Vocation – Called by God to Serve and Love

When you think of Martin Luther do you think of:

A)   An African American civil rights leader?  

B)    A German monk pounding 95 Thesis on the church door?

The answer is B! The African American civil rights advocate, Martin Luther King Jr and his father, Martin Luther King Sr. changed their names after Martin Luther King Sr on a visit to Germany was inspired by Martin Luther, the German Reformation leader.  And yes, Martin Luther did post 95 Theses on the church door – which served as a local posterboard.

Here’s your next question:

A)  In his Theses – or statements- Luther argued that heaven cannot be bought or earned by what we do but that it is by God’s grace through faith that we are saved.

B)   Luther was arguing for indulgences and loved the catchy phrase "as soon as the coin in the coffers ring, the soul from purgatory springs." 

The answer is A. Martin Luther hated that phrase – used by Johann Tetzel to make people feel guilty so that they would spend money that they did not have to buy their relatives out of purgatory. Luther’s 95 theses were arguments against the sale of these indulgences because Luther said, you can’t buy your way into heaven. We are saved by God’s grace through our faith. Luther’s arguments, then printed by Guttenberg and spread like wildfire throughout the region because he wrote what people really believed to be true – but had previously not dared to say.

Here's another one – this one is tricky:

A)   Luther argued that it was what we did – and not what we bought that got us into heaven.

B)   Luther insisted that salvation was by God’s grace alone, through faith

Well… maybe it is not so tricky. The answer is: B. It’s written right in the passage from Galatians above - For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—not the result of works, so that no one may boast.

Final question:

A)  Martin Luther believed that vocation was the holy calling of priests, monks and nuns. 

B)   Luther argued for the priesthood of all believers and expanded the understanding of vocation to include any work conducted in faith that honored God and served one’s neighbor.

The answer is B! Luther redefined vocation to include ordinary work – whether it is paid or not – by ordinary people. He gives these examples: “a mother provides food, clothing, and a well-kept home for her closest neighbors—her children and husband. The cobbler provides quality footwear to his customers and a reasonable living to anyone he might employ. The farmer supplies food for the greater community.”1

Luther’s understanding of vocation came from his deep study of scripture, like the passage from Paul’s letter to the Galatians. The last sentence of this passage says, “For we are what he-God- has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.”

Based on this reading in Galatians – and others - Luther stressed that our good works were not going to get us to heaven. We couldn’t --no matter how had we tried – earn or buy our way into heaven. This was a big question in Luther’s day. How do I get to heaven? How does my family get to heaven?  Based on scripture, Luther was able to proclaim then and I can proclaim to you now: Salvation is the free gift of God given to you by Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection.

This is Good News – and in Luther’s day, this was a new message. Ordinary people had been so bullied by indulgence sellers threatening hell and damnation if they didn’t pay the dues that this word of God’s grace and mercy and the promise of salvation came as a surprise. For those who have grown up in the church, this is not new news. However,

the question for people then and now is: What does God’s gift of grace mean for the way that you live your life?  How do we respond to this gift?

Luther answers that question by looking to scripture and we can too. As it says in Galatians, “For we are what he -God- has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.”

This “way of life” is what Luther understood as our “vocation, our calling.”  Before Luther redefined the term, a vocation or calling only referred to the religious callings of priests, monks and nuns. But Luther understood vocation and callings to refer to every opportunity that a Christian has to reflect God’s love and serve our neighbor.

And so vocations includes every job – paid or not – that a Christian could do honorably such as a cobbler, a farmer, a baker or a mother or father and every opportunity to do something that reflects the love of God and serves the neighbor. For God has equipped you with skills, talents and a passion to use these gifts in your life. 

Educator, theologian and writer Frederick Buechner once said, “Your vocation in life is where your greatest joy meets the world's greatest need.” In other words, your vocation is using your God-given gifts that bring you joy and serve your neighbor . Not everyone finds this in their work life. However, wherever we are, and whatever situation we find ourselves in, we can use the gifts that God has given us in ways that both give us joy  and serves our neighbor.

However, sometimes we don’t recognize the gifts that we have and share or what an impact that our actions have. For example, one of our members has used her gift of creativity to make beautiful birthday cards that we mail out every week. I hear from recipients of these cards that they mean a lot to them.

Showing hospitality and listening to others is also a gift. Taking the time to have a cup of coffee and asking “How are you doing” – and actually listening or the answer – can make a huge difference in someone’s day.  Today, some of you have worked hard to create a brunch for all of us after worship. These tasks which you take on maybe without thinking about them as sharing a gift of your time and talents actually do make a difference for someone else who is hungry for fellowship, a good conversation and a feeling of welcome. This is the “way of life” to which God has called us. This is our vocation.

One of the needs of our neighborhood is hunger. There are many in our neighborhood and in our schools who struggle with what we call “food insecurity.” We have families who don’t know where their next meal is coming from. But many of you volunteer with Near Foodshelf or deliver food to Every Meal or drive for Dinner at Your Door or who give donations to provide the food to Near, Every Meal, Dinner at Your Door or ELCA World hunger. You serve – you do good works – and that serves our neighbors near and far. This is the “way of life” to which God has called us. This is our vocation.

As a congregation, we have been a teaching congregation for many years. Joanna is our 14th consecutive intern – and there were more in your past. Working with interns gives me – and us as a congregation great joy. This is the “way of life” to which God has called us. This is our vocation.

Finally, we worship together as a congregation whether it is online, in your home, in our parking lot or in the sanctuary. This is the “way of life” to which God has called us. This is our vocation. And this is why we support the ministries of Faith-Lilac Way. This is where God has called us to love and serve our neighbor.  Thanks be to God. Amen.

Responding to Jesus' Call

What do we know about Zacchaeus? Many of you may remember – from the song – that  Zacchaeus was a “wee little man.”  He was short. I’ve just come back from a trip and I was reminded that the best time to be short is on an airplane. But when there is a crowd, it is hard for those of us who are shorter to see.  

Zacchaeus was also a rich tax collector. The job of tax collectors was to gather the tax from their neighbors and give it to the Roman occupiers of their country. Not surprisingly, many of the tax collectors charged an outrageous “surcharge” for themselves which made them quite wealthy. Since Zacchaeus was rich and a tax collector everyone assumed that he was rich because he was a cheat, a traitor and a sinner – and wanted nothing to do with him.

Luke’s Gospel has several stories about rich people interacting with Jesus.  Just a few verses prior to this lesson, a rich man asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. In that culture –like the Prosperity Gospel proponents of today -  many assumed that the rich were the ones who were blessed and who were favored by God. But instead of telling the rich man what he could do or buy, Jesus told him that all he needed to do was give away his possessions and come and follow him. Saddened, the rich man left. In response, Jesus said, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!  Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”   

That sounds impossible, causing some of Jesus’ followers to wonder, “Then who can be saved?” But Jesus told them, “What is impossible for mortals is possible for God.”

And this is what happens in our Gospel today. For just a little way down the road we meet Zacchaeus, a rich tax collector who is short – both in height and estimation of his neighbors, climbing a tree in order to see Jesus. This wasn’t something that reputable people did in those days. And yet, unlike the rich ruler, Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus so much that he was willing to look absolutely ridiculous– in order to even catch a glimpse of Jesus.

And, not only did Zacchaeus see Jesus, but Jesus saw Zacchaeus. Jesus saw Zacchaeus and called him by name. Jesus even invited himself to dinner – a sign of restoration to the community --- despite the grumbling of the neighbors. 

In response, Zacchaeus welcomed Jesus gladly, and out of his joy, he responded with generosity to others. Zacchaeus declared that he is giving ½ of his possessions to the poor and that if he had cheated anyone – he would repay it fourfold.

Jesus declares that salvation had come –not only to the rich tax collector Zacchaeus, but to his whole household. Zacchaeus was not only restored to the community, but he and his whole household were claimed by God as an inheritor of eternal life. In answer to the disciples’ earlier question, “Who can be saved? Jesus said, “What is impossible for mortals is possible for God.”

Zacchaeus and the ruler were both wealthy. But unlike the rich ruler who clung to his wealth as his security, Zacchaeus realized that there is more joy in sharing with the poor the money that had been entrusted to him than there is in holding onto his gold and silver. There is more righteousness in pursuing justice for those who he may have wronged – intentionally or not – than there is in exploiting loopholes to amass more funds for himself. Zacchaeus realized that there is more security in trusting in a relationship with Jesus than there is in trusting in his own wealth and power.

When Jesus called Zacchaeus by name and invited himself to dinner, he was welcoming Zacchaeus into a relationship with himself and the community. Zacchaeus had been on the outside because people assumed that he was a cheat and a traitor and, therefore, a sinner – that is, a person who falls short of being the person that God has made them to be. 

Jesus also calls you and me by name and claims us as his own. Like Zacchaeus, we too are sinners, we too fall short of being the person that God has made us to be. And yet Jesus claims us as a fellow child of God – and invites us into community with one another and with God.

