On the road again

From Pastor Randy's Sermon

Though our lives are sometimes shattered, The Gospel event of Christ can bring us back together again.  It may not be in the same way it was before, it may not always be how we think it should be, but yet it comes.  Sometimes, God is at work in our lives and we don’t even know it.  Sometimes our eyes don’t recognize it at the time.  Sometimes we too are blind like the two traveling on the road to Emmaus.

What do the two disciples do in response to discovering the risen Lord?  They got on that same road.

The road that had been marked by defeat,

 marked by shattered hopes, had been transformed. The road was full of possibilities. 
Hope was alive.  

It was the same road – but a different destination; the same road – but a different conversation; the same road – but different observations; the same road –but a different realization.  Hope was restored. Their dream had come true.  He was alive! They went back to Jerusalem to be witnesses to the resurrection – to tell everybody the good news.

From Pamela:  

I have known several friends who walked gracefully and faithfully to their last mortal breath.  Although the situations varied and the rate of their walk to death was according to each one's terminal condition, there was a similarity.  They ALL became more excited about what God was about to do as they came closer and closer to death.   Their faith told them that God's final surprise for them was that death would not have the final say in their life.   

It can be very difficult to wrap the head around that reality -- whether we are talking about physical death or the death of a dream, hope, relationship or life chapter.  We don't know "how" God will rebuild life in the midst of the rubble of death; and people often feel most secure in the presence of facts. People are more likely to be convinced by the details of what is to come than by the faith statement that God WILL bring new life from death.  

I wonder, can we get excited in the midst of sorrow about something that is dying?  We don't need to ignore or discount grief about what is lost -- but can we gather around the hope that what God has promised (life!) God will accomplish?  

Thank you, Thomas!

From Pastor Randy's Sermon-Sunday, April 27, 2014

The problem Thomas had was believing the good news of Easter.  Thomas was having trouble with the idea of life beyond the grave.  Thomas was having difficulty believing that death can be conquered, even by Christ.  
We all have our moments of questioning, of rationalizing, of making sense of it all.  We all have our times of doubting, of wondering if the church even comes close to proclaiming what is real or what happened.  
We too are Thomas.  We were not there at Calvary when they crucified the Lord.  We were not there on the first day of the week, when Jesus appeared to the disciples.  We can't go to Jesus, but Jesus does come to us.  May we rise each day with the presence of the resurrected Christ in our lives, A presence that reminds us that even when we doubt (and we will doubt); even when we mistrust and misjudge (and we will mistrust and misjudge) God is more powerful than our thoughts and minds.  


From Pamela:  Pastor Randy went on to talk about the high level of trust required to step from the firm ground of reason into the unknown territory of what our mind says is "impossible."  One theologian once said that the opposite of faith is NOT doubt, but the opposite of faith IS MISTRUST.

Time and time again faithful living requires us to step away from the black and white thinking that flows from analysis or judgement.  Faithful living requires us to step into the mist of the unknown, to stay alert, and activated.   We will not be disappointed.  As long as we trust the presence of Christ our pace will be established in both direction and tempo.

1 Corinthians1:25 For God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength.

If we search for God - and we all do at one time or another,  if we search for God in special times and places -- Where does God search for us?  Where does God meet us?  Many people do not think they have met God unless they emotionally feel that they have encountered something. They sometimes gauge the success of their search for God, their meeting God, by whether or not they feel certain things.  They judge whether or not they have met the Creator or the Holy Spirit, by whether or not they gain a sense of peace, by whether or not they have an emotional high - an emotional rush, by whether or not they have the Spirit send those chills and tingles up and down their backs. 

However, life is not, completely full of special times, full of special moments. Life is full of other stuff, it is full of routines, of ordinary things: we work, we eat, we sleep, we play and relax, we suffer and feel pain, we sorrow and grieve, we are insulted and injured, we struggle and fight against trials and tribulations.  In these ordinary times we are as well in ordinary places, at home, at work, in hospital, visiting with a friend, driving in our cars, standing in elevators, or sitting in a lobby or a meeting room. 


These ordinary times, and these ordinary places, these times when we are not taking time to be "holy", and those places where we do not expect to meet God but are actually getting on - or trying to get on - with living our lives, those are the times and the places where God often meets us.     (From Pastor Randy's Sermon on 2/1-2, 2014)

From Pamela

So many times I have heard people say "that's an answer to prayer" when something good, or hoped for, or even expected happens.  I won't argue that the "good" development may well be an answer -- However, for most of us there are chapters when it is almost impossible to see anything "good" happening.  For most of us there are at least some hopes or expectations that do not come to fruition.   There is no sense of peace or contentment.  No happiness.  No foreseeable end to pain.  

That is when we surrender -- "God help me -- as only you can."

And then, eventually, the consolation and tender mercy of God will emerge.  

