Prayers for Today: 9/16/2018

Loving God,

You speak to us and you say: Do not worry. You say that we are yours. You offer us your lightness in exchange for our burdens.  You offer rest in exchange for our tiredness and loneliness.

You promise that in both the sadness and the joys, no matter the results of our human choices, you will be there, bringing forgiveness and restoration. 

So, God, we ask you to guide our response to this great love.  Guide our prayers, guide our plans, and guide our lives so that through us, others may experience your abundant life.

We offer to you those who are in need of your restoration and healing:  those who are unaware of your love, those who are suffering in spirit, mind, or body. God we ask that you would bring comfort, relief from anxiety, relief from pain, and a certain knowledge of your presence.

God you ask us not to worry yet we acknowledge that there are storms in our lives and in our world.  We pray today for the people in the Carolinas and Southeast of our country as they face hurricane Florence, and for the people of the Philippines, China Coast, and others in Asia as they face Typhoon Manghut.  Please give your aid to rescue and emergency workers.  Protect those who could not evacuate, bring your comfort to grieving families, and God we ask that you would bring your hope into all the dark places caused by these storms.

God we thank you that even in the darkness, we can place our worries about our world in your hands and then pick up the work of being your agents of rebuilding and restoration without worry hindering us. Help us as we do this through Christ Lutheran Church and our ministries and offerings, through prayer and intercession, and through our work, our advocacy, and our relationships. 

Lord, these are only a few of our prayers. There are words that haven’t been spoken. Prayers unfinished that we can rely on the Holy Spirit to complete.

By your grace, that we may have life and have it abundantly, we pray these and all things in the name of Jesus Christ.    

Amen

Re-Conciliation -- Sermon for Christ Lutheran Church Romans 5:6-11

So this scene -- If you haven’t seen the movie “Goonies,” I guess it doesn’t make much sense.  But if you HAVE seen the movie Goonies – well, let’s be real, it might not make very much sense either…

Chunk and Sloth… best names ever… they’re just so different.  I mean, so much so that it doesn’t really need to be said, right?  Sweet white kid from the suburbs – poked fun of because he has had too much food available in his life… Versus man born with extreme birth defects into an evil family who has kept him chained up and starving…

When they first meet, Chunk is terrified, of course – at the end of the movie, Chunk vows to bring him into his family. 

Even in a story, how can people this different be reconciled together into family?

So Chunk and Sloth are so different that reconciliation together seems impossible – but they are both human beings.  How different, then, is God from us?  We are created in their image – but we are definitely not God!  The distance is probably even beyond our comprehension. 

And we humans – well, sometimes we are not very good at “different.”  Not good at it, but oh how we LOVE different --  We embrace it with outright glee sometimes. 

Giants fans versus – well, everyone else…

Country music versus pop fans… Team Edward vs Team Jacob… Coke versus Pepsi…

And one of my personal favorites – Chicago Theological Seminary vs, say… Luther….

Some of these are fun, no doubt.  But what about when they’re just not?

What about “conservatives” and “liberals?”  CNN vs Fox?  Light skinned versus dark skinned?  Latino immigrant vs European immigrant?  Sleeping on a bed vs sleeping on the street?  Sick or healthy?  College educated versus trade school educated?  Poor vs Rich?  My family…. vs your family?

Yeah.  We love differences.

Sometimes that enjoyment is surface and all in good fun – And sometimes we embrace it as our very core, as our birthright – this is ME and MINE – and that is THEM. 

But God – God does something else.  RADICAL, even. 

He sees our incredibly other-ness and loves that other-ness.  And not only this, but Paul writes that he reconciled with us while we were GOD’S ENEMIES. 

Enemies.  An enemy actively works against another person. 

Yet it is when we, you and I, are actively working against God’s purposes that Jesus loves us and dies for us.  Jesus refuses to enter into the “US vs THEM.”  Jesus says “WE” and then proves his commitment to that “we” through his death.  

And maybe that should have been the end of it, right?   It is shocking, radical – I mean, really – it’s straight up nuts –

Jesus walked into rival gang territory and said “no more division” – all the while completely knowing that he was going to be killed on sight. 

That sounds pretty futile.  Was it a useless gesture?  Jesus laying his life down for God’s enemies?

