Tag Archives: Lutheran

August 18, 2011 · 7:59 pm

Happy reading!

Members of my congregation often ask me for book recommendations or about what books I am currently reading. Following the recent demise of a Facebook application to facilitate this, I have migrated my reading list to Goodreads.com. What is Goodreads? According to their site, “Goodreads is the largest social network for readers in the world. We have more than 5,400,000 members who have added more than 170,000,000 books to their shelves. A place for casual readers and bona-fide bookworms alike, Goodreads members recommend books, compare what they are reading, keep track of what they’ve read and would like to read, form book clubs and much more. Goodreads was launched in December 2006. ” You can find my account and reading lists by searching for my name.

I have also created a book list  there which YOU can help shape and create:

Best Lutheran Related Books
A list of “best books” helpful in nurturing the Lutheran expression of faith or reflecting Lutheran people and culture as recommended by the Goodreads Community. Not all books need be “Lutheran” or by Lutheran authors to be included. Find it here:
This is a public list, so it will change and grow as people vote on the books included or add their own favorites. I hope this proves helpful to you and members of the Goodreads Community.

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June 30, 2011 · 12:32 pm

The Root of Freedom

So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:36)

True freedom isn’t found through political struggle, economic independence, or rugged individualism. Freedom comes ultimately through the heart alone. When we honestly look at ourselves, we find some level of both brokenness and beauty. Despite any of our gifts, we can’t be complete on our own. Realities of the world limit us. We need help. We need others. We need Christ. It might not seem to make sense, but rooted in relationship, we discover the meaning of true freedom.

In a healthy (not perfect) community founded on the love of Christ, we best discover a glimpse of who God created us to be. Whether or not we come from troubled homes or seem to have no one to call our own, we discover ourselves as part of a larger human family and purpose. Love, trust and mutuality help us mature and flourish. Forgiveness received and given makes us and others new. Shared service brings healing. We are never the center of the universe, but we discover our uniqueness can be used to bless others and our world. Best of all, through such a loving communion, we are drawn more deeply into the heart of all life and love, Jesus Christ himself.

Yes, we will all remain human, weak, and imperfect. The social structures that surround us will likely continue to reflect the brokenness inherent within each human heart. Yet despite these “realities”, Christ makes us free to love. Trusting him, we can therefore choose to bravely claim and embody the love given us first. Imperfect as we are, right now, no matter the risk or cost, we can seek to establish heart to heart relationships in his name. Within these relationships, we live out the gift of reconciliation, accept differences, and are empowered to help address any doubts and darkness within ourselves and our world. Miracles will happen. Hand in hand and guided by grace, we will experience the true freedom and transforming power found uniquely within the communion of saints. Rooted together in Christ, new life will most certainly grow.

Peace to you, and Happy Independence Day!

Pastor Lou

The above pastoral letter was originally published in Messiah Lutheran Church and School’s newsletter, The Messenger (July 2011 edition). 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 are from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) translation.

© 2011 The Rev. Louis Florio. All contents not held under another’s copyright may not be used without permission of the author.

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June 7, 2011 · 4:22 pm

Rest, relaxation, and restoration

Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.(2 Cor. 13:11)

After the work of creation, God rested. In the Law of Moses, both people and animals are granted a day of rest (a sabbath day, from the Hebrew meaning “to cease”). Despite the urgency of his mission, Jesus often models healthy self-care by worshiping on the sabbath, spending time in fellowship with those he loves, and taking time away from his responsibilities for prayer and rest in the mountains alone. He does all this while never losing sight of his purpose. Yes, God’s plan for us includes rest, relaxation, and restoration – alone as well as together in relationship with others – for our call although sometimes difficult is always meant to lead to new life.

In our society, we can too often lost sight of this. As a result, we can confuse our work with who we are. We can become addicted to our work or wrongly believe everything is up to us. We hesitate to take time to rejuvenate and keep ourselves and our relationships healthy, including our relationship with Christ and his church. We can become perfectionist or selfish, reaping rewards of status or wealth while ignoring the needs of others. If we do go on a vacation, we can come back more tired than when we left, or the opportunity can be mistakenly seen as all about us and our needs. In short, we can become less than the children of God we were created and called to be.

