Tag Archives: Lutheran

February 4, 2013 · 11:02 pm

God goes to the Super Bowl: Lutheran theology & commercials collide

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.

© 2013 The Rev. Louis Florio. All content not held under another’s copyright may not be used without permission of the author.

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February 2, 2013 · 12:29 am

Jesus, Families…and Ground Hogs?

Presentation of Jesus at the Temple, Andrei RublevForty days after Christmas on February 2nd, Christians recall the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple. In a number of Christian denominations the season of Epiphany comes to an end.  According to scripture, Mary and Joseph took the baby Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem forty days after his birth to complete Mary’s ritual purification after childbirth and to perform the redemption of the firstborn in obedience to the Law of Moses (Leviticus 12, Exodus 13:12-15).

 

As Mary and Joseph were poor, Mary was relieved of offering a lamb and a dove for her offering. Instead, she was to “take two turtle-doves or two pigeons, one for a burnt-offering and the other for a sin-offering; and the priest shall make atonement on her behalf, and she shall be clean” (Leviticus 12:8).

Around the globe, Christians will likely remember these early events as reported in Luke 2: 22-40. In fact, it is one of the most ancient feasts of the Christian church. With the traditional end of Epiphany, many remove any remaining Christmas greenery from their homes. If you are visiting the Taize’ Community in France, you will likely see a cage with two doves or pigeons in their Church of Reconcilliation. After the service, the birds are released. As the story reflects the light of Christ breaking into the world, it remains a common practice at many services throughout the world to bless candles for use during the year. To this day, some countries share special meals during family celebrations (i.e. crepes in France, or tamales in Mexico).

Pennsylvania Dutch folklore attached an ancient, pagan European practice of weather prognostication to this day. If the groundhog sees its shadow, superstition indicates winter weather will continue for six more weeks. (In ancient Europe, one might have heard of a badger or sacred bear serving this purpose.) Yet, such beliefs weren’t only held in Germanic nations. In England, one old English poem exclaims:

If Candlemas be fair and bright,
Winter has another flight.
If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,
Winter will not come again.

No matter the weather, I hope you and your family will develop your own ways of recalling the Presentation of Jesus. It reminds us of the Holy Family’s piety, and our family’s call as well. It displays a family united by love, as our own should be. The feast most importantly can remind us of how that young male child redeemed on that day came to redeem us through his cross and resurrection. We really should celebrate!

Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations for this article are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) translation.

© 2013 The Rev. Louis Florio. All content not held under another’s copyright may not be used without permission of the author.

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January 30, 2013 · 10:32 pm

I hold you in my heart

Spring at Messiah. "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them." (see Matt. 6: 25-34)

Spring at Messiah. “Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.” (see Matt. 6: 25-34)

I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because you hold me in your heart, for all of you share in God’s grace with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what is best, so that on the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1:3-11) 

On several levels, I have had a challenging year due to my health. First, I was adapting to life with newly diagnosed asthma. Second as the year came to a close, I faced an undiagnosed health issue causing me to be less available and to cut down on my hours working. The health issue is still under evaluation, but hopefully, it will prove a distant memory soon.

What I won’t ever forget is the patience, care, and kindness so many of you shared with me and Kristine as we began to deal with this new “imprisonment.” I am inspired at how your council leadership and ministry team leaders arose to the challenge too, as they adapted to my limitations and strove to provide you the highest level of spiritual care, Christian education and worship. Messiah is a great example of what it means to be part of the priesthood of all believers and cooperative ministry.

I am proud to serve Christ with you, and our many successes this year make me prone to boast in the great work Christ is doing in you and through you. As mentioned during worship, our congregation is held up these days by the Bishop’s staff and others as a model of ministry within our synod. Those that handled our consolidation loans marveled at how we do more than most congregations ten times our size. It brings me joy to have people identify us as “that congregation that does so much.”

Yes, it is not an over exaggeration or nicety when I say I love you all. It makes me excited to look forward to what God’s grace will do in our lives next!

Peace,
Pastor Lou

 

The above pastoral letter was originally published as part of Messiah Lutheran’s 2013 Annual Pastor’s Report. It has also been republished here and in Messiah’s newsletter, the Messenger. To view the entire issue of The Messenger or to see the full calendar of events, visit: http://www.mlcas.org

Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations for this article are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) translation.

© 2013 The Rev. Louis Florio. All content not held under another’s copyright may not be used without permission of the author.

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December 25, 2012 · 3:26 pm

Sent into the World

The following are the three meditations I shared during our Family Christmas Eve Service at Messiah Lutheran Church and School in 2012. Our theme was “Sent into the World.” We remembered both how Jesus was sent into our world to save us as a newborn babe and how we are sent as his church out into the world. Thus, the service included many hymns and carols from all over the world. The three below were part of the meditation portion of the program, but it was a night filled with music and fun.

The Gift of Jesus

Reading: Isaiah 9:2-7

Prop: small Christmas tree ornament of the globe

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness—on them light has shined” (Isaiah 9:2).

Consider the world [holding up ornament]….Ok, it’s a bit larger than this ornament, but it’s a relatively small place in the vast, extensive darkness of space. Proportionally, this ornament in comparison to your own size is much, much larger – infinitesimally so – than what we would find with a God’s eye view of our planet. Our world is only a small rock in a vast galaxy that itself is only one of millions of galaxies. Our universe was created from a black void – both the Bible and science think so – and this poor little sphere spends much of its time suspended amidst that darkness; hidden by larger heavenly bodies, and threatened by them as well. Yes, our fallen world is filled with threats and horrors and many terrible unknowns, and it always has been. Yet, light breaks in to give warmth, nurture life, and bring joy. Amidst a cosmic battle, God doesn’t leave us unloved or alone in the dark. Instead, he chose to dwell among us…even became one of us on this tiny, out of the way planet we call home.

Long ago, the great prophet Isaiah lived in the 8th Century BC. It was a time of much darkness. Certainly, they didn’t have our modern conveniences or scientific knowledge, but they shared in our troubled humanity. Throughout Isaiah’s life, the nation of Israel faced wars and rumors of war. At least three times, the existence of Israel was at risk of obliteration and exile. It was a time of early death due to violence, famine and disease. There was seemingly too little joy and never enough peace. Yet, a son was born to a young maiden, wife of the king, and the prophet saw in this somewhat ordinary experience the promise that lay within. God would be faithful no matter how dark the days got. God’s plan to rescue his Holy people would never go unfulfilled. Later Christians would understand this same passage to testify to the coming of Jesus Christ.

