My six top posts of 2014

So, the following six posts were the most viewed in the last year:
At number six, my 20 theses derived from Luther's Small Catechism. From what I've heard, a lot of people were confused with my use of the word awful, just a reminder it means "inspiring reverential wonder or fear."
At number five, The Gay Marriage Sermon.
Number four? The Gospel in Times Such as These, in which I called my congregation to their Baptismal Identity in the midst of the divisions between blue and black.
Similarly number three is the Statement by Bishop Eaton on Racial Justice that I based the above sermon on.
Number two, is my Formal Letter to the Federal Election Commission.
And finally, the number one most viewed post here at Luthermatrix in 2014 was a map of the 64 Synods of the ELCA I made in paint.
So, what does this tell me? People like pictures and tackling timely things.

Finally, if you would allow, here are a few posts I wish had got more play:
A brief Time Travel to the year 2034 to see what the ELCA looks like in 20 years time.
A sermon communicating the Gospel to the Millennial Generation.
And similarly, a sermon targeting the six generations currently living on this planet earth.
My sermon about how the Gospel relates to culture and context.
An answer to the question "What Old Testament Laws Do Christians have to follow?"
The announcement of my prayer book's re-release.
A few bits from my journal from Israel/Palestine.
And finally, a sermon about where the Church get's its authority from.
Happy New Year all!
Peace,
The Management (aka Chris Halverson)

Christmas Eve Sermon: Sing this night, Rejoice by candle light, He is bringing salvation to all

          As a child my favorite part of Christmas was putting the Noah’s Ark animals on the Christmas tree to celebrate the birth of Christ…

Let that sink in… Noah’s Ark / on Christmas.

Sort of a strange thing—putting figurines of penguins and lions and caribou on the Christmas tree, all hanging above the Nativity Set.

          Similarly, if you’ve seen the Christmas Movie “Love Actually” you’ll remember the surprising, non-traditional, manger scene in that film—with little British children dressed up as lobster, Spiderman, and an Octopus.

          Clearly there were no penguins surrounding the manger, no Octopi occupying the Shepherds’ field by night.

But, it does bring to mind a particular point—that all of creation celebrated the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ, for he’s Savior of the Whole World.

          Think of Paul’s famous 8^th chapter to the Romans—all of creation groans for the revealing of the sons and daughters of the living God—so too, one can not help but imagine, all of creation sings out with joy at the birth of the Son of God.

          And so, tonight, I just want us to think a little bit about the songs beating in the heart of all of creation that night our Dear Savior was born.

Let us pray,

Holy Family Sing this night, Rejoice by candle light, He is bringing salvation to all!

          Dear Joseph, rejoice and sing! Your inheritance,

the promise to your family,

the promise to the house of David,

the promises of God,

is sure and true!

          In this little child is a ruler who is totally unlike any before or since

—one who in the weakness of the flesh is “Wonderful Counselor”

—An infant whom we may call “Everlasting Father.”

          Dearest Mary, sing again! Sing that beautiful song

—give us a tune with which we might ponder your son this season, and treasure him in our hearts.

          Tell us how his deeds will glorify God,

—how his justice, always unsettles and unseats us still

—how his mercy frees,

 unbinds,

 heals,

and brings life to the dead.

Shepherds and Angels Sing this night, Rejoice by candle light, He is bringing salvation to all!

          Sing shepherds, sing of the heavy, heavenly, wholeness

—the very presence of God, aflame in that field,

how it surrounded you

—God’s glory, God With Us

—Announced!

          Announce you angel—calm our terrified souls, bent before the awful power of Holiness.

“Fear not, here is the Gospel for everyone:

Born today

—for you a Savior,

for you the Messiah,

for you the Lord

—a sign, for you O’ people “A child is born.”

          Sing Honor Guard of Angels, sing of the strange new thing God is doing

—accent this moment

—how it honors God,

how it brings peace on earth.

*        Sing so softly, shepherd band

—a joyous gentle song to the Holy Family

—tell them what God is doing

—tell them God has invaded

— Invaded softly,

 kindly,

in this meager Manger baby.

You powerful, you powerless, Sing this night, Rejoice by candle light, He is bringing salvation to all!

          Sing with one last gasp of pomp, you emperors, you governors.

