Always Reforming - Sermon for Reformation Sunday

Always Reforming

Reformation Sunday

October 30, 2022

Christ, Preston, MN

John 8.31-36

Five hundred and five years ago Martin Luther nailed 95 theses, or propositions for debate, to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. That was the mode of argumentation before the internet and social media. Like now, his posting drew a flurry of activity. Chief among Luther’s quibbles with the Institutional Church was the selling of indulgences, or certificates of grace, that purportedly would hasten a loved one’s journey to heaven. That was something Luther felt should be free since grace is, well, free. Luther wasn’t the first to argue against this and other perceived abuses, but a confluence of events pushed him and the issues to the fore. The Reformation would change the church, society and even the government permanently.

Along the way, Luther would translate the Bible into the tongue of the people, coincidentally solidifying the German language. In doing so, Luther would make the Bible accessible for anyone who could read. He would also produce other widely read tracts, all fueled by the technological innovation of the day: Gutenberg’s printing press that made mass production possible. Also along the way, he insisted on four “solas” or “onlys:” Christ alone, grace alone, faith alone, and Scripture alone. In short, we are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ Jesus alone as revealed in Scripture, which is our sole authority, and this is not of our doing but a free gift from God.

The institutional church was not happy with Luther and attempted to shut him down. But Luther at his trial, asked to be proved wrong from Scripture, uttering the famous words, “Here I stand, I can do no other.” The actions of Luther and other reformers led them to be called “Protestants,” a name that embraced them as they embraced it and would be welcomed by many. Though not Luther’s desire, the formation of not just one but many new churches. Still, Luther’s overriding concern was the truth shown in Scripture, that we are made right with God by faith apart from our own works, and that the truth of this shall be known and set us free.

It is tempting to think of the Reformation as a past event, albeit an important one, merely an artifact of history. But I would argue, and I think Luther would agree, that we shouldn’t just celebrate the Reformation but also embody it, much like we embody the Incarnation of Christmas and the dying and rising of Easter. We tend to think of freedom as being able to do whatever we want. But the witness of Scripture is that we are not only freed from the brokenness of sin, death, and the power of evil but also freed for a new life. Luther in his essay, Freedom of a Christian says it this way: “A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none. A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all.”

Here’s what I think the bottom line is: God has a mission to love and bless the world, to bring people back into relationship with him, and for that mission, God has a church, like Christ Lutheran Church. We need to acknowledge that we don’t always get that right, that God’s grace often gets muted, if not obliterated. The church of the Reformation is always reforming because God is always on the move and because each generation is in a different place and time. So, the Good News of Jesus Christ’s love for everyone, which never changes, is declared in new ways so that people can hear it in their own language.

My Siblings in Christ, as you prepare for your next settled pastor, you have a wonderful opportunity to discern what that means for Christ Lutheran Church in Preston, MN in 2022 and beyond. That can be daunting, but today we remember and celebrate that we are an ordinary people who have an extraordinary God, a God whose love has set us free. Thanks be to God. Amen.

My sermons often preach a little differently than written and you can find the video here.

True Humility - Sermon for the Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost Year C

True Humility

Pentecost 20C – Lectionary 30

Christ, Preston, MN

October 23, 2022

Luke 18.9-14

In 1980, singer and songwriter Mac Davis released an album, “It’s Hard to Be Humble.” The title song on that album quickly rose in popularity, both in America and abroad. The opening lines are so iconic they’re indelibly etched in our minds:

Oh, Lord, it's hard to be humble

When you're perfect in every way

I can't wait to look in the mirror

'Cause I get better lookin' each day

For some reason, the song struck a chord (pardon the pun) with people around the world. And if this song is now stuck in your head for the rest of the day, you’re welcome.

The opening line to Davis’s song might be a fitting summary of our gospel reading today from Luke. At first, the parable Jesus tells seems straightforward: don’t be like the self-righteous Pharisee. Last week, we heard one example of prayer from the parable of the persistent widow and the unjust judge. Today we hear two more kinds of prayer, the tax collector who beats his breast over being sinful and the Pharisee who congratulates God for not making him like the tax collector. And Jesus’ pronouncement at the end also looks clear: don’t exalt yourself or else you’ll get yours.

But I think Jesus has set this parable as something of a trap, but not in the sense of “gotcha.” Jesus uses two stock characters in this parable as examples that we see often in Luke: the despised tax collector who was a Jewish citizen but also a collaborator with the Roman occupying forces; and the Pharisee, a religious leader whom Jesus unfairly portrays as an uptight, rigid observer of the law. The trap comes when our reaction is to identify with the tax collector: “Thank God I’m not like the Pharisee!”

