Just as I am, without one plea . . .

"Jesus Lives" - Luke 24:1-6

2009-06-18T22:14:00.003-04:00

First preached by Earl Hively on 4/6/1958:

Intro:
Today is Easter Sunday
Original derivation of that word - Spring

a. now we'll be having nice warm weather.

b. spring fashion - Easter parades

To us, Easter means Jesus has arisen

Let the Earth resound the fact that Jesus Lives

I. Victorious over the Grave

A. Defying the laws of the universe

1. All living things must die

a. flowers that live for a day

b. redwoods that live for hundreds of years

c. foolish to deny physical death but we have a hope.

d. William Channing, "None knew just [unclear] He passed on that quiet Sabbath morning. But

He died looking eastward as if expectant of another dawn."

2. He overcame death

a. not that he didn't experience it

b. thats what makes AA effective.

c. He was victorious over death.

d. he rose again from the dead.

B. Bringing a new life into the world.

1. more than a return from the dead

2. we wish our loved ones could retgurn from teh dead.

a. for another round of sickness, sorrow, and pain.

b. simply because we miss them.

3. Christ offers them more, much more.

4. "Now we are the sons of God . . . it doeth not yet appear what we shall be.

5. We know forgiveness of sins - who can describe Gods Glory.

6. C. S. Lewis. 4 year old watching lovers eating candy

7. Only to Belieers

a. "I am the door, by me if any man enter He shall be Saved."

b. "I am the way the truth and the life . . ."

8. More than a victory over the grave.

II Victorious over US

A. Having conquered Sin for us.

1. Not with an army to plunder our goods.

2. The appeal of His love.

3. He saw us floundering in sin.

4. In love He took our guilt upon himself

5. When We recognized what He did we couldn't help but love Him in return.

6. Beautiful young lady - saved from a sinking ship - married the man who saved Her.

7. We dedicate ourselves to Him. He not only conquered sin for us . . .

B. Having conquered Sin in Us.

1. Not that we are now without sin.

2. There is another force that continually fights.

3. Our inclination is to give in to evil.

4. We can reject our redeemer. to our own ruin.

5. Loving Lord - risen Redeemer - relies on love.

6. In so far as we are His, He has conquered sin in us.

7. His invitation to recieve Him in Holy Comm.

8. Not just Bread and wine, memorial feast.

9. All the blessing

Oh Dearest Jesus,

Recieve from me the heartfelt thanks I offer thee. Who though thy body and thy blood Has wrought my soul's eternal good. Break forth, my soul, in joy and praise what wealth is mine this day of days. My Jesus dwells within my soul; Let every tongue his grace extol. A-men.

Revisiting my grandfather's sermons

2009-06-18T22:12:00.002-04:00

Several months ago my uncle gave me copies of about a dozen of my grandfather's sermons. Now that things have settled down (at least temporarially) I have decided to dig them out and read through them. I'm not sure what I intend to learn or find, but I'm going to copy them out as well as I can and see what comes of it.

Words to ponder

2008-10-09T07:03:00.002-04:00

I've been using a new devotional resource and I came across a really interesting quotation:

I like to think of the pastor as only one of the congregation set apart for a specific purpose. They say to him: Look, brother, we are busy with our daily toils, and confused with cares, but we eagerly long for peace and light to illuminate our life, and we have heard there is a land where these are to be found, a land of repose and joy, full of thoughts that breathe and words that burn, but we cannot go thither ourselves. We are too embroiled in daily cares. Come we will elect you, and set you free from toil, and you shall go thither for us and week by week trade with that land and bring us its treasures and its spoils.

Reflecting, 7 years later

2008-09-11T22:09:00.002-04:00

I've been thinking about a couple of things today. I'll start with a confession: I'm still angry. I'm not angry because I want to be, but I am. What makes it all the more concerning is that I can't really say exactly who or what I'm angry with or what it would take to quell my anger.

One of the things that I have noticed is that we don't talk about what happened seven years ago today as "attacks" anymore. We talk about them as "events" or "a tragedy" or the one that really burns me up "the incident." But none of those really capture what happened that day. Some men, guided by their religious beliefs executed a plan to kill as many people as they could and strike fear into as many people as they could. I don't know how else to talk about it - that was an attack. We should call it what it was.

For my class, Pastor as Leader, I've read Writing in the Dust by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams. In his book he argues that the role of the religious leader in the aftermath of a tragedy is to create "breathing space." This space will allow people time to consider their next action and hopefully short-circuit the pattern of violence-revenge-violence which is all too prevalent in our world today. I'm supposed to prepare a 60-80 word response to how plausible this may or may not be. But, as you can see, I have more than 60 to 80 words to say.

At one point in the book, he argues that the attacks on the Twin Towers are inconsequential to the woman in rural Afghanistan who has had her village bombed. And while I see his point, I'm not convinced that it is a fair comparison. The American military has not gone randomly bombing villages, intending to kill as many average citizens as possible. The same can not be said of the attackers from Sept 11th, 2001. What does the woman preparing lunch in the cafeteria, who may or may not speak English, know about the foreign policy of the United States?

I don't talk about it much anymore, but I was in the New York metro area on Sept 11th. I heard and felt the towers collapse. I watched people from my community get off of the train still covered in the ash that overtook the city. I remember very vividly the responses of my college community. I remember the candlelight vigil, the students gathered around televisions all over campus, the swell of patriotism, and the overflowing pews in worship the next Sunday.

I think about that Sunday quite a bit. On some level, I think about it from a professional standpoint. What would I do in a congregation if/when something similar happens? But it makes me think about things that are much deeper. Why were people there that day? What were they expecting? What drove them to church that day? I think that for the first time in a generation, we saw that the homeland of the US was vulnerable. We saw that we were not as safe as we would like to be. The world was changing around us and people were looking for something permanent, something transcendent.

I guess that brings me back around to the place where I started this post. We we are going to move on, to find genuine healing, we have to call things as they really are. We should talk about the attackers, the victims, the survivors. We should admit that we are angry, or hurt, or upset. If we cannot speak honestly about where we are, how could we possibly begin to address it in prayer? How could we come to God in search of healing?

There is plenty to write about what the United States has done in response to the attacks. But none of that changes what happened that day. Please, let's stop trying to spin history. Let's stop white-washing the attacks and minimizing the grief and pain that they inflicted on so many people. Once we come to grips with that part of our story, then we can begin to feel the peace that passes all understanding.

You Can't Love Jesus and Hate His Wife

2008-05-23T10:11:00.002-04:00

I thought this was worth sharing. It comes from some of the materials from a conference I recently attended.

You can't love Jesus and hat his wife. by Ed Stetzer
Get this. I'm standing in a reception line with my wife following a speaking engagement when this guy comes up to me and starts telling me how he's read all my books, has heard me speak on several occasions and told me how influential I've been to his ministry. (Please go on!)

He talks about how he's introduced a number of his pastor friends to all things Stetzer and how they actually traveled across country to be at this event. Wow!

But then, he starts verbally ripping on my wife like she's not even standing there. She's right there! He thinks my wife, who has been the love of my life and a partner in ministry for 25 years, is a drain on my ability to influence others. He says she's obsolete and that the "old girl is a little faded."

I'm in shock. Suddenly, the cheezy Christian motto of the 1990s flashes through my mind: What would Jesus do? Turn the other cheek? Pray for his enemy? Hand this guy His cloak?

I'm about to jo Jack Bauer on him.

I think Jesus would have been ticked - like any normal husband would be. You see, the church is the Bride of Christ. And, you don't mess with a man's wife.

The story about my wife is made up. The reality of what professing believers of Christ do to and what they say about His bride - the church - is not. Ant it is exponentially more serious than saying my wife is, "a little faded." (And I would take that pretty seriously!)

You cannot say you love Jesus and abuse His wife.

Unfortunately, there is a prevailing wind currently blowing across Western Evangelicalism that has caused an ecclesialogical (church) drift into dangerous waters. Research stalwart George Barna documented the tread in a longitudinal study released in 2005. One alarming element of the study showed that 70% of respondents found their primary means of spiritual expression through the local church in 200, but by 2025 he predicts those numbers to decrease by at least half. Did you get that? Now I have some quibbles about the numbers and more about the theology. But, if Barna is right, in less than 20 years, only 30-35 people out of 100 will believe that the church holds primary significance in their relationship with Christ. That's stunning for someone who loves the church (like I do.)

We were surprised that in our recent research on young adult dropouts, the more common reasons young adults dropped out of the church were lifestyle reasons. They got too busy, moved too far away, or experienced some other life change. And the church did not make the new list of priorities. Nice.

My question is how can anyone give even a cursory read to the New Testament and miss the supreme importance give to the church by the One who is most Supreme? Paul says that we were once "alienated and hostile in mind because of [our] evil actions. but now He has reconciled [us] by His physical body through His death, to present [us] holy, faultless and blameless before Him." Paul goes on to say that he rejoices in his suffering because his suffering is "completing in [his] flesh what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for His body, that is the church" (Colossians 1:21-24)

Paul was willing to take a beating for the church because Jesus submitted to a brutal murder "to make her [the church] holy, cleansing her in the washing of water by the word. He did this to present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but holy and blameless." (Ephesians 5:26-27)

Seems like fewer and fewer people are wiling to take the church seriously, let alone take a beating for her.

In the wake of books like UnChristian and They Like Jesus but not the Church, I wonder if people have been tempted to throw the baby out with the bath water. I, for one, still believe that not only is the church still relevant, it is indispensable, as we look toward the future.

This conference got me thinking about another point, the idea that contemporary Christians have wondered away from the idea that ours is a shared, communal faith - something we do together. In the grand scheme of things it is only fairly recently that people could even read the Bible on their own, much less develop any sort of "Jesus and me" spirituality. But that is a discussion for another time.

A Letter from Jesus

2007-12-25T23:27:00.000-05:00

Peace Lutheran Church

Christmas Eve

Dec 24^th, 2007 – 11pm

David Hively

I don’t know if this happens to anyone else, but I think it is a sign of the times. Every so often I open my email to find some new link or video is making its rounds. Not too long ago I received one of these emails. I followed the link and found a letter from Jesus. Well, not really from Jesus, but from some pastor writing as though he was Jesus. It was an angry letter, from a bitter Jesus who was upset by being left out of Christmas. He was angry about being replaced by Santa and not being given any gifts. But that really doesn’t capture the Jesus I know. That isn’t the way my Jesus acts towards his creation. So I started thinking about what a letter from Jesus might actually sound like.

A letter from Jesus:

My dearest family,

As you well know, we are getting closer and closer to my birthday. Every year there is a celebration in my honor and it looks like people are planning parties for this year as well. During this time there is lots of shopping for gifts, radio and TV ads, and across the world everyone is talking about how my birthday is getting closer and closer. It is really very nice to know, that at least once a year, some people think of me. It makes me very happy to see that people have used this time as way to take care of each other, especially the poor, the widows, and orphans. I would love to see people make that a year-round project. Remember, I came into this world as a poor vulnerable baby, so I know what it is like to have to depend on someone else.

I’ve seen lots of signs around that say, “Jesus is the reason for the season.” That’s true, but YOU are a part of the reason for the season too. You see, God the Father sent me to earth, so that you could have everlasting life - so that you would have not just any kind of life, but the kind of life that is abundant and overflowing with love. I came to set you free from the power of sin, and to ask you to share in my mission. Some of your brothers and sisters are out there right now: bringing good news to the poor, giving sight to the blind, setting captives free, curing the sick! There is so much to do! But, don’t worry – I’ll give you everything you need and walk beside you on the way.

I know that it can be hard to think of me amidst the hustle and bustle of life. It seems like things move faster and faster every year. There is so much to do – so many things to get ready. There are presents to buy and wrap, cookies to bake, rooms to clean and decorations to hang. I know that these things are important to you, but please remember to take time to enjoy some of the gifts that you have already received. Take a walk one afternoon and see all of the wonderful animals that I created to share the world with you. When you sit down to a meal, think about all of the people whose gifts went into making that meal possible. Take a look around this room and see all of the brothers and sisters that I have gathered together here so that you can encourage and strengthen each other. I’m glad that you were able to make it tonight. I hope that this time that you spend in worship will fill you with hope and joy and a sense of peace that passes all understanding.

For all of its glitz and glamour, this time of year can be hard for some people. Even when things look all happy and cheery on the outside, sometimes the insides don’t match. Sure, things look the same this year. The lights are up again. The tree is back where it belongs. Everything looks right, but this year feels different. Maybe there is a new face at the dinner table – or maybe there is one less. Things just aren’t the way they used to be. No matter how hard you fight to keep them the same, to maintain those traditions, time keeps on moving by. I’ve seen a lot of traditions come and go. But know this – my love for you is more than a tradition. It is more than a once a year holiday. It has been there since the beginning of the beginning and there is nothing that you could ever do to make me love you less.

I can see that there is a lot of pain in my world right now. Many of my children do not have anyone to share this holiday with them. Some of my children are far away fighting in wars. Some do not have enough to eat. This holiday is for them too. While I was on earth I felt how heavy your burdens can be. I felt your pain. I know your grief. Really, that’s why I came to earth in the first place – to be with you in ALL circumstances, even the tough ones. Please don’t forget that I am ready to hear from you whenever you want. And that I am ready to take those heavy burdens from your shoulders.

I miss you. I can’t get enough of hearing from you. I know that it seems like a long time ago that I left, but I want you to know that you are still very much on my mind. You are so very precious to me.

My dear family, be good to each other. Pray for each other. Celebrate with the people who are celebrating, cry with the people who are crying. Do the best that you can to live in peace with each other. Hold tightly to me, because even though I started out as a little baby, I grew to take all of your sins on myself, to die on the cross, and to rise again so that you can have eternal life. I’ve placed in your life a light that shines against the darkness in the world. Take that light and pass it on to others. I want this night to be special for you. I want you to feel my presence with you, to know the peace that I have come to bring, and to trust that there is nothing in this entire world that could ever change just how very much I love you.

May the peace of Christ fill your hearts, minds, and souls. Merry Christmas

The Prince of Peace

2007-12-25T23:23:00.000-05:00

Peace Lutheran Church

Peace on Earth?

The Prince of Peace

Dec 22^nd, 23^rd

David Hively
I’ve heard a lot in the last few weeks about the various traditions that people have. The particular things that make this time of year special for them. I’ve heard stories about trips to see families, about going out to find that perfect tree. But I’ve also hear that there are several people in this congregation who collect nativity sets which they proudly display this time of year. Some people call them crèches. But they are these sets of figurines that are fashioned to represent all of the major players in the story of the birth of Jesus. You have seen these, right? There is one just to the left as you enter through the sliding doors in the back of the sanctuary. They make for these beautiful scenes, frozen in time where all is calm and all is bright. The faces are all looking down, peering at the newborn Jesus. Some are even kneeling out of reverence for this tiny king. Some of the sets even have angels sounding a trumpet to herald the arrival of the Prince of Peace. The scene is so idyllic, so serene, so full of – peace. But what about this baby Jesus? We call him the Prince of Peace, but I wonder just how much peace he brought into the lives of the people with whom he shares this scene.

Lets work our way in from the outside. The Magi. We know these guys by a lot of different names: Magi, Kings, Wise Men, Astrologers. And we put them in the scene with the shepherds and angels and little baby Jesus, but most biblical scholars agree that the magi didn’t make it to Jesus on Christmas night. They think that it might have taken them as long as two years to find Jesus. It isn’t a part of our text for today, but these guys had quite a trek on their hands. And as wearying as traveling can be in our own time, I’m not even sure that I can comprehend what all these guys went through to catch a glimpse of the boy Jesus. We show them riding camels, wearing fine clothing, and bringing expensive gifts. But would they have called Jesus the Prince of Peace? Had he made their lives any easier? If anything their quest was long, tiring, and dangerous – especially with so many valuables on hand.

Moving a little further in you find the shepherds. You have to feel for these guys too. They were basically homeless. They slept in the fields with the sheep. And probably not their own sheep either, someone else’s sheep. They had to do the hard, dirty part of tending the sheep. They were the lowest of the low, the bottom of the social ladder. They were held in such low regard that shepherds were not allowed to be called as witnesses in court cases – they were just too unreliable to be trusted. And it was these guys who were out in the field one quiet night only to have the heavens torn open and a host of angels come pouring through. It is no wonder the first thing that the angels have to say is – “Do not be afraid.” These lowly shepherds are the first ones to find out about Jesus’ birth. They can’t be witnesses in court and yet God makes them into the first witnesses of the coming of the Messiah. Then the shepherds abandon their flocks, their livelihoods to go out in search of the boy Jesus. Do you think that Jesus’ coming brought peace into the shepherd’s lives?

And what about Mary? She usually gets to be the closest. He face shows some blend of wonder and adoration. But things weren’t so easy for Mary either. She’s engaged, but ends up pregnant, and not even by the man to whom she’s engaged. She has conceived in a way that nobody before her or since has ever conceived. You have to wonder how many people took her seriously. Who really believed her?

And do you remember what she is told about this baby? If you have you Bibles flip open to Luke 2:34,35 (page in your pew Bibles). Simeon is an old man and it has been revealed to him that he will see the Messiah. When Mary and Joseph bring baby Jesus to him, look at what Simeon says, “This child is destined for the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thought of many will be revealed.” And as if that isn’t unsettling news enough he says to Mary, “and a sword will pierce your own soul too.” That doesn’t sound very much like what one might expect from the Prince of Peace.

Joseph is the character in the nativity that gets most of the attention in our Gospel text for today. We know that Joseph and Mary were engaged. But engagement worked differently in Jesus’ time than it does in our own. In our day the couple falls in love. According to tradition the young man asks the young woman’s father for her hand in marriage, and then they live happily ever after. But in Jesus time marriages were legally binding contracts and had a very large financial component to them. They also bore many marks of patriarchy that we would not tolerate today. In order to marry, the young man needed to pay a fee, a dowry, in order to be married. Now, sometimes a young man would express an interest in marrying a young lady, but not have enough money to pay the dowry. But to make sure that she would still be available to him when he was able to afford the dowry, he could make a sort of down payment – paying a portion of the dowry to claim the woman as his own. There would be a wedding and everything, but after the ceremony, the young lady went back home with her dad. From the description in our Gospel text for today, it seems that this is the arrangement that existed between Mary and Joseph. He had paid a part of the dowry, but not the whole thing. So, in the eyes of the law, they were engaged.

When Joseph finds out that Mary, his betrothed, has become pregnant and not by his own doing – he tries to do what is right under the Law. He plans to dissolve the contract. He could have her dragged to the town square and stoned for adultery, but instead he chooses a path of mercy and decides for a quiet divorce. But Joseph hears from God that he is to take Mary as his wife without regard to the Law or to the social customs of the day.

We talk about the baby Jesus and we call him the Prince of Peace. But one by one we have seen that the people that we most closely associate with Jesus’ birth had very little peace brought into it that night. There must be some other meaning when Isaiah identifies Jesus as the Prince of Peace.

The famous news man, Paul Harvey, tells the story about a family on Christmas Eve. This family had a tradition where the Mother and children would go to the Christmas Eve service, and the Father would stay home and read the paper. When the family returns home from church, they would all gather to open up their presents. The Father was not an evil man, but he just couldn’t believe in the childhood stories anymore of God coming as a baby in a manger. As the family left for church, he opened up the evening paper and began to read by the fireplace. Suddenly, he heard tapping on the window. It was a bird flying against the glass of his window trying to get out of the snow into the warmth of his home. The man had compassion on the bird, and he went outside, hoping to bring it in. As he approached the bird, the bird just flew against the window even harder. Pretty soon, the bird flew into the bushes below the window, half frozen, yet too afraid to be caught by this huge man. The more the man tried to reach for the bird, the more the bird flew frantically into the snow and thorns of the bushes. After a few minutes in the cold and seeing the bird continue to injure itself, the man yelled out in frustration, "Stupid bird, can’t you understand that I’m trying to help?" The man paused and thought, "If only you understood you wouldn’t fly away ... if only ... if only I could become a bird, and get you to understand.” And then off in the distance the man heard the church bells ringing, just as they had done at this time every year, announcing the beginning of Christmas, the day that we celebrate Jesus taking on frail human flesh and living as one of us.

Jesus comes to us in human form to show us a different kind of peace. It isn’t the greeting card or nativity set kind of peace – he’s offering something deeper, something transcendent. He doesn’t offer peace through the use of military might. He isn’t offering peace from coasting over the trials and tribulations of this life. What Jesus offers instead is the peace that comes from walking this road together. In times of hardship and times of abundance, when the rule of the land is an eye for an eye – God is with us. In times of violence or oppression, when people seek the third way – God is with us. As we reach out to heal the sick and the suffering and be a visible presence in our communities – God is with us. That is the peace that we celebrate. That is the peace that we announce. Jesus brings peace as he comforts the grieving widow. He brings peace when he waits with the children who are waiting for a parent to return from war. He brings peace when family factions sit down around the Christmas dinner table and share a meal together. The Emmanuel, the God with us – this is the Prince of Peace. The one who came to live among us, and now promises to be with us always.

A new look at an old scene

2007-12-22T00:36:00.000-05:00

I stumbled across this tonight. It really hit home because I will be preaching this weekend with the aid of a nativity set.

Why we still tell the story

2007-12-08T10:29:00.000-05:00

Pop Quiz:

1. Where was Jesus born?
2. Who is Gabriel and what does he have to do with the Christmas story?
3. What is the relationship between Jesus and John the Baptist?
4. Where did Mary, Joseph, and Jesus go to escape Herod?

If you know the answer to all four of these questions, you are in the 12% of adults in terms of knowledge of the Christmas story according to this article.

Sometimes I wonder why it is that we tell the same story at this time every year. But this reminds me that there is still a world in screaming need to hear about the life giving birth of the Messiah.

