First Lutheran Church

January 23, 2022

The Third Sunday after Epiphany

Annual Meeting

Luke 4:14-21 14Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. 15He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.
16When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: 18“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, 19to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

20And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

Sermon

“Love Will Return in Another Way”

Pastor Greg Ronning

While preparing for this week’s sermon I came across this story about Franz Kafka, the German-speaking Bohemian novelist and short-story writer, widely regarded as one of the major figures of 20th-century literature.

At the age of 40, Kafka, who never married and had no children, was walking through a park in Berlin, when he met a little girl who was crying because she had lost her favorite doll. Kafka volunteered to help her search for the missing doll.  They looked all over the park but could not find the doll.  At this point it was getting late so Kafka promised the girl that he would return to the park tomorrow and that they would resume their search for the doll.

The next day Kafka returned to the park, and they continued to look, they looked high and low, but in the end, they still could not find the missing doll.   At this point Kafka “found” a letter.  It that was addressed to the girl, a letter “written” by the doll.  She opened it up, it read, "Please don't cry. I took a trip to see the world. I will write to you about my adventures." 

Thus began a story which continued until the end of Kafka's life.  He would continue to meet the little girl in the park, bringing with him letters written by the doll, and he would read them to her. They were wonderful letters, carefully written, filled with great adventures, and engaging conversations that the girl found adorable.

Finally, after many meetings, Kafka appeared with “the doll” that had returned to Berlin after finishing her adventures.  (He bought a new one) The little girl looked at the doll, she was confused, "It doesn't look like my doll at all."  Kafka handed her another letter “written” by the doll, they opened it up, and he read it to her.  The doll explained, "My travels have changed me."  The little girl’s face lit up, her holy imagination “recognized” the doll, she opened up her arms and gave the doll a big hug, and with great joy brought her back home.

A year later Kafka died.  Many years later, the now-adult girl found a letter inside the doll. In this tiny letter signed by Kafka, he had written, "Everything you love will probably be lost, but in the end, love will return in another way."

As we gather today, nearly two years into the COVID-19 Pandemic, we are very aware of all the things that we have loved and lost.  Life is definitely not the same, life has been forever changed, - tomorrow will be different than yesterday.  Over the past two years we have missed out on special occasions, we have lost track of friends and relationships, we have set aside projects that will never be finished.  Groups and organizations to which we used to belong, have ceased to meet, and may never meet again.  Old ways of doing things are now unsafe, traditions are in the process of changing.  In so many ways, in so many areas, and on so many levels, - life will never be the same.  And for some, those who have lost loved ones and friends to the pandemic, that loss feels unreplaceable. The last couple of years has been filled with loss, lots of loss, even incredible loss.  So it is that we find ourselves - waiting for love to “return in another way.”  

In today’s appointed gospel, Jesus returns to his hometown to preach for the first time since his public ministry began.  The scriptures tell us, “A report about him spread through all the surrounding country,” and that he, “was praised by everyone.”  The people of Nazareth are excited to hear him preach.  It’s not every day that someone from Nazareth, (Can anything good come out of Nazareth,) goes out and makes a name for himself.  

Jesus arrives at the synagogue, and he picks up the scroll and reads from Isaiah, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”  He sets the scroll down and boldly proclaims, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

At first, they seem to be impressed by his delivery, his eloquence, the poetic words and phrases; but then he lets them know, and in no uncertain terms, that he means it!  Jesus did not come home to turn water into wine, to perform miracles, to do some kind of magic show; but to proclaim the coming of God’s kingdom.  And for the people of Nazareth, many of the people gathered in the synagogue that day, - that meant “change,” and it probably meant “loss.”  Jesus reminds the congregants, (his neighbors, his friends, and his family,) that the coming of the kingdom is not just a poetic expression but the turning upside down of the world.  To “proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” was to set in motion a radical turn of events: the forgiveness of debt, the restoration of family lands, economic redistribution, the end of slavery, the release of prisoners.  It was to be a hard re-set, a time for everyone to start over again as equals, equals on a level playing field.  And it wasn’t just for the Jewish people, it included the Gentiles as well!  This was good news to the poor, “the have nots;” but it was not good news for those who were doing well, “the haves,” for them it meant “loss.”

As you all probably remember, this is where Jesus gets himself into trouble, suddenly the people of Nazareth are not so pleased and impressed with local boy who spoke so eloquently.  The scriptures tell us what happened next, “When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage.  They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff.” Thankfully, the Spirit seems to intervene, and Jesus is somehow able to walk away from the situation.

