Keeping Memories Alive!

     

One week ago I preached the sermon at my Aunt Linda’s funeral at Trinity Lutheran in Mason City, Iowa.  My aunt had been fighting a battle with Pulmonary Fibrosis for over three years and she requested that I preach at her funeral.  This was not an easy assignment, but I considered it a great honor since she was like a second mother to me growing up. 

Because I loved her and knew her so well, I found it difficult to condense everything I wanted to say in just a 20 minute sermon.   I mean, how can you possibly capture the essence of a person and tell that person’s life story in one short sermon?   It’s impossible. 

But something needed to be spoken.  Family and friends traveled great distances to be present at her funeral service and they came to remember.  They came to reflect and give thanks to God for the special memories and to recount the many ways Linda touched our lives.

And so I shared some stories in my message.  Some stories made us laugh and others made us cry.  But after each one, we could all say, “yes, that was Linda.”  I also said that Linda will remain alive in our hearts as we remember together and share many of the stories that reflect her values, her convictions and the things that were most important to her.

This funeral service for my beloved aunt helped me to reflect more seriously on the power of remembering.  In the Bible, there are 63 verses that speak to the value of remembering and/or not forgetting the many great things God has done for us throughout the centuries.  I love those words from I Chronicles 16:15:  “Remember His covenant forever, the word which He commanded to a thousand generations.”   

This passage reminds us that each generation waits eagerly to hear a word about God.  Each generation looks to the one that came before to tell the stories and share the memories.   This is the work of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus promised his disciples that the Holy Spirit would come after his death and resurrection to help the new born Church remember.  In  John 14 Jesus said,  “the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.”

The Holy Spirit came at Pentecost to keep Jesus’ memory alive.  The Holy Spirit’s work among us today is to help us remember what Jesus taught and to inspire us to live His life in this time and place.  Jesus no longer walks around like he did on the shores of Galilee, but he is alive and well, speaking to us through his promise and His Spirit.

May this Pentecost season be a time to remember! May God’s Holy Spirit enlighten our minds to better understand all the many promises Jesus gave to us and to tell his story to anyone willing to listen.  It may be hard to share everything that needs to be said about Jesus, but let’s say something.  Let’s begin to tell his story and in the process, let the people around us better understand his great love for all people.

 

 

Don't Stop Thinking about Tomorrow!

I love the story of Simeon and Anna! It is one of the best Christmas stories of all and is usually told from Luke's Gospel on the second Sunday of the Christmas season.  Unfortunately,  it's a story  that gets overlooked because most people stop thinking about Christmas the minute the clock strikes midnight on December 25th.  Whatever happened to the 12 days of Christmas leading up to Epiphany, the day we celebrate the coming of the Magi and the gifts they came to share with Jesus in Bethlehem?

What I like about Simeon and Anna is their hope for the future.  Even though they are both elderly, they each have a vision for a better tomorrow.  They are both looking for the consolation of Israel and a day when God's Messiah will make things right again in the world.   Many old people live in the past.  They talk about the past.  They idolize the past. Unfortunately, too many get stuck in the past. 

Simeon and Anna were different.  They dreamed God-sized dreams.  They were open to the Spirit and willing to imagine a new kind of future.  If they had Facebook back then and took the quick test called "Which 70s Rock Song Best Describes Your Life"  it would have been for Simeon and Anna   Fleetwood Mac's hit "Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow."

That was certainly their word of wisdom to Mary and Joseph.  "God has plans for this little one you are holding in your arms.  This one is special.  This one is destined to turn the entire world on its head and bring in the reign of God's justice and love."

Simeon and Anna came up to Mary and Joseph as they brought baby Jesus to the temple for his naming ceremony.  They were like many older people in our own lives who came along at just the right time.  Can you recall a time when someone older shared a word of wisdom to help you put some perspective on your life.  Did you have a Simeon or an Anna who helped you "start thinking about tomorrow" in a new way?

I love the Christmas story of Simeon and Anna!  It's about hope!  It's a reminder that Christmas is closely connected to our future and a promise that one day all things will be made right again.  God's up to something in the world and we are called to be a part of God's Kingdom activity.

