On Sharing the Gospel

The last day of VBS I was downstairs in "the center" (basement where all church social activity occurs) going over the story of the resurrection and the disciples on the road to Emmaus. As I was chugging along with the story and asking/answering questions I was stopped abruptly in my tracks by a kid who looked at me puzzled when I asked, "Why is this an important message to share?" He said to me, "You're going to have to explain this a little bit more, for some of us this is our first time here."

The world is our mission field. The Lord of the Harvest is constantly planting seeds and using us to cultivate the crop. How did I answer this kids question? With a question of my own of course. I asked them all what they thought of the world. And as real life as it gets they shared with me the things they have seen even at the young ages of 12-16. They concluded, with no help of my own, that the world is full of hate, anger, and pain. Based on that they told me the world is not perfect and in many ways it does not even come close. So then I asked another question, "What is it that you think people really want most in this world?" One of the older boys spoke up and said, "People want hope, and people want peace."

So from there I did the only thing I knew I could, I shared with them the Hope of the Gospel and how that can and will change us. I shared with them how sin, death, and the devil were stopped abruptly in their pursuit of humanity and defeated at the cross, and I shared with them that we have hope in seeing loved ones departed again because of the hope of the Risen Jesus. I was clear that in the here and now this message won't change all and won't make things necessarily any less difficult, but it will give all people what all people really want: hope and peace.

No gimmicks, no games, just sharing the Gospel of Hope with those who need it.

Smashing Stereotypes

I would bet on some more summer/post internship thoughts to be posted on as I have time to digest everything that just transpired the past ten weeks. BUT I had to immediately address one thing that has been on my heart.

When you grow up in a town like Islip, NY in the middle of suburbia Long Island, you come away from life with pre-conceived notions. Essentially, you are a victim of your circumstance. And this is not to hate on Islip or to bash it, it was a wonderful place to grow up and given the choice I'd do it again. But, what I mean by being a victim of circumstance is when you grow up in a mostly homogenous town you miss out on all the glorious wonders of God's creation.

The first week in Brooklyn I was a psychological wreck. Satan (yes post modern scoffers of the evil one) was coming at me full force telling me the differences were too great and I could not handle it. Yet then an amazing thing happened. Each week went by and the more and more comfortable I became. From a social standpoint, the best moment for me was walking into the home of a Puerto Rican lady in her early 80's. Why you ask? Was it the delicious empanadas she had made for us for lunch? Certainly that was part of it, but the greater reason was because as this white bread boy from Islip, Long Island walked through her doors in THE PROJECTS I was introduced to a world I otherwise never knew and was quite frankly scared of.

The projects were a place where bullets flew and all sorts of crime and horror ran rampant in my mind. The hollywood portrayals, if you will, of the projects had fueled this ignorant mind. But then I walked into one of the homes and got to see it for what it was--a home. And then even more than that, over the course of the next ten weeks I got to know THE PEOPLE. And the people are what makes the projects what they are, namely a community. I got to know so many people who live there and it destroyed every single pre conceived notion and smashed every stereotype I had coming in. The projects are not some scary crime ridden place. No, the projects are home.

This week was a whirlwind with Vacation Bible School and having a sweet group of teens and adults in from Owatonna, Minnesota. My favorite day/night was Thursday. We were outside all day with the service project group from Minnesota and there was a real buzz about the neighborhood concerning Vacation Bible School. The kids from the Williamsburg Houses across the street were just waiting to pounce for VBS to begin. They came, they sang, they ate, they had fun, they learned about God, and they went home. And as we were standing there saying goodbye to the Minnesota group for the evening we looked across the street and saw the kids of the neighborhood, the kids of the big bad projects, playing manhunt with each other. This only furthered the new stereotype in my mind. The stereotype that shows the projects are not a scary place but a loving community. Because of this experience that is the only way I can approach each new set of housing projects. This is a place of love and community, not a place of crime.

More thoughts to come....

Finals Week

The rush and the whirl of VBS week at a church can really tax energy on those running it, namely the pastor. The pastor I am working with this summer actually referred to VBS week as his finals week. There is all this preparation leading up to it, but once you're in it, you just do it. And even though you may not be doing much in the moment, much is getting done.