It may be obvious by the fact that I’m standing up here that MY answer to that is a hard “no” – and with Paul I’m also very willing to argue that that isn’t the end of the conversation.  In fact, Paul goes on to say that we are reconciled by Jesus death – and that we are saved by his life.

Now if you’d like to have a conversation about all the cool twisty and turny ways of thinking about that statement, I am definitely your girl and I will meet you in my Starbucks office any time…

But, as much as I would love that as conversational fun, I think the real point is a lot simpler.  I think the point is that God is at peace with us – but Jesus give us clues during his life of how to live into that peace and fulfill God’s vision of what that looks like.

  And Jesus tells us a lot of ways to do that, but there is one way that he says is the very first, and that no way is greater – “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

We can hear this in a lot of ways – and those ways are influenced by where we were born and where we live – independent individualism is highly valued in our culture—and this passage can trip people up because of that.  In fact, I heard in a group this week, “some days I hate myself, why would God want me to think of others like that?” 

But I would suggest that this is not the way we should look at this statement.  Jesus wasn’t speaking to a person with our individualism values – in fact, he was quoting a much more ancient text – Leviticus.  And Leviticus 19:18 in the Hebrew reads “Do not bear grudges against other tribes but love your neighbors as if they are yourselves.”

Not singular.  Plural.  Love your neighbor as yourselves.  Love people of a neighboring tribe as if they are YOUR tribe. 

Love the people next door as if they are the people living in your house. 

Wait – what?  Who says I have to be responsible for my next door neighbors like I am for my family?  I mean, one side is easy – it’s the Walthers, and they ARE part of my church family – but the other side?  Who are they?  I mean, they’re not unfriendly – but they are NOT family. 

But Jesus says love the people that are not family as if they are your family.  Care for the people outside your tribe as you do the people inside your tribe. 

If you’re a Giants fan – love the non-Giants fans as if they are.

Love the Buddhists as if they are Lutherans.

Love the Colombian or Syrian as if they are Americans.

This is the first, foremost, greatest commandment, according to Jesus Christ.

I would say – and maybe this is too bold, but it is my perception—that right now our culture is experiencing a descent into protective tribalism.  Divisions – angry divisions – seem to characterize our discourse.

I am not talking about disagreements.  Or even criticism.  Healthy disagreements and vigorous conversations about them is one way we progress as individual people and as a culture.

But that’s not what I’m seeing.  I’m seeing that we are in a hamster wheel of vilifying those who disagree – simply deciding that those who hold different views on politics or religious or social issues are evil and maybe not even as human as we are. 

That is creating an oversimplified us and them.  We are dividing along tribal lines and losing a sense of unity and community.  It’s true that God doesn’t tell us not to have tribes – as I said earlier, I think God knows how much we love them – but we are not treating other tribes the way God commands us. 

In fact, it seems more to be the case right now that if you are not part of my tribe, I am free to treat you with disrespect, or with violence, or as less than human – using dehumanizing language in public spaces such as “illegals,” or “deplorables,” – “Drumpsters,” – “Libtards” – This is not healthy disagreement or productive criticism.  This is separating my tribe of human beings from your tribe – not human beings. 

God knows that this is in us.  But the first commandment – and Jesus never says this about anything else – the first, he says, and none is greater – the commandment that should be the very top of our list – before pray, before confess, before show up at church, before “do this in remembrance of me..” –

First, the Lord your God commands you – love the other tribe as if it is your tribe. 

Easy words – extremely difficult actions, right?  I mean, I dare you – next time you’re at Rawhide, sit with all your local fan friends and cheer super loud for the opposing team.  That’s going to be really fun, right?  And when it’s something that you feel is deeply important for the future of your country, or your church, or your children – well, it gets exponentially harder. 

But the good news is that Jesus doesn’t command us to monitor other people’s actions or obey this commandment for anyone but ourselves.  He commands us to do it.  And there are small changes even in our hearts and thought patterns that obey this commandment.  We are given opportunities in which we are confronted with other tribes constantly.  How will we respond? 

David Frederickson, who is one of my favorite professors at Luther, said something during my summer class that I haven’t been able to shake in the six weeks since I was there – he said, “If you want to experience God in your life, find the radically excluded and stick to them like barnacles.  That’s where you will find God.”

