Halloween is a Church festival! In midieval Europe it was called ALL Hallows Eve, the night before All Saints Day. All Saints Day was a huge festival that has been all but forgotten in most Churches. It was an entire day set aside to honor those whose life on this earth had ended and had gone on to be with the Lord in heaven. To prepare the town for the festival, it was necessary to rid the town of all evil that would be lurking to spoil All Saints Day. People put on masks as gruesome as they could find and go through the town to scare evil away. Midieval Churches had gargoyles (ugly faces) carved in stone around their churches for the same purpose of scaring evil away.
Today, Halloween is still the night before All Saints, but has taken a life of its own. No longer is it a festival of the church, but a time of parties, costumes, masks, and candy. If All Saints day falls on any day but Sunday, most people pay no attention. Liturgical Churches like St. Martin's celebrate All Saints on the Sunday closest to November 1. This year, All Saints falls on a Sunday. Today people spend a lot of time protecting their children from the evil that might lurk on the streets of our cities by taking their children to supervised and safe parties or by walking with them in local neighborhoods.
It is appropriate to take time on All Saints Day, Sunday or not, to remember those who have lived their lives on this earth and for who " from all their labors, rest."
Monday, October 26, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Discipleship
The word discipleship has been around for a long time in the Church, in fact since the very beginning. Jesus gathered disciples, that is, those who would follow him all the way. Jesus taught them publicly and privately. Then after three years when they had witnessed all that Jesus had for them, he left them and told them to go into the world and make disciples, baptizing and teaching. We are so very used to these words.
What we are not used to is how to make these words a reality in today’s church. I was never trained in discipleship, that is, making disciples. I didn’t know the “technique.” I was trained to be a Pastor who would preach, teach and administer the sacraments. It was pretty much for those where were already there in the churches where I was to be called.
But Jesus didn’t do any of that as an end to itself. Now, more and more, churches outside of Lutheranism are talking about making true disciples. Notice the word “making.” There is no “born” disciple. Disciples are made. It is a long process, not a quick program. It is a process designed to mold a few folks into those who will in turn, mold a few more folks…so forth and so on. I understand that it take almost 5 years before a congregation begins to see any “result” in discipleship training. Congregations who have been doing this for several years actually have a full time staff person who does only discipleship.
As I reflect back on my years in ordained ministry, it would have been great to have had discipleship training at the core of the churches I have served. That is now for the next generation of Pastors in the Lutheran Church which still doesn’t teach how to make disciples. We have the words, but not the substance. I believe God will open the door for me and a few others to take the steps toward making disciples and in the mean time, I am standing in front of that door.
What we are not used to is how to make these words a reality in today’s church. I was never trained in discipleship, that is, making disciples. I didn’t know the “technique.” I was trained to be a Pastor who would preach, teach and administer the sacraments. It was pretty much for those where were already there in the churches where I was to be called.
But Jesus didn’t do any of that as an end to itself. Now, more and more, churches outside of Lutheranism are talking about making true disciples. Notice the word “making.” There is no “born” disciple. Disciples are made. It is a long process, not a quick program. It is a process designed to mold a few folks into those who will in turn, mold a few more folks…so forth and so on. I understand that it take almost 5 years before a congregation begins to see any “result” in discipleship training. Congregations who have been doing this for several years actually have a full time staff person who does only discipleship.
As I reflect back on my years in ordained ministry, it would have been great to have had discipleship training at the core of the churches I have served. That is now for the next generation of Pastors in the Lutheran Church which still doesn’t teach how to make disciples. We have the words, but not the substance. I believe God will open the door for me and a few others to take the steps toward making disciples and in the mean time, I am standing in front of that door.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
In the weekend Wall Street Journal there was a two page "Man vs. God" article featuring on the atheist side, Richard Dawkins, a respected physicist and Karen Armstrong, a noted theologian. I have read Dawkins' book, The God Delusion. It is a book I would not recommend for those weak in faith. His arguments could well quench faith in folks. It is about Ms. Armstrong’s article that I write today. It was great. Here are some quotes: "But Darwin may have done religion--and God--a favor by revealing a flaw in modern Western faith. Despite our scientific and technological brilliance, our understanding of God is often remarkably undeveloped--even primitive."
