When I worked at an African American Church on the South Side of Chicago I was given the honor to preach a few times. I worked hard on the sermons and put a lot of thought into how to preach to those from another culture in a different context than myself.
On Saturday evening before one of my sermons – The pastor of the congregation called to inform me that one of their children had been shot in a drive by shooting that day. They were in the hospital and going to be ok – he explained that this was not the first of their children to be shot.
He knew that the congregation would be sad – devastated – and I really needed to have some good news for them that morning. Good News about liberation, redemption, and healing. The sermon I planned – had to change!
Late that night I stared at a computer screen looking for the Holy Spirit’s inspiration on how to change my sermon and all I could think was – God I don’t think I should preach. HOW can this black congregation hear good news from me on a day like today – a white-single-student-female-young preacher?
In many ways it was a very painful year. But God stretched me and I stood in the pulpit that Sunday and preached from the Gospel of John the 20th chapter. We know it as the doubting Thomas story. And I said, Jesus says BLESSED are those that have not seen and yet believe.
We have not seen an end to violence, discrimination, hunger, disease, loss, devastation, loneliness, racism, sexism, or pain – these worldly things are a reality and God comes to us in the midst of it and says, “Peace be with you.”
To my surprise after the sermon – I realized that the Good News I was worried they couldn’t hear from a white-single-student-female-young preacher that Sunday – was Good News not from me and all my labels – but from the Word of God.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Change happens.
By Johanna Johnson
By way of introduction, I am Johanna, the new intern at Christus Victor Lutheran Church, and Pastor Dana asked me to cover for her this week while she is at Churchwide Assembly in Minneapolis.
Churchwide Assembly – now there is something to think about. Every two years, this body of Lutherans meets and discusses the direction – theologically, biblically, socially – of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Inevitably, there will be changes. They may or may not be changes the average pew-sitter notices, but there will be changes nonetheless. I can relate. I just moved from Connecticut to Northern California to Southwestern Florida all in the course of about two months. I went from living with a roommate, to living with my family, to living by myself and far from anyone I know. I’m living somewhere where it goes from sunny and bright to rain, thunder and lightening in five minutes’ time. Change happens. Sometimes it hurts bad, like a kick in the stomach; sometimes it hurts good, like a much needed massage. Sometimes it feels glorious and refreshing; sometimes it feels disconcerting. Always, I have to believe, it is what God had in mind.
Doesn’t God say though Isaiah, “I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” (43:19). And again, “From this time forward I make you hear new things, hidden things that you have not known” (48:6). Change is a part of this life, a part of this faith. The Spirit is moving, and who is to say we know where she blows? I have to trust that, even if it is one of those disconcerting, badly hurting changes, God will use this. And if we listen to those new things, those new hidden things that we have not known, I have confidence that God will show us how this, too, can bring a bit closer the Kingdom of God.
By way of introduction, I am Johanna, the new intern at Christus Victor Lutheran Church, and Pastor Dana asked me to cover for her this week while she is at Churchwide Assembly in Minneapolis.
Churchwide Assembly – now there is something to think about. Every two years, this body of Lutherans meets and discusses the direction – theologically, biblically, socially – of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Inevitably, there will be changes. They may or may not be changes the average pew-sitter notices, but there will be changes nonetheless. I can relate. I just moved from Connecticut to Northern California to Southwestern Florida all in the course of about two months. I went from living with a roommate, to living with my family, to living by myself and far from anyone I know. I’m living somewhere where it goes from sunny and bright to rain, thunder and lightening in five minutes’ time. Change happens. Sometimes it hurts bad, like a kick in the stomach; sometimes it hurts good, like a much needed massage. Sometimes it feels glorious and refreshing; sometimes it feels disconcerting. Always, I have to believe, it is what God had in mind.
Doesn’t God say though Isaiah, “I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” (43:19). And again, “From this time forward I make you hear new things, hidden things that you have not known” (48:6). Change is a part of this life, a part of this faith. The Spirit is moving, and who is to say we know where she blows? I have to trust that, even if it is one of those disconcerting, badly hurting changes, God will use this. And if we listen to those new things, those new hidden things that we have not known, I have confidence that God will show us how this, too, can bring a bit closer the Kingdom of God.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Mud Puddles
Have you ever noticed that we tend to get comfortable in our faith? We know what denomination we are, where we worship, what pew we sit in, and what charities we support.
