Do you love God?

Posted on March 6, 2013 by David Nuottila

[Jesus said], “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” John 14:15

“Do you love God?” To good Christian folk this question seems to have an obvious answer, of course we love God. But in order to truly answer this question in faith, perhaps sometimes it is good to ponder the opposite question; “Does God love you?” If you answer “Yes,” what evidence can you point to that says specifically, Gods loves you?

Yesterday I shared some thoughts concerning God’s rescuing of His people from bondage. Such mighty acts of mercy and grace are performed by an all-powerful, all-loving God. We read about God’s deliverance in Exodus and then are reminded of His great love as we read in John’s gospel, “For God so loved the world…” (John 3:16). In fact, throughout Holy Scripture we are reminded of God’s love for His people, especially as we are witness to the many acts of love shown by our Lord Jesus. There is no doubt, God loves you. Thus, in response, the question of the day: “Do you love God?” And if you do, how do you show it? The answer to these questions can be found as we consider again the Ten Commandments.

God’s commandments are given in love to a world fallen into sin. It is because of human brokenness that God gifts us with means by which to show our love for Him and for our neighbor. Sadly, too many people view God’s commandments as a list of dos and don’ts, that if not followed one might incur the wrath of God. Yet, the commandments of God are not just another set of rules, nor is the Ten Commandments simply a divine governing document spelling out God’s expectations. We have enough of those on our own. God’s commandments are a means by which me may show our love for God and for our neighbor.

Is it the marriage license that keeps husbands and wives together? Is it the set of classroom rules that fosters learning for children in school? And what of churches? Are we bound together by charters and constitutions, or is there something else that keeps us in relationship with one another? Yes there is, the answer to all of these is love.

Without love, the marriage license is simply a legal agreement to share assets and space. Without love, classroom rules are merely the criteria by which teachers exercise authority. And without love, even church constitutions and charters are reduced to a set of rules that all too often get in the way of real mission and ministry. In all of these, we need to understand that it is love, specifically the love of God in Christ Jesus that holds us in relationship with one another, because it is love that keeps us in relationship with God.

In order to see God’s love expressed in the Ten Commandments, simply look at the example of Jesus Christ. Jesus, the fulfillment of God’s law, embodies the commandments in their fullest sense. In the fulfillment of the Law, we find the Gospel. Through the Gospel we realize the fullness of God’s love. Jesus said, “If you keep my commandments you will abide in my love… love your neighbor as I have loved you.”

Today, give thanks to the great love God has for you. Pray also, for the strength to keep His commandments, so that through the love you show others, they too may come to know the fullness of God’s love through Christ Jesus.

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The God Who Saves

Posted on March 5, 2013 by David Nuottila

DSC_0164 (2)And God spoke all these words, saying, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.”   Exodus 20:1-2  

With these words from God, His prelude to the Ten Commandments if you will, we understand that God is the one who brings His people to new life; makes us a new creation and delivers us from the powers that defy God.  Yet, just as it was with the children of Israel so long ago, we all too often wander from God’s grace.  We get caught up in our present circumstance, experiencing things on our terms rather than God’s, until finally we lose our way and become lost in a sea of sinfulness.

Hear these words from God, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out…”  There is great comfort in knowing that the God we worship is the very same who delivered, that is, rescued His people from a life of bondage.  God, who is eternal and unchanging, continues to rescue His people.

We all are in need of rescue, we all wander from God’s intent and purpose in our lives.  There can be no denying that each of us is a sinner in need of redemption.  Certainly, we need a Savior.  Thankfully, we have one.  The God of the Exodus who delivered the children of Israel so long ago is the God who sent His son Jesus as Savior for a fallen humanity.  Through Christ’s self-giving sacrifice, God has delivered His people from the consequences of sin and the powers that defy God.

There is peace, joy and comfort in these words, “I am the Lord your God who brought you out…”  From what have you been delivered?  In what ways has God rescued you?  As you ponder these things, pray and give thanks to the One who saves.  Pray for those who are in the midst of struggle that they too might grow in faith and understanding.  Pray for the lost and the lonely, the hungry and those who thirst for God’s love, so that they too may believe God loves them so much, He promises to rescue them from sin and open the gates to everlasting life through Christ our Lord and Savior.

