A father came to Jesus and asked Jesus to help his son: “’If you are able to do anything, have pity on us and help us.’ Jesus said to him, ‘If you are able!—All things can be done for the one who believes.’ Immediately the father of the child cried out, ‘I believe; help my unbelief.’” Mark 9:22-24
One month from now we will be entering into the Season of Lent. March 5th marks the beginning of that season with Ash Wednesday, where Scripture reminds us that we came from the dust of the earth, and to it we shall return. Lent is also a time, at Calvary, where we take up the study of a particular theme in our faith. This year we continue our walk through Luther’s Small Catechism, exploring the Apostles’ Creed. Now, wait! Before you yawn and set down this article, consider this: How many things do you believe? What do you have real convictions about? Think about it: About life, about family, about work, about education, about friendship, about suffering, about happiness, about God. Our beliefs shape how we approach life every single day. They influence what we think about when we wake up in the morning. They affect how we raise our children, interact with the world, and whether we can sleep at night. Beliefs shape us. But we seldom articulate those beliefs. We rarely write them down. Or commit them to a mental file labeled, “This I Believe.” And too often we simply react to our life situations, not realizing how our beliefs have precipitated those reactions. That said, it’s time for us to do some thinking in Lent: What do we believe? What do we believe as a Christian community? What do we believe as individuals? But also, what do we believe about life, about humanity, and about whether the world is a good or an evil place? All of these beliefs have an impact on how we live, and they inform the practice of our faith. The story from Mark’s Gospel that is quoted above is one of my go-to passages in Scripture. In part because it’s such a poignant story of a father grasping desperately for whatever help he can get, and finding that help in Jesus. But more I love this passage because it is such a profound confession about faith and life. It’s not just that I admire this guy for his determination and honesty. It’s that I am this guy: I believe, and I wrestle with believing. I love Jesus, and believe he can do more for me than anyone else, but I need Jesus to help me with my unbelief. I believe that Jesus profoundly changes who I am, and how I perceive God and life, but I am still a sober enough Christian to see that there are lots of things that don’t make sense to me in the world. So, what do you believe? Think about it now, please, because we are going to ask you to share your wisdom about life in Lent. Do you have a passionate belief about the impact that music can have on one’s life? What do you believe about money—is it a means or an end? What do you think about whether wealthy nations have an obligation to third world countries? Are possessions important to you, or has your life experience changed your perspective on stuff? “This I Believe,” is the name for our 2014 Lenten Series. We shamelessly borrow this title from a series that is produced by National Public Radio and continues to be a popular venue for statements of belief. Listeners record their essays about how life experience has informed their choices; how their talents have opened up new worlds to them; how past adverse circumstances have shaped their present and future life pursuits and goals. So, think about it. If you were asked to choose to make a single statement about something that you believe passionately, what would you say? Write down your thoughts. You likely have more than one idea that you believe passionately, so write down more. Then, be ready to share those beliefs with your fellow Calvary members. I think we will discover that exploring our personal beliefs alongside our corporate beliefs teaches us a whole lot about who we are as individuals, and how that shapes us when we come together as a congregation. Looking forward to the journey. In Christ, Pastor Lori A. Cornell
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Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21
By the time you read this article we will have two Sundays remaining in our Stewardship Season. The season always incorporates two major efforts: 1) each member discerning how he or she will employ time and talents through the congregation, and 2) each member or family being asked to make a financial pledge. So it’s time for me to say something about this latter activity: practicing generosity. Or, more plainly, the stewardship of money. The best definition I have ever heard for stewardship is this: Stewardship is everything you do after you say, “I believe.” That everything includes money. Here’s the rub, though: People don’t want to hear the church say it needs money. But if people don’t hear that the church needs money, they may not give. And that is why the church talks about money—but not the only reason. I once heard the story of a pastor who was talking with a young couple about his work as a minister. (The wife in this couple had grown up in the congregation, had known this pastor for many years, and had seen other pastors come and go there for more than 30 years.) “Who,” they asked their pastor, “pays you for your work? Do you get paid by the larger church?” It was a completely innocent question. This young couple, who had enjoyed the fellowship of the congregation , and who regularly shared their talents and limited time there, genuinely did not understand that their congregation was the sole means by which their pastor made a living. And if they didn’t understand that principle, how many other people had probably missed it? Calvary Lutheran Church depends on the people who come through its doors on Sunday (or who mail in their checks on Monday) to financially support the congregation’s mission: the service, the worship, the fellowship, the maintenance of the facility, the upgrades, the faith development—all that happens within and beyond its walls to indicate who we are and what we believe. If the members and friends of the congregation do not give money, the church will not be able to thrive. But there are some challenges about giving that have to be mentioned here too: If some people give generously, and others give very little or nothing, the church is likely to struggle—especially if those who give generously are no longer able to be part of the community. The truth about financial stewardship is this: The most robust congregation is the one in which every member and friend gives some percentage (even if it’s a fraction of a percent) of their income to their faith community. Why? Because where we put our money says something about our values and priorities. If more people give to the ministry, more people are invested in the ministry. It’s that simple. But why “percentage giving”? Throughout Scripture God calls on his people to give—to benefit those who lead the worship, the poor who can’t defend themselves, the foreigner who depends on the kindness of the faithful, landowning