From Sanctuary to Capitol

EQUALITY is one of our core values, and in the heart of Montrose we know that our neighbors most in need of this justice are the poor and the LGBTQ community. Now that we're a year old as a worshiping community, we are discovering where our relationships with neighbors have taken root and where they have the opportunity to blossom.  We are active in the fight for justice not because it matches up with our pre-determined passions.  We show up alongside our neighbors in need because we are invited.  Our LGBTQ friends from the church, the neighborhood, and beyond have asked us to be here. We don't don the rainbow flag because it makes us trendy, we do it because we take the call to love one another seriously.  It's not a casual decoration, it means marching in the streets when real lives are at stake. 

So when our Transgender folks asked if we could show up at the state Capitol, we said, "of course."  Thanks to the LGBTQ Caucus, the church parking lot became the staging area for a a bus full of witnesses.  Pastor Ashley and friend of KINDRED, April Wackenreuter, spent weeks working on their prepared statements, packed up for Austin, and spent the next 24 hours on the road for justice.  The Texas Senate Committee on State Affairs was hearing testimony on State Bill 6, which would have everyone use bathrooms at government-run buildings (i.e. schools, courthouses, post offices) according to the gender assigned on their birth certificates.  The bill is touted as one that would protect women and children in vulnerable spaces, but actually puts transgender people at significant risk .  Read more about the bill here.

We heard testimony after testimony about the statistics that over 40% of transgender people attempt suicide and we've seen our own friends hunted down and beaten for who God created them to be. Seven transgender women of color have already been murdered in our state so far this year. The testimony of Dr. Colt Keo-Meier is packed full of scientific study and is not to be missed.  Even children stayed throughout the night to tell their stories to the panel of Senators.

In the face of such life and death policy, the church can not remain silent.  While we only had two of our folks traveling to Austin, the outpouring of encouraging messages and prayers that surrounded them offered strength and grace sufficient to the day. It is a matter of privilege to be free to take an entire day to travel, sit, and wait for your chance to speak but so many others used their voices when and where they could - calling their Senators, bringing coffee and pizza to hungry and tired activists, watching along on live stream to root us on.

Here are the transcripts from April and Pastor Ashley's testimonies.  First, from April:

Madam Chair, and members of the committee, my name is April Frances Wackenreuter from Houston and I’m here to testify in opposition to SB6.

I have served six years in the Navy and an additional fourteen years in the US Coast Guard before retiring. During my service, I married my wife and we have now been together forty-one years.  Later, I entered the US Postal Service and served for twenty years. 

I am a Christian and also transgender. My wife supports me and my church supports me.  I need my state to protect me.

I have served as an election poll worker and have been called three times as part of a jury pool.  With these discriminatory bathroom policies, I would not be able to serve my civic duty.  When I worked at the Post Office,  there was only one unisex restroom.  I tried going there but on four occasions I had accidents.  I would try to avoid restrooms so long it came to the point of giving myself a bladder infection.

Out in public, the first thing I usually look for are the rest rooms - checking out the locations and trying to figure out if they are accessible to me.  I will even ask managers for permission to use the restroom and I never have been denied access.  I feel as though at 69 years of age I still raise my hand to go to the bathroom.  This is a matter of basic human health.

I am also told that bills like SB6 are about safety and I agree.  If I am forced to use a men’s bathroom, my safety is at risk.

I think about dying just about all the time these days.  I had a (transgender?) co-worker years ago shot and killed along with two of her three children.  I go to the vigils of slain transgender women.  There have been seven murders of transgender women so far this year and I don’t want to be next. 

This is a matter of safety…and a matter of basic human health. Thank you for making sure Texans like me are not put in harm’s way by discriminatory bills like SB6.

---

From Pastor Ashley:

My name is Pastor Ashley Dellagiacoma. I serve Kindred, a Lutheran Church in Houston. I am a 7th generation Texan and my young daughter is the 8th generation of our family to make its home here in the State of Texas. We love this place, but we love the people even more. That’s why I’m here to testify in opposition to SB6. SB6 would have us treat Transgender Texans as less than people, by systematically denying them access to the most basic of human needs.  To allow this policy anywhere is to degrade the humanity of every Texan.

Some have said that SB6 is intended to protect people like me and my daughter, while there is no evidence that this bill makes us any safer than existing laws. In the camples we have heard today where women were tragically victimized in intimate spaces by CISGENDER men, the problem named was that their presence was not questioned.  If SB6 is passed trans men (who are men!) will now be entering the women’s room and therefore we have made no progress toward privacy. Meanwhile, I have seen too much evidence of a transgender woman beaten by strangers, too much evidence of a transgender child wetting themselves while trekking to the nurse’s office or being bullied to the point of suicide.  We must protect the dignity and the life of these who are already vulnerable to the violence of prejudice.

So I beg of you, do not put SB6 forward on my behalf as a woman, a mom, or as a Christian.  My faith demands that I renounce fear.  The bible insists that I stand alongside those who are put in harm’s way. Jesus commands us to recognize the humanity of every person.  I won’t let myself be tricked into fearing a threat that will not be solved by this and neither should you. The gain is nonexistent and the sacrifice is real lives. Do not let this bill cripple our state – our economy and our integrity. Do not hurt the people I love with policies that endanger their health and their humanity.

Putting the REST in RESisTance

This week...Jesus asks a big question, "is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to destroy it?"   Read the full text:

Here's the thing. Arguments are rarely about the thing you think they're about. At least at first. Perhaps you've found yourself arguing with your spouse about who took the dog out last when it's really about equality in partnership, being appreciated and valued. I was just listening to a podcast called startup where two entrepreneurs had hit a boiling point over the way one of them called out the other in a public way. In the end, the blow up wasn't at all about client relations but how they are valued as partners, how they fit in the dream of the business, and ultimately their shared fear that it all might fail and they would be shamed as failures.

So when we see this scriptural squabble we have to ask, what is this really about. The Pharisees and Jesus are arguing about what is lawful in the sabbath, but the bigger question is what is at the heart of God’s law and who are we as God’s people.

In a culture as politically charged and divisive as ours, it's helpful to remember that the Pharisees were actually concerned with what would keep them true to their identity and their values. The question is about what's at the heart of that identity. They're not evil overlords, their concern comes from a faithful place. I'm not saying every argument is equally valid or holds this same weight, but perhaps the people on the other side of the table are more human than we often acknowledge.

The sabbath is one of the things that makes the Jewish community distinctive. It was established as a reflection of God's own being as she rested in the ultimate act at the birthing of creation. It is a gift to the people were slaves in Egypt. It was commanded that the gift extend to every slave, every field, every animal, every person. It was the original labor law. It forces us to acknowledge that we can not ignore our souls forever, that our spirit needs regularly tending to.

It is established for the purpose of cultivating restoring life and life abundant. Somewhere along the way we forgot and misplaced the means as the ends themselves. Jesus comes to right the ship, to correct our course. To fulfill the law of the sabbath at its heart. Is it really about avoiding all activity, or even attending temple? Only as those means serve the end of restoring the soul for the work of the kingdom of God.

We still desperately need the sabbath, perhaps more than ever. In our 24/7 world of connectivity and content it's hard to establish a true sabbath. We are enslaved to “production mode.” Always being stimulated to consume or agitated to accomplish. Beyond our struggle to find stillness, the dissonance experienced in our souls between our faith which clearly and repeatedly calls us to care for the immigrant and the refugee and the news that they are being rejected midair, it's emotionally and spiritually exhausting.

The sabbath roots us deeply within god's care and promise. And a tree with deep roots is not easily blown over. You are allowed to rest, to take a break. You don't have to respond to every Facebook post, you can't make it to every doctor's appointment with your friend. We don't have to feel shame or guilt. We have to be rested in order to restore the strength we need for the resistance ahead.

The sabbath is essential to our rhythm of work and rest. Essential to our right understanding that it is God and not ourselves at the center of the universe. That goodness and mercy will continue, that God will provide beyond our own actions. I say this as the person who is blowing up people’s Facebook feeds, feverishly texting folks about rallies at the airport, while running around from plane to hotel to meetings. But God humbles me and reminds me that there must be rest within God must be a part of this rhythm or I will lose the anchor, the holy tether, the deep root of the Gospel which is the real reason I do any of those things. in prayer and in worship and in rest, in playfulness and in beauty, God reminds us who we are. That we are loved and we are connected. That we are not machines, we do not exist for what we can accomplish or achieve. We exist for love and healing and hope.

