Nevertheless, she persisted* (aka Sunday's Sermon)

September 5, 2021
15th Sunday after Pentecost
Isaiah 35:4-7a
Psalm 146
James 2:1-10,[11-13] 14-17
Mark 7:24-37

Also referenced, Crowded Table by the Highwomen

Please pray with me,

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all of our hearts be acceptable and suitable in your sight O God, our rock, our strength and our redeemer.  Amen.  

As I was praying and wrestling with the gospel lesson for today…and trying to fall asleep one night this week.  The lyrics to the song Crowded Table by the Highwomen popped into my head.  

I want a house with a crowded table

And a place by the fire for everyone

Let us take on the world while we're young and able

And bring us back together when the day is done.

I thought to myself, why this song?

Why now?  

Especially as I’m trying to fall asleep?  

But, the Holy Spirit has a funny way of nudging us, calling us and speaking to us often when we least expect it.  

I got to thinking about what speaks to me in this song….

It’s the crowded table.  

It’s the place by the fire (as maybe it cools down?) 

It’s the desire to take on the world, and yet the importance of being brought back together when the day is done.  

To which I thought, duh.  That’s church.  

Right?  

Gathering around a table…being fed with the body of Christ, the fellowship of one another, and being sent out into the world to tackle the issues, in justices, brokenness, illness, death, destruction…you name it…and then to come back together, again.  

And I think this song popped into my head because that is the church I’m longing for.  That, friends, is the church I miss…although it’s here… it is here.  When we gather in the sanctuary, outside or online, we are church, together.  But, I believe, we can be more church.  Crazy, right? Your pastor saying that church can be more church....here, let me explain, by talking about Jesus.  

In our gospel lesson today, Jesus is out and about, not in or on his native turf.  He may have been seeking space and solitude because of the work he had been doing, and he just needed a minute, you know what that’s like?  When you just need time and space alone…to sit, to pray, to be, to rest.  

And yet, the crowds find him, and in this crowd, a woman, a Gentile, even, and she begs him to heal her daughter.  

She comes to him, not deterred by his offhanded dismissal to say, look Jesus, you are here to teach and preach and heal…ALL of God’s people.  

And Jesus, still tired, still needing space (or a day off, whatever) is like, it’s not time, yet.  

Nevertheless, she persists.  

No, Jesus, she replies, now is the time.  Now is the day of salvation. 

Now is the time to move your mission beyond where you think it should go, to the expanse of all of God’s people, including my daughter, including me.  

I know, this is my own translation, but it’s this woman’s insistence and persistence and that actually pushes Jesus’ mission forward.  It’s her words and presence that helps Jesus to realize that his mission isn’t just for one group of people…it’s for all of God’s people…and the time for that mission to start?  Now.  

Now is the time for God’s love and grace to break into the world.

Now is the time for the love and forgiveness of Jesus to transform our hearts and our lives.  

Now is the time for the Spirit to blow into our midst bringing comfort to those in need, and pushing the comfortable out into the world.  

Now.  

I don’t need to tell you about the devastation around the world…the wars, the insurrections, the natural disasters that are impacting our world and our nation, the changes in laws that speak against civil liberties, the local flooding, tragic accidents, not to mention the overall tone of you can’t tell me what to do…I know what’s best….for me.  

It’s deeply heartbreaking. 

It’s, at times, too much to even take in.  

And so we need this place…

this congregation…

this community of faith…

To speak God’s words of love to us.

To speak Jesus’ words of forgiveness to us.

To hear the ways we may have been misguided so that we are better aligned with God’s call for us in the world.  

Which is a call of love and grace and forgiveness…

It’s a call of care and support and protection for the least among us.

It’s a call to speak out against injustices and untruths.  

It’s a call to be quite counter cultural, actually.  

In a climate that seems to tell us that it’s all about me….God’s call is way different. It’s one that calls us to persist in extending God’s table, welcoming the least among us so they may be safe and fed and nourished.  

Friends, this is a wicked hard time to be the church.  

It’s very hard to persistently preach a message of love and grace and forgiveness when the world is like love it or leave it.  

It’s a hard time to be church, as we have seen a change in attendance during a pandemic. 

It’s a hard time to be church when giving has steadily decreased over the past 5 months.  

It’s a hard time to be church when we just want to go back to the way things were…with the people who used to sit close to us in the sanctuary…it is far too easy to look back with longing as to who we were….because we were ‘happy’ then.  