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Turning the Tables

Posted on March 11, 2012 by David Nuottila

John 2: 13-22, Exodus 20: 1-17

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

As it is so often when we meet someone new, we want to get to know them, and further yet, we want our new friends to get to know us as well.  One of the ways we do this is by sharing pictures of our lives.  It’s fun sharing pictures and stories of our past with others who seem interested in getting to know us.  So invariably, we pull out the family album.  These books tell our story.

One of the books I show people from time to time is a photo album of my days in the navy.  I also have an album my parents gave me from when I was young.  Other pictures we share are standards for getting to know someone and allowing others to get to know us.  For instance, if you are married you are likely to share the pictures from your wedding.  We share pictures of our kids with relatives and those whom we haven’t seen in a while.  And if you’re not careful, someone might even come up with an embarrassing picture of you when you were either very young, or very unaware that there was a camera nearby.

We all have those pictures in our past.  Really, you think you know someone until you see some of those candid photos taken when they least expected it.  You know the type, shots taken them by surprise, with a mouth full of food, or striking a superman pose.   That’s when you get a glimpse of who a person really is.  Do you suppose Jesus might have had fun sharing such pictures of his life?

Think about it.  We all have seen countless pictures of Jesus.  Some at church, some in our homes, and still others in magazines, newspapers and books.  Most of the pictures we see of Jesus are rather pleasing.  Jesus as a baby lying in a manger.  Baby Jesus with his mother Mary.  Jesus the Good Shepherd, Jesus blessing the children.  There are also pictures of Jesus working miracles.  Feeding the five thousand, calming the storm, walking on water, and even Jesus raising his friend Lazarus from the dead.

Do you think that if we were able to sit with Jesus and share his photo album that he would show us the candid shots?  What about the ones we don’t want to see?  A picture of him taken after 40 days in the wilderness?  Or how about Jesus rebuking Peter or cursing the fig tree?  Then we turn the page and see the picture of today’s gospel text, Jesus, with a whip in his hand, driving out the money changers and the animals from the temple.  What would we say to Jesus when we came across that one?  Would we ask him about it, or would we just pretend we didn’t see it and quickly move on?  The trouble is, we can’t ignore it.  It’s there, plain and simple, we do see it.  The real question is, would we ask Jesus what happened to make him so mad?  Or would we be too afraid to ask?

John, the apostle, doesn’t hesitate to bring it up.  In fact, even as Matthew, Mark and Luke include this event in telling of Jesus’ final days, John puts it up front.  From the very opening verses of his gospel account, John is helping us get to know Jesus.  Not just the Jesus in the nice pictures; John is introducing us to Jesus, the Word made flesh, the Messiah, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.  And already in chapter two, John leaves little doubt concerning how Jesus feels about sin.

Just this morning, only a few minutes ago, we heard the story of God giving Moses the Ten Commandments.  Ever since the fall when Adam and Eve bit the forbidden fruit, we humans have strayed from the precepts of God.  Following the Exodus, as a gift and model for living a godly life, God handed to us his Law, his teaching, his instructions.  God set boundaries for humans to live by, not as a rule to keep us under control, but as a gift that we might turn away from sinful behavior and live as God intends.  Yet, throughout history, throughout the history of the Bible and throughout the history of our lives, we can see where we have fallen short of God’s expectations.  Try as we might, we cannot keep even Ten Commandments, let alone live according to the totality of God’s Law.

The first commandment our heavenly Father gives to us calls us to have no other gods.  We are to worship and trust the One True God, the maker of all things.  Yet, when Jesus came to Jerusalem and saw that the temple had been turned into a market place, he was angered at the fact that even in the holiest of places; humans had replaced worship with greed, and trust with contempt.  It is of little wonder that Jesus, God’s Word made flesh, Emmanuel, God with us; it’s of little wonder that his response to such sinfulness was to turn over the tables and drive out those who made God’s house of prayer into a den of thieves.

Jesus came to turn the tables on sin.  He came to redeem that which was lost.  Jesus came to save people from their sins, so he scattered the animals meant for sacrifice and became the sacrifice himself.  During this time of Lent, as we continue to turn the pages of Jesus’ photo album that is the gospel, we soon come across the most difficult picture to look at.  Jesus at Gethsemane, Jesus before Pilate, Jesus being whipped himself, and finally, Jesus lifted up on the cross.  Such images of Christ are not the ones we choose to look at, but they are the ones we need to see.

