I'm not African American, actually I'm probably as white as white can be. German ancestry on both sides of my family tree as far as we can trace. I've never really known much about Kwanzaa. Heard of it but didn't know what it was about. I was reading in This Far by Faith: An African American Resource for Worship and came across the following.
"Civil rights activist Maulana Karenga formulated and introduced Kwanzaa in 1966 to encourage African American families to build upon the spiritual strengths of their cultural heritage. On each of the seven days of Kwanzaa—December 26 to January 1—candles are lighted to signify seven foundational principles."
Kwanzaa is a cultural rather than a religious festival but this worship resource relates biblical passages to NGUZO SABA (THE SEVEN PRINCIPLES)
Umoja (unity)
To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race.
There is one body and one Spirit ... one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all (Eph 4.4-6).
Kujichagulia (self-determination)
To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves, and speak for ourselves instead of being defined, named, created for, and spoken for by others.
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people (1 Pet 2.9).
Ujima (collective work and responsibility)
To build and maintain our community together and make our sisters' and brothers' problems our problems and to solve them together.
Bear one another's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ (Gal 6.2).
Ujamaa (cooperative economics)
To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together.
Whoever does not provide for relatives, and especially for family members, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever (1 Tim 5.8).
Nia (purpose)
To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses ... let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us (Heb 12.1).
Kuumba (creativity)
To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.
Whatever your hand finds to do, do with your might (Eccl 9.10).
Imani (faith)
To believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.
This is the victory that conquers the world, our faith (1 Jn 5.4).
God bless our brothers and sisters of African descent.
O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us through Jesus your Son. Look with compassion on the whole human family; take away the arrogance and hatred that infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us; unite us in bonds of love; and, through our struggle and confusion, work to accomplish your purposes on earth; so that, in your good time, every people and nation may serve you in harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Lord. Amen
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Friday, December 22, 2006
Merry Christmas
Well, it's my last half day or so in the office before Christmas. Tomorrow I'll probably rest up a bit amid cleaning the house. My wife and oldest daughter are just getting over the flu. I had it last weekend. At least we've all got it over and done with before Christmas. 4 years ago everyone but me was sick right at Christmas.
Sunday morning we'll have a service of Lessons and Carols for Advent then Sunday night we'll have Candlelight services of Holy Communion at 7 & 11. Santa always comes while we're at the 7 o'clock service so then we go home and open all our presents. On Christmas Day we don't have worship. We used to but nobody came so we cancelled it. That's the day when my in-laws will arrive. Then on Boxing Day we'll head to my parents' place. Then on Wednesday I'll probably make my way into the office to try to come up with a sermon for next Sunday.
Anyway, to anyone who actually comes by here and reads what I post, have a very Merry Christmas. And if you're interested, my Christmas Eve sermon is posted below.
(Draw large chalk arrow on black board)
I've used this example here in church before.
I hope you're not sick and tired of it yet.
I figured there would be enough people here at Christmas
so that it would be new to some.
And for those who've seen and heard this before,
I think it bears repeating
so this probably won't be the last time I use this example.
It comes from a booklet written by Kelly Fryer called
"Reclaiming the ‘L' Word:
Renewing the Church from Its Lutheran Core"
In a section of that book she talks about grace.
She writes this:
"Grace is at the heart of the best sort of
‘bottom line' definition I have ever heard
of what it means to be a Lutheran.
I wish I could tell you from whom I first heard this definition.
But I can't.
I don't remember.
The way I do recall it,
through the fog of personal mythology
that sometimes develops as time goes by,
is that he was a visiting professor on campus
my first year of seminary.
And, forgive me,
he was just not holding my attention this particular day.
It was a beautiful day on campus
and I wanted to be outside playing.
Instead, I sat in the amphitheater with my classmates,
listening to a lecture about some long-dead theologian.
I was bored.
And I don't think I was alone.
He must have known that we weren't listening
because he suddenly slapped his notebook shut
and stopped talking.
He wasn't going to waste one more breath on us.
But, before he left the room,
he picked up a piece of chalk and went to the board.
He drew a gigantic ARROW, pointing straight down,
stood back, and said:
‘If you understand that,
you understand everything you need to know
about what it means to be a Christian ...
who also happens to be a Lutheran.'
And then he left the room.
"We just sat there staring at it,
this enormous, stark ARROW pointing straight down.
And then I thought the most logical thing I could think,
given everything that had just happened,
‘He thinks we're all going to hell.'
"The next time we gathered for class,
he began by drawing that same arrow on the board.
This time, as he began to speak, he had our full attention.
‘Here's what this means,' he said.
‘God always comes down.
God always comes down.
There is never anything that we can ever do
to turn that arrow around
and make our way UP to God.
God came down in Jesus.
And God still comes down, in the bread and in the wine,
in the water and in the fellowship of believers.
God ALWAYS comes down.'"
I love that example for defining Lutheranism.
Now, Lutherans don't have a monopoly on grace
or talking about grace or teaching about grace.
The grace of God runs through the whole Bible.
God tells Abraham and Sarah,
"I will bless you so that you will be a blessing,"
not because of anything they had done to deserve blessing
but because God always comes down.
God tells Moses,
"I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt,
I have heard their cry ... I know their sufferings,
and I have come down to deliver them."
In the reading from Isaiah we heard that
"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;
those who lived in a land of deep darkness—
on them light has shined."
These were words of hope
that God would free the people of Israel
from their subjection to Assyria
and bring in an everlasting realm
of freedom and peace,
not because the people were particularly deserving,
but simply because God always comes down.
And tonight we celebrate Christmas,
when God came down in the form of a tiny baby
to a young couple who had no place to stay
but with the animals.
God came down to free us once again.
Now, I've heard plenty of statements over the years
telling us what Christmas is all about.
Please don't take offense
if you've in fact said some of these things
or believe some of these things.
I'm sure there's a piece of truth to all of them.
I'm sure you've all heard something like this.
From a child you might hear that
"Christmas is about presents!"
I'm sure if we're all honest with ourselves
we'd admit that there was a time in our lives
when all this going to church
and hearing the story of the baby Jesus and angels and shepherds
and all of the rest of the things
we're supposed to say Christmas is about,
took a back seat to the main event of Christmas,
finally getting at the presents under the tree.
Maybe as we got older, more mature,
that childhood sentiment developed into something like,
"Christmas is about giving" (with a bit of getting too).
