Author: Pastor Aleese Kenitzer

If you scan through the announcements that follow, you’ll notice a theme: though there are some announcements for things just SOTC is hosting, there are a lot of joint endeavors goin’ on. 

• Summer Book Club
• Vacation Bible School for preschoolers
• Christian Day Camp
• Summer GOLF (Generations of Living Faith)
• and even the opportunity to purchase a t-shirt or long-sleeved SOTC shirt has the potential to be worn at a RAGBRAI pie fundraiser, should we accept the invitation to help prepare and serve pie alongside several other local congregations. 

Point being: there’s a lot of collaboration going on recently! And that doesn’t even begin to think about opportunities coming up in the fall as kid, youth, and adult groups continue through the joint Family Faith Night program with Grace and Zion. 

So why are we doing all this collaborative work? Why can’t we just do our “own thing” at Shepherd? 

It’s a valid question. For decades, churches have historically worked independently and focused on thier flock. Which, there’s merit to that. But in the past few years, we’ve recognized the joy of living and serving alongside one another in a way that uplifts the spiritual gifts that we all have to share in the body of Christ. And, we’ve recognized the joy of what can be done when we work together. 

But the thing is, the reason we work together isn’t only because it lessens the work load. And we don’t do this work together only because it’s the “good” thing to do, or because it stewards the resources we have. We do this work together, because in doing so, we live out Christ’s prayer for his disciples. And in doing so, we become a witness so that the world might come to believe in the truth of Jesus Christ. 

That’s the reason we live as one with each other. Because even when it takes more time, and even when it creates more headaches, we trust Christ’s prayer for his disciples. And we trust that just as Christ prayed for his disciples to be one, so too are we called to be one with each other and one with Christ…all so that we, and all the world, might come to know the love of God. 

So this week, I have two challenges for you: 
1) Consider how you’re doing at living as one with those around you. What’s causing that to be challenging? And, how might you be called to extend a hand and live as one with someone/a group near you? 

2) And, consider joining us in any of the various collaborative opportunities coming up this summer. You might not find your niche in each opportunity. But I can almost guarantee there’s an opportunity coming up that will give you the space to practice living as one with others.

Two weekends ago, I brought a glass of water and an Alka-Seltzer tablet to worship to illustrate the nature of how God dwells within us and how we dwell within God. As Jesus promised his disciples on the eve of his death, Jesus has created places us for us to dwell with Christ – not only after our death, but here and now as we dwell in God and as God dwells in us. 

But how, really, does that work? How could God – the almighty and all-powerful God – reside within mortal bodies like our own? And how could we dwell in God? 

It’s a solid question. And just as much as I wouldn’t be able to tell you exactly how or why an Alka-Seltzer tablet dissolves completely in water, I wouldn’t be able to tell you exactly how we dwell in Christ and Christ dwells in us. But this past weekend in our Gospel lesson, we got a hint as Jesus promised his disciples an Advocate – the Spirit of Truth. For it is only by the power of the Spirit that we are united to God and we are united to one another in the body of Christ. 

But that only raises even more questions! What is the Spirit and what does the Spirit do? How does the Spirit work within us and how does the Spirit actually connect us to God? 

Again, solid questions. Dare I say, even faithful questions. Questions that I’ve wondered for years, and questions that so many scholars and leaders of the church have spilled serious amounts of ink over. 

So then, with all these questions, what are we to think as people of faith? Well, I wonder if the invitation to us as followers of Jesus is not necessarily to “understand” all the in’s and out’s of the Spirit and the Triune God. Rather, I wonder if the invitation to us is to allow the Spirit to move within us so that we might be united to Christ and to one another. 

For sure, to live in such a way won’t erase all the questions. And, if you’re wondering about questions like these, I invite you to consider joining us this summer as a part of our Book Club or next fall as a part of an adult formation group. In these spaces, together, we have the opportunity to hear various perspectives, and bring our own experiences of God to the table as we discover the truth of God for ourselves. 

But in the meantime, this week, keep pondering and wondering…faithfully. And, as you are willing, invite the Spirit to move through you – uniting you to God and to those around you and leading you, and all God’s creation, to fullness of life.

There’s a couch at a friends’ home that I always sit in when I’m there. For sure, there are several other places I could sit. But over time, the right corner of the couch has become my “nook” whenever I’m there. I can nestle down on into the cushions, and I feel at home…even though I’m not in my home. I can let a load off from the day, and I can allow my body to relax. 

Whether in our own home, in the home of another, in another building, or outside, many of us may have those “dwelling places” where we feel “at home.” Places where we can be ourselves – fully – and places where we can allow ourselves to be still…even for just a moment. 

Well, in this past Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus promises that he is going to prepare those places for his disciples to dwell with him. He promises to create spaces – here and now! – where we can remain in God’s presence, where we can be ourselves without fear of repercussions, and where we can allow ourselves to sink into the mercy of our Father. 

