Pastor's Reflections & Various SermonsMonthly faith reflections and other ponderings and sermons from the pastor.
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 Gospel: Luke 24:1-121 On the first day of the week, at early dawn, [the women] came to the tomb, taking the spices that they had prepared. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in, they did not find the body. 4 While they were perplexed about this, suddenly two men in dazzling clothes stood beside them. 5 The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. 6 Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise again.” 8 Then they remembered his words, 9 and returning from the tomb, they told all this to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 Now it was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who told this to the apostles. 11 But these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; then he went home, amazed at what had happened. Dear siblings in Christ, grace and peace to you from our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ. Amen. Alleluia! Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen Indeed, Alleluia! Today, on this Easter Sunday, we hear the familiar story of Jesus’ resurrection, a version of which we hear every year. This year, we hear Luke’s version of the events of that first Easter morning. We can imagine the women making their way to the tomb where Jesus’ body had been laid but before they were journeying to the tomb to properly prepare Jesus’ body, they would have had to take time to prepare the spices and ointments they were bringing to the tomb which they could only do now on the third day since Jesus had died just before the Sabbath, and they weren’t permitted to do work such as preparing a body for it’s final resting place on the Sabbath. I would assume in those days when they could tell someone was nearing death, they could start making preparations even before the death occurred, but here these women, I doubt realized that before Jesus was arrested that he would be dying so soon, even though Jesus had made a habit of dropping hints that this is where he was being led to. So these faithful women who were amongst Jesus’ inner circle, had not made any preparations to have what was needed on hand to prepare his body when he had died. They had been just as shocked and grieved by his public execution of the agonizing and humiliating death on the cross by the earthly powers that be with so many complicit bystanders either saying nothing or being among the crowds to shout “Crucify him!,” when Pilate gave them the chance to choose to let Jesus go. The Woman, these woman, who have been with Jesus for a while, who have helped to support his ministry in various and numerous unnamed ways, were the ones who stayed by the foot of the cross, watching Jesus’ final moments, where as most of the other named disciples had scattered and fled for fear of what could happen to them, these woman, bravely and courageously stayed and witnessed him cry out to God one last time and saw him take his last breath, and then saw were Joseph from Arimathea, had laid his body in an unused tomb nearby. These women had witnessed all that Jesus had endured at the hands of the empire, the earthly tyrannical powers that be and how Jesus went through it all without resisting, because he knew some bigger secret that no one at that point could yet fully comprehend. That through his death on the cross, there is something new that is happening, something that God is doing for all people. But the woman did not know this yet. And so these women took the time to prepare the spices and ointments to bring to Jesus’ tomb. And we don’t know if they were preparing them in somber silence or perhaps they were finding comfort being with each other at this time while sharing memories and stories of their time with Jesus, much like how any of us do as we gather with others after a loved one's death. And perhaps as they journeyed toward the tomb they were still sharing stories, perhaps at times one of them expressing that they had forgotten one of those stories or one of his teachings that once it was brought back up then they had a chance to say “I remember that” and take solace in those memories. And it is clear that on the first Easter morning, they were not expecting what they found once they arrived at the tomb. They were not expecting to find the stone already rolled away, and the tomb empty with the only the linen clothes that Jesus’ body had been wrapped in. “They were perplexed.” And then out of nowhere two dazzling angels appeared among them and the women were terrified. But then they simply ask the women, “Why are you looking for the living among the dead?” And then also shared a memory of something Jesus once said, that the women apparently had forgotten, this being when Jesus spoke of how he would be killed and on the third day he would rise again. And then they remembered, as if this was just another of the stories they must of shared on their way to the tomb, they just needed the angels prodding to remind them of what Jesus had said to his inner circle about the fate he was going to face. And from there, these women became the first preachers of this Easter goodnews that he has risen, that Jesus lives, that death no longer has the final say. And yet these women, the first preachers of the resurrection, when they share this good news with the disciples and the others they were not believed. The disciples doubted, writing off the women's news as an idle and outrageous story, but yet something compelled Peter to get up and go see for himself. He went to the tomb, and we don’t know if he was expecting the woman’s story to be false or if he trusted them but just wanted that little kernel of proof of the resurrection hope to hold onto, and when he saw