Seeing such images during this time of repentance causes us to consider what tables in our lives Christ might turn over.  What is about our lives, our homes our churches that displease our Lord so much that he would take up a whip and drive them out?  Which of these Ten Commandments do we fail to keep most often?  How many “other gods’ do we put in front of the One True God?  When we speak of our neighbors, do we always cast them in the  most favorable light, or do we at times resort to bearing false witness in order to get our way?  Do we take only what is ours, all of the time, or are there instances when we take advantage of loopholes or get around the system for our own benefit?

The most interesting thing about looking through Jesus’s photo album is that, as we look deeper into the text, we begin to see ourselves.  As we get to know Jesus better and better, we also get to k now our own person, our own self.  We realize our need for a savior, and we come to realize the love of God as he gives us one in the person of his only Son Christ Jesus.

People of God, the lessons of Lent are heavy.  The texts we read and preach are such that as we study them, we see the complete picture of who we are, and more importantly, who God is.  Ours is a God who is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.  Ours is a God who waited until just the right time to invade our world, dwell with his people, and serve as our example of Godly living.  He is the God who delivered his people from bondage, gave them the gift of his law as a guide, and when it became necessary, turned over the tables ridding his temple of sin and taking up the cross as the final atoning sacrifice for the sins of all.

It won’t be long until we turn one more final page in Jesus’ photo album.  On that day we will behold the most glorious of pictures of our Lord and Savior, there before the empty tomb, early in the morning while it is still dark, we will once again behold the Risen Christ.

In the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

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There’s No Place Like Home

Posted on March 7, 2012 by David Nuottila

So many of us can picture the scene near the end of The wizard of Oz where Glinda the Good Witch tells Dorothy all she has to do is close her eyes, click the heels of the ruby slippers and say “There’s no place like home.”  After a few repetitions, and some early twentieth century special effects, Dorothy is home.  The message?  No matter where you are, no matter how far one may have wandered, there really is no place like home.

Since mid-January, I have been living in my new home town of Salisbury, North Carolina.  Coming to a new Lutheran Church (NALC), serving a new congregation (Union Lutheran Church) and living in a rental house has certainly been an adventure.  Not necessarily on the scale of Dorothy’s trip to the land of Oz, but certainly there have been many wonderful and unexpected surprises.  All in all, I have come to really enjoy my new surroundings, but there is one part I would change if I could.  My family will not join me here until the school year in South Carolina is over.  So for the time being, we are a bi-locational family.

During their most recent visit, my wife asked me, “Does it feel like home?”  I had to think about that one for a bit.  I wasn’t sure what she was getting at.  In my response I told her that the house we are renting feels more like a motel.  I am comfortable in the living room, it seems like a place where I belong but it isn’t really mine.  I also feel comfortable in the bedroom at night.  In these two rooms I have furniture from our house in SC so there is a sense of belonging.  The rest of the house though is different.  I don’t enter the two other bedrooms belonging to my daughters when they visit, those rooms are just there right now.  The stove in the kitchen is still a little tricky when it comes to cooking, and overall I know this is a temporary situation.  So, given the unfamiliarity of the house, and the absence of my family, my answer to her question was, “It’s comfortable, but no, it doesn’t feel like home.”

Of course, being a man, I completely missed what she was getting at.  My wife’s question to me was, “Does the town of Salisbury and the church feel like home?”  Once it was clear what she was getting at, there was little thought needed.

I have fallen in love with Salisbury, especially since there are so many reminders of the town in Michigan where I grew up.  On Main Street there is a deli – ice cream shop just like the one I used to go to as a kid.  There are mom and pop shops that offer small town shopping experiences, and there is even a small lunch counter where a person can stop in and get a hotdog and a drink to enjoy at the counter, or the wooden table outside.

The landscape near the church is also a reminder of where I grew up.  There are hills, trees, and ponds at nearly every turn’ something the Charleston area didn’t offer.  There are large fields dotted with farm houses, barns, horses and cows.  There is a golf course reminiscent of the one across the street from my aunt and uncle’s farm at Six Mile and Sheldon, and I’m sure, if I look hard enough this fall, I’ll find a cider mill within acceptable driving distance.