“If you want to experience God in your life, find the radically excluded and stick to them like barnacles – that’s where you will find God.”

I think he’s right.  I think Jesus is telling us this when he tells us to seek out and love those who are outside our tribe.  He echoes it when he tells us that when we feed the hungry or clothe the naked or visit the sick that we are doing all those things TO HIM – when we treat those outside our family like they are our family we will find God. 

And we want that, right?  How many of us have struggled with times when God has seemed distant?  How many of us long for closeness with Jesus Christ?  And here, right here, he gives us a road map with a big giant X on the treasure.  Find the excluded, the ones outside your tribe – love them and you will find God.  A promise with no conditions on it.  “Here I am,” says Christ.  Come and love me.

Reconciliation.  Reuniting, bringing together; fence-mending; understanding, peace, concord.

God loves us as if we are family.  God commands us to love others as if they are family. 

And with that command comes a promise that when we do, we will find and experience God. 

May that experience be the deepest desire of our hearts.  Amen

 

Reconciliation Ministry

 Closest to my heart... 
Reconciliation Ministry at Christ Lutheran

This next week begins the second trip through a four week Reconciliation/ Discussion Group for LGBTQ+ community, allies, and members of Christ Lutheran Church.  


This ministry is so close to my heart, and the "beta test" during Lent was an incredible experience -- for me, for hosts from CLC, and, I hope and think, for participants as well -- individuals invited to name their hurt and begin to reshape their stories into healing and forgiveness -- understanding their deep worth to God their Creator and the grace of Jesus Christ as well as we can show it.  




Reconciliation Ministry Goals:

First, to inform members of the LGBTQ+ community in our area that Christ Lutheran is a safe place where they have a free and open space to explore their spiritual identity and their relationship with Jesus Christ and what that means for them.

Second, to begin a healing and restorative dialogue which begins to restore the reputation of the church within the LGBTQ+ community and begins to address and atone for the pain, rejection, and psychological damage that has been done to members of the LGBTQ+ community in the name of Christ. 

 Reconciliation Ministry Vision:

Acknowledging that the Christian church has a lot to answer for, by perpetration or by silence, to bring members of the LGBTQ+ community , allies, and members of CLC together in a healing, controlled atmosphere where they can share food and LGBTQ+ community members can safely tell stories.  Using food, storytelling, art, “survivor mantras,” corrective theology Q & A time, and other activities in a four-week group, to bring broken and damaged people into an awareness of their acceptance by Jesus Christ and this community of faith, and, when desired,, to enfold them into the larger loving community of the congregation.

Please message me if you have any questions... or would like to participate in an upcoming group!

cforgey001@luthersem.edu

Peter -- The Gates: Sermon For Christ Lutheran Church June 24, 2018 Matthew 16:13-18

Good morning!

The last time I was in this pulpit I was a couple of weeks away from finishing my first term at Luther, and now I am almost finished with my first year.  I love it even more now than I did then, and I continue to have enormous gratitude for the support and mentorship I receive here at CLC.  Thank you.

At Luther right now, I have a wonderful Systematic Theology professor named Lois Malcolm.  One of the things I love about her is her claim that “everything is theological.” 

Do you ever have that kind of day where you just see God everywhere?  In a song you hear, or in sun that splatters through trees, or a toddler having a fit in Target?  Well I confess I have those days – a lot.  And during those times I can even see God all over a science fiction show like, say, Stranger Things!  I completely love it, though I confess I shouldn’t watch it at night because I start jumping at every sound… 

But I think we get into stuff like this because this is real life, right? 

Maybe not the demigorgon monster or the girl with crazy powers – but when those kids started talking with their teacher about the gate to and from the upside-down… that grabbed me. 

“The vale of shadows is a dark reflection or echo of our world – it is a place of death and decay.  It is right next to you and you don’t even see it.” 

The Gates of hell -- Right next to you and you don’t even see it. 

Grace and peace to you from God our creator and Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior -- Amen

I was asked a very serious question a few weeks ago – 

“Chavaleh, do you believe in hell?”

