Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church - ELCA
Rocky Point, NY
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“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,‘ Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!’ “                            Luke 2:13-14

11/24/2021

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Christmas 2022
As we come to the close of the Advent season, and Christmas is nearly upon us, I think for many of us there is more than the usual amount of anticipation. With the restrictions of the last two years, it will be wonderful to gather again, to sing the Christmas carols, hear the choirs again and be able to greet one another fully. I hope that you are planning to worship with us at one of the four Christmas services this year.

We have much to celebrate as we gather. It will be inspiring just to be able to gather, but even though we’ve faced some challenges at Trinity this year, we are moving steadily in a good direction. After two years of large Covid induced deficits, we will come either finish with a small surplus or a very small deficit. We are moving in the right direction financially. However, more than this, were seeing more people in worship and more children in Sunday School. We’ve largely resumed our yearly calendar of events and our youth programs have full schedules. Confirmation classes are off to a good start, our adult class is meeting, and we have an incredibly talented organist/choir director in Mark Pruett.
During the summer we had another extremely good VBS program. Every year the program gets better, and 2022 was no exception. What will the VBS team do to top it in 2023? Last Sunday afternoon we had our Christmas Pageant and this year’s offering was
"The Nightshift Before Christmas.”  Despite some last-minute changes in the cast due to some unfortunate illnesses, the program was wonderful. Next year we will do something different, and even better.
More than anything, I hope that the peace of God promised by the Angels fills your heart during the Christmas Season. The world needs peace, and as individuals we all could use the peace that the presence of Christ brings to us.
As we walk through the days ahead, it would be well for us to remember the promise of the angels to the shepherds in the fields of Bethlehem,
 
“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
‘Glory to God in the highest heaven,
   and on earth peace among those whom he favors!’ “
                                                                                                Luke 2:13-14
 
Remember, that you are among the favored. God loves you. God loves you so much that he sent his son into the world to share your burdens, fears, needs, challenges, joys, and sorrows. That is the heart of the good news the angels brought to the shepherds, and most certainly since God answered their prayers, we can count on God to hear ours, and to respond with the same grace.

Finally, I hope to see you at our Christmas services. The church sanctuary is prepared to receive guests, the table will be ready, and once again, we will share the story of the Incarnation, and sing the beloved carols that fill our hearts with delight. In the words of the hymn writer,
​“O Come All Ye Faithful…” It will be a blessing to you and to me if we find one another at worship on Christmas Eve.

Christmas Blessings,
Pastor Peter
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The Brightness of the Christ Child

11/30/2015

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  Although scripture does not provide a description of what he looked like, Christians have long claimed that Jesus Christ is the face of God. From him, that is, by knowing about him and his ministry, we gain a glimpse of the character and personality of God.                
  For centuries artists have been fascinated by this notion. Painters of the late Renaissance, for instance, uniformly depicted the face of the infant Jesus aglow with brilliant light, a light which illumined the face of his mother as well.
More than that, the brightness which is the Christ Child brightened the faces of all who gazed upon him, angels, shepherds and magi alike. In these paintings, facial expressions of awe, wonder and joy reflect the radiant brilliance which is Christmas.   
  My prayer for you and for all who “see” the face of God in story and song this Christmas is that your face too will glow with the brightness of the Christ Child.
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Pope Francis 

10/1/2015

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  I was pleased, fascinated and moved by the Pope’s recent visit to Washington, New York City and Philadelphia. His carefully crafted messages and symbolically rich appearances brought inspiration and encouragement not only to Roman Catholics, but to the faithful of all religious traditions.     Speaking with a moral authority rooted deeply in scripture, Francis challenged believers, and indeed, governmental leaders, to live and govern with the courage of biblical convictions.
  Whatever one’s political predilection, those familiar with the bible know that themes of equality, dignity, mercy, compassion, servanthood and stewardship are central to the teachings of Christianity. The Pope’s criticism of consumerism, the quest for power and status, the neglect of the poor, the mistreatment of children, the warehousing of the elderly and the abuse of the environment are not  evidence of the Pope’s politics, but rather of his intention to live by godly principals. In this regard, he used his U.S. visit for good purpose -- to challenge us to do the same.  
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ELCA Youth Gather to Serve

