Jesus Is Here/Jesus Is Coming

       I have a good Methodist friend who once complained to me while discussing theology, "Lutherans are so frustrating.  When someone asks you if A is true or B is true, you say yes.  You have to have it both ways."

       She is right in the sense that much of Lutheran theology finds us trying to hold two truths in tension: we are saints, completely forgiven and washed clean; and we are also sinners, still imperfect and falling short all throughout our lives.  Saint and Sinner.  Now and not yet.

       Advent and Christmas are full of this now/not yet tension; we celebrate the birth of Jesus who has already come and we wait for Jesus the Christ to come again.  Jesus is born human, a tiny newborn like any new baby and Mary labors and gives birth like any mother and yet this Jesus is also God, completely divine, and comes to Mary unlike any birth before or since.  

       The deeper my faith gets, the more I realize that it is filled with the tension of these paradoxes; the now/not yets, the yes to seeming contradictions.  It is not that God's gift of faith is imperfect but rather that I cannot grasp the entirety of the mystery.   Sometimes I think that the deeper my faith grows, the less I know or perhaps it is that I am able to let go of needing to feel like I have the answers.  

       I think that the very beginning of a child's faith and the deep faith of a lifetime of faithfulness bring us to the same place:  God loves us and sent Jesus, the Savior to save us.  We are loved and forgiven.  The gift has been given.  I cannot pretend to understand how God has accomplished this, or the whys; all I can do is rest in faith and trust.  Sometimes I think we can spend a whole life-time of faithful searching, study, and prayer just to work ourselves back to the sure faith of a child: "Jesus loves me, this I know".  (Of course, Jesus said something about this, read Mark 10:15.  "Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.")
        My experiences as a mother have perhaps helped me live a little easier with all the paradoxes of now/not yet.  For me, pregnancy was living out an ultimate paradox complicated by several miscarriages.  The early months it can be very hard to really feel and changes, unless "morning sickness" is part of the experience.
       But then as the pregnancy progresses, the existence of the baby becomes more and more real.   The urge to share that with my husband meant that he had to learn patience as he put his hand on my belly, waiting to feel the baby kick.  Later on, I've had such experiences as people watching me as the baby had hiccups and you could see my belly bob up and down or watch a foot or elbow move from side to side.  Then finally with birth, the child is here.
       The time of now/not yet can be very precarious and so our waiting is filled with fears and impatience as well as joy.
       The same is true of faith.  We wait eagerly and we wait with hope, but the time of waiting also leaves us time to doubt, to ask questions, and to make mistakes.  That is why God's grace is the only thing that makes faith last.  By ourselves, the paradoxes, the questions, and the waiting would wear our faith away but God gives us the gift of faith and stays with us through it all, loving and caring for us.
       With the birth of Jesus, God-with-us, we declare to the world that the promise has been fulfilled.  Salvation has come!  Alleluia!  Read Romans 8:19-15.

Waiting in Hope

       The summer my second son was born, my mom came to stay with me to help after the baby was born.  She arrived on my official due date.  Unfortunately, my son wasn't born until three weeks later.  All of this was complicated by the facts that we were living in student housing with no air conditioning and we were having record-setting July temperatures!
       Every morning (it seemed that way to me anyway) when I came out of the bedroom, Mom would say, "You're still here".  She was disappointed to still be waiting and I was growing ever more uncomfortable and disappointed myself.
       It seemed like that birth was never going to happen.  I tried everything: bumpy rides over the railroad tracks, washing the kitchen floor, baking pies and bread, going for long walks, and what ever else came to mind.  All that happened was that I got tired.  And grumpy.
       I was reminded of my own stories of waiting as I was contemplating the stories of Mary and Elizabeth this week.  Elizabeth had waited for years on end to have a child until any real hope of pregnancy was gone.  She was too old, but yet she conceived.  And Mary was so young and a virgin.  And yet their stories converge as they meet and the Holy Spirit reveals just what is happening to them both.  It seems that even John and Jesus meet as John leaps in his mother's womb upon hearing Mary.   Their next recorded meeting is 30 years later as Jesus comes to be baptized by John at the beginning of his ministry.
       Mary's words at their meeting recall the history and generations upon generations of those who have been waiting for the coming of the Savior.  There is that sense of heaviness, of long hard waiting that is finally released.
       We are still in the waiting of Advent.  It isn’t Christmas yet.  It is probably the most radical thing the church does throughout the year, taking the whole time of Advent to wait for Christmas while the rest of the world runs pell-mell into Christmas. 

       But in church, we still have Advent, the time to repent, to prepare for the coming of Jesus, time to be still and take time to think and pray, to take our faith seriously.

       Advent takes a long time, and a lot of waiting, especially this year.  Advent is defined as the four Sundays before Christmas.  And with Christmas Eve not happening until Saturday night, Advent this year is the longest it can get.  There are four full weeks of Advent this year.  We wait and we wait.  And perhaps we get a little grumpy and out of sorts for the waiting.  But we wait with hope.

       We are not waiting for presents and parties but for the Savior of the world to come.  He comes out of God's love.  For God so loved the world, that Jesus has come and is among us.  This is not just about the past but is also about our present and our future.  Because of Christ, we are forgiven, and restored to God. 

       Our hope in Christ is real and strong.  Even death is defeated by this hope.  The Christ we wait for came and destroyed the power of sin and death.  This Christ is with us through the power of the Holy Spirit and will come again.  We are still here, waiting, but God is also waiting with us.  Jesus is coming!  Read Mary's words called the Magnificat, Luke 1:39-55.

One Small Candle

      The year is drawing to a close, Advent is upon us, and Christmas is coming again.  I could tell that today and it didn't have anything to do with Christmas sales or programs or commercials.  I would have known even without all of those markers and even without the church year calendar turning to a new month and beginning the cycle again.
       What was it that was such a sure sign of the season?
       As I was going across the hall from my office to teach confirmation, I paused to turn on the hallway lights.  It was already getting dimmer at 3:30 and would be nearing dark by the end of class.  The days are much shorter now.  That fact along with the cold seeping from the doorway are sure signs of the coming dark and cold of winter.
       It is into this cold darkness that Advent invites us to light a candle for each week as Advent progresses toward Christmas.  It is not much light; just one small candle this week, and two next Sunday.  It surely isn't enough to really make a difference against such cold and darkness.  Why bother?
       When I was a child, I saw the lighting of the Advent candles as a countdown to Christmas.  I was impatient and it took too long.  Advent calendars were better, there was a window to open for every day we got closer to Christmas, but I could still only open one a day.  Now, there is an ornament that counts down the weeks, the days, the hours, and even the seconds.  But what does it count down to: Sundown on December 24th and the beginning of Christmas Eve? Midnight and the beginning of Christmas Day? Sunrise on the 25th?  Christmas worship? Opening presents? Christmas dinner?
       I have a feeling that the ornament's zero hour and mine would be very different.
       I think I will stick with my candles: one candle for each Sunday and the larger white candle in the center for the coming of Christ at Christmas.  The flare of the flame recalls the beginning of worship and invites me to contemplation and prayer.  It is a small light, only one candle this week and so we draw closer to each other and to its' light.  As the candle flickers in any draft, it reminds me of the cold and dark outside and how fragile life can be outside this time of year and I remember those who are cold, hungry, or homeless.  When the candle is blown out, the smoke of the candle floats into the air and the smoke is like the incense of evening prayer rising to God.
       Gather four candles into a circle or make a simple wreath and keep watch with me this Advent season.  Use it for your personal prayer time and as a family at your evening meals.  As the darkness and cold advance, the lights increase as the time for Jesus comes closer.  Open your minds and hearts to include service to those in need as a way to give thanks.  Your devotions and prayers can be as small and simple as the candle burning on your table.  Read Psalm 141: 1-4, 8.

