The First Stop on Jesus’ Return

A few years ago I was at a county ministerial meeting held at the home of the local Missouri Synod pastor's home. His wife, who claims to be a direct descendant of C. F. W. Walther (Patriarchal Father of the MO. Synod folks), asked me an interesting question. "If Martin Luther returned from the dead today" she asked, "which branch of Lutheranism do you think he would join?"

I hate stupid questions, and this is a pretty stupid question. So I thought I would give her a pretty sarcastic response. "If Luther came back from the dead today" I said, "I don't think he would join either the Missouri Synod or the ELCA. I think he would be pretty disappointed with both of us." "You take yourself way too seriously and marginalize women. We don't take ourselves seriously enough and He would also be disappointed that we quote him way too much." Needless to say, she didn't like my response.

I often get asked the question, "If Jesus returned today where would be the first place he would go?" Well, for one I am not real sure. A couple years ago I was driving back to Cooperstown, ND from Grand Forks, on a very hot day. Ahead of me, in the middle of the highway was this gleaming white vision, as I drew closer I was able to make out a man with long hair, walking stick in hand, robe flowing in the wind and for a moment I was certain that it was Jesus. As I drove pass he offered a friendly wave, later that night He was on the news, it wasn't Jesus.

So, if Jesus did comeback this coming Sunday morning where would He go? I hear that some of the larger churches, especially the ones downtown, train their ushers on how to divert homeless people from the sanctuary without making a commotion so we can cross off those churches. I would hope that He would be welcomed at Recovery Worship; at least He would get a cup of coffee and someone would offer him a smoke. The LCMC church in town would turn him away because they would think He was gay, the Lutheran Brethren would turn him away because He isn't Norwegian, and the Baptist church would want to baptize him first. (Ok folks, I'm joking so hold the emails)

Where would Jesus go? Well, I think the first place He would go would be to a local bar. I know that He would be welcomed, someone would offer him a beer, He would feel right at home with his followers, "I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me."

How have you welcomed the stranger today?

See you Sunday

Stirring the Pot

When I say "stirring the pot" I mean that I like to occasionally say things that create conversation, it isn't always important that I agree with what I have written, however, I think conversation is healthy. For those of you who follow this blog you probably got here through Facebook, one of my favorite modes of stirring the pot. I love to put links on my page that I know will create conversation, especially between me and my politically active son Allan and daughter Martha. It doesn't take much to get them stirred up.

Last week I read a link that had been posted by one of my favorite seminary professors, Dr. Susan Hedahl. Her link was to an article by Chris Hedges (http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/after_religion_fizzles_were_stuck_with_nietzsche_20100510/). In the article Hedges presents a pretty gloomy prediction for the future of religion, to be specific Christianity. I agree with much of what Hedges observes, by the way. If it was Susan's goal to "stir the pot" she was certainly successful.

In my comment I questioned some of the language that is used in churches today. A church that says it is "Welcoming" but churches seldom are. Two weeks ago while I was at Gettysburg Seminary I heard the following line of welcoming to the Communion Table. "All are welcome to Communion with us today. If you believe in the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist and are baptized, please come forward to communion" or words to that affect. Is that really being welcoming? What, as an example, one of our Full Communion partners whose view of what happens in communion is a bit different than ours is in attendanceI, they would not feel welcome. What if I am a "seeker Christian" someone who has come to accept the teaching of Jesus but have not yet been baptized? I would have to have stayed in my pew, not feeling very welcomed. Anytime we "welcome" people but then add qualifiers (if, or, but) we are not welcoming, it only sounds like we are and that makes us feel good, but does not make someone else feel welcome.

Well my comment received some pretty harsh response from a pastor from Penn. He describes himself as an "Evangelical Catholic" which means he is a Lutheran who really would rather be a Roman Catholic. He suggested that I take a refresher course in the Lutheran Confessions. My question is simply this; does God speak to us today through the Lutheran Confession of the 16th Century? Is it healthy for the church to cling to documents written from a drastically different world view then we have today. When Martin Luther wrote his Small Catechism there were not IPod's, IPad's, Wii or X-Boxes. Most children were born into and were raised in a two parent home. The adults, and children, spent most of their day in heavy labor without the distraction of cable TV or the local Mall to get in the way of their everyday life. The church clergy was made up of men, still mostly single men, and their biggest concern seemed to be the Muslims at the gates of Vienne.

