Alive at 25

We continually remember before our God and Father
your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love,
and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
— 1 Thessalonians 1:3
 

These words from the earliest of Paul’s letters in the Bible, possibly the earliest Christian writing still in existence, feel so fresh to me 2000 years later because they might as well have been written about our own congregation.  There is no better way to sum up what Atonement has been about over the past 25 years than to look at these three important outcomes of a mission-driven church: 1. works of faith; 2. labors of love; 3. inspired endurance.

1.

It was a work of faith that first brought hope-filled Christians to buy a piece of property on State Rd. 54 when there was little else here but swamps and cow pastures.  Bruce B. Downs was the road from Tampa to nowhere, and people all went into Zephyrhills to shop or eat out.  Everyone knew this area was ripe for growth and no one knew the day or hour it would happen, but my friend Matt Cox heard God’s call and moved his ministry from Montana to a storefront in an out-of-the way crossroad called Wesley Chapel. 

By faith a building was built and consecrated, and a baptismal shell fished from the depths of the sea formed the centerpiece of a multi-use worship space.  A newsletter was developed called “The Shell-seeker.”  The shell as a symbol of baptism inspired the building’s design as well as the logo for the congregation, reminding us always that who we are and what we do all spring from our identity as children of God, cleansed and claimed by the water of life.

2.

Through the years, countless labors of love became the expressions of that faith.  Through partnerships with the mission in Dade City and Christian Social Services in Land O’Lakes, Atonement’s members reached out and into the community through Share programs, an

annual Giving Tree and Christmas Bazaar.  Local support groups and scout troops were given meeting space in the building.  Then came the incredible Helping Hands Food ministry, which has made a name for us in the community more than anything else.  But who can count all the many individuals over the years who came here seeking help and also found a compassionate welcome from the people of Atonement?

3.

Still, the tale of Atonement’s first 25 years seems mostly about inspired endurance.  In my own records, I have a list of over 1000 different families (besides members) who have worshiped at Atonement since I have been the pastor here.  But even before I arrived, this church counted over 50,000 worshippers who came through the doors.  When Atonement faced a financial crisis and was contemplating closing, church consultant Gus Smith wrote the following in a letter:

Over the years I have called and asked for assistance for other congregations who were carrying heavy financial burdens.  This time I am going all out with the total of my being for this particular congregation…because I strongly believe in them, and feel that I want to help them in every way possible to fulfill their mission.  Every once in awhile a congregation comes along that has a special spark about it, that you just know that it will take off eventually and become exceptionally strong in its Mission and Ministry.  Atonement is one of those exceptional ones.  On this one, I think we need to think much less of the return on the financial investment in the congregation and more on the very essence of its being and highly promising future.  It is not a country club or social organization or in business to make a profit.  This is a church of God that has and continues to make a difference in this community.

Thanks to the inspired endurance of Atonement’s members, former pastors and interims, along with the bishops and church leaders who saw the “special spark” of the Holy Spirit igniting lives for Christ — and most of all, thanks to God — we are celebrating 25 years of exceptional ministry.  How amazing to look back and see that we finally did “take off,” made it in the air, and are well on our way to an amazing future!

Peace,

Pastor Scott

 

 

Everybody's church

When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction,
a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation.

All these must be done for the strengthening of the church....

— 1 Corinthians 14:26

             
             When I was being trained as a pastor, I soon began to realize that all congregations were different.  Some were older, some younger; some were formal, some relaxed; some very traditional, some modern; some energized, some kind of sleepy.  For the longest time, if someone asked me about Atonement, I wasn't sure what kind of church to tell them we were.  We're a mix, I'd say -- a little of this, a little of that.  But now I just say we're "everybody's church."
           Our worship life reflects who we are, and what kind of church Atonement has become.  Our normal 10am service is a blend of traditional and contemporary music and styles with leadership shared between pastor and lay people.  After our new bishop’s assistant Connie Schmucker visited us in worship last month,  she remarked about how great it was to see participation from so many different people.
              It is a great strength of Atonement that what we do here is everybody’s business.  Reaching out, serving others, witnessing and caring for people are not just the pastor’s job.  It’s what we do as people of God and as members of Atonement.  That 10am service really is a “people’s service” in many ways.  Lay people share their talents reading, ushering, singing, and sometimes preaching. 
I celebrate that aspect of our worship, and I’m happy to be a part of a church where people want so enthusiastically to be a part of it.  At the same time, it’s not easy putting together services that are so people-oriented.  For one thing, we always try to keep a balance between older and newer music.  Also, finding people who will greet, usher, read the lessons, serve communion, acolyte and assist with the liturgy each week means you’re always hunting for available volunteers.

