Faithful Yet Changing

Forgiven and Freed from Terror

2011-09-13T16:04:00.001-04:00

                                    Sermon for Sunday September 11th 2011
This manuscript was turned into an outline that I preached from. In other words this is not an identical transcript on what was proclaimed on this Sunday at the two services at St. John Lutheran in Cardington, OH .

The readings for this Sunday call us to think about forgiveness. That may be the last thing some of us want to think about as this day marks the 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks.

Personally this day brings back some pretty intense memories and feelings. The smoke could be seen from my college campus for weeks, on that day, the site of the attacks was named ground zero and where I was in Queens, NY it was like a war zone.

Disbelief, anxiety and fear was felt throughout our campus community. Students were waiting to hear from relatives who worked in the buildings or served as first responders. I attended prayer services, worship services in weeks and months that followed, and they were very draining.

Friends of mine lost family and friends in those towers.

I remember the anxiety and fear quickly turned into anger. Forgiveness was far from my heart.

Fear, anxiety and uncertainty about what could happen next gave me a heart of stone that caused me to feel the need for revenge, violence and war in order to feel safe.

I remember soon after the attacks buying a poster to hang on my dorm room window for people in the quad could see. It was of the American flag and it said “these colors don’t run.”

I remember telling my spiritual director about it in college. And he asked me, “Adam, what does that mean?” He challenged me on this vengeful spirit, and I realized that my heart was not set on Christ, but because I was afraid my heart was set on violence.

I am not saying that I am against war or that there is never a just war or a proportional response. I am not even saying that I am a pacifist.

What I am saying is that I realized that those who committed those heinous acts on September 11th 2001 had brought me down to their level. I realized just how dangerous my brokenness is when it comes to wanting revenge and confusing it with justice.

The reason that I continually seek to be converted and freed to the road of forgiveness is because I know just how heinous I could be if I let terrorist or criminals win. I know if punishments were up to me my gut instincts is to make “water boarding” sound like something you do on vacation.

Which is why I need to be forgiven and freed from my reactions to acts of terrorism.

Violence begets violence, and I am not saying there is no such thing as a just war, but on the other hand, if war could truly bring peace to this world it would have been achieved a long time ago.

Soon after 9/11 we heard and still hear that we live in a “post 9/11” world. As Christians, we must reject this statement!

You and I don’t live in a post 9/11 world! Saying that we live in a post 9/11 world means that we allow the marks of terror, death and destruction to permanently change and transform us and the world.

The marks of 9/11 do not have the final say! Because we don’t live in a post 9/11 world, we live in a post resurrection world!

Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross is the only event in human history that leaves a lasting mark on all time and creation!

Love, Grace, and Forgiveness has the last word!

If you watch TV today, and I am sure you have heard reflections already on how we will never be the same. Sure, these events and tragedies in our own lies have impacts on us but, they are not everlasting marks.

Through the cross, we have been released and forgiven from out debts! Not even death will have its final sting because of what Jesus has done for us.

We are then called to be a people freed in a world that keeps us hostage to the threats of the unknown, prisoners of fear.

You and I, are called to live as free people, filled with hope and God’ abundant love for this broken world.

God calling us to forgive is not just for our own good, God calling us to forgive is like giving us the key to our handcuffs, so we can free ourselves from our own hearts, and allow God to create in us a clean heart.

In a post resurrection world, we let all people know that our God is with us and is full of compassion and mercy, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

In a post resurrection world, we know that our God has not dealt with us according to our sins nor repaid us according to our iniquities.

And we are called to love as God loves.If God forgave as we forgive, wouldn’t we be in trouble? Yet that is what we ask for in the Lord’s Prayer. Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. This petition of the Lord’s Prayer is a petition for conversion because if God in the end does forgive as we forgive than we are in some trouble.

This is exactly what the gospel text is calling us to do this morning, free others from the debts, sins and trespasses against you as God has freed you!

Peter’s question to Jesus, “how often should I forgive?” comes from a heart that is sinful, broken and violent. A heart that you and I both have. A heart that wants to have limitations on forgiveness.

The slave who is forgiven and freed from his debts is released and called to live a free life but does not live a life of freedom. The slave violently oppresses his fellow slave.

Jesus warns us that our nature is not to live a freed life even when we receive and experience God’s forgiveness.

The so called post 9/11 world that we live in seeks to push our buttons, causing us to live out of fear and anxiety. We are not just afraid of terrorism in our world today, but a shaky economy, limitations in our health care system, cause us to be anxious in uncertain times.

The climate in our society isn’t just to disagree with one another but to demonize each other.

The broken world that we live in will always cause uncertainty, and fear. Which is why, the Good News is that, in Christ we are forgiven and freed from the terror in our dark and broken world.

Marked and claimed by the cross and not by any act of fear or terror, we are called not to oppress or demonize but to release others from the burden, anxiety and fear that they are being tormented with.

Living in a post resurrection world, as Christians we are as Stephen Bouman, former bishop of Metro NY synod says an Easter people living in a Good Friday world.

You and I need to set our hearts on the freedom we have in Jesus Christ and to share the joy of what it means to be released from our debts.

As an Easter people living in a Good Friday world, we pray for leaders of all nations.

We pray that they seek to serve the common good and that they may lead with God’s mercy, grace and peace burning in their hearts.

In our own country, our elected officials serve an important and need role in our society. However, we need to be cautious when they can promise us things that only God can give. Even though they don’t say it, when they campaign and lead, it can easily seem like they are the messiah or superhero to our problems, here to save the day.

Whether it is a proclamation of “Mission Accomplished” from one President, or the promise of “Hope and Change” from another, don’t buy into the fact they our leaders can full erase and free you from fear and anxiety that you and I experience in our broken world.

Sisters and brothers you and I are and Easter people living in a Good Friday world pointing to the love of God on the Cross and the hope of new life and resurrection it gives to humanity and all creation.

We didn’t need a new memorial or bigger and better buildings to find hope after the 9/11 terror attacks. Because we know that God is with us always, even to the end of the age.

God was with the victims on that day he was in the stairwells and smoke filled buildings. He was on the planes and in a burning Pentagon.

I don’t believe that things happen for a reason but, I do believe in a God who is with us will NOT allow terror, death and destruction to have the final mark and say in our lives and in our world.

The victims of these attacks, you and I are not defined by this event but by the event that took place on Calvary when Jesus gave his life for us by way of the Cross.

As an Easter people, we know that in death there is new life.

In our first reading, Joseph’s brothers intended harm and death upon Joseph. Joseph said, “Even though you intended to do harm to me. God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today.”

God does not will or rejoice in death and destruction, especially when it is caused by our own hands.   But God, who is a God of life, will bring new life in the midst death.

Out of the rubble of ground zero we have hope in new life, from the Cross we have hope in an empty tomb which open the doors to everlasting life.

God is with us, and God’s word and God’s will have the final say. Marked and claimed by the cross, baptized and freed from terror we sing alleluia in the face of death, destruction, fear and uncertainty.

Even though we are like Peter, and want to have limitations on forgiveness our God does not. Our God does not deal with us according to our sins nor repaid us according to our iniquities!

We are forgiven and freed! As Paul says, “whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living.”

We know how the story is going to end. We are free from the burdens of uncertainty and fear.

The work of Christ on the cross has the last word, and gives to us a new kingdom. There will be a new heaven and a new earth, and on that last day, we know that every knee shall bow and every tongue shall give praise to God!

Forgiveness has the last word through the Love of Christ on the Cross…..Mission Accomplished! Amen.

