met quite a few people that really did not enjoy catechism classes when they were growing up, but I liked studying the Heidelberg Catechism a lot. For my peers and me, catechism classes weren't about rote memorization but discussing what we believe and what it means for our lives. I really appreciated getting a better understanding of my faith. That it made faith feel more personal and helped me develop a more fully-formed worldview.

So I'm excited to go through the Heidelberg Catechism with a new group of students. I hope that I can communicate my enthusiasm effectively. I hope that I can help them get a clearer sense of not only what our church believes but what they believe. I hope that this class will be part of equipping my students for life as Christians. And I'm hopeful that I'll keep learning myself.

And now for something completely different. Nine weeks ago I promised to update you on how my half marathon went. My race last Saturday was… okay I guess. I was training to run the 13.1 miles in 90 minutes. I fell off pace in the middle of the race and ran out of gas toward the end, finishing in 94:35. That's not a horrible time, but it certainly wasn't what I wanted out of the day. At least it felt good to get more serious about training again. Maybe I'll try another race sometime in the future.

Grace and peace,

BMH

#272 That's G!

Lately we've had a bunch of Gatorade in the Hofman house. It's not something I drink regularly. I understand that Gatorade has a boatload of sugar and really isn't an ideal beverage. But after a hard run, especially after a long run, Gatorade sounds so good to me. Sometimes in college when I needed a little extra motivation to finish a training run at the end of a tough week, I'd promise myself a trip to the Bootsma Bookstore Cafe for a Gatorade. After my recent double-digit-mile runs on Saturdays, Gatorade has seemed like a refreshing reward. Now if only Tess and I could agree more on flavors…

Grace and peace,

BMH

#271 From the Cutting Room Floor

Each week as I prepare my sermon I learn more than I put in my preaching. Things have to be cut for the sake of time and clarity. If I include everything, I will probably start to lose the congregation's attention, and the sermon will be in serious danger of becoming too complicated to follow. So some things I cut out of the sermon because I don't think they're important to the main idea(s) of the passage. Those normally aren't a huge loss. But sometimes there are things that I leave out simply because I can't find a way to fit them into the flow of the sermon. Including certain details ends up feeling like a distraction from my main points. Sometimes those are the more difficult cuts.

Two Sundays ago (Sep 11) I was preaching from Genesis 45, the story where Joseph reveals his identity to his brothers and is reunited with them more than twenty years after his ten older brothers sold him into slavery. My focus was on God's providence, how God is in control of all things and works out His good purposes even through and in spite of human evil. Joseph gives a beautiful speech about that, and the book of Genesis is directing our attention to God's activity. But there was one beautiful small detail that I didn't figure out a way to work into my sermon. When Joseph sends his brothers to get their father and move down to Egypt by Joseph, he gives them sets of clothing. It seems that these garments were not ordinary clothing but clothing for special occasions. The story of Joseph and his brothers began in Genesis 37 with Joseph's brothers hating him because their father gave Joseph a special robe, a clear sign that Joseph was the favorite son. Here, just past the climax of the story, all the brothers have special robes. It's a little piece of information, but it really shows how things are being made right among Joseph and his brothers.

Grace and peace,

BMH

#270 Reflections on Praying with a Two-year-old

I recently started praying with my younger daughter, Mia, as part of her bedtime routine. She's getting better at communicating, so I can now ask her what she wants to pray for and understand what she's saying. I also think she's experienced prayer in enough other settings by this point to have at least somewhat of an idea of what we're doing. Anyway, when it's time for Mia to give me prayer requests, the first thing out of her mouth is always the same: "Me!" It's pretty cute, and I'm happy to pray for her.

But I think Mia's response is a pretty good indicator of the way we think. I know when I pray individually, my own needs and wants are often the first thing on my mind. I try to teach my kids to think of others when we pray together, and I'm normally pretty good about thinking of others when I have to pray publicly, but that selfishness is hard to overcome. It stretches us to pray for other people, to think of their concerns and their desires. I think praying for others is part of loving our neighbor as we love ourselves.

However, even that shouldn't be the end of our praying. When we pray, we bring ourselves before God. I know I could grow in thinking about my prayers being about God. Praying is an opportunity to thank God for what He has done, to praise Him for who He is, to sit quietly and enjoy His presence and listen for His voice. Thinking about God in our prayers helps keep our prayers from becoming like a grocery list or a letter to Santa Claus. God loves to care for our physical needs and give us good gifts, but God does so much more than that. Trusting God to provide for us is good, but loving God rightly goes beyond that. We can and should pray for our personal concerns, but we can and should do more when we pray. Mia's helped me remember that, so hopefully I'll do a good job of teaching her to pray.

Grace and peace,

BMH

#269 Lifting Fog

"For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." (1 Corinthians 13:12)

About a week ago I was walking to the church building on Sunday morning. As I started my walk there was a bit of fog obscuring my vision, but over the course of a few blocks the fog lifted away. The bright sun shone down and I could see everything around me clearly. I think that our experience when Christ Jesus returns will be a lot like that. Right now our human understanding is foggy. There are many things about God and the way He works in our world that are a mystery to us. But when God's people reach the end of our journey and we see Him face to face, I think a lot of things will suddenly make sense. God's light will shine through. We'll experience God's character more clearly; we'll gain a deeper perspective on history. Our questions and wonderings will give way to ultimate satisfaction and pure adoration. Come quickly, Lord Jesus.

Grace and peace,

BMH

#268 Distraction Danger

Between my running and my habit of walking to work, I spend quite a bit of my time as a pedestrian. I'm not often in high traffic areas, but spend enough time on your feet and you'll see a lot of cars go by. The thing is, I'm not always sure how many cars see me go by. I notice a lot of drivers who appear to be looking down at the phone while driving past me. It's possible that some of these drivers are briefly adjusting their fan or radio or just happen to be looking a different direction. But a lot of them give me a strong "checking the phone" vibe. That freaks me out. I try to keep myself on high alert when I'm out and about on foot, but no matter how careful I am distracted drivers still mean increased danger for me. I'm never going to win a fight with a car. So as a concerned and vulnerable traveler, I'm begging you, please leave your phone alone when you're behind the wheel.

