Claimed, gathered and sent

Reformation Sunday Message

2009-10-25T12:22:00.000-07:00

Since I last posted, much has happened. Through one of my classes I spend several hours a week with a wonderful rural congregation and their pastor. The pastor and her family were away this weekend, so I had the opportunity to supply preach and conduct a service of the Word. Here is the passage and following that is the text of my sermon. Enjoy!

John 8:31-36

³¹Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; ³²and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” ³³They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham and have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, ‘You will be made free’?” ³⁴Jesus answered them, “Very truly, I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. ³⁵The slave does not have a permanent place in the household; the son has a place there forever. ³⁶So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.

As Americans, freedom is a concept we’re very familiar with. We fought for freedom from the British to form our own nation. Throughout our history we have fought on behalf of others for their freedom from oppression. We have parades on various patriotic holidays to help us celebrate our liberty from oppression.

We know a lot about freedom… or do we? Just what is the kind of freedom Jesus is talking about in today’s gospel text?

This passage begins in a curious fashion referring to the Jews who had believed in Jesus. But what about the Jewish groups like the Pharisees who were always trying to trip up Jesus? There are several meanings for the word translated Jews. Here it refers to the Jewish people in Jerusalem who had been listening to Jesus' teaching in the temple and had believed his claim to be the Messiah. So this group already believed in Jesus, but the exchange between them has an odd twist.

Jesus said to them, "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." There are two unusual things about this statement. First, if they were already believers in Jesus, wouldn’t they already be disciples who knew the truth? Are there levels of discipleship? Is Jesus saying that there are those that follow from a distance and those that follow more closely? Are we among those who casually follow Jesus or are we seeking to continue in Jesus’ word to truly be his disciples? I believe that here Jesus was challenging those Jews who believed and that he is challenging us today as well about how committed we are to discipleship.

And just what is truth? In our day, isn’t truth considered relative? What’s true for you may not be true for me and vice versa. Truth here refers to the revelation of God that Jesus brings or perhaps, to Jesus himself for what he actually is as the revelation of God according to one scholar.

Another curious thing is the way the Jews respond to Jesus’ statement. Jesus speaks of spiritual freedom and they understand it as political freedom. Have you ever had disconnects in conversations where you’re just not on the same page? This happened to us regularly when we would order pizza from various places in Gettysburg. If the delivery person didn’t know anything about the seminary, we would eventually get a call. “Hello, I’m here at Gettysburg College, where are you?” Well we don’t live at Gettysburg College, but at the seminary. “Did you say you’re at the cemetery?” No, not the cemetery, the seminary! We have finally found one pizza place that can always find us, so it’s the only one we order from.

These Jewish believers were not on the same page as Jesus. If Jesus is saying that the truth makes them free, then they would have to be in some kind of bondage, otherwise there would be no need for freedom. They took offense at this and responded that they’d never been slaves of anyone. Oh really?? What about the story of Moses who set the Jewish people free from Egypt? And what about the time the people were taken into captivity in Babylon? And if that’s not enough, what about the fact that at the time of Jesus they were under Roman occupation? Never been slaves to anyone????

What is it about this freedom Jesus offers that is so different? One writer suggests:

Only in this passage does "freedom" language appear in John. Jesus' mention of freedom offends his hearers, who insist they have always enjoyed freedom (even though, ironically, Jesus and his Jewish contemporaries live under Roman rule). But Jesus contends that without him they live as slaves. First, they are enslaved to sin, living as oppressed people. Second, this slavery relegates them to inferior status; because of it they cannot claim a permanent place or identity in God's family. Jesus then shifts his household metaphor to suggest that, as "Son," only he can ensure true freedom and secure membership in God's family.

The sin to which they are enslaved is unbelief, not moral error. Sometimes we think because we don’t do awful things, we aren’t so bad. But we all struggle with unbelief from time to time.

How does Jesus’ claim apply to us? What should our response be? One commentator writes:

To take seriously Jesus' claims about setting us free is to take seriously the proposition that we are all enslaved to powers beyond our ability to master. Reformation Day offers a suitable occasion for considering the ways in which we often find ourselves enslaved to particular religious identities, heritages, and practices, all the while pretending that dwelling in those things is the same as dwelling in Jesus and his word.

Continuing in God’s word, being a disciple, knowing the truth and being set free is not about our heritages and practices. Truth in John’s gospel is the revelation of God in Christ. Discipleship is knowing the Truth. In fact it’s more than just knowing the truth; it’s the basis for living.

So, we can look at what Jesus is saying as a type of equation: If you continue in my Word, then you are truly my disciples, you will know the truth, the truth will set you free. We are freed from slavery to sin, but we are also freed for something. Through remaining in or welcoming Jesus’ word, we know the reality about God and this reality is what frees us. We do not have to fear divine punishment. If we sin, and we will, the word assures us of forgiveness, not punishment for those who believe. This frees us to serve not only God, but our neighbor.

Because of reformers long ago like Martin Luther, we have the freedom to read the Bible in our own language, the freedom to partake of both the body and blood of Christ in the Eucharist, the freedom to serve God as a pastor and be married and the list goes on. But mostly, as we gather together today as a community of faith, we celebrate the freedom in Christ that has brought us here to this place and made us brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus.

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The Proof of Christianity

2009-09-29T17:07:00.000-07:00

I read the following tonight during my devotions using Minister's Prayer Book by John W. Doberstein. Each day of the week is devoted to a different aspect of ministry. Tuesday concerns the minister's life. One of the reflections included for today was written by Kierkegaard (pictured at right). I found it very thought provoking and sobering.

Order the parsons to be silent on Sundays. What is there left? The essential things remain: their lives, the daily life with which the parsons preach.Would you, then, get the impression by watching them, that it was Christianity they were preaching?

By God's grace, may our lives speak of the life of Christ and him crucified, buried, and raised.

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Prayer for Sunday

2009-09-27T02:44:00.001-07:00

Thanks to Rev Abi for this morning's prayer.

