Facing Idols

The prophet Daniel was probably a teenager when he was taken from his home in Jerusalem to Babylon, about 400 years before Jesus was born. Babylonian leaders saw that Daniel was a gifted young man, and sent him and some other young Jews to school to become leaders in the government. This meant going to school, being trained, and working with people who worshipped other gods. When they ate a meal, some of the food was sacrificed to a god like Marduk. When they started the day at school, they prayed to gods like Tiamat for blessing. As a part of their job, they were asked to bow to the king as a god! They lived with idols and idolatry all around them, while trusting only the one true God’s promises and responding in prayer, worship, and service. (Read Daniel chapters 1-6 for the full story.)

But there was also the idolatry inside: the pressure they felt to be comfortable. It would have been easier to eat the food sacrificed to Marduk. It would have tasted better too! They likely felt frustrated and anger that people wouldn’t just let them worship their God—and the temptation was to be disrespectful and lash out in anger. Plus, self-righteousness always lurks inside: the feeling that it was up to them to save themselves instead of trusting God and following God’s direction. Comfort, anger, and self-righteousness were idols hidden in their hearts.

Our idols are even more seductive because they don’t look like idols. We aren’t asked to sacrifice to Marduk before every meal or pray to Tiamat for guidance. Money, possessions, social media, political parties, ideologies, alcohol, drugs, sexual and all kinds of pleasurable activities can all be idols that we “bend the knee” with our time and energy, trusting them to save and guide us more than God. They are seductive because they do offer some power, security, and pleasure. They may be good and helpful until they become idols that we can’t live without.

When something becomes an idol, it is ultimately destructive to self and others because they cannot save or guide us out of the mess humanity is in. Once we start to turn to an idol, it is never enough. Idols say, “if there’s only a little bit more money” or “you can’t live without the drugs” or “if our party was more pure,” but they always demand more a little at a time until they consume our attention, our time, our energy, and our relationships.

Jesus didn’t remove the idols; they are still inside and out. He exposed them as frauds, he died because humans are willing to kill for them, and he was raised to show us that the One True God is the only one worthy of our highest love and trust. He gives us the power like Daniel to resist them even while we live with them.

I suggest that one of the crucial jobs of the Church is to expose the idols inside us and outside us and to point to Jesus, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Weekly worship, Bible study, prayer, and Christian conversation are all ways that God helps strengthen us against the pressure to submit to the idolatry inside and out. Idols always look so powerful and comforting up close; together in the Holy Spirit we see them as a sham, like the statue of the King of Babylon that Daniel and his friends were commanded to worship. God gave them strength and protection to resist. How much more in Christ are we strengthened to resist the idols we face!

Facing our idols together with Christ,

Pastor Peter

What is Essential?

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)

We’re living in a time of human history when things we thought were essential are being examined: are they really essential? What is essential for this time? The changes are not small, from the mundane to the profound. For example, do we need physical money or will digital money suffice? More profoundly, what is gender? We thought these were eternal, settled questions only to discover they are temporary and contested!

For Christians, Phyllis Tickle calls it an “every 500-year rummage sale” (The Great Emergence¸ Baker, 2008) in which we are looking at ideas and practices, throwing away some that aren’t useful anymore and discovering old gems in the attic that are helpful now. Tickle and others have said historic creeds (like the Apostles’ and Nicene) should be set out for trash pickup while lectio divina (the practice of slow, rhythmic repetition of scripture to better know God) should be dusted off and put to use.

What is your list of essential Christian ideas and practices? (Here's one Christian's list.) Is Christianity still Christianity if one of them is removed from your list? What is maybe not essential but an obstacle or an unnecessary burden for doing God’s work in this time and place? What is not essential but helpful to St John’s specific mission of celebrating God’s love, proclaiming the Good News of Jesus, and serving our neighbors?

In April, we met for Civil Dialogues about gun safety, immigration, and Christian nationalism. Thank you to everyone who participated! We had people from 13 to 92 years old present and willing to listen to each other. Listening to each other deeply around contested issues is critical to this “rummage sale” time and to St. John’s vision of deepening relationships.

What we have learned is that we can discuss issues that we become passionate and upset about and it doesn’t break our relationships. Too often, people think, “Oh, if they don’t agree with me, I can’t have a relationship with them.” We have learned that isn’t true. Our relationships are more than our agreements, even on issues that we feel very passionate about.

I suggest that for Christians, our relationships are definitely NOT based on our agreement on issues. Our relationships are based SOLELY on our relationship through Christ. If you’ve never read it, I urge you to consider Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Life Together, who writes, “Christian community is only this: We belong to one another only through and in Jesus Christ” (p. 21). The desire to agree on social issues is a dream, “[b]ut God’s grace speedily shatters such dreams” (p. 26). Human efforts and human agreements will ultimately shatter, and Bonhoeffer encourages them to shatter quickly so we can be grasped by the radical grace of God in Christ. It is by grace alone we are saved (Eph 2:8-9), not our agreement on the issues of the day, no matter how emotionally powerful or urgent.

We should not and must not break off Christian relationships because we disagree, for example, on gun safety or immigration. We should argue, listen, even get upset with each other and have to go cool off for awhile, but not break off our fundamental relationship with each other through Christ. The living Christ is the only true basis for our relationships.

Christian nationalism, however, is a different problem because it claims importance above our common identity in Christ. By “Christian nationalism,” I mean “a cultural framework that blurs distinctions between Christian identity and American identity, viewing the two as closely related and seeking to enhance and preserve their union” (see A. Whitehead and S. L. Perry, Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States, Oxford, 2020). By blurring Christian identity with American identity, Christian nationalists demand agreement on a set of social issues in order to be considered “Christian.” This puts, for example, an idea about guns above the Gospel, and says that we can’t have a Christian relationship with someone unless they agree on guns. Insisting that agreement on any social issue is necessary for Christian relationship pushes Christ out of the center and makes our relationship about something other than Christ.

In the midst of the “500-year rummage sale,” I suspect we will be tempted many times to move something else into the central place of Christ, claiming some kind of agreement is essential. My prayer is that we will reject anything but Christ as the only sufficient and essential basis of our unity, life, and hope as Christian community.

Grateful to be rummaging with you,

Pastor Peter

Hope not Despair in the Face of Decline and Death

Christ is Risen! He is Risen indeed, Alleluia!

This is not a cry of naïve optimism, but hope founded on the reality of Christ’s resurrection. A new life is possible out of death, as Paul writes, “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life” (Rom 6:4). However, there must be dying before new life.

It is easy to predict decline—look around: the post-WWII international order has disintegrated as Russia resorts to imperial wars for land and power. The social contract is broken as voters seem to tolerate the most outrageous lies from leaders seeking their votes. The Christian church that Jesus said would stand even against the gates of hell seems dying and impotent as congregations shrink and close. A Sept 2022 study by Pew Research describe 4 scenarios for the next 50 years—and 3 of the 4 predicts that Christians will be a minority and that “no affiliation” will be the majority (ir)religious identity. Looking at even the rosiest scenario is pretty depressing.

