Newsletter article

Generosity, a Gift of the Spirit

"Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness,

gentleness, and self-control"

From Galatians 5:22-23

In this ongoing series on this list of the gifts of the Spirit, an image of a pyramid has been used. The idea is that Joy is more possible when there is first Love. Peace, patience and the others are natural "by-products" (not the right word, but it will do) of a strong foundation of Love and Joy. As I mentioned before, it's likely that the Apostle Paul does not have this shape in mind. He probably listed gifts as they came to mind, as they have been shown to him through the experience of the community of faith. But the pyramid shape might still be helpful to us as we think about the gifts of the Spirit.

Now, generosity. I'm writing this from home today because I have been battling a cold and I have a nine-year-old to watch after. A member of the congregation just came to my front door and presented me with a few envelopes. One had more monetary gifts for the family our church is helping this Christmas. With these gifts added in, there will be nearly $500 to use strategically to help a family in our community. These gifts along with the many other gifts purchased for the family are given simply because that family has a need and we have the desire to share. There's generosity if I have ever seen it. Over the years our congregation has been able to touch the lives of many people, asking nothing in return. We just wanted to be able to practice the generosity that we experience from God. The families we help are so thankful. It's a humbling experience to be the giver.

The other envelope contained a beautiful card and generous gift of money for my family and me. We have been so blessed by this community but especially St. Paul Lutheran Church. We have a very deep and sincere gratitude for the generosity and love that we have experienced in our faith community. Thank you!

According to one etymological dictionary, "generous" has an original literal meaning "of noble birth." Those who are generous are showing they are of noble birth. That's quite interesting, isn't it? It assumes a position of power, but power used in the best of ways. So when you are generous, you are giving from a position of strength. You're sharing your strength so that your neighbor can become stronger. The miracle of generosity is that generosity grows when it is given. I think that's because it is a gift of the Spirit, and when the Holy Spirit is involved, there is abundant supply. And as we are turning our hearts and minds toward Christmas and Epiphany, we remember that Jesus is the One who is of most "noble birth."

You know when you've received from someone's generosity. Remember, it is one of the ways God touches your life. If you have love, peace, patience and kindness, generosity will easily follow.

Pastor James Aalgaard

Word for Today

¹⁶So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger.  ¹⁷When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child;  ¹⁸and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them.  ¹⁹But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. (From Luke 2)

Can you turn your attention to a certain place inside your body? Last night I was on the treadmill. My knee was hurting, so my attention was most definitely right there. Typically our attention goes to the aches and pains that are occurring inside our body. For some, those pains go on and on throughout the day and night. Medication can take the edge off, muffle the pain for a while. It is possible that our attention to our insides will cause us to miss something going on outside.

At this point in the Nativity Story, young Mary was recovering from the very human act of labor and delivery. Deep inside her body there had been a radical and painful change. Not so long ago she was expecting. Not so long ago she was exhilarated. Now she's exhausted. 

And then, company comes a-calling! Shepherds arrive, smelling like the sheep they watch. And they have quite a yarn to spin! They have quite a story to tell. They tell about a wild vision of angels, announcements and angelic singing. In particular, they look at this baby boy and make proclamation about him.

Mary treasured and pondered. She tucked those words inside her heart. She stored them for later use. She put them away inside her heart for a rainy day. 

In the ancient world, the "heart", the seat of emotion, is about the center of your body. Your heart is pretty close to your belt line. That is where Mary pondered. As one who just delivered, it makes perfect sense, doesn't it?

If you go there now with your attention, and give yourself time to ponder... what comes to mind about your relationship with God?

A final and perhaps unrelated note: the picture below looks like a pencil sketch (although it's probably a wood-cut). Something maybe unique about this medium is that sketching is the act of drawing around something that exists; providing a place for it. Here, the artist has drawn around Christ, made space for him. The same is true today... we can't draw Christ so much as we can make space for him. 

Merry Christmas friends!

