Other Sundays after Pentecost: Green is used, to indicate our growth in faith as we follow the teachings and ministry of Christ

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July 2008 Pastor's Corner

Summer is humming along. I refuse to say “it’s going too fast!” It’s
actually going at the same pace it always does. I’m just trying to make
more of it this year.
As you take time this summer to swim, fish, eat, tan, grill, eat, mow,
read, rest, run, paint, eat, repair, renovate, travel, and reconnect with
family, don’t forget to also PRAY (which is both listening and talking to
God), MEDITATE, READ YOU BIBLE, SING, AND WORSHIP! Thanks
to all of you who have gone out of your way to worship regularly! Way to
go. If summer is for re-creation, then God should be right in the middle
of it.
Now, this month, to feed your soul I want to share several favorite
poems. I hope you enjoy them.
Peace, Pastor Rich

Forsaken — Tommy
Forsaken
Utter Emptiness
Bounded By Fear
Cannot Evade The Pain
Soul Is Trembling Deep Inside
Finds Happiness In All That's Impure
Lives A Facade To Hide The Emotions
Has No Control Over Free Will Or Independence
Cries For An Answer To Which There Is None
Why? Stands Along A Ledge Of A Bottomless Drop. Why?
Life Flashes, Quick To The Eye, Slow To The Heart
Sees Sanctuary Under The Cross Of A Shooting Star
Begins To Believe In A Power So Great
Tears Emerge From A Soul Once Lost
On Bended Knees, In Deep Prayer
Feels Content Like Never Before
Seeks Refuge In Him
Bounded By Love
Born Again

When Death Comes — Mary Oliver
When death comes like the hungry bear in autumn;
when death comes and takes all the bright coins from his purse
to buy me, and snaps the purse shut;
when death comes like the measles-pox;
when death comes like an iceberg between the shoulder blades,
I want to step through the door full of curiosity, wondering:
what is it going to be like, that cottage of darkness?
And therefore I look upon everything as a brotherhood and a sisterhood,
and I look upon time as no more than an idea,
and I consider eternity as another possibility,
and I think of each life as a flower, as common as a field daisy, and as
singular,
and each name a comfortable music in the mouth
tending as all music does, toward silence,
and each body a lion of courage, and something precious to the earth.
When it's over, I want to say: all my life I was a bride married to
amazement.
I was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms.
When it is over, I don't want to wonder
if I have made of my life something particular, and real.
I don't want to find myself sighing and frightened, or full of argument.
I don't want to end up simply having visited this world.
Poems are from New and Selected Poems by Mary Oliver
(Beacon Press, 25 Beacon St, Boston, MA 02108-2892, ISBN 0 870 681).

Heartprints— Lisa
Wherever our hands touch
We leave fingerprints!
On walls, on furniture
On doorknobs, dishes, books
there is no escape.
As we touch, we leave our identity.
Oh God, wherever I go today
Help me leave heartprints!
Heartprints of compassion
Of understanding and love
Heartprints of kindness
And genuine concern
May my heart touch a lonely
neighbour
Or a runaway daughter
Or an anxious mother
Or perhaps an aged grandfather.
Lord, send me out today
to leave heartprints.
And if someone should say
"I felt your touch"
May that one sense YOUR LOVE
Touching through ME.

No Time — Anonymous
I knelt to pray but not for long,
I had too much to do.
I had to hurry and get to work
For bills would soon be due.
So I knelt and said a hurried
prayer,
And jumped up off my knees.
My Christian duty was now done
My soul could rest at ease.
All day long I had no time
To spread a word of cheer.
No time to speak of Christ to
friends,
They'd laugh at me I'd fear.
No time, no time, too much to do,
That was my constant cry,
No time to give to souls in need
But at last the time, the time to
die.
I went before the Lord,
I came, I stood with downcast
eyes.
For in his hands God held a book;
It was the book of life.
God looked into his book and
said
"Your name I cannot find..
I once was going to write it down..
But never found the time

