Wild Word Project

A reflection on Psalm 22 for the Second Sunday in Lent

2012-03-04T11:30:00.000-06:00

On Monday morning, I saw the story come across my Facebook page. Yet another school shooting, this one in a suburb of Cleveland. I’m slowly learning my Ohio geography, but hadn’t yet heard of Chardon. A quick Google map search showed it to be a little over an hour away. Now, a few days later, it has become a familiar place-name in the news. Demetrius Hewlin, Russel King, Jr., and Daniel Parmertor are dead, two others injured, T.J. Lane’s life has changed forever. As I watched the local news on Monday night, I was sick to my stomach and sad beyond belief. I prayed for the students who witnessed this horror and the families of those who were killed, for TJ and his family, for all of the people of Chardon. And the psalms echoed in my head-- “My God, my God, why have you abandoned us?” and “How long, oh Lord, will you hide your face from us?” Though the psalmist wrote “me,” on Monday night, “us” was more appropriate. On Monday night in Ohio, the psalms of lament were lifted in prayer.

If we read the whole thing, Psalm 22 is a familiar psalm. “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” It’s a psalm we’ll hear again in a few weeks, on Good Friday, recalling the words that Jesus spoke on the cross. It’s a psalm that reminds us that in our moments of despair and grief and questioning, we are not alone. Even Jesus felt that way. No wonder we feel that we sometimes.

Though we’ll hear the whole thing on Good Friday, today we hear only the end. The part of the psalm where the psalmist has begun to come out of the place of darkness and has begun to see the light. In this psalm, and in many others like it, such as Psalm 13, I sometimes wonder how long it took for the writer to write these lasts words. Maybe the whole psalm was written from the perspective of hindsight, looking back over some hard times, yet realizing that he was never alone. Or maybe it was written in chunks, a kind of journal of the ups and downs in this period of the psalmist’s life. I tend to think this might be the case. We don’t really know who wrote the psalms, but we do know that they capture so much of the reality of human life--complaints, fears, hopes, joys; feeling lost, forsaken, and abandoned; recognizing the beauty in God’s creation. Whoever it was who wrote this beautiful psalm was going through some kind of ordeal. She wrote about these ups and downs in her journey of life and faith, realizing that even in the midst of her despair, she might also remember her trust in her God. Recognizing that she could talk to God about anything and everything and lay it all out there. That God could handle it. And then, maybe days or weeks or months later, when things were brighter in her world, going back and recording the praises she had for her Creator and putting it out there that there is goodness in the world and that there is reason to share it.

I love the line “all the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD.” What a powerful witness and reminder of our need to turn back to God. It’s one of the big parts of Lent--repenting, literally turning back/around to God. How do we turn to God in every part of our lives? The psalmist complained and petitioned and praised God. Often, as in Psalm 22, within the confines of one poem. And the beauty of a life of faith is that we can do it, too. We can give everything to God. God can handle it. God is willing and able to hear our cries and complaints. God hears our praise.

One commentary I read this week suggests that perhaps when Jesus cried from the cross “My God, my God why have you abandoned me,” he did so with the intention that those who heard would remember not just the beginning of the psalm, but the whole thing. That they would hear those words and remember “he did not despise or abhor the affliction of the afflicted; he did not hide his face from me, but heard when I cried to him.” That they would realize, even as they lived through their own horrors, that they were not forgotten. That we would remember, in the depths of depression and despair and grief and confusion, that we are not forgotten. Because we’re not. Not for one second. Even when we cannot find it in ourselves to remember God or look to God, God knows us and loves us. God journeys with us through life--all of it. Not just the good parts. Not just the parts when we feel closest or most aware of God’s presence. All of it. Every moment of every day. The glorious moments and the most painful. Joys and sorrows. From his darkest place, Christ reminds us that we can indeed turn to God and that our cries will be heard. And our praises. So we worship and praise, cry and pray. And we are heard. All of us. It doesn’t cease to amaze me.

So bring it on. Give God your complaints, your praises, your petitions, your adoration. Give it all up to God. And remember that, in Christ, God has given it all. For you. And me. And all of us.

Wild Word of the Week: Path

2012-03-02T06:30:00.000-06:00

All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness... (Psalm 25:10a)

Keith

Kirsten

Karen

Next week's word is "Horizon" (inspired by Psalm 22:23-31)

God sightings

2012-02-29T06:30:00.000-06:00

How have you seen God at work lately?

Share here, on Facebook, or Twitter.

PS Starting next week, there will be a guest blog post on Wednesday. If you are interested in contributing, please drop me an e-mail and we'll chat!

Tuesday's Text--Psalm 22:23-31

2012-02-28T06:30:00.000-06:00

The Psalm for the Second Sunday in Lent is Psalm 22:23-31.

Inspired by Psalm 22:23-31

Photo by Kirsten Fryer

You who fear the LORD, praise him!

All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him;

stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel!

²⁴ For he did not despise or abhor the affliction of the afflicted;

he did not hide his face from me, but heard when I cried to him.

²⁵ From you comes my praise in the great congregation;

my vows I will pay before those who fear him.

²⁶ The poor shall eat and be satisfied;

those who seek him shall praise the LORD.

May your hearts live forever!

²⁷ All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD;

and all the families of the nations shall worship before him.

²⁸ For dominion belongs to the LORD,

and he rules over the nations.

²⁹ To him, indeed, shall all who sleep in the earth bow down;

before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,

and I shall live for him.

³⁰ Posterity will serve him;

future generations will be told about the Lord,

³¹ and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn,

saying that he has done it.

What amazes you about God? God's creation? God's action in the world?

For what are you grateful?

How would you sum up the good news to tell it to future generations?

A reflection on the first Sunday in Lent

2012-02-26T12:40:00.001-06:00

Psalm 25:1-10

To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul.

² O my God, in you I trust;

do not let me be put to shame;

do not let my enemies exult over me.

³ Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame;

let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.

⁴ Make me to know your ways, O LORD;

teach me your paths.

⁵ Lead me in your truth, and teach me,

for you are the God of my salvation;

for you I wait all day long.

⁶ Be mindful of your mercy, O LORD,

and of your steadfast love,

for they have been from of old.

⁷ Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions;

according to your steadfast love remember me,

for your goodness' sake, O LORD!

⁸ Good and upright is the LORD;

therefore he instructs sinners in the way.

⁹ He leads the humble in what is right,

and teaches the humble his way.

¹⁰ All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness,

for those who keep his covenant and his decrees.

It was an early morning during staff training at Bethel Horizons. I woke up nearly two hours early and went for a sunrise hike. I needed some time to be alone, to pray, and ponder and just be with God. I walked down a fairly familiar trail that I had been on a few times before, the one that we would hike many, many times over the course of the summer. As I came around the corner that opened into the valley, a deer stood in the middle of the path, maybe fifty feed ahead of me. As the sun rose over the hills and fog rolled over the valley, we stood and watched one another. Silent. Still. I have no idea we stood watching one another, two creatures mysterious to one another, but the image is burned into my memory. After a minute or two or ten, I really couldn’t say, she sniffed loudly and ran into the tall grass of the valley. I continued on my way, crossing over the place where she had stood, newly aware of the diversity of life around me. It was a beautiful morning and I remember it fondly, all of these years later.

I think every camp counselor has a number of “path” stories to share. Funny stories about silly things that campers said or memorable experiences on hikes. Night hikes and hikes on hot days. After three summers at two different camps, I am no different. But for some reason, that foggy early morning was the memory that has been dancing around in my head this week as I’ve been pondering Psalm 25. Make me know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.

One of the commentaries I read this week pointed out that this is a psalm about teaching. In fact, written in Hebrew, it is an “alphabetic acrostic,” that is, the first letter of each line is the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet. It’s something we miss in the English translations. I pulled my Hebrew Bible off the shelf, and brushed a thin layer of dust off of it, and sure enough, there it was, down the page in alphabetical order. As long as it was out, I figured I might as well take the time to translate, with a lot of help from a handy dandy program called Bibleworks. I slow down and digest when I translate. I notice patterns and repetitions that I almost always miss when I read in English. As I came to verse 6, two words--translated as mercy and steadfast love--gave me pause. The dictionary on the program gave me a number of translating options, but what exactly did the psalmist mean?

Another commentary came to the rescue here, suggesting that these two words could be translated as “womb-love” and “covenant-love.” Womb love (mercy) is the kind of love a mother feels for unborn child, the deep, powerful, protective love. Motherly love. What a beautiful image. Doesn’t that open it up and make you think in a different way than hearing mercy? Not that mercy is a bad translation, but it’s a word we hear a lot. But womb-love, that’s just a different image for me. Not yet having the opportunity to experience that kind of love for my own children, I do know how much I have loved the unborn children of my friends and of my niece or nephew due in April. I know how I have listened to these expectant mothers talk about the love they feel and the amazement at feeling the movements of life from within them. I’ve listened to their wonder and watched as they have lovingly placed hands on swollen bellies. Remember your womb love, oh Lord.

And then “covenant-love,” calling to mind the covenants God makes with God’s people throughout Scripture. Despite our uncanny ability to mess up and rebel and turn away from God’s promises, God is right there, promising to stand with us, to stick with us, to bring us around, once again. This is the way of God, patience and love that is deep and powerful and everlasting.

Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths, the psalmist writes. And how many times has this been prayed by God’s people over time. Millions? Billions? More numerous than the stars? And then we begin to think about the many paths that we journey in our own lives of faith. Each story is different. Each story has its unique joys and challenges. Each person has his or her moments when God seemed so intimately close, and moments when God seemed so unbelievably absent. Our paths wonder and cross over one another and fork and branch and come to dead ends where we have to turn around and retrace painful steps. And yet, somehow, in the midst of all of that, our God is with us, with “womb-love” and “covenant-love” abounding.

As we stand at the beginning of our Lenten journeys, we stand in a place both familiar and unknown. Those of us who have been Christians our whole lives carry memories of Lent, of disciplines, some successfully practiced, others miserably failed. I think there is a sense of newness at the beginning of Lent, a sense of opportunity to try something or attempt to return or slow down or give up. But, as is true on every single day of our lives, we also stand at a place not knowing where the paths will lead. We don’t know what tomorrow will bring. We don’t know what joys will come or what sorrows. So what are we left with, but a need, a longing, to know the truth of a God whose love is as profound as a mother’s for her unborn child, as uncompromising as the one who keeps making promises to us in spite of our inability to keep them. That is the love we can count on in this Lenten journey and in the walk of life.

With the psalmist, we pray to know the ways of our Lord. We long to know the love of God, we yearn for experiences that show us the way and lead us down the right paths. And yet, we wander, restless, wanting clearer paths, surer ways. St. Augustine said that the heart is restless, until it rests in God. So rest, restless wanderers, today in God’s love. Rest in the mercy and steadfast love. Rest in God’s compassion and grace. Rest in womb-love and covenant-love. Rest in the faith that no matter where you find yourself on the path of life, God knows exactly where you are. And loves you beyond measure right there, in that very place.

A prayer for today:

O God, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Wild Word of the Week: Tree

2012-02-24T06:00:00.000-06:00

Josh

Emily

Original Artwork by the Rev. Justin Eller

Jen

Karen

Ali

Sarah

Kirsten

Inspired by Psalm 25:1-10

A reflection on the day after Ash Wednesday

2012-02-23T13:39:00.002-06:00

Call me crazy, or strange, or a total church nerd, but there is something about Ash Wednesday that I really love. I love the quiet and the time for reflection. I love the Ash Wednesday liturgy that has the extended confession that calls us out on our failure to really truly love and serve God, our neighbors, and all of God's creation. I love kneeling at the altar and hearing the words "Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return." I love that on Ash Wednesday, there is a sense of calm and a way of shifting attitudes and priorities.

Perhaps my love of Ash Wednesday comes from my love of the earthiness that links deeply to the sacraments. Though receiving ashes is not a sacrament, it can be what is sometimes called a "sacramental"--its a place where God might just show up. Sacramentals can be all kinds of things--fresh baked chocolate chip cookies or coffee that comes with conversation after church or a cold beer shared with a friend or a picnic in the park or flying a kite or seeing the first spring flowers. The list is endless. Sacraments--baptism and communion--are tied to the very stuff of the earth--water and bread and wine. And all of that is tied to the incarnation--to the fact that, in Christ, God comes to us. I love that we sense God's presence in the stuff that is sometimes messy or dangerous, and yet cleansing and beautiful. I love receiving communion, tasting the bread of life and the cup of salvation. I love feeling ashes fall down my forehead and seeing candlelit faces on Christmas Eve and smelling incense or Easter lilies. I love feeling the hands of babies clasping onto my finger and the fragile hands of octogenarians held in mine. I love hearing voices raised in song, breaking into harmonies that couldn't be achieved by one person alone.

Even as we begin this season that is so often equated with giving up, we remember that we are people who are intrinsically tied to stuff--the stuff of creation, the stuff of God. Water, wine, bread, and ashes. We remember our mortality and that we are made of dust. We remember the promise that in the messiest places of our lives--those places where the ashes are falling down our foreheads--God shows up, loving us in spite of our messiness. Or is it because of it?

God sightings

2012-02-22T09:00:00.000-06:00

It's your turn to share!

How have you seen God working lately?

