The Light of the Word Shines in the Darkness!

 Genesis 1; John 1:1-14, 3:16-17

The beginning of John’s Gospel is derived from the first verses of Scripture. Listen to these verses from The Inclusive Bible:

[From Genesis] In the Beginning God created the heavens and the earth. But the earth became chaos and emptiness, and darkness came over the face of the Deep — yet the Spirit of God was brooding over the surface of the waters.

[From John] In the beginning there was the Word; the Word was in God’s presence, and the Word was God.  The Word was present to God from the beginning. Through the Word all things came into being, and apart from the Word nothing came into being that has come into being.

[From Genesis] Then God said, “Light: Be!” and light was. God saw that light was good, and God separated light from darkness.

[From John] In the Word was life, and that life was humanity’s light — a Light that shines in the darkness, a Light that the darkness has never overtaken. 

… The author of John intends for us to make these connections between the Gospel and Genesis. It is clear from the first verse of John that Jesus is from God, of God, from the very beginning. It is also clear that Jesus shines divine light on the world’s darkness, driving it out, conquering it, overtaking it.

There is power in the Word of God. God/the Word speaks and stuff happens: there is light, and earth and sky, and animals, and people. God/the Word speaks and there is time broken into days and months and years.

The Good News for us, 2,000 years after the Incarnation of God into Jesus’ human body, is that the Word of God continues to speak. The Word continues to shed light into dark places, even, or especially, into those places where the Word is not welcome.

Today, we rejoice in the Good News that the Word is present for us. Listen to this verse from the Inclusive Bible. “And the Word became flesh and stayed for a little while among us; we saw the Word’s glory—the favor and position a parent gives an only child—filled with grace, filled with truth.”

In Jesus, God says to the world, “I have so loved you that I am sending my unique child to live among you so that all of you may become my children.” Those who listen, who recognize and welcome God in Christ, become God’s children not by any ordinary biological process, but solely by God’s gift of rebirth.

We are reborn daily, hourly at times, when we remember that we are children of the Word of God and God’s light shines within us and through us and all around us. Shine on, Beloveds, shine on! Amen

Midwives to the good news

 Luke 2:2-20

When we put together our nativity sets each year, who is in the scene? Mary, Joseph, manger (waiting for Jesus), angels, shepherds, animals, magi with gifts. Who is missing? The midwives!

It always puzzled me how this young couple who had never had children could know how to manage labor and delivery. At first, I figured they both knew enough about animals, so they would have been able to figure it out. Then, Mary spent three months with Elizabeth, and was probably around when John was born, maybe even assisted in the birth.

Later, I learned that the phrase “there was no room in the inn” more likely meant the upper guest quarters were occupied since there were so many family members in town. The stable area was quiet, and away from the guests. It could be cleaned for the purpose of childbirth.

And then, I realized that when Luke, a man, told the story, he would have left out the seemingly insignificant persons, namely the midwife or midwives. He was probably retelling the story as others told it, so we can’t really blame just Luke.

Midwives have been present at human births since long before recorded history, always in the background, but always essential. They appear significantly in the book of Exodus, directly confronting Pharaoh and refusing to kill all the boy babies.

In the Middle Ages, midwives were painted into the nativity scene, off to the side, in the background, but very definitely present. Later, men began to notice how much these women knew about herbs and medical care and became afraid of them. The witch trials in Europe and America arose in part from such fears.

… I have to admit that what I know about midwifery comes from the wonderful TV series, Call the Midwife. Typically, midwives care for the expectant mother from the earliest days of pregnancy, through the birth, and continue to care for the family once the child is born.

If we read the Lukan narrative carefully, we can see that Mary and Joseph had been in town for a while before her labor began. The text says in verse 6, “While they were there, the time came for her to deliver.”

It may have been a day, a week, or a month. There was time to put a plan into place for the birth. Since the town was full to bursting with census tourists, the family and midwife had to think through what would work. They would have had time to thoroughly clean the stable area of the house, to gather the cloths and other supplies. It was a first birth, so even the labor would have lasted several hours.

And what a story the midwives would have to tell! Can you imagine them gathered with other midwives and mothers in town!? They would have witnessed the shepherds who came to visit. They, too, would have been filled with wonder.

… Why does it matter that there were midwives at the birth of Jesus? It matters because Jesus comes to us all the time, in many ways. Sometimes, he is brought to us by Romans with swords and crosses. Sometimes, he is brought to us by a pregnant Mary.

Here is a poem by St John of the Cross. 

“If you want” 

St John of the Cross

If you want,

The Virgin will come walking down the road

pregnant with the holy,

and say,

“I need shelter for the night,

please take me inside your heart,

my time is so close.”

Then, under the roof of your soul

you will witness the sublime

intimacy, the divine, the Christ

taking birth

forever,

 

as she grasps your hand for help,

for each one of us is the midwife of God, each of us.

 

Yet there, under the dome of your being does creation

come into existence eternally,

through your womb, dear pilgrim—

the sacred womb in your soul,

 

as God grasps our arms for help;

for each of us is

His beloved servant

never far.

 

If you want, the Virgin will come walking

down the street pregnant

with Light and sing … 

 [St John of the Cross, “If You Want”, Daniel Ladinsky, Love Poems from God: Twelve Sacred Voices from the East and West, (New York: Penguin Group, 2002), 306-307]

 Sometimes we need a midwife or two to help us embrace Jesus. We accept him with our heads, but it’s much harder to let him into our hearts. That’s why the idea of God as human, incarnated from the beginning as a baby, is so genius. Most people find it hard to resist an infant, so soft and cuddly. It’s easy to love and be loved. It may be much easier at Christmas time to open our hearts and let God in than it is during Holy Week, when we are tempted to turn our eyes away from the horror of the cross!

