God proves his love for us that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
Pastor Jessica Lambert sends updates on news at St. Paul Lutheran Church via snail mail. The most up-to-date news, however, is on this website! Sign up at right for email updates.
Taking care of business
The annual business meeting of St. Paul Lutheran Church took place on Sunday, February 5, after the liturgy. In addition to sharing reports about our ministries to one another and to the community, the congregation approved a budget of approximately $438,000. This budget reflects the work not only of the church but also of the Sharing Place and the St. Paul Center for Caring. Another important item of business was electing our congregation’s leaders.
Breathing new life at Pentecost
Mighty God, you breathe life into our bones, and your Spirit brings truth to the world. Send us this Spirit, transform us by your truth, and give us language to proclaim your gospel, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
What a powerful prayer we will pray together this Feast of Pentecost on Sunday, May 31. Let it sit and stir within you from now until that morning. Memorize it if you can; learn it by heart so that it can penetrate your bones as surely as God breathes life into us. Let it remind you of the power we have in Christ Jesus—the power and gift of faith, faith that proclaims the name of Jesus Christ as Lord, the power to live confidently in God’s love, knowing that our true identity is found nowhere else but in that love, power in the Holy Spirit to speak the language of faith to a world that needs to hear it, that longs for it, that dies without it. In God we have these amazing and life-changing powers. Yes, that means you.
God will surely breathe new life into us as we celebrate our 125th anniversary this Pentecost and pray these words. Pentecost commemorates the birthday of the church, God’s church. We are among those whom God blesses with the Holy Spirit and a calling. The calling of the church has always been to share the good news of Christ’s death and resurrection and so to be a blessing to the world, but that has always been lived out differently in different times and places. We pray that the Holy Spirit will guide us in this new age, and be present in us and among us this Pentecost as we worship, rededicate ourselves to be God’s church in this place, and then share a festive meal together. Invite your friends and family, your neighbors and co-workers.
Peace,
Pastor Jessica
The gift of Easter
Easter is almost upon us! Once again we will unfurl the banners, including the new one made just for Easter that has been buried beneath our altar since Ash Wednesday. We will arrange the lilies, fill the church and sing our praises to God who has made abundant life, freedom, joy, and hope possible by raising Jesus from the dead. The season of Lent will be behind us, but I hope that its disciplines of prayer, charity, and fasting have made the imprint of Christ’s image in each of you deeper and more strongly felt. I hope they continue to shape your life in Christ as we move into this season of celebration and thanksgiving.
The other evening at church Jim Carrigan pulled out his wallet, opened it, pulled out a driver’s license, and wrapped around it was a little scrap of paper. He gingerly unfolded the paper, and on it was the typed word “Alleluia.” It was the paper I handed out to everyone on Shrove Tuesday in 2008! He still carries it around, still takes it out to look at that word and remember. It’s been in his wallet so long now that it has taken new shape, the shape of the license and the little pocket it sits in. Its creases are firm and permanent. The ink is slightly faded. It’s become a part of him, and he shares it by carefully unwrapping it like a precious object and showing it to others. What a wonderful image for the gift of Easter.
I have enjoyed our soup suppers and discussions on Wednesday evenings this Lent. It has been important for us to talk together about what makes for peace, especially in places where the idea of peace seems hopeless. We have looked at the conflict between the Israeli and Palestinian people through various lenses and found ourselves struggling for words, but wanting to know more. We are connected through history and faith and through the promises of God to the inhabitants of that land, and their peace is connected to our own. Thank you for our discussions, and please continue to pray for reconciliation, peace, and justice in the Holy Land.
In Christ,
Pastor Jessica
Backward & forward
On a trip to St. Louis recently, Nathan, Theo and I visited Nathan’s relatives, many of whom were meeting little Theo for the first time. One of those we visited was Nathan’s grandmother and Theo’s great-grandmother, Jeannette. Jeannette is 92, still living at home. She was absolutely thrilled to finally be meeting her first great-grandchild. We spent the better part of an afternoon at a photography studio having family portraits taken, at Jeannette’s request. It was important for her to have a visual record for the whole family of this meeting of the generations. In particular, she wanted a photo taken of the four generations present that day: herself, her daughter (Nathan’s mom), Nathan, and Theo.
