Ash Wednesday Sermon

“Where Our Treasures Are”

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” This short verse became one of my favorites when I first began reading the Bible. I was about 14 at the time, and had justlost one of my best friends.

We had only known each other for about 6 months, becoming fast friends when I moved to Petersburg, Alaska. On my first day of school, Iza was one of the first people to come up to me and introduce herself. She had grown up in Poland and knew what it was like to be the new kid in school. Soon, her, myself, and about 4 other girls became a close-knit group who did everything together.

Although she wasn’t the best influence on me, she smoked and knew how to cause trouble, she was someone I could confide in. I cherished our friendship and she made me feel secure in a place that was so unfamiliar. I was so grateful to have people in my life I felt I could lean on and speak to openly.

That all changed one February morning. On the bus to school, an ambulance drove by, an unusual site for our small town. I did not think too much of it, and just let it drift from my mind. When I arrived at school, however, I knew something was not quite right. As it turned out, our dear friend Iza collapsed on her way to the bus and instantly died. We would find out later she had a heart condition that had never been diagnosed.

Although I had experienced the early death of a classmate a few years back, this loss was so different. She had become one of my closest friends. The loss devastated me and I think forever changed who I was. The grief felt unyielding and my other friends and I tried to work through the emotions that came in waves and the questions that naturally flowed with them.

This single experience I believe had the greatest influence on my relationship with God. I became angry, questioning how a loving God could take away someone so young, yet I also clung to my faith finding comfort in the presence of Christ that I felt so strongly. It was a time of uncertainty and growth for me. It was also a time where I came to have a greater understanding of what Jesus meant when he said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasure on earth, where moth and rust consume.” I realized that nothing on earth is permanent and no matter how hard I try, I cannot control the world around me.

Iza’s death was not the first upset I had experienced during that period in my life. We had just left the only home I ever knew back in Seattle. My life long friends were all back there. My parents had only separated about a year and a half prior, and my father and new stepmother were back in Seattle. How much more could I really take? My parents marriage was gone, my home in Seattle was gone, my friend Iza was gone. Nothing in my life could remain stable, other than Christ’s presence in my life.

Today, Ash Wednesday, is a day when we are reminded of our own mortality. As the ashes are smudged on our foreheads, we are faced with the realization that we are frail, imperfect, and solely dependent upon our Lord and Savior. The treasures that surround us in this world will perish, the only thing that will remain steadfast is our God.

The loss of my friend was the first time I really reflected on how everything in our lives can be lost in an instant. In our world, we strive to gain control of our finances, of our health, of our actions. We create laws as a way of controlling our society, and put locks on our doors in order to prevent chaos. When our health fails, we find every specialist in the country to help us prevent what will ultimately be an inevitable death. We crave the ability to prevent anything from occurring in our lives that would upset the stability we have strived to build.

It is during those times when everything falls apart around us that we are reminded of that simple yet complex phrase, “you are dust, and to dust you shall return”. When we feel the ashes upon us, when we look around at each other at the end of this service, we are reminded of the reality that we have no control. We cannot control the fact that we will die, no matter how much we want to. At some point, treatments will fail. Whether this is in weeks, months, or 20 years down the road, our bodies will give out.

We cannot control the fact that time and time again our peers will fail us. Classmates will betray us, saying things behind our backs. Secrets will be spilled in the uncontrollable need to gossip. At work, someone will want to get a promotion badly enough that they will go around us in order to get ahead. We cannot control the fact that at times, our laws will not be able to prevent us from being harmed. Bad people will still lurk in corners, selling drugs to our children, mugging the innocent, finding a way to break into our homes. 14 year old girls will still die. Parents will divorce. We will still be uprooted from places that make us feel secure. Our world is broken and full of broken people.

This is why Jesus tells us to store up treasures in heaven. We are not to depend upon a broken and fallen world, we are to depend upon a perfect and loving God. A God who has given us the greatest gift to ever be offered, the gift we will celebrate at the end of this 40 day journey. It is the gift in knowing that we do not have to strive for control, because the control is in his hands. It is the gift that although we mourn now, soon that mourning will be turned into joy. It is the gift of knowing that we are forgiven, time and time again, because we are given the gift of grace through the suffering of a loving God.

As we take this 40 day journey of Lent, we are reminded of our brokenness and dependence upon Christ. This is a time to deepen our spiritual lives, to look beyond our own brokenness and need to control our world, and look to the one who is ultimately in control. We cannot always prevent bad things from happening in our lives, but we can use these situations to look deeper into what it means to be dependent upon Christ.

When my friend died, I was compelled to go deeper in my journey of faith. Her death occurred right around this time of year, and it was my first introduction to Ash Wednesday. As I had the ashes smudged on my forehead and for the first time heard the words “you are dust and to dust you shall return”, I took time to really reflect on what those words meant. I was able look beyond the darkness of my grief, and looked towards the cross that was now marked on my forehead. I realized that even though we are so imperfect and our world is broken, that the ultimate gift is found on the cross. As we go through the dark times in our lives, as we make this journey called Lent, it leads us out of the darkness and into a new creation. A creation that is full of life, hope, and grace.

Although we are mere mortals, full of sin and frailities, we are gifted in knowing that the greatest treasures of our lives lie not in this world but in Christ our Savior. In the ashes we receive today, we are given a sign to remind us of our mortality and are need for repentance, yet we are also reminded of the grace that God gives us in the gift of eternal life. That is where our treasure lies. For all of these things in our world that we depend on will eventually pass away, but we can be sure that no matter what, Christ will always remain. Amen

Snow and Sermon

Well, we finally have winter! Since yesterday, I would estimate we have had over a foot of snowfall, and it is still coming down. It is so beautiful and although I was looking forward to an early spring, I am glad we got a taste of a real winter snow. The only downfall was trying to shovel out my car this morning so they could plow the road. Man, did I feel how badly I need to start working out!

