Pouring Justice

I've been drinking coffee for 10 years or more. Every Year I give it up for LENT. But I may not give it up in 2007. Not because I crave a caffeine fix more than I used to, but because I need to buy coffee to make a difference in a village in Nicaragua or Tanzania.
Do you drink coffee or tea? Do you drink folgers or maxwell house or starbucks? Do you know that for a dollar or two more you can actually bring justice to a global neighbor?
Thanks to Lutheran World relief and their partnership with Equal Exchange, a non-profit coop that supports growers in developing countries like Nicaragua, we can buy coffee at a fair price and know that the growers of that coffee are receiving a more just payment for their labor. You must buy the coffee in bulk cases (6-12 ounce bags per case, apprx. $31.00 per case).
For the Holiday Season, I have the coffee and tea available for sale at ZION. We have a mixed assortment of coffees and teas from around the world. The coffee will go for $6.00 a bag and the tea for $4.00 a box. I can also take additional orders for gifts, etc... And I can show yo how to purchase the coffee on line.
if you go to www.lwr.org and follow the link to buy coffee on line you will be taken to Equal Exchange's site for sales.
I only drink fairly traded coffee anymore. It makes sense and it's simple. And the Hazelnut blend from Central America is delicious!

I want to be ready

I want to be someone who is ready to share my hope. Not only on Sunday morning from the pulpit. Not only in bible studies or in meetings. But everyday. In small and subtle ways with people I meet. I want to be ready to encounter strangers in such a way that the conversation will lead to Jesus. I don’t mean that I want to be comfortable asking passers-by if they believe in Jesus. I don’t mean to become a “bible beater” in the pejorative sense. I mean I went to embody the Spirit of Jesus in my daily encounters with others. So that in regular old conversation we might invite God to address us somehow. That we might experience Jesus.
I met her at the wash and lube. We were waiting for oil changes and tire rotations. She read a “Star Wars” novel. I noticed that everyone in the room was reading something; a newspaper, Popular Mechanics, an employee manual. The news was on the television, and as usual, it was all bad. So I commented in the awkward silence of a small room with four strangers waiting, “Good news again today.” That’s all it took. In the course of the next 7 minutes she and I talked about politics, war, religion, work, school. Not car washes. Heavier things. Things that sort of matter. She lives in Lititz, went to Warwick. She works for a local manufacturer exclusively doing government contracts, military safety equipment. She was 22 but had worked there for 3 years. “It’s a job,” she said. She’s Episcopalian, a member of St. James in Lititz. “But I’m 22. I like to sleep in on Sundays and haven’t been in a long time. I should go.” When she asked what I do I told her. She said, “So you must have some religious views and feelings about the war.”
Its then that the cashier’s window opened and called me up to pay. I hesitated. I felt like a moment was passing that I could not somehow control, get back, rewind. I needed a DVR or a TiVo so that I could simply pause the live action, reverse it, and start again--only more prepared to respond. You know, I guess what made people follow Jesus was that he was actively responsive. He seemed to know what to do immediately. He was able to address every encounter with meaning and hope. Or to address the enemy with passion and justice.
What did I do? I walked away. She was 22 and we were talking about religion, politics, war, work, life. And I walked away.
Advent is the season of hope, of anticipation, of preparation for the coming of the one who brings light and life and hope and peace to all. And although I was alert to the holy moment and its possibilities, I was unprepared to respond. I might have said, “Don’t go to church because you should. Go because you love it or you need to hear God or you want to give back and say thanks.” Or I could have said, “As a follower of Jesus I guess I’m against the war. The whole love your enemies thing, you know? What about you?” 7 minutes at the wash and lube could have meant so much more than a safer trip to NY. God wanted to change more than oil. As Christmas approaches, people are more receptive to sacred things. Next time I’ll be prepared. Maybe I’ll get my tires rotated too. With love

Hope in the dark

Hope in the Dark
Advent Night Worship
Mystically Candlelit, contemplative intimacy
December 3, 10, 17 6:04 pm
Gen Xers Seeking to Follow Jesus
Zion Lutheran Church, 435 Main St. , Akron

Advent ready

I want to be someone who is ready to share my hope. Not only on Sunday morning from the pulpit. Not only in bible studies or in meetings. But everyday. In small and subtle ways with people I meet. I want to be ready to encounter strangers in such a way that the conversation will lead to Jesus. I don’t mean that I want to be comfortable asking passers-by if they believe in Jesus. I don’t mean to become a “bible beater” in the pejorative sense. I mean I went to embody the Spirit of Jesus in my daily encounters with others. So that in regular old conversation we might invite God to address us somehow. That we might experience Jesus.
I met her at the wash and lube. We were waiting for oil changes and tire rotations. She read a “Star Wars” novel. I noticed that everyone in the room was reading something; a newspaper, Popular Mechanics, an employee manual. The news was on the television, and as usual, it was all bad. So I commented in the awkward silence of a small room with four strangers waiting, “Good news again today.” That’s all it took. In the course of the next 7 minutes she and I talked about politics, war, religion, work, school. Not car washes. Heavier things. Things that sort of matter. She lives in Lititz, went to Warwick. She works for a local manufacturer exclusively doing government contracts, military safety equipment. She was 22 but had worked there for 3 years. “It’s a job,” she said. She’s Episcopalian, a member of St. James in Lititz. “But I’m 22. I like to sleep in on Sundays and haven’t been in a long time. I should go.” When she asked what I do I told her. She said, “So you must have some religious views and feelings about the war.”
Its then that the cashier’s window opened and called me up to pay. I hesitated. I felt like a moment was passing that I could not somehow control, get back, rewind. I needed a DVR or a TiVo so that I could simply pause the live action, reverse it, and start again--only more prepared to respond. You know, I guess what made people follow Jesus was that he was actively responsive. He seemed to know what to do immediately. He was able to address every encounter with meaning and hope. Or to address the enemy with passion and justice.
What did I do? I walked away. She was 22 and we were talking about religion, politics, war, work, life. And I walked away.
Advent is the season of hope, of anticipation, of preparation for the coming of the one who brings light and life and hope and peace to all. And although I was alert to the holy moment and its possibilities, I was unprepared to respond. I might have said, “Don’t go to church because you should. Go because you love it or you need to hear God or you want to give back and say thanks.” Or I could have said, “As a follower of Jesus I guess I’m against the war. The whole love your enemies thing, you know? What about you?” 7 minutes at the wash and lube could have meant so much more than a safer trip to NY. God wanted to change more than oil. As Christmas approaches, people are more receptive to sacred things. Next time I’ll be prepared. Maybe I’ll get my tires rotated too.

Its time

Its time to start a new way. I'm uncertain how to start, but I have to do it. Its been so long that I've been stuck. I don't know anybody. How will I meet them, my peers? I feel like I'm going to kindergarten for the first time. Who should I speak to first? If you are reading this and you are one of my peers and you are wondering how to be faithful to Jesus without being trapped in something called 'church' that hardly resembles the kingdom of God Jesus had in mind, pleae respond to me. I want to invite you to a conversation about things that matter, which may lead to some new thoughts, feelings, or passions. It may lead to a new understanding of God, yourself, your neighbor, the world, your small and important part in making it better. If it doesn't lead there, then its not worth doing.
In two weeks, we begin a season called Advent, which precedes Christmas. It is a four-week time of preparation for the end of the world as we know it. Four-weeks may not seem like much given that trajectory, but it is what we have. I would like to get together during that time. How about Sunday nights at 6:04?

Dear Church and other issues

I've been at a conference with a couple of peers for three days. I picked up a pile of new books and three of the dvds from the nooma series--a series of short films that deal with faith in Jesus. I'm reading a collection of books right now that I would like to call writings for the new reformation. The church must be reformed in postmodernity by faithful followers of Jesus who are tired of the church as it is; and tired of the culture as it is. Diagnosticians have been examining the body of the church for decades to determine where exactly the heart beat is and is not audible anymore. What is clear is that liberal mainline churches' vital signs had weakened. Many of those churches are on life support, barely breathing, hoping against hope to survive a little longer. But its terminal.
The evangelical megachurches appear vital and alive, but they have the same disease that eventaully weakened the mainliners. That disease is called 3P: POWER, privilege, prestige. When churches drink from that cup, the end is only a matter of time. Mostly because this disease first effects the hearing. And once the hearing goes, the church cannot receive the Word of God. Once that happens, the vision is next---the church loses sight of its teacher, its Lord, and the direction he travels. People begin to follow the bright lights, the flashy noise, the guy with the best smile, who can put a positive spin on anything. We fall back on our default mode of existence-ignorance, entertainment, and comfort. Things like service, mission, the cross, suffering, are forgotten. What we're fed is the poision of self-justification---we have what we have because we are special, blessed people of God. Forget the poor, the oppressed, the last, lost, and least. And reject those who reject you, too.
Soon, the church is so curved inward in attempts to keep the messiness of life out, that there is no air left.
So, the megachurch is really just the new mainline. 50 years ago mainline protestants were at the top of the religious food chain. Now, we are not. And the evangelical fundamentalists are. Funny how we are duped into thinking that the one with the most toys wins. The one with the most power, prestige, and privilege is the best. How wrong we are!
So, here I am. And I am not concerned about church attendance or membership. I am concerned about following Jesus and helping others to do so. The good news is that a big dose of humility can often heal the disease of 3ps. Since we've had that dose, I suspect that means we're on the road to healing as a body. But we have to be ready to reject the 3ps and listen for the voice of GOd. Being ready is called faith. I know we have that. Its a gift, not unlike humility. When you need it something happens to give it to you. In our case, loss, weakness, diminshment, fear, rejection, and the like have been the recipe for humility. We have been humbled so that we can arise, emerge, evolve.
I am hopeful in this moment. And right now I am ready to lead the mainline revolution. Taking the lessons of history, good and bad, into the present day we are able to see a clearer future.
Why don't we just ask ourselves these questions: Are we willing to experience humility and loss as a gift? Are we willing to die in order to live? Are we willing to seek the truth, when it hurts? Are we willing to follow where He is leading us, especially when we know it will NOT include the 3Ps that we love so much. (As much as one can love a disease of the heart).

