What words come to mind when you think of Jesus? I’d like to take a little poll. How many of you think of Jesus as Gracious? Loving? Patient? Compassionate? What about: Impatient? Irritated? Mad?

Those last three words aren’t ones that come to my mind when I think of Jesus – but clearly, Jesus is ticked off, irritated by and down right mad at the people who were too caught up in their own stuff to hear and believe the Good News. Another translation reads: “John came fasting and they called him crazy. I came feasting and they called me a lush.” You can just hear the frustration – Jesus all but says: People – how can I get through to you?! Whadda ya want?

Ticked off. Irritated. Frustrated. Mad. We’ve all been there. Maybe it’s the guy who cut you off in traffic. Or who left garbage in your street. Or who didn’t pick up after their dog. Or who posted fake news on facebook. Or who budged in line. Or who yelled obscenities at you. Whatever it was… you’ve been there. Ticked off. Irritated. Frustrated.

There’s a couple - I’ll call them Jill and Jay - who have lived next to us since we have moved in. They never had children but they loved ours – regardless of how much noise they made. They have a beautiful backyard filled with flowers – but never complained about the creeping Charlie in mine. They have always been lovely to us – but they complain to us about everyone else.

I used to try to listen to them … and simply try to be positive. But recently, they have had some health issues and their anger and irritation with everything in the world has increased dramatically. And so the other day, Jill was standing in the yard complaining to me, and I decided to see if I could raise her spirits – and maybe get her to say one positive thing. But I couldn’t do it. If I complimented her on the flowers, she complained about the weeds. If I said something positive about the weather – she complained about the forecast. I know she’s in pain – and probably frustrated with herself because she has fallen a few times – but she is stuck in a rut of negativity – and she wasn’t about to let me help her out of it that easily. So what can I do? How can I “be a good neighbor?”

It would be tempting to say, “Well… I tried” – and just give up. But that’s not what Jesus did when he was frustrated with his neighbors. Instead, he prayed. He took it to God.

Through prayer, Jesus recognizes that not everyone – especially those who were “wise” in the eyes of the world -- was going to understand his mission. And yet… this did not change his mission. And so… instead of condemning those who did not understand, Jesus shows compassion.

The word “compassion” means to have sympathy and kindness. But it has its roots in the Latin word “com” which means “with” and “passion” – which means “suffering.” Jesus shows compassion – that is love, sympathy, and kindness – because he also is “com” – that is “with” us in our “passion” – in our suffering. And it’s a gift. And Jesus gives it to you too.

Hear Jesus’ invitation: "Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens. ” That includes all people. If you are not weary today or have a burden today – the day will come. But listen to Jesus’ promise: “I will give you rest.”

Rest. When you are weary… when life is hard. When anxiety, fear, and life’s challenges big and small threaten to overtake you, then Jesus says, “

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

This is the kind of compassion that Jesus has. Remember in the children’s sermon when we talked about what it means to share a yoke with Jesus? It’s not more work for you. Jesus has compassion - joins with us in our suffering and carries the load for us. Jesus walks with us. But Jesus is not just for us… notice that Jesus calls to ALL who are weary.

As many of you know, my mother Marilyn has cancer. She began at Mayo and always received wonderful treatment. When her doctor moved to Minneapolis, we were thrilled. But it also meant that he got a new staff. And there was one nurse, I’ll call her Alice, who was very “gruff” – she complained a lot – and she was pretty rough in her touch as well as her words. Having gotten used to excellent gracious care, Marilyn and her friend Carole, who often drives my other to her appointments, were a bit taken aback. But, instead of complain about Alice, they decided to pray for her – and, when they saw her, to shower her with compassion. And, since my mother goes in for treatment every other week, they had lots of opportunities. It took a while, but eventually Alice opened up a bit. Finally, Alice shared the pain that was in her life – the pain that had been coming out sideways as “gruffness” – and roughness. Under Carole and Marilyn’s and Jesus’ continued love, Alice changed.

You see it wasn’t just Carole and Marilyn that had compassion. They brought Jesus too. They couldn’t change Alice. But they could show her God’s love – and remember that Jesus was with them. I think that helped them bite their tongues more than once. And it turned out that the love, care persistence and prayers made a difference. It didn’t happen right away. But gradually, Alice started to change – and to become the person that God made her to be. This is what I’m going to try to remember the next time I hear my neighbor complain. I’m going to work on remembering that it’s not just about me listening to my neighbor. Jesus is there too. And so now I’m on a mission – to see how I can help my neighbor experience God’s love and presence. And with Jesus’ love… transformation is possible – for her and for me and you and your neighbors too. Thanks be to God! Amen.

Pastor Pamela Stalheim Lane,
Faith-Lilac Way Lutheran Church
July 9, 2017

Gospel Text: Matthew 10: 24-39

Peace and Grace to you from God the Father, and Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen!

Boy, I'm glad my in-laws aren't here this morning! Now, there's nothing wrong with my in-laws, I actually really like them. But today's gospel text is one where if you had family visiting, and you knew that this would be the gospel lesson being read, you might want to have everyone sleep in. Jesus uses harsh language here, which may make you think I'm reading from the wrong bible. But Jesus is doing this to make a point. So, let's look into this.

Now, last week, we heard about how Jesus was sending out his newly called disciples into the world, and this week is a continuation of just that. Jesus tells his disciples to not be afraid of the world that they are going out into. The things that he taught them, they should teach to others. What was whispered in the dead of the night, they should shout to the world in broad daylight! Jesus told his disciples to not be afraid of those who could kill just their bodies, but to beware the demons that can destroy both body and soul. It's not the people of this world they should be afraid of!

So, we're already in uncomfortable territory. You mean to tell me Jesus wants us to tell others about him and God, even if we get mocked? But why? Jesus says this: "Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven.” Yikes! And then Jesus goes on to say that “"Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.” Wait. Where is the Jesus that we know and love? Where is the gentle lamb that we talk about almost every other Sunday? Well, Jesus is still here with us today, and his word comes in the message that we still share everywhere. But why does Jesus seem so harsh? I have trouble with this saying of Jesus. I resist it a lot, not only because it sounds so wrong is so many ways. I resist it because deep down I know it’s true. And That’s what happens when the truth gets told. When the truth is let loose. When the truth is finally uttered.

Because when you are called to speak your truth, stand up for what you believe, a calm and untroubled reception is not always the result. Or, in the words of Angie Thomas, “Sometimes you can do everything right and things will still go wrong. The key is to never stop doing right.”

Dear friends, I want to let you in on a little secret for my sermon writing. Whenever I'm sitting down to write, there are two questions that I ask. The first and foremost is “What is the “for you” statement? That is, what is it that is doing FOR YOU or FOR US that is so important that I would talk about it for ten minutes. The second question that I ask is: as a Lutheran, how do I balance law and gospel of this text. That is, how do I take the rules as well as the good news of Christ, and present them in a message. So, let me answer the second question, and then I'll come back to the first.

