Sermon for Advent Vespers

On Sunday evening, November 28, Grace joined St. Mary’s Basilica, the closest Roman Catholic parish, for their evening Advent Vespers. Pastor Sarah preached.

Day of the Church Year: 1st Sunday in Advent

Scripture Passage: Philippians 4:4-8

Tonight, we hear the Apostle Paul’s words to the Christians in Philippi, “Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”  These are bold words, for Paul, for the Philippians, for us.  Paul was in prison at the time he wrote this letter to the Philippians, and the Philippians, though Roman citizens, still risked persecution for their identity as Jesus-followers.  We, in this second year of pandemic, live in the midst of what feels like a topsy-turvy world: a strange labor market, rising inflation, a migrant crisis, escalating climate change, surging Covid-19 case numbers, and division within our country, our workplaces, our families.  Paul’s bold words invite us not to worry, to bring our requests to God in prayer, to do so with thanksgiving.  If we read the rest of Paul’s letter to the Philippians, we see he does not dismiss the real-life difficulties of his day.  He acknowledges illness, imprisonment, division, and still, he encourages the Philippians: do not worry, but let your requests be made known to God with thanksgiving. 

When we live in the muck such as the whole world is in this moment on November 28, 2021, it is tempting to think that, when things get back to normal, we won’t worry and we will once again practice gratitude.  When we are grieving the loss of a loved one, it is tempting to think that, when we get over it and move on, we won’t worry and will once again be grateful.  When we or a beloved family member is suddenly ill, it is tempting to think that, when we get better, we won’t worry and will once again be thankful.  When we are feeling off balance and out of sorts for a whole variety of reasons, it is tempting to think that, when we get back on track, we won’t worry and will return to a life of thanksgiving before God.  Friends, this, right now, is life.  This is not a moment out of time but life itself.  If we wait until life returns to “normal,” until we can get our bearings, until some pre-determined moment when all will be well again in order to let go and live with gratitude, we will be waiting a long time.  This, right now, is the moment of thanksgiving.  In the mess, in the muck, in all that is wrong. 

This past Wednesday evening, people of faith from different traditions gathered at Grace to give thanks to God at a community Thanksgiving Eve worship.  During worship, those who gathered were invited to write down a person or opportunity or blessing for which they were grateful.  In the mess, in the muck, in all that is wrong, this is what some of those who gathered wrote:

I am grateful that my son survived his terrible accident and that he has found a partner.

Families: both church and our own

new opportunities

family and friends, health, Grace Lutheran Church, a dear one’s sobriety

for everyone who has stood by me thru everything

God’s kindness through others

for all the opportunities I have

challenging and meaningful work

the cool night air and doors open for all God’s beloved

our freedom, our healthcare experts, handling life on life’s terms

grateful for my family, my faith, my life

I am grateful for the opportunity to serve

beloved community

For what do you give thanks to God?  I invite you to offer up silent thanks now. 

In the mess, in the muck, in all that is wrong, do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.  The Apostle Paul concludes: And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Thanks be to God!  Amen.

Sermon from Sunday, November 28

Day of the Church Year: 1st Sunday of Advent

Scripture Passage: Luke 21:25-36

When I first bought my house, Brian very kindly offered me cuttings of bamboo from his yard.  My front and backyards were bare canvasses in need of shade for myself and the chickens.  So, I accepted the cuttings and excitedly planted them in a strategic spot on the east side of my house where the sun shined too brightly through the windows on summer mornings.  At first, I worried about the bamboo, watched it expectantly, and carefully watered it.  With surprise and delight, I watched the bamboo cuttings grow thick, green leaves on a stalk so strong and tall that, in just a few months, the bamboo hit the eaves of my house—which didn’t work for me—because it looked messy.  I was sad when I decided to take a set of large clippers and chop them down.  At the time, I pondered asking Brian for more cuttings and setting them in a better spot.  But wouldn’t ya know?  That bamboo came back!  With a vengeance!  I had to dig it out by the roots to stop it from growing in the small space between my east-facing windows and the chicken coop and decided to transplant a few cuttings to the northwest corner of my yard where they could grow freely without hitting a building.  Again, I wondered if the plant would survive its move, but I shouldn’t have worried.  My patch of bamboo has now survived multiple choppings, choppings nearly down to the ground.  Six weeks ago at its most recent chopping, the bamboo was, I’m not kidding, at least twelve feet tall and those few bamboo cuttings now an area six feet by six feet.  I now know the mystery and the miracle of this stand of bamboo.  It’s always going to come back.  For even now, stalks of new, thick, green leaves are poking through the mulch in my backyard in an area six feet by six feet. 