Doubt, Limping Away

2007-11-23T14:24:00.000-05:00

Doubt, Limping Away
Nov 17 & 18, 2007
David Hively
Peace Lutheran Church

Scripture:
Genesis 32:22-31
2 Corinthians 12:6-10
Mark 9:14-29

Manuscript:
We have spent the last few weeks talking about faith and doubt, looking at doubt in the lives of Luther and the Saints, and talking about the impact that doubt can have in our own lives. Last week we talked about fear, and the hold that it can take over our lives and how it can keep us from stepping out into the kind of life that God is calling us to. We talked about stepping out in spite of fear, and trusting in God to bring us through. In today’s text we meet someone who is doing just that. He’s telling God about his fears and his doubts.
Jacob is at the bank of the Jabbok river. The sun has long since gone and the only light around comes from the moon which occasionally peeks out from behind the clouds. Beads of sweat are rolling down his face, not because he is hot, but because he is nervous. His brother Esau is on the way, and things are not looking good.
He thinks back to that time, many years ago when Esau came home from working in the field and he found Jacob cooking a pot of lentil stew. Esau has been in the field all day and hunger has gotten the better of him. The rumbling in his stomach has become a full fledged thunderstorm. He’s so hungry, that he believes that he will die without something to eat. Jacob seizes this opportunity. His older brother is the father’s favorite and stands to collect the inheritance when his father dies. With Esau’s life on the line, Jacob sets the price of a bowl of soup at one birthright. Left with no choice Esau hands over his birthright to Jacob for a simple bowl of soup.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, Jacob thinks back to the time just before his father died. The father knew that Jacob had duped Esau out of his birthright, so he prepares to give a final blessing to Esau as a way to try to make up for what he has lost. He sends Esau out to make all of the necessary preparations and while he is away Jacob and his mother hatch the first ever identity theft scheme. They put hair on Jacob’s arms so that the blind father will not be able to tell who it is - Jacob slides in, pretending to be Esau, and takes the blessing for himself. As you might imagine, having been cheated a second time, Esau is furious and hatches a plan to kill Jacob. With his mother’s help, Jacob escapes to a distant land, hoping to lay low until Esau’s anger cools.
Even though it all happened 20 years ago, it all seems like it happened yesterday. Things haven’t been easy for Jacob since he left. The calluses on his hands bear witness to the hard work that he had done. Jacob has changed and he wanted to make amends. He is on his way back home but he fears that Esau may still hold a grudge against him. So he sent some messengers to Esau, but when those messengers return, they had bad news. Esau is on his way, and he’s coming with 400 of his closest friends. It looks like Esau is planning a bloodbath, not a family reunion. Jacob starts to make contingency plans. He’s divided everything he has into two camps, hoping that if Esau comes upon one and destroys it, the other will remain safe. The only thing left to do now is to wait for Esau’s arrival at the break of day.
How could it be that things would end up like this? He is supposed to be the inheritor of the Abrahamic covenant. He is supposed to get land, and offspring. His name is supposed to live on for generations. But what is all of that now? Esau and his army are closing in, and here he sits – alone – waiting, and doubting God’s promises.
In the Christian faith we sometimes talk about wrestling with God. About how we look at the life around us and compare the life that we experience, with the life that God promises and we see that something is wrong. The two visions don’t line up. How can it be that Mother Theresa could dedicate her life to serving the poorest of the poor and yet feel abandoned by God? How can it be that marriage vows of lifelong faithfulness made before God and a community of faith end up shattered? How can it be that nearly every week we hear another account of an innocent child kidnapped and exploited? How can it be that a land that we call “Holy” can be a place of systematic violence and ethnic cleansing? Back and forth we go, trying to reconcile God’s promises and our experiences and we are left with no choice but to sit down next to Jacob at the bank of the Jabbok and wait.
It is here, on the bank of the Jabbok, that the wrestling can really begin. Jacob looks up, and discovers that he is no longer alone. All of his inner turmoil, all of his frustration, all of that energy take a physical form and Jacob begins to wrestle with God. He battles all night long; grappling, wrangling, hanging on for dear life. Until finally, dawn is beginning to break. A new day is beginning, and the man wants to leave, but Jacob will not let go – not until he receives a blessing.
For several weeks now Pastor John and I have stood up here and stressed the importance of being honest with God about your doubts. I hope that some of you have taken us up on that challenge. If you have, you might find that you can empathize with Jacob. You have been to the bank of the Jabbok, you have told God about your doubts and now you are in that wrestling match. As part of worship today, you will be given an opportunity to give your wrestling a concrete, tangible expression. Off to my left, your right there is a cross, waiting to hear from you. There is paper available in the pews on which you can write your doubts, fears, or struggles in your walk with Christ. During Communion you are invited to come and place that paper on the cross.
What kinds of things take you to the bank of the Jabbok river? Is there some relationship in your past that needs to be healed? Maybe there is that part of your life that you just cannot seem to get right. You wrestle with it day after day after day. Some days it feels like you might be getting the upper hand. But other days it seems that all hope is lost. And so you wrestle, long into the night.
Jacob doesn’t walk away from that night unchanged. The scriptures tell us that Jacob was struck on the hip and from that day forward he walked with a limp. But I don’t think that his limp was an impediment so much as it was a testament to the encounter that he had with God. When we ultimately emerge from “the dark night of the soul” we too will be changed. Like Jacob we will have a limp. But this limp is not a disability. It is an opportunity for testimony – a chance to tell others about thee time that you spent wrestling with God.
One of my classmates at the seminary has a son who is in elementary school. He was born with some genetic characteristics which mean that his mind will never develop past roughly the level of a five year old. As you can imagine, this was a bank of the Jabbok moment for my classmate. She spent many nights lying awake staring at the ceiling, wrestling with God. She spent many Sunday mornings unable to worship, only able to ask “Why?” If you fast-forward her story a few years, she is now an advocate for people with developmental disabilities, she works as a consultant to churches who feel a calling to ministry with the developmentally disabled and she has one of the most moving testimonies that you will ever hear. Through her time of wrestling with God, she was left with a limp like Jacob’s. But that limp is now a testimony to God’s power made visible through the many ministries that she has enabled, and all the people who have come to know Jesus because of them.
A few weeks ago we talked about three things that you can do when you are faced with doubts. 1. Acknowledge the doubt; 2. Tell the doubt to God; 3. Tell the doubt to a trusted other. I want to add one more to that list. 4. Testify to what God has brought you through. It can seem paradoxical to tell people about those dark times in our lives. But this is where we can learn a little something from Paul. In 2nd Corinthians he writes that he was given a thorn in the flesh. And that even though he appealed to God three times that it would be taken away – it remained. Then Jesus said, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness." Paul finally declares, “I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.”
On the bank of the Jabbok dawn has broken and Jacob looks up and sees Esau coming with his 400 men. He ran out to meet Esau and bowed before him seven times as a way to honor him. But Esau began running towards Jacob and he reached out and gave him a great big hug, held him close, and gave him a kiss. There was no anger there – just a joyful reunion. Though Jacob had feared the worst, he received a great blessing that day.
God is at work in our lives more powerfully than we could ever know. And it is in those darkest of places, where we cannot rely on our own strength – that God’s grace and power are most evident. As disciples of Jesus it is our mission to limp away from our encounters with God – and testify to the power of God who brought us through even the most difficult of circumstances.
Let us pray: Loving God, You know the times that we have stayed up all night wrestling with you. You know the ways in which we have been wounded. May our times of weakness be opportunities for testimony to the wonders that you have done. In Jesus name, Amen

Doubt and Fear

2007-11-23T14:23:00.000-05:00

Doubt, Doubt in the Dark
David Hively
Nov 10, 11
Peace Lutheran Church
We have been talking the last few weeks about doubts and how some of our ancestors in the faith have lived with, and actually had their faith strengthened by times of doubt. We talked about Luther came through his times of doubt having learned to trust in God alone, and not in the church or its rituals. We also talked about Mother Theresa and Henri Nouwen and how even though they were respected as very spiritual people, they still felt far from God and ultimately learned that their feelings were not a good measure of the closeness of God. That is, despite their feelings to the contrary, God was with them all the while. Today I want to take us back into the scriptures to look at another topic that is closely related to doubt, fear. Doubt and fear have a reciprocal sort of relationship where they feed on one another, each getting stronger when the other is present. So let’s start out with a bit of trivia. I’ll give you the name of a phobia and you tell me what the fear is:
1. Arachnophobia- Fear of spiders
2. Agoraphobia- Fear of open spaces
3. Hydrophobia- Fear of water
4. Xenophobia- Fear of strangers or foreigners.
5. Homilophobia- Fear of sermons.
Fear has a very natural and important place in our lives. It is that biological/psychological warning system that gets us ready for fight or flight. It is that part of us that keeps us from the things that would do us harm. It is fear that makes us apply the brakes, or step back from the edge, or put some distance between ourselves and danger. The problem is that fear doesn’t always work for our best interest. It can get mixed up with things that pose no danger to us, and actually keep up from living the kind of life to which God has called us.
I’m reminded of the Avalon community swimming pool. One of the greatest attractions there was the high dive. From the perspective of the four foot tall blond kid on the side of the pool, the 12 foot high diving board looked as though it was scraping the
clouds. One day my friend Sean got it in his head that HE was going to dive off of that board. I don’t know what possessed him. In my elementary school mind, this was about the dumbest thing that he could do. But up he climbed. He was bold at first, moving quickly. But as he went it took longer and longer to climb each rung of the ladder. The further he got from the ground the less sure he was that he wanted to go through with this. Finally, he reached the top. He started shuffling out to the end of the board. With each tiny step the board got more and more spring and felt less and less certain beneath his feet. After what seemed like an eternity, he reached the end of the board. Only his big toes hung off the edge of the board – which by now was bobbing up and down -- even as Sean stood cemented in place, not daring to move a muscle, lest the board begin to bounce even more. So there he stood, dripping wet, the wind rushing past him, afraid of what is to come. Even from the ground you could see him quivering. There he stood, frozen in fear.
“Do not be afraid” That is what the scriptures say over and over again. “Do not be afraid.” All through the scriptures people are told not to be afraid. It is often the first thing that an angel says when it appears. These words were spoken to Abraham, Moses, Mary, Joseph, the shepherds tending their flock on that first Christmas night, Paul sitting in jail, the women searching for the body of Jesus on Easter morning, and in today’s reading – the disciples.
There is little in this world that can be quite so paralyzing as fear. Sometimes it comes on suddenly and freezes you in place, and you are left, caught like a deer in the headlights. The panic washes over you so quickly that there isn’t time to think, much less act. You will hear survivors talk about their experiences and say, “I just froze, I couldn’t do anything. This is immobilizing fear.
But there is another kind of fear, the fear of failure. The slower moving, more sinister variety. This is the kind of fear that is seeded by our doubts. It is the kind of fear that keeps a middle aged person in a job that sucks all the joy out of his life – because they are afraid of the insecurity that comes from a career change. It is this kind of fear that keeps a person locked in an abusive relationship – afraid to reach out to the very people most able to help. It is this kind of fear that keeps a teenager from ever being open enough to allow someone else to see what they are truly like, because they fear
being rejected. And this is the kind of fear that builds on itself. Each job opportunity turned down, each phone number not dialed, each social gathering skipped only further cements the fear’s hold on your life.
In the scripture text for today we find examples of both manifestations of fear. It is night time on the lake. This is well before streetlights and kerosene lanterns so the only light at night was from the moon and stars, which were covered up by storm clouds. The wind and waves danced about the boat, tossing them to and fro. It has been a long night, in fact, it is nearly morning. On the horizon, the disciples see a figure walking across the waves. Vision blurred by heavy eyelids, stung by raindrops, whipped by the wind, caught in immobilizing fear, the disciples cry out, “It’s a ghost!”
It is then that Jesus speaks, “take heart, it is I, do not be afraid.” The same voice that a few chapters earlier called out, quieting the wind and waves, repeats that biblical mantra – do not be afraid. The scriptures do not go into much detail about the effect that Jesus words had on the disciples. We do not know if they were calmed in the same way that the wind and the waves were calmed a few chapters earlier. But we do know that Peter wants to literally take things one step further.
He wants to get out onto the water with Jesus. Sure enough he steps out of the boat and is able to stand there with Jesus, on top of the waves. But this is where that second type of fear, the fear of failure, takes hold. Maybe he has gone too far. This isn’t natural, something is wrong here! The fear of failure takes over and Peter begins to sink, not just into the water, but into his anxieties and fears. But Jesus does not let him fall. He doesn’t allow Peter to be overcome by the waves. Instead he takes Peter by the hand and lifts him up.
It is easier to be courageous in the calm. It is easier to trust God when things are going well. The test of faith comes just before dawn, when the waves are crashing, the wind is howling, and fear has taken hold. It is when our faith is stretched, it is when our trust in God is tried, that we stop clinging to those temporary things that let us down and dissapoint, and learn to focus on Jesus and his promises. Because it is in those moments when we face our deepest fears that we discover just how faithful our God is. That is when the truth of God’s promises is driven home. That is when we come to see our God, and our fears, more clearly.
Eventually, Sean jumped off that diving board. I’m not sure what finally made him do it, but he jumped. And once he caught his breath, he swam over to the side of the pool, climbed up the ladder, and went over to do it again. In overcoming his fear, Sean had happened across something that he really enjoyed. It can sound somewhat trivial so many years later, the fear of jumping off a high diving board. But so often in this life we look back over events in our lives and find that the very thing that we were afraid of came to pass, and yet, we were able to come through it. Yes, you were put out of a job, and it was a tough place to be in, but God delivered and has sustained you with something else in its place. Yes that relationship did not work out, and things were rough for a while, but God is blessing you with new people in your life.
When a fear of failure causes us to sink, or that immobilizing fear keeps us from even stepping out in the first place – Jesus is there. He is there with a reassuring, “I am.” Who is going to take care of me as I look for a new job? Jesus says, “I am.” Where will I find the strength to walk away from this destructive relationship? Jesus says, “Take my hand.” Will anyone still like me if I show who I truly am? Jesus says, “Do not be afraid, it is me.”
This life comes with fears. But in the midst of those fears – God reaches out to us with a supporting hand, and gives us the courage to step out into those dark, doubtful places. And says – take courage, it is I, do not be afraid.
Let us pray – Dear God, there is so much in this life that frightens us and causes us to sink. Help us to trust in you, knowing that you will support and sustain us through even the most frightening times in our lives. Give us ears to hear your voice – Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid”

Doubt, Luther

2007-10-30T10:40:00.000-04:00

Doubt, Luther
October 27th and 28th, 2007
David Hively
Peace Lutheran Church

Last week we started exploring matters of faith and doubt. We talked about the way that both faith and doubt are present in the lives of believers and how we must not be afraid to deal honestly with the doubts that we have. We talked about the nature of God and how God is far bigger than any belief structure that we can create or comprehend and that we do not need to try to get all of our questions answered before we can start to trust in and rely on God. Finally, we landed on three responses to doubt:
1. Acknowledge the doubt,
2. Tell your doubts to God.
3. Tell your doubts to trusted others in your life.
At the turn of the millennium A&E did a special on the most influential people in the past 1,000 years. The list had some pretty incredible names on it. Guttenberg made it to the top of this list, for his invention of the printing press and making books widely available and affordable for the first time. Second was Isaac Newton who earned this spot for his contributions to science, physics, and astronomy. Can you guess who was third? This guy, Martin Luther (the theologian most likely to be mistaken for a civil rights leader.)
This weekend is a time set aside by the church for honoring the contributions of Martin Luther, the unwilling founder and namesake of our denomination. It is a time of celebration, a time where we look back with fondness and appreciation for the contributions that Luther made to our understanding of the faith:
1. salvation comes from God’s grace alone, not from our works
2. We are made right before God by faith alone
3. and that the Word alone, not the church, is the final authority.
I call him an unwilling founder because I believe that Luther would have been very sad to see a church that bears his name. His intention was never that there would be a break away movement from the Catholic church, but that the church would reform. Sadly, the reforms Luther called for were too much for the church to bear and it caused a division that exists even to this day.
We often picture Luther, striding confidently across the square to nail his 95 theses to the door of the castle church in Wittenburg and ignite a theological revolution whose impact is felt to this very day. Or we think of Luther standing before the Diet of Worms with all of his writings spread out on the table before him. He’s been told that if he does not recant that he will be declared an outlaw, thrown out of the most powerful organization on the planet, and condemned to hell. Yet in the face of all of that Luther stands up and says, “Here I stand, I can do no other.” But I don’t think that those images lead us to a very complete picture of Luther because it leaves out everything that led up to those moments.
We don’t hear about the darker side of Luther. We do not hear about the hard times, the struggles he faced. Luther grew up in a very strict home where any disobedience was strictly punished. He recounts one time where he was beaten bloody for the simple crime of stealing a nut. His home was one where the father reigned supreme and sat in harsh judgment – and that is the God that Luther came to know as well. He knew nothing of a God who was gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. No, the God that Luther knew was wrathful and angry; watching over every deed, waiting to smite the lowly human for even the most meager of offences.
This led Luther into a time of great angst and consternation. How was he to reconcile a God who claims to love the world, yet who never seemed to be placated by any amount of good works? The 2003 Luther movie does a good job capturing this part of Luther’s faith journey. In this scene, Luther has just presided over communion for the first time. While doing so, he was so overcome by the presence of God that he dropped the chalice full of wine and fled the sanctuary. The scene picks up that night, after Luther has returned to his cell, and he is arguing with the devil.
(video)
Let’s go back to those three steps that we talked about last week. 1. Acknowledge the doubt. Luther was pretty clear about what was holding him back. The scriptures spoke of a God of love and compassion. Yet, Luther didn’t feel that compassion or love – instead, the God that Luther experienced was one of wrath and anger, a God who created imperfect humans and then demanded perfection from them.
Second, Luther was honest with God about his doubt. Luther was known to spend more time in prayer and confession than any of his colleagues in the monastery. Luther spent so much time in confession that his confessor actually grew sick of listening to him and told him to come back when he had something interesting to confess.
Third, as we saw in the video just a few moments ago, Luther shared his doubt with a trusted other. He was able to tell his confessor at the monastery just what his doubts were and the torment that they were causing in his life. In this case, he was able to draw strength from the advice of his confessor, “Look to Christ. Bind yourself to Christ, and you will know God’s love. Say to him ‘I am yours, save me.’”
The confessor’s advice is a paraphrase of the readings for today. From Romans we hear, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. They are now justified by his grace as a gift.” You see, Luther was going about it all wrong. He was trying to earn God’s love. He wanted to be able to do something that would make God love him more. But that isn’t how it works. Our standing before God does not depend on how many good or bad things we do in a day, a week, or even a lifetime. There are no scales on which you pile up your good and bad deeds, hoping to tip the scales to the good side and earn a pass into God’s eternal favor.
Through his time of doubt and questioning, Luther had rediscovered the good news of the faith. This Gospel message had gone un-proclaimed for hundreds of years. But when it was released it stood everything on its head. It gave people the freedom to read the Bible for themselves, to trust in God and not the church for their salvation, and it taught them all that they could have a direct relationship with their God and creator. It was an amazing message 500 years ago, and it still has power today. It has power because it does not place the act of salvation on us. We do not save ourselves through our actions, or our rituals. We do not earn salvation by some prayer that we say, song that we sing, or ritual we perform. We are saved by God’s grace, given to us as a gift out of God’s overflowing love for us. Thanks be to God.
Let us pray: God we thank you that even in times of doubt, you are still at work in our lives. Give us the courage to turn out doubts over to you, trusting that you will guide us into your truth. In Jesus name, Amen.

2007-10-01T10:32:00.000-04:00

Luke 16:19-31
19“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. 22The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. 23In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. 24He called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.’ 25But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. 26Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.’ 27He said, ‘Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father’s house— 28for I have five brothers—that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.’ 29Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.’ 30He said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

Mark Twain was once famously quoted as saying, “It is not the things about the Bible that I do not understand that bother me most; it is the things in the Bible that I DO understand that bother me most.” This passage bothers me. It bothers me because I know what Lazarus looks like. I know the underpass that he calls home. I’ve seen the layers of clothes that he wears every day because he has no place to leave the extras. I’ve seen Lazarus standing by the side of the off-ramp, pelted by rain, clutching a disintegrating sign which asks me for some help, and then wishes God’s blessing on me. I’ve seen Lazarus, digging through the trash outside my school, looking for something to eat or for cans to exchange for a few cents at the recycling center. But that isn’t all I have seen.
I’ve seen the rich man too. I’ve heard the roar of the engine as he stomps on the gas, racing though a stoplight, lest he be detained and have to lock eyes with Lazarus and read his sign. I’ve seen his fine purple linen – the designer labels and exotic fabrics. I’ve been to the restaurant where he eats each night, the waiters in tuxedos, the napkin starched just so, and meticulously folded into the shape of a swan. A violinist strolls by as the unfolds the calligraphy laced menu, and looks over the multitude of choices. Yes, tonight will be a feast indeed. I have seen the conspicuous consumption, the all consuming desire for the newest, the fastest, the tallest, and the most extravagant. And the fixation on all of those things that steal time and energy from God, family, and Lazarus.
It is not the things about the Bible that I do not understand that bother me most; it is the things in the Bible that I do understand . . . I wonder who I’m like. I search my memory looking for those times where I’ve been the one in need, unable to care for myself – dependent on others for the things that I could not get on my own. I try to tally them up against the times when I have feasted sumptuously and then passed by those who are in need. Am I a Lazarus? The rich man?
And then I look around once more and I see a third option - five brothers, the forgotten characters in Jesus’ parable. I see the ones who are the ones left behind, on our side of eternity. It is the brothers who are left to live the life that the rich man left behind. They are stuck - working within the social structure that created the division between the rich man and Lazarus in the first place. I see people who have heard from Moses and the prophets and now see Lazarus at their gates. They have heard from the Pharisees that your economic status is a sign of your spiritual status. The more wealth you have, the better connected you must be to God. Those who are poor deserve to be so, because they are sinners and have not followed God. Yet they also have Zechariah saying, “render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another”(Zechariah 7:9) and Micah telling them that God wants for them “to do justice, love kindness, and walk in humility with God” (Micah 6:8) . This is the road, with all of its pitfalls and obstacles that cause these brothers to stumble.
And as they stumble down this path, we are right there beside them. Stumbling though choices about how we live this life. The pundits say, “This is the land of opportunity! Anyone who is poor just isn’t working hard enough.” And yet Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of God.” (Luke 6:20) What does in mean to serve God by how we spend time and money? How can we not only meet Lazarus’ needs, but do so in a way that is compassionate and caring? What role will we let our checkbook and date book have in how we treat our neighbors? Then we open another book, the Bible, and it is not the things that we do not understand that bother, it is the things that we do understand.
As we walk down this path we are sure to stumble back and forth from feast to famine. From those nights where the family shares a meal around the dinner table and there is enough money left over to buy ice cream - to those days where even though you worked through lunch, there is still work to bring home at night. From a stack of bills too thick for the checking account – to giving generously of our time to organize a food drive. We stumble though life until we are finally welcomed into a very different feast.
At this feast, no one lies outside cold and hungry. At this feast nobody wonders if there will be enough. Nobody takes too much - there is plenty to share. There is no reason to hoard, everyone’s needs are met. Here Jesus is the host, and we gather together as the modern five brothers, united with all of God’s creation in the feast which has no end. And so we gather today, in this place, around this Table, grateful for the guiding love of God and anxious for a foretaste of that promised feast. And we offer thanksgiving not only for this meal, but for the guidance and stamina that God provides along the way.
Let us pray: God your handiwork is all around us. Forgive us for those times when we have failed to care for your creation. Forgive us for those times when we have cared for creation, and kept the praise for ourselves. Thank you for the many blessings that you pour into our lives. Help us to release them according to your will. In Jesus name, Amen.

Drive Through Church

2007-10-01T10:30:00.000-04:00

Togo Video

2007-09-22T01:03:00.000-04:00

One of the ways that the mission team to Togo shared their experience with the congregation was to edit the photos together with a song by Casting Crowns. It runs a little over 5 minutes:

Another new look

2007-09-21T16:33:00.000-04:00

For those of you that actually read my blog, you might notice that there is a new layout. I tried to do some tweaking earlier and the whole thing sorta fell apart on me. So, this is a nice clean start. I have lost a lot of the little side features that were here before - some of them will be coming back, and some of them will not. But for now, there is one new feature, on the left hand side under 'peace pods' are audio recordings of recent sermons from my internship site. Right now the only one that belongs to me is "Searching for the one." It begins with a skit that was written to help introduce the sermon topic.

Look for more changes to come.

16th Sunday after Pentecost C

2007-09-13T11:28:00.000-04:00

Sept 15^th and 16^th, 2007

Peace Lutheran Church

16^th Sunday after Pentecost, year C

Texts: Psalm 139, Luke 15:1-10

David Hively

Sooner or later, you have to make that call. And much like the character in this morning's skit, you almost begin the call with a sigh. You dial customer support knowing that you are going to be on hold. The best thing that you can do is pay close attention as you are given the choices, “press 1 if you have a question about your account, press 2 if you require assistance in setting up your new Uni-glom gizmo,” because the last thing you want is to finally emerge from the nearly endless hold cycle and discover that you have directed yourself to the wrong department.

You may also have run into this frustration if you have filled out an application, for a job, for college, or a home loan. The application wants to know your credit score, your SAT score, and all sorts of other information. Yet when you get to the bottom of the last page, even with all the data that you painstakingly entered, they still have no idea who you really are. They don’t know about the person who gives up every Tuesday afternoon to lead the cub scout pack, or the teen who passes up a Friday night party, just to study and keep their grades up, or the person who earnestly prays every night for the safety of loved ones how have moved far away. The real you is lost in all of that, hidden in cheesy hold music and little bubbles filled out with a number 2 pencil. Yet you are identified by far more impersonal things: your social security number, your drivers’ license or student ID, and that ever so valuable customer rewards card number – the one that gets you 25 cents off of garbanzo beans. But you are more than just a number, aren’t you?

In the Gospel text for today, Jesus hears grumbling from the Pharisees and scribes. They are upset because Jesus was eating with sinners. Why would a holy man do such a thing? Why would someone who has such a good grasp of the Law defile himself by interacting socially with the outcasts? After all, birds of a feather flock together, right? Doesn’t one bad apple spoil the bunch?