When we were baptized we were not called to be comfy – we were liberated from sin and freed to share that liberation with others. Baptism prepares us to get messy in a world that doesn’t encourage liberation - to go where we fear, fight for justice, and love the outcast. I often preach about what it means to be messy in faith – and sometimes feel the call to live it out, literally.
It was a Monday afternoon, the sun was high and I was leaving the church. It had rained quite a bit and there was a big mud puddle out front.
I couldn’t resist!
I removed my shoes and took a leap while realizing that half the neighborhood was watching some lady with a clerical collar taking a leap into a mud puddle. I braced myself for the shock of the cold water hitting my feet. I landed and well... the lesson learned that Monday was playing in mud puddles down south was different than other experiences I had. The water was at least 130 degrees, the grass was not soft on the feet, and a lizard or two came out of nowhere scaring me.
I quickly got out of the puddle wiped my feet off and got in my car. I had not played in a mud puddle in quite some time so I had forgotten the shock of the puddle. I had only remembered the fun of the puddle. We often go into situations expecting something. I jumped expecting cold and landed experiencing extreme warmth. The shock is what made me get out quickly. The shock is what made me forget the playfulness or joy of the act.
Sometimes it takes retreating to see joy when things are messy. God’s presence is very much alive daily in our life. I hope we can remember to retreat daily and be renewed through the baptismal promise. I hope we can experience it, embrace it and remember to play in the reality together.
In Holy Baptism our gracious heavenly Father liberates us from sin and death by joining us to the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. AMEN!
When we were baptized we were not called to be comfy – we were liberated from sin and freed to share that liberation with others. Baptism prepares us to get messy in a world that doesn’t encourage liberation - to go where we fear, fight for justice, and love the outcast. I often preach about what it means to be messy in faith – and sometimes feel the call to live it out, literally.
It was a Monday afternoon, the sun was high and I was leaving the church. It had rained quite a bit and there was a big mud puddle out front.
I couldn’t resist!
I removed my shoes and took a leap while realizing that half the neighborhood was watching some lady with a clerical collar taking a leap into a mud puddle. I braced myself for the shock of the cold water hitting my feet. I landed and well... the lesson learned that Monday was playing in mud puddles down south was different than other experiences I had. The water was at least 130 degrees, the grass was not soft on the feet, and a lizard or two came out of nowhere scaring me.
I quickly got out of the puddle wiped my feet off and got in my car. I had not played in a mud puddle in quite some time so I had forgotten the shock of the puddle. I had only remembered the fun of the puddle. We often go into situations expecting something. I jumped expecting cold and landed experiencing extreme warmth. The shock is what made me get out quickly. The shock is what made me forget the playfulness or joy of the act.
Sometimes it takes retreating to see joy when things are messy. God’s presence is very much alive daily in our life. I hope we can remember to retreat daily and be renewed through the baptismal promise. I hope we can experience it, embrace it and remember to play in the reality together.
In Holy Baptism our gracious heavenly Father liberates us from sin and death by joining us to the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. AMEN!
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Experiencing the Holy
There seems to be a longing by humans to understand and experience the Holy. We search for the meaning of life. We long for relationship. We believe there has to be something larger than our self.
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This past week a colleague of mine who does not define their faith as Christianity worshipped with us. She is a very spiritual creature of God who is open to the many forms in which people experience the Holy. I wondered when it was time for the Eucharist if she would come forward to partake in this Christian Sacrament.
To my surprise she walked forward during communion, opened her hands, and received the body and blood of Christ. After worship I said, “I’m surprised that you came forward for communion.”
She responded, “I could feel my grandma right there with me during communion.”
Knowing that her grandma was a faithful Christian while on earth, I sat there in awe with a smile on my face. I even had a moment of wondering if she understood the Sacrament of Holy Communion better than some of the people who receive the Eucharist every week. Communion is a way to experience the Holy in both an individual and collective way. It an individual reminder of God’s grace and forgiveness as you come to the table confessing your sins and asking for forgiveness. It is a collective gathering at the table of our Lord with all the saints who have come before us and all that will come after us.
