Oh, teach us, Lord, that we may teach
the precious truths which you impart;
and wing our words, that they may reach
the hidden depths of many a heart.
Frances R. Havergal, "Lord Speak to Us That We May Speak" ELW 676, verse 3
In my first year of Divinity School, I took a class called Introduction to Ministry. Co-taught by professors of preaching, liturgy, and ecclesiology, this course was meant to introduce future pastors to the very basic foundations of our life together in Christ: what makes the church the church? Why do we gather, and how do we do so? What is the Word of God, and how do we share it? I’ll never forget how on the first day Professor David Bartlett stated the school policy that no student would be allowed to take a preaching course until they had first completed a year of coursework in study of the Bible. “We don’t let you preach until you might have a chance to know what you’re talking about,” he joked, but his humorous explanation did not obscure the wisdom behind this policy. Before sending us forth to share the Word, it makes sense to teach us how to read and understand our story as found in the Bible.
As a part of 2011 being our Year of Communication here at Lutheran Church of the Savior, a related insight will help guide us as we go forth to share our faith with our neighbors. As such, our Faith Formation committee has scheduled a number of new and very exciting educational opportunities for people of all ages here at LCS, and many of them begin this month. We will begin with two opportunities to dig into the Bible. On Sunday mornings from March 6th through the Spring, Joe Gleesing and Kerry Thurn will be leading a Bible study through Lutheran scholar Mark Allan Powell’s Fortress Introduction to the Gospels, an excellent way to dive into the primary stories of Jesus’ life and teachings in the words and worlds of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. I hope to read along and participate in this class as I am able, and hope you will be able to join us.
Next, on Wednesday evenings during Lent (beginning March 16th) we will again be gathering for a simple meal, education and evening worship in a Celtic tradition. Our education time on these Wednesdays will feature a study of how Lutherans approach and understand the Bible, in the form of a book called Opening the Book of Faith. This tremendously helpful resource offers and introduction to the Bible and to historical and current Lutheran perspectives on our Scriptures. Our Faith Formation committee is so excited about this opportunity that we hope to provide copies of the book for everyone who is able to attend our Wednesday Lenten gatherings, so you can read along and see for yourself how we can again fall in love with the book of our faith, the Bible.
For our younger members, on Sunday March 20th in place of our regular Sunday School we will offer an introduction to Holy Communion. For some time here we have offered the bread and wine of this sacrament to believers of any age, and we want to give our young people an opportunity to begin to understand this great mystery of our life together. In addition to a basic introduction, we will also be learning how to bake the communion bread that we share every Sunday. This event is open to members of all ages, and is particularly designed for children and their families to learn together about God’s love in Jesus Christ that we experience in this meal. Bring your friends. We plan to make communion education a regular part of our life together in the coming years, and these sessions are meant to take the place of more traditional First Communion instruction.
Finally, as is mentioned elsewhere in this Newsletter, this month I get to work with our Faith-Based Wellness Partners to offer education around end-of-life concerns. After worship on Sunday March 6th, your FBWP will lead a session on medical decision-making at the end of life. The following Sunday after worship, I will lead a session on spiritual concerns and funerals. Each of us will die one day, and our faith tells us that death is not the end for us, that God in the resurrection of Jesus Christ has taken away the finality of death and offered us life in and with Christ beyond this world. Even so, death is confusing and frightening and tragic and terribly sad. Our Year of Communication includes opportunities to talk honestly and compassionately about the most serious and scary times in our lives.
By planning ahead you can ease some of the burden on your family members at the end of your life, allowing them to focus on grieving and remembering rather than focusing so much on the complicated business of medical decisions, funeral arrangements, and more. We hope these gatherings can help make difficult conversations easier for you and your family, and to help our entire congregation support one another in our most difficult times. These meetings begin at Noon on March 6th and 13th and are open to friends, family, and the general public.
I believe the church must be a community in which we can be honest with ourselves and one another about the important things in our lives. In looking at the Gospels, the Bible, Holy Communion and medical and spiritual realities at the end of life, we have a chance to deepen our relationships, to ask difficult questions, and receive support in making choices and to strengthen our life together as a church community. Please join us for as many of these opportunities as you can, bring your friends and family, and contact me if you have questions about any of these events.
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