In the 17th century Christians began to read scripture with a literalness that is without parallel in religious history. Most cultures believed that there were two recognized ways of arriving at truth. The Greeks called them mythos and logos. Both were essential and neither was superior to the other. They were not in conflict but complementary. Logos was reason. It was the pragmatic mode of thought that enabled us to function effectively in the world and had therefore, to correspond accurately to external reality. But it could not explain or help human grief or find ultimate meaning in life's struggle. For that people turned to mythos, stories that made no pretensions to historical accuracy but should rather be seen as an early form of psychology; if translated into ritual or ethical action, a good myth showed you how to cope with mortality, discover an inner source of strength, and endure pain and sorrow.
Religion was not supposed to provide explanations that lay within the competence of reason but to help us live creatively with realities for which there are no easy solutions and find an interior haven of peace; today, however, many have opted for unsustainable certainty instead. When authors like Dawkins attack relgious faith or a belief in God, it is the "unsustainable certainty" that he is attacking, and frankly, that is good. The good news for us is that the God he is attacking doesn't exist. When I talk to people who say they don't believe in God, I ask them to describe the God they don't believe in and discover that they have described a God that in fact doesn't exist. When I tell them that, they are relieved! But then they ask about the God that does exist and I have to use words like "the God beyond God." Now we get into religious philosophy which will leave all of us beaten but better.
Thus we have the stories of the Old and New Testament. When we take many of them literally, we make an idol out of certainty and thus violate the first commandment. What does it mean "Christ is Risen!"? Read the New Testament and all the disciples knew that Jesus had risen, but they all described the experience differently. We don't on Easter go and "prove" that Jesus rose from the dead, we proclaim his resurrection, and each worshiper lets the proclamation work it mysterious wonders in each of them.
Ms. Armstrong will be publishing her latest book "The Case for God" later this month. I will be buying a copy.
In the weekend Wall Street Journal there was a two page "Man vs. God" article featuring on the atheist side, Richard Dawkins, a respected physicist and Karen Armstrong, a noted theologian. I have read Dawkins' book, The God Delusion. It is a book I would not recommend for those weak in faith. His arguments could well quench faith in folks. It is about Ms. Armstrong’s article that I write today. It was great. Here are some quotes: "But Darwin may have done religion--and God--a favor by revealing a flaw in modern Western faith. Despite our scientific and technological brilliance, our understanding of God is often remarkably undeveloped--even primitive."
In the 17th century Christians began to read scripture with a literalness that is without parallel in religious history. Most cultures believed that there were two recognized ways of arriving at truth. The Greeks called them mythos and logos. Both were essential and neither was superior to the other. They were not in conflict but complementary. Logos was reason. It was the pragmatic mode of thought that enabled us to function effectively in the world and had therefore, to correspond accurately to external reality. But it could not explain or help human grief or find ultimate meaning in life's struggle. For that people turned to mythos, stories that made no pretensions to historical accuracy but should rather be seen as an early form of psychology; if translated into ritual or ethical action, a good myth showed you how to cope with mortality, discover an inner source of strength, and endure pain and sorrow.
Religion was not supposed to provide explanations that lay within the competence of reason but to help us live creatively with realities for which there are no easy solutions and find an interior haven of peace; today, however, many have opted for unsustainable certainty instead. When authors like Dawkins attack relgious faith or a belief in God, it is the "unsustainable certainty" that he is attacking, and frankly, that is good. The good news for us is that the God he is attacking doesn't exist. When I talk to people who say they don't believe in God, I ask them to describe the God they don't believe in and discover that they have described a God that in fact doesn't exist. When I tell them that, they are relieved! But then they ask about the God that does exist and I have to use words like "the God beyond God." Now we get into religious philosophy which will leave all of us beaten but better.
Thus we have the stories of the Old and New Testament. When we take many of them literally, we make an idol out of certainty and thus violate the first commandment. What does it mean "Christ is Risen!"? Read the New Testament and all the disciples knew that Jesus had risen, but they all described the experience differently. We don't on Easter go and "prove" that Jesus rose from the dead, we proclaim his resurrection, and each worshiper lets the proclamation work it mysterious wonders in each of them.
