“Christ and Calamity” Trinity Lutheran ChurchSchool Lent, 2021

“Christ and calamity go together. When calamity strikes, you need Jesus, and this book is ALL about Jesus!” - Dr. Harold Senkbeil.

No doubt, by now you’re growing weary of the phrase, “new normal.” Perhaps the words, “fluid, canceled, and virtual,” also make veins pop out in your neck, but that’s a discussion for another time. Amid uncertainty and a global pandemic, any number of valuable lessons have been learned, and truths revealed. “Christ and Calamity” and our mid-week Lenten series will speak Gospel truths that every Christian needs to be reminded of again and again.

Each of us, in one way or another, is tempted to ride an emotional, life-experience roller coaster, often trapped vacillating between the thrills of our indescribable triumphs and the weight of unrelenting tribulation. Attempting to endure it all is exhausting, and striving to get off that coaster on our own, fails before we begin. Yet through it all, ​ ​ Christ pleads with us to redirect our focus from our weak and failing faith, to Him who is all powerful, and all loving, and ever faith-FULL. Pastor Senkbeil sums it up this way, “There are many things about the ways of God we cannot understand. However, we do know this much: we have a God who is at his best when times are at their worst.”

The times certainly seem as though they are “at their worst” in these last days. As Christian values and even common sense continue to wane, we may want to cry out with the psalmist, “How long, Oh Lord?” But even as the Lord is patient, in order that more may come to faith, so also is He patient with us, His baptized children. We are quick to become weak in faith, searching for peace for our restless souls in the circumstances of this life...in our work, in our financial status, even in our families. But eventually these will all disappoint us. Only eyes and ears focused on the Christ do we find peace that not only passes our understanding, but that never fails us. It is through Christ and His Spirit alone, that we are able to see the flames and carnage around us, and yet have faith to believe that the Lord is with us. Never will he leave us, and never will he forsake us.

When we lose that proper focus, our suffering, grievances, and the calamity of this life can serve as the catalyst for us to reset, return, and re-focus on the One who was, who is, and who is to come.

Remember, when calamity strikes, you need Jesus, and Lent is ALL about Jesus! Trinity Lutheran ChurchSchool “Christ and Calamity” 2021 Lenten Study Guide

Ash Wednesday (Chapter 1)

Ash Wednesday. Our reality is spoken in the very title of the day. To have ashes imposed on our foreheads is a visible reminder of our current circumstance. We, and all things, are in the process of dying. “For the day you eat of it,” God told Adam, speaking of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, “you will surely die.” (Gen. 2:17) And from the moment Adam and Eve distrusted that promise, calamity ensued. Instead of knowing nothing but good, and having to take God at His Word that evil existed (i.e. the devil and the fallen angels), now Adam, Eve and all of creation would experience the result of evil firsthand. Their lives were suddenly filled with hardship, chaos, and a march toward death. Now fear, pain, and uncertainty were physically seen and felt, and the promised goodness of God had to be believed by faith. Talk about turning the world upside down.

In the time since that first sin, nothing has changed. We look around us for any tidbit of comfort, but all we see are the effects of the slavery of sin, the sting of death, and the power of the devil. Yet, even in our frailty, the Lord pleads with us to turn from our sinfulness, and to find comfort, healing, and certainty in God’s loving disposition toward us in the one and only place that it can be found...in the nail-scarred hands of Christ our Savior.

Pastor Senkbeil writes on page 5, “But one thing about calamities, large or small: they get your attention.” God’s purpose in any calamity is simple...that we, His people, would “return to the Lord our God, for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.” (Joel 2:13) And thus it is with the season of Lent. God bids us to pause, to own up to our sin, and to trust in Him for all things, earthly AND eternal.

While danger lurks all around us on any given day, what are your greatest fears regarding the pandemic? Regardless of the entities one might blame for creating such fear, what can be said about our human condition that allows those fears to take root?

Covid is just the latest in a long line of things that can cause one to lose hope and to despair. Pandemic aside, there has always been illness and threat to the body. There has always been loss of employment, failed relationships, depression, and grief. Where, and how, does one find hope when so much of what is seen and experienced is disappointment, failure, erosion, decay, and eventually death? Put simply, from whence cometh your help? (Yes, Psalm 121 will help).

Read through the dichotomies in 2 Corinthians 6:8-10? How can all these things be true simultaneously? How does the Law (through what we witness and experience in this life) and the Gospel (through what God has promised us by His external Word) teach and inform us as we consider this text?

