Pastor's Pen - October 2008

Dear Friends in Christ,

The last Sunday of October has traditionally been celebrated as Reformation Sunday. Reformation Day itself is October 31^st, the day in 1517 when Martin Luther posted 95 statements for discussion regarding the state of the church on the castle church door. To move the date to a Sunday is to make the celebration and its message as available to people as possible. One concept that is central to the message of Reformation is change.

One cannot be reformed if one is not willing to undergo change. No matter how much we may think that all is fine just the way it is, the inevitable apathy that comes with such a feeling in and of itself must be changed. Change is a constant in life and it should be no surprise if we profess that God is a God that is alive and active in the world. As God is about the work of new creation, we are to be reformed by the new ways in which God is at work in the world around us.

To change, to be reformed, is not an easy process. We become accustomed to certain patterns and ways of life. Having often done something in a certain way can bring a sense of comfort and security. To change that pattern of behavior or way of doing something even if it is for the best is difficult because it moves us into uncharted places. Change calls us to exam what we have so long taken for granted and to be open to new possibilities for the future. At the time of Luther and the Reformation, there were those people and institutions that were open to change and those that were not. The same still holds true today.

The changes brought about by God's creative activity are not change for change's sake. They are changes that move God's people along the path of God's redemptive work in the world. They are changes that open hearts and minds to the wholeness that God would offer to all. We know that such change will come with us or without us. As we once again mark the Reformation, may the Spirit be at work in us to free us to live in a world of change in the certain hope of the love and grace of God that never changes

Acrossthe Pastor's Desk - September 2008

On Sunday, September 14, many within the Christian community celebrated the lesser festival, Holy Cross Day. This day dates back to the dedication of the basilica of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem in 335 C.E. Though certainly long a part of the life of the Church the cross and its day of celebration has always been a bit of a conundrum and a paradox .

In the earliest days of Christianity not much notice or prominence was given to the cross. On the one hand believers were fearful in some locations of outright persecution if it was known that they were followers of Jesus. On the other hand there was a certain amount of embarrassment in trying explain to the world why these believers were willing followers of someone whom had been crucified as a common criminal. Difficult indeed to express how that death had brought the gift of salvation for the sake of the whole world. It was easier to relegate the cross to the background and allow the witness to the empty tomb and the resurrection to take center stage.

Later the cross was given a prominent place in worship buildings and the life of the Church, frequently decorated in jewels and fine metals as the throne of Christ. Then the figure of the risen Christ was added and in the middle ages the figure of the suffering Christ was displayed on the cross as there was a growing emphasis on the mystery of the passion. Following the Reformation the cross was again quite simple in appearance for many and many Protestants gave up making the sign of the cross altogether because of a lack of understanding of what the Reformation was itself about.

Today it would seem that some Christians have come full circle and the cross is not displayed in many new church facilities. The explanation that has been given that the cross seems to be too harsh a symbol and persons new to the faith might be put off because of it. The question that must be asked of Christians is what kind of faith will be theirs if the cross is not a central part of it. Perhaps it is not really new people of faith that would find the cross difficult to appreciate. Perhaps it is the current members of the community who find it too challenging and would rather do without it.

Jesus did not only die on the cross for the sake of the world. Jesus also invited his followers to take up their crosses and to follow him. To do is to proclaim to the world the love that God has showered upon everyone in real and concrete ways just as the Savior did. For the faithful the cross is to be celebrated not on just one day but everyday. Lifted high it announces a new day for all of God's creation.