This also happens to be my last week here in Brooklyn. I am feeling a lot of rush and whirl. A lot of what I've been working at all summer is coming to this week with all the kids being around for this great week-long evening event. So for me it is really cool to see all of the hard work Pastor and I and others have put in be put to practical use.

We have a service group in from Owatonna, Minnesota this week. They are a wonderful group of 14 teenagers and 4 adults. Everyone of them has a great attitude and is a hard worker. That much is appreciated and certainly goes a long way in doing jobs for a relatively poor church. And to serve in the name of Jesus is also something awesome to see. During the day they work and sweat their butts off in the projects and at night they have been helping us out with VBS. Tonight, however, they went sight seeing in Manhattan and that left VBS being a purely St. Johns night.

Registration for VBS is a lot different in the city than it is in the suburbs. For one there is no fee and there is no strict registration deadline. The kids come through the door and the register at will. We worked up to 30 kids strong tonight, and every one of them wanted to be there. What was neat for me personally was seeing how much the youth of the neighborhood came out of their shells once the Minnesota teenagers weren't around. The first two days they seemed really reserved, especially Monday. But today they read, and they shared in the question answering. These kids know their stuff and it was a joy for me to spend that time with them.

At the end of the night we went around the Baptismal font as we have the past two nights for a teaching point by Pastor Priest. He spoke once more about baptism and a young man about 7th grade age stated firmly, "I'm going to get baptized." He said it in such a voice that most 7th graders would use when talking about getting a new video game. There was a firm and confident sound to his voice when he said it. It was matter of fact to him, he had not yet been baptized, but he made it clear in a distinct voice that he wanted to be.

It's things like that that capture your attention at the end of another long and hot day and make you realize why you keep coming back. Oh, did I mention todays Bible story lesson was on Jesus planting seeds? And that those seeds represent the faith planted in people?

Whoever has ears let him hear indeed.

Jesus the Behavioralist

"You have to have a personal relationship with God, that is how you know you are saved. And how do you know you do? Well you do everything God commands, that's how. If not, you are not where God wants you to be."

"God wants us to decide for ourselves the path we want to take. He gives us the choice. God is all about personal responsibility."

"We are not under the old Law, but we're under a more perfect law that Jesus calls us to."

"You aren't born again if you live a life of sin. It is dangerous to preach faith alone because it means people do not have any accountability and can do whatever they want with no consequence."

"Jesus died for us, but He wants us to work toward perfection and to produce works to show our worthiness."

Ever hear a Christian talk like this? I know I have. The Christian who talks like this is a person who loves to harp on works righteousness but will also jump all over you the very second you accuse them of teaching/proclaiming works righteousness. What it comes down to is looking at just what exactly Christ saved us from. And also, along with that, just what exactly the focus scripture is.

The theologian of glory acknowledges the importance (even vast importance) of the cross and Jesus' life in scripture. But that is not the sole focus. The other focus is on God's Law and His relationship with the physical nation Israel and what God still has to accomplish. This same theologian of glory will also recognize the importance, again maybe even vast importance, of Jesus' death on the cross, but they will also harp on the moral teachings and "codes" that Jesus presents throughout His life as we see them in the Gospels.

For the theologian of glory, the end result in eternity is about earning enough of God's favor to be a "ruler" in the new creation. The idea is that yeah Jesus paved the way, but now we have to continue and better the walk. For this type of theologian baptism is about what humans do in response to God. The theologian of glory sees communion as a way to remember Jesus and to show devotion in that manner. This type of person sees Jesus as someone who came and died to save us as a way to set an example and to be the perfect example for how we are to live in the here and now. The theologian of glory makes Jesus out to be a behavioralist.

The theologian of the cross sees that the central focal point of scripture from "In the beginning" to "Amen, Come Lord Jesus" (Revelation) is Jesus the Christ. That God's relationship with Israel is a picture of God and how He interacts with His people and also is a lead up to the redemptive work on the cross of Jesus. In addition to that God and Israel are fulfilled in the church today. This same theologian of the cross will recognize not only the vast importance but the utmost importance of Jesus' death and resurrection as accounted in the Gospels.

