Parish life

I have really enjoyed this Lenten season and the opportunity to gather with my Brothers and Sisters for mid-week Lenten services on Wednesday evenings.

Now, I confess that I have had mixed feelings about the sermon series that is being preached - it is about "repairing broken relationships". Each week the sermon has looked at behaviour patterns that contribute to unhealthy relationships - having unrealistic expectations of each other, the negative interpretation of motives, escalating responses, etc. I'm not quite able to put my finger on why I don't like them; they seem to be too law driven, almost "self-help" in nature, with too much focus on fixing broken human relationships and not enough on how Jesus fixes our broken relationship with the Father. There's nothing wrong with them per se, it's just not my cup of tea, I guess.

Despite this, I've still come away each evening fed and refreshed. It occured to me that this is one real advantage that the liturgy has over a non-liturgical worship setting: even if you get a less than stellar sermon, you still hear the Word - spoken by the pastor from the readings and spoken and sung to one another by the congregation. The Word runs through the entire service and you are immersed in it from beginning to end. I will miss having these midweek gatherings when Lent ends.

I've also REALLY enjoyed being in the choir! It kind of surprised me how much pleasure I've been getting out of it. We have a full docket for this upcoming Holy Week: leading the congregation in the canticles for Palm Sunday, and anthems/hymns on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday. I have discovered that I have a not bad voice too! It's not a "solo" voice to be sure, but it sounds quite nice when it is blended with other voices. I get a real sense of satisfaction in praising God in this way.

This past Sunday our church held a special candlelight service of Evening Prayer. It featured a men's choir, and several organists from around our district contributed their talents. It was not a heavily attended event (which disappointed me a bit) but the smaller gathering of people gave it a peaceful, intimate atmosphere. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Guess what?

Well, I am going to choir practice tonight. A handful of folks at church have been harassing encouraging me to join the choir for a while now. I love to sing, but I am a bit self conscious about my voice. Finally last week our choir director asked what it would take to get Ken and me to join the choir, lol, so I gave in. Actually, I am looking forward to having this activity to do with my husband and with my church family.

Everything I really needed to know about Jesus I learned in Sunday School

Last week our Sunday School lesson was about Moses and the Bronze Serpent.

Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way. And the people spoke against God and against Moses: "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread." So the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died.

Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, "We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you; pray to the LORD that He take away the serpents from us." So Moses prayed for the people.

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live." So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.
Numbers 21:4-9 (NKJV)

Now that I'm teaching the Grade 1 class, (I formerly taught Grade 5) I have to remember to keep the lesson objectives simple. For our craft, we cut and paste a serpent onto a wooden pole and Jesus onto a cross. Then as a quick game, I asked them to hold up the correct pole when ever I said "God saved the Isrealites from the snakes" or "God saved us from sin". That's basically what the lesson boils down to - just as God saved the Isrealites in the wilderness from dying from the serpent's bite, so He saves us from the death that we deserve as a consequence of our sin.

Call me a cynic, but I can't help wondering how many Isrealites died because they didn't look at the snake. I'm pretty sure I would have died. Because it doesn't really make sense. Think about it: I'm lying on the ground, feverish and convulsing from the snake venom that's coursing through my blood. A snakebite is the cause of my suffering and will soon be the cause of my death. And then along comes Moses who tells me to look at an effigy of the snake - the very cause of my suffering! - and I will be saved from death by snakebite. (Uh...yeah. Sure Moses, anything you say.) It just doesn't make sense, does it?

In fact it seems like the opposite should be true. The snake, apparently, was called "Nehushtan" (2 Kings 18:4). The word "Nehushtan" is not only a combination of the Hebrew words for "bronze" and "snake" but it also sounds much like the Hebrew word that means "unclean thing". And my intellect tells me that I have no good reason to believe the "unclean thing" will be of any help to me. In fact it tells me the opposite: the unclean thing can't be trusted.

Yet obviously some of the Isrealites believed and looked at the bronze serpent and were healed. Despite the fact that it made no human sense whatsoever, they trusted that God would be true to His word and looked up for their healing.

In the same sort of paradoxical way, Luther had this idea that the Cross turned everything that we think we know about God on its head. From a human perspective what kind of Messiah is a dead messiah? How are we supposed to trust a Messiah - killed in the most shameful way that the Romans could devise, whose followers appeared to have deserted Him and who seemed to lack the power to stop even his own unjust death sentence - to save us? Like the serpent on the pole, the Messiah on the Cross as a means of salvation makes no sense.

Yet Luther insisted that the shame and agony and senselessness of the Cross is precisely where God best reveals Himself to us. God hides himself (Isaiah 45:15) in what appears to be weak and foolish yet paradoxically this is where the very power and wisdom of God are found. God, who is all-powerful, hides Himself in weakness. God, who is all wise, hides Himself in foolishness. God, who is living, hides Himself in death. Luther called this the "Theology of the Cross".