Where do Christians find hope in this midst of dying? The Risen Christ, of course! Because he lives, “we too may live a new life.” Tim Keller, retired pastor from the Presbyterian Redeemer Church in New York City, points us to the resurrection of Jesus so we will not despair. (Read the full article).

While many observers of Christianity wring their hands about the forces that are beyond our control, Keller is helpful in pointing out the things we can do, that historically have been things Christians have been good at doing. I would add that Lutheran Christians have experience in balancing the both/and’s, and so each of his points fits the ways we juxtapose both Law and Gospel as God’s Word.

• speak compellingly to non-Christians by both affirming their best longings and challenging the inadequate ways of achieving those hopes
• unite both justice and righteousness, which means standing against all forms of oppression while emphasizing the Lordship of Jesus Christ over our lives
• embrace both global and multi-ethnic character of the church
• balance both innovation and conservation; and
• offer both grace and covenant, the no-strings-attached love of God in Christ and humbly sacrificing self-interest for the sake of the other.

Each of these is worth discussion—I hope you will take some time to talk with others what that may look like at St. John’s and in the Phoenix-area.

Yet these alone will not trigger renewal, Keller argues. Before that can happen, he suggests that three things must happen:

1. Churches must escape from political captivity. Congregations that identify with one political party or ideology will “not be relevant,” he writes.
2. A union of “extraordinary prayer.” Renewal movements of the past began with the movement of the Holy Spirit in people who waited on the Lord in prayer, people across denominational, theological, and ideological boundaries. I heard from a member of St. John’s recently who said she wasn’t sure she knew how to pray. We will need to (re-)learn to pray so that we are open to the renewal of the Spirit.
3. Distinguishing the Gospel from moral absolutes. The “Gospel” is that “we are saved by Christ alone through faith, not by our works.” By definition, we are not saved by having or hewing to some moral standard but by Christ, his death and resurrection. This cuts off legalism on one side and “anything goes” on the other side to reveal a middle road for Christians (see Romans 6).

St. John’s may not feel like it is declining, but it is cold comfort when we recognize that the Christian Church around the world is going through a epic, era-defining, historic dying. What we and every Christian can trust is that there is new life in Christ in this age and forever.

Trusting in Christ and his resurrection, 

Pastor Peter

The Good Life

I’m privileged to sit with people and their families as they die. I sometimes have people ask me if it’s depressing. “No,” I’ll say. “I’m sad, but I’m honored to bring Christ’s death and resurrection to people who are scared and hurting. When you face death, Christ is the only hope we have.”
    Facing death also means putting life in perspective. Is it worth getting upset about being overcharged $1.50 at the grocery store or getting cut off in traffic? Does it matter if our rabbit ears don’t get all the TV channels or the internet is slow? How important is that somebody never apologized? Death puts all these in perspective and raises the question: how do we live a good life?
    Lent—the 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter, not counting Sundays—is a time to face death (Christ’s and our own), which leads us to focus on what’s really important: relationships with God and each other. This is the point when we read Bible passages such as “one does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord” (Deut 8:3). When asked what the greatest commandment is, Jesus replies with the double-sided commandment of loving God and loving neighbor (Matt 22:37-39). Caring relationships are what humanity needs. Simplifying life helps focus on that.
    Harvard University has been tracking a group of people and their descendants for the last 84 years and just published a book called The Good Life: Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness. They found, “[I]t's not career achievement, or exercise, or a healthy diet. Don't get us wrong; these things matter (a lot). But one thing continuously demonstrates its broad and enduring importance: ... Good relationships keep us healthier and happier. Period" (p. 10).
    A life that invests time and energy into relationships isn’t easy. As the researchers point out, “it includes turmoil, calm, lightness, burdens, struggles, achievements, setbacks, leaps forward, and terrible falls. And the good life always ends in death” (p. 3)
    It’s a bit funny to read sentences that Jews and Christians have been saying since the author of Leviticus wrote what Jesus quoted: “love your neighbor.” “[S]cience tells us that your choice should be to cultivate warm relationships. Of all kinds [including friends, family, co-workers, neighbors].... it’s not a choice that you make only once, but over and over again, second by second, week by week, and year by year...” (p. 10). The authors ask: why not start today prioritizing listening and caring for the people around you?
    Humanity faces many enormous problems, including the rise of authoritarianism, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, water shortages, climate disasters, earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, $31 trillion in national debt, and whatever may be coming next. What these researchers have found, and we have long known, is that what gets is through those tough, even terrible, times is quality relationships.
    Focusing on relationships is what Lent is all about. This season, you’re invited to the 40-40-40 challenge, which is to daily try to do three of four things for the 40 days before Easter: (a) devote, (b) donate, (c) de-clutter, and (d) discipline. Register and find out more at https://communications9676.wixsite.com/synodlentchallenge
    Whatever you, do it freely knowing that God has sent Jesus so you have an eternal relationship with the Creator of the Universe!

Glad to be in relationship with you,
Pastor Peter

Growing Relationships

The stores are filled with hearts and gifts for Valentine’s Day. What better time to reflect on what it means to deepen relationships, part of our vision as a congregation!

Relationships go through predictable stages, but every stage takes time. (I modified research by Robin Dunbar at Oxford University):

1. Know names stage: Know someone’s name, but little else.
2. Acquaintance: Know something about the other, perhaps work together, but wouldn’t meet them for coffee or share a medical diagnosis.
3. Casual: Meeting more frequently around common interests and activities, sharing joys and sorrows. Dunbar finds each of us can maintain a maximum of 150 casual stable relationships.
4. Close: Connected emotionally; shared values, ideals and worldviews bring people together to achieve common goals. Dunbar finds most people have a maximum of 5 close friends.
5. Intimate: Mutual responsibility, committed to each other’s development. Even fewer relationships reach here or stay here. Dunbar finds each person has an average of 1.5 intimates.

During “Casual,” “Close,” and “Intimate” there are usually periods of deteriorating relationships, sometimes conflict, as people have to break through resistance to deeper commitment to a person who is truly different.

With whom do you have casual, close, or intimate relationships in your life? What are you doing to help move a relationship to deeper commitment? Relationships take time together and a willingness to share and learn from each other. Dunbar finds that 200 hours of time together are necessary to move from being a stranger to a good friend.

At least theoretically, Christians should find it easier to have close relationships with other Christians. We share values, ideals and the worldview of following Christ, who forgives the sinner, loves the unlovable, and gathers the lost.

But the reality is that Christians, just like everybody else, are limited by time and energy. We just won’t always have one close friend let alone five at church! But if we want to be deepening relationships with others in the Christian community, it will simply take time spent together, doing things together, caring for each other. Some of us will want close Christian relationships, but won’t be able to do it for a variety of reasons—most of which is that our relational energy is already going to those close and intimate relationships we already have.

