 Baptism. Father’s Day. Juneteenth. Those are three different experiences. And, I believe Jesus celebrates each of them. What are they? If you’re reading this, I’m guessing you might already know a little bit about baptism. Baptism is an ongoing God-given celebration experienced in a human way. It’s a celebration of a faith relationship with Jesus. And, because of that faith relationship, we are totally forgiven, adopted into a greater family, and invited to participate in God’s work in the lives of other people and our world. Yes, baptism is a single event, too… but a baptismal lifestyle (or as we say, a life on mission) is something we live out in our thoughts, words, and actions which strive to look and sound more like Jesus, everyday. If you’ve grown up in the United States, you might have celebrated Father’s Day at least once in your life. Father’s Day is an annual human celebration for the God-given gift of fathers. It began in Spokane, Washington. That’s right… Spokane. Sonora Smart Dodd felt strongly that fathers needed to be honored and recognized for their roles in their families and society. According to Wikipedia, “she approached the Spokane Ministerial Alliance and suggested her own father's birthday, of June 5, as the day of honor for fathers. The Alliance chose the third Sunday in June instead… So, the first Father's Day was celebrated June 19, 1910, in Spokane”. You may have heard about Juneteenth… but you may have never celebrated it. Juneteenth is an annual human celebration for the God-given gift of freedom. It commemorates the end of slavery in the United States after the Civil War. According to the New York Times, it has been celebrated by African Americans since the late 1800s. In 2020, it became a federal holiday. Also known as “Juneteenth Independence Day”, “Freedom Day” and “Emancipation Day”, every June 19th, we remember the day in 1865 that General Granger announced freedom through the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 which released enslaved African Americans. I’m reminded of 2 Corinthians 3:17 which says, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom”. Indeed, “it is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1). Baptism - an ongoing God-given celebration experienced in a human way. Father’s Day - an annual human celebration for the God-given gift of fathers. Juneteenth - an annual human celebration for the God-given gift of freedom. Three distinct celebrations. One weekend. And I believe Jesus is celebrating all three. So, this Sunday, we will celebrate them with Jesus. Here’s what Sunday will look like both onsite and online…
When Jesus is our foundation and at the center of all we do, even three unlikely celebrations can come together to love God, love people, and live like Jesus. Why? Because God created and gave us all things (Colossians 1:16) - baptism, fathers, and freedom. And it’s always good to celebrate God’s good gifts for our enjoyment and to love and bless our neighbors  You may have noticed that this year’s high school and college graduates may see and live life a little differently than some of us “older” people do. By the way, that’s really strange for me to write because while I’m only 22 years removed from my high school days, my sister in-law and I recently realized the sobering fact that we are now closer to retirement than high school. I digress. I think we would all agree that every generation (including our own) is shaped a little differently through our experiences. For example, while I remember some of the pre-911 days, my siblings do not know of a time when the word “terrorists” hasn’t been associated with school safety. Sad, yet this reality has shaped how we all think of security, safety, and what is acceptable or not. It also determines what we inherently value which in turn shapes how we live our lives. Of course, the stories surrounding our younger generations that run the headlines are often telling the narrative of radical extremes. We may use words like, “entitled” and “snowflake”. Yet, the mushy middle majority of this up and coming generation - this year’s high school and college graduates - give us incredible hope. We would probably say that every “next” generation does. That’s why I’m writing this post. In a conflicted, chaotic, and confused world, we need a generation of people like our graduating students to serve, work, learn, and lead with the gospel in fresh, creative, and innovative ways. I’m not talking about “professional” church work, either. I’m talking about the fact that while this year’s graduates may volunteer in their community and church, most of their relationships, transformation, and impact will be in their workplaces, homes, and neighborhoods. Why? Because the gospel which transforms all of life is active