All of us are asked to share in Christ’s sacred work of restoration. In our shared ministry, through our daily vocations, and even as we seek to relax or fellowship, we remain the children of God. We are to practice and demonstrate a healthy self love and care, but that time should also help prepare us for the gospel work before us. There is a time to work and a time to rest, but each time of our life should seek to glorify God. Our choices should aim to build up ourselves and others; intending to better love God and love our neighbor as ourselves. Summer is a holy opportunity for rest and fun to be sure. It is a great time to celebrate the gift of our life and our relationships. I pray this summer helps restore us all, so that we might better attend to our call to help Jesus restore the world around us. Yes, Jesus still calls us, even in summer, for there is much work left to do and many blessings for us to share.

Peace,

Pastor Lou

The above pastoral letter was originally published in Messiah Lutheran Church and School’s newsletter, The Messenger (June 2011 edition). 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 Today’s New International Version translation.

© 2011 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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April 22, 2011 · 9:08 pm

Three Hours Changed My Life

Lord, as I contemplate your suffering on that cross so long ago, my heart grieves. I mourn your sacrifice for my sake. I regret the wounds that my sin has caused. In the days of my youth, I was quick to forget your saving act of love. I doubted that you died for me, and even if you had, I believed my sin too great to be forgiven. Through my lack of trust – embodied in so many of my words and deeds – I mocked you with my life. I scourged you with my poor choices. I made idols to lift up and worship rather than seek comfort in your holy cross. Although standing amidst the living, I had descended down into the Pit.

I confess that I remain a sinner, and yet, you have chosen me to live among your saints. In my distress, your arms reached out to me from that same cross I scorned. Your love crossed time to declare for me a new life of jubilee. Through people, places and events, you helped me recognize the truth and glory of your cross: you died for me, and my sin is never greater than your grace. I am not who I once was, and I have found hope in whom you will help me become. You will never forsake me, for you have paid too high a price. I have been made new through your love.

Lord, I know you will prove faithful to me and all of your promises. You have always been faithful even before I knew you. Your death remains a sign that you will always remember me. Purify my heart, O Christ, so that I never forget you. Still standing amidst the living, help me share this resurrected life with others. Amen.

The above text was composed after sharing Three Hours watching, waiting, and worshiping with some of my brothers and sisters in Christ from Messiah Lutheran Church. Each Good Friday, we gather from noon to three o’clock to hear the synoptic gospel accounts of the crucifixion, pray psalms, listen to meditative music, and hear reflections about the cross in our lives from Martin Luther, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Brother Roger of Taizé, Jean Vanier and more.  At 7 pm, we reconvene for a special Good Friday worship service.

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March 29, 2011 · 3:44 pm

A new beginning

The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” (Matthew 28: 5-7)

In the midst of Lent, we continue to watch, wait and pray for the very special celebration of Easter. Many of us have participated in diverse spiritual disciplines to help us grow in faith and service. These are wonderful and often quite helpful, but Lent really isn’t about those disciplines in and of themselves. We should never forget that these disciplines and special worship experiences are not meant as an end for us but a new beginning.

Approaching Christ’s tomb, his women followers found it empty. The angel invited them to investigate and ponder what they experienced, but finally it was enough. It was time to act. They weren’t to stay in the tomb. They were to go and tell others the good news with joy. They certainly didn’t understand everything that had happened. They had much more to learn and experience, but they were to go and share what they had seen and heard as best as they could.

As we leave Lent for the springtime which is Easter, we are asked to do the same. Share the good news through word and deed. Invite others to share in our fellowship, service and worship. In doing so, we will experience the Resurrection in our lives more intimately and be used by God to share this new beginning with others. The miracle of Easter will continue throughout our lives.

I wish you and your extended family members an Easter season filled with blessings and new life,

Pastor Lou

The above pastoral letter was originally published in Messiah Lutheran Church and School’s newsletter, The Messenger (April 2011 edition). You are invited to join us at any of our remaining Lenten gatherings and for our celebration of Easter on April 24th. To view the entire April issue of The Messenger or to see the full calendar of events, visit: http://www.mlcas.org

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

© 2011 The Rev. Louis Florio. All contents not held under another’s copyright may not be used without permission of the author.

