pastor jeff

Stones of Freedom

2009-03-03T10:56:00.000-08:00

This season of Lent we will draw upon the image of stones to carry us through the days that are set aside to renew our calling to follow Jesus to the cross. Each week on both Sunday morning and during our midweek Evening Prayer services stones will be carried into worship and left.
Stones, rocks, building blocks, foundations all are mentioned in salvation history as markers and ways in which we form lasting relationships with God and community. They are carved into, stacked, carried as a burden and released providing both guidance and freedom to God’s people. These 40 days of Lent we will bring to God the hardness of our hearts to be laid at the foot of the cross, where God can reform them, giving us the freedom to be as living stones.
Some questions worth considering are:
• How does a stone speak to me of sin?
• What are some of the stumbling blocks (stones) in the path of my faith journey?
• What is the foundation of my life built upon?
• Who rolls away the stones that block my freedom?

Our midweek services which begin on March 4 will focus on:
• Week 1 God’s law engraved on stone and on human hearts
• Week 2 A millstone as metaphor for punishment of sin
• Week 3 Jesus is a stumbling block and the rock of salvation for believers
• Week 4 Jesus the living stone upon which the church is founded
• Week 5 Jesus the foundation stone for life

Pr Jeff

When is Lent?

2009-01-30T16:57:00.000-08:00

Calculating the start of Lent is linked to the calculation of when Easter arrives on the calendar. Easter is a “floating” holiday, meaning it is not a fixed date such as Christmas on December 25, or Independence Day on July 4. Many holidays float on the calendar for a variety of reasons. Thanksgiving is fixed in one sense in that it is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November, but the date changes. President’s Day is always celebrated on the third Monday of February, but again the date changes.
So how is Easter calculated and how is that date related to when Lent begins? Easter Sunday is the first Sunday after the first full moon after vernal equinox. Given that formula you need to know a few more things, what is the vernal equinox and when is it? An equinox happens each year at two specific moments in time (not a whole day) when the center of the sun can be observed to be vertically above the earth’s equator, occurring around March 20 or 21, the vernal equinox, and September 22 or 23, the autumnal equinox each year. So to calculate the Sunday of Easter you begin at March 20 or 21, then find when the next full moon will occur (which changes each year); the immediate Sunday that follows that next full moon, is Easter Sunday. The position of the sun in relationship to the earth, and the phases of the moon determine the date of Easter each year. A cosmic event, you might say.
What does this have to do with the start of Lent, and what is Lent? Lent is a season that is part of another calendar. A church calendar, or liturgical calendar, creates the seasons of a church year, which highlight and focus Christians on the life and events of Jesus Christ. The church year begins on the first Sunday of Advent, usually in early December or late November. Lent is a season that is calculated to start based on the date of Easter each year. It begins on a Wednesday, Ash Wednesday, and is forty days long, not counting Sundays. If you notice in the bulletins, the Sundays listed during Lent are Sundays in Lent, not “of Lent”. Where Christmas has Sundays “of Christmas, and Easter as a season has “Sundays of Easter.” This year the start of Lent is February 25. Easter Sunday is April 12.
The purpose of Lent is preparation. The three traditional practices to be taken up with renewed vigor during Lent are prayer (justice towards God), fasting (justice towards self), and almsgiving (justice towards neighbor). This season culminates with the retelling of the events of Holy Week and the celebration of Easter. Today, some people give up a vice of theirs; add something that will bring them closer to God, and often give the time or money spent doing that to charitable purposes or organizations. (http://www.spirithome.com/lent.html)
Loaded with lots of information about when and what Lent is, what does that mean about a willingness and readiness to live a faith journey through Lent this year? It is one thing to know about Lent. It is another to live it. In a world filled with “to do lists”, do the traditions of Lent have any room on your personal calendar? Is there time for prayer in your day? Can you “give up” something to gain a perspective on justice towards yourself? Do you want to allow the neighbor to enter your life by offering time, or money to serve the needs of others? Again, it is one thing to know about Lent, it is altogether something new and transforming to live Lent.
We will offer Ash Wednesday worship on February 25 to get us started. Each week during Lent, on Wednesday, we will offer a midweek evening prayer service and soup supper to sustain us during the week this season of Lent. These are opportunities to link you to the movement of the sun, the phases of the moon, the rhythm and patterns of our daily lives that are all formed by the gift of faith in Jesus. God is active and alive in your life, allow Lent to focus your life on the call to follow Jesus.

