My Work Is Just Begun

When my life on earth is o'er, my journey done, my days flown by,
May it be said of me that my work is just begun,
The morning sun barely beginning to shine.
Like the worship service flow, may this time
Be as a well-played Prelude before the Call,
May the ministry in which I have shared
Point still to the greater Moments ahead:
The Word made Flesh, Proclaimed,
The Sacramental Chrism, Partaken,
The Final Benediction, Announced.
If all by which I am known or remembered
Is shackled by my time on earth,
I still will not have failed
If only He in me caused you to look and long
For the One who is coming indeed.
When my life on earth is o'er, my journey done, my days flown by,
May it be said of me that my work is just begun.

Questions of Church Growth

I recently read a column in a local newspaper which tried to address the issue of declining numbers in the Christian tradition. The author pointed to the dichotomy between nearby mega-churches with their large attendance numbers and the ever-shrinking numbers in their own faith tradition, all the while mingling the gall of a civic organization into the conversation, finding no satisfying answer to their wonderment.
I am no expert on why people come to Christianity or why they leave it, but these are a few things I am observing:
Most people do not want to become Christian for the sake of Christianity, to reach heaven or because they fear Hell. They become Christian because they have had or desire to have a genuine experience with Jesus that isn't laden by liturgy or sermons, but is highlighted, even set free, by acts of acceptance, welcome, healing, love, mercy and community, such as Jesus Himself modeled in ministry.
The local congregation which is not engaged in the issues present in the local community, providing leadership and opportunities for folk to witness in ways of justice, grace, equality, understanding and faith, is a congregation caught up in the study of its' own belly-button and will languish and die. There is far more to faith in Christ than Christianity and there is far more to Christianity than maintenance of tradition and tending to sacred cows . . . and those who are seeking a meaningful root to their sacred journey know the difference and are drawn to places where their time and gifts are nurtured and valued as those who are God's children.
The church was never meant to be judge and jury of God's people, neither was it intended to become the gatekeeper of God's Holy Kingdom. Those who are disciples of Jesus of Nazareth, the One who is Christ, Lord and Savior, are those who will be found feeding the hungry, welcoming the stranger, clothing the naked, giving a drink to the thirsty, tending to the sick and caring for the imprisoned. Those who are disciples of Jesus will be found in the leper colonies of our current age, touching the unclean, eating with sinners, offering welcome to the marginalized and striving for justice, God's justice, even in the midst of the Temple. Sometimes the tables have to be overturned before anyone notices something is wrong in the way we have been doing faith all along.
People today are multi-sensory in their daily lives and the thriving faith community strives to engage, both the wonder of sacred silence and the holy of joyful praise. This does not mean that praise music has 'taken over', nor that amphitheater seating with few religious symbols is the way to go. No, rather, the people who continue to walk in the door of the congregation with whom I am sharing the journey are seeking a time and space where the Spirit is welcome, praise is considered a response to God's ongoing Presence and Love, and Peace surrounds them in a community of faith which resembles the world in which they live, inclusive of race, sexuality, culture and experience.
Now, I am not certain I have answered the question any more than the author of the column I read, but of this I am certain: The church more engaged in reliving a memory of what once was or saying they want to become something they really don't value will struggle mightily until they truly walk with Jesus . . . or simply die away. The church is not a civic organization . . . the Church is the Body of Christ alive in the world. Maybe when organized religion accepts such a call and such an identity the questions some now ask will become moot . . . for the Answer will truly have the final say in Whose we are becoming.

A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to A Wedding

"Listen and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles." Matt. 15:10b-11 NRSV

"A funny thing happened on the way to a wedding a few weeks ago."
I know that sounds like a set-up line for a joke, but it isn't . . . or wasn't supposed to be. Nancy and I were invited to attend the wedding of friend in Springfield, Illinois in late July. Upon driving up to the historic downtown Presbyterian Church, I realized that many of the other attendees ahead of me were pulling into the parking lot just South of the church which was clearly marked as belonging to the neighboring Missouri Synod Lutheran Church. Yet, without much thought to it, we parked where others were parking and made our way toward the site of the wedding. Nearing the street where we were to cross, a man came out of the Presbyterian Church announcing to those who could hear, "The Pastor just received a call from the Lutheran Pastor, and if anyone attending the wedding leaves their car in the Lutheran Parking Lot it will be towed during the service." Nancy and I just sort of laughed at the irony, but quickly agreed that she would continue on into the church and I would go back and move our car to a nearby parking garage and meet her in the church later.
Meanwhile, an alarm, which proved to be false, had brought the local Fire Department to the steps of the Presbyterian Church and all of the early arrivals among the guests and wedding party had to be evacuated while it was checked out. Returning from the parking garage after moving our car, I joined Nancy on the steps of the church as wedding guests were, again, being seated. From behind us a rather loud conversation about the 'parking issue' was being held by two men when one of them asked, "Is that a Christian church?" To which the other replied, "Oh, no! That's a Lutheran church!"
The whole crowd on the steps fairly erupted in quiet laughter at both the truth and the irony of what had been spoken, the paradox of which was deepened by the realization that, clearly, neither of the men really understood the significance of what had been stated.
"Listen and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles."
The easy targets for wry humor in this story are the Lutheran Pastor, who made the reported telephone call about towing cars from the wedding, and the two men who knew so little about mainline Christian churches that neither really understood 'Christian church' and 'Lutheran Church' could be one in the same. Yet, the deeper incongruity lies, not in the story as it is told, but in the heart and soul of nearly everyone else on the steps: for in our nervous laughter at the expense of others is the quiet, undeniable realization of our own culpability in such behaviors. Every one of us has 'ordered cars to be moved' and every one of us has asked the question or given the answer which, in making no sense, told a significant truth about ourselves.
You don't see yourself in this? Remember you are Baptized in the name of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. You are named as a child of God, a disciple of Christ, and a member of the Church universal. Then, remember too . . .
• the times you haven't been charitable about 'that person' who sat in your seat in church;
• the times you haven't been understanding of the child who makes noise in worship;
• the times you didn't like the new hymns;
• the times you gossiped about your neighbor;
• the times you could have offered your hand to a stranger, but turned the other way;
• the times you might have welcomed someone to your table, but didn't;
• the times you said, "I'm sure glad we don't do that here!";
• the times you could have offered forgiveness, but instead held the grudge;
• the times you could have given a few bucks to one in need, but chose not to;
• the times you said, "We have never done it that way before.";
• the times you might have guided the visitor to the sanctuary for worship, but figured they find their own way . . . after all, there are signs everywhere;
• the times you complained about all the hand shaking and hugging in worship;
• the times when you thought 'passing the peace' was just that: passing it on to someone else so it would be their problem now;
• the times you could have offered a ride to your neighbor's children or even your own grandchildren to get to Sunday School, then thought, "Well, it's not my job.";
• the times you thought, "They aren't really in financial need, they just need to plan better";
• the times you could have walked with someone through their tears, but didn't want to deal with the emotions;
• the times you could have stood with Christ in the garden, but ran away from your fears of talking about faith issues;
• the times you could have offered understanding to another, but chose to give them a crown of thorns;
• the times you might have loved the lost, but claimed you didn't have time;
• the times . . . . well, you get it . . . the list if fairly inexhaustible.
At one time or another, we have been either the Lutheran Pastor or the two men on the steps OR in the crowd who stood nearby nervously laughing and said nothing at all about the injustice of any of it. Sometimes, the harshest words spoken are those which are never spoken at all.
"Is that a Christian church?" is right up there with, "Are they really Christian?", "Do Christians really behave that way?", "Is that how Christians really talk?" and "If that's what it means to be a member of the Church or be Christian, then I don't want anything to do with any of it!" It is all a part of the language of the world as it regards the community of the Baptized: Do our words defile or glorify? Do our hearts embrace or reject? Do our actions reflect Presence or absence? And, as Pilate stands before Jesus in the Praetorium once more, with the crowds shouting, "Crucify him! Crucify him!", will you be found at His side or hiding behind the comfort of your closed doors, closed minds, and convenient traditions? Will you order the stranger off the parking lot of your existence? Or, maybe, like I did, laugh at the joke which was never meant to be a joke, and walk away thinking yourself above the fray of another's spiritual wonderment?
A funny thing happened on the way to a wedding a few weeks ago . . .
And Jesus said,
• "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" (My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?)
• Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.
And early on the first day of the week, the women went to the tomb and found it empty. God has declared the Truth of God's Word through Christ and the Spirit. What is the truth we declare to the world concerning the Lord of our faith? The words we live reveal the truth in our soul. Somehow, it's not so funny anymore.

