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

Is God a Clemson fan?

Is God a Clemson fan? | January 11, 2017 

Last time I checked, God doesn't wear orange. But I do have a sense that God had a big smile after Dabo's victory speech Monday night. 

Here's the background for you non-sports folks: Clemson played Alabama for the college football national championship on Monday night, a repeat of last year's championship. What a game. The lead changed hands three times in the final five minutes, and Clemson scored the winning TD with one second on the clock. Epic.

In typical fashion, players were quick to thank God, the victorious quarterback adding "I just know God wanted us to win this game."

Let's be honest. God probably didn't care whether Clemson won or not. Nor Alabama, the Panthers, or even the Tarheels (well, maybe the Tarheels ...)

But God must have been extremely interested in coach Dabo Swinney's comments on stage after receiving the trophy. To a national TV audience he said, "I told these guys I want the light inside of them to be brighter than the light shining on them." 

It's one of the best post-game quotes I've ever heard coming from a coach who has a few things in perspective. Sure, he wanted to win .. badly. But Dabo is widely known as a coach who teaches his players to use their talents and their stage for a bigger purpose. After last year's loss he encouraged his players to pursue a greater glory than their own. This year he's reminding them that national championships come with awfully big spotlights. Let "the light within you shine brighter than the light outside of you." Good stuff. 

Winning isn't everything ... although we're led to believe that it is by endless ESPN tributes, All Americans who get away with tripping, and for-profit youth sports leagues. Does God care who wins in that kind of environment? Probably not. 

But surely God's paying attention when coaches, parents and players focus on glory and spotlights of a different kind. 

And when they do -- as they did on Monday night -- who knows, maybe he adds an extra shade of orange to the sunrise. Just maybe. 

Peace+

Pastor Rhodes

Christmas Eve 2016

Christmas Eve 2016

I'm currently sitting at Starbucks wrapping up my Christmas Eve sermon. It's an odd tradition these last few years, but I love watching people rush into the final hours of the shopping season. Most are picking up a drink on their way to a crowded store. The folks sitting to my left are from different towns but meeting for a quick gift exchange. A young dad and his two girls are across the way, almost certainly on their way to buy mommy's gift. 

Two of the baristas have Santa hats on, although I can only imagine that they're ready for this final rush to be over. A local pastor just walked in, already dressed for services later this afternoon (um, I'm not, by the way). 

In line for my coffee, I was browsing through the well-placed "stocking stuffers." The older lady in front of me began to offer her advice, although I didn't think anything would fit in Krista's stocking. She recommended a cute mug or an acrylic tumblr or the whole bean coffee, pulling reading glasses over her eyes to show me the difference between the varieties. Her family is arriving tomorrow and she was picking up a nice "holiday" blend. 

"They all think I'm losing my mind," she laughed, "but I can still be useful. We all need help every now and then." 

On her way out she walked over to say "Merry Christmas," smiled warmly at the little girls across the way, and whisked off into the final hours of this remarkably interesting time of year.

I should stop watching and put final touches to this sermon. But before I do, please let me extend Christmas greetings to you and yours today. May you be surrounded by the peace of Christ and the wonder of the shepherds. May the star of Bethlehem shine brightly in your path.

And may you, too, be greeted by angels-in-our-midst who want nothing more than to smile, share the warmth of the season, and serve as a reminder that "a Savior has been born for you." 

Merry Christmas! 

Pastor Rhodes

We Three Kings

December 14, 2016

We three kings: St. John's Kindergartners 

As I write this note I'm listening to our kids preparing for their annual Christmas program, which will be held this evening in the Faith Center. 

I remember marching into the fellowship hall of Lutheran Chapel Church in Gastonia sometime in the early 1970s, decked out in a blue bathrobe and jeweled crown kept throughout the year in the church's "Christmas pageant" closet. I seem to remember an arm wrestling match with Marty Lineberger in order to be the third king. He ended up as Joseph. Yuck. What 5 year old boy wanted to be married to Mary? 

As I told the story of Jesus' birth to our Kindergarten students this morning, it struck me that some of them may well have be hearing it for the very first time. They're young enough that that's certainly a possibility. I asked about their favorite part of the story and arms shot up: the donkey, the baby in a manger, the angels scaring the shepherds. "Ooo yeah," they all said.

What if we heard the story of Jesus' birth again for the first time. What would captivate us? What would draw us in? How would we begin to process it? You've heard this story 100s of times, no doubt. As you encounter it again this week, try to listen as if hearing for the first time. Allow yourself to be captured by the drama, the simplicity, and its utter beauty. I bet it will come alive for you in a wonderfully fresh and new way. 

Blessings to you and yours this Christmas. May you be surrounded by the peace of Christ and the glorious song of the angels. I'll see you in church. 

Pastor Rhodes

Another Murder in Salisbury

December 7, 2016

	Become a 3rd grade reading mentor.

7 year old A'Yanna Allen was shot and killed Saturday night while sleeping with her grandmother. The motive has yet to be determined, but the end result is no less tragic, regardless of the motive. 

It was a night that saw three murders in Salisbury. Three. What's becoming of our sleepy little community? 

For one, it's not a sleepy little community. As much as I love this place, there are some significant issues that have to be dealt with. Poverty remains problem #1, but has yet to be firmly identified as such by our community leaders. The other day a law enforcement official said that Enochville has more meth labs per capita than any community in the state. Last week in East Spencer, a 25 year old man hitched a ride with someone he then shot three times and left in the ditch, covered with leaves.

I'd much rather be writing about all the good and happiness that fill our community each Christmas -- and there's a lot, to be sure -- but the underbelly of crime, racial tension, poverty, and drugs has got to be dealt with. But how? 

There are multiple approaches, but let me lift up two that need your help. 

1. Our 3rd grade reading initiative at Isenberg School has shown some remarkable results. At-risk kids are beginning to read at grade level and relationships formed between student and mentor are life-changing. We need 5 more mentors to volunteer for 45 minutes/week. I'd love for you to be one of the five. A small investment of time -- less that a normal lunch break -- can make an enormous difference in the life of a kid whose future is at risk. Let me know if you'd be interested. 

2. Our Barnabas Connection is taking on new life for 2017. Yesterday Celia Jarrett met with some wonderfully creative thinkers who mapped out an exciting plan for the program's future. Barnabas Connection invites 15 at risk Knox middle schoolers to our campus for mentoring, spiritual nourishment and engagement with a local artist. It's a tremendous program started by Celia's mom, Shirley Ritchie, ten years ago. In the next few months we'll be inviting a new crop of volunteers to invest time in the future of our community -- a future that is walking the halls of Knox today. Want to learn more? Contact Celia. She'd love to talk with you about it. 

A congregation our size should have no problem filling those critically important volunteer slots, so in advance I want to say thank you for stepping up to the plate. 

Those are just two initiatives to deal with a much bigger problem. There are many others that community groups, agencies, schools, and congregations are developing as we speak. Become involved in one or more of them. For the sake of our community, become involved.

In fact, that's a great way to think about it. Consider your volunteer efforts as your Christmas gift to our community. I can think of no better gift. And you won't even have to mess with wrapping paper :)

Blessings to you and yours. May the peace of Christ surround and fill our community in wonderfully profound ways. I'll see you in church. 

Pastor Rhodes