Lord,
Come be the salt in our life that we then can be the salt in other’s lives.
Lord, Teach us how to not be stumbling blocks in the little one’s lives.
Lord, teach us to accept each other even though we are different in our practices and our form of worship and church government.
Lord, Teach us to be the salt that this world needs.
Lord, help us in our walk to be your disciples.
Lord remind us it is for such a time as this that you have called us to be your disciples, to spread the salt of your grace and love in this world.
Lord remind us to spread your hope in a world that sometimes feels hopeless.
Amen

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On Being Found

2009-09-20T19:04:00.000-07:00

I read the following tonight for my own night prayer. God spoke to me so profoundly through the words that I practiced lectio divina (meditative reading) with them. I was brought to a place of feeling like a lost little girl being shown the way home. It's from the book Thomas Merton: A Book of Hours, edited by Kathleen Deignan, pp. 66-67.

And he called out to me from his own immense depths.

Silence

Litany

Teach me to go to this country beyond words and beyond names.

Teach me to pray on this side of the frontier, here where these woods are.

I need to be led by you.

I need my heart to be moved by you.

I need my soul to be made clean by your prayer.

I need my will to be made strong by you.

I need the world to be saved and changed by you.

I need you for all those who suffer, who are in prison, in danger, in sorrow.

I need you for all the crazy people.

I need your healing hand to work always in my life.

I need you to make me, as you made your Son, a healer, a comforter, a savior.

I need you to name the dead.

I need you to help the dying cross their particular rivers.

I need you for myself whether I live or die.

It is necessary. Amen.

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Summons to Service

2009-09-19T02:54:00.000-07:00

It's been a very long time since I posted. I've been juggling sickness and classes, but I think I'm back now. Here is a sermon I preached for my Preaching Mark class based on tomorrow's gospel text.

The Holy Gospel according to Mark.

“What did you say? What were you talking about?” Many of us have heard the all too familiar answer, “Nothing.” Of course that’s because the children know they have been caught. The disciples’ responded to Jesus’ similar inquiry with silence, perhaps because they were ashamed, perhaps because Jesus had just been teaching them of his upcoming death and resurrection. And the topic of their conversation—who is the greatest?

The setting is Capernaum in Galilee, Jesus’ home base there, It is from this place he began his Galilean ministry according to Mark. This passage follows the Transfiguration and some healings. For the second time, Jesus teaches of his approaching death and resurrection.

In verse 33, “After Jesus was inside the house he asked them, ‘What were you discussing on the way?’” Ask, in this context can have a variety of meanings: inquire, interrogate, demand of. These other shades of meaning show us what a serious matter this was for Jesus. The disciples just kept getting it wrong, missing the point.

Verse 34 says, “But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest.” This was not an abnormal thing for the time, to compare rank and dignity. The operative social system in Jesus’ time was based upon honor and shame. To increase one’s status and standing could be accomplished in a variety of ways, such as affiliating oneself with and serving one of higher status. Argue can also be translated contend or dispute. This is what they fought about—concerned themselves with… status. Doesn’t this sound like us today in the 21^st century? Jesus’ told them repeatedly that he would embrace crucifixion, the ultimate act of sacrifice and shame. What irony.

Jesus’ teaching that follows this incident stands in sharp relief to the actions and attitudes of the disciples. In verse 35, Jesus sat down, in the typical posture for a rabbi, and called the disciples. This call of Jesus is laden with meaning. One commentary suggested this may indicate a renewed call to discipleship. He called them to himself. He summoned them.

The summons was, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all and servant of all." What’s going on here? This was a call to a role reversal unlike any other. Here was a summons to service.

Service is good, but is that what most parents think of wanting for their children? We want them to go to school, get a good education, so they can get a good job. Yes, it’s important for them to be happy and to be good people. But to be last, to be servant of all is not the way we would imagine life for our children. It counters the nature of our social order. Jesus’ summons however is to service. It was the call Jesus challenged his disciples to then and it is the call for us as well.

Jesus’ comparing of first and last in this verse is the way one would compare a series of objects or events. (that’s first, second, third, and last…)

What kind of servants is Jesus asking for? This is not the word that is translated as slave in other parts of Scripture. The servant of all is diakonos. It’s the word from which deacon is derived. The servant of a king would be a diakonos. Figuratively speaking it concerns those who advance the interests of others even at the sacrifice of their own welfare. Let us make no mistake…the call, the summons of Jesus is to sacrificial service. In The Cost of Discipleship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer offers this perspective, “When Jesus calls us, he bids us come and die.” That is the sort of service to which Jesus calls.

“He took a little child and had him stand among them.” Much as the prophets in the Hebrew Scriptures did, Jesus acts out a parable. Some of us need to see, not just hear how to do something. Jesus did not have this child stand off at a distance, but among them, in their midst. Such a child was far more than a prop or visual aid, but belonged there, in the home where the teaching was taking place.

Children in Jesus’ culture were not given the type of consideration ours are today. This whole scene has nothing to do with the inherent innocence or faith of children. I can remember many times my own children were anything but innocent. Children were considered weak, insignificant, of low status, nuisances that did nothing useful. They were not considered, but were like non-entities until they grew enough to contribute to society.

Now Jesus takes this one step further, not only did the child stand with Jesus in the midst, but Jesus took the child into his arms. This person of little status and stature, a seeming non-person without rights was embraced by Jesus.

Jesus then proceeds to tell the disciples, ³⁷ "Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me."

In this one statement, Jesus uses “welcome” four times. Just what does this mean? It goes beyond the confines of our words welcome, accept, or receive, but is like receiving a child into one’s family in order to bring up and educate. This is not mere toleration of such little ones, but making them part of your family—those who have nothing to give you in return, who cannot help you get ahead.

In the honor/shame world of Jesus and the disciples, a time when people sought connections to those who could help them achieve a higher station in life, Jesus connected himself with those who could do nothing for him and taught his disciples to do so as well.

There is also an implied hierarchy in this last verse: God with Jesus as representative, Jesus with the apostles as his representatives and so forth. If you receive Jesus, you receive the Father. If the children are welcomed, Jesus is welcomed. If that happens, then the Father is welcomed. If the children, those of low status are welcome, the Father is welcomed. Receiving and serving those the world discounts is welcoming God. Eugene puts it this way, “Alongside the ‘official’ apostles stand the weak and vulnerable, who also mediate the presence of Christ” (p. 281).

As God summons us for service, how will we respond? Will our concern be the pecking order? Are we jockeying for position on one committee as opposed to another to have greater leverage? Or will our concern be how we are to answer Jesus’ call to serve those no one wants any part of? Let us not miss the presence of Christ in all God brings our way. ³⁷ "Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me."

