Blessed Christmas Greetings

Christ the Savior is born!
Hope has come to earth
and love breathes life in the darkness of winter.
Emmanuel -
God be with you!

Pastor Christine

Reflecting Love

       Monday, with snow falling so hard that travel was not a good idea, we finally got the boxes of Christmas ornaments out for the tree.  The first thing that I noticed was what a motley assortment of Christmas ornaments we have gathered over the years!  There is a wide variety of taste and personality between some of the collections from sophisticated and artsy to hand-made crafts and from casual to elegant.
       I found myself wondering at what seemed to be a lack of a sense of style and taste.  What had I been thinking?  But I realized as we went through things that the different collections and styles were reflections of the age of our children, the state of our finances, and the people in our lives.  There was a box of crocheted and knitted candy canes, wreaths, and stockings from early in our marriage.  They were gifts and were all we had for a while.  But they also became the main tree decorations we used whenever there was a toddler (or tree crazy kitten) in the house because nothing broke if the tree should come crashing down!
       There are fancy and expensive ornaments received as gifts from  beloved friends and family; handmade ornaments from crafters and from the kids when they were younger and even a couple of boxes of candy canes.  There are also some boxes of ornaments that reflect an attempt to have a color-coordinated and elegant tree.  When my life was full of half-eaten peanut butter sandwiches, scattered toys, and a Christmas tree that had to be safe for little hands, I know there were times when I longed to have a beautiful and stylish Christmas decor.  
       But now I find myself treasuring the miss-mash style of what have become memories of family and friends; even things that I once couldn't wait to replace with something "prettier" or "nicer".   Perhaps that attitude dooms me to a tree on which you may find Garfield, the spaceship Enterprise, angels with yarn hair next to crystal bells, and a plaid catnip mouse by a popsicle-stick nativity.  This Christmas tree may never grace a magazine cover but it is irreplaceable.  It has become a scrapbook of our family garlanded with love, laughter, and tears for those we miss.
       Time and reflection have a way of changing how we view events in our lives and what we value.  Just look at how the time and place of the birth of our Savior has become holy and is seen by many as a pivotal point in all of human history.  Even wars have taken a pause to remember this birth; where and when it happened.  But what we celebrate as grand and holy probably didn't feel that way to Mary at the time.
       I'm sure that given a choice, Mary would never have chosen a stable in a town far away from her family as a place in which to give birth.  She and Joseph had to have been wanting and praying for room in the inn or anywhere clean and decent, quickly and with privacy and help; giving birth for the first time is frightening and overwhelming and often long and hard.  Carols, candlelight, and holy reverence are so different from the scandal, poverty, and hardship of Christ's birth.  Yet we read that Mary treasured everything she heard and pondered their meaning in her heart.
       Take time and make a silent space to reflect on the birth of Jesus; God's own child born here on earth that the world might be saved.  On that night, the light of God's love shone, bringing hope for all people.  As we sing about stables, cattle feed in the trough, poor and nomadic shepherds with their sheep, look past the decorations to the truth.  Out of love, God has come to bring forgiveness, hope, and life to all people.  Do not be afraid but rejoice!  Read the Christmas story, Luke 2:1-20.

Waste Not, There's a Lot of Want

      Often the skills we have as adults are things we began learning as children from playing music or baking cookies to fixing things.  One of the things I am good at that comes in handy this time of year is the skill of wrapping presents.  I not only can wrap presents well, I can do it quickly using a minimum amount of tape and wrapping paper.  I learned that skill on many Christmas Eve days when I was called upon to wrap presents for my mom while she did other things.  
       As one of seven kids, there were a lot of presents to wrap - even though there wasn't a huge amount of money to spend on toys and such.  Many presents were things like needed new socks, sweaters, and other things we needed.  So there I would be late in the afternoon shut in my mom and dad's room with tons of things to wrap.  Sometimes I had to check and make sure I was matching the right gift with the right person and sometimes I would find myself wrapping my own presents.  But all in all, I knew the job well.  Mom had trained me and a big part of my training involved learning not to "waste" paper and tape by using too much. 
       Mom's concern about waste was also evident as the presents were unwrapped.  There was to be no rushing and ripping of paper to get at the presents beneath.  Instead, we learned to carefully take the paper off, minimizing and damage to the paper which was then folded and put away to be used again.  Bows, as inexpensive as they were, were also to be saved to be used again.  Boxes were folded, stacked inside each other and put aside to be used again.  This care went along with the way in which presents were handed out and unwrapped one by one so that notice was taken and thanks given for each gift.  If one of us noticed that our pile was heavy on the socks and underwear and thin on the "fun" side, we learned that eventually (usually as late as June or July) we would get an unexpected gift from Mom with "I thought I had something else I forgot to give you at Christmas".
       I know as a child, I often moaned about the gifting of things I needed like socks and underwear.  I wanted to find other things under the tree.  I wanted all the stuff that everything around me told I should want for Christmas, toys, dolls, a bike, games, and other fun things.  I'm pretty sure I never sat on a santa's lap and asked for new socks and I would have made a good case for needing the fun stuff I wanted.  Yet as I grow older, I find I am less and less interested in getting more stuff.
       This time of year, even while there is an emphasis on buying more stuff, there is also a competing emphasis on Christmas giving.  People often focus on charitable giving towards the end of the year; it makes sense tax-wise and it appeals to our sense of generosity.  Perhaps it makes us feel a little less guilty for what we do spend on toys and luxuries.  Giving to help those in need is an impulse we should follow all year long.  Need never goes away just because we pack away our Christmas baubles.
       The early Christian church saw as completely central to the teaching of Christ the work of caring for those in need: widows, orphans, the sick, the poor, and those in prison.  Gifts of food and money were brought to worship to be distributed to those in need.  It was obedience to Jesus' own command to feed the hungry and to show God's love by loving even the unlovable around us.  Scripture repeatedly teaches that God's love will be made know in the world by how we show that love in our words and actions.  John writes, "How does God's love abide in anyone who has the world's goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses to help?" (1 John 3:17) 
        The coming King we wait for was born in a stable, beginning his life as a refugee and ending his life hanging on a cross.  It only seems fitting that  we find it easier to meet our Lord in the kind of places he walked and with the lost and the least for which he gave his life.  In reaching out in love, we meet Love face to face.   Read 1 John 3:16-24

Making Room for Jesus

Having just gotten through the after Thanksgiving weekend, I feel a bit torn between two realities.  One reality has been so thoroughly portrayed and focused on in the media.  Everywhere for days has been filled with either the ads or the news about the great deals and sales before and leading up to “black Friday” (the day after Thanksgiving) which some stores beat out by beginning on Thanksgiving Day; the sales on Friday and Saturday and Sunday and “Cyber Monday”.  Have we bought and sold enough?  Spent enough money?  Waited in enough lines? 

And then there is the other reality that I was reminded of in several ways this week.  In the midst of all of the focus on spending and having way more than we need, the same economy trying to get us to spend our way into debt has created a lot of people who are truly in need.  Groups like Salvation Army, the New Life Center, shelters and food pantries are seeing a big increase in the numbers of people who need help.  There are a lot more people who are un or under employed, people who are homeless, living in substandard housing, and who are hungry: not just in New York or Chicago but also here in our county and in our town and surrounding small towns.  People are hungry and food pantry shelves are nearly empty all over.