ALL Saints

"On All Saints Day its not just the saints of the church that we should remember in our prayers, but all of the foolish ones and wise ones, the shy ones and overbearing ones, the broken ones and whole ones, the despots and tosspots and crackpots of our lives who, one way or another, have been our particular fathers and mothers and saints, and whom we loved without knowing we loved them and by whom we were helped to whatever little we may have, or ever hoped to have, of some kind of seedy sainthood of our own." F. Buechner, "Listening to your life", p. 290.

GRACE

"A crucial eccentricity of the Christian faith is the assertion that people are saved by grace. There's nothing you have to do. There's nothing you have to do. There's nothing you have to do. The grace of God means someting like this: Here is your life. You might never have been, but you are because the party wouldn't have ben complete without you. Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things wil happen. Don't be afraid. I am with you. Nothing can separate us. Its for you I created the universe. I love you. There's only one catch. Like any other gift, the gift of grace can be yours only if you'll reach out and take it. Maybe being able to reach out and take it is a gift too." F. Buechner, "Listening to Your Life, p. 289.

All Hallow's eve

“Be a sinner and sin boldly, but believe and rejoice in Christ even more boldly, for he is victorious over sin, death, and the world.” M. Luther.
On All Saints Day, we are compelled to remember the past and the good we were permitted to give and to receive. We remember those faithful departed ones, most dear to us, who are the saints of our lives. And we remember all the saints, from the apostles and martyrs to the exemplary witnesses and teachers of the faith who we never met, but upon whose foundation our faith is built. We dare not forget them, for their memory in part inspires our living. When we remember them, we remember their innocence and the way in which they somehow showed GOD to us. We remember their exemplary behavior, their good nature. We remember His compassion and her servant heart. We remember her joy and his stalwart commitment. We remember the pew they sat in or the ministry they exercised. It is the good we recall with some sorrow in their passing. We light a candle in memory of the light they shared with others.
And yet, on the eve of all saints we are mindful of those devils among us, too. Some Christians avoid Halloween and its paganistic origins. “We dare not empower witches and devils by observing such a night.” I disagree. To avoid Halloween is to avoid SIN. How can we remember the ways in which God’s grace is incarnate among us in the saints of life, if we don’t also recall the power of Sin and the devil’s wicked ways as well? No saint is purely innocent, though our memories and observances might falsely report it. Halloween helps to tells the whole truth about the saints and devils we’ve known and loved. It also reminds us that we are both saint and sinner, angel and devil, blessing and curse. And we can thank God that both are true. Because without God we are bedeviled sinners with no hope.
So as we think back on our loved ones, we recall that his faithfulness to church was coupled with unfaithfulness to his wife. We remember that her diligent service was rivaled by her passionate bigotry.
We dare not forget that evil pervades the human heart as well as the good. We dare not forget the holocausts, the genocides, the school shootings, the diseases, the war, the famine, the abhorrent injustice that bedevils us. We dare not forget how greed, lust, and excessive comfort beguile us. We dare not forget how doubt, frustration, and impatience plague us daily. We dare not forget our Sin. A memorial of Sin reminds us of our need to stand before God humbly, vulnerably, without privilege or power. All Saints and All Saints Eve demonstrate the human condition to us. We are sinners, devils, wicked foes of God, and enemies of Jesus. And we are blessed saints, beloved of the LORD, partners in the gospel and heirs according to the promise of God in Christ. Without Sin, there is no Cross. Without the cross, there is no salvation. Without salvation there is no life outside of Sin.
So trick someone before you treat them. Sin and grace are not an “either/or”, but a “both/and” reality. I for one can’t wait to see their faces! Happy Halloween. And a Blessed All Saints day, too.

X’s and Why’s? the quest to question GOD

Coming Soon: Watch for posting about date, place, and time

WHAT?---A Gathering of peers with questions to ask. ““To be on a quest is nothing more or less than to become an asker of questions.” Sam Keen, religious philosopher.

WHO?---- I am a person of faith and a follower of JESUS. I am 32 years old. They have labeled us GENeration X. If you are between the ages of 18 and 35, you’re in it. I seek to gather others for conversation, coffee, and cake. (deep in the conversation, dark on the coffee, chocolate on the cake).

WHY?---- To engage my peers in the quest for a better world. To identify and encounter GOD in the mysteries and questions of life. To NOT have all the answers. To be a faithful follower of JESUS. To make community. To find what’s missing.

With conversation topics: Is it possible to experience God? What is religion good for? Jesus, Mohammed, Buddha, Moses, and me? Sacred text? Am i spiritual and what is spirituality? Why is there nothing on TV? Bono vs. Bush, and compassionate politics? Are we a lost generation? What is faith? How can we be hopeful in a big way? Why we need Dr. Phil and why we don’t need Dr. Phil.

What I believe about Christian Worship, pt. 3

It is catholic and apostolic---We who are invited and gathered are sent to share the good news and feed the hungry. Our apostolic mission is universal. It excludes no one. No one is outside the possibility of GOD”S saving grace. No one is outside the possibility of becoming part of CHRIST’s body. Worship is catholic when its scope is universal. That is, when it does not cater to the preferences of a homogeneous group, but is cast in broader strokes. Catholic worship is expressed through variety and embraces new and old, familiar and unfamiliar, ancient and modern, music and silence. Worship that is not catholic is narrowly defined in its language and practice. It is characterized by a dull uniformity to the likes/expressions of the few, rather than expansive worship expressions of the many.
Apostolic worship is missional and inspires a lifestyle outside of the four walls of the church building and the 1 ½ hours of weekly worship. Worship that is not apostolic only satisfies the inner needs of the self, without inspiring service.

What I believe about Christian Worship, pt. 2

It is sacramental---That is it mediates the spiritual presence of God by actual physical means. We believe that GOD is truly present in the crucified yet living, resurrected body of JESUS made visible and edible in the sacrament. We remember Jesus when we eat the bread that is HIS body and drink the wine that is HIS blood. We are washed, drowned, revived, refreshed in the waters of Baptism. The sacramental character of worship is personal---it is expressed in daily living. Every day we are renewed, remade by GOD. Every day GOD nourishes us. Faith tells us this is true. Worship reflects this truth.
Sacrament is invitational---we are invited to the table freely and openly because JESUS welcomes us to meet HIM there. We are invited to the waters of Baptism because JESUS commissions us to “Go, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the FATHER, and of the SON, and of the HOLY SPIRIT…”. That GPD chooses to invite is historically obvious. Why and who and when GOD chooses to invite is a mystery. So too the presence of GOD in sacrament is a mystery we cannot fathom by reason, but only by faith—a blind trust in HIS promise recorded in Scripture. When the table includes everybody and the baptismal life is offered to those who do not know GOD, we are sacramental.

What I believe about Christian Worship, pt. 1

It is evangelical---the core of it is the message of the gospel, the good news proclaimed by JESUS. Contained in this message is hope, love, peace, joy, new life, forgiveness, freedom, justice, rescue. This message is radically inclusive. No one is excluded. Everyone is invited to hear, see, believe and live. Mark’s JESUS embraces Jew and Gentile. Matthew’s JESUS embraces the nations. Luke’s JESUS is the savior of the world who inspires witnesses from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. And John’s JESUS is the savior of the cosmos. It comes to us as a promise from GOD for all humanity. It comes with a commission to its hearers and believers---to share this message with all humanity. Evangelical worship inspires evangelical living. We are called to bear Jesus’ message in the world for the sake of all people. Worship must reflect this radically inclusive gospel. This inclusivity is expressed in hospitality. We invite and welcome all by what we do together in worship. If we do not welcome and invite all, we are not evangelical.