Pastor James Aalgaard
St. Paul Lutheran Church

Word for Today

God, the Inventor of Hydraulics

Is your life heavy? Is there anything unbearable with which you're dealing? Are there burdens that you would rather disappeared through the night? Sometimes we wish we can stay horizontal in bed in the morning, so that our burdens don't weigh us down so much. Then we get out of bed and EVERYTHING seems to drop.

From Luke, chapter one: ⁵¹You have shown strength with your arm...

In Jesus, God responded with the strength of his arm. The girl who first declared these words was named Mary. We don't know her age, but it's likely she was between 14 and 18. Not so powerful by the world's standards. Mary is responding to the angelic announcement that she will be delivering a very special baby boy. As he grows in her womb, her center of gravity will change. True hydraulics will be brought to bear in Mary, by the Spirit of God. These are the early signs of the leveraging that God is doing for the sake of the world. The whole world, according to the promise, will be turned upside down. That takes a very strong arm. Mary declares that God has lifted up the lowly. He has brought the tyrant down, and has lifted the oppressed up. The pivot point is Christ, who is being formed in Mary's womb. Lucky for her, Jesus is born and takes the weight of the world's sorrow and brokenness on himself at the ultimate leveraging place, a cross on a small hill. At the crucifixion of Jesus God's arm righted the world in a mighty way.

Hydraulics is the phenomenon of fluid being forced through various containers (pipes, tubes, cylinders) so that with very little effort on the part of the "pusher" and the aid of hydraulics, very heavy objects can be lifted or moved. The technology can be traced all the way back to ancient Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt. But we know it goes even further back, into the mind of God.

I suggest you don't try to leverage your burdens on your own. Your spirit cannot bear the pressure. But you do know Someone who not only CAN bear them, he HAS, and he WANTS to. He's taking the heaviness away... now.

Where does God start this job in you? What is God lifting? Let me know!

For me, God is lifting my doubt of myself. It's pretty heavy.

Pastor James Aalgaard
St. Paul Lutheran Church

"Joy is a net of love that can catch souls" (Mother Teresa)

Word for Today

The Gospel in shorthand:

from First Thessalonians 5:

^"16Rejoice always,  ¹⁷pray without ceasing,  ¹⁸give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.  ¹⁹Do not quench the Spirit.  ²⁰Do not despise the words of prophets,  ²¹but test everything; hold fast to what is good;  ²²abstain from every form of evil."

I grew up knowing the bit of trivia that says the shortest verse in the Bible is "Jesus wept." (John 11:35). How wonderful that little verse is, because it reminds us again of the deep love Jesus has for this world, for Lazarus his friend, and for us.

These short verses from Paul give John a run for his money. (Yes I know, verses weren't added to the biblical text until around the year  1550 by a man with the last name "Estienne". I will still use the shortness of the verses to make my point...) Perhaps these statements needed the added emphasis of verse numbers. These are sound bytes that are so short they can fit in your wallet.

I like that these verses are short and sweet. They get to the point right away without adding theological explanation, narrative, poetry or anything else. It's a mighty-good list. I especially like "Do not quench the Spirit". It takes longer to imagine the Spirit being quenched than it does to speak the words!

Once, several years ago I was welcoming people to worship, and for some reason I had skipped the Confession and Absolution which happens at the beginning of the liturgy. But I wanted to say something, so I make a brief comment that we won't have that part of the service today, and by the way, "you're forgiven." I got a laugh from the assembly but I think there is power in short, sweet, punchy, powerful, graceful words that seem to sum it all up.

These commands are the Gospel in shorthand. Like the swoops and dots, curls and hooks of the above picture show, they are quick ways to share the good news and to remind ourselves of the same. It's a good way to both stay in the community of faith, and bring someone in.

The Ditty Bops, a band from (I think) California, have a great way of summing up the world's version of this... 

"Wake up, and smell the coffee. Rise and shine. The early bird gets the worm. Strike while the iron's hot, and whistle while you work."