I had to think carefully.   Do I believe in the “turn or burn” hell used to control people?  No.  Do I believe that God would accomplish God’s purposes by bringing eternal torture to the atheist teenager that was killed in a car accident?  Definitely not. 

But yes, I believe in hell.  I’ve seen it up close and personal. Maybe you have too. 

Have you ever been in an emergency room or a cancer clinic waiting for a diagnosis?  Have you spent time with a stroke victim, trapped inside her body?  Have you sat in silence with parents that have lost a child?  Have you heard the anguish from a person whose mother or father said they would rather have them be dead than gay or transgender?  Have you heard the screams of children being taken from their parents? 

Yes, I believe in hell.  And I know that the gates of hell are open to be entered at any moment of loss or violence or accident.  It’s a strong, awful word – but there is simply no other way to describe some human experiences.  Torturous moments that seem to transcend time.  An event that once experienced, seems to color our lives in every direction – both the after, and the before. 

There is another word that is “eternal” in this sense.  In New Testament era Greek it is

“stavrosantes” This word is not in a tense that exists in English our verbs are confined to past, present, or future – we have to make a choice.  Not so in Greek.   This verb has it all -- it is past, present, and future – ongoing.  And it refers to Christ – crucified.  Jesus Christ, the one being crucified.  Now.  In every present. Transcending time, coloring life in every direction.

But before he even mentions the Gates in this passage, Jesus asks Peter some questions.

First, “who do others say that I am?”

That’s the question we love to answer, isn’t it?  Myself included, I’m not immune.  The nice, impersonal, refer to someone else theoretical question. 

Last semester I was working my way through the “Lutheran Confessions” class, which is, essentially, the things the Lutheran Church expects us to agree on.  Old documents that are sometimes beautiful, and sometimes victims of their times and struggles to overcome ideas that grasp at the authors from the past. 

There was a lot of memory work involved in this, and consequently a lot of time spent reciting things to my pastor/mentor.  We got to a section of the Augsburg Confession that essentially dealt with heaven versus hell and how God dealt with people who didn’t “believe.”

“What do you think of this?”  He asked me. 

“Well,” I said – momentary hedge – “my professor’s response to a question on this was to quote the section of the Bible that says if we ask God for bread he won’t give us a stone.”

“No, Chavaleh – what do YOU think?” 

It is a risk, to answer life altering questions from personal conviction, rather than through the thoughts of others. 

So Jesus’ second question to Peter hits us right in the heart – who do YOU say that I am?

It’s hard, isn’t it?  Jesus will not leave Peter or us in the theoretical, the discussion of other people’s beliefs.  He gets personal.  He puts us on the spot because lives are at stake.  Not in a knock on your door “do you have eternal life?” way – but real life here, now.  Jesus knows that every moment of our lives on Earth turn upon our answer to the question “who do you say that I am?” 

We are forced to decide over and over again.  We are surrounded by death, we are surrounded by hell and there is no hedging or standing on the fence.  We decide to ignore the upside-down, to walk calmly by the death and decay and not even see it – or we face it and with Jesus say “yes” to life. 

Who do we say Jesus is, and what will we do because of it? 

This question is important because we know, deep in our hearts, who Jesus is not.  Jesus is NOT someone who will leave us in our numbness.  Jesus is NOT someone who will allow our hearts to remain hard.  And most importantly, Jesus is NOT someone who will abandon any of us. 

Not even in hell.  He is with us -- Jesus the Christ, the one being crucified. 

What does it mean, then, for us if we are willing to step forward and say “I believe that you are the Christ.”

Well, the Jesus of Matthew’s Gospel tells a story which begins to answer this -- he is speaking to those who were faithful to that declaration. 

He says; “you are the ones blessed by my father, who will inherit the kingdom that is being prepared for you from the foundations of the world:  For I was hungry and you gave me food to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.”

We know this story – they do not remember doing any of these things for the Son of God. 

So Jesus tells them – if ever you did these things for one of the LEAST – one of the nothings of the world – you did it for me. 

And that’s beautiful, warm and fuzzy, isn’t it?  But he continues to the others, who were not faithful, “go from me into the curse that has been prepared for you and for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you did not give me food, thirsty and you did not give me drink, a stranger and you did not invite me in, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and you did not visit me, imprisoned and you did not come to me.”

