Sunday, August 27, 2023

The Church and the Kingdom of Heaven (Mt 16:13-20) Vicar Karen Peterson

 Gracious God, may the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be pleasing to you, Oh Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.

If you look at today’s text in your NRSV Bible, you’ll see it has a pericope heading above it that says, “Peter’s Declaration about Jesus.”  Such divisions and headings are not part of the Biblical text, nor are the chapters and verse numbers.  These were all added by scholars and translators long ago, along with titles for the parables, in an effort to break scripture into smaller, bite-sized, easily digestible sections.  The headings were meant to give the reader an idea of what each section or pericope is about.  Sometimes these headings are helpful. 

Today’s heading, “Peter’s Declaration about Jesus” might lead us to expect the reading today to be about Peter—and if we read it with that idea planted in our minds, then it’s likely that we will conclude from reading it, that it’s a story about Peter acknowledging Jesus as the Messiah.  Now, I’m not saying that’s wrong.  Jesus and Peter are the main characters, and they have all the dialogue, but that’s not all this story is about.  The truth is, this passage isn’t really about Peter.

Sometimes these headings are misleading.  Sometimes they cause us to miss a lot of important stuff that is happening in these stories.  In fact, the declaration of Jesus as Messiah, Son of the Living God isn’t the only thing, or even the most important thing that happens in this passage.  So, let’s back up and take a closer look at this story. 

In verse 13, Jesus asks his disciples “Who do people say that I am?”  They provide a list of possibilities—three dead prophets: John the Baptist (whom many thought might be Elijah), Elijah, Jeremiah, or another prophet.  Although this sounds like the people have totally mistaken who Jesus is, in truth, Jesus is a prophet, and not just any prophet, but the Prophet like Moses promised in Deuteronomy 18:15-22.   Their assessment is closer than it sounds because the people identify Jesus as a great prophet, raised from the dead—in other words, a resurrected prophet.  The people are already thinking of Jesus in resurrection terms, while the disciples aren’t even ready to face the idea that Jesus will die as a prophet.

Next, Jesus asks, “Who do you say that I am?”  The you here is plural, as in “you all,” indicating Jesus is still addressing the whole group.  Simon Peter answers on behalf of them all.  In the gospels, especially in the Gospel of Matthew, Peter is every disciple, in the same sense that Jimmy Stewart was everyman.  That is to say, Peter represents your average, ordinary follower of Jesus: faithful, sometimes fickle, flawed and fallible, and frequently found with his foot in his mouth.  In this instance, Peter is acting as spokesperson for the whole group of disciples, and says, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” v. 16. 

But this isn’t the first time the disciple’s recognized Jesus as the Son of God.  The first time was in chapter 14, after Peter tried to walk on the water, and started to sink.  When Jesus got into the boat, and the storm ceased, and all the disciples worshipped him saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” (Matthew 16:16).  Then, Jesus blesses Simon Peter.  But all the disciples had already been similarly blessed (Matthew 13: 16-17) for having the ability to recognize Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah.  In both blessings, Jesus is acknowledging that such a revelation of his identity can only come as a gift from the Holy Spirit.

            But then, Jesus makes a proclamation specifically regarding Simon Peter.  Jesus replies, “Simon, you are a rock, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.” (v. 17). Yes, I admit that it still sounds like it’s about Simon Peter.  But really, this story is about the church—the new church that Jesus will build.  Simon Peter and his proclamation of the good news of Jesus, the Messiah, will be the church’s foundation.

A little background is helpful here.  Peter of course, means Rock or stone.  The “foundation stone” is important, because in Jewish tradition, the Jerusalem Temple was built on a rock thought to be the center of the world.[1]  But Jesus isn’t building a temple of bricks or stones.  Jesus is constructing a temple made of living stones—the true people of God who believe in Jesus, the Messiah. This includes you and me.  The Greek word translated as church in Matthew actually means an assembly—“a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place”.[2]  This is equivalent to the Hebrew word for “the assembly of the Israelites, especially when gathered for sacred purposes,” as for worship.[3] The church of Christ is constructed of people, united in prayer and cemented together by the Holy Spirit.  The church, ideally, is meant to be the “Kingdom” where God’s reign is actualized on earth. 

When Jesus says the gates of Hades will not prevail against his church, Jesus isn’t talking about the Greek God or the under-world, or the devil, or a place of eternal punishment, as hell is often described.  Hades is the Greek equivalent to the Jewish word Sheol, which is simply the realm of the dead.  Jesus is saying that nothing, not even death, can destroy the Christian church.  It cannot be vanquished by sin, death or the forces of evil.  The church will endure for eternity.  

Jesus goes on to promise Simon Peter the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven, and the power to bind and loose on earth and in Heaven.  Now, I don’t know about you, but to be perfectly honest, this verse is one I struggled with for many years.  It sounds like, and has at times been understood to mean that Jesus gave Peter the authority to decide who is and is not to be admitted into Heaven. The idea of Simon, who often seems to have rocks for brains, and a tendency to act without much deliberation, deciding who is admitted into eternal joy in heaven is concerning.  But after taking a class on the Gospel of Matthew and reading some current commentary, I am happy to tell you that’s not at all how scholars and theologians interpret this verse. 

The keys are not actual keys to lock or unlock the pearly gates.  The keys represent the authority to teach in Jesus’ name.  Binding and loosing is rabbinic terminology for the authority to interpret the Torah and apply it to particular cases, declaring what is permitted and what is not permitted.[4]  It has nothing to do with forgiving or retaining sins.  Peter is being given the authority to interpret the law and the Gospel and to make authoritative decisions for Christian life—the authority to apply the teachings of Jesus to concrete life situations.  Peter is to become the chief teacher of the new church.  Clearly what is permissible (loosed) in heaven according to Jesus’ teachings is permissible here on earth, and vice versa.

But this responsibility isn’t limited to Peter.  In chapter 18, Jesus extends this to the whole church.  We all have the responsibility of discerning, every day, what it means, in concrete terms, to act as Christians in every situation we experience.  We read and study the Bible, and we come to church, to learn how to do this better and more faithfully, day by day, year by year.  And like Peter, we sometimes miss the mark.  Fortunately, there is grace for that through Jesus.  But on those occasions when we get it right, when we act like true disciples following the footsteps of Christ, then the eschatological Kingdom of Heaven, (Matthew’s term for the Kingdom of God), breaks into the here and now.  That is when we are truly the church of living stones that Jesus built.  That is when we shine like lights in the darkness—when we live out our faith in concrete acts of love and justice, mercy, and grace.  We have all been called by God to live sacred lives in public spaces as living stones in a worldwide church, for the sake of the Gospel, and for the sake of the neighbor.  At those moments, in those places, when and where we live out Christ’s Gospel by feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, tending the sick, embracing the outcast and the marginalized, working toward equality, equity and peace for all people, striving for peace and reconciliation with our neighbors—then and there we are the inbreaking Kingdom, to which others can point and say, “There is God!  There is the Holy Spirit at work in the world!  Look what God is doing through those people, that church, right there!”  May we, the people of Faith, strive together to live as the Kingdom church, using our gifts and resources to do God’s work according to God’s will, wherever we may find ourselves, each and every day.  Amen.

 [1] M. Eugene Boring. The New Interpreter’s Bible. 8: The Gospel of Matthew. Nachdr. Vol. 8. 10 vols. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2007.  Matthew 16:18.

 [2] Joseph Thayer. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 1996. Strongs 1577 ekklesia.

 [3] Joseph Thayer. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 1996. Strongs 1577 ekklesia.

[4] M. Eugene Boring. The New Interpreter’s Bible. 8: The Gospel of Matthew. Nachdr. Vol. 8. 10 vols. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2007.  Matthew 16:19.

August 20, 2023

Inspired by Love and Empowered by Faith

  Pastor Pam Stalheim Lane

This is not my favorite gospel story.  You can probably guess why.  This does not sound like the Jesus I know, the Jesus who is the Savior of the world, the Jesus that I believe loves you and me and ALL people.  And yet… Jesus first ignores the cry of the Canaanite woman; then claims that she doesn’t fall within the scope of his mission… and then insults her and her people by calling them dogs.  What is going on with Jesus? Why is he acting in this way?

 Some scholars say that Jesus is just testing her. Others say it shows his humanity or that we don’t know the tone – which is true. I’ve even heard it suggested that he was just kidding and lovingly calling her a puppy. Really? I don’t buy that one. Nor do I want to make excuses for Jesus. But this story does make we wonder how it fits with the Jesus I know and it also makes me wonder why – of all the stories that Matthew heard about Jesus--why does he include this one?

 Matthew does tell us that Jesus has just angered the Pharisees by teaching that the law of God is not kept by maintaining strict purity rules or traditions the way they do but instead by following the way of God which means loving God & loving the neighbor. So maybe the reason he went way  “Up North” to Tyre and Sidon was to get away from the Pharisees and the crowds by leaving the Israelite territory. And so maybe it was a bit jarring to have a Canaanite woman shouting at him, seeking healing for her daughter.

 The Canaanites, if you remember back to your Old Testament stories, were the people that were living in the “Promised Land” when the Israelites came to claim the land and replace or push out the Canaanites. Today we might call it ethnic cleansing. But some Canaanites remained – like the Canaanite woman.

 But this woman was not there to recall old grudges or make a claim on the past. This woman was there because she loved her daughter and since we don’t know her name, I’m going to call her “Mother.” Mother’s daughter had a problem; she had what they called a “demon.” I’m not sure what we would call it medically today – maybe we would call it a demon too. But that’s not important. Whatever it was, Mother believed that Jesus could heal her daughter.