That's the kind of thinking that gets a large retail chain
to decide that some of its stores should stay open 24 hours
for the last week before Christmas.
Now, I like getting some presents and I like giving presents,
although sometimes it has become quite overwhelming.
But tonight I'm here to say
that Christmas is not about presents,
is not about giving,
is not about getting.
Maybe you've heard something along the lines that
"Christmas is all about family."
There must be some truth to that
because last weekend we got together
with some family that I hadn't seen since last Christmas. Tomorrow and Tuesday we'll be with more,
and this Friday we'll be gathering with yet more family.
Even in our church family we see people this night
who we don't often see
because they've come home to their family for Christmas.
Well, tonight I'm here to say
that Christmas is not about family.
Another statement you might have heard is that
"Christmas is all about the children."
I'll admit that this season and this night and tomorrow morning
are a magical and exciting time for children.
Often our fondest Christmas memories come from our childhood
or have something to do with our own children or grandchildren.
But I tell you that Christmas is not all about the children.
Finally, some might tell you that
"Christmas is all about traditions."
That's a statement that encompasses many things.
For some it's the traditions that make Christmas.
Like what order the ornaments go on the tree.
When do you begin to decorate?
How do you decorate?
Traditions that make Christmas
might have something to do with a favourite carol or song,
a favourite movie,
certain cookie recipes that you just have to bake.
Maybe it's a turkey with stuffing and cranberry sauce
and all the rest of the trimmings that go with it.
For some it's just not a proper Christmas without snow.
Oh, our traditions are important to us
and they're a wonderful way for us to celebrate Christmas.
But, I'll say it once more,
Christmas is not all about traditions.
Christmas is not about presents or giving
or family or children or the many traditions.
If it was then some, maybe a lot of people,
would be disqualified and excluded
from having a "real" Christmas.
Would it be Christmas without presents?
We do our best to help the poor.
Santa's Helpers and so many different toy drives,
the Operation Christmas Child Shoebox campaign,
all try to give some Christmas joy
to those who are less fortunate.
But if someone, somewhere, somehow,
had to go without a present at Christmas
would that disqualify or exclude them
from having a "real" Christmas?
Would it be Christmas without family or without children?
For one reason or another there will be people
who are alone this Christmas.
Maybe a loved one died.
Maybe a marriage broke up.
Maybe family has moved away
and there's no way to be with them.
Maybe some argument has strained family relationships
and they won't be together this Christmas.
Would that disqualify or exclude them
from having a "real" Christmas?
Would it be Christmas without all of the traditions
and the "stuff" that surrounds the season?
The tree, the decorations, the carols on the radio,
the festive meal with all the trimmings
certainly add to the celebration
but would not having them disqualify or exclude you
from having a "real" Christmas?
So if Christmas is not about presents or giving
or family or children or the many traditions
then what is it about?
(Go and trace over arrow)
This is what Christmas is all about.
It's about God coming down.
God came down in Jesus and God continues to come down
so that no one is disqualified or excluded.
God comes down for sinners.
God comes down to the lonely.
God comes down to the poor.
God comes down to the greedy.
God comes down to those who party too hard.
God comes down to those who are mean or selfish.
God comes down to those who are generous and kind.
We can't help but mess things up in our lives and in our world.
God still comes down.
We may be sad or worried or sick.
God still comes down.
And God doesn't come down to smite us,
to punish us, to judge us and find us wanting or failing.
God comes down to love us, to heal us, to save us.
And remember, there's nothing we have to do or can do
to turn that arrow around and make our way up to God.
God comes down,
not once we're good enough,
not once we've done a certain thing or said a specific thing
that will convince God to come.
On the first Christmas night,
when God came down in that baby in a manger,
some messengers from God, angels,
also came to some shepherds.
They didn't proclaim the message in palace halls but in fields.
They didn't proclaim the message to the high and mighty,
but to the poor and lowly.
And what was the message?
"I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people:
to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour,
who is the Messiah, the Lord."
And the sky was filled with those heavenly messengers singing
"Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among all humankind,
with whom God is pleased."
The angels sang for joy because God had come down.
And God still comes down.
Not just to Lutherans.
Not even just to Christians.
God comes down.
God came down in Jesus, born in a stable in Bethlehem.
God comes down as we gather in worship,
and we celebrate that with hymns and prayers
and presents and family
and all our varied traditions.
Light shines in darkness.
God has come down.
Amen
Sunday morning we'll have a service of Lessons and Carols for Advent then Sunday night we'll have Candlelight services of Holy Communion at 7 & 11. Santa always comes while we're at the 7 o'clock service so then we go home and open all our presents. On Christmas Day we don't have worship. We used to but nobody came so we cancelled it. That's the day when my in-laws will arrive. Then on Boxing Day we'll head to my parents' place. Then on Wednesday I'll probably make my way into the office to try to come up with a sermon for next Sunday.
Anyway, to anyone who actually comes by here and reads what I post, have a very Merry Christmas. And if you're interested, my Christmas Eve sermon is posted below.
Nativity of Our Lord—Christmas Eve
December 24, 2006
Luke 2.1-14 [15-20]
Thomas Arth
December 24, 2006
Luke 2.1-14 [15-20]
Thomas Arth
(Draw large chalk arrow on black board)
I've used this example here in church before.
I hope you're not sick and tired of it yet.
I figured there would be enough people here at Christmas
so that it would be new to some.
And for those who've seen and heard this before,
I think it bears repeating
so this probably won't be the last time I use this example.
It comes from a booklet written by Kelly Fryer called
"Reclaiming the ‘L' Word:
Renewing the Church from Its Lutheran Core"
In a section of that book she talks about grace.
She writes this:
"Grace is at the heart of the best sort of
‘bottom line' definition I have ever heard
of what it means to be a Lutheran.
I wish I could tell you from whom I first heard this definition.
But I can't.
I don't remember.
The way I do recall it,
through the fog of personal mythology
that sometimes develops as time goes by,
is that he was a visiting professor on campus
my first year of seminary.
And, forgive me,
he was just not holding my attention this particular day.
It was a beautiful day on campus
and I wanted to be outside playing.
Instead, I sat in the amphitheater with my classmates,
listening to a lecture about some long-dead theologian.
I was bored.
And I don't think I was alone.
He must have known that we weren't listening
because he suddenly slapped his notebook shut
and stopped talking.
He wasn't going to waste one more breath on us.