Share here, on Facebook, and/or Twitter.

PS Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return...

Ash Wednesday worship is tonight at 7:00 at Peace.

Tuesday's Text--Psalm 25:1-10

2012-02-21T09:00:00.000-06:00

The Psalm for the First Sunday in Lent is Psalm 25.

Photo by Keith Krinke

To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul.

² O my God, in you I trust;

do not let me be put to shame;

do not let my enemies exult over me.

³ Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame;

let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.

⁴ Make me to know your ways, O LORD;

teach me your paths.

⁵ Lead me in your truth, and teach me,

for you are the God of my salvation;

for you I wait all day long.

⁶ Be mindful of your mercy, O LORD,

and of your steadfast love,

for they have been from of old.

⁷ Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions;

according to your steadfast love remember me,

for your goodness' sake, O LORD!

⁸ Good and upright is the LORD;

therefore he instructs sinners in the way.

⁹ He leads the humble in what is right,

and teaches the humble his way.

¹⁰ All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness,

for those who keep his covenant and his decrees.

What images come to mind when reflecting on this psalm?

What comforts you?

What challenges you?

What questions do you have?

It's no secret: A reflection for Transfiguration Sunday

2012-02-19T15:30:00.000-06:00

The question has come up a couple of times in the past couple of weeks. What is the deal with Jesus telling people not to tell? He heals the leper and tells him not to tell. Peter, James, and John witness him transfigured before him--his clothes are so white “no one on earth could bleach them” and he talks with Moses and Elijah, prophets who had long ago been taken up. They witness this incredible, unbelievable scene and then Jesus tells them, effectively, “oh, yeah, by the way, don’t mention what happened okay?” WHAT?!

What is going on that these amazing things are happening and Jesus wants to keep them secret? Obviously, the stories come to be told. People don’t necessarily obey his commands, but really, who could? Healed, cured, transfigured. None of these is “no big deal.” They’re all huge. They’re all life-changing, transforming experiences that leave people changed. Of course they tell. But why does Jesus ask them not to?

I think it has something to do with the fact that Jesus isn’t done yet. The most amazing part is coming and is completely different than anyone is thinking. He’s not just a healer. He’s not just a teacher. Don’t make this just about the fact that a few people are healed. No, it’s about more than that, but you’re going to have to see some things that you can’t even imagine right now. So just wait, not yet, don’t tell. More is coming. Don’t make this about this mountaintop experience. There’s another hill coming. And it’s going to have a cross on it.

Ultimately, that’s what Jesus is about. Jesus is healer and teacher and one who has the power to raise from the dead, absolutely. But that’s not only what he is about. Jesus is the one who has the power to defy death. The ones who are healed or whose loved ones are healed or those disciples on the mountaintop can’t yet contemplate a cross and an empty tomb. So Jesus tells them to wait. Don’t tell yet. More is coming.

It must have been hard to believe that there was more after the Transfiguration. “Really?” James, John, and Peter must have thought. I can’t imagine anything more. You were talking to Moses and Elijah. Peter obviously thinks this was it. He wants to build dwellings for them. Keep them there. Keep them safe. But Jesus knows better. He knows that they can’t stay on this mountaintop. He knows that he must leave the mountaintop to go down to the very depths of the human experience. He knows what is coming.

Where ever this finds us today, can we find some reassurance in the fact that Jesus didn’t want people to tell because he knew they could not imagine what was coming? Can the skeptic in us find some comfort in knowing that James, Peter, and John didn't know what to do when they saw Jesus transfigured before them? We know the story. We know how it ends. And, yet, it is still sometimes really hard to believe. It’s sometimes hard to believe that God comes down to us. It’s sometimes hard to believe Jesus would die. It’s sometimes hard to believe that the promise of life is for us. For you and for me. It’s sometimes so hard to believe it that we cling to the threads of hope, the memories of those moments when God seemed so near and real and present. And we keep walking, one step at a time, one moment, one breath. We realize that every moment can’t be lived on the mountaintop. We have to walk through the valleys, too. And, when we’re at our best, we remember that Jesus is right there with us. And when we’re at our worst, Jesus is still right there with us.

As we enter into Lent, we begin that journey toward the cross. We set our eyes, with Jesus, on everything that comes with it. Despair, grief, suffering, hope, and promise. And, because we know the rest of the story, we tell it. We tell the stories of a healer and teacher. One who died. And one who rose. And we remember that the story isn’t over yet. Christ still comes to us in surprising and unexpected ways. Christ still comes to us in the waters of baptism. In bread and wine. In the moments of great joy and the moments of deep sorrow. In the ups and downs of life, in the in-between, in the unknowns. Jesus isn’t done with us yet. Even as we look to the cross, we remember that Christ is alive, and because he lives, we live. That truth is too great to keep secret.

Wild Word of the Week: Heart

2012-02-17T09:00:00.000-06:00

Emily

Carol

Kathy

Barb

Karen

Josh

Turi

Kirsten

God sightings

2012-02-15T09:00:00.000-06:00

It's your turn to share!

How have you seen God working lately?

Share here, on Facebook, and/or Twitter.

Tuesday's Text--Mark 9:2-9

2012-02-14T14:00:00.000-06:00

The Holy Gospel for Transfiguration Sunday is Mark 9:2-9.

Mosaic of the Transfiguration at St. Catherine's Monastery, Mount Sinai

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, ³ and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. ⁴ And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus. ⁵ Then Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." ⁶ He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. ⁷ Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, "This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!" ⁸ Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus.

⁹ As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

What do you find fascinating about this text?

What questions do you have?

What good news do you see?

How might this apply to us/you today?

Be Made Clean: The Sixth Sunday after Epiphany

2012-02-12T17:16:00.002-06:00

This is the sermon I preached this morning at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Elyria, OH. The text was Mark 1:40-45.

Wow. I kind of feel like I need to stop and take a breath before I even start. A LOT has happened in these first 45 verses of Mark’s Gospel. Thinking back over the past several weeks, we’ve heard most of the first chapter of Mark. John appearing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins and that one more powerful was coming. Jesus coming to John to be baptized by him, and the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove and “you are my Son, the Beloved, with you I am well pleased.” The lectionary skips over the temptation in the wilderness, but that’s there too. Then way back on January 22, we heard Jesus proclaim “The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God has come hear, repent, and believe in the good news.” Then he calls Simon and Andrew to follow him and fish for people. Then he calls James and his brother John and they left their nets and followed him. And then Jesus enters the synagogue and teaches and casts out an unclean spirit. And all were amazed. But that’s not all. He heals Simon’s mother-in-law, then sees the “whole city” outside the door and cures many who were sick and casts out many demons. He gets away to pray, but the disciples find him and they go throughout Galilee so Jesus can proclaim the message and he casts out demons as well. And then a leper comes to him and begs to be healed. Jesus heals him, but tells him not to tell, but instead to go show himself to the priest. But he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the word, so that Jesus could no longer go into town openly, but stayed out in the country; and people came to him from every quarter. And that’s just chapter one. No wonder Pastor Jaster needed a vacation!

This is one of the things I love about Mark’s Gospel. The excitement. The sense of wonder. I often think of a child telling a story about a really exciting day when I read this Gospel. And then, and then, and then. It’s like Mark just can’t wait to get the story out because it is so marvelous and wonderful and amazing. He just needs to tell it. Kind of like the leper in our story today.

But before we get to him, let’s back up for a second. Slow this rapidly moving story down. Can you imagine, for a second, being that leper? That one who had been cast out of society, who must have been in so much pain--physical, psychological, and spiritual. Can you imagine what it must have taken for him to come to Jesus, to have the guts to show his face, to kneel before him and say, “If you choose, you can make me clean.” For the one who had been cast aside for so long, what hope must he have had to beg at Jesus’ feet, “please sir, choose to heal me”? And even though Mark tells the story so quickly, tries to jam pack so much in, don’t you think that for that moment, at least in the mind of the leper, everything must have slowed down to a snail’s pace. How long was it before Jesus replied? I bet that even if it was a split second, it seemed like forever in the leper’s mind.

Was it a second, or ten, or a minute? We don’t know. But what we do know is that Jesus is moved with pity, or, as the word can also be translated, with compassion. He reaches out and touches the one who hasn’t been touched in who knows how long. “I do choose. Be made clean.” Wow. You who haven’t been chosen for anything, except exile, for a really long time. I choose you. You who others have ignored. I choose you. You who has been cast aside, forgotten, neglected. I do choose. Be made clean.

There is so much going on in those six simple words. I choose to be the one who can no longer enter into the city. I choose to be the one who is rejected. So that you can be healed. So that you can be whole. So that you can know that you are loved.

And then all of the sudden it isn’t just about healing that one leper anymore. It’s about giving up everything for the sake of the world. It’s about Jesus reaching out to us, to you and to me. It’s about Jesus coming to us in those places of regret, and pain, and misery, and grief and no matter the cost to him, simply being with us so that we can move to a different place. I do choose. Be made clean. It’s a message not just for that one leper, but for each and every single one of us.

I don’t blame the leper for telling, even when Jesus ordered him not to. I don’t think I would be able to keep a secret in like that. I was cast out, and now I am clean. But when Jesus told the leper not to tell, he knew that this now clean leper hadn’t yet seen the real glory of the Son of God. When Jesus tells the leper not to tell, he does it because the story is not yet complete. The healing of this leper has just scratched the surface of the depths that Jesus will go for God’s people in the world. And even though he was clean, even though he was no longer outcast and pushed to the edges of society, I doubt that that leper had any clue just how far Jesus would go. I doubt that he could have imagined a cross, a grave, and empty tomb. Jesus doesn’t want his story to become just about healing that one leper. He wants it to be about healing for the entire world. He wants the world to know that the Kingdom of God has come near.

Mark’s Gospel begins with the words The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He understands that the stories he tells are just the beginning. And since he can’t even be stopped by death, Christ continues to come to us. His story is nowhere near over. We are somewhere in the middle of it, catching glimpses of a Kingdom that has indeed come near. Hearing whispers of a promise. I do choose. Be made clean.

But let’s be honest, it’s not always easy to hear. The world so often shouts work harder, produce more, run faster, out of business, you’re not good enough. But in the midst of that, albeit sometimes faintly, comes the compassionate voice of Christ. I do choose. Be made clean.

So even if you can’t hear it on any other day of the week, hear it today. Christ has chosen you. You are loved beyond measure and saved by the grace of God. The promise is for you. We hear it most profoundly at Christ’s table, where there is food for all who come. Where we hear the words “for you.” Where we know that no matter what kind of week we had or what kind of week we’re facing, there is a place for us here. Where we are made clean, forgiven of our sins, fed for the journey. Where we receive the nourishment we need to go out to do the work God calls us to do--whatever that is.

And because the Holy Spirit works in strange, but marvelous ways, maybe the Spirit will work through us this week. Maybe she’ll give us the passion to speak the words of hope to someone who needs to hear them. Maybe she’ll give us the energy to feed the hungry or visit the sick or be a voice for change. And maybe she’ll simply help us hear the words echoing at the back of our heads, in the midst of life and all it’s messiness, I do choose. Be made clean.

Amen.

Wild Word of the Week: Mittens

2012-02-10T09:00:00.000-06:00

Barb

Karen

Kirsten

God sightings

2012-02-08T09:00:00.000-06:00

It's Wednesday, which means it's your turn to share!

How have you seen God working lately?

Share here or on the Facebook page or Twitter feed.

Tuesday's Text: Mark 1:40-45

2012-02-07T09:00:00.000-06:00

The Holy Gospel for the Sixth Sunday after Epiphany is Mark 1:40-45.

Jesus heals a leper, Rembrandt

A leper came to him begging him, and kneeling he said to him, "If you choose, you can make me clean." ⁴¹ Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, "I do choose. Be made clean!" ⁴² Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. ⁴³ After sternly warning him he sent him away at once, ⁴⁴ saying to him, "See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them." ⁴⁵ But he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the word, so that Jesus could no longer go into a town openly, but stayed out in the country; and people came to him from every quarter.

Why do you suppose Jesus told the leper not to tell?

Why do you suppose the leper told anyway?

Have you ever had a faith experience that you couldn't keep quiet about?

What does it mean that Jesus is moved with pity?

What questions do you have about this text?

A reflection on Mark 1:29-39

2012-02-05T17:44:00.001-06:00

Community is really important. Deep down, we know that, right? But do you think we forget sometimes? Do you think that we sometimes take it for granted? Just like our health or independence or the roles we play?

Jesus knows it. And even though even Jesus himself sometimes takes time away, ultimately he calls us to live into the communities of which we're a part--be they family, neighborhood, church, school, or groups of friends. He equips us to be a part of a community that nourishes, strengthens, and, yes, serves us.

We see it happening in today's text. Simon's mother-in-law is sick. No matter what we think about women's roles today, we have to remember that for this woman, being a good host was more than likely at the top of the lost of really important things. And as any of us who has ever been sick knows, hosting is about the last thing we want to do when we're so sick we're stuck in bed. Plus she was so sick she was stuck in bed. Not a great day for her.

Into the midst of her rotten day, enters Jesus. And in an act of great compassion, he takes her hand and "lifted her up." I have to think that as he lifted her and her fever went away, her spirits also soared. Served and now restored to be able to serve. Experiencing both ends of the spectrum, served and serving. Simon's mother-in-law (wouldn't you like to know her name?!), because she is lifted up by Jesus, gets to do both.