people. In Scripture giving includes food offerings, leaving untouched a portion of land for the poor and foreigners to glean, and monetary offerings. In all cases the mandate is to regard God (and God’s priorities) as the believer’s first priority. A great way to practice God’s priority is percentage giving: Designate a percentage (mine is currently 7% to the church and another portion elsewhere), and pay that amount right alongside the mortgage, utilities, medical bills, and groceries. Percentage giving is intentional: When you designate a percentage of your income, you know how much is coming out of your bank account to go to the church. You can compare that percentage to how much you spend on other “soft expenses” like Starbucks, Barnes&Noble, and dining out. (This is an informative exercise to illustrate to yourself your priorities: Imagine learning that you have spent more at eating out than in your offering to the Church!) You can also set a goal of increasing the percentage you give, for example, from 4% one year to 4.5% the next year; this makes incremental increases more manageable. Gratitude is not just about words, it is us unwrapping the gift of our faith—the talents and skills we’ve been given, the physical resources we have that we might share with others, the money we can share to make our church and the world a better place. Please prayerfully deliberate about your financial gift to Calvary, and write it down on the pledge form for 2014. The more your leaders know about your financial commitment, the better we’ll be able to set a financial and ministry plan that fits our means and attends to our 2020 Long-Range Plan. And consider giving according to percentage, with the goal of gradually increasing that pledge as resources permit. Your intentionality about practicing generosity will allow our ministry to thrive and our congregation to be more vital. In Christ, Lori A. Cornell Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. - Luke 17:15-16
Gratitude. That’s the theme for our upcoming Stewardship Season. Webster’s defines gratitude as a noun meaning appreciation. Synonyms include acknowledgement, appreciativeness, grace, gratefulness, honor, indebtedness, obligation, praise, recognition, requital, response, responsiveness, sense of obligation, thanks, thankfulness, thanksgiving. Take the leper in the story from Luke: He didn’t have much to be grateful for. Banished from his community because of his illness, already an outsider in Israel because he was one of those “half-breed” Samaritans, and desperate not to die; he reaches out to the one man who will acknowledge his existence, Jesus. And, knowing full well that his life is in this “Master’s” hands (not just his potential restored health, but his recovery of a full life in which other human beings can again look him in the eye), he grovels for what he can’t earn. And Jesus, who loves his Father’s world, gives the man what he needs. Here’s the catch, though. This man was only one of ten for whom Jesus accomplished this incredible restoration. And the other nine simply split from the scene: They went to their priest so that the priest could attest to there healing and declare them ritually clean. They went through the “legal” (ritual Jewish) process to be restored to their communities, and had their health and the priest’s stamp of approval to demonstrate that they were “in” again. But none of the nine said “thanks.” Only the one acted. Only this one stooped before Jesus, honoring the One who was the source of his new life, and then spoke words of gratitude. Maybe more important is what Jesus says about the healed leper’s act of gratitude: “Rise and go. Your faith has made you well.” Interesting, huh? The man was already healed—as were the other nine who never returned; the priests had already done the ritual restoration. He didn’t need Jesus to do anything for him at this point. But he knew that Jesus’ graciousness had changed his life, and he wanted Jesus to know that he knew that. So he acted: he knelt, he voiced his praise. He did gratitude. And that, Jesus said, not only meant the man was healed, but that he was faithful, and consequently “well.” Hmmm. So gratitude is an act of faith. And, even more important than being healed, is being well with God. Throughout this Stewardship Season we will explore together a variety of facets of gratitude: How are we as Christ’s people called to practice gratitude in regard to our relationships, where we are at in life, the talents, the skills, the resources that we have at our disposal? You will be invited to take stock of your own life, your life in Christian community at Calvary, and your place in the world. In all these places you are called to be a manager, a steward, of God’s gifts to you. Starting Sunday, October 13 (or before, if you’d like), I invite you to employ all your senses in entering a season of gratitude: Look around you: What do you see that makes you grateful? Reach out with your hand: Whose touch has made you feel more human? Savor the food that passes through your lips, and send up a prayer of thanksgiving. Listen, and then sing your praises for the incredible sounds that God has filled your ears with. Gratitude may be a noun, but it only finds its full meaning in action. May the God who has blessed each of us richly, give us the good sense(s) to appreciate all that has been done for us in Jesus Christ, the Master who makes us well. Amen. But the theme for this season being developed by the Stewardship Team is really less a noun and more a verb. Gratitude, in other words, is not just a “thing” we experience. Rather, gratitude is something that we do, express, live. Gratitude is a way of life. Sincerely, Lori A. Cornell Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it. - Hebrews 13:1-2
For the past four Sundays in worship we have been encountering the wisdom of the Letter to the Hebrews. It has been a journey through our corporate faith history: a history that spans back to the beginning of God’s creation, from Abraham and his posterity, Moses, the prophets, through Jesus—the pioneer and perfecter of the faith, our high priest, king, and the only intermediary we need. The letter is thought to be the preaching of a second-generation Christian (possibly in Italy), who sees the shaky faith of his community, and seeks to give them words of warning and encouragement. The final words of this letter that we encounter have to do with hospitality. The words are a not-so-veiled reference to the story of Abraham and Sarah receiving the company of God’s angels in Genesis 18. I love that this passage is spoken in our ears on Sunday, September 1. Just when the church is gearing up to enter a new season of learning and worship, we collectively are invited to think not only about ourselves and our personal faith, but to welcome others into this legacy of grace — where Christ has built for us an unshakeable kingdom. So how can we accomplish this welcome at Calvary? I’m sure there are a thousand answers to that question, but a few occur to me that fit right in with the priorities we have established in our long-range plan.