Grace and peace,

BMH

#267 Back to the Track

This morning I did something that I haven't done in nearly ten years: I went to the track to run a workout. Part of my huge gap in workouts at the track is that I haven't done much serious running since my college career ended. I did start training for a 25k while I was in seminary, but I got hurt about six weeks into that training plan, and all the speed work I did during that time was on the road. I also ran a halfway decent 10k back in 2019, but I wasn't willing to drive to the next town to do some track work. Most of my running has been more about staying active than preparing for a race. But now, at last, it's time to get serious again. I've got my sights set on a half marathon the second Saturday in October, and there's a track only about a mile from my house. So today I ran four 800m repeats with roughly equal rest. Today's workout went well. My 800s were a challenge, but I hit my goal and basked in the satisfaction of a completed workout—even if my legs felt like Jell-O during the cool down. I've put in some miles to lay a foundation over the first couple months of summer. Now it's time to start building things up. Hopefully I'll have good news to report in the October 10 blog.

Grace and peace,

BMH

#266 Praying with the Ten Commandments

A few years back, I preached a series of sermons on the Ten Commandments and wrote a prayer of confession based on each commandment. This year I used those prayers again and added a corresponding prayer of lament for each commandment. I find the balance of confession and lament to be very helpful. First and foremost, I think it's extremely important for us to confess the sin and evil in our own hearts and lives. Doing so reminds us of our need for a Savior and fills us with gratitude for the work of Christ Jesus, who forgives us and makes us new. I also think it's good for us to bring before God the sin and evil around us. That reminds of us our world's need for Christ and His return and can help us reflect on the effects of sin on our world (including the effects of our sins on others).

I really enjoyed crafting these prayers, so I thought I would share them here. These are neither the only nor the best prayers that can be written based on the Ten Commandments. But if you find any of these to be helpful, please feel free to copy, modify, or riff on these prayers for your own use (no need to credit me). If nothing else, I hope you're encouraged to write and pray your own prayers. (Note: confessions are in regular type; laments are in italics.)

First Commandment

Heavenly Father, you are God, and there is no other; you are God, and there is none like you. But we confess that sometimes we follow false gods. We cling to superstitions; we trust in wealth or work or one another to provide for us instead of you; we love ourselves and the things of this world more than you. Forgive us. Help us worship, serve, and honor you with all our hearts. In the name of Jesus our Savior we pray.
God our Father, how long will you let those who deny you mock and mistreat your chosen ones? How long will you allow those who say there is no God to devour your people and spread corruption throughout the earth? Frustrate the ways of the wicked; bring vile plans to ruin. Display your righteousness and power for all the world to see. Be a refuge for your poor servants, and vindicate us before our foes. Through Jesus, who suffered and was vindicated for our salvation. Amen.

Second Commandment

Heavenly Father, you call us to worship you in spirit and in truth, bringing you our praises and prayers through Christ Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. But we confess that we often make our worship more about ourselves and what we want than about you and what you want. You reveal yourself to us in your Word, but sometimes we reduce you to inadequate images we make in our minds, focusing on your characteristics that we like and ignoring your attributes that we don’t like. Please forgive us. Help our worship honor you for what you have done and how you have made yourself known to us through Jesus our Savior.
Only God, we cry out to you, for your people suffer at the hands of others. As human beings pursue false gods of wealth, power, comfort, and progress, those who are poor and weak are used and discarded or simply run over. While the successful, beautiful, clever, and popular are idolized, others are labeled “undesirable” and “worthless” or ignored altogether. How long must people you love, people made in your image, be mocked, taken advantage of, left without help or hope? Show yourself to be God. Defend the lowly and needy, for you alone can save. Establish your justice and spread your love. We look to you, for those who trust in you will never be put to shame. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Third Commandment
God our Father, we confess that we often misuse your name. Sometimes we use your name without thinking or when we are angry or to make ourselves seem more impressive. We often take all the credit for things we could not have done without your help. Sometimes we wrongly claim that our ideas and causes are yours. Please forgive us. Help us to praise and glorify you with respect, and may our lives as Christians reflect well on you, bringing honor to the name of Christ Jesus our Savior.
Holy God, how long will you tolerate people using your name as a weapon to harm others? Do not stand by while leaders who claim to represent you wield their power to line their own pockets or sexually exploit the innocent. How long will your name be used as a shield by those who declare their own false teachings to be your truth? Silence the tongues of deceivers; break the power of abusers. Rise up, O God! Display your goodness and righteousness so that all people may bring you glory through Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Fourth Commandment
Heavenly Father, you promise to provide for us, and you give us the gift of rest. But so often we place our trust in our own work and our own efforts. Many times we fill our lives with busyness because we think that will give us security, and our busyness crowds you out of our lives. Please forgive us. Help us set aside time for you, gathering for worship, listening for your voice, seeking your face. Teach us to rest and rely on you and so build up our trust in you through Jesus, our Savior.
Loving God, you are our Master. We long for the full experience of the freedom of serving you, but many of us feel like we cannot rest. How long will some of your people be denied rest by unfair jobs and bosses that demand extra work? How long must some of your children live in situations that require working multiple jobs just to cover the bills? Provide us with stable employment and fair wages. Rescue those trapped in poverty and care for our needs so that we may gratefully rest in your abundant goodness. Through our Lord Jesus, Amen.

Fifth Commandment
Heavenly Father, you place parents and other authority figures in our lives to train us to do good and to keep us from evil. But often we disobey or ignore our parents and we disrespect or insult the authorities. Sometimes, too, we misuse our own authority by neglecting or mistreating the people we should care for. Please forgive us. Help us honor and submit to proper authority and use our authority responsibly through Jesus our Savior.
Our Lord and our King, we cry out to you alongside those who suffer under the power of authority figures who control, intimidate, and abuse. How long will corrupt governments and officials silence opponents and terrorize citizens? How long will parents and caretakers belittle, hit, and violate your children? Turn your face toward those who live in fear, and defend the weak and innocent. In your power and justice, destroy the influence of the wicked. Humble and reform those who are cruel. Rule us with your fatherly care. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Sixth Commandment
Heavenly Father, you created us in your image; our lives are precious to you. But we have so many ways of harming each other. Through carelessness we sometimes put others in danger. Often we let hatred, revenge, and unjustified anger simmer in our hearts. Sometimes we act violently or threaten others or put them down or wish misery upon them. In doing these things we really begin to walk the path of murder. Please forgive us. Help us to love, protect, and do good to one another. In the name of Jesus, who died so we may live.
God who knit us together in our mothers’ wombs, how long will human beings suffer and die at the hands of our fellow humans? How long will war, revenge, contempt, and sheer brutality claim the lives of people you have made? How long will people you love endure beatings, threats, insults, and disdainful indifference that rob them of safety, dignity, and health? Bring us your peace. Frustrate the schemes of the violent; restrain our human rage. Teach our world the value of human life. In the name of your Son, who became human. Amen.