Over the last few weeks, we have seen too much darkness. Many are still homeless in the northeast after Hurricane Sandy. Diplomats in Benghazi were horrifically killed. In Connecticut, we hear the cries of  modern “Rachels” weeping as foretold by the prophet Jeremiah. (See Jeremiah 31:15-17 and Matthew 2) They cry over too many innocents and our own innocence lost in the safety of their small town school. Closer to home and only in these past few weeks, members of our community have suffered new joblessness, accidents and serious illness, and our beloved Assistant to the Bishop, Pastor Chip Gunsten, died unexpectedly. More tears. More death. Darkness. We might be tempted to echo the writer of Lamentations wondering, “Why God would allow such things? Why would he punish us so?” as we groan anew:

5 [God] has besieged and enveloped me
with bitterness and tribulation;
6 he has made me sit in darkness
like the dead of long ago.  (See Lamentations 3)

Yet in these times of trouble, hear the promises that come to us through Isaiah. Much like that time long ago, there is a sign to remember and hope to be found amidst our darkness. When the time was right, a virgin did conceive, and a very different child was born…one like no one before or since…perhaps beyond Isaiah’s own understanding. He would be a miracle of light, giving hope, joy and love to all the nations. This king would not be a king in our political sense. Instead, he would suffer under the political forces of our world as we might. He would live amongst the ill and dying. His life would be continually threatened from the slaughter of the innocents in Bethlehem until his own death on a cross. God had come, not to punish us, but to share our lot and change it; to end suffering and bring everlasting peace. All authority rested on Jesus’ shoulders, and yet out of love, he took upon those same shoulders the weight of sin, death and the Devil to defeat them all and save us.

Like that original Christmas night long ago, Jesus comes to our tiny planet to touch our tiny lives and hearts today. He wishes to be God with Us, Emmanuel, and so none of the political chaos, evil or darkness is powerful enough to stop him. Although it might be hard for us to recognize him with our human senses at times, our faith hears his voice and trusts he is near. Together as church, we gather as one, holding on in the darkness and never alone. God does not will such suffering. God is only love. Jesus remains our proof, and the fullness of God’s Kingdom will banish our darkness forever when the time is right.

Until then, we testify to the light and hold on to one another – teaching, serving, worshipping, loving God and neighbor. For, “What has come into being in [that baby] was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it (See John 1).”

Although we remain in this land of darkness, the light shines on us and through us still, and our Lord Jesus promises that it always will. No matter what worries us or threatens us…no matter the darkness we sense around us or in us, rejoice! Rejoice with the choirs of angels and all God’s saints for the promise of Christmas has come to us, and we will never again be separated from his love. Amen.

Carol, “Angels We have Heard on High,” Red, 289 

 

The Gift of Grace

Reading: Titus 2:11-14

Prop: Wrapped package or gift bag – empty inside

One of my favorite traditions each Christmas Eve is to gather with my extended family and friends, share a special meal and open gifts. It is such a great joy to see the look of expectation through the eyes of my young nieces and nephews gathered together. Unfortunately sometimes…and I’m afraid it was the same when I was young too…the package comes all wrapped and beautifully bowed…it gets opened frantically, quickly…only to have the child move on just as rapidly to the next gift. The gift delights for a moment, but then the child moves on perhaps as if that beautiful gift box or bag was filled with nothing. [Emptying and examining package]

We, the children of God, spend much of our lives in a similar fashion. We chase after the next bobble or possession, seek positions of power that don’t last, and spend too much time in activities that can’t love us – costly time away from our family and friends. I often hear when someone has a near death experience or approaches the end of their life, “I wish things were different. I have wasted my life.” Yes, as children, we can easily lose our way.

Yet through Christ, a different gift lies before us; one that is eternal and can fill all our life’s empty places. We sense that something is missing, and that perhaps, we could do better. We somehow in our hearts expect more from this life. And so, Jesus calls us buy name, offering us the ultimate gift of his love and friendship.

The theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer compared us to miners trapped underground. We might feel that we are without hope – waiting for death – until suddenly a voice is heard, calling from seemingly nowhere, yet calling in our darkness. “Where are you? Help is coming!” The helpless miner stands up, mustering strength to cry out in return, “Here I am! Come through to me and rescue me!” Faced with the inability to save himself, the miner admits his neediness, “I cannot come through. I cannot help myself. But I wait. I wait and will hold on until you come. Only come quickly.” The miner sees nothing, nothing at all to give him hope. He only hears the promise of the savior, “I am coming for you!” Blow after blow, the sound comes nearer. There is a last crashing, seemingly thunderous blow of the hammer…light breaks in…at first just a hope or glimmer of light…but yes, more…certainly more! One strike and he will be free. New life will be his.[i]

This story is a metaphor for the giftedness of our present life. Jesus has come to save us, he is with us, and he will come again. That saving work began in a small stable. It continued on a cross. It proceeded from a tomb. Yet this is only the first breaking in of his light and love. His saving work continues to dawn in our daily lives today. He calls us to wait…listen for his voice, hold on for his help, and live in his hope. Look up, raise your heads, and expect salvation…a salvation that not even the power of death can keep from us.

In return, we are only asked in the present age to seek lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly, 13while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior,* Jesus Christ (see Titus 2:11-14). He will do all the heavy work, so that through faith, we receive a gift beyond price – a saving grace, a living grace…a grace that must be shared with others, so that we may one day taste our freedom fully together. With such a life reborn of faith, we’ll sense the light of Christ is near us even amidst our darkness. Amen.

Carol, “I Am So Glad Each Christmas Eve,” Red, 271

The Gift of Church

Reading: Luke 2:1-20

“Props”: the people of God!

 

In these modern times, skeptics demand proof. “Prove that the reason for the season is Jesus! Prove to me that God is love!” What signs can we give them?

Long ago, some less modern skeptics gathered in a field. They were of lowly status, shepherds of sheep. They were known for dirty bodies and dirty lives filled with drinking, lies, and even theft. They were a hard people shaped by the hardness of life, and they expected little.

“Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” (see Luke 2)

The long expected sign for the King of Kings, the Messiah, our Savior…the one who would change all the world…was a baby! It was a poor infant from a poor family in poor circumstances. A child swaddled in simple, torn strips of cloth. That was the great sign of God’s love. God had come to share in the hardness of life and free us from it.

