Sunday, February 15, 2026

Vicar Karla Leitzman

           I was one of those people that was beyond excited for the Super Bowl last week. Not because I particularly care about football in any capacity, but because I was so excited for the halftime show. You see, I love, like really love Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio, or as he goes by his stage name, Bad Bunny. Even though my Spanish is pretty elementary and he sings really fast using Puerto Rican Spanish that goes over my head, I find his music electrifying and full of musicality, full of a desire to unify his audience.

 I love how committed he is to celebrating his homeland of Puerto Rico, playing a long residency there last year in order to generate millions of dollars of local revenue. His superbowl halftime show last week gave us a beautiful illustration of the celebration of Hispanic culture in a way that invited everyone, all of us in. Even with all of these things, one of the things I love most about Bad Bunny as an artist is how much he holds reverence and respect for those who came before him to pave the way for his success as a Puerto Rican artist. He is quick to credit those who came before him to make his success all the more resonate now.

          Whether it is accepting an award celebrating him as a top Latin Artist of the 21st century Puerto Rican from the iconic and now 93 year old Rita Moreno who was one of the first artists from Puerto Rico to become a household name, to featuring Ricky Martin as a guest performer during last week’s halftime show, he is always committed to honoring the artists, and really all of the people in his story who came before him. And whenever I watch him or any other artist or even any public figure do this, I inevitably always find myself reflecting on those who came before me to pave the way for all that I am able to achieve.

I think of all of the women pastors who have come before and whose shoulders all women clergy today stand upon. After all, in the more than two thousand years since Christianity’s inception and in the five hundred and nine years since the protestant reformation which gave birth to Lutheranism, it’s only been 56 years since the ELCA started ordaining women. At that, there are still fewer Christian denominations that do ordain women than those which do not. Any of us who are either female pastors or hopeful female pastors are only able to pursue those avenues because of those who came before us, not unlike how Bad Bunny was able to achieve all that he has thanks in no small part to those who came before him. This is a practice that many marginalized cultures engage in regularly, asking the ancestors, those who came before, to give them strength and fortitude for challenging times, as well as joyfully celebrating that those ancestors are here now celebrating right alongside them.

Today is Transfiguration Sunday in the church and this day serves as a hinge in a lot of a way as we transition to a new season. For the weeks and months behind us, we have, in Advent, prepared to welcome God coming to the world as Jesus. During the Christmas season, we celebrated that God comes to the world, brightening our resolve and our joy to live out and share that good news. In Ephipany, we recognised and celebrated the kings from the East who followed the star to pay homage to the Christchild, who warned Jesus’ family about King Herod’s fear at this tiny baby becoming more powerful than him, and unfortunately powerful men who get scared are sometimes the most dangerous. This ultimately led to this family fleeing quickly for fear for their safety to Egypt where they lived in exile until Herod’s death. In the last couple months of our liturgical calendar, we have commemorated so much together.

So today, Transfiguration Sunday, is a day that serves as a bridge in many ways. We hear the story of Jesus being illuminated, solidifying his identity as God’s son, the one sent to Earth to be the earthly manifestation of God’s love, grace, mercy, and justice. We hear the voice telling us in clear resounding words to listen to what Jesus says, to watch and to emulate what he does. And, we witness Elijah and Moses, the ancestors, being there with Jesus. We are not told explicitly what they are talking about, just that they are talking. So, I wonder if it stands to reason that Moses and Elijah are giving Jesus encouragement, fortifying him for what is to come.

Because you see, today, Transfiguration Sunday, prepares us to begin the season of Lent in just a few days. Today is, in sorts, meant to be a sort of fortification of the season of lament and reflection we are about to begin. We see the brightness of the light of Jesus illuminated, we sing resounding hallelujahs for the last time before Easter Sunday.         We fortify ourselves. And one of the things about today’s gospel reading is that it is the presence of Moses and Elijah, the ancestors who are there to, we can assume, fortify Jesus.

This past Tuesday morning, I attended the Interfaith Coalition on Immigration’s monthly vigil at the Whipple Building. About a month ago I preached from this pulpit regarding the meaningful experience I had the last time I attended one of these vigils. And while this past Tuesday was also meaningful, it was a very different scene. A month ago, Pastor Erica from Holy Nativity and I were able to park our car and walk to the lawn outside of the tennis and education center since we couldn’t be in front of the Whipple Building. We had plenty of space to spread out and move and sing and pray.

Tuesday this week was a very different picture. From the place where we parked, there were volunteers in reflective vests guiding us where to go. Multiple layers of chain link fencing and barricades have been set up. We were guided into a very small area between barricades, pushed very close together. While I have never been in a war zone before, this sure felt like one. We watched car after car of DHS officers, already masked, drive in to start their shifts and the looks of disgust that some gave us were impossible to miss.

This past Saturday, a group of indigenous leaders gathered at the Whipple Building to present a ceremonial eviction notice to the federal government, that using their sacred land in the way they are, holding people with shackles on their legs, not giving them adequate food or medical care to mention some of the most mild reports that are coming out of that building, is nothing short of an abomination. At this ceremonial eviction event, 4,000 ribbons were tied on the chain link fence, each ribbon representing a person who has been taken without due process by this administration. As we approached the vigil, we watched each ribbon blowing in the February wind.

United Church of Christ pastor, Susan Hayward offered the following prayer on Tuesday, and I share parts of it with you now:

“God of Liberation, who we know as Love,

Draw near to us this morning in the shadow of this building that houses so much pain, where the machinery of injustice churns. Ground us in your love as we witness to the cross present here, state violence enacted against all that is good, against Love itself. A story we know too well, God.  Strengthen our faith in the ultimate triumph of Love. Be with those currently detained here in this building and their families – all afraid, seeking reconnection and hope. Assure them that we are fighting for them, that they are not forgotten or forsaken - by your nor their neighbors. Be with those who are detained within their own homes this morning, unable to leave for weeks now. May all these captives be set free. And God of all, draw near to the federal agents arriving here this morning, who are also your children and who we know are harmed by their participation in this evil. May your Spirit stir their hearts, shifting their loyalties back to that which serves your will, to love of neighbor. And finally, God, gather into your infinite embrace our neighbors across the city and state who are doing your work of love this morning – those on patrol outside schools as our children arrive, those tracking ICE agents as they travel through our neighborhoods, those bringing vulnerable neighbors to work safely, or delivering groceries. Shield these agents of love with your righteous care. God, ground us in the wisdom of this land where we stand, less than one mile from Bdote –  where the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers converge. A place our Dakota relatives – those Indigenous to this land – understand is the most sacred place in the world. The birthplace of the universe. Root us in this sacred land we love that holds stories of pain and resilience across generations. Stories of forced displacement and exile, of state murder, of family separation. And, stories of resilience, survival, and persistence. The drum beats on, and now it is our time to dance the world toward freedom – to persist in love in the face of evil. Strengthen our faith, God, that this is the time You made us for, the time our ancestors prepared us for, that we have all we need to meet these days with courage. We call on our ancestors, the saints, the freedom fighters who came before us and showed us the way.

May your will be done, God, on earth as it is in heaven. May we have the courage, the strength, and the wisdom to ensure this is so.” Amen.

Sunday, February 8, 2026

Salt and Light

You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world. This is who Jesus proclaims you to be.

 Have you ever made something – a cake, cookies or even a main course and forgotten to put in the salt?  It is such a little thing… and yet if you forget to put it in… well… based on my experience, the outcome was pretty bland… barely worth eating.

 Salt is an essential ingredient. We use it to season our foods and to melt the ice on our walkways and roads to keep from slipping. In Jesus’ day, before refrigeration, people used salt to preserve food and to cleaning out a wound. Salt was so important to the economy that it was even used as currency, soldiers were often paid in “salt.”  Then and now, salt is an important part of our diet, our life, our wellbeing.  And if we forget it, it is sorely missed.

 In our Gospel today, Jesus says, “You are the salt of the earth” but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything but is thrown out and trampled underfoot. 

Jesus is speaking metaphorically here. Scientifically, salt – at least the salt that we know – is a rock, a mineral, and so it can’t really lose its saltiness… But… as I discovered in another cooking mishap, it can become worthless. Let me just say… if a container of salt and a container of sugar are sitting on your kitchen counter – be careful not to mix them up. For if you accidentally put in a ¼ cup of salt instead of sugar… it’s no good for anything.

Just of a pinch of salt is needed. But even though it is small, that little bit of salt is an essential ingredient in preserving life, making it appealing and filling us with delight and a desire for more.  Anyone else love salted popcorn or potato chips? It’s so hard to eat just one!

In this same way, when Jesus says, “You are the salt of the earth” Jesus is calling us to be like that pinch of salt, flavoring, preserving and proclaiming the good news through what we say and do so that others are drawn to Jesus. 

Jesus says, “You are the light of the world.” Light is another essential ingredient for life.   We need light to see, to grow food, to keep warm and for our basic wellbeing. 