As we find ourselves in a place of discomfort and uncertainty about the future it is far easier to look back with longing, rather than push forward into a new future.  

But the persistence, shown by the woman to Jesus today, reminds us, that we, too must be persistent.  

Crying out now…for God’s kingdom to come. 

Crying out now for the care of all of God’s kingdom.  

Crying out now to expand and extend God’s table…to everyone.  

So that we all might gather, again, around a crowded table…with a place for everyone.  

And we can do this friends…this church…the church of Christ, in the human form of Trinity Lutheran Church, can do this….we can be persistent about God’s love and grace and welcome to all. 

And how God's love and grace is continually and persistently guiding us, shaping us and calling us into the future.  

One final verse to share from the song Crowded Table…

If we want a garden

We're gonna have to sow the seed

Plant a little happiness

Let the roots run deep

If it's love that we give

Then it's love that we reap

If we want a garden

We're gonna have to sow the seed

We’re gonna have to do the work.  

Stay the course.

Plant happiness.

Preach forgiveness.  

Live out grace.

Love our neighbors.

Take action to protect and care for others. 

Be persistent in sharing the love of God.  

The love of God that we give….is the love of God this community and world will reap.  

We will have to continually, persistently, sow seeds of love, grace and forgiveness.  As we continue to reach out to those who are in need, to those who feel lonely, to welcome them here…to welcome them home.  

We can do this.  

By speaking kind words.  

By putting in place guidelines that will keep people safe here…and allow us to continue to gather - safely.  

By taking active steps to protect ourselves so that we are not a burden to our local healthcare system.  

By being opened…opened by love and healing touch of Jesus Christ to continue in and through the challenging and adventurous days ahead.   

Friends we are in the deep middle of a long journey…when it is far to easy to look back to what we have known than into the future that is much more uncertain….

But we can do this.  Together.  By the love of God, as the people of God, we can do this.  

And now may the peace, which surpasses all understanding, keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus and let all God’s people say, amen.  

 *Sermon title inspired by Karoline Lewis and the woman in the Gospel lesson

You hungry?

August 1, 2021
10^th Sunday after Pentecost
 
Exodus 16:2-4, 9-15
Psalm 78:23-29
Ephesians 4:1-16
John 6:24-35

Please pray with me,

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all of our hearts be acceptable and suitable in your sight, O God, our rock, our strength and our redeemer.  Amen. 

So, anyone hungry?  Here we are, another Sunday from the gospel of John, and more talk about bread.  And, if you weren’t hungry, now that I mentioned it…maybe you are a bit peckish.  You know, you could just use a little something…

Billy and I have had extensive conversations about food.  First of all, it’s because we love to eat and eat well and secondly because we are very aware as to how our eating habits stem directly from our individual families of origin.  How we approach food, it’s preparation and its consumption stems from how we were fed as children, which stems from our parents upbringing and their food experiences.  It’s all connected. 

I bet we could have a wonderfully enriching conversation with one another about our family histories and how they impact how we eat. 

Heck, we can even see it here at Trinity.  How food is the common denominator in so much of the ministries that happen through this congregation. 

But I would be missing the heart of the gospel lesson today, if I solely talked about food and the hunger we feel in our stomachs. 

Not that grumbling stomachs and hunger pangs are not real.  As I write this sermon, I can see the line of cars preparing for the monthly distribution from the Conrad Weiser Food Pantry.  Hunger is real…and it can be seen around the globe and in our own community. 

As real as it is, in today’s gospel, Jesus digs deeper and goes beyond physical hunger. 

He invites the crowds, and us, to examine a deeper hunger…and how that hunger can be fed. 

But, before we get there…maybe we need to think about and name those other hungers….

It’s more than just wanting a snack. 

Are you hungering for more wealth?

More status? 

A return to ‘normalcy’? Whatever that is. 

Are you hungry for a vacation? 

Are you hungry for some down time?

Are you hungry for time alone or time with friends? 

Are you hungry for a place to belong?

A place to be understood?

The opportunity to be seen and heard for you are and who God calls you to be? 

What are you hungry for? 

What are your deep hungers?  The ones that wake you up at night, or keep you from falling asleep, or drive you to work just one hour longer, or practice on that field one more time or to run one more lap or to practice that presentation one more time….

