Sunday, June 15, 2025

Join the Dance

 A few weeks ago, I attended my college reunion. It was fun to see old friends again and to catch up, and reminisce. Several of us remembered taking “Ballroom Dancing” as our Phy Ed class and falling in love with it. But it has some limitations. It requires knowledge of the steps – and it requires two people. It’s a partner dance.

 And that can be a problem. As my classmates and I gathered together, along with alumni from other classes, some returned without their partners, some never married, and many, probably most, of the others never learned Ballroom dance.

 So how do you have a dance in which all can participate? Obviously, you can’t have ballroom dance. But at this event, there was another challenge: there were people there celebrating their reunions in increments of 5 from the 5th to the 65th . How do you accommodate people wanting to hear music spanning from the 1950s to today?

 They came up with an ingenious solution. Everyone received a set of headphones – which had three settings, a trinity of settings – of red, green and blue and each of the headphones was connected to a different DJ’s music. And so, you could listen to music from different eras on each headset and change them whenever you wanted. So, there were people listening to different music but still dancing together.

Admittedly, it looked funny from the outside to see people dancing and not hearing any music. But to those who were dancing, it was super fun and everyone was included – including those who just wanted to chat. They could talk without having to compete with blaring music.

 Today we celebrate the festival of the Trinity. The word “trinity” is not found in the Bible but came about as followers of Jesus tried to explain their experience of God. In the beginning, most of the Jesus followers were Jewish, who were committed to monotheism, a belief in ONE God.

 But they also had experienced Jesus as God incarnate, God taking on human flesh and the Spirit of truth, the Holy Spirit, coming as Jesus promised, to guide, teach, and comfort. Clearly God was doing something new and they were trying to wrap their heads around One God revealed in three ways.

 Theologian and contemplative priest Richard Rohr describes it in this way. He says that “for God to be good, God can be one. For God to be loving, God has to be two because love is a relationship. But for God to be supreme joy and happiness, God has to be three. That’s because lovers do not know full happiness until they both delight in the same thing. 1 ”

 Rohr explains, “The law of three is made in order to undo the law of two.” 2 We tend to divide things into two – black OR white; rich or poor; right OR left…it becomes oppositional and you choose sides. You need a dance partner in order to participate. But when you have three, it changes the dynamic. It becomes relational, not dualistic. Speaking to a group of scientists, Rohr goes on to explain that “What physicists and contemplatives alike are confirming is that the foundational nature of reality is relational; everything is in relationship with everything else” 3 .

 In the Fourth Century, three theologians, two named Gregory and one named Basil, tried to explain this without the benefit of physics. They described the relationship between God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit as a circle dance. In a circle dance, everyone is included – regardless of who you are. All the things that we typically divide into two – male or female – young or old – rich or poor are irrelevant. For in a circle dance, people come together, and those who know the dance well, carry along those who are new, those who are young and those whose footsteps are faltering. With arms clasped together, shoulder to shoulder, each one is included, each one is a part of the dance. There is unity – but not uniformity.

Unity but not uniformity. Relationship and community across difference. These are some of the things that we were talking about when Dave Fernelius and Grant Galarneau-Becker, our president and Vice President and I gathered with other local ELCA pastors and representatives of their churches this past week. All of the churches are a part of the Wildfire collective – a group of churches that have been collaborating in many different ways over the past 17 years.

 We have done a lot of ministry together - and plan to continue. But it seemed time to revisit our “why” – why do we gather together so that we can be open to ways that God is leading us in the dance of revealing God’s love to our neighbors within District 281, the geographical space that we all share.

 The world around us is changing. That is not new. But the rate of change is unsettling. For example, some of our neighbors next door at Robbins Way depend upon Medicaid for their healthcare. Many of us depend upon North Memorial hospital for health care. With the US Senate budget changes that are looming, some of those resources may no longer be available. It is tempting to just ignore the changes around us and to hope that the problems just go away.

 And yet… in times of challenge and change, God speaks – and we need to listen and then act. As citizens and as people of faith, we cannot be silent. We can’t say, “it’s someone else’s problem. It doesn’t affect me.” We have been called by Christ to care for our neighbor. Jesus has sent the Holy Spirit to guide us. And so, together, we are called to discern how God is calling us to act in our community and in our world and then to respond.

 It may not be easy. But who would have guessed that you could have three kinds of music going at the same time and people in their 20s to 80s dancing together? The challenges of our world are much more significant than figuring out a reunion dance. But God has empowered us to be witnesses of God’s love and grace to ALL people. To act, we need the courage of Jesus and the wisdom of the Holy Spirit to guide us. And these are exactly the gifts that God has given to us for this time. “Through Jesus’ example, teaching, and love, we are made to understand and to rejoice in God’s love for us and to learn to love one another as neighbors dwelling close to the heart of God with the Son in the unity of love.  And when we do this, we show the world, in loving words and works, that it also is beloved, by embodying God’s love for it.

Meanwhile the Spirit is with us always, guiding us on the way of love, creating a space for us and in us to be part of the Trinitarian dance of God.” 4 The creator God has prepared the dance floor, Jesus has begun the music and the Holy Spirit is calling, “Will you dance?”

 1 The Divine Dance: The Trinity and Your Transformationby Richard Rohr on YouTube

ii Ibid

iii, Deacon Peter quoting Richard Rohr and The Divine Dance; The Trinity and Your

Transformation ibid

iv Meda Stamper Workingpreacher. org

Faith-Lilac Way Lutheran + June 15, 2025, Holy Trinity Sunday + Pastor Pam Stalheim Lane

Sunday, June 8, 2025

Come Holy Spirit. Come.

How does the Holy Spirit come? When we read the lesson from Acts

about the disciples speaking fluently about the power of God in foreign

languages – without one lesson – I’m filled with awe and amazement

and confidence that this must be the work of the Holy Spirit.

But a violent rush of wind and tongues of fire is not the only way that

the Spirit comes. In the Psalm we read that the Holy Spirit was there at

creation, creating all the world and all of the creatures in it -- and that

the Spirit is still creating and renewing the face of the earth. John’s

Gospel talks about the Holy Spirit coming as an Advocate, abiding with

us. The book of Romans speaks of the Spirit as bearing witness – with

our spirit – that we are children of God. Like a prism, today’s readings

show different ways that the Holy Spirit shows up in scripture.

But scripture is not the only way that the Holy Spirit is made known.

Where have you seen the Holy Spirit at work? Or have you just been too

busy “doing” to stop to notice that the Holy Spirit is at work among us?

You would not be alone.

But once in a while – we do. If you go to Louisville, Kentucky, to the

corner of Fourth and Walnut, you will see a cast-metal sign with the

words “A REVELATION” on it in Big Capital letters commemorating a

spiritual vision by Thomas Merton.

Thomas Merton had been a graduate student in English at Columbia

University. He was well regarded and clearly had a promising as an

academic. But, to the surprise of his family and friends and everyone

who knew him, he declared he had a call from God. He left the

university and joined the Trappists monks in Kentucky. The move was

not easy. Thomas struggled between his desires to be active in the world

and his call to the contemplative world. He became a prolific writer and

best-selling author. But these accolades were not the reason for the sign.

In his book, Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander, Thomas explains:

In Louisville, at the corner of Fourth and Walnut, in the center of

the shopping district, I was suddenly overwhelmed with the

realization that I loved all those people, that they were mine and I

theirs, that we could not be alien to one another even though we

were total strangers. It was like waking from a dream of

separateness … I have the immense joy of being [human], a

member of a race in which God became incarnate. As if the

sorrows and stupidities of the human condition could overwhelm

me, now I realize what we all are. And if only everybody could

realize this! But it cannot be explained. There is no way of telling

people that they are all walking around shining like the sun 1 .

The Holy Spirit opened his eyes to see the world the way that God sees

it. Sometimes we see it too – sometimes, like the Psalmist, we see God’s

work in creation – a beautiful sunrise or sunset, a mountain top, the early flower buds of spring, the green grass of summer and the sun sparking on the lakeshore, the snow glistening on the flocked trees in winter. If we stop and look, we can see God’s hand at work.

God is also at work on the corner of Fourth and Walnut in Louisville and

at 42 nd and Welcome in Robbinsdale. Today we will be baptizing Elijah,

this little baby who is named after a great prophet. And we will be

inviting the Holy Spirit to come. Using ordinary water and ordinary

words, the Holy will come in an extraordinary way to bless and to claim

Elijah as a child of God and sibling to Christ Jesus.

As Paul writes in the book of Romans, “ you have received a spirit of

adoption.” In your baptism, you are made – each one of you – a child of

God. And so we can be empowered to call out to God with all of our

needs and cares just as a little child cries out “Daddy, Mommy” when

they are hungry, tired, afraid AND when they are joyful and have

discovered something new. God takes delight in each of you, just as the

parents and grandparents of a child take delight in a newborn baby.

