Ask the Pastor: Do I have to ...?

This week on “Ask the Pastor.” I have some questions from an anonymous teen. Before I begin, I want to say that it delights me to receive and answer such questions from a young person. Our faith is not about having all the answers, it’s in learning to find God in all things. A faith that is alive and growing, is one that trusts God to be there, no matter the question. Having it all figured out it God’s job, our job is seek God’s grace and goodness in the midst of all things, the things we are sure of, the things we don’t know, the things we doubt, and the things we could never understand. The crisis of our faith is whether or not we are courageous enough to question it, and humble enough to be transformed in it.

And so, on to the questions:

Do we have to believe the same things our parents believe?

First, I’d like to talk about the “have to” of this question. While it may seem as if because you are young, you “have to” do a lot of things, it can even seem this way as an adult. The truth of the matter is, is that we do always have choices on how we act and behave. Therefore, we know from simply observing through the generations the many children who didn’t believe what their parents believed to know that certainly, no one has to believe as their parents did. For this statement to be true, we’d still have to believe the world was flat, or something like that.

Now, as a general statement, I’m sure you ask, because you value obeying your parents, and your relationship, and questioning a belief that they have, may seem like it will cause tension, or discord, between you. Either that, or you’re simply trying to figure out what it means to be an adult, and you’re not real sure if your parent, and their clothes, their weird taste in music, and their rules is how you’d do things if you ran the world. Or, perhaps, you don’t like going to church on a Sunday morning, and saying you don’t believe seems like a sure fire way to get out of it. It’s probably all these things and more.

So, to the point, you don’t have to believe what your parents believe. BUT, I would guess that you aren’t even sure what your parent believes, and they might not either. While it may seem awkward, I would encourage parents and their children to sit down and talk about what they believe. One way to do this, is for parents to share their own experiences with faith. What was your religious upbringing like? What similarities does it carry into today? What questions do you have about faith? How does our Christian Faith affect our daily life? Is everything in the Bible true? There are all kinds of ways to have these discussions, and they don’t need to be “big conversations”, like talking about where babies come from.

In a conversation that is open, people, like parents and children can walk together in their faith, and learn from each other. On a larger scale, the community of the church, is where more people, very human people, come together and learn to walk together in faith. Even as a church, and as a pastor of a church, our individual beliefs aren’t what ultimately matters. What matters is learning to believe in the way of grace and love that God has given to us, and which holds us together through all things.

Do we inherit our parent’s religion?

In the Christian church, and generally, in the Lutheran expression of the Christian church, we do inherit our parent’s religion. In a way, our faith was designed this way, as we see from the stories of the Bible how the Word of God, was handed down from generation to generation, Abraham to Isaac to Jacob to Joseph, and eventually to a whole nation of people named the Hebrews/Israel/Jews. While most of us who are Christians are descended from the bloodlines of these people, we have been reborn into the promises of God through the waters of baptism. While we don’t necessarily inherit the Christian faith from our parents, we do inherit it from Abraham, Jesus, and the Christians who have died before us.

In our congregation at Christ the King, most people have inherited our Christian faith, and our Lutheran expression of it through their parents. Sometimes this can be a very positive thing, but because we are human, and imperfect, with the passing on of our faith we can pass on some elements that can cause people to equivocate negative aspects of human behavior, with faith. Throughout our history, and in the present day, sometimes those bearing the name Christian do terrible things, like support segregation, which others may see as representing the Christian faith. It is unfortunate that God’s gift of faith can be so easily abused, but we are all under the captivity of sin, and send the wrong message about our faith ourselves. This is why, the inheritance we receive in our baptism, and the gift of Christ’s life we dine on in Holy Communion are so important, because they continue to show us the true gift of our faith, and they have done so since its very beginning.

So yes, you probably inherited your parent’s religion, but it is always important for us to know that our religion is always best expressed by its truth, not necessarily how that truth is lived out.

Another important note, is that we as a society are often quick to say that a person who commits terror in the name of Islam is representative of the Muslim faith. Those who make headlines, whether it is in Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, or whatever faith they claim to be representing, are usually far outside the mainstream of what people in that faith are like, and perversions of their faith, not true representations of it.

