What does Grace Look Like?

God of Grace, open our ears to hear your word of forgiveness, open our eyes to see those in need, open our lives to love one another as you love us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

What does Grace look like?

Did you hear the story of John Oliver, the host of HBO’s Last Week Tonight? He was doing a story on debt collectors. His story focused on the predatory collectors who buy up debt from banks at a hugely reduced rate – cents on the dollar and then use threats and other aggressive tactics without even verifying the details of the debt. To further explore how this worked, Oliver decided to form a debt collection company of his own. It cost only $50 to set it up. They called it “Carp.”

According to Oliver, soon after its creation, this company was offered a portfolio of medical debt – that’s the debt of people who can’t pay their doctor and hospital bills -- worth almost $15 million dollars at a cost of “less than half a cent on a dollar, which is less than $60 thousand dollars. They bought it and soon afterwards, they received the list of names, addresses and social security numbers of the people who owed that debt: it was nearly 9,000 people.

Oliver said, “We bought it, which is absolutely terrifying because it means if I wanted to, I could legally have Carp take possession of that list and have employees start calling people, turning their lives upside down over medical debt,” said Oliver.

But…instead of doing that – he forgave the debt.

Imagine the response of those 9,000 people. They – or a loved one - had suffered from a medical challenge that cost so much they couldn’t pay their medical bills. If a predatory creditor had bought their debt, they would have been harassed and terrorized. Instead, their debt was paid.

That’s a story of grace.

Oliver’s action parallels a story that Jesus tells about the creditor who had two debtors – one owed a lot and one owed just a little. The creditor forgave both debts. Jesus asks the Pharisee who had invited him into his home: Which one will love him more? The Pharisee said, “The one who was forgiven more, I suppose.” Jesus complimented him – you got it right!

But then Jesus compares the Pharisee’s hospitality – or rather lack of hospitality and care – to the outpouring of love of the woman at his feet. Imagine the scene – homes in the middle east in that day had open courtyards and were more accessible to people just walking in than a Minnesota home today, but it still would have been surprising for an uninvited woman to come into the room and kneel at the feet of one of your guests and not only wash his feet with her tears– but then to take down her hair – which was considered very private - and to wipe his feet. While everyone else around the table is probably embarrassed and trying to ignore her, Jesus explains her actions as the actions of one who has been forgiven much and who was responding with love.

That’s grace.

Jesus forgave her. She responded with love. And then Jesus reminded her – you are forgiven. Get up! You are healed and set free to live.

That’s grace.

At the beginning of the service, we invited you to pick up a rock and hold it in your hand for the whole service. Now I want you to take a look at the rock in your hand. You probably didn’t think much of it at first – except maybe wondering what in the world Pastor Pam was going to have you do with that rock. It’s not real heavy so you probably didn’t think much about it – until you had to try to open the hymnal. Some of you may have set them down. That’s ok.

But think about how that rock would change your life if you could not set it down. You would have to do everything with one hand. Holding that rock would start to get old fast. Maybe you would try to pry the rock from your hand. Maybe you would try to take some medicine. But what if nothing worked. The rock was still with you. But then, one day – due to nothing that you tried and nothing that you did or said, suddenly, Jesus says, “your sins are forgiven” and the rock is gone. You are set free.

That’s what God’s grace is like. Because of God’s love for you, Christ forgives you and sets you free from all of the rocks – sins – problems – challenges –all the actions/words and things that weigh you down. Forgiveness sets you free. And you, like the woman in the Gospel story, are free to love. That’s good news!

But now imagine that that rock was not something that you did – it wasn’t a sin or anything that YOU did but rather was a grudge that you held against someone else, a grudge that you refused to forgive. They had wronged you and you decided you were not going to forgive them… end of story. Except….you didn’t notice that that grudge became a rock in your hand. And it kept you from being the person God made you to be. You tried to ignore it. You tried to work around it. But that grudge, that rock, affected everything you did.

You may be familiar with the amazing story of reconciliation in South Africa. Forgiveness – not getting even, not getting revenge -- was the key to stopping the bloodshed in that country. But the reconciliation commission discovered something amazing. Not only was reconciliation good for the country, but, as Bishop Desmond Tutu describes it, the act of forgiveness is essential for our own wholeness.

Forgiveness. It’s something that we need – and God gives it freely. No cost. Your debt is paid by the love of Jesus. Nothing more is required -because Grace is the free gift of God. But we want and need to respond – with love.

Today, as you come forward to receive Christ’s gift of his body and blood, remember that you have been forgiven already by Jesus and now Jesus wants to set you free. So I invite you to bring the rock in your hand – and let it go. Christ has set you free to love and forgive yourself and your neighbor, your spouse, your child, your brother or sister, your co-worker, your friend. You have been forgiven. You are set free to love and to forgive.

That’s what grace looks like.

Thanks be to God!

Pastor Pamela Stalheim Lane
Faith-Lilac Way Lutheran Church
June 12, 2016

We don't all have to be the same

Vicar Katelyn Rakotoarivelo
5.29.16
Faith-Lilac Way Lutheran

Galatians 1:1-12

Paul an apostle—sent neither by human commission nor from human authorities, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— and all the members of God’s family who are with me,

To the churches of Galatia:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to set us free from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen.

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another gospel, but there are some who are confusing you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should proclaim to you a gospel contrary to what we proclaimed to you, let that one be accursed! As we have said before, so now I repeat, if anyone proclaims to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let that one be accursed!

Am I now seeking human approval, or God’s approval? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still pleasing people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

For I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel that was proclaimed by me is not of human origin; for I did not receive it from a human source, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.

----

First, a little background and reminder of what’s going on: Paul the Apostle was a missionary, helping start and support churches all over. Sometimes he sent letters to them. But not everyone was able to read, so likely one person would read the letter to the whole church community.

Imagine if your church received an important letter from the bishop and you all gathered on Sunday to hear your council president share it. You might be expecting some words of encouragement or thanksgiving.

When the Galatians received this letter from Paul, they also knew what to expect: he always started with naming himself, addressing the letter, a greeting, and then a thanksgiving for the church.

Except Paul just skips over the whole thanksgiving part this time. That would’ve been kind of alarming. Instead he gets right to criticizing. Something must really be wrong!

And something was really wrong! The Galatians were listening to false messages even though they knew the true gospel. Paul had shared it with them.

But there were these “missionaries” who came to Galatia after Paul and persuaded the Gentile Christians that they must become Jewish in order to be true followers of Jesus. Their reasons were something like: Jesus was a Jewish Messiah, his first disciples were Jewish, and they used Jewish Scriptures, so therefore you must become Jewish. In other words, these “missionaries” were saying -- to follow Jesus, you must be just like us.(1)

It would be kind of like if I went to a Lutheran church in Africa and said, Well, Martin Luther was European, a lot of Lutherans lived in Norway and Sweden, and the rural Midwest has a lot of Lutherans. So you better figure out how to be white and only sing songs from this red hymnal, or you can’t possibly be Lutheran.

This sounds ridiculous because it is.

There’s a great diversity in the Lutheran church worldwide, and that’s wonderful, especially when we engage together.

But it’s easy to forget that diversity is wonderful. And vibrant. And nourishing. And all sorts of other things.

When we forget that we don’t all need to be the same as Christians, we do what Paul has called “perverting the gospel.” We change it. We distort it. We turn to other messages.

We know the gospel. And it’s for all people.The gospel is the good news of Jesus, the gospel is Jesus, or as Paul puts it, that Jesus “gave himself for our sins to set us free from the present evil age.”

We’re free from all of the false teachings and harmful ways of life that we get from the world. And we get a lot of them.

We listen to one-sided media and fear Muslims. Or black men.

We listen to society’s goals and put money first. Or our own egos.

We listen to peer pressure and disrespect women. Or LGBT people.

We forget that we’re free from all of these evils. We’re free to listen to and follow Jesus. But how quickly we get swept up in other messages … just like the Galatians.

Now of course engaging and embracing diversity is just one part of our life together as Christians, but in our world it’s increasingly important if we’re going to be church together.

And when we don’t engage and embrace diversity as Christians, and I mean specifically as Christians, the effects are damaging.

The effects can be damaging on a grand and historical scale, like colonists thinking they have a divinely appointed right to convert and subjugate indigenous peoples, causing generations of harm.

The effects can be more personal and local, like dismissing the confirmation student who has doubts and who questions the way the church does things. I bet there are some of you in this room who were that kid, and who experienced a rejection of your questions and ideas -- and instead the pastor or the congregation simply expected you to assimilate without question. Many kids who experience this eventually leave the church altogether.

The effects can be painful without anyone even realizing what’s wrong. A friend of mine, Sarah, grew up in a charismatic, Spirit-filled tradition, but later joined the ELCA for theological reasons. She was one of just a couple people of color in a good-sized congregation. She also talked a bit more about the Holy Spirit and was more emotive about her faith. Whenever she tried to take on leadership positions within the church or share her ideas in a group, people seemed uncomfortable and would quickly pass over her without thinking.This became a pattern again and again, and it was very painful for her. Was she doing something wrong? Were they passing over her because of her race? Her emotions? Her talk of the Spirit? This congregation was really missing out on a remarkable servant of Christ.

