First Lutheran Church

November 19, 2023 + Pastor Greg’s Last Sunday

Philippians 4:4-9 - Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. As for the things that you have learned and received and heard and noticed in me, do them, and the God of peace will be with you.

Matthew 3:13-17 - Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw God’s Spirit descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from the heavens said, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”

Sermon

“Think About These Things”

Pastor Greg Ronning

Whatever is true, whatever has honor,

Whatever is just and pure, lovely and full of grace,

If there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise,

Think about these things, Think about these things.

In today’s epistle St. Paul encourages us to “think aboutthese things.”  He does not tell us the exact things to think about, but only to think about “these things” that are “true,” “honorable,” “just,” “pure,” “lovely,” “grace-filled,” “excellent,” and “worthy of praise.”  I suppose there are many things that live up to these qualities, but today I am going to invite you to consider “these things” that belong to the Sacrament of Holy Baptism. 

As I conclude my time with you as your pastor, as I retire from full time parish ministry, as I wonder what you might “have learned and received and heard and noticed in me,” and what others whom I have served might “have learned and received and heard and noticed in me,” I hope that the promises of baptism might come to mind.  And I hope and trust that remembering your baptism, living out your baptism, and participating in the baptismal life that we share in Christ, - gives you peace.  The peace that is the loving presence of God, the peace that quiets doubt and strengthens faith, that peace that surpasses all understanding, - guarding, holding, and caring for our hearts and minds, our very souls.

A few weeks ago, I celebrated the 35th anniversary of my ordination.  It’s incredible how time flies.  But there is another anniversary that I am also celebrating this year, the anniversary of an event that has marked and shaped my ministry.  Forty years ago, I wrote the song, “One More Life.”  As I remember, this is how the song came to be.  A family at the church where I grew up invited me to sing at the baptism of their child.  I started looking for a song a might sing but was not excited about any of the options that I found.  And then it happened, in the mystery of music and song writing, - I played a few chords, started humming a melody, tossed about some lyrics, - and all the sudden a song was born.

Since that first baptism it has been my privilege to sing “One More Life” at countless baptisms, a few here at First Lutheran and at The Table, at memorial services, and as part of many a “sermon in song.”  It is a song that in many ways, has shaped and defined my entire life in ministry.And it’s striking to me that I wrote the song, that shaped and defined my ministry, before I even decided to go to seminary.  Surely the Spirit was at work!

And so it is that today I’d like to sing “One More Life” one more time. The song celebrates the promises of baptism,- the promises of Identity, Vocation, and Community.As I share the song with you, verse by verse with some thoughts, I invite you to -“think about these things.”

One more life, a bright shining light

One more hope, that the world will be all right

You're a miracle child, Love made alive

Water falls from heaven, as God says you're mine

God says you're mine.

In today’s Gospel Jesus is baptized by John, and in that moment … “the heavens were opened,” and “a voice from the heavens said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’” Beloved, remember this, this is important, we share in the baptism of Christ, in baptism God also declares to each of us, “You are mine,you too are my beloved.”  

Martin Luther taught us to always “remember” our baptism.  He writes, “In the morning, when you rise, you shall make the sign of the holy cross, and you shall say: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”Whenever we begin the day, whenever we face the existential questions of life, whenever we feel overwhelmed by the world, whenever we feel trapped, whenever we forget who we are, whenever we are made to feel “less than;”We are called to stop and make the sign of the cross, and remember that in baptism, in the waters of baptism, we have been named, claimed,and defined by God.  In baptism we are nothing less than a beloved child of God.Luther remarked that as long as he knew he was “loved” there wasn’t anything that he could not get through.  To know that he was loved and cherished, set him free, filled him with the enthusiasm of hope, emboldened him with the confidence of faith, and gave him a peace that stilled his soul and directed his pathways.

You're a miracle child, Love made alive

Water falls from heaven, as God says you're mine

God says you're mine.

One more heart, begun by You

One more soul, and hey, all things are new

And soon you'll know your name, love's made its claim

Heaven will be calling you, and you'll never be the same

You'll never be the same

Verse two reminds us that we all have our own unique calling in life, that we have all been gifted in ways that can make a difference in the world around us.  Our calling, our vocation, is lived out when we discover, in the words of Frederick Buechner, “the place where our deep gladness meets the world's deep need.”