Sometimes following Christ will mean we forego our liturgy of worship and practice service to our neighbor or the joy of celebration like we did at Beer and Hymns at St Arnold’s last fall, or when we walked to neighborhood to collect donations for homeless youth last summer. It's Not what we'll do all the time, but as the Spirit calls us to engage this practice of life-giving redemption.

What the sabbath gives us is goodness and life, and it's the kind of life that begets life. And to that end, God will not be stopped. Jesus will have none of our attempted “good order” or misplaced morality if it stands in the way of the Gospel. God will not be stopped by executive orders, border walls, or internet trolls. God will not abandon us to our addictions, not to opiates nor incessant motion and production. God pursues her people with fierce and enduring compassion, takes us and ALL people under her wing so that we might find rest sufficient for the day and remember why it is we work in the first place. Amen. 

Resources for your practice of sabbath:

Local: Did you know there's a beautiful labyrinth nearby at St. Thomas University?  It's a great way to center yourself, meditate, pray, or just find stillness.  

I connect and restore through quiet time, nature, and spirit-stimulating podcasts or music.  Here are a few more of my local favorites:  Buffalo Bayou Park, Houston Arboretum, a quiet Sunday morning coffee at Campesino, free yoga at Discovery Green, Hermann Park and Centenial Gardens.

Digital:  commonprayer.net - it's a website or an app that gives you a brief order of prayer (including music).  It's what we use for morning prayer while baking our weekly bread.

Meta: While sitting on a plane, the woman next to me shared about a book she had read that listed 4 things that are even more restorative than healthy eating, exercise, and rest.  Say what?  Yup!  They are: unitasking (as opposed to multitasking), self compassion, optimism, and mindfulness.  Here's the book:

Christ on the Docks and in the Cubicle

After being run out of the temple in his hometown, Jesus gains a reputation for teaching and begins to call unlikely folks along for the ride.

or

We went to the Holy Land to film sacred stories in their sacred places. This is the first of many, told by storyteller and pastor Peder Johanson.

There has been a change of scenery since we gathered last week. We are in a different time and place. Even the constant horizon looks different. Crowds are building in the public places. The people are restless and expectant. Jesus has left the tumultuous temple in Nazareth and has come down to the shores of everyday life. Working folks wonder what this Gospel message has to say to them. Will there be a place for them in the Kingdom of God? What does it mean for their lives in the midst of trying eat a well-balanced breakfast, waiting to see if their new medication will help, and making sure they meet their quotas at the office?

Jesus takes this message on the road and out to the streets. He's not on tour to sold out stadiums, but down at the docks with the shift workers. If you've been to the Houston ship channel, you know it’s not glamorous work and it doesn't top the charts as a place to see and be seen. Here on the third coast, we know that shrimp boats in the gulf have their own special fragrance and the fish cleaning stations back on shore are not places anyone would choose for a press conference.

But it is here, with these people - the tired, the poor, the huddled masses...that Christ comes to say such wonderful things and do such amazing things. God comes to the common places, calls everyday people where they are, as they are. Jesus tells these guys standing on the beach after an exhausting and defeating night shift, to go back out and give it one more try. I'm sure that these people who had supported themselves by fishing for their entire lives welcomed the advice of a random carpenter passing by (sarcasm font).

Simon begins his rebuttal, his well-reasoned explanation of why this will most likely be a waste of time....and yet, he also recognizes that the person suggesting such bold moves is not some cruel taskmaster. He calls Jesus "master," conferring respect and already moving him to follow. Still, I don't think Simon is truly convinced. He leaves all the extra help off in the distance only to find later that he should have brought them along. So I don't think this is a story about Simon Peters standalone faithfulness. They probably would have been happy to find anything in their nets, but their nets are filled to capacity and then some. God's abundance is bursting beyond what they thought possible.

We categorize this as a miracle story, but perhaps the miracle is what happens next. In his stunned amazement, Simon confess himself as a sinful man, an imperfect and unworthy beneficiary of God's grace. To which Jesus responds with an invitation. Jesus doesn't negate the people's shortcomings, doesn't whitewash them away, but still embraces these unassuming, unwashed, and unlikely candidates as co-workers in the gospel.
Jesus comes to them where they are, as they are, and invites them to come and follow, to come and be a part, to come join in the meaningful work of the Kingdom of God. They will not only be spectators but participants in this work.

Miracles aren't only moments when God suspends the laws of nature but a movement in which She transcends the laws of the status quo. These folks are not on the Forbes list of most influential fishermen, they are not at the top of their field. In fact, that day they bombed pretty bad. They haven't been to a discipleship class either. They haven't yet been equipped to "fish for people" either. But God doesn't call the equipped, God equips those she calls.

Simon Peter is not perfect, not a noted or distinguished leader. He confesses sin, acknowledges his brokenness and Jesus still says follow me. And on that sinful, imperfect rock the church will build a foundation.

God calls us to come and follow - not only as spectators but as participants, as meaningful contributors to the work of the Gospel. God comes to us where we are, as we are - as moms who may never measure up to Pinterest or write inspirational memoirs, as kids who aren't necessarily on the honor roll, as shift workers who don't have anything set aside in savings. We, the ones with chipped nail polish, with no diploma, with unimpressive titles or zip codes. We who have been hauling around that bag of donations but can't ever seem to actually drop them off, who aren't sure what we would say if anyone asked us what any of this matters. We are called to come and be a part.

This call is not about quitting your day job. You don't have to join a monastery to follow Jesus. Jesus comes to you where you are, even in the stinky fish boat, but  then shifts the WAY we do the work.  
The disciples are still called to fishing, but with a different motivation a different perspective. So following Jesus doesn't mean you have to quit your job as a sales rep to become a foreign missionary. Keep your 9-5, your shiftwork, your landscaping job, but be on the lookout for how God is calling you to be a part of the work of the Gospel in the midst of it.

Maybe you're the gardener that can recommend native plants that benefit God's creation. Maybe when your office is looking for a team-building activity, you can be the one to suggest serving a meal for Montrose Grace Place.

Maybe you're like my dad, the manager of the same piano company for his whole life - an easy going guy who just wants to love his family and probably never pictured himself as an activist. But on Saturday he hoisted his granddaughter up on his shoulders with a shirt that said "God is love", a pink sign that read "girls are awesome," and joined the march for women.
Maybe you can't make it to a rally or press conference to protect the rights of others, but maybe you can design the promo fliers, maybe you can share the pictures and stories on social media to amplify the voice of justice. And every one of us can call our state and federal representatives to share how our faith compels us to speak up for the immigrant, the uninsured, the disabled, and all the vulnerable.
You don't have to be a professional activist, but you are an active part of the movement to reveal god's abundant grace and wide welcome wherever you are.

There is a place for everyone in this movement. Indeed, we are not sent alone. There is more than one called disciple here. Together we can take bold, if uncertain, steps. Our invitation is to come and follow Christ above all, above country, above occupation, above our shortcomings. But we also follow Christ through those things, through politics, through our jobs, even through our brokenness as it is transformed into a way we can sit next to others who are hurting and say "me too". To follow Christ is to resist the idolatry of isolation, self-interest,  and scarcity. We follow Jesus, no matter what's on our w-2, or who's in the White House. Those things impact what it looks like for us to follow God, but the call to follow in the way of ultimate peace and justice remains the same.

I invite you to take a moment to think about two things: what's one way you are being invited to follow Jesus in your daily life and regular rhythms this week? Who are you following to learn how to do that meaningful work?

Come for the food. Stay for the people. Go with a blessing.

a guest blog by Jesse Letourneau

I first arrived at Kindred in the summer of 2016. I was promised there would be food. I was told I would be fed. Instead, Pastor Ashley explained that this evening we would be doing something called worskship. For the next hour or so I helped sort clothing donations for Grace Place. The evening ended with Communion. “All are welcome. Sinner and Saint, Child and Skeptic” These words intrigued me.

I returned to Kindred a few weeks later. I attended service on a semi-regular basis. That summer Kindred alternated between workship (mostly sorting donations for various groups) and meals. Pastor Ashley often spoke of building Kindred together; stating that Kindred is made up of all who are present.” I have been a part of Church life since I was born. From nursery to high school group, young adult to not so young adult, my life has centered on the gathering of God’s people. What Kindred offers, what Kindred is, is unique to each of these experiences.