Now these are just a few different ways that thinking we all have to be the same or expecting others to assimilate is damaging. And not only is it damaging to those we exclude or reject, it’s damaging to the church and to our lives. We lose out on a bigger picture of who God is and what the church can be.

But what happens when we do embrace and engage diversity as Christians? I have a few stories to share about this as well.

I spent the week of the 15th in Atlanta, Georgia, working at a conference called the Festival of Homiletics. Homiletics means preaching. It’s five days of worship, preaching, and fellowship. It might not sound fun, but I promise you, it’s amazing. I’ve helped out with it the past couple years. Preachers from a variety of Christian denominations and personal backgrounds share God’s Word and inspire preachers. Likewise, the liturgists for worship offer many different musical styles, prayers, and liturgies. And the clergy who attend the conference are from many denominations.

Opening worship Monday was with Raphael Warnock, senior pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church and their choir, and throughout the week we heard from Father Renniger from the Catholic Church, Cláudio Carvalhaes - a professor in the U.S. from Brazil and very passionate about justice work, Grace Imathiu - a United Methodist pastor who grew up in Kenya and brings Scripture to life in the most amazing ways, and Nora Gallagher, a writer who educates diligently about caring for the earth. These are so many voices brought together in the most incredible, rich week. I love it. You can hear God everywhere.

Or what about here, at Faith Lilac Way? Two weeks ago you and Greater St. John’s Missionary Baptist Church put together hygiene care kits and shared a potluck meal. You came together in a common mission, while also learning about each other and building relationships and, very importantly, letting one another be who you are. If either group had neglected this opportunity, you would’ve missed out on a great experience! You would’ve missed out on encountering God in new ways and on a certain energy and aliveness that can only happen together.

And finally, last year I attended a documentary and worship service at Church of All Nations in Columbia Heights. One of the worship leaders, a Native American man, shared how some of his older relatives were never allowed to bring their traditional drums into the church. Both were considered unacceptable. I could feel the deep pain of these stories in his eyes. Then, as he and a few others began to drum in the service, I witnessed how truly they worshipped God through their own sounds. And as he spoke about a Native spirituality and Christianity, I witnessed a profound, authentic faith. It’s an evening I’ll never forget.

I’ve shared several stories with you, stories about engaging or rejecting others as Christians. You have a role in shaping the stories that people associate with Christianity and the gospel. We are called to be teachers and examples of the gospel, not of false messages.

You might not think that as one person you make much difference, but you do. Your actions set examples for others, and together we tell and create stories about who God is and what our faith and the gospel mean.

We’re not called to all blend together and become the same. We’re set free to live our lives as authentically as possible as Christians, whether we’re Baptist or Lutheran, Latino or Asian, young or old. The Church needs all of us. When you come to the table with all kinds of Christians, come as yourself, with all of your commitments and an open heart.

We need the whole body of Christ at the table. We can’t just say a general, vague “All Are Welcome.” We have to really mean it.

Who makes you uncomfortable for no other reason than they’re different from you? Who are you quick to judge because their expression of faith isn’t like yours?

Consider this week who you can specifically welcome because of your Christian faith. Who you can specifically learn from that is different from you.

I trust you will find yourself with stereotypes shattered and your experience of God deepened.

If we all do this, we can truly be a church that never distorts or perverts the gospel, but embraces and engages all the ways and all the people through whom our God works. We can live our lives in response to the gospel, together. For this, Jesus has set you free. Amen.

(1) Adapted from http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=2882 by Audrey West.

The Holy Trinity Revealed: God’s Love Poured out for You

I met a young man who was getting his PhD in chemical molecular hydrology engineering… or something like that. I didn’t have a clue what he was talking about, but rather than let on, I said, “Oh, I see. And how do you hope to use this degree… are you going to teach?” To which the young man said no, but then explained what he was doing in two sentences in plain English. I complemented him on his ability to translate – to which he replied: Most people don’t have a clue as to what I do – so I had to come up with an elevator speech to explain it.

Today is Holy Trinity Sunday. It too is hard to understand. The word “Trinity” isn’t in the Bible anywhere. It is simply an attempt – after Jesus came -- to understand how God is working in our world. Before Jesus, most people believed in many gods – there were gods for wind, rain, crops and everything else. But the Jewish people believed in ONE God. That made them distinct. Then came Jesus and Christians said, we have One God – but people had a hard time understanding how God the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit = 1. What kind of math is that?

Romans 5:1-5 is Paul’s elevator speech for the Trinity. But it’s not a theological explanation. Instead it explores the three different ways that God is revealed and why that makes a difference for our lives.

Why does it make a difference? One word: Jesus. Paul has already proclaimed that we are justified – that is, made right with God by Jesus through faith. He goes on to tell us that the result of this is peace – peace with God. Jesus has made things right with God for us - for You. Regardless of the wrong turns you have made in the past, mistakes, hurtful things that you have said or done, Jesus has set things right with God – for you.

But Paul knows that we live in a challenging world in which all things are NOT right. It might be all right for a moment, but it’s kind of like the prayer I once heard: “Dear God, I give you thanks that I have not said or done one thing wrong or hurtful all day. But… I’m about to get out of bed – and then I’m going to need some help for the rest of the day.”

Yet rather than be discouraged, Paul encourages his listeners, saying that as followers of Christ we may boast in our Hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we may boast in our suffering.

Paul was from a different time – but I think even for the Roman Christians, boasting in suffering may have sounded like sore comfort.

Suffering. There will be suffering, heart-ache and despair. Being a follower of Jesus does not protect us or shield us from the trials of the world. Sometimes, it makes it harder.

Roman Christians were in a minority – and many were persecuted and suffered for their faith. Unfortunately, those days have returned. Coptic Christians in Egypt have been beheaded, Christian Arabs – some of them Lutheran – living in the Holy Land are being persecuted, and Christians in other places also are in danger.

Our suffering may seem small in comparison. Yet, even if we are not persecuted for our faith, we are not immune to suffering because we are Christian. There were most likely Christians on board the plane that was destroyed over the Mediterranean Sea. Christians are not spared from cancer, heart trouble or any other disease. Followers of Christ face the same challenges from the world – floods and droughts and sickness and hardship - as everyone else.

As Jesus says, God "makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.”  The difference is that, both in joy and in hardships, people of faith are able to respond, “Blessed be the name of the Lord.”

I learned this lesson from my father when I was a little girl. I remember standing in our living room looking out at my father’s fields. The grain had just become ripe, and the golden stalks were being pounded into the ground by a fierce thunderstorm. I prayed for the rain to stop – or for God to skip over my father’s grain and just rain on the corn. I must have just learned about the power of prayer in Sunday school and so I was praying with all my might. My father came into the living room and looked at me with my nose pressed against the glass looking anxiously at the grain. God was NOT answering my prayer. My father said, “What’s wrong?” I responded with a bit of accusation in my voice, “Aren’t you even a little bit worried? The crops are being ruined.” My father smiled and said, “Well… we’ll see. Nothing we can do about it right now. Want to play a game of checkers?”

My father had endurance. He had lived through worse storms than this – and knew that whether the crop was ruined or not, it was not the end of the world. Instead, it was an opportunity for him to take a break from his chores and spend time playing a game of checkers.

If you are anxious and afraid, if you wonder if your actions have caused your suffering then suffering can lead to depression and hopelessness. But, if you are confident that Jesus has already made you right with God, then suffering can be endured because you know that it is not the end of the story. And that kind of endurance, an endurance that is not just surviving and not simply trusting in your own skill, abilities or luck but is linked – often through suffering -- to a confidence that God is with you – despite the challenges that come your way. This is the kind of endurance that leads to character.

No one is born with a good character. But character is learned through practicing good values, being forgiven when we make bad choices and knowing that Christ has made you right with God – so it isn’t up to you to prove your worth. Character is molded and formed by the forgiveness of Christ who made us right with God and through a life that is not squashed by suffering and adversity but instead endures and grows. A person with these gifts of character dares to hope.

We are back to hope.

Hope is sometimes dismissed as naïve or foolish. It’s so much easier to find the reasons something won’t work than cling to hope in the midst of suffering and adversity.

George Fredric Watts painted a remarkable painting named “Hope.” It’s the portrait of a woman, barefoot and blindfolded and dressed in tattered rags sitting on top of a globe. In her arms she is cradling a harp – that has lost all of its strings except for one. And she is playing that one string – undaunted by all of the challenges around her.

This is the painting that inspired President Obama’s former pastor Jeremiah Wright – who saw in it the “Audacity of Hope,” an idea that captivated President Obama so much that he named his second book after it. Regardless of whether or not you like President Obama or his pastor, they captured the “against all odds” quality of hope. Hope doesn’t figure the odds. Hope doesn’t get stuck in probabilities. Hope has a different vision. It’s a vision of possibility.