Though we don't always feel it, we, too, are lifted up by Jesus. We too have been restored to serve and to be served. Because we do need both. We do sometimes need to serve others--those in need, our families or friends, or total strangers. And sometimes we need to be served. Sometimes we need to be the one stuck in bed, humbled by the need to rely on others. Sometimes we need to hold out our hands and realize that we don't get to help ourselves, but that we will be served, all in good time, at the table where we are all welcome and where there is room for everyone.

The funny thing is that Jesus will find us--the servers and the ones being served. Unexpected though he may be, he finds us and lifts us up. His promise of life restores us to be who God has called us to be. God's people in the world. Serving and being served. Lifted up and restored.

Wild Word of the Week: Shadow

2012-02-03T09:00:00.000-06:00

Josh

Joanna

Barb

Karen

Kirsten

For a "shadow" bonus, check out www.georgesteinmetz.com for an amazing shadow photo of camels taken from the air! It is incredible!

After a very sunshiny and warm last week in January/first few days of February, it's getting cold again, so:

Stay warm! I'm looking forward to your mitten photos.

God sightings

2012-02-01T09:00:00.000-06:00

God works in many ways--through the people around us, through creation, in surprising ways, and in familiar ways. For the month of February, we're going to try something new on Wednesdays: God sightings. You get to share your stories and comments about how you've seen God working in your life lately. Share comments here or on the Facebook page or Twitter feed. The more stories, the merrier. The question is the same in all three places--how have you seen God working lately?

We look forward to "hearing" your stories!

Tuesday's Text--Mark 1:29-39

2012-01-31T09:00:00.000-06:00

The Gospel for the Fifth Sunday after Epiphany is Mark 1:29-39.

Simon's mother-in-law at St. Mary the Virgin Church in Fen Ditton, UK

As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. ³⁰ Now Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. ³¹ He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.

³² That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. ³³ And the whole city was gathered around the door. ³⁴ And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.

³⁵ In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. ³⁶ And Simon and his companions hunted for him. ³⁷ When they found him, they said to him, "Everyone is searching for you." ³⁸ He answered, "Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do." ³⁹ And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

In the ancient world (not so differently from today), sickness prevented people from doing the things they were called to do in the community--from living out their vocations. Whether they were called to work or engage in acts of hospitality, being sick kept them from action. So when Jesus heals Simon's mother-in-law and the others who were sick, he allowed them to be restored to their roles in the community. He restored their sense of community, wellness, and wholeness. By doing this, he further proclaims the coming kingdom of God--that is the community of God where people live full and participatory lives in fellowship with one another.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

How do you live out a call to live in community?

In what ways do you need to be restored?

What good news do you see in this text?

What questions does it leave you with?

Feel free to comment below! The really neat thing about Scripture is that there aren't necessarily "right" and "wrong" answers. The Spirit moves us in different ways and we see different things emerge from the texts. These questions are jumping off points. We hope that conversation can grow from here and we can all grow in faith together through these conversations!

A Wild Word Project Update

2012-01-29T09:15:00.000-06:00

This is a copy of the information provided at today's annual meeting. If you have questions about or suggestions for the Wild Word Project, please contact me!

The Wild Word Project

Martin Luther used cutting edge technology to help get God’s Word into the hands of the people. The cutting edge technology of the 16th century? The printing press. So, if that’s a part of our history, how are we called to utilize the cutting edge technology of today--blogs, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc.--to continue to build God’s Kingdom?

Our goal is to enhance opportunities that are already being offered “offline” at Peace by providing a means for interaction that happens online. No matter where they are or what time of day, members, visitors, and people who are trying to figure out just how God might be working in their lives, can experience Christ in the following ways:

-Pastor Kirsten continues to write and post at www.wildwordproject.com. The blog provides an avenue for conversation beyond Sunday morning. Guest bloggers will occasionally be featured and there are opportunities for readers to comment and share. The blog is based on the stories of how we see God working in everyday life.

Peace Lutheran Church

-Our Fan Page is “Peace Lutheran Church.” The Facebook page provides an additional space for making announcements, providing information, and space for online interaction.

@peaceinwauankee

-Follow us on Twitter @peaceinwaunakee. This is a great way to share information and announcements and faith statements in 140 words or less.

-The Peace Weekly Reader provides a weekly e-mail with announcements about what’s happening this week at Peace, upcoming events, and worship for this weekend. The introduction is a quote, video, or image that relates to faith in daily life. To sign up, contact Pastor Kirsten at kfryer@plcemail.org. A link will also be provided on the new website under “What’s Happening” and “Wild Word Project”

-We are working to redevelop www.peaceinwaunakee.org to make it an interactive site that provides timely information, as well as opportunities for faith growth and nourishment. A more detailed explanation can be found below.

This new ministry of Peace is an exciting opportunity for us to continue to be molded and shaped by the Holy Spirit blowing in, around, and through us. If you have questions or suggestions, please contact Pastor Karen or Pastor Kirsten.

Wild Word Project Goals

Goals: To provide a resource for spiritual growth and nourishment

-To be a ministry outreach for those exploring their relationship with God

-To provide timely information to members of the congregation

-To provide a welcoming and hospitable “front door” to visitors

Handout from Annual Meeting

A mockup of the new website (sorry it's so small--it takes over the page if it's any bigger!)

Website Redesign

Four Corners

The new website will be a place where members, visitors, and those seeking spiritual nourishment can visit. The four corners will be “interactive,” providing timely, frequently updated opportunities for a little bit of “faith-based programming” in the midst of daily life.

Two Minute Bible Study

The pastors will provide a concise introduction to one of the texts for the weekend. The video will be linked to YouTube and accessible via the Peace website and Peace Lutheran Church YouTube Channel. This will provide anyone the opportunity to hear the good news, no matter where they are in the world or what time of day they visit.

Song of the Week

We are working to secure permission from a number of Lutheran musicians to share their music on the website. The goal is to have a song of the week on the website, with information about how to purchase from the musicians if you like it. The music will be eclectic and based on solid Lutheran theology. We hope that ,over time, there will be some kind of music that everyone likes! This not only provides a source for listening to great music, it gives us an opportunity to support wonderful Lutheran musicians.

Book e-study

Want to join a book group or Bible study, but can’t possibly find time in your busy schedule to do it? The website will provide an opportunity for an e-study, where people can contribute to conversation on their own time from where ever they are. We’ll be starting with Book of God: The Bible as Novel by Walt Wangerin. We’ll read a chapter a week, engaging in conversation via web resources. The book will be available for purchase in hardcopy or Kindle edition via Peace’s Amazon Associates page. More information will be coming soon about that!

Ministry of the Month

Each month, a different ministry of Peace will be featured. Visitors will be able to click on the link to see a video with images, music, and interviews sharing the good news about what is happening in all of the ministry areas we have here at Peace.

Peace Ministries

The remaining squares will provide information about ministry opportunities and what is happening at Peace. Photos will be updated regularly and information will be kept up to date related to what is happening pertaining to each ministry. Each page will include a welcome from the contact person, as well as contact information, and information pertaining to each ministry area (detailed below).

Wellness

-Parish nursing services

-Care Team Ministries

-Share the Care Teams

-Camp FUN

-Senior Lunch Bunch

Worship

-Worship information (how we worship, when, what to wear, etc)

-Sermon archive (including a video archive)

-Sermon podcasts

Preschool

-Goals and philosophy

-Mission

-Curriculum

-Core values

-Parent involvement

-Peace Lutheran Church Preschool Board

-Preschool staff

-Song of the week/month for kids

Youth

-Sunday School

-Route 56

-Route 78

-Destination Affirmation

-High School Youth Group

-One time opportunities

-FROG

-Joyful Noise

-Fellowship events

-Nursery

Outreach

-Matthew 25 Ministry

-Food for Kidz

-Shared Ministry opportunities

-One time outreach events

Wild Word Project

-Link to www.wildwordproject.com

-Book e-study

-Explanation of mission and philosophy of the e-ministry of Peace

-Electronic resources for faith growth and nourishment

-Peace Weekly Reader sign-up

Music

-Senior Choir

-FROG

-Joyful Noise

-Chapel Chimes

-Radical Ringers

-JuBELLation

-Resurrection

Adults

-SMASH

-Senior Lunch Bunch

-Fellowship events

-Hidden Talent Night

-Not So Serious Golf League

-One time study/spiritual growth opportunities

Summer

-Week at Peace

-Camp FUN

-Summer Music Camp

-Middle School Mission/Adventure Trip

-High School Mission/Adventure Trip

-College Mission/Adventure Trip

-Lutherans Outdoors

-Other summer opportunities for spiritual nourishment for people of all ages

-Overview of previous summer (September-January)

What’s Happening

-Calendar

-Weekly Reader

-Weekly Reader Archive

-Bits and Peaces

Who We Are

-History of Peace

-How to find us

-Contact information

-Staff bios

-Leadership contact information and bios

-Information related to the ELCA

Support Peace Now

-Stewardship information

-Simply Giving

-Paypal*

-Text to give*

-QR scan to give*

*Technologies under development in cooperation with the synod. They won’t be up for awhile, but it is our hope that these will all be ways to support Peace financially in the not-so-distant future!

This is an exciting time for Peace as we continue to explore what it means to do ministry both "offline" and "online". Thanks for your support of PLC and all of our ministries!

Experience Christ. Explore Peace.

A reflection on Mark 1:21-28 for the Fourth Sunday after Epiphany

2012-01-29T09:05:00.000-06:00

A fun fact about the Gospel of Mark: the element of surprise/awe/wonder appears 34 times in the gospel. Remember that Mark only has 16 chapters. This surprise/awe/wonder is a huge part of the way that Mark tells the story of Christ. He wants the readers to know that there is something awesome and wonderful and inspiring and surprising happening.

In Mark’s Gospel, this is Jesus’ first act of “public ministry.” He’s been baptized by John at the Jordan, tempted in the wilderness, and called the first disciples, but this is the first time Mark tells a story of Jesus publicly teaching, and probably more importantly, healing. It is a amazing and wonderful and awe-inspiring. And it is just the beginning. Mark tells story after story, in quick succession, of Jesus healing, feeding, and teaching. The way Mark writes it’s like he can’t get it out fast enough--and then, and then--like an excited child telling about a particularly exciting day. Mark himself is filled with awe and wonder because of the things that Jesus has done and wants to share the story with as many people as possible. And here we are, reading it, hearing it, pondering it, nearly two thousand years later.

So maybe the question becomes: “How does Christ surprise you? Inspire you? Fill you with awe and wonder?” How do you see God working in and through and around you? In what ways do you feel the power of the Holy Spirit at work in your life?

I believe that if we are the body of Christ, then we also become God’s hands and feet in the world. God works through us: silly, crazy, loving, confused, questioning, hopeful human beings that we are. We see God through other people, through the wonder of creation all around us, through laughter and tears and questions. It’s not always easy to see, but I do believe that God is working all around us, mostly through other people--family, friends, and strangers. And God continues to inspire us and fill us with awe.

I was back in Wauankee last week. I got to hang out with our 9th graders during their confirmation retreat (which was supposed to be up north and include skiing, but ended up being a lock-in at church due to the snow storm). I saw lots of people on Saturday evening and Sunday morning at worship. I visited and laughed and drank lots of coffee. I saw pastor colleagues at a conference on Tuesday. I prayed with and for families grieving the loss of loved ones. I led Route 78 on Wednesday evening and saw God working through squirrelly 7th and 8th graders who supported each other in prayer and told Biblical stories through charades and reported their God moments. They inspire me. I see God working through them. And through all of these amazing people who are a part of my life by the grace of God and the call of the church. Christ continues to come to us--using us as his body to do great things in the world, in sometimes seemingly small ways.

What would happen if we tried really hard to watch for those moments when we really feel God working through us and through those around us? What difference might it make in our lives? I think we would feel awe and wonder more and more. I think we would begin to recognize that the Spirit is flowing all around us and giving us what we need to do the important work of ministry in the world. Because we all do ministry. Each and every single one of us. We’re all equipped in baptism to be proclaimers of the good news of Jesus Christ. And it is really, really good news. Good news that gives hope to those who feel hopeless, and showers grace upon those who feel they couldn’t possibly deserve it, and wraps each and every single one of us in love.

Question for you for today: how have you been inspired/filled with awe and wonder by the way God is working in your life? Please leave a comment here and I’ll also link the question to Facebook (Peace Lutheran Church) and Twitter (@peaceinwaunakee). Let’s share these moments because I know that we have stories that help others see the grace, hope, and love of the Triune God who creates, redeems, and sustains us.

Blessings to you this week as you watch for the wonder of Christ in your life. Amen.

Wild Word of the Week: Quiet

2012-01-27T09:11:00.001-06:00

Abbie

Barb

Karen

Carol

Kirsten

Tuesday's Text--Mark 1:21-28

2012-01-24T14:45:00.000-06:00

The Gospel for the Fourth Sunday after Epiphany is Mark 1:21-28.

Pharisees by Karl Schmidt-Rottluff

They went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. ²² They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. ²³ Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, ²⁴ and he cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God." ²⁵ But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!" ²⁶ And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. ²⁷ They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, "What is this? A new teaching-- with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him." ²⁸ At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.