As you can see in the picture, my glasses are officially gone! Thanks to the generosity of an eye doctor in our congregation, I was able to get my eyes checked after seven years of not going

in. Unfortunately, our seminary insurance does not cover dental or vision, so both of these areas have gone unchecked. My vision was bad enough to where I could not see most street signs. So, now I can see beautifully! He convinced me to get contacts along with new glasses. Although hesitant to try sticking my finger in my eye, I tried the contacts and am learning to love them. It is so freeing to be able to see clearly, with a new prescription and no scratches, superglue, and other icky things on the lenses. I think I am going to stick with contacts from now on. Just one more person in our congregation who is a true blessing! It is my hope that he knows how

much his gift means to me. What a great example of what it means to live a life of service to Christ.

Things are going very well with the Pastors out of the country. So far there have been no major crisis' and I hope it stays that way! I am learning to take more authority which is one of the things we have been trying to working on.

My meeting for the new children's program went really well. I have 26 volunteers for the program and I think they are all very excited to get started. So far we have 17 kids signed up, so I really need to work on that. Hopefully we will have a great turnout and the congregation will want to continue the program on next year.

I did the worship services last week by myself. It was a wonderful experience and it was very humbling to hear all the kind comments. I must say it really gave me a much needed boost and demonstrated to me that I am truly competent to lead services alone. This next weekend I will have a supply preacher for the services, as it is a Communion Sunday. I cannot preside over Communion until I am ordained, so we needed someone in anyways. This will be nice for me as it will give me more time to focus on my Sunday school lesson, rather than trying to balance that with a sermon. My adult teaching skills aren't the greatest, so I need to put more energy into these lessons.

Alright, so I am going to go start dinner. Enjoy the sermon below; it is not my greatest, but I thought I would share it anyways. I have moved the Asher's friends list to it's own site if you are looking for it. There are many updates on it, so please go to: www.ashersfriends.blogspot.com and pray for all these kids.

"Blessed to be a Blessing"

Sermon- 6th Sunday after Epiphany

Many Sunday mornings, as I am getting ready for church, half asleep with a cup of hot tea in hand and typically my grapenuts with peaches, I sit and flip through my basic cable channels, trying to find something to watch in order to help myself wake up, if only just enough so I can function at the 8:15 service.

As most of you are probably aware, there is nothing good on television at 7am on a Sunday, unless you are a small child who enjoys power rangers. So, as I muddle though the channels, I typically land on one of the paid ½ hour advertisements. Many times, this is either advertising for one of those really cool magic bullet things that can make anything from a smoothie to cream of broccoli soup, or the advertisement is for something of more substance. It is to raise money for St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, in order to help families who cannot afford their child’s medical treatment. Or it is for impoverished children suffering the effects of AIDS or years of drought. The pictures flash on the screen of little children with their ribs sticking out of their chests, their bellies distended from disease, flies eating at their skin. As hard as it is to watch their suffering, ultimately it is difficult to change the channel. The extent of their poverty and illness is unfathomable. It is unlike anything we see here in our community, and the suffering seems so far separated from us. In remembering these pictures, it is much easier to picture what Jesus is talking about when he says “blessed are the poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.”

When discussing Jesus’ love for the poor, liberation theologian Gustavo Gutierrez describes the reason his love is so strong is because they are living in an inhuman situation that is contrary to God’s will. I find this description of the poor to be applicable to more than those suffering the kind of devastating hardship the children on the paid TV advertisement are experiencing. This description of God’s love moves throughout all whom he calls blessed. It is contrary to God’s will that we suffer in any way. God does not desire for us to weep, to be hated, to hunger. When we see the children suffering through treatment for life threatening illness’ on the St Jude commercial, does God will that? I honestly do not think so. Yet then we go on to hear Jesus say, “woe to you” who are rich, who are laughing, who are spoken well of. Is it not God’s will that we be happy and live lives that are comfortable?

These are the questions and thoughts that filled my mind this week as I pondered our text for this Sunday. It is a text that many struggle over, including me, because upon first reading, it sounds as though the way we are living is not pleasing to God. It sounds as though we should rid ourselves of all possessions and live a life of poverty. The extreme side of me would even take it to mean having the clothes on my back is wrong. But, in reality, I really don’t think this is how Jesus expects us to interpret the text.

To me, this sermon is not a call to throw away all we own. It is not a call to inflict suffering upon ourselves so we can be blessed in the eyes of God. And it is certainly not a call to seek out persecution for the sake of Christ. Rather, I take this sermon as more of a call to a life of discipleship. Just prior to the sermon, Jesus had called his twelve disciples and they were just beginning their ministry together. The twelve had just left their homes and their possessions, and were devoting their lives to ministry. These drastic changes they had just experienced I am sure were overwhelming. They had gone from lives that were comfortable to lives full of service, poverty, and persecution for the sake of Christ.

The words of Jesus in this message were not necessarily words to praise people for being poor or to condemn those who were fed, but to call the people together in a life of service to one another in the name of Christ. It is a call for the disciples to not worry so much about what they had given up, but to focus on what they are gaining; fellowship in the Christian community.

The two extremes Jesus offers us in this sermon, of people suffering and others living in the lap of luxury, is contrary to God’s will. Why should others suffer while we live comfortably with more than enough to spare? We all have something to offer others, we are told this time and time again throughout scripture, that God has blessed us all with gifts in ministry. Here, in this sermon, is our call to use these gifts, to demonstrate God’s love to all our brothers and sisters through a life of discipleship. It is not a call to rid ourselves completely of what we have, but to share our gifts with each other. It is a call to bring a balance within our world. To offer others what we have so that all our needs are met.

