Amazing Grace: Complicated Ethics

Amazing Grace: Complicated Ethics

Aug 19, 2022 | Pastor Jim's Blog

Today’s Word from Pastor Jim…

Mine is the Church where everybody’s welcome.

We had to install a new sign by the entrance of the meadow. The meadow is an outdoor classroom used primarily by the Trinity Preschool. It served a critical need during the pandemic and has become a treasured part of our campus. The new addition at the very entrance of the meadow is a no trespassing sign. The sheriff’s office encouraged us to post this sign. We have had some problems with people camping out in the meadow, smoking, drinking, or sleeping in this place where children gather.

The new “No trespassing” sign joins the “No overnight parking” signs that have been up for years. It is necessary to police our campus for the safety and security of staff and visitors. Cars are towed, the Sheriff is called, people are asked to leave a place where everybody’s welcome.

Mine is the church where everybody’s welcome. No trespassing. How do we make sense of these seemingly contradictory statements?

The place where we worship is called the sanctuary. A wildlife sanctuary is a place where animals can gather without concern for their safety.

Our worship space and our campus must also be a sanctuary, a place of peace, that welcomes all for rest, and reflection. In a fallen world, that requires a measure of security. Security which sometimes demands the posting of signs, the removal of cars or individuals. It seems incongruous, and perhaps it is.

Ethics in a fallen world are very complicated. We are stewards of creation. We are environmentalists, we care for Whidbey Island, the waters of the Puget Sound, the majestic forests, tiny animals, and soaring mountains. We recycle and yet we live in homes that are far too big, we drive our cars too often and a single unnecessary airline flight does more harm than recycling does good.

Ethics in a fallen world are very complicated. God offers us forgiveness and the Bible tells us very clearly that we must forgive others and yet there are unescapable consequences for our actions. Some people need to go to jail, some children need to be grounded, there is a time when the car keys should be taken from us, even with forgiveness divorce is sometimes necessary.
Sexual ethics, biomedical ethics, normative ethics, applied ethics, economic ethics, environmental ethics.

Should we help the poor? Yes.

Does the church have no trespassing signs? Yes.

Should we help the homeless? Yes.

Do you want the Harbor Inn to be a homeless shelter?

Ethical discussions are important. Our ethical values will inform our behavior. The choices we make will have an impact on our lives and leave footprints for generations to come.

Ethical discussions are of great value, we should not go through life with our head buried in the sand. But in every discussion and deliberation, I would encourage you to embrace humility. None of us have this all figured out.

Mine is the church where everybody’s welcome! No trespassing! As incongruous as those statements are, they are both true.

One day closer,
Pastor Jim

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Gratitude

Gratitude

Aug 18, 2022 | Pastor Jim's Blog

A Note From Pastor Eric and Kathleen…

I can identify with the leper who received healing from Jesus, coming back and praising God for this gift of liberation.

That gratitude was a far greater gift than the healing, for it acknowledged who gave the gift. In the same way, a huge thank you to TLC and all its members for being so welcoming and warm to both Kathleen and myself throughout all the years we have been a part of this congregation.

Without your acceptance and graciousness, I could not have done what you have credited me for doing. You have been welcoming and warm to both Kathleen and myself.

Thank you to Pastor Jim and Robin for your continuing support, and Karl whose talents have created an atmosphere where fine and sometimes challenging music and wonderful musicians were able to praise God with their many and varied gifts.

Thanks to the wonderful staff; without you our path would have been very difficult. A special thank you to Robin, Deacon Amy, and Dwight for making our Zoom possible and run smoothly. And a final thank you to all who participated in the Bible study over the years. Your willingness to share yourselves with the group made the study what it had become.

Again, thank you for all you have gifted both Kathleen and myself. I pray God will continue to bless you all in order to sustain you as you become as precious a gift as you have been to me.

Pastor Eric Ottum

Dear Trinity Lutheran Family,

I want to thank the entire congregation, staff, and volunteers for the very generous celebration of our time here. Your warm welcome sixteen years ago, and your continuing prayer, support, generosity and many, many kindnesses have been, and continue to be, such a blessing to me. I look forward to remaining a member of this beautiful family and body of Christ.

Thank you all, in person and on line, for the gifts, cards and well wishes for Eric and myself. We are truly blessed by each of you.

May God’s peace be with you all,

Kathleen Ottum

Make It A Good Day

Make It A Good Day

Aug 12, 2022 | Pastor Jim's Blog

Today’s Word from Pastor Jim…

I would like to start today by sharing with you one of my foundational philosophical and theological beliefs: You do not have the power to ruin God’s day, but you do have the power to ruin your life.

This higher power that we refer to as God, defined in the Bible as “love,” is the Master of Creation and the Master of the Universe. God is mysterious and mostly beyond our comprehension. The images from the James Webb telescope reveal the unimaginable vastness of creation. Planet earth is but a dot, a nearly invisible drop of water in a cosmic ocean, a seemingly inconsequential pebble silently spinning unnoticed by the universe. The people of earth are relatively new beings, all of the beauty and cruelty of human history has taken place in just the blink of eye.

