My Lord Katie

On Saturday December 20, we honor the festival for Katarina Von Bora, who became Mrs. Martin Luther. She waws born to an impoverished nobleman and was 5 when her mother died. She was sent to live in a convent and took vows as a nun, but later escaped the convent in a herring barrel at age 24 so that she could go join the reformer Martin Luther. With Luther, she had 6 children and cared for other children as foster children. For Luther, she was a trusted partner, gifted manager of the household while he pursued more theological pursuits, and a partner in prayer. Luther often called her the morning star of Wittenburg, because she rose so early to tend to the home and farm. He also jokingly called her "my Lord Katie". I love the stories about Katie Luther, because they show us a woman who was strong in her faith and grounded in her care of those she loved. There are stories that Katie once took the study door off its hinges to bring a meal to Luther because he had been locked in his study for days working on his writing and had not stopped to eat. Katie worried that he had died and so took down the door to check on him. She also was known for her staunch belief in Luther's reforms. Often, men like Luther or Calvin or others who led the Protestant Reformation are noted, but Katie gives us a reminder to look beyond the headlines for those who also influenced our faith traditions.

Silent Night

Sophia just recieved a book from her Sunday School teacher that has the words to Silent Night in it.... So far this Christmas Season, we have focused on learning Away in a Manger, Jingle Bells, and Come on Ring Those Bells. But the Silent Night book has her singing phrases of it in strange order on her own as she sings to her dolls. It struck me as I read it to her how little silence we all have in our lives. The phones ring, the TV is on, music is playing all around us. There is so much to do that we rarely take time for silence, with presents to wrap and cookies to bake and cards to get out and trees to decorate... Do we stop for silence in the midst of all this? Do we stop to appreciate, to wonder? It is so easy to get caught up in the do do do, hurry hurry hurry, mindset of the holiday season. Have we lost the silence of that Silent Night? How can we capture even a moment of silence each day?

Stir up....

Many of our prayers in Advent begin with the words: Stir up your power and come!
One retired pastor once joked that Advent is the time of the cowboy prayers, the "Stirrup" prayers. Yet, Advent is characterized by that prayer. Stir up your power, O God, and come!
Stir up the power of your peace , so that violence may come to an end. Stir up the power of your comfort, so that those who mourn and live with sorrow daily will not be overcome by it. Stir up your power and give us hope, so that those who see with despairing eyes can catch a glimpse of your promise. Stir up our hearts so that we can see you in our world and in our lives. The prayers of Advent express such longing for God to come and make our world a better place. They express a longing for God to be present among us, with us, in tangible ways. How do you long for God's power to be stirred up in your life this Advent?

Elizabeth of Hungary

Sometimes when we think of holy people, we think of those who lived long lives and grew into holiness over many years. There are many saints who fit this description. But there are also other saints, who knew God's love and lived lives of faithfulness at a very young age. Elizabeth of Hungary is one of those people.
On Monday, November 17, the church celebrated her feast and she is remembered as a renewer of society. Elizabeth was a princess in Hungary who gave large amounts of money, including her marriage dowry to the poor. She founded hospitals, cared for orphans, and used the royal family's own food supplies to feed the hungry. She had the support of her husband, but her acts of generosity and charity did not earn her support within the royal court. After the death of her husband, she was driven out and she joined the Franciscan Order to continue to care for the poor. Her legacy of generosity and courage is inspiring, especially considering that she died at the age of 24. Many hospitals are named in her memory.
Elizabeth reminds us that all of us, regardless of our age, our gender, our backgrounds, are called to lives of service and holiness. No matter who we are, no matter where we are, we can see people in need all around us. There are people in need of food, people in need of hope, people in need of love, people in need of comfort, people in need of rest. How do we reach out to those in need around us? How do we show God's love to them?

Getting ready for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is about a week or so away and many of us are beginning to shop for our traditional Thanksgiving dinners. Our shopping lists include turkeys and corn, stuffing and cranberries, pumpkin for pumpkin pie and sweet potatoes most likely. These foods are so powerfully attached to the celebration of Thanksgiving for us that it hardly would seem like Thanksgiving without them. When I was in Belgium for a year studying with 30 other American students, our advisors promised us a traditional American Thanksgiving dinner. The menu included squash soup, fried potatoes of some sort, a meat that they claimed was turkey (but looked more like a red meat of some sort), no cranberries, no sweet potatoes, no stuffing. I think I remember dumplings and a few other side dishes added in as well. To 30 homesick American college students away from home for their first Thanksgiving, this was not the traditional feast they were expecting. So after dinner, we all made a stop at McDonald's. This moment taught me how important memories and tradition are as well as the symbolism of food for us in celebrations. But did you know what the original pilgrims most likely had to eat? When the Wampanoag people and the Colonists sat down to their three-day feast to give thanks, they dined on lobster, fish packed in salt, dried and smoked meats, and freshly caught wild game. They did not eat corn on the cob (as Indian corn was only good for making corn meal, not eating whole) or eat pumpkin pie or cranberry sauce since sugar, yams, or sweet potatoes had not yet been introduced to the New England region.

So, as we prepare our Thanksgiving tables, let's remember how traditions help us connect to our history, but let's also make new memories, new legacies of thankfulness to pass on to future generations.

Gratitude

Melody Beattie once said:
Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity.
If can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.

