Good morning church,
It is May 4th and my favorite time of year begins just about now. I love the spring and early summer by far the most, the time when everything begins to bloom and grow, and when the days grow long. If only at some point we could come together again, it would be even nicer! We spoke about possible church re-opening scenarios in June at our late morning zoom meeting yesterday. I expect that for quite some time we will have live church services with limited numbers of people that we will also stream and record for others to enjoy. Some call it a “hybrid” church service. In the course of this month we will publish some guidelines for those “hybrid” times, as we take careful steps out of our ark on land that is not quite dry yet… Please keep in mind that guidelines mean just that – guide – lines, helping us to navigate a new (interim) situation.
Today are the birthdays of Cathy S. and Aiden C. We wish them both a wonderful birthday and many blessings!
Today is also the Baptism Day of Ellie Spaid (Baker). I believe it’s her sixth Baptism Day. Get the Baptismal Candle out, Emily and Mark! I will call later to give her a blessing over the phone.
This morning I meditated over the following passage from Luke 14: 23 “Go out into the roads and lanes and compel people to come in, so that my house may be filled.” What occurred to me is the importance of those outside lanes!!! The people who come to church from a non-church background, who find that “treasure hidden in the field” (Matthew 13:44), are often people who speak about their faith in most authentic, personable and passionate ways. One of my favorite modern day saints grew up in a non-religious family. Dorothy Day, the 20th century founder of the Catholic Worker movement, a prolific writer, a compassionate servant, a courageous leader, was not at all raised in a church. Her father was a racetrack beat writer who enjoyed the bottle and life in those rough surroundings. Dorothy herself considered religion and rejected it. She did not want to be a hypocrite she wrote in her diary. For much of her young adult life she hung out with the “cool crowd,” – writers, bohemians, anarchists, radicals – and where else but in Greenwich Village, New York? The desire to find God, the spiritual thirst, the seeker mentality came from the inside. Deep inside something was wondering and wandering. She followed that instinct, and over the years it changed her life, it made her whole, and it led her to become one of the most important Christian voices of the 20th century. Certainly, in my irrelevant opinion, she was more important than some of the popes of that century.
I can also attest to the importance of “outside entry” in my own experience as a pastor. Mia W. shared her story with us several times. She grew up in the Lambertville area, not entirely in a non-religious environment, but with influences that didn’t make sense to her. She had some experience with Jehovah’s Witnesses and some with Catholic masses she attended with her grandmother. None of it really stirred her. She came one Christmas Eve out of a mysterious desire to be in church. I visited her and her husband afterwards and we had a long conversation. She attended an adult faith course a few years later and got baptized as an adult along with her son Phoenix. Today she shares the gift of music, she helps us frequently with our on-line services, both as a singer and a speaker, and she is one of the people in our congregation who frequently speaks to others who don’t have that inside experience, sharing her experience with church. (“It’s not what you think! They are really cool people! They even have a weird German Pastor!)
Other examples: many of you remember April F., who moved with her young family to Wisconsin a number of years ago. She had not a lick of church exposure growing up, as opposed to her husband Robert who was raised in a Lutheran church in Delaware. But it was April who was actually more drawn to St. Peter’s, interested, wanting to get involved. One time when I visited them, Robert said with a twinkle in his eye, “Pastor, she will get involved in everything at church. You will see.” (We still miss them!) Or, get this, our friend Bernie H. told me that he did not go to church growing up. Can you imagine? Today I cannot think of anyone being more comfortable reading in church and projecting the voice of God… I am sure there are more people in our church community who had a similar experience of “outside entry.” In the next few weeks I will conduct an online Adult Faith Course (the same one that Mia attended), and one of the participants is Bryan A. who is training to become a Stephen Minister and is on the road to getting baptized at the very same time. It’s so important, so very important, that we remain a church that invites and embraces those who come from different backgrounds. They often “get” the gospel in a different way. (End of sermon)
I have received many more wonderful Mother’s Day pictures from you. Keep them coming. It will be great fun!
For today, Please join me again in prayer for Billy K. I shared his story a few weeks ago, but basically nothing has given him much improvement yet. He is still getting up more than 15 times a night due to bladder issues, and they still haven’t found a way to improve his situation. More doctor’s visits, more evaluations, more trials… Some of you know how it is. Those persistent, chronic issues are the worst. They totally downgrade your quality of life and everything, including prayer and including things you typically enjoy, turn into major efforts. Prayers for healing and blessing for Bill K!!!
Have a great day.
Be blessed and be safe!
Pastor Andreas Wagner