An Exciting Announcement! Dedication of the Farmland Produce Distribution Project's Garden at Creator

     Exciting Announcement!  

 

 

 

We are thrilled to announce a new and exciting partnership between ProjectFPD and Creator Lutheran Church!

This collaboration brings together our shared values and dedication to making a positive impact in our community. Together, we will work towards faithfully stewarding our land.

We can't wait to see what amazing things the Holy Spirit will guide us to achieve together!

 

Here’s to a fruitful and inspiring partnership!  

 

 

July 21, 2024 - A Liturgy for Gardening - Dedication of the Farmland Produce Distribution Project's Garden at Creator

There are no unsacred places; there are only sacred and desecrated places. Wendell Berry 

This was a perfect morning of rain and sunshine for this long anticipated dedication.

Members of Creator and the Farmland Distribution Project gathered last Sunday in the spirit of hope and renewal, to consecrate a space for a garden. This will be a sacred space. Just as God as Creator adorned the world with fruits, plants and flowers, this garden was dedicated to be beautiful and bountiful.

A garden is a reminder of God's unending love and the miracles of creation that surround us. As the planted seeds take root and flourish, we trust everyone's faith will deepen and the harvests will feed many. 

We pray it will thrive under the watchful eyes of those who tend it and the warm embrace of the sun. We wanted to honor to this place where we will come together in fellowship, celebrate the cycles of nature, and recognize the divine in all living things. 

This consecration marks the beginning of a journey invested at this moment with growth, bounty, beauty, and grace.

July 21, 2024 - Ninth Sunday after Pentecost - Where and When Healing Happens

In today's Gospel passage Jesus performed miracles and taught the crowds at Gennesaret. It depicts Gennesaret as a significant location in Jesus' ministry, and describes how many people were healed. Large followings came, due to those teachings and miracles.

The account begins just after following last week's account of the death of John the Baptist.  The opening verses of the reading tell of the return of the apostolic mission begun in 6:7-13.

The gap in the middle of the reading is Mark's account of the feeding of the 5,000.  That story will appear next week, though the text will be from John and not Mark.  Unfortunately, this means we miss Mark's rich theology expressed in his two feeding stories.  The first one (Mark 6), in a Jewish region, reconciles Jews.  The second one (Mark 8), on gentile territory, reconciles gentiles.

This focuses on the healings that occurred in Gennesaret (primarily Jewish), is described in the Gospels mentioned. The power and the compassion of Jesus' ministry is underscored. In both Gospels, the people of Gennesaret immediately recognized Jesus and responded by bringing the sick to him. This indicates their faith in Jesus' ability to heal and their eagerness to seek his help. Their immediate recognition and proactive approach suggest a high level of awareness and belief in Jesus' miraculous powers.

How people were healed in Gennesaret is interesting. The passages mention that people implored Jesus to let them touch even the fringe of his garment. This act of touching the fringe of his garment, driven by faith, resulted in healing for many. This detail emphasizes the power emanating from Jesus and the importance of faith in the process of healing. 

The accounts highlight the extensive impact of Jesus' presence in Gennesaret. People regionally brought their sick to him, and the healings were not limited to one location but occurred in villages, cities, and the countryside. This widespread activity demonstrates the far-reaching influence of Jesus' ministry and the desperation of the people to seek his healing touch.

Jesus and the disciples initially head for a "deserted place." The people "knew" Jesus, and huge numbers "from all the towns" come to the "deserted place" where they anticipate he will be.  A "large crowd" assembles.  The Jesus movement swells and hits its stride.

Seeing the large crowd, Jesus is "moved with compassion"--splagchnizomai, "moved in the bowels," or "having one's 'guts' torn apart."  He is moved because the people were "like sheep without a shepherd," This is a line of great portent with potential political implications. 

"Sheep without a shepherd" references Number 27: 16-17,  "Let the Lord...appoint someone over the congregation who shall go out before them and come in before them, who shall lead them out and bring them in, so that the congregation of the Lord may not be like sheep without a shepherd."  

The healings in Gennesaret are described as immediate and complete. As many as touched the fringe of Jesus' garment were made well. This immediacy and totality of healing underscore the miraculous nature of Jesus' power and the effectiveness of even the slightest contact with him when combined with faith.

These elements collectively highlight the extraordinary nature of the healings that occurred in Gennesaret, reflecting the profound faith of the people as opposed to the faithlessness of Jesus' hometown and what we heard about Herod's court.

