moadmin – Page 43

The Olive Branch, 12/3/14

December 3, 2014 By moadmin

Advent People

For me and a small group of Advent-observing friends, Advent used to be a time of scorn. We had much to say about “the world” which didn’t share our Advent observation, jumping straight to Christmas with its commercialism and creating a lust for more “things”. We often regarded ours as a dark time – and we longed for Christ to stomp down here, coming back to fix things once and for all.
Now I think of that in a different way: Christ does come back … on an ongoing basis. Do I notice and respond to that?

As I get older, I’ve been re-thinking this world-evaluation thing, too. Is it really a terrible world? (no). Is the world perfect? (no). Are we humans really worthy of the gift of hope and/or good? (yes). I under-stand Christ to be in a lot more than I used to. And at the end of the day (so to speak…) is Christ with me? Has Christ been born in me again? (yes). The whole unconditional sense of grace – what does that mean as we regard others – including “the world” and “commercial-ism”?

Two acquaintances we know are going through pregnancy. People who have gone through this can develop a new understanding of Advent. Focus changes. Not on how horrible everything is, but the excitement and hope of the new life growing inside the woman’s womb. The possibili-ties! Parents do what they can to prepare for this life, to do whatever is possible to help that life be its fullest-potential in body and soul.

For me now, this is Advent: Christ growing inside us, creating a new focus for our outlook. Sure, there are terrible things in the world. I wish commercialism didn’t have such a grasp on our hopes and dreams. But we can adjust our thinking and find peace amidst it all. In these dark days (literally here in the Northern Hemisphere), there is the glow of light and warmth IN us that no one can take away.
And the commercialism and jumping the gun on Christmas celebrations? Christ may be in that too. It doesn’t bother me anymore. It doesn’t take away my Advent observation. I still appreciate our lectionary’s trajectory. I appreciate Wednesday Vespers as a way of removal from the attempts to re-shape our observation. Yet, I can now allow myself to also enjoy what so many others do: the lights, the music, the smell of evergreen, the generosity, the basic sense of good-will and genuine
cheer!

Nothing can take away that Advent-life growing in all of us — that daily-new-life born in us. Do we hear its heart-beat?

Emmanuel.

-Cantor David Cherwien

Sunday Readings

December 7, 2014: Second Sunday of Advent
Isaiah 40:1-11
Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13
2 Peter 3:8-15a
Mark 1:1-8
______________________

December 14, 2014: Third Sunday of Advent
Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11
Psalm 126
I Thessalonians 5:16-24
John 1:6-8, 19-28

This Sunday’s Adult Forum – December 7:

“Poetic Exclamations in the Hebrew Bible and the Gospel of Luke,” presented by Professor Earl Schwartz of Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Fair Trade Craft Sale

The Missions Committee is hosting a fair trade sale. Purchase beautiful and unique fair trade items made by artisans in developing regions around the world. These items are available from SERRV, a nonprofit fair trade organization whose mission is to eradicate poverty wherever it resides by providing opportunity and support to artisans and farmers worldwide. See the attachment for one of our own member’s experience with how proceeds from SERRV sales helped people in Haiti.

The handcrafted fair trade items will be available for purchase after both liturgies on December 7, 14, and 21 (cash and check only). See the attachment/insert to view some of the items that will be for sale. Fair trade coffee, tea, cocoa, and chocolate from Equal Exchange will also be available. This is not a fund-raiser, just an opportunity to buy good products for a good cause.

Book Discussion Group’s Upcoming Reads

For their meeting on December 13, the Book Discussion group will read Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen. For the meeting on January 17, (postponed one week because of the Conference on Liturgy) they will read, The Thirteenth Tale, by Diane Setterfield.

The Book of Esther: Thursday Evening Bible Study Continues

Vicar McLaughlin is currently leading a study on the Book of Esther, exploring the historical context and many issues raised in this book, including justice, violence, power and privilege, the role of women, the presence of God, and what it means to be called “for such a time as this.”