We are reminded in Jesus’ sermon that we will all suffer. If we are laughing now, we will weep later. If we are filled now, someday we will be hungry. And if people are speaking well of us today, another day they will not. Some of our suffering may more inhuman than others, but we will all suffer nonetheless.

About four years ago, I was meeting with a counselor that I saw for about two years. During one of our sessions, we were talking about the divorce of my parents back when I was a child and the impact that it had on me throughout the years. At one point, I mentioned that it was no big deal, as so many others had suffered such greater heartaches than I had. Who was I to complain? His response to me was that there will always be another suffering a greater heartache than me, but that does not make the hurt any less painful.

Someone will always be in greater pain than ourselves. It seems there is always someone in our world whose pain is worse than what we are experiencing. The children we see on television, living in third world countries, are suffering greatly with hunger and disease. Their pain is evident in their faces as they live each day with the fear that they will be cold, hungry, and abandoned. Here, in our church today, many of us are suffering greatly as well. It may not be with empty bellies, it may not be with the threat of no where to sleep. But pain is there nonetheless, with empty pocket books, empty homes, empty hearts. Each pain that we face is contrary to God’s will. I do not believe it was ever in God’s great plan for us to suffer, but just as sin entered the world, so did suffering. The call God gives us now is for us to serve each other in the name of Christ, in the hope of alleviating each others pain.

The call for us today is to live lives of discipleship. In our baptisms, we joined this family of disciples. We took on the call to share the good news of Jesus Christ in word and deed, even if it meant suffering for his sake. Our baptismal call is a call to be a support to one another, the children oversees, the single mother down the street, the person sitting next to you in the pew. Jesus is calling for us to bring a balance to our world; to offer our riches to those with nothing. These are the riches of monetary wealth, of a listening ear, of our skills, and of our prayers. We each have so much to offer each other, so that all may be blessed through the gifts that Christ gives us. God has given to us so that we can give to others.

In college, one of my professors use to say we are “blessed to be a blessing.” God has given us the tools to turn our woes into blessings for others. Our riches can be used to bless those who have nothing. If we are now laughing, we can be blessed to bless others who are weeping, by offering a listening ear and a comforting presence. If we are being spoke well of, we can bless others by advocating for them when they are being persecuted. God has blessed us with the gift of discipleship, to come together to bring love and healing to our neighbors, so that all may come to know him through our actions. Reflecting on her words now, it is so evident that she is right. We are all blessed to be a blessing. Amen

A REAL Update!

I know, it has been quite a while since I posted a real update. So, I will take a few moments now to recap you on all of my exciting adventures this last month!

As most of you know, I went to visit cute little Asher and his family in Oklahoma in mid-January! Even with all the flight delays related to the ice storm and then later a mechanical, it was a wonderful visit and I am so glad I was able to do it.

Over the last couple of months, I have been planning a mid-week children's program called "Faithweaver Friends", created by Group Publishing. We are doing a trial run March-May at the church to see how it goes. It is the hope of the Pastors and I that it will be able to continue next year. This could only be done if it was solely run by the congregation. So, I am trying to make it so I have a very small role in it during the program so they get comfortable enough to continue it later. Please pray it goes well. It has been a lot of work getting it together, but I think it is such an amazing program that would be so good for the kids and adults. So far I have about 20 volunteers. Registration begins this Sunday for the kids.

Next week I am taking some High School kids to the seminary in Gettysburg for a campus visit. Although seminary is a graduate program, if the kids are truly interested in seminary, they can begin preparing now by entering a college track that prepares them for seminary. This would be a major step up for them and would make seminary a lot less scary! My undergraduate in Christian Education was so helpful in my seminary education and is even more helpful now in the parish. All of the kids I am taking are amazing and it is so evident God is calling them into some form of parish ministry.

So, other than that things are pretty normal around here. My cats and I have been enjoying the snowfall we are finally getting. I'm telling you, it was really beginning to feel like Spring! Now it is much more normal with temperatures averaging in the teens and snow on the forecast for each day. We love it!

Please be in prayer as the Pastors are going out of the country for two weeks. Please pray for their safe travels and for me and the congregation. I'm both nervous and excited about being on my own. This will be great preparation for when they go sabbatical for a month.

My Latest Epiphany Sermon

“They have no wine” exclaimed the mother of Jesus. The jars were empty. The jars that were moments ago full are now barely wet from what once satisfied the dry mouths of many. The celebration that was carrying on in honor of the newly married couple is beginning to die down as their mouths crave the sweet taste of wine. What will they do now? Should the celebration just end and everyone go home to where there may be something to quench their thirst? Should they continue on dancing and put their dry mouths out of their minds? What will become of the celebration that had barely just begun?

Just as the party was at risk for dying down completely, Jesus calmly, seemingly unnoticed, gave directions to fill the jars with water and suddenly, out came wine. The first person to taste it, who mistakingly gave credit to the bridegroom whose wedding was being celebrated, exclaimed, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.”

The emptiness that was ready to overtake the party was now filled with the greatest source of joy and fulfillment. The mouths that were once dry were now wet. The bellies that were at risk for becoming empty were now filled to completeness. And the laughter and dancing that was at risk for disappearing was at its peak.

As I ponder the wedding at Cana and its significance to our lives, I find that it lies simply in the six stone jars the held the wine. These jars probably sat empty in a corner for an undesignated amount of time, gathering cobwebs and dust. They were unused, unnoticed, uncared for until someone needed them. They were empty, they were alone, they were forgotten.