Sometimes we struggle with gratitude. Our society has created a sense of earning things ourselves and being rightfully entitled to them. We tend to take so much for granted. Perhaps that is why we see so much confusion and chaos, anxiety and worry. During this month that leads up to Thanksgiving, we have a chance to work on our sense of gratitude. May that gratitude make sense of our past, bring us peace for today and give us a vision for tomorrow.

Great minds

Eleanor Roosevelt once said:
"Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; Small minds discuss people."

If you look at Jesus' teachings, he discussed ideas, visions, great perspectives on God's kingdom.
If you look at great leaders throughout history, they focused on ideas, dreams, hopes, plans to create a new and better world.
What do we discuss in our conversations?
Do we spend time discussing great ideas, like justice and peace, like wisdom and faith?
Do we focus most of our time on discussions about events, like the election or the economy?
Or do we spend large amounts of our time talking about people? There is a danger when we focus our conversations solely on other peope, for it does not take long for our talk to become competitive or critical or sharp tongued. How do we speak about others in ways that are charitable and encouraging, open-minded and compassionate?

Confirmation

Today at worship, we confirmed 4 young women who are now full members of our congregation.
The wonderful thing about confirmation for me is to watch young people who have studied their faith and put in hours of community service finally stand up and speak for their faith themselves.
It is a moment when a congregation and families look at the spirit and commitment and enthusiasm of the young people and pray for God's gifts to be poured out upon them.
In the prayers of confirmation, we pray that the gifts of the Holy Spirit will be stirred up in them, that God will confirm their faith and guide their lives. Really those are prayers that can be spoken for each of us each and every day. "God, stir up in me the gifts of your Holy Spirit. Confirm my faith, guide my life." Amen.

Church Suppers

It's the season of church suppers. Our churches and churches all around us are having their annual fall suppers. The menus range from lutefisk and lefse to turkey and cranberries to fried chicken and mashed potatoes to meatballs and ice cream sundaes. People come in large numbers for the good, solid, homey food that church suppers provide. The suppers become annual events that are looked forward to, almost like reunions. Some families go from church to church, enjoying the great food and a night off from cooking.
These suppers are a reminder that we as a church are called to feed God's lambs, tend his sheep.
Through annual suppers and potlucks, we feed a physical hunger.
Through worship and Sunday School, Bible Studies and prayer, we feed a deeper hunger.
What it is that we are hungering for in our world?
What are we hungering for in our lives?
How can we nourish those hungers in ways that bring us wholeness and holiness?

Angels watching over me

Sophia tonight asked for a change in our bedtime routine. Normally, we sing "Children of the Heavenly Father" and Barney's "I Love You" song. Tonight, she asked for her Nana's song, "Angels watching over me". It was a timely request since today is the feast of Michael and All Angels. The Bible speaks of angels who worship God in heaven and throughout the Bible angels serve as messengers for God. They speak God's words of promise to Mary, that she will bear the Messiah. They proclaim Jesus' birth to the shepherds. Most of our statues of angels seem to portray them as women, but in the Bible, all the angels have masculine names. They are beings of power and majesty, bearers of God's word. And so tonight, on the feast of Michael and all angels, I sang:
All night, all day, angels watchin' over me, my Lord.
All night, all day, angels watchin' over me.

Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist

Yesterday, the church observed the feast of Matthew, the tax collector that Jesus called to be one of his followers. Matthew's name means "Gift of the Lord". Since the earliest years of the church, he has been credited as the author of the Gospel of Matthew.
Sometimes we lose sight of the fact that we are gifts that God has given to one another. We grumble about each other, we criticize each other, we treat others with unnecessary disrespect. Yet, we need to remember that like Matthew, each one of us is a gift of the Lord. What does that mean for how we interact with each other? It means that degrading one another, insulting one another has no place in how we treat each other. Even when we disagree, even when there is need to correct one another, it is to be done in love, respecting the gift God has created. Gifts are special and God has gifted us to one another. Each person is a gift, not to be taken forgranted.

It's Raining....

I looked out the window this morning and saw a sight that has been rare this summer. Raindrops were landing in huge puddles outside the house. Sophia said, "Mommy, let's go jump in rain puddles!" It's been rare to have enough rain to make puddles.
I don't really like rainy mornings.... It's hard to get going in the morning, you want to stay in bed just a little bit longer. But we so need rain.
When you look in the bible, rain is often associated with God's blessings.
True, you have the story of Noah's ark where God's excess rain brings floods and destruction. But then often in the Psalms, one of the signs of God's blessing is that God waters the earth abundantly to bring forth a good harvest. In these years, where rain has been sparse, we know how much we need the rain and how much we also need God's blessings.
Without rain, our yard turns into brown crunchy spiky grass. With rain, it is soft and green and alive. Our lives are like that too. With God's blessings, we are alive and we thrive. Apart from God's blessings, we become dry and life slowly seeps away from us. So, even with the gloomy clouds around us, rain gives us hope because it is a sign of life!

