FootprintsofFaith

Happy Easter!

 

Christ is risen!

 He is risen indeed!

Alleluia, Alleluia!

 

 

ELCA Presiding Bishop's 2009 Easter Message 
 
"Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified ... has been raised." ~ Mark 16:6

When Mary Magdalene, Mary and Salome came to the tomb, their hopes and fears intersected. They wondered aloud about the impossibly large and heavy stone that presented an obstacle to their immediate plans.  Worse, what they thought lay behind the stone was unspeakably devastating.  Jesus, who embodied the hope of God's promise in a fully human life, was not simply dead, but crucified -- executed in the most extreme humiliation, a savage mockery of the hope that had lived with him.

But the stone was gone, the grave empty.  Where they had expected to hear the silence of death's mockery, they were met by an astonishing message that the crucified one was raised from the dead, that their hope was victorious over humiliation, and that Jesus lives and is leading the way into an unexpected, surprising future with God.

Jesus lives and resurrection hope beckons. Jesus' resurrection on the third day signals that God is not finished until the life of Jesus renews the whole creation.  Sinners once haunted by the threats of judgment will live forgiven, restored, renewed and freed.  All lives broken by sin's injustices and haunted by death's terrors will be transformed by joy and transfigured into the new creation in Christ. 

You and I are witnesses of this new creation.  You have been baptized into Jesus' death and resurrection and have heard his promise.  Your lives are hidden in his and he feeds you with a foretaste of the eternal feast of joy.  He will meet you in your hope.  He claims your daily work and makes it into a holy calling.  He lives in you and sends you into the world as an ambassador of reconciliation, a testimony of God's incomparable love.  Jesus lives!  Your life in him is resurrection witness.

"This is our God; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation!" ~ Isaiah 25:9

The Rev. Mark S. Hanson
Presiding Bishop
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Ten Tenets for Pursuing Victory witih Honor (National Sportsmanship Day)

Good sportsmanship doesn't happen by chance. But it can become second nature when coaches, administrators, and players make it a priority. In celebration of National Sportsmanship Day, here are 10 reminders to help you keep character front and center:

1. Great coaches and athletes model good behavior every day.
   
   
2. Honor the letter and spirit of the rules.
   
   
3. Promote good sportsmanship in the stands by enlisting home game “ambassadors.”
   
   
4. Concentrate on winning with honor, not winning at all costs.
   
   
5. Make decisions as if your mother/child were looking over your shoulder.
   
   
6. Don’t make cheating an option.
   
   
7. Congratulate everyone, including the opposing coach.
   
   
8. Focus on the team, not the stars.
   
   
9. Have fun without winning.
   
   
10. Make sports a setting for learning.

I am a regular reader of Michael Josephson and enjoy his radio program whenever I can.  This list can be found at the Josephson Institute website at http://josephsoninstitute.org/sports/resources/10-tenets-for-sportsmanship.html

Martin Luther King, Jr.

On this holiday weekend we take a day off, do our own thing, and forget anything that is important.  Isn't that what we are suppose to do on holiday weekends? But on this weekend we need to remember the reason Monday is a holiday.  It is because a person heard the call of God in their life and responded.  In line with the prophets, the call of God was restless with injustice and oppression in our country. Martin responded to that call as a Christian.  

There is a lot of energy this weekend because it ties in with the inauguration of our first African-American President.  Truly a momentous event -- worthy of celebration.  But let's celebrate it in the way that Martin Luther King, Jr. would encourage us:  not as a day off, but as a day to live our faith, not to settle with injustice, prejudice, and hatred. 

A part of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s dream is coming true -- we've come a long way, certainly. Yet, the work is not done.  So, let's remember Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with a day ON. 

Rev. John Shaver at the United Methodist Church (and son-in-law of Gail and Gary McGinnis) reminded me to this good link:  http://www.mlkonline.net/

The Centering Power of Niebuhr’s Serenity Prayer

As we start the new year, it might be wise to center ourselves on a perspective that has provided comfort and direction for millions of people since written in 1942—"The Serenity Prayer."