In what sounds like a children’s sermon, Jesus warns us not to hide our light under a bushel basket. It’s kind of funny image. Of course, no one would put a light underneath a table or a bushel basket. We put the lamp on a table or up high, the lights hang from the ceiling or outside on a lamp post. We hold a flashlight or our phones before us when we are trying to walk in the dark. Just a little light is all that is needed to help us to see, to help us to walk, to help us to live.

You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world. You aren’t the salt mine. You aren’t the sun. But to share just a little salt. Just a little light, your salt, your light, that is who Jesus calls us to be. Just a small amount of salt flavors and preserves and enhances whatever it is put into. Just a little light is needed to lighten the path before us even in the midst of what had been sheer darkness.

I am reminded of this every Christmas eve. The sanctuary is darkened. The choir begins to sing. The Vicar and I light our candles from the Christ candle and we come down the aisle to light yours. The light grows as one person passes the light of Christ to another, one little light, lighting another. Soon I can see your faces lit up too as we join in singing “Silent Night.” It is just a little candle, just a little light. But that light shines brightly in the darkness and the darkness cannot overcome it.

Jesus says, “You are the light of the world.” And then he commissions us, saying: “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”

These are the words that were proclaimed when you were baptized. Our purpose is not to shine on our own efforts. The purpose of being the light of the world is to bear witness to the Good News of Jesus Christ. This is our calling.  How you live out that calling is the question for you today and each day. 

In her Working preacher commentary, Dr. Karoline Lewis notes that “our default setting … leans toward comfort, conformity, and complacency.. but.. “what Jesus really needs from us is to be the salt and the light—the salt that just might sting and the light that just might expose what we do not want to see.”1  These are challenging words.

And yet, despite the challenging times in which we live, I have been encouraged by the many examples of people being salt and light in their neighborhoods and communities.

Pastor Melissa, a pastor of a bilingual church in South Minneapolis wrote on her Facebook page about spending two days in the Whipple building, translating for Rosa, one of her members, who cannot speak English. She was heading back the next day because Rosa’s case was still not heard. In being there for Rosa, Pastor Melissa is shining a light on a neighbor’s need and being “salt,” embodying the love of Jesus by her presence.

But it isn’t just Pastors who are called to be salt and light. Remember, Jesus said, YOU are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world.

A few days ago I read in the Star Tribune the story of a kindergarten teacher and personal attendant who, after having been arrested by ICE, noticed that one of the ICE agents was having a seizure. Having been trained in CPR and first aid, the teacher asked the other agents to call 911 and then asked if she and the other woman be uncuffed so that they provide emergency aid. As soon as she was uncuffed, she ran to him, turned him on his side, and then cradled his head as another seizure came. The other woman grabbed one of the agents’ tactical vests from the ground, rolled it up and slid it under his head to keep his airway open. They held him until the paramedics came. These women were being salt and light, caring for someone who was suffering, regardless of who he was. 2

Although the media focus is often on the worst things that are happening in our world, I encourage you to pay attention to the stories of people being salt and light. For that is what Christ calls us to be. How you are salt and light will differ from one person to another. That’s good. We are not all called to do the same thing. My Spanish is so rusty that I can’t do what Pastor Melissa does. But I can be salt and light in other ways.

God calls different people into different ministries. I know some people deliver groceries to their neighbors who are hungry and afraid. Others walk around schools to help care for frightened children. Still others help fund churches like Pastor Melissa’s who are having to do online church because, regardless of their status, their members are afraid to leave their homes. And others spend time in prayer for an end to violence.

Remember, brothers and sisters, siblings in Christ, Jesus has proclaimed: You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world.

Jesus did not say following his way would be easy. But he does say that we will not be alone. For Jesus Christ, the source of light for the world, is with us – and that is why we can be light for one another.

Brothers and sisters, siblings in Christ, You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world.  So let your light so shine before others that they may see your good works and glorify your father in heaven. Amen.

1Workingpreacher.org, Karoline Lewis

2 The Minnesota Star Tribune, January 23, by Sofia Barnett. Two women, detained by ICE, say they helped agent having seizure

February 8, 2026 + Faith-Lilac Way Lutheran Church + Pastor Pam Stalheim Lane

Sunday, February 1, 2026

“What do you want? Not a whole laundry list. Just one thing. What is the one thing that you want to ask from God?  This was the advice of Irish Poet Padraig O Tuoma at a poetry prayer workshop a few weeks ago. And then he paused and said, “And tell the truth.”

Those words have been haunting me these past weeks. There is so much to want that I want to ask from God: an end to division and strife; safety for neighbors; food for the hungry; justice for all. And that Truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth be told.

But today’s lesson from Micah raises a different question. God takes the people of God to court, with the hills and mountains and all of creation as witnesses. (It’s a good thing that God doesn’t ask them to testify against us…because we don’t have a very good track record of caring for the earth. But God doesn’t do that. Instead, God asks the people why we have abandoned God and God’s ways? Are we bored? Wearied by God?  And then, God recounts a few of the ways that God has shown God’s love for us.

Micah, speaking for the people, cries out that we are guilty as charged. What do YOU want Lord? How do we make amends? Will an animal sacrifice be enough? Or will it take rivers of oil – far more than anyone could ever provide? Or do we, like some of the kings of Jesus’ day, have to sacrifice our children, sending them through the fire for our sins. How much will it cost?

But God is not interested in a transactional relationship. You cannot buy God’s favor.

Instead, God replies, “You know.”  You know what is good. Micah captures it beautifully in this one verse: “What does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God. This is what God wants: Do justice. Love Kindness. These two are pretty straightforward. The third requirement however, doesn’t translate quite as well. Because instead of something that we can simply do, the last “requirement,” translated as “walk humbly with your God” indicates a humble relationship with God and those who are with God, that is ongoing, every day.

And who are those who are with God? Jesus shows us. In the paragraph right before today’s Gospel when he sits down to teach, Jesus is busy. Matthew writes:

Jesus went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people. 24 So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought to him all the sick, those who were afflicted with various diseases and pains, people possessed by demons or having epilepsy or afflicted with paralysis, and he cured them. 25 And great crowds followed him from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.” Jesus healed a lot of people from a lot of places.

It is only after healing all these people that Jesus sits down with his disciples on the top of the mountain and begins to teach them, Blessed are the poor in spirit… the meek, those who mourn… those who hunger and thirst for righteousness… the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers.. and those who are persecuted in the name of righteousness.”

The people that Jesus speaks about are not the rich and famous who hold positions of power and might. These are those in need – and Jesus promises that they will be filled, healed, cured and that they belong to the Kingdom of God.

This is how Jesus does justice and shows kindness.

And so, blessed are you when you pray for a friend who is at her wits end; blessed are you when you bring food to a family who is hungry; blessed are you when you stand up for peace with justice. Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you because of Jesus. 

This isn’t a comfortable place to be. But it is made better when we remember that we are simply joining Jesus with the poor, the immigrant, the outcast, the stranger. But be careful not to exclude anyone. For the truth is, if you or I ever draw a line and say that Jesus is not with “them.” We had better take a second look. Jesus always shows up where we least expect him.

So… how do we do justice? Love kindness? Walk humbly with Jesus?

Perhaps it is best to start with humility, praying for the Holy Spirit to lead us. And then, our eyes will be opened to the injustice in the world and on our street. Our hearts will be crack open to care for those who are hurting. Our feet will march. Our voices will sing. We will declare the way of the Lord Jesus is the way of justice, Truth, and life.  And we will do it all with kindness.

It's a tall order. Sometimes it feels aspirational. Sometimes I – maybe we – wonder if we are doing enough? But as a wise woman that I had a conversation with this past week as she was cutting my hair said, “we do what we can, when we can.”

And so, to go back to the question, “What do you want?” What do you want to ask of God?” I pray that my heart’s desire – and yours will be what God wants for us: to do justice, to love kindness and to walk humbly with God and all of God’s beloved people. In Jesus name. Amen.

February 1, 2026 + Faith-Lilac Way + Pastor Pam Stalheim Lane

Sunday, January 25, 2026

Knit Together

Going through some old boxes, I found a piece of paper, written by my grandmother in 1977, with instructions for knitting mittens for my cousin Mike on the front and a copy of my cousin Melanie’s hand, age 5, on the back. It made me smile. My grandmother made lots of mittens. I still have a pair. She also valiantly tried to teach me how to knit and crochet - but after I managed a single chain – I got distracted. It takes attention and patience when you are learning anything new. Somehow, I got lost in the midst of her knit one, pearl two instructions. Somehow, it still seems a little bit like magic to me. And this is why I’ve always been a bit in awe of people who can knit or crochet without even looking at what they are doing they join two or more things together to create something beautiful.

