RE:CREATED in the season of Pentecost

Before Jesus ascended into heaven he promised the disciples two very important things. That the power of the Holy Spirit will come upon them, and that they will be sent out as witnesses to all the world.  On the day of Pentecost his promises came true. As tongues of fire danced over their heads and the cacophony of native languages filled the air, they received the gift of the Holy Spirit.  This promise transformed the disciples into apostles, meaning “the sent ones.” No longer followers listening to Christ, they are called and commissioned to be Christ like to the entire world. By the power of the Holy Spirit they are a new creation, they are re-created. The good news is that this re-creation still happens to us in worship each weekend.

We are re-created in confession and forgiveness.

We kneel and admit our broken nature, longing for forgiveness, for re-creation. Our liturgy tells us that, “God who is rich in mercy loved us even when we were dead in sin and makes us alive (again and again) together with Christ.”(Eph 2:4-5)  Like the Apostles, we are transformed, re-created. We are never the same.  These words fulfill the promise of Jesus calling us to go out as witnesses to all the world in everything we say and do, no longer just listening to Christ, but living as a re-creation of Christ forgiven and inspired.

We are re-created in the waters of Baptism

As water is poured over the head of the newly baptized, we call on the Holy Spirit, the power of the living word, to give new life, new birth, re-creation. Sponsors and parents make promises to their children that they will strive to be living examples of Christ; acknowledging our brokenness by daily rising to new life seeking God’s face. On the 24^th of May, young people will surround the altar and confirm their baptism. Together we pray for the gift of the Holy Spirit to confirm their faith, guide their life and empower them in serving.  There are new “sent ones” among us, a re-creation indeed.

We are re-created in bread and wine

We are reminded that on the night in which he was betrayed, Jesus took bread and shared it with his friends. He took the cup and proclaimed a re-creation, a new covenant shed for me, for you, for all the world for forgiveness of sin. With this bread and cup we listen to the story of our faith passed down from generation to generation, culminating in our new birth in his death and resurrection. “Reveal yourself to us in the breaking of the bread. Breathe new life into us. Send us forth burning with justice peace and love.” (ELW Thanksgiving for the table)

On the day of Pentecost we receive the same promises the disciples received, with an invitation to be re-created. This invitation extends into the times of recreation and summer, to gather around the altar and font to worship and learn more about what this means in our world today. We are the “sent ones,” the apostles, the re-created. We have been washed and fed and are sent forth ablaze with the fire of the Holy Spirit to serve the world and all of God’s good creation.        

Pastor Steve

Candlelight and Christmas Eve

It was happening; the light was making its way back as I sat in the fourth from the last pew like we always did at every church service.  Only this time it was just mom and I.  The chorus of Silent Night was bouncing off the rafters and we stood there listening because we could not sing...there were too many tears.  Earlier that year we lost my grandmother, her mother Hazel.  That candle lit up the brokenness of our hearts, our tears, and at the same time illumined the joy knowing that Christ had taken her home.

I almost didn't get to light a candle that year.  I was bagging groceries at the local Kroger and since I was a new hire, I got the late shift on Christmas Eve.  But my mother went with me to the candlelight service as the rest of the family slept.  I will never forget that flame flickering, that emotional response, that moment forever frozen in time.  Every Christmas Eve it comes rushing back to me when my candle finds its flame. 

This part of the Christmas Eve service has always been special to me.  One of my earliest memories comes from the candlelight service when Pastor Kling invited the youngest person from each family forward to receive the light of Christ.  I ran to the front of the church so proud that I was chosen to carry Christ’s light, shining in the darkness of the sanctuary, back to my family.  Years later I was the acolyte holding the Christ candle as the little ones came forward.  In time I would stand alone in the pews on Christmas Eve, choked up yet again after the passing of my mother.  I still have a few of those candles in a drawer at home.

These days I am blessed to stand in front of the congregation, reading those profound words from John, “What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people.”  I watch as each candle receives its flame, illuminating the darkness like a wave that slowly fills the sanctuary.  I see friends and families, young and old alike with their faces aglow as the light of Christ fills the world.   I listen as the Silent Night is sung, the rich harmonies touching the depth of my soul, caressing each tear that drops.  In that moment, as the light of Christ surrounds me, I feel her presence.

What about you?  When that light reaches you on Christmas Eve, what will be on your heart?  Wherever you are, whoever you are with, as the illumination surrounds you, know that you join countless others welcoming the light of the Christ child into each heart and soul.  I will be with you as well, in the front pew, with a tear in my eye.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it.

Pastor Steve

Extra-Ordinary Time

It took me three or four months to learn Esther’s name even though she rides the bike next to mine at spin class almost every day.  She was an ordinary fixture in my daily routine.  This past week as I was leaving the gym it was obvious something was troubling her.  Something from deep within inspired me to ask about her well-being.  She shared about a work issue with a colleague and how heartbroken it was making her.  We prayed with heavy hearts asking for the Spirit to intercede for us as our words were few.  With teary eyes, Esther gave me a hug and it was then that I realized how extra-ordinary that moment and my relationship with Esther had become.