Yet, some don’t have one person they can share their deepest fears and dreams. You may assume they have someone because on the outside they seem to be happy and stable, but inside the loneliness consumes them. One of the great ironies of our time is that we are more connected than ever through texting and social media, but our relationships rarely move beyond acquaintance stage. Each of us need casual, close, and intimate relationships that help us to grow to become what God made us to be.

The good news is that we all have a relationship with God not because of the time we put into it (although that makes it more of a two-way relationship!) but because God has put everything into the relationship: God became flesh in Jesus. God sends Jesus to love you and lead you even now as you are reading this! God puts infinite time into a relationship with humanity! As Christians, we help others know that God has an eternal relationship with them because Jesus lived, died, was raised, and is right there with you now!

Think through your relationships. What’s one relationship you can deepen this week just by consciously planning to spend a little time in person or on the phone?

Grateful for relationships with you,

Pastor Peter

Outreach is Building Relationships

A blessed New Year! Despite the lingering problems of last year, the change of the calendar suggests the possibility of new growth rather than more of the same.

One of the new opportunities for St. John’s in 2023 is to call Dan Potaznick to be our quarter-time Associate Pastor for Outreach. Dan is being called to the Grand Canyon Synod office for ¾ time as the Director for Development & Strategic Development (telling about the good work God is doing through the Synod and encouraging support). St. John’s has the opportunity to call him to help us develop and implement a plan for outreach, especially to people who don’t identify with any religious tradition. Dan has a wealth of experience communicating and building relationships with people who are not involved in congregations.

We will have a congregational meeting to consider a call to Dan on January 29 at 9:45am in the Sanctuary.

What is “outreach” anyway? Sometimes people have a vision of going door-to-door, knocking and asking if people know Jesus and if they are a part of a community of faith. Other people may think of caring for the needs of neighbors as “outreach,” such as the Food Pantry, Family Promise, or the Shower Ministry. Both door knocking and providing needs for neighbors are outreach only if they help build relationships.

Following Jesus is all about relationships: with God and with others. If we are knocking on doors and getting to know a person’s name, their dreams and fears, then we are building a relationship that will help us introduce them to Jesus, the one who loves us and has freed us from our sins.

But if we aren’t building relationships, then it’s not outreach. We can offer showers to people struggling with homelessness, but unless we take the time to get to know them and help them know us, to build trust and demonstrate care, it’s not outreach. We become service providers, like a truck stop that provides showers for truckers passing through.

If we aren’t helping build relationships with Jesus, then it’s not outreach. Before introducing people to Jesus, we first need to have a relationship of trust and care with someone. If someone doesn’t think we care about who they really are, they won’t think Jesus cares about them either. But once there is a relationship, then we can introduce them to Jesus. This is not optional for Christians or the Church: Jesus said “Go, make disciples” (Matt 28:19-20), not “Go, make a club or service group.”

In what ways are you building relationships with others? Are you taking time to ask people’s name and share your own name? Are you talking about your dreams and asking about others? Are you willing to share your fears with another person and listen to what keeps them up at night? What can you share about your experience with God?

It’s a good way to start a new year: focusing on building relationships. That’s outreach!

Trusting God makes all things new,

Pastor Peter

Longing for Healing

Christmas doesn’t make sense without Advent. Or, to put it another way: without Advent, Jesus born in the manger becomes another Hallmark movie that makes us feel good for a moment but doesn’t address the deep longing in our souls.

Advent is the season of longing for healing: physical healing of chronic pain and weakness, emotional healing of words and experiences, social healing of relationships that are strained or completely broken. With the Psalmist, we cry out, “How long, O Lord?” (13:1), “my soul is full of troubles” (88:3), and “lead me, O Lord!” (5:8)

In the time that Jesus was born, the Romans ruled the Mediterranean and believed that the only way to keep the peace was to kill those who disagreed with their way. They expected people to help move commodities like wine and grain as well as luxury items to Rome and to participate in festivals to the emperor and Roman gods. To feed their families and to keep a position in society, some of God’s people, the Jews, collaborated with the Romans. Some of their families hated them for it. Imagine not being invited to Thanksgiving dinner because you worked at the dock helping load wheat to Rome! Words were spoken that left precious relationships damaged and even broken; families with deep hurts and anger.

In our time, we can thank God that we don’t have an emperor that uses violence or threats of violence to suppress dissent. We have a democracy that helps us to express our values and to sort out our differences, no matter how messy. Political advertisements may be extreme, but they shouldn’t kill. Elections take time to count ballots, but leaders can be changed without crucifixions.

Our social disagreements are deep, however, and they have caused wounds in precious relationships. I suspect that each of our families has topics we tip-toe around because we’ve had explosive arguments. In the heat of emotion, we have said or heard insults that left an emotional scar. These aren’t simple disagreements, either. The fire burns hotter because in today’s social climate, a position on a candidate or sexuality, immigration, policing, or education (to name a few) is given ultimate worth and sometimes put in language of a cosmic battle. It is as if to disagree is to oppose God. To disagree is to personally attack my very identity.

How long, O Lord, until the heat is turned down, and we listen to each other? Our souls are full of troubles and griefs over our broken relationships! Lead us, O Lord, to forgive one another and value each other as you, our Creator, value us!

Christmas doesn’t make sense unless we feel the deep longing of humanity for forgiveness to heal our bodies and relationships, a forgiveness that releases us from the prison of our past words and hurts, a forgiveness that is beyond our power. The birth of the king of kings in poverty is no sentimental and unreal movie that makes us feel good for a moment; it is the answer of God to the deep cries of humanity.

Come Lord Jesus!

Pastor Peter

Love your Neighbor by Voting

Election day (Nov 8) is coming and perhaps many have already voted by mail-in ballot. Thank you for loving your neighbor!

That’s right: voting is an act of love for our neighbor because it expresses our care about what happens in our community. When we vote, we are saying, “I think this person or this decision will best help my neighbors, especially those most vulnerable, to be healthy in body, mind, and relationships. As a result, our society will be more healthy, that is, more peaceful and just, as God desires all societies to be.”

Some people say, “why bother voting?” either because they believe none of the candidates are worthy of their vote or because they don’t believe their vote really will make a difference. Both responses are avoiding God’s call to love neighbor by voting.

If someone says they don’t think their vote matters, they are saying what they care about doesn’t matter. Christians know that what we care about matters ultimately to God; we have been commanded to pray to God our deepest desires (2nd commandment) because God cares. It is the devil, the world, and our sinful selves that seduces us into cynicism. Christ has triumphed over these powers so we would not surrender, but struggle against them, trusting Christ has won the victory in the end! Resist cynicism about elections or anything else to follow Jesus in the way of hope and life!

