Sunday May 30, 2021

First Lutheran Church

May 30, 2021

“The Visit of Mary to Elizabeth”

Luke 1:39-57  39In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, 40where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? 44For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. 45And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”

46And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.  Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; 49for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. 50His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. 51He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.  52He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; 53he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. 54He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, 55according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.” 56And Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home. 57Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son.

Sermon

“Mary’s Visit to Elizabeth”

Pastor Greg Ronning

On May 31st the Christian Church celebrates the “lesser festival” – “Mary’s Visit to Elizabeth.”  Today we recall this wonderful story as recorded in today’s Gospel reading from Luke.  In this story Mary travels to be with her relative Elizabeth, both women are unexpectedly pregnant.  Both women are in need of the care and comfort of companionship, as they try to understand the mystery of God’s presence in their life.  As they meet, Elizabeth becomes the first person to recognize the great thing that is happening to Mary, and Mary responds with a song called “The Magnificat.” This song echoes the song of Hannah found in First Samuel, thanking God for bringing down the powerful and lifting up the poor. But while Hannah sings her song in the official house of worship, Mary sings hers in what many see as - the prototype of the Christian church. Not a holy building but a gathering of the faithful: two women meeting in a home, who rejoice together in what God is doing in the coming of Jesus.  Mary’s visit to Elizabeth is the very beginning of the church. 

The Gospel of Luke begins with the story of Elizabeth and her husband Zechariah who served as a priest.  Luke tells us, “Both of them were righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord.  But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were getting on in years.”  Unfortunately, in those days, having children was seen as a blessing from God, and childlessness was seen as a curse.  Thus, Elizabeth and Zechariah suffered, despite the fact that they were faithful.  Without children they had to endure both an internal and public disgrace. However, God is not done with Elizabeth and Zechariah!

One day while Zechariah is serving in the temple the angel Gabriel appeared to him and said, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John.”  Zechariah responds in doubt, “How will I know that this is so? For I am an old man, and my wife is getting on in years.” And because of his doubt, he is rendered mute, “Unable to speak, until the day these things occur.”  And then God does what seems impossible, the unexpected happens. “After those days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she remained in seclusion. She said, ‘This is what the Lord has done for me when he looked favorably on me and took away the disgrace I have endured among my people.’”

Six months later, the Angel Gabriel appears to Mary with the news of her unexpected pregnancy, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus.” And before Gabriel leaves, he tells Mary the good news about Elizabeth, “And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren.  For nothing will be impossible with God.”   To this Mary declares, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”   And then, as told in today’s Gospel, “In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.” 

So it is that these two women, both unexpectedly pregnant, gather together in the strange mystery of God’s presence, to begin a new adventure with God.  One is old, “getting on in years,” presumed to be “barren,” and her son will close an era; The other is young, and her son will usher in a new day.  Together the old and the young will give birth to the coming and present Kingdom of God.

So, what are the takeaways for us today?

On a personal level, - beware, God does unexpected things!  You might think you’re too old or you might think you are too young, but God might think – this is the perfect time to do something in - with - and through - you!  God plants seeds in all of us, seeds that will grow into kingdom things. 

So it is that Elizabeth and Zechariah continued in prayer, hoping with but a glimpse of the kingdom, trusting in the midst of their suffering, believing in grace in the midst of disgrace, unwittingly expecting in the unexpected. 

And so it is that Mary upon hearing the startling and bewildering news of her pregnancy, “went with haste” to see her relative Elizabeth, to gather together with someone else who might be able to understand her situation and provide comfort and care.  She needed a mentor and a confidant.  She knew that the adventure that lay before her was one that demanded companionship.

God is never done with us, when it comes to the Kingdom, God is ever at work in each of us.  And God has provided us a place to go when the Word comes to life in us, when we feel the Spirit stirring things up inside of us.  For times such as these God has gathered us up into the church, a community of faith, First Lutheran Church in Downtown Fullerton; The place where we comfort and strengthen each other, the place where the Kingdom emerges from deep within - out into the world.  Elizabeth and Mary needed each other, to give birth they needed help, and the same is true for each of us.  Living out the unexpected presence of God in our life, demands the relationships that we have with each other in our community of faith.  It is only together that we can faithfully proclaim, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”

And that brings us to the communal level, what is the takeaway this morning for us, for us as First Lutheran Church?

I find it interesting that Luke begins his Gospel with the story of Elizabeth and Zechariah, that the story of the Good News of Jesus Christ begins with the story of an older couple who have not been able to have children, a couple who are now beyond the age of having children.  And that this story is then coupled with the story of Mary and Joseph.  It seems important that both Mary and Elizabeth suddenly and unexpectedly become pregnant; And that these two women are drawn together in their common experience, to comfort and support each other as they give birth to children who will bring about the Kingdom of God.