Ms. Armstrong will be publishing her latest book "The Case for God" later this month. I will be buying a copy.
Monday, August 24, 2009
From Panic to Peace
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America last Friday (August 21) approved the implementing resolutions to the human sexuality statement of the Church passed earlier in the week. Basically the resolutions stated that the Church would find ways to ordain gay and lesbian candidates in healthy committed relationships and who are otherwise qualified to be Pastors in this Church. Ordination can only happen when a congregation calls a candidate. Because of all the dissension in other denominations over this issue, there is concern that about a third of Lutherans in the ELCA are opposed to these actions. Some churches and members will leave. The resolutions call for respecting those on both sides of the issue who are bound by conscience.
At St. Martin's I have been surprised that this whole issue has been somewhat a yawner. There are a few folks that would not have voted to go in this direction, but don't plan to leave the church. They do recognize that there are gay and lesbian churches in our more metropolitan areas who would benefit from clergy of the same persuasion. Back in the early 70's we ordained our first Chinese Lutheran Pastor (not a sin, btw) and placed him in a congregation in northern Wisconsin. It didn't work out very well! Later they placed him in a Chinese community where he thrived and grew the church. I spent a lot of time teaching some of the viewpoints from the scriptures on homosexuality, how they viewed it in the early centuries and why they wrote as they did inspired by God. The classes were well attended and only one family left as a result believing that homosexuality is a sin and not a part of the creation of God. That is usually what it boils down to.
Of course the media did not say anything about the more spectacular resolutions from a Christian perspective--full communion with the United Methodist Church; the multi-millon dollar Aids and Malaria initiative, continuing emphasis on youth and evangelism....all lost because when we talk about sex, people listen.
The sun will rise tomorrow; the Church isn't going down the tubes; some folks will leave; and we who stay will continue to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all people. We will leave the judging to God. Our youth throughout the ELCA said "It's about time!" So, in the last 150 years, we abolished slavery; in the 60's got rid of segregation; in the 70's ordained women; and in 2009 knocked down the walls that keep ernest Christian gay and lesbian people in committed relationships from ordained ministry. The Church is lead by the Holy Spirit; there are wonderful Lutheran people on both sides of the issue. Both love the scriptures, yet seem them differently.
But, the sun will rise tomorrow, God willing
At St. Martin's I have been surprised that this whole issue has been somewhat a yawner. There are a few folks that would not have voted to go in this direction, but don't plan to leave the church. They do recognize that there are gay and lesbian churches in our more metropolitan areas who would benefit from clergy of the same persuasion. Back in the early 70's we ordained our first Chinese Lutheran Pastor (not a sin, btw) and placed him in a congregation in northern Wisconsin. It didn't work out very well! Later they placed him in a Chinese community where he thrived and grew the church. I spent a lot of time teaching some of the viewpoints from the scriptures on homosexuality, how they viewed it in the early centuries and why they wrote as they did inspired by God. The classes were well attended and only one family left as a result believing that homosexuality is a sin and not a part of the creation of God. That is usually what it boils down to.
Of course the media did not say anything about the more spectacular resolutions from a Christian perspective--full communion with the United Methodist Church; the multi-millon dollar Aids and Malaria initiative, continuing emphasis on youth and evangelism....all lost because when we talk about sex, people listen.
The sun will rise tomorrow; the Church isn't going down the tubes; some folks will leave; and we who stay will continue to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all people. We will leave the judging to God. Our youth throughout the ELCA said "It's about time!" So, in the last 150 years, we abolished slavery; in the 60's got rid of segregation; in the 70's ordained women; and in 2009 knocked down the walls that keep ernest Christian gay and lesbian people in committed relationships from ordained ministry. The Church is lead by the Holy Spirit; there are wonderful Lutheran people on both sides of the issue. Both love the scriptures, yet seem them differently.
But, the sun will rise tomorrow, God willing
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
We are not here for ourselves
We are knee deep in VBS with 65 enthusiastic children and a good host of adult and youth leaders. Children are crying because they don't want to go home at noon! One boy was going to miss today so he could celebrate his birthday with family and friends, but yesterday, asked his mom if he could cancel the birthday celebration and come to Bible School. Wow! Our crew of adults and youth have not only made this a fun time for the children but also a spiritual time. Monday's lesson was "Don't be afraid, God is with us." Do you remember Monday night with all the thunder and lightening? One mom reported that her youngest child reassured the family "Don't be afraid, God is with us!" How about that!!