To answer their questions Jesus tells two parables with one theme – restoration of the lost one. First, he tells them about the seemingly reckless shepherd. This shepherd had 100 sheep, but then realizes that one of the sheep is missing. So he leaves his 99 other sheep behind in the wilderness, not the safety of a pen, to go out and find that one lost sheep. Instead of waiting for that sheep to find its own way back, the shepherd actively searches for the sheep – leaving the others to fend for themselves. 99 was not enough, it wasn’t complete. The sheep was restored by the actions of the shepherd, he went out searching for the one.

His next parable is about an old widow. And just so that nobody gets the mistaken idea that these parables are about the lost finding their own way home, the lost item in this parable is a coin. She had 10, but now one of them is nowhere to be found, and unlike the sheep, the coin could not have wandered away. But still image is there, the woman tears her house apart searching for the missing coin. And finally, the coin is restored because the widow went searching for the one.

In each of these parables, the caretaker comes looking for the lost. The shepherd does not leave the sheep to fend for itself or expect it to find its own way back. Nor does the woman give up on the coin saying, “It will turn up.” In both of these parables there is an active searching for the lost.

With all of this talk about searching Jesus introduces the Pharisees and scribes to one of the most amazing aspects of our God: the pursuing God. Each one of God’s children matters and he will go out in pursuit of those who are lost. God doesn’t play numbers games when it comes to his children. And when any of these precious ones turn up missing, we are actively sought out – not asked to find our own way back. Just as the shepherd sought the one sheep and the woman sought the one coin, ------ so our God seeks the one.

In a world where we are increasingly identified by some number or card, our God offers something different. He knows you intimately; treats you as an individual, with a value all your own. God knows when you sit and when you rise. He discerns your thoughts from afar. He has searched out our path and knows all of your ways. Before a word is even on your tongue, God knows it completely. And this same God will come searching for you. When that person in your small group or triad reaches out to you – that’s the pursuing God at work. When you have that ‘chance’ encounter with someone who offers just the words that you needed to hear – God is pursuing you. When you have had an awful day and you are driving home, tired and discouraged, and that perfect song comes on the radio – God is searching for you. He does not stand far off, waiting for you to get your act together, to sort your life out and find our own way back. God is searching for the one, searching for you, longing to restore that complete relationship to you.

Let us pray: God we thank you that you treat us like more than a number, that you come recklessly searching for the one, searching for us. Give us the patience and strength to listen for you when you come searching. In Jesus name, Amen.

Your call is important to us

2007-09-01T10:53:00.000-04:00

They say that moving is one of the most stressful things that a person can do. I'm starting to get a handle on why. Even once you compress your life into a series of small, easy to carry boxes, and then unpack these boxes again in a new location, there are a host of frustrations to deal with. The one that is particularly frustrating to me right now is trying to set up my utilities. So far, I have had to be on hold with the electric company, the phone and internet company, two different cable providers, and the people who made my wireless router. I have done a lot of waiting. I waited for 5 hours for my phone and internet to be installed. I waited for 7 hours for dish network to get to my townhouse and tell me that they needed landlord permission to install the dish and that even if I got that, I'd have lousy reception. Then I waited on hold with direct tv because their web site crashed just ask I was trying to schedule that installation. But their computers were down, so I needed to wait by the phone for them to call back sometime the next morning. Then I waited on hold with the Belkin (the people who made my wireless router) technical support. After being on hold for 25 min, a soft spoken person who spoke very little English informed me that all the technicians are busy and that he would take my number and a technician would call me back in about 20 or 25 minutes. Well, it is now an hour later and still no call. Of course, all of this is keeping me from getting to my bank and finding out why it is that the check card that they sent me refuses to work. So, as I write this I'm calling Belkin back on my cell phone, hoping that at some point I will speak to someone who meets two criteria: they speak English and they can help. But I'm not holding my breath.

Sermon on Luke 13:10-17

2007-08-31T11:04:00.001-04:00

David Hively

August 25 and 26, 2007

Luke 13:10-17

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

Let us pray,

Open our ears to hear your Word. Open our minds to understand it. Open our hearts to embrace it. And open the door, that we may carry it forth. In Jesus name, Amen.

During the time that our team spent in Togo we were privileged to meet a great number of people. But one of the people with whom I formed a special bond was Pastor Evie. This roughly 5’8” man had an always present smile and a heart that was overflowing with love for God and love for others. He is a soft-spoken man, but in that way that makes you want to listen even more closely for what he was going to say next. One afternoon, as the medical clinic was beginning to wrap up for the day Pastor Evie and I spent some time talking about similarities and differences between life on our respective continents.

Pastor Evie, like many of our hosts in Togo, had a rather idealized image of America. So it was hard for him to believe when I told him that there were many things about life in Togo that I wish Americans would learn. One of the things that I noticed while in Togo is that there were many unattended children. It was not uncommon there for children to be seen alone. They may walk several kilometers, unaccompanied by an adult to go to school, to the market, or just to get water. I explained to him that this was not the case in America and that parents, especially in public places like the markets, would never leave their children unattended. They keep them very close for fear of kidnapping.

Another difference that we discussed was a difference in people’s posture in public. As we traveled across through the markets and towns in Togo and Ghana we noticed that everyone had their head up and was looking around. There was lots of waving back and forth and greeting one another. Even when we passed by on the bus, often people would smile and wave. Pastor Evie told me that this is a very common thing and it was not just the novelty of white faces which drew people’s attention. As we quickly discovered in Togo, relationship is infinitely more valuable than time. So when you are out in public, and you come across someone you know, you stop, take time, and have an actual conversation. You ask about their family, about their work. You cultivate the relationship.

But in America things are different. Often we do not walk with our heads up looking around for people to wave to or to greet. Instead we have a different posture: head tilted down, eyes averted from looking directly at anyone. And the little voice inside you saying, “I just need to get in and get out;” “I hate going to the store, especially at this time of day, it is always so crowded;” “I didn’t get a chance to change after my morning work out, I hope that I don’t run into anyone that I recognize.” Eyes cast down, avoiding contact - hoping, praying that you don’t have to stop and talk to anyone. Weighed down by the heavy cares and burdens of society.

This is just the posture in which Jesus encounters a woman in today’s text. The text tells us that she has been weighed down by a spirit that had crippled her for 18 years. Could you imagine that? Going through life physically unable to look someone in the eye – to make that human to human connection? We talk about this as a healing story – and it is. But it is more than just a story about physical healing. It is a story about social healing as well. This disease separated the woman from those around her and kept her from experiencing the fullness of life and community. And yet, we impose this separation on ourselves. We “keep to ourselves.” In public places our eyes are cast downward, refusing to meet the eye of our neighbor. Perhaps because we are in a hurry. Perhaps because we are afraid. Maybe even because, like the woman that Jesus healed, there is something inside, weighing you down, keeping you from lifting up your eyes: some secret, some story you are ashamed to tell, something for which you have not yet forgiven yourself, something weighing you down.

Jesus encounters this woman, hunched over, bent low by the weight of the world – and for 18 years nobody was able to help her. And if the Pharisees had their wish, it would have been 18 years and 1 day. It was the Sabbath, the day set aside by God for rest. The rules and religious order of they day said that Jesus had no business healing this woman on the Sabbath, but Jesus saw something different.” Jesus does not see her as just another woman, as someone else who wants his time. He does not see her as a conflict between his mission of healing and the religious laws of the day. But Jesus sees her as a beloved child of God, an heiress of the covenant never to leave or forsake. Look at how he talks about the woman – “Daughter of Abraham.” He sees her as a person with dignity and value, someone who is loved by God. And he heals her. He tells her to stand upright, to lift up her head and for the first time in many years, meet the eyes of her neighbors.

I wonder how our lives would be different if we stood up too. What if we peeled our eyes off of the floor and saw just who God has placed all around us? What if we let God take that weight off of our shoulders? Sons and Daughters of Abraham, lift up your eyes. Straighten up your backs. The same healing power that was at work in that woman 2,000 years ago is still at work today. There is no burden to big for God, no wound too deep to be healed. Not only are you precious to God, but God has filled your life with other precious people. Other people whom God has blessed with gifts and talents which make life richer and this world a more wonderful place to live. Look around you and see the beauty of God’s creation. Lock eyes with your neighbor. This interaction, the spark that happens as two people’s eyes lock – this is the beginning of community. We take the first step toward the sort of relationships to which God has called us. In the faces gathered around us, we see the face of Jesus. We see the face of one who took on our frail, bent over form, and now invites us into a fuller life in relationship with those around us.

Let us pray,

We thank you God that you have promised to free us from our burdens. Give us the courage to trust in you and to risk relationship with your precious children. In Jesus name, Amen.

Togo 8/15/07

2007-08-31T10:10:00.000-04:00

8/15/07

Happy Birthday Kevin, sorry no birthday call this year.

10am I have spent much of the morning working on the floor of the clinic. The noise of the crowd can be very disorienting. With at least three different languages being spoken it is amazing how much communication actually occurs. I have learned a few French and Ewe phrases which help in basic exchanges. However, when the conversation gets much past formalities, I'm pretty well lost.
The Togoleese seem to realize that we will be leaving soon. Pastor Evie has joked that he is going to fly back to America with me. He wants to sit on my lap on the plane.
I am concerned about the women's conference later today. Some of the women are going and at least one of them seems to be itching for a fight. I will be really surprised if something doesn't set her off. Those who will travel this afternoon are meeting to formulate a message to deliver to the women's conference. They are going under so many conditions though, I pray that they will actually have a chance to deliver their message.

5:30 Today ended up being a very rewarding day. There were many children at the clinic today and they were younger in age as well. They also seemed to be more aggressive than in previous days - hitting and kicking each other. Maybe it is just a few that are sticking out like a sore thumb. Today, even more than other days the children responded very well to music - especially songs with clapping and motions. I am amazed at how quickly they have been able to pick up the words, especially since it cannot be much more than babble to them.
After we returned from lunch, we found that the situation int he clinic had gone downhill quickly. A combination of medicine shortage and line jumping had led to a huge backlog. With 1/2 the team, including Dr. Nancy en route to Ghana, this was a problem. Through an interpreter I was able to find out the source of hte problem and we went out to get more medicine. We also had to get security to reset the chairs for the people who were waiting to see the doctor since most of their chairs had been moved to the pharmacy line. After about 45 minutes and a fresh supply of medicine, order was restored.
As the day drew to a close, we ran out of ideas and energy for the children's ministry. Once we packed that up one of the older Togoleese girls took control and got the children organized and singing. It was a small, quiet group at first, but it soon grew to include nearly all of the children. They sang many songs for us, mostly in English including Blessed Be, Allelu-Allelu, Lord, I Lift Your Name on High, and Let it Be. It was a really wonderful sight to behold. I really felt like I had left them with something that would last longer than any material gift that I could have brought.
The ladies are still not back from Ghana, but I think we all expected that. Some people on the team think that we are bing lied to about times and distances, but I am really coming to believe that our hosts have very little concept of distance or time. I prefer to think that this is the case, anyway. I hope that these issues with time to do not translate into difficulty getting to our plane on time. There is not another flight out of Togo for three days. I am really starting to look forward to the comforts of home, and talking with Robyn and my family and friends again.

11pm Tonight we had an opportunity to finally sit, relax, debrief, and enjoy each other's company. In turn each of us had a chance to talk about the best parts of the trip and about our learnings. Many of the women who traveled to Ghana spoke of that was the highlight of their trip. We also talked about how we had fallen short in two important areas: prayer and cultural sensitivity.
Oh, right, the women all returned safely and with great joy. As it turns out, the distances and times were about what what was promised. Since they were meeting with the bishop there was considerable pomp and circumstance. But they were able to deliver a powerful message, even those with a fear of public speaking.
After tonight's meeting I feel very affirmed. I was thanked for my pastoral presence and my pleasant attitude. One person told me that I have patience and wisdom beyond my years. When i mentioned how I had learned that the things which happen in life but seem to be random are actually a part of God's plan, John said that I had the outline for a good sermon there and that he would like for me to preach that at Peace sometime.

Togo Journal 8/14/07

2007-08-30T12:17:00.000-04:00

8-14-2007
6:30am
This trip has gotten me thinking a lot about servant leadership. Pastor Guidi has done an amazing job of seeing that we, as guests, are served at every hour of the day. What has been troubling though is th way that he seems to have absolute control over everything that happens here. During worship he was like a Sultan, simple gestures and glances sent minions scurrying. There is a very rigid social structure here and the pastor is clearly on top.
As a group we have been feeling rather used. It seems like there is a lot of status to be gained for the people that we go to visit and that Pastor Guidi is using us to advance his own cause. By contrast we would like to spend time and develop relationship with these people. It has been delicate work trying to find an appropriate balance.

12:45
Today has proven to be an interesting day. I spent the first few hour making balloon animals for the children. It was a mad house. It was great to see all the smiles on their faces. They were very excited and kept crowding in. Some of the children were taking the uninflated balloons and trying to inflate them by mouth. This, of course is no easy task. But I really hope that I don't end up getting sick from using those balloons.
I was called away from the children's ministry to meet again with Francis. We spent about 30 minutes chatting, just the two of us. Then the whole group talked with him about the trip to Ghana. Last night, as a group we decided not to go. But our hosts did not like that decision and Francis and Pastor Guidi attempted to persuade us differently.
The group was of a divided mind on the issue. There were good reason to go and good reasons not to go. The debate continued into lunch, so we took time to pray. After some time in prayer six women said that they were feeling called to go. This was significant because some of them had been dead set against going just a few minutes before. They plan to travel with Peter as an interpreter. After some hard bargaining and praying we seem to have come across a workable solution.
The group is still bonded well, but patience with some of the cultural differences that we are encountering is beginning to wear thin.
After lunch I had a chance to do some shopping. I am having a shirt hand tailored from a fabric that I chose. It is going to be about 6,000 CFA which is roughly $11USD.

9:00
Today some people on the team seem to have really hit a breaking point. It seems that the relational dynamic has swung the other way. We have people who are laying out demands and making judgments from a narrow western perspective. We continue to have trouble separating our values from what is going on in the clinic.
One of the things that I discovered today was that this relationship between Peace and Togo was first established by the former Associate Pastor at Peace, Greg. There are a lot of issues surrounding Greg, not the least of which is co-dependency. From a Systems perspective as we have tried to establish boundaries and move from an enmeshed relationship, Pastor Guidi pulls back all the harder, trying to correct the equilibrium.
This afternoon we had a visit from the Deputy US Ambassador to Togo. I did not stay for much of the conversation, but this must have been a big deal. The people who did sit and chat with him were grateful for the time that they spent together and the insights that he was able to offer about Togolesse culture and the relationship between the US and Togo. One of the other things that we found out is that the Deputy Ambassador never travels outside of Lome' after dark because of safety concerns. We blew that one on our first full day in Togo.
This evening we broke into groups to visit the house church satellite locations. This was a very positive experience. I got a chance to see every day life and living in Togo. This is a big part of what I hoped to get out of this trip.
One of the big issues with which the Togoleese church is dealing with is idol worship and demon possession. Francis told me about people, who in the process of being exorcised displayed amazing physical phenemona: a bat flying out of the mouth , writing on the ground like a snake, and the like. The accounts seem fantastic but I don't know of a reason why Francis would not be honest with me.
I also had a conversation tonight with Pastor Evie. He told about how he used to be Roman Catholic. When I asked why he left, he said that he had started to read the Bible and God showed him that what was going on there was not good, that they were worshiping idols. My first thought was that he was speaking of statues of saints or Mary. But apparently the Catholic church has been endorsing some native tribal practices such as offering animal sacrifices to trees and rivers.

Togo 8/13/07

2007-08-29T14:42:00.001-04:00

8/13/07

Today was the first clinic day. We were to begin at 8am, but due to some complications the doctors did not begin to see patients until 10. there was a big opening ceremony complete with a visit from a representative of the ministry of health. He, John, and Nancy cut the ribbon and we were finally set to go.
Things seem to be going quite well. There have been some language differences and some complications in the pharmacy. Contrary to expectations there are five doctors, not two and three pharmacists, not none. However, the local pharmacists were unfamiliar with the powdered form of amoxicillin. They were dispensing it dry, but it needs to be mixed with 88ml of water. I'm not sure how any of these people are going to measure 88ml of water.
This afternoon I found out why I have been being introduced as Pastor David. Pastor Guidi took John and Nancy to do an interview on a live radio show. Nancy and John agreed that I should be the one to speak for the group and to be "in charge" in their absence. Though I have only today to call clinic experience the locals approached me with the utmost respect since I am seen as 3rd in command. So, I can say that for at least a few hours, I was running a medical clinic in Togo. But in reality, I was more of a figure head and all the decisions that needed to be made were made as a group.
One of the most amazing things to watch at the clinic is the prayer station. The local leaders of the congregation have selected about seven "prayer warriors." It is their job to pray all day - for the clinic, for the doctors, for the patients, just to pray. And pray they did - in a very animated, pentecostal sort of way. I have spent a good bit of time today in prayer as well. But I have been much quieter, playing guitar and praying the daily office from the book of common prayer.
I also had a chance today to meet Francis, the assistant to Bishop Legay, in Ghana. We spoke for a while about the similarities and differences between our cultures. In hopes of finding some answers regarding the questions that the group had raised about the comparative wealth of pastors in Togo, I began to ask him some questions. I told him about my time at David Lutheran where I was expected to wear a sports coat to worship on Sundays, but how I would never do something like that in Adamsville because I would not have been trusted dressed like that. He explained that pastors in Africa get dressed up for special events. Since receiving visitors like us is so special to them, everyone we met has been dressed nicely. When they go out into the poorer regions, they dress more simply, in a way that would not be out of place in that village. Here, in the captial, among the richest and most successful people in the country a pastor must maintain a certain public image in order to be taken seriously. I plan on sharing this info with our group tonight. I expect that it will help to ease their tensions.
While we were still speaking I decided to continue Dr. Powell's experiment regarding the parable of the prodigal son. He told our class once that in Africa, people more closely identify with the person in the ditch, the one who needs help. Where as western Christians tend to think of themselves as the Samaritan, the one who is offering help. However, this particular African understood the story in the "western" way.
This afternoon, while John and Nancy were away, a woman came into the clinic with a very ill child. A nurse saw the woman n the reception area and wanted to take her immediately but could not for fear of cultural ramifications. She suggester, however, that I, as a pastor, could skip this woman to the head of the line and that would be acceptable. So, i took her to the head of the line and the baby was seen a short time later. When she was done with the doctor, several people from the team gathered to pray over the baby. By th end of the prayer there was an observable difference in the child.
Today I also had a chance to learn a little ewe (pronounced "AY-way"). "Ay-fwa" means "Have you awoken well?" to which the affirmative response is "enh!"
10:15
I am continually astounded by the work that God is doing - on this mission and in my life. This evening we were able to sit down with Pastor Guidi and be clear about our expectations. This has meant canceling some events, but we believe that it will lead to a chance to have more meaningful interactions with the people that we meet.
Our plan is to visit churches in Lome' tomorrow. We are going to divide the team into four groups. One group will stay home and rest, John will lead one group, Nancy will lead the second, and I will lead the third group. We plan to go and greet these outlying house churches as representatives of Peace Lutheran Church.
I am so grateful for the time that I have spent here and all that I have learned about ministry and about myself. It is my prayer that I will be able to continue this growth once returning to the States. Tomorrow should be another amazing day!

Togo Day 4

2007-08-24T13:20:00.000-04:00

8-12-07

Worship today was awesome! Bill and I overslept and so we missed most of breakfast and I didn't get to shower. Good thing we are all loaded up with bug spray - that way, nobody can tell.
John and I were taken to the church early so that we could prepare. John got ready to preach and I began making a vase and flowers out of balloons. Some members of the congregation wanted to be helpful, but they spoke no english. I was able to mime the action of pumping up the balloons and pull out the color that I wanted next. It was somewhat frustrating, but it all worked out ok.
At worship, we were once again given places of honor and I ended up in the front row with Dr. Nancy, John, Leslie, Pastor Guidi and his wife, Agnes. Worship took a full 4 hours but it seemed to fly by. The pointed the fans at us and gave us towels and bottled water to help us battle the heat.
Pastor John preached a great sermon based on the life of Joseph. He spoke of how "chance" meetings are often arranged by God and that God uses these interactions to bless us or to help us bless others. Pastor Peter did the translating for him. He has a special place in my heart. Peter is filled with an unquenchable joy.
During worship we were able to offer a song. We sang "Blessed Be." The congregation seemed to catch on rather quickly to the melody, but the associated motions were just too much. It was a real blast though.
As worship came to a close we were all presented with sashes which bear American and Togoleese flags and "Peace Lutheran Church" What a blessing! These were all hand woven and very nice. I'm thinking about how mine might one day be transformed into a stole.
After worship we were greeted with refreshments - Coke, Fanta, and fresh coconut. After that we piled into cars and headed toward "downtown" Lome' There we ate a a tourist friendly restaurant. The menu was in French and German. Our translators had difficulty with some of the French words and it just so happened that those were the parts in the German menu that I was able to translate. Imagine that, using German language skills in Togo! We ate a very fine meal there with many of the luxuries of home.
After lunch we went back to the church and met with Pastor Guidi and the elders. They spoke of their thanks and of their plans for th future. They want to launch a radio station. It will cost them $35,000 USD and they expect it to bring in $4,500 USD per month. I like their big thinking, but I can't imagine that if a radio station were that big of a money maker, the market would not already be saturated. With those numbers, they will have made back the investment in 8 months.
When the meeting ended, we began the children's ministry with orphans and children from Pastor Guidi's church. We were planning on only having 30-40 kids, but there were actually closer to 400! So, on the fly we changed plans and put on a sort of variety show. A lot of the leadership fell into my lap because of my musical abilities. It was exhausting, but I loved every minute of it. It was great to have a chance to do something that I am good at.
When all of the children left, we met with the doctors for the clinic and decided how to arrange the space. We had lost of local help in setting up, so that process went rather quickly.
At the end of the day we finally had a chance to debrief as a team. There were concerns raised about pastor Guidi's desire for money and the comparatively opulent lifestyle that he leads when compared to members of his congregation. John explained this as a cultural difference not unlike our experience with the goat yesterday.
I spent the last part of the day talking over a variety of issues with Bill, my roommate. We have a lot in common, so he is pretty easy to talk to.

Togo Day 3

2007-08-23T14:41:00.000-04:00

8/11/07

Book of Common Prayer - Proper 13
Let your continual mercy, O Lord, cleans and defend your Church; and because it cannot continue in safety without your help, protect and govern it always by your goodness, through Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.

7:40am
Morning got off to another rough start. Again this morning the shower had only one knob. This sprayed COLD water, but only sometimes. The pressure came and went, came and went, then finally went, just as I got all soaped up. Not to worry tough. I finished my "shower" with water from the single faucet in the sink.

Missing Robyn :-( especially today.