Did you ever think of yourself as a midwife, bringing Jesus to others, helping to birth Jesus in other hearts? I intentionally choose “Go tell it on the mountain” as the sending hymn for Christmas Eve because we are not supposed to keep Jesus to ourselves. We are supposed to share him and his love with others. We are supposed to help others know Jesus by bringing him into their worlds just like midwives bring babies into our world. Amen

 

With my soul

 

1 Samuel 2:1-10; Isaiah 35:1-10; Luke 1:46b-55

Like most of you, I have many favorite pieces of music. The Holden Evening Prayer [Marty Haugen] version of Mary’s Song, otherwise known as the Magnificat, is one of those at the top. I am so glad we got to sing it today.

This lyric has Mary proclaiming God’s praise with her whole being. That’s what soul means – the whole being. With her whole being, Mary envisions the world – the kosmos – as it will become, now that Emmanuel is coming. She doesn’t say, one day this will happen – as some young girls dream that “One day, my prince will come.” Mary says, it is happening right now! Mary is so filled with excitement she can’t help but sing.

The whole world order is changing before her eyes. Wealthy people are now bankrupt. The prince some girls dream of is being toppled from his throne. There is plenty of everything for everyone. Poverty is gone. Hunger is no more. Power is shared, justice reigns for all people, and the poorest people are proud to be who they are. Most of all, God’s love is known and felt everywhere.

Now, I suspect that Mary didn’t make up the song in the moment. We can’t be sure it was even she that created it. Perhaps it was the author of Luke. The song Mary sings is based on several Hebrew Bible texts, including the Isaiah passage that is the First Reading for today. Her song is also similar to Hannah’s song.

Hannah was a woman who couldn’t have children, but she longed for one. She prayed with her whole being for a child. Finally, her prayers were answered with the birth of Samuel. When the boy was weaned – perhaps at age 5 -- she left the boy at the temple with Eli the priest, and envisioned similar reversals of the social order in her song.

Whether Mary wrote her song, or Luke did 70 years later doesn’t matter. Mary and Joseph were chosen by God to be the earthly parents of Jesus because they had a vison of the future that matched God’s vision. They were faithful people who were ready to challenge the status quo and raise a child with that same vision. Still, just imagine what Jesus’ childhood was like, if Mary sang this song to him every night at bedtime!

… I pass the time in the car between home and here listening to books. Right now, I am listening to The Good Left Undone, by Adriana Trigiani. Yesterday on the way home, the book gave a wonderful example of doing something with one’s whole being.

I was surprised to learn that the British people had rounded up foreign people and sent them to internment camps the way the US did with Japanese folks. Churchill ordered that all Germans, Italians, Fascists, and Nazis needed to be interred in camps to keep the larger population safe.

The Italians were hated and mistrusted in the same way that people from Central America and Mexico are mistrusted in the US today. So, it didn’t surprise the British Italians when warrants for their arrest started appearing. They decided to go peaceably, cooperatively, packing a suitcase for a few days away, until they could be evaluated as safe, and sent back home.

In one such family, Maria insisted that Frank take a whole loaf of bread. “You never know who will have forgotten to pack some, and you can share.” In the same group of Italian detainees was a priest. Their temporary home was a vacant factory, now home to 3,000 men.

Some men cleaned the floor, making room for this large number of people. A chef looked for the kitchen, which didn’t exist. Father Joe had been allowed to bring a set of communion ware, and decided that what the men needed was a mass. So, he began to lead the service. But he realized he had no wafers to offer them. The men were prepared to receive the blessing without the bread, a spiritual communion.

Frank opened his suitcase and took out the loaf of bread Maria had put in there. He passed it to the man in front of him, who passed it forward, and so on until the loaf reached the priest. The bread was consecrated, then shared. Frank was the last person to receive, and it was barely a crumb placed on his tongue. …

The story made me cry, it moved me so much. From the way they humbly packed and allowed themselves to be arrested, to Maria insisting on packing a whole loaf of bread, to the pastoral care offered by Father Joe in leading a mass, to Frank offering the bread for the mass, everyone showed the willingness to offer all they had to each other. They shared themselves, their souls, with each other.

… So, I wonder, when have you shared yourself with others? I know some of your stories, and I know some of you do this often. For others, it may be difficult to make yourselves so available. Or maybe you don’t see it as sharing your soul.

Let’s look at it this way. What excites you? Are you willing to share those things that you are passionate about? It doesn’t have to be God-things. It can be whatever turns your heart to beating so hard you want to share it.

For example, in four weeks, we have had three funerals or memorial services. The Hospitality Team has outdone themselves in offering what the families needed.

Yesterday, we heard about how Gene had a love of fishing so great he created custom rods and reels, and how he invited his son Ben to share his passion for cars.

Sharing your soul doesn’t need to be a “churchy” thing. It just needs to be your whole self that you share. Because, when we share ourselves, Jesus comes along for the ride.