We dare to hope, because, as Paul writes, “hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.”

That is a note to remember – especially for you who are graduating: Some of you will be heading off to new places – schools or places of work. And as you go, there will be many things in the world to challenge you. There may even be some suffering in your life. There may be times when you are tempted to give up. But… in that moment, when all seems dark and hope-less, remember the peace that Jesus gives – who has made things right with God FOR US and remember that there will be suffering and challenges in your life…but remember too that suffering can lead to endurance and endurance to character and character to HOPE and… “Hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.”

This is why we gather on Sunday mornings to worship rather than do a whole host of other things that seem really important at the time. This is why we bring children like Thea and Anna and Howie to be baptized and this is why we keep coming. We need to be reminded of God’s love for us – and that we are part of the whole community of faith who gather to worship God TOGETHER because then WE as Christ’s body are made whole.

image credit: By George Frederic Watts and workshop, Public Domain

Lean Into the Power of the Spirit

Pentecost is the Holy Spirit’s Big Day! It is the day that we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit with tongues of fire and people witnessing to the power of God in languages that they don’t even know. In Acts the Holy Spirit is literally ON FIRE. What a dramatic entrance! But then, we read in our Psalm that the Holy Spirit was there from the very beginning with God, creating and renewing the face of the earth. In our Gospel, we read of the Holy Spirit as Advocate – and as the Spirit of Truth. Paul writes in Romans that the Spirit is our witness – that we are indeed children of God. 

One thing is clear when we read about the Holy Spirit is that the Spirit is active in the world and cannot be controlled, contained or tamed by us – instead the Holy Spirit is an advocate FOR us. 

Today we will be celebrating the third baptism within the past few weeks and so the lesson from Romans caught my eye. Through baptism, we are made children of God, adopted into God’s family, made brothers and sisters of Christ. 

But what does it mean to be adopted? Too often, adoption has had a second class status as if it was more desirable to be born into a family than to be adopted. But I think that adoption – especially the way that Paul talks about it – is synonymous with being chosen. 

Being chosen… or not. That was my worst memory of school. Hands down. Perhaps this didn’t happen to you when you were in school – but in my school, on the playground and in phy. Ed., everytime we wanted to play a game, we had to “choose sides.” Yours truly was not athletic and so was always one of the last chosen. 

Unlike kickball teams who choose one person – instead of – another, God reaches out to ALL people and individually looks into your eyes and says, “I choose YOU.” And the great thing is that there isn’t a limit. God doesn’t choose BETWEEN people. God simply chooses You AND your neighbor. It's not an either/or. God’s YES is not exclusive but is rather Inclusive.

That was not the case for the Roman culture to which Paul was writing. In that context, a person’s status was very important. People were either slaves or free, Jews or Gentiles, men or women. And those who were slaves, gentiles and women – were not equal in status. They certainly were not the first choice for to be an heir.

But Jesus’ death and resurrection turned the rules upside down. The rules that distinguished between the status in God’s kingdom between: Greeks and Jews, slaves and free, men and women were broken. Instead, as Paul writes, “all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.”

So what does it mean to be adopted by God, to be grafted onto the family tree of Christ? What kind of inheritance can we expect?

It doesn’t mean money – or any of the riches typically associated with receiving an inheritance. Becoming a child of God – a brother or sister to Christ is not a ticket to success as the world knows it. 

Instead…it is something else. We get just a glimpse of what this inheritance is at the end of our reading from Romans. Paul’s sentences are very long – and yet are packed full of meaning. So turn with me, if you will, to that last sentence. We’ll take it apart together. 

When we cry, “Abba! Father!" 

What do children do when they are in need? They call out to their parents. Abba is “Daddy” in Aramaic, the local dialect of Jesus the name that Jesus cried out to in prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, saying “Abba, Daddy.” So as Children of God, we are given the authority to cry out to God as Abba! Father! Daddy! Like Jesus, we can appeal to God as our Daddy. 

Continuing with the passage:

 it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God,  

The Holy Spirit works in many ways – as a comforter, advocate, guide to name a few. But in this case, Paul is calling upon the Holy Spirit to be a witness. In other words, the Spirit of God bears witness that we are indeed children of God, brothers and sisters of Christ and heirs with Christ.

and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—

What does it mean to be an heir? In Roman culture, this meant everything. There was a simple but profound difference between the haves and the have-nots, the rich and the poor, the “slaves” who got nothing more than their room and board and the “sons”. Although the NRSV has updated the language to include today’s meaning, at the time of Paul, daughters were rarely included in inheritance. And yet… Jesus turns expectations upside down. The old rules do not apply. Gender, birth, economic status do not determine inheritance. Instead, the Holy Spirit calls and gathers ALL God’s children to receive grace and mercy.

Paul ends this very long sentence with a surprise:

if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

Glory sounds all right. But Suffering? That’s part of the package too?

Paul knew that being a follower of Christ, being a Christian, would not always be easy for the believers in Rome. They were going against the culture. Both Jews and Gentiles, slaves and free, men and women were making big changes in the way that things had always been in daring to gather together to worship Christ. Paul reminded them that the Spirit would be with them. It wasn’t always going to be easy. Paul knew that suffering would come.

Living in a country that protects freedom of religion, we aren’t used to thinking that we might have to suffer for our faith. But, the truth is that we live in what many people call a “post-Christendom” world. 

Currently, there is a great deal of anxiety as main-line church attendance falls and Sunday schools dwindle. Some wax with nostalgia about the “good old days.” Pastors routinely beat themselves up over not having crowds at the door. But the truth is that the programs that were overflowing in the past are no longer appealing to a population that now has more opportunities than time in the day. 

Paul goes on in his letter to assure the believers of Rome, “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us.” Paul acknowledges the challenges of the day but also has confidence that this is not the end of the story. Instead, he describes creation as still in labor. God is not done. And so Paul urges the believers in Rome and us to dare to hope.

Hope. Hope is not a concrete plan. Hope does not have objective goals. Hope may not be “realistic.” And yet…because the Holy Spirit bears witness that we are indeed adopted, chosen children of God, heirs with Christ we dare to not only hope but to have confidence in the promises of Jesus. 

Here are a few examples of why I dare to hope:

1) Working with the youth in the puppet musical – our youth give me hope for the future. They are learning the important elements of faith.

2) Interviewing interns has been a great joy for me. This year I interviewed 9 interns – each with a story to tell and each with a desire to serve. 

3) Yesterday I met a man with a hat that said, “Jesus is Lord.” I asked him about his hat. He told me that because of his hat, he has had opportunity to speak to a lot of people about his faith. He lives in a nursing home in Wisconsin. But he is not done sharing his joy in Jesus’ love and grace. 

4) People that I haven’t seen in a year are contacting me to go to camp. Opportunistic? Maybe. But it also is an opportunity to grow in faith.

These are just a few. The key is this: We dare to hope. And not only that – but we dare to be bold enough to claim the promises of Jesus..”

Paul concludes this section with one of my favorite verses in Romans, “the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.”

I believe that – not only is God active and alive in our world today, encouraging us and inviting us to LEAN IN to be led by the Spirit but also that the Holy Spirit is interceding for us, advocating for us and praying for us with “sighs too deep for words.” 

The good news is that we are not alone. God is up to something in this world – and as followers of Christ, it is our task to lean into the guidance of the Holy Spirit with hope, confident that the one who gave us the promise of New Life in Christ will be faithful now and forever. Amen. 

Jesus' Peace

5.1.16
Vicar Katelyn

John 14:23-29

23 Jesus answered him, "Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me. 25 "I have said these things to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, "I am going away, and I am coming to you.' If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe.

“Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” Oh really, Jesus? That’s ridiculous. Just listen to the news for five minutes. Political fights all over the place. Racial injustice. Terrorism around the world. Women harassed in the streets. All this, and we’re supposed to not be troubled or afraid?! How’s that supposed to work?

Jesus’ message of peace is difficult to accept. He promises to give us his peace, but it sure doesn’t look like he’s followed through on that promise, does it? Because peace means no more conflict and no more suffering, right?

I sometimes wish that’s what it meant in our faith, but I don’t think this is what Jesus is promising. Jesus isn’t promising a life free of pain and struggle. He’s giving us a lasting peace of promising to always be with us, to send the Holy Spirit to teach us and remind us of him.

The peace Jesus offers us doesn’t eliminate the hard things. But, as David Lose writes, Jesus gives us “a peace that allows us to lift our gaze from the troubles that beset us and see those around us as gifts of God worthy of our love and attention.”

In other words, when we receive Jesus’ peace, we are not dominated by the world’s messages of fear … instead, we are overwhelmed with love to act on behalf of our neighbors. We are accompanied and guided by the Holy Spirit to live out Jesus’ teachings and messages.

But still, how do we actually do this? How do we move ourselves from fear to a life full of Jesus’ peace? Jesus says, “Do not let …,” which gives us some responsibility. It indicates that we have a choice, that we can, with his help, of course, actually do something about our trouble and fear.

