Bungee Cord 7-29-12

Hello,

     It was 88 degrees today in the Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania, but it didn’t feel like it.  The humidity was unusually low.  So, with the sky dotted with a few puffy cottonballs what else should a guy do on his day off than go outside and tackle the pile of downed trees that were the result of the sand mound septic system that we had to build (that, is another story!).

     My wife and I have been working away at the sequoia sized stack of trees for quite a while; tugging, sawing, and stacking.  This, we hoped, would be our final stab at this pile of trees.  We started around 10:00 in the morning digging through dirt buried limbs to reach the larger logs and stumps.  Sometimes the stumps were small enough to be leverage by hand and rolled out of the way, but most of the time they required being secured by our well worn rope and pulled out of the pile by our tractor.  Maybe in my prime I would not say that it was hard work, but needless to say, I am not in my prime any more.  The time passed quickly as Kate and I whittled away at the pile, but the pile wasn’t the only thing that was whittling away….my strength was being whittled away.  So, after four hours of work as I was bending over to lift some logs that I had cut into the bucket of the tractor, I suddenly felt my legs turn rubbery and my head heliumy (if rubber can be made into an adjective…why not helium?).  Finding a log, I sat down and watched Kate finish loading the logs into the bucket (no comments from the peanut gallery!).

     “I’m beat,” I said to her.

     “Go sit in the shade,” Kate said to me.  I wobbled my way over to a spot under a tree, put my head between my knees, took some deep breathes, and I began to begin to feel a bit of recovery.

     There have been days this summer that the heat of the day was oppressive, I found myself wilting, and I called it quits before my limbs went rubber.  But today I was caught off guard.  The humid-less heat was sneaky.  Thankfully, there was shade nearby.

     Not every day is wiltingly hot.  I don’t mean temperature-wise.  I mean pressure-wise, stress-wise, failure-wise, guilt-wise, lost and confused-wise.  But whether you are striding to the prime of your life, firmly afoot in the prime or life, or past-prime the heat of life has the power to bring us all to our knees.

     So, when you find yourself looking for shade – calmly looking because you could feel the heat working on you, or urgently looking because the heat has snuck up on you – let me point you to some shade.  Christ’s church.  When the Church is what it is meant to be….and sometimes it falls short…..but, when it is what it is meant to be, it is a place of shade from the heat of the world.  A place where we can rest our heads in prayer and gather strength.  A place where we can fill our lungs with the breath of the Spirit and draw upon power of God.  A place where our sins, our guilt, our failures, and our broken dreams are shattered by the forgiveness of Jesus’ body and blood.

     The world, of course, can also be very cold, but that is another Bungee Cord.  Today, when the heat tried to get the best of me, let me welcome you to come and take a place in the shade this Sunday.

Jesus also said, ‘With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.’  Mark 4:3-32.

Have a great week.

God’s grace and peace, (Ggap),

Pastor Jerry Nuernberger

Bungee Cord
7-23-12

Hello,

     It has been my practice for the last 15 or more years to stand outside, weather permitting, before the worship services and greet people.  So, when I got back in the saddle again at First Lutheran in Greensburg, I took to the streets of Greensburg at 7:45 and 9:45.  First Lutheran is in downtown Greensburg, located on the corner, across the street from First Presbyterian, and within a block of a number of other churches.  When I stand outside on Sunday morning there’s quite a bit of traffic that drives by, and to those with whom I make eye contact I give a friendly wave or a nod of my head.  Sometimes they return my greeting, and sometimes they ride by as if I was one of those guys dressed like the Statue of Liberty waving at people in front of Liberty Tax preparers.

     One Sunday five high school boys carrying their skateboards came my way.  “You should be riding those things and not carrying them,” I, whose robe and stole was far removed from what they wearing, said to them.

     “Can’t,” they said, “its illegal to ride them on the sidewalks downtown.  On our way to a parking lot.”

     “Oh,” I said, “Just don’t crack your heads open.”

     “We won’t,” they replied, mirroring the smirk on my face..

     Joggers sometimes run by me, and we exchange a few words of joke between their gasps for air.

     Some people who are walking see me from afar and cross over to the other side of the street, or if they are already there, they make sure to stay there.  But even if they are across the street from me, if we happen to catch each other’s glance, I wave.

     This past Sunday, a man who I didn’t recognize came walking down my side of the street.  As he neared me, I said to him, “Good morning.  Great to see you today,” expecting that he would abruptly make a right turn and go up our stairs.  But he did not.  Instead he walked by First Lutheran, and strolled his way into First Presbyterian.  I wonder what he thought of my greeting, but this I know; a Lutheran and a Presbyterian shook hands on Sunday morning, and neither of us died!

     I don’t know what my waves, smiles, handshakes and brief conversations will bring about.  I put that in God’s hands.  Maybe one of those people who drive by will remember they received a smile when their lives are falling apart and will follow that smile to First Lutheran.  Maybe they haven’t been to their church for a long time, and my wave will be just what they need to remind them of the welcome that awaits them at their spiritual home.  Maybe those skateboarders will see Christianity as something that will take them where they are, rather than lay down a bunch of rules and laws like the city does.  Maybe the folks from First Lutheran came to church wondering if anyone would care that they are there, and they found out someone did!  Maybe that Presbyterian might think differently of his Lutheran neighbors and when something bigger than either of churches could handle alone comes along, he’ll say, “Those Lutherans might work with us!”

     Who knows what your kindness and friendliness will bring about, but when our kindness and friendliness are put in the hands of God the possibilities are beyond our wildest dreams.

     As I write my Bungee Cord each week, I don’t know what it will bring about in the lives of those who read it.  But I trust God… I trust God that with every wave, every smile and every word that I write, God’s Spirit will work wonders far greater than my wildest dreams could ever imagine.

Have a great week!

God’s grace and peace,

Pastor Jerry Nuernberger

Bungee Cord 7-16-12

Hello,

     A couple of weeks ago one of my facebook “friends” posted a list that someone came up with: “10 Reasons To Go To Church”.  I don’t remember the first nine, but the top reason was this, “Jesus is there, and Jesus is cool.”

     Is Jesus cool?

     I suppose that the definition of cool is a matter of debate, but the “cool” people that I have known, especially in my high school years were the ones who had the most stylish clothes, who got the latest haircuts, who were a bit rebellious (smoked, drank), had a nice car, hung out with the popular crowd, had a great physique, played sports, were stoic, and a bit aloof.  Fonzi-like.  The cool kids always seemed to have a lot of friends, and why not, because it seemed that to call a cool kid your friend made you cool, too.

     Of course, “coolness” is not only confined to the younger years of life.  Ask any one of any generation, and they will be able to point out their cool peers.  Although some characteristics of being cool vary with age, it seems to me that there is a remarkable consistency of what makes a person cool no matter what the age, and most of them don’t have a lot of depth to them….pretty shallow when you take a sensible look at them.

     So, is Jesus cool?

     Did Jesus care about having stylish clothes?  Did Jesus care about having prestigious friends?  Did Jesus eye others with an air of callous care?  Did Jesus attract the popular crowd?  Did Jesus preoccupy himself with the things that lie at the surface of life?

     No.

     It seems clear to me, that by any definition of cool, Jesus was not cool and is not cool.  Jesus ate with outcasts and sinners, the worst outcast and the worst sinners.  Jesus bumped heads with the popular crowd, temple leaders and Pharisees.  Jesus showed that he could have cared less about clothing style, sending his disciples out into the world with the sparsest of wardrobes.  Money meant little to him, telling people to render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s.   His best friends had few social credentials.

     No.  Jesus is not cool….and if you ask me, that is the top reason to go to church.  Why go to church?  1)  Jesus is there, and Jesus is not cool. 

     Social standing…clothing choice….personal appearance and hygiene…degree of success….degree of education…respect of the community…bank account balance…dancing ability…model of car……none of these “cool” things matter to Jesus.  The only thing that matters to him is you, no matter how “cool”  or “uncoil” you might be.  So much do you matter to him, that he gave his life so that he might have you as his friend forever.       

     So, when you come to church this Sunday, and I hope you will, don’t be surprised if you see quite a conglomeration of people, spanning the cool-uncool continuum.  And that is the way that Jesus wants his church to be, because that way you’ll know that you have a place among those gathered around Jesus, who is not cool.

     Have a great week.

God’s grace and peace, (ggap)

Pastor Jerry Nuernberger

     

The Bungee Cord  7-9-12

Hello,

   Today I found out why I am a pastor…..and not a painter.

    I’ve been looking for a day to stain our deck amid  the days and weeks of rain and scorching heat.  With a couple days of no rain, and mild temperatures, I decided that this was the day.  So, after leading the worship for vacation Bible school, I cam home cracked open the gallon of stain and prepared to tackle the deck.  I slapped the stain on the deck and the interior of the railing and then set my sights on the exterior railing for which I needed a ladder to reach.  I went to the garage, got my 8 foot step ladder, and set it next to the house where the deck  connects to the house.  I nudged the ladder and jiggled it to make sure it was climb-worthy, then I picked up the gallon of stain, which was about a third full,  and began my ascent.   I reached the 7 foot level, braced myself on the ladder, stuck my paint brush in my stain, and reached for the railing, the target of my brush.