Do I have to go to church after I am confirmed?

There is a joke that goes around, “What is the best way to get bats out of the bell tower? Confirm them.” 

As I mentioned before, you don’t have to do anything. Many people don’t come to church much after their confirmed. If you decide that church isn’t for you, my question would be, why do you want to be confirmed? Really, confirmation is an affirmation of the baptism that so many in our Lutheran tradition receive when they are very young. Up until confirmation, parents really have the responsibility for the faith life of their children, and make vows to God, to their children, and to the congregation to carry out the following tasks on behalf of their children:

to live with them among God's faithful people,

            bring them to the word of God and the holy supper,

            teach them the Lord's Prayer, the Creed, and the Ten Commandments,

            place in their hands the holy scriptures,

            and nurture them in faith and prayer,

            so that your children may learn to trust God,

            proclaim Christ through word and deed,

            care for others and the world God made,

            and work for justice and peace.

When they are confirmed, or affirm their baptism, young people, like yourself, then promise to take ownership their faith, and commit to these task.

to live among God's faithful people,

            to hear the word of God and share in the Lord's supper,

            to proclaim the good news of God in Christ through word and deed,

            to serve all people, following the example of Jesus,

            and to strive for justice and peace in all the earth

task.When it is your time to affirm your baptism, if you can’t make a commitment to these things, than your confirmation is doesn’t really mean much. Of course, there may be times when these things don’t happen, there may be a lot of them, but they are vows to continue to hold yourself accountable to, and ones that will help the fruits of faith grow in you.

I will close, by saying that often, children do inherit the religion of their parents. If one’s religious practices are to make commitments to raising their children in the Christian faith, and then putting worship attendance, spiritual formation, Christian fellowship, and service in the congregation as the lowest of priorities, this faith is certain to be passed on. The Christian faith is not about rites of passage, or about knowing a little bit about God to help shape our moral development. The Christian faith is one of being struck by the grace of God, and following Christ.

To the young person who asked these questions, thank you. You are a child of God and God will love you no matter what. Your salvation, along with that of all of creation has been accomplished by Jesus’ death on the cross 2000 years ago. You can find no more favor with God, than you already have, but you can learn about and grow in trusting how precisous and life-giving that favor is, and how rich the life God has given us. This rich, abundant life is the life of faith, and it is the life of Jesus, that has been given to us. I hope and pray that you continue hear him calling you to follow him, and that you will continue to grow in your trust of this calling.

Peace! Pr. Mark

Sermon for June 28, 2015: Repent, the Room's Only Half-Painted

This sermon was preached by Rev. Mark Peterson at Christ the King Lutheran church on Sunday, June 28, 2015. Our service was one of Repentance and Mourning, in the wake of the killing of 9 people at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, SC on June 17, 2015.

Matthew 5:1-10

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. ²Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
³"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
⁴"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
⁵"Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
⁶"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
⁷"Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
⁸"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
⁹"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
¹⁰"Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Greetings to you in the name of Jesus Christ,
I opened by reading this a letter from ELCA Presiding Bishop, Elizabeth Eaton, found here.

Rev. Elizabeth Eaton,
 Presiding Bishop of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

On Wednesday of this week, I received this email...a mass email, the Presiding Bishop doesn't just email me personally. It was an email talking about this day of Repentance and Mourning, with the above letter attached, and I opened the email, and sighed, as I thought about how we had just had a theme like that to our services at Christ the King last Sunday. A day when I shared some of my own personal connection to this tragedy, as I knew and was a friend to Rev. Clementa Pinckney in seminary. It seemed like we'd already done this, and I was thinking about being outside for the first time and joining together as One, I really didn't want to do this today.

But, we are a people Chosen to Proclaim, and part of our proclam
ation is being in unity with something greater than ourselves. Of course we are in unity with God, but a reflection of that is our unity with our fellow ELCA congregations in our synod, and across the nation. Our Presiding Bishop is our leader, and so as an expression of our unity, it is good for us to join together in this day of Repentance and Mourning, just as we'll join with the ELCA in September for God's Work, Our Hands Sunday.

