Devotion for May 30

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind… Matthew 13:47

My colleague, Pr. Dick Hutton, had set up the luncheon meeting with the pastor and president of the congregation of this city church. I had heard of their work and vision. They have reached out to two immigrant populations in their east side area. They have maintained a Lutheran witness through those who travel to come to their church for worship and ministry. I listened as they shared stories – hopes and dreams in the flesh.

But like many protestant congregations, they are declining in membership and attendance. Their focus is on the next chapter. I had hoped to engage them in how we at St. Mark might partner with them for that next chapter. A few ideas surfaced, and we’ll have more conversation, I hope.

It was a fishing expedition, admittedly. I was casting the net of the kingdom in uncharted waters in the hopes of “catching fish of every kind.” What will the catch be? I don’t know. But I have become convinced that in our time we must explore new waters and new depths. We are past the time for watching and waiting for the weather to change and the young and old who no longer worship the Living God to return to our churches. Fully 25% of young people, ages 18-24 now classify themselves as non-religious – and scholars now say it is unlikely that they will change. So, I’m prayerfully casting the net.

I recognize it is risky. I’m sure those two church leaders wondered about my motivations for asking for the conversation. I wonder what they think of me and our ministry at St. Mark? On the other hand, the riskiest thing for us to do in the Christian Church is to play it safe. So, I’m praying and probing and, I hope, partnering for the kingdom of heaven.

How’s your fishing going? Has our God invited you to cast the net of your faith in uncharted waters lately? How have you responded to this invitation?

God bless our fishing… Amen.

Devotion for May 23

… you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all  Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth… Acts 1:8.

When the new neighbors moved in he welcomed them. Then he watched to see if they went to church on Sunday. His reasoning was that if they went on Sunday they probably had a church already. If they didn’t, he would invite them to St. Mark. They stayed home that Sunday. So, he went to visit them and brought one of our brochures: About Us. He gave it to them and invited them to our church – unless they already had a church home. It was a simple invitation with an informative handout to leave them.

I don’t know if they have visited St. Mark or not. But I was struck by the simplicity of his approach. And recently I’ve been told that our brochure About Us is a very effective piece to share. If you have a neighbor, friend or family member you’d like to invite to St. Mark, consider taking one to them. The promise and command of Jesus in Acts 1 was given to all of us. His neighborhood isn’t Jerusalem or the other areas mentioned… and certainly not the ends of the earth. But he accepted its challenge and, in a way that fit his personality, acted on it.

Summer is a good time to invite others to St. Mark. Summer is a non-threatening time to check out a ministry. And, at St. Mark, we have a heart of welcome that each of us can exhibit. And they won’t be alone – we have many visitors in the summer who have come for a variety of reasons to worship with us. Our welcome is simple: “We’re glad you’re here. If we can help you in any way or make your visit more meaningful, just let us know.” It’s not pushy; nor does it need to be uncomfortable. In fact, most visitors to a church are hoping someone will kindly greet and welcome them.

So, if you see someone you don’t recognize just say hello and welcome them to St. Mark. The worst thing that could happen is for our visitors to leave without anyone greeting them. And if you discover another member/disciple that you didn’t know, well… that’s great too!

Devotion for July 28

Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God. Psalm 87:3

“Are you done with all the work at your church, Mike?” he asked. I was at a service club meeting when the discussion over lunch turned to our congregation and many at the table mentioned that they had heard or seen the changes at St. Mark. That’s when he asked the question.

I wasn’t sure how to answer. On the one hand, our basic remodeling and landscaping was finished. On the other hand, there is still work to be done. And, I confess, in the back of my mind was the truth that the work of the Church is never finished.

The real work of the church is life transformation. This is the work of making disciples across generations in the name of Jesus Christ. Every generation must choose this holy work for themselves. The noted theologian and church historian, Martin Marty, once said that the church is always just a generation from extinction. He was right. The real task of the Christian Church is to proclaim in word and deed the powerful invitation of God in Jesus Christ. When this happens, the congregation becomes a vibrant place of meeting God and one another.

I’d like to believe that is what the psalmist means when he speaks of glorious things are spoken of Jerusalem. This was the place where he could meet God in the midst of God’s people. This was the place to learn the eternal truths of God and to worship. This was the place of the historic witness of faith – a witness that he, and his generation, had chosen once again.

The external and physical changes at St. Mark are just the visible signs of what is really going on here. What’s really happening is that generations of people are being led by the Holy Spirit to choose to live our faith. Oh the stories that could be told of prayers given and answered, of families restored and healed, of teens being equipped to make healthy choices and adults reorienting their lives to the values of Scripture, and of those who judged themselves unworthy, hearing of God’s grace and then receiving the Lord’s Supper. What glorious things, indeed.

Devotion for June 9

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John… they were amazed and recognized them as companions of Jesus. Acts 4:13

Boldness is not a word that is necessarily used to describe many of us as Christians. I think that’s, at least in part, due to our misunderstanding of its use in describing the witness of the early Christians, like Peter and John in this Acts text. The essential element in their boldness was the invitation to share their faith. They did not barge into a conversation; nor did they insist in forcing their religious convictions on others. Peter and John boldly witness to the Risen Christ because there had been a wonderful miracle that so many had seen that they needed to share how and why it had happened – Acts 3. In this text, they are brought before the Jewish authorities and demanded to make an account of themselves. They boldly do so.

In our time, when there is so much noise in society with so many conflicting opinions demanding to be heard, boldness might take a different form for us as Christians. Let me suggest three steps in being bold in our faith. First, let us know what we believe about Jesus, his crucifixion and resurrection. Second, let us be willing to first demonstrate care and respect for others – whether we agree with them or not. Lastly, whenever the opportunity arises, let us be prepared to boldly share our faith in God through Jesus Christ.

The problem we have had is that many of us have seen or experienced a religious boldness that discounts the value of the other person. Spiritual boldness with no respect for the other ultimately does more harm than good. So, like Peter and John, let us be bold in our caring – and equally bold in our sharing of the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Lord, grant me boldness in respecting others as well as sharing my faith. Amen