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Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church Blog
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Tuesday, 25 May 2010 16:35 |
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From the pastor's brain, which he carries in a little jar every where he goes. One of the most edifying things that a person can hear in their life are the words “I love you” spoken from the mouth of another human being. Of course, those words would probably be very edifying if coming from the mouth of a dog, but let's face it, dogs don't normally express themselves that way. They prefer to bark and lick and do other dog like things. But each to their own. So, whether we hear those words from a person or from a particulary verbal dog, the words mean a great deal. When my son says it to me, my heart lightens, no matter how gloomy the day. Today, when I picked him up from school, he gave me a big hug and told me that he had saved his juice box from snack for me, rather than drinking it himself. That sort of thing can't help but put a smile on a person's face. These are powerful emotions, powerful expressions and they mean a great deal to everbody. Love, regardless of the nature of that love implicit behind the words, is a gift from God. It touches our hearts and our souls like nothing else can. When we love, there is little we wouldn't do for the one we love, even at the expense of ourselves. It is the motivating power behind some of the world's greatest acts of charity, of selflessness and even of social justice. For only love of another could motivate true social justice. So what does it mean when we deny our love to another human being? When we choose to hate them or detach ourselves from them? When we might even go so far as to deny their existence? What does that mean? It means a number of things. It means we are denying God's good gift in our lives. We are denying God's powerful, encompassing love when we deny another person. In some ways, we are even denying God. For how can I or anyone believe in a God of love and still then hate another. As hard as it is to imagine, God truly does want us to love all people, whomever they may be. And that even means the one's we are diametrically opposed to. All people means all people. To do other is to deny God. And it also means that we are denying another person that which they need, whether they admit to that or not. All people need to be loved. All people need the assurance that someone out there does think about them, love them, care about them, and if they are religious in any way, pray for them. As the old saying goes, no person is an island. While that saying is flawed in many ways, it is also true, especially in this sense. We all need to be loved. We all need to experience that love or we will, quite simply, have no reason to continue existing. To be denied love is to be hurt beyond all measure. We also need to love, to let the gift God has given us pour forth from us. It is what motivates our greatest ideals, our noblest of actions. It is what forms community and relationships. If we do not give away what we have received, then the gift stagnates. We deny the gift God so richly gives us. This loves knows no bounds. It cannot. We are simply asked to love all, to not deny our love to any, to echo God's universal love in all that we say and do. No one is exempt from this. No one can be. We are asked to love all. And we trust in return that others love us, even in spite of our flaws, because just as God has filled our hearts to overflowing with God's love, so all people are so touched. We can only pray that in a world where hate and anger rule the day, that we can all stop and listen to the song of God's love in us, a song that would banish hate and let God's love rule all that we do.
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What Would Jesus Do? |
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Wednesday, 28 April 2010 12:10 |
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From the pastor's brain, which detonated sometime around 3:00am yesterday. What would Jesus do? You have probably seen the bracelets that were once upon a time sported by young Christians. WWJD. Such bracelets were meant to act as reminders of ethical and moral behavior, the kind of behavior that Jesus would engage in. Don't do drugs. Don't drink. Wait until you are married until you have sex. Not necessarily topics that Jesus dealt with in his day and age, but still a good reminder to act in an appropriate way. Jesus would advocate for a drug free life and would want people to engage in committed monogamist relationships. He might have tipped one back once in a while, but never to indulge in drunkness. So the idea of Jesus as an ethical and moral guide to life is a fairly apt one. What would Jesus do? Probably not what most of the world around us is doing, that is certain. And that is where the radical power of such a statement like What Would Jesus do? shines forth. For when we are walking past a man or woman on the street, perhaps the same question could be asked. What Would Jesus Do? When we recognize injustices in our world, we could ask the questions, What Would Jesus Do? What would Jesus do in this world? Much the same as he did when he taught in Israel two thousand years ago. He defied oppression, whether economic, religious, or violent oppression. He taught and lived a life of radical love and grace, offered to all people. He stood up against that which crushed the other. Not violently, of course, but no less poignantly. What Would Jesus? do is a powerful question. It could inform us in ever decision that we make. Do I buy that pair of Nike shows when I know that it came at the expense of the health and well-being of another human being or do I look for an alternative? Do I let injustices go without a comment, or do I stand up with my fellow human beings and say “NO MORE”? Do I live a safe life of personal ethics or do I live Christ's life and recognize that by doing so, I could face difficult times in the future? To take that sentiment seriously, “What would Jesus do?” is to ask these questions. As followers of Christ, we need to constantly ask such questions and see where the answers may lead us in our lives. So do you think that when a father or mother bought one of those bracelets for their daughter or son, they were actually thinking to inspire their child to stand up against the opression systems of our day and age, to practice non-violent resistance and be labelled as a disturber of the peace? I doubt it. Perhaps such bracelets would not have been such a fad if people had thought more about them. Or perhaps they would have been. Sometimes, we crave the tough questions because we need to hear the tough answers. Whatever the case, we need to keep asking the questions, just as we need to realize that if we take up our cross and follow Jesus, it is do so knowing full well where that path led him, to the cross. We need to know that we are being asked to follow Christ's path and it is not easy. It is not the way to fortune and fame. Instead, it is the way of the cross, to genuine human community, to justice for all, and to the coming of God's kingdom. This is not easy. In fact, it can be quite difficult. But it is what Jesus did. WWJD. He would go out into the world to strive for justice and to stand up against oppression. He would proclaim God's love and enact God's healing. So to must we. WWJD? Live a different kind of life. |
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Two days past the Hogmassa |
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Tuesday, 20 April 2010 11:50 |
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It is now two days since the Swedish High Mass or Hogmassa. It was a great event, even if I didn't understand a word of it. It is interesting that the liturgy and the hymns are still so powerful, even when the language is not you own. When the choir sang their second anthem, it was a truly moving experience. A very good day. If anybody wishes to give feedback to any of these posts, feel free to respond at
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April 13th 2010 |
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Tuesday, 13 April 2010 15:53 |
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I finally have had the chance to put a few hours into the website. I hope the trend can continue. I intend to pass on news over this forum as well as some general thoughts and the like. My first official act will be to recommend the book "The Last Week" by Marcus Borg and Dominic Crossan. It is an excellent look at the last week of Christ's life and the theology of Mark's Gospel in relation to that stretch of time. An easy and engrossing read. |
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