May 10, 2020

First Lutheran Church

May 10, 2020 + The Fifth Sunday of Easter + Acts 7:55-60

We begin our worship this morning in our beautiful courtyard!  Here, all the beautiful plants and vines, and the flowing fountain, remind us of “Gospel Promises!”  From the 15th chapter of John we are reminded, “I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me, and I in them, bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.” “Abide in me, as I abide in you!” Here, next to our Fountain we are reminded of the waters of baptism.  We are reminded that in these waters we have been raised to new life, and we are reminded that it is in these waters, in the waters of baptism, we are joined together!  St. Paul writes in his letter to the Ephesians, “There is one body and one Spirit,  just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.”  We gather together today in the truth of these promises! 

Acts 7:55-60

55Filled with the Holy Spirit, (Stephen) gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56“Look,” he said, “I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” 57But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him. 58Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him; and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he died.

“Body Language”

Pastor Greg Ronning

I want to begin today with “The Apostle’s Creed.”  We’ve said it hundreds and hundreds of times.  So many times, that it has become a fixture in our faith, it shapes our faith, and it defines our faith.  Many of us know it by heart.  So, if I begin the second article, I would not be surprised if you all joined me …

I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

So it is, that I am wondering if you noticed something different about today’s reading from The Book of Acts?  In Acts 7:56, the author describes the heavenly throne scene, the heavenly throne scene in the midst of the martyrdom of Stephen, this way … “Look,” he said, “I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” 

Did you notice it?  Every time we say the Apostles Creed, we describe the heavenly throne in this way, with these words, “On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, (and) he is ‘seated’ at the right hand of the Father, …”  But note in this moment, in today’s reading, Christ is not “seated” at the right hand, but rather he is “standing!”  I find this to be very significant, and I find it to be very meaningful. 

Stephen had just been arrested for blasphemy, and just as they did to Jesus, people came forward and made false claims and provided trumped up charges against him.  A man named Saul, a man who one day would become the Apostle Paul, but at this point the very different man named Saul, was leading the assault on the followers of Jesus.  It was Saul who at the end of Stephen’s trial approved his sentence to be stoned to death.  Saul would go on from this event to ravage the church, entering into homes, and dragging both men and women off to prison.  Saul is described later in the book of acts as, breathing threats and murder against the disciples, and any others who belong to “The Way.”  Saul was persecuting these Christians.

So back to today’s reading, in this moment when Stephen is being killed by the religious authorities, led by Saul, I find it very significant and meaningful that Jesus is not “seated” at the right hand of the God, but rather that Jesus is “standing” at the right hand of God, that Jesus is perhaps leaning into the action, that Jesus is caught up and involved, that Stephen is not alone in this moment, that Jesus is “there” with Stephen.

Several early interpreters commented on the fact that Stephen sees Christ standing, rather than sitting, at the right hand of God.  The early church leader Ambrose observed: “Jesus stood as a helpmate; he stood as if anxious to help Stephen, his athlete, in the struggle. He stood as though ready to crown his martyr.”  Elsewhere Ambrose adds: “He ‘sit’s as Judge of the quick and the dead; he ‘stands’ as his people’s Advocate.”

Communication happens in many ways.  In fact, scientists who study these things tell us that the impact of the message, (or the understanding of a message), relies heavily on body language, first; and the tone of voice, second.  55% of a message is heard and understood in the body language that accompanies the words.  38% of a message is communicated through the tone.  And only 7% of a message is communicated with the actual words.  Only 7%!  “Words” can be tricky.  They can't always be taken at face value, they must be interpreted.   They must be understood in their context, they cannot stand alone!  However, body language is usually very clear and to the point, and body language can help us understand the words.

For example, if I am over at your house, and we are sitting around visiting, and I say, “I really need to get going.”  And if I say that while sitting back in a very relaxed position, - what am I really saying?  Am I really going anywhere, anytime soon?  Probably not, that’s not what my body is saying.  However, if I say I really need to get going, and while I say it, I am sitting anxiously on the edge of my seat.  That probably means I am about to leave.  Conversely if I am visiting with you, and you ask me how long I can stay, and I reply, “I’ve got lots of time,” but as I say that I am anxiously sitting on the edge of my seat, you probably are going to get the impression that I don’t have time, and that I want, or need, to go!