This study meets in the Chapel Lounge on Thursday evenings, beginning with a light supper at 6:00 pm.

This Bible study runs through December 18.

Annual Conference on Liturgy: “Common Ground: Hearing the Word Through the Lectionary”
Friday–Saturday, January 9-10, 2015

Each Sunday at Eucharist, Christians of many different traditions gather to be fed by Word and Sacrament and share the same readings from Scripture. In the Revised Common Lectionary there is a visible sign of the unity of the Church for those who know they encounter the same Word of God each week with their sisters and brothers in many places.

This year at Mount Olive’s annual Conference on Liturgy we will explore the richness of this shared, “common” tradition, consider the ways that the use of a common lectionary can bless the life of the parish, and ask questions of its place in the present and future life of the churches who use it.
The keynote speaker this year is Dr. Gail Ramshaw; workshop presenters will be Pastor Joseph Crippen, The Rev. John Setterlund, and Dr. Paul Westermeyer.

Registration fee for Mount Olive members is $35/person.

Alternative Gift Giving

Are you looking for something different to do this year for Christmas gifts? Take part in a growing tradition by giving gifts that help those in need.

The Missions Committee is promoting the idea of alternative gift giving this Christmas. For example, in honor of a loved one you can buy a month of food for a child orphaned by AIDS through ELCA Good Gifts. We have catalogues from different charitable organizations that you can use or you can order from the organizations’ websites. Some of these organizations are:

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
www.elca.org/goodgifts

Lutheran World Relief
http://lwrgifts.org/

Heifer Project International
http://www.heifer.org

Common Hope http://commonhopecatalog.myshopify.com/

Bethania Kids
http://bethaniakids.org/creative-giving-catalog/

Thanksgiving Thanks-Giving

Thank you to all who donated and to all who helped transport our food donations to their recipients for Thanksgiving. We received over $2,000 to share between CES and Sabathani – that’s $34,000 worth of food and care for our neighborhood! I hope you see that blessing overflowing in each day and each face on your path.

-Anna Kingman

La Natividad

Here is a wonderful neighborhood participation opportunity to witness the nativity story come alive in our own neighborhood! In the Heart of the Beast Theater, along with St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, will present LA NATIVIDAD – a bilingual telling of the Christmas story. Audience members move with the puppet actors and process with Maria and Jose as they seek shelter. The show moves from Lake Street to St. Paul’s for the Nativity and celebration with music and food.
This event takes place December 11,13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21, at 6:30 pm, starting at In the Heart of the Beast theater (1500 E. Lake Street).

Individual and group tickets are available online at hobt.org.
Flyers with additional information are available at church.

Evening Prayer
Wednesdays in Advent
December 3, 10, and 17
7:00 p.m.

Pledges, Please

Thanks to all who have turned in pledges. Especially because we’re facing 2015 expenditures up some 7%, at our Vestry meeting Monday, December 8—last of the calendar year—I want to report where pledges stand now compared with those a year ago. If you’ve been intending to turn in your card but haven’t quite gotten to it you’re, well, not alone. You can e-mail your pledge to Cha Posz at the church office (welcome@mountolivechurch.org). Indicate the dollar amount, whether it’s per year/month/week or whatever, and name or names (address and phone needed only if they’re different from current Mount Olive directory). Or, this Sunday put your completed pledge card in the box near the coatroom or in the Stewardship box in the office.

Our 2015 “budget” is shorthand for the mission and ministry we do together, and it requires some collective stretching, whether we’re pledgers or nonpledgers. Thanks! —Donn McLellan, Director of Stewardship

Weekly Centering Prayer on Advent Wednesdays

Centering prayer, a silent acknowledging of the presence of the Divine, is held each Wednesday evening in Advent at 6:15 p.m. in the library. Led by Mount Olive members, the format will begin with a short reading from the Psalms, followed by 20 minutes of silence. At the end there will be a few moments to come together for a closing prayer.