Pastor Emillie started her sermon preaching about the Trump assassination attempt that happened before the Republican National Convention. The reason was this statement in today's Gospel Number 27: 16-17 reference and that political implication.

She preached particularly about young people needing leadership. She spoke about what had happened that led to this. As the social hierarchies continue to dissolve in unanticipated ways the idea of what to have faith in continues to evolve.

July 14, 2024 - Eighth Sunday after Pentecost - Confronting Evil

Pastor Nick's sermon last week focused on the danger of being a prophet. The story of Salome and Herod underscores that danger. There are down to earth, current takeaways that this Gospel passage help us understand.

 

Historically the death of John the Baptist foreshadows what happens to Jesus and his followers. This is the end of what innocence the audience may have had about what is in store for Jesus' ministry. King Herod's abuse of power and the influence of Herodias and Salome highlight how personal vendettas and corrupt leadership lead to tragic consequences. John the Baptist spoke truth to power, which is particularly potent and relevant today.

 

Another unfortunate aspect is a young woman being manipulated and used as a pawn in a political power ploy. Examined through our current debates about gender dynamics and agency. This can be seen as a prophetic call to advocate for a more nuanced understanding of power imbalances.

 

Pastor Emillie's sermon pointed out how this is a tragic story about corrupt power not wanting to hear truth. John the Baptist was a prophet who courageously called out moral and ethical failings. Those who challenge systemic injustice and advocate for marginalized communities, fulfill how John the Baptist envisioned the prophetic role. Many like him have met his same fate.

This is a tragic story. However, telling it offers a perspective that allows for the forgiveness that does not directly appear in the story. There is always potential for redemption. Environments can be fostered where justice and mercy prevail over revenge and hatred.

Pastor Emillie cited recent genocides and atrocities to point out this is not a story of olden, distant days that no longer occur. The request for John's head on a platter is a dramatic and gruesome fulfillment of Herodias's desire for retribution. It is also a very public way of showing that retribution and insuring that story would be shared. Although the head being offered up on a silver platter is somewhat unique, there are other stories about severed heads. In the Bible we have David beheading Goliath and bringing his head to King Saul. Where this act was a display of triumph and divine favor that showcased David's bravery and God's support, this Gospel story is in sharp contrast to the story of David and Goliath. 

This passage begins with King Herod's fear. He is described as being deeply grieved at the time of the execution. Here Mark describes how the king is haunted when hears the name of Jesus. Herod says "John, whom I beheaded, has been raised." In hearing the name of Jesus, together with the evil his father King Herod the Great, King Herod Antipas appears to confront the evil acts of his past.

There is a Hollywood 1950's biblical file epic called Salome starring Rita Hayworth, Stewart Granger and Charles Laughton. Hollywood hates leading ladies to be evil, particularity in the 50's, so Salome is shown as having an epiphany about John prior to her dance. In this movie she dances to make her request to free John from prison rather than behead him as her mother wants. 

I dislike tacked on "Hollywood" endings but I found this particular plot twist intriguing. Salome dancing for John The Baptist's life ends up being horrified when she finally sees his head takes the story in new directions.

Unfortunately, the ancient story may always rear up in different forms as Pastor Emillie pointed out today.

July 7, 2024 - Seventh Sunday after Pentecost - Prophets, Shaking The Dust Off Our Feet and Miracles

There's something happening here. First we will celebrate the one year anniversary of  Pastor Emillie becoming Creator's current pastor today and the congregation is involved in cottage meetings over the summer. We are engaged in building our relationships with one another together Pastor Emillie and we are discussing Creator's present and future mission.

Pastor Nick Doversberger was our guest preacher Sunday. He preached on what Jesus said about his hometown synagogue members, “Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house.” He portrayed prophets as being impelled and propelled to change the world around them. They had faith that finding a new way to change was possible. Not part of the religion. Not only that but they were driven by care and compassion for people beyond those who they would want to help because of their own self-interest. "Unless you think of them and a tear comes to your eye you are not grasping the ministry Jesus had in mind." Pastor Nick said about the Gospel.

The prophetic implications of the Gospel reading is apparent. Relevancy and History may need some explanation. His command to “shake the dust off your feet” appears four times in the New Testament. In each case the command is spoken by Jesus to the disciples when sending them out two by two (Matthew 10:14; Luke 9:5). In Mark 6:11 Jesus says, “And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, leave that place and shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” In the Matthew 10 account, Jesus clarifies His meaning: “Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town” (verse 15).