Summer turned to Fall and weekly meals resumed as the steady rhythm of Kindred. Soon I found myself attending weekly, as gathering around the Table became a steady rhythm of my own. I had become a part of building Kindred each week. Fall became Advent and I was asked to lead Kindred in the sacred story of the Magi, the Shepherds and all the rest. The story of Advent is the story of Emmanuel. Kindred had become for me a place where Emmanuel was experienced each week.

I often feel out of place when I enter a new space. However, Kindred is more than simply a place where leadership gives lip service to the idea of building community while the reality is that nothing new has been developed or created. Kindred became for me a place that is “made up of all who are present.” It is place where God is felt not merely in songs and sermons but in the presence of each member gathered around the table that evening. I have experienced God at Kindred. I have experienced God in Kindred. I have experienced God in the smiles of those who greet me each week, in hugs and in prayers, and in good food shared with good people.

The Advent season soon became the Christmas season. And now we enter into the Great Green Growing Season of the Church calendar. In this time of transition, I find myself in transition as well. My time with Kindred has come to a close. God has called me to serve a church in California. A new personal weekly rhythm will emerge. A rhythm I have no doubt where I will still find Emmanuel. But it will no longer be in the physical company of Kindred.

I first arrived at Kindred expecting to be fed. Seeking out physical food.

Kindred has been a place where I have been fed and have been fed well. However, I was fed not only with the meals that were served, but with the presence of God experienced through all who were present.

Expectations, Resistance & Radicals

Jesus embarks in his ministry and he begins in his hometown.  But it didn't go over like everyone expected. Read the week's text here:

This is the text that made me incredibly nervous about preaching in my home congregation for the first time after seminary.  I could hear it in the back of my mind and I thought…if I do this the way I’m supposed to, they’re going to run me out with pitchforks.  I think I even wore tennis shoes under my robe that day just in case.  These are the people who love me, who raised me, who know the stories about the hell I put our Sunday school teachers through and all the times I got “lost” on youth trips.  Hell, my pastor even told one of these infamous stories at my ordination! 

These are the people who know my grandparents and my parents and the people that my parents will have to sit next to next week when I’m gone. They know my best self and my worst self…but I was still nervous about whether or not they’d reject me now. 

I had come to learn just how radical Jesus’ message was, and I had come to embrace my own responsibility in telling that truth, and I knew that message was not always welcome…even if we said it was.  I know that because I don’t always welcome and embrace this message, not without a valiant resistance. It’s not that Jesus was about making inflammatory speeches just for the fun of it, but when you fail to meet the expectations of the crowd, especially the crowd that sees you as “one of them”…you’re gonna ruffle some feathers.

Of course, it didn’t start out that way.  Jesus enters the synagogue, and the scriptures tell us that he did this regularly, and he’s obviously trusted enough to be handed one of the scrolls to read.  The ancient words of the prophet Isaiah ring out: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."  And as he sat down he says, “today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”  Well, they had nothing but good things to say about him at that point. That sounds like good news to me! He’s talking about freedom, forgiveness, a clean slate! The year of jubilee!  And we, his oldest pals get to hear it first. That sounds like GREAT news!  It’s probably even greater news to us who have known him so long, who come from the same place. Of course a choice piece of that “year of the Lord’s favor” has our name on it.  You may already feel a little repulsed by this reaction when its articulated outloud, but it’s often how our assumptions unconsciously work. 

If I was suddenly given 100 gourmet Nutella-stuffed cookies…my family and friends might unconsciously assume that I’d pick out the best looking ones to keep for ourselves, and the one that might be a little burnt on the bottom will go on the gift tray for others.

And that’s where it hits the fan. Jesus has to quickly break it to them that this good news does not privilege them over others.  Like the prodigal son’s older brother, their faithful tenure isn’t weighted with greater significance than those that wander down different roads. This gospel, this good news of redemption, isn’t JUST for the privileged nor do they get a choice portion, but it is also and especially for those who are made vulnerable by their place outside of center. That’s what Jesus points to in his historical examples.  Elisha prioritizes the healing of Naaman – a foreign leader and definitely not a temple-goer. Out of the many hungry widows throughout God’s people Israel, Elijah crosses the border and goes outside the established territory to share a meal with a woman very different than himself. Liberation theologian, Gustavo Gutiérrez of Peru, refers to this as “God’s preferential option for the poor” – the recognition that throughout the scriptures, God leans toward the poor and powerless or society.

learn more about Gustavo Gutiérrez: 
https://www.ncronline.org/blogs/road-peace/gustavo-gutierrez-and-preferential-option-poor

Jesus makes the bold claim that God’s freedom is for you, but it isn’t JUST for you or even JUST a little better for you. It is for all as it especially lifts up those at the bottom.  In this way the oppressed are set free, and the oppressors are also freed from the dark system that crushes both their souls.

The leaders of the faith set an example of spending a majority of their time and energy outside the walls of the sanctuary and even beyond their defined people. It’s not that the people inside those circles don’t matter, but it’s their call too – to extend and share the message of God’s favor beyond the stained glass windows, beyond the usual crowd, beyond the people who look like them or think like them. 

Ministry, then, isn’t only what we do here, around these tables, but it is also what happens in coffee shops, in driveways, in office lunchrooms, in city hall and on the steps of the capitol building - as we work for the healing and wholeness of all people, especially the most vulnerable among us.

 But that wide view of God’s grace that lifts up the lowly and equalizes all people…that turns the people’s expectations on its head.  That is what offends the crowd to the point that they try to not only run Jesus out of town, but hurl him off a cliff. Last summer there was an article on Huffington Post called “When You’re Accustomed to Privilege, Equality Feels Like Oppression”.” 

I think that’s what the folks of Nazareth are struggling with. The Gospel can be a struggle, but it also brings us to the fullness of life. This is the gospel that convicts us.  This is the gospel that frees us – oppressor and persecuted alike.  This is the Gospel we proclaim and embody.

I heard the following story on an episode of This American Life and it speaks to this radical notion: 

It was Christmastime several years ago when this guy’s 4 year old daughter started asking what the holiday meant?  So the dad explained that we are celebrating the birth of Jesus, his life, and his teachings…he went out and bought her a kid’s bible and she just loved it. They would read the stories together and the dad would help her understand their meaning.  They talked about Jesus’ command to “do unto others as you would have them do to you.” And they worked through the old English until it made a little more sense. And then one day, they were driving past a church that had a big crucifix out front.  And the daughter asked, “who’s that?”  Well, the dad hadn’t talked much about that part of the story yet.  So he explains, “well…that's Jesus, and I forgot to tell you the ending. Yeah. Well, you know, he ran afoul of the Roman government. This message that he had was so radical and unnerving to the prevailing authorities of the time that they had to kill him. They came to the conclusion that he would have to die. That message was too troublesome.”

Time passed, they talked here and there about the stories in her bible, and then…a little less than a month later, the kid was out of school for another holiday. It was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Day and the dad decided to take off work to spend it with his daughter - they could play together and he could take her out to lunch.  So they sat down for lunch and there was the arts section of the newspaper in the middle of the table. And there was this big drawing that a 10-year-old kid had drawn of MLK.  So the girl asked, “who’s that?”  The dad got to explain that he’s the reason she was out of school that day. That this day they were celebrating his birth and his life. So the girl wanted to know more about him.  The dad explained, “well…he was a preacher.”

 And she looks up at him and goes, “for Jesus?”

 And he said” yeah. Yeah, actually he was, but there was another thing that he was really famous for, which is that he had a message.”

And he’s trying to figure out how to tell the story to a four year old who is hearing this for the first time…

She said, “what was his message?”

And the dad says, “he said that you should treat everybody the same no matter what they look like.”

She thought about that for a minute, and she said, “well, that's what Jesus said.”

And he “said, yeah, I guess it is. You know, I never thought of it that way, but yeah. And that is sort of like do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

And she thought for a minute and looked at him and said, “did they kill him, too?”

https://www.trinitystores.com/store/art-image/martin-luther-king-georgia-1929-1968

 They carried God’s message of radical love for you and me, for all. It has never been met without resistance, but its truth has never wavered. May we be open to the Holy Spirit beckoning us to be a part of it.

This Changes Everything

This week's text isn't short, but it's soooo good.  Read it HERE first:

I wonder…

When was the last time you were inspired?

I wonder…

What was so inspiring about that moment?

Maybe it was a podcast or tedtalk you heard,

Maybe that old song that came on the radio you hadn’t heard in forever, but this time it hit you like it was brand new.

Maybe you witnessed someone stick their neck out for somebody else.