They have the Law figured out! (It's our job to infiltrate with the Gospel)

Rejoice. Pray. Don't quench the Spirit.

I feel like a rebel.

What is your shorthand? And, what would you prefer if you were to adopt a new one?

Pastor James Aalgaard
St. Paul Lutheran Church

Word for Today

Welcome, dear friends, to Advent. This is the advent of Jesus. The coming of Christ. The Messiah is on the way. "Advent" is best understood referentially. It is not a stand-alone noun, really. It is a verb-like noun with a subject. The subject is Jesus.

"Light one candle to watch for Messiah... let the light banish darkness" - Wayne L. Wold

"O that you would tear open the heavens and come down," Isaiah 64:1a

When I look at a candle's flame, I am practically lulled to sleep. It is relaxing. The flame has a strange way of slowing down time for me, lengthening my moments, unraveling my tension. What a beautiful way to enter the season of Christmas. Silent night. Holy night.

For as true as this is, it turns out light doesn't have that lazy character. Not one bit. Light has been thought to be the fastest of substances in all of creation, meandering its way through space at a mere 186,000 miles per second. Theories, fields of study, careers have been built on this fundamental truth.

HOWEVER, in Italy recently there was an experiment that turned the world of physics on its ear! "Should the results stand, they would upend more than a century of modern physics," says the below-referenced article. Neutrinos, electrically neutral particles similar to electrons, have been clocked at speeds that are faster than the speed of light.

"If it's correct, it's phenomenal... we'd be looking at a whole new set of rules for how the universe works."

It seems to me that the presence of the Holy Spirit, the coming of the kingdom of God, the healing of the world, is a "whole new set of rules." The Apostle Paul talks about people in Christ living according to the "law of the Spirit," which I have never been able to figure out. There is the law (thou shalt...) and then there is the Spirit. I don't think the Spirit should use "law" language. I suppose the best we can do is say that life in the Spirit is living with a non-law law. Ok, I'm confusing myself too.

Getting back to Mr. Wold the hymnist and Isaiah the prophet, my heart begins to stir when I re-read those phrases, having learned about neutrinos and the speed of light. If only Christ would tear open the heavens and come. What a sight!

My prayer today, is "Jesus come like a neutrino." Doesn't roll off the tongue like other prayers, but I think my Lord understands it just the same. The wonder of it all, is that Jesus does in fact come... not after the prayer or even during, but before.

What darkness do YOU want banished by Messiah's light? Let me know!

For me, I would like Messiah to banish the darkness of distrust.

CBS news article about "faster than light" particles

Pastor James Aalgaard
St. Paul Lutheran Church

"Joy is a net of love that can catch souls" (Mother Teresa)

Patience, a Gift of the Spirit

Once you have love, joy, and peace, can patience follow?

Here we are, working our way through one of the lists of the gifts of the Spirit. Does each gift build on the previous gift? Like the tiers of a pyramid, do the gifts of the Spirit come together so that the top of the pyramid, the cap, is “self-control?” Well, I am probably linking these gifts in a way that was not intended by Paul, but it is an interesting thought. Maybe self-control is so rare because the previous gifts are often not in place!

But now we have the gift of patience. As I look over this list, it seems that patience is the least people-oriented gift of the Spirit. When I think of patience, I think of it as something I need to “do” so that “I” can have what “I” have been waiting for. Blech. And it is usually about materials things, stuff that loses it’s shine and smell of newness as soon as I bring it into my home. Entire economies are built trusting that people are not very good at patience.

If we re-frame this gift however, if we cast a different light on it which is the light of the Holy Spirit, if we see it from another angle, perhaps it becomes more attractive and achievable. What if patience is more about what happens one person to another? What if we could put away our fascination with “stuff” for a while and think about the people who are part of our lives? All of a sudden it seems like we have better air to breathe. We know there are people who are patient with us, and so we recognize the ability to be patient with others.