The infamous words of former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir seem appropriate: “Don’t be so humble; you’re not that great.” This is where Mac Davis speaks a small amount of truth: it is indeed hard to be humble. We don’t know why the tax collector and the Pharisee come to the temple that day nor do we know what happens to them afterward. Does the tax collector ever change his ways? Does the Pharisee get a lesson in humility sometime? We don’t know, and perhaps that’s the point: they aren’t the focus of the parable, God’s mercy and grace are.

Luther Seminary Professor Emeritus of Church History James Nestingen tells a story about an experience his father had while he was in seminary. On returning to campus on a Sunday evening and running into a classmate, the classmate said to the elder Nestingen, “I had a good day today. I didn’t sin.” Nestingen’s father replied, “It was good of you to give Jesus the day off.” If we aren’t careful, we can engage in a humility contest, which defeats the purpose. Nestingen’s father had a point: whatever ability we have to follow the way of Jesus comes from God and God alone.

So, what brings you to Christ Lutheran Church today? Why are you here? I’m hoping that you are here because this is a safe place for you to be vulnerable and admit your need for God's mercy and grace. I hope it’s a place where you don’t have to pretend to be something you are not, for whatever reason you might think so. Even more so, I hope it’s a place where you will hear God’s unconditional love, mercy, and grace for you no matter what your situation in life. My siblings in Christ, you are worthy of love and belonging through Jesus’ justifying action. That’s true humility. Amen.

My sermons often preach a little differently than written and you can find the video here.

Do Not Be Afraid

Pentecost 19C Lectionary 29

October 16, 2022

Christ, Preston, MN

Luke 18.1-8; Genesis 32.22-31

I think that one of the hardest questions in the life of faith is why, if there exists a loving God, there is evil in the world. As Rabbi Kushner said in his famous book,  why “bad things happen to good people.” For those of you playing Theological Bingo at home, this is known as the problem of theodicy. Perhaps a similarly difficult question and even related to theodicy, is why God rarely answers our prayers and often remains silent. That was a struggle for the Apostle Paul who wrestled with his infamous “thorn in the flesh.” Paul asked God to remove that unknown affliction, but God remained silent. I’m guessing that many of you have similar experiences regarding illnesses, jobs, relationships and many other difficulties.

“Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart.” Notice the word, “then,” which means our text for today follows something else. If we were to go back to the end of chapter 17, we’d hear Jesus talking about the coming kingdom of God, including the mysterious claim, “the kingdom of God is within you.” Why is this important? Well, it’s helpful to know that Luke writes to his community about 50 years after Jesus’ death and resurrection. He writes to people who have experienced the temple’s destruction and wonder where God is in all of this confusion. They have expected Jesus’ return and are losing heart as they see what’s happening around them.

I would also guess that most of us spend little time wondering why Jesus hasn’t come back. Even so, we do wonder from time to time where God is in the world and we see little of Jesus’ presence. We might even be tempted to see God exactly like the unjust judge: vindictive and uncaring. But it’s as if Jesus is reading our minds because he quickly says that God is not like that. And because parables are provocative, (they provoke our thinking), we can entertain the idea that perhaps God is more like the widow who works on our hard hearts. Maybe prayer is designed to change us more than it is supposed to change God.

Dr. Samantha Meints and Rev. Dr. Marta Illueca are leading a research project that will help identify the types of prayer that are most helpful for folks with chronic pain. In doing so, they can better help people better cope with their pain. One of their initial findings is striking. When people pray for God to take away their pain, there is little or no benefit. But when they ask God for help to bear the pain, they are better able to cope with the pain. Prayer changes us.

When we lose heart in our prayer life, we become tired, despondent, and resigned to our situation. We lose our sense of purpose and get cranky. But when we pray like the widow, we have a purpose and clarity about what we are to be, and we are changed in the process. Praying with heart wears down our inner judge and makes us open to what God is doing in our lives. In the Genesis reading, Jacob wrestles with God until he receives a blessing, and he is changed forever, signified in his name change to Israel, one who strives with God. As Debie Thomas notes, God delights in those who dare to strive with him, because in doing so they keep hold of God tightly.

We’re in an uncertain time now, post-pandemic. You have said good-bye to your pastor, wondering what the future holds. Maybe some of you are even afraid that God won’t show up. My siblings in Christ, do not lose heart. Continue wrestling with God, expecting a blessing in return. Amen.