If someone says that none of the candidates are worthy of their vote, I say, “of course!” Every candidate falls short—that’s Sin in every human heart. Jesus is not on the ballot. But this does not mean that there aren’t better and worse candidates. Some candidates will serve God’s purposes of a healthy, peaceful, and just society more than others. Some will express more than others the values of sober and careful judgment and the concern for vulnerable neighbors. None will meet the standard, but that is no surprise; our task is to discern which is better.

There are some that would have us believe that one party represents Christian values. This is an attempt to manipulate us by setting some values against others and ignoring the history and temperament of a particular candidate. Christians follow Christ, not a party. We are free to zig-zag across party lines to follow the way our Spirit-formed conscience leads us to love our neighbor.

We also can begin to encourage people to run for office. If we are unsatisfied with the candidates presented to us, another way we can love our communities is to encourage people with the values and temperament to run for office. If we give into cynicism and apathy and do nothing, we can expect only the same.

However the Spirit leads you, please vote and love your neighbor!

Your partner on the journey,

Pastor Peter

Investing in Relationships

One of our long-time members was looking at last month’s newsletter and said to me, “there’s so many names I don’t know! I need to get to meet these people!”

I’m sure she will: she is a focused person who sets goals for herself and makes them happen—reflecting both a honed self-discipline and a gift of the Holy Spirit. She’s also an introvert—a person who is energized more by being alone or with one other person rather than a group. Introverts have to work a bit harder, invest more energy, in order to develop new relationships than an extrovert who is charged up by meeting new people.

Investing our time and energy in new relationships is an essential part of our calling to follow Christ. In the early Church when Christians travelled, they sought lodging in the homes of other Christ-followers who they did not know. The host had to invest their time and energy in opening their lives to someone they did not know personally but knowing that they were saved and brought together by the same Lord. The guest had to trust their host would not exploit their vulnerability. (See 2 and 3 John, short letters in the Bible, for how this did and didn’t work!) Both parties had to invest in a new relationship.

Likewise, St. John’s has been blessed by new members over the last few years, even during the pandemic. However, many forces challenge developing relationships. Pandemic restrictions meant relationships drifted apart. We have three different services with different styles that inevitably creates three different communities. Long-time members are aging and not able to participate as they did in the past. Newer members are busy with work, family, and other responsibilities. The combination of these factors means that it’s impossible to know everybody and that developing new relationships takes intentional effort.

There are a couple of simple ways to invest in a new relationship. One is to plan on staying around 15 minutes after the service to talk to someone. Think of this as a part of our worship time! (Jesus saves us so we can love God and love our neighbor—investing time and energy in a new relationship is loving your neighbor!) Find out what someone else does for fun, where someone would like to visit, and see where the conversation goes. I suspect you’ll find something in common that will deepen your relationship! We’re working on space in the courtyard that will help encourage taking this time.

A second way is to get involved with some other activity outside of worship. The Education Hour on Sundays at 9:45 brings people from different services together, as does the Monday night 7pm online Bible Study and the Thursday morning 10am Bible Study. The Men’s breakfast is starting on Oct 8 at 8am; the Women’s Brunch also on Oct 8 at 10am. Family Promise (Sept 25-Oct 2), the Shower Ministry (Oct 25), property work days, and more are all opportunities to work alongside someone and develop relationships.

God richly blessed St. John’s through Vicar Cogan over the last year, in part, because he invested so much into relationships with so many. In more ways than I can describe here, he helped us accelerate our vision of deepening relationships and developing leaders. I think he leaves us better than he found us. I am personally grateful for the energy he put into our time together and I pray that we will find ways to keep connected as he and Katelyn begin new adventures in the familiar surroundings of Indiana.

We are on this journey of following Christ together. The Church continues to be one of the few places where people from different walks of life meet. Our society needs us to lead and be examples in developing relationships. The road of life is not easy, and God brings us together to support one another in a network of relationships that catch us when we fall and help us to keep going. Just like putting a little money in savings each week, it’s worth putting our time and energy investing in relationships.

Your neighbor in Christ, Pastor Peter

COVID Gratitude

If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it. (1 Cor 12:26)

It finally happened: I got COVID. Or maybe more accurately, COVID got me. Even experiencing COVID, I experienced God in so many ways and hope you sense God’s hidden leading towards new life in Christ and love of God and neighbors.

It’s hard to tell where the wrong place at the wrong time will be. One of our daughters worked this summer in places where people tested positive. Our other daughter worked in a more controlled environment and almost never went out, except a couple of times the first weekend in August. Guess which one caught COVID? Yeah, the one that almost never went out.

Masks do help. I wear a mask outside the house. Over the last 2 ½ years, I’ve been in several very contagious settings and didn’t catch the bug. I give credit to masking. That makes the house the vulnerable point. My daughter didn’t have symptoms and I sat a couple nights unmasked next to her on the couch watching a TV show.

Denial is powerful (until it fails). I started to feel fatigue on Friday but found ways to explain it away. I was so tired before dinner that I laid down to nap, but I had exerted myself a bit in the sun, that’s why. On Saturday, when I started to get a headache and sore throat, I excused it as allergies. When I was leaving the Saturday service, however, I thought I may have a fever. And my denial melted.

Staying home with symptoms out of concern for others. I didn’t test positive, even with the fever, but called Vicar Cogan and started to make preparations to miss Sunday services and activities. I have missed only about 3 Sundays in 25 years because of illness. I don’t like to miss services, even for vacation. But it would be worse if I infected someone else and they became sick or developed long COVID because I was stubborn. So, I stayed home even with a negative test. (After services on Sunday, I tested positive.)

Everybody’s experience is different. My daughter and wife both got COVID and experienced barely two days of mild cold symptoms. Quarantine was the toughest part for them! I ended up in bed for four days with a fever, cough, and a raw throat that felt and looked like freshly ground hamburger. A week later, I still have a sore throat, headache and mild phlegmy cough.

Isolation sucks. And leads to grief. I spent a week in my bedroom separated from my family, mostly so our uninfected daughter wouldn’t get it (she didn’t! Praise God!). This was also the last week that both daughters were home before going back to college. So, rather than spending time with them, I was in bed and isolated. I was extremely sad about it. I thought about many of you, with whom I had plans, visits, conversations that were cancelled or postponed, opportunities missed. And I was extremely sad about those too. I thought about the millions who have died of COVID, including our loved ones like Gladys Thurston. They and their families grieve more than just a few missed opportunities.

God works through prayer. I spent a lot of time praying for relief, for you, for St. John’s, for the Church, and the World. In prayer, I felt God’s love and a connection with you that helped me through sleepless nights of discomfort and coughing.

Gratitude overflows my heart! The week in COVID quarantine so fills me with gratitude for God and for many. Gratitude to Vicar Cogan for saying yes and stepping in with enthusiasm and ability. Gratitude to many who responded to extra calls to pitch in. Gratitude for texts and phone calls of concern and assurance of prayers. Gratitude for sleep that finally does come, healing that slowly dawns like the rosy fingers of dawn.

