In his ministry, Jesus frequently took time away from his busy schedule of preaching, teaching and healing. He sought out quiet time when he could be alone with his heavenly Father to reflect, think and pray (see Mark 1:35-39 ESV - Jesus Preaches in Galilee - And rising - Bible Gateway).  In Mark 6:30-34 ESV - Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand - The - Bible Gateway we read these words about Jesus, who said to his disciples: “’Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.’ For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.” I think those same words could describe our own lives today. We tend to be so busy, trying to get all the things done on our to-do list, rushing here and there, that we meet ourselves coming and going. With our smart phones and watches, we tend to stay connected 24/7 wherever we are, even when we’re on vacation. Frequently, we have “no leisure even to eat,” and so life can become very hectic and overwhelming. Sound familiar?

For many, the summer months afford us the opportunity to “come away to a desolate place… and rest a while.” Taking time out to be renewed and refreshed is not just nice, it’s necessary for health and well-being. The demands of work, home and family can at times make us feel like we’re in a vice. The pressure just continues to increase. Especially in the high-stress area in which we live, where traffic and congestion can and does lead to road rage, it is critical to get away in order to rest.

The Third Commandment is all about doing just this: “Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy.” Based on God’s resting after his work of creation (see Genesis 2:2-3), this commandment is a reminder to us that our Lord invites us to step away from our work so that we might be re-created. In fact, the word “recreation” is a union of two words: “re,” which means to “do over,” or “repeat,” and “create,” which is “to bring into being.” God, who has brought us into being, desires that we be re-created through rest and relaxation on a regular basis. “All work and no play makes Johnny a dull boy,” so goes the old saying. Actually, it makes Johnny and each one of us not just dull, but irritable, exhausted, unable to focus and enjoy God’s gift of life.

The purpose of the sabbath (שַׁבָּת in Hebrew, meaning “to rest” or “to cease”) was to provide God’s people with an opportunity to rest as well as worship. This was to be a reminder to them that in their enslavement in Egypt, there was no day of rest. Slaves do not enjoy such a privilege. With the Exodus event, God’s people were set free and were commanded to observe this day of rest. Martin Luther, in his Small Catechism, explains the Third Commandment in this way: “We should fear and love God so that we do not despise preaching and his Word, but hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it.” Interestingly, Luther makes no mention at all of resting, but only of worship. The twin concepts of rest and worship are at the heart of the Third Commandment. In our high tech world where we can be glued to our screens for hours on end, rest and worship are needed now more than ever by our society today.

Sometimes we’re able to carve out time to get away from things and enjoy a vacation. At other times, that doesn’t work out. When we aren’t able to physically get away and a vacation proves elusive, what then? Do we just keep slogging our way through daily challenges without reprieve? God knew what He was doing in giving to His people the sabbath. That weekly cycle of resting and ceasing from our labors is necessary for life. We are human beings, not machines. God has created us for work and for rest; for fellowship with Him and with one another. If not a vacation, what does a staycation look like? How can just staying local renew and refresh your spirit? What is it that will feed and replenish your spirit?

In these days of summer, whether you are able to get away or just be at home, I encourage you to reflect on the words of Jesus in another part of Scripture: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:28-30). Our Lord Jesus Christ invites us to find our rest in him. May it be so with you.

Over the years, I have thought a lot about what this woman said to me. Again and again, I have drawn upon this valuable life lesson that she taught me. I have come to understand that most of us are not gracious receivers. Most of us want to be the givers, not the receivers, in life. We want to be the ones who are providing help and assistance. We don’t want to be ones who are on the receiving end of that help and assistance. We don’t want to be beholden to others. And so we struggle with receiving, which is insight into why we struggle with the concept of grace – undeserved love and forgiveness. There is something about our human condition that rebels against the idea that we can get something for nothing. The world doesn’t work that way, we know. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. “There’s no free lunch,” as P.T. Barnum famously said. All of this extends into the spiritual realm as well.

For Lutheran Christians, the concept of grace is central to our theology, as the reformer, Martin Luther, made abundantly clear in his speaking and writing. Paul the apostle’s words in Ephesians 2:8-9 serve to anchor our preaching and teaching and living: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” There it is, clear as day. Why is it, then, that so many struggle with grace; accepting this and receiving it for the gift from God that it is? Many will mistakenly say that God’s grace must be earned; that it is our own good works which make us deserving of God’s grace. Nothing could be further from the truth. Without question, grace is the hallmark of the Christian faith. It is what distinguishes Christianity from every other world religion. There is nothing within us that merits or deserves God’s grace and favor. If anything, it is the opposite. There is everything within us that merits and deserves God’s righteous anger and condemnation because of our stubborn pride, our sin and disobedience; the evil we have done and the good we have failed to do. And yet, despite our faithlessness, God is faithful. Again and again the Word of God reminds us of this blessed truth: “The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love” (Psalm 103:8). God’s mercy and grace are chiefly known in the sending of God’s own Son, Jesus. Through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, we have been reconciled to God. Through the blood-bought redemption of Jesus, God is at peace with us. In life and in faith, we are called to be gracious receivers.

