At the Movies

"The Nativity Story" is the new cinematic depiction of the birth of Jesus, as recounted in both Matthew and Luke. All of the characters make an appearance: a teenage Mary and a 20 something Joseph are well-cast and play nicely together as betrothed strangers drawn together for a divine mission to bear the Son of God for the world. In one scene they ponder together the mystery of the unborn child's divine identity. Joseph wonders if he'll be able to teach him anything at all. And mary wonders when they will know, what sign will they see indicative of His transcendence. Interesting speculative writing cohesive with the pondering that Luke's Mary is prone to do.

I found two flaws in this film. First, the Angel Gabriel was neither mysterious nor awe-inspiring in any way. It's the angel of the Lord for God's sake. And there is no heavenly host singing "Gloria in excelsis" to the shepherds. I sought more from hollywood with regard to the appearance of the angel. (He does appear several times; to Mary, Joseph, shepherds...) I was waiting for, at least, a blinding light to engulf the screen for ten seconds. But, nothing. Too andropomorphic for any real sense of "angel Gabriel" to make the grade. He looked like Barry Gibb in 1978.

And second I waited for King herod to be more ruthless, mad, manic in his jealous struggle to cling to "power". In Zifforelli's "Jesus of Nazareth" the great Peter Ustinov nails King Herod as a tyrannical villain with an insanity defense. In his order to slaughter the innocent boyso of Bethlehem Ustinov shouts, "Kill them. Kill them all," as he runs through the palace. In "nativity Story" the role is played with a subtle suspicion and a less vulnerable sense of royal challenge. he doesn;t take Messianic fulfillment seriously. He is capable of doing away with any future challenge to his throne, threatening even his son and heir Antipas. Its more like the Godfather than a fearful lunatic here. I longed for the lunatic!

He is, however, cast niceley against the comic relief team of the three stooges, known better as the Magi. Their sort of spirited and hopeful quest to find the star that shines on the baby King is characterized by a light and fun engagement. They don't take themselves too seriously. Its the baby who gains their religious respect and worshipful devotion. Contrast that with Herod's fear and jealousy. If only Herod had been played more charismatically.

That, in a nutshell, was the missing piece for me. Charisma. From the entire cast. Mary and Joseph were played with the proper emotions of two young people caught between human law/social customs and God's radical transcendence of them. if there had been some more charisma, some awe, transcdendence, deep emotions stirred, then we could have called this a masterpiece. Not to say that I wasn't moved. If yo love Jesus and the story of His birth, you will love this film.

In the end, realism is the intent of the film. People of all faiths can enjoy this film. Mike Rich and Catherine Hardwicke did not set out to evangelize through fil-making. They sought out to tell this story in its simple dramatic power. I think they understate the drama with a purpose. Jesus was after all born to two peasants from a tiny, unimportant village in a small, impoverished colony of the great and powerful Roman Empire. Jesus was born in the shadows, in the dark, behind the scenes, hidden from the mighty and powerful. This movie allows for His incarnation to come as it did, in weakness, humility, and silence.

PS--the sountrack is lovely.

to pray

"To pray is to ask that the laws of the universe be annulled in behalf of a single petitioner confessedly unworthy." Ambrose Bierce.
How true. But there is another truth to it. God indeed will temporarily unnull the laws of the universe for the sake of HIS beloved child, made in God's image, and made worthy through the heart of Jesus. And so Jesus taught us to pray:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed by thy name...

Messiah

Do you pray? Do you pray to Jesus? How do you address Him? We know that Jesus, since the time of His incarnate ministry, was known as Jesus Christ. The latter is the Greek Word for Messiah. Whenever we pray or confess or sing we call Him the Messiah. In Advent, the four weeks preceding Christmas, we devote ouselves to the expectation of HIS coming again. We hope for His coming as merciful judge and inaugurator of the new age. And we call him "Messiah". So what does it mean to do so? We take a Jewish notion of God's activity for granted, don't we? I mena have you ever stopped to think about Jesus Christ? Half of the time we say it without any thought at all, sometimes in disdain or anger as a kind of curse. But what does it mean to give this title to that man named Jesus?