I think of trouble and fear not so much as things we can get rid of completely, but things we can manage. For example, many of us, including myself, feel anxious sometimes. We might be unsure if we can actually do something or worry about what might go wrong. Sometimes this feeling just bubbles up inside. To manage the anxiety, you might exercise regularly, meditate, and journal. You might develop breathing techniques to help you when you’re feeling anxious.

These practices don’t make the anxiety leave forever, but they do make it so you’re not dominated by it, so you have peace and can do the things that are important to you.

In a similar way, regular prayer, worship, Scripture reading, and other practices help us to receive Jesus’ peace and let it flow through our hearts and lives. They don’t make it so we’re never troubled or afraid, but consistent practices help us to set our eyes on our neighbor and give us the strength to hope and to live out our faith.

But you might insist, “I don’t have time for all that. I’m too busy.” Sorry, but that isn’t going to cut it. I don’t expect you to be in worship 52 Sundays every year or be diligent absolutely every day in prayer and reading Scripture. I certainly am not. But again, we have choices to make.

And it’s not about what I expect or what anyone else expects … it’s about how you want your life to be. And how God wants your life to be. You have a choice, everyday,  between receiving the world’s busy-ness or receiving Jesus’ peace.

The constant go of our culture has made an idol of being busy. And it’s definitely a huge pressure. There are so many extra-curricular activities for kids, a growing blur between work and home, and being constantly available via technology. It’s a lot. We’re so accustomed to being busy that we forget we have a choice, we forget there are other ways to live.

Jesus even says, “I do not give to you as the world gives.” The world gives us a to-do list; the world gives us over-scheduling, selfishness, and temporary happiness. Jesus gives us deep peace. Jesus directs us to not let our hearts be troubled or afraid.

With the help of the Holy Spirit, we have the ability to make worship, prayer, service, fellowship, and other practices a priority in our lives, to make them regular habits. When we do this, when we have this consistency, we are far more likely to receive Jesus’ peace.

Again, it doesn’t fix all of our problems, it helps us navigate them and frees us from fear so that we can live the life God calls us to live.

Think of Jesus’ peace as an anchor. As something that centers or grounds you.

When I was studying abroad in southern Africa in college, we had a ten-day break to travel as we wished. I took a bus with two of the other students to Victoria Falls. While we were there, Steph and Taryn somehow convinced me to go white water rafting on the Zambezi River. I’d never done this before, much less on a world-class river -- this is much rougher than you’d get on your average tourist rafting trip in the United States. I would not do this again.

But anyway, off we went with others for a full day of rafting, 20-25 rapids in all. About the third rapid or so, our raft rose in the water and tipped over. I got stuck briefly under the raft, and was tossed about in the water. This probably was all only a few seconds, but it felt like forever. It scared me in a way that I hadn’t been scared before. It was all I could do to not break out in tears as I climbed back into the raft in calmer waters. I looked up at either side of the river -- it’s not like I could scale the hundred feet of cliff and leave. No, the only way out was to continue.

I took a deep breath and centered myself on moving forward. This was only rapid number three. There were many more to go. I held myself together and was determined to make it through the rest of the trip. I didn’t so much pray as I just tried to focus on God as a source of strength and peace. Trying to focus my energy on being calm, centering myself with peace. Luckily, the raft didn’t turn upside down again the rest of the time, though it was still a rough ride. But I made it.

God’s peace didn’t make the rapids disappear or get me out of the situation -- it helped guide me through.

It’s similar to an anonymous quote I saw this week that said, “Peace. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.”

No matter what we are troubled by or afraid of, Jesus’ peace is here for us to receive.

There are many things we may fear, that are very real and not to be ignored. We’re afraid of relapsing into an alcohol or drug addiction. We’re afraid a family member might hurt themselves. We’re afraid we might have a panic attack or slip into deep depression. We’re afraid we’re not good enough. We’re afraid we’re not the mother or friend or spouse that we’re supposed to be. We’re afraid of losing someone we love and of our own health deteriorating.

These are big things.

But God is bigger.

Jesus’ peace is greater than all your troubles and fears.

And he invites you to receive his peace. It changes your life. It won’t take away the hard things, but it will keep them from dominating you. It will free you to do what’s most important -- serve Christ.

It will give you the strength to open wide the gate for justice to flow. It will give you freedom from captivity to to fear. It will give you an imagination for a world where all are fed and all are healed. It will give you the anchoring and the drive you need to live out the Gospel in your corner of the world.

So what choices will you make? Will you be dominated by fear and trouble, or will you develop habits in your life that fill you with Jesus’ peace? Will you let him free you to live your faith? Say a prayer, read Scripture, talk about faith with your family and friends. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not let them be afraid. Jesus does not give as the world gives. God’s peace is yours. Amen.

Purposeful Life

John 21:1-19

1 After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. 2 Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. 3 Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We will go with you." They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. 4 Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus said to them, "Children, you have no fish, have you?" They answered him, "No." 6 He said to them, "Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. 7 That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off. 9 When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish that you have just caught." 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, "Come and have breakfast." Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, "Who are you?" because they knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. 15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my lambs." 16 A second time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Tend my sheep." 17 He said to him the third time, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" And he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep. 18 Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go." 19 (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, "Follow me."

A Great Big Net

Today’s Gospel reading comes at the very end of the book of John - almost as an after-thought.  After all, the big news has been shared. We’ve already heard: Jesus has risen. He appeared to his disciples. He appeared to Thomas, clarifying doubt. Today’s Gospel is a story about the day after the party. The question that I think today’s Gospel addresses is this: How does Jesus’ resurrection matter for YOUR life Monday - Sunday? Does it?

I think that Peter was asking that question.  After all of the excitement from listening to Jesus teach, watching him perform miracles, taking part in a royal procession into Jerusalem, sharing a passover meal, watching as Jesus was betrayed and arrested, standing helplessly by - and yes - denying Jesus. The shame Peter must have felt as Jesus was crucified. But then —- miraculously - Jesus rose from the dead. And he appeared to them. It was all too wonderful… Perhaps Peter just did not know what to do. And so… Peter went home. The other disciples did too. What was there left for them to do in Jerusalem? But then… what was there for him to do at home?

So Peter did what Peter had always done - he went fishing. The others came too. But what was he catching? Nothing.

Now I know from personal experience, that sometimes the fish are biting - and sometimes they just aren’t. I remember one year that I was up in the Boundary waters. Some in my crew wanted to fish. But it was a couple of days after the Mayfly hatch. It didn’t matter what fly or worm or lure we used. The fish just weren’t biting. Why would they? They were gorging themselves on the free and abundant mayflies blanketing the water.

Perhaps the disciples were sitting in the boat blaming their lack of fish on mayflies, the moon or something else. They probably had tried everything. After all, many of them had grown up fishing. Clearly they knew what to do. The situation looked rather hopeless. So when a stranger called to them from the shore, and suggested they throw the net on the other side, it was almost laughable. But they did it anyway.

The catch was amazing. The nets were almost breaking.  Seeing abundance where there had been scarcity, one disciple was wise enough to look up - and seeing said, “It’s the Lord.”  It was Jesus, providing an overwhelming abundance in a situation they had found hopeless and felt helpless.

And that’s not all - Jesus invited them to breakfast too. Jesus provides the fish - and the breakfast. Notice that Jesus already had fish cooking - but invited them to add to the potluck.

But then Jesus does something really interesting. In asking Peter three times, “Do you love me?”, Jesus restores Peter to his flock, allowing him to be the one who confesses Christ rather than the one who denies Christ. But that’s not all. Jesus also commissions Peter, giving him a task, a purpose. Jesus says,"Feed my lambs….Tend my sheep… Feed my sheep.” and he ends with… “Follow me.”

Care for my sheep. And follow me. That is the invitation that Jesus gives to Peter and that Jesus gives to us too. This is the secret to a meaningful life// This is an invitation to purpose/meaning. This is the antidote to the hopelessness in the world around us - a hopelessness that sometimes seeks to suck us in. Because it is SO EASY to become hope-less. It’s tempting to despair. Often times the world around us does not seem fair. And it’s not. Sometimes the challenges of our everyday living seems a bit, frankly, overwhelming. our pain and sorrow can feel suffocating. But Jesus does not want us to stay there. Instead Jesus says, “Care for my world, my children - and follow me.”

This isn’t always simple. It isn’t always easy. But when you are looking for hope in a seemingly hopeless world, a world against which you sometimes feel helpless - then listen to Jesus’ invitation. Jesus is inviting you into a life of meaning - and a life of purpose.

Yet…sometimes situations in life make us feel as if we are holding an empty net. In those times, it’s hard to believe that net will be full of fish if you simply cast it on the other side.  At those times…we feel stuck - hopeless and helpless.

I had an extended conversation this past week with a woman in our congregation about hopelessness. She called it a “spiritual disease”. And I think she is right. Hopelessness comes when people lack an imagination to see life differently - to see an alternative to the life they now live.

