The Church’s Extreme Makeover
October 2010

I’m not ashamed to admit it. For the longest time one of our favorite shows was the reality television series, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, hosted by Ty Pennington. I confess that I have a soft heart and love for underdog stories. For all of the drama on talk radio and the evening news, our world is full of really good deserving people who sacrifice for others…who in the midst of dire circumstances are able to keep their eyes on the prize--human relationships and caring for them and demonstrating love and service to others. Most of the time these things go unnoticed by others, and these people simply do right because it’s just what they are designed to do.

Which is where the show comes in. These people are working and struggling themselves ragged for others, and the show pulls on our warm fuzzies because it does for these people and their families what they can’t do for themselves. Who doesn’t recognize the phrase, “Bus driver, move that bus!” and the hope, surprise and overwhelming gratitude that is always resting just a yard away?

I know that there are criticisms of the show and its over-the-top homes that while beautiful and gracious, leave the recipients of the show with higher taxes and overwhelming upkeep on now supersized properties.

But then, maybe that’s the point. Grace is overwhelming. And when we’ve received it, it often leaves us with a reality that we’re ill-prepared to believe in or handle.

If we’re lucky, we’ll get a makeover or two or three at sometime in our lifetime. Maybe it’s a new haircut/hairdo, a new closet full of clothes, new glasses, new teeth…well, let me just stop there. But it will leave us changed somehow, even in a small way and will change how we relate with the world.

The Church, the one that began at Pentecost with the outpouring of the Spirit of the Resurrected Jesus, and ends with us today, has gone through several extreme makeovers…each of which ended up being more than just skin deep. Phyllis Tickle, founding editor of the Religion Department of Publishers Weekly, maintains that they’ve occurred about every 500 years or so. The first was the Great Collapse (around 500 AD) with the fall of the Roman Empire and the pristinization of Christianity in the monastic cultures that emerged through the collapsing Roman Empire. The second was the Great Schism (around 1000 AD) when the Church of Rome split off of the unified Christian Church of the day, forming a distinctly Western Christian tradition. The third was the Great Reformation (around 1500 AD), and is the Extreme Makeover that we Lutherans are known for. It was our namesake, an Augustinian monk and Bible scholar named Martin Luther, who initiated this makeover with the simple assertion that God’s grace through Jesus is real and isn’t for sale. More importantly, it’s free and it’s unilateral. (In other words, God doesn’t consult us on whether or not we should be recipients of it. God simply decides to give it to everyone. Period.) Lutherans celebrate this makeover every year on Reformation Sunday!

Tickle maintains that in the Western world which includes us here in the United States, we are now in a 4th Extreme Makeover, one she calls The Great Emergence. We are for the first time in almost 2000 years rediscovering Jesus and his mission, on Jesus’ own terms and without the Greek, Roman, and Enlightenment philosophies that have hidden Jesus and his heart for so very long.

So what? What’s this mean for you? Well, chances are if you’re reading this, you’re a Lutheran follower of Christ. And that means that you are a part of a Christian tribe that causes change in the world. It’s just a part of our DNA. We’re upstarts and rabble rousers…good ones…pointing out to people that the free and unmitigated love of God for this world is as real today as it was 500 or even 2000 years ago. But like those who went before us, we’ll have to discover for ourselves just how to tell a world that looks very different from Jesus’ world or Martin Luther’s world this incredibly Good News.

So here’s to our constant Reformation, and struggle as God’s people to live Jesus and communicate his free gifts to this world.

Happy Reformation Day! God loves you, and I do too!


Pastor Nathan

It’s hard work and requires us to love our neighbor.

I like kids. I believe that God intends for us to care for and nurture them, to support and educate them, to help them become independent, fulfilled and caring adults. I believe that “love thy neighbor” means loving both our children and the children who are not of our birth, and working to provide all that the bounty of this earth and the resources of our intellect can offer.

There’s a new movie that has just been released, a documentary called, Waiting for Superman. No, it’s not about the comic book superhero; it’s about how our “school system” has failed. While I’ve not seen the movie, I have heard the filmmaker interviewed and have read reviews and blogs about the content – all of which have led me to dig deeper into my beliefs about what children deserve and how schools could serve them more fully. Hopefully, this will stimulate some of our thinking together.