Call up your subjects and servants

—serenade them with registration

—registration for war,

registration for taxes,

for profit,

for control.

          Sing sorrow songs, you

—who passed by Christ in the womb of the tired mother

—who gave no room to the traveling weary family

—sing sorrow.

          Sing all you people, deep in darkness,

you are the beloved of God

—His light will make your darkness bright.

          Sing a freedom song, O’ people

—born is the King.

Born is the One Who Upholds Righteousness,

who holds your hurts to account and cares for you,

Born the one who sets you free.

All of Creation, Sing this night, Rejoice by candle light, He is bringing salvation to all!

          Sing out field where angels trod,

Cattle, lambs, sheep and goats, mice and all you creatures,

sing about the birth of the Son of God!

          O’ Trees clap your hands to keep the beat,

join in the song you predators and wild things,

howl and purr and stomp your paws!

          Sing a duet O’ Heavens O’ Earth,

may we say of the sky line it shows that

in him Mercy and Truth have met,

in him Righteousness and Peace kiss one another.

          Let the Wave’s rage and the Thunder’s burst tell to eternity the Savior’s Birth!

Dear Church, Sing this night Rejoice, by candle light, He is bringing salvation to all!

          Sing for God’s promises are true,

he’s born

—here among us,

Humble and unnoticed,

just and merciful!

          Sing that God’s overwhelming presence,

joyful,

good news,

honorable,

peaceful

… terrifying,

is with us,

worship Christ dear people!

          Sing confessions too,

confess where you missed him

—he’ll sing back,

leading the way,

that we might follow him.

          Sing with all of creation—praise the Savior of the World.

A+A

Sermon: Active Waiting

          In last week’s readings we were shocked by the surprising suddenness of God’s acts.

—“Comfort o’ Comfort my people” in the 40^th chapter of Isaiah was birthed out of 39 chapters of affliction and a history of exile.

—“The beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God,” appeared out of nowhere, Rome and Herod didn’t see it coming.

          Not so this week.

—This week we read from exiles returned from Babylon, picking up the pieces—the survivors of a nuclear exchange peeking their noses out of a bomb-shelter—so to speak.

—This week we find a more reflective John the Baptist, giving an extended description of his place in the world in light of the Gospel.

          In some ways, the pressure is off—the surprising salvation of God is known, and therefore it needs to be wrestled with. Good News has been done, and continues to be done, to God’s people, so there is more space to unpack and figure out what salvation is. Last week was all about unexpected salvation, this week is about reflective expectation.

          Or to get a little more with the season—get a little more Advent-y, what we have before us today are examples of Active Waiting… Waiting to see God’s ongoing salvation roll out before us, but not in a passive way, not plunked down in a lawn chair doing nothing, but instead doing so in a faithful manner—Actively Waiting for Gospel.

Let us pray.

          In many ways, the situations of the returned exiles, and the community of John, and the situation of the Thessalonians, mirror our own

—most of us here, by now, know that, “Old Old story of Jesus and his Love,”

we trust that God is for us,

that we are saved from the powers of Sin, Death, and the Devil through Christ’s Life, Death, and Resurrection.

We know these things—but we don’t always know what to do with them.

          Now, the returned exiles responded to God’s saving act, using Cyrus the Great to destroy the Babylonian Empire and free them from captivity—by rebuilding their community on the twin pillars of Righteousness and Praise.

Isaiah calls on those who return to the Land to do justice to their neighbors—to act justly in society,

and to honor God with their gladness, and full praise, and joy at the saving acts of God…

interestingly, sometimes it’s hard to distinguish between righteousness and praise—they are quite intertwined:

—God’s covenant is honored when robbery and wrongdoing is replaced with Justice.

—The rejuvenation of those broken by oppression displays the glory of God.

Righteousness and praise…

         

XThis is why we worship together regularly (for example right now this Sunday, as well as on Wednesdays throughout Advent) and this is also why, at all levels of the Church, we engage with issues of the Public Good (from our collections of food and gifts to our Synod’s commitment to Public Housing to our National Church’s Malaria Campaign).

          John, quite likely the last of the canonical Gospels written, has had some time to process the meaning of the Good News, and so John the Baptist reflects a way in which that community, and our own, can live in light of Jesus’ coming to us and for us. John is a witness, John testifies to Jesus.