But, before he left the room,
he picked up a piece of chalk and went to the board.
He drew a gigantic ARROW, pointing straight down,
stood back, and said:
‘If you understand that,
you understand everything you need to know
about what it means to be a Christian ...
who also happens to be a Lutheran.'
And then he left the room.
"We just sat there staring at it,
this enormous, stark ARROW pointing straight down.
And then I thought the most logical thing I could think,
given everything that had just happened,
‘He thinks we're all going to hell.'
"The next time we gathered for class,
he began by drawing that same arrow on the board.
This time, as he began to speak, he had our full attention.
‘Here's what this means,' he said.
‘God always comes down.
God always comes down.
There is never anything that we can ever do
to turn that arrow around
and make our way UP to God.
God came down in Jesus.
And God still comes down, in the bread and in the wine,
in the water and in the fellowship of believers.
God ALWAYS comes down.'"
I love that example for defining Lutheranism.
Now, Lutherans don't have a monopoly on grace
or talking about grace or teaching about grace.
The grace of God runs through the whole Bible.
God tells Abraham and Sarah,
"I will bless you so that you will be a blessing,"
not because of anything they had done to deserve blessing
but because God always comes down.
God tells Moses,
"I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt,
I have heard their cry ... I know their sufferings,
and I have come down to deliver them."
In the reading from Isaiah we heard that
"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;
those who lived in a land of deep darkness—
on them light has shined."
These were words of hope
that God would free the people of Israel
from their subjection to Assyria
and bring in an everlasting realm
of freedom and peace,
not because the people were particularly deserving,
but simply because God always comes down.
And tonight we celebrate Christmas,
when God came down in the form of a tiny baby
to a young couple who had no place to stay
but with the animals.
God came down to free us once again.
Now, I've heard plenty of statements over the years
telling us what Christmas is all about.
Please don't take offense
if you've in fact said some of these things
or believe some of these things.
I'm sure there's a piece of truth to all of them.
I'm sure you've all heard something like this.
From a child you might hear that
"Christmas is about presents!"
I'm sure if we're all honest with ourselves
we'd admit that there was a time in our lives
when all this going to church
and hearing the story of the baby Jesus and angels and shepherds
and all of the rest of the things
we're supposed to say Christmas is about,
took a back seat to the main event of Christmas,
finally getting at the presents under the tree.
Maybe as we got older, more mature,
that childhood sentiment developed into something like,
"Christmas is about giving" (with a bit of getting too).
That's the kind of thinking that gets a large retail chain
to decide that some of its stores should stay open 24 hours
for the last week before Christmas.
Now, I like getting some presents and I like giving presents,
although sometimes it has become quite overwhelming.
But tonight I'm here to say
that Christmas is not about presents,
is not about giving,
is not about getting.
Maybe you've heard something along the lines that
"Christmas is all about family."
There must be some truth to that
because last weekend we got together
with some family that I hadn't seen since last Christmas. Tomorrow and Tuesday we'll be with more,
and this Friday we'll be gathering with yet more family.
Even in our church family we see people this night
who we don't often see
because they've come home to their family for Christmas.
Well, tonight I'm here to say
that Christmas is not about family.
Another statement you might have heard is that
"Christmas is all about the children."
I'll admit that this season and this night and tomorrow morning
are a magical and exciting time for children.
Often our fondest Christmas memories come from our childhood
or have something to do with our own children or grandchildren.
But I tell you that Christmas is not all about the children.
Finally, some might tell you that
"Christmas is all about traditions."
That's a statement that encompasses many things.
For some it's the traditions that make Christmas.
Like what order the ornaments go on the tree.
When do you begin to decorate?
How do you decorate?
Traditions that make Christmas
might have something to do with a favourite carol or song,
a favourite movie,
certain cookie recipes that you just have to bake.
Maybe it's a turkey with stuffing and cranberry sauce
and all the rest of the trimmings that go with it.
For some it's just not a proper Christmas without snow.
Oh, our traditions are important to us
and they're a wonderful way for us to celebrate Christmas.
But, I'll say it once more,
Christmas is not all about traditions.
Christmas is not about presents or giving
or family or children or the many traditions.
If it was then some, maybe a lot of people,
would be disqualified and excluded
from having a "real" Christmas.
Would it be Christmas without presents?
We do our best to help the poor.
Santa's Helpers and so many different toy drives,
the Operation Christmas Child Shoebox campaign,
all try to give some Christmas joy
to those who are less fortunate.
But if someone, somewhere, somehow,
had to go without a present at Christmas
would that disqualify or exclude them
from having a "real" Christmas?
Would it be Christmas without family or without children?
For one reason or another there will be people
who are alone this Christmas.
Maybe a loved one died.
Maybe a marriage broke up.
Maybe family has moved away
and there's no way to be with them.
Maybe some argument has strained family relationships
and they won't be together this Christmas.
Would that disqualify or exclude them
from having a "real" Christmas?
Would it be Christmas without all of the traditions
and the "stuff" that surrounds the season?
The tree, the decorations, the carols on the radio,
the festive meal with all the trimmings
certainly add to the celebration
but would not having them disqualify or exclude you
from having a "real" Christmas?
So if Christmas is not about presents or giving
or family or children or the many traditions
then what is it about?
(Go and trace over arrow)
This is what Christmas is all about.
It's about God coming down.
God came down in Jesus and God continues to come down
so that no one is disqualified or excluded.
God comes down for sinners.
God comes down to the lonely.
God comes down to the poor.
God comes down to the greedy.
God comes down to those who party too hard.
God comes down to those who are mean or selfish.
God comes down to those who are generous and kind.
We can't help but mess things up in our lives and in our world.
God still comes down.
We may be sad or worried or sick.
God still comes down.
And God doesn't come down to smite us,
to punish us, to judge us and find us wanting or failing.
God comes down to love us, to heal us, to save us.
And remember, there's nothing we have to do or can do
to turn that arrow around and make our way up to God.
God comes down,
not once we're good enough,
not once we've done a certain thing or said a specific thing
that will convince God to come.
On the first Christmas night,
when God came down in that baby in a manger,
some messengers from God, angels,
also came to some shepherds.
They didn't proclaim the message in palace halls but in fields.
They didn't proclaim the message to the high and mighty,
but to the poor and lowly.
And what was the message?
"I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people:
to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour,
who is the Messiah, the Lord."