Today, with my talk about Messiah, bible study was challenging. But this is a good time to think about what we say and believe about Jesus the Christ---the Messiah, the anointed one. It is no small leap to say that Jesus was the Messiah of Israel, rejected by His own. Its an even bigger leap to say that said Messiah was also GOD in the flesh. Adonai, the LORD. Emmanuel, God-with-us. This was, in Judaism, a blasphemous claim of self-idolatry. It leads to His execution.
Although a Messianic eschatology, a belief in a redeemr King ushering in a new age of peace and joy, unity and prosperity for God's people, was a widespread belief, Jesus did not fit the criteria for this Messiah. Many Rabbis in the time of Jesus taught that Messiah would come to rescue them from the hands of the Roman occupiers. Messiah would usher in a golden age, a return to the days of King David, the ideal King. messiah would embody the ideal and His reign would not end. Messiah was also a priestly or prophetic character who would stand between God and Israel forever as their chief defender and seeker of mercy. he wuold also be judge of the nations, the gentiles, and the unrighteous Jew. His judgment would be harsh and weed out the bad seeds.
There were multiple strands of thought in Judaism about Messiah at the time of Jesus. The gospel writers claimed that Jesus, in many ways, embodied the Messiah foretold in the prophets. But students of the hebrew Scriptures would disagree or at least struggle with agreement.
I have been doing a little basic study of Judaism's messianic thought. I have discovered that the claim of Jesus' Messiahship and the subsequent eschatology of the church are tied into Judaism more integrally than I knew. One cannot understand the title or Jesus' expression of it, nor know how to live as those who follow this Messiah, without understanding Judaism better. Our future hope is not unlike Jewish eschatology. We believe in an ultimate time of divine promissory fulfillment. God will vindicate, bring justice, healing, peace, a new rule and a new life. This is a shared hope of Jews and Christians. We, however, come at it from two different points of theological departure. Christians begin and end with the Christ event---the life,death, and resurrection of Jesus. Jews come at it from their understanding of the Torah and the Prophets.
Anyway, what I have come to believe is that Jesus was the Messiah of Israel and the savior of the world (a title that also shows opposition to the dominant powers of Rome). I have come to believe this and I understand that Jesus and His storytellers were influenced by Jewish Messianic thought. He is portrayed in such a way as to bolster these titular claims. And yet, something compelled the story to take life in the lives of so many others. Even though Jesus was not the kind of Messiah they thought they were watching for. Not the kind of savior they thought they needed. I think it is clear evidence in favor of His resurrection from the dead. What else would have prompted the radical leaps of faith His followers took to identify Him as Messiah, savior, Son of God. God in the flesh.

a genuine Christmas

No one can celebrate a genuine Christmas without being truly poor. The self-sufficient, the proud, those who, because they have everything, look down on others, those who have no need even of God---for them there wil be no Christmas. Only the poor, the hungry, those who need someone to come on their behalf will have that someone. That someone is God. Emmanuel. God-with-us. Without poverty of Spirit there can be no abundance of God. ---Oscar Romero

What is the Gospel? It has taken on so many secondary meanings that it has become a word lost to Christians and the world. It may mean a certain type of music. "For some it means the invitation to an individual to accept the forgiveness of sins, so to preach the gospel, to evangelize, is to spread the message oof this invitaiton. For others, it means correct teaching about the work of Christ, so that "evangelicals" are those who hold to traditional doctrines. Elsewhere 'evangelical' is the current word for protestant." John Howard Yoder.

But Yoder believes that Gospel is a word best understood in the language of revolution. Yoder says, "Gospel is the good news having seriously to do with the people's welfare." It is news that changes a community's fate, its status, its life. Gospel is when the Iranians set free the hostages in 1980. Its when the Berlin wall collpased. Its when nazi death camps were liberated. Gospel is when the fate of a community is changed from despair to hope., from tragedy to fortune.

For a long time, and for many Christians, gospel is the promise of eternal life---heaven. For others it is the forgiveness of sin, the expiation of guilt, the death of anxiety. These personal ways of understanding the gospel's purpose are true, but only partial visions of its far reaching consequences. When we understand gospel in the language of revolution we begin to see how transformative Jesus intended to be, indeed is for those who believe in Him.

"The priority agenda for Jesus, and for many of us, is not mortality or anxiety, but unrighteousness and injustice. The need is not for consolation or acceptance but for a new order in which [humanity] may live together in love. In his time, therefore, as in ours, the question of revolution, the judgment of God upon the present order and the imminent promise of another one, is the language in which the gospel must speak. What most people mean by revolution,the answer they want, is not the gospel; but the gospel, if it be authentic, must so speak as to answer the question of revolution. This Jesus did." ---Joihn Howard Yoder, theologian.

Luke's Christmas story is the story of this quiet revolution. Hidden in the babe of Bethlehem is the revolutionary, liberating, GOD.To take on that particular flesh was to take on the very weakness and vulnerability of an oppressed, backwater, impoverished "royal" family. Mary and Joseph embody all who are in need of rescue from the present world order. Without God's intervention and their trust in God, their story is impossible. It opposes every power and perception of this world. from the imperial might of Augustus to the tyrannical reign of Herod, Jesus is a a revolution waiting to happen.

Are we revolutionaries?