June 2006 Pastor's Corner
It’s good to laugh, and we never laugh as loud as
when we’re laughing at ourselves. For a light word
to you this month, I share this list that was compiled
by a 20th century Lutheran who, observing
other Lutherans, wrote down exactly what he saw or
heard:
1. Lutherans believe in prayer, but would practically die if asked to pray out
loud.
2. Lutherans like to sing, except when confronted with a new hymn or a
hymn with more than four stanzas.
3. Lutherans believe their pastors will visit them in the hospital, even if they
don't notify them that they are there.
4. Lutherans usually follow the official liturgy and will feel it is their way of
suffering for their sins.
5. Lutherans believe in miracles and even expect miracles, especially
during their stewardship visitation programs or when passing the plate.
6. Lutherans feel that applauding for their children's choirs would make the
kids too proud and conceited.
7. Lutherans think that the Bible forbids them from crossing the aisle while
passing the peace.
8. Lutherans drink coffee as if it were the Third Sacrament.
9. Some Lutherans still believe that an ELCA bride and an LCMS groom
make for a mixed marriage.
10. Lutherans feel guilty for not staying to clean up after their own wedding
reception in the Fellowship Hall.
11. Lutherans are willing to pay up to one dollar for a meal at church.
12. Lutherans think that Garrison Keeler stories are totally factual.
13. Lutherans still serve Jell-O in the proper liturgical color of the season
and think that peas in a tuna noodle casserole adds too much color.
14. Lutherans believe that it is OK to poke fun at themselves and never
take themselves too seriously.
And finally, you know when you're a Lutheran when: It's 100 degrees, with
90% humidity, and you still have coffee after the service.
You hear something really funny during the sermon and smile as loudly as
you can!
Donuts are a line item in the church budget, just like coffee.
The communion cabinet is open to all, but the coffee cabinet is locked up
tight.
All your relatives graduated from a school named Concordia.
When you watch a "Star Wars" movie and they say, May the Force be with
you, you respond, "and also with you".
You actually understand those folks from Lake Wobegon, MN.
And lastly, it takes ten minutes to say good-bye

May 2008 Pastor's Corner
We share...our own selves

“So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with
you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you
have become very dear to us.” 1 Thessalonians 2:8

What sort of memories do you have growing up? If you’re like me,
they’re both good and bad. All of my favorite memories revolve
around people I’ve spent time with. Walking in the woods in suburban
Detroit with my Grandfather, looking in the snow for “bear” tracks. My
Mom rocking me back to sleep after I had a nightmare. Playing Kickthe-
can until way after dark with all the neighborhood kids. Family
trips where we spent hours bored in the car— but always found something
to pass the time. Fishing trips with my Dad. Coming home from
college and spending a day with my Grandmother, learning all her baking
secrets, a short time before she died. So much of the ordinary becomes
extraordinary through love and caring.

The apostle Paul wrote with love and care to the Christian community
at Thessalonica.. “So deeply do we care for you,” he wrote, “that we
are determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also
our own selves…” Why? “...Because you have become very dear to
us.” When we come together as a church to worship, to share coffee,
conversation, and concerns, or to work together as the people of God,
we share not only the Gospel but our very selves. It’s that time spent
together that is so important. So much of it seems ordinary. We may
sit next to each other on Sunday morning, or drive youth to a retreat,
or help fold bulletins. Ordinary events. But the Love we’ve received
from God, that gets channeled out from us, makes these times extraordinary.

We need each other. Not just to support a budget or fill our church on
Sundays. We need the support and care of each other. God has great
things in store for us. In sharing our lives, our vision, our care and
concern for each other, what many would consider ordinary becomes
extraordinary.
Thanks be to God;
Pastor Rich

April 2008 Pastor's Corner

When I was called as a Pastor in my first church I was asked all sorts of questions: How do I handle conflict? What do I believe about infant baptism? What’s my preaching style? One of the church council members asked me a question that I hadn't prepared for. It wasn't on theology or church history or even my favorite pot luck recipe. He asked me my favorite holiday. I was almost embarrassed to say Easter. I thought the council might want a more creative answer. But that's the truth. Easter for me has always been a wonderful holiday for a couple of reasons.

First, Easter is not nearly as commercial as Christmas. Don't get me wrong -- I like a lot of the "secular" traditions of Christmas -- the carols, the tree, and Rudolph. But Christmas seems to be more and more focused on money and merchandising than on God's love for us or even the love we show each other. There is the Easter bunny, but Easter's commercialism can't hold a candle to Christmas.

Secondly, Easter celebrates our relationship with God. Lent is a solemn time, a time to reflect on our separation from God and each other. Lent is a time to "return to the Lord." With Easter we celebrate our reconciliation through Jesus' sacrificial death.