How often have we felt like that? Those times in our lives where we merely go through the motions, trying to get through life as quickly as possible. Staring down a job that doesn’t have much significance to us, other than the fact it pays the bills, feeling like you are just another set of hands that gets the tedious work done. We may live alone, in an assisted living facility or an apartment down the street. We show up occasionally to a church event or go out to a meal or the movies with someone. Yet each day, we go home, to an empty room. At one point we loved the independence, but year after year the solidarity we craved brought with it a feeling of abandonment. No one really cares, no one seems to notice our existence. We feel empty and alone.

This empty void that can overtake us can feel unbearable. We try and find something, anything, that can bring us out of the darkness, out of that corner, and into the light. We fill ourselves with anything we can, just like the jars that were filled at the beginning of the party with the cheap, store brand style wine. Our intention is to bring ourselves some hope, some excitement, anything to get us out and moving. We search for anything that can help. We shop for things at the store that may bring some light, filling that void with material possessions. We hold parties at our homes in order to be social again. We drown our sorrows through alcohol or relationships with someone we don’t really care about, just to have the companionship. We try and try and try to bring ourselves out of the despair, only to find the wine wasn’t that good anyways and that we are standing there, empty again.

Just when everything seemed hopeless, the jars are empty and almost ignored, Christ fills them. He fills them not only with wine but the best of wine. To the surprise of all, suddenly these jars that were once alone in a corner, gathering dust, are now holding the best gift possible to keep the celebration going. The credit for this great gift is mistakingly given to the bridegroom, yet came from the most unexpected person, that of Jesus.

This story captures the great gift that Jesus has come to offer. That emptiness that overtook the jars now disappeared and they were overflowing with the greatest of wines. The emptiness that filled the world would no longer rule as Jesus brought it hope, love, and grace. That emptiness that can at times consume our lives is not ignored by the one who came with a superabundance of gifts. Christ has come to fill us with his grace.

Jesus has given to us the good wine. The best wine. The wine that inaugurates God’s new age, where we have the hope of eternal life, and love that has no end. This simple act that Jesus performed at the wedding holds with it a sign that points directly to Jesus’ glory. He would, a short time from the wedding, sacrifice his life for our sake.

We live lives that are so fast paced, that it is so easy to be overcome with emptiness and despair. Although the good wine has already been given and we have the gift of grace through Jesus Christ, this knowledge can easily be left in the dark corners of our lives. Time and time again, we can get consumed by the little things in our lives that eventually become too much to handle. We feel empty, alone, and forgotten. The troubles of this world encompass our every movement, our every thought, our every prayer. Although we know there is a God, we feel abandoned.

And yet the good wine has been given. God’s glory has been manifested through Jesus Christ, and grace has been offered. We are not alone even when it seems we are. We are loved even when it seems impossible. We are filled with the Holy Spirit even when our hearts and minds feel empty.

We witness these great provisions each week in worship. In our baptisms, we became members of Christ’s body, as we witness this weekend in the baptism of Aiden. We become a part of a community that is there to support us, to love us, and to demonstrate God’s grace. During those Sundays when we receive Holy Communion, we eat the Body of Christ and drink the good wine of Christ’s blood. We have fellowship with the community of the Body of Christ who witness to us that we are not abandoned and the love of Christ surrounds us. The fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ extend even beyond the sacraments and into the singing of the hymns, the prayers we offer up for one another, the sharing of the peace, and the coffee we drink together afterwards.

We worship together and have fellowship with one another on retreats, in planning meetings, in Sunday school, in Bible study. Through stitch and sew, in making quilts for those who need, each stitch brings with it love and prayers for the unknown person the quilt will go to. Through that blanket which is meant to provide physical comfort, it comforts the heart as well. The good wine is given by filling that person with hope and love, letting them know they are not forgotten. We also have fellowship with one another by visiting those who are unable to attend church anymore on Sundays. We demonstrate to them that Christ has not abandoned them. God’s love is still extended, and they can have fellowship with the Body of Christ.

We, as a community, share the news of the good wine with each other. Jesus Christ offers us a body that helps us to know that we are not left in the dark corners. We are loved beyond measure and together we can help each other move beyond the feelings of abandonment, fear, and loneliness, and into a fellowship among our brothers and sisters. This is a part of the grace God gives us. It is a gift. It is the good wine that is overflowing through us. We are loved, we are forgiven, and we are given each other. Amen.

Please Support Amy's Cause

Please Support Amy's cause. We at Asher and ^Jacob's^ site have been Katia fans for years, and are so pleased to see someone trying to raise money for the Solomon's Foundation. Please take a moment and go to the links below.

As for me, I am doing well and promise a real update soon. Life is busy, Mom is leaving tonight, I am leaving for Oklahoma on Sunday and then head off for a retreat as soon as I get back. It's a little crazy, but I love it!

-Laura

Amy is losing weight to gain awareness!!!

Please join me in my weight loss challenge.
I’m looking for sponsors to raise funds and awareness for the
KATIA SOLOMON FOUNDATION.
http://www.katiasolomonfoundation.org/

January 1st 2007 – June 30th 2007
I will have a weekly weigh-in & blog so you can follow my progress.
I’ve set up a MySpace site at:
http://www.myspace.com/austinlukeandsavannahsmom

Please visit Katia’s Caringbridge website to learn about this brave little ladybug.
http://caringbridge.org/fl/katia_leukemiapage/

The Solomon’s have done so much to help in the fight against blood cancers.
Are you ready to do your part? Please join me in the fight.
You can make a difference!!!
I’m asking for you to sponsors me $1 for every pound I am able to lose.
I would also ask that if you are able to please become a regular blood donor.
You are also very much needed on the
National Marrow Registry.
http://www.marrow.org/

Christmas and the Family

I am so very sorry it has been so long since my last update. To catch up, let me first say "Merry Christmas" and "Happy New Year"!

