Malaria! It's not sexy is it? Who worries about malaria? Well, quite frankly the people who live in sub-Sahara Africa do! Over 1,170 children in Africa lose their life to this disease every day! That is 50 children every hour, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year...
Not only does malaria kill, it is the number one reason children are not in school throughout sub-Sahara Africa. With all those days out of school, it has an impact on the economic vitality of the various nations affected. Like mosquitoes, this is a situation that continues to breed nothing but more problems.
Yet, it is not hard to fight back. Malaria vaccine is available at a price. Mosquito netting is inexpensive and can easily be made available. All that is needed is a hand up from folks like us.
A few years back, at the urging of our sister churches in Africa, the ELCA choose to make this a big deal. We are in the process of raising 15 million dollars to help eradicate malaria in Africa. It's not something that will make big headlines back home, there are no Hollywood stars speaking on TV, but it is big news to those communities decimated by the impact of this disease.
If you would like to help as we put the bite on this disease, you can go to the ELCA website or Peace Lutheran Church website to make a donation, because it's little things like this that make a big difference as we live out the vision of God's reign of peace.
Peace,
Pal
Monday, May 5, 2014
Friday, May 2, 2014
Racing...
WOW…Don Sterling sure caused a ruckus with his racist comments to his ex-girlfriend. It was good to see the NBA react within the full extent of its power, and now the owners seem to be marching in unison in their attempt to have Mr Sterling stripped of his franchise.
Of course there are many who have written striking essays in light of this event about the lingering effects of racism that continues to exist in America. We don't need another blog that piles it on Mr Sterling, or somehow casts a broad shadow on the nature of race relations in our country. Nor are we looking for an easy out such as, 'All are sinners who have fallen short of the glory of God.' So what does this whole affair say about our world?
Perhaps it is a story of redemption. It doesn't seem as if Mr Sterling is looking for redemption or that he is even repentant for his sins. Perhaps there is something bigger here. Perhaps the story is that it doesn't end with all sides slinging arrows at one another, but for the most part, all are in agreement that the goal is not to pick sides but to acknowledge that the only way forward is to acknowledge that we are 'one.'
Maybe it is a lesson we in the church might learn. We are so quick to point out the faults of those who believe differently than us. We are so quick to pick sides when confronted by the difficult social issues. We are so sure we know that we are right that we rarely give credence to competing claims. Maybe we can take a page from this affair; if color of skin or ethnic origin doesn't make us a devil, perhaps our beliefs don't either.
Now I am not so simplistic to believe that we can 'all just get along' or that there aren't some really whacko folks out there promoting religions of violence and hatred. Yes the world is made up of all kinds, but within reason, might we look for our common ground rather than seeking out that which divides. Maybe if the NBA can attempt to deal with racism, perhaps we in the church can deal with the divide of orthodoxy. Or to put it another way, can God redeem the heretics in our midst?
Peace,
Pal
Of course there are many who have written striking essays in light of this event about the lingering effects of racism that continues to exist in America. We don't need another blog that piles it on Mr Sterling, or somehow casts a broad shadow on the nature of race relations in our country. Nor are we looking for an easy out such as, 'All are sinners who have fallen short of the glory of God.' So what does this whole affair say about our world?
Perhaps it is a story of redemption. It doesn't seem as if Mr Sterling is looking for redemption or that he is even repentant for his sins. Perhaps there is something bigger here. Perhaps the story is that it doesn't end with all sides slinging arrows at one another, but for the most part, all are in agreement that the goal is not to pick sides but to acknowledge that the only way forward is to acknowledge that we are 'one.'
Maybe it is a lesson we in the church might learn. We are so quick to point out the faults of those who believe differently than us. We are so quick to pick sides when confronted by the difficult social issues. We are so sure we know that we are right that we rarely give credence to competing claims. Maybe we can take a page from this affair; if color of skin or ethnic origin doesn't make us a devil, perhaps our beliefs don't either.
