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Life calling…

June 9, 2020

Hello! This is life calling! Sorry things are a bit confusing and difficult right now, but I kind of mess with folks at times. I have found it the best way to bring growth and maturity to you all. People generally grow more from adversity than they do from prosperity. Sorry, but that seems to be the way you were built.

Now, don’t blame this all on God. God and I are partners in a sense. God doesn’t stand on the sidelines when tough times come. God rolls up God’s sleeves and gets busy teaching lessons, redeeming, and seeing people through. God is often as frustrated and upset as are you. But God sees this as “Get busy time” for God.

Some of you have figured this out. There was a psychiatrist (he was also a psychologist) Victor Frankl. Dr. Frankl survived the Holocaust camps, but lost several loved ones in those camps. Dr. Frankl was fond of saying, “We don’t ask life questions, life questions us.”

During this time I have had most of you ask me questions. Did you notice you never received an answer? At least not a credible or satisfying answer. Heh, heh….that is just my way. I prefer to watch, listen, and take in what is going on around you and allow it to question you and to question your usual status quo understandings and answers. Will all that is going on help you grow into another, stronger person? Or will it make you bitter, angry, and quick to place blame? Frustration and anger are not only okay, they are appropriate. But is that where you intend to end up? See. I’m pretty good at asking you questions, am I not?

Think of life ….yep….me!….as a mission, not a career. Careers are often full of all these precise goals that include all kinds of personal rewards. A mission is being sent, not by your own desires, but by something, someone greater than yourself. Missions have a goal but how you get there is more flexible because it is about the mission, not you.

There is this little writing * that approaches what I am getting at. Here it is:

What if 2020 isn’t cancelled?

What if 2020 is the year we’ve been waiting for?

A year so uncomfortable, so painful, so scary, so raw—
that it finally forces us to grow.

A year that screams so loud, finally awakening us
from our ignorant slumber.

A year we finally accept the need for change.

Declare change. Work for change. Become the change.

A year we finally band together, instead of
pushing each other further apart.

2020 isn’t cancelled, but rather
the most important year of them all.
(Leslie Dwight)

So, keep going. You might even want to share with your children the insight that life is difficult….but worth it. And let me ask you the questions. You’ll be all right. You may even discover you are a new person.

Sincerely,
Life

*writing discovered by church Secretary, MaryBeth LaMont

Bread for the Word: Another Letter…

June 9, 2020

Thanks to all who Offered a Letter as a part of Bread for the World’s continuing to help us shape our government’s response to the needs of those struggling with hunger and poverty. With maybe a bit more time at home, how about another letter?

We are grateful for the efforts of voters across the country who helped ensure that Congress took positive action in response to the tremendous crisis by responding with strong stimulus spending. At this time, we need to persuade Congress to pass a 15% increase in SNAP benefits–an amount which might enable a family to eat for an entire month. At the same time as suspending restriction and paperwork requirements, eligible people may be able to get food more quickly. And expanding and extending the EBT program is essential so that children might be fed over the summer months, when most school lunches and breakfasts have been halted because of the pandemic. Additionally, we would encourage Congress to provide an additional $12 billion for international response to the crisis: these funds would provide emergency humanitarian aid, strengthen global health, and target nutrition to mothers and children in the world’s poorest countries.

For updated information before you write, you can visit bread.org/COVID-19 and use their sample letter for hints. Or, If you’d rather call your senators and representatives, Bread’s toll free number (1-800-826-3688) will get you to the Capitol and our elected officials. “Have faith. End hunger”.

Calvin Schermerhorn wins Fulbright Award

June 7, 2020

Calvin Schermerhorn wins Fulbright Research Award

READ the Full Story on the ASU Website

Arizona State University history Professor Calvin J. Schermerhorn is the recipient of a Fulbright Senior Scholar Award. He will be teaching and conducting research at the University of Nottingham history department in Nottingham, England, in 2021.

His research will focus on the racial wealth gap, a term coined by sociologists to indicate disparities in income and wealth. He is calling the project, “The Plunder of Black America: How the Racial Wealth Gap was Made and Why It’s Growing.”

Public Worship Postponed

June 4, 2020

We had June 14 as a target date to return to public worship in our sanctuary. The church council has been exchanging emails, texts, and phone calls as we near this date and decided to postpone the time for a return to public worship. This is due to the COVID numbers trending upward and a concern for the safety and health of those who would attend. In addition insurance companies are warning of liability for churches returning to worship when the cases of COVID are not in accordance with the Center for Disease Control recommendations and when denominational leaders are recommending not gathering together for worship. Our bishop and the presiding bishop of the ELCA are recommending it is not yet time to gather together.

So, perhaps sometime in mid July. This also gives us some more time to work on a plan to continue recording worship or live-streaming in addition to public worship. Thank you for your understanding and patience. Council, like you, really wants to get together again soon, but paramount in their minds is the health and safety of all.

Stew

June 2, 2020

Are you surprised by the outpouring of anger, violence, and destruction across our country? Are you surprised at the peaceful protest movement that has swept through our states and cities over the unjust killing of one man, George Floyd? People of color in our land are not surprised. The fact that you and I as white Americans are surprised by these is all the evidence we need to prove White Privilege.

Yes, I said you and I. Not bigots, not white supremacists, not Neo Nazis, and not even “those people.” I have said many times until we recognize the racism buried deep within our own being, not much will happen to stem the tide of racism. For some time we have fooled ourselves into thinking everything is better now. The protests and violence are loud statements this is not so and it has not been so. We have fooled ourselves because we have ourselves been fooled. We deny and bury our own prejudice. We placate ourselves by having some others to blame. We lift ourselves by putting down some other persons or groups. We rationalize our own imperfections while “noticing” and criticizing others for theirs.

What do you see when looters raid stores and police cars are burned? Do you simply say you see people to blame, or do you see a symptom of a deep sickness? The sickness has been festering for just over 400 years. Do you see yourself as having received and infected others with this sickness?

America has been called a melting pot. I prefer the metaphor of stew with many tasty ingredients and seasonings all retaining their individual contributory tastes to make our eating more profound and interesting.

I would say I see the stew that is America, full of these varied and tasty ingredients, has become rancid. Actually, there was always a bitter taste in this stew. We were just too busy scarfing it down to notice. Those forced to eat slowly and carefully always knew of the existence of some bitter ingredients.

We need to change the recipe. And we need to see ourselves as chefs just as much as we see ourselves as those who dine on this stew. While too many cooks may spoil the broth, we need a recipe that expands beyond our own tastes. Others have culinary gifts to make. We need to explore with them just which seasonings produce the bitterness. On our own, we have not figured it out.

I fear this stew is about to boil over. I am not sure how to improve this stew, but I know turning up the heat will not be helpful.

What about this for a new recipe:

First, in preparing this stew, make a plan for the ingredients
Second, prepare this recipe with a mirror nearby to examine yourself as you stir the pot
1 pound of repentance
2 cups of dialog with intense listening
3/4 cup prayer
blend fully with Jesus’ command to love the neighbor
Serve with a wedge of Jesus’ call to not fear
Add at least another splash of repentance

This stew is best enjoyed by eating slowly and in the presence of others, particularly those who might not normally be seen gathering around your table. Vary the color and country of origin of the wine that accompanies this dish as you prepare it over the years.

Let’s not hide this as a family recipe. Let’s get it all out in the open so we can deal with it and make the best recipe possible.

Struggling with my own bigotry, I remain your pastor,

Gary N. McCluskey
Pastor
University Lutheran Church, Lutheran Campus Ministry
Arizona State University
Tempe, AZ