Likewise, if we were to read our own “rap sheet”, that is, the accusations submitted by Satan for our judgment, we would find described there a train-wreck of a life, filled with discontentment, dishonesty, and distress. And all his accusations would be true. But then and there, Jesus our Advocate enters on the scene, and counters with His own testimony. The punishment for our sins has been paid by HIS death. Our guilt and shame are laid on Him. And in return, we get a clean slate, a full pardon, and an unstained conscience. Wow! How does the knowledge of all this, affect how we take in and face this life? Our blessings? Our misfortunes? Our neighbor?

Consider this hymn verse: ​

Whence come these sorrows, whence this mortal anguish? It is my sins for which Thou, Lord must languish; Yea, all the wrath, the woe, Thou dost inherit, This I do merit. “Oh Dearest Jesus” (LSB 439, verse 3)

Prayer Lord Jesus, increase in me a believing heart, that I may contemplate Your suffering. You entered the Garden of Gethsemane, and You sweat great drops of blood. Lord, have mercy! This was done for me, that I might be delivered from the power of Satan and given new life in Your Name, through the same Jesus Christ my Lord, who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever. Amen.

Trinity Lutheran ChurchSchool “Christ and Calamity” 2021 Lenten Study Guide

Week 2 (Chapters 2-3)

Faith alone! This was one of the great “solas” of the Lutheran Reformation. Martin Luther wrote, “faith alone gives life...faith alone justifies.” But faith cannot exist alone. It needs an ​ object, that is, something to be believed. When the economy looks ominous, we find comfort in a sturdy 401k and a healthy bank statement. When our health becomes compromised, we look for reassurance from our doctor, and healing from his prescriptions. When our marriage falters, or our relationship with one friend goes sour, we seek solace and a listening ear from another one. Make no mistake...ALL these things are good things, blessings from God for which we give thanks. But to put our trust in these good things in times of peril, is to break the first and greatest commandment: to fear, love, and trust in God above all things.

Everyone has faith in something. Christians have faith in Jesus. The greatest thing about Jesus being the object of our faith, is that the weak link gets taken out of the equation. All of the idols described above eventually fail us. Even, we ourselves, fail to walk the line without error from time to time. Only Jesus actively obeyed all of the commandments, all of the time...perfectly. Only Jesus passively endured the torture, shame, and bloody death that was meant to be the just dessert for sin...our sin. When any of the things we look to for hope in this life fail us, the Gospel comes as such sweet comfort, to remind us that true, perfect, and never-failing hope comes to us only in God’s own Son, Jesus our Savior.

On page 17, Dr. Senkbeil writes, “But faith does not hinge on our feelings…” This can be difficult for our emotive humanity to wrap its mind around. Though we Lutherans are well educated to know that our works can’t save us, our lives are brimming with self-justifying behavior. It comes naturally to behave in such a way that would cause us to be liked and accepted by our friends and peers. How can this become dangerous when we live with this mentality toward God? What happens when we “feel” like we’re not measuring up?

Senkbeil continues, “...it is rooted firmly in the promises of God.” The promises of God are constant, true, and unfailing. They always deliver what they say. How can this bring hope for us when everything surrounding us deteriorates, or even when we ourselves, don’t make the grade?

When life turns sour, or maybe when life itself is jeopardized or threatened, trust in the Lord shows itself by “lamenting.” It may seem like just a fancy word for complaining, but Jesus wants you, no, begs you to tell him what’s on your mind. What’s bothering you? What worries you? What grieves you? Complete trust bears its soul to the One it knows has both the capability and the desire to help. It’s the cry of faith! (Senkbeil, page 26).

“Advocate” is a word we don’t use much anymore. To have an advocate is to have someone in your corner. Theologically, Jesus is your Advocate before the Father, in that He pleads your innocence on account of His blood. That brings us certainty and hope. But even beyond that, He sits in a place of power and authority beside the Father, and prays WITH you, your prayers to Him (to the Father). So because you have Jesus in your corner, you have an audience with the Creator of the cosmos. You have the ear of Almighty God, who is delighted to hear your laments. More than that, He answers us not necessarily with what we ask for specifically, but what is best for us. How can this unchanging reality affect our approach to prayer? With such an amazing gift, what kinds of things stand in our way of using this gift often?

Remember that tribulation escapes no one. God does not promise to keep us from suffering, but to sustain us through it. Christ is an Advocate that knows and relates to our suffering, because he suffered first. He can say in all truthfulness...I know what you’re going through. What do you think Senkbeil means by “trusting in cross-shaped love?”

