Pride and Prejudice

 A few years back, the people of First Lutheran Church studied scripture, held conversations, and prayed about whether or not we would be a welcoming place for Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transexual, Queer, Questioning, Intersexed and other non-traditional identifying people into our congregation. We voted overwhelmingly "YES" to be a Reconciling In Christ congregation. It was a proud moment of saying yes to love and inclusion.

To show our support we purchased a rainbow flag to display outside our building (shown to the left). Three of those were stolen and we instituted a policy of placing the flag out in the morning and taking it in at night. When "anti-trans" bills started to be brought into state legislatures we decided to make a more inclusive statement with our flag. So, we purchased a new flag pole and mounting bracket along with a "Progress" flag which expands the rainbow flag to highlight trans and BIPOC people, as shown to the right.

Sometime over the weekend of February 26-28, this flag was torn down and stolen.

I tell this story as we move into our Lenten season to highlight the struggle we have in sharing the Love of Christ to all of God's children. Our communal sin of exclusion needs to be repented of and a life of inclusion be practiced sincerely. Sadly, there are people full of hate in our community that they feel it is okay to destroy personal property. But, we will not give up sharing God's love, even those who we might consider our enemies.

Our them for our Wednesday Lenten Vespers is Community. We will show movie clips that highlight the various ways we either defeat community or expand community. This will all be done on Zoom and not in person. Our hope is that we can grow our understanding of who we are in Bothell and how we can express God's love for all.

It is OK to have pride in our congregation and its work for a world of peace and love, even in the face of extreme prejudice.

Jesus says to us in John 8, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life … You judge by human standards; I judge no one."

Think About These Things

Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Philippians 4:8

In June of 2010 I walked through the front doors of First Lutheran Church as her pastor. I left a call of 12 years to accept the call to serve this ancient community of saints – founded in 1886. What I expected to happen in this place, I no longer recall. Whatever it was, it never could have imagined what has transpired these ten years.

At my installation service I invited to important saints to this community to witness the handing of the servant-hood to me, Pastor Kris Frosig and Pastor Henry Erickson.  They are both now singing with the angels but their friendship and mentor-ship I carry with me to this day. And the words above the Apostle Paul wrote to the faithful in Philippi ring in my ears as if spoken to me by these two faithful servants.

As we continue during this peculiar time these words also hold us to account. Our siblings of African descent are crying out to us to end the social and political systems that are killing them. As are our LGBTQI++ siblings, as are so many other marginalized people. The Covid-19 virus is laying bare many of our unjust systems.

This is no political position that I am advocating here. This is the very words of scripture that call us to account:

Thus says the LORD of hosts: Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another; do not oppress the widow, the orphan, the alien, or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another. Zechariah 7:9-10  

For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who is not partial and takes no bribe, who executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and who loves the strangers, providing them food and clothing. You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. Deuteronomy 10:17-19  

He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums.  A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. Then he called his disciples and said to them, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on." Mark 12:41-44

I could quote more, but there just is not room here. This is our call as people of faith to honor our ancestors and those who passed on this faith to us, to continue to fight for the marginalized and the oppressed.

So, siblings in the faith, my beloved, do what is good, speak for what is right, and love all those who are unloved.

Summer worship

What strange days indeed!

Over the last two weeks our government leaders have spoken about religious communities and their desire to worship in person in their worship spaces. We have been front and center in this journey even making the news. What our leaders have shared has been confusing and not very helpful. In fact your BIshop, Rev. Shelley Bryan Wee met with Governor Inslee to be careful in making any changes to the current protocols. I even was interviewed to share my perspective about how we will react to our President's and our Governor's proclamations.

Our religious communities have been essential long before this era of pandemic. The Church is a place where we are acutely aware that we are called to consider our neighbor's needs before our own. This means at this time not being a place that allows this virus to spread. As Bishop Shelley Bryan Wee said, "We are church, now. We are in prayer, now. We are worshipping, now." We never ceased being the Church. Let know one tell you otherwise.

Whether we gather together in our building or on-line, we are still the Body of Christ.

Your congregational council has made a decision in regard to worshipping in our own building. We will not consider do so until after September 6. With Governor Inslee's loosening of restrictions on religious in person worship, we still do not believe that this is a safe thing to do.

One of the quotes I made to one of the reporters that did not make it in the cut was that with our council's decision we can now sit back and breathe for a little while and not have to worry about the winds of change going on about us. We will just continue doing what we are doing throughout the summer and hopefully we will be one of the small reasons we can worship fully together again in the near future.