Every morning for the last few weeks, the words of Jeremiah’s prophecy and Isaiah’s prophecy have come to mind as I’ve watered the garden in the backyard and glimpsed my patch of growing bamboo.  From Isaiah 11: “A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots.”  From today’s prophecy from Jeremiah: “In those days and in that time, I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David.”  The words from Isaiah begin a vision of the peaceful kingdom brought about by the coming messiah, a messiah during whose reign a wolf will lie down with a lamb and a leopard with a kid.  The words from Jeremiah promise justice and righteousness after a devastating Babylonian exile in the form of righteous Branch, capital B Branch.  In the time of Isaiah and Jeremiah, the Israelites wait for God to send a messiah who will bring justice and righteousness.  They wait for a shoot to come from the stump of Jesse, a branch to spring up for David.  David is, of course, King David, the most celebrated king of Israel, the most triumphant, the beloved of God, the one who loved God with deep devotion, and Jesse is the father of David.  The ancient Jews assume the messiah will come from the line of Jesse and David even if they have to wait.  And they do wait...even though it looks like all has been lost, even though it looks like this is the end of the road for the people Israel.  They wait for the 39 years of the Babylonian exile.  They wait through spiritual, cultural, physical agony.  They wait for a shoot, for a branch to grow up out of the stump of Jesse. 

The Babylonian exile ends after 39 years.  The ancient Jews held captive in Babylon return to Israel.  They begin to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem, the one destroyed by the Babylonians.  After the devastation of the exile, however, the leaders of Israel return to their old ways even though God had warned of the consequences of injustice and empty worship practices.  After years of deprivation and grief, instead of embracing justice and righteousness, the leaders of Israel—in true, human form—exploit those in poverty and forget about widows and orphans whose care is the very definition of justice according to the prophets.  Meanwhile, the people wait to be surprised by a shoot from the stump of Jesse, by a branch sprung up for David. 

This Advent as we are mired in our own mix of injustice and unrighteousness, in a world of greedy and self-focused leaders, in communities languishing from a still-continuing pandemic and all its effects, we too wait to be surprised by God.  We too wait for racial injustice to end, for our leaders to work together for the sake of the common good, for compassion and goodwill for all people who flee their countries as a result of political persecution and economic strife.  Every Advent, we wait for the coming of the Christ child with a curious suspension of time.  We know Christ has come already and changed the world forevermore.  Still, we wait with bated breath for the coming of Christ who will execute justice and righteousness. 

The difference between us and the ancient people of Israel is that we believe the messiah has already come and that the messiah’s kingdom of justice and righteousness has already been established.  We wait, yes, for that kingdom’s flourishing, but the surprise on this first Sunday in Advent is that Christ’s coming two thousand years ago, his life, death, resurrection, ascension, and finally the pouring out of the Holy Spirit on us means we live already in Christ’s kingdom of justice and righteousness. We wait, yes, and we also act as agents of Christ’s kingdom come this Advent.  In a world that has already received the messiah, we are the green shoots from the stump of Jesse, the branch sprung up for David, we the body of Christ in the world.  Not me, not you individually, but we the body of Christ together.  We the body of Christ welcome strangers and feed anyone who’s hungry.  We the body of Christ advocate for those who are vulnerable and pray for one another and the world.  We the body of Christ build community in a world that is more and more divided.  We the body of Christ contemplate how to best use what power and influence we have for the sake of our vulnerable neighbors.  We wait, yes, and we also act with justice and righteousness, in some large but mostly small ways, like a green shoot growing from a stump.  Christ and his kingdom of justice and righteousness has come and is come and will come and come soon.  Thanks be to God!  Amen.

The GLOW Show: Theological ABCs on Eschatology

During fall 2021, we explore Theological ABCs from a Lutheran perspective! Each week, we define and discuss the words that shape our faith and their meanings. Today, we lift up E and explore Eschatology with Grace member Ursula Osburn. Enjoy!