11:15pm
Another long day in the bus. We visited 2 churches today. The first was in Pastor Guidi's hometown in Ghana. We were supposed to go there last night. Apparently they had thousands of people there waiting to welcome us. This morning's crowd was quite a bit smaller. Again we were welcomed with drums and singing and dancing. But this time when Pastor Guidi did the introductions, he spoke about how hard John works and how grateful they are that God had raise up a new assistant "Pastor David!" That was strange to hear. I had never considered myself to be an answer to prayer before. For the rest of the journey all of the Togoleese have been calling me "Pastor David."
In that town we also had a chance to meet the village chief. He wore a bright print draped on his body like a toga. He also held a staff with a huge gold something on the top, which was our cue that this was someone important that we should be introduced to. He was not a Christian, but he and the village elders came out to offer greetings to us just the same.
As it came time to leave the village we were presented with gifts of coconuts, bananas, soy beans and pears. We gave some gifts in return: perfume, purses, a soccer ball, and other children's items. As we were pulling away, we brought out of the bus a box of empty water bottles, hoping that someone would dispose of them. But the children of the village seized upon them and fought one another viciously for them. I'm not sure why they were so valuable. I have not seen any Africans drinking out of these bottles. Maybe it was just that the Americans had them. But this was a real reminder of the importance of dispersing gifts through the proper channels.
At the next church we met pastors from many places. They were having a retreat there. This church was in a more urban area and had audio amplification, a keyboard, drumset - the works! Our reception there was especially warm. During one of the songs Pastor Peter took me out front and taught me "African Dancing." It looks a little like the chicken dance. I think that the other David got it on video, but I am assured that I danced well. I suppose that there is a first time for everything!
When it came time to leave, we were once again presented with gifts. This time there were more bananas, coconuts, and also a live goat. The goat really upset some people in the group. It rode the whole way back to Lome' (another 10 hours or so) on the roof of the bus.
By now it was almost 1:30 and we stopped at a restaurant to eat. It is hard to believe that in just two days I have come to regard pop as a special treat. One woman cooked for our group of more than 20 people in a little tiny kitchen. The service was slow, but the food was very good.
Looking back, I think I made a mistake at lunch. One of the local missionaries in training came up to me and said, "May I have your email address? I would like to be your friend." What I gave him my email. What I have found out since is that these relationships tend to foster dependency and should be avoided. I guess you live and learn.
After lunch it was time to begin our return to Lome'. along the way a flat tire gave us a chance to mingle with some more locals. We gave the children a playground ball and were back on our way.
Border crossing this time was much easier and took only 1 hour. We traveled a little further to a major city between Lome' and the border, Parliament. Here we bough dinner and got the tire fixed. As we were waiting on the tire, I got a small taste of home. Gideon and Pastor Frank called me into an electronic shop where they were watching WWE. Gideon know John Cena, "He is a very strong fighter." I took their picture in front of the TV. It is one of my favorite shots so far. I explained to them that I have seen one of these shows live and that these are actors - the violence is not real. It was a special treat, and it made me think of Robyn, especially on our day!
I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings. I'm willing to bet that it will be another long day.

Togo - Day 2

2007-08-22T13:39:00.000-04:00

7am
There is an art to getting ready in the morning. You have to go slowly and think about your next move. It looks like it rained last night, which is good because it is not too hot out right now. Actually, it has been cooler here that it was when we left Charlottesville. The mornings here is very peaceful. The only sounds are the birds (including roosters) and the occasional vespa.
Everyone seems to be healthy so far. I pray that God continues to watch over, protect, and guide us.
From this morning's lectionary reading: Acts 1:8 - You will recieve power, after the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and you will be witnesses unto me, both in Jerusalem, and in Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

10am
We went to the internet cafe to tell everyone that we got here safely. John, Bill and Pastor Guidi went inside while the rest of us remained on the bus. We were swarmed by people trying to sell stuff. We were offered all sorts of stuff including some voodoo statues. We did buy some extra towels to supplement the one per room that the hotel offers. We must have looked like a gold mine - a bus full of white Americans. I'm so grateful for the protection of our Togoleese escorts.

11:45pm
Wow! What a long and tiring day. Breakfast "began" at 7, so it was an early morning. Setting the tone for the rest of the day, breakfast actually started about 7:40 and ran for well over an hour. They just kept bringing out more food and insisting that we eat.
We spent the better part of the morning running errands in Lome'. It was time-consuming but allowed us a chance to interact with our Togoleese neighbors. I spent some time playing guitar while we waited, much to the delight of the locals. They really seem to like "Blessed Be"
About mid-day we set out for the "interior" of Togo. This is the part of the country that is more rural and less impacted by western influences. After a long drive on somewhat sketchy roads we finally arrived at "Rock of Salvation" church. We were once again greeted very warmly and offered cold drinks and snacks. We did not get to stay too long, so after brief introductions, a greeting from John and a song or two we were back on the bus.
This time we were headed for an orphanage. I thought that the first church that we went was way back and on tough roads, well, the orphanage was way worse. I'm not sure how the driver got the bus through some of those tough spots. The children at the orphanage were thrilled to see us. The delighted squeals of child cross all language barriers. We had a chance to see the tiny space in which they have classes and worship. Though it was small, the view was outstanding! We were WAY up on the top of a hill overlooking the Ghana/Togo border.
When I say we were at an orphanage, that isn't quite right. We went to a place with orphans. But instead of having one central place where they all lived, each child lived in a different foster house. While this seems like a better solution, we found out that the foster families often do not care for the children well. Foster children are only allowed to eat after the rest of the family has eaten. And in a developing nation like Togo, there is not much spare food to go around. The leaders in the village are hoping to collect $400 to buy the land necessary to build a legitimate orphanage.
We had a very brief chance to interact with the children, they sang a song and then, after John spoke, we got out the parachute and played with that. It was controlled chaos, but a lot of fun. After all too short a time we had to pack up again and leave.
It really is a good thing that we had such a large breakfast, because that turned out to be the last meal of the day. We spent the last six hours of the day coming back down the mountain and trying to pass from Togo to Ghana. We had already secured Visas to travel between the countries but there was new paperwork to be done once we arrived. The Togo border wasn't too bad, but it still took an hour to get across the border. That seemed bad until we tried to enter Ghana. Again there was paperwork, but there was also questions about the nationality of our escorts and some bribes were necessary to get through. That process took another 2 hours. We thought we were finally on our way, then we came upon the checkpoint to get onto "Ghana road." That meant another 45 minute delay and another bribe.
During all of the waiting I had an opportunity to lead some worship songs on guitar. It is funny how context can give familiar words a new, refreshing meaning. We even discoverd that some of the songs that we know, our hosts know in French. So we sang "Father I Adore You" and then they sang it back to us in French.
I am very grateful for the work and the leadership of Pastor Guidi, who has been orchestrating this whole trip. God has brought us safely through another day. I pray that he will continue to order our steps and smooth our paths.

Togo Journal 8/9/07

2007-08-18T08:13:00.000-04:00

Togo journal entry: 8/9/07

It took us an incredibly long time to travel to get here. It was a six hour flights from Washington D.C. to Paris and a seven hour flight from Paris to Lome. The flight to Lome was also over an hour late taking off. But after traveling for such a long time, we were greeted with quite a welcome. At the airport we were met by the Police Commissioner who put us and our luggage on the fast track through customs and immigration. The baggage claim area was chaos. It was very hot and personal space seems to work differently in Togo, you don’t get any. Eventually, we managed to corral all of our luggage and make our way out of the immigration area where we were met by Pastor Emmanuel Guidi and what had to have been twenty people from his congregation. From that point on they wanted to do EVERYTHING. We were treated like dignitaries. They had a bus waiting at the airport to take us to the church. It looks like one of the busses that you always see in videos of people taking safaris in Africa. As we were loading up Pastor John (my internship supervisor) and Dr. Nancy (the medical expert on the trip) were interviewed by a roving reporter for the national television station.

From the airport we were taken to Pastor Guidi’s church. You could hear the celebration before you could even see the church. The top choir was lined up outside the church and we were processed in. They had been waiting there for us for over three hours. It kind of felt like the opening ceremonies in the Olympics. As we went down the center aisle, you could not help but be swept away by the energy and excitement that was present in that place. When we got to the front of the church they had set up two long tables for us. We sat down and were served bottled water, for which we were all quite grateful because even though we arrived in the coolest month of the year, it was still very hot and humid. As we sat and drank the singing and dancing continued. Then the real feast began. We first were given a variety of soft drinks. There was Coke, Fanta, a molasses based drink called Malta, and some sort of fruit cocktail drink. We were served course after course while the congregation sang and danced all around us. It was a feast! There was a salad made of minced carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, avocados and green peppers, fish, fries, red sauce for the fish, a fruit salad, and bananas. Along the way we ended up breaking almost every rule that we had set for ourselves regarding what sort of food was safe to eat and what was not, but in a setting like this you certainly could not turn down the hospitality that was being offered to you.

The part of the welcome that will stick with me the most is the two huge signs that greeted us. One hung above the doorway and the other hung in the front of the church. They read, “The saints from Peace Lutheran Church, Charlottsville, Virginia USA. Beloved we appreciate your love and care. Enjoy your stay and stay blessed. We love you all.”

Right now I am still tired and disoriented and it does not look like we will be able to get much rest based on the schedule that Pastor Guidi has set for us. I am really amazed by what I am seeing and I’m praying that God will continue to bless this trip and our work on it.

I am really grateful that we came as a group because I am not sure that I would have kept going on my own. This has been hard so far. There has been some culture shock to get over. We are staying in a “hotel.” This hotel is a lot like camp in its amenities. My French is coming along very slowly. I’m grateful that we have so many French speakers on the team. Along this journey I have remembered that I neglected to bring a few things. One was the team songbooks that I worked so hard to create. I have come on this trip as the team musician. Somehow, all of the songbooks that I made got left in the states. I also accidentally left behind the Togoleese outfit that I was given. I’m really kicking myself for that one. Many of the “professional” people that we have met have been very nicely dressed and I’m felling rather under dressed.

Back in the USA

2007-08-17T18:06:00.000-04:00

Well, I'm home! I had an amazing trip to Togo. Things were different than I expected, but I am not disappointed. I had a good bit of time on the trip to do some journaling and taking of photos and videos - all of which I intend to share through this forum. As for now, I am enjoying the little comforts of home such as flush toilets, safe drinking water, warm showers, and access to the internet.

Some things learned in my first 36 hours in Charlottesville:

2007-08-01T23:40:00.000-04:00

Not all Walmart stores carry groceries. To get anything fresh or perishable you have to go to a "super" Walmart.
Though nobody has come out and said it, I must have an accent. People keep asking me to repeat myself.
For no reason what so ever, pasta sauce costs 30% more.
I've forgotten how to cook for 1.
Unpacking sucks

More to come, I'm sure.

2007-06-13T19:29:00.001-04:00

June 12, 2007

Sampler Day 3

“God don’t make ugly.” That was what I overheard from the yard outside the church this morning. Apparently one of the children had called the other ugly. A third jumped in with that little matter-of-fact statement. It gave me such a great feeling.

There was an influx of kids at VBS this morning. We more than doubled in size. And honestly, that helps out in music quite a bit. More kids mean more voices. More voices and more excitement. I had forgotten just how much fun kids can be – and how much energy they bring to things. This is addictive. Kids are surprising. I came back Monday night, after not getting much of a reaction from the littlest ones and planned a bunch of songs that had motions, thinking that motions might get them more involved. However, just the opposite was true. I struck out again with the littlest ones, but the big kids were so into Pharoah Pharoah that it totally took me off guard.

The group is really bonding well. I’m not sure when it happened, but at some point today, they stopped being individuals and started to be a group. I haven’t noticed that anyone in particular always sits together or rides together in the van. That’s really cool.

I’d comment on tomorrow’s lesson, but I don’t have a clue what it is. I know that the animal of the day is a fish, but that is about all. I have started working on a sermon for Sunday. It is kind of ironic. Here I thought that when I did sampler this year it would be easier because I would not be preparing a sermon every week. But now I am preaching this Sunday and also the Sunday after the kids leave. So, yeah . . . so much for that. Speaking of that, July 1 will be me professional preaching debut in the greater Pittsburgh metro area, so if you call that place home (even temporarily) shoot me a note and I will give you all of the specifics.

Finally, it looks like being tired is going to just be par for the course for these few weeks. I was so spent this afternoon that I actually laid down for a 20 minute nap. I know that doesn’t seem like much, but it has been at least 2 months since I took a nap in the middle of the day.

This is such a blast. Don’t tell Pastor Ruth (the one who signs the paychecks) but I’d probably do this for free.

2007-06-13T19:28:00.000-04:00

June 10

Sampler Day 1

The kids arrived today. We have 7 Samplarians this session, 3 boys, 4 girls. None of them are from Ohio. It looks like it will be a good mix this session. Robyn is really enjoying herself and has made a bond with one of the girls in particular. I’m really pleased that she is enjoying herself.

The theme for VBS this week is “Great Bible Reef.” I have been placed in charge of the music. Of the samplers there are 3 who brought instruments, all the boys. So, we are the music team for VBS. I’ve never been in charge of a group of musicians before, so it has been a little odd stepping out and taking charge. But the really encouraging thing is that tonight we were practicing in a classroom across the hallway from May Schwartz, the church music professor at the seminary. Before she left for the night she stopped in to tell us how good we sounded and to invite us to come and play for her class later in the week.

Monday’s theme for VBS is, “God cares for us.” Each day has its own theme and its own animal. Tomorrow is a seahorse. We are going with the seahorse because in the seahorse world it is the male seahorse that cares for the young. This ties in with the Bible story of the day which is all about baby Moses in the reeds and being protected from slaughter.

I cannot help but think about the connections between the Bible text for tomorrow and the current situation of the African American population. Pharaoh was out to wipe out all of the male Hebrew babies so that the Hebrews could not become a political force and so that none of them would be able to take away his power. I’m not sure what the number is off of the top of my head, but there is a huge percentage of African American males that end up in jail or dead before they are 25. It seems that systemic oppression is not a thing of the past.

I’m pretty tired after today and it seems like most of the other counselors and kids are as well. Hopefully a good night’s rest will recharge everyone’s batteries.

A trip to Charlottesville

2007-06-03T22:47:00.000-04:00

I visited my internship site-to-be this weekend. I took a few pictures, but this is the only one that came out reasonably well. My head is still swimming with all that I saw this weekend, so in no particular order here are some thoughts:

I'm not sure that I could have designed a better internship site for myself. Maybe it is just the honeymoon phase, but wow.
Over our very first lunch, my supervisor and I were finishing each other's sentences.
I feel like I met a thousand people this weekend. I tried really hard to learn names. We will see how many actually stick.
Charlottesville is a little town that has a lot of the features of a larger city.
I cried in worship on Saturday night. First time in ages.
I was really taken back by how whole church seems to have latched onto the same vision: love God, love each other, grow in Christ, go in Christ. Pretty good for an 11 word summary, no?
I can't get away from Hivelys. Apparently, some people at my internship site know some of my grandfather's brothers and sisters and their kids.
I'm really surprised by how many of the odd little things that I, on a whim, have learned how to do are going to come in handy on this mission trip.

There is lots more. But I spent a long time in the car today, so the rest will have to wait.

Pentecost Year C

2007-05-28T22:36:00.000-04:00

I'm going to begin this morning with a parable first told by Brian McLaren:

Once upon a time in the land of boredom and drudgery, exciting news began to spread. “There is going to be a race! And everyone who participates in that race will grow strong, and they will never be bored again.” Exciting news like this had not been heard for many years. Anticipation grew as the day of the race drew near. Thousands of people gathered at the starting line. Most came just to observe, skeptical about the news. But others could not resist the invitation, arriving in their running shoes and shorts. They waited for the appointed time, stretching, jogging in place. Finally the time arrived and they took their places on the starting line. The gun went off and everyone knew it was time to run.

Then something very curious happened. The runners took a step, or two, or three across the starting line, and then abruptly stopped. On man got down on his knees and began to sing a song about how happy this day was for him. Another woman started jumping for joy, pumping her fists in the air she yelled, “Yes! I’m a race runner!” And she ran around giving other race runners a high five. Several people formed a circle and prayer, quietly thanking God for the privilege of crossing the starting line, and thanking God that they were not like the skeptics who didn’t come dressed for the race.

An hour or so passed. The onlookers began to mutter, “So what do they think this race is? Two or three strides then a celebration? They are treating the starting line as though it were a finish line. They have completely missed the point! “You know,” one spectator said to the other, “if they aren’t going to run, maybe we should.” Others heard her and began to kick off their dress shoes and slide out of their jackets. And they ran – passed the praying huddles, the kneeling criers, and the jumping high fivers. They found hope and joy in each step, and they grew stronger with every mile and hill. To their surprise, the path never ended – because in this journey, there was no finish line.

Our text for today depicts another group of people on their own journey. Jews were gathered together celebrating. Pentecost was a major festival in the Jewish calendar. In the Bible it is called the Festival of Weeks. It is a celebration somewhat like our Thanksgiving, with people gathering to give thanks to God for the harvest. Jews from all over the world were gathered together in one place. They had a shared faith but very different languages.

The disciples are there too. They are doing as they were told. They had been ordered not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the Holy Spirit. As the disciples gathered together there was a rush of violent wind and tongues of fire rested on each of them and then were given the ability to speak in other languages. Suddenly an entire mission field opened to them. All around them were Jews from many nations. The world is literally there in the disciple’s back yard.
So, Peter takes this opportunity to address the crowd. This man who once was not able to even bring himself to admit that he knew who Jesus was – now he was standing before a large crowd, telling everyone about the coming reign of God. We do not have a record of most of what Peter said that day, and it is too bad because he must have preached one of the most effective sermons ever. The sermon only lasted about three minutes, and yet a few thousand people were convicted by the sermon and asked to be baptized.
The Holy Spirit descended at Pentecost, making ordinary people into preachers.
Pentecost wasn’t just a one time thing. It wasn’t just for the disciples. The Holy Spirit has been promised to all of us. But tomorrow, when you get into the classroom, the office, or over the kitchen table, preaching can be more difficult. Nevertheless, by the grace of God, you are able to preach. As Peter says in today’s scripture, “All of this was predicted by the Prophet Joel. In former days, God’s Word was spoken only by the Prophets, a few charismatic individuals who are called to speak the truth, to speak up for God.” But the Prophet Joel foretold a day when God will pour out the Spirit on all, upon the young and the old, upon women and men, farmers and teachers, everybody. Everybody is going to get to tell of the mighty works of God.”
That promised outpouring of the Spirit, that turns otherwise quiet people who are not good on their feet into preachers, has now occurred. The Spirit is being poured out, and great is the company of the preachers who go forth into the world to speak.

I have spent the last year here with you as your preacher. But over the year I have been privileged to hear you preach as well. I have seen you collect canned goods for the hungry. I have seen you gather around your hurting brothers and sisters and uphold them in their times of need. I have seen you arrive early, stay late, and do those little things that you don’t think anyone would ever notice. The promise . . . and the challenge of Pentecost is that we keep on going, understanding that we have only crossed the starting line. We've started on a journey that will last our entire lives. And it is a journey that we do not take alone. Each step that we take, each hill that we climb, God will be with us - giving us words to speak and strength to be God's preachers in the world. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Farewell Adamsville

2007-05-24T17:35:00.000-04:00

Well, today was my last Sunday in Adamsville. It is yet another in a series of goodbyes that have been a part of my life in the last week or so. I learned a lot in my year in Adamsville, not just about rural living, but about myself. The people there have been very gracious and patient with me, allowing me to learn and to grow with them. I was always amazed how readily they accepted me and just how much respect came with the title of Vicar. And although I am a little sad to see our time together end, I'm ready for the next challenge. As to Adamsville, they are headed in the right direction. Attendance and giving are both up about 20% since I started there last summer. If they can sustain that kind of growth for another two years, they should be able to call a full time pastor. In the mean time, they will be working with an intern from Trinity, which is a step in the right direction.

Children in worship

2007-05-23T07:03:00.000-04:00

Because of some comments in class the other night I have been thinking about children in worship. Several churches have introduced what they call "children's church." Although there are numerous manifestations of this program by and large what they do is remove children from worship for a portion of the service and conduct some sort of Christian ed. There are a number of reasons why this is a dangerous idea:

It separates families during worship. More and more in contemporary society it is difficult for families to find time to be together. What are we saying about the importance of family time when we separate families during worship?
It ghettoizes children's ministry. In most congregations the primary responsibility for children's ministry falls to a small group of people. Are we prepared to thank these people for doing such an important job by removing them from worship as well?
It degrades worship. We worship the way that we do for a reason. There is a flow to worship. It stands together as a unit. We should not encourage people to leave for certain parts of worship.
Worship is for everyone. There are a variety of creative ways to include children in worship.
Depending on the timing of children's church it can cause them to be excluded from the Sacrament.

Please, let your children stay in worship, it is better for them, you, and for the congregation as a whole.

So yea, I'm back

2007-05-21T09:44:00.000-04:00

Greetings once again blog world. Due largely to some prodding Robyn I am attempting to resurrect (or is it resuscitate) this blog.

Things are rapidly coming to an end here. I have all of my coursework complete for 2 of my courses. The other 2 should be done by the end of the week. Look to hear more from me then.

Easter 7c

2007-05-21T09:42:00.000-04:00

Acts 16:16-34

¹⁶One day, as we were going to the place of prayer, we met a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners a great deal of money by fortune-telling. ¹⁷While she followed Paul and us, she would cry out, “These men are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation.” ¹⁸She kept doing this for many days. But Paul, very much annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour. ¹⁹But when her owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities. ²⁰When they had brought them before the magistrates, they said, “These men are disturbing our city; they are Jews ²¹and are advocating customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to adopt or observe.” ²²The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates had them stripped of their clothing and ordered them to be beaten with rods. ²³After they had given them a severe flogging, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to keep them securely. ²⁴Following these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

²⁵About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. ²⁶Suddenly there was an earthquake, so violent that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were unfastened. ²⁷When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, since he supposed that the prisoners had escaped. ²⁸But Paul shouted in a loud voice, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.” ²⁹The jailer called for lights, and rushing in, he fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. ³⁰Then he brought them outside and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” ³¹They answered, “Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” ³²They spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. ³³At the same hour of the night he took them and washed their wounds; then he and his entire family were baptized without delay. ³⁴He brought them up into the house and set food before them; and he and his entire household rejoiced that he had become a believer in God.

We live in a land of freedom. When compared with almost any other nation on earth those who live in this country have a wealth of freedom. There are many of our brothers and sisters in the faith who cannot gather publicly for worship for fear of repercussions from either their neighbors or from the authorities. They live in places where the news that they hear is only that which has been green lighted by the government. A simple trip to the grocery store or to work can mean crossing through multiple checkpoints with armed guards at each one. But we can live where we want, work where we want, spend our money the way that we want. There is no place on Earth that I would rather live than in this country.

Yet, I have to wonder, what sort of freedom do we really live in? We say that America is the greatest, free-ist country in the world, but how much freedom do we really have? I guess that depends on what we mean when we talk about freedom.

When I head back to my apartment, I park my car in the special lot that is designated only for students of the seminary. As I cross the parking lot, I greet the security guard who patrols campus. I enter the secret pass-code to open the exterior door, then use my individual key to unlock the door to my own little room. But all of this does more to illustrate my need for safety and security than it does to talk about my level of personal freedom.

Is this really what freedom looks like? Could there be more to freedom than the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights?

Even with all of this personal freedom we are still in a different sort of bondage, a bondage which blinds us to all the God has given us, and causes us to see only the despair of the world around us. We see only a world around us that is hurting, crying in pain – not a community of neighbors who travel through life unaware of the love that the Creator has for them. We see people scurry from appointment to appointment, filling every moment with activity as they try to fill a hole in their own heart. But what we miss is the opportunity to tell them about God’s overflowing love. We see our neighbors so caught up in other’s impressions of them that they have no idea just how much God cares for them. There is a world around us in need of God’s love and yet in our blindness all that we see are our own problems and shortcomings.

In today’s text from Acts, Paul and Silas are faced with a very real problem. They have been thrown into prison for casting the demon out of a woman. And not just prison, but the biblical equivalent of maximum security, the innermost part of the prison. They are in the deepest, darkest part of the prison, legs bound, behind lock and key. They have been beaten with rods, and now there they lay, with no way to tend to their wounds.

Yet, in spite of their circumstances, God put a song in their hearts. Even as they lay bleeding in prison Paul and Silas praise God. Though there were shackles on their legs binding the body, no one could bind their spirit. Their circumstances were difficult, yet they saw in the world around them opportunities to share God’s love and bring true healing.

On the other hand, even though he was the one holding all of the keys, the guard was very much in prison. He could come and go as he pleased, and yet he was far from free. His prison was made not of bars and chains, but of fear of retaliation. He was so enslaved that death was preferable to facing the repercussions from his superiors if they found out that prisoners escaped under his watch.

With God’s song in their hearts Paul and Silas exercised their freedom by staying in jail – because by staying in jail, they were able to bring freedom to the guard. They were able to see in him, the difference that God can make. When he saw Paul and Silas’ faith, the jailer was drawn to the source of their strength. That very night he and his family were baptized.

