December 15, 2024 - Third Sunday of Advent - Act from Joy

Pastor Emillie started her sermon with John’s phrases "brood of vipers"and " the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fires" - powerful indictments that are hard to to ignore even if you want to. The label is aimed at exposing the sin, hypocrisy, and spiritual arrogance of those listening.  In Luke’s account, John the Baptist yells this at the crowd: "You brood of vipers!”. Is he accusing every Jew of infidelity or specific groups of Jews in the crowd — people who held power over other Jews — those who hoarded their wealth without regard for the poor; those who collected taxes on behalf of Rome to enrich themselves; and those serving in Caesar’s army who threatened the weak collecting bribes and extorting? 

Are those in power the “vipers" that will be consumed by holy fire? Or is he really speaking to all of us? John's is a call to repentance and a warning that judgment is near, aligning with his role as the forerunner of Christ. Is this also a call to joy as we are celebrating on this day? 

This Sunday is the third Sunday of Advent. In many Advent wreaths, the third candle is pink — not the traditional purple — to represent rejoicing. Two of today’s readings begin with rejoicing and the third ends with the proclamation of good news. Rejoice … rejoice … Good news! That joy, however, isn’t light-hearted celebration and mirth. Borrowing a memorable phrase from Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Advent joy isn’t “cheap.” It is costly. Because all three of the lectionary readings are also about injustice.

Given this Advent and what seems to be coming perhaps this third candle should be red rather than pink to symbolize the anger or bloody violent rhetoric that seems to be promised in our future. And yes, light that red candle! Watch it turn into the equivalent of a pyre to melt the corruption, captivity, and collusion that is being reported around us. A baby-pink candle feels far too weak and totally unsuited for this particular Advent wreath. Or, at least, so I thought this week as I read this Luke text for this season.

Pastor Emillie's sermon changed my mindset She observed that the crowd does not protest John's indictments but rather asks "What then should we do?" She feels they have experienced some sort of repentance or, as in the literal translation of the Greek "a change of mind.

John's answers to their question are sensible, practical ways to feel joy. “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none", tax collectors: “Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.” and soldiers: Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.”   

This is a good test for our times. Is the response we are giving to a particular situation filling us with joy or not? Too often we act from the reason that we have no other option. We do not choose, or act, out of joy. John gives us simple, practical ways to act out of joy. 

John is speaking to us today.

December 8, 2024 - Second Sunday of Advent - Weaving History and Faith

I believe John the Baptist and Jesus were historical figures, but not because "the Bible tells me so". That is not because I don't trust in the claims of this Luke text, for example, but recounting a history; as our culture defines it; is neither the primary power or purpose of scripture.

Luke 3:1-2 meticulously lists the political and religious authorities of the time (e.g., Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate, Herod, Annas, and Caiaphas). It Luke 3:1-2 meticulously lists the political and religious authorities of the time It sets the stage for a countercultural ministry.

John's call to repentance is not about shame or fear but about realigning one’s life toward justice and compassion. John quotes Isaiah, proclaiming the preparation of God’s way by leveling valleys and mountains and straightening crooked paths. The passage culminates in the declaration that “all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”.

John’s ministry is framed as preparatory work for the coming of Jesus, symbolizing the inbreaking of God's reign of justice and peace.

Luke 3:1-6 invites believers to confront the injustices of their time with courage and hope, inspired by John’s prophetic voice. It challenges Christians to make straight the paths for God's liberating love, working toward a world where no one is left behind and where justice flows "like a mighty stream."

This is where the weaving of faith and history transforms our hearts.

December 1, 2024 - First Sunday of Advent - Preparing for an Advent without Sugarcoating

Christina's World by Andrew Wyeth may not be the first image that comes to mind when thinking of Advent. However, due to some serendipity, however, I heard the backstory of Elizabeth Olson, the inspiration behind this painting for the first time on Sunday.

Here are the powerful words of the Gospel lesson for this first Sunday in Advent:

[Jesus said:] “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

Powerful considering the events that have gone on throughout this past year including the war in Ukraine and the genocide happening in Palestine. Powerful too, after the post-election anxiety many are feeling in this country right now. Many in the Creator congregation have felt an unfocused fear surrounding the promise of mass deportation by the incoming administration.

