I tried writing this several nights ago. It didn’t work. Then again, the next morning. Three days later it’s still waiting.

Why hasn’t it worked? Maybe because, as I began to write, I sat out on the balcony of our hotel, and I was too close. I sat mere yards from the Soldier’s Cemetery at Gettysburg.

This past Wednesday we spent some time touring the Gettysburg battlefield, standing on the spot where others stood and fought, and where many died. The Railroad Cut, Devil’s Den, the Wheatfield, Little Round Top, Culp’s Hill, the Angle. Places where blood was shed and lives were lost. In the end, the Union was preserved, and more importantly, freedom was won. Despite the “Lost Cause” revisionist history that argues the Civil War was really about states’ rights, the war was fundamentally about human freedom and dignity. It started with states fearful that Lincoln would free the slaves, and it ended with freedom for the slaves.

It was quite moving, and that’s part of why its taken me a few days to digest all of this. That and the irony.

Part of that irony is sitting on the balcony, 1000 yards away from the cemetery. And part of the irony is that just one day earlier we toured Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia.

The Liberty Bell is, of course, an iconic symbol of American independence. Housed yards from Independence Hall, it’s an almost required part of any visit to the very origins of American freedom and democracy. When one sees the bell, (and that’s all it takes – it is so well known even by sight), one cannot help but think of our struggle for independence, the sacrifice made to bring freedom to the American colonies and create this nation. Appropriately, therefore, it is housed in sight of the spot where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were adopted.

But check the history for a moment…the Liberty Bell wasn’t called “The Liberty Bell” in 1776, when the Declaration of Independence was signed, or even in 1788 when the US Constitution was ratified. The name was first used in 1835, and not in connection with national independence. It was used by abolitionists, seeking an end to slavery! Or, in other words, the Liberty Bell is very much about liberty, but not the liberty of the country, the liberty of African-Americans, that all might have freedom.

Now it really becomes ironic! The Liberty Bell is within sight of the place where it was declared that “all men are created equal” (Declaration of Independence), and where a bunch of white men sought to “secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity” (Preamble to the US Constitution). Yet the proclaimers of independence and the framers of the Constitution, deeply concerned about freedom, could only see freedom for themselves. They couldn’t see how their words of freedom and liberty would be hollow. Millions would remain enslaved for another 80 or so years. It would take lots of blood shed at Gettysburg, Antietam (we went there too on this trip), Cold Harbor, the Wilderness, Bull Run (twice), and many other otherwise obscure locations. Only then would freedom begin to have a chance, freedom which 150 more years down the road we continue to work toward.

So, if you missed it in the long paragraph above here’s the irony – the Liberty Bell, in the shadow of the Independence Hall, wouldn’t, and couldn’t, really be about liberty until it was about the freedom of someone else. Only in the absence of liberty, and the effort to fill that absence with freedom for all, could it really become “the Liberty Bell.”

But isn’t that also what Christian living is about? We talk about love and care as Christians, but until we care for those whom we really don’t care for, we really don’t get it. Jesus says, “If you love those who love you,” big deal – even evil people do that (Matthew 5:46)! To really live as we are called is to love and care for those whom, well, we don’t.

Or to put it another way, we can’t understand what Christian love is really all about until, like this nation, we expand our net to include all of God’s people. The Liberty Bell cannot be about liberty until it becomes about the freedom even of slaves; our Christian love cannot be about love until it becomes about our care and love of ALL of God’s people.

And that’s why our new mission statement says “all.”

…inviting all into a community of worship, nurturing all to be disciples of Jesus…

Not just all we like, or who think like us, or look like us. ALL. And only when we wrestle with what it means to include all, especially those who we don’t really want to include, only then can we really understand the love God calls us to have for others, the love God has for them – and the love God has for us!

Of course, there won’t be cemeteries filled with the dead who gave their lives to make that happen. Instead, there is a cross. A cross and a crucified Jesus. For while soldiers died to move this nation closer to true freedom, Jesus Christ died to give us love of God already.

And that is perhaps the greatest irony of all – we work to be an inclusive community, not to achieve a sense of Christian love, or to make love happen, but to realize the love of God we had all along. In the end we discover that God’s love has been here all the while. And when we embrace the love of those we love the least, we discover that our love, so grudgingly given, is really just the reflection of God’s love freely given. Not God’s love for someone else. God’s love for me.

And so I am really only sharing what God has first shared with me. When I love others. When I love all.

Last week, in Georgia, a guard, transporting four inmates to a work site, suffered a spell.  He lost consciousness, and had trouble breathing.  Seeing their big chance, the inmates wasted no time and took immediate action – they removed his gun, loosened his clothing, began CPR, and contacted 911 using his radio.  Simply put, they stayed put and saved his life.

Later that same day, a friend of ours posted on Facebook that this was a special day.  Seven years ago this day she understood her purpose in life, her primary calling as she gave birth to her son. 

Giving and saving lives.  That’s what meaning in life is all about.

Maybe, but somehow I think there is something more than just “save a life.”  Now, don’t get me wrong.  Saving a life is pretty deep.  I just sense something bigger at play here.

But first, let’s think about what often passes for “meaning” and “purpose” in life.  It seems to me that we find our purpose and meaning when we can identify just what we value in life.  Perhaps my “value” is to accumulate wealth and money.  I want to have the best things in life, and I want to acquire all sorts of toys. 