Finally, Easter symbolizes new life. Easter reflects the rebirth of nature through Spring. The death and Resurrection of Christ is a powerful means of hope for me. Symbolically, I believe that we can die to things in our lives and be reborn to live a new and different life. There is hope for change.

The story goes that a boy and his father were riding in their car one summer day with the windows rolled down. A bee flew in and the boy, who was very allergic to the bee’s sting, panicked. The father reached out as the bee flew around the boy and caught the bee in his hand. A few seconds later, the father released the bee and it again started flying around the panicked boy. The father told the boy there was no need to panic, as the father had taken the sting from the bee and he told his son the bee could no longer hurt him. That story serves to remind me that God has taken the sting out of death for us, and He has given us something to replace it. He has given us the hope of eternal life in Heaven with Him. May that hope give you inspiration that death is not the end, and the passion to get on with living life – as it matters eternally. In Christ, Pastor Rich

March 2008 Pastor's Corner
Prayer, when it hurts by Pastor Rich
We’ve been spending time this Lent focused on prayer. The first year I taught confirmation was 1989, in the little town of Crystal Falls, Michigan. We studied the Lord's prayer, split it up into different phrases. I asked the students to take a phrase and creatively reflect, with a picture or a story or a poem or whatever medium they liked. One of my students got this last phrase, "For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever." This student was at a loss. What did this phrase mean? That God was powerful? She had a hard time seeing the power of God, because of events in her life that I’ll leave confidential. But I will share her poem, entitled "No Answers"

God is strong in many hearts, but in my heart he is weak I ask in my prayers why? But there is no answer...
Why does God have people I love die? Or why do people starve? Why are people sad and lonely? Why are children beaten? There are so many questions, but still no answer...
If God is so great and mighty why doesn't he wipe the tears off the hurtful faces? Clothe the naked and shelter the homeless? Why is there war? Why do we fight? I pray to God to help me answer these questions But still no answer....
My pillow is wet with tears of anger and frustration! Asking why, Oh why do we suffer? Yet, still in my heart God is weak and still there is no answer...
God made the earth yet why do we want to blow it up? God made humans, yet why do we have aids? God is strong in many hearts, but in my heart he is weak. I ask in my prayers why? But there is still no answer...

Her words were similar to many a psalm of lament. We’ve all felt that way. Here’s my reply to her:
Dear friend, I, too, cry when I see the pain and violence in the world, when children are beaten, when young people are slaughtered in China just because they want a say in their government, when I visit people who are dying painful deaths of cancer. When I hear about divorces, tornadoes, airplane crashes, people dying of aids.
I get angry especially over violence, especially senseless violence against those who are weak or vulnerable, like children, or the elderly, or women.
I know part of the reason for the pain and the hurt in the world is people. We were all created with the ability to do good or bad, to build up others and our world, but also to tear down. That's our free will. God does not just move us around like puppets. That's one of the wonderful things about being human, but it also causes lots of pain and confusion.
We can't just blame God for our problems in our world. It is humans who have fought wars and built bigger and bigger weapons. It is humans who beat children. It is humans who have enough food to feed the whole world, yet can't split it up in a just way. Lots of the pain and the suffering in the world could be eliminated if people would just treat each other better.
But we have other problems as well, which we as humans don't cause, at least not directly. Horrible diseases, like cancer and AIDS. Natural disasters, like earthquakes, floods, and fires. Plane and car crashes. Loneliness, depression, and despair that seems beyond our control. All these things I would label as "Evil". Evil does exist in the world, not as some comic book character, not as an idea, but as a real thing, which hurts, which divides, which kills. I think that's what hurts and bothers you my friend, and it hurts and bothers me, too.
I wish I had an easy answer to why evil exists. To why if God is so powerful, that God lets people suffer. If God is so good, why doesn't God do something? There are no easy answers. When we experience despair and pain it can seem like there are no answers. It can seem like all of life is dark and hopeless.
But there's more to life then that. There's lot's of wonderful things that I love. Baseball games. Swimming on hot summer days. Lemonade. Books. Lots of Things. And lots of people, too. My mom and dad, for the most part. My future wife. My friends, and family.
If all I knew of the world was it's pain and despair I would probably lose hope and lose faith in God. But the world has so many wonderful things, all part of God's creation, and the creative energies that God has given us. And not just things that we can buy or possess, but people. I've seen people do crazy, wonderful things. I have seen very different people join together to help their neighbors, to feed the hungry, to offer shelter, warmth, comfort. There's no logical reason why those people should have done that. But it's the power of love that I've seen in the world. And I believe that love comes to us from God.
Some people believe that God is distant and silent and uninvolved with our pain and struggles. I don't. I know God cares a lot about us because of who God was in Jesus. Not distant, but with us. Trying to teach us how to care for each other. Healing diseases. God in Jesus was willing to be weak enough to be human and be exposed to all the evil that we experience, even to be killed violently by those who hated him. But this was also God's greatest strength, for God can now always relate to our pain, and despair. God is with us in those times. And just as death could not hold Jesus, death can not hold us, if we believe in his resurrection.
My friend, I hope that is helpful and hopeful for you. We also play a part in reducing the pain and hurt in the world. A man named Albert Camus once said "Maybe it is impossible to live in a world where no innocent children suffer, but it is possible to create a world where fewer children suffer." I believe that, and I hope you do, too.
Even with the despair that we feel at times, I pray that God would continue to give us strength and hope so that we can work towards this kind of world. Keep reaching out to God, my friend, and God will be there for you. Then you will be able to pray in confidence, "For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory." Amen!