Mary's Word

"What business have we of reversing the priorities of Mary's Magnificat, filling the rich with good things and sending the poor empty away? There's nothing in any sacred scripture anywhere that says that the whims of the rick should best the rights of the poor. How, Sunday by Sunday, can Christians pray "forgive us our debts" and not think of third world countries, some of whom are spending three to five as much paying off foreign debts as they do on basic services to their own people?" ---William Sloane Coffin.

:A friend who had spent a sabbatical working with refugees in Southeasa Asia once sent me a homemade Christmas card...a black-and-white snapshot of a Cambodian mother holding her infant in her arms...In silence, the photgraph spoke powerfully about Mary as a presence in our world, a constant reminder that in the incarnation the omnipotent God chose to take on human vulnerability...a child born not to wealth and power but to an impoverished peasant woman and her uneasy husband in the rural backwater of a small, troubled, colonized country."---Kathleen Norris.

Today is Pearl Harbor Day and the end of U.S. global isolationism in the face of militant fascism. It was a surprise attack that alerted every American to the global threat overwhelming Europe and Asia---a threat that finally reached outr own shores. We could no longer stand by. We were compelled to act.
In my estimation Pearl Harbor and the 9/11 attacks tell us somethig about American life. Americans are not particularly watchful or vigilant. We don't know what hits us until it does. Nor are we particularly visionary in our estimation of global politics and economics. We don't know our place in the world, our collective responsibilities as members of the global national community. Why not? What is in our collective unconscious, our national story,that prevents us from being more aware? Why are we mind-numbingly slow to recognize our place in the scheme of things; and that our place of honor among the nations requires of us a great deal of humility and sacrifice?
Today we honor men and women who's lives were lost in the 1941 attack, and those whose lives were lost in the resultant war effort.

"Prince of peace, we pray for our enemies and those who have waged war against us. We pray for our fellow countrymen who have given their lives in battle. We pray for those who continue to follow orders to protect us from the ravages of war. But we also pray that you might awaken us to the poverty and pain around us. Alert us to the ways in which we cause global strife, warfare, and injustice. Make us attentive to the struggles of our neighbors and show us how to serve them. In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Compassion's Money

What if the U.S. chose to spend the money we spend at war to rebuild war torn nations? What if we risked our own national security in order to actually serve the needs of the desperately poor around the world? Imagine using that money and our highly educated human resources to improve the lives of people suffering from AIDS in Africa or suffering from genocide and oppression in Israel/Palestine. President Bush had an opportunity five years ago to stand as a world leader who understood empathy and compassion, rather than retaliation and destruction. He could have called 9/11 a global tragedy, carried out by a few Saudi terrorists fueled by a radical interpretation of Islam and by the injustice perpetrated by American imperial dominance of the global financial market. American consumerism, entitlement, and faithlessness to the God of the Bible ignites that religious fuel. The God of the bible is clearly a God who defends the poor, the widow, the orphan, the foreigner, the refugee, the woman, the child, the castoffs, the cutoffs, the left outs, the persecuted and oppressed. God is a God of justice which is guidedn by compassion.

And yet, we cause daily, hourly, weekly, annual struggle. And we are numb to it. We are isolated from it. But look at your clothing. Where was it made? Who made it? How much were they paid to make your clothes? How much did you pay for them? Who benefited the most from the money yuo spent on your clothes? Was it the Chinese woman who stitched your shirt together or the businessman who sold them to JC Penneys? You thoughtless generation. No wonder we are at war and you are not changing your habits. In ten years, you will have spent a lot of money paying for a war effort you did not necessarily believe in. But since you are satisfied with your place in the global food chain, you don't see a reason to change. You don't know how to change it. What of the American Spirit that dsought independence from tyranny, not for freedom's sake alone, but in order to make a more just society where more people had opportunity to live good lives. Where is our boldness? Compassion is a bold political move because compassion requirs that you are not nub to the pain of others. It requirs that you embrace the pain of the other in an effort to accompany them, console them, offer them a communnity of hope. And our neighbors are dying from hunger. Nobody should live on less than $2.00 a day.
What are you going to do about it today?

Real Money

"By one estimate, the war in Iraq may eventually cost us $2 trillion! Which raises the question: how else could we have used this money? Acording to Nicholas Kristof (New York Times, October 24), it is four times the amount of money needed to stabilize social security for the next 75 years, and it is four times the amount needed to provide health care insurance for all uninsured Americans for the next decade. Every minute we stay in Iraq costs another $380,000." --Christian Century, November 28, 2006, p. 6.

