The 6th Annual Ecumenical Prayer service will take place at 4 p.m. on Sunday, January 22 at the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Saint Luke, 1500 W. Belmont Avenue, Chicago. The preacher will be Robert Reynolds, who is Executive Presbyter of the Chicago Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church (USA). A reception will follow the service. For more information, please phone the Archdiocese of Chicago's Office for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs at 312-751-5325 or email eia@archchicago.org.
I know this overlaps our own service, but I thought it appropriate to share.
Thursday, December 22
Tuesday, December 20
Reconciler Almost Weekly Update
Christmas is only days away. Maybe we feel the pressures of shopping, decorating, and getting along with our relatives. Perhaps, in the midst of that stress, we wish for something extraordinary to bring us peace and comfort. Merton's words suggest that, as much as the Christmas miracle may guide our lives, it is the daily "humdrum" of getting along that can lead us to God's peace.
In that Spirit, I want to share the current "humdrum" of Reconciler. Larry and I have purchased our first run of new hymnals. So, during the Epiphany season, we will be learning our way through the Evangelical Covenant hymnal. This should be fun. Secondly, we will be spending a little of our budget on advertising in the new year. Keep your eyes open for advertisements in the Chicago Reader and the Performink. Thirdly, Larry met with a group of Christian artists last Thursday at the Duke of Perth for fish, chips and enlightening conversation. The group agreed to make this a monthly gathering to explore art and Christian faith. If you think you might be interested in participating, please contact us.
Finally, we all want to remind you that we will not be holding services on Christmas day or on New Years.
It is Christmas. God has become one of us. God has enfleshed himself in the ordinary and the humdrum, restoring us all by that grace.
May you find that grace this Christmas and we will see you all again on Epiphany when we resume our regular worship schedule.
May God grant you Peace,
Tripp Hudgins
Pastoral Team
Monday, December 19
Fourth Sunday of Advent (podcast)
You can follow this link to the podcast of Sunday night's sermon. I recorded it Monday morning at my home. You may hear the radiators steaming or a cat trying to get my attention.
Lectionary: 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16; Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26; Romans 16:25-27; Luke 1:26-38
Let us know what you think.
Peace,
Tripp
Lectionary: 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16; Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26; Romans 16:25-27; Luke 1:26-38
Let us know what you think.
Peace,
Tripp
Thursday, December 15
Sermon, Third Advent
We are now entering the third week of Advent: Advent the season of coming and arrival. But what is coming what has arrived or is arriving?
We hear from John the Baptist again this week and quoting from Isaiah declares to us that what we wait for is the coming of God!(John 1:23) god in human flesh, Jesus Christ. We wait the final fulfillment of the arrival of Emanuel- god in our midst- when all will be completed and whole. In short in Ad ent we await the fulfillment of the incarnation of God in Jesus Christ.
On this Third advent we are reminded that all that we seek is brought to fulfillment in Christ. The incarnation of god accomplished , is accomplishing and will accomplish the good, the justice , the unity and the community we seek. This is what Isaiah and Mary say to us.
In approaching Isaiah 61 we need to remember that in Lukes Gospel Jesus begins his ministry and journey to Jerusalem and the cross by reading this passage as applying to himself. This passage then is key for comprehending the meaning o fthe incarnation, not as philosophical principle, but dynamic reality of God at work in the world!
Isaiah 61:1-3 clearly proclaims God at work in his anointed one, in the messiah (Hebrew) Christ (Greek) whom we know to be Jesus of Nazareth. First we have God acting and then in the same thought we have human action along side God's action . God in Jesus Christ brings Justice, hope and community freeing God's people to repair their broken lives and communities. Read carefully we see not that the actions in vs. 4 are a response to the action of God in Christ but are made possible by the work of God In Christ. In vs 11 we then see that the act of God in Chris brings together Justice and worship. We are well aware of how often worship and justice are separated out and doing justice is presented as true worship in contrast to rituals performed by the unjust, but her e in Isaiah 61 a passage concerning the incarnation they are declare as one , to be joined together.
From another perspective we find a similar pattern in the Magnificat. We misread the magnificat if we seeit as primarily a manifesto for the poor and marginalized as some are tempted to do. (In saying this I do not want to diminish its importance for our working for justice.) In form, structure and content the Magnificat is a psalm, an act of praise and worship. In form it is similar to many of the Psalms and it is analogous to the Song of Miriam and Moses sung after the Red Sea and of the Song of Deborah. Thus, what it says about poverty, justice and the margnialized cannot be separated from it being an act of praise to God for his works.