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March 12, 2011 · 8:15 pm

Why L’Arche for Lent?

Logo of L'Arche ("The Ark") Communities, downloaded from larche.org

Despite the heated language in our polarized world, justice and peace are Gospel values. People too often use such words like a weapon for their political agenda (conservative or liberal, believer or non-believer) rather than listen to them with a holy fear. These words are powerful, spoken from the mouth of God to our hearts. Lived out, they change us and the world. We are to love the poor, the oppressed, the widow and the orphan. We are even to love or enemy. We should never let ourselves be led away from these words and who first spoke them just because they are sometimes misused. Instead, we should seek their depths in the wellspring which is Christ and his community, the church. We should strive to live them out every day, so we and the world can be transformed by love.

One of the most powerful ways to grow into love is to experience it in the real world. Recognizing our own need for love, we must allow ourselves to be rooted into the gospel message as the Spirit moves. Through situations, people, and places, as well as our own weakness, the Spirit intends to drive us into the wilderness. The Spirit calls us to experience new life there. I believe Gospel stories become Gospel realities as we seek to live them out concretely in our lives; sometimes in places where we are not so comfortable. Through sacred but small moments, our relationship to the world and each other will be transformed.

As a community of faith over the last few seasons of Lent, Messiah has been examining the Christian life and witness of well known figures of the last century. We do so hoping to grow as individuals and a community. As pastor, I have tried to identify people who shared different yet compatible visions of community: Dietrich Bonheoffer, Brother Roger of Taizé, and this year, Jean Vanier and the community members of L’Arche. Each has been given a vision by God of what community can be. Through their lives, they exemplified what Br. Roger so often described as a “parable of community” that teaches us and the world new possibilities.

L’Arche literature and websites proclaim that community isn’t an ideal but you and I. Despite our differences in politics, theology, or ability; we are called to be one with each other and with God. A local L’Arche community describes their shared life in this way:

L’Arche Blue Ridge Mountains mission is to create fully-accessible homes where people with and without disabilities share life in a spiritually based community. We strive to make these homes places of caring and faith, where individuals’ unique callings and abilities are brought out.[1]

Through their words, I can hear an invitation of what “church” can become in a real and too often difficult world. I first became fully aware of L’Arche while volunteering with the Community of Taizé. (I had heard of them and a famous member of their community, Henri Nouwen, but I hadn’t gotten to know them well.) A group from the original home at Trosly-Breuil came to visit, and a young man proudly and joyfully told me about his life there. Pasquel (I still remember his name, a name which means Easter) ended his witness by offering me a new beginning. He invited me to live with them. I was unable to accept the invitation at the time, but I remain deeply touched by his testimony and openness. Somehow, I still feel in communion with him and his hope and vision for tomorrow, even as I feel called in the here and now to be at Messiah Lutheran in Mechanicsville. Who knows what tomorrow might bring? Yet, I believe we all can live that hope out no matter where we are.

Personally, I know his vision can be a reality. Long before I knew Pasquel, I knew the love of my grandmother. Her firstborn, my aunt, was born with a serious mental disability. At the time (the 1930s), people encouraged her to put my Aunt Theresa into an institution. She wouldn’t hear of it. Instead, she chose to respond to her call to love. With time, patience and effort, Aunt Theresa grew to be a beautiful lady with much love to share. She held a job, learned to drive, and even helped care for my grandparents as they grew older. I believe my grandmother, my aunt, and my family were transformed by grace; a grace that saw past the dark realities and allowed us to live in the light of hope. I never saw my aunt as disabled although I couldn’t avoid her disability. Only love stands out when she comes to mind.

With these varied experiences now part of me, I hope to nurture that similar love which is already active at Messiah by sharing in an exploration of the Christian life and witness of Jean Vanier and L’Arche. During Lent, we’ll read Jean Vanier’s writings, watch some videos, discuss our impressions, but most importantly (if things go as planed), we will worship and fellowship with members of L’Arche Blue Ridge Mountains to help celebrate the season of Easter. Both communities have much love to share and much more to learn about love. Together, I think our Lenten journey will be a true adventure; an adventure more deeply into the love which is Christ. We will be blessed to share in the resurrection more concretely through a new life with God and each other.