On Thanksgiving Day

       Here are some ideas for giving thanks this week as you gather as family.
       Celebrate Thanksgiving Day, fix a meal together and share it with family and friends, remembering the meaning of the day.  It came about as a time to give thanks to God for getting through hard times, for bountiful harvests, and working and learning together with other people.  I invite you to take this day and make it a time of gratitude and sharing. 

Some activities for the day of Thanksgiving:

(** 2 stars indicate child friendly activities)

            **  begin the meal with prayers such as:

                 Come Lord Jesus, Be our guest, And let these gifts to us be blessed.

                 Blessed be God who is our bread, That all the world be clothed and fed.  Amen

            **  decorate a 3”x5” card on the blank side with stickers, or stamping, or pasting fall leaves.

            **  Set a card at each plate.  Have people write down things for which they give thanks.

                 Share them out loud, include them in prayers, and/or take them home as reminders.

            *   If you use Grandma’s jello bowl, or mom’s recipe for pumpkin pie, etc…, share those memories around the table.  Even better, write them down and make copies for everyone!

            **  Before or after the football game, turn off the TV and share family stories.

                 Starters: funniest thanksgiving, most embarrassing moment, most favorite, best food, worst food disaster, biggest storm…

            **  Buy blank cards and envelopes, set out markers, stamps, stickers, ribbons, etc…; decorate cards and send them to relatives who weren’t able to join you or for service men and women deployed overseas.

            **  Involve as many people as possible in making the meal from bringing dishes to share, peeling potatoes, setting the table, folding napkins… give thanks to the cooks by having the non-cooks clear the table and clean up after the meal.

            **  Take a post-dinner walk together, taking time to enjoy all of the natural wonders you find.  If walking isn't an option, take a slow and scenic drive and look for the same things.

                Variation: make a game of being the first to spy something we thank God for: a bird, pretty leaves,  a tree, animals, etc…    Bonus win to the person who spies a wild turkey!

           **  At the end of the day, take a moment to read Psalm 100 and pray a prayer of thanks.

                May God bless you all and keep you safe in your travels.  

God's Variety

      I love to watch people in all their infinite variety of colors, shapes, sizes, and decoration.  It's a great way to pass the time at an airport or to relax while sitting at a mall.  To me, it is akin to birdwatching or going on a scenic drive so I can enjoy the wonders God has made.  This hobby is one of the things I inherited from my mom.  She also liked to sit and watch people but if one of her sisters were around, they also like to comment on them in Norwegian which I neither speak nor understand.  Perhaps because of that, I didn't get into the habit of people watching as an exercise in judgment.
       It's a very common thing to do, to comment on what someone is wearing, or how tight their pants are, or their hair, etc.  Sometimes it is complimentary but more often than not, it's negative.  The judgment is often based on stereotypes, gender or racial or class bias.  Young people hear it from elders; "My mother wouldn't have let me out of the house in something like that".  All of this judging is often based on the attitude that there is a right or better way and that being different is seen as a negative value.  It is amazing to me that when we look at he scenery around us, we are amazed and refreshed by the variety around us: the leaves turning color or multitudes of blooming wild flowers but when we see the same variety in people, we react negatively.
       There are many ethical, moral, spiritual reasons not to engage in such judgment of each other.  It is divisive, hateful, demeaning, destructive and often leads to or is the excuse given for much violent behavior.  When we participate in the judgment of others who are different or when we stand by in silence when others are belittled, we hurt others and destroy community.  We can share basic values and ethics without requiring everyone to be alike.
       Just as there is an amazing variety of animal and plant life in the world, people too are different.  For me, enjoying the variety is a spiritual exercise in learning about the nature of God.  It is not about the judging others by our biases; it is more about the vastness and complexity of God.
       I go back to the first chapter of Genesis, verse 26: "Then God said, 'Let us make humankind in our image, according to our likeness".  And going on, it records, "in the image of God he created them, male and female he created them."
       Our diversity as people is not only intentional; I truly believe it is part of what it means to be created in God's image.  Even that which is created in God's image is different from the every beginning.  People are fragile vessels, we are incapable of holding, containing, or even naming the divine creator and yet we are each made in God's likeness; our very differences are reflections of the vastness of God.  Instead of seeing our differences as faults to be brought into line with one another, we should celebrate and give thank for them; they are gifts from God that make us stronger and benefit us in community.
       Are we imperfect reflections of God? Yes; our imperfections are both inside and out, how we are made and affected by the choices and chances of our lives.  And yet we are beloved by our creator, forgiven and redeemed.  I know for myself, I have learned the most and become stronger not only in spite of but sometimes because of the very parts of myself I tend to see as imperfections or faults.
       Our different gifts and abilities are together what gives us strength and beauty as a community.  God created a world where no two trees are alike, each one grows according to the sun and water it has received and is shaped by the wind and exposure, and the room it has to spread gain height.  So too, each of us is different from the beginning and then affected by and shaped by the circumstances and world around us.  May God help us to see each other as belonging to God and to recognize and celebrate our different gifts.  Read 1 Corinthians 12:4-7

Grandmother's Peace

       Peace.  It gets talked about a lot in faith circles.  We pray for peace.  We search for peace.  Some people find peace in worship while others still haven't reconciled themselves to the fact that we are asked to exchange a sign of "the peace" of Christ with the people sitting around us, no less.   Great people of faith seem to have a serene peace about them; it is one of the qualities that sets them apart from many of us.  This peace seems to come from a deep faith or acceptance.

       It's a quality a lot of people want as part of their spirituality.  Some people search for inner peace through prayer, meditation, and other spiritual practices.  Most of us have to work at it, but some people just "have it". Their faith just seems to give them a calm base; like weebles, they seem to be able to take the storms of life without falling down.  Counselor-types call it having a "non-anxious presence". 