Standing back and watching, reflecting on how important this all was to Jeannette, I was moved by what this portrait represented: the love and the sense of identity and belonging that get passed on from one generation to the next. Jeannette was being very intentional about this, not for her own sake, but for the sake of all of the others in her family now living and to come.
All of this, of course, reminded me of the 125th anniversary celebrations that will take place in 2009 and 2010 here at St. Paul, and the recurring themes of looking back at our history as well as looking ahead to the new paths God is calling us to walk. As we reminisce about the past, look at old photos, and think about what it might have been like for the first members of St. Paul, mostly immigrants, to live, work and worship in Jersey City, let us ask God in prayer what we might learn from them, what gifts they have to give us as an inheritance. And then, as we give thanks for them and their foresight, let us also welcome the new day that God is bringing into being in and through us.
Who are we now? We are a diverse congregation, from many nations and backgrounds, living in an ever-changing city and world. Where do we go from here? Our joy will be in discerning, through prayer and courage, our calling in this generation. One thing we know, however, by virtue of our Baptism into Christ’s death and resurrection, is that we are people who are nourished at Christ’s table and strengthened for service in Christ’s name for the sake of the world. Like Christ’s first disciples—like Peter and John and Thomas and Matthew and Paul—we are sent. That is part of our inheritance. That is where we begin to put this new portrait of our life together into focus, with that conviction and that trust: We are sent, and we are equipped for that which we are being sent to do in the world, whatever it may be.
Choose to hope
“We could choose to despair over the problems of the world. We could choose to be silent about the injustices we see. We could choose to close our eyes to the pain of others and become more isolated and insular as the threats of the economy loom.
“Or we could choose to hope. We could choose to speak. We could choose to see the brokenness—remembering that wounds are also doors for opportunity, for transformation, reconciliation, and healing. We could choose to take the chaos that lies before us, and use it to be creative, to reshape a world in which people are more valuable than money.”
I read this quotation as I was exploring the World Hunger page on the ELCA website the other day. These words, spoken at the opening of a fundraiser for the World Hunger Appeal, struck me as very simple and very wise words—words to ponder in our hearts as we enter into this Advent season. These weeks leading up to Christmas will not be like other years. Usually this is a time of conspicuous consumption and excess. Rather than being about the coming of Christ into the world, it is too often about us and all of the “stuff” we want. Our behavior during this season too often makes the discrepancy between rich and poor all that much more apparent, but we don’t want to see it. We want only to see the pretty lights and shiny presents with our name on them.
What makes it possible to comprehend the words in the quotation is the promise of Advent, the coming of Emmanuel, God with us. In his weakness, in his vulnerability as an infant laid in a manger, and then as a homeless, crucified, and resurrected man, Jesus showed the power of God to heal, reconcile, and transform not only us, but all of creation—even death. We do not need to try to prove to anyone or anything that we are powerful or mighty or important, whether it’s through violent means or by outspending our neighbor, especially when what our neighbor actually needs is food on the table or a warm coat. As people of faith, we do not need a lot of “stuff’ to give us our identity. We have our identity in Christ Jesus, who walked humbly and poured himself out for the sake of the world. Through his brokenness, we are healed. Through the power of God’s love for us, we are empowered to live as people of hope, as Christ’s Body in the world.
As we enter into Advent, I invite you to immerse yourself in Scripture and hymnody that recalls the agony and expectation of those who waited for and then experienced the coming of the Messiah into the world. I invite you to immerse yourself in prayer that recalls how we still wait in agony and expectation for the fulfillment of God’s promises, for that time when there will be no more suffering, no more tears, no more war. And in the meantime, I invite you to celebrate Advent and Christmas differently this year, by giving to those who have too little, rather than by giving more to those who already have plenty. I invite you to consider giving to the ELCA World Hunger Appeal or to Lutheran Disaster Relief. Gifts can be given in honor or in memory of people you love, and cards can be sent to them letting them know you’ve made a donation in their name. There are local charities as well, such as our own hunger ministry, the Sharing Place.