To fully understand the implications of Theology of the Cross (if such a thing is even possible), one must first understand it's converse: what Luther called the Theology of Glory. Under such a theology, man seeks for himself the glory that belongs to God alone. Thus, theologians of glory see themselves as having the capacity to understand God - and even approach Him - apart from His final Revelation to man, which is Christ. The theologian of glory applies his human reason to understand what God is like.

This is why the Sunday School lesson is so powerful. Human reason tells us that a bronze snake on a pole is not going to save us from a poisonous bite. And human reason tells us that a dead man on a cross is no help to us either. Yet in both cases our human reason deceives us.

The children in Sunday School, whose faith God began in their baptisms, accept unquestioningly that God saves through a lifeless bronze serpent and they accept equally unquestioningly that Jesus dying on the cross saves them from death. They don't believe it because they have applied human reason, or reached an "age of understanding". They believe it because God, who revealed His greatest promise in the paradox of the Cross, gave them faith to trust that His promises are true.

Here endeth the Sunday School lesson.

Spykids

Yesterday was our big Sunday School Rally. Our Sunday School goes on hiatus during the summer months and starts up again in September when we go back to two Sunday morning services. (We have an "early" service at 8:30 am, a late service at 11 am and Sunday School for the kids/Bible study for the adults in between.)

There is no grade 5 class this year so I am helping out with the grade 1/2 class instead. Our first lesson was about the 12 spies that God told Moses to send to Canaan so we made the kids be the "spies" and told them they had to find out about the land and the people. We gave them "ID" cards and took their pictures and their fingerprints for their cards. Then we gave the the story and the had to listen for the "clues".

The kids seemed to enjoy it. One little fellow came out of the classroom waving his ID card. "Look!" he said, showing his brother his card. "I'm working for JESUS!". Too cute.

Shepherd

Therefore, and overseer (pastor) must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive. He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fal into the condemnation of the devil. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. (1Timothy 3:2-4; Titus 1:9)
~ The Small Catechism, Table of Duties: For Bishops, Pastors and Preachers

On June 22 at St. John's Lutheran Church in Depew, NY, Galen Michael Purpura Jr. was ordained into the Holy Ministry. "Vicar Galen" is now Pastor Purpura.

Have you ever been to an ordination? It is a powerful, wonderful thing to witness: the Lord of the Church placing his called servant into the office of the ministry. Jesus was given all authority in heaven and on earth. It was by this authority that he called and ordained the first apostles, and it is by this authority that he continues, through the means of his church, to call and ordain pastors who are to preach the word and administer the sacraments. When Jesus ordained his apostles, he breathed on them and they received from him the Holy Spirit and the authority to act by his command and in his stead. Today Jesus confers his authority to his called servants through the church. The laying on of hands by ordained ministers during the ordination signifies this. Jesus' authority does not, as some suppose, pass on "from" or "through" one minister to another. The authority that Jesus confers comes from Jesus. It's his authority - only he can confer it. Therefore, Galen's call to St. John's Lutheran Church as Associate Pastor is no human thing; it is a divine call.

Galen didn't just wake up one morning and decide to become a pastor. In fact, he'll tell you that, like Jonah, he resisted God's call for a while *smile*. I don't even think it's accurate to say that he - or any called servant for that matter - "decides" to be a pastor. Pastors are called and a call to the holy ministry is from the Lord of the Church, Jesus himself. He extends that call to his chosen servant (who may recognize it as an "inner call") and then he confirms it through the Church.

I look at that table of duties and the obligations that are laid upon a pastor and I really can't blame him for wanting to resist. Being a pastor is serious business. Peoples souls are at stake. Gulp. Who wouldn't be intimidated by such a prospect?

But Galen doesn't go into this alone.

First and foremost, he is accompanied by the Holy Spirit:

He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Phil. 1:6

[You] through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation. 1Peter 1:5
...the word of God which is at work in you who believe. 1 Thess. 2:13

Second, he is being held up in prayer by his congregation (and by his friends and family):

Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests .... Always keep on praying for all the saints Eph 6:18

Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel Eph. 6:19

Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you. 2 Thess 3:1

I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. Romans 15:30

I pray that now at last by God's will, the way may be opened for me to come to you. Romans 1:10

Pray for us; for we are confident that we have a good conscience, in all things desiring to live honorably. Hebrews 13:18

And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ... Col 4:3

Third, God has given him a helpmeet:

And the LORD God said, [It is] not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. Gen. 2:18

He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord. Proverbs 18:22

When Galen was our vicar last year I witnessed first hand the qualities that God gifted him with that will serve him well as a pastor. He has an engaging, affable way about him - you can tell he genuinely LIKES working with God's people. He demonstrated real care and concern for our parish members, the youth and the elderly in particular. He's solidly confessional and he can preach. Boy can he preach!

Galen, if you’re reading this, I'm not trying to suck up. *grin* We love you and we're proud of you...and humbled too, to have been a part of the process that God used to confirm your call. Thank you Galen and Jenny for being obedient to the Lord and serving his church as his called servant.

Some (belated) Mother's Day reflections

Note: I wrote this on Mother's Day, but looks like I hit "Save Now" button instead of "Publish Post".