And beyond our individual hungers, we hunger as a community…again for that return to normalcy…or to the sanctuary…the way it used to be. 

We hunger for the end of a pandemic and peace around the world. 

Right now I may even dare to say that we hunger for gold at the Olympics.  So much so, that we place extreme pressure on the athletes that represent us…to bring home the gold…to be their very best because somehow, that will make everything better.  It will satisfy our national hunger. 

But it doesn’t.

And it won’t. 

Because this hunger of ours…as individuals, communities and nations cannot be satiated by medals or perfect 10 scores or a promotion at work, or a return to ‘your’ pew in the sanctuary. 

This hunger of ours is deeper than we realize and cannot be satiated with ‘things’ that we try to accomplish or accumulate. 

It’s not about the stuff. 

It never was. 

It’s about our deepest emotional needs, the ones that we wish to keep hidden from the world and yet at the same time it’s the ones that Jesus knows most intimately about each of us. 

Let me say that again.  Our deep, deep hungers, the ones that we wish to keep hidden from the world…are the ones that Jesus sees first when looking at us and the ones that Jesus know most intimately about us. 

And for me, personally, that is amazingly holy and at the same time deeply terrifying. 

Holy and terrifying. 

And here’s why…

It’s holy because Jesus looks at me and sees the amazing, beautiful child of God that I was created to be and am continually called to be. 

It’s terrifying because when seeing that image of myself, it scares me of who I am capable of being and becoming.  I focus on my shortcomings, my struggle with body image, my concern about my presence and voice in certain situations and my ability to be the child of God created me to be as I am a spouse, a pastor, a daughter, a role model, and a human being. 

And hear this, clearly, I am not sharing this for accolades or words of support, but truly because I believe that if I am feeling this and struggling with this…I cannot be alone in this. 

And this place, this community of faith, is the place I feel safest sharing this stuff. 

This community of faith is a place where we are called to love one another, despite our differences and struggles, actually, we are called to love one another because of those differences and struggles and to listen, and to encourage one other to be true, to be real, and to be honest with God and with one another about who are and who we are called to be. 

It’s hard work.

But it’s beautiful work. 

It’s holy work. 

And so this is where the rubber meets the road. 

The place, community, where we come with these deep, deep hunger pangs. 

We come to this place…acknowledging our deepest hungers…believing that Jesus will satisfy them. 

We come to this place living into the promise that Jesus will satisfy these hungers. 

And Jesus WILL satisfy them. 

Jesus will. 

As you come forward to receive the gift of God in Jesus this day…receive more than just bread and wine.  Receive the bread of life…that feeds our deepest hungers, because in this gift, Jesus sees us – I mean really sees us – and feeds the deepest hungers we’ve ever known. 

Jesus says to you, this day, “I am the bread of life.  Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.” 

Come eat and be filled.

With the love of God.

The grace of God.

The presence of God and the holy promise that in this bread and in this wine….we are fed and nourished…and embodied to live out the life and love of Christ this day and all days. 

And now may the peace, which surpasses all understanding, keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus and let all God’s people say, amen. 

Sunday's Sermon

Sunday June 13, 2021
3^rd Sunday after Pentecost
Ezekiel 17:22-24
Psalm 92:1-4, 12-15
2 Corinthians 5:6 [11-13] 14-17
Mark 4:26-34

Please pray with me,

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all of our hearts be acceptable and suitable in your sight, O God, our rock, our strength and our redeemer.  Amen.

Several years ago Billy gave me the book, Gardening Without Work: For the Aging, the Busy and the Indolent, by Ruth Stout.  I hope it’s because I’m busy..and not because I’m aging or slothful….eh? 

It was a great read.  And if you drive by our ‘garden’ you can see that I took her – cover the garden with straw/hay very seriously. 

Her personality presents itself throughout the book as she continues to tell readers her methods and how they have worked for years and years and years.  She almost scoffs off readers who say, that doesn’t work with a response of “It has worked for me.” 

But even for advice on gardening ‘without work’, she takes the task seriously and with deep passion.  She maps out her garden each year, takes time to bed the garden down in the winter and loves the spring when perennials return and she is able to add other plants in their seasons. 

Even ‘without work’, she still gives it attention and care and time – she is part of the process. 

I’ve attempted this method…although the straw that we have used in the past has not quite kept all of the weeds out, but it helps.  It also helps the neighborhood birds building their nests. 