8/13/2015

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  Approximately 30,000 youth and adult leaders attended the ELCA National Youth Gathering this summer in Detroit.  More than a dozen members of Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church participated. The program featured an assortment of excellent speakers, musicians and media productions. But the most inspiring aspect of the Gathering was the participants themselves. Organized into servant teams, the youth, dressed in brightly colored t-shirts, were sent by the hundreds into the streets and neighborhoods of the city as ambassadors of goodwill.
          1,847 mural boards were painted
          600 neighborhoods were affected
          319 vacant homes were boarded up
          3,200 vacant lots were cleared of debris
          1,425 backpacks were distributed
          36 urban gardens were installed
          99 picnic tables were built
          26 dumpsters were filled

  Other projects were conducted as well.
          650 individuals donated at least 8 inches 

             of hair – 433 feet in total
          A blood drive resulted in the collection of 

             78.8 gallons of blood (607 pints) 
          1 million diapers were collected for needy families
          $402,000 was collected for the ELCA World 

             Hunger’s Walk for Water

  The kindness and generosity extended by the young people of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in American surprised and delighted the residents of Detroit. “We did not go to Detroit to save the city,” said one participant, “but to experience it . . . and what an experience it was!”

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Steadfastness in Ministry

1/26/2015

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        May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God 
        and to the steadfastness of Christ.
                                                                                       Thessalonians 3:5

  The word steadfast perhaps best describes the ministry of Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in the calendar year 2014. We remained an active, vibrant, steadfast congregation.
  Hundreds of individuals of all ages attended our worship services and participated in our ministries, programs, and special projects. 

  Financial support of our ministry remained strong and our capital stewardship appeal was successful. Significant additional funds were raised to support faith based ministries outside of our congregation. 
  Patiently and persistently we made progress towards our goal of expanding, renovating and renewing our parish hall.
  Dozens of weddings, funerals, baptisms and bible study sessions were planned and conducted.

  Our Sunday school curriculum was revised and a Saturday class added. 
  Our teenage members enjoyed an growing, spiritually centered, socially conscientious ministry. 
  Team Trinity conducted another successful mission trip. 
  Our Food Pantry and Hot Meal programs continued to provide a valuable and much appreciated community service.
   Our music, worship leadership and fellowship groups provided opportunities for service and enriching friendship.
  We can be proud of these accomplishments and the ministry we have conducted in 2014. We are, to be sure, a busy congregation with much to offer those who seek to be involved with a faith community. Busyness, in itself, however, is not our goal. Our goal is that through our ministries, programs and special projects the Lord will direct our hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.


 

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The Invitation of Christmas

12/17/2014

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  The Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall is indeed a “spectacular” production! Even though much of the show remains the same each year, performances are presented with such beauty, precision and good taste that audiences return season after season. Among my favorite scenes are a 3D ride through the skies of New York and classic pieces such as the March of the Toy Soldiers and the Dance of the Sugarplum Fairies. Yet for me, the most spectacular and moving scene of the production comes at the very end – the living Nativity. The fact that the scene is still included and is presented with such reverence and dignity is truly a wonder in itself.

  Picture it in your mind. A stately procession moves in single file across the stage guided by a bright light: kings and servants, camels and donkeys, shepherds and sheep. They gather before a manger elevated on a hill. Mary and Joseph and the newborn Jesus are there. The light focuses now on the baby as Joseph lifts him high above his head, a symbol that the child is an offering. He is a gift . . . a gift offered not to God, but to the audience! Wise men dressed in beautiful gowns bow before him in tribute. As the curtain falls, the chorus sings O Come, Let us Adore Him; they sing the invitation of Christmas.

  This invitation is once again offered to you this Christmas. You are invited to reach out to the extended hands of God and make God’s gift your own. When you do, when you enter into and intentionally cultivate your relationship with Christ, you discover the power, the peace and the love of Christmas. You experience God’s exquisite gift, for you!



  O Come, Let us Adore Him!

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Jerusalem, The Biography

11/24/2014

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   Here is a book that may interest you. Be warned, however, it relates a brutal tale, and it’s long -- 568 pages. If you like history, are fascinated by the Holy City of Jerusalem and are interested in the historical complexities of Middle Eastern politics, you’ll find this book a fascinating and informative read.

