Nothing can separate us

We've just finished conducting the memorial service for Nancy Bowden, a life-long member of St. John's whose services for baptism, first communion, confirmation, marriage, and now burial were all held in our sanctuary. 

There was something special about her funeral being held on Maundy Thursday. The altar area has already been prepared for tonight's worship, a large black veil nearly covering the triptych, the remnants of Palm Sunday still in the chancel -- a pitcher, towel, robe of purple cloth, and crown of thorns. Though we celebrated Nancy's life, the space presented a powerful reminder that a funeral service is about far more than us. It's the church's strongest and most profound statement that, because of Christ's death and resurrection, nothing can separate us from the love of God. Neither life nor death nor things present nor things to come. Nothing can separate us from God's love. 

Tonight we re-tell the story of Jesus' last meal, the washing of his disciples' feet, and his betrayal by Judas. The mood is stark, especially as we end with the dramatic stripping of the altar amidst total silence and darkness. At the end, only darkness remains. 

On Good Friday we gather in darkness, stunned as the final candle -- the only light that remains -- is removed from the sanctuary. 

Thankfully you know the rest of the story. Easter dawns, the tomb is empty, Christ is risen! Whew!

But might I ask a favor? There are lots of folks in our world and in our community who don't know the rest of the story. Sure, they might have heard it, but their lives continue to be wrapped in darkness and despair and grief and betrayal. For whatever reason, it's hard for them to wrap their heads around "new life" and "hope" and an "empty tomb." It's difficult for them to embrace this belief that nothing can separate us from God's love. 

Will you pray for them? ... and if given the opportunity, will you invite them to hear and experience the rest of the story? It may well be the greatest gift you've ever given. 

Thank you for who you are. And thanks be to God for the privilege of sharing in this journey with you. 

Monsters in Syria

What else can go wrong in Syria?

Since the civil war began in 2011 nearly 500,000 people have been killed in a country less than twice the size of North Carolina. 6.5 million live in refugee camps within the country, while 5 million have fled Syria because of fear and starvation.

And the fear is fully justified. In 2013 alone, the Syrian president launched a chemical attack upon his own people, killing 1500, including nearly 500 children. Pressured by the US, Assad promised not to use chemical weapons in the future. Ever.

Well, here we go again. Last Tuesday Assad launched another chemical attack on innocent civilians, yet another spineless, heartless disregard for life. The guy's a monster.

Remember the image two years ago that changed the world -- of the 3 year old Syrian boy refugee whose lifeless body was found on a beach in Turkey? His family and thousands more like them had risked life and limb to escape the horrors of what must be hell on earth. That image almost single-handily led to the opening of Germany's doors to hundreds of thousands of refugees.

Or last year, the image of a 5 year old boy whose blood-stained body lay covered in dust after another government-sponsored air strike on his hometown of Aleppo?

Oh, and how could we forget last year's video of ISIS militants carrying out a mass execution by beheading Syrian rebels? Can there be two more feared and hated groups fighting each other?

Brutal warfare led by a brutal dictator against a brutal opposition.

What are we to do?

I wouldn't want to be president in times like these. As I write, President Trump is launching a targeted cruise missile attack on Syrian air bases. It's hard to know if that's the right move or not, although I'm sure part of the decision was simply to "do something." We all want to "do something" ... it's just hard to know what to do.

As leaders form their plans, God loving people around the world are called to pray for peace and wise leadership ... earnest prayers that human suffering might end and sanity might prevail.

We pray that pride-based systems might fail and heartless dictators might be displaced. We pray that "justice might roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream" (Amos 5:24) ... that God's kingdom of peace might supplant earthly kingdoms of hate ... that Christians around the world might hold the candle of truth and bear arms of mercy for all ... that refugees might be comforted rather than demonized, and a new generation of peace-loving leaders might rise up rather than be gunned down.

This Sunday in worship we again read the story of Jesus, the ultimate victim of brutality, hatred, and violence. He understands the cry of the oppressed and feels the pain of the persecuted. He has escaped political violence and lived as a refugee. He's been hungry, homeless, falsely accused, imprisoned, beaten, tortured, abandoned by his friends, ridiculed by the authorities, and executed for a crime he didn't commit.

What that means is that Jesus has been in the shoes of the Syrian refugee. He's felt the pierce of a spear to the side. He's been in the arms of a mother holding her lifeless child.