January 2008 Pastor's Corner

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December 2006 Pastor's Corner
Christmas Memories
While going through some old boxes at home, I ran across some old 8mm movies taken during my childhood. Fortunately, the old 8mm movie projector is still functioning and so I decided to spend an afternoon going through the films. My goal is to convert these films to DVD format.
These films are just a mere snapshot of a childhood lived in the 1960's and early 70's before the video format became popular. The earliest films were taken while my family lived in Italy. Some capture a few family trips from Naples to places like Venice, Rome, Pompeii and Pisa. The Venice pictures are particularly interesting. It seems like someone thought it would be cute to place bird feed on my head over and over again, just to see how many pigeons would land on my body. From the look on my face, it appears that others are having more fun at this game than I am.
Then there are films that capture celebrations and holidays. Birthdays are a particular favorite. Outside of my brother and baby sister, I have no idea who those children are who attended my 5th year birthday party. But we did look like we were having fun playing "pin the tail on the donkey" and "drop the clothespin in the bottle".
Particularly interesting to me are the pictures of Christmas. Each year recorded contains a long panoramic shot of the room where the Christmas tree is decorated and the greeting cards were hung around the rim of the doorway. Each year there is the track of the Lionel train set running around or near the tree. In later years this train was joined by another set of tracks of the HO train scale, whatever that means. One year over half of the reel was used capturing my mother opening her present from my father, beginning with a large box inside of which was a smaller box, inside of which was a smaller box. This pattern continued until she opened the tiniest of boxes which contained a note that directed her to the Christmas tree where my father had placed an item of jewelry that looked like a necklace. (What husband hasn't used the multiple box trick at least once in his married life?)
What strikes me the most was the sheer joy that was captured on the faces of my brother, sister, and myself as we entered into the room, discovered our presents, and proceeded to open them, making sure to take a moment to hold the gift up so that camera could capture the moment. There is a song, I believe, that says that "Christmas is for children." And there really is something to be said that as children we approach Christmas with a sense of anticipation and joy that somehow gets lost by adulthood. As adults, Christmas become so much more complicated. Whose turn is it to host the family gathering? Did we go to your family or mine last year? How much should we spend this year? And how early do I need to get up on the day after Thanksgiving to take advantage of the early specials?
In the midst of it all, we need to approach Christmas as children. What would it be like if we could just put aside all of the business (and busy-ness) of Christmas and become like children, embracing the pure joy of it all. Beyond the lights, beyond the presents, there is something so delightful, yet so simple: A child born in a manger in Bethlehem, who is God's gift to us all!
Merry Christmas to all! Pastor Kelly