Holy Food for the Thirsty

2011-08-29T17:44:00.002-04:00

Christ says, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me." John 7:37

A year ago I was heading into my senior year of seminary and writing my approval essay. One of the questions that those seeking approval in 2010-2011 had to wrestle with was a trend in many congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America that see the sacrament of Holy Communion as "hospitality."

Living in a post modern context, this brought up a question for many seminarians. Is it appropriate and hospitable for someone who is not baptized to receive Holy Communion? For many it seemed that the question of whether baptized infants or young children to receive the sacraments was not an issue at all. Affirming that it is a meal for the baptized regardless of denomination, didn't probe an issue and seems hospitable enough. But what about the unchurched seeker that comes forward to the Lord's table?

Christ says, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me." John 7:37

I argued that, Baptism before Holy Communion should continue to be the norm in the church, but there may be instances in which Holy Communion could come first. Pouring through Scripture and our tradition (Lutheran Confessions) we know that faith is a gift from God. While I affirm the practice of baptism before Holy Communion, and this Holy food being a meal for the baptized, on the other hand I do not want to get in the way of the Spirit when it is moving and has given the gift of faith to an individual. If someone comes to the table believing in the words that the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ was given for them, who am I to deny them the real presence of Christ in these gifts of bread and wine?

Again, I wrestle with this and do not advocate that it be the norm in the church. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America teaches that the sacrament of Holy Communion is a meal for baptized disciples of Jesus Christ. Yet I want to ensure that those who are thirsty for Christ are fed with his real presence in Word and Sacrament!

Vatican Beatification presents and opportunity for Lutherans

2011-04-27T21:31:00.001-04:00

Beatification of Nazi martyrs divides German Lutherans, Catholics

On November 10, 1943 three Catholic priests and a Lutheran pastor were beheaded by the Nazi's. The ecumenical waters are being tested as the Vatican is set to beatify the three Catholic priests and not the Lutheran pastor.

The road to canonized sainthood in the Roman Catholic Church is complex. It is also understandable for German Lutherans and Lutherans in general to be a little upset by this and what it symbolizes.

Lutherans can be upset and just cry fowl, or they can take this as an opportunity for both ecumenical dialogue and witness!

1) Between Lutherans and Roman Catholics this should not be an occasion that divides us but an occasion to gather at the dialogue table and discuss the Sacrament of baptism.

2) Lutherans can use this beatification as an opportunity to witness that when we are baptized we are all saints.....and sinners. On our calendar of festivals and commemorations of saints that have entered the Kingdom triumphant, we would have no issue in commemorating all three priests and the Lutheran pastor, who were martyred on November 10th 1943. In fact, we have a commemoration of Pope John XXIII!!!

3) We can seize this moment as an opportunity to build a closer relationship with our Roman Catholic sisters and brothers and at the same time witness to the world to what we become when we are baptized. When it comes to saints Lutherans don't discriminate. I remember attending a Lutheran Church in Queens, NY on All Saints Sunday who had on their marquee "All Saints have a past...All Sinners have a future." Thanks be to God!

What shall I Return to the LORD? (Whom do you worship?)

2011-03-30T08:39:00.000-04:00

Gunter Wittenberg puts into perspective the role of tithing in Israelite society. For Wittenberg, the tithe had a close link to Israel’s worship while at the same time served as a “safety net” for society.[1] “Joy and care for the brother and sister on account of a deep gratitude for all the blessings received from Yahweh form the two basic elements of worship as Deuteronomy conceives it.”[2] God’s command to tithe provides for the giver a place in which they become the hands and feet for God. Our giving makes visible God’s justice in our world.

The tithing commands found in Deuteronomy remind us that our worship of God has moral and ethical implications. Wittenberg writes, “Deuteronomy firmly links the tithe with worship. True worship is not possible as a private affair. Worship has both elements, the joyous celebration of Yahweh’s great acts of redemption and gratitude for his blessings, and the enabling of others to participate in this celebration.”[3] Those that we would include in our celebration of God’s blessings would be members of our household along with the poor and marginalized.

If we never include or gather with others for times of devotion to God, then we fail to worship God. Living in the United States in 2011 it seems that, as a society, we forget that we are connected to one another as a community. The concept of a social contract, providing a social safety net for those on the margins, seems to be a foreign concept. Individualism is favored over any sense of communal process these days. We are taught to rely on ourselves and whatever we earn, we have, in fact, earned. God seems to be taken out of the equation when it comes to all that we have received. Some believe that what we earn has been achieved by the individual and with that logic, what reason is there to return anything to the Lord? Ralph W. Klein writes, “self-reliance is a kind of idolatry – one fears, loves, and trusts in one’s own ability, one’s own efforts.” [4] Then failure to return to the Lord risks our violating the first commandment.

Our return to the Lord then links together for individuals and congregations social outreach and worship. There is a difference to what we stand for as a faith community, which is our obedience to a gracious God in comparison to a social service agency. Sometimes congregations share what God has given to them with others. Soup kitchens and food pantries, for example, serve the marginalized in the community. Giving, but failing to share and celebrate disconnects our giving from our faith. Also, a congregation that gathers to worship but fail to reach out beyond the church walls in order to invite and share in the graciousness of God has in a sense failed to worship God. They in a sense are worshiping themselves or have turned the past into an idol, failing to come to grips with a community that has changed around them.

Perhaps these prescriptions in Deuteronomy make a distinction between stewardship and charity. I understand charity to imply that there is a giver and a receiver and isn’t an act of worship. Charity makes the individual the giver as opposed to God, and giving is often based on emotion as opposed to justice. The Old Testament reminds us that Stewardship is a constant response to God’s generosity. Stewardship is not an inconsistent knee jerk response to one time pet causes. Robert R. Ellis writes, “Gratitude gives birth to a desire to serve God’s purposes rather than human ends. Finally, because gratitude is celebrative in nature, it creates an environment in which all stewardship is an act of worship.”[5]

The tithing instruction in Deuteronomy forms the individual and faith community to be counter cultural. The reason it is counter cultural is because it is clear that when one gives a tithe, God is at the center. Whether we are following these teachings in Old Testament times or the 21st century, we are called to turn from the ways of an unjust world and worship a just God.

As Lutheran Christians, we always want to caution against a teaching being turned into some sort of legalism or mandate that could affect one’s salvation. I don’t believe this to be the case. The tithe as described in Deuteronomy is a command to discipleship and faithfulness. Fear of legalism and the reality of failure should not stop us from continual practice at being faithful stewards. God is gracious not only in what God has given to us but even in our falling short of what we are expected to give. Many times in worship when it is time for the offering I have sung the words “Accept O Lord the gifts we bring, we place upon your table, we do not worship as we ought but only as we are able.” What we return to the Lord is an act of worship that has ethical implications pointing to God’s justice in the world. Knowing the connections between stewardship, worship and justice have forever changed how I look at all three because I can no longer separate them.

[1] (Wittenberg 2009) p.94

[2] Ibid., p.97

[3] Ibid., p.101

[4] (Klien 2009) p.331

[5] (Ellis 1995) p.14

Bibliography

Ellis, Robert R. "Divine Gift and Human Response: An Old Testament Model for Stewardship ." Southwestern Journal of Theology , 1995: 4-14.

Klien, Ralph W. "Stewardship in the Old Testament ." Currents in Theology and Mission , 2009: 330-334.

Wittenberg, Gunther. "The Tithe-An Obligation for Christians? Perspectives from Deuteronomy ." Journal of Theology for South Africa , 2009: 82-101.

WHAT Shall I Return to the Lord? (What is Tithing)

2011-03-29T22:55:00.001-04:00

Christians are asked to be faithful stewards. Many churches have stewardship committees, and drives that fall on certain Sundays during the year. Some in the Church would offer a definition of stewardship that could comprise of one’s time, talent and treasure. According to Ralph W. Klein the biblical concept of stewardship is “…about generosity and hospitality – God’s generosity and hospitality first, and therefore also ours.”[1] Stewardship is then rooted in our relationship with our God, and our God is both gracious and generous. The biblical witness to what Stewardship means for us as servants of the Most High is a response to what God has provided us with.