In Christ's service, Pastor Don

John 3:16

John 3:16

In many circles, all you have to do is say it, "John 3:16" and folks will in some manner resonate with what that text says. Others may have to hear the words, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whosoever should believe in him may not perish but have eternal life", before they remember what the text is. Yet, however these words from the Gospel according to John are articulated, they speak an intrinsic truth: God.

Some see "John 3:16" and stop at the Son, Jesus. Not a bad place to stop, except that it is Jesus who is speaking the words of the text. So, to what is it that Jesus is pointing?

Some hear the words of John 3:16 and stop at the word 'believes'. Also, not a bad place to stop, except that the word, 'believes', in the context of the sentence, is being defined by Jesus as an appropriate reaction to something else towards which He points. So, again, to what is it that Jesus is pointing?

I ponder on this every time I see 'the end-zone guy/gal' with the poster, "John 3:16". Do they really have any idea what Jesus is trying to get across to Nicodemus as he speaks these words? Probably not. Few do. Most just turn this into some sort of Christological statement which is followed by an announcement of Divine Judgment - of which they are the 'righteous' ones making the declaration and are, thereby, saved by the belief of their words. Yet, like the Israelites who glimpsed the serpent upon the pole in the wilderness (v. 14 refers to Numbers 21:4-9) and were healed and began to worship the serpent upon the pole so, many well-meaning Christians view the cross, experience a transformation and begin to worship the cross. It is not a bad reaction to what is happening, but it is a shallow reaction. It fetters the believer to a precipitous, even perilous existence watching and waiting for the next 'event' to happen in their lives, hoping upon hope that something will happen again and confirm what previously had been acknowledged. Heaven save us from such circular living!

Verse 17 underscores 14, 15, and 16 in one word, "God". "Indeed, God . . . " It is the love of God, it is the grace of God, it is the healing of God, it is the mercy of God, it is the faith of God, it is the initiative of God, it is God that saves the Israelites in the wilderness. The serpent upon the pole offers them an opportunity to look up, as the Psalmist in Psalm 121 alludes, "I lift up mine eyes unto the hills - from where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth." The serpent teaches them to look up and see God at work. Similarly, when Christ is nailed to the cross with the nails of power, arrogance, and pride, those who dare to look up from the stinging of the serpents upon the ankles of their lives find more than the Son, not that the Son isn't a pretty incredible sight, but they are given a vision of God which, to paraphrase the Apostle Paul in I Corinthians 13 ("Now we see in a dimly, but then we will see face to face.") is a vision of clarity, wonder and awe, limited by the human mind as it is.

"God so loved the world . . ." is Jesus pointing beyond Himself to the One who is in Him, through Him, of Him. John 3:16 is the creation story from a whole new vantage point, it is the deliverance of Israel out of Egypt with a twist, it is entering the land with a purpose, it is God defining the identity of God's people from the beginning of time, it is a statement of being . . . and that statement is God.

I'm not sure all of that would fit on a poster, nor do I believe folks at a sporting event would even care. Maybe I should be content that a witness is being made . . . still . . . Oh, well, I better trust it to God. If it was good enough for Jesus to move on after talking with Nicodemus, it should be good enough for me. There is more at stake in this world than posters and Pharisees.

John 3:16. What does it mean to you? It is something to think about, to pray on.

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Don

Church Meetings

'For God so loved that world that God did not create the world by committee.'

I have spent the better part of an afternoon, a Sunday afternoon, in church meetings. I attended a region-wide event, which was a great time for renewing and enjoying friendships helpful for the soul, yet, that the intent of the day was 'meeting' and not particularly 'visiting' dampened the effects of our time together. Hmmmmm.

Having been in ministry for something over twenty years now, it occurs to me that often, maybe too often, religion gets in the way of faith. 'Officialdom' becomes the standard bearer of 'what needs to be done in the name of the Church', rather than faith guiding and directing our steps. What Jesus strove, literally, to accomplish in walking and talking with his companions along the road becomes mutated by meetings to set up meetings which inform the content of meetings that address the issues raised in meetings . . . ad nauseum. Is it any wonder that the current generation is skeptical of what relevance the Church has in the current culture? While taking on the trappings of technology and espousing the language of the world-wide web in all of its many names, the Church is losing touch with its own inherent mission and language of being the handmaiden of Christ. Christ has become a sales tool, spirituality a fix for the desperate, and service projects the antidote for misplaced guilt and anxiety.