Consider this hymn verse: ​

Whate’er of earthly good this life may grant me, I’ll risk for Thee; no shame, no cross, shall daunt me. I shall not fear what foes can do to harm me Nor death alarm me. “Oh Dearest Jesus” (LSB 439, verse 13)

Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, at Your trial, there were only accusers, but no advocate. This was done for me, so that when my sins and conscience accuse me, You might be my Advocate. You were scourged and beaten, so that I might not suffer for my sins. You were crucified, so that through Your death, I might have life. Truly this is love and mercy, an everlasting gift, so that when I live in terror of my sins or the consequences of this life, I might flee to You and find refuge in Your wounds. In Your holy and precious Name I pray. Amen.

Trinity Lutheran ChurchSchool “Christ and Calamity” 2021 Lenten Study Guide

Week 3 (Chapters 4-5)

You’ve got to admit it...we have life pretty good in this country...and at this time in history. Even amid an ongoing, world-wide pandemic, civil unrest, and political head-smacking, most citizens are able to live fairly unhindered lives with plenty of this life’s finer things. This is not to excuse, or make light of the trials many do face, especially those who actually have lost jobs, or homes, or loved ones. In fact, the suffering we experience because of these and other circumstances highlights the fact that just because we’re comfortable, does not mean our conscience, or soul, or even our emotional selves have found comfort.

Read Hebrews 12:1-2 (page 36). What kind of life is described that one should run with endurance? How does one find comfort in a Savior who has suffered in such an up and down life?

“We too can find joy in suffering,” Dr. Senkbeil says. This hardly means that we have to feign or force happiness when bad things happen. It would be pretty insincere to say, “My car was stolen out of my driveway last night...I’m so blessed. It would be quite the warped mind to think that one is blessed, or favored, because of circumstances like this. It’s quite a different thing entirely, to recognize one’s blessed state IN SPITE of circumstances like this. It says a little later in Hebrews that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. So even when all goes right one day, and the whole world seemingly goes to pot the next, our Lord’s disposition, that is, His favor toward us does not change. EVER! Behold what manner of love the Father has ​ given to us, that WE should be called children of God. And that is what we are! ​ ​ ​ ​

It’s been said that one of the worst things imaginable for a parent to endure is to witness his/her child suffering. If unable to take the suffering from them, that parent would do or give anything to show compassion and lighten their load. A lot can be learned by reflecting on this parent-child analogy. First, it grieves our Lord deeply to see His children suffer (even when, and maybe especially when, that suffering is self-inflicted by wanton sin). Second, like any loving parent, He refuses to leave our side when we’re made to endure one of these trials. However difficult our situation is, the Lord insists that we never face it alone. Have you ever prayed to be “closer” to Jesus? How might this actually be accomplished through affliction and suffering?

How does knowing that Jesus suffered all things, even the penalty we could not pay, help us in our own times of suffering? Subsequently, how does our personal suffering equip us with regard to our neighbor?

If there’s one image that represents suffering more completely than any other, it would have to be that of the cross. There you find self-denial, undeserved mistreatment, shame, and sacrifice. There you find the worst of humanity ganging up and pile-driving the weakest of humanity...the One who was literally unwilling to fight back. This seems to go against every fiber of our 21st century, defensive mentality. Dr. Senkbeil sums it up thusly, “The Christian life is upside down.” (page 47) And yet, such is the scope of God’s love for us, that He would willingly set aside power to take up frailty. The greatest act of love our heavenly Father has ever shown us, was to have His Son take on weakness and vulnerability in the form of human flesh. His power and authority were demonstrated in servanthood. His glory was shown in the form of a cross. What does this indicate to us in the occasion of our own suffering, then?

Read Mark 8:34-35 on the bottom of page 46. What does it actually mean to “follow Jesus” by taking up one’s cross? Is this “cross” being taken up the same for everyone? Who decides what those crosses are?

Finally, while the crosses we bear, that is, the afflictions we face are meant to be endured with patience, they also should not be reduced to times that we live through only to get to happier days. We ought to thank God for our hardships as fervently as we do our triumphs. It’s through trial that we learn self-discipline and to wait on the Lord. One of the things Jesus’ cross reinforces is that God uses seemingly bad circumstances, even evil people and actions, to bring about greater good. And while we don’t go actively seeking our next cross, when it does come, we are able to pray like Paul, “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every circumstance…”

Recall a time when you may have been put in a tight spot in your own life, in order that you might humbly give God thanks and trust in Him for His mercy and grace.