Much has been going on since my last update. I had family in town, including my younger sister from Seattle, my Grandfather who lives in PA, and my mother from Alaska. All but my mother have now gone home. It is slowly getting back to normal which makes me both happy and sad. We had a wonderful Christmas and I was reminded how spoiled we are! :)

This last weekend, I led worship services alone for the first time. It was a bit overwhelming but I think it went really well. Aside from the nervous stomach, I actually really enjoyed it. It was good preparation for when the Pastor's go on their month long sabbatical, as well as when I am on my own for good as a pastor!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! I promise more updates, with pictures, very soon. Right now I need to get to bed to gather up the energy for this busy week, which includes snowtubing, mall hide and seek, and the regular business of vicar life!

2nd Sunday in Advent Sermon

During the Advent season, we spend the weeks prior to Christmas waiting and preparing. It is a time to prepare ourselves for the coming of Jesus Christ. In Luke, we hear the Isaiah passage recalled that says “prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight”. It is here in Luke that we are able to see the fulfillment of this passage.

We learn that the voice in the wilderness is that of John the Baptist. Throughout the gospel, we discover John to be a man who many would not want to be around. He has been living in the wilderness throughout his adult life, eating locusts, running around in camel hair and a leather belt, most likely rarely bathing. His proclamation of God’s Word was not in the soft sweet voices we are so use to hearing on television or in church. He had a temper and was known to go around telling people how he saw it.

Despite all that would make John despicable to most, he was the one God has chosen to get the world ready for the coming Messiah. We are told that the “Word of God came to John”, just as it had to Abraham, Samuel, Nathan, Elijah, and Jeremiah. This divine message is bearing good news to all people. It is a message to awaken people to prepare themselves and each other for the coming Messiah.

John was given the task of preparing the hearts of the people through his preaching, which included a call to a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. John’s baptism was done as a way of putting one on God’s side. To refuse to repent and be baptized by water was viewed as rejecting God, even for those who led good, obedient lives. John knew this baptism was merely a preparatory one, one of repentance, and that Jesus would soon bring a baptism of the Holy Spirit.

The word repentance means to make a change in one’s mind or thinking. As God was using John the Baptist to prepare the hearts of all for the coming Messiah, he was calling for people to change how they perceived God and their relation to him. Through the Messiah, they would see God in a whole new light, in human flesh. It would no longer be a God who seemed far off, but one walking side by side with them. Soon, the way they related to God would be completely different then they had ever known, because the Messiah would come, not as the warrior many expected, but as a small child. Jesus would change the way people were to relate to God through his life, teachings, death and resurrection. Those who would follow the Messiah would find themselves changing their way of thinking. They would repent.

Over the last eight or so years, I have spent my summers as a either a pre-school teacher or nanny in someone’s home. These experiences have offered me many opportunities to observe the exuberance of the average three year old as they strive to discover their independence.

As most parents and preschool teachers can attest to, three years olds LOVE to do absolutely everything on their own. “I can do it by myself” is their favorite phrase. I can picture many past moments where I watched as one of my preschoolers eagerly grabbed the plates and silverware to set the table for our class lunch, throwing up a hand anytime I came near to help shouting, “NO! I can do it!” Picturing what I knew would be an on-coming disaster when they tried to set the pitcher of milk on the table, I would stand there and cringe. Then, moments later, I would be at the table trying to clean up the spilt milk with a huddle of three year olds screaming “I can do it!”

I use this example as I think it strongly relates to our relationship with God. So often in life, we view ourselves as being the ones who can change our situation. We hold onto the reigns of our life and circumstances, unwilling to change our way of thinking unless it fits what we think must happen. Just like the three year old, we believe we can set the table all by ourselves, when in reality the task at hand is too big, and our hands are just too small to hold the pitcher without losing our grip.

The repentance we are called to is not one that does not seek outside help. The call is to move beyond the thinking “I can do it all by myself” and into “I can’t do it all by myself.” We need Christ because without him we are merely sinful human beings, wallowing in hopelessness and despair, attempting to break free without success. Through him, we are forgiven and cleansed of all unrighteousness, something we have no power to do on our own. Anytime sin is spoken of in the gospel of Luke, we hear the offer of forgiveness. Through Christ, sin and forgiveness cannot be separated. In those moments where our thinking switches back to thinking we can do it on our own, the love and forgiveness given to us in Jesus is there, offered to us as a free gift.

The fulfillment of the Isaiah passage recalled in Luke does not end at the call to prepare ourselves for the coming Messiah. It goes beyond this and moves into the promise that every valley will be filled, mountains will be made low, the crooked paths made straight and the rough ways made smooth. It is here that we learn how the world changes through the coming of the Messiah. It is thought that the meaning of this passage is one of equality.

The world we live in today is still imprisoned with so many barriers. We do not live in a culture free from inequality. There are still separations based on race, economic standing, marital status, age, and even sexual orientation which place us in our different categories. Our world offers us opportunity upon opportunity to separate ourselves from others. Yet, Christ came to change all of this. The message given to us is not one of the rich become poor and the poor become rich, but one where the rich and poor meet in the middle. It is no longer slave and free, male and female, Jew and Gentile. Through Christ we are all made equals and the gift of salvation is given to all.

The last line of the call John the Baptist is making states, “and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.” One might ask, however, where is the salvation of God? How can we possibly have seen it when our world still seems turned upside down? The salvation of God is seen in Jesus. In the Gospels, we hear of how when Simeon saw the infant Jesus, his thinking about death changed. When Jesus came to his home, Zaccheus stated “today salvation has come to this house”. As a result his thinking about wealth changed. When we change our thinking, when we repent, we see the salvation of God. We recognize that Jesus is the one who offers us, each and every one of us, grace and forgiveness. He is salvation, come to us in the form of a child.