This week, as we continue to wait for Jesus to come, as we shop and decorate and wrap and ship and cook and bake, remember that one reason we do all this is because Jesus shared his own soul with us. And Mary has taught us why it matters. Amen

Remember and Give Thanks

 

11 20 2022

Deuteronomy 26:1-11; Philippians 4:4-9; John 6:25-35

When I think of Thanksgiving, I remember 2 stories with my family. There are others, of course, but these two stand out as worth telling today.

First is the year Mom made a red Jell-O™ dish with fruit. You all know the one if you’re originally from up north. Somehow, it got shoved way to the back of the refrigerator, against a cooling coil. Yes, it was that long ago! The Jell-O froze. We had some fun teasing Mom that day, and asked for frozen Jell-O every year after that. Mom was NOT pleased.

The second story is from several years later. I was married with children and a nice home of my own. Mom was not feeling well, and asked me to cook the meal in her house instead of in my house. That way, she could stay home and rest. So, I did. As I cooked, I remember looking in all the drawers for a spatula of a particular size and sturdiness. As I pulled out drawer after drawer, Mom asked, What are you looking for? And my response was, My things.

As a family, we remember those days, and give thanks. I give thanks for my family, gathered around that particular table. I give thanks for the times we shared, and the love we shared, even though it didn’t always look like love.

… Today, we remember what has been called the first Thanksgiving in Plymouth Colony, even though there were others before the one we officially remember.

On September 8, 1565, Pedro Menéndez de Avilés and 800 Spanish settlers founded the city of St. Augustine in Spanish La Florida. As soon as they were ashore, the landing party celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving. Afterward, Menéndez laid out a meal to which he invited as guests the native Seloy tribe who occupied the site.

And … Contrary to popular belief, the first American Thanksgiving was in Virginia. On December 4, 1619, after ten weeks at sea, thirty-eight English settlers arrived at Berkeley Hundred, about 20 miles upstream from Jamestowne. On that day, Captain John Woodleaf held the first service of Thanksgiving as the newly-landed settlers fell to their knees to thank God for their safe arrival. This thanksgiving meal was held a year before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth, and before the fabled New England feast in 1621 or 1622.

As we remember the history of our country, we give thanks for those who dared travel here, who worked to establish communities here, and who gave their lives in those endeavors. We remember those indigenous folks whose lives were lost as a result of the European arrivals on their native lands, and we give thanks for them as well.

… Our scripture readings are also about remembering and giving thanks. The Exodus passage describes in a formal way how the Israelites should remember their exodus from Egypt and give thank offerings in remembrance.

Paul gushes his love for the Philippians in this letter to them. In the whole letter he urges them to be thankful for Jesus and for each other, and to rejoice in the Lord always and often.

The reading from the Gospel of John is Jesus’ reflection on the people’s response to a miraculous feeding. One day, Jesus fed thousands with bread and fish; now, they want that every day, the same way Moses gave manna to their ancestors. Jesus chides them to remember the manna was given by God.

Now, he offers them something even better than manna, or fish sandwiches—he offers himself to them. He offers life to them, and to the world. They respond by saying – Give us this gift daily! I have to suppose they don’t really understand what they are asking for, on that side of the cross. But we do, and we give thanks to God for the gift of life through Jesus.

… I posted a blurb in the newsletter and in last week’s announcements asking for your own stories of thanksgiving. Shari Obrien sent two stories of remembering and thanksgiving, from former Campus Ministry students who became pastors.

Chuck came from a very strict church background and was determined as a young student to give up on church. He was surprised to discover there were more generous ways to worship and to be involved in the worship service. He was grateful for the open doors which eventually led him into seminary and serving in parishes and as a military chaplain. Chuck credits the people of University Lutheran Church and the Campus Ministry folks for helping him find his way to where God called him to be.

Robb arrived on campus with no church background. As he was in the process of signing up for electives to fill his schedule, Robb discovered he had no choice but religion classes. His heart was being opened as he read Thomas Merton who reminded him that we are all members of the same body. He also met Lisa, a Lutheran student and peer minister, who invited him to join her at ULC Campus Ministry events. Later, he was ordained and currently serves a congregation in Georgia. He gives the credit to God, forever drawing him closer, to his wife Lisa, and to the peer ministry that changed his life.

Shari also shared her own story, giving thanks to the people of ULC who first drew her in and offered her family-like shelter away from her own family, and sent her off to serve in campus ministry for a lifetime of memories and thanksgiving.

And, as I read the obituary for Ron Gronwall, whose life was remembered yesterday, I noticed he was part of the Lutheran Student Center at University of California – Davis, and had met his wife Bev there.

… Today, as a congregation, we remember and give thanks for all this congregation has meant to us, whether we have been here forever, or for just a short time. We participate in the ministries of UELC with our own gifts: of hospitality, or financial management, or leadership, or caring for folks of all ages. Today, we ask you to share your plans for financial support of the congregation, with the use of a commitment card. This estimate of giving helps guide the future of the congregation financially, as we develop the 2023 budget, and make plans for calling a new pastor.

This week, as you enjoy a meal or three with family and friends, remember all that God has given you, put in your path. And give thanks. Amen

 

 

Remembering

 

Luke 6:20-31

It was early in my internship in northern Iowa, and my first funeral. I met with some of the family members and got quite a story. It was Mom who died, and her body was in Minnesota, where the daughter lived. Mom had been living there for some time, for some reason. The daughter wanted to have the service in Minnesota, but Dad said, No, he was the husband, and the funeral would be in Iowa. Eventually, Mom was brought to Iowa, and Dad and I planned the service details.