The question of law and gospel today is what does Jesus want from us? What Jesus wants from us is Justice. Justice for the poor, justice for the needy, justice for the hurting and broken. It's easy to look at the news, say “how sad” and go back to work. It's easy see pain and hurt in the world, and walk away. It's easy to go from day to day, head down, charging forward, never seeing those around us. What's not easy is doing something. I once heard that in any given situation there are three things that you can do, the right thing, the wrong thing, and nothing. The best thing to do is the right thing. The second best thing to do is the wrong thing, you might learn something. The worst thing that you can do is nothing. By doing nothing, you stay in the same old cycles. By doing nothing, anything that could make life better for someone else won't happen. And by doing nothing, according to Jesus in today's passage, we are losing our lives.

Alright, that answers one question. The other question, more importantly, is what is the FOR YOU in all of this. The FOR YOU is that because of who Christ is, we can be who we are. Apart from Christ we can do nothing. The title of Christian breaks down to mean “little Christ.” Now, where do we see THAT in our gospel? “"A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master; it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave like the master.” You see, God has done great things in each of our lives, and has freed us so that we do great things for others. God knows and cares for each one of us, down to the hairs on our heads. And because God cares for us, we are free. We are free to be like Jesus, our master and teacher in this world, bringing comfort, healing, and justice where it is needed most.

Dear Friends in Christ, it is enough that we are to be like Christ. It is enough that we try to bring justice to the world, and we try to do the right thing. The world is hurting. And sometimes it hurts right outside our front door. But because of what God is doing in our lives, we can be the people of Christ in the world. I believe in the ability of all of us to make the world a better place.. So, go, people of God. Strive for justice. Be like Christ the teacher. Don't be afraid of the world pushing back, God knows your value, you are worth more than many sparrows. Apart from God, we can do nothing. But with God, we can do great things. So go, find your life in God. Do the right things, learn from the wrong things, and never do nothing.

Thanks be to God, Amen.

Joy in the Harvest

It was 10:45 in the morning but the room was dark. The shades were drawn. The man on the bed looked old, shriveled up, a husk of his old vibrant self. And yet… I knew what to do.

“Bob! I called out as I shook him gently. It’s time to worship! I’ve come to take you.” Bob opened his eyes. They were sad… distant…he shook his head no.

Bob suffers from depression – and it looked like the dark forces of depression had sunk him deep into his bed.

But I had seen this before… and I knew that – at least for Bob – there was a cure…or at least powerful relief from the pain.

I’ve been visiting Bob at St. Therese for years. A few years ago he confessed to me: “When you first came, I voted against you because I didn’t think women could be pastors. But now… you are my pastor.” Bob has become my biggest fan. And so … I said to him with a straight face, “But Bob… you have to come. I’m preaching.”

At that, Bob slowly got up… and let me guide him into his wheelchair, bend down and put his shoes on him (I’d forgotten his shoes the last time and embarrassed him completely) and wheel him into worship. Half an hour later, Bob was beaming. The forces of evil of his depression were beaten down by the power of the Gospel – and he was set free.

Jesus told his disciples, “As you go, proclaim the good news, "The kingdom of heaven has come near.' “Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons.”

Jesus admonition to his disciples sounds impossible for our day. We send our sick and lepers, those with physical ailments, to medical doctors. We don’t talk much about “casting out demons” or raising the dead in our culture. And yet… isn’t that what happened to Bob? He was lying there – dead to the world and shrouded in his depression. But the Good News of Jesus broke through.

And Bob is not the only one. I visited Alice recently and gave her a prayer shawl. She snuggled into it and said, “Oh thank you… this is just what I need.” Alice’s memory is fading – and so in the middle of the conversation she said to me… “This is so nice – I love this – I don’t want to give it back.” Again, I explained that the prayer shawl was our gift to her – that the woman who made the prayer shawl was praying as she crocheted and that as she wore the shawl around her shoulders it was like the congregation surrounding her in prayer. “Really?” she asked. “Really.” I said. And then… as I was leaving, she said, “I suppose you want this shawl back” – hugging it close to her body. Again, I said, no, it is our gift to you. And she smiled. The Good News of God’s love breaks through with prayer –sometimes in small stitches.

Jesus commissions us – sends us out -- to bear witness to God’s love. Sometimes it seems so ordinary – a helping hand with a garden, giving a ride to a neighbor, babysitting, bringing a meal to someone. But we do these ordinary acts of love because we have first received Christ’s love. And it is because we know God’s love for us, we can share that love -- and we dare to have hope – despite whatever challenges surround us.

And there are challenges in our lives and in our world. A friend of mine said that he has stopped watching the news at night because he can’t sleep if he does. More than once have I been reminded of the old curse, “May you live in interesting times.”

When Paul writes to the Romans, they were in “Interesting times” too – and they were despairing. And yet, Paul urges them not to despair. Instead, he challenges them to dare to hope.

In what seems like an odd progression Paul writes, “we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.”

It’s not that Paul was urging them to suffer. Suffering comes without our seeking it. We are human after all. But Paul reminds us that we can grow in faith through the challenges of life because life’s challenges, especially those times in which we are not in control, can remind us to trust in God and not ourselves. Paul reminds us that we can dare to hope, a hope that “does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit”

That’s why we can endure the pain and suffering of this world. That’s why, whatever challenges life throws our way – whether of our own doing or someone else’s, we dare to hope. Because we know the end of the story: God’s love wins. People today often call the ability to keep going despite challenges in our life: resilience. But it’s more than that – it’s resilience based on the knowledge that Jesus Christ is with you and the body of Christ is with you too.

If I have learned anything about the Christian life – it’s that it is not an independent enterprise. Faith is not something that is between me and Jesus. Instead, faith comes through the body of Christ – the community of Christ that gathers to eat together, to take wine and bread together, to worship, to pray, to knit prayers together, to care for one another.

Jesus sends us as laborers in the harvest – together. Have you ever gone out to pick strawberries or blackberries? When I was just a little girl – I would go out with my family. Pick a few…eat a few… It was a delicious enterprise – but even though I missed a lot, even as a little girl I was amazed how soon my basket would be overflowing. We often discount our own gifts and our own ability to be witnesses for Christ. We – at least I – sometimes beat myself up for not being a better witness. But being a witness for Christ is not just about us and our efforts– it’s a family affair – the body of Christ working together and allowing the Holy Spirit to work in us and through us. Never discount the power of the Holy Spirit.

As I was preparing for today I ran across a blog by a fellow pastor-poet, Steve Garnaas Holmes, who suggested:

Maybe the harvest is not bringing people to Christ
but gathering the fruits of the Spirit God has sown in you
for the sake of the world.

Maybe it's not an act of taking,…but receiving.

The harvest is plentiful but few are the people who have gathered,who have received the gifts, the grace,
the love growing in your heart, and feasted on those fruits
to be strengthened to go out and heal the wounded,
and be good news for the broken of the world.
The field stretches to the horizon.
There are more trees in this orchard than stars in heaven.

What grace have you not yet harvested?
Go into that good harvest.
Here is a basket for your labors. Go. 1

Brothers and sisters in Christ, may your basket overflow with the gifts of God. And then… just like a basket of just picked strawberries – it’s better shared. And so bask in the love of Christ that God has poured out into your heart and share this gift of grace in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Pastor Pam Stalheim Lane
June 18, 2017

1 "Harvest" Steve Garnaas-Holmes

Gospel Text: Matthew 28:16-20

Dear friends in Christ, Grace and peace to you from God the Father, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen!