Does anything surprise you about this text?

What questions do you have?

How might it apply to our life today?

Why Do We Believe?: A Sermon for the 3rd Sunday after Epiphany

2012-01-22T14:47:00.000-06:00

I enjoyed seeing lots of folks at Peace this weekend! If you couldn't join us, you have the opportunity to hear Pastor Karen's sermon anyway. There is a little bit missing toward the very end because the camera was doing some silly things, but I think you get the general idea.

Peace to you on the 3rd Sunday after Epiphany!

Wild Word of the Week: Snow

2012-01-20T09:00:00.000-06:00

Jenny

Karen

Barb

Abbie

Amy

Kathy

Kirsten

Tuesday's Text: Mark 1:14-20

2012-01-17T08:12:00.001-06:00

The Holy Gospel for the Third Sunday after Epiphany is Mark 1:14-20.

Vocation de Saint Pierre et Saint André
by James Tissot (1836-1902)

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, ¹⁵ and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news."

¹⁶ As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea-- for they were fishermen. ¹⁷ And Jesus said to them, "Follow me and I will make you fish for people." ¹⁸ And immediately they left their nets and followed him. ¹⁹ As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. ²⁰ Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

A little background:

Verses 14 and 15 give a little introduction to what will follow in Mark's Gospel. Jesus comes to proclaim God's kingdom and what follows will show the way toward God and God's promised future. Jesus' proclamation that the kingdom is near "demands hope: the confidence that God is for us, the trust that God care for us and guides our lives, and the conviction that God wants to share eternal life with the risen Christ in the fullness of God's kingdom" (Donahue and Harrington, The Gospel of Mark, 72).

In 16-20, Jesus calls the first disciples. Disciple literally means "follower." A disciple is someone who follows a leader, imitating (as best he/she can) the life of that leader. These first followers of Jesus were fishermen, and probably fairly successful ones if they had hired men and actually owned their boat. And yet, they leave what they have to follow the one who sought them out.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

What is interesting to you about this story?

What questions do you have?

Where do you see good news?

Is there anything that applies to you/us today?

(Remember, there are not "right" or "wrong" answers. This is an opportunity for us to reflect together about how the Bible's stories continue to speak to us today.)

Come and See: A reflection for the Second Sunday after Epiphany

2012-01-15T14:03:00.002-06:00

“Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Nathanael asks. It’s the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, just the first chapter in John’s Gospel. They haven’t seen much yet from Jesus. And what little they’ve seen is just a tiny preview of what’s to come. But Philip doesn’t get defensive. His answer is simple. “Come and see.”

If asked today, given what we know about Jesus, what would we say? If we said “come and see,” what would we expect Nathanael, or whoever it was who asked, to see? In our homes and churches and communities, how is Jesus seen? What have we seen that helps us point the way to Jesus?

Jesus would do all kinds of extraordinary things--turning water into wine, healing the sick, raising the dead. Eating with those cast aside by society and calling people to repent. Dying and rising and breathing life into those who would tell the stories of his life, death, and resurrection. There was plenty to “come and see.”

As we continue to live into the call to be members of the body of Christ, Christ continues to work in and through and around us. We are called to point the way to Christ for those who are downtrodden among us. In big ways and in small, we have the opportunity to proclaim “come and see.” And because we live in community, there are many around us who are the ones to invite us to come and see what God is up to among us.

This morning, at the congregation where we worshipped, I watched a father and his young son, just learning to read, recite together the Apostle’s Creed. The father pointed to each word, assisting his son, as the congregation confessed our faith. It was a touching moment, watching a baptismal promise fulfilled right in front of me. I watched as a young girl ran back to greet an elderly member and saw a smile so big on the woman’s face. Sometimes those moments are just what we need, reminders of the ways members of the body of Christ take seriously the role to show others to the one who is the way, and truth, and life.

What are the ways you have been invited to come and see? How have you seen the body of Christ at work lately? How have you been surprised by Christ’s presence among you? Please share your stories in the comment box below. Let's take this opportunity to help one another see some of the ways Christ is alive among us today.

Wild Word of the Week: Voyage

2012-01-13T09:00:00.000-06:00

Barb

Karen

Andrea

Amy

Carol

Kirsten

(now that there's finally some on the ground!)

Wednesday Witness: Luther's Table

2012-01-12T18:07:00.003-06:00

Okay, I'll admit, this week's Wednesday Witness is coming on Thursday, but we just got home from an epic 10 day journey that covered 10 states.

There were many moments of grace during this time away, but one of the highlights was visting Luther's Table in Renton, Washington. Luther's Table is an ELCA ministry where the always fabulous Pastor Gretchen Weller Mertes is the Mission Developer. I have followed this project over the past several years and was SO glad to finally have a chance to visit. If you are ever in the Seattle area, go to Luther's Table. Seriously.

Here's why you should go...
1. The staff and volunteers are so gracious. They practice amazing hospitality. You will be welcomed. No matter who you are or where you come from.

2. The food and beer are delicious. I recommend the Greek Veggie flatbread and some Katie's Amber Ale. So good.

3. If you can catch some music, it's sure to be good. I heard Nate Houge, a fabulous folk singer from Minneapolis who sang about hippies, faith, love, Jesus, and composting. Good stuff.

4. You will see God at work. The night of my visit, guests included a group of high school students having dinner before a dance, neighborhood kids, a Vietnam veteran, the architect of the building, friends and family of Nate's, five pastors, an almost-three year old, an under-one year old, and the neighborhood beat-cop, among others. If you don't see God in that hodge-podge group of people, you need to squint a little harder. It was a beautiful mosaic of God's people, all coming with our own stories, our own stuff, and our own gifts.

There are lots more reasons why you should visit, but even if you don't get a chance to visit, there's still lots to learn from Luther's Table. It's a place that is very connected to the community. It's a ministry and a gathering place. It's a place to get a good bite to eat and a good beer. It's a place to come in out of the rain and warm up for awhile. Elements of the old church are tied in--a stained glass window here, some old bricks there, a quilt made of the liturgical paraments on the stage, booths made out of old pews--but it doesn't necessarily "look" like church. And yet it does. Because it's a place where people are just people. Period. And that's not always easy, but the staff and volunteers try really hard to make it happen. And in the midst of that, there's a whole lot of grace.

Tuesday's Text--John 1:43-51

2012-01-10T08:00:00.000-06:00

The Gospel for the Second Sunday after Epiphany is John 1:43-51.

Icon of St. Philip

The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me." ⁴⁴ Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. ⁴⁵ Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth." ⁴⁶ Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." ⁴⁷ When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, "Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!" ⁴⁸ Nathanael asked him, "Where did you get to know me?" Jesus answered, "I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you." ⁴⁹ Nathanael replied, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" ⁵⁰ Jesus answered, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these." ⁵¹ And he said to him, "Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."

What good news do you see in this text?

What's confusing?

What questions do you have?

How does this apply to you/us today?

A little reflection on Baptism of Our Lord

2012-01-08T13:49:00.001-06:00

Justin had a conference in Seattle this week and I tagged along. Over the past couple of days, I've had time to explore downtown and have done lots of walking up and down the hills. Yesterday, I drove to Yakima to visit my 91 year old great-aunt Lois. On the way back, I stopped in Ellensburg for a quick visit with friends Jim and Kathy from the UW. Last night, I visited Luther's Table in Renton. It was a busy, but wonderful day.

This morning, I was already to head up to visit Church of the Apostles in Seattle. I had my bus directions all set on my handy-dandy phone and walked to the bus stop. When I got there, though, my gut was telling me to ask the driver before I got on. When I told him where I was going, he got a funny look on his face and told me that the directions I had were not right at all. He gave me the directions he thought would work, but I had to get to a station several uphill blocks away and time was close. So, unfortunately, I didn't make it to COA today. I'll have to come back I guess.

What I did instead was walk. For nearly two hours, I walked around downtown. I watched people. I walked along the waterfront. I took pictures of the mountains. I watched more people. So many people. Old, young. Visitors. Residents. Rich. Poor. So many stories.

In the midst of all the people there were pigeons. Lots of them. I watched as a little boy wearing a green coat and adorable knit hat chased them to his heart's delight, giggling as he did it. That kind of giggle that comes from the belly and warms those who hear it. The kind of giggle that comes from a child and causes grown-ups to pause and smile. Not exactly a dove descending but a bird, anyway.

In Mark's account of Jesus' baptism, the Spirit descends on Jesus like a dove and a voice comes from heaven, "You are my Son, in whom I am well pleased." This, of course, is about Jesus. But the amazing thing is that it also becomes a word for us. All of the people I saw this morning, watching fish being thrown and walking their dogs and finding a bite to eat in the morning, and trying to figure out how to make it through today. It's a word that we need to hear again and again, you are my beloved.

I missed sitting down in worship and eating with my brothers and sisters i. Christ. I missed singing and praying together. But I saw a beautiful patchwork of God's beloved walking and wheeling around downtown Seattle. I heard laughter and saw delight. And in the back of my head echoed the words "I am well pleased". Not just about me, the pastor who skipped church, but about all the folks who I saw, created in God's image. God's beloved ones. Lots of them.

Where ever this finds you today, listen to those words "You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Spoken to Jesus. Spoken to us. Beloved. Well pleased. God to us. Today. Amen.

Wild Word of the Week: Light

2012-01-06T09:00:00.000-06:00

Barb

Karen

Kirsten

Wednesday Witnesses: Holiday Reflections

2012-01-04T09:00:00.000-06:00

Over the past several weeks, we've had the opportunity to gather with many friends and family to celebrate this Holiday Season. I give thanks for the roles they play in my life and for the ways they help me to see the simple, yet amazing, ways God is at work in the world.

A few highlights from this holiday season:

1. The first night of Hanukkah with our friends in Oberlin

I was moved by the recitation of the Hebrew prayers, sung by friends who memorized them long ago. A rag-tag group of Visiting Professors and their families gathered, some Jewish, some not, for onion soup, homemade jelly donuts, and general camaraderie. Our roots are from all over the world, yet here we were, gathered together as friends, sharing traditions and ancient stories. It was one of those times when time stands still and God's time takes over. I looked down at my watch and couldn't believe how late it was. We laughed til our bellies hurt and watched the candles as they burned brightly, several Menorahs from different households, each coming with their own stories of the people who had gathered around them to celebrate and eat and laugh. This was a true and beautiful blessing.

2. Silent Night at St. James

We celebrated Christmas with Justin's family in Indiana. Their little Episcopal church looked beautiful, with candles in the windows and bright red poinsettias around the church. One of my favorite parts about Christmas Eve at St. James is the beginning of the service when a young child processes from the back with the Baby Jesus to set in the creche. The blessing of the creche is one of the first things that happens in the service. One of the last things, as it is in many churches, is the singing of Silent Night, with candlelit faces. As I sang along with the congregation, words that most of us know by heart, I turned around to see my in-laws behind me, so happy to have their whole crew home. I saw the faces of their friends, people who have known Justin since he was a little boy. In my mind, I saw the faces of my own family and friends at Zion, at St. James, at Peace. I thought about my grandpa at the back of the church last year. I missed these people, some who have since died, and yet, I felt the calm and peace that comes along with singing this song, knowing that so many the world over were singing it too.

3. Watching my father-in-law read "The Night Before Christmas" to his grown children

Justin's family tradition is to read "The Night Before Christmas" before going to bed on Christmas Eve. Three grown children piled onto the pull-out couch with their dad to listen to the story they've heard so many times. It was a precious moment full of love and awe and wonder. I saw a glimpse into the love Jeff has for his grown children, his excitement at welcoming his first grandchild (our niece or nephew--this is NOT an announcement!!!) in April, and, again, a moment of God's time, when everything stands still and love shines through.

4. The quietest New Year's Eve, pretty much ever.
Our friends are scattered for the holidays so we had a quiet NYE at home, just the two of us and the dog. We made a delicious seafood stew and reflected on the past year and what we look forward to in the coming one. We watched "It's a Wonderful Life" and managed to stay awake until midnight. It was quiet and wonderful and a good reminder of the simplicity of life and love and relationships.

5. Christmas Eve, transferred
Since we have yet to figure out a way to celebrate Christmas with both families in their homes on Christmas, we transferred my family's Christmas Eve celebration to January 3. Though they did the "normal" Christmas Eve things on December 24, we also had a gathering and celebration on January 3. We ate a delicious dinner with my grandma, parents, and sister, exchanged some gifts, and celebrated time together. Although there was no singing of Silent Night, it felt like Christmas and was a gentle reminder that our time is not God's time. The promise of Christmas is that God shows up among us, not because it's a particular date, but because that's what God promises to do. Isn't that amazing?!

Tuesday's Text--Mark 1:4-11

2012-01-03T08:00:00.000-06:00

The Gospel for Baptism of Our Lord is Mark 1:4-11.

He Qi, The Baptism of Jesus

John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ⁵ And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. ⁶ Now John was clothed with camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. ⁷ He proclaimed, "The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. ⁸ I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

⁹ In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. ¹⁰ And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. ¹¹ And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."

What surprises you in this text?
What questions do you have?
How does it apply to you/us today?

A New Year's Reflection on Luke 2:22-40

2012-01-01T08:00:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year!

