Why The 'Great Divide'?

After I retired I agreed to be on an synod team to brainstorm ways to do church better.  Ways to bring God’s word in more effective ways.  Because, it was becoming more than obvious that the mainstream denominations were less and less needed — Less relevant.  Less important in people’s lives.

I am no longer active on that team; but my heart is still actively involved in the why, and how the need for God, or church membership, or faith has been replaced in people’s lives.

This trend away from the practices, and ingrained rituals, of the institutional church has created a huge need for the people of God to change how they “do church.”

That my friends is monumental expectation.

Here is what I think is the number on reason for this movement away.  It is the first time in history we can fine four, maybe five, generations in one congregation.  This one fact alone should give us good idea what has created, what I have named, ‘the great divide.’

All you have to do is imagine five generations living in the same home.  And each generation has its own way of doing life.  

BOOM!

          And life is never the same! 

                                        And changes happens!

However change, vicissitude (Unpredictable change usually meaning an unfortunate event or circumstance. Things that alter the moment but also our way of living, thinking, reasoning), the intrusion that creates alteration, is not only a natural in life’s cycles.  It is a good — or can be good — for positive growth.  

Just like the change of seasons offer a wealth of variety to the earth.  Change give each of us the possibility, the opportunity, for a more creative and abundant life. 

After all, history and its progress, has a way of creating change in all areas of human situation and habits.  That is, with each evolving generation the world has experienced ”different.”

The vicissitude being realized in the Christian church today has altered the entire vision of what it mean to be a “Christian” — one who wants to follow the ways of Jesus Christ — that sidesteps the traditional Christian mores, customs and rituals.

This change has smashed the institutional church’s way of spreading the Word to the world.  Creating a quandary for those called to lead. 

In the Lutheran tradition, as well as other denominations, these intrusions are not received with great joy. Quite the opposite, the mentality is: “ We like it the way it has always been.”    But it is actually more than that.  It is a matter of knowing, worshiping and living faithfully to God. It is what they know as “right” and “good” and “sacred.”

There in lies the problem with a major part of the world population. 

Those, in the younger age groups, find it hard to be apart of the traditional vision of “a church member.”  And the  ingrained ways of “doing church” are almost impossible for them to penetrate.   

They get too much resistance to their wonders, questions and ideas.

We older folks have grown up counting on, and revering,  the old rituals as treasures to a truth we hold dear.  It is almost as if it is they are right there, with the ten commandments, written on stone never to be erased. 

In many ways, being a born traditionalist, I also have grown up loving the liturgical ways of worshiping God.  My favorite church, as a child, was the Roman Catholic congregation.  I was totally drawn to all of their regularly practiced rituals, their icons and metals to the Saints.  I wanted to be apart of that way of following Jesus. 

However that was the same time in history when it was against all the “holy rules” for Catholics and Protestants to go to a another church and visa versa.

In those days there was no flexibly between denominations.  

    

No possible way to budge. 

    

No wiggle room for change.

My husband told me about living in his small Montana town, when he was a boy.  The Lutherans church was on one side of the street.  The Catholic church was on the other.  It was against every thing they believed to walk on the “wrong side” of that street.  

The Lutheran kids walked on “their side,”

The Catholic kids side walked on “their side.”

They lived all of their life in that non-inclusive way.

I can’t help but wonder if that narrow way of thinking bled into the social times?  I mean, did the grade school and high school activities exclude any possible connection between the two?

I have to assume it must have;  because the huge issue, of the day, was if two people, of different church affiliation,  decided to get married.  WOW! All hell broke loose in the two families involved.

Pretty sad.

Change can be, and is, just a part of our human existence.  Gradually change comes whether we like it or not.

One thing I do know for sure — at least as far as I can be sure — God’s love for we nutty people never changes.

I cannot help but believe that God is filled with ecstatic joy, and laughter, when we simply  believe in His existence.

Okay, Okay, or Her existence 

But you must remember I am seventy-seven years old and God will always be a “He” to me.  

Jesus did, after all call, God “father.”

So, I keep asking: What has changed this passion to worship God with sisters and brother of the faith?  

Or, has it change?  

Maybe the passion is still there, just displayed in different ways in different people?  Maybe people are just as faithful, just as real, just as honest and true; but doing faith differently.   

What I have come to know, from much personal study, is that it isn’t because people don’t believe in God  anymore.  That is not the reason people are not filling the pews on Sunday morning.  

No.

The young people I have been privileged to serve with think it is more important to live their faith by simply doing what Jesus taught.  Serving, loving, giving acting, speaking in Jesus name.  

Being a “member” of a congregation is not the only way to be a “Christian.”

What I am thinking, as I am writing, is:  Is must boggle our minds today to read about people who spent their entire lives — every minute, every breathe — just longing and waiting to be in Jesus presence.  To spend ninety percent of their energy wanting to please God.

That is just not obvious in todays busy culture.

The truth is, God handles “different” quite well. Because God sees past the obvious to the depth of each generation  — each person's heart.

Whether we sit in a pew or ride a bike, or take a walk, of play tennis, run track, or play golf…God knows we believe in him or not.  

And by the way, it is not how “much” we believe.  But that we do believe.

Do You Believe In Grace?

In my senior exam (a time when several people, of theological status, question my ability and integrity for being ordained after graduation from seminary) one of the questions they asked was: “What is it about the Lutheran tradition that make you sure you want to preach The Word to others?”  “Grace” I responded. “Grace is a treasure that not many denominations are guided by.”

