Rejoicing Together

God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.  (I Corinthians 12:24-26, New Revised Standard Version)

We as a church do a very good job of praying for each other in times of need. Our prayer chain is full of names and concerns of people who have are hurting, suffering, and mourning. We place our cares and concerns at the foot of the cross, asking for God to provide comforting, healing and wholeness, and seek God’s direction for how we can be of help to those in need. I believe it is good for us to do so. Even if it may seem at times our prayers go unanswered, or the answers we get are not what we want to hear, we place what is on our hearts before God, for there is comfort in knowing God is with us, and those for whom we pray. And I believe God does hear our prayers, and answers our prayers. I also know that there is great comfort and power in knowing that others are praying for you. And I do believe God still works miracles (ever see the birth of a child?). If it is on your heart, lift it up to God. As St. Paul writes to the church in Corinth, “If one member suffers, all suffer together with it.”

We do good job of praying for those in need. But how often are our prayers filled with prayers of thanksgiving and rejoicing. In the passage above, St. Paul says if one member of the church (the body of Christ) is honored, all rejoice together with it. I remember a time a few years ago when we had several prayer requests before the congregation I served of people who were hurting. It seemed as if every day there was another concern to share. As we were sending out another round of prayer requests, I received word that two members of the congregation, John and Betty, were engaged. The two had both lost their spouses years before to illness, and had been living alone for quite some time. They were both active in the church, and everyone knew them well. I asked that we put this good news on the prayer chain immediately. How important it is to share in the suffering, but also to share in the rejoicing.

Soon after we started the prayer chain for John and Betty, I received a call from a member of the church. She thought it was a joke, and refused to pass the message along until she was sure it was true. You see, John always served as an usher at church, and during the service, he would wander the building to make sure no one came in to steal a purse or a coat. Betty, on the other hand, sat in the third pew every Sunday and took copious notes of the sermon. The two were never seen together, and no one in the church even knew they were dating! Talk about your miracles! Well, I assured the member that the rumor was true, and that in the midst of all the suffering, this was good news to share.

John and Betty were married and had many blessed years together. And with John and Betty, we rejoiced!

If it is on your heart, lift it to God, and may we live our lives in community, bearing one another’s sorrows, and celebrating in each other’s joys!

A different translation (paraphrase) of the passage:

The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent on every other part, the parts we mention and the parts we don’t, the parts we see and the parts we don’t. If one part hurts, every other part is involved in the hurt, and in the healing. If one part flourishes, every other part enters into the exuberance.  (I Corinthians 12:25-26, The Message)

Peace,

Pastor Charlie

Variations on a Theme

Music is a wonderful gift that can be shared in many different ways. In the summer musical at Epiphany, "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" this is played out. In telling the story of Joseph and his 11 brothers, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice use a variety of musical styles -there is rock, calypso, western and even some "Charleston" thrown in for good measure! I have been listening to the music of the show a lot the past few weeks as my wife, Lisa is one of the band members, so she has been practicing for weeks at home, and I have stopped in at a few rehearsals to see things progress. The music is great, the message is solid and the show is a lot of fun. You don't want to miss it!

(I wanted to make sure I got in one more shameless promotion for the show!)

The same message can be shared differently through some variations on the theme. I thought I would make this a musical montage this week with an example of this using the song, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." For many of us, the first time we heard this was in the 1939 movie "Wizard of Oz" (the same year "Gone with the Wind" was released). Here is Judy Garland and Toto too! We grew up with this song, sang it in school music classes, and it was one of those songs everyone knew.

In the 1990s, a Hawaiian singer by the name of Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwoʻole' redorded a version of the song. I remember first hearing it on a TV commercial. In doing some research, I have found that this version of the song has been used in dozens of commercials. Because of this song, I purchased other songs by this artist. Here is his version. I am sure it will sound familiar.

A couple years ago, in preparing a slideshow for a friend's funeral, a family member gave me a recording of the song done by Eva Cassidy. I had never heard of this artist before, but when I heard this voice, I knew I wanted to hear more. 

Judy Garland, Eva Cassidy and Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwoʻole have all passed away, but their music lives on.

One final entry into this montage is by a favorite group of mine, The Piano Guys. As a former cello player, I love to listen and to watch these guys play their instruments, and where they find places to play them.  

Thank God for the gift of music. There are a variety of gifts, but the same Spirit!

Peace,

Pastor Charlie

Freedom

Happy 4th!

This week we will celebrate our nation's 237th birthday with parades, food and fireworks and more, celebrating that we live in the land of the free. We give thanks for all who have made this freedom possible. I will join many in giving thanks this holiday for those who have given so that we might have this freedom. I will especially remember my Dad who served in the Navy in World War II. In honor of him, the Naval Hymn.