I’ve always believed that what set First Lutheran Church apart as a community of faith, the thing that always ends up making the difference here in this place, the thing that drew me to you in the beginning, was its sense of vocation.  First Lutheran, at its very heart, is the church that feeds people.  What a blessing it is to have a passion and joy - that intersects with one of “the basic needs” of many of our neighbors.

I spent most of my years in ministry in “campus ministry.”  Vocation was at the heart of my ministry every day, helping young people discover their calling, inviting them to consider what they might do with their one precious life.  How their gifts, talents, and dreams might make a difference.  And I’ve tried to continue that theme here in this place, for the advent of vocation is always upon us.  In fact, I have come to believe that perhaps our greatest vocation, waits for us in the second half of life.  So it is that I invite you to consider again and again, over and over, where does my passion and joy connect with my neighbor in need?  And don’t be afraid to chase after that which God has called you to do!  Heaven continues to call you, heaven continues to make all things new, heaven is ready to write another chapter in your life, your baptism continues to make a difference, “You’ll never be the same.”

“One More Life” continues with a third verse.  A verse that over the years, as my faith has matured, has become the most important verse.  When I recorded the song, I introduced a harmony voice at this point, helping to move the song from an “Individual” place to a place of “community.”  Somewhere along my life’s journey I came to the realization that faith was not a private thing, but a community thing.  I didn’t know this truth when I wrote the song, but the song seemed to know it all along.I’d like to invite Julie up here, the harmony, to sing verse three with me.

And you'll never be alone, when you feel lonely

You'll always be loved, yeah, you're part of a family

Something's happened today that can never fade away

When God comes down from heaven,

God's here to stay, Here to stay

Verse three reminds us that we will never be alone, “You'll always be loved, yeah, you're part of a family.”  In our culture that overvalues individuality we are reminded that the strength and power of faith, the support we need to live out our vocation, and the place where we are reminded of our identity; is in the life of the church, the faith community, the beloved community, the place where faithful people do faithful things, - the very body of Christ.

The Lutheran Baptismal Liturgy ends with the whole congregation saying, “We welcome you into the body of Christ and into the mission we share: join us in giving thanks and praise to God and bearing God's creative and redeeming word to all the world.”

I have learned over the years, that you cannot be a Christian all by yourself, no matter how hard you try.  The nature of our faith, the nature of baptism, is corporate.  And what a joy it has been to be a part of this family of faith, to be reminded by you that I am beloved, to have my calling in life valued, encouraged, and confirmed by you.  I thank you for the gift of community, the place where faith is experienced. 

May you all continue to care, love, and support each other, continue to dare to talk about vocation, continue to help each other discover new joys and passions, continue to listen for the breaking in of the Holy Spirit.  And let us always remember, that we are not alone!  Together,-“in Christ, with Christ, and through Christ,”- we are the Body of Christ.

In one more life, one more life,

One more life, one more life

You're a miracle child, Love made alive

Water falls from heaven, as God says you're mine

God says you're mine

And one last promise, - the promise of grace.  “Water falls from heaven.” “God comes down from heaven.”“God’s here to stay.”  The direction of God, the direction of the Gospel, the direction of love, is decidedly in our favor, - God comes down to us!  God always meets us where we are, even where you are right now.  The grace, mercy, hope, and love of God comes to us! 

Never forget, you are nothing less than the beloved children of God.

Think about these things and the God of peace will be with you.

Think about these things and the God of peace will be with you.

Think about these things …

“One More Life”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNmH69hlMTs&list=OLAK5uy_mWqkF2AvrbciYiSLO5BMuYuHZqoG76C4o&index=1

Sermon on Luke 24:13-34

Pastor Jennifer Garcia

A major chapter in the lives of the disciples had ended. They had learned from Jesus for three years, but he had been put to death by the authorities. Now it was all over.

The disciples were lost, uncertain of what would come next for them. They hid themselves from the authorities and waited.

Two of the disciples headed out of town. Perhaps the memories of the previous week were too strong in Jerusalem. Perhaps they were restless and could no longer sit in the upper room waiting to be caught and crucified like their teacher.

So they left. Cleopas and another disciple. Some have theorized that the other disciple was his wife, but we’ll never know.

Whoever these two disciples were, they met a stranger on the journey.

He seemed completely clueless about the biggest event in their entire lives, but he was surprisingly knowledgeable about the scriptures. They talked along the way, and for those few hours, perhaps the two disciples felt a little less scared, a little less alone. To borrow a phrase from our Methodist siblings, perhaps their hearts were “strangely warmed.”

When they finally arrived, the sun was setting, but the stranger looked like he was going to continue on. In customary hospitable fashion, they insisted he stay with them.