No, our world is not perfect. It may seem the crooked paths are still crooked. The mountains are still impossibly high and the rough ways continue to get rougher. Neighbors still hate neighbors, segregation is still alive and well, and wars continue to grow stronger by the moment. Yet, the world is not what we judge God’s salvation by. Salvation is not seen in the diagnosis of cancer. It is not seen on the streets of Iraq. It is seen in the eyes of a child, born in a manger for our sake. It is seen in the eyes of the Messiah. So, let us look not to ourselves when looking for a smooth path, for we cannot create one on our own. Let us repent, change our thinking, and pass the pitcher of milk to the one who is given for our sake who will make the path smooth for us. Amen

Trip and the Troublemaker

Well, Melancthon was actually a troublemaker before the trip! Last week, this sweet, innocent looking kitty decided to sneak out when I was trying to bring in boxes. Surprisingly, however, I did not discover he was gone till the next day! Katy, my other angel, was going crazy running from window to window crying. Finally I realized Mel was not at my heels, and then the panic set in. After a few hours, a missed meeting, and several tears, he decided the rain that was starting to come down was not appealing and came home. He had no voice, but he was home!

It amazed me how emotional I became when he disappeared. I think it stems from the fact he became a part of my life during such a rough time of transition. Moving cross country, beginning a four year Master's program (a seminary no less), and all the growing up that came with it made him my little family. Plus, he has the personality of no cat I have ever met (sorry Katy!). He is too cute and such a loud, codependent kitty. Such a baby!

This morning I arrived back in Pennsylvania after six days with my family in Seattle. It was wonderful to be completely spoiled with home-cooked meals, my puppy, and of course being surrounded by family. I am really looking forward to having some of them out for Christmas this year. It is strange to think that I will be hosting Christmas! Wow, how life changes...

Content

Don't kitties just have the best life?! If only we could all sleep that content everyday?

My days are passing by so quickly lately. I can hardly believe I leave to spend thanksgiving with my family in less than two weeks. I am looking forward to it so very much.

Although I am enjoying internship, I am ready to get away for a few days. It will be so nice to spend my days like my cats! Sleeping, eating, looking out the window daydreaming, and chilling with my loved ones. I don't think it gets much better than that!

My sermon last weekend went very well. I felt it was one of my better ones, but like most students, I still have a long way to go. My biggest critique is that I really need to learn to expand upon the ideas I have. I am one of those people who gets to the point so quick without taking time to reflect. I think the more I preach, the better I will get at that.

This weekend I go to a junior high event for three days. We have a large group of kids going, and I am really looking forward to this. As a kid, I never got to go to these things, so it will be a great learning experience for me. I can't wait!

All Saints Sermon (my third sermon at this church)

A couple years ago, the world said goodbye to one of its saints. I had the privilege of being by his bedside as he took his last breaths. He was a man whom I had never met before. To this day, I cannot remember his name; but I know he was a saint.

Earlier that day, this man was walking out of his home, as he did every afternoon, to check the mail across the street. His age slowed him down a bit, but that did not stop him from maintaining this daily routine. The house he had lived in most of his life was built at the crest of a ridge, which made it difficult for on-coming cars to see what may be happening at the top. This unfortunate location was the cause of this man’s death. As he was headed back to his house, a car struck him.

When I arrived at the hospital that day, this gentleman had already been to the surgery, and his family was waiting outside the intensive care unit for news of his condition. It was a larger family, all of whom came together to pray for and physically be there for their loved one.

I spent the evening with them, waiting, telling stories, and praying. I learned of this gentleman’s background, how he was a hard worker who loved his family dearly. His first wife had passed away and just months ago he had married a very sweet woman. There was nothing spectacular that stood out about him, other than the love that was so evident in the room.

He was a man of strong faith. The family shared with me some of his favorite Bible verses and hymns. We sang those hymns around his bed with his ministers from home, nurses, and doctors. As we continued to have what became a worship service, this saint slowly took his last breath. And there, at around 5:30 in the morning, we said goodbye.

Today is the festival of All Saint’s Day. It is a day in which we remember the saints that have gone before us, and the ones living in our midst. The Greek word for saint is hagios, which means holy. The word Holy literally means to “be set apart”, some paraphrase this as “special.”

In the Old Testament, something became holy when it came in contact with holy things. An example of this is in Exodus 29:37 where it says: “For seven days make atonement for the altar and consecrate it. Then the altar will be most holy, and whatever touches it will be holy.” Contact with holy things was limited solely to the priests. This created a separation and hierarchy among the priests and common people.

For us, there is no longer this hierarchy or separation. Jesus changed all that. We come into contact with holiness all the time through our contact with God. Our Holy God makes contact with us through the Word, the waters of forgiveness in Baptism, the body and blood of Jesus Christ in Holy Communion, and the fellowship we have in the Body of Christ. Through all of this, we are made saints, because God’s love for us is so great that he has come into contact with each of us.

God has given each of us the title of saint as a gift. Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, we were given grace, so that, in baptism, our old selves die to sin and we are raised to new life. Daily, we are called to repent and God forgives us, bringing us to a new life beyond all our sins. We are now not labeled as sinner in God’s eyes, we are labeled a saint. Not because we live a great life, but because we are in contact with the Holy God.

All Saints Day is a day to remember the saints that have gone before us, but it is also a day to remember the gift God has given us in making us all saints. We are saints here and now because we are connected with the Holy God here and now. Sometimes it is difficult for us to realize this. The focus is not on the new life we have been given as a saint, but on the life of the sinner.

In our Gospel text, we hear about Lazarus. He is there, dead in the grave. There is nothing he can do to get himself out of his situation, he is complete dependent upon the power of God in Christ to give him his new life. When he is raised and comes out of the tomb, we have this image of Lazarus still bound in the grave clothes, which Jesus proceeds to tell him to remove.