Pastor Emillie did not shy away from driving home the weight of that anxiety. In fact she particularized a story form her past in Uganda where her family saw hatred stoked the tribe in power turned against her family. She saw how quickly neighbors her family had considered friends turned against them. Neighborhood families, whose children had played with them in the past, took part in stoning her family's home. This gave additional depth to truth in the Gospel reading but was in sharp contrast to what she had initially and ideally envisioned for Advent. The lighting of the Christmas wreath and following the traditional preparations and hopes celebrated in the season was what she was longing for and yet their was another reality that would need to be lived through within this other context.

Though this was not what Jesus was addressing to his disciples in this Gospel. In following with this parable “Look at the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near." Jesus intimates these signs are not just warm-up acts for the coming of Christ but they are actually part of the very coming itself.

What Jesus prepared the disciples to show was a defiant joy, in the midst of what could be perceived as despairing times. Which brings us to one of the backstories of Christina's World. 

Anna Christina Olson was a woman who became a close friend of Wyeth's wife. She suffered from a degenerative disease, likely polio, that gradually paralyzed her from the waist down. Rather than use a wheelchair to move herself she chose to crawl to move herself. This was a picture of her crawling home. The Christina figure's arm in the picture, particularly around the exposed elbow, show signs of her affliction. The fears and yearnings of a world are represented here.

For Wyeth what he painted combined the loneliness, hope and despair embodied in Olson's story. He wanted to dramatize both her fragility and her resilience in his painting.

Given this inspiration's backstory, Christina's World perfectly captures the defiant hope and joy of this current season, praying to have the strength to escape, and at the same time face her aforementioned world and to be alert to not having your heart weighed down. There is no sugarcoating in Jesus' words or this place. This echoed what resonated with so much meaning in Pastor Emillie's sermon.    

November 24, 2024 - Christ The King Sunday - Mirrors and Windows - Parable of the Wounded Man

“You shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your needy neighbor.” (Deuteronomy 15:7)

A wealthy man asked a sage for advice on how to live a better, more meaningful life. The sage welcomed the man and led him to a large window that overlooked the street below.

“What do you see?” the sage asked.

“I see people walking, children playing, and merchants working,” the man replied.

The sage nodded and then took the man to a mirror. “Now, what do you see?”

“Only myself,” the man answered.

The sage smiled and nodded. “Both the window and the mirror are made of glass,” he said. “The only difference is that the mirror is coated with silver. When you add silver, you stop seeing others and see only yourself.”

Today celebrates the Feast of Christ the King in the church liturgical season. The parable revolving around someone who fell victim on the road while Jesus himself was on the road de-emphasized Christ as a king which makes some sense to me, particularly this year.

This is where the story of windows and mirrors suggested itself to me. Of all the characters in the story I think the idea of who is looking at a mirror and who is seeing a window becomes an insightful question.

Pastor Emillie started her sermon focusing on how familiar this parable was to most of us. The parable primarily revolves around the plight of the injured victim and the moral challenge his condition presents to others. By focusing on the "wounded man," the title may draw listeners into identifying with the victim, fostering a deeper emotional connection and understanding of the story's message.

The "Good Samaritan" title emphasizes the Samaritan's identity, which may unintentionally localize the story's moral lesson. If you consider the wounded man as a Christ figure it shifts focus to a broader theme of helping those in need, irrespective of their or the helper's background. 

The lawyer who put the question to Jesus was asking about gaining eternal life. Jesus ends up asking the question of who was a neighbor to the man. The title Parable of the Wounded Man:emphasizes the importance of acting in response to suffering rather than labeling individuals based on their actions or identities.

November 17, 2024 - Twenty-Sixth Sunday after Pentecost - From Possible Judgement to Perpetual Invitation

Creator's Bible Study group is reflecting on each Sunday's lectionary readings on Wednesdays. They have changed my perspective the past few weeks in many ways. For example this week's Gospel was Matthew 25:34-46. Jesus' teaching on the final judgement.

All of us felt uncomfortable whether they would be separated as "sheep" or "goats". This brought up the question of how and why our discomfort is triggered and whether it helps us love the Lord our God and our neighbors as ourselves.

After her prayer Pastor Emillie on Sunday opened her sermon with whether we felt a twinge of guilt when hearing this passage and wondering if we had done all these things. She then went on to emphasize all the good Creator does for the community. The general discomfort on our judgment of ourselves probably varied by individual after what she detailed. How can our support for Creator truly count in the final judgement Jesus describes here in Matthew? Is this simply a rationalization as Mike asked our Wednesday group they day after our session?