    So, today's Gospel lesson comes from the last chapter in Matthew's Gospel. Now, if you're going to finish a lesson or a letter, you want to be able to tell the people at the end “now go do this.” Assuming that they've been listening, the “now go do this” will be what you have been teaching them to do. In today's lesson, we have a sort of graduation for the disciples. Now, Jesus is giving them a graduation speech, and telling them what to do next. So let's take a look.

    Now, after Jesus had been raised from the dead, the disciples were called to Galilee to have a meeting with Jesus. When they saw him, they worshiped him, but some doubted. Don't worry, Thomas, you're not the only disciple who doubted. Jesus came to them and told them that all authority on heaven and on earth had been granted to him. Because of this, the disciples were to go to all nations, baptize them, and teach them to obey everything that Jesus had commanded them. Also, remember, Jesus is with them, to the end of time.

    Now, earlier, I mentioned that this was a graduation ceremony for these disciples. And while they didn't have caps and gowns, they did have a good speech to send them on their way.  Now, Jesus had spent three years with his disciples, and they got to see and hear it all. When Jesus did miracles, they were there. When Jesus taught, they were there. And when Jesus died and rose again, you'd better believe that they were there. And standing here now in Jesus's presence, they again see the mystery and the power of Christ, now fully incarnate standing before them. And so, Jesus, having all the authority of heaven and earth, gave power and responsibility to the disciples to go and create the church. Now, the church that we have today is due to a number of changes, disagreements, and reformations. But that is the nature of the church, constantly changing to better help the needs of our neighbor, and to serve as God's hands and feet in the world.

    Now, while this was a graduation speech for the disciples, it's also a message for all of us today. This morning, we celebrate Trinity Sunday, the Sunday in which we celebrate the three persons of the Trinity, that is: God the Creator, God the Redeemer, and God the Sustainer.  Now, if you were to be asked on a test how it is that God is both three parts as well as one whole God, the correct answer would be “I don't know.” It's okay to say that there are some things about God that we do not know yet. That is okay. But if you want to know the history of our faith, past, present, and future, look at the trinity:

    In our children's message this morning, we heard about God the Creator, and the wondrous acts that God did in creating the world. In six days, the world and everything in it was created, and on the seventh day, God rested. But because sin entered the world, all of humanity is suffering. We can see the effects of sin happening all over the world, in every heartache and tragedy. But God created a way for us to not only understand God better, but also as a way for us to live eternally, and that way is through belief in Jesus Christ. Christ came to the world to redeem humanity, and through his sacrifice and death on the cross, and resurrection, God made all things new. And after his resurrection, God gave us another advocate, which is the holy spirit, to help guide us and keep us connected to God. It is through this Holy Spirit that we can come to know everything that God has done for us in Jesus, and that we can continue to pass the blessing on to others. So there we have it. In the past, God created and everything in it. In the present, we bring Christ's message of hope and salvation to those around us. And in the future, the Holy Spirit will continue to guide us and the church as a whole in the work of God.

    Dear friends in Christ, today's lesson is a graduation for all believers. Jesus Christ, who has been given all authority, has given us the call to go out into the world, to make disciples of all nations, and to teach them to observe everything that God has commanded us. Because of who God is, we can be who we are. Now, like a school class about to graduate, do we know everything? Certainly not! But we do know what we need to know. We know that God so loved the world, that God gave us Jesus, and that the Holy Spirit now dwells within us. And we know that God has commanded us to love God above all else, and God has commanded us to love our neighbors as ourselves. So, here is your commission. Go. Make disciples of all nations. Teach them to love, as you have been loved. Keep coming back to church to learn more, and to be in community with others. Keep praying for others. Pray, read the bible, and continue to grow.

And so, graduating class of Eternity, it is by Jesus Christ, from whom all authority comes, that you are able to be these people in the world. Go in peace, thanks be to God. Amen.

The Holy Spirit is still showing up!

 in surprising ways… and in ordinary ways… 

Acts 2:1-21

Pentecost was a harvest festival day. Jerusalem was full of people from all over, pilgrims who had come to Jerusalem to worship. But Jesus followers – a group of believers of about 120 people - about our size – were by themselves… gathered together.

It started out as an ordinary harvest festival day except that this time…all over the city people heard the sound of a strong wind, a gale force – a tornado – and they ran to see what was making this noise. And when the people arrived they heard Jesus’ followers – mostly Galileans – speaking their language and telling about the glory of God. And they all wondered…how could this be?

The Holy Spirit made quite an entrance on that first Pentecost. The sound of a wild tornado made people look. And then they listened. And then they heard the good news.

The Holy Spirit is still showing up in our world and in our lives today--- sometimes in surprising ways – and sometimes in more ordinary ways.

The Holy Spirit was present this past week in Portland, Oregon. I don’t know if you heard the story, but on a busy commuter train in Portland, a man whose last name, unfortunately, was “Christian” began to shout racial slurs at two young women, one of whom was Muslim and was wearing a hijab.

In response to this hateful speech, three men – a college grad, an army veteran and a poet got up to intervene. Two of them, the 23 year old recent college graduate, Namkai Meche and the army veteran, Rick Best, were stabbed to death. The third man, Micah Fletcher, the poet, is still in the hospital after suffering serious injuries.

Why did they act? In another context, the army veteran Rick Best said to a reporter "I can't stand by and do nothing." I think that that statement was true for all three. In the moment of seeing a man bully, taunt and threaten two young women, these three men stood up against the evil. They acted out of their convictions.

Was this the work of the Holy Spirit? I think so. As Paul writes, “There are varieties of activities but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” Both of the men who died were reported to be men of faith – one a Catholic and the other’s faith was not named. But whether or not these men proclaimed Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior in their faith life, they acted as Good Samaritans. And, if you remember the Good Samaritan story, Jesus doesn’t mention anything about how the Samaritan worships. He only tells the story of how the Samaritan – the person least expected to respond with love and care – was the one who responds to the need at the side of the road.

Their action got a lot of attention. Sometimes the work of the Holy Spirit is dramatic – and causes people to do something that is so out of the ordinary that it makes others take note.

But this is not the only way that the Holy Spirit works. The Holy Spirit was also active as one of our members recently took another person to Lutheran Social Services to get help writing a resume. The Holy Spirit was present as the faithful gathered to send Bill Kranz home to the Lord and gathered to celebrate with Nicole on her graduation celebration yesterday.

The Holy Spirit was present when I called Catholic Charities this past week asking for help for a friend. There were a lot of reasons that I can’t share publicly that I did not think that they would want to help me – or my friend. But I called anyway. A woman named Marie answered the phone. She had a lovely voice. I said, you probably don’t want to help me but… and I rattled off three or four reasons why they wouldn’t want to help. I was expecting her to say no. And yet, Marie batted down every reason I gave for why she wouldn’t want to help my friend. In short, the Holy Spirit prevailed. In the end, all I could say was, “Thank you.”

The Holy Spirit is alive and well and active among us. Some of you bake loaves of bread, bars and bundt cakes to share. Others deliver a meal to a neighbor in need – or through Dinner at your Door. Others have opened up their home. The list goes on.