The question is, are we not just like Lazarus, coming out of our baptisms, raised to a new life yet still hanging onto our grave clothes? It can be difficult to leave the old sinful life behind and take on the title of saint. We recognize that daily we still sin, there is no way to get around that. Yet recognizing that our Holy God sees us as a saint is hard to grasp. We tend to keep our grave clothes on, holding onto those sins Jesus freed us from.

The humanness we all possess makes it difficult to move beyond the sins we have done. The way we hurt our best friend, the loud harsh words we said to our child when we were just too tired to deal with their never-ending questions, or possibly the time I hit someone I love? How can we ever let these things go, when we, the one who sinned, hurt just as much, if not more, then the victim? Letting go of our sinful past can be so hard. Accepting the present and future title of saint can feel nearly impossible. Yet Jesus still calls us to take off our grave clothes and go.

There was a great quote handed to me earlier this week from a Jan Karon book entitled “Light From Heaven”. It states “Every saint has a past. Every sinner has a future.” Yes, all have pasts. Every single one of us in this room is guilty of being a sinner. Every one of us has lied, cheated, stolen, or done some kind of wrong. We all have a past and we all continue to do wrong things in the present. The marvelous thing is, we have been forgiven our past and will continue to be forgiven our wrongdoings. We all have a future. God has claimed each of us as his own and given us the title of saint. We have that reality, and we have the hope that comes with it.

The gentleman in the hospital was just like each of us. I am certain that he had hurt most of the people who were by his bedside at one time or another. Yet, in the last hours of his life, each of those people were there by his side, holding his hand stroking his hair, telling him how much he was loved. To them, no matter what he had done, he was still perfectly loved. That is how our Holy God is to us. We are loved, perfectly, by the God who has deemed us as saint. And, like the saint in the hospital bed, all have the hope of the resurrection awaiting us in the future. Amen.

Make an online slide show at onetruemedia.com

An Update!

I am very sorry for the length of time it has been since my last update. As you may imagine, things have been pretty busy and I just now am having a chance to update this blog!

Outside of internship, my time has been spent doing the basic household stuff, and working on Asher and Jacob's Friends. For those who do not know, this is a volunteer group dedicated to praying for and offering support to parents who have lost a child or have one who is seriously ill. If you would like to join, just go to the link on the adorable picture of my monkey nephew!

Other than that, I have been enjoying my work at the church! I just now got back from a Harvest Party. The children were adorable as usual. I went as "Olga the Sleepy Viking!" I took a short nap this afternoon and figured why get out of my pajamas when it is a costume party! I knew I could work it into my costume somehow. It worked wonderfully and was oh so comfortable!

The town has been very windy and cold this week. At the halloween parade I nearly froze my toes off. In actuality, I love this time of year. It is so pretty and the cold gets me in the mood for the upcoming holidays. As a native northwesterner, I have learned to appreciate the rain and "dreary" days. My perfect way to spent it would be curled up in my pajamas with some hot chocolate and a good movie (I read enough for school and work!). I am looking forward to having a tree in the corner of the room too, as it makes the mood just right!

Well, that is all for now. Please check out the updates on the friends list below. This time of year tends to be rough for so many families.

-Vicar Laura

Busy Busy Busy!

Wow, I cannot believe it has been so long since I have done an update! I guess things have kept fairly busy over here. I am enjoying work immensely, though had to slow down a bit this week. I got a pretty nasty cold and lost my voice for a few days, but it seems to be clearing up. I am so grateful for this, as this upcoming weekend I have a senior high retreat. It really wouldn't be good to have no voice when trying to lead Bible studies, would it?!

Other than that, it has just been the basic busyness of work. Next week I will begin doing home Communion. I am looking forward to this, as it will give me an opportunity to meet congregational members I have not had the chance to get out to see. Also, I will be heading back to Gettysburg for a day of lectures. I'm honestly not looking forward to the lectures, but it will be good to see some friends I haven't seen in a while. Please check out the updates on Asher's Friend's list. It saddens me the list continues to grow. I love being introduced to new families, but I hate that more children are ill.

Missing Home

This is a picture of my "little" sister Jamie, stepmom Patty, and I at Pike Place Market during my trip home in August. As usually happens during this time of year, I am beginning to miss home a bit. I think it is related to the upcoming holidays. Thankfully, I will go home for thanksgiving and then have family come out for Christmas. I can't wait!

Things have been slowing down some regarding work. Part of me is elated, the other part doesn't know what to do! This is the first time things have really slowed down enough for me to rest a bit and reflect on how life has changed so much in the last 6 weeks. Well, if I really look back, how things have changed in the last six months! Becoming an Aunty to two beautiful boys, losing Jacob, walking out on my job, going to Oklahoma, going to Maine, going BACK to Oklahoma, then Seattle, and finally, my move to Hollidaysburg. I cannot believe how much has happened in such a short period of time. It all seems so surreal.

Off to Bible Club! Till next time...

-Vicar Laura

By the way, I absolutely hate moving Asher's friends to the Angel section. Please keep Jake's and Caleb's family in your prayers. I also added some more angels. It takes some time to add new names, so I am doing it in spurts. Please be on the lookout for more new names in the near future.

Loves Of My Life

I had to show you a picture of my beautiful children, Melancththon and Katharina, and then of course my gorgeous nephew Asher on nasal cannula. Isn't wonderful to see his face?! I am praying so hard soon he will be completely tube and bag free (he also has a colostomy).

Life has been going fairly well this week. I started my Bible Club, which will last for seven weeks and is each thursday night. We had about twelve children show up. I must admit the program was a little rough around the edges, but now that we know about how many kids and what ages I will have the chance to really adapt everything. I am praying the program is successful in teaching the children about the basics of the Lutheran church and is fun for them and us.