What does this have to do with us or with Christmas?

“And she (Mary) gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for him in the inn.”  (Luke 2:7)

Oftentimes we treat people in need or talk about them as if it is their fault that they are jobless, or homeless, or hungry.  The assumption is that it is somehow their problem that they need to fix.  If they would just try harder, pray harder, be better people, they could salve their own problems.  After all (as I have heard people say), “nobody helped me”.

Have you ever given a thought to Mary and Joseph that December night so long ago?  As Mary groaned in labor, as Joseph worried, what do you think they were praying for but a safe, clean, and welcoming place for Mary to have her baby?  Who more deserved a fine place to be born and good care than God’s own son and the parents that were so faithfully doing what God had asked of them?

But for Mary that night, there was no room but the stable and no bed for Jesus except the hay in the feeding trough.

Near the end of his ministry, Jesus teaches his followers that when he comes again in judgment, people will be divided into the righteous and the cursed.  It should come as no surprise that the king, born in such humble beginnings, cares for people just like him.  “Come, you that are blessed… for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.”  Then the righteous will say, ‘When did we see you like this and help you?’.  And the Christ answers, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters you did it to me”.

What Jesus is teaching us is that far from being those who aren’t praying enough or working hard enough or being good enough, the people in need around us are Jesus’ family.  And in fact, in meeting them and in caring for them, we meet Jesus face-to-face and care for him.  To love Jesus is to love and care for those in need.  And if that instruction is not clear enough, Jesus goes on to say that those who did not care for those in need, did not care for Jesus.  To know Jesus is to care for others.

It can be easy to get so caught up in the excess of indulgence around us, that we lose Jesus in the wrappings of Christmas.  We can get lured into wanting so much that it becomes impossible to find any joy.  Take some time to step away from the lights and glitter to make way to the manger.  Make room in your heart and your life this Christmas for seeing Jesus and helping him and those in need.

Bring food for the food pantry.  Make donations to the ELCA Hunger Program, Lutheran World Relief, and other programs.  Volunteer your time and effort.  Visit.  Reach out to someone who is facing Christmas alone for the first time.  Reach out in love not judgment and meet Jesus.  Join me in making room for Jesus this Christmas.  Read Matthew 25:31-46

Church Mice!?

                                                                                        
          On my desk sits a little toy gray mouse holding a heart.  I call it my church mouse.  It serves as a decoration, a distraction/attraction for babies and children who are here with their parents, and a reminder of family Christmases when I received it as a gift.  But as a church mouse, it also serves as a reminder of those in need and our need to share.
       There is a familiar saying, "poor as a church mouse" that goes way back; how far back I was not able to determine.  The depiction of church mice is such an old custom that carved church mice can be found in the wood and stone of medieval churches.  Modern church mice can be found carved and hidden in the architecture in many places including Christ Church Cathedral in Ottawa and the National Cathedral in Washington D.C.
       As far as I can tell, the origins of being poor go back to the vows of poverty taken by priests and those in monasteries or convents.  Following the biblical mandate to care for the least of these, these places served as hospitals, and also offered food and refuge to the poor and orphans.  But inside the church itself, there would be little for a mouse to eat considering that there would be no food stored there, with the communion bread locked safely away.
       In fact, the lack of food in a church may be what led some real church mice to gnaw away at the leathers of a pipe organ leaving it silent and unable to be played one Christmas Eve in Austria.  The work of those church mice led a desperate pastor priest (Joseph Mohr) and choirmaster (Franz Gruber) to compose the carol "Silent Night".   Those church mice created the opportunity for a wonderful blessing.
       But most poor church mice and those who are as poor as church mice live in a world that is much bleaker.  Poverty is at its highest rate in decades; and the use of food banks and food shelves, often run by churches, reflect the increase in those who hunger.  As we celebrate the end of another harvest season and look towards thanksgiving, I encourage us all to remember the poor and find ways to reach out and share our bounty with those truly in need.  Bring non-perishable food items to church or the nearest food bank or donate at your grocery store.  Give to the ELCA Hunger Program, Lutheran World Relief, Salvation Army, or other charity and/or donate your time.
       A lot of people talk about wanting to change but in my experience most people don't really mean it, or if they do, they don't want to change too much.  However, if you want the most gratifying experience you can have, volunteer to help feed people either at a food pantry or a soup kitchen or shelter.  I guarantee that if you bring food to someone who is truly hungry, it will change you forever.
       Last summer, someone came to the church hot and tired and hungry; he hadn't eaten that day or the day before.  A few minutes into our conversation, I remembered my forgotten bottle of soda sitting on the corner of my desk as he talked about his needs.  I immediately gave it to him.  He was so grateful for something I had even forgotten I had.  I have experienced that over and over again.  We have so much that we won't even notice or miss what we have given and yet it can make such a difference to those in need.  God asks over and over again, not for our piety but for us to "give (the hungry) something to eat" (Mark 6:37).  Join with me in truly "giving" thanks by giving to those in need especially as the cold sets in around us.  Read Isaiah 58:6-10

This Book is a Lamp!

       The fall of my senior year at seminary, I was approached by one of the professors in the hall.  He said (with a bit of grin on his face) that I should look into getting a new bible before certification interviews began. Seniors had to receive recommendations at these interviews in order to continue with the process towards ordination; without that, one could graduate with a degree but not become a pastor.
       "Why did I need a new bible?" I asked.  I knew mine was a bit ratty but I had received it at confirmation and so even though it had some years of wear and tear, it was special to me.
       He explained that the committee might have problems with my refusing to keep the book of Genesis in the canon of scripture.  When I began sputtering that I didn't know what he was talking about, he told me that my book of Genesis had been turned into the office.  I left him and sure enough, the first section of my bible including the page with my name on it and the entire book of Genesis had come loose from the binding, fallen out, and been turned in that day.  I collected my pages, bought a new bible, and did pass my interview!
       How is your bible?  Do you know where your bible is?  That may be an obvious answer for those of you who have come to read this post with your bible for study and prayer.  When I asked my confirmation students a couple of years ago, they weren't sure.  In fact, most of them admitted that although they had been given bibles as gifts at some point, they didn't remember ever reading them and weren't sure if they could easily find them.
       In an attempt to help change that, we began a new program last year.  Bibles for this year's confirmands were bought and given to family members: grandparents, parents, godparents, or others.  These people then spent the year using the bibles and marking favorite or important passages and writing in them.  Last Sunday after the young people came forward and affirmed their faith, they were given these bibles.  Now in order to find out what had been passed on to them, they would have to open up their bibles and read.  That was the theory.
       Last Sunday I was privileged to see the theory be proven almost immediately.   As soon as they received their bibles and were welcomed by the congregation, the service continued with the offering.  I had a great view of the first row where they all sat and as I watched, they opened up their bibles and began to look through them, read, and to share what they found with each other.  It was wonderful to see those heads bent over their bibles.  I pray that continues throughout their lives.
       They have been given a gift far beyond a book, even a copy of the bible, because the writings and markings in those bibles are also the passing on of the faith from the community of saints.  Those books pass on which verses have been important to their loved ones and have contained words of comfort, hope, wisdom, and joy.  These are not just books but are witnesses not only to God's truth but also to the living faith of those around them.
       That is the true gift of the community of saints, of all the people of faith who have gone before and who surround us now.  If we listen and share with each other, the faith of others forms a scaffold on which our own faith can grow through the years and a shelter when our faith is shaken by the storms of life around us.
       I remember being told that it was wrong to mark in bibles, that it showed disrespect for God's word.  Now I have lived enough that I disagree; I too have spent this last year marking and noting things in my own bible.  Over the years I have discovered what I should have said to that professor (and the committee if it had actually been raised), that my ratty bible with all it's markings and dog-eared pages was evidence of its hard and continual use over the years since my confirmation.  There is more in this book than can be understood in a life-time but open it up and I promise you will find treasure, hope, and above all, love.  Read Psalm 119:103-105.