Consider this hymn verse: ​

What punishment so strange is suffered yonder! The Shepherd dies for sheep that loved to wander; The Master pays the debt His servants owe Him, Who would not know Him. “Oh Dearest Jesus” (LSB 439, verse 4)

Prayer: O God, by the patient endurance of Your only-begotten Son You beat down the pride of the old enemy. Help us to treasure rightly in our hearts what our Lord has borne for sakes that, after His example, we may bear patience those things that are adverse to us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Trinity Lutheran ChurchSchool “Christ and Calamity” 2021 Lenten Study Guide

Week 4 (Chapter 6)

Christians are a happy bunch. They live their lives with thankfulness for the past, joy in the present, and hope for the future. (Well, usually). But eventually, all people (Christians included) experience the events of life taking a sudden turn south. As our book describes, it seems common that these undesirable times should come upon us one after another, slowly crushing a person into a beaten, despairing blob. Knowing this, Christians should neither go to unhealthy extremes to avoid suffering, nor should they falsely celebrate suffering (or go looking for it), as though they enjoyed it. There’s room between the two, and this is where the joyful, Christian life is found.

It is natural for us to want to hide our weaknesses and diminish our pains. This is probably a bigger problem for men than for women, but that’s a debate for another day. Suffice it to say, we all desire for others to see us in the strongest, most capable, most independent light. And while we may be able to pull this off for a while with our family or friends, trying to hide our weakness and pain from God, is a bit like trying to roller skate on icy Davenport side streets in the winter time. You don’t get anywhere.

Read Lamentations 3:52-54 (page 59), and note how Jeremiah addresses the Lord over the ongoing calamity in Judah. There are several things that could be pointed out about these four, short verses. We’ll consider three here, but you will likely be able to address more in your own meditation. First, honesty is critical. God already knows what’s in the heart, and what’s about to pass through the lips, so any dishonesty is only a lie to one’s self. Like forgiveness requiring a repentant heart, making light of, or trying to sugarcoat what we’re truly feeling before God, only makes comfort and healing harder to attain. (It doesn’t do any favors for our trust in the Almighty, either). How can letting everything hang out before the Lord actually be a comforting breath of fresh air?

Second, notice how Jeremiah speaks his prayer in the first person. This actually comes quite naturally, especially when in privacy and solitude, one is baring his/her soul in complete honesty. This first person language is conversational and relational...the very manner in which the Father wants to hear from His children. Remember, the Father knows what you need even before you ask.

Finally, note how factual Jeremiah’s prayer reads...so much so, it actually tells the story. How we feel about our current situation needs to be voiced to God, to be sure, but it likely will be quite helpful not to dwell there. When we state the facts of our trials, we can also train ourselves to focus on what God has factually stated and promised regarding His help and presence in those trials. How might praying the “facts” of our struggles, and weighing them against what God has said regarding them, actually bring about comfort and peace, even while still in the midst of the struggle?

On page 61, Dr. Senkbeil writes, “When our lives turn catastrophic, pay more attention to those who are rushing into the trauma than those who are fleeing it.” These words of wisdom are not only exemplary for sound, Christian living, but are also good advice for every corner of humanity in search of moral character. They also set the stage for what are arguably two of the best pages in the entire book.

We have become quite skilled in 21st century, civilized countries at avoiding pain and suffering at all costs...or at least at faking it. We spend untold millions each year on miracle foods, miracle drugs, and miracle preventions and cures all with the hopes of living a comfortable, pain-free life. Ironically, the longer this ruse goes on, the less equipped we become at processing and handling life when adversity does come. And it always comes. Fear and panic cause a person to act and make decisions that are counter-productive and often harmful. And yet, these last two pages of chapter 6 (and all of Scripture), urge us not to waste our effort searching for a “whatever it takes” path out of our current fire, but to focus on the One who comes rushing into the flames to join us.

Think of a recent time you were made to endure gut-wrenching tribulation. Perhaps you are currently. In these circumstances, why is it such a temptation to wait to rely completely on God until we’ve exhausted every other possible aid and cure? What are some things you choose to trust in before God?