Shaking the dust off one’s feet conveys the same idea as our modern phrase “I wash my hands of it.” Shaking the dust off the feet is a symbolic indication that one has done all that can be done in a situation and therefore carries no further responsibility for it. In the scriptural examples, Jesus was telling His disciples that they were to preach the gospel to everyone. Where they were received with joy, they should stay and teach. But where their message was rejected, they had no further responsibility. They were free to walk away with a clear conscience, knowing they had done all they could do. Shaking the dust off their feet was, in effect, saying that those who rejected God’s truth would not be allowed to hinder the furtherance of the gospel. Even the dust of those cities that rejected the Lord was an abomination and would not be allowed to cling to the feet of God’s messengers. 

This works for the itinerant ministry of the disciples and initial Christians  He was giving them guidance on how to handle rejection during their mission of spreading his teachings. In the cultural context of the time, shaking the dust off one's feet was a symbolic act performed by Jews when leaving a Gentile (non-Jewish) area. It signified a separation from the impurity of the Gentiles and their practices. By using this gesture, Jesus was instructing his disciples to show a clear break from those who reject their message.

"Washing your hands" and taking no further responsibility for telling the Gospel may have been effective historically but is not a relevant way to spread the Christian message given today's culture. As a symbolic act "shaking the dust off your feet" works better as a metaphor for being open to an emotional or psychological release rather than as sign of judgement against respecters. So I see this much more as a call to be open to a new vision of a prophetic and relevant ministry for today and not attach ourselves tightly to a vision of past ministry. Essentially what this means for today's ministry is to shake the dust off of a tired way of giving testimony.

As far as miracles, the fact that Jesus could do no deed of power in Nazareth because of town's unbelief (except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them). This underscores how important the reciprocity of faith was needed for Jesus to perform miracles. The details of each miracle also highlight how tied they were to some benefit or restoration of faith. These were not accomplished Jesus' will alone but by shared faith. This is another perspective that seems more relevant for relating the Good News rather than relying on what worked in the past.

This perspective, together with the idea of keeping the messianic nature of Jesus secret, is prevalent in Mark so the timing of reading Mark's Gospel while Creator is involved in the Cottage meetings shifts our conversation of ministry.

June 30, 2024 - Sixth Sunday after Pentecost - Two "Sandwiched" Stories

First Reading; Wisdom 1:13-15; 2:23-24
Psalm 30 

Gospel: Mark 5:21-43

 

In last week's Gospel Jesus calmed the wind and sea. The blog post mentioned the miracle of walking on water in the post because the TV series The Chosen conflated the accounts of those miracles together and many congregation members are currently watching.

 

This week's Gospel starts, "When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered around him; and he was by the sea." Two more miracles are then described. Miracles consistently highlight Jesus' divine power and compassion. There are differences, however, on what their unique natures emphasize. Some of those differences depend on where they take place, including which side of the Sea of Galilee they were on.

 

The feeding of the 5,000 obviously takes place on land. It also takes place on the non-Jewish side of the sea. Calming the sea and walking on water obviously is on the sea. In today's Gospel, the setting returns to land again and back to the Jewish side of the sea. Miracles performed on land tend to focus on human needs and direct interventions in people's lives, whereas those on water emphasize his control over nature and the elements.

 

Pastor Joan Beck was guest pastor today and she talked about these two intertwined stories being layered or, as she put it, "sandwiched" together. One story has a child coming back from death briefly interrupted by a narrative of a woman healed from bleeding, which parallels how her illness is interrupting her life. Touch is important in each. The woman touches Jesus' clothes and Jesus takes Jairus' daughter's hand.

Again, when this morning’s gospel opens, Jesus and the disciples are going back over to the other side of the Sea of Galilee and dramatic healing follows. They were also shocking. This is where "touching" becomes important in another way. In both cases, Jesus was touched by or touches someone deemed impure in those times - a woman with an uncontrollable menstrual flow and a newly dead girl, who is at the average age for menstrual cycles to start.

On both sides of the lake, people who are outcast and suffering are engaged. On the “unclean” side, with the Gentiles, it would be expected that Jesus and the disciples would encounter people who were completely different, those considered unworthy and untouchable — whom respectable people held in contempt.

The healing also happens to people respectable Jewish people would not be comfortable touching and that doesn't seem accidental.  Consider the crowd in this story initially holding Jesus in contempt and ridicule by laughing at him when he declares Jairus' daughter is only sleeping. Interestingly this comes after last Thursday's debate where one candidate expressed a cynical contempt for what is happening currently in the  nation, and the other struggled hard to articulate his positions against that contempt.