First, I should tell you right off the bat, I'm not a big fan of Mother's Day. I'll tell you why in a minute, but keep that in mind when I say that this was probably the nicest Mother's Day I can remember.

Ok, so I do love being able to honour my own mother on Mother's Day. She deserves every bit of love and honour that she receives. My mom is Simply. Incredible. She is, and I say this with absolutely NO bias whatsever (smile) The World's Greatest Mom. Ever.

Mom is kind and generous and self-sacrificing and utterly undemanding. She was born to be a mother. And now that she has raised her own children, she has turned her attention to children in our neighbourhood whose own mothers, for whatever reason, have difficulty raising their own children. You might recall that she runs a school breakfast program at a public school in our neighbourhood. Some of those kids come because there's not enough food in the house; some come because their moms must leave early in the morning to work to support them and aren't home to fix breakfast and see them off to school; others come because their moms have been out too late the night before and can't (or can't be bothered) to get up and feed their kids in the morning. (I'm sorry. That sounded harsh I know. For what it's worth, the can't-be-bothered moms are few. It just makes me sad that's all.)

Anyways, my mom strives to give the "Breakfast Club" kids not just a meal, but a real family atmosphere to get them started in the morning. She makes the rounds each morning, chatting with the kids, asking about their day ahead and encouraging them as she is able. She gets to know them. She notices when a child needs a pair of socks, or a hat or mitts (yes, even coats or boots) and makes sure one is found for the child. She pays extra attention to the kids who need it: the hard-to-love kids, the social outcasts and the naughty ones. They are more than just little empty bellies to her. And she is more than just the "breakfast lady" to them. She loves them because Jesus loves them. I dare say she is much like a grandma to many of those kids. I am honoured and humbled to be able to share my mom with them.

I, on the other hand, am not a natural born mother. Mothering comes hard for me. Even with my mother's excellent example, I fall so short of the mark, and Mother's Day is a reminder of all that I am not.

Today, I shared this thought with my pastor's wife, Elizabeth. This is how she ministered to me: "Oh no, Anita (she said) no, don't you do that. You are who God made you to be. Exactly as He planned with the gifts that he wanted for you. And you share those gifts with your family. For the rest, there is grace." (Ok, I'm paraphrasing a bit here...but this is the gist of it.)

Elizabeth, if you happen to stop by here, thank you. God's grace IS sufficient for me. Sometimes I must be reminded of that. *smile* Thank you for your words - they were an unexpected, but treasured, Mother's Day gift.

Certification and Call Service, 2008

Lutherans believe that God has established the office of the public ministry (ie. the pastoral office, referred to in Scripture as "shepherd", "overseer" or "elder") for the purpose of proclaiming the Gospel and administering the sacraments in accordance with the Gospel. For Lutherans there is but ONE ministry and that is the public ministry - the ministry of Word and Sacrament, carried out through a called and ordained servant. There are other kinds of service to be sure, but the pastoral office is unique.

Lutherans refer to the entry into the public ministry as the Divine Call. Not just anyone can be called to the pastoral office. An individual may feel he has an "inner call" to ministry, but to be called to the public ministry, that "call" should be confirmed by the church (as in Acts). Lutherans adhere to the qualifications for pastors that are set forth in the letters to Timothy and Titus. As well, for the sake of order and the preservation of correct teaching, Lutherans require their pastors to be prepared for ministry with specialized knowledge of the Bible and theology. Specialized training most often occurs through a Lutheran seminary, although some provisions are made for alternate training and education in extraordinary circumstances.

When a candidate for ministry has completed his seminary education, he is eligible to be called by a congregation to serve as their pastor. Usually a congregation in need of a pastor will directly call a pastor from the list of rostered (ie. eligible) pastors, but in the case of first time candidates the Council of Presidents "call" on behalf of the congregations and work with the seminary to place a suitable candidate with a congregation. It is NOT a process of applying and interviewing for a "position", but neither is it a bureacratic assignment process either. The process of placing candidate in their first congregaton can take months, and is done with much prayer and reliance on the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

This Saturday at Grace Lutheran Church, St. Catharines, our dear friend (and former vicar) Galen Purpura will receive his first call. We will be travelling to St. Catherines to be there for the service. I am tremendously excited about it, but at the same time very humbled to be able to witness the Lord of the Church calling and placing His servant. It is a truly awesome thing.

We will also learn this weekend who our new vicar will be! We don't know if he is coming from the St. Catharines seminary or the Edmonton seminary. If he is coming from St. Catharines we will meet him on Saturday. We have plans to drive down and attend the service with our current vicar and his wife, Scott and Linnea Lyons. I think it would be so cool if we could meet our new vicar and have past, present and future vicars all together!

Thoughts on Confession and Absolution

The beginning of each Divine Service begins with Confession and Absolution.

