Who is able?

Give your servant a discerning heart

to govern your people

and to distinguish between right and wrong,

for who is able to govern this great people of yours?.

— 1 Kings 3:9

Who is able to govern?  This was Solomon’s question as he spoke to God in prayer.  By the world’s estimation Solomon would become a huge success, bringing Israel up from being a tiny nation to a player on the world stage.  But there on the threshold of his reign, he stopped and considered the magnitude of the task before him.  Who in the world is fit for a job as big and important as this one?  Surely not me, he must have thought.

And so, of all the gifts he could have asked God to give him, he asks for wisdom.  Now, I know some people tell us we should pray for finances and prosperity for ourselves and others, but when we see what happens in the life of Solomon and his kingdom, I’m not sure that’s the best we can do.  The time of Solomon  reign was a renaissance — he lacked no material thing.  His court was the richest, most impressive and highly cultured that Israel would see in its history.  But it all grew from the seed of that one simple, heartfelt prayer.

What do you ask for when you pray?  Good health and a good life?  But what does that mean to you?  How do we live a good life? 

Scripture is full of helpful hints and suggestions about what the good life is and is not.   Despite Solomon’s wisdom and early commitment to serving his people, somewhere along the way he began to lose sight of what it was all for.  He became cynical and sad as he found that even his great power couldn’t solve all the world’s problems.  He begins to see that even with the many material comforts he enjoyed, no matter how much he’d try to eat, drink and be merry, life seemed meaningless, like “chasing the wind” (Ecclesiastes 1:17, etc.).

So we know we need more than wisdom, success, comforts, food and drink and endless fun.  These things are hollow and dull without real, honest-to-goodness human relationships — without love.

             God knows we need relationships.  In fact we were made that way on purpose.  But why would God make us so dependant on each other?  Why is it we get lonely and crave companionship?  Why do we need other people to help us see and really understand the best and the worst that is in us?

Maybe because God craves companionship too.  He wants to have a relationship with you, and with every person in the whole wide world.  He loved you from the beginning of creation up to today and will go on loving you till the end of time.  Through his Son Jesus, He poured out his heart and soul, and his very life at the cross.  He longs for you to open your heart, confess your sins and receive forgiveness.  He is waiting for  your worship, honor and love.  He is anxious, waiting like a bride at the altar for you to totally accept and embrace him in your life. 

God longs for us to show our love for him, not just in prayer, worship and giving, but most powerfully in loving those He loves — the people of this world, our friends in Christ and those who’ve yet to find him.  One young man came to Jesus (Luke 18:18), wondering what more he could do to honor God in his life.  He was hoping to hear that he was already doing all that was humanly possible, since he was obeying the commandments and being as good as he knew how.  Jesus told him he had one more thing to do — “Give all you have to the poor, then come follow me.”

When Solomon prayed for wisdom alone, he set everything else he could have asked for aside for the chance to become a good and godly ruler.  When the disciples left their fishing boats behind on the Sea of Galilee, they  put their livelihood aside so that they could know and follow Jesus.  God longs to be your God, the God you would choose as he has chosen you.  We have a relationship with God when we allow him to be our GOD — in other words, to set all else to the side and be willing to let go of it, even as Abraham was willing to let go of his only beloved son, Isaac (Genesis 22) and make God number one.

This election year, we are all asking, “Who is able to govern?”  As we keep all of our elected leaders and candidates in prayer, let’s hope they’re asking that too!

Peace,

Pastor Scott

Neighborhood faith

Therefore since we are justified through faith,

we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

through whom we have gained access by faith

into this grace in which we now stand.

And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

— Romans 5:1-2

 

              Think, for a moment, about the people on your block.  Who are they?  What do they like to do?  Where do your neighbors shop, eat, work or play?  Do they go to church?  Are there children playing on your street, or is everyone on your block over 65?

              People come from a wide geographical area to worship with us at Atonement.  And the neighborhoods across that wide stretch are very different.  I live in Quail Hollow Village, which is very different from Quail Hollow.  Think of the contrast between Crystal Lake and Crystal Springs, or Lake Bernadette and Lake Jovita.  People describe Meadow Point itself as a small city, unique from New Tampa or Wesley Chapel. 

