Serving the Multitude

The Nave of Broad Street Ministry in Philadelphia

(five-star dining for those experiencing homelessness)

Having just recently returned from a week-long mission immersion in Center City Philadelphia, many of our youth are still adjusting to life lived with abundance. Our shared experience at Broad Street Ministry served as an eye-opener to the complex set of realities that impact the lives of many of the unseen, unnoticed, and under-appreciated of our society. We walk by them most of the time, busy with our own agendas and concerns. We are a country preoccupied with self.

Jesus calls us to be mindful of the other. Love your neighbor. Love your enemy. Serve, forgive, give, heal, encourage, clothe, shelter, feed. No mere suggestions, these directives are meant to directly form what we do. We are meant to be instruments of God's peace.

In this Sunday's gospel reading we hear the familiar passage of the multiplication of loaves and fishes and the feeding of the thousands. Take a few minutes are read over this passage (Matthew 14:13-21). How are we like the disciples in this passage? Is there a miracle described here?  If so, what is it? 

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Addy Fry took some time upon her return from Philadelphia to produce the video below. Look, see, share:

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Eighth Sunday after Pentecost

August 3, 2014

Prayer of the Day

Glorious God, your generosity waters the world with goodness, 

and you cover creation with abundance. 

Awaken in us a hunger for the food that satisfies both body and spirit, 

and with his food fill all the starving world, 

through your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen

Readings

Isaiah 55:1-5

Psalm 145:14-21

Romans 9:1-5

Matthew 14: 13-21

Sowing

Vincent van Gogh, The Sower, June 1888

Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo, Netherlands

There is something peaceful and optimistic about the notion of sowing seeds. Certainly, Van Gogh's rendering of the act is idyllic if not nostalgic. (Some say Van Gogh was inspired by Millet's earlier effort, see below.)

In the so-called parable of the sower, Jesus harnesses agrarian imagery to convey the truth of God's Word encountering various types and conditions of people and circumstances. Take a few minutes to read Matthew 13:1-9. There are many perspectives from which we could view this and begin to engage the text. Whether we consider the sower, the soils or the seeds, each has to be seen as instrumental. Without all three, there would be no harvest. The harvest is the point. What do you think?

What roll does anxiety play in all of this? Do we become preoccupied with conditions and quantities at the expense of actually sowing the Word of God? Are we waiting for the opportune time? Do we anticipate or require prime circumstances before we get to work?

Jean-François Millet, The Sower, 1850

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Maybe because we think our means and methods of getting the word out are so technologically sophisticated and require such little risk to our person, that the task of one-on-one, eyeball-to-eyeball testifying has been reclassified as obsolete, useless. If so, how is that working for us?

I have no idea who this is or where this picture was taken. 

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This Sunday I am going to begin a three-week Faith Formation Forum series. I hesitate to share the topic with you, as you may get the wrong idea. Suffice it to say that it is important, timely, and crucial to our vitality as a congregation.  Invite a friend or neighbor to come along with you. Meanwhile, below is a preview of this Sunday:

Fifth Sunday after Pentecost

July 13, 2014

Prayer of the Day

Almighty God, we thank you for planting in is the seed of your word. 

By your Holy Spirit help us to receive it with joy, 

live according to it, 

and grow in faith and hope and love, 

through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.  Amen

Readings

Isaiah 55:10-13

Psalm 65:9-13

Romans 8:1-11

Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

Captivated

Rittenhouse Square, November 2013

Several years ago I had the pleasure of getting involved in a band. We were home grown. Friends. Originally, it was just Andy, Barry and me. We didn't have a name, so we referred to ourselves as the ABC Band. Andy and Barry were the real talent. Both gifted musicians. Andy played bass and keyboard and sang. Barry played lead guitar and blessed us with his amazing talent and giftedness. I kept busy with percussion and background vocals. Together, we practiced and performed . . . for fun and to the glory of God. As time went on, others joined us. Early on, Mari (Barry's wife) stepped in and helped to anchor the vocal section. Other friends joined in from time to time. We renamed ourselves Zion's Hill.