As baptized children of God, we are given the gift of freedom through God's great love for us. God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life (John 3:16).

I encourage you this Independence Day to celebrate the freedom God has given us through Jesus Christ.  For Freedom, Christ has set us Free! (Galatians 5:1).

Peace,

Pastor Charlie

Belonging

This past Sunday, one of the lessons in worship was from St. Paul's letter to the Galatians. In It, Paul encouraged the church in Galatia to look beyond their differences that excluded - Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female - and focus instead on what unified them - all clothed in Christ in baptism. Because of our baptism, Paul says, we belong to God. Because of baptism, we are heirs of God. Because of baptism, there is a place we belong. And we all want to belong. One of the reasons we join clubs, teams, organizations, even churches is so we can belong.

Later Sunday, after church was done, I joined in with many others to build the set for our upcoming musical, "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." It was my first experience in this process, and what a process it was. There were power tools and saws hard at work, things to be moved out of closets, dark covers to be hung on the windows, props to be made, and a lot of people to make it happen. Besides doing my best "Tim the Toolman Taylor" imitation with the power drill, I took a few pictures. More on that later. What struck me about the process was the organization that went into it. There was a lot to do, and I believe everyone there felt they belonged. 

This isn't evident only in the building of the set, but the whole drama ministry that has developed over the past 20 years at Epiphany Lutheran Church. I never had the privilege of meeting Kay Wean, but I am benefitting from her legacy and vision. From what I understand, Kay found a place for every person who tried out for a drama under her direction. That continues today. This sometimes meant splitting some parts, adding a new character and double casting many roles in the shows. Everyone belongs. Kay passed away two years ago after a battle with cancer, but what she established continues. 

Kay's daughters have taken the lead directing shows here at Epiphany this past year - Kandis did a phenomenal job leading the Children's Christmas Program, and Megan is directing Joseph with great energy and joy. I believe neither of them are trying to be just like Mom, but they are using the gifts given them by God and nurtured by Mom and others to carry forward. They are not alone. I see Kay's fingerprints on many who are a part of this ministry. Many belong because they were encouraged to belong.

The wonderful thing about the body of Christ is that we are all members, yet unique in our gifts. The musical talent, the vision of the set design, the technical team that work lights and sound, the costume creators, the publicity and marketing team, the production team, the drama ministry team, and, of course, the cast and crew all have a part to play. All belong. 

As we were finishing up the stage, one of the young boys from the cast who was helping his dad build the stage all of the sudden realized that he was going to be on that stage for the show. After several weeks of practicing on floors marked with tape, now there is a stage. His eyes lit up as he looked at the stage and he asked me, "Are we going to be up there?" I told him he would. He asked, "Can I walk on it?" 

"Yes. Yes you can." He was, and IS so excited. He feels he belongs. I can't wait to see him in the show, along with all the others. 

Children of God using their gifts. That's what it's all about. One gift I received I had the opportunity to use on Sunday. The gift is a timer for my camera - a Fathers Day gift from my kids. With it, I can set up my camera to take a picture every few seconds, minutes or hours. I used it to take some 2100 pictures Sunday (one every six seconds) to put together a time lapsed video of the process. Enjoy.

Thanks to all of you for making Lisa and me feel WE belong.  

Peace,

Pastor Charlie 

Come and See

Who brought you to church? Did someone bring you? Did someone invite you? For many of us we started going to church because it is was expected of us. I remember a college-aged member at a church I served telling me that growing up, he had a drug problem - his parents drug him to church every Sunday. That is what I remember. It was a way of life - every Sunday was church day. 

When we grew up and moved out from under our parents' wings, we broke away from the habits of home, and established our own habits and priorities. Has church always stayed on your list of priorities? If church fell out of habit, you are not alone. As calendars get fuller, we often find that Sunday is the only day we might catch a break, catch our breath, or even sleep in! Church easily becomes the thing that gets dropped from the "To Do" list for the week. 

I believe that if we look at church as a chore, it can easily become a burden. We can do without because we need our rest more than another thing to do! But if we consider church to be a place of nourishment and strength to face the days to come, it would be foolish not to go. 

Mark Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, tells of a church that has several pastors on staff. Once a month, one of the pastors will go to visit an inactive member or two on a Sunday Morning. When the pastor arrives at the door, the first response he receives is, "Did someone die?" The pastor's response is, "No. But we are concerned because we have not seen you at the Lord's Table for quite some time. According to our records, you must be starving!"

What we have is exactly what the world needs - forgiveness, hope, welcome and life. Every Sunday (Saturday Night too) God promises to be present as we gather in God's name. We hear the good news of God's love, we feed on the Bread of Life, we are lifted up by one another in prayer and fellowship. We gather as the Body of Christ to be nourished, and we are sent out to do God's work with our hands. 