As close as a mother hen is to her brood, we are reminded that God does not abandon the forsaken ... and he begs the same of us. In this time of chaos, may we do as Christ and draw close to the broken-hearted, that we might proclaim with the psalmist, "I have not kept the good news of your justice hidden in my heart" (Psalm 40:10 NLT).

I wish there was an easy answer to this mess. Unfortunately there's not. In the meantime, this prayer of St. Francis:

Make us worthy, Lord, to serve our fellow men throughout the world,who live and die in poverty and hunger.Give them through our hands, this day, their daily breadand by our understanding love, give peace and joy.

 Amen.

"Two ears and one mouth"

It was a tough week for our community: losing the National Sports Media Association to our neighbor, Winston-Salem, and the continued threat of violence that has become somewhat of a plague. 

The newspaper and City Council meetings have been filled with comments, letters, complaints, worries, and hoped-for solutions to the problems. Anxiety is high, and anxiety that's led to considerable anger among some.

What to do? There have been lots of opinions, to be sure. In the midst of the opinion-sharing, I'd hope for two things: 

1. Dare to listen to one another. There's a lot of talking these days. Please, let's open our ears and listen. I honestly don't know the day-to-day struggles of my West End neighbors other than what I read in the paper. We need to be open to their insight and eager to gather wisdom from those who know their neighborhood best. That's why my friend Chad says, "God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason."
2. Act out of love for our community. We have much to love here, and we've been fortunate to stand on the shoulders of giants who likewise have loved this community. But we can't truly love something by simply contemplating our love for it. We act. We show our love in the way we speak and in the priorities we establish. The same is true in the realm of peace. Jesus never asked us to be peace-contemplators. He asked that we be peace-makers. Let's be love-makers for our community. Let's begin our comments with these words: "I love this community, therefore ..."

The issues of our day are complex, no doubt. But the most complicated of problems begin with a few simple starting points. Let's start by listening and then proclaiming our true love for this community. 

Thank you, friends, for what you do as bearers of Christ's light. I'll see you in church.

Peace+

Pastor Rhodes

Ash Wednesday? Again?

Someone recently passed along the prayer of an old southern preacher offered before the service each Sunday: 

“Oh Lawd, give thy servant this mawnin’ de eye of de eagle and de wisdom of de owl. Connect his soul wid de gospel telephone of de central skies. ‘Luminate his brow wid de sun of heaven. Saturate his heart wid love of people. Turpentine his ‘magination, grease his lips wid possum. Loosen him wid de sledge hammer of thy power. ‘Lectrify his brain wid de lightning’ of thy Word. Put ‘petual motion in his arms, fill him wid de dynamite of glory, ‘noint him all over wid de kerosene oil of salvation, and den sot him a-fire. Amen!” 

There’s something about Lent that makes us want to set things on fire. No, not in a pyromaniac kind of way, but in a fire-of-the-Spirit kind of way. 

Here’s what I mean. Lent is that 40 day journey from Ash Wednesday to Easter morn. During Lent the church does what it does best: we reconnect with our core beliefs, principles, and disciplines; we worship, repent of our sins, and humbly remind ourselves that, despite all our efforts otherwise, we are nothing without Christ. The first thing we do during Lent is receive the ashen cross on our forehead, a reminder that we — all of us — are of dust and to dust we shall return. The last thing we do — on Good Friday —  is to fall on our knees and lay the nails of our guilt at the foot of the cross. 

Lent is loaded with humility and that fiery, look-you-in-the-eye reminder that we are not God and that we are nothing without him. It’s not a message that resonates very well with contemporary society, but it’s a message the world desperately needs to hear. 

I’m not going to set myself on fire this Lent, and I’m pretty sure Pastor Danielle won’t either. But we will spend these 40 days reminding each other over and over again that Jesus is Lord. Period. Lots of things in your life are competing for that title, but none of those things can claim sovereignty over heaven and earth. Nothing and no one else will give you ultimate freedom. No other Lord will welcome you into a life of love, grace, and forgiveness. No other Lord will, at the end of the day, welcome you home. 

The best way to reconnect with that truth is to be in worship. But please don’t come expecting to be entertained. Come because God wants to speak to you, love you, challenge you, and equip you. Come because God deserves your worship and praise. Period. 

And if God sets us on fire in the process, then please make me a promise: don’t throw water on that fire. Toss some kerosene oil of salvation …… and watch it burn. 

The painting is titled "Fearless and intemperate" by Vanity Fair artist Spy. 

Community Stress and "Blood Done Sign My Name"

You still have time to join us for this weekend's performance of "Blood Done Sign My Name." You won't want to miss it.