For the theologian of the cross the end result is to dwell forever with the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world in their resurrected bodies. The idea is that yeah Jesus paved the way because He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and He came to save us and not to have humanity partake in saving itself. For this type of theologian baptism is an act which God performs and bestows His promises upon the one receiving this new birth. The theologian of the cross sees Communion as partaking in the literal body and blood of Jesus Christ as He is present within the elements of the bread and wine. And yet again it is an act where God performs a miracle by coming to His own people, and not His own people trying to come to Him. This type of person sees Jesus as someone who came and died to put humanity back at right with God. The theologian of the cross, despite recognizing their wretchedness, makes Jesus out to be the King of King and Lord of Lords who came and saved the world from its pitiful sin.

So which is it? Did Jesus come because He wants us to be "good" and "nice" people? Or did Jesus come to save us from the very depths of hell and that despite our absolute wretchedness and sin we are saved because the saving work of God is an act that He performs and we receive as a gift from Him and Him alone?

Is Jesus about changing our behaviors? Is He some sort of behavioral psychologist? Or is Jesus the very conquerer over sin, death, and the devil? Does Jesus give us a choice to make the right decision and leave it up to us for our own salvation? Or does Jesus mark us as His very own through His death and resurrection in our baptisms?

I'll let you decide ;).

Wonder Bread

What’s your favorite type of bread? Mine is definitely wheat. It’s just something that in recent years I have come to favor. And I love peanut butter. I will put peanut butter on just about anything: bread, English muffins, bagels, pretzels, crackers, pizza, ice cream…Okay, I’m kidding about the pizza and ice cream, but my point still stands. But I also remember when potato bread was a favorite of mine. Or even before that, I remember when we would eat “Wonder Bread.” Anyone ever have “Wonder Bread?” Anyone remember those commercials? Man those commercials when people would be joyously going about their day and the logo would descend upon them like balloons and they would go off cheerfully and make a sandwich or whatever they were doing. And what a name for a brand too, isn’t it? “Wonder Bread”, it stops you in your tracks to wonder what the wonder is all about!

Isn’t God a wonder? In the wilderness, as we’ve heard the last three weeks, God provided for the grumbling Israelites with the manna from heaven. What a God of wonder. He literally rained down bread from the sky to be the nourishment for his wayward, and whining people. In today’s Old Testament lesson we see another instance where God provided food for his servant seemingly out of nowhere, right? Elijah, the persecuted prophet of the LORD is sitting there doing what? Complaining to God of course. And what does God do? He sends the angel of the LORD down and the angel commands Elijah to arise and eat. Is what God provides enough for us however?

God definitely will provide for us, in the ways we need it, but all too often we look to satisfy our hunger our own way. See God has prepared for us a banquet, a table, and all these wonderful things and just like the Israelites we look at it and go, “Yeah what else?” It’s never enough for us is it? We’re constantly looking to fill our stomachs with the things that are of “right now.” It’s funny because when you really break it down, how are we any different than the young child who throws a temper tantrum in the store for something they HAVE to have, “right now!” In the grand scheme of things my brothers and sisters, we aren’t any different! We are the same exact way. We look around for anything and everything that can fill us up for a while, and disregard the one true thing that will never leave us hungering or thirsting for more.

What is it that you hunger for? What are you craving? I can tell you what I hunger for. I hunger for sin! My very being hungers to do what I do not want to do, as St. Paul says in Romans 7. It is truly maddening. What is it that this community hungers for, to get along on its own? (If youth are there) What is it you youth of the community hunger for? Acceptance in places you shouldn’t look for it? Oh brothers and sisters, we humans would rather go our own way. Sometimes you’ll hear people say, “Well if only God would give me a sign, then I would know and would follow.” Guess what Jesus tells people who supposedly were after signs from the chapter in which today’s Gospel comes from? He tells them, “You aren’t after signs. You’re here because I fed you! You’re following the next fad.” Just like the little kid and store analogy I used earlier. We want what is of today, or tomorrow, certainly not yesterday! We want it now! We stand there with the stubborn Israelites who practically said to God, “What have you done for us lately?” Then what does Jesus do? Jesus tells us what he’s done for us lately. And Him sharing this truth about Himself causes us grief in our sinful state. We stubbornly, just like those who have gone before, would rather reject the teachings of God than actually partake of them. Jesus goes on to talk about how He is the bread of life from heaven that lasts, eat him! What! Eat Jesus? This caused the Jewish leaders to grumble and complain. You can imagine the reaction, “What in the world is he talking about eat him?!” But what’s even more than that, not only are the Jewish leaders perplexed but also most of Jesus’ own disciples desert Him over this.