The answer to prayer that emerges is that in our suffering there is an awareness that something "more" is happening.  We may not recognize it at first.  And it may be revealed in a surprise, or some foolish notion.  But, amazingly, it gains momentum and begins to bear the fruit of wisdom.  
The beatitudes (read Matthew 5:1-12 again) sound like foolishness to some.  Yet they are the statements of wisdom about what God is often up to in our dangerous world.   

These ordinary times, and these ordinary places, these times when we are not taking time to be "holy", and those places where we do not expect to meet God but are actually getting on - or trying to get on - with living our lives, those are the times and the places where God often meets us. 

ordinary times we are as well in ordinary places, at home, at work, in hospital, visiting with a friend, driving in our cars, standing in elevators, or sitting in a lobby or a meeting room.

These ordinary times, and these ordinary places, these times when we are not taking time to be "holy", and those places where we do not expect to meet God but are actually getting on - or trying to get on - with living our lives, those are the times and the places where God often meets us. 

ordinary times we are as well in ordinary places, at home, at work, in hospital, visiting with a friend, driving in our cars, standing in elevators, or sitting in a lobby or a meeting room.

These ordinary times, and these ordinary places, these times when we are not taking time to be "holy", and those places where we do not expect to meet God but are actually getting on - or trying to get on - with living our lives, those are the times and the places where God often meets us. 

ordinary times we are as well in ordinary places, at home, at work, in hospital, visiting with a friend, driving in our cars, standing in elevators, or sitting in a lobby or a meeting room.

These ordinary times, and these ordinary places, these times when we are not taking time to be "holy", and those places where we do not expect to meet God but are actually getting on - or trying to get on - with living our lives, those are the times and the places where God often meets us. 

Let it be

Last week we heard the story about Jesus' baptism.  When Jesus walked up to John the Baptist, John hesitated to proceed with the baptism -- John had some ideas about Jesus' identity, and about Jesus' role in the future.  They could have stood there in that moment and debated about what course of action to take, but Jesus responded with a statement about "now" (the present moment they both occupied) 

 “‘Let it be so now; for it is proper for us to in this way to fulfill all righteousness.’” Then John consented.  “Let it be so now,” is the mark of the new beginning.  Similar to January first, similar to that new year’s resolution, similar to that dreaming or thinking about change or starting over, nothing happens until we say: “Let is be so now.”  It is the move toward a new future.  For Jesus it would mean his baptism into his reason for coming, to be the Messiah for the world.  (From Pastor Randy's sermon 2/11-12)

From Pamela:  

Those words-- Let it be--unleash power.  Whether they are spoken by God, or by Mary, Mother of God, or Jesus or John the Baptist or by you or by me, "Let it be so" says that we are willing to acknowledge what is going on right now.  Sometimes we can't move forward along the path of transformation unless we state our awareness of what is really happening NOW.  Oh, sure, we can move forward with our own set of expectations.  We can manipulate our understanding and try to create our own future according to our own agenda.  

However -- God invites us to let God be God and to let God guide and support us as we move along the path which is God's intention for our future.  

And it all begins with looking honestly at where we are and what is going on around and within us and saying "Let it be so".  

Nothing will happen (in terms of ongoing transformation) until you say those words.  They acknowledge your willingness to move from where you are (with God) to where God can take you.  

Let it be.  

Consider the power of the Christmas story: the amazing depths and breadth and heights to which God's love for us will go. We feel the echoes of that love every time we peer into that dimly lit stable.  And, sometimes in the process, the Light of the World is born again in us. Then we have the joy of being granted the right to become the children of God.   (From Pastor Randy's Sermon on January 4-5 2014)

From Pamela:  I have spent the last couple of days beginning to take down my Christmas decorations.    I still love having a "real" Christmas tree and "real" flowers and greenery.  These real decorations need to be watered regularly and lavishly whenever they are inside.  (Otherwise they become fire hazards).   Even with care, they only last for a few weeks, at most.  Finally they wilt, dry out and need to be discarded.  They require more fuss, and they create much more muss than artificial decorations, but the fragrance they emit has never been replicated by aroma therapy.   Furthermore, I have just enough of a stubborn streak in me that I resist the convenience of the artificial Christmas decor.  

I am reminded by Pastor Randy's words of the stubborn nature of God's love for us.  Nomatter how life wears us down throughout the year, the emergence (anew) of God's love in Christ effectively meets our every need.  On the other hand, some of us may have had a year of abundance -- we may have entered December rooted in sophistication or the complexity of what we are "able" to do with our intellect, energy and sense of control.   Even then,  the simple gift of God's love in Christ trumps and transcends any abundance that the world or our human power produced since Christmas 2012.  

As children of God, we are filled to the brim of our being.  We are saturated with everything we need to know about what is true and lasting.  God's gift is REAL, and ABIDING.  Everything that we accumulate on our own is in some way artificial.  Even if our accumulations seem to enhance the quality of our life, they will eventually become worn out, used up or discarded.  