Our greatest freedom comes not from the land that we live in, the size of our bank account, or even the Constitution, but from Christ. The freedom that counts comes from our citizenship in God’s kingdom. With that citizenship comes the ability to see the world in a new way. We can see the world not as a set of problems to be solved or pains to be avoided, but as God’s own creation – a creation that needs to hear the song that God has placed on your heart.

So brothers and sisters, sing out! There is a world out there that is dying to hear you. You need not worry about the prisons of this life, because God has given you a greater freedom, the freedom to sing in all circumstances. The freedom to dance in spite of the shackles. And the freedom to take this joy with you no matter where you go in life. Amen.

Easter 6c Sermon

2007-05-21T09:41:00.000-04:00

John 14:23-29

²³Jesus answered him, “Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. ²⁴Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me.

²⁵”I have said these things to you while I am still with you. ²⁶But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. ²⁷Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.

²⁸You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I am coming to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. ²⁹And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe.

A few summers ago I volunteered for the church’s vacation bible school program. That’s where I met Benji. Benji was seven years old and he was one of those kids that NEVER ran out of energy. Benji, with the imagination that only a 7 year old has, thought he was a superhero. In fact, he had a Superman beach towel that he tied around his neck. And whenever he ran, it trailed out behind him and made it look like he was flying. It didn’t matter where he was going, he ran there. He ran everywhere. And around the church Benji had gotten a reputation for being ‘that’ kid. You know, the one that none of the teachers want to have in their class because he is so disruptive.

Some of the adults in the church had tried to get Benji to take off the superman cape, but he wouldn’t have it. That cape was as much a part of Benji as his hair and skin.

Two days later I came upon Benji curled up into a ball in the corner of the room. His signature cape was missing and tears were streaming down his face. He was inconsolable. Fortunately, just then his mom came into the room, scooped him up, and began, ever so gently to stroke his hair. Almost immediately Benji’s tears dried up and for the first time that week, he was still. Him mother’s touch had brought him peace.

Benji had lost his cape, his security, his identity as a superhero. It was only the comforting touch of his mother that was able to restore his peace.

Although we no longer dress up as superheros with capes trailing behind us, we still pin our understanding and identities on things that may not last forever. You are a teacher, but what about when you retire? You are happily married, but what happens when your marriage falls apart? You are a parent, but what about when your youngest moves out? You are a viable congregation, but what happens when week after week is filled with supply pastors? What do we do when that which defines us is taken away?

Our text for today finds Jesus getting the disciples ready. He’s on his way to the cross. He’s preparing them for a time when their identities would change – a time when that which defines them will be taken away. They were disciples, but what would they be without their teacher? What would become of them once their teacher has left?

Our text today is just a small part of a larger speech that Jesus gives to the disciples that Bible scholars call “The Farewell Discourse.” It is full of words of consolation and instruction. Words designed to guide the disciples in Jesus’ absence. He knows that he will not be with them much longer. Times of trouble are coming, so Jesus offers the disciples some words of comfort. “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Do not let them be afraid. My peace I give to you”

This is a very different peace than the peace that the world offers. The world hands us a superhero cape and invites us to pretend that we are something that we are not. The world invites us to pretend that we don’t need God and that we can make our own peace. Build up your bank account says the world. Find a nice secure job with a retirement plan. Find that special someone and settle down. But what Jesus knew about the disciples and what he knows about us is that we cannot make our own peace. That is why he promised that will not have to find our own peace. Jesus will give it to us.

Benji’s mother scooped him up, held him close, and let him know that she loved him. Jesus promises that we will never be left alone, asked to fend for ourselves. The Spirit lives in each one of us and brings with it a peace that the world cannot give. It gives us a new identity, one that can never be stripped away – people of God. As people who are loved and cherished by the Creator and held close, even in the darkest times.

When the world takes away your cape and challenges who you think you are - do not be afraid, do not let your hearts be troubled. There is a peace that far surpasses the peace that the world can give. It comes as a gift from God who has promised never to leave us or forsake us.

Easter 5c Sermon

2007-05-21T09:40:00.000-04:00

Revelation 21:1-6

21Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. ²And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. ³And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them as their God; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; ⁴he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.” ⁵And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.” ⁶Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life.

There are certain texts in the Bible, that when you encounter them, they can transport you through space and time. Whenever I hear the 23^rd Psalm, especially in the old King James translation, I am immediately taken back to the Sunday school room in the basement of Trinity Lutheran Church in Avalon, Pennsylvania. I remember Mrs. Youkers sitting in the front of our class asking us to repeat from memory the 23^rd Psalm. “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” And so we memorized it, one phrase per week, over the course of the year. Each class we got just a bit further. And to this day, whenever I hear the 23^rd psalm I cannot help but think of Mrs. Youkers and that classroom in the basement.

I suspect that if many of you are like me, this text which was read as the second lesson this week, is also one of those texts which transports you through time and space. And unless I miss my guess, it transports you to a funeral, because this text is one of the texts which is quite commonly read at funerals. That where this text takes me, to a funeral. This time, I’m standing in a cemetery, on one of the many hills that overlook downtown Pittsburgh, just next to the hole in the ground where we are about to inter the remains of both of my grandparents. Even as tears stream down the faces of those gathered, the pastor reads “He will dwell with them as their God; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; ⁴he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.”

I have to admit, that even as I wrote this sermon, and as I stand here today and retell the story, it brings tears to my eyes. I get chocked up because these emotions are still a part of me - a part of me that is still waiting for that sort of final transformation which is depicted in our text for today.

There are some wounds which are too big to heal on their own. And truth be told, they are too big for us to heal on our own. We might fool ourselves into believing that the wound has long since healed. That it is a thing of the past. And yet, when we least expect it, it is back again.

Some will try to hide from them instead. And they will go to amazing lengths. Some will turn to alcohol or drugs to alter their reality. But it doesn’t even need to be as obvious as that. We can hide in good things too. We can hide in our devotion – in the time that we spend on an activity. Throwing ourselves whole heartedly into our work, into grange or FFA, into school or our families, even into the church. Whatever it takes, just so long as it keeps us occupied and doesn’t make us face those haunting wounds.

We cannot hope to cause the sort of transformation that we see in today’s text. We cannot expect that we will be able to do it on our own. That’s what we have tried to do for generations. We have tried to take the place of God, insisting like a stubborn 5 year old, “No! I can do it myself!”

Struggle as we might, it is still there. Running doesn’t work. Hiding does not work. It only postpones the inevitable. The reality of our broken and sinful world is that there will be things that are just too big for us to handle. But that is exactly why this text is so commonly read at funerals, because it points to a profound and life changing promise. The home of God is among mortals. The home of God is here, in this place, in this time, with us. The Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the one who formed the universe from nothingness, and will bring creation to completion – this God comes and makes his home with us. And when God comes, a new creation comes with him. Listen again to what John says about this new creation, “And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. ³And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them as their God; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them.”

Ultimately, my grief, my wounded-ness, or however you want to describe that part way down deep where we store the things that we do not want to deal with will be made new. Your grief, your wounded-ness will be made new. They will become one of those former things, those things that have passed away, the things that our resurrected savior is making new. Our God makes his home among mortals, among us. God is at work in us. Taking those pains, those griefs, and those tears and transforming them – wiping them away. Thanks be to God who makes all things new. Amen.

Ash Wednesday Homily

2007-02-24T10:06:00.000-05:00

Today is a day that the church sets aside and encourages us to remember our sinfulness and to remember that we are frail, fragile creatures. We take time to remember our own sinfulness and our absolute dependence on God. The ashes which we will use later in this service remind us even more so of this sinful nature. The ash which we use is palm ash. And this is not just the ash of any palm, it is the ash of the palms from Palm Sunday. From the day that we celebrated Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The palms which were once waved with shouts of Hosanna have been burned and have become the ash which we now use as a sign of our own penitence. How quickly our praise of God fades and is replaced with sinful, self-serving thoughts, words, and deeds. This past year has given us more chances than we care for to remember how fragile our bodies are and just how fleeting this life can be. What’s more, our bodies will not last forever.

Yet in the midst of this remembrance of our frailty, we retrace an enduring mark. As a part of the order for baptism the pastor traces the sign of the cross on the forehead of the newly baptized and says, “Child of God, you have been sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever.” Today, I will trace the sign of the cross in the very same place, but this time, with ashes and with the words, “Remember, you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

Today we begin our journey toward Easter. The church calls this journey Lent. We enter this season, immersed in a culture that runs from recognizing its own neediness, its inability to be self-sufficient,----- its mortality. We try to hide from the fact that we need God and that we need each other. We long for security, for safety from terrorism and violence, to love and to be loved.

We live in a world of broken relationships, where families fight, friends fall away, and where for some, loneliness is the only companion. The newspapers are filled with news of lives lost in Iraq, violence in the Holy Land, and stories of violence in our own back yards. Our world is more shattered and broken than we would like to admit. We are no longer able to hide our heads in the sand and hope that danger will pass us by. We have death as our daily companion.

It's into that neediness that we hear the call of Lent, the call to return to the Lord our God, who is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. We hear the call from the Holy One who entered our human longings and limitations, who lived them all the way to the cross, and beyond it to the resurrection to new life. We hear that call as ones baptized into that cross, a cross that is the deep sign of mortality not only marked on our foreheads but etched on our hearts. The cross marked on your forehead will have faded by morning, but the mark of God on your life endures forever.

And so: we will walk out of this place wearing on our foreheads a sign of our fragility and our brokenness. And yet, we leave with something more than that. We leave with an enduring promise: the promise that God stands ready to hear our prayers and forgive the sin of all who turn to Him. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Some big big news

2006-12-12T20:26:00.000-05:00

So, I know that it has been a long long time since I posted. And for that I'm sorry. Since I've been gone so long, I feel like you deserve some big news as a reward for hanging with this blog anyway. What news could be that big? What could make up it worth you checking back in?

I'M ENGAGED!

Since none of you were there, I arranged for a video to be taken:

Since the audio isn't all that good, she obviously said yes. And for those ladies out there, I know that you want to see the ring. So here is a photo:

I'm really happy (and so is Robyn). It is another step along our journey together.

Old School Eat 'n' Park commercial

2006-12-02T14:36:00.000-05:00

If you grew up near an Eat 'n' Park, you remember this commercial. It brings back really fond memories for me. And so, I share it with you:

WWJD parody

2006-11-09T06:55:00.000-05:00

This video is very funny, but it is so well produced that it makes me wonder if it is really a joke. So, sad or funny - it is a good commentary on how some people would like to view Jesus.

All Saints Sermon

2006-11-04T21:38:00.000-05:00

I John 11:32-44 ³² When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." ³³ When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. ³⁴ He said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, "Lord, come and see." ³⁵ Jesus began to weep. ³⁶ So the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" ³⁷ But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?" ³⁸ Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. ³⁹ Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, "Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days." ⁴⁰ Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" ⁴¹ So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, "Father, I thank you for having heard me. ⁴² I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me." ⁴³ When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" ⁴⁴ The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go."

When we hear this story, we create it in our minds eye from the view point of the narrator. We imagine this story as though we were standing next to the narrator. But I want to challenge you today to watch the story unfold from a different perspective, from inside the tomb. Close your eyes and imagine with me:

You are there, in the tomb with Lazarus. Even though your eyes are open and they dart from side to side, you still cannot see so much as the hand in front of your face. As you lift your hand to see if you can make out even its silhouette, you notice that the only sound you hear is the sound of your own heart beating faster and faster. Feeling along the wall, you make your way to what you presume is the entrance. Someone has placed a boulder in front of the entrance, and you certainly do not have the strength to move it. You make your way back to Lazarus’ side. As your hands fumble in front of you, searching for some sign of where you are, they happen to graze the grave cloths. Then faintly, in the distance you hear something

There are people on the outside. They are crying. Not just little tears, but giant, angry, loud sobs – the kind that society expects of the family of someone how has just died. They seem to be growing louder and louder. They are not going away any time soon either. They are going to be there for at least a week, wailing, sobbing, screaming. Mary is there with her sister Martha. Their voices ring out over the others. But soon there is another voice, a deeper one. Jesus is there too, sobbing right along with them.

It is one of the most human pictures that we have of Jesus. He is there in the place where so many of us have been – mourning the death of a loved one gone too soon. Other places in the scripture make it clear, this was Jesus’ good friend, someone he loved and cared about very much. Here is Jesus, the savior of the world, the messiah, weeping loudly over the death of a loved one.

So often in this life, we shed the same tears. Tears for a loved one who was taken from us before we were ready - maybe even before they were ready, but definitely too soon. We cry for lost parents and grandparents, for mentors, teachers, coaches and classmates. And we cannot help but to shed a tear over the memories of the times that we had together and that we want so desperately to reclaim.

This grief can be so overwhelming, so consuming that it becomes a tomb of its own. It can become a place which feels like the end of the line, like some point which we will never be able to move past. And it isn’t just grief. These tombs are all around us. We just call them by different names. We call them addiction, depression, melancholy, gluttony, racism, fear. The fact is that our sinful world has no shortage of tombs. No shortage of places that cut us off from the living, and leave us feeling dead inside. This is where Jesus comes in.

In our text today, Jesus’ actions do not stop with weeping. He steps out of the crowd of mourners and calls for something radical. “Take away the stone” Jesus said. Take away the stone? It is an order that defies logic, culture and custom. Surely the stench would be overpowering. Not to mention the idea of coming into contact with a corpse and being made ritually unclean. Even Martha, Lazarus’ sister thought this was a crazy idea. But then Jesus turned to Martha and said, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the Glory of God?” And with a loud voice he cried, “Lazarus, come out!”

In one short sentence Jesus broke death’s grip on Lazarus and brought him out of the tomb. All that were there that day caught a glimpse of God’s glory. They saw the one who made the dumb to speak and the lame to run perform an even greater miracle. They saw him usher a loved one out of the tomb.

Jesus didn’t stop with Lazarus’ tomb. He has come to each of our tombs as well -calling us each by name and offering a way out. You who are dead to depression, come out! Dead to addiction? Jesus says, come out! Dead to the crushing loneliness of an empty house or a lost loved one? Jesus says, come out! None of these can prevail against the overflowing power of Jesus. Even death itself no longer has the final word. It has been crushed underfoot and made subject to our risen Lord.

In Jesus’ raising of Lazarus, we get a glimpse at what is to come. We have a foretaste of the final victory which Jesus won on the cross. We’ve had the stone rolled away from our own tombs and been invited into the presence of Christ. And maybe, just for a moment, we can see all of those Saints who have gone before us and now live in God’s promise of eternal life.

Ministry is dangerous

2006-10-16T11:29:00.000-04:00

I have said in the past that ministry is dangerous. I found out yesterday just how right I was. I had made plans for the afternoon to go visit one of the shut-ins (we will call him George.) I have never seen him in church and from the way that other people in the congregation speak of him, he is a bit of a recluse. I happened to mention off hand after worship in the morning that I was planning on visiting to visit George. Another member, Maurice suggested that it may be a good idea if he came along. Apparently, George doesn't much care for strangers and he thought that having a familiar third party may make things easier. I agreed and we met up later that afternoon to go visit George.
Maurice showed up right on time and told me that he would drive since George would recognize his car. With that we were off. George lives way back off the beaten path, but I rather expected that. What I did not expect was what happened next. We drove up the "driveway" and headed around to the back door. As we rounded the edge of the house, there stood George, gun drawn, and pointed at us. He started yelling something, but I couldn't understand. His words were slurred since he had no teeth left. Before I could even draw a breath, Maurice was yelling at George, telling him who we were and, (most importantly) to put the gun down. Apparently George didn't recognize Maurice's new car and thought we were intruders.
After a few tense moments, things calmed down. I was invited inside. It was clear from the interior of the house that he had lived alone for quite some time and that he was quite accustomed to making due without all of the trappings of civilization. He was very grateful that I had come to visit and brought him communion. I may go back to see him again before the holidays, but I'm definitely taking an escort.

15 months

2006-10-11T14:49:00.000-04:00

Today is the 15th "monthiversary" for Robyn and I. This is an old picture of us, but it is still one of my favorites. I say monthiversary because someone pointed out to me that the prefix "ann-" means year, so one really shouln't talk about anniversaries in terms of months, only years. Hence in honor of this momentous occasion, I have coined the term "monthiversary" But beyond any talk about what the official title for this occasion should be, I really am happy to take just a little bit of time today and tell Robyn in a specific and intentional way just how much the time that we have had together has meant to me and how much I am looking forward to all that is to come for us.

I love you baby.

18th Sunday after Pentecost

2006-10-09T20:10:00.000-04:00

First, I'd like to say, "I can't believe that I have led worship at my two churches 19 times now. OK, here is Sunday's sermon:

Mark 10:2-16

2Some Pharisees came, and to test him they asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” 3He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” 4They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her.” 5But Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment for you. 6But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ 7‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, 8and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

10Then in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. 11He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; 12and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

13People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. 14But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. 15Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” 16And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.

Mr. and Mrs. Charles Dewey have always lived in or near Chicago. Currently they have a house on the corner of Oak and Sedgwick streets. Although this couple was never able to conceive children of their own, they loved to have kids around. They filled their front yard with all sorts of toys and playground equipment, almost anything that a child could possibly want. All of this was open for any of the children in the neighborhood to come and to use whenever they wanted. For the children, it was heaven. There was only one catch. You see, the Deweys had fashioned a large fence around their yard and the only way in or out without a key was through a small hole in the fence. The hole was high enough off the ground that a child had to be able to stand upright to get through. It was also too small to let any adults through. This playland was for children only. This playground was a magnet for kids. Everyone knew where the Deweys house was, and just as importantly, they knew that the children were safe when they were playing there. Although they never had children of their own, the Deweys were a blessing to the kids in that town – and to the adults too.

The gospel text for today, the story of Jesus blessing the children, is one of the best-known stories in the Bible. It is one that is close to our hearts as well. It is an endearing scene, one that we can easily draw in our mind’s eye: Jesus, a great rabbi, the Son of God, spending time with children. In most of the depictions of this story you might see, the sun is shining warmly, everyone is smiling, there might be a butterfly in the air, a bird is chirping. Jesus is sitting down, a wiggly toddler on his lap and perhaps an older child or two standing just behind him, grinning ear to ear. As heart-warming as that image may be, I cannot help but wonder about Jesus words at the end of our text, “Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” Could it be that God’s kingdom is like the Dewey’s yard? Could it be that I have aged out?

To understand this passage more fully, it is worth remembering some of what we learned about children in Jesus’ time last week. In those days, children were not thought of as a blessing from God, at least not in the way that they are today. Children were thought to be completely unable to understand – incapable of being taught. In fact, it was considered a waste of time for a learned man to spend any time with children. Instead children were dependent upon their fathers, not only for the day to day needs of life, but also as a source of authority and instruction.

This story of Jesus and the children seems like a strange interruption to all of the teaching that Jesus is doing before and after this section. These teachings are becoming more and more counter-cultural and more and more troublesome to those who are trying to follow him. What are the disciples to make of all of this? If your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out; whoever among you wants to be great must become servant of all; it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom? It seems like Jesus has set the bar too high, establishing standards that no human can achieve. It is at this point that we hear the good news that Jesus offers with his teaching about children. What Jesus is telling the disciples, and us, is that it is not the children’s size that lets them into the kingdom, it is God.

Children of Jesus’ time, like those in our own, had no hope of providing for themselves or finding their own way in the world, yet God brought them through. That is why they are perfect examples of how one enters the kingdom, not by any act of piety or any amount of good works. The life that Jesus lifts up is a life that recognizes that everything that we have and everything that we are; even our very lives come as a free gift from God.

God gathers all of His creation into a family which he nurtures and sustains. Just as God cared for those who have gone before us in the faith, so too God cares for us in this time. It is Jesus who takes the children in his arms and blesses them. It is Jesus who invites us to place ourselves entirely into his care, and trust him for everything.

From all over the neighborhood, all over the world, Jesus calls to us, inviting us to step up to the gate to the kingdom of God. He has prepared this place for us. It is a place of warmth and safety, a place where joy and peace abound. And there is a hole in that fence that is just your size, prepared by God especially for you. On the other side of that fence is our loving savior waiting to take you into his arms, place his hands on your head, and proclaim for all of creation to hear, “This one belongs to me.”

More from Arizona

2006-10-04T00:57:00.000-04:00

Today was a much better day at the Healthy Congregations Advanced Workshop. Today's speaker was amazing, and when I have had a chance to process some of what he said, I will be reflecting on it here. Until then, I have more pictures, including the inside of a small Mexican restaurant that I found in Phoenix.

Healthy Congregations event in Scottsdale Arizona

2006-10-03T09:58:00.000-04:00

I've completed my first full day out here in Arizona. My body hasn't got a clue what time it is. The place that we are staying at is beautiful. I feel like I have fallen into a Speedy Gonzalez cartoon. I took some pictures yesterday as the sun was going down. I hope to get out today and take more. I have placed some of them in this post for your enjoyment.

Dancing Jesus, you have to watch the end of this video

2006-09-30T11:27:00.000-04:00


The Famous Dancing Jesus Video - only for consumption by people with a sense of humor, especially at the end.

15th Sunday after Pentecost

2006-09-18T22:22:00.000-04:00

Mark 8:27-38 ²⁷ Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?" ²⁸ And they answered him, "John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets." ²⁹ He asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Messiah." ³⁰ And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him. ³¹ Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. ³² He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. ³³ But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things."

³⁴ He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. ³⁵ For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. ³⁶ For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? ³⁷ Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? ³⁸ Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."

It will be 10 years next month. 10 years since the world lost the incredible heart, mind, and spirit of Henri Nouwen. Henri was a Roman catholic priest who was anything but ordinary. Based in New Jersey, he often celebrated Mass in a small red barn in a rural area of the state. He invited not only catholics to come and participate, but also protestants, and anyone else who was seeking God. Henri had a great and distinguished career teaching at Notre Dame and Harvard and publishing several books which are still in print today. However, it might be what Henri did toward the end of his life which gives us the best insight into the character of this man. Toward the end of his career when he was at the peak of fame and could have taught in any university and spoken at any college or seminary he chose, Henri laid it all down and began to work in Toronto at a home for mentally retarded adults. There he, like all of the other staff, was assigned to work, live, eat, and play with one person. His name was Adam, and if you ever have time, should definitely read the book that he wrote about the experience, Adam: God’s Beloved. What was so unique about this situation is that by being paired up one to one, Henri was able to help to carry Adam’s burdens, to lighten his load, to find his way in this world.

There are burdens in life. There are thorns in life. And then there are crosses. You don’t have to choose burdens, they just come. The sinful nature of our fallen world ensures that there will be no shortage of burdens to bear. You don’t choose to have thorns because they just come, and they are there whether we like them or not. But you do have to choose to pick up the cross. Picking up the cross is quite different than dealing with burdens or living with thorns. To take up the cross is something that you choose to do. It is said that to pick up the cross is to choose should the burdens felt other people’s lives. Instead of focusing on caring for yourself or guarding your own self interest, you choose to watch out for others. When other people are in need, due to their burdens and disasters, you choose to go and love them and help them with their lives. To pick up the cross is to choose to serve the needs of others and thereby to serve God. These actions join us in the struggle against evil in the world.

Harold Luccock, a pastor and theologian, wrote the following words about our Gospel text for today. “Taking up the cross of Christ is a deliberate choice of something that could be evaded. To take up a burden that we are under no compulsion to take up except for the love of Christ living inside of us. It makes the choice of taking upon ourselves the burdens of other people’s lives. Of putting ourselves, without reservation, at the service of Christ and the world. Of putting ourselves into locked struggle with evil, whatever the cost.”

Our Gospel text today is a hinge point in the Gospel of Mark. The 8 chapters before this point have told of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee. Now Jesus turns and heads toward the cross. He tells the disciples of suffering. Jesus’ road to glory will not be paved with well-wishing onlookers or throngs of fans just wanting to catch a glimpse of the Son of God. No, the road that Jesus maps out is filled with suffering, evil, and death. The Son of God descended from heaven, is going to die at the hands of humans, the very ones whom he came to serve.

