…

It is impossible in our media-saturated world to sit here today and not be aware of the school shooting in Connecticut on Friday. I had been outside much of the day, away from media – no phone, no television, no internet – but when I returned to those items of American privilege I couldn’t avoid the headlines.

Maybe this is good

Maybe we need to dwell in the midst of all that is going on in the world around us

Maybe not

I sit here now, after having a few days to process the news stories, the Facebook writings, the conversations that people are having and I frankly have no more answers than I did on Friday when I first heard the terrible news. This song rings in my head.

A few words have come to mind

Longing

Broken

Confused

Questioning

Helpless

Here I Stand

Horrified

Hopeful

Prayer

I’m not sure what to make of those words. At the same time, I could write pages on each of those words. In this “blog” world I could publish thousands of words as quickly as my fingers could type them and they could be sent out for all to read. But I’m not sure any of that really makes much difference.

It doesn’t change the facts.

Maybe it’s a part of processing the tragedies of life. Maybe it’s necessary to get these things off of one’s chest. And yet, there are untold tragedies that go unreported every day.

The child who is abused

The mother who is left homeless and jobless

The elderly man with dementia who asks the same question over and over again because he can’t remember that he already asked it or that someone answered it

The woman who lost her sight

The father whose doctor can’t diagnose his ailment

The baby born in the wrong part of the world

The hungry who beg for scraps of food

The wars that go on

And on

And on

And on

Artists work to express feelings and emotion about tragedies. I’ve been drawn for years to this song that seems to provide at least a little bit of comfort in the midst of questioning.

And here we are in the midst of Advent

A season of preparation

A season of longing

A season of questions

Why would God dare to come into an earth like this? A world filled with pain, hurt, deception, lies, and people who continue to turn their back on God? A friend of mine wrote a song that attempts an answer at such a question and yet our answers are at best imperfect.

What we need to understand is that we simply can’t understand.

God is bigger than all of the hurts. God is there listening to all of the questions. God is crying with us.

The same God who came down to earth, as a tiny baby, born in the most unlikely of places to the most unlikely parents, lived the most unlikely life and did the most unlikely thing – taking our place on the cross, defeating death, and rising to take us to heaven with him – is still here with us today.

 

We don’t have to like it

 

 

We don’t have to understand it

 

 

God is taking care of it

Thoughts on a Discontinuously Different Generation

Last week I attended a presentation by David Kinnaman, President of Barna Group, entitled “You Lost Me Live” – the premise of the event was to present the Barna Group findings on 18-29 year-olds that had grown-up in the church, but subsequently left the church. Not surprisingly, there is a book version of the findings (entitled “You Lost Me”) which covers pretty much the same material as the presentation.

Having read the book ahead of time, I was a bit disappointed that the live event didn’t delve deeper into application – now that we have the stats, what do we do about it, what are ideas that are working in some places to reach the 18-29 year-olds and keep them engaged in a life of faith, or even from the 18-29 year-olds themselves (though there was a little of this in the event) about specifically what drove them away from the church.

I’ve had time to think through some of this, and I’m really not that disappointed in the event itself. Like any event one attends, it has its purpose and that purpose may not always mesh perfectly what I would like to get out of it. Afterall, many people lit-up the Twitter-verse (is that the right “hip” phrase?) about the value of the event. I suspect many of these folks are like my wife (who attended with me) and found great value because she had not read the book. So for all of those folks – I’m glad you could get the information because I think it is helpful and important as we consider how the church engages a large number of people who otherwise feel alienated and disengaged.

Here’s what sticks in my craw. (okay, if that phrase doesn’t tell you I’m old, I don’t know what does). The response from some of the attendees to the material presented. I suspect that the response I will highlight here reflect a large number of people in many (particularly mainline) congregations across the U.S. and this disturbs me when I think about the future of the church.

Example 1. A 30-year-old panelist made the comment from the stage “what we are looking for from the church is a place where we can ask the hard questions about life and not be judged.” Seems like an innocent and reasonable request. Twitter lit up with a response “Wanting space to ask hard questions without being judged is like wanting a 0 calorie delicious cake. It exists, but its not healthy” (you can check-out hashtag #ylmlive to find it, I copied it verbatim). Wow, that’s an unfortunate statement. I can’t imagine that I would be serving in a church right now were it not for my parents, my church, and my friends giving me space to ask some hard questions and wrestling to find the answers (or in some cases, continuing to wrestle with hard questions).