Seventh Commandment
Heavenly Father, you created us male and female, and you give us the gifts of marriage and sex. But we confess that we do not always live faithfully with those gifts. Often we let our sexual desires run wild: we fantasize, we tell dirty jokes, we look at pornography, we treat others as objects for our own pleasure. In our lust, we sometimes give away to others the intimacy, affection, and bodies that rightfully belong only to our spouses, or we try to take what is not ours. Please forgive us. Help us to be pure in body and soul; purify our thoughts, desires, words, and actions through Jesus our Savior.
God, you tell your people that our bodies are made for you, but so many of your people suffer terrible harm because of sexual sins. How long will people you have created―particularly women and even children―be sexualized, exploited, used, and trafficked through pornography and the sex industry or simply to sell products or make money? How long will people you love endure shame, trauma, and feelings of powerlessness because of harassment, unwanted touch, assault, and rape? Bring hope, healing, and support to survivors of sexual violence and misconduct. Stop and convict those who commit and allow such evils. Don’t let us accept or normalize wrongdoing. Transform our world with your holiness and compassion. In the name of Jesus, who bought us to be His own. Amen.

Eighth Commandment
Heavenly Father, the earth is yours, and everything in it, the world and all who live in it. You give us gifts and entrust us with possessions. But we confess that we are often greedy, wanting more and more. Sometimes we take what is not ours or cheat others out of what is theirs, both in our thoughts and in reality. Often we waste your gifts or hoard them instead of sharing with those in need. Please forgive us. Help us gain our possessions honestly and make good use of your gifts to help others as well as ourselves. Through Jesus, our Savior.
God of abundant goodness and glorious riches, how long must your children be cheated and robbed by others who are crafty and greedy? How long will those who are wealthy and secure waste food, squander clean water, and buy more things they don’t need while ignoring those who cry out for food and drink, for clothing and shelter? Break through our selfish, discontent materialism with your generous compassion and just mercy. Reform our hearts and our society so that all your children may do your work and enjoy your blessings. Through Jesus, who became poor so that we may become rich in you, Amen.

Ninth Commandment
Heavenly Father, you call us to walk in the truth, but we confess that we are often all too comfortable with lies. Sometimes we fib and stretch the truth to make ourselves look better. At times we misrepresent what others say and gossip and spread rumors to make them look worse. Often we mislead others by giving our opinions as facts or hurt others with thoughtless complaints and insults. Please forgive us. Help us to speak the truth and use our words to encourage others and protect their reputations. In the name of Jesus, our Redeemer.
Spirit of truth, we cry to you, for we live in a world filled with lies. How long will your people be misled, deceived, and fooled by those looking to manipulate or get ahead of us? How long must the innocent have their reputations destroyed by slander, false accusations, and malicious insinuations? How long will you allow the wicked to hide the truth? Fill the earth with your truth and grace. Defend the upright and guide us to what is good and right through Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Amen.

Tenth Commandment
Good and Gracious Father, you created this good world and teach us how to live in it. But we confess that our desires are often sinful. Many times what we want is not what you want for us. We frequently want what we should not have: things that belong to others, people that aren’t our spouses, misfortune for others, too many good things all to ourselves. Often we do not desire you and your good spiritual gifts as much as we should. Please forgive us. Give us a well-ordered heart and proper desires. Through Jesus, our Savior.
Sovereign God, why must evil flourish? How long will the nations celebrate what is wicked and hateful in your sight? Humanity tries to claim that right and wrong are relative, but we long for true justice. When others do as they please to and around us, we experience injustices and hurts: betrayal, hostility, discrimination, cruelty, ridicule, trauma and scars. We long for wrongs to be set right, so we cry to you, for you alone can bring life and wholeness. Judge the earth with the justice and mercy you’ve shown us in Christ. Destroy immorality’s sway in human hearts and fill the world with a desire for your ways, through Jesus, the Redeemer and Judge. Amen.

Grace and peace,

BMH

#265 Tamar

Two Sundays ago (July 17), I preached from the story of Tamar and Judah from Genesis 38. Without a doubt, this is the messiest, strangest, most cringe-inducing passage I've preached so far in my career. And yet, I can't get the passage out of my head. There's something about Tamar that makes her and her story incredibly compelling.

Now before you go any further in this blog, please take some time to read Tamar's story for yourself, whether by clicking on that link or opening up your own Bible.

For the first eleven verses of Genesis 38, things happen to Tamar. Judah chooses her as a wife for his son Er. Wicked Er dies, leaving Tamar with no husband and no son in a world where only men own property. Brother-in-law Onan refuses to follow the custom of the day and provide an heir for Tamar. Instead Onan simply uses her for sex over and over until God puts him to death, too. Then Judah sends Tamar back home. Judah worries that Tamar is to blame for his sons' deaths, and he's trying to protect his youngest. But Tamar has no real hope back at home. Her father can provide for her now, but as a daughter she won't receive any inheritance. In this world she's supposed to have a husband and then at least one son to provide for her. Again and again Tamar has been wronged by Judah's family, her in-laws: used for meaningless. loveless sex and then discarded.

Suddenly, in verse 14, after hearing a report about Judah, Tamar takes action. This story really seems to become her story. With no one to speak up for her and no formal avenue for seeking justice in her society, Tamar launches this desperate, risky plan. She covers her identity, sits by the side of the road like a prostitute, and takes the signs of Judah's identity in exchange for letting him sleep with her. Things seem incredibly messy here, but we're still not done. Then, it turns out, Tamar is pregnant by her father-in-law, Judah. He hears and tries to have her put to death. (Awfully convenient, isn't it, how Judah can have sex outside of marriage, but Tamar can't?) But then she throws all her cards on the table, sending Judah his own ID markers to prove that he's the father of her child—actually, the father of her children, but we'll come back to that.

But through all of this mess, Tamar and—I think it's safe to add—God get Judah to realize how he's wronged Tamar. Judah says, "She is more righteous than I." I wouldn't say this is an unqualified stamp of approval on what Tamar has done, but Judah takes the blame here, saying that he's essentially forced Tamar into doing what she did by not giving her as a wife to his third son, according to the custom of the day.

