Pastor's Notes

Recently PBS was doing fund-raising. One segment was devoted to musical groups and music from the 1950’s. There on stage were singers and groups whose hair had become gray or AWOL, still singing the songs that made them popular. In the audience were many with similar hair color smiling, nodding along, and, in some cases, singing along. I don’t remember much of the ‘50’s but was surprisingly familiar with most all of the music. For me the experience was one of remembering the music. For the audience it seemed the experience was about going back in time and reliving at least some of the era.

Nostalgia versus memory. Is versus used properly here? I am not sure nostalgia is really an opponent of memory, but I am convinced nostalgia and memory are not the same thing. Nostalgia has as its root the Greek word nostos, meaning return. What I witnessed with the PBS audience was nostalgia. With my lack of encounter with the music when it was most popular, I was just exercising memory of songs once heard.

Now I must admit, I have my nostalgic moments. Sometimes even a smell can take me back decades to some past experience. I have noticed with many collectibles such as toy trains, baseball cards, Barbie Dolls, etc. that their financial value typically goes in steep decline once those who had these as children are no longer around. Better than even Star Trek’s transporter, many collectibles seem to take us back more quickly to what we often view as some ideal time in life.

There is a saying that says “Nostalgia is like a grammar lesson. It finds the present tense and the past perfect.” That it does. It seems nostalgia is experienced best through rose colored lenses. Memory, on the other hand can also edit out pain and struggle, but it also can include it so strongly that years later an experience still hurts enough to at least cloud the eyes.

Christians are human. We are both nostalgic and people of memory. While it is fine to be nostalgic about certain things, experiences, and times, we cannot live there. Nor can we always live in memory. Christians are to live primarily in the present with hope for the future, God’s future.

This is why Jesus’ death on a cross is so significant for us. We need not invent and hide behind some illusory past. We can remember pain and hurt put upon us as well as caused by us. We are those reconciled by the cross of Jesus. We are those whom God forgives. Jesus did not simply forgive sins. More so, God forgave sinners. Sinners are you and I and sinners are those who caused us hurt. Can we remember the past, enjoy it where appropriate, and also, where needed, can we forgive the past? This, actually, can be one of the tasks before us in living in the present as we continue now to struggle with forgiveness of deeds long behind us.

We need not weigh down the present by thinking we had some idyllic past. That would be an unfair burden added to an imperfect present. Enjoy old works of music, collectibles of childhood, or wherever nostalgia takes you. Just don’t live there. We can’t. We live in the only place where we can truly live: in the present. It is okay and even necessary to bring out the memories of tough times. It is only by having them out and in front of us that we can deal with them and have any hope of forgiveness and moving on.

Neither the past nor the future are places where God seems most to be present. God is most with us now. God wants to be part of the pain and struggle. This is where God’s presence is strongest; in the here and now. This is where prayer and praise of God needs to happen; in the present. Nostalgia isn’t what it used to be! Certainly not. But the present is where God operates best. God is still what God used to be and will be.

Did you watch the Olympics? I was able to catch some of the events. To be honest, the (former) Coloradan in me prefers the Winter Olympics. However, what I try hard to not miss at both Olympics are the opening and closing ceremonies. Due to COVID, this year’s ceremonies were not nearly as spectacular as in past years, yet they had their ooh and aahh moments.

As I watched the Olympics I saw athletes from many nations embrace each other as they gathered at the opening and closing ceremonies. When an athletic event ended I often saw losers embrace the winners and silver, bronze and gold medalists embrace each other moments after they were giving their all to defeat those now being embraced.

I couldn’t help but wonder: do sports do a better job at coming together in unity than the church? Through their actions, might the Olympics exceed the church which proclaims there is neither male nor female, slave nor free, but all are one? It is, after all, one thing to preach and teach a concept and quite another to live it out. Remember, Martin Luther King Jr. say Sunday morning at 11am is the most segregated hour of the week. Unfortunately, this may remain true.

What do you think? Sports were not unknown in biblical times. After all the Olympics are older than the writings in scripture. Paul uses sports, running in particular, as a metaphor for the Christian life, Timothy’s author speaks of finishing the race, and the Old Testament book of Habbakuk also makes use of the image of running.

The Bible, however, is more interested in unity as a people of God. Unity, oneness, a coming together of those who follow Christ….how does the church score on these? What medal might the church be awarded?

First, medals are not awarded until the competition has ended. Creating unity, creating community and oneness are an ongoing task of the church taking place over untold numbers of generations. Second, unity does not mean sameness. For the church unity is to be found in following Christ and in a unity of purpose: bringing the Good News of this Christ to the world in word and deed. This race of serving and proclaiming is never ending. Third, I am not sure the Olympic unity impressive as it is, lasts once the athletes return home. Some feeling of unity may remain, but the embrace is no longer possible.