The question is – how will we respond? 

The rich ruler turned away. But we are invited to respond like Zacchaeus – even if it makes us look a little foolish. Like Zacchaeus, we can respond generously and joyfully. And this is especially important when the world around us seems grim. 

A few years ago, a woman who was depressed by the senseless killing of a young woman in Charlottesville during a protest against antisemitism found herself in a coffee shop. She said, “I just had that heavy weight on my chest. I just felt bummed out and sad about our situation, about humanity in general.” And then… without even thinking about it, she bought a gift card and gave it to the cashier and told her, “ I want you to use this for everybody who comes in after me, until it’s gone. I want you to treat everybody to a cup of coffee,” she said.

“All of a sudden, her depression about Charlottesville lifted. ‘My mood completely changed,’ she said. ‘It was that excitement, of being able to share with other people.’” It was, as she said, “the joy of giving.”

She wanted others to experience that joy too. So she gave her church a stack of $100 bills and asked them to give it to people in their church – to give to others.

The pastor of the church said that congregants confided they thought long and hard about how to use their $100, perhaps even more than they would have had they been handing out their own funds. The pastor said, “That to me is good theology anyway. It’s a good way to think about your life, that you’ve been entrusted with great gifts. And how do you turn around and use them?”

This is the question for us. How do we joyfully use what God has first entrusted to us? How do you experience the joy of giving the money, time, and skills that God has entrusted to you?

Today we will be witnesses as God through the Holy Spirit calls Soren Arthur by name and claims him as a child of God. His parents Nina and Rory and his sponsors and this congregation will be asked to pray for Soren and support him in his life with Christ. And we will all joyfully say “Yes!”

We will rejoice with Soren as a brother in Christ Jesus and together, we will seek to joyfully use the gifts that God has entrusted to each of us.

By our example, we will try to show Soren that we just as joyfully give money, time and talents to support the ministries of this church, our community and our world so that he and others may know God’s love. We won’t be perfect at it – we are still sinners who fall short.

But like Zacchaeus, we can trust that Jesus wants a relationship with each one of us. Regardless of who you are or where you are in your life, Jesus’ invitation still stands – even for the rich ruler who walked away – for the Holy Spirit is abundantly patient and continues to call us into community.

And so, as we rejoice with Soren and all of the Joygaards today, let us respond with joy and generosity, knowing that God is with us, calling us into community with God and with one another. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Pamela Stalheim Lane

Sunday Sermon

Key Verse:  “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

                                                                             - Colossians 3:17

 We’ve all seen it—you’re at Target or the grocery store and you see a parent there with a child. The child is holding a toy or a candy bar in their hands and they are looking at mom or dad, saying, “Please! Please can I have this? Please?” There were many times growing up that I was this child. Sometimes I was successful and sometimes I wasn’t, but I always had to try…and I could be very persistent.

 I remember one time when I was 7 or 8 and I saw a set of toy horses that I knew I needed to have. I picked up the box and asked my mom with my puppy dog eyes all ready. She said no. Please, Mom? I really like it. Not today. I knew my chances wouldn’t be good if I frustrated her, so I quietly held onto the box and followed my mom as she continued her shopping.

We go to the cleaning aisle to get some supplies, and I am quick to help my mom grab whatever she wants because maybe if I’m helpful she’ll buy the horses. Hey Mom, will you buy the horses if I promise to clean my room when we get home? She tells me that is my responsibility anyway.

In the next aisle a woman drops something on the floor. I quickly (and sneakily) put the toy horses into our cart and I rush forward to pick up the object from the floor to give back to the lady. She says thank you and tells me I am very kind. I make eye contact with my mom to make sure she heard. I go back to my mom and put my hand on the box of horses still sitting in the cart. Hey Mom, I bet that lady would want me to have the horses. My mom rolls her eyes.

Our shopping trip continues and I ask a few more times. She is still saying no but I can see I am wearing her down. Finally at the checkout—victory! We bought the toy horses. Persistence won the day.

Persistence comes in all shapes and forms. There is the persistence of flowing water which has the power to cut rock and form the land around it. The Grand Canyon, for example, took five or six million years to form, but the rivers flowing through it have made something pretty remarkable.

Think of the persistence of an artist or a craftsman who spends hours upon hours on their work, pouring all of their passion into it. Then there is the persistence of an inventor like Thomas Edison—he failed hundreds and hundreds of times but he finally got that lightbulb to work. I am also reminded of the persistence of my cat who meows each morning to let me know when it is time to wake up—and trust me, she can’t be ignored for long! Her meowing can be quite persuasive. And then—and possibly most importantly—there is the kind of persistence that demands justice and change, and it is this kind of persistence that we find in our Gospel reading today.

In our Gospel today Jesus tells the story of a persistent widow who comes to a judge day after day demanding action for injustice she has experienced. At first the judge ignores her—he could care less about her and her problems—but over time the widow wears him down and finally he gives her what she wants. In the society in which this widow lives, she is in a vulnerable and marginalized position. As a widow she has little power and little rights, and yet she insists that the judge hear her voice. She isn’t backing down because she believes in what she is doing, and she is rooted in faith that she will receive justice if she keeps working at it.

This kind of persistence is powerful and it can bring about great change. Take a look at history and you will find people in all times and places who stand up in persistence for justice. Think of the ancient prophets who cried out for justice in the Old Testament. Jesus reached out to the marginalized and brought them into community. Martin Luther pointed out injustices he saw in the church of his time. Centuries later, Martin Luther King Jr. persisted in his quest for civil rights. Mahatma Gandhi persisted for justice and independence in India. Malala persists for the education for women. Greta Thunberg calls out for environmental justice. The list goes on.

What these people all have in common is that this kind of persistence—the kind of persistence toward justice that serves all people—is sacred. All of these people are putting their faith, their passions, their hopes and dreams for the world—their whole selves—into their persistent drive toward justice in its many forms. These people may or may not be religious in their own ways, but when I look at the drive and passion with which they work to bring justice, I see God at work. Whether they recognize it or not the Holy Spirit is at work in them and in all that they do.s

As Christians who believe in the power of God’s work in the world, we each have this same driving Spirit within each of us. Scripture tells us that each one of us is created in the Image of God and given gifts that equips up for ministry and life in the world. And then through our baptism each one of us is gifted with the Holy Spirit and we are called to use our gifts and passions to partner with God in ministry. This is such a unique and powerful gift! With these gifts I think what God is saying is, “I love you SO MUCH, and I believe in your value SO MUCH, that I want YOU to be able to play your part in the world. Go forth and be the best blessing you can be.” How can we pass up an opportunity like that?

Take a moment to think about how God has called you. What gifts do you have—and trust me, you do have some! What are your passions? If you are passionate about the environment, how can you use your gifts to help others care for the earth? If you are passionate about caring for children, what are you doing to nurture the next generation? If you are passionate about music, how do you use music to connect people together? I could go on, but I think you get the picture.

Or, think the other way. What injustices do you see in the world? What breaks your heart the most? If it bothers you that your workplace doesn’t recycle, what can you do to help change that? If a local law is unjust, are you going to speak up? For me, for example, it breaks my heart when I think about people who struggle with mental illness and feel alone. I don’t think anyone should feel alone, so I am going to do what I can to do something about it. That is one way I feel God is calling me.

Whatever it is, big or small, find something you care about and do something about it. Chances are there is a community of people who care about it too. Faith Lilac Way is an example of this. FLW saw hunger in the community, so we do our part to support local food shelves and pack meals for students and their families. Faith Lilac Way saw that there were children being exploited in our community, so we became involved with Cherish All Children. We see people around the world suffering from natural disasters so we work with the ELCA Disaster Response, and we tie blankets for kids at Camp Noah who are recovering from disasters. All of this work is sacred because it is the Holy Spirit driving us in our passions and in our efforts. And if you have an idea or a passion that you aren’t sure how to use, let’s talk about it! I want to hear it. Let’s dream of the possibilities and let’s open the door to see how God might move!

Now, if you’ve reached this part of the sermon and you are thinking, “This is too much to do, I can’t fix the world!”—then I want you to hear this next part. Being created and equipped by God does not mean that we are perfect or can do it all. We will have times when we make mistakes and doubt ourselves, and there will be times when we fail. There will be moments when we are discouraged or wonder if our effort really makes a difference. Imagine how the widow in our Gospel must have felt going to the judge day after day. Yet she didn’t give up, she got up the next morning and tried again. It is important to remember that the fate of the world does not rest on our shoulders—it is God who has already secured the ending. We don’t have to do it all and we don’t have to do it perfectly, but in the meantime God has created and equipped each of us to be a part of this world.

Every day you are given the chance to use your time, gifts, talents and resources to touch the people around you and help make your community a better place. In your work place, in your family, in the retirement community—wherever you find yourself—you have the chance to use your gifts, passions and resources to the glory of God. Be persistent in kindness, persistent in faith, persistent in prayer, and whatever you do, do it to the glory of God. Thanks be to God. Amen.

