Weekly Update: 29 September 2005

Be joyful in the Lord, all you lands; *
serve the Lord with gladness
and come before his presence with song.
Know this: The Lord himself is God; *
he himself has made us, and we are his;
we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise; *
give thanks to him and call upon his Name.
For the Lord is good;
his mercy is everlasting; *
and his faithfulness endures from age to age.
Psalm 100

This was our third Sunday in new chapel space, and our first with visitors! Two local college students-- from Loyola and DePaul, as I recall-- elected to come and worship with us. Unfortunately, the guest book wasn't out! One of the oversights in moving and arranging. The clipboard will be back next week, we promise.

In other congregational news, we once again laid hands on Amy and prayed for her, as she prepares to return to the middle east with the Christian Peacemaker Teams. This time she will stay for two months, working to live out the Gospel proclamation of peace. Please continue to hold Amy and her team in prayer, that God's grace will strengthen them during their work, and bring them safely home.

In a way, Kate is also moving. With the blessing of her home parish family, she will be taking a leave of absence from her membership there, and wholly committing her time and energy to the Reconciler congregation. This is a wonderful gift of time and commitment from Kate, as well as a generous sharing from All Saints' Church in Ravenswood, which will miss her cheerful spirit and strong alto.

Here's a reminder of a few dates coming up on the parish calendar:

• Sunday, October 2: World Communion Sunday. Originally a Presbyterian observance, the Federal Council of Churches of Christ in America established World-wide Communion Sunday in 1940 as a global, interdenominational event. We will commemorate this effort toward Christian reconciliation
• Sunday, October 9: Congregational meeting following the service. We will be discussing the formation of our parish council, and bouncing around other ideas for parish involvement.
• Saturday, October 15: This is our conversation day: a time when we intentionally pause and take stock, in conjunction with prayerful, interested people from all three of our traditions. We will be meeting at North Shore Baptist Church from noon until 4:00 pm. If you are not able to join us, please keep our work in your prayers that day.

Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine: Glory to him from generation to generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Ephesians 3:20,21

Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Exodus 17:1-7
Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16
Philippians 2:1-13
Matthew 21:23-32

Often, when I'm reading scripture, I am reminded of how much we filter through our own understanding and experience. The last two weeks' Gospel readings are a great example; I can't help but hear them from my perspective as a parent. Last week, as you'll remember, we heard about laborers hired at different points during the day to work in a vineyard, who were all paid the same wage. Remember the anger of those who had worked the whole day? "It's not fair! You gave him more than me!" It's a cry everyone who has kids-- or has been a kid-- can recognize.

This week we're back in the vineyard, this time with a father sending two sons to work. And again, I find both of their responses very familiar. The first son is initially defiant, but eventually does what is asked of him. This sounds to me like every kid who goes off to do chores he or she doesn't like, grousing and whining and complaining the entire way. "I don't wanna!" "How come I have to?" I imagine even his body language was grumpy and defiant, stomping off with a scowl on his face.

The second son is initially more pleasant, but doesn't get anything done. And doesn't this sound familiar? It's like seeing a sink full of dirty dishes in the kitchen, and a child sitting on the sofa watching TV.

"Honey, will you please come take care of this for me?"
"Sure, Mom-- will do!"

Then I come back an hour later to find the same dirty dishes in the sink, and the same child on the same sofa, watching the same TV. Only the program has changed.

Isn't that aggravating? Even more so than the behavior in the first scene.

And yet, if I'm honest, I have to admit that I'm guilty of this as well. Maybe not so often with household chores, though it does happen; but also in my walk as a Christian disciple. Aren't we all? We know we need to come together for worship; to spend time in prayer, and reading scripture; to work for and care for one another, beyond the barriers of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion or politics (to name only a few) that we erect between ourselves and those around us. We acknowledge all these things, and say we'll live into the commitment-- and then we fall short, every one of us.

Now, this is nothing new. Even Paul complained of the same problem. "I do not do the good I want," he says, "but the evil I do not want is what I do." We're in good company, my friends. It's part of what is meant when scipture tells us that "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God."

The good news, my brothers and sisters, is that God forgives us, every time, if only we will accept it. This is what Jesus was trying to tell the priests and the elders, and what the prostitutes and tax collectors had already figured out. That forgiveness, and the opportunity to try to do better next time, is there for all of us, always. Perennially guaranteed, through the life and death and resurrection of Jesus.

Now, doing what we need to do with our lives is not always easy. Sometimes it's really hard. But here's more good news: we can grumble and grouse and argue with God about doing it, knowing that God understands and loves us, even when we feel reluctant and uncooperative. Goodness, even Jesus did that. Remember his prayers in the garden at Gethsemane? "Father, let this cup pass from me!"