The past few weeks I have been reading two books on urban ministry, one form a moderate Anglican Theological prespective and the other from a conservative evangelical Baptist perspective. I have found both books helpful in reflecting on the ministry of reconciler and of the place of justice in and of worship in urban churches. Yet I also found in both the belief that we create community and the church and we are the ones who will bring about justice and need to create forms of worship and liturgy that will help us accomplish these things. This attitude seems diametrically oppose to the perspective of the maginficat. For Marry worship is a response to the work God has done and is doing and will continue to do in creating communities that show mercy and accomplish just relationships. Specifically Mary is praising God for accomplishing these thing through the conception of the child in her womb. The Magnificat is not an expression of hope for a better world , nor Mary's imagining a beter and different world. She need ton imagine (with all due respect to John Lenon) we need not imagine for God has accomplished through he incarnation of God in Jesus of Nazareth.
Unfortunately for the two authors the incarnation is a principle, at best an act of God primarily in the past that we now live into. In Jesus Christ God has shown us what we need to do and now we must do it.
Mary's realization is that God had acted beyond her imagination or her ability to accomplish and this realization bring ehr to worhsip. In this worship she tells us that true justice and community is not only a gift from God but is brought about by God's action, ultiamtely in Jesus of Nazarth. The Magnificat is not an acto of human longing nor Mary's imagining a beter wrold but a proclamation that through the child in her womb God had accomplished the things she sings.
Isaiah and Mary this evening teach us that the priority is always with God. Our hope is not in findign the way to forma chrch or to bring about unity among Christians, or to creat jsut and merciful communities, but our hope is that God has decisively acted to make thse thigns so. We like Mary then need to act accordingly to open oursleves to God's continueing action- in the Church, in the world, in oursleves. The primary place where we open ourselve up to what God is doing is in worship, so that we may take up what the Orthodox cal the "liturgy after the liturgy." This si true because God's ultiamte act in history wa becoming one with humanity in Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus Chrsit is the Justice of God. In Christ what Isaiah prophesied and Mary sings has occured. in worship we are formed into this truth. This is why we worship as we do in reading and meditation of the Scripture, in prayer, confession and coming to the talbe to be nurished by and recieve Christ. Thus recieving Christ we may se God at work in the owrld and join ourseles to that work. Without worship, wotout the incarnation , it woruldbe impossible for us to be partners with God in God's redemption of the world. This is the Chruch, not what we create but what we are formed ito and what we open ourselves up to! Amen.
We hear from John the Baptist again this week and quoting from Isaiah declares to us that what we wait for is the coming of God!(John 1:23) god in human flesh, Jesus Christ. We wait the final fulfillment of the arrival of Emanuel- god in our midst- when all will be completed and whole. In short in Ad ent we await the fulfillment of the incarnation of God in Jesus Christ.
On this Third advent we are reminded that all that we seek is brought to fulfillment in Christ. The incarnation of god accomplished , is accomplishing and will accomplish the good, the justice , the unity and the community we seek. This is what Isaiah and Mary say to us.
In approaching Isaiah 61 we need to remember that in Lukes Gospel Jesus begins his ministry and journey to Jerusalem and the cross by reading this passage as applying to himself. This passage then is key for comprehending the meaning o fthe incarnation, not as philosophical principle, but dynamic reality of God at work in the world!
Isaiah 61:1-3 clearly proclaims God at work in his anointed one, in the messiah (Hebrew) Christ (Greek) whom we know to be Jesus of Nazareth. First we have God acting and then in the same thought we have human action along side God's action . God in Jesus Christ brings Justice, hope and community freeing God's people to repair their broken lives and communities. Read carefully we see not that the actions in vs. 4 are a response to the action of God in Christ but are made possible by the work of God In Christ. In vs 11 we then see that the act of God in Chris brings together Justice and worship. We are well aware of how often worship and justice are separated out and doing justice is presented as true worship in contrast to rituals performed by the unjust, but her e in Isaiah 61 a passage concerning the incarnation they are declare as one , to be joined together.