New to the process? Look for brochures in the rack by the glass display case to get a more detailed description.

Plan on coming on Wednesday evenings during Advent for Centering Prayer, December 3, 10, and 17.

National Lutheran Choir Christmas Festival Concerts:
“The Hopes and Fears of All the Years”

Fri., December 12, 2014 – (4:30 pm & 8 pm) and Sat., December 13, 2014 – 8pm
Basilica of Saint Mary, 88 N. 17th St., Minneapolis

Immerse yourself in the beauty and majesty of the Basilica of Saint Mary for the National Lutheran Choir’s signature Christmas Festival Concert. During this busy season of parties, shopping and rushing around, take time to reflect upon the true meaning of Christmas through sacred song, poetry and readings.

Tickets: $28 Adult, $25 Senior, $10 Student, age 17 and under FREE. For tickets or more information call (888) 747-4589, or visit www.nlca.com.

Mount Olive Christmas Cards
There are still some of the Mount Olive Christmas cards available for sale this year. The cards cost $2.50 each if you buy 5 or less. If you buy 6 or more they are $1.75 each. The cards are available in the church office and will be available Sunday mornings. Please contact Paul Nixdorf or Andrew Andersen with any questions.

Pray for Nigeria

Weekly we pray for Naomi and the other kidnapped girls in Nigeria. The ELCA is working closely with the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria (LCCN) in this effort. This week the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria is holding its General Church Assembly in Yola. Some 200 members and leaders will gather in the Cathedral Church in Yola in the midst of killings and church burnings. We are asked to these support faithful followers of Christ with our prayers.

In addition to your private prayers and prayers of the church at Mount Olive, you are invited to join in a Nigeria Prayer Vigil this Sunday, December 7th at Lake Nokomis Lutheran Church, 5011 31st Ave S. in Minneapolis at 5:00 p.m.

– Global Mission Committee

Help with the Greens – Up and Down!

Many hands make light work, and there are several opportunities for people to help decorate the nave and chancel for our Christmas celebrations at Mount Olive. On Sunday, Dec. 21, after second liturgy, is the hanging of the greens, where all wreaths and roping are placed. Any who wish to help, just come to the nave after coffee time.

Also, and probably most important given it’s more easily forgotten, the taking down of the greens and trees will happen on Wednesday, Jan. 7, beginning at 8:30 a.m. In particular, this last task requires a lot of hands, so having a good group come will make the work much easier.

Staff Christmas Gifts

The six people who work at Mount Olive serve us and God in many and exciting ways. At a recent congregational meeting I stated that it feels as though Mount Olive is “humming on all cylinders” right now, and that is due in large part to our capable and faithful Pastor Joseph, Vicar Meagan, Cantor David, Neighborhood Ministries Coordinator Anna, Administrative Assistant Cha and Sexton William. Every year we provide a special Christmas gift for them, and we want to remind you of that opportunity again. Please submit your monetary gifts to the church office or in the offering plate. Checks should have “Staff Christmas Gift” noted on the memo line. The congregation has been very generous in the past, and I thank you in advance for your gifts this year.

– Lora Dundek, Vestry President

A Note of Thanks

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Thank you for your prayers, cards, calls, and visits. They gave me a great deal of comfort and assurance that the Lord was with me and all would be fine.

I have asked to have my name removed from the prayer list because I am doing well. However, it will be several months before I have fully recovered, so an occasional prayer for me would be greatly appreciated.

Yours in Christ,
Mary Rose Watson

Living in Hope

November 30, 2014 By moadmin

Advent calls us to live in hope that God is with us today, to trust that the kingdom of God is at hand. So we stay awake, and keep watching for signs of God’s coming and presence in our lives and in the world.

