Category: Church Life

Yes, Virginia, there is a war on Christmas.

No, it is not happening right after Halloween when the self righteous do not like the design of disposable coffee cups. By that they only admit not to prepare for their coffee runs by bringing a reusable travel mug. No, the actual war on Christmas is going on right now, between Christmas and Epiphany. Most of our neighbors had their decorations down by December 27th. The Christmas radio station disappears as soon as Christmas begins. Virginia, that is where the war on Christmas is real.

In America there is confusion to when Christmas is happening. Many people and businesses confuse the holiday season with the Christmas season. Christmas is a church service: It is the Mass celebrating the Birth of Christ, short Christ-Mass. Since the 5th century Christians have celebrated the birth of Christ this time of year. Leading up to Christmas is the liturgical season of Advent. Christmas does not start until after Christmas and it goes on for 12 days all the way through Epiphany on January 6th. Whoever insists on saying “Merry Christmas” before then is waging war against one of Christianity’s most important holidays.

How did all of this come about? Well, in America we have a thing called the holiday season. It is the period of time from Thanksgiving until New Year, including such festivals as Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. That is where misunderstandings happen: Most major religions have their festival of light this time of year from Hindu to Jewish and Christian. And the retail industry loves this time of year. The cultural commercial holiday season is there to lead up to and support people in celebrating whatever their faith holds dear. The greeting for the season is “Happy Holidays” because it celebrates a variety of wonderful occasions.

As a Christian I indulge in both, the civil holiday season and the liturgical Christmas season. Not everybody knows that they are distinctly separate things and you will always find the terms used interchangeably. But it is my job as pastor and teacher to remind myself and my readers that, yes Virginia, please leave your lights and decorations up until Epiphany. And you, FM 99.1, please play Christmas music not only during Advent but also during Christmas!

Join us on Christmas Eve, Thursday, December 24th 2015, at 6 p.m. at St. John’s United Church of Christ in Rosenberg, Texas. We will light the candles as a sign that Christ’s light shines in our darkness. The service also has an impromptu Christmas pageant where all the children are invited to play a part and we will serve Holy Communion to all God’s children.
In his Christmas message on behalf of the United Church of Christ national officers, the Rev. John Dorhauer celebrates the light that darkness cannot overcome:

The holiday season is supposed to be jolly and merry. Let me tell you that it does not always work out that way. As a matter of fact there are more deaths this time of year than any other. The sun setting so early leaves us in darkness. And the pressures that come with expectations for the festive season add to the burden.

There is a reason that most major religions have a festival of light in the winter season, because light and hope are in short supply when it is dark and cold all around us. You may call it Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or Christmas. The point all these festivals make is: Light a candle in the darkness.

Dr. Martin Luther King Junior expressed it most beautifully:
Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that.

In 2015 I have worked on five suicides. On the Army Reserve side of my ministry two Soldiers killed themselves. On the local church side I know of three families who had people commit suicide. The military has an aggressive strategy where us chaplains regularly teach suicide prevention and suicide intervention. In the church we do not have such a thing. But since 2015 has been so deadly I intend to change that. I will speak up about suicide on a regular basis. You may call it my new year resolution: In 2016 I will work harder on training the church in suicide prevention and intervention.

Yes, you read that right: Suicide can be prevented. It is not a tragedy that strikes from the outside but it is human behavior that can be changed. It can be done. It is hard but possible. And to get one thing out of the way: Suicide is not a sin! The person who kills themselves is not bad for doing so. When the Psalmist talks about walking through the darkest valley, that is where that happens. If you cannot find a way out of the dark you may end up killing yourself. Yes, you too, as you read this right now.

If you feel that happening to yourself, please snap out of it and ask for help!
If you see that in a family member, friend or coworker, wake them up and show them the light!

In the epic battle between the empire of darkness and the rebellion of light the good guys always win. The death star will be destroyed. And make no mistake, I am not talking about a galaxy far far away. That struggle is happening right here, right now, in every heart.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that.

The Lord be with you!
Und mit deinem Geiste!
Lift up your hearts!
Wir erheben sie zum Herrn!

This is how over 100 people started the Communion Prayer for our German Christmas Service last Sunday. A few times a year we have multilingual events whereas Holy Communion is usually celebrated once a month. It so happened that our Adult Sunday School class worked on the topic of Holy Communion as well. When I stop by towards the end of their time I sometimes get to attend the final round of conversation and sometimes there are issues they request my input on. Communion was such an issue and their question was: Who can receive Holy Communion?