Maybe that’s what I experienced most: gratitude for people and relationships. Gratitude that simple things like masks and staying home do help. Gratitude for doctors, nurses, and scientists who devote their lives to helping others and unraveling these mysteries. Gratitude that Jesus leads us through this moment, COVID and all, to love God and love our neighbors.

Yours in Christ,
Pastor Peter

Calling all Introverts and Extroverts!

Our Vision as a congregation is to Deepen Relationships and Develop Leaders that help us Celebrate God’s love, Proclaim the Good News of Jesus, and Serve our neighbors. What does deepening relationships look like for you?
    It may matter where you are on the spectrum between extrovert and introvert. The issue is how you are energized socially. The early psychologists of the 20th century found it helpful to describe an extrovert as a person who is energized by being around groups of people. An extrovert often has many friends and enters into conversations with easy confidence and excitement. An extrovert needs other people to process their emotions and ideas. When an extrovert is feeling low or drained, it’s a good idea to go out and find a group of people. In those relationships, they will recharge their batteries.
    An introvert, on the other hand, is energized by being alone or, at best, with one trusted person. They have a small, close-knit group of friends and enter into conversations only hesitantly, even with people they know. An introvert needs time alone to process their thoughts and ideas before talking about them. The larger the group of people, the more an introvert’s emotional battery will be drained by the experience. They’ll need some time alone to recharge.
    None of us are pure extroverts or introverts. We are all somewhere on a spectrum between the extremes. To some extent, we will all be charged by being with other people and processing our lives with them; and, in other ways, need to be by ourselves to charge up our batteries. But, usually we tilt to one side of the spectrum more than the other. Can you find where you are? A strong extrovert? A moderate introvert? Kind of in the middle?
    It’s helpful to know because it will change the way you deepen relationships and live out our vision as a congregation. Sometimes we assume that extroverts are the only ones who are deepening relationships with new people. They are eager to meet new people and energized by groups who share their lives and dreams. Everyone notices they are building relationships!
    But introverts generally develop deeper relationships than extroverts, and especially with other introverts. Because extroverts will often have many more relationships, they have less time to listen when someone is hesitant to talk. An introvert will take a long time before sharing their lives. It’s most likely another introvert who will be around listening.
    Both extroverts and introverts are necessary to the Church living out its vision. Paul wrote many times (e.g., 1 Cor 12, Rom 12, and Eph 4) that the Church needs all kinds of people with all kinds of gifts to build up the Body of Christ. The human tendency is to focus on the flashy, immediate gifts and lose sight of the ways other less dramatic gifts are essential. Some believers even judge others for lacking the sensational gifts. In Paul’s time, it was speaking in tongues and healing that some said everyone needed to have. Paul insisted that all the gifts are necessary—and each person is essential to build up the Church, using their gifts with love.
    So, if you lean towards the extroverted side, the Church needs you getting out and welcoming people, getting to know their names, their stories and dreams. You do this naturally and are charged up by it! Thank you for helping us deepen relationships! Also expect some of the people you welcome may shrink back and not share. They aren’t being rude or cold—they likely are more introverted. Is there another person you can introduce them to, who is also introverted? They’re more likely to spend time together and deepen relationships.
    And if you lean towards the introverted side, the Church needs your careful processing and conversation. You think carefully before you talk to someone and you help the Church develop truly deeper relationships! Expect some people to come on too strong, want too much from you too fast. They aren’t being rude or overbearing—they likely are more extroverted. Can you smile and lovingly signal that you’d like the conversation to end (“Thanks for greeting me! I’ll see you next week”), knowing they might not get the message the first time, but knowing that they also are following Jesus in the way that leads to a deeper life?

Everyone can deepen relationships as the Holy Spirit builds the Church!

Glad to be in the Body of Christ with you!
Pastor Peter

Acts of God

After visiting family in Texas, my daughters waited in the Houston airport for their flight, a plane coming from Dallas to take them to Phoenix which the airline said was delayed “because of weather.” There was no storm anywhere near Dallas. They said it wasn’t a storm in Dallas but elsewhere in the country that had a ripple effect across their all their planned flights. Since it was “an act of God,” the airline wouldn’t supply a hotel or any food—they were on their own for the night until the rescheduled flight the next afternoon.

I am skeptical that God was the cause of the airline delay. Blaming God or weather encourages passivity, as if decisions by human beings didn’t contribute to the problem. Airline staff shortages have been well publicized and likely played a role. Leaders could have planned for contingencies such as weather in Buffalo. They have supercomputers that change the price of tickets each day to maximize their profits. They also can program computers to crunch how many planes and staff they will need to insure on-time flights. But I suspect that will cut into profits. So, human beings made a choice: airline leaders sacrificed customers’ well-being for shareholder value (until customers refuse to fly, that is!). It wasn’t an act of God.

I wonder how many problems we face as a country and as humanity that we accept passively: “that’s just the way it is.” Take the housing crisis. Is the lack of affordable housing just something we have to accept? Or is there something that can be done about it?

Human leaders made decisions to get us to this point: landlords, legislators, and neighbors. Arizona has no limit on how much a landlord can raise the rent. So, I have met with people coming to church for help with rent who have had raises of $400 to $800 per month., which represent 30 to 50% increases (Glendale had the biggest rent increases in the Valley in 2021). Legislators have not acted on various proposals to help build new affordable housing or incentivize existing landlords to accept low income renters. And neighbors are rejecting new apartment complexes, saying “Not in my backyard”. While affordable housing and some problems we face are very complex, they are not the result of acts of God. Human beings have made decisions, sometimes cumulative over decades, that have brought us to these situations.

As Christians, we do know the true acts of God: God gives the Holy Spirit so that we believe and follow Jesus. Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection changes the heart of every believer so that we are free from Sin that turns us inward. Facing outward, we love God and love our neighbors as ourselves. These are acts of God!

Supporting affordable housing is a way we can love our neighbors. Leaders from Vida Nueva, Emmanuel, and St. John’s met with Valley Interfaith Project’s Jason Lowry on June 12 and housing emerged as one of the big concerns of our three congregations. We aren’t helpless in the face of this crisis, Mr. Lowry encouraged, but can organize to support solutions. For example, Threshold is a program to bring landlords together to incentivize a few units in every apartment complex. St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church is inviting developers to build apartments on some of their unused land. Legislators do listen to organized groups of citizens. We have choices, and when we organize, our voices are amplified.

What other problems in society do you feel helpless to influence? Look for opportunities to gather with other’s and share the pressures you feel and opportunities to help solve the big problems we face.

When we’re loving our neighbors, there’s an act of God!

