Happy New Year! Now What?

One of my favorite authors is a woman named Jan Richardson. She writes in a way that shapes her words into pure inspiration. I find myself returning to her words again and again as I travel this journey of faith and life. A couple of years ago, Richardson lost her husband after a brief and complicated illness. Over the past couple of years, Richardson has explored her grief as she has wandered the path of love and loss and anger and sadness and resurrection. What I am most grateful for in Richardson’s words is her honest and straightforward heading as she has undertaken her own journey into the unknown, unplanned world she never expected to entertain. So…in celebration of the season of Epiphany – the appearing of the Magi and the overwhelming presence of the light of Christ upon the world – I leave you with these words, written by Richardson, as a blessing in these first days of the new year. May God bless your journeys – each and every step.

For Those Who Have Far to Travel ~ An Epiphany Blessing

If you could see the journey whole
you might never undertake it;
might never dare the first step
that propels you from the place
you have known toward the place you know not.

Call it one of the mercies of the road:
that we see it only by stages as it opens before us,
as it comes into our keeping step by single step.
There is nothing for it but to go and by our going take the vows the pilgrim takes:
to be faithful to the next step;
to rely on more than the map;
to heed the signposts of intuition and dream;
to follow the star that only you will recognize;
to keep an open eye for the wonders that attend the path;
to press on beyond distractions
beyond fatigue
beyond what would tempt you from the way.

There are vows that only you will know;
the secret promises for your particular path
and the new ones you will need to make
when the road is revealed by turns
you could not have foreseen.
Keep them, break them, make them again:
each promise becomes part of the path;
each choice creates the road that will take you to the place where at last you will kneel
to offer the gift most needed—
the gift that only you can give—
before turning to go home by another way.

May the light of the star over the manger shine light on a new road in this new year. To God be the glory!

Rev. Chris Marien

(This article was written for the January 2018 Newsletter).

Mountaintop Moments

July 2017 and the grace of God took Ascension to the mountaintop!

What joy it brings to share with you the events of the last month and all that is coming in the days ahead. July gathered our CRASH high school ministry to a first-time “Mission Next Door” event, in which each day, the students and adult leaders gathered for devotions and breakfast and then headed out into the community. Day one took our high school servants to the Memorial Gardens and flower beds all around the church campus. A full day of weeding, tending, and shaping the space all the way to the ash garden. An incredible day! Later in the week, the Waukesha food pantry would get a cleanup inside and a makeover outside complete with mulched flowerbeds. Thursday took the students to one of our member’s homes for a healthy weeding of flowerbeds and the tending of a relationship. In the middle of “Mission Next Door,” Ascension welcomed the arrival of our brothers and sisters from El Salvador. Bienvenidos!

Thursday was full of feasting and canning and swimming at Ottawa Lake. Friday was busy with tours of partner churches in Milwaukee, community gardens, and captured rainwater projects. But, my favorite part came Friday afternoon when we gathered to bowl at Bayshore, where there are video screens and glowing neon lights. Explaining bowling in Spanish was fun to watch. Explaining in signs and gestures was even better. Watching the smiles unfold when just one pin fell down and the ball stayed out of the gutter. Now that was priceless.

I tell you God is at work! I am grateful to our Mission Outreach Team under the leadership of Wing Leader, Shirley Wehmeier. It is wonderful to watch the church be exactly who the church should be with hospitality overwhelming and joy overflowing. Edwin and Sarah Aparicio have been incredible hosts and representatives of Ascension as they have navigated translation after translation after translation and every blessed detail of the delegation’s visit. A moment of great celebration took place on Sunday, July 16 with a gathering at the home of the Wehmeiers for the delegation, church staff, church council, and partner churches. It was a glorious day. We heard updates on EVERYTHING! But most importantly – we feasted – we played volleyball – we had one-on-one conversations with Pastor Julio about healthcare, challenges of ministry in El Salvador, and especially the deep concern and request for prayer for the children and young adults of El Salvador. Please include them in your prayers – especially for the opportunity to simply and safely grow up. In my sermon from July 16, I spoke of the belief that the visit by the delegation from El Salvador was nothing short of a miracle. It is true – every word. The journey is a gift of God in every single way. Thank you for your hospitality of the delegates through the days of the visit and in worship.