God has birthed creation and, by extension, all of humankind to be in relationship, with God and with each other. Christ fulfills the covenantal nature of that relationship by overcoming in faith all that would separate us from God and each other. The Holy Spirit hearkens our souls to trust, love and obey in building bridges of faith over the chasms of this world's darkness's which would hide the Light of God from the eyes of those most in need. The Church is birthed in the Spirit to live into Missio Dei, God's mission of reconciliation of the entire world. The Church was never intended to be the master of its destiny, nor was it birthed to enslave God's children to lives of butt-tiring, brain-numbing meetings.

The Church is the Body of Christ called, still, to walk with all God's children . . . or it is not the Church. Though no-one ever said the Church is to be perfect, that should not become an excuse for not striving to walk in Christ's perfection. Meetings should never take precedence over relationships. May God save us all from the next meeting which will be set to discuss this 'pertinent and timely issue'.

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Don

Shrove Tuesday

Televised clips of the Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans fill the airwaves of local newscasts as the culture embraces Shrove, or Fat, Tuesday and all the pageantry it entails. 'Dance today for tomorrow we shall be mourning', is given a whole new meaning as beads are thrown, gaudy and brash costumes swirl through the streets, and food and liquor are consumed in vast quantities, all because tomorrow Lent begins. Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday and a 40 day season (not including Sundays) of penance, reflection, fasting, and prayer begins. Quite contrary to what many newscasts will articulate tomorrow in referring to Lent as a 'Catholic holy season', the entire Christian community, the entire catholic community of Christians, will intentionally, even reverentially, join with Jesus on His journey towards Jerusalem. For many, this journey, this liturgical season of Lent, is the grounding point of faith for all that is the rest of the Christian year and, for many, contrary to what 'Fat Tuesday' may tend to indicate about Ash Wednesday, Lent is anything but 'lean'.

Lent is rich with meaning and fragrant with faithful living. Lent is flavorful in the Story and pungent with Love. Lent stirs the soul and pours out the heart of God. Lent feeds the masses with mercy and grace from the Hand of the Creator God.

The culture may love the 'fatness' of Shrove Tuesday, but I embrace passionate essence of Lent, that beautifully contemplative expression of God's meaningful faith in humanity. God Is With Us . . . and I pray we are responsive to Christ's Presence on the road ahead.

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Don

A Moment in Time

Even as I write this in my office, there are a group of folk at work in the kitchen of the church readying a dinner for after worship. Normally I am helping in the kitchen, but today am banned from assistance for my dear sisters and brothers in Christ are preparing to kick off the 140th Anniversary of St. Paul United Church of Christ and celebrate my 20th Anniversary of Ordination. This is their gift of love and fellowship to me and my family . . . and I am completely humbled.

June 5, 1988 was the exact date of my Ordination, which is just yesterday in my mind, so quickly have the years flown by. As Nancy and I shared a cup of coffee last evening on the front porch of our home, which looks out over the worship and fellowship facilities of St. Paul, she reflected that, "It's probably a really good gift from God that these 20 years have seemed to fly by. Imagine what it would mean if they had seemed to be an eternity." I think that is one of the reasons I love her so, she is always right (or so she tells me).

These years have flown by, with two congregations and a whole host of saints who work hard to embody the kingdom in their everyday living, 20 years is but a day, a moment, a breath. And, if so for me, how is it with God? The Psalmist says, "For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere." (Psalm 84.10a) A thousand elsewhere would be that, a thousand days lived out of God's presence, which would be Hell. One day in God's courts is immeasurable in joy and unfathomable in completeness. It is a day of sacred journey and holy living. It is every bit of 20 years in ministry, yet so much more.

I am blessed to have shared 20 years of ministry with two wonderful congregations and a loving family who patiently understands and lives through the quirks of pastoral ministry. They have made 20 years fly by and seem as a day in the courts of God. Thus, I am twice blessed: the first blessing is the people with whom I share ministry; and, the second blessing births the first, for it is ministry lived in the very presence of God, making life complete.

Where ministry goes from here I do not know. That is up to God, as have been the first 20 years. What I do know is this: I would have no other purpose than to serve God in walking with Christ in the power of the Spirit. For whatever years of ministry are left in my life, may they be as a day in the courts of God, for there my heart will always reside.

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Don

Signs of God's Grace

It never ceases to amaze me the number of folks who feel it is their 'duty' to keep me up to date with the 'good Christian work' which needs my attention: the deaths, the separations, the arguments, the drinking, the drugs, the cheating, the bad business deals, the sick, the dying, those who are sick of others, and those who wish their lives away. It is all there, in the midst of the rotating door of a Pastor's Office, in oft felt genuine concern and in the occasional need to be in the middle of the juicy gossip, there is the conversation everyone trusts me to keep confidential, otherwise known as the 'good Christian work' of the Pastor.

Sometimes, it makes it very difficult to see the obvious signs of God's grace abounding in our world and, sometimes, it makes it downright impossible. Which leads me to wonder when the last time was that someone stopped by my office or called me on the telephone just to let me know that they had just quietly observed a spectacular sunset, or that a neighbor had just blessed them with some particular kindness, or that they had received a glowing report from the doctor, or that their children are wonderfully adjusted even in spite of their busy schedules, or that the person they had married some years ago just told them how much more in love they were, or . . . well, you get the idea. Those are the conversations to which a Pastor is seldom privileged, because that kind of news just isn't as juicy. Or, is it?

God makes me stop in my tracks with a bright dawning morning and my awe is incomprehensible. God makes me blush with wonder at the sight of newly emerging plants bursting forth from the soil. God makes me giggle in joy at the sound of geese flying in formation far above the earth moving in their annual migrations. God brings my hands together in a prayer of thanksgiving in the simple gift of family gathered around the table sharing stories and laughter in daily travels. God fills my heart with good news when a doctors report is negative and health is being restored. God affirms the faith in my soul when my wife tenderly takes my hand in the midst of the crush of humanity and reminds me I am not alone. To me, this is the juiciest of news, the most insightful of moments, the depths of God's heart being made public.

It is a telling truth when television news broadcasters pat themselves on the back for sharing one bit of good news in the midst of an hours worth of sadness and oppression. It is a revealing notion that the consuming public would rather hear of the salable bad news which will worry them through the night-time of their living, rather than be uplifted for the daytime of their life. It is a moment to mull in my life when, in the moment of receiving some bit of difficult news, I am ready to drop everything else to go attend to the issue . . . . and when receiving some bit of good news, I will continue what it was I was doing until it is done before I do anything in response. Which makes me wonder who is conditioning whom?