Below, "P" is for Pastor and "C" is for Congregation. Note that the Pastor says both parts, as he also is in need of absolution. The Pastor stands in the transept for this part of the service. He does not enter the chancel area until after we have made confession of sins and received absolution. This is a symbolic reminder it is not the pastor who forgives sins - only God can forgive sins. The pastor, by the authority of Christ, speaks that forgiveness to us and since he also is in need of forgiveness, he remains outside of the chancel until absolution is pronounced. The Scriptures from which the words of corporate Confession and Absolution are drawn are in brackets below.

P - In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C - Amen. (Matt. 28:19b)

P - If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
C - But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1John 1:8-9)

Here we kneel and take a few moments for reflection on God's Word and self-examination.

P - Let us then confess our sins to God our Father.
C - Most merciful God, we confess that we are by nature sinful and unclean. We have sinned against You in thought, word and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved You with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbours as ourselves. We justly deserve Your present and eternal punishment. For the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in Your will and walk in Your ways to the glory of Your holy name. Amen.
P - Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
C - Amen. (John 20:19-23)

Lutherans also practice individual Confession and Absolution, although it is not widely used. I have only ever made an individual confession (ie. just me and the pastor - and God, of course!) once in my life. It wasn't for any particularly spectacular sin - I was simply feeling overwhelmed with the awareness of my own sin and really needed to hear the words YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN.

I know that for many of you, the concept of making a confession and hearing absolution pronounced by a pastor is foreign to your experience. You might even have been told that such a practice is improper. I can tell you that Lutheran churches teach and believe that confessing one's sins before God and hearing His pardon pronounced through a called and ordained Servant is proper and biblical. I can also tell you how I personally benefitted from making public confession. It's true, I can always privately (ie. just me and God, no pastor) make a confession and be forgiven. A pastor isn't needed for that and that kind of confession is no less valid than a public or individual confession made before a pastor. I make public confession because there I receive forgiveness AND I hear the words, just as if Christ was standing before me: Your sins are forgiven. That pronouncement is life-giving. It is balm for my tortured conscience. I want so badly to live up to God's high, holy standards, but I don't. I fall flat, over and over again. And believe me, the remedy for a burdened conscience is NOT "try harder". That only makes you feel worse when you inevitably fail again. The remedy for a conscience burdened by sin is: "Your sins are forgiven".

That is the whole point of public confession and absolution and it is why God gave the task of pronouncing absolution to the Church, through her pastors. We need to hear it, and we can never hear it enough.

I'm spilling the beans...

It has been a hard, cruel winter here in Southwestern Ontario. It may only be 3 days until Spring, but for those of us here in the snowbelt there is no end in sight. The heavy snowfalls and colder-than-normal temps that we're enduring means that it could be another month - or more! - before all the snow melts. They're forecasting a late start to spring, and I simply can't wait that long.

So, what's a poor snow-bunny to do? Well, if they have friends who live somewhere warmer, somewhere like, say, oh I don't know, NORTH CAROLINA, then they call their friends and make a plan to escape!

Yes, Denise, you guessed correctly! Debbie has graciously offered to put up with me and Ken for a couple of days in April. She is the BEST! Naturally we are all excited about the prospect of getting together again. I'm sure our cameras will get another work out, teehee. More details to come, I'm sure.

In other news...

I went with my mom and dad to visit my Oma yesterday. She's doing as well as can be expected I guess. She was pretty groggy when we saw her - they're keeping her pretty heavily medicated for the pain. I felt so bad for my dad, it was pretty upsetting for him. I was a bit shocked at how frail she looked, but I was glad to see her. She perked up a bit and we ended up staying for about an hour and a half and she seemed to enjoy the visit. Thank you so much all of you who have been praying.

Yesterday was also my mom's birthday. After we went to the hospital we took my mom out for lunch. It was nice, just the four of us (me and Ken, mom and dad). We had lunch at a truck stop, if you can imagine! The hospital (the one Oma is in) is in London about an hours drive from here, so we stopped on our way back. Ken, who does a lot of driving for his job, highly recommended this truck stop so we gave it a try. It wasn't terribly fancy, but our meals were quite tasty. But I just want everyone to know, this does NOT mean I am a redneck!!

We went to early service yesterday morning (so we could get on the road a bit earlier) and I thought I was going to miss the traditional Palm Sunday procession, but they did it for both services. If you're not familiar with it, the service begins with a procession - everybody participates - into and around the sanctuary. We carry palm branches and sing "All Glory, Laud and Honour" as we process. This is an ancient practice of the church, it goes back at least a thousand years! Another little tidbit - a palm branch from this year's Palm Sunday procession will be saved and then burned and made into ashes to be used at next year's Ash Wednesday service. Cool, huh?

Ken is going to be out of town for the next couple of days for work. He'll be back on Wednesday night. I'm never too thrilled to be left alone, but it is only for a couple of days. I'm glad he doesn't have to go out of town too often.

I can't believe it's Holy Week already! We will be having a traditional Maundy Thursday service on Thursday night and then a Tenebrae service on Friday morning. My pastor told me something that I didn't know: that the Maundy Thursday service and Good Friday service are considered one service. It starts on Thursday and concludes on Friday and even though we go home in between it is considered one service. I will have to do a little research on that and find out more about it. Interesting.

