Blessings on the Way -- A reflection on the Beatitudes, Matthew 5: 1-12

I Am a Rock                    Ep 4 A Beatitudes  2023

A winter's day
In a deep and dark December

I am alone
Gazing from my window to the streets below
On a freshly fallen silent shroud of snow
I am a rock I am an island

I've built walls
A fortress deep and mighty
That none may penetrate
I have no need of friendship, friendship causes pains
It's laughter and it's loving I disdain
I am a rock I am an island

Don't talk of love
Well I've heard the word before
It's sleeping in my memory
I won't disturb the slumber of feelings that have died
If I never loved I never would have cried
I am a rock I am an island

I have my books
And my poetry to protect me
I am shielded in my armor
Hiding in my room safe within my womb
I touch no one and no one touches me
I am a rock I am an island

And a rock feels no pain
And an island never cries

First recorded in 1965, (55 yrs ago) Paul Simon referred to this as his “Most neurotic song!”

Well, I don’t know if it reveals neurosis or not, but it certainly portrays a person who has taken isolation & self-sufficiency to its extreme. We can imagine there has been a failed love affair, or the loss of a dear someone to death, or a fractured friendship or a shattered dream that ripped apart the heart of the song’s               central character. This individual has decided to wall up their heart & refuse all emotion, all relationship, all human entanglements in order to never again endure such pain.  But in spite of the posturing & bravado, the echoes of loneliness ring strong & loud. We hear revealed a person suffering from a deep poverty of spirit, but who has chosen to pretend there is no emptiness at all.

And while, clearly, this is a song of an individual (the pronoun, “I,” is used 19, “me” & “my,” 10 times.  166 words in song, 29 of them are self-focused. 17%), I wonder if it could also be a commentary on our human condition. We are created to be in community, in relationship with those around us, & of course, with our creator. But we can so often be prone to quickly use the slightest provocation, or perceived betrayal, hurt, misunderstanding, or disappointment as bricks with which we begin to build walls around our hearts. When our walls are high enough & thick enough, we may feel less vulnerable to pain. Humans have claimed “self-sufficiency” without need for others, without need even for God, for generations upon generations. And if we are full of our self-protective, self-absorbed self-sufficiency, where is there room for others? Where is there room for God?

But no matter how we ignore the need or deny the need, the truth remains: our spirits thirst for love. The longer we deny & ignore, the more parched our spirit becomes. Studies of folks’ FB posts have shown that the more often “I,” “Me,” & “My” are used in persons’ posts, the more those individuals exhibit signs of depression.

And we become cynics. We buy into the notion that those who are merciful,  who see the best in others & act w/out self-interest; those who work for peace & speak up for those on the margins whose voices aren’t heard – well, they are just bleeding-heart saps who simply don’t get how things work in this world. We say to ourselves & to each other, “Joy is an illusion. Life is hard, & then you die. In the meantime, look out for number one.”

It is into this world that God sent Jesus to begin to remove, brick by brick, the walls surrounding our hearts. And I wonder if this is the reason that in his 1st sermon,  the 1st blessing Jesus asserts is poverty of spirit. Not that loneliness, vulnerability, & emptiness are a picnic! I wonder if the blessing isn’t the actual condition of empty spirit, but the recognition that our spirit is empty? Because once we are awakened to our need for God, & recognize that self-sufficiency is an illusion, there is room for God-sufficiency.

And when we finally make room for God, all things are possible! Even comfort in grief, even mercy, even justice, peace & righteousness.  When we recognize that we are dependent on God for all that is good & all that sustains us, we have begun to catch a glimpse of God’s holy realm at work in the world!

Then, we can begin to understand that the blessings of which Jesus speaks aren’t REQUIREMENTS for our entry into God’s realm; they are a DESCRIPTION of the character, 1st of God’s own self, the God who is revealed to the world in the person of Jesus. AND a description of the character of those who live as God’s subjects. 

One theologian calls the beatitudes “case studies of life in God’s empire, visions of the identity & way of life that result from encountering God’s present & future reign.” Jesus is describing – and promising – a community of justice, compassion, kindness, where the poor are treated fairly, the oppressed are relieved of their burdens…Jesus reveals God as a ruler who levels the playing field – He opens our eyes to a holy realm where Gods favor is not expressed in money or status, but in relationship that thrives when love overpowers fear.

