Name: Tre Tellor
Pronouns: he/him
Majors: sociology and religion
Hometown: Bloomington, MN
What I’m excited about: Helping students ask the tough questions about faith
Favorite place: the Superior Hiking trail
Favorite Bible verse: Isaiah 1:17
The CCV Blog
Meet Your Mentor- Lizzy
My Name is Elizabeth Hoversten but I go by Lizzy and use the pronouns she, her, hers. I am from a little rural town called Viroqua located around the lowest pinky knuckle of Wisconsin. At Augsburg, I am Majoring in Communication Studies and Minoring in Business Administration with the end goal of goodness knows what. I am very excited to be returning to AYTI for the 3rd time, second as a mentor. It is incredible getting to watch these youth gather from across the states to explore how their faith can influence their leadership. My favorite place I鈥檝e been has been a mountain road outside of Yellowstone, my family and I drove it at dusk about four years ago and it was awe striking.听 Unfortunately, I do not have a favorite Bible verse but I do have a least favorite book of the Bible so I will lead with that. My least favorite book of the Bible is the book of Job, let鈥檚 talk about it some time.
Meet Your Mentor-Renee
Hi! My name is Renee Christensen (she/her/hers) and I am a first year here at Augsburg! I am double majoring in Clinical Psychology and Theology 
and Public Leadership. I am from Shafer, MN, which is about 45 minutes North East of Minneapolis! One of the many things I am excited about this year is seeing how participants grow in their faith and gain friends and memories that last forever! In high school, I was a participant in AYTI and it changed my life! In fact, that is the reason that I’m a student at Augsburg! My favorite place I have ever been has to be the Boundary Waters up near Ely, MN. My favorite Bible verse is Joshua 1:9
Meet Your Mentor-Grace P
Hi! I鈥檓 Grace Porter (she/her/hers), and I am finishing my 2nd year at Augsburg. I am majoring in Theology and Public Leadership with a concentration in youth studies and a minor in music (which is a very long-winded way to say that I want to work with kids in the church and I love music)! I am from Eden Prairie, MN, so Minneapolis wasn鈥檛 too scary, and now it has become my home! I鈥檓 excited to be a mentor again this year; I loved getting to grow in my faith and help high school students do the same. AYTI changed my life as a high schooler, and I couldn鈥檛 be more excited to help give others that experience. I鈥檝e been to a lot of really cool places, but my favorites have been NYC, San Francisco, Seattle, Disney World, and Winnipeg. My favorite Bible verse (which I got tattooed on my arm at the beginning of this year!) is Psalm 46:5.
Learn more about this summer’s Augsburg Youth Theology Institute.
Fear & Mercy: A Sermon Series
We were asked to preach a sermon series on the public church at St. Michael鈥檚 Lutheran Church in Roseville, MN during Lent. The remaining services have since been canceled to allow for social distancing. This sermon was the last sermon we preached on Wednesday March 11, 2020. We wanted to share it with you, our partners, because we think it speaks to the tension and anxiety we find ourselves ministering in these days.听
There is an irony in asking a congregation to 鈥渂e public鈥� when the times call for social distancing. The purpose of the Public Church Framework is to move us into a humble relationship with our neighbor for our neighbor鈥檚 sake. And sometimes the best thing we can do for our neighbor is disengage and physically distance ourselves. At times like this we must find new ways to be public, new ways to proclaim God鈥檚 mercy in the midst of fear.
Fear & Mercy
March 11, 2020
Ezekiel 47:3-5
“Going on eastwards with a cord in his hand, the man measured one thousand cubits, and then led me through the water; and it was ankle-deep. Again he measured one thousand, and led me through the water; and it was knee-deep. Again he measured one thousand, and led me through the water; and it was up to the waist. Again he measured one thousand, and it was a river that I could not cross, for the water had risen; it was deep enough to swim in, a river that could not be crossed.”
Enoughness: Remember and Repent
Today’s blog post comes from the sermon that Amanda Vetsch preached on John 21:1-14 in chapel at 海角社区 on March 11th. To listen to the sermon, click the Sound Cloud audio link. The Scripture text can be found below the link and the transcript of the sermon can be found below the Scripture reading.听
After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way.听Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin,Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples.听Simon Peter said to them, 鈥淚 am going fishing.鈥� They said to him, 鈥淲e will go with you.鈥� They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.听Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.听Jesus said to them, 鈥淐hildren, you have no fish, have you?鈥� They answered him, 鈥淣o.鈥澨�He said to them, 鈥淐ast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.鈥� So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish.听That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, 鈥淚t is the Lord!鈥� When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea.听But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards听off.听When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread.听Jesus said to them, 鈥淏ring some of the fish that you have just caught.鈥�听So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn.听Jesus said to them, 鈥淐ome and have breakfast.鈥� Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, 鈥淲ho are you?鈥� because they knew it was the Lord.听Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish.听This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.听John 21:1-14
I originally picked this reading because it鈥檚 one of my absolute favorite stories in the bible. It鈥檚 one I often go to to remember my 鈥渨hy.鈥澨�
Why I continue to show up everyday, why I do the work that I do and study the things that I study, and why I continue to hold on to a Christian Tradition and belief system that has a found itself so interwoven with white supremacy and cis-hetero-patriarchy that it sometimes hard to see, hear, and feel the gospel through all those layers.听
This story has 2 of my favorite things about the Gospel message:听听
- It鈥檚 got enoughness and it鈥檚 got food.听
- it gets at 鈥渆noughness鈥澨� in that鈥檚 its a post-resurrection occurrence and in the huge haul of fish, more than they could even draw in
- And food –听 it shows us how simple and sacred it is to share a meal together. Also, I really love breakfast and the image of sitting on a beach eating breakfast with Jesus. How wonderful is that?听
I鈥檓 being honest, I picked this reading in the hopes that, if I picked something听 that I was already pretty familiar with, it would be super easy to just slap a sermon together. As it turns out, that wasn鈥檛 the case. And I probably shouldn鈥檛 just slap something together up here.听
So as I sat with the text I just kept coming up with more questions. The questions ranged from silly to complex, like:听
- Did a resurrected Jesus鈥檚 body really need to eat breakfast, or was he preparing it for the disciples?听
- Why did Peter put his clothes on to jump into the water? And why was he naked?听
- Where did the fish that Jesus was cooking before the disciples came to shore come from?听
- Did fisher people usually sit together and eat breakfast after being out at sea?听
- Did people on the shore usually call out to the fisherpeople and tell them where to fish or was this a weird Jesus trust thing?听
- And my biggest question, what does it mean to practice enoughness or听 a theology of abundance in the season of lent?听
While all of those questions would be fascinating to wonder about, I鈥檓 going to spend this time on the last one.听So first, let me explain the pieces of that question that might be confusing and then I鈥檒l wonder about it with you all.听
What do I mean by enoughness?听
I mean the belief that there is more than enough, that through God鈥檚 promises, we have more than enough, we are more than enough, and we can hope for a better tomorrow. I see this enoughness as a core theme throughout the whole biblical narrative, God shows unending generosity to humankind. I see it in the stories of God providing manna while the Israelites were wandering in the desert, I see it in the parables that Jesus told, especially in the story of the workers who all worked a different amount of time and got paid the same at the end of the day, and in the story of the resurrection. Death is real, and it isn鈥檛 final.
And if none of the biblical references made it any clearer, What might a theology of abundance look like in our context today:听 It鈥檚 trusting that we only need the resources we will use, we don鈥檛 need to hoard hand sanitizer or soap.
So now that we have a better idea of what I mean by abundance, what do I mean by Lent?
听In many mainline Christian Traditions, we are currently in the season of Lent. That means, throughout the year, we follow the story of Jesus and right now we are at the part of the story before Jesus鈥� death and before Easter. This season is a time to prepare for Easter, to repent, and to remember. Many people do this by fasting. Sometimes that means fasting from food, sometimes it means fasting from something, or maybe it means adding a new spiritual habit thing in. One example is from the ELCA Young Adults is to fast from single use plastics.听 This season is a season that is often somber, quiet, and simple. The invitation at the beginning of the season, on Ash Wednesday, is to remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.听
How do we hold both of these things at the same time:听
- A belief in abundance and enoughness听
- In a season of remembering and repentance听听
Here are two ways I think we can do that.听
First, remember. Remember that there is enough. I can fast from hoarding. I can fast from fear. I can fast from hopelessness. I can fast from all of those things because I believe in a God that has, does, and will generously provide for humankind.听
Second, Repent. For me, I鈥檓 going to be better repenting听 if I am rooted in God鈥檚 promises of enoughness. What does that mean? While clinging to the promise that I am beloved, I can be more open to repenting from the ways in which I have caused harm. In the ways I haven鈥檛 always been kind, the times I caused harm to the earth when there were less harmful options, the times I talked over someone else, the times I didn鈥檛 listen,听 the times I consciously or unconsciously assumed my white body was more important than a black, brown, or indigenous body, the times that I remained complicit.听For me, if I鈥檓 not rooted in a promise of enoughness, the invitation to repentance might actually end up as a trip and tumble into a deep pit of guilt and shame and that鈥檚 not the point of repentance. Repentance is to turn away, it is NOT to turn into myself, but to turn away from the ways that I have caused harm and remember that as a beloved Child of God I am called and freed to live in repariative ways that bring good news to my neighbor.听
And these two examples are on the individual level, what might it look like if our communities, cultures, and countries remembered and repented? So I will leave you with that, for you, What might it look like to embody a belief of enoughness in a season of remembering and repenting?
STORIES OF TRANSFORMATION THROUGH THE PUBLIC CHURCH FRAMEWORK [BLOG COLLECTION]
Through the Riverside Innovation Hub at 海角社区, we convene learning communities of congregations and ministry leaders. These learning communities explore new ways of being engaged in their contexts that create opportunities for the mutual sharing of good news with our neighbors.
We practice and teach this through the Public Church Framework.听Below is a collection of videos and blogs to illustrate the Public Church Framework. Included are stories from congregational members involved in the Riverside Innovation Hub sharing examples of what the good news has looked, felt, and sounded like in their communities.
Introduction to the Public Church Framework:
- Ezekiel and the Public Church: Everything Will Live Where the River Goes听(blog post)
- Foundations of the Public Church Framework听(blog and 61 min video)
- The Art of Public Ministry听(blog and 49 min video)
- Fruit for Food and Leaves for Healing: Centered Life Video Series (4 videos)
Stories from Congregations:
Videos:
Stephen Richards with听St. Luke’s and James
Ryana Holt with Holy Trinity Lutheran Church
Pr. Liesl Spitz with Trinity Congregation and Marie Page with Church of All Nations听
Blogs
- Transformed by Listening to the Land as Neighbor (Church of All Nations) – Story by Marie Page
- Transformed by Tea, Pizza, and Daryeel (Trinity Lutheran Congregation) – Story by Pastor Liesl Spitz
- Transformed by God at Work in the Neighborhood听(St. Lukes + James) – Story by Stephen Richards
2019-20 Christensen Scholars Profiles
Learn more about this year’s Christensen Scholars
Joaquin I. Delgado-Ortiz 鈥�20
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
Major: Psychology
Augsburg has shown me how to engage with my community in a way that is productive, engaging, and meaningful to its members. I choose to be a Christensen Scholar to explore my vocation through discussions revolving around academia, service, and the world.
Eh Soe Dwe 鈥�20
Hometown: Maplewood, Minnesota
Major: Psychology (Clinical)
Minors: Religion and Gender, Sexuality, Women’s Studies
Augsburg has challenged me to step out of my comfort zone by serving surrounding communities near Augsburg. Not only did I gain new leadership skills, but I’ve also built meaningful relationships that I can reflect on years from now. My connections with community members, students, faculty members, advisors, and staff members have taught me how to interact with people from all walks of life. Being a Christensen Scholar provides me with an opportunity to explore my faith and my vocation, two things that are constantly changing and growing.
Zoe Huebner 鈥�21
Hometown: Neenah, Wisconsin
Majors: Philosophy and Urban Studies
Minors: Religion and Sociology
The most important thing that I have learned at Augsburg is to put your heart into everything that you do. Not only will you get more enjoyment from the classes and activities you participate in, but so many more doors will also open to you. From doing this I have created so many connections outside of Augsburg and have surrounded myself with people with goals and aspirations that are like my own. I chose to be a Christensen Scholar because of the opportunity to discuss religious topics in a small group setting. In this setting, everyone is able to share their ideas and a true discussion can be had.
Kali Kadelbach 鈥�20
Hometown: Cloquet, Minnesota
Major: Theology and Public Leadership with a Concentration in Youth Studies
I鈥檝e now been at Augsburg for three semesters and I鈥檝e learned so much about myself, and about others.听 At Augsburg, I have learned what it means to live in a community. I鈥檝e also learned so much about different cultures and their beliefs. It also has got me thinking more about my own culture, too. I chose to become a Christensen Scholar to learn how I can help be a leader on campus and be a good role model in my community. Another reason why I chose to become a Christensen Scholar is meeting other people that are also passionate about their faith too.
Christa Kelly 鈥�22
Hometown: South St. Paul, MN
Major: Technical Theater Major and Directing, Dramaturgy, and Playwriting Major
I have learned a great deal about the world around us at Augsburg. Some of the most fascinating things that I have learned are about religion. Augsburg has given me insight into the religious practices and beliefs of different groups of people. Having an informed understanding of the world and the people in it helps build relationships and communities. I wanted to participate in this program to keep learning and growing both in my faith and as a person. Faith has always been a large part of my life, but as an LGBT person, it鈥檚 also been something that I鈥檝e struggled with. It took me years to come to terms with my identity both as a Christian and a lesbian. Even now I鈥檓 bombarded with messages from the media and even family members saying that I have to choose between identifying as one or the other. This hasn鈥檛 driven me away from Christianity but has instead furthered my resolve to learn more about my religion. The Christensen Scholars Program was an opportunity for me to continue doing this.
Paul McCoyer 鈥�22
Hometown: Washington, DC
Major: Music Performance (B.M.)
Augsburg has taught me to be a more independent and critical thinker. I chose to be a Christensen Scholar because I wanted to discuss social and ethical issues while expanding my understanding of the world through the lens of faith and vocation.
Michael Olderr 鈥�20
Hometown: Honolulu Hawai’i
Majors: Computer Science and Film Production
Minor: Religion
At Augsburg, I have learned to be a well-rounded scholar as well as an individual. It has been essential in my ever-changing journey to become a better person. I became a Christensen Scholar to challenge myself to not only become a better scholar but a better Christian. So that I can better serve and guide my community.
Matt Svestka 鈥�20
Hometown: Northfield, Minnesota
Major: Theology and Public Leadership with a concentration in Youth Studies
I have learned the importance of creating and executing ideas for change and ministry with many diverse people at Augsburg. I am a Christensen Scholar because it allows for a place of dynamic conversation regarding theology in literature, history, the arts, and really enhances the way that I perceive God in the context that Augsburg is in.
Sadie Werlein 鈥�20
Hometown: Cambridge, MN
Major: Social Work
I’ve learned a lot about myself and my place in this world while being at Augsburg. I chose to be a Christensen Scholar because I wanted to make some more meaningful connections on campus and having a small group of people to have serious conversations with was something I wanted to seek out.
Amanda William 鈥�20
Home country: Malaysia
Major: Psychology
Minor: Gender, sexuality and women’s studies
I have learned a lot throughout the years at Augsburg. I have become more aware of my values and goals as an individual, and with the experiences and skills I have developed I would like to bring that back to my community and my people back home in Malaysia. I have initially chosen to be a part of the Christensen Scholars because it was suggested by one of my closest friends. But as I was going through the application and getting more information about it, I realized that it is a great way for me to engage in my faith and spirituality and also being critical of the current issues that are going on around Christianity in a more global context.
Pay Attention, Lament, and Be Bold
Today鈥檚 blog post comes from Kristina Fruge鈥檚 sermon at 海角社区鈥檚 chapel on January 28, 2020. To listen to her message, click the soundcloud link below. To read her message, you can find the transcript below the soundcloud link.
Pay Attention – Lament – Be Bold
The theme in chapel this month as been: 鈥淧ublic Church: Sticking with Love.鈥� Doing so, in part, by leaning into Dr. King鈥檚 words from his speech in August of 1967: 鈥淎nd I say to you, I have also decided to stick to love鈥ate is too great a burden to bear.鈥澨�The question Pr. Babette & Pr. Justin posed to those preaching on this theme was:
Amid chaos and hardship in our society, how might we as church stick to an ethic of love and embody a public witness that works for justice and peace in God鈥檚 world?
This is a big question. One pleading for attention and demanding a response. It is a question directed at the church. And as someone born, raised, educated and employed in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, the nation鈥檚 whitest Christian denomination鈥 offer a response to this question as someone a part of this community鈥�.
Right upfront, let me name this: The church has failed to respond to this question. It isn鈥檛 that we鈥檝e been holding fast to an ethic of love and simply need to rise to the increasing challenges and chaos in the world. No. The hardship we see, which seems to grow in intensity each day, we in fact share responsibility for. I鈥檓 afraid that we, church, have been doing more to contribute to the hardship and chaos than we have been doing to confront it.听
I know many of you could share examples to the contrary – examples of love lived out and people coming together for peace and justice. Dr. Martin Luther King and many others who took the charge in the civil rights movement would be examples of this. Please, do not hear me dismissing the miracles of how the Holy Spirit has worked in and through this church and each of you in this place. God鈥檚 witness does live here. I鈥檝e seen it. However, I would suggest that more often the sacred ways God鈥檚 love has showed up in the world have been in spite of the church, rather than because of it.听
The call to be neighbor beyond the boundaries of our own comfort and imagination will necessitate that we, church, face some uncomfortable realities.听
- Our American church history was built in tandem with breaking bodies and stealing homes through the unholy marriage between Christianity, slavery and the genocide of indiegenous peoples. The church has had a hand in countless casualties.
- This history has not been righted and the casualties continue. The church, like many institutions, continues to be complicit in perpetuating unjust systems that benefit the dominant culture and harm those with less power and privilege.听听
- We in the church have too often opted for a lukewarm misrepresentation of the gospel, one that quiets the radical, disruptive message and life of Jesus in favor of 鈥渘ice guy鈥� Jesus. We like the idea of loving the whole world, but we prefer to keep the fullness of Jesus and our neighbor at arms length.听
These are uncomfortable and dangerous realities. I am not going to dissect them further here, but they must be named as they drastically shape the landscape we, church, must figure out how to travel upon. What I offer in our short time together, are three invitations to the church that I believe offer more faithful bearings from which to navigate the realities of this world and the call to enter into it.
Our first invitation: Learn to pay attention. Mine the gaps.
Author Annie Dillard spends much of her writing pondering the curious gaps in the natural world. (read quote – Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, p. 268-269) I revisit these words often because they remind me to slow down and be present and open. This attention to the gaps has helped me learn to pay attention to the world. All of it. The beauty, the heartache, the sacred.听听
This practice of paying attention helps me notice the gaps here too – between us people. You know these gaps. They exist in the spaces where broken systems damage people鈥檚 lives, safety, identity and opportunity at a livelihood. These gaps often exist along racial, class, gender, religious or political lines. They show up at the borders we arbitrarily draw between humanity and all of creation. These gaps can be so overwhelming that they create another gap, the one that exists between me and my neighbor and my fear that I鈥檓 incapable of crossing it sufficiently enough to respond, to repair. The gap between the heartache of the world and our ability to enter into it in reparative ways is staggering.听
I suppose it鈥檚 not so surprising that we often sidestep the gaps, if we have the privilege to do so. And when we don鈥檛 have that privilege to do so, we are left carrying the heavy burden of life, seemingly alone.听 The heartache – my own and my neighbors – is something I would rather bypass most days for fear of what I might really encounter or be asked to respond to if I enter in.
Here is where the psalmist comes in. And our second invitation…
Enter into lament. Hold space for confession.
Let me reread just a few stanzas from our Psalm this morning鈥�
My tears have been my food
听听听听day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
听听听听鈥淲here is your God?鈥�
Deep calls to deep
听听听听in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
听听听听have swept over me.
My bones suffer mortal agony
听听听听as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
听听听听鈥淲here is your God?鈥�
The text is raw. This lament, like many of our psalms, stings. I find myself simultaneously drawn to its words and resisting them. The psalmist鈥檚 pleas for God鈥檚 presence and their prose, naming the rushing waves of deep heartache, stir memories of pain. Have your tears ever been your food, day and night? Have your bones ever ached in agony? Have you ever felt abandoned, not knowing where your help would come from?听
Lament psalms are the most common psalm in scripture, yet ecumenical studies of worship liturgies, hymnals and contemporary Christian worship music have found that our American biblical narrative is heavily lopsided in favor of praise and celebration. The psalms and other songs of lament are the most often omitted.听
Lament is not a posture the church in America often opens itself up to. Soong-Chan Rah, pastor and author of Prophetic Lament, says this: 鈥淭he American church avoids lament. The power of lament is minimized and the underlying narrative of suffering that requires lament is lost. But absence doesn鈥檛 make the heart grow fonder. Absence makes the heart forget…We forget the necessity of lamenting over suffering and pain. We forget the reality of suffering and pain.鈥�
Walter Bruggemann says that the main point of lament is to point to the fact that, 鈥淟ife is not right. It is now noticed and viced that life is not as it was promised to be.鈥� The voices of lament that linger in neighborhoods, homes, and schools… in rivers, farmland and forests across America in 2020, are exactly the kinds of voices we should be straining to hear. How will we ever know what our proclamations of good news must sound like, taste like, feel like, look like, if we do not dwell in the places of lament and let the waters of the world鈥檚 grief swell and speak.听
We must be willing to pay attention to the gaps and enter the places of lament. And when lament speaks truth to unjust realities, we must be open to how our proclamation requires confession.听
And on that note, the last invitation I offer this morning is this: Be brave. Be humble.听
This is why we need more than 鈥渘ice guy鈥� Jesus. Nice guy Jesus thinks of love as a warm feeling we can have for others at a safe distance. Nice guy Jesus works to protect the comforts of privilege and would never dream of challenging our complacency.听
Jesus wasn鈥檛 a nice guy. Loving yes, absolutely yes. Nice, no. The bold intensity of the way Jesus loved brought him out into the gaps of this world, into the places where those who were most forgotten dwelled. The bold intensity of the way Jesus loved brought him face to face with gaps in systems and practices that were way out of line with God鈥檚 intentions for creation. The way he loved was so radical, it earned him many enemies and it ultimately got him executed. This love knew the reality of suffering and pain. This love did not sidestep heartache. It stepped further into it.听
This is the kind of love Dr. King aligned himself with. The kind of love was and is a verb. Like Jesus鈥� love, it lives in bodies and steps into the gaps of heartache, pain, and injustice. This embodied love is a way of being in the world. It is the source of courage to do what is right in the face of fear and uncertainty.听
Sometimes I need to remind my nine year old, you can be afraid and brave at the same time. Whether he is attempting to rock climb for the first time or needs to go into the dark basement alone to get a clean pair of socks, I tell him, you can be afraid and still find courage to do what you need to do. I think we church, can do the same. It will require a posture of trembling and trust. We will need to be brave and humble.听
If embodying a public witness of justice and peace in the world that aligns with Jesus is our aim, then we must enter the places where deep calls to deep. Where the waves slam with a forceful intensity, where we are in over our heads.听 These places are immense, frightening, powerful, and even, beautiful. We can do this trusting God is in it, already working in the mystery, beckoning the waves to tide towards justice.听
As we go about from this place today, I plead with you to carry these invitations:
Learn to pay attention. Mine the gaps.
Enter into lament. Hold space for confession.听
Be brave. Be humble.听
And for heaven and earth鈥檚 sake, stick to love and stick together. Amen.听
What Does It Mean to Be A Public Christian?
Today’s blog post comes from Jeremy Myers’ sermon at 海角社区’s chapel on January 21, 2020. To listen to his message, click the soundcloud link below. To read his message, you can find the transcript below the soundcloud link.听
I don鈥檛 want to stand here in the wake of Dr. King鈥檚 day and give you a bunch of my words. So, my intent is to allow Dr. King tell us what it means to live our lives as public people of faith. But, to get there, I must share a couple of my own stories.
Those of you who have been confirmed in a Lutheran church might be familiar with the question, 鈥淲hat does this mean?鈥� It is the question Martin Luther uses through his small catechism to help his readers begin to understand what the various confessions of faith in that catechism might mean for their daily lives. It is a powerful question within the Lutheran tradition. One we should always keep in front of us.
In November of 2014 we put my father into assisted living because his dementia was beginning to the win the fight for his mind. He had been a Lutheran pastor his entire professional career and he loved asking the 鈥淲hat does this mean?鈥� question. One day a local pastor came to the assisted living home to lead a bible study. This pastor turned to my dad and asked him when he had last experienced Jesus鈥� love in his life. My dad looked the pastor square in her eyes and responded, 鈥淲hat does this mean?鈥� I鈥檓 not sure if my father understood the pastor鈥檚 question. He could not remember how to take communion. He couldn鈥檛 remember the words of his favorite bible stories or hymns. He no longer even remembered who I was, but he held on tightly to this question, What does it mean?
In April of 1968 my father was a 26 year-old seminary student doing an internship at an African-American congregation in St. Louis. He was assigned to preach the Sunday after Dr. King was assassinated. He couldn鈥檛 find the words to write a sermon, so his pen and pencil sketched this picture听as he asked himself, What does this mean? My dad was trying to figure out what it meant to be a pastor in the wake of Dr. King鈥檚 assassination. What does it mean to be a public Christian leader in the midst of pain, and suffering, and tragedy and evil?
Before I go further into Dr. King鈥檚 sermons, I first have to give you some context. This is from his Letter from a Birmingham Jail.
First, I must confess that over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro鈥檚 great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen鈥檚 Council-er or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to 鈥渙rder鈥� than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: 鈥淚 agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action鈥�; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man鈥檚 freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a 鈥渕ore convenient season.鈥� Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.
This is me. He is talking to me. And, I believe my father knew Dr. King was talking to him as well. Dr. King is a radical, calling us to be radical
Dr. King has given us many ways of thinking about what it means to be a public Christian leader. In August of 1963 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was asking and addressing this question. He and others were arrested for protesting segregation in Birmingham, Alabama. He had been criticized by Christian and Jewish clergy for breaking the law and being an extremist. He penned the famous Letter from a Birmingham Jail in response. Let me read an excerpt from it.
YOU spoke of our activity in Birmingham as extreme. At first I was rather disappointed that fellow clergymen would see my nonviolent efforts as those of an extremist. . . But as I continued to think about the matter, I gradually gained a bit of satisfaction from being considered an extremist.听
Was not Jesus an extremist in love? — “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, pray for them that despitefully use you.”听
Was not Amos an extremist for justice? — “Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.”听
Was not Paul an extremist for the gospel of Jesus Christ? — “I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.”听
Was not Martin Luther an extremist? — “Here I stand; I can do no other so help me God.
So, the question is not whether we will be extremist, but what kind of extremists we will be. Will we be extremists for hate, or will we be extremists for love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice, or will we be extremists for the cause of justice?鈥�
When someone asks, What does it mean to be a public Christian, it is safe to say, it means to be an extremist for love.
The 鈥渢ransformed nonconformist鈥� is another phrase Dr. King uses to describe the calling of the Christian in the public square. He says . . .听
“In spite of this prevailing tendency to conform, we as Christians have a mandate to be nonconformists. . .听
The hope of a secure and livable world lies with disciplined nonconformists, who are dedicated to justice, peace, and brotherhood.听听The trailblazers . . . have always been nonconformists.听听In any cause that concerns the progress of [humankind], put your faith in the nonconformist! . . .”