I like Tamar. She's just so real. I feel for her pain and feelings of desperation, which motivate her to do something that even she might have thought unthinkable when the story began. I get wanting to take matters into my own hands when everything seems hopeless. Still, I really wish Tamar's story went differently. Tamar is a sympathetic character to be sure, but this story would be so much more pleasant if she got Judah's attention in some other way, like revealing her identity as soon as Judah tries to hire her for sex.

But that isn't our story, and it's probably ultimately better for us that way. God doesn't give us a sanitized Bible with all the messy, uncomfortable parts taken out. He certainly doesn't give us this story as an example of how we should act, but He's also not afraid to tell us exactly what happened. We humans can make an awful mess of our lives through our sins and fear and scheming, and I think that makes Tamar's story, messy as it is and foreign as it may seem, relatable.

Now—praise God!—the story doesn't end in messiness and despair. God's grace breaks through. Tamar, at long last, is fully embraced as part of Judah's family and part of God's chosen people. God undoes the terrible injustice that has been done to Tamar through Judah trying to get rid of her. God gives her not just one son but two, and, as uncomfortable as this may seem, those boys are recognized as Judah's sons, two new sons to "replace" the two dead sons from earlier. (Plus, as far as we can tell, God changes Judah's heart at this point: when we next encounter Judah, he's a much more upstanding guy.)

But even that isn't the end. Tamar, through her son Perez, ends up becoming one of the ancestors of Jesus, the promised Messiah, the Savior of the world. When Jesus, God the Son, comes into the world, He chooses to come as part of Tamar and Judah's messy, messed-up family. And there's God's grace breaking through. Like Tamar and Judah, we all need to be cleansed from our sins, healed of our brokenness, rescued from the mess and misery inside of us and around us. Sometimes we're victims, but all of us also are at fault, too, and we can't fix ourselves. So Jesus comes down to us, showing us that we need Him to save us and then saving us. Through Jesus and His redeeming work on His people's behalf, any of us sinful, broken, messy humans can be made right with God and set free from sin and death. Jesus comes into human history and chooses unworthy people like us to be part of His family.

At the end of the day the hero of Tamar's story isn't Tamar. It's Jesus. But that's true in my story, too. That's true in the stories of all of God's people. Unexpectedly, Tamar's story finally gives us hope. As messy as our lives can get, God's grace is always stronger. Tamar points us to Jesus, the Savior we don't deserve, the Savior we so desperately need.

Grace and peace,

BMH

#264 Wait… What?

We have a few children's storybook Bibles at our house that I get to read with our kids. Every so often as I read these books, I think to myself, "Why do children's Bibles have to be wrong about stuff?" Don't get me wrong. For the most part, these Bibles for children do a good job of telling Bible stories in a way that kids understand. I am quite pleased with them overall. But every once in a while the authors and/or editors make a choice that leaves me scratching my head. "Don't they know that's wrong?"

Sometimes these errors are pretty small and not really important. One of our children's Bibles says that David had one stone when he fought Goliath. The Bible actually says that David choose five smooth stones as he prepared for battle (1 Samuel 17:40). Now, David only seems to use one of the stones, so I'm not going to write angry letters to the publisher or anything. I just wish the author and/or editor would've double-checked the Bible story or clarified their language.

But other times the children's Bibles seem dangerously wrong. Another one of our children's Bibles describes the general pattern of Samson's life by saying that Samson listened to God. And that's just wrong. Samson is not some sort of shining moral example for us. If we read the story of Samson in the book of Judges, it seems much safer to say that Samson didn't care what God said. Samson breaks God's commands by marrying a woman who isn't part of God's people and then pursuing other women outside of God's people. Samson is supposed to be dedicated to God for his entire life, and as part of that dedication, Samson is not supposed to be around dead bodies. He's around dead bodies all the time. God doesn't help Samson and empower Samson to deliver God's people because Samson is moral. It's much more accurate to say God does those things in spite of Samson's lack of concern for God's instructions. What in the world were these authors/editors thinking?

So, if you're writing or illustrating a children's Bible, or if you're editing or publishing such a book, please be extra careful. And if you're reading such a book with children, please take the time to check out the Bible passages yourself and see if the children's book matches the Bible. Words can be hard, and God's Word isn't always easy to explain to children, but teaching God's Word to children is important. Let's take care to be correct and do things well.

Grace and peace,

BMH

#263 Systemic Trouble

The term systemic racism became much more familiar to many people in the U.S. a couple years back. Since then there's been a lot of debate about the role racism does or doesn't play in America. Now I'm certainly not an expert in this area, but when I was reading articles explaining the idea of systemic racism, the idea that racism gets embedded in the ways our society and its structures and our organizations operate, I wasn't at all shocked. In fact, I thought the basic idea was a natural outworking of my beliefs as a Reformed Christian. Let me explain.

I believe that every human being is a sinner. We are born sinners. Sin has corrupted our very nature. Every part of ourselves is infected with sin. Every single day we willfully choose things that go against what God wants for us (and refuse to choose things that fulfill what God wants for us). We are inclined toward sin, defaulting toward it because our sense of right and wrong is broken. Apart from the saving, transforming work of God, we humans are slaves to sin who can't stop sinning. Only after being redeemed by Jesus Christ and renewed by the Holy Spirit can humans begin to truly do what is good, and even then we continue to sin and struggle with sin all our lives.

Because human beings are sinners, everything that we design and build will be tainted with sin. Sin isn't just an individual matter; it's also a corporate, structural matter. Our governments, our economies, our creative arts, our health care systems and education systems and criminal justice systems—every part of society—will work in sinful, broken ways. If we as individuals are selfish and unjust and inclined to favor ourselves, then certainly the things we make together will have a tendency to be unjust and prone to give advantages to certain groups. My denomination, the CRC, wrote a contemporary statement of faith that puts it this way: "All spheres of life—family and friendship, work and worship, school and state, play and art—bear the wounds of our rebellion. Sin is present everywhere—in pride of race, arrogance of nations, abuse of the weak and helpless, disregard for water, air, and soil, destruction of living creatures, slavery, murder, terror, and war, worship of false gods, the mistreatment of our bodies, and our frantic efforts to escape reality. We become victims of our own sin." (Our World Belongs to God 16)

Now let's be clear. Believing that sin and evil work in corporate, structural ways, does not at all deny that sin and evil work in individual, personal ways. Sin is still in each of our hearts, and we are responsible for our own sinful deeds. Recognizing that our systems are broken and tainted by sin does not mean that we humans are not personally responsible for our actions, though it should make us understanding of and even sympathetic toward each other due to how our sinful structures impact us in different ways.