The short answer is: Everyone!

The main reason for that is simple: Holy Communion is nothing but the Word of God made accessible to those who wish to receive it. It has the same message that every sermon has: God loves you. Everyone is invited to hear the Word of God in the sermon, so everyone is invited to eat and drink the Word of God in Communion as well. Bread and wine are tangible sermons.

Some traditions have tried to limit access to the table by excluding those who are not considered worthy. By that standard nobody would be allowed at the table because we are all sinners. Jesus had Judas at the table of his Last Supper knowing full well he would betray him. He was not excluded but on the contrary Jesus has consistently dined with sinners. That includes you and me. That is also the reason why on Communion Sundays the order of our service includes a Prayer of Confession followed by the Assurance of Forgiveness. We need to acknowledge our sinfulness because it actually makes the Lord’s Supper all the more important.

There used to be a variety of age limits on the participation in Holy Communion. The argument usually went like this: Children do not grasp the meaning of Holy Communion. Yet understanding is not a prerequisite for participation: Family Ministry brings Communion to people in retirement homes and I can assure you that some of the residents do not even recognize that they are holding a cup of grape juice in their hand. What they do understand though is the feeling that there is a group of people that cares for them and that is after all what communion means – being together with one another and with Jesus Christ.

This year we will once again use both the German and the English language to approach the babe in the manger. Our 10 a.m. service on Sunday, December 6th will remind us of the origins of St. Nicholas. We will learn about the unique ways in which good ol’ Saint Nick came to be the cheery, chubby lad that he is. That was quite a journey considering he started out as a middle Eastern Bishop in modern-day Turkey. And yes, we will light the candles and sing “Stille Nacht”.

Please invite your favorite German-speakers and RSVP on Facebook.

The Rosenberg City Council has invited me to give the invocation for tonight’s meeting. World AIDS Day is held on December first each year. This is a time when we remember people who have died from AIDS-related illnesses and people who are living with HIV; a time to give thanks for the progress that has been made and to reflect on what still needs to be done. It is an opportunity for people around the world to unite to eradicate AIDS and show support for people living with HIV. It is a time to commit anew to ensuring that no one is left behind.

The Ecumenical Council of Churches provides a beautiful World AIDS Day Liturgy this year. So I will adapt the Prayer of Confession that was originally composed by Rev. J.P. Mokgethi–Heath, Church of Sweden, to fit the occasion at City Hall tonight and offer the following prayer:

God our Creator, we confess that we have not looked upon all whom You have created with the same love and celebration as You have. We have not affirmed all Your people as having equal worth and equal dignity. We have stood by as others have been humiliated and cast out; Creator God, Have Mercy on us.
Jesus our Redeemer, in Your life on earth you lived the inclusivity you preached. You reached to the margins of society and drew all to salvation through Your sacrifice on the cross. We confess that we have not lived your inclusivity. Day by day we encounter people whom You have redeemed and walk past without recognizing the dignity you have bought for them; Redeemer God, Have Mercy on us.
Holy Spirit our Sustainer, You breath life into all around us. Your breath fills us with life and draws us to want to praise You. We confess that our community has not been a welcoming place for all. We have associated with those we feel comfortable with and been apathetic about the countless people who have felt barriers to entry, barriers to full citizenship; Sustainer God, have Mercy on us. Amen.

Every week I write a reflection for our congregation’s weblog. The national setting of the United Church of Christ offers a Stillspeaking Daily Devotional. And sometimes those are just too good to resist. I wanted to write something spiritually challenging on Thanksgiving this week. But sometimes all it takes is a look into the rounds of our extended church family. Here is the gem I found that was written for today by Donna Schaper:

“And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” – Hebrews 10:11-14 (15-18) 19-25

Thanksgiving Day is approaching and everyone’s mind has turned to sides and strays. There is little to be done about the turkey, except for the slight possibility that we could talk less about whether it is too dry. There is not much to be done either about the people who are always invited to the table. The regulars will be there, like it—or them—or not.

The experimentation is all in the sides and strays. We can invite someone new. We can notice an exchange student or someone recently widowed or divorced. We can remember that family whose father was deported. We can add a leaf to just about any table.

When it comes to the sides, the fun really starts. This year my husband made sauerkraut again. We spent way too many Saturdays at yard sales trying to figure out the exact right kind of jar to brine the cabbage in. Sure enough, our search found its match at a yard sale dedicated to funding a neighbor’s medical bills. We were so encouraged by the jar and its proffer that we gave a lot more than the quarter they wanted. Isn’t that encouragement? When we want to pay more than a thing is worth? When we want to add a leaf to the table? When we want to do more than talk turkey with each other?