In both stories the daughters are restored to their communities. For the woman even being in the crowd is a violation of the purity rules. Jesus gives her the opportunity and she tells her whole truth. And Jesus says to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” 

For Jairus' daughter, after she gets up, Jesus tells them to get her something to eat. As Pastor Joan preached, the healing was not the end of these stories. The woman was recognized as no longer being unclean. She could participate in public life with her neighbors. And, lastly, the broader community is given responsibility to take care of Jairus' daughter when Jesus tells them to give her something to eat.

June 23, 2024 - Fifth Sunday after Pentecost - Acronym for F-E-A-R: False Evidence Appearing Real

Pastor Janell was our guest pastor this morning while Pastor Emillie is on vacation.

Her sermon beautifully tied to all today's readings. She preached that it takes courage to go against the norm and not be afraid. Otherwise that fear can capsize our creativity,

Each of the central characters in this Sunday's scripture readings reflects an aspect of overcoming that fear. She used fear as an acronym: F-E-A-R: False Evidence Appearing Real.

Take these readings as examples of overcoming False Evidence Appearing Real.

First Reading: 1 Samuel 17:32-49

Pastor Janell preached David was more secure with his staff, pouch and sling. when fighting with Goliath who despised David for approaching him without the expected armor. He only noticed the absence of the warrior attire, what was on the exterior. David was confident his relationship with God that would sustain and protect him

Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 6:1-13

"...We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet are well known; as dying, and see we are alive; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything...."

Pastor Janell observed in her sermon that in Paul's letter he is looking through the lens of God’s grace and protection rather than societal norms. Again, this provides him with the same confidence that Jesus demonstrated as he slept on the boat.

Gospel Reading: Mark 4:35-41

Paying attention to particular details in scripture can lead to rewarding readings. "They took him with them in the boat, just as he was." Pastor Janelle's sermon highlighted this detail. Like David and Paul, Jesus was not afraid to be faithful and trust that God would use his abilities to do God's purposes. In sleeping Jesus is demonstrating how confident he is in God's support.

Many in the Creator congregation are currently watching, or have watched, The Chosen, the first-ever multi-season TV show about the life of Jesus. 

There are Biblical passages that collectively confirm that Peter (also referred to as Simon or Cephas) was married. The Chosen creatively names Peter's wife as Eden, though the Bible does not provide her name. This addition helps to flesh out the personal lives of the disciples and provides a more immersive narrative for viewers.

I bring it up here because the portrayal of Jesus calming the sea in The Chosen also collapses in it's creative story presentation Jesus' calming of the sea with Jesus and Peter walking on the water. The emphasis with dramatizing the narrative in this way highlights Jesus as miracle worker more than his faith in God.  

This Season 3 Episode 8 also portrays Eden as Peter's wife going through a purification ritual as her husband wants to walk on the water. Both the ritual and the miracles address overcoming fear through faith. Eden’s ritual can be seen as a means to overcome her spiritual fears and doubts, while the miracles demonstrate Jesus’ power to calm literal and metaphorical storms.

There are many implications for the miracles of Jesus; 

Faith: Jesus often performed miracles to inspire faith in those who witnessed them. For example, in the healing of the centurion’s servant (Matthew 8:5-13),  which indicates that Jesus wanted his miracles to lead people to believe in him and in the power of God. Recognition of Divine Authority: which is an obvious implication.  

Repentance and Transformation: Miracles were also intended to lead people to repentance and a transformation of life. I think this is what the TV episode is highlighting with Eden's purification. The expression on the actress' face when she emerges form the water and looks around at her transformed view of the world illustrates it all. Gratitude and Worship: Jesus expected that his miracles would lead to gratitude and worship of God. In Luke 17:11-19, when Jesus healed ten lepers, only one returned to thank him, and Jesus remarked on the importance of giving praise to God. This indicates that Jesus wanted people's response to miracles as inspiring gratitude and worship.

Spreading the Good News: After performing miracles, Jesus often instructed those healed to tell others about the works of God. For instance, after healing a demon-possessed man in Mark 5:19, Jesus told him, "Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." Jesus wanted his miracles to be a testimony to others, spreading the message of God's love and power.

This leads to the passage in Mark that profoundly moved me this week, "And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

This question led me to questions regarding the passage. Was Jesus himself in awe of these miracles of wind and sea? Did the detailed implications of performed miracles deepen Jesus' faith and worship of God?  

Today particularly I want Jesus to be in awe of the source of all the miracle implications found throughout his ministry.