             We also have the issue of friendly fellowship in the sanctuary.  Visitors sometimes walk into a sanctuary filled with holy huddles, people talking to their friends in little clumps, people excitedly sharing the events of their week but often ignoring those outside the huddle.  Suzi Morgan’s article in this month's (October 2012) newsletter points out that friendly chatter and conversation have gotten out of hand in the sanctuary, and offers a solution that the Worship and Music team hopes will move that fellowship to a more appropriate time and place.
              Another result of being “everybody’s church”  is that we have lots going on.  That’s a wonderful thing in a congregation, far better than the alternative.  We do want to let people know about things that are happening and opportunities they have to get involved.  We also want to share the news of our various ministry teams.  At the same time, when many people are giving announcements, the service can drag on and people not near a microphone aren’t heard by everyone.

We’ve tried this before, but again we are going to go back to having me give all the announcements.  Announcements needs to be written and placed up on the lectern before the announcement time at the end of service.  Please don’t tell me something at the beginning of the service and expect that I’ll remember to announce it at the end.
             Looking around in our 10am service, it’s clear that people who come to Atonement have differing ways of worshiping and praying, differing ways of dressing and talking.  Some find it difficult to sit in a service longer than an hour.  Some are bothered by noises and distractions,.  Some find it too hot or cold to be comfortable.  Some are just waiting for another person to notice them.  Please take time before worship starts to look around you, notice, and pray for your fellow worshipers—that they too are able to experience God’s loving welcome here at “everybody’s church.”

 

 

whyworship.com

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good
His love endures forever.
Let the redeemed of the Lord say this...
— Psalm 107:1-2a

 
         I could hardly believe my ears.  True, the radio station I was listening to was not one I listen to often.  In fact it’s one I try to avoid because I usually get steamed up by comments made by listeners and “shock jocks” alike, often ranging from ignorant to offensive.  But the station is popular enough to make me pay attention.  There are plenty of people out there who like it, so I’m sure it represents a certain way of thinking not uncommon in our world today.
          My ears perked up when I heard words like “Jesus,” “Easter,” “worship,” and “resurrection” enter the conversation on this very secular radio station.  The dj was trying to get reactions to a news story about an elementary school student who was reprimanded for passing out flyers explaining “the true meaning of Easter” to his classmates.  I heard the usual kinds of responses.  One caller thought the student should have the right to pass out the flyers (and conceded that a Muslim or Scientologist should have the same right).  Another caller felt that since the child was so young, he was obviously being coerced or manipulated by his parents. 

          But then came a call from a man whose words really took me by surprise.  He was so outraged, not just that someone would try to share or explain their faith but by the very idea that people would want to practice their religion at all.  “Why do these people go to church, anyway?” he asked.  “I mean, what’s the point of it?  Do these Christians get some kind of high out of it?”  The dj, who did not think much of  religion himself, suggested that some people might want to go to church to feel a part of something bigger than themselves.  “I think they go to find spiritual fulfillment,” he suggested.  The disgusted caller could only respond, “Sounds like stupidity to me.”

             I had to turn off the radio.  It left me stunned and breathless, like I’d just witnessed an accident and was staring into the crash victim’s open wound.  But there it was — all the naked pain, all the confusion and soul-killing emptiness of a heart turned away from God.  I’ve known people like that, and probably you have too.  We know we can pray for them, but is there any way to get through their defenses and help them see the God who is good and loving and, first of all, real?

