The Weekly View

Sunday, November 22, 2020

Dear St. Luke Community,

One of my favorite things each week is sitting down to write this weekly email to all of you. It’s not lost on me that this is my last. And Sunday will be my last Sunday as your pastor. I plan on spending the sermon expressing deep thanks for all of you, your gifts, your wisdom, laughter and inspiration. For the past five plus years you’ve been an extended family and welcomed me into your lives; both your challenges and celebrations.

And Sunday after Sunday we came together to worship God: to celebrate, cry, pray, praise, lament, sing and laugh. If I keep writing, I will end up writing the entire sermon on this page, and because I’d rather say it than have you read it, I suppose I’ll stop now.

Our scripture reading will come from The Book of Ephesians which was written to “God’s holy people in Ephesus” (Ephesians 1:1, NIV). New Testament scholar N.T. Wright states that “it offers a breathtaking view of the entire landscape.” It doesn’t correct any behavior or instruct, but celebrates the goodness of the people which makes it perfect for this last Sunday together. If I do nothing else, I will be praising God for the goodness of all of you – the good people of St. Luke Presbyterian who were good and generous before I got there and will continue to be so long after. 

This is something to be deeply grateful for. So with Thanksgiving upon us, let us, together, give thanks to God for every gift of our lives and life itself.

All thanks be to God.

See you Sunday,
Nicole

Sunday, November 15, 2020

Dear St. Luke Community,

Someone once asked me how I saw myself as a minister. For example, did I see myself as shepherd? Dave Slorpe once described it more like being a border collie. That rings true as I’m always looking to see who we haven’t seen in a while and searching ways to bring them back into the fold. But lately I’ve felt more like a mother who is about to send their first born off to college. Part of me wants to hold on forever and the other knows the healthy thing to do is trust.

Trust has been coming up a lot lately, in both discussions and sermons. It seems in times of crisis, the fundamentals of our faith become essential and the quality of what once sounded like a platitude now feels deeply meaningful. Trust is one of those fundamentals. Trust requires a kind of risk, because there is a letting go of control required. The truth is, we’re never fully in control, but we love to convince ourselves we can manipulate our future through the choices we make, as though our lives were some kind of chess board. It’s not. And the future of the church is not. God is in the mix, and it always feels risky to let go and let God. 

Jesus illustrates this for us in his Parable of the Talents for this Sunday (Matthew 25: 14-39). One of the servants chooses to bury his talent.  According to the Oxford Dictionary, to bury is to put or hide under ground, cause to disappear or become inconspicuous.

What leads us to disappear; playing it safe rather than investing in God’s ability to drive this life? Fear certainly plays a part, as does our ego, which would always prefer to be in the driver’s seat. I look forward to exploring this more on Sunday.

Also this Sunday, we will watch the baptism of Will and Ben White that took place on the lawn outside the sanctuary Thursday morning. But that baptism is not fully complete until you all have your congregational response and we share in our oldest creed as a congregation. I look forward to sharing in that joy together.

See you Sunday,
Nicole

Sunday, November 8, 2020

Dear St. Luke Community,

This Sunday is designated Stewardship Sunday. Wait! Before you roll your eyes or decide you’d rather go on a hike please read through. Stewardship Sunday is too often thought of as the Sunday that “they” (being the church or the committee) ask for money. Stewardship Sunday is so much more than that. 

First of all, whether you are a member or not, you are the church. There is no “they” or “them” in this equation. The church is made up of its people who show up on Sunday. Whether you are one of those who show up every Sunday or just once in a while, you are a living part of this living body of Christ. And like it or not, just by showing up, you assume a responsibility. But unlike many other responsibilities in your lives, this is one that is not a chore. It is a spiritual gift, because the more you invest in the spiritual care of this body the more you receive.

Our theme this year is Courage and Faith – Moving Forward Together.

There’s much that needs to take place to move forward together and my prayer is that you who are reading this will feel moved and called by God to participate in the process of moving forward.

The scripture this Sunday is perfect for moving forward (Matthew 25: 1-13). We’ll be reminded in this scripture about the importance of preparation. Now is the time to dig deep into the resources of your energy as a person of faith, connected to a larger body that is embarking on something new. 

In the parable that Jesus tells is the coming of a party. A party is what God’s kingdom looks like when people come together in faith: something to be celebrated, enjoyed and delighted in. But that doesn’t happen when you decide someone else can do the work. That only happens when you engage in the commitment of faith, the challenge of process, and the spiritual discernment of moving forward together.

It takes courage, faith and you.

See you Sunday,
Nicole