everywhere. So, to better appreciate this year’s graduating students, I want to share with you Marist’s Mindset List for the Class of 2025. They haven’t released the list for the Class of 2026 yet, but will post a link here when it is released. You can access the list here. This list of general mindsets, attitudes, and trends among high school and college students will help us understand how God might be using them (and all of us!) right now and into the future to shape and reshape our lives and world. I mean, fast forward 25 years from now… how will politics look different? (I sure hope they will!). How will economics change? How will public education look radically different than it does today? How will social systems improve to help and serve more people? And if the gospel fire of the Holy Spirit lives in the hearts of this generation, then God is at work in all of these areas - and more! And wherever the Spirit is at work, there is change. It’s just what Jesus’ Spirit does. That’s why I can’t wait to see how this year’s graduates will be the presence and power of Jesus that shapes and re-shapes our lives and world. And to be honest, it’s not just graduates who do this… each of us are called as part of God’s Oikos (extended family) to do the same. How does your relationship with Jesus change the way you live at home, work, school, or in your social circles? Drop a note and share a story with me about it! Pastor Tim  Lenyia dies in our own backyard. Further away, 21 people died in a senseless act of violence in Uvalde, Texas. Even more removed (and yet feeling so close), the conflict in Ukraine continues. In our own families and homes - tragedy is all around us. How do you make sense of so many horrific, unthinkable, and evil things that are beyond your control? We have three options:
Let’s be honest, denial doesn’t work. As painful as it is to acknowledge reality, we cannot wish it away. Reality is always waiting to greet us. Playing the blame game feels good at the moment. Too often, tragedy is complex and abstract. In the short term, directing blame toward someone or something directs our thoughts and feelings toward something concrete. However, like denial, assigning blame doesn’t change reality. In fact, in the long run, blame often makes matters worse. In the end, by denying reality or playing the blame game, we become our own gods - ultimate arbitrators of what happened, why it happened, and what should happen next. For me, a pastor, leader, and shepherd, trauma and tragedy have become common experiences. Most of the time we assume that God is absent in these moments. However, I have learned that it’s in these sacred and difficult spaces, God is most present. As a result, I have learned to keep three words in mind when tragedy strikes: Let’s grieve well. And here’s why… We are human - made in God’s image, with all of our emotions, intellect, and person-hood. That’s how God made us. We hurt because God hurts. Our hearts break because God’s heart breaks. Let’s not forget that Jesus is human, too. He hurts. His heart breaks. Jesus shows us how to grieve well. With his heart in pieces, He doesn’t choose to deny reality. He doesn’t choose to shift blame. Jesus cries at death. He mourns the loss of friends. He laments how the world seems unfair (because it is). He accepts the reality of a crass, cold, and chaotic world that is spinning deeper into darkness. And then, Jesus owns his grieving as he hangs onto every one of God’s promises through temptations, uncertainty, and even death itself. So friends - as we continue to pray for Lenyia’s family and friends… as we move from shock to sadness over the Uvalde tragedy… as we continue to see events in Central Europe unfold… and so much more in our own lives… remember these three words: let’s grieve well. After all, we do believe in resurrection which follows tragedy. And resurrection always leads us back to Jesus. Honor raises people up. Dishonor slashes, slanders, and strikes people down. You can read Romans 12:9-13 to learn more about what I mean. This Sunday, we have the opportunity to honor Jesus (of course!) and Diane Zimmermann for 40 years of faithfully serving in worship arts. At our 9:00 and 10:30 services, we will sing, pray, commune, sing, bless, give gifts, sing, clap, laugh, and sing some more. After each service, in the spirit of our “Telling the Story” message series, you are invited to bring a written short story, card, note, or picture to give to Diane to honor her at a special reception for everybody. Let's honor Diane and have some fun! See you there! Pastor Tim Maybe you hear that and think that church meetings are boring, potentially contentious, an antiquated way of doing things, and that the people who “really care” about that kind of stuff can get involved in “that kind of stuff”. I get it. I’ve been there, too.  