But even with Ruth’s guidance and my attempt to garden, it doesn’t always pan out as planned. 

I look at the gardens at Longwood and Williamsburg and Old Dry Road Farm…and sigh…longingly…at their simplicity, beauty and order. 

My garden often seems chaotic, growing out of its bounds and not quite orderly. 

I guess it’s a skill and a work in progress - that depends on so much more than just the gardener. 

In our gospel lesson today, Jesus compares the kingdom of God to someone who scatters seed on the ground and then goes to bed.  Who does that? 

The gardener doesn’t even seem to worry about the growth…the growth is left to the earth which produces of itself. 

Geesh…my garden has not thrived with that treatment, yet. 

Maybe I need to sleep more…

The next description of the kingdom of God is that of a mustard seed….known in those times as weed.  Something that farmers wouldn’t even plant, because they would overtake the crops and grow into a huge bush! 

Needless to say, in these two explanations…the kingdom of God (spoiler alert) is NOT what we expect it to be. 

Both of these explanations of the kingdom are countercultural to the point of sounding ridiculous.  In the words of Debie Thomas, “these explanations make no sense.  They’re big, cosmic jokes, intended to stretch our imaginations far beyond any place we’d take them on our own.  What is the kingdom of God like?  Are you sure you want to know?  Okay, brace yourself:  the kingdom of God is like a sleeping gardener, mysterious soil, an invasive weed, and a nuisance flock of birds.”[1]

Friends, I’m here to tell you that the kingdom is more often than not something we do not expect.  It breaks into our lives and our world in a way that we could not possibly imagine, through people we don’t deem worthy or holy enough, in experiences where we just did NOT expect God to be present. 

I’ve heard it said, “Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.”

I think, too, the kingdom of God is what happens when you’re busy making other plans. 

Sure, we’re an active living, breathing part of this kingdom, but when we get so caught up in how all of this is supposed to happen, then we miss the actual happening. 

And, here’s the kicker, not only are we making other plans, but the kingdom continues to happens, in us, through us, around us and in spite of us.  

Sometimes we miss it because we are looking for specific signs of growth and change and familiarity. 

Sometimes we miss it because as Debie Thomas says, “the kingdom looks like slow mysterious growth.  Periods of fallowness.  Plants we can neither control nor contain.  Weeds that run wild and still nourish.  Hungry, raucous birds.  Feasts we might mistake for waste.  Gardeners who take naps.”[2]

I’m sure at this point in the year…after 14+months in a global pandemic that we could look around and say…uh oh.  What is happening to the kingdom? 

What is happening to the church?

And even more specifically…what is happening to family of faith here at Trinity? 

We could look around and worry about faces that we have not seen in over a year.

We could listen to the whispers that speak of people leaving in droves. 

We could worry about how our response to a global pandemic has impacted this congregation and community. 

We get anxious that we are not yet back in the building when so many other places are back to normal.  (what is normal anyway…after a pandemic…in a congregation experiencing the death of its senior pastor?)  Normal is gone. 

Long gone. 

But the good news? 

The really good news? 

As Jesus reminds us time and time and time and time again, the kingdom of God is far from the normal that we expect or think we can return to. 

Let me say that again, the kingdom of God is far from the normal that we expect to resume or think we can return to. 

Are you catching on? 

The world, our nation, this community and this community of faith has been changed over this past year.  Period.  End of story.  Mic drop. 

Well, except that it is not the end of the story. 

As Kermit sings in the Muppet Movie,

“Life's like a movie, write your own ending
Keep believing, keep pretending
We've done just what we set out to do”

We will keep believing. 

We will keep prepping and planning and working in the kingdom of God. 

Knowing that it is happening all around us.  Trusting the presence of God here and now.  Seeing Jesus among us in the places least likely….and in the places we forgot to look, or just missed because we were looking the other way.  Squirrel!

So, what is the kingdom of God like? 

The kingdom of God is like the member who joined Trinity just before the pandemic who gave the gift of a kidney to someone else. 

The kingdom of God is like the couple who started worshipping with us online, who were overjoyed when they could join us in outdoor worship.

The kingdom of God is like the families and friends of Trinity who have worshipped with us in Missouri, Florida, Indiana, North Carolina, Connecticut, New Hampshire and even Russia. 

The kingdom of God is like a handful of our post college young adults sharing their faith through daily devotions. 