It is not even humanity at its worst that crucified the Son of God but humanity at its absolute best. The death of Jesus was not the result of a momentary lapse or a perversion of human nature, but rather the result of careful deliberations from respected religious leaders who justified their actions by the highest standards of law and morality, even believing them to render serve to God (John 16:2). Jesus was not lynched by an enraged mob or beaten to death in a criminal act. He was arrested with official warrants, and tried and executed by the world's best judicial system -- the Jewish Sanhedrin

This is a difficult task to which Jesus is calling us. Nobody really learns how strong evil is if they give in to temptation immediately. Rather, by holding out, fighting against it tooth and nail, one moves to a place where they can feel all of the slings and arrows of the evil one. Here, in taking on the burdens of a neighbor, in picking up the cross, one gets a glimpse not only of the destructive power of evil, but also what God has done about it. Time and time again the report comes back, when we pick up the cross, when we help to shoulder our neighbor’s burdens, we see the power of God at work in the world, overcoming the forces of evil and all that would do us harm.

This will by no means be a simple task or an easily won battle. However, we know that the Lord of all creation has already secured the victory. Jesus’ death and resurrection have paid the price for our sin and declared to the forces of evil that their days are numbered. Though we bear burdens now, and though we carry crosses, the day is surely coming when all will be made new and there will be no more burdens. God is at work in our world, through our hands, hearts and heads - transforming, making all things new. To those who are thirsty, God brings water. Those who mourn will be comforted, every tear will be wiped from their eyes. Those who are suffering under the terrible weight of the burdens of this life, Jesus will obliterate crying and pain. In Him all things will be made new. And nothing, not even our very selves will be the same.

Another addition to the list

2006-09-17T22:36:00.000-04:00

Person #2 who should get rabies:

Dale at Best Buy. About 4 weeks ago I went to Best Buy to buy a laptop. I had done my homework online and I knew exactly the one that I wanted. Before I left for the store I double checked online to see that the unit was still in stock at the store that I wanted to pick it up from. It was, and so I set out for Best Buy. Once I got there it did not take me long to find the exact laptop that I was looking for (I'm smart like that.) This is where it got interesting. I stood around for 10 minutes waiting for someone to come and find me and ask something like, "Good afternoon sir, are you finding everything ok?" Well, that never happened. Eventually, I wondered over to another department and had someone paged to the portable computing area. This is when I met Dale. Dale couldn't have looked more happy to be alive if his hair had been set on fire and then put out with the concentrated urine of Kim-Jong-Il. I had a few questions to ask Dale, just to make certain that this was, in fact, the laptop that I wanted to buy. However, after just a question or two Dale became distracted by another customer who was in the market for a more expensive laptop. He literally walked away from me mid sentence and began to help another customer. Well, after literally stepping between him and the other customer in order to regain his attention, Dale told me that he was out of stock on the particular model that I was interested in. Apparently it was his job to tell the online inventory system how many of the laptops had been sold and he hadn't gotten around to it yet. Who knew that someone could waste that much time staring at Laura Croft's rear. Anyhow, that was the absolute end of it for me. I found someone else to print me a rain check (which by the way was no easy feat either, but not list worthy). So Dale, may some rabbit animal bite you squarely upon your loins and give you rabies.

Me and the farm

2006-09-17T22:10:00.000-04:00

Well, I'm about 100 days into my experience at two very rural congregations in central Ohio. It has been a time of huge personal (and professional) growth. I've gotten to see and do some things which are amazing to me (even if they are normal to people who have had more exposure to country living.) So, in no particular order, here are some of my thoughts/observations/reflections:

These people are incrediably tied to the land. Time after time I have heard them speak about how they experience God in nature.
Ties to the land run deep. One of my paritioners recently died. His health took a dramatic turn for the worse when he was forced to sell his farm because he couldn't maintain it any more and he did not have any family to give the farm to. He was born in a log house on that farm and that is where he lived until he had to sell the land. Someone else in the congegation bought the old log cabin in order to preserve it and had the logs hauled away one by one. Bill died about 1 hour after the last log left his property.
There is a certain "do it yourself" attitude which pervades the congergation. Every time something in the church needs to be fixed the men look around at each other, figure out who has the tools and the know-how to get it done, and by next week the problem is fixed.
The men run the congregation. There are no women on council. I don't know if this is a theological thing or a cultural thing. I suspect that it is the latter. However, I think that the church would do a better job of social outreach if there were women involved. At least maybe we wouldn't spend so much time in council talking about what needs to be fixed.
There is a generosity of spirit here that I have encountered in few other places. People are always looking out for one another (even for thier Vicar).
I've found that I have grown professionally. Even in the classes that I'm taking this fall, I'm coming at them with a more serious approach. I find myself bothered when people waste class time with stupid questions or trite observations.
Whether I realize it or not, I have been charged with a huge responsibility: climbing into the pulpit every week and declaring that God loves us and is at work in the world, transforming everything.
I'm amazed every week at how in the course of a few short days the Spirit can lead me from a place of confusion and ignorance to a place where I can stand up and confidently declare the things that God is doing to overcome sin in the world.
I'm amazed that the Spirit finds a way to deliver a message to the people in the pews in spite of all of my shortcomings and hangups.

This isn't everything, I'm sure that there is more. As I find words to express it they will likely end up here.

LIVING aUTHENTICALLY: By Accepting Weakness

2006-08-30T07:27:00.000-04:00

I hope you will forgive me for cutting and pasting an entire post. It is a habit that I have tried to escape. However, I think that this is a good article and, for me at least, a timely reminder.

LIVING AUTHENTICALLY: By Accepting Weakness

by Ryan Taylor at The Ooze

Showing off our weaknesses is never sexy. Can you imagine a locker room conversation at your local 24 Hour Fitness where sweaty guys are standing around after a workout discussing how emotionally or spiritually screwed up they feel? Or how about a water cooler discussion at work where someone exposes their desperate need to find some purpose to life? Doesn’t sound familiar? It shouldn’t in a culture in which we strive to display a polished exterior while living in fear of exposing the reality of the mess that lies underneath it all.

Henri Nouwen was an Ivy League scholar and priest who, in the last 10 years of his life, chose to work and live among a handful of severely handicapped people and give up his well earned success and effective public ministry. In Finding My Way Home (Crossroad/Herder & Herder), he shared, “What I believed I was doing was called ‘ministry.’ It was named ‘ministry of justice and peace,’ ‘ministry of forgiveness and reconciliation,’ ‘ministry of healing and wholeness,’ but there was disparity for me between the words and the experience. This experience causes me to ask myself, ‘When I work for peace and am as interested in success, popularity, and power as those who want war, what then is the real difference between us?’”

As a frequent reader of Nouwen, I have found that somewhere along his journey he discovered the ultimate value of living a life of authenticity and exposed weakness. Nouwen strove to live by the standard modeled before him in the life and teaching of Jesus Christ. To be authentic, by the standard of Christ, is to die to everything we hope people will admire about us and all personal desires for power, wealth, or public standing. All corporate and individual ideals of power and success were put to shame by a powerful display of weakness. When Jesus Christ died on the cross the popular appearance of might and power were absent. Through that display of weakness we now have the liberty to let people now see us for who we really are. God’s favor for us is based on the humility and submissiveness of his son, not by any merit or accomplishments of our own.

The apostle Paul describes the humility and submissiveness of Christ in the book of Phillippians chapter 2, verses 6-9. “Although He existed in the form of God, he did not consider equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, the name which is above every name.” (NRSV)

The 20 something culture seems to value or at least have the appearance of valuing authenticity. In order to authentically live authentic lives, we must put away our assumptions of what we think that means and examine the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. This Gospel is one that liberates us to not be afraid of one another and to speak honestly to each other about what’s really going on in our lives. Instead of desperately attempting to hide those dark times of depression, despair, and confussion, the Bible says lets open it up in our Kingdom communities. As I enter this last year of my 20’s I’m realizing that if we stop dressing ourselves up during those dark times and speak openly and open our ears and eyes for others, we just might discover that we are in the very presence of God.

The Dawn of a New Era

2006-08-26T16:13:00.000-04:00

Based on the example of fine upstanding men such as Steven Colbert and DJ Dent, I have decided to create my own list of people that irritate me. I'm calling it, "The People Who Should Get Rabies List." Now, before you get all bent out of shape, rabies is no longer a deadly disease. If you contract rabies it basicaly means that you just need to go to the doctor and get a few shots. It is inconvenient, that's about all.

And now, (drumroll) the first person to make it onto the list: the jerk who is in charge of layout at the JC Pennys outlet. This persons offense is at least three fold:

The store is arranged so that the men's clothing department is on one extremer end of the building. The fitting rooms are on the littoral other end of the building. While this in itself might not have been so bad were it not for #2.
Every aisle in the entire store has been clogged with bins of crap that would not sell in its normal position in the already overcrowded store. This means that each of the aisles which originally had space for carts to travel three wide have now become one way alleys rife with potential for head on collisions.
I appreciate the fact that they have created a section for the "big and tall." What really gets me is when this section contains pants with a 28 inch waist, dress shirts with a 14 inch collar, and t-shirts sized medium. Now, doesn't the section "big and tall" by definition exclude things that are medium?

And there you have it, the first name on the list.

My letter from the bishop

2006-08-25T22:14:00.000-04:00

I've mentioned this letter to some of you, but this is what the bishop sent me. I think it is supposed to pass for a letter of authorization.

Mr. David Hively

Dear Brother in Christ,

I am formally responding to the request to authorize you to preside at Holy Communion for the Adamsville Lutheran Parishes (New Hope and Zion), Adamsville, Ohio beginning June 1, 2006, for a period of one year.

I am glad that there are people, such as you, in our churches who can competently and faithfully step up to fill this vital task.

Yours in Christ,

Callon W. Holloway, Jr., Bishop
Southern Ohio Synod

Gotta love the bishop.

Pastor David?

2006-08-22T22:44:00.000-04:00

Every once in a while you see or do something that makes you realize just how far you have come. Two weeks ago when I drove up to the church on Sunday morning. As I passed the sign in the front of the church, I noticed that my name was there. And even more than that, my name had this strange prefix "Pastor." It is another one of those signs that I might be growing up.

New Look

2006-08-22T18:49:00.000-04:00

Well, after 2 years with basically the same look, I pulled the site down and changed it around. I'm going for a cleaner more streamlined look. It is still a work in progress. If any of you charming readers happen to be good at HTML and would care to look at my code and tell me how to fix some of the little buggy things that are still on here - you would be my hero forever. There is also more content on the way, especially for the bar on the right. If you have any suggestions for what might be good there, I'd love you hear from you on that too. Anyhow, I hope you like the new look.

Sermon for Chapel

2006-08-22T18:44:00.000-04:00

1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14

2:10 Then David slept with his ancestors, and was buried in the city of David.

2:11 The time that David reigned over Israel was forty years; he reigned seven years in Hebron, and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.

2:12 So Solomon sat on the throne of his father David; and his kingdom was firmly established.

3:3 Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of his father David; only, he sacrificed and offered incense at the high places.

3:4 The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the principal high place; Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.

3:5 At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, "Ask what I should give you."

3:6 And Solomon said, "You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant my father David, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you; and you have kept for him this great and steadfast love, and have given him a son to sit on his throne today.

3:7 And now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David, although I am only a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in.

3:8 And your servant is in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a great people, so numerous they cannot be numbered or counted.

3:9 Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this your great people?"

3:10 It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this.

3:11 God said to him, "Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches, or for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right,

3:12 I now do according to your word. Indeed I give you a wise and discerning mind; no one like you has been before you and no one like you shall arise after you.

3:13 I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor all your life; no other king shall compare with you.

3:14 If you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your life."

There were three men stranded on an island. They had been there for a very long time, when one morning a magic lamp washed upon the shore.

The men saw it and picked it up. The men rubbed the lamp and a genie popped appeared. After the genie rose up he granted the men one wish each.

The first man thought about his wish and made it count. After thinking the man finally said, "I wish I were back at home." Then poof, he disappeared.

The second man thought long and hard about his wish. Finally the man said, "I wish I were at home with my family." Then poof, he vanished.

The last wish went to the last man on the island. He looked around and felt very lonely. It took a while to think of a good wish and finally an idea came into his mind.

The third man said, "I wish that I could be with my two best friends," and poof, the two other men appeared on the island again.

It is easy, these days, to think about what it would be like be to change our lives in an instant. Television producers realize this. They make show after show where some person’s life is transformed in a ridiculously short period of time: Extreme Home Makover, What Not to Wear, and Pimp My Ride, literally dozens of other shows all center on one theme – rapid transformation.

Imagine that, a chance to instantly change your life in whatever way you want. It makes you think, if you were given one chance to change your life forever – what would you do? Where would you even begin? Would you start small - maybe master a Biblical language or two? Perhaps line up enough scholarships to make it though school debt free? Or maybe you have higher aspirations – you could use your wish to keep the United States safe from a terrorist attack, or solve the problem of third world debt. And let’s not forget the obvious temptation to riches, fame, and fortune! Anything you want at all, your slightest whim or grandest dream – accomplished in the blink of an eye. The opportunity that you have is almost as large as the dilemma that you face.

Our text for today tells of a young King Solomon who is visited by God in a dream. He’s given a rare opportunity – to ask God for anything – anything at all.

Now Solomon, the newly appointed king was under pressure from all sides. Hostile foreign powers were threatening at the borders. Adonijah, David’s oldest living son, had plans on becoming king, he even had the support of Abiathar, the priest and Joab, the military commander. However, David had chosen Solomon as his successor. And, rather than take this opportunity to put down any would be challengers to the throne, or to wipe the enemies of Israel off the face of the map, Solomon asks for . . .

Well, wait. He doesn’t ask for anything right away. He starts in a strange place, with a confession. “I am but a little child,” Solomon says, “I do not know how to go out or to come in,” which is a fancy Hebrew way of saying, “I don’t know a darn thing.” You see, Solomon begins by speaking of his own inadequacy and his need for God. He has been given a huge task, leading a nation of people too large to count. Solomon begins by professing that he is incapable of the task to which he has been called. Only then, when it is clear to Solomon and everyone else that he himself could not rule the people, he finally makes his request of God.

Solomon asks that he be given wisdom in discerning between good and evil so that he can be a good leader for the people. It almost seems like too small a thing to ask for. After all, this is no game show host making the offer, this offer comes from the Creator, the author of all that is, was, and ever will be! Surely he could have done something to sure up the borders, or solidify his position on the throne. At least from there he could use that position to do good things in the kingdom. No, Solomon asks for wisdom. His request pleases God so much that not only is Solomon granted the wisdom that he asked for, but he is also given riches and honor beyond that of any other king of Israel.

At this point in the sermon, if I were like so many televangelists, I would go on to tell you that all that you need to do is to ask God for wisdom and you will be like Solomon. That you can ask God for wisdom and not only will you be wise, but also rich and successful. But that isn’t the Gospel. That is not how God works. To quote my 3rd grade Sunday school teacher, “God is not some divine vending machine where you just need to learn what buttons to push and TADA you get what you want.” That’s what makes God, God. God’s not some genie trapped in a bottle that is somehow indebted to us because we rubbed the lamp. God doesn’t owe us anything for coming to church, caring for our neighbor, or even dedicating our lives to God’s service. No human being can control God.

With God, transformations are indeed possible. Solomon is just one example of the mighty things that God can do in the life of an ordinary person. However, it is God, not Solomon who causes the transformation. Through God’s grace the people of Israel were given a leader with wisdom like no other. Through God’s grace, Solomon was able, in spite of his inexperience, to lead the people of Israel. And through God’s grace we are also being transformed. We need not wait until the day we stumble upon a mythical magic lamp, or find ourselves on some reality makeover show. The Lord of all creation is at work is us, equipping us with all that we need for the ministry to which we have each been called. Amen

Today's Special

2006-08-08T18:27:00.000-04:00

Ah, the good old days. Do you remember these guys? They were on just before David the Gnome. I don't have any real reason for posting them. So take that.

9th Sunday after Pentecost

2006-08-06T23:42:00.000-04:00

John 6:24-35 ²⁴ So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus. ²⁵ When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?" ²⁶ Jesus answered them, "Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. ²⁷ Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal." ²⁸ Then they said to him, "What must we do to perform the works of God?" ²⁹ Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent." ³⁰ So they said to him, "What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? ³¹ Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'" ³² Then Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. ³³ For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." ³⁴ They said to him, "Sir, give us this bread always." ³⁵ Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

When I was in high school, I would frequently earn some extra money by baby sitting for one of my teachers. Her husband was a lawyer and they lived in one of the newly built sub-divisions in the fashionable part of town. She had a son JJ. He was the apple his parents’ eye, and he had pretty much had every toy you could think of. He had one of those battery powered child size cars with the camouflage paint. He could cruise up and down the asphalt driveway driving his little heart out. That is, of course, until he got bored and wanted to move on to the next thing. From the battery powered car to the pool table, to the video game system, to the computer, to the pinball machine, to the legos, on and on and on. Now, I tried to give JJ his space and let him play with his toys, but I still needed to keep an eye on him so I would try to find something else in the area that seemed interesting, and occupy myself with that while JJ was playing with the toy of his choice. However, the strangest thing kept happening. Every time he saw me having fun with some toy, he would put down what he was playing with, come over to me, and begin playing with whatever I had. The first time I didn’t think much of it, but when it happened over and over again, I began to notice the pattern. Soon enough it dawned on me that it wasn’t the quality of the toy that was drawing JJ’s attention, it was the fact that I was playing with it. He had no lack of toys, but he was most interested in the toy that someone else was enjoying.

It was a phenomenon that I would go on to witness many times as I worked with children: one child picks up a toy and begins to play with it, suddenly that toy becomes the hottest imaginable commodity, the priceless object that all of the other children simply must have. Fortunately, this is a phase that most people grow out of as they learn about sharing, taking turns, and respecting the feelings of others. To borrow a line from the Rolling Stones, “you can’t always get what you want.” Besides being a great song, it is a fact of life that adults have to live with, we can’t always get what we want. We may want a new truck, or a more understanding boss, or even to catch the eye of that certain someone, but that refrain remains, you can’t always get what you want.

Our gospel text for today picks up just after Jesus fed the 5,000 and then crossed over to the other side of the sea. The crowd has followed him over there, yet they act surprised to find Jesus there. They come to Jesus asking to be fed again. In Jesus, it seems, that these people have found someone who is able to provide food for them out of thin air. Nothing like this has been seen since the days long before when their ancestors were given manna from heaven for food. But the people are following Jesus, not because they realize that he is the Messiah, the very incarnation of God walking among them. No, they follow because they want food.

My dad is fond of telling the story of one summer that he spent on Uncle T.A.’s farm. He learned a lot about farming that summer, mostly through the chores that TA assigned him. One of these chores was feeding Bear. Bear was a great big mut of a dog. On all fours he stood waist high, but when he reared up on his hind legs he was nearly 6 foot. This was the kind of dog that children could ride around the yard. After about a month and a half of work around the farm my dad had developed a strong bond with Bear. One evening uncle TA and my dad started wrestling in the yard. It wasn’t anything serious, they were just playing around, but Bear began to bark and growl at TA. His loyalty was clear, he was out to defend the one who made sure that he got fed.

Like Bear, the crowd in our lesson today is interested in Jesus only because he could provide for their physical well being. They come to Jesus hoping for bread, but you can’t always get what you want. Sometimes what God has in mind is better. What they get instead is not simply bread, it is the bread of life.

This bread that Jesus offers is not ordinary bread. Jesus says that those who eat this bread will never be hungry. This sounds like an appealing offer to someone who is out to satisfy their physical hunger, but they misunderstand – much like the Samaritan woman at the well from a few chapters earlier who wanted never to have to return to that well to draw water. You can’t always get what you want, but sometimes you find, you get what you need. Like the crowd that followed Jesus, and the Samaritan woman at the well, we all have things that we want from God. Experience has taught us that we do not always get everything we want. We don’t even get everything that we pray for. You may not get what you want, but you will get what you need.

Jesus has promised us the bread of life and living water. This means far more than satisfying our hunger and quenching our thirst – it means providing for all of our needs. This is what we ask for in the Lord’s prayer when we ask God to give us our daily bread. Not just that we would have enough food to eat, but that God would sustain us by providing all that we need for this life. Providing a place to live, enough to eat and drink, clothes to wear, and a group of people who love and care for you. You can’t always get what you want, but you’ll get what you need.

And in addition to all of that, God has given us a way to experience His presence, in a simple meal of wine and bread, Jesus’ body and blood poured out on the cross to save the world from sin. When we gather around the Lord’s Table we are united not only with each other in this congregation – we are united with all believers across creation and with God himself. God has made a new day today, and drawn us together as a congregation. Jesus says to us the same words which he spoke to the crowd so long ago, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” And so today, you are invited, yet again to come forward to this Table and feast. You might find – you get what you need.

The fastest garden ever

2006-07-26T22:11:00.000-04:00

Today was a truly strange day. We took the sampler kids to a program for children ages 1-6 who have mental retardation or developmental disorders which was run by the county. It is a great program in an amazing facility. They had a special activity today. All of the kids got to come outside to the community garden and pick fresh veggies from the garden. There was only one problem with this plan . . . there were no veggies in the garden to pick - that is until we got there. All of the sampler kids were responsible for planting veggies in the garden. Now, you might be asking yourself, "If the veggies were planted this morning, and the kids are coming to pick the veggies this morning, how exactly is that going to work?" The answer is simple: go to the grocery store, buy some already grown veggies, remove them from their packaging, and then dig holes and plant them in the ground. In fact, it doesn't matter if it is something which grows in the ground to begin with, bury it all and we will have the kids dig it up. But the best part is that wasn't even the end of it. They staff didn't get enough veggies for all of the kids to pick up one of everything. So, we had them place the newly "picked"veggies into a basket which was promptly emptied and the veggies were re-positioned so that the next wave of bright eyed youngsters could come out and have their turn. It was incredibly surreal. I mean, on some level I get the point. You want to teach these kids that food comes from someplace before it gets to the grocery store, but still . . . this was all just a little much for me.

Open Thoughts:

2006-07-17T23:50:00.000-04:00

So, I've had a bunch of different ideas floating around in my head for the last few days/weeks and I figure that it is about time that I get them down in written form, and what better forum than my blog. So, in no particular order:

If Hank Langknect is right then the basis of faith is not the Bible, it is the experience of the love of God as revealed in Word and sacrament and testified to by the community of faith.

The Bible then is to be valued, not because it is infallible, but because it is a written record of how our ancestors in the faith experienced the faithfulness and love of God

The way to meaningful evangelism is through "spiritual friendships."

Conversions by the four spiritual laws might produce a one time high, but the high soon wears off and the new believer is left without much direction
Believers would do well to leave their "holy huddles" and make friends in secular society.
It is the Spirit who does the converting, not us.
We are called to live IN the world.

Instead of thinking of faith as a building, on a foundation. It might be better to think of faith as a spiderweb.

The main parts of the web are anchored onto things which last
There is an understanding that even things which we expect to last will some times fade away. Instead of an entire building falling because the foundation has a crack, a web could be easily fixed by anchoring to something new.

Jesus spoke often about ordinary people being "entrusted" with the kingdom of God. We are all given the ministry of reconciliation, not only announcing that we have been reconciled to God through Christ Jesus, but also that we are to be reconciled to one another.

There you have it, the things which have been swirling around in my mind and may eventually make it out into some sort of theologically sound, well reasoned form. Until then, what you see is what you get.

2006-07-17T23:08:00.000-04:00

Pentecost 6b

New Hope and Zion Lutheran

Mark 6:14-29 ¹⁴ King Herod heard of it, for Jesus' name had become known. Some were saying, "John the baptizer has been raised from the dead; and for this reason these powers are at work in him." ¹⁵ But others said, "It is Elijah." And others said, "It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old." ¹⁶ But when Herod heard of it, he said, "John, whom I beheaded, has been raised." ¹⁷ For Herod himself had sent men who arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because Herod had married her. ¹⁸ For John had been telling Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." ¹⁹ And Herodias had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him. But she could not, ²⁰ for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he protected him. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed; and yet he liked to listen to him. ²¹ But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and for the leaders of Galilee. ²² When his daughter Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl, "Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it." ²³ And he solemnly swore to her, "Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom." ²⁴ She went out and said to her mother, "What should I ask for?" She replied, "The head of John the baptizer." ²⁵ Immediately she rushed back to the king and requested, "I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter." ²⁶ The king was deeply grieved; yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he did not want to refuse her. ²⁷ Immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard with orders to bring John's head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, ²⁸ brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother. ²⁹ When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.