November 2006 Pastor's Corner
Amazing Grace
I cannot imagine what it is like to lose a child. Even though I have taken a pastoral journey with many individuals and families who have lost their sons and daughters at a young age, I cannot know the depth of feelings and emotions that occur at such an occasion. And I do not know how I would react if my child were lost to a senseless act of violence. This past month, there have been at least three incidents of violence taking place in school settings in Colorado, Wisconsin and Pennsyl­vania. Every since the tragedy at Columbine High School in Colorado several years ago, we have experienced an epidemic of violence taking place in schools. Schools are supposed to be places where children can safely learn. Why is it then that many of our schools are no longer safe? What is it that triggers children and adults to acts of violence in our schools?
There was something about the incident in an Amish school in Pennsylvania that struck deeply in my soul. If there was any place that children should feel safe, it should be in an Amish school. After all, the Amish are a deeply religious and peace-loving community. Who could imagine that anyone would want to strike out against children of that community?
And yet someone, clearly not in their right mind, did such a think. But what amazes me was the way that the Amish community responded to the tragedy. They banded together as a community. They offered support for each other. They prayed with each other. They acknowledged God's presence even in the midst of tragedy. They did not seek to assign blame or respond in kind with violence. And what strikes me as a sign of amazing grace, they prayed for the man who terrorized and killed their children. And they prayed for his family.
All too often, we citizens of modern society look down upon these Amish communities and consider them as primitive societies unwilling to adapt to modern culture. Even as people of faith, we tend to view their expression of faith as quaint and peculiar. We view them with curiosity, visiting their communities as tourists, and marveling at the quality of their furniture. Yet rarely do we consider them as examples to follow.
Yet in the mist of this tragedy, they were truly examples of faith. Of course they grieved over the deaths of their children. But they did not view this as an opportunity to seek revenge. They did not see this act of violence as an excuse to respond with violence. They saw this as an opportunity to draw upon the resources of their faith and gather together as a community to offer comfort, support, prayer and understanding. The depths of their compassion enabled them even to pray for the man whose act of violence came as a painful intrusion into their lives.
Too often we view the Amish as a simple people. But in the mist of this tragedy we witnessed just how deep and powerful faith can be. Perhaps their simple acts of grace became a witness to a world and to our nation that all too often responds to evil with evil and to violence with violence. Is it then no accident that when Jesus was dying on the cross, his response was to pray for those whose evil brought him to that cross? Remember his words: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."
Yours in Christ, PK

October 2006 Pastor's Corner

New Hymnal will be introduced in October! After years of planning and testing, a new hymnal designed for use by ELCA congregations will be introduced in October. The new hymnal will be called Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELM. It is the culmination of the five-year Renewing Worship Project.
Many of you are old enough to remember the last time such a transitional was made to the LBW from the red covered Service Book and Hymnal (SBH). Still others of you may remember when the SBH was itself introduced in 1958. These times of transition are always greeted with mixed reviews. Some embrace new hymnals with great hope and anticipation. Still others greet new hymnals with extreme dread and discomfort. In the end, most people are bound to be disappointed, for no hymnal will please everybody all of the time. Inevitably, some favorite hymns old or new will not be included.
The following is a list of responses to "frequently asked questions" about the ELW which appeared in the April 2006 edition of Procession, a publication of the ELCA's Division for Congregational Ministries.
When will the New Hymnal be published? The pew edition of the Evangelical Lutheran Worship (ELW) will be available at the beginning of October 2006. At the same time, the primary leader and accompaniment versions will be available as well as the liturgies in an electronic version.
How much will the new hymnal cost? A discounted pre-publication price of $17.50 for the pew edition is available, if you order before October 2, 2006. Thereafter, the prices will be $20.
How will most congregations afford the investment in a new primary book of worship? Many, if not most, congregations have a history of purchasing primary worship materials in ways that do not burden their regular budget. Memorial gifts, local fund raising projects, and special offerings are among the ways to invest in materials that will serve the mission of the church for the next generation.
Will the Holy Communion Settings from Lutheran Book of Worship (LBW) be included in the new hymnal? A total often musical settings of Holy Communion will appear in Evangelical Lutheran Worship, including the three settings from LBW. Of these ten settings, two are settings with complete rubrics, assembly texts, and music for sung texts, and eight are settings with selected rubrics and assembly texts, and with complete music for sung texts. Additional information on liturgical music is available online at www.renewingworship.org/ELW/content/RTF/ Liturgical -music.rtf.
What if all my favorite hymns are not in the new book? It is important to remember that this is a core volume rather than a comprehensive collection. There will be more hymns and songs than in the LBW. Many are from LBW, With One Voice, and other resources that are familiar. There will be many additional songs that reflect our hope and intention of being a more multicultural church, a part of the global Christian community. Still, the absence of a favorite hymn is not cause for concern, because all of our "favorites" will most likely continue to be available within the family of resources in either paper or electronic format or both. For a complete list of hymns to be included in ELW, go to www.renewingworship.org/ELW/conten/IRTF/Hymn List 20060119.rtf.