So, my friend had it right. Her grandma was feasting in the warm grace of God’s love with her as she was taking communion. Oh, yes – there is something much larger out there than our self! And every now and then we get to experience a glimpse of the Holy.
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This past week a colleague of mine who does not define their faith as Christianity worshipped with us. She is a very spiritual creature of God who is open to the many forms in which people experience the Holy. I wondered when it was time for the Eucharist if she would come forward to partake in this Christian Sacrament.
To my surprise she walked forward during communion, opened her hands, and received the body and blood of Christ. After worship I said, “I’m surprised that you came forward for communion.”
She responded, “I could feel my grandma right there with me during communion.”
Knowing that her grandma was a faithful Christian while on earth, I sat there in awe with a smile on my face. I even had a moment of wondering if she understood the Sacrament of Holy Communion better than some of the people who receive the Eucharist every week. Communion is a way to experience the Holy in both an individual and collective way. It an individual reminder of God’s grace and forgiveness as you come to the table confessing your sins and asking for forgiveness. It is a collective gathering at the table of our Lord with all the saints who have come before us and all that will come after us.
So, my friend had it right. Her grandma was feasting in the warm grace of God’s love with her as she was taking communion. Oh, yes – there is something much larger out there than our self! And every now and then we get to experience a glimpse of the Holy.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Open up
The following post is an article I wrote, published in the August 2009 issue of The Lutheran.
http://www.thelutheran.org/article/article_buy.cfm?article_id=8341
When you want to reach out to a friend, co-worker, even family member in one of they younger generations, don't say, "join us at worship."
Your invitation probably won't be accepted. I know. It wasn't an invitation to a Sunday morning service but one to serve in a community that brought me back to church. Now, as a pastor in my early 30s, I know, too, that there are many more young people who long for God, not church.
God doesn't live in the four walls of the church - even we who love the church and find there a community which supports us in our faith know that. We know, too, that God sends us out into the world: "Go in peace. Serve the Lord."
So how do you start a new conversation with those folks who tell us they're “spiritual but not religious”? Change the focus from sharing how important Sunday morning worship is to what God is doing—in your own life. Yes, this might will feel awkward at first. Most of us aren't used to talking about our faith lives.
Consider trying some of these seven ways to open up as you reach out:
- Change how you ask everyday questions. Instead of, “How was work today?” also ask, “How was God at work in your life today?” Instead of, “How can I help?” ask, “What can I pray for?”
- Ask your friend or family member to join you in working at the soup kitchen, women’s shelter, or road clean up.
- Share a story about your morning devotions. If the conversation becomes fruitful and the person lives with you or is around often, ask if he or she would do devotions with you occasionally - bouncing around ideas and concepts.
- Share a song you heard at worship or on the radio, or an idea from a sermon that made you think of your friend. This shows you care - and how God works and speaks through other people.
- Pay attention to the spiritual nuances when you watch a movie together. Afterward, ask, “Did you notice ... ?”
- Say grace before every meal, though not necessarily a formal prayer. I often don’t fold my hands and bow my head if I'm with friends who aren't religious. I simply say as I’m pouring the ketchup, “God thanks for the yummy food and good company! Amen!”
Be ready to answer questions about your faith - and to listen to theirs.
In living out these ideas, it's most important to be genuine, to just be you. God’s love is often experienced first through living human relationships. I've had successes and failures. Some people close down because they've been hurt or are making assumptions.
Open up. Refocus your energy and reach out to my generation. The Spirit of God moves in ways we can't understand. But through our actions and prayers, we can stand with these young people - and not just worry as our invitation to "join us at worship" goes unaccepted.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Faith in God defining Life not Death
By Angela Busch
Few quick words of introduction: Pastor Dana is in New Orleans this week for the ELCA National Youth Gathering, so she asked me, her current roommate and a future seminary student this fall at Luther, to do this week's blog. I'll do my best to fill her shoes!