In other news, I am thankful for the over 80 different people who have helped lead worship by praying, reading, or singing for us during our worship services. We have had a trio of little sisters sing for us, elementary school kids read lessons, and whole families lead us in prayer. The music has been astounding! Our congregation is amazing. Keep supporting our work and reach out to each other, especially if you appreciate someone's leadership.

Keep taking care of each other!

Worthiness is not earned

I was walking with Susan in our neighborhood and I noticed the trees. They grow in all kinds of places and all kinds of spaces. A tree unimpeded grows straight up and stretches out its branches in all directions as if embracing all there is to love. Some trees, though have impediments in their way. Sometimes they get planted up against a wall. And so can only grow away from the wall. It seems to not be able to live to its full potential.

But is that true? Is not a tree a tree? No matter if it grows straight up or around a boulder, or has branches on all sides or just one, is it not still a tree in all its potential? And does not a tree reach out in love anywhere that it is planted?

Humans have a tendency to qualify or quantify how one thing is more than another. We love to rate or score. When it comes to our fellow human beings this behavior is destructive and contrary to God. Just like my tree analogy, one is human no matter how one grows and as such is worthy of all of God's love and our's as well.

Who we are is a sum of all that we have had to grow around, through, despite of; no matter where we were or are planted. What might our neighborhoods be like if we lived the way God sees us? What if we recognized the other as one who loves as well.

A poet once sang: All we need is love!

Our Sacramental Life in this Peculiar Time

As a family we have been using video calls to connect and to spend time together. The other evening Hannah and I cooked dinner together. She in Ashland, Oregon and me here in Kenmore, Washington. It was a lot of fun. We chatted and gossiped like we would have if we had been in the same kitchen. She cooked an amazing curry and potato dish while I prepare crockpot pulled pork. It was fun to compare what we were making. Yet, I could not taste her dish, nor she mine. No matter all the connections and fun and kidding and camaraderie, we could not really share a meal together. There was still something missing.

As we worship together online, I know some have been wondering about Holy Communion. While I understand people’s desire to share in the Lord’s Supper in the way we are sharing God’s word, we must be careful in how we understand Holy Communion.

The first thing we must consider is whether we think Holy Communion is magical. For some the Pastor is the only one who can preside at the Lord’s Supper, as if this person has some magical power that others do not. No, for the sake of good order we set aside someone in our community to lead us in the sacramental life of our gatherings. The second is whether we think that Holy Communion is something that can only be shared in a church building or in a special setting. Again, this is not true. In fact, if you would like to share the Lord’s Supper in your home you may do that yourself. If you would like guidance please email me and I would be glad to help.

A third consideration is the very act itself. What constitutes the Lord’s Supper? Here I will quote from the Book of Concord and the “Solid Declaration,” Article 7:

But this “blessing” or the recitation of the Words of Institution of Christ by itself does not make a valid sacrament if the entire action of the Supper, as Christ administered it, is not observed (…) On the contrary, Christ’s command, “Do this,” must be observed without division or confusion. For it includes the entire action or administration of this sacrament: that in a Christian assembly bread and wine are taken, consecrated, distributed, received, eaten, and drunk, and that thereby the Lord’s death is proclaimed, as St. Paul presents the entire action of the breaking of the bread or its distribution and reception in 1 Corinthians 10:16. (Kolb, Robert and Wengert, Timothy, J. “The Book of Concord: the confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church” (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2000), 460)

So, just as Hannah and I mimicked cooking together we could not embody the meal together. The physical sharing is absent, the “here you go, eat up” is missing.

It haunts me that we are not sharing in this important sacrament together, but we have, throughout history, taken time away from the sacrament for the sake of our neighbor. This is nothing new. For me, this is a time in our own wilderness like Jesus and his 40 days away from his community. And in this time of isolation for the sake of our neighbor it is good for us to long for the day when we will be together again celebrating and eating and drinking the life God has given us.

But I also want to let you know that through our online worshipping community the Gospel and the Word of God is indeed being shared. It is also conveying the other sacramental reality of our lives – our baptisms. Through Baptism we have been joined forever as siblings in Christ. This reality is what we celebrate online when we sing together, pray together, hear God’s word together, and yes even laugh and cry together.

So, please know that we are living out our communal life together in online worship and that you are still a precious child of God. Let us all look forward in hope to the time we can gather around the Lord’s table together!

If you are interested in reading more on this, please check out this article by Prof. Dr. Dirk Lange: Digital Worship and Sacramental Life in a Time of Pandemic.