Do we not find ourselves grumbling at times over the teachings of Jesus? Isn’t it true that we sometimes desert or derail our walk because of tough teachings? In fact most of the time that is the case, “Well I just can’t accept that, so that’s it.” That’s it? Jesus is giving us an important truth about Himself and we don’t want it! We each go our own way. We want our walk to be simple, not complicated, and if we’re honest, we want it to be easy.

The 20^th century Lutheran martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer once wrote in his book, The Cost of Discipleship, that, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” We are being called into a life of service and down a narrow road, but a road that leads to life. And yet we still will disregard it from time to time. We are all looking to satisfy our hunger our own way, and not God’s way. When Bonhoeffer speaks of death he is telling us that we need to die to our own ways of self-nourishment. We think we can nourish ourselves, no problem, we do not need God. And what Bonhoeffer is sharing with us here is that Jesus tells us explicitly, “Die!” Die to the old ways in which you seek to provide and nourish for yourself. Why do we do this, brothers and sisters? We do this because we are sinful and selfish. The two go hand in hand really. Being sinful is all about being selfish, and we are certainly selfish. And when we are hungry, we definitely will become selfish. When you’re really hungry, don’t you notice that you almost become animalistic? We get really cranky and upset and look for the first thing that will satisfy us. Because of this we may snipe at loved ones and others because of our hunger. The problem is that we are the ones looking to satisfy our spiritual hunger in life as well. The problem is our sin that drives us to seek out ways to fulfill our hunger, because in this journey and search in life we are constantly seeking fulfillment and that break from hunger. What do you hunger for?

Luckily, even in our own vain attempt to satisfy our hunger, there is One who can, who does, and who will satisfy our hunger. Turn your eyes on Jesus, because that is where your true nourishment comes. Jesus is the very Bread of Life. He says so Himself and He says quite emphatically, “The one who eats from me will not hunger, and the one who believes in me will never thirst.” Never hunger, and as the Greek states never at any time thirst. Just try and envision that for a second. What a beautiful vision that hunger and thirst would cease. And this is a promise, brothers and sisters. The one who believes in Jesus has eternal life and will never, ever, at any time hunger or thirst. Spiritually it is satisfied in the here and now, and physically it is a promise in the hope that is to come. Jesus is our life’s journeys nourishment and strength.

What we see here St. John’s is that Jesus goes out and he gets us. He is the one who comes to us and feeds us. We’ve been hearing about Moses and we’ve been hearing about Elijah lately, well, how does Jesus compare to them? With Moses we see one whom God sent to deliver the people from bondage. And with the angel of the LORD who came to Elijah we once again see one whom was sent, and this time to provide nourishment for a dejected soul. God had to send these figures because of the difficulty in which the journey entails. In the same way, brothers and sisters, Jesus is sent to deliver us and to provide for us, and our dejected souls. By this rite God has claimed us as His own through Jesus Christ, His only Son. In Holy Baptism we are marked with the cross of Christ for how long? Forever! The promises of God are not dependent upon the activity of humanity, thank goodness for that! All throughout the ages we haven’t been able to keep up with God’s Law. But God sent Jesus and forgives us before we sin, and is there to receive us in forgiveness even after we have sinned. He nourishes us and gives us new life in this way.

And in just a few minutes we will come to this Table to truly receive Jesus’ body and blood as He bids us to do. Jesus talking about eating His flesh and drinking His blood for salvation is a foreshadowing of this Holy Meal. In FAITH we eat of Jesus’ body and blood and are saved. By faith, by faith, by faith. Not of our own selves, not of any other “food” we could whip up ourselves. No brothers and sisters, Jesus is our satisfaction from hunger and thirst. In that Old Testament lesson we see Elijah being told once again by the angel of the LORD to “Arise and eat.” But this time, the angel of the LORD gives a reason. He tells Elijah to “Arise and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” So again in just a few minutes when you come to this, the Lord’s Supper, arise and eat for the journey is too much for you. The journey is too much for you to go at it alone. When life has you down and seemingly out that is not the time to steer further from God, no it is the time to fall face down at the foot of the cross and cling to it. Jesus comes to us in this communion to provide us the strength we need for this journey we call life, because it is too much for us. The hurt the pain, the anguish, the uncertainty, the instability, it all adds up and when we are drained we come here. We come here to be fed in Word and in Sacrament by Jesus.

