A piece...

4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.
(1 Corinthians 12:4-7)

Do you ever have those moments when you are overwhelmed with a feeling of gratitude?

That was yesterday for me.

I find myself grateful for YOU...for those reading this entry; for those who take their God-given gifts and allow themselves to be "used" by God through the ministries of our congregation; for those give a lot of time, and for those who give a little; for those who give gifts of music, or passion, or behind-the-scenes work, or visitation, or prayer, or love, or worship, or finances, or any of the other thousands of ways God involves people in the work of the kingdom.

The healthiest communities of faith are filled with people who know what their piece of the puzzle is; they don't attempt to do the things that fit others' gifts better than theirs; they have a quiet sense of confidence in knowing "this is me...this is my passion...this is what I have to offer."

I have often said my part of our puzzle is that I am called to be the air-traffic controller; making sure all your gifts are pointed in a common direction (the direction God calls us) and that no one is crashing into each other. That's my piece. That's what I love.

What do you love? And how can God add your talent, your passion, your ideas to the puzzle of kingdom work at St. Luke?

Thank you for being part of a puzzle that is truly making a difference in individual lives every day.

Garden Hoses and Grace

I forgot to put away the garden hose last year. Big surprise...the guy who grew up in Arizona didn't think about the fact that garden hoses don't weather the winter well.

Hoses have one job...just to take what they receive from one end and put it out the other end. This hose won't be able to do that now, because it is cracked and weathered.

"I will save you that you may become a blessing." Zechariah 8:13 (NASB)

Paul wrote: "Not that we are competent of ourselves to claim anything as coming from us; our competence is from God." 2 Corinthians 3:5

The scriptures today have me thinking about how God uses us...just like I use the garden hose. God's grace, mercy, love, peace, forgiveness, and joy are given to me. My job? To let those things flow through me to others. Not possible if I'm cracked and weathered.

So today, a challenge for me and for you from the Scriptures...in what way do you need to do a better job at self-care? Do you need more time in the scriptures, so God's healing, saving grace can keep you pliable and strong? Do you need reminders of the ways God saves you, so you may be a blessing to others? Do you need to connect with the community of faith in worship more often so you are refreshed by healing waters and support from friends? Do you need more rest, less junk food, or more time to be still?

May we all recognize today that ignoring these needs isn't just hurting us...but God's ability to water the world with his gifts. May God grant you the peace, strength and hope you need today to BE the blessing you were created to be.

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!

For Slinger, Hartford, and all who mourn and weep

As I sat down to write a devotion this morning, my mind kept getting drawn back to words I wrote back in 2012 after the school shooting at Sandy Hook in Newtown, CT. As I think about Jose and his family, Mason and his family, and the families of Hartford who may have narrowly missed tragedy today, these words are all there is; may the promises of God hold you today. (Below is an edited version of that old devotion):

NO WORDS

There are no words today.
There are tears, and silence, and extra hugs.
There are screams, and confusion, and pain.
There are nightmares, and questions, and fists shaken to the sky.

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken us?
Why are you so far from helping us?" (Psalm 22:1)

But there are no words...at least no words that satisfy.
No words that fix.
No words that explain.

But...
There is love.

There is always love.

You want a messy and imperfect summary of the Bible? There it is.
There is always love.

From prophets to preachers to a child in the manger to a rolled away stone...
the Bible bears witness to a God whose love breaks through, somehow, every time.

This week, it showed up in a million moments that didn't make the news; in teachers that cared, in parents that held their children close, in a sanctuary full on Monday night to pray for a beloved student.

It's a messy love, one soiled in the evils we create, but it is there.
Imperfectly.
Imperceptibly sometimes.
But it is there.

And it will keep being there, no matter how much we try to bury it with pain.
Don't take my word for it - or my words. Those fail right now.
But these promises don't fail:

"...the word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart..." (Deutereonomy 30:14)

"For I am convinced that neither death, nor life...nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ..." (Romans 8:38-39)

"...love is strong as death, passion fierce as the grave." (Song of Songs 8:6)

"...God is love." (1 John 4:8)

So now what?
Our response to heartbreak is always varied.

Some of us will want to keep our eyes close and pretend this never happened.
It's OK to feel that.
Love can open eyes when it's time.

Some of us will need to wail and shed tears.
It's OK to feel that.
Love can calm the fears and tears when it's time.

Some of us will bravely face it all, doing so to be a strong rock for others.
It's OK to do that.
Love can use even our facade of courage.

And, some of us...many of us, I suspect...will simply hang our heads under the weight of this all.
It's OK to do that, too...
because Love has a funny way of raising our heads to greet even the faintest traces of a new dawn.

There might not be words, or answers, or any sense of justice, fairness, or reason...
But there is love.
There is always love.

Today, and in the days beyond, may we all rest in that fierce, messy, persistent love that will not let the world go.
And may we do whatever we can to reflect that love toward those who need it most.

The Light shines in the darkness...and the darkness will never overcome it..

I can't handle it!

God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, 

but with the testing he will also provide the way out 

so that you may be able to endure it. 

1 Corinthians 10:13

The above passage is the one.

The passage 'responsible' for people saying

"God will never give you any more than you can handle"

However, like many of the things we think the Bible says

(that it does not actually say),

something has gotten lost in the translation

from the words of 1 Corinthians

to the often-repeated phrase.

The problem is, the phrase leads us

to the image of God as the grand puppet master

who pulls all the stings.

Good things happen? God caused that.

Bad things happen? God caused that, too.

And it must just be that you don't understand

God's reasoning for the bad things.

But don't worry...God won't give you

any more than you can handle.

Like many pastors, I am really not fond of this picture of God

because it doesn't jive with Jesus.

And if "in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell" (Colossians 1:19)

then if you want to know the character of God,

look at the character of Christ.

Christ doesn't push me to the point of breaking,

Christ catches me when I do break.

The message of the cross is NOT

"buck up, you can handle this!"

It is the opposite...

"when you can't handle it, I will."

So today, I am going to choose to be grateful

for the moments when I can't handle it...

because the cross is my "way out" provided by God...

and my broken moments

open my eyes to the reality of Christ's love.

PRAYER:

God, help me to admit the ways I am broken today

and give me the courage to trust in your promises,

that the end of my strength is the beginning of yours.

Amen.

Walking the World with a Reverent Air

In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you 

and wait expectantly. 

Psalm 5:3

There are times in our lives when we just KNOW what it is like to wait expectantly...

When the birth of a child is approaching...

When a long-awaited visit from a loved one is nearing...

When a much-anticipated trip is coming soon...

At these times, moments sometimes CRAWL by because we are so filled with expectation and excitement for the thing that is about to happen.

What if...we attempted to live today like that?

What if...our simple prayer today 

was that the rest of this day wouldn't fly by in a blur of activity, as many do...

but that we would be sensitized to God's presence in the little, holy moments we often miss?

What if...we walked the world today with a reverent air,

waiting expectantly...

KNOWING God is going to show up?

Our only challenge is to notice it.

Try listening to the song "Holy Now" by Peter Mayer

(A Minnesota-based singer/songwriter)

Find the song here on YouTube

And sing along with his recurring line...

"I walk it with a reverent air...because everything is holy now."