Relationships across different generations are important in the church and in our communities. Increasingly, however, it seems like there are fewer opportunities for people of different ages to spend time together. Our communities can become segregated by age when our kids are in school and our elderly are in retirement communities or health care facilities. We may even develop harmful stereotypes about different age groups like teenagers or older adults. We know though that these relationships are meaningful, and I wonder how we can foster connections between people.
Month: February 2015
Wednesday, February 18th is Ash Wednesday for many Christians around the world, so you may see people walking around with black crosses drawn on their foreheads. It’s a day when we remember that we are dust and to dust we shall return.
In one of the great ironies of our church year, we always read from Matthew 6 on Ash Wednesday where Jesus admonishes us: “Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them.” Maybe it seems a bit hypocritical that we piously and somberly wear black crosses on our forehead as a public sign on the same day Jesus tells us not be show offs about our faith.
In my experience, there’s more interest and curiosity about prayer than there are about other aspects of the life of faith. Compared to mysterious rituals or seemingly dusty dogmas, maybe it’s that prayer feels more accessible or personal. Maybe it’s that we all have moments where we just want to cry out at someone or say thank you to something bigger than ourselves.
Furthermore, prayer is an act that’s clearly not unique to the Christian faith. People of different religions from all over the world share this behavior of prayer, even if we direct our prayers to different deities. Even if we have other differences of understanding, Jews, Muslims, and Christians all pray to the God of Abraham. And for the people in our culture who identify as spiritual-but-not-religious, prayer may have special appeal.
Hebrews 13:2 says, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.” I’ve been thinking about this verse, because I have so appreciated the warm welcomes and hospitality I’ve received as a newcomer to this area. I am the new pastor at Orfordville Lutheran Church and the newest addition to “The Pastor’s Corner.” Since moving here, people have invited us into their homes, fed us, shown us around, and shared their stories. As a stranger to these parts, I am so thankful for this kindness.