Welcoming Grace, Words of Love for All. Kurt Jacobson

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      The problem with all religions is that they assume that God really doesn't like us very much. Religions assume that God is full of demands and anger, and needs to be bought off or pacified.

      Jesus' teaching, on the other hand, is radically different. Jesus said that God didn't need to be bought off. Jesus said that God is a God of mercy and acceptance, new hope and fresh starts. No wonder the religious establishment reacted so strongly to Jesus. Jesus proclaimed the end of religion and a new way of living as believing, faithful people.

      A student of the great theologian Karl Barth once asked him if God had revealed himself in any other religion besides Christianity. Barth said, "No, God has not revealed himself in any religion, including Christianity. God has revealed himself in his Son!"

      That, my friends, is most important! We do not gather as the faith community of Trinity on Sunday morning as members of the Christian religion; we gather as the community of Jesus Christ to share new life in the Savior.

      Let me say that again because the first part of that sentence may have been too shocking to hear the whole thing: We do not gather as the faith community of Trinity on Sunday morning as members of the Christian religion; we gather as the community of Jesus Christ to share new life in the Savior.

      That means that we gather to celebrate salvation, not religion.

      The word "religion" comes from a Latin word that means, "To bind together." The word "salvation" comes from a word that means "to become large." Even the derivations of the words suggest that "religion" can mean something bound up and cramped, while "salvation" means something spacious, having room, being opened up.

      The community of Jesus is about salvation. It is not cramped, but expansive; not closed, but open; not something bound up, but something that gives us room.

      The community of Jesus Christ lives out of forgiveness, not guilt; affirmation rather than shame. Religion has heaped enough guilt on people to last until the end of time.

      The community of Jesus Christ is characterized not by laws and rules, but my music and songs; not by policies and doctrine, but by love and hope and faith. The community of Jesus is open to all.

      The community of Jesus Christ is not about religion, but salvation. That should have great impact on your life right now. It should change the way you think - how and why you treat your family, friends, coworkers, students, teachers, pastor with love and kindness, tolerance and respect.

      The community of Jesus Christ will continue. As for religion? Well, you can figure that out for yourself.

      For now, let's enjoy being this community of Jesus Christ.

      Amen.

      ***

      When I Find Myself in Times of Trouble

      June 12, 1994

      Pentecost 3/B

      Genesis 3:8-15

      They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, ‘Where are you?’

      The man said, ‘I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.’

      God said, ‘Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?’

      The man said, ‘The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate.’

      Then the Lord God said to the woman, ‘What is this that you have done?’

      The woman said, ‘The serpent tricked me, and I ate.’

      The Lord God said to the serpent, ‘Because you have done this, cursed are you among all animals and among all wild creatures; upon your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life.’

      I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.

      Dear Friends,

      Grace and peace to you.

      Back in December of 1987, during my last year at Luther Seminary I enrolled in a short course on rural ministry. I had heard that 54% of Lutheran churches were in rural areas, and 77% of first-time pastors went to those rural churches. So, I figured this course just might help me have some idea of the challenges that could await.

      It was a great course. We spent time at the Minneapolis Grain Exchange and the State Agriculture Department. We visited with officials from the Farm Credit Bureau and CENEX.

      One week of this course included a field experience: being assigned to work with a pastor in a rural setting, and living on a farm. I was assigned to Elbow Lake, Minnesota and Pastor Paul Pederson. Paul did a great job of immersing me in the culture and color of rural life.

      We spent time each morning in the local cafes, visiting with everyone who came through the door. I attended church meetings in the evenings which were always followed by “lunch” which consisted of sandwiches, green jello, homemade pickles, donuts and coffee.

      There were two days in this rural ministry class that are still prominent in my memory, all these years later. One was the privilege of spending a day with the local veterinarian, Bob Hagen.

      Having grown up with a dog and spent a few days each summer on a friend's farm, I did have some clue as to what a vet did, but I had never experienced any of it firsthand.

      It wasn't long after Jim dropped me off at the clinic that we were in Bob’s pickup truck, heading to the Lindloff farm. They were one of only a few dairy farmers in this grain farming county.

      It was time for a regular vaccination of the Lindloff's dairy herd and a "pregnancy" check of the cows. Coming out of the seminary in St. Paul, I had forgotten my coveralls and rubber boots, but Dr. Bob was kind enough to outfit me before I accompanied him into the barnyard. It was a bright, mild December day, warm enough so nothing was frozen. Bob introduced me to Farmer Lindloff and we were off to work.

      The cows were ushered out of the barn and into a stanchion, where they would be secured for the vaccination and "pregnancy" test. My job was to operate the gate to release the cow after all necessary tasks had been performed.

      You might imagine the determined haste with which the cow departed the stanchion after having the pregnancy test performed by the arm of a good sized man. Suffice it to say the coveralls were helpful - and a large hat with wide brim would have been appreciated.

      Then there was the second memorable day of this class. During the week, I had the privilege of living on two different farms. My first host was James Carlson, a bachelor, who, as an only child had taken care of his parents until they died and now continued on the family farm.

      With a penchant for electronics, post-it notes and toothpicks, his house was like nothing I had ever seen. James knew the back roads of the entire county, and every time we went somewhere he took me down another road.

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