Jerusalem, by Simon Sebag Montefiore
  Montefiore presents more than 3,000 years of Jerusalem’s history. He begins his story with King David, but his account could have begun even earlier --the city was already ancient, he writes, when David captured the citadel. Although its name literally means “City of Peace”, it has been the site of more fanaticism, tragedy and political intrigue than any other city on earth. It was destroyed at least twice, besieged 23 times, attacked 52 times, and captured and recaptured 44 times. It has been ruled by Egyptians, Assyrians, Persians, Romans, Byzantines, Mumluks, Arabs, Albanians, Germans and the British. Still today as a “Holy City” of three great world religions, Jerusalem claims the interest and loyalty of millions.
  Montefiore weaves into his story an assortment of leaders, authorities, heroes, villains and oddities. In addition to biblical characters, Herod the Great, Cleopatra, Baldwin IV (The Leper-King), Saladin, Suleiman, Jazzar the Butcher, Wasif Jawhariyyeh (the Oud-Player), Rasputin and Lawrence of Arabia were my favorites. Of particular interest were the rituals, quarrels and indignities associated with the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
  The status of Jerusalem remains to this day one of the core issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Montefiore provides an excellent summary of the events, personalities and circumstances that continue to shape and trouble Jerusalem, the Holy City on a hill.   

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Peter and Paul, Heroes of the Faith

6/30/2014

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If you haven’t read the stories of Peter and Paul in the New Testament, you’ve missed some great adventures. Of all the apostles, in fact, of all the evangelists, missionaries and preachers that have ever lived, there are none greater than Peter and Paul. It has been said that Peter, among the first of Jesus’ disciples, and Paul, who wrote more than half of the New Testament, are more responsible for the existence of the Christian Church than anyone except Jesus! Inspired and empowered by the Holy Spirit, had not they taken the message of Christianity to the Gentile or non-Jewish world, it is possible that the Christian Church as we know it today would not exist. I do not have the space in this blog to consider the entire span of their ministries. If you want to read more about Peter and Paul, however, the Book of Acts in the New Testament is the place to start.

Because both apostles were martyred on the same date, though in different years, the Christian Church has traditionally commemorated the anniversaries of their deaths on the same day, as we did at Trinity Church on Sunday, June 29.  As I said then, given the importance of Peter and Paul to the life and ministry of the Christian Church, it seems only appropriate, however briefly, to pay them tribute and to learn from the example of their lives.  Among that which can be said of them is this, they were devoted to Jesus, bold in witness, humble in spirit and faithful to the end.

Devoted to Jesus
When we first meet Peter in the New Testament, his name is Simon. Like other disciples of Jesus, he was a fisherman by trade, but we also know that he was a disciple of John the Baptist. He had a brother named Andrew and a wife who often joined him on his missionary journeys. It was Andrew who introduced him to Jesus, who immediately, according to the Gospel of John, renamed him “Cephas or Peter”, which means “rock” in Hebrew and Greek. The name was to shape his character and destiny. It was the example of his faith, his great devotion to Jesus, which became “ the rock” upon which the church was built.

As for Paul, he was an apostle who, unlike the others, had not met Jesus personally. Jesus appeared to him, he testified, in a vision. Named Saul at the time, a persecutor of Christianity, he was commissioned by Christ, under the new name of Paul, “to be an instrument whom God had chosen to bring the name of Christ before the Gentiles. "I myself,” said the Lord, “will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” (Acts 9:15-16).

Unlike Peter, who became a personal friend of Jesus, who was a spokesperson for the Twelve, who was among the inner circle of the disciples, who was with Jesus when he raised Jairus’ daughter from death, who witnessed the Transfiguration of Jesus, and who went with Jesus to the Mount of Olives on the last day of his life, Paul was a convert to the faith. He was an example of those, to quote the Gospel of John, “who believed even though he had not seen.”

Yet both were sincerely devoted to Jesus. At the end of John’s Gospel, even after denying Jesus three times, three times Peter declares his love for Jesus, “Lord, you know that I love you.” He may have expected Jesus to reject him for his betrayal, but instead Jesus commissioned him, “Peter,” he commanded, “feed my sheep.” And as for Paul, near the end of his life, sitting in prison, uncertain of his fate, he declares, “for me, Christ is life!” Christ was everything to him. Both Peter and Paul were devoted to Jesus. It was Jesus who changed their lives.