Sometimes I think we simply neglect to name and claim the work of the Holy Spirit. But naming and claiming the work of the Holy Spirit is important – because otherwise it will just be dismissed or mis-characterized.

That’s what happened on that Pentecost day in Acts. People noticed the wind. They heard the good news spoken in their own language. But not all of them were ready to believe. No, they were ready to sneer – and assume that this unusual behavior was because they were drunk on cheap wine.

I always thought that this was just bad sarcastic behavior of unbelievers. But it turns out that there was a religious group at the time that did get drunk on cheap wine and worked themselves into a frenzy – and claimed that it was the power of God. This is why Peter had to stand up and debunk the false stories. He had to explain that the people were not drunk – but that the Holy Spirit had come.

And that is why people today have to stand up to evil too. We do not want to be identified with people who call themselves Christian or who are named Christian - yet who don’t act like it.

At the Synod Assembly last month, Assistant to the Bishop Deb Stehlen said that Christians need to be unafraid to look weird. Because if we don’t sound and act differently than the rest of the world, who would notice? What would be compelling about being Christian if it doesn’t make a difference in our lives? She encouraged us take Sabbath seriously. Listen to the Word of God. Pray. And then…Act on our convictions. That’s when people will take notice. That’s when they listen -- because something different is going on. Just like at Pentecost – people noticed something different was happening. And then they listened.

It isn’t always going to be easy. It wasn’t easy for the three men in Portland. Micah Fletcher, the poet who survived reflected,

"I am alive,

I spat in the eye of hate and lived.

This is what we must do for one another

We must live for one another

We must fight for one another

We must die in the name of freedom if we have to.

Luckily it's not my turn today"

Fletcher challenges us to stand up against hate – and for our neighbor. And that is what we, as Christians, are called to do every day: Love God. Love your neighbor as yourself. Share the good news.

But we cannot and should not try to do it alone. We are not called to be super heroes. We, as the body of Christ, are called to follow Jesus. And Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to walk beside us, to lead and guide us to help us act with love –and not hate. And like Peter, we have to tell people why we act with love and kindness. It’s not just because we are good people. It is because the Holy Spirit is alive and well and working through us. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Last Words… and Prayers

Last words. We tend to pay attention to “last words.” Martin Luther’s last words were: “We are all beggars” – a memorable reminder that regardless of what we have “accomplished” or what we want to claim as our legacy - we are all creatures in need of God’s grace.

In “The Last Lecture,” Randy Pausch, a Carnegie Melion professor who was diagnosed with terminal cancer at an early age with a young family gave his last lecture on: “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams”. At the end of his inspiring lecture, he told the overflowing cheering crowd – thank you but… I did it for my kids.

That’s kid of what Jesus says too. Our Gospel today sounds like a really complex, hard to access last lecture, full of words of glory and accomplishment and language about Jesus’ relationship with the Father – and today’s reading is just a small segment of it. But... it’s actually not a lecture at all; it’s a prayer. And.. it’s not for all the world – although Jesus’ message is for the whole world. But, in these last words, his last prayer, Jesus tells his followers: this is for you.

This prayer is for you. That’s not to lift us up as the few and the chosen. Christ’s gift is for all and we - as Luther said, “are all beggars”. But.. friends.... faithful followers who come to church even on a holiday weekend, Jesus is telling his followers - take heart. Do not be discouraged. Jesus is praying for you.

Jesus knows that, like his disciples, we too fall short of being the people and the church that God wants us to be. We aren’t one in purpose, one in mission or one in Christ. We experience division across denominations. We experience division across political, social, economical, racial lines – lines that we keep drawing. Jesus knows that it isn’t always easy to be the church – or to be followers.

But Jesus doesn’t draw lines. Instead, Jesus prays. And, from my experience, prayer leads to action. First, prayer changes the pray-er. And then…Prayer makes a difference – sometimes changing the situation in ways that we hope and sometimes in ways that we do not expect.

So what is prayer? Prayer is about talking with God – not to share information, after all, God knows the information already. Instead, prayer is about us – as pray-ers -- trusting God with what is on our hearts.

Jesus models praying what’s on his heart in the other Gospels when, in the Garden of Gethsemane, he prays to God to take this cup from him. But in John, Jesus models praying for someone else – by praying for us. Praying for another – and being willing to let someone pray for you -- means trusting another part of the body of Christ with what is on your heart. And that means being a little bit vulnerable.

I could talk about prayer – and why we should do it and how we can do it for a long time. But I won’t. Because in these “last words” Jesus isn’t talking about prayer - Jesus simply prays.

Rolf Jacobson, a professor at Luther Seminary, discovered that while his church assigned prayer partners – and they had the partners meet – the church never modeled how to pray. So at a class that he team-taught with another professor, they began to start each class by praying for one another. In their evaluations of the class at the end of the semester, students said that watching someone pray helped them to learn to pray.

If this is the case for seminary students? I wondered if it wasn’t also the case for other Christians. Some of you are very experienced pray- ers – and I give thanks for your prayers. But others might feel intimidated by prayer – especially praying “out loud.” And so… I’ve asked James if he and I could pray for one another today. We are going to use the same format that we ask our Confirmation and youth students to use – share a high and a low – and then pray for each other. So.. James, would you come forward? (Prayer)

Now… it’s your turn. Please turn to a friendly looking neighbor in the pew –you may have to move just a little bit if you aren’t sitting close – or group up into threes. There’s a piece of paper in your bulletin if you want to write it down – but you don’t have to…

Please share with one another – One “high” – something that makes you glad, something for which you thank God today and One “Low” – something that you are sad or anxious about or something for which you are asking God to give help or healing. I will watch the time so don’t worry about that – just share something quickly and then pray for one another as you saw me and James do. Ready.. or not… GO!.....

Thank you for being the body of Christ – praying for one another. I invite you to continue to pray for the person that you talked with throughout the week.

And now, let us pray together: Lord Jesus, thank you for praying for us and for teaching us to pray.. Help us to be the body of Christ - praying for and caring for one another just as you pray for and care for us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Today Is a Great Day for a Great Run

Text: John 14:15-21

Peace and Grace to you from God the Father, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen!

    We are in the season of Easter, in which we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, and the life that he gives all of us. Now, today's Gospel come from the book of John. I really like John's Gospel, because it focuses more on the spiritual side of Jesus's ministry. This particular story actually comes at a time before Jesus's death on the cross and resurrection, which might seem odd, given the church season that we are in. But what we are talking about this morning is the way that God speaks to us today, even without Jesus being here himself. So let's look at our text.

    So, today's lesson may seem a little jumbled and confusing, so let me break it down. Jesus is talking to his disciples, and already, he knows what's going to happen. Jesus knows even though his disciples have a relationship with him while he was on earth, that they would need something to connect them to God after he died and then went to heaven. Imagine it like this: God is the source of power, like a battery, and Jesus is the extension cord that brings God to world, and all it's people. Now, Jesus knows that he was going to soon be betrayed and would he die on the cross before being resurrected from the dead and coming back. So, Jesus tells his disciples that “in a little while, the world will not see me, but you will see me, and because I live, you will live also.” Jesus knows that there will be a period of time where he will not be in the world, and so Jesus reassures them: I will not leave you orphaned.” That is to say, I will not abandon you. So Jesus asks God for another person to step in when Jesus is gone from the world, and that is the Holy Spirit. Now, remember the God as a battery from earlier? Without Jesus, God still provides the Holy Spirit, so that even though Jesus is not here physically, God is still here with all of us!