I think it’s rather appropriate that we ring in 2012 with the words of Simeon. Simeon had waited and waited for the Messiah, and now, in the temple on that day, there he was in front of him, a tiny baby in his mother’s arms. Not the great and mighty warrior, but the helpless child. And yet, Simeon recognizes the baby Jesus as the one for whom he had been waiting.

Imagine what it must have been like for Simeon to take that little baby, the one he had waited and waited for, into his arms. It is no surprise that he praises God with the words, “Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” It is a beautiful “song”--often translated as “Now, Lord, let your servant go in peace.”

As we begin a new year, surely there are some among us with New Year’s resolutions. Surely there are some among us who have long ago realized that their resolutions won’t be kept so don’t make them at all. Regardless of where you stand, this much is true: in this new year, as in every year of our lives, we are people sent out into the world to be voices proclaiming God’s presence in our lives and in the lives of those around us.

We know Christ. We have experienced the Holy Spirit’s movement, in some way, shape, or form. We know that God is good. And, deep down inside, we know that this message of love and grace is the one the world needs to hear. So we go in peace, God’s servants who have seen God’s saving action over and over again, in big and small ways, in our lives and in the lives around us.

Where ever you are today, know this: you are loved. No matter where this new year takes you, you are loved by the God who is Love. May you experience the saving grace of God many times over in this new year.

I am including a YouTube video from the Taize community in France today. Let yourself fall into the receptive rhythm of the words “Let your servant now go in peace.” And may you go in peace to love and serve the Lord, today and everyday. Amen.

Wild Word of the Week: Christmas

2011-12-30T08:00:00.000-06:00

Karen

Kirsten

Wednesday Witness: The children of St. Paul's Church

2011-12-28T08:00:00.000-06:00

Sometimes God comes to us in the words of children. Enjoy this Wednesday Witness from the children of St. Paul's Church in Auckland, New Zealand. Merry Christmas!

Tuesday's Text--Luke 2:22-40

2011-12-27T08:00:00.000-06:00

The Gospel for the First Sunday of Christmas is Luke 2:22-40.

Rembrandt, Simeon's Song of Praise (1631)

When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord ²³ (as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every firstborn male shall be designated as holy to the Lord"), ²⁴ and they offered a sacrifice according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, "a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons."

²⁵ Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. ²⁶ It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Messiah. ²⁷ Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, ²⁸ Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,

²⁹ "Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word;

³⁰ for my eyes have seen your salvation,

³¹ which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,

³² a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel."

³³ And the child's father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. ³⁴ Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, "This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed ³⁵ so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed-- and a sword will pierce your own soul too."

³⁶ There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, ³⁷ then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. ³⁸ At that moment she came, and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

³⁹ When they had finished everything required by the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. ⁴⁰ The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.

What surprises you in this text?

What questions do you have?

How does it apply to you/us today?

"Light Shines in the Darkness"--A Christmas Devotion

2011-12-25T08:00:00.000-06:00

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

-John 1:5

Music: "Light Shines in the Darkness" by Dakota Road Music
Photos: Rev. Kirsten Fryer

Bishop Hanson's Christmas Message

2011-12-24T06:00:00.000-06:00

A Christmas message from Bishop Mark Hanson, Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Wild Word of the Week: Love

2011-12-23T08:00:00.000-06:00

Barb

Kirsten
(with a Happy First Anniversary shout out to Jo & JP)

Jan

Christmas ornament stories

2011-12-22T07:45:00.000-06:00

I picked Our First Christmas Together as my favorite ornament because it is the prelude to the story that unfolds about our family as I look at all the other ornaments on our tree. Our first home, baby’s first Christmas x 2, precious ornaments made by tiny hands, family vacations, our pets over the years and ornaments that represent our favorite things and the love and laughter that we share. Each year we add another chapter to our family story by adding a couple more ornaments. It has been 25 years since we hung Our First Christmas Together ornament on our tree. We have truly been blessed.

Karen Meier

Trying to choose just one is really hard! I decided to share this one because there is something about its sweet simplicity that I truly love. The box it is stored in has "To Kirsten, From Santa 1989" written on it in my childhood hand. I have hung it on many Christmas trees since then, in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and now Ohio. We have lots of hand made ornaments or ornaments that remind us of special occasions or vacations, but this one is a simple little reminder of what Christmas really is all about. "O Come, let us adore him..."

Pastor Kirsten

We'd love to see more! If you have a photo and story to share, please e-mail me at pastorkirsten(at)gmail.com!

Wednesday Witness: Lauren F.

2011-12-21T10:39:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow, my baby sister turns 18. I'm feeling very emotional as she reaches this milestone and can hardly believe that 18 years since she entered our world have so quickly passed by. Forgive me for being incredibly schmaltzy, but that's kind of where I am today.

When Lauren was baptized, Hans Peterson (now of Dakota Road Music, then the Youth Director at our church) sang the song "Welcome to the Wonder."

Most every morning I look deep into your eyes and I can see
all the beauty of creation, all the mystery
And when I see your face I feel God's living grace right here with me
and it lifts me up and leads me on when I am weak

Chorus:
Welcome to the wonder my child
You give us life with every smile
I hope you feel our love is real
as you live the wonder of it all

Oh when I hear you cry I don't need reasons why, I just hold you
'cause there's nothing more important than to see you through
And when I hear your laugh I know I could not ask for something more
than to share with you the love that we are living for (Chorus)

I know I can't explain all of the senseless pain that falls so near
though I greive I still believe we should not live in fear
I'm hoping as you grow, with everything you know that you will see
It's in giving to another that you will be free (Chorus)

Tag:
I hope you feel God's love is real
as you live the wonder of it all*

Our family at Lauren's baptism

As we sang that song, I was just 11 years old, I had no idea where God would lead either of us. The idea of being a pastor hadn't even crossed my mind and I had no clue just how amazing it would be to watch a sister grow into a beautiful young woman. She had not yet made me laugh so hard my belly would hurt; she had not yet pushed my buttons as no one else can; she had not yet moved me to tears with her compassion and gifts. But, somehow, I knew that she was welcomed into the wonder of this amazing world God has given us. And somehow, she would make her mark.

As she has grown, she has, on countless, occasions pointed out the wonder of creation. She has marveled at rainbows and water and frogs and rocks and sunsets. She has reminded us to keep our eyes peeled for the simple things in life. The tree she planted from the little maple tree helicopter stands tall and strong in Mom and Dad's backyard, a living witness to her hope for creation.

In 2000 & 2001, I sang with Minnesota All State Lutheran Choir and Lauren sang in 2010 & 2011. We both have incredible faith stories that come from this experience, but one of the most memorable was the first time I stood next to her to sing "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross," the song that we sing every year and alumni are invited to join. That profound statement of faith was made even stronger as I stood next to my little sister, who has been taller than me for several years now, and held her hand. Together with the forty or so other singers, we sang our faith, lending our voices to that harmony achieved only by many voices coming together.

Our family at my ordination

As her own faith is nurtured, she nurtures mine. Her passion and energy and excitement give me so much hope. She is a witness to the ways God is working in the world. I can't wait to see where life takes her and I pray that she will continue to see God at work in the world, and point others toward that most-grace-filled of gifts.

Happy birthday, little sister. Thank you for the gifts you bring and the witness you are. I love you.

*Words and Music by Larry Olson & Karol Baer
©1992 Dakota Road Music.

Tuesday's Text--John 1:1-14

2011-12-20T08:00:00.000-06:00

The Holy Gospel for Christmas Day is John 1:1-14.

John Frontispiece: The Word Made Flesh (John 1:1-14) from the St. John's Bible

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being ⁴ in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

⁶ There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. ⁸ He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. ⁹ The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. ¹¹ He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. ¹² But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, ¹³ who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

¹⁴ And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth.

Is there anything you see for the first time today?

What's comforting in this text?

What's surprising?

How does it speak to you (or us) today?

A reflection on Luke 1:26-38 for the Fourth Sunday of Advent

2011-12-18T19:22:00.000-06:00

Listen to the reflection.

Sometimes I wonder if the familiarity of this story makes us lose track of the ordinary and extraordinary in it. Sometimes I wonder if we’ve become so used to the “Let it be with me” that we miss the “do not be afraid.” Have we become too used to the end of the story that we forget the power of the rest of it?

First, a little background. Mary is a teenager. She’s really young. She’s engaged, but not yet living with her betrothed. She’s poor. She lives in a po-dunk town. By the standards of the Roman Empire that ruled her little province, she’s a nobody. She’s not someone anyone of status or importance would pay attention to. But one day, completely out of the blue, an angel shows up and calls her favored. I imagine her internal dialogue to be something like “Really?! Favored by whose standards?” I don’t blame her for being perplexed. Because, really, what kind of greeting is that? “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” This is the greeting of the past. This is the greeting of the Scriptures. Does this stuff really still happen? Perplexing for certain. Worth a ponder, indeed.

The story goes on, of course, with Gabriel bringing the message that she will bear a son, by the power of the Holy Spirit, and she will name him Jesus. And Mary’s response, “Here I am, the servant of the Lord; Let it be with me according to your word.” But let’s back up for a second. Before any of that amazingly faithful response had come from her lips, she is called favored. The angel tells her that the Lord is with her. To this ordinary young woman, the extraordinary is proclaimed. You, poor young woman from a backwoods town, are favored. And God is with you.

I don’t know about you, but I think I forget about the power of those words sometimes. I forget just how incredible they are to hear. Favored one. God is with you. And I forget that I shouldn’t really be surprised because stuff like this happens in Scripture all the time. God is constantly coming to the lowly, ordinary, plain Janes (well, mostly Joes) and bestowing blessing upon blessing on them. Abraham and Sarah. Hannah. David. Jeremiah. The list goes on and on. When we remember the stories of Scripture, we remember that God does that. God comes to the ordinary ones and expects great things from them.

But surely, that doesn’t happen any more, does it? I haven’t heard any credible reports of angel appearances lately. But I’ve seen God working in normal, everyday people and doing great things. I’ve seen evidence of the ways that God’s ordinary people, sometimes in teeny-tiny ways, recognize that they are, in fact, favored. They are in fact called to be something in the world. To do something out of the ordinary and, by doing so, shine light on the extraordinary and amazing presence of God in this world.

I’ve read stories of strangers paying off layaway balances at K-mart stores. I’ve heard reports of hot meals delivered and blankets made. I’ve seen outsiders welcomed. I’ve heard the story being told through storybooks read to grandchildren and music sung. I’ve seen couples married for years walking down the street hand in hand and new moms tenderly nursing tiny babies. I hear stories of children returning home for the holidays and parents eagerly anticipating the arrivals. It’s in these moments, these plain, ordinary events, that God in all God’s glory shows up and blesses us.

As we move from Advent into Christmas, we hear again the amazing story of shepherds watching in the fields by night. We hear about a young couple seeking refuge in a barn because there was no place for them in the inn. We hear about some supposedly wise men who drop everything to follow a star for many, many days and end up finding a newborn king wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger. At its heart, this is a story of ordinary people setting aside expectations of grandeur to see God at the heart of what makes us human. Life. In all its messiness. In all its blood and smells and dirt and muck. And even while coming to us in that, still finding it in God’s self to call us, as confused and perplexed as we are, favored.

This is our story. It’s beautiful and amazing and full of grace, isn’t it? That we who are so often confused, so often distracted by the hustle and bustle, so often perplexed by the mystery of God are favored. That Mary, a lowly, poor teenager is called favored before she even speaks a word. That she is chosen to bear the son of the Living God. And that from her blessing, we are blessed. We are favored. We are called. We are saved. It is the extraordinary, breaking into every single moment of every single day, into the ordinary. It is our story and our saving grace. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Wild Word of the Week: Joy

2011-12-16T08:00:00.000-06:00

Carol

Barb

Karen

Emily

Kirsten

And a "joy" video bonus shared via Facebook by Jen:

A hope "bonus"

2011-12-15T16:29:00.000-06:00

Tenney's new favorite activity is walking through Tappan Square to "hunt" squirrels. We don't let her off the leash, but she certainly enjoys trying to get to them. This afternoon, she watched this white one for about 10 minutes. I was going to use it for my joy photo tomorrow, but then decided it was really more about hope. Hence, a hope "bonus."

Hope is like that sometimes, isn't it? Persistence. Watching. Waiting. Pulling at the leash. Planting our heels into the ground when someone says its time to give up. Ah, the lessons our dogs teach us.

I am looking forward to tomorrow's joy photos!

Wednesday Witness--Jason C.

2011-12-14T09:00:00.000-06:00

Today's Wednesday Witness is a guest blogger, sort-of. It's actually a re-post from my friend Jason's fabulous blog Faith, Interrupted. Enjoy!

What We Want for Christmas

One of the reporters for our local newspaper called the church a few days ago, asking for an answer to the question, "What Do You Want for Christmas?" - from a church's point of view. This is what I wrote back:

All we want for Christmas is the recognition that Christ came for more than gold holly and green wreaths. Christ came to turn the world upside-down - to bring about the kingdom of God on earth. Now. And this kingdom is one of radical equality: where our worth is measured in who our Creator is, not how much is in our 401(k) plan.

And so, our answer is pretty different than our two front teeth. If anything, we believe a community of Jesus-followers would answer the question, "What do we want for Christmas?" in good Christian fashion: by realizing that it's not about us, and pointing the way to a place outside of us, and into the world God so loves.

