Advent Devotions: Romans 15:4-13

Romans 15:4-13

4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.

8 For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, 9 and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,

“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles,
    and sing to your name.”

10 And again it is said,

“Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.”

11 And again,

“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,
    and let all the peoples extol him.”

12 And again Isaiah says,

“The root of Jesse will come,
    even he who arises to rule the Gentiles;
in him will the Gentiles hope.”

13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Where does "hope" come from? It's a question that human beings have been pondering since the beginning of language. Do a google search on "Shawshank Redemption quotes on hope." Hope is a major theme of this excellent movie (one of Stephen King's best in my humble opinion). The quote that stays in my mind is when Red said to Andy, "Hope is a dangerous thing; hope can drive a man insane." And yet without hope there is only emptiness and despair. Without hope we are barely alive. 

St. Paul wanted to remind Roman Christians that their life together was a source of great hope for one another. Further, they have the scriptures to offer them hope and encouragement. The promises of God are proclaimed through the Word of God and it is up to us to mirror those promises to one another in our daily lives. We find joy in the small things and those small things give us hope of the coming of Christ. Cling to those moments and cherish them, knowing they are a gift! Let me share one from this past Sunday in worship because it tickled me so much and gave me that sense of hope and joy that comes from Christian community:

During the Children's Time I asked the kids to put the shoes up near the altar as it was St. Nicholas day in church year. They did so, obediently, but I don't think they expected anything to happen. During the passing of the peace I had one of my members put some candy in their shoes along with a note about St. Nicholas. At the end of worship they went back to retrieve their shoes and I watched in amazement as the children looked in their shoes and boots and found treats. They were so thrilled - and surprised! Because of the distraction of the peace, they didn't see anyone go up to their shoes. "How did that happen?" they wondered. "Look mommy, there's candy in my shoes!" It was precious. Even this kind of moment gives me hope and joy and somehow bolsters my faith. It's simply the gathering of people together to worship that does it. It's Christ among us, and in the little ones that captures my attention. The candy in the shoes just made me notice. 

Dear God, thank you for bringing us together as your people, to worship you and to care for one another. Grant us your life-giving grace and hope for a future with you in eternity. Amen. 

Advent Devotions: 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13

1 Thessalonians 3:9-13

9 For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, 10 as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith?

11 Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, 12 and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, 13 so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

There are many, many people who make the argument that they can be Christians and not be a part of a local parish community. To a certain degree that is true. However, the gifts of Christian community are lost upon those who want to go strictly solo in this faith journey. Perhaps they have been jaded by the sinfulness of the Church; many expect Christians to be close to perfect and when they aren't it only makes a case against them even stronger. But that is the first hurdle to overcome. There is not a single Christian, nor a single human being, who is perfect. Period. We all mess up - daily in fact. We all struggle to be faithful to God and to honor one another. We are near perfect at justifying our own sin and brokenness, if there is any perfection to be found within us at all. It is a first step to go beyond our disillusionment with those who call themselves believers, and with the imperfect church as a whole. It's just not reasonable to think that we go from being sinful to perfect even though we confess that Jesus is Lord. We make that confession because we know something of what Christ has done for us - save us from the power of sin, death, and the devil in our lives. And we try to be obedient, but we fail quite regularly. So we learn to give one another a break and recognize instead the love that our heavenly Father has for each of us, and that his forgiveness is our greatest gift. 

So, back to the benefits of Christian community, which is what Paul is speaking about in this passage. He longs to return to the Thessalonian believers because he has been a part of their faith journey thus far. He yearns to be with them so he can continue instructing them, praying with them, and growing with them. This can really only be done when people get together and sit knee to knee and look at one another face to face. He wants to supply them with whatever is lacking in their faith - meaning he desires nothing more than to help them grow in maturity and confidence in the Lord. That's what we do for one another in the church. We really see each other, faults and all, and we continue to love and embrace each other through it all. We discuss, we wrangle, we pray, we weep, we laugh, and we grow in Spirit. It is a very long process - life long. And some of it can be done alone (in fact we all need time alone WITH GOD) but it can never be as full as when done alongside other believers. We need each other. I need you and you need me. And together we supply what is lacking in each other's faith. 