Apples and Community

On Saturday, nine of us joined 180 other people in an apple orchard in Lebanon County. For over two hours we picked fallen apples off the ground and bagged them up to be taken to the central PA food bank, among other places where the needy are not forgotten. Several church youth groups, adult volunteers and teens, spent their Saturday morning on a crisp fall day serving hungry people they would never see. The event coordinator invited me to address the group and pray before we began gleaning. I reminded the group that the agricultural practice of gleaning is biblical, found in Deuteronomy. The LORD commanded the farmers to leave a portion of their produce for the poor, the widows, and the orphans so that they might not be neglected in the harvest. The first fruits that the farmer picked, a tenth or tithe, was also dedicated to God for the priests to eat. So the LORD got the firsts and the poor got the required leftovers. I prayed for the orchard-owners who generously shared their bounty. I blessed God for abundantly providing. I commended the poor and hungry into the hands of the compassionate God who feeds us all. After that, we started gleaning on hands-and-knees. Some picked faster than others. A veteran harvester like me could pick six or seven times faster than some of the teens. In the end, we all participated. I met some people there. On the back of an old ford pickup truck, I met two teenage girls who attend Trinity Lutheran in Lebanon. One of them is a student at Cedar Crest middle school, where my wife taught before our boys were born. My wife taught her older sister. I made sure to get their names to tell my wife that I met the sister of a former student. It’s fun to make connections.
After we picked apples and loaded them onto trucks and wagons, we stopped by the farmer’s store for some apple cider and cookies. Then we drove to camp Kirchenwald for a picnic lunch and a hike to a favorite spot. It was a beautiful fall day. We picnicked under the pavilion. Then we hiked out to Buzzard’s rocks, a place like Devil’s den in Gettysburg, where large boulders make for fun climbing. Along the way there we missed a turn and bumped into two hunters. We tracked back to the left turn and finally made our way to the rocks. The kids climbed. We watched. I sat down atop one of the large boulders. As I sat there, about a mile from camp I gazed down at the rock to see a name etched in it. It was the name of the girl I met at the orchard followed by ’06. There were 186 gleaners. I knew one new name, the name of the sister of one of my wife’s former students. She is a 7th grade Lutheran. At some point in the past, she had climbed that rock with a youth group, a church group, a summer camp cabin group, a family, and written her name. When had she been there? Why is it that I met her and found her name at Buzzard’s rock? What forces are at work to create such a coincidence? The church, the people of God who serve and live in the name of Jesus, is a family. We travel along the same pathway. We journey together. We seek the same God, the same justice, the same grace. We work in the same valley and climb the same rocks. We share the same bread and cup, hear the same Word. And every once-in-awhile we are reminded how good it feels to be in relationship with these people who belong to Jesus and share His dream of a new creation. With love, Pastor Matt

In response to the Amish community tragedy

This week, a single gunman and a father of three kids, entered a one-room Amish schoolhouse and executed 5 girls before killing himself. As these childrens' families grieve and the Amish community mourns this tragedy, how must we respond?
IN Christian love, we mourn and weep with them. In Christian hope we commend these 5 children into the arm of thier loving Father in heaven. In Christian peace, we forgive the man---Charles Roberts---and release HIm into the hands of the forgiver.
How do we protect our kids? Perhaps if we teach tolerance and compassion for all people. Perhaps if we teach that violence is never a solution to a problem. Perhaps if we listen to the pain in the lives of adult neighbors and offer grace to them. This was not the work of one madman. This was the work of a broken community in need. And until we begin to reach one another with compassion and peace, there will be no safety.
Can it be done? The church asks that question and attempts to live an affirmative response. But it is not a perfect affirmation. Not all Christian people are good or safe or compassionate. But the Lord who teaches and demonstrate these things is. I can only be faithful to Jesus and be helpful to my neighbor. Beyond this, I have no control.

The Inheritance

“Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Mark 10:17b
We all ask that question one way or another. Is there life after death---whatever that death may be. Is there life after a divorce? After a loss of job or physical ability? What is life without one’s mental faculties? Is there life after one moves out of one’s home? Is there life after high School or college or retirement? What rich, deep meaning does my life have in the cosmos? And how do I get it? How do I come to understand the legacy of meaning for which I was born and lived? Try to avoid these questions. Eventually, some event in life will strike you like a cold gust of wind in February and you will hear this question or something like it burning in your heart and mind, longing for resolution. Ultimately, the question means, how do I come to grips with the ultimate losses in life when I cannot control them or hinder them from coming? Isn’t there some way that I can control my own fate, resolve to make a life for myself after death? What is my life’s meaning?
The answer is not easy. Jesus says its hard. For us, who control as much as we can, holding on to every vestige of dignified self-power we believe we have, this is NOT EASY.
What does Jesus say? Childhood obedience is not enough because it doesn’t get to the heart of the matter. What does is to give up. To surrender what you are clinging to. Give it to someone else. If its money, give it to the poor. If it’s work, retire or seek another vocation. If it’s travel, stay still. If it’s your family, spend some time alone. What we think is fulfilling us is usually emptying us of what we truly need. You get what you need when you leave it all behind. This kind of reverse logic is counterintuitive, seemingly counterproductive, certainly countercultural. Leave it all behind? But I’ve worked so hard for…
Nevertheless, doing so is the key to the inheritance. The question is, do you want to inherit what you do not deserve, what you cannot earn, and what, in spite of that, has been promised to you? Or are you satisfied with life as it is? I doubt you can truthfully affirm the latter question. More likely, you know that this is not all there is because you live with hope. I am unsatisfied, too. And I know that my feeble attempts to placate my hunger for more will simply create more emptiness. What I need is Jesus’ loving encouragement. Give it up. Don’t try so hard to make your own life meaning. With God, life is endless possibility waiting to be discovered yb those willing to watch and wait and listen for God. With love, PM

members versus disciples

Zion is a congregation, primarily of members. Our memebership is not large. Like most mainline churches, it is declining. We are worried about this trend. If membership declines too far we will not be able to survive as an institution.
We are part of an institution. As such, we have established operating principles of governance and practice that have evolved into something less than 'church'. What I mean by that is that the church is called to make disciples of Jesus Christ, not congregation members. There is a significant difference that ought to be identified.
However, most of the people we serve identify with congregation, rather than with Jesus. Their primary faith relationship is the congregation, not the crucified and risen Lord in whose grace we live. They are attached to this or that congregation as supporters/donors/ volunteers. But they are not Jesus' disciples.
Membership means that we pay the bills, that we hire staff to do ministry, that we live to ourselves, that we maintain the building, that mission work is something others do far away from us, to whom we may send some money. Members serve on committees and councils in order to allocate funds to perpetuate membership and maintenance. Membership has few if any expectations attached to it. These expectations are low, because people won't join if the expectations are too high. Members must commune and contribute once every two years! Most social clubs and sports teams have higher expectations today. Why have we relinquished the mission to make disciples?

Discipleship means that we are in the center of a mission field to which each of us is called as a servant and minister. We give in grateful response to what God has given us. In fact, expectations are high because the mission is both urgent and important. How we practice what we believe, how we live out our relationship with Jesus as disciples is critical to the mission. We are called to be faithful; to live a life worthy of the calling to which we have been called. That means we are called to worship every week, to daily bible reading and prayer, to generous giving, to service in neighborhood and community, to advocate for a just and peaceful world, and to a ministry of reconciliation and forgiveness that welcomes all people.

How do members become disciples? We start by asking the question, "Who is Jesus for me, for us, for the world?" We explore the life of Jesus. We pray. Disciples are made. There is work involved; proclamation, prayer, invitation, encouragement. It is transformative work that will not let you go until your life is changed by the spirit of Jesus and the gospel of grace. When that happens a disciple is born.

What if...

What if's...is there a point to them? Rather than dismiss them, I believe that Christians are called to imagine them with boldness, with the "mind of Christ". Ought we not to imagine God's future and find ways to approach it in our own time?
What if this were a time in which God were about to do a new thing among us here? What if this were a time in which the Spirit of Jesus would become more evident within us? What if this were a time when we are called upon to live out our hope for a more just world, a world governed by something like the reign of God?
What if the biblical narrative, the story of what God does for people through Jesus, becomes our story? What if we embrace the truth that we are indeed rescued and freed from the bondages of sin, in order to freely love others? What if we believed in community life as a principle for living authentic human lives? What if we were to advocate that a creative and loving God, a God hell bent on loving humanity, does not wage war or choose sides in our human ones? What if we believed in a God whose future is peaceful? What if we chose to live into that future?
What if today were that turnaoround moment for you, when you come to your senses and believe in the possibilities brought about by the life and death and resurrection of Jesus?
What if you drank coffee that promised someone somewhere a slightly better life? What if you simplified in order to make a healthier planet and a fairer economy for others just because it is right to make people's lives better?
What if?

God's Word in Worship

September 24, 2006
Pentecost 16

Jeremiah 11:18-20
Psalm 54
James 3:13-4:3,7-8a
Gospel: Mark 9:30-37

Jesus says "Whoever welcomes a little child, welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me." Jesus is saying that to welcome a child is to welcome God himself. Amazing to think that Jesus esteemed children so highly.

Link of the Week

Youth faith lens is a weekly lectionary devotional for teens. It connects to daily life with stories and humor. There are good questions. This week it asks, "How do famous people get to be known?" It ties in with the gospel of Mark and Jesus' question to the disciples: "Who do you say that I am?"
If you are a teen interested in a simple way to explore your faith in God, click n faith lens and follow the reading there. I get ideas for sermons, bible studies, blog posts from there, too. Check it out.

God's Word in Worship

September 17 2006
Pentecost 15

Isaiah 50:4-9a
Psalm 116:1-9
James 3:1-12
Gospel: Mark 8:27-38

Dear Confirmands,
We begin anew in October. As you see below, there are several learning events scheduled for this year. Confirmation day is May 27th, 2007, the Day of Pentecost. It is especially important that 9th graders attend every event before confirmation day. Please bring your bibles, notebooks, and Lutheran Handbooks to every event. The winter retreat and field trip will be announced to you in November. There will also be some Sunday afternoon events sponsored by Holy Trinity to which we are invited. Confirmation is about faithfulness. It is about your answer to God’s faithfulness. God is faithful to you in so many ways. Did you wake up today? Did you have food to eat? Air to breathe? A family? Friends? A Home? Jesus was faithful enough to die for the world. The Spirit of Jesus dwells in you, inspiring you to live faithfully too. Confirmation is about faithfulness. Being faithful means coming to worship every week. It means participating; on Sunday mornings, at learning events, at service opportunities. It means asking questions, praying, giving, and helping others. BE FAITHFUL. And the LORD be with you each and every day.
In Christ’s love,
Pastor Matt

Event Dates Times EVENT THEMES

October 22nd--- 12:30-3:30 pm JESUS
November 19th--- 12:30-3:30 pm WORSHIP
December 10th? MOVIE: The Nativity Story; in theatres
February TBA LUTHER RETREAT
March TBA FIELD TRIP
April 29 12:30-3:3o BAPTISM AND VOCATION
May 8 12:30-3:30 WHAT”S NEXT? YOU ARE CHURCH
May 27 The Day of Pentecost and confirmation

Life this week

Wednesday is bible study at 7:00 am, Zion Akron and 7:30 pm, Holy Trinity Ephrata.
Thursday is the bishop's annual convocation. Holy cross day.
Thursday night is Worship and Music team.
Sunday is the church picnic and worship in the park.