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Laying Aside

2009-08-22T16:55:00.000-07:00

I was moved to tears by Bishop Mark Hanson's closing charge at the end of this afternoon's plenary session of the Churchwide Assembly of the ELCA. Overcome by emotion himself, he pleaded that we in this church refrain from labeling each other; that rather we remain in conversation with those whom we may disagreee with, that we tell the story of what God in Christ Jesus has done.

The particular label Bp. Hanson referenced was fearful. After the decisions made this week at the assembly, there are those who are fearful of what this means for our church. With Bp. Hanson, I would call each of us to lay aside the labels: conservative, liberal, progressive, fearful, bold...whatever they may be that we so dismissively affix to ourselves and others. Once labeled, we don't have to listen to these people because we think we already know what they're going to say by virtue of the label we have classified them with.

For shame! Such diminishing of one another as God's children is sinful. It is also not helpful. This is the challenge before us:

Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls! (Hebrews 12:1, The Message)

The NRSV translates it thus.

Let us lay aside the labels as the sin they are and keep our eyes on Jesus. As we were reminded yesterday by Bishop Hanson,

"We meet one another finally, not in our agreements or our disagreements, but at the foot of the cross -- where God is faithful, where Christ is present with us, and where, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we are one in Christ."

We have good news to share!

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Confessions of a Non-Signer

2009-08-21T17:02:00.000-07:00

I have followed most of today's and some of previous days' online coverage of the ELCA Churchwide Assembly. My opinions have changed radically not just in recent years, but in recent days. I was impressed with the passion and hearts of all who spoke for and against the proposed ministry policies.

A while back an online petition was circulated that was a letter from seminarians to the ELCA in support of LGBT persons in monogamous relationships to be included in rostered ministry in the ELCA. At that time, I could not in good conscience sign said petition. I could not come down on one side of the other. God kept challenging my long held positions. Particularly today, however, as I prayed and listened to the CWA plenary session, I had to add my opinion to that of the majority. Listening and hearing people's hearts is something I have learned during CPE this summer. As I practiced that skill today, the issue was not one of sexuality, but of love, the fruit of the Spirit, and the God that does what God wants to do in choosing whom God wills. There were faces, prayers, words, people before me now to consider rather than black and white words and sides of an issue.

I am brought back to a fairly contentious church council meeting back at my home church in RI. We were discussing and considering becoming a Reconciling in Christ congregation. I was dead set against it and felt like we would be on a "slippery slope." God and others have challenged me over the years. Months ago I could not have agreed with today's decisions. Today, if I was a voting member, I would have voted in the affirmative.

True confessions: when the petition was circulated favoring change of "Visions and Expectations" and supporting rostering of those in same-gender lifelong monogamous relationships from seminarians, I could not sign it. That is not the case today.

Bishop Hanson's remarks sum up my heart's cry at this time for our church,

"We meet one another finally, not in our agreements or our disagreements, but at the foot of the cross -- where God is faithful, where Christ is present with us, and where, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we are one in Christ."

Here is the link to the video of his remarks. Listen with your heart.

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Memorial to a Teacher

2009-08-20T22:15:00.000-07:00

My CPE supervisor right from the beginning told us the residents of BV would be our teachers. CPE is now complete and I couldn't agree more. This is the story of a relationship with just one of them.

When I first met R, she was pretty well bed-ridden and on hospice care in her apartment in assisted living. I went to her room in response to a note from the associate chaplain that she was not doing well.

R didn’t speak much when we met as she was struggling with pain, but still managed a few words and looks of communication. Her eyes were bright clear blue and were warm in spite of the soreness she was experiencing. As one of her two daughters introduced me to her as one of the chaplains, she smiled in response and seemed glad to see me. The conversation we carried on was very limited due to the medications she was being given for pain. They made her sleepy and she would nod off.

She was remarkably warm and welcoming given the circumstances and her own suffering. When awake, on subsequent visits, she smiled as she recognized me. Her facial expressions and eyes did much of the speaking that her mouth was unable to do.

It was particularly her eyes that caught my attention. Many in my family have/ had similar blue eyes: my grandmother, mother, brother, daughter, son, and granddaughter. I could not help but think of my family, all of whom are gone except my children and granddaughter, during the times spent with R. The eyes—as I think of those blue eyes, I remember the song Peter Gabriel sang with these words:

In Your Eyes
love I get so lost, sometimes
days pass and this emptiness fills my heart
when I want to run away
I drive off in my car
but whichever way I go
I come back to the place you are

all my instincts, they return
and the grand facade, so soon will burn
without a noise, without my pride
I reach out from the inside

(In your eyes)
the light the heat
(In your eyes)
I am complete
(In your eyes)
I see the doorway to a thousand churches
(In your eyes)
the resolution of all the fruitless searches
(In your eyes)
Oh, I see the light and the heat
in your eyes
oh, I want to be that complete
I want to touch the light
the heat I see in your eyes

love, I don't like to see so much pain
so much wasted and this moment keeps slipping away
I get so tired of working so hard for our survival
I look to the time with you to keep me awake and alive

and all my instincts, they return
and the grand facade, so soon will burn
without a noise, without my pride
I reach out from the inside

(In your eyes)
The light the heat
(In your eyes)
I am complete
(In your eyes)
I see the doorway to a thousand churches
(In your eyes)
the resolution of all the fruitless searches
(In your eyes)
Oh, I see the light and the heat
in your eyes
oh, I want to be that complete
I want to touch the light,
the heat I see in your eyes
in your eyes in your eyes
in your eyes in your eyes
in your eyes in your eyes

http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/PrintLyrics?OpenForm&ParentUnid=C72AA6F1463B7C18482568E400061839.

Perhaps it helped me to sit with her and spend time with her because of my inability to do so when some of my loved ones were dying. I think it was therapeutic for all of us: R, her daughters, and myself. They each allowed me to share their pain as one who understands, having experienced loss myself. There were close friends who were able to sit with my mother when she was dying, when I could not. I wanted to accompany R in her hurting, be a companion to her in the same way I would have been to my own mother, had I been able to be there.