Or…I want to call the shots, and not just feel like I am a pawn in the hands of others.  This is my life, and I should be able to live this life to its fullest, to MY fullest.  I need control, power and influence, maybe even over you.

Or…there are things I want to accomplish, my “bucket list.”  And as I cross more and more items off the list, I have greater satisfaction – I find purpose and meaning.   

So, if it’s money and toys…power and status…experiences that give me my meaning…then why did four inmates miss the big moment, and why did a young mom credit a helpless child? 

Maybe they just don’t get it.  They have no clue about meaning and purpose, or they just live pretty mundane, meaningless lives.

Maybe.

Or maybe they are among the few who really get it.  Who really have the whole “meaning” and “purpose” thing figured out.

The inmates valued life over freedom.  But not their own life.  They valued the life of someone else, someone who was a person in need. 

And mom?  A mouth to feed, diapers to change, and long, sleepless nights.  Yet, Braylon is growing, getting older, and diapers and sleepless nights have been replaced by other challenges – and those challenges will grow, until, as a teenager, mom’s sleepless nights just might return!  Is it really worth it, and for what?  For someone to carry on the family name?

Or is there more at play here? 

Think of the criminals.  They are there for a reason – they did not respect someone else, someone’s life and possessions.  Why should we think they have suddenly changed their ways?  Their track record is not encouraging!

And mom?  She’s still young.  I remember her when she was just a kid.  Could she have suddenly acquired all wisdom and insight, to know how seriously awesome parenthood really is?   

I doubt that either the inmates or the mom have fully figured out what God is about in their lives.  The inmates did a decent thing, but did they consider the implications at the moment?  Or in the heat of the moment, did they just do the right thing, the Godly thing?

Meanwhile, mom is, well, a mom, doing what moms have always done.  Care for, and love their child!

Maybe it’s not about suddenly becoming all wise and insightful.  Maybe it’s not about fully grasping how God is at work in our lives.  Maybe it’s just a brief inkling, a moment in the Spirit opens us to sense God’s call, embrace it, and then move on in life.  And maybe that’s OK.

We look for meaning and purpose in life, and we struggle to find it.  Yet, it sits right in front of us.  For criminals and for mom, meaning and purpose is not just about saving or creating a life.  Instead, it’s about the profound discovery that life is not about me – life is about us, and how God has placed us together.  That is to say, life is about me and whoever shares my space, right here and now.  I find meaning and purpose in life when I find ways to embrace, enhance, and enrich, not myself, but the lives of those around me.  Right here and now.  Whether I’m saving, creating, or just plain caring for life around me.

The inmates are far from perfect in their care for others, and while mom is wonderful person, she too has her moments…

But don’t we all?  Don’t we all have our moments, good and bad?  Yet, God continues to work in us, sometimes bringing forth deep and long lasting change…and sometimes, just for the moment.

In the end, however, those moments begin to add up.  Not as “brownie points” that matter to God, but as experiences, one after another, where God is at work in us.  And God’s work isn’t just to make a difference in the lives of others (though that’s really important).  God’s work is to make a difference in our lives too!

Imagine, for a moment, those inmates.  God has worked in them to safe a guard…and maybe to change THEM too?  The guard’s life was changed.  How will the inmates’ lives be different? 

So take some time over the next few days.  As you interact with others, consider how you can treasure and value them.  Consider how your life might have meaning and purpose as you make a difference in their lives.

And then wonder for a moment…as God is at work in you to impact them…is God also at work in you…to change you?

Sitting on the deck, as the sun sets (remember my last reflections, same place, same time?), I am looking out at our lawn, green again after yesterday’s rains.

In the yard we have three trees. Two of the trees, maples, are green and growing, holding promise for the future.

The third tree is a flowering crab, planted three years ago. It’s green, and has had flowers all but one year. It is lush and attractive. But not all is well. In fact, the tree is not good at all. For some reason, one that I do not know, the roots never took. I can go out and move the tree back and forth. In fact, I’m guessing I could pull it right out of the ground. Water, soil, and sun are all present, yet as green as the tree is, it is not long for this life.

At first glance the story of my crab mirrors one of the Jesus’ parables. The parable, told with slight variations, in Matthew 13:1-23, Mark 4:1-20, and Luke 8:1-15, tells of God’s Word spread like seed in a variety of soils. In some places it takes, in others it doesn’t. The traditional (and fairly reasonable) interpretation is that the parable seeks to explain why the Word of God brings robust faith in some, while in others it just doesn’t take.

What’s the story of my tree? The guy at the nursery says the roots just haven’t “taken root.” The tree is green, but the roots are not shooting out into the surrounding soil. That would make sense. Each year the leaves turn brown and drop in late August – far too early.

Pretty obvious, don’t you think? That what happens when we don’t get rooted well in the gifts God places before us. So, show up in church more often, give a bit more, and do some good deeds today. Then you can avoid being like my crab. You can be lush and green, but also firm and strong.

But let’s not jump too quickly here. During this 500^th year of the Reformation, I’ve been reminded that for Martin Luther the power of life is not in our rootedness in God’s gifts (gasp, isn’t that heresy???) Instead, the power of life is in God’s hands. That is to say, what gives life is God’s work, not my effort to get rooted, even if I’m rooted in something very “godly sounding.”

Luther says that life comes when “Christ (the crucified Christ) is preached.” When Christ is preached, things happen. Then the power of the gospel is unleashed, because it is in the weakness of the crucified Christ, that God acts in my life.