As they sat down to the evening meal, the stranger started a familiar ritual: “he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them.” It was in this moment that they realized it had been Jesus all along.

Isn’t it always Jesus all along?

So often we go about our daily lives, and it is only in hindsight that we realize:

1.    that person on the side of the road holding a cardboard sign was Jesus,

2.    that six-year-old who made an insightful comment that took us by surprise was Jesus,

3.    that friend who reached out just when we needed it most was Jesus.

Jesus is always there, especially in the places we least expect to find him.

Jesus was there for these two disciples in the midst of their grief, fear and confusion. He was there for them at the turn of a new chapter in their lives that they didn’t understand yet.

And First Lutheran, too, is at the start of a new chapter.

Pastor Greg has served this community faithfully and lovingly, and now he is being called to serve in new ways elsewhere. God is not done with him, and God is not done with First Lutheran.

But in the midst of change, it’s easy to feel scared, sad, and lonely, just like the disciples at the beginning of our story.

It’s normal to feel anxious about change—regardless of whether the change is good or bad. It’s hard to let go of what has been, because we can’t see yet what God has in store for us next.

Even though the two disciples in our story had heard the testimony of the women disciples who said that angels had told them Jesus was alive, they were still sad and afraid. They didn’t know if they could believe that Jesus was alive, and they didn’t know what was next for them.

But Jesus met them anyway.

Jesus walked with them, gave them insight, and communed with them. He walked by their side and sat at their table.

Despite what it seemed, he never left them, never abandoned them. He was with them all along, even when they didn’t realize it.

And Jesus will not leave us either.

Jesus is always present when people gather in his name.

Jesus has been preached by so many people in this place. His praises have been sung thousands upon thousands of times.

Jesus has been at this table since this congregation’s founding.

Jesus is present in every person who walks in those doors and every person who is fed by our pantry.

All of that will continue, God willing, for many, many years to come. And if and when the time comes when this place is no longer used for these purposes, God’s people will continue to meet wherever they are, praying, preaching, eating, singing, serving until the end of time and then for eternity.

And we get to be part of that. This chapter is ending and a new one will begin. You get to help discern what the Holy Spirit is up to next.

Jesus will be with you through it all. He is already here, and he journeys with us into whatever comes next.

If you are afraid, take heart.

If you are sad, lean on each other and on Jesus, who never abandons his people.

Beloved, we are all God’s Church, Christ’s Body, called to share God’s love with the world in old and new ways. Eat your fill of Jesus’ presence, and let your hearts burn within you.

First Lutheran Church

November 5, 2023 + All Saints Sunday

Matthew 5:1-12 + 1When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying: 3“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. 8“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

“Remembering The Saints”

Pastor Greg Ronning

It’s November!  Yay!  November has always been one of my favorite months.  Why?  Well, my birthday is November 18th!  Football season is in full swing.  The Holidays, the Holiday Spirit, will soon be ramping up.  And I like the weather that November brings.  Hopefully we will finally get a bit of a chill, soon it will start to look and feel like Fall, soon I will get to pull out my sweatshirts, and for me there’s just a “freshness” about November.

Some people describe November as “attic, barn and closet time.”  It’s a season for gathering things up and storing things away.It's harvest time, and farmers are reaping what they have sowed.  There’s not very much farming around here, but perhaps you remember other times and other places, where the fall harvest was a big part of your community life.

I suppose the actual farm harvest took place last month, I imagine at this point, most of our country’s barns, corn silos, and grain elevators are filled.  However, there is another kind of harvest that happens this time of year.  As another year comes to an end, we are inclined, and we are invited, to gather up the pieces of our life, gather them into our barns, and take an inventory.  Do we have enough provisions to get us through the winter?  Did we plant enough seeds, did we nurture the tender sprouts, did we grow, and did we bear fruit?  What do we have in this season of gathering.  What does the inventory of our life look like?

In particular today, on All Saints Sunday, we are called to harvest our memories.   We are called to rememberall the saints in our life.  Saints past, and saints present, the people who have made an impact on our life.   Saints who have nurtured us and challenged us.  Saints who have revealed God to us, saints who have helped us uncover our gifts, the saints who have helped us bear the fruit of the kingdom.  We are reminded that the saints of God, are not just the heroic personalities of the past, but also the ordinary among us.  The “sinner-saints” who lived out their faith as best they could, the saints who were our friends, our colleagues, our family.  On “All Saints Sunday,” we take time to remember all these saints, we take time to harvest our memories, we gather them up today knowing they will give us the strength that we need to live abundantly today and tomorrow.

