Preparing for Holy Week
How time flies. Holy Week and Easter are fast approaching. We continue to listen to Mark's story of Jesus and the disciples, as they enter Jerusalem. As we hear these stories, we remember God's call to keep our face turned toward God, embrace one another as children of God and embrace creation as belonging to God. In these passages we also hear God's judgment on the ways we so often discount and trod on one another when we sit in seats of power, whether those powerful seats be religious seats, societal seats or governing seats.
As we enter into Holy Week, we will remember this story through several special services.
On Palm Sunday, March 28th, we will remember Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, recalling the vision of a shepherding kingdom providing abundance for all inhabitants, in contrast to an imperialism extracting all it can find. We will join the crowds greeting Jesus with palms at our 11:00 AM Service.
On Maundy Thursday & Holy Friday, we will remember the Lord’s Supper and the gathering darkness leading to crucifixion. Outdoor Communion and Tennabrae Stations will be available on a “come and go” basis. The Lord’s Table reminds us that we are welcomed, a place has already been set for us whenever we may arrive at the table. It reminds us to always make room for others, and remember Christ is always among us. We pray the Tennabrae Stations will keep us mindful of the shadows of death present in our community and own lives as we remain isolated in sin, in need of God’s healing. There will be a worship leader present for communion on Thursday from 12:00 PM until 7:00 PM.
Easter morning we will celebrate the promise of eternal life for us and all of creation, here and now, always and everywhere as we discover the empty tomb, and encounter the risen Christ. Our invitation into new life will begin with a prayer watch at 6:45 AM leading into our Sunrise Service at 7:15. Our 11:00 Worship service will be followed by an Easter Egg hunt.
Join us throughout Holy Week as we remember, together, God’s continued call to faithfulness, Jesus’ offer of healing and the daily presence of Christ with us, even in our deepest brokenness. May we always seek to keep our face turned toward God, seeking healing and wholeness for one another, for ourselves, and for all God’s Creation.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Alan
March 10
O God of Second Chances
by Tricia Brennan
Oh god of second chances,
help us to let go of all that does not serve us well.
We who are full of goals and plans and resolutions,
help us to know that our worth is not tied to success or even effort.
We regret our mistakes or wonder about the road not taken.
Help us to accept our unvarnished selves.
We are, after all, but humble creatures
who strive and fall and get up and keep going.
Help us to see our glory even in our bumblings,
and to know that every year, every day, every moment is a gift
to which the proper response is Hello! I am here! I am grateful!
May your spaciousness fill us and bless us, make us brave and keep us safe. Amen.
Cheryl and I got to have dinner with a friend we don’t often see this week. It was wonderful. We talked about everything under the sun. Talking about the people we love and know best, we got to talking about perfectionists tendencies.
I have perfectionists tendencies. There was a time when it would be hard for me to complete almost anything, because I wasn’t doing it well enough. I am still often slow because what I have in front of me is not good enough yet. It is not perfect according to me. (I might also be a relatively poor judge of perfection.)
It has been my experience, that a fear of not being perfect, at least not in the way we want to be, is common among congregations. The expectation of perfection from ourselves, from others, or from the church, can prevent us from celebrating God’s presence, and getting on with God’s work. The season of Lent, when we are particularly reflective and repentant, is a good time to remember that God does not seek perfection from us, but faithfulness. God is already with us and among us offering love, grace and hospitality. God is calling us forward as partners with friends and neighbors, new and old, familiar and strange, to offer love, grace and hospitality, always and everywhere. Doing so does not require perfection from anyone. All it requires is openness. Church is that simple, and sometimes that complicated.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Alan
March 3
God’s Tenants
This Sunday we will read Mark 12:1-12, A Parable of the Tenants and the Landowner. Talitha Arnold reminds us “This is a dangerous story. For centuries, Jesus’ last parable in Mark’s Gospel has been one of the Christian texts used to justify all manner of prejudice and violence, particularly against Jews, but also against persons of other faiths, and even other Christians labeled as heretics. Commonly titled the “Parable of the Wicked Tenants,” the story could as easily be named for “The Vengeful Landowner” who retaliates for his son’s death by annihilating the tenants.”
