Daily Lenten Thoughts- Ash Wednesday, 2007- "Extreme Makeovers"

I'm trying something for Lent. I've never been that great at doing Lenten disciplnes, but I'm still going to try again this year. For the next six weeks, I will be reading the Daily Lectionary and offering my thoughts on the text. I will do my best to post them in the morning, so you can use them if you want to follow along.

Daily Texts:
Jonah 3:1-4:11
Luke 18:9-14

Ash Wednesday Texts:
Joel 2:1-2, 12-17
Psalm 51:1-17
Isaiah 58:1-12
Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21


It's interesting that the two daily texts I read (Jonah and Luke) are also very fitting texts for today. This is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the season of Lent, and what better themes to talk about than repentance and piety?

As I was reading the texts, the passage from Joel seemed to strike me the most with the phrase "rend your hearts and not your clothing." Maybe it was because I heard a report on National Public Radio this morning. The story was about presidential candidates trying to woo social conservative voters and for a moment it focused on one Tammy Bennett who is the founder of Makeover Ministries which is about "inspiring women to look good from the inside out and to be supermodels for Christ. " Ms. Bennett went on to talk about one the most important issues for her which was the "sanctity of marriage," which ususally means trying to make sure that gays and lesbians don't access to civil marriage.

As I thought about that, I then went over to the Isaiah text for today which states:

Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin? Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator shall go before you, the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am.

Isaiah and Joel wanted to give the Israelites a "come to Jesus" moment. God wasn't interested in outside repentance that was only mechanical, while the people were still treating others like crap. God wants a "total makeover" an examination our lives, a willingness to stop treating others terribly and start proclaiming justice in the land.

Ms. Bennett is good at outside piety, but she is also wanting to make sure that those of us love someone of the same sex are barred from even basic protections. The outside might look amazing, but the inside? Not so much.

As we begin Lent, all of us are called to look at our lives. How are we living? Are we giving honor by trying to live the life God calls us to live, or are we all for show? Can we, like the tax collector and the king of Nineveh to come before God and ask for mercy and repent? Will we allow God to "makeover" our lives?

Dear God,
You are not interested in surface repentance. You call us to change and change is hard. Lord, it is easier to live for show and to please others than to actually seek repentance and renewal. In this time of Lent, rend our hearts Lord. Let us not be satisfied with rending mere clothing. As the psalmist says, Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. Amen.

Sunday Sermon- Transformation Sunday- February 18, 2006

“Jesus is Coming. Look Busy.”

Exodus 34:29-35, Luke 9:28-36

Transfiguration Sunday

February 18, 2006

Lake Harriet Christian Church

Minneapolis, MN

For those who have heard me preach before, you know I like to start of with a story. Today, I don't have a story to share- I have two stories to share. The first is one that is “ripped from the headlines” as they say, and another is something that has happened in my own life.

Last week, we heard the latest news from the former pastor Ted Haggard. Mr. Haggard, was the pastor of a mega-church in Colorado Springs and considered a leader in evangelical circles. He also was involved in measures that would ban gay marriage. Last fall, people found out that Mr. Haggard was involved in a sex scandal with a male prostitute where he would consume methanphetamine, or meth. Mr. Haggard resurfaced in the news again, declaring himself “100 percent hetrosexual.” He said he and his wife will go and study pshychology. Will he stay “100 percent hetrosexual?” I don't know.

The other story is not as scandalous or even as salacious. In fact, it is quite boring. Last summer, I was asked to help plan opening worship for the Regional Assembly of the Christian Church in the Upper Midwest. We finally made a date for an evening meeting here at Lake Harriet. So, I worked my eight-hour day as usual and then drove from Arden Hills to south Minneapolis. For some reason I was in a bad mood. It might have been a long day at work, I don't know. All I know that I was cranky and was even more cranky that I didn't have a chance to come home and rest before coming to this meeting. And since it was July in Minnesota we were in the middle of a heatwave where the temps were in the 90s. I met with Tammy, our Associate as well as two other people, Sue Prins and Janet Lott, both from Iowa. Janet, is a licensed minister who as many of might know is the music director of a Disciples church in Marshalltown, Iowa. She also happens to be an associate minister at Lake Harriet. We decided to meet in the sancutary, where there was no air conditioning, on this god-awful hot day. Oh, that made me even more cranky.

As we got down to meeting, I started noticing this wasn't the normal church meeting. Now, I have to add that I am not particularly fond of church meetings. Of course, as a pastor you end up going to a lot of meetings. But, back to the story. Janet was leading this meeting and there was something different about it. Instead of sitting around a table, we meet up in the chancel area sitting on the floor. A candle was placed in the middle. During part of the planning, we listened to scripture and allowed space for God to work. This seemed less a meeting than it was a time to be before God and ask for guidance.

Today is commonly called the Transfiguration Sunday. It's the last Sunday of Epiphany and it kind of prepares us for Lent, which begins on Ash Wednesday. It's called Transfiguration Sunday because the gospel text is about the story of Jesus going up to a mountain to pray and being transformed in front of his disciples. Normally pastors will talk about mountaintop experiences, and then talk about the work to do back down in the valley.

However, I think there is more going on here than what is commonly known. When you tie this with today's Old Testament text, a picture emerges which I think has something to say to the gathered community here at this time and place.

In Exodus, we see Moses coming down with the Ten Commandments. He had spent time with God as the law was being created. What he didn't notice as he came down was that his face was literally shinning. That made all the Israelites nervous and they were afraid to come near Moses. So what does he do? He wears a veil that covers up his shiny face in order to calm the fears of those around him.

In Luke, as I said earlier, Jesus takes three of his disciples up a mountain to pray. He is then transformed and appears with Moses and Elijah. Peter is one of those disciples present and when he sees this, he thinks it's an opportunity for home improvement. “It's good for us to be here, Jesus. Why don't we build three tents for all of you guys?”

It's then that the disciples see a cloud and hear a voice that tell them Jesus is the beloved son and that they should listen to him.

As I was studying and reflecting on the passages, three things came to mind. The first one, is that we like to be in control, especially of God. The second is how God wants us just to spend time with God and we want to be busy for God. The third is how we tend to wear veils in order to cover up our true selves.

In both passages, the people who saw this presence of God were nervous. They didn't know how to react to the image of God in their midst, so what did they do? They controlled the situation. The Israelites asked Moses to put a veil on, and Peter decided it made sense to build a memorial. I think we are at times afraid of the wildness of God and that was truly expressed in his son Jesus. We are uncomfortable with a God who meets with prositutes and other losers, we don't like a God that dies an ugly death on the cross and we don't like a God who comes back to life. That is too much to bear. So, we try to put God in a box. We make God one who conforms to a political parties' platform, we make God in Jesus into a “wise man” or “revolutionary,” we make God anything but who God truly is. When th voice speaks in today's gospel, that voice is saying for the disciples and all of us to pay attention to this Jesus. Stop trying to make him into something that is safe and pay attention.

The second thing to gleam from this is pretty similar: we spend too much time doing “God's work” and not enough time with God. Like the Israelites, we feel nervous about spending time with God. I will be the first to admit that this is my problem. I feel nervous in God's presence, worried that I'm not doing it right or that I don't measure up. The thing is, I don't think God cares. I think what matters to God is a relationship, I really don't think God is sitting there with a scorecard.