In our lesson Paul is trying to knit a whole congregation together. Apparently, one of the problems of the church at Corinth is that they were divided in their allegiances. He has received word from “Chloe’s people” that some are claiming to belong to Paul, who was their founding pastor, others claim Apollo, their next pastor who was known as a skilled preacher and teacher and others say they belong to “Cephas” – which is the Greek name for the disciple Peter. And still others, say that “we” follow Jesus. That sounds like the winning argument, right? Unless what they are saying is: if you disagree with us, “you” clearly don’t.  These loyalty claims were tearing the congregation apart.

As Paul writes, “Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you but that you be knit together in the same mind and the same purpose.” 

Having the same mind and purpose doesn’t mean that all Christians have to be cookie cutter copies of one another. Later in the letter, Paul writes about the beautiful and varied gifts that each of the members of the body of Christ contributes. We can’t all be the organist or the preacher or the prayer shawl knitters, but together, we each bring our gifts to strengthen and uplift the whole body of Christ. These different gifts and talents and ideas and insights are brought humbly forward and then the Holy Spirit knits us together to create a congregation that is “of the same mind and same purpose.”

And so what is our mind and purpose? It is not money or status or power – all things that the culture then and now value. For, as Paul reminds the Corinthians and us, the message of the cross sounds foolish to those whose purpose is “winning” as in: “the one who gets the most stuff wins”. If we believe that, then why would we follow someone who was vulnerable instead of powerful, who died a shameful death on a cross instead of ruling from a glittery palace, who defied boundaries and fed the hungry and ate with both the rich and the poor. But this is not what we believe. As Paul writes, “the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

For like Peter and Andrew, James and John, Paul and the Corinthians, and all of the saints who have gone before us, we are all called to follow Jesus. And if we all belong to Christ, then, we must belong to one another, for Jesus knits us together.

Although it was hard for the Corinthians to have this conflict, I am kind of glad that they did, because it caused Paul to write this Holy Spirit inspired letter. This letter has not only guided the Christians at Corinth, but has reminded Christians throughout the years of what is central to our call as we ask:  Why are we here? What is our mission? What is our purpose?

Yesterday we celebrated the life of Betty Schmidt. I enjoyed hearing her daughters reminisce about huge choir singing the Hallelujah chorus every Easter and nearly blowing the roof off the sanctuary; the large confirmation classes and the fun that they had had. It is good to celebrate our history and give thanks for the memoires.

“Positivity” is one of my strengths; I love looking at the glass as “at least” half full rather than ½ empty. However, there are times over the past few years when I would come into the sanctuary and find it less full than I had hoped. And, after leading the funeral of a dearly beloved congregational leader – which is my honor to do – I would also grieve. I would grieve, first because I loved and will miss the one who died. But I also grieve the loss to the congregation of a once vibrant member.

There is some sadness that comes remembering the huge VBS and the crowds and choirs of the past because that is not what we have today. And we are not alone. Mainline churches like ours have been declining in attendance over the last 20-30 years.

This is true for other Wildfire churches too. The Wildfire Pastors met – I think it was back in 2024 -- and talked and shared honestly about our congregations. At that meeting, I was surprised to find out that we are the smallest congregation. But our expenses fit our size better than others. As we shared, we discovered, not surprisingly, that each congregation had challenges and blessings. We prayed together but nothing else happened…

 Except that I began praying about our future – the future of Faith-Lilac Way and asked God what would become of us. And, it turned out, that I wasn’t the only one praying.  

 Last year, after a Synod event, Pastor Ali asked if our congregation would be open to exploring coming together with Cross of Glory and First Lutheran to create a new church.

My mouth fell open and my heart skipped a beat. The idea had never occurred to me. I had been praying about the future of this church and I’ll admit, the future in 5, 10,20 years did not look great. But after Pastor Ali raised this as a possibility, suddenly, my heart felt lighter. Instead of waiting for something to happen TO us, we could be a part creating a new ministry together.  

Our mission to proclaim and share the Good News of Jesus has not changed – and neither has the mission of First Lutheran and Cross of Glory.  For like Peter and Andrew, James and John, Paul and the Corinthians, and all of the saints who have gone before us, we are all called to follow Jesus.

And so now, the question is not just what might God have in store for Faith-Lilac Way, but how might Jesus knit together the people of Faith-Lilac Way and Cross of Glory and First Lutheran to give us more capacity to proclaim Christ Crucified and share the Good News of Jesus with others? This is what we are exploring together. And this is why I am excited about the possibility. 

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ here on the corner of 42nd and Welcome. I know that change is hard. But change is happening every day. And so, I invite you to join me in praying for this congregation and for First Lutheran and Cross of Glory, that we may listen to God’s call and follow Jesus – wherever He may lead us.  In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Sunday, January 18, 2026

Vicar Karla Leitzman

        I really like wine. I may not be incredibly knowledgeable about wine, and truthfully a glass of the very expensive stuff is probably going to be lost on me, but I like wine.

  Champagne can technically only be called champagne if it comes from the Champagne region of France. Most sparkling wines are a type of prosecco, or if it’s from Spain, a variety called Cava. Every time I try true, real champagne, which can be incredibly pricey, I appreciate it, sure, but inevitably I am going to prefer the $12 bottle of sparkling cava that I’ve been buying for years at Total Wine.

         Even though all of that is true, I still just really enjoy learning about wine and trying new ones. I like listening to experts talk about what excites them about the varietals they make. I like learning about how different years mean different things for making wines. Upon reflection, I think it is because I like really learning and I like being surprised.

         The summer before last, I learned about the wine region of Mexico in Baja California which is known as Valle de Guadalupe. I’d never heard of the area, but funnily enough, it was through some of the pastors that I work with in San Diego for my work with Global Refuge that I learned about the area. Because Valle de Guadalupe is only about a two hour drive from San Diego and the border, it is a pretty easy weekend getaway for them, kind of like how Duluth is for us here. It turns out that this very arid, dry region produces about 90% of all of the wine that comes from Mexico. And it turns out that while it may not have the same reputation or longevity as regions of France and Italy or Napa here in the US, Mexico makes some truly excellent wine.

         Upon learning about Valle de Guadelupe,  I earnestly began my lobbying project to my now husband, Felipe, to have us make a visit. He was, shall we say, skeptical to put it mildly. He spent a lot of time looking at google images and doing research and basically saying, “you seriously want to drag me to the desert?” Because it is a desert.

        Finally he agreed. We made a plan so that on one of my work trips to San Diego, he flew in and met me at the end of my appointments, we picked up the rental car and started our little road trip south. And, as we made this drive, I started to watch some of the skepticism on his face slip away. The hotel that we found to stay was gorgeous and as we visited lots of vineyards over the next few days and truly never had a bad wine, you could watch him be more and more willing to acquiesce that I was correct. It also doesn’t hurt that the man loves a good bargain, and for the high quality of the food and wine and accommodation, it really was a fantastic value.

        On our last day, he was already planning our next visit. Come and see that I, Karla, was right.

I know it seems like a silly comparison, but when looking at today’s gospel lesson, I did find myself making that trivial comparison to me being eager to let Felipe see that I knew what I was talking about, not because I had been there before, but because I was very ready and willing to trust these San Diego pastors. I just knew that it was going to be good. John the Baptist just knew that all that was to come from Jesus was going to be good.

        Last week, we celebrated the Baptism of our Lord. In commemorating that day, we all re affirmed and still reaffirm our baptismal identity. We continually come and see all that our identity in Jesus means. We are loved and given grace abundant without needing to produce any good deeds that, in our human understanding, would “earn” us salvation. That grace is given to us lovingly and it is then up to us to use that freedom to serve others.

        John is the testifier of Jesus’ coming and of Jesus’ identity. He is the one to share who Jesus is and who sends him. In a lot of our mainline Christian traditions, we admittedly don’t always know what to do with this idea of testifying. Many of us might assume that testifying to Jesus’ identity means shouting it from the rooftops, using our words to raise the volume. But it is also through our actions that we testify to who Jesus came to be and who Jesus continues to come to be.

        We can and should talk about Jesus, yes, absolutely. And, we must also use our actions to live out those words.

        We live them out by moving through the world with kindness, by testifying with our compassion and care for all of God’s beloved children, particularly those who are harmed by the powers of the world.

        Let us this week testify with our words and with what we do that backs up those words. May we testify to God’s love, compassion, and mercy.

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Who are you?” This is the question that Rafiki asks Simba in the movie, The Lion King.” It is an underlying theme throughout the movie, butt is only after his late father Mufsafa speaks to him from the sky, saying,  “Remember who you are. . . . You are my son and the one true king” that Simba is able to claim his identity, come to terms with his past and take up his responsibilities to restore the Pride Lands.1

I had never thought before about how the Lion king stole the voice from the sky line from the Gospels. But, interestingly enough it is this question of identity – of remembering who you are and who you are called to be – that is important not only for Simba in this Disney movie, but is an important question for us as we remember who we are and how we are called to act and to relate with our community. 

