What a bargain! The Walmartization of Church.

I'm constantly amazed at how prices always go up.  In fact, economists tell us that falling prices are a sign of a sick economy.  Yet, how is it then, that we all seem to long for prices to fall?  Indeed, Wal Mart has invested its entire business model on the premise that if they say they have lowered prices you will buy more stuff from them.  It's a stroke of genius!  Tell the people they can have what they want for little cost and they will flock to your doors. 

One would think this would be a perfect selling point for Christianity.

1. commit sin (do whatever you want)
2. admit and feel bad about sin (maybe even regret it)
3. ask for forgiveness
4. be assured of that forgiveness no matter what
5. pledge faith in the forgiver and tell others about him
6. live a life of respect and love for the one who's paid the price of your forgiveness

Yet, it would seem that even those who call themselves Christians don't believe this deal is real--that its too good to be true!  And from our human perspective it is; but in Christ, "all things are possible."  Just one of the many paradoxes of the Christian faith which people have reacted to in various ways.

One way is to see just how far God will take this forgiveness by testing its limits.  Dietrich Bonhoeffer talked about cheap grace being the effect of a Christian willfully sinning knowing that they have been forgiven for that sin, even before its been committed.  He wasn't talking about forgiveness being a bargain for the average religious consumer; "Christianity offers the best deal, so I'll go with them."  He was talking about the debasing of God's free gift when we use it, abuse it, and drag it through the garden a few times, knowing it will never wear out and using it as an excuse to sin even more.  At some point one has to wonder, is this behavior being acted out of total love and trust that Jesus will spare us from all calamity, or hatefulness and despising of the one who affected the forgiveness to the point of inflicting as much suffering on him as we can?

If its the former, that strategy is in vain because Christ died once for all sin.  He knew some would act out in that way and paid the price--even for willful sin intended to be spiteful of God--all so that there would be hope for all.

The problem is (well, one of them, anyway), in today's American society, you owe nothing to nobody, including love and respect.  Marriages are considered successful if they last a few years.  Kids think its okay to be vulgar and use profanity in public. Teachers are expected to be subservient to students whose parents pay their salary instead of delivering education and stimulate creativity.  Even debts are forgiven, written off, and bailed out because everyone is entitled to a happy, easy life with no sacrifice.  "I can do for myself and if I can't, its because someone has put something in my way or because I'm not being given my share."  Everything is a consumable--a commodity--including relationships.

On the other end of the spectrum, for those who are successful, they owe that success to nobody but themselves, the government sure didn't help them, the media labels them as evil, greedy, 10 percent-ers (or worse--Republicans!) and the ever-increasing (nearly half) of the population that pays no taxes wants them to pay even more; saying its only fair.  And so fist clenches dollar even tighter.

This has had a dire effect on the congregations that make up what we call the church.  People expect success, comfort, happiness, contentment, peace, joy, love, fun, entertainment and enlightenment.  So far, so good.  All those things might come from being part of a church.  They also want all these things in the setting of a beautiful, up-to-date, clean, inspiring architecturally appropriate building.  And, yes, there are lots of those available and in existence.  And they want it all for little or no cost.

Well, that's a deal buster.

The fact is, all those things come at a very great cost. 

Many see the cross and don't calculate the cost.  Putting a bloody Jesus on the cross might help, but its still just a symbol to many.  Its a nice piece of art that conveys what we say we believe the Bible portrays in its pages.  But do we get how much it cost?  The sins of the world being inflicted upon one man with the willpower and strength that could only come from him being God himself.  And by that cost he paid for every soul that will ever live.  He gave everyone a pass to eternal life if they would only receive it from him as his gift.  How can this be more costly?  How can it be more personal? 

What's that worth to the one who was redeemed?

Evidently, not very much based upon the levels of giving by Christians to their churches over the last decade.  Every church is experiencing a decline in the dollars given to ministry while gifts to secular causes and non-profits have hit all-time highs.  I think the reasons for this donation shift are many; a lack of trust, a lack of faith, a lack of serving, a lack of action.  But for many, it boils down to the fact that we want it all, but we don't want to pay for any of it--let someone else pay.  We only give to something when we want to affect a change that will not happen without our help; without our stepping in to be the savior.

The world doesn't need another savior any more than it needs another Walmart.  In fact, the Church doesn't need your money to preach the Gospel.  But our Lord does want your love and respect.  He wants you to acknowledge your gift of life in front of others.  He does want you to demonstrate your devotion to him and your trust in him above all others and above all other organizations.  How you show him that respect and love is up to you.

So, how do show love and respect to others?  Your children?  Your grandchildren?  Your employees?  I'm sure in all these you thought in terms of generosity--taking care of them.  Whether its through caring conversation, financial means or gifts or expressions of remembrance (flowers, cards, favors), you know how to love and respect others, so why not start there?  Think of God as one of your family, your friend, a co-worker.  Give him the same attention you give these others and try to grow that relationship by spending more time with him as as you do I'm sure you will also show him more love and respect in many different ways.  And you won't do it with one eye on whether or not its a good bargain.

The Cost of Solidarity--a Christmas Story

President Obama announced that is is now in the Health
insurance exchange while on a golf holiday in Hawaii

This morning it was widely reported (see Washington Post article here) that President Obama has signed up for a Bronze level health care insurance on the Government exchange website as a 'sign of solidarity' and which the White House has characterized as 'symbolic'.

The deadline for enrolling and still have coverage by January 1st has been pushed back to Midnight, December, 24, 2013, promising to be a real Christmas present for those who have procrastinated.

The Post article referred to the announcement and the political side-swipes which led up to the announcement as "political theater" as the president actually had aids complete the application for him and will never use the coverage he is purchasing for $400/mo ($4800/yr) because he is covered by the military which is exempt from entering into compliance with the ACA.

So my question is this:  If you didn't do the work (filling out the forms) and you won't actually have to live within the constraints of your policy and the money you are throwing away is inconsequential to you, how is this "solidarity" with the people?

For most Americans, throwing away $400 per month to make a point would seem unconscionable, but for someone making $400,000+/year perhaps it truly is merely symbolic. 

What would you do with an extra $400/mo?  Ironically enough, I would pay off some medical bills which have been hanging over my head since 2009 when our church changed to a high deductible health plan which is very similar to the plan Obama bought but will never have to live with. 

Only Time will tell if his symbolic move will have traction with the people or event be remembered in history.

When I hear the word solidarity I immediately remember the Polish Solidarity movement which helped lay the cornerstones of the effort which eventually brought about the demise of the USSR.  Those who joined in that movement did so at extreme peril to themselves and their families in a state where outward opposition to the Government was seen as treason and punishable by long, hard prison sentences or even death.

Lech Walesa

 What allowed the movement its success was that the many who were willing to risk much so pain, oppressions, suffering and atrocities would finally end. They were willing to do this because they had a strong leader, Lech Walesa, who led them in peaceful protest and challenged the government to move against them while the world watched intently on live television.  Welesa was eventually elected as their president and eventually left office amid allegations that he had ordered documents destroyed from the old Soviet era secret police files which may have demonstrated he was actually a communist informer in his younger days.

Today we are on the eve of the only truly selfless act of solidarity ever shown on behalf of mankind; the birth of Christ in Bethlehem.  God gave up his only Son; not so that some would be influenced to follow him.  Not so that the state would treat its people better.  Not so that he could score political points or make good press reports.

God sent his Son to earth to be one of us in order to take our punishment for us.  His goal was to keep us out of the prison of death and damnation by accepting it for himself.  Our Lord lived on this earth knowing full and well what the cost would be.

And he also knew the reward.  It wouldn't be the sight of him sitting on an earthly throne, ruling Israel, as so many of the Jews had imagined.  It wasn't the overthrow of Rome, as so many gentiles had hoped.  His reward is knowing that by his sacrifice you and I could have eternal life, merely by repenting of our sins and receiving his forgiveness.

The ROI (return on investment) on that venture would seem to be very poor by human standards.  We seem to value things in the hear and now.  Very few investors are looking for a payout which may not come in their lifetime.  They want to be able to reap the rewards of their investment.

 But when we think in terms of our life with Christ, the payoff has already begun.  We don't have to wait until the resurrection to enjoy an eternity with Jesus.  That eternity began the day we first believed and was cemented in our baptisms as a sign and a promise that Christ, indeed, will never depart from us or let us fall from him.

Today, lets all ponder the true solidarity of our Lord with human kind and what he did so that we might be free to argue about such silly things as politics, healthcare, and the like.

5 Reasons Millennials Stay Connected to Church - Barna Group

5 Reasons Millennials Stay Connected to Church - Barna Group

As the father of a Millennial who is struggling with the Church, this really interests me.  Moreover, I had the opportunity to recently conduct a memorial service for a Millennial which was attended, largely, by Millennials and it opened my eyes to just how differently they see things than my generation ( Gen. X).

As I conducted the service, I was caught off guard by the the fact that none of them seemed to know the liturgy, nor sang the hymns.  The church was full, yet the Lord's Prayer was little more than a mumble.  They weren't hostile, just seemed to not know what was going on.  Afterward, many of them expressed their appreciation for the service, and I think it was helpful for many of them.  But my eyes were opened to just how foreign our traditional expressions of worship and faith are to this group of young people who are quickly ceasing to remain part of the fabric of the Body of Christ.

So, Church, the question is, what are we willing to do bring Jesus to them, because they simply aren't coming to Jesus any time soon.

Where are we going?

Where are we going?

Caught up in traffic

Two weeks ago I was in Houston, TX for the “5:2 Wikiconference 2013”.  I was in Houston once before with my high-school band, but that was many years ago and I wasn’t driving.  This time I had to make my way from Hobby Airport, through downtown Houston and on to Katy, TX during the morning rush hour.  And I had no idea where I was going.

My car didn’t have GPS, but my phone did.  However, with the traffic as heavy as it was I was terrified to look at the screen to see which lanes I should be in and which turns, ramps and curves I should take next.  Add to that the less-than perfect diction of the computer generated voice coming from my phone, and you can imagine how stressful the drive might have been. 

Once I got onto Interstate 10 heading west, the highway was 6-8 lanes in each direction with a 3 or 4 lane “feeder road” paralleling the Interstate with “access roads” paralleling the whole system to allow entry into the local businesses along the corridor.  That meant, in some areas, there were 26 LANES OF TRAFFIC all running side by side by side by… well, you get my drift.  I felt like I was just one tiny red blood cell flowing along the circulatory system of Houston.  Even if I were in a wreck, I imagined I would have been just picked up, sloughed off, and absorbed into this huge metropolis, never to be seen again.

Have you ever felt that way?  Like you were just a cog in a machine?  That you were just going with the flow?  Or worse, that you were being swept up in something you hadn’t planned or bargained for and you didn’t know if you should try to “get off the roller coaster” or, if you should just “sit down, hold on, and get ready for the ride?”

At our church things are starting to happen.  Some are happening faster than others and in a couple of areas lightning seems to have struck and everyone is still trying to figure out “what happened?”  And it’s my hope, through all of this, that no one is left behind or decides to “get off the roller coaster.”

Where we’re going is where we’ve been

In the church some things are eternal.  Namely, the Word of Christ and the Sacraments which point to him and extend us his grace and forgiveness.  And in the midst of all this change these will always be visible, prominent and paramount.  Each of our externally focused ministries and efforts will always have in mind the hope that those we serve will one day receive faith from God’s Holy Spirit as we become “Jesus with skin on” to them in some way or another.

That also means that the worship life of the church will continue to be of utmost importance to us at Redeemer Lutheran Church.  Because those who are on the front lines of ministry need to be girded with the Word of God and strengthened by the Sacrament of the Altar, we will continue to emphasize faithful worship attendance to all those who call RedeemerOlathe their church home.  Moreover, as our older members are unable to attend worship and receive communion we have a brigade of Graceful Visitors and Communion Assistants who will help ensure that all those placed into our care are visited and regularly receive the means of grace.

Moreover, as our fellowship becomes more diverse in age, lifestyle and ethnicity, we will need to expand into other expressions of music and be more flexible in our liturgy to ensure that all who come to Jesus under our umbrella may hear Him in their language and in terms they understand all so that they might heed his calling to follow Him and his ways.  If worship planning, singing, playing an instrument, or audio/video work interest’s you, please give me a call.  Thomas and I want to put you to work!

New destinations

There was a time when most churches were dark during the week including ours.  That is not true today as our building has become a hotspot for all kinds of neighborhood activities, especially for families with children.  Redeemer is beginning to think of our parish as more than just the property at 920 S Alta Lane.  We are seeing the entire neighborhood as our parish, much like in the “old days”.

Our Neighborhood Schools

October 9^th we will be serving dinner to the families at Rolling Ridge Elementary School as a service to them, so that they might have a nice fellowship meal with their families and neighbors.  We won’t be selling anything, we won’t be signing anyone up for any classes.  We simply want to be a good neighbor and to let them all know we care.  I hope many of our members will take advantage of this opportunity to meet new people with whom they might just be sharing heaven someday.  Why not start the introductions now?  To see how you might help, call the church office at 913-764-2359 and we will get you in contact with Kristen Willingham whose passion it was to start the ball rolling on this and is organizing the event.

One off our members who is on staff at a local middle school shared with one of her fellow missionaries at Redeemer that some of her students didn’t go out for football because they couldn’t afford the cleats and other equipment.  After networking with a few other people in town about how we might round up second-hand cleats we discovered a new sporting goods store in town that was excited to have the opportunity to outfit these individuals as the school staff deemed necessary.  By networking, prayer, and a few phone calls and meetings, more kids will be able to experience the joys and challenges that extracurricular sports can teach them.

Regional, National and Global  Mission Agencies

In addition to these partnerships, we continue to support Lutheran Urban Mission Agency with our donations of cash and food each quarter, Mission Southside with food, clothing, and volunteer hours, Olathe Public Schools with the Youth Mentors program, Children’s TLC, SafeHouse for Women, Lutheran World Relief, Faith Comes by Hearing, Food for the Poor and, we hope, Immanuel Lutheran Church and Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer  in KCMO for the next three years.  Other recent projects include the Lutheran Malaria Initiative, Lutheran Church of the Bahamas, St. John’s Lutheran Church in Moore, OK, and Immanuel Lutheran Church and their neighbors in Joplin, MO.

Though a very impressive list, we know it was not we who accomplished these things, but God, and that he has so much in mind for us to do.  In fact, many of our people feel much like Oscar Schindler at the end of Schindler’s List who wondered how many more people he could have helped if he had only done a little more?  The fact is, not all will be saved, but Christ desires that all at least are given the chance hear the Good News and our goal is to make that happen in our little corner of the world at least, and perhaps even farther, if it’s in God’s plan.

Where’ve I been, where am I going?

I spent the 24^th through the 26^th of September at the 2013 Wikiconference.  What’s a Wikiconference?  Well, it’s a gathering of 700+ ministry leaders, most of whom are LCMS, who gather together under the banner of Christ feeding the 5000 with 5 loaves and 2 fish.  What each of us brings to the table may seem insignificant until Christ, by his Holy Spirit, multiplies it into something, good, wholesome, and amazing. 

In addition to the great speakers (Australia’s Michael Frost, Kansas City’s own John Jantsch, Dr. Loraine Gonzalez, and Dr. Soong-Chan Rah) we could attend breakout sessions in the areas of Church Planting, Leadership & Coaching, Missional Communities, Multiethnic Ministry, Organizational Development, NextGen Ministry, and Worship Arts.  It was so good, I’ve already booked our staff to attend next year’s Wikiconference—it’s that good!—and I hope by then some of our other missional leaders might be able to make the trip as well.

In two weeks on October 13^th-15^th we have our Kansas District Professional Church Workers Conference (KSLCMS PCWC--for short!).  This conference occurs every two years and is an opportunity for ordained and commissioned (Teachers, DCE/MYEs, DCOs and Deaconesses) workers to earn some continuing education credits and present scholastic and theological papers to one another.  The theme of this conference is Catechesis (teaching the Bible/Catechism/Confessions).  Pray for Dave, Deb, Kristin and I as we head to Hutchison on those days, that we might get there and return safely and that we learn from our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.

Well, I’m sure this is way more information than you wanted to read but I hope it was informative and helpful for those who are walking this journey of faith with me.

Peace today and may the Lord bless all your days.

Pastor Perry