Maybe if Pastors were more attentive to the signs of God's grace so, too, would be the people. Maybe we both need to remind each other of that which is subtly, yet powerfully important for our spiritual health. It shouldn't be lost on any of us that the only ones noted as being present for the birth of Christ were some shepherds and Wise Men, yet when He was crucified the whole city showed up to watch. Hmmmmmm.

It is something on which to ponder.

Watching for signs of God's grace,

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Don

Reflections on Confirmation

“And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.” Acts 2.2-4, NRSV

Sunday, May 11 is Pentecost Sunday, the fiftieth day after Easter, the day we celebrate the birthing of the Church in the power and presence of God’s Holy Spirit. The term ‘Pentecost’ is derived from the Greek name for the Jewish Feast of Weeks at the close of the grain harvest fifty days after Passover and Unleavened Bread. In the early church, Pentecost at first designated the whole period of fifty days from Easter; only later did it refer particularly to the fiftieth day, which became a feast in its own right in the last 4th and early 5th centuries.
In the faith family of St. Paul United Church of Christ, Pentecost Sunday is the day we celebrate the Rite of Confirmation in the lives of those who have completed a two-year period of study and have indicated a desire to affirm for themselves, before God and the gathered congregation, their sacramental vows of Baptism. This practice places our faith family in harmony with the practice of the early Church of bringing folks ready to receive the Sacrament of Baptism to the Vigil of Pentecost, baptizing them, then dressing them in white as they moved from the baptismal waters, which originated the English term, ‘Whitsunday’. The young folks who are affirming the vows of their Baptism on Sunday, May 11, 2008 are affirming more than their own personal spiritual journey in Christ, they are taking their place with sisters and brothers of the faith throughout every generation whose worship of God and openness to God’s Holy Spirit is the font from which innumerable blessings will flow. They are not only accepting the joy of shared Table fellowship, they are taking on the responsibility for Christian witness and stewardship in the midst of the world community. Confirmation on Pentecost Sunday is a prophetic statement concerning the coming Kingdom of God and our place as Christ’s disciples in articulating that vision in thought, word and deed. It is not a graduation ceremony.

If there is a pain in my heart regarding ministry, a pain that cannot be explained or simply fixed, it is the pain of those who regard Confirmation as a graduation and simply stop attending and participating in the Body of Christ until next they have need of it . . . or someone in the family ‘guilts’ them into making a guest appearance somewhere along the way. In my mind, it is one of the holy mysteries whose answers have lacked continuity throughout the ages. A myriad of jokes affirm that understanding, like the one, “How do you keep squirrels out of the bell tower of the church? Confirm them and they will only come around once or twice a year.”

Some have suggested that worship is not relevant to youth. Others have suggested that the local church just does not have enough youth programming to keep them here. Others point to the vast number of ‘outside interests’ with which the church daily and weekly competes, not the least of which is club sports programs. Some say that the increasing number of youth who have weekend jobs is making a difference. Others remind me that the church has abdicated its own calling regarding the holiness of Sabbath time together in worship and family by one of two ways: scheduling meetings on the very day there should be no business conducted; and/or in mute silence, and sometimes in active collaboration, granting legitimacy to others who schedule their activities on Sunday knowing that it will force people to make a choice about where they spend their time. Others, wizened by our culture’s fast paced lifestyle, acknowledge that, ‘Sunday is the only day I have left for myself. I can sleep late, get caught up on my ‘to-do list’, and spend a little time with my family.’

All of these explanations do little to find a balm in Gilead, for they are more about rationalizing behaviors at the expense of someone else than in accepting responsibility for the very vows being made in Baptism and/or Confirmation. “Do you promise . . . .” in the vows means nothing if the one answering, “I do, with the help of God” never really intends to call upon the help of God in living into their promises. The Church is a community experience, but faith is a personal choice. Faith well-lived incorporates both.

I have heard it said that, “Going to church no more makes you a Christian, than standing in a garage makes you a car”, and, given the current religious atmosphere of fundamental extremism and dogmatic lunacy, one might be moved to reject everything religious, rather than consider anything at all. Yet, it is precisely for a time such as this that Christ came for all of God’s people and stood in the midst of our conflicts and questions. Jesus is the answer to what is right, true and holy in God’s sight, regardless of the age, and it is to Jesus that we all must turn.

As God is community in the Trinity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit so, too, are we called to be birthed into and live out of that same community, exercising the gifts of the Spirit as each has ability, standing in solidarity with those who have no voice, responding in compassion with those who lives are in shambles, extending healing to the wounded, a cup of mercy to the thirsty, and the food of salvation to those who are hungry. The community of Christ’s Body, the Church, is not perfect, but it is being perfected by the One whose sacrifice upon the cross becomes the atonement for the personal choices we make which drive the nails only more deeply into His hands and feet. The stone rolled away from the tomb is sight and sound of God’s resounding answer of, “Life!” to those who would shut away Christ’s faithfulness in the harshness of death imposing choices.

To complain that the Church isn’t relevant, or that there isn’t enough youth programming, or that ‘outside interests’ are the issue, or that jobs take people away, or that the Church is its own worst enemy in keeping people involved, or that Sundays have become personal days . . . . are all complaints about God: God, you can’t keep my attention. God, you don’t deserve my time. God, I have better things to do. Such statements are also personal indictments before God: I will not be involved with You, God, unless it is on my terms. I will not work with You, God, unless I can see some sort of personal benefit. I will not worship You, God, unless I can personally approve of everything the Church says.

Christ does not call us to a conditional faith, nor does He offer His life for our half-hearted, self-centered response.

Absolutely, the Church in every age must seek to express and live the faith in ways which are contemporary with life’s experiences. As it was in Christ’s own ministry, so it is with the ministry of the Church today: The Christian life must be authentic and contiguous, for the crowds are ready and willing to point out the flaws and irregularities, and a few will even crucify that which is perfect. So, we continue our walk with Christ, and people continue to Confirm their Baptismal vows, and the Church will reflect the attitudes and values of those who attend and participate. No, you do not have to attend church to be a Christian but, if you truly believe the Church is the Body of Christ, why would you not want to be fully a part of it?

Pray for this year’s Confirmands, even as you pray for the Confirmation classes throughout every age, that all of us might live as we pray: in Jesus’ name.