the empty tomb for himself he was amazed and was probably left wondering, if Jesus was risen, where is he, why hasn’t he shown himself yet? And I’m not going to lie, part of me wished that the angels had reappeared to Peter to tell him off for not fully believing the women’s word from the start or to also ask him that question of “why are you looking for the living among the dead?” and to remind him of all that Jesus had once said about his resurrection. This story, the Easter story, no matter which gospel version you read, is full of doubt and faith, remembrances and questions, and in a way defiance and resistance in the face of the earthly powers and empires that be, and that is all a part of the profound joy of Easter, that even in the midst of the doubt that we all may carry from time to time, that Jesus still does what Jesus does, that he still has risen and he’s no longer among the dead, like we confess every Sunday in the Apostle’s Creed, that “he descended to the dead and on the third day he rose again,” He is again among the living. Who knows if this is living in which the angels spoke of is about the earthly realm of living or the eternal realm of living or maybe both? But it has me thinking about what else in our lives and in the world do we get stuck looking for the living amongst the dead? What else might we have to be reminded of to be aware of when something is dead and no longer serves us in life giving ways, or to be made aware when something might need a bit of this mysterious Easter transformation and renewal? This question, “why do you look for the living among the dead?” is a good reminder that often within our own lives, or in our congregational ministries, or even within our worldly governing entities, at times, probably more often then we’d like to admit, that we are doing the wrong things, that we are doing things that aren’t lifegiving, that we often get stuck perpetuating the death dealing forces of this world instead of finding and fostering the life-giving forces that are life giving for all people and not just a select few. We too often get stuck focused on the things that aren’t aligned with the Easter promise of the renewal and righting of all of creation that has begun through Jesus’ resurrection and defeat over death. “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” reminds to live as the resurrection people we are called to be through our faith in Jesus, to promote not death but instead to promote life and the transformation and renewal of all of creation, to be co-creators with God in making the new creation where all can truly live, thrive, and live together with one another and all of creation as God had initially intended. And the question “why do you look for the living among the dead?” helps to remind us, just as those angels did, to focus, promote, and look for what is life giving in the face of all of the death dealing powers and empires of our current earthly realities. And this reminder helps to push us out into the world to remind others to do similarly instead of responding to our world out of fear or being locked away because of it, like the disciples seemed to be hidden away for fear of what could happen to them after Jesus had been publicly crucified. But instead this reminder that the women shared with them, though they didn’t believe it at first, is just the beginning of urging them out to start sharing this good news of Jesus’ resurrection and the truth that his divine love is stronger than death. The empire tried to remove and utterly erasure Jesus and all he stood for through the humiliation that was his crucifixion, because death on the cross was something so shameful, that when one was put to death in this way, utterly naked for all to see, just hanging there being being open to all the ridicule that those passing by would spit in their face, it was considered a shameful act to associate with and remember anyone who was killed in this way. But yet, despite this, and through the angels urging, the women defied the empire and remembered Jesus all that he said and taught and helped the others to remember as well, they helped them to look those death dealing forces of the empire in its face and boldly proclaim the risen Jesus and from there the power and humiliation of the cross began to lose its sting as Jesus’ story and teachings began to spread throughout the land. And in today’s world, it isn’t hard to look around and see so many of these death dealing forces running rampant within the current empires of our world. These death dealing forces including that of uncontrolled hatred, bigotry, racism, homophobia, transphobia, ableist thinking, and violence against those considered “other” in any way, as well as state sanctioned violence like that of disappearing people without due process, or enabling wars and genocidal agendas, and just finding a way to continue to scapegoat any group that is looked down upon for whatever reason. And due to the fact that it really is not hard to look around and see examples of any of these death dealing forces in our world today, we find ourselves yearning for this Easter hope of the resurrection that we and our world too will be changed into something that is no longer among the dead but is among the living. We trust in the hope of the resurrection that through Jesus, we do not have to fear our earthly deaths, that we know his life giving act of his death and resurrection that he has opened to us a way to eternal life for all people, no if’s and’s or but’s, because through this act, God has not only forgiven all people’s sin, no matter how great or small our sin may be, and ultimately Jesus’ death and resurrection is not about the exchange of our victimhood to sin, but instead is the path to ending the innocent bloodshed by the death-dealing forces of our earthly