That child would grow to be a boy wise beyond his years. Then, he would become a man who preached and taught not as the scribes and priests did but as one with the authority of God. This great rabbi would travel the land by foot. He would walk far and wide reaching out not only to the expected Chosen Ones of God, but all people: the lepers, the wounded, and the greatest of sinners. Even on his cross, that man would share comforting words of God from scripture, pray for his persecutors, offer forgiveness to someone crucified beside him, care for his mother, and give up his own life so that others might live. Jesus’ life and being was and remains that greatest of signs of God’s love for us.

And so here we are, gathered as millions and millions of Christians have done over the millennia and do so tonight. We would not be here if Jesus hadn’t been born as one of us and risen from the dead…if people like us hadn’t been touched by the light of his life and past that light on to us through the ages (as we will symbolically do with candlelight later this evening). The incarnate Christ is who we worship…the ever so real and yet divine Jesus…and he is present in our world through the incarnate church, the embodiment of his teachings, life and love.

We can be a hard people with a hard life, and yet the angels speak to us…call us to become Christ’s messengers. “Do not be afraid! To you is born a Savior”…for you a Savior. He is a gift come to you, so that you with others might share one communal, eternal, joyful life with him. Through faith, we are to be his body, a sign of good news and great joy for all people.

As his body, we are asked to share in his life, suffering, death, and resurrection out of love. It is his Spirit that washes over us in our baptism, and his flesh and blood that touches our own in our sacred meal. Just as Jesus’ life is the final answer to sin, death and the Devil, he has spoken us into being for this time and this place with all its unique challenges. Look to your right and left…see yourself in a mirror. We are the church! We are to be Christ in the world!

We are called to be Christ’s church together, a gift to the world as Jesus was God’s loving gift to us. As the Spirit was a gift to the first disciples that same Holy Spirit seeks to empower us now. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations (see Matthew 28:16-20)…be zealous in good deeds (Titus 2:14)…walk in his light (Isaiah 9:2)…For God so loved the world that he sent his only Son into our world to rescue us and dwell in our hearts (John 3:16-17). Out of that same love, God sends us back out into that hard, dark world – strengthened and never alone – to share his light not just on this holy night, but always.

May we like those shepherds, praise God and share with one and all what we have seen and heard. Amen.

Carol, “Infant Holy, Infant Lowly,” Red, 276

 

[i] Paraphrase of a portion of a sermon by Dietrich Bonhoeffer as translated in Robertson, E. (trans. And ed.) (2005) Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Christmas Sermons. “How a prisoner awaits for his release.” December 3, 1933. pp. 88-90.

 

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations for this article are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) translation.

© 2012 The Rev. Louis Florio. All content not held under another’s copyright may not be used without permission of the author.

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December 17, 2012 · 7:22 pm

Come, Lord Jesus, Come!

The following is a short sermon I preached to my congregation at Messiah Lutheran Church and School, on the Third Sunday of Advent, often called Gaudete (Rejoice) Sunday. Although our preschool students and elementary-agers were present to perform a joyous Christmas musical, the death and sadness of the last week, especially in Newtown, CT, could not be ignored.

As our last hymn [O come, O come, Emmanuel] reminds us[i], the Advent season is a time of waiting and expectation. The song is much like many others among our Advent hymns and even some of our more traditional Christmas carols. Many project a sense of sadness and longing. They can prove almost melancholy. Our hymn writers and liturgists – just like us – know the imperfections and pain of this world, and so we look toward Christ to deliver us. Our music, images, and prayers can reflect that sense of loss, waiting and hope. Being a Christian, I heard someone once say, is like being a person separated from their greatest love; something is missing, and not quite right. We hunger and thirst for that love to be one with us again, so that our lives can feel whole.

This week, we have been unhappily reminded of that truth. We lost our assistant to the bishop, Pastor “Chip” Gunsten, a dear friend of mine and many here at Messiah as well as throughout our synod, who died suddenly while undergoing treatment for cancer. We are not the only ones mourning, for our Catholic brothers and sisters lost their former beloved bishop, Walter Sullivan on the same day. He was someone I knew well, and he proved influential to my own discernment of service within the church. Our Presbyterian friends in Virginia lost one of their own leaders as well, Cynthia Bolboch, Moderator of the 219th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) on December 12th.  Having many Presbyterian friends after attending a Presbyterian seminary, I shared in their own grief and sadness. As the week closed, I was tired and worn down from dealing with death and the many emotions that always accompany it. Then, we received the horrific, numbing news of Newtown, CT. People thousands of miles away shared in that community’s dread and grief and fearfully held their own loved ones closer.

How can we make sense of such things? I’m not sure that we can. Oh, as a Christian, I trust that God can use them – turn them on their head and make all things work for our good. I know blessings and signs of love can be found even amidst tragedy – perhaps especially at times of tragedy – through the heroes and servants shining in those times of darkness, or through the love that is shared with us to help us make it through. Yet, maybe we are never supposed to make sense of these things at all. It isn’t within our capabilities to make sense of the nonsensicle. The issues can be too involved for us to handle or beyond us. Maybe they just can’t ever make sense, because they are counter to what God wants for us. God’s will is to save us for a future full of hope, not to condemn us to an eternity of woe[ii]. God’s plan from the time of Adam and Eve was to redeem and save us out of love.[iii]

These sufferings are symptoms of that earlier wound. They are parts of our life as a fallen, imperfect people in a fallen, imperfect world. People sin. People suffer. People die. Uncontrollable evil and sadness do exist. Perhaps instead of looking back for answers as to why things happened, we should look forward. Our time is better spent in the face of such evil asking, “What would you have us do, Lord?”

Certainly, God never abandons us to this sorrow. God has a purpose and a plan which includes us. Jesus was sent into our world as a little child to share our life and lot; even our suffering unto death. God doesn’t rejoice at our destruction, but rather wants us to live abundantly through his only son.[iv] Jesus would become God’s final word on evil, sin and death. They have been defeated through his cross and resurrection, and we are saved here and now. Yet, sin and death are enjoying their final death throws at our expense. Jesus declares we are free from their power; saved even as we and creation might groan at times.[v]

In this present age, Jesus promises to come again to complete the work which he started and banish sin and death forever. There will be a new heaven and earth where suffering will be no more.[vi] In the meantime amidst our lingering troubles, he asks us to look up and be ready, not as a sullen or defeated people, but as his beloved people. Be ready, he says, so that our hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, so that the day doesn’t catch us unexpectedly, like a trap.[vii]

No, we who are saved have a purposeful, divine work to do. We are left here – called to this time and this place – as his messengers speaking his words of love, healing and forgiveness; words so sorely needed in this wounded, combative world. Like the law and the prophets before him including John the Baptizer [viii], Jesus taught us what we need to do – love God with all we are and our neighbors as ourselves.[ix]