All of this comes about through the guidance and influence of the Holy Spirit, who “has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the truth faith,” as Luther writes in his explanation of the Third Article of the Apostles’ Creed. This isn’t an overnight process. It takes a lifetime for the child of God to grow into the truth of what it means to be a gracious receiver. I’m still growing into this, and so are you. And so what does it mean to be a gracious receiver? What does this look like? The verse which follows Ephesians 2:8-9 is very helpful here. Ephesians 2:10 says this: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” The original word for “workmanship” (ποίημα) also means “work of art,” “masterpiece.” Beautiful! Through the redeeming blood of Jesus shed on the cross for us, this is who and what we are in God’s eyes: a thing of beauty; a work of art; a masterpiece. Not only that, but this verse from Scripture reminds us that God has prepared good works for us to do. This isn’t happenstance or just some afterthought. No, indeed – “God prepared beforehand” that we should walk in them. These good works become our response as gracious receivers to all that God in Christ has done for us. Among Luther’s many quotable quotes is this: “God doesn’t need your good works, but your neighbor does.” So true! To see Christ in our neighbor and be Christ to our neighbor is the response God is looking for in each of our lives; not because we have to, but because we want to. We are moved to love and serve others as God in Christ has loved and served us. The vertical dimension of our faith (from God to us) must make itself known in the horizontal dimension of our faith (from us to others). This means both giving as well as receiving.

There will be seasons in life when we are blessed to be gracious givers, extending works of love to others in Jesus’ Name. But there will also be seasons in life when we are blessed to be gracious receivers as others minister to us. It’s not either/or, but both/and. Over this summer season, when we enter into the long “green season,” the non-festival half of the church year, the focus is on responding to the amazing grace of what God in Christ has done for us: his birth and life and ministry; his innocent suffering and death upon the cross; his glorious resurrection and ascension into heaven, and the sending of the Holy Spirit. Green is the color of life and growth in the natural world around us, and we see that especially in these long summer days. May you be blessed to be both a gracious receiver and a gracious giver.

It didn’t really dawn on me until the last several years that God’s work of redemption in his Son, Jesus, wasn’t just about me. Yes, Jesus suffered, died and rose again “for us and for our salvation,” like we confess in the Creed. I got it that Jesus did this for people because God desires all people to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4). But it never really got through to me that God’s plan was much bigger than this and that Jesus’ work of redemption was for the whole of creation – not just people, but everything God has made. Since Adam and Eve’s fall into sin, all of creation has been under God’s curse (Genesis 3), and as Paul the apostle writes: “For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pain of childbirth until now” (Romans 9:19-22). Not just people, but all creation is in need of redemption and renewal! This is exactly what Jesus came to do and has done through his atoning death upon the cross by which he paid the penalty for our sin. Because of what Jesus has done, the curse has been lifted! We have been set free, and we – together with all living things – are now part of a new creation.

It is fitting that Easter falls in springtime (at least in the northern hemisphere). As we celebrate Christ’s victory over death and the grave, this occurs with the rebirth of the landscape around us. And as we once again enjoy the beauty of the outdoors, here is a call for the redeemed people of Christ to take seriously our calling to care for God’s creation. As Dr. Charles Arand wrote in his article, Caring for God’s Groaning Earth: “The renewal of creation began with Christ, continues with us, and finds completion when the entire creation is renewed. As new creatures raised with Christ, we have been set free from the need to possess the earth for our self-aggrandizement, and free to recover our place within creation as those whom God created to live in a unique relationship with him and with our fellow creatures” (Concordia Journal/Summer 2010, p. 226).

You may ask, “But what can I do?” The renewal of God’s creation is measured in small, faithful steps in daily life. Things like wise energy consumption, careful water use, planting a garden, living more simply, being mindful of the beauty of what God has made, thinking and planning for future generations – these are but a few things that each of us can do. And as we do these things, we serve as stewards in managing faithfully the work of God’s hands. My congregation’s Community Garden began last year, and is continuing on again this year. We’ve even expanded the size of the garden and added additional planting beds! This outgrowth from my 2023 sabbatical in exploring stewardship of God’s creation has found its place among like-minded fellow believers. They have caught the vision of how much good can come about through planting a garden, sharing the produce grown in it with our neighbors in need.