The band provided us all with a sense of healing and release in the midst of struggle and pain. We discovered that we could only do together what we were incapable of doing alone. 

So, this morning as I am remembering this time and reflecting on all that has happened since, one word from a song began to echo in my mind. Captivated. 

A song that Zion's Hill covered was All of Creation by Mercy Me. The second verse begins with these words: 

Captivated but no longer bound by chains. 

In the brief order for confession and forgiveness from our Lutheran liturgy, our confession begins with these words: 

Most merciful God, we confess that we are captive to sin and cannot free ourselves.

Sometimes our language can be complicated. Communication can be a challenge. Being captive to sin is bondage.  It is deadly. Being captivated by Christ, being captive to God's love, grace, and forgiveness is healing. Oddly, it sets us free.

I have been transformed by this amazing grace. Not all at once, but again and again. God is relentless, patient, and faithful. And I've seen this same amazing grace work in the lives of others. My friend Barry was and is under the life-saving influence of this transforming love of God. Jesus is real, alive, and active in Barry's life today. Even in the face of recent sufferings as the result of several strokes, Barry is beginning again to make music. He continues to be grateful to his Lord Jesus for the healing he has experienced. No longer enslaved, yet captivated.

Who or what captivates you? As we live with the recognition that we are indeed still captive to sin and cannot free ourselves, how are we simultaneously freed to live captivated by Christ?  To what extent does this remain a struggle?

As you think about it, take a few minutes and listen to All of Creation by Mercy Me.

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Everyone involved with Vacation Bible School throughout this week is having a blast. Our last session is this-evening (Thursday).  Rumor has it that there will be ice-cream! We are looking forward to sharing some of the music we learned throughout the week in worship on Sunday. Please plan to be there. We are in this together. 

Thank you to everyone who was involved with VBS this year.  It was a joy to welcome everyone here and also meet some new friends visiting from surrounding neighborhoods!

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Third Sunday after Pentecost

June 29, 2014

Readings

Jeremiah 28:5-9

Psalm 89:1-4, 15-18

Romans 6:12-23

Matthew 10:40-42

Prayer of the Day

O God, you direct our lives by your grace,

and your words of justice and mercy reshape the world.

Mold us into people who welcome your word and serve one another, 

through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.  Amen 

Trinity: Holy, Blessed, & Confusing

The Holy Trinity after Andrei Rublev, 1411

The faith of the Church, the faith in which we baptize, is trinitarian. You and I have been commissioned to baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. We teach and confess that there is one God. We teach and confess that God is three. You've heard it before, the church confesses and worships the Holy Trinity.

This coming Sunday is entitled: The Holy Trinity. It is the only Sunday that we gather to intentionally highlight a doctrine of the Faith. Most of the time, we are celebrating festivals that have to do with the life of Jesus, events in the life of the Church, or teachings and readings that represent the biblical witness.

In the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen

We rehearse this all the time. God is three persons. God is one. We have been baptized into this mystery.

In some of my reading recently, I came across the following claims that I found helpful in my own ongoing growth in the faith.  They are from, God For Us: The Trinity and Christian Life, by Catherine Mowry LaCugna (originally published in 1973).

[T]he doctrine of the Trinity is not above all a theory about God's 'internal self-relatedness' but an effort to articulate the basic faith of Christians: In Jesus Christ, the ineffable and invisible God saves us from sin and death; by the power of the Holy Spirit, God continues to be altogether present to us, seeking everlasting communion with all creatures.