The third thing is that since we are so nervous around God, we not only try to spend time in busy work, we try to cover up our true selves. We've all known people who have this happy facade, but in reality there trouble brewing beneath. Sadly, church can be a place where we only show one part of our lives, and not be honest with ourselves and with God. Again, we are busy putting on veils instead of allowing ourselves the space to meeting with God.

This gathered community finds itself in an interesting position. We are getting ready for Lent, a time of introspection and renewal. We are also in a time of transition as we end our ministry together with Terry Steeden and move on to a new phase. In light of today's scripture, it would be easy to get busy doing “God work” or other work and not face what is going on in our lives. It is so easy to get worked up about this transition to not spend time with God. It would be easy to wonder if God can do anything for us. I want to leave you with this: let God be God and let you be you. Be honest about your fears and concerns. As the good book says, bear one another's burdens and most important, bring them to God. Spend time with God and leave the veil on the curtain rod. Let us be led by God, the same one who came in the form of Jesus, broke bread with sinners, died on a cross and rose again. Let us see what God can do through us and around us.

I want to close talking about the image up on the screen. This is mural called Light of the World, and it is found at United Lutheran Church in Grand Forks, North Dakota. It was done by an artist, David Hetland, who died last year on Easter Sunday. He was well-known for his religious art, and it can be found in many places around the country, though you will find a fair amount in the communities along the Red River in Minnesota and North Dakota.

This mural is fascinating to me. You see Christ, dressed in white as in the Transfiguration, and yet you also see the nail-pierced hands and feet, a reminder of Jesus date with the cross. And yet, we also see water flowing from those wounds, the waters of baptism that remind us that God is always with us and loves us. Here is God, untamed, the one that faces a gruesome death, and yet brings us salvation. This is the one that brings light to our darkened lives and rays of hope to chase away our clouds of despair.

This is God, no holds barred. And we, all of us here this morning, are called to live authentic lives, to be a light to our community and to our world, to show the world that God is alive and loves us all.

This is the beloved son of God. Listen to him. Thanks be to God. Amen.

What is the Church About?

I'm a little hesitant in bringing up this post, because I know there will be people that will think that "Dennis hates poor people and probably kicks puppies." That's far from the truth. (I mean, I would kick kittens, instead.)

Seriously, I know that there will be people who will assume the following critique means I don't care about social justice when in reality I do. But I still have this problem.

Fellow Disciple and blogger, Michael Davidson stated his resolutions concerning our denomination, the Disciples of Christ. I agree with most of it, but I have some questions about the following:

We will become even more mission-focused. A missional focus that does not seek to create more Christians or churches, but rather seeks to serve our world through: standing up for economic justice; being a non-consumer driven church; standing against all kinds of discrimination based on race, gender, socioeconomic, or sexual orientation; altering systems in our culture and Christendom that tolerate mediocrity in the name of maintaining power or creating diversity.
Only then will they know us by our love, and will an authentic Christian witness revealed.

Now, I am someone who thinks that mission, being "sent out" into the world carrying the good news of Christ is important. I think it is important for Christians to engage in acts of justice, not just as a side issues but as part of who we are. But there is also a question that tugs at me: if the church is only focused on economic injustice, ending all forms of discrmination and the like, who really needs the church? The fact is that there are a lot of good and wonderful people who do these things without the church. (I don't agree with those who say you can't be both moral and an atheist.) We don't need to get up on Sunday mornings, let alone give money to a local church, when such money can be spent directly on the poor, instead of paying pastors and administators. To take it farther, we don't need denominational officials or structures, since again, we should be spending money on social justice.

(I'm also a bit peeved by his dismissiveness of new churches, being a new church pastor. I will get to that in a moment.)

For me, I do justice not because it is what Christianity is all about, I do it out of joyous response of what God has done in my life in particular and the whole of creation. God came to earth in the form of Jesus and lived with us. Jesus then died for us a freed us from the power of sin. We now live in God's grace. When someone does something wonderful for you, what is your normal response? Well, to "pay it forward." I do justice out of the love that God has shown. God has shown love and we want to share that love.

Davidson also seems to be dismissive of new churches. Being a new church pastor, I take some offense. One of the reasons I helped plant Community of Grace was to be an Open and Affirming church, a place where gays and lesbians can worship freely. This new church has brought one person back to church after years of not feeling welcomed because of his sexuality. He has come back to community and his faith has grown because of this new church. Church planting can also be about justice.

Justice is the evidence of our faith, but it is not the faith itself.

Sunday Sermon- Baptism of Our Lord, January 7, 2007

“No Do Overs”

Isaiah 43:1-7, Luke 3:15-22

January 7, 2007 (Baptism of Our Lord)

Community of Grace Christian Church

Minneapolis, MN

Did you ever have one of those experiences where you are playing a board game and you made some kind of mistake? Someone usually has pity on you and you get what is called a “do-over.”

I live for those moments.

Do overs can be great, I mean you get another chance. I really like them when I was playing some kind of athletic game as a kid. Since I was not blessed with physical prowess, this meant that I had another shot at getting it right.

Getting a do-over in say, kickball, is a good thing, but do-overs don't work so well in the life of faith. In fact, they might do some damage.

Today is what is commonly called The Baptism of Our Lord. It is on this day, that we read about Jesus, the Son of God, the one who had no sin, coming forth to be baptized. Baptism has always been a touchy subject for me. As many of you know, I come from the Baptist tradition, so people tend to get baptized later in life than someone from a tradition that practices infant baptism. Baptists as well as Disciples believe in something called “believer's baptism,” which means that the person usually makes a profession of faith before they are baptized. I got baptized in December 1976 at New Jerusalem Baptist Church in my hometown of Flint, Michigan. I was seven years old and didn't understand everything that was going on. Anyway, I did get baptized and went on to grow up in the church and learn about God and about how God loved me.

As I got older, I started to have doubts. I would hear many preachers talking about making sure we were saved by God and I would fret about this. Did I really believe? It didn't get any better when I was in college. Back then, I shared my concerns with my campus pastor. His belief was that in my case, I might want to get baptized again since I wasn't sure. When I shared this with my mother, she looked at me as if I had just turned purple. I never went through with it and over time, I put my fears to rest. That was until about five years later when I was looking to join a Baptist church in Washington, DC. I was chatting with the pastor, and he asked if I had been baptized. I said yes “Was it a believer's baptism?” he said. I tensed up. All the doubts came back. You see, he believed that the “believer's baptism” was the only true way to be baptized and had “re-baptized” those who came from traditions where they were baptized as children. Despite my doubts, I told him I had been baptized.

Baptism, is an interesting tradtion because we humans just don't get it. We tend to think it is something we do, and forget it is something that God does. While I was pointing out how some misinterpret “believer's baptism,” there are many who see infant baptism as some kind of magic that protects children from the flames of hell. Again, we think it is a human action, but baptism is a reminder of who God is and who we are in God.

In today's Gospel, Jesus is going to be baptized. In some passages, he is baptized by his cousin John, but in this passage it seems that John is in prison, so someone else must be doing the deed. After he is baptized, the Holy Spirit comes down and a voice from heaven says, “You are my Son, the beloved, with you I am well pleased.”

This passage is pretty short, but it says a whole lot. The pastors I heard in my youth seemed to think that you had to be incredibly perfect to make your baptism stick. You needed to be sure in your heart for it to work or you needed to profess your faith for it to have any affect. If you made a mistake, you got a do-over and could do it again.