We begin to discover that blessedness doesn’t depend upon our outward situations. It doesn’t depend on our ability to perform to a certain standard. Blessedness isn’t an emotional condition. It Is: a state of being. It is a state of being loved beyond our heart’s capacity to hold, & being cherished by our creator for eternity.

Ultimately, these teachings of Jesus aren’t only a portrait of God’s rule of justice, peace & mercy. They are also Promise:  Promise – that by God’s grace, we aren’t defined by our life circumstances, we aren’t defined by our sin, our inabilities, we aren’t even defined by what we do right. Instead, we are defined only by God’s love for us. These words are Jesus’ promise that what the world has said are obstacles to God’s kingdom aren’t obstacles at all!; Those things which cause us to despair will not cause us to be separate from God’s love. In fact: the things we perceived as roadblocks might actually be God’s building blocks. That which makes us feel unworthy, or unfit may be precisely what God wishes to work w/in us to affirm life & work towards wholeness in ourselves and in others.

Because, remember, God’s blessings have never been poured out for us to hoard. Recall God’s words to Abraham in Genesis 12:2: I will make of you a great nation, & I will bless you & make your name great so that you will be a blessing.” Once we know that we are claimed & sustained by the love of a God who will never abandon us to pain, sorrow or emptiness, we are free to be conduits of these same blessings as we share the Good of God’s love made known in Jesus Christ.

Jesus came to transform our hearts, our relationships, our community. He came to make all things new.  Beginning today! Jesus doesn’t wait for us to graduate, to get the lesson right, or turn to the right chapter. Quite the contrary, as Elizabeth Acthmeier wrote:

 “Messiah is not promised when everything is peaceful & when everyone has turned to the Lord: He is promised when everything looks dark & hopeless & life seems to be at the end of its rope; in the midst of suffering & strife, anguish & fear, despair & darkness in human hearts.; In short, he comes into real human life, into the turmoils of history, into your life & mine.”

Friends, Jesus doesn’t promise a life free of trouble. There will be mourning, suffering & times of despair, confusion & doubt. Even Jesus endured such things. But the blessing remains nonetheless…Jesus w/ us; Jesus our comforter, our peace, our courage, our strength.

So, Let us rejoice & be glad that in Christ Jesus, God has met us on our level; he has come down to us. Not to keep us low, but to raise us up for abundant life in this world and the next! And that is blessing indeed! AMEN

Easter 2020

Easter in Exile: Grace in the Wilderness

Well this is one of the weirdest Resurrection Sundays ever in a long time. Or saddest? Or most
anti-climactic? It is hard to put words to. It may feel like hope & joy are suspended “until things get back to normal.” (Whatever that may be…). It seems as if the calendar got it wrong somehow this year!

Of course, it isn’t that some of us haven’t experienced sadness at a Resurrection Celebration
service before today. – My own father died shortly before Easter 10 yrs ago; I remember that particular Sunday being both difficult and joyful.  Some years, perhaps due to an illness, or a financial hardship, or a relationship in need of mending, you, too, have come  to the end of Lent feeling more like Good Friday lingering than the joy of the empty tomb. We’ve each likely felt much as those did who approached Jesus’ tomb in the early dawn that day so long ago. 

But we’ve never all experienced it all at the same time. The collective unknowingness, the group grief; the all engulfing sense of powerlessness in the face of an invisible, potentially deadly threat. The fear & the worry gripping the nations is as contagious as the virus that has endangered people we care for. Moreover, in one fell swoop, the medical crisis has ground an entire global economy, if not to a screeching halt, to a molasses-like slowdown. Which of course brings more anxiety & a deeper sense of the intangible being out of
our control. Not to mention the personal wildernesses I know many of you are experiencing that have nothing to do with the virus, and yet are compounded by it.

