We are a full month into the time of Pentecost, having celebrated with two new confirmands on June 8 their journey in Christ, and their public affirmation of their baptism.
The place we find ourselves is filled with the warm weather of summer, with the sounds of summer – laughter, gatherings, travel, vacation, travel sports, practice, and a sense of freedom. That sense of freedom seems to stem from not being under the pressure of inclement weather, of not having to worry about the cold of winter, of snow, and all that goes with that weather – shoveling, plowing, being delayed, canceling events. Summer brings our bodies, minds, and our souls a freedom to just live and enjoy the creation around us.
This month, we also celebrate the freedom of our nation as an independent and sovereign entity capable of directing and leading itself. Where that sense of freedom stems from is not from a president or a party, or a litany of orders and laws. That freedom stems from the human heart that longs to be filled with joy, to not be oppressed, to not be engaged in oppression. The human heart enjoys being engaged in conversation, in laughter, in community with others. Our social nature is such that we are not able to be so stoic as to ignore our joy in community.
Perhaps, then, especially as American followers, we should be more heedful of the message of Christ in Luke 10 as he sends out the seventy: “Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”
It is very good for us to remember what we’ve been endowed with in our baptism in Christ: the same healing and forgiving spirit among us that abides in Christ. If we also reject others, we reject God in Christ. If we do not listen to others, we also reject God in Christ. To be in communion with Christ means we are to follow his example and to love and care for all, not only people we like or approve of. Our human ideas about acceptance are to be thrown out the window in favor of following Christ’s example.
In our baptism, for ourselves and for our young confirmands already affirmed, as well as those in learning, we should recall that freedom, joy, community comes first from God. What comes from God is not an exclusive, but a gift for all God’s children, for all creation. As you move through your summer and encounter “the other,” recall your baptism and the gifts you’ve received that you also may have fullness of joy and true freedom.
Peace be unto you in the name of Christ,
~Pastor Hahn
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Night of Joy begins with bingo at 4 p.m., followed by a free hot meal. Clean Hearts provides a bag of household goods for anyone in need. TLC cares for the community!
Dozens of blankets are gathered at TLC from members, visitors, the Danville Moose, and others to combine with other donations from Upper Susquehanna Synod congregations. The blankets are sent annually through Lutheran Disaster Response and partner organizations for those in need around the world.