       I remember my maternal grandmother as having that kind of presence.  Growing up, we spent summers with her.  And in spite of all the kids and our mess and noise, she was always calm.  There was only one time I remember her being upset. 

       My older sister had rescued a newborn kitten that was just a few days old.  It's eyes weren't even opened when she brought it home.  She fed it warmed formula from a doll's bottle and kept it warm.  It was still so small when we came up, that it still needed care and attention.

       A cousin had taken the kitten away and was being mean to it; and we went crying out to Grandma for help.  I don't remember what she said or did, except that she flew out of the kitchen, apron flying and soon returned, having rescued the kitten from the cousin and the cow tank.  She settled down with one of her good kitchen towels (the kind we would get in trouble for using to wipe our hands),gently wiping the kitten.   She sat by the stove, holding the kitten up near her chin and softly singing Norwegian lullabies.  Grandma was in her chair; the world was at peace.

        The peace we share during worship is the gift of peace given in faith by Jesus himself. After the resurrection, he greets the disciples with the words "Peace be with you" every time they meet. It is Jesus' wish, that we have his peace.  

       But there are times in the gospels when Jesus is upset.  Like my Grandmother, it is usually when he is looking out for the "little ones"  and the "least of these"; the ones that need his help and protection.  Our search for peace is never to come at the cost of the call to care for those in need.  

       Christ's peace comes from following his Way, which like the life he led, takes us out into the world to care for others.  

       Reading and studying the bible, daily prayer, yoga, meditation, deep breathing, all our spiritual practices will all fall short of peace unless we also reach out to others.  God's peace is not self-contained; it is communal.

       Living Christ's peace is something I know that I have to practice.  

       As a musician, the word practice has special meaning.  Learning an instrument, getting a degree in music means hours of practice locking away in a small room working hard and also working hard in groups large and small until the notes on the page make the music contained in them.

       Our spiritual practice takes the same dedication; time alone and time together in groups large and small.  We come together to pray and praise, to give God what is due God, and in return, we are filled and strengthened to continue.  Putting away our fears and anxiety doesn't mean running away from the world, but rather taking Christ with us into our everyday lives and giving him all the things we cannot control and do not know.  Read Matthew 6:33-34

Butterflies and Wall Street

       Just the other day, I came out of the church into swirl of fallen leaves being blown by the wind in the sunshine.  Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed one up near my shoulder.  I was going to ignore it and go when I stopped and thought, "how did this one leaf get up by my shoulder?"  Before I could finish that thought, the blacks and golds fluttered by my face.  It was a Monarch butterfly.
       It was beautiful.  I stood absolutely still and watched it in wonder until it flew off.  I reflected later that this experience was all the more special because of how rare it has been this year.  I haven't seen many Monarchs.
       In chaos theory, the butterfly effect describes how a tiny change in one place in the system can effect great changes overall.  This year perhaps especially, the Monarch butterfly is an example of that effect.
       Monarchs have been endangered for years now by the use of pesticides, the change in farming practices where fields are even larger and hedges and brush along fence lines are disappearing, and along with those practices, milk weed pod, the weed that the butterflies depend on for food are disappearing.  This year, these delicate beauties are also being hit hard by the severe drought on the southern Great Plains.  To survive, Monarchs must migrate south to Mexico beginning in August.  Like all migrating species, they need food and water along the way to survive the rigorous trip.  Some scientists are worried that conditions this year may be the tipping point for the species.
       In New York City and in cities around the country, people are protesting.  It's called Occupy Wall Street.  The media has been having a hard time covering it because they can't find a concise reason or meaning.  One common sign reads, 'We are the 99'; meaning the ninety-nine percent that are not extremely wealthy.  They are protesting everything from the banks and those that were bailed out and are now making record profits while "regular" people have lost homes, jobs, and taken losses in their retirement funds and abilities.
       These two phenomena intersect at a very central biblical concept: stewardship.  Now this is not "stewardship lite" in the way that contemporary church talk has reduced stewardship to a once-yearly focus on how much money you need to give to "the church" or "to God".  The central biblical concept of stewardship is about how humans are to relate with each other and to the whole of creation that God has put into our hands.  The core of that concept is care for the poor, the weak, and nature itself.
       According to the Old Testament, the Monarch would have habitat and the poor would have food; "you shall not reap to the very edges of your fields... you shall not strip your vineyard bare... you shall leave them for the poor" (Leviticus 19:9-10).  There is also the concept of the year of Jubilee when liberty is proclaimed for all people and for the land.  At its base is an understanding that the land belongs not to people but to God and therefore, we cannot claim ownership in perpetuity nor are people to be dealt with unfairly or a few to retain dominion over others.
       The biblical concept of stewardship calls us to mindfulness that we are the caretakers not the owners and that God's wish is for mercy and to look after all people. It is in this faith question that the life of the butterflies and the protestors can meet.  What does God have to say about corporate greed, about a time when the richer get wildly richer and more and more people fall into poverty, and about the devastation of rain forests, butterflies, and the polar ice caps?
       The biblical concept of stewardship does impact monetary issues, but only because it seeks to impact everything from energy-saving lightbulbs, to recycling, to our menus, and whom we invite to the table to eat of the harvested bounty.  It's not a question of what do we do with "our" stuff but of recognizing and then living the truth that all of this and us included, belong to God.  Read Isaiah 58:6-9

The Love that Tells the Story

     

       A couple of weeks ago, I was at a meeting on one of the lakes in the region. It was a blustery day with clouds rolling through, the sun peeking through less and less as the morning went on and the wind was rising. The lake was getting choppier and by noon, the wind was whipping up white caps on the waves. There was a point where it looked as if rain was coming across the lake but it never came.

        I took time during our break to walk outside on the deck overlooking the shoreline.  As I walked along, I noticed a group of ducks floating near the shore.  The five or six young ducks were almost the size of the mother but they still puddled together in the water staying close.  All the same, in spite of the choppy waves, they just floated closely together as family group bobbing up and down as the waves came to shore. 

        I stood and watched them, amazed.  They didn't seem ruffled at all by the wind and the waves; just at ease to  float where ever it took them. There was no squawking or trying to change positions to get to the inside of the circle and not one of them tried to leave and get out of the water.  They were content to be together in spite of the rough water and chilly wind and water.

        Now I don't know what those ducks are capable of thinking or feeling and I don't want to put human words or feelings into their mouths.  But I have been thinking about them since.  I think they can be a parable for us in these rough times as a church and world-wide economically.

        There are many people who react to these rough waters with a lot of anxiety; as the anxiety rises, it is a normal reaction to want to find a way out, to find shelter.  Other people seem to take it as a personal affront.  They feel that their rights to the good life are being stepped on and so they tend to squawk loudly but the justice they seek is their own and not on behalf of others.  Then there are the people who are into "trauma-drama" - a term I invented when teaching  young students music lessons.