The kingdom of God is the outdoor celebrations of 1^st holy communions, confirmations and retirements. 

The kingdom of God is communion in just a wafer…or an all in one hard to open wafer and juice kit, either in a parking lot, or under a portico in the rain or in your car. 

The kingdom of God is families in the parking lot covering it with butterflies for Easter Sunday. 

The kingdom of God is like one of our graduates sharing their name and future plans in front of us all, when 5 years ago public speaking, even in a small group caused fear and tears. 

The kingdom of God is like two members talking to each other every day on the phone, until one of them dies. 

The kingdom of God is this community surrounding one another through great loss and grief.  And shouting Christ is Risen!  He is risen indeed! through communal tears as loudly as possible. 

The kingdom of God is the body of Christ struggling to figure out how to be church through and beyond a pandemic. 

The kingdom of God is this place. 

The kingdom of God is you and me…it is us, hearing the call of Christ for our lives and the life of this place and responding as faithfully as we can. 

The kingdom of God is Trinity – in a year of transition. 

The kingdom of God is here…and now. 

And now, may the peace which surpasses all understanding, keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, and let all God’s people say, amen. 

 

[1] https://www.journeywithjesus.net/essays/3036-the-sleeping-gardener

[2] https://www.journeywithjesus.net/essays/3036-the-sleeping-gardener

 

Baccalaureate Homily

 This was a revamped sermon...but it seemed to fit for this year's grads.  

CW Baccalaureate
June 10, 2021
Jeremiah 29:11-14
Hebrews 12:1, 12-13
Psalm 139:1-14

Please pray with me,

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all of our hearts be acceptable and suitable in your sight O God, our rock, our strength and our redeemer.  Amen.  

Hey…

You made it…and we’re able to be together tonight.  To celebrate your accomplishments, give thanks to God for your journey thus far and to bless you for the days and adventures yet to come.  Woohoo! 

As I thought about this opportunity to preach tonight you need to know that I picked some of my favorite Bible verses to be read this evening.  Kind of selfish, I know, but they are verses that have continued to guide me throughout my life.  And might, just might, be helpful for you, too. 

As Layla read in Jeremiah, God has a plan for you.  Each and every one of you. A plan for your future…and a plan for hope.   While this may be a time of uncertainty for some of you…God has a plan for each of you. 

As Journee read in Hebrews, don’t forget…you are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses to love you, support you, cheer for you and to be there for you no matter what you face. 

The stadium that surrounds you in your day-to -day lives is filled with loved ones near and far, loved ones living and those who are no longer with us.  And, there is always space in those stands for new witnesses, family, friends, coaches, mentors, faith leaders, co-workers, who will be there for you in the adventures to come. 

And as Olivia read from Psalm 139…be reminded…daily, if need be, that God, the creator of all things…created you…in God’s holy and beautiful image. 

You, yes you, are created in the image of God. 

A God who loves you no matter what, so deal with it. 

You are loved beyond compare and are holy, beautiful, brave, bold, kind, proud, courageous, fierce, strong, determined, inspiring and loved. 

So, as you go on your way, I wanted to leave you with my personal top 10…for getting up and facing the world every day. 

A shout out to Chris Pratt, who introduced this as the 9 Rules from Chris Pratt as he received the MTV Our Generation award in 2018. 

You can catch his speech on YouTube…mine is slightly different, but if you need to learn about how to poop at a party without stinking up the bathroom you should look to him, not me. 

Number 1 – Breathe.  If you do anything today, breathe.  You need to.  Your life depends upon it.  Just breathe.  It will help you through the rest of the day.  

Number 2 – Stay Connected.  In whatever form that looks like to you.  There are probably people here who will be with you through thick and thin…hold on to those folks.  Check in on them…be reminded that you are not alone. 

Number 3 – Serve others.  Take time, no make time to do this.  You can make a deep impact in the world when you reach out to others.  Feeding the hungry, being an active voice for those who cannot speak up for themselves, helping in at-risk communities, providing a place and a space for someone who needs it. 

Number 4 – You’re not perfect.  You’re not.  Accept that and continue to be the amazing person that God created you and calls you to be right now.  

Because Number 5- You are made in God’s image.  You are beautiful, holy, strong, wise, creative, brave and needed in our world right now, just as you are.  

