February 2014 – Pr. Eric’s Letter
Dear fellow proclaimers,
What do you get when you cross a Mormon with a Lutheran? I don’t know if it is true, but I heard that you get someone that knocks on the door but does not say anything.
It is amazing to me that God has made us God’s own people and a holy nation and a royal priesthood and a chosen race. This is not a small thing for us or for God. Why would God do this? It is, “in order that we may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light.” (I Peter 2:9) It is so that we may proclaim to others what God has done. God wants people to know. Ok, so what has God done? How do we proclaim it?
The answer to these questions depends on your perspective. I know people that are angry at God for not doing the mighty acts that they had hoped and prayed for. I know others that are so grateful for what God has done in their lives that they can’t stop talking about it. But most of the Christians I know (including myself) don’t say much either way.
It seems to me that the first thing we need to do is identify what God has done. For me, the more time I spend in prayers of thanksgiving and confession, the more aware I am of what God has done. When I forget to do that, I forget about God’s mighty acts. The other thing is that until I talk about it with someone, I don’t quite understand or claim it. Seems like as we talk about something, it becomes clearer in our minds and hearts. The psalmist as he remembers to do God’s will writes, “I have not hidden your saving help within my heart, I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation.” (Psalm 40:10) It is pretty clear that we are to share God’s acts, not keep them private or secret.
In chapter 3 of I Peter, the author explains one way to do this. He writes, “Always be prepared to give an an-swer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” (1 Peter 3:15) We all know that actions often speak louder than words.
When we live out the hope that is within us, doing God’s will through loving and caring and giving then we are indeed proclaiming God’s mighty acts. And, when someone sees our hope or our joy or our love they may ask us about it. When they do, it is important that we have a good clear answer. That will be proclaiming God’s mighty acts. And that is why God makes us a holy nation and a royal priesthood and a chosen race.
Blessings in your proclaiming,
Pastor Eric
