Rev. Reed Lee Pedersen's
The fifth commandment has two common translations, “Thou shall not murder” and “Thou shall not kill”. As we remember those who have died in war, our veterans who served, our current military, and the future young men and women who accept the call to serve in the military for our county, the fifth commandment can be troubling to think about: Are these soldiers going against God’s great commandments as they go out to war? Many people can cling to, “Thou shall not murder,” as the right translation. This points out that in the time of battle any death is not murder. It is a battle with casualties as a consequence. Many people can cling to, “Thou shall not kill,” as the right translation. This can have an anti-war/pro-peace mentality which feels all killing must be ended; therefore they would discourage someone from serving in the military. Here is what Martin Luther had to say when interpreting the fifth commandment: “We are to fear and love God, so that we neither endanger nor harm the lives of our neighbors, but instead help and support them in all of life’s needs.” This explanation certainly sees peace as the first and foremost importance. At the same time, the final part of the explanation calls us to help and support our neighbors. Another way is that we are called to defend our neighbors. This leaves the door open for military service to defend this country and our neighbors both local and abroad. Love and peace is always first and foremost the goal of God. Jesus put the weight of the sin of the world on his shoulders so that we could have such love and peace. The freedom we achieve through this allows us to freely answer the call to serve our country. The freedom we have in Christ allows us to recognize: “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8) I know I am thankful for those willing to accept the call to serve our country. God’s blessings be to the soldiers of today and tomorrow. I give God thanks for those who have served and those who have died while serving. Points to Ponder:
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One of my favorite recordings of Ella Fitzgerald is of her singing, “Summertime”. Her smooth voice along with the melody and slow pace of the song really makes you feel relaxed like you are sitting on a beach chair soaking up the sun. June is almost upon us and so that means summer is too. It’s a time where we can take a break and enjoy the warm weather, have family gatherings, kids are out of school, and we can drive our cars with the windows down and enjoy the breeze.
These points are meant to remind each and everyone that God is good and we can remember God in everything we do, even summer break. I remember the days of old, I think about all your deeds, I meditate on the works of your hands. Psalm 143:5 No points to ponder this week, but I do have a recording of Ella singing Summertime.
“Symbols have been called our silent teachers. They are universally used. A flag, a figure of a half-moon, a swastika, a cross—each one conveys a truth or designates a loyalty. Each says succinctly what would otherwise take many words to express.”[i] While perusing through the church library I stumbled upon this quote from a book on the season of advent by Paul M. Lindberg. The page continues with talking about the symbols of the church sanctuary and outside the church which speak of Christ without words. Other symbols tell many things about our lives. The color of your jewelry can let people know the month you were born, the Alex and Ani bracelet(s) speak to your character and personal qualities, the dog tags lets people know you serve or have served your country, the tattoos each carry a story and meaning, the elephant around your neck may speak to your spirit animal. All in all, the symbols we have, wear, and carry speak to who we are without the need of words. I claim the cross as the greatest symbol which Christians can wear around their neck, in their homes or cars, or on their skin. It is an immediate symbol which speaks about one’s faith in Christ who died on that cross for us. As much as movie, TV, and music producers try to overuse this symbol for financial gain (see how many American Idol contestants and pop stars have a cross around their neck --> it’s marketing not coincidence), the cross can still be the symbol that speaks to others that you are a Christian. For that reason some people have a preference not to wear any religious symbols for fear of shoving their faith down someone else’s life and sight. The common words that can be heard in the Service for Holy Baptism are that the baptized person is “sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked with the cross of Christ forever.”[ii] This means that if you are baptized and choose not to wear a religious symbol for the outside world to see and know you are a follower of Jesus, you still wear the sign of the cross in your hearts, minds, and souls which God sees always. Whether we latch on to the religious symbols or not, Jesus Christ has saved the world with that cross. Jesus Christ has saved you with that cross. Points to Ponder:
[i] Paul M Lindberg, Advent: The Days Before Christmas, (Fortress Press, Philedelphia: 1966), p. 1. [ii] ELW Service of Holy Baptism God’s Son came into the world 2,000 years ago, yet his resurrection and ascension (celebrated May 10th this year) mark the fact that Jesus is with us even today and throughout history. Over those 2,000 years the world has changed, and so have we as people. In Norwegian mythology there is a play between fire and ice. Fire is the sign of chaos. It is always moving in a non-distinct pattern, always changing. Ice, on the other hand, is a sign of idleness. It is set and immovable. Interesting enough, there are both bad at their purest states. When they are in harmony water and life is abundant. If the world was only fire then it would be consumed with flames and chaos. It the world was only ice it would never move. It would only be stuck. Why am I bringing this up? People have a tendency to resist change because it is scary (it can even be chaotic), but when they become idle life passes by without them. Churches are the same way. Constantly churches find themselves seeking to relive the “glory days” of the church and resist change and also become idle. They are using the possum’s survival technique and playing dead with the hopes that the big scary bear called future will leave them alone. Change for the sake of change is certainly unnecessary but change is a necessity we all must learn to live with. We must learn to adapt and grow as human beings and as followers of Christ. This growth has led me to expand my viewpoint past the 99% white context I grew up in. It has allowed us as people to continue to push for equality among people of different races and genders. Hearing the good news of Jesus Christ from a perspective other than my own has opened me up in how I think about God. If Christ truly makes us new each day then we are called to be open to receiving newness. We are called to change the world for the better in the name of God. And if you fear this than listen to these words from Paul: “Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7 NRSV) In the midst of our fears to change in life and in our churches it is important that we remember who to focus on first. The Holy Spirit (commonly represented by fire) fills us with a heart and a mind in Christ Jesus. If we and churches do not follow the water we receive in baptism and an openness to change while being centered in Christ than we become idle, ice. We can only play possum so long before our bodies will stop pretending. It is the same with churches. Churches can only be stagnate and play dead for so long until they become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Points to Ponder:
During my sophomore year of college I was able to participate in a choir tour across Europe with the Wartburg Choir directed by Dr. Lee Nelson. This involved a lot of fun but also a lot of driving. Long days and nights make for grumpy mornings. For those lucky enough to be on Dr. Nelson's bus, they began every morning playing, "It's a beautiful day", by Queen. "It's A Beautiful Day" It's a beautiful day The sun is shining I feel good And no-one's gonna stop me now, oh yeah It's a beautiful day I feel good, I feel right And no-one, no-one's gonna stop me now Mama Sometimes I feel so sad, so sad, so bad But no-one's gonna stop me now, no-one It's hopeless - so hopeless to even try While many people on the bus may have felt tired, sad, or bad this song was played to get people geared up for the day (even if the day was spent riding on a bus for 8 hours). Much like last week's blog I want to lift up the greatness of God's creation. Especially since (in Andover) today is truly a beautiful day and the sun is shining outside. In the midst of tiredness and the monotony that can come with every day life it is important to stop and smell the roses and enjoy this day. On this day we have life. On this day we have hearts beating and oxygen going through our lungs. And on this day and every day we have Jesus Christ who will be with us and take care of us even when that heart stops and the breath fades away. When we can recognize and hold onto the beautiful shiny days on the rainy, cold, and not-so-shiny days we get through them easier. We are reminded of the beautiful weather that will come again. It is the same with Christ. When we remember that Christ is with us and has already taken care of us to eternity because of what he did on the cross for us, we can sing in our best Freddy Mercury voice, "It's a beautiful day and the Son is shining in my heart. And no-one, no-one's gonna stop him now. Mama." Points to Ponder:
While I currently preside over a sanctuary with great acoustics, they pale in comparison to the acoustics of this church we performed at in Denmark. Please give our rendition of "Abide with Me" a listen. It is important to remember that when we abide in Christ "Where is death's sting? Where pain thy victory?"
BONUS POINTS IF YOU CAN PICK ME OUT IN THIS VIDEO. |
AuthorPastor Reed is a first call pastor at Augustana Lutheran Church in Andover, Illinois. Archives
July 2019
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