- Vicar Joanna Kathol

Faith Enough

“Increase our faith!” The disciples pleaded with Jesus. Now on the face of it, that sounds like a good request. After all, shouldn’t we all want to have more faith?

But what today’s Gospel doesn’t say is what prompted this request. Jesus had just finished warning the disciples:

“Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come.  It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble. So watch yourselves. [And as if that wasn’t enough of a challenge, Jesus also told them:]

“If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them.  Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.” 

I can just hear the disciples complaining, “Come on. That’s not even possible. Seven times they repent and I have to forgive them?” No wonder they asked for more faith.

Jesus has high standards and expectations for his followers – and that includes you and me. We are to watch out for the vulnerable - whether they be children or others who are easily taken advantage of, hurt, or abused. Jesus is pretty blunt – “better to have a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble.” And on top of that, as followers of Jesus, we are expected to forgive someone even if they sin against us seven time in one day and say “sorry.”

The disciples respond out of their anxiety and out of their fear of not measuring up to these standards, they asked for more faith. Jesus’ way is not the easy way. So I can kinda understand the disciples request: How about a little more faith Jesus?

But Jesus sounds exasperated when he tells them that they don’t need a mountain’s worth but only faith as big as a mustard seed to throw a whole mulberry tree – a tree with extensive roots that spread out and hold on tight – into the sea. Please note that Jesus is not saying you ought to do that. Or that you want to do that. And he is not urging you to try and show off your faith by trying it. What Jesus is saying is:  Faith is that powerful.

But it still doesn’t mean that faith is easy -- then – or now.

A pastor who lives in a State a bit south of us wrote in her blog that someone in her town recently put up a Confederate flag. It happened to be on the route of the new mail carrier -- who was black. Coincidence? A group of neighbors gathered. They didn’t like the flag or what it stood for. But none of them wanted to confront the neighbor who put up the flag. No one knew who lived there. And yet, they didn’t want the Confederate flag to be the only or even primary message that the mail carrier or other people saw in their town. So, they decided to order 100 posters that said, “Hate has no place here” and then distribute them to everyone who would put them up.

It's a good message. But it also meant lines were being drawn. Communication was happening – but it was happening through signs vs. a flag. Divisions were made deeper.

But one day, a retired Baptist pastor knocked on the door of the Confederate flag house. He went in. He talked with the person who hung the flag. No one knows what they talked about. But this Baptist pastor had faith enough – even if was just a mustard seed worth – to speak to the one who offended at least a hundred people in the town. Maybe the pastor talked to the person about why the flag was there? Maybe he asked this person to take the flag down. Or maybe they prayed. No one knows. But he had faith enough to talk with the neighbor. And the flag came down. 1

This is the kind of faith that we are learning about in Faith Practices and Neighboring Practices. And the first thing that we learned was that Faith takes practice.

After all… How did Tom Brady learn how to throw a football?  How did Willie Mays, Babe Ruth or Aaron Judge learn how to swing a bat? How did Jean- Pierre Rampal learn to play the flute? How did Ann Marie learn how to play the piano and the organ and direct the choir? Practice.

That is what we, as Christians are called to do. Practice. Practice our faith so that if and when we face a problem in our neighborhood, we are empowered to knock on that door knowing that Christ is with us.  But that’s really hard to do. So your Faith Practices, Neighboring Practices team and the council have been learning, practicing – how to talk with neighbors, how to listen without judgment and how to humbly share Christ’s love by having asking questions that create meaningful conversations. It’s been a great experience --- especially since we are all a bit rusty after the pandemic -- and it’s not just for extroverts or pastors. One good way for us all to “practice” is by having friendly conversations with friendly looking strangers – like those you can see at the treats and talk time right after worship.

And, in order to have the courage to talk with other people in meaningful ways – whether they are people bearing Confederate flags or just coffee cups – it helps to have some other faith practices to ground you in your faith and to give you courage.

When walking around a college campus this past year, I noticed that no matter how many official sidewalks there were, the students always seemed to make their own paths, finding the most efficient and fast way from one point to another. In his devotional book, We Make the Road by Walking, pastor and writer Brian McClaren writes that “Christian faith is still “in the making”. And so, the practices that we keep and the habits we choose to do each day – like a scripture devotion, or a prayer or something else, helps our Christian faith grow, evolve, learn, change, emerge, and mature”2

Faith practices can be as simple as a prayer before bed or at mealtime. Or you can pray while you do ordinary tasks. For example, one day, instead of counting the scoops of coffee I put in my coffee maker each morning, I pray for a person or group by name. For those who are techie, you can subscribe to a devotion online. I like God Pause. And if you would rather read, we have the devotion booklet, The Word in Season on the table outside. Feel free to pick one up. Or maybe you are a person who enjoys journaling – or coloring a Bible verse.  Any of these can be good faith practices. The point is, if what you have been doing for a long time still works, great! But if not, I encourage you to try something new.

There is one thing that I urge you not to do. Don’t try everything at once!  That is my tendency – to try everything! … but that is a recipe for failure. It’s simply too much.

May you practice your faith in ways that strengthen you, encourage you and give you peace and courage. And may your faith be as great as a mustard seed. Because, having faith the size of a mustard seed - is more than enough.

Faith-Lilac Way Lutheran Church + October 2, 2022  + Pastor Pam Stalheim Lane

1 The Rev. Judith Hunt, https://dancingwiththeword.com/on-mustard-seeds-and-mulberry-trees/

2  Brian McLaren https://brianmclaren.net/books-by-brian-mclaren/#wmr

Whoever is Faithful in a Very Little

Jesus’ teaching in today’s Gospel reminded me of a scene from the movie Moonstruck. Loretta, played by Cher, is a young widow who is anticipating an evening out with a man with whom she has just fallen in love. She begins doing her ordinary tasks of the day which include going to the family business to pick up the deposit on the way to the bank. But on the way… she gets distracted. She stops to get her hair done… and then does her nails, goes shopping and basically spends the whole day getting ready for this evening.

The next morning, her aunt and uncle, the owners of the family business show up at breakfast looking as if their best friend has died. Loretta asked them about it and then they said we went to the bank….

Suddenly… it clicks. A look of horror crosses her face as Loretta races to her coat pocket and says, “The deposit! I forgot to go to the bank with the deposit           ! As she pulls it from her coat pocket, they all breathe a sigh of relief. It’s still there.”

Crisis averted.  But still her aunt and uncle then felt a need to affirm that of course they trusted her – they had always trusted her but they had been worried for her and they couldn’t imagine what they would do without that money, their retirement money… For them it was a crisis of both financial hardship and of relationship. For if Loretta had used the money from the store to pay for her new hairdo and spa treatment and the new clothes that she bought it would also have either created a rift between the families or with her. Either way, her reputation would have been destroyed. 

It was just an errand to the bank. But, that little errand – was a big deal.1

Whoever is faithful with very little is also faithful with much.” Luke 16:10

Last week we had some workmen come into our house to replace our cracked kitchen counter. When they were done, I noticed a dime sitting precariously on the window sill. I thought it was odd --- but then I remembered what my boss told me when I worked as a house cleaner on a summer job years ago. She said, “if you ever find money on the floor or on the couch or anywhere, even if it is just a penny, be sure to put it in an obvious spot on the table or counter close by where you found it. Never ever ever ever put it in your pocket. You might forget it. And then your reputation and mine will be ruined.”  Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much.

In this Gospel teaching, Jesus is speaking to the Pharisees and scribes. They are the ones who have been entrusted with money and power in their community. And they like it. But Jesus challenges them -- who do they love? Who do they serve?  Is it God or money?

It’s the same challenge that we read about in the lesson from Amos. There the rich people were eager for the Sabbath and the new moon festival to be over so that their market could open again and they could make more money by dishonest means. They clearly had put their thumb on the scales. They were not faithful or trustworthy. They were being dishonest and as a result, they were getting richer… and the poor were getting poorer. Amos warned them - the Lord sees what you are doing… and would remember. Later, Amos reports, it doesn’t turn out very well for them.

God cares about how we use the money we call our own– because our relationship with money affects our relationships with God and with one another.  As Jesus says, “You can’t serve God and money.”

But unless we enter a monastery, we can’t live without money – and even there, someone is paying the light bill.

So what does this mean for how we use money and how we treat it?  We all need it. And yet…money can so easily become the thing that we put first in our life. And that’s when money becomes a problem.

It is a bit ironic that the words “In God we trust” are written right on US coins and bills. I wondered why?  So I looked it up.

Apparently, “In God we trust” was first added to U.S. coins in 1864 when religious sentiment was on the rise and Americans wanted to know what their country stood for. Roosevelt felt it was “vulgar”, so he tried to take it off – but a backlash ensued and instead of getting rid of it, in 1957, the slogan was added to paper money. According to a Times article, “Today even ardent separationists seem to agree with retired Supreme Court Justice William Brennan, who wrote in 1983 that slogans such as ‘In God We Trust’ have ‘lost any true religious significance.'”2

That slogan may not pack a punch anymore in the country at large – it’s like the back of the cereal box. You’ve seen it so many times you don’t read it anymore.