But that's not what a baptism is all about. What happens when Jesus is baptized reminds us what this event is all about: it is a reminder that we are loved by God, that we are part of God's family and that there is nothing that can tear us from that love, not our doubts, not our sins, nothing. And then when we are washed clean by God, we are then called into the world to bring God's message to all.

Baptism is about entering into a relationship with the creator of the universe. This God that loves us so much that God sent his only Son for us, reminds us when we are baptized.

Baptism isn't magic; it's about a relationship. God reminds us that we are loved, and we pledge to love God and serve others. Jesus' baptism was the beginning of his public ministry. All those miracles and teachings didn't happen until he was baptized. The baptism was not a good luck charm, but it grounded him, he was doing this for God, because he had a relationship with the Father.

I tend to keep up on what's going on in other denominations, and since I know a lot of Lutherans, I tend to know what's going among our Lutheran brothers and sisters. In a few weeks an ecclesastical trial will take place. There is a pastor from Atlanta, Brad Schemling, that has been found to be in a relationship with another male pastor. Now, the ELCA frowns on gay pastors in relationships. What they outcome of this trial will be in still in doubt, but I am reminded that some of Lutheran friends who believe in the ministry of all believers tend to say that if gay people can't be pastors, then don't baptize them. Now being a logical man, that used to not make sense to me. I knew Lutherans were baptized as infants and no one can determine sexual orientation when some one is in diapers. But then that was the point. When we baptize a child, we don't ask if they are gay or straight, we see them as a child of God that is to be brought up in the ways of God. If we don't prohibit someone from being baptized and told that God loves them, then why are we prohibiting them from sharing that love with others in the role of minister?

Community of Grace has gone through a lot in the past few years. We are at a crossroads here. I think I can speak for Dan in saying I feel tired and listeless and feeling a bit of despair. Why didn't anyone come visit us? Why aren't more people in the pews? What did we do wrong?

While I feel that way sometimes....well, most of the time, I also think God is telling me something else. The fact is, as small as we are, we are a gathered community of baptized believers. We are part of God's family and we are on a mission. I will say that again: we are a gathered community of baptized believers and we are on a mission. Baptism is also a call to go into the world and share God's love. We are modern apostles, which in Greek means “sent out.” Church isn't about how many people are in the pews, but if the people in those pews are going to go out and “be Christ” to the world. Are we showing that Christ's spirit of caring for the poor, for all of creation, of welcoming everyone and anyone? Community of Grace has tried to do that, though sometimes we've gotten off track. That's why we try to give a portion of our offerings to a charity. When we offered pastoral care after the death of Charlie XXXX, we were being Christ and affirming our baptism, that God loves us and in response we will love others.

I think we need to do more. I think we need to do more acts like going to soup kitchens or delivering meals to persons living with HIV/AIDS or the elderly. Our worship needs to focus on giving praise to God and preparing us for mission in the world.

In a few moments, we will reaffirm our baptism. We will pledge to live lives pleasing to God, to renounce sin and to work for justice and peace. We are reminded that church is more than just going to a service once week, but it is about being sent into this world armed with God's love and knowing that we are loved by God no matter what.

The Preamble to the Design of the Christian Church says this about baptism:

Through baptism into Christ,

we enter into newness of life

and are made one with the whole people of God.

Baptism isn't about trying to get right before God as some of the pastors of my youth thought. It isn't some magic trick either. It's about entering into a new life and new family. It's about remembering what God has done in our lives and in gratitude sharing that same love with others. Our renewal of our baptismal vows is a reminder that a church isn't a country club, but a people on a mission with God as our guide.

If I had to give an answer to my campus minister and my minister in DC, about my certainty of my faith and if my baptism meant anything, I know what my answer would be. It's an old answer; it's the opening lines of the Heidelberg Catechism, one of the important creeds from the Reformed branch of Protestant Christianity. Since it's a catechism, it's in question and answer form. That first question says, what is your only comfort in life and death? The answer is what I would say to those pastors:

That I am not my own,
but belong—
body and soul,
in life and in death—
to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ.

He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood,
and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil.
He also watches over me in such a way
that not a hair can fall from my head
without the will of my Father in heaven:
in fact, all things must work together for my salvation.

Because I belong to him,
Christ, by his Holy Spirit,
assures me of eternal life
and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready
from now on to live for him.

Seems like a good enough answer. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Sunday Sermon- First Sunday of Christmas, December 31, 2006

I did some more supply preaching over the holidays. Here's another sermon I gave.

“Wholly Family”

Luke 2:41-52; Colossians 3:12-17

December 31, 2006

Edgcumbe Presbyterian Church

St. Paul, MN

Mary's having a baby.

No, I'm not talking about Mary, the mother of Jesus here, I'm talking about Mary Cheney, one of the daughters of Vice President Dick Cheney. Now, normally this wouldn't garner so much attention, but the fact that Ms. Cheney is a lesbian and has been in a committed relationship with a woman for 15 years and the fact that a vocal group within the party she and her father belong to think homosexuality is wrong IS news. Usually, the news of a pregnancy brings good news, but for a number of religious leaders, this was not good news. Janet Crouse, the leader of Concerned Women for America, called the event and I quote, “unconscionable.” A policy analyst for another group, Focus on the Family said that while he had empathy for Cheney and her partner's good news, “love can't replace a father and a mother.”

What does family mean in almost 2007? That has been the question that has inflamed what is called the “culture wars” for about 25 years. For some, it means having a father and a mother who are married. For others, it could mean two same sex partners.

This past June, I had the opportunity to attend a family reunion in Louisiana. I had the chance to see relatives that I haven't seen in years. We Sanders live all over the place, from Louisiana, to Texas, to Georgia, Michigan and Minnesota, Arizona and California. We had a great time of catching up and eating great food; fried chicken, fried catfish, crawfish ettoufe, boiled shrimp and so forth. Events like these remind me of my family, it reminds me of who I am: a Sanders.

So for a follower of Christ, what should family mean? You see, those culture wars I talked about are also affecting the church and I'm well aware about how these debates are affecting the Presbyterian Church. Notice I didn't say what does family mean, but what should it mean. I say this because I'm beginning to think that how God looks at family is bigger than how we look at it.

In today's gospel, we see that Jesus and the family are going on a trip to Jerusalem. When I was a kid on long trips, I would probably sing to myself or read a book. I have no idea what Jesus did. Anyway, they went to Jerusalem for Passover. Afterwards, they headed home. Mary and Joseph didn't see Jesus, but thought maybe he was with friends, so they journeyed on. After a while, the didn't see him at all. Now, they were starting to worry. They turn around and head back to Jerusalem and spend three days searching for him. They finally find him in the temple talking to the teachers. You can imagine that his parents were fuming. His mother was angry that he had caused them to worry. Now, at this point, you would expect that a kid like Jesus would say something like “I'm sorry.” But Jesus didn't say that. Instead he says, “Why were you looking for me? Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?”

That left Mary and Joseph stumped, and it leaves us stumped as well. Didn't Jesus care about his mother and father? And what's this being in his Father's house?

I think this little exchange reminds us that Jesus had a different understanding of what it meant to be family. In later years, Jesus would say that whoever does the will of God is his mother and brother.

So what is Jesus saying about family? I don't think he saying that family is bad, but Jesus seems to be saying that family should be bigger than blood ties. Jesus said he needed to be in his Father's house. This meant that he needed to be about God's business and that was of higher concern than family ties.