The Spirit of God, poured into our hearts as love (Rom. 5.5), gathers us together into the body of Christ, transforming us so that "we become by grace what God is by nature," namely, persons in full communion with God and every creature.

and finally,

The doctrine of the Trinity is ultimately therefore a teaching not about the abstract nature of God, nor about God in isolation from everything other than God, but a teaching about God's life with us and our life with each other. Trinitarian theology could be described as par excellence a theology of relationship, which explores the mysteries of love, relationship, personhood and communion within the framework of God's self-revelation in the person of Christ and the activity of the Spirit.

Masaccio, The Trinity, 1425

Take a few minutes and watch this interesting video: Masaccio "The Trinity"(Magic of Illusion)

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The Holy Trinity

Sunday, June 15, 2014

PRAYER OF THE DAY (LBW)

Almighty God our Father, dwelling in majesty and mystery, renewing and fulfilling creation by your eternal Spirit, and revealing your glory through our Lord, Jesus Christ: Cleanse us from doubt and fear, and enable us to worship you, with your Son and the Holy Spirit, one God, living and reigning, now and forever.

PRAYER OF THE DAY (ELW)

Almighty Creator and ever-living God:

we worship your glory, eternal Three-in-One, 

and we praise your power, majestic One-in-Three. 

Keep us steadfast in this faith, 

defend us in all adversity, 

and bring us at last into your presence, 

where you live in endless joy and love, 

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, 

one God, now and forever.

READINGS

Genesis 1:1—2:4a

Psalm 8

2 Corinthians 13:11–13

Matthew 28:16–20

Veni, Creator Spiritus

When the day of Pentecost came. Mark A Hewitt, pastel & pen. 26 May 2012

I'm anticipating this Sunday's celebration of Pentecost with a sense of peace and passion. I want to be prepared, but not so prepared that I think I'm in control. Getting ready for Pentecost is more than about looking for something red to wear for worship.  (Although, yes, take some time to set aside something red for Sunday!) Below are some resources to help in our mutual preparation for Pentecost. I invite you to dwell in the prayers and lessons that are posted here.

Openness to the Holy Spirit, I believe, is one of the most significant postures and attitudes for the church. Without it, we loose our ability to grow, be renewed and  experience transformation. 

I'm also now preparing to participate in the annual Lower Susquehanna Synod Assembly. From the agenda I've seen, it looks like business as usual. I'll be praying for Pentecostal moments of vision and clarity for the church as we gather. I invite you to pray too.

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Day of Pentecost

Sunday, June 8, 2014

Prayer of the Day

O God, on this day you open the hearts of your faithful people by sending into us your Holy Spirit. Direct us by the light of that Spirit, that we may have a right judgment in all things and rejoice at all times in your peace, through Jesus Christ, your Son and our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  Amen

Readings

Acts 2:1-21

Psalm 104:24-34, 35b

1 Corinthians 12:3b-13

John 20:19-23

Take a few minutes and play this video/sound recording and meditate on the words below.

Come, Holy Spirit, Creator blest,
and in our souls take up Thy rest;
come with Thy grace and heavenly aid
to fill the hearts which Thou hast made.

O comforter, to Thee we cry,
O heavenly gift of God Most High,
O fount of life and fire of love,
and sweet anointing from above.

Thou in Thy sevenfold gifts are known;
Thou, finger of God's hand we own;
Thou, promise of the Father, Thou
Who dost the tongue with power imbue.

Kindle our sense from above,
and make our hearts o'erflow with love;
with patience firm and virtue high
the weakness of our flesh supply.

Far from us drive the foe we dread,
and grant us Thy peace instead;
so shall we not, with Thee for guide,
turn from the path of life aside.

Oh, may Thy grace on us bestow
the Father and the Son to know;
and Thee, through endless times confessed,
of both the eternal Spirit blest.

Now to the Father and the Son,
Who rose from death, be glory given,
with Thou, O Holy Comforter,
henceforth by all in earth and heaven.
Amen. 