world leading us to life-giving living for all people. This question, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?” can lead us to and in a way might require us to get used to change, transformation, and renewal as we start to see things in a new light, being able to recognize things for what they are, either life-giving or death-dealing, while we are reminded to remember that Jesus is no longer among the dead, for he is risen. And this risen Jesus has a way to confront the false comforts of memories used in such a way to keep us sedated or stuck in despair for what has happened in the past. For our memories of our histoires are meant to empower us as part of God’s new creation, not petrify it. For Easter is just the beginning, and God’s grace and love continue to break into our world, working to break open our hearts that have at times settled into stony resignation in the face of the death dealing forces of our world and reminds us to ask again: “why do we look for the living among the dead?” and can lead us to also ponder the following questions: What if we were able to hope again in the face of all that is wrong in the world? What does it mean for us that God’s forgiveness is real? And what does it mean to live - not shut inside the tombs of all the things we cannot change but instead to be alive in a world that can and will change? And here is the goodnews that we each can carry with us throughout the Easter season and beyond that: “For those of us who despair that death-dealing powers have the upper hand - fear not! Easter means God ultimately is and will be victorious over the powers of death. For those who despair that our guilt is too great for God to forgive - fear not! Easter means God has cleared all accounts, liberating humanity from shame, reconciling us to God and each other as God’s beloved children. For those who despair in the midst of pain and anguish - take heart! You are not alone: Jesus suffers with you in solidarity and companionship, and Easter means you will also rise with him. For those who despair over a world so filled with hate, violence, and scapegoating - be encouraged! In Christ’s passion, God has taken the place of the scapegoat in order to expose humanity’s violent ways - and Easter means God one day will overcome all violence and contempt. Indeed, Easter means that God has taken one of the worst things in the world (the Roman cross) and remade it into one of the best (the Tree of Life), a sword into a ploughshare - and if God will remake the worst things in our world, then God also will remake the whole creation in the end! Like the cross, the empty tomb is a great divine mystery, a rising sun dispelling shadows in multiple directions. It’s only a beginning, but the tide has decisively turned, the dawn [through Jesus’ resurrection] has come" (from Salt's Commentary for Easter Sunday). And the celebration that is Easter Sunday, with the fanfare of music and all the lilies is a signal not of a final victory, but a signal of a commencement, a launch, a kick off, to lead all of us as Jesus followers out into the world to stand in the face of the death dealing forces of our world and point to the life-giving force that is Jesus, remembering how the women on that first Easter morning did, while continuing to share and show his and God’s love to all people along our journey through our earthly lives. Amen. Alleluia! Christ is Risen! Christ has risen indeed! Alleluia! -- Written and Preached by Pastor Tamara Siburg If you wish to listen to the sermon, the gospel reading starts at 59:38 and the sermon starts at 1:01:06.  Gospel: John 13:1-17, 31b-35 1 Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. And during supper 3 Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, 4 got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus answered, “You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” 8 Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no share with me.” 9 Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus said to him, “One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you.” 11 For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, “Not all of you are clean.” 12 After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. 14 So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. 16 Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. 17 If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.” 31b “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. 32 If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. 33 Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ 34 I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Dear siblings in Christ, grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen. On this Maundy Thursday, we hear yet again the very familiar readings that are assigned to be read every Maundy Thursday, that of the retelling of the instructions for the very first Passover meal, hearing Jesus’ words of institution that we hear every time we partake in the sacrament of Holy Communion, and Jesus sharing his last supper with his disciples while taking on the posture of a servant to wash each of their feet, and then hearing how he has given the command to love one another just as he as loved them. And this Holy Week, reading these various readings and the passion narratives where Jesus is staring his fate of death on the cross in the face, while still showing love and commanding his followers to do the same even in the face of the earthly powers that be and all of the complicit bystanders who cried for his crucifixion, that he an innocent man be put to death, this narrative, just seems to be that much more applicable this year with the current realities of our world and nation than any other time in my own life time, and it seems important to name this reality. I