In the funeral sermon, I reminded these folks that Mom had died, and I hadn’t heard anyone remembering her. All I had heard was people arguing about who was in charge, who was wrong, who was at fault. I talked about how God loved this woman, and had welcomed her home. It was time to rejoice that she had gone to be with Jesus, no matter how they felt about each other. I’m not sure they heard me, since there was a fist fight in the parking lot after the service. But I remember her, if only because her family didn’t.  

Today we remember the loved ones who died. We call this All Saints Sunday, because all who believe are called saints in the Geek Testament. The Church has been recognizing deceased believers since the 4^th century. At first those remembered were the countless unnamed believers who were arrested, tried, and put to death because of their belief in Jesus as God – and for their refusal to worship the Roman gods.

Later, named believers were remembered on All Souls Day. In recent decades, the Church has combined the two days into one, called All Saints, and moved the observation to November 1 or the Sunday following. In the Lutheran Church, it always follows Reformation Sunday.

… The designated Bible readings remind us that we and the people we have loved are not perfect. Luke’s version of the Beatitudes is shorter than Matthew’s and includes an equivalent set of Woes. The Greek words are makarios and ouai.

Makarios is often translated as happy or blessed. The English word ‘blessed’ is familiar to us, and it has baggage. It gets abused. “How are you?” “I’m blessed.” Another possible word that fits the meaning of makarios is satisfied, in the sense of ‘content with what I have’.

In these beatitudes, Jesus is talking about people who are really poor, as in not having all that they need. People who are literally poor, hungry, and so forth know they need God to provide for them.

So it’s like this: Content are you who are poor, hungry, weeping, bullied, for you will be rich, full, in charge. It is surprising now, and it was surprising back when Jesus said it, because the poor folks were – and sometimes still are -- considered lacking in God’s favor.  

The Greek word ouai is usually translated as ‘woe’. It has the sense of ‘yikes!’ or ‘watch out!’ Jesus warns that it is easy to fall into the trap of having enough in life if we are wealthy or powerful. It is tempting to believe God had nothing to do with our wealth, that we have it because of our own hard work and nothing else.

So it’s like this: Watch out, you who are rich, full, laughing, praised, for you will be poor, hungry, bullied. This, too, was as surprising then as it is now, because you know how we idolize our celebrities.

… Have you ever had the feeling of being content, even if you didn’t have lots of money? Have you ever had to be reminded that what you have comes from God, and you should say ‘thank you’?

None of us is perfect. We all forget to give God credit. We all forget to be kind to others. Some days, living with someone else is a serious challenge. The ones we live with say the same thing about us.

But I find it intriguing that when someone we love dies, we tend to forget the things that got on our last nerve about them. We tend to remember only the good times we shared, and it is that which makes us miss them the most.

I wonder if that is how it is with God and us. God only sees the good things about us, and doesn’t remember any of the stuff which could get on God’s last nerve. So, when we die, it is easy for God to welcome us home. Jesus promised us grace, love, forgiveness, and those “things” make us feel welcome, and at home.

This is not to say that there is no accounting for our behavior. We have no way of knowing, on this side of death, what the other side of death’s door looks like, what judgment is like, how we spend our time, and so forth.

Except for this: I object to proof-texting – taking one verse to prove a whole theological point – but I like to do it for this one verse. In Luke 23, Jesus says to one of the men on a cross next to him, “Today, you will be with me in paradise.”

Today, we remember our loved ones, who have joined Jesus in paradise. Let’s be comforted by this assurance. Let’s remember to be kind, and remember God is the source of all that we have. Amen

Let’s start with a quiz

 Luke 19:1-10

I am going to start by reading part of the Luke text twice, from two different versions. Listen for the difference – there will be a quiz.

8 Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.” NRSV

8 Zacchaeus stopped and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my possessions to the poor. And if I have cheated anyone, I repay them four times as much.” CEB

What is the difference between the two texts? … yes, the tense of the verbs. I will give and I give; I will pay back and I repay them. Why is there this difference? Those who translate also interpret. In this case, the Greek verbs are present tense verbs, so many Bible translations are in the present tense.

In the case of the NRSV, which is what we most often use in the ELCA, the interpretation has been that Zacchaeus changed his behavior when he met Jesus. It gives it a perfect fit for Reformation Sunday.

So, how does Zacchaeus’ story fit Reformation Sunday if he already does what he should?  We’ll come back to him.

… On Reformation Sunday, we take a look at the ways in which the Church (capital C) in the 1400s and 1500s was focused on building beautiful churches through the collecting of indulgences. Indulgences were pieces of paper that guaranteed people could pay to get years off the time in purgatory for themselves or their dead loved ones. It was a form of paying for forgiveness.

Martin Luther began to study the Bible and discovered that forgiveness is free – no indulgences are needed to make your way to Jesus after you die. He realized that many of the practices of the Church were not scriptural and began writing and speaking publicly about these practices.

… This next part of the sermon is in response to those who were looking at the banner and wondering about how there could be three solas, when sola means one or only.

These solas were developed to specifically contradict various aspects of the religious practices of the day.

Sola Scriptura means that our faith is based on scripture alone, and not on the teachings and writings and traditions of others, like the popes.

Sola gratia means that we are saved by God’s grace alone, and not by anything we do or by the accumulation of actions of the saints who have gone before us.

Sola fide means we are justified (made right with God) by our faith only, and not by our good works. And our faith is the result of the activity of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

I often summarize God’s grace this way: There is nothing you can do to make God love you more; and there is nothing you can do to make God love you less. God may not be pleased with what you do, but the love of God is forever.

