A Different Storyline...

I hope and pray that this post finds everyone high and dry, having weathered the hurricane safely and without too much damage. We would like to know if anyone has suffered damages to their home, so please contact each other and/or the church office if you need help. That's what a church family is for!

Today's sermon is below, and I hope it will be helpful to read since many (very understandably) could not get to church this morning. I look forward to seeing you all again soon. God's blessings!

Handed the Keys to the Kingdom...

Today's reading from Matthew is one in which Jesus is proclaimed to be the Messiah, or the Christ (the two words both mean "anointed one"). We also hear that Jesus has created the ekklesia, that is, the church, which literally means "those called out." Jesus promises that nothing will overcome the church, and he says that he will give us the keys of the kingdom of heaven. We have been invited by our Lord to a great journey doing his work with our hands.

Do not be conformed, but be transformed....

Our church, like thousands of other churches around the world, follows a three-year cycle of Bible readings for each Sunday. This cycle is called the lectionary. One of the cool things about the lectionary, I think, is that sometimes readings come up that challenge us, comfort us or invite us to something new when we least expect it.

This week features one of my all-time favorite Bible readings, Romans 12:1-8. Paul has spent most of the letter preaching that everyone is redeemed equally and completely by the free grace of God. But then he goes on to invite his brothers and sisters in the Roman church to new life made possible by God's grace. Here's the passage:

In Christ there is no East or West....

This is the title of our hymn of the day from this morning's worship, and it captures the heart of the gospel message from this week's Bible texts. If you have a hymnal at home, it's number 359 in the green book (LBW) or number 650 in the new red book (ELW). Take a look while you read this sermon. Or, here's the first verse:

Sermon - August 7, 2011

8^th Sunday after Pentecost (Year A) - Sunday, August 7, 2011

Matthew 14:22-33

This past week, my first week in Lancaster, has been memorable in several ways. Personally, I have been struck by the love and kindness you all have shown me in welcoming me to this place. As some of you might know, your former vicar Brett is now my wife and so Christ Lutheran to me is not entirely new. I am so grateful to finally be here each day in person and to begin getting to know each of you.

It's been memorable in another way, though, not nearly as positive. Wave after wave of misfortune and tragedy seem to have crashed into the people of this city, this nation and the world. As a people, as individual persons, and as a common humanity we seem to be weathering a time of high wind and huge waves battering our boat as we struggle to keep afloat.

Jello Salad in Zambia

When I first took a look at the texts for this (now past) Sunday's worship, the story of Jesus walking on water and Peter sinking below only to be saved by Jesus' quick grasp, I was carried back to a memory from the other side of the world. In March 2008, I journeyed with my home congregation, St. Paul's Lutheran in Washington, D.C., to Zambia where we lived and served at an AIDS orphanage. One of the things we did was to run a vacation Bible school for the kids, and my job was to teach Bible stories along with a snack. It just so happened that I was teaching this same story about Jesus saving Peter on the water.

Our American-made curriculum called for snacks themed to the story, and so we made little cups of blue jello with two "Sour Patch Kids" candies (which looked like people, kind of) stuck in the jello. Of course, one of the candies we placed into the jello before it hardened (Peter) and one rested comfortably on the surface (Jesus). By the time we were serving this to Zambian children, we realized this was probably the first time they had eaten either jello or Sour Patch Kids. But, we got to share a little bit of American Lutheranism - jello salad - to the other side of the world. I don't know if those children will ever remember that. I hope they do. But let us remember, even if through something as silly as jello and candy, that Jesus is the One who strides above waves, and we the ones who reach out for his saving hand.

Greetings!

Good morning!

This is Evan Davis, the new vicar here at Christ Lutheran. I am blessed to be here among you now in Lancaster and to greet you with peace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

I have spent a couple days in the office learning my up from down and finding my way around, and I am thankful for all of you who have gone out of your way to make me feel welcome. As many of you know, I am now married to the former vicar, Brett Wilson (now Brett Davis!), and so I feel as though I am entering a familiar place.

As I have transitioned into maintaining this blog, I have changed the name to "Vicar Evan." Unfortunately, this has put my name on all previous posts which I did not write. Everything through June 2011 was prepared by Vicar Brett, regardless of what the website is telling you now. Just a little disclaimer to avoid any errors in attribution! :)

I look forward to sharing my thoughts, sermons, prayers and discernment with you as together we hear the Word of God speaking to us each week through our worship, the scriptures and our conversations and experiences with each other. Please feel free to leave comments or ask a question. Questions often arise as our faith seeks understanding, and I personally welcome them as I hope you will welcome mine.

God's blessings,
Vicar Evan