Which leads me to this question, have you ever wondered how you might be remembered?  As my days among you as your pastor are coming to an end, I wonder how you might remember me.

The first church I served as pastor was Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Lafayette California.  I served there for four and half years before I took the call to be the Campus Pastor at Texas Lutheran University.  At the end of my time at Our Savior’s, the church gathered for a special event to remember and celebrate my ministry.  As part of the program, they showed a picture of me doing ministry with the youth.  The picture featured me wearing an old torn sweatshirt, my hair all messed up, playing my guitar, with a bottle of wine on the table next to me.  They had some fun with me and “that picture” before they completed the picture, reminding everyone that I was leading a communion worship service at a beach retreat.  And then they showed a video.  It took place on our church bus as we were crossing the US Mexico Border after a week-long mission trip.  At the border it was common to buy souvenirs through the window as we waited in traffic.  On that particular trip I was trying to buy a statue of the Virgin Mary.  The video captured me negotiating with a seller.  In the video clip, all you can see is me sticking my head out the window, nothing else, and I’m in the middle of intense bargaining, “How much for the virgin?”  And it gets worse, “I’ll give you five dollars for the virgin.”  You can’t always control how you will be remembered!  Memories can be tricky.How will we be remembered?

In the 2007 movie Coco, the story about a young boy who finds his calling in life by traveling to the land of the dead to remember his ancestors, a movie about the wonderful Mexican tradition of “Dia de los Muertos,” “The Day of the Dead,” we are reminded of the power of remembering and being remembered.  Father Virgil Elizondo of San Antonio when asked about “Dia de los Muertos,” replied, “We die three times, once when the body expires, again when we’re buried, and a third time when we are forgotten.  It’s the third death, of memory, that matters most.”So it is that we gather today to remember those who have gone on before us, those who now rest in the never-failing arms of God’s love and forgiveness, those whom we loved, those who loved us.  Those whom we do not want to forget.  And in those memories, we are re-membered with them in the mystery of the faith, in the timeless communion of the saints of every time and place.  And in those memories, memories reborn, memories come to life, we are inspired to live this day and the next to its fullest, to faithfully live out our calling in life.

So, who do we remember today?  How will we be remembered when people look back at these times? 

Whose memory awakens life in you?  Who might remember you and find a spark?  And then there’s the nagging question born of doubt, will I be worth remembering?

I suppose all these questions, all these “All Saints Day” questions, raise the larger question of faith, the question of ultimate concern.  They invite us to take inventory of heart, mind, and soul.  What do I want to do with my life?   How will I use my gifts and talents?  What will I leave behind?   How will people remember me?  What will last?  What will endure?  In what should I invest our life?  How do I want to be remembered?

Today's Gospel, The Beatitudes, tell us of the values of the kingdom of God.  These teachings of Jesus are hard because they collide with the world.  They seem unrealistic, unattainable, and impossible to live out.Yet, as we remember the saints, the ones who really made an impact on our life, the ones who were bright lights in the darkness, the ones who helped light the candle of faith within us, - perhaps we have seen these Beatitudes come to life.  Perhaps these words found in today’s gospel, the Beatitudes, came to life and painted the pictures of the saints that we remember today.

Pictures of humility and integrity.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”

Pictures of people who sought to do the right thing, the fair thing, the just thing.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”

Pictures of hearts that felt compassion, hearts that were giant and could hold anything,

hearts that were broken, yet in their wounded-ness knew how to heal.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.”

Pictures of people who could see God in the least of these,

people who found the kingdom in serving others.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”

Pictures of people who knew of a peace "beyond understanding,"

a peace that would comfort and yet challenge.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”

People who were filled to overflowing.

“Rejoice and be glad, ...”

These are the people, the saints, that we remember.

“... for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

And that's how I will remember you!  Now I know that you don't live up to the beatitudes everyday, -nobody does.   But deep inside that's who you are.  You are the “blessed,” you are the beloved children of God, you are the ones for whom the saints pray, you are gifted and loved, and the kingdom of God is in you.  That’s what I see, and that’s what I will remember.  You are definitely worth be remembered!

But more importantly that’s how you are remembered by God. In Christ you will never be forgotten but remembered forever, here and now, and forever in the timeless communion of the saints, especially those precious saints we remember today.  May God bless our faithful remembering.  Amen.