Authentic Christianity
The quest for answers to life questions lies at the heart of every human being. What's the meaning of life? What are our origins? Who am I? What is my purpose? and Where do I belong? When explored deeply, these questions often lead us to other questions, such as "Where is God in all of this?" or "Does God even exist?"
The world around us offers some inadequate answers to these questions. It is now in vogue to claim there is no ultimate meaning in life. The only thing that matters is to enjoy things the best you can - eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die. Manage to acquire as much material happiness as you can and shore up as much material security as you can, because money and things never let you down like people and life often do. In a world that is ultimately meaningless, it doesn't really matter what we do, does it? What we accomplish or don't accomplish is all temporary. If in the end it all falls away, why bother? Why do we even care about things like our origins, our purpose or belonging if there is no point other than making the best of it, having the best ride we can, and postponing the inevitable as long as we can. Unfortunately, this is the perspective of a growing number of people in the world.
It's easy to see why some may adopt this mindset. Life is difficult. Even in the most affluent country in the world, people face a host of challenges, some emotional, psychological, physical, economical, or even spiritual. At times, even in a place of affluence, the meaning of life can evade us. When we have our sustenance needs met and most of our aspirational desires met, we may still struggle to find a sense of meaning. What the best things in our lives may tell us is that luxury does not guarantee security or even meaningfulness. Our greatest blessings may expose the hole left in our hearts that is meant to be filled only by God.
For those awakened to their essential need for God, there comes the question, "Where is God?" and "How do I find a spiritual path with God that is authentic?" or "What does this path look like?"
The Lutheran path of Christianity offers signboards for the discovery of an authentic walk with God. It is not a cardboard cutout that can be applied to every life in exactly the same way. God created every person as a unique event of grace with all the peculiarities, oddities, and specialities that our Creator intended for each of us. But the Lutheran expression of Christianity possesses gospel seeds that when planted in our lives and nurtured, begin to grow and reveal our authentic path with God.
These gospel seeds do not belong to the Lutheran church or any other church, for that matter. They do not belong to we humans at all. They are the manifestation of God and God's work in our lives made real by the God who created us and who sent his Son to walk with us to show us the Way amid a world of meaninglessness.
The seeds imbedded in the Word of God are first a person, Jesus Christ. Secondly, they are mediated to us through the preaching and witness of those who have gone before us. They are imbedded and carried in the Word of God that we call the Bible. And they are imbedded in the common elements of water, bread and wine that we meet in the visible and tangible Word of God, the Sacraments.
The Lutheran expression of Christianity stewards these seeds to all who seek answers to life's great questions. And the persons who receive and use these seeds do not necessarily need to belong to a Lutheran community. How they will grow in each individual life or community is God's business and God's work. However, the spreading of gospel seeds is our work. For that reason, we at Our Saviour now offer you a course in Authentic Christianity, a podcast available on all major podcast platforms. It is available on the Our Saviour Lutheran Church mobile App as well that is available free of charge at the Apple App Store, Google App Store, and Amazon App Store. Lastly, it is also available for web streaming at www.oursaviouronline.org. I hope you will listen to this course and find a deeper appreciation for the gospel seeds that the Lutheran expression of Christianity offer you as you seek your authentic path of meaningfulness with God.
The world around us offers some inadequate answers to these questions. It is now in vogue to claim there is no ultimate meaning in life. The only thing that matters is to enjoy things the best you can - eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die. Manage to acquire as much material happiness as you can and shore up as much material security as you can, because money and things never let you down like people and life often do. In a world that is ultimately meaningless, it doesn't really matter what we do, does it? What we accomplish or don't accomplish is all temporary. If in the end it all falls away, why bother? Why do we even care about things like our origins, our purpose or belonging if there is no point other than making the best of it, having the best ride we can, and postponing the inevitable as long as we can. Unfortunately, this is the perspective of a growing number of people in the world.
It's easy to see why some may adopt this mindset. Life is difficult. Even in the most affluent country in the world, people face a host of challenges, some emotional, psychological, physical, economical, or even spiritual. At times, even in a place of affluence, the meaning of life can evade us. When we have our sustenance needs met and most of our aspirational desires met, we may still struggle to find a sense of meaning. What the best things in our lives may tell us is that luxury does not guarantee security or even meaningfulness. Our greatest blessings may expose the hole left in our hearts that is meant to be filled only by God.
For those awakened to their essential need for God, there comes the question, "Where is God?" and "How do I find a spiritual path with God that is authentic?" or "What does this path look like?"
The Lutheran path of Christianity offers signboards for the discovery of an authentic walk with God. It is not a cardboard cutout that can be applied to every life in exactly the same way. God created every person as a unique event of grace with all the peculiarities, oddities, and specialities that our Creator intended for each of us. But the Lutheran expression of Christianity possesses gospel seeds that when planted in our lives and nurtured, begin to grow and reveal our authentic path with God.
These gospel seeds do not belong to the Lutheran church or any other church, for that matter. They do not belong to we humans at all. They are the manifestation of God and God's work in our lives made real by the God who created us and who sent his Son to walk with us to show us the Way amid a world of meaninglessness.
The seeds imbedded in the Word of God are first a person, Jesus Christ. Secondly, they are mediated to us through the preaching and witness of those who have gone before us. They are imbedded and carried in the Word of God that we call the Bible. And they are imbedded in the common elements of water, bread and wine that we meet in the visible and tangible Word of God, the Sacraments.
The Lutheran expression of Christianity stewards these seeds to all who seek answers to life's great questions. And the persons who receive and use these seeds do not necessarily need to belong to a Lutheran community. How they will grow in each individual life or community is God's business and God's work. However, the spreading of gospel seeds is our work. For that reason, we at Our Saviour now offer you a course in Authentic Christianity, a podcast available on all major podcast platforms. It is available on the Our Saviour Lutheran Church mobile App as well that is available free of charge at the Apple App Store, Google App Store, and Amazon App Store. Lastly, it is also available for web streaming at www.oursaviouronline.org. I hope you will listen to this course and find a deeper appreciation for the gospel seeds that the Lutheran expression of Christianity offer you as you seek your authentic path of meaningfulness with God.
Posted in pastors blog
Recent
Archive
2023
2022
August
September
October
No Comments