***
I currently work as a sports reporter for the Naples Daily News, and one of my most frequent assignments has been NFL running back Edgerrin James. He's a native of nearby Immokalee, Fla., and this year James became the first Collier County product to play in a Super Bowl. It was a Big Deal, and I spent the whole Super Bowl week and game following James around and learning all about him. He's had quite a football career -- 4-time All-Pro selection, 11th on the alltime NFL rushing list -- but in his past he was known as quite a thug. James played his college football for the rough-'n'-tumble University of Miami back in the late '90s, and few people got to see the family side of him that's well-known throughout Southwest Florida, especially in his beloved Immokalee.
Probably because I'm his hometown reporter, so to speak, and James still spends a lot of time back in Immokalee and Florida in general, I've been lucky enough to start to see that side of him. But yesterday I got a much closer glimpse -- and one that made me think about faith and what it can mean for our lives.
James and his four children suffered a tragic loss last April -- his longtime girlfriend and children's mother, Andia Wilson, died of leukemia. He said he took the loss hard, after having spent every free moment of the 2008 football season at the hospital at Andia's bedside.
Yesterday, James made what was his first really public appearance after Andia's death, and after his requested release was granted from the Arizona Cardinals, making him an NFL free agent for really the first time in his 10-year NFL career.
This wasn't a typical public appearance, though. Instead, with the local Parks and Recreation department, James hosted a free football camp for kids ages 6 and up, from 9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. at the Immokalee Sports Complex. Of course, it turned into sort of a media frenzy, especially because James brought a few University of Miami and fellow NFL players with him. Most of the reporters at the camp wanted to talk about James' future and where he might play. I needed to get this information for our paper, too, but what really made me listen was when James started talking about dealing with Andia's death.
Finally, shaking his head, he said: "But when you believe in God, well, you know she's in a better place."
I'm not sure what role faith has played in James' life. I've never talked about it with him. But clearly, his faith was giving him a positive, healthy way to deal with the death of a person he'd loved very much. We see this often throughout our lives. When someone dies, people turn to their faith. God, and faith, are at least partial answers to the mystery of death. Faith defines the way we look at death, many times. And using faith to understand death is important.
To me the more important thing, though, is making God and our faith define our lives -- not only the deaths in our lives. When someone dies, people often recognize God's immense power. They give Him the role He belongs in -- they give Him the power to change things for the better and execute a plan that we may never understand.
What if we gave God that power not only in death but in life? What if, instead of simply saying: Because I believe in God, I know that (he or she) has not died in vain, we would say: Because I believe in God, I know I am not LIVING in vain!
This week, I am going to try -- hopefully not in vain -- to put that into practice, to use my belief in God as a definer for my life, in the same way that we allow God's power to define death. What changes could this make in our lives? I am excited to see.
Few quick words of introduction: Pastor Dana is in New Orleans this week for the ELCA National Youth Gathering, so she asked me, her current roommate and a future seminary student this fall at Luther, to do this week's blog. I'll do my best to fill her shoes!
***
I currently work as a sports reporter for the Naples Daily News, and one of my most frequent assignments has been NFL running back Edgerrin James. He's a native of nearby Immokalee, Fla., and this year James became the first Collier County product to play in a Super Bowl. It was a Big Deal, and I spent the whole Super Bowl week and game following James around and learning all about him. He's had quite a football career -- 4-time All-Pro selection, 11th on the alltime NFL rushing list -- but in his past he was known as quite a thug. James played his college football for the rough-'n'-tumble University of Miami back in the late '90s, and few people got to see the family side of him that's well-known throughout Southwest Florida, especially in his beloved Immokalee.
Probably because I'm his hometown reporter, so to speak, and James still spends a lot of time back in Immokalee and Florida in general, I've been lucky enough to start to see that side of him. But yesterday I got a much closer glimpse -- and one that made me think about faith and what it can mean for our lives.
James and his four children suffered a tragic loss last April -- his longtime girlfriend and children's mother, Andia Wilson, died of leukemia. He said he took the loss hard, after having spent every free moment of the 2008 football season at the hospital at Andia's bedside.
Yesterday, James made what was his first really public appearance after Andia's death, and after his requested release was granted from the Arizona Cardinals, making him an NFL free agent for really the first time in his 10-year NFL career.