 Mother also knew that being a Canaanite was an obstacle for getting to Jesus but her love for her daughter made her determined to be heard and so she shouted and would not stop.  She was annoying – and she knew it. But she also knew that if she kept quiet, she would never be heard. So, Mother kept shouting. The disciples wanted Jesus to shut her up. But instead, Jesus seems to be trying to ignore her.  He says to the disciples, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 

 The Gospel of Matthew was written to a Jewish audience who also understood Jesus as coming to fulfill the promises of the Hebrew Scriptures. They too thought of Jesus as coming to save the lost sheep of Israel. From the beginning of his Gospel, Matthew makes connections to the prophecies and shows how Jesus is fulfilling them. Up until now, Jesus has focused on the “lost sheep” of Israel.

 But this does not stop Mother. She has already acknowledged Jesus as Lord and as the Son of David – which are in keeping with the Jewish understanding of who the Messiah will be. Now Mother kneels before him and prays to him saying, “Lord have mercy.”  Kyrie Eleison. Lord help me.

 To this Jesus answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.”

 Mother could have been insulted and left – and who would have blamed her? But instead, she parried back… “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” 

 How did she know that even a crumb would be more than enough to heal her daughter? Perhaps she had heard stories that those who barely touched the hem of Jesus’ cloak were healed or that when Jesus fed the 5,000, all of the leftovers, all of the crumbs, were saved to feed and nourish and heal those who were yet to come. But I think what gave Mother the courage to speak was both the love of her daughter and her faith in Jesus. Mother knew that she was not one of the children of Israel and that she did not have a “right” to anything. God had not made a covenant with her people. She did not “deserve” God’s grace.

 Her humble appeal reminded me of Martin Luther who, just before his death scrawled a note: “We are all beggars.” None of us are worthy of God’s grace. As Pastor Nadia Bolz Weber1 says in her blog, none of us are worthy, we are all dogs. And yet, by God’s mercy, love and compassion, God gives us grace anyway.

 Jesus seems amazed at Mother’s humble words– and not only grants her wish, but also commends her for her great faith. Earlier Jesus had chided Peter and the disciples for their lack of faith. But Jesus proclaims that this Canaanite woman, a member of a tribe that had been either at war or suffered an uneasy truce with Israel for generations, had great faith. And at this point in Matthew’s Gospel, the mission of Jesus breaks open to include not only the children of Israel but also this Canaanite mother and her daughter and then expands to include all people.

 This opening up of Jesus’ mission reminded me of the story of Jesus and his mother Mary at the wedding in Cana. When the wine ran out, a very humiliating thing in that culture, Jesus’ Mother Mary tells Jesus. “They have no more wine.” And when Jesus tells her that it is not yet his time, Mother Mary ignores that excuse and tells the servants to do whatever Jesus tells them to do. Maybe Jesus was a bit exasperated, but Jesus turns the water into wine the best wine they had ever tasted.

 Both Jesus’ Mother and the Canaanite Mother push Jesus deeper into his mission. Out of love of neighbor and faith in Jesus, Mother Mary urges Jesus to begin his ministry by creating wine out of water.  And, out of love for her daughter, and faith in Jesus, the Canaanite Mother urges Jesus to expand his mission to include her daughter. In both cases, inspired by love and empowered by faith, the Mothers break down barriers that keep people from experiencing the mission of Jesus.. Mary Mother of Jesus broke the barrier of “the right time”; the Canaanite Mother broke the barrier of culture, race and ethnicity.

 Jesus later confirms the breaking of both of these barriers. At the end of Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus proclaims: “Go into all the world baptizing in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.” This is the commission that Jesus has given to us and it is for all the world – all of us. And, the time for the mission of God is NOW.

 Inspired by love and empowered by faith, we – like Jesus’ Mother and the Canaanite Mother –  can work to remove barriers to God’s love and mercy. It is our job to notice when someone is being excluded because of the color of their skin or the accent with which they speak or because of how much money they have – or don’t have or any other excuse. And it is our job to proclaim to whoever needs to hear, that the love and grace of God is for them too.

 I said in the beginning that this was not my favorite Gospel story. It’s still not my favorite. But after wrestling with this scripture, I was reminded that an ordinary person who is inspired by love and empowered by faith can make a difference and be a bearer of hope and healing for another.  

 So I challenge you to ask yourself: What barriers to God’s love and grace do you see in your neighborhood or family? Is there a way that you can shine a little love to break these barriers?  It might seem hard – but the Good News is that love, empowered by faith, is powerful and can make a difference because you are not alone. It is through the love and compassion of Jesus that we too can bring hope and healing to our world. Thanks be to God. Amen.

August 13th, 2023

11th Sunday After Pentecost (Year A)

            Growing up I had an irrational fear of boating. It may be borderline blasphemy to say that in the “Land of 10,000 Lakes” but for as long as I could remember the idea of not having my feet on solid ground really freaked me out. I’ve never been a strong swimmer, and even with a life jacket on I was terrified by the idea of not being able to get back to shore if something happened.

            My fear was pretty intense and it did have an impact. For example, I remember the summer my family and some friends went to stay at a lake in South Dakota. Everyone was so excited to go boating and they spent a lot of time on the water, but after I had a panic attack a family friend stayed at the cabin with me while the others boated. She was nice about it, but I knew she was disappointed not to be out on the boat with her kids.  I can also remember sitting on the dock alone at summer camp each year as I watched all the other kids laughing and having fun in canoes.

            As I sat on the dock held back by my fear, I remember feeling ashamed and filled with self-doubt. Why couldn’t I just be brave and face my fear? I wonder if Peter may have felt a little like that too. He wanted to be brave and full of faith, and he tried to be, but as he stepped out of the boat he quickly began to doubt himself. I can hear him saying to himself, Who do I think I am? Who am I to think I can walk on water? And as the self-doubt and shame filled him, he began to sink. Jesus reaches out to Peter and pulls him up, and gently he says, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” Now Jesus does not say this to scold or shame Peter, but rather he is saying, Don’t let your fear hold you back, for I am here with you.

            Well, my fear of boats held me back from the water for many years, until one summer day as a senior in high school. I was babysitting my niece and nephew for the day and decided to take them to a nearby state park. My plans for the day was a picnic and some ice cream, but as soon as we pulled up by the lake the first thing my niece and nephew saw were the paddle boats. There was even a purple sparkly boat and my niece was obsessed. They both really wanted to go boating. It’s all they talked about during our picnic and as I put the food away I was wrestling with myself. I dreaded the idea of going out on the lake, but the only reason I had to say no was my fear, and that didn’t feel fair to them. I wanted to create this fun memory with them, so I took a deep breath, said a prayer to myself, and told them we were going boating. I was facing my fear, although I was ironically stepping into a boat rather than out of one like Peter. 

            To my surprise, it ended up being a fun afternoon on the water. We had bought duck food on the dock and my niece and nephew couldn’t stop laughing as the ducks chased us around the lake. They took turns steering the paddle boat and we explored every inch of the water. They had a blast and they talked about it all the way home. And while I had still been nervous, I was proud of myself for facing my fear. I could hear Jesus saying, See what good things can happen when you face your fears?

            We all have moments in life when we have to metaphorically choose whether or not we will step out of the boat.  The boat is our comfort zone, the things and rhythms we are used to, and there are moments when we must decide: will we take that next step, take that risk, or will we stay in the boat? There isn’t necessarily anything wrong with staying in the boat—the familiar is often comforting and safe and sometimes that is where we need to be—but growth as a person and in faith often comes about best when we are living and facing the things outside our comfort zone.

            I think, for example, about a kid going off to college or moving out for the first time. The time is both exciting and a little scary, but it is the beginning of a new chapter, stepping out of the familiar and looking to what’s next. There will be challenges along the way, but on this new adventure they will meet new people, learn new skills, and grow as a person. It is a formative experience for them to step outside of the boat. In fact, there are all kinds of these formative “stepping out of the boat moments” in life—getting married, taking a new job, moving to a new city, and so on. These times can be exciting and scary and stressful and wonderful all at the same time, but they always involve taking a risk and having faith to step out into something new and uncertain.

            There are other times, however, when our familiar boat is no longer a good option. We might realize that what is familiar to us is no longer healthy or life-giving—things like an unhealthy relationship, a bad habit, or the negative beliefs we have held about ourselves. Sometimes the best thing we can do for ourselves is to step out of the boat and into something new, as intimidating as that may be. Maybe we have wanted to step out of the boat and make a change for a long time but didn’t know how.

            And still other times, we may be happily riding along in our boat when a storm comes along and messes things up. Thinking about Peter and the disciples in their boat during the wind storm, what if their boat had hit a rock and got a hole in it or began to sink? It would no longer be suitable and their best chance would be to abandon the boat and swim. Or, thinking about the wind and choppy waters, what if the boat had capsized? Then they would be forced out of the boat.

            Well, sometimes life comes along and capsizes our boat, and sometimes we are forced out of our familiar—the unexpected death of a loved one, a divorce, a medical diagnosis, a lost job. Sometimes despite our best efforts we find ourselves thrown out of our boat and treading water. So what do we do?

            Whether you find yourself stepping out of your boat by choice or by life’s circumstances, the good news is that Jesus is already standing outside of the boat. He is already out there in the uncertain to meet us. Jesus isn’t afraid to be out in the uncertain waters, in fact, Jesus in our lifeguard, our reassuring presence. As Jesus reached out to Peter when he began to sink, Jesus will not let you drown when you step out of the boat. Jesus will grab hold of you, lift you up, and reassure you saying, Don’t let your fear hold you back, for I am here with you.