We are reminded of this understanding in the Episcopal tradition by the promises we make at each and every baptism. Among them, we make the commitment "whenever we fall into sin, to repent and return to the Lord." We don't say "IF we sin." We acknowledge it inevitably happens. However, we vow that when it happens -- and that includes the sin of not doing things we know we should, our "sins of omission" -- we intend to repent -- literally, to turn away from the wrong -- and to reach for the grace and mercy that we're offered. We can do this with confidence, knowing that we will be forgiven and welcomed back every time. We only need to be willing to admit we erred, and try again.

This is good news, brothers and sisters-- worth claiming, and worth sharing. Thanks be to God.

Weekly Update

Praise the Lord, all you nations;
extol him, all you peoples.
For great is his love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever.
Praise the Lord
Psalm 117

I believe that the details are important, the little things the tedious things even. Yet, I also know that there is a temptation to get lost in the details, to not see God in them but to treat the details as God. This is not a tendency I have but it is a temptation. The point of all we do is summed up in the praise of the above psalm. The details should glorify God. The solution to the temptation to get caught up in the details is not to advocate spontaneity nor claim that institutions are the evil we must fight against, but to find balance. There is ecstasy in this psalm but it is not simply ecstatic, and it calls us to reflect on what is old in God, what has endured, what is faithful not simply the unexpected and the unknown. There are times to be spontaneous, and recognize we cant always predict the movement of the Spirit, but at the same time we proclaim a God who has cared about the details: from the design of the tabernacle/temple to the organization of Israelite life, to entering into the very daily life of humanity as Jesus of Nazareth.
There are many details for us to deal with as we continue on this journey as a fledgling church. We have now had two Sundays in our new space. We are still attempting to settle into the space. In some ways it suits us well in others it provides certain challenges. But then all of our spaces have been like that just in differing ways. We certainly have room to grow.
We are getting ever closer to our consultation meeting of October 15 at North Shore Baptist church. Keep that meeting in your prayers we hope God will give us clarity as we attempt to move forward in various areas from outreach to communicating Reconciler to our respective denominations.
We also have scheduled a congregational meeting for October 9^thafter the evening service for the purpose of beginning to live into the constitution we ratified several weeks ago and to meet as a congregation to discuss various things on the horizon for Reconciler. May God prepare our hearts and minds for that meeting and may we be open to Gods well as we move forward.
I pray that we will be open to Gods leading in these details.

In Christ,
Larry

Weekly Update

Psalm 145:1-8

145:1 I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever.

145:2 Every day I will bless you, and praise your name forever and ever.

145:3 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; his greatness is unsearchable.

145:4 One generation shall laud your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.

145:5 On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.

145:6 The might of your awesome deeds shall be proclaimed, and I will declare your greatness.

145:7 They shall celebrate the fame of your abundant goodness, and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

145:8 The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

Things continue apace at Reconciler. Last Sunday was our first Sunday at our new space at Immanuel Lutheran Church. The sexton greeted us with "Welcome to your home!" It was a wonderful ministry of hospitality and we were all grateful for it. From the angels on the ceilings to the "high altar," the space is rich with the life of Immanuel Lutheran. That they have invited us to make our mark in some small way is generous. Also, we are not the only congregation to whom they have opened their doors. There are two other congregations who use the church building for worship. We seem to be in good company and we hope that you all will be able to come visit us in our new environment.

This Sunday, Rev Dr Dan Prechtel will be leading a retreat for the pastoral team during the afternoon and will preside at the altar at worship. We treasure his leadership and willingness to pitch in.

Planning continues for our Conversation on October 16th at North Shore Baptist Church. We have heard back from some people who are interested in participating. We are looking forward to continuing to articulate the vocation of our congregation.

Finally, for those of you who were not present last Sunday, you missed a opportunity to witness an impromptu sermon. Tripp had prepared a sermon for the wrong lectionary readings. This is the risk the non-lectionary folk run from time to time. And though the sermon went well, there is nothing to post on the blog to record it. You all have our apologies.

May God grant you peace this week, and we look forward to seeing you Sunday.

-The Pastoral Team

We are in a new location!

As we have announced we no longer are meeting in the chapel space of the Community of the Holy Trinity and as of this coming Sunday, September 11th, will be meeting in the side chapel of Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church. We are grateful to Immanuel for their hospitality. Please see side panel for location and directions.

Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Proper 18A
Exodus 12:1-14
Psalm 149
Romans 13:8-14
Matthew 18:15-20


The word I had thought to bring at the beginning of the week was usurped-- upended and set aside and washed away, just as surely as anything we saw on the news this week. This is more or less what came out instead. . .

Seems to me that today’s readings are about choices. Jesus and Paul have this in common today-- both of them are talking about how we treat people; how we choose to act, and react, toward one another, whether the “other” is also a follower of Jesus or not. It’s about interpersonal relationships, and living in community, and better ways to direct our behavior in order to strengthen the bonds of faithful fellowship.

But in light of recent events, I find that I hear that Word now in a very different light than when I first read it at the beginning of the week.

Oh, it’s still about choices. And it’s still about how Jesus would have us treat one another. But I’m also hearing more clearly from Jesus that this is not all about sweetness and light. In fact, this gospel addresses how hard that can be. How should you deal with a member of the church who sins against you-- who is likely difficult and uncooperative and unpleasant in the bargain?

Well, you are to try to go privately and work it out, to restore the relationship to health and wholeness.

And if it doesn’t work? Do you give up? Nope. You take reinforcements, and you try again.

And if that doesn’t work, you still don’t give up. You try again, with everything you have. The whole enchilada.

And if the problem still persists, even after that? “Let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector,” Jesus says.

Now, be careful here. Often, I’ve heard this interpreted to mean that you give up and ignore them, but I think there’s more of a lesson here than that. A harder road, maybe-- but one of possibility, and of grace, that we miss if we stop there.

Let’s look at Jesus. How did he treat tax collectors and gentiles? He did not, in point of fact, shun them at all. They did not control his life or his decisions, certainly; and he was not swayed by their unacceptable practices. However he still ate with them, still taught, and healed... still cared for them, even through it all. He remained open, hoping every moment that every person, every possible relationship in his path would become one of faithfulness, wholeness and love. He sometimes got impatient, sometimes bluntly sarcastic, and once in a while actively angry; but he never, ever gave up.

This week, the Gulf Coast region of this country has experienced unprecedented devastation. We’ve all read the news, and heard the reports, and seen the pictures and the videos. . . homes destroyed, and lives taken. . . so much that, honestly, the more I hear, the harder it is to take it all in.

And as time goes by, the stories seem to get worse.
People who lived through the storm, dying in the streets. . .
looting, and rape, and murder. . .
people so desperate and disconnected from any semblance of civilized standard of behavior that they behave like rabid dogs. . .
officials at state and national levels charged with “promoting the general welfare” of the citizenry, whose decisions about funding and emergency planning are found to have ranged from questionable ignorance to thoughtlessly, neglectfully criminal. . .

Given all of this, it seems a reasonable question to ask: where is God in all this?

I do not have all the answers to that question, my brothers and sisters; as God is my witness, I wish I did. However, I believe that I’ve seen part of the answer-- and this Gospel points to it.

I have a friend-- an alum from my seminary-- who is rector of a church in Mississippi, on the Gulf. This week, after Katrina went through, he found that the building is simply not there anymore. Not damaged beyond repair, not demolished. . . gone. As are the homes of something like a third of the congregation. And estimates are that 90% of the remaining parishioners' homes are damaged.

And yet. . . the first word I heard from him, had to do with today.

"We will hold services Sunday," he says. "After that, I don't know. But this I do know - we will get through this and we will continue to be the church."

He’s not giving up.

And his bishop, the Rt. Rev. Duncan Gray, likewise has a reminder to share.

We are a people of both the Cross and the Resurrection. The last word from God is not death, but life. God uses the open hearts, minds and lives of faithful souls to renew, restore and redeem that which seems beyond hope.

We will work hand in hand with the people of the Gulf Coast to rebuild their homes and their churches. We will walk with them as bearers of hope through the work of our Crucified Lord. He has borne our grief, brought our sorrows into His heart and has become for us the vehicle and means for life and hope.

We are His witnesses. We shall be faithful.

He’s not giving up.

Nor does Jesus. “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I will be among them,” is how he finishes today's Gospel. Not only in church on Sunday; not only when he’s in the mood, or except for when he’d rather focus his energies elsewhere; not when our behavior is good enough. . .

Every time.

He’s not giving up.

There is good news, indeed-- good news worth owning, and worth sharing. And there is also a lesson, an opportunity. . . a gift, in the midst of the horror. We also have the chance to choose Jesus’ way, and not to give up. We have gifts placed before us, and within us, to share-- the money in our pockets, the possessions in our homes, the skills in our hands and our hearts. . .

We are his witnesses. How shall we be faithful?