July 2014
The Pastor’s Ponderings Pastor David’s cell phone—765-330-4170 and email address —fleeneda@gmail.com When I entered seminary, I had an image of what Christian community should look like. I’d had good experiences growing up in my own church (for the most part) and figured that my colleagues, fellow students studying for Christian vocations, would be “nice” people. I thought that though many of us came from different backgrounds and experiences, surely we would be able to form a caring, forgiving, grace-filled Christian community. It took only four weeks for my image to be shattered, not because they were different from me, but because they were so similar. I came to realize that my fellow students were all too like me. We were a competitive, intelligent group. We loved to hear the sounds of our own voices. And some of us, myself included, had egos roughly the size of Texas. We were bound to clash with one another. We know in our head that all
people are sinners. We know that people are selfish, greedy, and seek to put themselves above others. But that doesn’t make it any less disappointing when people in the church engage in the same behaviors that any other group of human beings do. After all, we think, shouldn’t the church be different? Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote of this kind of disappointment in his book on Christian community, Life Together. “A great disillusionment with others, with Christians in general, and, if we are fortunate, with ourselves, is bound to overwhelm us as surely as God desires to lead us to an understanding of genuine Christian community.” When we see people and ourselves for who we really are, we can be crushed. We can accuse others and God of being indifferent. We get angry when our standards for Christian community are not met. The church is indeed a different community than all others. But it is different because of God’s grace and
goodness, not our own. And when we finally discard our image of what the church can be, God’s grace can then work within us. Let’s be honest. The church will never be the same as it was some 50-60 years ago. If our standards for Christian community are what the church was, we will remain bitter and ungrateful for what God is doing in the church now. Once, during a candidacy meeting, I was asked if I could love a church member who hated my guts. I’d like to ask a similar question. Can we love the church, and the people in it, for who they are now, rather than hold them up to our own standards? Can we be grateful that we are Christian community, permitted to gather around Word and Sacrament by the grace of God? Is that enough for us? If it is, then watch out. God’s grace will give us more than enough. And only God knows where his grace working in us may lead us. See you in church! Pr. David
Vacation Bible School
Pr. David had fun with the kids at the end of VBS each day. Some 30 children from 4 area churches participated. Photo credit: Denise Hile
VBS usually doesn’t raise a great deal of money and canned goods for our food pantry. Last year we had about 40-50 cans. This year, the kids had an additional incentive to feeding the hungry. If they reached $100 or 100 cans of food, or a combined total, they got to pie Pr. Dustin of Trinity. Since they broke that goal by Wednesday, Pr. David added the incentive of $200 or 200 cans. They reached a combined total of 216 cans/ dollars, and Pr. David received his “just desserts”! Photo credit: Michelle Walker