As I look back on just this past week, I’m humbled and invigorated by the wealth of inspiration around me.  I’ve shared queso with a friend who works 60 hours a week, but still used his entire day off to help me fix our stupid wi-fi extenders and thermostats. I’ve sat with people who struggle with physical and mental health on a daily basis, but still somehow made it out of bed that day. Several of us went down to city hall to stand against proposed discriminatory bathroom bills, and I was inspired by those who made themselves vulnerable by sharing their personal stories. Transwomen like Reagan who talked about what it’s like to risk rejection on a regular basis. Moms like Kim spoke to the public shame her 5 year old Transgender daughter had to endure at school. 

I’ve experienced similar feelings of awe and wonder after time away in travel and the time my daughter learned to pour her own cereal.

When you think about those inspirational and life-changing moments…perhaps you notice that you’re filled with adrenaline, with hope, with renewed energy, courage, curiosity. It often leaves us with this momentum and so we want to do something as a result. When something beautiful happens, we want to keep building on it and when catastrophe happens, we want to do something to help. I find it fascinating that there is some common humanity that has not changed for 2000 years.

 After hearing John’s call for justice, the people want to know what they should do.

What should we do? They ask three times.

The crowd asks, what should we do….John replies, be generous.  Share your coats and your food with those that need them.

The tax collectors ask, what should we do?.....uh….try not extorting people? You’d think it would go without saying but apparently there are a lot of things like that we just can’t take for granted.

The soldiers ask, what should we do…again a fairly simple answer…pretty much don’t be a jerk.  Which is basically my preferred method of evangelism.  Be a public Christian and then don’t be a jerk. At least that’s often where we have to start.

And even though I’ve read this text before, many times over, this time I was struck with renewed energy, passion, and curiosity.  I’ve always understood baptism as part of our Christian tradition, a holy sacrament in the Lutheran church, so I wondered….how was it a part of John’s ancient Jewish ministry?

http://www.heqiart.com/store/p59/13_Baptism-of-Jesus_Artist_Proof.html

I learned that the baptism John was offering wasn’t necessarily a universal Jewish tradition, but it WAS a ritual practiced by many Jewish leaders. Their understanding of baptism was one of ritual cleansing, purifying a person and marking their commitment to a new way of living. It was a baptism of repentance by water. Repentance doesn’t only mean asking forgiveness, it literally means a change of mind, a new way of thinking. This is the baptism that brings together nameless crowds of the faithful, traitorous tax collectors, and soldiers of the foreign empire….AND….the son of God. This is the baptism that Jesus also experiences. But something is different, something WILL BE different.  John points to a new kind of baptism, a baptism that changes the question. Instead of asking what should we DO, the question becomes…who will we BE?

 Jesus’ baptism is unique among the baptismpalooza John was having that day, but reveals what we might remember or look forward to in our own baptism.

Jesus experiences the cleansing baptism of repentance. Repentance is that change, that shift, that turning toward God’s will and thus God’s saving work for all the world. Jesus’s baptism sets his face toward God above all else. Jesus is enveloped by the Holy Spirit. This Spirit remains with Jesus in the next chapter of his journey as it brings him to trials and wilderness.  The Spirit persists in its presence through every single moment – lending fiery courage, wholeness, healing, and hope.  Jesus hears the voice of God announcing, before all those assembled, that he is God’s beloved child. An intimate and powerful proclamation of identity and relationship.

In his baptism, Jesus receives a public blessing and an unbreakable tie. In our baptism, we are named and claimed as part of this sacred family. God says you are mine and you are blessed.  You carry the light of the creator, the light of the encourager, the light of Christ....which goes out into every corner of this place, into all places, to all people.

In baptism, we have moved from what we should DO to who we will be. This is who we are. These promises run through to the depths of our being.  This is who we will be. This is the bedrock of our life together. And we need a firm foundation…because baptism is not a gentle thing. Our identity is grounded in this covenant, but John reminds us that this new baptism is not just about our ability to claim our place as children of Abraham. Baptism doesn’t stop there.

Baptism isn’t only the peaceful trickle of water over our heads.  It’s not gentle, it is a drowning.  All that separates us from God…our old selves, our brokenness, the world’s brokenness…is drowned away.

The waters of baptism are moving living waters and moving water has the power to cut through solid stone. The stone of our darkened hearts, the stone of apathy and indifference, the stone of oppression and injustice. Baptism refreshes but it also stirs up and agitates, troubles, mobilizes. It makes John bold enough to speak up and call out even the most powerful politicians.

John speaks of the new baptism as one that will come by fire, a refiner’s fire which scorches and burns away the chaff, the dry part of the grain which protects but is actually dried up, dead, and devoid of nutrition.  I have enough scars from baking to know that coming through the fire will not be comfortable.

I know that I will try to resist that fire, even if I know it to be life-giving.  I will aim for calmer smoother waters, waters that cool and quench.

And they will be there waiting for me, refreshing me…until the current comes back by, saving me from stagnation, inviting me back into the rush of the river which changes the landscape it’s a part of. This is who we are, who we will be. A part of the living water. A part of the raging fire. A part of Christ. A part of hope. A part of the movement that changes the world. Amen.

Bless this House

Tomorrow is the 12th and final day of the season of Christmas.  Friday, January 6th, marks the day of Epiphany which remembers the magi who followed the wild star to the place where Christ dwells.

It is an old custom to bless your home on Epiphany. This blessing includes a prayer and a mark of blessing. This tradition isn't just for towering steeples, but for every common threshold. Here's how you can mark your own home with a sign of Christ's blessing:

Using chalk, write on the outside of your house’s door or frame (alternatively, on a path or driveway, or above or next to an entrance):

+ 20 C M B 17+

This stands for the first half of the current year written out, “Christus Mansionem Benedicat” (Christ bless this house), then the other half of the current year written out. Start and end with a cross.  You could even have each marking or word could be written by a varied member of the household.

After you've chalked up, here's a prayer you can say outloud:  May everyone who come to our home this year be blessed to find Christ living among us. May we recognize and serve that same Jesus, in everyone we meet. Amen

Joy isn't Perky

Luke 2:8-14

8 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.10But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’ 13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, 
14 ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven,
   and on earth peace among those whom he favours!’

watch the Advent story from this week (up to 8:09):

"Advent" From The Complete Guide to Godly Play® By The Rev. Dr. Jerome Berryman Told by Godly Play® US Trainer Caryl Menkhus Creswell http://www.GodlyPlayFoundation.org The Godly Play® approach to nurturing the spirituality of children finds it roots in the Montessori method and is used across the globe in many venues such as religious education programs, schools and hospitals as well as with Alzheimer's patients.

I wonder how you are getting ready to enter the mystery of Christmas?

I wonder how you would feel if greeted by an angel of God?

I wonder what God is saying to you?

….

Joy is what shows up, what breaks in while I'm busy protecting, planning, and just trying to get stuff done.  Joy comes in unexpected conversations...while installing thermostats, with strangers at coffee shops, among neighbors in the street.  Joy comes in our lover's arms or in a memory...

Joy spends seasons, sometimes even years eluding us. Seemingly always showing up in someone else's pasture, just close enough to where we can see it but beyond our borders. 

But joy is coming....for everyone. This joy is not that perky lady's well intentioned but condescending assurance that everything will be alright or that we can turn darkness to light by adding some glitter to it. This joy is the flood of light that doesn't just cover up but casts out all darkness. It fills us up so that we burst at the seams and cannot keep from singing. This joy does not belong to this one or that one, but to all of us. We are all on the way to Bethlehem, no one is left alone in the darkness. 

Joy...holy, divine joy...comes to the blue collar shepherds, not just to the priests, pastors, or the privileged. Joy comes even and especially to the least of these. Joy IS coming. 

The announcement is not only that joy is coming, but an invitation to come and be a part of it.  Don't be afraid. We bring you tidings of great joy. Peace on earth and good will to everyone. A child is born. Go. Hurry. Run to Bethlehem to see the child who will change everything. 

Everything is Changed

Everything is changed.  This is the time of the color blue.

This 2nd week in the season of Advent, we tell the story of the Holy Family. Watch Here (to 5:40):

"Advent" From The Complete Guide to Godly Play® By The Rev. Dr. Jerome Berryman Told by Godly Play® US Trainer Caryl Menkhus Creswell http://www.GodlyPlayFoundation.org The Godly Play® approach to nurturing the spirituality of children finds it roots in the Montessori method and is used across the globe in many venues such as religious education programs, schools and hospitals as well as with Alzheimer's patients.