In three of the four first verse we read today, he is described as testifying or giving testimony. His whole interaction with the Levites is one long public pointing to Jesus.

          John witnesses publically, grounded in a clear, but humble, certainty about Jesus.

In some ways, this is the opposite of how we Christians often witness—we prefer to do so privately, in an unclear manner, and inserting a lot of ourselves into the testimony that is supposed to be about Jesus.

XThis is why we encourage Bible Study and Confirmation (so we can be clear about the faith), why we occasionally do Blessing Blurbs (so we can practice pointing to Jesus instead of ourselves), and why we meet in a public place for Pub Theology (again, public proclamation)—all this, to practice Testifying like John.

Finally, Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians is the earliest Christian writing we have—so it clearly points to an early time when Christians are working out how one responds to God’s saving act through Jesus Christ, even as they await his further saving acts. They are working out how to actively wait for Gospel.

Paul calls on the community to Rejoice—to borrow from CS Lewis, joy is not just being happy, but is living in the ongoing joy of the Gospel, because Christ already acted for us.

Paul calls on the community to pray—…our beloved wants to hear from us—isn’t that amazing!

Paul calls on the community to give thanks—we have breath in our bodies, shoes on our feet, and people to love—Thank God!

Paul calls on the community to listen for the Spirit speaking through our fellow Christians (2x)—what are we saying to one another as a community?

He is also calling us to sift through those things:

--calling us to find what’s bad and keep away from it, and find what’s good and treasure it.

XThis is why we encourage one another to pray both together and on our own,

why we continue to tell that old old story,

why the Eucharist—communion, is a Thanksgiving Meal,

and why we insist on an educated and trained clergy who have been taught many tools with which to discern God acting in the community,

but also that’s why each Christian has the responsibility of their own conscience—it is yours as much as mine, to discern the Spirit’s calling here in this place.

Righteousness toward everyone and honor to God.

Clear, humble, public pointing to Jesus.

Prayer, ongoing joy, thanksgiving, and discernment.

These are all marks of an Advent faith

—these are all ways we may faithfully, and actively, wait for the One who is faithful and will come, our Lord Jesus Christ. A+A

Guest Post: “Our church is just like a family.”

A blogless friend asked me to post this for her--some interesting thoughts:

 

“Our church is just like a family.”

It sounds nice. Frequently it IS nice. It's meant in a nice way. My belief, however, is that this (frequently) is one of the biggest issues facing the church today.

(How dare you say such a thing!)

Hear me out. Mind, this is not scientific. This is not based in a double-blind, survey laden study. It is based on my own intuition and experience. I don't have a silver bullet. I don't have a plan for you. I know there is a range of churches between “new starts” and the “dysfunctional” ones that I will reference. I know that this is not “in every case”. Oh, and I use quotes around “young” because I don't think that this is about age so much as action. Now that the disclaimers are out of the way, here's what I see:

I happen to be a pastor. I am a single lady in my late thirties. Like many people my age, my family dynamics have changed over the years. As siblings grow and some reproduce, family priorities change. As people move and lives change, family gatherings change. As traditions are harder to keep going, frustrations arise. As frustrations and emotions arise my family does what every good family does. We shoot the occasional miffed zinger at each other and then miserably suppress the rest of our anger. What does this result in? Personally, it results in my own realization that I have lost interest in family gatherings. That I no longer want to go out of my way to attend them. That I would prefer to find some “family of choice” to spend holidays with. Increasingly, this is what I lean towards.

My magic ball...er...Facebook feed tells me that many of my friends and acquaintances find themselves at “Friends-giving” rather than a family Thanksgiving meal. What's this? It's Thanksgiving, with people who you have chosen, even desire to be with on a special day. The host or hostess are the benevolent and fairly democratic matriarchs/patriarchs of this chosen family. Assignments are doled out for dishes. Pinterest and the rest of the internet is pored over. Fancy or unique versions of traditional dishes are created. Special attention is given to making beautiful place settings. Cranberry sauce can still come out of a can.

It's fun. It's new. It gives people a sense of having control over something important. It makes for a gathering of people who are happy to talk to each other. What it lacks are deep rooted historical family issues. It generally lacks people who have nothing in common. Traditions are able to change without great emotional consequence. It is easier for new people to enter and participate fully.