Moving Forward into 2020

In the Gospel of Mark there is scene in chapter two that is outstanding; Jesus is hanging out with the most recent disciple he has called and the religious leaders ask a very challenging question. They ask, "Why is Jesus eating with all those sinners?" Three observation about this challenge: 1. Jesus calls sinners to be his disciples. 2. Eating together is an important part of Jesus ministry. 3. Ministry often will take us in directions that those in power will be intimidated by.

Our annual meeting was held this past Sunday,  January 26. Us sinners gathered, ate a meal together and we leaned fully into our ministry for those on the margins. We are a ministry of Jesus in the world. A place where all of God's people are welcome and challenged to love creation more than profits. Our lives are changed when we encounter Jesus, just as Levi's life was changed. Thanks be to God.

At this meeting we witnessed Kaaren Hatlen passing on the duties of president to Paul Ehe. What a great sign of our health that our leadership is being passed from one incredible person of faith to another. We give thanks for our new council members as well: Roger Wolter (2nd term), Christy Freriks (1st term), Holly Batstone (1st term) and Randall Wampler (1st term). These people will add amazing new voices to our Vision 2025 process.

All of this is a sign of our relationship with God, with our ministry and with each other. I hope that we can continue to build healthy relationships so that we can live fully into the future that God is calling us into. 

If you have any questions please reach out to your council leadership team or your congregation staff. We want to make sure that we all feel confident in this good work.

2020 Vision

It has been awhile since I had 20/20 vision. My eyes are not perfect, but with a tool, with a little help, I can see well. A doctor has studied my eyes and has made a determination about what is needed for me to have better vision. My eye doctor then made a prescription and I followed that and purchased eyeglasses that I wear daily to see better. Without this tool, without a little help, I would not be able to drive or even read.

In my faith life it has been awhile since I have had "complete" faith. That 20/20 trust that God is fully present in this world. It is hard to believe this when we are surrounded by so much that is wrong. Kids locked in cages, drug companies addicting people to opiates, war, cancer, UGH! How can God be present in this?

When the Israelites returned from exile to Jerusalem they wondered the same thing. Where is God in all of this now that the temple is gone? According to Ezra they gathered in the rubble and they shared their confused faith there. Some shouted with joy that a new Temple was to be built, but others wailed in sorrow for what had been lost. These two sounds, joy and grief, commingled into one voice that was indistinguishable.

But there was one song they sang together, Psalm 117:  God is good! God's love is forever!

It is this song that I am going to carry into this New Year of 2020. It is going to be the prescription that I wear to strengthen my faith, to remind me that indeed God is present in this here and now. No matter the news, no matter the situation I am going to whisper this word:

God is good, all the time!

Vision 2025: Hospitality

One of the big aspects of this congregation’s Vision 2025 plan is pursuing and expanding what it means to be a place and a people of hospitality. Hospitality, hospice, hostel, hotel, and hospital share the same Latin root word “hospes” meaning guest or stranger. All of these words are directional words of action toward the stranger.

There is no way for a congregation that claims the way of hospitality to reject the plight of the stranger. It is this core conviction of the ELCA that drove our decision to claim ourselves as a SANCTUARY denomination. To continue our work in the Latin, sanctuary is broken down into sanctus/sacred and arium/container and therefore is a place where cherished people are kept safe. Jesus showed us that we are to be about this work of welcoming the stranger through his actions and through his teaching:

…for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.' (Mat 25:35-36)

The ELCA’s call to be sanctuary denomination is not a call to break the law. Nowhere in this declaration are we asked to do anything illegal. This is a lie told by those who want us to buy into the notion that we are to hate those who are different then us.

This congregation’s actions of hospitality in this regard has already embraced what the statement declares, walking alongside immigrants and refugees is a matter of faith. We will have journey classes in the fall that will introduce us to the work of Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services and Lutheran Community Services Northwest. I will also be teaching a series of classes Sunday morning on the many actions taken at this years national assembly. Please attend these classes.

I am proud of our congregation and our denomination for the solid statement we make about how we are to love our neighbor. I am proud that through our covenantal relationship with Jesus Christ we follow Martin Luther’s example to advocate for those who have no voice and no power. We are a people of hospitality!

If you have more questions about what it means to be sanctuary denomination please follow the links below.

Being a sanctuary denomination.
Vision 2025 document.

Gratefulness Leads to Mission

"In non-European religious communities, the emotions of gratitude serve as the foundation of personal resilience and joy, as a soulful pathway to the truest kinds of freedom and liberation. Gratitude can be experienced by anyone, anywhere, without permission and without restraint. No external master can either release or inhibit thanksgiving. Gratitude is, perhaps, the most immediate and most primal of all spiritual affections - one that makes every human being a priest. Feeling grateful empowers the soul." Grateful, by Diana Butler Bass, pg. 34.