             We’re not like a small town church up north where people from the whole community can walk to the church down the block for worship.  Our area is a cluster of developments, mobile home parks and hidden away neighborhoods with a few rural stretches between “Mayberry” towns like Zephyrhills or Dade City.  State Rd. 54 and Bruce B. Downs Blvd. Come together near the center of the large long target area that God has given us to reach for Christ. 

            There are great things that come with living in such a diverse place.  Just head north for a drive through the country, south for shopping in the big city.  But it is also a real challenge for a church to come up with a strategy for reaching into all these different places.  An event held in Zephyrhills may not bring any Land O’Lakes people and New Tampa people may not feel like driving to Dade City.  We’d certainly like to see more Meadowpoint people come and bring their kids to worship, but many of them are used to driving south to work in Tampa, so they may not even know our church is here. 

              It seems to me, our best strategy would be to “divide and conquer,” to look at each area of our ministry separately, one at a time, and creatively come up with ways to impact each place.  To do this, we are going to need your help.  You know your neighborhood or development best — after all, you live there.  You know names and faces of people around you who need to come closer to Christ. You know what might work or not work in your area.  So let’s talk!

             Our outreach team will be arranging some get-togethers in various places around our service area.  We will be calling together members who live in those areas for prayer, conversation, brain-storming,  and just getting to know each other a little better. 

             As people of faith who know a risen Savior, it’s up to us to share the story and shine the glory God has given us.  We share the story of Easter — the good news that death does not have the final say on who we are and where we end up.  When Paul says we “rejoice in the hope of the glory of God,” he’s reminding us that Easter is about us.  It’s about you and me, about what Jesus did for us on the cross, about what God did by raising him from the tomb — for us!  Romans 5 declares this as our story: “we are justified,” “we have peace,” “we have access” to God, and we stand in faith.  Like one candle passing its flame on to another, we light each other up with God’s glory when we share this joyful Easter news. 

            We Easter people are brought together as God’s family so we can be a family for everyone.  Together we practice resurrection — blessing, sharing and feeding each other while growing in God’s grace in love.  I look forward to meeting with you in your neighborhood and talking about how we can practice resurrection together in ways that draw people to Jesus and light them up with the glory of God.

Peace,

Pastor Scott

Easter: Just the Beginning

April 18, 2012

“You are looking for Jesus, the Nazarene, who was crucified.

He has risen!”