Consider this hymn verse: ​

When life’s troubles rise to meet me, Though their weight May be great, They will not defeat me. God, my loving Savior, sends them, He who knows All my woes Knows how best to end them. “Why Should Cross and Trial Grieve Me” (LSB 756, verse 2)

Prayer: Dear Father in heaven, at times it pleases you that we should walk a road of suffering. Grant, that by means of our crosses, we would be drawn away from the world, its desires, sins, and habits, and turn and cling to You alone. You often take what we delight in most so that we may count You as our highest and dearest treasure. Grant us Your Spirit, that we may be ever strengthened to do this with thankfulness and hope, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Trinity Lutheran ChurchSchool “Christ and Calamity” 2021 Lenten Study Guide

Week 5 (Chapter 7)

By now, you might be thinking, “These chapters seem to sound a lot alike. Things happen...God provides...we trust and give thanks...repeat.” It’s no coincidence that this seems to mimic the typical cycle of the life of a Christian. Life is filled with experiences, both good and bad; triumph and trial. God always provides...when life hands us much and when life takes it all away. And, per the instruction of the Apostle Paul, in all circumstances, we give thanks. It’s not waiting for the other shoe to drop. It’s knowing with certainty that God desires to bless us, and that He uses both good and hard times in life to do just that.

Much has been said about the difference between joy and happiness. Reflect for a moment what that difference might look like for you. Happiness, it could be said, is emotive. It ebbs and flows with the circumstances of the day. Comparatively, joy is more a state of being, still experiencing happiness and sadness, but staying constant, because it’s based on hope in something else. This is true for believer and non-believer, alike. Many attach their joy in life to any number of good things: to family or a special relationship, to a rewarding career or to country, to status or financial security. As has been mentioned before, all these are blessings from the Almighty. But all these fail us from time to time. They are variable by nature, and so any emotion we attach to them is also variable. This leaves two, less than positive options: feel beaten, broken, and despairing all the time, or fake happiness, and pretend all is well when it clearly is not. Both are exhausting! Can you think of a time when you may have been in exactly this place?

True joy...Christian joy, however, is rooted in the actions and promises of the Lord Jesus, as found in His Word. Because these things will never fail us, our joy is constant and consistent. This puts the life of a Christian in a unique situation...he/she can simultaneously be grieving AND joyful! This can be seen most distinctly at a Christian funeral, where mourning and grief over the loss of the deceased can be intense, all while rejoicing that suffering and pain have ended, and that we’ll meet again in the Resurrection. Senkbeil sums it up nicely, “Yet joy remains even when happiness fades. No matter the circumstance, Christians who plant their hope in God can harvest genuine joy in the rocky soil of adversity or in the deepest, darkest valley of pain. Joy and faith are linked.” (page 71)

How might the limitations and isolation that have come about through this pandemic been part of God’s “faith-testing” program for you specifically, but also for His Church at-large?

Read James 1:2-4 (page 72). Note that we are to count it joy, and not necessarily happiness, ​ ​ ​ ​ when trials come...that is, when our faith is tested. Christian joy always has the benefit of knowing the end result. Imagine watching a recorded sporting event of your favorite athletic team in which you already know the game’s final score. Throughout the played back broadcast, any number of exciting, game-changing plays will undoubtedly occur. Under normal circumstances, all this back-and-forth action would likely result in a roller coaster of emotions and actions...celebration, disgust, elation, nervousness, singing the fight song, throwing things at the T.V....you get the picture. The point is, our entire state of mind is based on each successive play, because each play is vital to the unknown outcome. But when watching the game after the fact, even though we get to enjoy the up and downs of the individual plays, our emotional state can remain much more constant, because we already know how the game ends. Such is the life of a Christian.

So when the trials come, Christians are able to endure the temporary pain, because they know that Christ shares in the suffering right beside them, AND because they already know the final score. When attached to Christ through Baptism...SATAN CAN’T WIN! Thanks be to God.

Consider this hymn verse: ​

God gives me my days of gladness, And I will Trust Him still When He sends me sadness. God is good; His love attends me Day by day, Come what may, Guides me and defends me. “Why Should Cross and Trial Grieve Me” (LSB 756, verse 3)

Prayer:

Loving Father, you would test my faith, whether I believe that You are an almighty, wise, and merciful God who is able to deliver me from distress. You would test my patience, whether I will gladly bear my crosses to Your glory. You would test my confidence, whether I trust in You above all things and rely on Your grace, mercy, and love. Give me Your Holy Spirit, that He may furnish me with the strength and ability to do this, when trial and tribulation come. Without You it is impossible for me to maintain myself in such troubles, but by Your Spirit and gracious comfort I can be more than a conqueror. For You, dear Father, are my Refuge and Strength, for you have given me the victory, through Jesus Christ, my Lord. Amen.

Trinity Lutheran ChurchSchool “Christ and Calamity” 2021 Lenten Study Guide

Week 6 (Chapter 8)

Philosophers have said that there is no such thing as darkness; only absence of the light. That is, darkness is what’s left over when all the light is removed. We can immediately make connections to this thought through a Biblical lens. When Christ, the Light of the world is removed, darkness encroaches. When the Word, which is a Light unto our path, is disallowed from every facet of society, darkness will eventually rule over that society. Lord, have mercy.