        These trauma-drama students would make faces, stop playing and even exclaim out loud at every wrong note or even imagined mishap.  Often, these students believed that their job was to play perfectly all the time and that the goal of playing their instrument was to never make a mistake.  They were often surprised and disagreed at first when I told them that even the world's best musicians make mistakes in their performances.  The goal is not to play perfectly but to make music, to play with passion and sensitivity.  The performances that move me to tears and are amazing are those that make clear the performers passion and love for the music.  When that happens, the music transcends the ages or performance levels and touches the heart.  I have had that happen when listening to some of the world's greatest performers and also the local high school or middle school band or choir.  Trauma-drama only calls attention to mistakes and stops the music, multiplying and magnifying all the problems.

        It is a much more important lesson for us in the church.  Our calling is not to worry about making perfect decisions or being perfect Christians.  On some level we all know it, but all too often we live as if that is indeed our goal as people of faith.  Instead, we need to focus on the passion, the love of each other and the gospel which is the music, the message that we project to the people around us. Even if we could attain a veneer of perfection, instead of being a beacon of good news, it can act as a barrier to those who most need to hear it. 

        Jesus knew it best (of course).  Love speaks the loudest.  It is the music that sings to hearts that are storm-tossed, weary, and buffeted about.  God's love is strong enough even in the roughest times. 

       The tendency for some to have trauma-drama is just disruptive and distracting and keeps the message from being heard.  Our fear of making mistakes often keeps us from acting at all or makes it all to easy for some to decide to leave the witness of the church to the "professionals".  Our witness to the world is the love we show.

       God gave the gift of the Son.  Jesus has done the work of saving us.  The Holy Spirit gives us the gift of faith and makes us holy.  All we have to do is float together in the waters of baptism, drawing strength and love from each other.  Read John 15: 23-27

Toxic Waste

       My two sons are about 2 and a half years apart.  They always have been each other's best friend and best adversary.   As little kids will, they fought a lot when they were small over everything from "he touched me!" to taking turns or sharing or disagreeing.
       One time, it got so bad that I felt the need to intervene before someone got hurt.  We talked and got to the point where I asked them to forgive each other and make up.  That's when one of them stood straight with arms folded and said very loudly and stubbornly, "No!  I'm not ready to be sorry.  I still want to be mad."
        His intention was to stay mad at his brother and hold on to that anger.  Fortunately, at their very young ages, it didn't take long before wanting to play together became a greater need than enjoying being angry and they were soon off playing together again.  Even today, I would feel sorry for anyone who tried to come between them.
       But at the same time, I think my son gave voice to something that we often feel but don't usually have enough nerve to admit to ourselves much less to say to out loud.
       "No!  I'm not ready to be sorry.  I still want to be mad."
       There are times when we almost enjoy being angry.  We relish it, feeling self-righteous; especially when we are convinced we are in the right and have been put upon unfairly.  It starts there, feeling justified.  But when we hang on to it, nurse it, and feed it by rehearsing re-playing it over and over, then our hurt and anger become dangerous and toxic.  The common reaction is to avoid the other person and stop talking to them and so we hurt ourselves.  Like the quote I heard, "Resentment is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die."
       When Christian community works, we are able to hold each other accountable to living faithfully, encouraging one another to love and forgive one another and working together to serve those in need.  Living in community enables us to live faith more fully than we might otherwise be inclined to by ourselves.  Like candles in the darkness, the shared light of our faith shines brighter than any one flame.
       Unfortunately, group dynamics can also serve to amplify anger and resentment, feeding division and seeming to give it approval.  That this happens to congregations shouldn't surprise us, after all, a congregation is a gathering of people with all our foibles, sins, and flaws.  But as people who follow Jesus, the measure of our behavior is not "the majority rules" but to look to the teaching and action of Jesus.
       Jesus is very clear about how we are to live with one another.  Together we are the body of Christ. "Dear Christ gathered" was a favorite way the early church named itself.  And living together requires lots of love and lots of forgiveness; more forgiveness than we can count and record.  Those without faith, those searching for faith, and those whose faith is young or weak are watching.  Our witness, like Jesus feeding the hungry, is to be overflowing with forgiveness, a gift of abundance.  And when we forgive the other, we find ourselves freed to live into the future.
       This forgiveness is not something we can accomplish on our own; we are only able to forgive because we have first been forgiven - like it says in the Lord's prayer.  And although people sometimes describe forgiveness like erasing the board clean, many people have reflected that it is more of a process that takes time.  Which is okay; God has lots of time.  What is important is that we keep coming back to be forgiven and to forgive.  Read Matthew 18:18-22.

Teach Your Children Well

Confirmation begins again this month, and a whole new class of seventh graders will begin their Wednesday afternoons in class.  They will hear again what I tell every new class.  Their journey to confirmation began at their baptism and what I teach and what they will learn was set out before most of them were old enough to talk!  In fact, what I teach and what they will study was set out long before my infancy.

It begins with the promises made by our parents and godparents at our baptisms.  The pastor asks them to promise to fulfill the obligations to:

            “to live with them among God's faithful people,

            bring them to the word of God and the holy supper,

            teach them the Lord's Prayer, the Creed, and the Ten Commandments,

            place in their hands the holy scriptures,

            and nurture them in faith and prayer”.

These things are promised so that the children may learn to live out their faith in the communion of the church and as a witness in the community of the world.

            Now comes the interesting fact that many parents would like to forget.  The promise is for the parents (and or godparents in their stead) to teach their children these basics of faith by word and action.  No word is made of confirmation as class or schooling.  In fact, Luther wrote the small catechism for parents to use in teaching their children at home.

            In spite of the long history and shared expectations that pastors should and will teach confirmation, the biblical and early church traditions are that faith is taught at home.  That’s where Jesus learned scripture and faith basics.  And whether or not we are aware of what we are teaching, we teach our children by what we do and don’t do at home. 

            I often hear young adults say they feel church is important but they want their children to make up their own minds when they are older.  I challenge them, saying that if they do not bring their children to church and Sunday School, they will have already taught their children that faith and worship are not important.  That they didn’t go as a family will teach the children a lesson that will be difficult to overcome later in life.

            Also, by not teaching and experiencing the basics of faith: the Lord’s prayer, the Apostles’ Creed, scripture, and feeding that faith at the Lord’s table, those children will miss out on the great consolation faith is late in life.  Alzheimer’s, stroke, and other diseases or disorders often related to old age can diminish or threaten to take away the comprehension and memories that make us who we are.  But I experience over and over again that the pattern of life-long, lived-in faith gives hope and comfort even when everything seems lost: the Lord’s prayer, the words of communion, or the giving of the bread and wine will bring a response.  The person will remember and join us in spite of their condition.

            I believe that is able to happen because the habit of faith and participation in the “communion of saints” has been life-long.  The words and actions are so ingrained in the pathways of the heart and brain that even the closeness of death cannot erase them.  I am humbled and honored to have witnessed this consolation of faith many times.