Sermon for Sunday, November 21

Day of the Church Year: Christ the King Sunday

Scripture Passage: John 18:33-37

Jesus is in the halls of power.  In a Roman-occupied Israel, in the city of Jerusalem, in the headquarters of the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, after being handed over by the Jewish leaders, Jesus is on trial.  And the way it looks to Pilate, Jesus won’t give a straight answer.  In a Roman occupied Israel, it is treason to say you are a king—for no one is king but the emperor—which is why Pilate asks Jesus if he is king of the Jews.  After Jesus’ evasion, Pilate follows up: so you are a king?  But Jesus only implies assent and speaks of a kingdom not from this world.  Herein lies the difference between king and kingdom according to Pilate and king and kingdom according to Jesus.  Jesus cannot accept the premise of the question.  Jesus cannot accept the premise of “king,” “kingdom,” or power that would lead others to fight for his freedom in this moment when he will surely be put to death.  For Jesus’ kingdom is radically different than that of the Roman Empire, of every empire, of every age, including ours. 

On this Christ the King Sunday, I long for a world where Christ will sit on a throne and use all the power at his disposal to create a just and peaceful world, one where compassion and forgiveness reign.  But what I learn from Jesus this morning is that we cannot simply switch out the leaders of this world and put in Jesus.  We cannot dethrone our presidents, prime ministers, and dictators and put Jesus in their place.  We cannot call upon the name of God in halls of power here and now because the kingdoms of this age look nothing like Jesus’ kingdom.  For starters, Jesus’ coronation as king is, in the gospel of John, literally his crucifixion.  In John 19, Roman soldiers place a crown of thorns on Jesus’ head and afix a sign above him meant to mock him that reads: Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.  In his life, Jesus heals people, feeds people, washes their feet, befriends them.  He forgives sin, frees people from bondage of many types, and restores people to their communities.  In the course of his life, Jesus’ love for people so aggravates those in power that they kill him.  Jesus is not looking to throw the emperor off the throne because Jesus is opposed, fundamentally, to how that power is amassed and preserved.  He is healing people, feeding people, washing their feet, befriending them.  He is forgiving sin, freeing people from bondage, and restoring communities.  In Jesus’ kingdom, it doesn’t get better than that.  That’s his reign. 

Two weeks ago, those going on next summer’s soul journey to Holden Village gathered for our first team-building event.  Among many other decisions, we composed a covenant to which we are holding one another accountable, things like “respect boundaries” and “no simmering in bitterness; communicate with love.”  As with all human covenants, we put in writing the consequence for dishonoring the covenant.  For our 2019 soul journey to Holden Village, Alison created a dunce cap to be worn by anyone who broke the covenant which was then followed by an apology to the whole group and a group hug.  Two weeks ago when we gathered and discussed the consequence of dishonoring the covenant, we laughed as we remembered the dunce cap...but then we talked about how shaming that is, how punitive, how it would have the very opposite effect of restoring community.  We wondered if this was really what we were about as Christians.  We talked about how someone who dishonors the covenant would probably be hurting, in need of compassion, in need of love and understanding.  So we decided that, instead of the dunce cap, this time, Alison and Charlie would create a LOVE button to be worn by the person who dishonors the covenant.  When they wear it, one of the soul journeyers commented, when they wear it, the LOVE button will remind us that person needs more love.  And of course, because accountability is necessary, an apology to the group and a group hug will follow. 

In Jesus’ kingdom which is jumbled up in this present age, we participate in our own and others’ healing, feed people, wash people’s feet, and befriend them.  We love our enemies and even our families, and we forgive each other as many as seventy times seven.  We shroud people not with dunce caps but with LOVE buttons that remind us that while accountability is necessary, punishment is not.  Love is the way of Christ’s kingdom.  It doesn’t get better than that. 

Yet we may still be wondering...shouldn’t Christ’s reign lead to a prosperous church?  Shouldn’t God’s kingdom come in such a way that no one could mistake Christ’s reign?  Why aren’t churches enormous and wealthy and leading the way in culture?  How can Christ be king and yet his reign be so humble?  These are questions for Christ the King Sunday.  As much as I would love for churches to be bursting at the seams with people who want to hear the good news of Jesus and then follow him, I suspect the good news of Jesus is too challenging to be popular.  And even if it were, the way Jesus lived and died and rose again, the way that Jesus healed and fed, washed and befriended, forgave and restored, leads me to believe that Christ’s reign is far more humble than our dreams of wealth, success, and prestige. 

