Hello,
This Easter, I did something that I have never done before.
I have been a Lutheran Christian all of my life….baptized Lutheran,
worshipped every Sunday growing up Lutheran, confirmed Lutheran, married in a
Lutheran church, ordained a Lutheran pastor….as you can see….I have been a
Lutheran all my life. Jerry Lutheran Christian. Since I moved to Pennsylvania last June
and took up residence in my brother-in-law’s mountain “cabin” I have been
attending worship with my brother-in-law and sister-in-law at the Episcopal
church to which they go when they are in the mountains (that is, when I haven’t
been supply preaching in Lutheran churches). Anyway, a couple of weeks ago, the Priest caught me at the door
as I was leaving and asked me if I would like to join him in leading worship on
Easter Sunday, specifically presiding at Holy Communion.
As a Lutheran Christian, I received this invitation as a distinct and
exceptional honor. Lutherans, and
Episcopals, understand that “in, with, and under” the bread and wine Jesus
makes himself physically present with his body and blood. We take Jesus words at face value when
he instituted the Lord’s Supper when he said, “This is my body….this is my
blood.” That is why we call it
“communion”…we understand that we indeed commune with Jesus. It is an unsurpassed gift from Jesus,
and to be invited to present that gift to these brothers and sisters in faith
whose middle name is Episcopal was an unsurpassed invitation.
So, I met with the priest the week before to go over what I would be
doing, and I arrived yesterday at St. Michael’s in the Valley feeling a mixture
of honor and fear: honored to be asked to preside at Communion but fearful that
I might stumble on unfamiliar customs and draw attention to myself instead of
keeping all the attention on Jesus, the real host of this meal. When I arrived, I was graciously
welcomed by the congregation, and during the Lord’s Supper everything went
fairly smoothly. After the service many people thanked me
for my presence with them as we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus. When the final person had left, I
discovered that the feeling of honor remained but my fears had all been put to
rest.
I went back into the office area of the church to get out of my robes
and pack up my things to leave. I
thanked the Priest for his invitation, and made my way out to the nearly empty
parking lot to get into my car.
And that is when I was knocked off my feet.
As I neared my car, another car was driving out of the parking lot. It was exiting the parking lot in my
direction, and as it neared me, the driver rolled down his window and said to
me, “Thanks for being with us, friend.”
I had no idea as to his name.
I didn’t remember his face from the service….but as he passed by me; he
called me “friend”.
When his words hit my ears, it suddenly occurred to me that isn’t that
what Easter, Holy Communion, and the Christian faith is all about. It is about transforming people from
strangers or acquaintances or Lutherans or Episcopalians or even enemies….into
friends…friendship derived from the forgiveness and hope that comes from Jesus
and overpowers everything that might separate and divide us from each other and
from God.
Even though I am a thoroughly Lutheran Christian, I am grateful for
Christians whose tradition is different from mine, for I believe….and I heard
it this Easter in the church parking lot….that like a beautiful symphony of
diverse instruments, when we each faithfully live in our unique traditions
within the larger orchestra of faith, together, we make beautiful music….divine
music….music that changes the world…..music that brings life….resurrection
music.
I hope that you heard that music if you went to church on Easter, but
even more so, I hope that you will accept my invitation to go to church this
Sunday (and every Sunday) to have that music fill your ears and your life and
your world, and discover the power of that music to overwhelm everything that
might separate and divide you from God and others, transforming you into a “friend”.
Have a great week.
God’s grace and peace,
Pastor Jerry Nuernberger
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