9/11

Monday was the Anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks that killed close to 3,000 Americans. Its a day none of us can forget. Its a day we hate to remember. Since then the U.S. has engaged in a retaliatory war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Are we safer? Is the world more peaceable?
I believe that the post 9/11 world required of the U.S. a response unlike any other in history. I believe the global response ought not to have been a military one. It ought to have been a response of empathy and humanitarianism. 9/11 de-isolated the U.S. from the global experience of preventable, innocent death. What I mean to say is that the U.S. is not the recipient, not the importer of injustice and devastating disease. The U.S. is the perpetrator and exporter of these things in ways of which most of us are unaware. Understand me,I'm not saying that "we"or anyone deserved the terror of 9/11. I'm saying that it happened as a result of global disparities that cannot be easily resolved. The ensuing struggle to achieve balance of power results in terror and retaliation. but it didn't have to.
What if the president had actually resolved to care for the world by sending an unprecedented amount of aid and relief to developing nations? What if he said that the U.S. is weeping with those who weep and mourning with those who mourn? What of our nations' grief was not viewed by us as some personal experience unshared by other nationsand rather realized thatwe were sharing in the collective experience of billions of people around the world?

I am devastated by the report that over 6,000 Africans dies daily from AIDS. Everyday the continent experiences two 9/11 tragedies. Since 9/11 the war on terror has claimed the lives of as many Americans and five times as many Iraqis.
What if we were determined to beat our swords into ploughshares? What if we were resolved to improve the lives of poor children? Maybe that would bring peace. If the U.S. were to turn the other cheek and give until it hurt, what would that do on a global scale?I'm not against defending ourselves. I'm merely for serving others first.

God's Word in Worship

September 10, 2006
Pentecost 14

Isaiah 35:4-7
Psalm 146
James 2:1-17
Gospel: Mark 7:24-37
Jesus heals the demon-possessed daughter of a Syrophoenician woman.

Nicholas

On Sunday, September 3rd we will witness and partake in what can best be described as a close encounter. On Sunday, God will act upon one of us. God will reach in and touch the flesh of another child. That divine touch will come in the experience of water thrice splashed upon His head and words chanted above Him and for Him; "I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." And although my hand will cup the water and my voice speak those words, make no mistake, it is God who is acting upon Nicholas. God is choosing to get in the water, to cleanse, to drown and rescue from drowning, to enter the deep end with this child now and forever.
As a young boy I still rememeber that cold fall day when my younger brother, no more than 6, fell into the pool and under the heavy vinyl cover. I remember my dad diving after him, into the murky, leafy mess--pushing back the cover and pulling him out. I remember the absolute fear and trauma of the event. I remember them standing there in cold, wet clothes. I remember my brother crying and my father wisking us home for further evaluation and warmth. It all happened in a brief moment. No doubt my brother remembers little of the actual experience, if not for the shared memories we employ in the occasional retelling. And yet, that moment of rescue was a holy moment, a parable of Baptism and new life. God plunges in to the murky mess of our lives and pulls us to safety, coughing and cold and wet. That is Baptism. For Nicholas, there will be little or no memory of that moment. But we will be there to witness it and to remember for Him. And perhaps in our collective retelling, he will know and believe that God resuced him on this day and for the rest of His life.

Our circle of prayer

These are the people on our prayer circle for the week of August 26, 2006

Gordon Becker
Jim Beck
Sylvan and Elma Eshelman
Pam Hoover
Rochelle Kopp
Jean Willwerth
Peter Nyok
Tom Smith
Karen Heyman
Becky Harker
Shirley Frey
Esther Bender
Ron, Nancy, and Justin Thompson
Helene Neumann
Gloria Mohler
Helen Reigel
Skip Kopp
Ray Singer
Billy Lied
Alex Rudy
Philip McLellan
Toni Carvelle
Jane Myers
Mike Linn
Pastor Paul Smeltz

Today's quote

"I have tried to keep things in my hands and lost them all, but what I have given into God's hands I still possess." -Martin Luther

This week's Link

This week's link is ELCA Public Church

What is advocacy?
"Advocacy is to plead the cause of another together with them and on their behalf. When, for example, the prophets addressed kings and priests on behalf of those suffering injustice, they were advocating. The ELCA calls persons to advocate justice with and for those without power and voice in places where important political and economic decisions are being made that affect the lives of those who are marginalized. This activity is what is meant by “advocacy.” It is one way the ELCA carries out its strategic direction to “step forward as a public church that witnesses boldly to God’s love for all that God has created.”

We are called to to speak boldly and with authority on behalf of people whose voices have been silenced by oppressive, dispassionate, and ruthless killers. Where economy and government serve a minority while a majority suffers, advocates are needed. Where children starve while their parents die of HIV/AIDS, advocates are needed. Where unfair trade practices impoverish local economies and villages, advocates are needed. As members of the church we have a responsibility to serve the least of these by unting with them in their struggle for justice. The ELCA advocacy page provides you with ways to advocate on behalf of others. It also provides education regarding critical issues our society faces today. Check it out today.

God's Word in Worship Pentecost 13

God's Word in Worship

Pentecost 13 2006
September 3rd

Deuteronomy 4:1-2,6-9
Psalm 15
James 1:17-27
Gospel: Mark 7:1-8, 14-15,21-23

Evil

In my devotions, this caught my eye. Frederick Buechner writes,

"God is all- powerful.
God is all-good.
Terrible things happen.
Yuo can reconcile any two of these prepositions with each other, but you can't reconcile all three. The promble of evil is perhaps the greatest single problem for religious faith." He goes on to describe how various religions attempt to resolve it; by denying the actual reality of evil as an illusion of the mind, or by creating a system of cyclical cause and effect perpetrated through 'reincarnation'.
He continues, "Christianity, on the other hand, ultimately offers no theoretical solution at all. It merely points to the cross and says that, practically speaking, there is no evil so dark and so obscene---not even this---but that God can turn it to good."

Is that not the gift of Christianity? To walk with the suffering, indeed to suffer with the world, in order that the world might know the deeper truth---that suffering is not the last word, but is the penultimate word to God's ultimate Word, which is always and forever LIFE. Should we not affect an end to suffering? By all means. But we also should realize that God himself is deeply intimate with suffering. he knows and feels it, as if it has become part of created reality for some holy purpose. At least, from this side of the cross we can make divine meaning from suffering that points to God's love and life. So when you watch the news and you see innocents suffering today, declare the truth of what you see or who you see. (with the eyes of faith) You see Christ and so you see hope.

In my devotions for today, Marva Dawn asks questions related to the ways in which we try to substitute God for worldly possessions. She writes, "Sometimes we think we can't get along without a certain possession or a certain person or a certain kind of comfort. To insist on these is to make idols out of whatever we desire...
What ambitions become gods for us and distort our visions?...What do we substitute for total dependence on God? What keeps us from trusting God---our need for love, our insecurities, our fears or sufferings or sorrows or doubts about God's character? What prevents us from following Jesus, from relinquishing our control to the Holy Spirit, from relying on the Father? Do we know who we are primarily because we are the beloved of God?"

Good questions. Ponder these--or any one of them, for that matter-- today. And then make a prayerful commitment to receive the Holy Spirit anew.

World Vision

I believe that Christians are called to stand with the least. In so doing we are serving Christ himself (Matthew 25). Often the least are the most beautiful children who are born into the slavery of poverty. Millions of children will not live past the age of five because of preventable illness. We can and should do something about it. You will find the World Vision button under my links column to the right. This link will take you directly to World Vision's Child Sponsorship page. For $30.00 a month you can raise the quality of life for a child in a developing country. Help make poverty history and sponsor a child. World Vision is the organization that sponsors "the 30 hour famine", an event we take part in every March to raise money and awareness in th fight to end hunger.

A Word for Today

"Raising genuinely Christian children in a culture tht chooses many idolatries to try to assuage or repress its restless hunger is NOT a lost cause IF the church stands as an alternative community, incarnating-though imperfectly now-the kingdom of God for which everyone most deeply yearns. We must help our children to understand that the materialistic consumerism, desire for ease, craving for entertainment, passivity, violence, and sexual immorality of the society around us all arise out of vain attempts to quench life's deepest thirst. We must equip them with skills to resist the deceptions, to rememebr the truth that God alone will satisfy their deepest longings, and to reach out with love to neighbors searching for the living water of eternal life." --Marva Dawn, "Morning by Morning", p.236.