In this chaotic time of economic turmoil, the poorest among us are suffering the most. Let us not despair, but begin to live a new way. Christ called us to be salt and light for the world, and that is what we are.
Treasure & Heart
This is a very challenging time to be thinking about financial stewardship in the congregation. Yet nearly every congregation has their annual stewardship campaign in the fall, so we are not alone in having to face this challenge during what some are calling an unprecedented economic crisis. What has been happening on Wall Street and in the housing market has left those “in the know” completely stymied as to what might happen next or how the situation will right itself. It has left the rest of us confused and worried. It’s scary, especially as the cost of just about everything is going up, up, up. So, with some understandable apprehension and with greater faith in a God who provides, we will face this challenge in the coming weeks as we prayerfully make our financial pledges for 2009.
Jesus told his disciples, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” We often think of that statement in reverse, that where our heart is, our treasure will go. But that’s not Jesus’ point. His point is not that we decide first what we love and therefore what we will devote our resources to. Rather, we follow his example by giving what we have away for his sake, and by doing so, our hearts and our love follow. It’s a harder way, a narrower way. It’s easy to give to people and causes that we have decided are worthwhile. It’s more difficult to give for Jesus’ sake, without hope of reward or benefit. It is more difficult to give a “first fruit” offering to the church than it is to give out of what’s left over after everything else we want is taken care of. But the Gospel is unambiguous. Jesus wants everything we call our own to be used for God’s greater purpose. Jesus calls us to make such sacrifices and bids us to follow him in the way of giving.
As we think about the church’s budget, we often ask ourselves how much it will cost to keep the lights on and heat the building. The answer to these questions is a dollar amount. I would like us to ask instead: Why will we keep the lights on, and why will the heat be turned up this year? The answers to these questions will reflect our priorities and our mission. They will be based on our gratitude for all the blessings we have been given.
As Nathan and I consider our 2009 pledge, we are struggling, as I know many of you are, to decide how to cut our expenses, how to save, how to pay back our student loans, how to care for Theo, and how to give in the way we believe Christ is commanding us to give.
May our faith in a God of love and abundance guide our discernment and give us the courage to risk greater, larger, more abundant giving this year, in Christ’s name and for the sake of the world.
God Bless
Now that Theo is born, and he travels with me in his stroller or baby carrier, I get another even more stirring and moving response. When I go for walks with him, people look at him, smile, and say “Awww.” Then they look at me and say “God bless”. Now, people have said “God bless” to me before, especially during allergy season when I sneeze constantly. But this feels different. It’s not an automatic, rote response. It is heartfelt and genuine. When it is spoken, there is eye contact, there is human connection. There is a knowing, loving look in their eyes, which is a blessing in itself.
God bless. It is part prayer, part proclamation. It is a prayer that this new life will be blessed, healthy, and strong. It is also a proclamation of what is: New life, and life itself, is a gift from God.
God bless. What if we said this tiny prayer to one another as we shared the Peace during the liturgy, giving thanks for the gift of our life together and praying for a blessed future? What if these two powerful words were to become a refrain of St. Paul @ 125, as we honor the past and ask God to make our future one of abundance and grace and passionate discipleship?
God bless us with new ministries in our community and new members to join in our service. God bless the Sharing Place, St. Paul Center for Caring, and our partners in the community. God bless all God’s people with discernment and wisdom. God bless us with compassion. God bless us with renewed vision and energy. God bless us so that we might be a blessing to others.
We can call on God’s name and pray these prayers because God does bless us through the love God shows for us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us and for our salvation (Romans 5:8–9). As we go forward into the fall and beyond, let’s keep our eyes on the risen Christ who is our hope, our nourishment, and our life, so that we will know we are blessed, and so that we know in whose name we pray, “God bless.”
In Christ,
Pastor Jessica