Now I am not so simplistic to believe that we can 'all just get along' or that there aren't some really whacko folks out there promoting religions of violence and hatred. Yes the world is made up of all kinds, but within reason, might we look for our common ground rather than seeking out that which divides. Maybe if the NBA can attempt to deal with racism, perhaps we in the church can deal with the divide of orthodoxy. Or to put it another way, can God redeem the heretics in our midst?
Peace,
Pal
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
The Little Things
Last night a few of us met at Wildflower Bread Company to continue in a journey through Luke and Acts. We were ruminating on Luke Chapter 7, and the conversation had turned to the encounter between Jesus and John's disciples. John was in prison, and as he had plenty of time to think, it appears he was wondering if he had fulfilled his calling…
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
19
7.18 John’s disciples told him about all these things. Calling two of them, 19 he sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”
20 When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’”
Jesus responds to the disciples of John by reiterating what he proclaimed to his neighbors in Nazareth when he had his coming out party. You might remember that they handed him the scroll from Isaiah and he began to read the text.
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
19
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
While his neighbors were impressed with his proclamation, they didn't like that he went on to say that God would not be limited to working amongst the Jews. They kicked him out and sent him on his way.
Now Jesus is reiterating his mission statement to John's disciples.
21 At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. 22 So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy[a] are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. 23 Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”
And here is where God began to open us up. The question was asked, 'What does it mean to stumble on account of me?'
Lots of things were shared, but what got my juices going is when we realized that Jesus might be saying that we are blessed (God is within us) when we can see God in the places where we might imagine God is not. We are blessed (God is working on our hearts) when we see God in the brokenness of the world, and the shattered lives of humanity. We are blessed (God is helping us to see how God sees) when we see God amongst the poor, wounded, and oppressed of the world.
In just that one little phrase and the discussion that followed, it seems we were blessed. How about you?
Peace,
Pal
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Peace be With You!
'Peace be with you.'
These are the words of Jesus as he meets the disciples behind closed doors. He had promised them a special peace as they had gathered to share the Passover Meal, and now he keeps his promise.
That word 'peace' has a special place in the hearts of this community. We are the disciples of peace. We are followers of the Prince of Peace. Our courtyard is festooned with banners proclaiming, 'May Peace Prevail on all the Earth' in some 30 languages. For us peace is not the absence of war, but a sense of wholeness and holiness within that allows us to navigate the difficulties of this world.
Recently, I came across a study from Duke University that speaks to this issue. How do we discover peace for ourselves? Here is their analysis...
They listed eight keys to emotional and mental stability.
These are the words of Jesus as he meets the disciples behind closed doors. He had promised them a special peace as they had gathered to share the Passover Meal, and now he keeps his promise.
That word 'peace' has a special place in the hearts of this community. We are the disciples of peace. We are followers of the Prince of Peace. Our courtyard is festooned with banners proclaiming, 'May Peace Prevail on all the Earth' in some 30 languages. For us peace is not the absence of war, but a sense of wholeness and holiness within that allows us to navigate the difficulties of this world.
Recently, I came across a study from Duke University that speaks to this issue. How do we discover peace for ourselves? Here is their analysis...
They listed eight keys to emotional and mental stability.
- The first key is, “Get rid of suspicion and resentment.” Nursing a grudge is a major factor in unhappiness.
- The second is, “Don’t live in the past.” An unwholesome preoccupation with old mistakes and failures leads to depression.
- The third key is, “Don’t waste time and energy fighting conditions you cannot change.” Cooperate with life, instead of trying to run away from it.
- The fourth is, “Force yourself to stay involved with the living world.” Resist the temptation to withdraw and become reclusive during periods of emotional stress.
- The fifth is, “Refuse to indulge in self-pity when life hands you a raw deal.” Accept the fact that nobody gets through life without some sorrow and misfortune.
- The sixth is, “Cultivate the old-fashioned virtues love, humor, compassion and loyalty.”
