Wrapped in Love

       Quilters tend to be very dedicated people for several reasons.  It's quite a process from picking out a pattern and material to cutting and piecing, sewing, quilting and piecing and binding it together.  It is an art I have long admired not only because the outcome is often beautiful and practical but it is often done for others.
       Quilts traditionally have three layers: the patterned top, the batting, and the backing.  The top can be made of simple squares, scraps of cloth (called crazy quilt), or intricate patterns of squares, rectangles, and triangles.  The contrast of dark and light colors bring out different aspects of the patterns and add depth.  The batting provides insulation to the light cotton layers making the quilt warm and the loft of the filling can add dimension to designs.  The backing is usually of one material and its simplicity shows off the quilted sewing.  Quilting can be done by one person alone or after the top is assembled, the quilt may be pinned into a frame and several people can sit around the quilt and sew.
        I have been privileged to have been around several groups of church women who quilt.  It is from them I have learned most of what I know about quilting.  Often they are groups that have been together for many years changing membership over the years.
       One group kept asking me to join them in sewing.  I kept telling them I was no good at it but they insisted.  I finally gave in one day and picked up a needle and took my place at the quilt.  They were quick to teach and help me and soon I was sewing away even though I knew I was not able to match their small even stitches.  After a while, I got up to take a break.  I took my time because I knew I wasn't doing well and went into the kitchen for a cup of coffee.  I looked over at the women to see one of them carefully undoing most of the stitches I had added and trying to quickly fix them before I returned.  They were trying so hard not to let on how badly I had sewn but I knew all along.
        I have seen a lot of quilts made; some have been works of art, often made as donations to raise money for different ministries or as gifts but most have been far simpler: large blocks that are tied together to make blankets for Lutheran World Relief.  These quilts are gifts of love that literally span the world and are given in times of disaster and need.  They may be used as blankets or even beds in hospitals or refugee camps, as shelter from the sun, bundled up to carry a family's few possessions; or worn to keep out the cold.  Sewn by the hundreds and thousands every year, they are tangible signs of Christ's love and his command to care for the least of these our brothers and sisters.
       One of the earliest stories of women's ministry that we have comes from the book of Acts.  A woman named Tabitha (or Dorcas in Greek) dies and they send for Peter.  In their grief, they plead with Peter to do something.  They show him some of the clothing and things that she made.  She made a huge difference in the lives of those in need and they can't imagine life without her.  Who will take over her ministry?
       I worry the same thing about the ministry in the church today not just of making quilts but all of the ministries we support.  Our lives have become so busy and divided by so many tasks and loyalties that it seems almost impossible to take the time to spend an afternoon or evening together doing something that benefits others.  But I can't think of a better way to spend a few hours sharing conversation, a snack, and the benefit of knowing that your time together helps other people.  Together, our hands can truly change the world and make a difference in other people's lives and through these acts, the good news of Jesus Christ is made known.  Pray about how your hands may become God's hands in the world.  Read Acts 9:36-43.

Persistent Faith

       After a long cold winter like the one we just had, spring feels just amazing doesn’t it?  We’re not used to it yet, so we don’t take it for granted.        

       When did you know it was spring?  When it first got above freezing and the snow started melting?  When you saw the first robin?  My favorite sure sign of spring is the first time it rains, and you go outside and there is this incredible earthy smell that somehow smells like things starting to grow.  I can’t describe it, but I know it when I smell it; rich, earthy, clean, sweet, fresh; it just smells like new hope.

       Spring is wonderful but it is a risky time of year.   Sometimes the crocus pushes right through and blooms and things start off, but you never know when snow is coming or the next hard frost.  It is so warm and sunny that it makes gardeners start thinking of planting flowers and gardens but those that are experienced are still waiting even though there are things budding and blooming on their own. 

       But as I keep telling myself, we’re not in Kansas any more.  It snowed last May and it still could (not that I want it to).  It’s not quite time yet to trust enough to set out pots of flowers and plant garden.  They could so easily end up frozen. 

