Grace to you and peace….
Back in 1965 i was born
And from that year until 1972
I lived in a little town of …..
Called elk point
Elk point is located
on the south-eastern tip
Of South Dakota
That little part that sticks down
As a peninsula
Between two rivers
The Big Sioux
And the Missouri
My house was maybe a mile or two
Away from the Missouri
the river that Lewis and Clark
Would have travelled on
As they sought to find the northwest passage
As they sought to find a way
To the Pacific Ocean
In September of 1804
They would have paddled by
where my home
Would one day stand
I’ve often said about elk point
In my imagination it is
just like Mayberry….
Of the Andy Griffith show
—if you’ve ever watched that….
The Main Street is about the same size—small!
It was a place I remember
being filled with many “characters”
Not unlike the characters
In Andy Griffith
including my favorite character
old George Halvorson
Who held court every day
In his hardware store – w/ the guys….
Around an enormous pot-bellied stove
today – if you go into the Ace Hardware store
they will tell you- that the world is the lesser…
…because they no longer meet
they even have a toy
pot-belly stove in the window
as a tribute to Old George…
Every since, I have fashioned myself
As a little Opey
Running around town
Not with a Sheriff for a father
but – a public figure
a pastor in town
Which – in that day and age
Was a position of respect
I’m not sure our culture
respects pastors
…or sheriffs…
Like we used to
well – anyway
Last week on Wednesday
just as i was sitting down to write my sermon
A college classmate of mine- Barb
Sent an email…and in it… she
Reminded me of Elk Point
And that river
And the story of Lewis and Clark
Barb told about a book
she had been reading
Entitled:
Canoeing the mountains
A book she said
that speaks to some of the challenges
we face
On this 500th anniversary
Of Luther’s nailing the 95 theses
To the door in Wittenberg
It’s a book written by Tod Bolson
And it uses the analogy
of Lewis and Clark’s expedition
To challenge us
to recognize the fact
That what got us this far
Is not going to be able to get us
Where we need to go
This book makes the point
That the landscape in front of us
Is significantly different
Than the landscape behind
When Lewis and Clark set out on their expedition
They were under the impression
the lay of the land
In the unexplored west
Was similar to the the lay of the land
they experienced back east
Behind them
They anticipated being able
To canoe through the northwest passage
and reach their ultimate goal
the Pacific Ocean
But instead of encountering
a northwest passage
the year after
they passed that gentle bend
in the Missouri river
where Elk Point stands today
They encountered
the rocky mountains
And soon realized
would not be able to canoe
In the mountains
What had gotten them that far
Was not going to take them
To where they needed to go
They came to the point
Where they realized
They had to abandon the canoes
They had to abandon
The comfortable
Familiar way of traveling
In order – to get through
the Rocky Mountains
On what must have seemed
Like an almost impossible portage
In front of them
They also needed to listen
to some new voices
Voices they hadn’t listened to
In the past
In Lewis and Clark’s case
It was the teenage
Native American mother
Named Sacajawea
The point of the book Barb
reported on to me…
Was to say…
Similarly
Our churches are encountering
A Rocky Mountain range
We’re encountering today
A different landscape
a different culture
Than existed back in 1965
When the church was a central part of the culture
Those were the days
When – not only was there no school on sundays
There were no sports activities
Businesses were shuttered
church was a mainstay
In the cultural life across the country
recently i stumbled across
an old newspaper from the 1940’s
and in it were the program listings
for the main twin city stations
i noted that sunday morning
started off – with the norwegian lutheran service
then they switched to the swedish lutheran service
and finally
just before lunch on Sunday
the sermon at central lutheran church was listed
Does that sound like the scenery
We’re living in today?
On this
The 500th anniversary of the reformation
It is a time for us
To recognize the fact
That we are encountering
Very different times
And very different terrain
Than we have in the past
Bishop Tom Aitken knows it
he told us about some of those harsh realities
in his sermon a couple weeks ago
soon there will be 1,000 empty pulpits in the ELCA
and churches that are struggling
for nearly a 1,000 different reasons
but that basically boil down
to a love of what got them there
and an unwillingness to face facts
about what’s ahead
but the sooner facts are faced…
The better the chance we all have
To open our eyes
To the practical realities
Of what lies ahead for us
and firmly fix ourselves
On what we need to
And make sure we let go
Of things
we need to let go of
while we’re doing this
We also listen to some new voices
Voices we haven’t been used
To listening to before
it’s the reformation task…
for every time
and every generation
i mean – can you imagine
the church officials in Luther’s day
saying …we can’t let go of the practice of indulgences
we can’t let go
of that income stream
yeah – it’s not in the bible
yeah – it’s threatening and intimidating
but look what the beautiful church
look at St. Peter’s basilica..
we’re only 10 years into this construction project
we need the threat of purgatory
if we’re going to complete this …
we can’t listen to this young upstart
who is he – to say
that this tradition in the church is wrong?
he has no respect for authority
he has no appreciation
for the things we consider sacred
(as it was…it took another 109 years…
after Luther objected
for St. Peter’s to be built…)
But it was time…
time to let go of indulgences
it was time to let go of the veneration to saint’s relics
it was time to let go of a lot of things the church treasured
like canoes…
…on the front range of the Rockies…
when you need to go west
it was time to let it go
it was time to listen to the new voice
of Martin Luther, and Melancthon,
and Calvin & Knox and Wycliff
and so many others…
it’s the reformation task….