However, rather than depend on our government’s slogan, I believe that the key to how we are to treat money is found in our opening verse, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much.” I also like the NRSV translation that is on the cover of the bulletin: Whoever is faithful in a very little, is faithful also in much.” Faithful. Trustworthy. Jesus is calling us to be faithful and trustworthy in all things – including or maybe even especially with the money and resources that God has entrusted to us.

Money has so much power in our world and this is why Jesus spends a good deal of time talking about money – and how we use it. Jesus calls the Pharisees, the scribes, his disciples, and all his listeners and followers including us -- to be faithful, to be trustworthy with the money and resources that God has entrusted to us.

We are to be faithful and trustworthy – because everything we have, all that I claim as “mine” and everything that you claim as “yours” --  belongs to God. As the saying goes – “You can’t take it with you.” Theologian NT Wright puts it this way: “Money is not a possession, it’s a trust. God entrusts property to people and expects it to be used to his glory and the welfare of his children, not for private glory or glamour.”

God expects us to be good caretakers, to be trustworthy. This is why God got mad at the rich people cheating the poor in Amos day and that is why Jesus says, “You can’t serve God and money.”

God knows our hearts. And, while when we’ve been working hard, and the financial numbers are good, it is tempting for us to trust in our selves and to think of it as “my” work and in “my” money, “my” bank account – regardless of the resource -- it all belongs to God. Everything we lay claim to is a trust from God. God not only entrusted to us resources – but the skill and talents and educational abilities in order to do what we do. And so, it would good if we trusted not in the money that we receive, but rather, took to heart, in the words written on our money – “In God We Trust.”

Brothers, sisters, siblings in Christ, God entrusts to us so much – time, talents and yes treasures too. In response, let us seek to be faithful in all things – both great and small– and to put our trust in God. Amen.

-         Pamela Stalheim Lane      

1. Moonstruck Written by John Patrick Shanley and directed by Norman Jewison. 1987.

2. N.T. Wright, Luke for Everyone, Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, Great Britain, 2001 p.196

3. Sarah Begley, January 13, 2016. Time Magazine, Online Version

Rejoice!

Today I’m thinking about the sheep that was lost. She wasn’t doing anything wrong.  She was simply doing what sheep do - following her nose and blissfully eating one tender blade of grass after another. Then she saw another blade of grass – over there. She didn’t bother to look up – she was content and enjoying the grass.  But eventually… she felt the cold wind as the sun dipped beneath a cloud at the horizon. Sensing it was time to huddle up with her fellow sheep, she finally looked up and discovered - she was all alone. The rest of the herd had also followed their noses… a different way. Suddenly she was a little anxious. She bleated, hoping to hear the answering baa of her mother. But she heard nothing. She was alone… and that is a very dangerous place for a little lamb to be. 1

This would have been an all too familiar occurrence in Jesus’ day… sheep were constantly wandering off, following their noses to anticipated green pasture without thinking about how much they need the community. That’s why sheep need a shepherd.  The shepherd watches over the sheep – and if it one is missing – the shepherd goes and looks for it. The sheep in today’s story wasn’t a bad sheep. It belonged. It simply had gotten lost. So the shepherd hunts for her and brings her home and invites everyone to celebrate!

Jesus tells this parable as a description of what God does for us – each one of us -- all of God’s children. For there are times in our lives when each one of us may feel lost - things are not right, and we get separated from the love and support of our community. It is at times like these that God seeks us, hunts for us in the corners and crags of our world and of our lives to bring us back into community. Because… just like sheep, we need community.

I had several friends and relatives who lost loved ones during the pandemic. Maybe you did too. One of the challenges of the pandemic is that all of the traditional ways that we as a community of Christ have learned to address illness, death and despair were upended. We couldn’t gather together. We couldn’t eat together. We couldn’t sing. We couldn’t hug or even touch one another. No one wanted to risk infecting someone else. It’s no wonder that so many – maybe you would include yourself in that number – have felt lost, alone, isolated and depressed.

Others have felt lost because, too often, we are plagued by old tapes running in our heads that tell us that we are not worthwhile, that we are too slow or too fat or too skinny or that we are simply not good enough. Somehow, we have gotten the message that we don’t measure up -- and that if and when we are lost – no one would care enough to go and look for us.

Kate Braestrup, in her memoir, Here If you Need Me, shares some of her experiences as a chaplain with the Maine game wardens. One day she is waiting with a young man whose sister had gotten lost and likely had overdosed in the woods. As the wardens search, the young man tells Kate that his sister had been suffering from depression for a long time and that recently she had gone to church and been told that the one thing God never, ever forgave – was suicide. So he asks Kate, “would the church do a funeral for a suicide?”

Kate replies, “The game wardens have been walking in the rain all day, walking through the woods in the freezing rain trying to find your sister. They would have walked all day tomorrow [and] the rest of the week, searching for Betsy, so they could bring her home to you…And if there is one thing I am sure of…it is that God is not less kind, less committed, or less merciful than a Maine game warden.” She then said, despite what that pastor may have said, “there is no doubt in my mind… God is holding your sister close to His tender heart. Betsy is safe, she is forgiven, she is free at last from all her pain.” And then she gave him the number of some other pastors who would proclaim God’s mercy and love rather than shame at Betsy’s funeral.

There are old tapes – lies --  out there that paint God as a vengeful God who is more interested in vengeance and punishment than mercy and love.  These old tapes claim that God expects us to look and act perfect and put on our happy face…even when we are crying on the inside.

Those old tapes belong to the Pharisees. They are the ones who said to Jesus, “Why are you hanging around with tax collectors and sinners?” Why do you eat with those people?

In response, Jesus asks the Pharisees and scribes and us …. which of you would not leave the 99 in the wilderness and go in search of the lost sheep. This sounds like a rhetorical question.

But it’s a real question for the Pharisees - would they?  Would they leave 99 sheep in the dangerous wilderness in search of one little lamb that might already have been found by a hawk or a coyote or a bandit… all of whom liked to eat lamb. Would they risk the 99? Would we? Is that even good management of resources? Or would that lost sheep be considered “collateral damage” – a business loss, a tax deduction?

But God does. God goes after the one who is lost – even at great risk.

In another story, Jesus talks about the hired hands versus the Good shepherd. The hired hands wouldn’t look for a stray sheep. But the Good Shepherd is constantly on the lookout because to the Good shepherd, it’s not just another sheep. It’s his sheep – who he knows and loves. 

This is how Jesus describes God. Jesus says that God is like a shepherd who seeks, and hunts and looks and doesn’t stop until He finds the one who is lost.  And so know this… if you are ever plagued by questions of whether you are good enough, whether anyone would ever care, whether anyone would bother to look for you if you didn’t show up… Jesus says that God is seeking you. God is seeking you because you are worth looking for, searching for and going after. God not only wants to find you but God wants to restore you to community.

Jesus was spreading a message of God’s expansive kingdom and the tax collectors and those who were designated as “sinners” were listening. But the Pharisees were grumbling: "This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them." Clearly, those designated as “sinners” were those people.

But rather than address the negative grumblings – Jesus tells a story to help the Pharisees and scribes, the tax collectors and his disciples and all those who have ever sinned (which includes all of us) to know that God is a God of love and mercy. God knows each person by name and when someone is in trouble, is disconnected from community, is involved in unhealthy behavior or is making damaging choices… God goes and looks for “them,” for those people.

Who are “those people” for you? The Pharisees called them “sinners.” Who are those people who you don’t agree with, don’t understand and don’t frankly even like? God is seeking those people too to restore them – and you and me --into community…together. For no matter who you are or what you have done or not done, where you were born or who you love or what is the color of your skin or your political party– God seeks and invites you all to live into the community of God where there is no designation of “us” and “them.”

And then God throws a party. For God wants to rejoice with you’all. Like the shepherd who finds the lost sheep and the woman who finds the lost coin, when God finds God’s lost child, God calls everyone to rejoice! For there is great joy in heaven when the lost are found and the found are restored.

Brothers and sisters, friends in Christ, we are all God’s children, so let us rejoice with God and all the angels and the whole company of heaven. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

-         Pastor Pamela Stalheim Lane

“What are the Costs of Discipleship?”

Texts:

• Deuteronomy 30:15-20—Moses delivers a speech to the Israelites before they enter the Promise Land, encouraging them to choose life by following God over idolatry and suffering.

• Psalm 1:1-3—Blessed are those who follow the ways of the Lord, for they are like trees planted by streams of water and bearing ripe fruit.

• Luke 14:25-28—Jesus warns a crowd of followers that true discipleship comes at a great cost and requires full commitment.  

Good morning, and grace and peace to you from our Loving God and Father in heaven! Amen.