Lyman Abbott wrote “Patience is passion tamed.” The patience that the Holy Spirit gives is a far cry from apathy or lethargy. The apathetic and lethargic are not patient - they have simply given up. When passion has a direction and the strength to get there one step at a time, like a laser, there is a tremendous amount of direction and purpose.

So in our faith, when is patience called for? You should add to this list:
When our children and grandchildren have not demonstrated a living, active faith.
When people of other faith traditions tell you “how it is.”
When you disappoint yourself spiritually.
When the Bible isn’t speaking to you.
When you would like to finish your journey in this life, and be with your Lord in heaven.
When each today is too much like yesterday.
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May the Lord of love, joy, peace and patience be with you.

Peace, a Gift of the Spirit

First love, then joy, and now peace. Last month I suggested an image of a pyramid, where one level supports the next, etc. As if these gifts of the Spirit have a certain progression to them. I am not certain this is what the Apostle Paul had in mind when he was writing to the Galatians, but it is a curious thought. If love is the base, then joy can easily follow. If love and joy are intact, if they have solid footing, then peace can be a natural progression in communities of faith. Does that make sense? As I think of my own life, I am sure that if I have plenty of love and joy, then peace will be a peace of cake (pun intended!). Someone commented to me that the pyramid is a very strong structure.

We need this spiritual gift at so many occasions. Peace is needed by a mother who is grieving the death of a son. Peace is needed for a person who is thinking about an upcoming surgery. Peace is needed when kids come home from school with problems. Peace is needed between siblings when an unjust decision was made in the family. Peace is needed when next-door neighbors have a clash of opinions. Peace is needed in parts of the world where fighting happens over complex issues. Like waves crashing against a wall, there is opposition to peace in our world, and in our hearts.

Peace has positive side-effects! Clearer thinking, easier breathing, better sleeping, more adaptive and flexible attitudes, patience, etc, these can be unlocked by peace. I am not talking about peace that we can accomplish without our relationship with God. I am talking about peace that ultimately comes from the One who has stilled the opposition, rendered it powerless and made it possible even in this life for us. Through Jesus, a certain peace was created that before did not exist. This peace is yours already. You might as well use it in your own life. Others around you will be captivated by your peace.

Last month I used a quote from Mother Teresa. This month, once again, I would like to quote her. “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.”

May the Lord of love, joy and peace be with you.

Joy, a Gift of the Spirit

Joy, a Gift of the Spirit
“Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness,
gentleness, and self-control”
From Galatians 5:22-23


Last month I wrote about love. What an easy topic! I could write that article in my sleep (not really). Love is the first gift of the Spirit that St. Paul mentions in his letter to the Galatian Christians. The next gift is joy. For those of us who need an attitude adjustment, there is joy!

Imagine a pyramid. The pyramid is made of layers of stone, becoming ever-narrower toward the top. That is an adequate (but not perfect) image for the gifts of the Spirit in Galatians. Imagine “Love” (love that God gives us as a gift through Jesus Christ) as the bottom level, the foundation of the pyramid. Next up, we have joy. Each gift supports and perhaps opens the possibility for the next. Each “layer” is foundational for life in Christ. Each is integral to the whole. Each is a facet of eternal life experienced now.

Now joy. Mother Teresa said, “Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls.” Pause and think about that wise saying for just a moment! Mother Teresa was a notorious scrubber of tender skin. She put in her time flushing out bedpans and lifting weak bodies literally out of the gutter. And she was joyful.

How is your level of joy? I have to confess, I meter out my joy so I can have enough by the end of the day. But that’s a terrible way to be, because by withholding joy I push it away and it only returns by way of the joy of another, and by yet another gift from the Holy Spirit. Joy is meant to be expressed in full force, with all the stops pulled out, all day long. At the end of the day, the joyful person has not run out of joy! In fact (and you know this), joy has increased, even infecting the person next to you.