I am Special

In preschool, the children are learning a song called "I am special". Currently, it is being sung in our house on a regular basis. It is a tremendous message for each of the preschoolers to be singing and repeating each day. Too often our world gives us the opposite message. So frequently, what we hear and absorb is that we are not special enough, that we are not pretty enough or smart enough or talented enough or successful enough. Yet each person is special, cherished by God and special in God's eyes. Today, I had a funeral for an older woman who had struggled with mental illness for forty years. She had never married, never had children. She had 12 people at her funeral to remember her life, 12 perople there to honor her life and her role in their lives. By our world's standards, her life seemed full of challenges and pitfalls, certainly not highly successful, and her loss seemed to only touch a few faithful family members who could see beyond her destuctive illness. Still, it is important to remember that her life too has dignity and worth. At one point, she too was a child full of hope and promise, who was full of dreams and excitement. At one point, she was someone's beloved child and always she is God's beloved daughter. No life should pass unnoticed, for we are all special, all precious, all children of God.

To everything there is a season....

The Book of Ecclesiastes reminds us that to everything, there is a season, a time to be born and a time to die, a time to mourn and a time to laugh, a time to plant and a time to harvest.
This week is an example of that in a nutshell.
Today is a funeral for an 80 year old woman who never married and had no children, so we will remember her life and entrust her to God's care with a small gathered group of her nieces and nephews present.
Saturday is a wedding for a young couple who met in high school and now is beginning their new life as husband and wife, joyously hopeful and filled with excitement.
Sunday is a baptism of a little girl only a few months old. What a week!
The seasons of life are right here for us to see and to marvel in. From birth and the new life of baptism, to a new marriage, to the newness of eternal life, all in a single week.
That is the challenge and joy of church life, we support each other during all the seasons of our lives, through sickness, through job losses, through the joy of new birth, through joyful graduations and confirmations. As a church, we help one another journey through all the seasons that we face.

Labor Day

As Labor Day is just around the corner, it is a good time to remember that our daily work is an important part of our faith lives. Sometimes it can seem like the things we do during the week, our jobs, our errands, our parenting are totally separate from our acts of worship on Sunday morning. But the Lutheran tradition firmly believes that our daily work, our labors, our small acts each day, are ways to serve and glorify God. Martin Luther himself said: "People who quietly do thier jobs, tend their children, run the farms, fix shoes, cut hair and teach the children are the glue tht holds the world together."
This appreciation for our daily tasks helps us to realize that no matter what we do, we can serve God through each moment of our days. In caring for each other, in caring for the needy, in speaking words of respect, we glorify God in all we do.

All one body

This past weekend was my grandma's 90th birthday party.
It was also our 6th anniversary of ordination.
It was also the installation of a new bishop in our synod.
Many joyful occasions that remind me of how much all of us are connected to each other. We are all part of a family, biological families as well as families we choose. We are all part of communities that work together and strive towards common goals. We are part of the church, which includes our congregations but is also far bigger than our one church or even denomination.
The connections continued today. A young woman I knew as a camp director in our former synod has just moved into our current synod and is looking for a call to serve as a pastor. Our lives are connected in so many ways. God intended it that way so that we could support one another, work together, create a world where his love can be seen and evident. We are all part of Christ's body for the sake of the world God created.

Power

The theme for Bible School this year is that Jesus gives us the power. He gives us the power to be thankful, the power to help others, the power to be brave, the power to live forever, and the power to tell others about God.
As adults, we have a tendency to lose sight of Jesus' power, thinking that we have to do everything ourselves by our own power. We try to change things with our own effort or our own words, our own talent or our own insight. Yet, sometimes it is only through Jesus' power that situations change, that people are healed, that we become grateful. When we don't have enough power on our own, that is when we need Jesus' power the most, relying on him as we learn how to be grateful and helpful, brave, faithul and welcoming.

Swamped

A few Sundays ago, our Gospel told us the story of Peter walking on the water to Jesus, sinking, and being rescued by Jesus. Bible School has used this story as one of their lessons as well. To teach the lesson, there is a mixture of cornstarch..... LOTS OF CORNSTARCH.... and water that when it is mixed together allows you to have the experience of walking on water. If you walk over it quickly and keep moving, you can walk all the way across it. If you stop in your tracks, you sink and get stuck in the muck. It teaches the kids who've walked across it a great lesson. We are called to keep walking with our eyes on Jesus. Even when we are swamped with too much to do, too many worries, too many arguments, too many obligations, we are called to keep walking with our eyes fixed on Jesus. Then, we can keep going knowing we are headed in a right direction.

Teamwork

Lately, Sophia has been into watching the cartoon "WONDER PETS". It is a show about 3 school pets, a guinea pig, a turtle, and a duckling who have adventures trying to save other animals. At one place in their song, they sing, "Well, we're not so big and we're not so tough, but when we work together, we've got the right stuff." Another one of their songs says, "What's gonna work, TEAMWORK! What's gonna work, TEAMWORK!" The church could use this as our refrain as well. The church is a body, working together for the good of all. The church is a team and we are called by Christ to work together. When we do that, marvelous things can happen, unexpected things can happen. Unfortunately, though, even congregations can get all caught up in arguments and competition. We can lose sight of our call to work together as a team.
Financially, our churches are strongest when we work together. In witnessing, we are strongest when we work together. In service, we are strongest when we work together. We might not be the biggest or the strongest, but Jesus doesn't call us to be the greatest, he calls us to be faithful. Faithful disciples work as a team. "When we work together, we've got the right stuff!"