As we manage God’s good earth, my congregation is striving to manage wisely its physical plant and facilities. For two years now, we have been moving forward with plans to do much-needed renovations and updates, as well as some modest expansion. Now, we are preparing for an important hearing before the county’s Board of Zoning Appeals on May 13 in order to get approval to do this renovation and expansion. We have been working closely with architects, civil engineers, land use attorneys, as well as county staff. We have reached out to neighboring homeowners and civic associations around us, alerting them to our plans and soliciting their support. We are praying that the Lord would grant a favorable outcome from our hearing on May 13 so that this project can move ahead. If you are reading this, I would ask for your prayers as well.

From our perspective, the renewal of all creation sounds daunting; perhaps impossible. But I take heart from what Paul the apostle writes in his letter to the Ephesians:

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21).

“Far more abundantly than all that we ask or think.” That should give us hope. So when we say to one another in this Easter season, “Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!”, remember and rejoice that this is good news for all of creation.

On that first Easter evening, the disciples of Jesus were huddled together behind doors that were closed and locked. They had been rocked to their core with the arrest and death by crucifixion of their beloved Teacher, Jesus of Nazareth. They were likely also more than a little ashamed that they had turned tail and run away when Jesus was arrested.  They were fearful that they might suffer the same fate as Jesus did, since they were His disciples. But then it was reported that Jesus was not in the grave; it was empty. What was going on? Confusion and uncertainty were everywhere. And then, Jesus himself appeared among them behind doors that were closed and locked. And then, most surprising of all, the first word out of Jesus’ mouth to His confused and uncertain followers was this: “Peace be with you.” Without a doubt, they were not expecting this! If anything, they were expecting to be upbraided by Jesus for abandoning Him in His hour of need. Jesus demonstrates that it really is He himself by showing them the wounds He suffered on the cross. He showed them His hands and sides, and after this? “Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.” The uncertain reports didn’t convince them. The empty tomb didn’t prove that Jesus was risen from the dead. It was seeing Him and recognizing, even in His resurrected body, the wounds which He suffered – that is what convinced them. That’s the evidence that they needed to believe that Jesus really and truly was alive; that He had risen from the dead.

One problem here, though: one of the disciples was missing. Thomas, called the Twin, was not there with the others on that first Easter evening. Did he experience FOMO? You know, “fear of missing out,” which can be a very real thing in our lives. Whatever he may have felt, Thomas missed out on this incredible experience of seeing the crucified and risen Christ. He wanted that same evidence that the other disciples had received: “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” Thomas drew his line in the sand, so to speak, and refused to believe that Christ is risen; risen indeed. He required that Easter evidence for himself. What’s the old phrase? “Be careful what you wish for, you might just get it.” So it was with Thomas, because eight days later the disciples were all together once again, and this time, Thomas was with them. As before, the risen Christ appears in their midst, and just as before, He again speaks a word of blessing to them: “Peace be with you.” And then He speaks directly to Thomas: “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas got his Easter evidence.

Curiously, Scripture does not actually tell us whether Thomas did as Jesus commanded. We only read that Thomas replied to Jesus: “My Lord and my God!” So, did Thomas put his fingers into the nail wounds of Jesus’ hands, and put his hand into the spear wound of Jesus’ side? The classic painting by the Italian Baroque master, Caravaggio (1571-1610), “The Incredulity of Saint Thomas” (see below), portrays Thomas doing this very thing. Whether he did or didn’t, the result is that Thomas no longer doubted, but believed that Jesus had risen from the dead. He now believed with his whole heart and mind and strength in the risen Christ. Tradition tells us that Thomas would later travel all the way to India to proclaim the good news of Jesus, and die a martyr’s death there for the sake of the Gospel. The evidence of Easter that Thomas so desired transformed his life.

Sometimes in our own lives, we want what Thomas wanted. We long to see with our own eyes the risen Savior. We long to see the mark of the nails and the spear. We long to hear with our own ears the same words of Jesus that Thomas and the other disciples heard: “Peace be with you.” But Jesus had this to say about the evidence of Easter that Thomas thought he needed: “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” You and I are among those who have not seen, and yet believe.

