An Attitude of Gratitude

Luke 17:11-19        New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
Jesus Cleanses Ten Lepers
11 On the way to Jerusalem Jesus[a] was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he entered a village, ten lepers[b] approached him. Keeping their distance, 13 they called out, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14 When he saw them, he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were made clean. 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. 16 He prostrated himself at Jesus’[c] feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus asked, “Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? 18 Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 Then he said to him, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.”

Dear Friends in Christ, Grace and Peace to you from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen!

So, one day, a large dog walks into a butcher shop carrying a purse in its mouth. He puts the purse down and sits in front of the meat case. "What is it, boy?" the butcher jokingly asks. "Want to buy some meat?" "Woof!" barks the dog. "Hmm," says the butcher. "What kind? Hamburger, bacon, steak ..." "Woof!" interrupts the dog. "And how much steak? A pound, two pounds, three pounds..." "Woof!" So the amazed butcher wraps up the meat and finds the money in the dog's purse.

As the dog leaves he decides to follow. The dog enters an apartment house, climbs to the third floor and begins scratching at a door. With that, the door swings open and an angry man starts shouting at the dog. "Stop!" yells the butcher. "He's the most intelligent animal I've ever seen!" "Intelligent?" says  the man. "This is the third time this week he's forgotten his key."
He wasn't thankful.

Today's Gospel is found only in Luke, and is the story of Jesus' healing of ten lepers. In some ways it is a story for every one of us. We may not have the disease of leprosy, yet we all have the disease of sin and its effects. We all fall short of God's intention for us. We are a people of unclean hearts and minds and lips, just as lepers were people of unclean bodies. 

To begin, I briefly want to explain what sort of situation the ten lepers were in. As we all know, leprosy was a dreaded disease in Jesus' day, mostly because it was not clearly understood. What we know nowadays is that their leprosy was not necessarily what we would call “Hansen's disease,” which is the terrible wasting disease that we think of as leprosy. Biblical leprosy included skin diseases such as ringworm, some types of mold, and other infectious skin diseases. But because medical knowledge back then was not what it seemed, it was very easy for all of these diseases, both treatable and more fatal, to all be lumped under one category. And this was a problem for those who caught any of them, because by the laws of of Moses, they were to be declared “unclean” and “socially unfit.”

For many, being called a Leper was a death sentence. It was assumed they were being punished for something they'd done wrong. So they were banished – not to be associated with, but avoided, lest they spread their contamination – and, get this, their condemnation – to others. 

So, back to our story: The ten lepers approached Jesus as he was traveling through the countryside between Samaria and Galilee. They stood the required distance away – as lepers had to do – but instead of crying out “unclean!” they cried out, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us." The word they used for Master, Teacher, is one used by disciples. They seemed to recognize in Jesus not only one who could perform miracles and had the power to heal them, but also one who would command their allegiance, There was no offer of payment, for being lepers they probably didn't have much to give. But what they did do was place their faith in the One who could help them.

He told the lepers, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." This is significant in two ways: One, he treated the lepers the same way he treated everyone else. In other words, he didn't criticize them or question whether or not they were worthy of his time and attention. The only prerequisite to receiving God's grace and love is your need of him. This is precisely what Jesus had told the Pharisees in Matthew's gospel, saying:

"Those who are healthy have no need for a physician,
but those who are sick do…
I came not to call the righteous,
but sinners to repentance." (Matthew 9:12)

Secondly, Jesus telling the lepers to go and see the priest is significant because Jesus did not seek to circumvent the authority of the church. If it was the priest's responsibility to declare an individual unclean in the first place, it was up to the priest to determine whether or not the individual had been healed. This meant that the lepers would be able to rejoin society and their families. 

So, as the ten went on their way to the temple they became clean. But one of them, who was a Samaritan, seeing that he was clean, did four things: 1. He turned back to Jesus, 2. He praised God, 3. He prostrated himself, that is he knelt before Jesus, and 4. Thanked Jesus. Now a curious question arises from Jesus, as He asks where are the other nine? Weren't they on their way to go do what he told them to do? But more interestingly, Jesus highlights two of the four things that the Samaritan did, being that he turned, and gave praise to God. Now a little bit about the Samaritans, they were on the out-and-out of society at that time, and were not allowed to even set foot in the temple. But what sets him apart in this case is that he took the time to turn back to God and thank Him for what he has done. 

Earlier, I had said that this is story for all of us, and now I'd like ask for your help with some audience participation. In many ways this story is the story of Faith-Lilac Way's core values. I'd like to invite you take out the Lilac insert in your bulletins, and  read the first value with me:
“Our identity as a welcoming community. Because God unconditionally welcomes each of us, we seek to do the same to all who come to us.”

While you still have that out, let's also read the final value together:
“The celebration of our relationships with God and with each other.”

Having come from a place of love and acceptance, we are able to, just as the Samaritan did, turn and give thanks for what God has done for us. But sometimes we get caught up the day-to-day rules of life, just as the other nine did, that even in happy times, we're rushing off without thanking the God who made it all possible. In the words of Martin Luther, "God does not need our work and has not commanded us to do anything for Him but to thanks and praise Him." We CAN give thanks and praise God for so many gracious gifts to us. We SHOULD offer our sacrifice of thanks and praise for what God has given us. And some of the ways that we can give thanks and praise to God is shown here on this purple sheet. Today, especially, we will be gathering to think how we can give thanks and praise for the resources we have been given, and how we can be good stewards of what we have. So, as you go on your way today, I invite you to remember what God has done for us, and give thanks. The Good News is that Jesus has died for us, bringing us from death to life so we in turn can and say:
“thanks be to God.” Amen

James Anderson
October 9, 2016

Faith is a GIFT: A life of faith is a life worth living

The lessons for today all have one thing in common: Faith. The prophet Habakkuk proclaims God’s word that “The righteous shall live by Faith”. The disciples beg Jesus to “Increase our Faith!” And in his letter to Timothy, Paul reminds him of his faith, a faith passed down to him from his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice.

So today, the day in which four of our young people are AFFIRMING their Faith, I want to explore three questions of Faith:

1) Where does it come from?

2) How much do I need?

3) And, finally, if “the righteous shall live by faith, what does a life of faith look like?”

Let’s begin with the easiest one: Where does Faith come from? Paul reminds Timothy that his faith was “passed down” from his mother and grandmother. So if faith is “passed down,” who passed it to you?

Who first told you about Jesus? What it your mom or dad? A grandma or grandpa? A godparent? Someone else in your family? Or was it someone at church? A Sunday School teacher? A pastor? Or was it someone surprising – a neighbor, a friend, a teacher? Maybe it was more than one person. Or maybe you don’t remember who FIRST told you about Jesus. Can you think of one or two or more people who have told you about Jesus?

Yesterday I asked the Confirmands what they remembered about their baptism. None of them remembered a thing! It’s not surprising – all of them were just a few months old when they were baptized. This is because we believe that faith is a gift from GOD. So we baptize people at any age because we believe that the promises of Jesus are for everyone! Young and Old, rich and poor, skin colors and heritages of every variety are invited into God’s kingdom. All are welcome and INVITED to receive the gift of faith.

‘It’s God’s Gift – and it’s free. Faith was given to you so that you will know that:

God loves you and wants a relationship with YOU and is with you ALWAYS.

So what about the next question, “How much do You or I need?” If it’s a free gift, why wouldn’t we, like the disciples, want Jesus to give us as much faith as possible?

To put the Gospel story into context, the disciples have been traveling with Jesus and listening to Jesus teach about the life of faith. In the verse right before our Gospel, Jesus is preaching forgiveness and mercy…even to their enemies – and they were living under Roman occupation. That sounds really hard. The disciples realize that this is a good teaching – but a hard one and so they beg Jesus: increase our faith!

It sounds like a worthy request: Increase our Faith. But instead, Jesus seems to scold them, telling them that if they had the smallest bit of faith – even the “size of a mustard seed” they could command the mulberry tree to move – and it would!

To be clear, Jesus isn’t interested in transplanting mulberry trees into the sea. Instead, he is seeking to teach his disciples about faith.

Faith isn’t quantifiable. You can’t measure it like your blood pressure or weigh it on a scale or compare your faith to someone else’s. It’s not a competition.

It is a gift. And it was given to you so that you will know that:

God loves you and wants a relationship with YOU and is with you ALWAYS.

So what does this mean? It means that you do not need to be afraid when times are hard, as they were in the time of the prophet Habakkuk. You do not need to worry about whether you will have “enough” faith, like the disciples in the Gospel. Faith is not something that you measure – nor is it something that you can set on the shelf and admire. Jesus is not giving out cool “faith awards” that need to be dusted.

Faith doesn’t get dusty. Instead, faith is a way of life.

In our Gospel, Jesus gives a really hard and confusing example about the life of faith. It’s confusing for us because it is based on the culture of the first century. To put it in our context, it’s like when you go to a restaurant, you don’t invite the waiter to sit down and eat with you. And they don’t expect it! Instead, the waiter or waitress does their job and then, after they have done their job they can go in the break room and eat. When they serve you they are simply doing their job.

In that same way, we as Christians, as people of faith, are called to a life of faith – it’s our job. It’s our life. It is who God calls us to be. It’s who we are. Don’t expect to get an award for it. Instead, this is the life to which God has called YOU. It isn’t always glamorous. But it is a life worth living.