Another church word that is often connected with stewardship is tithe. Tithe literally means a tenth; and in the Old Testament Israelites were expected to give a tenth of what they had. According to Klien, in the Old Testament we find different types of tithes that the Israelites were instructed to follow.[2] According to Deuteronomy 14:22-23, one takes the tithe and celebrates (eats) their portion with their household in the presence of God. The second tithe, found in Deuteronomy 14:28-29, is designed to support the Levites, resident aliens, orphans and widows. In other words, this tithe that takes place every three years seeks to provide for those on the margins of society. The third tithe is located in Numbers 18:20-32, this tithe supported various ranks of temple clergy who “…carried out their ministries in connection with the tabernacle and later the temple.”[3] The Levites who received this tithe were also expected to tithe what they had just received from the Israelites.

What do these various Old Testament understandings of tithing have to do with a Christian understanding of stewardship in the 21st century? Some Christians give many reasons why it is unnecessary and sometimes impractical to follow the prescribed tithing obligations in the Old Testament. Christians in the 21st century, however, are not disconnected from the relationship with God and story of creation and salvation that we share with the Israelites.

God is gracious and generous and as children of God we are expected by our Lord to be generous with what God has given us. The Old Testament outlines three different kinds of tithing; which do we follow? Would it be outrageous for Christians in a postmodern American context to try to follow all three types of tithes that are described in the Old Testament?

I am open about my inadequate math skills, but I believe that if we followed an Old Testament guideline, that would total thirty percent! The first tithe to part with would be the easiest sell for people to follow. Take ten percent and celebrate with your household! How fantastic would it be to have a meal or a family gathering in which you celebrate and gave thanks to God? How would such a return to the Lord impact the faith formation of both you and your household?

Then we take another ten percent and give it to the poor. In this case, it would be directly serving a food bank or pantry of sorts ensuring that the marginalized would “have their fill”. How would intentionally setting aside a portion particularly for the poor affect your understanding of justice in the community? How would it impact your relationship with those on the margins? The final ten percent would then go to the congregation we belong to in order to support its ministries and clergy. This is the tithe that we are probably most familiar with as Christians. Many congregations through the tithe offered provide outreach to the poor, support clergy and maintain the building space. What would it mean for individuals and faith communities if they were receiving a tithe that went straight to social outreach (food pantry soup kitchen etc…), with another tithe that supported the clergy and building with a portion of that also going to the poor?

I understand that thirty percent would be a hard sell to many, but a returning to the Lord on this scale would truly be a spiritual discipline. This act of stewardship constantly reminds us that we are connected to something much bigger than ourselves. God’s generosity towards us and expected response frees and connects us with others. In other words, stewardship forms community. With God at the center, our return to the Lord brings our household together in celebration. With God at the center, our return to the Lord reminds us of those who are pushed to the margins who lack resources to provide themselves with daily bread and our God calls us to share and be connected with them. With God at the center, our return to the Lord provides further ministry and witness of God’s love for the world through the congregation. If we use the Old Testament as a model and guide to our giving, then our return to the Lord calls us to put God first by being gracious with our household, the poor and faith community. With God at the center, our return to the Lord provides us with an intimate connection to God and neighbor which provide for us a glimpse of the Kingdom of God.

[1] (Klien 2009)p.330

[2] Ibid., p.332

[3] Ibid., p.332

Bibliography

Klien, Ralph W. "Stewardship in the Old Testament." Currents in Theology and Mission, 2009: 330-334.

Evangelical, Cathlolic and Reforming - A General Secretary and a Confirmation Retreat

2011-03-27T00:24:00.000-04:00

Last weekend I was paired with another seminarian, to teach at a Confirmation Retreat at Mar Lu Ridge Camp in Jefferson, MD. The program that contracted us to teach is known as TEY which stands for Theological Education with Youth. The theme for this past weekends retreat was The Reformation, Luther and Media.

After collaborating with my co-teacher, we tailored the curriculum to the needs of the retreat. We had 34 middle school aged youth with 6 high school youth serving as small group leaders. Overall the retreat was a great experience. The youth got along with one another. They were engaged and had lots of fun.

The retreat began Friday evening, but earlier that day the Gettysburg seminary community received a wonderful message from Michael Kinnamon. Michael Kinnamon is the General Secretary of the National Council of Churches in the USA. The Faith and Order Commission of the NCC happened to be on campus that day and for our chapel service on Friday Michael Kinnamon delivered a short homily.

I had met Michael Kinnamon at the NCC General Assembly this past November in New Orleans. His words reminded me about the gift of unity God has given the church, and the sense of urgency we should feel in receiving this gift. I was reminded by Kinnamon about the need to point to God's gift of unity, while also lifting up the Lutheran theological tradition and heritage.

In fact, as I was trying to lay out how I would teach the Lutheran Reformation to the youth that weekend, three words had come to mind. The words are Evangelical, Catholic and Reforming. By the end of the weekend when we were wrapping up and reviewing what we had learned it seemed that this information had stuck!

I asked "What does it mean to be Evangelical?" a youth raised his hand and said "To be a messenger of the Good News." I was thrilled to hear this response! I responded, "What is the Good News?" Another youth raised their hand and said, "That Jesus died for our sins".

The word catholic was a word that many had known. They had a concept that it meant all or universal Christian. This part of our identity was truly an opportunity to speak about the communion of saints and what it means to be part of the body of Christ. Understandings of Justification and the Sacraments were not watered down but translated to concepts that the youth could grasp.

When it came to the word reform the synonyms that were offered got a bit tricky. The word "change" was a common description of reform. What was important to convey was that the Good News never changes, how we share that message has changed over the centuries.

I saw the General Secretary of the NCC proclaim a message that called us to embrace the gift of our catholicity, Christians being united by one Lord, faith and baptism. In the chapel, around me at Gettysburg Seminary were seminarians, faculty and members of the faith and order commission. Many at this assembly have wrestled with faithfully embracing these marks of the Christian faith.

Later that weekend I gathered with a different part of the body of Christ. These were not seminarians or theologians but confirmation students. Not only were they wrestling with their identities, what it means to be a Lutheran Christian, but their own individual identity.

Both assemblies are part of the one church, charged with sharing the Good News and discerning how the Spirits continual renewal and reform may continue to heal visible divisions and aid in our delivery of the gospel.

Our Lenten Journey can be an Ecumenical one

2011-03-11T09:42:00.000-05:00

For Christians, the season of Lent is underway, a time that calls for more intentional prayer, fasting, almsgiving and study. Can churches around the nation and globe be more intentional on making this season an opportunity for deepening ecumenical relationships? A time in which Christian communities can give and share the gifts their traditions have to offer by coming together throughout the season of Lent for prayer, service and study.

Ecumenical endeavors are being done in various parts of our nation and world during Lent and beyond. Christians, however, may still be missing an opportunity in which an intentional ecumenical journey through Lent can serve as a common witness to Jesus Christ and also be a time of repentance for the visible disunity in the Church.

"You are dust and to dust you shall return." Whether we engage in it or not, our Lenten journey is one that we share. We also have a common baptism, claimed and marked by the same Lord and Savior, our call to discipleship is also a shared journey.

A week of prayer for Christian unity in January is admirable but a season such as Lent intentionally celebrated ecumenically calling Christians to repent, fast, pray and serve may lead to tremendous transformations in the lives of individuals, congregations and denominations (not to mention the church and the world).