The Olympics, however, do have one advantage many of us do not have. For many of us our experience of other nations is through maps, photos and articles in National Geographic, or news reports. And let’s face it, neither Fox, CNN, or MSNBC usually show the best side of other nations. Doing such does not increase ratings as much as tragedy, violence, or horrific events. Olympic athletes have personal experience with other peoples and other nations that many of us have not had.

This is not to encourage us to get out and travel to other lands and people. While that would be a good thing, it is often beyond the realm of possibility for many. This is, however to remind us we can only know so much from pictures, documentaries, books, and maps. We cannot have a relationship with those things. We need to be reminded we do not usually know all we need to know about a person or nation.

The recent US census report reveals what we already know: we are becoming more diverse as a state and a nation. This behooves us to work even harder to be a sign of the unity God wants for all God’s people. Do any of us live in neighborhoods that are not diverse? Let’s get to work intentionally to reach out. Our churches need to look like the communities that surround them. We cannot allow National Geographic to be our experience of diversity.

This is also to encourage us to look for unity not in any sameness but in the humanity we share and above all, in the God who created us all, and the God whom we follow in our Christian path as we follow Christ. We need to surrender our too often feeble understandings and attempts at unity to the unity we see in Christ. Let Christ be the unity we cannot seem to be. This, you might agree, would take an Olympic effort on our part. Lace up your racing shoes!

Perspective is everything. For years my family and I would travel to Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. Looking at the jagged peaks from ground level was a very impressive viewpoint. They are huge and dominate the landscape. One time we hiked into the mountains. Looking at them from part-way up while standing before a large waterfall was quite another impressive view. A few years, later while on a flight to Alaska, we flew over the Tetons at about 33,000 feet. They looked absolutely tiny. Of course nothing changed with the mountains. Only the perspective had changed.

How we perceive an event or understand words written or spoken can be a matter of our individual perspective as well as the event’s happenings or the words written or spoken. Our individual perspective can be influenced by our mood, our intellect, our knowledge, our emotions, our upbringing, timing, and our environment. Our view of God in good times might be different than our understanding of God in difficult times, say a pandemic.
I am reading a book on the historical Jesus. It begins with a break-down of many scholars understanding of Jesus over the centuries. Talk about different and differing perspectives! I have noticed similar divergent understandings among my colleagues and among the parishioners I have been privileged to serve these four plus decades.
Jesus was a miracle worker! Miracles are a myth! Jesus was a great teacher. How can we know the stories of Jesus written in scripture were actually told by Jesus? Jesus is a role model, an inspiring figure. Jesus was human, Jesus was divine, Jesus was both human and divine. You get the idea.
Middle class Americans tend to see Jesus as someone affirming their values, the poor see Jesus as one who advocates for them and stands on their side over the rich. People of color see Jesus as a first century Palestinian Jew, a person, like them, of color.

What I have most learned about the historical Jesus from both my current book and previous books on this topic is this: We do not and cannot know much about the historical Jesus. We can only know about the Jesus who spoke, touched, and shaped the authors of the New Testament and the early church. As of yet no archeological evidence of Jesus has been found. Writings contemporary to the time of Jesus mention scant little of importance that would give us a glimpse into the personality or details of Jesus or his life. Even the gospels written 30-60 or more years after Jesus life do not agree on many details concerning Jesus. And Paul, writing shortly after Jesus’ life and death is concerned with the meaning of who Jesus was, not the biographical history.

What are we to make of all this? Without a complete picture of who Jesus was, can we know what Jesus was about? With many divergent perspectives concerning Jesus, are well all lost? Or are only some lost?
We encounter Jesus through scripture. In the gospels we see a Jesus who may, at times, chastise people coming to him for their faith, but never casts them away. In the gospels we see a Jesus who comes to people, heals, teaches, and gives of himself. In Paul’s letters we see a Jesus who does what his followers cannot do: justifies and saves them. This is the key: we work to encounter Jesus, but it is he who encounters us. We struggle with our various perspectives, but there is only one perspective that truly matters: the perspective Jesus has regarding humanity. What is clear, and what all seem to agree upon is that the perspective of Jesus is that humanity is worth saving.
This is such good news because far too often we wonder if humanity is worth saving. We wonder not only if we are doomed, but we wonder if we deserve to be doomed. “For God so loved the world that he gave…” we read in John’s gospel. For God so loved the world he did not and could not give up on the world or its human inhabitants. May this, above all, be our lasting perspective.

Can we trust God if we do not trust each other? Because the God who became incarnate in the flesh and blood of Jesus is a God who works primarily through people, does it not follow that we have to put trust in one another?

Of course there are many people proven to be untrustworthy. We cannot be naïve and accept whatever someone else shares with us. We ourselves have had times when we were not trustworthy. Some of those times we knew we were not; some of those times we may have even fooled ourselves into thinking we were. This, of course, raises the question: “Can we trust ourselves?” After all, to trust another we must first have to trust our discernment ability. But be warned: if trust stops with oneself, we are like the lawyer who represents him/herself and therefore has a fool as a client.

