Every year, I’m asked about where Jesus was or what he was doing on Holy Saturday. This meme pretty much sums it up even if in a humorous way. Jesus descended to sheol, the place of the dead out of love for others. The primary scriptural reference is from Peter 3:18-20:
“For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight people, were saved through water” (NRSV Translation).
Christians debate what translated words to use. Did he descend into sheol, hell, or to the dead? That’s just a matter of translation. They also wonder about him coming victoriously or whether he still suffered? That is ultimately a holy mystery. What we do know is that Jesus experienced death fully, and even in death, he came to open heaven to those who trusted in God.
Recently, a congregant received a mass card from Roman Catholic friends after her mother died. A certain number of masses are going to be said at a church community or through a religious community on behalf of the beloved departed. I often get the question in such circumstances, “What is this all about?”
That’s a great and common question. It is all related to the idea of purgatory. From several verses in the Bible and the Apocrypha (Old Testament books not recognized at the level of scripture by Lutherans, but respected), Roman Catholics had developed the idea of purgatory – a place where our sins would be purged after death in order to make us worthy of living with God. More sin meant a longer time in purgatory perhaps hundreds or thousands of human years.
Thought to be a painful process or place, Roman Catholics discerned those languishing in purgatory might be helped with prayers offered for their sake. (Again, they did so using some scripture and Apocryphal sources, but also some questionable human mythic ideas that popped up over time.) In short, they began to think people could make sacrifices, pilgrimages, etc. to help the dearly departed or themselves. This eventually came to include paying money to satisfy any debt for sin. That’s where paid indulgences came into popularity and eventually Luther’s 95 Theses in opposition.
Although paid indulgences don’t exist as they did in the 16th Century, the Roman Catholic Church still holds onto the idea of purgatory and the need for additional satisfaction for sin. Although some modern Roman Catholic theologians now focus on purgatory being more of a process than a place, you still find literature and devotions allowing for a certain number of years off any time in purgatory based on prayers (rosaries said or novenas for example), masses said where the souls of those in purgatory are prayed for (usually for a donation), or specified approved service or pilgrimages (for example, some pilgrimage completed and 0 or 500 years off). At other times no such benefit is promised. The benefit is discerned by the Church leadership under the Pope, not locally. Despite some changes in or diversity amidst explanations offered, old ways die hard.
Although Lutheran’s often pray at the time of death, funerals, and committals that Christ accept the soul of the departed into his care and keeping, we don’t agree with the idea of purgatory per se. We don’t feel there is firm scriptural proof for it. Luther did for a time seem to hold onto the idea that some kind of purging would happen, but this did not necessarily mean a place existed nor was it anything faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus couldn’t cover. If there is any “purging” (or in effect “purifying”) this isn’t something we worry about or seek to describe. We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus. That’s all we know clearly from scripture. That’s what we trust in. Luther used to argue, “Remember you are baptized,” and “Jesus doesn’t lie.” If you are Jesus’ through faith and baptism, you are saved. Yet, Lutherans and other Protestants (particularly the Reformed) sometimes still talk in terms of “glorification” after death which might echo the Roman Catholic view somewhat. Yet again, we all basically reject the Roman Catholic construct of purgatory.
That said, when someone Roman Catholic has paid for masses to be said for the soul of someone who has died, a “mass card” is often sent to let the bereaved family members know. The mass is said as an offering for the person to be acceptable before God. (There might be other names prayed for at the same time.) It is meant to honor and help the departed and comfort the grieving, so I just say thank you instead of entering any theological debate. It was a gift offered in love and their faith. If they ask about our faith in regards to this practice, I’m honest. In my heart, I trust my loved one is already covered by grace through faith. On the negative side, some Roman Catholic agencies and parishes (not all) can use paid for masses as a form of fundraising – not so unlike Luther’s hated indulgences. Its problematic on many levels even among the Roman Catholic faithful, but sadly, it does happen.
An image of a ‘light echo’ produced by the glare from a star that was, for one brief shining moment, the brightest star in the night sky – V838 Monocerotis (Source: Daily Mail)
“And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” (John 12:32)
Through the fall, the world suffered what seemed to be irreparable separation from God. Instead, the rest of scripture reveals God’s ultimate plan, the reconciliation and unity that occur through Jesus Christ.
In the Jewish scriptures, God promises time and again to use the Jewish people as a means to bless all nations. In the Gospels, we see Jesus preach, teach and do miracles in ways that heal the world and draw people together in his love. As the church begins, we learn from the Spirit that there is no longer gentile or Jew, male or female. Economic and political differences, ethnicity and language are moot points when it comes to the reach of God’s love.
In the end of time, all promises will be fulfilled. Jesus will come again as “the bright morning star” announcing:
“The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come.’
And let everyone who hears say, ‘Come.’
And let everyone who is thirsty come.
Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift.” (Rev. 22:17)
Until that day, we have been called together to be his one body, the church. On his behalf and with his authority, we have the honor and duty to share the water of life and invite all we meet, “Come, follow Jesus. Be one with us in his love.”
Discussion questions:
What gets in your way of a deeper relationship with Jesus? How do you live as one with his church? How can you invite others into such a relationship?
The above reflection was originally published in Messiah Lutheran Church and School’s worship bulletin for the Second Sunday of Advent, 2013. It is meant to complement Creative Communications’ Bright Star of Bethlehem series for Advent and Christmas.
Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations for this article are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) translation.
Each year, we hear debates among Christians regarding Halloween. With all its secular, commercial and bewitching components and hoopla, should Christians celebrate? I argue, “Yes!” If one considers the history of the day and its likely very intentional relationship to the start of the Protestant Reformation, it is impossible to deny the Christian faith’s connection to Halloween. We should celebrate with vigor, yet we should also understand its origins, purpose and potential.
Historically, the word Halloween is a contraction of All Hallows Eve. You might recall that hallow is an Old English word for “to be made holy” (as a verb) or saint (as a noun). Halloween is the evening before the Feast of All Hallows (or in modern English, Saints). Today, we know this religious celebration more commonly as All Saints Day, November 1st.