There is a lot of talk in Christian circles about family values. Now, I'm certainly not against families and I don't think Jesus is calling for the breakup of families. However, Jesus is concerned when family becomes a god and takes the place of godly values.

When Jesus walked this earth, he seemed to be willing to accept everybody. He made friends with people that many would not want to be near at all. Jesus practiced a radical hospitality that made anyone a member of the family.

As Christians, we are called to practice this same hospitality. We are called to be a family of God that is made of up people from different walks of life.

A few years ago, I visited a church in the area that has the word “family” in its name. The service was okay, but no one really welcomed me to the church. This church seemed to care a lot about families of the nuclear sort, but it didn't welcome a stanger into their church family.

But there is a positive example of what family is and I didn't have to go to far to find it. A few years ago, I started to attend this congregation for a time. It was in early March of 2002, that I found out that my mother had breast cancer. I sent an email to Pastor Cindy Ray about this. A few days later, checked my email and noticed that there were a ton of emails from members of Edcumbe who all said they were praying for me and my Mom. I was deeply touched by this, because I was someone who most of you didn't know and yet you treated me as if I were a long time member. That's what Jesus means by family.

As Christians we are to be about family values, but our definition has to be wider. We need to welcome those from all backgrounds, regardless of their race or gender, regardless if they are rich or poor, regardless if they are straight or gay. All of these people are God's children and therefore part of the family.

A well known restaurant chain has a slogan that goes, “When you're here, your'e family.” That should be what any community that claims to follow Jesus is like, a place where all are welcomed and none are excluded.

Let us be about our Father's business. Thanks be to God. Amen.

What I've Learned From Church Planting, Part Two

One of the religious blogs that I follow, well, religiously, is the blog by Bob Hyatt, an evangelical church planter in Portland, Oregon. For those who think that all American evangelicals are all like James Dobson, you will be surprised. (But then, there are many types of evangelicalism out there.)

Bob is revisiting some old posts from 2006 and he talks about "Burger King Christianity," or trying to make church attractive to people. He writes:

...the goal is not to pack a room, and it's not the Pastor's job to get your friends saved. And shame on any pastor whose model allows people to think it is...The attractional model of church is perfectly designed to create consumers of church rather than covenant community... Give them (newcomers) the option/responsibilty of creating a community that makes sense to them, that works for them. Still individualistic? Sure... We're not saying that church should just be "This is what we offer- take it or leave it." But when we make allowances for individualism in healthy ways like creating open source community and allowing people to have a hand in shaping what happens, rather than the unhealthy ways of trying to figure out what it is people want and then working like crazy to give it to them, I think we end up creating more covenant communities and less consumers. And when we call people to create a community that not only works for them but for those around them as well...

When I think about Community of Grace, I think we worked too hard in trying to make CoG attractive and not about making a community and allowing people to have a role in fashioning this. It was there buzzing around in the back on my mind, but the whole jist and thrust was about getting butts in the seats.

I'm still thinking about this. More to come...

I Don't Know. Hallelujah!

I don't know if you heard this on Morning Edition this morning, but they had a wonderful essay on their This I Believe segment from Richard Rohr, a well-known Catholic priest, who decide to talk about his belief in mystery. Here's a snippet:

"...many religious folks insist on answers that are always true. We love
closure, resolution and clarity, while thinking that we are people of "faith"!
How strange that the very word "faith" has come to mean its exact opposite.
"

How very true. You can read or hear the rest, here.

What I've Learned from Church Planting, Part One

Community of Grace is facing a crossroads of sorts. Attendance has fallen off significantly, and the leadership is just plain exhausted. We have decided to enter a time of discernment and see what happens in the next few months. If nothing changes by May 2007, we will make a decision to end the current form of ministry.

As that time draws near, I’ve wondered what things could have been done differently. I’ve been thinking that if I do this again, or even continue this is some other form, there are some things I would do that I didn’t do this time around.

Gather a group of committed people willing to help plant a church with you. When I started CoG back in 2004, I asked some people who were interested in starting a church and people did show up. However, many of them were not people who committed. That’s nothing against them, it was just this was something they were curious about, but not interested in doing this in the long term. I would spend some time finding people from all walks of life who are interested in planting a church. I wouldn’t only look for church going people, but even those who are curious and willing to stick it out in the long run.

The thing is, having more people that are church planters put less pressure on the pastor and make it a more community building event. Having to carry a church on your shoulders only leaves you tired.

Pray. Yeah, I know this sounds pretty pathetic, but I failed to spend a lot of time in prayer and I didn’t encourage those who were with me, like my co-pastor, to come together in prayer. Prayer isn’t some kind of magic, but it does keep us grounded in God and without it, you start to get really frustrated, really easily. And I did.

Have no other churches before you. Another problem is that I was still involved in another church, as was the co-pastor. It gave the idea that CoG was more a hobby than a real ministry. If I did this again, I would give up membership with my old church and focus on the new church.

Make sure to secure funds for the church. The fact that we had no way to pay staff hurt us. We relied on our denomination for money, but they could only give so much. It was also hard to get others to give, because many thought that was the denomination’s job. Evangelical churches can do a whole lot better in getting financial support. If I did this again, I would basically come up with some kind a spiel that would give people a vision and a way to latch on. A church staff does this for love of God, but they have to pay bills like everyone else.

Build community, NOT a church. One of my favorite verses is Acts 2:42-47. It talks about those first believers coming together as a community. That is what church should be: about building community. Too often we were focused on building a church, a place where people come and get a little God once a week and move on. A community is a place where we learn to be followers of Christ, not just on Sunday, but everyday. We needed to be a people who prayed together, worship together, study the word together and just be together. I’m not talking about a cult, but about trying to be the body of Christ.

Another related thing was that we were trying to do certain things that would draw people. If we used a projector…if we move to this location…if we meet at this time…all of this turned church into a commodity. We should have focused more on being the church.

That’s all I have for now, but I’m sure there are others. Stay tuned…

Sunday Sermon- Second Sunday in Advent, December 17, 2006

Oscar Romero.


I've been supply preaching the last two Sundays at a Presbyterian Church in St. Paul. Here's the sermon I gave there this morning:

“Not A Tame God, Part Two”
Luke 3: 7-18
December 17, 2006
Edgcumbe Presbyterian Church
St. Paul, MN




From the time I was about seven until maybe I was old enough to drive, my Dad would get me up at about 6am on a Saturday morning once a month to get to the barber shop before they opened around 7:30 or so. A line would form and Dad wanted to be among the first.

I hated doing this. Saturdays were for sleeping in and not trying to get to the barber shop before the other guy. However, we did it and maybe as a token of my patience, Dad would take me to breakfast where I would have pancakes.

I always got the same haircut; short, but not too close. For years, Dad would tell the barber what I wanted. I think when I got around 11 or 12, I started telling the barber what I wanted. Well, one Saturday, when I was about 13, I told the barber I wanted it cut short. So he went to work and I sat not paying attention. When he was done and spun me around, I was shocked; he had cut my hair really short. I mean were talking the next step was looking like Kojack. Now, these days, that is my standard haircut, but back then it wasn't and I thought I looked horrible. I remember just crying like crazy. Here it was, I wanted a little off the top; and I what I got was a buzzcut.

This got me thinking about today's passage; some people wanted a little off the top and John the Baptist was preaching a total buzzcut.