 

Pentecost began long before Jesus as a Jewish ritual marking the next ordinary holiday fifty days after Passover.   In the Christian church, Pentecost marks the fiftieth day of Easter—Christ’s resurrection and the Good News we have to tell.  On this day the Holy Spirit came in fire and wind filling the apostles with the power of God that heals, forgives, inspires, and unites. The Holy Spirit equipped those first followers for the mission and ministry of Christ, together as the body of Christ, as the church.  The Spirit that came to the apostles on that first Pentecost comes to us each day …  mostly without tongues of fire and heavenly wind.  Like my encounter with Esther, the Holy Spirit is with us in the ordinary places of our lives.

In Paul’s letters to Corinth, Rome and Galatia, he records how the Spirit is continually at work, giving us courage to confess Jesus as Lord, empowering us to serve God, binding us together, helping us to pray and even interceding on our behalf.  In other words, even when words fail us, the Spirit speaks!  The Spirit of God empowers us to do the ministry of Jesus Christ, making each ordinary relationship, event, and experience extra-ordinary.

 

I know I live in the presence and power of the Spirit, but limit myself out of selfishness and low expectations.  Mostly I limit myself out of fear.  Fear that if I open myself up others will take advantage of me.  Fear that I will mess up and say the wrong thing.  Fear that others will truly get to know the real me.  Pentecost offers a reminder and an opportunity to confess our failure to live by the Spirit and to ask the Lord to fill us afresh with power.  After all this is the day the Holy Spirit breathed the church into existence and continues to enliven it.

The Day of Pentecost begins a long period in the church calendar often called Ordinary Time.  In Christian faith we often see that the very ordinary—a baby born in Bethlehem and small pieces of bread received in communion, are in fact quite extraordinary.  As you experience the ordinary activities of summer, the pool, the good books, the vacations, and family get-togethers, invite God’s Spirit in to make these relationships, events, and experiences extra-ordinary.  The season after Pentecost, this ordinary time, presents us with opportunities to reflect on how God is actively involved in our lives today and enlivening us with the extra-ordinary power of the Holy Spirit.

 

Come Holy Spirit Come!

Pastor Steve  

Easter People in a Good Friday world

Abiding Presence, along with countless other Christians around the world, is celebrating Easter.  We made our way to the tomb to find it empty and now we join those first disciples running from the tomb shouting “He is risen!  He is risen indeed!”  We are Easter people; those who have been made new by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  We are Easter people, attempting to live our lives in light of the resurrection, daily discerning the will of God.  The only issue is that we live in a Good Friday world.

In his book, Easter People in a Good Friday World, author James Hofrenning describes a “Good Friday World” as one that experiences the presence of sin and evil.   As Easter people, how are we to live in the midst of this reality?  A better question is how are we to discern the will of God, living in a world that experiences sin and evil which we do to each other.

I for one am very good at passing judgment, being convicted of a position or opinion, and have on a time or two quoted scripture to combat an argument.  These types of moral judgments and decisions are made daily and for the most part reflect who I am.  Selfish, dishonest, and fearful, I so often seek to please only me.  As an Easter Person I am called to discern the will of God more so than my own will.  I am called to have a sacred heart in a secular world.  This is hard stuff to do!

Some people make decisions based on past events and focus on commandments, rules, and a sense of obligations.  Others consider the future, focusing on goals, values, and consequences.   If we are to be Easter People, those made new in Jesus Christ and guided by the Holy Spirit, then we need to consider making decisions not solely on commandments or consequences.  We are Children of God, Easter People!  What would this Good Friday world look like if the decisions we made rested in our identity as children of God, seeking only to do the will of God?

How do we discern this?  How do we truly reflect and know what God is asking of us in this Good Friday World? To discern the will of God and make wise decisions in this world requires us to use not only our minds but to listen to our hearts as well.  More so it means that we need to spend time in prayer and conversation with the one who has claimed us, freed us, and redeemed us.   As you kneel in prayer, be open to the abiding presence of the Spirit that Jesus promised who will teach us everything and remind us of all that Jesus has said. 

Blessings,

Pastor Steve

A great message from a graduate on the impact of youth ministry.

Fail to prepare, and prepare to fail. It’s a great phrase and this was one of the only things I kept in my head from physics class junior year.  Every test there would be someone complaining, "this test is too hard!" and my teacher, Mr. Fuchs, would quickly reply with "if you fail to prepare, then prepare to fail." 

Throughout my childhood, I have been trying to prepare for adulthood.  One of the things that I believe has helped to prepare me was being a part of the Abiding Presence Lutheran Church youth group for all these years.  In middle school I was a part of the confirmation class that helps to prepare youth to become a member of the church.  In the various confirmation classes, we learned the Ten Commandments and the meaning of the Lord’s Prayer and the Apostle’s Creed.  We also learned why we do what we do in the church, and we get a better understanding of this religion we were brought up in.  This is also the age when you travel to confirmation camp, where we get the opportunity from an early age to interact with other kids from all over the state who share our beliefs.  Camp was always a good time, and it was where the bonds were formed with my friends in the church that I still have today.

