Devotion for September 1

Now concerning the collection for the saints… On the first day of every week, each of you is to put aside and save whatever extra you earn… 1 Corinthians 16:1-2.

I was on the inside lane of the two lanes turning right, stopped at the intersection waiting for a long light. He was seated cross legged at the intersection with the usual sign: Will Work for Food…Please. Usually I ignore panhandlers – but, for some reason, I couldn’t fully turn away this time. So, I waved him over and gave him five dollars.

With the economy the way it is, I just couldn’t help believing that the pickings were probably pretty slim for him – and others like him. And I have been blessed – even though things are financially tight at the Foss house like for so many others. But I remembered St. Paul’s injunction above – to set aside, above the usual tithe, money to help those in need. In his case, it was the saints in Jerusalem who were recovering from a severe famine. In my case it was a single indigent hoping to eat. (At least that’s what I choose to believe.)

The spiritual freedom that simple act gave me was wonderful. The temptation in times like these is to hold back, to hang on tightly to what we have and not share. The freedom of the Christian is to let go and give. It’s not so much about what the other does with our generosity. It’s more about what God does in our own heart. And, of course, I’m not talking about irresponsible or excessive generosity. But the simple act of giving can be a spiritual declaration of independence – and, more importantly, of faith.

I’m glad I decided to give that five dollars. I hope you’ll give a bit in your own way too.

Devotion for August 5

Pastor Mike Foss is out of the office for the next few weeks, so other staff members will be writing the devotion in his absence.  This week’s devotion was written by St. Mark Lutheran Church’s Director of Youth Ministries, Jake Bouma.

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“Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.” Colossians 3:9-10

With a new year of programming just around the corner (gasp!), the planning team and I have been doing lots of thinking about the nuts and bolts of confirmation. There is one issue, though, that refuses to stop rattling around in my head: Baptism. Specifically, what does it mean to live into your baptism? How is it possible that a one-time event can perpetually transform us?

It is not difficult to see how the above passage from Colossians influenced Martin Luther’s thoughts in regards to baptism. In his Large Catechism, which is broken into five sections, Luther spends the entire fourth section discussing the concept, theology, and practice of baptism. Towards the end of the section, Luther writes, ”Baptism [is] simply the slaying of the old Adam and the resurrection of the new man, both of which actions must continue in us our whole life long. Thus a Christian life is nothing else than a daily baptism, once begun and ever continued.” 

His gender exclusivity aside, Luther is employing Colossians 3:9-10 to make the case that baptism involves a daily recognition of the significance of our baptism, and from that recognition to make a choice between the “old self” and the “new self”. These two competing selves are described in toto in Colossians 3, providing us followers of Christ with a means to gauge our transformation from “old” to “new”.

Lest we believe that the process is ever complete, Luther reminds us that baptism is a daily event, one that Christians in general and myself in particular would do well to embrace. “The old man,” he says, “therefore follows unchecked the inclinations of his nature if he is not restrained and suppressed by the power of Baptism. On the other hand, when we become Christians, the old man daily decreases until he is finally destroyed. This is what it means to plunge into Baptism and daily come forth again.”

Will you take the plunge with me?