Like the sign on 4 th and Walnut in Louisiana, God’s Holy Spirit bears witness to this Revelation at Elijah is becoming a child of God on 42 nd and  Welcome and is surrounded by you, also God’ children – who are

“shining like the sun” – even though you can’t see it.

When we cry, “Abba! Father!”  it is that very Spirit bearing witness with

our spirit that we are children of God.

We need to keep reminding ourselves – and each other of who we are

and whose we are. As Paul reminds us, “you did not receive a spirit of

slavery to fall back into fear.” But it is so easy to do. We live in a world

that is full of forces that would enslave us – to hatred, bigotry, and

injustice. When we react with fear, we put our own selfish interests

above care for the other, the neighbor, the poor, the hungry, the migrant,

the one who was born somewhere else or who looks different from me

or you. When we succumb to fear, we are tempted to circle the wagons –

and leave those outside our circle to the wolves.

But this is not the way of Jesus. And this is not the way that the Spirit of

God leads us. Instead, as theologian Candace Hall writes, “As children

of God freed and forgiven, God’s Spirit reminds us who we are when

we’re fearful. When we’re suffering. When we think we’re ‘not enough.’

God’s Spirit reminds us that God made us in [GOD’s} image. We’re

beloved as God’s children, and there’s nothing we can do about

it.” 2   God loves you. Period.

Remembering who you are, and whose you are, let us joyfully proclaim,

“Come Holy Spirit, Come. Be made known to us and through us in the

words we say and in our actions. May the Holy Spirit shine through you

today. Amen.

1Thomas Merton, Spiritual Master: The Essential Writings, Paulist, 1992, 144–145)

2 Crystal Hall, Workingpreacher.org 2022 

Faith-Lilac Way Lutheran + Pentecost + June 8, 2025+ Pastor Pam Stalheim Lane

Sunday, June 1, 2025

It sure does not seem like it has been seven whole weeks since we gathered here together for Easter Sunday, with all its pomp and circumstance and beautiful flowers and returning alleluias. And yet, today is the seventh Sunday of Easter which is also the last Sunday of the liturgical season, and we will soon look ahead to Pentecost next week.

Because we are still in the Easter season, it admittedly struck me as slightly odd upon first reading that today’s gospel lesson comes from the part of the book of John where Jesus is getting ready to be handed over to the Romans. It’s kind of like, “wait now, are we going back and doing Holy Week all over again?” And yet, when we start to think about what is to come as we move forward into the soon to come season of Pentecost and the start of the Christian church, it actually makes perfect sense that this is the final passage that tees us up, so to speak, for all that is to come and all that the Holy Spirit is soon to do.

In his final hours, Jesus prays for unity, for connections amongst all God’s beloved children and for the rejection of the human created divisions that we create to separate us from one another. Just as is so often true still today, during the life of Jesus, social divisions were strong. Your citizenship, who you worshiped, to what Empire you gave your allegiance, where you called home were the things that that defined you. But, Jesus brings something new. Jesus shares love, a desire for beloved and radical community, and a new way of being, a new way of loving and caring for others. He prayed to God for connections and nearness, that God’s love which is embodied and enfleshed in Jesus will continue to be made known.

 Did you know that Jesus prayed for you? That in these last days of his life, amidst his betrayal, he prayed for all of his disciples yet to come and he prayed for unity.  We fall under that category. We, along with generations past and those yet to come are all part of this prayer.

Many of you know that I returned from a travel course through western Turkey on Friday night. (I’m only a tiny bit jet lagged.) And, because I knew I would be preaching on this text shortly after returning, I had these verses from today rolling around in my head for much of the trip. Jesus praying for his disciples to come is just so incredibly striking to me in general. And, then so many layers got added as I was immersed in the early years of the Christian church and the first gatherings of Christians. Jesus prayers today’s set the stage for Pentecost and for all that is soon to come.

It just happens that the day we arrived was actually the 1700th anniversary of the ecumenical council at Nicea, and though we did not go to Nicea on this trip, it was still incredibly neat to realize that I was in the country where it happened on that anniversary. The council of Nicea was an ecumenial gathering of bishops in Nicea, now modern day Iznik, Turkey,  meant to generate consensus on doctrines of the Christian faith. A few hundred years after the death of Jesus, many churches had been established throughout these far flung corners of the world, and Emperor Constantine decided it was time to come to some shared understanding of what it meant to be a Christian in the early centuries of the church.

One of the main outcomes of the Council of Nicea was the Nicene Creed, the development and finalization of was hotly debated and contested and we still say that creed together all these years later as a way of affirming our faith and acknowledging these vital foundations of our church.

 Another main outcome of the gathering was a consensus on the trinity, an affirmation that God is three beings, creator, son, and holy spirit, all working both together and independently. The Holy Spirit coming alive on Pentecost, moving through and among the followers of Jesus, is a continuation of this Easter celebration of love, justice, and unity. But, we’ll dig more into Pentecost next week.

In the meantime, it is amazing to take note of all of these Christian foundations which people of faith have continued to build upon and sometimes deviate from throughout these rough two thousand years of Christian history.

There is something comforting to be about realizing that we are not the first to question and wander- our Christian ancestors who came before us have been doing the same thing this whole time. And, amidst all of that wondering, wandering, and questioning, Jesus reminds us that he desires unity for us. That as a communion of all dearly loved children of God we celebrate that there is so much that connects us.

In his final hours with his first disciples, when he was so close to being handed over to the Romans to be executed, Jesus prioritized praying for his followers and friends in the present and all those yet to come, and he prayed that they, which does include us, would all be united together in God’s abundant and expansive love that is enfleshed through Jesus’ ministry and life.

The foundations of the early church remain with us today, which serves as a reminder that our faith is both ancient and always being made new through our God of the Trinity.

As we go out into this week, I invite you to think about a few things:

Where are the places in your life where you have felt yourself stand atop a strong foundation? And, where are the places where you have built a foundation which those who come after you will stand on what you have built and then create beyond it? Who are the people, both anticipated and unexpected who you have had to work with, whether by choice or necessity, to create that foundation? What are your hopes for all who will come after you?

In these last days of this Easter season, may we remember that through Christ we are always made anew. That we stand on structures established by the great cloud of witnesses who came before us and we leave. May we be emboldened to continue to work together to make God’s unity, love, and grace known to all. Amen.

Vicar Karla Leitzman

Sunday, May 25, 2025

You are Invited

Have you ever given or received an invitation that has changed your life? Perhaps the words, “Will you marry me?” The answer will change two people’s lives. Or maybe an invitation to join a youth Bible study or a Mom’s group or even an invitation to lunch.

 Invitations can change everything. In the passage right before our Acts lesson, Paul was eager to go and share the Good News of Jesus. But every time he picked a place to go, he kept being blocked from going there. Paul interprets this as the Holy Spirit saying, “no, don’t go; you are called to go and share the Good news – but not there.” 

 I imagine Paul was getting a little frustrated at the closed doors he was encountering but then he had a night vision from a Macedonian man from Macedonia, a mountainous region of Northern Greece. The man was calling to him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”  It was a bit of risk, to simply follow a dream, a night vision, but this is what Paul was waiting for – so they set sail immediately until they came to Philippi, which was a Roman colony, the seat of power under Phillip the Second. They were there for several days – but no one met them. Finally, on the Sabbath, they looked for a Synagogue to attend. The tradition was that it takes ten Jewish men to form a synagogue. But this was a Greek city and Paul could not find a synagogue anywhere in the city. So, he and Silas went outside the gate to the river hoping to find Jewish people gathered there for prayer and worship. And they did. But the man who beckoned them to come wasn’t there. Instead, he found a woman’s prayer gathering.

 At this point, Paul could have just kept on going, looking for the Macedonian man who had called him in his vision. But, at the invitation of the women, he sat down and taught them about Jesus. 

 One of the women listening was Lydia. Lydia is an interesting person who breaks a lot of the stereotypes of women of that day. She was a merchant, a business woman who sold purple cloth – which was a very expensive, highly prized material. She was the head of her household. And, she was not from around there. She was from Thyratira, in Asia. So she had traveled a similar path as Paul had to come to Philipi. She had a large house and a household and as such had some standing in the community.  And finally, she is called a “worshipper of God.” She was a seeker, she wasn’t ethnically or religiously Jewish and yet there she was, with the Jewish women, praying.

 As Paul and Silas and Timothy shared the good news of Jesus, the Lord opened the heart of Lydia. She received the invitation to believe and she was baptized and – as was the tradition of the time – her whole household was baptized too. 

 But here comes what I think is the most interesting part of this story. Not only was Lydia baptized and instructed her household to be baptized, but she also felt empowered to make an invitation of her own. She invited Paul and Silas to come and stay at her house. And it wasn’t just a casual invitation. She prevailed upon them, inviting them to make good on their promise that she was a worthy, saying, “If you have judged me faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my house.” 