If we were to ask “Who are you Jesus?” The season of Epiphany is the time in the church in which “Jesus Christ is made known” through the Gospel stories we read. Last week the magi followed the star to see the new king of Israel.  This week – time flies in our Gospel stories – Jesus is a grown man. We hear the story of Jesus coming to John to be baptized with the baptism of repentance. But John wants to trade places. Somehow he knows that Jesus does not need to repent. But Jesus, embracing his humanity, insists that he be washed with the same water and in the same way as other people are washed.

The answer to the question “Who are you Jesus?” Is made even more clear in today’s Gospel. When Jesus comes up out of the water, the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove sits on him and a voice from heaven proclaims, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”

“Who is Jesus?” Already this Epiphany we have learned: Jesus is a king, God’s son, the Beloved. But that is not all. We also hear, as Isaiah prophesied, that God’s chosen one, Jesus, came to bring justice – but not with power and might, not with armies brandishing swords or drones or crushing the earth with tanks or filling it with landmines. Instead, he came as a vulnerable baby, a rabbi, preacher and teacher who, through his life, death and resurrection, began transforming the world. 

Peter, in the book of Acts discovers that one of the transformations that occurred is that God expanded who qualifies as beloved, saying, “God shows no partiality, but in every people anyone who fears him and practices righteousness is acceptable to him.”  For Peter and all faithful people of his day, this was a shocking expansion of God’s covenant beyond the tribe of Israel. And yet, because of that expansion, people like you and me can also be called “Beloved.”

For Beloved is the name that you were called when you were baptized, adopted into God’s family and made a child of God, a sibling of Jesus Christ. In baptism, you were claimed by God. As we proclaim: “YOU BELONG to CHRIST in whom you have been baptized.”

 You are BELOVED. Beloved Sue, Beloved Mary, Beloved Dave, “Beloved YOU.” So, to answer the question: “Who are you?”  Please repeat after me and say, I AM Beloved.

You are beloved. You belong to Christ. And that is not empty identity. Instead, as God’s beloved, as people who belong to Christ, we are called to be LIKE Christ in bringing Justice to our world – not with violence and hate. But instead, we are called to proclaim God’s expansive love and to bring about God’s justice and righteousness in the way of Jesus.

And this is why I believe we need to stand up for our brothers and sisters in Christ and to ask our government to treat all people – regardless of the color of their skin, their heritage or their citizen status – with respect and care. The gang-like actions of the ICE officers wearing masks and terrorizing people is not bringing justice. Instead, it foments terror, fear and a feeling of hopelessness and helplessness.  It causes our schools to close because children – and teachers -- don’t feel safe. This is not what I and I dare say we want as citizens and it is definitely not what we want as Christians for our community or our world.

God did not make us to be a people of fear, hopelessness and helplessness. God has made us to be a people of love, kindness, generosity and care. Despite the challenges of these days, I believe that Jesus is still at work through the Holy Spirit and through each of us. And as such it is our job to proclaim and to help to create a different way, a way that treats all people as beloved, with kindness, love and care rather than as “alien” or “other.” For this is the way Jesus would have us be. This is what it means to live into the baptismal promise of walking in God’s way – and not our way. 

But living into that promise can be a challenge especially as the world gets more and more divided. A prime example is the comments on Facebook. I’ve noticed that posts are increasingly mean-spirited, demeaning and divisive.  Some of the comments are made by AI robots – intent on tearing down the “other side” – and so you can’t trust what you read on Facebook or any social media. But the sad thing is -  some one set them up to respond in this nasty way. And it is not just on social media. I see this in other media and in the way some of our elected leaders speak. The guard rails of civility have been cracked.

The challenge is even greater when the division and the conflict becomes local, as it did on Wednesday, when, in Minneapolis on a typical street full of ice and snow, Renee Good was shot and killed by an ICE officer. That much is agreed upon. But before the day was out, there were conflicting statements from ICE and from eye witnesses. 

When tragic events like this happen, it is really critical for us as Christians to remember who we are and whose we are. Let me say that again. It is really important, critical for us as Christians to remember who we are and whose we are. Let me remind you: you, each of you, is God’s beloved and we all belong to Christ.  And because of this, I believe our first response is prayer and lament and prayer.  We lament the treatment of God’s people. We pray for those who are being treated as “less than” who they are - God’s beloved. We then pray for direction.

I’ll admit that I was shook by this event. And so, after prayer and lament, my prayerful response was to show up at a clergy gathering at the site. 

When I got there, I was surprised at how much it looked like my old neighborhood. Although this street was cleared out to make room for all of the people who gathered to protest, the neighboring streets were full of cars and hard to get through – just like my old streets. This was an ordinary neighborhood – now traumatized.

Another surprise is that a Somali woman came over to me and greeted me and the other pastors, thanked us for being there and then offered us pastries filled with a meat mixture – they’re called sambuusas. She had an entire tray of them to share and they were delicious.

I was also surprised by clergy who showed up. I knew some – there were lots of ELCA pastors there but there were also many pastors that I did not know including pastors from the Methodist, Missionary Baptist and United Church of Christ. There were Catholic and Episcopal priests and other ministers. There were also rabbis and imams and Buddhists there. I was struck because, often we focus on the differences between clergy. But here, together, we mourned the taking of a life and proclaimed a vision of love and not hate, hope and not fear, and unity and not division.

This is the people we are called to be. A woman who I did not know and who did not look like me, and probably does not worship like I do, nevertheless welcomed and fed me. Preachers from various traditions proclaimed God’s word and led us in prayer- together. Pastor Martha from Our Saviors Lutheran, a church just a few blooks from where we stood, led us in a profession of faith from our baptism ritual. She asked, Do you renounce the power of evil, sin and all that goes against God?   And we shouted, “I renounce them.” At times like this. We need to remember who we are and whose we are. And, brothers and sisters in Christ, I ask you: “Do you renounce the power of evil” if so don’t mumble – but shout out, I renounce them!

Again, I ask, Do you renounce the powers of this world that rebel against God? if so shout out, I renounce them!

Do you renounce the power of sin; Again, shout out: “I renounce them.”

Beloved children of God, let us renounce the sin of separating people into us and them. Whether that be “other” because of the color of your skin, or where you were born or how much money you make or who you voted for, or any other reason, including who you work for. For behind their masks, ICE agents are people too. We will be praying for them to have compassion and act with gentle justice and not with violence and force. We all, without exception, need repent of the evil that is present in our world and of which we take a part. We all, without exception, need to hear the story of God’s forgiveness, love and grace. And we all, without exception, need to care for one another, including the one we too often call “other.” Instead, let us call one another, by the name that God calls you. You are: “Beloved.” Amen.

1The Lion king

Sunday, January 4, 2026

“God’s time is always near.  He set the North Star in the heavens;  He gave me the strength in my limbs;  He meant I should be free.”

Harriet Tubman was born a slave but after suffering from a head injury as a teenager, God gave her an Epiphany, an “aha” that changed her life. God had not made her for slavery. God meant for her to be free. And so, she followed the North Star to freedom. But that was not all that God had called her to do. God had called her to free his people – and so, risking her own life and freedom, she went back into the states of slavery 19 times to lead 300 other people to freedom, telling them to follow the North star. 1

 It was a different star, a new star in the heavens that the magi followed.

Matthew tells us that they came from the East. They were astronomers – they studied the stars – and they were astrologers – they not only paid attention to the position of stars and planets, but when they saw this new star, they believed it was the indication of a new king. But they didn’t just write it down as something interesting in their books. Instead, were compelled by this vision– to go and see – and to give oblations – gifts and honor – to this new king. It was an “ah a” moment – an “epiphany. “

Matthew is the only Gospel writer who includes this story.  Matthew is writing to a Jewish audience, and so it makes sense that he begins his Gospel with a long series of “begats” – identifying the history and lineage of Jesus as part of Abraham and King David’s family. But this story is different. It isn’t the leaders of each of the tribes of Israel who come to visit and honor the new King of Israel. Instead, the visitors are Magi from the East. We don’t know much about the  Magi– tradition says that they were kings. They may have been Zoroastrian priests.  But clearly, they were outsiders from another religion, another culture, another place. 

As I said, Matthew doesn’t give us details of how or why they travelled to see the new King. Maybe they followed the star, like the slaves in the south who followed the North Star to freedom. Or maybe they took a citing of the star and plotted their course to the nearest city, Jerusalem, which is just five miles away from the town of Bethlehem. They got close – but I’ve often wondered why they stopped to ask directions?  It could be that they ran into some cloudy nights and couldn’t see the star. Or maybe they assumed EVERYONE was paying attention to the star that they noticed and that everyone would be celebrating the birth of a new king. Or maybe they made an assumption that the new king would be in the palace. And that Herod would know where to find the new King of Israel who had been born. 