Today I went horseback riding for the second time! This trip was with the 5-6th graders. I was much better this time around! I am getting more comfortable with it and actually really enjoyed myself. The mountains are so pretty with all the different colored leaves. I took pictures and will post them soon, possibly tomorrow. Oh, and I was so close to taking home this really cute kitten there at the stables. He was so tiny and oh so cute! Good thing I have a little self-control and my supervisor to remind me that I do not need nor do I want to be a crazy cat lady! :)

Thank you all for checking in on "Aunt Laura", leaving me wonderful comments, and of course for praying.

A Very Proud Aunty

I typically don't use this journal to update on Asher, as he does have his own very popular website, but I am so proud I can't help myself. He has made such strides in the last couple of weeks, with going from the vent to CPAP and lowered oxygen levels. And now, today, he took his first try at nasal cannula and did amazingly well. He also had his first bottle, and was able to take in 5cc's. What an amazing child. I am so ready to hop on a plane! I cannot wait to go down to Oklahoma for his homecoming; I know it will be very soon!

Okay, so now onto vicar life! Thank so much for all your prayers regarding the funeral. It went amazingly well. The family was so gracious towards me and offered such words of encouragement. In some ways, it was almost more like they were ministering to my needs than the other way around. I guess God was using all of us to be there for each other; what a gift.

This weekend I also preached for the second time at this congregation. I felt a little uneasy about my sermon, as I had very little time to write it. It seems God always takes the sermons I think are awful and turns them towards good, as the congregation thought it was wonderful. One area I really need to work on is trusting in the words God has given me in the sermons.

Alright, I am off to go and work on my amazon wishlist. I keep forgetting how close Christmas is getting! I can't wait to get my tree up!

Another First

Hello friends!

I just wanted to jump on here really quick to ask you to please pray for me tomorrow, as I will be doing my first "solo" funeral. Pray that God uses me to minister to the family as they mourn the death of their loved one. Amazingly, I have a sense of peace about it; I can only attribute that to God's presence.

I promise to do a much fuller update in the near future. This week has just been absolute madness and I have not had much of a chance to take a moment to breathe. When I have that opportunity, I will be on here, filling you in on all the details!

-A Very Tired Vicar

Many Thanks

I wanted to jump on here to thank each of you from the bottom of my heart for the loving comments you have left on here. Knowing so many of you feel the same way about these special children warms my heart. I considered it such an honor to attend Christi's service, and I know so many of the rest of you would have loved to join me in saying goodbye to her at the funeral mass. Please know when I went, I considered myself a representative of all her faithful followers from the website.

In regards to Asher's friends list, well, it is something I always wanted to do. Before Asher and Jacob were born, I had been following many of these sites for about 2 years. When we started the boys website, I knew it would be a great opportunity to bring attention to other kids in need of prayer. I had no idea it would become such a great ministry. I praise God often for blessing me with the opportunity to update the list and ask for prayers for them (and pray for them myself). Thank you for continuing to bring my attention to new kids; what a blessing you all are. I consider you to be my partners in the Asher's Friends Ministry; without you the list would not be what it is today.

Angel Christi

Today I attended Christi Thomas' funeral mass. The 5 1/2 hour drive up, I continually debated whether or not I should be making the journey. Some told me I grow too attached to the children whose stories I follow through blogspot, caringbridge, and carepages. Others encouraged me that I was doing the right thing. But, I must say, it was kind of strange driving so far to attend the funeral of a child I had never met in person.

The service was beautiful. It truly honored the life of a girl who touched so many through her brave fight with neuroblastoma. So many people were there, each with their own story of how they knew her and how she touched them. I certainly had my own story, yet still felt a little out of place.

It was not until a lovely couple came up to me during the reception, that I began to feel like I was meant to be there. They were excited to meet someone who came to know her through the website and loved looking through the stories some of you sent for Shayla. I then had the opportunity to go and meet Christi's parents and sister. The second I said my name, Angela recognized me (that made me feel good!). It was in our short encounter, a mere few minutes, that I came to know the full reason God sent me there. It was not only for the family, it was also for me. It was my opportunity to not only grieve over the loss of Christi, but all of the other children who I have prayed for yet never had the chance to meet. It is amazing how one can bond to total strangers. I really needed an opportunity to formally cry over the loss of so many precious fighters. It is not that I grow too attached to them, though a bond is formed. The fact is that each and every child that I come across somehow makes me a better person. They impact how I do ministry and how I live my life. I hug stronger, I call my family more, I pray more, and I empathize more. I realize that my life is not my life, but is a gift given to me by God to serve Him. Each and every time I come across a new sick child, I am reminded of that.

Alright, so that is a super long tangent, but it is the revelation I had today while being in the midst of Christi's family and friends. What a great teacher she was and will continue to be to so many, even in her death.

Laura

So Much Sadness

I took this picture while in Oklahoma. It is a statue across the street from the Oklahoma City Bombing site that was placed by a Catholic Bishop whose parsonage was located there. This had to be the most powerful part of the memorial.

I saw this picture earlier today, and it really turned my mind towards all of the children who are suffering right now, particularly Emmie Rose and Christi. It seems that when things begin to calm down and life becomes more peaceful, more suffering comes to the forefront.

Please, if any of you get the chance today, check on the children on Asher's friends list, located in the update previous to this one. If this is something you have never done before, I strongly encourage you to do so. I know it takes alot our of you emotionally; it does me on a daily basis. I also know of the temptation to separate yourself as much as possible from the pain others are facing. Doesn't it feel like our own pain is plenty?! But I promise you, even though it is agonizing to be any kind of witness to the suffering of another, particularly a child, you will get so much in return. My life has been greatly enriched through praying for and getting to know each of these children.