It’s a life worth living because it is a life with Christ. Remember, Faith is a gift, a gift from God. So if you have the presence of Christ with you always, you always have access to all the faith you will every need.

The real question is: How do you and you and I live out the faith that God has given us? If “the righteous shall live by faith, what does a life of faith look like?”

It starts with our baptism. This is when God makes public the promises that God loves you and wants a relationship with YOU and is with you ALWAYS. These are God’s promises to you.

But God is not the only one making promises.

Since our Confirmands don’t remember their baptism – and we don’t expect them to, they were only infants – I want to remind them and all of us what it is that their parents and godparents and the people of God in this congregation promised to do to support them in their Christian faith.

1) Live with them among God’s faithful people;

2) Bring them to the word of God and the holy supper;

3) Teach them the Lord’s prayer, the Creed and the 10 Commandments;

4) Place in their hands the holy scriptures;

These are 4 of the 5 promises that your parents made with the help of your Godparents and the whole congregation. They kept these promises – well done! But.. they and you are not done.

Parents and Godparents: I have to inform you: There is no expiration date on the promises that you made to GOD for your child. You are NOT DONE. Living a life of faith means that parents and Godparents and their children regardless of how old they are will continue to:

1) Live among God’s faithful people – in other words, be a part of Christian community;

2) Come to worship to hear the word of God and receive the holy supper; You still need to be fed with God’s word and with Christ’s body and blood.

3) Remember and continue to grow in faith as you continue to study what the Lord’s prayer, the Creed and the 10 Commandments are teaching you about living a Christian life TODAY;

4) You placed the scriptures in your child’s hands and so now they and you can READ the scriptures so that you will continue to read and hear God’s Word and wrestle with what it means for your life.

Finally, the fifth promise. This is a promise for a lifetime for your parents, for Godparents, for the congregation, and for our confirmands and they affirm their faith. Listen:

5) Nurture them in faith and prayer so that they may learn to trust God, proclaim Christ through word and deed, care for others and the world God made, and work for justice and peace. That is the life of faith.

This is the life that we have promised to lead.

Trust God. Proclaim Christ by your daily words and actions. Remember the person or persons who first told you about Jesus? This is what they were doing – they proclaimed Christ. Care for others. That’s what Jesus taught us – to love one another. Take care of God’s world. Work for justice and peace. This is a life of faith. This is a life worth living. And it is a Gift from God. Amen.

Pastor Pamela Stalheim Lane
Faith-Lilac Way
October 2, 2016

Jesus is Lord…. Now what?

Through the month of September, as we begin our program year, we are focusing on Mission – God’s Mission for Us and our response. Last week we heard Gospel stories of the lost that were found – and were reminded that Jesus seeks out the lost and seemingly forsaken. We were also reminded that, despite the challenges of this world, God’s love is stronger than evil, God’s goodness is greater than hate and God’s plan – although foolish to the world -- is wiser than all of the world’s wisdom – and it involves you and me. That’s God’s plan A - and there is no plan B. 

Today, building on that theme, we read from the Gospel of John that God has sent Jesus into the world – why? Because God LOVES the world. 

Pastor Kelly Fryer tells the story in her book, “Reclaiming the ‘L’ Word” that on a warm beautiful day, she was sitting in a seminary classroom – wishing she was outside. Apparently the rest of the class also looked bored because the professor suddenly slapped his notebook shut, took a piece of chalk and went to the board and drew a big down-pointing arrow. 

He said, “If you understand that, you understand everything you need to know about what it means to be a Christian... who also happens to be a Lutheran.” Then he left.

That got the class’ attention. The next time they gathered for class, the professor again drew this arrow. But then he said, “Here’s what this means. God always comes DOWN. God always comes Down. There is never anything that WE can ever do to turn that arrow around and make our way up to God. God came down in Jesus. And God still comes down, in the bread and the wine, in the water and in the fellowship of believers. God ALWAYS comes Down.”

John 3:16 and 3:17 tell us why God would do that for us. It’s because God LOVES the World. God loves you and me. God wants relationship – God does not want to condemn people – even though we mess up… a lot. It is because God wants a relationship with you that God sent Jesus – in the flesh – with skin on – to be one of us. 

In Philippians chapter 2, we hear again the story of how Jesus came DOWN to earth, humbling himself, emptying himself and dying a shameful death on the cross. But that’s not the end of the story. God raised Jesus – so that, Paul writes, “every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” 

We aren’t there yet. When you hear someone say, “Jesus” on the street, they probably aren’t praying. 

There was a time in which people thought of America as a Christian nation. Scholars can – and do – debate whether that was true or not but regardless of how “Christian” our country was in the past, now we live in a time in which, like the first Christians, we have a counter-cultural message. And much of the world does not know the Jesus that we proclaim. The Grace-filled message of Christ that we proclaim is overshadowed by other messages of hate – not love and judgment, not mercy. 

This makes our message even more important – for the sake of a world that needs to hear Good News! So again – the Jesus we proclaim is a God who: 

CAME DOWN. 
Would you please draw this arrow on the
back of your bulletin? Write beside it: GOD CAME DOWN. 

Jesus the Son of God Came DOWN because God Loves US – and sent Jesus. And it was Jesus who became like us, suffered, died and then defeated the power of death by rising again. And this is why we proclaim: Jesus is LORD. 

Jesus is LORD. That was the first confession of the church – before we had the Apostles Creed or the Nicene Creed or any other creed. It’s the simplest creed – and yet the most essential. Because without proclaiming “Jesus is Lord” – a group can be a nice club or a bunch of good-willed people– but it is not Christ’s church, it isn’t the body of Christ.

This is why Jesus is LORD needs to be the first Guiding Principle for every Christian church.   “Guiding Principles” are the central, non-negotiable elements of our Christian faith. They remind us who we are and what is most important in our life as followers of Jesus” and helps us answer the question: “What is it that God wants to be doing in us and through us”. And so I want you to write next to your arrow:  “Jesus is Lord.”  

That’s number 1. Rev. Dave Daubert in his book, Living Lutheran, suggests that Churches come up with five to six “Guiding Principles”. They should be based on the core vales of the church and on God’s mission for the church. But they should be short, memorable, and act as an intersection between Biblical values and today’s choices. 

Kelly Fryer’s church came up with five guiding principles: 
1) Jesus is Lord.
2) Everyone is Welcome
3) Love Changes People
4) Everybody has Something to Offer
5) The World Needs What We Have. 

Another Lutheran church’s guiding principles were:
1) Jesus is Lord.
2) Deepening our faith strengthens our discipleship.
3) Everyone is a minister.
4) God sends us as Gifts to the World. 
5) We love to tell the story. 
6) We invite all to join us in God’s work. 

Of course, “Guiding Principles” are only helpful if they are used. Pastor Dave shared the story of a church that adopted Guiding Principles and hung them on the wall. And then… they kind of moved on. But one night, the council was debating whether or not they should open their doors to a homeless shelter. The church that had been hosting was under reconstruction due to water damage and so they asked this church if they would be open to hosting. The council debated the pros and cons. It was an opportunity for mission. But it would be hard on their church building. They seemed kind of stuck. But then, one of the council members looked up, read the Guiding Principles and then said, “Look at Guiding Principle #2: ‘All are Welcome and Invited.’ That includes homeless people, right?” The council quickly agreed to open their doors to the shelter.

It’s not always that obvious – it wasn’t obvious for that council at first. But the idea of having Guiding Principles is that they come out of the Biblical Core values of the church and help the congregation to live into the Mission of God. 

Now… it’s Your turn. 
Take a look at the purple insert on the Core Values side. Circle what you would consider the 4 Core Values that are most central to God’s work at Faith-Lilac Way. There are a lot. But in summary:
#1 values being a welcoming community;
#2 values Equipping people to put their gifts to work
#3 values Stewardship, managing the gifts entrusted to us
#4 values Discipleship
#5 values Participation
#6 values communication – being a community
#7 values Learning
#8 values being a Safe community
#9 values collaboration with others
#10 values the greater church
#11 values relationship with God and each other. 

I know it’s hard to choose. I’ll give you just a few moments – and then please offer your input by placing your lilac sheet in the offering plate. I’ll be sharing the results with the council this Thursday and with you next Sunday as we continue to explore God’s Mission for us in this place and as we go.
For as a congregation, we are Going in Grace, Growing in Faith, and Serving the Lord. Thanks be to God! 

Pastor Pam Stalheim Lane
Faith-Lilac Way Lutheran Church, 
September 18, 2016

God’s “Foolish Plan” for Our Troubled World

Raise your hand if you were living and remember Pearl Harbor Day.

Raise your hand if you were living and remember where you were on the date that President John F. Kennedy was assassinated?

Raise your hand if you remember where you were fifteen years ago, on September 11, 2001.

These dates: Pearl Harbor, the date JFK was assassinated and 9/11/2001 are markers for us of events that changed our country, rocked our sense of security and altered the way that people in our country look at the world. And so we pause today – on September 11 - to remember and reflect and pray.

Although we don’t want to get stuck – or be superstitious about dates - the truth is that as a result of the acts of a group of terrorists on 9/11 in 2001, our world changed. It got smaller as we as Americans realized that an ocean is not enough to protect us.

One more question: how many of you carry – or travel with someone who carries -- a cell phone or other electronic device?