This passage, in the end, deals with absolutes and we simply don't live our lives in such absolutes. Why do we forget all the times we did the Lord's work rather than those times we did not when encountering this passage?  I have continually judge myself on the "cursed" side when reading this Gospel for years without being motivated to directly transform my entire life or actions. 

Certainly the dilemma of faith in relationship to works comes into play but motivation by threat of eternal punishment rings hollow and arbitrary for me in my life. I admit I have not always fed the hungry or thought about it but there are many times I have. How would a "final" judgement play out? Would the Lord say "Sure, but according to my tally you didn't feed the hungry often enough." Or might God say "Yes, but you did it for selfish reasons so off to eternal punishment " 

And, if God's tallying, when I tell my wife I am hungry and she feeds me, does that "count" as feeding the hungry? Should that be judged the same as feeding someone who does not have the means to get food?

I currently think the discomfort I have felt when encountering this passage is a poor motivating factor, in and of itself for me, to do God's work. Instead, I will be more cognizant and grateful when God opens my heart to understand the work I should be doing, This may happen more intermittently than I would like but when it happens I experience the "kin-dom".

This Gospel places the final judgement as a one time event in the afterlife. Instead I read this passage today as a perpetual invitation, rather then judgement, to act and bring about God's vision for life to the here and now. I know in my heart when that becomes even a momentary reality and this will better encourage me to see and bring about what is good.

November 10, 2024 - Shirley Peterson's Memorial

All photos by Ron Houser

There didn't appear to be an empty chair in either the sanctuary or narthex at Creator on Sunday afternoon for the memorial - but there was. And the attendees were acutely aware of the one who was absent. 

Everyone's bereavement and grief was an undercurrent as everyone tried to make it a celebration of her life yet the sorrow was still, obviously present. Shirley had a unique place in our lives. We were all bearing the weight of this loss, each of us feeling the absence of a person we cherished deeply.

Shirley chose John 14:1-4 as a message of comfort for the Gospel reading. She knew in this sorrow, we find would ourselves searching for some comfort and assurance. Jesus, knowing the fears and doubts of His disciples, said, 'Do not let your hearts be troubled.' The verse speaks to us today with these same words, inviting us to find peace in His promises.

This was a celebration of a life well-lived. Shirley engaged with and enjoyed everyone around her. She loved travel and excursions. Her love, kindness, and memories remained vivid with all of us and were abundantly shared.

Attendees included family and friends. There were past and current Creator members, the Creator Youth and SE Youth Collective were represented. Many members of choirs, both Creator and Tillicum Community Choir attended and sang. Past musicians including Marilyn Keller, A.J. McQuarters, Luke Stromberg, past Creator lead musicians, Kelly Carlisle and David Lee, together with Kim Lee Annie and Amy Miles who sang a delicate rendition of Wailin' Jenny's One Voice during the prelude.

The music was, as expected, stunning. Highlights included Kelly Carlisle on piano backed Marilyn Keller who sang an ardent, inspiring tribute to God and God's generosity - Great Is Thy Faithfulness. 

Luke Stromberg sang the solo and was backed by choir (that included the Creator and Tillicum choirs) on Carlisle's Nunc Dimmitus. The devotional impact of these words was intense.

Lord, let your servant depart in peace,
Now your promise has been fulfilled,
For my eyes have seen your salvation,
Which you have prepared in the sight of all,
A light to lighten the gentiles,
And the glory of Israel.

According to John's gospel after Jesus raised Lazarus Jesus told the crowd to do something as community after Lazarus came out with these words, “Unwrap him and let him go!” The Nunc Dimmitus served as our unwrapping and letting Shirley go in peace and confidence. 

The memorial ended with Keller and the choir leading everyone in an energetic, while also a prayerful Sending Song, May the Circle be Unbroken.

Shirley was a compatriot that stood side by side with many of us for so many years. She leaves her footprints on my heart and the memorial served as testament that there remains for each of us an empty chair in our lives now.

November 10, 2024 - Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost - A Widow's Generosity or, perhaps, Rebuke

What is a moral of today's Gospel lesson (traditionally known as the story of “the widow’s mite")? Is there only one? Should a person simply act more like the poor widow? Give cheerfully, maybe even beyond their means, to the church for a time? Is that a primary demonstration of true devotion to God?

This passage is nearly always read in conjunction with the church's stewardship season each year. And this verse is nearly always interpreted in the exact same way — that God blesses those with little who give generously and isn’t pleased by rich cheapskates.