By the Spirit's work, there may be joyful receptions of unity and diversity God has given God's one holy church. Walking this Lenten journey together, we will at times be serving one another and at other times standing shoulder to shoulder in our service to the poor, beginning and ending our time together with worship. If Christians across denominations engaged in such a journey together it may continue past Lent. It may seem ridiculous to put the brakes on and return to isolation as we celebrate Easter and proclaim the resurrection.

Christians engaging in a common mission and Lenten journey may discover that by Easter, what some are calling a dying ecumenical movement may be raised to new life pointing to Jesus Christ, the one who makes all things new.

Voices from the Past: Walter Bouman and Evangelism 101

2011-03-01T22:53:00.001-05:00

Recently I was given a little reading assignment entitled Yes and No in a Taxicab by Walter Bouman. It is a dialogue (verbatim) between Pastor Bouman and a Taxicab driver. I would encourage any Christian to read this dialogue because it truly serves as a guide to an Evangelism 101.

On the way, to the airport and wearing a clergy collar the cab driver engages Bouman in a conversation about religion. The cab driver is not a stranger to church but at this point in his life does not engage in or practice any form of organized religion. In fact, the cab driver reduces all religions to being good, just as long as a person practices them. Bouman begins to shoot down this argument pointing to Hitler and Nazism as dangerous religion.

Bouman does not catechize in the traditional way in which we would understand and expect from a pastor. Bouman simply inquires from the cab driver what in his life does he say "Yes" to, what is it that justifies his existence. Inevitably this line of questioning points to the fact that anything in this world that has our "Yes" loyalty and devotion other than the one true living God will lead to despair.

This conversation seemed to have taken place during the Vietnam war because the cab driver discusses the possibility of his son being drafted. Bouman's insight, however, still applies in a Post-Modern context. Bouman does not abandon the traditions and teachings of the Church as he bears witness to the Good News of Jesus Christ to this cab driver. In fact, Bouman is echoing what Martin Luther argues in the Large Catechism "That now, I say upon which you set your heart and put your trust is properly your god."

Responding to the cab drivers insight on the short comings of the Church faithfully living out this Good News of Jesus Christ Bouman said, "when the church cares about itself and worries about whether people care about it, then that's a sure sign that the Gospel is being missed somewhere. The Gospel sets people free from wondering who cares about them, sets them free for caring."

In our current context, there are still many false gods in the Church and in the world. Mainline churches who are concerned with institutional survival need to hear these wise words of witness from Walter Bouman.

As a millennial, trying to share who Jesus Christ is to others in my generation I often do not know where to begin. When trying to convey to a parishioner who is a baby boomer how the Good News they hear every week has freed them to care for others I do not know where to begin. Walter Bouman and Martin Luther both give us a starting point on where our conversations may begin. We can discuss and inquire about the god(s) in their lives and through dialogue and discussion we can share the story of Jesus Christ.

From the dialogue, we do not know what happens to the cab driver. Did he start going back to church? Did the god in his life become Jesus Christ? Did he continue to practice his private religion?

That is not essential. If we use Walter Bouman's witness, as a guide to fast and empirical results in evangelism then we miss the point. On this day, when Walter Bouman was in a cab heading to the airport he shared the Good News and planted a seed. It is the planting and watering of seeds that those who belong to the Church are called to do in caring for others.

National Day of Prayer for Criminal Justice Reform

2011-02-21T00:34:00.001-05:00

Sunday, February 20th: The United Methodist Church is asking the faithful to participate in the National Day of Prayer for Criminal Justice Reform. Needless to say, the current system needs reform, far too often enabling injustice that keeps our society from living up to its full potential.

The General Board of Church & Society of the United Methodist Church asks us to consider the following facts:

* While the U.S. makes up only 5% of the world's population, it confines 25% of the world's incarcerated, with a total of 2.3 million incarcerated in the US today. This accounts for a 600% increase in the past forty years.

* The US prison industry is one of the fastest growing industries, spending over $60 billion on corrections.

* Two-thirds of those incarcerated are African-American or Latino/a, and if current trends continue, one in three African American males and one in six Latino males born today will serve time in prison in the US.

* Most incarcerated women, including mothers behind bars, were first survivors of violence. Today, women in US prisons are disproportionately African-American or Latina and, at the time of arrest, earning annual incomes of less than $15,000.

* Each day in the US, over 90,000 juveniles are held in confinement and 7,500 youth are held in adult jails awaiting trial in criminal court. At the same time, 2,000 children are serving sentences of juvenile life without parole (JLWOP).

The following is an excerpt from the United Methodist Church's position on the Criminal Justice System:

"Restorative justice grows out of biblical authority, which emphasizes a right relationship with God, self and community. When such relationships are violated or broken through crime, opportunities are created to make things right."

Today at worship I heard the gospel reading from Matthew 5:38 - 48. Jesus continuing his Sermon on the Mount proclaims "You have heard that it was said, "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" (vs. 38). This certainly seems to have been an ideal sentiment of the criminal justice system. Our society does not follow this Old Testament command to the letter, but we have the same thoughts and emotions behind our current system. Those who commit crimes in many cases lose their humanity in our society. Hope of learning from their mistakes and building a better life after time served is often stripped away by a system that takes a criminals dignity and humanity.

Our sisters and brothers from the United Methodist Church call all Christians to pray for and point to a system that is broken. It seems that the goal of the Criminal Justice System is to primarily punish and occasionally to rehabilitate those who commit crimes. When prisons become a revolving door for many, it becomes a sign that the goal is not to reform individuals but to oppress them, continually setting them up for failure.

In today's gospel text, Jesus calls us to "Love our enemies". This day of prayer and call to advocacy is a Christian witness to relationships and love of neighbor and not a question of being soft or tough on crime. It is only human to want people to "pay" for their crimes in a way that would only "teach them a lesson" or at least "suffer" for the offense that have committed. The sinner that I am would always want to see criminals "get what they deserve". Christ, however, calls us to hope and pray for those who cause havoc and commit crimes.

The message of the cross reminds Christians that none of us get what we deserve. The sinless Christ, who stands in our place; who hung on a tree as a common criminal in order that we would not inherit death as we deserve but eternal life. Through the cross, our relationship with God has been restored! That in essence is the powerful witness given to us by our sisters and brothers of the United Methodist Church. Our Christian faith teaches us that when we fall we can get back up turn to the way of the cross, confess our sins and hear the words of Christ's forgiveness. Atonement and right relationship with God has been made right through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. The Christian hope for the Criminal Justice System should not be centered on convictions but on the possibility for conversion and a new life for the individual and a just society for all.

National Day of Prayer for Criminal Justice Reform

Ecumenism= Evangelism AND Mission

2010-12-10T21:59:00.002-05:00

I have been reading a book titled "The New Church Debate: Issues Facing American Lutheranism". This book, written in 1983 contains a series of essays that spoke to ecclesial, theological, structural and sociological issues that impacted the formation of a united Lutheran church body in the United States. This united church body is now the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

I came across an essay in this book that was written by the late William H. Lazareth entitled, "Evangelical Catholicity: Lutheran Identity in an Ecumenical Age." As American Lutherans were taking bold steps towards unity with one another in the United States, voices like Lazareth were speaking of a Lutheran identity that was Ecumenical.

Lazareth first writes about Christian identity and the significance of unity in an Escahtological Age.

"For Some of the most ardent Christians of our day, any concern for the visible unity of the church appears archaic. They believe that there are far more urgent tasks to which the churches are called to be involved in. Ironically, this impatience can arise from two quite different - and often incompatible - kinds of convictions" (p.16)

Lazareth then describes the differences between the conservative right and the liberal left and their ambivalence towards the visible unity of the Church. For the conservative right, sharing the gospel is the first and foremost priority. This group seeks to avoid as many stumbling blocks as possible when it comes to effective evangelism in the world. As a result, they become suspicious of large institutions and structures believing that "organizational church unity...may actually be a hindrance" to their missionary goals.