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Don

Linear Living in a Multi-Dimensional World

On the road making pastoral calls today, I took in the astounding beauty of a sun-filled April day. The temperature is in the 70's and the trees are putting on their buds and early leaves. Hen-bit, the purple flowers (weeds) which appear in barren fields in early Spring, is making an entrance worthy of a Diva and the wildflowers are pushing through the roadsides with their color and radiance.

Along the way, I drove through a creek bottom which afforded me a view of multiple hills and valleys along the route of the water. It is a visage that is rarely seen in that particular area of the country because of the dense foliage normally found in that vicinity yet, today, maybe because of the high winds, maybe because I was paying more attention than usual, you could see the texture, the topography, the dimensions of the earth as the waters coursed through the cleavage of the hills. Somewhere in those moments of wonderment it occurred to me that many, if not most, people live very linear lives in a multi-dimensional world.

The landscape around us does not change dramatically through the years. The hills are hills, the valleys are valleys, the plains are plains, and the rivers and streams are rivers and streams. Yet, for most, the world around us, our context, is lived, even driven through, in a very linear fashion. The world is where we are. The world is what we experience. The world is what we see. The world is what we remember. The world is what we believe. The world is how we order it. Yet, before us and after us, often in spite of us, the real world, God's world, is so much more. So much more.

God's world has ridges, crooks, and corners. God's world has peaks which are higher than we can imagine and deeper than we could survive seeing. God's world has colors Crayola has never been able to duplicate. God's world splashes barrenness with unexpected glory and brings forth life from those places regarded as forgotten. God's world has grays and hues of uncertainty. God's world has enough for all if we are willing to go far enough to find it. God's world is multi-dimensional and, still, God allows linear beings to dwell there. God's world is a paradox of competing truths and wildly spun visions of co-existence that is ours to experience, if ever we dare off the beaten path of linear behaviors.

'Purchase our vision of the world and be this . . .', 'Own our understanding of the world and you will do that . . .', and the list goes on and on. The politicians each hawk their linear party-line agendas, even as religious traditions parochialize linear behaviors in the pew and beyond the front door. Advertisement firms pound the reading and viewing public with linear thinking 'that sells', while home security firms drive home linear fear that motivates subscriptions.

Is it a wonder that, in the raw unexpected moment of multi-dimensional experience, the uncomplicated splendor leads to cataclysmic awe and worship?

Take a moment for a walk or a drive, sit at your window and look across the yard or the street at the wave of tree limbs in the breeze, shut your eyes and remember the laughter of soaring through space on the seat of a swing, or touch the soft cheek of a baby's face . . . and give thanks to God for dimensions of being our harried living barely acknowledges. Then spend a little more time there each day. Who knows? Maybe in the grace of walking through life with the eyes of Christ we will discover, with the women at the tomb that first Easter morning, why the linear laws of death no longer apply, as we ponder the multi-dimensional aspects of the stone rolled away.

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Don

The Wind Blows Where It Chooses

A cold weather front is moving through and the speed of the wind has increased. Actually, it is fairly howling from the Northwest at a steady 25 to 30 miles per hour, with gusts well into the 40 mile per hour range which, for this Midwesterner, is fairly disconcerting. What happened to our Springtime breezes from the Southwest? Our balmy Southerly wisps of heat and vitality to dry the ground and put everyone in the mood for farming and gardening? Pulling my long coat back out of the closet I wonder what happened to walking across the street to the office in shirt sleeves. Lord knows that I only had the opportunity to do it once or twice so far this year but, God, it seems that we should be doing it every day, right?! Instead, the Northwest wind blows and the temperature drops. Snow flurries are in the forecast for tomorrow morning. What has happened to the way things should have been in early April?

Jesus says to Nicodemus, "The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." (John 3.8 NRSV) God no more owes humanity an explanation for why God does what God does than the wind owes us an explanation of why it blows the way it blows. God chooses to birth new life in humanity through the power and presence of God's own Holy Spirit and that is the end of the conversation. Period. It is a gift of God, God's choice, God's own option. It is how one comes to spiritual re-birthing. Kind of like the wind, it blows from the Southwest one day, pointing all the leaves on the trees to the Northeast, then it blows from the Northwest the next day, pointing all the leaves on the trees to the Southeast. You hear the sound of it, you feel the rush of the wind upon your cheek, you discern the wind cooling or heating the air around you, but you do not know from whence it came or to where it is going, only that it is, in that moment, all around you. So it is with God's Holy Spirit - and you can either receive it and relish in the wonder of the life it gives or you can go back inside your life and slam the door so that neither the wind, nor the Spirit, will ever touch you again.

That is your choice: to receive the gift or turn away from it, to savor the breath of God's wind upon your life and laugh in its splendor or stand there stuck in the notion that 'unless you can figure it out personally, you won't believe it is happening the way it seems.' God has already decided what God is going to do and how God is going to do it: New life in the Spirit is offered to all who receive it. Now, what are you going to do?

I think I am going to shut down this computer and go outside and stand in the wind for a while. Suddenly, the breeze seems more a friend and a freedom. Who knows, I might even let my imagination wander with the currents of God's Spirit directing my life in a whole way. I'll trust it all to the winds of the Spirit.

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Don

He Started by Digging Sewer Trenches by Hand

"He learned the business of plumbing and heating/cooling the hard way, he started by digging sewer trenches by hand." Those were the words the family of Gene Gray used in fondly remembering their husband and father as we, together, prepared to celebrate, his life. Those words caught me and held my attention for a long, long time in the simple truth they conveyed: Gene never thought himself 'entitled' to anything and was willing to work for everything.

It is the mindset of, as Tom Brokaw names it, "The Greatest Generation". Nothing is ours to claim or own just because we live somewhere, have a particular color of skin, have certain birth parents, or belong to a particular religious group. We are all members of the human family, equal inheritors of God's grace and vision, and each have the responsibility to work hard enough and for the benefit of the whole, so as to leave the world in better shape than when we came into it. Certainly, being born in the United States is, in and of itself, a huge gift, even for the generation who lived through the Depression and WWII, Korea, Viet Nam, and the whole host of other wars and police actions which are now a part of our collective history. Yet, I am reminded, neither is it a guarantee. In some places, in some peoples, there are those who wait, still, for that 'benefit' to kick in, banking on their entitlement check to save them from themselves.