 Clearly, the Holy Spirit not only opened her heart to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, but also empowered her to share her gifts as well. Lydia’s home then became not just a place for Paul and Silas to stay but also a “safe place” for Christians and the beginning of the church of Philippi. Lydia transitioned from being a receiver to being a contributor.

 There was a church that offered a free meal to the hungry in a poor neighborhood. That isn’t unusual. Lots of churches do this.  What was unusual was that the ones who were serving the meal were not people from outside the community doing an act of charity. Instead, the people serving the meal were same as the people, often homeless people, who had come for the meal.  When I asked about it, I was told that one of the guests had asked to be a server – and instead of holding on to this position for himself – the leader invited this man to take his apron and switched spots with him, allowing the homeless man to serve him.  Now, the leaders of the church – and this formerly homeless man – are on the lookout for people who, like him, want to be empowered to serve rather than to simply receive.

 It was a subtle change. But it made a huge difference for the people. Instead of feeling like they were always on the receiving end, these people were invited and empowered to be a part of the team that served the neighbor in need.

 How is God inviting you? How is the Holy Spirit opening your heart?  It may be an invitation to serve – instead of being served. Or it may be an invitation to community and to relationship.

 I may have shared this story before but as I was thinking about invitations, I was reminded of my first day of at what was then called Plymouth Junior high. It had been a good morning. I was having a great time getting to meet all sorts of new people. But at lunchtime, when I came out of the lunch line with my caf tray and saw a sea of faces – more people my age than I had ever seen before--sitting at tables with no direction as to where I belonged … I froze. Where do I go?  Cindy Spielde, a girl I met in homeroom, came up to me and said, “Would you like to sit with us?” A wave of gratitude washed over me and I said, “Oh yes.” She became a dear friend.

 It was a simple invitation. But it meant the world to me. And so, friends in Christ, I invite you to ponder – how is God opening your heart? What is the Holy Spirit inviting you into? How can you invite someone else to hear God’s good news?  How can you be the Good News to someone else – perhaps someone you have not yet met?

 Those of us who have grown up in the church probably don’t realize that it can be a really hard journey from the parking lot to walking through the church door. And that’s just the beginning… At a church meeting on Evangelism, one of the speakers said that one of the most frequent barriers to attending a new church is not knowing where the bathroom is. Hearing this as an “insider” and an extravert this was incredibly surprising to me, after all, couldn’t they just ask?

 And yet, a few weeks ago I had the opportunity to be “new” to a church setting. Vicar Karla and I were on an internship retreat at St. John’s monastery’s retreat house and some of us decided to go to the morning weekday service with the monks. We walk in the wrong door and end up in the back of the church – just where a Lutheran wants to be, right? But then we see a monk beckoning us forward and we have to cross the entire sanctuary to our seats in the guest area up front.  With a few whispers he then shows us the three books that we need for the 20 minute service and he disappears. I noticed a sign on the wall but there was no bulletin. Luckily for us, a very kind man, an alumni of St. John’s, helped us when we couldn’t find our place in the worship. It was a simple gesture, but it helped me feel like I belonged.

 Like Lydia, we are all both seekers and people who have something to offer. As seekers, we are invited to ask ourselves: what are we seeking? “Where is the hunger of your soul leading you towards? It is easy to neglect this question in the midst of our busy lives. For those of us for whom life is a series of tasks to get done or goals to be accomplished or health crises to be endured, it is easy to forget to ask where God is in the midst of all of that. The seeker is one who is on the lookout for the presence of God. The seeker is looking for God in the world around her, and in the people he meets, and in the challenges and opportunities along the way. Lydia reminds us to continue seeking.” 1

Lydia also reminds us that, hearing the word and receiving the gift of God’s love and grace, she and we are empowered to share the gifts we have with others. For when God opened her heart, Lydia opened her home and became one who welcomed and invited others.

Siblings in Christ, may we be open to God’s invitation to hear God’s word; to Jesus’ invitation to come to the table and to the Holy Spirit’s invitation to empower others to hear and see that they also belong to Christ. Thanks be to God. Amen.

May 25, 2025 + Faith-Lilac Way Lutheran Church + Pastor Pam Stalheim Lane

1 Day1 https://day1.org/weekly-broadcast/681b10b86615fb2641007358/view

Sunday, May 18, 2025

Gems of Beauty

Are you a rock picker? Walking along the shore of a river, lake or ocean, do you find yourself picking up a sparkling rock, an interesting shell or a piece of drift wood?  I do – and so do other members of my family. When our boys were little, I had to put a limit on the number of rocks they could bring home – a catch and release rule – even though they argued that each rock was as precious as a gem stone. If you visited our home, you would find that when we moved, we could not part from many of these beloved rocks and shells.

 What is precious to you? What do you hold onto?

 Science fiction writer Ray Bradbury loved books. Living during WWII when Hitler was burning books, Bradbury penned a science fiction story in which all books were being banned and burned. In order to preserve these books, a group of renegade book lovers memorized their favorite book. One chose the Gospel of Mark, another the Gospel of John, another chose the Odyssey & the Iliad. A book lover myself, I pondered which book would I memorize?  Would it be the Gospel of Luke? Or Romans? A teenager when I first read this book, this prospect seemed daunting …maybe I would choose something shorter like one of Paul’s letters or 1st John. It’s only a couple of pages long.

 Martin Luther chose the Psalms. As a monk, Luther learned the Psalms by heart and they became a bedrock for his faith. In his preface to the Psalms, Luther writes, “The human heart is like a ship on a stormy sea driven about by winds blowing from all four corners of heaven. The Book of Psalms is full of heartfelt utterances made during storms of this kind.”

 This is certainly reflected in the Psalms chosen for today. And while we may not be able or choose to memorize the whole book of Psalms, there are some verses here that are as bright as gems – and are worth picking up and holding in your hand and in your heart.

 Some of the Psalms speak in the first person – and so when you are filled with despair and hopelessness, I urge you to recall this verse from Psalm 121: “I lift up my eyes to the hills – from where will my help come?” The response is swift: “My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”

 Other Psalms are for the community. When we are buffeted by storms of any kind, remember these words from Psalm 46, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” And God’s response to our flailing around, “Be still, and know that I am God.”

 The Psalms were the prayerbook of Jesus and can be your prayer book too. When your heart feels like it is a ship on a stormy sea, you can join the Psalmist in expressing your anger, frustration or fear and then… keep reading until you hear God’s response of hope, protection and assurance that you can trust in God. And, when your heart is full of gratitude and your boat is in peaceful waters, you can find in the Psalms inspiring words of hope, gratitude, praise and adoration. 

 May you find in the Psalms gems of beauty that sparkle with wisdom, hope and the promises of God. As the Psalmist writes: “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.”  Thanks be to God. Amen.

 1Martin Luther,  Preface to the Psalter.

May 18, 2025 + Faith-Lilac Way Lutheran + Pastor Pam Stalheim Lane

Sunday, May 11, 2025

Jesus, Lamb of God; Jesus our Good Shepherd

 Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me.”  Calling himself a Shepherd and his followers sheep would have been a familiar metaphor for his listeners.  Sheep thrived on the tufts of grass on the hills of Judea – where other things couldn’t grow -- and they needed shepherds to watch them. David was a shepherd before he became King of Israel and learned a few lessons about what it meant to care for the vulnerable as he sat with his slingshot, keeping an eye out for predators. When he became King, he like other rulers was called to “shepherd,” to care, for his people like a good shepherd cares for his sheep. The Psalmist uses the image of a Shepherd for God in the 23rd Psalm, as the Psalmist and we proclaim, “the Lord is my Shepherd.”

 So, it is not surprising that we find sheep and shepherd imagery in the Revelation to John. 

Revelation is a book that many – including me – often avoided because it has been mis-used over the years. But when a woman begged me to do a Bible study on Revelation because she was plagued by some of the things that she had heard and read – like the “Left Behind” series and wanted to know what the Bible really said, I relented. I’m glad I did and I want to share a few highlights of what I learned – especially as reflected in our passage today.

 First a little background: The Revelation to John is a letter written by John (because of the date of the letter this is probably not the disciple John). He is on the isle of Patmos during the height of the Roman empire – he may have been exiled there because of his faith. We don’t know any more details but we do know he had an apocalyptic vision and shares it with seven churches. John was concerned about these churches. Some of the churches dared to live out their faith publicly, proclaiming “Jesus is Lord” in the midst of an empire that proclaimed “Caesar is Lord.” The people in these churches were struggling economically and were in danger of persecution. But other churches quietly worshiped on Sunday and then accommodated the empire on the rest of the week – they didn’t make waves and were rewarded for it. John’s letter offers a word of comfort to those who are suffering for their faith and a word of challenge to those who “going along.” He encourages both to follow the Good Shepherd and not the empire. So, everything in this letter – which is a vision – is a word to these churches and to each of us as we make choices about who we will follow -- the Good Shepherd or the Empire of our day.