However, although the media throws around words like “unprecedented” w/ regards to the worldwide
experience of this pandemic, it isn’t the 1st time the world has endured similar trauma. I believe we felt some of this together immediately following 9/11/2001; About 100 yrs ago, there was the Spanish flu epidemic that
took my own great grandfather’s life – as well as probably some of your own relatives;  before that, the plagues that ravaged Europe in the Middle Ages. And over the last couple of decades, so many
occurrences of our nation mourning repeated mass shootings like have happened in Columbine, Orlando, Sandy Hook, and so many others! Not to mention devastating tsunamis, or earthquakes, or windstorms. But afterwards, a “new normal” seems to come about and life does go on – resembling perhaps what was
before, but never entirely the same.

In Jeramiah’s time, the entire nation of Israel was enduring exile in a foreign land, far
from home, away from those they loved. They were far from the Temple where they
believed they were best able to experience God’s presence and power. God’s
people had begun to believe that they had been abandoned by God, that their
prayers were merely mist in the wind, and that any hope they once had of
returning to their homeland had evaporated completely! But the prophet Jeremiah
brought words of promise to them: (ch. 31: 1-6)

·     that there was grace to be found – even in the wilderness

·     That God had never abandoned them, tho he seemed far away

·     That God loved them w/ an everlasting, enduring, forever love

·     That the separation would come to an end

·     And that they would once more worship in the sanctuary with joy and merrymaking

Now, I’m sure these words of Jeremiah were far from the minds of the women who went to tend
to Jesus’ body.  No, I imagine that on their way to their friend’s tomb, they felt that the desolation of the
graveyard matched the wilderness of grief in their hearts. Because an ancient Palestinian cemetery looked nothing like the ones to which we are accustomed. There were no manicured lawns, no carefully placed flowers & mementoes, no trees overhead graciously providing shade in the desert climate. No one in that time and place would waste fertile ground that could support olive groves, vineyards & wheat fields for burial of the dead. Burial grounds were rocky, barren, desolate stretches of land. Graves were carved into rocks and crags. The dead were placed where nothing else was able to live. Pictures of Middle Eastern cemeteries look much the same today. And if that is isn’t wilderness, I don’t know what is.

So on that 1st Sunday following the horrendousness that was the crucifixion, certainly “wilderness” must have been the state of their minds and their spirits! But where they expected to experience their deepest sorrow, instead, they encountered unprecedented grace! There was fear – but it began to be eclipsed by
unimaginable joy – because the one they loved whom they thought dead had been resurrected to declare God’s victory over death and the grave; Once more, they felt hope stirring in their hearts; they were empowered again for their journey. Then, as they stepped out in faith to obey the message they received, they met Jesus on the way. Thus encouraged, these women became the first evangelists –the first to spread the Good News that Jesus Christ had risen from the dead to bring life to the world. (Matt. 28: 1-10)

So, while we are currently in a Corona Virus wilderness – Jeremiah’s promise is also for us – we too can discover grace in this desert. Whether you are loving your neighbor by sheltering in place or working from home; if you are putting yourself at risk for the sake of essential services such as health care, or food services, or emergency first responders – I proclaim the same promise as Jeremiah declared so long ago: There is grace to be found where you are; God is present in your daily living; Moreover, we will once more regather in the sanctuary to join our voices in song, lift our hearts together in prayer & to share God’s peace in person.

In the meantime, we recognize we don’t know the long-range impact of the consequences of Covid-19. Certainly, the “new normal” will not replicate what was before. But by God’s grace, there can be some positive from these weeks of “exile in place” we have experienced together/apart. Perhaps the tragedy authored by the pandemic will inspire us to a deeper compassion for those who suffer; Perhaps we will begin to practice more intentional reaching out to include many who’ve been absent. Perhaps now that attention has been drawn to the massive deficits in our national emergency preparedness, there will be effective resolutions put in place to help us deal better with the next event. Perhaps we become more proactive at filling the gaps in food security & medical care for the marginalized. Perhaps, having been forced to refrain from activities that we have taken for granted, we will be led to rightly prioritize that which needs to be kept, & what we can discard; Perhaps we will learn to intentionally continue doing those things that have given us peace and consolation in the long waiting.