I don’t think it was a matter of trying to exorcise my own demons in taking this journey with R and her family. I wanted to minister to them, walk with them, and listen to them as Christ would have me do. I worked hard at not bringing along my own baggage.

Another song comes to mind about the role of being a non-anxious, non-verbal presence with others.

R taught me to listen beyond words to the heart and soul. She welcomed me into her home and into her life. I was invited to journey with her in her final days of life on this earth—to read to her, sing to her, pray with and for her, and to wait with those she loved as they maintained the bedside vigil.

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The Necessity of Faith - Science and the Sacred

2009-08-08T10:01:00.001-07:00

Take a peek at this blog. Very interesting.

The Necessity of Faith - Science and the Sacred

Shared via AddThis
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Our Anniversaries

2009-08-03T02:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we celebrated two anniversaries. The first was our wedding anniversary. Six years ago yesterday Ray and I got married. It's been an awesome journey together so far, part of which brought us to our second anniversary. One year ago yesterday we were on our way to Gettysburg to begin seminary.

Now the first year of seminary has been completed, including the crazy world of summer Greek which a new group of students will soon be experiencing. Teaching parish is done. Now my classmates and I are completing CPE and will be starting our second year of seminary. Many of of never would have imagined that this is where we'd be.

I'm grateful for anniversaries, for those times to look back over the year or years and rejoice in God's grace in the blessings and the difficult times. "Great is thy faithfulness."

Till We Meet at Jesus' Feet

2009-07-28T02:29:00.000-07:00

I first became acquainted with the hymn "God Be With You Till We Meet Again" at my home church in RI. It was while in the process of discernment, not long before I left for seminary. Since that time, I have found it to be evocative and laden with meaning. Shortly after CPE began, I discovered that this is a particularly meaningful hymn to this community as well.

The last couple of weeks I have spent much of my time with the resident mentioned in my previous post.Walking and waiting with R and her daughters has been an amazing, life altering experience for me. Each time I went to her room, I had to listen carefully to what the Spirit was saying. Sometimes I thought I was going for Rand it ended up being for one or both of her daughters. Other times, like the last time I was with R, I initially thought I was there for her daughters.

For a while I had been praying that God would take R home to be with God. Each day I would check and she was still with us, though that much closer to death than the previous day. My last visit with R began with checking in on her daughters.. Sitting with them, I could hear that R’s breathing had changed since the morning when I had last been there. She was far more congested, so I went in to spend some time with her.

She was not experiencing the peaceful sleep of earlier in the day, but her breathing was much more labored. I sat and prayed with/for her. Knowing how our residents recognize the Lord’s Prayer when they may not even know their own names, I prayed that with her. I continued to pray for God’s angels to surround her and carry her into the Father’s presence. Finally, I sang the first verse and refrain of God Be With You Till We Meet Again to her. When I sang “Till we meet, till we meet, till we meet at Jesus’ feet…God be with you till we meet again,” I realized that indeed I may not see her again “till we meet at Jesus’ feet.” I could envision worshiping together around the throne of grace.

She passed away peacefully later that night, surrounded by family and friends. I will see her again, “…at Jesus’ feet.”

I participated in R's funeral service, along with the hospice chaplain. This was my first opportunity to be involved in a funeral in this capacity. Previously, I had only been an observer or mourner. The family would like me to conduct a memorial service at BV, knowing that many of R's friends were unable to attend the funeral.

J, our CPE supervisor often says that the residents are our teachers. R. taught me to listen beyond words to the heart and soul. She welcomed me into her home and into her life. I was invited to journey with her in her final days of life on this earth—to read to her, sing to her, pray with and for her, and to wait with those she loved as they maintained the bedside vigil. R, for this I thank you. God be with you till we meet again.

Walking and Processing

2009-07-14T03:09:00.000-07:00

My recent absence from blogging has not been because nothing is happening. Much is happening, but much of it is confidential. That which can be shared has taken some time for me to process before I could write about it.

The last few weeks have been full of encounters of all kinds, events, and personal reflection. It has been a roller coaster ride full of tears and joy--moments of "Aha" and others of "Oh crap." Here is a bit of what can be shared.

The retirement community I'm doing CPE in, being a chaplain this summer in, is a truly amazing place. Volunteers abound and those volunteers are residents of the retirement community. My weeks have consisted of times in one area to "Chat with the Chaplain." Wednesday mornings I do the devotions that are broadcast to all areas of the community. Friday mornings is a Bible study in memory support. Memory support encompasses a variety of abilities--some appear fully functional cognitively while others do not even speak. Each participates, singing his or her heart out as able. That may mean boisterous song or a smile and hum.

Most recently the lesson I am learning is just "to be" with someone in grief--whether it be from a recent loss or an older loss. One of the residents is in the process of "actively dying" and just seems to be sleeping peacefully. My visits are more for the family than the resident now. To just listen and accompany those who are waiting and watching during the seemingly interminable process of the death of a loved one. I am learning to just listen and pray and be. And in the listening and praying and being, God is with us.

This little song says it all:

The Servant Song
by Richard Gillard

1. Brother, let me be your servant.
Let me be as Christ to you.
Pray that I might have the grace
To let you be my servant, too.

2. We are pilgrims on a journey.
We are brothers on the road.
We are here to help each other
Walk the mile and bear the load.

3. I will hold the Christ-light for you
In the night time of your fear.
I will hold my hand out to you;
Speak the peace you long to hear.

4. I will weep when you are weeping.
When you laugh, I'll laugh with you.
I will share your joy and sorrow
Till we've seen this journey through.

5. When we sing to God in heaven,
We shall find such harmony
Born of all we've known together
Of Christ's love and agony.

(Repeat Verse #1)

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From Tears to Triumph

2009-06-26T08:25:00.000-07:00

On Friday mornings, at CPE, I have a Bible study with the residents of one of the memory support areas of a retirement community. Today was the best ever. I had such a sense of God's presence with us. People that normally are not engaged in the singing were singing their hearts out. There was even joy in their eyes.

The lesson was from Psalm 30 in The Message translation.

Psalm 30

¹ I give you all the credit, God— you got me out of that mess,
you didn't let my foes gloat.

^2-3 God, my God, I yelled for help
and you put me together.
God, you pulled me out of the grave,
gave me another chance at life
when I was down-and-out.