She told me the story of a man I’ll call John. He was an alcoholic and had had several DWIs. In fact, he had had so many DWIs that they became almost “normal” for him. He wan’t even depressed about it. He simply assumed that he would die as a result of his alcoholism - maybe while he was driving. He just hoped that he wouldn’t kill someone else in the process. He had no hope for his own life. He felt it was inevitable.

John was stuck in hopelessness. He had lost all imagination that life could be different. That is… until he met Bob and Mary.  It was hard to say what exactly changed. It wasn’t anything dramatic that they did. They would simply listen to him. They made it clear that they were truly interested in him and in his life. What changed? Somebody cared — and he did not want to let them down.

Jesus said, “"Feed my lambs….Tend my sheep… Feed my sheep.” Jesus isn’t shaming Peter for denying him and he doesn’t shame us either when we fall short. But Jesus is giving Peter and us a new way, a path to live a life that is full of meaning and purpose. It’s simply this: Love and care for the neighbor, the “other” as if they were Jesus.  This is the way to follow Jesus.

If this seems overwhelming - or too hard to do - remember this: when Jesus invited the fishermen to cast the net over to the other side of the boat, he wasn’t just talking to Peter. Indeed, it needed all of the fishermen, all of the disciples, to try to haul in that great catch of fish. Jesus does not call us to work alone.  Rather, Jesus is calling us ALL - every one of us — to be the net that tends to his sheep and catches any child of God who fears that he or she might “fall through the cracks.”  And the blessing is two fold. For you see… sometime we are the ones who are holding onto the net - catching those who might fall. And there is nothing more meaningful or purpose filled than being part of that net that holds your brother or sister up.

But sometimes… we are the one in need of a net. We are the ones who need to hold on for dear life.  Sometimes, when we are feeling hopeless and helpless like John was, we don’t have eyes in which to see that there are brothers and sisters surrounding us ready to help. Too often… the last place that someone wants to be vulnerable - to admit needing help — is in the church.

So I wonder… can you and I change that impression? Can we tell others that we are not here to judge others but simply to do as Jesus taught - love others as Jesus has first loved us.

While you are at it, you could mention that Jesus has a really big net.  For Jesus has promised to be with us - to send the Holy Spirit to catch us when we fail. So come - follow Jesus. For Jesus is calling you - and me - and our neighbors to a live a life worth living. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Pastor Pamela Stalheim Lane
April 10, 2016
Faith-Lilac Way Lutheran

Gift of Descipleship

John 12:1-8

1 Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 2 There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. 3 Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus' feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, 5 "Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?" 6 (He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) 7 Jesus said, "Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. 8 You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me."

Gift of Discipleship: Loving & Following Jesus

Giving gifts can be wonderful. I remember being at a little child’s birthday party – I don’t even remember who it was - but on opening a small gift, he exclaimed with joy and delight: “Oh! Just what I’ve always wanted.” It was delightful to see the joy on his face – but even more delightful to see the joy on the face of the giver and everyone around the circle. That’s the response that we want when we give a gift. But… it doesn’t always work out that way

Mary’s gift was smelly. Imagine – a whole pound of perfume! The whole house must have reeked with the aroma. But besides the pervasive smell, Mary must have raised more than a few eyebrows when she caressed Jesus’ feet with her hands and she let down her hair to dry his feet. In the culture of the time, women’s hair was something that only their husbands saw. Plus, the perfume that she used was often saved to anoint the dead. Looking around the room – there was Lazarus – Mary’s brother, the man Jesus raised from the dead. Was this a joyful thank you to Jesus for bringing Lazarus back to life? Or was it a reminder of the nearness of death?

As if that wasn’t enough to make people notice, this was an extravagant gift. And people always pay attention when gifts are extravagant.

This past week, when I was at Breadsmith – the bakery that donates our bread on Wednesday nights – the man ahead of me kept adding to his order. He turned and looked at me and apologized saying, “Oh I’m sorry it’s taking me a long time. But I just had to come here – even though I live in Eden Prairie. My wife loves this bakery.”

I looked at his order. I noticed it included very large package of chocolate brownies. I smiled. But the man continued… “I’m in the doghouse.”

I didn’t say a word – just smiled. He went on, “You think this is bad – he gestured to his growing pile -- I work in jewelry and one day a man came in and bought a very expensive 18 inch gold necklace for his wife. As I was wrapping it up, he said, ‘I’m in the doghouse. I hope this will do it.’ Just as a joke I said him, “Well, the next time you are in the doghouse, you could come back and get the earrings to match!” He looked at me and said, ‘Wrap them up.”

These two men were giving extravagant gifts for a purpose – they both wanted to get “out of the doghouse.”

That wasn’t the reason for Mary’s gift. Her gift was extravagant too – and actually far more expensive than the gifts of those two men. Scholars estimate that nard, the perfumed oil that Mary poured over Jesus’ feet, would cost a year’s salary. How could Mary afford that? What was she thinking? What was the purpose in spending that money – wasting it as some would say?

That was Judas’ complaint. He clearly wasn’t happy with what was going on. He piously complains that the nard could have been sold and the money given to the poor.

Judas’ seemingly practical, sensible and even pious complaint is in sharp contrast to Mary’s extravagant – seemingly wasteful gift. John gives the readers an aside that Judas stole from the common purse, revealing a personal, selfish reason for his complaint. But still…why did Mary offer such an extravagant gift? If she had that much extra, why didn’t Mary give it to the poor or to some other cause?

Jesus provides the answer. It’s not that Jesus doesn’t care about the poor. When he says, “You always have the poor with you,” Jesus may have been referencing Deuteronomy 15:11 which says, “Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I therefore command you, “Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your land.” Matt Skinner

But Jesus also wanted to remind his disciples, that Good Friday was not far off as he says, “but you do not always have me." So Jesus accepts Mary’s gift. It might not have been “the gift that he always wanted.” But it was a prophetic gift – a gift that pointed to Good Friday.

Why would Mary provide such a gift? Did she know more than the disciples? We don’t know. But remember the first time that we hear of Mary and Martha. Jesus is called upon to settle a family squabble. Should Mary have to help Martha in the kitchen or could she sit at Jesus’ feet and listen? Jesus honored Mary’s wish and made a place for Mary to sit at his feet, the place of a disciple, and listen.

In response, Mary’s extravagant gift was smelly, personally intimate and expensive– it was a gift of her whole self, her resources, time, talents and money.

For us, Mary models what it means to be a disciple, a follower of Jesus. Like Mary, we too can listen to Jesus and act with love and care, not holding back but out of love, sharing our whole selves and our resources. And like Mary, you have been given a gift. Jesus has made room for you at the table. You too are called to discipleship. You too are called to love and follow Jesus.

But how do we do this?

It doesn’t mean that there should be a run on smelly perfume. As Jesus said, Mary’s gift was prophetic – a preparation for his burial.

But Jesus has welcomed you to His table too. He loves you and has claimed you. And God has given you gifts and talents that are given “for you” – and are given for you to share.

The question for you to ponder is this: how can you respond to the amazing and inclusive love that Jesus has for you? How can you respond – with love, like Mary did -- to the love of Jesus?

We could look at the marks of discipleship printed on our wall – the practices of worshipping, learning, serving, giving, inviting , encouraging and praying. All of these are good. But…let’s start with prayer, trusting that Jesus will lead us in our prayers to action.

Dear Jesus,

    Thank you for calling us to and giving us the gift of a life of discipleship. Lead us and guide us so that in our words and in our deeds we may show your love and walk in your way. Amen.

Where are you in Bible stories?

Vicar Katelyn
3.6.2016

Luke 15 - the parable of the prodigal son

Do you ever find the Bible confusing? Or hard to understand? Scripture can seem so far from daily life. I often hear, from people of all ages, that sometimes it’s difficult to connect with something written 2,000 years ago. And yet the Bible is the best-selling book worldwide every year, indicating that it must still have applications, insights, and meaning that are valuable to us in 2016.

The Bible has plenty to say to us and we aren’t as far away from the story as we might think. As one pastor I know recently put it, “These are biblical times” -- meaning that our present time has resonances with contexts, situations, and lessons experienced by those we hear about in Scripture.

Today, I invite you to see yourself in the story of the prodigal son, which is likely a familiar story to you. When we do more than just gloss over familiar Bible stories, they can help us to see ourselves in the story and gain new insights. We’ll do this by exploring different perspectives in this parable and finding where we might fit in. You’ll hear a lot of different messages today, but keep in mind that you don’t need to remember all of them. I want you to focus on what perspectives you feel connected to and where you find yourself in this parable from Jesus.

Before we get into the story, let’s start with the understanding that all of us bring unique perspectives and contexts to interpreting Scripture. You cannot read the Bible objectively -- you hear and interpret Scripture based on who you are. This is a good thing! And this is exactly why we engage Scripture together -- to learn from one another.