- The seventh is, “Do not expect too much of yourself.” When there is too wide a gap between self-expectation and your ability to meet the goals you have set, feelings of inadequacy are inevitable.
- And finally, number eight is “Find something bigger than yourself to believe in.” Self-centered egotistical people score lowest in any test for measuring happiness.
Easter gives us something bigger to believe in. Easter calls us into a preferred future today. The gospels remind us that Easter is more than the resurrection of Jesus, but it is the invitation for us to live a resurrected life as Jesus sends us out to be the instruments of his peace.
Peace,
Pal
Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Isn't there more?
We are on the other side of Easter. Does it surprise you that the gospel writers spend so much effort on detailing the accounts of Jesus' crucifixion, yet very little is made of his post-resurrection encounters? Most scholars would say that the original Gospel of Mark ends with the woman running from the tomb afraid to say anything. Are we surprised later readers decided to add something more?
What can we make of this? I am reminded that Charlie Brown once was having a conversation with Linus, and he said something to the effect that we have two ears and only one mouth because listening is more important than speaking. Applying the same logic, it would seem that to the authors of the Gospels, the crucifixion is more important than Jesus' appearances following the resurrection. How is it then that we want to skip over the crucifixion and get right to the good stuff.
Maybe that's the point. Dietrich Bonhoeffer would accuse us of desiring cheap grace. Love without cost. Glory without sacrifice. Community in Christ without commitment. In other words, cheap grace is another way we try to place ourselves at the center of the narrative while God simply serves us our whims and desires on a cross shaped platter.
This last week I got an email from someone who attended one of our Holy Week services, and he put it this way;
I came to [worship] for some morsels, really expecting only the appetizer before the main course. I came away filled up, stuffed to the gills! Great message last evening, you were filled with a passion and a desire that can only be from God.
When a pastor gets an email like this, you don't readily forget it. Upon further reflection, however, I realize that as a pastor and as a people of faith, we often see the passion simply as the prelim prior to the promise of Easter. The passion is the thing we have to get through to get to the main course.
I do not wish to soft peddle what transpired that first Easter morning, or the significance Easter has on the way I look at life, but I believe the Gospel writers spend so much papyrus on the passion because the church that will be proclaiming this Good News will likely suffer the same fate as did Jesus. Even as the disciples and their followers boldly proclaim Christ's resurrection, they are paying for this privilege with their lives. The cross stands before them as much as it does behind them.
In the Gospels death and life are tied together far too tightly for our modern taste. Yes, there is life after death, but the Gospels will not deny that to follow Christ is the pathway toward death first! Or as Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote some 70 years ago, 'The call to follow Christ is the call to come and die.' On that note, Happy Easter!
Peace,
Pastor Al
What can we make of this? I am reminded that Charlie Brown once was having a conversation with Linus, and he said something to the effect that we have two ears and only one mouth because listening is more important than speaking. Applying the same logic, it would seem that to the authors of the Gospels, the crucifixion is more important than Jesus' appearances following the resurrection. How is it then that we want to skip over the crucifixion and get right to the good stuff.
Maybe that's the point. Dietrich Bonhoeffer would accuse us of desiring cheap grace. Love without cost. Glory without sacrifice. Community in Christ without commitment. In other words, cheap grace is another way we try to place ourselves at the center of the narrative while God simply serves us our whims and desires on a cross shaped platter.
This last week I got an email from someone who attended one of our Holy Week services, and he put it this way;
I came to [worship] for some morsels, really expecting only the appetizer before the main course. I came away filled up, stuffed to the gills! Great message last evening, you were filled with a passion and a desire that can only be from God.
When a pastor gets an email like this, you don't readily forget it. Upon further reflection, however, I realize that as a pastor and as a people of faith, we often see the passion simply as the prelim prior to the promise of Easter. The passion is the thing we have to get through to get to the main course.