To learn more about L’Arche, visit:

L’Arche International                            http://www.larche.org/

L’Arche USA                                                http://www.larcheusa.org

L’Arche Blue Ridge Mountains           http://www.larchebrm.com

Or, listen to “Jean Vanier: The wisdom of tenderness” (radio interview, American Public Media): http://being.publicradio.org/programs/wisdomoftenderness/

© 2011 The Rev. Louis Florio. All contents not held under another’s copyright may not be used without permission of the author.

[1] L’Arche Blue Ridge website at http://www.larchebrm.com . Downloaded on March 12, 2011.

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March 8, 2011 · 10:13 pm

Repent & Rejoice – This Lent and Every Day

This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.” (Isaiah 30:15) 

Repentance is good for the soul, or so the Lord teaches. Yet, we often resist. It is hard to admit our frailty. It is hard to sometimes see it. Like sour medicine, our hearts tend to resist surrendering our individual sovereignty to the sovereignty of God. So, the season of Lent proves a reminder of and exercise in repentance.

Serious business, repentance need not always be a somber act, but it is necessary each and every day. We are getting right in our relationship with God after all: a Lord who created us, a Savior who died for us, and Spirit who comforts us. We are asked to pay more attention to our relationships and a world entrusted to our care. God is love, and we should rejoice at the opportunity to become more loving. Repentance always seeks out forgiveness and reconciliation, and our hearts should rightfully celebrate.

And so, I join Teresa of Avila in praying, “From silly devotions and from sour-faced saints, good Lord, deliver us.” Instead, I invite you with a smile on my face to join us for our many life affirming (and yes, sometimes even fun) events this Lent. I encourage us all to seek out deeper worship, meaningful service opportunities, and other appropriate Lenten disciplines. As individuals and as a family of faith, we might come to better understand what it truly means to rejoice and be glad.

Many blessings be upon you and your Lenten journey,

Pastor Lou

 

This piece was originally published in Messiah Lutheran Church and School’s monthly newsletter, The Messenger. You can view current and recent issues of The Messenger at: http://www.mlcas.org.

Photo in public domain: Balaska, J. (February 25, 2009) Ashes imposed on the forehead of a Christian on Ash Wednesday.

© 2011 The Rev. Louis Florio. All contents not held under another’s copyright may not be used without permission of the author.

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March 6, 2011 · 11:11 am

Rejoicing in the Light of Christ

Transfiguration of Jesus, Carl Bloch (d.u.)

On Transfiguration Sunday, we remember a very special miracle. Jesus is transfigured – his appearance changes to clearly reflect his divine persona. With him stands Elijah, the greatest of all prophets, and Moses, who was given the law. As Jesus came to fulfill the law and the prophets, the importance of their presence should not be overlooked. Through this miracle, we and the apostles catch a glimpse of heaven breaking into the real world with all its promises. This foreshadows the new heaven and new earth which will surely come through Christ.

Recalling Jesus’ baptism as the season after Epiphany began, we heard God’s voice affirm Jesus as his Son. This last Sunday of the season after Epiphany, God’s voice is again heard proclaiming, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him (Matthew 17:5)!” Throughout the weeks ahead, we will hear how the apostles failed to do just that. Over and over again, they will fail to listen. They will fail Jesus; the one they claim to love.

We all fail Jesus at times. Thus as we leave that mountain behind after our services for the Transfiguration, we are asked to descend toward Lent, a time designated for repentance and renewal. Lent helps lead us toward a day of resurrection, Easter, and the promises of a new beginning available now. As we strive to worship Jesus this Lent – no matter what we have done or failed to do, even as we might struggle with significant shortcomings and sin – Jesus will say to us just as he does to the prostrate Apostles (in the Greek), “Be raised. Do not be afraid. (Matthew 17:7)”[1] Let nothing stop you. Repent, rejoice and be glad, for all of us who trust in Christ will be made new through faith alone – never by our obtaining perfection. Basking in his light, we can go forward with trust that forgiveness and new life is ours to receive. “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him (John 3:17).”

 

Bibliography

Bloch, C. (u.d.) Transfiguration of Jesus. As downloaded from Wikimediacommons (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Transfiguration_bloch.jpg) on March 4, 2011.