During All Saints Day, many in the Western church remember with thanksgiving the saints who are now with God. (Orthodox Christians celebrate this feast the Sunday after Pentecost.) Originally, the feast seems to have been celebrated intermittently and not uniformly on May 13th. That’s when Pope Boniface IV consecrated the Pantheon in Rome, a temple formerly dedicated to all gods, in about 609 CE. Thereafter, it became a church dedicated to Mary, the Mother of God and All Martyrs, those who died for their Christian faith. Since the Renaissance period, the building has served as a tomb rather than a church.
This ancient All Saints Day became a time to remember martyrs of the faith and later all canonized saints. During the reign of Pope Gregory III (731-741), the feast day was officially moved to November 1st. Some argue this was done to help combat and suppress the particular pagan Celtic practice of Samhain, a celebration on or about sunset 31 October to sunset 1 November.
Samhain and other similar pagan festivals marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. It was a time of growing darkness when the Celtic culture and many others – including many early superstitious Christians – believed the lines between our world and the place of the dead became blurred. Stories of hauntings and practicing divination were deeply associated with the pagan holiday.
As with Jewish custom, Christian worship practices recognize the next day begins at sundown. This allowed for a “vigil mass” or service to be held the evening before All Saints Day. This further helped coopt that evening of October 31st into a firmly Christian celebration.
Over the years, the Christian liturgical calendar continued to develop. A Commemoration of All Faithful Departed, not just martyrs or those declared to be saints through canonization, was officially added on November 2nd.[i] In Roman Catholic theology, the belief in purgatory (a place of purging sins to help make one worthy of heaven) had become accepted. This added religious feast day would serve to remember those faithful not yet in heaven and pray for their quick release from purgation. It was intimately associated with the practice of indulgences; pardons earned by works or paid for to free oneself or a loved one from purgatory more quickly.
With the many obvious medieval abuses of this teaching and his own spiritual awakening, Martin Luther began to wrestle with the contemporary practices of the Western church, especially indulgences. A biblical professor and Roman Catholic priest, he wrote 95 points (or theses) he wished to debate regarding how one is saved. Could one buy forgiveness paying for what was called an indulgence? Is it possible to earn your way into heaven or to prove yourself worthy of salvation? These were his ultimate questions.
From studying scripture, the answer had become obvious to Martin Luther. Faith comes down to trusting what Jesus did for us on the cross and through his resurrection. Jesus’ holy work was enough to cover all our sins – past, present and future – just as Jesus promised in scripture, “So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.”[ii]
Although I personally have not yet found any writings explicitly connecting Luther’s posting of his 95 Theses on 31 October 1517 to Halloween, it seems exceedingly likely. Luther would expect large crowds to be present at church for the feast days ahead. Further, this educated man probably recognized the propriety of discerning about indulgences and purgatory as the Western church prepared to celebrate All Hallows Eve or Halloween, the Feast of All Saints, and the Commemoration of All the Faithfully Departed (now commonly known as All Souls Day). His 95 Theses specifically addressed beliefs, practices and excesses associated with these celebrations.
Understanding that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, Lutherans no longer recognize purgatory or All Souls Day, but Halloween as well as All Saints Day remain on many of our personal and religious calendars. (For Roman Catholics and some others, many still look at the three days of October 31st through November 2nd as intimately connected and call it “the triduum of Hallowmas.”)
As a Protestant Christian, Halloween need not be a time where we find ourselves over focusing on evil, commercialism, violence or anything else. It can become a time of worship and spiritual formation. Despite its origins and relationship with pagan practices, it can now serve as the perfect time to remember what ignited the Protestant Reformation and particularly the saving work of Jesus Christ. We can celebrate both the love and memories of the faithfully departed as well as share in family fun – yes, trick-or-treating, trunk-or-treating or parties included. Like all things in life, our Halloween celebrations can be whatever we choose to make of them including something appropriate for all Christ’s sinner-saints[iii] still here on earth. How we celebrate can witness to our shared faith in Jesus and love for one another.
Some practices you might like to consider:
Visit grave sites of loved ones to place flowers, candles or luminaria (as allowed by regulation or law). Pray with thanksgiving for how God shared love with you through their lives.
In your faith community, share the names of those who have died over the last year perhaps ringing a bell for each one. You might allow for a special wreath where flowers can be added to symbolically represent those God used to shape your life and faith. Pray for all those who continue to mourn.
Talk about your ancestors and family history together. Share stories of faith. How did your family communicate and pass down their faith in Jesus? Where do you see God’s steadfast love at work in the stories of the past or in your present lives?
Have a Reformation Day party or reenact Martin Luther’s posting of the 95 Theses.
Instead of dressing up as a ghost or goblin, consider positive role models such as faith-filled saints of the past or inspiring heroes of the present.
Share in a bonfire and hymn sing with friends and family or attend a fall festival.
For something different, carve pumpkins with religious or Reformation themes.
We need not grieve like the rest of humanity over those who have died. Sin, death and the Devil no longer have a hold over us thanks be to Jesus Christ, so there is no cause to be afraid. As the children of God, we have a multitude of reasons to celebrate for all eternity. So, why not celebrate Halloween?
[i] Recognitions similar to All Souls Day seem to have been a practice from early Christianity, but they varied greatly in timing and scope. CatholicCulture.org reports this about the origin of All Souls Day: “Masses for the dead are found in the fifth century. But it was St. Odilo [c.962 – c.1048], fourth abbot of Cluny, who was responsible for the institution of the general commemoration of all the faithful departed; he instituted it and fixed its celebration on November 2, the day after All Saints. The practice spread to the rest of Christendom.” (Others claim the three day celebration stems from an order by Pope Gregory IV in the 8th century.) Indulgences are still attached to All Souls Day in the Roman Catholic Church. Learn more at: http://bit.ly/Hstmm5
[iii] Luther came to argue that Christians remain simultaneously sinners (still struggling with sin) yet saved (through faith in Jesus Christ). We should strive to follow Christ, but we must accept our constant need for grace. Jesus is the only source of our salvation, not our works.
Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations for this article are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) translation.
The image “pumpkin of Luther posting his 95 Theses” used above with this post is believed not to be copyrighted. If I am in error, please contact me, and I will remove it or provide proper attribution as desired. Efforts were made to identify its source but unsuccessfully.
Although not traditional first responders, pastors and other ministry leaders prove an integral part of the response to any emergency. What they choose to do or not do impacts the entire community as people seek to deal with the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aftermath. I hope pastors, other ministers and church leaders might consider and discuss the following points for their benefit and the benefit of those they serve.
When it comes to facing evil, sin and death, I don’t think anyone can ever be an expert. The context of any situation and the needs of those affected vary. Our own resiliency and competencies change. I don’t think there can be a single, perfect response when we and our world are so imperfect.
The following comments are not meant to reflect expertise or suggest a perfect response, but they do reflect some things I have learned along my way as a former police officer and hospice chaplain. Currently, I serve as a volunteer law enforcement chaplain,[i] yet I am still learning. At the same time, I desire to learn from your comments and feedback based upon your own experiences and training. Please share them privately with me or in the comments section below.
Regarding unexpected emergencies and disasters:
1. Stay calm and listen: Listen to local media for instructions from emergency officials. As you listen, recognize that there exists a great deal of confusion. As the media and individual politicians seek to get information out quickly, the result is often many false reports and much bad information. Not unlike gossip, avoid passing this on or instinctually reacting to it as if true. Wait for official statements of first responders, disaster organizations, and government officials actually in charge of rescue operations and response. Even though these too can err, they remain your best sources for information to inform your own response and pass on. Try to listen to or watch any and all official press conferences. Prior to emergencies, consider following your local first responders, aid organizations, and local government, state and federal entities (especially departments of emergency management at the county and state level) on Twitter and Facebook. If they offer texts in emergencies, sign up for that service.
2. Observe and report: Before, during, and after an unexpected emergency don’t call 911 unless an emergency. Store your local first responder’s non-emergency numbers in your cell phone and address books prior to your need for them. These can be used in cases where there is no immediate or confirmed threat, leaving emergency lines open for those who really need them. Report all suspicious activity, as any info can be helpful. Let those in charge decide what is important. If community truly is a response to a common call, we must all seek to serve and protect those entrusted to us, our neighbors.
3. Avoid phone use in and to affected areas. Don’t overload the system with needless calls. No matter how concerned you are for a loved one, your call may inhibit first responder’s response to those in need and their use of communication assets. (In Boston, the media suggested officials had turned off cell service. It is more likely local service was overwhelmed as with past terrorist activity.) Remember also, cellular signals can inadvertently cause detonations of explosive devices and fumes. If you are in the immediate area of the emergency, follow the directions of emergency personal. Wait on calls until in a safe place or longer if possible. Even once in a safe place, Twitter and Facebook might be the best way to communicate. You might reach many more people at once.
After a recent earthquake, people could not reach our preschool as phone systems were overwhelmed. Through Twitter (including an automatic feed to our website) and Facebook, we were able to advise that everyone was safe, thus removing the need for calls to our location. After a hurricane, we were able to easily pass on information about emergency services and resources (such as ice, food and water) to those without regular phone service or power. Most people were still connected to the internet and social media through charging mobile phones in their cars.
4. Stay in a safe place. Don’t clog roads with needless travel or get in way of first responders. If they or aid agencies need help, they will ask for it. They will direct you to a staging area or advise of materials needed and collection points. Even in weather emergencies, don’t assume because you can get to your church people should be on the roads. Emergency responders and utilities will be slowed and unnecessarily taxed by accidents resulting from people thinking the roads are safe when they aren’t. Signals out at intersections can be as dangerous as downed trees, power lines and flooding. PLEASE follow the directives of your local and state governments. If they ask people to stay off the roads, don’t hold services or events. More traffic means more risk for emergency responders, transportation employees, and utility workers. Traffic related accidents is among the biggest killer for these publiuc servants. Sadly, businesses tend to ignore such directives, but I think they do so selfishly. Faith communities should and can do better.
5. Pray, comment and act wisely. As leaders in the community, the concept of being a non-anxious presence remains valid. While recognizing your own emotions and limits, it will not be the best time to share them openly and unfiltered on Facebook, Twitter or in person. Again, don’t add to the gossip and sharing of bad information. People will react to your own modeling of behaviors and attitudes, so seek to be prudent, loving and faithful.
If responding to an act of violence or terror, it is biblically sound to speak of the need to avoid scapegoating. Yet in speaking of love, peace, reconcilliation and forgiveness, let’s not forget the great challenges of those who might be called to a vocation where they must manage and use violence. They do so in order to serve and protect others. At their best, they are seeking to establish Christ’s justice and peace in the world, defend and protect the week, and love their neighbor – even their enemies at times. Choose your words wisely.
Unless you consider the Christian call one of pure pacifism, or you feel pacisifism a higher call, I would argue theirs can and should be deemed a holy vocation. Speaking solely of turning the other cheek and ignoring the real needs of police and others tasked to defend us serves to isolate them and can add to their immediate and long-term burden. As well, families and friends of victims might not be able to see past their anger yet, and anger can indeed be a justified, healthy response as long as we don’t get stuck in it or sin in our anger. Inadvertently, our words can wound their spirit and have long term, unintended consequnces upon recovery. I suggest that as we pray for love and forgiveness we might also pray for God’s justice and peace be achieved by those called to that task in our fallen world[ii]. We all need guidance in how to respond to and deal with such events. Let’s not forget the military, first responders, and victim families and the emotional, ethical turmoil they face.