In an act of civil disobedience, Bree Newsome
 takes down the Confederate Flag
that flew at the South Carolina State Capitol

And so, I was sort of over the hump of hesitancy about doing this Service of Repentance and Mourning, and then something else hit me. I was kind of shocked, by my own fearfulness and callousness, my own desire to so quickly move on, from even a tragedy that affects me, on a personal level. I thought about how, in the celebrations of these lives that were lost, as the people have really come together, especially in South Carolina where I lived for almost five years, as it looks as if a great symbol of hatred, the Confederate Flag, is finally going to be taken down. A symbol that I would see frequently, as the state capitol, was not far from the seminary. As the people came together this past week, it seemed as if the work around racism was going to be finally accomplished. But throughout this great coming together, there has been a constant drumbeat that the work is not over, our problems aren't solved, and that coming together over this tragedy and a renewed focus to ridding ourselves of racism and racist symbols is wonderful, but this work needs to continue. 

So, I was a little shocked, when I heard those messages of the work needing to continue and agreeing with them, and then found myself thinking, "well, we don't really need to do that here in Holliston. Here at Christ the King." I was shocked by my own response, and it really speaks for itself. It speaks to our need to continue to remember, to continue to do the hard work of self-examination, about where we are in error in this country, and our own contributions to that error. Also, to examine just how in our day to day lives and goings-on, we contribute to a system that has not been founded on equality. The work needs to continue.

In thinking about this issue of race, I thought about what happened just a little before my time. It seems to me, that we as a society in general feel as if we've settled these issues over race, with things like the passage of the Civil Rights act, the marches that took place, and the movement as a whole. We feel that racial discrimination is a thing of the past because we've outlawed it in this country. The work though, is not complete.

The way we've dealt with race issues in this nation, is as if we were re-painting a room. While, it seems like the majority of the work is basically over, because we've gotten the main walls painted, and the room does look a lot different, there's more to do. There's now taking care of touching up some of the little areas, doing the trim work, and cleaning-up. The parts of painting that are real tedious, and take much longer than we think, or maybe that's just me, as I never seem to give enough time to complete any task. It seems like these things are just small potatoes, in the large body of work, and no one is real eager to start on them, like perhaps they were to take care of the bigger parts, that someone notices first. Yet, until this secondary work is done, the work is not complete, and the room while looking different, still remains a mess. 

This is what our work with racial inequality is in this country. It needs to be continued, and moved forward. It hasn't been completed, and the party responsible for leading the way on the work that remains is the Church. We are called to lead this work not because it makes us feel good, or even because it's the "right thing to do". We are called to lead this work, because the completed result of this work is the vision of the Kingdom of God. A vision of a people and creation living together in peace, justice, and in love. A place, a kingdom, where no one lives in fear. Rather, a place where each person lives with an abundance, and with dignity. 

God is at this work, and God is calling us to join in this work. God is calling us to repent. To be clear,

Top row: Cynthia Hurd, Rev. Clementa Pinckney, Rev. Sharonda Coleman-Singleton 

middle row: Daniel Simmons, Rev. Depayne Middleton Doctor, Tywanza Sanders

Bottom row: Myra Thompson, Ethel Lee Lance, Susie Jackson

the repentance that God calls us to, is not necessarily to feel ashamed, or sorry; or to not be proud of who we are and how we've gotten there. The repentance God is calling us to, is to turn and look at the world and admit to ourselves that the work is not yet done, and that God is calling us to join in the work that remains.

We are called to a repentance to turn and see that our sisters and brother, who don't look like many of us, experience this world and this country in a unique way, and often, that experience is not on equal terms as us. 
We are being called to repent and join our sisters and brothers, to be peacemakers and bridge the chasm that exists between us. We are being called to bridge this chasm not by saying "come and join us", but by joining others, in their walks, in their lives, and in their perspectives; by joining others in their sorrow and grief. 