Keck, L.E. (Ed.). The New Interpreter’s Bible: Matthew – Mark (Vol. 8). (1995). Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press.

Mays, J.L. (Ed.). (2000). The HarperCollins Bible Commentary. New York: HarperCollins Publishers.

Meeks, W.A. (Ed.). (1993). The HarperCollins Bible: New Revised Standard Version. New York: HarperCollins Publishers.

Tunseth, S. (Project Dir.). (2009). Lutheran Study Bible: NRSV Translation. Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Fortress.

Lose, D. (2011) Commentary on Matthew 17:1-9. As downloaded from workingpreacher.org on February 28, 2011.

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

 

This piece is adapted from an item created for the Sunday bulletin at Messiah Lutheran Church, Mechanicsville, VA.

© 2011 The Rev. Louis Florio. All contents not held under another’s copyright may not be used without permission of the author.

[1] Lose, D. (2011). Commentary on Matthew 17:1-9. As downloaded from workingpreacher.org on February 28, 2011.

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March 2, 2011 · 8:24 pm

A Fistful of Movies

With the Oscars recently behind us, I continue to think about some of my favorite movies. Perhaps I find myself a bit like Binx Bolling, the main character of Walker Percy’s wonderful novel, The Moviegoer. Binx was trying to make sense of his changing world within an often conflicted and troubled personal life. With his past wounds, he found it difficult to connect to real people and real situations. As he tries engaging the real world, he finds books and movies more stirring and real than his own life. As he embarks on his vague search for meaning, he often gets lost. The lines between books, movies and reality become blurred, but real life keeps butting in. He is constantly forced to redefine who he is and his place in the world.

Unlike Binx, I don’t think I get lost in movies, but they certainly do help impact who I am and will be. I often discover a clearer and more hopeful vision of reality because of the better books and movies I encounter. I might come to understand myself and society better. I can even meet God. We all need to seek meaning in our lives at times, for life is hard and answers are not always black and white. Believe it or not, movies can help root us to a more sacred reality; one filled with possibilities. What makes a great film isn’t necessarily the awards received, the box office gross receipts, or other marks of popularity. A great film will challenge our biases and help build us up morally, ethically or even theologically while it entertains. Even when no clear answers are possible, our wrestling with issues raised by great films can encourage us as seekers and help guide us on our way. In my opinion, a truly great film has the power to touch our hearts, enrich our lives, and help transform our interaction with others and our world. Such films don’t separate us from the world as they tended to do with Binx. Instead, I argue a great film can help root us into a deeper, more sacred story; one which touches us all. Whether a secular film or explicitly religious, science fiction or biographical, such films can inspire us to seek out and cooperate with the breaking in of the kingdom of heaven into our ordinary world.

Thinking about such things, I decided to share a fistful of movies; five of my favorites. I am sharing older and perhaps less well know movies from a very long list. They might be hard to find, but they are available in the United States. The list isn’t in any order other than alphabetical, nor do I suggest they are the greatest of the great or perfect in any way. These movies only serve to exemplify my belief that movies can enrich one’s material and spiritual life. They have done so in mine. If you see them, I hope they enrich your life too.

1. Cold Fever (Á köldum klaka), 1995: This Icelandic movie follows a modern Japanese business man as he travels to Iceland to honor his deceased parents. His grandfather has asked him to forgo his Hawaiian vacation in order to perform a religious ritual at the site of his parent’s death. Unfortunately, the site is a remote spot within the Icelandic interior and the trip during winter. Along the way, he certainly experiences many misadventures within this curious foreign culture and harsh landscape, but he also finds himself; reconnecting with his parents, culture, and his faith along the way. Throughout, one encounters our modern struggle to find meaning, build and maintain relationships, and believe in something greater than oneself. It is a quirky but wonderful movie with incredibly haunting landscapes and a subtle but poignant spirituality. (Icelandic and Japanese with English subtitles, along with English sections.)