And perhaps, like those who first approached that tomb, we will find ourselves able to set aside our fear & trembling in order to joyfully express where we have encountered Jesus on the road; We can learn to share where we have “found grace in our wilderness.” For, whatever the circumstances we find ourselves in this day, the resurrection is proof that God has loved us with an everlasting love, made known to us in Christ Jesus. A love so powerful, that even death cannot win. Because regardless of where we are “at” today, we dare trust that Christ has Risen! He has risen indeed!. Amen

And perhaps, like
those who first approached that tomb, we will find ourselves able to set aside
our fear & trembling in order to joyfully express where we have encountered
Jesus on the road; We can learn to share where we have “found grace in our
wilderness.” For, whatever the circumstances we find ourselves in this day, the
resurrection is proof that God has loved us with an everlasting love, made
known to us in Christ Jesus. A love so powerful, that even death cannot win.
Because regardless of where we are “at” today, we dare trust that Christ has
Risen! He has risen indeed!. Amen

In the meantime,
we recognize we don’t know the long-range impact of the consequences of
Covid-19. Certainly, the “new normal” will not replicate what was before. But by
God’s grace, there can be some positive from these weeks of “exile in place” we
have experienced together/apart. Perhaps the tragedy authored by the pandemic
will inspire us to a deeper compassion for those who suffer; Perhaps we will
begin to practice more intentional reaching out to include many who’ve been
absent. Perhaps now that attention has been drawn to the massive deficits in
our national emergency preparedness, there will be effective resolutions put in
place to help us deal better with the next event. Perhaps we become more
proactive at filling the gaps in food security & medical care for the
marginalized. Perhaps, having been forced to refrain from activities that we
have taken for granted, we will be led to rightly prioritize that which needs
to be kept, & what we can discard; Perhaps we will learn to intentionally
continue doing those things that have given us peace and consolation in the
long waiting.

So, while we are
currently in a Corona Virus wilderness – Jeremiah’s promise is also for us – we
too can discover grace in this desert. Whether you are loving your neighbor by
sheltering in place or working from home; if you are putting yourself at risk
for the sake of essential services such as health care, or food services, or
emergency first responders – I proclaim the same promise as Jeremiah declared
so long ago: There is grace to be found where you are; God is present in your
daily living; Moreover, we will once more regather in the sanctuary to join our
voices in song, lift our hearts together in prayer & to share God’s peace
in person.

So on that 1st
Sunday following the horrendousness that was the crucifixion, certainly
“wilderness” must have been the state of their minds and their spirits! But
where they expected to experience their deepest sorrow, instead, they encountered
unprecedented grace! There was fear – but it began to be eclipsed by
unimaginable joy – because the one they loved whom they thought dead had been
resurrected to declare God’s victory over death and the grave; Once more, they
felt hope stirring in their hearts; they were empowered again for their journey.
Then, as they stepped out in faith to obey the message they received, they met
Jesus on the way. Thus encouraged, these women became the first evangelists –
the first to spread the Good News that Jesus Christ had risen from the dead to
bring life to the world. (Matt. 28: 1-10)

Now, I’m sure
these words of Jeremiah were far from the minds of the women who went to tend
to Jesus’ body.  No, I imagine that on
their way to their friend’s tomb, they felt that the desolation of the
graveyard matched the wilderness of grief in their hearts. Because an ancient
Palestinian cemetery looked nothing like the ones to which we are accustomed.
There were no manicured lawns, no carefully placed flowers & mementoes, no trees
overhead graciously providing shade in the desert climate. No one in that time
and place would waste fertile ground that could support olive groves, vineyards
& wheat fields for burial of the dead. Burial grounds were rocky, barren,
desolate stretches of land. Graves were carved into rocks and crags. The dead
were placed where nothing else was able to live. Pictures of Middle Eastern
cemeteries look much the same today. And if that is isn’t wilderness, I don’t
know what is.

