Same Good News in a Changing World.

St. Paul in Galatians 1:6-7 writes, “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel – not that there is another gospel, but there are some who are confusing you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.”

Why are we attracted to perversions of the gospel or messages that compete with the good news of Jesus Christ?  Maybe we want to be gods, and deep down we resent the fact that we need a savior.  This is why we are attracted to different gospels, and messages that compete with the gospel in our world today because we want to be our own savior. 

Our mission here at St. John Lutheran Windfall has always been to reach out to others with the gospel.  This doesn’t mean that we have always done it perfectly or haven’t been distracted by other things in effectively carrying out this mission.  The body of Christ is both holy and sinful; we are going to miss the mark from time to time.  Though I believe that our gospel centered mission and outreach is growing and will continue to grow.  May we be centered in prayer that as we continue to bloom and grow in Christ that our service inside and outside our congregation will always have the Good News as the cornerstone of any ministry, program, gathering or event that we offer. 

I say all of this because it seems that many in our society are scared because things are changing.  We see change in many vocations, in education and in the church.  For example, the post office can’t function the way it always has because of the change in how we communicate with one another.  This doesn’t mean all the changes we are experiencing are bad, many things will just be different and many are afraid because we don’t know what all of this will look like in the end. 

As for the church in North America as part of the mainline protestant demographic everyone is experiencing membership decline and fear what the future will bring.  This creates the perfect scenario where we would be tempted by “other gospels” to survive and not be faithful to the message that has served as the rock of the church for over two thousand years and our congregation for 177.  Throughout the gospel we are told “Do not be afraid” and are in fact comforted with Good News! 

In a changing world with empty promises, competing messages and false gospels may we be faithful to the gospel, may our mission always be centered in the gospel, may we not be distracted by fears of change or survival, but comforted in the good news that Jesus Christ, who was crucified and whom God raised from the dead, is Lord over all creation and let’s continue to share this Good News with others and one another. 

Our Lenten Journey can be an Ecumenical one

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

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.

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

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.