… So, Jesus, as a Jewish man of his time, may not have been pleased that Zacchaeus was a chief tax collector, but his dislike of Zacchaeus’ job didn’t stop Jesus from loving him and wanting to be with him.  

We don’t know how long Zach has been giving away his income and repaying those whom he defrauded. We don’t know if it’s a recent thing, maybe since he heard John the Baptist preach about repentance. Or if he has been living that way for years. Or if it really was a sudden decision after meeting Jesus while perched in a tree.

And we don’t know if Zach changed jobs after his dinner with Jesus and the disciples. We only know that he does exemplify how to live faithfully, even when we are stuck in a bad situation.

… I always like to end sermons with a “so-what?” What does this text have to do with me, and with you-all? One answer is that we all try to stop judging ourselves. If our goal is to be perfect in God’s eyes, please know that perfection is not God’s intent for us. Faithfulness is. Grace is. Love is.

Another answer is we need to stop looking for perfection in others. The folks of our day: the people sheltering under our eaves, the students walking past without seeing that this building is a church, the members who haven’t been in church for years, the folks who are angry with church but who still believe in God, the pastor who sings off-key with the mic on, they are all God’s beloved children, just as Zacchaeus was.

And third, Lutherans have a unique message worthy of sharing. We cling wholeheartedly to the ideas of the Reformation. Only God deserves the glory. We are saved by the cross of Christ. It is only through faith and God’s grace that we are made righteous in God’s eyes and heart. And we rely on Scriptures to tell us the truth about how much God loves us and forgives us.

Let’s be more excited about being followers of Jesus and Martin Luther, and share that excitement with those who don’t know Jesus as we do. That is the message of the Reformation we celebrate today.

Amen

 

Finger-pointing

 Jeremiah 14:7-10, 19-22; Luke 18:9-14

Jeremiah is worried. God’s people have wandered away from God; they have not been faithful; they have sinned. And Jeremiah is trying to trust in God; he remembers that God has never left them, and he pleads for God to not leave them.

As God’s people, we are broken. It seems impossible to be fully faithful, fully obedient to the commandments. Jesus highlights this brokenness with yet another parable. A Pharisee – who knows the commandments well and tries hard to follow them – is praying. He thanks God he is more faithful and obedient than the tax collector he notices nearby.

The tax collector the Pharisee has just mentioned is praying, too. He knows he is a sinner, a particularly awful sinner in the eyes of the Jewish people. Being a tax collector in Israel means forcing your own people to pay taxes to the Roman invaders. Imagine, for example, a Ukrainian being forced to collect taxes for Russia.

The Jewish tax collector has likely been forced to collect taxes because he has no other way to feed his family. He would rather do anything else, but he has no choice. Beyond any other personal failings, he understands that he is sinning against God and against his people.

The Pharisee points his finger at the tax collector, indicating the tax collector is beneath him, not only in society, but also in God’s eyes. We, too, point fingers. All the time!

We point fingers in political ads. We point fingers in commercials for competing products. We point fingers at people who are different from us, different skin color, different faith, different ethnicity, different ways of expressing their sexuality. Even at people who are younger or older than we are, and their different music and dance.

As I spent the week with this parable, I saw my own finger pointing at all sorts of things, most of it harmless. McDonald’s has better iced coffee than Wendy’s. It’s better to be a Lutheran than any other denomination of Christian.

And this: I was raised to believe I am Swedish, although the language wasn’t art of my heritage, or any of the customs. I attended Augustana College in Rock Island, Ill, where I learned that Augustana in Sioux Falls was founded after a disagreement between the Swedes and Norwegians, and I was proud to be a Swede.

I submitted a DNA sample to Ancestry.com a few years ago, and it confirmed that I had Scandinavian heritage, with a sprinkling of other regions. They recently updated the data, and I learned that I am significantly more Norwegian than Swedish. Say what? Now, I can’t point fingers at Norwegians, because I am one of them!

Most of the time, however, our finger-pointing comes with a more negative intent. Our brokenness causes us to see differences between ourselves and others, especially those differences that make us feel better, more important, more perfect than those at the end of our pointed fingers. Our brokenness causes separation among us. Sometimes, these separations cause pain for those at whom we point, and within ourselves.

So, what should we do now? Confession is good for the soul. And confession leads us to realize how much we need God’s forgiveness and compassion, as Jeremiah assures us.

And there’s something else we can do. At the Conference on Ministry last week, Pastor Katie Carroll shared what it is like to be companions with others. So often, too often, the historical pattern has been that people from wealthy countries have explored and then invaded and taken over a place where indigenous people have lived for centuries. Where they haven’t killed or dislocated the original inhabitants, they have insisted that the local people become like the invaders.

That is invasion, domination. A different model is companionship, in which we become partners with the local people, learning from them, and recognizing them as equal to us. The best way to do that is to remember to see Jesus in them, and to be Jesus for them.

This week, I encourage you to pay attention to how often you point a finger at someone or something. Confess it, ask for forgiveness, and know that you have been forgiven. That’s what God’s grace is.

Amen

Wrestling

 Genesis 32:22-31; Luke 18:1-8

It was a tough decision. Do we focus on prayer and persistence in the search for justice in Luke? Or do we focus on this delicious story in Genesis!? Well, I guess it was a no-brainer after all.