·     And that they
would once more worship in the sanctuary with joy and merrymaking

·     That the
separation would come to an end

·     That God loved
them w/ an everlasting, enduring, forever love

·     That God had
never abandoned them, tho he seemed far away

·     that there was grace
to be found – even in the wilderness

In Jeramiah’s
time, the entire nation of Israel was enduring exile in a foreign land, far
from home, away from those they loved. They were far from the Temple where they
believed they were best able to experience God’s presence and power. God’s
people had begun to believe that they had been abandoned by God, that their
prayers were merely mist in the wind, and that any hope they once had of
returning to their homeland had evaporated completely! But the prophet Jeremiah
brought words of promise to them: (ch. 31: 1-6)

However,
although the media throws around words like “unprecedented” w/ regards to the worldwide
experience of this pandemic, it isn’t the 1st time the world has
endured similar trauma. I believe we felt some of this together immediately
following 9/11/2001; About 100 yrs ago, there was the Spanish flu epidemic that
took my own great grandfather’s life – as well as probably some of your own
relatives;  before that, the plagues that
ravaged Europe in the Middle Ages. And over the last couple of decades, so many
occurrences of our nation mourning repeated mass shootings like have happened
in Columbine, Orlando, Sandy Hook, and so many others! Not to mention
devastating tsunamis, or earthquakes, or windstorms. But afterwards, a “new
normal” seems to come about and life does go on – resembling perhaps what was
before, but never entirely the same.

But we’ve never
all experienced it all at the same time. The collective unknowingness, the
group grief; the all engulfing sense of powerlessness in the face of an
invisible, potentially deadly threat. The fear & the worry gripping the
nations is as contagious as the virus that has endangered people we care for.
Moreover, in one fell swoop, the medical crisis has ground an entire global
economy, if not to a screeching halt, to a molasses-like slowdown. Which of
course brings more anxiety & a deeper sense of the intangible being out of
our control. Not to mention the personal wildernesses I know many of you are
experiencing that have nothing to do with the virus, and yet are compounded by
it.

Of course, it
isn’t that some of us haven’t experienced sadness at a Resurrection Celebration
service before today. – My own father died shortly before Easter 10 yrs ago; I
remember that particular Sunday being both difficult and joyful.  Some years, perhaps due to an illness, or a
financial hardship, or a relationship in need of mending, you, too, have come  to the end of Lent feeling more like Good
Friday lingering than the joy of the empty tomb. We’ve each likely felt much as
those did who approached Jesus’ tomb in the early dawn that day so long
ago. 

Well this is one
of the weirdest Resurrection Sundays ever in a long time. Or saddest? Or most
anti-climactic? It is hard to put words to. It may feel like hope & joy are
suspended “until things get back to normal.” (Whatever that may be…). It seems
as if the calendar got it wrong somehow this year!

Suicide: The "Taboo" Topic

Pastor Mary’s Musings

Psalm 139: 13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14a I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made…”

 The Psalmist knew in the deepest reaches of his soul that in spite of his own character flaws and the troubles which surrounded him, he belonged to God, was beloved of God, and no matter what, was in the care of God’s tender mercies. This gave the writer courage to face the next obstacle, whatever it might be.

These ancient words can be encouragement for us when life overwhelms, when we feel alone and afraid, when there seems to be no end in sight to the current difficulties. But sometimes, when things are really hard, the line of hope that connects us to God and each other becomes so thin and frayed that it snaps completely. Tragically, this can lead an individual to make the decision to end their own life, leaving confusion, chaos and grief in the lives of those left behind. 

Death by suicide is not new to human kind. But new awareness of the devastating effects of unsuccessfully treated mental illness comes about when the headlines bring it to our attention. And when it touches our family and our community, it is important to address it head on so that healing has a chance.

So first off: Depression is a treatable illness. It is NOT a character flaw. It is NOT a sin! (Neither is any other mental illness, by the way!) Many have found that with patience, perseverance and the proper medical and mental health care, depression can be managed even lifted. So if you are feeling suicidal, please, reach out for help. Call 911, call the American Foundation for the Prevention of Suicide: 800-273-8255 or text 741741. You are not beyond help. There is hope. The promise in Psalm 139: 10   “even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.” No matter how dark or distant the journey seems, God is with you each step of the way! God loves you and wants you to be well.