Vicar Meagan McLaughlin
First Sunday of Advent
Texts: Isaiah 64:1-9, Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19, 1 Corinthians 1:3-9, Mark 13:24-37

Grace and peace to you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

I can still feel the anticipation that filled me as a child when Thanksgiving came, and I knew Christmas was “just around the corner.” When we were expecting company, I would watch from the couch in our living room, because it had a great view of the street and I would be able to see the guests arriving. I spent the entire month of December, figuratively speaking, leaning over the back of the couch, trying to make the time go faster! I was desperately curious about all the details of the parties being planned—what food would be served, when my cousins would come in from out of town, what service we would attend at church, what Santa would bring me, and could I please, please, please go along when my dad went to pick up my grandmother and great aunts? Every minute seemed like an hour, hours like days, days like weeks. Christmas was all I could think about, and at the same time it felt like it would never get there. Advent is a time to follow what Jesus calls us to do in Mark—stay awake, keep watch, and I certainly had that down, even if I was more focused on parties and presents than the birth of Jesus!

Time has changed since then, or perhaps, it is my perception that has changed. Now rather than being painfully slow, the month of December flies by so quickly that I hardly have time to realize that it’s Advent before suddenly here it is—Christmas Eve. Being who I am, I am always prepared, at least in one sense. The presents are bought and wrapped, the tree trimmed, food for the family meal prepared. But spiritually and emotionally, I am always taken by surprise when Christmas comes. I spend more time on my to do list and less time leaning over the back of the couch, and as the years go by I find myself yearning for the time I spent as a child simply anticipating.

Our effort to be present and wait during Advent is certainly not helped when we have to walk past several aisles of Christmas decorations in the store in order to get to the Halloween costumes in mid-October, all the while listening to Deck the Halls and Frosty the Snowman piped through the sound system. Everything around us seems to call us to a flurry of activity . . . . buy, bake, order, send, and hurry up because time is running out! And of course, it is important to do the things necessary to get ready to welcome and celebrate with family and friends. But in the midst of all of this activity, on top of the regular daily life that continues, it is easy to forget that Advent is about waiting, and it is particularly easy to forget what we are waiting for.

So, what are we waiting for? The obvious answer is that Advent is a season of waiting for Christmas, Jesus’ birth. But it is so much more than the birth of a baby that we await. God, in all God’s fullness—the God who, as Isaiah described, makes the mountains quake, the God who Mark tells us has the power to make the sun dark and the stars fall, the God of all creation—came to live with us in the messiness of life in the person of Jesus. We remember not just the historical event of Jesus’ birth, but the reality of God’s presence and work in us and in the world, here and now. Advent is a time to remember that God is with us today, a time to live in hope.

When we look at the world, it can sometimes be really challenging to have hope. All we need to do is read the headlines to see evidence of pain, suffering, and evil in the world. This week in Ferguson, Missouri, and cities all over the country, we see fear, anger, even rage in the wake of the grand jury decision to exonerate Police Officer Darren Wilson of Michael Brown’s death. Just a mile down the road from here, thousands of people rallied for hours on Tuesday night, calling for justice. If we listen, we hear stories of those who live in fear, who have experienced the daily threat of discrimination, who can’t ever forget that they are treated differently in countless ways because of the color of their skin. If we listen, we hear stories of those who commit themselves to protecting others, often putting themselves at risk, and know daily the reality that they or someone they love may not come home. Setting aside guilt or innocence, right or wrong, justified or unjustified, in these events the damage and grief of centuries of systemic racism has been brought fully to the surface. We are all impacted, in one way or another. It is overwhelming, and it is hard not to turn away, to minimize the pain. Today, on the first Sunday of Advent, we take a few minutes to hear these voices, and ask the question of how we can have hope, and see God at work, in the midst of it all.

The pain of this world is not new. In the verses before our passage from Mark, Jesus describes war, betrayal, murder, destruction. And he encourages his followers, promising that nothing is too much for God to overcome. With the psalmist, we can bring the brokenness of our communities, and our own pain and brokenness, to God, and cry out—“Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, shine forth. Stir up your might, and come to save us! Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved.”