Christ the King Sunday is full to the brim with paradox.  Christ is king, but his coronation is on the cross.  If we keep participating in our own and others’ healing, if we keep feeding people and washing their feet, befriending them and forgiving them and loving them, we may indeed stumble into the kingdom of God.  A kingdom where we know the power of God in love, where a lamb who is slain sits upon the throne.  Thanks be to God!  Amen. 

The GLOW Show: Theological ABCs on Communion

During fall 2021, we explore Theological ABCs from a Lutheran perspective! Each week, we define and discuss the words that shape our faith and their meanings. Today, we lift up C for Communion and hear wisdom from both Martin Luther and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Enjoy!

Sermon for Sunday, November 14

Day of the Church Year: 25th Sunday after Pentecost

Scripture Passage: Mark 13:1-8

As a Washington Post subscriber, on any given day, I can open my Washington Post app, read the headlines, and click on any article that interests me.  But to tell you the truth, compared to the number of headlines I scan on a daily basis, I don’t very often read full articles.  On a typical day, I read only two, maybe four full articles.  At times, I have clicked on an article ready to be shocked and appalled—because of the shocking and appalling headline--only to read to the end of the article, understand the fuller story, and then be shocked and appalled by the misleading headline.  I’ve learned that headlines can’t tell the whole story, can’t share multiple perspectives, and fairly routinely reveal the bias of their authors, reveal what the author wants its readers to feel about a particular event or situation, instead of just sharing the facts of the event or situation.  A headline can’t give me context, can’t share nuance, can’t capture more than one small piece of a larger story.  Yet so often, I and probably many of us read only the headlines.

I suspect this headline-only reading happens not just as we scroll through social media posts or our news outlet of choice.  Certainly in our culture at large and even within the church, we approach some aspects of our religious tradition with the same limited reading, glancing at the headline, never clicking on the full article to learn in greater depth.  There is perhaps no other topic within Christianity that gets Jesus-followers to read only headlines and no articles as what we call the quote unquote end times. 

Today, Jesus sits outside the temple in Jerusalem with the disciples, and they are awed by the majesty, the beauty, the grandeur of the stonework.  A building and an institution so immense and so important in the lives of first-century Jews, the temple in Jerusalem  would have been considered unshakeable, but Jesus tells the disciples, to their astonishment, that not one stone will be left upon another.  All will be thrown down.  The temple will be destroyed.  When they ask for more details, Jesus speaks of wars and rumors of wars, of earthquakes and famines, of nation against nation, of kingdom against kingdom.  But Jesus says, the end is still to come.  In other words, all these devastating events are not the end.  In fact, today’s passage ends with Jesus’ words: This is but the beginning of the birth pangs. 

If we were to click on the full article here, I think we’d first read that Jesus shares about the destruction of the temple with the disciples in around 30 of the common era but that the temple really was destroyed in the Roman-Jewish war—and right around the time the gospel of Mark was written in 70 of the common era.  All the devastating events he lists are events the people of his day experienced—and that humanity in every age has endured in some fashion.  Not only that.  When Jesus continues to teach them in the rest of Mark 13, he describes how the disciples are going to be persecuted because they follow him, persecution that really did happen.  If the headline of today’s passage reads “Jesus describes the end times,” towards the bottom of the article, the reporter might say: “Given the historical accuracy of Jesus’ words, his predictions may not indicate end time conditions, but instead reveal first-century historical conditions.” 

There’s no doubt that the early Christians were not apocalyptic bunch.  They expected the end of the world, God’s kingdom come, Jesus’ return at every moment.  The Apostle Paul fully expected to meet Jesus face to face in his lifetime.  Needless to say, at least whatever they expected to happen didn’t and hasn’t yet.  Christians for the past two thousand years have taken wild stabs at predicting Jesus’ return.  I say “wild stabs” because there is no clearer message about the end times in scripture than the fact that we will know neither the day nor the hour of Jesus’ return and God’s kingdom come.  Some Christians believe that deliberately creating devastating conditions will bring about Jesus’ return and the coming of God’s kingdom, but I am honestly not sure what scripture passages cause people to come to that belief. 

The photo that would sit beneath this headline: “Jesus describes the end times” is filled with fire, wounded people, fragmented earth.  It’s not a pretty sight.  The photo would catch anyone’s eye—and scare them.  Perhaps the caption would quote the book of Revelation about a beast and destruction. 