Our text for today begins with what John sees: “there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages.”  This is in addition to the 144,000 that he’s talked about in the last chapter. The number has swelled – and it includes people from every nation, every tribe, every language and culture. There is a great diversity. John can’t count the number. And what are they doing? They are having church! They are waving Palm branches like we do on Palm Sunday.  They are worshipping the Lamb of God and they are singing. “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”  Ever wonder where the lyrics for our hymns and worship music comes from? More come from or were inspired by the book of Revelation than any other book of the Bible.

 But then John gets asked a question: Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?”  John wisely responds: “Sir, you are the one who knows.” Then he said to me, “These are they who have come out of the great ordeal.”

 This is a message to the members of the churches who have suffered for their faith. Their faith has not been in vain. But as with other things referenced in Revelation “the great ordeal” is not limited to one event in time or space. People of all generations experience challenges to living out their faith honestly and authentically. There is always the temptation to get comfortable or complacent. The encouragement of Revelation is to dare to follow Jesus. 

The elder goes on to say: “they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

There are many paradoxes in the book of Revelation. Anyone who has done laundry knows that blood is really hard to get out of clothing and, if you want something white, you wash it with bleach – not blood. But this is the paradox - their hearts and souls – as well as their robes are being cleansed by the blood of Jesus, the lamb of God.  They were washed, cleansed, made new and whole by what seems as if it should stain them.

 The final paradox of this section is that Jesus is referred to as the lamb of God – and the shepherd. Just as there are many Biblical references for the role of shepherds, there are also Biblical references to lambs. God gave Abraham a lamb to sacrifice instead of his son Isaac. God told Moses to put the blood of the lamb on their doorposts to avoid the plague of the angel of death. Lambs had been used for sacrifice throughout the Old Testament. But while prophets had proclaimed the coming of one who would be a sacrificial lamb, it is in the first chapter of the Gospel of John that Jesus is proclaimed as, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” This is who John of Patmos is proclaiming in the the Book of Revelation and who we proclaim Jesus to be at every communion service as we sing the Lamb of God.

 But Jesus is also called “the Good Shepherd” – both in the Gospel of John and here. Here is the paradox: Just as Jesus, son of God, took on flesh so that he could be one of us and die for us; Jesus is both the shepherd who cares for the sheep and the lamb who died for them and in whose blood, we are made new.

And these are the promises of Jesus, the Lamb of God who is our shepherd. Those who follow Jesus “will hunger no more and thirst no more…for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

These are the promises of Jesus, the Good Shepherd for you.

In response: we are to dare to follow Jesus – and not the Empire. We are to follow the way of Jesus who teaches us to love and welcome the neighbor, the other, to care for the sick, the marginalized, the poor.  And even though it is easier or tempting to be distracted by the false and tempting offers of “success” by those whose interest is in enriching themselves, Jesus invites us to follow him and his way. For Jesus says, “My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me.” 

Following Jesus means listening to the voice of Jesus. I can think of no better way to listen to the voice of Jesus than by engaging in prayer, Bible study and worship. These practices build the foundation of faith.

When we pray, we are inviting God to enter into our lives and I encourage you, in your praying, to take time to: praise and thank God for the gifts you have received; ask God for forgiveness for the things that you have done and failed to do; share with God your questions and concerns and don’t be afraid to ask for help! Ask God to guide your thoughts and your actions for that day. AND THEN… listen. Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice.” In order to hear Jesus’ voice, we need to listen.

Bible study is not just for Sunday school and confirmation. It is taking the time to read God’s word and apply it to how we live our daily lives. When we do Bible study together, we are seeking God’s direction for our lives – rather than all of the other sources that seek to influence what we do with our time and our lives and the money and resources that we have. How do we spend the time we call “ours”? How do we spend the money we call “ours”? Who do we serve? Who do we protect and care for?  Who do we advocate for? Who are we following? It’s less about having head knowledge and more about learning how Jesus would have us act in the world. Jesus sent his disciples out into the world – and sends you and me out too.

Finally – and with great joy -- we worship together. I say together, because when we worship, we are joining a crowd of witnesses both on earth and in heaven above praising God and being strengthened for love and service. So let us sing joyfully. Because no matter what challenges may come your way, or our way, Jesus is still Lord of heaven and earth. So let us join in praising Jesus, the lamb of God, our shepherd and Lord. Amen.

May 11, 2025 + Pastor Pam Stalheim Lane + Faith-Lilac Way Lutheran

Sunday, May 4, 2025

Last weekend, I was on campus down at Gustavus Adolphus College, representing Faith Lilac Way at the annual Association of Congregations Meeting. Gustavus just happens to be my beloved alma mater, and it was a wonderful excuse to be on campus in the beautiful springtime as the semester winds down. During her state of the college, President Bergman reminded all of us that graduation was right around the corner for this year’s graduating seniors. It is, in fact, today. So with that in mind, throughout the last week, I have been finding myself thinking about my own graduations.

 I remember graduating from high school, slightly sad yes because I was very fortunate to have a mostly positive high school experience with good friends I remain close to still today, but mostly I was just excited and I was ready for what was next. I could just taste the newness, the freedom, that all that was to come could only be good. I felt like I had the world at my feet. And that assuredness mostly turned out to be founded. And, my four years at college where I headed right after high school were largely fantastic, and I am grateful every single day for my undergraduate experiences and friendships.

            But, I remember feeling very differently on the day of my college graduation than I did for high school. In that season, I felt like I was losing much of my identity, so much of what had defined me for the last four years. How was I supposed to go out into the real world and not need to introduce myself with my major? And what do you mean that my best friends would no longer live a flight of stairs above me or across the parking lot? I felt completely lost and I felt sad. And I found that the best I could do was to just think of what was immediately next. I would move home to my parents’ house before my internship started. And when people asked me what was next for me, I would glibly answer that well for now I was going to just focus on reading the new Dan Brown novel because I couldn’t remember the last time I’d read a book for fun. During the last week of school, one of my friends even made a sign that he affixed to his backpack that said, “I am a senior. No, I don’t know the meaning of life and I don’t know what I’m doing after graduation, so you can all stop asking.” At the end of it, there was this feeling of, well, there’s nothing to do but to head for home and figure out what would come next.

            Today’s gospel lesson exemplifies these feelings but on steroids. If I thought I was lost and had given up huge pieces of my identity just by graduating from college, I really can’t fathom how Jesus’ disciples must have felt. The man that they followed, who they had sacrificed for, was gone, seemingly along with the assurance that he was in fact the messiah they had all longed for. What would be waiting upon arriving home? Where was home? Was Cleopas nervous to get home because he didn’t want the earful from his family about his disappearance during the years he was following Jesus? Can you imagine those I told you so’s?

            Today is actually Star Wars day. It’s May 4th, so may the fourth be with you. Obviously, I have to use the excuse to work Star Wars into today’s sermon. Today’s gospel lesson brings about so many feelings of unrequited hopes and dreams. I admit that I do generally prefer the original Star Wars movies, episodes 4, 5, and 6 which were released in the 70s and 80s. I can mostly take or leave episodes 1,2, and 3 and then 7, 8, and 9. But, there is a scene that comes to my mind in today’s context. At the end of the third movie, we reach a pivotal moment. Movies 1, 2, and 3 have shown Annakin Skywalker, working and training with his jedi master, Obi Wan Knobi to become a jedi and wielder of the Force. Annakin is thought to be the one who is foretold to bring balance to the force, aligning himself with the “good” side of the force along with Yoda and Obi Wan. But, Annakin is seduced to the dark side of the force, eventually morphing into the infamous Darth Vader.

            At the end of the third movie, after a lot of drama and violence, Annakin has fought with Obi Wan and he is falling back into a volcano. In anger, desperation Obi Wan yells, “You were my brother. You were the chosen one.” And I wonder, did any of Jesus’ disciples cry out similar words after his crucifixion? I imagine variations of “Jesus, you were my brother, my teacher, my confidant. I believed in you, left home for you, was ostracized by communities for you. You were supposed to be the chosen one. The Messiah. You didn’t bring God’s wrath and revenge like you were supposed to. Now what am I supposed to do?”

            And then, as they are journeying on that road, Jesus meets them, surprising them. Not only do they not recognize him but they are shocked that here is someone who hasn’t heard the news of what has just occurred in Jerusalem. I am sure it would have seemed absolutely wild to them- that their worlds have completely shifted and changed in every way imaginable and here is a new person who doesn’t have any concept and whose world seemingly has just kept on turning while their world would have been completely turned upside down.And then, this stranger doesn’t just pass them by, not only does he meet them there in the road, but he continues walking alongside them for quite a long walk.