Within a Christian life, however, darkness could be viewed as the absence of the visible proofs that God still rules and reigns over all creation...the removal of any evidence that we can see or feel, that God still loves us. Tangible indications of such a darkness have been overwhelming over the past year. Giving thanks to God and trusting His promises can be difficult when disease, pain, civil unrest, political chaos, isolation, and death are so much of what we see and experience. And yet, as Senkbeil reminds us, there is a blessing for you today, for those who don’t SEE Jesus in the chaos of our fallen world, and yet BELIEVE He is present and working in all of it.

Read Psalm 139:7-10 (page 80). Do you ever worry that there are circumstances or actions, perhaps even that you helped cause, that reach beyond where God is able or willing to go? For as long as this earth exists, as messy and deranged as it gets, God will go where you go. Verse 8 might very well be understood as a description of vertical book ends. Heaven is as high as one can go, and Sheol the very lowest. Your Jesus would go to either, as well as anywhere in between, to keep you from struggling alone. And where Jesus’ presence is, so also His comfort and strength for those who trust in Him.

St. Paul tells the Christians in Rome the very same thing using these words, “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39) There it is. If you are riding a high streak, enjoying the sheltered blessings of this life, with health and happiness...be grateful and humble, because Almighty God, who sends you these things, is with you. If you are suffering one setback after another, feeling the unbearable pains of any and every kind of loss, and loathe the fact that no one seems to care about or understand what you’re facing...pause, and take heart, because Almighty God, who sends also these things, is WITH you.

God walks with us every step of our troubled way and knows our sorrows intimately, to be sure. “Never will I leave you, nor will I forsake you,” the Lord God says. But He also cares deeply about what becomes of us when we emerge from the other side of our tribulation. It has been said that God cares more that we are holy than that we are happy. What might be meant by this thought? Can Christians be holy/become holier? What about unbelievers? Martin Luther used to claim that three things made a theologian...prayer, the Word, and tribulation. It is fair to say that God uses these same three things to make a Christian more Christ-like...that is to say, to make him/her holy. The fancy term for this is “sanctification,” which takes place throughout the entire earthly life of a Christian. Prayer and meditation on God’s Word is simple to understand. We’re not always very good at being faithful with it, but it’s easy to see how these would make us more holy, more like Christ. But suffering? When one prays to be a follower of Christ, or to be more like Christ, for what is he/she actually praying?

The end of Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians contains an intriguing number of verses. In quick succession, Paul gives us several imperatives on what “God’s will” means for us. “Rejoice always,” (vs. 16), “pray continually,” (vs.17). So good, so far...we’ve discussed joy and prayer already through our Lenten journey. Paul continues, “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (vs. 18). It can be difficult enough to remember to give thanks for all the good gifts and times we’re given. Now we’re told to be thankful for the bad stuff too? Yes, the bad stuff, too.

Sorrow that enters our lives is not a matter of blind chance or accident. Anything that causes us sorrow is something the Savior has sent Himself or allowed to come, but only to serve our good. Trial is always intended to bring us closer to Jesus, and to trust Him with life’s every detail. Though we often have different ideas than God about what makes us better people or better Christians, (that is, more holy), ultimately, we trust in Him to bring about what He knows is best for each of us. This is why we pray, “not my will be done, but Yours.” This is the Christian’s first and greatest “cross”...to surrender his/her will.

Psalm 119 is a massively long thesis on how joy and desire for following God’s Law, though often times difficult, is an exceedingly blessed endeavor. Perhaps, one of the most well-known of its 176 verses is verse 105, which describes how God’s Word brightens the darkness. Note, though, that for each individual, it is our feet and our path that our filled with light. We can proceed through the gravest and most difficult times in this life with all joy and certainty, confident in God’s love for us AND His will for us, even if we don’t get to see or understand how it affects the outlying areas. We can find joy even in our suffering, because we know that His path, well-lit by His Word, will always lead us home.