Is this who we expect to be? Is this who we understand God to be? No, of course not. In response, both Thomas Jefferson and Leo Tolstoy left this story out of their self edited Bibles. But a version of this parable is in all 3 synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke). We cannot ignore this parable, or the violence it has been used to justify. We must deal with it. We will begin by remembering Jesus is once again using hyperbole in Mark’s gospel. We encountered the same technique in last week’s story of “The Rich Man.” Even earlier, in chapter 9, Jesus tells us to remove hands and eyes if they cause us to sin. We don’t take those statements literally.
Perhaps, then, the first lesson to draw from this parable is quite simple. Violence will not lead to victory. It will only lead to more violence and death. What, then, shall we do? Martin Luther King Jr. has some thoughts for us, in his poetic prose.
“It is not enough to say, ‘We must not wage war.’ It is necessary to love peace and sacrifice for it. We must concentrate not merely on the negative expulsion of war, but on the positive affirmation of peace…. We must see that peace represents a sweeter music, a cosmic melody that is far superior to the discords of war. Somehow we must transform the dynamics of the world power struggle from the negative nuclear arms race which no one can win to a positive contest to harness man’s [sic] creative genius for the purpose of making peace and prosperity a reality for all of the nations of the world. In short, we must shift the arms race into a ‘peace race.’ If we have the will and determination to mount such a peace offensive, we will unlock hitherto tightly sealed doors of hope and transform our imminent cosmic elegy into a psalm of creative fulfillment.”
Remember, holy people, the vineyard is God’s, and we have been invited to help bring it fully to life. We can and should engage in a “Peace Race” at every layer of our community, local, state, national and international. That begins with embracing the life we find, and tending to its needs. What a beautiful dwelling place God has shared with us. What a holy calling God has given us.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Alan
Resource: “Feasting on the Gospels - Mark: A Feasting on the Word Commentary” Mark 12:1-12
February 24
Hello Church,
Week of Compassion is the relief, refugee, and development mission fund of the Christian Church. I have heard about Union's generous donations to Week of Compassion in the past, especially during a particularly active hurricane season a few years back. I hope that you will continue to support Week of Compassion as they continue the mission, most recently in Texas.
In addition to providing support for congregations and households that sustained damage in Texas--primarily from burst pipes and flooding--Week of Compassion is providing ministry grants for Disciples congregations as they serve their neighbors. Our churches across multiple regions are working to provide warming shelters, food assistance, and essential supplies to those in urgent need.
Rev. Virzola Law, Senior Minister of Northway Christian Church in Dallas, shares: “The DFW area is not built for this extreme weather. Yet with the resources of so many--like Week of Compassion and our neighbors--we were able show up and provide the basics. Shelter for some; water for others; food for many. Blankets for warmth. And even a shoulder (with a mask on). The distance was closed because so much love continues to be unmasked. Christ and Community have bridged the gaps in amazing ways as we continue to move through this time… We are stronger together as the body of Christ, and Week of Compassion makes that possible.”
Union will continue to receive the Week of Compassion Special Offering throughout the month of February. You can give to the offering through your regular means of giving, including online!
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Alan
February 17
Hello Church,
I hope you have had an opportunity to participate in our Ash Wednesday Service as Lent begins today.
We have our daily prayer cards available on Facebook and our website. You may pick a set up in the church kitchen if you would like to do so.
Those prayer cards offer daily readings from the Revised Common Lectionary, as well as a short daily prayer. Many churches in our community and throughout the world follow this lectionary. We have been using these readings for Sunday Worship all through Epiphany. This year, the lectionary focuses on the Gospel of Mark. Throughout the season of Lent, however, the lectionary’s Sunday readings include several passages from other gospels. During worship, we will instead continue with readings from the Gospel of Mark.
Our overall theme for the season of Lent will be “Dawning Discipleship - Love Draws Us to Jerusalem.” We will continue reading from the Gospel of Mark. In this gospel, following the Transfiguration, Jesus has turned his face toward Jerusalem. Our Lenten readings will focus on what it means to be a disciple, what it means to live and proclaim God’s Kingdom, here and now.