But, again, if we click on the full article of Mark 13 in the larger context of scripture, we read about events common to the human experience, events that had happened in biblical times many times—famines, earthquakes, wars.  We read about persecution, the context for all of the New Testament writings.  Each one of the New Testament writers knew the uncertainty and risk of being a Jesus-follower in the Roman Empire.  Jesus was crucified by the Roman Empire.  If that’s who you’re following, it does not bode well for you.  In Mark 13, Jesus is not describing the end times so much as the times to come for the disciples, the latter half of the first century.  He specifically says: The end is still to come for these are just the beginning of the birth pangs.  Or in other words, when devastating events happen, the end has not come, but when the end does come, it is not a death but a birth. 

That’s why reading the full article is important today.  We hear scary stories of the end times, and we forget that when God’s kingdom comes and Jesus returns, we enter into God’s new heaven and new earth, where mourning and crying and pain will be no more.  Or as the great theologian John Lennon once said, “Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end.”  So fear not; the unrest of our days, the injustices, the suffering are just the beginning of the birth pangs, the passage to new life.  Thanks be to God!  Amen. 

Seeking: Administrative Assistant for Grace

Our dearly loved administrative assistant Adrienne is entering a new phase of her life and will be finishing her position as administrative assistant in the coming weeks. We wish her well and thank her for her ministry among us! We are also, therefore, seeking a new administrative assistant. Please share this job description with anyone who might be a good fit.

Administrative Assistant Job Description

Grace Lutheran Church, Phoenix, AZ

Supervisor: Pastor                  

Work Space: Grace Office

FLSA Status: Nonexempt

Hours: Monday-Thursday, 9:00 am-2:00 pm, 3rd Tuesday of April, July, and October, 6:30-8:00 pm

Mission Statement

By God’s grace, we are in the city for good!

5 Biblical Guiding Principles

1. Jesus is Lord!

2. Pray, seek, and follow God’s will

3. Share the good news of Christ

4. Embrace God’s challenge to love and serve others

5. All are welcome

Job Summary

The administrative assistant provides office and clerical support to the pastor by ensuring efficient operation of the church office. 

Essential Functions

• Edits correspondence and internal and external reports to ensure accuracy and timely delivery

• Assembles newsletter articles (Gracevine) written by others, adds relevant self-written announcements, and prepares the finished product for electronic distribution

• Prepares worship materials, including weekly bulletins, funeral bulletins, and wedding bulletins, from copy provided by pastor, organist, other worship leaders, Sundays & Seasons, and worship resources

• Updates GraceInTheCity web page and web inquiries

• Maintains the telephone answering system by updating greetings as needed and retrieving messages daily

• Schedules facility use, serves as contact for renters, and manages Grace calendar

• Promptly processes receipts and invoices as directed

• Oversees functioning of office equipment

• Greets visitors to the church office in an open and compassionate manner

• Assists office visitors with bus / lightrail passes

• Receives donations and opens for groups meeting during working hours

• Receives and processes incoming mail; prepares and sends outgoing mail

• Maintains files and records

• Recruits and supervises volunteers to assist with office tasks and weekday outreach as appropriate

• Maintains the electronic membership files in a current and accurate manner

• Orders office supplies while staying within mission plan

Other Responsibilities

• Ensures that materials are duplicated for Congregation, Council, and Ministry Team meetings

• Assembles prayer requests from designated sources and distributes at least weekly, but as often as needed as directed

• Proposes budget for mission plan lines falling under Administration in the mission plan

• Ensures the security of the property upon departure

Physical Requirements

• Walk up and down steps

• Occasionally help donors carry in donations

Core Competencies

• Attention to Detail: Consistently attends to the many small pieces which must be assembled into an organized whole; comfortable and competent with Microsoft Word, Excel, Publisher, Facebook, and email

• Integrity and Trust: Is seen as trustworthy by others; practices direct, honest, and transparent communication; admits mistakes; responds to situations with constancy and reliability; maintains confidentiality

• Interpersonal Skills: Works well with people; uses diplomacy and tact; is approachable; avoids triangulation

• Personal Resiliency: Can shift gears comfortably; can comfortably handle risk and uncertainty; is flexible; isn’t upset when things are up in the air

• Self-Differentiation: Is emotionally mature; can maintain a non-anxious presence in the midst of turmoil

• Written Communication: Is able to write clearly and succinctly; employs correct grammar and punctuation; clearly delivers message in a tone appropriate to the context

• Technical Expertise: Acquires and demonstrates the technical skills required to proficiently execute the essential functions of the job such as skills related to the copier, computers, and phone system; understands which skills are lacking and seeks to develop those skills; has a basic understanding of Lutheran liturgy and the Bible

To Apply

Please email Pastor Sarah Stadler your resume and at least two references at pastorsarah@graceinthecity.com. For questions, call Pastor Sarah at 602-318-6876.

