Immanuel Lutheran Church
The Lutheran Missouri Synod3000 W. Main Street
Kalamazoo, Michigan 49006
269-345-8090
Divine Service with Holy Communion
each Sunday at 10:00 a.m.
Sunday Evening Service at 6:00 p.m.
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Pastor's Letter -- Pastor's Notes I have enjoyed my Epiphany series on the Seven Deadly Sins. The chief metaphor for the series has been the cast of the Sixties Sitcom, "Gilligan's Island." The writer, Sherwood Schwartz, based each character on the classic list of the "sins". Pride: The ProfessorThe Sins can be contrasted with Virtues:
None of this is strictly Biblical in that there are no such lists literally in Holy Scripture. A source of the idea is found in Proverbs 6: There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him; haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community. In the New Testament the Apostle Paul gets in the list habit: You were indeed called to be free, brothers and sisters. Don't turn this freedom into an excuse for your corrupt nature to express itself. Rather, serve each other through love. All of Moses' Teachings are summarized in a single statement, "Love your neighbor as you love yourself." But if you criticize and attack each other, be careful that you don't destroy each other.Let me explain further. Live your life as your spiritual nature directs you. Then you will never follow through on what your corrupt nature wants. What your corrupt nature wants is contrary to what your spiritual nature wants, and what your spiritual nature wants is contrary to what your corrupt nature wants. They are opposed to each other. As a result, you don't always do what you intend to do. If your spiritual nature is your guide, you are not subject to Moses' laws. Now, the effects of the corrupt nature are obvious: illicit sex, perversion, promiscuity, idolatry, drug use, hatred, rivalry, jealousy, angry outbursts, selfish ambition, conflict, factions, envy, drunkenness, wild partying, and things like that. I've told you in the past and I'm telling you again that people who do things like that will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the spiritual nature produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There are no laws against things like that. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their corrupt nature along with its passions and desires. If we live by our spiritual nature, then our lives need to conform to our spiritual nature. We can't allow ourselves to act arrogantly and to provoke or envy each other. Besides the "nostalgia" of preaching on a TV show that I am old enough to have watched when it first came out, I have also enjoyed the use of different texts that are outside the norm for the standard Lectionary (that is, series of Scripture readings for each Sunday). Although I highly value that the Lectionary moves the church through the essential story of the Gospel in a year, I have found it interesting to have to engage some different texts in different combinations. After all, such things as the Lectionary are tools to be used for a purpose; they are not the purpose. I should emphasize that the point of "the Seven Deadly Sins" is to reflect on our personal character and integrity in relationship to the Gospel and in doing so to discover the power of the Gospel for changing our lives. What you should have heard, over and over, is how our Lord gives us in our baptisms, all the spiritual strength and power that we will ever need to overcome all the sin that describes us and afflicts us. In the sight of God, we wear perfect Robes of Righteousness given to us through our baptism into Christ. While on earth we do have to live in a fallen world in our own fallen conditions. But in Christ, we are perfect in the sight of God. It is important that we take sin seriously and act to change what we do and say. It is indeed much harder to change how we think. But others only know what we say to them and do (or not do) for them. So, as a Christian people, we can always act according to the will and wisdom of our Lord. We can give our thoughts over to the Lord in Confession and receive Absolution through the Word and through the Sacrament. As we do this, our witness to the World develops and grows and gives us the opportunity to change others through His power and in His Name. That witness is what we are here for (otherwise he would have taken us home long ago). Lent begins soon; I look forward to that journey with you. Pastor David H. Sidwell 
PS. The ship on Gilligan's Island is the S.S. Minnow, named after the head of the FCC, Newton Minnow, who called TV "a vast wasteland." | |||||