            Today is my last day at Faith-Lilac Way, and I will be stepping out of my safe and comfortable boat of internship. I have loved FLW and I have felt loved and supported during my time here. I have enjoyed our time and ministry together, but now it is time for me to go. God is calling me out of the boat and sending me into something new. I don’t know where I will be going yet, but I know God is with me in the waters and will get me to what is next.

            And the same is true for you. When you reach one of those moments in life when it is your time to step out of the boat, you can do so knowing that God is already there. And more than that, you can be reassured that God is faithful and God has good things in store for you. Sometimes to reach those good things we must step into the uncertainty or face fears. It isn’t always easy, but who knows, when you step out of the boat you might just experience something wonderful. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Sunday, August 6, 2023

Big trees. Deep lakes. Rushing waters. Mountains. I drank in the beauty of God’s creation on a recent trip to Holden Village in the Cascade mountains and marveled in the abundance of life in the lush rainforest of Olympic National Park. It lifts my spirits to be nature – especially in the mountains – and to be at Holden Village with a group from here and First Lutheran where we ended each day with worship in community and ice cream after feasting on a day of full of some combination of hiking, learning, creating, eating, resting, reading, playing and and sharing stories together. Of course, there are challenges there too – but if I were to draw a picture of what God’s kingdom is like, this would come close. Maybe you have an image like that – perhaps of a cabin up North or fishing on the lake, a walk by a creek or river, a flower garden or summer picnic or a community of family and friends coming together to enjoy one another’s company and good food together. This is what I imagine when I think of God’s abundance.

 In today’s Gospel story, Jesus feeds the whole crowd of 5,000 plus women and children with a mere five loaves of bread and two fish – and ends up with twelve huge baskets of leftovers. This miracle story is well known – in part because this is the only story that shows up in every Gospel. There are a few differences. There’s no little boy sharing his lunch in Matthew’s account. And, Matthew and Mark have not one but two stories of Jesus feeding the crowd. So, since it shows up 6 times, clearly this is an important story for the Gospel writers. It’s also an important story for us to hear again –even though it is well known-- because it not only illustrates the surprising abundance of God, especially when we are anticipating scarcity but it also invites the disciples and us to be an integral part of God’s abundant, loving, grace-filled kingdom.

 This miracle story is reminiscent of God feeding God’s people in the wilderness. After leaving Egypt, they were hungry and complained to Moses that even though they were slaves, they were better off in Egypt because at least they had food to eat there. Moses prayed to God – and God rained quail and manna on them – and they were filled. Another miracle of abundance when the people assumed that food was in scarce supply.

Food was also scarce for the people of God when they returned to Jerusalem after exile. To a people in distress, Isaiah prophecies that God’s kingdom is coming. He cries out: “Ho!” Pay attention! You who are thirsty – Come and drink! You who are hungry – come and eat. Don’t worry about the cost – no money is needed. Come and delight in good food and listen so that you may live.” Isaiah 55  

Listen so that you may live. This was the word of hope for the people of Isaiah’s day. A word of hope and assurance that God had not abandoned them, that the Kingdom of God was coming… and it was coming for them.  The people listened and were blessed… but they were still waiting for Isaiah’s prophecy to come true.

When Jesus fed the people with God’s word and then, miraculously, turned five little loaves of bread and two small fish into an abundance of food for all – this prophecy began to come to life. As Jesus fed the people’s hearts, minds and bodies, Jesus begins to reveal the way of the kingdom of God.  

Taken by itself, the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000 sounds like a happy picnic on a grassy hill outside the city.  But right before this event, Jesus received some very disturbing news. King Herod had thrown a lavish dinner party full of rich food and drink for the rich and powerful people he invited. His step-daughter had danced. But there was a price for her dance: the head of John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin, on a platter. Hearing the news of John’s death, it is no wonder that Jesus retreated outside the city to the mountainside –perhaps seeking time to be refreshed by the beauty of God’s creation, to mourn the loss of his cousin and to take time for rest and renewal.  

No one could blame Jesus for wanting a little R&R. But the word was out. Up to this point in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus has been primarily teaching and healing people. And people were in desperate need for both. People followed him out to the mountainside. People came who were hungry for God’s word and people came who were hurting and needing healing. And, unlike Herod and his kingdom who acted with power and might and did not provide for the poor, the sick and the hungry of heart, Jesus shows compassion for the people and begins teaching, healing, and caring for their minds, hearts and bodies.

Maybe they were getting hungry – or even hangry – either way, the disciples notice it is getting late – and they have very little food – and there are a lot of people. They counted noses and they counted fish and bread and came up very, very, short. They get worried. They don’t have enough.

I have some compassion for the disciples. When hosting a party, it’s a common concern: do you have enough food? Looking at their food and the crowd before them, the disciples were in a bit of a predicament. They didn’t invite anyone. These people – lots of people - just showed up. And now it is late. And they were getting hungry. All the disciples can see is scarcity - they don’t have enough and don’t see any way of getting enough. So they suggests to Jesus that he send the people away.

But scarcity is not a part of God’s kingdom. Scarcity is a part of the kingdom of Herod that hoards, wastes and refuses to care for the neighbor. The kingdom of Herod with all its abuse of power and people and misuse, waste and destruction of God’s gifts exemplifies the opposite of God’s abundant life-giving, loving kingdom. The kingdom of Herod is death. The kingdom of God brings life. Jesus wasn’t buying into the kingdom of scarcity. Instead he said, “you give them something to eat.” 

The disciples – and we – live in a culture that sees, breathes and operates under the principle of scarcity, supply and demand. The disciples weren’t trying to be rude. They just couldn’t figure out a way a way to solve their problem. Sometimes we fall into the same predicament.

The other day I heard on the news that the United States was chairing the United Nations this quarter and making “Food Scarcity” a focus. There are people all over the world who experience “food scarcity” – which means that they don’t have a reliable source of food. This includes people in Africa, South America, and in Minnesota. Loaves and Fishes – which because of the pandemic now offers to-go meals – serves people at Brunswick Methodist in Crystal and Mt. Olivet in Plymouth. Our neighborhood food shelves – both NEAR and PRISM-- are busy. Food scarcity is problem here and it remains a world-wide problem. I am glad that the UN is working to address it. But according to experts, the problem isn’t that the world doesn’t produce enough food. The problem is distribution, access, waste, hoarding and greed. For example, Ukraine’s grain is stuck in the elevators because Russia refuses to let the shipments of food out of the harbor. The problem for countries that do have food is that we waste it in lots of ways - tons of food is thrown out because it doesn’t meet grocery standards or because restaurants who can’t serve it or because it goes bad during shipments or in our refrigerators. The list goes on.

The problem of food scarcity can be overwhelming. Like the disciples, it is tempting to simply throw up our hands and try to send the hungry people away – not our problem. Or, we sometimes we feel guilty but become overwhelmed and don’t feel as if we can make a difference. Or, maybe we repeat the line some of us heard as kids: clean your plate because children are starving in China – that one never made sense to me.  But all of these responses are in response to the kingdom of Herod, the kingdom of scarcity.

It was only after Jesus took the bread, gave thanks and broke it that the miracle happened. Then Jesus took the bread and gave it to the disciples who then gave it to the people – and all were fed and there were leftovers!  Even the leftovers were not wasted – they were carefully saved so that those who were yet to come could also eat.

In a sermon on this passage, pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber writes, “When I rely only on my strengths which, trust me, are few, when I think I have only my small stingy little heart from which to draw love for those I serve, when the waters are rough and storms are real and I am scared – filled with fear of what is happening or not happening in the church…filled with fear that everyone will see nothing in me but my inadequacies, I have forgotten about Jesus- my Jesus who’s making something out of my nothing and walking towards me in the storm. That’s our guy. The Man of sorrows familiar with suffering, friend of scoundrels and thieves, forgiver of his own executioners, resurrected on the 3rdday, the lamb who was slain, the great defeater of death and griller of fish and savior of sinners.”1

Like Pastor Nadia, when we are overwhelmed with scarcity, we need to remember that it is Jesus who is bringing in the kingdom of God. Our role, like that of the disciples, is to first receive the bread and all of God’s gifts with thankful hearts and then, like the disciples, share that gift with our neighbors – not fearing scarcity but trusting God to produce more than enough.

Pastor Nadia writes, “I wonder if, like the disciples, we too make the mistake of not always realizing how different God is from us and what a good thing that is. That we have a God who can actually feed so many on so little. A God who created the universe out of nothing, that can put flesh on dry bones of nothing, that can put life in a dry womb of nothing, NOTHING is God’s favorite material to work with. Perhaps God looks upon that which we dismiss as “nothing” “Insignificant” “worthless” and says “Ha! Now that I can do something with”. 1

How often do we do that to ourselves – dismiss what we have to offer as “nothing” or “insignificant.” And yet we can turn to God, the one who makes something out of nothing. For God’s kingdom is a world of abundance, with more than enough to share. It is not here yet but Jesus began ushering in God’s kingdom, the kingdom that Isaiah prophesied saying, “Come and delight in good food and listen so that you may live.” Isaiah 55  

 God’s kingdom is still on the way. But it is coming and you are a part of it. So, listen that you may live. Take heart. Eat and drink in the abundance God has provided – and, like the disciples, let us learn to share the bread and fish and wine and resources that God has entrusted to us so that, trusting in God and acting in the way of Jesus, all may be fed. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Faith-Lilac Way Lutheran  + August 6, 2023 + Pastor Pamela Stalheim Lane

1Nadia BolzWeber https://www.patheos.com/blogs/nadiabolzweber/2015/07/sermon-on-the-feeding-of-the-5000-preached-for-pastors-musicians-and-church-leaders/

Sunday, July 30, 2023

9th Sunday after Pentecost

Living in Hope of God’s Promises to Come

            My grandfather passed away in November of 2020 at the age of 92, and I remember an experience I had on the day I drove to his funeral. It was a one and a half hour drive and it was quiet as I rode along by myself.  As I drove I found myself reflecting upon my grandfather’s life and imagining what heaven would have looked like when he got there. I imagine it was beautiful. In my mind I could see him being reunited with loved ones like his parents and siblings, and Jesus was embracing him to welcome him home. I felt joy, peace, and a little heartbroken too.