My name is Joanna Kathol and I am excited to be Faith Lilac Way’s new vicar for this next year! My welcome into this community has been warm and I look forward to doing ministry together. Yet before we can dive into ministry together it is helpful to get to know each other, so I would like to take a brief moment to introduce myself.

To tell you a little about myself, I was born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska with my mother and my older sister. I grew up in a wonderful ELCA congregation that encouraged its youth from a young age to participate in worship, and I felt a call to ministry for the first time when I was 10 years old. You might find it fun to know that Faith Lilac Way’s first intern, Paula Lawhead, is now the pastor at that church where I grew up, so it seems like God’s hand was at work to bring me to this congregation as well. I am blessed to be here with Faith Lilac Way over the next year and I look forward to meeting more of you and building relationships together. God is good and I know God has some good things in store for us during our time together.

Now I have to be honest, I didn’t expect my first sermon at my internship site to be over a difficult text such as this one. The words which Luke writes this morning are jarring and even disturbing. What could Jesus mean when he speaks such harsh words about hatred for life and family? These words do not seem to mesh well with the Jesus we hear about in other Bible stories, the Jesus who heals people and preaches about justice and loving the neighbor.

Well, when I am confronted with a jarring text such as this one it helps me to think about the context in which Jesus would have spoken these words. So what is going on here in this text? First, it is helpful to know that for the last few chapters of Luke, Jesus has begun his journey to Jerusalem and toward the Cross, and along his journey Jesus has continued to teach sermons and conduct miraculous healings. He teaches radical things about “a New and Coming Kingdom”, a new social order that is just, and new life. These are hopeful messages for the Jewish people who have been under the oppression of Rome. Jesus is gaining attention and the people are thinking,’ This might really be the one we have been waiting for!’ The Jewish people have been longing for someone to save them from Roman oppression, and in the midst of this longing, here comes Jesus doing miracles and teaching about a new Kingdom.

For many people in the crowds surrounding Jesus, Jesus is the answer to their prayers—their hero—and they believe that if they follow Jesus they too can witness and experience the power and glory they imagine Jesus is going to have. Now Jesus is indeed the answer to their prayers, but not in the way they think. While the people are thinking about earthly kingdoms and political power, Jesus is thinking about God’s kingdom. He knows his mission is to do something much greater than defeating the Romans, but in order to do his work he must first go to the Cross.

So while the people think Jesus is headed toward glory, Jesus knows that he is instead on his way to suffering on the Cross for the sake of the world.

Jesus also knows that the people who follow him may also likely suffer the pain in which he will suffer, so as Jesus turns to speak to the crowd gathered around he is being quite blunt with them. Basically he is telling them ‘If you want to follow me, be prepared to lose everything. If you truly want to be my disciple you will have to be fully committed, even above family and comfort and all the other things you hold dear. So before you decide to really follow me, reflect and weigh the costs. If you aren’t ready to follow me even to the cross then you are not yet ready to be my disciple.’

But is Jesus really saying that discipleship requires one to hate or reject their family and even life itself? I can assure you that is not the intended message, but Jesus did intend for his message to turn heads. In the culture of Jesus’s day it was not uncommon for speakers to use stark words when they were trying to drive home a point. We even see an example of this in our first reading this morning as Moses warns the Israelites to follow God and choose life rather than go astray and choose death. In our Old Testament reading Moses was reminding the Israelites that following God required whole-hearted commitment—it was not a passive decision but one that entailed deep trust and daily action.

This was what Moses told the Israelites then and it is the same message that Jesus was delivering hundreds of years later to this crowd. Jesus was not telling the people to hate life and family, but rather emphasizing the full-hearted commitment that true discipleship would take. To follow Jesus to the cross would require a willingness to face the costs of discipleship, a commitment to put their faith first and central in their lives. These disciples could be far away from their homes and families, they risked being mocked by their peers, and they could even face imprisonment or death themselves. This is some pretty serious stuff Jesus is talking about here and he is giving them the opportunity to reflect and decide: Were they going to be half-hearted followers, or would they be all in?

Even two thousand years later I think Jesus in this passage asks us the same question. In our own modern day and culture being a Christian and walking the path of discipleship can come at a cost. There are times when our faith may likely be at odds with our culture and those around us. It can be a cost to us when our faith calls us to step outside of our comfort zone, or to speak and act in a difficult situation. It is a cost to at times set aside our own needs for the sake of the neighbor. Even taking on the label of “Christian” can be a cost. In larger society there are many who believe that Christians are judgmental or closed minded, and this can certainly be a cost to us when others apply these stereotypes simply because we use the word “Christian” to identify our faith. And yes, there are still places in the world today where following God can even cost a disciple their life.

This is serious stuff we are talking about, and in the midst of it here is Jesus, asking us if we too are ready to be “all in” in discipleship.

Are we ready to rely on God above all else and keep Christ central in our lives?

Are we ready to follow the example of Jesus when it is difficult or goes against the status quo?

Are we ready to stand up for the oppressed and welcome the marginalized?

Are we ready to step outside the comfort and safety of our church doors to go out into a world and to people who desperately need to hear the hope and good news of God’s love?

Are we ready for a journey to the cross and to allow ourselves to be transformed and made new?

These are big questions and they are decisions that change and frame the way we live our lives and approach the world. These are questions that reach deeply into our hearts as we ponder this morning what it means for us to be disciples.

But here is the good news: the Jesus who asks us these questions is the same Jesus that walks with us each step of the way. To say yes to these questions and to accept the risks and the costs of discipleship does not mean we go forward alone. Instead when we say yes we are stepping into relationship with God, into a relationship that is life changing and life-fulfilling in the best ways possible. Being a disciple of Christ does not mean that life will be glorious or easy, but in saying yes we open ourselves and our world to so many new and wonderful opportunities. God is good and God is faithful, so may God bless us, strengthen us and guide us as we say yes to the journey of discipleship. Amen.

-         Vicar Joanna Kathol

You Are All Invited

You are cordially invited to the celebration of the marriage of… This is often how a wedding invitation begins. I was talking with a couple of twenty-somethings this past week. They are in the time of life in which their friends are getting married and so naturally, they each receive quite a number of invitations. But, because weddings are often really expensive – and because some are still taking covid precautions, sometimes the guest list is limited. So when the invitation comes addressed to just one of them, they look to see if they have a “plus 1.”  Can they bring their girlfriend/ boyfriend? Only if they have a “plus 1”.

In Jesus day, there were also rules about wedding invitations. Jesus notices that in the culture of the day, the people who would be invited to wedding feasts and other celebrations – were the powerful, the rich, and those who could “repay the favor.” He also noticed who was missing, who was not at the table  – those who were poor – such as servants and slaves as well as those who were crippled, lame, and blind. None of these people could “return the favor.” But this is exactly who Jesus challenges the host to invite – those who do not have a place at the table.

Who doesn’t have at the table today? I would argue that, most of the time, we don’t even see them…

After publishing a children’s book, Jarrett Krosoczka returned to his old elementary school to share his book. As he was setting up his projector in the cafeteria, he looked up and recognized someone immediately. It wasn’t a former teacher or classroom worker. It was… the lunch lady. He greeted her – and she recognized him too. He told her about his  books and then, he said, “she started telling me about her grandkids, and that blew my mind. My lunch lady had grandkids, and therefore kids, and therefore left school at the end of the day? I thought she lived in the cafeteria with the serving spoons.” 1

Jarret suddenly saw her as a whole person… and not just someone who served him and the other children chicken nuggets for lunch. Inspired, he created a comic book series about a lunch lady who fights off the bad guys with her kitchen utensils and at the end of the story captures the bad guy with her hairnet and proclaims “Justice is served!” 1

His books were a hit! Not only with children – but also with lunch ladies. Popular culture has not treated lunch ladies very well over the years. And so they were absolutely touched that someone noticed them; and appreciated what they do and even made a superhero who looked like them. After all… what is I that the lunch staff do? They serve. They don’t sit down to eat at the table. Their role is to serve 5 billion school lunches every year.

Who else don’t we “see?”

The activity director of a local nursing home asked if I would do a worship service for the residents once a month. I agreed. And so, a few weeks ago I went there and did a short service – it was a small group but they sang the songs and followed the bulletin and seemed to appreciate it. So when she called me to tell me that the pastor of the church that was scheduled to do the service had covid – and would I help them out, I readily agreed. And then the activity director said – “Is it ok if it is on 2nd floor?” I said I didn’t care what floor I did the service on. I did not realize that “2nd floor” was a code.

When I got to the nursing home, I went to the second floor. There were a couple of people in the TV room – but they were not the people that had come to the worship before. Instead, they were either sleeping or not responsive. But I waited. And as I waited, I started to notice things. There was garbage on the floor. The tables were broken. The furniture was soiled. The carpet squished under my feet. And none of the residents who were there could talk to me.  Then the staff person and a few more residents arrived. One woman recited the Lord’s prayer for me. But that was about it. 