Recognizing that the structures of our society are sinful also does not mean that nothing ever goes right in our world. I believe that sin is everywhere in our world, but I also believe that because of God's grace and involvement in our world, things are not absolutely as bad as they could possibly be. Our sense of right and wrong is broken, but God's Spirit continues to point us toward what is right, and the goodness of God's original creation continues to shine through in places. All of us are capable of doing what is outwardly, morally right—speaking kind words, sharing with those in need—because God created us good and reveals Himself in our world. (However, without being saved and transformed by Christ, we won't do what is truly right with right motivations for God's glory.) In the same way, even judicial systems that are tainted by sin can still make just rulings and sin-stained economies can still reward honest efforts and promote cooperation.

Finally, our society and structures can't be fixed by human efforts. The solution to the problem of sin and evil is not us making ourselves better. As individuals, we can only be saved from sin through Jesus Christ, who lived a perfect life of obedience in our place, took the full punishment for our sin in His death, and rose again to bring reconciliation with God and forgiveness and new life to all His people. Jesus calls and leads us to believe in Him, confess and turn from our sins, and strive with His help to live like Him. Our structures and society also need to be redeemed and transformed by Christ. Only He has the power and goodness to set this world right and establish true justice and heal and repair what is wrong. So we Christians lament the evil we see, witness to the wisdom and righteousness of Christ, and do all that we can with His help to live by His standards and work for reform. With God's inspiration and guidance, we can advocate for fairer housing practices and less partial laws, but that work will not be finished until Jesus returns, just like we individuals won't reach perfection until Christ comes back. And any progress that is made in our individual lives and in our structures comes from God. He can and does use us, but the work and credit is His.

In short, I think we Christians should agree that sin and evil are present both in our individual lives and in our society. But we can't fix either ourselves or our world. Our only hope is in Christ. We should trust in Him alone and ask His help to make our lives and our structures reflect Him and His ways more and more. And we should have confidence that in the end He will make everything right.

Grace and peace,

BMH

#262 VBS

The church I serve hosted Vacation Bible School last week. Four days in a row, I came back after my normal work activities to help out with all the kids for the evening. I, like all the other adult volunteers, was pretty tired by the end of the week, but the week was great for a couple different reasons.

First, as a pastor, it's really nice to be a part of a church event that I had basically no part in planning and wasn't responsible for. I came and helped out in different ways each night, and I was happy to do so. But I especially enjoyed watching other people use their gifts in ways that I don't get to see every week. Different people from church led singing, told Bible stories, organized games, supervised crafts, led groups of kids, and served meals. Since I wasn't in charge, I had wonderful opportunities to see church members at work, serving God and others. That warms my heart.

Second, watching the kids experience VBS is a lot of fun. There's always a few that are nervous—at least the first day—but most of the kids are just excited. They eagerly learn new songs and actions and are so proud to demonstrate for their parents at the end of the week. The kids soak up Bible stories and remember what happened from day to day. They jump into crafts and games and can't wait to tell any listening adult about all the cool things they've been doing. I think most of the adults who come to worship each week are happy enough, but the kids coming to VBS just bubble over with energy and enthusiasm. Watching the kids light up as they make connections and learn about Christ Jesus is a beautiful thing.

Long story short, VBS week was wonderful.

Grace and peace,

BMH

#261 Fear and Confidence

I like being a pastor. I really do. I like sitting with people and hearing their stories and praying with them. I like diving into the Bible and bringing its message to God's people each week. I appreciate that my job lets spend time reflecting on God and who He is and what He's done and what all that means not just for me but for all of us.

At the same time, being a pastor scares the living daylights out of me. For one thing, the way I interpret the Bible has an impact—sometimes a big impact—on lots of people around me. There's a whole congregation of people paying attention to me every time I preach. Sometimes people even pay attention to my reflections on this silly little blog, though I can't imagine why. Figuring out how to apply words written thousands of years ago to contemporary life isn't always a smooth and easy process. Sometimes I'm working on a Bible passage that doesn't seem easy to reconcile with a different Bible passage. Sometimes I wrestle with just how God's Word speaks to us in a modern situation that doesn't seem to be directly addressed in the Bible. I have training to help me. I consult other resources. I try to be careful about not saying more than I should or overstating my confidence in disputable areas. Thankfully the main message of the Bible is clear, and many passages are plain enough, but there are still tough passages. I definitely worry about making sure I interpret things properly and apply them faithfully.

Maybe scarier yet is the fact that people pay attention to the way I live my life. As a pastor I am a church leader. I'm not perfect (hopefully everyone remembers and understands that), but I am supposed to be mature. In the Bible God challenges church leaders to set an example for other Christians. That can be intimidating when there are many members of my congregation who have been following Jesus a lot longer than I have. We Christians are supposed to be like Jesus, but when I compare myself to Jesus, I see an overwhelming amount of sin in my life. My heart contains selfishness, anger, lust, pride, envy, stubbornness. I make other things more important than God in my life. I spend too much time ignoring God or acting like I don't need Him. I speak without thinking. I lack sympathy and concern for others. Plus, I am much too capable of hurting others. I hurt people if I forget to follow up with them or if I'm not quick enough in checking in when they're going through a crisis. Some days I think the most loving thing I could do for the people around me is find them someone who's a better pastor than I am.

So what do I do? I think the best thing I can do is remember. I remember that deep down inside God has given me a sense that He's called me to be a pastor. I remember that other people have confirmed that calling. I remember a few key times when things went well as evidence that God can work through me as a pastor. I remember that there's good reason to think I am growing in Christ because that growth means an increased understanding of my own sinfulness and need for further growth. Most of all I remember the gospel, the good news, and what it means for me. (And I hope you, dear reader, will remember this, too.) God the Father made me in His image and has remained faithful to me even though I am sinful. God the Son loves me so much that He came to earth, became human, lived, died, rose again, and ascended into heaven for my salvation. God the Sprit lives inside me, working to renew and transform me so that I can live for God and truly enjoy Him forever. That remembering encourages me to keep working, to keep pressing forward because God assures me that I am His and I am not alone, that my efforts are not futile, that pursuing Jesus is always worthwhile. There's no reason to have confidence in me, but there's every reason to have confidence in Christ.

