November 18th, 2007 – Tricky liturgy setting, Pastor Mark Sermon & Adult Education

David burned a CD for singers to get familiar with the Setting Eight in the ELW (the Cranberry hymnal as I have heard it called) this Sunday. We are comfortable with the Kyrie from this setting but the Glory to God and the Holy, Holy, Holy were added this Sunday. The congregation took it in stride and I give kudos to Lisa, who lead first service, and Janice and Craig, who led the singing in the second.

There was also a beautiful Hymn of the Day, If You but Trust in God to Guide You. The hymn has strong lyrics and music to match.

Pastor Mark preached on the Gospel text Luke 21:5-19, concentrating on earthly temples, defining our temples as that which is important enough for us to invest time and money in. I thought this was an appropriately timed thought, given the council meeting on Thursday. He also talked about Jesus’ far from comforting (at least on the surface) words on the eventual destruction of all our efforts. Pastor Mark emphasized Jesus’ warning that our friends and our family might turn against us.

He also underlined and made clear about what we stood to gain. By your endurance you will gain your souls. Pastor Mark equated the soul to the deepest part of meaning that defines who you are as an individual.


Perhaps it was the council meeting and talk about how we are around each other outside of worship but I found myself paying attention to the hour between services as much as the services themselves.

Adult Education was led by Larry being that Pastor Dayle was on vacation. Larry’s enthusiasm for the Bible passages read in worship was evident. He choose three different translations for us to read. From the translations Larry choose we found the New Life Version was quite compelling.

Many of us did not like the admonition in 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13 that begins the reading, to keep or stay away from ‘every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching’ and also found the verse 'those unwilling to work will not get to eat.' reflected a harshness of judgment that didn’t seem to be in keeping with our Christian ideals.

Yet, as Larry pointed out, verse 13 ends with ‘but you Christian brothers, do not get tired of doing good.’ It made the first admonition feel more like you should not get caught up in idleness with them and that the second was an observation about something internal rather than letting those who do not work starve which does not fit with the notion of 'doing good'.

During our time together in that hour I thought about my relationships with members of Creator and how or if they differed with my friendships with neighbors and co-workers. Certianly being in worship does change the average topic of conversation after a service. Also there is more choice involved in how often and when you meet than co-workers.

That said, when I was younger I thought fellow members of my church and myself should live our lives to higher standards. When this did not happen it appeared like going to church was hypocritical or ineffectual. I had not read Bonhoeffer on cheap and costly grace at the time but what I saw was what he described as cheap grace. The church dispensed God’s grace without cost, week after week. This is complicated because even while I believe that is part of what we need to be about it seemed to me this was a forgiveness without real repentance in our lives, without the cross, without Christ. We talked about what we ought to do but made little effort during the week to change our lives to reflect what we believed.

Later I thought we fall shot of the mark so my relationship with a neighbor, a seeker on another path (Buddhist or New Age usually) or a co-worker was the same as that with my fellow congregational member. There still may be a truth to this but I believe this is not quite right either.

Currently I wonder if being of one body in Christ is something we should keep in one another’s minds (however we accomplish this). We are called to follow through, in and with one another, to dissolve the fear, division and brokenness within each of us. This ends up taking much more time than we would imagine since that same fear, division and brokenness being in each of us gets in the way and makes us distrust our efforts.

Most importantly, however, in my mind now is that we serve a different role in the lives of those in our worship community than with individuals of other communities where we live or work. By worship we acknowledge we need to be there to serve one another (even while I know this need is not a universally shared understanding within the congregation and must not serve as an excuse not to help others).

Whether they know it or not, those who were in the Adult Education last Sunday did what we should for one another in my mind, as many others (including them) have done so many times in the past for me. I am thankful for those at Creator who teach me to see the world in new ways.