In the beginning was the Word

Mitt, Tim, and Jesus

2012-01-10T14:21:00.003-06:00

This morning the radio played a clip from a recent press conference held by a presidential candidate. The candidate's wife explained how her husband had nearly decided not to run for office. Together they had discussed how draining a campaign would be, how they would encounter negative publicity, how their personal lives would be under scrutiny and they might get dragged through the mud. At that point her husband thought perhaps he should not run for president. But, said his wife, she looked him in the eye and asked him: "Mitt, can you save America?" When I heard that remark I gasped aloud and said "oh my God!" "Oh my God!" I said again and again, shocked that anyone would suggest such a thing.

What hubris! [Hubris - extreme haughtiness, excessive pride or arrogance.] What incredible, inexcusable hubris - especially for someone who worships God. God saves, and God alone. Human beings work, serve, lead, support, critique, inquire, respond, listen, advise, and work some more. But no human being, no candidate for office, no president has the ability to "save America." Is this what we think now? If so, we will always be disappointed because that expectation is simply wrong.

On Sunday Tim Tebow threw for 316 yards in the Bronco's playoff win over Pittsburg. Tebow-mania, already rampant, has intensified as fans say his passing yards are a sign from God. They interpret 316 [passing yards] as a message from God, linking it to John 3:16 (a wonderful passage from the Bible about our salvation in Jesus Christ). Is this a miracle? Sports commentators did not expect Denver to win much, have not expected Tebow to succeed as a quarterback, yet he's done well and now has even won a playoff game. Is God speaking through Tim Tebow? God might speak through Tebow - in the same way that God speaks through other human beings - but not because the quarterback registered 316 yards in passing. God speaks to us in scripture, in sacred music, in prayer and meditation - not in football statistics.

I am increasingly puzzled by my fellow Americans, many of whom claim that ours is a "Christian nation." [My Dad taught me long ago that this is neither true nor possible. One becomes a Christian through baptism and you cannot baptize a nation.] How can people who worship one God ("Hear O Israel, the LORD is God, the LORD alone." Deuteronomy 6:4) not take offense at anyone who asserts (or whose wife asserts) that he can save America? How can serious Christians think God is speaking to them through the exploits or the statistics of a football player? God does speak to us, all the time, in scripture, in issues and events that challenge us, in our neighbor who needs us or the one who annoys us.

Maybe this is what we get when nearly every aspect of our lives is defined as a commodity, when our most holy days (holidays) are celebrated by gluttonous spending, when we measure our worth in terms of our wealth, our self-esteem in terms of our appearance. Maybe this is what happens. We begin to believe that a president can "save" us from our problems; we expect television shows to bring us messages from heaven; we worship Tim Tebow instead of worshipping Jesus. Maybe we've lost our minds - or just our common sense.

If you want to be saved, turn to God. God is waiting to receive you with joy. If you want to hear a message from God, pray, attend weekly worship, read scripture. Watching football is great - but it's just football. Let presidents be presidents (the job is hard enough without anyone expecting them to be the Messiah). Let Jesus be Jesus and let Tim Tebow be a guy who loves Jesus and plays quarterback.

Pastor Kris Franke Hill

Differently Sainted

2011-12-21T19:05:00.013-06:00

There's this man who gives away Christmas dinners every year. I get the privilege of distributing those meals because he prefers to remain anonymous. Today I brought a turkey, a bag of potatoes, dinner rolls, cans of corn, cans of green beans, a can of cranberry sauce, and a bag of stuffing mix to 4 different families - with one more yet to be delivered tomorrow. The recipients were an elderly woman on a fixed income (who plans to share her meal with a needy family in her apartment complex), a transgendered man/woman who works hard for very low pay and struggles to make ends meet, a family of four just getting back on their feet after months of unemployment, and a man who lives next door to the church and is looking for work.

The guy who purchases and gives this food says he does it in thankfulness to God who has richly blessed him. He lives in a modest home, works every day, and doesn't have much in the way of material things. In the years I’ve known him I’ve developed a deep, abiding affection and appreciation for him. That may not seem surprising considering his yearly generosity. But here's the thing... he and I are very different. We are different in precisely those ways that divide the citizens of our nation in this day and age.

Were he and I to discuss politics (which we never do) we would, no doubt, be polar opposites of one another. He listens to one well known TV news station; I listen to another. On social issues about which I am passionate, I suspect he would be equally passionate on the other side. We've probably never voted alike, and I'll bet we read and understand God's Word in vastly different ways. Even so, this man has a place deep inside my heart.

That is certainly not because I am a saintly person who speaks and acts graciously to those on the "other side" of current events and debates. Very often (too often) I do not. Like many these days, I am quick to label other people as "ignorant" or "callous,” call them "fear-mongers" because of their position on various social and political concerns. Politicians on the “other side” irritate and infuriate me; I believe they pontificate, manipulate and outright lie to the American people. My friend may well think the same about those who I support and respect.

The whole thing goes deeper than just what I say or think. A part of me despises people who do not see the world as I do on certain pressing issues - sexuality, gun control, the role of government, taxation and the economy, the essence of the Christian faith. My convictions are so fierce that I get angry at those who do not see things "plainly," as I see them. And it isn't just me. The people of this nation are polarized, divided - dare I say, divided against one another - on these matters. "We" do not like "them."

On all these matters, the man who gives the Christmas dinners would be a "them" to me, as would I to him. Despite this, I love him dearly. I honor him - and not just because he gives food away at Christmas. I admire how he works honestly and with integrity, I honor how he cared tenderly for his wife as she was dying, I respect his gentleness with animals, his concern toward those who struggle and his free admission that one day he might be numbered among them. I appreciate the way he loves his aging parents and his care of the earth.

So where does that leave me? He watches "that other news channel" for heaven's sake! Yet he is decent and compassionate and human, and I genuinely care for him. Right here is where Christ steps into the world – in body and blood, inhabiting those who move us even while we do not understand them. Not everything in life can be fully explained; not everything adds up. Surely Jesus is present and at work here, now, when "us" and "them" find mutual respect and even love for one another. Regardless of the sorry state of things, there is hope for the world – great, authentic hope - because Jesus still comes and dwells with us in human flesh.

Peace,
Pastor Kris

Mentoring

2011-10-24T11:14:00.004-05:00

I'm so excited! I have two students to mentor this year at Shepherd King's adopted school - Eisenhower Middle School. Next week I will meet with one of them, and the following week I'll meet the other.

When the school year began, the student I mentored from last year - N - was no longer enrolled at Eisenhower. I was disappointed because I'd become fond of him, but I knew he had planned to go live with his mother. The Counselor at Eisenhower found another student for me to see - Z - and just as that was set up, N returned to Eisenhower. I told her I would gladly see both of them, one on Monday mornings and the other on Tuesdays.

Before I go any further I have to confess - I have no special skills or wisdom to offer these two boys. What I have is time. I meet them at the school and we go to the library to talk for an hour. We talk about whatever is on their minds, or I might ask them a few questions about school or their particular interests. But the most important thing I offer them is an hour a week. For that one hour (40 minutes, really) I'm all theirs. I listen to them, encourage them, celebrate and lament with them, and occasionally offer words of guidance. My aim is to let them know that I care and, by meeting with them each week, to allow them to count on me.

Mentoring is not hard to do. You don't have to understand and help your student with homework; you don't have to have answers to their problems. Mostly you just have to commit some time to them and show you care. The benefits you - the mentor - receive are rich. You get to know a young person, grow to appreciate his/her abilities, see how he/she copes with challenges, and come to care about someone who is tied to you in no way other than by mentoring. It is a wonderful experience.

We've all been mentored by someone - an adult who took time for us when we were young, a colleague who helped us learn the ropes, Sunday school teachers, grandparents, friends who modeled faith for us and had confidence in us. In a few weeks the Church will celebrate its official "mentors" on All Saints Sunday. Saints are not people who are holier or more spiritual than others; they are ordinary individuals who have trusted God and followed Jesus in their own lives. They are mentors to all of us, their lives showing how we, too, can live.

One of my personal mentors or 'saints' currently is Leymah Gbowee, a Lutheran from Liberia who just won the Nobel Peace Prize. Ms. Gbowee helped organize the women of Liberia to protest the long standing civil war that had killed thousands of people and ravaged their homeland. Hundreds of women - Lutheran, Catholic, and Muslim - wore white and gathered in the center of town to call for an end to the war. Mostly they were silent, letting their presence speak for them. When official peace talks reached a stalemate, the women used their bodies to prevent the committee from leaving until an agreement had been reached. Former Liberian leader, Charles Taylor, is now in exile and a new, democratic leader has been elected. Ms. Gbowee is an inspiration to me and a model of how faith can lead people to work, peacefully and successfully, for change.

Who do you mentor? Consider volunteering at your local school as a mentor - you, too, can change a life for the better.

Peace,

Pastor Kris

Like Vacation

2011-10-17T13:50:00.010-05:00

We don't go on vacation until the end of the week, and we'll only be in the hill country for three days, but in some ways vacation has already started. On Thursday Don and I will be at a small cabin near Vanderpool Texas, celebrating our 15th anniversary. We were at the same place last year for a few nights -- just a scattering of small cabins near the river, accessible to both Garner and Lost Maples, and a short, beautiful drive to Leakey. As I anticipate our upcoming trip I can almost smell the fresh hill country air, see the sun rising over the treetops, and hear the cooing of the doves.

When I've felt tired in the office this morning I've refreshed myself with thoughts of napping during vacation. I've escaped the sound of traffic rushing past my window by imagining those peaceful trails in the park. Vacation has already begun, here in my office, breaking into my daily routine with its own unique reality. It is coming. Soon there will be rest, enjoyment, long minutes and slow-moving hours of freedom. Because vacation is drawing near, its coming affects me today.

The kingdom of God is like that, too. Jesus initiated the kingdom of God on earth through his life, death, and resurrection. But it isn't fully here yet. We know that by observing the world around us. There is still pain and suffering here; there is still injustice and corruption here; we do not yet live in peace and harmony with one another. Where God rules as sovereign there is no hunger, no war, no crime, no disease, no death. When the reign of God comes everyone will have work to do (meaningful work), everyone will be healthy and well, and we will all treat each other with respect and kindness.

The world is not like that now, however. Nations are quick to go to war against one another, age old conflicts continue with newer, more modern weaponry. We work hard, buy things, invest money in the hope of retiring one day, yet others cannot find work, people are losing their homes to foreclosure, some are hungry, and many are frustrated. This is not how life is in God's realm. It is discouraging to see the disparity between the life God intends us to live and the one we do live. According to God's vision, there is enough for everyone - enough money, enough food, enough houses, enough work, enough friendship, dignity and love. Some day life will be like that, God's way, but that day has not yet arrived.

God's kingdom is not here in its fullness. But it has been begun in Jesus Christ and the completion of God's reign is coming. On that day when our Lord returns, things will change as dramatically as summer gives way to fall or winter to spring. Every person will live with dignity and humility - confident in his own worth and honoring the worth of others. Jealousies will vanish, grudges will disappear, wounds and scars will be healed. We will live honest, productive lives; our relationships will be truthful and loving; we will share habitually with friends and strangers alike and there will be no need to fear anyone. Creation itself will be restored - mountaintops alive with healthy trees, skies clear and radiant, waters flowing strong and clean.

As we await the fullness of God's kingdom we can already feel the effects of its presence. Throughout the world people are calling for justice and freedom; hope is stirring the air around us. Habitat for Humanity recently reached 500,000 houses built for low-income families - ordinary people working together have made that happen. More and more people are finding ways to recycle and to reduce their waste, striving to make the earth healthy and whole. And although traditional churches may not be as full as they once were, people young and old are looking for ways to encounter God, to know God, and to live in communion with God. The kingdom may not be here yet, but we can feel its presence, we can see its affect on our lives, we know it is coming soon and we are getting ready.

Jesus urges us to live how he did - as though the kingdom of God was already fully established. There may not be justice everywhere around us, but we can be just and fair to one another; we can expect justice in every situation. Where people are hurting, hungry, neglected we can respond with concern -- our hands ready to comfort and our ears to listen. We can trust that there is plenty of time, plenty of goods and money, plenty of room for everyone and so we do not have to rush or horde or oppose one another. By trusting we demonstrate that Jesus is lord of all. We can pool our resources, donate our time, and work to make a positive difference in the world. God's kingdom is near! Its nearness is rubbing off on us and on the way we live.

May the kingdom of God touch you and brighten your life. Look for signs of its presence here, now. It won't be long before God's kingdom comes and the whole world sings God's praise.

Peace,
Pastor Kris

Bigger, Faster.

2011-10-04T10:44:00.007-05:00

What a marvelous world we live in. Today the Nobel Prize for physics was awarded to three American scientists for their recent discovery that the pace at which the universe is expanding is accelerating. Although that sentence is easy to understand grammatically, the concept is hard to grasp: the entire universe is expanding at an ever increasing rate. The image that comes to mind for me is of taffy being pulled and stretched more and more.

"O LORD our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens." (Psalm 8:1)

Scientists, however, tend to compare this process to a mound of raisin bread dough. As the dough rises (increasing in size) the raisins are pulled farther and farther apart. Think of the raisins as galaxies and you have a simple illustration of what is happening in our universe - the whole thing is getting bigger, wider, and as a result the galaxies are moving away from each other.

Scientists say this is a good thing. If the universe were to stop expanding it would collapse upon itself (because of the pull of gravity). My mind cannot quite picture that, but surely the earth would not survive such an event. Space itself is expanding - there's more of it all the time. Greek philosophers used to wonder whether the universe was infinite or finite. If it is finite and you stuck your hand out at the edge, where would it go? What an amazing question to contemplate.

If the universe is ever expanding what does that say about us and our place in it? Out in the country, away from the lights of the city, when you gaze up at the night sky with its millions of stars, it becomes obvious how small a single human being is by comparison. When we think of the countless generations that have preceded us and all those that will follow us, our lives, our communities, the nations and their struggles also seem small and passing. Is our own significance being reduced as the universe gets bigger?

"When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established, what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals, that you care for them?" (Psalm 8:3-4)

And yet God does care for us, even though we are tiny in comparison with the universe, even though - considering the breadth of time - our days are but a sigh. There are so many wonders in the created world we'll never fully understand them all. But the knowledge that science has gained of the universe and how it operates is fascinating.

"You have given (human beings) dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under their feet." (Psalm 8:6)

Praise God for our ability to learn and understand. Praise God for this incredible world where we live. Praise God for caring about all of us regardless when or how long we live. Truly God's being and God's activity is more than our minds can fathom.

"O LORD our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!" (Psalm 8:9)

Pastor Kris

Honk if you love Jesus

2011-09-14T14:36:00.003-05:00

We were grateful that the weather had cooled ever so slightly last Saturday, September 10th. Instead of a high temperature of around 102 it was only expected to get up to about 96. Yea! Six degrees -- when you're standing at the intersection of a couple busy streets, holding handmade signs for passersby to read -- makes a difference.

And that's what we were doing last Saturday, six youth and two adults from Shepherd King. We were participating in the "Living Lutheran Creed" - an event stretching across the country to share some good news. The purpose was for Lutherans to get "out of the box", to push themselves to interact with their neighbors in new ways. Lutherans, as a body, are not very outgoing. We usually prefer to do our faith-related stuff inside the church building. We would like to have visitors and new people in our fellowship but we expect them to come to us. Taking part in the "Living Lutheran Creed" got us outside our church doors and into the street to greet folks with the news of God's love.

Making a living Lutheran creed, people from congregations around the nation made signs expressing what they believe and then held those signs up at busy street corners. Youth from Shepherd King created signs saying, "I believe Jesus saves," and "I believe God = Love" and "I believe there is hope for tomorrow," and "Honk if you love Jesus." By ten o'clock on Saturday morning we were stationed at Blanco and West, and at San Pedro and Ramsey, holding our signs for all the world to see. We had no idea how we would be received.

Cameron had made the sign that said "honk if you love Jesus." He and his sister counted 153 honks in response to that invitation in just over an hour. In addition to the honks we received lots of waves and smiles, too. Putting myself in "the other's" shoes, I wondered how I would have reacted if I'd seen people standing by the side of the road holding signs that said "I believe... God loves you (and me)," or "I believe... live life, love God." My first thought might have been "uh-oh, who are these weirdoes out on the street." Would I have been annoyed, thinking someone was trying to "preach" to me? I don't know. Wondering about it made me appreciate that much more the kindness of those who greeted us with joy and enthusiasm.