Why do we need to repent?
Not too long ago, I was given a subscription to Ancestry.com, and in doing family research, there is a good possibility that one, (that I know of anyway) of my lines was a slave owner. While this discovery wasn't a real big issue for me in this time and place, I don't even really know if it's true, and doesn't seem to have any effect on me, I then thought about something else. My reflections turned to my Great-Great-Great Grandfather, Truman Payne, who had three different wives and four different marriages. My Great-Great-Great Grandmother was Truman's second wife, and yet in Truman's obituary, she's never even mentioned. I've previously wondered how this brokenness affected the lives of my Great-Great, my Great, and even my Grandmother, and consequently, how this family history has played into my own life. 

We are much bigger than ourselves, and while much of the past that makes us up is good, there are parts that can be tough to reckon with. Yet, looking at our past helps us to better understand who we are as we examine the roll it plays in making us the people we are in the present. 
When we examine our country's past, and think and show some empathy; we empathize with those whose ancestors were bought and sold, whose grandparents knew their place in society, whose parents were told where exactly it was that they could buy a house. These are the people today, who are told to be proud of their history and culture, and yet even today, often suffer if they are too proud, if they openly display their own "blackness" too much. 

We are a part of this society, and it is time for us to repent, and continue the hard work of self-examination, and to walk with those who view society with a different lens than the one we've been given. It is time to join our sisters and brothers of color in their walks, because Jesus is walking with them. It is time to join with our sisters and brothers in their walks, because Jesus is walking with us in order that we may join in the blessing of those who are the subjects of the Beattitudes.

One final piece that I would like to share. When I was in Columbia, SC, my friend Scott and I went to one of the little neighborhood, storefront type churches that were around the seminary. We did this to complete a class assignment of going to a worship service at a congregation in another denomination. The church we went to, like many in our neighborhood, was a black church. The service was about three hours long, and we were the only people in the service who were white, and yet, I've never felt more welcomed in a house of worship, than I was that day. 

We weren't only greeted by friendly people, but by people who actually cared that we were there. People who showed us where we were in the service, helped us to understand what was going on in the service, and spoke to us after the service in a way that made us feel as if we were guests, leaving the house of friends. The welcome we received was one of true friendship, and it was and is very humbling. 

Emanuel AME Church, Charleston, SC.

So, as we as a society, as a church, as even a pastor, are in danger of moving on from such tragic events, we remember that moving on isn't the way of the Kingdom of God. Instead, it is through repentance, and transformation, and a fuller reliance on the love that has been given to us, and will continue to be given to us, that will bring about this Kingdom. 

On this day of repentance, we join in mourning over the violence and loss of life in Charleston. We join in the mourning of a broken society, and our broken communities. And in our mourning, in our dark night, we wait with hope, because we know that as the Psalm says, "Joy comes in the morning." 
We give thanks today for the witness of all, the victims, the families, and so many others involved, who have shared God's love. We ask that their witness and grace may fill our lives, so that we too may witness to the One who is Lord of all, Jesus Christ.

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, 

Amen

Ask the Pastor: Does being chosen mean that some aren't chosen?

This post is a response to the following question that I received in my "Ask the Pastor." box.

In the Eucharistic Prayer, we pray that, “we would live as your chosen ones” The words “Chosen Ones” implies that there are those who are not chosen. Why would a loving God not chose everyone? Why the divisive language?

Sermon for June 21, 2015: #blacklivesmatter

This sermon was preached by Rev. Mark Peterson at Christ the King Lutheran church on Sunday, June 21, 2015. On June 17, an armed man murdered 9 people at Emanuel AME church in Charleston, SC. Among the dead was the pastor of Emanuel, Rev. Clementa Pinckney. 

Gospel: Mark 4:35–41

 ³⁵On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let us go across to the other side."  ³⁶And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him.  ³⁷A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped.  ³⁸But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?"  ³⁹He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm.  ⁴⁰He said to them, "Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?"  ⁴¹And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"

Greetings to you in the name of Jesus Christ,

Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been working on integrating a theme into my sermons, and into our life together here at Christ the King. This theme is “Chosen to Proclaim”. We have been chosen by God, chosen to be the people of God, chosen to know God, so that we may proclaim with our whole lives the abundant life God has given to all of creation. We have been chosen to proclaim the unending grace and love of God, as it has been given to us in Jesus Christ.