This wasn't a typical public appearance, though. Instead, with the local Parks and Recreation department, James hosted a free football camp for kids ages 6 and up, from 9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. at the Immokalee Sports Complex. Of course, it turned into sort of a media frenzy, especially because James brought a few University of Miami and fellow NFL players with him. Most of the reporters at the camp wanted to talk about James' future and where he might play. I needed to get this information for our paper, too, but what really made me listen was when James started talking about dealing with Andia's death.
Finally, shaking his head, he said: "But when you believe in God, well, you know she's in a better place."
I'm not sure what role faith has played in James' life. I've never talked about it with him. But clearly, his faith was giving him a positive, healthy way to deal with the death of a person he'd loved very much. We see this often throughout our lives. When someone dies, people turn to their faith. God, and faith, are at least partial answers to the mystery of death. Faith defines the way we look at death, many times. And using faith to understand death is important.
To me the more important thing, though, is making God and our faith define our lives -- not only the deaths in our lives. When someone dies, people often recognize God's immense power. They give Him the role He belongs in -- they give Him the power to change things for the better and execute a plan that we may never understand.
What if we gave God that power not only in death but in life? What if, instead of simply saying: Because I believe in God, I know that (he or she) has not died in vain, we would say: Because I believe in God, I know I am not LIVING in vain!
This week, I am going to try -- hopefully not in vain -- to put that into practice, to use my belief in God as a definer for my life, in the same way that we allow God's power to define death. What changes could this make in our lives? I am excited to see.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Seriously! What's up with this God thing?
Our church put a video on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VF1puQUN6g4) about the ministry we are doing and our vision for the future. When I logged onto our YouTube account there was a comment waiting to be approved. The comment said something like, "You don't do good things because of Christ - You do good things because your good people - God has nothing to do with it!"
As I was deleting the comment, I had to take a deep breath as a surprising emotion overwhelmed me. I was caught between being insulted by such a naive comment and curious if there is truth behind the statement. The words of another pastor quickly came to mind.
I was questioning God's existence one day and Pastor Reed said, "If you died tomorrow and found out that there was no God. Would you wish you would have changed anything about your life, what you did, and what you believed?"
I quickly realized, "no" because what I believe and do gives me so much life now!
I held onto that past memory for a moment and then flashed through all the ways I have seen God work in my life and in the world. Then the words of a fourth century theologian came to mind. Carol Albright summaries the writing of Saint Augustine, fourth century AD, who used a metaphor that brought to life how God is interacting with the world. A metaphor that explains the vastness of God and how God is our source inside and outside of the world we know.
[1] Carol Rausch Albright. “Religious Experience, Complexification, and the Image of God,” in NeuroTheology: Brain, Science, Spirituality, Religious Experience ed. R. Joseph (California: University Press, 2002), 200.
As I was deleting the comment, I had to take a deep breath as a surprising emotion overwhelmed me. I was caught between being insulted by such a naive comment and curious if there is truth behind the statement. The words of another pastor quickly came to mind.
I was questioning God's existence one day and Pastor Reed said, "If you died tomorrow and found out that there was no God. Would you wish you would have changed anything about your life, what you did, and what you believed?"
I quickly realized, "no" because what I believe and do gives me so much life now!
I held onto that past memory for a moment and then flashed through all the ways I have seen God work in my life and in the world. Then the words of a fourth century theologian came to mind. Carol Albright summaries the writing of Saint Augustine, fourth century AD, who used a metaphor that brought to life how God is interacting with the world. A metaphor that explains the vastness of God and how God is our source inside and outside of the world we know.
The world as we know it is like a submerged sponge. God is the ever-changing sea, which penetrates the sponge, supports the sponge, nourishes the sponge and gives it life – but is not itself the sponge. As long as the sea flows through the sponge, the sponge may remain alive. God is forever in interaction with the world, yet God is not the world. Like the sea. God is dynamic and mysterious, always the same, yet never the same, whose very being may be experienced as action and interaction (Confessions VII, V, 7).[1]The ocean provides the source of life for the sponge. The Trinity (our human understanding of God) is doing something to us. This is the fundamental reality of God. God is in action and interaction with us. God is our source!
[1] Carol Rausch Albright. “Religious Experience, Complexification, and the Image of God,” in NeuroTheology: Brain, Science, Spirituality, Religious Experience ed. R. Joseph (California: University Press, 2002), 200.
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