There are certain days that you will remember forever. They are shockers, bombshells, news which seems to come out of nowhere and change your world forever. For you, one such day might be November 22, 1963 – the day President Kennedy was shot. Maybe it is November 9^th, 1989 – the day that the Berlin Wall fell, signaling the beginning of the end for communism in Europe. Maybe for you it is Sept 11^th, 2001, the day that airplanes were turned into bombs and used to take out American landmarks. Some of these days which are burnt into our memory are good days. We remember fondly where we where when Neil Armstrong landed on the moon, or when Lance Armstrong won the tour de France for the 7^th time. But those memories are carved along side of the time when Martin Luther King Jr. as assassinated, when race riots broke out in LA following the Rodney King verdict, and when Hurricane Katrina lefts hundreds of thousands of people without basic necessities and put an entire city under water. These national disasters and triumphs are then blended in with our own personal triumphs and tragedies – the death of a parent or grandparent, a high school graduation, a new baby in the family, or a teenager – hit by a drunk driver. Each one of these events changes us – shapes us into the person that we are today.

In the gospel text for today Mark, through the eyes of Herod – looks back at a life changing event in the history of the emerging Christian church. Now this is not the Herod who was a part of the Christmas story – the one who ordered that all of the Hebrew babies under 2 years old be killed. That Herod has already died and the Herod in this story – Herod Antipas was one of his four sons. The occasion for this reflection, however does not get much coverage in the text for today. Herod has been getting word of all of the healings and miracles that Jesus is performing. He is becoming rather popular and some are even claiming that this holy man from Nazareth might just be the promised Messiah who will overthrow the Roman rule. All of this causes Herod to think back in his own history to the last time he dealt with a holy man who was gaining popular support – John the Baptist.

Through Mark we have a flashback to a night when Herod threw a particularly wild party. The alcohol and the good times were flowing. All the while, John the Baptist is sitting in jail. He is there because he outraged Herod’s new wife by saying publically that she should not be with Herod. You see, she was already married to Herod’s brother, Phillip and she had a daughter by him, Herodias. If the queen had her way, John would have been killed. However, Herod liked to listen to John speak, even though he was puzzling, so instead of having him killed, Herod had John arrested and put into prison. At the party that night, Herod had arranged for entertainment. Herodias, his step-daughter and niece was there to dance for Herod and his friends. The text is unclear as to the precise nature of this dance, some scholars have proposed that it was a sexually suggestive dance – we cannot know for certain, but we do know that it pleased Herod and his guests very much. To show his appreciation Herod offers to give the girl anything she wants. I suspect that this offer caught her off guard, because she has to go home and consult with her mother before she makes a decision. Seeing her opportunity the queen has Herodias ask for the death of John the Baptist. The text tells us that Herod was deeply grieved at this request, but because of the oath that he made to her, he complied with her wishes.

While I am certain that Herod learned several lessons that night, he should also have learned that you cannot kill a movement by killing its leader. The people still believed in John and the message that he carried about the coming of the Messiah. His message did not die with him, in fact, it seems only to have grown because of John’s death. Perhaps it is for this reason, that when Herod encounters Jesus in Luke’s passion narrative, he wants nothing to do with the death of another holy man. And besides, he has already learned his lesson – you cannot kill a movement by killing its leader.

Like Herod, we too have occasion to look back over our lives and the choices that we have made. We can look back and see the places where we have fallen short and let down all of those around us, even God. Sometimes we find the error in our ways, learn from the mistake, and do better next time. Other times we foolishly follow the same path which got us into trouble before. However, when we look back at the actions and events which define our lives we find that one single event has a greater impact than any of the others - that Easter Sunday when Jesus was raised from the dead. We find that, as our lesson from Ephesians points out, we have been adopted into God’s family and saved from the deadly power of sin. God has chosen us and made us God’s own. We belong to God and there is no power on this earth or below it that can change that reality. No vindictive queen, no drunk king, no foolish dancing girl, not even the grave itself can tear us away from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Amen.

The wall that made me remember

2006-07-15T00:57:00.000-04:00

One of the things that we did with the samplers today was drive them downtown to the state capital. In front of the building there are two monuments to those who are Ohio natives who have served in the armed forces. The memorial itself is comprised of letters home from soldiers in all of the wars from WWI to Desert Storm. Some of them are sweet love letters to a girlfriend left behind. Some are "that letter" that nobody wants to write or mail. One of the letters was even from the Secretary of the Army informing a family that their son had been killed in action and instructing them not to release his position or assignment since it could aid the enemy. Reading all of those letters took me straight back to second and third grade while my dad was away in Desert Storm. He told us all that he was safe the whole time, and I believe him, but I really felt for those families. It really makes you think about the cost of war, not in terms of dollars and cents, but in terms of the human toll that it takes, even on the homefront.

After we were done at the wall we headed over to faith mission. This is a housing and job assisstance program which is also a soup kitchen. They do great work there, but it is a never ending stream of needy people who come through their doors. The thing that was weird to me was that for the second day in a row I ended up having a conversation with someone who was very disenfranchised. "They'll come in here like a bunch of animals" she told me, "I don't know where they get the nerve." I really wanted to ask her why she volunteered there if she was so disgusted by what she saw, but that didn't really seem appropriate.

This group of kids is different. They have bonded well as a group, and since there are fewer of them, they are less work to "watch." But the fundamental makeup of this group seems to be different. The last session was filled with all of the church overachievers, the ones who did everything in the church. That doesn't seem to hold true for this group. For some reason in this session I'm really getting the feeling that the kids are getting to "sample" different kinds of ministries, which I think is supposed to be the idea.

I'm really missing Robyn and I can't wait until we are both back in Columbus together. Things just seem to be easier to deal with when she is around. 369 days and counting!

1 year later

2006-07-11T23:30:00.000-04:00

Today was kinda strange. It was kind of like my own personal holiday. It was special to me and I felt like celebrating, but to everyone else it was just another day. Robyn and I were able to talk on the phone for a good chunk of time today, which was really nice. If we can't actually be together today, getting a long phone call in makes for a decent consolation prize.

A lot of cool stuff happened today, but I'm going to have to postpone any discussion of that until another time because I am responsible for leading devotions in the morning and I am not sure what I am going to do just yet. Since that is a few short hours away, I'm going to get cracking.

7.10.06

2006-07-10T23:15:00.000-04:00

Things went better today at Mid-Ohio workers association than expected. I did get one of my questions answered (sort of). I wanted to know why they spend so much time and energy duplicating the efforts that other organizations (like food banks) already do. The answer apparently is that they are not registered as a 501C3 organization and those groups only do business with 501C3s. Apparently they prefer to be listed as a membership organization even though the money that they take in as membership dues makes up some single-digit portion of their income. It just seems like poor stewardship of resources to me.

We spent our time at MWA cleaning and organizing the clothing which has been donated to them which they turn around and sell (for 10 cents a garment) to their members. Some of the stuff was nice, but once again, it seems like a misplaced effort. I have to give them some credit though. The people that run this program do it completely as volunteers. They draw no salary and they count on the kindness of others in order to survive. That means that they are placing themselves in the same boat as those whom they are trying to serve. I think that might be the most meaningful thing that I took away from there, just how closely the leadership stands in solidarity with the membership.

In class today Dr Hughes showed us "Pay it Forward." This was a good movie, but I'm not sure where exactly she was going with some of the comments that she made afterward. I hope that she will do some explaining in the next class because I took a straw poll and I wasn't the only one lost.

**Random aside: I have been drinking a TON of fluids lately. I don't really know what is going on with that, it just seems like I am ALWAYS thirsty.**

All of this has been well and good, but I have been spending a lot of time thinking about Robyn. It is our 1 year anniversary tomorrow. This is officially the longest relationship that I have ever been in. In some ways it is hard to believe that a whole year has come and gone already. In other ways it seems like we have been through so much together that we couldn't have fit it all into a single year. Anyway, I know that I am so much happier and my life is more complete because Robyn is a part of it. It sounds cheesy, but it really is true. 364 down and a lifetime to go!

7.9.06

2006-07-09T20:22:00.000-04:00

The first day of the second session.

Today started out with a nice break, I did not have to preach. The whole Adamsville community came together for a worship service to honor the volunteers who work in the fire and EMS departments. It was a neat service. They held it in the community park and just had everyone bring lawn chairs. The service was rather informal, all I did was lead a responsive reading. Someone from the UCC church preached and encouraged us all to think of ourselves as the landowner in the parable of the workers. It was a new spin on a familiar text. There was a pot luck after the service which as always produced great food.

The next group of kids for the sampler program arrived today. There are only five of them so the pace has slowed considerably from the last group. This means that the group is likely going to have a chance to get even closer, but as counselors we are going to have to be even more vigilent in watching for group dynamic things.

Tomorrow we will head to the mid-ohio workers association. This was my least favorite thing that we did in the last session. I guess it will be nice to get it out of the way. This group does not take any funding from the government and will not be affiliated with any organization that does. While I can see why that might be a nice position to take from a philosophical stand point, it just seems to be such a colossal waste of time and effort since they duplicate so many of the systems which are already established to help the same group of people that they want to help. I just don't get it. Maybe I'll be able to get some answers tomorrow.

Funny Video

2006-07-07T00:10:00.000-04:00

If you get a chance, you should check out Steven Colbert's interview with Bart Ehrman. Apparently he is some sort of Bible scholar who has just written a book. Anyhow, the interview is priceless. Watch it here.

Why the local news sucks

2006-07-05T21:32:00.000-04:00

[ steps up onto soap box ]

Ever since I have moved out on my own there is one habit which my parents instilled in me which I have absolutely abandoned . . . watching the local news. It has to be the most inane, idiotic way to spend time (with the exception of a trip to the zoo) ever invented by humanity. Now, I consider myself to be a pretty well informed person as far as the news goes. Maybe that is why I was so disgusted when I stopped ever so briefly on the news channel tonight. The LEAD (that is the most important A #1 story of the day) was about the dog catcher who had such a busy day today chasing down all of the dogs which were scared away by the fireworks the last two nights. You have GOT to be kidding me. You mean to tell me that of all of the people who live in the central Ohio viewing area there is no story more compelling than that of the overworked dog catcher?

And don't even get me started on the local news during sweeps. They resort to 5 second commercials with ominous tag lines like, "The deadly danger which may be hiding under your recliner, tonight at 11." So, of course, like dummies people watch the news that night, and somewhere, usually about 17 minutes into the 22 minute program, they tell a story about some guy in Kazakistan who rocked back in his lay-z-boy and happened to rock onto the tail of some rare breed of puma which was stricken with a bout of flatulence and then clawed him to death.

I just don't get it. What is the appeal to knowing that there was a 3 alarm fire in some random part of town overnight? Is your life really that much richer from watching the weatherman do the weather from the [ insert ethnicity here ] festival? We really do not need 3 or more hours every day of local news. Everything that will have any meaningful impact on my life can be condensed into four minutes. Anything more is just mindless filler.

[ steps off soap box ]

The day that I didn't buy a red yarmulke

2006-07-01T09:38:00.000-04:00

This post is a little late in coming, but it recounts a funny event so, better late than never.

Setting: Easton Mall in Columbus, Ohio. An upscale mall that David was to drive several teenage girls to.

David enters stage right and addresses an employee of Build-a-bear who is standing in the doorway between the store and the mall.

David: Ok, I have two questions for you.

Employee: Go ahead.

David: Number 1, Can I just buy a bear or do I have to actually go around and put the stuffing in it and breath life into it or whatever?

Employee: Oh yeah, sure

David: Number 2, Do you sell any outfits for the bears that would make them look like priests?

Employee: (Thinks for about 3 seconds) Well, we have yarmulkes.

David: Actually I was looking for something kind of like a black shirt with a little white tab right here (indicates the front of the neck).

Employee: (Thinking again . . . this time longer) Our yarmulkes only come in red.

David: Thank you, you have been very helpful.

6.21.06

2006-06-23T14:10:00.001-04:00

6/22/06

I can’t believe how quickly time is passing. It seems like June is almost over. The first session of sampler has already reached its mid point.

I came to a rather interesting realization today. We heard Jay Gamblin, the pastor of Buckeye Lutheran on the campus of OSU. A part of his call story centered on how he had been a part of some really crappy campus ministries in the past and how he wanted to do campus ministry differently. It got me to thinking about how many times I have heard people talk about their call stories and how they end up returning to serve in the places where they felt far from God or experienced in a particularly painful way the brokenness of the church. This thread also runs through Pastor Ruth’s explanation as to why she created this program 8 years ago.

I’m really starting to get worn down. The mornings seem to come earlier and earlier. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still loving what I am doing, but I could definitely use some time as a break or at least a chance to slow things down. What little free time I have is getting sunk into worship planning and sermon prep for Adamsville, so even my time off from sampler isn’t really time off. I knew this would be the case when I signed up for this summer, but I guess I’m just ready to slow down a little.

6.20.06

2006-06-23T14:10:00.000-04:00

6/20/06

I had an interesting thought this morning. It comes out of some reading that I have been doing in Brian McLaren’s book More Ready than You Realize, and the devotion that one of the sampler kids did. McLaren argues that as “church insiders” we need to remember that the Bible is a foreign text which can be intimidating to people, especially those who have not grown up with it. It makes use of strange images and was not written to score a spot on the New York Times best seller list. It can be a genuinely tough nut to crack. As a part of the devotions this morning Ian read from the version of the Bible which he likes best, the KJV. Now, I have long been opposed to using the KJV because its language is so much different from that which is in common use today. However, today it struck me that such language might actually be useful in helping to cue the reader that they are approaching a strange, foreign text. Now, don’t get me wrong, I believe that the Bible is full of truth which transcends time and culture, but sometimes these truths are expressed in culturally specific language and images which can distort how we interpret them. I don’t think I am going to run out and buy all KJV Bibles for all of my friends, but the learning about the strange nature of the Bible will be something that I keep with me for quite some time.

6.19.06

2006-06-23T14:09:00.000-04:00

6/19/06

Today was a blast. We started out the day by going to Lutheran Village. I was surprised to see that so many of the people that I bonded with last year were still there. It was nice to be able to visit with all of my old buddies there. We gathered all of the residents up and put them in the chapel for bingo. This was always one of my favorite things last year. Even better, I got to be the caller. It is so much fun to watch how excited the old people get over a game of bingo.

I also took some time today to get to the bank and deposit my first pay checks from Zion and New Hope. That was quite a feeling. While I was there I opened up a money market account and set it to withdraw 200 dollars a month from my checking account. That way I should have plenty of money when it comes time to pay my taxes and such. I was expecting a tough time of it based on my previous experiences at National City, but the process was very painless. Kudos to the people there!

I know that I have said this before, but it bears repeating: the kids that I am working with here are awesome. They are so giving and full of energy. The church is very blessed to have them.

I am not finding quite as much time as I had hoped to do some independent theological reflection. I picked up a lot of stuff this last year that I would really like to take some time to explore. The first thing on this list would have to be Dr. Huffmann’s idea that the new paradigm for ministry is fear and anxiety and how God speaks into that anxiety. He contends that the only one who can make promises about a safe future is the one who holds the future and is drawing the world toward it. I really think that he is onto something with that, but I want to spend some more time wrestling with the issue.

One of the students here, America, led a really great devotion tonight. I’m going to have to get the name of the book that she used. When I get a hold of it, I’ll post the part of it that she used that I really enjoyed.

6.18.06

2006-06-23T14:08:00.000-04:00

6/18/06

Today was Sunday number three at New Hope and Zion. Poor turnout at Zion, 7 including me and the organist. But I discovered something that I suspect will come in handy as I continue ministry there. During council tonight, I asked each of the council members to tell about a time when they experienced God in their every day lives. I shared an experience from Bible school last week. One by one all of the members of council told about experiencing God in nature. One guy told about going out in the morning before the sun came up and looking out over the hills as the sun chased away the stars. He was visibly moved. Each of them had their spirituality based in nature. I suppose that this should not be major revelation since it is a farming town, but it really hit me today.

I also discovered something else today. I can spend all day doing ministry at New Hope and Zion and it does not leave me as mentally and physically tired as a few hours at David used to. I’m really starting to get settled in out there. This could turn out to be a great year. Who knew that it could actually be relaxing to just sit out on the front porch and alternate between reading a book and watching the traffic roll by. Don’t get me wrong, I still prefer the city life, but I’m starting to discover some of the perks of country living.

Sermon for 2nd Sunday after Pentecost B

2006-06-17T23:19:00.000-04:00

Mark 4:26-41 ²⁶ He also said, "The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, ²⁷ and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. ²⁸ The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. ²⁹ But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come." ³⁰ He also said, "With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? ³¹ It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; ³² yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade." ³³ With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; ³⁴ he did not speak to them except in parables, but he explained everything in private to his disciples. ³⁵ On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let us go across to the other side." ³⁶ And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. ³⁷ A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. ³⁸ But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" ³⁹ He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. ⁴⁰ He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?" ⁴¹ And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"

More than anything else in all of scripture, Jesus talks about the kingdom of God. Some of our best known parables are illustrations meant to teach us about the kingdom of God. We are told to seek first this kingdom and its righteousness (mat 6.33) We see the kingdom in the casting out of demons (mat 12.28). It is the subject of the parable of the two sons, and the parable of the wicked tenants. And we are warned that it will be easier for a camel to get through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. (mat 19.24) And we find all of this in the Gospel of Matthew alone!

Today’s Gospel reading gives us two more of Jesus’ parables about the kingdom of God. And they might just even help us answer the question, “What exactly IS the kingdom of God?” Jesus says, “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed.” It starts out small and then grows and grows and becomes a great bush. I don’t know about you, but I’ve always been a little bit underwhelmed at the idea of God’s kingdom being a bush. I mean, here we are talking about the creator of all that is, seen and unseen, the unmoved mover, the author of time, and his kingdom is like a bush? Wouldn’t it have been better to talk about the kingdom as being the mighty oak tree, or the California redwoods, or at least the cedars of Lebanon. But no, the kingdom of God is like a mustard seed which grows into a bush.

But there is more to this parable than just a discussion of size. Let me start with a parable of my own. I spent the last week working with a group of high school students who are a part of a program at the seminary which gives them a chance to experience many different aspects of ministry. Each morning this last week we all piled into a big white van and drove to First English Lutheran Church on the near East side of downtown Columbus. It is an area that is rather well known for criminal activity and the area has more than its fair share of absentee landlords, drug dealers, prostitutes and panhandlers. The church itself is rather old and the congregation does not have the money to maintain the building. This is not what one would initially consider to be good spiritual soil. There, in the midst of all of that, I met some amazing children. I met Joey, who, although he was entering the 7^th grade could not read fast enough to sing along with the songs and had difficulty recognizing numbers when we asked him to turn to a certain page in the hymnal. I also meet Elaisha. She was very quiet and only after several days did she finally tell one of the counselors what was bothering her. She had recently lost two uncles and a brother to street violence, and she had actually witnessed one of the uncles being shot. I tell you about these two children, not because of what they have been through, but because of what God did through them. Each of them were so moved by what happened at Vacation Bible School this week that they brought their friends with them on subsequent days. And on Friday as they left the church building I could hear them humming one of the songs which they had learned this last week, “My God is so great, so strong and so mighty, there is nothing my God cannot do.”

These are small steps into a faith which we are told will grow and grow until it can be a service to others. One of the most important characteristics of the mustard seed is that it is a very hearty seed. It does not require particularly rich soil or a very abundant rainfall in order to grow. In fact, at the time of Jesus, mustard bushes would have been rather common because they were so hearty. They were the kind of plant which was able to grow all over the Judean countryside. So instead of an image of a tree which stands straight, strong, and tall, Jesus compares the kingdom of God to a plant with humble beginnings which is tenacious and finds a way to grow even in difficult circumstances. Even though Joey and Elaisha were not planted in the best soil, the hearty mustard seed of the kingdom grew in their lives. We should expect to find this kingdom of God popping up in all sorts of unusual and unexpected places.

Perhaps this is why Jesus was so fond of using parables. They take our expectations and turn them upside down. They challenge the way that we think and make us take a second look at our previous assumptions. It is our tendency to boil Jesus’ parables down to a biblical version of Aesop’s fables. We would like to see them as cute little stories about how the world works and the best ways to get along in it. But the parables are more than that, they challenge our assumptions and help us to see God in a new way.

Who would want to have faith like a mustard seed? Some tiny little seed tossed on soil that isn’t good for growing much of anything. Much like the children were singing on their way home on Friday, our God is great, strong, and mighty and there is nothing that our God cannot do. Brothers and sisters, a seed has been planted in each of our lives. No matter what kind of soil we have been in the past, God has promised us the gift of a hearty seed which will triumph over the environment and grow tall and be a shade to the birds.

6.15.06

2006-06-17T23:18:00.000-04:00

6/14/06

Today got off to a rough start. I’m starting to feel the effects of more activity than usual combined with less rest than usual.

These days seem to be getting longer and longer.

Tonight we got to hear from Alfred Tibor, a holocost survivor and sculptor. He is the one who made the rather large statue which sits in front of Trinity called, “Promise for Life.” He said some pretty amazing things last night but two of them really stuck with me. The first was that we should never tell anyone that we hate them because we really do not understand what hate is or how powerful it can be. The other thing that he said was that as a Hungarian, it was the Hungarians who were worst to him, not the Nazis. It really makes me thing about how easy it is for a group of people to become labeled and scapegoated. I wonder who history will show my generation as doing that to.

6.14.06

2006-06-17T23:16:00.000-04:00

6/13/06

Today was another full day at sampler. As usual we started off the day’s activities with VBS at First English. One of the old mothers of the church made it her mission to make sure that there were more kids there today than had showed up yesterday. Well, she was successful. We had a whole bunch of rather rowdy and difficult to handle kids today. I hope that we do not get any more tomorrow. I hate saying that because I really believe that this is an important ministry that we are doing, but I am not sure how well I will deal with having any more kids than we had today.

Another one of my ongoing challenges is figuring out how to deal with one of the samplarians. I can see a great deal of myself in him at his age. I recall the words that a teacher shared with me when I was in high school which changed my way of interacting with other people and I think that I might want to do the same thing for him. I don’t know what I would say or when I would say it, but I have another 2 ½ weeks to figure it out so I’m not in a huge hurry. In fact, the situation might just present itself. Haha, wouldn’t that be nice.

One of the things that we got to do with the sampler kids today was attend workshops on different social justice issues going on in the world and find out what faith communities are doing about those issues. One particularly powerful presentation was on the genocide in Darfur. Apparently some absolutely horrible things have been happening basically right under the world’s nose and nobody is really paying much attention. It seems that we are all too busy with other things clogging up the news cycle. I am frustrated with myself for not being more aware of this, but I am also frustrated with the media for doing such a poor job of covering it. It would seem that with so many 24 hour news stations that they would be looking for stories to cover just for the sake of filling time, yet the genocide in Darfur has gotten basically no press. It is frustrating also that there seems to be so little that I can actually do about it. I guess that one day I will have more power than most because I will have some measure of influence over a group of people who could be mobilized to take action on an issue, but it really just seems like such a small drop in the bucket. I mean, what is one person in the face of a massive government?

I also got to spend some time talking with Robyn tonight. I really wish that I could do more for her or could be there in some more substantial way. She was such a blessing to me during my CPE experience. I’m not sure how I would have made it through without her.

We are finally scheduled for a little down time tomorrow while the sampler kids are off with different mentors. I’m going to use that time to try to get myself hooked up with some wireless internet access. Hopefully that all works out because I’m really having internet withdrawal.

Self discovery and sampler day 2

2006-06-13T22:23:00.000-04:00

Dr Ott spoke to the group of samplers today. She invited us all to spend some time creating a spiritual timeline. As each of the kids presented I was struck by two things: one was the role of camp as a spiritual high point for so many of the youth. The other was the role of programs and events in people’s spiritual lives. I’m not sure what to do with this insight just yet, but it does underscore for me the importance of programmatic ministry.

