December 4, 2020--power of the WORD

 

Advent Devotion Friday of Week One

James 1:22-27

I have to say, it is an odd experience to have a post on Facebook start my day off.  I had “quit” looking at Facebook because of all the negativity and bullying.  Today, the son of my first cousin posted his reflection on Eric Church’s song “If I Could Only Kill a Word.”  I am not a country music fan, so had never heard this son.  But I listened, and wow! Words are powerful, for good and evil.  As a faithful Christian, it was THE WORD that people wanted silenced, the word that breathed life and in all things were created, redeemed and continues to live today.  However, THE WORD would not let death have the last word.

But there are also words that are very hurtful, and some of us have just accepted them as social norms.  The fighting with each other about politics and name calling, racial and ethnic slurs we think are “funny,” lots of words we say later we didn’t really mean.  And yet words cannot be taken back, you cannot reel them back in, they can’t be unheard after hearing any more than unsaid after saying. 

Read these words by Eric Church--

If I could kill a word and watch it die
I'd poison "never," shoot goodbye
Beat "regret" when I felt I had the nerve
Yeah, I'd pound "fear" to a pile of sand
Choke "lonely" out with my bare hands
I'd hang "hate" so that it can't be heard
If I could only kill a word

I'd take "brokeness" out back
And break "heartbreak," stand there and laugh
Right in its face while shootin' it the bird
I'd put "upset" down in its place
I'd squeeze the life out of "disgrace"
Lay "over" under six cold feet of dirt
If I could only kill a word

Give me sticks and give me stones
Bend my body, break my bones
Use stab and rod to turn me black and blue
Cause you can't unhear, you can't unsay
But if were up to me to change
I'd turn "lies" and "hate" to "love" and "truth"
If I could only kill a word

I'd knock out "temptation"'s teeth
I'd sever "evil," let it bleed
Light light up "wicked," stand and watch it burn
I'd take "vice" and I'd take "vile"
Tie 'em up there with "hostile"
Hang 'em high and leave 'em for the birds
If I could only kill a word

So give me sticks, give stones
Bend my body, break my bones
Use staff and rod to turn me black and blue
Cause you can't unhear, you can't unsay
But if were up to me to change
I'd turn "lies" and "hate" to "love" and "truth"
If I could only kill a word
If I could only kill a word

 

These are the words that really hit me:  But if were up to me to change; I'd turn "lies" and "hate" to "love" and "truth."

It is up to me to change, to repent, turn around, reevaluate!  It is up to us to live as examples of the life giving Word of love and truth. 

I know it is Advent and Lent is usually the time we talk about repentance.  As we wait this season in anticipatory longing, we remember that it is in love for us that God sent the Word into the world, that the Word became incarnate.  It is only through the power of this Word Jesus that the world will change. 

December 2, 2020--do not be weighed down

 Wednesday of the First Week in Advent

Luke 21:34-38

34 ‘Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day does not catch you unexpectedly, ³⁵like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. ³⁶Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.’

37 Every day he was teaching in the temple, and at night he would go out and spend the night on the Mount of Olives, as it was called. ³⁸And all the people would get up early in the morning to listen to him in the temple. 

 

 

 

Since Sunday, every time I read scripture I get that message—keep awake.  Today it is in the words “be alert.”  There must be something here we are intended to grasp in our faith journey.

Before vacation, I noticed my mind slipping a bit, I felt overwhelmed with some decisions and the weight of burdens that we were all carrying.  Every time I got something done, it was like I didn’t even breathe and was off to the next thing.  Right or wrong, I felt like the weight of the world was on my shoulders, and I was definitely not alert.  I am sure I missed things around me.

Our reading begins –be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down, so that day does not catch you unexpectedly.  I realize that sometimes I am just too busy to notice how God is present in the every day tasks of life, even in those occasions where I am grieved and burdened. 

Advent gives us that chance in the anticipation of waiting to see God in unexpected ways, even through the things that weigh us down.  I do believe that this time of pandemic will change us, and some of it might be for the better.  If we allow ourselves during this time to prioritize our lives, to let go of some of the things that really don’t matter, I think we might find that we are more alert to the action and presence of God in every day life.

November 30, 2020--God remembered....

 November 30, 2020 --Monday in Advent, week 1

Genesis 8:1-19

 

Our reading for this Monday, the first week of Advent is a familiar story to both young and old.  It is the story of Noah and God’s deliverance of God’s people with Noah’s obedience and the ark.  Our reading begins as Noah, his family and all the wild and domestic animals are with him on the boat while there had been forty days of flood water, a long time as the water covered the mountains of the earth and there was much death. 

I can imagine what Noah was thinking, or at least what I imagine I would be thinking and feeling if honest.  I know God, you told me this would happen and I built the ark, but really—how much longer?  In Genesis 7:24 it reads, “And the waters swelled on the earth for one hundred fifty days.”  God, have you forgotten about us?  Where are you?

Verse 8:1 reads “but God remembered Noah…”  God remembered, even when Noah had to wonder if God had forgotten.  God causes the wind to blow over the earth and the waters subside, and the heavens close—no more rain!  And at the end of 150 days, the water was abated, and in the seventh month the ark rested on land.  The waters continued to abate, and on the first day of the tenth month they could see the tops of the mountains.   

Noah opened a window and sent out a raven, to see if the water was dried up on the earth and the raven flew back and forth.  Then he sent a dove to see if the water had subsided but the dove didn’t find a place to set foot and it returned.  Noah waited seven more days and sent the dove again.  This time the dove returned with a fresh olive leaf, so Noah knew the water had subsided.  He waited another seven days, sent the dove out again, but this time it did not return. 