            That is a gift that we can begin to give to our children (all the children in our midst are part of our – God’s family) by passing on the words and patterns of faith early and often. 

            It begins with baptism, with the gift of God’s grace through faith.  We nurture it with every prayer, shared table, and sung hymn.  We give it the power of witness every time we gather in worship, every gesture of caring, and every gift of sharing.  We are all witness and teachers.  Read Deuteronomy 11:18-21

All Together Now

       Last week was a wild and crazy week!  We had bible school with 90 children, 20 youth helpers, and over 35 adults who all worked to make it possible.  It was an amazing experience and full of so many blessings and also very exhausting.
       I once had a cartoon that showed a crowd of children running first one way and then the other in front of two adults.  In the third frame of the cartoon looking tired, one of them says, "Whoever named it vacation bible school had a strange sense of humor."  Indeed.  It takes a lot of energy, hard work, and help to make vacation bible school a good experience for so many children.
       During the same week, our denomination met together in a church wide body made of both laity and clergy to do the business of the church and plan for the future.  Like most churches, ours is in an on-going process of re-structuring and looking at finances and numbers.
       Knowing this, I had a feeling last week that while the meeting was discussing and voting on plans for the future; we were living the future here at bible school.
       In the past, churches and denominations lived behind separate walls and rarely ventured beyond them.  Even when decades of mergers landed neighboring congregations in the same denomination, all too often, they stayed separate.  (Lutherans are famous for having two churches in the same church body across the street from one another because of this!) The idea of working together was preceded by years of "talks" by church leaders and theologians.
       I take last week, as a sign of things to come and of the way things should be done. This is a small congregation; most of those children were not members.  We had kids from all over the county, from several churches and denominations and kids who have no church home.  Several neighboring congregations helped to make bible school happen.
       Some people see this as a negative side effect of the shrinking population of small towns and rural areas.  That may be part of what is moving us to work together but it is more than that.  Jesus envisioned a church where all would be one, unified by the love of Christ. (John 17:20-21)  If anything, I think we are finally seeing that as Christians, we cannot afford to be divided from each other but need to work together.  It has never been a good witness to the gospel for us to fight and disagree so loudly amongst ourselves.
       Will our pews be fuller on Sunday because of bible school? I don't know.  It wasn't the point.  We had a chance to make a difference in the lives of a lot of children if only for a short time, and sometimes that is all the time you need to make a positive change in a child's life.  That is what it was about.  I am convinced that Jesus was right in the middle of all of that chaos, noise, and energy!
       Let me share my favorite moment from bible school.  One of my roles was leading the children in prayer both before our meal and at the close.
       20 or so of the children came again on Sunday to share some of their songs with us during worship and sat up in front of the congregation with me.  During the prayers, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that one of the youngest girls had come over and was sitting by me looking at my guitar.  Then as we began the Lord's Lord, she stopped and noticed what we were doing.  She immediately knelt down and folded her hands and bowed her head.  In her ruffled dress and long hair, she sat absolutely still for the whole prayer.
       May we all come to God in prayer with such innocence and attention.  Read Matthew 19:13-15.

Half Full?!

       How is your hope meter? --- You know, that feeling inside that tells you whether the cup is half full or half empty.  Are you up or are you down?

        These days it seems that there are lots of reasons to feel empty.  It has been a spring and summer of disasters, trauma, and discord from natural disasters and the famine in East Africa to the violence in Norway, the downward economy, and congressional gridlock.  Add to all of that the stuff that happens in our personal lives, and life can seem overwhelming.

       But in spite of it all, I am full of hope.  And not just hope, I am excited and filled with wonder to be part of this family Jesus has put together!  I count on this hope and trust this promise no matter what comes my way because it comes from Christ and not anything that I am or do or say.  It is a matter of faith, faith that has been given to me.

       That’s a very different hope than the hope some churches are dishing out.  If you listen on the radio or watch church on TV, you will probably hear their version of gospel that says that if you are a faithful Christian, you will be healthy, wealthy, and wise.  Life will be good and you will be happy.  The preachers and leaders are charming, smiling, and if not pretty, are certainly not dumpy.  Some will even go so far as attach specific criteria: there are specific prayers to be prayed in the right way or verses to be “claimed” or behaviors to be followed faithfully such as the amount of money given to the church, services to be attended, etc…  It follows that if your life hasn’t been “blessed” yet, that it has to do with the quality of your faith and your rightness of action.

        It’s no wonder that this kind of religion is very popular in uncertain and difficult times.  It offers a way out that seems much more sure and more available that winning the lottery.  Surely Jesus wants us to have the good life, right?

        Well, it not that Jesus doesn’t want good for us.  The truth is that our Savior himself lived a live that was not “blessed” in that way.  Even for the birth of God’s own son, there wasn’t a room available except for a stable.  He wandered in ministry and said that he had no home to call his own (Matthew 8:20).  And as the great arc of the Gospel story makes clear, his own life ended early in suffering and pain. 

        Jesus never promises the disciples an easy beautiful life.  In fact, he often warns them that following him is hard. (Mark 8:34-35)  In the reading for August 7^th, the disciples end up in a boat all night, tossed about by wind and waves.  They are afraid and the text makes it clear that Jesus made them get into that boat.  We often find ourselves trying to be faithful in difficult places.  I find that hopeful.

        When life turns to chaos around me, or is hard and painful, instead of that being a sign that I am somehow not being “faithful” enough, I look to Jesus with hope.  I know that Jesus is with me especially in those hard places.

       As the morning began to dawn on that storm-tossed sea, Jesus came walking to the disciples and got into the boat with them.  And then the waves and wind ceased.  We do not have to pray our way out of the boat or off the sea; the real promise is that Jesus comes to us and gets into the boat with us. 

       By himself, outside of the boat, Peter lost faith and began to sink; then Jesus reached out and saved him and put him back into the boat with the others.  It is so with us.  By ourselves, it is easy for us to lose heart and hope in the storms of life.  It is when we are back in the boat with Jesus and each other that our faltering faith is strengthened and hope is restored.  Join me and climb back into the boat that is life together.  Read Matthew 14:22-33