God's Word in Worship

August 27, 2006
12th Sunday after Pentecost

Joshua 24:1-2a,14-18
Psalm 34:15-22
Ephesians 6:10-20
Gospel: John 6:56-69

Covenant players

Join us on Sunday at 10:30 am for a special performance by Jim and Jan Mcguinness, members of the international drama group, Covenant Players. This ministry has been around for nearly forty years. Its mission is to communicate the gospel through drama. They will bring us the response to God's Word on Sunday in drama.

UNBELIEF

"Unbelief is as much a choice as belief is.What makes it in many ways more appealing is that whereas belief in something requires some measure of understanding and effort, not to believe doesn't require much of anything at all."--Frederick Buechner, "Listening to your life,"p. 218.

Imitating God

Paul writes, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 5:1-2

As a father, I’m keenly aware that my son listens to my words and views my actions in order to learn how to be. On more than one occasion, Jonah has imitated my speech or actions. So I am careful of how I speak and act around him, because he is learning.
Paul tells us that God has drawn near to us and shown us how to be like Him through the speech and action of Jesus. He has done this in order to restore justice, beauty, peace, and life to the world.

How does our congregation imitate God? How do we live in the love of Christ—a self-giving, sacrificial love?
Why is it important for us to be mindful of our own personal and/or corporate speech and action, our own public image as a congregation? What image of God do we want to show others? How can we do that?

God's Word in Worship August 20

God's Word in Worship
August 20, 2006
11th Sunday after Pentecost

Proverbs 9:1-6
Psalm 34:9-14
Ephesians 5:15-20
Gospel: John 6:51-58.

Today's word

Wine
"Unfermented grape juice is a bland and pleasant drink, especially on a warm afternoon mixed half-and-half with ginger ale. It is a ghastly symbol of the life blood of Jesus Christ, especially when served in individual antiseptic, thimble-sized glasses. Wine is booze, which means it is dangerous and drunkmaking. It makes the timid brave and the reserved amorous. It loosens the tongue and breaks the ice especailly when served in a loving cup. It kills germs. As symbols go, it is a rather splendid one." ---In "Listening to your life" by Frederick Buechner.

A Word for today

"Suffering is increasing in the world today. People are hungry for something more beautiful, for something greater than people round about can give. There is a great hunger for God in the world today. Everywhere there is much suffering, but there is also great huinger for God and love for each other." --from "A Gift for God" by Mother Teresa.

"I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry and whoever believes in me will never thirst." --Jesus, Gospel of John 6:35.

God's Word in Worship
August 13
1 Kings 19:4-8
Psalm 34:1-8
Ephesians 4:25-5:2
Gospel: John 6:35,41-51

This week at Zion

Tonight we have congregational care team.
Tomorrow night we have worship and music team.
Thursday night is church counci.
Sunday morning and Monday night we will convene the new Christian discipelship team.
I am gathering and previewing Sunday morning materials---"Seasons of the Spirit." Its a lectionary based curriculum for all age levels from Logos Publishing. It looks pretty good so far.
I'm also preparing to introduce the "ONE Lutheran" Campaign to end poverty; part of the ONE Campaign to direct an additional 1% of the U.S. budget to meet the most basic needs in poor countries. See the link on the right to learn more.

"Because Hezbollah has positioned itself as the "David" in this war, every day that the killing continues burnishes its reputation within the Arab world. Every day that more of the Lebanese infrastructure is turned to dust, Beirut's fragile democracy becomes weaker, both in its ability to function and in the eyes of its people.

The impact is not limited to Lebanon or Israel. Every day America gives the green light to further Israeli violence, our already tattered reputation sinks even lower. The reluctance of our closest allies in the Middle East even to receive Secretary Rice this week in their capitals attests to this fact.

It is time for the United States to step forward with the authority and balance that this moment requires." So wrote former Secretary of State Warren Christopher on the current crisis in the Mid-East. The following link, A Time to Act, will take you to the complete article in the Washington Post, printed on Friday, July 28th.

In a recent "Christian Century" article on the holy land, Shaul Magid a religious studies teacher and a Jew, commented on the Zionist movement and Jewish sovereignty over the holy land. He wrote, "In recent years, certain Jewish and Christian communities have proclaimed that exclusive Jewidsh sovereighnty over the holy land is a thrological right and necessity, a condition for the unfolding of the messianic era." He then points to previous theological understandings, posited by Martin Buber, that might offer a more plausible proposal for sharing the land. He wrote, "Buber argues that Zionism is, or can be, a unique national movement precisely because it is not based on national rights or a myth of origins, but on dwelling in a land that belongs to no one people precisely because it belongs to God. Israel's mission as caretaker is to make that land a place that mirrors its owner, thereby making those who dwell on it a people who reflect the divine." "Christian Century, July 25, 2006, p.24. Is not the source of most of the tension among Jews and Arabs stemmed from a dark theology of the land? Maybe they should read some Wendell Barry to get a richer perspective on the stewardship of the land.

Links

Today more than ever, the home is the primary place of faith development. It can and must become for families, a place of unity and solitude, a shelter and a source of strength. Parents must provide this for their kids' health and faith. It is the only place of refuge from the chaos we call 21st century North American culture. Lutheran writer, Marva Dawn, has two books that all sould read. "Keeping the Sabbath Wholly" and "Reaching out without dumbing Down". These books are edgy when it comes to anti-culture, but intelligent and thought provoking. I dare say, possibly life changing! At any rate, one of my callings is to equip families to live in safety and health under the loing rule of Jesus. I will provide resources for basic use in the home in order to instill faith, peace, joy, hope, and health---what the Jews call Shalom. A total wholeness that is Spiritual and physical.

For some initial faith in the home stuff, click on my "daily discipleship" link on the right.

discipleship at Zion

“If you put these instructions before the brothers and sisters you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, nourished on the words of faith and of the sound teaching that you have followed.” 1 Timothy 4:6.
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 2 Timothy 3:14-15

Disciples are called out to follow the Lord Jesus. God’s Word makes believers and disciples. They are trained and equipped in the works of ministry to which the church is called; to baptize and teach, to share the good news, to worship, pray, and study; to serve all people according to their needs, and to strive for justice and peace in all the earth.

Discipleship is a lifelong faith journey that begins with Holy Baptism and ends when God welcomes His people into the Kingdom of heaven. The journey is both personal and communal. The church is the collective body of pilgrims, making the journey of discipleship together.

So how do we make disciples? How do we invite people into relationship with Jesus, train them to follow Him, and free them to serve in His name?
I have given a lot of thought to our current ministry model. I think we can improve some things and be more effective in forming disciples. Here is my vision for Sunday morning learning beginning in September. Using a lectionary-based curriculum called “Seasons of the Spirit” we invite people of all ages to join us from 9:15 to 10:15 am. Every week, we gather in large group (all ages) in the sanctuary at 9:15 for an opening celebration. Pastor will lead it. The week’s lesson/theme will be introduced with prayer, song, and occasional skit. Then we break out into respective classes until 10:05. I envision four or five classes: pre-K, school-age (maybe two groups?), teens, and adults. We close with a summary and a blessing in the fellowship hall at 10:05. One of the gifts of using this material is that it ties us together through the lectionary readings, while also tying us to worship. Everyone will be studying the same stories throughout the year with developmentally appropriate material. And, the material can be used in a rotation workshop model for kids! A goal for 2006-2007 should be to increase participation on Sunday morning. Another goal may be to better equip people for ministry in daily life.

True Humility

"True humility doesn't consist of thinking ill of yourself but of not thinking of yourself much differently from the way you'd be apt to think of anybody else."-Frederick Buechner, "Listening to Your Life", p. 197.

For you

Welcome. Everyday I intend to share some thoughts for reflection that might somehow provide growth in your walk of faith. Please feel free to comment/dialogue with me on these things.

Baptisms

Yesterday my son, Luke, and four other children were baptized at Zion. Pastor Dave Fisher, assistant to our Bishop baptized my son. I did not ask him to do so because I am a heretic who believes that if I baptized my own son it wouldn't take effect or something. I asked him to do so, so that I could be his father and not his pastor.
I thought the celebration was wonderful yesterday. What did you think? Baptizing four kids is always awesome. I took the opporunity to preach on the power and grace of infant baptism. I tried to bring out the significance of the moment. I used the story of "The Lion King" as illustration of the two fold effect of baptism: to make one a child of God and to give that child a divine purpose and mission in the world. Since we were both baptizing and recognizing the affirmation of faith of four teens it was appropriate to utilize a story that sugggested both identity and mission as two sides of the baptismal coin. Often I think Lutherans have focused attention on the identity side of the coin, but have failed to deliver an inspiring sense of baptismal mission. I hope we teach both in our words and actions here.
Oh, and watch "The Lion King". The part where Simba sees his father reflected in the water and Rafiki says, "He lives in you," will give you chills. At the beginning of the movie the infant Simba is anointed with some kind of oil and dust. I immediately saw the connection between the anointing at Baptism and Ash Wednesday. WOW. Anyway, the themes of identity and mission found in the movie are outstanding. Not to mention the fact that it is one of Disney's best animated features. See it again I say!

blogging

What is the point of it? If no one is reading, then why write? I only blog to communicate. I intend for this blog to be a source of learning for a community of faith. If its not being read, I might as well stop writing.
I was asked to comment about blogging to a news reporter doing a story on pastors who blog. I was the youngest one, surprisingly. But none of the others are intentional about the purpose for their blog. I hope to include more content and material on the blog in the months ahead.