I wonder, what is it about this journey that is hardest for you?

I wonder, where do you see light in the darkness?

I wonder, how are you being changed?

http://www.everettpatterson.com/?p=1835

Mystery is not easy. There is no formula, nothing we can expect to follow a particular order.  Being a part of that mystery is not easy. The journey to Bethlehem is not easy. It is not always calm and it is not always bright.  It is many days of sweat and exhaustion, unfamiliar and even dangerous roads. With the dangers circling around us – of emboldened white supremacy, of xenophobic leaders who play on our fears of the other, of hateful and violent speech that bolsters discriminatory action and policies…fairly often I find myself like Dorothy in the poppy field, wanting to lay my head down for just a moment.   We will find our rest, but for now we must keep moving. We must stay vigilant and focused, our eyes set toward Bethlehem, toward hope.  When we feel we cannot take one more step, we lean on one another.  We share our worries and our woes so that we are not crushed by the weight of carrying them ourselves. We take turns caring for each other and allowing ourselves to be cared for.  We take turns speaking up for those in trouble, and seeking out the unheard voices, listening to the oppressed speak for themselves.  We look for twitter feeds and articles that are not only written about those on the margins, but by those on the margins. And that is certainly not easy, because it often reveals that we did not know as much as we thought we did. It often reveals that we too, must change.  Here's a few places to start listening.  They will challenge you, say things you'll probably passionately disagree with, and we need to hear that:

local - BLMHTX   Ashton Woods  Equality Texas

Lutheran - Lenny Duncan     Vance Blackfox     Rev. Tuhina Rasche      Rev. Wil Gafney

F This S: An Advent Devotional - heads up, uncensored and for good reason

We must be patient with ourselves, putting one foot in front of the other, allowing the Holy Spirit to do its work in us and in the world, and yet also be determined to press forward, just beyond what is comfortable, day by day. The Spirit goes ahead of us on this road and is waiting for us there.  The Spirit follows behind us, ushering us forward. We do not journey alone.  Still, the journey is not easy. Even when the holy family arrives to Bethlehem I’m sure it is not what they expected.  Finally hoping to lay down their sleepy heads, they must instead make due with scratchy hay and only smelly animals for company. Yet even in this broom closet of a forgotten and overlooked everyday space, something incredible is about to happen. Even on this dusty dreary evening, light is filling up the room. Anywhere we go, the light of the prophets, and of the holy family is spreading. Anywhere you go in this room you can come close to them today.

Give Thanks

Last month was my kid's birthday and she's old enough now that she can write her own thank you notes. They're nothing elaborate, but usually involve some custom artwork, the words "thank you", and her name.  We practice saying thanks not just because it is polite or good manners, but because we are transformed by the experience of gratitude.  True gratitude makes us profoundly aware of the generosity we have received and it overflows as we are generous to others.  This is holy.  This reveals God in our midst.  In the midst of small everyday moments, divine love breaks in and it shapes us anew.  As you spend this week contemplating thankfulness, I have a gift for you.  It's a simple printable card you can set at your table to guide you in giving thanks.  Use the blank lines to write what you're thankful.  If you want, you could even punch a hole in the corners and hang the cards like ornaments from a tree.  I am grateful for this community of KINDRED, for the table we share, and for the way it changes and shapes us.

Don't talk about it. Be about it.

This is who I am.  You are who you are.  This is how we will be together.  This is basically what a covenant means and is about. It’s a promise that defines a relationship. God established a covenant, a relationship, with people so that they we would be rooted in something that gives us life.   We don’t always follow in the covenant the way we hoped, but God remains faithful and calls us back into relationship over and over again.  For millennia, God has been reminding us that we always have a place at the table no matter what because that’s who we are – God’s beloved, God’s child, forever tied to one another in relationship.

That’s why, as KINDRED, we don’t have membership roles or orientation classes.  It’s not about who’s in or who’s out, or how you fit into a particular mold.  We want to live out God’s call for us in with our own unique gifts and passions.  We want to live for one another by sharing our challenges and our dreams. We want to live in a way that anchors us and gives us wings.  We do all of this together as a community in order to reveal God’s love at work in our world. 

But we don’t want all that to end up as pie-in-the-sky talk. We want to really live it.  So, as KINDRED, everyone is invited to enter into an annual covenant.  Remembering God’s promises to us in the covenants of baptism, the new covenant in Christ’s blood, and the covenant of creation… we respond by following the way Jesus commends.  The central practices of faith we’ve been exploring in our series are now opportunities for us to articulate our hopes for how we want to live out and lean into our faith.

On November 6th, we will celebrate COVENANT SUNDAY, as we make our covenants to ourselves, to each other, and to God.  We’ll place our covenants on the altar and pray for the guidance to remain faithful. We’ll e-mail you a copy so you can keep it somewhere you’ll be able to see it and be reminded of that anchor.  Next spring at Pentecost, we’ll pull these back out and see how we’re doing.  We can celebrate what we’ve experienced and take a moment to re-align ourselves if necessary.

Don’t feel like you have to check every box. We can’t do everything and we shouldn’t. We weren’t created to be everything all on our own, that’s why we have community. Choose one area of practice you’d really like to focus on this year.  One way you’d like to stretch and grow a little more. And take your time.  Really give this some reflection and prayer. If you can’t be there Nov. 6th, you can still bring your covenant in the weeks to follow.

We are covenant people. We long for connection, for hope, for the fulfillment of promises.  We are broken people who won’t always get it right. We are still beloved children of God. We get to remind others of that truth. As the gospel of Matthew tells us, “let you light shine before others so that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (5:16)

PRACTICES: Community

PRACTICES: Community

In our series, “PRACTICES,” we’re exploring the central things that shape our lives as Christians and as a community.  We do this in preparation for COVENANT SUNDAY on NOV. 6TH when we’ll each of us who feel called will make commitments as Covenant Members of this community, articulating how we will engage our faith in practice here.  So far we’ve discussed Sacraments & Worship, Food & Hospitality, and now we want to take a fresh look at Community. 

 “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another.  Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” - John 13:34-35 

Our Christian Community is marked by love.  The command is simple, the implications are more complex.  Love God. Love People. Community is the context of church isn’t just about a club of like-minded people who enjoy…it’s a web of deep relationship where we share more than the superficial stuff of life.  Don’t get me wrong, we really enjoy being together (last Sunday’s AFTER HOURS at the bar, was fantastic).  But how can community be something more?  What happens when strangers become family?  When spectators become participants and creators? 

It is happening around the tables of DINNER CHURCH, and it extends into our offices, homes, and neighborhoods.  Here’s your weekly journaling guide that walks you through your own reflection:

Prepare: What do you bring with you to your community?  Write down what gifts, interests, passions, or ideas you have to share.  It doesn’t have to be stuff you might think of as “church-y,” but what are you good at in general?  What gets you fired up?  What would you do if you if you could do anything?

Day 1: This week, you’ll dig into the practice of community by finding ways to use your passions, talents, and connections in your church. Some people have a hard time with this – they feel they aren’t invited or welcomed to involve themselves in their faith community.  So start in this practice by writing down some thoughts about what might hold you back from investing yourself in your church.  What could you do to get over some of these hurdles?

Day 2: Remember that list you made of your gifts and interests? Look over what you wrote. Now get specific about the talents of interest or resources you have that could help you get more involved in your faith community.  Think creatively: maybe you’ve raised your kids already and could mentor a younger parent.  Maybe you live close to the airport and can offer rides when people need to fly somewhere.  Write down some options.

Day 3: Today, explore our church’s website or send an email to Pastor Ashley to find out what opportunities for involvement already exist in our faith community.  You don’t need to commit to anything yet, but don’t rule anything out either.  Just get a sense of what’s already going on in your community. Make some notes about places you can see yourself using the skills and interest you listed yesterday.

Day 4: Now that you’ve got a sense of what you can offer and what’s already happening in your community, take today to pray or talk to a friend or two about taking the big step toward true involvement.  What feels scary about this?  What feels hopeful?

Day 5: If you get this far and just haven’t found something that feels like a good fit for you, consider how you might create that fit.  If you brew your own beer or have a knack for gardening or tell great stories, think about how those skills could create new ways for you – and others – to connect in your community.  Write down your thoughts.