From another perspective we find a similar pattern in the Magnificat. We misread the magnificat if we seeit as primarily a manifesto for the poor and marginalized as some are tempted to do. (In saying this I do not want to diminish its importance for our working for justice.) In form, structure and content the Magnificat is a psalm, an act of praise and worship. In form it is similar to many of the Psalms and it is analogous to the Song of Miriam and Moses sung after the Red Sea and of the Song of Deborah. Thus, what it says about poverty, justice and the margnialized cannot be separated from it being an act of praise to God for his works.
The past few weeks I have been reading two books on urban ministry, one form a moderate Anglican Theological prespective and the other from a conservative evangelical Baptist perspective. I have found both books helpful in reflecting on the ministry of reconciler and of the place of justice in and of worship in urban churches. Yet I also found in both the belief that we create community and the church and we are the ones who will bring about justice and need to create forms of worship and liturgy that will help us accomplish these things. This attitude seems diametrically oppose to the perspective of the maginficat. For Marry worship is a response to the work God has done and is doing and will continue to do in creating communities that show mercy and accomplish just relationships. Specifically Mary is praising God for accomplishing these thing through the conception of the child in her womb. The Magnificat is not an expression of hope for a better world , nor Mary's imagining a beter and different world. She need ton imagine (with all due respect to John Lenon) we need not imagine for God has accomplished through he incarnation of God in Jesus of Nazareth.
Unfortunately for the two authors the incarnation is a principle, at best an act of God primarily in the past that we now live into. In Jesus Christ God has shown us what we need to do and now we must do it.
Mary's realization is that God had acted beyond her imagination or her ability to accomplish and this realization bring ehr to worhsip. In this worship she tells us that true justice and community is not only a gift from God but is brought about by God's action, ultiamtely in Jesus of Nazarth. The Magnificat is not an acto of human longing nor Mary's imagining a beter wrold but a proclamation that through the child in her womb God had accomplished the things she sings.
Isaiah and Mary this evening teach us that the priority is always with God. Our hope is not in findign the way to forma chrch or to bring about unity among Christians, or to creat jsut and merciful communities, but our hope is that God has decisively acted to make thse thigns so. We like Mary then need to act accordingly to open oursleves to God's continueing action- in the Church, in the world, in oursleves. The primary place where we open ourselve up to what God is doing is in worship, so that we may take up what the Orthodox cal the "liturgy after the liturgy." This si true because God's ultiamte act in history wa becoming one with humanity in Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus Chrsit is the Justice of God. In Christ what Isaiah prophesied and Mary sings has occured. in worship we are formed into this truth. This is why we worship as we do in reading and meditation of the Scripture, in prayer, confession and coming to the talbe to be nurished by and recieve Christ. Thus recieving Christ we may se God at work in the owrld and join ourseles to that work. Without worship, wotout the incarnation , it woruldbe impossible for us to be partners with God in God's redemption of the world. This is the Chruch, not what we create but what we are formed ito and what we open ourselves up to! Amen.
Wednesday, December 14
update
Psalm 37:3-9, 17
3Put your trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land and feed on its riches.
4 Take delight in the Lord, *
and he shall give you your heart's desire.
5 Commit your way to the Lord and put your trust in him, *
and he will bring it to pass.
6 He will make your righteousness as clear as the light*
and your just dealing as the noonday.
7 Be still before the Lord *
and wait patiently for him.
8 Do not fret yourself over the one who prospers, *
the one who succeeds in evil schemes.
9 Refrain from anger, leave rage alone; *
do not fret yourself; it leads only to evil.
17The little that the righteous has *
is better than great riches of the wicked.
I have been reflecting on thsi psalm for the past week. I found this Psalm encouraging as I prayed the Morning office Wednesday of last week. I find what the psalmist says here about God and appearant success or the lack of it encouraging as we continue to talk with our denominations and on some level need to justify our existence. Not that I believe we are up against the "wicked", but I am aware that we are asked by our denominations to show forth our success. I both understand this and struggle with this thing called success. When I think of our numbers and wrestle with how to move forward with the work God has given us, I am tempted to fret. This psalm reminds us of two things, that if this has been given to us by God than it is God's and not ours, and God will care for us and the work he has given us to do. Second, I am reminded that God measures success in different terms than our corporate captialist world that informs event the church's concept. God's work in the world is often in the small things. Not to say that God is not in the large numbers but where the world might only measure success in a limited way, God is expansive and calls us to other things
We have not sent out updates or posted sermons to the blog in awhile due to the Pastoral teams current limited ability to access the internet. Much is going on.