2009 Resolutions

2009-01-15T16:03:00.000-08:00

res⋅o⋅lu⋅tion [rez-uh-loo-shuhn]
–noun
1. a formal expression of opinion or intention made, usually after voting, by a formal organization, a legislature, a club, or other group.
2. a resolve or determination: to make a firm resolution to do something.
3. the act of resolving or determining upon an action or course of action, method, procedure, etc.
4. the mental state or quality of being resolved or resolute; firmness of purpose.
5. the act or process of resolving or separating into constituent or elementary parts.
6. the resulting state.
7. Optics. the act, process, or capability of distinguishing between two separate but adjacent objects or sources of light or between two nearly equal wavelengths.
8. a solution, accommodation, or settling of a problem, controversy, etc.
9. Music.
a. the progression of a voice part or of the harmony as a whole from a dissonance to a consonance.
b. the tone or chord to with a dissonance is resolved.
10. reduction to a simpler form; conversion.
11. Medicine/Medical. the reduction or disappearance of a swelling or inflammation without suppuration.
12. the degree of sharpness of a computer-generated image as measured by the number of dots per linear inch in a hard-copy printout or the number of pixels across and down on a display screen.
Be it resolved, that in 2009:
1. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus. Philippians 2:5
2. As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle, be patient, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4:1
3. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Ephesians 6:10

4. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. Colossians 3:1
5. As God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Colossians 3:12-14
6. Live by the Spirit. Galatians 5:16a
7. You were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge in the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. Galatians 5:13
8. Remember, whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 2 Corinthians 9:6
9. Agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. 1 Corinthians 1:10
10. Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts. I Corinthians 14:1
11. Offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Romans 12:1
12. Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Romans 12: 9-18
People often ask and wonder about the specifics of living a Christian life. Let know now how you are doing on your new year’s resolutions. For those who won’t make it past lunch on January 1, 2009 before abandoning your resolve, mark your 2009 calendar now.
Ash Wednesday is February 25; worship will be at 7pm.

Anticipation

2008-12-09T16:21:00.000-08:00

I recall an old TV commercial with a Heinz ketchup bottle. As a youngest tipped the bottle over a waiting hamburger, in the background was the Carly Simon song, “Anticipation”. “Anticipation, anticipation, it’s makin’ me wait, it’s keepin’ me wai-ai-aiting.”
It is an advent word for us. Wait, anticipate the coming of God. And yet there is a sense this time of year, this season, that God is “makin’ me wait, keepin’ me waiting.” Not that I want to wait to see what this Christmas season will bring to the world this year, but that God is purposely makin’ and keepin’ me waiting, for a reason. God is in some way holding me back from crossing the street too soon, making me pause and reflect on what is to come.
What might that be this particular year? We have elected a new president in a momentous election that changed the story of this country. Financial events continue to draw our attention and worry, what is the message of Christmas in a global economic recession? What is Christmas for the newly increasing unemployed? What is Christmas for families with soldiers still at war? What will the word of promise and hope bring into so many hearts that continue to despair and worry? Waiting brings all these and many other questions to the forefront of our encounter with God, during Advent.
This year during advent we will be worshiping on Sunday morning with a new setting from our Evangelical Lutheran Worship book. It is an African American gospel setting. A setting anchored genuinely in the traditions of waiting, the cries of salvation, and the hope and promise of God for deliverance. It is deeply spiritual worship, and a time to ponder, wonder, wait and anticipate the coming of God into the world. I encourage you to commit yourself to this season. We will also be gathering on Wednesday evenings in December for a soup supper, beginning at 6pm, and an evening prayer service begins at 7pm, with our sisters and brothers from Lutheran Church of the Incarnation and Our Faith Lutheran. In the darkness of night, we will wait, we will ponder, and we will anticipate the coming of God.
The joy of Christmas cannot be restrained for too long as the lid comes off Christmas with many of our traditional events this month; our Christmas program and candlelight dessert, Christmas caroling, tree trimming and giving trees in the narthex all remind us of the joy that the birth of Jesus bring to the world we are to share. Add to that list this year a Christmas Open House our family would like to share with the congregation. Stop by our house; (818 Colby Drive) 7pm till ?, on Friday, December 19. We cannot help ourselves, needing a taste of Christmas; we dip our finger into the bottle tasting the sweetness of the season. Come and enjoy any and all of these traditions here at DLC. Check the calendar for dates and times.
It is my prayer for each of you, that you ponder and anticipate the joy of Christmas. God is makin’ and keepin’ us waiting, for as the song says, we are “Chasin’ after some finer day.”
Advent blessings and Christmas joy,

Pr Jeff

Excerpts from All Saints

2008-11-05T16:54:00.000-08:00

the following is a selection from All Saints Sunday sermon

…we follow in the steps of prophets and peacemakers, the poor and the persecuted, those who hunger to hear the word of mercy and inheritance of the very kingdom of God, and those who hear and respond to the call to hunger and thirst for righteousness. Comfort and challenge is the calling of a saint. Challenge and comfort is the calling of a sinner.

