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He is Risen!

Greetings Siblings in Christ,

He is risen indeed! Obviously this article will be available weeks before we celebrate Christ’s resurrection, but the truth and power of the resurrection is something we proclaim and a reality we live into every single day of our lives. And that is a reality for every believer pre and post resurrection for all eternity. Normally this month’s article would be focused on Easter, but this year my focus will be on the second day of what is called the Triduum, otherwise known as Good Friday.

I have always felt a little uneasy with the ‘good’ in Good Friday. It certainly was not a good day for Jesus’ followers, those who witnessed His persecution and execution. From Jesus’ human perspective it most definitely was not a good Friday, but from a divine perspective it was one of the best days. That is hard to imagine or understand and that is part of the tension that exists in that blessed day. Undoubtedly it is a very good day for believers like you and I. I suppose my discomfort resides in the tension that is very much a part of that day.

Christianity focuses much more on the birth and life of Jesus. Sure, we talk about the cross often, but it is usually pretty sterilized, or disconnected, with Jesus’ actual death. The cross makes allusions to His death, but the horrifying details are left unspoken except for on Good Friday when we read the story of Jesus betrayal, arrest, trial and execution. It is not a typical worship service at all. In every other instance our worship services are uplifting, encouraging, comforting, and generally positive. Not this day. It is somber, really somber. We enter in silence, leave in silence and in between are reminded of the cost of our salvation and reminded that we are all co-responsible for what happened to Jesus.

But, we would not have the hallelujahs and empty tomb without the death. Death is what gives us life and that is uncomfortable and filled with tension. In every other instance when humans die it is traumatic and the finality of it is one of the aspects that makes our grief so difficult. The death that Christ died is and was different. It was not the end, it was the beginning for you and I and every other believer. Just as Jesus was raised again to new life we too have the promise of eternal life and a new beginning.

That is the reason we call it Good Friday and that is what the gathering on the Friday before Easter is really all about. It is the painful reminder of how horrific death was for Jesus, the cost of our salvation, that leads to a more profound and life giving HALLELUJAH on Easter morning. There would not be an empty tomb without a bloody cross. For me attending the Good Friday service has always made Easter Sunday that much more powerful and joyous because I experience the full range of emotion that is a byproduct of the tension of the Tridium, or three days. If you have not been in the habit of attending Good Friday services I hope that this article will encourage you to join us that Friday before Easter. If you were or are in the habit of attending Good Friday services then you know what I am talking about. There is no empty tomb without the cross.

Blessings,
Pastor Steve

Greetings Grace Family,

As we turn our calendars from February to March we also begin the season of Lent. It is one of my favorite seasons of the Church year, and not because I get to wear my purple stole for the next 7 weeks. It is the time when we are encouraged to follow Jesus on His journey to the cross and it starts with the reminder that we were formed from the dust of the earth and to the earth we will eventually return.

Those words spoken on Ash Wednesday remind us of our mortality, but also that in addition to God forming Adam and Eve from the dust God also breathed His Spirit in to us forever connecting us to our Maker. It is also a reminder that our time here on earth is temporary, but at the end of this journey we will return to the Source of Life for all eternity thanks to the event that comes at the end of our Lenten journey.

Throughout the season we are invited to be intentional in our self-examination. There are a plethora of spiritual disciplines that we can use in order to take an inventory of our lives and our faith. Of course, the most common of these disciplines is the removal of something in our life. It could be a certain type of food, or social media, a favorite eating spot, television, or anything else we become too dependent on. The point of this discipline is multi-layered, but ultimately reminds us on our dependence on God when we feel the sense of deprivation from whatever it is that was given up.

However, there are other disciplines like daily prayers of thanksgiving, or confession. Meditating on scripture, a daily Psalm reading, or spending time in silence to be more attentive to what God is saying to us (we are generally much better at talking than listening, especially to God!). Service to others, or donating to a ministry or charity in honor of the season are ways for us to ‘love our neighbors’ which was one of Jesus’ more familiar commands. Over the last several years I have suggested adding something to your life of faith rather than the deprivation partly because after 50 days of doing something it is likely to become a permanent part of your spiritual life.

One of the reasons I love the season of Lent is its intentionality. Let’s face it, we are creatures of habit and if we are always doing the same thing over and over life can become a bit stale, and that’s true of our faith and relationship with Jesus. Changing things up makes us more aware and gets us out of our routine. It can be uncomfortable, but we are much more likely to grow when we stretch ourselves or when we are a bit uncomfortable. And who among us has perfect faith? God is always ‘working’ on us. This is the process called sanctification, becoming more like Christ. Is that not something we would all say as Christians we strive for?

Sisters and Brothers, I urge you to take advantage of this season of intentionality that has been a part of Christianity for a very long time! You have nothing to lose (no pun intended) and everything to gain.

In Christ’s Love,
Pastor Steve

Dear Grace Family,

Having just held our annual Congregational Meeting, I want to take a moment to offer my thanks to a number of people. First, I want to thank all of you who attended the meeting. I realize that annual meetings, or meetings in general, are not the most interesting or exciting activities. But, the annual meeting is not about the excitement or meant to entertain those that attend. It is about the life and future of Grace Lutheran. We hold these meetings not for the sake of passing along information, but making decisions about leadership, how we will utilize the tithes and donations we will receive this year, and the important reminder that we are a community as much as we our a congregation and that everyone who is a part of Grace has a voice.

I, as your Pastor, am not the CEO, or president, or the ‘boss’, though my role includes some features of those titles. My most important role is as your spiritual leader, encourager, and guide. So, I do not nor do I want to be responsible for every decision that gets made regarding the future of Grace. We hold these meetings and make decisions together with the understanding that we all play a vital role in the life and future of our community.

We recently read from 1 Corinthians chapter 12 on consecutive Sundays. This chapter might be referred to as the ‘Body of Christ’ chapter because in this chapter Paul describes how every Christian who is a member of the Church is like a part of the human body. And though each part of the body has a specific function or role every part is important and vital to the function of the body. No one part is more important than another. Christ is the head, or the Leader, but we all work together for the good of each part and for the good of the whole, and ultimately for the good of the Kingdom of God.

Our annual meetings are an expression of our unity and an affirmation that every part of the body plays an important role in our congregation and that we will all work together toward the common goal of being God’s witnesses and not thinking only about what we desire individually. For me it is a beautiful expression of our unity with God and with one another and why the Church of Jesus Christ has endured for almost two millennium. Powerful stuff!

I say all of this with the understanding that not everyone is able or has a desire to participate. And that’s OK because there are so many other ways and opportunities to be the Body of Christ and to use the gifts, talents, and treasures that God has blessed us with for the sake of the Body. So, I am not being critical or judging those of you who couldn’t participate. Every person who is a part of our congregation is important and vital at whatever level of participation one has, but knowing that you matter just as much as any other part of the body, perhaps you might be encouraged to be more active, or more involved, or more invested in the life of Grace.

The really amazing thing is that the more active, involved, or invested you are the more you bless the church, bless God, and in return the more blessed you will feel. It is a win-win in every possible way! Life is a mix of good and bad and doing it in isolation or alone is nearly impossible. God made us to live in community and I cannot think of a more life giving community to be a part of than the Body Of Christ! So, thank you all for being a part of my family at Grace! I am truly blessed by each and every one of you!

In Christ’s Love,
Pastor Steve