This week’s reading is Mark 10:17-31. The Common English Bible calls the story “A Rich Man’s Question.” Join us Sunday, as the disciples, and the crowds who gather to hear Jesus, are invited to reexamine our priorities.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Alan
February 10
Dear Church,
The Season of Lent is quickly approaching. Ash Wednesday is one week from today (February 17th) to be exact. This Sunday will be Transfiguration Sunday. It marks the end of Epiphany with a spectacular revelation of Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God. It opens the door and points in the direction toward Ash Wednesday and Lent, the road to Jerusalem, crucifixion, and resurrection. They are, indeed, fast approaching. It is time to get ready.
This year we are going to share Ash Wednesday a little differently. As we continue to face the dangers of COVID-19, we will not gather in person to receive ashes on our foreheads as a mark of penitence. This year we will pre-record our Ash Wednesday Service. It will be available when you wake up on that morning. Rather than using ashes to remember our mortality, we will use the dirt into which we were born, and which brings forth God's fruit to nourish us throughout our lives. Between now and next Wednesday, take some time to collect a bowl of God's good earth for Ash Wednesday. Collect enough to run your fingers through during the service. Plan to keep it in a prominent place of daily gathering, living, or prayer in your home throughout the season of Lent.
After a bit of conversation and consideration, we will not be adding a Bible Study to the Lenten calendar this year. During the season of Lent, this year, we will be sharing daily prayers and scripture readings adapted from the Revised Common Lectionary. There will be several readings. You are invited to read any or all of them. The readings on Thursday, Friday and Saturday are meant to prepare us for the upcoming Sunday readings. The passages on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday are meant for continued reflection following Sunday's reading.
You may find these daily prayers in several places. They will be posted, daily, on Facebook. They will also be available on our website. You should receive an email each week with links to the readings on the website. We will also be handing out a set of prayer cards each week, when you arrive for Sunday morning worship. We are expecting to hand out at least one set per household. If you would like more, don't hesitate to ask, we will have extra. If you want to find them online and keep your home "clutter free," don't feel like you have to take one.
Lent is a season of penitence and reflection. It is also a season of hope. Crucifixion, and the desertion of God by creation that it represents looms over us during these weeks. At the same time we know, and are called to remember, especially every Sabbath Sunday, that the story of "God with us" does not end at the cross. It continues into the new, never-ending life of resurrection. May we continue to live the examined life of the spirit this Lent. In so doing may we live in the hope of new life we see peeking over the horizon, drawing us always toward God and neighbor, those familiar and those not yet known.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Alan
February 2
A Day In the Life
Mark 1:29-39 describes a “day in the life” of Jesus. Jesus teaches, heals, and exorcises the demonic. Jesus is going from dusk to dawn. No healing is too large or too small for his attention. The story concludes with Jesus going to a deserted place for prayer. His time of prayer connects him with God and gives him a clear sense of mission.
Whether in our "sacred" or "secular" lives (as if we could separate them) we tend to polarize action and contemplation. Too often we latch onto a mission as either spiritual or activist or political or contemplative. Throughout Mark’s Gospel, action and contemplation are reliant on one another. Jesus is always on the move, constantly responding to human need. Yet, Jesus regularly retreats for prayer and reflection. Moments of quiet, such as the one described in Mark 1:35-39, enable Jesus to maintain his spiritual center, to continue discovering his relationship with the God of all creation. In the case of today’s reading, Jesus’ quiet time fortifies his sense of calling to all Israel (and the whole of the world beyond) not merely the village of Capernaum.
May we seek always to join contemplation and action, prayer and productivity, and sabbath and community involvement in our "sacred" and our "secular" time with one another and our neighbors.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Alan
February 1
From Collection to Community: A Hidden Miracle
As the gospel of Mark will continue to attest, almost without comment or commentary, Jesus was a source of miracles. There are the obvious miracles, such as the healings and the feedings. There are also the hidden miracles, the kind of miracles that give rise to the church, and give rise to congregations like Union Christian Church (DOC).