What can you learn from the stories of these mountaintop moments? So very much! In all these things, we are reminded that God goes before us. We remember that we need to hear the story of God’s love as much as we tell the story of God’s love. We remember that the great cloud of witnesses that surrounds our worship and our faithfulness to God has grown once again – with the great and faithful servants of CRASH serving our God and God’s people; with the visit of the saints of San Jorge and Usulutan; and with the great gift of good news shared by Pastor Angela!

I give thanks to God for all of it. I give thanks to God for each of you. Gracias a Dios. Thanks be to God! See you in church.

Rev. Christian Marien

(This article was first published in the August 2017 newsletter).

Instead of the End – the Beginning

The Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America Elizabeth Eaton offers these words:

After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to the tomb. So begins the Easter story in the Gospel according to Matthew. The women had lived through the pain of Friday and the emptiness of Saturday and were expecting death. All of their hope had come to a dead end. And just then, as the first day of the week was dawning, hope was restored. The angel said, “Do not be afraid; I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here: for he has been raised, as he said.”
 
Instead of death – life. Instead of the end – the beginning.
 
On Easter, we will have glorious celebrations in our congregations and worshiping communities. There will be rejoicing and music and flowers and alleluias. And that’s a good thing. But when the flowers fade and the pressures of life seem so heavy, when the brokenness of this world breaks our spirits, when we have come to a dead end … rejoice. Because it is exactly there where the risen Christ meets us. It is precisely there where we are given resurrection life. It is at that point that we say, “Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. Hallelujah.”

The cries of resurrection can still be heard on the mountaintops. Thanks be to God! From the mountaintops we travel to the upper room where the disciples have hidden themselves out of fear. There, Jesus appears. A week later, disciples are still in the upper room. There, Jesus appears. It will be on the beach, where a campfire is tended, that Jesus will appear to his disciples and feed them breakfast. There around the warmth and light of the fire, the light of the world, will ignite a flame in the disciples that will inspire the world.

Instead of death – life. Instead of the end – the beginning.

I read this reflection before the great celebration of Easter. It has carried me forward since we began the celebration of these great 50 days of resurrection. It is entitled Setting Out Once Again by Kelly Hall and Phuc Luu:

Out of the stale darkness, he rises into the light, bright rays of sun split the tops of trees, and clouds depart and blue fills the sky – the smell of angels lingers in the air – his hair feels the cool breeze again. This was not the garden, but a new world made from the eruption of hope and a life that could not be held down. We were witnesses to the life that rose from the dead. God’s relentless love, who comes close to us moving stones from tombs opening the heart to another possibility, death no longer stands. My heart races in my chest as I step forward to face the future, my future, that I grasp with open hands with new naiveté, a child toward a mother to be held and lifted up, and cradled with care. At times, I hesitate and I grasp onto memories of what once was but I know that I am not alone in my apprehension. I feel the hands of others holding me. These are my sisters, my brothers, who are not strangers to my fears and frailties, who have also confronted a hope that frightens them – who can feel their own scars, both fresh and old, they step in pace with me – the weeping women at the gravesite, the scared disciples waiting in the upper room.
 
This is our future, where we walk together toward our new home built by the hands of a wounded king – the new Zion, forsaking the kingdoms marked by borders and divides where all our settlements are only temporary shelters, sanctuaries of rest for the wounded and weary. Then the Christ returns to visit us, as Galilee’s boats pull to shore, these places seem familiar – the lapping water and the sand, but we are not to return to these lands, not those dreams – but become pilgrims, to set our belongings in another home, to wash our sandy feet in some other place, to lay down our tired souls on a distant promise, quilted from both the today and the tomorrow.
 