^4-5 All you saints! Sing your hearts out to God!
Thank him to his face!
He gets angry once in a while, but across
a lifetime there is only love.
The nights of crying your eyes out
give way to days of laughter.

^6-7 When things were going great
I crowed, "I've got it made.
I'm God's favorite.
He made me king of the mountain."
Then you looked the other way
and I fell to pieces.

^8-10 I called out to you, God;
I laid my case before you:
"Can you sell me for a profit when I'm dead?
auction me off at a cemetery yard sale?
When I'm 'dust to dust' my songs
and stories of you won't sell.
So listen! and be kind!
Help me out of this!"

^11-12 You did it: you changed wild lament
into whirling dance;
You ripped off my black mourning band
and decked me with wildflowers.
I'm about to burst with song;
I can't keep quiet about you.
God, my God,
I can't thank you enough.

Here are a few observations I shared both on Wed. for devotions and today in Bible study:

The Psalmist passionately expresses his experiences of crisis, prayer, and deliverance.

· Maybe the crisis was sickness and he felt near death?

o Have any of us ever been in such a crisis?

o Perhaps that’s our situation now.

· The psalmist prayed for God’s help

o Do we cry out for God’s help... or do we think our crisis isn’t important enough to bother God?

· God delivered the psalmist from his problems.

o Do we believe God will hear and answer our prayers?

In the last verses, the psalmist renews the promise of thanksgiving

· He has a new perspective of gratitude

o What is our perspective?

o Are we as anxious as the psalmist to tell of God’s mighty deeds?

o Or is our faith just a private matter?

· Listen once more to the vibrant imagery of these last verses.

o ^11-12 You did it: you changed wild lament
into whirling dance;
You ripped off my black mourning band
and decked me with wildflowers.
I'm about to burst with song;
I can't keep quiet about you.
God, my God,
I can't thank you enough.

Let us pray:

O God, our Guardian and Guide, we trust in You daily for life and strength to serve You with faith, hope, and love. We will praise You in the morning and throughout the day. We will praise You in the evening, and trust in You day and night. We depend on Your Word and precious promises as we pray in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, “Our Father. . .”

Prayer from http://psalmsandprayers.com/psalm30.htm

To illustrate the lesson from Psalm 30, I made up a little Power Point of pictures and showed it to each resident individually. This was very effective. It is that slide show that is below.

Tears to Triumph

God's Garden

2009-06-15T05:58:00.000-07:00

This is the message I preached at Bethany Village yesterday. I preached it 4 times in slightly different ways. This was the last one I preached at evening vespers.

7:00 Vespers Sermon

How do you imagine God to be? What do you see when you pray? We all have different images of God we see in prayer, which are especially meaningful to us. I used to live in the Holy Land. From my window, I could watch a young shepherd with his sheep and goats. He loved and cared for them. He even played soccer with one of the goats. For me, the image of the Lord as my shepherd in Psalm 23 or Jesus’ declaration in John 10, “I am the good shepherd,” are very rich and meaningful.

Perhaps when you’re lonely or fearful, it is God almighty, the creator God who is your comfort, your protector. Our hymns and songs are full of pictures of God. God walks and talks with us IN THE GARDEN or maybe you see Jesus as the Lover of your soul. Someone living by the sea will have different images that are meaningful to them than someone living in a city or someone on a farm.

Is it maybe the all seeing, all knowing God you most closely identify with? In preparation for this service tonight, I heard for the very first time the words of “Hymn of Promise” which we will be singing later. Do you have an appreciation for the paradoxes this hymn speaks of? There are some things that only God can know; only God can do.

The scriptures portray God in many ways, one of which is a gardener. Did you know that God likes to garden too? Through the prophet Ezekiel God speaks:

Thus says the Lord GOD: I myself will take a sprig from the lofty top of a cedar; I will set it out. I will break off a tender one from the topmost of its young twigs; I myself will plant it on a high and lofty mountain. ²³ On the mountain height of Israel I will plant it, in order that it may produce boughs and bear fruit, and become a noble cedar. Under it every kind of bird will live; in the shade of its branches will nest winged creatures of every kind. ²⁴ All the trees of the field shall know that I am the LORD. I bring low the high tree, I make high the low tree; I dry up the green tree and make the dry tree flourish. I the LORD have spoken; I will accomplish it.

To do justice to our text, we need to learn a bit about its biblical and historical context. Ezekiel was written while the people of Israel were living in exile in the far off land of Babylon because of their sins against God. Running throughout the book like threads, are the messages of judgment balanced by the messages of hope. The primary theme of the book is knowing God. The phrase, “They/you shall know that I am the Sovereign Lord” is used around 70 times in this book.

Did you hear all the pronouns in this passage? I is used 5 times. Twice it’s coupled with the word myself for emphasis. So what is God, the I doing? Listen to the verbs: breaks off, plants, brings low, makes high, dries up, makes. God is not distant, but involved and busy in God’s garden. God is getting down and dirty in it. Why does God go to all this effort? It’s so the trees will produce boughs, fruit, and shade. The ultimate aim however, is so all the trees will know God is the Lord.

So what does all this talk of planting, gardening, and trees mean? This was a symbolic message of hope and restoration for the people of Israel after they had been living in exile for so long. Trees flourishing in a desert area is inspiring, miraculous. What is happening is something the tree itself did not initiate, create, or sustain by itself. The growth is something only God could accomplish.

We are not trees, however. The trees are symbolic of nations, of people. It’s like a parable. When a tree is planted, does it argue with the gardener saying it doesn’t want to go there, but here? When it is fertilized, does it complain that the fertilizer is smelly? How about when it’s pruned? Does a tree whine saying, “Be careful! That hurts!?” God’s gardening in us may be hard and painful at times so we can be more like Jesus, so our lives produce and bear the fruit of the Spirit to serve God and our neighbor.

But it seems so impossible, so unattainable. That’s the good news. We are incapable of doing this. We are nowhere near perfect, so much so that Martin Luther said we are at the same time saints and sinners. So how can God expect of us something we are incapable of doing? Is God just setting us up to fail? Hear again God’s promise, “I the LORD have spoken; I will accomplish it.” The trees don’t have to DO anything to grow!!! They just have to be trees. We just have to let the master gardener work in our lives to produce the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Trees grow and produce when they are cultivated. We just need to allow God to do so in us. Let God do the gardening. God is not finished with any of us.

