Pastor's Pen: Lent with a Side of Sausage

I have a love-hate relationship with Lent.

For the unaware, the season of Lent begins forty days before Easter. Like the holy days of Christmas and Easter, Lent was a later invention of the Church. The season recalls Jesus being led by the Spirit into the wilderness for forty days after his baptism. There he fasted and was tempted by the devil. The Lenten season even suggests the forty years that the Israelites wandered in the desert. There God prepared and shaped them for life in his promised land. Lent is a time for repentance, prayer and fasting as we anticipate the glory of Jesus' resurrection.

As Christians, we rely only on the grace found in Jesus Christ. Despite the fact that we are undeserving, God continues to love us. Only through God's actions in Jesus, am I reconciled to God. That belief makes me cast a suspicious eye on Lent. Are we trying through our own piety to manipulate God to love us more? If so, it is a foolhardy attempt.

In 1522, a group of Christians in Zurich heady with the profound knowledge of God's grace ate sausages during Lent. The simple defiant act of eating meat during the prescribed fast threw the city into an uproar. The Reformation came to Zurich, and the disciplines of Lent demanded by the Church were rejected.

Christians like grace. We busy ourselves asking the question, "How do I know that I've done enough to get into heaven?" The answer is that God's love and mercy is sufficient for you and me. That certainly is a comfort and a relief. However, many Christians who embrace God's grace have forgotten about its high cost. Grace doesn't cost us anything, but God paid a heavy price. Jesus, our Emmanuel, suffered and died on a cross bearing the sins of the world. This costly grace calls us to faithfulness. We live lives of prayer, worship, and sacrifice. We delve into the Scriptures to understand better our Lord. We forgive, love and show mercy because of the grace that we have received.

No season is better than another. Still if we decide to spend Lent reflecting on the incredible cost of God's grace and our response, it will be time well-spent. If the disciplines of Lent are less about us and more about God, the time can be redeemed. As we enjoy our sausages, let us also be shaped for the life God intends.

Pastor's Pen: Connected to the Vine

I am not God.

This is the fundamental lesson for any person of faith.  God is different from us:  “’For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways,’ says the Lord” (Isaiah 55:8).  There remains a distance between God and us magnified by our own selfishness and sin. 

Perhaps, it is our brain chemistry or simply the workings of the soul, but most of us have longings for something more.  We yearn for the transcendent.  We wish to bridge the gap.  Over the millennia, humanity has made several attempts.  We have used elaborate rituals, intellectual pursuits, good works, and even raw emotionalism to get closer to God.  Sadly, all attempts have failed.  The distance remains too great.

Amazingly, we are not the ones who bridge the gap.  God does.  Jesus Christ brings God to us and us to God.  We call that grace.  Christ succeeds where our attempts fail.  Jesus once said, “I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).  Beginning with Christ, we are empowered to live to our full potential.

An important question remains:  “How do I stay connected to Jesus?”  A member of the church wrote me a note with this question during our recent Spiritual Enrichment Retreat weekend.  I’m thankful for it.  The question gets at the heart of discipleship and Christian spirituality.  Perhaps, it can serve as a catalyst for further conversations throughout the congregation. 

Certainly bad worship, bad doctrines or bad behavior can draw us away from Christ.  However the inverse isn’t automatically true.  A good grade on the theology exam, a well-written prayer or having an emotional experience isn’t necessarily evidence that God is present.  Instead, we remain connected to Christ by knowing him, trusting him and obeying him.  Jesus suggests a relationship of intimacy.  For those given new life, we are no longer servants but friends (John 15:13-15). 

Although God doesn’t owe us anything, he gives us the gift of his Spirit through faith in Christ.  Rather than using our spiritual practices to achieve transcendence, the Holy Spirit transforms our disciplines from self-righteousness into devotion.  Like the musician who tunes his instrument to be in harmony with the orchestra, the Holy Spirit uses our prayer, our study of Scripture, our love of neighbors, and the rest to keep our lives receptive to Christ’s transforming grace.  

I am not God, but by the Holy Spirit, Christ is present in a redeemed life.

Pastor's Pen: Accept No Imitation

Reuters recently reported that a South Korean company has developed an application for the iPhone which mimics human companionship.  Four times a day, users receive a video message from their virtual “friend”.  The face on the screen coos messages like, “Good night, sweet dreams.”  According to the news report, the company believes that the program will “help subscribers feel someone cares for them and is consistently thinking of them.”  Business has been brisk.  The application costing $1.99 was downloaded 80,000 times on the first day that it was offered. 

“There’s an app for that” is the mantra of our brave new world.  Still, there are things that even our smart phones will never be able to do.  Human family, friendship and community can never find a substitution.  The concern of imaginary people cannot match the care of someone reaching out in love.  Even the explosive success of Facebook and other social media suggests a hunger for community, not a replacement.  From the early pages of Genesis, even God states that is not good for man to be alone. 