When I studied abroad in Sweden during my sophomore year at Gustavus, our group took a day trip to see the factory where the dala horses, so famous in Sweden, are made and painted. We were staying in a folk school about ten kilometers from the factory which was a bit removed in a more rural village. We boarded the bus and learned about the history of the horses and the painting traditions. We took some photos, bought some souvenirs, and had a grand time. Until we missed our bus to go back to town. We had two choices. We could wait for the next bus, about 8 hours away, or we could walk back. Now keep in mind this was a really tiny town. Pretty much the only thing we could have done to pass the time would have been to sit at a bus stop. So, we collectively just started the 10 kilometer trek and remember that none of us were wearing clothing or footwear with the notion of needing to be able to walk that distance that day.

As we were finishing the walk, we were very hungry and we were tired and our feet hurt. Such a terrible trifecta. As we started that final mile or so, we looked up and saw the golden arches of McDonalds, and to this day, I don’t think McDonalds has ever tasted so good. And this story is one of our shared favorite memories from our semester that we still laugh about all these years later. It just so happens that the distance we traversed that day was about the length of the walk that today’s disciples would have been walking to Emmaus. Aka I can attest that there would have been plenty of time for conversation and connections.

            Throughout the Torah, the commandment to welcome the stranger appears 36 times. This means that Cleopas and the other disciples would have been very well versed and knowledgeable about the importance of honoring the stranger. It was not an accident that Jesus showed up as a stranger, and the word that is used here is the word that would have been translated to mean foreigner. In Greek, the word for stranger is paroikos. Oikos means “house,” so literally, par-oikos means “outside the house.” This is the same word that is used for someone who lives in a country without citizenship. Cleopas calls Jesus an “immigrant,” a “foreigner.” How often do we, too, assume that we understand and that others are outsiders who do not belong?

            You all might be picking up throughout my time here with you so far on how much I love the multitudes of literary devices and parallels we can find throughout the bible, the bookends as I like to call them. So, if we look back to Jesus’ birth and the very start of his story, he came into this world as a stranger. A displaced Gallilean, far away from home, guests in Bethlehem, without resources, without even a proper place to spend the night. And then, before they could even return home, they were forced to flee to Egypt for fear of their safety and their lives.      So, Jesus enters the world as a stranger. And here in today’s story from Luke, he is once again a stranger.

            How might our world look different if we saw Jesus reflected in the face of each stranger, each foreigner we met? Where are the places where the face, ministry, legacy of Jesus is present and alive, but we do not recognize it? Perhaps we don’t recognize it because our minds are already made up, that we feel we know the stories and experiences of someone we do not know. How much more wonderful could our world, this kingdom of God’s which we are tasked with creating here on Earth, look different if we could just remember to look for the face of Jesus in the stranger, in those who are different from us, those who are outsiders?

            Though he is not physically here, Jesus meets us on the road, on all roads, the short and easy traversable ones, and the very windy ones that we are forced to walk when we do not expect to and when we do not want to. Jesus meets us there all the same. And, even when he makes himself known to his friends, he makes it clear that it is peace that he brings. Just as he did when he was living and walking among them during his ministry on Earth.

            May we be brave enough to look for Jesus in the faces of those who are different from us, the outsiders, the lost, the forgotten, those who don’t share our same experiences or beliefs. As Christ meats us on the roads, so too, may we exemplify that love and presence to accompany and meet others on their own roads.  Amen.

Vicar Karla Leitzman

Sunday, May 4, 2025

Last weekend, I was on campus down at Gustavus Adolphus College, representing Faith Lilac Way at the annual Association of Congregations Meeting. Gustavus just happens to be my beloved alma mater, and it was a wonderful excuse to be on campus in the beautiful springtime as the semester winds down. During her state of the college, President Bergman reminded all of us that graduation was right around the corner for this year’s graduating seniors. It is, in fact, today. So with that in mind, throughout the last week, I have been finding myself thinking about my own graduations.

 I remember graduating from high school, slightly sad yes because I was very fortunate to have a mostly positive high school experience with good friends I remain close to still today, but mostly I was just excited and I was ready for what was next. I could just taste the newness, the freedom, that all that was to come could only be good. I felt like I had the world at my feet. And that assuredness mostly turned out to be founded. And, my four years at college where I headed right after high school were largely fantastic, and I am grateful every single day for my undergraduate experiences and friendships.

            But, I remember feeling very differently on the day of my college graduation than I did for high school. In that season, I felt like I was losing much of my identity, so much of what had defined me for the last four years. How was I supposed to go out into the real world and not need to introduce myself with my major? And what do you mean that my best friends would no longer live a flight of stairs above me or across the parking lot? I felt completely lost and I felt sad. And I found that the best I could do was to just think of what was immediately next. I would move home to my parents’ house before my internship started. And when people asked me what was next for me, I would glibly answer that well for now I was going to just focus on reading the new Dan Brown novel because I couldn’t remember the last time I’d read a book for fun. During the last week of school, one of my friends even made a sign that he affixed to his backpack that said, “I am a senior. No, I don’t know the meaning of life and I don’t know what I’m doing after graduation, so you can all stop asking.” At the end of it, there was this feeling of, well, there’s nothing to do but to head for home and figure out what would come next.

            Today’s gospel lesson exemplifies these feelings but on steroids. If I thought I was lost and had given up huge pieces of my identity just by graduating from college, I really can’t fathom how Jesus’ disciples must have felt. The man that they followed, who they had sacrificed for, was gone, seemingly along with the assurance that he was in fact the messiah they had all longed for. What would be waiting upon arriving home? Where was home? Was Cleopas nervous to get home because he didn’t want the earful from his family about his disappearance during the years he was following Jesus? Can you imagine those I told you so’s?

            Today is actually Star Wars day. It’s May 4th, so may the fourth be with you. Obviously, I have to use the excuse to work Star Wars into today’s sermon. Today’s gospel lesson brings about so many feelings of unrequited hopes and dreams. I admit that I do generally prefer the original Star Wars movies, episodes 4, 5, and 6 which were released in the 70s and 80s. I can mostly take or leave episodes 1,2, and 3 and then 7, 8, and 9. But, there is a scene that comes to my mind in today’s context. At the end of the third movie, we reach a pivotal moment. Movies 1, 2, and 3 have shown Annakin Skywalker, working and training with his jedi master, Obi Wan Knobi to become a jedi and wielder of the Force. Annakin is thought to be the one who is foretold to bring balance to the force, aligning himself with the “good” side of the force along with Yoda and Obi Wan. But, Annakin is seduced to the dark side of the force, eventually morphing into the infamous Darth Vader.

            At the end of the third movie, after a lot of drama and violence, Annakin has fought with Obi Wan and he is falling back into a volcano. In anger, desperation Obi Wan yells, “You were my brother. You were the chosen one.” And I wonder, did any of Jesus’ disciples cry out similar words after his crucifixion? I imagine variations of “Jesus, you were my brother, my teacher, my confidant. I believed in you, left home for you, was ostracized by communities for you. You were supposed to be the chosen one. The Messiah. You didn’t bring God’s wrath and revenge like you were supposed to. Now what am I supposed to do?”

            And then, as they are journeying on that road, Jesus meets them, surprising them. Not only do they not recognize him but they are shocked that here is someone who hasn’t heard the news of what has just occurred in Jerusalem. I am sure it would have seemed absolutely wild to them- that their worlds have completely shifted and changed in every way imaginable and here is a new person who doesn’t have any concept and whose world seemingly has just kept on turning while their world would have been completely turned upside down.And then, this stranger doesn’t just pass them by, not only does he meet them there in the road, but he continues walking alongside them for quite a long walk.

When I studied abroad in Sweden during my sophomore year at Gustavus, our group took a day trip to see the factory where the dala horses, so famous in Sweden, are made and painted. We were staying in a folk school about ten kilometers from the factory which was a bit removed in a more rural village. We boarded the bus and learned about the history of the horses and the painting traditions. We took some photos, bought some souvenirs, and had a grand time. Until we missed our bus to go back to town. We had two choices. We could wait for the next bus, about 8 hours away, or we could walk back. Now keep in mind this was a really tiny town. Pretty much the only thing we could have done to pass the time would have been to sit at a bus stop. So, we collectively just started the 10 kilometer trek and remember that none of us were wearing clothing or footwear with the notion of needing to be able to walk that distance that day.

As we were finishing the walk, we were very hungry and we were tired and our feet hurt. Such a terrible trifecta. As we started that final mile or so, we looked up and saw the golden arches of McDonalds, and to this day, I don’t think McDonalds has ever tasted so good. And this story is one of our shared favorite memories from our semester that we still laugh about all these years later. It just so happens that the distance we traversed that day was about the length of the walk that today’s disciples would have been walking to Emmaus. Aka I can attest that there would have been plenty of time for conversation and connections.