One of Jesus’s “hidden” or “overlooked” miracles, is the miracle of taking a collection of people, lost people, and creating with them a community, a holy community. I think about some of the folks who hung around Jesus, and I wonder how in the world they could stand each other, or even put up with Jesus at times. Even so, through the gospels, the stories of Acts, and in the months and years to follow, they become “the church.”
Remember who these people are? We have Peter, hot and cold. One day he proclaims “You are the Messiah, the Son of God.” At the arrest in the garden, he draws his knife and maims a temple servant. Yet through the following night, he repeatedly denies knowing anything about Jesus. But at Pentecost, he again steps to the fore, proclaiming Jesus resurrected, for which he will eventually be martyred. I can imagine Peter vacillating between thinking Jesus is crazy some days, and too timid on others, depending on his mood. In addition we have James and John, the sons of Zebedee, angling to get Jesus to name them “next in command,” sitting at his right and left. I can only imagine how that went over with the others. Don’t forget Nicodemus, a high positioned community leader, court insider, muckity muck in the temple. He clearly thought Jesus was full of nonsense after their first conversation, and yet he sticks around. Jesus is surrounded by a collection of religious purists and segregationist, wanting to withdraw to their own isolated communities, accommodationists wanting to make the best of things and please the ruling Romans, zealot revolutionaries wanting to free Judah and reconquer Israel, and so many folks just trying to make it day to day. Somehow, out of this odd, rough collection of people, through Jesus, a community comes into being. From this collection/community unlikely leaders emerge.
How in the world could that have happened? It seems impossible. It is nothing less than a miracle. I believe it can only have happened because somewhere along the way, through Jesus, this collection of people learned to listen to God and to listen to one another. I think they learned to listen, in particular, to those they would like to dismiss and those they disagreed with.
As I think about my own Christian journey and the church leaders who have influenced my life, nothing seems to have changed. The ministers that regularly roam through my thought include several Disciples, some Southern Baptists, Methodists, Lutherans, and Presbyterians for starters. Some are famous and others unknown. Somewhere among them are folks who have never strayed, others who left the church and eventually came back, some who are theologically and politically liberal and conservative, men, women, white, people of color, northern and southern, western and eastern. Some are word wizards and have held high positions, some are tattooed and foul-mouthed. They include grandparents and young single parents. Some have always been in ministry. One went to a military academy and another spent years as an electrician. A couple have lived rather charmed lives. Others have experienced abuse from strangers or family. Some are teetotalers and others are addicts in recovery. They are an odd, rough collection. But they are more than that. They are a community, God’s community, our community, whether we ever get to meet all of them or not. Sometimes you can see it the moment they walk in the door, and sometimes you have to sit with them for several hours. Either way, they all have something to offer us as the church, they all have something to offer this congregation on Union Church Road. If they ever get to meet you personally, you have something to offer them as well.
That is the miracle. Continually creating community out of a motley collection. That is the miracle, continuing to open ourselves to listen to one another, and embrace one another, whether we seem familiar or strange. That is the miracle, committing to grow in relationship with old friends and with neighbors we have yet to meet. May Union Christian Church strive to continue to be one of Jesus’ “hidden” miracles.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Alan
January 27
Real Authority
This week’s scripture reading finds Jesus teaching with authority in the synagogue and casting out an unclean spirit. I remember those years when the kids played community sports. There is the season I got roped into coaching a team, even though I knew I was not well suited to the task. I was right. I remember the many other seasons of sitting in “the stands,” encouraging our children and our team. I remember the sometimes confused faces of players when their parents' instructions contradicted those of the coach. It would cause distraction that detracted from the teams performance. The kids would eventually respond to the coach. The coach was the real authority here, and the team is the community I am responsible to here. Kids understand, whether they could explain it or not.
It’s not a bad analogy for our relationship to Jesus. It’s not a bad analogy for our relationship to the church. But there is more to “coaching,” more to “learning the game,” than any one particular moment or play. Coaching includes things like teaching and reinforcing the rules, developing a style or philosophy of game play that fits the skills and personality of the team, and setting priorities that extend beyond a single game or practice. Are we here the develop our skills? To have fun? To learn teamwork? To win? Well, all of them, but what is our overarching, guiding priority for gathering and playing together?