So, in a way, it's not what WE want, but what we believe GOD wants - a place where we'll be known by our love for our neighbor. And our "neighbor" is more than other Christians, or those whom it's easy to love. When we take seriously the command (not the suggestion) to love our neighbor, it means loving our homeless neighbor, our addicted neighbor, our mentally challenged neighbor...

...all those who receive assistance at the Edgerton Community Outreach or find a safe place at the Non-Toxic Teen Center...

...and it means supporting those places with gifts of time, money, and prayer.

It also means not spending all our time complaining about trying to keep the word "Christ" in the word "Christmas" - and, instead, trying to BE Christ this Christmas (as this fantastic article mentions). It means celebrating Christmas, not by seeking to eradicate the apparently horrific greeting, "Happy Holidays," but instead by seeing God in every face and caring for the world God made.

Community Sing Along--Messiah

2011-12-13T09:09:00.001-06:00

On Sunday evening, we attended the Community Sing-Along of Handel's Messiah. It was sponsored by Credo Chamber Music and the Conservatory. It was absolutely delightful.

The solists were students from the Conservatory. They were all so amazingly talented. The orchestra was made up of Conservatory students, people from the community, and Credo alumni. The TrueNorth Chorale was on stage, but the audience was also invited to be a part of the chorus. We could either sit by section or in a mixed section in the middle. There were students there and elderly residents and everyone in between. Some people carried in their much loved Messiah scores, others rented them from the school by making a donation to MedWish International. We sat near the back of the mixed section. Justin listened. I sang.

I'll admit that I am a bit rusty. But I managed to get through (I missed a few...okay most...of the sixteenth note runs, but I followed along) and it was such fun. Around us were people who had clearly sung this piece many, many times. Others were, like me, a bit more hesitant. But it worked.

As we reflected on it later, Justin pointed out that we actually sounded really good. It's one of the perks of living in a town where music is a core. People move here because of the Conservatory and its offerings. But what was particularly touching about this night was that it wasn't just about going to listen to professional musicians, or those training to be. We did that, but our own gifts were encouraged, as well. Along with those amazingly talented soloists, we sang our little hearts out and we sounded good. Sure we could have polished those sixteenth note runs (I forget how many are in that score!) a bit more, but we did it. It was heartwarming.

On Sunday night, a group of people who love to sing (and listen) gathered together and told a story. We told a story of anticipation, and a story of birth, a story of death, and a story of resurrection. We told the Biblical story, through music. It wasn't perfect, but it was beautiful. It was beautiful because it wasn't perfect. It was beautiful because it was a bunch of people who came together and shared their gifts, making music that no one person could perform alone.

On Sunday, a sing along of the Messiah gave us a glimpse into God's kingdom. A place where strangers came together and were encouraged to participate. A place where people used their gifts to tell the story of Christ. A place where we tried our best, and even though it wasn't perfect, it was beautiful. And at the end of the day, isn't that what it's about? Telling the story to the best of our ability and remembering that it isn't always about perfection, as much as it is about coming together and trying our best. And in doing so, letting the light shine through the darkness and hearing, once again, that glorious story that gives us life and hope. An Advent gift, indeed.

Tuesday's Text--Luke 1:26-38

2011-12-13T08:25:00.000-06:00

The Holy Gospel for the Fourth Sunday in Advent is Luke 1:26-38.

Leonardo da Vinci, The Annunciation

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, ²⁷ to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. ²⁸ And he came to her and said, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you." ²⁹ But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. ³⁰ The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. ³¹ And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. ³² He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. ³³ He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." ³⁴ Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" ³⁵ The angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. ³⁶ And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. ³⁷ For nothing will be impossible with God." ³⁸ Then Mary said, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.

This is a fairly familiar text. As you read it today, are there any surprises?

What questions do you have?

What don't you understand?

How does this apply to you/us today?

A response to "Americans: Undecided about God?"

2011-12-12T15:20:00.001-06:00

Yesterday's New York Times included this editorial.

I read it yesterday and it's kind of been rolling around in my head ever since. Some of the claims make me really sad. Claims like this one, "All we see is an angry God. He is constantly judging and smiting, and so are his followers." I don't know about you, but that's not the God I experience. It's not the God I preach (I hope!), nor is it the God I see the Scriptures pointing to. No, in Scripture, I hear God pouring promises upon promises upon God's people. Promises like the ones we heard yesterday from Isaiah 61, "I will make an everlasting covenant with them" and from First Thessalonians 5 "The one who calls you is faithful." With the psalmist, I know a God who is "gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love," who is "good to all and his compassion is over all that he has made" (see Psalm 145:8-9). I know a God who comes to us, whose name is Emmanuel, which means God-with-us (Matthew 1:23). This very God is the one who eats with sinners and calls a bunch of rag-tag disciples who don't really get it (see pretty much every disciple story in Mark). And while there are definitely some times where Jesus gets mad, it's usually for good reason, and is balanced with the many, many times he shows us the way to God's grace, mercy, forgiveness, and love. With John, the writer of Revelation, I live into the promise that "the home of God is among mortals," that "God himself will be with them, he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more...." (Revelation 21:3-4). Sorry, Mr. Weiner, but I think you need to read your Bible a little bit more, perhaps with a different eye--one that can help you see God's compassion and grace and mercy that are showing up constantly throughout Scripture.

Now, I can't speak for all of my Christian brothers and sisters, and I know that I'm not blameless, but we're not all judging and smiting, at least not all of the time. One of my favorite moments of the church is when we come together at God's table for Holy Communion. When we all come with our own baggage, whatever that is, and receive forgiveness. When we come in no particular order, but all find a place at the table. Where there's food for everyone and no one gets turned away.

I also catch glimpses of the ways God is working in really amazing ways in and through and around us when we work together to do something good in the world--whether its volunteering in our community or on a Mission/Adventure trip, or by visiting an elderly member of our congregation, or filling bags for Food for Kidz, or whatever it is we do. I see God working in the ways we care for one another and for complete and total strangers. I see God working through us in really amazing ways that aren't judgey or smitey at all. Yeah, it makes me sad that there are really nasty things that people do, claiming to do them in God's name, but I don't think they really understand God's message for the world. I don't think they understand that what God requires from us is, as the prophet Micah wrote, "to do justice, and to love kindess, and to walk humbly with your God." Sure, there's plenty of nastiness out there, but there's also a lot of really positive stuff. A lot of people trying their best to love God and love their neighbor. And, no, it's not always easy and we don't always succeed. It doesn't always get the most attention, but we do it because it's the way Jesus taught us to live.

Weiner also writes that "Precious few of our religious leaders laugh. They shout." I think laughing is really important. It's one of my favorite things to do with people. I think laughing helps keep us whole. I love laughing with the people at church. I love laughing at silly jokes and those "kids say the darndest things" moments. Laughter is good medicine. I hope I can be included in this "precious few." But most of the pastors I know laugh. A lot. And so do most of the Christians I know. Maybe I'm hanging out with a unique crowd, but I don't think so.

At the end of the article, Mr. Weiner writes this:

We need a Steve Jobs of religion. Someone (or ones) who can invent not a new religion but, rather, a new way of being religious. Like Mr. Jobs’s creations, this new way would be straightforward and unencumbered and absolutely intuitive. Most important, it would be highly interactive. I imagine a religious space that celebrates doubt, encourages experimentation and allows one to utter the word God without embarrassment. A religious operating system for the Nones among us. And for all of us.

I don't disagree that we need space where doubts can be discussed, where experimentation isn't a bad thing, and where God is front and center. But isn't that space called church? I'm serious. Maybe I live in some crazy dream world, but isn't that what church is about? Isn't it a place where people gather in the name of the Triune God, so unafraid to proclaim God's name that they gather around a table and eat a meal that is given to us by Christ? Isn't it a place where people are so unafraid to proclaim God's name that they bring their children to be baptized, promising to help them grow up to be people who trust God, and proclaim Christ through word and deed, who care for the world God made, and who work for justice and peace? Isn't it a place where people gather around God's Word with their questions and their doubts and their insights? Isn't it a place where we, while deeply rooted in Word and Sacrament, can experiment and try to figure out the ways God is still working in and through and around us? Isn't that what church is all about? That's certainly my hope and goal as a "religious leader," otherwise known as a child of God.

I don't think we need a Steve Jobs of religion. We already have Jesus. And he's Savior enough. For all of us.

A reflection on Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11 for the Third Sunday in Advent

2011-12-11T10:00:00.000-06:00

Listen to the reflection.

Bring clothes that can get dirty. An important part of the packing list when we go on Mission/Adventure trips. Whether we’re working in gardens or on painting projects or cutting up chickens at soup kitchens or playing with kids, we anticipate that we’re going to get a little messy. It’s part of the fun. It’s part of the adventure. I also go in with the hope that our clothes won’t be the only things that change. I also hope that we, the ones doing the work, will be changed...by the people we meet and the conversations that we have and the realities that we see in this world. I hope that we see the messiness of the world--the injustice and the hunger and the hopelessness--and are moved to make a difference. To do something that works toward God’s promised future--where good news is proclaimed to the oppressed and broken hearts begin to feel healed and the promise of liberty is heard and those who are held captive know that release is possible. It’s part of what I understand as our calling as Christians and it is one of the greatest privileges I have--to be on the front line to see the wheels turning in the heads of our kids--the thoughts beginning to form--“It doesn’t have to be this way and I want to do something to make a difference.”

When this text from Isaiah was written, God’s people were frustrated. They had returned to Jerusalem from exile. They expected to restore the city to its former glory. To rebuild the temple. They had hoped that economic disparities would be corrected; that the factions--both religious and political--within the city would work together, for good. And it wasn’t happening. It wasn’t happening fast enough; it wasn’t really happening at all. In exile they had grandiose visions of their return to the holy city. They had hoped for so much. And it just wasn’t happening. The injustices remained, the temple was not yet restored. They were losing hope. They were losing sight of the promise given to them by God. And, in the midst of that, a promise breaks through. In the midst of the messiness and disappointment and frustration, a promise is given to bring good news, to bind up, to proclaim liberty, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, to comfort, to provide, to give the accoutrements of gladness, rather than mourning.

Something really cool happens in the text year here. If we count the “to’s”--infinitives for you grammar geeks out there--there are seven. And in the Old Testament, seven is a number that symbolizes completeness. With these seven promises, those who heard this way back would have heard a promise that God would do everything to comfort and liberate, to restore and bring to completion. Even in the midst of their losing hope and their frustration, a promise broke through that God wasn’t done yet and that God would continue working to bring everything to completion--to usher in a day when those who mourn are comforted and broken hearts are healed and liberty is not only proclaimed, but enacted. When that which belongs to someone is restored to them and the oppressed hear good news and mourning turns to celebration. God will do everything to make this happen.

This is really good news. It’s really good news that we yearn for. It’s really good news that, if we’re really honest, we want to see come to it’s completion. Because, while we certainly see glimpses of these things happening, we also yearn for the day when it is true, really, wholly fulfilled. Even as we look to Christ and dwell deeply in faith that this promise has been made true, we still look around and realize that is one of those already and not yet promises. We trust that it is fulfilled and we wait for it to be fulfilled. We live in this in-between time, catching glimpses of its fulfillment, yearning for completion.

I suspect I am not the only one frustrated by the news. I’m saddened by news of famine and curable diseases claiming too many lives. I’m disheartened by the devastation of creation. I’m disappointed in leaders and in the ways so little seems to be done for those who need food and water and shelter and justice now. I’m frustrated by the ways that some see faith as something that is useless and silly, and by the ways others use it to harm and hurt those on the “outside.” I’m impatient and I’m sick of waiting. In this Advent season, I desperately yearn for the fulfillment of God’s promise that these injustices and disparities will come to an end. That good news will be brought and the mourning will be comforted and the prisoners will be released from whatever it is that holds them. The song “Lost in the Night,” asks in a haunting way “Will that day come soon?”

Maybe it’s the anticipation of Advent, maybe it’s the way the news seems to be an endless stream of hopelessness, but the yearning for this promised new day is forefront in my mind today. And so I keep reading and see “for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness.” As one commentator wrote, “A new future is possible because...God has provided the appropriate work clothes.”(1) It’s a kick in the pants. Stop sulking in the muck of the world and pull on the work clothes that God has given you. Get ready to get dirty. Start confronting those messages of despair and hopelessness and start proclaiming a better message. A message that is filled with hope and promise. A message that is true not just for some far off, distant, pie-in-the sky future, but for today. The truth is, God has given us the work clothes. Don’t we say in baptism we are clothed in Christ? We are given a commission to shine light in the darkness--not our own light, but Christ’s. We given a message to proclaim to a world that needs it so desperately--not our own message, but Christ’s. We know a promise that resonates deep within us and it begs to be told. A message where the captives are freed and the brokenhearted healed and the mourning comforted. A message of hope and promise. A message for today.

Though we think of that baptismal garment being white and pure, the truth is that those work clothes God gives us are meant to get dirty. They’re meant to get the stuff of the world all over them as we pull them on and proclaim the message--with our hands and feet and from deep within our hearts--that God’s reign has already come. That God’s promise of mercy and justice is for now. That God has given us the tools to work for justice, to bring good news, and to free those held captive by injustice, or disease, or despair. In Christ, we are made free. In Christ, we are given hope. In Christ, we are given what we need to do the hard work of ushering in a kingdom that has already, but not-yet, come.

