Rev. Reed Lee Pedersen's
I recently went on a trip with the Northern Illinois Synod of the ELCA to India to visit the Arcot Lutheran Church. The NIS is a companion with the ALC and this was a chance for the delegates of the Northern Illinois Synod to witness to the ministry of Lutheran Church Body in a culture and context very different from our own. (This will not be the last post about my takeaways from this glorious experience.) While witnessing to the many ministries of the Arcot Lutheran Church the group received a lesson in the Indian custom of hospitality. Everywhere we went we were officially welcomed with a formal gesture to honor us as guests. Sometimes we were given a flower garland like when we first arrived in Chennai. Sometimes it is a necklace or flower in the hair. Most of the time it was a shawl and a flower. Receiving these formal welcomes helped let us know that we are guests and that we are most certainly wanted. The informal welcomes from many of the school children was also quite moving. This got me to thinking about the love practice of hospitality. What we received was a lesson on how to show God’s love through welcoming the stranger. It was a lesson in following Jesus’ commandment to love your neighbor as yourself.
In being so genuinely welcomed by the Arcot Lutheran Church we also felt wanted and as if we were important in the lives of our hosts. Interesting enough this welcoming gesture is done so in the name of God. This welcoming is done on behalf of and through God’s love for them. Therefore, the loved they shared with us through formal welcomes was not their own but Christ’s love. So the feeling that comes away is that God loves me. God wants me. God thinks I am important. This is the clear message shown to the whole world when Christ died on the cross. It can be reintroduced to us through this lovely practice of hospitality. This is especially so for strangers. Welcoming the stranger is not only biblical (Deut 10:19, Lev 19:34, 3 John 1:5, and Heb 13:2) but it also opens us up to the larger picture of what Christ did for us. It opens us up to share God’s love and to see God in others. Points to Ponder:
1 Comment
Ash Wednesday is tomorrow! Get your foreheads ready for some burnt up palms and oil.
I find many people do not get very excited around this time of year. Ash Wednesday to some is a sign of more church services, no alleluias, and durgy Church hymns. Let me try my best to uplift this wonderful church service. The words spoken as you recieve the ash are, "Remember you are dust and to dust you shall return." These are taken from Genesis 3:19. These words are given after Adam and Eve eat the forbidden fruit (I like to think it's a pineapple). These words can seem depressing, but they are actually quite liberating and hopeful. Yes, we are created mortal beings who will die some day. Yes, we are not God and it shows in our inability to obtain perfection of any kind. These are tue statements, but it also means we will return home. If we are to return to our dusty form that means we return to the One who created us. So remember you are dust:
And to dust you shall return:
I do hope you partake in this lovely service and recieve the sign of the cross! Points to Ponder:
This week's rambling comes with a heavy heart. My wife and I adopted a dog six months ago. Her name was Luna and we loved her. Last week she died suddenly. This sparks a question. What happens to pets after they die? Or, to be more direct, are their pets in heaven?
I will say that I do not believe there to be direct bible verses to answer this question, but there is a passage that we can look at and ponder. Upon seeing all the plants and animals which God had created God saw that it was good. God even commanded all the animals to multiply! (Gen 1) If Christ's return sparks the perfection of God's creation then someone could look at that story in Genesis and conclude that animals will be with us on the Last Day. If animals are good then why wouldn't they be with us when the Kingdom of Heaven comes into its fullness on earth. To the deeper question of whether or not we meet our pets in heaven I don't think we will find the biblically based answers we hope for. We can look to poetry like "Raindow Bridge" to give us hope and imagine what it might be like. Sometimes our imaginations can be the safe space we need to cope with the loss of a pet. I am sorry this is not a more uplifting post, but it is where I am at. Points to Ponder: 1. Is there a bible verse you hold onto when it comes to animals in heaven? 2. Read "Rainbow Bridge" What do you think? Rainbow Bridge (Death of a Pet)There is a bridge connecting Heaven and Earth. It is called the Rainbow Bridge because of all its beautiful colors. Just this side of the Rainbow Bridge there is a land of meadows, hills and valleys with lush green grass. When a beloved pet dies, the pet goes to this place. There is always food and water and warm spring weather. The old and frail animals are young again. Those who were sick, hurt or in pain are made whole again. There is only one thing missing, they are not with their special person who loved them so much on earth. So each day they run and play until the day comes when one suddenly stops playing and looks up! The nose twitches! The ears are up! The eyes are staring and this one runs from the group! You have been seen and when you and your special friend meet, you take him in your arms and hug him. He licks and kisses your face again and again - and you look once more into the eyes of your best friend and trusting pet. Then you cross the Rainbow Bridge together never again to be apart. Author: unknown |
AuthorPastor Reed is a first call pastor at Augustana Lutheran Church in Andover, Illinois. Archives
July 2019
|