Body language helps us understand what is really being communicated.  To understand a message, to understand a word, we need to process the body language, the tone of voice, and the words.

Today’s reading from the book of Acts blesses us with such “body language.”  Do you want to know how Jesus really feels about Stephen, remember that Jesus is not “seated” at the right hand, but rather he is “standing up!”  Jesus loves Stephen.

So it is that I imagine that if we had a “picture” of the heavenly throne today, you will once again not find Jesus seated at the right hand of God, but instead “depicted” as standing up, leaning in, and encouraging us as we battle with an historic pandemic.  That image reflects the reality that Christ is not really seated in heaven watching over things from a distance, (he wasn’t when Stephen was getting stoned, and he is not today in the midst of our struggles;) but rather that Christ is present “in, with, and through” each of us together as the church, and deep inside each of us in the mystery of the faith.  God is pictured standing up because God is present!  Let that image seep into your heart and your mind.

And finally, one more body language story from the Gospels, one more image to remind you of God’s love.  The image that accompanies these words, the image of God’s arms opened up wide on the cross, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”

May the body language of the gospel become the foundation of our faith, may it shape our faith, may it define our faith, and may it inspire our faith, even now.  Amen.

Thanks for your Offerings!

In today’s appointed Gospel we are blessed with words of hope for difficult times.  From the 14th Chapter of the of St. John’s Gospel …

(Jesus said to the disciples) 1“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. 2In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. 4And you know the way to the place where I am going.” 5Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”  (John 14:1-7)

In the midst of these difficult and trying times we give thanks that God has indeed provided us a place to dwell, a place to dwell safely, a place where we can dwell to ensure that others remain safe and healthy, and a place in each other’s hearts, in the body of Christ, in the very presence of God.  From “this place” we pray for the church, the world, and all who are in need.

Today’s pre-recorded worship service ends, where our true service begins!  I am standing in the midst of The Caring Hands Pantry.  It is well stocked and ready to go.  Thanks to your “in kind “donations, donations from our many church partners in this ministry, generous gifts from our patrons, and your continued financial support of this ministry.

Many people are asking these days, “When are churches going to open up again?”  The truth is, at First Lutheran, and in many other churches, we never did close down!  We have adapted our Sunday morning worship services to online formats, but we have not closed down!  Our ministry continues in new and creative ways, and from this place, where on Wednesday mornings we are still feeding our neighbors in need.  So, let us give thanks to God for the many ways that we are still open, for the many resources we are still blessed to share, for the opportunity to abide in service, to love one another as Christ has loved us!

May 3, 2020

First Lutheran Church

May 3, 2020 + Good Shepherd Sunday

John 10:1-16, 22-27

(Jesus said) 1“Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. 2The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

7So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. 9I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. 10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 

22 At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. 24 So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus answered, “I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me; 26 but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. 27 My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. 

“The Voice of the Good Shepherd”

In this week’s Gospel Jesus proclaims, “My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me.”  I trust and believe that this is true, however, to be honest, it’s not always that easy to hear the voice of God.  I hear a lot of voices inside my head, and some of them, I know, do not belong to the Good Shepherd.  Some are just weird and belong to nothing and make no claim on anything.  But then there’s these “other voices” that are harder to discern, still small voices, that sound a lot like me, yet voices that just might belong to Christ the Good Shepherd.  But then again, maybe they belong to someone else, or something else?  I hear voices, lots of them, and it’s not always easy to discern where they might be coming from!

And I suspect that’s true for all of us!  Every day, and perhaps every waking moment, there is a conversation going on in our heads, voices speaking up, shouting and whispering, making noise.  Sometimes it’s a very serious conversation and sometimes it’s just everyday insignificant things, like, “Hmm, what should I do this afternoon?”  Not really Good Shepherd material!  And then there’s those things we say (in our heads) that aren’t so nice, like, “Ugh, I have a meeting today with you know who, I really can’t stand him.”   And everyone once in a while there’s that embarrassing moment when you have to add, “Oops, did I say that out loud?”  Once again, decidedly not Good Shepherd material!

