Back when I had cable TV, I would often watch movies that I would never ever pay money to see in the theater. For example, there was a terrible movie that came out in 2000 called “Bedazzled.” If the name doesn’t ring a bell, be thankful. It was awful.

The plot of this movie is as old as time. Someone doesn’t have something they want. Satan offers it to them but with strings attached. Usually it has something to do with “selling your soul” or some other unknown consequence hidden in the fine print.

In Bedazzled, the main character just wants to be with the woman he secretly longs for. Satan gives him what he wants (for a price) and it never goes the way he hoped it would.  Do not rent, buy or borrow this movie. You will never get that 90 minutes back.

Like I said this story is as old as time. In Genesis, the serpent offers Adam and Eve the “forbidden fruit” and essentially tells them that eating it was no big deal… it was a big deal.

One of the most famous stories about making a deal with the devil comes from Germany all the way back in the 1400’s. The story is about a man named Faust who wants more knowledge. As the story goes, he sells his soul to Lucifer to gain this knowledge.

Even Jesus faced this very real temptation during his forty days in the wilderness. When Satan came to tempt Jesus the second time this is what happened:

The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world.  And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if you worship me, it will all be yours.” 

Hey Jesus, I’ll give you everything! You’ll be in charge! You will be the greatest leader of all time! Power is good! Just worship me, you know…sell your soul.

As you know, Jesus said, “No thanks” and then reminded Satan that only God the Father is worthy of praise.

This isn’t a battle only for Jesus. At the end of 2 Timothy, Paul is giving his final instructions to Timothy when he writes this:

Do your best to come to me quickly (Timothy), for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica.

A lot of things compete for our attention like poor Demas. Not only do they compete, but they consume us. Not unlike Golem’s unhealthy obsession with a certain powerful ring in J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings.” Eventually you will be let down by the things that you hold too tightly. We may never sell our souls or make a deal with the devil that is so dramatically portrayed in the movies and literature- but in some ways, we don’t need to.

We willingly let money and power get in the way of God’s intentions for us.

The biblical word for this is idolatry. We elevate things above God and make them sacred.

For example, many Lutheran pastors I know around the country have been told recently by their congregations that their sermons are “too political”. Why is that? I suppose it could be that these pastors are being too partisan which is incompatible with Biblical preaching. However, my guess is that the clear majority of people have elevated politics and political parties above God. Politics can be a religion to some.  Seeing the unbridled passion of people in this election cycle tells me this might be the case. I would love to see that same white hot devotion directed at Jesus and the priorities he told us are important.

Believe it or not I am still the same person I was a year ago. I have been called to preach the word and speak on behalf of “the least of these.” That is more uncomfortable today than it was six months ago.

This coming Sunday is Christ the King Sunday. Come and hear about what it means to follow the King of Kings and Lord of Lords today.

Won’t it be nice in heaven when we will be able to laugh and say, “I am so glad there will never be an election again because Jesus is the King of eternity.”

God bless,
Pr. Ben

Many Bethel people wanted to see the letter I preached about last Sunday. It was written before election day and was addressed to whoever won the election. We now know who won the election. The letter still stands. I have only added a postscript that reflects the current state of events. Everything else in the letter was written before election day so as not to be accused of being a partisan hack.

Dear President-Elect,
This election cycle has shown the extent of the division within our country. It is also clear that neither you nor your opponents reached a threshold of victory of 50%. To say it in a different way- only a portion of the country voted for you and there is no so called mandate.

We haven’t seen rifts in our country like this since 1964 shortly after the passage of the Civil Rights Act that caused southern Democrats to leave their party.

I hope that now that the election is over that you will spend this time repairing the damage that polarization causes. The time for accusations and personal attacks is over. It is time to recover the term “We the people” and bridge the chasm of “us versus them.”

This is important because governments like churches are fragile. These institutions are based on trust. When there is a lack of faith in our governing documents and leadership —churches close and governments fall.  Our nation was birthed out of a lack of faith in government. The Civil War began over a lack of faith in our federal government.

It is often said that the weight of the office of President changes a person. I pray that transformation happens for you.

Whether you care to admit it or not, transparency has been an ongoing issue for both major party candidates to one degree or another. Transparency is connected to integrity. Of course each party has said the other candidate is worse than the other. That is irrelevant now, you will be taking the oath of office in January and as our next president we expect transparency and not hiding things from us. Integrity matters.

Many in this country believe that the separation between church and state means that faith is not welcome in the halls of power. However, we know that this means there will be no state sanctioned religion. It is time for you to embrace your relationship with God more than ever.