In theology, we call that overarching, guiding priority(s) a hermeneutic. I often find myself reaching in my back pocket for a hermeneutic in exciting moments like the one in today’s scripture. That hermeneutic will help me keep my head in the game in those moments of excitement or distraction, whether positive or negative. You have heard my hermeneutic more than once: Our God is a God of infinite love, healing grace and radical hospitality. That is the kind of people are called to be in God’s world.
Take a moment this week, and think about your own hermeneutic.
Personally, what does it mean to be a Christian? What kind of person does your faith call you to be?
As a congregation, what does it mean to be Christian? What kind of community are we called to be? Regularly reflecting on these questions, will help us recognize and respond to the real authority of Jesus, in moments exciting and mundane alike.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Alan
January 20
Repent!
Repent! It’s the heart of the message of John the Baptist, arrested as the passage from Mark begins. It’s the first command of Jesus’ preaching as he bursts upon the stage in Galilee. You can find it in Paul’s advice to the church at Corinth. It’s the collective response of the people of Nineveh as they hear Jonah’s reluctant proclamation in the streets of their city. The lectionary readings for this Sunday are filled with repentance.
The repentance we find in these passages is not a call or a response to a "turn or burn" message or theology. Jonah has spent his whole book angry at God, because he knows God is merciful. Jesus' call to "repent" is preceded by his declaration that "the kingdom of God has come near," and followed by his urging to "believe in the Good News!" It is a moment of praise, not condemnation.
It is an invitation to a willing and intentional change of mind, and heart, and life; whether as an individual or a community. It is a proclamation of a better path than the one being traveled. It is an affirmation that we are not our worst acts, but could be our highest hopes. It is an assertion that those around us will not surrender to our deepest suspicions, but more likely outdo what we might expect of ourselves.
Jesus’ call to repentance is a direct result of “the time” being fulfilled and the reign of God drawing near. Jesus is calling his listeners to recognize the divine presence of God, and to believe in it enough to live a different, better life. In the case of four fishermen, the call to repentance is framed as a call to follow, a call to trade fish-fishing for people-fishing, a kind of turning toward God and all of God's children rather than away from either.
We have been invited with a kingdom announcement and a repentance call. Are we ready to respond anew? Are we ready to respond even more fully this time around? Are we ready to hear and respond to this Good News today?
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Alan
Sunday Readings
Jonah 3:1-5, 10
1 Corinthians 7:29-31
Mark 1:14-20
January 13
Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself
Once upon a time, as a college chaplain intern, a student named Robert came to me wanting to set up a "coffee house" event where where we could talk about faith, especially with his non-christian brothers and sisters. I wasn't immediately sure how to respond. I knew his interest in and love of his fellow students was real. His desire to share was sincere. But I also had a concern that he hadn't thought about how to listen, as well as speak. The next time we met, I found a moment to ask him how he would feel if "Sheila" invited him to a talk so that she could work on converting him to Buddhism. Then we talked about what it would be like to have a "Cafe Conversation," where students could discuss questions from the perspective of their various faiths, philosophies and personal experiences with one another. As the possibilities of this format sunk in, Robert got excited about the better opportunity to listen and learn, as well as teach and share. These principles hold in conversations around faith and also in the public square.
As children of God, as followers of Christ, we are called to love one another. It is not a call to be silent or even meek when we have a deep concern about our neighbor, our community or ourselves. It is a call to speak, and listen, and act with love. I am concerned that we are struggling as a society, to practice the holy discipline of listening generously. To take a moment (or several) to consider the experience of others, especially those with whom we have intense disagreements, is to live out a key element of Christian mission. Union Christian Church (DOC) has developed a well-tuned "holy listening ear." I wonder how we can share that "ear" with our community, our society.
As Robert and I talked, our goal was not diminish his voice, but to provide space for his brothers and sisters to speak as well. The goal was to provide space to hear as well as speak.