Today both despite our suffering and because of it, we are to speak these words and embody them. God uses us with all our weakness and imperfection to give them form and substance, flesh and bone, to make them real. We are echoes of Jesus crossing all the earth shouting, “Do not be afraid! Jesus has come! He is risen and will come again!” We are called to lovingly and boldly put these words into actions together as church…Christ’s church…his body…his hands reaching out and touching broken lives through our own.[x]

Today, we have also heard words that Paul spoke to Christians in Philippi when they were persecuted, broken and felt alone. These same words were shared with us yesterday at Pastor Gunsten’s funeral. Perhaps it is providential that the lectionary had them as one of our assigned texts considering recent events:

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  (Philippians 4: 4-7)

Rightly, Jesus is called Emmanuel, God with Us. We need not get stuck in our fear, hurt or anger. Look up! Raise your head! Do not be afraid! These are the words Jesus speaks to us in the face of our most unimaginable threats or losses. When the world and its realities rage, when struck by great sorrow, or when we cannot find reconciliation with others we so deeply long for, Jesus speaks to us as he did similarly to that storm long ago, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”[xi]

This world can be a frightful, sad and lonely place, but we need not grieve as people without faith.[xii] We need not live as a people without love.[xiii] Despite any of our doubts, Christ’s peace and love are with us always[xiv], and we have a shared ministry to do in his holy name.[xv] His light is in our midst and shining through our hearts, and the darkness shall not overcome it.[xvi] Remember always that we are baptized – claimed and called, to be Christ and to serve Christ in the world.[xvii] We must never try to hide ourselves from the pain of this life and thus not truly live.[xviii]

We are Christ’s church, together with Jesus and thus never alone. He has come for us and will come again. Our longing will be vindicated. This truth is rightly celebrated at every moment and forever, but especially during Advent. We celebrate it this morning through our young people attending Messiah Lutheran School who have come to proclaim the story of Christ’s birth with us anew today.[xix] Amen.

Readings for the Third Sunday of Advent – December 16, 2012
Zephaniah 3:14-20
Isaiah 12:2-6
Philippians 4:4-7
Luke 3:7-18

[i] “O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel, that mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel. (Evangelical Lutheran Worship, Hymn 257, verse 1)

[xiv] In Mother Teresa and Brother Roger’s book called Seeking the Heart of God (1993), Brother Roger writes: “Four hundred years after Christ, a believer names Augustine lived in North Africa. He had experienced misfortunes, the death of his loved one. One day he was able to say to Christ: ‘Light of my heart, do not let me darkness speak to me.’ In his trials, St. Augustine realized that the presence of the Risen Christ had never left him; it was the light in the midst of his darkness.”

[xvii] At times of fear or doubt, Martin Luther is said to have reminded himself, “I am baptized”; a reminder that he was Christ’s called, claimed and sent child. His writings also indicate that we act as Jesus in the world, but also encounter Jesus in the least of these, those suffering and alone. Through their lives Jesus cries out to us for compassion.

[xix] Isaiah 11:6

The Funeral of the Rev. Paul "Chip" Gunsten by The Rev. David Delaney, Ph.D

The Funeral of the Rev. Paul “Chip” Gunsten by The Rev. David Delaney, Ph.D

Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations for this article are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) translation.

© 2012 The Rev. Louis Florio. All content not held under another’s copyright may not be used without permission of the author.

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December 14, 2012 · 10:52 am

St. Lucy – Innocent on all counts of burglary, witchcraft, & pagan roots

Lucy Before the Judge, by Lorenzo Lotto, 1523-32

Throughout Scandinavia and especially Sweden, the feast of St. Lucy on December 13th holds a special place on the liturgical calendar. Associated today with the lights and laughter of Christmas, the roots of this holy day are much darker.

Before science proved otherwise, December 13th was commonly considered the darkest point of the year. In nations where darkness reigns at wintertime due to their extreme northern location, a celebration developed to mark the transition from darkness to light. The pre-Christian season of Yule honored the winter solstice and the return of the sun through feasting, gift giving, and other gatherings. Such activities would hopefully keep one safe from the evil forces that lurked as an ever present danger.

One such danger was Lussi, a female demon who was thought to actively roam on December 13th. She would ride through the air with her followers, the Lussiferda. It would be dangerous to walk alone in the darkness. People feared falling asleep and becoming her victim. In some traditions, she might even come down the chimney to snatch away misbehaving children. Throwing all night parties seemed to remedy her threat.

Much later and far away in Italy, Lucy (sharing the Latin root for light, lux) was born in 283 CE. In Italian, she is known as Santa Lucia. Details of her life are sketchy and often tinged with myth, but she seems to have been a devoted Christian woman known for her generosity and faithfulness. The core of the story indicates she was pledged to a pagan for marriage. Lucy’s heart was elsewhere. She wanted to devote her life to Jesus Christ. Instead of using her dowry for marriage, she gave it to the poor. One story accounts that she wore a wreath with candles atop it to keep her hands free in order to deliver more assistance to her fellow Christians in the catacombs. Word came to her betrothed that she had found a more suitable bridegroom. In anger, he turned Lucy over to the local Roman authority, the magistrate Paschasius.

Here the stories vary, but what seems certain is that Lucy refused to marry her intended husband or reject Christ even under torture. She was perhaps blinded, thus hagiographic images of Lucy often show her eyes on a plate of some kind. Yet, this part of the story didn’t appear until the 15th Century in any known writings. However she met her end, it is uniformly reported she did so with faith in Christ even unto death in 304 CE. She is remembered as a martyr, thus her feast day’s liturgical color is red.

Lucy’s legacy is not that of Lussi, yet in the northern European lands, there stories somewhat merged. The light of Christ which shined so brightly through this young virgin’s life now became associated with the winter solstice. She doesn’t break into the home through the chimney. No one hides in fear. Instead a young girl is often selected to represent her and bear gifts (usually foods such as Lussekatt – a “St. Lucia Bun” – made with saffron) to her family, singing songs and wearing a wreath with lit candles around it. The song lyrics vary, but they have the Italian tune Santa Lucia. Today, many cities in Northern Europe have public processions to remember Lucy.

This is the English translation to one version called “Night Walks with a Heavy Step”[i]:

Night walks with a heavy step
Round yard and hearth,
As the sun departs from earth,
Shadows are brooding.

There in our dark house,
Walking with lit candles,
Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia!

Night walks grand, yet silent,
Now hear its gentle wings,
In every room so hushed,
Whispering like wings.

Look, at our threshold stands,
White-clad with light in her hair,
Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia!