What is the evidence of Easter that you need in your life today? We have celebrated our Lord’s victory over sin, death, and the grave with great rejoicing on Easter Sunday, but is there still a bit of doubting Thomas lurking in the shadows of our lives? Clarence Jordan (1912-1969) was an American Baptist preacher and founder of Koinonia Farm, a place where contemporary Christians sought to live out the life modeled by the first Christians to serve God and God’s people. This is what Rev. Jordan wrote about the evidence of Easter:

So on the morning of the resurrection, God put life in the present tense, not in the future. He gave us not a promise, but a presence. Not a hope for the future, but power for the present. Not so much the assurance that we shall live someday, but that he is risen today. Jesus’ resurrection is not to convince the incredulous, nor to reassure the faithful, but to enkindle the believers. The proof that God raised Jesus from the dead is not the empty tomb, but the full hearts of his transformed disciples. The crowning evidence that he lives is not a vacant grave, but a Spirit-filled fellowship. Not a rolled-away stone, but a carried-away church. We are the evidence of the resurrection. Look at what he has done to us and is doing through us (Bread and Wine: Readings for Lent and Easter. Walden, NY: Plough Publishing House, 2005; pp. 264-265).

“We are the evidence of the resurrection.” Amen!

The season of Lent is a period of forty days, not including Sundays. This 40-day period prepares us for the coming joy of celebrating Christ’s resurrection on Easter Sunday, which is the high festival of the entire year for Christians. This year, the date for Easter is Sunday, April 5. During the Lenten season, Christians are encouraged to refrain from rich foods and eat sparingly – “eat simply so others may simply eat.” Many choose the Lenten season to practice special acts of charity, or works of love. In place of going to the movies or other entertainment, many choose to focus on the needs of others.  Using time and money that would be spent on oneself, these resources are now directed outward to the hungry, the homeless and others who are in need. It is a traditional Lenten discipline to voluntarily give up something that is near and dear to us — a particular food or an enjoyable hobby. Simplifying our lives is something that many people are seeking today, understanding anew the truth that less is more.  As Christ freely offered himself as the sacrifice for our sins, we are motivated to freely offer all that we are and have for his purposes.

Here are some ideas of things that can bolster faith during the Lenten season:

Prayer and Worship

• Pray before meals whether at home or away.
• Take time for daily devotions. Special Lenten devotions are available at Lent - Lutheran Hour Ministries, and Portals of Prayer are always appropriate. Daily Scripture readings are also provided in Lutheran Service Book (see “Daily Lectionary” on pages 299ff.).
• Attend worship services at church. Special midweek Lenten service are held on Wednesdays at 12 noon. If you are unable to attend in person, these services are livestreamed and you can watch and worship later on at www.sjlc.com/live. Discover what is different in worship during the Lenten season.
• Make time in your daily schedule to turn off all the noise and spend quiet time with God. Your Lenten fasting might be fasting from social media and screentime.
• Discover the rich treasury of prayer resources through “Daily Prayer” found in Lutheran Service Book beginning on p. 294. The traditional prayer times of morning, noon and evening, as well as the close of day, are found here and can be done alone or with others.

Service

• Make a commitment to do something for someone else each day. It doesn’t have to be something grand or glorious. Simple acts of kindness can be a great blessing.
• Volunteer to serve the poor through a local ministry. In my own area, that would be Food Pantry And Clothing Closet, Emergency Financial Aid With Counseling - The Koinonia Foundation, Inc. - Alexandria, Va. Take a bag of groceries to a homeless shelter. Donate canned goods. Many are struggling with putting food on the table. Remember that little is much in the hands of Jesus.
• Help an elderly neighbor with tasks that are difficult for them to do. Find out who your neighbors are and how you can help them. Be Christ to your neighbor and see Christ in your neighbor.
• Research new ways to serve in the community around you. Many not-for-profit organizations are looking for people who want to serve!
• Make a monetary donation to a service organization. Consider supporting those serving in mission work state-side or overseas. For ideas, please consult the website of LCMS World Mission: www.lcmsworldmission.org
• Cook a meal for someone who is ill, grieving, or overwhelmed with life.

Christian Education

• Make a commitment to read part of the Bible each day. Read a psalm, read the parables of Jesus, or start reading that part of the Bible you’ve always wanted to understand better. Involve yourself in Christian learning opportunities. Lenten small groups are forming in my own congregation and a new Sunday morning Bible study is underway. Contact the church office if you’re interested (office@sjlc.com).
• Read all or part of a story from the Bible each evening.
• Talk to your children about what they’re learning in Sunday Morning Children’s Ministry. Talk to them about what you’re learning in your own class.
• Obtain a book of devotions, read them, and allow for quiet time afterward to reflect on the devotion.
• Talk to one another about who Jesus is and what he means for our lives today. Read (or re-read) Joining Jesus On His Mission, by Greg Finke, and discover the five mission practices and their attending questions for everyday discipleship.