In Christ, Lori A. Cornell But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it. –1 Corinthians 12:24-26 I beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
–Ephesians 4:1-3 May is the month in which our new Council will begin to review the 2020 Long-Range Plan, to determine what next steps we will take to continue to grow in our life together at Calvary. Many ministry tasks remain on our To-Do List, from developing new ministries to renovating building space. But before we do any heavy lifting—before we take on any new responsibilities—this may be a good time for a checkup: How are we doing in our life together? How is our “body”—our health as a church? When athletes enter a new season of play they are expected to go through a physical examination to establish a baseline for their health, and verify their fitness for play. So let’s take a look at ourselves. In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians (quoted above), he says that a “healthy body” is a church in which people practice empathy: when one person is in pain other members hurt with him, when someone is honored others rejoice with her. Members of a healthy body see each other’s challenges and joys and say, “I am with you.” But in order to practice this empathy, we also need to allow people room to be vulnerable enough to say when they are suffering, and enough latitude to divulge when they have something to be grateful for. This is what a healthy body looks like. So how are we doing? Paul takes this practice of empathy so seriously that he calls each of us to give greater honor to the “inferior” members of the body. Paul doesn’t name who is inferior, he simply puts the onus on each of us to behave with care so that the body of the church is working together, not being fractured. To act with care we serve each other—whether we are Council members or churchyard gardeners, janitors or doctors, mechanics or on disability, we are called to serve each other with equal compassion. Our calling is not to “step on toes,” but to wash feet. So how are we doing? In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul has more to say about what a healthy body of Christ looks like. Being the body together, he says, involves each of us practicing humility, gentleness, and patience. Acting humbly is related also to what Paul said earlier in 1 Corinthians: None of us should think that we are more important, or more essential to the body of Christ than another; in fact, we should measure our importance based on whether we treat other members with dignity and respect. For instance, are we more intent on being heard than listening? Do we ask questions of others only so we can have our own convictions heard? Or do we engage our brothers and sisters—asking, “How are you?”—with the actual purpose of listening to their honest (perhaps even uncomfortable) response? Gentleness and patience are a part of that humility, because as we behave gently and with patience we tell our neighbor that we are as concerned for their welfare as our own. So how are we doing? As pastor of this congregation, I can tell you that newcomers to this congregation perceive this congregation to be a friendly and welcoming place to worship. That is great feedback to hear—and all too rare in some people’s experience of going to a new church. And I can share my personal impression that we are a pretty healthy congregation, but that we can always improve. But here is the truth about examining the body of Christ, as a whole: The only way this question, “How are we doing?,” can be answered thoroughly is for each of us to examine our own personal behaviors and motivations as we come together as a body at Calvary. In other words, the real question I am asking you to seriously and prayerfully consider is, “How am I doing at contributing to the health of the body of Christ?” So in this season when we are getting ready to do some “heavy lifting,” and take up new ministry responsibilities, I implore you (as Paul begged the Ephesians) to “lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called”: Spend some time reflecting on and praying about how you can be a more humble, patient, kind, and caring member of this body—for the sake of the least among us, and for the sake of encouraging the healthy ministry that we all want to do. Our “body” health will not only attract others to join us in faith, it will encourage those newcomers to be healthy members of the body also. Your sister in Christ, Pastor Lori Cornell |
Rev. Lori A. Cornell
Calvary's Pastor Jake Schumacher
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