The Bungee Cord 7-16-24

Hello,

The saying goes, “Birds of a feather flock together,” and from what I see there’s a lot of truth to that saying. It is much easier to live with people who think like you do, who see the world the way you do, whose personality is like yours, who root for the same teams, who enjoy the same music, who like their food cooked the same way….on and on. It is easier, most often, to flock together with same feathered birds.

Unfortunately, there’s lots of different “birds” in the world….different colored birds, different sounding birds, different sized birds, different temperament birds, birds whose diet is different, birds who soar and fly at different altitudes, birds who are more solitary than others…on and on. There’s lots of different kinds of “birds” in the world who share the world and its airspace.

When you take a look at our world and all the “birds” that live in it, the truth is that we don’t live in a world that resembles a uniform flock who fly around in perfect synchronicity, like a flock of grackles. Our world is far more like an aviary, where birds of a different feather are flocked together….where birds of a different feather need to learn how to live together.

Martin Luther had a strange name for Jesus and each of his followers, “rara avis”, that is Latin for “strange bird”. Rather than trying to gather a flock of same feathered birds, Jesus put together a flock of very, very different feathered followers: rich, poor, highly patriotic, traitors to the country, strict law abiders, repeat offenders, staunchly conservative, radically liberal….a true multi-feathered flock living in a world-sized aviary.

Some years ago, when I was at a church-growth seminar (a movement that I think is overly worried about the wrong thing: church growth), I remember hearing the speaker say that churches that grow the fastest are those whose members are most alike. And although same mindedness may not always be a bad thing, it does seem to me that such churches do not train their birds very well to live in an aviary.

I find myself being a fervent proclaimer of God’s grace, something that Lutherans are noted for. So, I am glad that God has chosen Lutheran birds to be in his aviary so I can be included. However, I am just as glad that God has chosen Episcopal, Baptists, Catholics, Mennonites, Presbyterians, Quakers, Methodists, United Church of Christs, non-denominationalists of many colors….and on and on ….in his aviary, in order to include so many others. When I think about it, I am very thankful for the variety of sound and colors I see as I drink my coffee on my porch in the morning. I suspect the same might be said of God.

In 2009, the denomination with which I am affiliated, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, took on the struggle of coming to understand how our traditions relate to concerns of human sexuality. The ultimate decision that the denomination made was to say that we do not have an understanding of unanimous agreement on very many aspects of human sexuality, especially in regard homosexuality, and rather than impose such an understanding, we will try to love each other and live together focusing on our unanimous agreement of God’s grace in Jesus Christ rather than our differing views on human sexuality. When this decision was made, there were numerous churches who were unable to live in such tension, and they left. At the time, I was the pastor of two small churches in rural South Dakota who were struggling with the denomination’s decision, and I voiced my opinion which was, “In a world that is so divided, we have the chance to show how people who hold significant differences can actually lovingly and peacefully live together.” So, my judgment was against leaving the denomination.

It hasn’t been easy for those Evangelical Lutheran Churches in America to live out this decision to live in tension but given the anger and violence that is stirring in our country, it seems like this is one of the most important things that Christians can do in our world. Let me invite you to experience God’s unconditional grace in Jesus Christ among folks who are striving to live by it, and having experienced such love and grace, you and I might help our world tot be much more of a wonderful aviary rather than competing flocks of grackles and crows.

Have a great week.

God’s grace and peace, (ggap)

Pastor Jerry Nuernberger

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