Secondly: If you have lost a loved one to suicide: IT IS NOT YOUR FAULT! Ultimately people make their own decisions. Sometimes, they have purposely hidden their plans from their loved ones. Sometimes, for whatever reason, they refuse help that is offered. Sometimes, we didn’t “miss the signs.” The signs weren’t necessarily there to see.  There is help for you as well, in your grief. One organization with people who understand is Friends for Survival. 800-646-7322.  www.friendsforsurvival.org. There is also NAMI, National Alliance on Mental Illness. 800-950-6264. www.nami.org

That being said – few people throw the word “suicide” around in jest. If someone you know uses that word with reference to themselves, or even hints around at it, please take it seriously. You won’t put a new idea into someone’s mind if you ask, “Are you seriously contemplating suicide?” If they aren’t, it will put your mind at rest. If they are, you have let them know you care, and can point them towards helpful resources. If necessary, you can call 911 yourself. Remember, we can be loving and supportive, but most of us aren’t professional councilors (and even professionals don’t “treat” family and friends!). Our role in such times is not to “fix” others, but support and love them on their journey towards healing.

One other thing: We know that the mental health care system in our country and our state is broken. It isn’t funded properly or staffed adequately. There are gaps in insurance that can make health care unaffordable and unattainable. The only way to begin to fix this is to contact our legislators and let them know the needs. Vote. Become part of organizations that advocate for mental health. Don’t remain silent in the face of ignorance and apathy. Jesus said we are to care for “the least of these.” We can’t care if we choose to look the other way.

Suicide is a tragic and fatal symptom of a terrible illness that hasn’t been successfully treated. Suicide does not define a person’s life or character any more than does cancer or diabetes or heart disease. We are each defined by the love God has for us. We are defined by Jesus’ love and forgiveness. We are defined by the fact that we are part of God’s “very good” creation, and that we are fearfully and lovingly made. In Christ, let us help each other take courage in that promise, and live to his glory!   AMEN.

In his peace,

Pastor Mary

Summer musings

Pastor Mary’s Musings

I Corinthians 3: 7,9: “So neither the one who plants, nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. For we are God’s servants, working together; you are God’s field….” 

Of course, Paul wasn’t talking about real plants; he was talking about the congregation’s spiritual (and, yes, numeric) growth. But this time of year, as I look at my garden and see sprouts and vigorous plants in all my raised beds and pots, it is easy to see the similarities between church and agriculture. 

In a really productive garden, there is not simply one planting, then stop and wait.  The grower plants seeds and crops in season successively. Thus, when some plants are coming ripe, other seeds go in the ground. The harvest is extended, both how long fruits can be gathered, as well as the variety of food available. For example, in my own yard, while tomatoes are only blossoms, and beans are only sprouts, I have been enjoying peas, rhubarb, chard & kale for several weeks. I can’t enjoy all the fruit all at once, but there is the promise of moving from one as it wanes, to the next as it comes in season. But just because I planted the seeds, doesn’t mean I get full credit for the harvest. I did not send the rain, create the soil, or engineer the DNA that allows a shriveled seed to know, once buried in the ground and watered, whether it will be a sunflower or a zucchini or a bean or a carrot. I can only plant and trust God at work in the growth and harvest. Occasionally, some specific crops disappoint, the weather doesn’t co-operate, the bugs get more than their share – but I usually have enough of some portion of the crop that not only do I enjoy it, I have some to share.

            The church to which Paul was writing had been arguing over whose “Christianity” was most authentic, based on the particular person by whom they had been baptized.  Paul dismisses that premise for conflict, by basically reminding them that, church wasn’t /isn’t about them. It is about God.  It isn’t what we do that makes worship or congregation valid, but what God has done in and through worship (forgiveness of sins in the sacrament, promise of divine presence) that makes church holy.

            That being said, we are not exempt from participation in the process once the seeds are planted! Paul wasn’t suggesting folks sit around waiting for something to happen! Simply that while they (we) work, we trust God for the results, rather than trying to force them, or take credit for them ourselves.  Then, when the results begin to take place – we still have cause to rejoice!

            God is also growing fruits of the Spirit here and we get to share in them, then share those fruits with others. Whether it is Bible studies, worship and music, thefood bank, quilting, or "just plain fellowship," it is always exciting to wait expectantly for the harvest the Spirit will bring! All are welcome to share in this joy --  including you! 

            Your fellow gardener for Christ,

Pastor Mary

Thoughts on Holy Week and Easter

Luke 24:1-12    1 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in, they did not find the body. 4 While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. 5 The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen!