For those of you who do not know.  I was raised in a very ecumenical family.  We were allowed to visit many different religious gatherings in our childhood.  I did not hear too much, if at all, about God’s grace.  

What I did hear was that I had to be “very very good.”  Otherwise God would be displeased with me.  

That message was confusing for a child who loved Jesus’ tender and accepting ways.

The definition, of grace, that has made the most sense to me is: “God’s activity in our lives.”  God’s love, forgiveness and acceptance in our lives.  

It is kind of like : “God’s will be done.” 

You know, “Thy will not my will” prayer Jesus prayed the night before he was arrested.  

Or, “Forgive as I have forgiven you.” 

Or, “Pray for you enemies and love those who persecute you.”  

Or “When someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also.”

Or, “Give to everyone who begs from and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.”

Or, The short little line that says so much “In my name.”  That is, do and be in God’s name — not yours name.

Not long ago I listened to a colleague of mine, in a sermon, ask:  “Do we agree with grace?”

An interesting question.

She was preaching on the story of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32).  A story that offers grace to a son who, by all rights, did not deserve his fathers understanding nor unconditional love.  

She asked again: “Do we agree with the grace shown in this story?”

If the truth be known, we probably would have to say no.  No, because that is not the way our human mind seem to be programed.

We are more tempted to go along with the older son:

²⁸Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. ²⁹But he answered his father, “Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. ³⁰But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!” 

Here is the truth as we are tempted to see it:  It is not fair!

                                                                                         Right?

Here is Jesus’ answer to our way of thinking:

³¹Then the father said to him, “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. ³²But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.”(Luke 15)

Do we agree with such extravagant grace?

An interesting, most pointed, question for anyone who professes a faith in the God who created all that is.

We Find God In the Most Impossible Places

Good morning, I haven’t written since early February, as the snow fell thick and white upon the earth.  Now it has moved into the wet and windy season of spring.  

And I am remembering a day in Seattle, last September (2018), when the sun was hot and I was lost.  

Well, not actually lost.  But I needed to find my way, in an unfamiliar city, to a train station that would take me to the airport.  

On this day I was exhausted and much too hot.  I had just missed my train to Portland.  

I went to the lady at the Amtrak counter to ask about how to get to the airport.  She told to take the local “Green Line” train.  “It just a short distance from here.  You just go over the bridge over there; that crosses our train tracks.”   I could see the bridge out the window.

I did as she directed.

I crossed over the bridge and was standing on the corner, of a busy street, questioning the directions the woman gave me.   

My tired mind didn’t think her directions made since (; 

Or, maybe her directions  just didn’t make sense to my way of thinking.  This is a familiar temptation, of mine, that often gets me into a mess of some kind.

Clarification before I begin:  This story may cause you to quickly say: “Oh Marcia, that was a stupid choice.” And you would be correct.  I actually thought it myself.  But-noun-the-less here is what happened.
  

I saw a young woman, say about 35 or 40, walking toward me. I decide to ask her for help.  I told her where I was going; and told her the directions I was given didn’t make sense.  She replied:  “Oh no, I will take you right to where you need to be.”

Now remember, I was hot, exhausted, frustrated and just wanted to sit down in a cool place.  

Well, we stated to walk down one block, then two, then three, then more.  While we walked, we made small talk.  You know, where are you from, where was I going etc.. 

She told me she was from the Southern California, she had children who were not all that close to her anymore (relationship wise).  It didn’t take me long to realize that she was pretty much living on the not-so-desirable-side-of-life.  

I began to think that I was doomed; and that she was taking me to a not so nice area to rob me, or hurt me, in someway.  I prayed, and prayed some more; but at the same time remaining quite calm actually.

After walking, about seven or eight blocks, she said: “We are almost there.”  As we arrive, at the next corner, there were all sort of unsavory looking folks selling stuff off tables.  

She pointed to the right, where the seedy folks were, and said “the train station is just over there.”

I braced myself for what would come next.  

We walked pass the questionable stands of goods.  When an obvious homeless man, pushing the grocery cart, walked by us.  The young woman greeted him.   We walked a short distance further, the man with the grocery cart walking beside us, and she stoped and said “The train will come right down there and you’ll want to be on the right side of the platform.”

I was so relieved that I thanked her and said:   “I would like to offer you this with my gratitude.” And gave her the last small bills I had in my purse, eight dollars.  She looked at the cash and said “Thank you.  I wouldn’t take this, but I really can use it.”  And added: “God Bless you.” 

But thats is not the end of the story.  

Then she took the there singles and gave them to the man with the grocery cart.  He tried to refuse; but she insisted putting the three dollars in his cart.  

Something extraordinary filled my being at that moment.  

I walk down the train platform almost dancing.  My once exhausted body seemed light; and more willing to try to get where I thought I needed to be. I got on the train for the long ride to the Seattle airport.

To my great disappointment I found that you can’t just walk up to an airline counter anymore and buy a ticket.  Nope! You have to buy the ticket “online.”  

I sat on the closest bench and wanted to cry.  After a tiny petty party, I got myself a sandwich and call my cousin. Who I had been visiting the night before, and he came and got me.  

That long day ended with a wonderful extra visit with my cousins in the comfort of their home eating, sharing wine and laughter.  

I was blessed twice that day.

What seemed an impossible situation, in midmorning, turned out to be a precious grace filled memory.