They in turn say that they had never seen the Son of God in any of these situations.  He says to them – when you did NOT do these things for the least, for the nothings of this world, you rejected me and did not fill my need. 

These are hard words.  Is it possible to so harden our hearts, elevate ourselves and disregard the needs of others that we come to a point where we would rather reject Christ and the life he offers us and trade that instead for the curse “prepared for the devil?”  I don’t know.  The very idea fills me with sadness. 

But what I do know is that if we claim Jesus Christ – if we say yes and our answer to “Who do you say that I am” is “my LORD and my GOD” – we do not follow a shallow warm fuzzy savior who will let us feel good if we disregard the needs of the least and the “nothings” around us.  We follow a Savior who has been to hell and is present with those who are in it now.  We follow a savior who expects us to follow him through that death and into that compassion. 

Who do you say that I am, Peter?  Who do you say that I am, Chavaleh? 

I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of the Living God. 

And if in that declaration we have followed Christ into his death – that means death is behind us.  We don’t need to look forward with fear or uncertainty or anxiety or insecurity –     

Jesus has given us an eternal “yes” to life. 

I am not a “believe in Jesus and you’ll be happy” Christian.  I know that anguish is present here in this room, today. 

But the good news is that Jesus is also present, and with Jesus comes love and forgiveness and mercy and hope.  Who do I say that Jesus is?  I say that Jesus is a persistent yes to life.  I say that Jesus is the one who will not abandon us.  I say that Jesus is the one who challenges us to be present with the alone and a voice for the voiceless.  I say that Jesus is the hungry, the thirsty, the sick, the imprisoned – and also the joyful, the free, the full of grace. 

Jesus you are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.

And the only answer a living and loving God has to the gates of hell in the world is that God moves heaven and earth to beat us there.  To be to us both the one being crucified and the one who is risen.  The one who can take us from death to life and asks nothing in return.  The one who renews our “yes” to life when the world cries “no.”

Implicit in Jesus’ question to us is his willingness, his great desire to be what we declare him to be – our Lord, our God, a stubborn gift of grace from a deep and undrainable well of Love. 

Who do you say that I am?

This is not an empty question, not a theoretical question.  Lives are at stake.

Lives redeemed from hell here and now through the incredible love of Jesus Christ.  Lives that see the least and love them.  Lives that can bring hope to the world.   

Jesus cries a persistent YES.

Upon that YES I shall build my church – and the gates of hell shall not overcome it. 

AMEN.

Prayers for today... Who God Loves

Today...
I should be at Christ Lutheran Visalia, praying with my church family... Instead I am at Dallas-Fort Worth airport, after a day of delays and missed flights and missed alternative flights!  
But there are few things I love more than leading prayers, so I still want to share my prayer thoughts for the morning -- and add my additional "viens, viens, oui, oui!"   

The "In-between space" -- off the Skylink train.  Dallas-Fort Worth Airport.  I think prayer is an in-between space.  

Our Lord and God, beyond our understanding, you are the God of the past, the present, the future, and the eternal now.  Yet you are pierced by love for your children, and through your Son remind us that it gives you pleasure to hear  us.  And so God we come to you boldly, with hope against hope, with faith in what we cannot see, saying “yes, come.”

 

God you love those who do not know you, those who have rejected you, and those who long for you but cannot name that longing.  In this prayer we ask that you would reveal yourself to those we lift to you, praying that they would recognize your great love and grace.

God you love those who are sick, those who are in pain. You love those who are broken, hurting; those who are anxious, depressed, suicidal; those who are grieving; those who are rebuilding their lives.   We ask in this prayer that you would make your presence and comfort known to all those struggling in body, mind and soul.  

God you love those who are rejected, abused, and abandoned by the world. You tell us that to receive your kingdom we must receive those who are seen as nothings. We ask in this prayer that we would have the courage to protect, advocate, and receive in hospitality those who are seen as unimportant and forgettable in the world.  We ask that we can provide your saving love to the refugee, the poor, the sick, the marginalized, the child, the prisoner, the homeless, the hungry.  We desire to love and serve you as we love and serve the least among us. 