            I was listening to a CD of the Christian band Mercy Me, and one of their most famous songs, I Can Only Imagine, came on. The song is beautiful and it has long been one of my favorites. The song imagines what heaven is like, the joy of being welcomed home and seeing God face to face. Before I knew it I was crying for the first time since my grandpa died. It was grief, it was grace and awe, it was giving my grandpa to God. I put the song on repeat and sang for the rest of my drive. It was one of the most sacred and most healing moments in my life. My grandpa, a redeemed sinner and a beloved child of God, was home, and though I was sad to lose him, I couldn’t help but worship God for where he was now.

            When someone we know dies, we want to know our loved one is in a good place. We are also reminded of our own mortality, and in those moments we often wonder what heaven is like. We wonder where it is, what it looks like, who all is there. Television shows and movies often depict white fluffy clouds, the sound of harps and the big pearly gates. I don’t know how accurate that is—maybe it is and maybe it isn’t—like the song says, I can only imagine. However, scripture does offer a few glimpses of heaven in the book of Revelation.

            Revelation was originally written as a letter to seven churches by a man named John. We don’t know much about this particular John other than that he was a believer who had been exiled for his preaching of the Gospel. To these churches John is describing several visions he has had about heaven and God’s final victory to come. The book of Revelation can be intense and seem scary to modern readers, but in essence it was meant to be an encouragement, an assurance to its original audience of God’s final promises coming true. These early Christians, who were living under Roman rule and sometimes persecuted for their faith, would have longed for such assurance. They longed for justice, for an end to suffering, for the world to be set right, and John’s letter and visions were meant to encourage these early Christians to live in hope while they waited for God’s promises to come to completion.

            Throughout the book of Revelation John describes glimpses of heaven he sees in his visions. In Revelation 4 he describes scenes of heavenly worship, and in Revelation 7 John describes countless people of all nations gathered around the throne of God. John describes a battle between God’s goodness and evil, and God, of course, is victorious and destroys sin and injustice once and for all. Then in Revelation 21 John describes a new heaven and a new earth, and God establishes God’s self among the people forever—there is no longer sin or death, nothing that can separate God from God’s people. And in Revelation 22, John describes the river of life flowing through the new Jerusalem, a holy river that gives life and light to all. The book ends with praise, saying, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!”

            Like the early Christians, there are times I look at the world around me and I long for the fulfillment of God’s promises to come. In our current world I see sickness, death, war and poverty, climate change. Revelation 21 describes a time when God will wipe every tear, death and pain will be no more, all things becoming new. I am ready for such a time.

            In contrast to the glory of heaven that John describes, it can be easy to become discouraged in our world, and we may wonder why God is taking so long to fulfill God’s promises. Now, I don’t know the answer to that question other than to say that God’s time isn’t the same as our time. I have to trust, though, that the God who was faithful in the past and now in the present is the same God who promises good things to come. I have to believe that God has a plan for us and for the world as we live in this time of now and not yet. Perhaps there is a reason Christ has not yet returned, and I wonder if that reason may be that we still have work to do in the here and now.

            Christ is already at work in the world around us, and we can already see glimpses of God’s Kingdom in our world. I see the Kingdom of God at work through church ministries and community partners, in places like Every Meal, the NEAR Food Shelf, and in kids at VBS assembling birthday kits. I see the Kingdom of God when kindness is shown and forgiveness is given, in the moments when broken relationships become whole. I also see the Kingdom of God in the beautiful diversity of people. God is a creative God, and I see God’s Kingdom when I can be in relationship with and learn from someone who is different than me, and often in those moments I learn that we are not as far apart as I may think. Needless to say, God is already here and moving. And yet, the fact of the matter is, we also live in a world full of people who are in need of hope—people who have never heard the gospel, people who have never felt loved or accepted, and people who feel lost.

            As people created in the Image of God and set free through the gospel, living in hope of God’s promises to come, could it be that God is inviting us in the here and now to play a part in bringing about the Kingdom of God? Is God offering us the opportunity to play a part in God’s redeeming work? I think it is true. We are people of the gospel and trusting in God’s promises to come, we have reason to hope and to live and to serve now.

            Living in hope of God’s promises, let us be together in Christian community. Let us pray and worship, let us welcome the stranger into our midst and offer comfort to the lonely. Let us do our part in caring for the earth and it’s creatures. Let us stand together advocating for justice, and may we work together to care for those who do not have enough. Let us show kindness to others, offer forgiveness and grace, and may we reflect God’s love to those around us.

            While we wait for the fulfillment of God’s promises or until the day we each are called home to heaven, we have reason to be here now. I can only imagine what it will look like the day we each make it to heaven, but while we wait, I can only imagine all the good things we can do in the world in meantime. Let us go forth, living and loving in hope of God’s promises still to come. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Sunday, July 23, 2023

8th Sunday After Pentecost

God’s Promises in the Present Age

            Imagine with me for a moment that you are a Christian in the early years after Jesus’s resurrection. Before Jesus ascended into heaven he commissioned his disciples and sent them out to share the gospel. They have been doing their job and now word has spread farther than ever before. You have heard stories about Jesus and all of the miracles he did, the things he said—you are told he even rose from the dead! You have also been told that Jesus will soon return—at any moment—to set the world right and reconcile all things once and for all. This is good news and you want to be ready, so as a believer in Christ you eagerly wait and watch for the second coming. But months pass, and then years, and Christ has not yet returned. Maybe you begin to wonder if Christ will return after all, and in the meantime, how should you live out your faith in the current time? A Christian life is a transformed life, but what does it look like to live transformed in a world where God’s promises are not yet complete? How do you live in the space of “now and not yet”?

            These were real challenges and questions faced by early Christian communities. They were living their lives and making decisions as if Christ would be returning quickly, so when it didn’t happen as they imagined they had to figure out how to live their lives in the longterm. If Christ wasn’t coming back right away, what should a Christian do in the meantime? What should Christian community look like, and what about the differences between Jewish and Gentile believers? How should Christians worship, and what if some Christians worship differently? Could Christians marry and have families? How should Christians respond to those who don't share their beliefs, and did Jewish Law still apply to them? These were complicated questions that the early Christians were trying to figure out, and they had to hold fast to their faith and trust in God’s promises along the way.

            Well, 2,000 or so years have passed and we are still waiting for Christ’s return, and we too are still trying to figure out how to live Christian lives in the present age. Like the early Christians, we are still figuring out the nuances of living together in Christian community, how to worship, do ministry and serve the neighbor. We are still learning how to live day by day in a complicated world—especially considering the global pandemic in recent years, climate change, global and cultural diversity, emerging technology, the increasing political divide, and so on. Like the early Christians we also sometimes wonder where God is at work in the world, and, especially in those moments, we too must cling to God’s promises.

            And what are some of these promises to which we cling? There are dozens of promises found in scripture, and I can’t list them all here, but I can highlight a few. In our first reading today from Isaiah, we hear the promise that God will strengthen us and give us the endurance we need when we place our trust in God. I don’t know about you, but there are certainly times I need that extra dose of strength. Pulling myself up by my own bootstraps isn’t always enough—I need God’s help. Whether it is just one of those days where nothing seems to go right, or a difficult season in life, it is reassuring to know that Christ strengthens us when we need it.

            Psalm 139 today reminds us that we are fearfully and wonderfully made, and we are also deeply known by our Creator. God knows what is on our hearts and in our minds. One day at VBS a couple of weeks ago, the kids and I were making greeting cards to give to people. A little boy finished his card and as he gave it to me he told me it was a very special card. He asked me to deliver it to heaven for him because he wanted God to give a message to his great grandma. I promised him that I would deliver his card, but I also told him that he can talk to God and to his great grandma in his heart. God already knows everything in our hearts—our joys and sorrows, our worries and dreams, the love we carry, and the people we miss too.           

            In our second lesson from Philippians, God promises to hear our prayers and offers us the invitation to pray always. I had a conversation recently with a woman who recalled feelings of shame when it came to prayer. She said, “When the God of the universe has much more pressing things to worry about—wars and climate change and poverty—Does God really have time to hear about my issues? The answer, I reassured her, is yes. Prayer is about relationship, and God does want to hear from us even about the little things. God promises to hear us, and when we pray, God promises God’s peace and presence to be with us.

            And then, of course, our Gospel today gives us perhaps the most precious promise of all. Christ promises to be with us forever, no matter what, until the end of the age. Jesus already fulfilled that promise on the cross, making it possible for us to be reconciled with God, but Christ’s presence is still ongoing even now.  There is nowhere we can go and nothing we can do to lose God’s presence in our lives. Good days and bad, when we are our best selves and when we are at our worst, Christ’s faithfulness remains.

            But the fact of the matter is, we still live in a world in need of healing, reconciliation and hope. Like the early Christians we are still waiting for Christ to set all things right once and for all. So the question remains, holding onto God’s faithful promises, how do we live in the world? When Christ rose from the dead we entered into a new reality—the age of “here and not yet.” Christ is already here, in-breaking into our world and making all things new, but the process isn’t yet complete. Through Christ we have been transformed and made new, but we are each still a work in progress, living and growing one day at a time.