-- Mark 16:6

 Friends of Atonement,

            What an Easter! 
             The builders and landscapers had worked extra hard to make our property look neat and lush, planting new trees and finishing up the parking.  We had a church packed with faces new and familiar, children hunting eggs, young people serving breakfast, and countless smiles.  There was a brightness in the air and a freshness on the breeze that morning.  Joy bubbled up in our songs, prayers, and the good news we celebrate: Jesus is alive, and his Spirit is with us!
            This year Atonement turns 25, and like most healthy 25-year-olds this congregation is vibrant and energetic.  I see retired members putting in the hours and effort for our ministries that they once did for their jobs.   I see members in the work force who may spend half the weekend doing a project at church.  All of you contribute in some vital way – with finances, time, and prayers – to build on the work God is doing here.  Thanks again for making a difference and for your many faithful contributions.
            As we look at our growing community, the Wal-Mart coming in down the street, the hospital being built down Bruce-B-Downs, the park and community college being planned for Wiregrass, we know God has plenty of work laid out for us for the next 25 years.  The angel proclaimed, “He is risen!” to stunned disciples who stood looking into an empty hole.  Little did they know that their life with Jesus was just beginning!  For us too, 25 years young, God is just getting hold of us, just now positioning us to reach the Wesley Chapel community that is to come. 
            We want to be ready as new people arrive and God sets before us new opportunities to share His love.   That’s why your council has called together a group of people who will organize and lead a capital campaign over the next few years.  Their job is to help us get financially equipped for the future.  Hopefully you have seen the plans for building another building out back to allow for large gatherings and storage space.  Further work also will be done on the current building to keep it in good shape.
            Jean Zabel (otherwise known as Noah’s grandma) has taken on the task of leading the capital campaign team.  Other members on the team are Wayne Stock, Walt Frank, Carol Erlwein, and Frank Reams.  They are deeply committed to helping our church reach future generations, and have chosen the theme, “Laying Foundations for the Children of God.”  They’ve also shown a great concern for accountability, that all the money used for and raised by the capital campaign be used wisely.
           It’s true that we’ve written lots of big checks lately to pay for the work being done around our property.  A couple weeks ago, our treasurer stumbled into my office, looking like he’d just seen a ghost. 
          “What’s wrong, Joe?”  I asked.
          “I just wrote out a $6000 check – for grass!”
It’s pretty incredible how much it costs for materials and labor, not to mention county permits.  But God has blessed us with a debt-free congregation.  We have covenanted to do all we can to stay out of debt, and He is providing us the means. 
           But it’s clear that now is time to begin looking toward tomorrow.  To keep all those young happy faces we saw Easter morning in church and involved, we need to continue welcoming, loving, and encouraging our children and young families.  We also continue “laying foundations for the children of God,” investing in the future of this family of faith we call Atonement.  As our risen Lord called Peter to “feed my lambs,” (John 21:15) Jesus asks us to share our best with those whose faith is fresh and tender.  We know it will mean more work, more sacrifice and commitment, but also more and more joy bubbling up in our hearts as we see the Spirit work and watch God’s kingdom grow.

Peace,

Pastor Scott

All Things New

Therefore since we are justified through faith,

we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

through whom we have gained access by faith

into this grace in which we now stand.

And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

— Romans 5:1-2

       We held our breath, and it happened.  The paving was done by Friday night, and Saturday morning there were cars parked all around the church.  We are witnessing the biggest renovation project since Atonement began, almost 25 years ago.  A new driveway, new landscaping, new plumbing and irrigation and a whole new look will greet our Easter visitors this year. 

             But all this is just external.  What really lifts my heart is the sense of welcome and hospitality that I see people offering.  Our April Friends board holds dozens of names of people we are praying for and promising to invite to church.  People are coming to me with ideas about how we can reach out to new people and be more open and user-friendly to first time visitors.  Folks who joined me at the Real Ideas conference last month came away with real enthusiasm for the ministries we are doing and real hope that we will continue to grow.  What an exciting and possibility-filled time this is to be part of Atonement Lutheran Church!
        This is not a place to come if you’re looking for peace and quiet.  Not only has my office been rocking to the music of bulldozers and backhoes, I see a steady stream of people who come to share stories of God at work in their lives.  They may be bringing an opportunity to share in a ministry, or simply a request for prayer.  I imagine things will keep getting busier from here on out as our congregation becomes more active and visible in the community, and our facility more attractive to visit. 
       We have some worries as well about all the changes.  Will the snowbirds taking off for the north this month return to find the same little Lutheran church they love?  For 25 years, Atonement has been a refuge for people seeking upbeat, positive worship in the Lutheran tradition.  The heart of that tradition is our teaching that God’s grace is the core of our relationship with Him.  It is God’s love that defines us, providing the  unchangeable basis of who we are and what our purpose is here on earth.  It is Christ’s gift of his very life that has finally nailed down our identity as God’s people — something no amount of failure or fault on our part can remove.
        That’s what Paul is saying when he tells us that we have peace with God, now that we have been justified by faith.  As God’s very own people, His love is the one unchangeable truth we can be sure of in a busy world that constantly shakes us up.  When he finally figured that out, Martin Luther rediscovered God’s love.  Since we were baptized, God’s Spirit has been constantly calling us to do the same.