Making assumptions is a dangerous thing to do – especially with a paranoid or brutal King. Herod was both. Scholars tell us that Herod “had one of his wives and several of his sons murdered because he thought they were plotting against him.” He spared no one. Caesar Augustus, the Roman Emperor under whom Herod ruled, is rumored to have said that it was safer to be Herod’s pig than Herod’s son. As the would-be Jewish king, Herod could not eat pork, so his pigs were safer than his sons.”2

 Herod was a tyrant. And the priests and scribes who he called upon for information were complicit in his crimes. As long as they were loyal, they were treated royally. And so, even though they knew that Herod was jealous, ruthless and a murderer, they told him that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem. Their loyalty to him later cost the baby boys in Bethlehem their lives. 

 Granted, Herod was skilled at deceit. He met “secretly” with the magi. In what looks like an attempted quid pro quo, Herod tells them that the child was to be born in Bethlehem and then asked them to come back and tell him where to find the baby so that he too could worship him.

 But God is still guiding the magi.  The star reappears, much to their delight, and they are amazed and overjoyed when it stops over a house in Bethlehem. When they see Mary and the Christ child, they kneel in worship and adoration, offering the kingly gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Their mission is accomplished. The prophecy from Isaiah is fulfilled, “Nations shall come to your light.” All people will be blessed by Jesus, our Savior.

 But God is not done. God gives the magi another epiphany, another “aha,” warning them in a dream, not to return to Herod. And so, “they left for their own country by another road.” It’s a simple little sentence. But, realizing that Herod lied to them and his intentions are not honorable, the magi don’t return to Herod with information about the new King. They action is the equivalent of civil disobedience.  If Herod had caught them, they would have been killed. But they listened to their dreams and God guided them to “another road.”

 In the Scripture we see that God speaks and guides us by many ways. God guided the magi to the Christ Child by a star. God guided Paul by a revelation on Damascus road. Instead of persecuting Christians, Paul was transformed into the mouthpiece of God, sharing the Good News with all people, including gentiles, the outsiders of the day.

 As we look back in history, we see God continuing to welcome in the “outsiders.” God guided Harriet Tubman and her fellow former slaves  to freedom by following the North Star. Harriet always gave thanks to God for her freedom and for all the work she was able to do. Reflecting back, she is remembered as saying,  “If I could have convinced more slaves that they were slaves, I could have freed thousands more.”3

 God is still not done giving us little and big epiphanies, “aha” moments in which we see God at work in our lives and seeking to guide us. We need to ask ourselves:  Where is God leading us?

Are we open to God’s guidance? Will we listen? Will we follow? 

Following the way of Jesus is not always easy or predictable. It is sometimes costly. But we are called, by Christ, to follow where He leads and to listen to the Holy Spirit to open us up to go where God calls.

Let us close with a prayer poem by  Rev. Steve Garnaas-Holmes:

“God, lead me. Your love is my morning star— awaken me;
my north star— lead me from what enslaves me.
I navigate by the star of your love. I set myself for the long journey.

Give me courage to be led, wisdom to let you lead me,
to follow and not stray, not turn back,
not go my own way…

May I see your star in my sky
and set my face toward it always.
Set my compass, God, and keep me from straying…
I give myself to follow.
Love, lead me. 3

Amen.

1http://www.harriet-tubman.org Harriet Tubman to Ednah Dow Cheney, New York City, circa 1859.

2 Elisabeth Johnson, https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/epiphany-of-our-lord/commentary-on-matthew-21-12-11

3 http://www.harriet-tubman.org
4Steve Garnaas-Holmes Unfolding Light www.unfoldinglight.net

Sunday, December 14, 2025

Local Twin Cities pastor and writer, Meta Herrick Carlson writes in her holiday book “Ordinary Blessings for the Christmas Season:

 “If God wished to be born

Into perfection and peace,

We’d still be waiting on a savior of the world.

 God knows families are messy,

That our generations are full of characters,

Our stories told slant with time.

 And so the Word of God

Is tangled up with DNA

Of those familiar and forgotten,

Heroes and villains and ordinary folks.

 Heartache and faithful promises

Tales of courage and cowardice

Woven through a patriarchy

Interrupted by four women

 Trusted by God to break the rules

When rules were wrong

To act for liberation and love

That made a way for even more.

 If I am being honest, the season of Advent is how I make sense of who God is. And, this writing from Pastor Meta encapsulates what I love most about the season of Advent.

 God is subversive and chooses people the world does not choose.

 That Jesus comes to a broken world, again and again. That the world we are navigating maybe, just maybe isn’t so different from that world where Mary heard these words so many years ago.

 That during Advent, we get to joyfully celebrate that nothing is impossible through God. That when rules are wrong, they must be broken for the good of the marginalized among us because Jesus’ birth broke all of the so-called rules and assumptions of the time.

 That Advent is a reminder that we are beautifully imperfect and loved by God all the same. That God believes in us and did not wait for us or for the world to without flaws or pain or strife to come to us.

 Join me in fast forwarding just a little bit to the image we will soon see of the celebration of Jesus’ birth. So often the image of Christ’s birth that we are presented with is the sweet, docile white baby Jesus, in a clean, glowing manger, with his humble parents and a menagerie of animals surrounding him. I invite you to let that image go. To imagine instead what it would have been: a barn, maybe a cave, and probably a cold barn or cave at that. I may not have been a farm kid but enough of my friends were and from the several times I was tasked to assist them with after school chores, I feel pretty confident in assuming that it would have smelled….not good.

 Mary and Joseph would have been utterly exhausted and frightened after making this long journey from Galilee to Bethlehem. And then when they got there, they were turned away again and again, only for Mary to give birth in the midst of all of this exhaustion and fear. And very shortly after, they would be forced from their homeland of Palestine to Egypt, seeking refuge from a brutal king who wished them harm. This may have all been thousands of years ago, but each Advent we remember just how present this all is. That the world the angel is coming to Mary to share this great news is not so unlike ours today.

 Those thousands of years ago, God decided to enter the world through a poor, young, peasant woman, in the far removed, middle of nowhere hamlet of Galilee. God entered the world amidst the mess, the tumult, the fear. And today, God enters the world amidst those same circumstances. While we are traversing frightening terrain, unable to see through much of this murkiness, we are reminded that the liminal and the darkness is holy and that God has been here before and God is still here.

 Wil Gafney is one of my favorite Hebrew scholars and recently shared on social media, “‪I have come to appreciate Advent so much more without the light/dark binary. Rather, I see darkness as the generative space in which light is conceived and from which it is born. Both holy, both life-giving.

  But before any of that could happen, Mary had to contend with an angel talking to her. I am admittedly kind of picky about Christmas music. Maybe I’ve spent too many holiday seasons working retail, and while it is not at all my intention to wreck a favorite Christmas song if this is one of your top picks this time of year, but I admit that Mary Did You Know has always made me stop and wonder. Because, there was so much that Mary knew.

 She would have known a lot of things. Mary would have known how babies were made which the author of Luke reminds us of as she wonders how she could come to bear a child. She undoubtedly would have known young girls her age to die in childbirth or lose their babies. And, she would have known all too well what it was like to live in a small, removed part of the world, occupied by the brutal rule of the Roman State, with ever increasing taxes and land acquisitions. She would have seen rich Romans not paying their fair share of taxes while her loved ones were squeezed tighter and tighter financially.

 She would have known what this pregnancy would do to her social standing. That while her cousin, Elizabeth’s pregnancy was also unexpected in her advanced age, at least there was biblical president for that. A young, poor, woman in occupied Palestine? Well, that would have been a new one.

 She would have known so many things. And through all of that knowing, she was still brave enough, with more faith and hope than I can imagine, to say yes.

 Mexico City is one of my most favorite cities in the world. Very high on my list during my last visit was making a visit to the Mexico City basilica to see the depiction of the Virgin of Guadeloupe.

The legend goes like this:

 In 1531, Mary appeared to a young, indigenous peasant named Juan Diego. She told him, in his native dialect, that she wanted her church to be built on the spot she appeared to him. So, Juan Diego, went to the Spanish Fransiscans to share the news of his vision. They essentially laughed him out of the room. Why would Mary, long venerated by Christians, appear to this peasant and not to them?

 So, Juan Diego returned to the spot he initially saw her and shared their rejection. She told him to go back and try again. He came and went several times, and on the final time, December 12th, 1531, she told him to bring red roses to the friars, wrapped in his tunic. It was December, and there were no roses growing, but all of a sudden, they appeared. Juan Diego wrapped these flowers in his tunic, and when he opened his tunic to the Franciscans, his tunic held a depiction of Mary. And here’s the thing. She was not shown as a meek, white young girl. She was depicted as an indigenous Aztec.

 The 1530s were not only the height of the Protestant Reformation happening in Europe, but they were also a time of heightened imperialism in central and South America. Important to note is that right around this time, the Spanish Franciscans destroyed the ancient Aztec city in the center of Mexico City and used the stones to build their cathedral.

