My congregation just celebrated our 70th anniversary. We are in a time of transition as we call a new senior pastor. Many of us thought this would be a good time to lift up and celebrate the stories of our church and the ways we have been formed to live out our faith in the community and the world.

More than 35 people were instrumental in planning and carrying out our celebration. As the point person for all these people I quickly realized I needed to use the arts and practices of community organizing I learned from my friend and colleague Pastor Jim Honig and the leaders of DuPage United. I thought of myself as the lead organizer in this anniversary endeavor. Calling myself that helped me define my role.

I began listening over the summer to Faith members of how they hoped we would celebrate the 70 years. I brought people together so they could listen to each other. We listened and brainstormed over a few meetings. Then I asked each person, “where do you want to share your talents and time?"

As each person decided for themselves, some ideas fell away and some gained energy and excitement. People found partners and teams to share the work. My role was to listen, check-in, sometimes give a reality check, and most importantly support their vision of the celebration.

It all was a lot of work but a joy to do - for everyone!

The arts and practices of community organizing have helped me to:
·        Listen differently (both to what people are saying and the hopes underneath)
·        Help people hear each other
·        Let ideas emerge from the group, don't force an agenda
·        Empower people to do the work they want to do
·        Don't minimize my role of listener, encourager and many times, assistant in their work.


At the end of our event we sang the hymn Joy to the World. Isaac Watts, the hymn writer, did not first intend this hymn for the seasons of Advent or Christmas. For him it connected with Romans 8: there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God through Jesus - even as one embarks on something new. It is a hymn that recognizes we are always on the cusp of "something new". Watts reminds us the response to God making things new is that "heaven and nature sing"!

Our anniversary was filled with joy. It was the work of the community. I am grateful I could both lead and get out of the way!

~ Pam

FYI- A great book for church is leaders is Organizing Church: Grassroots Practices for Embodying Change in Your Congregation, Your Community and Our World by Tim Conder and Dan Rhodes

I am surprised by the lack of outrage, anger, and sadness I see on Facebook these last 24 hours. After other shootings, tragedies, acts of terror, my feed is filled with emotion. But not now. Are we numb? Are we weary of weeping for each other? Maybe. Probably. I also think it is something else.

This act of terrorism was committed by a white, upper class man – citizen of the U.S. I am wondering if that is the hurdle that people cannot get over. He is us White Mainstream America.  This person could be our husband, brother, father. That puts us in denial. We do not want to believe that “our well-adjusted, law abiding people” could be capable of this behavior. We are more comfortable throwing stones at people of color, Muslims and even white supremacists simply because we can distance ourselves from them. We “other” them. They are not like us. But they are like us…and we are like them.

How do we tell the truth? How will we share the power and the blame in our communities and our country so that we begin to change and heal?

There is no one in control in Washington D.C. No one is leading. They have abdicated their power. When there is a vacuum of power…it gets filled.

So how will we, White Mainstream America, take the first step towards humility and reconciliation with all those we have marginalized and suppressed so that we can begin to be community together?
How will I and you and us change so that our communities begin to look more like the Beloved Community of Bonhoeffer and King and, yes, Christ?

I would love to see my Facebook Feed filled with acts of humility, reconciliation and compassion. And conversation moving us forward as a people.

​~ Pam

Sermon from September 17
Exodus 14:13-31
 
In just a little bit we will sing Wade in the Water as the Hymn of the Day.
Wade in the water, God’s a gonna trouble the water.

That is what life feels like sometimes. We are knee deep (or hip deep) in water – slowly, carefully making our way. Maybe pausing midway thinking, “How did I get here?”
The Israelites were not wading, they walked on dry land, but I bet they wondered as they walked, “How is this happening? How did we get here?” I imagine some of the older women turning to the young ones saying, “C’mon sister. Yahweh is setting us free. Don’t waste your time questioning. Walk.”
Theirs is the voice of the wisdom of years. Years of praying. Years of finding little ways to defy Pharaoh. Years of daily setting aside the torture of slavery and bondage, knowing that God hears their cries.
The Hebrew slaves put their trust in God – not knowing how deliverance would come but that one day…they would be free.