      Once we see that Jesus brings us peace with God, it’s clear that all of us are called to grow in our love for God, to follow the commandments and regularly worship and receive the means of grace through confession and communion.  We are a people who live and believe in forgiveness and second chances, and we try our best to leave the judging up to God.  We live with the knowledge that we are, and in this life will always be, both saints and sinners at the same time.   We tell our faith stories and pray that the Spirit open the hearts of others who can hear and accept God’s grace for themselves.
      Close to 25 years, and despite all the new faces and the new look of the place, Atonement is still a place where people find faith lived out and celebrated through the unique and venerable Lutheran outlook on the Christian faith.  That faith always finds its focus on the good news that Easter has happened and Jesus still lives.  What do you know — some things never change!

Peace,

Pastor Scott

Following God

Whenever the ark set out, Moses said, “Rise up, O Lord!

May your enemies be scattered;
May your foes flee before you”

Whenever it came to rest, he said, “Return, O Lord

To the countless thousands of Israel.

— Numbers 10:35-36

There’s a big difference between Noah’s ark and the one that Moses had built.  Noah’s was a big boat.  Moses’ was a box — a container for the tablets of the Ten Commandments.  It was the holy object at the center of the holiest place where God came to meet with his people.  The ark signified God’s presence in the camp of the Israelites.  It reminded them of their special place in God’s heart, and of his love and care for them. 

         After their escape from Egypt, the Israelites are on their way to the Promised Land.  God had not only promised them this land, but had also promised to lead them into it and deliver it up, right into their hands.  God sent a cloud of smoke before them, which would settle in one place for a while telling them they should camp there.  If the cloud began to rise and move, they packed up and followed the cloud.  They were in a strange land, a wilderness, and wanted to make sure that they didn’t lose sight of God.  When the cloud began to rise and the Israelites set out on the next leg of their journey, Moses would call out: “Rise, O Lord!”  When the cloud settled somewhere, he’d shout, “Return, O Lord!”
             This picture came to mind as I sat in my office last week watching construction workers cut a big arc of concrete out of our front sidewalk.  All of a sudden, a dusty white cloud began to rise up, and I was reminded of that strange cloud that Moses and the Israelites followed.  The people of Atonement have been wandering in a wilderness of their own these past few years, waiting and wondering when a cloud will rise and signal a move forward.  We’ve waited for the county to come buy our frontage, waited for the road in front of the church to be widened, and waited for our own renovation and renewal to get started.  We have put up with a broken building, ragged landscape, and a parking area that is rough to say the least. 
             But that day last week, a cloud rose up over Atonement.  The Lord is leading us on.  The time has come to get straightened up, cleaned up, and to rise up and follow where our Lord shows the way.  In a couple weeks, we will see a transformed front to our site.  New pavement and curves, a new traffic pattern, a parking loop around the side and back of the church, and new landscaping will give us outstanding presentation and utility.  Our church will be immediately more accessible, usable, and attractive. 
       But there is more to come.  A new building is needed to deal with our current space concerns and need for a fully equipped kitchen.  A building fund is now in place to make this long-overdue addition possible.  We thank you for your patience and for your prayers and financial partnership as we rise up together to follow our God into the long-promised tomorrow.

Peace,

Pastor Scott

Are our wallets wet?

“As Jesus was coming up out of the water,

he saw the heavens torn apart

 and the Spirit descending like a dove on him.”