I’ve been leading a parents’ group on Wednesday evenings in Lent as part of my internship project, and we discussed the prodigal son story a few weeks ago. Each person resonated in different ways with the characters and heard particular messages. I also shared with them this true story from author Mark Powell:

Powell separately asked a group of Americans and Russians to recount the prodigal son story. Only 6 out of 100 Americans remembered the famine, but 42 out of 50 Russians did. And whereas most Russians didn’t reference the son squandering the property, almost all Americans did. Powell also asked Americans, Russians, and Tanzanians, “Why is the younger brother hungry?” The Americans said because he wasted his money; the Russians said because there was a famine; the Tanzanians said because no one gave him anything to eat. Who was right about why the younger son was hungry? They all were. (Powell writes about this in chapter 2 of his book What Do They Hear?: Bridging the Gap Between Pulpit and Pew. I summarized this paragraph from STORY 2015-2016, a curriculum by the NE MN Synod.)

Your experiences impact what you hear, what stands out to you, what strikes you as important. Pay attention to what you connect with and why as we explore some perspectives and messages in the parable of the prodigal son.

Let’s start with the younger son. He goes to his father, demanding his inheritance now -- essentially saying he wishes his father was dead. He receives the inheritance, and spends it recklessly. Then a famine strikes and he has no resources left. He takes a degrading job feeding pigs, and has a difficult time getting by. With shame, he finally returns home and is met with surprising and overwhelming compassion from his father.

Perhaps you have had a period in your life in which you did incredible wrong, but eventually found your way back to someone you hoped would still love you. Consider the story of Jenna. Jenna grew up in a troubled home with parents who weren’t always around. She had access to drugs and alcohol pretty much whenever she wanted, and had no problem finding friends to join her. As she got older, her addictions became worse. Too young, she had a son, Caleb, and couldn’t care for him with all her problems. So she sent him to live with an Aunt, Lila, who was the only stable and successful family member she knew. Jenna, even with her addictions, was ridden with guilt from giving up her son. She didn’t clean up right away, but a few years later she finally began a rehab program. After more time had passed, and with help from a new support network, she was able to get her life on track - a job, an apartment, regular help. But she hadn’t spoken to Lila or seen Caleb since that day she sent him off, eight years ago. Nervously and shamefully, she knocked on Lila’s door. Her aunt opened the door and could see at once that there was something different about her niece than in years before. Lila embraced her, crying, “Have you really come home?” Jenna, overwhelmed by the acceptance, told her aunt all about her current situation, and said she felt new life in her aunt’s love.

Maybe this is your story, maybe not. Perhaps your first semester of college you took a turn for the worst and had to seek forgiveness from your parents. Perhaps you distanced yourself from good friends to follow a relationship that was never going to work, and you returned to them seeking support. There are many ways you might be like the younger son.

Let’s consider now the father. He gives the inheritance and painfully watches his younger son abandon and disregard him. But when the younger son comes home, he can’t help but be overwhelmed with love, that “what was once dead is alive again” -- and this is cause for celebration. His lost son has been found.

If you haven’t been the lost one, you may have been the one who received and welcomed the lost. Aunt Lila may be your experience. Think about how good it feels to find something that was lost. I have two brief examples.

One day, while I was waiting for the bus to go home from Luther Seminary, I realized my wedding ring had fallen off. My heart raced as I frantically searched for it in the dirt -- I probably looked ridiculous to others. The ring isn’t only special to me because it’s my wedding ring -- which is special enough -- but also because it had belonged to my great grandmother, a woman I adored. This ring has deep value to me. I kept searching, and finally, I found it, and was overcome with relief. It was far more important that I found it than that I’d lost it.

A second example - growing up, I watched my two younger brothers a lot. I am 7 and 13 years older than them. One summer day when I was 13 and my brother, Kade, was 4, he was having a particularly rough day. Nothing made him content and he wasn’t happy with me for some reason, probably because I wouldn’t let him eat chocolate all day or something like that.

Anyway, I went to use the bathroom while he was playing, and I came back and he was gone. My 13-year-old self was terrified. I couldn’t find him anywhere in the house. Finally I checked outside, and there he was, a short way down the dirt road. I caught up to him; he told me he was “Running away.” I was just really glad I found him! Eventually he forgot why he was mad and we had a good rest of the day.

Often we are so overtaken with joy at finding what has been lost - especially a person - that everything else fades and you’re just so glad to be reunited with what or who was gone.

Now let’s move on to the older son -- too often he is overlooked in this story! He is not excited that his brother comes home and that his father is celebrating. He has worked hard exactly like he is supposed to and can’t find it in himself to be happy that his brother is now “alive again.” You can understand his frustration while also wishing he would set it aside and put the possibility of a new relationship with his brother first.

Maybe you are the responsible sibling, always taking care of household chores or always the one to take care of your aging parents. But when one of your less-dependable siblings does one good thing, they get all kinds of recognition and praise, leaving you, the always-reliable-one, rather annoyed.

Or maybe you’re an always-in-church-every-Sunday kind of person, which is a good thing. But you become prideful and arrogant about it -- not a good thing. Then, when someone who hasn’t been to worship in months comes one Sunday, you scold them for never being there instead of extending a grateful welcome that they’ve come. This is like the older son, too.

I’ve shared several possible connections with the story of the prodigal son, and suggested a variety of messages that it may speak. Where do you find yourself? What message do you hear most clearly?

Although I can identify with each of the characters, yet another perspective stood out most for me this week. I feel grateful that God can do something that I can’t always do – embrace others who’ve gone astray. Even when I can’t love someone as God has called me to, I trust that God can and does, and I’m thankful for that. What is not always possible for me is more than possible for God. And that’s okay.

Instead of preaching one particular message today, I wanted to invite you into the richness of Scripture. I hope you see and experience the many insights of this Bible story. One passage contains so much. God’s Word breathes life into our lives, and if we’re willing to delve in, to put ourselves in the stories, then we can draw deeply from this rich well of Scripture.

Today I encourage you to go home, take out your Bible, and start reading. Start reading and experiencing, even if it's confusing or hard to understand … and expect God to show up and speak to you in that holy time. Amen.

A Life Worth Living

Bad news happens and people talk. Imagine the buzz in the marketplace in Jesus time. Maybe it sounded like this: Did you hear about what Pilate did this time? He killed the Galileans and dared to mingle their blood with the blood of sacrifice. That goes against God. Did you hear about the tower that fell in Jerusalem and killed 18 people? It’s awful.

Some things don’t change. Bad news happens… and people talk. It happens today too. Remember what ISIS did to the Coptic Christians in Egypt? Lined them up hooded and killed them execution style. What about the Uber driver – randomly killing innocent bystanders? It doesn’t make sense.

Whether in Jesus’ day or ours, bad news happens and people talk. People talk – and ask God: “How can you allow such a thing? How can you permit such evil?” “Why is there such suffering?” Then and now people ask the questions: “If God is All Good and All Powerful, why is there evil in the world?” “Why do innocent bystanders suffer?” “Is this part of God’s plan?” “Did God cause this suffering?” And then…people try to find meaning for all this suffering and often wonder…sometimes out loud: Did those people who are suffering or who were killed DO SOMETHING to deserve this? Are they being punished for their sin?

Jesus answers the last question with an emphatic “NO.” Speaking plainly, Jesus says, "Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? No, I tell you.” And in case his listeners wondered if he was speaking only of this particular situation, Jesus gives another example. Speaking of what seems like innocent bystanders when a tower fell, Jesus says, “do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? No, I tell you.”

Jesus makes it really clear that God does not cause people to die horrific deaths or suffer excruciating pain because they were worse sinners than anyone else. This is true for the people killed by Pilate, by Nazis, by ISIS or any other hateful person or group and it is true for people killed by the falling tower of Siloam, the falling of the Twin Towers, the bridge collapse or for those killed by the Uber driver. God is NOT punishing them for their sin. These people were no worse sinners than anyone else.

The fact that everyone sins doesn’t mean that sin – falling short of the life God has for us – doesn’t matter. It does matter – and Jesus calls us to repent. Twice Jesus tells his disciples and us, “unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did." Can you hear the urgency in his message? Repent. Do it NOW.

Stories of unexpected deaths remind us: We are mortal. I serve as a volunteer Police Chaplin for Robbinsdale, Crystal and New Hope. Most of the time when I’m called to a scene, it’s because someone has died. This past week the deceased was a woman who had clearly made some unhealthy choices in life. She smoked 3 packs of cigarettes a day, drank 3 pots of coffee, used street drugs, never exercised, and after staying up all night watching TV together, her brother – who weighed close to 450 pounds -- would make her a breakfast of “the works” including fried eggs, bacon, and sausage and more. And, he told me, “I didn’t give her skimpy portions.”

It’s pretty easy to make some connections between her lifestyle and her early death. Of course, the story is more complicated than simply making bad choices. They had other challenges that they couldn’t control that may have led to the unhealthy behavior that I won’t go into here. Their story made me sad for them – but their bad choices didn’t make them any worse “sinners” than I am.