This seemed to be the group this time, so I started the service. I sang the songs… but no one chimed in.. I read the lesson. No response. So I asked the staff person – communion? He shook his head no.

I have to admit that at the end of the service, I just wanted to run away -it seemed like a complete waste of time. But something stopped me and instead of running away, I thought, “The heck with the Covid rules. I may get in trouble for spreading germs but I’m going to shake the hand of each person and acknowledge them. So I went up to each one and held their hand and blessed them. And to my utter surprise and delight, most of them responded. Some smiled. Others straightened up in their chair. Some looked surprised. The words that I spoke and sang during the service may not have been able to crack through their consciousness – I’ll never know – but a simple handshake did.

I was telling a friend of mine about my frustration with this whole event – but after I told about their response to my handshake, my friend said to me – well then God was at work.

Yes. I was humbled. I just didn’t see it.

The next day I decided to contact the activity director about my experience and I asked her about the change to the 2nd floor.  Her response surprised me. She said, “Thank you for coming. The residents voted to have the service on 2nd floor so that those who were cognitively impaired could participate.” Oh.  That explains it. They were cognitively impaired. These are people we don’t run into in the grocery store. These are people we ordinarily just don’t see. But now I do.

Now I see them. Just as, after watching the 9 minute video of George Floyd,  I can no longer ignore the treatment of black people by the police. I saw it. You saw it. The world saw those 9 minutes in which a black man died under the knee of one who was called to serve and protect. And now we can no longer not-see .

Jesus invites us to open our eyes to see others – especially those “others” that are usually out of sight, out of mind, those people who we do not normally encounter. Notice that Jesus did not just say “welcome” others – because in order to be “welcomed,” the guest has to make the first move – they have to dare to come, to show up uninvited. Instead, Jesus challenges the host in the Gospel and Jesus challenges us to invite those who have not been invited, those who are poor, differently abled, those who are different from us and yet also beloved children of God.

Jesus calls us to reach beyond our circles of comfort not just for the sake of others, but for our sake as well. For it is not just receiving grace that transforms us, true transformation happens when we extend grace with no expectation of anything in return.

This past week we held our Big Band Bash – and it was a ton of fun! The band was great, the food was good - as always - but the best part was that we had a record crowd there – and the reason? People personally invited others to come – friends and neighbors.

Brothers and sisters, siblings in Christ, let us open our eyes to see our neighbors and invite them to sit at the table and join with us in the banquet Jesus has prepared. For you – all – have received an invitation with your name on it – and a Plus. But it isn’t a plus 1. Instead of a 1, there is an infinity sign behind the plus. You plus an infinite number of friends, neighbors and strangers. There is room at Jesus’ banquet for one and all. Thanks be to God. Amen.

August 28, 2022                                                                           Pastor Pamela Stalheim Lane   

Jarrett Krosoczka, ttps://www.ted.com/talks/jarrett_j_krosoczka_how_a_boy_became_an_artist

Jesus Sets You (and Your Neighbor) Free!

She was bent over. For eighteen years. Imagine being this woman. All she could see were other people’s feet – and her own. Her back must have been killing her. Every day.  And yet, she was there for worship. She showed up. Maybe she was there to pray for release.  Or maybe she had given up on the idea of healing… but she went to worship anyway.   

She had heard that a travelling Rabbi was going to speak that morning but by time she got to worship – it takes a long time to walk with your head always faced down--all the best seats close up were taken. But she couldn’t see him anyway. All she could see was her feet.

It turned out that she didn’t need to see Jesus – because Jesus could see her. Jesus and could see that she is hurting.  He calls to her – and, even though she could feel the eyes of the whole congregation on her, she comes.  She hobbled over, head down, not knowing what would happen. She might have been afraid.

For there was a belief at the time – it’s still around today – called the Prosperity Gospel. This belief holds that anyone who was afflicted – like the bent-over woman -- must have done something wrong. This belief assumes that God gives prosperity and wealth to those God favors – that these are the ones whom God loves – and that the ones who are in poverty and hurting are that way because …they have done something wrong.

But that’s not what Jesus teaches. Luke calls the cause of her suffering a spirit. Jesus calls it Satan – which is to say, the forces of evil. 

In the Magnificat, Jesus’ mother Mary proclaims that her child will be the Savior of the world who has come with mercy to lift up the lowly. And in his first sermon, Jesus proclaims that the Spirit of the Lord has anointed him to bring good news to the poor, release to the captive, sight to the blind and to set free those who are oppressed.

When Jesus sees this bent-over woman, a daughter of Abraham, a child of God, he sees a woman who is oppressed. And he acts to set her free.

Jesus calls her to himself, proclaims her released from her ailment and places his hands on her back – even though touching a woman, especially one with an ailment, was forbidden for a rabbi. Yet Jesus doesn’t hesitate. As he places his hand on her back, she immediately straightens up and responds by praising God with a shout of JOY!

What a miracle! There should have been dancing in the street. And yet… not everyone was rejoicing. The leader of the congregation stood up and said, “This is against the rules.” It’s the sabbath. If you want to heal her, fine. But it could have waited until your office hours in the morning. Today you should be honoring God – and not working.”

At that moment, I can just imagine all the air suddenly going out of the room. It sounds like a clash of values. What’s better? Healing a poor woman or “honoring the Sabbath?” It’s wonderful to see this woman healed, miraculously – but honoring the Sabbath is not only a strong value, but it’s a commandment, one of the big 10 Commandments. So what were people to think?

Jesus shows the leader – and us – that the best way to honor the Sabbath, the best way to honor God, is by showing love – to God and to the neighbor. For every day is a good day to show God’s love and mercy.

This is in keeping with God’s law and Christ’s way. Jesus teaches us that the two greatest commandments are to love God and love the neighbor. Every other law from God depends upon following these two commandments FIRST. For every day is a good day to show God’s love and mercy.

This is why Jesus not only heals the bent-over woman but names her as a daughter of Abraham. By naming her as part of the family of God, he restores her to the community. This is important because even though the woman is now healed, she still needs community – maybe more now than ever before. For her situation has changed. When first healed, the woman rejoiced and praised God. And when Jesus restored her to the community – they can join in to rejoice with her. 

When I was in college, I decided to take a phy-ed class in swimming because I was not born here in the land of 10,000 lakes and did not even learn how to swim until I moved here. And I still wasn’t very comfortable in the water. So I took this class, hoping to learn a few strokes and improve. However, unbeknownst to me, the swim team also took swimming as a class – just for the phy ed credit and as a way to practice. Every week, the instructor would pick a new stroke and ask everyone do the stroke across the pool. Then he would invite everyone to get out of the pool –except for three people – who would do the stroke again -- two good examples and one bad example of the stroke. Guess who was always the bad example. Yep. It was me. I was the perfect bad example of how to do the stroke – and apparently the swim team learned from me what not to do.

In the same way, the leader is a great “bad example” for us to learn from. He was trying to follow the law. He clearly saw himself as a gatekeeper, a rule-follower. So I have some sympathy for him – but I also see in him an example that we need to avoid. He thought he knew all the rules. He thought he knew exactly what God wanted and saw himself as an enforcer of God’s law.

But Jesus gave us a much better understanding of what God wants us to do and how God wants us to act toward our neighbor. This past week I was talking with some of our neighbors next door whose rent was messed up during the pandemic. They were bent over with anxiety about their housing. I don’t know much about housing rules but I was able to call someone who did know someone who could help.

What I did wasn’t much – but what I can do and what you can do is find ordinary ways to encourage one another and show love and kindness to each other.  After all, EVERY day is a Good Day to share God’s love and mercy.

The other day I was talking with a woman who was clearly in absolutely the right job. She was serving as a nurse – and she loved it.  And yet, she told me that she was almost stopped from pursing this career. Apparently, she hadn’t been a very good student in high school and so when she told her counselor that she wanted to be a nurse, the counselor tried to steer her another way, suggesting that she wasn’t “college material.”

To be fair, the counselor was just looking at the data available and from her perspective all she could see was a student who was bent over. But maybe she – and we -- need to broaden our perspective so that we can see people as Jesus sees them and encourage them. For every day is a good day to show God’s love and mercy – and to encourage one another.

Jesus saw this nurse and empowered her to do the work that she loves. Jesus saw her as part of the family of God who could be set free to love and serve and praise God.  

And Jesus sees you.

So…even when you feel burdened with the weight of the world on your shoulders, with cares and concerns about health or work or family or anything else… remember this: Jesus sees you and has come to set you – and your neighbor -- free.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us remember this: every day is a good day to receive God’s love and mercy – and every day is a good day to share God’s love and mercy. So let us bring our cares and concerns to Jesus - regardless of how bent-over you or your neighbor may feel. For Jesus sees you – and your neighbor and Jesus has come to set you all free so that together, you can rejoice and sing God’s praises. Thanks be to God. Amen.