Myself, Rev. Clementa Pinckney, and Rev. Rick Reiten. 

Truly, we are a people, “Chosen to Proclaim.” Of course, part of our proclamation is confession, as we confess that we are chosen not because of our own merits, but by the grace of God. This morning, as we started our service, we said as part of our confession, “that we have looked the other way, when action was needed.” As a people “Chosen to Proclaim”, confession is a part of our proclamation.

This past week, like many of you, I woke up on Thursday morning, to the tragic news from Charleston, where the lives of 9 people were ripped away from them, as they gathered for bible study and prayer. I was in a state of disbelief as I read the text message from my friend, that said Clem Pinckney, a classmate in seminary, the keynote speaker at our graduation, a gentle, kind pastor, and a friend, was among the dead.

I’ve been praying, for this situation, and all involved, and I have been blessed by your prayers even for me. In the past few days, I’ve prayerfully struggled over the proclamation that I was being called to give this morning.

You see, in the wake of yet another tragedy, with an all too familiar theme, I confess that I struggle to proclaim the Word of God that has been given to me. I feel great temptation to stick to the safety of the distance we have from this tragedy, in both a literal and figurative sense. Charleston is a long way from Holliston, and our greater MetroWest communities. And, while we join in our nation’s collective grief, we also have the luxury to compartmentalize things like these, and leave the actual confrontation and dealing with the issues surrounding them, for someone else.

But for me, these events aren’t a long ways away. When someone you know, someone who you can remember nice conversations with in the tranquility of a seminary campus on a beautiful autumn night, is on national news because his life has ended in tragedy, things become surreally personal and painful.

So “this day,” just as the Bible says, “on that day,” Jesus commands us, “Let us go to the other side.” Let us venture from our safety and comfort, so that we may be with our Lord.

But, as we leave the safety of Holliston, still the storm rises-up within me, the winds of doubt and fear continue to blow-in upon me. Like the disciples, as I have prayed and struggled, I have questioned Jesus intentions, was he really calling me to preach these things, is he really calling upon me to say what God has laid upon my heart? As I question Jesus, I’ve continually been answered by him, with an old picture I was sent of myself, and my friend Rick on the day of our seminary graduation, and in between us, with a warm smile, was the Rev. Clementa Pinckney.

Seeing this picture, suddenly calmed the storms of doubt and fear that I had, as Jesus proclaimed to me the truth, and made this tragedy make sense. In that picture, were three men, who would all be pastors, and one of them is now dead, not because of some random act, but because of the color of his skin.

The taking of those 9 lives in Charleston was not a senseless tragedy. It is a tragedy that makes perfect sense in a world, in our nation, a nation where hatred, fear, and violent oppression, were not only at one time accepted, but were the law of the land. This tragedy makes sense in a nation that has torn the bloom off the poisonous plant of racism, but still refuses to take the steps needed to uproot it. This tragedy makes sense in a nation where the underlying current of racist feeling is so strong that it turns a blind-eye to the brokenness of a system built upon the privilege of a white person, like myself. The perpetrator of these acts, extreme as he may be, is unfortunately a natural by-product, of the system that our sinful, human hands have created, a system centuries in the making, and a system we are too afraid to confront.

We are a people, Chosen to Proclaim, our proclamation is Jesus Christ, and while he loves us so much he would die for us, and while he comes to us, no matter what, and feeds us with his merciful body and blood, the Jesus Christ that we have been chosen to proclaim does not let our sinful systems stand. Instead, through his transforming grace, he brings about change, he brings about a new creation where there is no longer Jew or Greek, male or female, white or black, but only One people, made into Christ’s body.

Though we proclaim our desire for this unity, though we denounce overt racism, prejudice, and discrimination, at this time, in this nation, even right here in Holliston, that proclamation is not enough. The proclamation that God loves everyone, and that all are equal before God, is not a statement of faith, merely a platitude, if we don’t follow Jesus in actively bringing about that reality and sharing it with our lives, especially in favor for those who are oppressed and pushed to the margins of society by the normal functioning of our broken system.