Where you see a need, address it. Where you see despair, proclaim hope. Where you see a broken heart, do what you can to mend it. Where you see chains, unbind them. Where you see darkness, proclaim good news. Christ has given us the clothes. It’s our job to go get them dirty, and in doing so, we see the light of Christ shining brightly on this new day. Thanks be to God. Amen.

And a little video bonus: "Lost in the Night."

(1) Elna K. Solvang on www.workingpreacher.com for 12/11/2011

Wild Word of the Week: Peace

2011-12-09T08:07:00.001-06:00

of the week:
PEACE

Josh

Barb

Kirsten

Next week's

**A little Wild Word of the Week note: Photos do not have to be taken during this week, although that is certainly encouraged. If there's a photo that jumps to your mind when you see the word, send that one! We love to see the variety!**

"O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree"

2011-12-08T09:00:00.000-06:00

On Sunday night, Justin and I had our first dinner party since my arrival in Oberlin. Though it was not totally necessary, I really wanted to get our Christmas tree up before everyone arrived. So on Sunday afternoon, we decorated the tree (which had, admittedly, been standing sans lights or decorations in its place for a few days). It's always fun to put up the tree and, perhaps because I'm in a new home, I was especially nostalgic while putting up the ornaments.

Our tree is a mix of ornaments we have collected together over our four plus years of marriage, a few of his, and a few of mine. We try to remember to pick up some little ornament when we go on trips or a trinket that can easily be made into one. Most, though not all, of the ornaments have stories--either because they came from someone, or somewhere, special. Like many Christmas trees, ours becomes a way to tell stories of our past, to remember those we love, and to celebrate the joy that this season brings.

Justin suggested an Advent exercise of telling ornament stories. So, dear reader, here's your assignment: Take a photo of your favorite Christmas ornament and send the photo to me, along with the story. I'll post them as they come in. And I promise to include one of my own...I just have to figure out which story to tell. May this be a way to help us remember the ways that God has worked in and through those around us, blessing us with sweet memories, and giving us hope in this season of anticipation of the coming of our Lord.

Wednesday Witness: John Frederick Oberlin (1740-1826)

2011-12-07T09:00:00.000-06:00

The other day, Justin and I took the dog for a walk and he had a very specific place he wanted to go. "I want to show you my favorite piece of art on campus," he said. We walked through the quad to a little stone pillar, with a dedication to the school's namesake, John Frederick Oberlin, who was a pastor in Alsace, France. "I wonder if he was Lutheran?" Justin pondered, "Alsace is the German part of France." Which, of course, got me thinking.

John Frederick Oberlin
(image from Oberlin College's website)

So with a little bit of Google searching, I found out that Oberlin was, in fact, a Lutheran pastor. He was a passionate advocate of education, and worked tirelessly for the benefit of his parishioners. He "practiced medicine among them, founded a loan and savings bank, introduced cotton manufacture, helped the people build better roads, and brought in modern agricultural methods." The monument Justin showed me has a beautiful piece of art work, which viewed from one side is a rose and from the other is a bird. According to the monument, Oberlin used this during his pastoral counseling to show that "people with diverse perspectives can live in friendship with one another."

According to the Oberlin College Archives, the founders of the college had read a biography of Oberlin and were "inspired to create a new community and institution of higher learning, in what was then a wilderness, for scholars and students who wished to be of service to others and change the world for the better, as Oberlin had done in a remote region in Alsace."

Photo credit

As I get to know my new community better, it's been fun to learn this little fun fact about a Lutheran brother who witnessed from across the globe and gave the name to this community. Although I've not been here long, Justin's speaks of the passion his students bring to the classroom, community, and world, and I suspect I will see that more and more as I have a chance to visit with students. They continue to live, perhaps unknowingly, into the legacy set by their college's namesake. A little known (at least to me) witness to the way God calls us to be at work in the world!

Tuesday's Text--Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11

2011-12-06T09:00:00.000-06:00

The first reading for the third Sunday of Advent is Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11.

The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,

because the LORD has anointed me;

he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,

to bind up the brokenhearted,

to proclaim liberty to the captives,

and release to the prisoners;

² to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor,

and the day of vengeance of our God;

to comfort all who mourn;

³ to provide for those who mourn in Zion--

to give them a garland instead of ashes,

the oil of gladness instead of mourning,

the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.

They will be called oaks of righteousness,

the planting of the LORD, to display his glory.

⁴ They shall build up the ancient ruins,

they shall raise up the former devastations;

they shall repair the ruined cities,

the devastations of many generations.

For I the LORD love justice,

I hate robbery and wrongdoing;

I will faithfully give them their recompense,

and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.

⁹ Their descendants shall be known among the nations,

and their offspring among the peoples;

all who see them shall acknowledge

that they are a people whom the LORD has blessed.

¹⁰ I will greatly rejoice in the LORD,

my whole being shall exult in my God;

for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation,

he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,

as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,

and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

¹¹ For as the earth brings forth its shoots,

and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up,

so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise

to spring up before all the nations.

What good news to you see in this text?

What questions do you have?

What don't you understand?

How does this apply to you/us today?

A reflection on Isaiah 40:1-11

2011-12-04T12:00:00.000-06:00

Listen to the reflection.

Click here to see a photo of the windows in Fairchild Chapel.

Last night, Justin and I took in an amazing concert by a student group, Collegium Musicum, here in Oberlin. This group specializes in Renaissance music. They sing completely a cappella, about 40 voices becoming like one. The theme for this concert was angels and there were several times throughout the concert when I felt like I was listening to the angels themselves. It was beautiful and powerful. The kind of music that touches you deep in your soul and brings goosebumps to your skin. I don’t think my words can even begin to do it justice.

As I listened to the angelic voices, singing the story of the angels of Scripture--the angels who proclaimed good news at Jesus’ birth, and greeted another Mary at the empty tomb; the angels who sang the holy, holy, holy in Isaiah--I gazed upon the incredible stained glass windows behind the choir. The little chapel where the concert was held has five beautiful windows. The center depicts the last supper and two on either side depict stories of Scripture, with the evangelists looking up watching the stories unfold. They are absolutely stunning. And this was at night. I haven’t been in yet during the day, but apparently they are even more beautiful when the sun shines through the colored glass, illuminating this sacred space.

As the choir sang parts of Palestrina’s Christmas Mass, Missa Hodie Christus Natus Est, I listened to the same words, though sung in Latin, that we sing: “Holy, holy, holy” and “Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” and Isaiah’s promise, “The grass withers and the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever,” echoed in my head. In December 2011, we listened to pieces that were written well over five hundred years ago, telling the stories that had transpired nearly fifteen hundred years before they were written. I thought about how many voices had sung these words. I thought about the ways that these words unite us, across time and space. And I thought about how this promise is even more powerful: the word of our God will stand forever.

In a world that seems to be ever fleeting, where things are constantly changing and it sometimes seems like nothing is ever permanent, we hear this promise. In a season that is so much about anticipating and waiting and watching for the Word that becomes flesh and dwells among us, we hear that the word of our God will stand forever. God’s word of grace and mercy, love and forgiveness stands. Forever. In a world that seeks revenge, where so many are hurt by lies and deception, God’s word stands, filling us with hope. Giving us something to grasp to in times when we don’t know which end is up. Reminding us, once again, that we are named and claimed in God’s word and that will last forever.

How many generations have heard these words? How many generations have clung to this promise and shared it with their children? How many have heard hope in the midst of despair? How many have cried out and, somehow, received comfort in knowing that God’s word, God’s care, God’s love, will stand forever? We stand in a long line, we continue to live into the great promise of life in Christ, we continue to be fed at Christ’s table, and nourished by the Word that becomes flesh and lives among us. We continue to tell the story to our children so that, they too, will know that in the midst of withering grass and fading flowers, God’s word stands. In the midst of that we cannot understand, God’s word stands. In this crazy world, God promises to be among us. We hear the words of comfort and we do our best to live into that message that is so unbelievably true. We mourn the loss of loved ones or the way things were or what we thought would last, and then we look once again to the One who, as the hymn He Comes to Us as One Unknown proclaims, “comes in truth when faith is grown; believed, obeyed, adored; the Christ in all the scriptures shown, as yet unseen, but not unknown.”

Whether we read it in Scripture, our hear it in music or on the lips of those we love, or from total strangers, God’s word continues to come to us. Where ever grace, mercy, love, and forgiveness are proclaimed, we catch glimpses of Christ among us. That is the promise of God’s word that stands forever. And that is very, very good news indeed. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Wild Word of the Week: Hope

2011-12-02T10:00:00.000-06:00

of the week:
HOPE

Cindy

Jenna

Kirsten

Next week's

of the week:

PEACE

Email photos to pastorkirsten(at)gmail.com

Wednesday Witness: Sue H.

2011-11-30T08:26:00.001-06:00

Sue is the oldest "kid" at Peace. She is our oldest member, but has spunk and energy that makes it hard to believe. A few weeks ago, I had coffee with her at M'n'M's and we talked and talked about life and books and faith.

Sue is a great musician. She has taught music and played for churches for many years. In fact, she still drives to the Manor to play for the services there. She is also a voracious reader. My husband is an English professor and she had a list of questions to ask him about Shakespeare.

It amazes me how much energy she has and I asked her what her secret is. "Oh, I don't know. I guess you're only as old as you feel." She embraces life with passion and compassion. She loves her family and friends deeply. When we met for coffee, she had just been back to her hometown in Iowa. She spoke of seeing friends and the memories she has with them--talking, playing cards, laughter. She talked about her love of her family--children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She spoke of looking to faith in hard times, but also that faith was just a part of her life. Church has been an important as a place to come together with friends and family, connected by faith.

What I admire about Sue is the way she sees life as an adventure. She loves to travel and still looks at the world with a sense of awe and wonder. It keeps her young. It gives her energy. I think she sees God at work in the world through those wide eyes. Maybe that is the secret to a life well lived.

Thanks to be to God for Sue and all of the faithful witnesses to God's work in this wonderful world.

Tuesday's Text--Isaiah 40:1-11

2011-11-29T14:46:00.001-06:00

The first reading for the Second Sunday of Advent is Isaiah 40:1-11.

Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God.

² Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term,

that her penalty is paid,

that she has received from the LORD's hand double for all her sins.

³ A voice cries out:

"In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD,

make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

⁴ Every valley shall be lifted up,

and every mountain and hill be made low;

the uneven ground shall become level,

and the rough places a plain.

⁵ Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,

and all people shall see it together,

for the mouth of the LORD has spoken."

⁶ A voice says, "Cry out!"

And I said, "What shall I cry?"

All people are grass, their constancy is like the flower of the field.

⁷ The grass withers, the flower fades,

when the breath of the LORD blows upon it;

surely the people are grass.

⁸ The grass withers, the flower fades;

but the word of our God will stand forever.

⁹ Get you up to a high mountain,

O Zion, herald of good tidings;

lift up your voice with strength,

O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings,

lift it up, do not fear;

say to the cities of Judah,

"Here is your God!"

¹⁰ See, the Lord GOD comes with might, a

nd his arm rules for him;

his reward is with him,

and his recompense before him.

¹¹ He will feed his flock like a shepherd;

he will gather the lambs in his arms,

and carry them in his bosom,

and gently lead the mother sheep.

What good news do you see in this text?

What don't you understand?

What questions do you have?

What applies to you (or us) today?

Isaiah 64:1-9--"Our Potter"

2011-11-27T11:29:00.000-06:00

Potter's hands at Bethel Horizons

Listen to the devotion here.

Two images came immediately to mind when I read this text. The first: Don Hunt, the potter at Bethel Horizons. Don was a teacher from the very depth of his being, and when he taught pottery at the studio at Bethel Horizons, he told a story along with it. He spoke of God breathing life into the clay. He spoke of centeredness and used the clay to model it. “When we are centered, we can grow,” he would say as he, with his expert hands, made a pot grow from the lump of clay. “When we lose our center or try to move too fast,” he said, “we turn in on ourselves and fall down,” making the pot lose its center and fall. When Don demonstrated, he made it look so easy. He was practically one with the clay, he knew it and knew how to apply just the right pressure to make beautiful creations. His big hands were so gentle and his words meaningful.

The second: Being in the Bethel Horizons studio with our ninth graders. Though our instructors make it look so easy, it doesn’t usually come so easily to most of us. The instructors get a little dirty. We get covered in wet, sticky clay. Of course, it doesn’t help that most of the time, the students end up sneaking up on each other to cover each other in clay. Even when clay fights don’t ensue, we struggle to get the water to clay ratio right, usually splattering water over ourselves. The towels on our laps soak through onto our jeans. Working with clay is messy business. Another thing that sticks in my mind, though, from these outings is the fact that our potters stick to it. Though centering the clay and getting it to grow into a beautiful creation isn’t nearly as easy as the instructors make it look, everyone tries. The ones for whom it comes a little more easily help those who struggle a bit more. Covered in muddy clay, they sit at the wheels trying again and again to create something. And most of the time, the hard work pays off.