Day 6: This is the day to take action.  If there’s a group at church you’d like to join, call or text the person coordinating that group and let them know you’re interested.  If you’ve got an idea for a new event or project in our faith community, arrange to meet with Pastor Ashley to talk about how you can make that happen.  As you get started, write about how it’s going.  What are you learning about community?  About yourself?

PRACTICES: Sacraments + Confession

What’s at the heart of our Christian faith?  What are the most important practices for how we are to live as God’s people? This is what we will spend the next 7 weeks exploring in a series called “Practices.” It’s not just a sermon series, but a series we take home with us and reflect on through journaling and action.  We'll hear from diverse Christian leaders from across the country, reflect on how we experience these traditions, and contemplate our own commitments.  It all leads up to COVENANT SUNDAY - NOVEMBER 6TH.  This is how we will make promises to ourselves, to God, and to one another about how we want to be KINDRED.  It's a different kind of "membership."  It's less about who's in and who's out, and more about who we want to be.

This past week we engaged the tradition of sacraments – those things we set apart as uniquely sacred, as a combination of divine promise and common earthly elements.  For Lutherans, we identify baptism and Holy Communion as the two sole sacraments based on that understanding.  The word Sacrament comes from the latin “sacramentum” which had a broader meaning as a vow or promise, as in the swearing of an oath to Caesar. How does this historical meaning of the word sacrament change your ideas about the role sacraments play in the Christian faith? Can you remember a time when taking communion or witnessing a baptism felt like a truly spiritual experience for you?  If that never happened, what would it take for those sacraments to hold deeper meaning on your life?  Among KINDRED, we practice communion with homemade bread, we serve each other around our tables, and we proclaim that all are welcome – children, skeptics, sinners, and saints.  How does the WAY we practice communion reflect how we understand it? What does it mean to visibly seal our lives to God through the practice of the sacraments?

Although not a sacrament in the Lutheran church, the act of confession holds a special place in our tradition. Throughout the week we engage this practice with thoughtful reflection.  This practice might feel very new and even uncomfortable, but we open ourselves to the possibility that this practice might offer healing and freedom. Each day this week, we give ourselves over to this practice in a new way:

Day 1: This week, you’ll be working through one of the less-common sacraments, confession. This might be a new practice for you or one that feels a little uncomfortable.  That’s okay.  Each day, you’ll move a bit deeper into the practice and have the chance to write about the feelings or thoughts it brings up.  Today, think about a relationship in your life that might benefit from an act of confession on your part.  Write down the name of the person you’d like to reconcile with over the course of this week as well as the part of your relationship that needs to heal.

Day 2: It’s never easy to admit fault, but speaking our failures out loud can take some of their power and shame away. Start the process of confession by talking honestly with God about the issue. Confess out loud to God and allow yourself to feel God’s grace work its way into you. What is this experience like for you?

Day 3: It can help to bring another person into this process to offer support and encouragement. Today, ask a trusted friend or your pastor to listen to you confession. Journal a bit about what might be holding you back from moving more deeply into this practice.

Day 4: Now it gets real. Reach out to the person you need to confess to and ask to meet tomorrow.  If it’s not possible to get together in person, set up a time to talk over the phone or over Skype.  No texting or email allowed here – this needs to happen in a face-to-face conversation.  Write out any fears or anxieties you have about this step.  And don’t forget to lean on the person you asked to support you.  This is when you’ll need them most.

Day 5: This is the day you make it happen.  As you confess, keep the focus on you and the actions you regret.  Ask your friend to listen and allow you to say what you need to say. Ask for forgiveness.  You might not get it, but no matter what happens as a result of this confession, you will have made a significant step toward repairing a broken relationship.  Then take some time to write down your thoughts about this conversation.  How did it feel? What did you hope for? What might come from this?

Day 6: Today, take some time to reflect and write about this experience.  Allow yourself to feel that weight of guilt lift off of you, no matter how the conversation went.  You might not have gotten the response you hoped for from the other person, but you can find rest and peace in the grace of God.

God's Work, Our Hands

Church isn't just what happens inside the sanctuary, it's who we are. We gather as the people of God to celebrate God's goodness and share God's blessing - not just with our words...but in our action and experiences. We embody the Good News to each other, to our neighbors, to this city.  To someone who's hungry, Good News can look like a heaping plate of chicken and orzo salad, a full bowl of ham hocks and greens. That's one of the many reasons our worship happens around the table and over a good meal. Over and over, Jesus shows us that our abundance is to be shared with those in need. Throughout history, the people of God are marked as those who invite strangers into their homes, who clothe those who are down to their last pair of clean underwear, who acknowledge the humanity of those imprisoned and align themselves with the struggle of the oppressed. That's what "God's Work, Our Hands" Sunday is about - a day of service across our denomination, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. From Texas to Minnesota, we invest our time and energy in something other than ourselves. We make a visible declaration to the community that Christians aren't only concerned with piety, but with justice and the people who are most vulnerable among us. 

As KINDRED, and alongside Lutheran Campus Ministries of Houston, we went out into the streets of our Montrose neighborhood to gather necessities for our partner, Montrose Grace Place (MGP). The community rallied to provide clothes, toiletries, diapers and games for the homeless youth that MGP serves each week. We also labeled 1500 bars of hotel soap with Human Trafficking Hotline stickers. Houston is the #1 hub for human trafficking in this country and events like the super bowl are exponentially exploited as a venue for trafficking. In coming weeks, Lutheran Campus Ministry will deliver these soap packages to several hotels around town and educate hotel staff on how their vigilance and the access to this vital hotline can help release people from modern-day slavery. 

We began with prayers, holy communion, and a simple meal - food for body and soul , preparation for the work ahead. We mobilized in service to others. We continue to learn about the larger context for these community needs. To learn more about the mission of Montrose Grace place and youth homelessness, visit here:

http://www.montrosegraceplace.org/

http://www.montrosecenter.org/hub/services/hatch-youth-services/nest-home/

http://www.houstonpress.com/news/the-struggles-of-being-young-homeless-and-lgbt-7901209

http://cw39.com/2015/05/13/shocking-numbers-of-homeless-youth-revealed-for-houston/

To learn more about human trafficking (especially in Houston), here are some trusted resources and info:

https://www.soapproject.org/

http://www.elijahrising.org/

http://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/the-lost-girls/

http://humantraffickinghouston.org/

If you don't already know about A 2nd Cup, let me introduce you to one of my favorite coffee shops. In the heart of The Heights, it's part coffee shop, part non profit for justice. The proceeds from that delicious Squirrel Latte go to organizations that address prevention, liberation, and healing from human trafficking. I intentionally spend office hours there and take meetings there to support their work. I also learn a thing or two when I'm there, including awareness about upcoming events for continued learning or special art sale fundraisers, etc. We're seeing more creative collaborations between business and social change and I needed a good source of caffeine anyway. 

The Old Bedazzled Cross

Luke 14:25-33

25 Now large crowds were traveling with him; and he turned and said to them, 26 "Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, 30 saying, "This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.' 31 Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. 33 So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.

As a pastor, people sometimes want to express their gratitude and appreciation for this or that, so they want to get you a little gift.  I’ve noticed that there’s a definite go-to pastor gift. It’s truly the thought that counts and I appreciate the appreciation….but can you guess what the most common gift is?

...

.......

.............

The number one gift a pastor receives is some kind of cross décor.  Before I even graduated seminary, our family had enough wall crosses to cover the entire wall of our stairwell.  Many are made by hand and are stunningly gorgeous examples of craftsmanship and artistry.  Some are more kitschy, bedazzled with carefully placed hot glued rhinestones or butterflies. All together, they are actually kinda beautiful and they hold the memories of the cherished people who gave them to me.  But every now and then the thought creeps into the back of my head that reminds me…you have an entire wall covered in first century torture devices.  Ultimately, the roman cross is a killing machine, a totem to imperial power, a landmark erected to remind us of what happens to those who mess with the established system.

Naturally, that frightens us. We don’t really want a God that’s bruised and bleeding , one thank makes us think of the darker side of life, and so we drift toward the shiny Jesus, the Jesus painted in Thomas Kinkade pastels, surrounded by woodlands animals like a Disney princess, the Jesus we can bring home to mama, preened and polished, shining, shimmering, splendid Jesus. The Jesus that won’t scare off our friends and let’s be honest…that one that doesn’t frighten us so badly. 

There are times that I can get behind this revolutionary Jesus.  I’m like, “yeah, Jesus, tell those money changer’s what’s up! Those consumerist heathens!” and then Jesus says, “none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.”  Whoa, whoa, whoa, Jesus. Let’s not overreact. What do you mean by all?  Like, ALL all?  I was totally ready to follow hobby Jesus, but ain’t nobody got time for all this.