If you remember from last week, I said John the Baptist is not anyone's favorite Biblical character. He's rude and can't say anything nice and he certainly lives up to that in today's gospel, if you can it that. The passage opens with the crowds who were listening to John. Many in the crowd decided to come forward to be baptized. Now, I just celebrated the 30th anniversary of my baptism and I've learned that baptism is about being reminded of God's love for us. I don't think John was sitting in on my seminary class, because he calls those coming forward a “brood of vipers.” He tells them to produce fruit in keeping with repentance and to not rely on religious or family ties for salvation. He talks about an ax that is getting ready to cut down poor producing trees and throw them into the fire.

When was the last time you saw a preacher say that at a baptism? If they did, I can bet they didn't stay in the pulpit very long.

You know, in the past, when I have preached this sermon, I would have said that poor John was off his rocker. He was preaching a message of hell and damnation, a message of what my Lutheran friends like to say, “works-righteousness.” On the other hand, Jesus preached a message of grace. Of course, I said this because John's message is so harsh and seems mean-spirited. But these days, I'm beginning to think John was preaching a message of salvation and grace, but he reminds us this grace isn't cheap, but costly. John, like Jesus, was concerned with how we live. Yes, we are saved by grace not by works, but the eveidence of our faith relies on how we live. The best testimony of being a follower of Christ, is how we live our lives. Do we live them in the same way Jesus did, welcoming all, forgiving others and helping those in need?

A few weeks ago the election of a congressman caused a bit of a controversy. As many of you know, Keith Ellison was elected to fill the seat of Martin Sabo in the US Congress. Mr. Ellison will represent Minneapolis and some its suburbs in Congress and by doing so he is a trailblazer. He is the first African American from Minnesota to go to Washington and he is the first Muslim to be elected to Congress. When Mr. Ellison was asked about taking the oath of office, he opined that he would take that oath on the Koran, the Muslim holy book. That seemed to be a no-brainer since many Christians who serve in Congress as well as the President and Vice President take their oaths on Bibles. However, this didn't set well with radio host Dennis Praeger. Mr. Praeger retorted in a column “Insofar as a member of Congress taking an oath to serve America and uphold its values is concerned, America is interested in only one book, the Bible. If you are incapable of taking an oath on that book, don't serve in Congress. In your personal life, we will fight for your right to prefer any other book. We will even fight for your right to publish cartoons mocking our Bible. But, Mr. Ellison, America, not you, decides on what book its public servants take their oath.”

Okey dokey.

Mr. Praeger, who is Jewish by the way, seems to think that the only book any person in public office must take their oath on has to be the Bible. Now, personally, believing in the separation of church and state, I don't think that public servants should take the oath of any holy book, but if someone wants to and they are Muslim, why can't they take an oath on a book that means so much to them?

What distrubed me and many others was that Mr. Praeger seems to put the Bible in such high regard and yet ignores its message. Shouldn't he be more concerned with the biblical injunction of helping those in need or not putting anything, including the Bible before God as an idol?

I think if John was around today, he would probably be calling all of us snakes as well. There are too many people, especially Christians, who will shout loudly that they are religious, holy people and yet their actions say sharply otherwise.

That was what John was getting at. Simply believing that God loves us and then turning around and treating your neighbor like crap makes you out to be liar as John the writer says.

There are a lot of people out there who think that to be a Christian means accepting certain truths; Jesus is God's Son, Jesus died and rose again, Jesus is coming soon. If you believe that, then you are all set. But John seems to be saying that's not enough. Of course Christians must believe in all of this, but if those beliefs aren't lived on in our daily lives, are they real to others? If we say we believe in Christ, and yet ignore the poor, or turn people away because they are different, will people really believe us?

Christianity isn't just about accepting certain beliefs; it's also about living as a Christian. John the Baptist told those in the crowd to share with those who have none, don't extort and don't overtax the populace. He was telling people that if they were coming to be baptized; they need to live lives of repentance and not do this just for show.

I know that Edgcumbe is in the midst of trying figure out where to go from here. You have been a faithful community for over 50 years and you'd like to know what kind of community you want to be in the next 50 years. I know there are a lot of meetings and planning and questioning going on. Well, let me add one more question. When people pass this church, what should they see? Will they see a community that puts their faith into action, helping the less fortunate in St. Paul and around the world, one that welcomes the stranger, one that practices the love and compassion of Jesus? I know that this community has been concerned with the widow and the orphan in the short time I have known you. I pray that as you enter this time of discernment, that you continue this practice and seek God's guidence to be more and more God's people.

Advent is a reminder that we need to be stirred to live into God's way of justice. It is not simply the coming of a little baby, but the coming of God who not only saves us, but wants us to join the effort of bring heaven to whole of creation.

A few weeks ago, I was listening to a concert by a local choral group. The designed it the style of a Lessons and Carols service. Between the songs we heard readings from Scripture and passages from poets and authors. One memorable passage was from the slain Archbishop Oscar Romero. He summed up nicely what Advent is all about:

Advent should admonish us to discover in each brother or sister that we greet, in each friend whose hand we shake, in each beggar who asks for bread, in each worker who wants to use the right to join a union, in each peasant who looks for work in the coffee groves, the face of Christ. Then it would not be possible to rob them, to cheat them, to deny them their rights. They are Christ, and whatever is done to them Christ will take as done to himself. This is what Advent is:
Christ living among us.

God isn't interested in shaving a little off the top. God wants us changed, to live lives for others.

Thanks be to God. Amen.

Sunday Sermon- Second Sunday of Advent, December 12, 2006

Not a Tame God, Part One”

Malachi 3:1-4; Luke 3:1-6

December 10, 2006

Edgecumbe Presbyterian Church

St. Paul, MN

I have two cats. You'll hear about Felix next week, but this week I want to tell you about Morris. I've had Morris for about five years. He's a beautiful Russian Blue mix. If you've ever seen a Russian Blue cat, you will notice that they have this wonderful grey-blue fur that is just plush. Morris is a definitely a people-person; he loves to be loved and to give love. But, Morris has a dark side. I remember a time shortly after I brought him home from the shelter. He gets on his back, revealing his tummy. He obviously wants someone to run his stomach and he gives you that sweet, innocent look that is just so inviting. So, I started petting his stomach, when out of nowhere I see these two fangs heading towards me. Morris decided to bite me hard enough that I drew blood. I was not pleased.

Then there was the time I had a mouse in my old apartment. I had a recurring problem where the little visitors would end up in the cabinets. As I fretted about it, a friend suggested I open one of the cabinet doors and see what Morris does. So, I did just and that and the next morning, I got up and found a dead mouse; a little present for me.

Cats are cute. Because they look so cute with their fur and purrs, people tend to think these creatures are weak. In reality, the common housecat is a fierce predator not unlike their larger feline cousins. We are fooled by their appearance until they show their true nature.

In today's gospel, we are introduced to John the Baptist, or I should say the adult John the Baptist. Today's gospel doesn't say alot except that he was out proclaiming a baptism of repentance and forgiveness of sins. And yet it does say a lot. You see, he is the guy that we would not want to invite to our holiday party because he's so uncivil. He isn't polite, he's boorish, probably not playing with a full deck and just an all around jerk. We will find out next week his message of repentance isn't that easy for people to hear.

I don't like John the Baptist and I think there are a lot of you out there that might agree. This isn't a guy who plays well with others and you'd rather just ignore him.