A fellow servant of Christ,


Pastor Peter

Flying in Strong Winds

How does a bird fly in strong winds? I was watching some birds and noticed that they angle their bodies and change direction temporarily but never take their eyes off their targeted destination. No matter where they are pushed, they keep their eyes on the goal.

How will we live in chaotic times? We are pushed by strong winds: COVID lingers, war on the other side of the world grinds, the price of a gallon of gas and baby formula goes up, Lake Mead is low enough to expose a water crisis, political polarization paralyzes the body politic, to name a few. Despite these forces, like the birds, we can angle our lives to redirect the pressure and keep our eyes on the goal no matter where we are temporarily moved.

As Christians, we know that Christ is alive and he has conquered death, sin, and the devil. We fix our eyes on Christ, who is both our leader and our goal. On June 4-5, we celebrate Pentecost: God gave us the Holy Spirit to help angle our lives, that is, to redirect our energy and time to what serves God and our neighbor in whatever situation we find ourselves. We keep our hearts and minds on God by our daily prayer, weekly worship, study of the Bible, and discussion with other Christians. When you are anxious or distracted, which of these helps keep you moving and focused? Now God may be calling you to strengthen these spiritual disciplines. Confirmation students will share their statements of faith that weekend at each service, and God may inspire you through them!

As St. John’s Lutheran Church, we keep our minds on Christ by focusing on our mission and vision: we celebrate God’s love, proclaim the Good News of Jesus, and serve our neighbor. That’s our goal. During the current season, we angle our body on deepening our relationships and developing leaders. In what ways are you deepening relationships with others? How are you developing as someone who helps others direct attention and energy towards our goal?

Water shortage is one of the powerful crises we face. Like tides on a beach or erosion that shapes canyons, the most powerful forces operate over a long period of time. This water crisis has been developing for at least 20 years and exposed not only bodies at the bottom of Lake Mead but our assumption that there will always be water when we turn on the tap. If you haven’t been following this, I encourage you to google “AZCentral Joanna Allhands Water.” For example, see her article https://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/joannaallhands/2022/05/02/arizona-has-too-many-homes-without-water-how-stop-trend/9577225002/

As people who keep our eyes on Christ, the water crisis is a “serve neighbor” issue—and also an opportunity to deepen relationships and develop leaders. Taking short showers, fixing leaks quickly, switching to desert plants or filling in a pool—every act of conserving water helps a neighbor. Writing the mayor, city council, state and federal leaders about your water concerns helps show our leaders that we care about this long-term issue and need bold vision. Discussing water issues with our neighbors, people at work, family and friends helps us deepen relationships around a basic issue. As we discuss water, we will develop leaders who are passionate and direct our energy and time.

While we would never have chosen to live in such times, these times are an opportunity for Christ to shine through us—through the ways our lives focus on his call to celebrate, proclaim, and serve despite the winds that blow around and against us. In fact, even those forces that seem to blow us off course, are opportunities to deepen relationships and develop leaders. 

Asking God to guide and bless,

Pastor Peter

New Direction

“[H]e is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.” (Mark 16:7)

Christ’s Resurrection changes everything! God’s promised King is not dead, but alive! He is not far away but close! He is available now to love, forgive and to lead you and me!

Christ’s resurrection means he is alive to lead disciples in a new direction. They were outside Jerusalem in the south, near the center of power as well as close to Jesus’ strong supporters such as Mary, Martha and Lazarus. There were many reasons to stay where they were, grief and a hot meal being at least two. But the messenger brought the stunning news: “Christ is Risen!” Before they can process that news, they are directed: “Go to Galilee” and given a comforting promise that helps them leave behind Mary, Martha, Lazarus, and others: “he is going ahead of you.”

St. John’s is trying to discern the next steps where Christ has already gone. In January, St. John’s voted to allocate part of the Jorgensen fund for outreach, specifically a new position, “Associate Pastor for Outreach.” An initial group of council members (Phil B., Ben F., and Kevin S.) and young adults (Zoey G., Paul B., Zack M., Hank R., and Victor R.) has met and identified that young adults (those 18-29 yrs old) are looking for caring friends, purpose for life, and causes to fight for. This age group is underrepresented in most congregations, including St. John’s, and needs what the church has: community that is founded on our Risen Lord’s love, forgiveness, and direction.

Funding a full-time position for the long term would be difficult for St. John’s alone (the total package for a new pastor is around $80,000/yr), and so the Council voted to reach out to other congregations. We have begun conversations with the Cactus Conference (the 11 ELCA Lutheran congregations in the West Valley) about a Young Adult Ministry. A group of leaders from congregations met in early April and will meet again in May to write a proposal to the Synod and Churchwide.

One idea is that St. John’s call a part-time pastor of outreach and that the Cactus Conference call the same person to a part-time call for Young Adult ministry, combined a full-time position. Together, we could pay a full-time salary and be more likely to attract a highly qualified candidate for this position. We will be working out the details over the coming months.

Keep in mind our vision to “deepen relationships and develop leaders”—this is God’s direction we discerned in 2019 and affirmed in January. This means deepening relationships with those underrepresented at the center of the church’s life, for example, young adults. We will be developing leaders, both a new pastor as well as those trained to assist in this ministry. It will not necessarily mean that there are more young adults in existing worship services or contributing financially, but it will mean deeper relationships and growing leaders.

More details will be coming as Council, the Young Adult Ministry task force, and the Cactus Conference meet. Bring your questions and thoughts to the Congregational Meeting on Sunday May 1 at 9:45am in the Sanctuary.

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Peter

The World is Not What We Thought

The Russian war on Ukraine has revealed that the world is not what I thought it was. In the 21st century, I thought nations would not send hundreds of thousands of troops across a border to seize land from another sovereign nation. By not having to build up huge militaries, we could spend our money and energy to build dynamic societies and economies that provide opportunity for those who have historically struggled with poverty and access to education. The internet would guarantee that truth would be accessible to everyone and lies would be easily disproved. If you thought these things too, the Russian war on Ukraine has proved us wrong. It seems like we haven’t learned the lessons of the 20th century. Here we go again.

Cycles of humans hurting humans have happened throughout history, but it never felt so personal or real as it does now. The book of Judges tells story after story of God’s people learning from their failures for a generation or two, but then falling back into idolatry and self-destructive ways before crying out to God from the rubble. Repeat, with increasing suffering and death. Reading Judges from the relatively comfortable position of the late 20th century, we could say, “Oh, aren’t we enlightened!” Wrong. Human nature rears its ugly head again.

The resurrection of Christ is our only hope to break the cycle. I’ve said this before, but it is true in a visceral way now: hope of human progress has once again been blown up. Once again, we have human dreams dying under a barrage of cruise missiles and artillery, human aspiration dying on an imperial cross. What hope is there for life when looking at the power of death and evil? Only Christ’s resurrection.