Since you and your opponent have stated that you are both people of faith specifically the Christian faith, let me remind you that God is not bound by our constitution. Neither was God impressed with Nebuchadnezzar’s personal power. God used Daniel to remind Nebuchadnezzar that caring for the least of his constituency is vitally important.* And Jesus warned the politically astute Pharisees that caring for others above appearances matters to God.

As King Nebuchadnezzar found out, the Most High God is sovereign over the kingdoms of this world and gives them to anyone he wishes. Your leadership, like all leadership is a stewardship. It is temporary and even you are accountable. We hope and pray that you already know this and that you will ask yourself daily, what is God’s will in every decision you make.

While it is true you are accountable to us, the citizens of the U.S.A. we are not your source of greatest accountability.  And while it is also true you must communicate with the United States congress, someday you will report to someone with far more power.

While you will talk and consult with other world leaders during your presidency, we hope you will not forget to consult with the Creator of the Universe and the Creator of this nation.

We wish you the best because our future will be impacted by your decisions.

May God bless you,
Pr. Ben

*P.S. “The least of these” in our nation are very scared right now because of the things you said on the campaign trail. Do they have a reason to be scared?

Whew! I am glad the baseball season is over. I am not sure my heart and my head could take much more after Wednesday night’s extra inning, game 7. Most of you know what happened, the Chicago Cubs after 108 years won the World Series. It was the longest championship “drought” of any sports team…ever.

I know you didn’t come to this article to read the sports section or hear about my favorite team. As you might have guessed, I tend to think about things through the lens of theology. I think about God a lot.

You might think my enthusiasm for the Cubs is recreational or even despicable—I get that. However, I have been thinking about my slight devotion to the Cubs in a different way.

Before I proceed, if it is easier for you to insert another team or another sport, be my guest.

I realized that my support for this baseball team is a microcosm of my faith in God.

(Disclaimer: my faith in God is far and away the most important thing to me. I am not making them equal in any way, shape or form.)

When I think back to the last World Series win in 1908, there has been a lot of waiting. My grandfather who lived in that neighborhood was 4 years old in 1908. He grew up a Cubs fan because Wrigley Field was within walking distance of his home. I am sure soon after that series of 1908 there were hopes that another World Series win would not be far behind.

There was optimism and faith that this team could win and go all the way by many who lived, died and believed that this would happen again one day. There were even prophets like Harry Caray who said at the end of 1991 season, “Sure as God made green apples. Someday the Chicago Cubs are going to be in the World Series.” And there were others too numerous to mention.

Many like myself, believed and waited. There were good times and a lot of bad times. There are years that stand out as “the worst of times.” (1945, 1969, 1984, 1989, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2015) Some of those years were worse than others. Heartbroken, we still believed. Halley’s Comet has come and gone twice since 1908.

Many of us became Cub fans because a previous generation or two had passed that love on to us and we promised to carry that torch forward as they could no longer wait for “that day” to arrive.

Then on Wednesday, November 3^rd 2016 the Cubs won their first World Series since 1908.

However, being a Cubs fan has prepared me for something greater… waiting on God and waiting for God.  “Keeping the faith” is a hard thing to do in this broken world. There are times we want to throw up our hands and give up or give in. It is faith that stops me from quitting. 2 Corinthians 5:7 reminds me that, “We live by faith, not by sight.”

This faith that God has given me was in part passed down from that same grandfather that grew up in the shadow of Wrigley Field (which was partially built on the grounds of a Lutheran seminary). He never gave up on God (or the Cubs).

As the Cubs made their final out, I couldn’t help but think of those who waited for this day like my grandpa Carlson who kept the faith and the prophets who never saw their prophecies to come fruition. That was who I was thinking about as the Cubs won. There was elation but also some sadness too.

As we approach All Saint’s Sunday, I am joyful knowing that God provided a way for all His children to be with Him in heaven, but sad that we cannot share in that relational connection in all its fullness right now. I can’t help but think of the Old Testament prophets who pointed to the coming Savior but did not live long enough to see their prophecy come to fruition or the faithful millions who passed on the faith to the next generation with the promise that one day Jesus will return to fix all that has gone wrong.

Being a fan of this baseball team is like being at spring training for the “real season.” The season of following God and waiting on Him. I have learned patience and persistence along the way. I know that I can wait until Jesus’ return even if it seems an eternity away. Waiting can make you doubt, but keeping the faith until the end will be joyfully sweet.

Don’t give up, because God is for us.  And “if God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31b

God bless,
Pr. Ben

Last week on Facebook I posted this short (true) story…

Rabbi Abraham Heschel (one of greatest Jewish theologians and mystics of the 20th century) had a conversation with his daughter many, many years ago about creation… “When I build, I build with my blocks. When those men built our house, they used bricks and cement. Why did God create the world with words?”