As the pandemic comes to an end, as we begin to entertain plans to begin “anew,” it’s important to remember that we need both Elizabeth and Mary.  Elizabeth and Mary both give birth to the emerging Kingdom of God, each in their own unique way.  New ways must be blessed by the old ways.  New ideas must have their roots in the old ideas.  John the Baptist must prepare the way for the ministry of Jesus.  Jesus must be baptized by John and John must then declare, “He must increase, but I must decrease.”  Both of them need to show up, and both of them need to be actively involved.

Elizabeth and Mary are not just chronological metaphors, they exist in all of us in a variety of ways.  As we seek God’s guidance in the days before us, let us be mindful of both, and the way that each of them give birth to the Kingdom of God, the way that each of them help to make “all things new.” 

Mary’s visit to Elizabeth is the prototype of the Christian church, the very, very beginning of the church.  They gathered together to comfort each other, to strengthen each other, to do things that seemed impossible, to sing and praise the mighty and just deeds of God, and to give birth to a Word made flesh that would be the very love of God. 

May we continue to “visit” in that way, may we continue to be blessed by such “visiting,” may we all give birth to the Kingdom.  Amen.

May 16, 2021

First Lutheran Church

May 16, 2021

Psalm 24:1-6 The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it; for he has founded it on the seas, and established it on the rivers.  Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? Those who have clean hands and pure hearts, who do not lift up their souls to what is false, and do not swear deceitfully.  They will receive blessing from the Lord, and vindication from the God of their salvation. Such is the company of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob.

Matthew 6:19-20 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Sermon “A Gift from God”

Pastor Greg Ronning

Psalm 133 declares, “How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity!”    “What a gift it is to be here today, in the sanctuary, together again, with each of you!” 

It’s been a long time, (fourteen months,) since we have gathered together in this space as a community of faith.  I thank God that during this time of “exile in pandemic” we have remained united, united in our faith, united in Christ, focused in on our mission; but it’s been “oh so very hard” not to be together in the same place, in this place, in our holy place where divine love comes to life in each of us, in all of us together. 

What a gift to be able to “softly sing” (hum) with our voices, but triumphantly with our hearts and from deep down in our souls, “Gather us in … Here in this place the new light is streaming, now is the darkness vanished away; see in this space our fears and our dreamings brought here to you in the light of this day. - Gather us in.” 

What a long-awaited “gift” today is, the gift of each other, the gift of being together, the gift of sharing the sacraments in person, in community, as the very body of Christ, “Here we will take the wine and the water, here we will take the bread of new birth, here you shall call your sons and your daughters, call us anew to be salt for the earth.”  Today is certainly a “gift!”

Today we celebrate indeed, but we must also seriously consider, “What will we do with this incredible gift?”

Last month I attended a zoom stewardship conference, (along with Mary Bermani and Terri Robertson, our Stewardship Team here at First Lutheran,) and among other things, we were challenged to re-examine our understanding of the concept of “gift.”  Our keynote speaker pointed out that in our culture, especially in our American context, we tend to think of “gift” primarily in terms of ownership.  When we give a gift to someone, we transfer ownership of that item.  When we receive a gift, it is ours to do with – whatever or however we please.  In many ways the now popular practice of giving “gift cards” has allowed us to double down on the idea, “Go and buy yourself whatever you want, get something special.” In our world, gift giving is transactional, a transfer of ownership from one person to another.

And that’s not really a problem, I’m not suggesting that we stop giving gifts to each other and our loved ones, but our cultural understanding of “gift” as “transfer of ownership” can become a huge issue if it carries over into our faith, our theology, our spirituality, and our discipleship. 

In today’s first reading the psalmist reminds us, “The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it.”  Essentially the psalmist is saying, “Everything belongs to God.”  So, when we say, “Everything I have is a gift from God,” we need to remember that God does not “give” a “gift” as the world gives, when God blesses us with something, with everything, it does not involve a change of ownership, it is not a transaction, rather it becomes a matter of “stewardship.”  And that distinction is crucial, it changes everything!  We do not become owners but stewards, “those who would manage the resources and affairs of the owner for the sake of the owner.”

Today we are reminded that, “All good gifts come from God,” but also that “All good gifts belong to God.”  Today we are reminded that we are not the “owners” of our blessings but that we are the “stewards” of our blessings.  We are the caretakers of God’s good gifts.  And as such we are invited to ask totally different and perhaps new questions.  It is no longer a question of how much I should give to charity and how much should I keep for myself, but rather how might I use “all the resources” that God has given me to “steward” for the sake of the kingdom, the sake of Christ, for the sake of the love of God.   How might I use the resources of God, that have been entrusted to me, (time, talents, and treasures,) to proclaim the good news, to love my neighbor, pursue justice, and help make a difference in the world.  Today we are invited, not to simply give a gift, that is really not ours to give, but to follow Jesus deeper into a life of discipleship.

