Ghost Tours

"All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit..." Acts 2

We were just in Gettysburg this past month, returning to the Seminary for my tenth year class reunion--and to visit our son and our daughter in law, who is a second year student. Living in or visiting Gettysburg are interesting things to do. There's a lot of history there--also a lot of hype and hoopla.

For instance, Ghost Tours. Evidently a local author has documented stories of restless souls roaming the battlefield and town--and even the seminary. He's written several books on the topic--and a Ghost Tour has even sprung up, visiting the haunted sites by lamp light.

I remember back in my time at the sem my friend and his family lived in one of the historic buildings there. Obviously influenced by the ghost industry in town, the children of the family told my friend they had seen a ghost in the basement. His reply was great. "The only ghost here is the Holy Ghost!"

I don't know why or when we got away from using the term Holy Ghost, but I'd like you to consider for a moment where in our lives together as Christians we might bring people on a Holy Ghost tour - a Spirit tour.


Maybe you'd stop in your Sunday School rooms, where the Spirit nurtures with the Word. Perhaps next you'd go to the font, where the Spirit is given in baptism. Then maybe you'd take visitors to the local food pantry, or homeless shelter--the Spirit sending us out into the word to do justice. Finally, you might take people outside to feel the breeze blowing--and tell them about the Spirit blowing where it will, leading in directions unforeseen!

A Holy Spirit tour of your church! I think it would be fun to do sometime. Not scary at all!

The Good News Comes in Many Forms

I think it was attributed to St. Francis. He told his followers, "Preach the gospel at all times. If necessary, use words." Meaning that our actions can be just as powerful witness to the love of Christ as our verbal witness.

Here in the Great White North, there's an organization--an offshoot of Lutheran Social Services--that gets donated cars, fixes them up and gives them to people who couldn't afford a vehicle otherwise. It's called Good News Garage, and its founder, Hal Colston (who I know from Synod Council) was interviewed by Tiki Barber on the Today Show yesterday.

It's worth a watch. So copy and paste this into your browser address bar, or go to Delicious Places to Visit (on the left--scroll down). And see for yourself the good that can be done when faith hope and love are activated in service!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/24482180#24482180

You Gotta Love a God

There go the ships to and fro, and Leviathan, which you made for the sport of it. --Psalm 104

Here's an interesting bible passage. Psalm 104 is a praise song, that wonders and marvels at God's creation and ongoing care of it. Also God's power in those acts. What I find interesting about this verse is that Leviathan (a sea monster-ish, whale-ish creature) is said to be made just for the "sport" of it. In other words, God made some creatures and things just for the sheer fun of doing so.

I get the picture of God chuckling and smiling fondly at newly created Leviathan. No rhyme or reason for such a big fish. Just because.

There's parts of my being that I think God created for the sport of it. Not as a joke, or on a dare--but just because. At least I can't figure out why! Why for example did God make my back itch when I can't reach to scratch it? And why did God give me such a droll sense of humor? No reason--no reason other than God could and did.

You gotta love a God who creates things for the pure joy and creative exercise he gets from it. It sounds like good fun! What can you create in your world "just for the sport of it?"

Me? I'm thinking Oreo Pizza!

LYO--NNEMA Style!

I went to the Northern New England Mission Area Lutheran Youth Organization lock in Saturday night. That's a mouthful--let me break it down.

First "Lutheran Youth Organization." That's a group to which all ELCA (that's our denomination abbreviation) Lutheran high school aged youth belong. It's run differently in various areas, and some places don't have the organization--even though they have the Lutheran Youth. This lock in was the first meeting of this particular area's LYO. A kick off--organizing the organization!

Northern New England. That's part of the ELCA New England "Synod" which is a cluster of churches grouped together for mission together and support of each other. The northern designation includes all of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont--as well as two churches in upstate New York near the Vt border.

Mission Area. That's a smaller band of churches in a specific context that work together on issues and projects that impact them locally, and work on global issues and projects from a grassroots level. The formation of a Youth Organization that serves such a huge geographical area will be a challenge. but it is exactly the contextual type of issue these groupings were meant to address.

Back to the lock in itself. It was remarkable mainly for its leadership in planning and carrying it off. Several youth did the lion's share of the job. Which means not only are they learning to be leaders in the church, but also that this will be a group that is totally youth-led, with adults serving only in a guidance capacity. This will truly be a gift to the church and her youth!

I left the lock in early to get back to Messiah for worship. But those who stayed had fun, learned about themselves and God, and started a new youth movement up her in the great white north!

God bless their continued work!!

May (scratch that) Ascension Day

Have you ever been to NYC—Manhattan I mean. Ever been? You know how you can tell the first time visitors to Manhattan? They’re the ones doing this (gawk upwards, point upwards, take picture upwards). Now, granted, the New York City skyscrapers are an awesome sight to behold. They’re captivating. But, as any native New Yorker would tell you—real life happens on street level.

There you see your pedestrians, your yellow cabs and buses, your food vendors, your shop windows, your various and sundry festivals and parades, and of course—your homeless people. Everyone and everything in a constant state of motion, surging at the cross walks, piling up around the entrances to the subway. It’s a river of humanity, flowing through the streets, nourishing the city with its life.