Running down to the place of the emergency might be your gut instinct, but consider that you might get in the way or put yourself needlessly at risk. As you were likely urged a sa child, “Walk, don’t run.” You might not know all the threats and hurried responses can turn into accidents and error. Try to contact those in charge of a response before you act and seek their direction. (This might require your patience until things are under better control.)
In seeking to respond to the emergency, not everyone need put themselves in danger. Those outside the immediate area affected need ministry too. As Martin Luther suggested in Whether one may flee from a deadly plague (1527)[iii], don’t be too quick to become a martyr (or, I would add, a person in need of rescue). Considering individual gifts and the availability of others should impact any decision about who and how many should respond to any event. Again, listen to local authorities. Making preparations beforehand through emergency responders, relief agencies, and local ministeriums will prove helpful. As a volunteer fire-fighter (and pastor) told me, don’t be a hero. Instead, seek to work as a team rather than as a lone wolf. It will tend to make everyone safer.
6. Seek to be prepared. Before any emergency, I suggest you receive training and familiarize yourself with assets and their procedures beforehand. Volunteer for citizen police academies. Participate in emergency drills offered by fire and rescue. Train all staff in first aid and CPR. Connect with and get training from nonprofits and government entities that respond to emergencies before incidents happen. Join the other faith communities in FEMA’s National Preparedness Coalition: http://www.ready.gov. Make emergency plans for your institution. Examples are widely available from government and non-government entitities on the web. Along with joining FEMA’s National Preparedness Coalition, some churches and faith-based organizations might benefit from contacting the FEMA Voluntary Agency and Donations Coordination Section. Let others know about the American Red Cross’ Safe and Well Program and other nonprofit or government offerings to help prepare for and deal with disasters.
7. Do not be afraid. Yes, fear is a normal, God-given human response to help preserve life, but we shouldn’t let it be the primary control of our response no more than anger. Despite fear, sometimes we are called to act in love.
The world can be a dangerous place and people can prove frightening. As a police officer, I learned the hard way that despite all the evil I saw in person and in the often disproportionate media reporting, God was, is and will be still at work for our welfare – often through ordinary people with little fanfare. I needed to keep my eyes and heart open to those signs of hope, or I would become what I hated. Even during emergencies, striving for self-care to the best of your abilities will help us be open to the work of God before us and around us. Be honest about our limitations. Admit if you need help. Such behaviors will help us love others better in the long run and see God and the world more clearly.
When God seems hidden, it is all the more reason to hold on to Christ’s promises. He is there in the chaos! Let us cast all our cares upon Christ[iv] and seek to do whatever we as individuals and a community are called to do. Jesus is with us, and we might be in this place, time and circumstance so that he can be glorified through us. His body, the church, needs to be present at exactly such scary, dangerous times. As I headed out each night for duty, I chose to intentionally remember the promises of Romans 8; nothing not even death will separate us from the love of God[v]. More than comfort, it strengthened me for the shift ahead.
In the face of evil, sin and death, we need only seek to respond in faith, hope and love to the best of our imperfect abilities. Beyond that, Jesus has our back. So as Elliott Ness said in The Untouchables, “Alright now, let’s do some good.”[vi] No matter the odds against us, love will win the day. Do not be afraid. Act wisely in faith, hope and love.
In Virginia, consider following these agencies on Twitter, find them on Facebook and the web:
Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) @fema
Centers for Disease Control @CDCemergency, @CDCgov and more
Virginia Department of Emergency Management @VDEM
Your local Red Cross, for example @RedCrossRVA
Virginia Department of Health @MyVDH
Virginia Department of Transportation @VaDOT
Official local, state, and federal exective branch leadership & agencies
Local, state, and federal law enforcement serving your area
Public utilities serving your area
Your denominational or other faith tradition resources for disaster response
[ii] You might like to read Martin Luther’s pamphlet, On whether soldiers too can be saved? As a police officer, I found it helpful in dealing with the evil I faced and shaping how I should respond.
Within an ancient culture that didn’t count women during the government census or necessarily notice or respect them in the home, it is not a real shocker the bible doesn’t often mention women.
Despite this, it remains most probable that women were an important part of Jesus immediate community and present at his final Passover Feast. Matthew reports that at the feeding of the 5,000, the count did not include women and children.[i] Or later, Matthew shares that women who “had followed Jesus from Galilee to care for his needs” watched as he died.[ii] (Was this perhaps after preparing and sharing in his last Passover Feast?). There are other attestations from other Gospel writers as well which some see as supporting that women were among his disciples and active in his ministry.
Whether you agree or not, or think women had their feet washed by Jesus or not, Jesus’ greatest intention on Maundy Thursday was to teach us to love and serve everyone (“one another”) as he had us. After all, Maundy comes from the Latin word mandatum (meaning “commandment”), and it was used in the early Latin Vulgate translation of John 13:34: “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” Using scripture to interpret scripture and seeing Christ’s own example, it is hard to argue that this command to love only covered Christians. Christ longs for his family to grow.
Yes, this final teaching echoed Jesus’ earlier ones. What’s the greatest commandment?[iii] Who is our neighbor?[iv] Jesus reached out to all those marginalized by society whether Jewish or not. We are not to become their stumbling block.[v] We are to let “the children” come to Jesus.[vi] Indeed, we are to love whoever might be thought as “the least of these” – perhaps children, inmates, the poor, women (in many cultures still), anyone we tend to label as “sinners”, and non-Christians. Matthew is said to have been the most Jewish of the Gospel writers; at least his writings reflected many Jewish teachings and responded to many Jewish biases about their being the chosen ones of God. Yet, he shows Jesus to be incredibly open and loving to all. Jesus longs for relationship!