Rabbi Heschel stroked his long white beard, smiled, and responded, “That’s simple: It was to teach us an important lesson: Just as God created our world with words, our words create worlds, too. So we must use our words very carefully, because kind words create a kind world, but mean words create a mean world.

Think about that for a moment. God spoke the universe into creation, demonstrating the power of God and the power of words.

Rabbi (and scholar) Heschel (whom I admire greatly) reminds his daughter (and us) that words matter. Words that begin as ideas have the power to create. No, not like God speaking physical things into existence. Let me explain. Look around you right now. Everything that was made by a human (houses, cars, computers, phones, etc.) began as an idea. That idea was then articulated (spoken) to others. A plan was made and it was created.

Even more esoteric things began as words. For example, The United States of America. We were born out of the idea that “all people are created equally.” We could debate endlessly whether or not we live up to that ideal, but we certainly can agree that those words matter and they are powerful. Our independence and then subsequently our government is based on words. Words have the power to create new realities.

We should be careful with our words because our ideas have the possibility of becoming someone else’s reality. Especially when we label or call someone a name. That may stick on that person like glue for the rest of their lives. Words matter.

The same could be said for the current election cycle we are currently nearing the end of, thank God. Every candidate of every party should understand that their words have power. They may be “just words” to them but they have the possibility of creating new realities in other people. Dangerous words can birth dangerous realities in the future.

With that said, let me remind everyone you that no political party can save you or the country. Only God can do that. That is where I put my trust. God’s words matter more than most to me because it was God who sent his Word (Christ) into the world for our benefit. It is the same Word that died on the cross outside of Jerusalem and uttered in his final breath the most powerful words ever, “It is finished.” (John 19:30). At that moment a new reality was created: Humanity was forgiven and no longer separated from God’s infinite love. Words matter.

God bless,
Pr. Ben

I ran across a handout that Dartmouth College assembled for its employees. The subject of the handout is “workplace bullying.” They use: the following sources to compile this handout: U.S. Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Labor (OSHA) and the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries.

You might be asking yourself, why would I post something on bullying? As a Christian, how we treat others is more than important; it matters to God. If you are reading this you already know the summary of the entire Old Testament according to Jesus: Love God, love people. (See The Great Commandment found in Matthew 22:34-40.)

Last Sunday, I mentioned another character trait that matters: integrity. (Click on the link to listen to what I said about integrity. It is the first 3 minutes or so: https://benbergren.com/sermon-lost-found-sharing-good-news/ ) As a Christian, the things I say and do point to Jesus… even the bad stuff. More than that, we also have been called to be a voice for those who have been marginalized. (“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.” Proverbs 31:8-9). Being aware of what bullying behavior looks like will help all of us be reflective of our own actions and be responsive to anyone who intimidates others.

Here is a portion what Dartmouth College shared with its employees…

When someone snaps at you or ignores you because they are under pressure or in a bad mood, that is not bullying. Bullying involves persistent, abusive, and frightening behavior designed to make the target feel upset, humiliated, and threatened. The following profile fits most bullies:

• Blames others for errors (Deflection)
• Makes unreasonable demands on others
• Criticizes the work ability of others in front of others
• Inconsistent enforcement of arbitrary rules
• Threats of job loss, insults and put downs (abuse of power)
• Downplays or denies accomplishments in others
• Social exclusion of others
• Yells and screams at target (often in front of others)
• Takes credit for another person’s work
• Women are targets of men 69% of the time
• Women are targets of women’s bullying ‘eight to one’ times more often than men are

A Bully Often:

• Seeks to dominate and/or manipulate others
• Enjoys feeling powerful and in control (whether real or not).
• Is both a poor winner (boastful and arrogant) and a poor loser
• Seems to derive satisfaction from other’s fears, discomfort or pain
• Is good at hiding behaviors or doing them where those in authority can’t notice (secretive)
• Is excited by conflicts between others
• Blames others for his/her problems
• Displays uncontrolled anger (rage)
• May have a history of ongoing discipline problems
• Displays a pattern of impulsive and aggressive behaviors
• Displays intolerance
• Lacks empathy towards others

Bethel Lutheran Church and School is definitely a “no bully” zone. I pray that your place of employment, and your home is equally safe.

I pray for all the victims who have been bullied in their life because I can still remember what it feels like to be picked on.  If you are currently a victim of a bully, reach out to someone who can help you break this cycle of emotional violence.