Let’s start with some background, in case you are not familiar with Jacob’s story. He was the younger twin of Esau. The brothers were opposites in many ways – Jacob was a homebody, and Esau was an outdoorsman. Jacob tricked Esau out of his birthright as the older brother – the right to the greater inheritance – and he tricked their father Isaac into giving him the best blessing.

Realizing he was in trouble with Esau, Jacob fled. He met and married two women – also sisters – and their slave women. At the time of our story, Jacob has decided it’s time to go home. He doesn’t know how Esau will receive him, so he sends gifts for Esau, and his entire household – all the women, children, and servants - to Esau’s side of the River Jabbok.

This leaves Jacob alone for the night, where he wrestles with his demons – his guilt from all his trickery. Jacob experiences a physical manifestation of his thoughts and fears and hopes. The wrestling goes on through the night. I wonder whether Jacob finally called “Uncle” at dawn and agreed to stop his wrestling, if the wrestler would only reveal his name.

In the morning, Jacob realizes that he was wrestling with a manifestation of the divine. We don’t know anything about the being who was the wrestler, but an angel is often suggested since angels are messengers sent by God.

Jacob is changed by this encounter. First, he has an injured hip, which is with him for the rest for his life. The wrestler gives Jacob a new name – Israel. The name is important, significant. It means “wrestles with God”. Forever after, Jacob bears the two names, Israel and Jacob, with Israel becoming the name of the people, the family, the tribe.

And forever after, the people Israel constantly wrestle with God. They are loyal and obedient for a time, then they get lost and disconnected, and God uses prophets to call them to return to the covenant relationship once again.

Jacob/Israel spends the entire night in this wrestling match. He is alone, except for this unidentified wrestler. When we need to make decisions, we often consult others, asking for their suggestions and opinions. But, when it is time to make decisions, it’s all on us.

I think most of us have had a night of wrestling, where the memories and fears and doubts fill our minds and hearts. This time of dread and worry can lead us to making decisions, or it can leave us wrapped in more dread and worry.

It’s important to spend silent time with God so we can hear the divine voice when we need to hear it, and even when we don’t want to hear it. For some of us, silence is easy. It’s comfortable, and it leads us to a fuller relationship with God. But others are more comfortable with activity, and sitting in silence is awkward, frustrating.

I admit I am not always good with an extended period of silence, but I have learned some ways to make it more of a good thing. When we are able to silence our busyness, when we can find stillness, we do less wrestling and more discerning.

So, here is one practice I have found helpful. It is a breath prayer. Breath prayers involve repeating a short prayer or Bible verse as we breathe in and out. The first half is said on breathing in, and the second on breathing out. It’s important to breathe slowly, intentionally.

The advantage to a breath prayer is that it occupies our minds, filling it with words so other thoughts have a harder time getting in.

Psalm 46:10 is a good verse to use for a breath prayer. “Be still and know that I am God.” Let’s try it – as you take a slow breath in, think, “Be still and know”. As you breathe out, think, “that I am God.” Practice for a minute or two.

After a while, the breath prayer fades into the background and it is possible to let God’s presence, God’s voice come in more clearly, and our time of wrestling may be over.

Another way to use this verse is to repeat the verse, but each time, drop off the last word or words. Breathe between each repetition.

Be still and know that I am God.

Be still and know that I am.

Be still and know.

Be still.

Be.

In the end of Jacob’s wrestling, he knew it was time to cross the river and face his brother. He was astonished by the warm welcome he received from Esau, who wrapped him is a huge hug and welcomed Jacob and his entire household.

We all face times of wrestling with a decision, and we all find our fears and worries and demons interfering with our peace of mind. We can be helped by spending time in silence. A breath prayer may help with discerning the right path forward. A breath prayer may help us be, in God’s presence.

Amen

The real heroes

 

David Letterman used to do top 10 lists on his version of the Late Show. Here is a list of the top ten Superheroes. This is one list; other lists show some variations, but mostly agree on who is on the list. 

 

10- Thor

9- Flash

8- Black Panther

7- Green Lantern

6- Wolverine

5- Captain America

4- Wonder Woman

3- Spiderman

2- Superman … and, drum roll, please ….

1- Batman

 

What does it take to be a superhero? According to a website called Studiobinder, they all have different special abilities, some sort of super-human power, but they have some things in common. They act on a strict moral code; they are always characterized as “good” and rarely stray from that path; and they need to be sympathetic, or the readers and viewers can’t identify with them. (https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-a-superhero-definition/)

In our Bible readings today, we have a couple heroes. We have Elisha, one of the prophetic superheroes; and we have Commander Naaman, a successful military leader.  Then we have Jesus, our favorite divine superhero, interacting with a group of sick people.

… First, a little bit about leprosy in the Bible. Leprosy is a generic term for many skin diseases. Priests were taught to diagnose them and prescribe remedies.

But if the diseases were contagious, the persons with the problem were isolated until the problem was cleared up. They were isolated to protect the rest of the community. We know about isolation for a contagious disease, don’t we!

… Let’s look at the story of Commander Naaman, who has leprosy. His skin disease is not a type that has him isolated from the community. I imagine it may be eczema or psoriasis, or something similar. It is serious enough that everyone notices it. The whole family was aware of it, and of course all the servants – some of whom were slaves captured from defeated nations.