Darkness shall take flight soon,
From earth’s valleys.
So she speaks a Wonderful Word to us:
A new day will rise again From the rosy sky…
Santa Lucia, Santa Lucia!

So whether in Italian (Santa Lucia), Swedish (Sankta Lucia), or English (Saint Lucy), this woman shouldn’t be confused with the burglarizing evil spirit or witch of old legends. Lucy is her own woman, not just a remake from paganism. She deserves to be remembered for her Christian witness through her ordinary life. She can serve as an inspiration for us to let the light of Christ shine through us. She is just one of a great cloud of witnesses God has used to break into the darkness of our world.

Like Lucy, we are children of that same light. We are innocent of all charges against us, real or imagined, through faith in the Son of God who came as a child in Bethlehem long ago. All powers of evil, sin and death raged against him then, but “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it” (John 1:5). We are asked to serve as his living symbols, an assurance that he once came that Christmas long ago, but also proof that he is risen. We remain signs pointing to the truth that he will come again. We do this through boldly loving in his name, even unto death, for we know we shall share in his final victory. “Whoever loves a brother or sister lives in the light, and in such a person there is no cause for stumbling” (1 John 2:10). In Christ, we shall find forgiveness, new life, and a love we never dared hope for.

When Jesus finally does come at the end of the age, a new everlasting day shall rise. Darkness will forever take flight. “And there will be no more night; [those who trusted in him] need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign for ever and ever” (Revelation 22:5). With Lucy and all the communion of saints, we await and announce his coming.

Let us pray:
Lord God, Saint Lucy did not hide her light under a bushel, but let your light shine for the whole world, for all the centuries, to see. We may not suffer torture the way she did, but we are still called to let the light of our faith illumine our daily lives and the lives of others. Help us to have the courage to bring our faith into our work, our recreation, our relationships, our conversations, and every corner of this day. Amen[i]

Merry Christmas! Buon Natele! God Jul!

Pastor Lou

[i] Variation of a Roman Catholic prayer and one seen in a devotion by Bishop Kanouse of the Northern Texas-Northern Louisiana Synod, ELCA)

[i] Translation from http://www.mamalisa.com/blog/santa-lucia-day-song-and-saying-why-its-a-festival-of-light/

Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations for this article are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) translation.

© 2012 The Rev. Louis Florio. All content not held under another’s copyright may not be used without permission of the author.

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December 8, 2012 · 6:56 pm

Seniors and Law Enforcement Together (SALT), 2012 Christmas Gathering

Click on the picture to learn more about the Henrico County Police SALT Program - Used under fair use for teaching - (C) 1996- 2012 Henrico County

Click on the picture to learn more about the Henrico County Police SALT Program – Used under fair use for teaching –      (C) 1996- 2012 Henrico County

On December 4th, I was invited to speak to the members of Henrico County Police Department’s Seniors and Law Enforcement Together (SALT) program. The SALT program seeks to empower seniors to be aware of and address crime problems they commonly face, as well as invites them to volunteer for the agency. This following is my prepared text:

When asked to speak this morning about my transition from law enforcement to being a pastor, I was hesitant. I am not too excited about talking about myself, and I am not sure how much it would interest you. So rather than just speaking on that issue, I wish to consider my journey in light of our shared call to community service. How do our own sacred life stories – and they are all sacred whether you realize it or not in my view – intersect with passions, interests, gifts, and ultimately our call or vocation?

The word vocation – at its root – indicates a mingling with the sacred…our purpose in life. It comes from the Latin root vocātiō, meaning a call or summons and inferring a higher power’s involvement. Now, vocations can and do indeed change during periods of our life just as mine did. We are much more than what we do, but I believe we all share a purpose to love God and our neighbor as ourselves in whatever we do.  At every moment of our lives, even facing death, God can use those moments to bless us and others.

So using my own story to begin this reflection, we begin in my younger years. I was part of a family with some serious problems – as many families have problems – and amidst those problems rooted in generational bouts of alcoholism and mental illness, there indeed was love; at least as well as people could love at the time with their own woundedness. Now my parents provided and cared for me very well in many respects, but the systemic problems we faced often distracted them and sometimes caused people in my family to make even more poor choices. As is often the case as a teen in such situations, I found myself dabbling in things that I had no business in. Most people had no idea, including my parents. Indeed at one point, I did find myself in juvenile court over a serious auto accident. Looking back, I realize I could have spiraled much lower. Yet when some parents had written me off as a trouble maker, others did not.

In one instance, I was being driven with a friend to an event by his mother. She began to talk about how good we were and unlike that boy who got into trouble. The only problem remained that unknown to her I was that boy. Yet, others did see past my problems to possibilities. Another friend’s father, a volunteer with a youth ministry, reached out to me, and he got me involved. At my workplace (a local 8,000 seat arena), a police officer always found time to talk to me, ask about my grades and my future plans. At school, one English teacher treated me with respect and helped me learn to begin to respect myself more. He challenged me to look at the world and myself through new eyes and with imagination.

Such interactions made a difference. I am sure these folks might not have known it at the time. They might not even remember me, but one never knows what kind word or ethical action observed might plant a seed. And seeds were planted. In time, I came to want to serve others, and attended the Virginia Military Institute, and after a short time on active duty for training as an Army Reserve officer, I transitioned into my own police career at the City of Alexandria Police.

Now at the time, crack was hitting cities hard. The metro-DC area news had body counts each day, and as I graduated from the academy, one of our officers, Corporal Charles Hill, was murdered in a drug related hostage situation. It was a wild time, and I grew up a lot. A sense of idealism was difficult to maintain with some of the things I saw and experienced. Yet again, thanks to friends, I was invited to participate in a loving church family and volunteer in some outside service activities: shop with a cop, bicycle helmet drives, other things of that nature, but also as an adult volunteer with a campus ministry at what is now the University of Mary Washington. Already, I had noticed a gift for working with youth from the housing projects during my midnight shift, but this volunteering really helped broaden and mature my view of the world, myself, and even God.

You probably already recognize that law enforcement officers face a disproportionate amount of evil on a daily basis. They see and experience what John Calvin would describe as humanity’s depraved nature or what Martin Luther would consider examples of the human tendency to be bent inward upon oneself (in other words selfish, and therefore not loving of God and neighbor as we should be). For some, this turns the officer into a fountain of cynicism. For others, they see humanity for what they are – not always the best they can be – but they recognize more is going on in the world. Goodness is still at work, and so in the face of evil and tragedy, they dedicate their hearts to make a difference. I witnessed this as fellow officers raised funds during the shift from other officers for a homeless couple who needed diapers for their baby. I saw it as people I knew volunteered with service projects in the community unrelated to policing; one even volunteering with a jail ministry.