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Dignity

2009-06-02T03:02:00.000-07:00

I am now in week 2 of CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education) in a retirement community that ranges from independent living to skilled nursing. there is an area called Memory Support. These dear people have dementia or Alzheimer's. With these children of God, it is about being with them in the moment. A Bible study for independent retirees looks very different than one for memory support and yet even in an incapacitated state, connections are being made. From their past, they can connect with scripture, old hymns, and the Lord's Prayer.

In pondering about the various experiences I am having, I thought of a song we've sung a few times that calls us to self-sacrificing service for God and God's people. Here are the words:

The Summons

1. Will you come and follow me if I but call your name?
Will you go where you don't know and never be the same?
Will you let my love be shown? Will you let my name be known,
will you let my life be grown in you and you in me?

2. Will you leave yourself behind if I but call your name?
Will you care for cruel and kind and never be the same?
Will you risk the hostile stare should your life attract or scare?
Will you let me answer prayer in you and you in me?

3. Will you let the blinded see if I but call your name?
Will you set the prisoners free and never be the same?
Will you kiss the leper clean and do such as this unseen,
and admit to what I mean in you and you in me?

4. Will you love the "you" you hide if I but call your name?
Will you quell the fear inside and never be the same?
Will you use the faith you've found to reshape the world around,
through my sight and touch and sound in you and you in me?

5. Lord your summons echoes true when you but call my name.
Let me turn and follow you and never be the same.
In Your company I'll go where Your love and footsteps show.
Thus I'll move and live and grow in you and you in me.

http://www.godtouches.org/cathhymns.html

Here's a You Tube of it.

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CPE Day 2: morning devotions

2009-05-27T02:46:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my first day of CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education) at Bethany Village. This is an experience I have been looking forward to. I have heard wonderful things about this place and its CPE program and supervisor. It was an exhausting first day however.

Daily devotions and announcements are part of the morning routine at Bethany and this morning it's my turn to do the devotional part. This is what I'll be sharing with Bethany's residents this morning.

Praying According to God’s Will

It can be hard and frustrating to know how to pray for yourself or someone else. We know we should pray, we may want to pray, but find ourselves at a loss for words. We cannot pray correctly.

As crazy as this may sound, our inability to pray according to God’s will is good news. Hear these words from Scripture:

²⁶Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. ²⁷And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. (Rom 8:26-27)

This is our situation according to these verses:

· We are weak.

· We don’t know how to pray as we should. It’s one thing to pray, but it’s quite something else to pray as we should. In my own life, if God had answered my prayers the way I wanted them answered, I probably wouldn’t be in seminary or here with you today. How are we to pray when friends or family are sick or in trouble or are hurting? What about our own problems? How do we know what God has in mind?

This is God’s remedy. The Holy Spirit:

· Helps us in our weakness.

· Intercedes for us with “sighs too deep for words.”

· Searches the heart.

· Intercedes for us according to God’s will.

I find it interesting that the list of what we can’t do is half as long as the list of what God does. What a relief! Twice in this passage, we are told that God the Sprit intercedes for us. Do you know what that means? God prays for us! God does what we cannot do for ourselves. We should…we can’t…the Holy Spirit does.

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Bidden or Not Bidden...

2009-05-26T19:56:00.001-07:00

My son and his fiancée were determined to have a secular wedding ceremony in Las Vegas. The phrase that kept going through my mind was, "Bidden or not bidden, God is present." God is with us whether we realize it or not. And of course we kept praying for them.

They are a wonderful couple who are very good for each other. We are thrilled to have Marisa in our family.

The setting was beautiful: an outdoor patio area with plants around. It was evening and there was a nice breeze.

The groom's father and best man told us that when they met with the minister (yes, minister, not justice of the peace) they found out he's a Lutheran minister. Hmm, isn't that interesting?

The ceremony used the traditional vows. The minister spoke seriously to Christian and Marisa, charging them that they were in this for the long haul...as long as they lived. He did not use the word God, but certainly gave them godly counsel in the ceremony.

God was there...bidden or not bidden. God was there through several believers God's people and by the power of the Holy Spirit. God is God and we are not. We give thanks for that.

Who is the Holy Spirit?

2009-05-25T14:46:00.000-07:00

Given the following scenario, what would your answer be? Is this a valid question?

One of the members of your church comes into your office one afternoon with a question about the Holy Spirit. She attended church with a friend on Sunday, and there was lots of talk about the Spirit, and lots of energy in the worship. “Pastor,” she said, “I never hear about the Holy Spirit in the Lutheran Church—it seems like we spend all of our time talking about God the Father and Jesus. What does the Holy Spirit do, anyway?” Explain the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the church and life of a Christian.

Guilty as charged! Migliore writes that often the church has been suspicious of movements that have stressed the power of the Holy Spirit. I even experienced some of that from a member of my candidacy committee because of past involvement with the charismatic movement. As mentioned in a recent lecture, the Holy Spirit is the “least understood”[1] person of the Trinity. By the very fact that Christians routinely refer to the Holy Spirit as “it” shows the depth of our non-acquaintance with this person of the godhead. The Holy Spirit’s presence in our Lutheran churches sometimes seems completely unnoticed. Such presence is more subtle than in Pentecostal or charismatic churches. H. Richard Niebuhr suggested that churches tend to be more oriented toward one member of the Trinity or another, but not all three equally.[2] Anthony Robinson maintains that mainline churches generally focus on the Father, evangelicals on Jesus as Redeemer, and Pentecostals on the Holy Spirit.

Our weekly confession of the Creed belies our tendency to ignore God the Holy Spirit. We state, “I believe in the Holy Spirit…”, but do we know what this means? Luther gave a prominent role to the Holy Spirit in his explanation of the third article of the Apostles’ Creed. The Holy Spirit is active in calling us to faith in Christ, “enlighten[ing] us with his gifts,”[3] making us holy, keeping us in the faith and has done so and continues to do so for all God’s people past, present, and future. The Holy Spirit forgives sins and will raise us up on the last day, giving us the fullness of eternal life that we only now know in part. It is through this same Holy Spirit that we experience the communion of saints.