            Throughout the Torah, the commandment to welcome the stranger appears 36 times. This means that Cleopas and the other disciples would have been very well versed and knowledgeable about the importance of honoring the stranger. It was not an accident that Jesus showed up as a stranger, and the word that is used here is the word that would have been translated to mean foreigner. In Greek, the word for stranger is paroikos. Oikos means “house,” so literally, par-oikos means “outside the house.” This is the same word that is used for someone who lives in a country without citizenship. Cleopas calls Jesus an “immigrant,” a “foreigner.” How often do we, too, assume that we understand and that others are outsiders who do not belong?

            You all might be picking up throughout my time here with you so far on how much I love the multitudes of literary devices and parallels we can find throughout the bible, the bookends as I like to call them. So, if we look back to Jesus’ birth and the very start of his story, he came into this world as a stranger. A displaced Gallilean, far away from home, guests in Bethlehem, without resources, without even a proper place to spend the night. And then, before they could even return home, they were forced to flee to Egypt for fear of their safety and their lives.      So, Jesus enters the world as a stranger. And here in today’s story from Luke, he is once again a stranger.

            How might our world look different if we saw Jesus reflected in the face of each stranger, each foreigner we met? Where are the places where the face, ministry, legacy of Jesus is present and alive, but we do not recognize it? Perhaps we don’t recognize it because our minds are already made up, that we feel we know the stories and experiences of someone we do not know. How much more wonderful could our world, this kingdom of God’s which we are tasked with creating here on Earth, look different if we could just remember to look for the face of Jesus in the stranger, in those who are different from us, those who are outsiders?

            Though he is not physically here, Jesus meets us on the road, on all roads, the short and easy traversable ones, and the very windy ones that we are forced to walk when we do not expect to and when we do not want to. Jesus meets us there all the same. And, even when he makes himself known to his friends, he makes it clear that it is peace that he brings. Just as he did when he was living and walking among them during his ministry on Earth.

            May we be brave enough to look for Jesus in the faces of those who are different from us, the outsiders, the lost, the forgotten, those who don’t share our same experiences or beliefs. As Christ meats us on the roads, so too, may we exemplify that love and presence to accompany and meet others on their own roads.  Amen.

            Vicar Karla Leitzman

Easter Sunday, April 20, 2025

Living Resurrection

Three nails. You should have received three nails last Sunday or today. If you don’t have at least one nail please raise your hand and the ushers will bring you one. They are a little sharp and so for the children we have plastic crosses.

 I’d like you to take a look at those nails right now. Nails are not an ordinary gift on Easter Sunday. Nails would seem to belong to Good Friday and the story of the crucifixion – not Easter – right? After all, today is the day that we celebrate the resurrection of Christ. Today is the day for Easter eggs, lilies and alleluias. 

 This is all true. And yet…our Gospel today begins not with an Easter proclamation but with Mary Magdalene weeping as she mourns the death of Jesus. She watched as he hung nailed to the cross. She watched as he was buried in the tomb. And so now, having stayed away on the Sabbath, as the law required, she came to the tomb early Sunday morning – while it was still dark --  to grieve, to weep, to mourn. She learned firsthand that grief is the price we pay for love. But when she comes to the tomb and sees that it is open, her immediate reaction is fear and so she ran. 

 She ran to the disciples and after she tells Peter and the other disciple, they take off running. They run to the tomb… only to find it empty and with nothing but folded graveclothes as a clue.  John writes that one of the disciples believes – but they don’t yet understand.  So, they go home. What else could they do?

 Mary Magdalene comes back – but she’s not running this time. It’s hard to run when you are weeping. The empty tomb and the missing body just compound her grief. What could she do? She can’t even grieve property.

 When angels show up in the Bible, their first words are usually “Do not be afraid.” Perhaps Mary’s grief is too great to make her more afraid – and so when the angels ask Mary why she is weeping, she simply tells them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” Her grief has led her to make assumptions – normal assumptions – that what is dead, stays dead and that the dead cannot move themselves. And so she weeps all the more. Then Jesus asks her the same question, “Woman why are you weeping?” Perhaps she is blinded by grief or maybe simply cannot see through her tears but she makes another assumption  - that he is a gardener and so she asks if he took the body?  

 It is only when Jesus calls her by name that her grief-caused fear, anxiety and hopelessness fall away and she recognizes Jesus. Her grief turns to surprise, wonder and joy. Her inaction turns to action as Jesus empowers Mary Magdalene to return again to the disciples. This time, she does not run in fear and grief. This time she goes with faith, good courage and hope. Her fear has been replaced by faith and her anxiety has turned to courage and her feelings of frustration and hopelessness have turned to hope as she proclaims, “I have seen the Lord” and announces the Good News of Jesus’ resurrection. The living resurrection of Christ is GOOD NEWS.

 But can we hear it as good news today? Or do we get stuck in fear, anxiety and a sense of hopelessness when the world around us seems out of our control, when bad things happen and when hopes and dreams are shattered. Do we hang on to the nails and only focus on the hurts and pain of our world?

  Like Mary Magdalene, we need to remember, and to remind one another, of the transformative power of Christ that leads us from fear to faith, from anxiety to courage, from hopelessness to hope and from death to new life in Christ.

 Vicar Sam Wells, an English priest and theologian in the church of England, tells the story of how one man embraced a living resurrection infused with faith, courage and hope.

 At 7:48 AM, six days a week, the BBC features a two-minute broadcast by a religious leader about an issue in the news and its theological significance. It’s called “Thought for the Day.” Rev. Sam Wells is one of the speakers.

One day, not long after he had completed his two-minute broadcast, he got a phone call.  The minute he answered the phone and heard the man say, “Sam?” - he knew it was a man from one of his first congregations. This man was a firefighter who joined an adult confirmation class that he led and so Sam had gotten to know him and his family well. He assumed there was a problem. He asked:“Is your wife and the family ok?” But his mind was quickly put to rest when the man explained that he heard Sam on the radio and felt the need to call. They spent the next fifteen minutes or so catching up on each other’s life. And then, feeling the press of work, Sam thanked him for calling and they said goodbye.

 Less than 10 minutes later, the man called again. This time he said, “I was so excited that you picked up the phone that I forgot to tell you why I called. I’ve got a confession to make.”

 “Well,” Sam replied, “I’m in the business. Take your time.”

 The man said, “Do you remember your first Easter at St. Luke’s? Two weeks before Easter, at the Sunday service, you gave each one of us three nails. You said, ‘Put these somewhere where you’ll be close to them every day. And on Easter morning, bring them back with you and put them in the font and celebrate what those nails really mean.’”

“How ’bout that,” Sam said. “Tell me about your confession.”

“The truth is, I never brought the nails back”.

Vicar Sam said, “Go on….”

The man said, “When I took the nails home, I knew what I wanted to do. The next day, I took them to the fire station. I picked up my firefighter’s overalls and I sewed each one of them into its own pocket across my chest. And then I gave each one of them a name.

“The first one, the largest one, I called Faith. The second one, the rusty one, I called Courage. And the third one, the twisted, almost broken one, I called Hope. And from then on, for the next 20 years, every time the bell went and we jumped down the chute into the fire tender to go out on a job, I would put my hand on my chest. My hand would cover the pocket with the first nail, and I would say, ‘Be close to me, I need you with me.’ I would move across to the second nail and would say, ‘Give me the strength to do what I need to do today.’ And then I’d find the third, twisted, smaller nail, and I’d say, ‘Help me make it through to live another day.’

“I kept those three nails in my overalls until six years ago when I retired. And when I heard your voice on the radio, I thought it was time to tell you why I never brought them back that Easter Day.”1

On that day, Vicar Sam Wells said that he heard the Gospel loud and clear from that retired fire fighter who had been practicing living resurrection every day. Those nails went from being crucifixion nails to resurrection nails.

 I hope you heard the resurrection message too.  And so now I invite you to look at those nails again. Pick one and call it Faith. Whenever you are in challenging times, times when you are afraid, or times in which you face the un-known, hold on to that nail and say to Jesus Emmanuel, “God With Us”, “Be close to me, I need you with me.”  That’s faith. It takes faith to ask God to be with you.

 And now pick up the next nail. This is the nail of Courage. In those times of trial, those times in which it feels like you are at a crossroad, those times in which difficult choices lay before you, pick up this nail and say to Jesus, “Give me the strength to do what I need to do;” and, I would add, the wisdom to do it today. That takes courage.

 Finally, pick up the last nail. This is the nail of hope. As Christians, we live in Resurrection hope – regardless of the situation around us in the world or in our lives. I know it is tempting to despair in those times when everything seems to be lined up against you. And yet, Jesus invites us to trust in him, the one who gives us hope even when there is no reason to hope. Jesus gives us hope for today – and all of our tomorrows. Jesus gives us this promise through the Holy Spirit and so we pray, “Help me make it through to live another day.”

 Brothers and sisters in Christ, may the living resurrection of Jesus fill you with faith, courage and hope so that you embrace the Gospel Good News of Jesus who “donned the overalls of our flesh and, though we were hard as nails, painstakingly sewed us into his heart that we might be close to him, be safe [through] him, and dwell with him forever.”1 Amen.