August 21, 2022                Faith-Lilac Way Lutheran                  Pastor Pam Stalheim Lane

Witnesses of Faith

“Look at the camera. Look at the baby.” That was the refrain as countless photos were taken of my niece after her baptism. She was the first baby of her generation – on both sides of the family – and it was an event that was duly recorded. 

Admittedly, we went a bit overboard – I’m guessing that the same thing – or something like it -- has happened at important events in your life too – especially now when you don’t have to go to the expense of printing photos but you can carry a million digital photos with you on your phone.

Photos can remind you of a person, an event, a place – and often there is a story to go with it.

Scholars believe that the letter to the Hebrews is written to a community that was discouraged after facing a variety of trials and is a word of encouragement to persevere in faith.1

Today’s reading concludes a long list of “snapshots” of people of faith in the Bible  - including some you probably know – such as David and Samuel but a few lesser known people too. They are reminded of the faith that conquered kingdoms – like David and Joshua – and whose faith shut the mouths of lions – like Daniel. But they are also reminded of people who suffered, who were tortured, even those who were sawn in two because of their faith. The faithful were not always a picture of success. Nor were they perfect.

You may remember David – King David - not only conquered kingdoms, but also forgot that the commandments applied to him too. He was guilty of murder – and adultery. His prayer for forgiveness is found in the Psalms, a reminder that no one is unredeemable or unforgiveable in God’s eyes. Perhaps that is an even greater testament to faith than all of his “successes.”

The book of Hebrews calls those who went before us a great cloud of witnesses. But this cloud of witnesses is not limited to those whose names or actions were written in the Bible.

For example, some of you may remember a Hazel – a thin little woman strong who worked tirelessly at NEAR Foodshelf. It was only after she died that I found out that she had not had an easy life – but that had found meaning in service to others. And serve she did - she not only recorded information – but she also lifted big boxes of food onto and from the shelves. And now others are doing that work of service.

Or you may remember Don who painted every wall of this church. Or Valerie who suffered with pancreatic cancer and yet still made homemade Christmas cards and proclaimed her faith in so many ways. There are many ways to live out our faith.

I remember my grandmother who read me Bible stories when I was little. She was a great witness to me – as was my grandfather, who after he and my grandmother moved to an apartment in Westwood Lutheran, was in charge of making the coffee – and opening the doors and welcoming in whoever came to the church. He taught me the importance of hospitality as a part of living out your faith.  

These are just a few examples. Perhaps you remember a parent or grandparent who read their Bible or sang in the choir or served on the church council – or a Sunday School teacher who encouraged you.

These people – and many more -- are all a part of the great cloud of witnesses –who have helped nurture you and me in the faith.

But the great cloud of witnesses is not limited to those who have died.

For example, at our Wildfire Vacation Bible School worship this year, the leader, Raul, asked, would anyone like to pray? Up shot the hand of four year old Evan. He stood up, took the microphone and  prayed a heart-felt prayer that he composed on the spot that was relevant to the story of the day. What a great witness of faith!

And that’s not all. Last weekend, Emma shared a beautiful reflection on the mission trip and then she, Lydia, Bella and Vicar Kyle recounted stories of their mission trip and their faith-filled service.

And you, you who are here, you who are in the parking lot, you who are at home listening on-line or reading along, you too are witnesses. You too can pass on the faith to those around you.

For example, this past week I was visiting a member in a care center and he called over a nurse to complement her on her work. She responded by giving the praise back to God, quoting the song, “One day at a time, sweet Jesus…. Just give me the strength to do what it takes, one day at a time.

Oh, we don’t always respond with grace and mercy. Like King David, we aren’t perfect.

I read story the other day that reminded me of our imperfection:

“A man was being tailgated by a woman who was in a hurry. He comes to an intersection, and when the light turns yellow, he hits the brakes. The woman behind him goes ballistic. She honks her horn at him; she yells her frustration in no uncertain terms; she rants and makes crude gestures. While she is in mid-rant, someone taps on her window. She looks up and sees a policeman. He invites her out of her car and takes her to the station where she is searched and fingerprinted and put in a cell. After a short time, she’s released, and the arresting officer returns her personal effects, saying “I’m very sorry for the mistake, ma’am. I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, using obscene gestures and bad language. I noticed the WHAT WOULD JESUS DO bumper sticker, the FOLLOW ME TO SUNDAY SCHOOL window sign, and the FISH EMBLEM on your trunk. Naturally, I assumed you had stolen the car. 2

Sometimes we get so focused on our own agendas and neglect to be the witnesses of Christ that we want to be. We harden our hearts and take sides. We stop listening.  This is what Jesus describes as what can happen– even in families. We fight against one another. We forget to put God first in our lives. We pick tweedle beetle battles.

And yet, Jesus loves us anyway. For Jesus has come to be our savior. That’s the baptism that Jesus is talking about in the Gospel. Jesus endured the shame of the cross – for our sake. Jesus has taken upon himself our sins, our transgressions, our foolishness. And has sent the Holy Spirit to fill your heart with grace for the other – for the one with whom you disagree – and to fill your heart with mercy for them and for you. And, Jesus has sent the Holy Spirit to fill you with faith.

Receive this gift of faith – it is given FOR YOU and wrapped with love. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Hebrews 11:29 - 12:2

29By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as if it were dry land, but when the Egyptians attempted to do so they were drowned. 30By faith the walls of Jericho fell after they had been encircled for seven days.31By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had received the spies in peace.

32And what more should I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— 33who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, 34quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. 35Women received their dead by resurrection. Others were tortured, refusing to accept release, in order to obtain a better resurrection. 36Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37They were stoned to death, they were sawn in two, they were killed by the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, persecuted, tormented— 38of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. 39Yet all these, though they were commended for their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40since God had provided something better so that they would not, apart from us, be made perfect.

12Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us,2looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.

1 The Lutheran Study Bible Background p 1974

2Not original to her but as told by https://asermonforeverysunday.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Judy-Kincaid-10th-Sunday-after-Pentecost-8-14-2022.pdf

August 14, 2022      +     Faith-Lilac Way Lutheran    +   Pastor Pam Stalheim Lane

Kyle's Last Sermon

My great grandmother attended a national youth gathering of the Presbyterian church in Pittsburgh in 1920.  Just to get to Pittsburgh from western Illinois would have been quite a trip in 1920.  The hard road in the county was not even completed until 1924 so the thirty mile trip to the rail hub in Galesburg would likely have been on unpaved roads and then it would have been a three hour train ride to Chicago and today on Amtrak Chicago to Pittsburgh is nine and a half hours.  For a bunch of small town and farm kids in 1920 it would have quite the experience to visit a major city and meet kids from all over the country.  Our trip was much easier. Everyone had a short ride to the airport and Delta checked our group in quickly.  We had a five hour direct flight and there were one hundred different movies and many television shows to watch. We were even provided with complementary beverages and two snacks.  Even though our trip was smooth it was a trip that transformed all of us.

The scripture that was featured for the week in Puerto Rico was Romans 12:9-21.  The Lutheran Study Bible labels this passage as “Marks of the True Christian.”  In this text Paul outlines in everyday, practical terms how Christians are to live as justified believers.  One night we were asked to pick out the verse that had the most meaning to us and to write a key phrase on an armband.  There are a lot of different themes which are present in the text.  There is a call to let love be genuine, to rejoice in hope, to be patient in suffering, to persevere in prayer, to extend hospitality to strangers, to live in harmony with one another, to feed your hungry enemies, and to overcome evil with good.  In short, these are really high ideals which are worthy of emulation but the truth is that we often do not live up to them.

I have to admit that I cheated.  I wrote “be transformed” on my armband.  The phrase “be transformed” does not appear in Romans 12:9-21 but it does appear in one of my favorite Bible verses which is Romans 12:2.  Romans 12:2 according to the NRSV is “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect.”  I think that this verse about transformation really gets to the heart of the Christian life.    We may not be able to be perfect according to the standards of Romans 12:9-21 but we are capable of transformation.  I grew up in the church but my faith was kind of lukewarm for many years.  When I was thirty years old I decided to read the Bible each and every day and reading scripture completely changed my life.  Things that had once been important to me no longer mattered and things that I once ignored became meaningful to me.  I started to volunteer my time to serve others and in serving others I saw first hand the impact that oppressive and unjust systems have on many people’s lives.  I will never be able to help everyone and I will never be perfect but I can be transformed.  If we let Christ’s love transform us God will work through us in ways that we cannot fathom.  It seems completely crazy but I am pursuing a call to ordained ministry because I believe in this idea that through this transformation of individual hearts and minds God does bring love, peace, and justice into the world.