Now, before my Orthodox friends get all excited and start sending me anonymous emails, I am not saying the Lutheran Confessions should be filed away under ancient history. I would like to suggest that we read them through the eyes of the 21^st century, in light of the issues that face us in our world today. Is it really that bad if we welcome everyone to the communion table and risk the chance that an un-baptized person receives the bread and the wine? Isn't worth the risk? I think it is!

 

See you next week.

Storefront Jesus

It has been over three weeks since my last post. I took a couple weeks off for a trip back to Gettysburg Seminary for a continuing education event (which included a pilgrimage to the Yuengling Brewery in Pottsville, PA) a class reunion and an interesting meeting with an ELCA Bishop who is in recovery. While I was in PA Sandy called and told me that her father Dean had died, so I left for Ohio to pick up a few things, and then drove to Memphis for the funeral.

The south is an interesting place. You can't spit without hitting a church. Within a couple of blocks from my step-son's house is a large United Methodist church. Down the road is a large Presbyterian and Episcopalian church. Every strip mall (a bit of an exaggeration but not much) has a church. Tucked between mega churches, like Belleview Baptist Church that looks larger than the Fargo Dome, are small little churches with names like Full Gospel Baptist, Holy Spirit Pentecostal, El-Shadi Tabernacle, and several churches like MB Baptist or MB Pentecostal, not really sure what the MB stand for. I went to a church on Sunday where, one after the other, people stood up and proclaimed how happy they were to belong to the "true church of Jesus" I also watched a lot of local pastors on the public access TV channel make the same proclamation.

I wonder what Jesus' response would be to all of this stuff? People proclaiming to have the "truth" as least as they see it anyway, I think he would walk in and turn over a few tables; it worked in the Temple.

When I retire I am going to move to Memphis, rent some space in a strip mall and start my own church. I will put up a neon sign, "Bishop Ray's Full Recovery Tabernacle." It's my church, might as well be a Bishop. Sandy can sell fried green tomatoes and hush puppies to raise funds and during the week I will play golf. Sounds like a plan.

See you next week; it is really great to be home in Fargo!

 

Pastor Ray

Three and a Wake-Up

 

Everybody needs a little recovery sometimes so on Friday I am going into treatment, treatment in the form of a vacation. I will be heading to Gettysburg for what is billed as a "Continuing Education" event. Along the way I will stop by Luther Seminary (the seminary where the Lutherans who can't get into any other seminary go) for lunch with my good friends Alvin L and Rick F. The hour or two of laughing will go a long way to renewing my brain and heart for this job God has called me to.

Along the way, and the way home, I will stop in Ohio to visit my mom and my daughter, Cathy. In Gettysburg I will pretend to pay attention to the presenter at the lecture, reconnect with classmates (10 year class reunion) laugh some more and take a drive or two around the battlefield. Next Tuesday we will take a "Pilgrimage of Remembrance" up to Pottsville, PA and visit the Yuengling Brewery, "Americas Oldest Brewery." Rumor has it that they have had to cut back on production since the graduation of the 2000 class from LTSG but I think that is just a rumor.

This will be Sandy's and my first separate vacation. She will be heading to Memphis later in the month (after preaching at Recovery next week) to visit her Mom & Dad, Greg, Halley, Neely, Ella and the new grand-daughter, Avery. Seems she would rather do that than sit around with a bunch of pastors, can't imagine why.

I will return in two weeks, refreshed and ready to face the summer. When I return I will be starting a sermon series on the Twelve-Steps. I have not done this since my first summer at Recovery Worship; it will be interesting to see how I have changed my approach to recovery since that first summer.