Faith-Lilac Way Lutheran + Easter Sunday + April 20, 2025 + Pastor Pam Stalheim Lane

1Samuel Wells, The Three Nails in The Christian Century February 28, 2018

Sunday, April 13, 2025 Palm Sunday

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of Palm Sunday? I promise this is not a trick question, but I am assuming that most of you immediately thought, “well palms. Duh, Vicar Karla. It is Palm Sunday.” We think of the triumph of yelling “Hosanna” as we process and parade through the church, often led by children, shouting for joy at the coming of Christ to Jerusalem.

 Maybe you think of the prominent juxtaposition of today’s seemingly joyful parade with the journey to the cross we will very soon take with Jesus as we go toward Good Friday and Jesus’ crucifixion.

 These are certainly logical and worthy responses. And, for me, the first thing that comes to mind when I think of Palm Sunday is always a rickety donkey that may not make it the entire way down the aisle. The church I grew up in had this old donkey that I always think of. How all of us kids would argue about who would get to walk the donkey during the procession each year. Heaven forbid someone actually ride it because I kid you not, the fear was that the thing would fall apart if you just looked at it the wrong way.

So because of this image, today, my first time preaching on Palm Sunday, I was immediately drawn to the narrative about the donkey as I read today’s gospel lesson from Luke. All of the language about the donkey caught my attention because I always so strongly associate Palm Sunday with the wooden donkey that I am very confident was rolled out at Salem Lutheran in St. Cloud this morning.

 After moving beyond the donkey, I am struck that the other components of the things we associate with Palm Sunday, namely the palms and the shouting of Hosanna are nowhere to be found in today’s readings from Luke. It is in the other gospel readings depicting today that we are shown that. In today’s reading, it is cloaks that are laid down for Jesus to both sit upon and for the donkey to walk upon.

 So, if we don’t have the hosannas and the palms tying today’s gospel to the rest of the gospels, what do we have? The donkey. We have the donkey which is the unifyer between all of these narratives.

 And to be clear, there is something pretty profound about the donkey. Where we might expect a war horse or a parade fit for the Roman military of the time, instead Jesus rides into Jerusalem riding on a lowly donkey. This is a prominent example of a place where we anticipate kingly grandeur and are instead given humility and camaraderie with the poor and the lowly.

We live in a world where we laud the wealthy, the famous. Those who have the money, the power, the influence make the rules, the orders. We don’t look to the poor- the houseless, the sick, the refugee, the poor, the outcast to hold the power in society. The same would have been true in Jesus’ time. Where a large, imposing war horse would have been expected, Jesus comes in on a donkey. We do everything we can to try to get Jesus to fit the narrative of power and might we have built in our head that we fail to remember that Jesus told us where he would always be- with the poor, the outcast, the stranger. Jesus doesn’t spend his short time on Earth with the powerful. He seeks out the sinners, the tax collectors, those pushed aside to the furthest corners of society’s margins.

And with all this in mind, I can’t help but think that it is fitting that the first thing that comes to my mind when I think of Palm Sunday is that decrepit donkey. Because, even though Jesus stipulates that the donkey he would ride into Jerusalem would be a colt never ridden before, there is something striking about my image of this donkey from my childhood that has clearly seen better days. Because Jesus prioritized those whose current days were not their best. Jesus prioritized those who were deep into the hardest, most gritty days of their lives.

 There are many juxtapositions present in Palm Sunday. Where we lay down our cloaks and welcome Jesus to Jerusalem today, we remember that in only a few short days from now, he will be crucified, murdered as a sacrifice, but also because he was so subversive in the way he dared to speak out against the mistreatment of the marginalized that the powers that be were so threatened they put him to death.

In a few short days, where today we gather to welcome and celebrate, we will soon gather to condemn and to turn away, to deny.

 Palm Sunday sets the stage for what is to come. Palm Sunday reminds us that Jesus draws near to us in our most challenging days. The days where we might just feel like that rickety donkey utilized at my home church.

 And even on those hard, gritty days, Jesus still draws us near.

Vicar Karla Leitzman

Sunday, April 6, 2025

How does LOVE SMELL…

 What do you think that LOVE smells like? Tastes like? Feels like? Looks like? Sounds like?

Does love taste like:  Homemade chocolate chip cookies? An ice cream sundae on a hot July day? Apple pie..OR?

What Does love feel like:  A hug, an embrace, a hearty handshake, or snuggling a baby..OR?

What Does love look like: A sunrise, a family gathering, a soup kitchen…Or?

What Does love sound like: A symphonic orchestra? a baby’s first cry? Silence? Or?

What Does love smell like: A dozen roses? Bread baking in the oven? A bottle of exquisite expensive perfume?

In our Gospel lesson, love smelled like pure nard.

To put our story into context,  Jesus has just raised Lazarus from the dead and so his sisters, Martha and Mary, threw a celebration to honor and thank Jesus and to celebrate the new life of their beloved brother – who they once thought was dead and now is reclining by the table.

To celebrate, “Martha served” – and while we may remember the story of Martha serving and COMPLAINING that Mary wasn’t helping— this time all we hear is that Martha is doing what Jesus calls all his disciples to do – serve the other. I bet, under Martha’s experienced hands, love tasted delicious? Martha reveals her love through the smells and taste of good food – a feast of fresh bread and wine along with all of the special foods created just for this day. For Martha, love looks like humble service. Of course Martha served. She was in her element.

 But Mary was different.  Mary was at Jesus’ feet again. This time, not as a listening disciple, drinking in Jesus’ words. This time… Mary pours a whole pound of expensive perfume – they say it was pure nard - over Jesus’ feet and wipes them with her hair. The smell must have been overwhelming. I opened this little tiny bottle and the smell wafted out. And it was expensive – especially for a woman in Bethany. It cost a year’s wages for a man. How did she even come up with it – and then to pour it on Jesus’ feet?

This display of extravagant expense is made even more shocking by the intimacy of Mary letting down her hair right there at the dining table. Women did not do that outside of the bedroom. But Mary didn’t seem to give a fig about the rules she was breaking as she massaged the oil into Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her hair and ignored the stares and rude comments of Judas. What does love smell like? What does love look like? What does love feel like?  Mary’s love looks, smells and feels extravagant, intimate and personal.

It also made everyone in the room take notice. I mean, how could you not notice the smell which filled the room.  How could you not notice a woman on the floor untying her hair and massaging Jesus’ feet?

Judas noticed – and couldn’t refrain from rebuking Mary. He sounds a bit self-righteous in suggesting that “the money could have been given to the poor.” As readers, we are given a little aside suggests Judas has an ulterior motive – rumor was that he helped himself from the community funds. So, while Mary and Martha demonstrate the love of that we, as disciples, followers of Jesus should emulate, Judas who was chosen as a disciple, is shown as the opposite, the anti-disciple that everyone loves to hate. But, in a way, he’s right, the perfume could have been sold and given to the poor.

Jesus’ response to Judas is worth exploring. Jesus quotes Leviticus 15 which states that you will always have the poor with you – AND – that this means you should always care for the poor. Jesus’ command to love one another includes loving and caring for the poor. Caring for the poor remains our duty, our obligation and our command from Jesus. That doesn’t go away.

AND, not but, AND, Jesus supports, honors and interprets Mary’s action as being greater than she perhaps even imagined. Mary gave out of love – and she gave all that she had – her money, her hair, her self.  This was an act of extravagant love, gratitude and selflessness.  

Love is extravagant. This is the kind of love that God gives to us.

John begins his Gospel with another story of extravagant love. Jesus was with his mother Mary and the disciples at a wedding. The wine ran out. And remember what Jesus did? He turned water into wine – lots of wine, an over-abundance of the best wine to celebrate a marriage. It was extravagant. It could have been sold and the money given to the poor. But at that wedding feast, love tasted like rich wine – the best wine – and the response to this gift – was to share it with the whole village - rich and poor.

God’s love is generous – not stern or stingy. As theologian Dan Clendenin writes, again and again we see in the Bible that God is “like a manager who pays a full day's wages for one hour of work. He's the God who asks Jonah if he's angry because he is generous to the pagan Ninevites. He's the waiting father who welcomes home a wayward son with a ring, a robe, and a party.”1 God’s love is generous and surprising. 

In our Gospel today, Jesus declares that Mary’s action is not only generous and surprising, but it is also prophetic; Mary is anointing him for his burial.  For Jesus is the Messiah; Messiah means the anointed one. Jesus is anointed by GOD at his baptism and he is anointed by Mary in this last act of love before his arrest, death and resurrection.

This is what love looks like: Jesus loved you so much that he was willing to suffer, to be ridiculed, and even to die – in the most shameful manner - on a cross.

Today’s Gospel story from John might be a bit out of order in our journey to the cross. Mark places it on the Wednesday of Holy Week. It certainly points to the passion of Jesus.