The people of Nazareth did not want to change, they did not want to give up their status, their possessions, all the things for which they had worked so hard for over the years.  And they certainly did not want to give up anything for the sake of the Gentiles.  They were not ready to suffer “loss” for the sake of the Kingdom.  They weren’t ready to give up all the things they loved, to experience love in “another way.”

In the third chapter of Philippians, St. Paul, reflecting on his accomplishments, his birthright, all that he has accomplished in life, writes, “Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ.  More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.” 

Loss is hard.  Letting go of loss is even harder.  But hanging on to the past never moves us forward.  Perhaps Kafka was right, at some point in life, "Everything you love will probably be lost, but in the end, love will return in another way."  Afterall that is the story of our faith too!  Jesus came and lived among us, he loved us, and we loved him; and then he was crucified, he died, and he was buried.  He was taken away.  It was an incredible loss.  Yet three days later he rose up from the dead, and something new began.  The post resurrection stories found in the scriptures tell us that the disciples had a hard time recognizing him when he returned, something was different, something had changed.  But soon they came to trust that love had returned in “another way,” a way that continued after his ascension with the coming of the Spirit and continues even today in the life of the church.

This morning we will gather for our annual meeting, and we will look back, reflect, and give thanks for the past.  And then we will begin to make plans for another year.  For almost two years we have endured the loss of a pandemic, today we hope and pray the pandemic will soon be coming to a close, knowing that we will not return to what was before, but enter into something new.  Today we proclaim that we are a people not of death, but a people of death and resurrection, a people filled with hope, confident in the life of the resurrection, and ready to encounter the love of God anew in yet - “another way.”

St. Paul concludes his thoughts on “the loss of all things,” and the hope of the resurrection with these words, “Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.” 
"Everything you love will probably be lost, but in the end, love will return in another way." Amen!

Sermon on John 2:1-11

Pastor Jennifer Garcia

The Gospel of John doesn’t call miracles “miracles.” It calls them “signs.” This might seem like an insignificant detail, but it’s important:

A miracle is miraculous because of what it is. It’s a show of power that defies the laws of nature.

A sign points to something beyond itself. Each of the seven signs in the Gospel of John tells us something about God.

The sign of Jesus turning water into wine might seem like a weird one for the Gospel of John to begin with. It’s not life-altering like healing someone or dramatic like walking on water. Jesus doesn’t even get credit like he does when feeding the 5,000!

Even Jesus seems reluctant to get involved. It’s only at his mother’s urging that he does anything at all!

Mary notices that the wine is running out at the wedding she, Jesus, and the disciples are attending. Hospitality is an incredibly important value in their culture, so running out of wine is horribly embarrassing.

In this story, there is lack. There is scarcity.

But Mary notices what is lacking and has the insight that Jesus could do something about it. She isn’t initially successful in convincing Jesus to act, but she pursues her insight anyway. She points the servants to Jesus and directs them to do what Jesus says.

And Jesus quietly, discreetly turns water into wine.

And remember, as remarkable as this is, this isn’t just a miracle (though it is impressive). This is a sign. This tells us something about God.

When Mary first alerts Jesus to the lack of wine, Jesus tells her that his “hour has not yet come.” “His hour” is the cross and resurrection. It’s not yet time to do what he has come to do.

But, this is the first sign that points to it.

Jesus is the fulfillment of the Reign of God. Throughout the Bible, God, and specifically Jesus,is referred to as someone getting married. We see an example of that in our Isaiah reading today:

“as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, / so shall your God rejoice over you.” And in other parts of the Bible, the fulfillment of the Reign of God is described as a wedding feast.

This first sign points us to the “wedding feast of the Lamb,” the fulfillment of the Reign of God, and God’s glorious, lavish abundance.

It’s all too easy, though, for us to fall into a mindset of scarcity. It seems more realistic:

It seems like there are only so many resources to go around, so we’ve got to make sure we, or other people who are deserving, receive them.

And that leads us to creating—consciously or not—hierarchies of people.

We, the institutions we support, and society in general can start treating people differently based on any number of factors: race, gender identity, economic status, education level, body size, physical ability—it goes on and on.

If a CEO and someone who is unhoused walked into pretty much any building anywhere around here, they would be treated differently.

A mindset of scarcity can lead us to judging whether people are deserving or not and deciding whose lives are more important than others.

We can start asking ourselves: what concern are other people’s problems to me?

The truth is: they have everything to do with us. We are all made in the image of our God, who loves each of us and wants us to be in relationship with one another.

When we start asking ourselves what concern are others to me, God sometimes puts someone like Mary in our lives to encourage us to get involved.