And the sky was filled with those heavenly messengers singing
"Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among all humankind,
with whom God is pleased."
The angels sang for joy because God had come down.
And God still comes down.
Not just to Lutherans.
Not even just to Christians.
God comes down.
God came down in Jesus, born in a stable in Bethlehem.
God comes down as we gather in worship,
and we celebrate that with hymns and prayers
and presents and family
and all our varied traditions.
Light shines in darkness.
God has come down.
Amen
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Blue Christmas
Our Clergy Fellowship (local ministerial) has been offering a "Blue Christmas" service for a few years in conjunction with our two local funeral homes. I've never been to one of the services. Actually, before this year I was never very involved with the Clergy Fellowship. It just wasn't my scene and I felt out of place because the group didn't seem to have a lot of participation of the mainline clergy.
I decided to give the group a better chance. I'm feeling more at home even though there still aren't many mainliners participating. I guess I'm learning some tolerance and/or acceptance and following the Lund principle. "Should not our churches ask themselves whether they are showing sufficient eagerness to enter into conversation with other churches, and whether they should not act together in all matters except those in which deep differences of conviction compel them to act separately?"
Well, tonight is the "Blue Christmas" service, being held at the Pentecostal church, and the organizer called me YESTERDAY and asked if I'd preach. Here's the sermon I came up with yesterday. I need to explain that at a certain point in the service families will come forward and light a candle in memory of a loved one who died and place it in some sort of container of sand (like I said I've never been to one of these services before).
In our home we usually have some candles set out
on tables, shelves, the mantle, on the piano,
even on the TV cabinet.
At this time of year
as we decorate for the coming celebration of Christmas
we put out even more candles
and now we actually light them.
The rest of the year they’re usually just decorations
but now we use them.
They’re still mainly decorations
but we light them to create a mood,
to provide some Christmas-y atmosphere.
Some churches observe the season of Advent
on the 4 Sundays leading up to Christmas Day.
In our church and in our home we have Advent wreaths
that hold 4 candles for those 4 Sundays.
This past Sunday was the Second Sunday of Advent
and we lit 2 of the candles on the wreath.
The light grows as we approach Christmas.
Here, tonight, we have candles lit.
These candles are symbols of another reality.
Most of us are gathered here
because we have recently lost a loved one.
Someone has died.
So this Advent and Christmas season is different for you
from any that have come before.
The Advent candles we light in our churches and homes
are signs of something that is coming.
The candles we lit here tonight
are signs of something and someone gone.
For some of you the loss may be fresh,
having recently happened.
For others, your loved one may have died months ago,
maybe close to a year.
And people who were very attentive at the time,
friends and neighbours who were very thoughtful and helpful,
have put the experience behind them and moved on,
and may wonder when you’ll get around to moving on,
to getting on with your life.
I say to you, take the time you need.
You’re going through a lot of firsts.
Some may have already passed but others are coming.
A first Thanksgiving without your loved one.
A first birthday or anniversary
and now the first Christmas without him or her.
It takes time to grieve, to mourn,
you can’t just turn off your emotions or shut out your memories.
It can be hard work.
There are traditions that will have to change.
Someone new might have to say the blessing at Christmas dinner.
Someone else will have to string the lights
or put a special ornament on the tree.
A friend once compared the death of a loved one to a wound.
A cut will eventually heal, but it takes time.
Some wounds take longer to heal than others.
And even when it has healed, a scar remains.
There will always be memories,
reminders of the father or mother, wife or husband,
brother or sister,
grandmother or grandfather or friend who died.
And some of those memories will bring a smile.
Some of those memories will bring a tear.
And some will bring both at the same time.
At Christmas time
we sometimes use one of those twenty-five-cent words
that you normally don’t hear outside of church.
Incarnation.
That’s what we really celebrate at Christmas.
The Incarnation.
God came down from heaven and put on flesh,
become one of us.
We believe that God came among us, first, as that baby
born in a barn and put to bed in an animal feeding trough
because no one thought to give this young homeless couple
a room for the night.
And that baby boy grew to be a man,
suffering all the same things along the way that we suffer.
We don’t hear anything about his father Joseph
later in the gospel stories,
so we assume he died at some point during Jesus’ young life.
He knew about the grief of losing a parent,
the time of mourning,
the healing of that wound.
Later he would suffer even more unspeakable things
out of love for the whole world.
All of this was the result of the Incarnation.
Love came down
and God laughed, and wept just like we all do.
We heard a reading from Isaiah.
"The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who lived in a land of deep darkness—
on them light has shined."
Those words were spoken centuries before Jesus showed up
in that stable in Bethlehem.
But now we recognize him in those words.
Darkness and light.
We all have darkness in our lives.
When a loved one dies it becomes so much more intense.
But there is a light at the end of the tunnel,
and it’s not an oncoming train.
It’s our Lord coming to embrace us and comfort us.
Yesterday I was reading another passage
from a later portion of Isaiah that says
"Comfort, O comfort my people,
says your God."
There is comfort for God’s people.
There is light in our darkness.
There is healing for our pain.
I begin every funeral service with these words:
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the source of all mercy and the God of all consolation.
He comforts us in all our sorrows
so that we can comfort others in their sorrows
with the consolation we ourselves
have received from God."
This Christmas when a chair at the dinner table
or a pew in church sits empty
or a tradition has been passed on to someone else,
you may shed some tears.
That is, you might shed some tears,
and I’m saying "you may shed some tears."
Someone might come and tell you not to cry,
and they’ll mean well so don’t bite their heads off.
But I’m telling you to go ahead and cry.
Your healing takes time
and that time might not be over for you.
But know that there is hope
and there is love through our Lord Jesus Christ
who brings light into our darkness
and comfort in our sorrows.
Your Christmas will be different,
and we pray
that your Christmas may be blessed.
Amen
I decided to give the group a better chance. I'm feeling more at home even though there still aren't many mainliners participating. I guess I'm learning some tolerance and/or acceptance and following the Lund principle. "Should not our churches ask themselves whether they are showing sufficient eagerness to enter into conversation with other churches, and whether they should not act together in all matters except those in which deep differences of conviction compel them to act separately?"
Well, tonight is the "Blue Christmas" service, being held at the Pentecostal church, and the organizer called me YESTERDAY and asked if I'd preach. Here's the sermon I came up with yesterday. I need to explain that at a certain point in the service families will come forward and light a candle in memory of a loved one who died and place it in some sort of container of sand (like I said I've never been to one of these services before).