I am sure the person that tweeted this response is well-meaning, but this is exactly why 18-29 year-olds have “checked-out” of the church. They’ve been told that there are absolutes and that wrestling with questions about life, science, morality, and countless other topics have absolute right and wrong answers. But as a friend of mine who is a church consultant stated, “the world really is 50 shades of grey.” Until we as the church grab a hold of the fact that we cannot impose 100% absolutes on every aspect of life, we will continue to lose the battle of being able to speak into the lives of our children and grandchildren. And when we shut-down the conversation before it can happen, we tell people “your ideas don’t matter, and therefore you don’t matter.” and frankly, the God that I know thinks that all people matter – going back to Genesis 1 – God created and called it good!

Example 2. A panelist was sharing her story of being a “young person” in a place where many of the employees are over the age of 50. Different generations think differently, they sometimes have different ideas. She has come to terms with that. She commented that she was trying to make some suggestions for ways things could work a bit better or be handled differently and she and her ideas were met with a man who said “you’re not 40 yet, you need to put in your years, work hard, and eventually your ideas will be welcome.” That comment left her feeling hurt, and again I think rightfully so (see my last blog) ... So again, twitter lights up with this comment (again, copied verbatim) “A millennial got her feelings hurt because somebody told her she "wasn't 40 yet." How do you not hurt a millennia's feelings?”

Now, one could read this one of two ways I suppose, but my sense is that what is being asked here is this “sometimes the truth hurts, so if your feelings get hurt by the truth, then what can I do about it?” And the answer lies in Jesus own words, “love your neighbor as yourself.” Now, I’ve probably said this before, if not in a blog then certainly somewhere – this assumes we love ourselves, which is a tall order for many. But think about not that her feelings were hurt, but what was said to cause it – “honey, you’re not old enough to contribute your ideas” – to which she could have responded, “okay, I can vote, drink, marry, rent cars, buy houses, fight for my country, and run for several political offices but I can’t contribute to society by putting my ideas out there and having them taken seriously within the church?”

Seems to me something is missing in this conversation and that is why 18-29 year-olds have left the church. What is missing is the idea that they can be taken seriously. That they have valid ideas and valid ways of thinking that are different than the way those who are 30+ years-old, 45+ years-old and 65+ years-old were raised to think. Why? Because, as Kinnaman points out, this generation has grown up in a society that is discontinuously different than any that have come before it (and if you don’t understand that statement, I suggest you read You Lost Me, and take seriously what is being talked about by a generation that will soon be making more of your decisions than you might want them to).

Taking My Ball and Going Home…

We all have heard the phrase spoken. Generally dealing with someone who is acting “childish” around an issue. Maybe we ourselves at one time or another have done it (I have vague memories of doing this, or something like it when I was young – my brother might have memories of it happening on multiple occasions).

“I’m taking my ball and going home” usually ends with a pout, a lower lip extended, and maybe even an audible “humph.” 

As people get older I think the tell-tale signs after the phrase tend to go away, maybe even the phrase itself goes away, but the sentiment behind the phrase continues to be there.  And the fact remains that what it really is about is two people having a disagreement about something and one person deciding that rather than continue to talk about the issue -or admit they might be wrong or admit they are in the minority (even if they are right) or arrive at a place where the two people agree to disagree - that they will end the argument by walking away. Or in the case of the “game” metaphor – make everyone else stop playing because the ball has been taken and the game must cease.

Welcome to the polarized climate of America these days.  I think the current Presidential race only amplifies what is an underlying attitude of Americans.

I watch Facebook in the wake of the Presidential and Vice-Presidential debates and I see people firmly digging their heels in on their side and being unwilling to listen to conversation from the other side.  I see people who when you try to engage in conversation about their perspective simply clam up and tell you how stupid you are to not see their side of the issue.  I have watched adults who rather than engage in conversation about issues they don’t agree with get up and walk out of a room.  To me this is nothing more than taking their ball and going home. And I think this might be the worst thing facing America.

I listen to a variety of talk radio shows, many of which are hosted by people who hold political views I don’t agree with.  Part of the reason I do this is to sharpen my own understanding of what I myself believe.  When I hear someone say something that doesn’t ring true for me, I ask myself “why doesn’t that ring true?” and I then list my arguments against it.  Unfortunately many of these radio talk show hosts are such bullies that they won’t let anyone who disagrees with them engage in conversation, they simply shut them down and tell them they are wrong (or worse).  They change the direction of the conversation in such a way that those who disagree with them simply can’t make a point – and this causes those who listen to these shows to think that the host is always right. Often the hosts themselves will claim a “victory” over the caller, but I think when the hosts do this to callers they are taking their ball and going home (if they actually left the airwaves it wouldn’t be looked upon favorably by their advertisers).