My sermons often preach a little differently than written and you can find the video here.

The Good Fight - Sermon for the Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost Year C

The Good Fight

Pentecost 16C (Lectionary 26)

September 25, 2022

Good Shepherd, Wells, MN

1 Timothy 6.6-19

In a conversation the other day, Bob told me about Frank, the person that hired him for a position he held for several decades. He told me how Frank was far more than a boss or supervisor to him. As the years passed, Frank not only became a mentor to Bob, but also a second father to him. Most of us who have been grateful for a similar relationship understand just how important they are. Charlie was an associate pastor at the very large church where I did my internship. He was not my supervisor, but was a mentor. I still recall the first Sunday I preached, live on the radio and knowing there were several current and former pastors in attendance. I was nervous, even at 40 years old, but Charlie simply said, “They need to hear the Gospel, too.” I’ll never forget that. The support, encouragement, and even constructive criticism mentors give are crucial for our growth as persons.

That’s the same kind of relationship that “Paul” has with “Timothy” in our reading today. Though most scholars agree that the Apostle Paul did not write this letter and that it was written much later than he could have written it, that doesn’t negate the letter’s power and importance for us today. Timothy is a young person of faith, probably in a leadership role in his congregation. They are beset by false teachers who are leading them away from the faith, distracting them from the gospel. As you can conclude from today’s reading, one issue Paul counters is that being a person of faith results in wealth. Unfortunately, that version of the so-called “Prosperity Gospel” is still alive today.  Those who seek to follow the way of Jesus know better. And if you really need more convincing about the both dangers of wealth and its responsibilities, look more closely at today’s Gospel reading in Luke 16 about the rich man and Lazarus.

But, what struck me about the reading from 1 Timothy was the encouragement Paul gives to Timothy here near the end of the letter, to “fight the good fight of faith” and to “take hold of the eternal life, to which you have been called.” I’ve thought long and hard about what final things I might say to you on this, my last Sunday. Now, I don’t want to be arrogant in thinking that my words will be memorialized for all time, but I do want to leave you with some final thoughts as we both enter the next phase of our lives.

First, some of you have expressed your concern regarding your future. You see the effects of the pandemic on attendance and giving, wondering if you see the handwriting on the wall to close the church. To be clear, you are nowhere near that point to be even thinking about closing. Good Shepherd Lutheran Church is blessed with many things: a fine staff who love Jesus and are serving faithfully; strong leadership; vital ministry teams who are doing God’s mission and ministry; and a welcoming, accessible facility open to congregation and community alike.

Second, I know that you are anxious because you don’t have a settled pastor in the wings. Your leadership is working with the synod on a bridge pastor and they’re hopeful one will begin soon. I truly believe that this is a great call in a terrific community and that a pastor will want to come here This week, I found myself correcting myself. In order to be pastoral, I began to say to people, “You’ll be fine.” That is, until I realized that sounded condescending and not exactly true. You see, I need to add, “You are already fine.” You are God’s beloved to whom God has given great gifts. You are fine.

In a little while, we will share a “Litany of Farewell.” But I want to end by saying “Thank you” for embracing me as your interim pastor, for the privilege of walking along beside you during the most important times of your lives. Whatever you think I’ve done for you, know that you have enriched my life in so many ways. And though I am no longer your pastor, I will pray for you and hold you in my heart. So, siblings in Christ, fight the good fight of faith and take hold of the life God has given you. Amen.

My written sermons often preach differently "live." To watch the video, click here.

Well Played - Sermon for the Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost Year C

Well Played

Pentecost 15C (Lectionary 25)

September 18, 2022

Good Shepherd, Wells, MN

Luke 16.1-13

Today’s parable about the Dishonest Manager, the Rich Man, and the dangers of wealth is a hard one to work with, mostly because it is so confusing. Next week we will encounter a different kind of hard parable, hard because we know exactly what it is saying, and we don’t like it. As an aside, I know that preachers sometimes use these parables to ask for money. I’ll not use the parable to ask you for money, but when I’m done you might wish I had. Remember, as we dive into this parable, it is helpful to recall that parables are not puzzles to solve but rather mysteries to be entered. We don’t open them up as much as they open us to the ways of God’s kingdom.