2014 is over.  There is no going back to the past.  We can only move forward into 2015.  So"don't stop thinking about tomorrow...it will soon be here!  Yesterday's gone...yesterday's gone!"
Be like a Simeon or an Anna.  Stay open to the Spirit!  Look for Jesus, not only in the temple, but in the homes and back alleys of the towns and cities we live in.  And then, help others better understand the true message of Christmas - that Jesus came to renew, restore and reconcile a broken, sinful and hurting world. 

"Don't stop thinking about tomorrow!"  You might be surprised what a difference that makes!

Koselig

On our recent trip to Norway, Dee and I discovered a new cultural concept called “koselig.”  This word is similar to our word cozy or comfy, but it has an even deeper dimension – it is not easy to translate into English.

Koselig might be similar to Perry Como’s Christmas Song.  Do you remember the lyrics:  “Chestnuts roasting on the open hearth, Jack Frost nipping at your nose.  Yule tide carols being sung by a choir, and folks dressed up like Eskimos…tiny tots with their eyes all aglow, will find it hard to sleep tonight.”

This holiday favorite creates a warm, cozy feeling.  Or how about that Christmas number that goes like this, “The weather outside is frightful, but inside it’s so delightful…”   All of these verses come close to capturing the essence of koselig, but not quite. 

Norwegians call Koselig “inner summer.”  It is a mood, an attitude that keeps them happy and content through the long, dark days of winter.  In some parts of Norway, the sun only shows itself for a few hours during the winter season.  But Norwegians light candles, play music, drink a little wine, create a warm and cozy atmosphere where good friends can sing and laugh together. That’s koselig.

Recently I read a devotional by Herb Chilstrom, a former bishop of the ELCA.  He wrote about his trip with his wife Corinne to several of the Scandinavian countries during the season of Advent.  It was there that he experienced what the Norwegians call koselig, but on a deeper, spiritual level.

He writes: “I recall visiting a church in Denmark.  In the near pitch darkness of the early evening we stepped into a nave that was bathed in white.  Every wall, the pews, the altar – everything was painted in brilliant white.  I could feel my spirits rise just standing there.

The same was true in every city in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland.  Candles glowed in nearly every window.  It was as though each residence was sending out a message.  “It may be dark outdoors, but in this home there is light and warmth.”

That sounds like koselig to me!  It’s an inner light that cannot be overcome by darkness.  It is a light, the light of Christ that shines out for all to see. 

Jesus spoke of his followers being “the light of the world” (Matt. 5:14).  This raises some good questions for us to ponder this Advent season:  Do others see me as a light in their world?  Do those who wander in doubt and confusion see me as a source of comfort, hope and stability?

As Herb Chilstrom writes in his devotional, “If we are to be light we must first realize that the illumination does not originate with us.  Rather, the light we have to share with others is reflected from the grace we have received from God.  God lights up our lives in order that we might light up the lives of others.”

That’s an Advent kind of koselig!  May the fires of God’s love and the warmth of Christ’s presence illuminate your soul and give you great contentment and peace in this Christmas season.

Blessings,

Pastor Bob

 

Spring has Come!

Spring has Come!

This has been a long hard winter.  The cold came early and the snow came late to northwest Iowa.  I lost track of the number of days the wind chill was under -20.  And the number of potential thawing days could easily be counted on one hand. 

 The only way I was able to cope with the dark and the cold days of January and February was to start looking to the future, looking carefully for signs that perhaps spring is on the way.    Here is my short list of indicators that new life is soon to spring forth:

·        People start filling out their March Madness tournament brackets.

·        The Taco House is open for business!

·        The robins start strutting around my front lawn, despite a late season snow storm.

·        The five foot snow bank by my driveway is now down to two feet.

·        The sun is setting after 7pm!

·        Easter is coming!!!

Perhaps this last indicator of springtime is the best of all.  Easter is the celebration of Christ’s victory over the grave; it is a beautiful celebration that the cold chill of winter is now overcome by the warmth of God’s power to create new life for all people.   And there are signs of this victory all around us!