I had assumed we would feel a bit awkward and exposed standing there with our signs, but the smiles and greetings of passersby made us feel welcomed and appreciated. As we stood with our signs it became apparent that, although our congregation is not large, we belong to a much bigger family of Christian people in the city of San Antonio. People of various races and ages gave us encouragement and support showing themselves to be, not strangers but our brothers and sisters in Christ. We thought we were bringing God's love to the community and found that our neighbors gave God's love right back to us - warm and personal and real.

Thanks be to God who responds to our worries with signs of hope and assurance. Truly God is here among us in this time and this place, lifting us up, showing us our commonality with one another. Thanks be to God who loves us, to Jesus who saves.

Peace,

Pastor Kris

Burning Bush, Red Truck

2011-08-29T09:51:00.011-05:00

Sometimes I'm jealous of Moses. In that burning bush, afire but not consumed, he had a powerful encounter with God. Who wouldn't want that - a chance to see God, to talk with God one on one, to hear God's voice? Surely after that meeting with God Moses never wondered again if God truly existed, if God was dedicated to Moses and the people of Israel. He had heard the promise from God's own mouth "I will be with you."

I long to see God. I yearn to hear God's voice and know beyond a doubt that God is here, that God cares for us. As the psalmist says (Psalm 42) "As a hart (deer) longs for flowing streams so longs my soul for thee, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God?"

In the National Cathedral in Washington DC one can sense the nearness of God, beautiful and mysterious. Sitting beneath those soaring arches and impossibly high ceilings with the stone floor underfoot, hearing how sound both carries and dissipates in the cavernous space, the mighty presence of God is strong and transcendent. Evening prayer in the nave is sublime; voices solemnly chant the liturgy while fading light gleans through stained glass windows that depict fire, the saints, creation. In the Cathedral, God seems near indeed.

The National Cathedral, however, is far away from Texas. There may be burning bushes around here but not the kind Moses saw, just products of this persistent drought. Still I want to see God, I want to hear God speak and know in the depths of my heart and mind that God is, that God is with us in our day.

In Jesus we learn to look for God, not in glamour and glory, but in ordinary aspects of life. Jesus resembled you and me - a human person - yet he was God in the flesh. Jesus distributed bread and wine for his friends to eat and drink, naming it his own body and blood. Jesus promised to be with us whenever we gather in his name. Through Jesus we have seen that God comes to those who suffer, that God lives among the poor, that God sits in prison alongside the incarcerated. Cathedrals are marvelous places, but God is found in our ordinary, mundane lives.

My Dad used to say that God's grace is a lot like pecans. Our family did not plant the pecan trees in my parent's yard, but there they stand - tall and fruitful. Fall comes and the pecans drop to the ground without our aid. All we have to do is pick them up. Likewise, we do nothing to earn God's grace, it is simply given and all we have to do is receive it. I've seen glimpses of God, heard God's voice, so many times in my Dad.

The other day as I walked to my car in the parking lot I saw, halfway down the row, a man sitting in a red pickup truck. He sat there, window rolled down, smoking a cigarette, talking on a cell phone. As I passed I heard his deep voice say, kindly, "you're a pain in the ass, but I love you." I had to smile. It sounded like the voice of God, talking to me, to you, to the whole world. Individually and together we can be a great pain and a royal mess, yet God loves us still. What a wonderful thing to hear.

No burning bush experience for me, just a red pickup, a Texas farmer, and a word from the Lord. I think that will do, for now.

Peace,

Pastor Kris

Blood and Body

2011-08-22T08:52:00.004-05:00

I'm haunted by a song, its words and melody running repeatedly through my mind. We sang it recently during the Lord's Supper as people came up to receive the bread and the wine. The song is well known and we sang the refrain from memory: "bread of life from heaven, your blood and body given; we eat this bread and drink this cup until you come again."

The words and the tune guide us to the meal where we remember our Lord's death and resurrection. People file forward, one after another, humming or singing along "bread of life from heaven, your blood and body given..." their song echoing their actions as they come for the bread and wine. It's a pleasant song, a comfortable melody. Or it has been.

These days it's different. I picture her son lying on the pavement, blood everywhere, the assailants fleeing, leaving him for dead. No one aids him or calls for help. He regains consciousness, struggles to his feet and walks inside, calls his parents and they come. They rush him to the hospital, his face crushed from the heels of the boots.

"Bread of life from heaven, your blood and body given..." Their wrecked bodies mingle in my mind - her son's and our Savior's. Out in the parking lot he'd stepped in to help another man who was being attacked. That man got away and the group turned their fury on him - kicking, stomping his head. They left him broken and bleeding.

Anger grips him and he wishes he could find those men, beat them and leave them bruised and bloodied. The police have called it attempted homicide but say they can do nothing. At night his father howls with rage and cries in frustration. His mother listens, comforts her family, talks sense to them, decides how to proceed, and lies in bed with unrelenting images of her battered son.

"Bread of life from heaven, your blood and body given..." Your blood. Your body given - kicked, beaten, spat upon, nailed to a cross and left to die. His mother watched from a distance. God thundered in heaven, ripped the Temple curtain in anguish. In a violent assault - humiliating, painful, horrifying - the Son of God died. On the third day he rose - victorious over violence - with new life for all.

Can we lay our anger, our wounds, our own humiliations at the table of the Lord? Can we seek healing, justice and peace through his broken body and spilled blood? Imagine the people coming forward through the ages with hands outstretched - mothers of the disappeared in Argentina, victims of abuse, fathers of dead soldiers, people terrorized by gangs, families from Columbine, Oklahoma City, 9-11 approaching the altar for consolation, for hope, for a new world to inhabit.

"Bread of life from heaven, your blood and body given, we eat this bread and drink this cup until you come again." Come quickly, Lord Jesus, with healing for the nations. Come to us and help us live, that we may reject violence and vengeance. We vow not to strike back blow for blow; help us keep our vow. We cling instead to your love and truth. Guide us, feed us, and redeem us, Bread of life from heaven. Bring us justice. Bring us peace.

Pastor Kris

Redemption and Violence

2011-08-16T10:49:00.025-05:00

In Luke 6:27-29 Jesus says, "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also." Passages like this have guided Christians throughout the ages, turning them from retaliation and vengeance to a non-violent way of addressing injustice. Martin Luther King Jr., and his associates led the Civil Rights Movement following this principle, this idea of resistance and non-compliance rather than violent confrontation. In South Africa, Nelson Mandela worked to win freedom and equal rights for blacks through reason, persuasion, and resistance. Great good can be done when we refrain from striking back, when we meet violence with truth rather than revenge.

The son of a good friend of mine was savagely beaten a few nights ago. I have known him since he was 8 years old. A sweet child, he is now becoming a wonderful man. Leaving a club, he saw several men beating one man. He intervened and soon found himself the target of the group's rage. He was kicked in the head repeatedly until his nose was broken and his sinus cavities shattered. Thanks be to God he is alive; he is facing a long recovery period.

When I heard about this I was furious. My friends are such good people, gracious, faithful, community-minded. Imagining the awful attack on this young man I found myself wanting to find those responsible and join with others in beating them senseless. That is often my first reaction when I hear that someone I care about has been hurt. I want to hurt someone in return. It feels justified; hitting back seems like what the other person deserves.

And maybe it is, but if we all hit back when we are injured, spit back when we've been insulted, where does it end? In my mind and heart I cherish Jesus' words, I embrace them: "love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you..." but my being, my person wants to react just the opposite. My sense of outrage longs to kick back when I've been kicked.

Theologian and author Walter Wink says we live in a culture founded on "the myth of redemptive violence." We believe that when danger comes we need bigger guns, more strength, and better weapons to fend it off. There's good evidence that, indeed, we do accept the myth of redemptive violence. Most of our stories show how those who've been attacked prevail by using greater violence - cowboys outshoot the villains, the Karate Kid out-fights the bullies, Men in Black out-zap the aliens. We live in gated communities, arm our homes with alarm systems, and keep a gun in the bedside table all in an attempt to keep ourselves safe.

Our salvation, however, does not come through force or domination. We are saved by One who allowed himself to be broken by violence. Insulted, whipped, spat upon Jesus did not seek revenge. He succumbed to violence, holding fast to love and truth. If Jesus is our Lord, then his way of non-violence is also our way. If our top allegiance is to Jesus then we will refuse to strike back, refuse to engage in violent behavior. It is one or the other - either we are saved by weapons and fighting, or we are saved by Jesus. We cannot have it both ways.

I pray for my friends and their son, that their lives will be restored and their wounds healed. I pray for those who senselessly beat a fine young man, that God's light will shine on them and they will be changed. And I pray for myself, that I will reject vengeance and choose truth and love. Truth and love, together, expose what is false and hold accountable those who are unjust. Only truth and love - God's love - will lead us all to true redemption.

Peace,

Pastor Kris

Jesus and the 'dogs'

2011-08-09T09:29:00.029-05:00

There's a cartoon on our refrigerator, the one frame kind, with a picture of a dog, a man and a woman. The dog is sitting behind the man who is addressing the woman. The dog looks dejected and there's a tear on its face. The man is saying to the woman, "he'd just appreciate it if you'd stop referring to him as 'the dog'." That man and woman could be my husband and I; whenever I mention Redbone as 'the dog' Don looks at me in exaggerated alarm and says "the dog?" He prefers to call Redbone 'the pup.' It's nicer.

This Sunday's lectionary (assigned scripture readings) gives us a troubling story from Matthew 15. A Canaanite woman - a non-Jew, someone who is not 'one of us' - calls out to Jesus asking him to heal her daughter. First he ignores her completely. Then when his disciples complain about her nagging, Jesus turns to the woman and tells her he can't help her because she's not an Israelite. His mission, he says, is only to the people of Israel. She replies, simply, "Lord, help me." Jesus' next answer is disturbing. He says "it isn't fair to throw the children's food to the dogs." But she persists, saying "yes, but even the dogs get the crumbs that fall from the master's table." Finally, Jesus speaks to her as a person, calling her 'woman' and commenting on her strong faith, and he grants her wish.

The resolution of the encounter, however, does not remove the earlier offense. "The dogs," Jesus said to her. Some biblical scholars have argued that the word Jesus used really means 'little dogs' or 'puppies.' I suppose that's 'nicer,' but calling someone a 'little dog' is still insulting. Why does Jesus say that? We think of Jesus as always being in the right, as always showing compassion for hurting people and this is so very unkind, so wrong. I want to explain it away, make some excuse for Jesus but I cannot. The story troubles me, gets under my skin, makes me uncomfortable. Name-calling is so ugly.

Name-calling is ugly, but we do it. There are derogatory names for all races, classes and types of people and we know plenty of them. "Spic, wetback, blimp, chink, faggot" - hurtful, degrading terms all of them. We hear them and sometimes we use them, aloud or muttered under our breath - "idiot, doofus, reetard, scumbag, loser." Why do we say these things? Those of us who are Christian wear the name of Christ. When we call someone "faggot" or "reetard" or "#*!%-head" it's as if Jesus is speaking that way. Those words wound, anger, and shame people; they say that the other is not worth our concern, our help, our consideration. Who are we to make such judgments?

In Matthew 15 it appears that the Canaanite woman broke through Jesus' prejudice and established herself as a human being in his sight. Undettered by Jesus' initial judgment, she asserted her claim on Jesus' concern and grace. And Jesus changed his mind, reversed his position and extended mercy to her. Even a Canaanite woman is worthy of God's love and care. Even a foreigner is acceptable in God's kingdom. She is not a 'dog' but a woman, a child of God.

This story remains troubling, but it may be especially so because we know ourselves to be guilty of what we see Jesus do. We're uncomfortable because the episode shows us ourselves. We brush people off with a label. We dehumanize others with slurs and unkind remarks. Will we, though, can we - like Jesus - change our minds and come to see all people as beloved by God? If a Canaanite woman is acceptable, who is unacceptable to God by virtue of their class or ethnicity or status? Anyone? This scripture says that all who call on the Lord, all who seek God's help, receive God's characteristic loving-kindness. No one is left out for being too fat or too poor or too foreign or too dark-skinned or too simple. All are welcome in God's house. And that's good to know - for us, and for our neighbors.

Shalom,
Pastor Kris

Drought and Idolatry

2011-08-03T12:40:00.024-05:00

I dream of rain. In this eighth month of the drought, the fifth month of 100 degree temperatures, my mind searches for relief wherever possible. It happened again last night - I dreamed I heard rain falling on the roof, tapping against the windows. Calm and serenity settled over me as I imagined the earth and her creatures enjoying a good, long drink. But then I awoke and saw the same parched grass and wilted gardens as before.

When Ahab was King of Israel he openly loved other things more than he loved God. He loved the power, the attention, the wealth, the status of being king. Scripture says that Ahab worshipped Baal, the Caananite god. In doing so he committed idolatry. Idolatry, the most common of all sins, does not have to involve Baal. We are idolatrous whenever we value, trust, and love something above God. Martin Luther, in his Large Catechism, says "Anything on which your heart relies and depends...is really your God." Any time we replace God with something lesser in our hearts and minds we commit idolatry.

Not only did Ahab commit idolatry by 'relying and depending' upon something other than God, he led his people astray by his actions. Many of the Israelite people followed their King's example and built altars to Baal. God, who had given himself to Israel in a loving, lasting relationship, was angered. As a response God sent a severe drought upon the land. For three years there was no rain, or even dew, in Israel. Streams and rivers dried up; crops failed; people and livestock alike grew desperate for water. Baal, to whom they had prayed, could not make it rain and God was unwilling to do so until the King and the people recognized their fault and changed course.

Why has it not rained in Texas for the past eight months? It could be El Nino or La Nina has brought this latest drought. Maybe our arid conditions come from global warming or shifting weather patterns throughout the country. In scripture, the prophet Elijah had to sweep the land clear of idolatry before God sent rain. Elijah rebuked the King and the people for their devotion to Baal; he reasserted God's sovereignty and slaughtered the Baal prophets. Finally Elijah bowed before God, sending his servant to check the horizon for a change in the weather. Six times the servant saw nothing, but the last time he saw a cloud rise up out of the sea. Soon rain was pummeling the ground, pouring down on all Israel like the grace of God.

Since the recession the median wealth of white households in America is 20 times greater than that of African-American households, 18 times higher than that of Hispanic households. In addressing our nation's deficit and raising the debt ceiling the United States government opted to cut spending and raise no taxes on the wealthy or close loop-holes for large corporations. In Texas, spending has been slashed in education and other public services while tax-payers foot the $10,000 a month bill for the governor's rental house. Could rampant idolatry be the reason we are in the midst of a severe drought? Are we following the course of Ahab, loving and serving the wrong things?

"No one can serve two masters," Jesus said, "(you) will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth." (Matthew 6:24) We cannot worship money and worship God; one of them has to give.

I dream of rain -- water falling from the sky, justice rolling like a river throughout the land. How long must we wait for the drought to end? How long must God wait on us to turn from idolatry?

Pastor Kris

Which side?

2011-07-25T12:54:00.025-05:00

A newsletter article from the Alban Institute cited a recent study showing that the religious beliefs of young people (age 18 to 23) in our nation mirrors that of their parents. This is not surprising; it is parents who introduce their children (or don't) to faith in God. However, the study revealed something else about a large number of today's young adults who consider themselves Christian. The content of their faith is not grounded in historical Christian teachings but reflects what one researcher called "moralistic, therapeutic deism." Their understanding of God comes less from the Bible than from what is commonly called "American civil religion." From this perspective God is one who "fixes things, roots for your team, and rewards good behavior with a happy afterlife."* Unlike Jesus, American civil religion says nothing about sacrifice. It focuses on individual rights whereas the God of scripture addresses communal needs.

If this is, indeed, a prevalent American understanding of Christianity (twenty-four years as a pastor tells me that it is), it helps explain our current crisis in the United States over whether or not to (or how to) raise the debt ceiling. If God "fixes things" then maybe we don't have to worry about the decisions and actions we take that might harm others. If God "roots for our team" then our perspective must be right, our needs/desires come first. If God is this parochial - on "my" side, rooting for my agenda - then what is good for "me" must be acceptable to all. No wonder our government leaders have been meeting daily for weeks with no visible progress to report. Who needs to change, who needs to compromise, who needs to consider someone else's perspective if God is already on their side?