The miracle of the hope we have in Advent is that we are waiting on a God who has never turned away from our pain. As Christians today, whatever circumstances we find ourselves in, whatever challenges we face, we await the birth of Jesus knowing the rest of the story—Jesus lived, taught, challenged, loved, forgave, healed, called. And Jesus died—and rose again. Death was not the last word then, and it is not the last word today. Jesus transformed people’s lives, and we are invited to put ourselves completely in God’s hands, like clay ready to be formed by the potter, willing to be changed, to be made new.

In Advent, we are called to live in hope that God is with us today, to trust that the kingdom of God is at hand. Waiting, anticipating, living in hope don’t easily find their way onto our “to do lists,” but in this moment, for this season, it is the most important thing for us to do. We don’t know the day or the hour when the kingdom of God will be fully accomplished, but we can keep watch, and if we do, we will see glimpses of it. We can see God at work in the world in the way people love and care for each other, in voices courageously speaking truths that are hard to hear, in the beauty of creation. And we can call out like a watchperson—Hey, look, there it is, God is here, did you see it?—so those around us will also know that we have great reason for hope. We are called to witness to God’s presence by being the hands and feet of God in the world ourselves, by showing God’s love and care for others and calling for justice where it is due, so others can see God at work through us. And most of all, we can put our trust in God, who sends Jesus to show us that we are never alone.

I plan to spend a lot of time leaning over the back of the couch this Advent, anticipating God’s coming into the world anew. I invite you to join me, so we can support each other in our commitment to take seriously the call to keep watch for the presence of God in our midst. We don’t know the day or the hour, but there is plenty of room on the couch, and it has a great view.

The Olive Branch, 11/26/14

November 26, 2014 By moadmin

Accent on Worship

I have a daily journal. It asks one different question a day. I am now on my second year of this journal, and it is rewarding to see my answers from the previous year. Through the pages of this journal I can see snapshots of where I was, my frame of mind, and how I viewed my life. I will share with you that a year ago I was not doing incredibly well. Even through so many things were going well, there was a sense of frustration and impatience wrapped up in the difficulty of job searching and feeling inadequate. Many of my friends were also experiencing this, and what I continued to see is that we were aware of, but not experiencing, the peace that comes with trusting God’s plan for our lives. We were quite sure that we were just victims of a tough economy and had to simply keep trying.

Now with many days past and a winding trail of defeats and victories behind me, I smiled when the other night my journal asked the question, “what is your dream job?” What an amazing feeling of gratitude to write down, “I have my dream job!” after such a time of questioning and exasperation. Each day I share in the generosity and goodwill of this congregation towards their neighbors and community. I meet with people in their need, speak with them, and provide some small piece of relief with a blessing that is carried out the door and to God knows where in their life. Finding myself in such a different place this year has allowed me to reflect on the twisting path that brought me to right now, and see God’s presence that was simply molding my life like clay.

We cannot know what is ahead, but we can see what is behind us and reflect. As we enter into Advent, where much of the purpose is to be prepared for what is to come, let us also acknowledge the path that brings us to this day. Where is there evidence of God’s faithfulness through the impatience, the struggles, the doubting, and also in the joys and triumphs? What will your daily journal say in a year from now when it asks, “what is God working on in your life?”

– Anna Kingman

Sunday Readings

November 30, 2014: First Sunday of Advent

Isaiah 64:1-9
Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19
I Corinthians 1:3-9
Mark 13:24-37
______________________

December 7, 2014: Second Sunday of Advent
Isaiah 40:1-11
Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13
2 Peter 3:8-15a
Mark 1:1-8

This Sunday’s Adult Forum: November 30:

“An Advent Invitation to Spiritual Practice,” presented by Vicar Meagan McLaughlin.