       Yet even as the gardeners among us are wary and waiting, the farmers are out tilling and planting in the fields.   People who plant, whether farmers or gardeners, are the definition of persistence.  No matter how good or poor last year’s harvest was, they get impatient as the calendar moves from February to March and into April.  No matter how challenging and difficult it was to harvest, they can’t wait to get out and start all over again, year after year. 

       The season of spring itself is persistent; insisting on poking through no matter how strong and how long winter lingers.  Once winter’s hold is loosened, spring keeps coming back until it wins and winter is no more.  You see it in the buds on the trees, the grass that begins to green, and in the first flowers that bloom.   God’s creative power triumphs once again.  It is the gentle explosion of new life that is a taste of God's promise of  resurrection.

       Our faith needs to be persistent like spring; hanging on and coming back even when it seems to be gone.  We all will have times of uncertainty and doubt, when we even throw angry questions at God.  What is important is that we keep asking, keep in conversation, and keep searching.  The psalm that Jesus quotes from the cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Psalm 22:1) turns to the sureness of faith with the promise that "All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord" (verse 27).  When grief, hard times, despair, or illness happen in our lives, it may feel like we have lost our way.  But God is even more persistent than spring, staying with us and restoring us in love.
       When the Canaanite woman confronts Jesus, she is persistent.  Her daughter needs healing and she believes that Jesus is the one who can help her.  Even though she should not even talk to him, she comes shouting at Jesus, calling attention to herself and her need.  It is so bad that the disciples tell Jesus to make her go away.  Instead when she puts herself in his way by kneeling at his feet, Jesus engages her in a faith dialogue.  She responds by countering every reason he gives for not helping.  In the end, he not only helps her by healing her daughter, he praises her faith and makes clear that God's vision of salvation is much bigger than ours.   Read Matthew 15:21-28

          

Bumping Into the Cross

       Agnes was 99 and a half when I became her pastor early in my ministry.  I have never forgotten one of the first times I brought her communion.  I did the prayer and the psalm for the day and then I read a lesson from Paul which was the basis of my sermon that day.  I was still new enough to the ministry that I was sure I had learned a great deal in seminary and had a lot to share.  I had studied hard that week and I wanted to share some of my wisdom, even in a shortened form.
       Agnes was a very short and petite woman, usually very quiet and polite.  However, as I began to expound my "wisdom", she interrupted me.  "Pastor, I know I only have a third grade education but I've been reading Paul for over ninety years.  Let me tell you what I think Paul means."
        Gently and quietly, she began to share from her study and prayer of over ninety years.  I learned that day, that degrees and textbooks are no match for a lifetime of faithful living.  From Agnes I began to learn that my greatest education comes not from books but from the people I have come to serve.  Agnes had come across Kansas in a covered wagon long before it was a state, lived in a sod hut, and gave birth (at 15-16) to her first child there alone with no one for miles around her.  But she had brought her Bible with her and her faith grew through both the tragedies and the triumphs.
       I was privileged to be her pastor for 5 years and I learned a great deal from her.  She was always apologetic that she "only had a third grade education" but she was never apologetic about her faith.
       Easter morning at Halstad, I came up to the altar and came face-to-face with the large wooden cross that had been carried up on Good Friday.  It had been moved to the side but I nearly ran into it moving to my seat on the side.  Then I nearly ran into again when I came up to do the welcome.  I kept bumping into the cross.  It was in my way, so I soon moved it to the side.
       People are always bumping into the cross and there are people that would really rather do without it.  There are pastors who are convinced it is too off-putting; that it is so gross that it scares new people away.  They are convinced that all this talk about Jesus dying on the cross, body and blood, wounds and death will just drive people away so they focus on Easter and the resurrection and try to put the cross out of the way, as if it doesn't matter any more.  Except of course, it really does.
       It is an old argument that goes back to the beginning of the church.  In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul writes about the foolishness of the cross.  He acknowledges that it is a foolish, crazy idea to talk about a God that choses to die.  People value power, wisdom, miracles coming from powerful, charismatic, charming people.  But Paul writes that God has instead chosen what is foolish, weak, and despised in the world to spread the good news of God's love.  There is no way to God except through the cross.  We can try setting the cross to one side and getting it out of our way but faith always brings us back up against it.
       The cross is necessary because it is a reminder that this is something we cannot accomplish on our own.  We are forgiven and restored to God by grace, as a gift.  We cannot rely on our own wisdom or power to save us.  And that is good news because no matter how smart we are, we eventually find out how much we don't really know or understand and we come up against things that are beyond our control and abilities.  Sometimes that is what it takes for us to learn that the cross is not something to avoid but instead is the sign of how much God loves us and how much God is willing to do for us.  Read 1 Corinthians 1:18-29.

