Skip to main content

Renewal

This blog has been quiet for a few weeks as I have had a little "vacation" and made a transition from my internship at Gloria Dei to the position as pastor at the Lutheran Church of Hope. Of course, it's not all about me- both those congregations have had their own transitions as well.

One of the things I have been remembering lately is a passage from Revelation (that book in the back of the Bible): "And the one seated on the throne said, 'See, I am making all things new... I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life..." (21:5a, 6)

Now I could exegete, or take apart, those verses all day, but mostly I've been considering the renewal aspect God's work. Though our lives have many beginnings and endings, in reality- all things are flowing from the good and creative work of our God. The ministry of congregations does not start over with a new pastor or a new program, but continues- making new and bolder use of the gifts of the Spirit.

In the fall, it always seems like so much is changing, but, look, God does not promise to make all new things, but to make all things new. God's work renewing and revitalizing work is at hand and within us, even now!

Let us give thanks for that work and pray for the understanding and awareness so that we may participate more fully in it.

Speaking of participation, a blog is a public work. If you read this, I'd like to hear from you. You may comment publicly or anonymously though the comment section below each post or you can email me at lcohpastor@alaska.net and I'll write back to you. Feel free also to email with suggestions of things you'd like me to comment on or share with other readers!

Comments

Unknown said…
You must be so excited! I image it can be disquieting having to take over your first church, but I can guarantee that they'll adore you. I wish I could be there to cheer you on. I miss you and Scott and everyone else a lot!

-Nick-
August 19, 2008 at 9:58 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

When the Body of Christ is Fat

Bitmoji Julia enjoys tea Within a very short amount of time, two people whom I love were called "fat ass". One of these slurs occurred in the church building and the other occurred in the same building and within the context of worship. Both incidents were the result of a person with already impaired judgment lashing out at the person who was in front of them, perceiving them to be unhelpful or denying aid or service. Regardless of the "why", the reality is that the name was uncalled for, hurtful, and aimed to be a deep cut. The reality is that a person who is under the influence of legal or illegal substances and often displays impaired judgment can still tell that body shaming- comments about shape, appearance, or size- is a way to lash out at someone who is frustrating you. That means those words and that way of using them are deeply rooted in our culture. An additional truth is that when we, as a congregation, attempted to console and listen to those who h...
6 comments
Read more

God on the Go Kits

Like many congregations, we have lots of members who travel during the summertime. They may spend three months fishing or camping or traveling or hiking or playing. Given Alaska's long daylight hours, making it back into town on Sunday morning or even Sunday night doesn't always happen. One could rail against that or one can ask for guidance in the Spirit for how to keep community and communion alive in these months of family and personal sabbath in the woods and wilderness. (Still, if you're in town, come on down!) Inspired by Take Out Church,  I made "God on the Go" kits for the faithful Alaskan family with kids. The kits and all their contents fit into the 64 ounce Ziplock containers with the lid snapping snugly. This should keep things watertight and just-right-sized for throwing in a duffle bag, backpack or suitcase. Or pushing under the seat of the camper. Or having at the foot of a sleeping bag. I have included below the list of items inside and the...
4 comments
Read more

God's Punctuation

We know that all things work together for good for those who love God,  who are called according to his purpose. - Romans 8:28  Never place a period where God places a comma. - Gracie Allen  Some of you may be familiar with the comedy duo of George Burns and Gracie Allen, who were active together in show business in the middle of the 20th century. George played the straight man to Gracie's comic timing. They were also married and had children. They were deeply in love. When Gracie was dying and George was deeply grieved, she wrote him a final love letter. One sentence that George shared from this letter was this, "George, never place a period where God places a comma."  This was Gracie's way of reminding George that his life wasn't ending. There was a pause, but there would be more the sentence God was writing as the life of George Burns.  That sentence, which may have been a proverb before Gracie wrote it, has taken on a life of its own. The United Ch...
Post a Comment
Read more