Blowing in the Wind

       What a mighty wind we had this week!  We lay in bed Tuesday night and listened to the wind roar and the house creak.  It went on like that for ages.  Wind is a powerful thing.  During the funeral Tuesday morning, there were loud groans and creaks that could be heard even over the organ.  After the service, several people remarked that they wondered what it was until they realized that it was the roof in the wind.  Later on that day, I had to wait for the wind gust to lessen a bit before I could push my way out the door to go home.  The storm that blew through set all kinds of records before it was done.
        Days like that are reminders of how strong the wind can be and how freely it blows on the Great Plains.  I know when I lived on Minot Air Force Base, that in the middle of winter with feet of snow all around us, sometimes the drifts would be covered with black dirt that had blown in on the wind.  The wind can be a soft pleasant breeze on a summer evening, keeping the mosquitoes at bay or it can be a constant roar that is frightening in its power.  I have listened to people who have lived through hurricanes and they talk about the constant sound of the wind as something they will never forget.
        This wind, a power that can't be seen or controlled, is the main image that we are given in the Bible for the third person of the Trinity; the Holy Spirit.  In the Hebrew and the Greek, it is named by the word for wind or breath.  When God breathes into the person (adam) made of clay dirt (adama), it is then that he is given life (Genesis 2:7).  It is literally the breath of God in us that gives us life which is why the earliest definition of life is breathing.  When the Bible speaks of the Spirit of God giving us life, it means the actual breath going in and out of our bodies and not some spiritual imagery.
       In the common song sung after the offering is brought forward (Psalm 51:10-12), we sing "cast me not away from your presence and take not your Holy Spirit from me".  I'm sure that most of the time we don't really think about the words we are singing and if we do, we spiritualize it without really considering the meaning.  The true meaning should give us pause. The "holy spirit" that the psalmist names is the same words for the wind and breath of God.  The words are a plea that God's breath will continue to move in and out our lungs, giving us life.
        The wind that blows over the face of the waters before creation is the same Holy Spirit that breathes in and out of our lungs and is the same Holy Spirit that blows through the gathered followers of Jesus and brings the Church to birth.  Like the wind blowing through the Great Plains, we cannot control the Holy Spirit nor do we know where it is going or what God is working to accomplish.  And yet we pray for the gifts of this Spirit to continue to give us life and faith throughout our lives.  There is true power and life in the Spirit, thank God, because we need the power of that life and love in the brokenness of our lives.
       Since it is this Spirit that powers the Church and blows in and through us, it should be no surprise that we don't always feel in control over what is happening, nor do we always know or like the direction we think we are going.  This is the Spirit that we confront when we come to the waters of baptism and that gives us life.  We can acknowledge that this life comes from God and open our hands and hearts to God's work and will or we can spend our entire lives bucking against the wind, fighting God all the way.  Before we set our direction against the Wind, we need to remember that God sends the Spirit out of the greatest love we can imagine and that God's purpose is to give us life and love.  Read John 3:5-8,16.

Reality Check

       We have been having wonderful weather for harvest these last weeks; so good that beet harvest is over, and many people are done with beans (soybeans) too.  One farmer was even heard to say that beet harvest 'was fun this year'!  Perhaps he was remembering last year and others when farmers struggled to harvest in the midst of cold, snow, wet slush, wind, and tons of heavy, slippery, sticky mud.  In contrast, this fall has been filled with days of sunlight and warmer breezes drying the fields after the rain and standing water left from September.
       Then Monday morning came cold, wet, windy, and gray bringing even the threat of occasional snow flakes further north.  It was a reality check.  Summer is over and the winter that is coming will be cold and will bring winds and snow; after all, this is northern Minnesota.   As much as we would like the warmer sunny weather to stay, we have another winter to get through before spring comes again.
       Many of the bumps and curves that we run into on our life's journey function as reality checks; they wake us up to the limits of life.  They can be a simple as finding gray hairs as we comb our hair or as hard as the illness or death of someone whom we love.  These times can be incredibly discouraging and difficult but they can also become times when our faith grows stronger as we realize our need for the power and comfort of the love of God.   We can moan about our foolishness and helplessness or we can simply and gratefully come to God.
       The reality checks of life can also become reminders of the mission we have each been given: to bring the good news of God's love, hope, and healing to those in need.  Our faith journey is not fulfilled by searching for our own inner peace but by living to bring God's peace to the world.  The world will not wait for us to get ourselves perfected before we share our faith.  People are hurting, ill, alone, and in need now.
       As a student chaplain, the first time I was sent into a room to be with someone whose spouse was dying, I had no idea of what to do or to say.  All the big words, the hard work, and complicated theologies I was learning at seminary left me feeling totally unskilled and speechless so I got coffee and tissues as we waited for news from the doctor; I stayed and we waited together.   I began to learn then what I know for certainty now; the biggest gift begins when we step outside of ourselves and dare to care for someone else.  It continues when we dare to simply be together.
        God does not ask us to be perfect but comes to us even in our weakness, loves us as we are and sends us out to serve just as Jesus was sent.  It can be as simple as bringing cans of food for the local food pantry, fixing a flat tire, or sitting with someone even when you don't know what to say.  The Word that we bring even in our simplest acts is the eternal Word of hope in Jesus Christ.  Read 1 Peter 1:23-25.

Beet, Beet, Sugar Beet...

       I live in one of the few counties left in Minnesota that are considered primarily agricultural - meaning that the majority of people earn their income through agriculture; farming and those things that directly support farming.  That means the pace of living around here is directly related to what is happening in the fields and right now that means harvest.  And if you live around here, you can't help but be aware that it is a very busy time around the clock.
       During the night, I could hear the big semi trucks filled with tons of sugar beets on the road.  The dry sunny weather that we are very grateful for has been drying out the fields and so the harvest of sugar beets and soybeans are in full swing.  When the weather is too warm to harvest beets, the combines are out in the beans.  The air is full of dust and hums with the sound of machinery in the fields and at the elevators.  The roads are caked with mud from the fields and rumble with the truck traffic.  It is a very different picture of harvest than the romantic notion many people bring to mind.
       The pace of harvest is fast to frantic with people trying to get the crops in before the weather either changes the quality of the crop or stops the harvest for snow and rain or in the case of sugar beets, before it gets too warm or too cold to harvest.  Because of this people work long and hard hours and can be at the ragged end of tired.  Add together these things and the machinery involved and harvest can be a dangerous time.
       One of the pictures I carry about harvest from growing up is of a famous painting of the more romantic style.  My parents had a framed large print of Jean-Francois Millet's the Angelus which shows a couple bent in prayer over their harvest work in the middle of a potato field.  There is a church steeple in the background and the implication understood at the time (19th century) was that the bells at the church had rung calling them to prayer.  The church bells were rung before service, at the beginning of worship and also rung in a slow peal to indicate the time in the service when the Lord's prayer was being prayed.  This way everyone in the community, even those working in the field could join in prayer.
       I often recall this painting as I hear the church bells ring on Sunday, calling us again to prayer; only now most people probably don't know the significance.  Perhaps you can consider these words as a call to common prayer for the harvest where ever it is happening around you.  Pray for a safe and a bountiful harvest, for just prices, for all those who labor, and for those in need.
       In the Old Testament, harvest is mentioned most often as a time to think of and provide for those in need: widows, orphans, and aliens and the beasts and birds of the fields.  There are instructions not to harvest every bit but to leave gleanings for the poor and wild animals.  It is instruction for people not to be so greedy for themselves but to look out for the needs of others.  Harvest is to be a time of plenty for everyone.  It is a reminder that God is the one who makes harvest possible not the work of human hands and that the earth does not belong to us for exploitation but has been put into our care for God's purposes.  Our truest prayers are accompanied by faithful action.  Read Deuteronomy 24:17-22.