Back in time

Yesterday, we went back for a reunion at the school of theology where we recieved our Master's of Divinity Degrees. It was a school for us for almost 3 years, but it was much more than that. It was where Chris and I met, where we dated, where he proposed. It was where we struggled with the idea of what God was calling us to do to serve him. It was where we prayed and ate and lived and learned and laughed for an important time in our lives. The student life director is known to say that God calls all the students to be there for the time that they are, though sometimes God's purpose in calling us all there is hard to see at first. Life and faith is that way for me. Certain places have played a hugely important role in my life and in my faith, but perhaps at the time, I couldn't quite discern what the purpose was. Or maybe God's purpose was different than my purpose.
And people are the same. Somethimes relationships and encounters that I never would have expected, work God's purpose in my life in surprising ways.
The lake shore of Lake Sagatagan at St. John's perhaps is one of those places where God was present though I was not always clear on his leading and guiding the whole time I was there!

Memories

For me, music is a powerful part of my life and so songs have the power to bring back memories that I hadn't thought about in many years. At dinner last night, Sophia started dancing to a fun, fast paced song with the words: "I get knocked down, but I get up again." And I immediately had a mind full of memories of the year I spent in Belgium and my roommate from that year.
Now as I'm working on a sermon about memories, I'm playing my favorite Indigo Girls CD, full of songs that bring back memories of college and seminary and one of the only concerts that I ever attended.
Hymns do the same thing for me. When I hear "Beautiful Savior" I think back to a funeral when we were on internship in Kenyon MN for a young high school girl. "Beautiful Savior" was sung by 5 of her best friends, holding hands tightly as they sang, with tears streaming down their cheeks.
When I hear the hymn, "All are welcome" I think back to our wedding, being surrounded by family and friends as Chris and I started our life as husband and wife.
I know for many in our congregations, our hymns and music carry many memories. What memories have you forgotten that music can help you remember?

It takes time...

In southwestern Oregon, Stout Grove has some of the biggest, tallest redwood trees in the world. One giant redwood has an arch cut in it that the road goes through. The arch in the tree is big enough for a car to drive right through, so imagine how large the tree itself is! A sign near the giant redwood tree says this: "More than 2000 years ago, a seed was planted by nature and it grew up into that massive redwood before you." A lesson in patience indeed. We are in the business of planting seeds. Sometimes those seeds blossom and grow before our eyes. Other times it takes 2 years or 20 years. Martin Luther was once asked what he would do if the world would end tomorrow, in a rare optimistic moment, he said that he would plant apple trees. It is our job to be seed planters so that others may one day, far into the future stop and marvel at the awesome growth that has happened. We trust in God to care for the seeds that are planted so that one day, perhaps beyond our vision, beyond our lifetimes, there may be a glorious redwood tree of faith that grows!

Little things matter

I just saw a piece of trivia that makes me smile. It reminds us that in a world where we look for bigger to be better, little things do matter. In 1713, there was a club in London for men who were under five feet tall. It was called the Little men's club. They would meet once a year on the shortest day of the year at the restaurant called the Little Piazza. Their dinner for the evening was not a huge steak or super-sized meal, instead they were to dine on a meal of ....you guessed it....shrimp! It's the little things that count.
Sometimes in faith, we look for the big moments that show us God's presence. But we shouldn't forget that God comes to us in small things too. Remember Jesus teaching about the widow's mite. It was small, but mighty David who slew Goliath. And it was our savior, the King of Creation, who was born as a tiny baby in a little town called Bethlehem. How is God using the little things in our lives to be present to us? How can we pay more attention to the small things that do indeed matter?

Sunny skies

There's a camp song that goes like this:
"It's a happy day and I thank God for the weather. It's a happy day, living it for my Lord. It's a happy day and things are gonna get better, living each day on the promises of God's word."
Today is a day when I thank God for the weather, the sunshine, the light puffy clouds, the breeze. This camp song is often sung in the morning as a wake up song, recognizing the potential in each day that God gives us, reminding us that each day is good. No matter what the weather, hot and muggy, cold and snowy, still each day is a happy day if we live it for God and with God.
No matter what our days hold for us, sorrow, joy, frustration, laughter, excitement, or even boredom, we live each day on the promises of God's word.

Why I love weddings.... continued...

Over the history of the church, marriage has been used as an image to speak about how God loves his people, the church. The prophets often speak of God as a bridegroom still loving his bride, even though she may be unfaithful. The Song of Songs is a love poem, often used to speak of God's passionate love for his people. Medieval religious folks often used the image of a marriage to help us see the depth of God's love and faithfulness for us. Sometimes, we get cynical and skeptical about love and marriage. We see a relationship that we had once respected come to an end. We hear about a spouse who broke their marriage vows in an obvious, hurtful way. We can become hard-hearted about marriage. But then, there are those marriages that show us a depth of love that is astounding. A couple who has been married for 60 years, still loving each other, still companions for each other. Or we see a husband and wife face daunting tragedies together, still by one another's side through it all. God's love for us is like that. Some speak of marriage as a reflection of God's love story. When we are at a wedding and we see the bride and the groom standing there, all nervous and excited and hopeful and tremendously in love, our skepticism and cynacism fall away. And we for a moment can see the brilliance of God's love shining in the bride and the groom on that day, in that moment. Each bride and groom is a gift to us. Each new marriage reminds us how much God loves us, too.