Bold in Witness
Whoever would have thought that a fisherman, a common workingman, would become one of the greatest Christian evangelists? Peter himself must have been astonished. Just a few days after the Ascension, filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, he rose to address the people of Jerusalem with a message so powerful that 3,000 people were converted. After a second sermon, the religious authorities who had been so eager to hasten Jesus’ death, became so worried about Peter’s claim that Jesus had been raised form the dead, that they threw him in prison to shut him up.

“There is salvation in no one else,” Peter, preached “for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:13). The text continues, “Now when they (the religious authorities) saw the boldness of Peter and realized that he was an uneducated and ordinary man, they were amazed and recognized him as a companion of Jesus.”

And who would have thought that Paul, a persecutor of Christianity, a man hated, despised and feared by the Christian community, would become the very agent God would use to carry the Christian message into the Gentile world?

It was not an easy life. Of his experiences Paul writes: “Five times I have received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I received a stoning. Three times I was shipwrecked; for a night and day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, I was in danger form rivers, bandits, my own people and from Gentiles; I was in danger in the city, in the wilderness, at sea, and in danger from false brothers and sisters; in toil and hardship, through may a sleepless night, I was hungry and thirsty, often without food; I was cold and naked. And besides others things, I am under daily pressure” he concluded, “because of my anxiety for all the churches.”  (2 Cor. 11:24 ff).

Peter, no doubt, could have complied a similar list. Both men suffered much for the sake of their faith; both were bold in witness. Nothing, save death itself, could stop their testimony.  

Humble in Spirit
Despite their remarkable accomplishments both men were well aware of their deficits as persons and as followers of Jesus. In many ways they felt inadequate and unqualified for the task. Scripture tells us, for example, that Peter was impulsive, a characteristic that often got him into trouble. Although he was gifted with spiritual insight, he was slow to comprehend the truth of Jesus’ teachings. Though courageous in witness and the first to confess Jesus as the Christ, he was guilty of a most cowardly denial. While eager to see and worship the Lord after the Resurrection, he was hesitant, and with good reason, to hear what the Lord had to say. 

Paul also had issues. His famous “thorn in the flesh”, whatever it was, was a constant irritant and personal burden. His history as a persecutor of Christians hindered his relationship with the church and its leadership at Jerusalem. His forceful personality and penchant for speaking his mind resulted in countless arguments and misunderstandings. He was a persuasive, but not, apparently, a handsome or winsome preacher. An ancient source described him as short in stature and partly bald. He had crocked legs, poor eyesight and a nose somewhat hocked.

Both men were humbled, astounded and deeply moved that Jesus had chosen them, despite their weaknesses and troublesome pasts, to be his ambassadors in the world.

Faithful to the End
Peter, according to tradition, died as a martyr in Rome probably during the reign of Emperor Nero. Like Jesus, he was crucified – but not exactly like Jesus. It is said that he asked his executioners to hang him on the cross upside down, explaining that he was not worthy to be crucified in the same position as his Savior.

Paul also died in Rome. Rome had long been a desired destination for both evangelists who were eager to give witness to Christ the King in the very the center of the imperial city. There Paul was beheaded, most likely in the Coliseum, perhaps in the presence of the Emperor himself -- a final testimony to the true and only King, Jesus, Christ the Lord. Like Peter, he was faithful to the end.

Inspired by the examples of Peter and Paul, two great heroes of the Christian faith, we strive to be like them: devoted to Jesus, bold in witness, humble in spirit and faithful to the end.
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The Resurrection: Bigger than our Ability to Say!

5/1/2014

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The disciples of Jesus were slow to accept the resurrection. The notion that God could raise someone from the dead was as difficult for them to believe as it is for us.

The gospel writers are honest about this. In Mark’s gospel, for example, we are told that the women who witnessed the empty tomb were so confused and afraid, that they said nothing to anyone.

In Luke, when the women reported to the disciples what they had experienced and who they had encountered at the grave site, we are told that the disciples refused to believe them. Later when Jesus suddenly appeared in their presence, they cowered back thinking they were seeing a ghost. “Why are you frightened,” Jesus said, “and why do doubts arise in your hearts”.