How can that be? That’s where faith comes in. We look at the crucified Jesus, hanging on the cross, vulnerable to the power of death, and wonder where life can be. Yet, in faith we see what the world cannot see – that God is at work, even in a moment of weakness and death.

The world looks for something else – for a god that is present in power and might, with riches and glory all around. The world seeks that which is comfortable and satisfying, that which makes me feel good.

But God is about life! Life that comes from the sacrifice of the cross, God being willing to give all in order to bring hope to those who struggle with the ins and outs of life.

Which brings me back to the crab in my backyard. Maybe the message is not really about the crab and how it has failed to root itself. Maybe it’s a different message altogether, that even in roots that have failed, a tree that is broken, a crab that is dying, God is still here, and God is still at work.

Maybe it’s simply that in this crab that I will soon yank from the ground and replace with healthier tree, I am hearing God speak.

These are challenging days for church and church life. Things aren’t what they once were. At our recent synod assembly we heard that Sunday School attendance (in the ELCA) has dropped from 1 million each week in 1990 to 250,000 in 2016. Ouch!

And I look around at our pews – they aren’t as full as they once were, and our budget is tight. Again.

Weakness all around, everywhere I look. Maybe we need to work a little harder, you know, get better rooted.

Or maybe we just aren’t seeing God at work. Maybe we are looking in the wrong places.

For example…summer lunch began this week. A good start today, and already several new people, not members of the Our Savior’s, stepping forward to be a part of a ministry. There, in a ministry that serves those who have little or no power, God is at work.

And if I look some more, I begin to see other ways in which God is acting in the world, sometimes with my hands, sometimes with other hands. Ways that are not filled with power and glory, but instead with weakness, brokenness, even failure. Ways that are nonetheless faithful to God’s calling.

So perhaps the crab is on its last legs, soon to be gone. But maybe that poor little crab also serves as a message. God is at work. The crucified Christ, remember? That which seems weak, seems broken, seems to be a failure. Instead, in the words of Paul (who is SO much better than I am at these things),

we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.  1 Corinthians 1:23-24

I need to hear that again – that God is at work, in my life and in the world around me, through the crucified Christ, even (or maybe, especially) in moments of weakness, brokenness and failure, because, well, that’s nature of life. At least mine.

How about yours?

I write this on the verge of June Dairy Days, a time for West Salem to celebrate heritage, community, the coming of summer, and the produce of the land. As the clock is closing in on 10 PM, and the sun has long since set in the west, all that’s left is to finish this off while enjoying the cool breeze on our deck. All around me is lush, green life. God is good!

But there is some trouble in the air. I try very hard to keep politics out of pastoral ministry. I understand that there are differing view points, and while I have my opinions, I also want to value and honor the opinions of others – not only when I think they are right, but especially when I think they are wrong!

This time, however, what seems political isn’t. It’s not about politics – it’s about stewardship.

Long ago, in some fashion that we do not fully understand, God created a good world. God brought forth life of all kinds, and God provided for life to be sustained. God caused the sun to shine and the rain to fall, and even the winter, when the land can lie fallow. God fashioned a diversity of beings, plants and animals, insects and microbes. All brought together in a web that allows life to amaze, delight, and flourish.

And then, when all was ready, God breathed life into humankind, created, as Genesis says, “in God’s image.”

But even that wasn’t enough. God gave men and women – God gave us – a responsibility. God gave all of creation to us, not to own and use, not to posses and abuse. God gave creation as a trust, and with that, God gave us a calling – a calling to wise stewardship over the world around us.

And why not? As God created, Genesis tells us that again and again God saw that it was good.

Goodness, however, did not remain. Plants, animals, and all the rest of a magnificent world was fine. Humankind failed. In a fit of sin, Adam and Eve sought to displace God, to become god-like, and in that way, to take the place of God – to become gods themselves.

And so humanity began its journey. A journey of self-absorption – a journey of being so wrapped up in ourselves, that not only do I imagine that the fullness of life is about me and my desires, but I also imagine that I can achieve the fullness of life on my own. I can do it all by myself!

So focused on us, we become selfish, and our care is only for what we think will meet our needs and satisfy our desires. Even when it takes from others, harms them, and maybe even takes away life.

Yet, God was not quite finished with us. In the fullness of time God acted. In Jesus, God came into our world and through the cross and empty tomb God renewed live and restored hope. Imagine that – we who messed up get rescued by the very one we seek to push aside! That’s grace at work – that’s the gospel we proclaim!

So, where’s the “politics turned into stewardship” in all of this? The action this week of President Trump to withdraw from the Paris Agreement on the environment. Only two other nations are not party to the Paris Agreement – Nicaragua and Syria. Wow, great company we’re in!

OK, I know there are a lot who have questions about the agreement, and whether it’s the best. Maybe. But the vast majority of scientists (90%+) agree that human activity is changing the environment. What is scary is the prospect that we may reach a tipping point where we can’t go back. And what kind of world are we then leaving for our children and our grandchildren?

The Paris Agreement may not be perfect, but all but two countries agreed to begin to take the steps we need to take to prevent – and reverse – significant climate change. And now we are out.

So this begins as a stewardship issue. A world that is full of wonders is at risk from climate change, change which the overwhelming scientific evidence suggests is due to what we, the stewards, the trustees have done. Hey, read Genesis – we are entrusted with creation – and we are destroying it? And yet, we have the means to stop – but we don’t?