One of the most widely used hymns in the Church, Veni, Creator 
Spiritus, is attributed to Rabanus Maurus; (776-856). It is used 
at Vespers, Pentecost, Dedication of a Church, Confirmation, and Ordination 
(Holy Orders) and whenever the Holy Spirit is solemnly invoked.

Worthwhile Redundancy

Consider for a moment the gifts of the Holy Spirit that are given, activated, and unleashed in the course of a so-called average week in the life of our congregation. There is nothing average about it. It’s extraordinary, amazing, significant, and extravagant. God is good and God is gracious. 

The thing is, you and I have grown accustomed to such beauty. In many and various ways it has become to us ordinary and normal. 

As the air temperature increases as we enter summer, so has the frequency of my visits with my children to a favorite ice-cream parlor. The last time we were there, I enjoyed watching my son Rowan marvel at the variety of flavors. Life is too short to settle for Vanilla. 

If God is the ice cream dipper, we are being served sometimes Black Raspberry, sometimes Mint Chocolate Chip, sometimes, let’s be honest, Rocky Road. There are various gifts given to each of us. Not any one of us is gifted in the same way as any other. We get to share our unique gifts so that the rich diversity of abilities, skills, and passions can be used to the Glory of God in our mutual ministry. What do you think? 

Maybe we should put up a big tent and invite the surrounding neighborhoods together for an ice-cream social as an excuse to reflect more publicly on the will this Gracious Gift-giving God of ours has for the community in which we all live. 

Since the leadership retreat was held earlier this year, we have had several opportunities to explore together ways in which we are challenged and called as a congregation. There were two information sharing sessions following worship before Lent. After the potluck supper on the Second Sunday of Easter we took some time in small groups to connect the dots and further analyze the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats as we anticipate the next several years ahead. 

Since that time, a task force was convened to digest the results for presentation to the church council at their June meeting. Stay tuned for further updates and to learn ways in which you can participate in the visioning process as it moves forward. 

Although I do not know for certain, I do anticipate that we all will have more concrete results and initiatives to consider in time for our annual meeting. Or, if the Holy Spirit provides, perhaps we will have a special congregational meeting sooner. 

So, please keep all this in your prayers. And the next time you go out for ice cream, take a moment to consider the various options. 

Ascension of the Lord

Today is the fortieth day of the Easter season. The Church celebrates Christ's ascension to heaven (Luke 24:44-53; Acts 1:1-11). Today is one of the principal festivals of the church year. This festival has been included in the church's calendar since the fourth century.

Prayer of the Day  

Almighty God, 

your only Son was taken into the heavens 

and in your presence intercedes for us. 

Receive us and our prayers for all the world, 

and in the end bring everything into your glory, 

through Jesus Christ, our Sovereign and Lord, 

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, 

one God, now and forever.

In today’s gospel the risen Christ ascends into heaven and his followers are assured that the Spirit will empower them to be witnesses throughout the earth. The disciples were told to not gaze up into heaven to look for Jesus; we find his presence among us as we proclaim the word and share the Easter feast. We too long for the Spirit to enliven our faith and invigorate our mission. 

  

Gospel  

Luke 24:44–53 

Then he said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you — that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled." Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."

Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; and they were continually in the temple blessing God.

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Cyril of Alexandria wrote regarding the Ascension of Our Lord, "As man then, Jesus appeared before the Father on our behalf, to enable us whom original sin had excluded from his presence once more to see the Father's face. As the Son he took his seat to enable us as sons and daughters through him to be called children of God. So Paul, who claims to speak for Christ, teaching that the whole human race has a share in the events of Christ's life, says that God has raised us up with him and enthroned us with him in heaven. To Christ as the Son by nature belongs the prerogative of sitting at the Father's side; this honor can rightly and truly be ascribed to him alone. Yet because his having become man means that he sits there as one who is in all respects like ourselves, as well as being as we believe God from God, in some mysterious way he passes this honor on to us."

Illustration:  The Ascension of Christ, by Salvador Dali