Faith is a No Hate Zone

       I have stood at the fences in mourning with our nation at both Ground Zero in New York and in Oklahoma City.  Now I find myself praying for and mourning with the people of Norway after the violent attacks in July.  I've known what I wanted to say in response, but it has been hard to write it down in part, I think, because it stirs up older griefs but more that I needed to find some clarity about why I feel it necessary to speak out about this.
       After all, it is not my country, my city, friends or relatives that have been affected.  Why is it my business?
       It is my business because it is the business of the Church to speak and act in response.  And like the children's song says, the Church is the people and that is each one of us who are on the journey of following Jesus whether we are just taking our first tentative steps of faith or have lived long lives of faithfulness.
       It is our business because once again someone has acted violently, killing people and stunning a nation, all the while naming Christianity as the reason for their cause.  Once again, someone (an individual or group) is acting out of hate for others and trying to bless that action with faith.  And whether Breivik acted alone or with others, there are all too many people who are willing to climb on board and voice their hateful rhetoric and perhaps act on that hate.  Once again, hateful messages are getting attention, causing some to live in fear.
       The Church needs to respond loudly and confidently that hate is not the response of faith.
       We, you and I, need to speak out that talking and acting out of hate is not acceptable now or ever.
       Jesus makes it very clear that being his disciple, being one of those that belong to him, means  acting out of love to all people.  It is the instruction Jesus gives over and over.  "Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another."  And more than commandment, Jesus  teaches that we are to be known and recognized by how we live out that love with one another.
       It is not a new idea.  The prophet Micah writes, "what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"   In spite of all the speeches and rabble-rousing to the contrary, hate-filled speech and actions are not equated with faith in anyway.  As the people that make up "the Church", we need to speak up and out to make clear to others that such actions are not Christian in any way.
       We need to bear witness to the love that comes from Jesus Christ.
       Out of that love, join with me in praying for those affected by the violence in Norway and all those who are targeted by hate.  Ask God for courage to be able to say "no" when hate is spoken or urged in your presence.
       And above all, seek out ways to act in love towards others.  It is about welcoming, forgiving, and caring.  It is the witness that Jesus wants.  We don't have to impact a whole group or culture of people or change the world.  It starts with the next person we meet when we reach out in love.  The most powerful thing we can do is to act out of love to the person next to us.    Read John 13:34-35

Thank You!

          Thank you for your patience, while I have been on vacation and doing some continuing education (and working to get back on track).  Thanks!

Who You Gonna Call?

       People often think that pastors have it all together went it comes to faith and spirituality.  After all, we're the experts, right?  Well, as they say around here, "Not so much".  That's why I like to tell this story on myself because it shows how we all need constant reminding and teaching.  Also, with all the disastrous flooding going on, the eleven years I spent working for Lutheran Disaster Response have been on my mind.
       One night, I woke up around 2:00 in the morning.  I had spent hours trying to fall asleep and I just couldn't sleep anymore.  I was trying desperately to find help for a young family.  When they came to me, it was a year and half after they had been evacuated from their flooded home by boat.  Their circumstances were dire.  The husband had been disabled by an accident right after the flood, the young daughter had serious medical issues, and mom was the caretaker.  Between his hospitalization and other things, they had received no significant help for themselves and all they all lost (possessions and car) and their home.  Because so much time had passed, response programs had closed.
        Everyone I contacted (governmental and volunteer) agreed that this family needed and deserved help in recovery but their early registration and paperwork had been lost, blocking them from the biggest sources of aid.  I had spent days and hours on the phone trying to be as creative as I could, talking to everyone I could think of on a state and national level.
       That night as I sat on the edge of the bed in tears, I kept thinking 'if there was only somebody I could talk to who was big enough or who had enough power to make a difference'.  I sat there like that for at least half an hour when suddenly it hit me.  Duh! I should pray.  So I prayed and finally slept well. And the people did get the help they needed.
       One of the things I appreciate about the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) is that they are not stories about perfect people.  In fact, the disciples are continually forgetting or not listening to or disagreeing with what Jesus is teaching them.  Peter denies Jesus (John 18: 25-27), Thomas doubts the resurrection (John 20: 24-29), and the Canaanite woman argues theology with him (Matthew 15:22-28).  If even those who knew him face-to-face had troubles, then there is hope for you and me.
        Jesus promises that no matter how heavy our burdens, how big our problems, we do not have to carry them alone.  Like me that night, we forget to come to Jesus in prayer, or we try to handle them by ourselves until we are so overwhelmed or in such a hard place that all we can do is ask for help.  Many times we are our own problem and stand in our own way.
       But God is patient with us.  God always listens and Jesus is always ready to give us peace.  God is always bigger and stronger than any problem or evil that comes our way and we are never left alone.  Don't wait until you find yourself sitting on the edge of the bed in tears, let Jesus share your burdens.  Read Matthew 11:28-30.

Tag, You're It!

    
       After I drove up to the country church Sunday morning, I took a moment to just sit and breathe.  It's my habit to do that when I am arriving somewhere to begin a task (in this case to preach and lead worship).  I use that brief time for a deep breath to relax and to center myself in my new surroundings.         Out at Augustana, I also use it to take in the beautiful surroundings of the church, the wind in the trees, the serenity of the churchyard and cemetery, and often the songs of the birds.  Of course all bets are off if it is twenty below zero!
       As I looked around, I noticed a very small squirrel sitting on a pump by the road.  Then it jumped down and half-bounced and half-ran over to a big tree in front of the church.  Just as it was about to run up the tree trunk, a robin flew down and began nattering at it, chasing it away from the tree by running after it while flapping its wings.  The squirrel must have been a young one because it was barely bigger than the robin from nose to tail end.
       When they got near the church, the bird flew a bit and landed in front of the squirrel who then started to chase the robin who ran ahead instead of flying off.  At the church steps, the robin turned again to go after the squirrel who ran off into the bushes.  The robin stood waiting and watching where the squirrel entered.  After a long pause, the squirrel tore out of the other end of the bushes and ran across the yard and up into the closest tree in the cemetery.
       I sat still to watch the whole scene because I was afraid that if I moved or made a noise, the whole game would have ended.  It was so much fun to watch this little game of play out over the green grass in the sunshine.  I know I went in church with a big smile on my face for the gift of joy I would have missed if I had been in too much of a hurry to notice God's creation around me.
       God takes delight and joy in creation.  We know this from the creation story at the beginning of Genesis.  In spite of all the years of argument and discussion, it tells us that God spoke creation ("And God said...") and that God found everything created to be good.  It is not a science lesson but a faith lesson.  The power of God is such that when God speaks, creation happens.  And God finds creation good.  I have found that my life is in better balance when I take the time to notice that same good in creation.
       As a young mother, I found it frustrating to read about spirituality and prayer time.  It always seemed like the instructions focused on silence, meditation, and time away from normal life.  I felt that when I needed support the most, the resources didn't exist that I could use.  There were days I could barely find the time to go to the bathroom in solitude much less go on retreat.  So, I began to cobble together a spiritual life made of small moments of awareness and quiet; much like that pause before getting out of the car.
       I know that it doesn't compare with the solitude and quiet focus of the cloister, but taking time to breathe deep and to be aware of creation and the creator are important to my faith and prayer life.  It's a reminder of the beauty God created and of God's immense power and love.  Many times, those pauses are also a moment of prayer for what I am about to begin or the people I am about to encounter; even a simple cry of "help".  Or like Sunday morning, they are a gift that brightens my day and lightens my load.  Read Genesis 1:20-31