There is another way to support people who have little to share that Pastor Emillie highlighted in her sermon. Originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, she fled with her family to Uganda for safety before moving to the United States in 2017 through a sponsorship by Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services. 

Pastor told a story in her sermon about her mother Velarie. Before they moved to the U.S. Emillie's mother served as a central figure in their community to invite folks would get together and contribute food to meals that would be shared. Pastor Emillie contrasted this with some church ministries and pastors she had encountered in her past who enriched themselves and ignored their own church workers needs. 

So, back to what can be drawn from Jesus' observations about scribes and the widow? Centering on the value of sacrificial giving over the amount given, emphasizing that the heart and intention behind the act are more significant than the quantity. The widow's gift, though small in material terms, was immense in spiritual worth because it represented her complete trust in God and her willingness to give, even at personal cost. This story appears to encourage humility, generosity, and the prioritization of sincere faith over outward displays of wealth or status.

This week a question arose for me: What if the widow didn't give out of this sense of generosity? This week, as Trump was re-elected, I heard echoes of a coarse, derisive laughter of many who function in today's world as the scribes did in this Gospel's world. There are people, many Christians, who might not admit it publicly but would, in their hearts, think the widow a sucker and a loser. 

Our Gospel actually has two parts. The entire selection says two things about widows. The first is about widows in general; the second is about this specific widow. In the first half of the text, Jesus condemned the elite for their ostentatious display of wealth, demands for respect, rights of privilege be recognized, and the insistence that their social status be publicly rewarded. In his litany of complaints against them, Jesus specifically pointed out one of the scribes’ unjust business practices: “They devour widows’ houses.”

In other words, the scribes cheated widows out of their property. The scribes in biblical times were often supported, at least indirectly, by the temple treasury, which also received offerings like those given by the widow in the story of the widow’s mite.

The scribes, who were scholars, teachers, and interpreters of the law, held respected positions in Jewish society and were closely associated with the temple and religious life. Some scribes, particularly those who also served as priests or high-ranking religious officials, would have received provisions or support from the temple offerings. So there is a question. Should she support a treasury that serves as a bank for those who had robbed her?

This suggests a possible moral contrast. While the widow gave out of her poverty to support the temple system, some religious leaders used to exploit their position at the expense of the vulnerable, like widows. Jesus’ teaching highlights not only the widow’s sacrificial giving but serves as a rebuke of those who misuse their authority for self-gain, reminding the audience of the ethical responsibilities of religious leaders. Yet, when read today, the rebuke is rarely emphasized.

It certainly isn’t hard to imagine that, in a society where women had no legal power, corrupt lawyers, estate managers, and bankers would enrich themselves by “devouring” the houses of widows. And the widows would have no recourse against any misdoings. Women both depended on them and were at their mercy.

Jesus’ comment seems to indicate that financial malpractice against widows was a regular practice of the scribes whom he denounced.

Jesus criticized the wealthy and praised her. This is in line with much of Jesus' teaching. This may have been a Matthew 5:39 verse moment for the widow, "But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also."

Who was the widow? What was her story? It is not given as is true with so many stories of women in the Bible. We don’t know anything except her husband was dead and she was of no means. Why was she so poor? Was this particular widow a victim of elite corruption? Had her house been devoured by one of the rich lawyers in that crowd?

Maybe, just maybe, she came to the treasury in protest. There, at the very least, she knew she’d get the attention of the pillars of society. After all, this was the sacred space where women could publicly plead and pray = the physical place where she would be nearest to the Holy, the One who is the Giver of Justice.

Maybe she is making a point. "Rich people have taken everything else from me — in your finery, with all your privilege and power. I’ve got nothing left. Take this. Choke on this, you thieves. Lord, have mercy! Defend my cause!"

And then, instead of letting her corrupt lawyers and greedy bankers take her very last penny, she threw her final mite - the little that remained -  into the Temple treasury where they shouldn't have felt comfortable touching it. She gave her last to God instead of them.

She had nothing to live on anyway since everything had been stolen. She may have been shaming her oppressors and throwing herself on God. And, while they made a show of their wealth, she made a show of their injustice.

Pastor Emillie posited in her sermon that the widow gave as she was called to do by her God. We can emulate her behavior and, at the same time, maintain respect for those who are being taken advantage of. Ultimately, we cannot know if she gave out of her generosity, as a rebuke, or both. 

And maybe we don't need to know. Thank Jesus for today's observations.