Blue Christmas Service
December 12, 2006
Isaiah 9.2
Thomas Arth
December 12, 2006
Isaiah 9.2
Thomas Arth
In our home we usually have some candles set out
on tables, shelves, the mantle, on the piano,
even on the TV cabinet.
At this time of year
as we decorate for the coming celebration of Christmas
we put out even more candles
and now we actually light them.
The rest of the year they’re usually just decorations
but now we use them.
They’re still mainly decorations
but we light them to create a mood,
to provide some Christmas-y atmosphere.
Some churches observe the season of Advent
on the 4 Sundays leading up to Christmas Day.
In our church and in our home we have Advent wreaths
that hold 4 candles for those 4 Sundays.
This past Sunday was the Second Sunday of Advent
and we lit 2 of the candles on the wreath.
The light grows as we approach Christmas.
Here, tonight, we have candles lit.
These candles are symbols of another reality.
Most of us are gathered here
because we have recently lost a loved one.
Someone has died.
So this Advent and Christmas season is different for you
from any that have come before.
The Advent candles we light in our churches and homes
are signs of something that is coming.
The candles we lit here tonight
are signs of something and someone gone.
For some of you the loss may be fresh,
having recently happened.
For others, your loved one may have died months ago,
maybe close to a year.
And people who were very attentive at the time,
friends and neighbours who were very thoughtful and helpful,
have put the experience behind them and moved on,
and may wonder when you’ll get around to moving on,
to getting on with your life.
I say to you, take the time you need.
You’re going through a lot of firsts.
Some may have already passed but others are coming.
A first Thanksgiving without your loved one.
A first birthday or anniversary
and now the first Christmas without him or her.
It takes time to grieve, to mourn,
you can’t just turn off your emotions or shut out your memories.
It can be hard work.
There are traditions that will have to change.
Someone new might have to say the blessing at Christmas dinner.
Someone else will have to string the lights
or put a special ornament on the tree.
A friend once compared the death of a loved one to a wound.
A cut will eventually heal, but it takes time.
Some wounds take longer to heal than others.
And even when it has healed, a scar remains.
There will always be memories,
reminders of the father or mother, wife or husband,
brother or sister,
grandmother or grandfather or friend who died.
And some of those memories will bring a smile.
Some of those memories will bring a tear.
And some will bring both at the same time.
At Christmas time
we sometimes use one of those twenty-five-cent words
that you normally don’t hear outside of church.
Incarnation.
That’s what we really celebrate at Christmas.
The Incarnation.
God came down from heaven and put on flesh,
become one of us.
We believe that God came among us, first, as that baby
born in a barn and put to bed in an animal feeding trough
because no one thought to give this young homeless couple
a room for the night.
And that baby boy grew to be a man,
suffering all the same things along the way that we suffer.
We don’t hear anything about his father Joseph
later in the gospel stories,
so we assume he died at some point during Jesus’ young life.
He knew about the grief of losing a parent,
the time of mourning,
the healing of that wound.
Later he would suffer even more unspeakable things
out of love for the whole world.
All of this was the result of the Incarnation.
Love came down
and God laughed, and wept just like we all do.
We heard a reading from Isaiah.
"The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who lived in a land of deep darkness—
on them light has shined."
Those words were spoken centuries before Jesus showed up
in that stable in Bethlehem.
But now we recognize him in those words.
Darkness and light.
We all have darkness in our lives.
When a loved one dies it becomes so much more intense.
But there is a light at the end of the tunnel,
and it’s not an oncoming train.
It’s our Lord coming to embrace us and comfort us.
Yesterday I was reading another passage
from a later portion of Isaiah that says
"Comfort, O comfort my people,
says your God."
There is comfort for God’s people.
There is light in our darkness.
There is healing for our pain.
I begin every funeral service with these words:
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the source of all mercy and the God of all consolation.
He comforts us in all our sorrows
so that we can comfort others in their sorrows
with the consolation we ourselves
have received from God."
This Christmas when a chair at the dinner table
or a pew in church sits empty
or a tradition has been passed on to someone else,
you may shed some tears.
That is, you might shed some tears,
and I’m saying "you may shed some tears."
Someone might come and tell you not to cry,
and they’ll mean well so don’t bite their heads off.
But I’m telling you to go ahead and cry.
Your healing takes time
and that time might not be over for you.
But know that there is hope
and there is love through our Lord Jesus Christ
who brings light into our darkness
and comfort in our sorrows.
Your Christmas will be different,
and we pray
that your Christmas may be blessed.
Amen
Monday, December 11, 2006
Amazing Grace
I just finished reading Amazing Grace: A Vocabulary of Faith by Kathleen Norris (New York: Riverhead, 1998). I read it in bits and pieces over a period of seven weeks so any overall image or impression is diluted with time. I liked most of what she had to say. She's a poet, not a studied theologian, so it's a refreshing view of Christianity from a laywoman's perspective rather than a "professional" theologian which most of the "churchy" books I read come from.
One thing I did notice. Almost every example she used of Lutherans was negative. I don't know what Lutherans in South Dakota are doing but they don't seem to be making a very good impression on Norris.
All in all, it's a good read, giving some insight into a woman's faith and doubt and frustration and conversion. I'd heard about the book for years and had always meant to pick it up one day. It's one I'll refer back to in years to come.
One thing I did notice. Almost every example she used of Lutherans was negative. I don't know what Lutherans in South Dakota are doing but they don't seem to be making a very good impression on Norris.
All in all, it's a good read, giving some insight into a woman's faith and doubt and frustration and conversion. I'd heard about the book for years and had always meant to pick it up one day. It's one I'll refer back to in years to come.
Thursday, December 07, 2006
Evangelical Lutheran Worship
We got them! Our new worship books came yesterday afternoon. Well, 136 of 172 that we ordered. The rest are on back order. We'll be retiring the Lutheran Book of Worship (1978) on January 21 and dedicating Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006) on January 28.
My wife doesn't understand my excitement. There are (holy schmoley!) 10 settings for Holy Communion. Settings 3 and 4 are the settings we know from LBW (1 and 2) so the transition should be seamless since people don't have to learn a completely new setting. That doesn't mean we won't eventually learn one. We're looking at possibly using Setting 10 in the Easter season. That setting uses familiar hymn tunes. For example the "Glory to God in the highest" is set to HYMN TO JOY, "Worthy is Christ" is NUN DANKET ALL, the Gospel Acclamation "Alleluia" is UNSER HERRSCHER, "Holy, holy, holy Lord" is LAND OF REST, "Lamb of God" is TWENTY-FOURTH.