Not for Gene. He learned the trade on the handle of a tile spade digging sewer lines, long before all the new fangled machinery there is today ever was available to the small local contractors. Gene worked, and by his work, a little luck, a lot of humor, and even more faith, he accomplished a living which provided that his children would be able to go to school, to college, get their degrees, and find jobs that would put them in the position of never having to dig sewer ditches again, unless they chose to dig those ditches. And, while he worked, he read and he wrote. Gene could quote Thanatopsis by William Cullen Bryant and Canterbury Tales by Chaucer. He was well acquainted with the work of Edgar Allen Poe and equally versed in the books of the Bible. He was a well-skilled sheet metal worker by day and an accomplished author in his own right in his spare time. He built five homes, including 'well-cussed cabinets', and established his family in the midst of a growing community. He savored his service in the Army in Korea and his friendships with those he met in the coffee shops . . . and it all found meaning in the handle of a shovel digging sewer lines to learn a vocation.

One might argue that today's generation, X, O, or whatever it is currently being called by the experts, might be well served starting their lives from a similar place. There is something about shaking hands with those whose calloused fingers rub coarsely across your own, yet, like Gene, their hard work and diligence was so others after them wouldn't have to work as hard. Still, in the work is value. In the value, lessons. In the lessons, humility. In the humility, community. Maybe that is why Jesus calls us to be servants to others, not the ones expecting to be served. He understood the lessons of having dirt under your fingernails and sore arms from carpentry work lingering long into the night after the project was done: it reminds you of how precious the work is and how important each step is along the way that none of them need be repeated because they weren't done well in the first place. Hmmmmmm.

It is certainly something to ponder as we listen to the voices of the current age tell us how much they deserve from the government, and how much they deserve from the school systems, and how much they deserve to be in management, and how much they deserve shorter hours of work, and how much they deserve higher levels of pay, and how much they are undervalued by big business, and how much they are oppressed by . . . . well, you get the idea. Maybe, there is one more lesson 'the life being celebrated' has to teach along the way: Everything, even hard work, is a gift. The value of the gift is the heart of the Giver, all we need do is use it and we will learn its power.

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Don

Missed Days

I haven't written for two days, and missed a couple of days last week. Such has been the 'busy-ness' of pastoral life in these days. Easter Sunday was to be the transition point from a hectic Lenten calendar to a more relaxed Easter Season schedule, but the days are flying by like wispy clouds in a Springtime breeze and, judging by the way events and expectations are piling up on my planner, it is not going to get better soon. Days off and time spent writing have become a nearly non-existent commodity in the face of constantly being 'on', being involved in church and community, and trying to stay up with the lives of folks who mean so much. It makes me wonder how Jesus balanced it.

In His ministry, thousands followed Him. Many more would crowd in upon Him, trying simply to touch the hem of His garment. Others cried out to Him from the side of the road. A few climbed trees hoping to be able to see Him. In the midst of it all, Jesus took time: Time for those who called out to Him; Time for those with whom He journeyed; and, time for Himself. Jesus went to places away . . . a garden, up a mountain, in a boat . . . and He allowed Himself the time and space to be renewed, to be lifted up as on wings of angels, if you will. He so desired to fully serve God's will that He cared for Himself along the way. Jesus understood the importance of balance in ministry far better than most folks in ministry today.

Sometimes our 'good old German work ethic' overshadows the wisdom of God and God's desire that our lives be full and rich in the ministries to which we are called. What good is our exhaustion if the only thing being exhausted is our own ego-driven need to be needed? Is there a message of Good News to be proclaimed to the world in stopping along the path of life to breathe in the Goodness of God? Is there a Gospel to be celebrated in receiving directly of God's delightful imagination in tending to one's own spiritual journey and needs along the way? Is there a witness to be made in saying 'No' when asked to do 'just one more thing'? Is there a truth which needs to be discerned between living a life with meaning and just living life?

Christ Himself is our Good News. Jesus is the Gospel of God among us. He is the the Witness of all that God intends. The question is not, 'Are we willing to be disciples of the Living Christ as we walk this way on earth?' but, rather, 'As disciples, are we willing to live as Jesus has modeled life and service on His ministry on this earth?' The difference between the two is the difference, I think, between life and death, between Life in God's Kingdom and death to this world's many self-indulgent gods which seek simply to wear you out.

Take a moment or two to step back and breathe, to write, to sing, to celebrate life. It is God's gift to you in all you are called to be in ministry, for, were that not true, Jesus would not have shown us the way. In God's Spirit we are given life. In Christ, we are given new life. Don't squander the gift, let Him lead the way.

"I am the way, and the truth, and the life."

John 14.6a

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Don

Sabbath Economics

'Sabbath Economics': " . . . the conviction that God's creation is abundant, and that there is enough for all - if we live within the limits of our needs instead of by our cravings." [Sabbath Economics: Household Practices by Matthew Colwell, p. 5; Tell the Word, September 2007]

I just started reading this book in preparation for a gathering of rural pastors of which I am a part. In many ways, it is a companion text to Ched Myers's The Biblical Vision of Sabbath Economics which, too, is an excellent read and a great study book for people seriously considering their place in the faith and world communities. As I read Colwell's opening statement and pondered its significance for my faith journey, I was struck by how incredibly raw and tearing those words are in our culture and in my living. Are we convicted that God's creation is abundant enough for everyone? Or, are we convicted that God could never possibly provide enough for everyone, therefore we have to accumulate enough of everything that we never have to face our own mortality? (Even if it is at the expense of another's mortality?)

I am reminded of the bumper sticker: "He who has the most when he dies, wins. But, he still dies."

I have not read the entire book, so this is a work in progress, yet even in the first sentences of his writing, Colwell challenges me to ponder what it is that I 'need'. 'Need', not want. Need. I have officiated so many Celebrations of Life (otherwise known as funerals) where the survivors are fighting over the things a person has accumulated, oft reflecting their own sense of not ever being able to accumulate enough, while sacrificing a legacy of generosity in the deceased's own life for burial with the coffin. While it proves genetics cannot guarantee an abundant spirit in the face of death, it is incredibly clear that, in the face of life, lessons taught on an abundant sense of connection to God and a theology of 'plenty enough' for all can make all the difference in what our children hold as dear.

I have watched people argue vehemently over jewelry owned by their mother, then, with smiles so sweet it would gag a maggot, offer their mother's lifelong Bible to the church as 'something for the library.' I have listened to siblings tell long and detailed stories of growing up on the farm and relate how blessed they all were to share childhood stories of connection to the land and, in the next breath, threaten to file a lawsuit if the land wasn't put up for auction to get the highest price available to be split up as their legacy. I have watched widows weep over estranged children who couldn't wait for her to die to get 'what they had coming', and have prayed with children whose parents used their holdings, however large or meager, to coax their children's affections and attention, often playing one against another.