Praying for Peace

It all started with the news of the escalating Israeli/Lebanon conflict. It seems that the violent are insatiable on both sides. Who is trustworthy? Militant Terrorists who choose to kill innocent people? Or a sovereign nation, who in the name of defense, bombs a neighboring nation, killing innocent people? Either way the innocent suffer and die. This war will continue as long as the parties involved choose to breed hatred toward one another and foment that hatred with acts of violent aggression.
Anyway, I have decided to do something. For a start, we are praying for peace every Monday at noon. I am also contacting government officials to solicit a more non-violent response. But what can we do, but feel powerless? So we pray for peace.

World War III?

Have you been watching or reading the news over the past few days? Sunday on “Meet
the Press” former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich called the state of the world’s fighting the beginning of world war III. He referred to the regional chaos of the Middle East, missile launches in N. Korea, and the broadly scattered terrorist plots that have been uncovered by the intelligence community in recent months as clear indicators that we are on the brink of world war. Really? I was astounded by the remark, even though it makes sense. World War III may indeed be upon us. How do we respond to such a reality? Admittedly, as a Christian person and as a local clergy person, I have said little publicly about the war in Iraq or the global violence/terrorism we have witnessed since 9.11.01. What is there to say? It is difficult to speak and pray for peace, while supporting the President and those who protect us. It is paradoxical to love our enemies and maintain a position of isolation from those who might actually hate us. And so in our ambivalence we fail to speak or act in a way that is remarkably convincing or passionate. But I realize that my silence, indeed, the silence of Christian people in the U.S., has contributed to the ongoing crisis. I am becoming conscious that I am insulated, isolated from the pain and terror that so many of our global neighbors face everyday. I understand that my quietly dispassionate approach to global war has simply invited the hostility to increase. I turn on the news, witness the violence, turn it off, and go to bed in relative peace. Don’t you? But as the price at the pump continues to rise, I realize that we are affected---More than we know or choose to recognize. Higher gas prices are but a minor symptom of the larger threat that results from our global apathy. The project of a creative, progressive, and tolerant humanity is at stake. A harmonious global community for our children is at stake. It is ironic that in a free, democratic nation such as ours, many of us feel powerless as potential agents of change. Perhaps, we have learned to trust the powers-that-be to such an extent that we have neglected our personal responsibility as citizens with good consciences, who might dare to speak the truth to power, even when that truth might cost us. Should we not reflect as a nation on our national sins and repent globally through deeds of mercy and compassion? I realize that my unresponsiveness as a Christian person does not bear witness to the hope and faith that I wish to profess with my life. Who will choose mercy over vengeance, love over hate, blessing over curse? The people who follows Jesus will. And perhaps by making a public witness, by taking action, by freely speaking Christian conscience we will build peace.

the news

North Korea's Kim Jung Ill refuses to apologize for their recent military missile launches, despite growing concern from the global community and the UN. In a reactionary move, President Bush has ordered that all Korean Americans, including adopted children and US citizens, be detained for questioning at an undisclosed US military facility.

In other news: The disputed Mexican election has been resolved in favor of the conservative candidate. In a rare move the US Supreme Court ordered that the election be closed and the President-Elect named, to insure that democracy is upheld. This move came after President Bush declared Mexico an extension of texas. in a press conference he said, "Texaco ain't just a gas station anymore."
In a related story, Karl Rove was said to have been seen "tanning" on a rooftop in Mexico City this week. Rove was quoted as saying: "I found the border adequately guarded on both sides. In fact, I had to crawl for 11 miles on my stomach, catch a pickup full of chickens and peppers, and walk eight city blocks to get to my 5-sthotel." Fortunately for Karl, his salary is slightly higher than 50% of Mexicans who make $5.00 a day or less. God forbid they cross the border to make $5.15 an hour doing a job few "privileged" Americans would stoop to do.

Quote of the week: President Bush on turing 60. "60 isn't as old as you think." Profound.

"Superman Returns" comes out in theatres this week, I guess. Apparently, this resurrected hero has some new life in this flick. After two lousy Superman movies and the paralysis of Chris Reeve, it seemed that the caped one was dead. Had we lost hope? The genre itself had been reborn with the X-Men, Spiderman, and "Batman Begins" blockbusters of recent years. I think people like to see an action film in which a seemingly ordinary person is somehow transformed, reborn, and enhanced with some powers and capacities rendering him or her extraordinarily useful to humanity. Why? How else will we get out of the mess we're in, the mess we've made. How else will evil be combated and justice restored? It will take the extraordinary gifts of an ordinary person to get it done. Superman is a caricature of our greatest hope. A Christ figure, prepared to suffer for the sake of humanity. One who is prepared to use his power for the common good. Ah, in today's American political climate, wouldn't such a one be a breath of fresh air?

Okay, so I took an extended break. I was on parenting leave for crying out loud. 5 weeks ago, Cherie gave birth to Luke Timothy, a 6 lb. boy with a furrowed brow and a powerful kick. He often seems frustrated or bitter with his arrival. Perhaps its that he realized quickly that he was born with me as his father. O joy.

At any rate, the church offered me a month off to change diapers, sleep less than lab mice on crack, and basically parent my two sons. I've managed to do my fair share of night feedings, rocking, diapering, etc...I've also managed to take my wife out to dinner once and take my two year old to the zoo--his third home, after home and church.
Jonah, the two-year-old, loves the baby. At least, to the extent that he hasn't attempted to actually harm or kill him yet. He calls him Lukey and enojoys watching him do the limited things babies do. His entertainment value is, at this point, weak. After all, the baby's novelty wears thin when crying like a siren from a bullhorn ensues. According to Dr. Weissbluth--author of the book, Healthly Sleep Habits, Happy Child---Luke is at the height of fussiness, a perfect time for me to return to work. Of course, leaving Cherie alone with a two-year-old who is more demanding than Tyra banks at Starbucks and an infant poised to exercise his lungs by screaming like a banshee in heat is tantamount to torture. If she were Muslim I'm sure she would begin to make terrorist threats, simply to be removed by the feds for several years of "detention". And I;ve only been back to work for a day and a half! I just keep teling her, "It will get better". Please God, let it get better...

Holy Spirit

On the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit, promised by Jesus, came to the disciples. Since then, the church has argued about the Spirit’s presence, power, and gifts. Who has the Spirit? How does one get it or receive it? And in our own time, the question is even more ambiguous. Is there a spiritual realm and, if so, how are people spiritual in nature? People will try to connect to a deeper sense of self-identity in many ways. Some Christians consider themselves the exclusive recipients of the Holy Spirit, to the exclusion of the rest of us. This causes divisive strife and, likely, is the source of much disenchantment with religion and church. In a related expression, I’ve heard people say, “I’m spiritual, but not religious.” Or “You don’t have to go to church to be a spiritual person.” I wonder why there is such a disconnect between the church and the spirit-filled life?
Marva Dawn, in her book “Talking the Walk: Letting Christian Language live again” writes about the ways that we reject the Spirit dwelling within and among us. “Consequently, we renounce the Spirit when we do not let the Inspirer through the Word in biblical texts form our language and lives, when we are not attuned enough to the Spirit to let the Holy Guide direct our attitudes, speech, and deeds. We admire certain people who seem to be Spirit-filled, but do not comprehend that the Spirit’s indwelling is a gift fully available to us all. We also repudiate the Spirit when we do not submit to the Empowerer’s gifting so that we might work out of God’s strength rather than our own. How often we rely on our own skills, experience, understanding, or talent rather than letting the Spirit have full sway in our lives and deeds. Sometimes we hide the Spirit’s gifts and don’t let them work through us for the well-being of the community or even ourselves.”
The Holy Spirit is not a feeling or emotion, not a tickle in the gut or a chill up the spine. We often expect some feeling to accompany the Spirit’s presence. But what if God’s Spirit is at work in your daily life devoid of any strong feeling? The Spirit gives us many things: a sense of peace or conviction or courage or endurance or guidance or quiet or hope or willful submission. Would you like to discover how Jesus’ Spirit, gifted to you for LIFE at Holy Baptism, is at work in you? Wouldn’t you like to be inspired, to experience a connection with Jesus, and to embrace a new way of life that is full of purpose and meaning? Wouldn’t you like to identify yourself as a spirit-filled person with spiritual gifts, assets, and abilities to share for the betterment of others? Wouldn’t you like this congregation to be known as a people full of the Spirit and life of Jesus, a place to which the Spirit draws people into fellowship?