Consider this hymn verse: ​

Be still, my soul; the Lord is on your side; Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain; Leave to your God to order and provide; In ev’ry change He faithful will remain. Be still, my soul; your best, your heav’nly Friend, Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end. “Be Still My Soul” (LSB 752, verse 1)

Prayer:

O God, I know that You are merciful and faithful. Have mercy on me when I am distressed and strengthen me by Your presence when I call out to You, through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen. Trinity Lutheran ChurchSchool “Christ and Calamity” 2021 Lenten Study Guide

Good Friday (Chapters 9-10)

It has long been quipped, that only two things in this life are certain...death and taxes. While one has no place on this solemn day, the other takes center stage. From the moment something new comes into living existence on this planet, it begins the process of dying. People, plants, animals...it makes no difference. Short of Jesus’ return in glory, everyone will die. It has also been suggested (in broad terms), that the two greatest fears people have are speaking in public and dying. What do you think people fear more...death itself, or the process of dying? Because of Good Friday, we have a completely new way to look at and approach death. More on that later.

One of the most unfortunate effects of a year long pandemic and its lock-downs has been isolation and its resulting loneliness. Growing old, becoming increasingly dependent, or even facing illness or death itself tend to amplify feelings of facing our suffering alone. In His own suffering and death, Jesus was meant to face three distinct types of anguish. First, physical suffering. We have all experienced enough physical pain to know that whips, thorns, nails, and slowly sufficating would be excruciating. The second is shame. Ridicule, mockery...here again, most of us have been sinned against, and know a bit what shame feels like, especially when undeserved. Finally, Jesus suffered God’s wrath. Unlike the other two, this is a suffering so profound, we’re not even able to fully comprehend it. He was despised and rejected by mankind (Isaiah 53:3), and worse, was stricken and afflicted by God (vs. 4). Left to hang there and die, alone.

What is the most fearful or disheartening aspect of loneliness? Consider this...from the cross, Jesus prays to His father the words of Psalm 22. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Like us, Jesus (in His humanity) had no idea, having lived a perfect life, why he was being made to suffer so horribly. So he turned to the only One He knew was for Him...His heavenly Father. And, in the shocking fashion, the Father ignored Him! He turned His back and refused to listen to His Son’s prayer. Why did He do this?

One of the reasons we fear death so, is because of the way we look at it and speak about it. For the pagan, death is the unavoidable end of a life lived. From that viewpoint, perhaps death is a part of life (the final part). But death was never meant to be a part of anything. Death is the violent separation of body and spirit, a condition that God never intended for the crown of His creation. It doesn’t help the way the world talks about death. Try to think of some names or phrases we use to describe death. (Here’s one to get you started: “To kick the bucket”).

Scripture has a much more lovely way of speaking of the death of a believer. Francis Pieper, a ​ Lutheran pastor and theologian, and the fourth president of the LCMS (who was also from Centerville, Iowa, by the way), writes in his Christian Dogmatics of the “Mortis Dulcia Nomina,” ​ ​ the “Sweet Names of Death.” He notes many of the times throughout the Bible where one’s death is described in much softer, more transformational terms. Consider a few: “Gathered to one’s people,” (Genesis 25), “Depart in peace,” (Luke 2), “Rest,” (Rev. 14 and Hebrews 4), and “Gain,” (Phil. 1:21). Consider how far these names are from fearing death, but a state that is anticipated, even longed for.

Because of Jesus’ death, a Christian’s death will never be the ending of a life lived. It has become a mere portal to everlasting life with our Savior. Our whole lives, including our physical death, become a stripping away of every part of us that is diseased with sin. While the soul goes instantaneously to be with the Lord, the body (the last remaining tidbit of our sinful existence) is put in the ground to await its resurrection.

Paul describes this portal from earthly death to everlasting life in his letter to the Romans: “For ​ if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of ​ ​ sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who ​ ​ has died has been set free from sin.” (Romans 6:5-8).

This is a game changer for the Christian facing death, as well as for everyone who must experience their loved ones dying. Though painful emotionally (and often physically), with that ​ last shred of our old sinful nature being destroyed, finally we are able to “depart in peace.” And because Jesus cried “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me,” we are able to pray with confidence in our every misery, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me.” It quite literally puts the “good” in Good Friday. ​ ​

Consider this hymn verse: ​

Jesus lives! And now is death But the gate of life immortal; This shall calm my trembling breath When I pass its gloomy portal. Faith shall cry, as fails each sense: Jesus is my confidence! “Jesus Lives! The Victory’s Won” (LSB 490, verse 5)

Prayer:

O Jesus, let Your bitter pains ever be before my eyes and in my heart. Let me draw from them comfort and obtain righteousness from it, and by it be made a godly person. All that you suffered, I ought to have suffered. Salvation, life, peace, joy, comfort, bliss, and the crown of life have all been freely given to me. Because of this, I fear not death. Grant that Your last words upon the cross shall become for me a word of comfort and cheer upon my own blessed death, “Father, into Your hands I commit my Spirit.” Through Jesus Christ my Lord I pray. Amen.

