Tis the season for weddings! Whenever I meet with couples, I tell them that there will be three sessions. First, we will talk about the wedding itself and I will get information to fill out the license and certificate, outline the order of service and give them assignments of choosing Bible passages, arranging for music if they desire music, etc. In the second session, we talk about the present, how they got to meet; what they like best; what they don’t like; what they liked about their own parents marriage; what they would do differently in their own. The third session focuses on the future- ten years down the line- hopes and dreams and goals. Mostly, I try to get them to think about their relationship and try to give some tools for making it better.

What happens when the heart grows cold? What happens when the love lights flicker or even go out altogether? Is it the end? Can love be rekindled? I believe that love can be rekindled, but there is no guarantee that it will. At any rate, the love that emerges from the crises of love is different than before. The question that I ask about how you met, is designed to get at the foundation of the relationship. In the retelling of the story of their relationship, attractions, dates all come together. If those qualities attracted at one time, they, might be key to the present. Telling the old, old story is important.

The second set of questions gives another tool for renewal. I call it the affirmations and the realities tool. “What do I like best?” compels me to affirm the other. I often hear from couples, things like: “I like your sense of humor.” I like how you are always there.” “I like the little gifts you give.” These are affirmations and at one time were also referred to as “warm fuzzies”. When we reflect on those affirmations, we discover that we replay them over and over in our head. They become as important as the blood that flows in our veins. The question, “What don’t you like?” reminds us that the other person is a real human being. I hear comments like these: “I don’t like the little messes you make.” I don’t like the dirty clothes left around.” I don’t like your attitude sometimes.” While these responses let us know what bothers another person, they are not nearly as important as the affirmations. People can change when they know they are loved.

Peace and Joy!
Pastor Gordon J Young

Looking For Miracles

The Lord is Risen!
He is Risen Indeed!

The greeting began on the celebration of the day of the Resurrection of Jesus. When we first greeted one another, it was a rather weak greeting, but as we practiced, we became stronger. In Matthew’s Gospel, the Resurrection explodes into the experience of the disciples. The angel descends in a flash of lightening, with a sound of thunder that rolls away the stone and calmly sits on the stone.

The two Marys went to the tomb, just to be close to Jesus. They were not looking for miracles but for space to reflect. The angel was ready for a miracle and in fact was one. He is not here, but as he told you, he has been raised from the dead. Go and tell his followers to go to Galilee, where they will see him. As they obediently turn to follow through with the angel’s command, they see a miracle- Jesus. His presence creates a second miracle- worship. The two women fall at Jesus feet and probably sang over and over “Alleluia, Alleluia!”. Jesus give them the same command to tell the brothers (the sisters seem to get it) to meet him in Galilee. Again they do as they were told.

Why does Easter seem to have so little power? Could it be that we have ceased to look for miracles or even fail to notice the ones that are before our faces every day? There is something to be said for having eyes to see and ears to hear as we expect miracles. Now there probably won’t be a miracle bigger than the Resurrection, but as we train ourselves in Spiritual discipline, we will see God at work in and around us every day. Perhaps this Easter season, you might carry a little spiral notebook with you so that when you spot a miracle you can jot down a couple of words that describe when you see or hear, taste, or touch or smell.

During April, come to the new midweek Worship service on Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. It will be an informal service with communion. We will try some spiritual disciplines, like meditation, chanting, using breath as a prayer. We will sing Taize songs, contemporary songs, and old favorite hymns. The services will never last more than 45 minutes.

Peace and Joy!
Pastor Gordon J Young

What’s God Up to, Anyway?

At first, it seemed like a coincidence, but then it kept happening- week after week- the snow. Have you noticed that since Thanksgiving, it has tended to snow on Sundays and all holidays? We’ve had a couple Sundays and one Wednesday free from snow. On Wednesday the 13th, it was snowing so hard that we canceled church. More than I care to count, conversations start with “I’m so tired of the snow” and then continue, “but I’m glad for the moisture”. Is God trying to tell us anything? If so, what?

Add to that, this series of coincidences. Last October, Art Ziemann, regional director for Church World Service invited me to go on a constituency tour to Indonesia. I passed it off as nearly impossible to raise the $3700 to go. In December, he asked again and I said yes, with the exception was getting the money. I’m enough of a believer that if God wants a person to do something, not only will God be persistent, but will also provide a way to do it. I learned that one of the speakers at the Religion and Violence conference in New York had recently been to Indonesia. Indonesia is primarily a Muslim country and Tariq Ramadan was Muslim. Then when I went to the Rocky Mountain Synod Theological Conference in Colorado Springs, on the last day, in the last hour, I met Robert Silitonga, new pastor at our HKBP Indonesian congregation in Denver. Pr Silitonga is from an area that we are to visit next January and in the past few days arranged for our group to visit the HKBP headquarters when we go. More coincidences. Indonesia has been in the international news almost weekly since the beginning of the year. Jakarta had torrential rains that closed the airport. Nias has after today (Feb 21) has three 6.+ earthquakes in the last month. Yogokarta is in the center of a ring of fire-volcanoes- there are over 120 volcanoes in Indonesia and many are active, according to a National Geographic article in January 2008. What is God up to anyway? I’m not sure I know.