This Easter, we will proclaim, “Christ is Risen! He is risen, indeed!” and we can say it with the fervor of a people who know there is no other hope. As Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:17-19: “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins…. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died!” Because Christ lives, we can face what seems like the endless cycle of human sin knowing that ultimately the cycle is broken, and only life in Christ remains. “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?... But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor 15:57-58). The world is not what we thought—Christ is alive!

I am encouraged by Christ’s resurrection, willing to face the cycle again with renewed energy to love neighbors and enemies, and pray you will be too.

Pastor Peter

Deepening Relationships

Our vision as a congregation is to deepen relationships with God and each other and develop leaders. This vision helps us focus on where we are going and what steps we need to take.

Let me spotlight two ways St. John’s has been deepening relationships and developing leaders and then a new opportunity, but first emphasize how important it is that the Church is focused on youth and young adults. I hear some talk about how nice it is to see youth and young adults in worship (and lament their absence). But the risk is that adults only want to see youth and not hear from them. The Church should listen to young people about God, faith, and following Jesus—that is, to deepen relationships. The Church needs to focus resources and energy in developing youth leadership, which is more difficult because of the many demands and pressures on young people in this technologized and hyper-competitive world. We can’t assume young people will want to be leaders in the church without intentional ways for their voices to be heard, for their influence to shape the church, and for resources to be available for them to grow as leaders.

Two ways St. John’s has been doing this are both in partnership with others. First, Camp ALOMA. St. John’s encourages children grades 3-12 to go to summer camp and provides financial support for any child to go who wants to. We encourage high schoolers to become junior counselors and then HS graduates to become counselors. Camp has helped develop leaders for St. John’s who have taught VBS, Sunday School, participate in worship, and led the mission of the church in other ways.

Second, Phoenix-area Lutheran Youth (PhLY) is a partnership with nine other ELCA congregations to provide larger youth ministry possibilities, led by Casey Goslin. Why should only large congregations have paid staff to help gather larger groups of youth together? Rather than give in to the economics of youth ministry, together St. John’s and other congregations provide these opportunities for youth to deepen relationships and develop their leadership skills. Many of the youth you see helping in worship are growing because of their involvement in PhLY.

While Camp ALOMA and PhLY are helping us move forward with our vision, a hole is with young adults—people between the ages of 18 to 29. Campus Ministries at ASU, UA, and NAU are one of the ways that the Church has directly reached out to this age group. A part of your offerings go to support Campus Ministry, but this does not help us in our part of the West Valley.

An opportunity for us is to partner with other Lutheran Churches in the West Valley to start a Young Adult Ministry especially focusing on GCU, GCC, and ASU West—all in our backyard. This opportunity arises in part because St. John’s approved using some of the Jorgensen Fund for Outreach and also because the Cactus Conference (the congregations of the West Valley) has been talking about a joint Young Adult initiative. Please pray for the Holy Spirit to guide these conversations and offer your thoughts to myself or Council members. Look for information in the next few months and offer your questions and support.

Thank you for your energy and passion to help deepen relationships and develop leaders of all ages!

Glad to be on the journey with you,

Pastor Peter

 

Nuance and Grace

A rule of thumb I have found helpful: Don’t make decisions when you are Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired. The acronym HALT is one way to remember this. In each of these states, our ability to perceive what is really going on and make healthy judgments are impaired. My daughters call it “hangry” when people are hungry and snap at others over petty grievances. Some studies suggest driving tired can be more dangerous than driving drunk! When in one of these four conditions, it’s better to halt and take care of the real problem first before risking relationships, health, and property. Add on-going pandemic stress and fatigue to the mix plus reactionary political polarization, and it’s a wonder any of us can function without careening like a bowling ball in a glassware shop. By the grace of God, we made it through Christmas without smoke pouring out of every ear or tears from every eye!

It’s no wonder we can’t hear nuance. Nuance is trying to say multiple things at the same time. Nuance is when we say “I’m fine” but also “I really need someone to talk to.” It’s when teacher after teacher calls in sick and the principal tries to be upbeat in order to keep morale up but at the same time sound the alarm bell that help is needed. It’s when a building collapses and an inspector admits that he missed the cracks but that the department rushes its inspectors and needs to hire more. It's when a leader insists that both water conservation and augmentation are necessary to deal with a looming shortage.

When we are stressed, hungry, angry, lonely, or tired we only hear one thing, not the multiple things that need to be held together, and we react out of our own misperception and misjudgment. We dismiss the person that needs to talk. We ignore the principal’s plea for help. We get angry at the building inspector and forget the need for more funding. We build plants to take salt out of water but keep using water like it’s endless. It’s similar to when we are impaired by fatigue or alcohol, we miss clues about what’s really going on and respond in ways that are unhealthy to us and those around us.

One solutions is to HALT, to stop and address the issues that impair us. But how do we do that when the stress and fatigue of the pandemic are chronic and beyond our control? Even if we use destressing techniques like meditation and prayer, even if we get more sleep (which are all great ideas!), the basic problem doesn’t go away.

In many ways, the problem is similar to Sin (with a capital S), the endemic condition of humanity. Our perception and judgment are always warped by Sin in ways we can’t detect, and so we careen selfishly through our family, school, and work sometimes only barely noticing the damage we leave behind.

God has shown us the answer to Sin: Jesus. He takes the endemic human plague into himself and dies on the cross. His resurrection is healing from Sin. God gives him to us as grace, a gift in Baptism and Holy Communion, in our gatherings to receive Christ in Word and Sacrament.

So, the ultimate solution is grace, first a gift God gives to us, then a gift we give to others. In the midst of our stress, hunger, anger, loneliness, and tiredness we HALT and remember God’s grace towards us so we can be gracious to each other.

Beginning with grace helps us hear nuance and to empathize. Grace loosens our tensed shoulders and slows our quick tongues. We hear a person’s reluctance to share pain openly. We hear the principal’s tender plea and want to help. We understand the inspector’s rush and encourage systemic change. We reduce our own consumption for water and encourage others to do the same. We hear the many things our neighbor says because we hear the love that God speaks even in stressful times.

Listening,

Pastor Peter

Not again! Where is God working?

“Despite the change of the calendar, I suspect it will feel like little has changed. A vaccine for COVID-19 is available…”

That’s what I wrote in January 2021. I thought about just copying the whole article and using it again. What’s changed? How has God been working?

It feels a bit like one of my favorite movies, Groundhog Day. Bill Murray stars as a weatherman who is assigned to cover the Feb 2 events in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania when the groundhog is pulled out to forecast if the winter will be long or short. Murray is trapped repeating the same day over and over again, through comedy and tragedy. 2021 started with COVID fears and restrictions and the promise of a vaccine. 2021 started with political, social and cultural divisions exploding into ugly fights between family, friends, and even strangers. We pray over and over for God to help guide us out of this pandemic and our cultural divisions, but where’s God working? We’re living the same thing over again.