            So as we continue to live in the present world with all of its joys and challenges, may we remember and rely upon God’s faithful promises. May we pray often about things big and small, trusting that God hears us and cares. May we remember that we were each made in the Image of God and we are deeply known and loved by our Creator. May we live boldly, knowing that we are valuable and have a part to play in creation, even when the world tries to tell us otherwise. May we know that we are never alone in the difficult moments, for Christ is with us and strengthens us for the road ahead. And above all, may we be reassured that Christ is still at work in the world bringing all things together for good. God has promised to be with us until the end of the age, so until that time we have reason to hope in the present world knowing that God will reconcile all things once and for all. Thanks be to God for God’s faithful promises in the present age. Amen.

July 16, 2023

7th Sunday After Pentecost

            Where is God in this? This is a question I have heard—and asked—many times. Where is God this situation? This illness? This life change? This grief? Where is God?

I have found that in the confusing and painful moments of life it can sometimes be hard in the moment to see where God is, and there may even be moments when we doubt God’s presence and faithfulness. After all, when something bad happens in our lives or in the world around us it can be difficult for us to see a way forward.

            I have experienced these questions and wonderings about God’s faithfulness in my own life. A few months ago, I shared with the congregation my past struggles with mental health. There were times I felt lost in a dark place, and I often wondered during those times where God was. Did God care about my suffering? Had God forgotten me? How could God possibly make a way out of this situation? Of course, I can look back now and see that God was faithful and did make a way for me out of my depression, but in the moment, it was hard for me to see God’s faithfulness at work in my life.

            In church we often say that God is faithful—and that’s true—but what exactly do we mean when we say this? What does God’s faithfulness look like, and how do we know that God is faithful? Over the next few weeks, we will be talking about God’s faithfulness: where has God been faithful in the past, how is God faithful now, and how God will be faithful in the future.

*****

            The story of God’s faithfulness begins in the Old Testament. Truth be told, not everyone likes the Old Testament. In fact, growing up I often heard descriptions of an “Old Testament God” and a “New Testament God.” The God of the Old Testament was supposedly angry and punishing, while the New Testament God was loving and accepting. Some Christians are tempted to go so far with this idea as to write off the Old Testament as irrelevant and instead focus only on Jesus. When we do that, however, we lose a huge part of the story. The Old Testament makes up majority of our modern-day Bible and chronicles the history of Ancient Israel and God’s faithfulness in human history. It is full of complex and fascinating stories. Some of those stories are challenging and uncomfortable for us to read, but when these various stories are put together, we come away with a deeper understanding of who God is and how God’s faithfulness works. We see more clearly that the God of the past is the same God today, tomorrow and in the future to come.

            Now, it is impossible to preach the entirety of the Old Testament in a sermon, but many of the stories are familiar. We start with Adam and Eve, and later we have Noah’s Ark when God saves Noah and the animals from the flood. Generations pass and we hear the story of Abraham and Sarah as God promises to make Abraham the father of many nations, with descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky. God blesses Abraham with his son Isaac, and later Isaac becomes the father of Jacob, who will go on to have twelve sons who make up the twelve tribes of Israel. The tribes grow and the nation of Israel is born.

            Eventually the Israelites are enslaved in Egypt, but God remembers God’s promises and sends Moses to bring the people out of slavery. They wander in the wilderness for 40 years until finally after many ups and downs the nation of Israel finds its home in the Promise Land. God makes a covenant with the people that they will be God’s chosen people and God will forever be their God. But in time, the Israelites forgot about God and turned to sin, as people are prone to do, including us. In forgetting God, the people forgot who they were and eventually war broke out and the people were taken captive to Babylon for 70 long years.

            Even then though, despite God’s frustration, God still remembers God’s promise and again turns to Israel with love and compassion. God gathers the people together again and renews hope and a future. To make a long story short, no matter what the Israelites went through, time and time again God remained faithful and remembered God’s promises. Again, and again God made a way out of no way, forming a new path forward even when the Israelites struggled to keep up their end of the bargain. We learn that God is faithful not because of the people but because God is God, and that is who God is. In fact, God remained faithful to the point of coming to earth and dying on a cross to make a way for all people.

            Now, if God can be faithful to the people of Israel through their dramatic ups and downs across generations, and if God was faithful even on the cross, surely God can be (and is!) faithful in our modern-day world and lives too. In fact, when I look back on modern history, I see examples of God’s faithfulness in countless ways.

            I remember my great-great aunt, Doris, telling me about life growing up during the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl, the challenges her family faced, but also the hope they experienced in the way God always seemed to provide at the right time.

            From veterans I have heard stories of God’s faithfulness on the battlefield—survival stories, stories of finding God in their fellow soldier (or even the enemy), stories of hope even in the face of danger, and stories of God’s faithfulness as the soldiers who died are returned home.

            I have seen God’s faithfulness in people who stand up for justice, in the people who strive to create a better society where people are treated fairly, and everyone has enough. The journey has been long and continues to have ups and downs, but God is faithful in strengthening those who serve the neighbor.

            And I have also seen God’s faithfulness in the resilience of communities after disaster, towns that rebuild after a tornado, or families that rebuild their lives after a house fire. This year at Faith-Lilac Way we have tied blankets for Camp Noah that goes to children recovering from natural disasters, and we have also served as an emergency shelter with the American Red Cross for families in need. These are examples of God’s faithfulness at work through this congregation.

            The point is, when we take time to look back on human history—whether from the Old Testament, from a world history book, the nightly news, or even from our very own lives—we learn to see God’s faithfulness in the midst of it all.

            Now it is important to remember that God’s faithfulness does not mean that life is easy. Unfortunately, God’s faithfulness is not a forcefield that keeps the bad things out, and we learn from the story of the Israelites that life still comes with its challenges and pains. That is just the way it is in our imperfect world.

            But even in the challenges, we can have hope that God’s faithfulness remains, and God’s faithfulness takes many forms. Sometimes we see God’s faithfulness in the way a challenging situation just seems to work out. God’s faithfulness can look like answered prayers and a happy outcome, but not always. Instead, sometimes God’s faithfulness looks like simply making it through a difficult day, and finding the strength to keep going even when we don’t know the outcome. Other times God’s faithfulness is a sense of peace and acceptance for the things we cannot change. Sometimes we experience God’s faithfulness best when all we have left is to put ourselves into God’s hands and trust in God’s promises. God knows what we need, and God’s faithfulness meets us where we are, even when we don’t see it in the moment.

            So, in those moments of life when you find yourself asking, “Where is God?”, may you come to experience God’s presence. When you look at the world around you or reflect back on the moments of your own life, may you be able to see where God has been faithfully at work in your life. May you be filled with hope and strengthened in God’s promises, knowing that the God of the past is the same today, tomorrow, and in the future to come. Thanks be to God for God’s past faithfulness, and may we always hold fast to God’s promises still to come. Amen.

Sunday, July 9, 2023

Weary? Jesus invites you to rest

 Have you ever felt weary? I have. I was on a backpacking trip. It had been a good trip and a long journey –full of some unplanned challenges – including finding a dry creek bed where we had hoped to find water and changing our path to avoid a forest fire. And now we were now on the last leg of the trip. Our leader suggested we stop at the campsite where we had lunch – but others were eager to keep going, and I agreed, we hadn’t travelled far that day. And so we did...even though that meant we were travelling in the heat of the day.  Much of our journey that day was down the mountain that we had climbed, which one would think it would be easier, but going downhill proved to be harder on my old knee injury than going up the mountain. The next campsite we came to had just had horses stay night – and was full of flies… so, we kept going. I wanted to stop but I kept telling myself that the next campsite wasn’t much further and so I didn’t say anything even though my knee was complaining. I kept telling myself, be strong, you can do it, just keep going. And that’s what I did…until… hot, tired, exhausted and with my knee starting to buckle I stopped, crumbled into a heap on the ground and said, “I’m sorry. I just can’t go any farther.”  I was weary.

 Not long ago I was visiting with a woman and I asked her how she was doing. She said, “I’m weary.” She had some physical issues going on – and was frustrated that her doctor couldn’t just “fix the problem” but even more, she was weary with the world. And she is not alone.

 Theologians like Karl Barth 1 have long encouraged pastors to preach with one eye on the Bible and the other on the newspaper – or where ever you get your news these days. Unfortunately, there is much going on in the world that can make us weary. My newsfeed is full of ongoing news of the war in Ukraine, gun violence that keeps erupting in schools and in crowds –as of this writing I’m thinking of the mass shooting in Baltimore where one of my sons now lives—as well as the increasing heat of the planet. None of those things have easy answers and the world feels out control. A little closer to home, I’m seeing more homeless people begging in our neighborhoods and an ELCA congregation in our synod who recently received threats for a statement of faith it used during Pride month. Divisiveness and animosity to people with different opinions is on the rise. It is more than enough to make us all weary.

 Jesus’ followers were weary too. The Roman soldiers were not a gentle occupying force and neither the Pharisees nor the priests of the day were open to the message of Jesus. But in response to the hardness of heart of the political and the religious authorities, Jesus offers a prayer for wisdom for his followers and then an invitation. Jesus says: “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

 In the Hebrew Scriptures, our Old Testament, the word “yoke” is used as a symbol of slavery and servitude. The prophet Jeremiah wore a wooden yoke on his neck in Jerusalem as a symbol that the people should submit to the rule of Babylon – and that if they did not, they would wear a yoke of iron. The people didn’t listen – and they suffered.  Later in Rabbinic writings, the “yoke” became a symbol of service to God. It is this tradition that Jesus is calling to mind for the disciples. His yoke is not a wooden yoke of submission or the iron yoke of serving a foreign dictator.2 Instead, Jesus says, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”3

 Our farming practices have come a long way since the days of yoked horse and oxen. But I remember, years ago, asking my grandfather about it because, back in his early days of farming, he plowed his farmland with two big horses yoked together.  He said he usually tried to connect two equally strong horses together so that the plow would pull evenly. But, when he got a young horse by the name of Hans, he hooked him up to the same yoke as a bigger and older horse named Clem so that Clem could teach him. Whenever Hans would try to stray and eat some oats along the path, Clem would just keep walking and since they were yoked together, Hans had to follow. Also, since Hans was shorter than Clem, Clem was really bearing all the weight of the plow. Hans was simply learning how to follow.