Though Isaiah writes long before electric pottery wheels made the work slightly easier, he writes to people who know pottery well. They use it every day for cooking and eating and carrying water. My guess is that most of the people for whom Isaiah writes had watched a potter at work, carefully sculpting the pots and vessels from lumps of clay. They knew the care that it took. And the mess it made.

Metaphors can only take us so far, but what an amazing one this one is for our God. We are the clay and you are our potter. You are the one who takes great care in what you do. You are the one who knows how to apply just the right pressure to make us grow into something beautiful. You are the one who is willing to get really messy as you create. You are the one willing to try over and over again when we get off center. You are the ones whose gentle hands mold and shape us to be who you desire us to be. You are the one who sees so much potential in us. We are the clay and you are our potter.

This little metaphor buried near the end of Isaiah says so much about the God whom we wait for in this season of Advent. Though we know God-with-us, we still long for him. We still wonder what God desires for us. We still question and ponder and wait. Yet, we rest in the promise that our God-with-us is one who dwells with us in the muck of life and, like a good potter, doesn’t stop just because he gets a little messy. In fact, what we know about Christ is that he practically runs into the mess. He goes where the people are--those who are cast away and sick and dirty. He doesn’t leave them, or us, in the depths of despair, but walks right along with us in the very messiness that is life.

And even in the midst of that messiness, God, our potter, is busy molding and shaping us. God is working through those around us, and the Word that is on the loose among us, to help us grow. This, of course, is a life long journey. The Spirit blows around us, whispering into the depths of our being--follow me. Find your passions. Keep growing. Follow the one who walks with you in muck of life.

My sinful self wants to control my experiences, to protect myself and not have to challenge myself too much. But in those rare times when I can let go and listen and watch and learn, I realize that God has more in mind for me, and for us. God, the potter, takes care to continue working on us, from baptism until the moment we die. God, the potter, knows us intimately and has promised to keep applying that gentle pressure to help us grow into something even more beautiful than we might be able to imagine. God, the potter, promises to, and does, walk with us right through the messiness of life--the sorrow and grief and disease and despair so that we can catch glimpses of the hope and grace that God has already showered upon us.

Advent is a season to wait and watch. The challenge, sometimes, is to see through the muck to see the beauty. To watch for the glimpses of hope and grace and mercy and forgiveness amidst all of the distractions. And to rest into the amazing promise of a God who is with us and keeps working on us so that we might live fully into the image in which we are created. We are the clay and you are our potter. Amen.

Happy New Year!

2011-11-27T09:00:00.000-06:00

I don't know about you, but I didn't wait up for midnight last night. Even though it was Advent Eve. The night passed without much hurrah. We had dinner with my family, including one of my dad's brothers and his family. But there wasn't any discussion about our new year's resolutions or remembrance of the last year. I fell asleep on the couch watching a cheesy Christmas movie my mom bought in the bargain bin (which won't be a Christmas classic at our house, but that's another story...). It was just an average night.

But it is the new year! Year B of the church! The year of Mark. So super exciting! A couple of things that are cool to know about the church--we use the Revised Common Lectionary, which lots of churches use to determine the readings of the day. It's set up in such a way that Matthew, Mark, and Luke each have their own year and John is interspersed into all three years. That way, we hear the Gospel message from each of the four Gospels over the course of three years. This is Year B, the Year of Mark. It will be a year of excitement and storytelling. One of the marks of Mark (sorry!) is the word "immediately." Mark is so excited about the story of Jesus Christ that he can't wait to keep telling it. In the Greek, we read "and then..." a lot.

The church calendar begins with Advent, which is the season of waiting and anticipation before Christmas. During Advent, we look forward to the coming of Christ, both in terms of commemoration of his coming as an infant and the promise that he will come again. There are four Sundays in Advent, this year starting today, November 27. The color is blue, a color of hope.

Many churches, including ours, light a candle for each Sunday in Advent on the Advent wreath. Some people have Advent wreaths at home or have different Advent traditions, including Advent calendars or daily devotions. I found a great daily devotion for Advent that uses music and time for meditation and prayer called Following the Star. Some people like to take time for silence or a new spiritual practice in Advent.

May this new year fill you with hope and joy!

Friday Wild Word of the Week: Thanks

2011-11-25T11:40:00.000-06:00

of the week:

THANKS

Josh

Abbie

Joni

Kirsten

Peace Preschool

Barb

Kirsten

Thanks for your contributions. I'm looking forward to next week! Happy Thanksgiving!

Next week's

of the week:

HOPE

Email photos to pastorkirsten(at)gmail.com to be posted next Friday.

Giving Thanks

2011-11-24T21:16:00.000-06:00

It’s always a good time to be thankful. But it seems like it is particularly front and center in our lives during this holiday season--between Thanksgiving and Christmas. So here’s my list, or at least a part of it, and in no particular order.

Friends. Family. Laughter. Blue sky. Sandhill cranes. Daffodils. Tulips. Fresh apples. Squash. Pumpkins. The Farmer’s Market. Unexpected visits. Late night conversations. Sunrises. Sunsets. Snow days. Garrison Keillor. New friends. Old friends. Those moments when time stands still and you know you are standing on holy ground. Good beer. Tenney. Music. Reflections. Rocks. Lake Superior. Bus trips. The beach. Weathered hands. Baby hands. Awe. Wonder. Fireplaces. Stillness. The Northwoods. Ski lodges. Cracking ice. Red wine. Hugs. Hockey games. New possibilities. Mary’s Place. Roller coasters. Tuckiana Point. Kayaks. Chicken tracks. This American Life. Hearing “I love you.” Books. Time. Wisdom. Courage in the face of death. Learning. Rainbows. Skype. Easter lillies. Tutus. Crocuses. Bald eagles. Winter. Spring. Summer. Autumn. Moving helpers. Neighbors. Compost bins. Geraniums. Tomatoes. Basil. Fresh Mozzarella. Fresh bread. Authenticity. Sand castles. Body surfing. Story telling. Packing groceries. Stepping back to watch. Our amazing staff. Preschool. Sunday School. Route 56. Route 78. Destination Affirmation. The Church Council. The Manor. Home visits. Baptism. Communion. Lefse making. Hidden Talent Night. Poinsettias (even really scraggly ones!). Surprises. Questions. Hard work. Good books. Bike helmets. Chickadees. Cardinals. Wood peckers. The zoo. Football games. Hearing God’s Word in new ways. Fall leaves. Spring flowers. Snow flakes. Ice formations. The giving tree. On Being. The color red. Hot coffee. Pumpkin pie. Christmas baking. Laughing until my belly hurts and tears run down my face. A good cry. Beautiful art. The Chazen. The Church year. The communion of saints. Being a pastor. Pulling weeds. Reel mowers. Clean water. Handwritten cards. Chocolate. Memorial Union. Lake Mendota. The dog park. Yoga. Sand boxes. Vegetable gardens. Fresh cucumbers. Passions. Stars. Bird songs. Water striders. Betty Lou Cruises. Toddlers. Teenagers. Grandparents. Prayers. Physical therapists. Old photographs. Letters. Silly jokes. Honesty. Open-mindedness. Creativity. Gold fish. Ducks. Hostas. Wild flowers. History. Baptismal fonts. Naps. Laser tag. Mini golf. Paddle boats. Capture the flag. Lake Michigan. Butterflies. My parents. My sister. My husband. My husband’s family. Excitement. Volunteers. Giving back. Community. Bethel Horizons. Seeing the world in new ways. Parables. Psalms. Labyrinths. Bells. Silly cards. Technology. Thanksgiving stuffing. Mashed potatoes. Butter. Leftovers. Curry. Squeaky cheese curds. New recipes. Old recipes. Lady bugs. Faith. Hope. Love. Long walks. Puppies. Candles. Singing. Promise. Grace. Forgiveness. The people of Peace. The Word that has become flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood.

For all of these things and so much more, I give thanks. It is amazing to me just how many ways God is on the loose among us. How have you seen God working this year? For what are you thankful?

In Christ,

Pastor Kirsten

Tuesday's Text: Isaiah 64:1-9

2011-11-22T10:01:00.001-06:00

The First Reading for the First Sunday in Advent is Isaiah 64:1-9.

O that you would tear open the heavens and come down,

so that the mountains would quake at your presence--

² as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil--

to make your name known to your adversaries,

so that the nations might tremble at your presence!

³ When you did awesome deeds that we did not expect,

you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.

⁴ From ages past no one has heard, no ear has perceived,

no eye has seen any God besides you,

who works for those who wait for him.

⁵ You meet those who gladly do right,

those who remember you in your ways.

But you were angry, and we sinned;

because you hid yourself we transgressed.

⁶ We have all become like one who is unclean,

and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth.

We all fade like a leaf,

and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

⁷ There is no one who calls on your name,

or attempts to take hold of you;

for you have hidden your face from us,

and have delivered us into the hand of our iniquity.

⁸ Yet, O LORD, you are our Father;

we are the clay, and you are our potter;

we are all the work of your hand.

⁹ Do not be exceedingly angry, O LORD,

and do not remember iniquity forever.

Now consider, we are all your people.

What good news do you see in this text?

What don't you understand?

What questions do you have?

What applies to you (or us) today?

Post away! And check back on Sunday for a reflection on this text!

Friday Wild Word of the Week: Thanks

2011-11-18T08:42:00.001-06:00

of the week:

THANKS

My friend Emily has an awesome blog called "Life Breathing". I love reading her insights on faith and life and the amazingness of the world around us. She inspires me. Check out her blog, either by clicking here or on the link on the side of the blog.

Each week she posts a word of the week and invites people to send in photos that relate to that word. I love the idea and thought it would be perfect for the Wild Word Project. So I asked it if I could steal the idea and she, being the gracious lady she is, said "of course." Check out Life Breathing's Word of the Week, which is Food.

Since one of the goals of the Wild Word Project is to watch for the ways God is at loose in the world around us, why limit it only to physical words? God speaks to us in many ways and gives us many gifts. And you all are invited and encouraged to share your gifts and the ways you see God working through the lens of your camera (or, as is often the case for me, the screen of your phone).

This is how it works. Each Friday, I'll post a word. This week, it is "THANKS." You all send your photos to pastorkirsten(at)gmail.com and I'll post them the following Friday. It's super simple and lots of fun!

I'm looking forward to seeing your photos and sharing them next Friday!

Tuesday's Text: Matthew 25:31-46

2011-11-15T09:09:00.001-06:00

The Gospel for Christ the King Sunday is Matthew 25:31-46.

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, ³³ and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. ³⁴ Then the king will say to those at his right hand, 'Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; ³⁵ for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, ³⁶ I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.' ³⁷ Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? ³⁸ And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? ³⁹ And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?' ⁴⁰ And the king will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.' ⁴¹ Then he will say to those at his left hand, 'You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; ⁴² for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' ⁴⁴ Then they also will answer, 'Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?' ⁴⁵ Then he will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' ⁴⁶ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

What good news do you see in this text?

What don't you understand?

What questions do you have?

What applies to you (or us) today?

A few notes on Tuesday's Text

2011-11-08T11:35:00.000-06:00

The stories of Scripture tell ways that God works in the world. But they're not the only stories of the ways God is working. The Spirit lives and moves and breathes among us. Today. SO how do we make connections to the stories of scripture and the sacred stories of our lives?

There are absolutely no right or wrong answers or questions or comments. You can comment anonymously or with your name. And feel free to comment and piggyback off of one another. Some of the texts will be familiar, others will be just plain weird. That's the beauty of Scripture.

We are living in the midst of God's continuing story in this world. I look forward to sharing stories and comments and questions with you!

Tuesday's Text: Matthew 25:14-30

2011-11-08T08:07:00.000-06:00

The Gospel for this Sunday, the 22nd Sunday after Pentecost is Matthew 25:14-30.

¹⁴“For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; ¹⁵to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.¹⁶The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. ¹⁷In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. ¹⁸But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. ¹⁹After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. ²⁰Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.’²¹His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ ²²And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.’ ²³His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ ²⁴Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed;²⁵so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ ²⁶But his master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? ²⁷Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. ²⁸So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. ²⁹For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. ³⁰As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

What good news do you see in this text?

What don't you understand?

What questions do you have?

What applies to you (or us) today?

All Saints Day

2011-11-01T21:07:00.000-05:00

Today is All Saints Day. We remember the Saints who have died. We also remember that God names and claims all of us as Saints. And sinners. It's one of the things I love best about being Lutheran.

My All Saints Day story:
My grandfather died in April. His dying was a holy process, during which I learned a lot about his faith and my own. I learned a lot about trusting in God's promise of abundant life. I miss him. A lot.

So this morning, I was sitting drinking my coffee, with the song "For All the Saints" running through my head. (I'm a Lutheran pastor, please forgive me for being a nerd and thinking about hymns while I drink my coffee). I was thinking about the last year and the people who have died. I was thinking about my grandpa. Giving thanks for the many ways he has blessed me. Thinking about how I miss him. As I was sitting, pondering, the sun popped up from behind the roof of the house across the street. It burst into my living room and made me squint as I sat at the table. It was a beautiful moment--a reminder of new beginnings. A reminder of the fact that the sun keeps coming up, even in the midst of the darkness of our grief and sadness. A reminder of God's promises of new life. Every day.

Who do you remember on this All Saints Day?