And we dine as a day sees another setting sun sitting across from each other once again – seeing each sweet face laughing deeply feeling whole once more. And we see the Savior’s smile, he knows our journey’s end and pours us another cup full of his own love and this time, our eyes tell him that we understand.

Thanks be to God!  See you in church,
Rev. Christian Marien

(This article is taken from Ascension’s May 2017 newsletter).

Welcome to Lent

Welcome to the season of Lent!

Wednesday, March 1, is Ash Wednesday. We will worship God with the imposition of ashes and Holy Communion at both our 12 p.m. and 7 p.m. services. Our hope is that you will take time, not find time, to let the world know that for just a moment on Wednesday night, March 1, you will come before your God and bow down and worship and praise to honor the One who has given you life in this world and promises you eternal life in the world to come.

I am always grateful to God for the change in rhythms during the season of Lent. Wednesday night gatherings for soup suppers and worship are a gift to my heart. God provides an opportunity to share in this journey of faith in different ways from Sunday mornings at  Ascension. On Wednesday nights, I have more time to simply sit and enjoy conversation with friends in the congregation. Worship is intended to be brief but meaningful. Music orients our focus to the worship of God. Sermons are exchanged for brief meditations. In the dark of night – the candles shine brighter. There is a beautiful quiet that hovers in the sanctuary even with the joyous sounds of children squealing with delight over the little things in their lives that we so often miss. On Wednesday nights in Lent, this year, Pastor Angela, Tony, and I will all be taking different aspects of our worship. Children’s messages will be a part of each Wednesday night and music will guide our steps in worship into the way of peace. I hope you will consider joining us for a time of refreshment…one night a week – you can skip cooking and the dishes (unless you sign up for either one at church). What a wonderful gift to come share in the joy of gathering together to the glory of God.

We will gather for soup suppers at 6 p.m. on March 8, March 15, March 22, March 29, and April 5.  March 8 will be hosted by JOLT; March 15 will be hosted by our Tuesday Morning Bible Studies; and April 5 will be hosted by CRASH. Congregational sign-ups will be available to help with soup and bread for both March 15 and March 29. Check the narthex/lobby for the posters. We need about 18 soups each week to provide for the 100-150 who attend. Our Wednesday night gatherings will center on some wonderful reflections offered to provide us with directions to wander while we find ourselves in the wilderness of Lent.

Wednesday Worship Themes
March 8
Discovering the Spirit
March 15
Renewing My Mind
March 22
Redeeming My Time
March 29
Deepening My Relationships
April 5
Transforming My Experience

I am grateful to the psalmist who wrote these words for us, “How very good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” Come and join us on the journey. I wonder – how could your life be different if you made the conscious decision to gather with fellow believers for fellowship and worship on the Wednesday nights in Lent? What would change in your life? Would you be happier? More content? Would you discover new things about God? Would you find your mind renewed? Would you find your time better spent? Would your relationship with God and other believers go deeper? Would you find your life transformed? My guess is that your answer would be yes!  I know, for me, year after year, my answer is always, always…yes!
Peace be with you. See you in church.
Rev. Christian Marien

(This article was first published in the March 2017 newsletter).

Come, Lord Jesus

Dear People of God,
“Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest.” The familiar table grace many of us learned as children is also an Advent prayer full of hope and longing. In Advent, although we are preparing for the annual Christmas celebration of Jesus’ birth long ago in Bethlehem, we are also keenly aware of the need for Jesus to come again, bringing the fullness of peace and justice with his promised reign. The story we tell begins with the God of Israel, who saw the suffering of the people enslaved by Pharaoh and came down to deliver them. This same God sees the suffering of people today and will come again bringing freedom from death and sin. The coming of Jesus promises life to all creation and assures victory over all God’s enemies.  

The challenge we face as Christians is to tell the Advent story and be heard when we are surrounded by a multitude of competing stories distracting and confusing us. The Jesus whose coming we proclaim in Advent is the “joy of heaven,” God’s love sent to earth for the sake of all creation.

The words of author Blair Meeks: “We are entering into the new church year under the banner of Advent. God has heard the cries of God’s people. John the Baptist will call us from the river Jordan. Mary, the mother of Jesus, will sing to the glory of God. A star will light the sky on fire and stop to rest over a stable.” Come, Lord Jesus. I am ready for all of these moments. I am hungry to hear the stories, renewed in my own ears, of God’s tending of our lives once again. Come, Lord Jesus.

I wonder – are you hungry? Do you hunger for peace? Do you hunger for joy? Do you hunger for hope? This is the time of God’s choosing. Are you ready?

Poet Ann Weems writes these words:


Our God is the One who comes to us in a burning bush,
In an angel song, in a newborn child.
Our God is the One who cannot be found locked in the church,
Not even in the sanctuary.
Our God will be where God will be with no constraints, no predictability.
Our God lives where our God lives,
and destruction has no power and even death cannot stop the living.
Our God will be born where God will be born,
But there is no place to look for the One who comes to us.
When God is ready God will come even to a godforsaken place
Like a stable in Bethlehem.
Watch…for you know not when God comes.
Watch, that you might be found whenever, wherever, God comes.


My prayer for each of you is to let your hunger for God call you to new life in this season of Advent. As we move toward Christmas, you are invited to join us on Sunday morning for an Advent Bible Study on Dec. 4 to help you get more through the season of Advent. Advent Concert Worship services happen on Saturday, Dec. 10 at 6 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 11 at 8:30 and 10:45 a.m. Children’s Christmas Pageant Worship services happen on Sunday, Dec. 18 at 8:30 and 10:45a.m. Christmas Eve worship services, at 2:30, 4:00, 5:00, and 11:00 p.m., will arrive with candlelight, communion, and carols to give glory to God. Join us in one of these moments or in every one of these moments.

Watch, that you might be found whenever, wherever, God comes.

Peace and joy be yours in these days of Advent,
Pastor Chris Marien

(This article was first published in Ascension’s December 2016 newsletter).

Autumn Rituals

Dear People of God,

Already the winds of autumn have brought us to the gates of November. How quickly the days of summer have given way to falling leaves and crisp morning breezes. November 6 will gather us to the celebration of All Saints Sunday. We will once again read the names of those, connected to our community, who have died during the past year and light candles in remembrance of all who have gone before us and now rest from their labors. This year we will give thanks for:

Fabricio Aparicio John Gresl

Lorraine Birner Susan Krist

Judy Ewell Elmer Norris

Andrew Frey Barbara Wendorf

We live within the communion of saints. We trust the promise of God that the power of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ holds true for each of us – as it has for the generations that have come before us—as it will for the countless generations that will come after us. Often times in our world we find the power of God’s promises overshadowed by the darkness of the cross in our lives. Where Easter joy should reign over us we find ourselves overwhelmed with pain, death, and grief. All Saints Day gathers us with the whole communion of saints in heaven and on earth.

In Celtic Christian spirituality the place where heaven and earth meet—the moments where God enters into our world—are called “thin places.” An idea that offers a thinning of the veil between life and death, between human and divine, between ordinary and miraculous. For most of us, these places are what we crave for in our lives of faith. “Give me a sign, Lord.”  Ever heard yourself speaking those words? I have. Usually in the most despairing moments—the moments when no answer seems best—that is when I hear myself telling God to get on with it. Tell me which way so I can move on, step up, go forward, put something behind me. Once in awhile I really feel that God nudges in one direction or another—most of the time, I pray and I hope and I cross my fingers—not the sign of the cross mind you—just that hopeful kind of lucky wish and jump. Sometimes God blesses and other times God somehow puts me back at the beginning and lets me start over. The path is not always easy but I hold on to the hope and I trust that God is there in the midst.  

November 13 will call us to gather for the annual meeting of the congregation. In our church governance, it is the congregation that approves a yearly budget, elects new church council members, and approves a slate of candidates to attend our regional assembly of congregations next June. The meeting will begin at noon and will be a potluck. We invite you to join us to hear about Ascension and the mission and ministry of the congregation as well the continued work on our Ascension Arise our 2025 Vision.  

November 6, in-between services at 9:45, you will have the opportunity to ask review the budget for 2017 and ask questions in a smaller setting before the annual meeting happens the following week. Our community continues to renew itself as God guides and shapes the ministries entrusted to us in this time and place. I give thanks to God for the power and presence of God and God’s people as we walk together to the glory of God.

~ Pastor Chris Marien

New Beginnings

There is a story told of a young boy who lived with his parents in a cottage on a hillside, overlooking a wide valley. His greatest joy was to sit on the doorstep on summer evenings, and gaze across the valley to a house miles away on the opposite hillside, for, just as the sun was sinking in the west, the windows of that house would burst into flame, shining dazzlingly with golden light. How perfectly happy the people must be who live there, he thought! One day he packed sandwiches and set off to find the house with the golden windows, but it was farther off than he expected, and it was already towards sunset as he climbed steeply uphill. To his disappointment the house was a plain cottage after all, and the windows ordinary windows. The good people there offered him supper, and made up a bed in the kitchen, for it was too late now for him to return. That night, in his dream, he asked directions of a girl about his age. ‘The house with the golden windows? Yes, I’ve seen it.’ And she pointed. He woke to the early song of the birds. Drawing the curtain aside he looked out. There far across the valley, was his house – and, wonder of wonders, its windows flashed with gold in the brightness of the morning sun.

T.S. Elliot wrote these words, “And the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.” September is always a month of homecomings and moments of beginning again. At Ascension, we find ourselves ready to enter into the new possibilities of growing our relationship with God. September always brings excitement. I am excited to renew relationships with those that have been away for the summer; I am excited for the introduction of new liturgies and songs in our worship life; I am excited to see the growth in our ministries with children and youth; I am excited to see what is unfolding in our care ministries and small group ministries; I am excited for new mission opportunities as we seek to expand our vision to walk in our global neighborhood and the neighborhood around our church; I am excited for new opportunities for Bible study and reflection. There is much that is offered inside our walls and outside our walls – where will you find a place to rest and renew?

On Sunday, Sept. 11, we return to our Sunday morning worship schedule of 8:30 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. with Children’s Ministry (BLAST) and Adult Education from 9:45-10:35 a.m. I also want to invite you to consider another possibility beginning Sept. 14, from 7-8 p.m. and continuing throughout the 2016-2017 school year. I will be leading a Bible study entitled Through the New Testament or TNT for short. Early on in my ministry, I offered this opportunity and found it to be an awe inspiring introduction to the deep, deep love of God for each of us. The idea is that you read seven chapters of the New Testament a week…that is one chapter a day…and then answer four or five questions about what you read. Some questions are specific to the reading – some questions are reflections on your own faith life. You can join us as your schedule allows – but I need to have enough copies of the book in order to provide for everyone. Beginning Aug. 28, you can sign up at the Welcome Center. The cost of the copied book will be $5. We will run from Sept. 14 through May 31. Consider the possibility of reading the entire New Testament with a group of believers. The possibilities are endless. The best part is if you don’t have time in a particular week to read every chapter, someone else will have done the reading, so you can come regardless and share in the conversation. If you have questions, send me an email (pc@ascensionelca.org) or call me. All levels of Bible knowledge and those without any Bible knowledge are welcome. It can be a great introduction or a great continuation of the building of relationships with each other and with the living Word of God.

I am excited for what is ahead. Come and see for yourself! Peace be with you. See you in church.

~ Pastor Chris

(This article was first published in the September 2016 newsletter).

The Greatest Story Ever Told

Easter Sanctuary Cross Altar Lilies EmptyI am convinced that the work of God at Easter is far more difficult to believe than God’s gift of a baby in a manger. Easter calls us to believe what we have not seen even once, while babies are born every day.

I said those words aloud during a time of reflection and prayer. I decided they were worth writing down. Maybe. Maybe not. Regardless of the ability of those words to inspire, the sentiment is no less true. A baby in a manger is easy…unless your name is Mary. Easter, however, presents a whole host of problems. Resurrection from sealed tombs and beating hearts stopped and started again without medical intervention are much harder for our logical and proof-demanding world to accept, let alone understand. Yet still I believe.

We are an interesting expression of God’s love, we disciples of Jesus. Our holy book tells us to love one another; to pray for our enemies; to remember our Savior; and to celebrate his resurrection from the dead. Is it any wonder that so many have, over time, walked away from a relationship with God? It is much easier to believe we stand alone – this world is all there is and when we die, we are dead. The end.

And yet, somehow, this story continues to be told again and again. Through the words of Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, and John 20, the story of the resurrection of Jesus is told. Through the music of Jesus Christ is Risen Today and I Know that My Redeemer Lives, we hear the news of the resurrection. In the creeds of the universal Christian Church, we speak words of belief that have been spoken by generations of Christians from as early as 325 AD. If this story was simply a device to control people, or if this story was used to simply explain the great mysteries of the world at any time, then I would have expected the story of the resurrection of Jesus to just as simply fall away over these last 1,691 years since the first confession of faith was made at the Council of Nicea.

And certainly, as the story – told in hope and faith – has become too great a burden to bear, people have walked away. And yet, the story continues to be told. I am convinced of the truth of the story of the resurrection of the dead because I have witnessed the faith of far too many believers who have passed on the story to me. The resurrection of Jesus grounds me in this world and promises me a place in the next. I know there will be more days of fear than courage. I know I will suffer long days of doubt over belief. I know that there will be days ahead that will cause pain in this life. And yet, still I believe. As I said in my sermon a few weeks ago, the place between fear and doubt is the foundation of Easter and the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Still I believe, “Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!” They are words I heard as a child. They are words I speak over my children today. They are words of power – resurrection power. They are words that promise life.

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

~ Pastor Chris Marien

(This article was originally published in Ascension’s May 2016 newsletter).

Joy in the Journey

Dear People of God,

There is joy in the journey of this life. It’s all about the journey. We always talk about journeys as if they are something we are trying to complete. We speak of extended vacation, the terminal illness, the marriages on the edge of divorce, the job we wish we could quit, the educational process, the committee meetings that seem to go nowhere, the life we live each day, and the report that needs to be finished yesterday. We live our lives hoping to complete our tasks a little early so that we might have a little free time over the weekend, or when we retire, or when spring break comes. And somehow, we end up behind again. We look for the easy way out and road most traveled. We look to any option that might help us finish a project sooner or relieve the suffering more quickly. Yet when it is all over, most of the time, we find that we had to travel the entire journey to get to where we most needed to go.

Holy Week is one of those journeys. One of those journeys that offers no easy solution and no quick release of the suffering and pain that will come in the days ahead. Jesus walks the road, measures each step on this journey, from the triumphant entry into Jerusalem to the pitiful, humiliating death on the cross. We walk this road too. Jesus helps us to measure our steps as well. We look to the joy of Easter morning as the end of the journey. We know that there will be pain, sadness, betrayal, and guilt along the way, but we have this feeling that somehow it has to be this way in order for us to conclude the journey at Easter, at the empty tomb.

Yet, we have to look past the empty tomb. For Jesus, and for us, the empty tomb of Easter morning is not the end of the journey, it is only a measured step. The empty tomb surprises us with joy on Easter morning. A light in a journey of darkness. Yet it is just a glimpse of the light that will flood all around us when we enter into the Kingdom of God.

The end of the journey is not Easter morning. The end of the journey is eternal life with Jesus in the Kingdom of God. Easter morning and the empty tomb only share with us a glimpse of the end of the journey. Yet, the end will not come until a place has been prepared for each of us.