Growing up as a PK (Pastor’s Kid), I attended my fair share of church meetings. Most were boring. Several got off track. A few were quite tense. At least one was a major dumpster fire that I think might still be burning today. And even though none of these experiences directly involved me, they did involve people I loved - my family and friends. Needless to say that church meetings did not inspire me to follow Jesus and certainly was not the reason I chose to say, “yes” to God’s call into pastoral leadership and ministry. But then, a series of conversations changed my mind. Now, today, it’s one of the most anticipated meetings that I prepare for and look forward to all year long. What happened? I went to counseling. At the time, I was seriously considering changing careers from pastoral leadership to organizational consulting. It was so serious that I had the open invitation to join an extremely reputable firm and become the lead person working with large and complex religious nonprofits and schools in the area of vision, mission, and strategic change management. It wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy pastoring. I wasn’t burned out. Besides not working every weekend, double the salary, and traveling (a lot) along with the perks were very appealing to me. After two weeks of counseling, it became evident that the potential career change was not really the issue. I was fearing the upcoming Annual Voters’ Meeting. And the opportunity to avoid it was there, ready, and available. My counselor helped me reframe my past experiences of the boring formalities of Robert’s Rules of Order, the people who would have challenged the filibuster record, the tense discussions (usually filled with unhelpful and un-Jesus like behavior), and the unresolved dumpster fire that was still smoldering in my heart. She asked me, “what would your ideal annual meeting look like and how can you be part of the solution”? It was that conversation that changed my mindset from a “victim” to a “victor”. I carried influence. I had freedom. I was not a victim of my past experiences, but a leader to create a different, healthier, and more effective one. She then said something like this: Tim, the church is a family. How can your meeting feel more like family than business? Shortly after, I made the decision to stick with pastoring. I met with my Board and shared my childhood experiences and together we made our meetings feel more like family than business. As a Board, we began eating together. Laughing together. Celebrating together. Dreaming together. And all of this helped us make decisions and work better… together. And that Annual Voters’ Meeting… it was one of the best! We ate together. We celebrated together. We laughed together. We dreamed together. And then we made some very important decisions together. And we left… together. I still have a degree of anxiety when it comes to church meetings. That’s part of my story that I probably will always need to be attentive of and be working through. Let’s be honest, working through trauma and with ourselves is never done. Here’s my point… if you’re like me and think that our upcoming Annual Voters’ Meeting on June 12 is going to be boring, potentially contentious, antiquated, or is “for the people who really care about that kind of stuff”… you aren’t alone. I’ve been there, too. It truly is one of the most anticipated meetings that I prepare for and look forward to all year long. And while I can’t humanly guarantee anything - I can guarantee that we will eat together, laugh together, celebrate together, dream together, and make some decisions together (albeit in a formal way because there are state laws governing some of our organizational processes). We will be family… together.  My prayer is that if you choose to be a part of it, you will find some new friends, mingle with some old ones, laugh, have fun, celebrate, dream with me about our future together, and then leave more together at the end of the meeting than we were when it began.  Because in the end - we are family. All photos in this post are from pexels.com. One of our core values here at Our Savior is to foster a culture of care and belonging. That means that in all we do, we strive for inclusivity. Why? Because Jesus’ love is inclusive. After all, while we were still far off, Jesus who is rich in love and mercy, built the bridge, tore down the wall, and brought us back to Him (Ephesians 2:11ff). So, it makes sense that when it comes to motherhood, we see and acknowledge that there is a diversity of experiences. From joy and euphoria to trauma and loss. And we know that joy and pain are not mutually exclusive. In fact, it is normal for both joy and pain to coexist in the same moment, heart, and