Look Who's Teaching You Now!

       I had a wonderful lunch with a bunch of hungry college students today.  I shared some good food, great conversation, and had fun all at the same time.  I was also challenged to think and learn.  It began with me sharing a story from early in my ministry.
       I became Agnes pastor shortly before her 100th birthday.  I was her pastor for five years and during that time, she taught me a great deal.  It began the first time I brought her Holy Communion.  I shared the readings from worship that morning and began to talk about my sermon which was based on a reading from 1 Corinthians.  I was close enough to my graduation that I still thought I was quite smart with all of my degrees.  Agnes interrupted me.  "Excuse me, pastor.  I know I only have a third grade education but I've been reading Paul for over 90 years.  Let me tell you what I think he really meant."
       I've shared this story many times before because it was an important turning point for me; I began to learn to value the wisdom of "lived" faith beyond academia.  But today, I was given another opportunity to think and learn.  Before I could get to the "moral of the story", the student I was talking to asked me what were the particular insights she gave me, what did Agnes teach me about what Paul had to say?  My reply wasn't particularly insightful and I've been thinking about it ever since.
       I went back and looked in my records and found the text for that day, 1 Corinthians 12:12-27.   I had spent a great deal of time writing on the text, how Paul tells us that we, "though many, are one body" in Christ.  We have different roles and gifts but we are gathered in Christ.  We need each and everyone person despite our differences.  I'm sure I was carrying on in a very detached and hypothetical way, trying to bring it all to some plane of spiritual community.
       What I learned from Agnes that day (and the years following) was Paul's words taken on a personal and very real level lived out a long time.   We humans are a varying lot, very different from each other and yet the same in our ability to break promises, hurt one another in various ways, disagree and be disagreeable with one another.  We are alike in that no matter how hard we try; we will always make mistakes and need forgiveness.  Life is hard and terrible things happen to even very good and faithful people: crops fail, loved ones die, and our bodies fail us.  Belonging to Jesus doesn't prevent these things from happening and sometimes we do feel very much alone in our grief and suffering.  But being gathered into one body means that we are here to support and pray for one another and hold one another in love.  You do what you can to help one another.  It's not a matter of being buddies but a matter of faith.  Being part of the community of faith is what gets you through the worst of times.
       Soon after that first visit, my daughter (a toddler at the time) became ill with pneumonia and was hospitalized.  Agnes, who had lost children due to lack of antibiotics (before they were invented and when there were no doctors in the area), worried about her, continuing to pray for us and ask about her for months.  Our visits became times of mutual ministry and exchanges of care as we were nourished with the Word in scripture and bread and wine.   My personal life and my ministry are all the richer from the blessing of knowing her.
       Belonging to Christ is being gathered into this wondrous group of all kinds of people, many of whom are so different that on our own, we might not ever have come to know or care for each other.  We are not just enriched by their presence in our lives, they are necessary to the life of the body of Christ.  The person I learned from today was not even born when I had that first conversation with Agnes.  Now I have learned from them both.  Who are the different voices in your life that have taught and cared for you along the way?  Pray also about the people who need your hospitality and ministry.  Read Romans 12:4-12

Boxers or Briefs?

      It used to be that the place to get gossip about famous people was in magazines or newspapers kept by the checkout in grocery stores.  Their content was known as "yellow journalism" and both those that wrote for them and those that read them were looked down on a bit, or at least they were seen as a guilty pleasure.   Although popular enough to make a profit, they were seen as less than respectable.
       Now we seem to have made a national obsession of such news that such content is now a staple of news magazines, newspapers,  network TV news shows, and their on-line counterparts.  You can hear who is dating or divorcing whom, or who has gained or lost weight, or whose in the middle of a juicy scandal right along with the world news of leaders of state, war, or the economy.  Far from being seen as a sin, gossip has become big business.  Not only are billions of dollars made from selling magazines, papers, and shows, but mega amounts of money are paid for photographs, private information, tips, and stories.
       Sometimes, we cover our want for gossip by telling ourselves and others that we need or want to know because we care.  We may even extend this "caring" to people that we will likely never meet.   We seem to have lost our expectation of privacy both for the famous and for each other so it is easy to get caught up in gossip.  It might not matter so much except that what we come to "know" is not always true and it changes as it spreads from person to person.  The other part of the problem is that we all too easily judge others by this information and react emotionally before we even know the truth.
       I wish I could say this is different in the church but as is all too clear these days; there is just as much gossip, mis-information, and emotional reaction in the Christian community.   It can create a great deal of pain, hard feelings, division, and confusion.  We can deceive ourselves by insisting that we are just trying to stand up for the truth but it works against community in Christ just the same.
       Whether we're talking about Brad Pitt, the church, or a neighbor, scripture has advice for us.  In his letter to the church in Ephesus (the book of Ephesians), Paul writes in chapter 4 and 5 about this topic.  He asks the people to bear one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit.  We are one body (even when we don't want to claim everyone) and we have one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God who is above, through, and in all things.  The word is very clear on this point: our unity comes from and through Jesus Christ and not what we have said or done or accomplished.
       Not only our unity, but also our salvation comes from what Jesus has done and not ourselves.  As Paul writes, "you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing: it is the gift of God - not the result of works" (Ephesians 3:8-9).  This being true, there is nothing left for us to judge each other about because ultimately we are all saved by grace.  It is what Jesus has done that matters in the end.  As people of faith, our conversation is to reflect this grace and love, using talk to help each other, build up community, and give grace to each other.
       The goal we are to aim for is to live as God's beloved children; to live in love as Christ loved us.  Read Ephesians 4:25-32.