When I think about the life and love of Jesus, that we have been Chosen to Proclaim, the easy thing to say, is “All lives matter”, and we know that this is true. But as I think about that picture, as I stand here before you today; I know that society values my life, and the life of my family. It seems that our society, our broken world, still hasn’t gotten the message that indeed, #blacklivesmatter, just as much as my own.

We are “Chosen to Proclaim”, and we have proclaimed in our confession the sin of looking the other way when action was needed. We are “Chosen to Proclaim” that by his loving grace, Christ takes away our sin, and empowers us to act with righteousness and justice.

In the wake of the death of these 9 people, in the witness of their families to God’s mercy and grace, as we remember the way they stood in front of the man who killed their family members and said, “I forgive you” to him, through these saints, may Jesus open our ears to the cries of injustice, from those who are oppressed, and may he stir-up in us his powerful love, so that our words, our actions, and our lives will proclaim the truth about our broken world, the truth about our own privileged place in it, and the loving God who is transforming it.

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,

Amen

Ask the pastor: Why do you want to be a pastor?

The first question I received in my "Ask the Pastor" box is, "Why do you want to be a pastor?"

This is a difficult response to articulate, as I'm not real sure how to describe being a pastor as something to be "wanted". At it's foundation, the role of pastor is about trying to listen to what God wants as the ultimate goal, and following where God is calling, rather than doing what I want, comes with the territory of being a pastor.

To describe being a pastor in terms of a calling as opposed to being a career objective makes for a better fit. Being a pastor is a calling, mostly because I don't get to pick and choose who I'm a pastor to. Instead, I've been called to give people the truth of God's love, grace, justice, and peace, no matter who they are, what abilities they have, who they voted for, or how much they give. God's truth is shown to us in Jesus, so ultimately my calling, is to show Jesus to others.

While being a pastor is not necessarily about what I "want", that doesn't mean that I don't find joy in my call, and that I don't like doing it. I find being a pastor a great privilege and am grateful that I'm called to serve in this way. Here's a list of some of the things that make me tick as a pastor.:

-Serving God- ultimately, having only to answer to the Truth, is very freeing for me.

-Proclaiming Good News-when you share Jesus with people, it is sharing the gift of new life in all things.

-Presiding at the Sacraments: Baptism and Communion- "You have been sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked with the Cross of Christ forever." "The body of Christ, given for you. The Blood of Christ, shed for you." Participating in these rites is a source of great joy.

-Teaching about God and our place in God's story of salvation.

-The relationships that I get to be a part of, the sacred things that people entrust to me about their lives gives me a chance to be with others during the best and worst times. But whether it is joy or sorrow, God gives me a look at the depth of compassion and love that we are made and held with, and it is beautiful. People's stories are at the end of it all, really stories about God.

-Children

-Learning more about myself and human beings as I wonder and pray with the Creator of all things.

-Being around people who are called to serve and use their gifts in many unique ways, and bless me with their lives.

-Learning to see with the eyes of Christ, and sharing this vision in a wide variety of areas, especially in the life of a congregation.

-Having many ways to be creative and try to grow in that creativity in ways that connect with others.

As a final note, I just wanted to write that my calling as a pastor is something that has been formed in me since I was born. My parents, as well as my greater family, made faith a part of our life at home; they read the Bible to us, prayed with us, brought us to worship and Sunday School, shared fellowship with others in our congregation, hosted refugees from Central America, loved us, expected kindness and nurtured this formation throughout the years. Faith; a relationship with God through Christ's church and a relationship with all of creation through Christ's love is a part of who I am. Through this faith, given to me and sustained in me by the work of God and so many others, I have the honor, the very humbling honor, of being called as a pastor.

Sermon for May 17, 2015: Birthday Party Testimony

This sermon was preached by Rev. Mark Peterson at Christ the King Lutheran church on Sunday, May 17, 2015.