As for the liberal left, the primary concern is social justice. Lazareth describes them as a group that could take or leave visible Church unity. The liberal left strives and works for true equality, and justice in a broken world. They seek to break down the dividing walls of race, class and poverty. "If church unity makes for more effective social action, it is to be welcomed...what really matters, according to this second view, is our effective involvement in the burning societal issues of humankind" (p.16).

Fast forward to 2010 and we still find these struggles throughout the church today. Perhaps the divide of Christians being "Evangelical" or "Social Justice oriented" is wider today, due to a polarized political landscape. The reality in the United States is that we are living in a post-modern culture, and this country is once again a mission field. Unfortunately many Christians identify themselves as either being with the conservative right or the liberal left. Lazareth locates Lutheran identity and the ecumenical future as neither "conservative" OR "liberal".

Lazareth points to the World Council of Churches Central Committee document from 1982 entitled, "Mission and Evangelism - an Ecumenical Affirmation." Twenty Eight years ago both Lazareth and the World Council of Churches affirm that Evangelism and Mission come with being disciples of Jesus Christ. It is Evangelism AND Mission, not Evangelism OR Mission. One excerpt Lazareth shares from the WCC document states:

"...A proclamation that does not hold forth the promises of the justice of the kingdom to the poor of the earth is a caricature of the Gospel; but Christian participation in the struggles for justice which does not point towards the promises of the kingdom also makes a caricature of a Christian understanding of justice" (p.22)

To be a disciple of Jesus Christ is to be Evangelical, pointing to the kingdom of God that is here and is to come. If we embody both Evangelism and Mission, it is only natural then to be Ecumenical, the mission of the church is stronger when Christians receive the unity Christ has given his Church.

Lazareth writes about the 450th anniversary of the Augsburg Confession in 1980. This world celebration caused Lutherans throughout the world to think about this confession of faith in an ecumenical context. Lazareth points out that, at this time, Lutherans are in serious theological dialogues with other Christians communities. Lazareth writes, "...Lutheran Christians, despite their ecclesiastical identification as Protestants, nevertheless define their ecclesiological identity as 'evangelical catholics'; that is, as a confessing and confessional communion within the church catholic" (p.26).

These are just snippets of a fantastic and insightful essay about Lutheran identity in an ecumenical age. I wonder if Lazareth could have predicted the progress and milestones of the ecumenical movement when this essay was written in 1983? In 2010, the ELCA is over 20 years old and is now in full communion with six mainline denominations. Lazareth would probably argue that this has been possible because of our Evangelical Catholic identity. Lutheran Christians do not believe that the "Lutheran Church" is the one true church but part of the one holy catholic church. Understanding ourselves to be both Evangelical and Catholic, when we share the good news we point to God's kingdom of justice, and when engaged in social outreach we bear witness to Jesus Christ the bread of life. We do not have to choose between evangelism, mission and ecumenism because each supports the other in pointing to the Cross of Christ in a broken world.

Reflections on the General Assembly

2010-12-06T19:04:00.002-05:00

            It was an honor and privilege to serve as a Young Adult Steward at the recent general assembly of the National Council of Churches in New Orleans, Louisiana. To be present at the table of dialogue, representing not just myself but also the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and how my thoughts and convictions about Christianity, Justice and Ecumenism were shared in light of the tradition of which I belong. If I could sum up my experience at the General Assembly in one word, it would be “relationships”. Relationships are the key to embodying the unity God has already given to God’s Church. At the General Assembly, I was able to form relationships with my fellow Young Adult Stewards and many others who see our unity and diversity as gifts from God, as opposed to stumbling blocks towards unity.

          The time I spent at the General Assembly was a reminder that my own personal faith journey has been an Ecumenical one. My faith has increased and deepened over the years because of the Holy Spirit working through members of the body of Christ; people who gave witness to the gospel through the lens of their faith tradition. This assembly brought opportunities for fruitful dialogue, by having formal conversations through the Cafe’ and informal conversations between sessions. I encountered participants who were individuals that took seriously Christ’s command for “all to be one” and the gifts their traditions had to offer to the entire Church.

          The study paper that I choose to engage in during the Assembly was Christian Understanding of Unity in an Age of Radical Diversity. One of my favorite statements from the paper was this, “The goal of the ecumenical movement is not to unite those who are diverse – that is the goal of political parties and governments. The goal is to celebrate the wondrous diversity of our God-given oneness as God’s people, Christ’s body, the Spirit’s temple.” I could see this truth embodied through our holy conversations, when breaking bread together and worshiping as one at the assembly.

          This experience gave me the opportunity to meet new friends, who I have always been in connection with as sisters and brothers in Christ Jesus. The group of Young Adult Stewards that attended this General Assembly this year came from a variety of Christian traditions. To be able to form relationships with them that have lasted long after the end of the assembly is priceless. It is because of the gift of relationship that we have with each other and our Lord that I rejoice and give thanks. Bonding with my fellow Young Adult Stewards gave me hope, not just for the future of the Church and ecumenism, but for the mission of the Church that we are engaged in right now.

          The paper of Unity in an Age of Diversity also stated that, “the church must turn again to scripture and tradition in order to hear what the Spirit is saying to us.” I can affirm that across, denominations and generations, this is being lived out. As a member of the body of Christ, I pray that the experiences and relationships formed at gatherings such as the General Assembly of the National Council of Churches may be more common in local communities. I know that Ecumenism is alive and well across the country; those of us that gathered together for this Assembly have now been scattered back out into the world. Commissioned to proclaim and witness, with all Christians, God’s gift of unity and diversity that shines a beacon of hope in a broken world.

Joint Thanksgiving Services: Demonstrate Unity or Tolerance?

2010-11-23T18:25:00.005-05:00

As Americans gear up for the Thanksgiving holiday many ecumenical, and in some contexts, interfaith celebrations are organized to demonstrate that there is some common ground among faiths. Gathering in one voice seems to state that, we can all agree that as people of faith we all give thanks to a higher power. It seems that if there is a day or time of the year in which people of different faiths would gather together in prayer it would be for Thanksgiving.

This is a National holiday and secular holiday. Is there a concern that the time in which we are most likely to gather together it would be on a secular holiday?

Is there a danger that by gathering this time of year promotes "civil religion" or "patriotism" over the diversity that exist in the unity God has given to us?

Our worship does have ethical implications. If in any given community, the only time and reason various Christian traditions and other faiths gather together is for a single prayer service only to retreat to our separate quarters when it is over says more about our division than our unity.

Maybe what these celebrations are trying to emulate is what happens in many homes throughout the country on Thanksgiving Day. If this holiday, is a day in which we gather and eat with family and friends we normally can not stand, and this feast serves as a day in which we demonstrate tolerance towards those who normally annoy us. Judging by how many faith communities fail to engage each other as sisters and brothers or even as neighbors, the common prayer service around Thanksgiving then becomes more about tolerance than a celebration of unity.

As Christians, we are called to be peacemakers and are entrusted to be ambassadors of the ministry of reconciliation. As we reflect on all that we have to be thankful for may it motivate us to create tables of dialogue, common service and witness in the community throughout the year.

Young Adults shouldn't fight to be at the kids table!

2010-11-18T09:07:00.004-05:00

Reflecting on my experience at the General Assembly, I walk away energized and committed to how Christians can engage in ecumenism in the 21st century. I have always been passionate about ecumenism, and am blessed to have engaged Christians from other traditions over the years that have had a tremendous impact on my personal faith journey. This gathering, however, has me excited about the "future" of the church and ecumenism in a post-modern world.

