What's with the red doors?

St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Columbia SC It's Reformation again .. which means we'll get a lot of questions about red doors on Lutheran churches. Well, not on THIS Lutheran church, but most. Where does the red door tradition come from? Several ideas: The most common response is that Christians have entered into worship, into the presence of God, through the blood of Christ. In the earlier history of the church, it was common for wooden church doors to have the whole life of Christ carved into them. Tradition holds that Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the red doors of the Castle Church in Wittenberg. From that time onward, red doors symbolized the churches of the Reformation. During the Middle Ages in England, churches with red doors represented places of sanctuary. If someone was being pursued by a town mob, they'd find safe rest on the other side of the red door, where s/he could plead their case for justice without threat of violence. Our Jewish brothers and sisters would immediately recognize the connection between red doors and the Passover, where the angel of death was to "pass over" all the homes of those who smeared the (red) blood of a lamb over their doors. So there you have it. It's interesting to note that the red door tradition isn't limited to Lutherans. Most churches embrace the idea, although churches of the Reformation have been particularly proud of their red door heritage. What about St. John's? Well, take a look at our front doors and you'll see displayed the earlier tradition that uses a church's front door to tell the story of Christ, "the Word made flesh." And that, my friends, is the rest of the story.

The valley of the shadow of death

Over the next few days, we'll be celebrating the lives of two beloved folks in our community: Bee Soderberg and Barbara Benton. Among all the things we do as a faith community and as pastors, presiding at one's funeral is always the most humbling and profound, as we commend loved ones into the arms of Jesus.

Bee's life was defined by a remarkable sense of faithfulness to God, family, friends, and church. She and Rich were married for 70 years, always remaining each other's best friends. She was smart, witty, a world traveler and perhaps the best dog owner ever. She will be missed.

Barbara was a long-time middle school teacher in our community, 24 of her 30 years at Knox. So many former students have told me this week that Mrs. Benton was "the best teacher I ever had." Barbara had many other interests and passions, but what a beautiful way to be remembered, as such a fine teacher and mentor.

I normally don't write about folks who have passed along, but as we prepare for these two memorial services, we've been given the chance to press "pause" on the busyness of our week and give thanks for the chance to walk with folks through the valley of the shadow of death ... into the waiting arms of our Lord and Savior.

To fully trust

In our staff devotions this morning, we read from Psalm 23 and asked what it looks like to fully trust in God. Not partially, but fully.

That's hard, isn't it? I mean, trust is a scarce commodity these days. It's easy to lift up our federal government as an example, but the same is true for public institutions, schools, police, even each other. Our default is not to trust unless trust is proven, but even then suspicion and cynicism keep us from fully trusting others.

What does it look like to trust fully in God? What difference does it make? That's where Psalm 23 comes to mind: "As I walk through the valley of the shadow of darkness/death ...." As I walk, not IF I walk. "As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil." Our trust in God removes fear and trembling, bringing us to a place of peace, shalom, joy.

We are better when we dare to trust -- in God and in one another. What a powerful message that would be for our elected officials. What a life-changing message that would be for you and me.

9-11. Where were you?

It was 8:46 am. I was on my way to work, listening to NPR's Morning Edition when  I heard the "breaking story." My left hand blinker was engaged, its rhythm becoming an odd drumbeat to the bizarre narrative of a plane and the World Trade Center.

Where were you on 9-11? That question will be asked multiple times today, the 18th anniversary of an event we'll never forget. Collectively, we pray for peace on days like these, in hopes that we may never again face the uncertainty and fear of such tragedy.

 Kyrie eleison. Lord, have mercy.

A new partnership in Bethlehem

Christmas Lutheran, Bethlehem

Sept. 22 was a very special day in the life of St. John’s, as we formalized a partnership with Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem. Pastor Munther Isaac was on hand to preach and sign the Covenant.

Christmas Lutheran is just three blocks from the location of Jesus’ birth and is the oldest Lutheran church in Palestine. The congregation has a long history of welcoming pilgrims to Bethlehem and peacemaking during times of great conflict and stress. It’s a ministry of hope, Pastor Isaac told an audience last Sunday night in the Faith Center.

“Hope is what we do,” said Pastor Isaac, quoting Mitri Raheb, the church’s pastor until 2017, when he stepped down to be the president of Dar al-Kalima University, the only Lutheran college in the Middle East. Mitri has visited St. John’s twice since 2012 and was the 2015 recipient of Sweden’s Olaf Palme Award, given annually to someone creatively committed to the cause of peace.

Why Christmas Lutheran? It’s not easy being a Christian in the Middle East. Once a majority population in Bethlehem, Ramala, and Nazareth, their numbers have dropped considerably in the last half-century. In Bethlehem today, only 12 percent of the population is Christian.
We believe that the Christian witness is incredibly important in Israel/Palestine, especially during these days of so much conflict and distress. The Christian community — including

Christmas Lutheran — has been a strong advocate for peace, non-violent resistance, and sharing the land. Unfortunately, their voices are being ignored and, in many cases, marginalized. Peace, it seems, is a threatening message to those trying to secure control.
What does such a partnership look like? This Advent, members of St. John’s and Christmas will join in writing the Advent devotionals as a joint project. In March 2021, 30 members of St. John’s will visit the Holy Land, including a four day stay in Bethlehem, where we’ll be hosted by members of the congregation and enjoy authentic Palestinian meals and hospitality.