Number 6 – Become friends with someone different than you.  Now is the time when your settings, environments and people around you will change.  Be diverse in how you welcome in new friends or co-workers.  Think about it as you scroll through social media.  Are you following people who look just like you, agree with everything you say and offer no diversity?  Friends, this world is diverse and beautiful.  Look at the people that you follow on social media and be sure that they feed your soul, inspire you and encourage you to see beyond your own view.  

Number 7 – Love God, Love All.  Keep on living out of God’s love in whatever way that takes shape in your daily life.  

Number 8 – Be kind.  I know, that seems like a given, but it needs to be said.  The snarky comments on social media, and in person, the posts shared that put down others, not needed friends.  I visited with a 90+ year old woman yesterday who when I asked her what we should pray for she said, that everyone is nice to one another.  Kindness she said, doesn’t cost anything.  Holding the door, smiling at someone, being human to others will make a world of difference and it’s so simple.

Number 9 – God loves you, no matter what!  It needs to be said, over and over again, that no matter who you are and what you have done or haven’t done, God loves you, no matter what, so deal with it!  

And number 10 –Be the you-iest you.  Don’t try to be someone else either to fit in, or make a statement or try to prove a point.  Do you know how hard it will be to keep up that charade? 

Be you.  You…as you….have great power, strength, presence and honesty.

Be you…when you fall learn how to get back up or ask for help.

Be you…when you achieve great heights give thanks and point out those who helped you get there….It’s Abby Wambach who when she was playing professional soccer, that after scoring a goal would point, at her teammates on the field and those on the bench who helped her get the opportunity to score. 

Be you…God created you because God knows the world needs you, the you-iest you. 

Still figuring out who you are?  Be kind and true to yourself as you do and remember that you are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses that you have fans to cheer you on, to listen to your questions, your hopes, your dreams, your future. 

You got this, class of 2021.  

Congratulations & blessings.

Keep being awesome. 
And keep being the you-iest!

And let all God’s people say, amen. 

Good Shepherd Sunday

April 25, 2021
Fourth Sunday of Easter
Acts 4:5-12
Psalm 23
1 John 3:16-24
John 10:11-18

Please pray with me,
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all of our hearts be acceptable and suitable in your sight, O God, our rock, our strength and our redeemer.  Amen. 

Welcome to the fourth Sunday of Easter…yes, it’s still Easter…which means,
Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed! 

The fourth Sunday of Easter is often referred to as Good Shepherd Sunday.  It’s the Sunday where the gospel of John refers to a passage where Jesus talks about being the good shepherd and the appointed Psalm is Psalm 23. 

What I like about this Sunday is that we (you AND me) are reminded that the Good Shepherd or should I say THE Good Shepherd is Jesus.  Right? 

Sometimes as a pastor, myself and others, are seen as shepherds of their flocks. 
That is in part true.  You all called me to serve in this place as your pastor to care for and love, to nurture, to foster growth, to deepen faith, to live out our lives together as members of the Body of Christ.  So yes, in a way, pastors are called to shepherd their flocks. 

But today is that staunch reminder that neither your pastor, nor your vicar, is THE Good Shepherd. 
If anything, I’m Faithfully Mediocre. 

Yup, Pastor Jen, the Faithfully Mediocre Shepherd. 

I know I tell people not to sell themselves short or to not trust in their own abilities…but here I am totally willing to sell myself short.  I am NOT the Good Shepherd.  I am not the child of God sent into this world to save it.  That’s Jesus, the messiah.  Not me. 
Right? 

Lest you confuse the two. 
Jesus, Son of God, Savior of the World, Resurrected One, Messiah, fully divine and fully human, The Good Shepherd. 

Me, child of God, wife, pastor, runner, angler, reader, preacher, fully human, The Faithfully Mediocre Shepherd. 

And, as I thought about this difference this week, I realized there were some things I needed to get off my chest.  Some of my best musings comes in the form of writing, so here’s my letter:

Dear Good Shepherd,

Holy moly.  This year has been rough, like really rough.  Downright hard. 
Look, I know I am called to serve in this place for such a time as this, but Jesus, really…all of this stuff this year? 

I am feeling the heartache, the worry, the sadness and the grief of the people here.  And let me tell you, this is a weight that is hard to bear, because time apart just seems to amplify the intensity of our feelings. 

