Family Matters

Martin Luther enters, singing “A Mighty Fortress”

Yavol, gutenmorgan friends, my name is Luther; Martin Luther. I bring you greetings from the Saints in Wittenberg Germany. I also bring you greetings from your own pastor, Herr Molin. He has been preaching in my churches for the past two weeks. Preaching: is that what that was? Honestly, I have heard better preaching in the taverns and pubs around Wittenberg, but never mind. But we had agreed on a preaching exchange, so here I am.

He is an odd fellow, this Herr Molin, but I must tell you how much I enjoyed coming to know him. As we sat, sharing a cold drink – by the way, what is this Diet Coke? He kept asking for Diet Coke. Anyway, as we sat down together, he could not stop boasting about you; about your kindness, about your love for one another, and about how you always include the kinders…I’m sorry, how you always include the children in your midst. Children at worship, children in communion, children singing hymns of praise. You have no idea how important that is, for if we neglect the kinders for just one generation, the church will die. Perhaps you heard that phrase before from Herr Molin, and he told you he thought of it himself, when in fact, I first said that 500 years ago! Have you noticed that he sometimes makes things up?

In our two weeks together, we would often sit across from one another and compare our congregations, and you would be surprised how much we share in common. Everyone thinks that Dr. Luther must have had an obedient and loving and faithful congregation in tiny Wittenberg, but nothing could be further from the truth. They were scoundrels, these Wittenbergers. Herr Molin said the same thing about you – that there are scoundrels in this place, and he mentioned in particular on name, let’s see, I have it here somewhere, a Maxine. O dear, I hope she’s not here today.

No, in Wittenberg, it was sometimes not easy to be a pastor, and I often got in trouble with the members. “Me, too!” said Herr Molin, and then he asked me if we served dessert at OUR Lenten soup suppers. I have no idea what he was speaking of. But there were times when I offended my church, when I stepped on their toes, confronted their sinfulness, and called them to repentance, and they didn’t like it. Herr Molin said that he has also done the same to you, and you have become angry with him. He asked me what to do when that happens next time, and I simply told him, “Love them. Simply love them. God did not call us to ministry to scold the lambs in our midst, but to love them.”

I must say it came as a surprise to your pastor when I told him that, from time to time, I received anonymous letters from my flock. “Me too!” he said. These can be brutal weapons, and can hurt severely. The adage “sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me?” It’s a lie, words have power and they can hurt or they can heal. Pastor Steve asked me what to do when he receives yet another anonymous letter, and I told him to imagine which member it came from, and not just one member; imagine that it could have been from every member of the church…and then forgive them. God did not call us to a ministry of conflict, but to a ministry of reconciliation. Love them, and forgive them.

By now, our minds were full and our glasses were empty, so I ordered another beer, and Herr Molin changed his beverage of choice as well. And then he ask if my Board ever asked me to do things that a pastor shouldn’t have to do? What things, I asked. He answered “Like making the coffee, or set up tables for a funeral, or raking leaves in the church yard. Those aren’t the tasks of a pastor!” he grunted.

Pastor Molin, you must remember, when I began my ministry, my church board was a board of one, the Pope. When the Pope gave me an order, I had no choice. But once the Reformation had begun, I had a church board like you, who often asked me to do things that I didn’t want to do. And how did I respond? I obeyed them. God did not call us to ministry to give orders to others; God called us to serve them with joy. Nothing is beneath us, Steven; no task is too dirty or too difficult for the hands of a pastor.

And now, your pastor looked a bit bewildered. He somehow learned in seminary that as Herr Pastor, he would sit on a large stool and tell the people about Christ. “No Steven, as a pastor, you will be Christ in their midst. By loving them, and forgiving them, and serving them, you will set an example for others to follow.”

And now, you, dear people, are wondering what your role is in all of this business called the church. It is this; that you would also love one another, and forgive one another, and serve one another. Our brother Paul wrote in today’s lesson that there is no longer Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female; for we are all one in Christ. And may I also add to his words, there is not ordained and laity: we are family. And whether your family lives on the Elbe River in Germany or the St. Croix River in Stillwater, the way we treat our family matters. It matters much.

So, when your pastor returns from his holiday and tells you how hard he worked in Wittenberg, don’t believe him; he makes things up, remember? As in all families, there are, how you say, nut jobs and quirky people…Herr Molin is all of that! But God called him, and Damen Linda into ministry to lead this family. Love them, listen to them, for they have been placed here by God. This is most certainly true. Thanks be to God. Amen.

©2010 Steven Molin