Second Reading: 1 John 5:9–13

⁹If we receive human testimony, the testimony of God is greater; for this is the testimony of God that he has testified to his Son.  ¹⁰Those who believe in the Son of God have the testimony in their hearts. Those who do not believe in God have made him a liar by not believing in the testimony that God has given concerning his Son.  ¹¹And this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.  ¹²Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

             ¹³I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.

Greetings to you in the name of Jesus Christ,

This morning, our reading from 1 John talks about testimony. Now, if one wants to find an example of testimony, they need go no further, than a 4-year old, giving testimony about how great birthday parties are. I’m not sure if this is universal, but I do know that my 4-year old, Charlie, is so into birthday parties, that he’s been planning his for about the last 7 months, and we still have about 5 months to go.

The plan has been revised over time, which is good, because at one point our house was going to be a Batcave, with Charlie reassuring me that we didn’t have to paint the whole house to make this happen, just some of it.

Young children sure know how to give testimony to how great a birthday is, and it is wonderful that we get to partner with Ascentria Care Alliance, to help give children in the Intensive Foster Care Program a birthday party. I hope that these children share in the same enthusiasm and anticipation as Charlie does for his birthday party. I hope that their birthday party testimonials are filled with imagination and wonder.

When Candace Cramer, from Ascentria, approached me about being a part of their 50 days of Easter campaign, I looked at our calendar, and thought about all that we have going on, and I was a little apprehensive. Thankfully, our Community Outreach Board and Christian Education Coach coordinated things and we were able to be a part of it. This morning, we will send those bags off with a great deal of love and joy, and I’m very thankful that we have gotten to be a part of things in this way.

As a human, this project, and our relationship with Ascentria is a great testimony for our congregation. We can tell people all about the great work that we are doing at Christ the King, and all the ways that we help people in need. Maybe, thinking of this from a human point of view, our work will inspire people to come and join us, so that we can do even greater things together. This project gives us a testimonial to reach out to a people who might be seeking a church that does these types of outreach projects. I do know, for example, that our involvement with Family Promise Metrowest has brought in some people, and most importantly, brought them for for the sake of a great cause, helping to house the homeless.

This is indeed, my human testimony. And when I say that the things our congregation does, the outreach ministries we are involved in are outstanding, I mean it, and giving our testimony about what we do is an important part of who we are. There is a problem though, my testimony is only human. Even if I give my testimony with the enthusiasm of a 4-year old talking about birthday parties, it is still, limited testimony.

To bring it back to that birthday-party testimony. In my experience, what makes birthday parties wonderful aren’t really the things that 4-year olds have in mind. Sure, a good theme, decorations, cake, and presents can be a part of a great party, but there is no thing or experience that you can give to a child that is melt-down proof. What really makes a birthday party worthy of such a testimony, are the relationships the child has, and the feeling of people celebrating with you, because they care about you. The type of relationships that aren’t always so readily available in the lives of foster children.

As we send these bags off this morning, if our testimony is only concerned with telling our story about the great work we’ve done, then like all human endeavors, what we’ve done becomes pretty insignificant. Without loving relationships, without people celebrating with you because they care about you, we could throw a birthday party for these kids in the actual Batcave with unlimited Batmobile rides and it would still fall short of giving them what they really need, which is love and nurturing.

Christ the King prepared birthdays in a bag, and they are packed
and ready to go to the children in Ascentria Care Alliance's
 Intensive Foster Care Program

Thankfully, we aren’t giving these bags to those children so that they receive our own, human testimony, nor are we doing this so that everyone who follows are facebook page will receive a testimony about how great we are. Rather, the testimony that we are sharing is much greater than us, it is the testimony of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

The testimony of Christ testifies that continues to call us into relationship with God and with each other. The testimony that calls us to love the sisters and brothers God has given to us. That calls us to love God’s children, as our own children, no matter who they are.

And, even though we fall short even in that regard, this is the testimony that saves us with a life poured out on the cross and that is given to us in all times and places through the power of Christ’s resurrection and ascension. The testimony of a love which knows no boundaries and a life given to save a world so broken, it would even have a need for foster programs in the first place.