I was a bit worried about the carbon footprint of our trip to Puerto Rico.  The carbon emissions just on the flight down there was for each of us double the annual carbon emissions of the average person in Kenya.  However, to grow and to be transformed you have to step out of your comfort zone and this was a chance of a lifetime to experience a different lifestyle and a different culture.  I am proud of the kids because they worked so hard and made new friends during the week.  Doing manual labor, learning new skills and interacting with the community in Puerto Rico is a good recipe for transformation.  I do not know if my great grandmother and her peers did any community service during their time in Pittsburgh but I assume that the experience of those kids in 1920 transformed them in some way.  The kids of 1920 helped to create modern society and I think that they left the world a better place.  My hope is that God will continue transforming the world through the kids who went to Puerto Rico in 2022. 

I am really glad that the Puerto Rico trip came at the end of my internship.  I would not have been ready or prepared to go on this trip in August 2021.  After a year and a half of working at home and taking all of my classes online it was quite a transition for me to be in a role where I was again interacting with people on a daily basis.  In many ways I had to learn how to be a human being again.  I am so glad that my transition back into society occurred at Faith-Lilac Way.  This congregation has been very welcoming and I really appreciate the hospitality that has been shown to me.  I have enjoyed getting to know the members of this faith community.  Faith-Lilac Way has been a place where I have been able to grow and to transform.  Pastor Pam has given me so many opportunities and she encouraged me to become involved with all areas of ministry here.  After online worship for a year and a half I was pretty rusty.  During this year I have become much more comfortable being in front of the congregation leading worship.  I have also appreciated the frequent opportunities to preach.  I am not perfect but I believe that I am becoming a Christian leader who can preach the gospel in a way that inspires others.  The twelve mile trip either by bike or by car on good roads from my apartment in St. Paul to Faith-Lilac Way is much less arduous than a train trip from western Illinois to Pittsburgh or the flight from Minnesota to Puerto Rico, however coming here fifty two weeks has been a journey of transformation for me and I thank you for being with me and supporting me during the past year.       

-         Vicar Kyle Anderson 

Sunday Sermon

Everyone owns some personal property, and we use our property in the course of our daily lives.  Everyone has rights in the personal property that they own including the right to possess and use the property, the right to derive income from it, the right to dispose of it, and also the right to control the property by excluding others from using it.  According to the Pew Research Center 88% of American households own cars.[1]  For the vast majority of Americans a car is the most expensive piece of personal property owned by the household.  You have the right to own a car and to drive it but it is not an absolute right as car use is highly regulated.  In order to drive you are required to have a license.  When driving you are expected to follow the rules of the road which includes abiding by the traffic laws and the speed limits.  You are also required to register the car, have liability insurance, and renew your license plates.  You have the right to derive income from your car which you can do by making money driving for Lyft or Uber.  The right to derive income however is not an absolute right because any money that you earn is taxable income that must be reported to the tax authorities and when you are driving passengers for hire you are responsible for the safety of your passengers and you are subject to legal liability.  The right to dispose of the car is a pretty broad right but even it is not absolute.  If you sell a car in Minnesota you are required to file a report of sale online and you are required to assign the title to the buyer.  You also may need to make an odometer disclosure and a damage disclosure to the buyer depending on the age of the vehicle.  Despite these regulations there is one right that you have in the car that is absolute and that is the right to exclude anyone from using the car.  You can go out and spend $1 million on a Ferrari and nobody can force you to drive the car, nobody can force you to let someone else drive the car, nobody can force you to sell the car.  You have the absolute right to let that Ferrari sit in a garage until you die or until it rusts out and falls apart.

The hypothetical that I just presented is a bit ridiculous as no person in their right mind would spend money for a car that they never intend to drive, however as I just outlined our laws regarding personal property do not require anyone to use their property wisely or productively.  It is interesting that Jesus does not condemn this man because he has great wealth.  In other situations, Jesus says that it will be difficult for the wealthy to enter the Kingdom of God but he does not do that here.  Jesus criticizes the man because he is going to let his property sit in storage and potentially go to waste.  Jesus knows that the man can do anything with his property and Jesus teaches us in this parable that the use of our personal property reflects our personal values.  We have the opportunity to use our property to meet the needs of our community and our neighbors rather than hoarding our property while people continue to suffer.  God does not require us to relinquish all of our possessions but by asking us to give up our lives God invites us to build blessed community through the wise use of our property.  Growing up there was a man that I knew that built a couple of barns and accumulated some property, however unlike the man in this parable he dedicated his life to God and served his community and used his property to improve the lives of his neighbors.  This man who built barns filled with goods while being rich toward God was my great grandfather Leslie Newton Baldwin. 

We can accumulate wealth through our career or vocation and Jesus is not criticizing the man for his prosperity.  My great grandfather earned a living as a dairy farmer who built barns for his farm machinery and a milking parlor for his cows.  He grew up on the farm but nobody alive today knows why he stayed on the farm.  I believe that he went into dairy farming because he found meaning and purpose in his work.  My great grandfather was able to meet a community need while making a living.  In 1941 the average person in the United States drank 744 glasses of milk which is about two glasses per day for every man, woman, and child in America.[2]  During World War II two glasses per day per person meant that the nation needed a steady and reliable supply of milk and my great grandfather was a part of that.  As the United States became involved in the war, I am sure that there was a sense of dread as lives were disrupted as young men went off to war and the quality of life suffered as certain items were rationed.  Drinking a glass of milk not only provided nutrition but comfort during a turbulent time.  I am sure that he felt that his work on the dairy farm made a positive impact on the quality of life in his community.

Vocations can be ways in which we devote our lives to Christ.  Some of you may love your work and others may be yearning to change careers.  The low unemployment rate may provide you with the chance to transition into a new career that might be more meaningful to you and bring significant value to the community.  You may want to stay in your current field and this may be the time to find another company that may better align with your ethics and values.  I know that many of you cannot switch jobs because your current job may be the only way to support your family, but you can still give your customers the best possible service as you provide them with a product that enhances their lives.  Through our vocations we meet community needs and generate wealth.

In the course of making a living some of us do accumulate property much like this man who wants to build bigger barns.  Returning to the automobile hypothetical my great grandfather definitely did not have a Ferrari rusting away in the garage.  In the 1980s I remember him driving a Chevy Celebrity which was a car that was not fancy but it was comfortable and reliable.  The Celebrity was his way to stay connected to his neighbors and his community as he used the car wisely and productively.  Even in his eighties he was still actively engaged in community life.  He was still very active in Rotary, the county museum board, and his church.  He had already given so much to his neighbors but he continued to give his time even in his old age.  Without the Celebrity he would have been isolated out on the farm and not involved in the life of the town.

It is not always easy to see how our property can be used help others.  Many volunteer opportunities are seen solely as opportunities to donate time but property does play a role.  Most opportunities to serve are going to require driving or biking to a location.  In Puerto Rico we did a significant amount of driving to reach the work sites.  I know that in my neighborhood there is a community organization that is looking for people to deliver fresh produce to low-income individuals as part of a food justice initiative.  Yes, volunteering is more often seen as an investment of time but it can also include the use of property to help build community.  Sometimes we have to get the Celebrity out of the garage and interact with our neighbors and meet the needs of the community. 

Finally, the topic of money just cannot be avoided when talking about stewardship of resources.  Luke writes about money frequently in his Gospel and in Luke we often read that Jesus favors the poor and the oppressed and that Jesus is willing to condemn those who are stingy with their wealth.  My great grandfather gave away a significant amount of money.  In fact, he gave away so much that he was actually audited by the IRS because the amount that he was giving to charity was higher than what they were expecting.  He made it through the audit without owing any additional tax because the IRS discovered that he was actually giving away as much as he was claiming for a charitable deduction.  Despite all that he gave to charity my great grandfather did not give up everything that he had.  He did not die broke or destitute.  Jesus lived in an era where there was no social security, no social safety net, and someone engaged in the hard labor of farming without machines knew that some savings would be useful when they would no longer be able to work in the field.  We are not called to give everything away but we are called to put our wealth to work to help meet the needs of the community.  By having trust in God and giving what we can our financial gifts can make our world a better place for all of us.  We can use our charitable giving to support the causes that are most important to us.

Our ability to make a living and everything that we have are blessings from God.  God favors us in so many ways.  We offer our treasures to God and to our neighbor and God uses them to create a beloved community.  The most precious of God’s gifts is eternal life.  Yes, eternal life includes heaven but just as importantly eternal life is lived by each and every one of us here on earth.  When we share ourselves and our property in the course of our humble lives God works through us in ways that we cannot fathom.  By simply making a living, being connected to your community, and being generous with your wealth God is working through you and your property to make the world a better place for everyone.  It is fine to build a barn and have possessions but remember that everything that we have ultimately belongs to God who loves all of us and who invites us to make wise use of God’s gifts.          

  -         Vicar Kyle Anderson

[1]Jacob Poushter, “Car, Bike, or Motorcycle? Depends on Where You Live,” Pew Research Center, https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/04/16/car-bike-or-motorcycle-depends-on-where-you-live (accessed July 26, 2022).

[2]“Drink Up!” Smithsonian Natural Museum of American History Behring Center, https://americanhistory.si.edu/object-project/refrigerators/milk-bottles (accessed July 26, 2022).