If you have been away, come home. If you know someone who has been away, invite him or her to come and see. Your invitation could be exactly what is needed.  Here is a video a friend shared with me. Why not be the one to invite?

Peace,

Pastor Charlie 

My Dog

Maybe you have heard the saying, "I hope to be the person my dog thinks I am!" If I were half the person my dog thinks I am, I would likely be a much better person.

We are a dog family. After a short stint with cats, my wife developed a cat allergy. It was not long after that that we welcomed Sandie the mutt to our family. She was two years old when we got her and a great family pet. After she passed away came Casey, a golden retriever puppy. She was a lover, a faithful companion and great with everyone.

When she died rather suddenly, it was not long before my wife was researching local golden retriever breeders to find our next companion. Maggie was born in February, 2012 and came home a couple months later. She has been with us in our transitions and joys and sorrows, always ready to greet us, to snuggle up against us, and to let us know that she is glad to see us. 

For me, there is a sense of comfort and joy I experience when my dog greets me with a wagging tail, a toy in her mouth ready to play, and her constant presence at my side when I sit down on the couch. 

She is glad to see me no matter what kind of day I have had. She thinks I am worthy of her undivided attention. She seems to always be focused in the present, the here and now, and not concerned with what happened yesterday or the schedule for tomorrow. 

I know I am not alone in this - many of us have pets. These animals are blessings from God. All that is good is a gift from God. We are called by God to be stewards or caretakers of God's creation, and all that dwells therein, and it is through God's creation we behold God's love for us. Yes, I believe God blesses us with pets who give us comfort and joy as a way of showing God's love to us. 

Thank God for the beauty of God's creation. Thank God for pets.

Peace,

Pastor Charlie

Here is a little video I put together last Spring when Maggie first came home.  

The Election of a Bishop

Epiphany Lutheran Church is one of the 207 congregations that make up the Southern Ohio Synod of the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America). The synod gathers annually in assembly for business, worship, study and fellowship. This year's assembly begins on June 7 at Wittenberg University, and at this assembly we will be electing a new bishop. The role of bishop is similar to the role of a lead pastor in a congregation, leading in administration and oversight of the synod.  

Bishop Callon Holloway has served the synod as bishop for 17 years, and earlier this spring he announced his retirement. There have been many discussions in congregations and pastors circles about possible candidates for the position, and while a few names have surfaced, the election will begin with a blank slate. The election of a bishop is conducted through an ecclesiastical ballot, which means any ordained pastor in the ELCA in good standing is eligible to be considered. 

As stated on the synod website:

The election of a Synodical Bishop is more than just another election of an official in our lives. It is a call, a call guided by the Holy Spirit, made with discernment in the midst of the community of those who comprise the voting members of the Synod Assembly and conducted through an ecclesiastical ballot. The process of calling our Synodical Bishop should no way emulate how we elect our secular leaders.

This is how the election will proceed: The first ballot, all delegates are given single piece of paper on which to write one name for bishop. Those slips are gathered and tallied. If one candidate receives at least 75% of the vote, he or she is elected. If no one is elected, the first ballot shall be considered the nominating ballot. Often at this point, there are many whose names are lifted up on the first ballot who ask that their name be removed from consideration. Three-fourths of the legal votes cast on the second ballot shall be necessary for election. The third ballot shall be limited to the seven persons (plus ties) who received the greatest number of legal votes on the second ballot, and two-thirds of the legal votes cast shall be necessary for election. The fourth ballot shall be limited to the three persons (plus ties) who receive the greatest number of legal votes on the third ballot, and 60 percent of the legal votes cast shall be necessary for election. On subsequent ballots a majority of the legal votes cast shall be necessary for election. These ballots shall be limited to the two persons (plus ties) who receive the greatest number of legal votes on the previous ballot. 

By Saturday afternoon, we will have elected a new bishop. It is an exciting process, filled with much anticipation and hope for the future. And while there will be other business to discuss, worship to share, study time and fellowship, the focus will be on the vote.

Our synod is in partnership with other churches around the world. A close tie we have enjoyed over the years is with the Lutheran Church in Tanzania. Bishop Gulle of Tanzania will be at our assembly, and he will be with us at Epiphany Lutheran Church on Sunday, June 9 to bring greetings to us. How important it is for us to know the church is much bigger than just us. 

My hope and prayer for this assembly is that we can look forward with hope, and that our new bishop faithfully serve God and the congregations and members of the synod. I ask you to lift the synod in your prayers in the coming days. Pray for our delegates and members who will be at the assembly - Terry Rapoch, Melanie Powderly, Bill Serr, Jane Lane, Pastor Larry Hoffsis and me. May we always remember and trust that God is in charge.  

God is good- all the time.  All the time- God is good.  

Peace,

Pastor Charlie