When I see two people talking to each other after a long period of silence, I shout out inside, “spring has come!” 

When I see someone beginning to heal from a broken relationship and they are starting to smile again, I sing out, “spring has come!”

When I see a family hurt by unemployment, continue to find ways to give to their church, I hum to myself, “spring has come!”

When I see that young “twenty something” worshiping with us when many of his friends are sleeping in on Sundays, I laugh out loud, “spring has come.”

Can you add to this list?  Can you count all the indicators that winter is now in the rear view mirror? Go ahead!   Use all of your senses and take in the amazing signs of hope and resurrection?   Look for the green shoots bursting through the hard crust!   Listen for the sounds of joy and good cheer!  Feel the embrace of new friends and old coming together!  

The winter is over.  Springtime is here!   Let the Holy Spirit open you up to all the possibilities for spiritual growth and new beginnings.   May the glorious resurrection of our Lord Jesus change and transform the way you look at the world.  May the Spirit give you the eyes of faith to celebrate even the small victories, the tiny indicators that God is up to something Big!

Friends in Christ, may God truly bless your Easter celebrations!  And if you are in town this Easter, come join us for one of our many special Holy Week and Easter services.  Come and join the chorus:

 Christ is risen!  He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!   Spring has come! 

 

 

 

Top Books in 2013

Each year I post a list of books I read both professionally and just for fun.  Here is my list from 2013:

• Calico Joe by John Grisham  (resurrected my childhood love of baseball)
• Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling by Ross King (My trip to Italy made this a much more interesting book)
• A Journey of Grace: The Formation of a Leader and a Church by Bishop Herbert W. Chilstrom
• Travels in a Thin Country by Sara Wheeler (good book to prepare me for a trip to Chile)
• My Invented Country by Isabel Allende (another required read before heading to Chile)
• Clergy Renewal by A. Richard Bullock and Richard J Bruesehoff (you guessed it, professional reading material)
• The Sacred Acre by Mark Tabb (powerful book on the life of coach Ed Thomas) 
• The Girl that Sang to the Buffalo by Kent Nerburn (I finished the trilogy! Start by reading the book Neither Wolf nor Dog by the same author)

I didn't get as many books read this year compared to other years.  I only had 14 weddings in 2013.  One of those weddings included our son Jonathan sharing vows with his beautiful bride Michea!
Happy reading in 2014!
Blessings!

"The Middle Door"

Recently our congregation received a nice group of new members. This is usually a very exciting and energizing experience for the whole community. New people bring fresh ideas and a spirit of enthusiasm that spills over into the rest of the congregation.  We literally become a new church! Our newest arrivals stir the pot, mixing in a new batch of spiritual gifts and passions that helps to wake up the rest of us "sleepy heads" and move us forward in our shared mission. 

The challenge for most congregations is to help these new brothers and sisters in the family to feel like they belong and have something important to contribute.  Some experts believe that if  new persons don't make 6-8 new friends in their first 6 months, 80% of them will not continue as active members of the church.

It's funny, we in the church work so hard at the front door when new people come in and we work really hard at the back door when they leave, trying desperately to get them back in.  But what about the middle door?   This is perhaps the most important door of all!

The middle door represents the true life of the congregation.  The middle door represents all those opportunities for members to grow  in their faith, enjoy making new friends and worshipping and serving together in Jesus name.   The middle door is where the action is!   It's what makes new members true disciples and partners in the work of Christ's mission in the world. 

Let's be creative in coming up with new "middle door" opportunities for all people.  It could be as simple as inviting someone new to fellowship hour after worship or forming a team to work on a Habitat for Humanity build in the community.  It could truly be as simple as introducing someone new to another person in the church that has a similar set of interests or hobbies. 

Let's work harder at the middle door! Let's work harder at building stronger relationships!  Then maybe we won't have to form a committee to deal with the "back door" concerns of our church, giving us more time and energy to do the things that really make a difference for the Kingdom of God.