Last week as the news focused on the impasse in Congress concerning the debt limit, Sojourners magazine (email) sent this as their verse for the day: "What do you mean by crushing my people, by grinding the faces of the poor?" (Isaiah 3:15) This is a drastically different message from what we have been hearing on Capital Hill. In this scripture God addresses us - you and me, our representatives, the United States of America - with "what do you mean by crushing my people, by grinding the faces of the poor!"

How can a nation that claims to know the God of scripture cut services to the poor, to the elderly, to children and yet balk at raising taxes on the wealthy and on corporations that make billions of dollars a year on its own soil? If we love God, if have any genuine knowledge of God, we cannot support making life more difficult for those without while refusing to ask the wealthy to give more. Some will say that the wealthy create jobs (please present the evidence) but God sees our plans to pamper the rich and burden the poor and says, unequivocally, "how dare you!"

We in the church have failed to represent the God of scripture faithfully. God does, indeed, love us, but God also demands justice from us - fairness for all people, especially the weakest, the most despised. Jesus identifies himself with those who suffer, not with those who have it made (see Matthew 25: 31-46 and Luke 6:20-26); Jesus lived among outcasts and sinners, not in palaces with rulers and their cohorts. Christians cannot in good conscience allow the burden of this financial crisis to fall upon the working poor, the sick, and the aged without protesting in the name of Jesus.

This Sunday Matthew's gospel presents Jesus feeding five thousand hungry people. Tired by a long day of ministry, the disciples initially want to send the hungry crowd away to procure their own food. But Jesus says to his friends, "you give them something to eat."

That is God's word for us, to you and me, to all our representatives in Congress, to the wealthy and to all citizens of our nation: "You give them something to eat." Will we answer the call? Or will we stay silent and allow "the least of these" to pay again and again and again?

Pastor Kris Hill

*The article is entitled: "Hope and Ethnography" by Dori Grinenko Baker, 7-25-11; the quote is from Christian Smith of the National Study of Youth and Religion.

Storytime

2011-06-27T09:44:00.043-05:00

I've seen some good movies since signing up with netflix. Last week I watched "Winter's Bone" a chilling tale about a teenage girl in the Appalachian mountains. Her mother incapacitated and her father absent, she tries to provide for and raise her younger sister and brother. One day the sheriff stops by to tell her that her father put the family's house and acreage up as bond and hasn't been seen since. She has a week to find him or the property will be taken. As the story unfolds we see this girl's dedication to her family, her courage as she faces obstacles and threats while tracking her father, and her acceptance of local customs even as she challenges local authority.

Next I watched "Born in Brothels" - a documentary filmed in Calcutta, India. A woman photographer spent time living in the red light district of the city to learn about and photograph its inhabitants. While there she became close to a number of children who had been born to prostitutes. Their lives were difficult and their futures unpromising; the girls were expected to become prostitutes by about 16; the boys rarely attended school. So the photographer gave them each a camera and began teaching them about taking pictures. The children got quite good so that there was an exhibition of their work at an art studio in the city. The photographer worked to get as many of the children as possible into boarding schools, although their families were resistant to such an unknown path. It was a wonderful movie - seeing how the children grew in ability and self-confidence, watching one person strive to make a real difference in those children's lives.

Meantime, of course I'm reading, too. I quickly finished the first book in the Solitary series by Travis Thrasher and am now nearly finished with "Emily Alone" about an older woman facing life after her husband and most of her friends have died.

I love stories; in fact, we all do. One way or another, every human being is drawn to stories - whether tales told by friends, shows on TV or the movies, or accounts of family members from times gone by. We love stories. Stories help us understand our own life; they help us see what may happen in the future and map out how we might respond. Stories show us that other people have experiences, questions, and emotions similar to our own. As the great movie "Shadowlands" put it: "we read to know we're not alone;" stories connect us to the world outside ourselves. We inhabit the stories we hear, imaging ourselves in 'this' or 'that' role.

God comes to us in stories. We can understand loving our neighbor as a concept, but it becomes clearer, more available to us through the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 15). Scripture tells us to love the stranger, the foreigner (Deut. 10:17-19), but that directive takes on new life when Jesus shares a story about inviting the poor, the lame, and beggars to your banquet (Luke 14:7-24). We know that God is powerful, that God especially notices and cares for those who suffer, but when we read again the account of the Exodus the magnitude of God's love and God's ability to save thrills us (Exodus chapters 1 through 15).

God's activity in history comes to us through stories, involving real situations and people, allowing us to see ourselves as participants in the action and recipients of God's generous love. We stand beside Abraham (Genesis 18:16-33) as he and God debate justice. We're astonished and proud as Abraham questions God, saying: "what if there are 50 righteous people in the city; will you destroy the whole place and not forgive it for the sake of those 50? Far be it from you to do such a thing." Wow - we grapple alongside Abraham with the nature of justice and mercy. Our hearts ache with Job as he sits in silence for seven days after losing his family, his wealth, and his good health. We get it when he curses the day he was born, when he challenges God to explain what he has done wrong to deserve such suffering. We have the same questions as Job does God's loving care and human pain. When Nathan tells King David about the man whose lone, beloved sheep was taken by his wealthy neighbor and slaughtered to feed a traveler, we are filled with David's righteous indignation when he says "that man should die!" and we are moved to self-examination as Nathan replies to the King "you are the man." (2nd Samuel 12:1-15). Such powerful, gripping stories!

And in those stories we meet God who invites us to step into the drama, to hear the critical lines addressed to ourselves, to claim the emotions stirred therein and see God's presence in our own lives. In these incredible stories we realize that God is not just a idea in our minds, but a powerful, living presence in our world - creator and redeemer, quick and strong to save.

Peace,
Pastor Kris

Heavenly Dogs

2011-06-20T09:43:00.018-05:00

If you've ever loved a dog, you really should check out this cool video called God and Dog (http://www.godanddog.org/). I took it off a friend's facebook page (thanks Michelle) and posted it on my own. It features a simple song and simple pictures as it reflects on the connection between God and one's dog. The song ponders how God and dog are alike; the drawings illustrate the same (it is written and performed by Wendy Francisco).

Wendy compares how God loves us to how our dogs love us. Anyone who's ever had a dog knows how they express love - exuberantly, shamelessly, with joy and unwavering constancy. Your dog is always overjoyed to see you again, even if you've only been gone for 30 minutes. Your dog is always ready to go wherever you want to go, do whatever you feel like doing. He just wants to be near you because he delights in your company. Wendy's song reminds us that God's love for us is just as devoted, just as substantial.

She says, of both God and dog, "they would stay with me all day, I'm the one who walks away." The accompanying picture shows her dog looking sad and getting smaller as she, presumably, leaves it. A dog will wait as long as it takes for us to return; so will God. Dogs don't remind us of our faults or withhold their affection until we improve. Neither does God. As Wendy's song says, "I take it hard each time I fail; God forgives, dog wags his tail." Along with these words we see a dog's face looking up with great concern until she pats its head; then it seems to smile.

If you're unhappy or ill, your dog worries and sticks close by (just like God does). Seeing your sadness, your dog will try to get in your lap, snuggle next to you, lick your face - anything to cheer you up. You never have to wonder if you're loved or if you've been forgotten with a dog around. Your dog shows his love every day, all day, by how he looks at you and stays near you. What I like best about Wendy's song "God and Dog" is that it gives us a visual. I don't mean just the pictures (which are neat) or even the mental images her song evokes. Wendy shows us that if we aren't sure how God loves us, if we need an example to understand that idea, we can look to our dogs.

A dog loves us with abandon - in concrete, tangible ways. God loves us in real, substantive ways, too. God heals us when we're ill; God comforts us when we lose. God gives us sunshine and rain, the countryside and the bustle of communal life, food and drink for today, forgiveness for the past, hope for tomorrow. If you need a visual to grasp what it means that God loves you - unconditionally and forever - you can't do much better than looking at your dog. Yeah, God loves you like that.

Peace,
Pastor Kris

Fire and Heat

2011-06-07T10:26:00.018-05:00

The other day my husband said he was glad to hear people complaining about the heat. "Yeah," I replied, "I'm sick of this heat, too." Then I realized he meant the Miami Heat, playing for the National Basketball championship. "Oh," I said.

But I do complain about the heat and the lack of rain. Sunday we had a pool party for the six young people who will be confirmed in their faith this coming week. I don't enjoy wearing bathing suits so I went dressed in shorts and a polo. We grilled burgers and sausage, ate in the shade, and the young folks played in the water. The adults sat around and talked about this and that, watching the kids frolic and splash. After about an hour and a half I couldn't take it any longer. I had to head home to the air conditioning and my Sunday afternoon nap. I guess I just can't endure the heat any more.

This Sunday is Pentecost and it will be a hot one. People are encouraged to wear red outfits for the occasion as the color red represents the Holy Spirit. Pentecost celebrates the fire of God that enters our world and sears us. The scripture reading from Acts says that the Holy Spirit landed on the disciples like tongues of fire. It's a vivid, blistering image - flames flickering down from the skies, licking at our ears, our skin, our hair. All that fire and heat - it sounds dangerous, like the time the lighted candles got too close to an acolyte's hair and ignited it!

Six young people at Shepherd King have completed two years of studying about the Christian faith. They have been reading the Bible, learning the 10 Commandments, getting to know God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. In the process we've all gotten to know each other as well. Now the instruction is finished and the moment has come for them to claim this faith, to be further claimed by God in Jesus Christ. So on Sunday we will present these six to God and ask God to burn them with fire, to stir them with relentless passion for justice, love and truth. We'll ask God to show them dreams of a world recreated in Jesus Christ, to give them visions of being new people here and now. The heat of God's love will break over us in the Holy Spirit, summoning us to get up, go out and spread the joy and peace of Jesus to all around us. It's going to be a hot one this Sunday; no one will be left untouched.

On Pentecost God comes as a flame, as an inferno, disturbing our equilibrium and disrupting our comfort. On Pentecost it is not enough for us to be nice people or quiet Christians. The heat is on - God is alive, pushing us to live deeply, to open ourselves to others, to love without fear, to give without counting the cost. There is an urgency in the air - it is time, time to give up old ways and enter into the new ways of God in Jesus Christ. The tongues of fire will descend on Sunday and our six confirmands will reject sin, renounce the devil and all the ways of evil. They will acknowledge Jesus as Lord and pledge their lives and their loyalty to God, alone.

This time, embrace the heat. Come and witness the passion, the power of God at work among us. Join us for worship on Pentecost Sunday as the Holy Spirit enfolds us, as our six young people profess their faith, as God transforms the world - a life, a community, at a time.

Burning together,
Pastor Kris

Suffering and Hope

2011-05-30T16:25:00.027-05:00

After suffering from sinus/migraine headaches for the last 4 days, I awoke this morning free of pain. What a difference feeling healthy and good makes! While battling swollen sinus passages, a constantly throbbing head, and a sour stomach I managed to plant a new garden on Thursday, attend a family Memorial Day bash on Saturday, practice trumpet twice, and make it through leading Sunday morning worship. But by then I'd had it with the headache and with the rash of poison ivy I'd piced up on vacation. Off to Texas Medical Clinic where I received a prescription for steroids.

Monday morning I got up feeling great and spent an hour weeding, mulching, and watering the gardens; then straightened up the garage a bit, and finally jumped into house cleaning with vigor and satisfaction. What a difference relief from suffering makes. The change in my mood from yesterday to today puts me in mind of the song: "Sure feels good, feeling good again."

I'm thankful my suffering could be alleviated by medication. Recently Don and I drove through Birmingham, Alabama. I remember Joplin, Missouri, from a visit there many, many summers ago - a pretty spot. The suffering brought by a string of tornadoes in Alabama and a single, but massive tornado in Joplin will not be quickly or easily relieved. The stories have been heartbreaking - a mother found dead, covering her teenage son with her body (he survived). A young woman ripped from her boyfriend's arms as they hid in a closet - he survived, she did not. The pictures are shocking - neighborhoods leveled, rubbish everywhere, mangled trees and household goods intertwined.

Where is God in the midst of such suffering? It's a question that has been pondered from the beginning of time. Why does God allow tornadoes, hurricanes, and earthquakes to hurt and kill people? I don't know. I cannot say why people suffer. It might be that reflection on suffering so as to learn from is is the best we can do. (I remember my Dad telling me that no experience is wasted if we learn from it.) Still, those who have lost so much, who face such daunting circumstances trying to put their lives back together might well wonder why God allows this kind of destruction in the first place. Can't God stop tornadoes and floods from happening?

There are biblical scholars and believers who would say that, no, God cannot stop natural occurrences from taking place. I disagree. I think God is able to do whatever God wants to do. A better answer, it seems to me, is that this is the world God has chosen to create. And the way this world operates, storms, floods, and natural disasters are a part of the mix. God is present and concerned wherever people suffer (scripture testifies to this). Those of us who love God also seek to be "present" with the suffering, to assist them and comfort them however we can.

This memorial weekend our thoughts turned to those who have suffered for the sake of the nation. We remember those who have died in service to our country, those who have survived combat but returned injured in body, mind and spirit. We cannot blame the suffering and loss that results from war on God: building and maintaining relationships (personal and between nations) is our responsibility. Even so, God is present on battlefields with the dying, with those afraid and those unafraid. God tends lovingly to those struggling to heal from their wounds and their memories. God is with us, too, as we pray for our specific loved ones in the armed forces - for their wellbeing and their survival, for help and guidance in difficult situations.

We can't explain the reason for suffering. Neither can we insulate ourselves from pain. Loss, hurt, and sorrow are part of this world, part of life. When they come, God is near - to hold us, to hear us, and to lead us back to life. May God bless you and your loved ones, whatever your griefs, and restore you to fullness of health.

Peace,

Pastor Kris

Water Ways

2011-05-12T13:02:00.000-05:00

Don and I are heading East on Saturday, taking the southern route on I-10 through Houston, to Mobile, then heading northeast until we get to Hickory, North Carolina. After a few days there we'll head further northeast to Philadelphia. I'm looking forward to seeing familiar landscapes along the way and friends when we arrive. But I wonder if parts of the trip, places we've often been before, will look foreign.

Usually we take the quickest route, or one that affords the most beauty, or maybe one we haven't used much. But this time we've been listening to the news as we huddle around the map, changing our minds every few hours. To get from "here" to "there" we have to cross the Mississippi River, but where is the safest place to cross? Most years it's not an issue, but this year the mighty river has flooded its banks, swallowing up communities and farmland for miles and miles. Images from Memphis (highway 40) and Vicksburg (highway 20) show 8 to 12 feet of water consuming homes, streets, entire neighborhoods.

Meanwhile, drought and wild fires have ravaged Texas. Here in San Antonio we hadn't seen a drop of rain since perhaps mid-February. Grass is baked and brown, trees are stressed again, and water rationing was imposed many weeks ago. Alabama was recently tossed around by horrendous tornadoes, Mississippi and Tennessee are under water, and Texas is begging the skies to break open and rain. With crops dying and the water table shrinking here, it's hard to believe that just two states over people are suffering from too much water.

The habits of rainfall are frustrating - too much in one place can bring death just as none in another can bring death. We would like to receive a goodly amount each year - enough to water crops, lawns, and flowers, but not so much that it floods homes and streets. From our perspective that would be fair and sensible. But nature does not heed our advice. Maybe some of our frustration stems from our lack of control over the matter. As adults, we are used to addressing problems, finding solutions, striving for success. But the rain does what it wants, not what we want, making us feel like children with no say in the matter. God sends the rain when and where it suits God whether or not we approve.

This morning the Farmers Market at Shepherd King closed early for a wonderful reason. Around 9:30 the skies darkened, thunder rumbled, and water descended from the heavens. (I'm sure the farmers don't mind trading one day's sales for a good rainfall.) It was the first rain here in more than three months and such a joyful sight! It felt like a holiday - an occasion for dancing and celebrating. Gracias a Dios! (Thanks to God!) The silty mud, however, slathered throughout those flooded southern homes will not be gone for weeks. Pie Jesu (Lord, have mercy).

In Matthew 5:45 Jesus says "(God) makes the sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous." What happens in the world does not revolve primarily around me and my situation, or you and yours. Certainly God loves us, but God also sees and knows much more than what concerns us. (In Isaiah 55:8 God says "for my thoughts are not your thoughts...") God is with those whose homes are under water - caring, providing, and comforting. God knows the seriousness of drought and responds to our prayers. But the world and God's intent for creation are bigger than merely "now" and "here."