Despite this, some traditionalist Roman Catholics have become more and more vexed by Pope Francis’ election and recent behaviors. He has cast aside signs of regalism. He has acted in ways lifting up the priesthood of all believers. He has expressed openness to Protestants, Orthodox Christians, and people of other faiths entirely. As in Argentina when a Cardinal, Pope Francis seeks simplicity, and he lives that way. Not the least of their issues with him, many traditionalist have expressed “the horror” (not my word, but often found in their tweets and posts) that the Pope would wash not only the feet of a juvenile women who happened also to be a prisoner, but in one case was Islamic. “He cultivates a militant humility, but can prove humiliating for the church,”[vii] Fr. Bouchacourt, head of the traditionalist, schismatic St. Pius X Society, said. I have seen similar less than charitable comments by other traditionalists, even from some of those who haven’t broken from the Roman Catholic hierarchy but instead claim to love and obey it. Some even suggest Pope Francis’ behaviors are just a show in violation of scripture.[viii]
If signs of humility are embarrassing to the Roman Catholic Church, then I bluntly but in love suggest these folks take a look at Jesus’ own behavior. Jesus often intentionally exemplified his teachings through public behaviors. That’s what teachers and leaders need to do. Jesus prayed in public at times not for his own sake and not for a show, but so that others could be comforted and learn of God’s love.[ix] He purposefully embodied earlier prophesies to help reveal his identity, such as by riding a young donkey into Jerusalem.[x] (Certainly, Palm Sunday was quite a spectacle.) Some of the same conservatives – those who were so protective in promoting the sanctity of the conclave and agressively argued that the election process was in the Spirit’s presence and following God’s will – turned on Pope Francis that first night.
Even as a Lutheran, I would agree that the Spirit is involved in leading the Roman Catholic Church, but I would also argue the Spirit seeks to guide all other denominations as well. Institutions made of fallible humans can err (a very Lutheran attitude to be sure), but we still remain Christ’s church. Despite the historic divisions of the universal church, Pope Francis holds one of (if not the most) prominent positions of Christianity. To be ashamed of such humble, public actions that so many “of the least” will take notice of seems the real shame to me.
This Lutheran says, “Good for Pope Francis!” Perhaps I shouldn’t care so much, but I (like countless other Christians) hope and pray for the coming reality of Christ’s own prayer that we live as one.[xi] We are the church together, not our denominations, through the grace of our shared faith and baptism. I humbly support my brother Francis in his efforts to make Christ’s love known in the entire world.
After all, Jesus asked us to love and support one another. He never said with our human minds, hearts and ways that we always would agree on everything.
According to one commentating participant of Lent Madness 2013, “For the people who comprise the parish of St. Monica and St. James Episcopal, Frances Perkins is not just a New Deal bureaucrat, but is a living, breathing saint who worshipped with their predecessors and put the incarnational theology of their Anglo-Catholic liturgy into concrete social action.”[i]
Yes, it was often in their rooms and sanctuary that she stayed, prayed and made plans to champion a social safety net for the elderly, eliminate child labor, fix a minimum wage, create the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), provide disability for those hurt on the job, create unemployment insurance, a shorter work week, and worker safety regulations. She was an important person of her time, and her actions still help shape our nation. For some, these programs remain a lifeline.
Frances believed faith “served as a bedrock and a way to seek meaning in life when so much seemed inexplicable.”[ii] In her young adult life, she attended Mount Holyoke College, whose founder, Mary Lyon said, “Mount Holyoke women should live for God and do something.” A Baptist turned Congregationalist, she also is known to have advised, “When you choose your fields of labor go where nobody else is willing to go.” She knew the needs of the world.
Within that legacy, one of Frances’ teachers took her to look at the hard realities found in the nearby textile mills and factories.[iii] From affluence herself, Frances discovered a vocation to do something for the poor, the immigrant, and all others in need. Like today, many young women had come to the United States for promised jobs, but instead, they were forced into prostitution. Working with police and other institutions, Frances fought against this plight, the frequent drug and alcohol addiction, and the abusers of others.
Having been a cop in such communities, I know this to be no small task. Indeed, it is frightening in our seeming powerlessness over such issues as well as to stand in the face of real and potential violence. Thanks to her faith, Frances wasn’t afraid to enter relationship with the poor or anyone in need. She went where too few are willing to go.
Nominated as the first woman cabinet member as Secretary of Labor under Franklin D. Roosevelt, she continued to care about “the least of these”[iv] among us. She actively sought to protect Jewish and other refugees facing persecution in Europe under the Nazis. Until 1940, the Labor Department controlled the Immigration Service. She never got the quotas she desired, but a number of our Jewish neighbors owe their lives partly to her efforts, as do the famous Von Trapp family of Sound of Music fame.[v]
Writing this during this Passover holiday, I am reminded how Frances sought to echo God’s own love as reported in Deuteronomy 10, “For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who is not partial and takes no bribe, who executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and who loves the strangers, providing them food and clothing. You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.”[vi] Reflecting previous teachings of the prophets, Jesus, the Son of God, called us to concretely live out Deuteronomy 6, to love God with all that we our and our neighbor as ourselves.[vii] Frances heard and understood rightly that our neighbor includes all those around us. We are created and called to be God’s ambassadors to the world.[viii]
Most certainly, Frances Perkins lived within the concrete reality of amazing grace. Once when asked “Don’t you think it’s wrong for people to get things they don’t pay for?” “Why no,” Frances Perkins responded. “I find I get so much more than I pay for. Don’t you?”[ix] She understood that assisting the poor wasn’t just the work of government, and so she enlisted the help of church communities from across the United States to help respond to the upheavals of the Great Depression. She served the poor and needy directly as well, despite her station, throughout her life.
In a fallen world with fallen people, some today take advantage of such “grace,” do not appreciate it, or even intentionally abuse it. As humans, that’s the way it has always been. Even though the poor and undeserving will always be with us, we are to feed, clothe, train, and love them anyway. People will die, but we are to seek their healing and comfort. We are a people of hope and grace, and not ultimately one of reason. In fact, as Philp Yancey professes in his book What’s so amazing about grace (2002), life isn’t fair but neither is grace. God utilizes a totally different scale of justice than we do where love overflows.