            Our outreach team at Atonement has been looking into this very issue.  Many people aren’t looking for a church because  they don’t yet know they need God in their lives.  But today’s “spiritual” person who has an inkling that there is some power or force that directs the universe might not even think of attending a church in order to connect or understand that higher power.  Today’s world seems unaware of the entire concept of worship — what it is or why people need it.  
          First off, worship is not about a spiritual high or a good feeling.  It’s about meeting God.  When Solomon finished building the temple, the first building ever dedicated to the worship of God,  the people gathered there with prayers, offerings and sacrifices, and God showed up in a way that made everyone know He was there.  “All the Israelites saw fire coming down and the glory of the Lord above the temple.  They knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground and they worshiped and gave thanks to the Lord, saying, ‘He is good; His love endures forever.’” (II Chronicles 7:3)

            In worship, we come face-to-face with the very one who made us.  There in the presence of the God who loved and saved us, we are given the chance to open up and express our gratitude and thankfulness for life and all its gifts.  The truth of what’s in our heart includes the painful realization of our sin, but even more so, the wonderful awareness of the forgiveness we have in Christ and the new life we have through the Holy Spirit. 
             How do we communicate this to someone who doesn’t know God, doesn’t trust Christians, and has probably never in their life had a healthy experience in church?  We have an idea you can help with.  The outreach team is considering the creation of a website dedicated to explaining and exploring worship — why we do it and what it’s about.  We invite your ideas and input, thoughts and experiences about what worship means to you and how we might explain it to someone who’s never come to church, never opened their heart to God, never truly given thanks to the Lord whose love endures forever.

 

Prophets of Cyberspace

The Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven

and in visions of God he took me to Jerusalem...

— Ezekiel 8:3

        Ezekiel is one prophet who would have appreciated the internet.  He seemed to live his life in a kind of virtual reality, slipping in and out of visions, getting teleported in the spirit back and forth from Babylon to Jerusalem, and experiencing the holy presence of God in a form more fearsome and breathtaking than any level boss from a video game.  He had a mind that was wired into spiritual things and that dramatically traversed pathways between matter and spirit. 

        By using the internet more and more and spending greater percentages of our time in cyberspace, we are developing minds like Ezekiel’s.  We experience visions of real or made-up events by calling up Youtube videos.  We send requests and pronouncements instantly across the world by email, twitter and facebook.  We look down on any place on the planet or out into the vastness of space through Google Earth.  Truly these are strange and amazing times we’re living in.
        Having these powers at our fingertips and acquiring new ones with each new app, it is wise to consider what we do with these tempting tools.  All the new knowledge, the potential for great good and increased productivity gained through technology can be offset and even overwhelmed by our tendency to use it to degrade ourselves or others, or to simply waste time.   These technologies are going to continue advancing, and so should our spiritual and ethical awareness about what they’re doing to us.
        With that caution always in mind, I want to recommend a few sites for you to visit next time you journey through the internet.  First off, not surprisingly, is our own website at atonementlutheran.net

Scott Giesking has been managing this site, which started out as a place to post our recordings of Sunday services.  It now houses our newsletter archive as well, and features a brand new up-to-date calendar of church events.

             Take a look at the website of our national church at www.elca.org.  You’ll find news, opportunities to give, resources, and a great “church finder” for when you’re off on vacation.

Our local synod also has a great site at http://www.fbsynod.com/ .  If you haven’t already, submit your email address in the box at the right and receive the synod’s excellent weekly E-Spirit news update to your email.

        You will see the above site has drop down menus at the top, some of which will take you to other sites like the one for Luther Springs and our Florida camps, http://www.lomfla.org/, Daily Devotions http://www.fbsynod.com/resources/daily-devotions or resources for Synod Deacons  http://www.fbsynod.com/ministry/lay-advancement/synod-deacons.

        Looking for a great radio station that plays new Christian music?  You won’t find one better than http://www.lifeairhitradio.com/, run by Atonement members Dave and Krista Jung.

         Because I like to compare various translations when I read or study the Bible, I am a fan of the World Wide Study Bible which includes NRSV and the Message versions of Scripture:

http://www.ccel.org/wwsb/ For an interesting perspective on the news around the world from the religious point-of-view (not just Christianity), I recommend to people

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/, the web site of the PBS show Religion and Ethics Newsweekly.