In the past when I have left on vacation I could not get out of town fast enough, this time I leave with hesitation. Not that I am not looking forward to vacation, I am, and not that I don't need a break, I do. I will miss Sunday morning at Recovery Worship. I will miss the laughter, the hugs and the hand shakes. I will miss Sunny's smile and the kids crawling around on the floor during worship. I will also miss Stephanie's and Susan's chatting during my sermon.

I will also miss the adult baptisms! Three in the last three weeks, as I said in church on Sunday, I am starting to feel like a Baptist!

 

See you all when I get home.

Recovery, a Celebration of Easter Every Day

Another Easter Sunday is rapidly approaching. A funeral yesterday, it wouldn't be Holy Week without a funeral. It was my first Native American funeral, very moving and I will write about it more in the future. But today I look forward to finishing up the services for the week. Maundy Thursday and Good Friday are in the can, so to speak. "Come As You Are" Saturday service, Easter Vigil and Sunday services are floating around in my brain but haven't made it to my fingertips yet. It will come, just hope it comes quickly.

As I think about Easter I am beginning to ask the question "why"? Don't we celebrate Easter every Sunday? Why don't we proclaim "Christ is risen" at the beginning of every worship service throughout the year? I do think it is important to set aside Maundy Thursday and Good Friday for special services. But Christ is the reason life is won, death has been defeated. Because of Easter we are all risen.

I know that we already celebrate Easter every Sunday, but as I prepare for this Sunday I am struck that this is nowhere more evident than at Recovery Worship.

Every Sunday at Recovery Worship we hear individual "Resurrection Stories." Stories of people's resurrection from addiction to a new life of recovery, incredible stories of living a life while dead, held in their living graves by their addiction; stories of broken families, broken relationships with children, friends, and with God. Not everyone will find their personnel resurrection from their addiction, as a friend reminds me on a regular basis, "Cemetery's are full of people who have failed to find recovery."

So this Sunday we will do the religious thing. The altar and the cross will be draped in white, banner will be hung, and everyone, for this one Sunday, will be dressed up and we will proclaim "Christ is Risen." As we proclaim Christ risen we will also remember that this one great event in the history of the world now gives us the ability to proclaim our own resurrection, a resurrection into a new life of Christ, a life of recovery from all the addiction and hardships of life. This Sunday and every Sunday we can proclaim "Christ is Risen" but we can also proclaim, "Stan is Risen," "Bill is Risen," "Joni is Risen," "Kathy is Risen"; risen to a new life in recovery, and a new life in Christ.

See you Sunday, thanks for stopping by.

Pastor Ray

Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired

Back in December, a closed meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous started at Recovery Worship. When a meeting is listed as closed, you need to be an alcoholic to attend. I felt honored that this group, made up mostly of people who attend Recovery Worship invited me to attend.

At the first meeting, following the traditional sharing of the Serenity Prayer and first names, we listened to a tape lecture on the First Step, "We admitted we were powerless over alcohol and that our lives had become unmanageable. The lecture was given by a gentleman, Phil Hansen. I read with interest the short bio on the back of the case. Ordained in 1951 Hansen was a Lutheran pastor in Minnesota. At some point in his career he was a chaplain at the famous Hazelden Center. He was also hired to set up a treatment center in a hospital in Minneapolis. As I listened to the tape I felt myself wanting to know more about this man. I assumed he was in recovery, his knowledge of the 12 steps and addiction was impressive.

Following the meeting I went to a Christmas party of a group of pastors, mostly retired, that I have breakfast with every Friday morning. As we were sitting around the table shooting the bull I asked, "Does anyone here know of a pastor named Phil Hansen?" It was pretty much unanimous, everyone knew him. One of the pastors said, "I was in the room across from him at college." Trying to be funny I said, "So you were the reason he was an alcoholic?" Right away Vid, one of the pastors said, he wasn't an alcoholic! Wow I thought, another pastor who works with people in recovery. I had to find a way to meet him. As we talked, I found out that Pastor Hansen had died several years ago. But Vid mentioned that Hansen had written a couple of books so the next day I searched the shelves of Lost and Found Ministry and found his stack.

Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired was the first book of his that I read. It is a small book, but it is a good book on alcoholism. In the book Hansen weaves his story with the Parable of the Prodigal Son, which he says, is a story of alcoholism. The Son in the parable is an alcoholic. Hansen calls Alcoholism an "addiction of abundance." In order to maintain one's drinking, you need money and you need it abundantly, focusing on where the money will come from for your next drink. The son withdraws his inheritance from his father and strikes out into the world, a world of drinking and self abuse. The father, says Hansen, had probably done what most parents of alcoholics have done: bailed him out, got him help and loved him a little too much. Now he was ready to do the tough love part, let the son go.

Well we all know the story, the son eventually hits rock bottom, sleeping with the pigs. In the closing scene the father is running down the lane to embrace his son; a scene many fathers and mothers, wives and husbands dream of for their alcoholic family member.

Unfortunately Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired is no longer in print. A few used copies can be found on Amazon or EBay but this is a book that needs to be in print. If you have a loved one in addiction, read it! If you are in addiction, read it! If you are in recovery, read it!

Glad you are here, see you next Sunday.

The Addiction of Religion

Over the past several months I have been reading a lot of blogs dealing with the strife within the ELCA. I have struggled to put a name on what I have seen as an unhealthy attitude by some in the church. However, because of my work within the recovery community of Recovery Worship and a recent email from a longtime friend, I have finally been able to put a name on what is ailing many in the church today. The ailment is "Religion Addiction" or simply "Religionism". In Alcoholism or other addictions there are signs that tell us that the addiction is present; warning signs alert us to the possibility of addiction. Here are a few signs that may indicate that a person is a Religionaholic:

1. Over use of the word "Orthodox." Orthodox is typically used to mean adhering to the accepted or traditional and established faith, especially in religion. Of course you can only be Orthodox if you believe completely with the religionholic. In other words, if you are deemed acceptable in your belief systems and worship style and interpretation of scripture then you are Orthodox, as least in the view of the religionaholic.
   
2. Quote Luther as if it is Scripture. This applies to the Lutheran religionaholic. A Methodist religionaholic quotes Wesley, a Presbyterian religionaholic quotes Calvin. A Roman Catholic religionaholic quotes every Pope and all Catholic Saints and tradition. I am not sure there is recovery for the Roman Catholic religionaholic.
   
3. Religionaholics have an unhealthy aversion to people different from themselves. They will tolerate female clergy despite what Scripture says, yet they break into DT's if they hear a church may wish to ordain an openly gay man or woman.
   
4. They claim to be "Missional" but they don't believe in any church structure that may require too pay benevolence.
   
5. They read the Bible literally, except when they need to read it another way to support their position.
   

There is hope for the religionaholic! The following was from an email from an old friend, Pastor Don Prange. I would love to tell you more about Don but space doesn't allow. If you know a religionaholic, pass this along, it is never too late to find recovery.

1) We admitted that we are powerless over our cultural & religious addictions and they often made our lives unmanageable…

2) We were convinced that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity…                                      3) We made a decision to turn our wills and lives over to the higher power we named as God however we understood that…                                             4) That allowed us to make a fearless and moral inventory of our lives…                                                                     5) We admitted to God, ourselves, and others the exact nature of our problem…                                                                 6) We were entirely open to let God remove all these defects in our lives…                                                                     7) In humility, we asked God to remove our shortcomings…                                                                             8) We made a list of persons we had harmed and resolved to make amends to them all…                                                             9) We made direct amends to such people when possible, except when doing so would have injured them or others…                                                 10) We continued to take personal inventories of our lives and, when we were wrong, promptly admitted it…                                                     11) We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious relationship with God (as we understood that), praying only for knowledge of God's will for us and our power to carry it out…             12) Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to other compulsive cultural and religious addicts and tried to practice these principles in all our affairs… From: Spirituality of the Beatitudes – Matthew's Challenge for First World Christians," Michael Crosby, Orbis Books, 1980]

Have a great week, glad you were here.