DaVinci Code

Easter 6 2006
“The DaVinci Code” opened in theatres this weekend. Yes, the book dares to suggest that there are misdeeds in church history. Yes, it does suggest that the existence of certain sacred orders within the Catholic church are covering up “the truth” about Jesus. Yes, it does build an elaborate conspiracy theory with “evidence” from actual historical artifacts like DaVinci’s “Mona Lisa”, “the Last Supper” and the temple church in London. All of these things can be explained away or, with the stretch of the imagination, considered possible or even valid. Have you looked at the painting of the last Supper? The person seated beside Jesus is strikingly feminine. That the person is Mary Magdalene, the wife of Jesus, is the book’s claim. Could it be? If so, is it possible that Jesus wed Mary and had children? Is it possible that the church has kept this secret for 2,000 years as a means of accruing wealth and social control? Is it possible that the church is corrupt and the truth lost? Let me weigh in on this matter before someone asks me about it. I read the book when it came out, cover-to-cover in a couple of days. It was one of the most engaging, fast-paced mystery rides I’d ever taken in a fictional novel. Oh, right. It is fiction, isn’t it? Dan Brown is no scholar refuting biblical tradition and theology. He is a writer and a half decent one at that. He got 40 million copies of his book sold and read. He got a movie deal and a lot of buzz from a good mystery. So, why all the fuss?
The fuss is not about DaVinci or the priory of Scion or Opus Dei or Mary Magdalene or “Jesus’ blood line” or Dan Brown. The fuss is, at its heart, a crisis of faith of the highest proportion. The fuss is not that the book may cause a faith crisis, but that a faith crisis already exists which the book potentially fuels. It reveals that 21st century western people are incapable of discerning the truth from fiction, God from an idol, Jesus from DaVinci. The fuss is over authority. Who can say what scripture really means? Who can tell us the truth? Who can tell us what is faithful and heretical? Who can define Christianity? Is it the church? The Pope? Anybody with a pen and a penchant for storytelling? The crisis is that people are longing for mystery and revelation of the divine kind, but don’t know where to find it. People are longing for a touch of Jesus’ life, a sign of God’s presence and truth. People are hoping for a new vision of the world, in which institutions governed by corruption are exposed and brought down. People seek a vision of a world in which faith and hope and love abide. A world where Jesus is known fully and we are fully known. And loved. If that is not the compassionate mission of Jesus carried out by his faithful followers, I don’t know what is. So, see the movie. The book will be better, though. They always are.
with love, PM

"A dysfunctional family is any family with more than one person in it." Mary karr.

"The United States goes around the world telling countries that a few more nuclear warheads are dangerous and immoral---whil it has 12,000 nukes of its own" Fareed Zakaria (Newsweek, April 17).

No telling what you might hear

Frederick Buechner writes:" When a minister reads out of the bible, I am sure that at least nine out of the ten people who happen to be listening at all hear not what is really being read but only what they expect to hear read. And I think what most people expect to hear read from the bible is an edifying story, an uplifting thought, a moral lesson---something elevating, obvious, and boring. So that is exactly what very often they do hear. Only that is too bad because if you really listen---and maybe you have to forget that it is the bible being read and a minister who is reading it--there is no telling what you might hear!

Empty Tombs are awe full places

“And they fled the tomb and said nothing to no one for they were terrified.” Mark 16:8.

Mark intends to take his readers back to that sunlit Sunday morning in the tombs and to leave us awe struck, gazing into the dimly lit rock hewn resting place, where no body was at rest. He intends for us to see and hear a mystery man declare an amazing truth---“You look for Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified one, He is not here, He was raised!” He intends to shock us. He wants to send our emotions reeling. After all, the previous days and hours had been emotionally devastating. He told of His triumphal entry, subsequent arrest, trial, torture, execution, and death in a matter of a few pages of text. And now, even more briefly told, is this story of resurrection.
Are we too far removed from it to be awe struck? Are we too distanced from the event to feel the power of fear overcome us? What are the implications for you and me if this story is true? Easter is joyful. But it is also devastatingly amazing. It is awe-full, as Lutheran theologian Marva Dawn would say. Why? Because Easter changes everything. Resurrection means that there is a God who actually cares. God is no passive observer of human life and death. God actively participates in human suffering and death, in order to give holy meaning and life to it. Suffering and death are not meaningless ends to an irrelevant existence. Jesus’ resurrection is God’s promise to us. Sin and death do not hold power over our lives anymore. God is ultimate. Christ is Lord of life. We are recipients of God’s love when we trust that death is not the end. Resurrection is. The implications are staggering. The ways of war and injustice are fruitless. Our focus on survival and longevity is pointless. Selfish gains for a “better life now” are petty. Resurrection means that life is God’s. Your life, your health, your future are in the hands of the God who raised Jesus from the dead. So, surrender. Let God use you for love and love alone. Sew peace, bring hope, offer grace, provide mercy, do what is right and true. Believe with awe and amazement.
Happy Easter.
+ Love, Pastor Matt +

A New Book

Marva Dawn, Lutheran theologian and author, has written many books devoted to Christian theology and practice. She is rooted in a Lutheran biblical hermeneutic that guides are provocative handling of the Christian life. Her books "Truly the Community" and "Reaching out without Dumbing Down" are must-reads for practicioners struggling to interpret and practice Christian faith in 21st century North America. She takes her context seriously (and also comedically) when she engages a particular subject. Shre has written on the worship wars, sexual ethics, Sabbath Keeping, and Christian language.
The latter is a topic of her most recent book, "Talking the Walk: Letting Christian language live again." In the introduction she writes, "This book arose as does all my work: when something keeps striking me a a problem in the interrelationships of Christians, churches, and the society around us, I finally feel compelled to do soemthing about it." That is the nature of her writing and the gift it provides. She believes in the power of words, of language, of the message. in this recent book, she writes short vignettes, almost personal reflections, on Christian vocabulary. Everything God and Christ to grave and hell and salvation. One of her chapters is entitled "X". This material is poetic, thoughtful, and theologically astute. She intends to recapture language that has been "corrupted" (her words) by sin, misuse, overuse, underuse,etc...
On p. 44, the entry on Word (located in the section on language about God) says, "Isn;t it funny that a religion centered in One who is named "Word" has become so loppy with its words? I don't mean just with rejections of docrinal terms, but also with careless or overly sentimmentalized song or liturgy writing, with illiteracy concerning the words of the Scriptures which give testimony to the Word, with increasing dependence upon the visual to convey our faith in the Word to the world around us, and with diminished ability to hear God speak in a voice that contradicts our society's words about values and ideologies. You'd think that if we really believed that Jesus is God's Word, who is both God and with-God for us, we'd spend more time listening to the Word, more attention to living it, and more concern for what we say and how we say it."
How true.

New web site

Check out our new web page at www.zionakron.com, or click on the link on the right sidebar. Its in its infancy, bu we hope to have more content, including pictures of life at Zion, coming soon.
Also, the VIGIL is next Sunday, March 19, at 6:04 pm. Come and worship with us.
Peace,
PM

Lent 2 March 12, 2006
“Get behind me, Satan”
What have you done in your life to get ahead? Did you invest in a solid education? Did you marry someone with a better pedigree or financial security? Did you invest in the stock market or buy real estate? Did you work hard, really hard, extra hard—to get ahead? Did you get the feeling at a young age, as I did, that the deal in life was to lead, follow, or get out of the way? And that the followers didn’t amount to much. Leadership, being on top, excelling, succeeding, striving for greatness. That is what it is all about. And it is possible in America, yes? Some lower middle class schmuck makes a smart choice and the next thing you know he owns a fortune 500 company. Some computer geek strikes it rich with a search tool called GOOGLE. Anyone can play this game, right? Anyone can be the next American Idol, the next big thing. Just keep your eye on the prize. Get ahead of the next guy; no step on him. Put her in her place. That’ll get you ahead. “Everybody just get out of my way!!” Ever thought that?
“Get behind me, Satan.” You see, Peter had other plans for Jesus and himself. He thought that with Jesus, unlike John the Baptist, they had a guy who could rule the nation. A common man with mass appeal. JBAP was way too fringe to make it all the way. Peter had his man and was willing to sacrifice his own stuff to get him there. Like the campaign chief, Peter knew what it would take to get Jesus to the top—to Jerusalem, the temple, maybe even Rome itself! And any defeatist talk would not suffice. Suffering and death? At the hands of chief priests and scribes? No way. That’s not a get ahead attitude. That’s giving up. That’s giving in. That’s not fighting the good fight. Jesus was not the guy to take one for the team. Peter thought he would be that guy. No, Jesus was the leader of the team. Jesus was the one worth suffering for, so long as it gets him ahead where he belongs.
In how many ways, do we operate from a human motivation to get ahead or to succeed in our own terms? How do we encounter this Jesus, who is willing to surrender without a fight? Suffering is unacceptable. Self-sacrifice without tangible gains, is futility. Jesus is absurd. Peter won’t let him give up and give in. Not without a stern talk first.
“Get behind me, Satan.” Thing is, Jesus doesn’t have to get ahead. He is the head of all things. He is the Son of God. Everyone and everything else is less and must either follow or get out of the way. Satan throws up human intentions and human misunderstanding as roadblocks to God’s mission. But Satan fails. You can’t tell God what to do, no matter who you think you are. God knows we try. As if we know best.
Are you following the way or are you just in the way?
with love, PM

By CS Lewis

"I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Jesus: "I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept his claim to be God'. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said [referring to Jesus' forgiving the sins of those who had not directly offended him, like the paralytic, etc...] would not be a great moral teacher. He would be either a lunatic---on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg---or else he would be the devil of hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon; or you can fall at his feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to."--From Mere Christianity

Christianity is a demanding and serious religion. When it is delivered easy and amusing, it is another kind of religion altogether. --Neil Postman.

"Human nature is like a drunk peasant. Lift him into the saddle on one side, over he topples on the other side." --Martin Luther.

Saint Patrick

God's might to direct me
God's power to protect me
God's wisdom for learning
God's eye for discerning
God's ear for my hearing
God's Word for my clearing

God's Word in Worship Lent 2

These are the Scripture texts for Sunday, March 12th.

Monday: Genesis 17:1-7;15-16
Tuesday: Psalm 22:23-31
Wednesday: Romans 4:13-25
Thursday: Mark 8:31-38
Friday: for courage to follow Jesus in the wilderness of sin.