Holy Week (Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday) helps to push our tired feet farther on the journey. When we enter into the gates of Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, we walk with our heads held high as our Savior is hailed as king and palm branches rise and fall in joyful praise of Jesus. Maundy Thursday brings us to an upper room away from the rest of the world, where we will eat with close friends, have our feet washed by our Savior, and go to pray with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. Good Friday will take us to the highest levels of government as Pontius Pilate debates with Jesus and finally hands Jesus over to be crucified. We will stand at the cross, in darkness, and feel the tears on our face and hear the hammers as they pound the nails into the flesh of Jesus. We will stand in the shadows and feel helpless. We will wait, with the whole creation, for Jesus to breathe his last so that we can carry him to the tomb and prepare his body for burial ourselves. And we will wait and pray and hope for something miraculous to happen.

So do not look for the end of the journey, rather find joy in the journey. Find your joy in Jesus Christ, and, all of a sudden, the joy of the journey will be complete and the end of the journey will come too soon.

With prayers for your journey ~ Pastor Chris Marien

Broken but Forgiven

A few years ago, a friend of mine sent me a reflection. It struck me for its honesty and wisdom and so I have kept it in my files to reread it as the season of Lent unfolds.

This past week I went to a very touching confirmation service. It was refreshing to worship as a welcomed guest with a different liturgical tradition. As I heard familiar scripture, the words seemed to leap off the page and dance in new ways right in front of my eyes. Call it the Spirit or the fact that my kids were quietly drawing at my feet, but I was actually able to listen. The sermon progressed with a common theme and was predictable until the preacher turned to the adult confirmand and said, “If you are saying yes to the church, because you think the church is going to make you whole, it is not.” At this point I sat up straight in my chair. What was he daring to say? As a preacher he was being almost too bold; he was telling the tenuous truth about the church that is rarely recognized or overtly advertised. He continued, “The church is made up of broken people, broken parts of the body of Christ.” As he explained the church as a motley band of faithful followers who sometimes get it right and at other times get it absolutely wrong, my heart swelled with emotion. He said to the young woman confirming her faith, “Your job is not to fix the church; your job is to join the church in its brokenness and its desire to love God and the world. By the end of the sermon, my eyes were laced with tears. It is true! The church does not make you completely whole or always happy. The church is made up of people, broken people who live broken lives, tainted by sin.

Often people shop for the perfect church, seeking out the church that does not look broken, rundown, stuck in a rut, or out of date. Will they ever find a church that is not at some level broken? Sometimes members just stop going to church, frustrated with this issue or that person so it seems easier to just give up and not go. How can churches heal and grow when people give up, don’t talk, and avoid brokenness? As a church we are transitioning into the season of Lent…when we individually and corporately follow Jesus to the cross. It is not an easy road, but a necessary journey of intense introspection. In many ways we are asked to feel the splinters of our own brokenness and rediscover our need for Jesus who offers complete forgiveness. The church is made up of broken, yet forgiven parts. The church is not a perfect place, but it is a place where forgiveness is given perfectly.

Since the church God calls us to share and to be is not about us as individuals, there is a different sense of identity offered in the church compared to the rest of the world. We can be a part of a country club and yet among the club members there is a level of knowing of who owns what and who interacts with whom. On the field of sport, the team may find an identity under a team name, but individual accomplishment is still sought and rewarded. In almost every aspect of society, individual identity is preferred over the identity of the community.

I can only speak to one example where this has not been true. In the year 2000, when the cast of the television show Friends was preparing to go through contract talks, the six stars were brought in separately for negotiations. Yet, after the first meeting, the six stars met and realized they had more power as a cohesive community standing together than standing alone. The result was a higher equal salary for the stars because they stood as one instead of continuing the tradition of every man for himself.

As we continue the Lenten journey toward Holy Week, I am reminded that in our common identity as children of God we are able to find strength for future steps. I thought it might be helpful to share encouraging Scriptures in these days under the shadow of the cross.

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching. ~ Hebrews 10:24-25

For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. ~ Romans 12:4-5

How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! ~ Psalms 133:1
I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. ~ 1 Corinthians 1:10

I pray that this Lent will be a time of seeking for our hearts, that we too might join the whole church in its brokenness and its desire to love God and the world. God be with you in these days. See you in church. – Pastor Chris

(This article was first printed in Ascension’s March 2015 newsletter).