The slave girl serving Naaman’s wife, sighed and said, “If only Naaman would go to see Elisha the prophet. I am sure he could be cured.” The wife passed the hint on to Naaman, and a letter was sent to Israel’s king, eventually putting Naaman in touch with Elisha. When Naaman and his staff arrive at Elisha’s house, however, they are not treated like they are important. Elisha doesn’t appear himself, but sends a messenger to say, “Wash seven times in the Jordan river and you will be clean.”

Naaman objects. “That dirty, dinky river!? Hah! Why, I could have washed in my own rivers which are much better.” But his servants objected. “You were prepared to do something quite difficult. Why not give washing in the Jordan a try? What can it hurt?”

Naaman did just that, and he was cleansed of his leprosy. He said to Elisha, who came out to see him this time, “Now I know there is no God in all the earth except in Israel.”

… In the Gospel reading, Jesus encounters a group of people near a village in the region between Galilee and Samaria. Jews and Samaritans disrespected each other for several religious and political beliefs. In this area, they must have lived together and tolerated each other. But the Jews and the Samaritans both labeled the others as outsiders.

The text says the people with a skin disease kept their distance from him, so it must have been a contagious variety. They called to Jesus, “Have mercy on us and heal us.” In response, Jesus told them to go show themselves to the priests to have their healing officially verified.

As they headed off to find the nearest priest, they realized they had already been healed. One of them turned back. He lay on the ground and thanked God for the healing. It turns out he was a Samaritan. Jesus commented that the others did not bother to stop to give thanks, but this one foreigner, this outsider, did.

… As we think about these two stories, who are the superheroes? They are the outsiders, the nobodies. It was Naaman’s wife’s slave girl who talked about Elisha. It was his servants who urged him to give the Jordan a try. It was the Samaritan who turned around to give thanks.

These folks have no super-human powers, but they have compassion for others. They overlook political differences to help those who are suffering. And they aren’t afraid to speak up, even to those with great power over them.

… We often refer to those who protect and serve as heroes. Seara Burton was a police officer in Richmond, Indiana. She had been with the police force for 4 years, and was days away from getting married when she was shot in the line of duty. After a month on life support, she died.

One day soon after her death, a man who appeared to be homeless walked into the station where Seara had served. He handed an envelope to the Information Clerk at the front desk. The envelope contained 8 crumpled one dollar bills, and a note that said, “People from the street.”

The man had collected the money because of who Officer Burton was. The people who lived on the street knew her as kind and fair. She often checked on the homeless people, to see if they were ok. The man said it was the least they could do in her honor. The people who gave that money may not have known where their next meal would come from, but they needed to make the donation. They were heroes, too.

… I hope you all have someone you can identify as a superhero. Who do you know who is passionate about caring for people who suffer, who isn’t afraid to speak up, who isn’t bothered by being an outsider or different?

I can think about several folks at ULC who go above and beyond normal efforts to make sure ULC ministries happen. We can at least label them as heroes, if not superheroes.

Who else can you think of? What makes them a superhero to you?

Superheroes and regular heroes do what God guides and empowers them to do. When we offer to reach an item on the grocery store top shelf, beyond the reach of a person in a wheelchair, we are a hero. When we offer a drink of cold water to a hot and thirsty person, we are a hero, perhaps even a superhero. When we tell someone about how Jesus makes a difference in our life, I call us super-superheroes.

God doesn’t need us to be superheroes to love us. But those we assist, those to whom we show compassion, those for whom we speak out – to them we are superheroes and it makes a difference to them.

Amen

 

More faith?

 Habakkuk 1:1-4, 2:1-4; Luke 17:5-10

In the Gospel reading, the disciples say they want more faith, as if faith is quantifiable, as if they will be able to do more if they have more faith. Jesus replies that even a little faith can work wonders.

The context in Luke for this request is intriguing. Many parts of the Gospels seem to be collections of stories, put together to suit the author’s purpose. So, this could be a separate story, or a portion of a larger story. That’s what the lectionary does for us, or to us.

Immediately before this story of the disciples asking for more faith is a story about Jesus telling them they must forgive, even if someone sins against them repeatedly, and repeatedly promises to not sin again. We all have trouble forgiving, and it’s harder to do so when the injury is repeated. No wonder the disciples ask for more faith, if the request is related to the command to forgive a repeat offender!

If, on the other hand, the story of the disciples asking for more faith is a separate story, then we have to wonder how much faith is enough. Certainly -- we think -- Jesus is exaggerating, speaking in hyperbole. There are no stories in scripture of Jesus moving mountains or replanting trees. However, there are lots of stories of there being more than enough food, and healing for countless people.

I’m led to wonder what we would do if we had more faith. Then, I wonder what we could we do if we had more faith. Now, it’s just a matter of dreaming big enough for Jesus.

What would the congregation be like if we had twice or three times as many non-student members? … What could it look like?

What would Campus Ministry look like if we doubled or tripled membership? … What could it look like?

Do we have the faith to set goals and work towards making them happen? What goals could we set? This is a time of transition, a perfectly good time to set new goals.

Here is one: with the disastrous effect of Hurricane Ian, we will be invited to assist in recovery efforts within the Synod. Details are not yet known, but I am sure church buildings are gone or at least uninhabitable. How will we respond? Do we have the faith to set a high dollar goal, to make a significant difference to those who are suffering just south of us? What can we do to meet the goal we set?

… Jesus gives this odd story next. Slaves – or let’s say workers – are supposed to do their job, not sit down with their boss at a fancy dinner. Our job as believers in Jesus is to have faith, faith that God will help make happen whatever gives healing and justice to God’s people.