In the Gospel of John, even after the disciples had had a personal encounter with the resurrected Jesus, they still had a difficult time believing, so much so that they decided to go back to their old way of life! “I’m going fishing,” Peter said, and the others agreed to go with him.

Matthew’s Gospel tells us quite plainly that some believed, but others doubted.

N.T. Wright, the New Testament scholar, contends that the notion that an individual could be raised from the dead was not a concept familiar to Judaism.  The disciples, he writes, would never have expected their fellow Jews to believe that Jesus rose from the dead.  They, themselves, couldn’t have imagined it . . . yet this is what they came to believe. It was a belief that transformed their lives. In fact, they gave their lives in witness to it.  

In the April 16, 2014 edition of The Christian Century Magazine, John Buchannan, the magazine’s editor, diverted his readers from contemplating the science of the resurrection to its mystery and meaning. “People come to church on Easter,” he writes, “because there is serious business on the agenda. They are not there to hear an explanation of how a dead body got up and walked out of the tomb. The four biblical accounts are lean: each tells the story slightly differently and none provides a detailed account of the resurrection itself. It is almost as if they are telling us, like someone who warns us not to look too directly at the bright sun, that we should not try to look too directly, that we should perceive this event in a different, deeper way – more heart than mind, more wonder than analysis.” “Some things,” he concludes, “are bigger than our ability to say them”.

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Restoring, Rebuilding, Renewing

3/31/2014

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  For years God has been expanding the ministry of Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church and always seems to be out in front of us -- encouraging us, challenging us, and commissioning us to do new things.
  We started as a Sunday school mission of a neighboring church and quickly grew into a worshiping community. Within a few years we were incorporated as a congregation, built a parsonage and called our first full-time pastor, trusting we could raise enough money to pay his salary.
  When we out grew our small, traditional, wood framed building on Jefferson Street, we built “the fish church”, a magnificent, award winning, stunningly contemporary sanctuary on Route 25a. A few years later, seeking to meet the needs of our growing Sunday school and other programs, a parish hall was built. The extra space provided a home for our newly established Nursery School, for a food pantry, a hot meal program and for countless meetings, bible studies, fellowship opportunities and community events. When even more space was needed, a beautiful office, meeting and fellowship facility was constructed, our sanctuary was remodeled to provide more seating and the parking lot was expanded.
  Through it all, our members have continually told others about our faith community, telling so many, in fact, that we have once again been summoned by God to do something new -- to restore, rebuild and renew!
  Restoring, Rebuilding, Renewing, the theme of our Capital Appeal, invites us to once again respond to God’s ever expanding vision for our congregation. It’s an exciting and challenging vision, a vision which will not only enhance our current ministry, but better prepare us for ministry in the future.
  When my colleague Pastor Bruce Kaifler and I envision the project, and it truly is a project of restoring, rebuilding and renewing, we do not primarily think of a larger, nicer, building, but rather of the ministry that will take place inside of it. We see children learning the Christian faith. We see adults meeting to plan events. We see people in prayer groups, support groups, and bible studies. We see an expanded food pantry and hot meal program. We see teenagers gathered in a safe and healthy environment. We see civic organizations coming together to make our community a better place. We see more and more people becoming connected to one another and to Christ.
  The expansion and renovation of our parish hall represents for us a movement of faith that has been characteristic of our congregation from the very beginning. For years we have been inviting people to be a part of our wonderful church. Now God invites us to embark on the next phase of the journey.  
  As with every worthy endeavor, we trust that God will guide and bless our work. We are encouraged and strengthened by a promise of scripture first spoken to a community considering a restoring, rebuilding, renewing project much greater than ours -- the reconstruction of Jerusalem!  “Do not fear,” wrote the prophet Zephaniah, “The Lord, your God, is in your midst . . . he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love.”  (Zep. 3:17)

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Success in Ministry

2/2/2014

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  Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and see in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
Philippians 4:8-9

How does one measure success in ministry? I wrestle with this question each time I write an annual report. To be sure, Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church had its share of successes in 2013. Our average worship attendance remained strong compared to other area Lutheran congregations. We reached our financial goals. Our many programs, activities and missions continued. We voted to proceed with a long-planned parish hall expansion project and authorized a capital stewardship drive to fund it. New members were added to our rolls and hundreds of prayers, volunteer hours and acts of kindness were extended. We can be proud of these accomplishments. In a time of financial uncertainty and societal change, we remain a strong congregation; a community of faith which seeks to be faithful to God, intentional in witness, spiritually centered and hospitable to all.