Lutheran Liturgy 101

Sometimes I hear people complain that the ancient liturgy is "dry and lifeless" and "no longer relevant". I personally love the liturgy and I think that complaints like these stem from a lack of knowledge about what the liturgy is and what the liturgy does.

If you are not used to worshipping with a liturgy, you might find your first experience with it to be strange and even confusing. Why does the Pastor wear robes? Why is he holding his hands up like that? Why is everybody standing up and sitting down? Believe it or not, in the liturgy every word, every gesture, even pauses, have significance and a purpose. If you understand the significance and purpose of the elements it can enhance your understanding of what is going on in the worship service. When you understand the biblical and historical roots of the liturgy, you realize that far from being "irrelevant" it is in fact a timeless reflection of the spiritual order between God and man.

I would like to take some time to tell you about the liturgy. There is no way I can tell you everything about it in one post - I will have to split it up over several. I hope that you find it interesting and edifying!

What is the liturgy?
In its broadest sense, the liturgy is a proscribed order of service. It provides the structure of the service - when the hymns are sung, when (and which) Scriptures are read, when the Pastor should speak and when the congregation should respond and so on. In some ways, traversing the liturgy is like being on a journey: we begin in a posture of supplication in the Service of Preparation, our faith is nurtured in the Service of the Word, and our worship culminates in bodily communion with our Lord in the Service of the Sacrament. The liturgy underscores our purpose in gathering ourselves together: teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer (Acts 2:42).

The historical roots of the liturgy
The liturgy is patterned after the services that God commanded to the Isrealites going all the way back to the Tabernacle in the Wilderness. These worship forms had a set pattern and were retained by the New Testament church.

The early church retained the Jewish understanding of the purpose of worship as well. For a Jewish person, there was but one purpose to Temple worship: to receive forgiveness through the sacrifices of the priests on behalf of the people. It was not about bringing his praise and worship to the Lord (although he could rightfully do so once forgiven) - it was about coming in supplication to the Lord and receiving his mercy. You will notice that liturgical churches place an emphasis on what God did (and continues to do) for us in worship rather than what we do for him.

The physical layout of the church
You'll notice that in our church there is a single aisle going up the center of the nave (the main body of the church, ie. the seating area) that meets with an aisle (called the transept) that transverses the front of the church creating a cross. Positioned at the center of the cross is the Baptismal font. This is no accident - it reflects the centrality of Baptism within Lutheran sacramental theology. The placement reminds me of this Scripture from Paul's letter to the Romans: "We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life."

You'll also notice that there is a railing around the chancel (the front part of the church where most of the service is conducted) that separates it from the nave. In the middle of the railing there is a gap and the gap represents the curtain that was torn in the Temple, signifying that the barrier between us and God has been torn down. Anytime the Pastor or a celebrant enters the sanctuary, they do so through the gap, indicating that because of the Son we now have unfettered access to the Father.

That's all I can think of for now about the history etc. of the liturgy. Next up: The Service of Preparation!

Lessons from Sunday School

Our Sunday School lesson yesterday was Luke 1:26-56, the Annunciation to Mary. Since our lesson last week had been the fortelling of the birth of John the Baptizer, I had the kids spend some time comparing the similarities and the differences in the accounts. One of the things that I really wanted them to pick up on was that unlike Zechariah - who doubted God's message to him - Mary unreservedly believed.


These kids surprise me sometimes. Not only did they notice right away that Zechariah doubted while Mary believed, they noticed something that I failed to pick up on: Zechariah, who doubted, was a priest, a "professional" if you will and Mary, who believed, was just a young, ordinary girl.


I think I've told you before that I teach the grade 5 kids. I love this age, because they are old enough that they are really starting to get it. They have such great questions and we can easily become sidetracked from the lesson if I'm not careful. But sometimes the "sidetrack" will take us places that are really powerful and I have an opportunity to really connect with them and really bring home a Scriptural truth to them. Today's observation that Mary was a nobody who believed was one of those opportunities.


Here's the thing: God chose Mary. Nothing about the Biblical account in either Matthew or Luke indicates that Mary was in any way special. There was nothing extraordinary about her to commend her as a candidate for Mother-of-God, but God chose her nonetheless. Upon hearing the news that she will carry the Son of the Most High in her womb, she believes right away. I wonder - did she believe because she already had great faith, or did hearing the Word create the faith that allowed her to believe? In any case, she believes and even asks how this thing will be accomplished. Gabriel's answer to her is telling: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you." In other words, you're not going to do anything little girl, God's going to take care of making it happen.

This is what we believe happens in baptism: the Holy Spirit comes upon the one baptized to create saving faith. God accomplishes his purposes through his divinely appointed means.

Good words

Some little snippets that I love, taken from hymns and songs of praise:

See, from his head, his hands, his feet

Sorrow and love flow mingled down...

What kind of love, in injuries place

Would leave instead the stain of grace...

My song is love unknown

My Saviour's love to me

Love to the loveless, shown that they might lovely be.