2. I accuse! (J’accuse!), 1939: Jean Diaz is a scientist who has witnessed unspeakable horrors during World War I. Haunted by the memories of his dead compatriots, Diaz becomes obsessed with using his talents to end war. He develops an invention that could do just that, but with war clouds forming, the government usurps his invention for its war machine. Made as World War II was about to begin, this sci-fi movie seems somewhat prophetic. As political leader defends the move towards war and the need for military buildup, Diaz makes a passionate plea that accuses those who have forgotten the dead and not learned from history. Rather than needing defensive tools and patriotism, Diaz shouts that what the world really needs is a heart. Although the special affects and script might seem dated in places, this movie continues to challenge us who live in a real world facing real threats. (English subtitles.)

3. The Mission, 1986: In the 1750 Treaty of Madrid, Spain ceded part of Jesuit Paraguay to Portugal. As a result, the indigenous mission communities of Guarani and Jesuits were oppressed and disbanded. Rather than be disposed of their land and enslaved, the Guarani War began. It is within this context that we encounter a group of missionaries headed by Father Gabriel. He loved and respected the Guarani, and the Guarani them. Together, they created the mission community of São Miguel das Missões. Soon after in a nearby city, a slaver, Rodrigo Mendoza, kills his brother in a fit of jealous rage. Unable to forgive himself, he is helped by Father Gabriel to truly discover what it means to be loved and to love. In the process, he powerfully experiences the forgiveness of his former enemies, the Guarani, and it helps transform his life. As the Treaty of Madrid goes into affect, the Jesuits wrestle with how to respond to protect the people they love. Father Gabriel along with some other Jesuits desires a peaceful resistance. Mendoza and still others take up arms to help defend the defenseless. As a former soldier and police officer, I am moved and challenged by this moral and ethical conflict. Who is right? At the end of the movie, I am not sure we will ever know. In a final exchange between a Catholic cardinal that approved of the transfer of lands and a Portuguese official, the official laments that what happened. He explains it and his responsibility away as “we must work in the world; the world is thus.” The cardinal powerfully replies with repentance and regret, “No, Senhor Hontar, thus have we made the world. Thus have I made it.” What more can each of us do to love our neighbors as ourselves in such a world? The music and scenery adds to the powerful affect of this film.

4. Pathfinder (Ofelas), 1987: Based upon an ancient Sami account, this Norwegian film proves an excellent adventure for young and old alike. An invading warlike people have killed Aigin’s family. He flees, is captured, and then agrees to lead them to another escaping clan if only they will let his village’s captured holy man live. They betray that promise, and now, Aigin is seemingly alone in trying to save his fellow Sami people. Through this trial, Aigin will discover his life’s sacred call and rediscover the value and purpose of community. I appreciate the indigenous faith shared along the way to include the Sami belief in the White Reindeer – reminiscent to me of the White Buffalo and faith of the Lakota, a people I deeply love and who have taught me much about holiness and community. (English subtitles.)

5. The Spitfire Grill, (1996): A young woman, Percy, is released from prison and moves to the small town of Gilead, Maine. The kind but gruff owner of the local café, The Spitfire Grill, gives the young woman a chance to restart her life despite disapproval and suspicions within the community. As the intricacies of the story unfold, lives are changed and renewed, especially as Percy is faced with making the ultimate sacrifice out of love for another. The film explores the themes of redemption, compassion, interdependence, and more. Funded by the Sacred Heart League, keep an eye out for their popular Sacred Heart statue on a dashboard (as in country music fame). Proceeds from the film helped construct a school run by the Congregation of the priests of the sacred Heart in Mississippi. Their cafeteria is named the Spitfire Grill. (I served with these priests and brothers at another one of their schools, St. Josephs Indian School in Chamberlain, SD.)

As I said, this list isn’t meant to be all inclusive. I also number Babette’s Feast (1987; set within a Danish Lutheran/pietist community, people rethink what it means to truly believe, live, and love in the world), A Bridge Too Far (1977; a movie meant to be about the futility of war, but it inspired me through the honor and courage displayed within an imperfect system and hellish war), Joyeux Noel (2005; about the informal peace on the World War I front lines on Christmas Eve 1914), Smoke Signals (1998; a modern reservation story about reconciliation and healing), of course Luther (2003; about Martin Luther and the Reformation), and many more among my list of great films. I encourage you to create your own list.