Some have said that the virtue of what we used to call “congregationalism” was in its encounters. Its meetings. Its comings together. Its covenants to walk the way, one with another. I don’t know much about congregationalism anymore. That word feels so dated. But maybe this scripture has it right. Maybe we are the people who will not neglect to meet with each other.

Prayer
Let us not neglect to have great encounters, superb meetings, good sides and strays at our table. Amen.

When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed

In the national setting of the United Church of Christ there are four Covenanted Ministry partners who are supported by gifts Our Church’s Wider Mission. We work together to change lives!

The Office of General Ministries houses the President and General Minister who serves in many ways. One strategic role of the President is convening leaders in conversations on what it means to be a faithful, vital, and healthy church. The Office of General Ministries manages biennial convening of General Synod where delegates representing conferences and local churches from across the UCC gather. Office of General Ministries also houses the Publishing, Identity and Communications office. One responsibility they have is establishing and maintaining a web and social media presence. UCC.org  has over 4,500,000 visitors. The largest number of visitors comes to find a church.

Local Church Ministries supports the local church in many ways. The Ministerial Excellence, Support and Authorization Ministry Team (MESA) team is designed to support Authorized Ministers (Ordained, Licensed and Commissioned) in our denomination from the first inklings of their calling through a healthy retirement. MESA’s ministry is a collaborative effort intertwined with Conferences, Associations, and Committees on Ministry. Congregations large and small are nurtured by Local Church Ministries resources like scholarly reflections for pastors found in Sermon Seeds and Weekly Seeds bible studies for church members, as well as worship materials of Worship Ways. Last year online readers of Sermon Seeds and Worship Ways exceeded 88,000.

Wider Church Ministries is most widely known for the mission outreach work of the UCC because of our disaster ministries. This arm of the church also serves congregations and other settings of the church who strive to be inclusive whether it is multicultural/multiracial, open and affirming, global or accessible to all. In partnership with the Disciples of Christ, Common Global Ministries is the ecumenical global sharing of resources and prophetic vision of a just and peaceful world order, joining with God’s concern for the poor and oppressed.

The vision of Justice and Witness Ministries is of a more just, peaceful and compassionate world. Justice Leaders Engaging and Developing (Justice LED) training program for church members, teaches leadership skills to support justice work in local churches and UCC Conferences. Justice and Peace Action Network is a UCC grassroots advocacy effort to educate and engage church members and friends to shape public policy. Last year we’ve emailed over 600,000 “Action Alerts”! And over 35,000 letters, emails and faxes went to Congress and the President. The work of Justice and Witness Ministries is guided by the pronouncements and resolutions approved by the UCC at General Synod.

Veterans Day
As a United States Army Chaplain this Veterans Day I celebrate all my brothers and sisters in the service, past, present and future. As a Christian Minister I also recognize November 11 to be Saint Martin’s Day. But then again, these two commemorations are really one: Saint Martin is the Patron Saint of Soldiers after all and the US Military Academy at West Point has a St. Martin Chapel for a reason.

Saint Martin’s Day
Martin of Tours was a soldier in the Army of the Roman Empire. One day as he was approaching the gates of the city of Amiens (modern-day France), he met a scantily clad beggar. He impulsively cut his military cloak in half to share with the man. Eventually Martin became a Saint and his cloak has been venerated as a relic in the Roman Catholic tradition. The priest who cared for the cloak in its reliquary was called a cappellanu, and ultimately all priests who served the military were called cappellani. The French translation is chapelains, from which the English word chaplain is derived.

Professional Chaplaincy
Even though this is a reflection for Veterans Day and Saint Martin’s Day really what pulls it together is the Chaplaincy. The bearers of Martin’s cloak are no longer limited to the Armed Forces but you can find spiritual caregivers in Healthcare, Law Enforcement, Congress, Prison and even the Corporate Sector.

Serving all God’s Children
As I honor our Soldiers, Sailors, Airwomen, Airmen and Marines today I am reminded that they all serve all Americans. And I mean literally all the great diversity of people in the United States. The same is true inside the service where Department of Defense Directive 1020.02E states: “All Service members are afforded equal opportunity in an environment free from harassment and unlawful discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, or sexual orientation.”

Saint Martin did not care who the beggar was or where he was on life’s journey.
Martin shared his cloak with this child of God.