No doubt if you read much news you’ve heard about Florida resort owner David Siegel (wonder if there’s any relation to Bugsy Siegel, ha!) and his letter to employees which essential says that if Obama wins the election that he will be forced to lay people off due to the increased taxes that he is expecting to pay.  I read the letter. I think Siegel makes some very good points, but I question the conclusion that he comes to.  Does he really have to shrink his business?  Is there not another way to respond to the stress he is obviously feeling working 7 days a week 365 days a year? If I worked the kind of hours Siegel claims to work, I would want to retire too, but not because of policies of a particular government leader.  I would wonder why I’m killing myself over a business when there are other interests in my life – but I’m not David Siegel, I’m not going to tell him how to live his life.  I empathize with his position, but I think his conclusion is nothing more than deciding that he’s tired of playing the game of business in America because instead of winning in a landslide, the game is close and his strategy has to change to keep him from falling behind or losing.  His conclusion is that the only change he needs to make in his strategy is to take his ball and go home (or to the Bahamas), but I think there could be other options (though I admit, I could be wrong since I don’t know the first thing about the resort industry).

So, why would I take the time to share these thoughts?  It’s because I’m tired.  I’m tired of people who rather than doing the hard work of engaging with those that we disagree with in civil discourse would rather label and blame the other and quit playing the game.  I’m tired of people saying “I can’t succeed because –insert person from ‘other’ group here- is preventing me from succeeding.”

In the Gospel lesson from which I preached this last week, Mark 10:17-31, Jesus tells the rich man “sell all you have and follow me”. My sermon talked about how we all have some kind of “riches” we aren’t willing to give up – our ethnic heritage, our denominational affiliations, our theology, our ideology, whatever it is.  These get in the way of us being able to be human beings together and work together in the world. YES these are important – they shape us and inform who we are as people and how we react to the world around us, but they are NOT the only reason we exist and the only way by which we should be identified in the world.  And they certainly shouldn’t be classifications that keep us from relating with others.

As a Christian, I believe that God created all that is in this world and called it GOOD.  I also believe that God created human beings Imago Dei (in the image of God).  That means (and this is hard to admit sometimes) that the radical conservative AND the radical liberal AND everyone in between are all made in God’s image! Maybe this is what was meant when God told Moses “I am”

So, rather than taking our ball and going home can we be willing to stay for the conversation?  And when decisions are made that we don’t agree with can we move forward together rather than waiting for things to fall apart so we can say “I told you so.”  Because if anyone is going to tell us that, it should be God.  And I think we can all agree on one point … God is God and we are not God!

A Generation Left Behind?

Welcome to the world of the blog. The article below is in no way polished or complete. It is a work-in-progress and thoughts from my head on an idea. I would love your thoughts, comments, and responses (be kind, but feel free to refute what I offer). I’ve been kicking these thoughts around a while and wanted to get them “printed” in order to get some feedback on the idea.  Thanks in advance for wondering with me … and bearing with my scattered thoughts.  Article …. starts …. now…………………..

We live in a changing world, there is no question about that. I would venture to say that the world has always been changing, dare I say “evolving,” from the time of creation. Many social scientists and interpreters of culture will tell us that the rate of change has increased in the last 500 years and even more in the last century. The advent of technology has allowed information to be conveyed more and more rapidly.

I’ve mentioned before in this blog that I’ve become something of a student of generational change. I am intrigued by how people born of a certain area and geography think in a particular way. I am further intrigued by how that thinking is lived – particularly in the church.

I have read a number of books and articles on this phenomenon and I’ve been formulating an idea in my head about why this seems particularly problematic in this century. I mean, let’s face it, there is nothing new in the idea that one generation doesn’t always agree with the next. Take the example of Elvis Pressley and how the “teens” loved him while their parents thought he was “nothing but trouble” (to put it mildly). Look a bit more classically at Romeo & Juliet – their parents just couldn’t see how their love could transcend family battles. I’m sure for every generation back to creation it wouldn’t be hard to find instances where the generations butted heads.