He reminds me of one of those traveling preachers I would hear in the center triad during my college days at Michigan State University. The man would rant and rave about sin and the devil and basically provide a good laugh for the students making their way to the next class. Maybe some saw John the Baptist that way and ignored his message.

But the thing is, you can't ignore his message; not the folks back then and certainly not now. John is preparing us for God's entry into this world and when God arrives, valleys would be filled up, mountains would be made low and people would see that salvation comes from God. John is saying that God is coming and you better be ready, because the very foundations of the earth will be shaken with God arrives.

In popular culture, when we think of Christmas, we think of Jesus being born in a stable, and about shepherds and the Three Wise Men for good measure. We've all seen or participated in those Christmas pageants where the kids dress up as Bible characters and Jesus is usually portrayed by a doll. I sometimes think we want to make Jesus a lot like that doll; sweet, quiet and definitely harmless. Of course, in reality, Jesus' story is 180 degrees different from our quiet image. A ruling king is threatened by this small baby and proceeds to kill all male newborns under two in Bethlehem to make sure no one challenges his authority. This Jesus would grow up and confound his family, saying that whoever does his Father's will is his brother and sister. This Jesus would offend the religious authorities by associating with tax collectors and other sundry folk. He would overturn the tables of the money changers in the Temple. This man would then die the death of a theif, and just when you think everything is over, he confounds death by rising from the dead.

So John knew what he was talking about when he said that people need to get ready for Christ's coming. Valleys would be filled and mountains would be made low by his presence, so we need to be prepared. God's arrival is not a pleasant occasion, but an upheaval, that will demand we get ready and get right.

Our culture likes to skip those times of reflection. Some churches ignore Lent and Holy Week going straight to Easter. Good Friday becomes just a stopover to what happens Easter morning. We do the same with Advent. Advent is time of preparation; a time to take stock and wait for God. However, we skip that and go to the little baby born in a manger. When we do that, we miss why that little baby comes to earth in first place, because their are mountains and crooked roads blocking us from being with God. The sin, the injustice found in the world keeps us from communing with God. God comes to be with us, to save us, to redeem us through his Son, Jesus Christ.

Outside of the walls of this church today, there are many people dealing with mountains that seem to big to cross. Some are dealing with little resources to buy food and shelter. Some are dealing with the terrors of war. Some are being abused by someone who was supposed to take care of them. Some are dealing with those who opress them because they are different. There are mountains and valleys and crooked roads everywhere. This is what Advent reminds us. But this is also a time of hope, because we know that God is coming to bring down the mountains and make the crooked ways straight. We who follow Christ, must share that message with those who feel that all hope is gone. They must know that day of the Lord is surely coming and injustice will soon end.

So, I'm waiting until the end to tell about the meaning of my sermon title. Some of you might know where it comes from: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis. When the children are first told about Aslan the Lion, they wonder if he is safe. One of their their hosts, the Mr. Beaver, responds, "Safe? Course he's not safe. He's good. But he's not a tame lion."

God is not a safe God. God comes and upsets us, disturbs us and saves us. God is good and wants to bring healing to the world. But get ready for a bumpy ride.

We are not done talking about this disturbing God. Stay tuned. Thanks be to God. Amen.

The Face of Christ?

Congresswoman-elect Michelle Bachman.

On Saturday evening, I went to a concert by a choral group that my partner, Daniel is in. It was structured in the style of a Lessons and Carols serivce, with songs interspersed with readings from Scripture and writers. One reading was from the Bishop Oscar Romero, the Salvadoran priest that was assinated in the early 80's. He describes what Advent is all about:

Advent should admonish us to discover in each brother or sister that we greet, in each friend whose hand we shake, in each beggar who asks for bread, in each worker who wants to use the right to join a union, in each peasant who looks for work in the coffee groves, the face of Christ. Then it would not be possible to rob them, to cheat them, to deny them their rights. They are Christ, and whatever is done to them Christ will take as done to himself. This is what Advent is:
Christ living among us.

I think it's a powerful statement, especially in this time when those who call themselves Christians are working hard to not be Christ-like to those who are gay. But, in some way, that's too easy for some of us. I mean, for those of us who work for justice by feeding the hungry or practicing radical welcome to agree with this and even think we are sitting damn pretty in God's eyes. We love those who are different and welcome them into our lives. We are not like those horrible people who don't help the less fortunate, or practice hospitality to those who don't look like ther rest of us.

But the thing is, we are not simply called to see Christ in the poor single mother, or the young gay man, we are also called to see Christ in those who are...well, assholes.

Here in Minnesota, a woman has been elected to Congress that is not loved by many in this state. Here name is Michelle Bachmann and she's made quite a name for herself as a state senator. For several years, she has tried to put forth a bill that would put the definition of marriage up for a vote in a referendum. If that passed, same-sex marriage and its equivalents would be banned (no matter that there is already a law that bans gay marriage). Luckily, the bills were bottled up serval times and never been voted on by Minnesotans.

Needless to say, she hasn't made many friends among the gay community and their allies and rightly so. She has been called many things, none of them kind.

I don't like Ms. Bachman. I think she is a mean and spiteful person and I don't understand why she is now becoming a congressperson. But the fact is, Christ died for her. She is loved by God and as a follower of Christ, I am called to love her.

In the Bible, Jesus calls us to love our enemies. It's funny how often I hear about that verse and how people hurl it towards others, but how seldom it's followed. When Jesus uttered those words during the Sermon on the Mount, you have to wonder if people were offended by his words. Jesus was asking the people there, most of them Jews, to love their Roman oppressors. That would be a hard thing to hear, something that seemed almost callous. How could they love the Romans?

How could I love Michelle Bachman? It's not easy, but I think I am called to. That's what a follower of Christ does. That doesn't mean I will ignore her actions, but it does mean that I see her as a child of God and respond in love.

During Advent, we talk a lot about Christ becoming incarnate, or becoming flesh and blood and living among us. I sometimes think we really don't understand the full implications of that. We like to talk about Christ becoming a sweet baby or that Christ came to the poor (we tend to romanticize the poor, instead of seeing them as humans just like everybody else). We make Christ kind of sweet and nice and pitched his tent with these nice people. It's kinda like Christ joined the PTA or something. Christ becomes incarnate with a buch a of nice people, but not those mean and nasty homophobes or racists or gasp...Republicans.

But the fact is Incarnation means Christ became one with a humanity that was corrupt and dark. A man who knew no sin made his way on earth with some truly bad people. Christ did this because God loved all of creation, even the rotten apples, which would be all of us in reality.

So, I'm going to love Michele Bachman knowing she has the face of Christ. Yes, I work against her actions which harms people, but I will also see her as a child of God and pray for her salvation.

"For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God," says Paul in his letter to the Romans. I'm not perfect. I fall short. The glorious fact is the Christ came and saved me, and not just me, but all of creation.

Michele Bachman, child of God. May you love as Christ love and may I as well. Amen.

"Midnight is When the Day Begins." Sunday Sermon- First Sunday in Advent, 2006

“Stir It Up!”
Luke 21:25-36
December 3, 2006
Community of Grace Christian Church
Minneapolis, MN

This week has been hell.

Not a good way to start a sermon, I know, but I need to be honest, this week has been sheer hell for me. It's not been a bad week event wise per se, unless you count the apparent death of my iPod because it went plop into my cat Felix's water dish. But emotionally, it has been damn hard. It took a lot of energy to finally get excited enough to plan today's sermon.

