Simply Grace

The environment is suffering from our ignorance

In the month of February I did a sermon on climate change. If the planet continues to rise in temperature, more ice will melt and there will be more water in liquid form in the world. Some people have doubts about this reality: climate change. Other people do recognize the reality that the climate is changing but say: it doesn’t matter. Why?

We have a problem. The problem is a limited perspective that says that the salvation of Christ only matters in the spirit and not in the physical. Sometimes some Christians do not want to take care of the environment because they think that the planet and all physical reality will be destroyed by God and it is not worth it. This perspective is limited and dangerous, because if we do not take care of the planet we will ask for our ability to live well. We will ask for our home that God gave us.

In the book of facts Peter says that Jesus Christ died because of the ignorance of the leaders. He says that Jesus Christ was the author of life, and that we put the author of life to death. This is horrible and is a description of what we are doing. We kill the author of life while we kill the planet. But we don’t have to stay that way. We can learn and open our minds.

The solution is to learn a bigger perspective. 

Two weeks ago I received the second dose of the Covid vaccine. I asked the pharmacist to take a photo. He told me that you cannot take a picture during the administration of the vaccine, but afterwards, yes. Then she graciously took my photo. The photo I put on social networks to encourage my relatives and acquaintances that they also receive the vaccine. I wrote a short prayer thanking God for the vaccine and for inspiring the doctors and scientists to create the vaccines. I noticed that the next day another pastor I know also put up her vaccine photo, but instead of writing a sentence like me, she simply wrote, “Thanks science!” When I saw it for the first time, I thought for a moment noticing the difference, I felt happy, and I thought: cool! I agree. Thanks science! I like this attitude of gratitude for science. It is because of science that we know so much about the world, and we have discovered so many solutions to the problems that exist. Science helps us to get out of the ignorance that makes us put the author of life to the dead. 

Science is not perfect. Nor is it clean. Science is a slow and dirty learning process. There are many mistakes and theories that are not good. But it is a beautiful, very important, and necessary process. It is very similar to our theology of being saved by grace and not works. If you read the history of science you will notice that many of the discoveries are accidents and moments of divine inspiration after a long time of mistakes. There is no shame or shame for making mistakes out of ignorance. This is why Peter said in his sermon in the book of Acts that there is forgiveness for sins. Learning from our mistakes and sins is the grace of God. If you have suffered from mistakes you have made, don’t worry, don’t be so hard on yourself. Accept the grace of God. Trust that you can learn and improve! You are saved by the grace of God through faith!

The good news is that the resurrection renews all life.

Jesus Christ, in the reading of Saint Luke, opene

Thank you June, Loretta, Mark, and Pastor Wesley for taking time to study the Word of God!

Readings are for the Third Sunday of Easter.

Themes include: not knowing to having your mind opened, and the bodily physical reality of the resurrection.

There are stones that trouble our relationships. Mary Magdalene worried, “Who will move the stone?” So she could be with Jesus.

Jesus taught us how to love the stones. Jesus loved Peter who could be stubborn like a stone. That was his nick-name!

God will roll the stones! Resurrection means new life and changed hearts. Saint Paul is a stone who was moved by God. His heart of stone melted to heart of flesh and love.

God will move the stones in our life!

Hechos 3:12–19 Nate

Salmo 4 Maria

1 San Juan 3:1–7 Wesley

San Lucas 24:36b–48 Cesar

¡La fiesta no es privada sino para todo el mundo!

It’s been two weeks since we were at Easter. And if you listened to the Good Friday sermon you know that attacks and persecution of Jews is a problem. Religious persecution also happens against Muslims. And this past week my hairdresser, who is a Buddhist from Vietnam, told me that her brother and several acquaintances have experienced persecution. It is important that we are aware of these forms of religious persecution. But do you know that there is a group that has experienced an increase in persecution more than any other group in the world? Which group is it? They are not Christians. They are the atheists. They have received an increase in evil acts more than any other religious group. 

Jesus Christ was not like that. When Thomas was in doubt, Jesus did not scold or criticize Thomas. Jesus shared God’s love with Thomas. The thing we have to remember is that although Jesus rose from the dead, He was still not with the disciples for long. His appearances after the resurrection were just this: appearances. A moment, an instant, a sight, a sense, a vision, a whisper, and it’s over faster than smoke or steam. So not only did Tomás have doubts, maybe everyone had doubts.

Consider the time notation in the Gospel according to John:

Jesus appeared very early to a few people for seconds not minutes.He passed all day and then he appeared to the disciples in the afternoon and said very few words.The text says eight days later. It means he spent the whole week with nothing.

If you love someone. If you love someone. What if you want to have a deep relationship with someone, is it a good idea to say hello twice briefly on Sunday and then not have any contact for the rest of the week? Is it possible to have a meaningful relationship with that contact pattern?