Trinity Lutheran ChurchSchool “Christ and Calamity” 2021 Lenten Study Guide

The Resurrection (Chapter 11)

Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed. Alleluia!

Finally! Lent and the bulk of Holy Week are meant to be a spiritual journey of sorts. The walk through Christ’s life and ministry, his Passion, and ultimately his death sentence upon a Roman cross can be a struggle every year for even the most seasoned Christian. To focus on one’s temporary nature (ashes to ashes), the depth of our wretched sinfulness, the realization that all is lost without a savior, and the certain knowledge that Jesus is the only Savior who ever could (and does) save us creates a laboring sojourn through the fullness of human emotion. Christ died for sinners. Christ died for you. And then, finally comes the Resurrection.

The goal and aim of the Christian Church is never to sway or manipulate emotions. However, to recall and meditate on all that Christ has done and won for us, certainly creates a swell and bubbling over of emotion. Think or talk about some of the things that make this day special for you. When you enter the Church this Easter, observe all that you see, hear, smell, etc. The joy on the faces of the people, the smell of lilies, the fine clothing and hats (oh, the hats!), the elevation of the organ and instruments, the flavor of the hymns themselves, and the chancel dressed in white all suggest something special. And then there’s the light...remember how mere hours before we left in darkness and silence? Now, on this special “eighth” day, the brilliance has returned, with singing and rejoicing and the shouting of “He is risen!”

And while the day involves special celebration in the Church, the events of Good Friday and Resurrection Day provide the catalyst for living each day, in fact each moment with joy, peace, thanksgiving, and certain hope. Knowing our final destination with absolute certainty gives the Christian a unique ability to focus on the here and now. Dr. Senkbeil writes, “Jesus teaches us to face our losses and disasters by taking each day as it comes, assured of the blessings He gives us by faith…” (Page 114). Consider how one’s own journey through the season of Lent is experienced and viewed through the lens of the Resurrection, which awaits us at the end. How is the whole of the Christian life similar to this? How does all of this make you a valuable resource to the people around you?

As each day comes, we live by faith in God’s Word and by prayer. Through our Resurrection lens, all things are seen as gifts from our heavenly Father, the One who has given so very much to win us back from an eternity of misery, pain, and death. Yes, even the bad stuff. Not only do we give thanks for what we would consider to be our “positive” blessings, but as St. Paul says, “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, ​ ​ ​ and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame…” (Romans 5:3-5).

Can you imagine how the devil views you now? The hatred he holds for you? We rejoice and give thanks in times of plenty. We rejoice and give thanks in times of need. He’s damned (quite literally) if he throws the kitchen sink at us, and he’s damned if he doesn’t. We just keep trusting the Savior day by day to work things out for our good in His perfect time. And this, not in any proud, “name it and claim it” way, but only because God, in His tender mercy and loving kindness, enables us to do so. We are deeply and truly grateful and pray each day, “Give us this day our daily bread.” What does this mean? What does it say about our view of the future?

Each year, we walk the repentant, Lenten road to come at last to the events of Holy Week...our Lord’s suffering, death, and resurrection. You simply can’t get to Easter without going through Good Friday. In similar fashion, the path to eternal life in the Resurrection MUST pass through Jesus, and on this side of heaven’s door, that means suffering. There’s no avoiding or passing by the effects of evil in this life. “Suffering must be suffered.” (page 120). But like an athlete who sees past the struggles of training to the reward of competition, or the mother whose focus is not fixed on the her pain during labor, but on the joy of the the life she’ll soon bring forward, so too, the Christian endures the trials of life on earth longing for what lies ahead, trusting in the Lord Jesus through it all. He suffered, so that He might always be with you, and in Your own suffering, you are with Him.

Death has been swallowed up in victory. Thanks be to God.

Consider this hymn verse: ​

If Christ had not been raised from death Our faith would be in vain, Our preaching but a waste of breath, Our sin and guilt remain. But now the Lord is ris’n indeed! He rules in earth and heav’n: His Gospel meets a world of need- In Christ we are forgiv’n. “If Christ Had Not Been Raised From Death” (LSB 486, verse 1)

Prayer:

Dear Savior, Your resurrection give to me strength and comfort in my sufferings. You lay locked in the tomb, but came forth the Victor. Thus the night of my affliction will also pass. The day of my own deliverance is appointed for me. Provide for me while I live, sustain me while I suffer, protect me from my enemies, gladden me in affliction, until that day when You will give me the crown of life, which You have promised. In Your risen and glorified Name I pray. Amen.