I'm sorry, readers.  I've been sick this week and am now trying to play catch-up.  Please go to old posts and try one from last April.   I'll be back this week!
Pastor Christine

What Jesus Has Done!

       One of the early impulses toddlers share is the need to be independent.  Before some are even speaking in full sentences, parents are confronted with the "me do's".   Children quickly (in retrospect) want to get places on their own, learn to walk and talk, and then do for themselves.  As parents quickly learn, this can lead to spilled milk, embarrassing situations, and frustration on the part of both parent and child when they try and try but can't manage on their own.  I remember specially being frustrated as a mom when they refused any help.  Then it was hard to be creative enough to find a way to enable them to succeed without them knowing I was helping.  From infant to adult, growth can be summed up as the process of learning to do for ourselves.
        But the desire to do something and the ability don't always match up.  Just because children want to do something doesn't mean they should.  Sometimes it's not safe like cooking on the stove or lighting matches, sometimes it is not practical, but sometimes we just don't want to be embarrassed.
       I remember showing up for my daughter's parent-teacher conference when she was in second or third grade.  The first thing the teacher did was ask if I had been out of town recently.  I had been while working the current disaster; I asked why she wanted to know.  Was there a problem?  She said she figured my daughter had been dressing herself with her dad in charge.  When my daughter came bounding into the room, I realized what the teacher was talking about.  She was wearing orange tights, pink boots, a bright blue flippy skirt (way too short but a favorite), a purple shirt, and an out-grown sweater with kitties on it!
       We all want to do things for ourselves by ourselves.  Independence is a sign of strength that we all cling to very stubbornly.  One of the hardest things to cope with as we grow older is losing the ability to do things for ourselves and learning to ask for and accept assistance.
       Perhaps that is why grace is so hard for us to accept.  "Me do!" is an attitude that is all too common when it comes to faith.  We want to decide to follow Jesus and to have faith.  Not only that but we like the idea of being held accountable so that it matters that people have to try hard to live according to God's law; that way we get to work for our own salvation and judge those people that we deem sinful.  Somehow it feels better if we have earned it.
       But this week, all of our efforts come face-to-face with the bloody, painful death of Jesus on the cross.  Jesus gave up everything to take on human form even to the point of suffering and death.  This is what God has done for us.  Jesus sacrificed himself to redeem the world and for us to insist on doing it ourselves is to make light of his death.  Jesus has saved us and only through God's grace are we forgiven and given the gift of faith.
       Now that doesn't mean that our lives are unaffected.  Because we belong to God, because we have been forgiven, we are to lead lives that reflect the life of Jesus.  Paul says we are to "live a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called" (Ephesians 4:1).   This is shown in our love and service for others, helping those in need, in the patience, humility, and gentleness that we share with all of God's children.
       As we come to Good Friday, take time to ponder the cross and the gift of Jesus contained on that cross.  Thank God that in response to our "Me do!" attitude, Jesus has already done it because anything and everything we could do would be a failure.  Out of love for you, Jesus has already paid the price, named, and claimed you as God's own.  Read Ephesians 2:4-9.

Watch Where You are Going

       My husband fell this morning.  Oh, he's fine, just a little sore and his ego is bruised a bit.  It's the sort of thing that happens when Spring begins to creep around and we let our winter guard down.   He was getting out to grab a quick cup of coffee at the gas station and he saw the water puddle and stepped out.  Only it was frozen water and before he could do anything about it, he was face down on the ice.  He said he got up thinking he's never been so glad to have a round belly.  It saved him from hitting his face!