Faith: Then. Now. Next. (Faith Church's anniversary theme)

Did they somehow in their bones possess that verse that St. Paul would write centuries later?
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the confidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1)
It is that verse that our Faith Church ancestors held in their hearts. It is that verse which inspired the name of our church. Today we begin our six-week long anniversary celebration.

We share the stories of Faith.
·       We tell the story of how God uses water to claim us through baptism.
·       We tell the story of Jesus’s last supper in our communion liturgy to remind us of the gift of forgiveness as we eat the bread and wine/the body and blood of Jesus and then take Christ out into the world with us.
·       Through stories we hear the wisdom of our ancestors.
·       We listen to each other and how we live out our faith in the world today.
·       We dream about the future, one that we maybe can’t even imagine, or one that we may not ever see but we know it is there because God has work for Faith Lutheran Church to do.

I think it is interesting that Moses tells God’s people, “Do not be afraid. The Lord will fight for you, and you only have to keep still.”
No instructions to build rafts or find a different way around the water or turn back and fight Pharaoh’s army. Nope. The instructions were, “keep still”. And when it was time to walk through the sea, even though it did not seem logical, they trusted God and they walked.
This is the deliverer-people relationship.
God will fight for you. Keep still.
Christ died for you. Trust. Have faith even when you cannot see or don’t understand.

Our Hymn of the Day – Wade in the Water – was originally a negro spiritual. Scholars believe it gave instruction for slaves to escape to freedom through the Underground Railroad in the 1800’s. It had practical advice, “Walk through the water and the dogs may lose your scent.” Crossing through the Ohio River meant crossing the boundary from slave to free territories.
The songs the slaves sung were an act of defiance, an act of hope. The slaves in the American south were not allowed to sing or dance. That law was one of many, meant to keep slaves hopeless and docile. But they could sing religious songs, especially while they worked in the fields. They used that opportunity in their favor and sang about characters and stories from the Bible that told how God would set his people free. They sung the stories that God’s people would not be bound forever – by humans or by sin.
They sang of troubled waters. There is power in acknowledging that life is difficult, unpredictable, dangerous. That power stirred their sense of hope.
Howard Thurman, Dean of the Chapel of Howard University took hope from this spiritual: He said, “Do not shrink from moving confidently out into the choppy seas. Wade in the water because God is troubling the water.”

God is with us in all of life. This is what we call Theology of the Cross. Jesus entered the emptiness of death so that it would never be empty for us. Jesus lived, died and lives again – paving the way for us so that we have life with God now and after we die.

While I certainly do not compare the circumstances of our lives to slaves in the U.S., we recognize that we also have times when we are in choppy seas. Illness. Addiction. Loneliness. Grief. Unemployment.
The choppy seas also exemplify the combative adversarial culture in our country.

Do God’s words “Keep still” apply to us today? How is it we keep still yet also take that step forward when God opens a path for us? God’s invitation for stillness is not lack of movement on our outside. God’s stillness calls us to look inward quieting ourselves, listening for God.
Maybe that path that God opens up for us is not dry land but soaking wet, leading us into the deep end. We enter the water knowing and trusting God is there: Above us. Below us. Alongside us. Within us. (make the sign of the cross)

In last week’s sermon, we heard that God’s Passover of the faithful meant life. While all the first born of Egypt were killed, those who believed in Yahweh were spared. Now this week too, God’s people are given new life – again – as they cross on dry ground God laid in front of them. They get to the other side of the sea and can’t help but sing! Miriam, Moses’ sister, leads them in a joyful song thanking God for their very lives.
We will sing the Canticle of Miriam during the offering today, following the example of defiant hope of both the Israelites and the African slaves in colonial America.

As we celebrate our faith: big F – the 70th anniversary of Faith Lutheran Church; or little f – the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, we will hear stories of life with God from our congregation. Sometimes memories may end up sounding neat and tidy, but the experience is real life. Difficult. Messy. Maybe very loud or too quiet. They all are probably very wet!
We will hear how God transforms us for work in this congregation and the world.
We will hear how the Holy Spirit comes to us in times of joy and pain through the presence of each other.
We will share stories of how a ministry, a person or an experience gave us a glimpse of the mystery of God – unbridled joy, unconditional love, or even profound humility – when we knew God was with us in the water.