This is not to suggest, however, that the congregation was challenge free in 2013. Given the size of the church, our worship attendance should have been much higher than it was and in fact has declined in recent years. Our financial stewardship has kept up with our needs, yet far too many of our congregants give only on a “pay as you go” basis. Although a large number of children enroll in our Sunday school classes each fall, average weekly attendance is increasingly sporadic. Our confirmation classes remain large and our high school ministry grew, yet so many of our youth continue to distance themselves from their faith community as soon as their confirmation obligations are completed. Adjustments to our membership rolls remind us of the number of individuals and families who have lapsed into inactivity or moved to other places.

So how does one measure success in ministry? An honest assessment reminds us that God’s work is always a mixture of successes and challenges, strengths and weakness, hopes and disappointments. As the people of God who are Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, we seek to be a congregation that is faithful to our calling, accountable for our work and hopeful for our future. The meaning of our ministry is found in the work of ministry itself -- in the witness we offer, the service we extend, and, in the words of the Apostle Paul, in the practice of things true, honorable, just, pure, lovely and commendable.



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India Pilgrimage

1/22/2014

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Picture
Last spring when the Rev. Daniel Peter Penumaka, Pastor of St. Paul’s International Lutheran Church in Floral Park, announced his intention to organize a tour of India, he received an immediate response from colleagues and friends who had long encouraged the effort. Following a series of preliminary meetings, on Sunday, November 10, 2013 twelve participants, all members of the Metropolitan New York Synod (five pastors, two synodical deacons and five lay leaders), assembled at Kennedy Airport to join Daniel for the twenty hour journey to New Dehli, the first stop of a sixteen day pilgrimage.  Daniel’s brother, the Rev. Moses Penumaka, Director of Theological Education for Emerging Ministries at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley, also participated.  

Well-known tourist sites were visited: the Jama Masjid, Lotus Temple, India Gate and Gandi’s Tomb in New Delhi; the Taj Mahal in Agra; and in Hyderabad, the Laad Bazaar, Charminar and Golkonda Fort. Yet the purpose of the tour was not so much to visit India’s historic sites, as it was to visit the ministries, clergy and parishioners of the Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church. Located in southeastern India, the AELC is the second largest Lutheran church in India and the third largest in Asia, with more than 5,000 congregations and approximately one million members.

In Guntur, where the AELC’s churchwide offices are located, Pastor Brenda Irving preached at the North Campus of the denomination’s largest congregation, St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church. Approximately 2,000 parishioners attended. Later that morning at St. Matthew’s West Campus, where more than 1000 parishioners awaited our arrival, we were honored with garlands of flowers, cashmere shawls and commemorative gifts. Pastor Perucy Butiku and I brought greetings on behalf of the Metropolitan New York Synod. Before the worship, videotaped interviews were conducted. After the worship, photographs were taken. Here as everywhere on our visit, dozens of parishioners sought prayers and blessings from their guests. That evening, while Pastor Paul Block returned to St. Matthew’s North to preach at a service for youth, other members of our group visited small village churches to witness the revival ministry of the Lutheran Laymen’s League.

At the denomination’s annual Pastors’ Day, also held in Guntur, the Reverend Fedrick Pardesi Babu, Moderator Bishop of the AELC, introduced us to his fellow bishops and to the 900 clergy who were present. I was guest preacher at the opening worship -- a surprise! A huge banner listing our names hung outside the church near the entrance. Later that week, we were invited to Bishop Babu’s home for a dinner with several AELC officers, bishops and dignitaries.