Last week we met Representatives from each of the administrative regions of our three denominations (Episcopal Diocese of Chicago, ABC-Metro Chicago Region, Central Conference of the ECC) met with Jane and I yesterday. Jolene Bergstrom Carlson Associate Superintedant of the Central Conference hosted the meeting at the Central Conference offices. Rev. Cynthia Hallas Ecumenical Officer of the Diocese of Chicago, and Rev. Larry Greenfield Executive Regional Minister of ABC-Metro Chicago Region was present. We were encouraged to move forward and although it was agreed that it would still be awhile yet before full affiliation with all three denominations could take place that it was possible that an intermediary form of recognition of Reconciler was possible from each of the three denominations. They also asked of us to put together a more concise vision statement and to put together a year "Strategic Plan". As we begin the new year the pastoral team and church council will be about putting together these documents. Also, beginning in the new year Tripp and I hope to begin keeping "office hours" durring the week at some of the neighborhood caffes in order to be present in the areas we are attempting to reach out to. Lastly, we will soon be moving from our blogger page, as we will be getting our own domain name and making use of a format that will among other things allow us to use a callender.
Due to most of the members of reconciler being out of town over Christmas we will not be having any Christmas services and will not have a worship service on January 1st. Our main holiday service will be Epiphany Sunday January 8th.
3Put your trust in the Lord and do good;
dwell in the land and feed on its riches.
4 Take delight in the Lord, *
and he shall give you your heart's desire.
5 Commit your way to the Lord and put your trust in him, *
and he will bring it to pass.
6 He will make your righteousness as clear as the light*
and your just dealing as the noonday.
7 Be still before the Lord *
and wait patiently for him.
8 Do not fret yourself over the one who prospers, *
the one who succeeds in evil schemes.
9 Refrain from anger, leave rage alone; *
do not fret yourself; it leads only to evil.
17The little that the righteous has *
is better than great riches of the wicked.
I have been reflecting on thsi psalm for the past week. I found this Psalm encouraging as I prayed the Morning office Wednesday of last week. I find what the psalmist says here about God and appearant success or the lack of it encouraging as we continue to talk with our denominations and on some level need to justify our existence. Not that I believe we are up against the "wicked", but I am aware that we are asked by our denominations to show forth our success. I both understand this and struggle with this thing called success. When I think of our numbers and wrestle with how to move forward with the work God has given us, I am tempted to fret. This psalm reminds us of two things, that if this has been given to us by God than it is God's and not ours, and God will care for us and the work he has given us to do. Second, I am reminded that God measures success in different terms than our corporate captialist world that informs event the church's concept. God's work in the world is often in the small things. Not to say that God is not in the large numbers but where the world might only measure success in a limited way, God is expansive and calls us to other things
We have not sent out updates or posted sermons to the blog in awhile due to the Pastoral teams current limited ability to access the internet. Much is going on.
Last week we met Representatives from each of the administrative regions of our three denominations (Episcopal Diocese of Chicago, ABC-Metro Chicago Region, Central Conference of the ECC) met with Jane and I yesterday. Jolene Bergstrom Carlson Associate Superintedant of the Central Conference hosted the meeting at the Central Conference offices. Rev. Cynthia Hallas Ecumenical Officer of the Diocese of Chicago, and Rev. Larry Greenfield Executive Regional Minister of ABC-Metro Chicago Region was present. We were encouraged to move forward and although it was agreed that it would still be awhile yet before full affiliation with all three denominations could take place that it was possible that an intermediary form of recognition of Reconciler was possible from each of the three denominations. They also asked of us to put together a more concise vision statement and to put together a year "Strategic Plan". As we begin the new year the pastoral team and church council will be about putting together these documents. Also, beginning in the new year Tripp and I hope to begin keeping "office hours" durring the week at some of the neighborhood caffes in order to be present in the areas we are attempting to reach out to. Lastly, we will soon be moving from our blogger page, as we will be getting our own domain name and making use of a format that will among other things allow us to use a callender.
Due to most of the members of reconciler being out of town over Christmas we will not be having any Christmas services and will not have a worship service on January 1st. Our main holiday service will be Epiphany Sunday January 8th.
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