We just finished our annual meeting and I could not help feeling grateful for First Lutheran Church and her work here in Bothell. As I gave my last thoughts on the day to those gathered I could not help reflect on what we had accomplished over the last year. We gave away over 12% of our budget to the church at large and to our community social programs. We gathered for worship every Sunday of the year and never forgot to pray for our world, our elected officials, and for each other. We witnessed baptisms, confirmations, marriages and funerals and in doing so we lifted up those in prayer and blessing. The countless little things we have done that helps God's promised and preferred world come into being. Yes, I could not help but feel grateful.

For many in our neighborhood, though, the opportunity to be held up in community has been taken away from them. Whether they are LGBTQ, an immigrant, or perhaps made a grave mistake in their lives, many have been forced out of their faith communities; many have been excluded from the very communities they relied on for support and now find themselves abandoned. My gratitude is tempered by the knowledge that there is always more to do.

But, it is important though to hang on to gratitude as a place to begin our work together. For if we begin our work from a sense of fear or worry or pessimism or scarcity we will not fully be present. What I mean is that we will hold ourselves back from the other and not fully learn about them, not fully give them room to be who they are - created by God. If we begin from a place of thanksgiving we understand that all that we have is of God and therefore should be dedicated to health and wellbeing of those amongst us.

Our Vision Team is in the midst of authoring a document that we hope will help us live more fully into our call from God. The team recognizes that what we have bean is the foundation of our work, but the times are changing and challenging us to rethink how we continue to be a blessing to our neighbors. It is abundantly clear that one of the clues is embedded in this idea of learning more about what it means to be a people of abundance, a people of gratitude for all that God has created us to be.

Practice this month recognizing those times you are grateful and acknowledge that in prayer. In doing so we can learn to open ourselves more to the preferred and promise future God has waiting for us and making room for those marginalized in our neighborhood. Let us become that safe place for all of God's children.

2019 Will Be The Worst Year EVER!

The title of this blog is inspired by the "click-bait" phenomenon that pervades the internet. You know those "advertisements" that fill your Facebook or news pages that entice you with overblown descriptors. My favorite is the one that starts with "You will not believe what 'so-in-so' looks like now!" These overblown headlines have also invaded our actual news providers. We are living in a time of "EXTREMELY OVER STATED STATEMENTS ABOUT SOMETHING THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE IMPORTANT!"

The urge is to encourage or in the case of click-bait, trick, us into reading what a particular author wants us to see. In doing so they gain revenue from the number of people "clicking" on their content. As you can see from my numbers I am not a heavy hitter in the blogging world!

This phenomenon does lead me to wonder about how this affects our anxiety. When every headline begins with "BREAKING  NEWS" to just give us another tidbit about an event that may or may not be important, we are encouraged to think that everything is important and we should probably be worried. This anxiety driven pattern can leave us overwhelmed. When we are overwhelmed we become incapacitated; unable to make decisions. This is hard on our spiritual lives.

As people of faith, one of the important works we are called to do is to bring peace to our communities; but that is hard to do when we are so worn out and worried. One of our church members confessed, "I find myself reading the Wall Street Journal more than scripture during the week." What do you do more than reflect on God's Word during the week? How does this affect your spiritual life? How does reading or playing Candy Crush more than praying lead us to be disenfranchised from our neighbor? How does watching a news channel on your television for over an hour a day make you more or less a good neighbor?

I confess that I, too, fall for these click-bait distractions, play games endlessly, and read the news that comes across my feeds. It is apparent in my own life how this negatively affects my spiritual life. I am not going to make a New Years resolution about it because I know how horrible I am at keeping such promises, but I am going to start paying attention more to what is important and praying more in the moment. One thing I have learned over the years is that I am a better husband, a better father, a better neighbor and a better pastor when I spend more time in prayer and scripture reading.

Martin Luther is quoted as saying, "I have so much to do today, that I am going to spend the first three hours in prayer." This is a good reminder for us to put God front and center of our lives. In doing so we create a better spiritual filter that will help us avoid those "click-bait" demons that want us afraid.

I hope 2019 will not be horrible, I hope we find new ways to be more focused on how we can bring peace to our communities. Blessings to you and may the Prince of Peace be an ever present encouragement and sign of hope.