I do not wish to soft peddle what transpired that first Easter morning, or the significance Easter has on the way I look at life, but I believe the Gospel writers spend so much papyrus on the passion because the church that will be proclaiming this Good News will likely suffer the same fate as did Jesus. Even as the disciples and their followers boldly proclaim Christ's resurrection, they are paying for this privilege with their lives. The cross stands before them as much as it does behind them.
In the Gospels death and life are tied together far too tightly for our modern taste. Yes, there is life after death, but the Gospels will not deny that to follow Christ is the pathway toward death first! Or as Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote some 70 years ago, 'The call to follow Christ is the call to come and die.' On that note, Happy Easter!
Peace,
Pastor Al
Monday, April 14, 2014
HOLY WEEK (Batman)!
Yes, it is that week we call Holy. It is the week we remember Christ's passion. It is the week of endless services. It is the week we have got to go through to get to Easter.
Now it can feel like this is the week we have got to get through, kind of like a last form of penance before we can enjoy the celebration of Easter. If you have seen The Passion of Christ then this is a week when you might feel really bad for what we humans are capable of doing, but you are nonetheless anticipating that it soon will be over. No matter whether we are liturgical or not, it is easy to want to skip over the multiple services this week and save up all our church-going for Sunday.
Having been a pastor for over 25 years now, I know that the combined worship attendance throughout this week will not even come close to what we see on Easter morning. Nonetheless, I would not give up these markers along the road for all the tea in China. I cannot jump so easily into the resurrection without first experiencing the horror of our humanity. The older I get, the more I am aware that this life will have an end (it usually sneaks up on me when I'm thinking about some of the moments of my 30's and 40's), and while I do not fear death, I must say I have a deep and abiding respect for it.
Rather than focusing upon the blood and the brutality of the passion week, I believe it is enough for me to drawn into the reality of the grave this week. That is painful enough. Yet, without wrestling with that reality the promise of Easter seems almost superficial to me. Maybe it a Ying and Yang kind of thing, but without all those services remembering the Last Supper and the march to Golgotha, Easter seems just too antiseptic for the realities of my life. I need the grave in order to know the grace.
Yes, there are a lot of services this week. Yes, I am glad that I get to be a part of them because its exactly what I need to get ready for Easter. How about you?
Peace,
Pal
Now it can feel like this is the week we have got to get through, kind of like a last form of penance before we can enjoy the celebration of Easter. If you have seen The Passion of Christ then this is a week when you might feel really bad for what we humans are capable of doing, but you are nonetheless anticipating that it soon will be over. No matter whether we are liturgical or not, it is easy to want to skip over the multiple services this week and save up all our church-going for Sunday.
Having been a pastor for over 25 years now, I know that the combined worship attendance throughout this week will not even come close to what we see on Easter morning. Nonetheless, I would not give up these markers along the road for all the tea in China. I cannot jump so easily into the resurrection without first experiencing the horror of our humanity. The older I get, the more I am aware that this life will have an end (it usually sneaks up on me when I'm thinking about some of the moments of my 30's and 40's), and while I do not fear death, I must say I have a deep and abiding respect for it.
Rather than focusing upon the blood and the brutality of the passion week, I believe it is enough for me to drawn into the reality of the grave this week. That is painful enough. Yet, without wrestling with that reality the promise of Easter seems almost superficial to me. Maybe it a Ying and Yang kind of thing, but without all those services remembering the Last Supper and the march to Golgotha, Easter seems just too antiseptic for the realities of my life. I need the grave in order to know the grace.
Yes, there are a lot of services this week. Yes, I am glad that I get to be a part of them because its exactly what I need to get ready for Easter. How about you?
Peace,
Pal
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Men's Retreat
I felt really bad missing our PLC Men's Retreat at Spirit in the Desert this past weekend. We had a great speaker sparking our thoughts about God, men, boys, and fatherhood. This is a subject near and dear to my heart as we imagine the passing on of faith and values to the next generation.