After being confirmed, I moved on to the high school Buzz sessions. We would meet for dinner on Wednesday nights and have various discussions on topics related to our age group.  Some of my school friends would say, "You have to go to church on Wednesday!? I'm sorry man!" but in reality I couldn't wait to go!  I rarely saw my friends from the church because most attended different schools, and the reality was that these where some of my only real friends.  It’s hard finding others that aren't just looking out for themselves, but when I come to Abiding Presence there are people like that all around me. 

After you become a high school student in the youth group you are invited to the Annual Sr. High Synod Gatherings in hotels all over south Texas.  Each year was a new place, but mostly the same faces we had seen before.  At each of these events, we learn different ways of promoting Christ through our actions, various skills to use in the real world, and there was always some fun stuff thrown in the middle of it all.  It was cool because you got to meet and interact with all these kids from all over the state some of which I'm still in contact with.  I believe these types of things helped me prepare for the next four years of my life.  I will be attending school out of state and I don't know a soul going there, but after years of attending these events and interacting with strangers it shouldn't be a problem.

The thing I feel to be the most important in preparing me for my future would have to be the mission trips.  This is a week-long learning experience, where you learn everything from how to scrape paint off a wall, to how to cook dinner for everyone.  One of the things I found most beneficial for me was working at the soup kitchen in Austin, TX last year.  We were given to chance to help out people that were not as well off as us and our families are.  After serving them, we had the opportunity to sit down and eat with them and get a little insight on how they live their lives.  After talking with them for a little, it was apparent that these people were smart, caring, and friendly people.  They were all very grateful for the simple service of serving them food and eating among them.  It showed me that doing things for others even if it seems like nothing to you could mean the world to that person.  I learned that day that just showing some one that you care is enough to make their day.  

"Fail to prepare and prepare to fail."  I believe that with the help of the Abiding Presence youth program and the spiritual and emotional support of the Abiding Presence family I am prepared to enter my next stage of life and see where it takes me.

Thank you and God Bless

Lane Hoggard

Blessings on your journey Lane, as we enjoy life in the wake your impact has made on us!

Pastor Steve

Easter People in a Good Friday World

Easter is the season of baptismal living.  We take time during the 50 days of Easter to ponder what it means to be the body of Christ, the church. We look at the stories of resurrection and the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus to discover their meaning and what they tell us about how we as a community are to live the life of the Risen Lord. 

During worship, we will occasionally substitute the Old Testament reading with a reading from Acts. These readings tell the story of the church’s earliest days, and how the faith began to spread.  Stories of heroism, controversies, persecutions and miracles all testify to the continued presence of the Risen Christ in the world, through the lives of his disciples, and the actions of the Holy Spirit. 

God was at work in and through those first disciples, and they had to learn firsthand what it meant to be Easter people in a Good Friday world.  In other words, they were called to transcend the ways of the world and live in the light of the resurrection. Christ has overcome death and has opened everlasting life to not only the disciples, but to us as well, making us Easter people.   

In a world where bombs explode from Boston to Iraq, it is clear that our reality is plagued by war, violence, and personal struggles. Like those first apostles, God is at work in and though us in these times. God has not abandoned this Good Friday world!   The risen Savior is still with us.  During these 50 days of Easter, let us not only reflect on his presence in our lives, but even in the face of danger and turmoil, live with joy as Easter people, rejoicing in the resurrection!

Alleluia!

Pastor Steve

Go and tell others...Quickly

As those disciples watched Jesus hang on the cross, thoughts of His ministry must have flashed before their very eyes.  One of Jesus’ friends could see that He had stopped breathing and pleaded with Pilate to bury Jesus.   His body was wrapped and laid in a tomb and fear-stricken church leaders placed a large stone in front of the tomb.  The healings He performed, the mouths He fed, and the lives that He restored were beginning to become memories to those young followers. 

Days later, Mary and some other women returned to the tomb with spices and perfume.  They were wondering how they were going to get inside to anoint the body.  To their surprise the stone was rolled away and an angel spoke to the women, “Do not be afraid…He is not here.  He is risen!  Go tell the others quickly!”  The disciples must have forgotten what Jesus said and did because even when Mary and the other women shared the good news, they doubted its truth. 

This Easter we are blessed to hear the good news again!  “Do not be afraid,” because our Lord and Savior has conquered death.  With voices raised we proclaim, “Christ is risen!  Alleluia!”  Let us remember all that He has said and done.  Let us continue the ministry of those first apostles and “go and tell the others quickly.”  Some may come to believe, others may doubt, nevertheless the good news of Christ Resurrection embraces all.  

I invite you to come and worship at Abiding Presence this Easter season, but more so to take the good news and share it with all those you meet, because like those women at the tomb, we cannot keep quiet about what we have seen and heard!

He is Risen!  Alleluia!

Pastor Steve