To all of you feeling that drain, it cannot be discredited because it is real. But there is One who died on the cross and rose from the grave in order to overcome that drain, and His name is Jesus the Christ. There is no reason to go down the darkened path alone because Jesus is there beside you. And He gives you this community, this family, of faith to make that journey with you. My younger brothers and sisters who are the next generation of this great community of faith, tell the forces of the world that you are not for sale. That St. John’s Youth is here to stay and they have an identity. It may not be a conventional identity as far as the world is concerned, but no matter, in your baptism you have an identity with Jesus Himself. On that no power of the world, I don’t care what it is, can stand. Feed upon Jesus in faith and be nourished along the way of your journey.

This journey does not at all end in death. No, this journey continues on beyond that. And let me be clear in this, as I know this is a favorite teaching point of Pr. Priest, the journey does not end in heaven either! This journey continues on and on in everlasting life which is physical. Jesus said that whosoever the Father draws to Him He will raise that one up on the last day. In the new earth and new creation we will walk with the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. Just as Jesus rose, those of us who feed on the living bread will rise as well.

I guess you could say that the power in all this is that Jesus is our “Wonder Bread.” He is the best brand of bread that could possibly be out there. Through Him we are provided with life to the fullest now and especially in life everlasting. It’s a taste that goes beyond even my love for peanut butter. Jesus is the “wonder bread” that comes down out of heaven. Take that bread and share it with others in this neighborhood and beyond. There’s plenty to go around! Amen.

Mockingbird does it again

What a fantastic post on creation and properly distinguishing between Law and Gospel! Kudos to one of, if not the best, blog out there:

http://mockingbirdnyc.blogspot.com/2009/08/two-words-on-genesis.html

I have a dream

Imagine a time when you can enter an LCMS sanctuary and whether or not it's the old JS Bach style organ music blaring or guitars and maybe even a screen of sorts that the Gospel content bound up in the historic liturgy is there. That's my dream. It's a dream that will take some time to work out. But I believe the ball is already rolling.

The Missouri Synod is dying. Synod, Inc. is not the church, it is "Church", a governing body of a section of a particular brand. I single out Missouri because she is my home. But this is obviously a trend in all mainline denominations. The situation developing is you have churches with less than 50 people in it who are all over the ages of 70. Not that there is anything wrong with 70 year olds, I happen to love my elders, a lot. But, in relation to making new disciples, whether hitting the streets, or the traditional Lutheran way (make babies) I think it's safe to say those tactics are rendered effectively useless for this age bracket. Hitting the streets is still possible, but the energy is less. Making babies, outside of an Abraham and Sarah miracle is not possible.

There also seems to be this idea in Missouri that unless we have our doctrine 110% accurate and lined up we cannot hit the streets. That idea to me, is in a word, silly. this does NOT mean doctrine is not important, because that's the favorite line for people who defend this position to use. "Why is doctrine such a dirty word?" It isn't at all. I'm talking about staunch legalism in a Church Body which prides itself on the proper distinction between Law and Gospel. The Gospel will march on with or without us, but if we desire for Mother Missouri to survive, which I do at least, then we need to be a little proactive.

Also, let me be very clear on something here. This is NOT an indictment against really traditional churches. Because there are traditional churches which are flourishing because they have their sound doctrine, they administer the Sacraments, they preach the Word, and they equip the Saints to engage the community with that message. That is wonderful, and more of that, not less, is needed.

Where I will differ from some who nobly use the old old liturgical setting is that I think it is very possible for churches to use screens, guitars, and other non organ, non gregorian chant music while preserving the historic liturgy and most importantly the Gospel. In defense of those who rail against more "contemporary" forms of worship, there are those in Missouri who run off wild into the wilderness and come back looking emergent and American Evangelical. I got news for those churches, American Evangelicalism as we know it is dying. That would be just like a Lutheran to latch onto a fad as it has left the boat.