In this highly technical and highly individualized society, our search for God matches our times.  Spirituality becomes our choice.  Like an Ipod playlist of our favorite music, we pick and choose what we believe from a variety of genres and styles.  Each choice, however, reinforces our own preferences.  We are content to listen on our own earbuds to our own music.  Still, something remains missing.  A set of beliefs cannot care for someone.

Rather than an individual choice, God is a person, actually three persons, yet one:  Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Through Jesus Christ, we are ushered into that relationship.  Our faith itself is nurtured in a community called the Church.  The love of God draws us together in the Holy Spirit.  We work, study and pray together.  Spirituality cannot be done in isolation.  We need each other in order to grow in faith. 

On January 21-23, 2011, the Ardmore Presbyterian Church will explore this theme at our third annual Spiritual Enrichment Retreat.  Led by Rev. Graham Standish, we will see how faith is developed in community, Dr. David Wallace returns as we reflect on our fellowship in music, even our children will be involved in their own program.  In this month’s newsletter you will find more information about this wonderful opportunity.  Join the church on January 21-23, and let us be community to one another.  Accept no imitation.

Pastor's Pen: Catch a Glimpse

Autumn is taking her bows.  The season has lasted longer than usual which has been quite a blessing for me.  I always enjoy the fall.  I take pleasure in the early sunsets, the warmth of sweaters, and the smell of gingerbread baking.  Nonetheless, the best part of the season for me must be the colors of the leaves.  Soon they will be completely gone, but for a time we certainly have enjoyed glorious golds and radiant reds.  In the spring and summer, we don’t see those colors.  They are always there but hidden.  When autumn comes, the verdant curtain is opened, and we catch a glimpse of glory. 

On the last month of the year, we prepare to celebrate Christmas.  Our mind turns toward a small town in Judea, and we think of a babe lying in a feeding trough surrounded by loving parents.  The circumstances are unusual, but they don’t seem earth-shattering.  The Christmas carol asks, “Why lies He in such mean estate where ox and ass are feeding?”  The question assumes a great deal.  We ask it from our side of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.  However, on that day in Bethlehem, the question might be, “Why not?”

In the story of Jesus’ birth, we don’t have to answer the question.  The heavens themselves declare God’s glory.  An angel announces, “I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11).  The angels pull the curtain aside, and we catch a glimpse of glory.  Like those trees in the background whose revealed colors capture our notice, the angels’ herald brings us to the manger.  This Christmas season, I pray that the good news of God’s love and salvation may receive new attention in our hearts.  At worship and fellowship together, let’s catch a glimpse of glory.

Merry Christmas,

James

Main Line CROP Walk and World Food Day

MAIN LINE CROP WALK

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Beginning at 1 pm from Suburban Square

Pick-up packets ahead of time in narthex or register on-line at www.cropwalkonline.org

Questions? Talk with Alan Abel or Ralph Miller, APC coordinators

What is CROP WALK?
The CROP Hunger Walk is Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty in an annual event that combines fun and fundraising to raise money to help feed hungry people throughout the world. Walkers invite friends to sponsor them with a contribution of $5, $10, $20, or more.

Who walks?
Anyone who wants to make a difference in the lives of hungry people is invited. Walkers come from religious communities, schools, businesses and non-profit agencies. Over 120 people walked in the Main Line CROP WALK last year and raised $10,453.

Why walk?
Hungry people in developing countries typically walk as much as 10 kilometers (six miles) each day to get food, water, fuel, and to take their goods to market. CROP WALK provides an opportunity to WALK WITH THE WORLD. We walk to be in solidarity with their struggle for existence. We walk to make a difference.

Where do the contributions go?
Contributions go 90% to the international work of Church World Services and 10% to local hunger relief – specifically half of this to the Presbytery of Philadelphia (work overseen by the Rev. Schaunel Steinnagel, Hunger Action Enabler) and the other half to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese (their hunger work is entitled “Nutritional Development Services”), since Presbyterians and Roman Catholics are the top two participating faith backgrounds in the Main Line CROP Walk.

CELEBRATE WORLD FOOD DAY 2010

The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

Ardmore Presbyterian Church (Fellowship Hall)

Sunday afternoon, October 17

3:00 to 5:00 pm

3:00 – 4:00 pm Visit tables of anti-hunger organizations

(Below are some of the organizations that might have tables)

• Bread for the World
• Jubilee USA
• CARE
• MANNA
• Church World Service
• Nutritional Development
• Services
• Greater Philadelphia Coalition
• ONE Campaign
• Against Hunger
• Pennsylvania Hunger Action
• Network
• Philabundance
• Philadelphia Jobs with Justice
• Presbyterian Hunger Program
• SHARE

4:00 – 5:00 pm - Join in conversation about “What Can I/We Do, To End World Hunger”

Light Refreshments to be served!