Thanksgiving Day Eucharist
(Tomorrow!) Thursday, Nov. 27, 10:00 a.m.

Help support our food shelves!

Bring non-perishable food items to help re-stock local food shelves. Monetary donations are especially welcome! Each dollar spent by Second Harvest can obtain approximately 7 pounds of food. The average retail cost of a pound of food is $2.41. At retail price, the same 7 pounds of food would cost approximately $17. In other words, $1 spent = $17 in retail value.

The entire offering received at the Eucharist on Thanksgiving Day will be given to Sabathani Community Center and Community Emergency Services.

Advent Procession Service
This Sunday, November 30, 4:00 pm

As the year turns toward its darkest point, the Church also gathers in hope for the coming of the Light of the world.

In this Advent service of prayer and Word, song, and incense, Mount Olive’s Cantorei lead worshippers into this season of preparation and anticipation. Come, and wait, and see.
Advent Procession is sponsored by Mount Olive Music & Fine Arts.

Seniors’ Advent Luncheon to be Held This Wednesday, December 3

Attention seniors!

Have you received your invitation to the annual Advent Luncheon? If you are age 65 or older and haven’t received an invitation, you’re invited, too! (It just means we don’t have your birth date.) Please call the church office and we will add you to the list of our senior members, and to the list of those who plan to come to this fun annual event.

This study meets in the Chapel Lounge on Thursday evenings, beginning with a light supper at 6:00 pm.

This Bible study runs through December 18.There will be no study on Thanks-giving.

Annual Conference on Liturgy: “Common Ground: Hearing the Word Through the Lectionary”
Friday–Saturday, January 9-10, 2015

Each Sunday at Eucharist, Christians of many different traditions gather to be fed by Word and Sacrament and share the same readings from Scripture. In the Revised Common Lectionary there is a visible sign of the unity of the Church for those who know they encounter the same Word of God each week with their sisters and brothers in many places.

The keynote speaker this year is Dr. Gail Ramshaw; workshop presenters will be Pastor Joseph Crippen, The Rev. John Setterlund, and Dr. Paul Westermeyer.

Registration fee for Mount Olive members is $35/person.

Capital Campaign Update

We have surpassed the $90,000 dollar amount raised toward fully funding our designated accounts and creating a cash reserve to assist us during the “ups and downs” of revenue from offerings. Thanks to those of you who have pledged and/or donated. If you have not already done so, please consider a gift or a pledge before the end of the year, when we will wrap up this campaign. Please note – pledges received in 2014 can continue to be paid in 2015.

Weekly Centering Prayer begins December 3

Centering prayer, a silent acknowledging of the presence of the Divine, begins December 3, at 6:15 p.m. in the library. Format will begin with a short reading from the Psalms, followed by 20 minutes of silence. We will end with a few moments to come together for a closing prayer.

New to the process? Look for brochures in the rack by the glass display case to get a more detailed description.

Plan on joining us on Wednesday evenings during Advent for Centering Prayer, December 3, 10, and 17.

– Lora Dundek, Vestry President

National Lutheran Choir Christmas Festival Concerts:

“The Hopes and Fears of All the Years”
Fri., December 12, 2014 – (4:30 pm & 8 pm) and Sat., December 13, 2014 – 8pm
Basilica of Saint Mary, 88 N. 17th St., Minneapolis

Tickets: $28 Adult, $25 Senior, $10 Student, age 17 and under FREE. For tickets or more information call (888) 747-4589, or visit www.nlca.com

Getting to Know You

Part of sharing in community is understanding one another through language, culture, or experience. As we explore our community and get to know our neighbors, let’s start with some helpful language lessons. English: Happy Thanksgiving Spanish: Feliz Día de Acción de Gracias (Fey-leez Dee-ah day ax-see-ohn day grah-see-ahs)

Go out and be fearlessly friendly folks!