Typically, I would suggest a single avenue in the exploration of a parable.  But today, as I am inspired by the deal making of the Dishonest Manager I am feeling more like Monty Hall of “Let’s Make a Deal” game show fame. Just as Monty would ask a player to choose Door #1, Door #2, or Door #3, I’m going to suggest three different ways to understand the parable and invite you to explore each possibility. But beware: you might find stinkers behind all of them that will challenge your way of being and don’t seem like a grand prize.

Behind Door #1, we grapple with the parable itself at face value, one directed to the disciples. The Dishonest Manager has his livelihood threatened because he’s been playing fast and loose with his master’s property and so he’s in a bind. After some thinking, he slashes the amount of debt with the hopes of currying favor with those whose debt he has forgiven. The Rich Man unexpectedly praises the Dishonest Manager, in effect saying, “Well played!” Then Jesus tells the disciples they should be as shrewd in the world as the “children of this age.” Unfortunately, Jesus doesn’t tell them how to do that. A motto for this interpretation of the parable might be, “In God we trust, all others pay cash.”

Door #2 is a totally different take on the parable and is one I initially dismissed, but reconsidered after attending text study with my colleagues this past week. It suggests that the Dishonest Manager is Jesus who comes and provides forgiveness for the debts owed to God. This interpretation helps explain the context of the parable, which follows the Parable of the Lost Son (also known as the Prodigal Son) who squanders his father’s property. The Lost Son is not fed in his need, but then receives his father’s forgiveness when he returns home. This “Door” also provides a bridge to next week’s parable about the Rich Man and Lazarus and further explains why the religious leaders get so upset with Jesus. As you can see, it makes the Rich Man to be God who also says to his Son, “Well played!”

Door #3 bypasses the parable to focus on the wisdom sayings that Luke has clearly added to it at the end. But this door also has its own downside. Though we are okay with the commonsense advice about trusting people (or not), and we also understand we are to serve only God, this Door contains a challenge for us. As St. Augustine is reportedly to have said, God gave us people to love and money to use; the problem comes when we confuse the two. It’s painful to admit that we have confused the two at times. There are times we’ve been used and there are times when we have used others, when we’ve loved money more than we have loved people.

Perhaps that brings us back to Door #2, where Jesus offers God’s forgiveness and riches to us. And perhaps that forgiveness that we receive today in Jesus’ body and blood, the bread and wine of Holy Communion, strengthens us to continually serve God, figuring out ways to be in the world and not of it, which brings us back to Door #1. So, maybe all three doors (and whatever others you see) lead us back to the same place, the heart of God who sent Jesus to give us what we need to be God’s loving, living, presence in the world. Well played, God, well played. Amen.

My written sermons often preach differently "live." To watch the video, click here.

Precious Love - Sermon for the Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost Year C

Precious Love

Pentecost 14C (Lectionary 24)

September 11, 2022

Good Shepherd, Wells, MN

Luke 15.1-10

Today’s Gospel story with the parables of the lost sheep and coins (along with the Lost Son that we heard during Lent) can stir up some emotions and strong reactions in us, especially as we think about various kinds of “lostness” in our lives and in the world. That’s certainly true for me. I was one of those young people who fled the church post-Confirmation. For me, I looked around the church, listened to my dad’s experience of being shunned by a congregation, and decided that I didn’t want to belong in church anymore. I had a crisis of faith, though it didn’t seem like a crisis at the moment. In regards to the Gospel reading today, I certainly wasn’t a religious leader, but many could legitimately think of me as a “sinner.”

These parables are so powerful because we can read ourselves and God into different places in them. It’s important to remember that parables aren’t puzzles to be solved but rather mysteries to be entered. We aren’t to open them up as much as they are intended to open us up to God and God’s ways. So, as I endeavor to unpack these parables, please realize that there are many other avenues to pursue for interpretation.

What has stood out for me this week is that, if we ascribe the shepherd and woman to God, how precious everyone is in God’s sight. This is true whether they be Pharisee, scribe, tax collector or sinner. God is a seeker who will not give up until everyone is back in a relationship with God. Nobody is outside of God’s love. All of us are worth looking for, regardless of what we think of ourselves or of others. Henri Nouwen, Roman Catholic writer has said this: “We are not loved because we are precious, but we are precious because we are loved.” Take a moment to reread that sentence and think about it.

But, what about that notion of repentance, how does that fit into this interpretation? We tend to think of repentance as something we do that’s a prerequisite for God’s love and favor. But that’s not Luke’s sense at all. Rather, repentance is about being brought back into a relationship with God at God’s initiative. Repentance is not a moral bar to clear, but rather a response to God’s overwhelming love, mercy, and grace. In other words, repentance is a gift from God that restores our relationship to God and to each other.