Though at times attributed to others, used in many variants and never formally copyrighted, most attribute the prayer to Reinhold Niebuhr. Niebuhr was a protestant theologian best known for his work in relating the Christian faith to the reality of modern politics and diplomacy.

Commenting, let me use in three parts the full version that Niebuhr's widow has reported he himself preferred:

"God, give us grace to accept with serenity

the things that cannot be changed,

courage to change the things

which should be changed,

and the wisdom to distinguish

the one from the other."

A University of Michigan study documented that 95% of what people worry about is wasted effort; only five percent of worries are justifiable. Accept what you can’t control and invest your worry time in making a difference on your five percent! After all, much of what is happening today is mostly beyond your control. The deficit, taxes, natural calamities, the actions of terrorists and politicians, and the stock market just dent the surface of the obvious things.

Don’t wait for politicians to act. Focus on controlling the one thing you do control—your choices in how you position yourself for opportunity, improve your performance of your most valued and critical skills and persist in repositioning and retooling as is necessary. Don’t send around resumes for skills that are no longer necessary. Invest 5% of your time in your plan B—developing new skills to match the needs of our age.

Don’t know where to begin? Go to

www.elance.com and look at what jobs people are paying independent contractors to accomplish. If you have gifts that can be put to good use, bid on a project and join the world economy one project at a time. If you don’t have those skills, get busy turning your gifts into something people will pay you to do. After all, you become an old dog when you stop doing new tricks!

America voted in November, but you can vote again in 2010 and 2012. President-elect Obama will have an opportunity to put his domestic and foreign policies into action. You are not powerless; stay informed and engage in the political debate our freedom allows. Vote principles and results, not rhetoric!

"Living one day at a time,

Enjoying one moment at a time,

Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,

Taking, as Jesus did,

This sinful world as it is,

Not as I would have it,"

Will Rogers loved to say: "Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there." Avoid analysis paralysis by doing something to make progress every day. Investing in action allows you to earn the optimism that comes from overcoming the obstacles you will face along the way. Don’t run from hardships; face them! The harder the challenge, the stronger your character and the greater the satisfaction will be when you succeed.

Don’t expect the world to be fair, friendly or focused on your needs. Greed and evil exist and will continue to exist. Do your part to overcome evil with good and to be good stewards of the gifts you have been given. Start today to make a difference for yourself and others…one day at a time.

"Trusting that You will make all things right,

If I surrender to Your will,

So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,

And supremely happy with You forever in the next.

Amen."

Self-reliance is a powerful American value, but it has its limits. We need each other, and we need God. Though not politically correct in our secular age, there’s a reason "In God We Trust" has remained a centering principle in America’s unique history. We pray to God and claim His providential destiny, but we remain willing to be used by God in making a difference!

The paradoxical advice attributed by some to St. Augustine, St. Ignatius, Thomas Aquinas and Oprah Winfrey’s father remains insightful no matter who said it first-- "Pray as if everything depends on God. Act as if it depends upon you." To believers, God remains active in the world. One of the ways God acts is to use the gifts of believers in working His will and making a difference where it counts.

Trusting in one’s ultimate salvation, although reassuring in difficult times, does not preclude the fact that we are to be transformed by our faith now. As John Wooden once said, "If I were ever prosecuted for my religion, I truly hope there would be enough evidence to convict me." Even if others are critical, let your faith show in your attitude and your actions.

As we move into 2009, join me in putting Niebuhr’s Serenity Prayer into action—take time for acceptance, constructive action and a whole lot of faith.

Byline: This column appeared in the Ventura County Star and townhall.com on January 5, 2009. Dr. Terry Paulson is a psychologist, speaker, author and host to the PaulsonOnPolitics.com blog. Contact him at terry@terrypaulson.com.