In my last post, I spoke about the potential of the young adult ecumenical group known as New Fire. They have yet to decide who and what they will be, and what the actual impact they will have on this movement will be interesting to see. Young Adult Stewards like myself that were asked to attend the New Fire gathering, and spent a day and a half seeking to define who and what New Fire can be. There did not seem to be a consensus within the New Fire task force in answering the straightforward question "What is New Fire?" It seems that if anything New Fire is anti or "trans" denominational, with members of this group having little or no accountability to the faith community they represent. They are seeking to include Christian traditions who are not members of the National Council of Churches, while potentially overlooking the traditions that have been a part of this movement for the past 100 years.

When it came to speaking with people who were a part of the General Assembly I did hear a concern about the "future". As the professional ecumenist, in the churches age, who will step up to take their place? What will happen to the relationships that have been developed on behalf of member communions? There was a lamenting of a lack of young faces at the General Assembly. This was not a proclamation to have young adults at THE table but for someone to fill their seat when their time is up.

New Fire seeks to do something new, almost reinventing the wheel. Rather than working with, in and through the NCC it seemed like some in the group preferred to be on their own as an "emerging" movement of young adult ecumenism with no identity. New Fire in my opinion seems to want their own table at the gathering that is ecumenism and church affairs. If we disregard the wisdom of the saints that have gone before and continue to pave the road for us today, then how we as the people of God can receive the given unity our Lord has bestowed upon the Church? Some in the NCC seem to be worried about not having enough Young Adults present as a matter of institutional survival, rather than seeking to receive our unity in Christ which is not just among various denominations but also generations.

A fellow Young Adult Steward at the end of the General Assembly said that both New Fire and the NCC got it wrong when it came to Young Adults. We do not need a separate table or replacement model of Young Adult incorporation into this movement. What we need is to be all at THE SAME TABLE!

How profound and true, not only when it comes to matters of ecumenism but in ministries throughout the church.

Reverend Lois Wilson, reminded us at the General Assembly that, "What is the future of the ecumenical movement is a question of survival, the question should be what is the mission of the ecumenical movement?" The question as disciples of Jesus Christ should always be what is our mission in all that we do. Receiving the unity God has given God's church is a matter of mission in our broken world. It is so we can best live out the Great Commission and make disciples of all nations. I do not want to be at a kids table or part of a young adult cult that rather drinking kool aid in the end I turn 31 an am exiled from that group and "graduate" to the grown ups table. As Christians, we know that the Lord has one table in which all are welcome to gather around and are fed, nourished and sustained. If ecumenism seeks to discover the best in what our denominations have to offer, then it should also consider the best our various generations have to offer as we gather around the same table.

Do we need "New Fire" for Ecumenism to work among Young Adults?

2010-11-08T00:29:00.005-05:00

Today and tomorrow I am taking part in the New Fire Young Adult Gathering in New Orleans, Louisiana as part of being a Young Adult Steward for the National Council of Churches, USA Centennial Gathering.

New Fire is a "network" that is trying to define who they are and the role they can play in Ecumenical Young Adult Ministry. Personally I think New Fire has much potential in being a network that helps to facilitate and support ecumenism on a grass roots level by providing awareness, outreach and seed grants for local ecumenical projects.

After spending a day with New Fire, I hope that they can refine their message and spread it! Then congregations and organizations would be aware of a network that can support cooperative ecumenical ministry to young adults at the local level.

A concern that I had was the fear that in order to be effective ecumenical and not risk offending anyone at the table we need to "water down" who we are. I firmly believe that in order for ecumenism to be effective and for true unity in the church to be realized we need, to then, be open and honest with one another. There is the potential that New Fire and organizations like it could intentionally or unintentionally be anti-denominational. This would be a result of a "watering down" process for the sake of "unity" which I believe would be disastrous and create a false unity with little or no direction.

We need to be who we are so that we can appreciate the unity and diversity that is present throughout the body of Christ. New Fire should not also have to feel that it needs to reinvent the wheel in regards to fostering ecumenical relationships. Many Christian denominations are either in full communion or are in partnership with one another. New Fire can serve as an agent that makes local congregations aware of the visible unity that already exists among them. They can take advantage of the agreements made by their denominations on the national level that are intended to strengthen ministry at the local level.

I see much value in New Fire and the potential it has to contribute to Ecumenical Adult Ministry in the 21st century. My hope and prayer is that they truly want Christians to be who they are, offering and sharing their tradition as a lens and witness to the gospel. In spite of differences, when we engage and do ministry together, I believe young adults would then respect both our authenticity and our traditions. They would be open to learning and exploring more, walking with Christians who are both genuine and welcoming.

For more information about New Fire got to http://www.faithconnectsus.org/

It gets better and we are still reforming...

2010-10-31T22:01:00.001-04:00

ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark Hanson reminds us that our brokenness as human beings often leads to the oppression and suffering of others. In this case, Bishop Hanson has addressed the bullying of those who are GLBT. Our words and our silence as Christians can cause heart ache, harm and exclusion to those on the margins, those to whom we are called to serve.

As a Lutheran Christian, I know that the Reformation does not begin and end in the 16th century but is ongoing. Martin Luther wanted people to know that they could not earn or buy their salvation and that they are made worthy through the Crucified One, Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord. In this message, Bishop Hanson reminds us of the liberating impact the gospel has for all people, especially those on the margins.

Daily Devotion: Reflection on Psalm 16

2010-05-23T20:09:00.000-04:00

Psalm 16

Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge.

I say to the LORD, "You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you."

As for the holy ones in the land, they are the noble, in whom is all my delight.

Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows, their drink offerings of blood will not pour out or take their names upon my lips.

The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.

The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; I have a goodley heritage.

I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.

I keep the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also rests secure.

For yo do not give me up to Sheol, or let your faithful ones see the Pit.

You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; In your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Observation: We are to trust God above all things. Verse 4 "Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows, their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names upon my lips." There are the obvious idols of the world that we turn into false gods that rule our lives as individuals and as a society. Various addictions to drugs and alcohol for instance would and does indeed multiply ones sorrow. The false god of greed and consumerism also creates sorrow in our hearts because it is unlike any other addiction. We can't get enough of it and as a result are never satisfied leaving us very empty in the end.

As a nation we can often look to our government as a god that will always protect us and keep always keep us safe. This often distracts us from the reality that God is the only one in whom we can put our trust and security in. There is an illusion of security that governments and politicians try to sell to us. Sure they are called to keep us safe and work for the common good but promises of total security does not in the end help us to rest peacefully because even if we bought the bit we know deep down that it is an impossible promise to keep or make.

Ironically many Christians can turn the Bible into a god. This too can create a great deal of sorrow! As a Lutheran Christian the bible is the inspired written word of God and it points always to the word of God which is Jesus Christ crucified and risen! I worship Jesus Christ, God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit NOT the bible. The written word of God allows us to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ and that we are free in Christ to love and serve. Through the inspiration and revelation of the Holy Spirit I can see and hear that God is my ultimate security!

Application: Now that I have made the observation how the heck do I apply it. While God is indeed my rock and my salvation in whom I ultimately put my trust, I am a sinner that falls short of the glory of God just like everyone else. My heart is troubled from time to time and I often look everywhere else but God to put my trust and find security in. It takes a daily dying and rising in Christ Jesus, wrapping myself in the story of the Cross the mark in which I am sealed with at baptism in order to live a life that internally and externally trusts in God as faithfully as the psalmist does. It is always being fed and nourished with both word and sacrament and the community of believers that witness to me God's faithfulness in times that I struggle and doubt. Thanks be to God that in the end even death does not prevail and God who is our ultimate blanket of love and security wraps us in His arms giving to us life eternal. "Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also rests secure. For you do not give me up to Sheol, or let your faithful one see the Pit." vs 9-10.