Oh who am I, that for my sake

My Lord should take frail flesh and die?

...May I give you love for love!

Hear me, O my Saviour,

That I may in heav'n above

Sing your praise forever.

Just as I am, without one plea

But that Thy blood was shed for me

And that Thou bid'st me come to Thee

O lamb of God, I come! I come!

I will delight my heart in you, O Lord...

Praise to the Lord

O let all that is in me adore Him...

...Dying, still to him I cleave-

Jesus sinner will receive...

I come, O Saviour, to your table,

For weak and weary is my soul;

You, Bread of Life, alone are able

To satisfy and make me whole.

Lord, may Thy body and Thy blood be for my soul the highest good!

...darkness nor doubting nor sin and its stain

Can touch my salvation: with Jesus I reign.

Canadian Thanksgiving

It's Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada. Thanksgiving Day is actually on Monday, but many folks celebrate it on Sunday. That's what we'll be doing.

We always have a special church service on Thanksgiving Sunday - it will be a full "high church" service with special attendants and special music. A candle bearer (carries the Christ candle), a crucifer (ie. cross-bearer who carries the processional crucifix), a Scripture-bearer (carries the church's big old Bible - it's HUGE), the acolytes, the choir and the Pastor and the Vicar will process and recess through the church at the beginning and end of the service. There's a particular order that they come in and out, but I don't know much about that. I assume that there's some symbolic significance but I don't know what it is. (Andie, does your husband know?) Anyways, it's very "pomp and circumstance" and it always gives me goosebumps. As they process and recess, the rest of the congregation sings a hymn, usually something familiar and beloved so that everybody just belts it out. It's very stirring.

The choir will be singing the introit and they will accompanied by the bells. I am playing two bells for that! I've never done it before, but they needed extra people and I got asked. I have a very simple part, but I'm really looking forward to it! Neat, huh?

After church I am having a bunch of people over for turkey dinner. It looks like I am going to have to barbeque my turkey though! It's supposed to be close to 80 degrees tomorrow and there is no way I'm going to run the oven in that heat, especially with so many people in the house. I'm making the mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and red cabbage today (yes Beth, RED CABBAGE, mmmmm) and hopefully that'll keep the heat down to a manageable level on Sunday.

There's 18 people coming over - some relatives, some friends from church - I just kept on inviting people. I LOVE to welcome people into my home. I just love to fuss over them and make them feel comfortable and welcome and special. I will pull out all the stops - use my best china and linen, prepare a special meal, make an extra effort to clean my home ahead of time - when I have guests in my home. I want to convey to my guests that I am honoured and humbled to have them in my home. To me that's what hospitality is. Not the "look at all the nice stuff I have" Martha Stewart brand of hospitality that puts the focus on the hostess, but a humble "I am honoured to have you as a guest" kind of hospitality that puts the focus on the guest. In the New Testament, the Greek word for hospitality, "philoxenia", means "loving strangers". That's the kind of hospitality I strive for.

Oh gee. I just reread this and that sounded really braggy of me. That's not what I meant at all! I was just trying to explain how I try to live by a Biblical principle in my life. Which of course I probably fail more than I know...but I try...and I rest in His forgiveness when I fail.

On Thanksgiving Day, when we try to enumerate all that we are thankful for, His forgiveness is, as always, at the top of the list.

Happy Thanksgiving everybody!

The ketchup post

If you say "catch up" real fast, it comes out sounding like "ketchup". Get it? No? Well never mind then...

Just to catch you all up on what's going on in my world:

• Talked to Debbie on the phone on Monday night. Oh my! I was so excited, I kept having to pinch myself! We are making plans to meet in December as our family passes through Debbie's home town on our way back from vacation. I. Am. SO. Excited!! It will be a whirlwind stop, but we are determined that we are going to worship together at her home church. According to Debbie it's a little country church - it sounds charming, doesn't it? Debbie sounds just like I thought she would too. She has a very happy, friendly, outgoing voice and she laughs a lot too. That didn't surprise me, because in my head that's how she sounded. The only thing that was different is I forgot that being from the South she would have a Southern accent! Isn't that silly? I guess to her I have a Northern accent. Anyways, it was so neat to speak to her and I can't wait to meet her family.

• I don't know what it's been like where you are, but the weather has been really weird here. We've had record high temperatures this September. Yesterday it was 31 degrees (that's around 90) and really humid - it was like a mid-summer day. It's so odd being out in shorts and a tank top, sweating like crazy - and having to rake the falling leaves!!! Still, I'm not complaining. Any day I can wear shorts is a good day to me, *smile*.