I am aware that each of the people and families connected to this place is going through a challenging year:

Some have had to bury parents or loved ones without being able to be surrounded by the fellowship and relationships of this family of faith. 
Some have lost jobs and have struggled to make ends meet.
Some have seen long friendships crumble due to this painful and painfilled political climate. 
Some have seen relationships come to an end because working and living at home has brought underlying issues to the surface. 
Some have thrived with online learning and schooling while others have felt deeply disconnected not being part of in-person schooling.
Some have contracted COVID and fared well, thankfully, while many have known others who have not. 

Jesus, so many people have died in our nation and around the world from this virus, we need time and space to just grieve that. 

I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again, these people, are grieving, not only all of the above and then some…but they are also grieving the death of their senior pastor. 
So yeah, Jesus, this year has been hard. 

And in the midst of finding space to grieve, wondering what the future will bring and wanting to be together…we may have hit our limit. 

Our collective limit, that is. 

Because here’s the thing…I’m trying.  Really trying.
To love your people. 
To keep your people safe. 
To create to connections and maintain old ones while we still find ourselves in a pandemic. 
And you know what, Jesus?  It’s hard. 

I know there are some people who are worshipping elsewhere because other churches are offering indoor worship.

I know there are some people who have up and left Trinity because they did not agree with the tone or tenor of the sermons over the past year.  

I know there are some people who feel disconnected because they are not computer savvy or choose not to be. 

And Jesus, this breaks my heart.  

It breaks. My.  Heart. 

Me?  I’m fed by a congregation in camp chairs and blankets in a parking lot. 
Me?  I’m thankful for online worship when the weather isn’t good knowing that in some way, we are extending the body of Christ and the fellowship of Christ into people’s homes where they are safe. 
Me?  Am I thankful to receive Holy Communion in the form of a wafer alone…well, thankful for the gift even though I miss bread and wine…but I know this is the safest. 

And like you, Jesus, I pray for and long for the time when we can all be back together or at least back in the building. 
But the hard part, is that we’re just not there yet. 

Jesus, this is a wonderfully large congregation, which is a wonderful problem to have. 

But it means thinking about how we figure out safe ways for smaller groups of us to gather inside…which takes time, which takes planning and it means paying attention to how the virus is not yet eradicated and that our actions will have a direct impact on the safety of people wanting to be in this space. 
Ugh. 

And so, Jesus, I’m trying. 
To love your people. 
To serve your people.
And to keep your people safe. 

And somedays…I feel like I’m getting it right. 

And somedays, no matter what happens, I feel like I fall short.  Even with online worship, live-streamed worship, mailed out bulletins, a toll-free number where people can call and listen to worship, weekly emails, monthly newsletters and yearly birthday letters that it’s not enough.  That some still slip through the cracks, intentionally or unintentionally. 

So, Jesus, there you have it. 
In case you were wondering how things were going here with your little flock gathering at Trinity.  That’s it. 
So, any words of wisdom for us all would be greatly appreciated. 
Thanks. 

Sincerely,

The Faithfully Mediocre Shepherd
PS.  Thank you for loving us. 

Here's the response, 

Dear Faithfully Mediocre,
I see you. 
I hear you.
I love you.

With that being said, let me offer a few reminders. 

I have laid down my life for not just you, but the people who gather and know Trinity as their congregation and family of faith. 
I know them and they know me. 
I call to them and they hear my voice. 
This may sound hard, but you don’t need to micromanage their relationship with me. 
What I mean by that, is yes, love them, yes listen to them, yes serve them, but if they fall astray, know that I am and will call them to myself.

Did you hear that?  I will call them to myself. I love them fiercely and have seen and felt each of their hardships, struggles, joys, deaths, celebrations and then some. 

I have not abandoned them.
Nor have I abandoned you. 

Though you and those you are called to serve may feel as if you are walking through the valley of the shadow of death, I am with you. 
Leading you when needed. 
Walking beside you for companionship. 
Pushing you when necessary and constantly grabbing you out of danger and redirecting you.  Fiercely loving all of you all of the time. 

I got you. 
I got them. 

I am holding you in the palm of my hand and WILL NOT drop you. 
Rest in the security of my arms, in the shelter of my green pastures, along the streams of fresh waters, and in the hope that out of death will come resurrection, hope and new life. 

This dear one, is not the end. 
Rest up.  Keep loving. Keep serving. 
I’ll keep calling them back, to me. 

Faithfully yours,
THE Good Shepherd

PS.  And let all God’s people say, amen.