It makes me think from the book and the movie, “I will love you forever.” In this story we read of the love between a woman who is an artist in Chicago and a man who has a rare condition that makes him travel through time involuntarily. He has no time travel machine. No. He has a rare genetic condition. He leaps into the past and future of his own life. Many times he scares his family members who have rare opportunities to meet him as a teenager or child. These moments are usually brief. It is a form almost of torture to his family because he does not have any control as to travel to the past or the future. For example, the family could be celebrating Christmas and in an instant he disappears and does not return for a few days. Several friends and relatives of the time traveler’s wife tell him that it is better to leave him alone. It’s not worth it, they said. You never know when he’s going to be or not. But the woman is very in love with him and faithfully continues with the faith that he will always return. I imagine it was like that for the disciples after the resurrection. 

I know that for many the past year has been a time of deep doubt. Where is God in all this pandemic and quarantine? Some people hav

Appropriately sharing the good and the difficult!

Thank you: Ingrid, Mark, Sandy, Loretta, and Pastor!

Study is for the second Sunday in Easter.

Baptism in 12…

Creation

Light and DarknessSky and waterLandStars and heavenly beingsBirds and fishAnimals, and humansSabbathResurrection

Liturgy

Presentation Who is getting baptized?Confession Apostle’s CreedThanksgiving Water in salvation historyBaptism Father, Son, and Holy SpiritHoly Spirit Laying on of HandsCross Marked with cross of Christ and sealed by Holy Spirit foreverGifts Candle, certificate, handkerchief, savings account, quilt, chestWelcome Fellowship among the believers

Luther’s Small Catechism

What is baptism? Water + WordWhy do we baptize? Forgiveness, Eternal Life, PowerHow does it work? FaithSo what do we do? Practice it daily: Wash your hands, Take a shower, etc.

Intro: Polar Vortex over Texas! It could happen here too! Also, persecution can happen to any religion. So we must work to end all forms of religious hatred. It is troubling that the Christian Holy Week has been a time of religious persecution of Jews. I will focus on why Christians should not blame or persecute Jews for the crucifixion of Jesus. Rather, we are saved by grace through faith.

The Problem of Anti-Semitism:

The Holocaust happened and was beyond horrible. Some tried to justify it with religion.Hate crimes against Jews and many religions still happen today, and must be rejected.Conspiracy theories seem to have grown as feeble attempts to try to explain why suffering happens in our world today.

Reasons Not to Be Anti-Semitic:

Jesus, our Lord, was Jewish as were all of the early disciples. In the book, “The Christian Imagination and the Origins of Race” by William Jennings, the reader is reminded that Jesus came as a Jewish messiah for Jewish people. The whole project of salvation as a gift of Jesus came to be as a movement within Judaism and a broader Greco-Roman cultural milieu. Jews did not kill Jesus. That is just wrong. Jesus was Jewish, as were all of his disciples. 

The fact that Christians are allowed to participate in the salvation given by Jesus is a gift. We are allowed to participate in the wonderful story of salvation. Throughout history gentiles have been attracted to Judaism because of the compelling relationship with God Most High. 

A certain Jewish plumber is a local man some of you know who does great work. If you ever meet him you might have a very rewarding conversation. When I spoke with him we talked about Jesus a lot. He enjoyed sharing the fact that he believed in Jesus. I asked him where he went to church. He said he went to a Jewish Temple, or a synagogue. This is great! Jesus was Jewish, and we have more in common than we realize.

The term, “the Jews” in John’s gospel  and passion narrative could be interpreted as a geographical term, as in, “the people from Judah.” Jesus was from Galilee a different region than Judah. So there was a regional conflict that can be read into the narrative over and against a religious one.

Throughout the passion story for Jesus over and over again we hear the term, “the Jews.” Without knowing any better this sounds like a blaming of a specific religious group for Jesus’ death. But that’s not what it is! Everytime you read or hear the term, “the Jews” in the gospel of John, you can think about a tension and even conflict between Jews from Galilee and Jews from Judah, not to mention Samaria, and other areas. Many, though not all of the people from Jerusalem and the area of Judah would have been seen as different from the more country oriented group of disciples form Galilee. Keep in mind that most of their ministry was itinerant. They went a lot of different places. But it was in Judah where Jesus was arrested and crucified. When you know that this term has a geographical meaning, it helps to understand why it was wr

Maundy Thursday

Rev. Wesley Menke

Grace Lutheran Church

1 April 2021

Tonight we remember how Jesus showed us how to love and lead like servants. Jesus washed the disciples feet in humility, one of the lowliest jobs of antiquity reserved for servants. What is so interesting, however, is the exchange between Jesus and Peter. Peter doesn’t want Jesus to wash his feet. Jesus in response tells Peter in no uncertain terms to consider his choice carefully. Peter may choose not to have his feet washed, but in doing so, he will also be choosing to have no share, no inheritance, no continued participation with Jesus. Jesus said, “If I do not wash you, then you have no part with me.” Isn’t it ironic that at the same time Jesus extols his disciples to be humble like servants, he is so uncompromising with Peter?