After this, Luke tells us that when the women told the rest of the disciples, those who had not been there considered their witness to be “an idle tale”.  For the past 200 years or so, many who hear the story of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection cannot believe it to be anything other than an idle tale. Yet, this is the message we proclaim! Not only do we proclaim it to be true – we insist that somehow this truth impacts our life, as well as all of creation.  A pretty bold statement, to be sure.  How do we make the connection between Jesus and the needs of a world 2000 years later? Why does this message make a difference?

These are questions the church attempts to answer all of the time, but during the season of Lent, followed by Holy Week (Passion /Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday), we try to tell the story most clearly. Through the readings, the sanctuary art, the hymns of the season help us reflect on these things:

1. That God’s creation was “very good” and that God had a special role for human kind within creation. This role included being in an intimate, loving and obedient relationship with our Creator.

2. Stubborn, willful, we decided we could do better on our own, so we wandered off from God, separating ourselves from him. That state of separation is what we in the church call “sin.” Because we live in that separation, our actions and our attitudes often (always?) fall short of God’s intent for us.  Guilt drives us even further from our Lord.

3. This doesn’t sit well with a God who loves us beyond our capacity to comprehend. Refusing to be separated from us, God took on flesh in Jesus Christ, became one of us, submitted to human sin – dying because of that sin -- in order to bridge the gap we ourselves made. We call this gap-bridging, “forgiveness of sins.”  This is the good news to which we bear witness, for our own sake, for each others’ sake and for the sake of the world.

   But why does this make a difference? A partial answer is this: that when we experience forgiveness on such a divine scale, we are freed from trying to hide our sin from God. All of the energy & effort we have spent covering up our failures, hiding from consequences, justifying our behavior to ourselves and others – is now available for other things! Good things! God pleasing things! Things like: care of creation; seeing to the well being of those who are hungry, homeless or hurting in anyway; proclaiming to others who haven’t heard of God’s forgiving heart, that it is there for them as well.  As we are empowered by the Holy Spirit, such things become our privilege, our joyful duty.

               Of course, we need to be reminded from time to time, when the cares of the world, even our joyful duties become too large a burden on our hearts. Thus, the gift of worship: God’s gift to us; our gift in response to God. A dance of Holy Joy. So come – come to worship as often as you can to experience the dance. Come to the feast – take the song from this place to those who still long to hear. And, I encourage you to experience the whole story:  Begin with the contemplative tones of Lent, followed by the powerful rumblings of thunder and rolling stones of Holy Week. All of this, so that the crescendo of Resurrection explode in our hearts with delight! Then, we’ll be able to declare with all of the hosts of heaven: Christ has risen! He has risen indeed!

    Pastor Mary

This Preacher and Politics

It certainly is no surprise that with November elections just around the corner, political debates rage hotly. Candidates, not content to debate the issues on their own merits, resort to character assassination and name calling. Social media is ablaze with pictures of angry politicians, and overly simplistic memes supporting various views. The whole political atmosphere has a tendency to make folks heart weary, cynical, anxious or apathetic – or some combination of those things.

 And while Christians aren’t “of” this world, we are certainly in it, and we are both affected by the politics of our times, and also called to affect them through living and voting informed by our faith. 

So, what do 21st century U.S. Christians do when it comes to social and cultural issues, that are also matters of faith  and living? How does a Lutheran preacher, who likely pastors congregants spanning the entire political spectrum, speak to such heavily weighted issues as: (no special order!)

·        Gun control

·        Immigration

·        Marriage equality

·        Divorce

·        Abortion

·        School bonds

·        Human rights

·        Climate change

·        Living wage proposals

·        Voter registration requirements

·        Public assistance programs

·        Potty privileges

·        Transportation issues/ bus, etc.

·        Prison reform

·        Mental health care

·        Defense budgets.

·        Violence in homes and streets.

·        Racism

·        Ageism

·        Sexism

·        Foreign Policy

·        Economic issues 

Like many of you, I have strong opinions on some of these issues. I find others quite complicated, and many of them are interlinked. The only way I know to link my faith with my political practice is to prayerfully, and as fully informed as possible,  both by world events and my understanding of scripture, exercise my right to vote.

 As far as ministry goes, I will never tell a congregation who or what to vote for from the pulpit. I will however, frequently point out that when biblical prophets spoke of “justice”  it was usually w/ regard to economic stability for the poor,  and proper treatment of widows, orphans & foreigners.