For me and those like me in the Northeast, this whole notion of off the wall American Evangelicalism in the Lutheran Church is by and large a foreign concept. We don't chase trends here in Northeast Lutheranism. Mainly because the culture is so staunchly against American Evangelicalism, and the Roman Catholic Church and her historic liturgy have such a stronghold in the area. But I will not discredit my brothers and sisters who say American Evangelicalism is creeping around in the Lutheran Church. Decision looking theology liturgy needs to go by the wayside. There is no place for that in the Lutheran Church.

However, that does NOT (I'm all about capitalizing the "not" today) mean we throw the baby out with the bath water. I have seen historic Lutheran sound doctrine and liturgy work quite nicely with steel string guitars and bongos. I have seen it work in a "Gospel Service" like format. There is no reason why this cannot be employed. Because in certain cultural contexts it is called for. For those who think German Lutheran Liturgy is the marks of the historic church catholic you are kidding yourselves. It is a beautiful tradition, and one that I love and enjoy, but it is not the tradition of the African church, the South American church, the Southeast Asian church, etc., etc.

But, that also does not mean that you force a different cultural liturgical setting on a parish that is down with the traditional organ setting. There is no reason to disrupt harmony where it exists, so long as the theological content is sound. And that also goes for the ardent traditionalists who cringe at anything not Bach-like sounding (Again I LOVE JS Bach). If harmony exists in a parish with sound theological content, yet they use the cultural musical setting and arrangement that that particular group of people would be used to, do not be a stumbling bloc and demand they conform to the German heritage. There IS room for unity in the Spirit through sound doctrine without having to culturally look and sound the same. That was never the mark of the church spread throughout the world. The message is the same yes, but the beautiful thing about Christianity is how each culture has been able to express and live out that message in their own specific culture.

In this day and age, even in America, you have to think and act like a missionary. If you are a missionary in another country do you show up and demand they change and conform to their ways? Or do you do as St. Paul did and use their own cultural understanding to introduce them to the truth of the Gospel?

People are not going to church, Anglo's are becoming a minority. This is not a time to lament it, but a time to be energized in the Spirit and to go out and bring that message of Hope to a dying and lost world. And that message of Hope in the resurrection of Jesus Christ can be brought to people in their own cultural context without compromising one iota of the content.

I have a dream. It won't be easy, but with God all things are possible.

Slow Down and PARK

For some reason, possibly due to NYC hustle and bustle, I felt the need to go into work late today and take the morning for reflection and writing. I actually wound up doing some work off site anyway. But the last week I was hearing from various people, pastors included, that it is of utmost importance to take time to yourself and just pray.

I got off the W, made my way toward Columbus Circle and entered "the park." For those of you playing the home game, "the park"=Central Park. Even at 9am the city is a place of intensity and extremity. I made my way into the park and decided I was going for a long walk. I was definitely going to imbed myself inside the park and just chill. So imbed and chill is what I did.

I got to a point where I thought I would be stopping, but an interesting figure of sorts was flailing around and may have been singing. So I decided to keep going. And thankfully that annoyance was there because it allowed me to go where even the sun wasn't shining so bright and explore some of the Central Park "trails." After about an hour of that I found a rock alongside a lake to sit on. There I did todays "Portals of Prayer" devotional and also wrote the outline for my sermon this Sunday on Jesus as "Wonderbread." The rock, more like a large rock hill Central Park is full of these, was alongside one of many spots that the Central Park Conservancy is trying to restore.

This got me thinking about our own conservancy as Christians (it is obvious the days of me enjoying simple life pleasures without relating them theologically are long gone). How are we looking to be restored and conserved? Walking besides the calm waters of the various lakes in the park I immediately thought of the "still waters" the LORD our shepherd leads us beside from Psalm 23.

It is essential for Christians to take time out of their day (Okay, if you're really busy your week) to just sit and be still. That of course invokes another Psalm, #46, which tells us to "Be still and know I am God." Our lives can very much be like the hustle and bustle whirlwind of New York City, whether you live and work there or not! How important it is to take time to just be in contemplation and prayer. There's a reason God took the seventh day off. And there's a reason why we need sleep and rest to function properly. We're not God. We were created to rest at times, take advantage of it!