As we consider the current generation and its relationship to older generations, we are faced with the reality that the speed and accessibility of information conveyance is light-years beyond what it was even fifty years ago. Fifty years ago the speed and accessibility of information conveyance was light years ahead of 100 years before that – so you if you plot it on a graph, you are looking at an exponential curve.

Here’s an example. A 15-year-old student is asked to write a paper on the presidential election that happened just 3 months previous. In 1932 that student would have had only newspapers and magazines to rely on for information – maybe some first-hand accounts. The student would have written the paper by hand with pencil (or pen) on paper. In 1968 that 15-year-old would have had newspaper and magazine articles but also television and radio news reports, possibly even a book that had been written and published, but even in 1968 a 3 month window would have been pretty tight for such publication. This student might have written the first draft of the paper by hand, but likely would have turned in the finally draft having used a typewriter. In 2000 the student not only has all of the resources previously mentioned, but (assuming access to a computer) the internet which logs articles written around the world, opinions by various people, and even video of the events of the election as they happened. This student would have likely started their first draft on the computer and edited it before printing it out for the teacher. Zoom forward to 2012 and students will have even faster access to the internet and these resources so that in literally seconds they can pull together the information for such a paper – and they can probably pull the information together (copying and pasting from various sources) on their phone while they are waiting for their lunch and then send the final result electronically without ever having touched a piece of paper in the process!

Now, understand that information on any topic is now this readily available. Information that used to take months to make available is available instantly. Where it used to take a week to have film from an overseas event, we can watch it as it happens. The Encyclopedia (which used to be the gold-standard for research) had an information lag-time. Essentially by the time it was published, some of the articles may have been outdated. Now, via the internet a student can learn about the most up-to-date research on cancer (or any other topic) with just a few clicks!

All of that is a long introduction to my point … as generations change so does our pecking order in society.

It used to be that in order to learn enough and experience enough of the world to be able to make highly informed decisions one needed time. Time to read and digest the information as it became available. Time to gain experience in an industry or on a job. This is becoming less and less true. (now, I readily admit there is still something to be said for experience)

I was listening to a talk radio show the other day when the host (a male in his 60’s) made a comment about a “young kid” who couldn’t possibly have the knowledge to make the statement he did because of his age. Well, yes, for a person 60 years old, when he was 30 he would not have had access to the information that today’s 30-year-olds have at their fingertips. But in our information-soaked world, even a fifteen-year-old has information that might have taken 20 years to collect in the past.

I think this becomes particularly problematic for a generation that has been told they have to “pay their dues” in order to be in a position of authority only to find that people half their age are able to come in with similar knowledge and speak with the same authority.

It used to be that as one got older their “years” counted for a certain amount of knowledge that simply could not be attained any other way. Now, that is not so much the case. Which leads me to wonder if, in some way, we have begun to displace a generation that has been waiting for their “turn”?

As I think about this, it seems that Boomers have tried their best to live with “a foot in two worlds.” One is the world of their upbringing in which they still needed to read books, newspapers, and learn from those who had done it before. A world in which the longer one did something the more one was seen as an authority in that field. The other is a world where information is readily available and information is only as good as the latest update of your technology. Where a 15-year-old can download and digest the drawings, articles, videos, and commentaries that were previously “out of reach” to the younger generation.

Imagine it as having a foot on two different tread mills – one where you are walking a steady pace and the other has you jogging or maybe running. How challenging to keep a foot in both of those worlds. You ultimately need to jump on one tread mill or the other unless you are really talented with your ability to balance. And depending on which treadmill you choose, you have just joined a different generation – one older than you or one younger than you.

As a pastor, I now bring this back to the church. A church in which the “older generations” are largely the norm. Statistics have shown that mainline churches (of which I count myself a member) are aging. It seems that we have largely decided which of the two treadmills we will place ourselves on. The question we have to ask ourselves is whether we are able from our treadmill to reach out to those who are traveling on other treadmills or if we are simply going to continue at our own pace and let the others do their thing?

Freely We’ve Received …

A few years ago I was introduced to a song by Tim Hughes titled “God of Justice (We Must Go)” and I think it’s safe to say that since that time I’ve not really been the same.

The song comes to mind at some of the most seemingly odd times.  I have been preparing for a sermon series over the next four weeks on the topic of “stewardship” – seems straight forward enough, eh?  Well, as I was pondering what to put on our church’s “movable letter sign” the lyrics to God of Justice again popped into my head.  Particular the lines, “freely we’ve received, not freely we must give.” so I naturally put the line “freely we receive” on the sign.