This is the testimony, the testimony of Jesus Christ, that we are sharing with those children, and the testimony they are sharing with us. It is a testimony of love, and we send these bags on to those children because we do love them. And we join in the work of Ascentria, because this partnership helps us to share this loving testimony in ways that we aren’t able. And most of all, by this testimony, we remember how short our own love and actions can fall and fail, and in doing so, we hear the testimony of Christ, saying to us, “This is my body, given for you. This is my blood, shed for you.”

May we grasp hold of this testimony, and know that though our life is short and our love limited, we will never be without Christ’s eternal life. And may we grow in our trust of this promise, so that we may live in the joy of sharing this love, and rise together, with all of our fellow sisters and brothers in the resurrection of Christ.

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,

Amen

Stewardship Castles

The following was written for the May 2015 edition of Christ the King's newsletter. 

Greetings to you in the name of Jesus Christ,

Did you know that there is a castle at Christ the King? If you take a look in our narthex, you will find a castle that has been handmade by the students of the Blessed Beginnings Preschool. This one of a kind castle is made out of such things as egg cartons, paper towel tubes, and pipe cleaners, and it is a great creation.

What’s really great about the castle, is that the students did it cooperatively and without the help of their teachers, on a special day called, “Work Together Wednesday.” While I’m sure the students got a lot out of the experience and had a great time, “working together,” this lesson is really for adults, and it is a lesson in STEWARDSHIP!

The first point of this lesson, is that we have been given what we need to accomplish the task at hand, more specifically in our case, the work of God. The students weren’t given a fancy Lego set, they just had an abundance of things that usually fill up our trash and recycling bins. They could have pleaded or begged the teachers to give them different or better materials, or they could have sat around and complained to each other that they didn’t have enough, but instead, they joyfully went about their task with what they had.

God has given us enough, an abundance even, to commence taking up the mission or task God has given us to do. This is simply using the lives that we have, to share the loving gift of each day with each other, in a world of fellowship and plenty for all. Carrying out God’s mission is our joyful, everyday duty, and if we have breath, we have enough.

The second point of this lesson, is that we are called to do this work together. It wasn’t “see who can make the best castle Wednesday” it was “Work together Wednesday.” In order to work together, the students had to be in constant communication together. Imagine if one or two students decided to take over the whole project, the other kids would have found other things to do. Or if one or two four-year olds decided to throw a temper tantrum, the cardboard tubes would have been no match for a child that decided if they couldn’t have their way, no one could. This task depended on the efforts and voices of all children, their ability to share the work, and the humility to share in a communal vision.

God calls us to work together. The process of working, sharing, and learning to communicate culminates in something that has been created by many hands, together in One Spirit. Carrying out God’s mission requires being stewards of the vision and work that we have been given, and a commitment to the sacred space where we are called into an ever greater spirit of humility and not accomplishment.

The third point of this lesson is that the fruits of our work, are there to remind us of the joy, fellowship, and love we share together, and encourage us to continue in that Spirit. The castle that the children put together is really great, but the image it gives us into the work that they engaged in is the real treasure. Great works of art are nice to look at, but they come alive and truly magnificent when we hear the story, sentiment, and spirit that went into making them. The castle is a great work of art, and that time the children spent working on it is truly a priceless gift to both them and us.

God calls us to stewardship not as a way to build great things, but in order to grow in our trust and relationship with God, and to be reminded of all that God has done for us and for all people. When we give our money, our time, our commitment, our spirit, and our lives over to the church, it helps us to realize the gift of God’s Holy Spirit, that is alive in us and is given to us so that we may know joy. This joy is the joy of being alive, the joy of working together, the joy of the creation that God has given to us, and especially the joy of the love that Jesus has for each of us, the joy that called him to the humility of the cross. As stewards of God, may we continue to grow in our humility, so that we may experience the joy of God’s loving presence, and tell the story of God’s saving love.

Thank you to Blessed Beginnings Preschool, and its dedicated teachers, board, and volunteers, for sharing such valuable lessons with us all.

In Christ,

Pastor Mark