How much do I need? And, for what?

I believe in a God of absolute abundance. I also believe that the world community question has never been, 'Is there enough?' More accurately, the question is, 'How is the abundance shared?' A capitalist culture does not celebrate abundance, but relishes in creating shortages by increasing demand beyond available supply. A sabbath culture celebrates abundance and relishes opportunities for everyone to have enough from the supply at hand. It is a faith thing. Where there is no faith in anything beyond one's own capacity to provide the necessary goods and services needed to exist, and exist comfortably, there is only the need to accumulate, accumulate, and accumulate some more, praying to the god of accumulation that, when all is said and done, one will have enough not to have to accumulate some more at another time . . . a time which never seems to arrive.

Yet, where there is faith in One who provides enough for all to live abundantly, then the driving need of the individual is to practice the same radical generosity on earth as it is experienced in heaven. So, I am back to the question asked in the beginning, 'What do I need?'

For today, more than all other things, I need the steadfast love of God to wash my soul in healing and strength. I need the faith God has in me to become, more and more, the faith I have in God as I share this journey with others who are God's children. I need the love of family and the support of friends. I need to live God's call in my life to the best of my ability. I need God's Holy Spirit guiding my steps, and I pray the Holy Spirit keeps the steps of my wife, children and grandchildren, as well. I need to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with every fiber of my being - and I need to continually respond to that Good News by living as though the stone of the tomb was rolled away before my very eyes. I need all this to sustain my spirit for the ministry to which I am called for, more than anything else, I want to hear His voice say to me, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."

Colwell accurately observes that, ". . . if we live within the limits of our needs instead of our cravings . . ." we will experience Sabbath economics. At least for me, if I am able to live within the limits of my needs in God, all other cravings will find their rest - and Sabbath will be the very economics by which my living is ordered and God's peace will find root. For such a Sabbath I live and such is my prayer for you.

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Don

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: Ponderings on This Day

Forty years ago today, April 4, 2008, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated and, in the American press, there is a great deal of remembering and rededicating going on. Rev. Al Sharpton and Rev. Jesse Jackson are making the media rounds of interviews and sound bytes, as other prominent folks remember where they were when they heard, what they saw transpire as the American public became aware, and how their lives have been affected by his legacy.

Today, I am celebrating the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. but, I suspect, I am doing it in a far different manner. I have an inherent cynicism regarding the folks who manage always to 'find themselves in front of a camera', that they might become the voice of the movement or the memory of the one being remembered. So, I choose to celebrate the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by continuing his work as a disciple of Jesus Christ among the unseen, the unheard, and unregarded of God's children among us. Certainly Rev. Dr. King's work was predominantly among and for the African-American community of his time, but if his work is remembered today as only being for the equality and equity of the African-American community, then we disrespect and dishonor the very message he sought to embody in his discipleship to Christ.

It was because of his color, his experiences growing up, and his challenges as a young man of faith in a predominantly 'white' governed world that the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. developed the skill and message necessary to address the powers and principalities of his time on behalf of all God's children. His was the voice of religious conscience speaking in the midst of a faith community that had long before found it easier to disregard the very essence of their baptismal identity as equal children in God's kingdom than to speak up for the marginalized. His was the voice from the depths of humanity pointing out how much easier it was to enjoy the fruit of the land when privileged enough to have the trees of a good education, adequate health care, appropriate housing, and equal access to the work force, growing in your own yard, rather than tear down the fences that keep others out and share the wealth that all might have enough.

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was the voice of radical inclusivity long before inclusiveness was kosher. His was the voice of one " . . . crying out in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord" among those who were, and in some cases remain, the brood of vipers among us in the faith. His was the voice of the lepers, the blind, the lame, the widow and the orphan, along the path that Jesus walked, for they were the only ones who recognized Jesus for who He was and called upon Him for healing and cleansing: the very things which would allow them to return to community, rather than stand outside of it. His was the voice of prophets, calling God's people to accountability for taking advantage of the weak and vulnerable that their own coffers would be increased upon the backs of those least able to defend themselves. His was the voice of generations of people crying out for justice, not for advantage, for justice, acknowledging that until there is justice and equity, there can never be peace. God's will in Christ will be done, and so Rev. Dr. King spoke, adding his voice to the voices of those who dared to stand in God's Holy Spirit before him, articulating the faith which is ours to claim in the Holy Spirit.

To remember with integrity Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is not to seek out a camera for publicity, it is to stand with Jesus next to the blind man at the side of the road, it is to articulate justice for the woman accused of adultery, it is to call the lepers to Him and cleanse them, it is to rededicate ourselves to the mission and ministry of Jesus Christ in this generation and space. To rededicate ourselves to the ministry of Rev. Dr. King is to miss the point. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was called, ordained, and sent to proclaim the coming Kingdom of God as a servant of Jesus Christ. So, too, are we today.

Therefore, I will honor with the greatest of humility and servitude the memory of this day, the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by rededicating myself to the mission and ministry of Jesus Christ on behalf of all God's people. Because, until all God's people have a place at the Table of grace and mercy, until all God's people have equity and justice " . . . on earth as it is in heaven . . .", until all God's people have a share in God's generous abundance for humankind, regardless of race, color, ethnicity, economic level, geography, gender, or background . . . . until such a time, Christ's ministry goes on and God will continue to call forth servants of the faith like Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who do not shrink back from their sacramental birthing, but go forth in the strength and conviction of the Holy Spirit.

Such living celebrates his life and legacy with honor, for it confirms in the current age the conviction of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's. soul and ministry in his age: Jesus Christ is Lord. Our call is to live that truth with power and devotion. So Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. lived and died, so may we live and die, that in the final roll call our names would be found worthy to be spoken on His lips.

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Don

The Thomas In Us All

Driving between hospitals today has given me an opportunity to think some more on Jesus' disciple, Thomas. The Gospel text for Sunday, March 30, 2008 was the story of Thomas' doubt and Jesus' presence in the midst of his doubt (John 20:19-31). I cannot tell you how many times over the course of my ministry I have been blessed to preach that text, but I can tell you that every time I have preached it, the sermon has been less about Thomas' doubt and more about our doubt today.