God has created those spaces for us. But even more than physical spaces, as we discovered on Sunday morning, the space that Jesus has created for us is not so much a physical place. Rather, what Jesus promised his disciples, and promises us, is that Jesus has created a space for us to dwell in him, and for him to dwell in us. Instead of co-existing together, it’s almost as if we become like an Alka-Seltzer tablet…dissolving into one with our Lord. 

So this week, as you find yourself going from place to place, consider the places that you frequent that you might call “home.” And, going one step further, take a moment to recognize the home that God has made in you, and that you have in Christ. On a day to day basis, we might not always have the luxury of landing on our favorite spot on the couch. But we always, always, have the promise of living as one – at home – with our Lord.

This past Sunday we celebrated Good Shepherd Sunday. In worship, we focused our attention on Jesus’ call for us to listen to his voice as our shepherd and to be ushered into fullness of life along with those in the fold of God (John 10:1-10). Great stuff. But, in doing so, we only gave lip-service to Psalm 23, our appointed psalm for the day. 

Often, Psalm 23 is a psalm that we recite at funerals. And, appropriately so. Psalm 23 offers a word of comfort, and promises us that even in the valley of the shadow of death, our Lord does not leave us, but walks with us so that we might dwell in the house of the Lord forever. 

Psalm 23 leads us into Christ’s presence, even after our death. But rather than seeing this psalm as just something recited at funerals, what would happen if we also looked at this psalm as a psalm written for those of us who are still living? Where might this psalm lead us? Well, as the psalm suggests…

• it would lead us to green pastures: to places of sustenance and nourishment;
• it would lead us to waters of rest where our soul, indeed our very life, would be restored;
• it would lead us to a table of abundance: to a feast of goodness and mercy;
• and it would lead us to a place in which we are anointed –  blessed – by our Good Shepherd who calls us Beloved. 

Psalm 23 leads us to these promises. But…how do we get there? 

At the close of the psalm, often translations state “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” (vs. 6) Follow. The word seems rather passive. But in the Hebrew translation, the impetus behind the action for “follow” is much stronger than a sauntering walk. It’s a full-blown pursuit. This is an active, chase-you-down, nothin’s-gonna-stop-me-’til-I-get-you-in-the-groove sort of pursuit. 

So, how do we get to where Psalm 23 leads us? Not on our own. Instead, it’s our Good Shepherd – our Lord Jesus Christ – who pulls us into the groove, into the path that leads us to abundant  life. 

So this week, pay attention to the pursuit of your Good Shepherd pulling you into his groove – his path – of righteousness. And if you’re willing, allow Jesus to take the lead for a bit…drawing you into the life God has in store for you. For in following the pursuit of our Good Shepherd, it’s there – even now, in the land of the living – that we will dwell in our Lord’s presence our whole life long.

Since Easter Sunday, you likely noticed that our altar looks different than normal. Our Worship and Music Team got creative and had an idea to transform the altar to resemble Christ’s tomb.

As our Worship and Music Team was compiling this the Saturday before Easter, for a time we struggled to get all the pieces to look “right.” Wanting to make the inside of the tomb appear dark, we draped black fabric on the sides and back of the altar. But also wanting to retain a semblance of white paraments for the season of Easter, we searched and searched and searched for what might seem “right.”

Alas, we pulled out the funeral pall. That’s right: on top of our altar is a piece of cloth that’s intended to drape caskets at funerals. At first, it might seem like an odd thing to use. Isn’t Easter supposed to be a season of resurrection and new life? Not a season that reminds us of death? 

Yes. But, without death, there cannot be new life. And, the funeral pall is a sign of new life. At the beginning of many funeral services, we hear these words (referencing Romans 8:4-5):

When we were baptized into Christ Jesus, we were baptized into his death. We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live a new life. For as people united with Christ in a death like his, and as people clothed with Christ, we shall certainly be united with Christ in a resurrection like his.

The pall that we place on caskets is physical act of draping our loved ones in their baptismal garments. It is not on our own merit that we receive eternal and abundant life. But clothed in Christ, God’s life becomes our life. 

So though it seems odd, to drape our altar with a funeral pall is actually quite appropriate. In the Eucharist, we believe that Jesus Christ – as our crucified and risen Lord – is present to us. And through his death and resurrection, the sacrament we receive offers us grace, hope, healing, forgiveness, and life everlasting. 

So next time you’re in worship, take a moment to reflect on our altar for the season of Easter. Reflect on how you have been united with Christ through his death and resurrection and how you have been clothed with Christ in your baptism. And as you receive the elements of communion, give thanks that God’s promises to you are not merely words…but a lived reality as we go forth forgiven, healed, and filled with life.