So whether it is dry or soggy, whether it is hot or cold, with the psalmist let us "Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving... the LORD covers the heavens with clouds, prepares rain for the earth, makes grass grow on the hills... the LORD takes pleasure...in those who hope in his steadfast love." (Psalm 147)

Peace to all the earth,

Pastor Kris

Enemies, Death, and Jesus

2011-05-01T23:10:00.019-05:00

Our church in North Carolina took the youth to Lutherock camp the last weekend of April every year. The kids looked forward to hiking in the mountains, to Pastor Jim's faith scavenger hunt, and to bunking on the floor in the main room. The end of April in 2002, Jason and Michael smuggled some firecrackers with them, black cats, and were hoping for a good opportunity to use them. While hiking they found a pumpkin that had had its top removed. They stuck a wad of black cats in the pumpkin, lit them on fire, and as the orange ball exploded Michael yelled "Bin Laden's butt!" They all laughed.

Tonight we have heard that Osama Bin Laden is dead, killed by US special forces. CNN is busy getting reactions from a range of people - a firefighter from New York City, a correspondent who once interviewed Bin Laden, family members of those who died on 9-11-2001. A crowd has spontaneously gathered outside the White House cheering "USA! USA!" and waving flags. Our bitter enemy is dead and America is officially celebrating.

Just this morning in Sunday school we were pondering Matthew 5:43-45 where Jesus says "love your enemies." Working through a study called "For the Peace of the Whole World" our class has been discussing how peace can be made in a violent, broken world. This quest brought us to grapple with Jesus' command that we love our enemies. We've worked to define what "love" is in reference to people who hurt us; we've admitted that this commandment is hard, very hard to fulfill. The material we're using makes clear that "loving" one's enemies does not mean denying or dismissing the harm they have done; it does not preclude seeking justice. As we wrestled with the real-life implications of "loving our enemies" we decided that this meant not hating them, seeking justice rather than vengeance, and even seeking their wellbeing while pursuing justice.

Osama bin Laden is dead. I felt a sense of elation when I heard the news; I felt pride in our nation and especially in those who carried out this operation - from the intelligence officers, to the President, to the men and women who enacted the plan. At the same time I am mindful of not wanting to rejoice in the death, the killing, of any human being. Shortly after 9-11 we were shown pictures of people in some Arab nations who were celebrating the deaths of 3000 innocent people here. It was a sickening sight. In our minds bin Laden is deserving of death whereas those 3000 were not. Even so, I do not want to be happy, to dance, because someone has died.

We serve a Lord who told us to love our enemies, a Lord who allowed himself to be killed for the redemption of the world - to save sinners. As an American I feel relief and a sense of accomplishment that our enemy, bin Laden, is dead. As a Christian, as someone who loves Jesus, I take seriously Jesus' command to love, to forgive, to seek life and reconciliation. How do we do that in this situation? It seems to me that we can be glad and relieved that bin Laden is gone without gloating to the rest of the world, without antagonizing other peoples. And that is not only a good thing to do, but a smart response.

Darryl left for Afghanistan maybe 6 weeks ago. This is his first tour over there with the Marines. Darryl, his Mom, and I prayed for his safety the day before he left; I anointed his head with oil. We want him back, whole and well. We want all our soldiers to come back safely. If we can "love" our enemies by pursuing justice yet also treating others with humanity and respect, maybe Darryl and his comrades will be a little safer in Afghanistan, in Iraq. If we love our enemies rather than hate them, if we act so that our dedication to justice is clear and our kindness to others - even those who hate us - is at the forefront, maybe peace will find a place in this tired world.

May God bless and watch over Darryl and all the men and women serving our nation. And may peace be swiftly on its way, for us and for all peoples.

Pastor Kris

Spring to Life

2011-04-22T13:14:00.008-05:00

The Farmer's Market in Shepherd King's parking lot was open for business on Maundy Thursday, April 21st. What a wonderful beginning! There were four venders selling all sorts of fresh delights - corn on the cob, squash, onions, tomatoes, greens, berries, eggs, and even freshly slaughtered chickens. Wow! Quite a few people came by and bought goods from them. It was a tremendous success. We are so glad to have the South Texas Farmer's Market setting up at Shepherd King to provide food for our neighbors.

What could be a better sign that spring is here than fresh produce? My own vegetable garden is small and just beginning to sprout. In about a month we should have homegrown potatoes, carrots, green beans and swiss chard. Food always tastes better when it's grown in your own garden (the farmer's market qualifies as "home grown"). But gardens are struggling in Texas these days. We are in a serious drought and wildfires are burning in all but two Texas counties. Goodness me! It sounds like the whole state might just burn up. We need rain badly. May God be gracious to us and water the earth here.

What a week - the Farmer's Market opens on Maundy Thursday, we meet at the foot of the cross on Good Friday, and then on Easter Sunday we rejoice in Jesus' resurrection. Isn't that pretty much the pattern of life? Celebrations are followed by mourning which leads to concern and worry. But regardless how dry and dismal life becomes, God brings a new day, new life, hope to weary hearts. God gives us food even during drought. God decides when it will rain and when it will not. And God has judged that death is not final but that life prevails.

We gather early on Easter Sunday, out in front of the church with our candles and a new fire. The dim glow of candlelight leads us into the darkened nave as we recount the wonder of that first Easter day. We remember the history of God's involvment with humankind - the Genesis account of creation, Israel's escape from bondage in Egypt, the prophet's words offering hope and life, the inspiring story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace. Then the sun rises, the lights shine in the church, and we sing with joy of the victory of Jesus Christ, raised from the dead. The world is renewed and our hearts are uplifted because the Lord lives. Thanks be to God.

May you be blessed this Holy Week. May the resurrection of Jesus stir up your heart and shine in your life.

Pastor Kris

Dying and Rising

2011-04-14T15:01:00.023-05:00

Mother's Day is going to be interesting for our family this year. My parents are 85 and 86 years old. My mom's birthday is always right around mother's day so we celebrate both occasions in one gathering, usually taking Mom and Dad somewhere nice for dinner. Last year, on her 85th birthday, we took her to Green Pasture's restaurant in Austin - one of her favorite places. The food is good, the setting is lovely, and there aren't many restaurants that boast of white peacocks roaming the property. But this year Mom and Dad want to have all their kids over on Mother's Day for a conversation. They want to talk to us about what shape their finances are in, the possibility of them needing assisted living in the future, their funeral plans. Over the years they have spoken with each of us about some of these subjects, but they figure it's a good idea to tell all of us, at the same time, what their plans are and what they want us to do in the event of 'this' or 'that' happening. That way there won't be any confusion or controversy (we hope). As a pastor I've helped lots of people talk about their funeral plans; I've been with families as they discussed options for long-term care. These things are a normal part of life in my line of work. But contemplating the possibility of my own parents living in a nursing home, thinking about the day when my Mom and Dad will die, jars me out of "ordinary business" and puts me face to face with mortality. We will all die; everyone knows this. But there's a tremendous difference between theoretically knowing you will die and knowing it experientially. At 53 (almost) I'm the youngest of my family - siblings, parents, spouse. Death stands a lot closer now than it did 10 or 20 years ago. This is the season of death in the Church. Last Sunday we contemplated Lazarus who died because Jesus didn't respond quickly when Mary and Martha sent word that their brother was ill. By the time Jesus arrived his friend had been dead for four days. "If you had been here, Lord, my brother would not have died" the sisters said to Jesus reproachfully. We don't want our loved ones to die, to leave us and go... wherever the dead go. We don't want to die, to give way to oblivion, to personal extinction. Next week is Holy Week. Beginning on Palm/Passion Sunday and continuing through Good Friday we will remember Jesus' suffering and death. Like Lazarus, his body will be placed in a cave and secured with a large stone. His friends will grieve; his mother will weep. For our part, we will ponder again this puzzling event - the execution of the Son of God. What sort of God dies? How able is a God who dies? Can we depend on this God? When the time comes that my mother and father die I do not expect to see them again in this life. After they are buried I might visit their graves, place flowers in memory of them, look at their pictures, but I will not sit next to them, bodily, and visit with them any more. Death doesn't allow for that. And yet Jesus called Lazarus out of death back into life. Dead four days he got up and emerged from the grave. A few weeks later he was with Mary, Martha and Jesus at supper. Jesus, too, rose from the dead - complete with a new body and eternal life. He went to see his friends, showed them his hands and his side, reminded them how they should live as his followers. As we in the Church face the reality of death this next week we also confess our faith in eternal life. We assert that death is not the end, that real and powerful as death is, resurrection life is still more powerful. Our claims defy logic, they contradict what we have experienced - that the dead stay that way. Life everlasting... life in God's kingdom... can we really conceive of that? I wonder if we'll talk about that part of it when we get together on Mother's Day. Undoubtedly Mom and Dad will mention their wishes regarding financial matters, funeral services, disposal of their property. But will anyone mention the hope we have of living forever in God's dominion? Probably not. But in this season of death we also contemplate life. Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead; God raised Jesus from the dead. Improbable as it seems, there is more awaiting us than hole in the ground. God chooses life over death. We will die, it's true. But when Jesus calls, we will rise from death to live as sisters and brothers - beloved children of God - forevermore. Pastor Kris

March Madness

2011-03-28T11:22:00.015-05:00

Well, it's that time of year, a time of crazy activity, of unexpected occurrences, of joys and disappointments: the college basketball turnaments are in full swing. Nobody expected VCU and Bulter to be in the final four this year - what a surprise! None of the four top seeds made it to the final four - that hasn't happened in years. Who will win the big game on Monday night? At this point it's up for grabs (personally, I'm pulling for VCU, although I'm guessing Kentucky is more likely). Who's the most dominant player this year? I think it's Brittany Griner for the Baylor Bears women's team. She's awesome. Not everyone likes college basketball and the term "March Madness" might have different connotations for them. My mother used to do spring cleaning - moving all the furniture so as to get in those corners and tight spots, dusting thoroughly, washing, vacuuming, and airing out the house. I don't know if anybody does that anymore. Perhaps one's individual March madness is of a different sort - accountants are up to their necks in income tax preparations with a deadline in less than three weeks. Parents might be busy making plans for what to do with their kids during the summer months and teachers are slogging through those final weeks until the school year is over. Young people are busy with upcoming exams, papers due, grades to try and improve while there's time, maybe work or chores at home. Our lives are often busy like that, overloaded with activities and responsibilities; it's not confined to March. Psalm 46 says "be still and know that I am God." It's more of a command than a request, which is a good thing for us. Maybe a strong word straight from God telling us "be still" will cut through our objections - all the reasons we haven't the time for stillness, for quiet, for finding space to breathe and listen. "Be still" - put aside the business, the madness, the endless tasks that need to be accomplished. Take a long bath, go for a walk, read a book, sit quietly and let your mind wander, listen to music that lifts your spirit. It's not really optional, not if we want to function well and be fully human. We need time to be still. "...and know that I am God." That's the second part of the assignment. It justifies the first part. We can be still because we are not God and the world will not fall apart if we take a break. God is God; God keeps the world running; God provides for our needs; God guides us and those we love (and even those we don't love). We need to remember that - it lightens our load, it restores our sense of awe at the created world, it comforts and strengths us to know that God is near, that the world is in God's hands. "Be still and know that I am God." What a relief - we don't have to do it all! We don't have to drive ourselves crazy with the madness of daily life. We can rest, we can have a little time apart to be refreshed. God is at work; God is caring for the world and all its creatures. Most of the time we participate in God's work, in God's caring for creation. But there's a time - regularly - to step away from the pressures, the troubles, the hurry and hustle, and be still, knowing that God is God. Receive the gift - it comes, with love, from God to you. Peace, Pastor Kris

Texas Rain Lilies

2011-03-23T14:21:00.036-05:00

When I moved to San Antonio in July of 2009 it was dry; we were in the midst of a long drought. I drove through neighborhoods searching for a house to buy and saw only brittle, brown grass and trees distressed and dying. Quite frankly, the area was unattractive. And the weather beaten yards and gardens made the 100 degree temperature each day seem even hotter.

Then one day in early September it rained hard all through the night. The next morning deep puddles lay in the streets, although before long the sun had dried them up. A day later, however, I saw an astonishing sight - huge swaths of little flowers everywhere, standing tall on their green stems, displaying pretty white and pink blossoms. Texas Rain Lilies. Overnight they had come to life -- strewn across yards and vacant lots, their faces turned toward the sun. Every evening they would close up until the next morning when they bloomed again. After the months of barrenness those lilies were joyous signs of new life.

Little and delicate, Texas Rain Lilies only bloom briefly. As their name implies, they pop up after a good rain, but within days they are gone again. And they're unpredicitable. Sometimes they appear and other times they don't. Up close a Texas Rain Lily is truly lovely - one of my favorite flowers; it has a trumpet shaped blossom of pure white with a blush of pink in the center. They are resilient, too, lying dormant for months, maybe years, and then suddenly brought to life after a strong rain. How fascinating that water can give life so quickly to what had been hidden or dying.

On a hot day in Samaria Jesus sat down by a well to rest. He'd been walking since early morning, from near Jerusalem headed to Capernaum, some 60 miles away. It was noon and a woman came to draw water for the days' use back home. "Give me a drink," Jesus said. He was thirsty. The woman was puzzled; they were not from the same ethnic or social background. His people and her people didn't mix. She told him she couldn't believe he was asking her for a drink, regardless how thirsty he was.

She was thirsty, too. But her thirst wasn't as obvious or as clear-cut as a dry throat. She had been married and "dismissed" five times. In those days women did not live on their own; women belonged to men - either a father or a husband or a son. If a woman had none of those to lean on she had no where to live, no means for supporting herself. Five times this woman had been turned out of her home by a husband (women had no right to divorce, only men could divorce); she now lived with a man, but who knows how long that would last. What was her thirst? Maybe for a genuine home, or to be known and honored, or that her neighbors would accept rather than shun her.

Jesus explained the water he had to offer - a water that gives true and lasting life. Once received, this water could restore the forsaken, the embittered, the dying. Curious she asked him where he got that water and Jesus told her about God. He said that proper worship of God did not depend upon a certain place or religious structure. Soon, he said, people everywhere would worship God in Spirit and in truth. The woman began to get excited; she felt hope stirring within her, the sense that many things were possible. "I want some of this water," she said. Jesus smiled, for she was already sprouting and blossoming from that water's influence.

How long had it been since someone had bothered to have a conversation with that woman? Had anyone ever discussed God, faith, the purpose of life with her like she were worthy such deep subjects? At some point it dawned on her that this man she was talking to just might be the one she and her people had awaited - God embodied, the Son of God within reach, touchable, full of grace and compassion. No wonder she left her water jars there and raced into town to tell what she what had seen and heard.

Water. It nourishes the ground and all living things, making us grow and blossom. Jesus is the living water, a spring that gushes forth with eternal life. Drink deeply, let the water cool your fevered brow and fill you with peace. Come to the well and meet the one who knows you already, who loves you and offers you real life - life with purpose and dignity, now and for eternity.

Pastor Kris

Kitty Wellfare

2011-03-14T15:53:00.015-05:00

The kitties are growing up. It's a beautiful day, maybe 72 degrees and bright sunshine, so I strolled out back to see what they were up to. Snickerdoodle was lying in the grass napping. Mr. Gray peeked out from under the porch when he (possibly she) heard my voice. Mama was under the deck where I could see only her green eyes. Sugarplum emerged after a few minutes to get a drink from the bowl of water we keep filled.

Late July or early August last year Mama kitty - a sleek black female - gave birth to a litter of six out behind the church - two blacks, two Siamese, one gray and one striped. I've been feeding them ever since, although we lost the striped one about four months ago. My plan was to tame the kittens, bring them inside, and give them away to good homes. Then I was gonna' have "Mama" fixed and let her, only, live out back. You know what they say about the best laid plans...

I can finally pet three of them and have even, briefly, picked up Sugarplum (one of the Siamese) and Ebony (a black one). But they only get close enough for me to pet them when I'm bringing them food. Mama kitty is pregnant again and will give birth any day now. Which means I really have to do something with this first litter or we'll be overrun with cats (we almost are already).

I plan to capture Ebony and Sugarplum this week. But then what? They're still mostly wild and have never been inside before. I will probably take them to a local cat shelter, but it's hard to think of letting someone else assume responsibility for them. What if the shelter can't find them homes? What if the homes they go to are not so great? Slowly these kitties have come to trust me - to an extent. And I can't bear the thought that I might be breaking that trust by catching them and giving them away. Argh!