This wasn’t naïve idealism. There were victory and losses to be sure, but the call to make a difference kept them trying. Hope kept them oriented on what could be rather than just settling. Like many of them, I found in volunteering that I got more than I gave. Working with the college students I rediscovered a more positive, hopeful way to look at the world and others even as I mentored them. I also found my faith in God grow stronger.

Eventually, I began to wonder if God was calling me to something else…something else not better mind you….just different. Through connections, I was eventually invited to spend some time volunteering and discerning with an international, ecumenical group that works with young adults in France called Taizé. So, I took my leave of law enforcement to test the waters of full time ministry. Although I didn’t stay with this ministry, I found my law enforcement and personal background and experience fit well with what they did. It helped me relate to young adults, many with troubled pasts or coming from violent areas throughout the world. As one brother told me, “We have similar hearts.”  Yet, I felt a strong pull to come back to the United States to use the gifts I had been identifying perhaps more fully.

My first weekend home, I attended my parent’s Roman Catholic Church, and coincidentally a bishop from South Dakota was thee seeking funds and/or volunteers. I had mentioned to my parents of my possibly seeking a mission stint in Eastern Europe, South America or Native Americans (areas of interest and places I had met friends from in France), so I went and spoke to the bishop, now Archbishop Chaput of Philadelphia. This “chance” meeting resulted in an invitation to have my resume past around state of South Dakota, and I found a new home and call at St. Joseph’s Indian School.

St. Joseph’s Indian School is a residential school serving at risk Native Youth from elementary age through high school, and recently into college aged young adults. I was to live as a house parent among the high school students, serving as the father figure, mentoring counseling, helping with homework and driving kids to places – most anything any parent would do. Yet once again, my past experiences helped me in the present.

Most of these kids were from among the poorest and most addicted places in America, where violence and sex crimes against children are much too common, and gangs have a strong foothold. We had kids that lived in home without heat in a place where -35 degrees could be the high for the day, or perhaps they had no toilet, or maybe they had no home at all and bounced from house to house as people became willing to take them in. At least one I worked with had all his possession including clothes fitting in a small brown paper grocery bag. It was a tough place, isolated and with extreme weather.

Many new employees quite, but I found that the kids responded well to me. My police work helped me meet them as they were, without shock or pity. I could understand what they would share with me without needing to ask what they would think of as stupid questions, and I respected them as my own mentors respected me. I understood that as messed up as their families might be, it was still there family, and that amidst all the violence and trouble, their culture and they themselves had much to offer me. In fact, the logo of the school reflects a truth I already mentioned. We often get more than we receive when we volunteer and serve others. The tag line for the logo was “We give and teach. We receive and learn.” Students and staff mutually benefited and grew from this relationship with one another.

After three and one half years, I had completed my initial commitment. I returned to Virginia to attend seminary. I entered a special dual program where I earned a Master of Divinity degree from Union Presbyterian Seminary and an MS from Virginia Commonwealth University. My thesis focus was upon how faith and mentoring can help mitigate delinquency, but this experience again brought home to me the reality that law enforcement for me was and remained a real ministry. It has continued to help me as I served in hospice chaplaincy and now in the parish. I am realistic about the challenges we face, but I am hopefully about the God we share. I maintain my foothold in the policing community as a chaplain for law enforcement, and I find my law enforcement experiences always helpful in the midst of the ordinary lives of people I serve – lives that often face significant troubles.

In law enforcement, we face sin and death head on. We seek to shine light in the darkness, restore family relationships, and bring justice to the community. We can find ourselves counseling or comforting a wayward teen, grieving family member or victim of violence at any time. In doing so, we have an opportunity to live out what Jesus said was the summary of all the law and the prophets, loving God with all we are and our neighbor as ourselves – even sometimes unto death.

As volunteers, you might not recognize the good you do, nor the eternal Good that works through you. Paperwork, small unrecognized tasks, or even a friendly, sincere hello might not seem like much, but one never knows what God might use to make the world and our community a better place and encourage others. Seeds can be planted through relationship. These small acts of love can free up others to love in some pretty difficult circumstances, so I argue your volunteering with the Henrico County Police Department has significant and eternal value. It is part of your vocational, sacred call in the present. Through this call, you have the opportunity to be a blessing to others and the community.

My experiences over the years has affirmed for me that we need to be united – faith communities, secular organizations, police agencies, and individuals – in bearing hope and love into our communities. It is a hope and love that I personally believe first came to us in a small town called Bethlehem long ago. A hope no one expected, an act of love that seemed so small, and yet it is a hope and love that remains with us and can work through us even on the darkest day.

In closing, I thank you again for your invitation and for your willingness to love. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and happy new year.

© 2012 The Rev. Louis Florio. All content not held under another’s copyright may not be used without permission of the author.

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December 6, 2012 · 6:49 pm

Crime Log: Nicholas of Myra

Mugshot of Suspect: Bishop Nicholas of Myra


Mugshot of Suspect: Bishop Nicholas of Myra.
Used under fair use guidlines – (c) Anand Kapoor, 2004
(Click the photo for more images from stnicholascenter.org)

Ladies and gentlemen, the report you are about to read is true. Only some names have been changed to protect the innocent…

Nicea Police Department – Crime Report

Date: On or about May 20, 325 AD

Offense: Assualt & Battery                                                       Case Number: 1225

1. Victim: Arius, Presbyter of Alexandria, Egypt

DOB: UD, 250 AD or 256 AD     National Origin: Central-North African

S: Male     Ht.: UK     Wt.: UK  Skin: Dark to Olive color

Other: Facial Hair – full beard; described as “tall and lean, of distinguished appearance and polished address.”

Previous Arrests & Torture: N/A

2. Suspect: Nicholas, Bishop of Myrna, Region of Lycia

DOB: UD, 270 AD     National Origin: Greece

S: Male      Ht.: 5′ 6″      Wt: 160 – 200 lbs.  Skin: Olive

Other: Facial hair – full beard; previously broken nose

Previous Arrests & Torture: During the persecution of Christians under Roman Emperor Diocletian

3. Disposition: Arrest

4. Incident Summary:

Presbyter Arius of Alexandria, Egypt reported that Bishop Nicholas of Myra (aka Nikolaos of Myra) did intentionally assault and batter him in the presence of multiple witnesses on or about the start of the Emperor’s church council in 325 AD. Witnesses included his royal highness, Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus Augustus (aka Constantine I), Emperor of Rome, along with over 300 bishops, other clergy, scribes, servants, and attendees.