We are called to bear witness. We are called to share with one another our deeply held convictions. Pausing before we speak to consider our words is a vital, holy act of love toward neighbor and God. Listening and acknowledging, recognizing the truth in what is said by our brothers and sisters, even when we deeply disagree, is a vital, holy act of love toward neighbor and God. We are called to love our brothers and sisters in faith. We are called to love our brothers and sisters in the public square. Go forth, people of God, sharing Christ's love as you speak, listen, and act in our community and God's world.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Alan
January 6
Holy, Chaotic Waters of Life - Mark 1:4-11
The author of Mark is an "economic" writer. He doesn't waste words.
There is enough going on in the relatively few verses we share this week to make you head spin and ask what just happened. It does this while painting a rich, detailed picture.
The rich detail shows us the down to earth nature of the gospel. We can see and hear and feel this world, our world that Jesus has stepped into. We can smell the water and feel the scratchy clothes. We can hear the crowds and taste the bugs. We are startled, maybe even paralyzed by the tearing sky. This world is real, tactile, fleshy. There is no mistaking that it is ours.
It is into this wilderness of our own chaotic lives that John arrives proclaiming hope and possibility. It is into our personal and communal brokenness that the Spirit erupts in Jesus' presence.
Something has happened, the kind of thing not seen since the bursting forth of creation, or the deliverance of the people from Pharaoh.
I wonder if baptism, being immersed into the waters of creation, is not so much about getting out of this world and into the next. I wonder if sinking into and re-emerging from the water of life is more about remembering and proclaiming the life-creating, ever-healing, always-giving holy presence in the world today. Maybe, this week, we are being reminded to recognize and offer God's eternal life among us and around us here and now.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Alan
December 23
Holiday Cheer and Eternal Hope
In Sunday's sermon I mentioned an old acquaintance, Andy Offutt Irwin of Covington. I met Andy while I was working as a chaplain intern at Oxford College of Emory University. He was the artist in residence and universal big brother to the students at Oxford.
Among the many things he does, he is an award winning story teller. He centers his stories in Morgan County (Madison) Georgia, which makes them a particular delight. While being deeply rooted, his characters fully delight in their current day to day. Their stories keep an eternally hopeful eye open to what the future is bringing and how they (we) may fit in it.
So, for the next couple of weeks, I commend the work of Andy Offutt Irwin to you. When you need a break from Christmas Music, try a couple of Andy's stories from Spotify: The Truth About Santa & the Reindeer, or Marguerite's Christmas.
He is as entertaining to look at as to listen to, so head on over to his website: Videos | Andy Offutt Irwin (andyirwin.com) Don't forget to visit the gift shop.
Whether you are in the mood for some light diversion, or heartwarming storytelling, may I introduce, Andy Offutt Irwin.
Merry Christmas friends and neighbors!
Pastor Alan
December 16
Dear Church,
December is the time of the year that we are invited to give to the Christmas Special Offering of the Christian Church (DOC). The offering is an above and beyond giving opportunity that supports the mission and ministry of the Disciples of Christ in Georgia. Our region supports our congregation and other in so many ways: Camp Christian, the annual youth meeting at Epworth, Disciples Men and Women’s Fellowship ministries, congregational Search and Call support, and much more. Particularly impactful ministries of the Christian Church in Georgia are the new church and ministry initiatives in Warner-Robbins and Savannah, proclaiming the Gospel of God’s love, grace, and hospitality throughout the state of Georgia and the ongoing work of reconciliation among God’s people here and throughout God’s world. As you can see, the Christmas Offering allows the congregations that make up the Georgia Region to accomplish great things that we would be unable to do as individual congregations.
Please consider giving to this special Christmas Offering. You may give to the Christmas Offering and all ministries of Union Christian Church here: Union Christian Church Giving, by selecting General Fund, Memorial Gifts, Christmas Special Offering, Benevolence Fund, Building Fund, etc. Please feel free to contact the church office if you have any questions about ministry and giving opportunities through Union Christian Church (DOC).