What was the source of my unhappiness? It was being the pastor of a new church. We haven't been able to get new people to come, and it sometimes seems like we can't get other churches to help us grow and prosper. We are coming to a time when we may have to close the ministry. If that's not bad enough, you start to wonder if you did something wrong to cause all this. It doesn't help that I suffer from clincal depression, so when I get down, I really get down. I feel like I'm in a deep valley with now way of getting out. There is no chance of hope.

We really don't live in very hopeful times. Take a look at the news today and you will see the headlines filled with dire news. The signs of global warming are becoming more evident daily and will wreak havoc on the earth's climate for our future ancestors. HIV/AIDS is still rampaging the planet, especially among some of the world's poorest people in places like South Africa or Uganda. Iraqis and American soliders live in daily fear of a car bomb going off while they are at the market or going to worship. The opening years of 21st century seem very bleak and we wonder what kind of world we are going to leave for the children who follow behind us.

Today's gospel text is doesn't seem like an Advent text. Here we are, waiting for Christ's coming into the world, and Jesus decides to take a page from “Left Behind.”

The thing is, I think Jesus was right. He talks about a time that is very dark, indeed. Jesus isn't trying to be cute, he is being realistic. Bad times were on their way, if not already here. In Jesus time, the Jews were dealing with Roman occupation. There is not much hope here. When Jesus talks about being weighed down, I can relate. Depression in many ways is like a weight that is pressed on your heart and you can't see that there is any tomorrow at all.

And yet, there is hope. There is hope in the midst of this darkness, just as the Winter Soltice tells us that that the days are getting longer. In this text, he says that the Son of Man is coming and that creation's redemption is near. That Son of Man is Jesus himself. His coming into the world bring us hope and not just that, it bring us salvation, healing.

The birth of Christ changed everything. This was proof positive that God was not against us, but with us and walked among us. Because of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, we are redeemed and when Christ returns we will be made new.

This is the hope that we have. It's the thing that keeps us going; the fact that Christ made us whole before we were born, is prefecting us now and will redeem us on that final day.

Since cold weather is up on us, this is the time of year that I start making chili. One of things I've noticed is that if I leave the chili to cook, all the indredients will settle to the bottom. On the surface, it looks like I'm cooking a big pot of tomato soup. So, of course, I get the spoon out and start stirring things up and lo and behold, all the ground beef, chopped tomatoes and onions end up on the top. Before, the soup was weighed down, after I stirred things up, the chili was alive with color and textures.

You've noticed that the theme for Advent is “Stir Up Your Power, Lord Christ and Come.” Advent is a time to remind us to be watchful for Christ's coming into the world. We are stirred out of our boredom and fear and in it's place given hope. We are stirred to share this message with a world that doesn't have much hope at all, especially at this time of the year. We are called to stir up the hearts of those facing the first holiday season without a loved one, to stir up those who are facing unemployment, to stir up those who are dealing with depression, bipolar disorder and other mental illnesses, to stir up those who are facing a cold night with no place to call home. We are called to share this message of hope in word and in deed.

That is what we, this small community called Community of Grace, must do. We must go out and share that message of hope with others. Tell them about hope. Tell them that God is with them and show that by befriending them. I want people to know that Community of Grace is a place where we share hope with a world that doesn't have much hope.

A few years ago, the Irish rock group, U2 released a song called “Lemon.” This is one of the few songs, where the lead guitarist, the Edge, actually sings. During one part of the song, while lead singer Bono is singing in a falsetto voice, the Edge sings, “midnight is when the day begins.” Wow. How true that is. Midnight is the darkest of the dark and yet it is the beginning of the day. In a few hours daybreak comes.

We all deal with our dark times. And yet, hope is on its way. It doesn't mean the problems will go away, but we know that God is with us, there to hold us and remind us that he will be with us for always.

Midnight is when the day begins. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Introducing "Soul Soup"

Beginning, Sunday November 5th, Community of Grace will start "Soul Soup." We will have our usual worship service and then have soup made by our Cantor and Co-Pastor, Dan Adolphson. Drinks will be provided. The meal is free, but there is a suggested donation of $2 is asked to help defray the costs. Anyone is invited and you don't have to be a part of Community of Grace to join.

This is going to be a new tradition at CoG every first Sunday at least during the winter months. It will be a great way to fellowship with people and foster community, something that is an important value to our group.

This first "Soul Soup" will take place at Lake Harriet Christian Church instead of our usual location at Lutheran Church of Christ the Redeemer due to scheduling conflict. After that, it will be held at LCCR.

So, if you live in the Twin Cities area and would like a free or incredibly cheap meal, stop on by. If you'd like more information about "Soul Soup," please contact Dan Adolphson at dan@communityofgracemn.org.

Sunday Sermon-October 22, 2006

It was a small night at church...just three people, myself, Dan, the Cantor and Daniel, my partner and accompanist. Oh well, where two or three are gathered...

Anyway, this is the sermon I shared with them. It's on my thoughts concerning the missional church. Enjoy.

“To Serve Man”
Mark 10:35-45
October 22, 2006
Community of Grace Christian Church
Minneapolis, MN


Most of you know that I love science fiction. I'm not that bad of sci-fi geek as to own a pair of Vulcan ears and head down to the nearest trekkie convention (though I have been to one), but I do love science fiction. What I love best is how this genre can take a current issue and set in another time or place. Star Trek has done that fairly well. The original series dealt with issues such as war and race relations, while the more current versions dealt with issues like rape and war crimes.

Another series that did this well was the Twilight Zone. Hosted by Rod Serling, this series tackled this issues of its time in the late 50s and early 60s. The stories still hold up to this day. One episode that I remember (and you probably do as well) is one where Earth is visited by Aliens who seem to come in peace. The offer to help the planet and they do. In exchange, people from earth end up making reciprocal visits to the alien planet. When the aliens first arrive, a book is left behind and a few people from the government try to translate it. They are able to get as far as the title, which is: To Serve Man. As time goes on, one of the translators is getting ready to visit the alien planet. As he approaches the spaceship, his assistant runs to the ship warning the translator to not board the ship. As she is prevented from reaching her comrade by an alien, she screams “IT'S A COOKBOOK!”

We learn that being served has more than one meaning.

Well, this week was not an easy week for me. Being a new church pastor means dealing with a roller coaster of emotions, and this week it seemed like everything was going downhill. In some conversations with Dan, we both wondered if this congregation could survive. We were tired, frustrated and feeling emotionally and in some cases, physically spent. There were a lot of questions about what we were doing and if it was of any value. Maybe it was time to give up.



It was at that time that I did some thinking and I started to wonder what would happen if we thought about this church differently. What if we decided to really, and I mean really, not focus on how many people are in the seats, but focused on the church that we are? What if we focused on being a community, a missional community, one that's very nature is to try to be like Jesus and serve the world (but not for dinner)?

You see, I think part of our problem is that we have been trying to create something that brings people into the pews. So we have moved to certain locations, tried innovative worship services, shouted to the rooftops that we are welcoming of gays and lesbians and even have thought about trying to meet at different times in order to get people interested, and people aren't interested and we get upset and frustrated-or I should say- I get upset and frustrated.