-- Mark 1:10        

Friends of Atonement,
           I was pretty young when I was baptized, and can’t say I remember what happened.  I take it on faith that water was poured over my head that day, and that the pastor announced that I belonged to God “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”  But then what?  I imagine more prayers were prayed, the service concluded, and everyone went to the fellowship hall for coffee and cookies. 
          There’s an old story about a fierce race of people called the Goths, that when they went down into the river to be baptized, they held their sword arms up out of the water.  They would give most of themselves to God, but didn’t want to give up the fighting and pillaging that was so near and dear to their hearts.  A little bit of God was ok, but they wanted to make sure they didn’t get fully converted.
          Though it’s “just a story,”  people really do resist giving their whole selves to God.  There are parts of us we try not to get “too wet” with the grace of God.  For some of us, it’s our wallets and pocketbooks we’re holding up out of the river of life.  After all, that’s “our” hard-earned money, and we’ve got big plans for it. 
           When Jesus was baptized, he went all the way under.  Fully soaked in the cool waters of the Jordan River, he was fully committed to God’s will for his life and fully saturated by God’s promise of limitless life and love.  The Spirit of God was with him 100% as he spent his life caring for others and spreading good news. 
             Somehow I doubt that any clouds parted or heavenly doves flew down from the sky the day I was baptized.  But I do believe that same Spirit was there, soaking my soul in grace and forgiveness.  And that same Spirit was calling me to follow, to accept the mission of Jesus to care for others and spread good news.  And I believe that God claimed all of me, even the hand that swipes credit cards and writes checks. 
             And so I ask for help and guidance from that Spirit as I strive to live like a converted Christian with a converted wallet and bank account.  I don’t want to be the guy whose checkbook looks the same as any non-believer’s.   I don’t want to come to the end of the month and find that I spent more on fast food than I gave to the work of the church.  I want my offerings to be just that – offerings of my self to my Lord – a thank you from the bottom of my heart for the life and breath he gives me each day.  After all, if God could tear the heavens open to give me a Savior, can’t I tear into my earnings and give a good chunk of it back to him?

Peace,

Pastor Scott

Invitation to Lent

God knows the way that I take;

When he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.

My feet have closely followed his steps;

I have kept to his way without turning aside.

I have not departed from the commands of his lips;

I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread.

— Job 23: 10-12

Job’s story just doesn’t make sense.  He is a good man who insists he has done no wrong, and yet every conceivable bad thing has happened to him.  His property destroyed, family members killed, and finally cursed by a dreadful disease, he leaves town and camps out at the local dump where he goes to be alone in his misery.  When his friends come out to cheer him up, they just end up criticizing him and making his pain worse than before by insisting that God must have had a good reason to do what He did to Job.  Assuming that God is punishing Job, they sit and speculate what kind of awful things Job must have done to deserve it.

There are those people think of Lent as a time when we’re supposed to “take our punishment” and  dig down deep into our souls to dwell upon the sin that we know is in there.  But we will seek a more profound, positive and productive way to live the season.  Lent is an invitation — our launching pad into the renovated lifestyle of the “God Movement.”  We who have been called by Jesus to live his love deeply in the world are invited to discover new ways of being.  We who are awakened to the awareness of our sin are invited into the circle of confession, repentance, and forgiveness that characterizes the life of the Spirit.  We who are baptized and claimed for God’s kingdom are invited to share our stories and embrace those who are hurting.  Lent helps us do all that. In it’s call to live a life shaped and disciplined by the cross, God’s presence is revealed in pain and suffering and we learn how to love those with the deepest need God’s blessing in their lives.

At the 10am services this Lent, I will present INVITED TO LIFE — a series of messages about the ways God invites us to live our faith.  We will hear stories such as —

• February 26    Fresh out of the ark, God invites Noah to live as God’s friend
• March 4         Abraham and Peter are invited to widen the scope of their faith
• March 11      Moses and the Israelites are invited to turn their beliefs into a lifestyle
• March 18      Jesus invites the world to walk the path of healing and eternal life
• March 25     The disciples invite visitors from a far country to come see the Lord

In addition to regular Sunday services and Ash Wednesday worship on February 22 followed by mid-week worship and soup suppers, Marcia Weil will lead a short Bible study each Sunday morning before the 10am service. 

Palm Sunday, which falls on April 1 this year, we will be turning April Fools day on its head.  We’re calling it APRIL FRIENDS DAY, making a special invitation to bring our friends and neighbors to worship at Atonement so that they may hear God’s personal invitation to  join the “God Movement.”  We want to do better than Job’s friends, who just sat around and put him down.  At the end of that story, God shows up and reveals his glory and majesty to Job and his friends.  We pray that our friends and neighbors can have that blessing of knowing God in their lives.  Let’s invite them all to experience the God who invites us all to life!

Peace,

Pastor Scott