Grace and peace,

BMH

#260 Sadness and Shame

This was our moment. My denomination, the Christian Reformed Church in North America, was going to discuss human sexuality, a topic of discussion throughout American society. Together we were going to work on discerning how God calls Christians to live as His people in this important area. There were going to be more eyes on the CRC and on synod, our annual meeting, than there had been in 25-30 years. I had a fair amount of anxiety as synod approached, wrestling with the theology involved and its implications, praying for clarity for myself and for the delegates to synod and for the denomination. I knew things could become tense, even hostile, but I had hope. I had hope that we would bear witness to Christ's love, speaking humbly, acting graciously, showing mutual concern and respect for each other.

We'll see what happens as we move forward, but at this point I feel like we really made a mess of things. I'm not really talking about the decisions we made at synod (though I shared much of my understanding of what God teaches us about marriage and sex in my last post). I'm talking about our discussion around and especially immediately after our synod decisions. As I read different reports and responses leading up to synod, I worried that many times we were misunderstanding if not mischaracterizing one another when we disagreed. I wasn't at synod, nor did I watch the (slightly delayed) stream of the discussions, so I don't know much about how the official conversation went. But a lot of our responses were brutal. There were emotion-filled quotes and posts that seemed to take aim at large groups of us. I've had a lot of different feelings over the past few days, but I mostly feel sadness and a fair amount of shame. Is this really how we treat not just our fellow people, but our sisters and brothers in Christ? We seem to speak about one another in dismissive terms that sometimes feel like they're bordering on contempt. We appear to make assumptions about each other's motivations, character, and goals. We just seem so incredibly sure that we are right, that we understand things correctly, that God is on our side. We appear to treat the whole discussion as a matter of winners or losers, whether we feel we "won" or "lost." And I say we because I know I'm guilty, too. We should know better. I keep thinking of God's words to the Christians in Corinth (see 1 Corinthians 3): We're still worldly, aren't we? Haven't we proven that by our words and actions this week?

Lord Jesus, call us, this small part of your great church, back to you. Cleanse us from our sins. Renew us in your likeness. Help us follow you and represent you well.

Grace and peace,

BMH

#259 Where I Stand

My denomination, the Christian Reformed Church, is currently in the midst of its annual meeting, known as synod. Later this week synod will address the report of the Comittee to Articulate a Foundation-laying Biblical Theology of Human Sexuality. Debate has been going on throughout the denomination for months. I've been thinking quite a bit about this topic, wrestling and reflecting and wondering while reading through the report and all the official responses to it.

So while we wait for what this year's synod will decide (which may or may not end the discussion for the time being), I thought it was only fair for me to make known where I stand. I think the best interpretation of what God teaches us in the Bible is that God's intention is for sex to only take place in the context of marriage and for marriage to be between one man and one woman. What that means, as I understand it, is that premarital sex, adultery, polygamy and polyamory, and same-sex sexual relationships are against God's will. Some of you reading this might be ready to just leave the blog for now, but stay with me, please. (This post is going to be lengthy, so I won't get into the details of Bible interpretation here, but I will gladly explain how I reach that conclusion if you ask.)

I'm focusing on sexuality here because I want to discuss a specific topic, but let me give a few clarifications. I don't think at all that sexual sins are unforgivable or even somehow worse than any other sins—hatred, greed, dishonesty, selfishness, idolatry, disregard for God, and so on. Nor do I think that people in one woman-one man marriages are free from sexual sin. God speaks quite strongly against lust and makes it clear that sex in marriage should take place with mutual agreement. I think my sexuality is broken, and sexual sin lives in me and my heart. I think every human—no matter their sexuality or gender—has a broken sexuality, and sexual sin lives in all of us and all of our hearts. We may be different, but that doesn't make any of us better than the others.

I think people who are LGBTQ+ can be and are my brothers and sisters in Christ. We all need Jesus to cleanse us from our sins and teach us to live new lives through His power. We all need the encouragement and accountability that come from belonging to Christ as part of His people, the church. God calls us to share each other's joys and struggles. I want my LGBTQ+ brothers and sisters to know that they are created in God's image and loved by Jesus Christ. I want to walk together through their ups and downs as well as mine. But I can't in good conscience affirm same-sex marriages. I have not encountered a satisfying interpretation of God's Word (in my opinion) that supports sexual activity outside of a married opposite-sex couple.

I get that this doesn't seem fair by human standards. I understand how convenient it sounds for me to argue that sex and marriage aren't for everyone but are for me. So let me try to lay this out as plainly and openly as I can. Marriage is good. Sex is good. I am married, and (as you probably assumed since Tess carried each of our two daughters through pregnancy), Tess and I have sex sometimes. These are blessings that I am grateful for. But as much as I may want these things, marriage is not what gives my life meaning. Sex is not what ultimately satisfies me. As someone who has moved away from my family of origin and someone who has at times felt isolated because of my job, I think our true human needs aren't for sex and marriage but for friendship, community, fellowship, belonging. I believe God provides all of us with a way to satisfy those needs through the family of His people. In the church we are meant to find true brothers and sisters who will give us a hand, a hug, a listening ear, a safe place. We can have deep relational intimacy even if we don't have sexual intimacy. And most of all, what we need is Jesus Christ. Nothing compares with knowing Him and belonging to Him.

Maybe that still doesn't sound like enough. Why should some people get to have marriage and sex while others don't, especially when our sexuality is not something we choose? I can't say I have all the answers. What I can say is that, as far as I can tell, God's ultimate purpose for human marriage is to point us to the relationship between God and His people. The only marriage that is truly eternal is that between Christ and His church, and that is a marriage that all of us can be part of. Jesus calls all of His people to deny ourselves and give ourselves up for Him. If, as part of that call, Jesus calls us to give up marriage and sex now, He will help us to do that. It won't always be easy or enjoyable, but it will be worth it. And I also understand that the church is far too often not the welcoming, embracing body, the true family that I've described above. We Christians have long isolated our single sisters and brothers and have often terribly hurt and excluded our LGBTQ+ sisters and brothers. I need to own and admit that and do better. We need to own and admit that and do better. As the body of Christ, we all need each other.