needed in our church culture today
I would dare say
It is also true here
At Lord of Life
I received a communication
Not so long ago
From someone
who gave permission for this to be shared
this person — SO wanted Lord of Life
To reflect what they had experienced
When they joined the congregation
And I get that
I’ve heard the stories
Nostalgic stories
Stories that have made me wish
I could travel back in time here…
to take a look
I can also-similarly
Almost imagine Lewis & Clark reflecting
On how great paddling on the Missouri was
back in the good old days
When they were passing by the mouth
Of the Big Sioux river…
that place – that must have been idyllic Louis and Clark
that place – was absolutely idyllic for me…
I understand where that comes from
I get it….
but we’re not going to return
to that place
change happens – and we can’t go back
i was reflecting on this sermon
with a leader
after i preached it wednesday night
and this leader
—who has been around here for a while—
said something to the effect…
i’ve just been astonished
at the amount of looking back
that has been happening
here at Lord of Life…
i can’t figure it out
so – i know i’m not alone in this observation
In saying that
I want to quickly remind us all
That we have a wonderful future
an incredible future – i’m convinced
One of the things
That i loved the most
About this analogy
My friend, Barb, was making
Is that i know something
About those rocky mountains
I know something about
The terrain that Lewis and Clark found themselves in
Once they faced up to the truth
Once they gave up the ways of their past
While letting those canoes go
Might have been a scary thing
Some incredible experiences were ahead for them
I have been in every state
east of the rockies
Except the state of Maine…
all of it is beautiful
But i have seen nothing in comparison
To the views I’ve witnessed
In the Rocky Mountains
What a hope-filled vision for the church
Barb has written about…
What grand and wonderful times ahead
We can have
If we let go of the canoes that would weigh us down
our congregation
in the last three years
has grown immensely in our capacity to be flexible
and strategic
in our ministry
there’s always something here to grab us
ways for God to use us
when i came here
people were talking about not finding a place
to get involved
because the clipboard…
didn’t make it to them that week….
we now give you a card every week
that says …
here’s how you can get involved
now we can point you to a place
that aways has things for you to sign up for
a place you can get to…
24 hours a day – 365 days a year….
and if you don’t see anything there
leave a comment on a connection card
we’ll create a ministry – to get your involved
we’ve grown in our capacity to be nimble
and responsive
and to make sure people don’t fall through the cracks
that’s awesome
that’s a beautiful view of a congregation going places
and as we climb together
the view will only get better…
yes – we have things to let go of
but we’ve also got great places to grow to….
when we listen to the new voices
we need to listen to
voices like our new youth member
on the church council
Sarah Nesheim will be confirmed today
and soon she’ll take her place on our council
this is the first time that we have a specific position
for a youth member of the council….
it’s because we need to listen to new voices
as we set about finding our new way
Into a new future
On this
The 500th anniversary
Of the reformation
There is only one more thing
To be said in this sermon… That is really important
One thing that is absolutely critical
It was for Lewis and CLark
It is also for us
And that is to remember
The ultimate goal
And to be firmly fixed
on the intended ultimate destination
That needs to drive
Everything else
In our life together
If Lewis and Clark had gotten to the mountains
And said..
Oh – we love these canoes so much…
we just can’t part with them…
they are just so valuable
they are just so precious to us
We just can’t let them go
let’s hold reunion paddles…
lets find a spot – where we can recreate
the way things were…
when we were paddling in Missouri…
and Nebraska…
let’s just stay here…
…make it like it was…. can we?
That would have been a great tragedy
It was their commitment to the goal
Of getting to the Pacific Ocean
That gave them the clarity needed
To do what needed to be done
for us
that clarity of purpose is found
In our scripture for today
Romans…chapter three:
For we hold that a person is justified
by faith
apart from works
prescribed by the law.
this was a guiding purpose that moved
—not Lewis and Clark—
But a couple other traveling companions…
Luther and Melanchthon…
That – was
What caused Luther to nail 95 arguing points
To a door
This central truth
remains for us today
The end goal
Our version of the Pacific Ocean
a community
Not built on our own works
Not built on our own merits
But understands we are justified
By the grace of God
Through faith alone….
faith alone…
faith alone….yeah, but….
alone…
…alone
yeah, but…
alone…
a community bathed in grace…
A community that lives out
The word of Jesus…
abide in my word….
…and you will know the truth,
and the truth will make you free.”
if the Son makes you free,
you will be free indeed.”
We are a place…
In which we participate
in this amazing journey to freedom
the freeing from the bondage…
of sin…
and all that would weigh us doen…
That God gives us in Jesus Christ…
That was Luther’s purpose…
It is our guiding purpose
It is the pacific-ocean-like goal of ours…
And as long as we hold everything else
A little loosely
As long as we listen
to new – help filled – voices
Ones that can carry us
Further to our goal
We will do alright
for the next 25 years
— in our ever-reforming congregation
for the next 500 years and beyond
in our ever-reforming church
amen.