       It's only been a couple of weeks that Spring has begun to creep around but it is amazing how quickly we forget our "winter legs".  We are so glad to see the streets and sidewalks instead of the thick coating of winter ice and snow that we forget the careful winter shuffle; the art of looking carefully for each small step.  When it's warmer, you walk a little faster, take bigger steps, and are more confident on bare surfaces. 

       What happened to my husband is that he forgot to be careful.  Spring may be here on the calendar but groundhog or not, ice happens.  In fact, this time of year almost requires more caution because the ice can creep up on you when you are not looking.  It is still freezing at night which is a blessing because it slows down the thawing process and the flooding but what melts under the sun turns back into ice by morning. Especially in the morning, what looks wet is probably ice.

      We do well to focus on what is in front of us and the tasks that are at hand.  Psalm 131 puts it this way: "O Lord, my heart is not lifted up, my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and marvelous for me.  But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother." (Psalm 131:1-2)

       Multi-tasking has been sold to us as the way we need to work in order to be efficient.  As one cooking-show personality puts it, we shouldn't clutter up our kitchens with things that are only good for doing one thing (uni-tasking).  This is the justification used for everything from cutting personnel by consolidating job positions to putting in chain stores that take over what would have been the customers of several separate local small businesses.  From what I have observed at conferences and meetings, some people seem to delight in demonstrating that they are so busy and good at multi-tasking that they cannot just do one thing at one time but are also texting, talking, and/or emailing.  Now God has given each of us many different gifts; I just don't think it works well to try and use them all at the same time.

       The task ahead of us beginning this next Sunday is Holy Week which follows the model of  the last week of Jesus' earthly ministry.   Easter is nearly here but we only reach Easter by first going to the cross.  Just as we need to be careful and keep watching for ice at bit longer, we also need to be careful and keep watch on our faith that we do not lose sight of the cross because Easter means nothing without the cross.  The point of the whole salvation story is that Jesus gave himself out of love to save the world just as we are also called to give of ourselves out of love.  Take time out to reflect on these last days of Lent and on the gift of Jesus Christ.  Read Philippians 2:4-11

Rising Waters Cannot Cover God's Love

        I was watching the first Harry Potter movie and was struck first by how young the children look in their first roles.  Harry Potter just celebrates his eleventh birthday at the beginning of the movie but even though the book and the movie were intended for young readers around that age, there are some strong assumptions made that the young audience will get what is happening to Harry.  His life is not fair.  He lives in a cupboard under the stairs and his adoptive parents treat him like a servant rather than as part of the family.  He is not going to go to a good school like his cousin.  He wears cast off clothing.  The family doesn't celebrate his birthday and he hasn't gotten Christmas presents.
        It is a common theme in some very popular children's stories, this feeling that one doesn't belong and is different from their family, alone, put upon, and treated poorly.  It's a common theme because it reflects a common feeling among pre-teens.  Children equate fairness and justice with being treated the same and with things being equal.  And that evenness also can get translated into love; if someone gets more things, it may be perceived that they are loved more.  This explains in part why so many children perceive they are treated differently or worse than someone else because it's impossible to treat everyone the same all the time.  It's not even desirable.
         And yet as I said, it is a common perception that adults have as well.  It is a human need to be rewarded for doing well.  But  it is dangerous when we apply that logic to our relationship to God. It not only distorts our perception of God's love (if things are good, God loves me) but it also leads to judgment on our part ("they" deserve what happened) and can lead us to doubt God's steadfast love and mercy.  Like Job, we can be lead to think that if something bad happens to us that God doesn't love us anymore.
        Nothing could be further from the truth.  Over and over, we are assured that God's love and mercy are everlasting.  God does not abandon us to disaster, illness, or grief but is with us especially when times are hard and things go wrong.  Even in the midst of rising waters and rising anxiety, God is present here with us; our refuge, our strength, and our help.  Read Psalm 46:1-7.