So this is where I stand. There are a lot of Christians in a similar place. And there are also many Christians, including some people I greatly respect, some people who are my friends, who are in a very different place and who affirm same-sex marriage for Christians. That gives me pause. I need to humbly admit that while I've tried to be thoughtful and careful I could be wrong. I make mistakes, and I don't see everything. So I've laid out my thoughts and beliefs here for the sake of transparency, not just now but for the future. If a day would come where I feel God leads me to a different position, then we'll talk about that in light of this. But for now, I believe what I've laid out here faithfully reflects how God calls us to live as His people with regards to human sexuality. With this in mind, I'll strive to rightly love my neighbors as Christ calls me to.

Grace and peace,

BMH

#258 Lane Pain

I just returned from vacation, so I've spent a lot of time driving over the past week. It's also road construction season, when one of my least favorite types of people comes out. I'm sure you've met these drivers. You're driving alone on a nice interstate or state highway with two lanes going your direction. Traffic is flowing smoothly. There's a person just ahead of you doing something like 75 mph when the speed limit is posted at 70. Then a construction zone comes up. After the merge, one lane is open as normal, while the other lane has a series of orange barrels in it. The speed limit goes down to something like 60. Suddenly the person ahead of you, the person who was comfortably driving 75 about two minutes ago, seems unable to drive 60, even though this person is still in the same lane, which is exactly the same size as it was before. It doesn't make sense to me. I understand that everyone needs to slow down in the construction zone. I want the workers to be and to feel safe. But I don't understand why having barrels in the next lane affects some people's ability to drive in their own lane. If they could go at least the (faster) speed limit before why can't they go the (slower) speed limit now? The amount of room hasn't changed. I wish someone could explain this to me!

So what we've learned is that I'm an impatient person. I don't like it when I'm not free to drive the speed I'd like to drive. My impatience is a sign of my sinful selfishness. If I'm getting stuck behind another driver in the construction zone, maybe God is trying to teach me patience. After all, it's not all about me.

Grace and peace,

BMH

#257 Who Am I?

I hear a lot of talk about identity and identifying these days. I don't know that this is necessarily a new trend; it's just something that I've noticed. In discussions related to gender and sexuality, identity comes up a lot. In political reporting people are identified as a supporter of this politician or that position. We identify ourselves lots of different ways—by our ethnicity, our hometown, our job, our interests.

I bring this up because the Bible talks about identity as well. For those of us who belong to Jesus, who believe in Him as our Savior and Lord, we have a new identity. We are in Christ. Or to use more everyday language, we are Christians. But here's the thing: God teaches us that being in Christ is not just another piece of the puzzle of our identity. Being in Christ is our primary identity. For God's people, being in Christ is the driving factor in how we live our lives.

Now being in Christ doesn't totally erase the other parts of our identities. I don't stop being, say, an American because I'm a Christian. But being in Christ takes precedence. When it comes to things I don't choose, being in Christ shapes how I live. So, for example, I must think about how God wants to me live as a Christian male. When it comes to things I can choose, I need to consider if they're compatible with being in Christ. Can I live as a Christian and also support this political party or take this job?

Maybe this sounds like pretty basic stuff. But I worry that we Christians are losing this. We're defining ourselves more by things like our generation or nationality or gender than by being in Christ. We're using these other identities to separate ourselves from other people when Christ breaks down the dividing walls between different groups of people. We're worrying about fitting in with these groups we identify with instead of focusing on following Jesus. I see these trends and temptations in myself, not just others. I don't want us to lose our way.

Let me conclude with some questions that I need to think about and that I wonder if we Christians in general need to think about. What do I use to define or identify myself? In what parts of my life am I hiding or ignoring my identity in Christ? What I can do to remind myself that I belong to Christ? How can I live more fully for Jesus? I pray that Jesus, who has saved us and chosen us to be His own will help us embrace and live into the new identity He gives us.

Grace and peace,

BMH

#256 Miracle Monday

Happy Miracle Monday, everyone! It's the third Monday in May, the day of the climax of Elliot S! Maggin's 1981 Superman novel, Miracle Monday.

In the days leading up to the first Miracle Monday, Metropolis (and the world at large) had been terrorized by a demon named C. W. Saturn, who was desperately trying to corrupt Earth's greatest champion of good, Superman. But on Miracle Monday Superman was able to turn the tables on his foe, achieving victory while proving that he would not give in to evil. When Superman triumphed over C. W. Saturn, all the chaos the demon had created was undone, leaving Superman as the only one who truly remembered what had happened. But the people of Earth, sensing that something great and wonderful had happened (even if they couldn't recall or understand what), started to celebrate the third Monday of May every year, naming it "Miracle Monday."

So, yeah, Miracle Monday is a fictional holiday from an obscure superhero novel. But it's also a great Superman story, an exciting tale of the triumph of good over evil, highlighting Superman's greatest strength: the courage to never give up doing the right thing. That strength enables him to often do things that seem impossible and overcome challenges that seem insurmountable. And that makes for stories worth reading and remembering and being inspired by. Plus, what else is a Superman fan with a Monday blog going to write about? Until next time, keep fighting the good fight, even if it seems like a never-ending battle.

Grace and peace,

BMH

#255 Reel Life

After five years of living in a church-owned house, Tess and I bought our own house last August. For the first time in my adult life, I had a lawn to take care of. So I started looking for a lawn mower. After doing some research I decided to get a reel mower. Yes, an old-school human-powered push mower. Tess (and many other people I talked to) thought I was crazy. But after finishing up our mowing last fall and getting things started again this spring, I'm pleased with my choice.

Let's talk about your potential concerns first. My reel mower doesn't seem any heavier than gas-powered mowers I've used, and as long as the grass isn't ridiculously long, it seems at least as easy to push as your average mower without self-propulsion. We'll have to see how difficult it is to find someone to sharpen the blades, but as long as the blades are sharp enough, my reel mower works smoothly.

But the thing I really like about my reel mower is how quiet it is. There's no loud engine noise, just a soft clipping sound. I can talk with Tess or the girls while I'm mowing. When I stop pushing the blades stop spinning. There's also no gasoline smell, and no frustration from having to go fill the gas can before I can start mowing for the week. I'm still working, but it's pretty easy to enjoy being outdoors. And hey, if having a weird lawn mower starts some conversations with my neighbors, that's not a bad thing at all.