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Alan
December 9
Gaudete Sunday (Yep, it’s Latin)
This week is the Third Sunday in Advent. We know it as “Joy Sunday” with the pink candle in the Advent Wreath, and that is exactly right. Gaudete is Latin for “rejoice.” Advent was originally a forty day fasting season (like Lent) leading up to the Christmas Feast and in preparation for Christ’s return. The Mass for this Sunday begins with these words. “Gaudete in Domino semper,” or “Rejoice in the Lord always.” These words begin the reading from Philippians 4:4-7.
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
"Rejoice Sunday” is a moment to remember that the Lord is indeed near. It was a welcome intrusion of joy in the penitential season leading up to Christmas. This Sunday, we will join the shepherds in experiencing the joyous and overwhelming “multitude of heavenly hosts, praising God.” It is a welcome intrusion indeed as we continue to experience the current disruption in our individual and communal lives. May we join the heavenly host in its song, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” Remember, that the Lord is near indeed!
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Alan
December 2
Hello Church,
December has arrived! Advent has begun! We have begun our preparation for the arrival of Jesus! Greens are hung, and will be here each Sunday despite the wind's best efforts. We will continue to "present" the Advent Wreath and Candles each week, though they may not actually be lit this year. Last week, we shared the Advent Candle representing Hope. Our Advent Hopes are always a mixture of the abstract and the concrete. We often find ourselves wondering how to best make "peace on earth and good will toward men (or creation)" tangible in our community and world this year. This year our list of specific hopes are a bit longer and more urgent than last year.
This Sunday we will share the Candle of Love. In a time when we must be so cautious about our interactions with our neighbors, we find ourselves asking anew "How can I best love my neighbor today?" We know it can't look exactly like last year.
We may find ourselves feeling our need for prayer more deeply than we normally do. I am praying. Today I am praying for the town where I grew up, and for a couple of particular families who were so much a part of my life then. When I was in elementary school, Mrs. Thomas watched me many a day after school. Both of her sons were in my dad's ag. classes and worked for us on the farm. They are still close neighbors today. You may remember me writing about our hay hauling partners, the Yoder family, a few weeks ago. This weekend I received word from my dad that Mrs. Thomas and Mrs. Yoder died last week as a part of the COVID-19 pandemic. Like so many others, I am not sure how to express my sadness, especially for the many friends and family that surround them even now. And so I ask that you pray.
Offer prayers of healing, for all of those among us and around us caring for neighbors and loved ones, and for those who are missing neighbors and loved ones. Offer prayers of love in word and deed, remembering our neighbors and living always for one another more than we do for ourselves. Offer prayers of Hope, that next Advent will be different, that Christ will seem even closer, that we may more actively make the Kingdom of Heaven visible on earth. For Christ has come, indeed. Christ will indeed come again. May we continue to shine our lights until then.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Alan
November 25
A Week to Give Thanks!
What a week! I am completing a week long Zoom based training event that began last Wednesday. Nickie is trying to wrap up our regular office and worship needs in a very short week. You have been "delivering" Thanksgiving meals this week. At the same time we are stepping into Advent, being asked to prepare for the coming of Jesus without a moment to catch our breath. Didn't Matthew just tell us a story about that? And we are doing all of this in a moment that is anything but normal.
So, brothers and sisters, we must take some time later this week, perhaps Thursday, to give thanks. Whatever your Thanksgiving is going to look like this year, I pray you are able to pause, lift your eyes to the heavens, lift your voice to God, and truly give thanks. Perhaps it is thanks for gifts received that are now the foundation for life giving memories, likely along with a teardrop. Perhaps it is thanks for new gifts coming into being right now. Perhaps it is thanks for the small, daily accumulating gifts that become easy to ignore in their routine. Whatever gifts seem most concrete and reassuring this week, lift them high and share them widely with God and those you are gathering with, however you are gathering.
As the church we are called to be a people of gratitude, sharing generously because we have received generously. May God's generosity fill your Thanksgiving this week.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Alan
November 18
Good morning church,
Our reading this week is Matthew 25:31-46. It is the closing scene in Jesus’ final discourse in the Gospel of Matthew, the Judgment Discourse. This passage is unique to Matthew. It is not a parable, but an “apocalyptic vision” like much of the Revelation to John. The message of this passage, is that when we respond to human need, or fail to do so, we are in fact responding to Christ, or failing to do so.