And yet, Mary showed up to an Aztec peasant, mirroring the angel coming to her, a pushed aside Palestinian peasant all those years before. Throughout these past nearly five hundred years, so much study has been done on her image that is depicted on the tunic which is on display in the basilica. There have been countless analyses done of the materials and many attempts to recreate it using materials that would have been available at the time, and materials that even weren’t available then, and no one can figure it out. It is not a painting and it is not a weaving. It is simply there.

 More than twenty million people visit this site each year. Tourists come to visit and Catholics from central and south America and beyond make pilgrimages to stand under the tunic and to offer prayers to her.

And while all of this is awe inspiring, the thing that really got me when I was there was seeing all of the migrants who make pilgrimages to her to ask for her intercession as they begin and continue their perilous journeys north. These displaced and weary people go and pray to another who knew all too well what it felt like to be weary and displaced.

 In these waiting and expectant days of Advent, I invite all of us to think about all the places in our broken world God is entering again and again. All of the places the world expects God to be while ignoring the marginalized, gritty places God has showed up time and time again.

 May we look to Mary to mirror the immense faith and hope she had to say yes. The hope and faith necessary to sing boldly O Come O Come Emmanuel .

 In closing, I share a favorite Advent prayer from the Reverend Michael T. Ray.

 Jesus, the impoverished refugee, you showed up in the mess, and the crap and the stench. You told us to look for you in prison, on the streets, among the thirsty and hungry, naked and alone, those who are sick. And yet sometimes, we do all we can to avoid every one of those places and people. Convict and compel us to stop trying to get you to show up where we want to go, and instead start showing up where you told us you would always be. Amen.

 Vicar Karla Leitzman

Sunday, December 7, 2025

Reflections

HOPE

What is hope? Emily Dicken writes:

“Hope” is the thing with feathers –

That perches in the soul -

And sings the tune without the words -

And never stops - at all.

Hope is not something that you can teach or legislate or demand.

Instead, hope is as light as a feather – and yet as enduring as an earworm

that will not stop.

This poem about “hope” was one of my mother’s favorites – especially

after she was diagnosed with cancer. In those sometimes trying and

painful days, it would have been easy to despair, to focus on loss and to

give up hope, but instead, she chose hope – not hope that she would be

cured, but rather hope in God’s future.

Like the people of God throughout the generations, we can trust in God’s

promise and dared to hope and trust that God’s will, God’s way, God’s

future would prevail. And, that it will be better than we could ever

imagine. This is Hope. Amen.

Peace

What is Peace? The Hebrew word is “shalom.” Shalom is not just the

opposite of war and discord. Shalom is also the peace that brings

wholeness and healing to all people. 1 And so, when you greet someone

with peace, you are wishing them the wholeness of Christ Jesus. For, as

we read in Colossians, when God reconciles everything on heaven and

earth through Christ, God made and makes everything whole – in God’s

way, in God’s time, and with God’s love – already and not yet.

Sisters and brothers in Christ: May the peace, the shalom of the creator

God be with you; May the peace, the shalom of the living God fill you;

and may the peace of the everlasting God overflow from you. Shalom.

Peace be with you. Amen.

JOY!

What is Joy? It began with a little hiccup…and of course it was at an

inappropriate time. Embarrassed and self-conscious, the little girl

giggled.. just a little giggle… but then her best friend also giggled. Their

mothers tried to shush them… but they couldn’t stop. Instead, their

giggles were so infectious that soon smiles appeared on the lips of their

neighbors and as the giggling continued, some of the bodies of the

people near by started to shake, others were putting hands over their

mouths… and then… laughter erupted with a loud guffaw and soon

contagious, joyous laughter filled the room. It was totally

“inappropriate” for the time – and definitely heaven sent.

Joy is contagious, spontaneous and hopefully irresistible. JOY is also

our best response to the awesome work of God. Our hymns say it best:

“Joy to the world, the Lord is come. Let earth receive her king; let ev’ry

heart prepare him room and heaven and nature sing.” Despite the

challenges of our world and of our life, as we sing praises to God, may

the Holy Spirit fill our lungs and our spirits with endless joy – and a few

giggles too. Amen.

Love

What is love? This is a question poets and lovers have tried to answer

throughout the generations. But, regardless of what words are used to

describe it, the best way to know what love is, is to experience it. For

love is the essence of who God is – God is love – and, we know love

because we have received love. God first loved us, showing that love

through the birth of God’s son at Christmas.

As 19 th century poet Christina Georgina Rosetti wrote, “Love came

down at Christmas. Love all lovely, Love divine; Love was born at

Christmas; star and angels gave the sign…Love incarnate, Love

divine… love be yours and love be mine.” As we anticipate the

Christmas season, may you receive God’s gift of love with open hands,

open heart, and open lives and reflect that love to one another. Amen.

Sunday, November 30, 2025

Happy New Year!

Now, don’t worry, you haven’t somehow missed the entirety of the holiday season and it is now January, but, today, with our first Sunday in Advent, we begin a brand new church year, a new liturgical year.

Beginning today, and in this next year, our preaching focus will be on the gospel of Matthew. Each gospel has its own beauty and its own unique role to play in showing us the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

So, who is Jesus in Matthew where we start the year today? Matthew’s Jesus is a teacher, a leader, an evangelist, the fulfillment of God’s promise, and a steadfast reminder of what is to yet to come. Matthew’s Jesus is a descendant of the line of King David, an authoritative figure, the Messiah, the one whose coming will absolutely change everything.

I would be remiss to not note that these specific verses have been some of the biblical passages most often used in a lot of apocalyptic bible narratives. These verses have historically been used as a means for control to warn people of the coming end times or the rapture, and what will happen if the Messiah comes and you have not repented or if you are not “ready.” A lot of people carry a lot of baggage surrounding these texts in particular, and I don’t want to skate over that.

One of my favorite parts of my theological education has been diving into the study and research of the ways that these passages were and are actually intended to convey hope, joy, and a hopeful re orientation to our calling to create God’s kingdom. And that is a kingdom that is filled with goodness, justice, kindness, and deep, abiding love. It is the coming of something new, something kinder and softer, more loving and more joyful.

In his book, Voices of Advent, Luther Seminary professor Matt Skinner writes on this very passage from Matthew, “It’s an outlook full of presumptions that one particular slice of the Christian church has everything right about God and everyone else in the world deserves to be punished. Maybe most concerning, it’s a view that seems eager to ascribe unusual cruelty to God. It certainly imports all kinds of assumptions into this passage, turning it into a prediction of divine terror instead of a reassurance of God’s intention to redeem and heal the world. It’s a perspective that distorts the Bible. Worse, it distorts the love of God.”

So, why are these verses, that so often get used to preach about the so called end times what is chosen for today as we celebrate this new year and new season?

The book of Matthew, focusing on Jesus as Messiah, as the fulfillment of God’s loving and faithful promise, of Jesus as a teacher and authority figure is a directive for us to ready ourselves, to prepare for what is to come and to do the work for what is to come. It is a profound examination  of the ways that we all go about our days, our business as usual, and then are met with the awesome, unfathomable awareness that God is showing up. God is coming and we must be ready.

So, what does it mean to be ready? And specifically, what does it mean to be ready for Christmas, for the coming of Christ? If I were to ask you right now, “well, are you ready for Christmas” what are the first things that come to your mind?

If we were so lucky as to be able to celebrate it-  Thanksgiving is over. The dishes washed and put away.  The football game watched as you slipped in and out of that turkey coma. The turkey and mashed potatoes and stuffing leftovers in tupperware in the fridge or maybe already made into soup.

The emails alerting us to constant sales, the reminders to buy, buy, buy and then buy some more are in full swing.

Maybe you are like so many this holiday season who are looking down at holiday lists of people to purchase gifts for while also looking at your banking app on your phone wondering how you’re going to make it all work and stretch far enough this year, wondering how you might possibly be able to feel ready amidst such challenging circumstances.

Perhaps you are looking around your house, wondering where you are going to get the energy to make your home feel ready. When you’re going to find the time or motivation to be ready to dig the tree and decorations out of that back closet.

Maybe you are already feeling behind on your holiday baking or wondering how you are going to manage existing or growing tensions with family members this season. Maybe you are anticipating the first holiday season with a prominent empty chair at your table and you are wondering how you might ever feel ready for that painful first. Maybe the Christmas season is always a challenging time of year for you and you are wondering how you are once again going to ready yourself  to just get through these coming weeks.

So often, when we talk about “being ready for Christmas” we feel the pressure that comes with the season to get the perfect presents for our loved ones, to make the best recipes, to check all the things off of our lists, to be cheerful and merry even if that’s not at all how we feel.

There really is so much that we can associate with being “ready” for the Christmas season.