One consequence of this reading of the parable is that if we want to find God, one place that God is to be found is among the lost. Whether that’s in the wilderness, the dark corners of our world, or with those on the margins of society, that’s where we’ll find God. Additionally, God will also be found with the heartbroken, the disenchanted, or smug and self-righteous as well. In Luke’s Gospel especially, God’s concern is for those on the outside, those often spurned by society. So, if we want to know where to find God, one place is among those whom we consider lost.

I think this has huge implications for how we are to “be church” in this time of post-pandemic recovery. Good Shepherd, like most churches, is wondering how to get people back and involved, trying to reboot ministries, and experiencing volunteer burnout among those who have kept the home fires burning throughout. The good news is that it’s God who does the heavy lifting in this. Our job is to simply invite people into an experience with God and let God do the work. That was my experience as I was loved back into the church. A colleague at work invited me to her young adult group at church.

What ever lostness you are experiencing, know that you are worthy of love and belonging, that you are precious to God because you are loved by a God who will never let you go. Amen.

My written sermons often preach differently "live." To watch the video, click here.

The Way to Go - Sermon for the Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost Year C

The Way to Go

Pentecost 13C (Lectionary 23)

September 4, 2022

Good Shepherd, Wells, MN

Luke 14.25-33

There’s a “thing” blowing up the Internet called “Quiet Quitting,” that’s being leveled against young adults. It describes the phenomenon that the younger generations won’t do anything more in their work than the basic job requirements. It says that they refuse to go above and beyond the bare minimum to get the job done. Now, the younger people are saying they refuse to be exploited and that they want proper life-work balance. Furthermore, that they are not defined by their jobs and frankly that the older generation needs to get real about work. The older generation replies that they need to get over themselves and their sense of entitlement. Of course, those of us who have lived long enough realize there is nothing new under the sun. The generations have been bickering back and forth since Adam and Eve, including the nature of work.

Now, if Luke was writing his Gospel now, he might have Jesus accuse some Christians of “Quiet Quitting.” We have observed this summer that Luke’s Jesus is provocative. He is constantly challenging our understanding of who is in the kingdom of God, what the kingdom looks like, and what it means to follow the Way of Jesus. Just prior to today’s reading, one that the lectionary skips over, Jesus has delivered a pointed warning to the religious leaders of his day for ignoring God’s invitation into the kingdom. Through a parable, he opens the kingdom up to anyone and everyone, especially those deemed unworthy. Today, in the interest of transparency, Jesus reminds all of them what that kingdom life entails.

It is true Jesus uses hyperbole, or exaggerated speech, but that makes his words no less forceful for us. But it is also true that none of us has the resources to follow Jesus on our own. Also, Jesus is not saying, “If you give up all these things, then you can follow me.” Rather, Jesus is saying, “Because you have followed me, therefore this is how your life will be different. In other words, there are consequences to following the Way of Jesus. Following Jesus will have an impact on your life, and, I might add, that if your life isn’t different then you aren’t following Jesus and his death was unnecessary.

At Wednesday’s night worship, which is more informal and conversational, we offered some instances when we “Quiet Quit” as Christians and fail to follow Jesus. One person mentioned when we fail to be kind to someone who is unkind to us, especially when that person is a family member. Another said we don’t follow Jesus when we judge others without knowing them. A third said we aren’t going the Way of Jesus when we fail to speak up when someone misuses the Lord’s name. I added that we aren’t following Jesus when being a Democrat or Republican is more important than the Way of Jesus, when we identify ourselves as followers of Trump or Biden, not Jesus.

It’s ironic that “Quiet Quitting” has become such a kerfuffle as we celebrate Labor Day tomorrow, a time when we pay tribute to the accomplishments of American workers, which are many, to the development of our country. But perhaps this is a good thing, because it reminds us that although we are not defined by our work, it is through our vocations (or callings) where following the Way of Jesus makes an impact. Whether that vocation is as employee, employer, parent, grandparent, retiree, pastor, parishioner, teacher or student, how you do your work flows directly from your relationship with Jesus Christ as you follow him. Next week, we’ll hear good news about how God will go to great lengths to keep us following him. Meanwhile, Jesus knows this isn’t easy and it’s why he continues to give of himself to strengthen us. As you come forward to receive his body and blood in the bread and wine, know it’s the way to go and there is no other. Amen.

My written sermons often preach differently "live." To watch the video, click here.