The world has gotten even smaller as technology and social media bring us news of events across the world in real time. Whether we get an alert on our phone or whether we listen to the news, we know when there is an earthquake in Italy, refugees drowning in the Mediterranean Sea and political unrest in Brazil, to name a few. And the problems are not only overseas. Many people in our country are very anxious about our upcoming election because the language of and about the candidates has become vitriolic. It’s mean. In North Minneapolis and St. Paul we have protests over police shootings and we have police being attacked while they are attempting to protect the protesters’ right to gather. The problems are not far away. And we are connected to them through the media – almost immediately. It is easy to conclude: our world is in trouble.

Our world is in trouble and people have wondered: Is God strong enough to combat the evil of this world? If God allows such evil – how can God be good? Where is God’s wisdom in our world? Or has the world simply run amuck?

This is not the first time that God’s power, goodness and wisdom have been questioned. Arguing against a Greek humanist philosophy of wisdom, the apostle Paul writes that the foolishness of God is wiser than the wisdom of humans. It’s an interesting philosophical debate. But since Jesus didn’t argue philosophy – but rather told stories to illustrate how God works in the world -- I thought I’d tell this story that I heard once of a “conversation in heaven.”

The angels were talking in heaven one day.

The first angel said to the other: Did you hear about God’s plan? God is going to send his son Jesus down to earth as a baby to become one of them to save them from their sins.

The second angel responded: No! You must be wrong. People will kill him.

The first angel said: I know it. You know it. And if WE know it, God’s got to know it.

The second angel said: Hmm. I still don’t think it’s going to work. What’s plan B?

To that God replies: There IS No PLAN B.

There is no Plan B. It seemed foolish to the Jews and the Gentiles. But God’s way is not our way. God sent Jesus to redeem this world – this troubled world – because of God’s great love for us. It seems like it can’t work. It seems foolish. It seemed foolish in Paul’s day too. Paul writes, “we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.”

Jews and Greeks – that’s how people were divided in Paul’s day. And God’s plan seemed crazy or foolish to all who were wise –– then and now.

But despite how crazy or foolish God’s plan may appear, Paul proclaims: “to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.” Likewise, to our diverse world today whether Black, white, Asian, Latino, Arab, native, immigrant, migrant, rich and poor we can proclaim: Jesus Christ is the power of God.

Living after the Resurrection, we know the end of the story. We know that Jesus Christ will triumph. But what does that mean for today?

Let’s go back to what those angels in the story might have said after the resurrection.

The first angel says, “Great job Jesus! You conquered the power of death. I have to admit – I didn’t think it could be done! Not that I’m doubting you.”

The second angel looks at the first and says: “I think you should stop there.”

The first angel says, You are probably right. Good thing there’s grace abundant up here! But I still have a question, “Jesus, what’s next? I mean…you conquered sin and death - but there’s still a big mess in the world.”

Jesus smiles and says, “That’s right – that’s why I called my disciples and empowered them with the Holy Spirit to carry out God’s Mission in the world.”

The second angel said, “I don’t suppose there’s a plan B?”

There is no plan B. It doesn’t sound wise, but if it is foolish, it is GOD’s foolishness. Jesus is counting on us – you and me - the baptized children of God - to carry out God’s mission in the world – and in our world, in the places that we live, eat, work, shop, go to school – in all the places where we go. For, wherever you are, the cross - emblazoned on your forehead - leads the way.

Still - some days it’s hard. When I heard that the remains of Jacob Wetterling had been found – and not only found but the worst nightmare of his family had came true – my stomach churned. Even though my head knew that this was the likely outcome of the story of a boy missing for 27 years, still… my gut ached for his family. There was no more hope for another possibility. As his mother Patty said, “Our hearts are broken.”

It is hard, when we hear stories like this, to affirm that the Love of God can stand up against the evil and suffering of this world. And yet…in the 27 years while they were waiting and hoping, the Wetterling family did not stand idly by – but were busy making the world a safer place for other people’s children. And even after finding out the bitter truth, the Wetterling family again showed incredible courage and faith. When asked what people could do to help, Patty wrote, “Say a prayer. Light a candle. Be with friends. Play with your children. Giggle. Hold hands. Eat ice cream. Create joy. Help your neighbor.”

Pray. Create Joy. Help Your neighbor. Let the love of Christ shine through the broken places – because there is no plan B.

Do not despair. Be of good courage because the Holy Spirit walks with us – and seeks us out even when or maybe especially when our hearts are broken, when we are anxious, afraid and feel lost -- just as the shepherd seeks the lost sheep.

And so, confident of the presence of God’s Holy Spirit, as a church we at Faith-Lilac Way can and will be praying and talking about our part in God’s mission for our neighborhood and for our lives. In the upcoming weeks we will be reminded of this as we look together at our mission statement – does it still fit or do we need to update it? We will ponder together: How is God leading us to live into this mission we share today and for our tomorrows?

Remember: we do not need to be anxious or afraid. Because, despite the challenges of this world, God’s love is stronger than evil, God’s goodness is greater than hate and God’s plan – although foolish to the world -- is wiser than all of the world’s wisdom – and it involves you and me.

Pastor Pam Stalheim Lane
Faith-Lilac Way Lutheran Church
September 11, 2016

Set Free

Luke 13:10-17
10 Now Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath. 11 And just then there appeared a woman with a spirit that had crippled her for eighteen years. She was bent over and was quite unable to stand up straight. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, "Woman, you are set free from your ailment." 13 When he laid his hands on her, immediately she stood up straight and began praising God. 14 But the leader of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had cured on the sabbath, kept saying to the crowd, "There are six days on which work ought to be done; come on those days and be cured, and not on the sabbath day." 15 But the Lord answered him and said, "You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the sabbath set free his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to give it water? 16 And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the sabbath day?" 17 When he said this, all his opponents were put to shame; and the entire crowd was rejoicing at all the wonderful things that he was doing.
The Gospel of the Lord

Did you see that woman? The bent over one. Jesus is calling to her. How did he even see her in this place? I don’t know… but she’s coming to Jesus. Look! Jesus is placing his hands on her. She’s standing up straight! How can it be? Praise the Lord!

That’s what I would have expected the conversation would be after Jesus healed the woman who had been bent over for 18 years. But the leader of the synagogue wasn’t happy. He wasn’t praising the Lord. And the problem? Jesus broke the law. Sabbath law. No work on the Sabbath – and apparently the leader of the synagogue considered healing to be work.

Sabbath laws were strong in Jesus’ day. But it wasn’t that long ago that we had so called “blue laws” in this country too and lots of other “sabbath rules.” I remember one Sunday afternoon – I must have been 6 or 8. I was just learning to knit and so I brought my knitting project to show off to my grandmother and her sisters. I expected they would be glad. Instead, Great Aunt Trina sniffed, “We don’t do work on Sunday.”

In Jesus’ day that was the rule too. We don’t DO WORK on the Sabbath. But… exceptions were made…of course. People needed to eat and animals needed to be brought to water. And so, it was permitted to untie your donkey or ox and bring it to the water. 

In Greek, the word that is translated as “untie” is the same word that is translated earlier as “set free.” Jesus makes his point, using a play on words, arguing, “If you untie – that is - set free -your donkey – why not set free this woman from the bondage she has suffered for 18 years? And then he does something else – Jesus claims her – a handicapped woman, a person who would have had less status in the day – as part of God’s covenant, calling her a “daughter of Abraham.” Jesus sees her – and sets her free!

Imagine – this woman – claimed by Christ as part of God’s covenant has now been raised up to see and engage in the world around her. She was set free so that she could live life fully. But not only that – she is not only free from whatever bound her, she is also free FOR serving and engaging in the world.

Jesus has set us free too. Jesus has set us free from all that binds us and Jesus has set us free for love and service. As Jesus reminds the synagogue leader --and us -- the purpose of the Sabbath is for blessing.

That’s why Jesus “broke” the man-made rules about the Sabbath. There was a child of God before him who was in need of healing. Jesus wanted to bless that Daughter of Abraham.

This is why God gave us the Sabbath. It was given not as an obligation but as a gift, to bless us in the very beginning of Creation. The Sabbath is for rest, renewal, and regeneration, for taking time for worshipping God and for remembering our relationship to our Creator. These are all things that we need. We need rest. We need renewal. We need to build up our resilience. Taking Sabbath time is caring for your soul. And, at the same time, when we worship God, we are remembering that God is God. And we are not. Sabbath is a time for our relationship with our creator.

As a time for renewal, it readies us and helps make us resilient enough to go back out into the world, strengthened for service. Because the world needs you, as Isaiah says, to feed the hungry, care for the afflicted. The world needs you to stand up for the broken hearted. And the world needs you and me to be citizens of our world.

I have to admit that this year’s election rhetoric wearies me. It is so negative. It is tempting to disengage from the whole process.

But Jesus calls us to love God and love our neighbor. That means: we are called, by Jesus, to be engaged in this world. And so, as citizens of this community, state and country, we live out our love of our neighbor by being involved in its governance – by voting, by writing or speaking to our legislators, by working to make sure that we and our neighbors have clean water, good schools, and safe neighborhoods. As Martin Luther says in the Small Catechism, in addition to food and clothing, “good government” is one of our daily needs that we pray for every time we say, “Give us this day our daily bread.”