Jesus calls them AND ME to repent. In Greek, the word is “metanoeó (met-an-o-eh'-o).” While in Hebrew the word for repentance means: “turn around,” the New Testament understanding is a little more nuanced. It means: “to change one’s mind or purposes.” Change is still needed, but it might not be a 180 degree turn. I don’t know about you, but there are a lot of things that I do and choices that I make that aren't “bad” – they are even “good” but sometimes doing those things keeps me from doing the most important things. In calling us to repent – to turn from those decisions that keep us from being all that God made us to be, Jesus is calling his disciples and us to live a life worth living.

I heard a story on MPR this week about a sculptor who makes beautiful sculptures of people out of ice. When asked why she goes to all of this work – only to have her beautiful sculptures melt away, she gave a surprising answer. She had looked at the great sculptures of people of the past and noticed that they were made of the most durable materials – bronze and stone. And she noticed that they were made larger than life – and that often they were raised high on horses or pedestals. She set out to do… the opposite. So she made smaller than life - three foot - figures out of ice, a most impermanent material, especially since she doesn’t place them outside at a Winter Carnival but instead takes them out of her frozen workshop and displays them inside. She sets metal bowls under her melting masterpieces to catch the drips and then amplifies the bowls to make the noise of dripping water even louder… When asked why she goes to so much work only to have it melt away, she replied, “to remind us of our mortality.” Clearly taken aback, the interviewer said, “Oh! Isn’t that depressing?” To which the artist replied, “No, it’s to remind us to make the most of THIS Life.”

We are mortal. How do we repent, change our mind, our purpose, to make the MOST of this life, to live the life that Jesus would have us live? As followers of Jesus, you maybe don’t need a 180 degree turnaround. But just as a sailing ship continues to need small course corrections as it battles wind and waves, so we too need help to “stay the course” and focus and refocus on Jesus’ way, and not to get distracted by all of the things around us, things that aren’t really “bad” -- especially compared to what other people are doing.//

But wait… did you catch that? We so quickly make this move: “especially compared to what other people are doing.” We are accustomed to comparing ourselves to OTHER PEOPLE – like the woman with the unhealthy lifestyle. The people in Jesus’ day made the same kind of comparisons. But that’s not the standard that Jesus holds out for them or us. The standard is Jesus – on the cross. So…if you want to compare yourself to someone, compare yourself to Jesus. We all fall short.

Jesus calls us to repentance. Again, there’s urgency to it. Don’t wait. Life is too uncertain. Jesus doesn’t give excuses or reasons that life is uncertain. He just states the truth. Life is uncertain. You are mortal. Repent. Do it NOW.

The reason that Jesus wants us to repent is because Jesus wants more for us. Jesus wants us to have a life worth living. And Jesus wants that for ALL of us. To illustrate, Jesus tells a story, a parable of hope and second chances.

In the parable, the owner of the fig tree first pronounces judgment – and then a second chance. That’s Grace. But the question remains: Will the fig tree change? Not by itself. The fig tree needs the help of the gardener to dig up the soil, to add the manure and fertilizer before it can grow.

Jesus calls us to repent, to change our focus, to refocus on Jesus’ ways. But like the fig tree, we can’t do it by ourselves.

This reminds me of the picture of heaven and hell that someone once painted. In hell there were people sitting at a table filled with sumptuous food – but they were given long forks and were miserable because they could not feed themselves. In heaven there were people sitting at a table filled with sumptuous food – and they were given the same long forks. But they were having a delightful time feeding one another.  Jesus has given us one another – to care for the other, to dig around the soil, to put Miracle Grow on the roots – and to encourage one another.

Jesus invites you and me to live a life worth living NOW. To do this Jesus has given us a community of faith. In this community of faith we are called to do our part to care for one another, to feed the neighbor, so that we – and our neighbor may bear fruit and live a life worth living. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Pastor Pamela Stalheim Lane
February 28, 2016

MESSAGE:

Jesus invites us to live a life worth living NOW – and to do this as a community of faith, doing our part to care for one another so that we – and our neighbor may bear fruit

Luke 13:1-9

1 At that very time there were some present who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 He asked them, "Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? 3 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. 4 Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them—do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? 5 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did."

6 Then he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. 7 So he said to the gardener, "See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?' 8 He replied, "Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it. 9 If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.' "

Prophetic Action & God's Wing

2.21.2016
Vicar Katelyn

Gospel Reading: Luke 13:31-35

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills prophets and stones those who are sent to it!” Jesus is angry. He’s angry that the people of Jerusalem have chosen to reject truth-tellers, to banish and kill those who seek justice and who seek to lead the people in the ways of God.

“How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” Jesus is also sad. This image of Jesus as a mother hen is at the same time tender and fierce. A mother hen keeps her chicks safe under her wing and is willing to protect them. Jesus longs for the people to gather together under his wing, but they’re not willing. It pains him to experience their rejection.

We’re not so different. While we’re not stoning prophets, we’re at least often shutting them down and refusing to listen to their truth. We’re telling them to quiet down, don’t cause such a fuss. We’re telling them to just be patient in matters of urgency. These prophets are truth-tellers, justice-seekers, God-messengers.

Prophets are the people demanding justice be served and leaders be held accountable for the water crisis in Flint, Michigan. Prophets are the people changing policies and educating the world about modern-day slave labor. Prophets are the people striving for equal and equitable education.

Sometimes it all just seems too overwhelming and we shut the prophets out. Or we figure “out of sight, out of mind.” And still other times we refuse to take off our rose-colored glasses and see the hurt and the pain and the devastation.

Or maybe you have experienced the other side. Maybe you’ve played the role of prophet at times in your life. Perhaps you’ve consistently spoken up for the millions of peaceful Muslims in the world. Perhaps you’ve taken a stand to uplift gender equality. Perhaps you’ve engaged in collective action by protesting apartheid or other oppressive regimes. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of you have taken prophetic action in your lives and experienced hatred and rejection from those unwilling to even hear your story.

We’ve got to stop doing this … for the sake of our neighbor, and of ourselves.

And this isn’t what God desires. God desires for all of us to be gathered under God’s wing, trusting our lives to God’s guidance and care. When a mother hen enfolds her brood, she brings them all not only close to her, but close to each other. When we’re gathered together under God’s wing, we can’t help but be close to our neighbors, to our brothers and sisters from all walks of life. And in this closeness I hope that we couldn’t help but truly know each other’s stories, joys, and sorrow. It’s pretty hard to ignore someone who’s right next to you.

I don’t doubt that you know these things. You know that being close to God changes your life, and you know that the well-being of everyone, no matter who they are, is important. But even for the strongest advocates and the best-hearted people, things can get in the way.

Distractions and selfishness shift our attention from where it should be. Fear keeps us from doing the right thing. Wanting to be well-liked keeps us from speaking up. And it all makes us wary of these truth-telling prophets who might just rock the boat a little too hard for our liking.

So we shut them out. And when we shut out the prophets, we’re also trying to push our neighbors out from under God’s wing. To push them out of the beloved community. You see, these prophets are speaking and taking action on behalf of people who are included in God’s fold … which is everyone.

When we don’t listen to the truth, to the struggles of our immigrant neighbors, to the fear of young women being harassed, to the cries of those never given a second chance … when we don’t listen to the truth the prophets speak, we’re saying we don’t have time or concern for our brothers and sisters. We’re saying we wish they weren’t there so we didn’t have to deal with their problems.

Now I said that when we shut out the prophets, we’re trying to push our neighbors out from under God’s wing. But that’s not what actually happens. Instead, we end up walking away from God ourselves. God desires compassion and truth and justice … when we ignore these, we’re the people that Jesus is talking about, the ones “who aren’t willing.” Jesus longs for us all to be gathered, and it grieves him when we choose to walk away.

When we walk away from Jesus, life takes awful turns. We eliminate remarkable prophets, like Dr. King, because we’re afraid of “the other.” We end up destroying creation because we’ve valued human excess over creation care. We end up with huge wealth inequalities because we always want more for ourselves.

So what’s the good news? What do we do? We examine ourselves, our motives, our relationship with God. We’re honest. We repent. And we seek God’s transforming ways. Basically we embody the message of the Lenten season.

The good news is that God continually extends the invitation to gather under God’s wing, and that changing our ways is always possible with God.

A place to start could be aligning your life with what’s expressed in the psalm for today. Psalm 27 reads, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” God’s light illuminates your path and God is your stronghold when standing up for truth gets tough.

The psalm goes on, “I will seek to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.” This sounds like seeking to be in that community gathered under God’s wing. Lastly, it says, “Teach me your way, O Lord … Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries.” Adversaries could be people, or they could also be the things - like distractions and selfishness - that are keeping you from following God’s path. Shifting your focus daily to this psalm’s message can help you evaluate what you’re doing and why. It’s a good way to begin.

Secondly, you can take an honest look at the gospel and at who Jesus is and at the faith you are professing. C.S. Lewis once said, “I didn’t go to religion to make me happy. I always knew a bottle of Port would do that. If you want a religion to make you feel really comfortable, I certainly don’t recommend Christianity.” You don’t need to be uncomfortable all the time, but seeking truth and justice, listening to the prophets, taking prophetic action … none of these are going to be comfortable. But they’re life-giving.