The GLOW Show: Theological ABCS on Blessing

During fall 2021, we explore Theological ABCs from a Lutheran perspective! Each week, we define and discuss the words that shape our faith and their meanings. Today, we lift up B for blessing!

Sermon for Sunday, November 7

Day of the Church Year: All Saints Sunday

Scripture Passage: John 11:32-44

They all gather for the funeral.  Weeping, consoling, present.  Mary, Martha, and all who knew and loved Lazarus.  Jesus loved Lazarus too, and he weeps for him.  Or perhaps Jesus weeps because the community is sad and grieving, and he too is part of the community.  By the time Jesus arrives, Lazarus is good and dead.  Four days dead.  Long enough that, at least according to the custom of the time, the body had finally released the spirit on the third day.  At that point, there is no miracle, no magical cure, no mistaken assessment of Lazarus’ condition.  Lazarus is dead.  His body is in the tomb—and has been for four days.  He is wrapped up in cloth as was done, and the stench of his body fills the cave.  Lazarus is dead. 

Two thousand years later, we are more sure than ever when people we love have died.  Quite often at the time of death, the loved one’s blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen level are all clinically measured.  Quite often, the person we love is surrounded by us, family and friends and community, listening for each breath as it comes, slower, even more slowly, yet more slowly still.  Sometimes, death comes suddenly, violently, with the full force of a gut punch, certain and devastating.  The one we love is dead.

Two thousand years ago and today, when someone we love dies, we are shocked, sad, angry, grateful for the beautiful life of the person we love.  Turning to God, we may echo the words of Mary: Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.  Lord, if you have been here, my father, my mother, my sister, my partner, my child would not have died.  We understand Mary’s words.  We get it.  We want miracles too.  But death comes to all who live.  We will all die, really and truly.  Death is not a mirage even for those claimed and loved by God.  Even when Jesus is crucified, he dies, really and truly, and is dead until the third day, long enough even to release his spirit as the ancient custom dictated. 

When Jesus comes to weep with the community at the death of Lazarus on day four, no one expects a miracle.  No one gets their hopes up.  No one pleads for Jesus to raise Lazarus from the dead.  Mary and Martha see only a dead end at this point, only an acceptance of what comes to all people.  ...but that’s not what Jesus sees.  Jesus comes to show people the glory of God, the power of God to bring life in the midst of death, the ridiculous hope we have in God.

I don’t know why God raised Lazarus but doesn’t raise others.  But what I learn from this story is that what appear to be dead ends to us are not necessarily dead ends to God.  And there are so many dead ends we face.  Not just death but ends of marriages, friendships, family relationships.  Ends of jobs and educational programs.  Bankruptcy and desperate measures of all kinds.  So-called dead-end jobs and dead ends in solutions to our health problems.  We may feel unredeemable, lost, at our wit’s end.  We may have come not only to the end of our rope but to the end of our hope. 

When Jesus tells the community gathered with Mary and Martha to take away the stone from the entrance to Lazarus’ tomb, how ridiculous he must have sounded.  Martha tells him: He has been dead four days.  Or in other words: It’s over, Jesus.     

I wonder how often we say those words in prayer, in exasperation, in hopelessness.  It’s over, Jesus.  Not that this deters Jesus.  He goes on to cry with a loud voice: Lazarus, come out!  And Lazarus does. 

This week, when Sheila and I were discussing All Saints Sunday, Sheila summed it up best: “Nothing is the end until I say so.”  Nothing is the end until God says so.  In our relationships, in all manner of personal struggles, in the ways we contribute to the common good, in our community here at Grace, in a nation polarized, in life and death, nothing is the end until God says so.  Until that point, hope abounds for even when Lazarus was dead four days, he still came out when Jesus called.  Thanks be to God!  Amen. 

The GLOW Show: Theological ABCs on Baptism

During fall 2021, we explore Theological ABCs from a Lutheran perspective! Each week, we define and discuss the words that shape our faith and their meanings. Today, we lift up B for Baptism with the help of Pastor Kari Williamson from St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Phoenix!