God bless,
Pr. Ben

On Wednesday night 40 of us gathered at Bethel and watched the documentary “When God left the Building.” (For those of you who call Bethel home, you can check the video out of the library at church.) The documentary talks about the decline of church attendance across the United States. To help the watcher understand what is happening in churches; the documentary also told the story of the Kodak Film Company.

Kodak went out of business (declared bankruptcy) because they did not adapt to the changing market and technology advancement. They were so consumed with being in the film business they failed to adapt when digital photography became the “new normal.” Instead of being in the “picture business” Kodak over focused on the “film business” that eventually became a niche market. The most ironic part of the story is that a Kodak engineer developed the first digital camera in 1976 but the company did nothing with it.

Kodak failed to see the changes that were happening even though they were quite obvious. They wanted to hold onto what they had (film and film processing) and ignore what was staring them in the face.

The point was made that when we try to hold on to the past and/or institutional stability we will not have the ability to hold on to Jesus. If keeping the church doors open another year is more important than knowing Jesus and being Jesus in the world there will be decline.

As I watched this documentary it became clear that some people didn’t even knew why the Church exists. We are not another service organization or a social club. We have been entrusted with the best news humanity has ever heard and this is it— “There is a God and God loves us unconditionally.” How do I know that to be true? Jesus came to us and showed us the extent of God’s love.

As a church, not only am I glad that we know what we are about (Hospitality, Christ Centered Community, Spiritual Growth, Generosity and Responding to Needs) but why we are doing these things (Love God, Love People, Share Jesus— a condensed version of the Great Commandment and the Great Commission). With that knowledge we should continue to think about ways we can connect with people in the community in a way that shows God’s love and that we say it is the love of God (not just our own).

Jesus told us that “the gates of Hades will not overcome the Church.” He was saying that the Church will continue on until His return. That doesn’t necessarily mean individual churches will. I am strengthened by the words of Jesus because it is a promise and God keeps His promises! Let us continue to be the Church out in the world and imagine new ways of being the Church for the sake of the world!

God bless,
Pr. Ben

Did you know that if Facebook was a nation it would be the largest country in the world? Yep, there are about 1.7 billion people on Facebook.  Yes, I know not everyone uses Facebook or social media of any kind but there is a reason people continue to invent and use such technologies. Connection. We are made for community.

The earliest story in the Bible God comments on the nature of humanity when God says, “It is not good for the human to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” Genesis 2:18 NLT

You are correct it doesn’t say, “It is not good for humans to be alone, I will create Facebook and Twitter for them to stay connected.” Yet, the popularity of these websites tell us something about our nature. We seek connection with one another. Of course there are introverts who need down time from others but even they need the interaction of others.

We believe we are created in God’s image. There are various aspects to this “Imago Dei” (image of God) least of all our physical appearance. The very being of God is rooted in relationship. God exists in relationship. The Trinity is a God of relationship. Yes, it is a mystery that God is three in one but this also points to the closeness of the relationship between the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Then we are reminded by God in the first book of the Bible that we are created in God’s image including the fact that we are made for relationship.

Tools like Facebook are an example of how we are created for relationship. If connection was not important- no one would have invented such a thing.

Long before the internet, Jesus gave us the gift of the Church so that we could be together. Not only does Sunday worship foster our relationship with God but also with one another. God created us for relationship but God also provides a place for connection.

This week I read a story about a pastor traveling with a Brazilian seminary student. Along the way the pastor asked the student if he would like to stop for a cup of coffee. The student said, “I would be honored.” The student thought this would be a time to talk and foster a deeper connection with the pastor. Instead the pastor swung into a Starbucks and went through the drive-thru because he thought this was only about the coffee.

Once they were on their way the student was very quiet and when pressed about his silence he said, “I thought you were asking me to be your friend. I thought we were going to sit together and share life.”

At Bethel, we have a “coffee hour.” It is not about the coffee; it is about fostering stronger relationships with one another.

That is one of our values too. We believe Christ Centered Community is vital for us at Bethel. You are missed when you cannot make it to church on Sunday because we are stronger together than we are apart.

Living in fellowship is sharing life… all of life.

God bless,
Pr. Ben

If you read last week’s article I wanted you to know that I did make it to San Diego and everything was just fine. I also returned with only a 20-minute delay on Monday morning. Nothing but “First World problems.” All is good.

While I was in San Diego, I had the privilege to go the San Diego Safari Park. The funny thing is that it is not in San Diego. It should be called the Escondido Safari Park, but alas, it is not. That was not what impressed me. What surprised me was their friendliness.

Not unlike a church, the safari park had people who worked there and there were a lot of volunteers. Every person who wore a uniform engaged us and warmly chatted with us. They didn’t wait for us to come to them, they came to us and greeted us first.