The new worship book also includes Luther's Small Catechism, a Healing Rite, all 150 Psalms, the Ash Wednesday and Holy Week services. It's got a much better (in my opinion) Service of the Word than LBW. We really only use that when I'm away and we have a lay led service. Otherwise we have Holy Communion.
The only problem for us, here in Canada, is the name. Not that Evangelical Lutheran Worship is a bad name. It's very good. But the acronym messes us up. You see, the women's auxiliary groups in our ELCIC churches are called Evangelical Lutheran Women and for years now ELW means our women's groups. The spine of the book simply says Worship and up here, so far, we're calling it "The Worship Book." When we had Lutheran Book of Worship (LBW) and the unauthorized supplement that practically every church used With One Voice (WOV) there was a need to distinguish between the two so the acronyms were used. Now we'll just have one book in the pews so we'll never have need to use (and confuse) the ELW acronym.
Is my giddyness coming across in these words? I love any new book. I love walking through bookstores, leafing through the books, yearning for the unlimited funds to buy whatever tickles my fancy. So getting boxes and boxes of these new books is just so much fun. I can hardly wait until we start using them.
My wife doesn't understand my excitement. There are (holy schmoley!) 10 settings for Holy Communion. Settings 3 and 4 are the settings we know from LBW (1 and 2) so the transition should be seamless since people don't have to learn a completely new setting. That doesn't mean we won't eventually learn one. We're looking at possibly using Setting 10 in the Easter season. That setting uses familiar hymn tunes. For example the "Glory to God in the highest" is set to HYMN TO JOY, "Worthy is Christ" is NUN DANKET ALL, the Gospel Acclamation "Alleluia" is UNSER HERRSCHER, "Holy, holy, holy Lord" is LAND OF REST, "Lamb of God" is TWENTY-FOURTH.
The new worship book also includes Luther's Small Catechism, a Healing Rite, all 150 Psalms, the Ash Wednesday and Holy Week services. It's got a much better (in my opinion) Service of the Word than LBW. We really only use that when I'm away and we have a lay led service. Otherwise we have Holy Communion.
The only problem for us, here in Canada, is the name. Not that Evangelical Lutheran Worship is a bad name. It's very good. But the acronym messes us up. You see, the women's auxiliary groups in our ELCIC churches are called Evangelical Lutheran Women and for years now ELW means our women's groups. The spine of the book simply says Worship and up here, so far, we're calling it "The Worship Book." When we had Lutheran Book of Worship (LBW) and the unauthorized supplement that practically every church used With One Voice (WOV) there was a need to distinguish between the two so the acronyms were used. Now we'll just have one book in the pews so we'll never have need to use (and confuse) the ELW acronym.
Is my giddyness coming across in these words? I love any new book. I love walking through bookstores, leafing through the books, yearning for the unlimited funds to buy whatever tickles my fancy. So getting boxes and boxes of these new books is just so much fun. I can hardly wait until we start using them.
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Dorothy's Art
Dorothy Butcherd is a member of the congregation I serve. She is also an artist. Unfortunately she has lost much of her sight to macular degeneration and is no longer able to work at her art. A friend of her's has posted some of her work on the internet here
St. Nicholas Day Massacre
Today I observe two commemorations. It’s St. Nicholas Day and in our household we observe it in an entirely un-religious way. At some time during the night, St. Nicholas showed up in our house, took 6 dinner plates from our Christmas dishes, and loaded them with chocolates placing one under each of our beds.
Sundays & Seasons says this about Nicholas
Nicholas, Bishop of Myra (d. c. 342)
Though Nicholas is one of the church’s most beloved saints, little is known about his life. In the fourth century he was a bishop in what is now Turkey. Legends that surround Nicholas tell of his love for God and neighbour, especially the poor. One famous story tells of Nicholas secretly giving bags of gold to the three daughters of a father who was going to sell them into prostitution because he could not provide dowries for them. Nicholas has become a symbol of anonymous gift giving.
It sounds like a sweet story about a generous bishop but I cringe when I read that, to hear that a father might "sell his daughters into prostitution." We might consign something like that to a distant place and time, but it’s not so distant. "Human trafficking is the third largest and fastest growing criminal industry in the world, victimizing millions of people and reaping billions in profits" (from HumanTrafficking.com). "The average age of entry into prostitution in the United States is between 13 and 14 years of age, with children being sold and trafficked at even younger ages in impoverished areas throughout the world (from The Standing Against Global Exploitation Project). "There are an estimated 10,000 children living on the streets of Toronto, with a large percentage involved in the sex trade. Approximately 600 children are involved in the sex trade in Montreal, and 400 in Calgary" (from Child Prostitution, the Commercial Exploitation of Children).
St. Nicholas was a saviour for those three women. Another commemoration I observe each December 6, if only in my own thoughts and memories, is the victims of the Montreal Massacre which occurred on this date in 1989. I have two daughters and two sons and I hope I’m raising them to value the lives of other human beings. I don’t want them to experience or feel the hatred that caused a man to walk into the École Polytechnique de Montréal and shoot 14 women. The women who died were:
Geneviève Bergeron (b. 1968), civil engineering student.
Hélène Colgan (b. 1966), mechanical engineering student.
Nathalie Croteau (b. 1966), mechanical engineering student.
Barbara Daigneault (b. 1967) mechanical engineering student.
Anne-Marie Edward (b. 1968), chemical engineering student.
Maud Haviernick (b. 1960), materials engineering student.
Maryse Laganière (b. 1964), budget clerk in the École Polytechnique's finance department.
Maryse Leclair (b. 1966), materials engineering student.
Anne-Marie Lemay (b. 1967), mechanical engineering student.
Sonia Pelletier (b. 1961), mechanical engineering student.
Michèle Richard (b. 1968), materials engineering student.
Annie St-Arneault (b. 1966), mechanical engineering student.
Annie Turcotte (b. 1969), materials engineering student.
Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz (b. 1958), nursing student.