• About a week ago, my son Brent came home with bleached blond hair. He had a friend help him do it. I was not aware that he was going to do it, but I wasn't all that surprised - he's always been fascinated by people who use their bodies to make a statement - you know, tattoos, body piercing, freaky hair, that kind of stuff. He knows that I don't like that kind of thing - to me the "statement" is a big middle finger to the world - so I'd rather he not do it. On the other hand, my husband has something like 40 tattoos on his body (which he did when he was a teenager) and even though he's told the kids how much he regrets ever doing them, I think there's kind of a mixed message there. Anyways, I tried not to make too much of a deal out of the blond hair, reminding myself that I always said I wouldn't "sweat the small stuff". Except then on Monday Brent came home with purple hair. Then I freaked. That's just a bit too counter-culture for me. We have had to forbid all future hair colouring until age 18. And tattooing and body piercing as well, in case there was any confusion. Sigh. In the meantime his head looks like a big purple Easter egg. I'll have to get a picture and post it so you all can have a good chuckle. I honestly don't know whether to laugh or cry, so I'm choosing to laugh!

• Well, I'm watching TV again. I don't know what it is, every fall I turn into a slug and start turning on the TV after dinner. It's not like I actually have time to watch television at night, but I keep getting sucked in. The last couple of years it has been Lost on Wednesdays. This year it is Heroes. My son Kirk bought the DVD of season one over the summer and told us that we should watch it, he thought we'd really like it. So we did, and now we are addicted! It is on Mondays at 9 pm, so don't try to call me during that time - I'll be glued to the tv. I think I'm going to have to give up Lost though. I have to exercise some discipline after all. (Sidebar: Speaking of TV, when I was newly married I got into the habit of watching soap operas during the day - I watched them for quite a few years before God convicted me of it. In "obedience" I stopped watching them...but I started buying and reading Soap Opera Digest magazine instead! Yes, really. Eventually I gave the magazine up as well - I'm a slow learner I guess, but a thankful-for-grace learner too.)

• Hey, have you seen the Canadian Loonie lately?? It's practically par with the US greenback. Now is the time to invite me for a visit, folks. There's so many places in the US that I haven't travelled to yet...

• After a lot of prayer and thought I have resigned my seat on the LC-C East District Department for Outreach. I really loved serving on that board, but I don't have the time to devote to it that I once did, so I resigned my seat when my 3 year term ended this month. I will continue to teach Sunday School at our church as God has confirmed that call for me. It doesn't always work out this way, but this is one of those times that I clearly see and hear His will for me. Having my service to Him confirmed brings such peace and I am thankful for that blessing.

• Last but not least, this weekend is Lutheran Open House weekend. It's a national initiative - something like 90% of the Lutheran churches in Canada are holding open houses this Saturday and Sunday with special events and special worship services planned. The idea is to invite our communities in to explore our facilities, programs and ministries and learn about our confession of faith. Hubby and I are Greeters this Sunday so I am looking forward, God willing, to seeing LOTS of new faces!

So, how was your week?

I like Hildegard

Since we began attending church at Redeemer 3 years ago, we've slowly been getting to know our brothers and sisters there. We know mostly everybody by name - or at least by face - and there's a handful of folks that I consider friends - folks that we have over for dinner and spend time with outside of Sunday worship. I'm glad that we've made their acquaintance and I hope that these friendships will bloom and grow over time.

But I have to tell you, my heart has been longing for a real "girlfriend". I'm not complaining - I have all my blog friends after all, who are true friends and sisters to me. But I don't have someone that I can call up on the phone and just chat with; someone that I can have over for coffee and ask advice of; someone that I can kneel beside and pray with; someone I can go to and say, "Sister, I have a burden, would you help me bear it?". At this point I don't have someone like that IRL.

But there's Hildegard. And I think maybe she could be someone like that to me.

I really like Hildegard. We "click", you know? She doesn't know it, but she's a model of faith for me. She wears her heart - which is full of joy for her Saviour - on her sleeve. She has beautiful sleeves.

She is the one person so far that I have met that I can really open up to. You might remember I blogged about her in a previous post. I think I could call her up and ask her for prayer, and I hope she knows that she could ask the same from me. (I guess I should tell her, huh?)

Over and over again, she has been a source of quiet encouragement to me. As fellow Sunday School teachers we sometimes share our joys and our sorrows with each other and there have been times when I've been bitter with disappointment...and Hildegard listens and understands and gently points me back to Jesus, reminding me that I am not in this alone.

The older I get the better I understand why God through the writer to the Hebrews told us not to forsake the assembly:

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:24-25)

There is a reason why God wants Christians to assemble themselves. It's not for the good of me - I can just as easily receive His gifts whether I am alone or surrounded by others. It's not even for the good of God - for I come before Him an empty-handed beggar. It's for the good of my brethren.

Just as Hildegard is an encouragement to me, I am an encouragement to others. I can't be that if I'm not there.

Maybe God has it in mind to give me a girlfriend that I can share my heart with, and maybe it will be Hildegard. Maybe not. Maybe it'll be someone else. But in the meantime I can't tell you how much it has meant to me that He has given me YOU to fill the longing that is in my heart.

He's not a PK

I had one of the pastor's grandsons in my Sunday School class last year. Jacob can be a little rascal when he wants to, but he is quite dear to me. He reminds me a lot of my own son Brent.

Last year he told me how he really wanted to be like his grandpa when he grows up.

"Isn't that sweet?" I thought to myself. "The little fellow wants to follow in the footsteps of his pastor-grandpa."