For the kitties who remain -- Mr. Gray, Snickerdoodle, and Max -- there are a couple options. Either tame them and give them away as well, or stop feeding them and let them figure out how to truly become wild cats. That later option would be even harder to do. They have never had to find their own food. My guess is they would figure it out, but my heart aches to consider how they might struggle to adjust. But there are already too many cats in our yard and more are on the way.

Does God worry about us like this? about us and all living things? - "How will they make it? Do they have food and shelter? Can they learn how to survive, to build good lives? Will someone help them when they're in need?" Whether or not God worries in the same way, scripture makes it clear that we are expected to help one another in times of need. It doesn't say anything about wild kitties... other than that God gives food to all in due season. And that's reassuring.

So if you're in the market for some kitties (they're very sweet) give us a call here at Shepherd King. I expect we'll have two, perhaps three, to give away at the end of the week. If I can bear it.

Praising the God of all the living,

Pastor Kris

Earth, Dust, and Ashes

2011-03-07T09:28:00.017-06:00

"Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust" - we say those words at every funeral, gathered around the coffin at its burial place. In days past, a mound of dirt would lie next to the open grave, waiting for the casket to be lowered into the ground when the grave-diggers would begin shoveling it back into the hole. During the committal the preacher could simply reach over, grab a handful of that soil and toss it on top of the coffin while saying the words "earth to earth, ashes to ashes..." Nowadays, however, the pile is moved out of sight and everyone leaves before the actual burying is done.

We had four funerals here at Shepherd King in February. On Sunday morning, four widows/widowers were in the congregation sitting with friends, sitting without their spouses. What a strange journey life is. When we're young our strength and energy seem boundless; the reality of death is remote, far-off. But in no time we are middle aged, losing family members and friends to death and suddenly life is tenuous; it ends abruptly. The phrase "ashes to ashes, dust to dust" becomes personal. Those who have died recently at Shepherd King were not just 'some old folks,' they were our friends, our former Sunday school teachers, people we've known and greeted for years.

This Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the season of Lent. We gather for worship - young, middle aged, old - and hear the words "remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return." As those words are spoken our foreheads are smeared with oily soot - a reminder that one day we will die. But the smudge is marked on us in the shape of a cross - a reminder of Jesus, crucified and risen. The ashes on our forehead are a dual sign of our mortality and our hope for everlasting life beyond the grave.

In a sense we at Shepherd King have already begun observing Ash Wednesday this year. These recent deaths have demonstrated that our time is limited. We have accompanied the dead to their burial place and heard the words "earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust..." We have also heard God's word of victory: death is swallowed up by Jesus' resurrected life. Already we have looked at both sides, the dying and the promised rising. As these somber days of Lent arrive, we are primed to place ourselves wholly in God's hands no matter what the future holds.

"Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return." Lent is a time to contemplate that truth, to ponder Jesus' death and the life that he brings. It all begins this Wednesday when we receive our ashes, face our mortality, and turn our hearts to God. Remember your mortality, remember your baptism, and step into the season of Lent.

Pastor Kris

Lifestyle

2011-02-07T09:21:00.009-06:00

We've been reading and discussing the book Amish Grace in our adult Sunday school class. Amish Grace tells the story of a horrific incident in an Amish community in Pennsylvania and the response of the people there. In 2005 a non-Amish neighbor entered an Amish schoolhouse, released the boys and the adults and shot 10 girls, killing five, before killing himself. The murders shocked people across the nation. Before nightfall, however, several Amish people went to the home of the gunman's family offering them comfort and assuring them they held no grudges. Other Amish went to see the gunman's parents, expressing their sympathies and telling them all was forgiven. Word soon got out that the Amish had forgiven the gunman and everyone associated with him.

Many non-Amish people found this hard to understand. In our Sunday school class we, too, have struggled with their reaction of immediate forgiveness. Where was the anger, we have wondered; where was the outrage at such a heinous, unprovoked act? Was it right for them to forgive a person who had not repented? Can anyone living forgive someone for murder or does that right belong to the murdered alone? Some in the media and in our classroom questioned whether such quick forgiveness could be authentic. All of us have admitted we doubt we could have done the same.

The Amish were, in turn, surprised that the rest of the nation was surprised by their automatic response of forgiveness. In reply to queries they explained that forgiveness was a habit in their society, that forgiveness lay at the heart of Christian faith, and that children were taught from an early age to forgive. They never thought of doing anything else - which did not mean forgiveness was easy for them, but that it was not optional.

My husband and I had a group of church folks over to watch the Super Bowl - and, of course, the new commercials. The game was great, but we agreed that the commercials (other than Darth Vader) were a bit disappointing. It seemed every other one was for an upcoming movie and depicted cars racing down cities streets, things exploding, and tough looking men saying stuff like "this is how you get it done." Those commercials made quite a juxtaposition to our morning discussion of the Amish and their lifestyle - not engaging in society, no electricity, rejecting all violence.

No wonder we have a difficult time understanding why and how the Amish could so quickly forgive a murderer. The landscape of their lifestyle and that of ours are completely different. I don't mean to suggest that Amish life is utopia - I can't imagine it is. But neither are they bombarded with images of aliens invading the earth and necessitating a violent uprising from earthlings. They are not inundated with advertisements, movies, songs, and televisions shows which suggest the proper response to insult and injury is to destroy your adversary. They don't inhabit the same "culture of redemptive violence" that we do (term borrowed from Walter Wink). Forgiveness is foreign to the images of retaliation, trash talk and big guns that we encounter daily in our world.

What would our society be like if we took forgiveness as seriously as do the Amish? The world would not be perfect, nor would we be perfect. We would still find forgiveness hard to do and sometimes we would fail in our attempt. But I wonder if our neighborhoods, our homes, our nation might be less violent, less angry, less polarized if we did a better job of practicing what we preach regarding forgiveness.

"How many times must I forgive a person?" asked Peter, "as many as seven times?" "Not seven times," answered Jesus, "but seventy times seven." Until we lose count - that's how often we're expected to forgive. Are we up to the challenge? Might we try?

Still practicing and hoping to make it a habit,
Pastor Kris

Heroes

2011-01-18T08:34:00.019-06:00

Most people have heroes. Kids idolize popular singers and athletes, adults look up to people who excelled in their field or made a difference for good in world affairs. Heroes are important - they model ways for us to live, they inspire us with their achievements, they spur us to dream big and believe we can soar. Heroes show us that the world can become a better place through our actions and words, by the way we live our lives.

There are a few notable Christians who have become great heroes in our society. More often, heroes of today are people with incredible talent - in sports, in music, as actors. But every now and then a person will become beloved in the public's eye because of the way he or she has lived out the Christian faith. Mother Teresa was certainly one of those rare Christian heroes; people were drawn to her selfless giving and care for the poor and the sick. Another Christian hero, one of my own heroes in fact, is Martin Luther King, junior. Dr. King, however, was not always viewed in a positive light. During his lifetime, many people questioned his actions, his motives; many people were afraid of him and the change he represented.

For me, Dr. King is a hero, not only because he and his associates accomplished so much good in our society, but because of his commitment to follow Jesus regardless of the cost. In Luke 9, verses 23-24, Jesus tells his disciples: "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it." Who lives by those words? To a large extent we have tamed the cross, made of it an ornament to hang on our walls or around our necks. A pretty cross suits us so much better than the idea of "losing our life" for Jesus' sake. We embrace decorative crosses, but bearing Jesus' cross and risking our lives... few of us are willing to do that.

Dr. King was willing to lose his life for Jesus' sake, to risk everything in faithfulness to God's Word and God's ways. He spoke a truth that many people did not want to hear; he responded with love to those who sought to harm him and silence him. He did not meet violence with more violence, but instead prayed for his adversaries. He taught others how to follow Jesus' command that we love our enemies. His actions show that he loved God more than he loved his own safety. I have always meant to live like that, but I have fallen short. Even so, Dr. King remains an inspiration to me, reminding me of what is possible.

Addressing this very subject, Dr. King wrote: "...we are gravely mistaken to think that Christianity protects us from the pain and agony of mortal existence. Christianity has always insisted that the cross we bear precedes the crown we wear. To be a Christian, one must take up his cross, with all of its difficulties and agonizing and tragedy-packed content, and carry it until that very cross leaves its mark upon us and redeems us to that more excellent way which comes only through suffering." (Martin Luther King, junior, Strength to Love, Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1963, p. 24-25)

If we are truly to love others, including those who hate us, we will encounter suffering. It is hard to accept suffering willingly, even for the sake of Jesus, our Lord. But it can be done. We have seen that - in Mother Teresa, in Martin Luther King junior. We can love Jesus and love our neighbor more than we love our own life and in doing so, glorify God.

May God embolden us in this day and time to live like our Christian heroes, to be willing to love others even when it hurts us, to put aside our own desires so we can embody the love and truth of Jesus. It could just be that, through us together, God will change the world for the better.

In God's peace... and justice.

Pastor Kris

The River

2011-01-04T13:33:00.020-06:00

Along the sides of the nave at Shepherd King - the area of the church where the people sit - are some beautiful stained glass windows. They are simple representations of Christian symbols in deep, rich colors. One depicts a manger, another the triumphant Lamb of God, and one shows a drop of water falling from a shell. Up front the baptismal font sits by the altar with the Paschal Candle beside it. Together they remind us that we have received everlasting life from Jesus, to whom we were forever joined in baptism.

Turn on the faucet and it comes out - clean, flowing water. You can get it cold or hot or in between. How many times a day do you use water - to bathe, to wash a piece of fruit, to drink? If the water is cut off for any reason we cannot remember NOT to turn the faucet on for 'this' or 'that' - to rinse out a cup, to splash our faces, to make the coffee. Most of us have spent all our lives trusting that water is as close as the nearest spigot.

They say that ancient peoples were often fearful of the ocean - such a huge expanse of water represented chaos and death for them. Without ocean-liners, submarines, or modern ships people in antiquity had little means for traveling across large bodies of water. A boat or a wooden ship would get them from one place to another, as long as the weather cooperated. But a storm could mean shipwreak and death. No wonder they thought of the ocean as mysterious and dangerous.

In the last couple of years many of the majestic old live oak trees in this area have been dying. That is due, in part, to the drought that gripped the region for several years. Some trees died outright from a lack of water. Others were weakened by the drought making them susceptible to disease. This Christmas as people in California were swamped by more rain than the earth and many communities could handle, we were yearning for a thundercloud to bring us precipitation. The midwest and northeast - as well as parts of the southeast - got buried under snow and still we were thirsty for moisture here in central and south Texas.

Water is a sign of life. We can't live without it, but we can't handle too much of it either. The human body is made up largely of water. A person can live much longer without food than without fresh water. We are attracted to water - in pools and lakes, for gardening and bathing - and we are cautious of water when heavy rains come or the water is deep and unknown.

This Sunday Jesus gets in the water with us. The Son of God lowers himself into the muddy waters of the Jordan River to be baptized. Why does he do this? He does not need to repent or be symbolically washed clean; Jesus is as clean morally and spiritually as a person can be. But we are not. We need baptism to wash off our self-righteousness, our envy of others, our mean-spiritedness. And Jesus has come to be with us, fully with us, so he too gets in the water - where we are - to undergo what we need and get to know us from the inside.

Come to the water of life this Sunday. Your Savior will be waiting down by the river to stand with you in life and in death, and to bring you into glory.

Pastor Kris

Gifts

2010-12-20T13:56:00.045-06:00

Christmas has changed over the years as our nation and its people have changed. We have become a much more prosperous nation in the last 50 years or so. These days we expect to have and do things that would have been luxuries back then - things like having a 32 inch, flat screen TV (or larger), eating out several times a week, owning enough clothes to over-run a good sized closet.

Long ago most children received only a stocking with things like a new pair of socks, a couple oranges and some candy at Christmas. When I was young we often got clothes for Christmas in addition to a few toys. The clothes were as exciting as the toys because we only received new clothes a few times a year -- Christmas, birthday, and back to school. Otherwise we kept wearing what we already had. But things have changed. Most of us buy new clothes when we need them (or want them). Most children already own lots of toys and games making it hard for parents and grandparents to find their kids that special gift at Christmas. We have plenty to eat all year round so nobody today wants to receive an orange and a few hard candies for the holidays.

What are the best gifts? For some families this year the best gift will be having a son or a daughter home on leave from the military. For others a great holiday would be having a clean bill of health. Two families in our community were able to move into an apartment in recent weeks - for them, having a home makes this Christmas special.

When we read the story in Luke 2 of Jesus' birth we remember that our Savior was born in a stable. His people were among those who worked every day to put food on the table; they had no luxuries. What toys he had as a child were probably made from scraps of wood by his father. Matthew's gospel tells us that shortly after Jesus was born the family had to flee to Egypt for safety. During his early years, then, Jesus and his family were refugees. At Christmas we celebrate Jesus' birth. What gifts are appropriate for us to exchange in honor of this baby?

Each Christmas my parents give a donation to charity in my honor. That is one of my favorite gifts; it doesn't fill up my closet or demand space on a wall and I feel great that someone's needs are being met. Here at Shepherd King we've been gathering furnishings for those two families who've just gotten an apartment - sheets, dishes, pillows, towels, mattresses. This kind of contribution can be made in someone's name as a "gift." Do you know someone who lost a loved one this year - a spouse or a child or a parent? Spending time with that person over the holidays would be a great gift to them and to yourself. Our quilters here at Shepherd King sold enough quilts this year to buy a cow, a sheep, several flocks of chickens and a goat for people in developing countries through ELCA good gifts. Wow - what a fantastic gift to give in honor of Jesus' birth!

The best gifts I have this year are a home in San Antonio with my husband and close proximity to my parents and siblings in Austin; I'll be able to spend Christmas with them and my nieces and nephews this year. The favorite gift I gave this year was to go Christmas caroling with people from the congregation last night to some of our elderly members who are confined to home. The singing is our gift to them; their smiles and kind words are a gift to us.

May you also give and receive some of these 'greater gifts' this year. After all, God started this tradition of gift-giving by sending God's Son who brought us peace, joy, love, hope and life.

Merry Christmas,

Pastor Kris

Great Day

2010-12-14T13:42:00.018-06:00

Wow! Wow, oh wow! We had a terrific day this past Sunday. Wow! On December 12th Shepherd King celebrated its 50th anniversary and what a tremendous party we had!

First of all, everything looked beautiful. So many people came out to help clean inside and out, plant new flowers, decorate, and set up tables for the lunch that the whole place was radiant. White roses on the altar and on each of the tables only made things more glorious. There were picture albums placed on the long, conference table for people to see; a harpist accompanied our meal. It couldn't possibly have been better.

Bishop Ray Tieman of the Southwestern Texas synod was our guest preacher (and he gave a fine sermon). He also led a Sunday school forum talking about some of the wonderful ministries in the ELCA. The nave was full of people as the service began with the handbell choir playing Vivaldi's "Gloria". Then we baptized the grandson of the first child baptized at Shepherd King 50 years ago and Peyton, the little one, was adorable. A dozen or more children came forward for the children's sermon and Pastor Braulick's grandchildren knew all the answers (imagine that).

The catered lunch was delicious! People had ample time to visit with one another and then we moved back to the sanctuary for the program. Council President Shirley Kearns introduced charter members, former council presidents and former pastors. Then we watched a wonderful slide show DVD of pictures from the past (thanks, Stephanie) which had people "ooo-ing," "ahhh-ing," and laughing. Pastor Huth, Shepherd King's founding pastor, spoke first sharing memories of the early days and provoking us to laughter many times. Then Pastor Braulick spoke, Pastor Kerns, and Pastor Jus. We sang hymns and heard stories of the good old days. Even when everything was over people lingered as though they couldn't bear to leave.

My thanks to everyone who worked so hard to put together this lovely 50th Anniversary celebration for the congregation. As we reviewed Shepherd King's history we were reminded that God is so good. When Pastor Huth arrived here in 1960 there was nothing but grass and some scraggly trees. Shepherd King originally met in a community hall at North Star Mall (which the mall manager, a Roman Catholic, arranged for us to use free of charge). From that small beginning God established a strong and faithful community of people where the gospel has been proclaimed, children have been raised in the faith, God has been glorified in music and prayer, the hungry have been fed, the poor have been clothed, and we have seen the grace of Jesus Christ alive in the world. What a wonderful day! Praise God for this fine group of people and for the life God gives to us all.