Nonconformity in itself, however, may not necessarily be good and may at times possess neither transforming nor redemptive power. . . Paul [in Romans] offers a formula for constructive nonconformity: 鈥淏e transformed by the renewing of your mind.鈥澨齆onconformity is creative when it is controlled and directed by a transformed life and is constructive when it embraces a new mental outlook.
Only through an inner spiritual transformation do we gain the strength to fight vigorously the evils of the world in a humble and loving spirit.听听The transformed nonconformist, moreover, never yields to the passive sort of patience that is an excuse to do nothing.听. .听
[They] recognize that social change will not come overnight, yet [they] work as though it is an imminent possibility.
When someone asks, What does it mean to be a public Christian, it is safe to say, it means to be an extremist for love, a transformed nonconformist.
Dr. King uses the title of drum major to name both our desire to be the best and our call to be servants. He says . . .听
“let us see that we all have the drum major instinct. We all want to be important, to surpass others, to achieve distinction, to lead the parade.
Do you know that a lot of the race problem grows out of the drum major instinct? A need that some people have to feel superior. A need that some people have to feel that they are first, and to feel that their white skin ordained them to be first. . . And think of what has happened in history as a result of this perverted use of the drum major instinct. It has led to the most tragic prejudice, the most tragic expressions of man’s inhumanity to man.”
[God says], “Oh, I see, you want to be first. You want to be great. You want to be important. You want to be significant. Well, you ought to be. If you’re going to be my disciple, you must be.” But [God] reordered priorities. And [God] said, “Yes, don’t give up this instinct. It’s a good instinct if you use it right. It’s a good instinct if you don’t distort it and pervert it. Don’t give it up. Keep feeling the need for being important. Keep feeling the need for being first. But I want you to be first in love. I want you to be first in moral excellence. I want you to be first in generosity. That is what I want you to do.”
And so Jesus gave us a new norm of greatness.
Yes, if you want to say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness.
When someone asks, What does it mean to be a public Christian?, it is safe to say, it means to be an extremist for love, a transformed nonconformist, a drum major for justice.
Dr. King also calls us to be of tough mind and tender hearts. Or maybe to be informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders. He says, . . .听
[God gives us] a formula for action, 鈥淏e therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.鈥� It is pretty difficult to imagine a single person having, simultaneously, the characteristics of the serpent and the dove, but this is what Jesus expects. We must combine the toughness of the serpent and the softness of the dove, a tough mind and a tender heart.
Jesus reminds us that the good life combines the toughness of the serpent and the tenderness of the dove. To have serpentlike qualities devoid of dovelike qualities is to be passionless, mean, and selfish. To have dovelike without serpentlike qualities is to be sentimental, anemic, and aimless.听
When someone asks, What does it mean to be a public Christian?, it is safe to say, it means to be an extremist for love, a transformed nonconformist, a drum major for justice, a tough-minded serpent, and a tender-hearted dove.
And Dr. King new the source of these things. He knew the source of love, the source of transformation, the source of justice, of toughness, and of tenderness. And so did the psalmist in our text today.听
Psalm 146:3-9
3听Do not put your trust in princes,
听听听in mortals, in whom there is no help.
4听When their breath departs, they return to the earth;
听听听on that very day their plans perish.
5听Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
听听听whose hope is in the听Lord听their God,
6听who made heaven and earth,
听听听the sea, and all that is in them;
who keeps faith forever;
7听听听who executes justice for the oppressed;
听听听who gives food to the hungry.
The听Lord听sets the prisoners free;
8听听听the听Lord听opens the eyes of the听blind.
The听Lord听lifts up those who are bowed down;
听听听the听Lord听loves the righteous.
9听The听Lord听watches over the strangers;
听听听he upholds the orphan and the widow,
听听听but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
It is God who brings justice to the oppressed, food to the hungry, freedom to the prisoners, and sight to the blind. And it is God who brings us to the oppressed, to the hungry, to the prisoners, and to the blind. To be a public Christian is to be a tough-minded, tender-hearted, transformed, nonconforming, extremist for love who boldly follows Christ into the fears and heartaches of this world.