So, I figure. Everyone has at least some dysfunction in their own family. I had thought mine to be fairly functional but the older I get the less I believe this. So, here's the the thing. If you say that your church is like a family, there is a good chance (in my opinion) that you are right: That you belong to a church with people who love each other and who drive each other up the stinkin' wall. That you belong to a church where there are matriarchs who dictate what will happen. That you belong to a church with many historic and deep rooted fights. Many of which have been repressed and rear their ugly head over trivial matters (the fights are likely themselves, trivial). This may work for you. It's familiar. The Word is preached, the sacraments administered. Three or more are gathered in Christ's name and that's dandy.

However, you might be noticing fewer people at family gatherings. Some have died. It used to be the case that the dead were quickly replaced with the young. I don't think it is the style of music that's done it. I don't think whether the liturgy is (horrible terms here) “high” or “low” is what's to blame. I think it is be cause “young” people today have come to a societal conclusion that their family can be one of choice. That misery is not required.

“New starts” or new worshiping communities, new church plants – seem to me to have the greatest appeal to “young people”. Is it because they are sexier? (sometimes they are, in truth). Is it because they are bucking the system, man? Is it because the pastor doesn't wear a clerical shirt? Is it because the candles come from Pier 1? I want to venture and say YES and NO.

I think, that new churches are like Friends-giving. It is a chance to start over with people who WANT to be together and care for each other. People who want to be open and helpful. People who want to be able to have a stake in the family gathering. I think it is easy for NEW people. You know...the new girlfriend/fiance who found your family Thanksgiving awkward? I think SHE can engage and feel welcomed at Friends-giving. Likewise, I think someone fresh and new to church can feel more welcomed and included in a new church family. Eventually traditions will form. Eventually it will look a lot like the old family. That's OK. As long as it's about the community and its purpose for being there -that being the comfort and message of the Gospel.

So often, I spy these dysfunctional family churches trying. Lord, they try. God bless them, they try. They see the successful Pub theology/hymn sings working over at the new church. “Well, gee. That's it. We'll do that too and the young people will come!” My friends, oh my friends. This is so faithfully well intentioned. However, as I see it, this is the equivalent of buying the favorite beer of your son's new girlfriend so that she'll feel welcome at Thanksgiving. It's a sweet gesture. However, if that's all you do, what's the point? If you smile and say nice things to her when she arrives but later question her choice of hair color, belittle her politics or even worse...don't engage her at all, what is the point? By a certain point in the evening she will have sniffed out your dysfunction. Next year she may be at Friends-giving. This dysfunctional family church trying pub theology MIGHT be like your two quarreling aunts inviting you out for a beer. You might go to be polite and then you'll have a friend ready to call you so that you “must go” early, never to return.

When old fights and whether or not Grandma's old casserole dish is used becomes center stage, then maybe it's time to just stop it. Just, stop it.

Here is where my thoughts just kind of peter out.... This is how I see a major problem. I wonder, if one solution to the “church in crisis” is to close more “dying” churches and open more new ones. Not just relocate the same people into a new building. New communities. New churches. Start over.

I wonder, still, if there is a way to take this realization and apply it to the old, messed-up, family churches? Some kind of intervention? Oh, and none of this can be fixed by one person....your pastor will not fix your family. Your son marrying a lovely new wife will not fix old family problems. It has to involve everyone.

Ultimately, the goal is this: that everyone feel welcomed at THE table. That the host of the great meal, Christ, be met and honored and followed. That the guests at the table be fed, healed and forgiven. Anything that gets in the way of this – is a problem.

Sermon: The Gospel in Times Such as These

The Gospel in Times Such as These

         Times such as these—in the first thirty-nine chapters of Isaiah we hear words of condemnation, doom and gloom about a whole variety of societal sins, all this preparing the folk for exile in Babylon.

(Thursday Afternoon Bible Study Folk, this section loosely parallels the first 29 chapters of Jeremiah’s words—talk of collective punishment and no justice)

Then, just as Jeremiah 30 does a 1-80 and becomes the book of Consolation, so too, out of nowhere, “Comfort o’ Comfort my people.” God, the Lover who will literally move mountains and leap valleys—will go through the long, lonely, desolate desert so that He might gently take His people in His arms as Isaiah proclaims, “Here is your God!”