La Natividad

Here is a wonderful neighborhood participation opportunity to witness the nativity story come alive in our own neighborhood! In the Heart of the Beast Theater, along with St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, will present LA NATIVIDAD – a bilingual telling of the Christmas story. Audience members move with the puppet actors and process with Maria and Jose as they seek shelter. The show moves from Lake Street to St. Paul’s for the Nativity and celebration with music and food.

This event takes place December 11,13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21, at 6:30pm, starting at Heart of the Beast theater (1500 E. Lake St.)

Individual and group tickets are available online at hobt.org.

Flyers with additional information are available at church.

A Note of Thanks

A big thank you to the following people who participated in the altar/chancel cleaning activity this past Saturday: Altar Guild members – Peggy Hoeft, Beth Gaede, Elisabeth Hunt, Bonnie McLellan, Mary Dorow, Lynn Ruff, Timm Lindholm, and Steve Pranschke; and to congregational volunteers – Gene Janssen, Janet and Matt Crosby, Eunice Hafemeister, and Arthur Pranschke.

Many hands did indeed make light work. Plus, we had an enjoyable conversation during the coffee break. Thank you all.

– Steve Pranschke

Mount Olive Christmas Cards

There are still some of the Mount Olive Christmas cards available for sale this year. The cards cost $2.50 each if you buy 5 or less. If you buy 6 or more they are $1.75 each. The cards are available in the church office and will be available Sunday mornings. Please contact Paul Nixdorf or Andrew Andersen with any questions.

Knowing Our King

November 23, 2014 By moadmin

These parables are full of surprises: grace to those who don’t deserve it, truth about where we find Christ in our lives, and, most of all, a King who becomes a servant to save the world.

Pr. Joseph G. Crippen
Christ the King, Last Sunday after Pentecost, Lectionary 34 A
texts: Matthew 25:31-46 (referring to all of Matthew 25, plus some more)

Sisters and brothers in Christ, grace to you, and peace in the name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Did you notice both groups of the King’s servants were surprised at the truth?

Both wanted to serve their King, care for him; neither knew how. The only difference is one group took care of people with needs, one did not. The last day brings a stunning surprise when they are called before their King, who tells them the truth. “We had no idea,” they all say.

This surprise is only one of a number of surprises these judgment parables we’ve heard lately spring, things that aren’t what they seem, situations that don’t turn out as we expect. If we’ve struggled with these stories, feared them, it’s because, like the servants of the King, we’re not in on the surprise.

We could be. Everything we need to understand the truth of these parables, of our relationship to our Lord, of life and death and eternal existence, is given us, if only we look.

So let’s look.

We start with this first surprise.

It’s remarkable: in the 25 years I’ve studied these parables, discussed them, taught them, heard others speak about them, most of the time people want to talk about the judgment, the sentencing. If the actions called for today are mentioned, it’s related to the threat. People say “do these or else, that’s what Jesus is saying,” or people won’t consider living in this way, frozen in their fear. Most reading these parables come away scared, worried, or self-righteous.

If you insist on focusing on the judgment, the “eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels,” fine. Then notice what Jesus has given us. In this insider parable, Jesus has told his disciples, his followers, the very people who, like the ones in the parable, want to serve their King, precisely what they need to do to do that, and avoid judgment.

I don’t believe Jesus is threatening us here. But if you insist on that, know this: you have the answers to the final exam. If there’s going to be a judgment such as this, none of us will be the second group. None of us. We’re not going to be surprised, that’s our surprise today.

We, unlike they, know exactly where our King is. In the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick, the imprisoned. So even if you fear this judgment, this fire, you’ve got all you need to avoid it: take care of the least of these.

But the next surprise is that the judgment itself is not to be feared.

A few chapters earlier Jesus tells this story of the kingdom: there was an owner who hired people to work in his vineyard. The first at 6 a.m. were promised a full day’s pay. During the day he hires more, because there’s more work. With less than an hour to sunset, he gets a few more. At the end of the day, everyone gets a full day’s pay, regardless of their work.