Sharp Wind

A unique thing one notices first when the calendar is about to turn from September to October is the sharpness of the wind. It is invigorating. It is even welcome after a long hot summer. But a sharp wind is also a harbinger of days to come: colder, shorter days. For those in the northern hemisphere it is also a reminder to get prepared. To top off the firewood pile. To start checking the water supply and make sure it is insulated. To double check the roof of the house. To maybe even make sure there is enough food and water on hand to endure an extended time snowed in.

There are sharp winds that we are feeling in our life as the body of Christ that has nothing to do with the weather, but how our community is changing. One visual sign of this change in our community is the view from Bothell-Everett Highway and Bothell Way (522) looking east. Where once First Lutheran’s worship space was the largest building on the hill it now is flanked by even larger apartment buildings. It is a reminder that we are not the center of it all anymore, if we ever were. This tableau is a great metaphor for our Visioning Team and the process they have put in place to ask the question, “Who are we and who do we serve here on the north shore of Lake Washington and on the banks of the Sammamish River. We are checking our supplies and attempting to prepare for an uncertain future.

We are called at this time to listen to this wind that is blowing through us. What might she be whispering to us? To help us answer this question we are asked to even more listening, this time to our neighbors, to our friends, and to each other. You are being asked to attend one of the cottage meetings that will be held during October. There is a sign-up board in the Narthex at church. Find a date that works for you and sign your name and contact information. We would like you to help your congregation by sharing your voice, your presence, and your prayers.

Another way that we are attempting to listen is many of our congregational leaders will gather on September 30 for a retreat. During this time, we will dig deeper into what it means to be a vital congregation, a congregation that leads with its core values, a congregation that lives into God’s ACTIVE presence.

It is a good time to be the Church. We ask you to be in deep prayer listening for how we might live into God’s preferred and hope filled future for our community.

Do not be astonished that I said to you, 'You must be born from above.' The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."  (John 3:7-8)

The Practices of Faith

The FLC staff finally were all together in one place after a summer of vacation, retreats, and mission trips. We sat around the table and realized that it was great to be all together AND that it was a sign that the program year was just about to commence. Here in this congregation that means September 9 is what we call Rally Sunday. It is a day when we return to two worship services (8:30 and 11:00 am), begin our all ages Sunday School program, and at 12:30pm meet up at Blyth Park for our annual all church picnic. It is a celebratory time, a time to jump back into the regular rhythms of life.

When we talk about the regular rhythms of life, we need to remember that includes practicing our faith. Too often we forget that faith is a "practice." Many mistakenly think of faith as something that you possess or try to hold onto. But it is not like that. Faith is active. Faith is a practice. Faith is something we have to work on for ourselves. Faith is something we have to be in training for, much like an athlete or a musician. There are many drills we must do to hone our faith, to become more acquainted with it, like a musical instrument.

The beginning of the program year is a great way to jump back into these practices: Regular worship attendance, attending to our prayer life, and daily reading of scripture.. These are just a few of the drills we can participate in to strengthen our faith.

Another aspect of our communal faith life is a regular checking in with each other about how we feel God is calling us into the world. We are beginning a visioning process this fall to do just that. It is a faith practice to gather together to listen for the Holy Spirit in our midst. We hope that you will choose to participate when asked. We need to hear your voice.

When Susan and I were camping on the South Fork of the Sauk River, we were reminded of the power of the faith practice of waiting for the Holy Spirit in silence. We sat by that river that spoke its own language and just listened. It was a holy time for us. When we engage with God and practice our faith it is amazing how we feel ready to face the challenges of life. May God be made known to you in the breaking of the bread, in the prayers of the people, and more importantly in your practice of your faith.

The future

As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life. Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you. Avoid the profane chatter and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge; by professing it some have missed the mark as regards the faith. Grace be with you. (1 Timothy 6:17-21)

I often come back to these words when I begin worrying about, well everything. It is good to be reminded that "God provides us with everything for our enjoyment." That the life we are living really is made for joy. Unfortunately we allow our human systems to take that away for so many of those who do not have power. For me personally, I allow my own anxieties, my own worries, to take away the joy that is before me in serving such a wonderful congregation.

We are facing uncertain times, this is certainly true. We are also sometimes called by the Holy Spirit into ventures unknown. Such is a time for us as we listen to our Chinese Ministry partners come to us for wisdom and support.