Presbyter Arius stated to officers that he was attending the First Ecumenical Council of Nicea to defend his position on the Trinitarian controversy over the nature of The Son, Jesus Christ, and his relationship to God the Father. Arius contended that Jesus as the Son of God was not the eternal God, but rather was created by God the Father – a denial of the more widely accepted concept of the Trinity.

Bishop Nicholas took issue with Arius’ position. He rejected the view of Arius and his followers that “there was once that when he was not” and was of the attendees arguing for the co-eternity of the Son with the Father. Also rejected was the position that Jesus was  “mutable or subject to change” in his essence. Bishop Nicholas agreed with those who maintained that the Son just like the Father was beyond any form of weakness or corruptibility, and most importantly that he could not fall away from absolute moral perfection.

At some unspecified point, the scholarly debate turned into an argument, and the victim along with mutiple witnesses from the assembled council (see supplement to this report to be filed later) stated that Bishop Nicholas did use his right hand or fist to punch or slap Arius, causing the victim to fall to the floor. Seeing the alleged offence, the Emperor and assembled bishops had Bishop Nicholas taken into custody, stripped of his bishop’s garments,  and thrown in prison to cool off.

Upon interview of the prisoner by this reporting officer, Bishop Nicholas admitted the offense done “out of love for Jesus Christ.” He stated he had grown tired of Arius’ insults to Christ’s full divinity. Further legal action is pending, but Bishop Myra is expected to return to his duties upon the request of Emperor Constantine in his role as Pontifex Maximus,  the high priest of the College of Pontiffs of Rome.

It should be noted that the suspect has reportedly been involved in previous altercations and incidents of public controversy, including but not limited to: saving young women from slavery, protecting sailors, sparing innocents from excecution, providing grain in a famine, and the rescue of a kidnaped boy.

Artist rendition of the alleged offense.

Artist rendition of the alleged offense.

Form NPD-CR1                           Reporting Officer: Centurion A. Brutus 

Happy Feast of St. Nicholas, December 6th!

© 2012 The Rev. Louis Florio. All content not held under another’s copyright may not be used without permission of the author.

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November 30, 2012 · 9:10 pm

Put the Chi back in Christmas

For all the hubbub about using “Xmas” instead of “Christmas” as shorthand (and in some cases where people intentionally desire to erase any reference of Christ from Christmas by using Xmas), the ironic, historic truth remains that ancient Christians utilized the Greek letter Chi and letter symbol Chi-Rho as a means to represent Jesus Christ. Such symbols are called christograms.

You see, the name Jesus Christ in Greek, the language of the New Testament texts, is Ἰησοῦς Χριστός. The first letter of the title Christ (signifying Jesus as the anointed one, the Messiah) looks like our English X and became a convenient, somewhat obscure way for early Christians in the catacombs and elsewhere to identify artistic representations of Jesus and Christian markings, signs, or art – similar to use of the Christian fish symbol.

Later, the Emperor Constantine I had a dream that he should put the “heavenly divine” symbol of Chi-Rho on his army’s shield before the Battle of the Milvian Bridge to guarantee victory. He did just that, won the battle, and turned the formerly pagan empire into a Christian one. The Chi-Rho symbol became and remains one of the most common christograms used in sacred and liturgical settings. In fact, it is often used as part of the modern Christmas tradition of the Chrismon Tree. Invented by a Lutheran in Danville,  Virginia in 1957, this practice is now popular in many congregations throughout the United States and across denominational lines.

As I find the debate over the use of Xmas somewhat distracting if not tedious and dislike the rush toward Christmas only to hide it away from the public eye as soon as December 25th passes, I try to experience Advent as a true time of expectant waiting and preparation. I also make an effort to enjoy the traditional Christmas period lasting twelve days through Epiphany on January 6th. So last year as Christmas approached, I posted an image I had found by Orthodox iconographer Raymond J. Mastroberte on Facebook saying, “Keep Chi in Christmas…Because early Christians used Greek abbreviations!” The illustrator’s image struck my sometimes questionable funny bone, and I playfully proclaimed that I would be putting the Chi in Christmas all twelve days.

Image and copyright by Orthodox iconographer Raymond J. Mastroberte. Image used here for teaching and not for profit under the terms of fair use.

Image and copyright by Orthodox iconographer Raymond J. Mastroberte. Image used here for teaching and not for profit under the terms of fair use.

In the context of our modern conundrum over Xmas, it wasn’t long until someone missed my attempt at humor. They argued that surely since Jesus Christ had done so much, suffered and died for our sake, we could most certainly take the time to spell out his name in full. It was as if the ancient Christian signs and symbols were suddenly disrespecting our Lord. And so, my attempt at lighthearted banter fell as another victim of this modern culture war.

As the past few years attest, an annual argument has indeed arisen about the secularization and explicit anti-Christian elements of our Christmas celebration. It should be expected, for in school gatherings and shopping malls, on public plazas and in our homes, religious symbols for Christ and his birth have come to be often replaced by winter scenes, Santa and his reindeer, snowmen, cute penguins or polar bears…the list goes on and on. In fact, some suggest that many Americans can’t specify what the Christmas holiday commemorates.

In opposition to Christmas, one atheist author argues that there is historically no proof that “Christ is the reason for the season.”[i] They suggest that winter celebrations have always existed, and such a modern mantra is only a Christian attempt to assert their cultural superiority over everyone else. Sadly in the name of multiculturalism, echoing choruses of Merry Christmas can be explicitly prohibited in some environs. Yes, just as there was no room at the inn on the original Christmas Eve, there seems to be no room in our public lives for Jesus today.

Yet, let’s not be too quick about things, as there are other signs to look for. Gallop found, “Ninety-five percent of Americans celebrate Christmas, and of these, 51% describe the holiday as ‘strongly religious’ for them, continuing an upward trend seen since 1989.” This 2010 poll also found a majority of Americans self-reported “incorporating specific religious activities or symbols into their holiday celebrations. This includes 62% who attend religious services on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, 65% who display decorations with a religious meaning, and 78% who take time to reflect on the birth of Christ.”[ii] Self-reporting surveys can prove inflated, but we can see signs of hope for our beloved holiday.

Nevertheless, further confusing this debate, this same Gallop study found many more Americans were likely to practice secular traditions (in the ninetieth percentile range, depending upon the activity) than religious. Sadly, a recent poll by Think Finance claimed that 45% would rather skip Christmas due to the debt accumulated from gift giving.[iii] Others seasonally face bouts of depression or other mental illnesses magnified by their isolation or sense of loss during the holiday season, and thus they dread Christmas’ arrival.[iv]

Amidst debates and arguments, blinded by bobbles, decorations, and good deals, we can forget that our redemption is drawing near. Our time on earth is short, and we should live with hopeful and loving expectation as if Christ will indeed come soon. Signs of trouble and even outright persecution are nothing new. Jesus promised us such as these in his prophesies, comparing them to birth pangs.[v]

Should we then be so surprised that people are confused, lost, and hurting when it comes to Christmas and more importantly Jesus Christ? Should we let this distract us from our call as a holy people living together in Jesus’ holy name? Intentionally seeking the newborn Christ in our own hearts, we can repent of our own errors and grow in faith. Living as part of his body through our shared ministry of preaching, teaching and baptizing, or accepting and loving others (even our enemies) as they are, we can be used by God to bear Jesus into the world.

The devil’s in the details, and so it appears with our modern Christmas. Let’s not get anxious about the holiday – lost in empty debates or the holiday wrapping of materialism. As Christians, we are called to celebrate!

Look to the true heart of Christmas toward Jesus Christ himself, the final Word on this argument, come to save us. Whatever we choose to do and however we choose to say it, let’s seek to make Christ known every day. Look past the veneer of our time and see those suffering and alone around us. Enter relationship with them, help them, or guide them toward people who can. Celebrate the truth of Christ’s coming within every aspect of our lives – for the love of Χριστός, ourselves, and our neighbors.

There are more than enough signs of trouble and discord. Let’s not waste time dwelling upon them or pointing them out. Instead, let’s seek to be living, joyful signs that Jesus is near. That’s probably the best way for any of us to wish the world a meaningful Merry Christmas and eternity.

My wife, Kristine, and I wish you a holiday filled with blessings. May those same blessings flow through you to help transform the lives of others.

Pastor Lou

For those interested, visit OldLuteran.com for their comical take on this debate. Access their site through the image below:

[i] Cline, C. Putting Christ Back in Christmas: Is Jesus the Reason for the Season? as downloaded from http://atheism.about.com/od/christmasholidayseason/p/JesusReason.htm on November 30, 2012.

[ii] Jones, J.M. Christmas Strongly Religious for Half in U.S. Who Celebrate It: Secular traditions more common among Americans than religious traditions.  December 24, 2010 as downloaded from http://www.gallup.com/poll/145367/Christmas-Strongly-Religious-Half-Celebrate.aspx on November 30, 2012.

[iii] Berk, C.C. Why One Poll Says 45% Would Rather Skip Christmas. November 19, 2012 as downloaded from http://www.cnbc.com/id/49880517/Why_One_Poll_Says_45_Would_Rather_Skip_Christmas on November 30, 2012.

[iv] See for example Mayo Clinic’s Stress, depression and the holidays: Tips for coping at http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stress/MH00030

[v] See for example Luke 21: 25-36 or Mark 13:8.

The above pastoral letter was originally published in Messiah Lutheran Church and School’s newsletter, The Messenger (December/January 2012 edition) in an abridged version. To view the entire issue of The Messenger or to see the full calendar of events, visit: http://www.mlcas.org

Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations for this article are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) translation.

© 2012 The Rev. Louis Florio. All content not held under another’s copyright may not be used without permission of the author.

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November 25, 2012 · 11:29 am

Doom but not gloom

Christ the King

Today, too many fear the promised return of our Lord Jesus. In movies and other works of fiction, many can only imagine a terrible time of horror, suffering and judgment. Indeed, we are told in scripture that the end of time promises some form of Judgment Day will occur, but all is not a future full of darkness alone. With the symbolic language and prophetic texts used to speak of such a time, people tend to actively speculate about what such a time could be like. Many let their imaginations run wild for profit, the intimidation of others, or perhaps just out of ignorance. Yet in truth, to try to discern the mechanisms and mechanics of Judgment Day puts us at risk of being unbiblical. Such an exercise always proves futile for we lack God’s vision and understanding.

Instead of speculating about suffering or damnation, perhaps we should hold fast to Christ’s promise that he returns out of love for us. For rather than inspiring fear or proving a map to a terror-filled future, texts such as Revelation were written as much for (if not more for) Christians suffering in the present time to find hope and encouragement amidst persecution. In it, we are assured Jesus will most certainly come to complete what his life, death, and resurrection started. Jesus will come for us and our sake, to set the world right and bring new life. Thus rather than fearing the End of Time, the earliest Christians prayed that Jesus would come soon. The Second Coming is Christ’s answer to all that terrorizes our present lives, and we modern folk should rightfully celebrate along with those Christians who came before us.

Much after the first Christians, during a time when nationalism and secularism was taking a toll on the world through wars, greed, and political dysfunction, the feast of Christ the King was first introduced by Pope Pius XI in 1926. By 1969, the date was changed from the last Sunday in October to the last Sunday of the liturgical calendar year. Today, it is celebrated by the Roman Catholic Church along with many Anglicans, Lutherans, other Mainline Protestants, as well as parts of the of the Orthodox Church.

This ecumenical feast day is a celebration of hope while the universal church awaits Christ’s return. It serves to remind us that we should seek to live as one under our one Lord, Jesus Christ, loving God and our neighbor as ourself. Like the Christians before us, we remember and trust that Christ will come again – praying with hope that he comes soon. For only then will we experience the fullness of our promised life with him where “he will wipe every tear from their eyes. death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4).

In the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sweden, this feast day has been referred to as the Sunday of Doom. This name is somewhat ironic. There is doom in a sense, but we should never be overcome with doubts and sorrow as Christians. There is much more in store. The old world will pass away, and a new heaven and earth will be shared with us. Those who believe will be fully saved  and judged as if righteous; not based upon what they have done, but solely by grace through faith – trusting in what Jesus has already done for us through the power of his cross and resurrection. This Christ proclaimed, and it will be fulfilled.

Our true King will indeed return, but whatever trouble must come in the meantime, we should worship him, rejoice and be glad while we wait. We should set our hands and hearts to the work of making ourselves and our world ready for his return. For as much as we expect Christ, he asks and expects this of his faithful church.

Yes, the best is yet to come, and as Christians, we are promised that End of Time will mean a new beginning with our loving Savior and King. Our future (in the end) is nothing but bright.

Happy Christ the King Sunday!

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture quotations for this article are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) translation.

© 2012 The Rev. Louis Florio. All content not held under another’s copyright may not be used without permission of the author.

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