know that I have seen many of my clergy colleagues all across social media from all over the country share countless stories and witnesses to our Christian faith in our current world realities while using the events of that first Holy Week so long ago as a backdrop comparing recent events to that of the events of Jesus’ Passion, and to affirm and remind each other and others of our call as fellow disciples and followers of Jesus Christ to do as Jesus commanded in today's Gospel passage, “that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35). And at this point in time, at what many may say feels like a crossroads in our world, we are left asking what does it mean to love one another? And how do we share and show this love to others? Jesus had just given his disciples an example of this love by acting like a servant and washing the feet of all of his disciples. He washed every disciples feet, from Peter, who will be one of the big leaders of the Jesus movement when it comes to the events as told in the book of Acts, where Peter was at first hesitant letting his teacher and Lord wash his feet but then asked for more of his body to be washed, and Jesus even washed Judas’ feet while knowing that he was the one who will soon lead the authorities to Jesus to be arrest and soon be put to death even after Pilate found no case against him. Jesus knew what he would soon endure, and yet he still found time to gather with his disciples, his found family, to share not just dinner together, but also to share such an intimate and in a way humiliating act of love to be like a servant washing their feet, and then commanded all to love one another as he had loved them. We know in today’s world that foot washing is not a typical thing done in our day to day lives, since those of us who are privileged enough to live in a place with showers and wear closed toed shoes, our feet don’t get near as dirty and beat up as those wearing sandals on the dusty roads of Jesus’ time. So we are again left asking, what other ways might we be able to live out this command to love one another as Jesus has loved us? And perhaps to help answer this question, we must take a look at Jesus’ life as told in the four gospels, where we can find many more examples of Jesus sharing, showing, and telling of ways in which to love others. Like how in response to the question of “who is my neighbor?” Jesus shared the story of the good Samaritan, how the one who was most despised because of where they were from is the one to lend help, care, and love to the one in need while others who would be considered amongst the in crowd looked the other way when they saw the need of another (Luke 10:25-37). In Matthew, Jesus shared within a parable that “truly I tell you, just as you did it to the least of these, you did it to me” (Matthew 25:34-45) in response to the question of when have they seen him hungry and thirsty and gave him food and drink, or seen him as a stranger and welcomed him, seen him naked and clothed him, sick and cared for him, or in prison and visited him. And again, Jesus reiterates that it is how we treat the least of us, the most vulnerable of our communities, in other words, how we show are love and care for the vulnerable, the marginalized, and often the most dehumanized amongst us, that this is how we can not only love one another but love Jesus as well. There are countless number of stories throughout the four gospels of how Jesus healed, fed, and just cared for so many throughout his life on earth. Jesus healed people even on days when he was not supposed to do any work due to the laws and customs of his culture, where the leaders, the people in positions of power would get upset because how dare Jesus break cultural laws to care for and share love with others who were already so often looked down upon just because of who they were or what ailments they might have had. Jesus also fed others, he would see people who were hungry, recognized their need and instead of turning them away or turning a blind eye to their plight, he would feed them, or would even invite others to join him in sharing meals, even those who the elite would snicker and demonize for being sinners and tax collectors, Jesus still welcomed them to the table because at Jesus’ table all are welcome, no matter who they are or what they have done, just like how I'm sure many of us would have wanted to kick Judas to the curb if we knew what he would do, but yet Jesus still invited him to the table and ate with him and washed his feet out of love. Throughout his life Jesus gave us so many examples of how we too can love one another as Jesus has loved us and we mustn’t forget that among his acts of love would also include that of flipping the tables of the oppressive systems in place, like how in both Mark (11:15-18) and Matthew (21:12-13) we hear of how Jesus flipped the tables and benches of the money changers and the sellers of the sacrificial animals, who were exploiting those who came to the temple to worship God. And this can lead us to question, just how we might be able to share the love Jesus commands us to share with others, especially those who are exploited, oppressed, and/or being stripped of their human rights and dignity by working with each other to flip the tables of the oppressive systems, laws, and powers in place within our communities, nations, and the world? And of course we cannot forget the ultimate act of love that Jesu did for all of creation, including each and every one of us, that being his life giving act of dying on the cross which we will again take time to honor and remember in our Good Friday worship tomorrow. Thanks to his death on the cross and resurrection, the power of death no longer has the same sting and doesn’t have the final say, we know that we are promised to be reunited with all