And why not? It will cost us too much! Our money, our wealth, our standard of living – are all more important than faithful stewardship, than faithfully caring for the earth. As if the planet is ours to spend, to waste, even to destroy. Let’s see…1 Timothy 6:10…the love of money is the root of all evil…

I started by saying that I try to avoid being political, but this is bigger than mere politics – this is stewardship!

There are species of animals and plants that will become extinct as habitats change. Remember God’s incredible gift of diversity? Remember it, for we may just throw it away.

There are nations that may disappear under the waters of rising oceans. But who cares about them? God cares! Contrary to our sometimes popular belief, God doesn’t just love Americans!

And then there are people who will go hungry, even starve to death, because crops will not withstand climate change. But they are insignificant, even disposable, right? The rich man in Luke 16:19-31 thought the same about Lazarus. Was he ever wrong!

So whether you are Democrat or Republican, conservative or liberal, we share (I hope) a care for our world. We also care about being faithful stewards as God has called us. We may differ in policies, but in the end we seek life as God calls it to be.

That leaves one last piece – the crucified and risen Jesus. Empowered by the embrace of the one who brings new life, we are freed to embrace the world around us, and to be bold. We are also free to join together, for our differences are overcome in the outstretched arms of Jesus. Write our congressional representatives. Find ways to advocate for a planet – a whole planet – dearly loved by Jesus, which God has entrusted to us.

And pray – pray a lot – and don’t stop! Pray for those affected by climate change, and those who are dismayed by our withdrawal from the Paris Agreement.

And finally, pray for our President. Not just that he may “see the light,” or the “error of his ways.” Like him or despise him, pray for him. He too is a loved child of God!

I just checked…wow, has it really been just shy of a month since my last reflection? Really, have I been that lazy?

Well, maybe…or maybe not! I mean, its not like nothing’s been going on.

Since my last reflection close to 650 worshiped with us at Easter…I traveled to Michigan for an ordination…we confirmed 23 9^th graders, including my daughter…which meant we had family and friends from out of town…Kay, our secretary for 35+ years retired…so we’ve started to interview candidates for that position…while we have had to keep the office moving without staffing…the Congregation Council assembled a proposal to remodel the building…which the congregation approved…and we also started the process to sell the parsonage.

All in a month.

So see? Lots going on.

On further reflection, I suppose my life isn’t all that unique. How about you? Anything going on in your life? And how about the world around us? Did you feel like this last week was a whirlwind, at least in Washington and across the globe? From Sally Yates’ testimony at the beginning of the week, to Trump’s firing of Comey later in the week, to the launch of yet another missile from North Korea today, the week has been moving in multiple directions, seemingly all at once. Life is always in motion, always filled with twists and turns, always full of surprises, but right now life seems to be a blur. And it takes what seems to be a monumental effort just to stay close. Getting ahead of the game isn’t even an option.

So the world seems to be spinning faster and faster, and I feel like I’m running around like the proverbial “chicken with his head cut off.”

But that’s not the scary part. The scary part is that this seems to be the “new normal.” That is to say, it doesn’t look like things are going to change any time soon. So if you are getting a bit dizzy about life and the world; if your schedule is looking like mine, all at full speed, all the time; if you are looking for a rest stop and don’t seem to be finding it – get used to it. This is life, and not even in the fast lane. This is life at normal speed. And the brakes aren’t working!

Still, in the midst of the speed of life, the lack of time, the hustle and bustle that just keeps revving ever faster, something keeps nudging at me. Take a peek at the calendar. It’s May, and it’s warming up. We are out on our deck this evening – the first long evening of the year, to enjoy the coming of the summer. And tomorrow is the last day for Sunday School…and soon school will let out, summer vacations will beckon…all sorts of things on the horizon.

Oh, wait, that’s the world speeding up again.

Is that what nudges me? More speed? More stress? More anxiety? More unknowns and uncertainties? Yippy, and (as a friend of mine would say, somewhat sarcastically), “keep my feet from dancing.”

No, that’s not it. Take another look at the calendar. Not the one on the fridge, or online, or deep inside whatever is your electronic device of choice. Look at a calendar that most of the world ignores. Look at the calendar formed by the cross and the empty tomb!

Hey, we are still in the Easter season! It is still true – Christ is risen, Alleluia!

Remember how I started this? My last reflection was on Easter Eve. Since then all sorts of things have been swirling around, sometimes draining me, other times consuming me. But Jesus – the crucified and risen Jesus has remained, steadfastly embracing me, even in the midst of the turmoil. While the world has moved at warp-like speed, threatening to completely overwhelm me, Jesus has remained my constant.

And not just in the midst of my every day, in and out life. Remember the words of Romans 8:38-39 (one of my favorite passages: “There is nothing in life or death that can keep me from God’s love Christ Jesus, our Lord.”

Not the speed of life, or the turmoil of packed and busy days. Not uncertain political times. Not even missiles from North Korea.

God’s love through Jesus, through the crucified and risen Jesus, remains steady, certain, and true. There is something to hang on to – because in the end we discover that it’s really been Jesus hanging on to us all along.

And that then is what sends me ahead. I know that some of what is swirling around will be resolved, and maybe life will even slow down a bit, but not much. New challenges will arise. Just wait and see! In my little corner of the world, and across the vast Geo-political expanse of what seems to be an ever shrinking world, life will continue to bewilder and confuse me. Guaranteed.

But the crucified and risen Jesus will continue to embrace me, restoring my life and renewing my hope. Guaranteed.