Birdsongs of Praise

      The days are longer and warmer now.  The sun comes up earlier and earlier and with the sun, come the birds.  There are several birds nesting in the trees around the yard and they begin singing long before the sun comes over the horizon.
        The other morning, I woke up just before five-thirty.  The sun hadn't risen yet but the sky was gray and lightening up enough to see clearly.  It wasn't the light that woke me up though.  It was the birds and one in particular who was in the tree not far from the bathroom window.
        In the stillness of the dawn the bird song was so loud, it almost echoed.  It was bright, jaunty, and lyrical.  In the cool air coming in through the window, the song beckoned me to wake up and enjoy the new day.  It was such a clear and beautiful song, it reminded me of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem; what is called Palm Sunday.  When Jesus rides the donkey into the city and the people cry out in praise, those in authority tell Jesus to order everyone to stop.  Jesus answers, "I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out."  (Luke 19:40)  No composer could write a more beautiful song of praise.
       I stood and listened to the bird's song, gradually joined by other birds.  I lingered for a while but I confess, I soon took my chilly feet and crawled back into bed and went back to sleep.  Morning is not my time of day.
       Now my husband gets up with the sun, usually before his alarm goes off and he is ready to go.  He is like the birds, ready to greet the sun with song.  Me?  I'm more like the cartoon cat Garfield, ready to pull the blankets over my head and wish that morning would come back later.
       And yet as I listened to the bird that morning in the pristine stillness as the sky lightened, I fell in love with the beginning of the day in spite of myself.  A few hours later, when I got up for the day, I tried to hang on to that joy and greet the day with that same sense of joy and hope-filled possibilities.
       I don't think we can change our biorhythms; the slight changes in the lightening of the sky are not enough to wake me up with a song just itching to be sung.  However, I know that my day goes better when I face it with hope.  It wasn't the music of the birdsong that changed my morning but rather that the beauty of the birdsong reconnected me to the Creator, to God, the source of power, life, and hope.
       There are times when facing a new day with hope just feels impossible because of what we carry with us from yesterday: our failures and ourselves.  Sometimes that burden has even kept us awake during the night, robbing us of healing sleep.  But out of love, God sent Jesus that we can be forgiven.  That  forgiveness makes that hope possible no matter what did or didn't happen in all our yesterdays.  The hope of the new day does not rely on us but is a gift from God.

       Whether you wake up in the morning smiling and singing or feeling like you'd rather hit the sun with a giant snooze button, reconnecting with God will do more to make the day go better than any cup of coffee.  Some people enjoy reading devotions or praying in the stillness before anyone else wakes up; some days, a prayer from under the covers may be the best that we can manage.  It can be taking a moment to listen, or see, or smell the freshness of the morning or snuggling next to someone we love.  Find your morning touchstone that allows you to begin your day with God and remember that whatever the day brings, you do not face it alone.  Read Psalm 118:21-24

Planting Time

       Did you hear that the world was supposed to end May 21st?  An evangelical radio pastor put the word out that the world was going to end yesterday. Never mind that he predicted the same thing would happen in 1994.  It was reported that even his own assistant was still making appointments for his for the future and planned to be at work on the following Monday.  Yet Harold Camping urged all his followers to give all their money to the church or spend it because judgment day was really coming and all real Christians should be ready.

        It has been interesting to read and hear what some of the reporters and media people said in trying to understand this prediction.  It was clear from some of the reports that the writer had no church experience at all and didn’t understand the concept that Camping’s radio church didn’t represent most or even a major portion of people who consider themselves Christian.  Some news items seemed to be more about taking a poke at church than taking it seriously – like the report I heard about a business that sells pet insurance for Christians that believe in the rapture.

       The end is coming the billboards and signs said.  Be ready!  The implication was that anyone who is a believer in Jesus wouldn’t have to worry about anything past yesterday. 

       I have to say, I didn’t hear a lot of conversation about it around these parts this week.     

       What I did notice this week was a lot of smiles at the sunny dry days we had.  No matter how tired or hard-working they were, I don’t think I saw one farmer without a smile on his face this week.  Everyone is so happy to finally be out in the fields.  Obviously the concern around here has been more about preparing the fields for growing a new crop than waiting for the end of the world.

       So what does that say about faith around here?  Are we all a bunch of non-believers?

       No.  Questions about when the end of the world is going to be have been around since before Christ.  In the gospels, there is more than one record of the disciples asking Jesus when the day of judgment is coming.

       In all of these conversations, Jesus’ answer remains the same.  We are to be ready, we are to live faithfully all the time because it can come at any moment but we are not to know when.  In the gospel of Matthew where Jesus  actually talks about what signs there might be that the end is near, even there, Jesus says explicitly that not only will we not know when but that even he does not know when.  He says, “But about that day and hour, no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” (Matthew 24:36)

       According to Jesus, it is not our business to worry about when the end will come.  Our job is to live as people of faith.  Our worry is to be ready and to tell others about Jesus.  Jesus  says we have work to do.  Martin Luther would have been right out with the farmers.  He is quoted as saying that if he knew the world was going to end tomorrow, he would plant a tree today.  Our concern is not with tomorrow but with the work to be done today.

       The focus of faith is not on ourselves, what we need or want or what happens to us.  The focus of faith is on God by living and loving as Jesus did; to welcome and care for the lost, the least, and the little ones among us.  The focus of faith is to share the good news of God’s love. 

        As Jesus says, people of faith live in God’s love.  Faith gives us the gift of living right now, today and everyday, of living in God’s love.  People who follow Jesus are not people of the end, but of new life and God’s almighty and eternal love.  Jesus doesn’t leave us with a threat to hang over the world’s head.  Jesus leaves us with a promise – Do not let your hearts be troubled. He gives us peace – rest in God’s love.  Read John 14:1-7

Living Is Believing

       “Our God is an awesome God” Those are the lyrics to a popular hymn-song by Rich Mullins.  But the promise of the words comes from the book of Deuteronomy (Deut. 7:21) which reads, “Have no dread…, for the Lord your God, who is present with you, is a great and awesome God.”  Have you ever wondered what that means?

       I looked up the word “awesome” in the dictionary and it gave me this list: breathtaking, awe-inspiring, magnificent, wonderful, amazing, stunning, staggering, imposing, stirring, impressive, formidable, fearsome, dreaded, and informal meanings: mind-boggling, mind-blowing, jaw-dropping, excellent, marvelous.  These words give a hint at how impossible it is for us to come up with the right words to contain the meaning and scope of God’s identity and work.   We are struggling to understand even the basics of the cosmos, how can we grasp the one who created it?

       It is Easter!  It is time to sing alleluias and declare the glory of God.  For God so loved the world that God gave the beloved son, Jesus Christ whose life and death won our freedom from sin and death. 

