Rev. Reed Lee Pedersen's
Last week’s gospel text involved Jesus warning against the religious leaders who seek glory, fame, and compliments over the focus on serving God. “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets! They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.” Mark 12:38-40 As a pastor, these words from Jesus are a gut check to my calling and to the calling of the church. This warning from Jesus calls us to question if we are actually doing God’s mission (spreading the love of Christ to the world through words and actions) or if we are performing church in a way that is self-serving.
It is easy to point to the mega-millionaire pastors and churches always asking for money. These are the ones that say God wishes for them to have a second private jet, so we need to give them money. Not all televangelists are like this, but many of them seem to fall in line with this warning from Jesus. This text has me asking myself if I use my time and resources as the leader of Augustana Lutheran Church for the benefit of spreading God’s love or if I am only doing all of this for my own recognition. This text is personal to me because I know if I do not leave my ego in check than my head will not be able to fit through the church’s doors (I am sure my friends and family can concur). Pastors are entrusted with a big role as spiritual leader and head shepherd of a flock or flocks we call congregations. If they are unwilling to follow through, be of good use in God’s name, and avoid unsavory actions then I truly agree with Jesus that there is a greater condemnation waiting for us. That’s just me. Although I am the leader, I am one person in my church. What about the church as a whole? Are we doing church in a way that promotes and benefits all people in our communities? If not, how does the call to share God’s love call for changes in our congregations. Is how we do church only beneficiary to those attending Sunday services? If so, why would we ever expect anyone to actually be interested in God’s love? An interesting thing about answering the question of whether or not the church and the pastor are serving God’s mission is that if the answer is “no” then action is needed. So let me ask again. Does the church you serve or used to be a part of share a love for God and share God’s love with the community around it? If yes, how does it do that? If no, what needs to be changed and how are you willing to help make that change? If we answer no and are unwilling to help make the changes necessary then we are like a person who wants to change the way the country is run but never votes. Maybe you are scared of the time commitment of what it takes to change a congregation. Maybe you are pessimistic about whether the church can actually change from its old ways. Maybe you are tired, busy and not up for the challenge. Just as not voting is a vote for whoever wins, not being active in your church is a vote to keep things the same (this also assumes that everyone in charge wants to stay in charge). I do not want myself or any church to be the kind of place that abuses the love of God for our own benefit. I want the whole church to truly serve the goodness of creation. So if you see me or any pastor being quite full of themselves and in ministry for the wrong reasons, tell them about it. If you see a church unwilling to serve its community and only focus on preserving itself, call them out. Sometimes we need truth tellers to disrupt the status quo before we can address the necessary change. Remember…the church of God does not have a mission. Instead, God’s mission has a church.[i] [i] This saying is the basis of missional theology.
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AuthorPastor Reed is a first call pastor at Augustana Lutheran Church in Andover, Illinois. Archives
July 2019
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