Clinton, Obama and Wright...OH MY!!

The Lutheran Zephyr posted about Clinton's Troubling Politics of Choosing Church:

"We have a choice when it comes to our pastors and the churches we attend."- Senator Hillary Clinton, in response to a reporter's question about Barack Obama, his church, and its fiery former pastor, The Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright, Jr. (from AP article Clinton Would Have Left Obama's Pastor)

These words sent a chill down my spine.

"We have a choice when it comes to our pastors and the churches we attend."

It wasn't enough for Senator Clinton to critique Pastor Wright. It wasn't enough for Senator Clinton to critique Pastor Wright's role as an unpaid adviser to Senator Obama's presidential campaign. No. These words are much more than that. These words go to the core of religious and political identity, and suggest that religious identity should answer to political identity.

Take the time to read the entire post if you can, but here's where it ends:

"Yes, we have a choice whether to listen to preachers shout 'God damn America,' or who sing 'God bless America.' And Senator Clinton and I would make different choices, it seems to me. Give me the preacher who calls the nation on its sins any day over the preacher who confuses God and country. Give me the preacher who stands in the tradition of Old Testament prophets calling political leaders to task rather than the one who fails to be moved by the suffering this great nation often leaves in its wake. Give me the preacher who considers Religious Faith before National Patriotism, Creed before Pledge, God before Country."

These words from Senator Clinton have troubled me ever since I read them. They troubled me for the reasons that Chris (Lutheran Zephyr) mentions. On another level, beyond politics, it suggests that your participation in a church, or decision to "hightail it outta there" can be based on whatever fiat or preference you might have, even if it is rooted in self-absorption (i.e. "sin"). There is also the importance of the true community that a congregation is called to be. God's kingdom is built as we are in relationship with other people...real people...as they are. Even if they don't jive with what I want, what I think, what I expect. Bonhoeffer, in Life Together (pg. 27) puts it this way:

Just as surely as God desires to lead us to a knowledge of genuine Christian fellowship, so surely must we be overwhelmed by a great disillusionment with others, with Christians in general, and, if we are fortunate, with ourselves. ... Only that fellowship which faces such disillusionment, with all its unhappy and ugly aspects, begins to be what it should be in God's sight, begins to grasp in faith the promise that is given to it.

Bohoeffer's insight would suggest that Senator Obama has taken the more faithful approach by voicing his disagreement with his pastor while maintaining his embrace of that community, including the one with whom he differs. Senator Clinton's suggestion to find a different pastor and church misses the gift of what a congregation is: real people, sinners and saints each one of them, in relationship. That doesn't sound politically rewarding. It sounds messy, actually. But that's how God seems to want to build this kingdom "on earth as in heaven".

I've been contemplating this as I've been reading Death by Suburb: How to Keep the Suburbs from Killing Your Soul by David L. Goetz.

"Size Matters" (From nakedpastor)

Fear Muddles the Work of Peace

Sermon - Easter 2A - March 30, 2008
John 20:19-31
Temple Lutheran Church

“Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you."

These are the words that greet us as our Easter celebration continues--the words the disciples heard on the evening after the resurrection: “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you."

As word of the Resurrection begins to circulate, we find the disciples locked in a room paralyzed by fear. Fear will make you do strange things sometimes. Fear changes the way you think, behave and relate to others. Fear can cause us to lose regard for the rest of the world and be concerned only about our own safety in the face of what we fear.

Fear is an important recurring theme in scripture. 365 times in scripture we hear the words “Fear not…be not afraid, do not fear”. 365 times. That's enough times to reflect upon one of them every day of the year. Over and over, the testimony of scripture includes being set free from fear.

Since this is a leap year, we’ll make today’s passage number 366. We don’t hear the words “Fear not”, but we do witness the risen Jesus coming right into the presence of fear and proclaiming peace… “Peace be with you.”

There’s an important connection to make here. Fear is the biggest barrier to peace in the world and in our lives. Fear muddles the work of peace. Fear leads to suffering. Fear leads to violence.

I learned something this past week, quite by accident. Hopefully some of us knew this (I sure didn’t know), but we are nearing the end of a ten-year worldwide focus on non-violence. In 1998, The United Nations instituted “The decade for a culture of non-violence” to occur from 2001 until 2010. In 1999, our church body, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America pledged to be a part of this decade of promoting peace.

2001-2010. So here we are in 2008, and, well…I don’t know if it’s gone so well thus far.