Over the last year this Chinese Ministry has been facing an uncertain future. It is a ministry that focuses on those who do not know the faith. Pastor Jade calls them "baby Christians." Sometimes I feel like a baby Christian when I struggle with my own faith. Regardless, it has been a powerful ministry to a very transient community. They are coming to us to ask for our support, not just with our dollars, but with our gifts as well. There are few ministries to the Chinese community that offers a progressive, non-judgemental place to explore faith, Jesus, and what it means to be part of the "church." We will be asked, this coming July 22 at a special congregational meeting to consider becoming full fledge partners in this outreach.

I have come to know this community and they are genuine faith seekers. They have challenged me to think about how we can articulate this faith to a different culture. They have also reminded me the power of safe community. For some this is the first time they have a safe place to ask their questions without being judged as unfaithful or not good enough Christians. Many of us have experienced that in other congregations so we no the power of a safe, questioning community.

Pastor Jade and I are eager to answer your questions, to tell the story of this community and how they have come to this place. I encourage you to introduce yourselves to these faith seekers on Sunday as they worship with us.

In all of this though, it is good to be reminded that we are to guard what has been entrusted to us, the faith of Jesus Christ and the call to preach the Good News to all nations.

Summertime and Change

It is always exciting to move into our summer schedule. We gather as one community for worship at 9:30 am on Sundays from Memorial Day Weekend to Labor Day Weekend. Folks from the early service get to sleep in a little and those at the late service get started with their day a little earlier. It is also a change, a change that we anticipate. It is a change that we are able to deal with because we are prepared for it.

As we look to our future together this is what we are going to attempt to do with our Visioning Process. We will attempt to prepare ourselves for a change in how we are called to do God's work here in Bothell and on the Northshore of Lake Washington.

On Saturday, May 19, leaders from First and Northlake Lutheran along with members of the Chinese Ministry met to begin the conversation about our future together. What became clear in our conversations is the desire to honestly be good stewards of the gifts God has given us. I was struck by the comment from one of the members of the Chinese Ministry who said, "God is sending us a wake up call!" We all agreed that God is indeed blowing her Holy Spirit through our congregations.

The question becomes, "Are we ready and willing to follow the Holy Spirit?"

With all that is going on in our community, whether it is homelessness or affordable housing, the opioid epidemic or mental health, or any number of other issues, are we ready to follow the Holy Spirit into these issues? The answer around the tables was an earnest yes, with the help of God and also in partnership with each other.

We do not know where we are going to end up, but already your leadership is enjoying the ride. We hope that you will be ready to answer the call when it comes to join us in this conversation.

Moving Parts

Come this June I have served First Lutheran Church for eight years. It has been a good eight years from my perspective. When I came to this congregation there was a lot of anxiety about the future of the congregation, about whether a pastor would even want to serve in this place, about finances, and many other issues. I am happy to say that these worries are in the distant past. Currently our anxiety here is about more mundane things: getting a newsletter out, how are we going to repair the skylight in the atrium, will we get an usher to serve for a particular sunday, you know ordinary, small things. We have come a long way to be in this state of normalcy.

But now we are experiencing change in our midst. This change is causing a new kind of anxiety, an exciting kind of anxiety. The Holy Spirit is  blowing through this congregation and is calling us to new ministry opportunities. Below I will outline three movements that will affect FLC and how we will move into God's preferred and promised future for us.

1. Chinese Ministry: Pastor Jade Chienyu Yi came to Living Truth Chinese Lutheran Church last spring to serve as their new pastor. It has become clear that this mission start, that began in 2005, will not ever become a self sustaining congregation. What has also become clear to us is that this is a very important ministry to this community. With Pastor Jade's leadership we have closed "Living Truth" as a project geared for developing an established congregation. That was done at the 11:00 service on Easter Day. Many of you witnessed that event. We are now exploring if it is possible to continue this work as a ministry of the ELCA and FLC. Pastor Jade has interviewed the members of the Chinese ministry about what they desire for their future work together. We have also begun to worship together at the 11:00 service bilingually. The question before us is about the future of this ministry. The ELCA and the Synod have pledged to fund Pastor Jade through August. This gives the Chinese ministry and FLC time to reflect on this question and maybe develop a funding proposal to submit to the ELCA. Please keep this ministry in your prayers.

2. Visioning Process for FLC: FLC's congregational council has hired a consultant to help us develop a visioning process. The Rev. Rick Rouse will work with our visioning team chaired by Tom Payne. We hope to spend the next 15 months or so in deep reflection on God's preferred and promised future. This team will be made up of 8 individuals including Pastor Berg and president Kaaren Hatlen. We hope when the time comes that you will choose to participate in the various opportunities to explore what it means to be the church in this community. By the end of this process we will have a better understanding of who we are and where we are called.