Other Spiritual Disciplines

• Try fasting or eating a very light meal once a week during Lent. Friday is a good day in honor of the day on which Jesus gave his life on the cross. Complete fasting (abstaining from all food) is sometimes difficult for people, but don’t be put off by this. Fasting can take many forms. Consider meatless meals on Wednesdays and/or Fridays (traditional days of Christian fasting), or eating less at all meals. How about skipping desserts for the whole of Lent, or giving up a favorite food for the Lenten season — whatever would be a true sacrifice for you. Donate the money saved to an organization that provides food for those in need.
• Forgive someone for something small. Forgive someone for something big. Forgive yourself.
• Meditate on where God may be calling you in your own spiritual journey and in your service to others.
• Give up anxiety and other destructive behaviors. Trust in the Lord that He will give you what you need.
• Go on a nature walk once each week and marvel at the handiwork of God’s creation. Watch for changes in the natural world that unfold before your eyes. Observe signs of the coming spring, and realize that these signs point us to the new life we have through Jesus’ death and resurrection.

When all is said and done, Lent is not what we can do for God. Rather, Lent helps us to realize anew how much God in Christ has done for us. Lent calls us to consider again the great cost which Jesus willingly paid for our salvation; giving his very life for us on the tree of the cross. Whatever your Lenten observance might look like, may it do three things: honor Christ, bless your neighbor, and strengthen your faith.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1-2).

In these winter days, I am thinking ahead to the days of spring. I have Easter Vigil on my mind. This beautiful worship service, which bridges the darkness of Good Friday with the brightness and joy of Easter Sunday, begins outdoors with lighting the new fire of Easter. Then the whole congregation - carrying lighted candles – processes into the darkened sanctuary. As we move along, the cantor who is carrying the large Paschal candle stops several times and chants, “The light of Christ!”, and we all respond by singing, “Thanks be to God!” This is what’s ahead of us in early April at the close of the Lenten season and the end of Holy Week.

In the Gospel lesson for one of the Sundays in February, Jesus tells us: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16). So, in a very real sense we are the light of Christ! That’s pretty exciting stuff. Do people around us, when they see our good works done in Jesus’ Name and for his glory, sing out (like that Easter Vigil procession), “Thanks be to God?” Whether they do or not, we can rejoice knowing that the light of Christ is shining in us and through us. We don’t take credit for this, of course. It’s not our own doing, but the work of the Holy Spirit who “has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, sanctified and kept me in the one true faith,” as Luther puts it in his Explanation of the Third Article of the Creed (Luther’s Small Catechism by Dr. Martin Luther). We are not the source of this light; we merely reflect it in our words and actions. The source of the light that we reflect comes from the One who said this: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). Jesus is the Light of the world.

Day by day, the light of Christ shines brightly out through our individuals lives and our life as a congregation to the world around us. Here are just a few examples:

• English as a Second Language Classes – Did you know that in the Fall 2025 ESL session, there were some 150 adult English learners in both online as well as in-person classes? Spring 2026 classes will begin on February 10, and you can let your light shine by serving as an ESL teacher. Training is provided. Go to St. John's Lutheran Church: Alexandria, VA > English Classes to learn more.

• Helping Others – On the first Sunday of each month, we have what we call “Share Sunday.” This is an ingathering of non-perishable food supplies for Koinonia, our local Food Pantry And Clothing Closet, Emergency Financial Aid With Counseling - The Koinonia Foundation, inc. - Alexandria, Va. But, we are also collecting gently used men’s casual clothing for Koinonia, as well as new underwear for men, women and children that will benefit New Hope Housing - Northern Virginia- Solutions for homelessness. Our annual Super Bowl of Caring helps support agencies that address hunger needs in our community (What is Souper Bowl of Caring — Tackle Hunger: Home of the Souper Bowl of Caring). Thank you to everyone for letting your light shine and for your generous support in helping others!

• Renovation and Expansion Plans – Our plans for renovation and expansion of church facilities are in process. Our zoning amendment application is being reviewed at the Fairfax County zoning office. Our consultants are hopeful we can keep our current parking lot configuration so as not to have to do any further expansion of the project’s scope. They believe the current parking lot is sufficient to handle our needs and was approved many years ago by the County. They also believe the small increase in our building footprint should not require any extra water runoff retention issues. We continue to hope for a springtime zoning hearing so as to move forward with construction permitting and ultimately to collect bids for the work itself. Meanwhile, we remain in contact with our lender to make sure we are ready to provide financial information when it becomes time to set up our loan from the Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF). We give thanks to God for the leadership of our planning team overseeing this project. The overall goal of this project is to help St. John’s shine the light of Christ more brightly into our community.