So…despite the election rhetoric and the pundits and all of the negativity this campaign season, or maybe because of it, I will not disengage. Instead, I’ll be praying, engaging in my community and voting.

I’m going to be praying extra this year for our electoral process. I’ll also be participating in a special worship service for Lutherans and our friends and neighbors that our Synod is sponsoring on Sept 8th. You’re invited too. We will be coming together as a synod community to remember our role as citizens this election season and to reclaim the hope we share in the risen Christ. It will be non-partisan – of course. And my hope is that it will inspire and embolden us to be willing to speak up and to speak out when our leaders need to hear our voices. Some of the rhetoric that has been spouted by candidates needs a response from the faith community. We will stay non-partisan but we may not stay silent when our brothers and sisters are attacked. I will also continue to be engaging in the community in my small role on the Chamber of Commerce, as a police chaplain and as a volunteer. There are many needs in our community. I will continue to step up to serve – and to vote and I hope that you will too.

I know that many of you are very involved in our community and in a variety of ways. Some are active in programs to feed the hungry, bring dinner at your door to shut-ins and caring for the needs of the poor. Some tutor children. Others knit or crochet prayers and mittens. Others support ministry with funds. And all of us can pray. The needs of God’s people are great and there is much that God calls us to do for our neighbor.

It is because Jesus has set us free that we can engage in all of these ways to care for the neighbor. We do not need to be afraid because we know the end of the story. Jesus has won the final victory. It is because of this that we can dare to act. Jesus has freed us to engage in the world and to live lives worth living.

And that is also why we need the gift of Sabbath. We need renewal, regeneration and a time to worship God – and spend time on our relationship with our creator. I’m really glad that you are here. Receive God’s blessing:

May this time, this Sabbath time, this hour, be a gift to you. Let this time bless you and feed you and fill you with both resilience and energy for the week to come. May this Sabbath time fill you with joy and delight so that you may be blessed and in turn, be a blessing to others. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Freed for Faith not Fear

The Gospel according to Luke the 12th chapter
Jesus said, "Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. "Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks. Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them. If he comes during the middle of the night, or near dawn, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves. "But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour."
The Gospel of the Lord

___________

I love the Olympics. I know there are always problems, but I am inspired both by the gathering of the nations together for a peaceful event and by the Olympic athletes themselves. They have all sacrificed time, money and considerable energy for this moment. But this year, I am most inspired by the athletes from the brand new “Refuge Team.” 

One of Refugee Team athletes is Yusra Mardini. With her sister, she fled the Syrian war, traveled through Lebanon and Turkey and boarded a dingy with 18 other people to cross the Mediterranean Sea into Greece. But on the way, the boat broke down. Mardini and her sister and the two other swimmers jumped overboard and swam for three hours, guiding the boat to safety. But that’s not all. It turns out that while she was in the water pulling the boat, Mardini noticed a six-year-old boy in the boat who looked scared. She said, “I had to be funny and make smilies even when in the water because I didn’t want him to think we were dying.”

Fear is a powerful force. Fear causes us to react in one of three ways: fight, flight or freeze. This can be a very helpful instinct when facing a tiger or bear in the wilderness – or when you are in a sinking boat. But while it’s a good initial instinct, fear doesn’t work well for most of our life decisions and choices because fear fills us with anxiety. And we tend to make bad choices when we are anxious.

In our Gospel, Jesus says, “Do not be afraid.” Just like the angels delivering Good News, Jesus knows that we too can easily get caught up in fear. So he speaks to his disciples – and us – in these tender words as a Shepherd speaks to his lambs. “Do not be afraid, little flock.”

“Do not be afraid, little flock for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

Listen to that again. Jesus said, “it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” You. God wants to give you the kingdom. This is what God wants to do. This is God’s desire – to give you and me the kingdom. 

Speaking to his disciples – and us – Jesus wants to free us from fear and anxiety so that we may have faith to trust in the promise of God. That is what Jesus wants to give us: faith to trust God. 

So how do we live into that promise and live in Faith and not in Fear?

Jesus has some ideas. Using the Message Bible translation, Jesus says, 
    1) Be generous. 
    2) Give to the poor. 
    3) Be ready.

Remember, Jesus doesn’t say that you have to do these things in order to belong or to be welcomed into God’s Kingdom. He’s already said that the Father wants, desires, plans to give you the kingdom. Being generous and giving to the poor are things that we can do in thankful response to God’s grace. These are ways for us to live in faith and not in fear. 

And if back in Biblical times, money, resources, “stuff” could be distracting, what about now?! Jesus said then – and now – “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be.” 

In his book, Giving to God, Mark Allan Powell points out that most people read this passage backwards. Before I read his book, I used to read it backwards too. We think it says, “Your treasure – namely money and resources - will follow your heart.” But that’s not what Jesus says. What Jesus says is where you put your money and resources… that’s where your heart will go. The heart will follow. 

So… Take a look at your bank and other financial statements. Where does your money go? That’s where Jesus says your heart is. “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be.”

I have some friends who used to live in Chicago. They told me that they wanted to join a big church in downtown Chicago – and so they made an appointment to see the pastor. The secretary called them back to tell them to bring a copy of their taxes from the previous year. Curious, they did. When they met with the pastor, he looked at their taxes and said, “Thank you. For your offering, our financial office will be billing you for 10%.” That’s one way of having your heart follow your treasure. 

But…that’s not how we do our stewardship campaign. 

Rather than force or tax you into giving, we invite you to share the resources that God has entrusted to you with Faith-Lilac Way so that together we can do God’s mission in this place and outside our walls. Because giving back to God and God’s mission is a matter of faith – not fear or tax or obligation. Instead, trusting in the promise of God, we give back to God what God has first given us.

Live in faith – and not in fear. Be generous. Give to the poor. It’s really counter-cultural. Every day we are bombarded with news that is designed to instill fear. From the election, to violence in the world and in our neighborhoods, to health risks to environmental disasters, we are given reason to fear. 

I think that’s one of the reasons that I found the story of the Refugee Olympic swimmer Mardini and her sister so inspiring. They were in incredibly frightening situation. The danger was real. But Mardini did not give into fear. Instead, she acted not only to save herself and the other people in the boat, but she sought to bring hope – and not fear – to a frightened little boy. 

For, while fear can be a motivating force in times of danger, it is not what we need to live. Jesus knows we need something different. Jesus gives us faith. When we live and act in faith, we are generous, give to the poor and…are ready. We are ready to respond, in faith, to whatever comes our way because we know that God is with us. 

Do not be afraid. Instead - be ready. Be ready – not because we need to be afraid – but “Be ready to be blessed!” Because here is the surprising end to this teaching: when the Master returns, he doesn’t demand service. Rather, he serves the slaves. Do not be afraid. Jesus gives us the gift of faith so that we can live out that faith by being generous, caring for those in need and being ready to receive God’s blessing.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, you are free to live in faith not fear. Be ready to be blessed. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Pastor Pam Stalheim Lane
Faith-Lilac Way Lutheran Church
August 7, 2016

Is what you have defined by relationships?

Vicar Katelyn
7.31.16

Luke 12

13 Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me." 14 But he said to him, "Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?" 15 And he said to them, "Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions." 16 Then he told them a parable: "The land of a rich man produced abundantly. 17 And he thought to himself, "What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?' 18 Then he said, "I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.' 20 But God said to him, "You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' 21 So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God."

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Don’t hoard your money, but instead be rich toward God, the end. Got it?

If only it was that simple.

This gospel story isn’t about money. At least not in the way we expect. It’s easy to turn this parable into some kind of financial stewardship message, which isn’t bad, but I don’t think that’s quite the meaning of this story.

First reading through this passage, we might assume the rich farmer in the parable is called a fool because he is wealthy and stores up his possessions. But after a second thought, those things aren’t really foolish. Having wealth doesn’t make one a fool, nor does saving for the future. No, I don’t think this is what makes God angry.

It’s not his wealth and saving that make him a fool -- it’s his attitude about them, it’s how he uses them that makes him a fool. Listen again to how this rich farmer speaks:

The land of a rich man produced abundantly. 17 And he thought to himself, "What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?' 18 Then he said, "I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.' (Luke 12:17-19)

He’s literally just talking to himself, about himself, with himself … you get the idea. He even speculates congratulating his future self on his self-made abundance.

He doesn’t give thanks to God, he doesn’t thank the workers on his farm, he doesn’t even think to share his incredible abundance with anyone. He just decides to build bigger and bigger spaces to accumulate all of his stuff, reserving its use only for himself.

Now this isn’t that far off from some trends in the United States. I’m sure you’ve heard of the show Hoarders. People on the show have accumulated so much stuff they can hardly get around their own homes -- now obviously this is an extreme situation, and usually related to other problems, but it’s also worth pointing out that many people are fascinated by the show. I read that “At the time of its premiere, Hoarders was the most-watched series premiere in A&E network history among adults aged 18-49 and tied for the most ever in the adults aged 25–54” (Wikipedia).

In other words, we not only like to accumulate stuff, we even like to watch TV shows about people who accumulate stuff. And it’s not just Hoarders. Think of all the reality TV centered around extremely wealthy people and what they have.

Or how we gawk with envy at huge homes and yards -- over the last 40 years, the average home size in the United States has increased by more than 1,000 square feet (money.cnn.com). We’re building bigger and bigger barns -- houses -- to store our stuff, which we seem to have more and more of.