Can you gaze deeply at all of life’s circumstances with joy? Yes, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Joy doesn’t have to paint life a rosy color. Joy can be an eternal “yes, and” that helps us through each day and each relationship. Someone might say “Things aren’t going so well with my health.” Your response can be, “Yes, and there is a promise that one day there will be healing for all nations, including you, because of Jesus”. Our joy is given to us by the Holy Spirit, which is the presence of the Resurrected Christ in us and in the world around us.

Joy!

Bloggin the Dust off My Books

Joseph Sittler, "Essays on Nature and Grace", 1971

"The fundamental meaning of grace is the goodness and lovingkindness of God and the activity of this goodness in and toward his creation."

Sittler describes creation not as grace in itself, but as the theatre of grace. I believe this resonates with the hiddenness of God.

"God is made known to man in the matrix of space, time, and matter, which are the substance of that mortal theatre in which God deals with his people in their historical actuality."

Judging from his dates, Sittler was on the forefront of an expanded understanding of grace that is able to interact with and be a proclamation toward the expanded knowledge of humankind today. Sittler would have been impressed and amazed at the advancement of technology and science since 1971! Even in this little book he marveled at the fact that we have discovered both the bigness and smallness of creation.

After experiencing the sounds of Günter Bergmann's "Harmonice Mundi Iovis" where a musical mathematical representation of the orbits of four of Jupiter's moons is given (thank you Martin H.C. Spindler), it is less awkward for me to think about grace and the redeeming work of God in Christ as being something that is to be understood cosmically. Joseph Sittler tips his hat to the thinkers of the Orthodox tradition, and by expanding the reader's understanding of grace's subject he illuminates scripture that is familiar to many of us: "For he has made known to us in all wisdom and insight the mystery of his will, according to his purpose which he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth." (The Apostle Paul, Ephesians 1:9-10)

Turn, Turn to Come Round Right

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free,
'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
When true simplicity is gain'd,
To bow and bend we shan't be asham'd,
To turn, turn will be our delight,
Till by turning, turning we come 'round right.
(Shaker. 1845, Elder Joseph Brackett)

Turning, turning to come ‘round right. What an interesting image. What happens when you turn, turn on the dance floor? Well first of all, you get dizzy! Then when you stop turning, you realize you haven’t covered much ground; you’ve covered the same ground over and over again. You’ve covered the same ground over and over again. But this is the image Elder Brackett uses to describe living life here, and then by extension, entering into God’s heavenly care.

One would assume that “coming round right”, especially when it comes to our relationship with a holy and loving God, would involve a straighter path! The Christian’s life is called a journey. We are supposed to start somewhere and end up somewhere else. It would be helpful if we could look over our shoulder and see the experiences, lessons learned, places and people we were in contact with back there.

But I think Brother Joseph had a point. His short musical confession here was born out of the experience of the holy in the daily things of life. Sounds like freedom, if you ask me! Tis the gift to be simple, tis the gift to be free. Round and round goes the rhythm of the day. We begin and we end with our need for a gracious God. We begin and we end with the presence of a gracious God. It’s a dance of little circles. It lasts for one’s whole life, and it is beautiful.

Easter Sunday happens this month. So does the darkness that leads up to it. Holy Week, for example, will have the Maundy Thursday service, and an ecumenical Good Friday service, which will recount the days in which Jesus turned toward the cross, toward also the sin of the world, and toward the only death that gives life to the world. Easter Sunday, it’s as if the circle opens for a brief time, now looking less like a circle and more like arms outstretched in praise. The circle forms again until the next resurrection.

Simplicity

Aah simplicity. The art of surrounding small, seemingly insignificant moments with thought, intention and passion. The art of delving into it, living in it, and being suspended above the time it takes to be there.

I'm sharing a video with you. It's been a while since I've played harmonica, but I really like the instrument, for the simplicity especially. I commend to you Sonny Boy Williamson.

When you watch this video, imagine yourself as the camera person! It is such good, simple stuff. Here we have a man playing harmonica, rhythm and singing. He does all this solo.