We can be sure God is present with those who have lost – whatever they have lost. We can be sure God is present with us, too.

Let’s do as Habakkuk says, and post a watcher to look for God, so we don’t miss out on opportunities to see God at work among us and in our community, in our synod. If we look for God, we will discover we have plenty faith to do whatever we decide God is calling us to do.

In other words, Jesus says to the disciples and to us, we have enough faith to do whatever needs to be done. Just do it! 

Amen

Send someone!

 Luke 16:19-31

 Luke gives us another story about wealthy people and the way they treat poor folks.  I know, and Jesus knew, that not all wealthy people are like this. But this one makes it crystal clear to Jesus’ audience that it’s wrong to think only of your own comfort and ignore the needs of other people. It’s even more wrong to ignore their presence.

It appears that Jesus is speaking to the disciples in a public space, where the Pharisees and others can overhear what he is saying. Pharisees believed in the resurrection, so this story of the rich man wanting to be in Abraham’s arms after death could be one way they thought of what happened after death.

Or, it could just be a story. There is no way of knowing if life after death looks like what Jesus describes here, with a chasm and unquenchable fire; or resting in the arms of loved ones.

The point of the story is that we should all see the folks around us. We should recognize them as equal to us in God’s eyes. And we should live generously, sharing what we have with those who have less. And, mostly we do live this way.

However, I have had a couple conversations with members about the young man hanging out on our bench outside the last couple weeks. We wonder together if we should offer food, or does that encourage him to stay? Does it prevent him from getting a job and taking care of himself? I wonder, can’t we do both, feed him and encourage him to move on?

But Jesus’ story goes beyond the reminder to take care of the needy. It’s the last paragraph that catches my attention. “Send someone to tell my siblings that they need to shape up and pay attention, so they don’t end up where I am.” Jesus’ response is not encouraging. “Even if someone comes back from the dead, they will not believe.”

We know that Jesus did come back from the dead. And it’s true. People struggle and even refuse to believe. They don’t want to hear about Jesus, or even talk about any religion. They have all they have because of their own hard work, not because of the blessings of a loving God. Basically, they are saying, “Even though someone has come back from the dead, they will not believe.”

… Phyllis Tickle’s last book was The Great Emergence. She explains that every 500 years or so, the Church (capital C church) has a rummage sale. In the process of cleaning house, traditional church practices are examined to see if they are meaningful, and some are discarded. New practices are begun.

Think about what happened 500 years ago. Martin Luther and others rocked the Christian world by recommending changes be made. Luther told us we are both sinners and forgiven children of God. Priests could marry. Worship was held in the local language instead of Latin. Parishioners should have both bread and wine for communion. People were told they didn’t need to pay for forgiveness, or for time out of purgatory.

Those of us who remember church in the 1950s and 60s know church today is not the same as it was. In many places, there are fewer children in Sunday school, because their parents don’t bring them. There are fewer adults because they have other things to do.  

For the last 50 or so years, church as we know it has been changing. We are in a season of the Church rummage sale. Pastors and leaders have tried practices other than Sunday morning worship to reach people with the good news of Jesus’ resurrection. Pastors have tried home churches and megachurches, Saturday evening worship and pre-recorded on-line services.

This past Easter Sunday, Mike and I attended worship with our son and his family in a large congregation.  There were no lilies or hyacinths. The worshipers stood during the songs, but didn’t sing along with the worship band. There were few references to the fact that Jesus had risen from the dead, even in the scripture readings. The sermon was all about the pastor’s new discipleship project.

… In Romans 10, Paul says “All who call on the Lord’s name will be saved. So how can they call on someone they don’t have faith in? And how can they have faith in someone they haven’t heard of? And how can they hear without a preacher? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who announce the good news’.”

If we are to be the preachers who announce the good news, we need to conquer our fear of talking about Jesus with others. Sometimes it starts within the family. … I was 14 and my brother Dave was 12. We had the same godparents, Auntie Vi and Uncle Bob. We did not attend church, other than Easter every 2 or 3 years.

Vi and Bob approached our parents and claimed their responsibility as baptismal sponsors. They said, “Shouldn’t Lynn and Dave be in confirmation class by now?” It seemed only a week later that Dave and I found ourselves in church and confirmation class. Without Bob and Vi, I would have been another believer in Jesus who knew nothing about him.

… Sometimes, if we are paying attention, the opportunity to speak about Jesus presents itself. We had the cable guy – actually the internet guy – (let’s call him Bill) at the house to check something. He asked how I used the computer and internet. I explained that I am a pastor, and use the laptop for writing sermons, participating in Zoom, and so forth.

Bill said he and his family don’t often go to church, and he described some of their bad experiences when they have tried different churches. I suggested that Lutheran churches are different, especially ELCA churches. I explained that Lutherans believe we are sinners and forgiven, and we don’t have lots of rules. In most ELCA churches, all are welcome. Then I told him about the 3 ELCA congregations in the county and suggested he check them out.

Bill himself had opened the door to the conversation, and I was happy to walk right through it. He was actually seeking a place to worship God, a place where he and his family could fit. And, he didn’t realize it but he was responding to God calling out to him, to connect, to know he is loved. Through Bill, God was also calling to his family.

… We are called to be those who announce the good news. We are called to go to our siblings and tell them that Jesus has risen from the dead. We are sent to say the tomb is empty, and that has made all the difference.

Amen