       This is the God the God of whom we sing.  This is the power of God, to defeat sin, death, and all evil.  This is the love of God, that that Jesus came while we were yet sinners.  Even in our brokenness, Jesus came for us.  God is an awesome God!

        But do we truly believe in God and trust in God’s love and power?  Do we credit God with being present, relevant, and active in our lives?

       I’m afraid all too often we live as one author puts it, as Christian atheists; saying we have faith but living our lives as if God doesn’t exist.  Faith gets treated as a nice philosophy or set of moral platitudes that help people to be nice but without the real power to really change anything.  In fact, we’d rather not have faith and God messing about in our lives challenging our priorities and our choices.  That would just be too uncomfortable. 

       Jesus met such a young man once, who asked Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus talks about the commandments, and the young man says confidently that he follows those.  He is a good person.  Jesus tells him he lacks one thing and says to go and sell all that he has, give the money to the poor and follow him.  The young man goes away grieving. (Mark 10:17-22).  Faith is okay until Jesus starts messing with our stuff. 

       So sometimes we don’t want God to have power in our lives but then there are those who live as if God doesn’t have any real power to change things.  That’s what happens when we live as if getting things done is all up to us and we leave God out of the equation.  We live as if God has no power.

       Bono of the band U2 challenges us to: “Stand up for hope, faith, love,… Stop helping God across the road like a little old lady”.  (from the song “Stand Up Comedy” from the album “No Line on the Horizon”) 

       The God of Easter is truly an awesome God.  The God of Easter changed everything for eternity.  If we truly believe that our God is an awesome God, full of power, love, and grace, it should matter in our lives.  As people of faith, the truth of Easter changes everything not only what we believe and feel but also what we do and say in our daily lives.  Read John 20:24-29

The Old Rugged Cross

       The old familiar hymn starts, “On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross”. 

       That is where we come this week, to that lonely hill to look at the cross where Jesus hung.  That ugly, horrible place that was so fearful, so hideous, that his disciples abandoned him and left him to die alone.  There in great pain and agony, Jesus died not because of anything he had done but because out of love for us, for God’s wayward children, Jesus gave everything, including his life.

       What happened on that hill, on that cross is so terrible that if we didn’t know the rest of the story, it would be unbearable.  How  could anyone stand to watch that happen to another human being?  And even more, how could a mother stand there and watch it happen to her child?

        But today we come willingly to hear the story again and to watch in our minds and hearts what happened to Jesus on that hill some 2,000 years ago.

       Why do we cling to this old rugged cross?  How can we bear to come here?

It is only possible because we know the rest of the story.  We know that even though the people who wanted it carried out had only fear and hate in their hearts, the reason that Jesus hung on that cross was love.   Out of love, Jesus gave himself that the world might be saved.

       The cross is the symbol of God’s love.

       Even so, Jesus knew how unbearable it was for his mother Mary to watch.  Even in his pain and agony, he turned to her.  The Gospel of John tells us that when he saw the beloved disciple, John standing next to her, he told her, “Woman, here is your son.”  He looked at John and said, “Here is your mother”. (John 19:25-27)

        He had concern not only that Mary would not be left alone, but that she should have a home, shelter, and to be provided for.  Even while Jesus did what was necessary to save the world and worked salvation’s cosmic deed, he also cared personally and intimately for this woman, his mother.

       That’s the miracle of God’s saving grace.  On one level, it is the act of saving the world, of redeeming all of God’s children for all time – salvation on a cosmic and eternal level.  And yet, Jesus’ act is also one of love for each of us individually and personally.

       Jesus died that awful death for John and Mary, for you, and for me.

       That old rugged cross is not just a symbol, it is the means by which sin and death are defeated. 

        And so it is appropriate for us to come and gather at the foot of the rugged cross; to remember the giver and the price he paid for us. It is appropriate for us to remember our sinfulness and the need of forgiveness that we each have.  Each one of us is the reason that Jesus hung on this cross.

       And so we cling to the old rugged cross.  It is here at the foot of the cross that we find forgiveness.  It is here at the foot of the cross that we are reassured of God’s love; that we are welcome just as we are.  It is here at the foot of the cross that sin is defeated and we hear the good news of the resurrection and life everlasting.

       It is right that we should mark the gravity, the weight of price that Jesus paid for us.  His death, his agony was not a symbol but was real.  

       But this is also the time for celebration.  This old rugged cross is empty.  The story does not end here; it all begins here and it lasts forever.  Because of this cross, we live forever.  Because of the cross, we have forgiveness, we are embraced and held in God's love, and we live in hope and joy!  Read John 19:13 - 20:18  (Please take time this week for the longer reading.)

God is Our Comfort

       We've had quite a week around here with water everywhere.  It's Spring and the Red River is flooding; at least it is trying to be Spring.  Monday it was 60 degrees and warm and sunny.  People were out in shorts running and biking.  I know I enjoyed going out without my jacket.  It was great while it lasted.
       But yesterday, we woke up to some snow on the ground and then it kept snowing all day long.  I went out before my afternoon bible-study and had to dig to find the scraper so I could get the snow off of the car so I could see to drive.  By late afternoon, it looked more like Christmas outside than getting close to Easter.
       It would be one thing if all of this was just a matter of inconvenience or disappointment in the weather change, but the flooding makes it more serious.  No matter how often we have lived through floods in the past, as I was reminded more than once this week, every flood is different and when they hit such high levels, they bring disaster.  There is damage to houses, roads covered by water isolating small towns and rural homesteads, farm animals and wildlife are displaced, and even those of us who are safe are on edge and watchful.
      In the midst of this, neighbors are reaching out to each other and helping each other out from the filling and piling of sandbags to feeding cattle that have wandered away trying to escape water.  After the rivers start returning to their banks, there will be the hard work of cleaning up inside and out so that life can begin to return to normal.  We'll need to help each other out then as well.
       There is a communal aspect to disaster that sometimes makes it easier to reach out to help one another or to ask for help.  When disaster strikes a community (or a large river valley), being affected by the disaster becomes something we have in common to a lesser or greater extent.  The shared experience makes it harder to judge the circumstances as the result of personal fault.  We find ourselves in the same predicament.
       Once after a tornado devastated a small town, I went to the only place in town for a hot meal which was the Salvation Army setup.  I found myself standing in line with the mayor and asked him how he was.  It had been a very hard and busy two or three days since the tornado.  He suddenly stopped and looked around and said, "It's really true.  I just realized I'm here in the soup line with everyone else.  I lost my house too."
       But no matter what has happened, we do not face it alone.  Before, during, and after any disaster or crisis, God is with us.  As it is written, "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.  When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you." (Isaiah 43:1-2)  God loves and knows you by name and calls you in love.  When we feel alone, it is because we have turned away and lost sight of God who is always there, ready and wanting to hold us in love.  Read Isaiah 66:12-13