So what’s left? Sit back and enjoy the ride, knowing God is not, contrary to the bumper sticker, my co-pilot. God is the pilot. It’s God alone – through Jesus – who guides and directs me.

And in that confidence, I can look ahead and look life right in eye, and cry out, “Bring it on!”

Because Jesus has my back. Guaranteed.

 

Normally, today would be tax day – April 15. And since death and taxes are the only things you can really count on (or so they say), today would be pretty significant – a day of certainty in the midst of a life filled with uncertainty. But not this year. Not only is April 15 not certain, it is filled with waiting and wondering – about tomorrow.

Tomorrow is Easter, and we know what that means. Jesus Christ rose from the dead, defeating the powers of sin and evil, and opening the way to everlasting life. Simple, right?

Maybe…or maybe not…

At one of our recent Lenten mid-week worship services we focused on the art of the Reformation. Three works of art in particular stood out, three works that share something of Easter. And the three put together paint a picture (yes, the pun is intended!) of wondering and uncertainty that is grounded in the confidence of the resurrection.

Let’s start with Lucas Cranach the Elder, a friend of Martin Luther. Lucas Cranach painted a piece called “Law and Grace,” in 1529. You can find it by clicking here.

The painting depicts the difference in the law and grace. A series of images are presented, with the “law” on the left, and “grace” on the right. Take a look at the lower right corner. There is the resurrected Jesus emerging from the tomb. But look carefully…Jesus emerges, standing on a skeleton. The emerging, resurrected Jesus not only returns to life, but in the process stomps all over death. Death is crushed by Jesus!

No uncertainty there – and not much to wonder about. That’s Easter, all right!

The second painting, by Lucas Cranach the Younger (yes, he’s the son!) is called “Christ and the Adulteress.” You can find it by clicking here.

Depicting the story from John 8, Jesus defends a woman others are ready to stone. But take a closer look. At the bottom of canvas, Jesus is holding the woman’s hand. As if to steady her, reassure her, give her confidence, and remind her that she is not alone, Jesus reaches out to her. God’s grace evident in Jesus. Jesus welcomes, affirms, and renews life in the marginalized, the overlooked, the rejected. Easter at work!

So, no surprises here either. Pretty cut and dried.

Finally, Hans Holbein the Younger (1524) painted “Noli me tangere” (“Do not touch me”), based on Jesus’ words to Mary as she stands by the empty tomb in John 20. You can see it by clicking here.

The painting is a pretty basic. Jesus greets Mary, outside the tomb. In the background the disciples are heading back to town, with a few crosses in the upper left of the painting. Just what we would expect.

Except for a subtle shadow. Look at the sky – the dawn is about to break, and the sun’s rays peek through the clouds. Enough light to illuminate Christ’s face and hands, and even Mary’s hands. But not her face. Mary is still in darkness. She still cannot see what is happening around her. She came to the tomb to see a dead Jesus. Not this!

But isn’t Easter about certainty and a simple message?

Sure it is, but not yet. For the moment, Mary is confused, bewildered, wondering – and waiting. Waiting for God’s revelation to sort this all out.

Just like you and me. Remember? Jesus stomps all over death, and I know that. I am reasonably confident that in the end of this life, there is a spot for me in something greater. Death will not prevail. But what about now? Am I truly confident that in Jesus God acts to bring radical life to me? Do I really get it that the world no longer has power over me?

I mean, what about Monday morning, when I have to deal with a boss who is hard to understand? Or when I need to figure out what to do about that kid of mine, or the unpaid bills that pile up? Or what about the health concerns I have for myself – or family members?

Sure, I am confident that God brings life. But am I confident that God brings life in the midst of the everyday stuff that challenges me? Maybe. Or maybe, like Mary, I’m still a bit uncertain.

And then the grace thing. Hey, of course, God and grace – go together like lutefisk and lefse. But am I confident about what grace is really about? That God really does connect with folk whom I would prefer to avoid? That God deeply cares about the people I would reject?

The words sound great – God is a God of grace, who welcomes all. But even those I don’t want to welcome? Am I sure I want that to be what God is about?

And then, if I’m really willing to look deeply, am I confident that God loves even me, with all the failures and vulnerabilities that I work so hard to hide from those around me?

Easter really does challenge us, if we let it. And the challenges of Easter leave us confused and bewildered. Like Mary.

But also like Mary, Jesus calls me by name. Through Jesus, God embraces me even in the midst of my uncertainty. In the end Easter is less about that of which I am certain, and much more about God’s embrace of me despite my uncertainty.

I believe in the gift of new life, I really do, but then when it comes down to real life in the midst of my real world, with real challenges, I hesitate, a bit.

And I want grace – I want God’s love, undeserved and unearned – for me, of course, and for others, I guess, but…sometimes…I’m not so sure about that.

Yet, the promises are there. Life…grace…the resurrected Jesus.

Of course, all of that is about tomorrow. Easter. Right now, it’s still Saturday. I’m still waiting and wondering. And I’ll wait and wonder some more tomorrow. All will not instantly become clear. My fractured understanding will not be restored that quickly. My humanness will keep me from fully embracing the certainty of life and grace.

But I will not wait alone. I’ll wait and wonder in the presence of the risen Jesus. The Jesus who says, “Don’t touch me,” and yet who, at the same time embraces me, stomps all over death, and loves me despite me. For in the end, even my own uncertainty can’t keep me from the certainty of the risen Jesus.

What a great God we have!