Why I Love Weddings

Maybe it's been since waking up in the middle of the night to watch Princess Diana walk down the aisle in her gorgeous wedding dress when I was little, but I love weddings. Since becoming a pastor and officiating at some memorable weddings already, I continue to say that I love weddings. I loved planning our own wedding and I've loved being at the unique weddings of some of my friends, but I also love each wedding I've been a part of. It's not the party or the cake or even the beautiful dresses that I love. It's not the bubbles or the bird seed as the couple leaves the church. It's not the unity candle or the flowers, though I do love to see the flower bouquets. Still, I love weddings. They are another one of those sacred, holy, life-changing moments that we are invited to be a part of over and over again. I have already in 6 years of presiding at weddings already gathered some wonderful wedding memories. There's the outdoor wedding that had just the bride and the groom and their parents and their 3 little girls where we all wore denim out in the middle of the Pennsylvania mountains. There's the wedding I did for my dear friend and mentor at a vineyard in Maryland, where we read the Gospel where Jesus says, "I am the vine and you are the branches", while looking out over the vines stretching out behind us. There's the New Year's Eve wedding that I had 30 minutes notice for, but that turned out to be my most memorable so far. There's the one with Scottish kilts and a bagpiper. There's the one that so radiated love and joy that I'll remember it for quite a long time.
Weddings give us a glimpse of deep emotion: love, trust, joy, faith as a couple begins an unknown journey together. Emotions are raw at weddings, we see parts of people's souls that we rarely have a glimpse of. And that is holy. That is sacred. That is an honor. That is why I love weddings.

When things don't go our way

Sometimes, things don't go the way we'd like them to go. Perhaps we have a plan for our day, a hope for a relaxing, calm, quiet day, which instead turns out to be a day full of phone calls and errands and many things to do. Perhaps we have a dream for our career, but our real life work seems not to be what we had thought it would be. Perhaps we had a vision of what our family life would be, but our marriage or our children isn't exactly what we expected. We have a choice when things don't go the way that we thought that they would. We can get upset and angry, taking out our disappointment in ways that show the world that we are unhappy. Or we can stop for a minute to think about twists and turns on our path that may not be what we planned, but may lead us where we need to go. Think about Abraham and Sarah, asked to leave their homeland at quite an advanced age to go to a place God would show them. Abraham could have argued, after all he probably had not envisioned himself moving so late in life. But he went on a journey that led him to a new land, a new faith, where he was blessed to be a blessing. As people of faith, we are part of a community that is larger than ourselves, larger than our families, larger than our own personal wants and desires. Sometimes, things do not always go the way we would like or the way we had hoped. But as Christians, as part of the body of Christ, we are called to be part of this kingdom of God that is greater than ourselves. Certainly, sometimes we are disappointed, sometimes we grumble about the path that we seem to be on, but God is with us, calling us to see beyond ourselves to care for the greater good, to be part of his kingdom.

God the Gardener

This next few Sundays have Gospel readings that talk about seeds and crops, likening God to a farmer or a gardener. For these readings, I always rely heavily on what other people tell me about gardening or farming, because gardening is just something that I don't do well. My mom and I tried to have a garden when I was young, but the rabbits constantly eating my green beans soon ended our attempt at a garden. A few years ago, I tried cherry tomatoes because my uncle grew them and told me that as long as I watered them, they would grow for me. Not so. Maybe it is that I don't really take the time that is needed to have a successful garden. Perhaps because of our always changing schedule, I don't tend to the garden as faithfully as it needs. Perhaps, I'm just made to care for animals and people, as pretty as I think a flower garden is.
And then we have these Scripture readings that speak about a farmer sowing seeds and watching them grow, some producing nothing at all, some producing far more than expected, and I think about God as a gardener. God who is willing to get his fingers dirty planting his seeds in our world. God who is willing to faithfully tend and nourish his garden day after day, year after year. God who has the patience to wait for his garden to bear fruit, maybe not right away, maybe years from now. God who scatters his seed abundantly, God who scatters his love abundantly, God who spreads his grace abundantly. God the Father, God the King, is also God the gardener.

Last Moments

To sit at the bedside of someone who is coming to the end of their earthly life, is a privilege for us as pastors. To be there in the moments when a person is coming to the end of one journey, but also beginning another journey is a sacred time. As we are there with a spouse or a family, we hear all kinds of remembrances about their life, what they loved to do, what made them happy, what special things they did in their lives. Some of these memories haven't been shared for years, some of the stories have almost been forgotten until they are told and retold at the loved ones bedside. It can be a sacred time of saying many things that may have been left unsaid through the years, the "I love yous", the "Thank yous", the "I forgive yous" and the "I'm sorry's". Said through tears, said in a whisper, these words are precious when they are spoken. All of these things can be said, bringing peace and closure to a relationship. And then, we entrust our loved one into God's care, knowing that God's love for them already surrounds them, but letting our loved one rest in God's presence and be carried in God's strong and eternal arms.