We are mere creatures, that’s all. We appear for 7 or 8 decades and move on. We do not control God. We cannot comprehend God. We do not have the power to ruin God’s day. But we most certainly do have the power to ruin our day, our lives, and the lives of those around us. The choices we make each day are critically important in our story, even if they are inconsequential in the larger narrative of the universe.

God is love. Follow the ways of God, modeled for us in Jesus. God is love. Make the choice to love each day. What is love? Love is patient and kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful.

You do not have the power to ruin God’s day, but you do have the power to ruin your life. The environment, a warming planet, our care of creation is a daily concern among the human family. The threats posed by climate change are real. Climate change acknowledges no borders, the effects of a warming planet will be felt by all nations.

Let’s be clear; we do not have the power to destroy the earth, but we do have the power to destroy our quality of life by neglecting to care for our little corner of creation. The earth has survived for billions of years; she has endured much greater environmental catastrophes than we could ever subject her to.

Here is an excerpt from the website https://science.howstuffworks.com/

“About 16.5 million years ago, lava began to be released from vents in southeast Washington and northeast Oregon. The flow, laden with toxic gases, traveled nearly to the Canadian border and also found its way to the Pacific Ocean. In the process, the fiery lava carved out gorges and created cliffs like those along the Palouse River in Washington state.”

“The researchers estimate that, over tens of thousands of years, the flows put out between 242 and 305 billion tons (219 and 277 billion metric tons) of sulfur dioxide. Some of the gas remained trapped in crystals near the volcanic vents, which were analyzed in the WSU study by doctoral student Klarissa Davis, Michael Rowe, now at the University of Auckland, and Owen Neill, now at the University of Michigan.”

“This huge eruption in the Pacific Northwest is bested only by two other basalt floods — characterized as large stretches of land or ocean floor covered by lava. The Siberian Traps in Russia and the Deccan Traps in India may have led to two of Earth’s major extinctions. ‘A similar eruption today,’ said Wolff, would devastate modern society globally.’ ”

This planet has seen it all. We do not have the power to destroy the earth; the earth will survive and thrive in new ways. The question is, will humans survive? The choices we make will make a difference for those who come after us. The quality of life for our children and grandchildren is somewhat dependent on the choices we make today.

God is love. God is the Master of a vast universe. God desires only good for us. God would like our brief appearance on earth to be abundant in every way. We will live with the consequences of the choices we make, but we do not have the capacity to ruin God’s day. Let us make good choices, choices that will benefit those we love, choices that will serve our neighbors and preserve our environment.

Are our actions inconsequential? In the big picture, perhaps. But the freewill that God has given us to exercise does make a difference. Let’s make the most of it.

One day closer,
Pastor Jim

The Shadow of Death

The Shadow of Death

Aug 11, 2022 | Pastor Jim's Blog

Today’s Word from Pastor Tom…

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” Psalm 23

My imagination has recently been held captive by four words, “the shadow of death.” Of course, it is painfully obvious the genesis of this fixation has been Brenda’s death. I cannot put into words how I miss her… suffice to say, her absence has provided me with quite probably the most emotionally debilitating time of my life. If someone is your soul mate (marriage notwithstanding), when that person passes your own soul is wounded. There is a tearing apart that needs healing. That healing is happening, albeit painfully, but it is happening. Thank you for your prayers and cards of encouragement.

I have a couple of observations. First, why is it impossible to say the 23rd Psalm without reciting it in the King’s English? “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…for thou art with me; thy rod…” it’s the Kings English. Precisely like the Lord’s Prayer. There is a lovely contemporary option of the Lord’s Prayer in our well planned-out fancy hymnal, but when left to our own devices we will, without missing a beat, revert to the King’s English, “Our Father, who art in heaven…” Just an observation.

Secondly, it is the shadow of death that continues to be a problem. Not death, but the “shadow” of death. I confess the implications of this have been lost on me. King David did not write, “… though I walk through the valley of death” but “through the valley of the shadow of death.” What is the shadow?

The shadow has become a metaphor for me. The “shadow” of death is everything that reminds me my beautiful Brenda Magdaline is no longer with me. In life the shadow continues to linger long after the memorial service last hymn is sung. Generally, at this time, the shadow still evokes grief. But I believe, more and more, the shadow will leave a smile. Yet still, a story told, a photograph, finding a piece of Bren’s jewelry, planning her memorial service, facing down a closet full of LL Bean clothes and Nordstrom shoes… it can all leave me weepy. Like a shadow that sneaks up on you, the chill of grief can still be raw.

Brenda is good. I live with a profound gratitude knowing Jesus came for my Brenda early in the morning of July 23. At 3:30 AM she was fine, at 5 AM she was gone. Just like my Brenda to do it her way. I know Brenda is just fine with the Lord. She had this profoundly deep, personal Orthodox faith that I felt often left me wanting. I’m a bit of a mess, but she is just fine. And I am getting better because my faith leads me on the path of gratitude through the valley where life is verdant and hope can grow like wildflowers. