Building the faith:

In Japan today, people are cleaning up. Before they can do any new building, they have to destroy the old water washed and earthquake crumbled buildings to start again. Yet, these are their homes, their schools, their shops and theaters. They are theirs, and yet they have to deconstruct before they can reconstruct their own. They have to face that what was past is no longer useable. They have to figure out how to rebuild with the history of the past in mind.

It seems lately that we, churchy types, do a great deal of deconstructing. It is all around us. Authors like Marcus Borg, James Bryan Smith and top selling pastor Rob Bell are all ‘deconstructing’. They are trying to remove the old broken down and unjust theologies and systems in order to reconstruct the faith that Jesus builds. Sometimes they are brilliant and offer new light on old problems. Sometimes they make the issues worse or even water down the faith. What I find most fascinating is that they are willing to enter into the deconstruction zones at all.

The reasons why we need to ‘deconstruct’ is clear when you look at society today. Less and less people are convinced by the old ways of the creedal and confessional church. More and more people are leaving the traditional church in search of some greater meaning. Spirituality is up – congregations are down. Faith is pluralistic – denominations are insular.

I think cleaning up is a good thing and goodness knows I am not afraid of change, but let’s work together on this deconstruction. First of all, it makes the job more fun and second, doing things in community is bound to be more Godly.

We should look for the original intent, question the easy answers and examine the path with the light of Christ. I want to have some frank conversations about ‘heaven and hell’, ‘forgiveness and sin’, and even ‘war and peace’. In the near future, I will be setting up some dialogues with other pastors and theologians to talk about deconstructing and reconstructing our faith. Look for these dialogues and enter in the ‘Reconstruction’!

With abiding love,
Pastor Lynnae

Table Etiquette

Growing up, my mother had all sorts of ‘teachings’ about the table. She taught my sister and I how to set the table (fork on the left sort of stuff). She taught us how to fold napkins in an ordinary and a fancy way! She taught us about where to sit and what side to serve from (always serve from the left and clear from the right). One standard was, ‘you don’t serve yourself first and then your guests’ – unless it is Ethiopian food and you are showing them how to do it!

In an effort to be more hospitable and practical, I am going to take communion last. I’m asking the communion assistants to do the same. Ritual is important and our understanding of the how and why is just as important. The handbook on The Use of the Means of Grace – says that leaders may commune “before or after the congregation”. I would like to commune after, so that my attention is given to the guests first. I realize that there will be some chaos for a while as we get used to this, but soon, it will become culture and be natural.

I wonder how many families are still teaching the etiquette of the table? With Holy Communion – we are. All are welcome.

God is Good

God is Good.

I have this friend. She quit attending her local Lutheran church years before after some personal difficulties. The experience of a divorce, children who were acting out publicly and some serious financial life adjustments, and she just plain quit being ‘active’ in her church. One day I just asked her, “what it was exactly that she did not like about ‘church’ anymore?”. I was surprised by her answer. She said that it isn’t really anything about God that keeps her away, but she just doesn’t want to be reminded by church members of her public shame. Public shame? Do we do that? Do we as members of Abiding Love do things to make people feel ‘shameful’? I don’t believe in a God that asks for ‘public shame’. I believe in a God that loves through everything that no one is ever — shamed. Shame is not part of God’s Dream. The Kingdom of God is good and beautiful and it is beginning right now.

We have a good and beautiful God that welcomes everyone, especially those for whom the world tries to shame. Come, experience God’s love and let your load be lightened. My friend still doesn’t go to church. But, she does call me and talk with me about ‘who’ this really good God that I have come to know is. For now, that is enough.

“In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

With abiding love,

Pastor Lynnae

“Raising the Roof”!

Abiding Love is “Raising the Roof” as Staff, Congregation Council, Boards and members in 2011! Raising the roof on “barriers to overcome” by identifying and addressing the key factors that our growing church and children’s center must consider as “barriers to overcome” as we strive to grow.