But like I said earlier, it’s not wealth or possessions that are the problem -- it’s our perspective and attitude about them. And I know that here this morning we have people with many different financial realities. Some of you may be struggling paycheck to paycheck, others living extremely comfortably, and others somewhere in-between. No matter where you fit in on this spectrum, you can either be rich toward God or not.

Being rich toward God does not depend on your financial status.

In verse 15, Jesus says, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.”

So then, what does one’s life consist of? I think life -- and life defined as purpose, what’s at the core, what gives meaning -- I think our lives consist of relationships. Seriously, that’s it. Relationships.

Think about it. Have you ever been in a tragic situation? Maybe you got a phone call that a friend had died. Or maybe your child went missing.

What mattered to you in that moment? Were you thinking about whether or not your house was big enough? If you had enough techology? No, of course not. You were thinking about who you could reach out to, or you were wanting to be with someone you loved. You may have been praying to God.

No one on their deathbed is going to say, “I wish I had loved my possessions more instead of my family.”

Our lives consist of relationships -- relationships with God and each other.

Even our possessions and money should have to do with relationships. I will say again and again that it’s not possessions or money that can be foolish, it is our use of them and attitudes about them that can be foolish.

You probably have things that are meaningful to you. Like a desk that your grandfather made. Or a few outfits your newborn baby wore. Or a boat that reminds you of fishing with your dad. It would be foolish if you had hundreds of desks just to show off. Or if you were attached to tubs full of newborn clothes that hadn’t been used in years. Or if that boat just sat in storage for a decade.

It’s about our perspective, not the things themselves.

And you probably have things that help you be in relationship with others. A phone to contact people. A stove to cook a meal for family or friends. It would be foolish if you could never be away from your phone. Or if you wanted to remodel your kitchen every year to be the best.

Again, it’s about our perspective, not the things themselves.  

God says to the rich farmer -- and to us -- “The things you have prepared, whose will they be? So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.”

We can store up all the things we want, but in the end, whose will they be?

Items defined by relationships, like family photos or a favorite painting, will continue to be defined by relationships and passed on to others when you are gone.

But boxes of hardly worn clothes you just can’t part with? A pile of iPads because you always had to have the latest version? Whose will these be? No one’s. They will simply be thrown out.  

Of course you’re always going to have some amount of items that aren’t defined by relationships, but that should be kept to a minimum. It’s far too easy to keep boxes upon boxes of things we don’t need, or to go out and purchase a bunch of things we don’t need. These choices are driven by impulses and lack of letting go, instead of being driven by relationships.

What positive difference does keeping everything or always purchasing possibly make in life? Does thinking about all the stuff you have bring you closer to God? Of course not.

Being aware of all this matters because it distracts us from relationships, it distracts us from being rich toward God. Being rich toward God, in my understanding, must start with being rich toward one another. This means shifting our focus from love of things to love of others.

I don’t doubt that you all know that relationships are what’s most important, but everyone can use a reminder. We have all gotten swept away into loving possessions or money at some point in our lives.

We get distracted and swept up in loving things when our focus isn’t where it should be. When we get lazy about connecting with others. When we feel empty and try to fill that void with something other than God’s love.

So what to do? I think the answer to this is really very easy, we just don’t get around to it. Clean house! Both literally and in other ways.

Those boxes sitting in that room full of stuff you haven’t touched in years probably weighs on your mind now and then. It prevents you from having a guest room for your family. Or maybe the storage mess makes you cranky and you keep complaining about it to other people instead of taking care of it and letting it go. If you cleaned it out, you’d have space for your friends to stay or you would be in a better mood at home.

Consider the amount of time you spend online. Do you love reading Facebook or Instagram posts more than having a family dinner time? Clean up how you use your time, set boundaries, and be attentive to your family relationships.

Do you love your huge bank account like the rich farmer loved all of his surplus? Do you have more than you should ever spend on yourself? Instead of falling in love with staring at the wealth in your bank account, fall in love with an organization doing good work and donate some of that extravagant surplus to help them out. Use your money for the benefit of others, for relationships.

I want you to take just a few seconds and either write something down on today’s bulletin or type something on a list in your phone. I want you to think of one way you can “clean house,” one way you can make relationships more central in your life. And I want you to also write down a time -- it could be today, tomorrow, next weekend -- when you can set aside time to start making that change.

I decided I will use social media this week to reach out to at least five people I am connected with online, but whom I haven’t had meaningful conversations with for a few years. Instead of just watching them from the periphery and loving to scroll mindlessly through a news feed, I will clean up how I’m using my time and intentionally send five people a message, seeing what they’re up to and what’s important to them since we’ve last talked.

To end, I want to go back to the beginning of our passage. A man comes to Jesus and demands that he get involved in his family dispute about inheritance. Instead, Jesus tells him a parable about the dangers of loving possessions and money more than people. An inheritance would’ve been given out after someone died. And so this man, rather than mourning the loss of a loved one and spending time loving his family, is fighting over an inheritance -- this sort of thing still happens today.

Heed Jesus’ warning in your life as a whole: “Take care, Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” Your life consists of relationships, with God and God’s beloved children. Don’t get distracted by other things. Clean house. These relationships are truly what make up your life, and what matters your whole life long. Amen.

Follow Faith, not Feelings

The Holy Gospel according to Luke the 10th chapter.

Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me." But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.” The Gospel of the Lord

Follow Faith, not Feelings
July 17, 2016

We have had another week in which violence has erupted - this time in Nice, France. Innocent people were hurt and killed. Again. This past week I ran into Pastor Roderic Gholston, the pastor of the Missionary Baptist church that meets here Sunday afternoons. I asked him, in light of that week’s shootings of African American men, “How are you doing? What are you saying to your people?” He said, “I tell them, you’ve got to stop following your feelings - and follow your faith.” Follow your Faith - not your Feelings.

Martha was following feelings toward her sister. They were not feelings of sisterly love. No - her feelings were sisterly resentment. “Why does Mary get to sit there doing NOTHING and I am stuck doing all the work?” I’ve got two sisters. This feeling is not unique to Martha. 

To be fair to Martha, she is doing something good. In serving Jesus and his friends, she is showing hospitality through her service.

As we see throughout the Bible, showing hospitality is not just a cultural value, it’s a faith value.  Lots of stories tell about the value and blessing of hospitality: from Abraham and Sarah caring for three strangers - they turn out to be God’s messengers. A widow gives the Prophet Elijah a place to stay and prepares for him the last of her food - and the food never runs out. Jesus extols the virtue of hospitality and service through his teaching - remember the story of the Good Samaritan, caring for the neighbor; his miracles of healing the least worthy and through his actions of service - washing the feet of his disciples. Clearly, hospitality is a discipleship value. Caring for the neighbor, serving the neighbor is important. And it is a blessing both for the giver and the recipient. As we read in Hebrews, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” Showing hospitality, showing care, is a Biblical value

But, as anyone who has served a lot of people knows, it’s also a lot of work. And so, again, as one who has sisters, I can completely understand how Martha might resent that she is “stuck” doing all the work while her sister Mary is sitting at Jesus’ feet soaking up the words of the Savior. It seems “Unfair!”

And yet, when she asks Jesus to take her side, Jesus doesn’t. Instead, Jesus says, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.”

Often this is read as a rebuke of Martha. But maybe it’s only a rebuke of her feelings of resentment of her sister and of her feelings of “busy-ness” and distraction.  After all, maybe Jesus doesn’t care if the best china is used - or if there are three kinds of rice and four kinds of potatoes. He appreciates good food, I’m sure. But…Jesus didn’t come to make us feel good.

Jesus came to give us Faith. Jesus came that we may have LIFE. And have it abundantly. Sometimes we - myself included - can get caught up in our feelings of fear, anxiety, resentment  or our feelings of busy-ness and distraction that we forget to listen, to listen to God’s word. We focus on our feelings - rather than our faith.

Jesus values hospitality and service to the neighbor.  But service is not the only way to offer hospitality. Mary also offers a gift of hospitality.  Mary sits at Jesus’ feet and listens. This was a radical move at that time. Women were not considered “disciples.”  She would have been considered “out of place.” But Jesus made room for Mary amongst his disciples- and he makes room for you and me too. And…maybe Jesus is calling us to hold open the door for our neighbor, especially if they are considered “other.”

Discipleship is not either service or  listening to the word of God but rather discipleship is about both listening to the word of God… AND doing it.  This is not a new thought. 4th century theologian Ambrose observed, “Virtue does not have a single form. In the example of Martha and Mary, there is added the busy devotion of the one and the pious attention of the other to the Word of God.” 1

And yet, while nothing new, we can get caught up in our feelings - feelings of resentment, fear or anxiety. And when we do, we don’t respond in faithful ways. Instead, like Martha, we respond with irritation and complaints. Or, when faced with fear, people often respond with anger which leads t violence - or we flee, or shut down, preferring to believe that the problem and the violence is in somebody else’s neighborhood - and it’s not my problem. 

Jesus calls us to follow - not our feelings, not our fear but to follow Jesus in Faith. 

We can start, like Mary, by listening. But listening is a challenge in today’s world because there are so many competing sound bites through texts, tweets,TV, and all kinds of other media clamoring for our attention - all the time. But like Mary, we can start by listening to Jesus so that we are led led by Faith - not our feelings, led by our Faith not Fear. 