Who can speak today of the promise of God? Who can speak today of the satisfied hunger for righteousness? It is the testimony of their very lives, the lives of saints we have lived with, worked with, played with, and shared our ministry with that speaks to us of the comfort and challenge of following Jesus.

We are not baptized, called, redeemed, sustained, forgiven, and called to venture into a life of discipleship on our own, or for our own journey or personal spiritual growth. Alone we stand outside the shelter of God, alone we wait for a meal that no one prepares. Alone we stand apart. It is the question in John’s revelation we hear that draws us to each other and to the body of Christ. “Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from? “These are the ones who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” “And now they are in front of the throne of God, worshiping all day and night, and the one seat on the throne will shelter them, shelter them all, and they will hunger and thirst no more, not one of them.”

All Saints is just that, all, not I, not me, not you, it is all; all generations will call me blessed said Mary. God told Abram, you will be the Father of many nations, descendants numbered like stars in the sky and sands on the beach, to numerous to count. Jesus feeds 4,000, 5,000. Multitudes, crowds, come to hear him preach and teach. The account of scriptures, the chronicle of the church, the fact that we are here together is a testimony to the unity and universal need we have as the entire church, the whole community of God gathered to receive and share the good news of God in words of comfort and challenge. “You are mine.” What comfort in trusting in God’s claim on us. “Uh oh, I am God’s.” What a challenge to be claimed by God.

How many will be fed around this table today? Who comes to be fed with the words of comfort, “your sins are forgiven”? Who comes and hears the challenge to get up from the table and serve the world?

There is a table in Rwanda serving today where members of this congregation will eat today. There is a table across town serving today. There is a table in Jerusalem, there is a table in Moscow, there is a table in Lima, there is a table in Melbourne, there is a table in Okinawa, there is a table here serving.

There was a table serving across the generations of saints who have endlessly gathered to be feed. Peter and Paul were fed at a table. Augstine and Luther were fed at a table. Teresa of Calcutta was fed at a table. And the table goes on in an endless, timeless, joyous feast in the kingdom of God. There is room for all of them, all of us today.

You in your broken, blessed lives have a place at the table. You have reason for giving thanks, for rejoicing, for singing and dancing around the throne of God with all those who come out of the great ordeal that is the journey of faith for the sake of the world.

Yet, I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. They cried out, “ Salvation, belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb.”

I see it. The throne as a magnificent table, a table that stretches across the ages, across time and space, a table where you hunger no more and thirst no more for all are fed and blessed, and the kingdom of God is revealed.

Steward of the Treasures

2008-10-23T10:12:00.000-07:00

Pirate tales speak of treasures buried in locked chests; filled with gold bullion, silver, and precious jewels. The location of these buried treasures were mapped and marked with an “X”. The life of a pirate according to legend was then the quest for buried treasure, the discovery of a long lost or stolen map and the adventures that ensured on this quest for ill-gotten gains. Black Beard, Captain Jack Sparrow, Captain Hook, all with their motley crews terrorizing and becoming the scourges of the sea, seeking buried treasure.

These days it seems that pirates have overrun the economies of the world. Chasing after ill-gotten gains, the hidden transactions of undisclosed booty now fill the globe with fear and terror. But with these pirates it seems there is no map, no “X” to declare the place to find the buried treasure, it seems stolen and hidden from our sights forever. The talk is of rescue, bailout, someone to come and lead us out of the fear, to restore our trust and the drive the pirates to the bottom of the seas.

During the Spanish conquest of the Americas their ships were so loaded down with gold that many sank from the shear weight. Spain itself became so wealthy with the stockpile of gold that it over inflated the economies of Europe and drove prices sky-high. (Too much gold, chasing after not enough goods.)

The importation of New World gold into Spain coincided with a corrosive inflation that has come to be known as the "price revolution." Although prices had dropped steadily during the 1400s, after 1500 they began to rise dramatically--300 percent by 1600, according to economist Earl Hamilton, who wrote a well-known book on the phenomenon. The reasons for this are complex, but it seems clear that at least in part it was a matter of a sharply increasing amount of money (in the form of silver and gold) chasing a relatively fixed output of goods and services, thus bidding up the price. Among other things the higher prices meant Spanish goods became uncompetitive on European markets. Even the Spanish themselves began buying foreign products, resulting in a lot of cash leaving the country. In addition, inflation stifled local investment, with the grandees spending their dough on conspicuous consumables instead.