our loved ones once our own time on earth is done. But despite knowing this, that his death and resurrection will change everything for us in regards to our eternal fates, Jesus still commanded his disciples, which includes us today, to love one another as he has loved us in the here and now of our lives on earth. Again, we are left to ask ourselves and our communities, how will we share and show the love that Jesus commanded us to in our world today? How will we share the love of Jesus to the most vulnerable in our midst even in the face of the earthly powers that be that continue to dehumanize so many, while trying to threaten and keep us afraid to show and share the radical love of Jesus with all people, especially those who are suffering at the hands of our earthly powers? Before I end, I want to share the words of a facebook friend, David Scherer, also known as the Christian rapper Agape. Earlier this week he took some time to reflect on Holy Week and how these three Holy days are good reminders for the church every year, but perhaps just a bit more poignant this year. His reflection, “Maundy Thursday is the church’s yearly reminder that human connection in the midst of trauma and fear still have a place and that the greatest among us is the One who is a servant. Good Friday is the church’s yearly reminder that state-sanctioned violence and extrajudicial lynchings are not the will of God and that leaders who participate, leaders who equivocate, and bystanders who abdicate, are all complicit in crucifying the Holy One in our midst. Easter Sunday is the church’s yearly reminder that no matter how dire our situation looks, hope is reinventing itself and new life will stubbornly appear despite our despair. Even in the loneliest locus of human existence (the grave), we are never alone. [And] may you feel your beloved-ness amid your loneliness. May you discover new life amid dead spaces. May you be surprised by the joy and hope that abounds amid the sadness and struggle of our world.” Again, this Maundy Thursday, as we look towards the terror and death of the cross before we find the joy and hope of Easter, we are left with Jesus’ command “that you love one another, just as I have loved you… everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” And I will leave you with this question one more time, in the midst of the struggles and realities of our world, where so many are suffering loss of rights and dehumanization, how will you love in such a way that people will truly know that you are a disciple of Jesus? How are you being called to share and show the love of Christ to all people both near and far no matter who they are or where they are from? And how will you continue to love one another and others even in the face of the oppressive powers that be? Amen. -- Written and Preached by Pastor Tamara Siburg If you wish to listen to the sermon, the gospel reading starts at 14:59 and the sermon starts at 17:55.  Dear siblings in Christ,
As we continue our journey through Lent, heading towards Holy Week, we are reminded of the profound love and sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The events of Holy Week has a way of encompassing the heart of the Christian faith, from the jubilant entry of Psalm Sunday, to the call of servanthood on Maundy Thursday, to the sorrow of Good Friday all the way to the joy of Easter which altogether calls us to live out the love of Christ in the world today. In our world today, where so much of it is marked by pain, division, and injustice, Holy Week offers us a powerful invitation to embody and share God’s love and grace in tangible ways. Palm Sunday is a call to justice and peace. As we wave our palm branches and celebrate Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, we are reminded that Jesus’ kingdom is not one of power and domination, but of justice, peace, and compassion. In a time when it seems that the cries for justice and peace are so often drowned out by the noise of partisan political polarization, narrow sighted nationalistic ways of thinking and conflict in general, Palm Sunday invites us to stand with the oppressed, the marginalized, the voiceless, and the dehumanized in our communities. We are called to be peacemakers, to speak out against injustice, and to live as advocates for all God’s people, particularly those suffering from systemic inequalities. After all, Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem was a form of nonviolent protest against the earthly powers that be of his time. Maundy Thursday is a command to serve. On Maundy Thursday, Jesus models servant leadership by washing his disciples’ feet and instituting the commandment to love one another. “Love one another as I have loved you,” he said (John 13:34). In this act of love, Jesus calls us to humble ourselves in service to others. In today’s world, this means not only serving those who are physically or spiritually in need but also addressing the various and deep divides that separate us from one another. Whether through local outreach programs, acts of kindness, or advocacy for the vulnerable, Maundy Thursday challenges us to go beyond ourselves and to serve others in the most humble and compassionate ways, to not just give of our money but to also give of our time and bodies, out of the love that God first gave us through Jesus. Good Friday is a call to stand in solidarity with suffering. Good Friday is a stark reminder of the suffering and pain that Jesus endured on the cross. He truly knew the human experience of suffering and we know suffering is still all too present in our world. From ongoing conflicts around the globe to the struggles within our own communities, Good Friday calls us to stand with those who are hurting. It calls us to acknowledge the deep wounds of injustice, violence, and poverty that continue