But… regardless of the timeline, this story gives us an opportunity, while we are still in the midst of Lent, to ponder: How do we love Jesus?  Or rather – make it personal, like Mary does: How do you love Jesus?

As we see from the two sisters, love can take many forms. Love can be shown in acts of service, like Martha does. Love can be shown in acts of devotion and adoration like Mary who uses her whole body to express her love – much to the surprise and alarm of others in the room. I dare say that most of the people in our culture – or at least the culture in which I grew up - would react much in the same way. My grandmother – whose name happens to be Martha – would be much more comfortable in the kitchen than on the floor wiping Jesus’ feet with her hair. How about you? How would you express your love, your gratitude, your adoration of Jesus?

Again, Love takes many forms. Love is generous and extravagant and Love is also open to something new. As our reading from Isaiah says, “Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive I will make a way…for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people… so that they may declare my praise.” 

Brothers and sisters, I do not know how God is making a new way in our world today. Too often I see only the sorrow and the pain and the challenges of our world.  But… I do believe that God is active in our world. And I believe that Jesus shows God’s way through the gift of love, a love that sometimes surprises us with how it smells, tastes, feels, looks and sounds.  

In these days of Lent, and as we come to the time of Holy, I ask you to receive the surprising love of Jesus given FOR YOU. And then ponder: How do we – as a church, as a community, love Jesus?  And then… don’t be afraid to make it personal - How do you love Jesus?... Amen.

1 Dan Clendenin, Journey with Jesus, https://www.journeywithjesus.net/lectionary-essays/current-essay/ 2025

April 6, 2025 + Faith-Lilac Way Lutheran + Pastor Pam Stalheim Lane

Sunday, March 23, 2025

Vicar Karla Leitzman

 One maybe interesting thing about me is that I really love a movie, book, or TV series that doesn’t have a clear cut ending. Don’t get me wrong, I like a good romantic comedy with a predictable ending too, but I do really enjoy being allowed to think about different ways a story could end.

 Take the classic movie from 1943, Casablanca, which is one of my all time favorites. We don’t really know what is in store for our characters at the close of the movie, and every time I watch it, I wonder how it all shakes out.

 So, for anyone who hasn’t seen it, or maybe hasn’t seen it in a while, the story takes place in the midst of World War Two Morocco where night club owner, and previous gun runner, Rick, wants nothing more than to go about his day to day life, making a living, not getting involved in politics and just going about his business that only affects him individually.

 You see, during WWII, French Morocco was a very prominent stop on what was referred to as the refugee trail. Many left France and other parts of central Europe to cross the Mediterranean down into northern Africa where they awaited their next steps, often having no idea what those next steps would be. Nazi officials, working with local authorities, could wander the streets, demanding any person show their papers, always looking for those who were either part of the French resistance or Jews or general enemies of the Third Reich. There are several mentions in the movie of people being forced to wait endlessly to determine where they would next end up, often gambling for money to afford bribes to get Visas to leave Morocco.

 One particular line from Rick that always sticks out to me as different officials are trying to get him to take a position in one way or the other and he says, “I don’t stick my neck out for nobody.”

 So one night, Rick is sitting at his bar and in walks Ilsa, the woman he fell in love with as the Nazis were coming into Paris walks into the bar. We learn that her husband is a prominent resistance fighter who was sent to a concentration camp and she believed him to be dead when she met Rick. It turned out that was not the case and she goes back to her husband and then they both end up in Rick’s bar with the famous line, “out of all the gin joints in all the towns in the world, she walks into mine.”

The movie ends with Isla and her husband escaping Casablanca so he can continue his resistance work against the Nazis but not before he ceremoniously welcomes Rick “back to the fight.” We’re not sure what is next for Rick, but it is evident that he is back to the work of resistance, and he is, in fact, going to be sticking his neck out for others.

 One of my other favorite things about the movie is that it was made in 1943 so really during the height or pinnacle of World War II. The writers have it ending with a hopeful defeat of the Nazis and alluding to Rick’s continued resistance work, but they wouldn’t have known how the current situation they were embroiled within would end. 

 I promise I have more of a point to make than just giving you a summary or a recap of one of my most favorite classic movies. But, I’ve found myself making a lot of parallels to the movie and this week’s gospel lesson.

 The first is the connection between the end of the movie and the end of today’s reading from Luke. The way that the reading ends where Jesus is talking about the fig tree and saying to try to enable it to grow for another year, to give it just another chance, before cutting it down makes me kind of shake the bible a little bit, wondering if insight about what happens next will fall out of the pages. Even though I am a self-professed lover of stories with open endings, the end of today’s reading makes me wonder, “well, what happened in a year? Did the fig tree bear fruit? Did the gardener tend the soil with care and give the tree every chance to bear figs? Or, did the gardener not create an environment of good and rich soil and thereby letting the tree continue to not give fruit?”

 It is fitting, then, to realize that maybe the reason it is left with an un resolved ending is because there is no way Jesus would know if the tree would bear fruit, because as we know, we are just a short time away from Jesus’ death. We are therefore left to wonder if the tending to the soil and creating as a good of an environment as possible for this fig tree to bear fruit really will pay off.

 The author of Luke doesn’t tell us. We don’t get an epilogue or a follow up to show us what comes to pass.

In a commentary he wrote for today’s gospel reading, one of my favorite professors of the New Testament at Luther Seminary, Matt Skinner, writes “Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling? Not here. This time it’s loud and pointedly.

So, loudly and pointedly Jesus is calling.

 As we continue on this journey to Palm Sunday and Holy Week, I often in these days find myself wondering what or how Jesus would be feeling leading up to his entrance to Jerusalem and his subsequent murder by the authorities of Rome. And, I think I can understand his exasperation and pointedness that we see on display in today’s gospel lesson from Luke.

 Jesus has been living out his ministry during his short time on Earth trying so hard to get people to re-evaluate how they live in community with and for one another, how to care for those the world does not care for. And so, in today’s passage, I guess I can understand how he is employing this very strong language of needing to repent. It’s almost like he is saying, “why do you still not understand? I have been moving, living, teaching, embodying the ways that God wants you to to love others. Why are you still not tending the soil in a way that creates an atmosphere for nourishment and growth? In a world that is brutally occupied by the Roman Empire, where the poor are continually made poorer, where the disenfranchised are continually kept from resources, where the sad and sick are made sadder and sicker, I have shown you how to love and who to love. Why are you still continuing to not listen to what I am showing you?

 Today’s lesson is a pretty pivotal narrative as we move throughout the rest of Lent and eventually into Holy Week. I’m not sure about you, but I for one have gotten the impression that Pilate is a character who kind of goes along for the ride later on in the passion narrative. We’ve been led to believe he’s kind of wishy washy, a prop for Rone, and he tries to get the crowd to spare Jesus when he puts up Barabas and then sort of gets caught in the cross hairs. But, today’s reading depicts him in another way entirely. Today’s reading depicts him as cruel and calculating.

 Not only, today, does Jesus give a very interesting commentary on the need to repent for sins and seek forgiveness, but we also get some insight into human suffering. As humans, oftentimes we want easy answers. If something bad happens to us or someone we love, we want to know what we could have possibly done to deserve such a thing. Or, if we pray for something and it doesn’t come to pass, we wonder what we did wrong. Why God seemingly didn’t answer our prayers. Jesus reminds us that we are all apt to suffering and that if we feel our prayers are not answered or if we are in pain, it doesn’t mean that we have done something wrong or that God is punishing us. Because after all, we are not promised easy days or days without pain. But, we are promised God’s presence, that God will meat us in those easy day and that God will meat us in the hard days and that we are not alone and that we are loved.

 Like the movie Casablanca and today’s ending of the gospel reading, we are still living in an unfinished story. We do our best to create a good environment for growth and for a foundation for Jesus’ teachings to take root in our hearts and beyond. And, we might fall short. Some days, some seasons, we might do a better job of nurturing that than others. And, God meets us in all of those places and in all of the in betweens.

 And yet, all of that does not let us off the hook. Just because we do not have to perform a specified set of good works to earn God’s grace and love doesn’t mean that we can life our lives for ourselves alone and not stick our necks out for anyone like Rick at the start of the movie. In fact, it is precisely because of that lack of need for prescribed good deeds that we are charged with repenting for our sins, for acknowledging the ways both our action and inaction cause people harm and suffering. It is because we don’t have to focus on checking off our good deeds boxes that we are freed to fiercely and boldly love and serve our neighbors, constantly tending the soil, constantly evaluating how we can move through the world with more grace, empathy, and love so that our hearts can bear good fruit.

We are always living into this cycle. We repent and come to awareness of the ways we fall short in Christ’s call to love and to serve. And then, we will probably fall short again. And the beautiful thing is that we are loved, and we are constantly born anew, always given grace and opportunities to keep working to create God’s kingdom here on Earth. Amen.