Because both congregations have a strong appreciation for Christian art, we will exchange art with one another. Munther will also be a regular contributor to this Eagle’s View newsletter.

Pastor Munther Isaac

We are in the early stages of discussing how to share our expertise in VBS with the children’s ministry team at Christmas. VBS is a new idea there, but Munther says it’s an excellent way of drawing children from throughout Bethlehem, including Muslim children. “Muslim parents are more than willing to allow their kids to join our Christian education activities. They’re curious, which gives us a great opportunity to share the story of Jesus and our message of peace.”

During this highly-politicized era in Israeli-Palestinian relations, it’s more important than ever that we help amplify the Christian voice of peace. That voice comes from Christmas Lutheran Church. What a blessing to be in partnership with them.

When faith and politics collide

Our congregation is part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (the ELCA), the largest Lutheran denomination in the US. Often I'm asked, "What does that mean? What authority does the ELCA have over St. John's?"

It's helpful to know a bit about church polity, ie, the way we're governed. Lutherans are both congregational (which means that we are legally independent non-profits with ultimate authority regarding issues of policy and procedures), and episcopal (which means that we find unity in our bishop, our church institutions, and our church-wide expression).

One of the things I love about being a Lutheran is our theological unity. Lutherans have been the world's great stewards of a theology of grace and our belief in a "priesthood of all believers." At the same time, our denomination makes room for a broad spectrum of those who would be socially conservative, liberal, and everything in between. We are at our best when we cling to our theological roots, while engaging in rich, respectful conversation around issues that matter, like race, sexuality, and immigration. We can approach these issues from different perspectives, as long as we first seek Jesus' high command to love God and love one another (Mark 12:30-31).

With all that in mind, let me share a few comments about last week's ELCA church-wide Assembly in Milwaukee. To be honest, church-wide gatherings receive very little attention (despite what we like to think), and that's certainly the case this time-around ... except when the ELCA passed a resolution claiming itself as a "sanctuary church" in regard to immigrants and refugees. Nothing terribly unusual. Christians have been a sanctuary church for 2000 years, clinging to a very distinct expectation to care for the stranger. No argument there.

Until Fox News got involved. During a 5 1/2 minute discussion -- which included no representative from the ELCA -- the four panelists ripped into the church's decision, saying that the church was asking its congregations to act illegally. Give me a break.

I hope you know me well enough that I value a variety of opinions -- political, theological and otherwise. But at the very least, let's get the facts straight. It was painfully obvious that the panelists had not read the statement and knew absolutely nothing about ELCA polity (see paragraph 1 above).

You and I might disagree about immigration issues. Hallelujah. Let's talk about it. But let's at least do enough homework to get our facts straight. With that in mind, the following links are helpful in better understanding the church's not-very-new statement about being a "sanctuary church."

1. ELCA talking points
2. An ELCA pastor responds to criticism

Interested in learning more? One of our members, Ted Goins, is the CEO of Lutheran Services Carolinas, which helps to resettle refugees in the Carolinas and advocate for just treatment of immigrants. We are hosting an open conversation with Ted on Tuesday, Sept. 3 at 7 pm in the Faith Center. It's a perfect opportunity to gather around the table and learn from one another.

Which is something else I love about being a Lutheran: gathering around a table of grace.

On hate speech, refugees and more shootings

It's another day of grieving around the United States as two communities bury victims of two unrelated mass shooting in El Paso and Dayton. 

As we continue to sort through the details, three questions come to mind: 

1. Why is hate speech the root cause of so much tragedy? The Texan shooter spent months writing a manifesto that spews mean-spirited vitriol towards immigrants. It’s hard to read, and even harder to comprehend how someone could be filled with so much anger. One thing is certain: such anger/hate rarely lives in isolation. It’s frightening to know that others feel the same way. 

2. Politics can be brutal, and this isn't the first time politicians have hurled insults toward one another in the aftermath of tragedy. Regardless, are there any grown-ups in Washington? I'd sure like to hear from one. 

3. When will we learn the difference between immigrant and refugee? An immigrant is someone who chooses to resettle to another country. A refugee is someone who has been forced to flee his/her home country because of war, genocide, etc. There is no doubt we have immigration issues that have to be brought under control. While we figure things out, let’s not leave refugees out in the cold. They are widely considered the most vetted group of people trying to enter the United States. Since the late 1940s, the Lutheran church has been at the forefront of resettling refugees in the US. So why is the administration proposing to slash refugee admissions to zero next year? It's a ludicrous idea that's contrary to any sense of Judeo-Christian values. The United States has a long history of embracing refugees with a different kind of compassion. Let's not stop now. 

Join me in prayer for our brothers and sisters in Texas and Ohio ... and for all of us as we find ways to be a more civil, faithful, forgiving, peace-loving society.