End of story right? Wrong.

I then decided I wanted to put something on our church Facebook page with the song.  So, I started searching YouTube for videos to the song.  Plenty of them out there.  Problem is that I began to get uncomfortable with the images that were being portrayed in most of the videos.

Now, please hear me clearly on this. 

I was not uncomfortable because the images were of homeless people, people in third-world countries, or those who were obviously in need.  YES, those are legitimate needs that we are called to help take care of.

What bothered me is that as I listened to the song, I realized there are tons of “otherwise normal looking people” who we are called daily to interact with and serve.  But we have a tendency to overlook the “normal” looking folks.  Why? Maybe because we are afraid that if we help them that someone will see that we have needs and will try to help us (heaven forbid we admit our own shortcomings and need for others to help).  Maybe it’s because we assume that “normal” looking people don’t need any help. 

Let’s face it, homeless people who have disheveled clothing and haven’t showered in days simply appear to need help.  Third-world country residents who don’t have food to eat show physical signs of needing our help.  But you and I … everyday people who put on a strong face and hide our wounds and scars, could we possibly need help?

As our congregation, Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Knoxville, TN continues to listen to God about what part we are called to play in God’s mission, I am becoming more and more convinced that our role is to care for the everyday needs of everyday people.  To breakdown our strong exteriors and be open enough with one another that we can be vulnerable and seek the help we really need.

It starts with the widow who needs companionship asking friends to stop by for tea. It starts with the couple trying to make ends meet financially asking others to pray for financial strength and wisdom. It starts with the grandparent raising their grandchild calling on those around them to help when the stress grows too great.  We need to receive the love and care of our neighbors and then in turn we need to share love and care with those around us.

That’s what I hear today when I hear “freely we’ve received, now freely we must give.”

shame, shame

A friend of mine recently posted an article on Facebook that made me think twice.  I had never really thought about the shame associated with life in poverty, afterall, I have been priviliged to always be able to put food on my table one way or another. 

Even during times of unemployment or low income, I always was able to get credit and charge the food I needed if I wasn’t in a position to pay cash.  I am not proud to say that I’m still paying off those meals (called debt) and part of the reason is that I am too proud to ask for help and I have always figured “it will get better” and I will one day be able to pay off these debts (which I will).

I admit, there are those that abuse the system of food assistance. Those that could find other means to feed their family and take advantage of the system. But there are those who are trying hard to provide for their families but can’t and for those people the system provides the necessary food to get by from day to day – and to those people we do a real disservice when we blame them for the situation they find themselves in and lump them into a category of those that “are looking for something for nothing.” (or utter worse phrases).

As I read the article my friend posted, I was struck by the line about shame, “Turning poverty into a mark of shame in our national conversation makes it easy for us to diffuse responsibility and blame our neighbors in need instead of helping them.”

It reminded me of the many issues in life that people face, by no fault of their own, that bring them shame.  A few weeks ago a young man came into my office at the church and asked if I had time to talk, I said sure and invited him to sit down.  He asked if his mother and wife could join the conversation, I saw no reason why not.  As we talked he shared about his struggles with depression and bi-polar disorder and how he was looking for some help.  He didn’t know where to turn. He was ashamed to have to seek assistance.  I offered what help I could, referred him to some local resources, and let him share his struggles with me.  He was on his way and hasn’t returned.  I pray he got the help he needs.

There are tons of issues and experiences that people face that they feel ashamed to tell anyone about. The loss of a job. Infertility. Depression. Addiction. Miscarriage. Debt. the list goes on and on and on.

As a society we’ve swept many of these experiences and diseases under the rug.  We don’t talk about them – partly because we don’t know what to do with them – partly because they reveal our own shortcomings and inability to deal with our own situations.

In many of these instances we shame the people who are dealing with the situations. We blame a consumeristic lifestyle for the debt an individual finds themself in. We blame the alcoholic parent for the abusive nature of the child. We label the over-energetic and inquisitive child as ADHD. The list goes on because labeling and dismissing these situations is easier than loving the unlovely.

There are homeless people who stop by my office at the church because they long for someone to listen to them, so I do – even though they smell, even though I may have “other things to do” – but that doesn’t make me a saint.  In fact, I would guess there’s always something more I could do for them.