Prayer: O God, our security in whom we put our trust. Grant that we may see your Holy Cross as a sign of your faithfulness. Send forth the consoling presence of your Holy Spirit. May we resist the temptation of seeking out another god for solace that will only lead to sorrow. May we know that even during trials and tribulations that you are always present in our midst. We know that nothing can separate us from your love O God, and that even death does not have the last say for your do not let your faithful see the pit of death. May our hearts and souls rejoice and our bodies rest securely because you O God are our protector and refuge. Amen

Whose Faith is it Anyway?

2010-03-12T09:12:00.000-05:00

“and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

Whose Faith is it anyway?

When I was growing up it didn’t bother me to hear the word “evangelical” nor did it bother me when I was instructed to evangelize as part of what it meant to be a Christian. As I grew older, I became more uncomfortable with the word. Even speaking of Jesus seemed awkward around friends of mine who were not practicing Christians or practicing any religion for that matter.
When I was in high school a friend of mine and a teammate on the varsity football team was a born again Christian. I remember his passion for the Lord and he was not shy about sharing his faith in Jesus. It was around this time that I became uncomfortable with even speaking about Jesus or using the word “evangelical” or feeling called to evangelize others. He would pass out pamphlets with some scripture verses on them. I remember the front of my pamphlet sounded like Good News! It was telling me what God had done for me through Jesus Christ, but on the back of the pamphlet had a picture of a skull and cross bones describing what would happen to me if I made the wrong choice. That didn’t seem like Good News, it didn’t seem like that God I had known my whole life. I then became uncomfortable in sharing and proclaiming this Good News.

As I struggled and questioned my faith I began to understand God’s grace, and the salvation God gives in a new light. I went from serious doubt to a relative attitude towards my faith (a very watered down version of Christianity) to reclaiming what it meant to share the salvation Jesus Christ has won for us. I can call myself evangelical with pride and make no apologies for evangelizing!
Martin Luther states in his commentary on Galatians 2:17 “Either we are not justified by Christ, or we are not justified by the Law. The fact is, we are justified by Christ. Hence, we are not justified by the Law. If we observe the Law in order to be justified, or after having been justified by Christ, we think we must further be justified by the Law, we convert Christ into a legislator and a minister of sin.”
What I saw by other Christians as evangelizing was actually as Luther points out “…turning Law into grace, and grace into Law.” Luther’s commentary on verse 20 shares with me something that truly is Good News! Luther writes, “What awful presumption to imagine any work good enough to pacify God, when to pacify God required the invaluable price of the death and blood of His one and only Son?”
The NET Bible (New English Translation) and some other biblical translations translate Galatians 2:20 slightly differently. That slight difference makes all the difference in how I understand God’s grace and the Good News of Jesus Christ. “I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So the life I now live in the body, I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Faith begins then when God is faithful!? Even to the cross!? When this was revealed to me, I had no shame in sharing it because Jesus did not come across to me as a legislator of sin, but my Redeemer from it!
If this is what we share with others as a church then no one should be ashamed of sharing what Jesus Christ has done for us. Words like “evangelical” and what it means to be evangelized shouldn’t be given new catch phrases so as not to offend others but they should be reclaimed and reformed (We are still a reforming church, right?) from the abuses they have gone through over the years.
This Good News of Jesus Christ has freed me. There are many out there who are burdened in this dark and broken world, struggling to find meaning, anxious about the perishable promises, feeling unloved and unwelcomed, not knowing whether there is a God or, if there is, whether that God loves them and has saved them.
We walk through this Lenten wilderness as a reminder of the captivity we would be bound to if salvation were up to us, and if God lacked grace and mercy. We know the story of salvation; as a Christian people we are as my former bishop, Stephen Bouman of the Metro NY Synod said “an Easter people living in a Good Friday world!” Let us share the Good News that frees us all!

Let us pray,
Good and gracious God, in our faithfulness may we always be reminded that it is your faithfulness that has saved us. May all that we do in word and deed demonstrate to others the freedom you give to your people through the cross that has turned death into life. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

An Irony of Paul

2010-02-21T23:24:00.000-05:00

Today at Salem we had our first ritual that introduced candidates that are preparing for either Holy Baptism or Affirmation of Holy Baptism.

The first and second lessons that were appointed in the lectionary today dealt with community. I preached today and will spare you the sermon but wrestling with Paul gave me some wonderful insights in being a part of a community.

In St. Paul's letter to the Romans he is trying to reconcile the tension between Jewish and Greek Christians. Romans 10:8-13 is a passage in which Paul is really trying to be all inclusive though we often interpret it to have exclusive meaning.

Paul writes: Brothers and sisters: What does Scripture say? The word is near you,/ in your mouth and in your heart - that is, the word of faith that we preach -, for, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. For the Scripture says, No one who believes in him will be put to shame. For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all, enriching all who call upon him, For 'everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'

Many Christians see that text and think, "oh, that is all I need to do in order to be saved." "To believe and to confess". The irony is that Paul is trying to demonstrate some common ground with the Roman community, that there differences do not matter it is their common faith in Christ that calls them to be together in community. I think many today may use this text as a way to see no need to belong to a community....they can individualize salvation and put the monkey on their back so to speak thinking that all they have to do is believe and confess forgetting that the faith with have is through Christ!

Paul is trying to keep a community together, he is saying that salvation is inclusive! NOT exclusive! This Jesus and the salvation that has been won through the cross sees no distinction between Jew or Gentile......These groups of different background and culture can come together for they are now a family by belonging to Christ Jesus.

That was one of the readings read on this Sunday as Salem Lutheran Church welcomed Candidates who are beginning a process to say yes! to the invitation of being a disciple of Jesus Christ. When understanding Paul's context as he writes his letter to the Roman community, I was pleased to see one of the Sponsor and one of the Candidates. The sponsor a Vietnam War Veteran, the Candidate a conscientious objector to the war, a rebel in his day. To see that relationship blossom and flourish not just among them but within this church community gets me choked up. Between those two gentleman though the world sees differences and distinction, Christ sees none and is Lord and Savior of both of them.

There are times when I am frustrated and discouraged. I look at the church and feel at times that we get it wrong more often than we get it right.

Seeing this today was a instance in which I proclaimed gratitude to my God, these two men are examples of when the church gets it right, hears the gospel and lives it out. Both inside and outside the faith community!

Thanks be to God! Amen!

Daily Bread

2010-01-18T16:26:00.000-05:00

From Luther's Small Catechism:

The Fourth Petition

Give us today our daily bread.

What is this? or What does this mean?

In fact, God gives daily bread without our prayer, even to all evil people, but we ask in this prayer that God cause us to recognize what our daily bred is and to recieve it with thanksgiving.

I have said the Lord's prayer many many many times and still lack a full of appreciation for what it means for God provides bread for me daily.

In large part it is due to the fact that I have been blessed with an abundance throughout my life. Even with taking the "unofficial" vow of poverty by becoming a Lutheran Seminarian I have still been given more than the daily bread that God has promised me each day.

Salem is in inner city Toledo and there are many that are poor. Yet many give thanks for what they have and they put me to shame in just how much they can give with what little they have.

After Worship one day a gentleman had come up to me for conversation. He said that just the other day he had no food for either him or his daughter and he called his sister up and cried with her on the phone about his dilema. They ended the phone conversation by praying the Lord's Prayer. Soon after he recieved a bag of apples and orange juice. He openly admitted that he would have preferred a bottle of pop and a bag of chips but he acknowledged and gave thanks that God had given him what he needed.