Some people would say that a good Christian is somebody who goes out of their way to make other people happy. Some people would say that a good Chrisitan would never step on anyone’s toes or allow somebody to become emotionally distraught. They would say that just as Jesus was humble like a slave and washed feet, so Christians should do whatever it takes to make other people feel comfortable and happy. The only problem with this kind of thinking, is that it is not what Jesus did at all. For Jesus to wash feet would be queer and obviously made people like Peter uncomfortable. 

If good Christians are supposed to make other people happy and comfortable, then the Gospel lesson from tonight would have been very different. You can imagine how the exchange might have been if Jesus’ sole mission was to make people happy and comfortable. Imagine this:

“So he came to Simon Peter. He said to him, “Lord do you wash my feet?”

Jesus answered and said to him, “What I do you do not realize now, but you will understand hereafter.” Peter said to Him. “Never shall you wash my feet!” So Jesus quivered, bowed his head, rubbed his hands together, and looked down avoiding eye contact with Peter. Jesus said unto Peter:

“I’m sorry Peter. I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable. I had a really nice activity planned to teach servant leadership, but I can tell that I could have picked a better learning activity. It’s okay. You don’t have to participate if you don’t want to. In fact, let my total negation of self be a sign to you of what I meant by washing feet. Just do whatever it takes to make people happy.” 

That, of course, is not what it says in the Bible. Instead Jesus called Peter out on his acting childish and said, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with me.” So the real question is why would Jesus at the same time teach us to be loving humble servants and to have boundaries? Perhaps the reason is that you cannot authentically love anybody without having boundaries, and sticking up for yourself. Elsewhere Jesus said, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” To be a servant leader like Jesus means loving yourself and others even when it is different, atypical, or unusual. This should bring to mind all of the similar stories we have been remembering during Lent. 

Jesus loved people with boundaries. He never compromised on who he was. He maintained emotional differentiation with: Peter,

You may not be able to pick which hill you die on, but you can pick which hill you will live on.

Do you really want to die on that hill? That is an expression used to encourage someone to think about what is so important that they are willing to give everything or die for. While there is value in asking this, the question is misleading. You may not have the power to decide which hill you will die on.

Jesus didn’t get to decide. He asked God to remove the cup of suffering placed before him. But when the powers of the world conspired, it spelled the end of his life on Earth as a physical human being. What makes his crucifixion so remarkable, is that he didn’t allow the prospect of death, suffering, being bullied, and even mobbed allow him to waver from what mattered most.

Jesus chose to live fully on the day of his crucifixion. He knew that he was made in the image of God, that he was God’s son sent to save the world. Powerful people who could make him suffer and die tried to get him to cave, cower, and forsake the truth. All he had to do was lie, all he had to do was say that, “Cesar is the Son of God.”

But if he had done that, then he would have saved his body, but lost his soul. Whenever we give in to fear, deny the truth, and deny who we are, we let our souls die a little. “What does it profit a person to gain the whole world, but lose their soul?”

Jesus kept his soul strong all the way to the end. You could say that he was fully alive, that he chose to live according to faith rather than fear, and so he lived his last hours in peace, love, and resisting evil.

So powerful was his witness to life, soul, and truth, that all along his final journey to the cross he converts people.

Pontius Pilate tries to intimidate Jesus. Rather than be intimidated Jesus says, “You say that I’m a king.” How audacious to try to convert Pilate!Simon of Cyrene is compelled to take the cross of Jesus, to walk with him and help carry the load. Simon is brought to faith.Many women including Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of Joses walked with Jesus and by his witness their faith was strengthened.Joseph of Arimathea got Jesus’ body and helped to bury him with honor. A Roman Centurion at the moment of Jesus death confessed Jesus to be the Son of God. That would put the Roman in direct conflict with the Cesar. It was Jesus death on a cross that brought the Roman to faith, because Jesus truly lived the truth in faith.

We can do this like Jesus did, because we have a soul that exists beyond the physical realities. I remember my uncle Charles who was a peaceful man. He would catch lizards, put them in the freezer to cool them off, and then sketch them. They would warm up and run away by the time his sketch was over.

One day I went to watch a movie with my wife. A man sat near us who looked exactly like my uncle Charles even though we were hundreds of miles away in a different state. He even had my uncle’s same sketch book with him as he watched the movie. How often do you s