But other voices and conversations are not so easy to discern?  Sometimes we hear a voice that gives us clear answers, that justifies our actions, our desires, our motives.  Is that the Good Shepherd?  Maybe or maybe not?  Sometimes there’s a voice that expresses doubt and fear, confusion and frustration.  Is that the Good Shepherd?  Maybe not or maybe?   What does the voice of the Good Shepherd sound like, what kinds of things does it say, what are the marks, what is  the evidence, how do we know if it is God speaking to us and not just our egos, our insecurities, or our shadows?

Let’s get back to our gospel reading for today because there is something there that Jesus says, something that the Good Shepherd says, that I believe can be very helpful to us as we try to discern the voices that we hear in our heads.  John 10:24, “So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, ‘How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.’"

Have you ever noticed how Jesus very seldom answers any questions directly and / or simply in the gospel stories?  Jesus is always keeping people in suspense, wondering, thinking, anticipating, and always questioning.  And it’s frustrating for them, so they urge him, please “tell us plainly!” 

Jesus has a few ways of doing this, ways of keeping people “in wondering,” he has some proven techniques that he likes to use.  One thing he really likes to do is to answer a question a question.  The Pharisees were the ones that most often received this response.  Remember the time he was asked about his practice of healing on the Sabbath to which he replied, “Who of you wouldn’t save your oxen if it fell into a pit on the Sabbath?  It’s an answer, but it’s also a question!  Perhaps he’s best known for answering questions with stories, with parables, that were often hard to understand.  “The kingdom of God is like …,”   “There once was a man who had two sons,”  “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers.,”  And even when he was fairly direct with an answer it often had a kind of “riddle” quality to it.  “Unless you are born again,” “I am the truth, the way,” once when asked who was the greatest disciple he replied, “unless you become like a child you cannot receive the kingdom of God.”  Once again answers, - but not simple and direct answers.  In the Gospel stories Jesus does give his questioners some kind of answer, a response; but they usually resulted in more questions, more wondering, and more suspense.  Once Simon Peter asked him what he wanted for breakfast, to which Jesus replied, “Simon, have ye no faith, which came first, the chicken or the egg?”

Today I would like to suggest to you that the voice of the Good Shepherd, the voice Christ wants us to recognize and follow, more often than not, comes to us either in the form of a question, or causes us to ask a question; most likely one of those ultimate existential questions about meaning and purpose.  Once again not an easy answer, but a good question, maybe even a hard question.

Jesus does not give us easy answers because he wants us to engage the big questions of life, he wants us to wonder, to imagine, to be part of “the way,” to be on a faith journey, to be in a dynamic relationship, and not simply someone who has arrived at a final destination with answers for each and every situation.  Faith is not about memorizing answers and rules; but being in an ever-evolving relationship with God, each other, and the world.  The promise of the gospel is not answers that work in the context of a black and white world that does not really exist, but a loving presence that walks beside us, and helps us navigate and live purposefully in a world that is often many shades of grey, and, like it or not, a world that is ever changing.  The voice of the Good Shepherd does not give us words to memorize and carve into stone but rather words that engage our critical thinking skills, our imaginations, and cause us to creatively engage the advent of God’s kingdom into our world.

I’ve always maintained that faith is not about answers; ultimately faith is about asking questions, the right questions, the really good and often complicated questions of life.

So it is that the voice of the Good Shepherd is not the voice that offers up those easy answers but rather the voice that prompts or asks all those hard questions of faith that we ponder every day.  Jesus asks questions that hold us in suspense, questions that cause us to wonder, even the questions that seem to cause us to doubt.  For it is in those questions; the questioning combined with the faithful work of prayer, reflection, worship, holy conversations with others, holy conversations with “the other;” and exhaustively seeking after the truth; that we hear the Word of God that informs our identity, shapes our values, and guides our steps in this life.