Stories of life.
Life with God: Then. Now. Next.

​~ Pam

Did you see the clip of meteorologist, Tom Skilling, overcome with emotion during the eclipse? If you have ever seen his WGN weather forecast you can tell he loves weather, both the science and the mystery of the cosmos.

We all are the same about something. Our connection is so deep, we are overcome with emotion when we come face to face in its purest form.

I'm sure there are mathematicians that cry at the beauty of a complex problem finally solved. They are delight in the wonder of the precise mystery of numbers. (I also cry over math but that is a different blog!)

For me, I cry at baptisms. Not only because the baby is cute or I know the parents and their struggle to be a family. I cry because this is God showing love and grace in its purest form. This infant has not been taught about Jesus. This little one did not choose to love God and so God loves her back. This is the most unconditional love we will ever witness. It is real and it is a mystery. I am overcome with emotion.

​Many of us cried out when we watch the news and learn of tragedy, loss of life, vile hatred, or unexplainable (sick and sinful) human behavior. There is something in us that is changed when we see people, animals or the earth abused. We feel the mystery of our interconnectedness on a gut level.

We all yearn for connection, for relationship. That is how we were made "In the beginning". In the story of creation God told Adam and Eve to be stewards, caretakers of each other and all that God created. We are created to honor and care for all creation: earth, plants, animals, people, and yes even the cosmos and math. Our story is intimately connected with the first story. We are emotional when we see a glimpse of mystery face to face or when we see the earth and people dishonored and carelessly thrown away.

So the next you find yourself unexpectedly overcome with emotion, look around and notice the divine mystery. Reach out in your joy or anguish and share that emotion with someone else. That is what we are created to do, that is who we are: created for each other.

​~ Pam

 I had a great conversation recently. A friend and I were talking about the difference between friendliness and hospitality, especially in the context of church.

Friendliness tends to focus is on my own behavior. Am I smiling? Do I approach the person, share a story, make them laugh? None of these behaviors are bad. Friendliness is a great quality. Friendliness can also tend to keep interactions on a surface level. We settle for a quick, “Have a nice day.” or “How are you?” “What’s new?” without really waiting for an answer.

Hospitality is very different. It is not about me but about the other person. What does he need? What will make her more comfortable and feel welcomed? This is true for family and friends as well as strangers.  

The book Radical Hospitality: Benedict’s Way of Love by Father Daniel Homan, OSB and Lonni Collins Pratt, describes the first step in hospitality this way: Listen. One must open their ears and their heart and listen for wisdom. “Ultimately, hospitality is not about the table you set or the driveway you plow. Hospitality is about preparing the holiest of holies. It is about the heart you make ready. Yours.”
This means that hospitality begins before we even interact with someone else. How am I ready to be with you? That is much different than simple friendliness.

I realized the difference for myself as we were talking about sharing the peace. This is the part of the worship service where prompted by the minister who says, “The peace of the Lord be with you.” And the congregation responds, “And also with you.” For my congregation, this is close to a contact sport. Adults and children alike leave their pew and cross the aisle, shaking hands with many people. This raises both the energy and noise level in the room. There tends to be a traffic jam of people in the middle of the sanctuary. Many people find this invigorating. We have some older folks though who are not confident to join the mix. They may be a bit wobbly or introverted or hard of hearing.

There are two older men who I have noticed do not leave their spot during the sharing of the peace. I go seek them out. I have learned to slow down and lower my own energy level as I approach them. I reach out my hand and give a gentle warm handshake. I block out all the other noise, look them in the eye and gently share the peace. The look in their face is filled with gratitude. I have met them where they are. I have changed my own behavior to greet them in a way that is meaningful for them. I paid attention to the other person and saw what they needed.

That is hospitality! Noticing how my own behavior can limit an interaction and then adapting so that both people than connect authentically.
Friendliness is good. It can be warm and convey value in the moment. Hospitality is about more than the moment. It has the power to deepen relationships.

Hospitality involves risk. What if I make myself vulnerable and open and the other person just blows me off? It is a risky business to be open so that a relationship can deepen. While friendliness is important, we are not called to be friendly. We are called to risk: touch the leper, eat with the outcast, talk to the outsider, and follow the one who was killed for those same behaviors.

​~ Pam