    Now, on the Spirit, Jesus says that the world does not know the Spirit. Jesus recognizes that the world is a broken and hurting place, and that we are a broken and hurting people. But Jesus says that we are able to know this spirit, because it abides in us. Well, wait. How does that make any sense? It's because God chose us to have the Holy Spirit work through us that we are able to overcome the sin and brokenness of the world.

    Okay, great! We have the Spirit. So what now? Well, this is the part the most Lutherans might cringe at when I say “go do good works.” “But wait!” I hear the voices say: “We're justified by faith, not works!” This is true. But while we don't have to do good works in order to earn salvation, we CAN still do good works to show that the spirit is at work in us. Take a look at the first and last verse of today's Gospel reading: “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” “They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me.” Well, what commandment are those? Simply put, Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself. Let me put this in another way: “because we have been shown such great love, we are able to show great love for others.” (Ephesians 2:4, James 2:13).

    God loved us first, so much that God sent Jesus to be with us and then to die on the cross. And then, God continues that love for us today through the Holy Spirit. Growing in faith is like falling in love. You cannot do it from what you read alone. Faith and love come from contact with It's love that changes us and how we behave. Over my lifetime, I have seen a number of people who have changed me and my faith. I learned faith, love, trust, patience, determination, and a number of other qualities because of what God was doing through other people. And now, I am able to help take those traits, and give them to others, just as they have been given to me. Faith works through relationship. Because of what God has done for all of us through Jesus, and now through the Holy Spirit, we are free to be God's people in the world, and are able to do good works for the rest of the world.

    I'd like to close on a story this morning. I used to run on the Cross-Country and Track teams for my high school and college. We had one girl, named Brittany, who was usually negative about practice every day that we gathered. “This sucks! I don't want to do this!” she would whine. Well, after a while, some of my teammates and I got tired of her attitude. So we got together, prayed about it, and decided that we were going to change her perspective through love and positivity. So, the next day, as Brittany was walking to the gym for practice, one of our friends held the door open for her, smiled and said “today is a great day for a great run.” She looked at him with disgust, and went in. Over the next few days, we repeated the process, holding the door open for her and the other teammates and saying “Today is a great day for a great run,” and it started catching on. Brittany, wanting to show how silly we looked, came over and stood by us while we were holding the door open. “This is a great day for a great run!” She would say in a sarcastic tone. She kept trying to mock us, but soon her tone changed from (Sarcastic) “This is a great day” to (sincere) “This is a great day.” Later on, Brittany became a team captain for the girls, ran on varsity, and was one of the biggest motivators that our team had.

    Love changes us. Because of what God has done for you, and you, and you, and all of us, we are able to be connected to God, the source of all good, through the Holy Spirit. And because of this connection, we are able to spread that good to others, anywhere we go. So, my prayer for you this week is that you would let God abide in you through the Holy Spirit, and that you would let that light shine before others, that you may give glory to your father, who is in heaven. Today is a great day for a great run.

Thanks be to God. Amen!

Do Not Let Your Hearts Be Troubled

“Do not let your hearts be troubled.” Jesus’ disciples had reason to be concerned. Jesus was not being well received by the authorities – church and state – in Jerusalem. They had reason to fear for his life – and for theirs. And yet Jesus says to them – actually commands them, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.”

Jesus is not denying that bad things happen. In the Gospel of John Jesus knows he is on the way to the cross. But Jesus does not want his disciples to get stuck in fear and anxiety. Instead, he calls them – and us – to trust in the promises of God that he has come to share.

What does Jesus promise? Jesus promises: There’s a Place for You. Jesus calls you into relationship with God and promises a place for you with him, with God, forever. I imagine this is like what I see happening at camp every year. A new kid arrives looking a little lost and sad – but then a counselor comes and says hey –come and stand by me, there’s a place for you right here – and suddenly the kid is playing 4 square next to his counselor – and grinning from ear to ear. Oh, and this doesn’t just happen to kids… People of all ages need a place to belong. That’s what Jesus says to you: I’m glad you’re here – whether you are new or have been here forever. There’s a Place for You – right beside your counselor.

So who is our counselor? In the Gospel of John, Jesus tells us with “I AM” statements, statements that help us understand why on earth God would put skin on and come into our troubled world. In today’s Gospel (John 14:1-12), Jesus says, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life." Jesus has come so that we may know God. Jesus shows us the way, tells us truth – not spin – and gives us life. Jesus came because God’s purpose is... love. And so Jesus invites us into relationship. There’s a place for you – Jesus shows us the way – it’s with Jesus and it’s filled with truth and life.

And yet… despite the graciousness of Jesus’ words, and the wide open invitation, and despite the command by Jesus, “Do not let your heart be troubled” – still...the words that stick out are the next ones: “No one comes to the Father except through me.”

A wise pastor once told me – you can preach GRACE, GRACE, GRACE, GRACE, GRACE, LAW, GRACE, GRACE, GRACE… and the word that people will hear – and remember - is Law. The “Law” - words that point out the ways that we are not worthy - are the words that stick to us. These are the words that we lose sleep over – even though we have heard Jesus’ command: Do not let your hearts be troubled; even though we hear God’s gift of Grace and love; even though we hear that Jesus has not been sent into the world to condemn the world but to save it; even though we hear Jesus say, “I have a place for you…Still… we hear words that to our ears sound like exclusion…like we don’t belong and our hearts are troubled.

Jesus knows it. And so Jesus invites you, “Do not let your hearts be troubled, Believe in me…”

Believe. This got me to thinking: Is belief something that happens here (in our heads) or here (in our hearts?) or here (in our gut)?

When we study scripture it can sometimes be very much a “head thing.” At our pastor text study, for example, we look at the words carefully, sometimes looking back at the Greek or Hebrew as we seek to understand Jesus’ message for us. So, for today, I looked up the Greek word for “believe.” It turns out it can also be translated as “to put your trust in.” So… Jesus is saying, “Put your trust in me.”

Trust. Imagine a little girl standing on the edge of a pool and her dad says, “Jump. I’ll catch you. Trust me.”

Suddenly, trust is no longer a head thing. It moves right to the gut, the place where we experience fear, anxiety, angst. But.. if that father and daughter have a loving relationship, trust moves the response right up to the heart. She knows that her daddy will do anything in the world for her. And she jumps.

Her daddy catches her and swings her around. She knew he would. Jesus is like that. Jesus will catch you. He invites you to trust in him.

But sometimes it’s hard. I’ve recently attended two powerful funerals. The first was for a mentor and professor, Rev. Dr. Omar Otterness. As friends and family gathered, we mourned his death. But the mourning was for our sake – when someone is 98 years old, it calls for a celebration!