Gracious Lord, in every age you have sent men and women who have given their lives for the message of your love. Inspire us with the memory of those martyrs for the Gospel whose faithfulness led them in the way of the cross, and give us courage to bear full witness with our lives to your Son’s victory over sin and death; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Sundays & Seasons says this about Nicholas
Nicholas, Bishop of Myra (d. c. 342)
Though Nicholas is one of the church’s most beloved saints, little is known about his life. In the fourth century he was a bishop in what is now Turkey. Legends that surround Nicholas tell of his love for God and neighbour, especially the poor. One famous story tells of Nicholas secretly giving bags of gold to the three daughters of a father who was going to sell them into prostitution because he could not provide dowries for them. Nicholas has become a symbol of anonymous gift giving.
It sounds like a sweet story about a generous bishop but I cringe when I read that, to hear that a father might "sell his daughters into prostitution." We might consign something like that to a distant place and time, but it’s not so distant. "Human trafficking is the third largest and fastest growing criminal industry in the world, victimizing millions of people and reaping billions in profits" (from HumanTrafficking.com). "The average age of entry into prostitution in the United States is between 13 and 14 years of age, with children being sold and trafficked at even younger ages in impoverished areas throughout the world (from The Standing Against Global Exploitation Project). "There are an estimated 10,000 children living on the streets of Toronto, with a large percentage involved in the sex trade. Approximately 600 children are involved in the sex trade in Montreal, and 400 in Calgary" (from Child Prostitution, the Commercial Exploitation of Children).
St. Nicholas was a saviour for those three women. Another commemoration I observe each December 6, if only in my own thoughts and memories, is the victims of the Montreal Massacre which occurred on this date in 1989. I have two daughters and two sons and I hope I’m raising them to value the lives of other human beings. I don’t want them to experience or feel the hatred that caused a man to walk into the École Polytechnique de Montréal and shoot 14 women. The women who died were:
Geneviève Bergeron (b. 1968), civil engineering student.
Hélène Colgan (b. 1966), mechanical engineering student.
Nathalie Croteau (b. 1966), mechanical engineering student.
Barbara Daigneault (b. 1967) mechanical engineering student.
Anne-Marie Edward (b. 1968), chemical engineering student.
Maud Haviernick (b. 1960), materials engineering student.
Maryse Laganière (b. 1964), budget clerk in the École Polytechnique's finance department.
Maryse Leclair (b. 1966), materials engineering student.
Anne-Marie Lemay (b. 1967), mechanical engineering student.
Sonia Pelletier (b. 1961), mechanical engineering student.
Michèle Richard (b. 1968), materials engineering student.
Annie St-Arneault (b. 1966), mechanical engineering student.
Annie Turcotte (b. 1969), materials engineering student.
Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz (b. 1958), nursing student.
Gracious Lord, in every age you have sent men and women who have given their lives for the message of your love. Inspire us with the memory of those martyrs for the Gospel whose faithfulness led them in the way of the cross, and give us courage to bear full witness with our lives to your Son’s victory over sin and death; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Peace On Earth, Can It Be?
And here's my main newsletter article "From the Pastor's Desk"
As a child I can remember waiting for, and watching, all of the Christmas specials that used to come on TV. First we’d wait, expectantly, for the ads announcing when Rudolf the Red-nosed Reindeer, or A Charlie Brown Christmas, or The Little Drummer Boy would be on. Then we’d sit in anticipation waiting for 8 o’clock to come around to watch those shows. We must have been one of the last households in my neighbourhood to get a colour TV so there was renewed anticipation to see all of our favourites in colour. These days we don’t have the same kind of anticipation because we own all of our favourites on video or DVD and sometimes it’s hard to find time in the busy Advent and Christmas schedule to watch them all.
Something we don’t have on video, and something you don’t seem to see as much of these days, are the Christmas variety specials. I recall sitting with my parents and watching the annual special by Bob Hope or Andy Williams or Lawrence Welk or Bing Crosby. Why don’t today’s stars make those kinds of specials anymore? Or why don’t the networks produce those kinds of shows anymore?
I recall those specials because yesterday, driving in the car, I heard a duet on the radio by Bing Crosby and David Bowie. I remember the song and I remember watching the Bing Crosby special when it first aired. I looked it up and it was originally performed in 1977 (I was 11 years old). I’m guessing that some of the people who were watching because they were fans of Bing Crosby didn’t have a clue who David Bowie was. He was a famous rock star (still is kind of) and I knew who he was even if I was a little too young to be familiar with his music. They sang a duet where Bing Crosby sang The Little Drummer Boy and David Bowie sang a song called Peace On Earth. The words to the Peace On Earth song go like this.
Peace on Earth, can it be
Years from now, perhaps we’ll see
See the day of glory
See the day, when men of good will
Live in peace, live in peace again
Peace on Earth, can it be
Every child must be made aware
Every child must be made to care
Care enough for his fellow man
To give all the love that he can
I pray my wish will come true
For my child and your child too
He’ll see the day of glory
See the day when men of good will
Live in peace, live in peace again
Peace on Earth, can it be
Can it be
These days, again, the question remains, "Peace on Earth, can it be?" Near the end of the church year we heard a scripture reading from Mark that said "nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom" (Mk 13:8). To begin Advent the scripture reading talks about "Fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world" (Lk 21:26). The fear of war and the wish for peace is nothing new. When we arrive at Christmas we will hear the words of the angel song "Glory to God ... and on earth peace" (Lk 2:14).
We pray for that peace to come. "God of glory, break the yokes of war and oppression that plague our world, establish your peace among nations, and uphold it with justice and righteousness for all peoples." After a time of waiting we finally celebrate Christmas, after the winter solstice, after the amount of sunlight each day has begun to increase, after the darkness has given way to the sun. Then we hear that "those who walked in darkness have seen a great light" (Isa 9:2). Then we remind ourselves, as well, that God is with us. We can have a "peace which surpasses all understanding" (Phil 4:7) because the Prince of Peace has come to us and abides with us.
May peace be with you this Advent and Christmas season and may the rich presence of God be cause for you to join in the song of the angels. "Glory to God."
New Year's Resolutions
Here's something I wrote for our congregational newsletter.
Pretty soon you’ll be hanging up a new calendar on whatever hook or nail you use in your home. A new year is around the corner and when that comes some people start talking about New Year’s Resolutions. The statistics are pretty grim for those kinds of resolutions. The majority of resolutions undertaken on January 1 of any year don’t seem to last very long. I wonder if there’s a spike in memberships at fitness clubs or sales of various diet books at this time of year.