Bishop's Response to Gaza Violence and Bishops Visit Middle East

December 31, 2008

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ:

"For all the boots of the tramping warriors and all the garments rolled in blood shall be burned as fuel for the fire. For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onward and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this." (Isaiah 9:5-7)

In this New Year, we turn again to the Lord of hosts -- praying urgently for the justice, righteousness and peace hailed by the birth of the newborn babe in the manger, the humble child, the Prince of Peace.

In these days of terrible violence, death and destruction in Gaza and southern Israel, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) joins its voice with all in the region and around the world who call for an immediate ceasefire.   The continuing loss of life, infliction of serious injury and devastation of property will only deepen hatred and divisions, and will serve no good end.  Lamenting the recent escalation of violence, only negotiations, leading to a two-state solution, will bring about a durable peace with justice for both Israelis and Palestinians.

The ELCA and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) are carefully monitoring events in the region as their bishops prepare for their upcoming Academy visit, the planning for which began two years ago.  Bishops of both churches have met several times this week by phone, and are united in their assessment that the trip is timelier than ever and should proceed.  In keeping with the 2005 ELCA "Churchwide Strategy for Engagement in Israel and Palestine," the trip emphasizes accompaniment with its Lutheran partners in the region, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) and The Lutheran World Federation (LWF).   In this very difficult time, the bishops hope that their presence can be a source of comfort to these partners and manifest support for these ministries. 

ELCA congregations are invited to join with the Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem, including Bishop Munib Younan of the ELCJHL, who have called for this Sunday, January 4, to be "a day for justice and peace in the land of peace." The ELCA joins them in calling upon, "officials of both parties to the conflict to ... refrain from all violent acts, which only bring destruction and tragedy, and urge them instead to work to resolve their differences through peaceful and non-violent means."  And the ELCA joins them in praying, "for the victims, the wounded and the broken-hearted. May the Lord God Almighty grant all those who have lost loved ones consolation and patience. We pray for all those living in panic and fear, that God may bless them with calm, tranquility and true peace."

The ELCA and ELCIC bishops invite the continuing prayers of their church members for building peace among Christians, Jews and Muslims and all of the region's peoples.  On behalf of their churches, the bishops offer to their Christian sisters and brothers and to all people affected by the conflict, their steadfast support and their efforts and prayers for peace to prevail and healing to begin.

The Rev. Mark S. Hanson
Presiding Bishop
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
www.elca.org/bishopstatement

He Came to Serve Not to Be Served!

As we approach Christmas, I’m reminded once again about the contrast between the modern Christmas celebration and the reason Christ came that first Christmas. He did not come in splendor as royalty but was born in obscurity to a humble family in less than servant quarters. There were no Christmas present lists or baby showers to herald the Christ child’s arrival. Christ came as he lived—He came for us! He came to serve.

In the earliest Christian Gospel of Mark, John Mark, a companion with Paul on his missionary journey, provides a centering perspective for Christians at Christmas (10:43-45): "Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

My father has often shared memories of the Great Depression. He talked about his father’s frantic efforts to make mortgage payments on the family farm. The crops were bad, and the price the crops brought even worse. My dad’s older brothers were hired out to richer farmers. They received room and board and a small monthly payment that had to be sent home to help pay the family mortgage. A depression Christmas meant that you received a special orange and nothing else. The Christmas dad remembered most was a Christmas without even an orange. His devout parents told the family that there would be no presents that year; a poor family had moved into town and needed community support. Christ came through believers into that depression Christmas—"I’m not here to be served, but to serve."

Last year, Ventura County Star reporter, Adam Foxman, covered Janice Jaynes Christensen’s Christmas Day open house. With the recent loss of both their son and a nephew, Janice and her husband, Fred, could have easily turned their home into a place of Christmas mourning. Instead, inspired by their other son's missionary work in South Africa, Janice chose to make their home a haven of holiday cheer by inviting strangers to share a home-cooked Italian meal.