Unfortunately, I had already made a commitment (and didn't sync my calendars) to ride as a 'marshal' for the 100 mile Tour de Cure for Diabetes. It is an annual ride I commit to doing in honor of my sister-in-law who suffers with diabetes. It's a great cause, and this year we had a record amount of money donated here in Phoenix... Nearly $500,000! It felt good to be part of such an event.
Nonetheless, I felt bad that I could not be two places at once... and it made me think about the priorities of my life. Living fast doesn't give us much time to reflect upon priorities, which in turn leads toward shallow living. Living fast frequently means that external influences as compared to internal values have far more impact upon the direction of our lives.
I believe that all of us exist with the idea that we want our lives to count. We want to make a difference. We want to leave the world a better place. Too often those ideals are swamped by the demands of getting through the week ahead. The concept of sabbath was intended to give us a moment to rest so we might go deeper, think longer term, and reconnect with meaning and purpose in life. Sabbath is an essential part of our stewardship of soul, community, and our world.
Just recently I heard a report that 12 of the 13 warmest recorded years for this planet have occurred since the year 2000. We know that global warming is real; that droughts, storms, and flooding are a real result of human interaction with our environment. Yet, the new twist on that old saying is, we all complain about the weather, but we are unwilling to do anything to change it. We know that a positive change for the future of our world will require a change in our behavior today.
Our psyche and soul are under the same sort of stress as our environment. The storms are bigger, the droughts are hotter, and we are flooded by our fears. We complain, but again we do little to change it. Perhaps the first thing we will want to do is to create the space for sabbath in our lives. This small change might result in a 'sea change' for our lives.
Creating sabbath moments each day simply requires a bit of intentionality and a willingness to shift the focus from me to 'thee.' It might mean expanding our vision by attempting to see the world and my part in it through the eyes of God. It means a moment to reflect upon the bigger, greater purpose of life and our partnership in this grand adventure.
Maybe this is something we can commit to trying for the remainder of Lent. Taking 10 minutes each day to get out of ourselves so as to enter into the imagination of God.
Peace,
Pal
Unfortunately, I had already made a commitment (and didn't sync my calendars) to ride as a 'marshal' for the 100 mile Tour de Cure for Diabetes. It is an annual ride I commit to doing in honor of my sister-in-law who suffers with diabetes. It's a great cause, and this year we had a record amount of money donated here in Phoenix... Nearly $500,000! It felt good to be part of such an event.
Nonetheless, I felt bad that I could not be two places at once... and it made me think about the priorities of my life. Living fast doesn't give us much time to reflect upon priorities, which in turn leads toward shallow living. Living fast frequently means that external influences as compared to internal values have far more impact upon the direction of our lives.
I believe that all of us exist with the idea that we want our lives to count. We want to make a difference. We want to leave the world a better place. Too often those ideals are swamped by the demands of getting through the week ahead. The concept of sabbath was intended to give us a moment to rest so we might go deeper, think longer term, and reconnect with meaning and purpose in life. Sabbath is an essential part of our stewardship of soul, community, and our world.
Just recently I heard a report that 12 of the 13 warmest recorded years for this planet have occurred since the year 2000. We know that global warming is real; that droughts, storms, and flooding are a real result of human interaction with our environment. Yet, the new twist on that old saying is, we all complain about the weather, but we are unwilling to do anything to change it. We know that a positive change for the future of our world will require a change in our behavior today.
Our psyche and soul are under the same sort of stress as our environment. The storms are bigger, the droughts are hotter, and we are flooded by our fears. We complain, but again we do little to change it. Perhaps the first thing we will want to do is to create the space for sabbath in our lives. This small change might result in a 'sea change' for our lives.
Creating sabbath moments each day simply requires a bit of intentionality and a willingness to shift the focus from me to 'thee.' It might mean expanding our vision by attempting to see the world and my part in it through the eyes of God. It means a moment to reflect upon the bigger, greater purpose of life and our partnership in this grand adventure.
Maybe this is something we can commit to trying for the remainder of Lent. Taking 10 minutes each day to get out of ourselves so as to enter into the imagination of God.
Peace,
Pal
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