         Among a people torn from their homes, homesick in Babylon, there is Gospel.

         Times such as these—when the sadistic and unfaithful family of Herod was in power, and the awful might of the Roman Empire stood astride the whole world. When it felt like a third Exodus, a second Exile… even as God’s people dwelled in the land.

         At such a time, comes a new beginning. At such a time, comes prophetically strange actions by John, which point to the coming one. At such a time comes the Good News about Jesus the Christ.

         Among a people occupied both physically and spiritually, seemingly disconnected from the promises of God, there is Gospel.

         The Gospel in Times Such as These.

Let us pray

The Gospel in Times Such as These

         I remember the weeks surrounding Hurricane Irene

—the weeks surrounding the Sunday I didn’t preach my trial sermon here…

I was wrestling with the question of whether, if the vote went my way, I should accept a call here.

         And I was truly unsure.

        

         Don’t get me wrong –I was impressed by the call committee:

Frank was clearly competent.

Michelle had dreams of feeding the hungry.

Joe was the most sincere man I’d ever met.

Peggy asked good tough questions.

Jillian was an active young person in the church.

And Cathy’s consistent openness was a joy.

         For that matter, I’d met the council and committee liaisons—both of them functioned—that’s not always the case, so that was a big plus.

        

         My uncertainty—to use an old cliché—wasn’t you, it was me.

         For three of the four years I was in Seminary, I was being trained to serve in an African American congregation, in a city. I did Field Ed. in West Philly, Internship in North West Baltimore, and a good number of my classes with the Urban Theological Institute.

         And I worried those experiences shaped me in such a way that this congregation and I would have a very different understanding of the way the world works,

so much so that it would be difficult to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ here.

         And there have been hiccups here and there, but by and large we’ve made it through, and love one another as well as congregation and Pastor ought.

         I image Times Such as These—one and a half weeks after the Grand Jury decision in Ferguson and 4 days after the decision in Staten Island—might be one of those moments where, because of my experiences in the Black Church and in communities of color, I likely am understanding the way the world works very differently than the majority of the congregation.

        

         And it’s not just a case of one weird pastor or one weird congregation

—we’re not outliers here.

As Presiding Bishop Eaton recently said, “Following the decisions by grand juries in Ferguson and New York, it has become clear that we have different experiences of life in this country.”

         And I think in Times Such as These it’s worth naming at least one of these divisions

—There is a division between Blue and Black perspectives.

         The Blue perspective is that of police and folk who deeply value law and order.

Some people are just tired of hearing about these deaths—they want to get back to Christmas… or at least Advent.

Other’s feel that if Eric Garner and Michael Brown had not fallen afoul of the Law they’d be alive today—the potential price of criminality, no matter how small, is death.

Still other folk simply understand that cops got it tough, that their job is to keep chaos at bay, and in such a situation severity serves much better than restraint.

And as someone who grew up in Wyoming I’m not naïve, I know when the WTOTC, the local branch of Neo-Nazi’s back home in the ‘90’s, wanted to torch black churches or synagogues or threatened to assassinate judges, it was nice to know there were sheriffs, the ATF, and the FBI, around to discourage that kind of behavior.

There is also a black perspective to all this—the perspective of African Americans, People of Color, and their allies.

For whom these latest deaths are so familiar—to quote a friend “that’s just day to day life for me.”

These deaths are part of a pattern that goes back to Jim Crow, goes back to Slavery, goes back to the Middle Passage when 15% of kidnapped Africans never made the journey from West Africa to the Americas,

and no one seemed to care that they died.

I know when I heard about Michael Brown’s death, my first thought was of my surreal experience outside the local Episcopal Church in Baltimore, when a heavily armored team of police swarmed the area and attempted to arrest some of the local priest’s Confirmation students because they were black males, and therefore fit the description of a nearby shooter.

When we protested that they were all good kids one of the policemen suggested to the priest that if she didn’t shut up he would shoot her.

By now, most you have seen the video of the choking of Eric Garner, what most of you haven’t seen was the second tape that was of the 7 minutes it took for someone to do something about his physical distress. 7 minutes of police and paramedics doing what appeared to be the least they can for the man as he lay dying.