RSVPs Welcome! Questions Welcome! 

Rev. Schaunel Steinnagel, Hunger Action Enabler, Presbytery of Philadelphia, 

215-242-1400, SSteinnagel@presbyphl.org.

Pastor's Pen: "Ich habe genug."

Recently, I came across a Bach cantata which is based on the story of Simeon and Anna found in Luke 2.  In the Scriptures, Mary and Joseph in compliance with the Hebrew law make sacrifice at the Temple in Jerusalem.  Father and mother with the infant Jesus in tow encounter the older Simeon and Anna.  Both were faithful followers of God, and both were awaiting the coming Messiah.  The Spirit of the Lord came upon these prophets, and they recognized Jesus as the promised Savior.  Bach begins the story here, and Simeon sings as he holds the baby.

“I have enough.
I have the Savior, the hope of the faithful,
In the eager embrace of my arms.
I have enough.”

I was surprised that Bach’s reimagining of the biblical story struck me so profoundly.  Poetry and music have long relied upon unfulfilled desires as their muse.  We certainly understand the pain of loss and loneliness.  We long for something more, but here Simeon sings of comfort and satisfaction.  I have enough because I hold the Savior in my arms.  Our restless wants and desires finally find Sabbath in the love that God gives to us in Jesus Christ. 

In a month, the church will be discussing stewardship, specifically financial stewardship.  Perhaps, this is a strange time to declare, “I have enough.”  However, we must remember that all generosity flows from this confession.  Because I have enough, I freely give.  We share precisely because we know that there is no limit to God’s grace.  God freely takes care of the flowers and the birds, and God will take of us as well.  We don’t hide behind walls.  We share with a world unable or unwilling to see.

In times of political and economic uncertainty, these are radical words:  “I have enough.”  However, our Savior is not far from us.  By faith, we hold him in our arms.  We see the joy of the life to come.  In God, we ultimately have peace. 

In Christ,
James

Peacemaking Offering, October 3

Next Sunday, October 3, Ardmore Presbyterian Church will receive donations for the Peacemaking Offering. The Presbyterian Peacemaking Offering supports the efforts of Presbyterians through their congregations, presbyteries, synods, and the General Assembly to work for peace by tearing down walls that divide. Congregations receive the Peacemaking Offering as part of World Communion Sunday, when Christians around the world celebrate our unity in Christ. As we receive bread and cup, we celebrate our unity in Christ, our peace, and are renewed to pass Christ’s peace to those around us and across the world.

The Bible witnesses to the centrality of peacemaking for Christian discipleship in three ways: first, the word “peace”—shalom in Hebrew and eirene in Greek—is widely used in the bible and has a wealth of meaning. It is through exploring the uses of the word “peace” in the Bible that we come to an understanding of the meaning of peace and peacemaking. Second, the visions and stories of the Bible offer models for the transformation of individuals and communities into peacemakers. It is through wrestling with these stories and making them our own that we grow as disciples of the Prince of Peace. Third, the entire biblical story shapes our calling to be peacemakers. It is through reflecting on the themes of the biblical witness as a whole that one is confronted by the significance of peace and peacemaking for thinking about God, God’s work in the world, and God’s intention for human persons, communities, and creation.

The Peacemaking Offering supports a variety of peacemaking efforts at all levels of the Presbyterian Church (USA). Twenty-five percent (25%) of the offering will be retained by our congregation and the Mission Awareness Committee has elected to have these funds go to St. Luke’s Hospital. Ardmore Presbyterian Church has supported St. Luke’s Hospital for a number of years. It is located in the West Bank of Palestine and provides vital health services without discriminating against patients’ nationality, religion or ability to pay. As a Christian organization, St. Luke’s is a very visible testament to Christ’s love and care for us.

Some examples of what the Peacemaking Offering provides at the General Assembly level are the following:

• Sponsors the Peacemaking seminar “Peacemaking: Still the Believers’ Calling”
• Helps lead workshops on living together in the diversity God creates
• Offers opportunities to work to end the use of children as soldiers
• Organizes and implements the International Peacemakers Program, which brings church leaders from other nations to the United States to share peacemaking concerns
• Creates worship resources on addressing gun violence, working for a nuclear-free world, stopping torture, and other issues of peace and justice.

In 2009, more than $2 million was received through the Peacemaking Offering. Promotional expenses amounted to $261,621 so over 98% of the offering was used for Peacemaking efforts.

I hope you will consider a donation to this important mission on World Communion Sunday, October 3.