For the latter part of the 1500s and on into the 1600s Spain was a debtor nation, spending more abroad than it took in. The result was a net outflow of gold and silver. Attempts were made to restrict the export of precious metals, but without much success. In the end all the gold simply dribbled away. The problem was that the conquest of the New World left Spain with a lot more money, but not that much more wealth, if you follow me. They didn't realize that until too late, and suffered centuries of poverty as a consequence. – Cecil Adams, What happened to all the gold Spain got from the New World?

The world has seen many collapses of financial stewardship. On a national, global, and personal scale the treasure of measured wealth moves in cycles and waves. Be they pirates, conquistadors, lords, landowners, chiefs, peasants, serfs or slaves, the flaw that leads to financial collapse is the belief that there is; never enough. The world of scarcity believes there is never enough gold, there are never enough dollars, never enough treasure, which feeds the belief that I need more. So for safekeeping I will bury my treasure with an “X”, then go look for more, bury some more, and then continue my quest for more, because tomorrow there might not be enough.

What does the gospel of Jesus Christ have to say about financial stewardship and the greed of need? Well, we have teachings that speak of the difficulty of the rich entering the kingdom of God, much like a camel trying to fit in the eye of a needle, it’s just really hard to carry around all that gold, the stuff is heavy. We have words from prophets, and followers of Jesus about the abundant love and grace of God and it’s unending, everlasting, overflowing, outpouring that is more than sufficient to sustain us.

What do you think, is God truly abundant in mercy, everlasting in grace and is that enough to live on? Or when it comes down to it, is it really all about the gold? If that were true, the resurrection of Jesus would be just a cruel hoax, the wrong map marked with a wrong location. Or do you think, “God should have nothing to do with my buried treasure? Which is why I buried it in the first place and hid the map.”

There is no question that these times are full of fear and terror as we all watch our golden treasures it seems sink to the bottom of the sea before our eyes. Yet there is a proclamation that the church is called to make, we will not succumb to the lie that there is never enough, we will continue to give away our treasures because it is an act of living faithfully. Giving, reassures people of faith, and tells the world of pirates that God provides all that we need, and that we will steward the treasures gracefully and generously.

Some might say, “Why is the church asking me to make a pledge to the ministry of this church now during this time of financial collapse?” Because Christian financial stewardship is a spiritual discipline that is an act of trust. Giving is the same when the barns, to use Jesus’ parable, are big and overflowing, when we are content and happy, and when they are collapsing and only a few grains remain on the floor. Holding onto the treasure, burying it deeper, marking it with an “X” and hiding the map is what pirates do; followers of Jesus keep digging it up and giving it away.

Each member of this congregation has the opportunity to make a commitment to the financial support of the ministries of this congregation. Commitment cards in some ways are a map with an “X’ on it, telling God where to find the treasure. Why would you ever give the church your map? Because by placing the map in the hands of the church you stand up as a crew of pirates to be sure, but a crew deceivingly committed to the abundance of what God provides for us and to sharing it with the world. What an amazingly different adventure in stewarding treasure.

See you in church,

Pastor Jeff

New Poll Question

2008-10-08T15:16:00.000-07:00

I thought it might be fun in these days of polling and decision making about who will be the next leader of the United States of America, and most likely the most powerful person on planet earth, to start a new section on this blog. A poll question. It's a simple question this week.

What keeps you coming to church?

Sure there are lots of reasons, but don't make the question too complex. I limit you to four choices, you can vote for more than one. Write a comment if you would like on why you keep coming to your church.

Blessings,

pr jeff

Living in the Eye

2008-09-26T13:10:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to keep informed about the recovery and aftermath of hurricane Ike. Inform on the news seems to have dried up in the news cycle of historic financial events on Wall Street and the countdown to the historic election headed towards us. Once again like Katrina, the Texas-Louisiana Gulf States Synod of the ELCA is in the eye of the storm. But this time it is personal. The newly elected Bishop of the synod is a friend. A classmate from seminary, Bishop Michael Rinehart is an accomplished musician and played the organ and sang at our wedding. Michael is a gifted leader in the church, and I pray for his ministry and his family as the hurricane aftermath challenges the church to be the responsive body of Christ. I scan their synod website for updates on conditions and ways in which I can help. In the course of my browsing, I found an article Bishop Rinehart wrote prior to the hurricane. It talks about the focus and energy around priorities and choices that churches are called to make. I found it pertinent to our ministry here at DLC. Here are some excerpts from the article for you to consider.