At noon on Christmas Day, along with a few relatives and friends, their home filled up with strangers who had read about the open celebration in the Star. The strangers included people looking for some company on Christmas and others who were so touched by the hosts' gesture that they wanted to help.

The afternoon was filled with the aroma of homemade lasagna, spaghetti and meatballs and the sounds of a couple of dozen people chatting happily. Some called Janice an angel. She laughed and said, "I’m just an Italian New Yorker who likes food and seeing people mix." But after a rough year, she confessed that this unique Christmas celebration had been a powerful experience. She said. "It's been really touching for me. I think when this is all over I'm going to go into a room and cry." Once again, Christ came through believers into another Christmas—"I’m not here to be served, but to serve."

Overwhelmed with anguish, Dong Yun Yoon walked in the rubble of what had been his University City home. His wife, two children and mother-in-law had been killed when a fighter jet lost power and crashed through their home and burst into flames.

"I believe my wife and two babies and mother-in-law are in heaven with God, and He is taking care of them," Yoon said. At his first news conference, Yoon went on to ask for guidance from people who have suffered "more terrible things." There was no lawyer standing next to Dong Yun Yoon seeking someone to blame and sue. Instead, his family, his pastor and members of his Korean United Methodist faith community surrounded him with love and support.

Yoon shed tears for his loss but also took time to comfort the jet's Marine pilot who ejected safely from his F/A-18D Hornet. He called the pilot "one of our national treasures." "I pray for him not to suffer for this accident," Yoon told reporters, "I don't have any hard feelings. I know he did everything he could." Once again, Christ’s love shines through a believer into this Christmas season with the greatest gift of all, forgiveness—"I’m not here to be served, but to serve."

As the economic challenges continue to grow, more jobs will be lost, more foreclosures will be made and more tears will be shed. This Christmas, as we look to the New Year, the opportunities to serve are only going to increase. Instead of impersonal bailouts using taxpayer money and debts future generations will have to pay, for Christians and non-Christians alike, this is not a time to ask for gifts, but a time to be a gift to your neighbors in need. This Christmas, may you be a Merry Christmas blessing to others in your midst!

Byline: Dr. Terry Paulson is a psychologist, speaker, author, host to the PaulsonOnPolitics.com blog and member of Westlake Lutheran Church. This column first appeared in the Ventura County Star and Townhall.com. Contact him at terry@terrypaulson.com.

Americans-Don't Forget to Give Thanks All Week!

This is a week for America to give thanks and take a break from politics and the economy! You can read this post or listen to this five-minute video on YouTube!

Centuries ago, Roman orator and politician, Cicero, said: "Gratitude is not only the greatest of all virtues, but the parent of all the others."

Viktor Frankl, Holocaust survivor and author of Man's Search for Meaning, realized the power of reflecting on one's blessings. During a predawn march to work on laying railroad tracks, another prisoner wondered out loud about the fate of their wives. The young Frankl thought about his own wife and realized that she was present within him. He wrote: "The salvation of man is through love and in love. I understood how a man who has nothing left in this world still may know bliss, be it only for a brief moment, in the contemplation of his beloved."

Dennis Prager, talk-show host and author of Happiness Is a Serious Problem, writes: "There is a secret to happiness and it is gratitude. All happy people are grateful, and ungrateful people cannot be happy. We tend to think that it is being unhappy that leads people to complain, but it is truer to say that it is complaining that leads to people becoming unhappy. Become grateful and you will become a much happier person. I try to be happy unless something happens that makes me unhappy, rather than unhappy unless something makes me happy."

In these difficult economic times, there is power in gratitude. In doing a free video series of five-minute messages on optimism (www.terrypaulson.com/optimism.html), I realized how gratitude helps sustain a positive attitude. Unrealistic expectations are a sure road to unhappiness and disappointment. Optimists hope for more, but are not thrown by less.

Why? Expressing gratitude keeps one's frustrations and setbacks in perspective. Stressful worry and thankful thoughts are incompatible at the same time.