And, that is precisely why it is so important that we, as a church, go through this liturgical season of Advent together. This is my favorite of the liturgical seasons. Advent is, frankly, how I make sense of who God because this is a season where we collectively practice readying our hearts for the coming of Jesus, of God coming to Earth enfleshed as a tiny baby, born to a poor, Palestinian young woman in a backwoods, unheard of hamlet of the vast Roman Empire. God could have chosen any time, any place to come to the world. And yet, God chose a time of tumult and oppression and angst and violence to come to the world in human form. And that remains true today.

When we sing the Advent hymn, Oh Come Oh Come Emanuel during this Advent season, do you know what Emanuel means? It means God with Us. And it is my favorite way that we as people of faith use to describe God. Emmanuel. We pray and we long for God to come to a world that is so desperately in need of  a savior and a champion to the marginalized. Our cries of Oh Come Oh Come Emanuel come and uplift the lowly, come and right the wrongs and the pain of the world.

When we sing that hymn we both pray for Christ to come, and we re commit ourselves to looking for Christ’s existing presence in the world, that God, is indeed, with us. And that as followers of Christ, we are directed to go to the places that Christ goes. Because God creates us in God’s image, we are called to love and serve those who God loves and comes to serve.

This is a season where we, together, remember that not only is God with the outcasts, but that God comes to the world as an outcast. Emmanuel. God is with us. Not only does Christ come to be with refugees, but Christ comes as a refugee. A baby born to a poor young couple who are forced to flee, without papers, to a new country for fear for their lives. It is only one more chapter to come in the book of Matthew where Jesus offers the prophetic words: “for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me.’

Hopefully you have heard about Faith Lilac Way’s participation in the Path to Palm Sunday which is the convergence of thousands and thousands of people of faith around those very directives of Jesus-  to feed the hungry, care for the sick, and welcome the stranger. Because we see far too many policies and actions happening in this country that are so cruelly doing exactly the opposite of those directives. And because we are followers of Christ, we know that we can’t stand by. We know that we have to speak out, to act. We know that we have to go where Christ goes. We are, after all, an Advent people. A people who are ready to pray and ready to act.

One of my favorite Advent books is called, “Keep Watch With Me: An Advent Reader for Peacemakers.” Published in 2019, this is a collection of devotions leading up to Christmas which are written by pastors and chaplains from around the world. Honestly I should get a kick back from how many of these books I have purchased as gifts for people and for all the times I have recommended it to people to buy themselves.

In the very first devotion for December 1st, Reconciliation and Justice facilitator Michael T Ray writes the following:

“When I worked with Christian Peacemaker Teams in Hebron, the largest Palestinian city in the West Bank, one of our primary responsibilities was being present for confrontations between Israeli solders and Palestinian civilians. We needed to film and document all acts of aggression, hoping the scrutiny of international eyes might deter violence.

We needed to keep watch.

For those of us in the United States, the last few  years have particularly highlighted the deep divisions scarring our country. Many of us yearn for a better world, and we wonder how long we can wait.

Advent is all about waiting

It is about patience, expectation, and longing. We wait in hope for the arrival of something better than what we have now. This is a joyful hope.

But Advent is about ache too, because longing and waiting are also painful experiences. For our exiled friends in prison longing for freedom, for our oppressed brothers and sisters waiting for justice, for our loved ones on the streets dreaming of a warm home, waiting is agony.

Both Advent and peacemaking are experiences of hope, and hope is the stuff of survival. It’s little wonder people who live in the places of suffering are often filled with great hope and joy. As one Palestinian friend said to me, “What choice do we have but to hope? The alternative is death.”

We hope that something more beautiful is coming because we must, because the alternative is unbearable. The work of hope is a muscular work, filled with sorrow, faith, perseverance, and resilience.

In my study, teaching, and practice of peace building, I’ve learned that the work of peace is the work of preparation. We wait, yes, but we have much to do while we wait. My best friend, Jeannie Alexander, is waiting for her beloved to be freed from the cage of prison. Year after year, she waits. But part of her waiting is working to make better laws so he can return home sooner. The waiting of Advent, like the waiting of peacemaking, is an active waiting. As the African proverb says, “When you pray, move your feet.:

We watch, we wait, we work. Part of the truth of our world is that it is broken and breaking more every day. But that is only part of the truth. Our world is also a place of beauty, love, and unfathomable generosity. There is kindness, there is laughter, there is healing.

I want to be part of the movement toward kindness, one where we might begin speaking to and about one another with something like love. I do believe that a kinder world is on the way. I believe that because I must, and I will watch for it, with eyes open and feet moving.

Will you keep watch with me?

Let us pray,” Jesus of the vigil, you told us to keep watch, to stay alert for what is coming. Bless us with the strength to watch, to wait, and to work this Advent season, so that your kingdom which is here and is still to come may be realized in its fullness. Because if we do not keep watch, we may miss it.

Amen.

Sunday, November 16, 2025

Our lessons for today are about being in community together.  In the Gospel of John, Jesus makes a number of “I AM” statements such as I am the Light of the World. I am the Good Shepherd. I am the Bread of Life. Each of the I AM statements gives us a little window into who Jesus is.  In today’s Gospel, Jesus not only gives us a peak into who he is, but also into who he is calling us to be. Jesus says, “I am the vine and YOU are the branches.” Jesus talks about his connection to God the creator and desires us to be as deeply connected to him, like branches are to the vine and he is to God the Father.

 This past summer, I planted some morning glory seeds by a trellis. I wasn’t sure they would grow. They had been sitting dormant in my basement for a year or two, but I decided to plant them anyway. And three of them grew! I went away for a few weeks and when I came back, I expected the trellis to be full. But it had nothing on it. The branches hadn’t found the trellis. Instead, they wound themselves around other plants. So, I untangled them from the other plants and re-routed them up the trellis so they could have more light. They loved better access to the sun and began to grow even faster.  I was so excited for them to blossom. But the next day, I noticed that the branch in the middle was starting to droop. Curious, I brought my watering can over to the plant, thinking that it might just need a little water. But then I discovered – some little animal – most likely rabbits - had eaten the bottom of that branch, disconnecting it from the rest of the vine. And you know what happened then, when the branches weren’t connected – they died.

 Jesus illustrates the importance of staying connected to him through this metaphor: “I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.” And, not only do the branches need the vine for nourishment, the vine also needs the branches in order to blossom and grow.

Jesus has this kind of relationship with God the Father and with the Holy Spirit. The Trinity is so interconnected that you can’t tell where one stops and the other starts. And this is the kind of interconnectedness that Jesus desires with you. But here our English translation of the Gospel is not clear. Jesus says he desires to have this interconnectedness with YOU. And when he says this, Jesus is not speaking to just one person – to Peter or John or Mary, instead Jesus is speaking to YOU ALL. In English the way we normally speak it, we don’t have a clear “you all.” But the southerners do.  Jesus is speaking to You’all. -- not just to individuals or just to those in his presence then, but to all of you here at Faith Lilac Way and at Cross of Glory, and at First Lutheran and across the country, North and South, East and West, and in other places =  in Mexico, down to South America and across the ocean to Africa, Asia, Europe, from the biggest cities to the smallest farm.  TO All of You’ALL,  Jesus says, “As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you all; abide in my love..”

 Abide in my love. I love that image – but what does it mean in our daily life. Jesus tells us. He says, “If you’all keep my commandments, you’all will abide in my love.”  Throughout the Gospels: Jesus tells us quite clearly that although there are over 600 commandments written in the Hebrew scriptures, Jesus all of these commandments are contained in just two: Love God and Love others (all the others) as yourself AND as  Jesus loves you. 

 Two commandments, three action:– love God; love yourself; love the one you call other. This is easy to say. But these commandments are not always easy to do. And this is why Jesus says, abide in me. Abide means to live, to dwell, to remain in Christ. Because we do not have to do this by our own strength. Abiding in Christ Jesus means: Living into community with Jesus and with one another.

 In our lesson from Acts, the early church gathered together in community, generously supporting and caring for one another. They  provide a great example for us. And so, throughout the years, Christian churches and communities have found ways to reach out to support each other – and the neighbor, the one who is in need. Our goal, like that of the early church, is that no one will be in need but that all will have enough. We don’t always get it right. We are, after all, both Saints AND sinners. But we have a Jesus who not only gives second chances but 77x7 chances… and then starts over again. With overwhelming Grace, Jesus calls us to abide in him and to follow his commandments. This means we are invited to continue to listen to God’s call to be in community with one another – with YOU ALL – whether here in this place, friends gathered online, the churches down the street, the neighbors near and far – no one is called “those people.” All are called children of God, siblings of Christ.

 As some of you remember, almost twenty years ago, there was an affordable housing shortage in our neighborhood, especially for Seniors. Also at that same time, Hennepin County was expanding the road in front of our church and in the process, bought some of the church land and the lots of the neighboring houses. Change was happening. But instead of mourning the loss of these neighboring buildings and land, through prayer and discernment, we as a church, led by Pastor Bob, envisioned collaborating with other partners to do something new – to build affordable housing for seniors in that space.  The result is RobbinsWay.