Holy God, grant us to courage to be in community where things are often not perfect, but where you are present in Word and Sacrament. Heal our wounds, draw us closer, and supply all we need for our faith through the gift of each other. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

The Beauty of a Small Church

I've been an active disciples in churches of all sizes, from 500 in worship to 25 in worship and everything in between. I've also examined many churches and the way they function as the people of God who are on a mission in the world. After having served a church with around 100 in worship for the past 12 years* I am more than ever convinced that the small church is the church with the biggest mission per disciple. This is not a competition, of course, just my own personal reflections as a parish pastor and an encouragement to any who might come across this post who wonder if the small church is worth investing in.

In a small church:

* it's impossible to remain anonymous (unless you simply don't participate and, well then. . .)

* when you show up, you are surrounded by friends

* when you don't show up, people are concerned about your health and well being- even if you are just on vacation

* there's a job for everyone which means the pastor can't and won't "do it all"

* because there's a job for everyone, everyone is using their gifts and talents for the Kingdom of God

* there's a collaborative spirit in the small church because we know what it's like to work on a shoestring budget, with minimal resources, and we are great at tapping into our collective creativity

* worship is like a family gathering EVERY week

* the announcements at the beginning of worship are very personal because we care about all aspects of each other's lives

* children are a major focus and are included in everything; so are the elderly!

* we have the joy of watching each other grow over the years as God draws us deeper into faith and service as we have a common vision for what God is calling us to be and do in the name of Christ

* history and tradition are important foundations for the community

* we have a lot of fun together and that Spirit of joy can be felt as soon as a visitor walks in the room

* it's easy to become a part of the faith family; we welcome everyone!

In a culture that celebrates "bigger is better," the small church simply exists to serve its neighbor. No church is the church for everyone. Each has its own character. But before you write off the small church in your search for a faith home, consider what you are looking for. The small church isn't around to entertain but to inspire. The small church is a true community where love and forgiveness prevail, where spiritual growth is expected, and where we serve side by side in Christ's name.

In Christ,
Amy

* When I began serving Trinity Lutheran Church we were only 35-40 but have grown in many ways, including numerically, over the years.

Love for the Eucharist

Do you see this man?  

He is one of the three 90 year old saints of our congregation.  His name is Kenny.  (He is holding Andrew who is three and who was just baptized today in worship!)  Kenny is married to the love of his life, Maxine, for 65 years.  In the past couple of years they have not been able to be in worship with the rest of the community of saints at TLC.  They miss us.  WE MISS THEM!  It's not the same without them.  It's not the same when anyone is missing from the fold!  So each week we are always incomplete in some way because each week someone is missing.  Some are sick, some can't drive anymore, some are busy, some may have forgotten that we are there.  But we are there and we continue to be there.  We come together to worship Christ and to receive God's bountiful gifts of love, grace and sacrament.

Today we went on a field trip.  Mobile Church!!  We went to him!  And to her!  And we brought the Eucharist.  The bread and the wine; the body and the blood of Christ, "Do this in remembrance of me."  Jesus was there. . . in the flesh and in the blood and in the mobile Church.

As I prepared the meal for Kenny and Maxine I told the 10+ kids who came along to look at them; really look at them.  "You see boys and girls, what we take for granted each week-- Holy Communion and coming to the Lord's table-- they yearn and hunger for!"  Look at them.  These two never missed church, not even when the fields had to be harvested!  (Well maybe once or twice  :))  Now they cannot make it to worship except very rarely when they are having a really good day.  Watch how they receive the gifts of God:  "This is my body given for you."  A tear runs down his cheek.  "This is my blood shed for you."  She bows her head in reverence and whispers, "Thank you."  Look at them; see how they respond to the Eucharist. See how they need Christ.  See how they hunger and thirst for Him.  See how they appreciate what He offers!

Learn from them to never take Christ for granted.  Learn from them what this Eucharist means.  Don't be cold to it.  Don't be indifferent to it.  It is a precious treasure, it is a gift from Christ. It will strengthen you.  It pronounces you FORGIVEN.  It binds you to the One who sacrificed himself for you.  It is Christ!  It is for YOU!  Amen.