As far as the church and congregation go?  I have also fallen completely head over heels in love with my new flock.  There are so many wonderful people eager to learn more of God’s will for our church.  The children of the congregation love being at the church and in the presence of their Lord Jesus, and the joy of Christian worship as expressed through the music of the church is so uplifting.  So many members of the congregation have welcomed our family and made us part of their family.  Certainly, God has blessed us all with the power of his love and the presence of the Holy Spirit where we can all look forward to the possibilities and ministry opportunities God has placed in front of us.  Even though I have been here for a short time, it feels as if I have belonged here and my family is also eager to be a part of this family in Christ for a long time.  So yes, for all these reasons it feels like home.

I have no ruby slippers, and there is no yellow brick road leading to the Emerald City.  But I can click my heels and give thanks to God for the blessings of this new place.  It is true; a house is not a home.  Home is much more than bricks and concrete. Home is following God to the place he would have you be.  Home is being a part of a loving family, following our Lord Jesus and being guided by the power of the Holy Spirit.  In this place, even as our family is currently occupying two separate houses, we are at home.  And there truly is no place like home.

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The Remembrance Table

Posted on March 5, 2012 by David Nuottila

There is a tradition within many Christian churches of setting out photos, artifacts and other personal items on what is known as the Remembrance Table.  Such tables are usually used on days such as the Festival of All Saints and perhaps other times during the year.  Often times remembrance tables are used during a time of mourning, especially at funerals and memorials.  In my particular case, I have such a table set up in my office that I shared with the children of the church while having lunch with them on Saturday.

Let me preface the rest of this post by pointing out that I have recently begun a new chapter of my ministry. In January I accepted a call to Union Lutheran Church in Salisbury, NC.  Of course this meant that I had to leave my former congregation in Charleston, SC.  Leaving a church family is never easy, but in this particular circumstance, taking a new call meant leaving the congregation where I first served as pastor.  You’ve heard it said that one never forgets their first love.  Well, there is truth to that statement, and it applies to so many relationships other than that of romance.  To be sure, a pastor never forgets his/her first congregation.

The journey to ordained ministry is a long one, so I decided to set up a remembrance table in my new office so that I could be reminded each day of the saints who have had an impact on my ministry over the years.  On this table I have photos of family members and fellow church members from my past.  I also have items such as rocks from the Kasilof River in Alaska which help me to remember my father-in law as we fished together, clay pottery made by my daughters, three nails used as props from a Lenten service a friend once led, and of course a gift from my former confirmation students which they affectionately called “Pastor Nuttly.”

Pastor Nuttly has a story behind it which I won’t go into just now, but it is a gift that I cherish.  The student /Pastor relationship I shared with these young people is still very meaningful to me.  They were my first confirmands, the first students whose faith formation I was directly responsible for.  They are great kids who loved their pastor, and I loved them as well.  When I left St. Barnabas, one thing they asked was that I reserve for “Pastor Nuttly” a special place in my new office so that I remember them.  This I promised to do.

Upon my arrival in Salisbury, the children of our congregation had several surprises for me, one of which was a homemade picture frame with a group photo inside.  Around the border they all wrote messages of welcome.  I have come to really enjoy these kids, and their faith is nothing short of amazing.  Once again, Pastor and the children are forming a strong bond and together we are learning the things God is calling us to learn.

During our lunch together in the fellowship hall, I decided to take the kids on a field trip to my office so they could see some of the things I have set out.  Immediately their eyes turned toward my remembrance table and they began asking questions about the stuff on display.  I told them about the rocks.  I told them about the pottery and the photos.  Finally, one child pointed to Pastor Nuttly and asked “what is that?”  As I told them about the kids I served and taught in Charleston, they understood just how much I loved them and how I miss them.  Then another child pointed out something to the rest; Pastor Nuttly was placed on the table directly in front of the photo frame they had made for me as a welcome gift.  Immediately the comment was made, “He loves us too!”

I am so thankful for all the saints whose memories reside on my table.  Each one has had significant impact on my life and ministry as a pastor.  But most of all, I am so grateful for the children of my new congregation and the love they show toward their pastor, and also for the love and the gift from the children at my former church in Charleston.  Through the gift of Pastor Nuttly, I am able to remember each of them in a special way.  I have many items that rotate on and off of my remembrance table, but since my lunch with the children last week, and the connection that was made to the children of Charleston, Pastor Nuttly and the picture of the kids at Union have become permanent fixtures on the remembrance table.

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