The other funeral was this past Friday for Chris Stanley. And that was hard. Chris was 22 years old – and had gotten washed into the Mississippi river by St. Anthony Falls. This was a devastating, painful loss for his family and friends. It is the type of challenge in which people wonder, “Where is God?” And yet… it is into those very times that Jesus walks even closer to us… in many ways. The service was held at Central Lutheran church – a huge sanctuary --and it was packed. It was filled with friends and family – but it was also filled with the body of Christ. We showed up to grieve our loss and to support and surround his family with Christ’s love. We came to give thanks to God that Jesus had taken Chris home –even though we all wished it wasn’t so soon.

There were lots of tears as people got up to speak. But then Chris’ mother – Melissa – she’ s the pastor of Tapestry, a new Latino ministry of the ELCA, – shared some of his poems and some of his hope for a better world. And that was remarkable – not many moms can speak at the funeral of their 22 year old son. But then she did something even more remarkable. She sang the 23rd Psalm. She sang – reminding all of us that even in the midst of the worst trials imaginable… God is with us – shepherding us, caring for us walking beside us.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, remember what Jesus said: “Do not let your hearts be troubled.” For God is with you – and you can trust in Jesus – and the body of Christ around you – to love and support you no matter what happens. After all, since Christ is Lord of heaven and earth – how can we keep from singing?                

Pastor Pam Stalheim Lane
May 14, 2017

Humor + Grace

Grace and Peace to you from God the Father, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen!

    Sorry everyone, I'm still warming up. Let me tell a few more jokes. Did you know that the first computer was in the bible? It's found all the way back with Adam and Eve. Surprise, Surprise, it was an Apple! But after just one byte, everything crashed.

    Happy Holy Humor Sunday, everyone. Holy Humor Sunday services not only give us an opportunity for ongoing celebrations of the greatest miracle in human history, which is Jesus' resurrection, it also gives each of us an opportunity to celebrate, and give thanks for, our own smaller resurrections in this world and this life. This is a tradition that started in the 15th century. Usually, it was the weeks right after Easter in which less people came to church. As part of the holy humor services, pastors and priests would add extras stories and jokes in their sermons, and afterward, people would gather to tell stories and play practical jokes. Because of this, It may come as no surprise that the observance of this holiday was officially outlawed by Pope Clement X in the 17th century. Let me see a quick show of hands if this sounds right: Religion and religious figures are typically seen as sour, finger-wagging, and way too serious by non-believers and sometimes by us in the pews. We have made rituals and saints untouchable, so sacred and set apart that they are not to be sullied by any crass attempt to laugh at them too with the rest of life. Where could we have gotten this idea, that faith has to be so serious? Now, to be fair, just a few weeks ago, we told the story of Christ's painful torture and death. But now we are able to see an empty tomb, and are able to celebrate with others the joy that comes from Christ's resurrection.

    Now, in today's reading (Romans 14:13-23), we find the Apostle Paul, writing a letter to the Roman people. One of the big questions that Paul was addressing was the food laws, and how they were being used against new believers. You see, some believed that in order to be Christian, you would have to follow the old kosher laws. This meant no pork, no bacon, no shrimp, and don't even think about bacon-wrapped shrimp. Now, this might seem all about the rules about what someone should or should not eat. But I think that today's lesson can also be a guide on how it is that we treat others. Paul writes that we don't need to worry about what it is that we're eating, neither steak nor pork chops will make you any closer or farther from God. But more importantly, we shouldn't use our liberties to make life more difficult for someone else. Paul's letter can be broken up into three parts:

    First, don't hurt your fellow believers. That is to say, don't make rules that will hurt someone else. Now, sometimes rules give clarity to people. There have often been times where I have added extra rules for myself for the sake of transparency and in order that people can understand that I can be depended on. These are rules that I don't expect everyone else to follow. It can be little things, such as checking with your spouse before you buy food, or sending the text to let your parents know what time you'll be home. We don't have the same rules for everyone, and that is okay. Paul writes that we should not set rules up as a stumbling block for others, that might hurt them or keep them from experiencing Christ in their lives. Remember, “these are the people that God has died for.”

     Second, don't harm your testimony. Paul writes that the way that we talk or treat something can make it seem evil to someone else. Now, in this particular passage, Paul is talking about the food that they were eating. But this can be applied to other things as well. Paul writes in an earlier passage in Romans that we are free to decide for ourselves on non-essential issues like eating, drinking, or the jokes that we make. Many peoples’ biggest reason for ignoring God is what they have seen what someone claiming to be Christian do. Now certainly, sometimes they have a wrong perspective on what it means to be a Christian, but many times the things that other believers say or do affect how we talk about God with others. Have any of you, when explaining about faith, had to tell someone “oh, we're not like THAT person, or that group?” What we intended for good, and what really is good in our lives, can be spoken of as evil when we do not restrain ourselves when it is appropriate. Paul tells us that when we are acting as person's of faith, sometimes we have to hold ourselves back in order to both serve God and help others to understand the God we serve.

    And third and finally, Paul letter tells us not to hurt our church. Paul writes “So let's agree to use all our energy in getting along with each other. Help each other with encouraging words, don't drag them down by finding fault.” This means that we are using our time and our energy to help build up one another in the body of Christ. Sometimes, we have to check where our hearts and motivations lie. If we are able to have our words, thoughts, and actions are in line with one another, we're doing pretty good. But if it seems like something's not quite right, you might want to check your motives again.

    Now, you may be thinking, hey, wasn't this supposed to be a Holy Humor Service? And you're right, I've been talking about a fair serious text. But in a way, this text does apply to the way that humor in our everyday life. We can use humor to build people and the church up, or we can use it to hurt and damage those sitting around us. Let's re-look at Paul's three points: 1. Don't hurt your follow believers. Don't make jokes about people that will hurt them or the way that people see them. 2. Don't harm your testimony. If people heard some of the jokes that we said, what would they think about us? And three, Don't hurt our church. While I was looking through jokes for material for this service, I had to cut out about half the jokes I read because I saw the harm that they did at the expense of the church and believers. But I know the truth. I know those jokes aren't us.

    Maybe some of you here this morning don’t feel much like laughing. Maybe some of you have reason to be serious this morning because something you care about deeply in your life is in serious trouble. More often than not, we have cares and burdens that we cannot just put down. This morning, I am not asking you to put on a happy face and pretend that your troubles do not exist. This Easter season celebrates Jesus’ resurrection, but also other smaller resurrections in our lives, areas where God made a way out of no way. Even if we are troubled now, can we remember a time when we were surprised by joy? When someone came to our aid or when relationships mended or when our load was lightened by someone else’s kindness? Cultivating our sense of humor requires a lot of the same skills as growing in our faith. Both require a hope in what has not yet come to be; a deep down trust that all will be well. Our being able to laugh can be a sigh of relief that we are still ourselves in the midst of crisis.