In New Delhi we toured the impressive facilities of the YMCA and learned of the organization’s extensive ministry throughout India. In a slum village outside Hyderabad we visited the Samay School, whose founder and principal is the sister of Daniel’s wife, Sarah. John Ogren, a lay member of our group, preached at the English language service of Hyderabad Lutheran Church, the city’s largest. Later, I preached at the congregation’s Telugu language service, which included a special Sunday school presentation by children and teens. At a reception after the service, Pastor Mary Chang told of her ministry as a parish pastor and hospice chaplain. At the Theological College, divinity students greeted us with a standing ovation; our visit there included a time for dancing. In a poor village near the city, we participated in a colorful and uniquely Lutheran celebration, Church Day, which honored the first Lutheran missionaries to southern India.   Among the congregations visited in Rajahmundry was St. Paul’s Lutheran Church where Daniel and Moses were baptized. In Guntur a group of students at Andhra Christian College shared their goals and expressed their curiosity about life in America.  At a clinic for Hindu women, a dedicated Lutheran physician explained the importance of her ministry and her prayer for its success.

The AELC is a growing church, yet remains a minority within the Christian minority of India’s vast population. As observers we were inspired by the faith, enthusiasm and courage of the pastors and lay leaders we met. From the pastors we learned that their salaries were low (even non-existent), but their commitment was high. From the laity we learned how effective evangelism can be when entrusted to them.  We were shown how Lutheranism in India is shaped by its multicultural and multireligious context. We heard how resurgent nationalist movements present new challenges to its witness. We saw the extent to which poverty and injustice complicate its mission. We learned how confusing competition between Christian denominations can be to the newly converted.

Like every denomination, the AELC has its challenges, yet the Lutherans we visited in India impressed us with their dedication, faithfulness and vitality. For those of us privileged to travel with Pastor Daniel to his boyhood home, to meet members of his family and to commune with those who helped form his faith,  our Lutheran Pilgrimage to India was a reminder of the universality of the Gospel and its continual power to bring hope, grace and salvation to the world.   


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Not the Date but the Meaning!

12/11/2013

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  The exact month and day of Jesus’ birth are not known. When the story of the Nativity is related in Scripture and early Christian literature, the focus is on the theological importance of the narrative, not its date. Because the Gospel of Luke connects Jesus’ birth to the reign of the Emperor Augustus and to a census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria, scholars posit that Jesus was born in or about 6 B.C., yet neither the date of his birth nor even the season – winter, summer, spring or fall —are mentioned.  Before the fourth Century, there is little evidence that Christians observed Christmas at all. Easter was the highpoint and holiest day of the Christian year.

  The first evidence for Christmas as an observance of significance for Christians is found in the records of Rome. In the year 274, the emperor Aurelian introduced in the imperial capital the pagan festival of the Invincible Sun, Natalis Solis Invicti, on the 25th of December. Established on the date of the winter solstice, at some point before 336 the church took advantage of what had become a deeply rooted cultural observance and gave it Christian direction by connecting it with the Incarnation and identifying Jesus as the “Sun of Righteousness”, a reference to Malachi 4:2.  

  The importance of Christmas Day increased gradually after Charlemagne, who was crowned Emperor on Christmas Day in 800. By the High Middle Ages, the holiday had become so prominent that chroniclers routinely noted where various magnates celebrated Christmas. In 1377, for example, it was noted that King Richard II of England hosted a Christmas feast at which twenty-eight oxen and three hundred sheep were eaten!

  Interestingly, in Colonial America the Puritans of New England disapproved of Christmas and outlawed it. Later,  when waves of European immigrants, particularly Germans, brought the celebration of Christmas with them, the holiday gained in popularity. For a time after the American Revolution, when all things European and especially, English, were considered unpatriotic, the celebration of Christmas fell out of favor. Yet ultimately interest in the holiday could not be suppressed. The beauty and meaning of the story of Christ’s birth and the revival of the “spirit” of Christmas, as popularized by Charles Dicken’s novel, A Christmas Carol (1843), established Christmas as the holiday of faith, family, goodwill and compassion that it is today.

  The significance of Christmas for Christians lies not with knowing the exact day of Jesus' birth, be it December 25, July 4 or some other date, but with its meaning. With the prophets of old and the testimony of the centuries Christians gather in worship and celebration each Christmas in witness to their faith that Jesus, the Immanuel, is God’s great gift of salvation for all.