experience. While celebrating mom’s is not wrong, sinful, or bad in any way - we dare not idolize it. Moms and Mother’s Day is a gift - not a god. In fact, saying, “thanks, mom” honors God (Exodus 20:12, Ephesians 6:2-3). At the same time, Jesus’ church has always been and will remain a place and a space for broken and hurting people. What I’m trying to say is that this Sunday, we will be inclusive and say “thanks, mom” and empathize with the complexity of our human experience. I believe that knowing what to expect lowers anxiety, honors people, and creates a safe space to experience God’s presence. Here’s what you can expect this Sunday (Mother’s Day) at Our Savior. We will see and acknowledge the joy of the day. Moms, grand-moms, step-moms, foster moms, adopted moms, spiritual moms who don’t know they’re moms, moms whose kids don’t think much of them, and those who are a mom at-heart… you are all moms worthy to be celebrated. We see you. And we will love, celebrate, and thank you at the beginning of the service. We will acknowledge and share the pain of the day.  We will pray for people who have lost their mom and are missing them today. We also hold in our prayers those who have been hurt by relationships with mothers. We are a place where people can experience love, grace, forgiveness, and reconciliation. We will then turn our focus away from you and onto Jesus by living in the truth that our identity is in Jesus, not anything we do (including being a mom).  We are loved, forgiven, chosen, baptized, valued, equipped, and sent by Jesus - not because of anything we have done, are doing, or will do, but because of what Jesus has done for us on the cross. We will rejoice in hearing the words, “you are loved, forgiven, and at peace with God”. We will find joy in celebrating communion with all people. We will confess in the Creed that Jesus is the only way, truth, and life. And, we will be blessed to be a blessing to all people - whoever we are. In short, motherhood (or anything else) does not define, identify, or label us - Jesus does. Everything else is just something “we get to do” to love God back, love other people, and live like Jesus with others. We will focus on Jesus, not ourselves.  Pastor Matt will lead us to sit in God’s Word and focus on how freedom in Jesus is a matter of our interdependence on Him. It will not be about mom’s, motherhood, or even womanhood. As always, Jesus is the hero - not us. We will walk with you through the hard stuff.  If Mother’s Day is hard for you, we will have people available to pray with you and your family who need healing from miscarriages, struggle with infertility (like Beth and I have), abuse, and broken relationships. Jesus is close to the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18). We have a sweet treat for you. Finally, if you’re a mom, grand-mom, step-mom, foster mom, adopted mom, spiritual mom, or a woman who has or had a mom at one time - find Shelly in the lobby after each service for a sweet chocolate treat. I know that we all have opinions (some very strong) about Mother’s Day. I’d love to hear yours! Drop me a note…pastortim@oslc.com. I’d love to listen to you. Just shy of 12 years ago, a group of ordinary people wanted to share God’s love in a practical way. They met at West Campus for a 7:00am breakfast.  They would then head out to trim bushes, clean gutters, sweep sidewalks, and winterize windows.  They’d return to church for lunch and share what they did, what they learned, and how they “saw Jesus” that morning.  They called the morning, Kindness in Progress and did it again… and again. Fast forward several months, they started servicing our neighbor’s cars (at no cost). As the joy of sharing God’s love in a practical way grew, projects multiplied. Soon, teams of people were preparing meals, cleaning out garages, landscaping flower beds, and packing bags of food for hungry kids.  It was more than just kindness in progress… it was our faith in action.
And we’ve been helping people put their faith in action ever since. Were you there at the first Kindness in Progress? Drop me a note and share a story or memory of that day. And then, let's continue putting our Faith in Action on Saturday, May 21. |
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Pastor Tim Meet Pastor TimTim Bayer has served as Our Savior's Lead Pastor since September 2019. He also serves as an Adjunct Instructor at Concordia University - Irvine, a National Leadership Facilitator and Resource, and with the Northwest District of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod. Archives
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© 2024 | Our Savior Lutheran Church | 253.531.2112
4519 112th St E, Tacoma, WA 98446 Office Hours: Mon-Fri 8:30-3:00 Sunday Services: 9:00 & 10:30am |