[This message was shared at the Opening Chapel this past week by Dr. Beavers]

Behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”Matthew 3:17

“And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” Mark 9:7

“A voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!” Luke 9:35

Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine.” John 12:28-30

“Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all. Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” Colossians 11:13

Good morning, Saints, and welcome back! It is always exciting to kick off another academic year. This is our 18th academic year, and the Lord continues to bless Crean Lutheran High School in countless ways. I pray He is blessing you and your family, too. 

Upon reflection, the first and perhaps biggest blessing that comes to mind is the rich partnership we share in Christian community. The partnership between parents, students, and the members of the Crean Lutheran ministry is special and is not to be taken for granted. We are honored to be entrusted to come alongside each family in their student's faith development, education, and high school experience. In Christian ministry, we have a unique and special opportunity to be in a community nested in Christ, and in fact, we are really nothing without Christ. 

During our Summit (faculty/staff preparations prior to school), we were reminded that God is a God that compares to none, none are holy like Him, and is an unmovable and unshakable Rock; from our Crean Lutheran Theme verse, 1 Samuel 2:2. More on the theme verse to come as we enter the school year. Additionally, this past summer, our Key Leaders read Community by Henri Nouwen (Dutch Catholic priest, professor, prolific writer, and theologian) and will be focusing as a team on the value of Christian community, which is one of our five values at Crean Lutheran High School; Faithfulness, Excellence, Stewardship, Service, and Community. More on Community to come in future devotions, but a reminder of this Crean Lutheran Value:

We [Crean Lutheran] value community, recognizing that what unites us in Christ is greater than any of our differences. We exhibit community when we live our faith as a family of Saints, support and encourage one another in love, and represent Christ to our world. We build community by being present and actively involved wherever God has placed us. We demonstrate community by helping those we know and those we do not know and by praying for them. We display community when we identify and meet the needs of the people around us. We hinder community when we isolate ourselves, are self-centered instead of others-centered, and fail to communicate with our brothers and sisters in the community.

During the first week of school, I had the opportunity to share a chapel message with our students, faculty, and staff. The aim was to introduce to our newest Saints (Freshmen) and remind our returning Saints what it means to be a part of the Saints community as someone who is beloved. Beloved by our God. Today’s devotion shares that message with our broader Saints community.  

In today’s New Testament readings, the Lord reveals to us in His Word several important things to consider. These readings come from Jesus’ baptism, His transfiguration, and just prior to Jesus’ death on the cross. Each uses God’s words about who Jesus is and gives instructions to followers. Perhaps many things can be discussed with each of these, but I think it is safe to say that at least four things stand out. 

First, Jesus’ ‘Sonship’-- as John the Baptist was baptizing Him, the Father was declaring Him Son of God. Second, that God is well pleased with His Son. Third, Jesus is Beloved (the Chosen). Last, as the Son of God, we are to “listen to Him,” setting Him apart from all others who came before Him and anyone after Him; transformation and salvation are only possible through Him. God has glorified Him and will do it again! I do know there is much more to explore in each of these New Testament passages, and I am sure our Theology Department would agree. For now, this, at minimum, establishes our Savior as Beloved by the Father. 

In Colossians, Paul describes Christ as all and in all. As members of the Saints community, we put on Christ, the Beloved, and are in a relationship with Christ through faith, and so too are we beloved. In fact, we are so beloved that God gave Christ [His only Son] that we may be saved (John 3:16). Therefore, we are beloved, so beloved that our sins are paid in full by Christ’s death and resurrection.

While we understand we are beloved, we must also know we are sinners. Martin Luther describes this as being both sinner and saint (simul justus et peccator - Latin), meaning that a Christian is simultaneously both a sinner and a saint. Here, we live in tension, a tension of truth; we are broken, undeserving, wretched sinners - and yet, by God’s grace, loved anyway! We are beloved. If we only focus on being beloved and forget our sin, we cheapen God’s grace and the gift of Jesus, who paid the price for our sin so that we may be saved. Knowing both, we understand, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9. This gives us hope that in faith, we may live out our vocations in community with peace and joy.

On a practical level, let us consider how this plays out in today’s world. The messages we, and our students too, often hear are that we are not good enough, not popular enough, not getting enough “likes,” don’t have enough, and aren’t successful enough - we look inward and begin to reject ourselves. It’s a trap, the greatest trap we may face. The unworthy trap. That’s what the world tells us, and we begin to believe it. Consequently, I don’t have to tell you about the increase of mental health disruptions related and on the rise, but to name a few: a growing international interest in the health impacts of feeling lonely; mental health onset - depression and anxiety, depression-anxiety cycles, self-harm, suicidal ideation, mood disorders, and substance abuse increased in youthful populations, especially since COVID (Mann et al., 2022).

On the other hand, in a Christian community, we recognize that as the beloved, by faith, we know the One who is Beloved and who has called us beloved. In our community (very different from the world), we hear this message through our pastors, parents, leaders, teachers, coaches, and friends, who help to remind us of our identity in Christ and that we are beloved. Most of all, we are able to read it in God’s word - that our identity is in the One who is all, and in all, Jesus Christ, and that is more than sufficient Saints! 

May you have a blessed year, beloved, and may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all (2 Cor. 13:14).

Go in peace! 

Dr. Jeffrey S. Beavers, CEO

Crean Lutheran High School

dr.beavers@creanlutheran.org

Dr. Beavers is a husband and father of three. He has served as the Executive Director |CEO of Crean Lutheran High School since the school’s founding for the past eighteen years. He is a lifelong follower of Jesus Christ, and he and his family worship at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Orange, CA.  

Reference

Mann, F., Wang, J., Pearce, E., Ma, R., Schlief, M., Lloyd-Evans, B., ... & Johnson, S. (2022). Loneliness and the onset of new mental health problems in the general population. Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology, 57(11), 2161-2178.