 This is what Jesus invites his disciples then and now to do – to take his yoke – and learn to follow. This is called discipleship. This is our vocation. By taking the yoke of Jesus, we can learn from his gentle and humble heart and find true rest, rest for our souls.

 And yet… we resist. We want freedom. We want independence and somehow, we like to think that we can get this ourselves, on our own. We forget that we are connected with others.

 That’s one of the things that I was reminded of on my backpacking trip. When I finally stopped, I was weary – and embarrassed -- and more than a little angry with myself for not being strong enough to do it on my own. I had to admit that I needed help. Luckily, I was not alone. My family came to the rescue. One son took my pack. What had felt like a huge burden to me looked pretty light when he swung it up onto his chest– and handily carried my pack - in addition to his own pack on his back. The boys went on ahead to set up camp. My husband stayed behind, gave me a drink of water, time to rest, and tended to both my injured ego and my weary soul with love and encouragement. Reflecting back, it was clear that my weariness on that trip was not only physical but included all the other emotional and psychological stuff I was carrying too. In addition to learning to pack lighter, drink more water and stop when my knee starts to hurt, I also learned that I don’t need to carry the whole load by myself. When I am tired, I can look to my yoke-mates, my community, my brothers and sisters in Christ, for help.

 And, you and I can accept the invitation of Jesus.

 In the Message Bible, Eugene Peterson paraphrases Jesus’ invitation this way:

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly. (Matthew 11:28-30 The Message Bible -)

Jesus is inviting you and me into His way, a way in which we can learn the “unforced rhythms of grace.” This is the way we can learn to live freely and lightly and rest in the care of Jesus. When we are yoked with Jesus, Jesus is the one doing the heavy lifting. But, to be clear, this is not an invitation to a vacation in which Jesus carries the burdens and we do whatever we think we want to do. Jesus’ invitation to take his yoke upon us is an invitation to a vocation. We are invited to bear light, the light of Christ into the world.

 This is not intended to be a burden. Instead, we are invited to learn the way of Christ. As yokemates, Jesus carries our burdens alongside of us and, when we feel a bit weary, what we need to do is to remember that we are not alone but rather look to our right or to our left – and “rest” in that, knowing that Christ is present… sometimes in the form of our brothers and sisters in Christ.

 Brothers and sisters, yoked with Christ, let us follow Jesus and embrace our vocation to bear the light of Christ in our world. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Sunday, July 9, 2023       Faith-Lilac Way Lutheran Church       Pastor Pam Stalheim Lane

 1https://wordandway.org/2020/05/05/the-bible-and-the-newspaper/

2https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/yoke

3 As Christians, we have adopted this tradition and ordain pastors by putting a “yoke” in the form of a stole upon pastors at ordination.

Sunday, July 2, 2023

Welcome

 How do you come? Robin, the leader of the Spiritual Direction course I am taking, often begins the class with this question: “How do you come?”  It’s not a question asking what method of transportation you used or what direction or where you came from but rather, how do you come into the space and time that we are about to share. A person may come frazzled from a crazy day at work. Or maybe they come hopeful or peaceful or ready. Maybe on that day, someone came weary or tired. I’ve come all of the above – it all depends upon the day.  But then… regardless of how I or any one of us came into the room, she invites us all to feel welcome.

 And that is how I want you to feel today. Whether you come sleepy from what seems like too short of a night of rest, or eager for the day, or anxious for what is to come, you are welcome here. For Jesus has declared that there is not only room in the pew and at the table for you – but there is a place set just for you. You are welcome. And as we will later sing, ALL are welcome in this place.

 One of our goals as the Church on Welcome Avenue is to live up to our address. As a church we seek to welcome people into God’s house so that they will feel welcome too.  Providing hospitality to strangers is, after all a Biblical value. For as we read in scripture, “when you welcome a stranger, you may be entertaining angels without knowing it.” Genesis 18, Hebrews 13:2 Caring for neighbors and strangers is what God calls us to do.

 But in our Gospel for today, Jesus is not welcoming people into a sanctuary – he does that in other places. In today’s Gospel, Jesus is in the process of sending his disciples OUT into the world, a world in which they may or may not feel welcomed.1 And yet, he wants them – and us – to know that when we go out, we are not going alone. We are going with Jesus. As Jesus says, “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me” (Matthew 10:40). 

 I’m am not a tall person – and I am short-waisted. As a result, as some of you may remember, when I was pregnant years ago, my babies protruded in front of me in a very obvious way. There was no question that when someone welcomed me into the room, they were welcoming me and my baby. Everywhere I went, I was carrying my baby too. It may not be quite as obvious as I was when I was pregnant, but as Christians, we are pregnant with Jesus. We are carrying Jesus with us wherever we go.  As it was proclaimed at your baptism, the cross of Jesus is emblazoned upon your brow and you are sealed with the Holy Spirit forever. Jesus is God with us - with you, with me always.

 One person told me that she used to tell her children when she left them: remember… Jesus is watching you.  That sounds like a threat. But Jesus isn’t a babysitter or score keeper, tallying up our good deeds and bad. Rather, Jesus is with us as a companion, friend, servant leader, savior and as Emmanuael, God with us.  And this is why Jesus says, “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me” (Matthew 10:40). 

 Welcome. I’ve been thinking about this word a lot over the last two weeks as I’ve been thinking about this Gospel.  After all, Jesus uses the word 6 times in this short Gospel passage – so it seems like it was a good word to pay attention to. And I’ve been noticing all the places that I – and Jesus - have been made to feel welcome recently.

 For example, I went to the hospital to say prayers and read scripture with Mary before her surgery last week. The hospital staff offered great hospitality. One staff member offered to show Mary’s daughter Sue a better place to park her car. While she was gone, Mary was called into the surgery pre-op room and, because I was her pastor, I was allowed to be with her while she waited for surgery and for her daughter to return. The staff graciously welcomed not only Mary, Sue and me – and in the process, also welcomed Jesus too. And I was grateful for their hospitality.

 After the hospital visit, I went for a walk in the neighborhood to share leaflets about our neighborhood ice cream social. As I was walking, I met a neighbor, Jerry, who said that he and his wife watch us online – and so he already knew about it. I was delighted to realized that our online service is another way that people welcome Jesus into their home. [Hello Jerry if you are watching today – you made my day for chatting with me that day as you tended your garden.  Thank you for your gracious welcome.]

 A few days later, at the ice cream social at Welcome Park, I and other members and Greater St. John members chatted with one another and our neighbors and our neighbors’ kids as they played on the swings and climbed on the equipment. As we offered a bottle of cold water – and a scoop or two of delicious ice cream at Welcome Park, Jesus was there welcoming us all.  And I felt grateful for the welcome and the sense of community I felt – and, of course, the yummy ice cream.

 On another day, I was welcomed into a member’s home – along with the rest of the bookclub – and was given not only a cup of water but also a refreshing glass of Arnie Palmer - lemonade with iced tea -- and dessert too. I felt welcome and, I also knew that Jesus was already in the room way before I got there. Again, I was grateful at the warm welcome and for a time to gather to share good conversation and Christian community.

 In all of these places, I felt the presence of Jesus with me and with us as I was welcomed and Jesus was welcomed into places outside the walls of this church. As I reflected on the many places where I was welcomed, I also noticed that in only one place, the hospital, I was welcomed because I was a pastor. In all of the other situations, I was simply welcomed as a disciple of Christ, a child of God – just like you.  I also noticed how grateful I felt for the hospitality and welcome that was extended to me and to us.

 As Poet and pastor  Steve Garnaas-Holmes writes, 

We forget how thirsty we all are 
for hope and gratitude.
Don't pass up an opportunity today
to offer a cup to one of the little ones
(who of course are angels in disguise):
to encourage, to appreciate, to give thanks
to the one checking your groceries,
or delivering your mail,
or doing their best to be a decent person.
Notice how offering a cup of grace
quenches your own longing, too. 
God is thirsty for our love for each other
and every little cup is a delight
that satisfies us all. 1

 Brothers and sisters, friends in Christ, let us offer a cup of water, a scoop of ice cream, a smile and a greeting of welcome to everyone we meet. And may this cup of grace that you extend to another fill your cup, your heart and your life with blessings and delight. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 Faith-Lilac Way Lutheran Church                                                   Pastor Pamela Stalheim Lane

 1Elisabeth Johnson, Working Preacher https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/ordinary-13/commentary-on-matthew-1040-42-5

2Steve Garnaas-Holmes Unfolding Lightwww.unfoldinglight.net 

Sunday, June 25, 2023

4th Sunday After Pentecost (Year A)

            I remember one summer day as a young child when my sister and I decided we wanted to be rich, and our ticket to wealth was the small lemonade stand we set up outside. We would sell lemonade and make a fortune—the plan was fool proof! After all, other kids had raised money selling lemonade for charity, so why couldn’t we raise some money for our own pockets? As we got our stand ready we dreamed about what we would buy—toys and pet horses and a mansion—we were dreaming big, and I was so confident in the money we would get that I took the quarter from our first lemonade sale and buried it in the ground, so I could grow a money tree too.