In God's Arms

       Perhaps the thing I miss most since my children are older is the wonderful feeling of holding a sleeping baby or young child.   There is something very comforting and serene when holding them in your arms and they fall deeply asleep.  Then they completely relax into you and it's like a little radiant heater goes on and they put out quite a bit of warmth.  And they smell good (most of the time).
       Holding a sleeping babe is so peaceful; probably because is such a sign of complete trust and love on the part of both people.  Also, they often seem like stolen moments from the busyness of the world, the noise, and the rush.  My mother told me to take the time to enjoy those moments.  She warned me that children grow up all too soon, that childhood goes by very quickly.  I have to admit that I really didn't believe her especially on those days when I felt like I was lucky to have the time to wash my face and brush my hair.  But even so, I tried to take time out to sit and hold my children, to read, to cuddle, and even to nap.
      As our children grow up, there are still times when they need and we want to give them that kind of care and attention, especially when they are ill or when we've been apart.  A couple of summers ago, I was in a car full of women in leadership positions, going off to a convention.  We stopped to pick up one of the speaker's octogenarian mother who greeted her with a hug and a kiss.  "You are never too old to be kissed by your mama," she announced.
       Taking time for worship and prayer can be like spending time being held, trusting in the love and grace of God.  It can bring calm and hope even in the midst of the worst things life can throw at us.  This is especially important for us to remember these day.  There are people who seem intent to spread fear and division among us as we come upon another anniversary of 9/11.   With elections coming up in November, there are plenty of other people who are seemingly fighting over which party or which candidate or program we should be afraid of (and therefore vote against).
        Certainly, there is more than enough to worry about.   The state of the world's economy on a large scale and the state of our own incomes and debt are scary.  As farmers well know, even when the crop looks good in the field, you're not safe until it's harvested and sold for a good price.  Disasters, whether natural or human-caused, are great at making us feel helpless and even hopeless.  Serious illness or injury to someone we love can do the same thing and all of our fretting and worrying will not change anything for the better.  I don't think any of us would have to look far or hard to find something that will keep us awake at night.
       Which is why it is good to remember that we are never too old or too much in trouble for God to hold us.  God's love for you is bigger and stronger than all of these worries.  God brings real and true hope even in the face of death and destruction.  It is not only okay to take time to rest in God away from these worries; it is good for you body, mind, and soul.  Whether you call it devotions, worship, or meditation, it can lower your blood pressure, boost your immune system, and help you sleep.   Take some time to rest in God.  Read Psalm 131.

Flip Flops and All

       We had fun on Sunday!  We celebrated Flip Flop Sunday this week.  I wore my flip flops with butterflies on them, we sang lots of fun hymns (yes, there are fun hymns!), and shared a gospel story.  I passed out bottle of bubbles during the children's sermon.  Some people not only wore flip flops on their feet but also on their clothing!  This Sunday is about so much more than footwear though, so I thought I would share some of the background thoughts with you.                

        A few years ago, I was having a conversation with some teens when someone remarked that they wished they could wear their flip flops to church on Sunday.  Then I was asked if there was a reason that they couldn't or shouldn't; after all, does it matter to God? Which led to a discussion around the question: doesn't God accept us just the way we are?  I agreed and then we had a great conversation about what that means.

       Out of that discussion came the idea for "Flip Flop Sunday" - a worship service designed to be fun and friendly where the intentional focus is the invitation to "come in your flip flops" as a reminder that God loves and accepts you just the way you are.

       Why do flip flops work as a symbol?  They are generally a humble shoe.  Even these days, you can find them on sale for a dollar or two.  Because they go between the toes, they are usually worn without socks so your feet show in their complete glory (bunions, corns, toe hair, cracks, blisters and all) and after walking around a while, your feet get dirty and dusty.   Some places don't allow flip flops or openly discourage them: places of work, some schools, and certain restaurants.  They certainly aren't seen as formal or dress-up wear although I've seen them given as bridesmaid gifts to wear for the reception or worn at after-prom parties.  Although they are simple shoes, flip flops are associated with summer and the stuff we like about summer: dressing casual, being relaxed and having fun.

       Flip flop Sunday is an intentional time to remember and celebrate once again that we are saved by God's grace who knows us completely and loves us just the same.  This amazing grace and love of God is a continual source of joy and comfort.  And besides, it is not only okay but also appropriate for us to celebrate God's love!  Or, as it says in the communion liturgy, it is "indeed right and salutary that we should in all times and all places give thanks and praise" to God.

       Shouldn't every Sunday be flip flop Sunday?  Absolutely and in God's eyes, everyday God reaches out with forgiveness, life, and love to us no matter what we look like, no matter what we have done or left undone, no matter how sure our faith or how shaky or absent our belief.  Before we have a chance to say a word, God comes running with open arms to welcome us.  It is the image that Jesus gives us in the parable story of the prodigal son (Luke 15:20).   It is one of the most comforting images of God that is given to us.

       God does not need flip flop Sunday but it is we who need the reminder.  It is too quick and easy for us to turn gestures of love and respect into rules and requirements: one must dress nice, say these words, act this way, and do these things.  Taking time for a flip flop Sunday is a gentle reminder to relax into God's loving arms and allow ourselves to be held, comforted, and cared for.  It is also a reminder that we are called to give the people around us the same welcome, forgiveness, and love.

       Jesus reminds us to be humble and not to assume that we are better or more deserving than anyone else.  Wearing our flip flops is a reminder that we all come to the table with dirty feet, in need of Jesus to wash us clean.  Jesus does not call us to church to sit in seats of honor but to do the things he did; wash feet, feed the poor, care for the sick, and show love for all people.  Read Luke 14:7-14

Flip Flops (the poem)

Flip Flops  (2006)
               Christine Iverson

Today I came to church
wearing flip flops.
I wasn't wearing a suit,
or a fancy hat with a bow.
At first,
I felt uncomfortable.
Maybe God wouldn't like it.
It might be upsetting.
And then I thought,
would God really get upset
because I wore jeans
or anything else?
Is that what bothers God?

Then I remembered:
unkind words, cussing,
the fit I threw in the car,
my impatience in line
(did it really matter
that I had to wait?).
People are hungry,
innocents are dying
because of bombs
they cannot control.
I turned off the news.
I couldn't be bothered.

I came to church today,
wearing my flip flops.
I was reminded that God
adopted me in baptism.
God loves me -
just the way I am.
Now it's my turn
to share that love.
God knows
how much we need it.

