No slipcovers

Have you ever been to someone's house and come across an "untouchable" room? You know the room...it has white carpet, slipcovers on the furniture; you have to remove your shoes to even step in...

I don't know about you, but I'm just not very comfortable in rooms like that...

I'm just not comfortable in places that are too clean, even though I self-identify as a neat freak.

Why?

Because I know I'm not perfect...so if the space I'm in looks too perfect, I end up feeling like I probably don't belong there.

I'm OK with a couch that has a stain or two on it; because I know real life has stains.

I'm OK with some toys on the ground, or papers out of place, because I know my life is rarely perfectly organized.

My very first Sunday at my current call (almost 8 years ago now!), this was my first sermon. For the life of me, I can't remember the texts that led me to this theme, but I remember clearly that the theme was "No Slipcovers." 

We talked about how "perfect" we try to look on the outside, but that in the end, putting on our slipcovers keeps us from hearing God's grace where we really need it. If all you bring to church is the facade, it is only the facade that hears of God's refining judgment, mercy, grace, and love.

Today's text invites the same thought:

"Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account." - Hebrews 4:13

The thought that nothing is hidden is at once terrifying and freeing, because energy spent creating and maintaining a slipcover is energy wasted.

How freeing to be fully known, stains and all. Thank God for a King who doesn't mind imperfect furniture in his kingdom!

Translation

During Seminary, I often attended church at “First English Lutheran” just down the road from where I lived. This small, vibrant parish still bears a name that tells a story of a moment in history; a moment when it was truly a selling point to be the first Lutheran church in the area to hold services entirely in English. There was no way to reach a broader audience with the power of Jesus’ message if they continued to speak only in German on Sunday mornings, and the leadership of this congregation understood that. By translating their service into English, they reached many, many people who they would not have reached with German alone.

Translation is still essential; except the modern church’s challenge is to engage in what we could call “cultural translation.” We are challenged to take the old, old story of Jesus and his love…and tell it in new, new ways…using new communication tools, using modern examples, and bringing the message OUT TO PEOPLE instead of expecting them to come IN TO US.

This is nothing new, of course…churches like First English have understood this. Paul, himself, on a trip to Athens in the book of Acts, gives us an example of cultural translation. Instead of ranting against Athens’ rampant pagan movements and idol worship, he translates the message into language that is familiar to them:

²²Then Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, ‘Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way. ²³For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, “To an unknown god.” What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you…” (Acts 17:22-23)

Paul then proceeds to explain the story of Jesus in terms that the residents of Athens can understand.

Let me be clear: This is the most essential, and most exciting, part of being a Christian Church in 2016! This is the task that gets me up every morning; that drives me to want to reach those outside our church. A rapidly growing number of people in our culture define themselves as “spiritual but not religious.” These are, without a doubt, some of my favorite people. I love finding new ways to engage them, to remind them that organized religion is only as “good” or “bad” as we make it, and to communicate the power of Jesus’ love to them in authentic, fresh, and inviting ways. This is what moves me…what motivates me…and what I hope to re-connect with on this sabbatical.

So, let me warn you…I am going to come back in September FIRED UP. I am going to come back ready to dream with you, plan with you…to challenge you, and to be challenged by you, as together we find new creative ways to translate the old, old story in new, new ways. This will allow us to make an impact in the greater Slinger area with the treasures entrusted to us.

Please start dreaming now. If you have a creative idea, share it with me. I look forward to where God is calling the people of St. Luke in 2016 & beyond!