When it came time for me to share about my spiritual journey, I felt compelled to put on the timeline my recent troubles at David. It was the strangest thing, I managed to tell the group about all sorts of things which were difficult times in my life including when my dad was activated for Desert Storm and when my grandparents died, but when it came time to talk about having to leave David I got all choked up. I suppose that this means that I still have some grieving to do over that situation.

She also put up on the board a quote that I found very interesting, “Thou has formed us for Thyself and our hears are restless until they find rest in Thee.” ~Augustine.

This quote really speaks to me as I still struggle though having an overactive mind and trying to find a way to get some quiet

One of the sad things that I encountered today was dealing with one of the VBS kids, Cory. Cory is entering the 7^th grade and he cannot read well or process numbers. I have no idea how he has gotten into the 7^th grade except through social promotion. I genuinely fear for this kid as he gets older. Reading and recognizing numbers are significant skills to have and a deficiency there will hold him back a great deal.

One of the things that I want to explore in the coming days is how to deal with the pain that is caused by a relationship with a church. This theme came up today as the kids were telling about their spiritual journey and it plays a prominent role in my own. I will have a chance on Friday to lead some devotional time and I may spend a portion of that time working through this issue with the kids. Frankly, each one of them is going to be wounded in some way or another by the church. I know that I would appreciate some clarity in how to deal with this issue and I suspect that it will be useful to them as well.

2ne sunday and first day of sampler

2006-06-13T22:22:00.000-04:00

6/11/06

Happy 11 months Robyn and David. It sucks that we are apart for this one, the next one is going to be worse. Today was my second day out at Adamsville parish. Things went much better. I’m still a little uneasy out there, but I have been getting very good feedback from the parishioners, so I must not be doing too badly. I think the sermon went well too because people were making reference to it at the Bible study that I led tonight. That is a whole different story. I had put off finishing my sermon so long that my sermon wasn’t done until Saturday night. So, I used the time after worship to prepare the adult Bible study. This came out so well. I used the story of the good Samaritan to teach some of the basic principles of narrative criticism. I’m super excited about this. It is a very clear area in my life where seminary education shows through. I even have a few ideas about where the Bible study in 2 weeks will head.

Also, this is a day of mourning. I, in my brilliance, managed to kill the fish that Robyn and I have been keeping for a few months now. I started to change the water by letting it slowly drain out of the spout at the bottom. Apparently something distracted me and I never got around to the whole putting the water back in part. So when I went to move the fish across the street to my temporary housing for the summer, I discovered dry dead fish. Yet again I have managed to kill something that lived with me. Someone warn Robyn. Actually, I do feel badly, especially since they were fish that we shared.

Holy Trinity Sermon

2006-06-13T22:19:00.000-04:00

Holy Trinity B

June 11^th, 2006

New Hope and Zion

John 3:1-17

^NRSJohn 3:1 Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. ² He came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God." ³ Jesus answered him, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above." ⁴ Nicodemus said to him, "How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?" ⁵ Jesus answered, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. ⁶ What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. ⁷ Do not be astonished that I said to you, 'You must be born from above.' ⁸ The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." ⁹ Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?" ¹⁰ Jesus answered him, "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? ¹¹ "Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. ¹² If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? ¹³ No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. ¹⁴ And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵ that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. ¹⁶ "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. ¹⁷ "Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

“To try to deny the Trinity endangers your salvation, to try to comprehend the Trinity endangers your sanity” – Martin Luther

When I was in college, I belonged to a group called Intervarsity Christian Fellowship. This was a group of Christian college students who met regularly for Bible study, prayer, service and fellowship. One of the ongoing blessings (and curses) of Intervarsity was that it had members which came from a variety of denominational backgrounds. There were members who were Catholic, Episcopalian, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Baptist, and some non-denominational. During one of the “get to know you” games that we played, someone asked that we each take a turn telling everyone when we “had gotten saved.” This seemed like a strange question to me. As some of my friends each took their turn telling about how they “got saved,” I realized that they were looking for me to tell them when I had become a Christian. Now, I suspect that many of you are like me in that you have grown up in the church, or even if you haven’t you might have a hard time picking out that exact moment when you could say, “Before 9am on Sunday the 23^rd of April, 1991 I was not a Christian, but after that I was.” As Lutherans we do not spend so much time focused on experiencing a single, life changing moment.

The text before us today is often used by those who speak of having a “born again” experience. In fact, some go so far as to say that if you cannot pick out such an experience from your past, that you are doomed to the fires of hell. If you would, take a moment and look again at the Gospel text for today. If you read verse seven, you will see that the NRSV, the version that we read from weekly, has translated this passage, “you must be born from above.” But if you happened to be reading this same verse from the NIV it would read like this, “you must be born again.” How can this be? Is it possible that one of the translators screwed this whole thing up? Well, not quite. Greek, the original langue in which this lesson was written will sometimes use one word to mean two different things. This happens in English too. For example, think about driving along a road, and you come to an intersection and you ask the passenger, “Should we go left up here?” and they respond with “Right.” Now, which way do you turn the car? You can see how it is that one word can have multiple meanings. So too the Greek here can have two different meanings, it can mean “born again” or it can just as accurately be translated “Born from above.”

Our text today begins with a man called Nicodemus. He is a learned man, someone who would have been highly respected around the town. Yet he chooses to come at night to see Jesus and seek his wisdom. Yet, as so often happens when Jesus speaks, Nicodemus is left with more questions, “How can a man be born when he is old?”

This is kind of like the situation I was facing in college, what was a life-long Lutheran supposed to do? I really started to feed badly. I didn’t remember a time when I could say that I was not a Christian. I couldn’t point out like those others could a time when I was “saved” or “born again.” Was I missing something? Was there something I had forgotten to do?

I wish that I had known then, what I have come to know now. It isn’t what I have done or have failed to do that will keep me from going to hell. It is what God has done. Jesus speaks about being born from above. There are a lot of things that happen to me in this world for which I can try to take some measure of credit. I can talk about jobs that I have had or grades that I have earned, or choices that I have made. But one thing that I still haven’t figured out a way to take credit for is my birth. That happened with out any help or input from me. In fact, being born is probably the most passive thing any one of us will ever do.

So Nicodemus is puzzled when Jesus speaks of being born again or born from above and he asks, “How can these things be?” Jesus’ answer is found in what has become the most famous passage in all of scripture, “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” How is it that one can be born again, born from above? It happens because in God’s love Jesus was sent into the world that the world might be saved through him.

Jesus sets up his response by calling to mind another time when God acted in a saving way. We read this in our first lesson for today. Poisonous snakes are all around, killing people with their venomous bite. Notice that the solution here is not to remove the snakes. Instead the power of the snake’s venom is overcome through a simple act of faith. Each person is to look up at the serpent on the pole and live. The similarities between Moses time and our own are hard to miss. Sin lives in our own time, spreading its venom and causing pain and death. Sin is so pervasive that it is impossible for any of us to avoid. Despite our best efforts to the contrary, we are bitten by the snake of sin every day. How can we be saved from this? Just as those wandering Israelites six thousand years ago, we too are told to look up in faith, and when we do, we find Jesus hanging on a cross, overcoming the power of sin which had us dead to rights.

This brings us, finally, to an answer. When were you born again? We were born again 2,000 years ago when Jesus was raised from the dead and broke the power of sin over our lives. We were born again when baptismal water was poured over our head and we became adopted members of God’s family. We were born again, not through any action of our own, but because of what God has done. We are born again each time we look to the crucified and risen Jesus in search of healing. We are born again each day, when we trust in God’s forgiveness and live lives of service to others.

We are born again, and again, and again . . . for God’s grace is new each day.

Feeling old

2006-06-08T22:32:00.000-04:00

I went to my little sister's graduation last weekend. That made me feel old. It was a very nice ceremony. Each person had their name read, their activities, future plans, and any scholarships they had received. What really got to me was that there were two scholarships which were named as memorials for teachers that I had while I was in high school. Ouch. I haven't been out that long. I guess this is just the first of many such events.

Sermon for Pentecost B

2006-06-03T21:54:00.000-04:00

June 4^th, 2006

Pentecost B

New Hope and Zion

Chapter 15

²⁶When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. ²⁷You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning.

Chapter 16

⁴
"I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. ⁵But now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, 'Where are you going?' ⁶But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. ⁷Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. ⁸And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: ⁹about sin, because they do not believe in me; ¹⁰about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; ¹¹about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.
¹²I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. ¹³When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. ¹⁴He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. ¹⁵All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

I want to start off today by thanking you all for inviting me to come and to serve along side of you. I’m excited to start this journey with you, and I cannot think of a more appropriate text for new beginnings than the one which is before us today. I’m here with you today, sandwiched between two graduations. The first graduation happened yesterday. About 30 of my classmates marched across the stage in Mees hall on the campus of Capital University and accepted their freshly minted Masters of Divinity degrees. After worship today, I will be headed to Pittsburgh to watch my little sister walk across the stage of Northgate high school auditorium to receive her diploma. These are bitter sweet moments. On one hand these are endings. The classes are completed and so are the tests. It is quite possible that these graduates will not step foot on campus ever again. But on the other hand, these are beginnings. Most of my classmates are headed off to their first call. In short order they will be ordained, and they will be responsible for their own congregations. Some of my sister’s classmates will be headed off to college, or technical school, some will join the armed forces, and some will enter the workforce. New beginnings abound.

It has become a tradition at graduation ceremonies that some well known, successful person is invited to offer a few words of wisdom and instruction to the graduates. Enthusiastic commencement speakers brace graduates for change and try to soothe their anxieties. Their speeches typically confirm graduates’ credentials and encourage them to make an impact on the world by drawing on the knowledge and experience that they take with them.

In high school I heard from a local TV personality, in college it was the president of Princeton who came to speak with us. In both cases the speakers offered congratulations on what we had thus far accomplished and then encouraged us to use what we had learned. Our gospel text for today reads like Jesus commencement address to the disciples. Not that the disciples ever graduate, per se, but they were at a major cross roads. They have been with Jesus for several years. They are about to experience holy week. They will see their leader arrested, beaten, and hung on a cross to die. He will be raised from the dead and he will be taken into heaven. So Jesus is preparing his disciples, getting them ready to step out into the world on their own. Thanks to the Gospel of John, we have a chance to listen in.

So, like many a commencement speaker Jesus begins preparing the disciples to step out into a new world. But, he begins in an unusual way. He begins by giving them distressing news. He’s not going to be around all that much longer. Their leader, their rabbi was going away. They were going to be abandoned, left on their own to fend for themselves.

This sense of abandonment is far from restricted to Jesus’ day. Our time is rife with ways to experience abandonment. It can be a loved one who has moved away. It can be a mother or grandmother who died. Or that first night spent alone after moving out of mom and dad’s house. Congregations may even have this sense of abandonment when a pastor leaves. Being abandoned is one of the most powerful ways to have your heart broken. There’s nothing quite like being left alone, away from all you know and love, with very little hope of being reunited with the familiar. Abandonment breaks our hearts and makes us angry. Some people respond by becoming calloused and bitter. Some people respond by falling into despair and hopelessness. Some respond by learning and growing and developing a heart of compassion for those who have and who will experience the same pain.

It is into this despair, this sense of abandonment that Jesus speaks his words of comfort and consolation. The disciples will not be left alone. Sure, Jesus will be leaving, but he is sending the Advocate in his place. This Advocate goes by many names. He’s most commonly known as the Holy Spirit, or as many of you probably learned, the Holy Ghost. He’s the Comforter, the Paraclete, the Spirit of God.

We met this Spirit in the first reading for today from Acts 2. Here the Spirit took the form of tongues of fire and rested on the heads of the disciples, giving them the ability to speak in a variety of languages. Not only this, they are inspired to use this newfound ability to proclaim the Good News of Jesus. There was a great crowd there, many had come to the city to celebrate the festival. They had come from far and wide and yet each heard the Gospel in their own language.

This God-given gift was not a one time occurrence. Jesus doesn’t speak of a single event which will come and go. In the midst of their abandonment Jesus tells them of the coming Holy Spirit. But not only the coming holy Spirit, but the staying Holy Spirit. This Spirit will not come and go, the Spirit is here to stay. Better than that, this Spirit is more than a good luck charm or some warm-fuzzy feeling. This Spirit lives in the disciples and makes it possible for them to speak the truth in every situation.

An amazing transition takes place in the Acts text. Did you catch it? Peter, quotes the prophet Joel and says, “In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh.” The Spirit will be sent to live inside each baptized believer. In the days of the prophets and of King David, the only place to encounter God was in the temple. Later, God took a step closer to humanity in the person of Jesus. Jesus came to earth and took frail human flesh. Still, encounters with God were limited by the physical. The human Jesus could only be in one place at one time. On this day we celebrate the time when God took another step closer, sending the Holy Spirit to be with all believers.

Brothers and sisters, by virtue of our baptism, we each have the Holy Spirit with us wherever we go. This same Spirit which sat as tongues of fire upon the disciples burns within each of our hearts. The Spirit which overcame the language barrier 2000 years ago, is still active in the world today, overcoming our own barriers. The Spirit continues to carry out God’s mission in the world through the faithful. By the power of the Spirit, Faith Mission in Columbus serves over a quarter million meals to the poor and the homeless each year. By the power of the spirit millions of dollars of disaster relief has been sent to devastated regions of the world such as Indonesia and New Orleans. The power of the Spirit guides and sustains a small congregation in rural Ohio. And through the work of the Spirit each of us has been given all that we need to take the life-giving message of Jesus into our little piece of the world. And so, class of 2006, I challenge you to let the Spirit lead you this day, for God is closer than you realize. Amen.

My classes for the fall:

2006-06-03T17:44:00.000-04:00

My classes for the fall:

Liberation Theology
Preaching the Story
Ethical Issues in Helping Professions (at OSU)
Being Lutheran in America

2006-05-31T08:29:00.000-04:00

So, there are 2 Kroger grocery stores rather close to my appartment. At the one on Main street, the armed security guard shot someone on Saturday. At the one on Broad street, there was an armed robbery yesterday. Yeah. Fun.

I'm worth $2,190,606

2006-05-27T20:10:00.000-04:00

Contrary to my mother's assessment, I am not priceless. Apparently I'm worth 2,190,606 according to Human for Sale. Not that I condone selling humans, but it was fun.

Survey time

2006-05-27T20:00:00.000-04:00

1. What time did you get up this morning? 7am

2. What time did you go to bed last night? 1:15

3. Diamonds or pearls? umm . . . Diamonds?

4. Last movie you saw at the theater? Date Movie

5. What is your favorite TV show? Seinfeld is still the greatest. However, I have recently been enjoying my 3rd Rock from the Sun DVDs

6. What did you have for breakfast? I don't think I had breakfast today

7. What is your middle name? Paul

8. What is your favorite cuisine? Hot, made by someone else, and I don't have to do the dishes

9. What foods do you dislike? Tofu or soy posing as just about anything.

10. Favorite Potato Chip? KC Masterpiece Barbeque Lays

11. Your favorite CD at the moment? From Under the Cork Tree - Fallout Boy

12. What kind of car do you drive? Gold 2000 Chevy Impala

13. What characteristics do you despise? Self-centeredness

14. Favorite item of clothing? Khaki shorts and a really loud hawaiian shirt (clerical collar optional)

15. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? I'd take a 14 day cruise around the Gulf of Mexio.

16. What color is your bathroom? Mostly white with some green stuff.

17. Favorite brand of clothing? Um, well, I probiably have more clothes by Friar Tuck than anyone else.

18. Where would you retire? Pastors don't retire, they fade into the wallpaper.

19. Favorite time of day? Just after the sun has come up, especially when it is cold outside.

20. Where were you born? Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

21. Favorite sport to watch? FOOTBALL, especially the world champion Pittsburgh Steelers (Yes, I take every chance I get to insert that into a conversation.)

23. Person you expect to send it back first? I don't know, I don't usually send these things.

24. What laundry detergent do you use? Whatever it is they sell at Aldi

25. Coke or Pepsi? Pepsi, but I'm flexible.

26. Are you a morning person or night owl? I'm a morning person, especially when I'm around people who aren't.

27. What size shoe do you wear? 12W

28. Do you have pets? I have custody of 2 beta fish. One is named Adrastos (undaunted) and the other is Raubtier (predator).

32. What are the different jobs you have had in your life? Dry Cleaning, Media Serices, Fencing Coach, Custodial Supplies Delivery, Camp Counselor, Computer Lab Assistant, Youth Director, Shipping and Graphic Arts/Desktop Publishing, and coming soon to a small town near you, Pastor.

33. Nicknames? Deacon

34. Piercing? Nope

35 Eye color: Sometimes blue, sometimes green.

36 Ever been to Africa? No.

37 Ever been toilet papering? No.

38 Love someone so much it made you cry? Yes

39. Been in a car accident? Yes, but nothing dramatic.

40. Croutons or bacon bits? Bacon bits.

41. Favorite day of the week? I gotta say Sunday, even though it is a cliche' answer from a seminarian.

42. Favorite restaurant? BD's Mongolian BBQ

43. Favorite flower? Ummm?

44. Favorite ice cream? Chocolate Chip Mocha

45. Disney or Warner Brothers? Gotta love that Roadrunner (WB)

46. Favorite fast food restaurant? Wendy's

47. What color is your bedroom carpet? I don't have a bedroom so much, but the carpet in my appartment/suite is a lovely institutional grey.

48. How many times did you fail your driver's test? None.

49. Before this one, from whom did you get your last e-mail? Skip Cornett (a seminary staffer)

50. Which store would you choose to max out your Credit Card? I'm not the max out the credit card kinda guy, but if I could go on a shopping spree at any store, I'd chose the sharper image.

51. What do you do most often when you are bored? Play videogames

52. Bedtime: Usually between 12 and 1.

53. What was the last book you read for fun? The Last Word and the Word after That by Brian McLaren

54. Last person you went to dinner with? Robyn.

55. Ford or Chevy? Recently switched to chevy, been pleased so far.

56. What are you listening to right now? the TV, in this case 10 things I hate about you.

57. What is your favorite color? Usually green

58. Lake, Ocean or River? River. Specifically the confluence of the Ohio, Mon, and Allegheny, which just happens to be where the World Champion Pittsburgh Steelers play (told you).

59. How many tattoos do you have? None

60. Which came first, the chicken or the egg? um, the Bible says it was the chicken.

61. How many people are you sending this e-mail to? Haven't decided yet.

62. Where would you go for a girls/guys weekend get-a-way? Baltimore is a fun place to go.

63. What you'd do if you had to select another career? I'd love to spend a short period of time as: 1) Hibachi chef, 2) Theme Park Character, 3) Bartender, 4) Mongolian BBQ chef, 5) Bouncer

64. Favorite Family Vacation? Florida

65. All Time Favorite Concert? Newsboys - Step Up to the Microphone tour

Overheard at dinner

2006-05-22T07:52:00.000-04:00

"But then we would have to get an NBC sit-com writer to come and live in the basement and write, 'Two pastors, a lesbian, a homo, and a hobo!'"

2006-05-14T22:30:00.000-04:00

Things that should be used more often:

1. The word curmudgeon.
2. The subjunctive.
3. Meat tenderizers.
4. Syllabi by professors.
5. The ampersand "&"
6. Those wonderful little reflectors in the middle of the road that show you where the dividing line is in low visibility situations.

2006-05-13T07:20:00.000-04:00

Things that I ought to be able to do, but can't:

1. Keep my room clean.
2. Drive from Pittsburgh to Columbus without making a wrong turn.
3. Learn barre chords.
4. Balance my check book.
5. Sit through a feature length movie.
6. Spell

I'm back at it

2006-05-12T15:16:00.000-04:00

So, it has been a very long time since I posted anything at all here. I'm sorry about that.

My plan is to work my way back into regular posting by doing 3 things.

1) posting sermons
2) posting rants and raves and life stuff
3) posting lists (as inspired by 5ives)

Preaching from Advent 3b

2005-12-13T00:19:00.000-05:00

Sermon:
Text - John 1:6-8,19-28
Setting - Larger middle to lower middle class suburban church

This time of year always brings with it lots of photographs. There are pictures of the children opening the presents, pictures of family and friends at office parties and family reunions. We love pictures, and Christmas affords us the opportunity to take a lot of them. Some of them are good, some of them are not so good, but we love them all.

What makes the difference between a good and a bad picture? Well, obviously the subject matter determines whether the photograph will be good or not. Then, the angles matter. My sister loves to take pictures, but she often has difficulty centering the subject in the photo. She always seems to cut their heads off, or she only gets half of one person in the shot. I don’t know why, but that’s just the way she takes pictures. Other times, though, she can get the angle just right and the photo is wonderful. Though angles and subjects do matter in the photo, they are not of supreme importance. For every photo there is one thing that must be correct for the photo to be right—the light. You can’t take a good photo if the light isn’t right.

The magic of photography lies in the light. Light can do more than make an image on film; it can emphasize, subdue or alter moods. It can help you say many things about your subject. Yes, light makes all the difference in the world. It is light that makes the image on the film. Without light there would be no image. All that would be there is darkness.
Our own lives can be very dark at times. We see a world surrounded by the darkness of war and poverty, the darkness of death and disease, the darkness of sin and brokenness, the darkness of abuse and violence. Yet, amidst this darkness we catch glimpses of light, and the glimpses of that light cast out the darkness of our lives, even if it is only momentarily. Like the flash of a camera that sheds just enough light to cast an image on film, so amid the darkness of our world we catch just enough of the light God has sent to drive out the darkness of this world.

Take a moment and consider with me the moment in time which is captured in our Gospel lesson for today. What may seem like a throw away line at the end of the lesson is actually a very important signal to the reader.

Verse 28, this took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.

In all four gospels, the town of Bethany is the staging ground for something big.

In Matthew 26: Jesus’ feet are washed with expensive perfume, then Judas sneaks off to betray him.

In Mark 11: Jesus dispatches the disciples to get the donkey for the palm Sunday ride

Luke 24 – Jesus leads the disciples out to Bethany, the place of the ascension

This text holds true to form, something BIG is about to happen. In the next few verses, John the Baptist will be the first person to testify that Jesus is the long awaited messiah. He points to Jesus as the light, the son of God. Something BIG is going to happen. Light has come into the dark places of the world, and the darkness will never be the same. The change is dramatic, darkness to light. Scripture is full of stories about the light of Christ breaking into the darkness of the world:

There were 10 men standing on the outskirts of the city, living in the darkness of isolation because of their disease. Jesus’ light cast out that darkness and the lepers returned to society.

The skies were dark with storm clouds and the boat was tossed from side to side. Yet with 3 little words, “peace, be still” the darkness was scattered, and the wind and the waves grew calm.

The room was dark, the only sound was a gentle sobbing of a mother weeping for her dead daughter. Jesus says, “tallitha cum,” little girl, come out, and the darkness of that room is banished as the girl, now alive, gets up and begins to walk about.

This light is -- powerful and it is not reserved for biblical times. Jesus is still very much at work in the world today, shining his light, scattering darkness. This light is greater than any darkness we may encounter. Jesus, the true light, is shining chasing away the darkness. He banishes the darkness of war, shining the light of peace. He chases away the darkness of death and disease with the light of the resurrection. He scatters the darkness of our own hearts. May the light of Christ shine in your heart this Advent. Amen.

Worship Wars

2005-11-30T07:16:00.000-05:00

With the exception of the ELCA sexuality study, it is difficult to think of a topic that is more devisive in today's lutheran congregations than the battle over contemporary or traditional worship. The topic came up in class again the other day. We heard the typical arguments, "Traditional worship is no longer relevant,""Contemporary worship throws the baby out with the bathwater and disregard tradition."

However, I am beginning to think of the debate in slighly different terms. As I think back over my worship life, I can think of times when I felt particularly close to God. Some of those times were within "traditional" worship and some were within "contemporary" settings. I think that what I am really looking for is something authentic, something genuine. What is most important is that people are earnestly and fervently praising God. If that means robes and candles or projectors and drums, then go for it.