Through God's Eyes

       A few weeks ago I got a phone call at work from one of my sons,  "Guess where I am? I'm on Ellis Island".  Then followed a conversation about his great-grandparents and great-great-grandparents who immigrated to this country through Ellis Island.  My maternal grandfather and grandmother had not yet met when they came through.  Grandfather was a fisherman on the big boats from northern Norway in the Lofoten islands.  One of his brothers was sent back from Ellis and not allowed to enter because he was missing a finger (a common injury from being caught in the boat rigging).  As far too many people experience today, immigration in real life is neither romantic nor easy and it is a choice not given to everyone.
       Immigration has become a volatile national conversation again with lots of opposing opinions being thrown around especially in political circles.  This is a recurrent situation in our history that always seems to have stereotypes, bias, and racism mixed in with the fear of the unknown and the fear of scarcity.  We seem to fear that if we share too much of our freedom, our land, our resources, our wealth, that there will not be enough left for us.  The radio, TV, and Internet are full of people willing to play on our fears and stir up the debate for their own ends, asking us to take sides they define as good versus evil and forget our own immigrant histories.
       My mother never learned English until she went to school, where because my grandparents moved to an area of Wisconsin heavily settled by Norwegians, the teacher also spoke Norwegian and was able to help students learn a new language.  Into the 40's and 50's, churches split over the issue of doing worship and confirmation in English.  My grandmother only spoke Norwegian and pretended not to understand English except for the youngest grandchildren.  Now my siblings and I regret not learning our second language.
      In the last 9 years, I have had conversations with many people who have shown if not fear, at least timidity about admitting their nationality, faith, or immigrant status because they have been harassed.  The conversation remains strained until I make a positive statement, usually because I have friends or colleagues from the region.  Clearly we have created an environment where people feel neither welcome nor safe.
        Whatever the politics involved, this should bother us as followers of Jesus.  As a small child, he was a refugee fleeing in the middle of the night to seek safety from a tyrant (Matthew 2:13-15).  During his years of ministry, Jesus walked throughout the region talking and eating with, teaching and healing a wide range of people, welcoming them in love.  Because of this, Jesus was persecuted and eventually killed by those in power who disapproved of this wider vision of God's kingdom.
       It shouldn't surprise us that God's vision is always wider, deeper, and larger than ours.  After all, only God has created the universe and measured the oceans in the hollows of God's hands, and marked off the heavens with a hand span, and weighed the mountains (Isaiah 40:12).  Before we rush headlong into  division and fear, we need to pause and take a breath, and ponder God's vision of a house of prayer for all peoples including foreigners and outcasts.  What we hold in common with all people is that we are God's children, given life and breath and held and forgiven through God's love.  Read Isaiah 56: 6-8.

Freedom in Hard Times

       It is very hard to live under judgment.  Just ask a little child who has done something wrong and then been caught.  It's bad enough to face the consequences right away but it can be even worse to wait.  Kids are good at doing that to each other,  "Just wait.  When Mom and Dad get home, I'm gonna tell on you!  Then you'll really be in trouble!"  And the waiting turns to worry, trying to figure a way out, hoping for a reprieve, and growing more anxious.   Being poor in this country puts you in the position of living in this unsettled state of worry often mixed with shame.
       While going through seminary, my husband and I hit the point where we had reached the end of our resources.  We finally ended up applying for and receiving food stamps.  It wasn't a step we felt good about but we needed the help.  I'll never forget what happened one night while shopping with the kids.
       It felt so good to be able to walk down the aisles and buy not only stuff that we needed but even to buy the kids something that they wanted.  So yes, I got some of the cereal they really wanted, some pizza, perhaps some ice cream.  Then we got up to the checkout counter and I unloaded the cart.  As the clerk was ringing up the order, I took out my food stamps to get ready to pay.  Suddenly she yelled out, "Hey, Debbie!  It's food stamps! Now what?"
       Everything came to a standstill and everyone stared at us as the second cashier came over to help deal with the "problem" of ringing through with food stamps.  People grew impatient and began grumbling out loud.  If we hadn't needed it, I would have grabbed the kids and left the food behind.  Instead, I stood in tears and waited while everyone watched.
       To be poor puts you in the position of not only living with other people's impatience and judgment but also with the feeling of living on the edge of things you cannot control.  Almost every area of your life becomes defined by money or the lack of it; whether there is money to pay for gas to get to work, to go see a doctor, for laundry soap, or which bill to pay.  Simple acts like picking up the mail or answering the phone become fear-filled because they may well contain another problem that you cannot solve and be even more proof of your failure.  It can be so overwhelming that it becomes almost impossible to see a solution to even the smallest problem.
       There are more and more people these days living on those edges, more people who need not only food and shelter but also our compassion and grace.  I read recently that the first act of love is to listen.  We need to listen to those around us and respond with care, concern, and help because I am convinced that there are more people than we realize who are in financial distress.  They are the underemployed as well as the unemployed, seniors whose retirement has been cut as well as young people in starter jobs.  They need reassurance of their worth as God's own, our acceptance, and our help but not our pity.  They are our neighbors, our family, and ourselves.
       The message that God gives us is one of love and hope.  In the book of Isaiah, God speaks to people whose homes, farms, and country had been taken away and offers help.  But first, God reminds them and us that the service God requires is to loose the bonds of injustice, to let the oppressed go free, and to feed the hungry.  (verses 6-7)  The first step to our own freedom and justice is to help and free those around us; to put aside our judgment and accept others and to give from our bounty or from the little that we have.  Listen to your neighbor.  Give to the local food pantry.  Share from your garden (and not just the zucchini!).   Read Isaiah 58:6-11.

Dear Christ Gathered

       Our newest residents here at the church (baby swallows) are growing very quickly.   Last week when I wrote, all I could see were the eyes and beaks of two tiny and fuzzy chicks right out of their eggs.  By the next day, I could see a third bird sitting in the nest woven up under the eave by my office.
       They don't cheep as much and are very good at sitting very still as I near the door but they can't really hide anymore.  They are quickly outgrowing the nest and seem to spend a lot of time perched on the edges of the nest.  They should begin flying in a week or so but they may continue to come back to the nest for a time.  I will miss tracking their progress and watching them grow.
       Young things such as chicks and children grown up faster than we realize.  I was reminded of this yesterday as I talked to a soon-to-be eighth grade confirmation student. As often happens over the summer, he has hit a growth spurt and is getting taller.  I go through this every year; it is a stage that reminds me that I am getting older even as they grow up and prepare to go out and live their own lives.  It also reminds me how precious this time is that we have together to talk and learn together about God.
        There are many things that already clamor for their attention and draw them away from time together in study and worship; work, sports, family activities and commitments, and taking time for rest and relaxation often come first.  It is a common struggle for many people.  And now along with the question "how do we find time for church?" some people are asking, "is church necessary?".
        It's true; nowhere does Jesus say that one has to be a member of any organized religion to be a faithful follower.  However, we are called to be in community with one another.  Paul writes about it as the faithful being the body of Christ.  One of the early names for what we now call the "congregation" or "church" was "Dear Christ gathered".  It was both a symbol of Christ's promise to be with us when we gather two or more and a reminder that our lives are to be a witness to following Jesus.
       Together, God gives us comfort and strength (Isaiah 41:10).  We can learn from each other, support each other, help each other, and encourage each other.  Granted, we can also be a source of discouragement, disappointment, and even pain to each other.  Paul writes very clearly that we do not experience each other as equal in faith, gifts, or any other way and it's easier to include some people than others but then, that is God's point.  It is only by grace that any of us are included in the body of Christ.  We are gathered in God's love, by God's grace to be a sign of that love to the world.
       That can be difficult sometimes but it is the struggle we are given as those who follow Jesus.   Together, we can be the witness that shows God's love  to the world.  Now we won't always succeed because gathered in Christ or not, our failures and our shortcomings not only come along with us but sometimes we seem to feed off of each other.  But then is when we need to care for each other and forgive each other instead of stoking the flames of dissension and disagreement.   The words read at weddings (1 Corinthians 13:4-13) about love being patient and kind; about love bearing and enduring all things were written as part of the instruction on how to be gathered together in Christ!  That kind of love and care is the witness that the world sorely needs from the each of us and the church as a whole.  Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 22-26.