What did you receive this Christmas that is real?  What did you receive that is artificial?  How will you respond?  How will you stay close to the source of life so that what is REAL can be nourished and protected?  

Expectation.  Maybe during this time of the year, expectation runs at one of its highest given the season.  Children are bouncing off the walls to see what will appear under the tree in a matter of ten days; others are excited for this major snowfall; some have great anticipation as they are going to experience that first Christmas with a newlywed or a new born.  Maybe it is the first Christmas in a new house, or you perhaps are even celebrating it in a new way.  Whatever situation people find themselves in; there is a level of hopeful expectation. 

However, as we know and often experience, sometimes our expectations are not met.  Sometimes things do not turn out the way we think they should.  Sometimes we are expecting happiness and we overlook joy....

What are your expectations?  How do you expect God to come to you this season?  Where are you looking?   Do we sometimes look in the wrong places?  Do we miss it when it happens?  Are we caught up in seeking happiness and missing joy? 

(From Pastor Randy's Sermon) 

From Pamela -- My life has rarely been filled with expectations that are met.  For some reason my greatest sorrows and my greatest joys have generally been unanticipated and unbidden.  There has generally been a balance of loss/gain, pain/pleasure, brokenness/reconciliation.  

Just recently I experienced a situation that seemed that it would be, at best, "positive" -- My younger brother is seriously ill.  My older brother arrived from out of town and we were debating about going to the hospital.  Why debate?  Because these two men have not spoken for nearly a decade, and have not seen each other for 7 years.  What was always a strained relationship had become totally alienated.  

Yet, as is so often the case, with grave illness hitting my younger brother, the older man felt that he "should" see his younger brother while he could.  

I did not see how the visit could be anything but painful -- my younger brother is very skilled at cutting himself off from others without ever looking back.  

Yet we went to the hospital room.  

Upon seeing my face, my "little" brother's face lit up as it so often does.  Then I announced:  "There is somebody else here to see you!"

When my older brother came around the corner, my younger brother's face was, literally, like the young boy seeing Christmas Morning miracles.  Then he said:  "Oh my God, I have missed you, brother!"

No words can contain the abundant joy in that moment -- totally unprecedented.  unexpected and mysterious.  

With the grave illness still raging, happiness is still elusive when it comes to my younger brother.  However, JOY is very much alive, well, and vibrant!  

Preaching judgment is the easy part.  Sometimes we know other Christians who are ready to announce this judgment on people or other faith denominations; sometimes those people are us too.  When people talk to others who aren't interested in the church, it's almost always because they believe that the church is more interested in judgment than it is in peace, acceptance, grace and salvation.  Sometimes, we have communicated really clearly about sin but not so clearly about the love of Christ.  What an indictment of our core message!  Perhaps Christianity has given the impression that our sinfulness is more powerful than the saving One, Jesus Christ, who is the heart of God beating in the world. The one who is coming is more powerful than me, even more powerful than my brokenness.  It is only the relentless and ongoing announcement of love and peace coming that will inspire us to change and to live from its power.

Jesus is the one who enters into the heart of human life, takes into himself all those things that separate us from God.  He steps into the gap between our inner life and our external behavior.  His work ends, not in self-righteous satisfaction of letting sinners have it.  It ends at the cross. And then, on Easter morning, what the broken get is new life.  Judgment may burn us up, but grace ignites us to be alive again.  

(From Pastor Randy's Sermon)

From Pamela:  Lutheran homiletics (the art of preaching) always teaches a balance of "Law" and "Gospel".  The Law part impresses upon us the high priority God's will should have as we make choices about behavior and relationships and priorities.  (That part usually makes us squirm, because we feel judged, yet we know we really can't effectively ALWAYS toe the line -- at least I can't).  Then there is the Gospel that says, you know what?  God knows you can never fully abide by God's Law, so therefore God sent His unconditional Love and Acceptance (in Christ) to complete the gap between God's Law and God's fulfilled promise that we are utterly forgiven and eternally reunited with God.  

I think about the flow of any given worship service -- greeting, confession, forgiveness, scripture, sermon, prayer, offering and then Holy Communion.  Lots of Law and Gospel stuff.... and the Gospel wins!  We are sent out as Gospel People, children of God free to love abundantly and serve others with lavish generosity.  

Yet, even before we walk out of the sanctuary we often kick into judgement of some sort -- and often the worship leaders are the worst -- 

(That didn't work, won't do it that way again, note to self:  next year ...... )  

Let's promise to let the Glorious Gospel of Christmas linger, at least for a while, this year.  Let's resist the temptation to pay attention to anything that disappoints, annoys or (in worst case) offends.  Let us not be ones who gather around critique or analysis of a better way to do Christmas!  Let us hear the amazing news -- the reign of Love has broken in -- no more judgement, no more bondage.