I remarked to Rachel that this organization has their act together. She agreed. It is one thing to engage a person when you need something like, “Where are the bathrooms?” or “Where is the exit?” and receive a polite answer. It is quite another thing for everyone people to catch your eye and say, “Good morning, is there anything I can help you with today?” Without fail, everyone we talked to that morning who worked at the safari park treated us like we were VIPs. Remember, not all of those people were paid, many were volunteers!

I can’t help but think of a one of the shortest sentences in the Bible. When Paul wrote to the church in Rome he gave a bunch of instruction in chapter 12. Nestled within that instruction he says this.

“Practice hospitality.” –Romans 12:13b

 Two simple words. The people at the safari park reminded me of what it feels like to feel welcomed and cared for.

“Hospitality to all” is a core value to us here at Bethel. How we treat people is important to us. Not just in words but in our actions too. Jesus was in the people business and because this church is His,  we too should be in the people business. John Maxwell once said, “People don’t care  how much you know until they know how much you care.” It is so true. People can’t hear of God’s love at church if they don’t experience our love first.

Hospitality holds a higher value in middle Eastern society than it does in the United States. It prompted Abraham to offer food and drink to his three visitors (God) in Genesis 18.

It is what prompted Lot (Abraham’s nephew) in Genesis 19 to protect the two angels in his home in Sodom from the men who wanted to do unspeakable things to them. While Lot’s idea of how to protect them is appalling to us — he offers his daughters to the crowd instead — the point is that the Law of Hospitality is so strong that it even supersedes the obligation to protect one’s own family.

We will never be in a place that that expects us to forsake our family for the good of the stranger, but it is a reminder to me that the world can be an ugly place. It just may be that someone who comes through our doors at Bethel is looking for a refuge from that ugliness. A place free of labels, hate, judgment and a whole host of other things.

How we treat others is a reflection of God’s love in our own lives. If we sense that God loves us, sinful as we are, then we can be sure that God loves the stranger in our midst.

God bless,
Pr. Ben

In his book “Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life”, the author Charles Swindoll tells a story about the 19th Century agnostic Thomas Huxley (some of you might know that it was Huxley who promoted Darwinism and Humanism in his attacks on Christianity).

Huxley was in Dublin and was rushing to catch a train. He climbed aboard one of Dublin’s famous horse drawn taxis and said to the driver -“Hurry, I’m almost late … drive fast”.

Off they went at a furious pace and Huxley sat back in his seat and closed his eyes. After a while Huxley opened his eyes and glanced out the window to notice that they were going in the wrong direction. Realizing that he hadn’t told the driver where to take him he called out ‘do you know where you’re going?’ The driver replied “No, your honour, but I am driving very fast’.

It is a little bit ironic that I am currently (Wednesday afternoon) stuck on a plane to San Diego with my wife at SFO. We are on the tarmac with a 30 minute delay tacked on to an already one hour delay. The people who on their way to Seattle (via San Diego???) were just told to get off the plane to take a different plane to Las Vegas which would connect to Oakland which would eventually get to Seattle at 9pm tonight. Wait, what? It is not that bad for us other than sitting in the plane with no air conditioning and the person behind me complaining about the airline.

Update… (I know you are just reading the next paragraph but this is an ever changing situation) I am now typing back at the terminal. Yeah, the flight just got cancelled. The pilot apologized that he broke the plane. Ha! I am not going anywhere as of yet. Unlike Huxley in the story above- I do hope to get to my destination sometime before I fly back on Monday morning. Hmmm do I get my car out of long term and drive? I hope not.

I have no agenda the rest of this week other than read and work on my computer. Rachel (Mrs. Pr. Ben) has a conference to attend and present at. She needs to get to San Diego, I am just tagging along.

This is not about my travel troubles. This is a much bigger spiritual issue. I know where I am going. Every day I am one step closer to seeing Jesus face to face. That is where I am headed and I want to bring as many people along with me as I can. However, it is not just the destination, it is the journey too. My life is not just sitting in a spiritual terminal waiting for my heavenly airplane to depart. Poor Huxley didn’t know where he was going in the moment or spiritually speaking!

Life is both a journey and a destination. To neglect either one is to miss half of your life. I do not plan on missing anything. As a church, we have been gathered to “do life” together. In the same we cram ourselves on a plane to go somewhere different—we assemble at church to be reminded of our destination and our journey together.

I am thankful for both. I want to live life with the joy of knowing Jesus (and you too) as well as seeing Jesus face to face when I arrive home for the last time.

Enjoy the journey and look forward to going home!

God bless,
Pr. Ben