Birds of a Feather

       We have two new residents at Halstad Lutheran this week!  As I came to the church door this morning, I heard lots of little cheeping and noticed (belatedly - it was morning after all) that there were some very excited swallows flying around my head.  I looked up and peeking out of a carefully woven nest were the tops of two tiny and fuzzy chicks.  They went absolutely still as soon as I got near them and I nearly missed seeing them.
       Perhaps that is one of the reasons I love bird watching; they are one of the few of nature's wonders that call out for attention.  Whether in lyrical song or harsh cry, birds draw attention to themselves.  I know I should take time to smell the roses but I often rush about oblivious to my surroundings.  But like this morning, birds can interrupt and draw me into contemplation of God's amazing creation.
       Later on in the day, I went past the pond on the other side of the river and was glad to see that a pair of large swans is still there.  They are such large and beautiful birds and so graceful.  As one caressed or groomed the other, I was reminded that swans most often mate for life.  Both encounters with birds today were reminders of the great love and care with which God has filled creation.
      In some ways it should not be surprising then that the one who took such care in creating everything would then continue to keep track of and care for everyone and every thing in creation (Luke 12:6-7).  And yet there is a long history of religion (often called deism) that believes God created the universe and then walked away to leave it to run itself.  That kind of religion only works while you are able to convince yourself that you or anyone else can really control and handle everything that comes along.
       What I know is this: the miracle of those two tiny fuzzy heads peeping away are new life and are a sign of the ongoing work of creation.  Perhaps the most amazing thing of all is that God has entrusted all of this to our care not because God can't be bothered but because they are a sign of how much God loves us!  God gives us life, intellect, heart; everything we need to do the work and also the ability to choose so that we can care for this world and all it contains.
       This is a responsibility that we ignore at our own peril.  From two tiny chicks to the melting polar ice and endangered polar bears to oil-covered pelicans and the choking marshes along the gulf coast, we need to realize that our decisions and interactions with God's creation are a matter of faith and our relationship with the Creator.  It is not a matter of politics or the validity of certain scientific theories.  It is a matter of God, faith, and love: God's love of us, our belief in God and our love for God.
       How we walk upon the earth and what we leave behind us are signs of love.  So along with reading food labels for nutrition information, clipping coupons, and checking out what is on sale, there are other questions I ponder that have to do with the impact of my choices on other people and upon creation.  Jesus repeatedly says that we will be known by how we love one another.  Our responsibility for stewardship extends the implication of Jesus' command to our care of the earth.  Read Psalm 8 (preferably while you're outside).

Be a Blessing

       One of the similarities between western Kansas and here in the Red River Valley is the flatness of the terrain.  There are not many hills in Kansas once you get past the flint hills in the center.  However, one night I had quite an adventure on the one big hill between Hays and LaCrosse.
       My son and I were coming back from an orchestra rehearsal that had finished late.  The sky was clear and full of stars, the road was dry, and once we left town, there were no other cars on the road so the driving was easy and uneventful.  Suddenly, the car engine began racing, speeding up no matter what I did.  I changed to braking with my left foot, lifting up on the gas pedal to see if it was stuck or if there was something under it.  There wasn't; the pedal was free and clear but the car kept speeding up.
       By now, we were heading down the lone steep hill on the 30 mile trip.  I was getting frantic because I knew that at the bottom of the hill was a concrete bridge over a riverbed that was dry and rocky.  I could smell the brakes getting warm and yet the needle on the tachometer kept rising into the red.  The brakes were not slowing the car down at all and I was afraid of burning them out.  I finally remembered something I had read and turned the ignition key off and put the car in neutral.  Only then was I able to stop the car and pulled off to the side.
       I was glad we were safe but it was late, we were miles from a homestead, and I didn't dare start the car again.  I opened the hood but neither of us knew enough about cars to even begin to know where to look much less how to fix the problem if we found it.  I was trying very hard not to shake or cry or add to my son's fright but I had no idea of what to do next.  (This was before we had cell phones.)
       Just then a pickup coming from the other direction pulled up and a man got out and came over.  He asked what the problem was and I told me.  He went to his truck and got a flashlight and a toolbox.  After a few minutes of looking and digging, he said that the chain on the cruise control had gotten caught but he had unhooked it and disabled the cruise so it couldn't happen again.
       He said it was safe for me to drive home but he could see that I was still very shaken and nervous so he said he would follow me to make sure we got home safely.  I got in the car, he turned around and followed me the nearly 20 miles home.  When we got to the turn off of main street, he pulled over, did a u-turn and went back in his original direction.  He hadn't given me his name and refused anything but my thanks.  I never found out who he was but I have always been grateful not only for fixing the car but also for caring enough to follow me so that I felt safe enough to drive home.
       An ancient faithful practice is one of doing acts of kindness, of being a blessing to someone; in Hebrew it is called a mitzvah.  One of the disciplines of a faithful life is to seek out chances to do these acts of kindness for others especially when we are not asked and when they can be done anonymously.  It is a way of turning life on its head from seeking what we need and want to seeking ways to help others.
       Many times, Jesus says that those who follow him will be known by how we love each other.  (John 13:34-35)  Sometimes showing Christ-like love happens in big acts, witnessed by many people and requiring courage and strength.  I think of people like Bishop Desmond Tutu and Ben Larsen, or those who work for Lutheran World Relief.  But Christ's love also happens in small acts of kindness that can become part of our daily lives as we interact with all the people around us.  Each act of kindness is a witness to the love that we have first received from Jesus Christ, nourishes our own faith and can be a blessing into the future.  The man who stopped to help us may never know but I thank God for him every time I remember his help.    Read Ephesians 4:31-5:2.

Being Loved to Love

       My niece loves the Backstreet Boys music.  She has since she got her first album.  Now some people might contest that because of her level of disability but if you take the time to get to know her, you'll soon find you agree.  Even though she can't talk, or dance, or play their beats, she loves the Backstreet Boys and she'll let you know.   She had a hard time sleeping the night before their concert and absolutely had a blast sitting way up front when they sang at the Minnesota State Fair.
       How easy we find it to express "love" for music, food, and for things:  'I love cheesecake.'  'I love chocolate.'  'I love football.'  But once we are beyond early childhood, it becomes harder to express love for specific people.  Easy to say to mom when you are four, "I love you" but to say, "I love you" at 25 to a companion?  Even naming the other person becomes complicated, like the nuances of companion, partner, lover, or spouse and friend is not the same as boyfriend or girlfriend.   Issues of trust, safety, security, promise, and permanence make the whole matter so serious and complicated that it can become difficult to use those words.
       Yet if you read the letters of Paul closely, especially the beginnings and the endings you will find the words of a man who is head-over-heels in love with God and with those in the Church.  How can he love so many people?  He writes at the beginning of the book of Romans, "To all God's beloved in Rome who are called to be saints" (Romans 1:7).  Paul loves those who follow Jesus (the meaning of the word saint) because God loves them (us).  His letters are full of correction (and preaching) but they are also full of encouragement and of thanksgiving for the work of others.
       In a world of training in awareness and sensitivity about sexual harassment (unfortunately much needed), Paul's words can sound strange in our ears.  In Philippians 4 (verse 1) he writes, "Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved."  Paul writes these overflowing words of love to the entire community, thanking God for their faith and work and encouraging them to continue.  His love is so great that even at his most serious and pompous, he can't help but show it.
       Does this mean God is asking us to love each and every motley member sitting in the pew?  Before we get there, we have to start where Paul starts.  Paul's faith convinces him that God loves him in spite of all his weakness and even forgives him of all the terrible things he has done.  You see, Paul spent his earlier life persecuting and even being proud of killing people for following Jesus.  Paul knows how bad a person can be because he has been there and so his joy at being loved by God is overwhelming.  Love everybody? 'Why not!' Paul answers, 'God loves even me'.
       Perhaps that is Paul's secret.  Instead of coming at each other from the perspective of judgment, Paul sees himself as the first to be condemned.  Instead of looking at other people negatively, Paul sees them through God's eyes of love.  Like my niece, Paul loves with his whole body and soul with complete abandon.
       Can we love all these people God has called?  The trick is to look at each other through God's eyes, filtered by amazing, overflowing, never ending love.   Read Ephesians 4:30-5:2