Then we can - and must — act, remembering that we follow Jesus who preaches love to the neighbor, care for the stranger and hope for the hopeless and who practices hospitality for all.

Gracious God,
We give you thanks for your presence with us ALWAYS. Help us to follow YOU in faith and not be sidetracked by our feelings of anxiety, resentment and fear. Show us the way to love our neighbor, care for the stranger, and spread your message of Faith - not fear.  In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Pastor Pamela Stalheim Lane
Faith-Lilac Way Lutheran
July 17, 2016

1 Working preacher.com

Sent out in ministry together: vulnerability, dependence, & support

Katelyn Rakotoarivelo
7.3.16
Faith Lilac Way Lutheran

Luke 10:1-11, 16-20 NRSV

1 After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. 2 He said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3 Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. 4 Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. 5 Whatever house you enter, first say, "Peace to this house!' 6 And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. 7 Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. 8 Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; 9 cure the sick who are there, and say to them, "The kingdom of God has come near to you.' 10 But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, 11 "Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.'

16 "Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me." 17 The seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!" 18 He said to them, "I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. 19 See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."

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Sermon

In response to this gospel text, one pastor asks: “Would you like it if Jesus organized volunteers at your church? Picture this: everyone is enjoying their coffee and conversations after worship, and then Jesus steps up onto a chair, waving his arms to get your attention, and says loudly, ‘Excuse me, can I have your attention? I need 70 people to help with a project this week. You will get to go to unfamiliar places and invite yourselves into people’s homes.

It will be like you are sheep sent into a pack of wolves. And also -- you aren’t allowed to bring anything with you. No cell phone, no extra clothes, none of that. Sound good? Great, because I’ve just signed all of you up for this opportunity!’

I’m pretty sure this isn’t a good way to get volunteers. There’s no selling point here. What is Jesus thinking?

Except Jesus wasn’t really asking for volunteers. He appoints the 70 and sends them out. He doesn’t ask for volunteers, and he doesn’t wait to see who comes forward on their own. I guess he’s Jesus, after all, he can do what a volunteer coordinator only dreams of.

But still: ‘I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves’? This is clearly dangerous territory, and he’s sending them out completely unprepared and unable to fend for themselves? And wolves aside, how can they buy food or get a place to stay? Without a bag, what are they supposed to do about extra clothes if they get cold or wet or just dirty from the road? Doesn’t he know they’re going to need these things?” (Adapted from a sermon by Rev. J.C. Austin in 2013.)

It seems like Jesus doesn’t have a clue. But of course he knows what he’s doing. The question isn’t what they need, but who. They need each other and they need Jesus -- we do, too! They will also need help from those willing to welcome them in along the way.

Obviously what these 70 are being called to do is not easy work, but we also shouldn’t be so quick to think about the plight of each individual. They will never be alone.

In American society we’re highly trained in individualism, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it makes us quick to say things like “My faith, my religion, my God” -- when really, all of these things are radically communal, are always related to relationship and being together.

Jesus sends them out in pairs -- each person will always have another to lean on. When one loses strength, the other can help. If one is discouraged, the other can build him back up in faith. There’s no way they could do this ministry and mission on their own.

They also have this much larger network of 70 incredible witnesses -- I’m sure they must have met up with other pairs along their travels and gained insight and support. And let’s not forget, God is always with them as well!

But it still can be scary, of course. After all, they have to depend on strangers for hospitality and welcome, and they are sent into unfamiliar places to perform healings and to speak peace. In other words, this journey requires being vulnerable.

Being vulnerable is hard. And acknowledging a need to depend on others is hard. The mission of the 70 requires more vulnerability and dependence on others than we would typically experience, but we are fooling ourselves if we think we can always protect ourselves and be 100% independent.

First of all, you are never 100% independent -- God is always in your life, and this is a very good thing! Second of all, the moment we experience any “illness, loss, death, or tragedy, we are painfully reminded of just how incredibly vulnerable we are.” (Adapted from a commentary by David Lose, 2013. ) When everything seems to be going well, it’s easy to forget that we are always vulnerable, and ultimately we always need to depend on each other and on Jesus.

Even though we may not be sent on the exact same mission as the 70, we are certainly sent out in many other ways by Jesus, ways that require depending on others, being vulnerable, and working together. And through it all, we are never alone. I have a few examples to share with you.

First, we had Wildfire VBS at St. James Lutheran this past week. About 35 kids in preschool through grade 5 attended, and we had many high school and adult volunteers helping out. Each day before the kids came, most of the volunteers gathered for announcements and a short devotion time. I led the devotional piece.

The theme for the second day of VBS was: Jesus gives us courage. So I asked the volunteers, “When do you need courage from Jesus?” A few of them commented that they needed courage from Jesus to lead VBS. It can be scary to know that you are responsible for a week to teach kids about faith and Jesus, and to keep them safe and to set a good example.

You are always vulnerable as a leader as well -- what if a kid gets upset with you and tells their parents? What if you say something you didn’t mean to? What if you are questioning your skills and ability to work with kids?

There’s a lot that can be going on! But each VBS leader always had another volunteer in the room with them -- like the pairs Jesus sent the 70 out in. And each person also had this larger network of volunteers to lean on for support and ideas. Jesus was definitely present everywhere as well!

Sure the supplies and the set up matter in VBS, but if you have all the fun items and the best decorations ever and no one to help you run the week, it isn’t going to work! Volunteers in a shared commitment is the most important part. VBS can only be done well together. No person was ever alone in this ministry.

Secondly, I’ve been thinking a lot about our upcoming Wildfire mission trip. We’re going to Hammond, Indiana -- a place most of us have never been, to serve people we haven’t met yet. We’re going to get into vans, drive there, and trust that God will work through us and that we will encounter God in the people we meet and serve.

It requires vulnerability -- we will be working with participants from Holy Nativity and House of Hope whom we may not know very well, sharing our faith and spending a lot of time together. We will be talking with the residents that we serve -- we might be nervous about how we come across or wondering what to talk about with them. We will be doing different kinds of home repair work -- from painting to fixing ramps to whatever else is needed -- it takes vulnerability to be honest about what you do and don’t know how to do, and to ask for help and direction from other volunteers when you need it.

This mission trip definitely requires working together! We’re not sending one volunteer to a home by themselves. One person could bring all the tools and supplies they wanted, but could never complete the tasks in a week all alone! No, we’re serving on crews of 6 or more people, sharing the workload, and we have the bigger network of 27 of us at the end of the day to reflect with and learn from. We can only do this together. No person will be alone in this ministry.

Lastly, I’ve been reflecting a lot on my own sense of call this year -- really, the past 9 years. The sense of call that has led me to pursue ordination in the ELCA has included immense vulnerability and a high level of dependence on and trust in others. And of course Jesus is at the center of it all.

I first thought about being a pastor at the end of my freshman year of high school. Somehow I ended up on a trip to Luther Seminary with older youth from my church, for a preview day geared at high school students. I didn’t know what a seminary was or why I was going really. I hardly knew the other students. But there I was.

I heard God at Luther, and through one of the seminarian speakers. It was a new and odd experience, and I felt a nudge towards being a pastor. I thought it was ridiculous at the time -- I was a painfully, and I mean painfully, quiet person, and I wondered how in the world I could ever be a pastor.

Obviously I’m still introverted, and proud of it, but nothing like my freshman self. This sense of call that began during that visit was compelling enough for me to talk to my youth director and pastor, which felt very vulnerable.

And life went on from there. The more I went outside of my comfort zone with things like teaching and speaking and meeting new people, the more I wanted to follow this call. But also the more vulnerable I became and the more I needed the guidance and support of others.

When you attend seminary, there are all sorts of times you are vulnerable -- in the classroom sharing ideas, doing ministry with churches, interviews with your candidacy committee, group processing in your chaplaincy time, meeting with your committee during internship year. You have to remember that you are not in this alone, and that ministry is always, always done in partnership with others and with God. You also have to remember that you have this network of other seminarian friends for support too.

I’ve never been alone in this journey, not once. Jesus is always with me, and my friends are always there to reach out to, and ministry in the church is always done with the congregation and community. Ministry and mission are not possible without other people and without God.

I’ve shared with you different ways we are sent out, relying on each other and being vulnerable. So now I want to ask you … no, I want to tell you -- that Jesus appoints you, calls you by name, and sends you out in ministry and mission! Pay attention to whatever that may be for you. Follow the call. It may be scary and it will require being vulnerable and depending on others, but you are never, ever alone.

Look around the sanctuary, see who you know. There’s your pair, or your group of three, or your group of four, that Jesus sends you into mission and ministry with.

Now stand up -- look around. This is your “group of 70” -- your community of believers. This congregation “holds on to each other, consoles each other, encourages and emboldens one another.” This is simply what we do.

You are not alone. We are in this ministry and mission together, with God. Jesus calls you and sends you out, into vulnerable and sometimes unfamiliar places, but you are never, ever alone.

So go out together and speak peace, telling all that the kingdom of God has drawn near. Amen.

What does Grace Look Like?

God of Grace, open our ears to hear your word of forgiveness, open our eyes to see those in need, open our lives to love one another as you love us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

What does Grace look like?