I am thinking of the current dilemma regarding vaccinations. To be transparent, I have been fully vaccinated well over four months. I put my trust in science, medical personnel, my doctor, and, yes, even a government whose political and economic survival depends on a healthy nation. I trusted my judgement in examining the trustworthy claims of those calling for vaccinations. I used my judgement as an individual person as I turned to the arguments of medical and scientific authorities. I did not and do not trust politicians or social media with medical advice.

Trust is at the heart of this all. In less politically divided times, there was no controversy over polio, TB or smallpox vaccines. Science and medical personnel were trusted. Again, this is not a call for naiveté on the part of we lay people….that is, those of us who are neither scientists nor doctors. Thinking, asking questions are excellent partners in trust. Often trust is deepened when our questions are well answered.

Where might God be in all this? In Jesus we see God is a God of healing. Like you, I have heard some Christians they do not need a vaccine. All they needed was faith. God would take care of them. Are we unable to see something like a vaccine as God taking care of them? Why do some seem place more trust in COVID more than a vaccine? Why can’t we see God at work in helping us create and administer a vaccine?

As we look to God, we might say we have an unvaccinated God. That is, we have a God who has no safety nets, no measures of protection, to keep sinful people away and no protection for God’s self from the harm of hurt humanity’s sin can do to a God who cares and loves. In Jesus we see the one who healed, did not receive healing. Jesus’ wounds led to death. Yes, he was risen. The risen Jesus, however, still had wounds….apparently open wounds as Thomas was invited to put his fingers in them.

Among other things, what I see in those opposed to the COVID vaccine is bad theology. Their only trust is in themselves. For some this misplaced trust might be expanded to “Me and you, God.” That is not the God of the Bible nor the God of Jesus. God made a covenant with a nation, a community. God, in and through Jesus came for all the world. We as disciples, along with untold others, are gathered together under the vast umbrella of this God called the church. It is about me as a part of those others. It is about you as a part of these others. That too is part of the vaccination issue. Vaccinations are not primarily about me or you. They are about loved ones, they are about love of neighbor. They are about us all, including you and me.

Yes, there are risks in vaccines. Numbers tell us there is far greater risk minus a vaccine. We need to place our trust in God somewhere in this world, somewhere in some people of this world. To trust God is to be able to trust others. To trust in the Healer, we need to put a certain trust in those others who bring healing.

Let God go on as one unprotected. Let God continue to take the risk of being wounded by our sin. Let us trust, care, and protect one another.

Uncle Sam wants you! Years ago post offices and other government buildings would have a picture of the mythical Uncle Sam in his, white stovepipe hat with blue sash and star, and a blue coat. Uncle Sam had a very determined countenance and an extended right arm with a finger pointing directly at those viewing the poster. Usually this poster was to recruit soldiers and sailors for the military. Occasionally it was used to drum up business for US Savings Bonds or some other program of the Federal Government.

Too often the church’s vision of evangelism is not much different. You and I have probably all experienced someone at our door or on a street corner exhibiting an attitude about Christianity similar to what seems expressed in Uncle Sam posters. How attractive does such an approach “market” Christianity to you? Were you attracted to the church community using this form of “evangelism”?

The problem is the church too often thinks its task vis a vis evangelism is to attract people to their church. I am convinced this is not nor has it ever been the church’s call. After all, we are being called to follow a crucified leader….not initially an attraction! Yes, this one has been raised, but most folks often would prefer to skip the crucifixion part and just remain how they are, thank you very much! Most folks, particularly new to Christianity, need to be mentored and guided until they get a better understanding of such things as “dying and rising” in baptism and in Christian discipleship.

No, if we think what we or any church needs to do is attract people, we may be in trouble. The church is not called to be like flypaper. What the church is called to do is serve, not attract. In such service, however, many frequently become attracted. My go-to example is a Presbyterian church in Colorado Springs. Deciding to not worry about being all things to all people, this community saw itself as gifted to reach out to singles. All were welcome, but singles were to be their focus.

They developed an excellent divorce recovery program, a caring ministry to children caught up in divorce, and many programs for singles of all ages. With American families changing, they grew to about 6,000 members. Yearly I sent members from my Lutheran church in that community to be served by one or more of their ministries. This church was well-known throughout the city of Colorado Springs and began to receive national attention.

The above is, of course, a very atypical story. Most churches who put their emphasis on service do not experience anything on this scale. Yet it is important for a church to be known for some service given as part of their discipleship. . It provides both identity to the congregation and the community surrounding it.

In my time here what I have heard from people are two things we have been known for over the years. One is the former pre-school once on our property, the other is for being a “peace center”. Multiple times I have heard the story of a letter received simply addressed to “The Peace Center”, Tempe, with no address or mention of even Lutheran on the envelope.

What service might we be known for now? In the years ahead? We have a certain reputation for campus ministry on campus and around our synod. What might we be known for in serving the community of Tempe? What needs are there that match our gifts? It is good we have been working on such plans for our future. What gifts have we as a community been given? Where and how might we make best use of them in serving others?