Pastor Kris

Advent and Anniversary

2010-12-06T09:44:00.026-06:00

"O Lord how shall I meet thee, how welcome thee aright?" the old Advent hymn asks. During these four weeks before Christmas, the Church focuses on preparation. The world around us focuses on preparation, too, but secular preparation is mostly buying things, decorating, planning and fixing meals, and hosting parties. In the Church we ponder how to prepare ourselves for God's coming to earth. We take stock of how we are living and recommit ourselves to loving our neighbors as ourselves. We examine our hearts hoping to root out selfishness, pride, greed, envy, anger and embody God's kindness and graciousness instead. Each year this is our Advent project, making ourselves ready for the arrival of Jesus.

This year at Shepherd King the season of Advent includes a special event: our 50th Anniversary as a congregation. On Sunday, December 12, we will rejoice in 50 years of worship, learning, and service. The bishop of our local synod will be preaching, we will have a baptism, and after worship there will be a catered dinner followed by a program. The program will include a slide show of memories from years past, recollections from previous pastors, and hymns to sing. Shepherd King has been planning this observance for several years and soon the day will finally be here.

Along with our Advent preparations, then, we have been preparing for our 50th anniversary celebration. Last year we completely renovated the kitchen; last week we purchased new chairs for the fellowship hall. A committee has organized a "cross wall" on which crosses donated by members will hang. Others have spent hours going through pictures, transferring them to computer and adding appropriate music. New banners have been created to express our joy in God's goodness. With "company" coming this Sunday, members have come out to clean and decorate. New flowers were bought and planted in the front garden; floors and surfaces were scrubbed and cleaned; the sanctuary and fellowship hall were decorated for Christmas. We have been busy, busy, busy getting ready for the big day.

In some ways the preparations for our Anniversary mirror our preparations for Jesus' arrival. There is an aspect of thoroughness in each, of making ourselves spotless and beautiful for the grand occasion. There is humility in each - scrubbing bathroom floors on our knees and searching within for our own failings. Both are full of excitement and anticipation as the time approaches. And in each case we prepare with hope - hope for another 50 years of involvement in the ministry of Jesus, hope for genuine peace and wellbeing with Jesus' arrival. Indeed, our daily lives with their various occupations and responsibilities are intertwined with the story of God coming to earth as a little child. Jesus comes here, where we live, in the middle of our busy distractions, bringing us new life and everlasting love.

"O come, O come, Emmanuel," we sing during Advent, "and ransom captive Israel, that mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear." The time is near, the time to "rejoice, rejoice." The holy child is coming; let us prepare to receive our friend and savior.

Thanks and Pie

2010-11-29T10:30:00.015-06:00

Thanksgiving has come and gone - I hope you had a wonderful holiday. We celebrated in grand style at Shepherd King with worship on Wednesday night, Thanksgiving eve. Last year I started a new tradition here. Members are asked to bring a pie (preferably freshly baked) to Thanksgiving Eve worship. After the service we gather in the fellowship fall to sample each other's pies and enjoy fellowship. There were some delicious pies this year - in addition to my own home made pecan pie there were several apple, several pumpkin, a wonderful buttermilk chess pie (still warm), a chocolate pie, and a cherry pie. What a way to kick off the Thanksgiving weekend - with a pie fest! (And mother always told you not to eat your dessert first - hah!)

Gratitude ends up being our final act of worship in the liturgical church year. The Sunday after Thanksgiving is usually the first Sunday in Advent, and Advent begins a new church year. As children we are taught to say "thank you" and "please." Good manners go a long way to creating harmony in society. It's okay if our "thank yous" are mostly a habit, a response we make without much thought. But because saying "thank you" is something of a reflex it's good to have a day set aside for giving more thoughtful thanks.

We have so much for which to be grateful. We are a mobile society, able to travel a great distance in a short time which allows us to visit family and loved ones for a day or a long weekend. We have ample ways to stay in touch with those who live far from us. Most of us have plenty to eat, safe and comfortable homes, friends, freedom to pursue goals that are important to us, work to do, and time to rest. The world itself is a marvel in its scientific makeup and in its beauty. What a privilege to live as part of this wondrous creation. Do we say "thank you" often enough to the God who has blessed us with life?

On Thanksgiving Eve the people in worship had opportunity to voice their specific thanks. A blank sheet of paper was included in the bulletin and worshippers were asked to write a brief prayer of personal thanksgiving. The prayers were collected with the offering and read at the altar as the evening's prayers of the people. Here is a sample of those prayers: "I'm thankful for Jesus, toys, mice, my kitty, pumpkins, family, teachers..." "I'm very thankful for God being with me at all times..." "for the peace of God in the midst of trials and tribulatons..." "for a healthy family..." "for the hours and days spent with my grandchildren..." "for our nation..." "for my best friend..." "for the people of this congregation." There is always more to say, but with these words we tried to express our deep and abiding gratitude to God.

Thanks be to God for Jesus who redeems us and for people who walk with us. Thanks be to God for a past full of memories and a future full of hope. Thanks be to God for love and kindness, for justice and truth, for light in the darkness. Thanks be to God!

Pastor Kris

Beggars and Thieves

2010-11-15T10:01:00.031-06:00

This Sunday is Christ the King, a day when the church proclaims that Jesus alone is ruler of heaven and earth. You would think that for such a grand celebration our gospel reading would be one of triumph. It is not. From Luke 23:33-43 it is a scene from Jesus' crucifixion. That seems like an odd place from which to celebrate the King of all creation - at his embarrassing and painful death. Yet this day and this text remind us that God is revealed in perplexing ways, God comes in unexpected forms. It reminds us, also, that we do not and cannot know the Word of God once and for all, not in human form (Jesus) or in written form (scripture).

At his deathbed Martin Luther wrote "we are beggars, it is true." The phrase is frequently quoted so it might not strike life-long Lutherans as offensive. But think about it. Beggars? What did Luther mean? We are very different from common beggars. We bathe regularly, brush our teeth each day, wear fashionable clothes, sleep in a comfortable bed, and have enough (more than enough?) to eat. We earn our living; we don't sit on a street corner asking people for handouts. We don't sleep under a bridge or dig in dumpsters for our supper. How, exactly, are we beggars?

We are so used to paying our own way, to working hard for any raises or promotions we might receive that it is easy for us to forget... God owes us nothing. We do not have God or the Bible "in our back pocket" - to pull out at the moment we need them, to have them handy to give us what we want whenever we ask. Our understanding of scripture, of the good news of Jesus, is a gift from God. Even if we've studied and read the Bible for 20, 50, 100 years we have not mastered it, but need God to open the message for us. Scripture is not something we can learn like a mathematical table and then have its truth tucked away in our brains. We hear and understand scripture only through God's constant giving.

Likewise, faith is not something we work for and achieve ourselves; we receive it from God. Forgiveness and life are not prizes that we attain through good behavior or by virtue of our place in society, our citizenship in the "right" nation. We don't barter with God or manage God; we are beggars. The blessings we receive come from God's generosity, not because we have earned them. Our relationship with God is not like our life in the world where we have a job that pays us a salary, we act responsibly to pay our bills, our house and car note, and thus we have things because we have worked for them. No, everything we have from God (our health, our ability to think and work, our loved ones, air to breathe, challenges, hope, joy...) is given us by God because God is gracious.

On Christ the King Sunday there is a model of how our relationship with Jesus works. As Jesus hangs on the middle cross, a man on the cross next to him asks: "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." That man is a convicted thief, being executed for his crimes. He himself admits that his punishment is deserved. As he dies, this thief asks a favor of Jesus. He has no "brownie points" to bargain with; he cannot say "I've always been a good person, so please accept me." The man knows he is a thief, that he has nothing to offer, but still he asks "remember me when you come into your kingdom." And Jesus says "today you will be with me in Paradise."

Beggars and thieves - that's who we are in relation to God. And God gladly receives us, embraces us with love, fills us with life. God welcomes all of us beggars and thieves, whatever our history, whatever our present condition. For God's love is greater than our successes or our failures, and God's mercy bids everyone to come and be blessed.

Rejoicing in Christ the King,

Pastor Kris

Breathing Together

2010-11-09T11:50:00.019-06:00

The end of the year with all its festivities just wouldn't feel right without a special concert or two. The anticipation of Advent, when we wait with hope for Jesus to come, and the joy of Christmas when Christ is born are expressed most beautifully in the songs of the season.

When I was growing up in Austin - many years ago - the University of Texas had an annual free Christmas concert for the community. It was held outside on the mall right in the center of campus. The concert was in the evening and most years it was rather cold so that folks would bundle up in jackets and scarves. My family always attended those wonderful events. Several University choirs and the concert band would be lined up in different spots in front of the U.T. tower. Their performances of holiday music were interspersed with carols where everyone was invited to sing. That concert was one of the highlights of my Christmas, even when I was only 8 or 10 years old - the crowd, the beautiful music, the singing, stamping your feet to keep warm.

At some point the University discontinued those concerts for obvious reasons - it is a state funded school and those concerts were religious in nature. My father was pastor of First English Lutheran church at the time, which is located very near campus. He tried to arranged things so the same event could be held at the church rather than on campus. That effort evolved into a new Christmas tradition - the New Texas Music Works featuring choirs from the University and singing familiar carols at the church. Eventually the New Texas Music Works became an independent and nationally renowned choral group, Conspirare, created and directed by Craig Hella Johnson. Their Christmas concerts, which are sold out each year in Austin, are known as Christmas at the Carillon and they are wonderful. (A phenomenal group, Conspirare has twice been nominated for a Grammy award.)

This year Conspirare will be offering their Christmas at the Carillon concert here in San Antonio as well as in Austin. My husband and I purchased tickets months ago. The concert will be at Laurel Heights United Methodist Church on Friday, December 3rd at 7pm. For more information you can visit Conspirare's website: http://conspirare.org There are other options for Christmas music in San Antonio, including the 106th annual German Christmas Candlelight Celebration featuring the Beethoven men's choir, December 12 at the chapel at Trinity University.

Don't let the holy season pass by without taking some time to indulge yourself in an atmosphere of reflection and renewal. Plan ahead to participate in a special holiday celebration that will lift your spirits and fill you with Christmas peace.

Pastor Kris

"Soul" Music

2010-11-01T12:47:00.010-05:00

I was so tired last night, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally. Two members from Shepherd King died from cancer last week. Being with their families and sharing in their grief left me feeling sad and drained. Not only that, but my husband has been trying to find a job for such a long time - we think he might get hired soon, but we're not sure. As the months go by and he remains jobless I worry about his self esteem; it is such a discouraging process for him. Of course I have prayed for each of these things and will continue praying about them, but last night I just felt numb and weary.

A few weeks ago we were driving through Austin with the radio on and a certain song caught my attention. I didn't hear the name of the song or the band, but I've been thinking about it ever since. I kept meaning to track it down from the few words I remembered and then either buy the CD or download the song. Last night I finally did that; after just a little searching I discovered the song is called "Kandi" and is sung by One Eskimo. I went to Amazon and downloaded it onto my ipod.

Of course then I had to listen to it a few times. And since the ipod was plugged in and playing, I let it continue through a cycle of music that included some of my favorites: "Heavenly Day" by Patti Griffin, "Goodbye to Old Missoula" by Willis Alan Ramsey, "What's Been Going On" by Amos Lee, "When I Was Drinking" by Hem. Listening to the music - singing along - I was lifted out of my funk and up into another realm. My whole being felt lighter, less burdened. The restorative power of music had given me release.

Martin Luther said "when we sing, we pray twice." That is absolutely true. I assume Luther was referring to sacred music since its words and melodies are intended to guide our worship. Several hymns have been running through my mind lately - "Blessing and Honor and Glory and Power," and "Crown Him with Many Crowns" - each of which has turned my thoughts away from worry to the strength and goodness of God. Sacred music of all kinds can guide our hearts and spirits from sorrow to peace.

But it isn't only sacred music that helps us communicate with God. Secular music can also be like "prayer" when it articulates, truthfully, our own experiences. Music becomes a channel for us to lay our hearts open to God, expressing our frustrations, our hopes, our sorrows. Even if the subject matter of the song differs from our present struggles, the desire or the pathos in the music speaks for us in our troubles. And relief comes because we have voiced our grief or our fear or our enthusiasm with genuine emotion.

God hears us when we pray, and that includes when our deepest yearnings are expressed in song - sacred or secular. Music lets us convey what is in our hearts, and it carries us to the heart of God. What a blessed communion when we reveal ourselves and find, in turn, that God's welcome and love have embraced us.

Peace,

Pastor Kris

A Short Time

2010-10-26T09:38:00.035-05:00

He stood by her bed, a gentle look on his face. "You know," he said, "fifty-seven years is a short time."

I have comforted many people as their loved one dies. Often, if I don't know the person well, I have asked "how long were you married" and when the reply is something like "forty years" or "fifty years" I say, "that's a long time." It sounds long -- anything nearing forty years and certainly over fifty years spent with one person, making a home together, raising a family, facing life's daily challenges and pleasures by each other's sides. So it caught me off guard a little when he said "fifty-seven years is a short time."

What probably felt much longer was the five or six years his dying wife had struggled with cancer. He had mentioned the beginning, a spot on her colon which doctors said was nothing to worry about, yet three years later they determined it was cancerous. The initial operation was successful, but within a year or two the cancer had returned, this time in her abdomen. Those cancerous cells were removed and she underwent more rounds of chemotherapy and radiation. Although the odds had not been particularly good, his wife was such a fighter that she recovered quite well at that stage. However, a few months later she suddenly began to fall a lot and tumors were found in her brain. Before long she decided she had had enough and it was time to let go.

Her husband was with her every day at the rehabilitation facility. Hospice was brought in. Because she could not do it, her husband made sure someone fed her at mealtime until the day she would not eat anymore. Then he sat with her, quietly for the most part, waiting, remembering those many years together, that "short time."

Death comes unexpectedly even when we wait for it. What else could it be but a surprise? We have never died before and do not know, personally, what it is like. Nor do we know what life without a beloved partner might be until she is gone. Death confounds us even when we are familiar with it. Where does our loved one go? Where will we go or what will we be (or not "be") when we die? We wrestle with these and other questions in the face of death. Maybe most of all we wonder about God. Is God real? Are God's promises genuine?

We have no proof of life after death. Faith is totally different from proof - something that can be "proved" with data does not need "faith" from us, only reason to understand. But faith holds fast to what we cannot see. Faith trusts a God we know, not by sight, but by relationship with a Word and how that Word gets embodied in other people. We believe in the life everlasting, not because we have visual evidence, but because the message of God's love has touched us, the strength of God's presence has supported us, the truth of God's promise has moved us to trust it with all our heart. When death comes we rely on the faith we have known over a lifetime, a faith that has grown and matured until we can die trusting in the love of the Creator.

"Fifty-seven years is a short time," he said. It is a short time, but it is not the end. Through God's eternal love there is more life, deeper life, unending life beyond the grave.

In God's peace,

Pastor Kris

Little Ones

2010-10-18T10:57:00.014-05:00

Lions, tigers and bears - oh my!! And not on the Wizard of Oz, but in our fellowship hall here at Shepherd King last Monday night there were lions, tigers and bears! Well... maybe not lions, but tigers and bears -- all of them cubs. We extend a warm welcome to Cub Scout Troop 510, now meeting at Shepherd King several times a month. This is the Harmony Hills Scout Troop and we are glad to have them!!

Last Monday was a pack meeting, which meant all the dens were here at the same time and each boy brought a parent with him. The boys were awarded badges and pins for various accomplishments they had made over the summer. While waiting their turn to come forward, the boys sat coloring at a table and chatting with their friends. They were happy and excited to be together.

When a church considers having a scout troop meet in its building there are often some concerns. Members - who here have recently worked hard to update the kitchen and fellowship hall - wonder whether the boys will have enough supervision, whether they'll take good care of the property. They might spill snacks on the carpet (new carpet!), or smudge up the walls (newly painted walls!). They might get into things they are supposed to leave alone. And the scouts cannot pay us for using our building - electricity, water, furnishings. This pack is just trying to raise enough money to pay for their supplies and their awards. So it's a little risky to have them meet in our facilities. We've signed a contract and they promise to keep it clean, but you never know...

So why should a church allow scouts to use their facilities? Because kids in the neighborhood need a safe place to go and this is a service we can offer them. Because Shepherd King's mission goals for the next several years are to be involved in ministry to the community, especially families and children. Because Jesus said "let the little children come to me and do not prevent them; to such as these belongs the kingdom of God." So the building might get some wear and tear, but families in our neighborhood will be blessed by having a good environment for their children to learn and grow.