Still, some might have very sound political and economic reasons to disagree with how Florence concretely tried to share God’s love, the system that has came about in more recent time, or even aspects of her theology. Yet speaking from a Lutheran perspective, we don’t expect perfection in God’s saints or require mystical miracles. Among the greatest mystery is that love can be found at all in a world that rejected the love of Christ and often still does. Even more so, we imperfect people are the means God has chosen to make love known since Jesus ascended.[x]
With Frances’ win of the Golden Halo, some will likely gnash their teeth at the “political correctness” of it all. If her last competitor, the evangelist Luke, had won, some others would have likely bristled at the patriarchal or mythical aspects of his victory. (I was happy either way for this matchup is at its corps just a silly way to promote Christian formation, and all saints share in the most import thing – Christ’s victory.) The truth remains that both saints remind us of our own call to be saints in our own context. We are to use the gifts that God gave us to the best of our ability – for God’s glory and not our own.
Some may never know our doubts and darkness, seeing only our public “mythic” face. Some may disagree with our attempts to love or even aspects of our faith and theology. Most of us will never be recognized or lauded for loving others. Still, I firmly believe that we are saints nonetheless; part of a great cloud of witnesses[xi], and God will make our love matter.
If we are indeed Christ’s saints (and we are through faith), we can’t just sit here as if faith without works is ok. A living faith infers we need to love – always imperfect even at our best, but love nonetheless; prudently certainly, but not with so much prudence that we are frozen to inaction from fear of error or consequences.
As Jesus said approaching his own suffering and death, the poor will be with us always, but in saying this, he alluded to Deuteronomy 15, “Give generously to [those in need] and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelites who are poor and needy in your land.”
Br. Roger of Taizé used to remind those of us in discernment for vocations there or in other parts of the church that Jesus is awaiting us in that dark chasm of our future. We must go forward to him with trust. We must seek to love, for Christ will meet us then and there. You see, God will use all things (even our failures and sin) for the good of those who love him.[xii]
As a theological descendent of Martin Luther’s Doctrine of the Two Kingdoms, I do indeed trust, understand, and demand that government has to be part of the solution to address poverty and other social ills. Yet, I acknowledge that we have to be smarter and demand more accountability and care. Government is a bureaucracy after all. People are imperfect. I also sometimes wonder if some of us rely on government as a solution to social ills way too much or (worse?) would rather pay taxes to support such programs than be in relationship with the poor. (As I often teach, a personal relationship with Jesus infers a relationship with others, including those in his church and without; those who have plenty and those who lack.) Too often, we attack one another rather than wrestle with the problem at hand. We get angry at the possibility of change or what we percieve as an attack on our precious viewpoints.
Now is the acceptable time…a time to be truly charitable – seeking to serve all those suffering, listening with respect and patience to one another, forging new relationships to seek God’s will and do it, forgiving error when it occurs. (And it certainly will come!) In humility, we must also remain aware that the worst error might prove to be our own, known or unknown.
True, Frances Perkins isn’t yet on our Lutheran (ELCA) Liturgical Calendar, but perhaps she should be – and not just because the ELCA has a full communion agreement with the Episcopal Church. We believe we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ (by trusting in what he has done for our sake) – not our own works. In Frances’ historic context, she was remarkable and helped shaped our modern nation. More importantly, her witness was a faithful one. She has inspired many others to loving service at Mount Holyoke and elsewhere, yet she was never perfect nor are we. She could yet serve to inspire others to serve and hold discussions to evaluate how we could love our neighbor most effectively through government, church, and as individuals.
Maybe that’s a great miracle we should always trust in and act upon. We are truly Christ’s saints – all of us who believe even if with doubts – and we need to seek to live as his saints, his body in the world. Perhaps it is a happy coincidence that Frances Perkins won the Golden Halo on this Maundy Thursday (from the Latin mandatum, meaning command). Her imperfect but faithful life reminds us of the command Jesus left us as our inheritance during his Last Supper. The Gospel of John (13:34) reports that Jesus said, “A new commandment I give unto you, that we love one another; as I have loved you.”
Without fear, without hesitation, without our preconceived political notions or human expectations, may we heed Christ’s great command to love God and one another. Whether we view ourselves more left or right or anywhere in the middle, we shaare the family name of Christian. May Christ help us live as his saints each day in our own context – using our time, treasure and talent to the best of our ability.
Heaven knows, this real world needs all the saints it can get. We will never love perfectly. Our work will seem to never end, but do not be afraid. As Frances believed and scripture promises, Christ “will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more…”[xiii] Thanks to Jesus, inspite of and because of our sin, we will share in a victory beyond our hopes and dreams.
Jesus will do what we cannot. All things will be made perfect and new. His justice and love will reign fully at last.
To read of Lent Madness and the awarding of the 2013 Lent Madness Golden Halo visit: http://www.lentmadness.org
This year, Mount Holyoke, a women’s college in Massachusetts and alma Marta of Frances Perkins, celebrates its 175th anniversary. (There alumni, staff and students caused a large spike in turnout for Frances each round, thanks to use of social media.) Congrats to them! (If only VMI had done the same for Jonathan Daniels!) You might like to visit their special anniversary website celebrating women of influence: https://www.mtholyoke.edu/175/celebrating-175-years-women-influence
The United States Labor Department is also celebrating their 100th anniversary. Learn more here: http://www.dol.gov/100/
You can learn more of Francies Perkins by visiting the Frances Perkins Center on the internet or in person: http://francesperkinscenter.org/
Watch this short excerpt of “You may call me her Madam Secretary”
From the Washington Post, March 28, 2013 edition, you can read about Frances’ win and the reaction in the Labor Department. I hope and pray all government employees view their service as a sacred vocation, loving their neighbor, as she did: http://wapo.st/165chTZ
For those that have looked at my Heroes and Sheroes page, you might recognize that today is a special day for me. March 25th is the traditional commemoration date of Saint Dismas on a number of Christian liturgical calendars, and I bear his name.