Daily, visitors are talking with me about St. Martin's. Pray that those who do not have a church home will "come and see."
Last Sunday, we had 5 new families visit us at the 11:00am service. Many of you made them feel welcome and introduced them to me (remember, that is our protocol here!). Visit with your friends here, but keep a close and watchful eye for those coming through the front door who appear to be visitors. Introduce yourselves to them, then them to me. This is our hallmark here at St. Martin's....and it takes everyone to notice.
THIS SUNDAY WE BEGIN 2 MONTHS OF JUST ONE SERVICE @ 9:30 AM. We know in advance this will reduce the number of visitors we get, but it will be good to combine the two services for a short while for more energy and fellowship. But always remember, we are not here for ourselves. The church is the only organization that exists for those who are not yet here.
This is a great time to invite unchurched friends, or better yet, bring unchurched friends to hear the Gospel.
My family and I will begin our annual vacation after the service and Sunday School this coming Sunday. We will be away for two weeks. (San Francisco, the wine and gold country of California, then on to Holden Village in Washington for a week).
Two of our trained and certified preachers will bring the message while I am away.
Irvin Smith will preach on the 12th, and Chris O'Sullivan will preach on the 19th.
If you need emergency Pastoral care during this time, call Stephanie in the office and she will contact either Pastor Morrell (retired) or Pastor Albertson (Peace, Rosenberg) to assist you. For the week at Holden, I will be out of touch with the known world (no landlines, cell towers, TV or radio--which is the point!).
Continue to support generously our church not only in finances, but also in your time and talent. We have incurred unexpected expenses because of theft, graffiti, and having to spend on additional security measures...etc.
Continue to bring your Bibles to church; more and more of you are doing this, marking them up during the message, and taking notes. Lutherans hold the scriptures and the study of scriptures in highest esteem....we just haven't been in the practice of using them during worship....slowly that is changing.
Be sure you get your rest, I will get mine!
Blessings
Pastor Kelly
Daily, visitors are talking with me about St. Martin's. Pray that those who do not have a church home will "come and see."
Last Sunday, we had 5 new families visit us at the 11:00am service. Many of you made them feel welcome and introduced them to me (remember, that is our protocol here!). Visit with your friends here, but keep a close and watchful eye for those coming through the front door who appear to be visitors. Introduce yourselves to them, then them to me. This is our hallmark here at St. Martin's....and it takes everyone to notice.
THIS SUNDAY WE BEGIN 2 MONTHS OF JUST ONE SERVICE @ 9:30 AM. We know in advance this will reduce the number of visitors we get, but it will be good to combine the two services for a short while for more energy and fellowship. But always remember, we are not here for ourselves. The church is the only organization that exists for those who are not yet here.
This is a great time to invite unchurched friends, or better yet, bring unchurched friends to hear the Gospel.
My family and I will begin our annual vacation after the service and Sunday School this coming Sunday. We will be away for two weeks. (San Francisco, the wine and gold country of California, then on to Holden Village in Washington for a week).
Two of our trained and certified preachers will bring the message while I am away.
Irvin Smith will preach on the 12th, and Chris O'Sullivan will preach on the 19th.
If you need emergency Pastoral care during this time, call Stephanie in the office and she will contact either Pastor Morrell (retired) or Pastor Albertson (Peace, Rosenberg) to assist you. For the week at Holden, I will be out of touch with the known world (no landlines, cell towers, TV or radio--which is the point!).
Continue to support generously our church not only in finances, but also in your time and talent. We have incurred unexpected expenses because of theft, graffiti, and having to spend on additional security measures...etc.
Continue to bring your Bibles to church; more and more of you are doing this, marking them up during the message, and taking notes. Lutherans hold the scriptures and the study of scriptures in highest esteem....we just haven't been in the practice of using them during worship....slowly that is changing.
Be sure you get your rest, I will get mine!
Blessings
Pastor Kelly
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