Whatever movies or books you choose, I hope you will try to seek out our God who – just as in life – is often hidden within. Through that search, may you also be gifted with a new vision; a clearer ethical, moral and theological vision for your life ahead. Such “moviegoing” just might help free us all from the struggles of our everyday life, while, unlike with Binx, empowering us to see beyond our limitations in order that we may embrace all of life more fully.

“What is the nature of the search? you ask. Really it is very simple; at least for a fellow like me. So simple that it is easily overlooked. The search is what anyone would undertake if he were not sunk in the everydayness of his own life.” – Binx Bolling

Note: If you would like help in viewing your movies through a theological lens, I suggest you visit http://theofilm.wordpress.com (The blog is written and supported by students, faculty and staff of Union Presbyterian Seminary, of which I am an alumnus, from both their Richmond and Charlotte campuses. Its resources are both helpful and free.)

© 2011 The Rev. Louis Florio. All contents not held under another’s copyright may not be used without permission of the author.

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February 3, 2011 · 10:25 pm

Waking from the dark

Recently, I had the good fortune of attending a momentous and joyous event. A past coworker and forever dear friend of mine was retiring from the City of Alexandria (VA) Police Department. I arrived in the city early, so I visited all the old haunts from my patrol days. The neighborhoods I used to patrol have really changed, but the memories linger. Faces, emotions, and more vividly came back to me as I drove – not all of them bringing joy: the place where I handled my first homicide; a telephone pole where two college students died tragically; a courtyard where a brave fellow officer was shot and killed. For a police officer, such memories reflect much of one’s life on the street. It is often frustrating, sad, and sometimes even briefly terrifying. Such memories tend to linger in your days and sometimes even during your nights.

As I arrived at the restaurant to honor my friend, I rejoiced at meeting several old comrades; many who I had not spoken with for sixteen years. The bonds of the life we shared were still strong, and it was like I had never left except for the many new (and younger) faces of police officers in the room. Soon, one younger man came up to me. I recognized the face, but I couldn’t quite place him. He was a captain now, but I had been his Field Training Officer for two weeks as he started his service just before I resigned to enter ministry. After some catching up, he pointed out that I might be back for a lot of retirements in the next few years, for all my contemporaries are at the age to retire. (Police work can prove hard on the body, soul and your family, so officers often retire at a younger age than other professions.) The bittersweet truth of what he said really hit home. My ties to this city and the brave men and women who served it would soon seem to be fully cut.

Along with a great lunch and fellowship, my friend entering retirement gave us some wonderful food for thought. As he sometimes tearfully shared about his many years with the force, the tears were of joy and thanksgiving. He didn’t focus on the bad times, even if he couldn’t forget them. He lifted up the relationships that had blessed him in his vocation, family, and life. We were officers together when violent crime was at its height in the twentieth century. It was an exciting time and a meaningful time. It brought us together in ways few people will ever understand. Together, love for one another had not only helped us survive but also thrive. Speaking to the younger officers, he shared the things that mattered most at the end of the day, especially going home safe to your family and friends. He lifted up those whose dedication to service had inspired him, and by honoring them, he hoped to inspire those who remained on the force after he left.

As I listened, I sensed the sacred at work in and through our shared life. As difficult as the past had been at times, I could see more and more clearly the light of Christ shining even among those many darker memories. Ours had always been a road of blessing, not curse. We were bonded to others of the past and the future through the service we shared. We are bonded to one another forever. The love of God at work, even when you don’t see it at first, has a way of unifying things and making them new. Although imperfectly at times, we had sought together to do our best out of love – acted justly, loved mercy, and walked humbly with our God – and it all mattered. The good and the bad times mattered. God had used them all. Now, the world and I will never be the same. Thanks be to God.

From Psalm 71 (NRSV translation):

16 I will come praising the mighty deeds of the Lord God,
I will praise your righteousness, yours alone.
17 O God, from my youth you have taught me,
and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.
18 So even to old age and gray hairs,
O God, do not forsake me,
until I proclaim your might
to all the generations to come.
Your power 19and your righteousness, O God,
reach the high heavens.
You who have done great things,
O God, who is like you?


© 2011 The Rev. Louis Florio. All contents not held under another’s copyright may not be used without permission of the author.

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