What do I know? I know that in March we will once again conclude our walk through Jesus’ passion and death and we will celebrate the Resurrection. There is mystery surrounding that event as well and some Gospel writers tell us that the report initially went out that there was a series of coincidences that only gave the illusion that Jesus was raised from the dead. The Gospel writers are not content to just report the hearsay about Jerusalem. They begin to line up witnesses of the resurrection and the power o their witness is that this is no coincidence. What will be your experience of the Passion and Resurrection of Jesus? One response is to mark the mini-resurrections in our own lives and to join the witnesses of the Resurrection down through the ages to sing our alleluias.

The only thing I know to do with the series of coincidences of snow and Indonesia in my life is to turn to God and ask that God lead. The resurrection of Jesus teaches me more about appreciating the mystery and to let go of so much analyzing. May God bless you as you continue throughout these 40 days toward the celebration of Jesus’ Resurrection.

Peace and Joy

Pastor Gordon J Young

You’ve Got The Time!

So, it is February. How are you doing with those new years resolutions? I have tended to resist making those resolutions because after a month or so, the resolution is broken. Nevertheless, this year I have made a couple of resolutions. First is to get more exercise. The encouragement for this resolution came from our health insurance company that started to issue wellness credits. I began to keep the resolution on December 31 by joining a gym and hiring a trainer. I haven’t actually exercised in over 25 years and didn’t know where to begin. Our air pollution is so bad that it is difficult to just take a walk outside. As the end of January comes, I am still keeping that resolution. One new years resolution that we tend to make is to read the Bible through from beginning to end. That one is far easier for me. I have been doing that for over 12 years. It is a discipline that is not shared by very many pastors to say anything of lay members of congregations. At our ELCA Churchwide Assembly last year, a resolution passed that called for congregations, synods and organizations of the church to join an initiative to become a “Book of Faith” member.

I believe that it is essential for people to engage the scriptures in their lives, and yet how to get started is as awkward a situation as starting to exercise when you haven’t done so for years. In a sense, I am your trainer and one of the first steps is to become familiar with the Bible. On February 3rd, you will each be given an MP3 CD that contains the entire New Testament recorded in a dramatic fashion. The text is the New International Version (NIV). If you will commit to listen for 28 minutes a day for the 40 days of Lent, you will have listened to the entire New Testament before Easter. There is nothing magical about it. It will be like listening to 27 different audio books. The organization that provides these free is called Faith Comes By Hearing. Let the text engage you as you listen. By the way, children will also get a Kidz Bible, having selections from both Old and New Testament as well as songs. The second step comes at the same time and that I find it is easier to listen when I have an idea of what I am listening to. So in the Adult Class beginning February 3rd and continuing through the spring I will introduce you to some of the themes in each of the books. You will bring to this experience the years when you have heard stories and passages read from the scripture in church. When those occur, they will be like an old friend.

While we listen our way through the New Testament, we have the opportunity to provide resources that will help to record the New Testament for other languages. We have chosen Nias, a language that is spoken by nearly 500,000 in and near the city of Nias, Indonesia. While Indonesia is predominantly Muslim, Nias is nearly 70% Christian. The cost of producing the NT in Nias is $25,596- more than we can probably do, but a book of the NT is $950. Our Sunday School has already raised over $200. The other connection with this language is that I have been invited by Church World Service (the organization that has CROP walks) to participate in a tour to Indonesia in January 2009 and one of the stops in Nias.
So keep a resolution that will be good for you as you spiritually exercise. Listen to the New Testament and come to the Adult Classes to hear a beginner’s overview of the books.

Peace and Joy!

Pastor Gordon J Young

This Little Light of Mine

This favorite Sunday School song was recently upgraded to a hymn in our Evangelical Lutheran Worship (cranberry hymnal #677). The trouble is that many of us grew up with verses a little different. It still serves a good theme hymn for the season of Epiphany. This year The season of Epiphany is very short- only the month of January, concluding with Transfiguration Sunday on February 3rd. Epiphany begins on the 12th day of Christmas January 6th with the arrival of the Magi to visit the newborn Christ child. The Magi are drawn to Christ by the light of the star, but even the star would pale and they knelt before Jesus. This little light of God lying in the manger is just what the world needs. The word Epiphany means revealing as when light shines upon something to illuminate it. So Epiphany begins with the star, January 13th celebrates the Baptism of Jesus with the heavens opening and God declaring: “This is my Beloved Son. January 20 the gospel reading is John the Baptist revealing that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. January 27the lesson reminds us that Jesus came to fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah: “The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light.” Jesus then calls his disciples. The last Sunday in Epiphany is February 3 The Feast of the Transfiguration, where Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up the mountain and is illuminated by the light of God. His mission becomes clearer as he heads down to go to Jerusalem to the cross.

Since I am writing this article two weeks before Christmas, I am still looking forward to the Candlelight services when we each get a candle. Our own little candles don’t make much of a difference, but when joined to others the church glows. I wish you could see what I see during that part of the service. The light becomes bright, the voices are mellow with silent Night, and at least for a few moments, we experience peace on earth. Epiphany takes the glow and shares it with others. This little light of mine, I’m goin’ let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.” Let you light shine so that the witness of Christ’s presence radiates outward.

Peace and Joy!

Pastor Gordon J Young