When we hear the truth of our neighbors and of the prophets and we act because we’re convinced we must, then so much good can happen. So much new life is given. I’d like to share two brief examples.

With some of my friends at Luther Seminary, I visited a church in the metro area. A member of this church told us how, at a different congregation, she and her son had been asked to leave because he was “too disruptive.” Her son had a mental disability and occasionally made noises during worship. In her current church, where we visited, she and her son were welcomed and they listened to her experiences. As a result, she was able to connect with other families who had special needs children, and together they formed an additional worship service that allowed for the noises, sounds, movements, and uniqueness of their children. Her truth-telling on behalf of her son made a difference. Their voices were uplifted and praised God. The church that rejected them certainly missed out!

Secondly, consider the partnerships we have with Wildfire. We could choose to be in competition with one another for members, seeing as most of us are relatively small. We could try do things bigger and better than the other churches, and promote only ourselves. Instead, we’re listening to the prophetic voices who decided to start Wildfire and to those who further its connections. It is prophetic to stand up and say we must work together in a world where so many, even churches, are in competition and are only looking out for themselves. Because we work together, our confirmation students can have fun and serve together, our choirs can praise God with a music concert together, we can hear different preachers during Lent, and ultimately we are nurturing our faith in ways we never could on our own.

These are just two examples of the many ways that seeking truth and justice change things -- there are so many powerful examples in our world. Take with you the knowing that while Christianity isn’t always comfortable, it’s always life-giving. And when things get tough, you can always depend on your God. So what truth have you been shutting down? What call for justice have you been ignoring? Choose to listen this week instead, ask God to teach you God’s ways and be your stronghold, and you might just find yourself as a prophet, welcoming more and more people under God’s wing. Amen. 

Listen to Jesus

Most people order their life and the world around them according to concrete and predictable rules: the sun rises in the east and sets in the west; 24 hours in the day and so on. But what happens in today’s gospel is anything but concrete or predictable. Instead, is full of mystery. It gives the disciples – and us -- a glimpse of Jesus as holy, glorious and awesome.

Jesus took Peter, James and John up a mountain to pray. The disciples were exhausted – after all, they had just climbed a mountain. This is all understandable. But as Jesus prayed, something unexpected, mysterious and wonderful happens as Jesus begins to glow with a holy light and prophets from of old join him on the mountaintop.

Peter responds by impulsively trying to somehow hold onto that holy moment and to stay in that holy place, saying, “Let’s build three dwellings!” In other words, “Don’t just stand there, DO Something!” But instead of a call to busyness, Peter, James and John hear the voice from the clouds proclaim, "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!"

“Listen to him.” It’s good advice – then and now. So how can we listen to Jesus? We can read scripture. We can hear Jesus’ word in Worship. We can taste Jesus’ blessing as we come together for communion. We can see Jesus in the world around us. Jesus is present where two or more are gathered in His name. We can listen to Jesus in all of these ways. But today, I want to focus on what Jesus went up the mountain to do: pray. We can listen to Jesus through prayer.

How do we pray? I’m glad to say there are many ways, including:

At WAPO Bible camp, youth jump up and down, energized by the Holy Spirit and singing songs of praise. That’s prayer.

When we gather for contemplative prayer, a candle is lit, the body stilled and silence is held. That’s prayer.

In our worship, we read prayers together and respond to prayer petitions, asking God to “Hear our Prayer.” That’s prayer.

Before mealtimes, we join together reading or reciting words of thankfulness to God for the food and fellowship. That’s prayer.

Before and after meetings, Bible studies, and any time two or more of us gather together, we listen and respond to words calling for God’s presence and guidance. That’s prayer.

These are examples of Corporate prayer. That’s a fancy way of saying: We pray together. Whether written or spontaneous, sung, read, recited from memory or silent, when we ask for God’s presence to be with us, we are speaking and listening to Jesus through prayer.

But we don’t have to wait to pray until we gather together.

There are many ways to pray on your own – and if you don’t have a habit of prayer, you may want to consider trying one of these methods during the season of Lent. If you have a pattern already that you enjoy, great. Keep doing it. But, perhaps for the season of Lent, you may want to try something new. Here are some ideas:

If you don’t currently have a prayer that you say, you can’t go wrong by learning or reciting the Lord’s prayer. If you know the traditional version by heart, you could try another translation.

Or, you could try using the Small Catechism. Martin Luther suggests prayers for the morning and the evening as well as at other times.

Another idea is to pray through the hymnal. You may borrow one of ours – please bring it back for Sunday worship! The words of the hymns that we sing reflect our faith. As the hymn, “What a friend we have in Jesus” proclaims, regardless of the challenge, you can “take it to the Lord in prayer.”

There are several Lutheran online sources for prayer – especially through Luther Seminary.

You can try the Contemplative prayer group. Send me a note on your green sheet if you can’t make the Tuesday at 10 a.m. group. I would be happy to begin a second group. Contemplative prayer gives extra attention to the listening component of prayer. You can try it with a group first – and then try it on your own.

Clearly, there are many ways to pray – and God does not prefer one more than another. As one old Scandinavian professor at Luther Seminary once said: God hears the prayers of those who jump and shout “Praise the Lord” – but my fervent quiet prayers ring just as loud in God’s ear. The style of prayer is not the issue. All that is needed is a willingness to pray to God – sharing your cares and concerns and then… taking time to stop, listen and reflect upon God’s love and mercy and the way of Jesus.

There are lots of ways we can pray. But perhaps we need to address the question of: WHY we pray.

The easy answer of course, for the faithful, is that God commanded us to pray – and in our Gospel today, God commands us to LISTEN. Listen to Jesus.

But people often ask: if God knows everything then why should I bother to tell God what God already knows? It’s true that God doesn’t need us to act as reporters on the ground informing God of what is going on. But that’s not what God is asking for in prayer. What God wants is a relationship with YOU. It’s hard to have a relationship with someone if you never talk with them – or if they never listen.

So, for example, God knows that my mother has cancer. I did not have to report that to God. But I can talk to God, share my concerns with God and am comforted by knowing that God hears my prayer. But what’s more, I can listen for God’s response. In this case, God has more than answered my prayers not by healing her completely – she still has cancer – but by giving us some time together, time that we would not have taken if she had continued to work long hours. Am I glad for the cancer? No. I would never wish anyone the pain that she experienced. But I am glad for the way that God works through the pain to bring blessing.

Another question that people often ask is: If God is Almighty and has a plan for everything, what difference does my prayer make? In response to this question, I would say: look at Scripture. God has been known to change God’s mind. For example, God told Moses that he would destroy the people of Israel after they made a golden calf as an idol. But Moses prayed to God to change God’s mind – and God did. This is just one example of many.

The point is, God wants a relationship with you because God loves you and has claimed you as God’s child. God wants the BEST for you. This is why Jesus teaches us to pray – and the voice from heaven says, “Listen to him!”

God knows that there is evil in the world and that danger and challenges are there to meet us. And God wants to strengthen us and empower us for whatever lies before us, whether that be challenges, trials or blessings.

Like Peter, we may want to stay on the mountaintop basking in the glory of Jesus. But Jesus and his disciples did not stay on the mountain top – and neither can we. Jesus and his disciples come down the mountain to find a boy suffering from what looks like an epileptic seizure. Although dismayed at what is translated as the “perverse” but what really means backward looking generation, Jesus takes the time to heal that little boy. Jesus – and we – can have mountaintop experiences. Indeed it is both the mountain top experiences and our habit of prayer, of listening to Jesus, that gives us the strength to face the trials and challenges of life in our community.

This is why we need to take time for prayer – for OUR sake. God knows that our lives are busy, full and noisy. And God knows that we can easily fill up our life with TV, texts, twitter, facebook, and a myriad of activities. But God also knows that we need a Savior. We need Jesus. And so it is for OUR sake that the voice from the cloud says, “Listen to Him.” Through prayer, we can both share our joys and our cares and listen to Jesus so that we can hear God’s Word and see Jesus enlighten our path.

Pastor Pamela Stalheim Lane

Faith-Lilac Way

February 7, 2016

Luke 9:28-36, (37-43)

28 Now about eight days after these sayings Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. 29 And while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white. 30 Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. 31 They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 32 Now Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. 33 Just as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah"—not knowing what he said. 34 While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. 35 Then from the cloud came a voice that said, "This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!" 36 When the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they had seen. 

[37 On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great crowd met him. 38 Just then a man from the crowd shouted, "Teacher, I beg you to look at my son; he is my only child. 39 Suddenly a spirit seizes him, and all at once he shrieks. It convulses him until he foams at the mouth; it mauls him and will scarcely leave him. 40 I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not." 41 Jesus answered, "You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here." 42 While he was coming, the demon dashed him to the ground in convulsions. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. 43 And all were astounded at the greatness of God.]

MESSAGE:  Listening to Jesus through prayer gives you the strength to face the trials and challenges of life