We've been told that the title and posters around town don't

give much information about what to expect ... so here it is in a nutshell: the play honestly and unflinchingly examines the civil rights struggle in the South. Considering the challenges we've been facing as a community of late, the timing couldn't be any better.
Drawn from a book that Amazon says "deserves the widest audience possible," the play tells the story of a young black Vietnam vet who was brutally murdered in his hometown of Oxford, NC. Set in 1970, the incident would fan the long-flickering flames of racial discord in the proud tobacco town. The details are chilling and sometimes painful, but they serve as necessary reminders of a poisonous racial legacy. 

If you've been following local news, you know the challenges we face as a community. Last night's Salisbury City Council meeting was loaded with concerned, angry citizens who are tired of the dramatic increase in violence. This past week alone the Salisbury Post reported occurrences of violent crime on a daily, front page basis. Residents are scared. Activists are angry. City Councilman are at odds with each other, frustrated by their eagerness to "do something" but uncertainty as to "what." 

There are no easy solutions. The affect of poverty in our community is rearing its ugly head. We are years behind in finding sustainable employment opportunities. The number of vacancies in our police and sheriff's departments is at a crisis level. 

What do we do? Lots of ideas are out there. Let's hope leaders will have the courage and fortitude to discern the "right" approach and begin now taking dramatic action. 

Behind the scenes we'll continue to do our part, as well. Our 3rd grade reading initiative at Isenberg is showing dramatic results. Armed with two years of data, soon we'll be inviting congregations throughout the county to provide volunteers in every elementary school so that ALL 3rd graders are reading at grade level. 

Two weeks ago 15 folks were trained to walk alongside prisoners who are transitioning back into our community. 400 men are released from prison into Rowan County every year. 400. Our goal is to build up faithful, trained volunteers who will walk alongside these prisoners as they reengage their community and their families. 

And soon we'll be announcing an exciting new approach to our Barnabas project, in which 12+ at-risk Knox Middle School students are mentored weekly by members of St. John's and the wider artists' community. One of our earliest students, Neeghba Reeves, just graduated from NC Central and accepted a position as a computer programmer in Chicago. He joined us in worship last Sunday and left Monday morning for this new, exciting adventure. 

These are long-term project, to be sure, but it takes hard work now to affect dramatic change in the future. 

This weekend's play is part of the plan. Our hope is that the two performances will invite honest conversation around a difficult issue. Expect a wide variety of ideas and reactions ... but may the Lord bless us with a willingness to engage the conversation in faithful, productive ways. 

I hope you'll join us. 

Of Christians and politics

Of Christians and politics | February 8, 2017

It's not uncommon for someone to tell me, "politics don't belong in sermons." 

Well, yes and no. Here's what I mean ... and yes, this is in regard to last Sunday's sermon which some folks thought was blatantly political. Two thoughts: 

1. We live in a hyper-political, wildly-divisive climate. There are few places in this country where one can have honest conversation about issues that matter without worry of being labeled or libeled. Surely the church is one such place. At its best the church is an incubator where all kinds of questions and problems might be honestly discussed by all kinds of people, each one (we would hope) clinging to a common denominator: Jesus Christ. Which leads me to number 2 ....

2. It might make us uncomfortable, but Lutherans have a long history of wrestling with touchy issues. In so doing, I've always found Luther's Two Kingdoms Theory a helpful tool. Luther says that God is the ruler of the world, and he rules in two ways: through a temporal (or earthly) kingdom and a spiritual kingdom. In the Gospels, Jesus reveals the ultimate vision for the spiritual kingdom. Take a look at the beatitudes in Matthew 5, Jesus' first words in Luke 4, or the "kingdom parables" throughout the gospels. It's a kingdom rooted in love, grace, mercy, forgiveness, and reconciliation among all people. It's a kingdom foretold by the prophets and affirmed by St. Paul. When I preach or teach about this kingdom, it's never rooted in politics. I'm simply looking through the lens given to us by Christ -- a lens that gives us a glimpse into the Kingdom of God. 

The temporal kingdom, on the other hand, acknowledges that we live in a sinful world, and as such we are governed by those who have been given earthly authority to do so. The tools, methods, and strategies they use will vary considerably. Some will use conservative means; others pursue a liberal agenda. Some will be be brutal in their tactics; others will be conciliatory. And here's the point: When we engage in political debate, it's over issues in the TEMPORAL kingdom, not the spiritual kingdom. That's a hugely important distinction.