Wash over me

If you've ever watched children around water, it's clear that they are drawn to any kind of water. Washing dishes in the sink, splashing in puddles, watching a fountain, swimming in a lake, water draws children to it. Perhaps, that's what makes the symbolism of water and baptism so powerful. In baptism, water draws each of us to God. Water washes over us and claims us as God's beloved children. Water washes the muddiness of our world from our lives and lets us have a new clean start in God's eyes each day. Water gives us life, physically and spiritually. Martin Luther chose to use normal everyday water for baptism, rather than holy water because it made a point for him. Each time that we see water, Martin Luther hoped that we would remember our identity as children of God. Each time we did a load of laundry, each time we went fishing on the lake, each time we boiled pasta on the stove... Any time we see water, we can call to mind our baptism and how it makes us beloved children of God. Today, just for today, try to do this: every time you see water around you, let it capture your attention and remember that you are a precious child of God, claimed by him in the washing waters of baptism. Then, try it tomorrow too!

Why Pray?

If you look around at bookstores in the spirituality section, you'll notice that there are many books on prayer. For many of us, prayer is a part of our daily lives, prayer before meals, bedtime prayers, the Lord's Prayer. But why do we pray? Sometimes, we pray for people we love, sometimes we pray in desparation, other times we pray for guidance, other times we pray in gratitude. Prayer has been talked about in many ways, as sharing our hearts with God, as talking to God, as resting in God's presence. Today, I saw another description of prayer that makes sense to me. It comes from Pastor Ted Loder:
"The prayers we say shape the lives we live, just as the lives we live shape the prayers we pray." May our prayers shape us today and each day of our lives.

Friends

One night this week at bedtime, Sophia was crying heartbroken sobs. When we asked her what was wrong, she said, "I have no friends." We went through her list of friends, other 3 year olds that she loves to play with, but she kept crying soul wrenching sobs... "BUT THEY'RE NOT HERE NOW!" She finally said. We all need our friendships to keep us going. Friends support us. Friends encourage us. Friends listen to our stories again and again and again. Friends know when we need to laugh, when we need peace and quiet, or when a trip for ice cream is most needed. Spiritual friends are important too, friends who pray with us and for us, friends who know how to help guide us through times of doubt and frustration. Faithful, faith-filled friends help point us to Christ who calls us friends, as he said in the Gospel of John. Remember the words of a traditional hymn: What a Friend we have in Jesus. We all need friends and we all need Christ.

Melanchthon, WHO?

Most of us as Lutherans have heard about Martin Luther, obviously a critical person in our Lutheran history. But very few people have heard about a man named Philipp Melanchthon who also played a crucial role in the foundation of the Lutheran church and belief. Melanchthon was a colleague of Martin Luther, working with him to reform the church. He was a brillant scholar, known as the "teacher of Germany". He was a professor of Greek at the University of Wittenberg, which is where be became a friend of Martin Luther. Legends recall that even his classes that were offered at 6am, early in the morning, often had as many as 600 students in them. He was crucial in writing the Augsburg Confession, one of the cornerstone works for Lutherans throughout the world. One of the gifts, I believe, of our Lutheran heritage is our well thought out foundation. We have a well articulated belief system and theology. We are clear on our identity and heritage as well as appreciating the value of educating others in the faith. I am grateful to be a Lutheran, following in the path of Luther, his wife Katie, and many others like Phillip Melanchthon.

Increase and Decrease

Today is the day that the church has often commemorated John the Baptist. The cousin of Jesus who announced the coming of the Messiah, the Lamb of God, is often most prominent for us during December and the season of Advent when we hear many lessons that include his witness about Jesus. John is the radical wilderness preacher who baptized many in the Jordan River. He wore camel's hair clothes and ate locosts and wild honey. He later lost his head for irritating and criticizing those in power. When he compared himself to Jesus, he said this: "He must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:30) John knew that his ministry was to point to Jesus, who was the Lamb of God. He knew that his ministry had a greater purpose. For John, his preaching was not about himself, but it pointed to Jesus who was eagerly awaited by his people. May we live as John did, with ourselves decreasing so that Christ can be increased in us and in our lives.

Oatmeal, anyone?

Oatmeal is not my favorite breakfast food. In fact, I prefer just about anything with chocolate in it. Chocolate chip muffins, chocolate chip pancakes, hot chocolate to drink... That would be my ideal kind of breakfast. But this weekend, at a wonderful wedding, I heard a touching and true description of human love that likens it to oatmeal... Or rather stirring the oatmeal.
The image comes from the book We: Understanding the Psychology of Romantic Love by Robert A. Johnson.
"Stirring the oatmeal is a humble act—not exciting or thrilling. But it symbolizes a relatedness that brings love down to earth. It represents a willingness to share ordinary human life, to find meaning in the simple, unromantic tasks: earning a living, living within a budget, putting out the garbage, feeding the baby in the middle of the night. To 'stir the oatmeal' means to find the relatedness, the value, even the beauty, in simple and ordinary things, not to eternally demand a cosmic drama, an entertainment, or an extraordinary intensity to everything. Like the rice hulling of the Zen Monks, the spinning wheel of Gandhi, the tent making of Saint Paul, it represents the discovery of the sacred in the midst of the humble and ordinary."
May we all have our own moments of stirring the oatmeal love, even if it happens while we're making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches or mowing the lawn. God is there in those ordinary moments; it's up to us to see him there.