3. Northshore Lutheran Ministry: Northlake Lutheran Church and FLC councils and leaders will meet on May 19 to share dreams about what shared ministry may look like in our community. There are opportunities for us to work together as a united Lutheran presence. How will this be done? Are there staff positions that could be shared? Are there ministries that can be pursued better together than apart? It is fascinating to think about these issues moving into our visioning process.

Please understand that no decisions have been made about anything in particular. We are exploring what God is doing in our midst and trying to discern what is best in furthering the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Feel free to share your opinions, knowledge, or concerns with us at anytime.

What or Who is Truth?

Pilate asked Jesus a simple question: What is truth? (John 18:38)

In today's context trying to understand what is true and what is not true seems like a full time job. Whenever something happens there seems to be those out their that are more interested in "disrupting" our life by putting out stories that challenge the "narrative" than helping us understand what really happened. We can spend days sifting through news stories of eye witness accounts trying to piece together the truth of it all. It is tiring!

But Pilate asks the wrong question. It is not "what" is truth. It is "Who" is truth. Jesus taught us this in many ways but most forthrightly when he said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life." (John 14:16) What we forget is that our lives should not be focused on "what" but on "who." Our faith is a relational faith. Too many times there are those out there that want to distract us with the "what" of faith.

Jesus taught us both through action and through words what this life is about relationships. It is relational. You say the Sabbath is a day to follow rules? Jesus challenges that and reminds us that the Sabbath is a day of relationship. You say that there is only one way or place to worship God? Jesus challenges that and reminds us that worship is a relationship with God and can be done anywhere.

When we seek out the truth it is good to be reminded that with us the truth relies on relationships. If anything comes between people and divides them and destroys relationships, we can safely say that that is not truth. If what we do and what we say brings people together, heals relationships, breaks down barriers between peoples, we can safely say that is truth.

Do not be made afraid of others. Do not allow the world to make you afraid of anyone. For God so loved the world that he gave the only Son, not to condemn the world, but to save it! (John 3:16-17) We should be a part of healing the world not dividing it. When following the news of the day, rest assured the truth is in those stories of hope and healing.

The Beach: Where we all experience grace

I recently had the joy of spending time down on the Oregon coast. Standing at the “edge

of the continent,” as my friend Steve calls it, looking west out over the ocean waves, I was mesmerized by the cacophony of sights and sounds. The crashing waves, the cry of the gulls, the wind and rain, the joyful voices of others walking the beach. I love the smell and taste of the salt air! Awestruck is another good description.

There on the beach I also noticed a great thing. People on that beach at that moment were incorporated by the scene in a non-judgmental way. It did not matter if you were poor or rich, young or old; it did not matter the color of your skin, your legal status, your health, or your sexuality; it did not matter if you were from Oregon, Washington, or Timbuktu – we were all embraced by that place and in that time. We were all given the gift of sun and wind and waves and sand and rain.

There on the edge of the continent with our backs to the city, for that moment, the politics of power, the plots for control, the policymaking of exclusion, could be left behind and we could imagine what the world could be like if we left point gathering behind and instead embraced the gift of abundance that our God has placed in our midst. The waves will not runout. The wind will not cease. The rain falls on the just and the unjust, forever. The sand will find its way into everything. And the sun, that glorious sun will continue to poke her face out of behind the clouds to remind us that we are made for joy. All of us on that beach were recipients of the gift of that day, of pure grace.

This scene is what I am going to carry with me into this Lenten season that begins on February 14 with Ash Wednesday (no I will not mark your forehead with an ash heart!). Our theme for the season will be “Hidden Figures: Embedded injustice.” We encourage you all to watch the three-time Oscar nominated film, Hidden Figures, to prepare for this season. We will discuss several scenes of the movie during our Wednesday Night Vespers service. We will be challenged. More importantly, we will be asking ourselves how can we help usher in a world where all God’s people feel included and welcome.

God’s work through the Christ is to show us that this world is not about what we gain, or who we identify with, or what group we belong to. Daniel Erlander taught us this in his wonderful little book of stories “The Tale of the Pointless People.” He wrote about how this is all we are – stripped of everything except what we are the first hour, the first day of our life, a child. It is there at the waters of baptism that we realize “all is taken away and we are rich, full, blessed.” We are stripped of every accomplishment, every honor, every point – to be “only” a child of God. On that beach in January I could imagine what that might look like.

“It is not what you gain. It is whose you are,” Dan writes. “You do not need points.”

