From the Pastor – July

As the Children of Israel were ready to enter the promised land, Joshua said, “Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the Law that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded to you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all His ways and to keep His commandments and to cling to Him and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Joshua 22:5

The Hebrew* word for cling is: “davaq.” To “cling” to something is to hold fast or to “cleave;” Adam cleaved to his wife (Genesis 2:24) and Ruth was clinging to her mother-in-law Naomi (Ruth 1:14), and bones were clinging to the skin of Job (Job 19:20). The noun form of the Hebrew word for cling is “deveq;” and describes glue or adhesive or iron that is soldered or welded together.

At the Rhinelander (German) Restaurant in Portland, the waiters and waitresses sing an anniversary song that congratulates the couple on their many years of marriage. I won’t include the whole song, but this phrase should help you get the drift…

“We think it’s wunderbar of you, that you have stuck together like glue, Ja! Ja! Ja!”

The image God chose to use to describe the church is that of a relationship between a bridegroom and bride.

The Apostle Paul reminds us that, “He who is joined to the Lord, becomes one spirt with him.” (1 Corinthians 6:17). To be joined is to be glued, or to be welded to Jesus. In Holy Baptism we became members of God’s family and were united with Jesus in His death and resurrection (Romans 6:5). Through the power of God’s Word and the Holy Water we cling to Jesus by faith and He cleaves to us by His love. And there is nothing that can separate us from the love of Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:39).

One measure of human strength is grip strength; you can often tell by shaking hands with someone that they have a strong grip. Walt, a close family friend and a man of deep faith in God, had massive hands and when he shook your hand after church it felt like all the bones your hand had been crushed. Following Walt’s handshake, he would always say, “Love you man,” which was short for …God loves you and my grip on you is nothing compared to God’s grip on you. Walt, despite being one of the best welders in the “Rose City,” realized that all attempts that we try by ourselves … super glue, duct tape, or even welding things together will not hold up.

By faith we acknowledge that the Holy Spirit has gathered us into His family, we are now “members of His body, His bride, His Church, and we are held together with Him (Ephesians 5:30-32). By the “fire of the Holy Spirit” we are welded together with our Lord.

We pray with David (Psalm 63:8) that God would strengthen our faith that our “soul might cling” to Him and take comfort and hope in knowing that it is His right hand, not mine, that upholds and keeps me in the one true faith with Him.

Pastor Schuldheisz