Fred Phelps Has Died. Now What?

Fred Phelps, leader of the infamous Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas, has passed away into the grave. There aren't a lot of details surrounding the 84 year old lawyer's death at the moment but what we do know is that his time with us has come to an end.

For many, this may feel like a time for celebration. After all, Phelps has led a small community of devoted people in the protesting of funerals, bashing of the LGBTQ community, abusing of their own children, speaking against the God of love, and more. Many offenses have been at the hands of Phelps and his family that followed him.

As a Christian who has seen the damage brought to the gospel message in the United states (and further) as a result of Phelps' actions it is easy to be upset by his life. I can understand people's desire to celebrate this death but let us remember that even though a person causes pain and does wicked deeds, they are still a creation of the God who loved us sinners and called us to his kingdom when we didn't deserve it. That person is still someone God wants to save. This God desires for no wicked person to perish and beckons us to love all people, especially the ones with whom we are at odds. Jesus has shown us these truths clearly.

Let us pray that God has mercy on Fred Phelps and his family and that they find blessings in that grace. May we have the Spirit of God so that we may react kindly to them and treat them as we want to be treated. We teach love by loving so let us love and forgive in breathtaking abundance. Whatever awaits Fred Phelps in judgment will be right and just. We can trust that and because we can trust that we can also extend uncompromised love to his people.

The Westboro Baptist family has lost a loved one and they deserve for us to share in their mourning as compassionate people. Let love win out in your heart, your mind, and your feet as you approach this news. May the peace of Christ be with you and with the Westboro Baptist community and may god have mercy on us all, sinners.

Ash Wednesday

Today is Ash Wednesday. This marks the first day of Lent (a 46 day season in the Christian calendar). This is the season that leads us to Easter. As Advent is to Christmas so Lent is to Easter.

Dismissing Sundays (as the fast is not recognized on the day we celebrate the resurrection), Lent is 40 days and it is meant to reflect Jesus’ 40 days in the wilderness.  During this time Jesus fasted and faced temptation from Satan before beginning his” formal ministry.” For the Christian, this is also a time of fasting, temptation, preparation, as we draw near to the Father who has called us to him. As we commit ourselves to fasts we also dedicate ourselves to prayer.

In worship services centered on this important day we don ashes upon the forehead as a reminder of our mortality. This is also symbolic of mourning, confession, and repentance before God. In scripture and through church history, people would cover themselves in sackcloth and ashes during times of mourning and repentance. The ashes traditionally are made from burning the previous year’s palms used on Palm Sunday (this is rarer in protestant and western traditions).

Lent is meant to help us journey to Jesus’ cross, burial, and resurrection. It is a time to follow him as he ministers to us, making us aware of who we are, who’s we are, and who we should look to for salvation. During Lent we closely follow Jesus and listen to his teachings. We walk with him to his death and find our own death. In walking with Jesus while fasting and praying we discover our frailty as created beings and discover our own sinfulness. When Lent ends on Easter we see the full victory of Jesus over sin and death as we wipes away all impurity and beckons us to join him past the path of dirt leading to the cross and death and into to resurrection and eternity.

If your congregation doesn't hold an Ash Wednesday service, I encourage you to find a local congregation that does so that you might partake in this beautiful tradition.