So, don’t let questions, the good hard questions of faith, freak you out.  Engage them, speak them aloud, discuss them, and seek after the truth; and in doing so let the Good Shepherd lead you into life abundant. 

However also remember this, and this is really important, the good questions of faith, never, never, never, question God’s love for you, God’s love for your neighbor, God’s love for the world.  Any voice that you hear in your head, any voice that you hear spoken aloud, any voice that claims you, and I, or the totally “other,” are not loved, is not the voice of God. That voice is not one to which we should listen!  The questioning of love, of God’s unconditional love for you, is forever off limits, forever answered in the love of God made flesh in Christ.

You are loved, so be free to ask the good and hard questions of faith, to explore healthy doubt; and in the process find out who you are, who God is, and what you might do with each and every day in your one great and precious life.  May you be blessed to hear the voice of the Good Shepherd, and may that voice lead you deeply and eternally into the Kingdom of God. 

Let those who have ears, hear.  Amen.

April 26, 2020

First Lutheran Church

April 26, 2020 + The Third Sunday in Easter

Luke 24:13-35 13Now on that same day (when Jesus had appeared to Mary Magdalene,) two (disciples) were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, 16but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad. 18Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” 19He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. 21But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. 22Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, 23and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. 24Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.” 25Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! 26Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” 27Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.

28As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. 29But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them. 30When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. 32They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” 33That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. 34They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” 35Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

“But We Had Hoped”

Rev. Greg Ronning

When we were first instructed to shelter in place as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, I was very hopeful that we would meet again as a congregation on Easter Sunday.  But as things unfolded, after about a week, I quickly realized that date was not going to be possible.  So, I shifted my hope a few weeks down the road, to the middle of May, that seemed reasonable.  But now that date seems pretty unlikely.  So now, I find myself hoping that we just might be able to gather together for church in person on the last Sunday of May, May 31st, the Day of Pentecost! 

And you know what, that be such a great date!  Pentecost, the day we celebrate as the birthday of the church, the day when we became the body of Christ, God’s “re-membered” presence on earth.  The day God becomes flesh again, in - with - and through us - as we gather together, faithful people engaged in faithful things, God working through our hands, our feet, our voices, and our hearts and minds.  And who knows, that might be the date.  Wouldn’t that be great, wouldn’t that be poetic, - wouldn’t that be prophetic!  But, to be honest, my hope has become weary, spent, despondent, perhaps even “hope-less.”

In today’s appointed Gospel two of the disciples find themselves on the road to a place called Emmaus.  Emmaus, the place they have chosen to “go back to” after witnessing the execution of Jesus at the hands of the religious and civil authorities.  The greatest experience of their life had just come to an abrupt and unexpected end.  The person they had been following for years, the person who opened their eyes to God’s kingdom, the person who spoke words in a way that words have never been spoken before, the person whose hands comforted and healed, the person whose heart was open and loving beyond measure, the person they believed to be the long-awaited Messiah; this person whom they loved, whom they loved dearly, this person who loved them beyond measure, Jesus; was suddenly silenced, gone, dead. 

On the road to Emmaus, with dreams shattered, in a moment of deep disappointment, these two disciples utter what Theologian David Loose calls “four of the saddest words” found in the scriptures, “But we had hoped …”

“But we had hoped,” perhaps this is the “place” where we all can enter into this story, - through these four words.  Maybe “this” is where today’s gospel story becomes part of our story, the place where scripture becomes that word of divine encounter.  Perhaps it is here, on the road to Emmaus, where the disciples are found uttering words we all know, words of great sadness spoken in a time of deep disappointment.  Perhaps this is where we make the connection.  Perhaps we too, in the midst of these hard days that we are now experiencing, can be found with those disciples on the road to Emmaus, walking along in their shoes - our hope “fleeting away” with each step.

“Head Down, Head Long”

By Greg Ronning

What do you do, Where do you go,

When it all comes to an end?

