“The ship is safest when it is in port. But that’s not what ships were made for.”
- Paulo Coelho There is a time to harbor and rest. And then there is a time to set sail and face the pounding surf. It would seem much easier to sit at the port in a static state of comfort and ease. It's much hard to follow the compass into a land-less horizon. Such sailing is risky and perilous. Lest we should tremble with fear, know that the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19-20) and Great Commandment (Matt. 22:37-39) demand the dangerous. Love takes us into open seas that require the sailor to be relentless and tenacious, courageous and brave. Sail boldly, for you know the harbor from which you depart and the Captain who leads on.
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Dear reader, please consider a transfer of membership to my congregation in St. Louis, MO if you are a current resident of one of the following countries: Iraq Sudan Afghanistan Saudi Arabia Nigeria Iran Pakistan Why relocate to St. Louis? Cardinals baseball (2011 World Champions). Four seasons. Budweiser. The Arch. Comparatively safe to your country. And our church needs members who have experienced outright persecution for their faith. In fact, I believe your presence in our church would be exponential in its impact. We need you to change us. Your American brothers and sisters are getting lazy on the couch of comfort and contentment. We in the American church frequently lament the fall of Christian influence in the United States. But such whining seems to be a shrill cry when you consider the worldwide body of Christ. In a rather surprising front page cover, Newsweek’s February 13th, 2012 feature article is titled “The Rise of Christophobia.” It chronicles the intense worldwide persecution of Christians, particularly in Muslim majority countries. Noting the case of Nigeria, author Ayann Hirsi Ali writes, “In the month of January 2012 alone, Boko Haram (a national religious organization) was responsible for 54 deaths. In 2011 its members killed at least 510 people and burned down or destroyed more than 350 churches.” We annually gather a reluctant batch of adolescent students in a rite called confirmation. In the Lutheran Service Book Agenda, a question is asked of all confirmands: “Do you intend to continue steadfast in this confession and Church and to suffer all, even death, rather than fall away from it?” They are to respond: “I do, by the grace of God.” We might get a different response if 14-year-old Billy was dropped in Pakistan where a “blasphemy law” can make a declaration of faith in the Triune God a criminal act. Each of us would give critical consideration to our confirmation vows if we lived under such a threat. I am humbled by the faith of minority Christians who stand as lone voices in their country and culture. I am always a bit uncomfortable with the monolithic nature of my denomination’s demographic. We are too safe and too comfortable. The issues we fight about are too parochial. "Worship wars" are inconsequential when you could lose your job or your life for speaking the Apostles Creed. So with seriousness, I am requesting the transfer of any Christian who comes from a context of persecution. We need you. We need to you to:
“The more often you mow us down the more in number we grow; the blood of Christians is seed.” - The ancient church father Tertullian Consider this your official invite to meet me in Chicago January 29th-31st for a summit called Regeneration.
About two years ago, I was part of a group that started a “summit-style” gathering of like-minded, missional Lutherans. We wanted to gather to learn, grow, and discuss the future of the church’s mission in our current culture. We started Regeneration. The inaugural Regen was hosted at Christ Memorial in St. Louis in October 2009. Since then, there have been Regen's in Milwaukee, Minneapolis, and Sacramento. The next one is in Chicago. Here’s a link with info: http://regeneration-summit.com/regeneration-summit-chicago-2012/ _ _ The following is a guest post from a member of my congregation, Natalie McLaury. Natalie is a renowned food blogger (The Sweets Life). I asked her to consider food and relationships. Read and consider what food does for your family. For your congregation. For the mission of the church.
You can’t really tell your pastor “no” when he asks you to guest blog, can you? I didn’t think so. Thankfully, he asked me to write on a topic I can’t really get enough of: food. More specifically, how it is that food fosters relationships. Whether I realized it or not, I have been witnessing relationships fostered by food my whole life. For the first twenty-two years of my life, this was something I partook in as a willing participant and spectator. Sitting down to Christmas dinner with my extended family, lovingly prepared by my grandma. Eating a warm meal around a campfire, prepared by guides, after twelve hours of climbing through the mountains of Colorado. Filling up a tray with the dish of the day in the Truman State University dining hall before sitting down to a leisurely dinner full of chatter with friends. Making a stop at the Dairy Queen drive through window with my dad after a winning soccer game. Food inevitably connects people, because everyone needs food. After twenty-two years of connecting with people over food prepared by others, everything changed. My increased interest in food sprung from a relationship—that with my new husband. With a mouth to feed other than my own, my entire outlook on food shifted and I tapped an undiscovered passion: connecting with others through food prepared by me. That was over three years ago. In those three years, I’ve started a blog. I’ve posted over 800 recipes on that blog. I won a recipe contest that took me to San Francisco, where I met other food bloggers just as passionate about food and cooking as I am. I’ve hosted friends for countless meals, supplied post-church refreshments more times than I can count, and even thrown a party featuring twelve kinds of cheesecake! What have I learned? I’ll say it again: food inevitably connects people, because everyone needs food. My college-aged brother, who I don’t see or talk to as often as I’d like, knows I’m thinking about him when that fresh batch of cookies arrives at his dorm. Our common denominator is food. A reader emails me a question and shares a story about how she relates with something I mentioned on the blog. I am suddenly making personal connections with someone I only know by name. Our common denominator is food. A distant great-uncle shares his favorite recipes with me and reads every word of my email in which I recount a great meal I recently had. Our common denominator is food. A friend becomes a best friend when we bond in the kitchen, making huge messes and creating delicious meals. Our common denominator is food. I sit at a table with my husband’s family, sharing stories and creating memories while feasting on homemade pie and ice cream, prepared by me. Our common denominator is food. My life has infinitely richened since I started proactively using food as a way to reach out to others—first my brand new husband and now, quite literally, thousands of people around the world. Don’t get me wrong—cooking night after night, writing blog post after blog post is not a requirement to foster relationships through food. It’s the road I’ve been led on, but isn’t most likely yours. Find other ways to reach that common denominator of food with others. Invite a friend to grab sushi with you. Pick up a brownie mix and bring in a treat for your coworkers. Call your mom when you see a recipe for macaroni and cheese that reminds you of your favorite childhood meal. Food inevitably connects people, because everyone needs food. How can you use food to connect? |
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