Grace and peace,

BMH

#254 Reunion

Last time I blogged about reading The Chronicles of Narnia with Lanie. Lanie LOVED the ending of the series when all the main characters from the seven books are reunited again. I think C.S. Lewis does a wonderful job of envisioning the new creation and God's people spending eternity together with Him, and Lewis does this in a way that makes sense to children. Right now it's Eastertime, so I think it's only natural that I've been reflecting on eternal life lately. Eternal life is one the great assurances Christians receive from Jesus' resurrection. As Lewis captures so wonderfully, part of the beauty of the Christian story is that it doesn't truly end. The return of Jesus and coming of the new creation is only the beginning. And, as in The Chronicles of Narnia, all of God's people will be together again. I'm sure our relationships will be somehow different when we live face-to-face with God in perfection, but we'll all be there forever.

I can't say that I can really envision what that reunion will be like, but it sure sounds fantastic. At this point I'm still pretty young. Most of the people who've made an impact on my life are still alive. But even now I'm separated from a lot of people who are very dear to me. I've moved a couple times since my school days, leaving quite a few friends and family members in different places, and many of them have gone elsewhere as well. Truth be told, I'm a terrible long-distance friend. I'd like to think I'm a decent local friend, but I struggle to stay in touch with people who live a ways away, people I don't get to see somewhat regularly. I don't do social media, and the occasional text message or even video chat never feels like the real thing. So outside of a few visits here and there when one of us is traveling, I don't see a lot of people whom I would really enjoy frequently spending time with. I should try to do better here and now, but when schedules just don't work out or visits are too short, it's comforting to know that reunion is coming. In Christ we'll be together again, and one day there won't be any more good-byes.

Grace and peace,

BMH

#253 The Lion, the Dad, and the Daughter

Last fall I started reading C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia with Lanie. We read one chapter at a time, night after night, with some breaks here and there when I had an evening meeting or we had visitors at our house. Working our way through my one-volume collection, we read The Magician's Nephew and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and The Horse and His Boy and Prince Caspian. Then Lanie started to get a little tired of the books (I think it was mostly that her sister had started staying up later, and Lanie was afraid Mia was having fun without her while I read to Lanie), so we stopped for a while. But this spring Lanie started asking about our "special book" again. We read through The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and The Silver Chair and, finally, The Last Battle, which we just finished today.

It was a fun journey. I have fond memories of my dad reading these books with me when I was little, so it was a special treat to read them to my own firstborn. Reading chapter books was a bit of a stretch for Lanie and her attention span, but she seemed to follow along pretty well. I think she enjoyed the adventure and fantasy of these stories. Once or twice I carefully helped explain the Christian symbolism in these tales, but at this point in Lanie's life, I was generally content to help her understand the plot and appreciate whatever she picked up on her own—we can explore the deeper meanings when she's a little older. Lanie, for her part, says that Aslan is her favorite character and The Last Battle is her favorite book because of the marvelously happy ending (her dad thinks there's a little recency bias in there as well). Now it'll be on to some new, yet-to-be-determined book. Learning to read is not so far off on the horizon for Lanie. Who knows? If Lanie and I come back to The Chronicles of Narnia, she might be able to read the books herself.

Grace and peace,

BMH

#252 Public Prayer

This Sunday I preached from a Bible passage where Jesus warns His hearers about the teachers of the law, who—among other things—"for a show make lengthy prayers." (See Mark 12:38-40.) I have to say, those words make me a little bit uncomfortable. Leading the prayers of the people (sometimes semi-seriously referred to as the "long prayer") in public worship is a regular part of my responsibilties as a pastor.

I believe this prayer should cover a wide variety of topics. As God's people, we should be praying for each other and all the nations of the world and every sector of society and all creation. After, all our God is God over all, and Jesus Christ is King of the universe. So I try to include a lot of things in my prayers: prayers for particular people with specific needs in and around our congregation, prayers for our local church and the worldwide church, prayers for our community and our nation and the nations of the world, prayers for creation. And based on the types of prayers we read in Scripture, I don't just want to bring a bunch of requests, even if many of those requests are for others. I also want to praise God for who He is and thank Him for what He's done and express trust in Him and confess sins and lament evils. I try to vary my prayers and highlight different things from week to week. I'd like to model good prayer habits and encourage my congregation to broaden their own prayers.

But the whole thing can make me self-conscious. I'm afraid that at times I'm hypocritical. I understand that public prayer and private prayer are somewhat different. I really am working on expanding my own private prayer life to include a wider variety of prayers. But I'm certainly not always as balanced in my private prayers as I am in public. I definitely become self-centered in my own prayers at times. When I lead public prayer, I try to pray things I really mean and avoid rambling, but I know that I do ramble at times, especially when I'm under-prepared or nervous. For now I think the best I can do is to keep working on my praying—both public and private—and ask God to help me grow in speaking honestly and boldly yet humbly before Him. And maybe a little bit of nervousness is a good thing if it makes me a little more reflective and intentional about what and how I pray.

Grace and peace,

BMH

#251 Kid Friendly

When I was a little kid, my pastor was Ron Kok. I loved Pastor Ron. At the time my church owned this big old house. Pastor Ron and his family lived on the main floor, and my family rented the upstairs, which worked as a three-bedroom apartment. Living in the same building meant I saw quite a bit of Pastor Ron. He and his wife, Monique, babysat my sister and me fairly often when my parents went out for dinner. When Pastor Ron came home in the afternoon, I would sometimes be outside shooting hoops or lobbing a football into the air so I could run underneath and catch it. I remember Pastor Ron stopping to toss the football with me. I remember him talking to me about the books I was reading. I remember him playing Mastermind with me in his living room. Pastor Ron made me feel like I mattered, like he cared about me.

I can't say that I often consciously think about Pastor Ron as I go about my work as a pastor, but I'm sure that my good relationship with him made a big impact on me. I really want the children I serve as a pastor to feel like they matter, like I care about them. I do children's messages during our worship services in the hopes that the kids will think that church is for them, and I don't mind at all when they go on tangents. I made sure I learned all the kids' names as quickly as I could, and I try to specifically say hello to them when I see them. I want them to feel comfortable talking to me, so I try to ask questions about school or what they're doing that day. I don't know that I'm as good as Pastor Ron was, but I hope that I can be a postive influence on the children I meet as pastor.

Grace and peace,

BMH