It’s Friday and it’s late. March is about to march out, and we are on the cusp of entering April. That means, of course, that tomorrow is April 1^st – really, no fooling!

April 1^st – April Fools Day, and it comes in the midst of Lent. Not always, though. Easter can come as early as March 22^nd, and as late as April 25^th. But next year, Easter will be April 1^st. Now, there’s something to consider…

So, if Easter is April 1^st, isn’t that just perfect? Think about it for a moment. Easter is God’s act to change the world – to change it fundamentally and completely. What Easter does is destroy the greatest powers that the world has ever seen – the power of sin, evil and Satan! And in their defeat the ultimate enemy of death goes down (no pun intended) in flames.

The gift of Easter is that in God’s work through the once crucified, now risen Jesus, God shatters the one power that you and I cannot deflect, avoid, change or overcome. God shatters death! And that’s big – remember? You can only depend on death and taxes? OK, so you still have taxes, but God’s taken care of death. True, my body is still mortal, but life beyond is promised – and delivered. Death can do it’s worst, but I’m still looking ahead, because in Jesus, God’s got my back!

Why is that perfect for April Fool’s? Because sin, evil, Satan, even death, believe that they are indestructible. And they are. Until Jesus. And then the joke’s on them – death and it’s cronies (sin, evil and Satan) are crushed by God’s work in Jesus. So next year, on Easter, wake up, and rejoice, because all that seems to be is not, and what cannot be suddenly is. Death is out, and life is in.

But alas, April 1^st is not Easter – not this year. Next year, but not now. So, forget it. I’ll file this away and pull it out next year. Except, I need something now. Like a starving man for whom a meal tomorrow is too late, I need hope now. And I need life. Badly.

I suppose I could wait. Easter 2017 is a few weeks away. Can I hang on that long? Probably. The statistics are in my favor. My life expectancy right now gives me a few more decades. I’ll probably make a few more weeks.

But I might not. You never know.

Moreover, there are other deaths out there. No, not other people. My own deaths.

Day in and day out I’m dying – not my body (well, I am getting older). Dying, like hopes and dreams. Dying, in moments of confusion, uncertainty, and anxiety. Dying, in my moments of failure and (yes) even faithlessness. Again and again death – the result of evil, Satan, and my own sinfulness, drags me down.

So, I need some life, and I need it now.

The good news for me is that the life I need is here, right now, not just in a few weeks. It’s mine, even as I relax on “April Fool’s Eve.” And that is why it works, and works well, to have April Fool’s Day fall on any old day, not Easter.

Why? Because I need God’s joke to be played on the powers of death today and tomorrow. I need that joke on any old day, not just Easter. I need God to turn the tables on death whether this is a high festival of the church year, or just another day of the week.

That is what God delivers! Yes, we celebrate God’s work in a few short weeks. Two weeks from this evening we will have completed the remembrance of the crucifixion. Come join us – worship at 1:30 and 8 PM on Good Friday, April 14. Come join us as we hear the story and reflect on the awesomeness, both of God’s act in Jesus, and of God’s love for us.

And then on Easter we will rejoice that the powers of sin, evil, Satan, even death could not conquer – and that in Jesus the victory has been won for us. Easter morning – come join us again – 6:30 – 8:30 – 10:30 AM. Rejoice that the joke’s on them, that God has had the last laugh, that God has brought life out of death!

But, and here’s the deal – its not just a joke played on Easter. It’s a joke for every day – even today. God’s gifts of life are about real life, day in and day out. Life lived out on a Friday and Saturday two weeks before Easter. Life lived out in May as spring bursts forth, in August as the dog days of summer wear on, in October as the colors change and the harvest is brought in, and even in January as the land lies lifeless under snow and ice. Life, not just in the glory of Easter morn, or even the irony of an Easter that falls on April Fool’s. Life that comes on a simple, humble day, but a day when once again, I am drained, weary, and dying. Life that renews and restores me. Today.

So, here, but hours from April Fool’s, I invite you to bask in the joke that God plays on the forces that conspire to bring death. Bask in what God is about FOR YOU in the crucified and risen Jesus. Bask in what God did once upon a time on an extraordinary day, but which God continues to make real on a common, ordinary day like today.

Then make the time and the commitment to come and be with us (or with another community of faith). Hear the story…reflect on the gift of grace…and celebrate the gift of life – all in the risen Jesus! 

Two days ago I promised to draw a line connecting beer and ordination. I mentioned our “Beer and Hymns,” and reflected on how the community of faith has many gifted leaders. I noted that it was important for leaders to be given the opportunity to use their gifts, to lead God’s people, and to grow in their stewardship of all God has entrusted to them.

But what about ordination? Glad you asked!

Twice in April I will be traveling to participate in ordinations. Linda will be ordained on April 8. She is called to serve Peace United Church of Christ in Marinette. She will be ordained as an ELCA pastor, but serves Peace under our ecumenical partnership with the UCC. As I was her mentor during her seminary days, I have been asked to lead the prayers, while Pastor Jean will offer one of the “charges.” We will hustle back after the ordination in time for worship that evening.

Terry will be ordained at my old congregation, First Lutheran in Gladstone, on April 23. She will serve Zion Lutheran Church in Manistique. Since that’s a Sunday, Pastor Jean will stay behind in West Salem, while I travel. Terry, a good friend, and former parishioner, has asked me to be the celebrant at the worship service.