Talk about a “school system” failure in the U.S., I think, underscores the public ignorance of public schooling. We don’t have a school system; what we really have are thousands of school systems, entrusted to the local community – whether it is a town, township, county or other political subdivision. Some of those systems are thriving and helping kids to blossom, learn and grow – others are failing miserably. Let’s think about the reasons. Right now in most states in the U. S., the caliber of a school is based on the socio-economic conditions of the community in which it is located. In a country that prides itself on opportunity for all – many children have the opportunity that is remains only after those who attend private schools, charter schools and home-schools have left for presumably greener pastures.

We all want the best for our own children; however, if we consider what is best for everybody’s children, it might just lead to excellent public schools. When the “cream of the crop” stay in public schools, parents have real power to advocate. What once might have been a “pain-in-the-neck” parent, advocating for something special, the group now has the opportunity to lead and demand (in only the best way) excellence for all.

I believe there is no superman for schools. Just like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, we already have it in our power to make decisions that can lead to excellence for all. It’s hard work and requires us to love our neighbor. By: Diane Bechtold

When All Else Fails, Try Opening Up to a New Learning Experience

That well-worn adage, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” really hit home with me in recent weeks. Putting a few of Padre Nathan’s new Bible study group (“Grace Ways”) under my belt, and attending the first of Pastor Ron Lee’s Sunday School class on “How to Read the Bible Like a Lutheran”, have both been brain jogging and inspiring events for me.

Now I grant you, I might not enjoy the same kind of situation that you might. But, for me, learning something new--no matter how small--is always exciting. And when it comes to learning experiences around the St. Stephen campus, I don’t think you can do better than picking up something delivered by these two.

What I personally enjoy the most is the open discussion that both encourage from participants. Most of us have been brought up (no matter what churches we’ve attended) to “listen” more than to “speak” or to “share.” And, after all these years, it can be somewhat disturbing to actually be asked, “What do you think?” about events mentioned in the Bible. As a kid it didn’t matter what I thought, as much as it was important that I heard was being told to me--and I was able to mouth it back as I had heard it.

I suppose for many adults raised in a similar structure, it can be difficult to find words to express what one “thinks” a Biblical passage might mean or is trying to share. The belief that the Bible is the word of God isn’t unique; it’s a position that the vast majority of us have heard since our childhood. For my grandparents, it wasn’t a concept of position; it was a “fact” – not be challenged in the slightest way. When we participate in an open class that encourages free thinking and the sharing of thoughts on Biblical interpretation, this can be quite challenging. But, as I have found out, it shouldn’t be threatening. Besides, we are Lutherans, and questioning is part of our DNA.

Pastors Nathan and Ron are both learned men who have great respect for the upbringing that each of us brings with us to their classes. In fact, I find it very encouraging the way each presents their material and enhances their presentations by drawing out each person in attendance – allowing for discussion and debate. It can be, for some of us, the first time in our lives that any church leader has shown an interest in what we feel or believe or wonder about. To be able to raise questions that may have been on our minds for decades, and articulate them in front of others, can actually make for stimulating and positive moments.

As Lutherans, we have a history of questioning and debate. That’s one of the qualities we like to point out about our founder. If Martin Luther hadn’t expressed his thoughts, raised questions, openly discussed the Bible and its messages, perhaps this commentary wouldn’t be appearing on a blog posted on a Lutheran Church website.

For those who have yet to experience the enlightening experience of attending one of the Bible Studies conducted by Pastor Nathan or been part of an intimate and stimulating class led by Pastor Lee, I challenge you to get out of your comfort zone and sign up sooner than later. I believe you’ll be better for the time spent. By Dennis McClellan

Grateful - For a People Who Live the Empty Tomb

April, 2010

Resurrection Day is upon us! The cause for our hope, for our celebration as God’s people comes to fruition because of this day. The reason we stand tall under all adversity, persevere, believe, risk and stretch ourselves as human beings all comes down to the universe altering thing that occurs on this day.

On this day, Easter Sunday, God takes the crucified one, the killed one, murdered one, treasonous one, sinful one, hopeless one, washed-up one, failed one – and performs a death altering alchemy, that leaves this one…Jesus…the Risen one.