to permeate within the systems in place impacting so many. As a community, we are invited to walk alongside those who are suffering, offering a presence of love, comfort, and solidarity. Let us remember that as we carry the cross with Christ not to suffer for the sake of suffering but for the sake of our neighbors, we are called to enter into those moments and spaces to help carry and lighten the burdens of others. Easter is a call to hope and resurrection in a Hurting World. Easter brings with it the hope of resurrection and the promise that even in the darkest moments, God is at work bringing new life and transformation. In the face of the tragedies and heartaches we encounter, the Easter message reminds us that love, grace, and hope will have the final word. We are a resurrection people, called to bring light into the darkness, to share hope with the hopeless, and to work toward healing and renewal for all people, no if’s and’s or but’s, throughout our communities and the world. As we celebrate Easter this year, let us consider how we too can be bearers of this resurrection hope. Whether it’s through speaking out against injustice, providing care for those in need, working for systemic change in our communities, or just by sitting with someone going through a hard time. The hope of the resurrection challenges us to live with boldness, sharing and showing God’s love near and far, trusting that God’s love transforms the world. Let us live lives with a Holy Week kind of faith. In a world where fear, hatred, division, and violence dominate the headlines, the message of Holy Week remains as radical and relevant as ever. It calls us to act out of love, to seek justice, to be in solidarity with those most often pushed to the margins and overlooked, and to work for peace and healing in our world. Whether through small acts of kindness or larger attentiveness to social justice issues, we are invited to live in ways that reflect the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. As we enter Holy Week this year, let us renew our commitment to sharing and showing God’s love throughout our community and the world. Let us offer compassion where there is cruelty, justice where there is oppression, and hope where there is despair. Together, we can be witnesses to the power of God’s love through Christ, bringing hope, light, and love to a world in need. God’s Peace, Pastor Tamara Siburg  “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin? Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly.” ~ Isaiah 58:6-8 Dear siblings in Christ,
Lent, though often thought of as a somber time, is a time to reflect, repent, and renew our hearts and minds in the light of God’s grace and unconditional love. Lent invites us into a 40-day journey that mirrors the time Jesus spent in the wilderness before beginning his earthly ministry. As we journey through Lent, I invite you to join me in considering how the state of our world today invites us deeper into this journey of repentance and renewal. When the world around us seems to grow more uncertain and fractured each day while the news is full of stories of war, division, injustice, and a longing for peace and healing. The weight of the global and local crises, from poverty and hunger to climate change and people being displaced, can make our hearts heavy. Even in our own communities, we encounter the struggles of those who feel lost, unseen, and/or unheard. And yet, in the midst of this turmoil, we are called to remember that Lent is not only about mourning the brokenness of the world but also about responding to it with the love and hope of God that Christ has shown us. Lent is a time that invites us not to give things up just for the sake of giving up things, but it is a time to give up what distracts us from the realities of the world, to humble ourselves before God, and to deepen our commitment to following the example of Christ to share and show God’s love near and far. It is a season of repentance, but it is also a season of hope, because through Christ’s death and resurrection, we are promised new life. Our response to the brokenness of the world must be rooted in this hope, hope that is grounded in Christ’s enduring love, and hope that calls us to action. I encourage each of us to take time to reflect on the ways in which we as individuals, and we as a congregation can be part of God’s transformative work in the world. How can we share and show God and Jesus’ love out in the world in the face of such divisions? How can we extend mercy and justice to those who are suffering the most? In what ways can our Lenten practices help to heal and renew not just our own souls but the world around us? As we journey through this season, I invite each of us to find moments to try some spiritual practices, whether it be daily prayer, acts of service, times of speaking up against injustice, or moments of quiet reflection, let this time be a moment where we each reconnect with God’s vision for the world. A vision where justice, mercy, and peace flow like a river. And as we do so, let us also remember the promise of Easter that awaits us: that the love of God is stronger than all the forces of darkness in this world. May this Lenten season be a time of deep renewal and transformation for each of us. May we approach it with open hearts, ready to receive God’s grace, and ready to be sent into the world to be instruments of God’s peace and love to all people and all of creation. As we journey through these 40 days, let us do so with the knowledge that God through the Holy Spirit is with us, guiding us, and empowering us to bring light into the darkness. God’s Peace, Pastor Tamara Siburg |
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715 South Third Street, Clinton, IA 52732
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