Of course, these are big days for Linda and Terry, and for Peace and Zion. They are also big days for the church. Two more pastors added to the roster…two more disciples engaging in stewardship as they use their gifts to lead God’s people.

Not totally unlike the musicians at Beer and Hymns, or the folk who have led our Holden worship. Living out their baptismal calling to be doing God’s work, Linda and Terry, musicians and Holden singers, are all using their gifts, engaging the community, and sharing in the leadership of the community of faith.

Of course, for Linda and Terry, it’s big, and it’s a commitment. They are on the verge of a huge change of life as they embrace full time ministry. They have responded to the call to ordained ministry. But this isn’t about ordained ministry. The musicians and Holden leaders are responding full time too. No, they aren’t making music or singing Holden 40 hours a week, and they aren’t being paid. And they aren’t looking to be ordained. That, however, isn’t what makes for full time ministry.

Full time ministry is about living out a baptismal covenant. For Linda and Terry, for Pastor Jean and for myself, that’s our profession. But our profession is secondary to our calling as faithful disciples of Jesus, and for the four of us, and many others, that is the call to ordained ministry. For many more of God’s people, however, that calling is to something else – like teaching, or nursing, or carpentry. But – and here’s the catch – it’s teaching, nursing, carpentry, or whatever else – in the context of a life of faithful service that grows out of God’s calling and giftedness in baptism. So, in that sense, we are all the same. We respond to God’s call with a different form of service, empowered by different giftedness (really, I’m not gifted like those who can handle a Kindergarten classroom – or give a shot to a patient!)

So, in a nutshell, filled with different gifts, finding ourselves in different situations, called by God to different ministries, we all seek to be faithful stewards. In different ways, to be sure, but using God’s gifts, engaging God’s people, and leading the community of faith, nonetheless!

Now, let’s go back to Linda and Terry. They have both completed seminary, both starting a bit over four years ago. They have worked hard, and they have made some sacrifices. Not something I would expect any of you to do.

But why not? Why couldn’t God call YOU to consider ordained ministry as your part in God’s work?

Too old? Devon was 62 when he graduated and began his ministry.

Too new to the church? Tim Bowman is working his way through seminary right now, and he wasn’t even Lutheran when he started.

Too rough around the edges? Ask me about Tera and her tattoos.

Too shy? Talk to Pastor Jean about that one!

Look, most of you are not called to ordained ministry. You are called to a different ministry, and whatever yours is, it is as important as mine. As Lutherans, we embrace the idea of the priesthood of all believers. We are all called to a lifetime of faithful discipleship, wherever God calls us. God uses each one of us, in differing ways, in different places, with differing gifts – but always to accomplish God’s work (1 Corinthians 12:4-5).

Except…once upon a time, Terry was an accountant. That was her career. And Linda was a secretary. That was her career. Yet, they both heard God’s call to a new direction, and responded to what seemed a first to be an impossible challenge. But…in God’s hands nothing is impossible (Matthew 19:26)!

So, think about this. What is your calling? Remember, all of God’s people are called…to something…including you. So, what is it? Remember too, that a calling as teacher, nurse, carpenter, or whatever, is a good and Godly calling. You are doing what you are to do!

Yet, what if God is calling you elsewhere, maybe even to ordained ministry? And if something about that resonates, its not that impossible. Ask Linda, Terry, Devon, Tim, Tera, Pastor Jean…most of all, ask Jesus!

Remember…in God’s hands NOTHING is impossible!

Then, come and have a visit – with me or with Pastor Jean. Who knows? Maybe, even as you read this, God is at work, in you, right now!

Could be…

What do beer and ordination have to do with each other?  Stay tuned…they are connected. 

I’m going to do something different here.  I have (or had) a reflections idea, until Sunday evening, when another experience crossed my plate.  So, I’m going to put them together.  One today, and another in a couple days – one starting with beer, the other with ordination, but both ending with discipleship.  Really!

Sunday evening I joined close to 40 others over at Westview for “Beer and Hymns.”   The last one for a bit – maybe we’ll do this again this summer, maybe next winter, we’ll see.  We will bring it back, just not sure when, so watch for the return engagement.

But for the moment, back to Sunday evening.  I sat in the back of the room, as our music team of five guitars and a keyboard led our music.  We sang hymns, drank beer, wine, soft drinks, even a water or two.  We had a great time, and we even were a witness.  Two folk in the bar wondered what was up, and one joined us for a few minutes.

Most of all, however, we had Jesus.  Jesus was present!

Jesus was present, but Pastor Jean and I were in the back.  We were part of the community.  We weren’t the leaders.  Not this day.

Not on Wednesday either.  For our Lenten worship this year (other than March 29), our Holden worship is led by someone else.  Kind of a bummer as I really enjoy singing Holden; so does Pastor Jean.  But instead, this past week, it was Marty and Carla, and the week before it was Lynette.  Still to come are Jen, Naoko and Ruby.  People of God, stepping forth, to be leaders. 

That’s more important than you might imagine.  Sure, it was helpful on Wednesday – Pastor Jean and I are still fighting colds (seven weeks – I’m really getting tired of this!)  But it’s more than that.  It’s about people using their gifts – their God given gifts – to be a part of the work of God’s people. 

It’s also about those same people discovering that God has placed them in the midst of community to take a leadership role.  This time it’s in leading worship.  Maybe next time it will be in some other service, some other ministry.  

And it’s also about proclaiming to others that they too can take a role in leading God’s people.  The fact is that when we are able to use our gifts, we become more open to the gifts God has given us (especially gifts we aren’t always so sure about), and we begin to use them with greater wisdom. 