When faced with the real significance of the cross, we either throw in the towel or we water it down. We have too often metaphorically and literally whitewashed the cross – turning a homeless middle eastern radical into blue-eyed do-gooder. But there’s got to be another way. My soul longs for something more than that. How do we make sense of the cross? Let’s wrestle with that for a bit.  What does the cross mean to you?  When you really see it?

Real quick though, before we dive in, I want to offer two parameters.  First, this isn’t a multiple choice question with a single correct answer. Each of us are likely to see it a little differently.  After all, the cross means something different to each of the four gospel writers.  So, even in the Bible, there’s no one uniform answer. Second, I want us to be honest with ourselves and each other. 

What does the cross really mean to you? 

In your day to day life…not just the Sunday School answer you think I want to hear.

What are your gut reactions to the cross?

Has your answer changed over time?

I want to suggest another way of looking at the cross.  Jesus uses the examples of financial cost – a building project, the wages of soldiers – but these things are also matters of awareness, looking at the world with clear eyes not just rose-colored glasses, taking time to contemplate the very real implications of our choices. I often say that Christianity is pretty simple, but its implications are complex.  The cross is a light to the world, and so it brings to light some things we wish would have remained in the shadows. The Cross gives us sight to see the intimate brokenness AND beauty of the world God loves. God gives us eyes to see and it cannot be unseen.  Like, once you’ve seen the images of toddlers washing up on Mediterranean shores, you can’t think of refugees as some faceless issue over there. Once you’ve seen a homeless person bring their food back to camp and share it with those who have even less…they can no longer be an amorphous blur as we drive by. Once you’ve seen your annoying co-worker stop to invite that person who always gets left out, out to lunch…you see generosity in a new way. Once you see wildflowers taking over that abandoned eyesore of a lot, or whimsical dandelions breaking through cold concrete…you recognize beauty in barren places.

Cuban Artist, Eric Ravelo's contemporary installation, "Los Intocables/The Untouchables"

Once we’ve heard the good news that God loves us even with our messy truth, we see God’s love in so many other unexpected places and can’t help but follow in a new way. And that’s the key. If you hear nothing else, hear this. The Gospel comes first.  We receive grace overflowing first and foremost.  The cross isn’t about suffering our way to God, but God’s dogged commitment to transform even the dark dank dismal pits of this world into something entirely new and full of life.

So, what if the cross were about awareness? Some in the church call that revelation, others call it being woke. And it changes the way we live. What if we were to look at the cross as something that opens our eyes and can’t be unseen?

Now, with that framing, what does the Cross mean to you?

Jesus wants us to know that kind of life is tough.  Jesus is not interested in bait-and-switch discipleship and neither am I.  This way will not be always smooth. It may cause some people to think you’re strange, or too opinionated, too political, or a bleeding heart do-gooder. It will cause you to make choices that put the needs of others above your own.  In many ways this kind of life will cost you, taking up the cross will weigh you down and sometimes you’ll wish you could go back to the blissful ignorance you enjoyed before…but even more powerfully, it has liberated you.  On the journey to the cross and through it, Jesus liberates us from fear, from hiding, from crippling shame, from oppression, from sorrow, from ulcerating stress, from impotence, from avoidance, from consuming hatred, from hunger, from pain, and from ultimate death. We will never be the same.  Jesus calls to us, “Take up your cross, stay woke, and follow me.” The gospel is on the move, let’s go. Amen.

KINDRED'S Recipe Box: Chinese Steamed Buns

Yesterday evening was the last of our summer series in bread-baking as an act of worship.  We gathered around good food and great company, around the word of God, prayer, blessing, and work.  We tried something new, we learned more about each other, and we glimpsed God's joy.  We'll continue to make our rustic country loafs for Central City Co-op each week, but here's the special  recipe we made last night:

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup warm water

1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast

1 tablespoon cooking oil (canola or vegetable), plus more for brushing

3 tablespoons sugar

3 cups all-purpose flour + more for dusting

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a mixer bowl, add the warm water, oil, yeast and sugar. Let sit for 1 minute, until the yeast begins to bubble a bit. Next, add in the flour, baking powder and salt, in that order. With the paddle attachment, mix on low for 2 minutes. Add more flour, a tablespoon at a time, if the dough sticks to the sides of the bowl. Change to a dough hook, and on speed 2, knead for 4 minutes, until dough is smooth, supple and clear the sides of the bowl. If the dough sticks to the side of the bowl, add more flour, a tablespoon at a time.

2. Dust your counter with a little flour and turn out your dough knead it a few times and Shape the dough into a smooth ball. Return the dough ball to the mixing bowl, cover with a clean towel and let rise in a warm, dry spot for 1-2 hours, until it nearly doubles in size.

3. Turn out your dough onto a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough in half. Gently roll each half into a log shape. Cut each log into little balls. Roll the dough ball out to a long, oval shape about 6"x3". Brush the top with a little cooking oil. Fold over one side of the oval. Use your rolling pin to gently roll and press one last time. Place bun on a parchment paper, place into the bamboo steamer and cover with lid to prevent drying. Repeat with the remaining dough balls.

 4. Fill your pot or wok with 2" of water. Place the steamer ring (if you have one) bamboo baskets on top. Do not turn on the heat yet. Let rest for 10 minutes. Then, turn on the heat to high. When you begin to see steam coming up from the top of the steamer, reduce heat to medium-high. Let steam for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, without opening the steamer. Let rest for 1 minute. Open steamer and gently lift the steamer off one another to let the buns cool.

Don't have a steamer basket? No problem! Here's how you can do it with everyday household items.

LIFE TOGETHER - The Mission of God

matthew 28:16-20 - The Commissioning of the Disciples

16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. 18And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’

 There is so much packed into these 4 short verses.  These are the very last lines of the Gospel of Matthew, this is where one part of the story ends.  God reveals, God commissions, and God blesses.  The resurrected Christ comes into view, comes to where the disciples are, shows up in real time.  Jesus had told the disciples to go to this place and he would met them there, but nothing can really prepare you for the actual experience of witnessing the resurrection. Jesus waits about two seconds for them to register the shock, fall down in worship, but then moves right on to action.  You have seen me, you have heard my promises, God’s promises, you have experienced those promises fulfilled….what are you gonna do now? “Go!” he says. I love this line from a Dave Matthews Band song, it says “to change the world starts with one step.  However small, the first step is hardest of all.”  Often we just don’t know where to start. We want to follow, but we don’t know how. Or we have an idea of how…in theory…we just struggle to put it into real lived practice.

Jesus boils it down to the essentials, “go makes disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.” Church, this is what we are called to be and this is what I want to explore together today.

But before we do….we need to stop and recognize the complexity of that call.  The call is simple, but the implications, how we respond in reality…are more nuanced.  How did the disciples respond to seeing Jesus living where they expected to find only death?  They worshiped…and some doubted.  They both worshiped AND doubted…. There’s not an easy, clean, clear separation of those two elements. There is both adoration and inspiration mixed with uncertainty and skepticism. Resurrection living has room for both, but leans into faith.  This past week I joined Lutherans from around the country, even around the world, as they gathered in New Orleans for our Churchwide Assembly to move the church forward in this call. We heard from one Lutheran, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Leymah Gbowee, a powerful Liberian woman who has tirelessly worked for peace, for women’s rights and safety, but most fervently for the Gospel. She’s met with presidents but she’s also been threatened with violence.  She can count the number of her friends on her hands, but…. She leans passionately into faith and hope.  This past week she told us “it’s not that we weren’t afraid, but we could not allow the fear to stop us.” 

This revelation, commission, and blessing can be overwhelmingly beautiful, frustrating, liberating, confusing, and transformational. I want to acknowledge that as we dive in. There’s room for all of it, but ultimately the last word will belong to blessing.

So let’s break this commission down.  “go make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.”