So, contrary to their first inclinations, tourists in Manhattan would get a better understanding of the city if they stopped looking up, and instead just looked around.

That’s what the angel says to the slack-jawed disciples as they stand on the mountain and watch Jesus slowly ascend into heaven—getting smaller and smaller, until the couldn’t even see him anymore—but couldn’t drag their eyes from the sight, either. “Men of Galilee, why are you looking up?” Jesus has gone to the Father. And he wants you to pick up where he left off. So look around. Assess the situation. Decide what needs to be done, figure out what needs to be said. And then do them and say them. Because life goes on down there, and you’ve got a job to do.

As do we. We are loved by a gracious God, who gave Jesus to take away our sin—we are free. And the promise of the resurrection has us dreaming of that one fine day, when tears will be no more, and sickness fade away, and strife end. We’re looking up to the great by and by. And that’s okay—for a while. But life happens at street level, and Jesus would want us to be there—not on the 100^th floor. So today, get your head out of the clouds. Look around with a Jesus eye. What can you do to tell that story? What can you do to point the way to Christ? And what can you learn from those whom you encounter—on the streets with Jesus?

Hawk or Dove?

"Le t God arise, and let God's enemies be scattered..
.let the wicked perish at the presence of God."
Psalm 68:1,2b

Remember the good old days of Saturday Night Live--with Belushi, Akroyd, et al? And Gilda! She was a comic genius! Remember the bit she did on the pseudo-news program they did. She'd start talking about something obviously mangled in vocabulary or syntax, and talk it into the ground before the anchor would correct her. To which she would reply to the camera, "Never mind!"

One of the mistaken issues she commented upon was "Violins on TV." She had much to say about squeaky notes and why not give other instruments a chance, etc. Then Akroyd tells her, "That's violence on TV, not violins."

That's kind of what I think when I read Psalms and other texts where God is described as a mighty warrior, scattering the enemies (and much worse) I want to be able to say, "That's violins in the Bible, not violence." But I can't - because the scriptures are full of violence. If the bible was a cable tv channel, I would think many of us would block big parts of it. (Sorry, Joshua--but the destruction of Jericho is just too gory for my children. I'm going to have to block you!)

But here's the real kicker. The psalms and other scriptures also praise God for his mercy, his steadfast love of Israel, and his overriding concern for those on the fringes of life. "Your people found their home in your goodness O God." (Ps 68:10a) "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time..." 1 Peter5:6

So this begs the question-is God a hawk or dove. A mighty warrior who routs his enemies by casting a holy terror upon them? Or is God a God of mercy and justice for all? The answer to this conundrum is, maddeningly, "yes."

Yes, God was experienced as a warrior God by the people of Israel in biblical times. The word of God reflects that experience and speaks to it as well. The world is a violent place, due to sin--and so God's truth is couched within that milieu. The power of God was depicted by the writers of the Old Testament, especially, as greater than what was known to be the greatest power on earth then - a mighty army. (Nowadays God's power is perhaps described more in the creative rather than destructive mode--power that created the vast universe.)

And yes, God's mercy is universal for those who respond to it, and God is a suffering God who knows our vulnerabilities and acts to alleviate them justly. God speaks in a new way through his Word--Jesus Christ. Not negating his power, but revealing that there is strength in weakness that goes beyond all military might--the power of redemption and reconciliation and resurrection!

So we are left as usual with a paradox. God is dangerously violent in response to the wickedness of the world. And God is merciful and kind to the needy. We can't ignore one in favor of the other. But we can say that the definitive revelation of who God is and what God is all about came through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. To know him is to know God ultimately. So, although I cringe at the violence in the bible, I understand that in the end, when it comes down to it all--God is good, powerfully gracious! And truth be told--scripture that avoided the evil and violence in the world would be like living in a bubble--safe but unreal.

Cue the violins! ...Never mind!

Are We There Yet?

The disciples asked him, "Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?" - Acts 1:6

I recently went on a trip to Gettysburg for a continuing education event and class reunion. It was fun--except for the long drive (8 hours). Kinda reminded me of our marathon trips up north from the Carolinas, back when I was a camp director. Those were not fun! Especially with Erik in the back seat chiming in regularly with that age old refrain, "Are we there yet?"

Basically that's what the disciples were asking Jesus, as he prepared to ascend to the Father. They had been traveling with Jesus for three years. Through good times and bad, over hill and dale. They'd heard much talk about the kingdom and its nearness. They were eager for it--longing for it. So they ask, "Are we there yet?"

Jesus reply is somewhat equal to "yes--and no." The kingdom has been restored to Israel because Jesus is here, and no, not yet because he's at the Father's right hand and hasn't yet returned. The kingdom is ours now, because Jesus' promise of it in the future is so sure and certain.

For us, this means several things. First and foremost--we are people of the kingdom--now and always. But there's always an element of being not quite there before the second coming--of falling short of the wonders of God's peaceable kingdom. There's always work to do to continue to reflect the glory of that promise and commission Jesus made at his ascension.

Are we there yet? Yes--Christ died for us. But is a way "the journey is our home." We are a peripatetic people, wandering Arimeans who seek understanding and speak gospel. We're not there yet-but we are.