Dr. Joyce Brothers suggests: "Count up every single thing—large and small—that makes your life worthwhile, including your own innate talents…. When you quantify these things, gratitude—the mighty river to happiness—begins its journey through your soul."

Are you stuck with "Pits People?" They seem to live to complain—"The economy is the pits, the president’s the pits,…in fact, you’re the pits!" After thirty minutes with a "Pits Person," everyone's morale is sagging. Avoid the "Complain Game." In daily conversations, try a more thankful or upbeat response. After returning from Vietnam, former POW Charlie Plumb has a heartfelt response when people ask, "How’s it going?" He says, "I’m living the dream!" He is, and so are we—we’re Americans. So, instead of saying, "I'm stressed out," try replying "I'm blessed out!" Spread a few smiles, and watch attitudes lift.

Recently, two teens built a business selling T-shirts with the positive message--"Life is good!" They can’t keep the T-shirts in stock. The media may make a living bringing you the worst, but the people making things happen in the world don't have time to watch. They're too busy inventing a future they want to live in!

Some think possessions will bring happiness. All it takes is a disaster to prove what really matters—it's your loved ones not your luxuries that count. Life is less about what you've lost and more about what you do with what you have left.

Francis Johnson wrote: "If we fasten our attention on what we have, rather than on what we lack, a very little wealth is sufficient." I'd rather be rich than poor, but riches don't always produce optimistic attitudes. The wants and worries of the rich just involve more expensive toys.

Maybe there’s a reason so many faiths encourage a spirit of thanksgiving. Judaism encourages morning prayers to be thankful for the routine blessings in life. When believers open their eyes in the morning, they thank God that they're still alive. They thank God that their body is still functioning. Before they take a bite of breakfast, they thank God that they still have food.

That same spirit of thanksgiving is evident in the Christian faith, the Apostle Paul, writing to Christians in Philippi from his jail cell in Rome, wrote: "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Reinhold Niebuhr penned what has come to be treasured as "The Serenity Prayer:" "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." In the months ahead, trust God for what you can't control and get busy investing your worry time in constructive action to better your situation.

This week, Americans have an opportunity to celebrate Thanksgiving! Count your blessings more than your problems and disappointments. Instead of dwelling on what might have been, look for the unexpected openings that present new opportunities you don't want to miss in 2009. We can be thankful for the exciting adventure ahead as we all work to invent an even better future in America.

Byline: Dr. Terry Paulson is a psychologist, speaker, author and columnist at both the Ventura County Star and Townhall.com. This post first appeared in the Ventura County Star. Contact him at terry@terrypaulson.com.

Presidental Prayer Team

I want to encourage you, no matter what side of the recent Presidental election you were on, to be in prayer for our President and Vice-President, and President-Elect and Vice-President-Elect.  The President's Prayer Team, which I have followed for a few years, has asked us to join in a 77 day prayer emphasis during the interim days between election and taking office.

You can join in a daily prayer for the leaders of our country.  Please go to

http://www.presidentialprayerteam.org/site/PageServer?pagename=77days_dayx

Great American SHAKE-OUT - November 13

I want to encourage you to be a part of the Great American Shake Out, sponsored by the US Geologic Society (and others).   Since we live in a part of the country that has earthquakes, it is important that we are prepared. 

At 10 a.m. on November 13, join millions of people throughout Southern California in the ShakeOut Drill, the largest earthquake preparedness activity in U.S. history!

The main site for the ShakeOut is http://www.shakeout.org/

You can also find very helpful information about emergency preparedness at:

http://www.earthquakecountry.info/roots/seven_steps.html

Bishop's Message on the Election

Dear Friends:

The ELCA Bishop, Mark Hansen, has posted a letter regarding the upcoming US election.  He gives us a good reminder in this politicized and polarizing time: "Let us maintain a level of discourse worthy of this important moment in our nation’s history and the pressing issues demanding our attention."

Read the Bishop's statement at:

http://www.elca.org/bishopstatement