I'm beginning to think that I was on the wrong track. What we have been trying to do is create a church that I think would cater to the prevailing culture, I don't want to call it “American” because it's more than our native culture, but I will call it a culture that tends to view things as commodities or consumers. In a way, we have been marketing ourselves to the wider culture and they have passed us by. Now there are some churches that do well in marketing to the wider culture and they pack them in. But I tend to think that their worship services are more productions that one could find at the Ordway Theatre.

Is the purpose of the church to be another consumer item that is made attractive in order to buy? Now, I have no problems with being a consumer or with capitalism or anything, but I don't think that as follower of Christ we are called to be another shiny item to be bought and sold like a Lexus.

So what should Community of Grace strive for? If trying to have nice worship services and if I do say so myself, nice website, is not what church is all about, then what is it?

I think the answer lies in today's gospel. Two of Jesus' disciples came up to Jesus and asked for the best seats next to Jesus. Jesus basically tells them that following Jesus means that you probably won't be getting the best places in society. When the rest of the apostles hear about this, they are furious at James and John. Jesus then tells them that unlike the Gentiles who tend to fight for being number one, anyone who follows him must be a servant to his brothers and sisters.

That, my friends, is what we should strive for: to be a community of faith where mission to the world, service, is not just a nice thing, but who we are. It is about following Jesus gracefully, and trying to live like Jesus. Community of Grace needs to be a missional church.

So, what does that entail? I'm still sorting this out, but a few things:

First, we have to be a community. That means that we have to be a place where we are known to each other. So much of our modern culture is so atomized, where we live lives anonymously, disconected from each other. There are many people who attend churches, come in for worship and leave without meeting another soul. That is not what church should be about. Church should be a place where we are known and where relationships are made as we seek to serve Christ and our brothers and sisters.

Second, we have to be a praying community. I am thankful to see our sisters at Lake Harriet Christian who meeting weekly for prayer. If we are engaged in mission, then we need to be more willing to “get online” with the one who sustains us. Praying isn't magic, but it will keep us grounded in God. I am proposing we consider meeting for prayer every other week or at least monthly. Prayer is a good way of sharing each other's burdens and the burdens of the world.

Third, we need to be a missional community. Mission means being Christ to the outside world. When Christ ended his earthly ministry, he told his followers to go into all the world preaching and teaching to obey Jesus' teachings. We need to be about inviting people, not just to church, but to journey with us and find out about what it means to follow Jesus. We need to go and do mission projects, not because they are nice, but because we are called to feed the hungry and care for the widow and the orphan. I have to believe there are many people who long to hear the liberating message of Jesus. We need to be willing to share that word and then back it up by living a Christ-like life.

Fourth, we need to be a horizontal community. You know, when we started the every week worship services, we did with an emphasis on not wearing the ministers out. But what we have done, is really de-emphasize the minister and preaching. And that's a good thing. In most churches the highlight of the service is what I'm doing now-the sermon. That is the staple of Protestant worship. I still think it has a role, but we worship God in so many ways beyond what I say. We worship when have our contemplative services and when Dan leads us in his music based services. The other thing that churches do is look at people like me, ministers, as the spiritual experts. It creates a top down structure, where the pastor is the holy person who does all that holy stuff for us. But I think that in a missional church, the pastor is more of a facilitator than some kind of expert. Yes, he or she should be trained, but not as an expert, but a guide.

On a related note, I am very thankful for Dan and Daniel. When we started, I decided to call Dan a Cantor instead of Music Director. I thought it was a cool old church word and nice than Music Director. But in doing some research, Dan realized that a Cantor is a minister in their own right. What we were doing is emphasizing that music is an equal in worship, not just a nice side note before the pastor speaks. A missional community sees every one as an intregal part of the community and no one is more important than others.

Finally, we need to be a disagreeing yet united community. Let me explain. One of the wonderful thing about being a Disciple is that we are a very broad community. Because we are non creedal, and because we believe everyone must study the Scriptures for themselves, we have diverse opinions. Some of us are Trinitarians, some of us are more Unitarian. We don't see things the same way on a host of issues. And you know what? That's okay! We are united in Christ and that's more enough. To be a community doesn't mean we agree on everything. We might read the same Bible and have different views on war or tax policy, but that's okay.

There's a lot more to talk about, but we can get to that later. Community of Grace is sticking around and I think it will grow. But it will grow because of God's work, not ours. Our job is to try to follow Christ teachings and be Christ to the world.

To serve man and God. That's what it's all about. And not with fava beans and nice bottle of Cianti.

Thanks be to God. Amen.

Church Plants and Gays, Part One

Community of Grace started from the get go as an open and affirming church, meaning we openly welcome gays and lesbians. Well, you'd think that would have made some people take notice, but it didn't.

It hasn't been a total failing. We have one person who is a vital part of the church that came because CoG was a welcoming place. But as for others, it is hard to get them to come to church. I'm beginning to think that bad publicity is much more effective than good publicity. Many gays and lesbians have had bad experiences in church and therefore see all churches as somehow suspect.

A lot of the people that Dan and I know just don't seem interested. However, they will attend "showtunes" at a local gay bar in Minneapolis. I've been there myself after service a few times and it is fun. A friend of mine looks for video clips from movies and television and you see a crowd of gay men singing a long. There is a gang of people that always attends and finds some sense of community there.

Of course, for a population that has been beaten down like gay men, it's easy to find solace in old movies and broadway tunes. I can totally understand the popularity of this event.

My partner in crime, Dan, thinks we should hold service earlier to allow those who want to go to showtunes a chance to worship and then go. I hesitate, because we could do that and not have anyone showing up. I tend to think this issue is deeper than just the time frame and it will take a lot more than offering an easier time to entice people to church.

There is an old saying that Christ has no hand and feet but ours. Well, if you see those hands and feet, not to mention mouths, saying that you aren't welcomed at church because of your sexuality and even says you are going to hell because of it, well, you have basically said Christ thinks the same way.

Only, Jesus doesn't. The hard part is convincing my friends.

My friend Jim is a part of this church because it welcomes him. My guess is that he doesn't have as much baggage about the church and saw more about God than what he viewed from the pulpit. I wonder if there are others like Jim out there and even moreso, how do you persuade those whose hearts are more hardened towards the church.

More on this later...

Making a Difference

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the lake. Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: ‘Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen!’

-Matthew 13:1-9




For some reason, I felt the need to watch the ending of "It's a Wonderful Life," and lo and behold, it was on You Tube.

At some level, regarding Community of Grace, I'd love that the ending of that movie would happen to us. Just when things seem bleak, people would rush in and save the day. I would love if that happened, but in some way, that's only a part of the story.

As we all know, this story is about George Bates, a man with a good heart that kept getting slammed by the world. At some point he wishes he wasn't born and an angel gives him his wish: he gets to see a world where he never existed and what a bleak world it was.

The moral of the story: that even if we think we are insignificant, we are the thread that can determine the fate of others.

At some level, I tend to think that the congregation has been a failure and I've also wondered about my own talents and abilities. But I also tend to think about the impact we have made. We made a difference to Jim, the guy who has been a faithful attender. He was estranged from the church because of his sexuality and now he has a place. And then I think of the fact that Dan and I were able to minister to many of our friends after the suicide of someone we knew.

I think we have made a difference, whether we prosper in the next year or so, remains to be seen.

For some reason, (actually I know the reason) I am mindful of the parable of the sower. The Sower spreads the seeds among differing soils and the seed is affected by the ground. I think it fell on good soil with Jim. I just hope there are others who have a similar soil.

Even if the church closes, at least I can say I made some difference.