• Search Process for New ECEC Director – One of the signature ministries of St. John’s is our Early Childhood Education Center (ECEC), which has been shining the light and love of Jesus into the lives of children and families of our congregation and community for more than 40 years. Amanda Parks, our current ECEC Director, has announced that she will be leaving her position here as her family relocates to her native Pennsylvania in mid to late-summer. We are so grateful for Amanda’s leadership, and wish her and her family every good thing from the Lord’s hand. Under the leadership of our ECEC Board of Operations, we are now moving into a search process for a new Director. We are trusting that the Lord will raise up the right person with the right gifts at the right time. I ask for your prayers for wisdom and guidance from the Lord to lead us in this very important work.

In all of this and more, the focus is not on ourselves, but on Jesus the Light of the world. In every season, in every situation and setting, may this Light shine in us and through us.

At the start of the new year, lots of people make resolutions to get more exercise, eat more healthy meals, live a more balanced life, etc. All of these are good things, of course, but the challenge is to keep up with the resolutions that we make, sustaining these for the long haul. I did a little research on what percentage of people actually keep their New Year’s resolutions. As you might guess, it’s not good. Only 9% of people actually keep their resolutions throughout the entire year (3 Proven Strategies for Sticking to New Year’s Resolutions | Psychology Today). An even more telling statistic is that 88% of people give up on their resolutions after just two weeks, leading to what is now called “Quitter’s Day” (Still keeping your New Year's resolution? Most have already given up, studies show | FOX 13 Tampa Bay). Ouch – that hurts.

Within this last year, my wife has retired from her career as an educator. Since then, ‘tis the season to go through drawers, closets, and boxes throughout the house, all of which needs to be done without question. The purpose here is to sift through all of the accumulated stuff from many years and discard what is no longer needed. I come from a long line of packrats, so this whole undertaking makes me a little jittery. Because I have expressed concern about what might get thrown away, the gentle threat has been made to go through my boxes and files when I’m not around. Yikes! When it comes to decluttering, organizing and resetting things like this, there are typically three categories: toss, donate, and keep. Some of the accumulated stuff is junk, pure and simple. It’s not worth keeping, and it’s certainly not anything that anyone else would want, so that stuff goes in the trash. Other things that are unwanted but still in usable condition can be donated to charitable organizations. And then there is the third category: things that you choose to hold onto for a variety of reasons. This whole process has helped me realize how much stuff we carry around with us in life. Often, we don’t even remember what we have squirreled away in boxes and storage bins. Out of sight, out of mind. If we don’t even know that we have it, will we miss it if it’s gone? Probably not. And yet the packrat within me cries out: “But I might need that stuff someday!” Sigh… how hard it can be to give up our stuff.

Is there a spiritual dimension to all of this? I believe there is. How much accumulated “stuff” do we carry around with us – stuff that is not life-giving, but in fact is detrimental to life and faith? Things like old grievances and grudges that we just can’t seem to let go of. Guilt from something we did (or didn’t do) that comes back to haunt us. Fear of failure that holds us back from exploring new pathways and opportunities to connect with others and be a blessing in life. Being so overly busy that there is no time to reclaim all that God in Christ has done for us, and so remaining stagnant in faith. So much junk in our life that needs to be thrown out. And what better time to do this than right now at the start of a new year? In some cultures, on New Year’s Eve people throw out things they want to get rid of, pitching these into a big pile that is then set on fire! A neighborhood bonfire, if you will, to symbolically burn up painful reminders of all the junk in life that we need to get rid of so that we can move forward.

‘Tis the season for fresh starts, in life and in faith. The good news of great joy that is the birth of Jesus is not limited just to the Christmas season. We need that good news throughout the entire year. God’s gift of his own Son is that fresh start that gives new life to the world. Jesus entered into our broken world and our broken lives to be Immanuel, God-with-us (Isaiah 7:14 and Matthew 1:22-23). Jesus became one of us in every respect, except for sin. He knows full well all of the ups and downs, the joys and sorrows, the exhilaration and exhaustion, of what it means to be human. He understands what we go through and experience because he himself has gone through it and experienced it. We have a God who gets it, and that is enormously comforting to us who struggle with resolutions and who find it hard to get rid of stuff. Jesus invites us to come to him in all of our need; to seek his face and call upon his Name, trusting in the gift of his saving love. He promises to give life that is full and abundant (John 10:10), and peace which passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7).

May this New Year bring with it blessings in abundance from the hand of the Lord.

It’s that time of year when we love to watch all those holiday movies. What’s your favorite? Hmm… hard to pick just one as there are so many to choose from! There’s “It’s a Wonderful Life” (from 1946!), and “A Christmas Story” (with Ralphie and his dream gift of a Red Ryder Carbine-action 200-shot Range Model Air Rifle). What about “Elf” and “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”? Or “The Polar Express,” or “Christmas Vacation,” or “The Nativity Story”? And, of course, there is the classic 1965 “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” with its wonderful music that is still so popular after all these years.