Dead no more. Hopeless no more. Sin-filled no more. Washed-up no more. Failed no more. And because of this, the human family that God created and purposes for life becomes hopeful, vindicated, and alive!

St. Paul tells us that we should all be prepared to give the reason for our hope. This is the reason he tells us. The tomb is empty. Jesus has been raised from the dead, and we have been raised too in Him!

The way we honor God and this new life he gives us through the resurrection of Jesus, is by living lives that reflect the truth of the resurrection. In a world of death, we live lives that point to creativity and life. In a world of hopelessness, we make our decisions with the supposition that God is with us and has all outcomes well in hand. In a fearful world, we live fearlessly (even in the midst of our own fear) choosing courses of action that reflect our faith rather than our fear. You get the picture.

I am grateful for St. Stephen Lutheran Church. I think you all need to hear that. The greatest measure of a church is whether or not it lives and decides and acts as if the tomb of Christ is really empty. And increasingly, I think we do.

What’s my evidence?

You took a chance on a 32-year-old pastor when what you all had in mind was a 55-year-old one! And together we’ve been doing terrific ministry and mission!

You were open to growing a congregation in a denomination that seems only to have the capacity to shrink them. You have increasingly made your hearts and minds open to new people, new ideas, information, practices, etc., in essence welcoming and embracing change and a new and vibrant future. Wow!

You were willing to embark on a capital campaign, Raising the Roof of Faith, when the forces of fear regarding the financial situation of our nation and world told us to hold our money, act protectively, and do anything BUT extend ourselves, financially and otherwise, for the sake of the Gospel. Wow!

I want to say thank you for being a church of the Resurrection! Can we be more faithful, generous, risk oriented, missionally fit and engaged, and ready to run the race of faith? Absolutely!

But not before we take stock and look around and appreciate what is already going on. Our lights are on, our staff solid, and our physical presence in our community profound because you all are generous. Our average weekly worship attendance and life together continue to grow because you all continue to show up, bring your families, and bring your friends. Our Missional outreach both within the community of St. Stephen and beyond our doors continues to expand because so many of you continue to dream up new ways of loving God and loving neighbor.

And I’m just here to tell you that this is the way it’s supposed to be! We’re doing the right things, headed the right direction, having the right impact, and growing in the right ways. And I’m also just here to tell you, THANK YOU! What you are doing and all that you are doing absolutely matters and is a critical piece in the vital resurrection life of St. Stephen.

So the time has come. To rest? No way! To push forward, onward, and upward. To keep it up, persevere in our life, laughter, and joy! It’s a beautiful thing to be the church! It’s an even better thing to be the church of the God that raises the dead!

Onward…

Pastor Nathan

Fearless -- A New Beginning

Those of you involved in Fuel @ the Well know that we are beginning Max Lucado's book, "Fearless" in March. I am excited to begin this journey together, and it seems rather appropriate that we should embark upon this new Bible Study during the season of Lent.

Although Ash Wednesday is not technically until next week, I thought it would be good to reflect on the word Fear. What does it mean? How does it manifest in our lives? How does it manifest in our society? How does it manifest in our church? These are all questions that I as a therapist, mom, wife and Christian struggle with on a daily basis. How am I to respond when my son asks me what to do about the bully at his school? What about the person that comes to me afraid to make a life-change due to the uncertainty it will definitely cause.

Fear can and often debilitates and stops us in our tracks. Why? Aren't we called to go out as Christians trusting God with our whole beings? Aren't we called to give up our fears in exchange for faith? The reality is that we do struggle...we are scared...we are even afraid at times. So...let's begin this journey together -- let's step out in faith and begin to explore how we can be Fearless in God's loving embrace.

A Fearless Blessing --
Erin Swenson-Reinhold

THE LONG VIEW - The Expression of HEART in Our Community

I remember clearly celebrating Valentine’s Day in elementary school...the images that come back to me of Harold W. Smith Elementary in Glendale, Arizona- its classrooms with external access to outdoor concourses and covered walkways--a simple nod towards shade in a land with a hard sun. But February in Arizona is cool, and the sun at its zenith this time of year doesn’t make it high enough in the sky to make the locals run for cover. The mornings are very cool, and the days pleasantly warm.