When we fall into a mindset of scarcity, God calls us to something different: a mindset of abundance, where there is enough for everyone, where everyone is important and cherished.

For example, God called Martin Luther King Jr., whose life and work we will celebrate as a nation tomorrow, and God called so many others during the Civil Rights Movement to a mindset of abundance.

God gave Dr. King a dream.

Dr. King drew on biblical imagery of what the Reign of God would look like, saying: “we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

He had tangible ideas of what that would look like, such as:

·        there would be no signs saying “for whites only”

·        Black people would have equal access to housing, lodging, and hotels

·        Black people would have the full voting rights they had been promised

And he had broader, more philosophical ideas of what justice and righteousness would look like:

·        That “the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood”

·        “that[his] four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character”

·        That “all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning: My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrims' pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring.”

We, as a nation, as a world, and as a church, fall so far short of this dream still. Yes, there have been improvements, but there is still so much disparity in housing, education, employment, rates of incarceration, and healthcare between people of different races.

There have been improvements, but racism has gotten subtler—it hasn’t died.

Disparity based on race has continued to work its way into our institutions.

It’s harder to point to than different sections of a bus or different bathrooms.

It’s less likely that you will hear an overt racial slur (though that, of course, still happens), but it’s harder to point out why backhanded compliments like “you’re so articulate” or “you’re a credit to your race” are so hurtful.

Death by a thousand paper cuts. Or not getting a job because one’s resume has a name on it that doesn’t sound white. Or getting pulled over because one lives in a “bad neighborhood.” It’s much harder to identify racism when it’s not explicitly codified in law but happens anyway.

Some people are deemed more important than others or less of a threat than others or more likely to succeed than others. That’s the scarcity mindset talking.

That is not what God calls us to.

God created us each in God’s image—every person of every skin color and hair texture. People of every profession and education level and economic status. People who our society celebrates and those who are forgotten and marginalized.

In our Gospel story today, those who are “in” on the secret of where the wine came from are the servants—they are the ones at the margins of the wedding. They are the ones who are working when others are celebrating. They are waiting on others. They are the people in the background. They are the ones deemed not as important as the guests.

And they are the ones who see Jesus more clearly than anyone else there (other than Mary, of course). They are the ones who see the sign and what it points to.

God calls us to a sense of abundance that is something far beyond simply physical wealth—beyond Teslas and yachts and designer clothes. God calls us to abundant celebration together. And it is often the most marginalized that see most clearly the vision of what abundance means.

God calls us to a dream of radical community,

where the least are the greatest,

where the forgotten see God,

and where God’s abundance means that the celebration goes on forever.

Let that spirit of abundance cast out any fear of scarcity, and let freedom ring!

First Lutheran Church

January 9, 2022 – The Baptism of Christ

Isaiah 43:1-3aBut now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

Luke 3:15-17, 21-22As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire. ”Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

Sermon “Fear and Faith”

Rev. Greg Ronning

“Be not afraid, I go before you always.” “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.” -  “Be not afraid.”

One of the most frequent commands found in the bible, one of the most basic of encouragements from God found in the bible, is, “Do not be afraid.”  You’ve heard me say that before from this pulpit and you will hear me say it again!  In my New Revised Standard Version of the Bible the phrase, “Do not be afraid,” appears 149 times; the phrase, “Have no fear,” appears 225 times; and the words, “fear not,” appear 424 times.  God does not want us to live out of fear, God does not want us to be motivated by fear, God does not want us to make choices based on fear; God does not want us to be afraid.  “Be not afraid.”

Instead, we are called to choose life, to embrace the possibilities of the kingdom; to live according to the dreams, passions, and vocation God has placed in our hearts; to allow ourselves to be graced; to step away from the tyranny of the law and into the freedom of the gospel;- we are called not to fear but to love! 

Yet, we are afraid. We live in fear. Despite the gift of faith that is undeniably ours, despite the wonderful promises of scripture that we claim, despite the ongoing witness of our baptism, despite God’s loving presence in bread and wine, despite the fact that we hang out with faithful people who do faithful things, despite the fact that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses; - we are still afraid!

And why not?  Of course we are!  There are so many things “out there” of which to be afraid! So many things we “should,” without question, fear.  In fact, the experience of fear is actually very critical to our survival as individuals and as a species. Fear is not always a bad thing.  Clinical Psychologist Zachary Sikora reminds us, “Fear is a natural and biological condition that we all experience.” … “It’s important that we experience fear because it keeps us safe.”