I was reading something recently that I’d like to suggest to everyone as New Year’s Resolutions this year. Michael Foss’ book, Real Faith for Real Life (Minneapolis: Augsburg Books, 2004) identifies the following marks of discipleship:
+ Daily prayer,
+ Daily scripture reading,
+ Weekly worship,
+ Growth in giving to the tithe and beyond,
+ Serving others in Jesus’ name,
+ Sharing the faith story with the unchurched.
These marks of discipleship are all a part of being in relationship with Jesus and growing in relationship with Jesus. As Christians, as followers of Jesus Christ, we are disciples. We are living in relationship with Jesus and these marks of discipleship help us to grow in that relationship. Consider each of these marks. They’re not just rules to follow, tasks to complete, drudgery that you have to include in or add to your day and week. These marks of discipleship lead to a fuller and deeper relationship with Jesus and a richer and more fulfilling life.
+ Daily prayer, whenever and however you plan it into your day, focuses what you do and who you are on something more than just you. In his Small Catechism, Martin Luther gives suggestions for simply prayers to say when you get up in the morning, when you go to bed at night, and when you sit down to eat and rise from eating. That’s a simple way to start.
+ Daily scripture reading is a way to gain a deeper understanding of God and yourself, and to enrich your faith. In The Lutheran Course we heard that the key thing to reading and studying the Bible is to "just start." You may read a lot at a time or just a little, but "just start."
+ Weekly worship brings you into contact with a whole community of disciples like you. It’s a time where praying and scripture reading happen. It’s a time when you hear the Good News of God’s love through Jesus Christ. It’s a time when Christ comes to you in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion.
+ Growth in giving to the tithe and beyond is so often a touchy subject in the church but it shouldn’t be. Jesus says "where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Lk 12:34). If this is true (and who are we to disagree with Jesus?), then we can say that as we grow in our giving to Christ’s church, we will grow in our relationship with Jesus. When you do your taxes it’s simple enough to calculate ‘Charitable Donations’ divided by ‘Income’ times 100 to come up with the percentage of your donations. Can you increase that percentage a bit in the next year, moving toward the tithe (10%) or beyond?
+ Serving others in Jesus’ name is following Jesus by doing what Jesus did. He said that he came "not to be served but to serve" (Mt 20:28). In loving and serving our neighbour, we love and serve the very ones our Lord loves.
+ Finally, sharing the faith story with the unchurched is our calling. Jesus’ parting words were for his disciples to "go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them ... and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you" (Mt 28:19-20). Our lives have been changed by the love of God that we know in faith. We ought to be sharing that Good News with others so that they can know that love too.
Now, as I said at the beginning. New Year’s Resolutions are notorious for being broken. You might start out all gung-ho intending to keep some or all of these marks of discipleship and then a week, a month, or a few months later you might find yourself slipping and you’re not doing them anymore. That’s okay. God forgives. And you can start over. Nobody’s perfect. We all slip and fall sometimes. But we can get back up and get going again. Try these things. They’ll lead to a fuller and deeper relationship with Jesus. Just start.
Pretty soon you’ll be hanging up a new calendar on whatever hook or nail you use in your home. A new year is around the corner and when that comes some people start talking about New Year’s Resolutions. The statistics are pretty grim for those kinds of resolutions. The majority of resolutions undertaken on January 1 of any year don’t seem to last very long. I wonder if there’s a spike in memberships at fitness clubs or sales of various diet books at this time of year.
I was reading something recently that I’d like to suggest to everyone as New Year’s Resolutions this year. Michael Foss’ book, Real Faith for Real Life (Minneapolis: Augsburg Books, 2004) identifies the following marks of discipleship:
+ Daily prayer,
+ Daily scripture reading,
+ Weekly worship,
+ Growth in giving to the tithe and beyond,
+ Serving others in Jesus’ name,
+ Sharing the faith story with the unchurched.
These marks of discipleship are all a part of being in relationship with Jesus and growing in relationship with Jesus. As Christians, as followers of Jesus Christ, we are disciples. We are living in relationship with Jesus and these marks of discipleship help us to grow in that relationship. Consider each of these marks. They’re not just rules to follow, tasks to complete, drudgery that you have to include in or add to your day and week. These marks of discipleship lead to a fuller and deeper relationship with Jesus and a richer and more fulfilling life.
+ Daily prayer, whenever and however you plan it into your day, focuses what you do and who you are on something more than just you. In his Small Catechism, Martin Luther gives suggestions for simply prayers to say when you get up in the morning, when you go to bed at night, and when you sit down to eat and rise from eating. That’s a simple way to start.
+ Daily scripture reading is a way to gain a deeper understanding of God and yourself, and to enrich your faith. In The Lutheran Course we heard that the key thing to reading and studying the Bible is to "just start." You may read a lot at a time or just a little, but "just start."
+ Weekly worship brings you into contact with a whole community of disciples like you. It’s a time where praying and scripture reading happen. It’s a time when you hear the Good News of God’s love through Jesus Christ. It’s a time when Christ comes to you in, with, and under the bread and wine of Holy Communion.
+ Growth in giving to the tithe and beyond is so often a touchy subject in the church but it shouldn’t be. Jesus says "where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Lk 12:34). If this is true (and who are we to disagree with Jesus?), then we can say that as we grow in our giving to Christ’s church, we will grow in our relationship with Jesus. When you do your taxes it’s simple enough to calculate ‘Charitable Donations’ divided by ‘Income’ times 100 to come up with the percentage of your donations. Can you increase that percentage a bit in the next year, moving toward the tithe (10%) or beyond?
+ Serving others in Jesus’ name is following Jesus by doing what Jesus did. He said that he came "not to be served but to serve" (Mt 20:28). In loving and serving our neighbour, we love and serve the very ones our Lord loves.
+ Finally, sharing the faith story with the unchurched is our calling. Jesus’ parting words were for his disciples to "go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them ... and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you" (Mt 28:19-20). Our lives have been changed by the love of God that we know in faith. We ought to be sharing that Good News with others so that they can know that love too.
Now, as I said at the beginning. New Year’s Resolutions are notorious for being broken. You might start out all gung-ho intending to keep some or all of these marks of discipleship and then a week, a month, or a few months later you might find yourself slipping and you’re not doing them anymore. That’s okay. God forgives. And you can start over. Nobody’s perfect. We all slip and fall sometimes. But we can get back up and get going again. Try these things. They’ll lead to a fuller and deeper relationship with Jesus. Just start.
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