LENT 1

“Immediately the Spirit drove him out into the wilderness.”
In the Season of Lent the Gospel of Mark will take us on an exploration of Jesus’ life, as he does battle with the forces of evil and darkness. Koinonia will follow and comment on the Gospel, so that I can preach on the Old Testament Scriptures. Today, Jesus is tested in the wilderness by Satan. It is his identity as the incarnate Son of God that Satan will test. Who does he think he is, the high and mighty one showing up in rags and poverty? Satan will test Jesus’ ability to persevere in the face of sin. In the weeks ahead, Satan will take the form of friends, like Peter, religious peddlers, “the world”, and death itself. How will Jesus, divine and human, respond to the satanic forces that surround him, plot against him, tempt him, attempt to control him, and work to kill him?
In Mark’s gospel the temptation in the wilderness is an ongoing experience of Jesus’ life on earth. Unlike the other Gospels, in which Jesus clearly outwits the devil and avoids temptation, Mark’s testing is open-ended. There is no clear conclusion to the test. Does Jesus defeat Satan in the wilderness or not? It is unclear at the conclusion of today’s gospel. Why?
Jesus’ life in the wilderness of sin only begins post-baptism and continues until He is raised from the dead. His entire adult ministry is wilderness ministry. Only in His death are sin, death, and the devil ultimately defeated.
Are you baptized? Welcome to the wilderness. If you ever feel like you’re in the wilderness---lost, without God’s clear and visible help or guidance---then you are with Jesus. If you ever feel like you’re unsure how the end will turn out, you are with Jesus. If you’re enduring suffering because of love for someone, you are with Jesus. If you are struggling to cope with the broad and deep realities of injustice that surround us, i.e., poverty, war, hunger, greed, lust for power; then you are with Jesus. If you are questioning the purpose of a religious institution that is more concerned about survival than Gospel mission, you are with Jesus. If you are concerned for people who are nameless, voiceless, weak, imprisoned, and/or cast out of healthy society, then you are with Jesus. If you have discovered that the only one in whom you can put your trust is God, you are with Jesus.
In Baptism, we are joined to Jesus. The Spirit casts us out into the world with His eyes and heart. Your home, your work, your school, your neighborhood are your wilderness. You’ve been driven out with a mission, too. Perhaps this Lent you will seek it and find it---or it will find you…
with love, PM

ashes, ashes

This week we enter Lent. So, I offer you the words of others. First, an ode to Mardis Gras:
“We shall have mead, we shall have wine, we shall have feast. We shall have sweetness and milk, honey and milk, wholesome ambrosia, abundance of that, abundance of that. We shall have harp, we shall have lute, we shall have horn. We shall have sweet psaltery of the melodious strings and the regal lyre, of the songs we shall have, of the songs we shall have. And the king of Kings, and Jesus Christ, and the Spirit of peace, and of grace be with us, of grace be with us.”—Celtic Blessing on Ash Eve.
“One will have to give account in the judgment day of every good thing which one might have enjoyed and did not.”--- the Talmud. “And let this feeble body fail, and let it faint and die; my souls shall quit this mournful vail, and soar to worlds on high. Give joy or grief, give ease or pain, take life or friends away; But let me find them all again, in that eternal day. And I’ll sing halleluiah, and you’ll sing halleluiah, and we’ll all sing halleluiah, when we arrive at home.”--- The Social Harp. And Ash Wednesday: “You thumbed grit into my furrowed brow, marking me with the sign of mortality, the dust of last year’s palms. The cross you traced seared, smudged skin, and I recalled other ashes etched in my heart by those who loved too little or not at all.” --- Elizabeth-Anne Vanek. “In some monastic communities, monks go up to receive the ashes barefoot. Going barefoot is a joyous thing. It is good to feel the floor or the earth under your feet. It is good when the whole church is silent, filled with the hush of people walking without shoes. One wonders why we wear such things as shoes anyway. Prayer is so much more meaningful without them. It would be good to take them off in church all the time. But perhaps this might appear quixotic to those who have forgotten such very elementary satisfaction. Someone might catch cold at the mere thought of it.”---Thomas Merton.
Prayer, fasting, and charitable giving. These are the outward signs of an inward truth. We are utterly and permanently dependent upon others for sustenance. In the beginning and the end, life depends on God.

The Vigil

Soft acoustic music, candlelight, incense, and friends. At Zion Lutheran, 435 Main St., Akron, a new worship fills the senses. Creating the right environment is important for this monthly service, called the Vigil. People encounter God through the body, with our senses, and in community. The gathering embraces ancient and modern Christian worship by employing some modern technologies and sound, with the ancient texts and familiar rites of the 2,000-year Christian tradition. Worship is interactive, encouraging high participation from those who come. Worship is the place where the relationship between God and His people is formed and built. Like a dance, we come to meet God in worship and to receive His gift of grace and love, even as we respond in thankful praise and joyful song.
A rite of remembrance of Baptism, long part of the Lutheran confessional tradition, includes an invitation to come to the font for a water blessing. Scripture reading and response is interactive between pastor and congregation. Last month, excerpts from the U2 song, “I Still haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” capped a message about the human quest for God, meaning, and faith. All are invited to pray in small group stations for healing, peace, families, and spiritual guidance. Familiar texts include the Kyrie, “Lord, have mercy”, the Apostles’ Creed, and the Lord’s Prayer. We chose to retain the ancient words that bind the Christian faithful together, transcending time and space. It’s not about us, but about Christ and His suffering love for all humanity. We celebrate the Lord’s Supper by passing the common loaf and chalice, a sign of unity with Christ shared in the sacred meal.
Music is diverse and may include an old spiritual or hymn, a new Scripture song or contemporary Christian song, and some music written for the Vigil. A more diverse music repertoire invites broader participation across generations. Zion Akron invites the community to attend the Vigil on February 19th at 6:04 p.m. Ample parking in the lot on Main Street. For more information call Pastor Matt Lenahan at 859-2100 or visit his Weblog at www.luthkoinonia.blogspot.com.

a poem from Mark R.

People Who Take Care

People who take care of people
get paid less than anybody
people who take care of people
are not worth much
except to people who are
sick, old, helpless, and poor
people who take care of people
are not important to most other people
are not respected by many other people
come and go without much fuss
unless they don’t show up
when needed
people who make more money
tell them what to do
never get shit on their hands
never mop vomit or wipe tears
don’t stand in danger
of having plates thrown at them
sharing every cold
observing agonies
they cannot tell at home
people who take care of people
have a secret
that sees them through the double shift
that moves with them from room to room
that keeps them on the floor
sometimes they fill a hollow
no one else can fill
sometimes through the shit
and blood and tears
they go to a beautiful place, somewhere
those clean important people
have never been.

a poem about coffee

my son pretends to serve it from his plastic kitchen. "daddy likes coffee," he says. i drink the invisible blend of aromatic flavor carefully from the tiny red, plastic cup he hands to me. i burn my damn tongue anyway, spilling some on my trousers before going off to another evening meeting. my wife laughs because i managed to avoid staining the new carpet, because there is no coffee. there is only imagination and memory to taste, burn, and stain. but that is enough. as i walk out the door jonah says, "mommy drinks tea."

Where I was

I have been busy.

Team Ministry

As I work here, I realize that a team ministry concept is good. So, I have helped establish two teams already. Worship and Music team is an ongoing and well functioning group with good leadership. That leadership may be changing since our chair resigned. We are also entering some new territory with the Vigil and with Sunday morning liturgy as we consider going to one service for the entire Easter Season!
We have developed a mutual ministry team and a stewardship team. Now we will redevelop ministry board and, finally, an outreach team. Mutual ministry, stewardship, and ministry board will look at the gaps in our mission and get us focused on some key tasks. hey will also help us discover and deploy our God-given gifts and assets. I hope that we can begin to engage every person in some part of the mission in 2006. We really need to get some resources into outreach. I would like us to expand service opportunities too. A mission trip is in order.
Also, there is the potential for cooperative ministry among Lutherans in the area; something I am very excited about, and also anxious about. Am I called to lead something bigger in Ephrata area? I don't know yet. We pray.

At a holy site outside of Mecca, Muslim pilgrims stampede toward a series of pillars at which they hurl stones, as a symbolic purging of sin. In 7 of the past 17 years, people have died in the mob. This week, it is reported that over 300 were killed in the scene. What a tragic outcome of peoples’ desperate religious ---and impossible--- attempts to approach the holiness of God. It seems that these pilgrimages always end in violence and death. Despite attempts by authorities to encourage order, chaos ensues and people die. Do not take this as a jab at Islam. I mean no disrespect toward people’s beliefs. I do, however, contrast these religious efforts with our own faith perspective in this season of Epiphany.
Sometimes I think American Christian apathy, lukewarm-ness, is worse than the passionate stampede. Its either that or we tend to get hot about foolish matters and end up beating each other up anyway. How many times have people stomped off from a congregation over this issue or that?
I, for one, am grateful everyday, that the only deadly journey that is pat of our faith, was the journey of Christ Jesus to the cross. He allowed the world to hurl their sins at him.
In Epiphany, we are hearing gospel stories about discipleship. What we discover there is that for us, the only one whose religion matters, is Jesus. His passionate mission to die for us is a gift to the world. Discipleship acknowledges this gift. We point beyond ourselves and our own religious practices, beyond our institutional habits and rituals. We point to the one whose coming makes us whole and holy. We share His journey from life to death to resurrection. We share His ministry as His people. But we needn’t sacrifice ourselves for the sake of attaining what was already bought for us.