We have gifts and treasures at Shepherd King, including our building and grounds. What good are our gifts and treasures if we just keep them to ourselves? Nothing can grow - not faith, not hope, not community - unless we share, giving generously of who we are and what we possess. God has blessed us in many ways. Blessings are never meant to be horded, but always to be passed around, given away. We celebrate these gifts from God when we welcome others to enjoy them as well. Praise God that the cubs, the tigers and the bears can experience the love of God and of their neighbors here at Shepherd King.

Peace,
Pastor Kris

Sex Talk

2010-10-11T09:47:00.031-05:00

There are six young people in Shepherd King's confirmation class, ages 12-14, three girls and three boys. Last year we studied the Bible; this year we are studying Luther's Small Catechism. Yesterday was our second day with the 10 Commandments and we were looking at the second set, the ones that pertain to us and other people, numbers 4 through 10 (as Lutherans number them). "Honor your father and mother," "Do not murder" - we had some pretty good discussions about those. Then we got to number 6 "do not commit adultery" and, of course, we talked about sex.

Several years ago in North Carolina I attended an evening program at the local high school on the topic of young people and sexual activity. I'm not easily shocked, but what I learned that night was troubling. More and more kids are becoming sexually active in middle school. Presenters urged parents to begin talking about sex when their children are 10 years old. These days, many young people don't consider oral sex to be "sex" so it occurs frequently and casually. At some youth parties boys will have a contest to see how many girls they can find to give them oral sex - the boy with the highest number wins. As I said, I'm not easily shocked, but I was that night. What does this sort of behavior do to a young person's sense of self, to their view of themselves as both a bodily and a spiritual person, to their ability to give themselves in a meaningful way to a lifelong partner? And who is talking to young people about these things, about the connection between our physical self and our mental, emotional, and spiritual self, about health issues and sexual contact?

Somebody needs to be talking with young people about sexual activity and how to handle sex responsibly, about the risks and dangers of being sexually active especially at a young age. And youth need a place where they can ask questions, where they can openly express their thoughts and perspectives on sex. The Church should be this sort of place, a safe place where young people can be fully human and can learn about being a whole person - body, mind and spirit.

So yesterday we talked about sex - about the likelihood that people today will wait to have sex until they are married, about the benefits of waiting, and about the desires we all have. We talked about sexuality as a good gift from God, a wonderful thing to be both celebrated and respected. A few kids had questions, there was lots of giggling and some blushing, but through it all we had an honest conversation. I hope, more than anything, that the students realized they can bring their questions and their true feelings to our class.

These days with all the controversy about sex and the church - the scandals involving priests/pastors and young people, the issue of homosexuality - we might be inclined to avoid the whole topic. I hope we don't because young people need guidance for living well and that includes talking about sex. The 6th commandment is a place to start, but I'm hoping the conversation has just begun. I hope Shepherd King will be a place where young people can learn about being human, where they can grapple with real issues as we seek, together, to be like Jesus.

Pastor Kris

Sunday mornings...

2010-10-03T11:51:00.012-05:00

How do you spend your Sunday mornings? Some people sleep late and enjoy a leisurely breakfast, reading the newspaper or being with family. I admit that option appeals to me. I hear Sunday mornings are good for golfing, but I don't participate in that sport so I don't know. For me, Sundays - the whole week in fact - would not seem right without worship. But for the general population, there are attractive alternatives.

I must admit, when I'm on vacation, although I attend worship somewhere I rarely go to Sunday school. In fact, I might not even go to Sunday school at Shepherd King if I did not lead the class. There's something wrong with that picture, especially because I LOVE studying scripture and talking with other people about the intersection between faith and daily life. I recently took a year to return to seminary as a fulltime student and it was wonderful!! Going to classes, reading my assignments, studying, writing papers, taking tests - was invigorating. So why is it that Sunday school does not have the same effect?

Everyone needs to learn about their faith, throughout their lives. It can be exciting to explore scripture and talk about how it applies to our lives. I remember how I loved Sunday school back when I was in high school. My friends and I would gather to discuss current issues, to grapple with real-life situations like abortion, capital punishment, pre-marital sex, war, pollution, homelessness, and drug use. God and faith really came alive for me in those Sunday school sessions.

These days I don't find Sunday school very stimulating. I try to use good materials; currently we are studying the book of Acts. In a few months we plan to read and discuss Amish Grace, a book about forgiveness in the Amish community after someone killed several girls at an Amish school. These are good topics, but attendance is sluggish and lately our sessions have not been... uh... riveting. It makes me wonder what our congregation might do differently to engage people in conversation about scripture, faith matters, and daily life. Are there other topics, or is there a different format that might encourage people to gather and reflect on God's presence in our lives? (Suggestions are welcome; either post a comment or send me one at krishill22@hotmail.com).

What gets me is this: God's Word is not dull or irrelevant. Its themes are ones we struggle with today, its stories are revealing, surprising, exciting. But often the church fails to convey the power and immediacy of scripture narratives in Sunday school classes. Reading and talking about the Bible could, actually, be the most interesting and alluring part of Church life if we could figure out how to do it well. And that's why it is so distressing to me when it fails.

We in the Church need to present better opportunities for people to wrestle with issues of daily life and scripture/faith. We need to find a way to unleash the potency of the Bible in worship and in Christian education. We need to articulate the Word of God in ways that grab the imagination of contemporary people. Otherwise folks today will likely choose from among those appealing alternatives available on Sunday mornings.

Opening my Bible...

Pastor Kris

The Gate

2010-09-20T10:52:00.021-05:00

There's something about gates in New Testament stories. Most cities were walled to protect against enemies. The walls had numerous gates, with roads going in different directions. But the main gate to the city was the place where court was held, where people brought grievances, and judgment was pronounced. The prophets accuse God's people of disregarding the poor at the gate; the poor were at the gate hoping for a measure of justice or compassion. When their concerns were ignored or magnified by those who might have helped them, God was angered.

Many a story and joke has been told about another gate - the "pearly gates" we usually call them. I have a cartoon on my door that shows a man standing before St. Peter at the gates to heaven. The man looks aghast as Peter says "you had it removed? Don't you know the human soul resides in the appendix?" A third man in the picture says "relax, he's just messing with you."

There are gated communities all around the city, places where non-residents have no access to the streets or the neighborhood. Some apartment complexes have gates that have to be opened with a code before one can drive in to park. And many people's homes have a fence with a gate around them to mark their territory and discourage strangers from approaching. These kinds of gates are primarily for safety; they keep unwanted people away.

In Luke 16:19-31 most of the action takes place by a gate. The gate leads to a wealthy person's house. The wealthy person comes and goes, each day, by way of that gate. On the inside of the gate is comfort, security, plenty. We are told that the wealthy person "feasts" every day. He leads the sort of life we desire.

Lazarus sits outside the gate. He is destitute: hungry, sick, homeless. Lazarus knows that inside the gate is "the good life;" he'll never live there, but maybe someone will bring him some scraps from the table, the food that usually goes in the trash. Day after day he waits, but he gets nothing.

Lazarus dies. The wealthy person also dies. This time instead of a gate there is an unbreachable gulf between the two. Father Abraham holds Lazarus close, consoling him. The wealthy man sweats and burns in the fires of hell, but he sees Lazarus sitting in God's realm. "Send Lazarus to fetch me a drink," he calls, "I've a raging thirst down here." How ironic that the person who would not cross the gate to give Lazarus his table scraps, now expects Lazarus to bring him a drink. The story tells us that, for the wealthy man, it is too late. Whereas in life, the gate was a place of passage - a person could go from one side to the other with water or food - in death the gulf between the blessed and the cursed is permanent.

We live in the wealthiest nation in the world. 80 percent of the population sits at American's gate hoping for something to eat. Poverty is rising here in American, as well, especially among African-American and Hispanic people. (See: http://www.voanews.com/english/news/usa/US-Poverty-Rate-Highest-in-15-Years-103060399.html ) We might not think of ourselves as wealthy, but to those without work, without money, without food we are rich indeed. Wealth - even moderate wealth - is a responsibility. What will we do with those outside our gate?

There are plenty of agencies that address hunger in the world. Lutheran World Hunger Relief is an excellent organization; all donations go directly to help the hungry. Giving money to such agencies is one good response. But there are also things we can do locally. Here at Shepherd King Lutheran we are having our annual Sausage Supper on Friday, October 8th. Tickets are $6.50 and we are encouraging members when they buy a ticket for themselves to buy another for someone who needs a meal. We will gather a list of people in our community who are struggling and will bring them a sausage supper plate from the donated tickets so that when we are feasting our neighbors won't go hungry.

Open the gate. See the neighbor who sits and waits for a morsel to eat. Remember the world outside your door, outside our nation's door, and honor God by finding ways to share your wealth with "Lazarus."

Peace,

Pastor Kris

Burning with Honor

2010-09-13T13:21:00.013-05:00

Last weekend the big news came from Florida, from a pastor there who planned to hold a public burning of the Koran on the anniversary of the 9-11 attacks. He said he would cancel the book-burning when Muslims in New York City agreed to move the planned Mosque and Community center away from the World Trade Center site. (It's current site is 2 blocks from ground zero.) After dominating the headlines for several days, the Pastor called off the Koran-burning. This is the kind of publicity the Christian Church does not need. It is already difficult to convince moderate-minded, intelligent, non-churched people that we are not a bunch of wild-eyed fanatics devoted to sending the world to hell. And we're not. But proposing activities like burning the Koran makes us seem so.

Why would anyone think burning the Koran would accomplish a good end? We have all seen disturbing newsclips from around the world where people hold pieces of a burning United States flag. That is a painful image for many American citizens, those who honor the flag, those who have fought for our nation, those whose loved ones have died defending our country. Seeing other people burning our flag tends to upset us, make our blood boil. And the flag, though it is a very important symbol, is not directly related to our worship of God. No good can come from desecrating the holy symbols of other people. It only makes them angry and gives them reason to want to hurt us. Burning the Koran is both foolish and wrong.

As I was driving home on loop 410 the other evening, darkness just setting in, I saw something fluttering off to my left. It was a huge American flag. I was dismayed because daylight was gone and that flag was waving in total darkness. When an American flag is displayed it should either be taken down at night or be lighted as soon as darkness falls. It is a curious thing how quick we are to take offense when someone else burns the flag, yet we ourselves do not show it proper respect. We wear the flag as clothing - on shirts and even shorts. When I was in elementary school we learned that there were specific rules regarding the American flag. It should not be handled more than is necessary; it should never touch the ground. Why do we dismiss those guidelines and yet feel outrage at how someone else treats our flag?

In like manner, we are quick to denounce any perceived dishonor to the Bible. We disparage any decision that seems to dismiss the Christian faith. This is understandable; no one likes to see their symbols of worship, of God, treated poorly. And yet, do we honor God in our words and actions? Do we set aside a day each week (Sabbath) for rest and for communing with God and with others of our faith? Do we show our loyalty to Jesus by keeping his commandment to love others as God has loved us? Or is it only when other people seem to threaten our ideal of "Church," of "Christianity," that we protest?

If we are burning with desire to honor God we can find plenty of ways to do that. Micah says simply (6:8)"(God) has told you...what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with you God?" We can honor God by striving for justice, by being kind and humble. Deuteronomy 6:5 tells us "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might" and Jesus adds "and your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22:37)If we want to honor God we can do so by loving one another. No one honors God perfectly, but by concentrating our efforts on these things we can demonstrate love and devotion to God.

So let's keep ourselves busy honoring God. Let's dedicate ourselves to justice for all people. Let's work to be gracious and kind to everyone. Let's wear our love for God on our sleeve by loving the people in our lives, even those it is hardest to love. Showing honor for God with how we live is much more effective than burning books, any day.

Peace,

Pastor Kris

Stories for Life

2010-09-07T09:41:00.034-05:00

Vacation has come and gone, now it's back to work. This is true for me and likely it is true for you reading this, as well. The office is the same as when I left. There's mail and email piled up, people to see, meetings to attend, things to do. I'm sure the wild kittens under the building have grown, but they and their mother are hiding today because it is raining. As the day proceeds, life settles into its usual rhythm and routine.

I've been reading a book by Marshall Gregory entitled Shaped by Stories: The Ethical Power of Narratives. It's an insightful study about the way stories mold us into the people we become. Gregory says that human beings crave stories, and one of the reasons we do is because they help us make sense of our lives. Reading (or hearing, or watching a movie), places us in someone else's life. The story frames that life, giving it order and bringing it to a conclusion that reveals its purpose. We don't know the conclusion of our own lives; knowing what our lives "mean" or what they are "for" is difficult to discern. When we enter someone else's stories we encounter possibilities that we can reflect on and apply to ourselves.

We need stories to help us sort through the disorder of daily life, as one thing simply follows another without cohesion. I brush my teeth and drive to work; I sit at my desk; I buy groceries; I talk to my parents on the phone; I exercise or maybe nap; I play with my cats; I go to bed. Those events do not tie into one another except by the fact that I do them all. But when we watch a TV show or listen to our favorite music, there is a clear line of progress, there is harmony between the parts, there is a satisfying ending. The story gives us a way to think about day to day living; it helps us make sense of the world.

God comes to us in stories. The stories of scripture beckon us to enter them and experience along with others God's nearness, God's judgment, God's call to trust God and thereby live a rich and full life. Which are the two Sundays when most people attend worship? Christmas and Easter: the occasions on which our most vital stories are told - stories we love to hear - the birth of God's Son in Bethlehem, and the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Our salvation itself is a story - the living, the dying and the rising of Christ. Because God's Word is given to us in story we can step into it ourselves, live the experience through what we hear and read, and then ponder what it means for our lives.

At Shepherd King there is a different story every Sunday. This Sunday we will hear about the lost sheep. What a pertinent topic! All of us know what it is like to feel lost and alone, shut-out. The theme of this week's proclamation, however, is not only about being lost, but about the arduous search God undertakes for us. God is not a number cruncher, content to let some remain lost because "that's just how it is." God pursues us until each of us has been found by love, by welcome, by the purposeful life God gives.

Stories change us. They shape our lives. This Sunday's story tells us we are of great value to God even when we feel forgotten. The more we hear this tale the more we know we are beloved, and our neighbor is beloved. The stories alter our perspective and our actions. Knowing we are so honored by God that God never gives up on us, we learn to honor one another with unfailing love and hope.

Open yourself to the story of God in the world, of God's love for you and for all. It will revive your spirit and lift up your heart.

Peace,

Pastor Kris

School Battles

2010-08-20T13:25:00.014-05:00

A friend took issue with my last post, the one about Shepherd King's blessing of the book bags. He recalled his own experience in school - how he was harassed, bullied and beaten up by bigger, more popular boys, the "jocks" especially. He not only went to church every Sunday, he also prayed that these boys would leave him alone, but they kept on making his life hellish. Was God asleep, he asked, or just ignoring him?

It's a good question. I've never understood people who make light of the worries that school children have. It's tough to be a student in a school with several hundred (or thousand) other youth your same age. There are people smarter than you, bigger than you, and with more influence than you. Finding where you fit in, and then staying safe from those who want to ridicule you or abuse you is challenging - challenging each day. Last year one of our kids was regularly humiliated by a teacher in front of the entire class. How is a 12 or 13 year old supposed to deal with that? Some kids bring weapons to school, or drugs; others begin experimenting with sex at a very young age. How are kids supposed to find a safe way through such dangers?

It is because of the dangers kids face at school that I like to open the school year with a communal blessing for them, asking God to go with them into those classrooms, hallways, school bathrooms and other battlefields. It is hard enough to figure out who you are and who you are becoming as a youth without having to endure pressure to drink or have sex because "everyone else is doing it," without having to suffer physical and mental abuse from other students or even teachers. And so we ask God to be present in schools, to encourage those who are weak and unsure, to guide students and teachers alike, to watch out for those who are in trouble and to teach those who are inclined to use power the wrong way.

Prayer is one way we can support young people, teachers, and administrators who are beginning a new school year. At Shepherd King we are also asking members to become mentors to students at our adopted school, Eisenhower Middle School. Mentoring gives a youth someone to talk to, someone neutral who is on his/her side, someone who cares for him/her. Mentors spend time with their assigned student and get to know what is going on in that young person's life. A mentor can ease a student's worries, suggest ways to cope with difficult situations, and talk to school officials on the student's behalf. By being mentors we are not only asking God to bless our school, we are taking steps ourselves to make schools more manageable. When we offer ourselves, God works through us to bring compassion, help, and hope to school children.