            Well, as you can see I’m still working, so I didn’t make a fortune that day and I’m still waiting on that money tree to sprout. In fact, I learned a couple of lessons that day about money. First, I learned the hard way not to leave my sitting outside unattended while searching inside for a bigger jar. But more importantly, I learned not to be overconfident or rely too much on the money I have because money can come and go in the blink of an eye.

All of our readings for today have something to say to us about wealth and money, and money can be a complicated subject. In our American culture money is often synonymous with status and success, so we may at times be tempted compare ourselves to others or measure our success as a person by our bank accounts. Politicians and government leaders rarely agree on how to spend money, and couples don’t always agree on finances either. In extreme cases, greed for money can be the source of injustice when some people have way too much and others far too little, and of course, in our current economy and high inflation money doesn’t go as far these days. Many people are struggling just to scrape by.

            Day in and day out many of us work hard for our money—and we have to in order to survive in our world. We have bills to pay, groceries to buy, we need to buy gas to get us to work so we can make money to pay the bills and buy the groceries and get the gas we need to get to work and make to make the money to….and the cycle repeats. Some of us in society who are retired or unable to work must rely on social security payments, pensions or government assistance to get by and that can be complicated thing too—as a society are we spending too much money on social welfare or not enough? These are sensitive questions—and money is often at the root of the issue.

            For such reasons money has been popularly deemed as the root of all evil. Now money in itself is not evil—it is necessary—but not evil. At its core, money is a tool that helps us obtain the things we need such as housing, clothing, food, health insurance and the like. And it is not a bad thing to use our money to treat ourselves to something nice or fun every now and then either. The problem arises, I think, when money stops being a tool and instead becomes the most important thing—an idol, something we hoard, or something we can never have enough of. It is then that we have lost sight of the purpose of money, and who entrusted it to us to use.

            Our first reading from Deuteronomy speaks to this. The Israelites are preparing to enter into the Promise Land, a land flowing with milk and honey and a place full of blessings, but before they enter Moses reminds the people where their blessings truly come from. Moses says: “When you have eaten your fill and have fine houses and live in them and….when your silver and gold is multiplied and all you have is multiplied, then do not exalt yourself, forgetting the Lord your God you brought you out of the land of Egypt…” In effect Moses is warning the Israelites—and us—just how easy it can be to forget about God when we are surrounded by blessings, and how easily it is for us as humans to take full credit for what we have achieved.

            Often times we have worked hard for what we have achieved or earned, and we can be proud of that, but Moses reminds us who it is who first gave us what we need and continues to do so every day. God has given us our bodies, minds, our talents and abilities, even our very breath, and without God’s blessings none of what we have achieved would be possible. Just like my overconfidence in lemonade and money trees, one part of being human is the temptation for us to rely on ourselves, our wealth, and our possessions instead of the One who blessed us in the first place.

            For the fun of it, though, I do wonder what I would have bought with my lemonade money. I imagine I would have bought plenty of toys and my family probably would have had to build a stable or move to a farm with all the ponies I would have gotten—but would I have helped anyone with the money I earned? Would I have had the wisdom and compassion to share my wealth with someone else?

            Our second reading today from 1st Timothy speaks to the other challenge we often have with money, that is, how to use the money we have to meet both our own needs and to benefit others who have less. In our world today money often seems to be in short supply, so how do we wisely and fairly use the money we do have?

            The author of 1st Timothy was writing to a church that had a wide range of people, and the congregation was figuring out how to be church together when some people had more than others, and that sounds pretty similar to our world today. We live in a world with people who are billionaires and people who live in extreme poverty, and most of us fall somewhere in between.

            Now, I don’t think of myself as wealthy, money is often tight and I do need to budget my money wisely to cover my expenses but compared to the nearly 1 billion people the United Nations reports live on less than $1 a day, I am wealthy.  Even without my money tree, I have been blessed with tremendous resources including the money I work hard for. Now recognizing I have been blessed, how do I use my money to help others?

            1 Timothy 6 gives us this advice saying, “We are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share…so that we may take hold of the life that really is life.” I am particularly struck by the last part, “the life that really is life.”

            Reflecting upon this I wonder, how often in life might our money keep us from really living and enjoying the life and people God has given us? I am reminded of a classmate of mine in high school. This girl came from a well to do family with two parents that worked long hours and often traveled for work. She lived in a large house in the best area of town with a backyard pool and even an indoor theater.

She had access to the best things that money could buy, but she didn’t have much of a relationship with her parents. There were no family dinners, backyard barbecues or days off with family around the holidays. I once overheard my classmate remark to her friends that her parents loved earning money more than they loved her. Now, there is nothing wrong with working hard, especially when supporting a family, but it is wise to remember that money doesn’t replace relationships and quality time spent with those we love.

            Similarly, I’m sure many of us are familiar with the phrase “keeping with the Jones.” In a culture that equates money with status, we might be tempted to compare what we have to what others have. I remember what it was like growing up in a single parent household. My mom worked hard to provide me with everything I needed and I never went without, but we couldn’t afford some of the things my classmates could. I learned the hard way that comparison is the thief of joy and thankfulness, and I learned life was a lot more fun when I enjoyed what I did have. And besides, it was more fun to be friends with my neighbor than to compete with them.

            Our readings from 1st Timothy and our Gospel in Matthew today gives us one more thing to consider regarding wealth, and that is, how do we live lives of meaningful discipleship with our money?

             In our Gospel story we meet the rich man who came to Jesus seeking the key to eternal life. This man has kept the commandments and tried to live righteously, but Jesus gives him a challenge. Jesus tells the man to give his possessions to the poor and to join Jesus in ministry. Of course, the man who was quite wealthy and attached to his possessions went away dismayed. How could he possibly give up his possessions, his status, his comfort? He couldn’t see and imagine a worthwhile and meaningful life beyond his wealth.

            Now, I don’t think Jesus is telling us we need to give up all we own in order to be disciples, but rather, Jesus is reminding us that there are things far more important than the wealth we have. The most important thing is our relationship with God, our ability to love God and to see and give thanks for the many blessings God gives us. We rely on God’s abundance rather than on ourselves.

            Jesus is also telling us, I think, that as followers of Christ we are called to follow Christ in the path of service, to “store up treasure in heaven” as Jesus says—to live a life so much richer in meaning. Throughout the Gospels we hear story after story of Jesus using his resources in service to others. Jesus turned water into wine, fed five thousand with a few pieces of bread and fish, had compassion for the poor and lived a life that reflected God’s love and justice to others. While Jesus was not rich in money, he was rich in relationships, in faith, in love, and in a life full of meaning. Jesus knew that it was God and people that really mattered.

            With the many gifts we have been given we are called to live lives of meaning by honoring God and serving people. I have seen this happen in so many ways. I have seen it in the couple from my home congregation who save their spare change all year and then gifts it to a family in need, like the year they gave the jar to my single mom raising two daughters. I have seen it in the generosity of people and congregations like Faith Lilac Way who donate toys at Christmas. I saw it just this last week as people from our Wildfire congregations came together for a fun evening of food, music and fellowship and raised money for Every Meal. When we live and use our money in ways to serve our neighbor, amazing things can happen. For example, the gifts we receive at church, both big and small, helps to support ministry, allows us to share the gospel with others, and allows us to share our building with GSJ, the Boy Scouts, the Hennepin County Horticultural Society, and the Red Cross, just to name a few. And beyond our doors we give to the NEAR Food Shelf, Every Meal, the ELCA Disaster Response and more.

            Whether our gifts our big or small, and with God’s help, together we use our resources to work toward a world where all are fed, where people have a place to sleep at night—a world where everyone has enough and where all people are treated with dignity as fellow Children of God. Now, I don’t know about you, but that sounds like a pretty good deal to me. I would choose a life and a world like that over a money tree any day.

            So today may God bless us in our lives of discipleship. May we remember what truly matters in life. May we trust in God’s abundance, and may we use our money and resources wisely as we live meaningful lives blessed to bless others. May God multiply our resources and our efforts in doing God’s work, and may we someday live in a world where all will have enough. Thanks be to God for the money and resources we receive, and for God’s mission for all. Amen.

June 18, 2023

3rd Sunday After Pentecost

The Pursuit of Peace

             This week I found myself repeatedly drawn to the words in our Roman text for this morning. In our text today Paul tells us that we have received peace and grace through Christ, and because of that we have reason to hope—or boast as Paul writes— even in the midst of suffering. And yet as I look around, I wonder to myself, where is this grace and peace that Christ has promised? I don’t know about you, but I don’t usually feel very peaceful in our world. In fact, sometimes it seems as if there is a peace shortage—conflict, busy schedules, suffering—we often seem to be looking for and longing for peace. Where are we supposed to go to find peace in a world where peace is often lacking?

            The concept of peace can be understood in many different ways. Some would say that peace is simply the absence of violence or conflict. We certainly need more of that kind of peace in our world. All we need to do is watch the news about wars and gun violence, or listen to fighting politicians to be reminded of the divisions around us. We long for peaceful streets and a peaceful government where people can get along.

            Or, rather, perhaps we can define peace as a time of quiet and calm. When I think of this kind of peace I think about a parent trying to find a quiet place for a few moments of solitude when the kids are rambunctious. If you have ever been a parent or spent time with your children I’m sure you know what I mean. In reality though, we all need some peace and quiet time to rest and relax now and then. After all, that is why God made the Sabbath.