I don’t hesitate to note that Jesus pointed to God through his acts of healing, forgiveness and inclusion of the outcast. You will often hear me say that Christ showed us that relationships are more important than rules. And I will strongly encourage every voting eligible person to prayerfully consider the issues and exercise one’s right to help change the community and the world we live in for the better.

 Over time, some people have taken risky personal & public stands, because they perceived that their faith in God both called them to it, and gave them strength for it. Their willingness to be agents of change, has indeed tilted the world: Jackie Robinson, MLK Jr., Mother Teresa, Rosa Parks, etc.

What the Holy Spirit calls each of us to might not be as public, or as extravagant, but may still feel risky to us. It might look like politely refusing to ignore the racism of a beloved cousin’s not so funny joke. Or voting to tax ourselves in an already stretched economy, in order that our children and grandchildren and our neighbor’s kids have food security, a decent education, and adequate health care. Maybe it is welcoming the marginalized, who for whatever reason, had previously found church and church people to be hostile and unsafe to be around.  

Whatever it is, we remember human efforts matter, and that we are called in Christian freedom to be of service to our neighbor in order to bear witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is both our duty and our joy to do so.  

However, we must also remember it is not our efforts that will bring ultimate healing to the world.  Our efforts merely point to Jesus. It is Jesus himself who promises to make all things new!  And in fact, what he does is not turn the world upside down, but turns a wonky world upside right again!

 So my friends, exercise your rights: vote. And exercise your hearts: vote according to the love you know Jesus has for all. Then, whatever happens, trust God to be with us through it all!

Pastor Mary's Musings

Pastor Mary’s Musings

Luke 10:2  He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.

 It is that time of year again! God, in his abundant provision, has seen to it that the fruits of the fields and the orchards and our gardens are beginning to ripen. All at once, it seems!  And even though I myself planted rather haphazardly, nonetheless, I have found myself gathering in more tomatoes, squash and greens than I can eat while fresh. Additionally, I have been generously gifted with some excess from others’ fruit trees! So, not only must the food be harvested, it must be prepared and preserved so that it is available for the garden’s winter rest. So, in between laundry, family time, and on-going ministry, the canning pots have been bubbling, the dehydrator blowing, and the freezer freezing. We will be able to taste the Lord’s goodness all winter in my house, and still have some to share.

 Well, it is no different in the church! The Lord is causing great things to grow and come to fruit right here at United Lutheran Church, and it might be so much as to feel overwhelming. Being heaped on our spiritual table are even grander ministry opportunities AND ideas for how to fund them. These ministry and funding ideas go beyond the generous and sacrificial offerings of our own church family, and will be inviting many others in the community to participate in the harvest for the sake of the Gospel and the future of those we serve.

 I am so excited by all the potential we have for inviting others to “taste and see the goodness of God!” (Psalm 34:8)  Yet, we all know that what some experience as exciting, others experience with anxiety. This is understandable. But it isn’t helpful to dwell on the fear. While excitement and urgency can spawn creativity and action, anxiety and fear have the opposite effect. They can shut down useful action and paralyze us spiritually, intellectually and practically.  Sometimes, well-meaning comments inadvertently trigger fear. When this occurs, how do faithful Christians respond? A faithful response could come from of God’s own Word on the matter. We remember that part of the purpose of the fellowship of the believers is expressed in Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians (5:11): to “encourage one another and build up each other.”

            We can help do this by following Paul’s instructions to the Philippians: “Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”( 4:8) When we are caught up in what is true and pure and otherwise positive, we’ll be less likely to drown in a whirlpool of the negative. After all, as Paul reminds us in II Timothy, “God did not give us a Spirit of timidity, but of but rather a spirit of power and of love.”

 The true key, of course, is not that we are focusing on “The Power of Positive Thinking,” but rather, we focus on the Source of our power: Jesus, whose Spirit is our gift in baptism. When we keep our eye on JESUS, when we ignore all voices but the Voice of our Shepherd, we cannot lose our way! And we will be provided with all we need to do what he calls us to do! And for this, we rejoice and give thanks!

 In His Service,

Pastor Mary!