A New Year's Note

When our calendars get old and run out of days, we search for the newest and best to replace the worn. The old datebook is full of notes and dates and appointments and reminders and is weighted down with memories so numerous we have forgotten most of them. It is attractive to search out one with empty squares, clean lines and, even better, with pictures of places one would like to visit; a calendar ready for new possibilities.

Einstein taught us that “Time is an illusion.” That old calendar tells a different story. As I look at mine I am reminded of dates with my wife, birthdays, funerals, weddings, vacations, work meetings, lunch with parishioners and drinks with friends. It also surprised me with events forgotten or misremembered. Already 2017 is getting fuzzy. But, none of it was an illusion.

As fuzzy as my memory is of the past year, I still come to its end with a sense of appreciation. Appreciation for First Lutheran Church and its good work, for my family and friends, for an amazing sabbatical, for time in creation, and for a God who continues to bless us with abundance. I am confident that 2018 will be just as fulfilling.

It is easy to agree with the Psalmist who says, “Remember how short my time is--for what vanity you have created all mortals!” (Psalm 89:47) When we remember “all is vanity” then maybe we will not take ourselves so seriously nor allow others to burden us with unwanted worries. For the Psalmist also says, “The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore.” (Psalm 121:8) With that encouragement I look forward to filling my new calendar with future dates, vacations and meetings trusting that God is indeed there waiting.

So, I set aside my old calendar, after transferring the birthdates and anniversaries, with fondness, and pick up my new datebook with hope and eagerness. For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven. (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

May peace find us in the New Year!

Advent is a Time to Wait!

In our preschool chapel time we sing this song:

Advent is a time to wait.

Not yet time to celebrate.

Light the candles one by one

'Til the Advent time is done.

Christmas day will soon be here

Time for joy and time for cheer.

As we enter our Advent time on December 3 it is good to be reminded that for us as Christians we do not enter "Christmas time" yet. It is unfortunate that we can so easily be caught up in the feverish desire of the culture to ignore this waiting time. The decorations for Christmas were up before Thanksgiving Day and stores had already stocked their shelves with Christmas ornaments and wrapping paper way back in October. Who can blame them? For many stores this is the time to make their profits.

But for us we are called to a different way. We are encouraged to remember the reason Christ is coming into the world. That God's desire for peace and love are ignored for fear and hatred; that God's desire for the healing of the universe is ignored for the sake of profit; that we are called to worship God and not false idols. Advent calls us to light a small candle to stave off this darkness.

You see, Advent is a time to remember. A time to remember that all is not right in the world. A time to remember that people are hungry in a country with huge food waste. A time to remember that people are homeless in a country that has enough homes for everyone. A time to remember that the way of God is the way of Jesus.

As you light your candles one by one on your Advent Wreath take time to sit in silence and remember that the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth. From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace (John 1:14, 16).  In this knowledge we come to long for true Christmas to come when all will be filled with joy and cheer. 

Reforming Lives Reform the World

This October we will mark the 500th anniversary of the day Rev. Dr. Martin Luther, an
Augustinian Monk, University Professor of Old Testament, and Preacher at the Wittenberg Church, nailed 95 Theses (or arguments) against the selling of indulgences (or get out of purgatory cards). This action, which Rev. Dr. Luther did to spur a conversation in his community, was the match to the tinder of an explosive revolution.

These theses walked through an argument that can be summed up in this way: If God offers forgiveness freely, how can the church make people pay for it?

We do this a lot, you know. We take things that God gives freely and we market it as if we own it and have every right to profit from it. Take water for example. What more readily available resource is there in the world, besides dirt? In 2016 U.S. bottled water sales reached $16 billion.  To put it another way, the average cost per gallon of water is $1.22.  That is 300 times the cost of water from your faucet. More than half of all bottled water is tap water.

We humans can figure out a way to wrestle beautiful gifts from God and turn them into ugly profits with very little effort. It is almost a superpower.

Our good Brother Luther understands our sinful nature. He is very clear about who we humans are to each other and the earth. But, he also knows how full of love our God is and how God desires to heal the entire universe, freely. And God chooses to do so through water and the word of forgiveness. Jesus transforms wine and bread through the Word to nourish us in our walk of faith.

This radical notion that God gives freely grates against everything that this world desires, to profit off of another's misery. But we are called to speak truth to this power. To teach better ways of being in the this world and being God's hands in the healing of it. We are called to lead lives that infect this world with love of the other and love for this planet.

So, the next time you need a drink of water, remember your baptism and the freely given promise of God to forgive you and to love you forever, and get your water from the tap as a radical act to change the world.