Maybe. Like anyone, Christians are also prone to become depressed or disillusioned. We pray and may lose heart when we don’t see God at work.

But maybe we’re not repeating last year. One of the problems with humanity is we have trouble seeing ourselves and the world clearly, especially when stressed and emotional. We tend to forget the past and overreact to the present. Are we focusing on the wrong things? Are we missing where God is working?

Look in the manger with me. Look at the Christ child behind the inn. In the middle of Roman occupation, social strife between groups trying to reform Jewish society, would you have looked for God working in a peasant family from Nazareth? Would you have expected kings to tremble at this baby or wise men to leave their homes? We fail to see where God is working because God is at work hidden in the world. What the world overlooks and calls weak—those are the places where God has worked in the past and likely where God is working now.

At the end of Groundhog Day, Andie McDowell’s character loved the unloveable weatherman. It was this caring that ended Bill Murray’s endless day and started a new one. 

It is God’s love in Christ, even to death on the cross, that ends what seemed like the endless history of human selfishness and Sin. It is resurrection with Christ that gives us confidence about a new year coming. Will we see it? The manger is our guide in between: we see God working, loving, leading, in places and relationships where there is weakness. Look for the love, look for the forgiveness that breaks the cycles of anger and hurt. There, I suspect, you’ll find God at work.

Looking for God's love in all the unlikely places,

Pastor Peter

 

No Home for the Holidays

Jesus, Mary and Joseph were homeless that first Christmas. They were in Joseph’s family town (Bethlehem was the ancestral home of King David), but there was no family to take them in. They were living a culture that valued hospitality, but no one opened their home. There was no room at the inn. The only rest for the family was where animals ate and slept. And there the King of Kings was born! In the cold, without warm water or towels to wipe the newborn, without OB/GYN or nurse or midwife, Mary and Joseph brought Jesus into the world.

To be more precise, Mary, Joseph, and Jesus were a family struggling with homelessness. Sometimes we use the adjective “homeless” as if it is an eternal condition, like “Mary is short” or “Joseph is old”, Jesus is “homeless.” But they would not always be in a state of homelessness—it was temporary. Eventually, they did make it back to Nazareth where there were people to welcome them, where they had a home. This is why we say they "struggled with homelessness" rather than "were homeless."

The end of the eviction moratorium on Sept. 30 has meant increasing numbers of people struggling with homelessness. We talk with them every day at St. John’s: yesterday, it was Jessica and Derek. Brothers Christopher and Timothy are regulars. Sunshine is 19. Glenn is 67. Tabitha and Marcia live in a blue pickup with a shell. We hear stories of abusive boyfriends; aunts who get tired of addictive behavior; an apartment complex being remodeled; rent going up from $700 to $1100. The situations are difficult and varied. What can the Church do?

At least three things: First, care. Sometimes we can become numb. At best, numbness is a coping response when we don’t know what to do. At worst, it disregards our common humanity and Creator and forgets that when Jesus was born everyone turned a cold shoulder. Because we care, we share our names and ask theirs. We listen to stories how they got on the street. Everyone has a story, and sometimes you may hear a true one. But even the story shaped to elicit help tells of pain, abandonment, and longing—parts of many of our stories.

Second, connect. Although they are far from perfect, there are resources available. After many (many!) years of work by many partners, there is a new Central Arizona Shelter Services (CASS) center opening down the street at 7031 N 56th Ave. Already people can get replacement ID’s and birth certificates (necessary for applying for jobs, housing, more services) and soon there will be over a dozen agencies providing services, including Lutheran Social Services (LSS) and Family Promise. Put LSS’s phone number 480-654-4539 or Family Promise 480-659-5227 in your phone so you can share them. Only rarely is it helpful to give money to someone—it usually is a drop in the bucket compared to the complex needs that people have. Connecting to those who can sort through the issues makes a difference.

Third, communicate. Although the reasons for the increase in homelessness are complex, affordable housing is at the center of it. Some members of St. John’s know personally how difficult finding an apartment or home is. The Arizona Republic just published an article about the need for 280,000 new affordable housing units in Arizona. We can communicate with our elected leaders that affordable housing must be an urgent priority. If in Glendale, write, email, or call Mayor Jerry Weiers at 623-930-2260 or glendalemayor@glendaleaz.com to let him know what you think. Find out your city council members, state legislators. If we don’t communicate, our leaders will think we don’t care and will instead listen to other voices.

We care because God cared enough to enter the cold, sinful world with a family without a home. We help connect people with resources because God connected us to forgiveness, hope, and eternal life in Jesus. We communicate with leaders on behalf of others because Jesus advocates for us.

Come Lord Jesus!

Pastor Peter

The Lord of the Harvest

The Lord of the Harvest

Jesus said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” (Matt 9:37-38)

One of my stock phrases is, “Money is not the problem. If there is vision and people to lead towards the vision, the money will come.” I’m usually saying this when somebody is lamenting that the church can’t do X or Y because we don’t have the money. I’m not saying there is money already in the bank; I’m saying that when there is a clear, compelling, and well communicated vision of what God is calling us to do and when there are people willing to lead others towards that vision, then people naturally give and the money comes. For example, when St. John’s leaders expressed a vision of having an intern pastor, people stepped up to give money needed to make it happen.

It’s different when we already have some money but no clear vision. The Jorgensen Fund was given in 1984 when Walter died. The congregation couldn’t touch the principal but received the income for 35 years. There was no vision for it, except perhaps, “we’ll use the income to cover deficits in the general operating fund.” From that point of view, it was very helpful: there were tough financial years that the Jorgensen Fund helped keep the lights on. But is that God's vision?

We are currently in a process to decide the vision for the Jorgensen Fund. You’ve hopefully seen the videos part 1, part 2, and part 3 that help us know the Jorgensen’s and their faithfulness to God and God’s Church. A survey in June revealed that people’s hearts were in improving the property, reaching out (especially to youth and young adults), and savings for the future. The Congregation Council has been working on recommendations to discuss with the Congregation in November. I encourage you to participate in these on Nov 14, 21, 28 at 9:45 in the chapel and online.

As you pray for God’s guidance, consider the two part vision we chose in 2018: Deepening relationships with God and others and Developing Leaders. Our vision should guide how to use the Jorgensen fund or any fund. For example, which choices direct us towards deeper relationships? Which options help us develop leaders? Money is a tool towards a purpose not an end in itself; how does the Lord of the Harvest want us to use this tool?

The harvest is plentiful, that is, there are many people who do not know Jesus and feel harassed and helpless in the face of the maze of life (Matt 9:36). I suspect you know some of them. The Lord of the Harvest sends you—yes, you!—and this congregation so that others may know the freedom and love of God in Christ. As we approach Thanksgiving, I’m thankful to be a “field-hand” with you and pray God gives us vision not only for how to use the Jorgensen Fund but how to “harvest” during these changing days!

Thankful to harvest with you,

Pastor Peter