Do you see? Those who take care of the “least of these” for decades are no better off at the judgment than those who do it only a little. In other words, if we have the answers to the final, in Matthew 22 Jesus says he’s throwing out the final results, everyone’s getting an A. Everyone. Even those who sat around all day. That’s a shock.

Now, we don’t mind if we get slack from Jesus. But if (in our opinion) we are prepared bridesmaids, slaves faithful with our God-given gifts, folks who care for the least of these, we can be less than thrilled if someone who doesn’t do much also gets a free pass of grace in the end.

“Are you envious because I am generous?” the owner says in that parable. “Can’t I do with my wealth what I want?” That’s the point: God’s generosity is for all, even us. Because let’s be honest: none of us works a full day, we all fall short.

As Jesus dies on the cross he takes all of our tests, all of our work, all we have done, good and bad, and throws it out. He says, “I’ll take care of this. I’ll love you all.” We see it almost right away after the resurrection when he first re-claims all his faithless disciples and names them as his chief witnesses and leaders in bringing God’s grace to the world.

The cross also reveals we don’t need to fear the authority figure.

That’s a big problem we have here. The groom says “I don’t know you.” The master kicks out the third slave and gives his talent to the first, and slave-owner is hardly a nice model for God. The King says that because some of his followers didn’t know or do, well, they can go to you know where. None of these sounds like someone to be trusted, let alone loved.

If we look only at these three parables we miss the biggest surprise of the whole Gospel: Jesus, the Son of God, consistently flips our expectations about being our Lord upside down. When the disciples fight over which is greatest, Jesus reminds them, only a few chapters earlier, they are to serve each other, because that’s what he does. “The Son of Man,” he says, “came to serve, not to be served.”

Now do you see? The slaveowner of the second parable becomes a slave himself and dies in service. The bridegroom gives his life for his neglectful, unprepared friends. The king ascends his royal throne, only it’s a cross, and he is crowned by being tortured to death.

None of these parables make sense if we read them alone. They’re told to disciples, to us, and we only understand when we stay with the Storyteller through the cross and the empty tomb. So yes, in these stories we are called to serve others, use our gifts, be prepared. But only because our King, Master, and Groom is already on his knees doing it himself.

Have you had enough surprises? Here’s a big one. If we stop fearing the authority, and quit obsessing on the judgment, we actually find the point of these parables.

The largest amount of words in these parables, the bulk of what is said, is our Lord and King inviting us to join him in bringing life to the world. Asking us to prepare for his coming reign by making it happen in our lives. Asking us to use the gifts we’ve been given for the sake of the reign of God. Asking us to expect to see our Lord in the eyes of those in need, and to expect such relationships to bless us in return.

Now that we know we need not fear our Lord, we begin to see these stories for what they are: our Lord’s gracious call to be of service as his followers. What if we let go of our fear and anxiety and were just that?

The biggest surprise is that we’re surprised at all.

Everything we’ve ever seen in Jesus should have shown this path to us. None of these calls to action are surprises, given Jesus’ other teaching and life we’ve heard and known. Fear of the judgment should never have been our obsession, given Jesus’ death and resurrection. We live trusting in God’s free and undeserved grace given us through Christ Jesus, not in terror of God.

We shouldn’t be surprised by this, but that’s OK. The only question is, will we follow our King and Lord into this path of love and service for the sake of the world, trusting grace and forgiveness will be what he has said, trusting the path of sacrificial love will bless us as much as those we love, trusting we are in the hands of the Triune God who only hopes that we will join all God’s children in restoring this earth to what it was created to be.

The vision of what we could be, living as these parables invite, is thrilling to imagine. I can’t wait to see what happens next as we mature into this life.

It might actually surprise us how wonderful it is.

In the name of Jesus. Amen