    Now, I have a personal story to end on. For those of you who remember my first week, you know that I didn't come in, writing long essays about God and theology with big words. That's not what I did. What I remember most about my first week here, is that I got in the dunk tank at the carnival, and that was my introduction to this community. And let me tell ya, some of the people here have really good throwing arms. And at the time, I had to laugh. Here I was, starting a new job in a new church family, And as absurd as it seemed, life was going on. Here's the thing, I don't think that I could have been as effective in my job here if I didn't get to laugh with you all. Humor is my way of opening the door for deeper conversation, and for building bonds with you all. And that's the thing: humor and grace go together. Being convinced that God loves us just as we are is all the more meaningful the more we can see clearly just how absurd we sometimes are. Humor allows us to take a look an honest look at ourselves, to see our own needs and to recognize where we have been blessed. So use your blessings, use your laughter and your humor to build up others. It is because of what Christ has done that we are able to have such great joy, and give it to others. And for that we can turn and say, Thanks be to God. Amen.

Luke 24:13-35

Peace and Grace to you from God the Father, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen!

    One does not simply walk with God without something happening. It's funny how God can be in the midst of our everyday lives, and even be there when we least expect it. Even something as ordinary as long walk can turn into some deep and moving when God is involved. Today's passage is interesting, because it moves away from the disciples, and focuses on Jesus and two followers, rather on the disciples. Today's text is a personal favorite of mine, one in which Jesus walks with his followers, and helps them to come to a better understanding of what God is doing. So let's take a look.

    In the text this morning, we hear about a time soon after Jesus' death and resurrection. Two of Jesus' followers were walking away from Jerusalem, towards the town of Emmaus. Now, as people do, they were talking about recent events. In my opinion, it's the sign of a good friend when you can talk to them about religion or politics, or in this case, both. As they were walking and talking Jesus came up and asked them what they were talking about. At first they didn't know who this person was, and were surprised that he hadn't heard the news, and so the two followers proceeded to tell Jesus about what they had heard about him, his death, and his resurrection. I imagine Jesus trying to hide a smile and think “oh, so that's what you've heard about me.” The two followers also confessed that they were still having trouble believing all of the things that had happened. So Jesus goes all the way back to the story of Moses, and tells them everything that had been said about Jesus. Now, you have to understand, they had seven miles to walk, so Jesus had a good amount of time to tell them the whole story. I couldn't fit all of that into one sermon, so you'll have to come back next week to hear more.

    So they arrived in Emmaus, and the two followers invited Jesus to stay because it was almost evening. So Jesus took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to his followers to eat. Now, where have we heard that before? It was at that time that the followers were able to recognize Jesus. But when they did, Jesus pulled a Houdini on them, and suddenly vanished. The two followers were left there, astonished. I imagine them sitting there, trying to figure this out.

“Wait was that...?” “Yeah...” “And did he just...?” “Yeah...” And so, when they realized that it was Jesus, they wasted no time. They got up, went the seven miles back to Jerusalem, and told the Eleven disciples that the resurrection really had happened, and that Jesus and told about their experience with him on the road.

    So, what do we do with this text? Well, today I want you to know that God is walking with us. I had an experience of walking with God two summers ago when I went on a five day walk in Spain. Let me start out by say that my wife is smart and knows five different languages, and I do not, so I was prepared to walk by myself for those five days. We went to Spain to gather data for the book she's writing, and while we were there, I went on a five day hiking pilgrimage on a part of the Camio de Santiago, or as we know it, the Way of St. James. It's a pilgrimage that started back in the 9th century, has a variety routes that lead from France and ends in the city of Santiago, where Ana and I were staying. I had a lot on my mind at the time and thought: “You know what? Five days is the minimum that one needs to walk to get a cool certificate. I can do that!” So, I packed a backpack, some money, and my music player, and set out.

    The first day went great, I was going along, passing all kinds of other pilgrims on the trail. The second day was a little more rough. I started feeling sore in my legs and feet. By the third day, I was dying. I was limping pretty badly, and it was fairly obvious that I was forcing myself to keep going. It didn't help to see roadway signs for cars that were could be to the final destination city in a matter of hours where I still had two more days of hiking. I finally broke down, and thought, you know, if I still feel like this tomorrow, I'm calling it off. I tried my best, and that's all I could do. I prayed that I would have the strength to keep walking, but didn't honestly know if I was able to keep going. But then something happened. It's hard to explain, but I came to find out that the other pilgrims on the trail take care of each other. An Italian that I met offered me his expertise in medicine to help ease my pain. A pair of Canadians told me they would keep their eyes out for me to make sure I was okay. And at one point, I got to share the trail with a German about my age who needed to share parts of his life story and so we passed the time chatting as we walked.

    Dear friends in Christ, life is a journey. While I was praying for Christ to show up during those five days, I didn't think it would come in the form of other travelers. You see, our God is a God who walks with us, in good times and bad. And even as a I was hobbling along, it was God who was giving me strength to make the next step. God was also in the kindness of others who walked with me and around me. I've learned that in this world my own strength and my own wisdom will fail and will not always be enough. But God brings good news to us, making us strong where we are weak. So, as you go on your way today, talk with your fellow pilgrims and travelers. It is their stories and their kindness that is a reflection of what God is doing in our lives. Just as Jesus walked with followers then, he walks with us now. And for that we can turn and say:
Thanks be to God. Amen.

Vicar James Anderson

Caring for All God’s Creatures

Cowboy Bob the Third. I remember the day he came to our farm.

He was beautiful. No. He was magnificent.. To me he was a bit intimidating. To my sister Minette - he was a dream come true.

Our parents had decided that when we were 12, we could choose an animal to raise and care for. Cowboy Bob the Third was a two year old Chestnut Quarter Horse, Green broke. And Minette loved him. She spent a week at the ranch where Cowboy Bob was raised learning to ride and care for him. Girl and her horse. What could be better? She probably would have said “nothing!” that is until Cowboy Bob got pinkeye and Minette was told – no riding until he heals.

It took longer than we thought. And then the bitter cold of winter set in. It was a long cold winter without any real chance to go riding. But then… Spring! Minette couldn’t wait to get out to ride again. Our dad let the horse out into the coral. It was at that point that we realized what the “Green” meant in “Green Broke."

Cowboy Bob the Third kicked up his heals! It soon became clear that he had no intention of putting a saddle – and certainly not a rider - on his back. A bit protective – as fathers sometimes are – my dad hired a “professional horse trainer” to come and take the “green” out of the “Green Broke” designation. Cowboy Bob bucked her off. She got on again. He bucked her off again – but this time, she broke some bones … and Cowboy Bob was sent back to the ranch.  

This may explain – at least in part -- why, when I turned twelve, I got chickens.

As those of you with pets know, caring for another one of God’s creatures takes work and commitment on the part of the caretaker. And yet, as people – even people of God – we have often gotten that message wrong.

Our error in the way that we treat animals – and really all of creation – can be traced back to the way that we interpret and understand the relationship between people and the rest of God’s creation in the first chapter of Genesis .

In the first story of creation, God creates and blesses each part of creation. Finally, on the sixth day, God creates the creatures that live on the land, those that creep, crawl, run and walk including people. We read:

So God created humankind[e] in his image,
    in the image of God, God created them;[f]
    male and female God created them.

28 God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” 

It’s that word “dominion” that gets us in trouble. It can also be translated as “rule.” But what image comes to mind when you hear “dominion” or “rule?” To me it automatically sounds authoritarian and accompanied by power and might – not grace and care. The Message Bible translates the word as “responsible.”