And there is.  We can treat everyone we encounter with dignity and begin to break down the “us and them” walls.  Until we stop seeing people as “items to be labeled and sorted” and seeing them as “children of God” we have more work to do.  Until we as a church embrace the grieving mother who just had a miscarriage and recognize that loss with her, we have more work to do. Until we as a church call people by their given names (which means we need to take the time to get to know their names) instead of the labels that society gives them: poor, uneducated, depressed, addict, affluent, selfish – we have more work to do.

If we’re honest with ourselves, we all have a label that we would rather not share with the rest of the world.  Maybe it’s time we begin to wear the labels on the outside instead of burying them deep within so that those who are broken will find comfort in our company, comfort in the fact that Christ loves the unlovely, comfort in the church – because it is a place where flawed humanity can gather and rest.

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." ~Matthew 11:28-30 The Message

Broadcasting to Narrowcasting: reacting to a changing world

I have a theory.  Well, I have a lot of theories, but the one theory I’ve been thinking about lately goes something like this …

The world is changing. We can choose to change with it or get left behind.

Okay, so it’s not really my theory. I’m not sure who owns that theory, but someone wiser than I put those words out there a while ago, probably dealing with a whole other set of circumstances and situations. But I think those words are as true today as they have ever been.

If we can’t accept that we are living in a changing world, think about life ten years ago.  WOW, what a different world. We were fresh in the wake of 9/11, technology was king, but we still hadn’t dreamed of some of the technologies that have consumed our lives like they have today.  Zoom to just five years ago, Facebook was making a splash on college campuses, but not in the mainstream, the real estate bubble was still stretching, and people were optimistic about the economy. Zoom forward to three years ago, or last year.  Think about all of the changes in the world around you. 

Now, think about your church.  What has changed fundamentally in the church in that same period of time? Probably not nearly the list of items are coming to mind that came to mind with technology. I wonder why that is? Are we that resistant to change or do we simply not see the need to change with (or ahead of) the world around us?

I’ve got a theory on this too.  It’s not grounded in any research other than observing the world around me, but here goes:

We are busy broadcasting when we should be narrowcasting.

Let me explain.  Think about television as recently as 20 years ago. There were basically 3-5 channels that everyone received at their home.  Major Networks, PBS, and if you’re lucky an independent station of some kind.  Now we have no less than a few hundred options available via cable TV (of course for those that choose not to pay for cable you’re lucky to get 3-5 channels). 

20 years ago we watched what was on one of those 3-5 channels and enjoyed whatever it was.  Sure, there were times we turned the TV off (gasp) because there was “nothing on” but for the most part we found whatever was on to be entertaining.  Now, with hundreds options we find the channels that interest us and rarely (if ever) turn to the channels that have “less to offer.” Television has moved from broadcasting (programming shows with a generalized mass appeal) to narrowcasting (programming shoes to a specific audience). 

We now find 10 options for sports, so the sports channels have to broadcast every sport from Baseball and Basketball to LaCrosse, NASCAR, Cricket, and sailing.  There are cooking channels, news channels, home decorating channels, old-time movie channels, the list goes on and on and on.

Meanwhile, in the church, we continue to try to be “all things to all people.”  From the smallest church to the largest we think we need to have ministries for everyone from cradle to grave.  But what if we started gearing what we do in the church to follow the idea of narrowcasting?

Don’t get me wrong, I think multi-generational ministry is very valuable. I think it’s great when a church can have the resources (people, space, creativity, money) to serve all of the age groups (using my television analogy, I think this is still what the major networks offer). But I also see a lot of small struggling congregations who think their success lies in “getting more young people” or “finding a few empty nesters with more experience (and deeper pocketbooks)”.

What if smaller congregations focused on a single age group?  What if we narrowed the focus of our ministry?  What if as a small congregation we focused on being the BEST Bible Study church in town? What if we focus on being the “church that serves Baby Boomers”? What if we offer the choir that goes to all the local nursing homes once a month? What if we are THE church that welcomes every new baby in town with prayer and connections to resources for the family?

Now that’s not to say we’re going to put up signs that say “no children allowed”.  In fact, I think if we focus on a core identity it might break down some of the barriers that currently exist to welcoming who we want to welcome today.

Maybe what I’m really suggesting here is nothing new. Maybe it is just refining the idea of mission and vision to include the particular audience we feel called to serve. 

Maybe it is just not feasible to narrowcast in the church? but what most congregations are doing now is barely keeping the doors open, so what do we have to lose?

Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust: What Does This Mean?

Here is my sermon from Ash Wednesday 2012 based on the Biblical texts of Joel 2:1-2,12-17 and Matthew 6:1-6,16-21.

Have you ever wondered why we gather on Ash Wednesday and mark ourselves with the sign of the cross in Palm ash? Or – phrased as a “good Lutheran question” – What does this mean?

Many of us can recite “from dust you have come, to dust you shall return” –
We understand our very own finitude -
This morning, I heard a radio commentary from an 84-year-old veteran of the airwaves discussing his own “coming to terms” that more of his life is behind him than is in front of him. He rejected the idea that “84 is the new 54” (or maybe 64) and admitted that he squarely fits in the category of “elderly.” He then went on to discuss an 89-year-old woman who is planning to run a half marathon around Mt Kilimanjaro - so “old age” is not just “lying down to die” as many of you will attest.

Historically, we seem to have taken this Lenten season to be a time to beat ourselves up and wallow in our own darkness and sin – WOE IS ME – I AM MORTAL – I AM SINFUL – I DESERVE TO DIE

IS THIS REALLY WHAT GOD INTENDS FOR US? DOES GOD REALLY WANT US TO WALLOW IN OUR HUMAN CONDITION?

It seems unlikely that God brought Jesus into the world to SAVE us from our sin only to have us WALLOW in it like pigs in the mud!

In fact, this might be the very point of what Jesus is telling us in our Gospel lesson this evening:

Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them …
…and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. – 3 TIMES WE READ THIS!

So, where do we get this outward sign of the ashes? Why do we mark ourselves for the world to see?

Throughout the Hebrew Scriptures – Jeremiah, Isaiah, Daniel, Jonah and In the New Testament Matthew and Luke – we are given accounts of ashes being associated with repentance. But we never find an account (you might expect it in Acts) of early worshippers marking themselves with Ashes the Wednesday that Lent begins.

Liturgical Historians point to the era of 960 to the 12^th Century as the time when Ash Wednesday Liturgies can be documented. But these documented occurrences happen as a confluence of two practices of the early (4^th Century) church.

One practice was the Order of Penitents …a time when individuals would go to the priest for confession of the “worst” sins and receive penance that would take some time to complete. Often this was done during the season of Lent and one who was in this process was marked with the ashen cross to indicate they should be “excused” from worship after the sermon and before Holy Communion.

This coincided with the practice of the Catechumenate of this era – when the season of Lent would have been a time for new believers to be immersed in the doctrine of the church. To learn the Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, the Ten Commandments – so that when they were Baptized –usually at the Easter Vigil – they would know what they were committing to in becoming a Christ-follower!

For those that were not part of either of these groups – they would engage in a time of prayer and fasting on behalf of these two groups. To support them and be in community with them.

As time continued, the catechumenate faded away … families were baptizing children at a younger age and rather than Baptism being a sign of a fully-formed believer, it was an entry-rite into a lifetime of learning as a believer. The order of Penitents also faded away – but left behind were the remnants of those practices, the season of Lent beginning with Ash to mark the forehead of believers as they began to contemplate Christ’s death and sacrifice for our sin.

The ash seems to resonate with the prophet Joel who calls us to make a scene:

“Blow the Trumpet, sound the alarm”
WHY?
Because God says “RETURN TO ME WITH ALL YOUR HEART, with fasting, weeping, and mourning – for the LORD IS MERCIFUL, SLOW TO ANGER AND ABOUNDING IN STEADFAST LOVE.”

But Jesus reminds us that we do not make the scene to be seen –

“Remember why you are doing this,” says Jesus. “not so that others see you doing it, but because YOU NEED TO BE REMINDED.” (my paraphrase)
You need to turn from your sin, You need a physical sign of the dirtiness of your life – so that when you wash away the ashes, you are reminded of the waters of Baptism that wash you clean from your sin.
“ … and when you come to God giving alms, fasting, and praying – THE LORD WHO SEES WHAT YOU DO IN SECRET WILL REWARD YOU.

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Luther might ask “What Does This Mean?”
We at Gloria Dei are asking “What in God’s Name am I doing HERE?” Tonight, Ash Wednesday, we are being given a physical reminder that we are indeed sinful creatures … but more importantly, as we wash away the ash, we are reminded of our baptism, that we are a MADE NEW in Jesus Christ.

Amen.