You know the story here: Charlie Brown can’t figure out why he’s not happy at Christmas time. With all of the decorations, caroling, and gift giving, he knows he should be happy, but he’s not. So he decides to visit his psychiatrist, Lucy van Pelt, who begins to analyze him, trying to help him figure out what he’s afraid of and what it is that keeps him from being happy. After a lot of back and forth, Lucy asks Charlie Brown if he has pantophobia, the fear of everything. And he shouts, “That’s it!” Maybe there’s something of Charlie Brown in each one of us. What are you afraid of? Sometimes we’re rather embarrassed to admit the things that we are afraid of because they may seem rather childish or silly, but still we’re afraid. It may be shots and needles, going to the dentist, standing up in front of people, public speaking, or a host of other things that make us fearful. The truth is that whatever our age, there are things in life that make us afraid. The Christmas message is all about God breaking into our world and our lives in the person of his own Son, Jesus. In Jesus, God himself confronts our deepest fears and our greatest need. 

Throughout the Christmas story, we hear those words: “Do not be afraid.” They crop up at different points in the Gospels, but they are there. When the angel Gabriel visited Mary, telling her that she would be the mother of Jesus, Son of the Most High God, we read that “Mary was greatly troubled at his words” (Luke 1:29). In other words, Mary was afraid. And who wouldn’t be? Being visited by an angel of God would make any one of us fearful. In Scripture, that is always the reaction of humans when visited by an angel of God. But the angel said to Mary: “Do not be afraid…” (Luke 1:30). When Joseph learned that his fiancé was pregnant and the child was not his, he planned to break off his betrothal (a legally binding arrangement far different than engagement) to Mary and call off the wedding, not publicly, but privately, for Mary’s sake. We read in Scripture: “But after he considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife’” (Matthew 1:20). In Luke’s account of the birth of Jesus, as the angel brought this good news to shepherds who were out in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks by night, we are told: “An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid’” (Luke 2:9-10). Mary, Joseph, shepherds—all of them were afraid. But the message to all of them was the same: “Do not be afraid.”

The Lord speaks these same words to us today: “Do not be afraid.” In the midst of a world that looks and feels like it’s spinning out of control, our fears may be ratcheting ever upward. Our world today may look very much like the world when Jesus was born: suspicion and distrust of those who differ from us; increasing “tribalism” in our culture that further divides people; instability and unrest; greed and exploitation; violence and bloodshed. But this is the world that Jesus entered into so that He might save and redeem it. This is the “good news of great joy that will be for all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11). We have a God who did not choose to remain lofty and removed from the fears of his people. No, we have a God who willingly chose to come into our broken and messed up world to become one of us in every respect, except for sin (Hebrews 4:15). This is Jesus, whose very Name means Savior, as the angel told Joseph: “He will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). This is Jesus for you.

Back to Charlie Brown: after he tries to direct the Christmas pageant and even that doesn’t go well, he cries out in frustration: “Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?” And his good friend, Linus, steps up and tells him (and all of us) what Christmas is really all about. Linus tells the Christmas story from Luke 2 about the birth of Jesus. There are lots of people like Charlie Brown who are all around us. They, too, are afraid of a great many things in life. They, too, want to know what Christmas is all about. If ever there was a time of year when people are open to hearing this good news of great joy, this is it! Now in this month of December, be ready to point people to the Christ of Christmas. Be ready to invite people who are hungry for Jesus (but may not even know it) to come with you to worship at Christmas. Be ready, like Linus, to share that good news of great joy that is for all the people.

In the midst of all that is going on in the life of our nation, the people of Christ are called to focus on different things. Of course, Christ’s people also live in and participate fully in the life of our nation with things like Election Day and Thanksgiving. But we also understand that as the Body of Christ, we are knit together with fellow believers in a wonderful and mysterious way that transcends not only borders and boundaries, but time itself. The bookend festivals of All Saints and Christ the King in this month of November remind us of this truth. We worship and serve as risen, reigning and returning Lord Jesus Christ who has made us his own. He has done this by cleansing us from our sin through his own suffering and death upon the cross. Together with the whole Church on earth and in heaven, we are all the saints. In confident faith, we look forward to that great and final day when Christ our King will come again to judge the world in righteousness and make all things new.

Thinking about all of these things, I want to share something that I recently read in my own devotions. It speaks to the communion of saints, of which we are a part, by the grace of God. It was written by a Presbyterian minister, John A. Ross, who served as Dean of St. Andrew’s Hall on the campus of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.