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Sunday in India

11/17/2013

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Via e-mail . . .
The worship services today were long, but interesting. St. Matthew's Lutheran Church in Guntar, where we were at 7:00 a.m., has over 15,000 members. We were graciously greeted by the Bishop. Our names were listed on a giant banner at the entrance. I was asked to bring greetings on behalf of the MNYS and our travel group. Pr. Brenda Jack was the preacher. All were presented with flowers and a gift and treated like celebrities. 

Later we traveled a short distance to another branch of St. Matthew's. The church itself was built in 1906 in European style. One of the pastors had studied at Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus and at Princeton. She was among the first 14 women ordained in the Indian Lutheran Church. After the worship dozens of parishioners stayed behind seeking individual prayer and blessing.

Because we had a rather grueling travel day yesterday, we are taking this afternoon off. I had a nap after only five hours of sleep the night before. This evening we are traveling into the countryside to visit a village church where the Lutheran Laity Movement is conducting a renewal service.

Our hotel here in Guntar isn't as fancy as the other five star hotels we've stayed in to date, but it is located on church owned property next to St. Matthew's Lutheran Church. One great thing about this hotel is that our room is located right on the main market street. One bad thing about the hotel is that it is very noisy because it is located where it is -- the streets are very narrow and the drivers of the cars, trucks and motor bikes honk their horns whenever they need to clear the right of way, which is constant.

The hotel will be a test for some: the hot water is lukewarm, there are no wash cloths in the bathroom, and in some cases. the showers don't work very well. The Wifi link works, however! My roommate, Paul Block, is graciously letting me use his laptop computer, which is a great step up from trying to hunt and peck type on Camy's iPad.

Wish you were here to experience all this. The people are very friendly and curious about this strange group of people (black, white, Asian, Indian, African, tall, short, slender, fat) who have showed up in the middle of their city. We get lots of stares wherever we go, but then we are usually staring back, so all is equal.

We are enjoying lots of Indian food! I am taking some photos, but will rely on Camy to provide most of them, he is a great photographer, which I'm learning, I am not.

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Homecoming Celebrations

8/31/2013

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Many, including myself, speak with appreciation for the Hospice programs that provide care, comfort and ministry to those who are dying and their families.  The programs, often conducted in the homes of the dying, serve as an alternative to the hospitalization of death with dignified care, holistic medicine and spiritual support.

Although the hospice movement is popular among those who identify themselves as white, African Americans, writes Amy Frykholm in the August 5th issue of The Christian Century Magazine, often resist hospice care. The general lack of equality in access to medical care and an embedded distrust of the medical establishment are primary reasons. Yet, for many blacks there are religious reasons as well. Prayers for and belief in healing, for example, play a significant role in African American churches. Because hospice care is based on the assumption that death is immanent, some in the African American faith community view hospice care as an expression of faithlessness – a lack of faith in God’s ability to heal.

Still another reason why the hospice movement has been slow to catch on in African American communities and in black churches in particular, writes Frykholm, is the cultural belief that death is a communal rather than an individualistic process.
Because hospice programs are staffed by a team of strangers, including chaplains, who are specifically trained to serve patients with a variety of needs, the kind of professionalized care the team provides can be alienating to patients and families used to the prayers and support of pastors, relatives and friends they know and love.  When death is experienced as a communal event, as it is in the African American community, hospice programs, as well meaning as they are, are not viewed as especially helpful.  

All of the above is a prelude to a passage I found especially meaningful in Frykholm’s article, The Black Church and Hospice Care, Dying in Community. Among those interviewed for the article was The Reverend Otis Moss, Pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, who spoke not so much about the process of dying as of the communal experience of death.  Deeply rooted in the African American church, he said, is the notion that funerals are “homecoming celebrations”. Here’s the quote:

    We celebrate the life and the gathering of the community, lifting
    up the life and legacy of an individual. They are now home with
    others who have gone before them. You have tears, shouts, laughter,
    fellowship, food, more food. It eases the grief when someone has
    prepared the greatest sweet potato pie anyone has ever tasted as they
    tell the story of how Grandma used to grow tomatoes. The food, the
    stories, the sharing of people’s favorite songs—that helps people
    remember that this is not the end of the story. This is just the beginning
    of the story. It changes how you experience death because it is not final
    for you. In the African tradition, your ancestors speak to you and are with
    you all of the time. The people who go before you make a way for those
    who are living and for those who are not yet born.

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