If you are interested in becoming a mentor at Eisenhower, call the church office and find out more. And whether or not you become a mentor, please pray for students, teachers, and administrators as the new school year begins.

Peace,

Pastor Kris

Book bags and Blessings

2010-08-16T18:31:00.008-05:00

The new school year is about to begin. Are you a teacher? A student? An administrator at a school? Each fall brings a rush of activity – buying new clothes and school supplies, preparing lesson plans, the excitement of the first day, seeing friends again, getting your class schedule. The busy-ness of a new year means challenges as well – learning new names, resuming (or building) study habits, discerning the class clown and grappling with getting the attention of those who already look bored, dealing with peer pressure and bullies, discovering which parents will be hard to deal with or non-existent.

Those students, teachers, and school administrators who stop by Shepherd King this coming Sunday (August 22) will receive a special blessing to kick off the new school year. We call this the “blessing of the book bags;” everyone going back to school is encouraged to bring his or her book bags to worship. During the service we’ll ask school folks to come forward with their book bags and be blessed. Even though it’s called the book bag blessing, we’re really blessing the people.

Some people love school; others endure it. But either way, a word of blessing for the new year is appropriate; it reminds us that God goes with us into our daily world. Whether you’re eating lunch with friends in the cafeteria, trying to find your locker, getting teased by someone you don’t like, working to understand a math problem, or wishing that kid in the back would settle down… God is present. God roams the corridors of your school as much as any student or principal, staying nearby to encourage, to heal, to sustain us.

The same is true, of course, if you work at a factory or a shop, have an office in a high rise, or stay home to clean and cook. God is with you. If the day is stressful, if you have an important assignment, if you’re lonely or sad - take a moment and talk to God, listen for God’s guidance. Take a moment to remember that you are a child of God and that you are loved. Remember, too, that those around you are also children of God, loved by their creator. God is not distant or unconcerned, but is near at hand to help you fulfill your calling, accomplish your work.

The new school year is about to begin and we will be blessing the book bags this Sunday. Whether or not you are involved at school, join us for worship – 8:00 or 10:30 – and be blessed.

Peace,
Pastor Kris

What is the Church for?

2010-08-10T11:06:00.016-05:00

Throughout my twenty-plus years in ordained ministry I have frequently stepped back from the everyday work and busy-ness to ask myself "what is the church for? What is its purpose?" It is so easy to get caught up in planning and attending meetings, writing reports and preaching sermons, attending conferences, reading about the latest approach to church growth or to encourage giving that the larger purpose of the Church slips out of sight. What are we here for anyway?

The purpose of a Christian Church is to worship God and witness to Jesus Christ. By "witness to Jesus Christ" I mean teach the gospel, reach out with compassion to those around us in need, love others in our actions and our words, support each other in faith, look for opportunities to tell how faith makes a difference in our lives, and visit the sick, the lonely and the imprisoned. All those things constitute "witnessing to Jesus."

Mainline churches these days are fixated on growth. A small group of authors is getting rich selling books on "the seven steps to congregational growth" or "12 principles of effective outreach". While many of these books have great ideas, increasing the membership of a congregation is not that simple. At the heart of the matter is the question "why?" Why is this church trying to grow? Why should people attend this church? If we're trying to grow simply to stay in existence as a church, that doesn't cut it. If we don't know who we are - our strengths and our gifts - well enough to say why others should come to our congregation, clarifying our identity is a good place to start.

What is the Church for? It is to be the presence of Jesus in a given neighborhood, in the city, in the world. Every program, meeting and goal within a congregation ought to be congruent with that statement. Shepherd King is seeking to grow by gaining more young families and children. Why? Because families need the help and support of a Christian community; because children need to learn about the love of God from caring adults and with other children; because the more we grow the more we can give back to the community through ministry in Christ. Shepherd King is seeking to grow, not only for growth's sake, but as we carry out ministry and for the sake of furthering the gospel of Jesus Christ in the world.

What is the Church for? It is a Body to address the needs of a hurting world. Together we glorify God with our worship and our lives of faithfulness. A church is a place where our own faith is strengthened by fellowship and service with others. It is a place that challenges us to grow in our relationship with God and to give our time, our financial support, and our love to other people - the poor, the hungry, the neighborhood with its challenges, the elderly, single parents, people who endure violence, the unemployed, children.

Shepherd King's current goals are ministry with youth and families - especially our involvement with Eisenhower Middle School, and feeding people in both body and soul - through Angel Food, CAM collection, weekly worship and other programs.

All are welcome to be a part of our worship and our work in Christ.

Pastor Kris

S.O. S. - Life in the larger community.

2010-08-03T10:20:00.008-05:00

How can a congregation be an active partner in its local community? What should a church's role be in the community in which it is located? If our aim is to witness to the love of Jesus, how can we actively do that in our particular setting?

Shepherd King's name suggests many possibilities. Scripture is full of images that portray shepherds and their role. God is depicted as the Good Shepherd; in contrast other scriptures reprimand shepherds who have neglected or abused their role (see Jeremiah 23:1-6). Psalm 23 shows the good shepherd leading us to green pastures and still waters - nourishing us, giving us refreshment, keeping us safe. In John 21:15-19 the risen Jesus urges Peter to "feed my lambs" and "tend my sheep." Jesus is Lord and King of all, but not like secular kings who often oppress and tryanize their subjects; instead Jesus is a "shepherd" king, one who watches over, provides for, and loves the flock.

Cleary, then, a congregation named "Shepherd King" is called to be involved in its community as a good shepherd who shares the lives and concerns of his neighbors. Finding ways to do this, however, can be challenging. As an expression of our care for the people in our community, our congregation has adopted a local school - Eisenhower Middle School. We call this: "Support Our School" or S.O.S. Our first project has been to gather school supplies for fall that teachers and administrators can have available for students who need them.

We will also be encouraging members to become mentors to students. Once approved for being a mentor, the volunteer will be assigned a student and then will spend time with that student - perhaps by eating lunch with him or her at the school cafeteria during the week. Middle school can be a tough time for a young person, what with study and learning, growing into their bodies and entering puberty, peer pressure and possible worries at home. Having an objective, caring adult spend time with her/him can make a tremendous difference in a student's life.

Shepherd King also plans to support our school by helping with landscaping projects -- tending flowerbeds, weeding, watering - to keep Eisenhower's property attractive and clean. We are hoping that at least 10 people from the congregation, maybe more, will become actively involved in these aspects of S.O.S. After all, this is our neighborhood and these are our children and families we are seeking to nurture and support.

If you want to be involved, call the church office 210-344-5881 and ask what you can do to Support Our School. Together we can be faithful ambassadors of the Good Shepherd, our Lord, Jesus.

Peace,
Pastor Kris

Mortality

2010-07-26T09:32:00.011-05:00

Taking a Sunday off from my usual church duties I drove up to Austin to worship at my home congregation, First English Lutheran, with my Mom and Dad. How wonderful - seeing friends in faith I've had since childhood, being in that beautiful, holy space with its brick floors, plaster arches, and wood beamed ceiling. My spirit is refreshed!

Back at my folk's house I learned that one of my Aunts is growing weak. She's in her late 80s and lives far from us. Apparently she fell recently, was too weak to rise on her own and lay on the floor for a full day before help came. As a pastor I have known many people, people dear to me, who have faced similar situations. Dear Gus had a stroke and could have laid in bed for days had not his daughter come by several hours later. It hurt to hear about his suffering.

But this hit closer to home. The news went straight to my stomach like a clenched fist. It lingered in my mind as a cloud of foreboding throughout the day. What does this mean for my Aunt? Can she grow stronger, or is this a step in her progression toward death? I thought of her son and daughter, my cousins, the concern and sorrow they must feel.

Hearing about my Aunt did not just elicit my sympathy, it set me to grappling with mortality - hers, my parents, my own. A person can think about death and dying, but when its presence sweeps close by your home, your family, those thoughts invade your consciousness at a deeper level. If my Aunt has grown this frail how much longer will my own mother and father be mobile, be well, be alive? What will it be like to watch their decline, to lose them? What does this mean for my husband and I - for our bodies, our health, our future?

While I was pondering these things the memory of a hymn from morning worship was running through my head. Although its words do not address my specific concerns, it served as a counterpoint to them. Hearing the melody, the singing, in my mind, I was brought back to Sunday morning - the sense of God's presence, the people gathered in worship and those no longer living. The song seemed to wrap around everything with a word of hope, a reminder of the One we trust and of his promises.

"Christ be our light! Shine in our hearts. Shine through the darkness. Christ, be our light! Shine in your church gathered today." (text by Bernadette Farrell, Evangelical Lutheran Worship, hymn #715) Without that hymn playing behind my fretting, the world would have been only somber, uncertain, fearful. But from the lift of the tune and the strength of the words, announcing God's reign now and forever, sorrow was softened by the truth of God's love, God's mercy.

Praise to Christ Jesus who is with us today and always.

Pastor Kris

Give Me Jesus

2010-07-15T09:28:00.002-05:00

What a crazy week this has been! Each day I've been working frantically to find material on Mary, the mother of Jesus, so I will be prepared for the class I'm leading at Vacation Bible School -- "Our Lady of... studies in Mary." Since I know little about the Roman Catholic traditions of venerating Mary, I've had to search for and read lots of material before each evening's class. Whew!

This Sunday we hear the brief story of Martha and her sister Mary. Martha has invited Jesus to their home. While she works to serve her guest, Mary sits at Jesus' feet listening and learning. Martha complains to Jesus that Mary is leaving all the work to her. (That doesn't sound fair!) But Jesus tells Martha that Mary has chosen the better option. "Martha, Martha," he says "you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing."

What's going on with Martha? Is she trying to be "Martha Stewart" and rather than simply serving her guest, burdening herself with lofty expectations of how the table should be set or arranging the flowers just so? A colleague of mine who loves to entertain said more bluntly that Martha is simply being ungracious - inviting someone to her home and then complaining about having to work to serve him. Maybe Martha is run down and tired after a hectic week. But the bottom line, it seems, is that Martha is distracted by less important matters while Mary is listening to Jesus. Disciples sit at the feet of their teachers - Mary, at Jesus' feet, is trying to learn what Jesus has to teach.

We will sing a wonderful hymn this Sunday right after the sermon. I chose this hymn and it will probably be unfamiliar to most of my congregants. But I love it. In fact, I hope I don't get choked up while we sing it. It is the spiritual "Give Me Jesus." I don't know that I would even have to preach if we could simply meditate on the words of this hymn: "In the morning when I rise, in the morning when I rise, in the morning when I rise... give me Jesus. Give me Jesus, give me Jesus. You can have all the rest, give me Jesus. Dark midnight was my cry, dark midnight was my cry, dark midnight was my cry, give me Jesus... You can have all the rest, give me Jesus." (African American spiritual - Evangelical Lutheran Worship, hymn #770)

Yes, you can have all the rest - the material things, the worry, the distractions, the quarrelling, the striving for more... just give me Jesus.

Peace,
Pastor Kris

Praying for hunger...

2010-07-12T09:55:00.005-05:00

I say my prayers at night, just before bed. I've tried mornings, but my mind is too foggy to communicate anything but: "let me be a blessing today." Last night as I prayed I thought of my nieces and nephews - all very dear to me - of how grown they are getting to be. I used to write and send devotional thoughts to the older ones when they were in high school and college, but I haven't done that regularly with the two younger ones. Argh!

Life in the faith is such a treasure. How do we share that with others - share it so that they can feel, smell, taste the goodness of knowing and serving God? I teach confirmation class to young people and I work to make the material interesting, relevant to their lives. But sometimes they sit in class like bumps on a log, or they discreetly fiddle with their iphones, uninterested in the mysteries I'm trying to open up to them. And then there are my own beloved nieces and nephews - I don't see them often. How do I pass on to them the sense of joy and fulfillment I have in my life with God and with God's people in the church?

Last night I prayed for my two nieces and four nephews, asking God to reveal himself to them in their daily lives. I prayed that they would hunger, yearn for God's presence and that they would find no satisfaction except in God - the Word of scripture, the gathering of the faithful to worship and to serve, the nearness of God in prayer. Saint Augustine said "our hearts are restless O God, until we rest in thee." Yes, indeed. And I pray that God stir up that restlessness in my nieces and nephews until they must seek God and let God draw near to them. Truly, there is no peace, no joy, no contentment like that of God's presence, of learning and following God's Word, of serving the world in God's name.

May we all be so blessed. Peace

Pastor Kris

Cultural Mary

2010-07-09T09:55:00.005-05:00

I attended a series of lectures at Oblate last month. It is a beautiful campus and the lectures - by Walter Brueggemann - were terrific. (Walter Brueggemann is one of my favorite Old Testament scholars.) One evening lecture ended earlier than expected so I wandered around the grounds of the Oblate school. They have some lovely gardens, but I was especially interested in seeing the grotto. I made my way over there and was enthralled. It is a beautiful shrine with various quiet spots to sit and meditate. There were lighted candles and, of course, statues of Mary. The Grotto is to Our Lady of Lourdes and is said to be a close replica of the one in France. It was peaceful there, a haven tucked away from the rush of the city.

After visiting the grotto I ruminated on how I don't understand all these titles for the Virgin Mary - "Our Lady of Lourdes" and "Our Lady of Fatima" and "Our Lady of Sorrows." Of course I've heard about the aparitions of Mary that people have seen and how the location then becomes a revered site. But as a Lutheran Christian, none of this makes much sense to me. Having recently arrived in San Antonio with its large Mexican-American and Roman Catholic population, it occurred to me that I want to learn about this if for no other reason to have a better understanding of my neighbors. Lutherans do not often pay much attention to Mary, the mother of Jesus, except at Christmas. But Christians in the Roman Catholic Church show tremendous devotion to Mary throughout the year. Why is that?

I decided to lead a 5 night inquiry on Mary and her various titles for our adult class in Vacation Bible School. Bible School starts next week, Monday, July 12, and the adult class will meet in the parlor from 6:30 to 8pm. We will hear the story of "Our Lady of Guadalupe" from my friend and colleague Pastor Paul Bailie on Monday night and then we will explore other titles for Mary throughout the week. We will study the role of Mary in scripture, review what Martin Luther says about the Virgin Mary and see what we think about all of this. I'm ready to learn. If you're interested, come on out to the adult VBS class. All are welcome -- please bring open minds and open hearts.

Peace,
Pastor Kris

The Fourth of July

2010-07-02T13:18:00.000-05:00

Sunday is the fourth of July. The front of our church is decorated in red, white and blue bunting to respect our nation's Independence Day. During the prayers we will give God thanks for our nation and ask God to guide the leaders of our country. Since Sunday actually falls on the fourth this year we will also sing "Oh Beautiful for Spacious Skies" in honor of the day - it is in our hymnal.

The Fourth of July is an important observance in our nation's history, but is not a Church festival. Church festivals are based on significant events in the life-story of Jesus or the life of the Church. While we might acknowledge a secular date like the fourth of July or Mother's Day during our worship service, such days do not make up the theme for our whole service. That is because worship is directed to God and secular observances are about our nation or our culture. Worshiping God and honoring our nation are two separate things.

Sometimes people wonder why we do not have "Fourth of July" Sunday in the church, or "Memorial Day" Sunday. While those are worthy events to recognize, they relate to our national story, not to our faith in God. In worship we turn our hearts and minds to God as we recall how God has acted throughout history to give us life, hope, salvation. Thus we set aside days to celebrate "Christmas" when Jesus was born and Easter when Jesus rose from the dead, in our worship but not days like Labor Day or Father's Day.

This Sunday is July 4th. During worship we will give thanks to God for this land that is our home. We will ask God to guide and uphold our nation's leaders and the leaders of all countries so that people everywhere may have justice, freedom, and abundant life.

Peace,
Pastor Kris

First time

2010-07-02T12:03:00.000-05:00

Greetings friends,
John is sitting to my right, explaining to me how to "blog" - what I can write and how freeing this experience can be. Do I believe John? Well... I'll have to get back to you on that. I'm from an older generation (just barely - haha) and these technological adventures are still new to me. But I think he's on the up and up.

So, for my first blog, let me welcome you to our new, revamped Website (thanks, John). I'm excited about this website and I'm... uh... excited? curious? wondering? about this blogging stuff. However, I'm especially glad that Shepherd King has this outlet to reach new folks and to greet people.

So - greetings! Welcome! Come back and visit us again and again. We'll be here. And we're here for you.

Pastor Kris