            Maybe peace can be defined as the calm before the storm, the eye of the hurricane, or the time of unawareness before a conflict boils to the surface—the times when we think everything is hunky-dory and are then surprised when conflict disrupts our sense of peace and normalcy. I’m reminded of the protests that occurred in 2020 after the murders of Ahmad Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd as an example. For decades many white Americans, including myself, were peacefully unaware of the quiet racism that has been happening under the surface, and in 2020 this false peace boiled over and made us pay attention. Cries of “No Justice, No Peace” made us realize that there has been little peace for people of color in this country. Sometimes the peace we think we feel is simply our being blissfully unaware.

            All of these definitions of peace have some validity to them, but the problem with these various understandings is that they are all temporary and conditional, dependent on the events of the world and our environmental circumstances. This kind of peace comes and goes. Wars start and eventually they end. We find moments of quiet for a little while, and then the noise and the busyness returns. Conflicts arise in relationships, and in time hopefully they are resolved. These moments of peace, quiet and calm are wonderful when they are here, but they don’t last forever. In other words, what we are talking about here is earthly peace, limited and imperfect. So what are we to do when the peace that surrounds us for a little while disappears, and where do we go to find lasting peace?

             The peace that Christ offers is a different kind of peace. Can you think back to a time or a place where you felt completely at peace? I mean more than simple contentment or relaxation, but rather something deeper—an internal or unshakable peace, the kind of peace that is not influenced by the world around you.

            I first experienced this kind of peace on the banks of the Platte River when I was in college, and frankly it was during one of the least peaceful periods of my life. I was going through a time of depression, learning the ropes at college, and trying to figure out how to be an adult for the first time. I often felt overwhelmed and I found myself searching for some peace, something to keep me grounded as everything else was shifting and changing around me. 

            After one particularly rough day I was trying to get out of my head and away from my negative thoughts, so I decided to go on a drive to see the Platte River. It had been one of my favorite places as a kid and I have many good memories of climbing on the river rocks or combing the river banks for washed up treasures. It was a special place for me growing up and on that day I wanted to take a trip down memory lane.

            When I arrived at the river I thought I would only be there for a few minutes, but I wanted to enjoy it so I found a comfortable spot among the river rocks and took time to simply be. I listened to the sound of the rippling water and the occasional splash of a fish. I watched the water ever flowing, the current fast in some places and slow in others. I watched the occasional log float along, and the birds flying over the water. I felt the sunshine overhead and the light breeze rustled my hair. It was beautiful, and I felt God there with me in the midst of it all. Before I knew it I had spent more than six hours sitting there along the river bank, and when I left I felt a peace I had never felt before, and I walked away with a new perspective on life too.

            That day I came to think of life as a river. Life around us is always moving and always changing, just like the water of a river is always flowing, shaping the river bed and the banks as it flows along. Sometimes in life we feel like we are caught in the fast current of busy schedules and stressful situations. Sometimes we are simply trying to stay afloat in the chaotic waters. Other times in life we are in the slow moving waters—a comfortable rhythm of day to day life, or perhaps waiting for what is next to come along. But regardless of the currents or situations we find ourselves in, life keeps moving and keeps flowing along the course, just like a river. 

            The peace that God offers is much the same way. God’s peace is knowing that life keeps moving and changing, through both good times and bad. The seasons change—rain, ice and dry spells too—but even in the dead of winter life perseveres and the water still flows underneath the frozen surface. God’s peace is what nurtures us and sustains our lives, just as the waters of a river are a source of life for earth and creatures. God’s peace is the movement of the Holy Spirit, ever-present and flowing through us, and God’s peace is the hope and inner assurance that comes with God’s faithful promises for reconciliation and new life.

            Said simply, God’s peace is a lasting inner peace that is transformative, and once we have truly received the inner peace that God offers, we receive an inner strength that the world cannot take away, a reassurance that God is at work in this world to bring about lasting peace and we have a part to play in doing this work. God’s peace gives us confidence to act and a reason to hope for a better world, to seek justice and do what is right even in the most difficult of moments.

            The inner peace that God gives reminds me of a quote from the late senator and civil rights activist John Lewis, and I want to finish with that today. John Lewis says: “Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Do not become bitter or hostile. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Never be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble. We will find a way to make a way out of no way.” These words by John Lewis are powerful, and between the lines I think they speak to God’s peace. God’s inner peace is unshakeable, and it gives us hope and the freedom to live out these words in our lives each day as we seek to do God’s work in the world.

            So today, my prayer for you is that you experience the peace that God offers, a peace so much deeper than what the world can offer. May God’s peace flow through each us of like an ever-flowing river, and may God’s peace be a source of renewal, courage and endurance, a source of hope grounded in God’s faithful promises that inspires us to live out our faith and do God’s work. May God’s peace keep you and hold you fast and give you reason to hope no matter what may come. May God’s peace live within us, and may we share that peace with the world. Amen.

Sunday, June 4, 2023

 God’s creation is beautiful and good.

 Think for a moment about your favorite place in creation. If you are like me, it’s hard to choose just one spot. Is it a spectacular view of a mountainside? The huge expanse of the ocean? The starry sky at night or the Northern lights?  Or is it the lake outside your cabin? A walk in your neighborhood? Fishing by a stream? Or maybe it’s your garden in the summer when it is at its fullest. Whether it is something large and spectacular or small and precious, there is no wrong answer. And yes, you can have many spots that are your favorites because all of God’s creation is beautiful and good.

 But sometimes there are problems in creation. We used to have streets lined with beautiful elm trees – but then Dutch elm trees disease swept in and infested tree after tree. I remember being so sad every time I saw an X on an elm tree. I remember thinking, it looks healthy to me… but it had the bug… and it was next for the chain saw.

 Suzanne Simard, a forest ecologist, was working for a logging company in British Columbia in the late 1970s. She was the first woman working for a logging company and so she was excited to be there. She was very familiar with the industry, having grown up in a family of foresters, but this company operated differently than her father and grandfather.  They would go into the forest and cut down a tree here and there. The company went in with big machinery and was clear cutting the trees and then replanting the Douglas fir that they wanted to harvest again.

 But as happens in nature, other trees started to grow too, especially birch trees – and they were considered weeds. So, the foresters sprayed them with herbicide to get rid of them. They assumed the birch were competing with the Douglas fir – especially for sunlight. But when they did this, and they weeded out the birch trees, the Douglas fir trees ended up coming down with a root disease.1

 Now, I must admit, I also thought that there was competition in nature for nutrients and for sunlight between the trees and the other plants. I assumed that nature worked on a Darwinian theory of the strongest would survive. But Suzanne Simard, and ecologists like her, have discovered that there is a lot more cooperation in nature than we have assumed.

 Simard writes “I really thought, we're doing something wrong here. And so, I wanted to know whether the birches were somehow protecting the firs against this disease and that when we cut them out, it made it worse.” She discovered that “birch and fir were sharing carbon below ground — much against the prevailing wisdom that they only compete for light.” She also found that “the more that birch shaded Douglas fir, the more carbon was sent over to Douglas fir… In this way the ecosystem was maintaining its balance — the birch and fir could coexist because of this collaborative behavior.”2  In another study, Simard watched as a Douglas fir that had been injured by insects appeared to send chemical warning signals to a ponderosa pine growing nearby. The pine tree then produced defense enzymes to protect against the insect. "This was a breakthrough," Simard says. The trees were sharing "information that actually is important to the health of the whole forest." In addition, she found that the fungus that was on the forest floor was also helping the growth of the plants and when that was bulldozed over and removed, all of the trees suffered too.

 God’s creation is beautiful and good – and it is resilient because God made it collaborative, cooperative, and interdependent. God’s creation of plants and animals depend upon one another. There is beautiful harmony in nature. And sometimes… I think we forget that the collaborative, cooperative and interdependent nature of God’s creation includes to us too.

 Simard’s study of trees became personal after she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She learned that one of the chemotherapy medicines that she was being treated with came from “a substance some trees make for their own mutual defense.”

 In the Genesis story, God charges people to care for the earth and all that is in it. We sometimes forget how much the earth and all its creatures care for us. So, what if we thought about ourselves in a more collaborative and cooperative relationship with the earth.  How can we respond to the care that we receive?

 Just as each tree and each bird and bee makes individual contributions to the wellbeing of the world around it, it turns out that we make lots of decisions every day that affect God’s world too.  Some of them feel small – like recycling and composting. It costs us a bit more money, but you’ll notice that the cups and plates that we buy here at church are compostable.  When I go on a walk, I try to remember to bring a bag along to pick up garbage. These are simple and seemingly little things. But I noticed the difference after our clean-up crew came to pick up the church neighborhood a few weeks ago. Simple personal choices add up. After all, our first responsibility is to care for our corner of the world. But…we can also advocate for bigger choices to care for the earth and one another with our legislature.  Just a few emails, letters and phone calls can make a difference to how an elected leader votes on an issue.

 God’s creation is beautiful and good. Creation is beautiful to our eyes as we look at the beauty around us. God’s creation is beautiful and good as we listen to the bird’s song and the rustling of the trees. And God’s creation is beautiful and good to our noses – have you smelled the lilacs or the lily of the valley lately? God’s creation is beautiful and good to the touch – feel the soft green grass or the sand on the beach between your toes.  In all these ways, and even more in the way that all the parts of God’s creation work together in a collaborative, cooperative and interdependent way, God’s creation is beautiful and good. 

 And God wants you to enjoy it and care for one another and the world we live in. Thanks be to God. Amen.

 Sunday, June 4, 2023                                Faith-Lilac Way Lutheran                             Pastor Pamela Stalheim Lane

 1https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/05/04/993430007/trees-talk-to-each-other-mother-tree-ecologist-hears-lessons-for-people-too. Suzanne Simard is a professor of forest ecology at the University of British Columbia.