Water for Life

       Water is precious.  Come in from working hard, all hot and sweaty and nothing tastes as good as a glass of water.  Fall in the mud (like I did last week), and nothing feels as good as a warm shower.  Certain plants let you know right away when they need watering and are just as quick to respond to a drink.  Peace lilies in particular will droop and the leaves will wilt but it is amazing how quickly it will respond to being watered, standing upright and looking fresh.
       During the late 80's, there was an extended period of drought in western Kansas while we were living and working in that area.  It got so bad that there were bad dust storms that would be large enough to cause roads to be closed for lack of visibility.  I remember one day in particular when I couldn't see from the church door to the curb 20-30 yards away.   Wells started to go dry; ranchers were trucking water to cattle and irrigating was out of the question.
       The water pressure was so low in town, I remember turning on the tap to fill a picture for ice tea and leaving it to fill while I went and did other things --- it took a long time!  I don't think I have ever been as aware of making choices about water use as I was during that time.  Water use was so restricted that it affected personal and household use; you even had to order water to get some in a restaurant.  A large parking lot in the nearby city of Hays was turned into a sea of toilets when the city made water-saving toilets mandatory.  There was at least one household who gave up, paved the yard with concrete and painted it green!
       It sounds like we had bad water problems but someone I met at a water conference put it in perspective.  She ran water management for a large west-coast city.  She said that when people complained to her about water restriction, she showed them a picture on her wall of a young girl carrying a large can of water on her head.  "Now she has a water problem", she would respond.  For most of the women of the world, the average walk to get water to use is 6 kilometers or 3.7 miles, one way.  And often, that water is not clean or safe to drink which kills millions of people.  Seventy percent of our planet is covered in water but about one percent is fresh water.  Knowing this, I have consciously tried to keep aware of my water use, to save and conserve what I can.  We cannot survive without water.
       We also cannot live without God who gives us both life and water.  The Bible is full of water stories with a keen awareness of how dependent life is upon wells and wadis.  The prayer Martin Luther wrote to be used at baptisms is nick-named the "flood prayer" because it talks about many of the water stories in the Bible including the flood of Noah and the ark fame.
      We need to take water seriously both physically and spiritually.  In the book of Jeremiah, God speaks of being the "living water" that people have forsaken (Jeremiah 2:13).  When Jesus meets the Samaritan woman at the well, he tells her that if she knew who he was, she would ask him for a drink and he would have given her living water.  (John 4:10)  Now, living water is water that runs clear, free of the kind of toxic algae blooms and other contaminants that can make standing water poisonous.  How wonderful if Jesus would give her close and easy access to such water!  But the water that Jesus offers is the water that washes her and us clean from sin and gives the gift of eternal life.  This is powerful water.
       In the face of the ongoing disaster of the oil spill in the Gulf, it is easy to feel like weeping. Day after day the news gets worse and we watch with the world seemingly helpless to make it end.  It can be overwhelming even for those of us who live far away.  It can and should bring us to our knees to repent of our lack of care for the creation God has entrusted to our stewardship.
       But the God who gives the water that gives everlasting life, is also the God of our lakes, rivers, and oceans.  We can and should pray, asking for God's wisdom, mercy, and guidance. Our prayers are powerful because the God who hears and answers us is powerful.  Also, our prayers connect us to our sisters and brothers who are suffering in the midst of the disaster.  Prayers are never in vain; as we pray, so we live out our faith.  Pray to the God of Living Water.  Read John 4:7-15

Let's Go Praise-y!

        People have a never-ending capacity to create variety in everything we do.  Even in a worship environment where the same hymnbook is used and the same things happen in the same order with only a slight change in music, the personality of each congregation marks the way in which worship is done.  What keeps pastors on their toes is that often these unique marks on the service are unwritten and unspoken so that they catch us unawares.
       So it was one Sunday when my husband was filling in for a vacationing pastor, a common summer occupation for seminary students.  With only one car between us and me due to have our second child at any time, I was in the pew with our oldest son.  The service was going along as usual, with nothing unusual noted in the service bulletin except that at two-and-half, our son was getting impatient for church to be finished.  We weren't sitting up front where he could see everything because I needed frequent bathroom breaks so he was bored looking at nothing but the backs of heads.
       Finally, the last blessing, the benediction was spoken and we sang the last hymn.  This is where we ran into trouble.  Without warning or instruction, this congregation's custom was to stand perfectly still in silence for one minute after the last note of the last hymn.  A perfect silence that was broken by my son standing up in the pew, clapping his hands loudly and crying out, "Yea!  Daddy's done!  Now we can go home!".  His joy nearly echoed in contrast to their complete silence while I was on the receiving end of some smiles and some glares.
       We seem to have problems both with silence and with showing joy in worship; we aren't comfortable with either one getting too pronounced.  That's probably why we don't always deal well with welcoming and embracing young children in worship; they interrupt solemn silences and express their joy with complete abandon.  Give them a chance to sit up front where they can see, and chances to participate, and they will with all their heart and soul.  They will also find ways to have fun in church.
       We can learn from children.  We should all have fun in church!  Jesus tells us again and again that the kingdom of God belongs to children (Luke 18:15-17) and that we all need to come to God as a little child.   The sounds and presence of children in worship are the sounds of the gifts of life and future that God has given and entrusted to us.
       According to scripture, God craves sounds and music of praise.  When Jesus enters Jerusalem and he is told to make the singing and yelling crowd quiet down, he says that "if these were silent, the stones would shout out." (Luke 19:40)  Many of the Psalms tell us and the whole earth to "sing a new song" or "make a joyful noise".   Try to imagine the sounds of joy that the mountains would make or the trees of the forests.  With the horrendous oil spill in the gulf, the oceans are probably singing songs of lament; we should join them.
        I don't think either children or rocks and stones or hills or floods are  probably prone to moderate, stately, ordered praising.  The psalmist writes about breaking into spontaneous joyous songs and praises.  It sounds like fun!  Perhaps if we had more fun in church, people wouldn't be so likely to leave worship out of their summer plans.
        It starts with our own attitudes that we bring with us; coming with an expectation of joy or at least smiles and of greeting all the noises of joy and life around us with smiles of welcome. Come to worship not for what you expect to receive, but for what you can give to others: the encouragement of your presence, a greeting of welcome, the blessing of Christ's peace, and the support of our mission and ministry in the world.  Now not everyone is in a place of joy every Sunday, then we can share with each other the comfort and care of God's love and presence.   If you're not ready to share joy, try at least some gentle happiness.  After all, here you are welcomed, fed, forgiven, loved, and given life that never ends.  Yeah!  Read Psalm 98:4-9