As we follow God’s call to grow both spiritually and physically, we have recognized some obstacles. Our Congregation Council will be informed at their council retreat this January with the leadership of Bishop Emeritus, Reverend Paul Blom (whom we know as Pastor Paul). Pastor Paul will use material from his own experience, the Carver Board Leadership Model, ‘Raising the Roof’ by Alice Mann and from Lyle Schaller’s ‘Worship Type Analogy’.

Alice Mann’s research shows that churches are generally organized in one of four ways:

1)      Family Church: Average attendance up to 50  people

2)     Pastoral Church: Average attendance up to 150 people

3)     Program Church: Average attendance up to 500 people

4)     Corporate Church: Average attendance over 500 people

For years now we have been stuck in an attendance plateau of around 195 people. Lately, we have begun breaking the glass ceiling on this number! Please pray for Abiding Love to meet the needs of the community and it’s membership as we grow! These are exciting times and, with God’s help, we really are - “Raising the Roof”!

With abiding love,

Pastor Lynnae

Have you seen our website?  www.abidinglove.org

MUSIC

Music helps me to celebrate the season and I am inwardly transformed when I have a song in my heart! It’s not even December yet and already I’m hearing the melodies of the season!

So far, five different people have sent me the youtube video of the special Halleluiah Surprise concert in the mall! Can you just imagine, sitting in the mall food court, after a couple hours of holiday shopping that probably included a bit of gluttony and greed, and suddenly all around you people are standing and singing the Halleluiah Chorus? I wish I had been there! I would have stood and sung along! I was sitting at my desk and I got teary! To sing of the joy of Jesus is part of the history of his story.

Welcome to Our World! That is the name of the cantata and part of the words that the choir will sing on Dec. 12th, at the 11:00 AM service. Not only do we welcome Jesus in memory of that first Christmas, but we also invite him into our hearts – today – to stay.

This year we say welcome to our world, Lord Jesus! As the days and years of Christmas continue, we pray for peace, humble hearts and compassionate acts for the whole world. May your season be filled with more glad tidings than gluttony, more glory than greed. May you know Jesus as the heart of your faith and the center of your life.

Merry Christmas!

With abiding love,
Pastor Lynnae

Growing, Loving, Sharing, Serving and Celebrating!

Growing, Loving, Sharing, Serving and Celebrating!

These five words are Abiding Love!

In every Newsletter, every bulletin, on our web site and soon – on some of our walls, these five words will remind us of our Vision and Mission Statements. Everything that we do and say – should point to those special words. So often I find myself in a meeting or working on something and I wonder, “Where is God in this?” or “How does this further our mission?” We may decide to let some things go because they are merely not important to our vision and mission. We may decide to add some things because they will make our work for the vision and mission better! As I take on this new role as Senior Pastor, I find that I’m having to pay attention to some different things. For instance – Membership Roles.

I think ‘membership roles’ can be counter to our mission as we worry too much about how many members we ‘really’ have or how many contributed or communed. I don’t’ like counting and labeling! But then evaluating has to be a part of those five words. If we never evaluate how we are doing, then there is no accountability. We are going to begin working on those pesky ‘membership roles’ and we are going to take a real hard look at how we are doing – according to our own plan. Please, help us to ask the right questions and do the most work— for in that we will be ‘Growing, Loving, Sharing, Serving and Celebrating’!

Pastor Lynnae

Stories to Tell and Gifts to Share

I can usually talk about just about anything! I especially love talking about God. When I get to talk about how God made this earth complete with hummingbirds and mosquitoes, strawberries and zucchini, I can’t help but smile! When I get to bend my head in prayer with a member or a guest at our food pantry, I am in love with God.

This year our annual Stewardship Emphasis is all about talkin’ and givin’! Two of my favorite things! The themes for each of the four Sundays of the emphasis are: Graceful Living, Grateful Living, Giving to the Church and Cheerful Sacrifice.

I don’t usually like to talk about money, but Jesus sure did. Jesus talked about money more than anything else in all of scripture! – Well maybe except love. I guess it behooves us to take a few Sundays and examine God’s economy and how we might fit into God’s plan. Join us as we celebrate the stories and gifts of the members and church family of Abiding Love!

Pastor Lynnae