In the New Testament alone, we have 89 occurrences of the name Holy Spirit. If we include “God’s Spirit,” “Spirit of Jesus,” or “Spirit,” there would be many more. John the Baptist said of Jesus that he would baptize with the Holy Spirit (Mt 3:11). Jesus told his disciples that the Father would send the Spirit as an advocate or counselor who would lead them into all truth (John 14:26). There are many other functions of this same Spirit, which are too many too numerous to include. With such prominence, how is it that we know so little of God’s Spirit?

Migliore believes that our neglect, which he considers routine and suspicion of the Spirit has had “…damaging effects on both Christian life and Christian theology.”[4] Our understanding of God, Scripture, and other facets of church and the Christian faith and life may become distorted. God becomes distant and seemingly uninvolved in our lives. One of the most basic works of the Holy Spirit is to make Christ known. The Spirit draws us, helps us to experience and participate in the reality of salvation—personally and corporately as the church.

God gives gifts by the Holy Spirit to us for the benefit of the church and the world (Rom 12; 1 Cor 12-14; Eph 5). The Holy Spirit gives us assurance and hope which sustains us. It is through the Holy Spirit that God speaks to us (whether God uses the written Word, the community of faith, or whatever).When we sense that a particular hymn or sermon was just for us, that is the Spirit at work. God’s Spirit at work in believers is the “first fruits” (Rom 8:23) or “guarantee” (2 Cor 1:22) of God’s complete redemption of all of creation.

The Holy Spirit may be understood as, “the uniting and consummating love of the Trinity, the energy of the life of communion, the gift of mutual love and friendship.”[5] We are invited into this love, this life by God through the Holy Spirit. God makes God’s presence known in and through us to the world by the Holy Spirit.

[1] Largen

[2] Anthony B. Robinson, What’s Theology got to do with it? Convictions, Vitality, and the Church (Herndon, VA: The Alban Institute, 2006), 66.

[3] Martin Luther, “The Small Catechism,” in Martin Luther’s Basic Theological Writings, Second Edition, ed. Timothy F. Lull (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2005), 323.

[4] Migliore,224.

[5] Migliore, 231.

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Religious Pluralism

2009-05-23T14:32:00.000-07:00

Whether we like it or not, whether we are ready or not, religious pluralism is part of our world, of our country. Here is my response to the following scenario.

Sarah, one of the high school youth in your congregation comes up to you after service on Sunday and says she needs to talk. She has a good friend who is Muslim who invited her to worship with her last Friday. Sarah went, and really enjoyed the service, but when she came home and told her parents that she had participated fully in the service, they told her she had committed idolatry, and forbade her from going back. Sarah was really upset, because the service had been very meaningful for her, and she really felt drawn to go back and learn more about Islam—was that a bad thing? Could she do that and still be a Christian? How would you answer her?

I would express my understanding of Sarah’s feelings. Islam is an impressive faith when someone is a pious, good Muslim. Particularly if one’s own faith is lukewarm or lacking, Islam is very appealing. When I lived and worked with Muslims in Palestine, I was challenged by their piety. It is natural that she should be drawn to it, especially through a friend.

Islam is definitely not idolatrous. No images of God are permitted. Christians may be viewed as idolatrous by Muslims because of pictures in stained glass windows and elsewhere in churches. We may also be viewed as polytheistic because of the doctrine of the trinity. Muslims believe in the same God we do, the God of Abraham. We all believe in the one true God.

When Muslims bow down toward Mecca, they are not worshipping idols but are simply facing east. Similar prayer positions are found throughout the Old and New Testaments with meanings such as “worship, do obeisance to, prostrate oneself before, do reverence to, welcome respectfully”[1] There is certainly nothing wrong in this approach to God almighty. The Islamic view of God is very high, one of reverence.

Christians often think that Allah, the Arabic word for God, is a false god, different from the God we serve. In the Arabic Old and New Testaments, this is the word used for God the Father. Arab Christians use this word in prayer and Scripture reading. Allah is none other than the same God we know and serve.This misunderstanding of who Allah is may be why Sarah’s mother thinks she has committed idolatry. Reassuring Sarah is no problem, but it is important that there be significant dialogue with her mother as well. I certainly do not want to put a wedge between Sarah and her mother. In talking with Sarah, I would want to have some one on one time with her mother regarding her concerns.

This is not to downplay real differences between the two faiths. The centrality of the meaning of the cross is a huge difference. There is also the issue of Jesus’ divinity, his death, burial, resurrection etc. This is not what should be focused upon however. The Quran says things about Jesus with which we disagree, but there are also teachings from which bridges of understanding may be built.

As Christians however, we need to realize that we are called to relate to those beyond our circle of church friends, beyond other Christians, knowing that God by the Holy Spirit is already at work whether we recongize God’s presence or not. Our desire in relating with those of other faiths should be to break down those barriers that divide us, to see the “other” as one made in the image of God, to understand that not all Muslims are right wing, fanatical terrorists, any more than all Christians are out to support Israel and destroy Islam and Arab peoples.

Sarah could certainly learn about Islam and remain a devout Christian. The Quran has much to say about Jesus. In exploration of what it says, it would be helpful to compare the Quran and the New Testament concerning Jesus—to see similarities and differences. Working from the commonalities, we can discuss the differences frankly. Sarah and her friend could perhaps work on this exercise together. Her friend could bring to the conversation what the Quran teaches of Jesus and Sarah, what the Scriptures teach.This way they can both learn from and teach each other.

In my previous experience with Muslims in Palestine, what made dialogue and understanding viable between Christians and Muslims was mutual respect of each other as persons. Friendship and trust was the basis of religious discussion. Involvement in such relatioships did/does not mean we set aside our own beliefs for the sake of pluralism.

David Teeter, head of Project Redemption wrote concerning such interfaith relationships, “They came to respect Jesus as they saw him in our lives, and we came to respect their devotion to God as they understood him in their faith [Islam].”[2] When we see each other’s humanity, the dividing lines that erect enormous barriers between us blur. When I first moved to Bethlehem, the Islamic call to prayer from the nearby mosque was at the very least an annoyance, something that at the time even seemed demonic. By the time I left, it was a welcome reminder of the devotions of my friends to God as well as a challenge to me to be as faithful as they were in prayer. Sarah, as I did, could certainly learn more about Islam and still be a Christian. Ignorance and Christianity are not synonomous terms.

How would you respond?