It is easy to tag Thomas with the moniker of 'Doubter', just as it is easy (some 2000 years removed from the event) to say, 'He should have believed', but none of us were there. None of us saw it happen. Why the Gospel of John includes this story and none of the other Gospels do has been speculated upon in a variety of ways throughout church history, but that it does include it requires folks of every age, not only to look at Thomas through the eyes of the Gospel writer(s) but also, to see him through Jesus' eyes.

Don't ever forget that, when Jesus first stood in the room and said to the ten disciples present, "Peace be with you", He showed them His hands and side before they rejoiced that it was Him. None of the disciples are credited with having believed without seeing, in fact, none of them have the opportunity, except for Thomas. Thomas is the only one who is noted as not being in the room when Jesus first appears to the others and, upon Thomas' return sometime later, he responds as the others had, though it is never mentioned: He needs to see.

Before God's Peace in Christ can be with us, we need to see. Jesus says to Thomas and, by extension, to all of us: "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe", yet, few, if any, can claim that distinction, so hard is it to accomplish. Most of us come to faith much like Thomas, we need to have the Resurrected Christ personally proven to us. We cry out for evidence, proof that the wounds exist for our redemption and, like Thomas, when confronted by the sight, we never have to put our fingers into the nail marks or our hand into His side. We come to some measure of belief, crying out in shame for our unbelief and wondering if we can ever be forgiven our human inadequacy. Yet, just as it is for our unbelief that Jesus was crucified, so it is for our unbelief that Jesus is willing to stand with us in whatever room it is in which we choose to hide ourselves away.

Our unbelief cannot be secreted away from God. "For faith Christ has set us free . . . " says the Apostle Paul, fully knowing that such freedom comes at a very high price and must continually be shown and proven to each succeeding generation. Just as with the Gnostic community to which the Gospel of John is directed, the value for academic understanding today is so high among us that God's Wisdom completely alludes the folly of our searching. We miss the point when we dump on Thomas: God understands us in our doubts and for that very reason, in Christ, is willing always to stand with us wherever we are. For this the Church was, and continues to be, birthed: To be the present Body of Christ standing in those locked-away places with everyone who cries out in unbelief to 'see' the wounds and be washed in the grace of His care. And, in such times and places, when the faith is lived and embodied in the power of the Holy Spirit, Christ's Peace is with us, Christ's Peace fills us, Christ's Peace heals us. The Peace of Christ is not about not doubting, it is about God's assurance that in our every doubt, Christ is present with us, in us, for us, to us, freeing us to live a faithful witness in the generation with which we travel.

"Peace be with you." After this he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you."

In the midst of your doubts, don't worry about being like Thomas, pray that, like Thomas, the Presence of Christ enfolds your unbelief with the compassionate presence of persistent Love that knows no end.

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Don

Easter Wonderments

In the Christian tradition, Sunday worship is a continual living reminder that the Christian community is birthed and called to be an Easter people. Every Sunday . . . . and every day in between Sundays. In our gathering, regardless of the day, we are remembering the astonishing Good News of an empty tomb, we are celebrating here on earth what we anticipate in heaven as we sit at Table and partake of Holy Communion, and we are blending our voices with those of angelic choirs as we praise God's Holy Name. As disciples of the Risen Christ, ours is the ministry of living between Sundays what we proclaim as the Truth on Sundays: Christ is Risen! In Him there is hope for the hopeless, peace for the embattled, justice for the oppressed, mercy for the struggling, food for the hungry, drink for the thirsty, clothes for the naked, shelter for the homeless, care for the sick, and companions for those imprisoned. In Christ, the Christian community serves as it is served, tends as it is tended to, is gracious as grace is given, and shares as God's abundance is shared. All this because of Easter.

So, for the baptized believers in Jesus Christ, Easter isn't one day, it is every day, with each Sunday serving as our touchstone of identity and revelation in gathered community. Sunday is the 'Alleluia! And, Amen!' of God's people as, together, they affirm before God and each other that, in the empty tomb, there is no reason to fear, only every reason to live - and live faithfully, for God is doing a marvelous thing before our eyes, still. God is our reason to gather, not our obligation. God is our opportunity to love, not our requirement. God is our basis of service, not our law. God is our chance to be evangels of Good News, not our requisite.

As Easter opens the door for transformational living, in Christ God swings wide the creative imagination of the Spirit, knocking down the guards of this worlds old rulers and springing forth wonder in folded grave clothes. God is choosing to act in this manner. God is choosing to speak with such eloquence. God is choosing - to reveal to you and me . . . and we are invited to see and respond. So, tell me . . .

Do we short-change the power of Easter when we give it our attention only once a year? Do we forfeit the Gospel in claiming every other Sunday as our own personal possession? Do we ever fully receive the Gift of an empty tomb when nearly every Sunday other than Easter we are found running away from it? Are we found jumping out of the waters of the Jordan, betraying our own baptism, for the time on Sunday morning that we need to catch up on our coffee and papers? At what point does the wonder of Easter transect the ordinariness of daily life and make it new for you?

These are some of the wonderments this small town pastor has when Easter Sunday morning is most likely the only Sunday morning folks come running to worship, even if sometimes pulled by an insistent parent or grandparent. How magnificent will the 'show' have to be at the door of the tomb, how deeply will their finger have go in His wounds, how captivating must the news be, before the Good News hits home and, like Mary, we all are found on our knees, holding onto His feet, saying, "Rabbouni!" What will it take for Easter to live beyond the tomb of the annual event in most people's lives?

I am reminded of the story of the rich man and Lazarus in the Gospel according to Luke. There, in the 16th chapter, is recorded Abraham's response to the rich man's request from Hades that Lazarus be sent to his brothers that they might repent from their ways upon seeing someone from the dead. Abraham says, "If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead." And, maybe, that is the answer to all my wonderments. Still, it does not prevent me from Easter living where I am.

So, I choose to live Easter: to celebrate Easter with my baptismal family on Sundays and to embody Easter in my discipleship in the days between Sundays. I pray for you Easter, as well. Not just for the sake of a day, but for the Good News to exist in the soul of your being. Some say you don't have to go to church every Sunday to be a Christian . . . and the way some every Sunday Christians behave, it is hard to argue . . . yet, I am a Christian because of Christ, not because of them. I choose to celebrate Easter every Sunday and to live it every day because of Him, not because of them. I choose to allow God's Good News to shape my living in Christ, not the choices others make along the way.

Easter living is not the way of the self-righteous, but the holy, humble way of the ones still striving to walk in His steps the way of this world. May His Easter Wonderment claim you always.

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Don