Did you hear the story of John Oliver, the host of HBO’s Last Week Tonight? He was doing a story on debt collectors. His story focused on the predatory collectors who buy up debt from banks at a hugely reduced rate – cents on the dollar and then use threats and other aggressive tactics without even verifying the details of the debt. To further explore how this worked, Oliver decided to form a debt collection company of his own. It cost only $50 to set it up. They called it “Carp.”

According to Oliver, soon after its creation, this company was offered a portfolio of medical debt – that’s the debt of people who can’t pay their doctor and hospital bills -- worth almost $15 million dollars at a cost of “less than half a cent on a dollar, which is less than $60 thousand dollars. They bought it and soon afterwards, they received the list of names, addresses and social security numbers of the people who owed that debt: it was nearly 9,000 people.

Oliver said, “We bought it, which is absolutely terrifying because it means if I wanted to, I could legally have Carp take possession of that list and have employees start calling people, turning their lives upside down over medical debt,” said Oliver.

But…instead of doing that – he forgave the debt.

Imagine the response of those 9,000 people. They – or a loved one - had suffered from a medical challenge that cost so much they couldn’t pay their medical bills. If a predatory creditor had bought their debt, they would have been harassed and terrorized. Instead, their debt was paid.

That’s a story of grace.

Oliver’s action parallels a story that Jesus tells about the creditor who had two debtors – one owed a lot and one owed just a little. The creditor forgave both debts. Jesus asks the Pharisee who had invited him into his home: Which one will love him more? The Pharisee said, “The one who was forgiven more, I suppose.” Jesus complimented him – you got it right!

But then Jesus compares the Pharisee’s hospitality – or rather lack of hospitality and care – to the outpouring of love of the woman at his feet. Imagine the scene – homes in the middle east in that day had open courtyards and were more accessible to people just walking in than a Minnesota home today, but it still would have been surprising for an uninvited woman to come into the room and kneel at the feet of one of your guests and not only wash his feet with her tears– but then to take down her hair – which was considered very private - and to wipe his feet. While everyone else around the table is probably embarrassed and trying to ignore her, Jesus explains her actions as the actions of one who has been forgiven much and who was responding with love.

That’s grace.

Jesus forgave her. She responded with love. And then Jesus reminded her – you are forgiven. Get up! You are healed and set free to live.

That’s grace.

At the beginning of the service, we invited you to pick up a rock and hold it in your hand for the whole service. Now I want you to take a look at the rock in your hand. You probably didn’t think much of it at first – except maybe wondering what in the world Pastor Pam was going to have you do with that rock. It’s not real heavy so you probably didn’t think much about it – until you had to try to open the hymnal. Some of you may have set them down. That’s ok.

But think about how that rock would change your life if you could not set it down. You would have to do everything with one hand. Holding that rock would start to get old fast. Maybe you would try to pry the rock from your hand. Maybe you would try to take some medicine. But what if nothing worked. The rock was still with you. But then, one day – due to nothing that you tried and nothing that you did or said, suddenly, Jesus says, “your sins are forgiven” and the rock is gone. You are set free.

That’s what God’s grace is like. Because of God’s love for you, Christ forgives you and sets you free from all of the rocks – sins – problems – challenges –all the actions/words and things that weigh you down. Forgiveness sets you free. And you, like the woman in the Gospel story, are free to love. That’s good news!

But now imagine that that rock was not something that you did – it wasn’t a sin or anything that YOU did but rather was a grudge that you held against someone else, a grudge that you refused to forgive. They had wronged you and you decided you were not going to forgive them… end of story. Except….you didn’t notice that that grudge became a rock in your hand. And it kept you from being the person God made you to be. You tried to ignore it. You tried to work around it. But that grudge, that rock, affected everything you did.

You may be familiar with the amazing story of reconciliation in South Africa. Forgiveness – not getting even, not getting revenge -- was the key to stopping the bloodshed in that country. But the reconciliation commission discovered something amazing. Not only was reconciliation good for the country, but, as Bishop Desmond Tutu describes it, the act of forgiveness is essential for our own wholeness.

Forgiveness. It’s something that we need – and God gives it freely. No cost. Your debt is paid by the love of Jesus. Nothing more is required -because Grace is the free gift of God. But we want and need to respond – with love.

Today, as you come forward to receive Christ’s gift of his body and blood, remember that you have been forgiven already by Jesus and now Jesus wants to set you free. So I invite you to bring the rock in your hand – and let it go. Christ has set you free to love and forgive yourself and your neighbor, your spouse, your child, your brother or sister, your co-worker, your friend. You have been forgiven. You are set free to love and to forgive.

That’s what grace looks like.

Thanks be to God!

Pastor Pamela Stalheim Lane
Faith-Lilac Way Lutheran Church
June 12, 2016

We don't all have to be the same

Vicar Katelyn Rakotoarivelo
5.29.16
Faith-Lilac Way Lutheran

Galatians 1:1-12

Paul an apostle—sent neither by human commission nor from human authorities, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— and all the members of God’s family who are with me,

To the churches of Galatia:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to set us free from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen.

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another gospel, but there are some who are confusing you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should proclaim to you a gospel contrary to what we proclaimed to you, let that one be accursed! As we have said before, so now I repeat, if anyone proclaims to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let that one be accursed!

Am I now seeking human approval, or God’s approval? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still pleasing people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

For I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel that was proclaimed by me is not of human origin; for I did not receive it from a human source, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

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First, a little background and reminder of what’s going on: Paul the Apostle was a missionary, helping start and support churches all over. Sometimes he sent letters to them. But not everyone was able to read, so likely one person would read the letter to the whole church community.

Imagine if your church received an important letter from the bishop and you all gathered on Sunday to hear your council president share it. You might be expecting some words of encouragement or thanksgiving.

When the Galatians received this letter from Paul, they also knew what to expect: he always started with naming himself, addressing the letter, a greeting, and then a thanksgiving for the church.

Except Paul just skips over the whole thanksgiving part this time. That would’ve been kind of alarming. Instead he gets right to criticizing. Something must really be wrong!

And something was really wrong! The Galatians were listening to false messages even though they knew the true gospel. Paul had shared it with them.

But there were these “missionaries” who came to Galatia after Paul and persuaded the Gentile Christians that they must become Jewish in order to be true followers of Jesus. Their reasons were something like: Jesus was a Jewish Messiah, his first disciples were Jewish, and they used Jewish Scriptures, so therefore you must become Jewish. In other words, these “missionaries” were saying -- to follow Jesus, you must be just like us.(1)

It would be kind of like if I went to a Lutheran church in Africa and said, Well, Martin Luther was European, a lot of Lutherans lived in Norway and Sweden, and the rural Midwest has a lot of Lutherans. So you better figure out how to be white and only sing songs from this red hymnal, or you can’t possibly be Lutheran.

This sounds ridiculous because it is.

There’s a great diversity in the Lutheran church worldwide, and that’s wonderful, especially when we engage together.

But it’s easy to forget that diversity is wonderful. And vibrant. And nourishing. And all sorts of other things.

When we forget that we don’t all need to be the same as Christians, we do what Paul has called “perverting the gospel.” We change it. We distort it. We turn to other messages.

We know the gospel. And it’s for all people.The gospel is the good news of Jesus, the gospel is Jesus, or as Paul puts it, that Jesus “gave himself for our sins to set us free from the present evil age.”

We’re free from all of the false teachings and harmful ways of life that we get from the world. And we get a lot of them.

We listen to one-sided media and fear Muslims. Or black men.

We listen to society’s goals and put money first. Or our own egos.

We listen to peer pressure and disrespect women. Or LGBT people.

We forget that we’re free from all of these evils. We’re free to listen to and follow Jesus. But how quickly we get swept up in other messages … just like the Galatians.

Now of course engaging and embracing diversity is just one part of our life together as Christians, but in our world it’s increasingly important if we’re going to be church together.

And when we don’t engage and embrace diversity as Christians, and I mean specifically as Christians, the effects are damaging.

The effects can be damaging on a grand and historical scale, like colonists thinking they have a divinely appointed right to convert and subjugate indigenous peoples, causing generations of harm.

The effects can be more personal and local, like dismissing the confirmation student who has doubts and who questions the way the church does things. I bet there are some of you in this room who were that kid, and who experienced a rejection of your questions and ideas -- and instead the pastor or the congregation simply expected you to assimilate without question. Many kids who experience this eventually leave the church altogether.

The effects can be painful without anyone even realizing what’s wrong. A friend of mine, Sarah, grew up in a charismatic, Spirit-filled tradition, but later joined the ELCA for theological reasons. She was one of just a couple people of color in a good-sized congregation. She also talked a bit more about the Holy Spirit and was more emotive about her faith. Whenever she tried to take on leadership positions within the church or share her ideas in a group, people seemed uncomfortable and would quickly pass over her without thinking.This became a pattern again and again, and it was very painful for her. Was she doing something wrong? Were they passing over her because of her race? Her emotions? Her talk of the Spirit? This congregation was really missing out on a remarkable servant of Christ.

Now these are just a few different ways that thinking we all have to be the same or expecting others to assimilate is damaging. And not only is it damaging to those we exclude or reject, it’s damaging to the church and to our lives. We lose out on a bigger picture of who God is and what the church can be.

But what happens when we do embrace and engage diversity as Christians? I have a few stories to share about this as well.

