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.