In fact, I firmly believe that Christians can have wildly divergent opinions about things like walls and refugees and health care ........ as long as they are rooted in a common goal of "seeking first the kingdom of God." What does that mean? In terms of the president's idea to "build the wall," Christians are free to agree or disagree as long as the ultimate goal is reconciliation, peace, mercy, and the common good. I'd love to hear the president say: "We need to build the wall. Things have gotten out of control and we need to bring some order to our border security. But our ultimate goal is to foster a better relationship with our neighbor and create a better method of welcoming and training immigrants." That, friends, would be a two kingdoms approach to the political challenges we face. And that's what I'm longing for in our political discourse. Sadly, we don't seem to be anywhere close. 

When I'm preaching about the Kingdom of God, I do my best to avoid political debate. I'm simply articulating what I believe is abundantly clear and outlined in the gospels -- that the kingdom of God is our destination. It's our vision. It's our ultimate goal. We may well have different ideas for how to get there, but God's kingdom, not our own, remains the ultimate goal.

I'm so very thankful for a congregation that gives space for healthy conversation over issues that matter. But here is our charge during these perilous times: to set the tone for debate that is civil and kingdom-centered. The world desperately needs that of us. 

On refugees

On refugees | February 2, 2017

It's been a busy week in Washington. 

Like many of you, I've been trying to make sense of the President's order to ban all refugees from entry into the US and immigrants to/from seven countries. Setting aside politics -- because, let's be honest, this issue was politicized from the get-go -- I'm trying to understand how this ban compares to other bans on immigration (eg, Obama's ban of Iraqis for six months and Carter's indefinite ban of Iranians during the hostage crisis). No doubt there are similarities and differences. 

In each case there is a clear question: does such a ban/restriction affect national security? That's the question President Trump is wrestling with, and if this ban gives his team the time it needs to find the right answer, then so be it. 

But there are concerns. Mine are two-fold: Are we beyond the point where we can wrestle with that question honestly, without the worry of politics or being demonized by the "other side"? I'm not sure we can, which significantly affects how we come to an answer/decision/policy. 

Secondly, the issue of refugees. Christians and Jews have a long heritage of caring for the refugee. It's one of the most carefully outlined set of laws in the Old Testament -- laws that affected the life and movement of every single one of our patriarchs. We have long understood hospitality and "caring for the stranger" as a core value in the Judeo-Christian tradition. How does this ban on refugees -- all refugees, I might add -- speak to that core value? Add to that our own country's history with and among refugees and I think I'm free to say that the president's executive order is loaded with moral and ethical problems. 

Do refugees need to be properly vetted? Absolutely. But let's first speak to those who are in the business of vetting and resettling refugees before issuing a sweeping edict like this one. One of those groups is Lutheran Services Carolinas (LSC), which resettled 460 refugees in the Carolinas last year alone. Ted Goins, CEO and member of St. John's, says there is no significant danger to the U.S. from refugees. The problem, he says, is that most people aren't familiar with the difficult vetting process that already exists.

"Most people don't deal with it on a daily basis and don't understand what a refugee is and how that differs from an immigrant," he said, citing people who may have overstayed a visa. "Refugees, these are people who have been in a camp for years just waiting on an opportunity where they can be safe and free. ... These are people who are running from ISIS, running from the Taliban, running from a dictator."

"Refugees are forced to leave their homes to escape death or persecution," he adds. "They come to the U.S. after already extreme vetting and with the full approval and invitation of the U.N. and the U.S. government."

These are the folks who have now been banned from entry into the US. 

"You must not oppress foreigners," reads Exodus 23:9. "You know what it's like to be a foreigner, for you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt."

Perhaps that's the problem: that we've forgotten what it's like. Perhaps we have distanced ourselves from the time our forebears were, themselves, refugees. The Irish, Moravians, Germans, Catholics, and Salzburger Lutherans, to name a few.  

More recently we think of refugees escaping genocide in Rwanda, a 22 year civil war in Sudan, and extreme religious persecution in Syria. Can you imagine if the Lost Boys had been denied entry into the US? Or Albert Einstein, who escaped Naziism in 1932? Or Madeline Albright, who fled communism at the age of 11?

I pray for our president and the difficult decisions he has to make. As we wrestle with a decision I happen to disagree with, may we all have the courage to listen to one another and to form decisions that are rooted in our core values. Then, perhaps, may we once again open our arms in welcome to the poor, the tired, the huddled strangers among us.   

Peace+

Pastor Rhodes