"KEEP IT SPIRITUAL, SAINT!" with Pastor Tim Anderson The Ultimate Vaccine A successful vaccine - even multiple vaccines for Covid-19 are just days or weeks away at this writing. Yet questions abound: Will people refuse to receive the vaccine? Will it be required of us? How effective will it be? How long will it last? Will this pandemic ever be destroyed? Will things ever be "normal" again? But as if that's not enough trouble for one year, this summer we were informed that there was something much worse than a pandemic. Indeed, our whole country is systemically (spiritually) racist (evil), and not even "reparations" will set us free. Now I may not know much about pandemics and vaccines, but when it comes to the diagnosis and cure of evil that is ingrained (systemically) in the very essence of all humankind, then we are talking my area of expertise! [Thanks, by the way, members of Trinity, for recognizing my 40 years of pastoral ministry as a servant of our Lord Jesus Christ last month!] And it was exactly 40 years ago that I was required to explain Genesis 3:15 for my "Final Exam" before our judicatory's Colloquy Board to certify my qualification to become a Lutheran pastor. Did you know that way back in chapter 3 of Genesis is precisely where the story of Christmas begins? It's true. Tempted by Satan, the great deceiver, Adam and Eve chose to disobey God's command in a coup attempt to become "like God". God's response was to explain the dire consequences to their act of rebellion, both temporal and eternal. Then he offered them a "cure" to the eternal separation they had caused in their relationship with God. Their (our) salvation would come when God sent us his Son Jesus, born in Bethlehem, to live the perfect life, which we have failed to live, and then suffer God's eternal punishment for our rebellion against his perfect laws in order to renew us as the Children of God. Indeed, as Scripture has foretold: For to us a child is born. To us a son is given. The authority to rule will rest on his shoulders. He will be named: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no limit to his authority and no end to the peace he brings. He will rule on David's throne and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from now on, into eternity. The zeal of the LORD of Armies will accomplish this. Isaiah 9:6 More than ever, the Story of Christmas again calls us to celebrate God's gift of a Savior, who is for us both the "ULTIMATE VACCINE" from the punishment for our sin, and God's renewed promise that soon WE WILL LIVE IN HEAVEN WITH JESUS, where there is no sickness and death, no tears and sadness, just as God always intended. "KEEP IT SPIRITUAL, SAINT!" with Pastor Tim Anderson The Ultimate Vaccine A successful vaccine - even multiple vaccines for Covid-19 are just days or weeks away at this writing. Yet questions abound: Will people refuse to receive the vaccine? Will it be required of us? How effective will it be? How long will it last? Will this pandemic ever be destroyed? Will things ever be "normal" again? But as if that's not enough trouble for one year, this summer we were informed that there was something much worse than a pandemic. Indeed, our whole country is systemically (spiritually) racist (evil), and not even "reparations" will set us free. Now I may not know much about pandemics and vaccines, but when it comes to the diagnosis and cure of evil that is ingrained (systemically) in the very essence of all humankind, then we are talking my area of expertise! [Thanks, by the way, members of Trinity, for recognizing my 40 years of pastoral ministry as a servant of our Lord Jesus Christ last month!] And it was exactly 40 years ago that I was required to explain Genesis 3:15 for my "Final Exam" before our judicatory's Colloquy Board to certify my qualification to become a Lutheran pastor. Did you know that way back in chapter 3 of Genesis is precisely where the story of Christmas begins? It's true. Tempted by Satan, the great deceiver, Adam and Eve chose to disobey God's command in a coup attempt to become "like God". God's response was to explain the dire consequences to their act of rebellion, both temporal and eternal. Then he offered them a "cure" to the eternal separation they had caused in their relationship with God. Their (our) salvation would come when God sent us his Son Jesus, born in Bethlehem, to live the perfect life, which we have failed to live, and then suffer God's eternal punishment for our rebellion against his perfect laws in order to renew us as the Children of God. Indeed, as Scripture has foretold: For to us a child is born. To us a son is given. The authority to rule will rest on his shoulders. He will be named: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no limit to his authority and no end to the peace he brings. He will rule on David's throne and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from now on, into eternity. The zeal of the LORD of Armies will accomplish this. Isaiah 9:6 More than ever, the Story of Christmas again calls us to celebrate God's gift of a Savior, who is for us both the "ULTIMATE VACCINE" from the punishment for our sin, and God's renewed promise that soon WE WILL LIVE IN HEAVEN WITH JESUS, where there is no sickness and death, no tears and sadness, just as God always intended.