All Saints (& Sinners)

I've been reading Pastrix: The Cranky, Beautiful Faith of a Sinner & Saint by Nadia Bolz-Weber, an ELCA pastor in Denver, CO.

Nadia is an awesome pastor, and person of faith who has taken the long journey away and back to Jesus.  I love how her story takes us, who have grown up in the church and never strayed,  behind the scenes to how the people God loves live in our world.  She takes us into a Wiccan ceremony, "drug house",  AA meetings and into the mind of someone who looked at Christianity and said "yuck!"

This is indeed where Jesus invites us to go too.  Into the lives of people who are different from us, and yet so much loved by our God.  So many of us are afraid.  I'll admit it, I'm afraid of being in places I've never been before and talking with people who are different from me.  While I have had a lot of experiences typical Iowans don't have, like living in Africa and being in an interracial relationship, there are many places of socio-economic difference that I have not experienced.  Nadia's book is a personal challenge to me to be a pastor after Jesus' own example - eating and drinking with sinners, to bring healing and new life.  God help us all to follow Him!

As we prepare to celebrate All Saint's Day this weekend and remember the whole company of those people who have left us to enter God's heavenly realm, lets not sugar-coat their lives.  They were all saints, and all sinners - just like us.  All were beautiful children of God, with brokenness as well.  If we were not broken, we would not need Jesus to save us, heal us, make us whole.   Praise Jesus, the Great Physician, who heals all of us, taking sinners and making saints.

For another great blog about Nadia's work read the Biker Bishop here

Do not be an "Indian" for Halloween

Halloween is coming, and after that Thanksgiving.  But first Columbus Day.

What do all of these have in common?  Unfortunately each has a lot of terrible mis-representations of history and mis-appropriation of Native American culture.

Columbus Day in a nutshell:

 Columbus came to the islands south of Florida. (400 years after Lief Erickson was the first European to set foot in the Americas)   Found a gentle and kind people living there and made them slaves starting a 400+ year history of abuse of Native American peoples.   He personally whipped, chained and set dogs on native people before taking 300+ back in his ships to sell in Spain.  This is not a holiday or a person we should be celebrating.  Instead we should mourn for the sins that European-Americans have committed against Native American people.

Thanksgiving in a nutshell:

Europeans come to America, claim land that already is occupied.  Nearly starving their first winter they are then are fed by native peoples.  Once they are strong again, the Europeans go back to killing native peoples and taking their land.    The Thanksgiving dinner is a celebration of a moment of peace in the midst of a history that is violent.   While I don't suggest canceling Thanksgiving.  I do suggest that we remember the whole story, good and bad.   And while we give thanks for all that God has given us, we also ask for forgiveness for racism.

Halloween - what does it have in common with these other two?  Well, all to often in all three we see kids (and adults) dressing in native costumes.  DON'T dress like an Indian!  Don't have a "Pow-Wow".  Its very disrespectful to this group of people who have already been trampled and hurt enough.  Headdresses have a very specific meaning in native culture.  Only people who have earned them, can wear feathers.  When we dress our kids in fake feather headdresses and they do little dances it is making fun of people.

This LOOKS cute and harmless.  But what it is teaching kids is that the native culture is something we can play with, it is not serious, native peoples can be used without regard to their feelings.
Native peoples have proud traditions and beliefs.  They don't want to be made fun of, they don't want people to dress up like them.  They don't want their traditional clothing that is special and meaningful mocked by children begging for candy.  Just don't do it.  Be a fireman, cop or Batman instead.

Don't want to just believe me?  heres a great article written by a native american woman on the topic.

Was Jesus a friend to all sinners?

This past weekend we talked about Mark 2: 13+ where Jesus comes and calls Levi to follow and then goes to Levi's house where Jesus eats with Levi's friends.  Jesus annoys the Pharisees by doing this - they ask, "Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?"  

Some suggest that Jesus didn't really just hang out with "sinners".   Perhaps he was only hanging out with those who had decided to change or were in some way in the midst of changing their lives because of the invitation to the gospel.  The Pharisees were wrong, these were not sinners but repentant sinners.

My belief is the opposite.  That Jesus did really just go hang out with "unsavory" people.  That he did not put conditions on he presence with them but simply wanted to be in relationship with people.   They did not have to acknowledge they were wrong, or ask for forgiveness or change.  Jesus was with them as they were.  This does not mean that Jesus approved of everything that every person did.  Rather, it means that Jesus prioritized relationships over conduct.  In other words, it is more important to just get to know people as they are, then to worry if they are doing something wrong that you should help them change.

This is really the key to Calvary UMC and my call as your pastor.  When we proclaim our mission, "Accepting all through the Unconditional Love of God",  we proclaim that caring for people and being in relationship with each other is more important than defining actions as right/wrong.

This image is one I fell in love with on the web. I can't find who made it, so if you are a good google digger please help me find the artist who did this.  I love it because it translates the image of Jesus eating with Levi and his friends into today's world.  How else would it look for Jesus to eat with sinners?  Scandalous, yes, but thats who Jesus was -- God help us to find ourselves in pictures like this.

Here's another guy's perspective on this topic, a very well written and well researched piece.

God loves Michael & Trayvon

Our children are our future, they are our hope and they hold our hearts in their little hands.  When they grow up, they are still our children and we still want to protect them.  If there is one basic human feeling that we should all understand in guts its the common human desire to protect our children and their future.  No matter what culture, language, race or nationality we all seek the good of our children and would do anything for them. 

We have this common basic desire and yet, how we struggle to see this in each other.  We see the differences between us and get scared rather than have compassion.