God you love those who would speak your love, grace, and truth to the world.
We ask in this prayer that you would enliven and wake your church, in all the world and in the ELCA.  We ask for your strength and passion in our leaders, our pastors, our seminaries, our membership, our youth, our visitors, and that you would give this passion for you to everyone who comes in contact with Christ Lutheran Church through any one of us.  Let us receive your kingdom as we receive others.   

We ask these and all things in the name of our Eternal and Present Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen

A Pause and a Call

In a season over-filled with theological writing, the irony does not escape me that I have completely ignored my "God-blog."

Regardless, this year has been one of the best seasons of my life.  I entered Luther Seminary in the fall and have been entranced as a candidate for ordination in the ELCA.  I'm headed for ordination somewhere around 2020 or 2021, depending on internship.

I have now spent time in classes with people whose theological writings I've been reading for years -- Steven Paulson, Lois Malcolm -- and have had my mind exploded with original Greek and incredible postmodern theologians like David Frederickson.

Even better, I have found pastoral ministry, even at the small levels I'm able to provide while still in school, to be the "why" of my life -- it always has been, for children, youth, my students -- but making it more purposeful is pretty incredible.

I've also been reminded of how very much I love academia -- and how competitive I am at it, but that's just some side enjoyment!

I have spent my adult life in ministry of one form or another -- but there is a why this, why now? question even so.  Really, getting to candidacy has been a 25 year journey, ever since God became real to me when I was a choir conductor at Trinity Lutheran in Lewiston Idaho.  I have served in music ministry, youth and children's ministry, as a study and small group leader, and have always been eager to share the difference in my life because of the love of Jesus Christ.

Seven years ago, I reached the biggest crossroad since conversion.  My Pastor at Christ Lutheran Visalia, Brian Malison, asked me to be part of the preaching team that would cover for him while he was on sabbatical.  I barely let him finish saying “think about it and let me know” before I almost shouted “YES.”  I actually do not have a remarkable memory for events, which has been more of a blessing than a curse in my life, but that conversation is etched in stone – outside, in between the sanctuary and the Christian Life Center, three minutes that wildly altered my life.  No other activity has ever brought me the deep joy that preaching does.  Nothing could have prepared me for the amount of love I would develop for this congregation through it. 

Last summer Pastor Brian the Catalyst stepped in again and asked me if I’d consider being part of the presiding ministry team.   This time I actually agreed to talk to Lim about it since it would take me off praise band those weeks – but I couldn’t restrain myself past the other side of worship that day. 

When I served communion to members of the congregation a few weeks later it was as if God reached in through my back, grabbed my heart, started shaking it, and didn’t stop.  I don’t know how I made it through work and life the rest of that day and week.  I didn’t sleep for several days.  I have always read theology for fun, but it was more like I was starving for it.  I sat up at night and read for I don’t know how many days straight and then, when I doubtless had crazy eyes and knew I was in a lot of trouble, called Brian and asked to meet.  He was supposed to talk me out of the next step.  He didn’t.  But I can sleep again.  At least I think I could, if I didn’t have so much seminary work to do!

In all of this God is incredibly real to me in a million different ways.  And ever since I lost the final argument, it is as if I have finally woken up.  I am seeing theology in everything around me, God’s beloved creation in people that used to annoy the living daylights out of me, and new meaning to everything I have always loved in worship. 

 

Entering into some pastoral care situations has also brought God’s broken outpouring love for God’s people home to me in a myriad of different ways.  Sometimes I see people, hear their stories, and think that only God could be the reason any restoration is possible and I am profoundly moved to even be able to witness it. 

I don’t have any idea what direction God is leading me in next, but I am grateful for the ways God has opened up ministry opportunities to me – at CLC particularly, as I deeply love my church and congregation, but also still using music as a springboard for ministry and reconciliation both in my professional life and with other Luther students; and at St. James in Hanford right now as well, where I have a strange but God-given shift from learner to leader as I provide pulpit support for this church without a pastor.  

Next week I head back to St. Paul and to Luther for June intensives -- and to continue to question and challenge and discover how the uniqueness of ELCA Lutheran Christianity is relevant and important to the world we now live in.  I deeply believe that what we have to offer is desperately needed in the Postmodern world and I am determined to spend the rest of my life bringing the real Gospel to as many people as I can.