And that’s hard, it’s hard to change our understanding of our things, our resources, our money.  The world offers us the old proverb, the enticement that “possession is nine-tenths of the law.”  While it may be a “truism” of human nature, that the stuff I “have and hold” are my possessions, it is not the truth found and proclaimed in the scriptures, “The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it.”  The mental and practical move from “ownership” to “stewardship” to “discipleship” is not easy.  As John Lennon once said, “Possession isn't nine-tenths of the law. It's nine-tenths of the problem.”  It’s hard, even counter intuitive, to release our possessions, - even when we have come to realize that perhaps our possessions have come to possess us!  In today’s gospel we are reminded, we are warned, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

I began today by proclaiming, “What a gift it is to be here today, in the sanctuary, together again, with each of you!”  And it is a gift, a wonderful gift, but it’s not a gift for us to selfishly hold onto, not a gift for us to possess, but rather a gift from God, that we are called to steward, to share. 

We have a very unique opportunity before us, a rare moment in history; we have the opportunity to begin again, to begin again - anew!  A few weeks ago, I proclaimed from the pulpit that I was not excited, or even willing, to “return” to in-person worship, but that I looked forward to “beginning” in-person worship.  Life has seriously changed, there’s no normal to which we can return back, even if that’s what we wanted to do!  It’s time for something new to happen.  And together we are the “stewards“ of this new beginning here at First Lutheran Church. 

So, what does that mean? As this pandemic slowly comes to an end, as people are once again invited outside and into community spaces, what might we do to share the incredible “gift” that we have here at First Lutheran? 

As people come out of this pandemic, this year long ordeal, perhaps more engaged in the existential questions of life, looking for something more in life, open to engaging faith and spirituality.  What might we do to invite them, entice them, and welcome them into our faith community.  It will be tempting to “return” to our old ways.  But what if we dare to risk some changes and engage new people?  What if we were willing to meet people where they’re at, learn to speak their language, cater to their concerns, discover and meet their needs, adapt to become more inviting, find new and creative ways to share this wonderful gift?  What if we thought about it strategically?  What if we dared to begin anew?

This past Thursday the church celebrated “The Ascension of Christ.”  As the season of Easter comes to a close the risen Christ gathers up his disciples and lets them know that he will no longer be with them in the same way that he was before.  St. Luke writes, “Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven.”  (The Paschal Candle is extinguished)  Something new will be happening soon.  Next Sunday we will celebrate the Day of Pentecost, and the coming of the Holy Spirit, and the fire that burned in Christ - will now be found burning in the hearts of the people who will become the church, the “new” Body of Christ present in the world.

May we be open to the coming of the Spirit into our community in this moment, as we begin anew, in-person, make changes, seeking to faithfully live out, and share, the gift of faith, the gift of church, the gift of the Body of Christ, the gift that is our life together, for the sake of the kingdom, for the sake of Christ, for the sake of love. 

“Here in this place the new light is streaming, now is the darkness vanished away; see in this space our fears and our dreamings brought here to you in the light of this day. Gather us in, the lost and forsaken, gather us in, the blind and the lame; call to us now, and we shall awaken, we shall arise at the sound of our name.”

Speak Lord, for your servants are listening!  Amen.

May 9, 2021

First Lutheran Church

May 9, 2021 + The Sixth Sunday after Easter B

John 15:9-17 [Jesus said:] 9“As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. 10If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.

12“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. 16You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. 17I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.”

“Impossible Love”

Pastor Greg Ronning

Many years ago, in my first call as a Youth Pastor, I was in charge of the confirmation program.  And part of that program required the students to turn in “sermon notes.”  The confirmation students were supposed to take notes during the sermon and then summarize the main points in a brief written report.  And they were always very brief!  It didn’t take long for the students to realize that every sermon was ultimately about “love.”  And that they could get away with simply reporting that, “God loves us, and we are supposed to love each other.”  

Now I was always hoping for something more profound, I was always hoping they would pick up on a profound theological point, that they would really relate personally to a story that was shared, or that they might discover their great calling in life.  But that was seldom, if ever, the case.  More times than not, all I got from them was, “God loves us, and we are supposed to love each other.” 