“I did internship at a new congregation in Arlington, Texas. My supervisor, Bob Adix had started this congregation a few years earlier. When I asked him if All Saints was a mission congregation he said, 'Every congregation is a mission congregation.'  He was right, sort of. The truth is, a new congregations’ mission effectiveness drops off steeply after ten years. Think about it. A new congregation starts, and with every fiber of its being it works to grow. Bringing newcomers into the fold is its central purpose. There is crystal clarity about this. Then the church grows, hires staff, builds a building and within a short time, the organization's energy gets focused on buildings, parking lots and the like. Take a bird's-eye view of your congregation. To what does the largest portion of your energy, time and financial resources go?   

I'm asking you to believe, and to risk whatever it takes to move into a new way of being the church in this new world in which we live. I know of only one way to live into this. We must be obsessive about evangelism. We must be obsessive about making disciples. Everything we do must be retooled to introduce people to the real Jesus of the gospels, and to help them grow spiritually, until their lives are centered in following Christ and serving the world in Jesus' name.   Every decision must hinge on evangelism. Not tradition (or more accurately traditions, as there are many ways to be the church historically). Not what makes the longest-term members happy. Our decisions must lean toward those who are not yet part of us. Someone once said the church is the only organization that exists for those who are not yet part of it.

Now it's time to go to school. How do we do evangelism in this postmodern, post-Christian, self-absorbed, but spiritually hungry, culture? We can't do church like business as usual. The 1950's approach will not work. Every pastor will have to think like a missionary. No cookie-cutter approach will work. Every congregation will have to be a mission congregation, like Pastor Adix said.  Stephen Bouman, the new director of the ELCA's Division of Evangelical Outreach and Congregational Mission said to a group of us the other day, ‘The ELCA is paralyzed. We need to tear open the roof and allow our paralysis to be lowered down into the healing presence of Jesus.’ So let's do it.”

I emphasized in bold letters what I hope we see as the ever-present challenge before us here at DLC. We have many talented and giving members who offer extraordinary hours, members who give financially to many ministries, and we seek to serve those in need in our community. Yet when resources get tight, when time is limited, when hard decisions about our future or our ministry priorities must be made, what guides our choices? Throw me into the boat with my friend, to be tossed by the eye of the storm. I choose to make decisions towards those who are not yet a part of us. We have done amazing work the past few years discovering and learning to articulate our mission and goals as a congregation. Engaging God’s People, Reaching Out and Connecting. The next step is to live fully out of those words. We are still learning how to be this kind of a church.

As the church we are many things to many people in this community and across the globe. We are the church on the corner of 8^th and B. We are the church with the tree and the swing. We are the church with the nice fellowship hall. We are the friendly church. We are the Picnic Day BBQ church. We are the Crossings church. We are the church represented in Rwanda. We are the Godly Play church. We are the church I pray; that “leans toward those who are not yet a part of us.”

Blessings,

Pastor Jeff

Summer Updates

2008-09-15T16:31:00.000-07:00

While summer ﬁnds many of us vacationing, escaping the heat of the valley, looking for smoke free air, and in general trying to recreate and rejuvenate, ministry takes
on a new form and feel during the summer months. Here is a brief summer update on news from DLC.

1) Sara Schaff has joined the staff here at church! The search for a new Crossings Leader culminated with Sara accepting the position in July. This part time position will lead and develop the worship service, plan and develop outreach ministries, and help us determine the vision and scope of Crossings for the future. The church council has been in conversation with the ELCA about resources that are available to launch Crossings as an emerging church satellite from Davis Lutheran. I ﬁnd it exciting to think and pray about the possibilities of new ministries with Crossings.

2) Godly Play is coming this fall to our Sunday School program. Lea Ann Carlisle and Debby Welch are attending a certiﬁcation program in August to be trained and certiﬁed
leaders of this amazing new Sunday School program. They will come back enthused and energized with all sorts of ideas and plans for Rally Day on September 7th.

3) I am working on three new classes I will be teaching this fall. A monthly bible study, a new member class, and a faith development class. At the time of this article I don't have any more speciﬁcs, but look for dates, times.

4) Our education/youth director position search committee is looking over resumes and contacting candidates. We are hopeful that we will have a new director joining
us in time for our fall programming. We remain a busy and active congregation during the summer months!

Enjoy your summer of ministry. Find rest for your busy lives. Laugh, dance, and go for a swim. Your soul will thank you.

See you in church,
Pastor Jeff