Like many holidays, Valentine’s Day is arrayed with a myriad of stories and legends.*  Several St. Valentines did live in the early centuries of the church. One set of stories tells of Valentine’s arrest under the Roman Emperor Claudius who tried to persuade Valentine to renounce Christianity and take up Roman pagan religion. Valentine did not obey and, in fact, tried to convince the Emperor to become a Christian. Claudius was upset by Valentine’s refusal to retract his faith in Jesus and had Valentine jailed and killed.

Where does romantic love come in? Another slant on the Valentine-Claudius story is that Claudius wanted an army of single men, thinking that single men made better soldiers. The priest, Valentine, performed secret weddings for the young men who wanted to have wives. Claudius heard about these clandestine weddings and had Valentine arrested. While in jail, he healed the jailor’s daughter. As the story goes, on the eve of his execution Valentine wrote a “valentine” to his beloved, believed to be the young lady he healed. He wrote, “From your Valentine.”

As you can guess, stories like this snowball through history growing larger and more elaborate. Chaucer mentions Valentine’s Day as does Ophelia in Hamlet (Shakespeare).

In 1797 a British publisher began to publish verse for young men to give or read to their sweethearts. In the U.S.A., Esther Howland of Worchester, Massachusetts in 1847 began publishing lacey, decorated cards to be given on Valentine’s Day. Now only Christmas cards beat out the billions of Valentine’s Day cards bought and given sent each year.

If a kernel of truth is in the legend behind St. Valentine’s Day, we, as followers of Jesus, rejoice that St. Valentine did not surrender his faith as Emperor Claudius required. Instead, Valentine stayed courageously true, even trying to convince Claudius to become a Christian. For all its association with romantic love—with red roses and dark chocolates and sometimes profound, sometimes cheesy poetry—behind Valentine’s Day is a deep, committed love to Jesus Christ. God’s amazing love for us through his Son, Jesus Christ, gives meaning and endurance to any and all other loves in our lives.  This year in the flurry of over a billion Valentine’s Day cards, don’t forget the saint who refused to buckle to imperial power. At the cost of his life, he gave us St. Valentine’s Day. He laid down his life for Jesus. From the cross, Jesus asks, “Will you be my Valentine?”

*Note:  Some information collected from Wikipedia

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Over at Jesus Creed, Scot McKnight posted a young doubter’s struggles. Scot invited Jesus Creeders to offer sensitive counsel and Scot, then, posted his own response to the young leader. In light of this, note the “Great Commission” text below:

¹⁶Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. ¹⁷When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Some disciples worshipped. Some doubted. All were commissioned to make disciples.

Doubters have their place in announcing and practicing the unexpectedly loving reign of God. Old, stale thinking pitted doubt against faith (as Scot McKnight points out). More discerning thinking sees doubt as an ally to faith.

A skewed triumphalist Christianity erased doubt as a legitimate aspect of the Christian journey. In its heated sense of victory, it boiled doubt away as some sort of sin. As a matter of fact, a serious sin: unbelief. This only caused doubters to go underground and live with the agony in their souls. Who wants to be branded a pagan unbeliever in the tight-assed evangelical community? Those who live constipated Christian lives don’t want any uncertainty to be voiced at all…ever.  They don’t really trust in the Christ of the cross and resurrection; they trust a system of belief that keeps their tidy little self-centered worlds together.

This is the time for doubters to arise. Take your place in the Great Commission task of the church. Voice your doubts. Ask your questions. Carry your honest inquiries into the communities where you live.

For God’s sake, doubters, upset the apple cart!

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The following review of Sarah Palin’s Going Rogue: An American Life is by Julie A. Frye, my fantastic wife. I am glad to have Julie join me at “Jesus the Radical Pastor.”

When Sarah Palin was introduced to the 2008 political scene, I was instantly curious to know more about her.  I followed the news stories on TV, the Internet and the press enjoying the fresh and vibrant woman presented to us.  When the campaign came to Michigan, my friends and I sat close in the town hall meeting as we listened to her ideas and plans for the future of our country.  She was a delight to watch and to hear.

We all know how the campaign “turned” and I was saddened that I wouldn’t see Sarah put into practice her America-loving ideas and plans.

When her book Going Rogue: An American Life came out and she announced that she would return to Michigan for her first book signing, I decided I needed to buy the book and hopefully get a signature and handshake from Sarah.  Unfortunately I didn’t get either, but I had fun waiting in line, chatting with others and quickly getting a glimpse of her as she left the building.

I just completed reading the book and she once again has ignited my curiosity and satisfied my questions about the campaign.  I love the initial chapters detailing her childhood and early years growing up in Alaska.  Moving on to her political life as mayor and governor, the chapters painted a story of endurance, ability and love of country.  I was apprehensive to read about the campaign, as reviewers were accusing her of being “whiny,” avenging the horrid treatment she received on the campaign tour.    Some who supported her were accusing her of tearing down those who put her in the spotlight.

Instead I read the account of a liberal community destroying a woman who carefully balanced her family and her politics.  With great detail, Sarah describes several of the “notorious” attacks upon her and family.  It is easy to see and difficult to understand the extent to which her so-called campaign team failed in presenting an accurate image of Sarah to America.  I didn’t see Sarah as whining but rather as setting the record straight. Never has any woman been subjected to such biased, political scrutiny.