This is a better understanding of our role and our relationship to the rest of creation – especially for those creatures that we live with. I remember one year the kids found some tadpoles in the stream at Whitewater State Park. They were adorable. Can we bring them home? Sure, we said. But then, it was our responsibility to figure out what they would eat! It wasn’t so hard for the tadpoles. They were happy to eat shredded boiled lettuce. I don’t remember why we had to boil it. But we did. It wasn’t too painful – at least not for me. OK – truth be told – someone else in my family took care of it.

The tadpoles grew… and turned into the cutest of little frogs. This was great. But then they did not want to eat boiled lettuce anymore. Their palate had grown up and changed. Now we were supposed to feed them mosquitoes. Except… they did not want dead mosquitoes.

Oh I am sure we could have gone to a pet store and gotten something that would have worked. But little frogs were starting to need more space than the goldfish bowl could allow. We had read that it was important to return animals to their own habitat. So we packed them up and went on a road trip with our little frogs and returned them to their stream. Did we have dominion over the frogs? I suppose so. Not one of them jumped out of the tank and demanded French fries instead of boiled lettuce. So I suppose we were the rulers. But really, we were the caretakers – and bringing them back to their stream when we could no longer care for them was the responsible thing to do.

God has blessed the earth with a great variety of creatures. We as humans are just one species. But we have been left in charge – to take care of the earth. God trusted us to be responsible.

Unfortunately, we sometimes choose “dominion” and force instead of care. With 20-20 hindsight, I can see that what Cowboy Bob had needed was a horse whisperer – someone who was patient and gentle and willing to take some time to give care and training rather than a person who was going to put Cowboy Bob in his place.

Today we have invited all creatures into God’s sanctuary, into this holy place, to bless them and to remind ourselves that God has created all of us – whether we have skin or fur or feathers or scales; whether we swim, fly, walk, creep or crawl. And God has given US the responsibility to care for creation – including all the creatures in it – pets and working animals and those in the wild … For God has blessed us – so that we may bless one another – and God’s whole creation. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Pastor Pam Stalheim Lane
Faith-Lilac Way Lutheran
April 23, 2017

JOY! Jesus has called you by name

It’s early morning, still dark, when Mary heads to the tomb. But when she gets there – and sees that the stone is rolled away and the tomb has been opened – she runs to tell the disciples what she assumes has happened, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him." She’s still in the dark.

The disciples aren’t much help. They run back – find the tomb empty with two piles of neatly folded graveclothes – and then go home.

Mary, back at the tomb, weeps. Not only did her Lord die a shameful death, but now even his body is gone. Mary loved Jesus. He was her Lord. He gave her hope, dreams, faith. But now…all of it - her hopes, dreams, beliefs… dashed. Mary grieves. She weeps.

A visit from angels usually inspires fear. But when angels appear in the tomb and ask Mary, “Woman, why do you weep,?” she simply replied as she had to the disciples: "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him." She was still in the dark. Even when Jesus himself asks her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" she did not understand - she was still in the dark.

“Who are you looking for?” Mikayla, a young woman from our neighborhood, didn’t know. A couple of months ago I heard her tell her story - growing up with two parents who picked drugs over her - every day. These drugs released in her dad an anger that he took out on her - brutally kicking her, hitting her, and dragging her by her hair. Mikayla remembers running for the bathroom because it was the only room in the house with a lock on it. And she would sit there, afraid – sometimes all night, in the dark. Abused at home, bullied at school, Mikayla had reason to despair. “Who are you looking for?” Mikayla didn’t know… yet. But this is not the end of her story.  

Who are you looking for?” Sometimes that’s a hard question. Whether you grew up hearing the Easter story or you are hearing it new – or as if it was new today - there can be times in our lives that we find ourselves in the dark - lost in darkness, grief and despair. A relationship ends; A loved one dies or gets sick; A job or other opportunity slips through our fingers; dark days of depression waft over us; everything goes wrong… and we feel alone, in the dark. We grieve; we weep; we wonder… where is God? Where is Jesus in all of this heartache?

That was Mary’s question for this man– she assumed he was the gardener. She begs him to let her see Jesus’ body. But then… he did more than that -- he called her name: Mary.

Jesus called her by name (or maybe it was Ma Ma Ma Mary) and with that one word -- Mary’s world was transformed. What was dark became light; what was hidden was revealed; death became life and sorrow was turned into JOY!

This transformational joy is not only for Mary. Jesus has come – and is calling….you…. by name. Jesus is calling you out of darkness, out of despair, out of hopelessness and into light, hope and joy.

Yes, I know, we live in a world in which tyrants still rage and poison their own citizens. People die of hunger, illness, disease and war. Our world is still filled with deception, “fake news” and violence, darkness, pain and distress. And yet… it is into this very mess of a world that Jesus came – for Mary and for you…and you… and you… and me.

Even in the midst of sorrow and despair or maybe especially in those times and places where we feel lost, alone and in the dark, Jesus is with us. Even here. Even now. And so… we dare to hope. Because… this – sorrow and pain -- is not the end of the story.

It wasn’t the end of the story for British Statesman Winston Churchill either. At the end of his funeral – a service that he planned himself -- a solitary trumpeter played taps at the western door of the chapel symbolic of the setting sun – a fitting song for Churchill’s life and career of service. A few moments of silence followed. But then…breaking the silence came the sound of another trumpet – this time at the Eastern Chapel door, playing First Call - “Reveille,” – the morning wake-up song for the light of the new day.

It’s a new day. It’s a new day for Mary. Because Jesus doesn’t give Mary a great big hug and say, “See, I told you it would be ok.” Instead, rather than let her hold onto him and stay at the tomb sobbing – even tears of joy -- Jesus sends her out – on a mission.

Her mission is to share this good news – darkness has been changed to light; death to life, sorrow to JOY!.

It’s a new day. And Jesus has give us this mission too.

But it takes courage – Easter courage -- because the world around us is still living in Good Friday sorrows. The world around us still sees death, destruction and despair. As Christians – we acknowledge that those things are still there. But they don’t have the last word. It’s not the end of the story.

It wasn’t the end of the story for Mary and it wasn’t the end of the story for Mikayla either – although her life got worse – much worse – before it got better. You see, one day, Mikayla had had enough. And so she found a bottle of pills in the medicine cabinet – and thought she would end it all. Luckily, her mother found her and took her to the hospital. The next day she was taken to Treehouse – a neighborhood place for troubled teens that offers counseling, care and the love of Jesus. Over the next six years, Mikayla’s eyes were opened and she learned that she too was a child of God – and that Jesus has called her by name. Today, her mission is to share the good news of Jesus’ love with other youth who – like her are stuck in darkness and despair and have not heard of Jesus’ love.

Mikayla has a mission – and so do you. Jesus calls us – like Mary and Mikayla – by name and sends us out to carry with us – to bear on our lips the message of the Good News of Jesus’ love into a world that desperately needs to hear it.

We are sent out bearing a light to shine in the darkness, a word of hope to the hopeless and a message of Easter Joy to all we meet until this Good News of Jesus’ love has spread to the whole world and the world is filled with… JOY! Amen.

Pastor Pam Stalheim Lane
Faith-Lilac Way Lutheran church
Easter Sunday, April 16, 2017