My Father-in-law thinks we could avoid a full blown Iraqi civil war and actually stop car bombings all together by purchasing a new car for every Iraqi. It would have ot be the same vehicle, same make, model, color, etc...Maybe a Ford Focus. For less than the cost of the war effort, every Iraqi would receive the gift of a new car. Who wants to blow up a new car? And if all the cars are the same, there's no competition. Iraqi oil companies would thrive, auto mechanic schools would be full. Just an idea.

light of lights

"Light of Lights! All gloom dispelling, thou didst come to make thy dwelling here within our world of sight.
Lord, in pity and in power, thou didst in our darkest hour rend the clouds and show thy light.
Praise to thee in earth and heaven now and evermore be given, Christ, who art our sun and shield. Lord, for us thy life thou gavest, those who trust in thee thou savest, all thy mercy stands revealed." St. Thomas Aqinas.

moonlight

Moonlight

moonlight shining dimly in the dark, i see your dirty face, your dusty self,silently shrinking from fullness to newness;
strange how the new moon is invisible, as if all begins in darkness, letting light emerge carefully, slowly, night after night after night.

moonlight reflecting rays that are not your own, the greater light hidden behind global grandeur, or global danger. we turn away from the light of day only to catch her constancy in the dusty mirror of your face. the great light always illumines the earth, even in shadows, where you light the path through midnight depths.

Moonlight, we are like you. No more than dust, beholden to the earth's pull, her gravity, her allure---her worldliness we cannot escape. We shine, but not an inner light transcendent of ourselves. Our light is moonlight, mystery, madness---a dim reflection of the sun's pure light. And so too, we glow in the darkness, searching for the end of night, longing for the warmth of the sun, the light of day to dawn around us, exposing our soiled selves. we long for night to cease, to be forever comsumed by the gret light of GOD. To fade away as the sun rises, never to set, to fall, to darken day again.
Come great light, overpower our moonlight reflection with your brightness and turn our advent hopes into Christmas Joy.

a good wine

I enjoy a glass of wine with my wife. She's a semi-sweet girl--mostly White Zinfandel. I am not. Anybody have any suggestions for a good merlot?
I recently had a fairly decent Pinot Grigio by MonteVina, California.
I like semi-dry to dry wines. From chardonnay to cabernet.
Anyone drink Cabot,an Italian wine...?
Always searching for a decent dinner/after dinner wine.

javateas and the Spirit

its a quaint little coffee bar on the north side of town. i've been in there twice now; once for a mocha and once for lunch. I would like to host a gathering there for conversation about Jesus, God, life, stuff...maybe to review interesting books, movies, or discussion topics. I hope to stop by this week to find out if they're interested in providing hospitality. We'll see...I'd like to publicize it soon. I think they host some other activities already.

a new look

time for a change. here is the new look for my blog. what do you think? i hope the content of my blog continues to build a community. i'm open to suggestions...

anyone intersted?

I'm calling it "x's and why's: the quest to question God." I intend to get a small group of peers together for conversation. This is a little tricky because I am an institutional man---I dress like a church pastor a lot. I have an office, etc...But I believe that my peers are interested in meaningful relationships and meaningful experiences that will motivate and inspire their lives. They hunger and thirst for GOD, for the mystery in the madness, and for JESUS (although they may not even know HIM yet). They're searching for someone to make sense of what they experience in life. They know it can be found in many places and ways, but they are savvy shoppers and know what is a cheap knockoff and what is authentic. Authenticity is key. The church does not appear authentic to them. Why? The mega church is not gospel, its culture with an agenda. The mainline church is not gospel, its what remains after the church gets inculturated and politicized and rich---which will happen eventually to the mega churches, too. Authentic followers of JESUS will thrive under only a few conditions; one, they are a persecuted or rejected minority, not "the moral majority or the leaders of nations"; two, they are small, weak, dying, suffering servants willing to give all to rescue one more. three, they are deeply sacramental--needing the water of baptism and the bread and cup often. they are evangelical, needing to listen to JESUS. They are apostolic---sent out with a clear mission for the day to live life in the world for the world, the neighbor.

Christ the King

Robert Powell in "Jesus of Nazareth"

Does anyone else find it subversive that Christians declare allegiance, faith, loyalty to this King whose Kingdom is not of this present world order? Does anyone find it contrary to follow this servant King, this compassionate Lord, this sacrifical monarch, while continuing to serve our own self-interests? Or our nation's self-interests, when those interests cause war, economic disaster, and global tyranny? How might we become ambassadors for Christ the King during this Holy Season of hope and peace? Are we not His loyal subjects, his servants, his students? To where does our king lead us? To the mall, the outlets, the online shopping plaza or to the prison, the homeless shelter, and the hospital bed? "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the Words of eternal life." If we echo Peter's commitment to Jesus, what does that mean? His crown, a crown of thorns. His throne, a cross and tomb. His power, made known in weakness. He stands in direct contrast to the powers of this world. Do we stand with HIM?

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.