I spent the week of the 15th in Atlanta, Georgia, working at a conference called the Festival of Homiletics. Homiletics means preaching. It’s five days of worship, preaching, and fellowship. It might not sound fun, but I promise you, it’s amazing. I’ve helped out with it the past couple years. Preachers from a variety of Christian denominations and personal backgrounds share God’s Word and inspire preachers. Likewise, the liturgists for worship offer many different musical styles, prayers, and liturgies. And the clergy who attend the conference are from many denominations.

Opening worship Monday was with Raphael Warnock, senior pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church and their choir, and throughout the week we heard from Father Renniger from the Catholic Church, Cláudio Carvalhaes - a professor in the U.S. from Brazil and very passionate about justice work, Grace Imathiu - a United Methodist pastor who grew up in Kenya and brings Scripture to life in the most amazing ways, and Nora Gallagher, a writer who educates diligently about caring for the earth. These are so many voices brought together in the most incredible, rich week. I love it. You can hear God everywhere.

Or what about here, at Faith Lilac Way? Two weeks ago you and Greater St. John’s Missionary Baptist Church put together hygiene care kits and shared a potluck meal. You came together in a common mission, while also learning about each other and building relationships and, very importantly, letting one another be who you are. If either group had neglected this opportunity, you would’ve missed out on a great experience! You would’ve missed out on encountering God in new ways and on a certain energy and aliveness that can only happen together.

And finally, last year I attended a documentary and worship service at Church of All Nations in Columbia Heights. One of the worship leaders, a Native American man, shared how some of his older relatives were never allowed to bring their traditional drums into the church. Both were considered unacceptable. I could feel the deep pain of these stories in his eyes. Then, as he and a few others began to drum in the service, I witnessed how truly they worshipped God through their own sounds. And as he spoke about a Native spirituality and Christianity, I witnessed a profound, authentic faith. It’s an evening I’ll never forget.

I’ve shared several stories with you, stories about engaging or rejecting others as Christians. You have a role in shaping the stories that people associate with Christianity and the gospel. We are called to be teachers and examples of the gospel, not of false messages.

You might not think that as one person you make much difference, but you do. Your actions set examples for others, and together we tell and create stories about who God is and what our faith and the gospel mean.

We’re not called to all blend together and become the same. We’re set free to live our lives as authentically as possible as Christians, whether we’re Baptist or Lutheran, Latino or Asian, young or old. The Church needs all of us. When you come to the table with all kinds of Christians, come as yourself, with all of your commitments and an open heart.

We need the whole body of Christ at the table. We can’t just say a general, vague “All Are Welcome.” We have to really mean it.

Who makes you uncomfortable for no other reason than they’re different from you? Who are you quick to judge because their expression of faith isn’t like yours?

Consider this week who you can specifically welcome because of your Christian faith. Who you can specifically learn from that is different from you.

I trust you will find yourself with stereotypes shattered and your experience of God deepened.

If we all do this, we can truly be a church that never distorts or perverts the gospel, but embraces and engages all the ways and all the people through whom our God works. We can live our lives in response to the gospel, together. For this, Jesus has set you free. Amen.

(1) Adapted from http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=2882 by Audrey West.

The Holy Trinity Revealed: God’s Love Poured out for You

I met a young man who was getting his PhD in chemical molecular hydrology engineering… or something like that. I didn’t have a clue what he was talking about, but rather than let on, I said, “Oh, I see. And how do you hope to use this degree… are you going to teach?” To which the young man said no, but then explained what he was doing in two sentences in plain English. I complemented him on his ability to translate – to which he replied: Most people don’t have a clue as to what I do – so I had to come up with an elevator speech to explain it.

Today is Holy Trinity Sunday. It too is hard to understand. The word “Trinity” isn’t in the Bible anywhere. It is simply an attempt – after Jesus came -- to understand how God is working in our world. Before Jesus, most people believed in many gods – there were gods for wind, rain, crops and everything else. But the Jewish people believed in ONE God. That made them distinct. Then came Jesus and Christians said, we have One God – but people had a hard time understanding how God the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit = 1. What kind of math is that?

Romans 5:1-5 is Paul’s elevator speech for the Trinity. But it’s not a theological explanation. Instead it explores the three different ways that God is revealed and why that makes a difference for our lives.

Why does it make a difference? One word: Jesus. Paul has already proclaimed that we are justified – that is, made right with God by Jesus through faith. He goes on to tell us that the result of this is peace – peace with God. Jesus has made things right with God for us - for You. Regardless of the wrong turns you have made in the past, mistakes, hurtful things that you have said or done, Jesus has set things right with God – for you.

But Paul knows that we live in a challenging world in which all things are NOT right. It might be all right for a moment, but it’s kind of like the prayer I once heard: “Dear God, I give you thanks that I have not said or done one thing wrong or hurtful all day. But… I’m about to get out of bed – and then I’m going to need some help for the rest of the day.”

Yet rather than be discouraged, Paul encourages his listeners, saying that as followers of Christ we may boast in our Hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we may boast in our suffering.

Paul was from a different time – but I think even for the Roman Christians, boasting in suffering may have sounded like sore comfort.

Suffering. There will be suffering, heart-ache and despair. Being a follower of Jesus does not protect us or shield us from the trials of the world. Sometimes, it makes it harder.

Roman Christians were in a minority – and many were persecuted and suffered for their faith. Unfortunately, those days have returned. Coptic Christians in Egypt have been beheaded, Christian Arabs – some of them Lutheran – living in the Holy Land are being persecuted, and Christians in other places also are in danger.

Our suffering may seem small in comparison. Yet, even if we are not persecuted for our faith, we are not immune to suffering because we are Christian. There were most likely Christians on board the plane that was destroyed over the Mediterranean Sea. Christians are not spared from cancer, heart trouble or any other disease. Followers of Christ face the same challenges from the world – floods and droughts and sickness and hardship - as everyone else.

As Jesus says, God "makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.”  The difference is that, both in joy and in hardships, people of faith are able to respond, “Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

I learned this lesson from my father when I was a little girl. I remember standing in our living room looking out at my father’s fields. The grain had just become ripe, and the golden stalks were being pounded into the ground by a fierce thunderstorm. I prayed for the rain to stop – or for God to skip over my father’s grain and just rain on the corn. I must have just learned about the power of prayer in Sunday school and so I was praying with all my might. My father came into the living room and looked at me with my nose pressed against the glass looking anxiously at the grain. God was NOT answering my prayer. My father said, “What’s wrong?” I responded with a bit of accusation in my voice, “Aren’t you even a little bit worried? The crops are being ruined.” My father smiled and said, “Well… we’ll see. Nothing we can do about it right now. Want to play a game of checkers?”

My father had endurance. He had lived through worse storms than this – and knew that whether the crop was ruined or not, it was not the end of the world. Instead, it was an opportunity for him to take a break from his chores and spend time playing a game of checkers.

If you are anxious and afraid, if you wonder if your actions have caused your suffering then suffering can lead to depression and hopelessness. But, if you are confident that Jesus has already made you right with God, then suffering can be endured because you know that it is not the end of the story. And that kind of endurance, an endurance that is not just surviving and not simply trusting in your own skill, abilities or luck but is linked – often through suffering -- to a confidence that God is with you – despite the challenges that come your way. This is the kind of endurance that leads to character.

No one is born with a good character. But character is learned through practicing good values, being forgiven when we make bad choices and knowing that Christ has made you right with God – so it isn’t up to you to prove your worth. Character is molded and formed by the forgiveness of Christ who made us right with God and through a life that is not squashed by suffering and adversity but instead endures and grows. A person with these gifts of character dares to hope.

We are back to hope.

Hope is sometimes dismissed as naïve or foolish. It’s so much easier to find the reasons something won’t work than cling to hope in the midst of suffering and adversity.

George Fredric Watts painted a remarkable painting named “Hope.” It’s the portrait of a woman, barefoot and blindfolded and dressed in tattered rags sitting on top of a globe. In her arms she is cradling a harp – that has lost all of its strings except for one. And she is playing that one string – undaunted by all of the challenges around her.

This is the painting that inspired President Obama’s former pastor Jeremiah Wright – who saw in it the “Audacity of Hope,” an idea that captivated President Obama so much that he named his second book after it. Regardless of whether or not you like President Obama or his pastor, they captured the “against all odds” quality of hope. Hope doesn’t figure the odds. Hope doesn’t get stuck in probabilities. Hope has a different vision. It’s a vision of possibility.

We dare to hope, because, as Paul writes, “hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.”

That is a note to remember – especially for you who are graduating: Some of you will be heading off to new places – schools or places of work. And as you go, there will be many things in the world to challenge you. There may even be some suffering in your life. There may be times when you are tempted to give up. But… in that moment, when all seems dark and hope-less, remember the peace that Jesus gives – who has made things right with God FOR US and remember that there will be suffering and challenges in your life…but remember too that suffering can lead to endurance and endurance to character and character to HOPE and… “Hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.”

This is why we gather on Sunday mornings to worship rather than do a whole host of other things that seem really important at the time. This is why we bring children like Thea and Anna and Howie to be baptized and this is why we keep coming. We need to be reminded of God’s love for us – and that we are part of the whole community of faith who gather to worship God TOGETHER because then WE as Christ’s body are made whole.

image credit: By George Frederic Watts and workshop, Public Domain