       These are some of my favorites.  There are also many great sites put up by local churches and aid organizations which tell about the mission work Christians are doing around the world.  I hope you find time in the midst of your summer “surfing,” to check out and be inspired by the positive side of the web.  And if you have any favorites of your own, let me know.

       Oh yeah — Ole and Lena wouldn’t want us to  forget this one:   http://www.oldlutheran.com/

Peace,

Pastor Scott

Gettin' wet

In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high
shall break upon us
to shine light on those
who dwell in darkness
and the shadow of death
and to guide our feet
into the way of peace
— Luke 1:78-79
 

Luke likes to surprise us.  For instance, when we open up his gospel and begin to read — there’s no Jesus.  At the start of the story where we’d expect to hear about the birth of Jesus, or maybe even a list of ancestors of the Messiah (like we have in Matthew), Luke starts by telling someone else’s story.  And that someone is Jesus’ cousin, John the Baptist.

             Like Jesus, John’s birth is also a miracle, his mother Elizabeth being barren, and presumably past the normal age for child-bearing (Luke 1:7).   Like Jesus, John’s birth is announced by the angel Gabriel, and the trusting in that message becomes a test of faith for his family.  Like Jesus, John is holy, and long before the Christian Pentecost, in fact, while he is still in Elizabeth’s womb, he is said to be “filled with the Holy Spirit.”  Like Jesus, John’s birth is an undeniable act of God, a sign of His bright presence shining into a dark world, and good news (Luke 1:19, 2:10) for us all.

        Maybe Luke wants us to see that the Gospel is not just a story about that famous Jesus guy.  John, Elizabeth, Zechariah and Mary all have roles to play before Jesus himself comes onstage.  Each of them are linked to Jesus, and in each of them we see God working.  The Bible really comes alive when we read it as the story of every member of the family of God, whether you’re a cousin or mother or aunt to Jesus, or perhaps, like most of us, His brothers or sisters. 

         One of the most beautiful parts of my weeks at seminary was morning prayer.  Every Monday morning the liturgy we sang from the Lutheran Book of Worship included the Benedictus, the song John’s father Zechariah sings when he names his son.  His song is a thank-you-God, not just for this beautiful baby boy, but for everything that God does for all His people.  The beauty of John’s story, and ours — is that we are all connected through Jesus to the stories of others.  We each have a role in the divine drama, the story of salvation that tells of a God who loves sinners and lights up our dark world to bring to each and every one the possibility of hope.

             Like John, you have a role to play in God’s story.  He was the Fore-runner, the messenger who prepared the way.  We are the ones who come after, but through the witness we make with our lives — deeds of justice and words of kindness, we help set the stage for Christ’s return.  Like John, your birth and presence in this world is a sign of hope for all.  The God who made you made you to share his love.  Like John, you too are a messenger with good news to get out…  God has brought forgiveness and restoration into our lives; God has brought us a Savior!

           During these wet weeks of Summer, we are more likely than not to get drenched a time or two.  It may happen on your way home from the store or on your way to work.  It’s not just the flowers or the grass that need the rain.  When I get wet I think of John the Baptist.  I think of the men, women and children who walked for miles to see him by the Jordan River.  I think about the way he challenged them, dared them to leave their sins behind and go down into that dark water.  I think about them going down, letting the water swallow them up, drowning their past mistakes and mis-steps, then  coming up thoroughly drenched, wide-eyed in the chill desert breeze but washed clean and alive to every breath, alert to every sensation, and with every nerve fiber pulsing with the awareness that the Kingdom of Heaven has come near.

          Child of God, brother or sister of Jesus — I have a few questions for you: Where do you insert YOUR name into the story of salvation?  How are you giving and receiving God’s grace these days?  What’s our Heavenly Father up to in your heart?  Who have you shared the love of Jesus with today?  And what might God possibly have planned for you tomorrow?  Remember your baptism, and don’t be afraid to get a little wet this Summer!

Peace,

Pastor Scott

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