But you know what, - they were right.  The heart of the Gospel is “love,” the power of the Gospel is knowing that you are loved, and the great calling of the Gospel is to love others as we have been loved.  In many ways, that’s what it’s all about!  They got it right, that’s always the main point!  Of course, as we all know, it’s always easier said than done!

In today’s Gospel reading from John, we are reminded of this main point.  We are reminded how great God’s love is for each and every one of us, “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”  God in Christ Jesus laid down his life for each of us, for all of us, revealing the incredible breadth and depth of God’s love, and the liberating and saving power of God’s love.  We are invited to “abide” in that love, and then we are exhorted to practice that love, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” 

God loves us, and we are supposed to love each other.”  On one level it’s simple, but once again, as we all know, - it’s just not that easy.  To love as Christ loved us, is extremely difficult at best, - and most likely impossible.  Heck, I don’t know about you, but sometimes I find it hard just to be nice to other people, let alone love, or love like Christ!  And yet that’s exactly what Jesus asks of us, he wants us to love like he loved; to love people that make us uncomfortable, people who scare us, people who are strange, people who don’t think like us, people who don’t look like us, people who don’t share our political views, people who don’t act like us, people who don’t like us, even people who might hate us.  How is it that we will ever be able to “love one another” as Christ loved us?  There’s just so much doubt and fear residing deep within us, not to mention all around us, to ever overcome. 

Is Jesus really serious about this commandment?  And more importantly, are we willing to be serious about this commandment?

To be honest it’s kind of scary.  It takes me to the edges of my life where I don’t feel safe, - and I like to feel safe!  I’m more comfortable where I can keep things under my control.  I prefer to practice love on my terms and not on the open-ended terms of Jesus.  I prefer to volunteer when it’s convenient and conventional.  I prefer to be present when I am in charge and balanced.  I find it easier to give away little pieces of my heart, and not risk my whole heart.  I find it much easier to practice charity, than I do to practice the love of God found in Jesus. 

Yet, despite all my fears, there’s just something about the commandment, the invitation from Jesus to love, even to love recklessly, that causes me to lean in and to imagine, there’s something about it that compels me to respond.  And in this moment, Jesus softly welcomes me, “Abide in my love.” 

Because that’s where it all begins.  Truth be told, we cannot begin to love until we have experienced love.  Doubt and fear can only be conquered by that unconditional and relentless love that produces that peace which surpasses all understanding, the peace that guards our hearts and minds, and sets us free to finally be loved and to ultimately love others. 

Today’s reading from John, the commandment to love, is preceded by Jesus’ teaching about how we are opened up and empowered to such love.  “Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.  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.” 

It’s important to note, and to remember, that Jesus is not asking us to somehow find the courage and strength to love all on our own, but rather is inviting us to “abide” in his love, and in doing so, let his love become the source and strength of our ability to love.  Theologian Debi Thomas writes, “In the vine-and-branches metaphor, Jesus’s love is not our example; it’s our source.  It’s where our love originates and deepens.  Where it replenishes itself.  In other words, if we don’t abide, we can’t love.  Jesus’s commandment to us is not that we wear ourselves out, trying to conjure love from our own easily depleted resources. Rather, it’s that we abide in the holy place where divine love becomes possible.”

This my sisters and brothers, if you are taking sermon notes this morning, is the main point of today’s sermon!  When we abide in the love of Christ, the love of Christ abides in us, strengthening and empowering us to love others.  We begin by abiding, and abiding leads to loving.  That’s how the love of God works!  Thus, the question for today is, “Where is your holy place where divine love becomes possible?”

Faith comes to life, in the life of the faithful community.  Love comes to life, in the life of the beloved community.  So it is that we gather together, for the sake of faith, for the sake of love.  To follow Christ, to live out the commandments of Jesus, is not a personal undertaking but rather a profoundly communal activity.  Christ is present when two or more are gathered together seeking simply to be “faithful people doing faithful things.”  To abide in Christ is not to be alone but to be intimately connected to the vine, the vine that is Christ, the source of our love.

And together in Christ, all things are possible – even “impossible love” comes to life.  In our life together, in this holy place where divine love becomes possible, we become love fleshed out for each other, we become love fleshed out for our neighbors in need, and we become loved fleshed out for our community to see and behold.  Apart from Christ we can do nothing, and such love remains frightening and unattainable.  In Christ, in the vine, abiding in love; we bear the fruit of love, even unconditional and sacrificial love.  Alone I cannot begin to love, but with you, my sisters and brothers in Christ, I am able to love, even as Christ has loved us.

Hear the word of Christ spoken to us this day, “As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.”

Let us give thanks for our Holy Place, for the love that abides here, the love among us, the love deep inside of us, that love that enables us to love, the impossible love that makes our joy complete.   Amen.