Fear is experienced in your mind, producing a strong physical reaction in your body. As soon as you recognize fear, the middle part of your brain, the so-called reptilian part of your brain, goes right to work. It alerts your nervous system, which sets your body’s fear response into motion. Stress hormones are released. Your blood pressure and heart rate increase. You start breathing faster. Even your blood flow changes — blood actually flows away from your heart and into your limbs, making it easier for you to start throwing punches, or run for your life. Your body is preparing for that “fight-or-flight” response.

So it is that all “fear” is not bad, and that some fear is absolutely necessary! For example, fear of wild animals like bears and mountain lions, is not a bad thing!  It turns out that fear is a very complex human emotion that can be positive and healthy, as well as negative and unhealthy.  There are some things we should fear, and some things we should not fear.  But how do we know the difference?

Max Lucado, the popular author, and pastor from at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio Texas, writes regarding the difference between “healthy fear” and “unhealthy phobias, ”or in his words the difference between, “prudence” and “paranoia.”

“The step between prudence and paranoia is short and steep. Prudence wears a seat belt. Paranoia avoids cars. Prudence washes with soap. Paranoia avoids human contact. Prudence saves for old age. Paranoia hoards even trash. Prudence prepares and plans. Paranoia panics. Prudence calculates the risk and takes the plunge. Paranoia never enters the water.”

When it comes to “fear,” Lucado believes it’s a matter of “Prudence vs. Paranoia,” “healthy fear vs. unhealthy phobias.”

To be paranoid, is to feel threatened with little to no evidence that you are in danger.  To be paranoid is to exaggerate circumstances, to be delusional. To be paranoid is to be distrustful, unreasonable, self-centered, and obsessed. "In paranoia, your fears become amplified and everyone you meet becomes drawn into that web. You become the center of a threatening universe. "Paranoia leads to a downward spiral.

Lucado chooses “prudence” to describe the opposite of paranoia, and to be honest I am not a fan of that particular word.  It seems a little “too safe” to me!  Too safe for the radical disposition of the gospel.  However, prudence can also mean, to be wise, to be shrewd, to discern, and to be canny. (Astute, clever, sly, wily, crafty).I like those words better, they’re more adventurous, more like how I imagine Jesus, they describe a “faithful fear response,” the opposite of paranoia.

My favorite line in Lucado’s contrast of “paranoia” and “prudence,” “unhealthy fear” and “healthy” fear, is the last couplet, “Prudence calculates the risk and takes the plunge. Paranoia never enters the water.”

I like that phrase because that is the invitation that is before us this morning, an invitation to “take the plunge!”  Today we celebrate the baptism of Christ, Jesus’ submission to the waters of baptism, the waters of death and life.  Today we are invited to remember our baptism, to continue our baptismal journey, to lean into the consequences of our baptism, to let go and to trust in the goodness of God, to let go of our worldly conflicted understanding of self, to claim that bold heavenly declaration, “You are my [child,] the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

You see, phobia, unhealthy fear, is not able to enter these waters; phobic fear cannot let go of the world, phobic fear cannot trust in the goodness of God, phobic fear cannot envision a kingdom without privilege, phobic fear cannot love neighbor let alone the stranger, phobic fear cannot give up control even when things are out of control, phobic fear cannot surrender its selfish nature, phobic fear cannot give up its desire to “save” myself. Phobic fear, unhealthy fear, cannot begin to enter the waters of baptism.  It’s just too risky!

So it is that the scriptures remind us, and encourage us, time and time again, “Be not afraid.” So it is that the Spirit exhorts us, “Calculate the risk and take the plunge,” “Be wise, be shrewd, discern, and be canny.” “Be faithful in your fear.”

Today, on The Baptism of Christ Sunday, we are invited to “confirm” our baptism; to confirm that we are nothing less and nothing more than the beloved of God, to confirm that we have been redeemed and set free from this world’s paranoia to live abundantly in the Kingdom of God, to confirm our calling to love and to serve our neighbors with our time, talents, and treasures.  To confirm that we have walked away from this world and its fears and stepped deeply into the waters of baptism, into the realm of the kingdom.  To confirm that we are alive in Christ.

In the sixth chapter of Romans, St. Paul’s reminds us of the radical nature of baptism, “For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.  … But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.  We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.  The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.  So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.”

“Be not afraid, I go before you always.”  The final word does not belong to fear or paranoia, the final word belongs to Christ.  The final word belongs to the waters of baptism.  And in Christ you have taken “the plunge,” in Christ you have been made alive, in Christ you are beloved.

May this truth set you free from unhealthy fear and make you ever bold in your faith. Amen.