Widely known as the “Good Thief” or the “Penitent Thief”, Dismas was crucified beside Jesus. The name Dismas was later adapted from a Greek word meaning “sunset” or “death.” His real name is unknown. Most likely, he was not a thief, but instead, some kind of rebel or raider deserving the death penalty under Roman law.
Dismas’ lesser feast day or commemoration derived from a tradition believing that March 25th was the actual calendar date of Christ’s crucifixion, although the Passover and Easter celebrations move due to their following a lunar calendar. The Feast of the Annunciation is the primary, modern celebration on our Lutheran calendars today (except when March 25th falls during Holy Week), but I still stop to remember St. Dismas annually on this day.
Although Dismas was never officially canonized by the Roman Catholic Church, he is declared so in scripture by Jesus himself. We hear in Luke that Dismas defended Jesus from the abuse of the other condemned man, commonly named Gestas (but also unknown). Hearing Jesus preach, teach and pray from the cross, Dismas began to look to Jesus with trust. He asked, “Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus declared, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” (See Luke 23:39-43)
Years ago in a home with many challenges, I came to see the world in black and white terms. I secretly believed myself unlovable and defective even at a young age. As I write elsewhere, I am sure I heard the story of Dismas often in church growing up, but it first really impacted me while watching The Greatest Story Ever Told on television with my father in about eighth grade. At that time, I had been going through confirmation classes at St. Pius X Roman Catholic Church. Prior to confirmation (viewd as a sacrament in the Roman Catholic faith tradition), we were asked to think of a confirmation name, one to symbolize our coming to adulthood in faith and hopefully be a saint who inspired us.
In the Roman Catholic tradition, St. Dismas is the patron saint of condemned prisoners, reformed thieves, undertakers, funeral directors, penitent sinners, and prisoners. Indeed, some Lutheran and other prison ministries are named after him. When confirmed in the Catholic tradition, I decided to take his name. This seems ironic perhaps for one who would become a police officer, yet I always remembered how my heart was deeply touched by his story. In the depths of my being, I hoped I could be so loved.
Later as a young adult, I left active life in the church. I believed in God at some level, but I made bad choices at times, experienced losses that often come with life, and experienced much too much evil as a police officer. In short, I gave up on God. I became empty and cynical. I came to feel that not even Christ’s cross was enough to save me. I had much to repent over, for I was very wrong.
Yet when my life seemed darkest after another profound loss, two dear Christian friends from my past redirected my gaze toward the cross and its certain grace. On March 7, 1992, I had what I call my “re-conversion experience” – for I understand now that since my baptism and before, God has always been active in my life. My faith was small and deformed, but it made a difference in my life. God loved me before I ever realized it, even on Christ’s cross long ago. I truly experienced amazing grace, and my life changed.
Through this renewed experience with grace, I came to understand and more importantly finally trust that I was indeed loved and forgiven. I began to dig into scripture as never before. I hungered for the Word of life, and I found it alive in and through Christ’s church. With the church, I sought to share the grace I knew to be true with others in both word and deed. My police work became a sacred vocation. Later, God would invite me to take his love on the road through mission. Overtime, I discovered a home in the Lutheran family of faith. Still a sinner, I trust that I am also a saint. Christ declares this through his death and resurrection for our sake, and I do trust him for he never lies. His sacrifice atoned for our sin – past, present and future. His death remains enough to save us all.
Each year since my “re-conversion” and return to the church, I think of Dismas and rejoice. I celebrate the opportunities found in Lent and Christ’s forgiveness. I trust that with others who believe (and even those who don’t yet) I was, am and will be remembered. Dismas’ story is our own.
Yes, Jesus remembered us all as he died on that cross. He died, so that we could truly live…starting today.
Psalm 32 – The Joy of Forgiveness 1 Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered. 2 Happy are those to whom the Lord imputes no iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit. 3 While I kept silence, my body wasted away
through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah
5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you,
and I did not hide my iniquity;
I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord’,
and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah
6 Therefore let all who are faithful
offer prayer to you;
at a time of distress, the rush of mighty waters
shall not reach them. 7 You are a hiding-place for me;
you preserve me from trouble;
you surround me with glad cries of deliverance. Selah
8 I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you. 9 Do not be like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
whose temper must be curbed with bit and bridle,
else it will not stay near you. 10 Many are the torments of the wicked,
but steadfast love surrounds those who trust in the Lord. 11 Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, O righteous,
and shout for joy, all you upright in heart.
Prayer:
Gracious Lord, even as you died on your cross, you looked upon Dismas and saw our human need, shared suffering, and sin. You looked upon him with love before his repentence. His simple trust in you opened a way of communion with your heart’s mercy and forgiveness even as the centurion’s spear sought to tear your heart asunder. Your death and resurrection saves me. His trust in you inspires me. Bless your entire church; that together we remember your cross with confidence, persevere in faith through times of trial, and experience the resurrection of our lives today. Empower us to remember and serve the outcast, sinner, and all who suffer; sharing your grace, mercy and love, as you have so abundantly shared it with us. Amen.[i]
[i] This prayer is inspired by a Roman Catholic prayer.
Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations for this article are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) translation.
I know it might seem strange to post about Super Bowl commercials on what is usually a blog dealing with spiritual issues, but I saw three advertisements which had a distinct spiritual and community dynamic. These stood out for their positive messages and in two cases, explicit reference to spiritual life. Others are here as they raise interesting theological points for discussion. We often say that “God is everywhere,” so why shouldn’t theology and advertisement meet?
Surely, as many scholarly books attest, I understand that consumerism can negatively impact and shape our spiritual views. Spirituality and community life can become just another marketing ploy. The “perfect life” can prove a hollow idol created by advertising executives and leading us away from God and our neighbor. These are true risks in our world.