If someone were to ask me to “define God” in some way, I would say that “God is a God of Infinite Love, Healing Grace, and Radical Hospitality.” I know I repeat those words and phrases in a variety of ways so that folks can hear them coming, and may get tired of hearing them. I say them because doing so helps to keep me pointed in the right direction. If I remember correctly, that “bumper sticker statement” coalesced for me while discussing this passage in a lectionary group one day. It is easy to see the connection. This passage depicts actions for us that are filled with love, healing, and welcome.
Matthew’s gospel moves from this passage into the Passion Narrative. It is the last “teaching” Jesus offers to his followers.
As we approach our Thanksgiving Holiday, and move directly from there into the season of Advent where we prepare for the arrival of Jesus, how do we receive and respond to this last teaching offered to us by Jesus?
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Alan
November 11
Hello Church,
Over the next 2 weeks in worship, we will share the rest of Matthew 25. This week we read the parable of the talents, and on November 22, the judgment of the nations. Chapters 23-25 of Matthew's Gospel encompass the last of the 5 Discourses (speeches, sermons) in the Gospel. Matthew is structured around these 5 Discourses. As you might have picked up from last Sunday's Scripture, this last one is the Judgment Discourse, concluding with the three readings from chapter 25. They are the parable of the bridesmaids, the parable of the talents, and the judgment of the nations.
Each of them attempts to offer encouragement and insight to the church community about how live faithfully, and in continual preparation for the fulfillment of God's Kingdom. You might say that means living as if God's Kingdom is already here. 1) Use holy and healthy disciplines to keep your spirit nurtured, keep your lamp filled with oil. 2) Take the risk of sharing God's abundance and life so that God's kingdom may grow and flourish. 3) Pay particular attention to the needs of the world around us, for Christ will certainly be there waiting.
These are parables of judgment. There are consequences for not heeding these words. But they are not shared to illicit fear. This week, acting out of fear will bring judgment in our story. These parables are also shared as a call. They are a call to continue to living a life of authentic faith rooted in the example and teachings of Jesus, a life devoted to deeds of justice and mercy, a life always joyfully ready and preparing for the full completion of God's loving kingdom. May God's Kingdom be seen and felt among us and through us, here and now! Well done, good and faithful servant!
Pastor Alan
November 4
Hello Church,
I want to thank you for the warm welcome I have received here at Union Christian Church (DOC). Being together this Sunday for worship was a truly wonderful. Although it is not ideal, and although it requires a bit of extra work, there is a unique joy in gathering for worship together outside. I am grateful for the space, the energy, and the inspiration to do so. This last week we remembered All Saints' Day together. Thank you for sharing the names of some of those who have shaped your life and faith. If you haven't been able to do so yet, it is not too late. I would love to hear about those who have shaped you, including a sentence or two about how. Being out in the field together for worship reminds me of some of the saints of my youth, family friends, and neighbors.
For many years while I was growing up, my family grew alfalfa. We grew and cut the hay. Our Mennonite neighbors, the Yoders, baled the hay. And we all hauled it to the barn together. Although we had radically different social and church practices, and sometimes contradictory theological views, we were extremely close. One of the things I learned from the Yoders was the meaning of hospitality. There was never a word spoken about it, it just soaked in. I got to witness in our work together, and in our exchanging invitations to share community events together, the kind of radical, wide open hospitality God calls us to. "Welcome neighbor, come on in. We'll treat you like part of the family, no requirements, no expectations. We'll take care of you, and enjoy having you with us."
I believe I see that same kind of hospitality here in the Union community. I see more than a desire to share your story. I see a desire to hear, listen to, and perhaps even experience and embrace the sometimes dramatically different stories of our Union neighbors. May we continue to strive to open our space and our hearts to our neighbors. May we continue to summon the courage to walk our neighbor's paths with them, even when they seem unrecognizable to us. That, I believe, is God's radical hospitality.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Alan