What do you say, How do you feel,

Back on the road again?

Head down, head long, A sad broken song

What do you do, Where do you go,

When it all comes to an end?

Can you begin, Live again,

When love has been lost?

Can you imagine a brand new day

Once the lines have been crossed?

Head down, head long, So far gone

Can you begin, Live again,

When love has been lost?

Can you go home, Can you get back,

Once the bridge has been burned?

After the fire, Marked by the ash

Can truth be unlearned?

Head down, head long, No place to belong

Can you go home, Can you get back,

Once the bridge has been burned?

What do you do, Where do you go,

When love comes to an end?

What do you say, How do you feel,

Can you begin again?  Can you begin again?

Can you begin again?  Can you begin again?

Unfortunately, life is often filled with disappointments, events and circumstances that put us on the road to Emmaus; having to pack up your things when a job comes to an unexpected end, suffering an injustice, being marginalized for simply being who you are, moving on when a relationship runs out, that stumble when an addiction you thought was gone - returns, leaving the hospital alone - after the death of a loved one, experiencing a pandemic that is changing everything about life - all around you; “But we had hoped …”

In “The Magnificent Defeat,” Frederick Buechner describes “Emmaus” as “that place we run to when we have lost hope or don’t know what to do, the place of escape, of forgetting, of giving up, of deadening our sense and our minds and maybe even our hearts, too.”

“But we had hoped…,”  Words spoken by those first disciples when it all seemed to be coming to an end; “But we had hoped,” words we too have spoken in the midst of this pandemic we are now experiencing; “But we had hoped,” words that connect us to this Easter story; “But we had hoped,” words that put us right beside those first disciples, “head down, head long,” on the road to Emmaus.

Thankfully the story does not end here, - in despair, stuck along the way, forever on the road to Emmaus; for even as those sad words are spoken, “But we had hoped,” they attract the interest of a stranger traveling on that same road.  And suddenly things begin to change as this stranger engages the disciples in the midst of their grief and despair.  He asks questions, he speaks truths, he offers hope; as he slowly and gently reveals the true pattern of faith; a pattern of death and resurrection, death that leads to new life, the spring that always follows the winter, the very heart of the promise of the gospel.  The disciples would later recall that as this stranger spoke with them, their hearts began to burn with a strange new passion. 

As the day ends, as they reach the village of Emmaus, the place where they had planned to hide away in their fears and confusion, their pain and their grief, in the very grip of death; As the day ends, perhaps unknowingly in a moment of hidden faith, they are compelled to invite this stranger to stay with them, "Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over." 

And the invitation is accepted, and as bread is broken, as hospitality is practiced, the stranger is revealed as Christ.  In a moment of grace their eyes are opened even as “Christ the Stranger” vanishes.  Yet “now,” all things have been made new, those with eyes “see,” and those with ears “hear,” and hearts and minds believe in promises true.  And in a bold faithful response the disciples suddenly find themselves back on the road, going in a different direction.  That very hour they leave Emmaus and head back to Jerusalem.

This morning we gather, not physically - but surely in the Spirit, and perhaps more united in our fear and despair than we care to admit.  None the less, as we gather, this stranger is once again in our midst; present in our grief, present in our despair, and even present in our hopelessness; eager to meet up with us on the journey of life, the journey of faith, gracefully present no matter where we might be on that journey. 

So it is that we listen to the Easter story together this morning, trusting that in a word made alive, that story of death and resurrection might find its way into the very depths of our hearts.  Trusting that it might makes us more aware, in this very moment, of that Living Word spoken by “Christ the Stranger.”  Trusting that at the end of this particular journey, we will once again all be gathered together here in this place, breaking bread and sharing wine, sharing fully in the gift of community. 

Until then, as we find ourselves on that road to Emmaus; May we be reminded that we are a people of death and resurrection; May we be blessed by encounters with strangers who speak the truth;  May we be inspired by conversations that cause our hearts to burn with passion; And may all these things, all the good things of God, the grace of Christ, and the unity of the Holy Spirit, fill us with hope.  Amen.