In Ferguson, Missouri a community is grieving because one of their children (yes, 18 year olds are big kids, but still kids)  was murdered with his hands up in a sign of surrender by someone who had sworn to serve and protect.  Would any of us be calm if our 18 year old was killed in such a way?  Would our community?  And the man who shot him was not arrested, but is protected.  The reputation of the victim has been smeared.  The community stands in protest of this injustice and the police takes the stance of a militaristic, oppressive force.   Who will say that this is not OK?

Psalm 82:2:

How long will you judge unjustly
    

and show partiality to the wicked?

Give justice to the weak and the orphan;
    

maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute.

Rescue the weak and the needy;
    

deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

God says its not ok to treat  people as if they are nothing.  God says we have to give justice, especially to the weak, the lowly, the poor and the needy.  God will judge us if we do not stand up for the Michael Browns, the Trayvon Martins, the children who study in broken down schools, the children with not enough to eat, the children judged by the color of their skin rather than the content of their character.

Everyday we have an opportunity to stand for others, on the side of God.  With our words, actions and attitude we can make a difference and fight racism, sexism, anti-Semitism and injustice wherever we find it.  We can say to each other that it is not OK to judge people by skin color, religion, or nationality.  We can say "no" to those who would have one group be better or more powerful than any other.  We can say "no" to the swastika, the Confederate flag, and to hateful speech that belittles and demeans.  We can stand up for all children.  God help us make the world a safe place for every child. God help us all.

Symbols of Jesus Vote

Chi Rho - Christ Reigns, After Emperor Constantine's wife encouraged him to turn to Jesus, he had a dream when Jesus told him to put this symbol on the shields of his soldiers and he would win the battle.  They did, and they won the war and Constantine then made Christianity an official religion of Rome.  The symbol was very popular, being on Roman coins and on rings that people would wear.  Christ Reigns over us, He is above all earthly powers, greater than any country or president or king.  

The Lion and the Lamb -- When Isaac was blessing his 12 sons he gave a prophesy that a descendant from his son Judah would be a lion to rule over Israel.  From then on, the Lion of Judah was a term for the Messiah to come.  In Revelation, the voice of God says "here is the Lion" and the people look and it is the Lamb - God who died for us as a sacrifice for our sin.  Jesus is the Lion, but also the Lamb who came to die for us giving himself willingly.

The Anchor -- Anchor's hold the boat with enough line (enough grace) to move but solidly connected to the sea floor below - where there is peace, calm and firm.  Jesus is our Anchor, tying us with grace to the peace, calm and solid rock of God's love for us.  

Which of these Three speaks to you the most and why?  

Please write me in the comment section below - thanks!!

Ministry among the Native People of South Dakota

It was a real treat to meet and hear Rev. Tim Harmon speak about his work in South Dakota among FIrst Nations people.   Tim certainly got to know the culture and people intimately and his caring for them was evident.  Tim worked in the Dakotas in several ways: a school psychologist, a Christian camp leader, and finally as a pastor.  Several touching stories were shared how beautifully generous and hospitable the people were even as they experienced deep poverty.

He emphasized the desire Native People have to be in relationship with others, not seen as objects of need/ministry.  Tim told how one wealthy businessman wanted to bring plumbing into a small impoverished town.  He told the leaders what he wanted to do and they were not happy.  He asked why and they told him, "How about we come into your town, figure out what you need and then correct the problem repainting your houses and renaming your streets without your input or consent?"

Tim told us that if we wanted to be in ministry with Native People and bring some healing and reconciliation for the past (including the Spirit Lake Massacre) then we should get to know some elders first.  We should invite them to get to know us, build some friendship and relationship with them.  Then we can slowly start to bring healing and forgiveness to our area which is sacred to us, and has always been sacred to Native Peoples.

If you are interested in such a ministry, there is a class called the Dakota Experience that teaches about the culture, history, spirituality and traditions of the Dakota & Lakota peoples.  The next class is:
November 7-8, 2014      Calvary Cathedral, Sioux Falls  the cost is $30 plus your own travel and lodging, meals and materials are provided!  Tell Pastor Sarah if you are interested

Trinity Symbol

The Trinity is a difficult concept, its almost easier to understand the symbol than what it represents.
This week, I honestly forgot to vote at the 9 AM, so if you are of the 9 AM service and want to vote, please do so in the comment section below.

Saturday night was evenly divided between our three symbols offered, so it was the Lakeside Service that broke the tie.  25 voted for the Triquetra, 2 for the Fluer de Lis.
So that's pretty overwhelming.

I found it referred to as the Trinity Knot, which is a lot easier to say than Triquetra!

Here is more about this symbol for God who is Three (Creator, Jesus & Holy Spirit)  and yet One God.

Triquetra (/traɪˈkwɛtrə/; Latin tri- "three" and quetrus "cornered") originally meant "triangle" and was used to refer to various three-cornered shapes. Nowadays, it has come to refer exclusively to a particular more complicated shape formed of three vesicae piscis, sometimes with an added circle in or around it. Also known as a "trinity knot," the design is used as a religious symbol by both Christians and polytheists.

The triquetra is a three part ancient symbol comprised of three interlocked vesica pices, often used to represent people or concepts in groups of three. Also known as the trinity knot andCeltic triangle, it has been found in Celtic art, paganism and also has been used in Christianity. 

The triquetra symbol has been found on stones, in northern Europe, that date back to before 1,000 AD. The triquetra is also found in the Book of Kells, an illuminated manuscript that was likely created on the Island of Iona (off the Scottish coast) around AD 800.

The triquetra has been found on rune stones in Northern Europe and on early Germanic coins.

For Christians, the Triquetra represents the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit--three persons as one God. Its three equal arcs represent equality, its continuous line expresses eternity, and the interweaving represents indivisibility and unity.