Craziness

There are days, when things seem to all go on the fritz. You know those days, when nothing seems to work right, when everything you try seems to backfire. We can respond with frustration, we can respond with resignation, we can respond with humor. We try everything we know how to do and when it doesn't work, we call the experts. Maybe, we hope, they know how to solve the problem better than we do. Sometimes, the problems are fixable, sometimes we have to start over from scratch. Othertimes, we just have to live with the problem for a time that seems far too long. Yet, those are the times that God is in the crazy details, still by our side, still reminding us that he is with us no matter what we face. Listen to this passage from Isaiah Chapter 43 from the Message translation:
But now, God's Message, the God who made you in the first place, Jacob, the One who got you started, Israel: "Don't be afraid, I've redeemed you. I've called your name. You're mine. When you're in over your head, I'll be there with you. When you're in rough waters, you will not go down. When you're between a rock and a hard place, it won't be a dead end. Because I am God, your personal God, The Holy of Israel, your Savior. I paid a huge price for you: all of Egypt, with rich Cush and Seba thrown in! That's how much you mean to me! That's how much I love you! I'd sell off the whole world to get you back, trade the creation just for you.
In this crazy day, I'm so glad God feels that way!

On Eagles' Wings

Today on the way to church, Boobear and I saw 4 majestic eagles. One was sitting in a field watching us drive by, another soared overhead a mile or so down the down. Considering that our opening hymn was "Eagles Wings" by Michael Joncas, it was a wonderful reminder of the strength that eagles have in their wings.
Psalm 91 also talks about God sheltering us under his wings. What stong, powerful wings eagles have. They are a mighty bird created by a mighty creator. The book of Exodus has God speaking to his people reminding them that he brought them to himself, bearing them up on eagles wings. May God continue to bear us up and shelter us just as he has born and sheltered his people since time began.

BOOM!

The noises of Camp Ripley have been a constant companion these last few days. At the park, as we sleep, as we talk on the phone, as I write my sermon, I hear distant rumbles at times. Then I hear a boom that shakes the floor and startles me out of my chair. Now, these noises are really only a bit annoying. I know they are the noise of military practice that prepares our troops for the work they must do. I know they do not affect our safety or even really the relative peace of our home. But they have given me a new awareness and sympathy for those who live with the reality of war and violence each day. I take forgranted the safety and peace that comes with living in America, in Minnesota, here in the north country. But what would it be like to live with the noise of blasts and explosions each day, to worry about the safety of one's loved ones each time they left your side? To wake each night worried that your house might become a target of someone's violence? Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers"... Blessed are the men and women who work to make our world a more stable, peaceful place. Blessed are those who shelter the refugees of war and violence. Blessed are those who soothe away the nightmares of children who have seen too much. Blessed are those who work for God's peace in a world that is comfortable with violence.

Scared of the dark

Lately, Boobear has become worried about the darkness at bedtime and falls asleep tightly clutching her tiny flashlight in her hand. (Then we sneak in after she falls asleep to gently turn it off to save on batteries and to keep her safe.) She seems to firmly believe that her flashlight helps keep her safe in the darkness and clearly it gives her the peace of mind she needs to fall asleep almost immediately.
Being afraid of the dark is a typical childhood fear, but does it ever really leave us? The dark clouds of a severe storm cause many of us to worry. We become anxious and worried walking into a dark house at night, quickly turning on the lights around us. We dread the darkness in our lives caused by sickness or gief or depression.
That's why there's so much power in Jesus' words that he is the light of the world. And the book Ephesians reminds us that we are all children of the light. Children who live in Jesus' light, people who walk safely where Jesus' light guides us, people who bask in the warmth of Christ's light all our lives.

Double Rainbow

Last night, as we were finally a quiet house after putting a 2 year old to sleep, we looked out the front window of the parsonage and saw.... A double rainbow. Not a dull rainbow, but a very bright rainbow and its mirrow reflection, looking as if they were right above our house. It was amazing.
No wonder rainbows have been a sign of God's promise for centuries, back to the days of Noah when God put a rainbow in the sky to promise that he would never destroy the earth again. The words of several Irish blessings capture the hope and promise in a rainbow. Here are a few beautiful, traditional blessings to ponder.

May God give you...For every storm a rainbow, for every tear a smile, for every care a promise and a blessing in each trial. For every problem life sends, a faithful friend to share, for every sigh a sweet song and an answer for each prayer.

May you always have work for your hands to do. May your pockets hold always a coin or two. May the sun shine bright on your windowpane. May the rainbow be certain to follow each rain. May the hand of a friend always be near you. And may God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.

Dance with me?

This weekend, we went to the Nisswa Stammen music festival. Boobear loves fiddles and banjos, dancing and costumes, so the festival was a great experience for her. After watching a lady in Scandinavian dress do several folk dances, Boobear went up to her quietly and said, "Dance with me?"
I think God issues us that invitation every day. Will you dance with me, God asks, on days when your steps are light and airy? Will you dance with me, God asks, when the music is slow and peaceful? Will you dance with me, God wonders, when it's hard to be in step with one another? Will you dance with me, God hopes, even when the music seems to be full of wrong notes or feels offkey? Will you dance with me, God asks, feeling my love and joy for you?
There is a wonderful camp song that expresses these sentiments too, by Greg Evans:
"This is holy time. We're gathered together to worship you, to love one another. And as we pray, and as we sing, and as we dance, and as we dream, Oh, Lord, I beg of you just this one thing...... Won't you dance with me, throughout the heavens and below the sea, and up on the mountaintop, flow with the breeze, come carry me. Lord, won't you dance with me."