 I almost take it for granted now, but paving the way for this project wasn’t simple. We were going to lose some of our parking. Some people didn’t like it because they didn’t qualify, others quietly wondered what “those neighbors” would be like.  But, in addition to all of the prayer and hard work by Pastor Bob and the leadership team, the Holy Spirit was also at work in a sweet older woman named Shirley Dahlen.

 Some of you may remember Shirley. She was a charter member of the church. She loved to tell me stories about how the church began in the basement of the Masonic Temple in downtown Robbinsdale. It served as a meeting hall on Saturday night and so she had to come to church early Sunday morning to pick up the cigarettes and the beer cans so that they could have church. Then, after worship, she would take home the offering and put it in her freezer. Then, and she would always smile when she said this, on Monday morning, she would go to the bank and deposit the “cold hard cash.”  

 Shirley lived just down the street in a little house her father built. She never married and so the church family became her family. She volunteered for everything, including rocking the babies. She was beloved. And she was growing older.

 When Robbins Way became a possibility, Shirley became excited. Pointing to the empty lot next door, she told everyone at church, “I want to live there in the third story, in that apartment looking down at the church. Don’t you think that would be a good idea?” And no one could say no to her. Who wouldn’t want the little old lady who brought cookies to church as their neighbor?  Sometimes the Holy Spirit works through sweet little old ladies.

 Shirley got her dream. RobbinsWay was built and Shirley got the third story apartment overlooking the church. She was overjoyed. And, then, she brought her new neighbors with her to Bible study. Although Shirley has since died, the Bible study – and other ministries -- continue. Just this past week, one of the newer residents came to Bible study and shared some of her challenges and the joy she felt in being able to be in community together.    

 Sisters and brothers, siblings in Christ, we have come to another time of change. I don’t need to name all of the changes going on in our world, our country, our communities, our churches. You know them. But regardless of the changes around us, Jesus’ call to abide in him and to follow his commands remains the same - even when it means that God may be calling us into a new creation, into doing things differently, into serving God in some new ministry that we have not yet discerned. And so, brothers and sisters, siblings in Christ, let us pray for the Holy Spirit to open our hearts and to work in and through us so that, like Shirley and her neighbor, we all may be filled with the joy of Jesus. Amen.

Sunday, November 2, 2025 All Saints Day

Where are you’all? Jesus is with You’all

Where are you in this story? It’s a question that theologian Mark Allen Powell used to ask. Where are you in this story?

But before you answer that, I’d like to give you a little more context to the story. This year we have been working our way through the Gospel of Luke but today, for All Saints Day, we go back to chapter 6.  Jesus is in the beginning of his ministry. He has been baptized, and preached at his hometown to his neighbors’ delight, and then was almost thrown over the cliff by those same people. Since that time, Jesus has been busy preaching, teaching, healing and calling his disciples. He’s been doing what he told the townspeople he would do: bring good news to the poor, proclaim release to captives, heal the blind, let the oppressed go free and proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God.

And then, he climbs a mountain and spends the night in prayer. We don’t know what happened in that prayer, but the next morning, Jesus is energized. He gathers the apostles and disciples and goes down the mountain to preach the Sermon on the Plains.

This sermon is similar to the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew in which Jesus, preaching from the mountain, pronounces spiritual blessings on the poor, the meek, and those who are “least likely to receive the “most likely to succeed” award. I love those blessings - but Luke tells the story a little differently. In Luke, Jesus goes down the mountain – and before he even begins to preach – he is met by a great crowd of people from all over the known world.

On this All Saints Day, as we remember those who have died over the past year, we give thanks for them. And, we give thanks that they are with Jesus now. For as Lutherans, we don’t set apart certain “super Christians” as saints. Rather, we are ALL Saints by virtue of our baptism. Jesus claimed us as brothers and sisters, siblings and fellow heirs to the kingdom of God. And yet, we still sin, we still fall short of acting, and thinking and living as the saints that Jesus has called us to be. We are all sinners who need Jesus as our Lord and savior. This is why we proclaim that we are simultaneously Saints and Sinners.

The other thing that we claim is that when we come to the table – the Lord’s table – we are joined by Jesus and ALL the Saints – living and dead – from all over the world whether from Minnesota, Texas, Washington, China, Russia, the Ukraine, Gaza or Israel. Jesus comes down to be “God WITH Us.”

On that morning, when Jesus comes DOWN the mountain, he finds a huge crowd of people waiting for him. They came because they had heard about a mighty preacher who could heal their diseases. And so of course they came. I understand that completely - when my mother was ill and the doctors in the hospital that she was at would not even give her a diagnosis, my sister and I did not stop until we found a doctor who would care for her.  And I know many of you have done the same thing – when a loved one is ill and there is someone who might be able to help, you want to do whatever it takes to find healing.  And so, since word had gotten out that Jesus was a healer, there were people from Judea and Jerusalem and Tyre and Sidon – which is to say – from everywhere.

Jesus saw the people … and he healed them all. ALL of them regardless of who they are, where they were from, or why they were hurting. Jesus heals their wounds, their diseases and their hearts and spirits. And then… he preaches, addressing the real-life challenges of the people who are standing before him. Using words that are reminiscent of the language of reversal that his mother Mary proclaims in the Magnificat, Jesus proclaims a reversal of fortunes from their status NOW to the future, a future with hope and blessings.

I like to imagine Jesus preaching with a southern drawl because he addresses all of us, saying,

·         “you’all” –who are poor NOW -  will receive the kingdom of God.

·         You’all who hunger NOW, you’all  will be filled.

·         You’all who mourn NOW, you’all will laugh.

·         You’all who are being marginalized NOW – you all will have cause to “Rejoice … and leap for joy.  

Jesus is proclaiming the coming of the kingdom of God. But he is not just talking to the people on the plains that day. Jesus is talking to You’all too. For we can all find ourselves in this group of people. You may at times have been hungry, or marginalized. But we all have mourned. And so, especially on days like today when we remember those people we have loved and who have died, we hear Jesus proclaiming a blessing to us.

We can also – yikes - find ourselves in the group of people to whom Jesus pronounces “woes.” But the good news is that the “woes” aren’t a word of condemnation. Instead, they are a wake-up call. As Eugene Peterson, in the Message Bible, translates this passage:  

·         “it’s trouble ahead if you think you have it made. What you have is all you’ll ever get.

·         And it’s trouble ahead if you’re satisfied with yourself.

Your self will not satisfy you for long.

·         And it’s trouble ahead if you think life’s all fun and games.
There’s suffering to be met, and you’re going to meet it.

·          “There’s trouble ahead when you live only for the approval of others, saying what flatters them, doing what indulges them. Popularity contests are not truth contests—Your task is to be true, not popular.”

 These are important words for us in the United States to hear, we who have grown up hearing that we can “pull ourselves up by our bootstraps” and that our only responsibility is to take care of “our own.” But Jesus reminds the crowd, of which we’re all are a part, that if one person is hungry, you’all, we’all cannot ignore the need. If one hurts then we are all called to respond.  Because Jesus has made the table bigger. “Our own” is not just those who are related to us, come from the same place, speak the same language, think the same way. “Our own” are God’s people  everywhere.

For Jesus reminds us that when he talks about “God’s people” – he is not talking about just the people of Faith-Lilac Way, this community, the  Lutheran church, the United States, those who look like us, or talk like us or think like us, but instead, ALL the saints – living and dead – all over the world.

The ”woes,” Jesus’ warnings, are countercultural. And, Jesus has more to say. Perhaps he knows just how challenging it is for us because Jesus says, “to you who are listening: Love your enemies; do good to those who hate you; 2bless those who curse you; pray for those who mistreat you…..Do to others as you would have them do to you.”

This is the hardest thing that Jesus calls us to do. And yet, just because it is hard, and we will fail sometimes, Jesus still calls us to do it.

 And, there are some surprising blessings in doing so. Martin Luther King Jr. found this out. He was thrown into jail and beaten more than once for preaching and protesting for those who were considered “the least of these.” Reflecting on his experiences Martin Luther King Jr. said, " As my sufferings mounted, I soon realized that there were two ways that I could respond to my situation: either to react with bitterness or to transform the suffering into a creative force." He chose to be a creative force in the world.

 Friends in Christ, in this time in our world, in which people are increasingly divided, and isolated from one another, it would be good for us to remember Jesus’ call to love our enemies and to pray for

those who cause us or others to suffer. For we are a part of the community in Christ and Jesus calls us to transform the world with love and not with hatred, with compassion and not with disdain, with Jesus’ way and not “our way.” For Jesus is with us – All of Us Saints & Sinners--  and for Jesus’ sake, we give thanks. Amen.

Faith-Lilac Way Lutheran Church + All Saints Day + Pastor Pam Stalheim Lane