I imagine that it probably played out a bit like this: plans were probably laid out for the whole ten years. I would guess these plans are probably still in motion today. The decade began in 2001. And then…then came September the 11th. Unthinkable, unacceptable, and unforgettable violence reared its head. Our nation, and much of the world, got into that room with the disciples and locked the doors out of fear.

Fear will make you do strange things sometimes. Fear changes the way you think, behave and relate to others. Fear muddles the work of peace.

The risen Jesus walks right into the middle of that very real fear. This isn’t hypothetical fear. This isn’t the “idea” or “concept” of fear. Jesus walks into a locked room full of people that were convinced that they were the next ones to be dragged out, beaten & crucified. Jesus walks right into the reality of fear and reasserts once again what God is all about: "Peace be with you.”

Jesus…who fulfills God’s promises to the world. Jesus…rejected by humans, but confirmed by God who raised him from the dead in the power of the Holy Spirit so that on earth there might be peace. Jesus…who taught love for one's enemies. Jesus…who reached out to the oppressed, downtrodden, and rejected. Jesus…who prayed for his enemies, even as they tortured him on the cross. Jesus…who reconciled us with God, even when we were enemies of God. Jesus…whose reconciling love of enemy shows us how deeply peace is rooted in who God is. It’s Jesus…who says “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you”

“As the Father has sent me, so I send You."

As followers of Jesus, we are called to continue the work of peace. To build the kingdom Jesus came to commence “on earth as in heaven.” Through the Gospel, the Holy Spirit calls and gathers people from all nations to worship and witness to the God of peace. A people who know Christ, sent into the world to make Christ known.

We make Christ known…
…as we publicly gather to proclaim and celebrate God’s Gospel of peace.
…as we keep alive the news of God’s resolve for peace.
…as we declare that everyone is responsible before God to create peace.
…as we equip ourselves to act for peace in our communities & the world.
…as we sing “Let there be peace on earth…and let it begin…with me.”

We are called to be a movement. We are called to be a community of peace. We are the Body of Christ sent in the world. We are God’s presence in the world…a presence that wages peace.

A faithful presence that at times can disturb the status quo. Especially if the status quo is looking to false sources for peace or security. Or if the status quo forgets that “Loving your enemies” includes not killing them. Or if the status quo confuses loving your country with turning your country into a false god. If your definition of peace is a not rooted in the peace that Jesus announces, the mission of God’s church might disturb your peace.

So if any of you are planning to run for president some day, be warned: it doesn’t take a pastor like Jeremiah Wright to get you in trouble. If the church is living out it’s mission, it’s going to be counter-cultural. It will even be seen as subversive and radical. It will be radical about peace, radical about forgiveness, radical about reconciliation. It will be radical about telling the truth.

The heart of who we are called to be as Christians can be heard in these words of the risen Jesus: “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” We are sent to be a movement of forgiveness. A community of peace creating bonds among people who are different. A community of peace where we can talk to one another, respect one another, share ideas, hopes, dreams, and values. The Church is a setting of freedom and respect where believers with different perspectives can learn from one another in the unity of faith. No topic should be too controversial or too contentious to discuss as a church. Where better have such discussions?

We live in fearful times during this decade that was intended for non-violence. In the next three weeks in Pennsylvania, and throughout this election year, we will again see and hear those fears used to motivate us. Fear of a recession. Fear of terrorism. Fear of immigrants. Fear of people who are different than me. Fear of a candidate whose race or gender is not the same as presidents 1-43. Once again the candidates and the strategists and the political parties will lick their fingers & hold them up to see which way the winds are blowing. Those winds can be driven by all of these fears, or the church can be the movement that changes the wind. As followers of Jesus, we can walk right into the reality of fear and reassert once again what God is all about. We can wage peace. We can be the body of Christ in the world today.

Jesus sends us into the world. Following Jesus is not a private affair. Personal, yes, but never private. “For God so loved the world” is quite the public statement.

Hear the words of the risen Jesus. Hear the invitation to risk, to an adventure of faith, to being a disciple. Hear the invitation to new birth into a living hope through the resurrection.

“Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you."

AMEN.

I owe much of this sermon's inspiration to the ELCA Social Statement on Peace.

Easter Sermon: Jesus has gone ahead of us

Easter Sunday, March 23, 2008
Temple Lutheran Church, Havertown, PA

Scripture: Matt 28:1-10

What an extraordinary morning! What a blessing to come together as a community. To gather and celebrate, to sing praises, to shout “Alleluia!”