A few days later I was doing a hospital visit. As I was about to annoint the patient with oil a nurse walked in and asked what I was doing. When I explained she asked if she could be blessed next. I gladly said yes and did. Then she said that she blesses herself every morning before she goes to work but didn't have time today and felt that God had said that it would be okay, he would send someone to bless her.

I am always in awe that I could be an instrument of God in anyway but in being that instrument whether it be lending an ear to listen to a persons thanksgiving for literal food or being able to provide a piece of someone's daily bread by offering a blessing and prayer, God has spoken to me through that, and reminds me of all that I have and can give.

I continue to fall short from time to time but I pray and give with thanksgivng for all that God has given me. The tempation I have is for God to bless me for what I am giving (that heretical prosperity gospel).

The poor have humbled me, they have shared with me the Good News that God has given me much even without my asking and will continue to do so.

Refreshing to hear the Church make a Confession for a change.....

2009-10-04T21:00:00.000-04:00

The text used for this Sunday's lectionary posed a difficult hurdle for some preachers. One of the creation stories, Genesis 2:18-24 and Mark 10:2-16 set the stage for dealing with the issue of divorce in our society. A reality that is a painful one to so many, how does one address this?

Through text study with pastors and reflecting with fellow classmates on internship there was much insight gained in how to address the text that allows for the Good News to be proclaimed.

It was nice to hear my supervisor procalim the gospel this Sunday. He spoke of the creation story and how God desires us to live in a circular unity and not the hierarchy models of realtions we tend to develop, in which some people are worth more than others......for God all of us matter, the same.

In the Gospel, I heard him tackle the issue of divorce that was being addressed and how divorce was understood in Jesus' context and time and then it happend.......

My supervisor said, "before I go any further, if any of you here are divorced, on behalf of the church I apologize for how this text and others have been used to condemn you and put another label on you." He called us all out on being broken.

That simple apology spoke to people in the congregation, some of which have been divorced. The Mark texts flows from the discussion of divorce to Jesus allowing children to come to him. Once again we see a society that creates an order of value among human beings based on gender and age just to name two, we all know there are many more.......but Jesus calls us break the ranks we as humans have set up and the lables we create to oppress each other.

It was nice to see someone tackle this text head on.....humbling himself to make an apology for the sin the instiutional church has caused and in many cases still afflicts on its people and called us to hear that Good News in how God desires our communion with one another. We know that in the end it will truly be a communion in which there is no divisions, dividing walls and ladders between us......Thanks be to God.

Jesus and the Grieving Process

2009-09-16T10:49:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, I was at the weekly text study that local clergy gather for each week, to discuss the lectionary readings for the coming Sunday as part of sermon prep.

When reading through the Gospel text for this Sunday I immediatley thought of last Sunday's Gospel reading and saw Jesus and the disciples in a light that I never saw before.

An excerpt from last Sunday's Gospel text: Mark 8:31-32

Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.

An excerpt from this Sunday's Gospel text: Mark 9:30-32

They went on from there and passed through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know it; for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, "The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again." But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him.

I have done much reading, studying and discussion about the Messianic secret. The following reflection about these two texts is merely a personal reflection; by no means is it an attempt to be an academic contribution.

What I saw yesterday when reading this text was a human Jesus coming to terms with his own death and needing to share this with his friends. In the two incidents the Mark puts before us, I see the disciples react in a way that is completly normal when we hear of loved ones trying to grasp an imminent death.

In Mark 8, Peter rebukes Jesus, when Jesus speaks of the suffering and death he must soon experience. I remember when my mom was undergoing intial chemo treatment and was wrestling with the sense that she could soon die. Friends, loved ones, myself included, would rebuke her for saying such things! It was something that we did not want to hear. Last summer, I saw this as an outsider looking in, being a chaplain on the oncology unit of Reading Hospital. Families would often rebuke their loved one when they would first verbalize and acceptance that they will soon die.

In Mark 9, I totally got to where the disciples got when my mother deteriorated and we knew deep down that a comeback was unlikely. Granted, the disiciples "didn't understand" but even though I knew what was going on with my mother, I didn't fully understand it either. What jumped out on me in the two texts was that in the first text their is a rebuke and in the second text there is nothing, a fear to even ask or talk about it. I remember as time went on my mother asking when she was going to die and myself and others just being quiet, there was no rebuking because we were beggining to recognize the truth about what was happening. Even though we were still not ready to own or verbalize the truth about what was going on.

Yesterday, when I engaged the scriptures I didn't just see a Jesus who was just prophesying his death, but a person who was wrestling with his death in a very human way. This prophet, the Messiah, the Son of Man who knew that he would be raised from the dead still needed to deal with the fact that he would die. I found it as a source of comfort that our God incarnate would need to grieve the loss of his own life in the same way we would need. In this reflection I am merely saying that in addition to teaching about what was to happen, that he also wanted to share with his close friends (messianic secret) that he was going to die, and that he needed to say this to those he loved out loud.

I find comfort and joy that the Risen Chirst, our living God, understands in a very intimate way what we face, when the reality of death draws near to us.

Initial Reflections.....

2009-09-07T16:44:00.000-04:00

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God all my life long. - Psalm 146:1

The opening verse to Psalm 146 is a psalm I have gotten to know quite well over this past year because it was the psalm I memorized this past year for my Psalter class.

Here at Salem we have two worship services that I have found to be very different. Not different in the sense that one is "traditional" and the other is "contemporary" as many churches across the country have but because of those that are gathering for worship are different.

On Sunday morning our worship struck me as a pretty run of the mill experience I have had most of my life as a cradle Lutheran.

On Tuesdays a meal is provided for people in the neighborhood and surrounding neighborhoods. As the meal is being prepared people begin to gather outside as they wait to be fed. Some attend a Bible Study at 4pm before worship which is at 5 pm which is before the meal that is served at 5:30 pm.

I would describe the worship to be very abbreviated and informal.....announcements, reading, sermon, prayers, eucharist and sending to the meal many are anxiously waiting for.

Some people that gather for worship are engaged, some are distracted and others are talking to others as if worship is happening in the background. Now, I wouldn't considered the noise and distracted behavior demonstrated by some of those gathered as being rude or disrpespectful. In many ways Tuesday worship and meal is one of the few times some get to see their friends, so in a sense they understand the community aspect of worship.

On my first Tuesday at Salem I immediatley noticed the noise volume and this attempt for organized worship to break through all of the distraction. I thought to myself "God is breaking through here, I hope people here see this and understand this."

Then it hit me! I knew then what God must feel when God is trying to get through to me on a regular basis. In my daily life I am constantly distracted and fill my life with noise that can often drowns out God's voice. As often as I would like to think that I "...sing praises to my God all my life long" as the Psalmist in Psalm 146 does I realize that I have a long way to go.

If there is a Gun Shot in a neighborhood few people care about does it make a sound???

Just the other evening I heard a gunshot in the neighborhood. Now, I am "comfortable" serving in an urban setting but I am a product of the suburbs and for me part of my faith journey and understanding of where I am called to be in my vocation is that the gospel calls me to be uncomfortable at times. So, my "comfort" in this context has been a process in wrestling with my discomfort and that tensions is always there and I was quickly reminded of that feelin when this gunshot went off the other evening.

The next day I confirmed with a neighborhood parishoner that it was indeed a gunshot but heard no news of whether anyone was hurt or anything like that.

The gunshot brought initiated a conversation about the neighborhood with this particular parishoner and he imparted to me some street smart advice. He said, "Adam, in our neighborhood be a witness to the Lord but thats the only kind of witness you are going to want to be."