Valentine’s Day: a flurry in the exchange of Valentine’s Day cards and candies…and a very innocent hope for a card that represented a little bit more than the obligatory greetings of my peers in the classroom. I remember watching hearts saddened when they didn’t receive that special card from that special someone…and remember a few of those times myself.

Hearts are tender, delicate things you know. Every human being has one, the physical one that beats in your chest and the spiritual one that is built up by the caring of others, and hardened by hard words, abuse, or simple neglect.

How we care for each other in community is critical; how we care for each other in the Church even more so. To be truthful, this is a hard conversation, because for at least 1,000 years now the church has given the impression that the only valid place for caring to come from is its head, not Jesus, but those called to represent him and his gospel to the assembly of believers – the pastors of congregations. The problem with this is that in most congregations there is only one pastor, and many individuals in the body. And neglect becomes easy, not out of malice, but because the demands of ministry are many.

It’s not a new issue in the body of Christ. In its earliest days, we see the church struggling with how it cares for one another, and just who should be responsible for the caring.

During this time, as the disciples were increasing in numbers by leaps and bounds, hard feelings developed among the Greek-speaking believers—“Hellenists”—toward the Hebrew-speaking believers because their widows were being discriminated against in the daily food lines. So the Twelve called a meeting of the disciples. They said, “It wouldn’t be right for us to abandon our responsibilities for preaching and teaching the Word of God to help with the care for the poor. So, friends, choose seven men from among you whom everyone trusts, men full of the Holy Spirit and good sense, and we’ll assign them this task. Meanwhile, we’ll stick to our assigned tasks of prayer and speaking God’s Word.” The congregation thought this was a great idea. They went ahead and chose—Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a convert from Antioch.

Then they presented them to the Apostles. Praying, the apostles laid on hands and commissioned them for their task. The Word of God prospered. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased dramatically.
--Acts 6:1-7, The Message

I am certain that this division of labor didn’t mean that the Apostles no longer cared for the members of the body. But this good organization capitalized on this truth: When we search it out, we all discover that we have a different call in the body of Christ. We will feel the inward tug, and if all goes right, it will have outward validation in the body of Christ.

When God acted on me to go to Seminary to become a pastor, it was quite a personal discovery and required a great act of faith because I didn’t believe I was qualified or able to preach and teach the Good News of Jesus. But I was inundated with people from that point on who said things like, “I was wondering when you were going to figure this out!” or, “I saw this call on your life a year ago!” I was initially put out! I felt like I was the last to figure out the punch line of a complicated joke!

I use this as an example, because in a healthy church you have both the internal discovery of purpose in the life of the body, and external validation. It assumes, of course, that the community is an honest one and tells the truth. But in the case of this early church in Acts, this discovery allowed the word of God to spread, the church to grow, and disciples to be made.

Here at St. Stephen, the ministry of caring has been shared by the pastor with our Care Team. Many of you know if you’ve been sick or ill, had a hospital stay, surgery, or are homebound that it’s not the pastor who comes to visit. Oh, on occasion it will be me, but chances are that if it is me, the situation is incredibly dire. Instead you see one of a cadre of individuals who comprise the Care Team. They provide conversation, scripture, communion, prayer, at times the laying on of hands, and support when life is dark and the day is dim. And they do an absolutely terrific job.

By the time this newsletter is published, I will have taken the individuals that comprise this Care Team and will have laid hands on them, installing each as a Care Deacon…individuals entrusted with making our ministries of caring for each other thrive and flourish so that I am increasingly free to help this body of Christ grow and flourish, and the heart of this congregation grows increasingly larger as it is tended and affirmed.

As these individuals make their way into your homes, hospital rooms, and hearts, recognize in them the ministry of Jesus and the heart of God, and the incredible servant spirit they embody. They bring with themselves both joy and God.

Growing the kingdom with you…

Pastor Nathan

Haiti Earthquake Relief

For the life, beauty, and hope of the Haitian people. Their's to is the Resurrection and the Life.

Thank you all for your prayers, your phone calls, for your financial support, and for praying for the kids that you sponsor...for your heart for a nation that we simply don't know well enough.

I love you all, and feel blessed to serve the mission of Jesus with you!!!

PN