It reminded me of a colleague who heard of the death of one of her parishioners, and made it to his apartment in time to see the paramedics push the body out of the fire escape… I know the South Plainfield rescue squad would never do such a thing, but in an urban mainly African American city—maybe not so uncommon.

         All that to say, “it has become clear that we have different experiences of life in this country,” which I worried about, that week before I preached my call sermon here at St. Stephen.

         My dad, ever practical, told me, “You need money for student loans, insurance for your heart, and, frankly, you really need to move out of the Lundahl’s attic.”

         That didn’t convince me—after all Harry Potter lived in a cupboard under the stairs for years!

         But my mom said something that got to me, “White Suburban people need Jesus too Chris.” And so, by the time I arrived here I already reconciled myself to staying if you’d have me.

         And brothers and sisters, The Gospel in Times Such as These—times of vastly differing experiences, is this, “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” And he has!

         We’re Baptized into Christ’s life, death, and resurrection

—we’ve put him on whole cloth!

We are made in the image of God and redeemed in the Image of Jesus Christ.

Look at someone you disagree with

—they’re Christ to you!

This means Black Lives Matter,

This means Blue Lives Matter,

This means, “White Suburban people need Jesus too.”

         In Baptism all are one

—the divisions we construct are ultimately of no value, they are rubbish compared with the unsurpassed glory of Christ Jesus.

They will not stand before Jesus’ prayer to his Heavenly Father, “That they may all be one, just as you Father are in me and I in you—that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe.”

In Baptism is forgiveness

—Jesus has brought us from death to life,

bought us from Sin and made us his own

—we are forgiven

—it’s already been done,

So we can do the hard work of the Good News of Jesus Christ,

unafraid of admitting where we’re wrong, conceding points,

unburdened of insisting on our own righteousness, or rightness,

because Jesus is our rightness and righteousness we can listen,

really listen, without hidden agendas, or talking points, or waiting with a retort.

Because Christ is our courage, we can stay in difficult conversations even when it makes us uncomfortable, and even when we fear being misunderstood.

Among a people divided and tired and angry, waiting for Christmas in the midst of a crisis, there is Gospel. A+A

The video of Bishop Eaton's statement on Racial Justice along with transcript

In baptism we are joined to the death and resurrection of Jesus,

and in Baptism we are all made one,

in Baptism we have forgiveness and that makes it possible for us to speak and listen to each other even, and especially, when the conversation is difficult.

Our nation and our church have been, and remain, deeply besieged by racism.

Following the decisions by grand juries in Ferguson and New York, it has become clear that we have different experiences of life in this country.

We continue to struggle, we continue to struggle in our conversation about race in our congregations, communities, and places of business, even at our kitchen tables.

We as members of the ELCA have named Racism—a mix of power, privilege, and prejudice,

a Sin—a violation of God’s intention for our world.

We recognize that Racism pervasively affects all aspects of our society and church.

Too often, Racism has not been acknowledged, particularly among people with privilege.

The criminal justice system is in some ways broken, and can perpetuate racial injustice.

The ELCA social statement The Church and Criminal Justice: Hearing the Cries acknowledges the disproportionate racial and economic impact within that system.

We are Church, we are in Ferguson, Staten Island, and Los Angeles; this church acknowledges and supports leaders and members on the ground making a difference every day.

We are Church Together, with resources to help turn the tide of injustice:

Together, we can advocate for legislation that protects the civil rights of all.

Together, we equip members through community based organizing.

Together, we can teach about our faith practices that enable us to live out our faith and grow in our discipleship

Together, we participate in the work of responding to disaster in communities by bringing hope, healing, and renewal among people whose lives have been disrupted.

Here are some actions that each of us can take where we are:

•       Listen to and learn from the experiences and history of people of color and communities of color.
•       Muster the courage to have, and stay in, difficult conversations about race.
•       Respect and uplift the dignity and humanity of every person.

There are no quick answers or easy solutions, but we can remain in it for the long haul.

As we anticipate the birth of the Christ Child let’s recall our baptismal covenant to:

•       Live among God’s faithful people,
•       Hear the Word of God and share in the Lord’s Supper,
•       Proclaim the Good News of God in Christ through word and deed,
•       Serve all people, following the example of Jesus,
•       And strive for justice and peace in all the earth.