Will Evangelical Lutheran Worship be larger than Lutheran Book of Worship? The dimensions of the pew edition of ELW are virtually the same as those of LBW, even though there will be more pages in ELW. Advances in paper production have resulted in thinner, stronger, more opaque paper, which makes it possible to include more pages in the same size. If you look at a copy of LBW that was printed in 1978 and one of the more recently printed copies, notice that the more recently printed ones are slightly thinner. Also, the font being used for the services in ELW is a more open, readable, darker font than LBW.
Will Guitar Chords be included in the accompaniment edition? Because accompaniments for many hymns change harmonically on virtually every beat, guitar chords cannot simply be added to existing accompaniments. Guitar chords will be included for all hymns in an accompaniment version specifically designed for guitar use. This version is expected to be available spring 2007.
For those of you who are interested in learning more about the new hymnal, there will be an introductory workshop held at 2:00 PM on Sunday, October 22"d, at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Libertyville. Check future bulletins for additional information.
No specific plans have been made by our Worship Ministry Team to introduce or purchase the ELW at this time. More information should follow in the November newsletter.
Yours in Christ, Pastor Kelly

September 2006 Pastor's Corner

The Great Marriage Debate
There has been a lot of discussion lately over the discussion of gay marriage. Ever since the Supreme Court of the State of Massachusetts issued a ruling in 2005 that opened the doors of gays and lesbians to legally marry, this has become a great national debate. Similar attempts to legalize gay marriage have thus far failed in California and New York. Many states have already written into their constitutions that marriage consists only of the union of one man and one woman. There is an attempt to place a referendum on the ballot this fall that supports adding similar language to the constitution of the State of Illinois.
This issue has been a rallying cry for many Christians who believe that attempts to legalize gay marriage are part of a larger agenda to undermine fundamental Judeo-Christian values and a direct attack on the nuclear family. However, I do not share that belief. Furthermore, I am not alone in my concern that many are misusing faith and religion to perpetrate an ongoing religious and political oppression of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals and their families. More and more people of faith are choosing to no longer be silent and are speaking out in their belief that homosexuality is not a lifestyle choice nor a deviant urge that can be reversed through prayer and counseling. It is simply the way that God has created some people. The biblical passages frequently cited by those who condemn same gendered loving individuals simply do not speak about a committed and mutual relationship between two consenting adults.
It is true that we are seeing a great transformation in the definitions of marriage and family in the United States and in Europe. Where once the nuclear family (a married man and woman with children) was the norm, this is not longer the case. Children are being raised in a variety of family configurations, including step-families, single parent families, extended families, and gay and lesbian families. Survey the families in our own congregation, and you will note that we represent a great diversity of family systems. The success of such families is not always directly related to whether or not there is a father and a mother in the house, as it is related to the quality of care and nurture that children receive by the adults who raise them.
It is also true that in this generation more marriages end in divorce than in previous generations. People may argue as to why this is the case. There are a great variety of factors that likely contribute to this trend. However, it is a great leap in logic to argue, either sociologically or theologically, that allowing gays and lesbians to marry is a threat, either direct or indirect to heterosexual marriages.
Let me take this to a more personal level. My daughter Katie will be married on July 29`h. She has fallen in love with and chosen to marry Charles Richard Bowers III, a man who is the son of a biracial marriage. His father is black and his mother is white. It should be noted that the marriage of Charles' parents itself would have been considered illegal in many states well up until the mid-20th century, a legal position, mind you, based on biblical arguments. The remnants of racial prejudice persist even to this day when it comes to cross-racial/cultural marriages.