"Yeah," Jacob continued, "when grandpa was young he used to be a REALLY good football player!"

The new vicar

We met the new vicar and his wife last night.

Scott (the vicar), Linnea (his wife) and Linnea's parents drove out from Edmonton and are now getting settled into the parsonage. (Or is that vicarage? I'm not sure what you call it. The house that the church keeps for our vicars. Whatever its called.)

It was neat to meet them. (Actually, my daughter already met them last month in Ottawa at the youth gathering.) They seem so excited about beginning their vicarage year. They're quite young - I'd say 23, 24 years old, around there. Linnea is quiet (at least she was last night) and a tiny little thing. She is a Lutheran teacher, just graduated from Concordia University. I'm not sure if she'll be teaching this year or not. I must make an effort to connect with her. Everybody pays so much attention to the vicar, but really when one spouse is in ministry the other is as well by default. The "other" spouse needs prayer and encouragement also.

You know, I am so grateful for women who are pastors wives. They make tremendous personal sacrifices and work just as hard as their pastor husbands do - it is just more behind the scenes. I don't mean that they want or need the "spotlight", but I think that congregations sometimes fail to recognize that the couple is really a ministry team and both of them need support.

As we were driving towards the vicar's house last night I could feel a lump forming in my throat. I still associate the place with our last vicar and I had to blink back tears before we got out of the car. I told my husband I thought I might be a little more careful this time - make a conscious effort not to get so attached to these two. My husband shook his head. "You don't have it in you," he said, and I suppose he's right. That's the way God has made me - he has given me the gift of hospitality and it is natural for me to want to welcome travellers and newcomers. And it's not hard to quickly come to love the people that God places in our lives.

I'm just going to have to learn to accept it for what it is. God is giving these people to us for a little while. While they are in our care, we will come to love them I'm sure. When they go, we won't stop loving them - we'll just love them from a distance. I guess I can live with that.

Genesis 31:49

When Laban and Jacob and his family were parting, Laban gave them the blessing known as the Mitzpah: "May the Lord keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other." My pastor's wife has "Mitzpah" etched on her wedding band. Isn't that beautiful?

What is your favourite biblical blessing?

A meeting and a parting

Sunday was our vicar's last day. He has finished his vicarage assignment at Redeemer and now he and his family are returning to their home in Depew, New York. He will now complete his final year at seminary and then be ordained into the Holy Ministry.

I was a bit emotional all last week. It's so hard letting go of these people that I've come to love. I know that's how it works - God gave Galen and Jenny Purpura and their son Branden to us to love for a year, and now He is sending them on to the next part of their journey. In about 3 weeks we will receive a new vicar to love, and the cycle will start over again. That doesn't make this parting any easier though.

We've promised to keep in touch and it is a promise that our family will have no problem keeping. Galen, Jenny and Branden have become very special to us. Do you remember last May (2006 I mean) when I blogged about travelling to St. Catharines to meet them at the Call Service when Galen received his assignment? (Sadly, that entry was among those I lost at FP.) We had the privilege of being the first Redeemer people to welcome them. We liked them right away, and we were so excited to have them come to Waterloo.

Shortly after Galen began his vicarage last fall Branden was born. Was that baby loved? Oh man, he became the apple of just about everybody's eye. Galen jumped into his vicarage with both feet. Over the course of the year he had the opportunity to preach the Word and administer the Sacrament. He taught confirmation and VBS and worked with the youth. He organized youth events and took them to Ottawa for the National Youth Gathering. He visited the sick and prayed with the dying. For a year, he was a part of the ministry at Redeemer and God has blessed those efforts. But the year went by so fast! Now Branden is almost a year old and Galen's vicarage is over.

Yesterday afternoon a bunch of folks from church came over to help them load up their moving van. When the work was done, people said their final goodbyes and made their way home and finally it was just our family left with the Purpuras. We didn't plan it that way, but I thought that it was somehow fitting that just as we were the first to meet them, we should be the last to leave.

Dang. I'm crying again.

By the way, that's not my church

See the picture of the sanctuary to the left? ==> Update: Ok, I know there's no picture and yes, the arrow is pointing to the right. I'm directionally challenged, ok? To see the church click on the link below.

It looks just like my church, but it's not. The picture is of St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Topeka, Kansas.

Apparently, for a period of a couple of decades in the late 30's to the late 50's, there was an architect who was building all these churches that where really, really similar. I've seen quite a few Lutheran sanctuaries that were remarkably similar, only to find out later that it was the same guy who built them. I don't know who built St. John's, but it wouldn't surprise me if it was the same guy who built our church, Redeemer.

I can't get over how similar this church is to ours. Even the red carpet is the same! The wood work in our church is a slightly lighter colour and the stained glass windows have different patterns, but the layout, the placement of the windows, the arch in the ceiling are all the same. Those lights appear to be identical. That cannot be a coincidence.

Anyways, Beth was wondering what our sanctuary looked like and since I don't have a picture of ours, I thought I would mention how similar this one is. Gives you a good idea anyway.