In short, this is about stewardship.  No, not the money we share, but the discovery of who and what God has created us to be, both as individuals and as a community.  As individuals, we discover the riches of who we are, and all that God has entrusted to us.  And as a community we discover that in our midst are others who are also gifted – and together we carry out a piece of God’s work in the world.

I recently came across a great quote:

“The God who created the galaxies, mountains, and oceans, looked around and decided that world needed one of me.”

But when the world needed one of me, it needed a “me” that is gifted, and that is sent forth (more on that in the next reflections.)  God has done the gifting, not only making me what I am, but also gifting me with community. 

There, in community we nurture giftedness by offering both challenge and support.  We challenge each other to embrace God’s gifts and God’s call, but we do so in a place where we know we are loved and cared for.  So, if one of our Holden leaders made a mistake leading worship, that would be OK – we aren’t here to perform, we are here to share with each other, to be a vibrant, living Body of Christ, and to be nurtured in our faithful discipleship.

All that happens when we allow others to take on leadership roles in the work of the community.

But it doesn’t happen if I as pastor cling to too much of our leadership and our ministry.  Yes, I’m “paid” to be the leader.  I am not, however, called to be the “hired hand,” to do all the work.  I am called to guide and nurture the spiritual life of God’s people – and that includes the stewardship of our gifts and abilities.  Or in other words, getting out of the way! 

The reality is that this congregation, like all congregations, is blessed with many, many gifts.  Those gifts are entrusted to you.  So ponder now, for a day or two, before my next reflection, how you might use your gifts to be a leader, to be a steward, to make things happen, to bring life to God’s people. 

What are your gifts?  What is your calling?

72 hours in and I’m still adjusting. The time change throws me for a loop. I mean, I get up the hour earlier and I go to bed the hour earlier, but my body clock is still a bit dazed and confused. And there’s still tomorrow – another day to be out of synch. I’m beginning to think that Rebecca’s got it right – this time change stuff is for the birds!

Not to worry – we will get the hour back in October. Back to normal, an extra hour of sleep, and it all balances out. Until March of 2018, and then we do it all over again. Forward an hour, then back…forward, then back. And the net result is…nothing. It all balances out.

But time doesn’t always balance out. Sometimes time seems to add up and up. Or perhaps, I should say, it seems to run out and out. We live in busy, stressful times. Many years ago I recall the prediction that by the turn of the century computers would reduce us to a 30 hour work week, and the big challenge would be…what do we do with all our free time?

Working out that way for you?

Me neither!

“There just aren’t enough hours in the day!” Heard that one – said that one – before?

Look around – life is busy, and getting busier. Our kids have more and more activities meant to enrich their lives, but which seem instead to cause more and more stress. We tell ourselves that our kids never have time to just be kids. But for all our talk, little changes.

And not just for kids. How much free time, really good, relaxing, renewing free time do you have? Activities that are supposed to allow us to “re-create” become obligations that tire us out. Work and career become priorities because we believe that the good life is about a fat paycheck. And so, we run from one thing to another, with barely time enough to catch our breath.

But of course, we do this all for our family, right? Really? How much quality family time do we have? Instead, family time is at a premium, if it we have any at all.

Yet, with all of this, which it seems to me we all know instinctively doesn’t work, we nonetheless continue to buy into our cultures expectation that a busy life is a productive life. We pack our schedule and struggle to find a healthy balance between our work, our play, and our rest.

Now, here’s where I’d like to say that the solution is easy. Just come to church instead. Or check out one of our ministries, fellowship events, or other worship opportunities. Get your kids connected with Sunday School, VBS, or youth ministry.

All good ideas, but…wait a moment…what about time? Time still remains tight, and we continue to be worn down.

Especially for younger families. New family ministries, new opportunities for connecting, new possibilities for learning and growing… Great! But when?

So maybe we need something more. Maybe new ministries will meet the needs of families (like the Frolic ministry for 0-3 year old children that we are working on for this coming fall – watch for details in coming months). But maybe there is another opportunity here. Maybe we can also find sabbath.

Sabbath – that takes us way back! All the way back to the Old Testament. Remember the Ten Commandments? Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy? God’s command was not about a legalistic requirement about showing up in church – it was about God’s insistence that people take time to really renew and restore. In practical terms, the Third Commandment was the first “labor law” – it gave everyone a day off once a week.

For us, a sabbbath isn’t just about a day off. Its about finding real rest and renewal in the embrace of a loving God. We get that in worship, in fellowship, and even, sometimes, in our service to others. We experience sabbath when we open ourselves to God’s “recharge,” when God’s Spirit refreshes us.

But to be open to sabbath we might also need to re-evaluate our priorities a bit, and especially our time. And perhaps we need to be thinking that in church circles as well. How can we provide opportunities for God’s people – for YOU – to find sabbath. To encounter engaging, spiritual experiences that also allow for rest in the midst of a busy life.

We’ll keep working on that, but for the moment, I just just might have something for you. Holy Week and Easter are fast approaching. Don’t just add another event on your schedule. What is your priority in life? If life about being busy? Is it about more activities that demand your time?

Or is life about Jesus? Is life about the embrace of the crucified Christ? The touch of the risen Lord? And is that where sabbath begins?

Make it happen. Take your time, be refreshed. Because, remember…your busyness does not make life happen. Jesus does. So let Jesus do the work.

And you? You take your sabbath!