Sarah’s anecdotal stories are charming especially relating to her children.  I also love her response to the divorce rumors.  “Divorce Todd?  Have you seen Todd?”

All this to say, “Read the book”.   It is instructive, engaging, humorous and factual.  Maybe next time she comes to Michigan I will get an autograph.

-Julie A. Frye

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The Epiphany Story

Matthew 2:1-12 (The Message)

^1-2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem village, Judah territory— this was during Herod’s kingship—a band of scholars arrived in Jerusalem from the East. They asked around, “Where can we find and pay homage to the newborn King of the Jews? We observed a star in the eastern sky that signaled his birth. We’re on pilgrimage to worship him.”

^3-4When word of their inquiry got to Herod, he was terrified—and not Herod alone, but most of Jerusalem as well. Herod lost no time. He gathered all the high priests and religion scholars in the city together and asked, “Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?”

^5-6They told him, “Bethlehem, Judah territory. The prophet Micah wrote it plainly:

It’s you, Bethlehem, in Judah’s land,
no longer bringing up the rear.
From you will come the leader
who will shepherd-rule my people, my Israel.”

^7-8Herod then arranged a secret meeting with the scholars from the East. Pretending to be as devout as they were, he got them to tell him exactly when the birth-announcement star appeared. Then he told them the prophecy about Bethlehem, and said, “Go find this child. Leave no stone unturned. As soon as you find him, send word and I’ll join you at once in your worship.”

^9-10Instructed by the king, they set off. Then the star appeared again, the same star they had seen in the eastern skies. It led them on until it hovered over the place of the child. They could hardly contain themselves: They were in the right place! They had arrived at the right time!

¹¹They entered the house and saw the child in the arms of Mary, his mother. Overcome, they kneeled and worshiped him. Then they opened their luggage and presented gifts: gold, frankincense, myrrh.

¹²In a dream, they were warned not to report back to Herod. So they worked out another route, left the territory without being seen, and returned to their own country.

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The post below is by Lisa Bowyer who, with her family, was visiting relatives in Texas over the holidays.  Lisa attends Fellowship Evangelical Covenant Church where I am pastor. I was gratified to read Lisa’s thankfulness for her “home sweet home” church.

Home Sweet Home

As I type this, I am starting my second week of vacation in San Antonio, TX. I am having the time of my life, the kids are enjoying endless play time with their cousins, and the food down here is authentic and amazing! While we’ve been here, we’ve had the opportunity to go to our family’s church- which happens to be the 16th largest church in the country. Now as I acknowledge that there are different churches, sizes, styles, etc to connect with different people, I sat during the service wishing I was home. I looked around and was overwhelmed with thankfulness for Fellowship Covenant. Yes, we are small. Yes, we may struggle financially. But we have so much more that I am thankful for…

I am thankful that I don’t have to get to church an hour early to get a seat.

That we don’t have to hold hands and form a “Bowyer chain” just to get in and out of church without losing one of our kids.

That I have enough of a hard time just getting my husband and kids to church, I don’t have to remember my Bible every week. That we have wonderful men and women who make sure we can follow along in the Word and follow in song.

That we don’t have to dim and brighten the lights throughout the service to make it more dramatic. We ask the Holy Spirit to come and be in everything we do.

That I can see Pastor John, Jeremy, or Jay while they preach. I don’t have to squint to see a big screen. I can see their emotions and feel their passion and love for God as they preach.

That I don’t have to put my children in a separate building for church, assigned a number that flashes on a screen if they cry so you can come and get them. Our children are welcomed, comfortable, and loved BY NAME in our church.

That we don’t clap after every song we sing. That our service is not a production, but truly an offering to God.

That it is not possible to go to a service at our church without someone calling you by name, asking how you are doing, and giving you a hug. We can not hide in our church. We are held accountable, supported, encouraged, and LOVED!

So in closing, I am very happy our family down here has found a church that they like. That is important to me. And their church ministers to many people in many different ways. But for me and my family, I am so grateful for our small, intimate, loving church. Each one of you holds a special place in my heart, and I am so blessed to be able to call you family! I am so thankful for you and can’t wait to be home!

Thank You.

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The politically correct framework around the birth story of Jesus is that Joseph and Mary were homeless. Well, this is patently and politically incorrect.

Joseph, because of an imperial decree for more taxes, had to travel from his home in Nazareth to Bethlehem to register for the tax census. Joseph had a job. He was a tekton–a skilled laborer, either a carpenter in popular thinking or, perhaps more accurately, a stone mason. Mary was pregnant with Jesus and went into labor while in Bethlehem. Because the Roman tax census uprooted everyone, Bethlehem was teeming with travelers and no living space was available when Joseph and Mary arrived. Jesus was not born in a stable-cave because Joseph and Mary were homeless.

Joseph and Mary were poor, but not homeless. After Jesus’ birth, the trio travelled back to Nazareth where Jesus grew up.

JOSEPH AND MARY WERE NOT HOMELESS.

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