When we gather to celebrate Katie and Charles' marriage, it will be an event that is both legally and religiously sanctioned. As a result of their marriage being recognized by the state, they will receive a long list of legal benefits accorded to them. As a result of their marriage being blessed by the church, they will, in theory, receive the support and nurture of the community of faith. Neither of these benefits, however, are accorded couples in committed same-sex relationships.
As an ordained minister, I perform two functions when I officiate at a marriage. One is a legal function - I am permitted by the state to perform a legally recognized marriage. The other is a religious function,
- I represent the church and offer its blessing to the relationship. I have been approached by gay and lesbian couples, inquiring as to my policy for gay marriages and/or commitment ceremonies. I am very clear that the State of Illinois does not allow me to legally perform such marriages. And I am equally clear that the ELCA does not officially sanction commitment ceremonies of gay/lesbian couples, though some synodical bishops do support local congregations and pastors who use their pastoral discretion to perform such ceremonies.
Would I be willing to perform such ceremonies as pastor of Trinity United Lutheran Church? And if it were legal, would I be willing to officiate at a wedding of a gay or lesbian couple. My answer to both questions would be yes, I would be willing, but I would not do so without the knowledge and support of the congregation in which I serve. In the meantime, I intend to be a voice of advocacy on behalf of the GLBT community, seeking to overcome the societal and religious prejudice that relegates such persons to the status of second-class citizens, especially when it comes to issues of marriage and parenting. I do so fully confident that such an advocacy, though controversial to some, is consistent with the love ethic that is at the center of my Christian faith. And I am willing at any time to discuss the biblical and theological foundations upon which I base this position.
Yours in Christ, PK
P.S. I recommend to you one book in particular that has been very influential in my biblical and theological understanding of these issues: Discovering Images of God: Narratives of Care Among Lesbians and Gays by Larry Kent Graham, Westminster Knox Press, 1997

August 2005 Pastor's Corner

SLIVING THE SACRAMENTAL LIFE: Community
"God has given us to each other to build a community of mutual love where we can discover together that joy is not just for others but for all of us." (Henri Nouwen, Here and Now)
This is the fourth in a serious of articles based on the book Sacramental Living by Dwight and Linda Vogel. The overall premise is to live sacramentally; to see and receive the gift of God's presence in the variety of human experience. Part of sacramental living is to live in community. What is it that a community provides that we cannot do by ourselves? What are the dynamics of living in community that make it sacramental - a holy thing?
One essential thing that community offers to us is companionship. Human beings experience companionship at different levels and in many ways. I experience companionship with my wife in a way that is different from the companionship I share with my daughter. And those family relationships are different still from the companionship I have experienced with various friends over the years.
There is a potential for the sacramental in all of these types of companionships. The Vogels write: "Through companioning we receive grace. We receive this gift with gratitude and are transformed by it. There is always something of mystery in it. We cannot fully understand or explain it. Companioning can be an icon through which we come to know and experience God's presence in our lives." (93)
Sacramental companionship is an important mark of the church. As a community of faith we gather around the meal of the community (communion). We break bread, drink wine, all in the name of Jesus Christ. This community of faith exists not only within the boundaries of our sanctuary, but it exists wherever people gather and share the meal in the name of Christ: "All who accept Jesus Christ's invitation to come to the Table are bound together with us as members of the Body of Christ." (93)
To live in sacramental community is to value diversity. The Vogels write: "Community needs complementarity rather than uniformity. The complementarity resulting from our diversity has sign value. It expresses to the world the possibility of peace and unity despite difference." (92)
Another important mark of community is friendship. In sacramental friendship, "we go beyond our ordinary ways of interacting with others. We perceive in a different way, experiencing more that what is immediately apparent. We receive from beyond ourselves-we each receive more than either of us gives. In companioning we experience more than the some of the personal investment we make. We are transformed in ways that give new meaning to each of our lives and to the lives we share." (99-100)
Over the last several months, I am reminded of just how important my friends and companions are to me, especially you who are a part of my faith community. When my brother died, you comforted me with your words of sympathy and lifted me up in prayer. Then, a few weeks later, you surprised me with a 50th birthday party. As my friends you reminded me that I am not alone, neither in the face of death nor in the celebration of life. Through you, I continually experience God's grace.
I finish with these words from Sacramental Living:
Some persons walk their journey hand in hand with us; others are part of the pilgrimage in significant but less intimate ways. We know we are all on the journey together. We break bread in countless ways. We are companions, and that reality nourishes us for our journey. Whenever we experience the presence of God in our midst, see and hear God's call to journey in faith toward God's kingdom, we know that we are blessed to be walking the path of sacramental living.
Yours in Christ -- Pastor Kelly