There’s just one thing, however, that I’ve got warn you about. Some important news that I’ve got to break to you this morning. If you came here looking for Jesus this morning, this might disappoint you quite a bit. If you came here looking for Jesus this morning, you’re in the wrong place. If you came through these doors looking for Jesus this morning, You’re not going to find Jesus. At least not in the way you might have expected.

Now surely, someone in the room is thinking to themselves, “Now wait a second…didn’t Jesus say ‘where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them?’”
Jesus did say that, and I certainly believe it’s true. However…

The surprise of Easter…the good news of Easter...The Gospel of Easter…is that when you walk through the doors of this building, you do not walk into “God’s house”…You walk into God’s empty tomb! Jesus is not here…he is risen! That is why we sing praise! That is why we shout “Alleluia!”

We gather together and rejoice with two women named Mary who came to find Jesus on that incredible morning. Two women named Mary who were equally confused and amazed to hear the words “Jesus is not here…he has been raised as he said. Come, see the place where he lay…then go quickly and tell his disciples ‘He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee.’” Jesus is not here this morning…Jesus is risen! We are disciples hearing this unexpected news.

Even as we gather here and rejoice, Jesus is already on his way out the door. Jesus is already moving as fast as possible out of this building…this tomb, and out into the world that God loves.
Jesus is already going ahead of us to Galilee. Jesus has gone ahead of us to to Havertown, Upper Darby, Wynnewood, Lansdowne, Philadelphia. Jesus has gone ahead of us into all the world.

Jesus has gone ahead of us…to find the poor, the homeless…and serve them.
Jesus has gone ahead of us…to visit the sick, the lonely…and love them.
Jesus has gone ahead of us…to places of violence…to bring a better way.
Jesus has gone ahead of us…to places of conflict…to bring forgiveness.
Jesus has gone ahead of us…to places where people suffer…to bring hope.
Jesus has gone ahead of us to Galilee…and we are to meet him there.

To say that Jesus has “gone ahead” implies that we are invited to follow. As we go out into the world, we see Jesus there. Easter is not just about all of us coming IN through these doors this morning. Easter is more about the trip you will take OUT through these doors. Jesus didn’t rise from the dead so that we could go to church. Jesus rose from the dead so that we could be the church.

“Church” is not somewhere we go to find Jesus. “Church” is what we become as we follow Jesus into the world. “Church” is what we become as we build God’s kingdom in the world. As we pray “Your kingdom come, your will be done…on EARTH as in heaven.”

We are the Church. We are The Body of Christ, and the body of Christ cannot…MUST NOT… be contained in this building. This building can’t contain the Body of Christ any more that the stone that was rolled away from the tomb.

As you go out through these doors, you don’t leave the church. As you go out through these doors, you become the church. You become the body of Christ. You become the good news of Easter.

Jesus has gone ahead of us. Now it is our time to follow. To be the Church. To go into the world and meet Jesus there.

Like the two women named Mary, we leave the tomb “with fear and great joy”.

There’s plenty to fear. If we go out into the world, there might be people out there. And they might have needs. And they might be suffering. And you might have to have a relationship with them. And you might have to love them. You might have to forgive them. And that might not be quick and easy.

We go out through these doors with fear because we know that the world we go out into is full of problems, whether it be that one person we don’t understand or the problems of our society or our world that seem huge beyond compare.

We go out with fear, but also with great joy! We go out with great joy because we know the one who has gone before us. We know the one who is risen from the dead that we might also have new life. We know the one who came to create God’s kingdom. We go out with fear and great joy because the news that Jesus is risen changes everything! We know the challenge of our mission, but we also know Christ. We know that the tomb is empty & Jesus has gone ahead of us into the world.

Now comes the time to follow. Now comes the time to be the Body of Christ. Now comes the time to build God’s kingdom. Now comes the time to rejoice and shout the Good news of Easter

Alleluia, Christ is risen! He is risen indeed…Alleluia!

AMEN.

Welcome To Beyond Capernaum

Well, here goes...

Welcome to "Beyond Capernaum", the potential weblog home of Matt Staniz, pastor of Temple Lutheran Church in Havertown, PA. What this blog will contain is still to be determined (mostly by my will to post and your willingness to read). It may contain sermons as they happen at Temple Lutheran Church...perhaps some some older sermons, too. It may contain record reviews, book reviews, concert reviews, random thoughts and musings.

We shall see...