In addition, some churches have adapted a sales approach to mission and ministry; striving to entertain an audience while seeking to outdo the competitor congregations through fresh, sometimes extreme marketing. This sometimes creates a church which one observant friend described as “theologically a mile wide but only an inch deep.” Such faith communities tend not to be rooted in the past nor truly engaging the inner lives of participants in the present. They can become not much different than the local car lot offering a special drawing or showplace just trying to fill seats and maximize the take.
Still, I found these entries in the Super Bowl race for attention unique and worthy of mention. Perhaps they might seem hokey to some. Maybe the companies have some alternative, darker reasons behind the pitch. Conceivable, I can be making too much out of nothing. Yet when so many companies go for tasteless shock and awe, it was refreshing to watch these.
My Top 3 Super Bowl Ads for 2013:
1st Place – Ram: The Farmer
I appreciated that the video presentation seamlessly echoed the great Paul Harvey’s wonderful reflections on the often forgotten or underappreciated farmer. Having lived for a time in the mid-west, I remember well the hardworking individuals staying out all night in sub-zero weather to care for a calf. I saw them tend to their families, their fields, their animals, and their business with passion, dedication and love. I admired the magnificent images; many of them like artwork and showing the many facets of the people we call farmers. Subtly placed within the images are diverse people praying, hoping, and loving while trying to make a living. At the same time, they have the ability to make the world a better place. Indeed, the farmer shares a vocation in the purest sense. Their work is a call from God. Let’s pray that they succeed in nobley living up to that call.
2nd Place – The Jeep: Whole Again
In our small church community, we have had a number of people who have served in the military to include wartime. Some have suffered from post-traumatic stress decades after their experience, while others are younger and dealing with fresher but what will likely be long-lasting wounds. Fortunately, not all suffer in this way. Yet no matter their status, we have a very affirming community for our military veterans. Several military installations are nearby, and a number of our people in our community work in support of the military which defends us.
We read news items of deaths. We hear of injuries and disability. Instead of statistics, we see our family members, friends, comrades, and neighbors. We know families split apart for far too long of a time (and any length of time is too long, even if necessary). Through these shared experiences, we sense the validity of Martin Luther’s reflections on the military being a vocation, a sacred calling:
…In the same way, when I think of a soldier fulfilling his office by punishing the wicked, killing the wicked, and creating so much misery, it seems an un-Christian work completely contrary to Christian love. But when I think of how it protects the good and keeps and preserves wife and child, house and farm, property, and honor and peace, then I see how precious and godly this work is; and I observe that it amputates a leg or a hand, so that the whole body may not perish… (excerpted from Martin Luther’s Whether Soldiers Too Can Be Saved)
With the historic love affair between jeeps and the military, along with this tasteful presentation (even explicitly yet subtley mentioning prayer no less), their advertisement doesn’t come across as jingoistic to me. It speaks of yearning, servant leadership, and love. We are not whole until there is peace and our military can be with us once again. The wounds of wars and a fallen world run deep, but there is hope. We can remain in a loving communion as we wait upon the Lord to restore peace and wholeness to our lives and our world.
3rd Place – Budweiser : The Clydesdales – Brotherhood
This ad could have perhaps made Francis of Assissi feel verklempt. Although fictional, the love that can be shared between man and animal reminds me of the “pets” in my own life who teach me about laughter and love every day. These relationships are spiritual in nature. Genesis may indicate God shares his dominion over the world and all that’s in it with us, but we are not to be abusive lords. We are to be loving stewards, caring for creation and the lives within it. This tender commercial has touched the hearts of many. If only more people would look deeper to see how all creation points us toward the majestic love of our God.
Lastly, some may questions the use of a beer commercial on this blog, but recall that Martin Luther and his wife, Katie, made their own beer and even sold it to support their Reformation work. For the theological merits of making or imbibing alcohol, that must wait for another time.
Runner-Up:
Samsung Mobile USA: The Next Big Thing
Although snarky, this runner-up is mentioned not only for its humor, but how it reflects our all too common tendency to be “bent inward upon ourselves” (as Martin Luther used to say). Seth Rogan and Paul Rudd play themselves, called in to promote the next big thing from Samsung. They both assume they are being recruited as “the next big thing,” rising stars in a media culture. This flash point to humor reminds us of our shared Achilles heel, our hubris. It was, is and remains the source of our common Fall.
Questionable Mention:
Tide: No stain is sacred
Certainly, I could have picked many of the hyper-sexual, juvenile, or abusive ads seeking to attract attention through shock. Instead, I will only mention this Tide commercial. I get the humor in it, but it also gave me reason to pause. Many people fall in the trap of a simple, superstitious faith where they see images and find meaning in questionable things – an image of Jesus on toast or a taco for example. Yet, there are other images such as Our Lady of Guadalupe that are much harder to explain away.
Lutherans (and Protestants in general) become cautious when discussing the mixing of spirit and matter, the gift of something spiritual – grace – by means of physical things. We do so because human nature often leads us toward excess. We have a tendency to create idols and pay for relics. We begin to worship things of humanity or earth rather than God. Lutherans do believe God can use the physical bound to the Word through faith as a means of grace (as in our two Sacraments, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper), but we would reject the superstitious sightings of grace so often merged with transitory things.
Martin Luther often used humor himself to attack this tendency in the church of his time (a church made of very fallible people just like today). Yet while on one hand I see the humor of this modern ad, I fear it might make people laugh at faith as a whole in some manner. I don’t personally like to mock my neighbors who might find spiritual meaning in such things, even if I don’t. I never hesitate to speak openly of my concerns about such behaviors, but hopefully, we can do so out of love for our neighbor and show them respect.
Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations for this article are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) translation.
Husband, Pastor, Law Enforcement Chaplain, and member of the Clerical Errors (aka "The Three Priests"), I'm sharing my two cents with anyone who cares...
You can also find me on social media as Loudluthrn (Lou-d-Luthrn or Lou the Lutheran). It is a moniker given me while attending a Presbyterian Seminary, but I'm a loud and proud Lutheran too (just not too loud and proud, mind you).
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