[1] Gingrich, BibleWorks 8.

[2] David Teeter. Following Jesus in a Muslim Community. Online: http://davidteeter.org/following.aspx [3 May 2009].

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How Free are We?

2009-05-21T14:15:00.000-07:00

Martin Luther had some very strong feelings about our free will or lack thereof. Below is a short essay I wrote concerning his work Bondage of the Will.

In Bondage of the Will, Luther is responding to Erasmus’ writing of The Freedom of the Will from a number of different perspectives with appropriate arguments for each. What Luther keeps returning to however, is his Augustinian heritage. Augustine taught that sin was a curving in or turning in toward oneself.[1] That being the case, the human will was infected with evil and unable to choose correctly. Luther states unequivocally that “…free choice is a pure fiction.[2]

Luther supports his response to Erasmus’ arguments using the scripture and reason. Arguing from Pauline epistles, Luther states that according to Paul, “Universal sinfulness nullifies free choice.”[3] His argument follows that all are under God’s wrath, even the very best philosphers and religious people, Jew and Gentile alike. That being the case, Luther writes, that since all are deemed corrupt by God, “Where now is the power of free choice to attempt anything good? Paul represents it as deserving the wrath of God, and pronounces it ungodly and wicked… [it] strives and prevails against grace, not for grace.”[4] He continually returns throughout the document to this theme. If the will is corrupt, it cannot please God. Any striving or willing by our own will works against God’s grace. For Luther, the crux of Paul’s argument is that because of humanity’s rebellion against God, we are unable to come to God, therefore each person needs God’s grace. “But if they were able to initiate anything of themselves, there would be no need of grace.”[5] Our efforts cannot please God in any way. Redemption and justification of sinful human beings must be God’s work of grace.

Luther’s Pauline argument continues stating that perhaps by our will the works of the Law can be done, but that does not mean that we are fulfilling the Law.[6] In this section, Luther appeals primarily to Paul’s writings in Romans and Galatians where Paul so thoroughly teaches regarding the inability of the Law to save anyone. Again, Luther uses Paul’s arguments that non-Jews were found righteous without the Law (Rom 3:21-25). He continues that God finds no distinction between Jewish or Gentile believers in Christ.[7] In Christ, all are made righteous apart from works of the Law, apart from our own doing, apart from our will. It is all due to God’s grace, not our effort.

Luther’s argument continues with Paul’s example of Abraham’s faith, distinguishing a righteousness of works versus that of faith.[8] Luther’s case is that Abraham was justified by grace as a gift. If we look to our “free wills,” then grace and gift are mere empty, meaningless words. Without freedom of choice, there is no room for merits.[9] Luther’s interpretation of Paul is very cut and dry: one is justified by God’s grace or if one tries to justify oneself by one’s will, then it is no longer God’s gift of grace. One cannot have it both ways.

Luther appeals to John as well. In this section, Luther appears to be quite dualistic. There are two kingdoms: one is Christ’s and one is Satan’s. Free choice is equated with the world and the flesh, which belong in Satan’s kingdom while grace is by faith through Christ. They are understood as polar opposites.[10]

In the section entitled The Mercy and Justice of God in the Light of Nature, Grace, and Glory, Luther’s argument compares humanity’s understanding, strength, power etc. are nothing at all compared to the majesty, wisdom, and power of God almighty.[11] He refers to three “lights,” that of nature, of grace, and of glory.[12] Concerning issues of theodicy, humankind is unable to understand God’s purposes by simply the lights of nature and grace. In the light of glory however, we understand God’s righteous and perfect judgments.[13] Again we have the distinction of the human viewpoint (free choice) compared to the divine (grace).

To summarize, Luther’s argument is as follows: sin incapacitates us from working out our own salvation. We are all alike condemned. The human will is so severely affected by the Fall that we only will to do evil. Unredeemed humanity is dominated by the devil. When redeemed, the entire person is redeemed. We are thereby liberated to serve God. Truly, free will is non-existent for Luther. The whole gospel of grace is bound up in the decision we make concerning “free will.”

This is a theme that runs throughout Luther’s teaching, that of God’s grace that does for us what we are utterly incapable of doing for ourselves. In Luther’s later work, The Small Catechism, he succinctly sums up his position on our power to save ourselves in his explanation of the Third Article of the Creed. “I believe that by my own understanding or strength I cannot believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to him…”[14] That, in a nutshell, is the gist of Luther on free choice. I must agree with him. I can appreciate Erasmus’ position. It is a tempting one, but I believe Luther’s argument holds.

[1] Dr. Gerald Christianson, The Early Church and its Creeds lecture.

[2] Martin Luther, “The Bondage of the Will,” in Martin Luther’s Basic Theological Writings, Second Edition, ed. Timothy F. Lull (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2005), 168.

[3] Ibid., 169.

[4] Ibid.

[5] Ibid., 173.

[6] Ibid., 174.

[7] Ibid., 178.

[8] Ibid., 182.

[9] Ibid.

[10] Ibid., 192.

[11] Ibid., 193.

[12] Ibid., 194.

[13] Ibid., 195.

[14] Martin Luther, “The Small Catechism,” in Martin Luther’s Basic Theological Writings, Second Edition, ed. Timothy F. Lull (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2005), 323.

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People's Needs Met

2009-05-20T13:52:00.000-07:00

Reform # 5

No One Hungry

Luther’s conviction was, “Nobody ought to go begging among Christians” (Lindberg, p. 109). In the cities of the Reformation, a common chest was place where resources for the needy were stored. It was basically an institutionalized welfare system. There were no beggars in such places because their needs were to be met. How realistic is this today?

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Public Education

2009-05-19T13:34:00.000-07:00

Reform #4 from the 16th century.

Public Education Available for All

In Luther’s time, education was not for the common person. There were two classes, the learned and the unlearned. With the reformation and reorganization of the church, the educational system was also reorganized. As early as 1520 (Address to the Christian Nobility), Luther proposed that education should be for everyone, including the poor and girls. It was no longer only for the rich or for those going into the ministry or law. Luther saw that educated leaders and citizens, clergy and laity were essential for society to function. Education and the ability to read books were a way to learn of Christ. Books became a means of evangelism. One must be educated in order to read them however. Public schools did not originate here in America, but are something we can give thanks for from the 16th century reformers.

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