     Apparently, my reach changed the pressure on the legs of my ladder, and before I knew it, the front right leg of my ladder sank into the ground, tipping the ladder in an angle that only could send it earthward.  “Uh oh,” I yelled to the trees and fields, because there wasn’t anyone around, and down I went.  In a split second I found myself plunging to the ground, which I hit rear-end first.  For some reason, I remember thinking that I needed to keep the can of paint above me so it wouldn’t spill….forget that…, for when my rear end hit the ground my elbow which was connected to my hand holding the paint soon followed, and the paint, following the laws of physics, fountained upwards….all over me.  Not too worry, I don’t think I got hurt, because thankfully I hit some soft ground….which was the culprit of my fall in the first place.  The only thing I hurt was my pride and my pocketbook, now needing to purchase another gallon of stain to make up for the stain that was soaking into the ground.

     Jesus said that a wise man builds his house on the rock (him) so that when the storms come the foundation holds.  Let me modify his parable and say, that I learned today, that a wise man sets his ladder on firm ground (all four legs) so that when the pressure hits, the ladder doesn’t topple.

     The world is good at reminding us of setting our ladders on firm ground…at least three of the legs.  It is important to make good financial decisions.  It is important to develop friends and deep relationships.  It is important to sharpen our skills, whether in a job, at school, or athletically….. but it is also important to make sure that you set your heart on something solid, too….set it on something solid to hold you together when life comes unraveled, set it on something with forgiveness when you can hardly stand to look at yourself in the mirror, set it on something bright when the confusing fog of the world rolls in, and set it on something strong that has the power to overwhelm the darkness of death.  To set your heart on something soft is perilous…believe me….I found out today….

     After my spill, and trip to the paint store for another gallon of stain, I started placing rocks under the feet of my ladder….and guess what….it worked!   Certainly, there are important things to set the ladder of your life on that the world gives you lots of direction to do so….so let me…by virtue of my self  inflicted learning moment… invite you to find a solid rock for that fourth….the foot that is directly connected to your heart….where the deepest and most important things lie.

     Let me invite you to come to church this Sunday and set the leg of your ladder on the one who names himself as the “solid rock”….stomp on it hard….with all the weight that you are carrying on your shoulders, with all the tonnage of disappointment that you wheel around every day, with all the sadness that your failures have brought you, and with all the joy that adorns your life….see if your ladder tilts, or stays steady…..and if it stays steady (and I believe that it will), keep on coming to church and go ahead and climb your ladder and have fun “staining the world” with God’s grace and love.

Have a great week.

God’s grace and peace (ggap),

Pastor Jerry Nuernberger

Bungee Cord 7-2-12

Hello,

     How hot is hell?  Apparently it is hotter than it has been around here. 

     There is a church that I pass every day on my way home from 1^st Lutheran that forewarns me of the hellish heat at which the devil keeps the thermostat set.  “YOU THINK IT IS HOT HERE!”, says the sign which is strategically set alongside a four lane highway. 

     It has been hot here, really hot, as hot as h….. no …I guess not.  Hell, the sign says is hotter.  I’ve not run into anyone who is enjoying the hot spell we are having.   Thankfully, most people around here have air conditioning in which to retreat, but those who are without are left to blow hot air over them to camouflage the heat.  It doesn’t work very well.  Hot is hot….and who likes hot?

     The first time I drove by that church sign, it caught me as a bit humorous.  However, with each passing trip my humor has dissipated into dismay.  Dismay because as a Christian it bothers me that the message from that sign that so many people will get about the faith that I hold is a message of fear.  Scaring people into heaven.  Is that what the Christian faith is really all about.  I don’t think so.

     The God that I have come to know in Jesus Christ, the one who embodies God, the one who gives us sight to see the one we cannot see, the one who helps us know the one who is beyond human knowledge…is not a God who gets friends by scaring them away from someone else.  Instead the God that I have come to know in Jesus Christ is a God who gets his friends by proving to be the one who is most worthy to be called a friend….

·      one who looks upon me (and you) and says to anyone and anything that would want to bully us around, “This is my friend, and you’ll have to get through me to get to him.” 

·      one who enjoys my company so much that he doesn’t tire of having me around, as a matter of fact he wants me to be with him forever. 

·      one whose interest in me is so deep that he delights in hearing from me about the most trivial things in life and the most complex. 

·      one who wont turn his back on me when I have just ruined my life, but he will jump into the deepest hole that I could dig for myself and lift me out. 

·      one who would die ….no has died for me.

     It may be hot in hell, but that is not why I am a Christian.  I am a Christian because of who Jesus is: a friend like none other.  And if Jesus is, as the Bible says, “what we see in a mirror dimly”, I can hardly wait to find out the magnificence of his friendship when we see face to face.

     If I was going to post a sign along a busy four lane highway, this is the sign I would post, “LET ME INTRODUCE YOU TO JESUS: FRIEND FOR LIFE, FRIEND THROUGH DEATH”.  It may not be very catchy or clever…..but it is the God that I have come to know, and the God I would like people to know, too.

     Have a great week.

God’s grace and peace,

Pastor Jerry Nuernberger