When I stand shoulder to shoulder with Christians, all declaring our common faith in the words of the Apostles’ Creed, something very deep stirs within me. I feel like a tree out in the great forest, surrounded by other trees all reaching up together from the same ground, all swept by the same wind, all steadily voicing the same ageless sounds that swaying trees have always made. Long long ago, those about to be received into the Church affirmed their faith even as we do now. Wherever people meet in the name of Christ throughout the world, the Apostles’ Creed, like the Lord’s Prayer, is quite in order. This creed joins me to the whole Church up through the centuries and across the continents and seas. It expresses what Jesus Christ means to us all. This is the place where I meet my brothers in the Lord, even though we sometimes draw apart again all too soon. Although the legend is not true that each of the twelve apostles contributed one doctrine to make up the whole Apostles’ Creed, they would undoubtedly all have approved of this common core of faith.

The word “creed” comes from the Latin word, credo, which means “I believe.” When I say the creed I hold my head high, and my voice sounds out, firm and strong. This is indeed what I believe about the one in whom I believe… I don’t mumble the creed with mental reservations or leave out an occasional phrase. I’m always finding new significance for Jesus Christ in every word of it. It contains in outline form the whole message which the Church has to give to the world. It says at one burst what I want to tell everybody everywhere. I’m excited about this. It’s what I believe. It makes sense of the world and it gives meaning to my life. It makes my heart sing and I want to share it all.

I must not shrink from speaking up about things that could save our times from their stumbling futility. There’s no scarcity of bad news about the world these days, but who’s got some good news? Well, I for one, have some! If the creed is right – if I do know the one to whom this world really belongs and know how he intends it to run, and that has made adequate resources available for making the best-dreams-ever come true – I should speak up and say, “This I believe!” Dare I keep still while lives are going to pieces all around me? What sinister enemy so gags me that I can’t faithfully say the name of Jesus or express my trust in him in front of other people? When I join publicly in the creed, I defy that enemy. Really, though, it’s not too hard to speak out in Church where I have the safety of numbers. But does my faith lose its voice outside the Church? The Church is not in the world to be forever talking to itself. Its good news is for the whole world. Its creed is a creed for the whole world. No congregation can be fully sincere in merely reciting it without making some personal effort to pass it along to those unhappy mixed-up people who are all around us. The Apostles’ Creed is a creed for apostles – those whom Christ sends out (as found in For All the Saints: A Prayer Book For and By the Church, Volume II. Delhi, NY: The American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, 1995; pp. 997-999).

In Christ our King, together with all the saints, we are those whom Christ sends out in his Name to be light and salt for the world. We have good news of great joy to share with the world – news that makes an eternal difference. This I believe.

During the month of October, we will be exploring what this looks like in a 3-week series on Christian stewardship based on that passage of Scripture above from 1 Corinthians 10:31, and entitled “Whatever You Do.” Week by week, we will examine aspects of who God calls us to be as his consecrated stewards –  managers who are set apart for God’s special purposes. All of this is based on the appointed Gospel readings from Luke’s Gospel. The truth is, everything we are and have comes from God’s hand and through his gracious providing. It all belongs to God, and is just on loan to us for a time. We really can’t give anything to God that is not already his! If we’re looking at Sunday-only Christianity, then our stewardship takes on an Ebenezer Scrooge-like quality: miserly, tight-fisted, and stingy. God wants so much more for us!

All of life is stewardship – not just Sunday morning. Our work and leisure, our time and possessions, our talents and abilities, our relationships (family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc.), our education and money, our health and well-being, our food and drink – all of these are God’s gifts to us. How we make use of them becomes our offering that comes in response to all that God in Christ has done, and continues to do, for us. It is an offering rooted and grounded in love. As Paul writes elsewhere to the Corinthians: “He [Jesus] died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who for their sake died and was raised” (2 Corinthians 5:15).

The schedule for our 3-part stewardship series, “Whatever You Do,” is as follows:

• Sunday, October 12 – “A New Lease on Life” based on Luke 17:11-19
• Sunday, October 19 – “Holy Persistence” based on Luke 18:1-8
• Sunday, October 26 – “Free Indeed” based on John 8:31-36 (Reformation Sunday)

A chili cookoff will take place on Reformation Sunday, October 26, in the Fellowship Hall after the worship service. This fellowship event will bring our congregation together to cap off our stewardship series. Be thinking about your best chili recipe and bring that to share on October 26!

Christian stewardship seeks to help the people of God grow in their understanding and practice of managing God’s gifts in daily life. The goal is for God’s people to celebrate His gifts and grow in the joy of giving and serving. “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God,” Paul tells us. That’s what we’re aiming for in stewardship; that our whole life becomes an offering of thanks and praise to the Lord.