 I want us to look at each piece and study it together, to explore what this resurrection living looks like, how we understand it in this place and time.  When you hear these words, what comes to wind, how do you hear them?  This is what the community gathered last night for Dinner Church heard:

Go! One thing's for sure, it isn't a commission to stay hidden in our homes.  There's a sense of being granted permission, of being released to go. This is part of the larger rhythm of being gathered and sent, of inviting and sending.  It invokes actions and movement.

make disciples.  There is a shared story.  The story was shared with the disciples, now they share it with others.  It's about spreading the good Word.  It involves encouragement and trust.

of all nations. This is a global commission, where everyone's included with no exclusions. It is directed toward "others" especially those who are different, even strangers.

baptize.  We envision water, but not just water...water that is combined with the Word.  It's about identity, being grounded as Children of God.  We are baptized in the name of God, into the larger church, not just this one church named KINDRED.  Baptism is enduring, we are constantly being reminded of the promises, the community promises and God's promises.  In baptism we are a new creation.

TEACH. We think of sharing, listening, and empowering, persuading. It's not just about intellectual knowledge, but a way of life, living as an example and a willingness to be transformed.  This implies an enduring practice, continual learning.

This is the commission of the church, of disciples, of those who follow in the footsteps of Christ, our commission, our resurrection life! But it is God’s mission.  Notice how close those words are: mission and co-mission.  God is the author, but we are invited to join in that life – co-missioners, co-misseraters, this is our co-mission, together with God as the ultimate director and perfecter of our faith. Our missions will inevitably break down, they point ultimately to ourselves, but this mission points toward God from whom it comes. This is God’s mission and so it WILL. NOT. FAIL!  We rest and lean into that hope, that promise.  It revives us, resurrects us into a fullness of being, a fullness of life as individuals, as a community, as an entire creation.  God’s mission of reconciling the entire world will not fall short. This is no up to us alone, we are not alone. We move forward with God’s blessing, which is this: God is with you always, even to the end of the age.”  Amen.  

5 Things We Need (but forget) for Housing Success

What is Houston doing to care for our homeless?  Several of you came to our local Hyde Park Civic Association last Monday to hear from Marilyn Brown, CEO of The Coalition for the Homeless.  COH brings service providers from around the city together so that those in need can create a plan for comprehensive care.  Housing Assessments and ID services are provided while they also meet basic needs with food, healthcare, showers, and laundry.  Services are concentrated in one location such as The Beacon downtown.  The city has moved to a policy of “housing first” which seeks to provide the stability of shelter and then work toward jobs assistance, sobriety, and other needs rather than expecting stability as a qualifier for housing.

One of our KINDRED community, Donnie, was able to raise his hand and speak to how these more integrated systems are still presenting challenges as struggles to fins housing and work.  Even after completing programs with local shelters, he has been unable to find a job so that he can move forward.  Marilyn reminded our whole association that there are still gaps and shortcomings, that when we talk about homelessness it isn’t an abstract idea, but people with names and stories like Donnie.  Before the meeting was over, Marilyn wrote down his name and promised to investigate his status further.  The next day we got the update that unfortunately they don’t yet have funding available to provide housing vouchers for folks like Donnie who are newly (not chronically) homeless, single (not families), and without disability.

There will always be people who experience homelessness because there will always be people who experience crisis.  The goal of COH is to get people into housing and services within 30 days.  Currently, that process takes an average of 86 days.  There’s still room to grow.  She shared 5 persisting barriers to housing success:

1.       Application fees

Apartments charge an additional fee not covered by the housing voucher.  COH keeps a small fund to help with this, but it’s still insufficient to meet all the need.

2.       Basic furniture

You got an apartment!  Yes! But you probably don’t have anything to sleep on.  We heard one story about a woman who laid our every item of clothing she had to create a soft surface to sleep on.  Again, COH keeps a small fund to provide three basic furniture pieces: a bed, a chair, and a lamp.

3.       Basic household goods

You have a lamp! Yay!  But you probably don’t have a lightbulb for that lamp…or sheets…or toilet paper…etc.

4.       Basic staple foods

Remember what it cost to set up your first apartment?  That first trip to the grocery store?  Oil, sugar, salt and pepper, flour…

5.       Transportation

Getting to your appointments for job interviews and for services requires mobility.  One man who had actually had housing was sleeping on the street downtown several days a week because he physically couldn’t take enough buses to get to his job on time.  Personally, I refer people to the comprehensive service locations which are a minimum of 3 miles from the church.  That’d be a 45 minute walk in the Texas heat without a bike or bus pass.

The arc of justice is long, but it bends towards justice. We know more now than we did two weeks ago, but there’s plenty room to learn.  KINDRED, let us pray for the release of those who are captive to homelessness.  Let us cling to hope as Donnie does.  Let us be an active part of the coming of the kingdom of God where all are cared for in their fullness.

LIFE TOGETHER - Our City

Jeremiah 29:1-7

These are the words of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the remaining elders among the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. 2This was after King Jeconiah, and the queen mother, the court officials, the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the artisans, and the smiths had departed from Jerusalem.3The letter was sent by the hand of Elasah son of Shaphan and Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom King Zedekiah of Judah sent to Babylon to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. It said: 4Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. 7But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.

 This spring, KINDRED began to gather for the first time. As a people, as a community. We had a name, we had a place to worship, and we began to sing the simple songs of faith passed down to us by generations.  This summer, we have begun to explore what our identity as KINDRED is really about.  What does it mean to be KINDRED? What’s important?  Who is God calling us to be?  And so, our leaders on the Restart Team took time for prayer and reflection and study and discerned God’s vision for KINDRED

to cultivate bold community that reveals God’s presence in the city.

That’s the vision, God’s vision, for this time and place and people. And these leaders identified values that would help live into this vision as a people:

the Word of God, boldness, simplicity, equality, family, and our city.  Houston.

We value our city because our location matters, it affects how we live together.  The fourth largest city in the U.S., the most racially diverse city in the country, Houston is home to a wide variety of folks.  Some folks were born here, but many come from other cities, and many come from other states.  Actually, 1 million people in Harris County (that’s one in 4 people) were born in another country.  So that shapes how I look at this text from the prophet Jeremiah. 

It must have felt like the end of the world for the Israelites.  It was certainly the end of life as they knew it in Jerusalem – not just their homeland, their hometown, but their Promised Land!  Theologian Wil Gafney helps us imagine if their story was our story:

Our national government has just collapsed as the result of an invading foreign power. There is no remnant of the military. There is no government. The President, First Lady, Cabinet and Congress have all been exiled. All of the artists in New York and steel workers in Pittsburgh were separated from their families and exiled as well.  You are sent to live in a foreign land where the food is different, the language is different, your job probably doesn’t exist, and you are at the bottom of the societal totem pole.  It’s the reality of millions of refugees across the world including almost 5,000 refugees who come to Houston from 40 countries each year.

 Jeremiah tells the people that they won’t be returning home anytime soon.  That this generation won’t be going back.  That it will actually be several generations before they can return.  In the meantime, they are to make this new place their home.  It’s easier to endure life-altering challenges when you know there’s an end date, but there’s no such situation here.  God is not going to make their troubles magically disappear.   They aren’t told to hunker down, isolate and preserve themselves, but to engage and edify the culture they now inhabit.  They are to build houses, plant gardens, marry, expand your family…even to those who aren’t the same as them.

7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. 

The exiles, the refugees, are commissioned not only to tolerate the Babylonians, but to love them and to seek their welfare.  They are called to care for the city…not necessarily because the city has great parks and a renowned art scene or is so darn loveable, but because this is where God has called them to be right now.  They have been exiled from home but not from God. 

So I want us to explore more of what this means in our context.  In light of what this would have meant to the ancient Israelites, what do we hear the prophet saying to us? 

1)    What are your initials thoughts?

2)    As the dominant power, I’m sure the Babylonians did not expect their conquered subjects to then seek their welfare. Have you ever experienced love from an unexpected place?

3)    What keeps you from loving the city/its people?

4)    What would it look like to love this city/its people? To build it up?

5) How is God calling you to be a part of that love?

We are called to care for the city, not because the city is so darn lovable, but because this is where God has called us to be right now.  We are called to join in God’s love already present here – not just the cool and hip parts of the city, not only the art and the fantastic food, but the whole people of Houston, from the suburbs to the slums.  We don’t bring value to the city because we’re a church.  We bring value to the city because the church serves the people of the city and seeks their welfare because we know our welfare is tied to that of our neighbor.  I’m not gonna pretend like the Israelites heard this commission from Jeremiah and were just like, “oh ok!” Psalm 137 is a song of lament for their loss, their experience of being lost without an anchor, and then it’s followed by a cry for vengeance!  Rather the promise unfolded over generations.  In fact, is still unfolding.  There is no place we can go where God is not already present and already at work and we are invited to be a part of that work, of revealing God’s presence and promise in the city.  Let it be so.  Amen.