Eventually the water was all dried up, and Noah removed the covering and saw the drying ground.  God told Noah to go out, along with all living things, be fruitful and multiply.  And so Noah went out.

I don’t know about you, but I can sometimes feel like I am cooped up in the ark, I can’t go anywhere.  It seems I see the same people over and over again, and in my case mostly on Zoom.  Just when we start to get an idea that things are getting better, there is a setback, and I wonder again how long?   When will this end?  God, do you remember us?

I know I am not the only one who wonders this, when we are honest with ourselves.  This morning as I was talking to people, it was a common theme.  We are tired, lonely, maybe physically healthy but mentally not so good.  Some of the people we know and love have died, some related to Covid and some not—but all affected by Covid in the limitations set for us.  I came to grips with missing Easter worship but it was not in my thoughts that we could not worship in the same place together for Christmas as well.  The thought of a Christmas dinner without family and friends, like the Thanksgiving many of us had sucks the energy right out of us.

Here in scripture, we hear these words, but God remembered—we are not forgotten.  God is with us in this “ark” we find ourselves in, is with us in the isolation and limitations we must abide by, not by the law, but out of love.  It is in this hope that we will get through this, and I have to say, we might find that God uses this to make us even better!  Pastor Julie Winklepleck quoted Emily Dickenson in her sermon yesterday, “Hope” is the thing with feathers -That perches in the soul…”  (“Hope” is the thing with feathers - (314) by… | Poetry Foundation)  Pastor Julie W is more cultured and read than I am!  But it is a beautiful poem and understanding of hope.  Hope is what we hold onto inside, because we know the nature of God, that God does remember and love us, so much so that God sent Jesus to earth to be God with us, Immanuel. 

What a perfect scripture and reminder as we enter deeper into this Advent season, as we wait with hopeful longing for that day when Christ comes again.

 

Reminders:

Tonight we start a 4 week Bible Study—God with Us on Monday’s at 7 p.m.  Contact me to receive Zoom Invite.

Tuesday Bible Study at 11, reading Colossians.

Wednesday at 7 p.m.—Advent service of reflection and prayer.  On Facebook Live.

Together or apart, we are the church! 

 

Quick Reflection on Synod Assembly

It is Saturday at 6:45 p.m. and I am exhausted; excited and exhausted.  Strange combination.

Since Thursday evening, Shelly D, John N and I attended the North/West Lower Michigan Synod Assembly in Mount Pleasant.  These happen every year and function in many ways like a congregational meeting (I know, but it really is interesting and eye opening). 

This year, it seems the primary role of the assembly was the election of a bishop. The process took longer than I think any thought.  It all begins with everyone registered writing down one name of a pastor, any pastor on the roster of the ELCA and those names constitute the nominations.  Once announced, one could remove their name from nomination, but could not at any later point in the process.  After the second ballot, before the third vote the top seven have the opportunity to speak.  This year because of a tie for seventh, we heard eight people speak.  I thought this was one of the highlights of the synod event.  All were a little different, but each spoke to the need for vitality in our congregations rather than survival, that we can do more together than we can alone, and the changing world of our church and world and how we as church are called to respond in the name of Jesus.  On the fifth ballot, Bishop Craig Satterlee was re-elected to serve a six year term.  Bishop Satterlee will be joining us in worship on July 21.

During the assembly we also passed a memorial to be taken to the Churchwide Assembly this summer regarding the transparency and policies regarding sexual harassment.  We adopted some constitutional changes for the synod constitution and heard three bishops from Ohio, the secretary of the ELCA speak, and the coordinator of World Hunger—Mikka McCracken who was dynamic and shared some great stories about how our giving to World Hunger has helped countless people in so many ways.  www.elca.org/goodgifts.  We experienced worship and Shelly and I got some good ideas to use in our Not Your Normal Worship service.

 So, it was long hours listening and sitting—and exhausting.  But I will say again, I am excited.

First, Ascension has a lot to be grateful for.  I believe we are on a good trajectory as we live out the gospel in our community—community engagement is one of the keys in congregational vitality.  We do engage our community through outreach of the Back to School Fair, school bags, and the many organizations we partner with.  Though our attendance is down, it is not at the same percentage as other congregations in our community and our giving is still pretty solid.  In fact, Ascension was recognized as one of five congregations in our synod who had the highest percentage of increase in giving. 

Our congregation and the council has set forth a plan, I believe with the power of the Holy Spirit guiding as we position ourselves to navigate the world in faith with Jesus.  We aren’t yet where we need to be, but the reality is, we never will be. But how we live out our faith together, how we work together, how we foster relationships with each other will speak the gospel in ways we can’t imagine.

Worship is the key gathering of the congregation.  Some of you know we are putting together a Worship Table to help provide the best we have to offer in praise to God.  This is not a committee, it is a place of conversation in order that as we move forward, we do so together.  We are just getting started, so more will follow.  But I hope the congregation can embrace together our goal together to offer our best to God as we come together in worship. I don’t yet know what this will look like, and that excites me. 

I am sure we will share more about synod assembly.  At this time I want to thank this congregation for our participation in the synod, as we are part of something bigger.  Thanks to Shelly and John for taking time out of their schedule to be part of these decisions that truly can transform the world.

Thanks for being a wonderful congregation to serve with; you foster my faith and vision as we grow together as disciples of Christ.