Holy Interruptions

I'm a person who likes to have a plan for my day. I like to know what's on my calendar, what needs to be finished by the end of the day, who needs to be met with, how many loads of laundry need to be finished. By breakfast, I'm thinking about what we are most likely having for dinner tonight or tomorrow even. I don't like interruptions that seem to get in my way. But Jesus' ministry shows that maybe interruptions are holy. Many of Jesus' miracles, happen while he is doing something else. Look at Matthew chapter 9 verse 18, "WHILE he was saying these things to them, suddenly a leader of the synagogue came in and knelt before him." While Jesus was eating dinner and teaching, while Jesus was doing important things, a man came to him and begged Jesus to heal his daughter, bring his daughter back to life. It was an interruption in Jesus' day, but Jesus went and on the way there, was interrupted again by a woman who needed to be healed of her bleeding. It's a good thing that Jesus allowed himself to be interrupted. What would our lives look like if instead of seeing interruptions as annoyances, we saw them as holy moments, chances to see God, moments to touch God? What interruptions could be holy in your life?

What are you doing?

Our BooBear often asks, "Momma, what you doing?" Especially when it's bedtime and she's worried that she's missing out on something she says, "Momma, what you doing now?" This is an important faith question as well. Often we ask, "Where is God in your life?" or "What is God doing in your life?" Both of these questions put our lives at the center and God's presence is pushed in as it fits, hopefully conveniently within our plans and our life direction. Yet our God is so much bigger than just our lives or our family's lives or our congregation's lives. Perhaps a better question is: "What are you doing in God's life?" God's life surrounds us and we participate in GOD'S life, God's plan, God's work in our world. So, what part do you play in God's story in our world? What are you doing in God's unfolding plan? What are you doing in God's life today?

Wise and Foolish

Tomorrow's Gospel reading contains Jesus' story about the wise man who built his house on the rock and a foolish man who built his house upon sand. When the rains come, the wise man's house stood firm, but the foolish man's house fell..... SPLAT!

Wise and foolish have a variety of meanings in our world. Noah, who was wise and listened to God and built an ark when God promised a flood, was considered to be very foolish by his friends and neighbors. Is it wise to do as Mother Teresa did and give all to the poor of India, trusting God to provide even when she had no idea how that would happen? But thank God for the risks she took to show compassion to the poorest of the poor.

Perhaps the wisdom that Jesus is speaking of is a wisdom of where to lay our foundation. Once that is firmly built, we can build creatively and beautifully on that foundation.

God Speaking

Today, I was asked how we know when God is speaking to us. I think in our culture sometimes we are led to believe that God speaks to us in unmistakable, unavoidable, obvious, clear ways. Sometimes he does. Othertimes, God is more hidden, more subtle, more mysterious in how he speaks to us. Does God speak to us, most certainly. I believe that God speaks sometimes in our inner reactions, he speaks through our loved ones, he shouts out to us through the events of our lives. But sometimes it takes us time to sort out if it is God's voice we are hearing or our own hopes and desires. Still, we listen to hear where God is speaking to us.

In my Arms

I've recently found a new favorite song. The Christian Rock artist Plumb has put out a recording of lullabies, including the Sunday School classic "God will take care of you" and our favorite Swedish Lutheran song "Children of the Heavenly Father." But my favorite is "In my Arms." Here are a few words: "Clouds will rage and storms will race in, but you will be safe in my arms. Rains will pour down, waves will crash around, but you will be safe in my arms." It's a mother talking to her child, true. But is it also God talking to us? I believe so.
God knows the clouds in our lives, the rains, the storms and belief in God does not magically protect us from the clouds or storms. But God promises to protect us through them all, keeping us safe in his arms. We are so safe in his arms, no matter what!

He's never failed me yet

This is the song that the choir sang at Graduation this Friday. "I will sing of his mercy, every day, every hour, he gives me power. I will sing and give thanks to thee, for all the dangers, toils, and snares, that he has brought me out. He is my God and I'll serve him, no matter, what the test. Trust and never doubt, Jesus will surely bring you out, he's never failed me yet."
The energy and enthusiasm bursting from the choir was incredible. The song, that I first heard and loved in high school as well, was a reminder of how much God is always with us. There is great confidence in the words, "He's never failed me, he's never failed me, YET!" The song lists all the times that God has been with his people.... And still is.

Mama, Do you Love Me?

For our 1st reading tomorrow, we have the Isaiah 49 passage that declares that God will never forget us. Instead Isaiah says, God has carved us on the palm of his hand. God has not written our names in pencil so that he can erase them later. Nor has he used washable markers so that any mess can be washed off. He has carved our names and our lives on the palms of his hands forever. Even if our memories fade, we still are held in God's hand. Even if we wander away, we are still held in God's hand. No matter what happens to us in life, God remembers us and loves us. Before we learn to speak our our name, God knows it. When we have forgotten who we are, God loves us. What a tremendous love, to be carved on God's very hands.

PS. There's a great children's book called "Mama, do you love me?" that makes this same point exceptionally poignantly.

Floating Feathers

Never to be on the leading edge of computer things, today I will begin trying to BLOG... My hope for this blog is that it will help me be attuned to where the breath of God is blowing in my life, in our churches, through the world. Sometimes my posts may be short observations, other times comments about a good book or song, but always meant to be reminders of God's breath, blowing around us and in us.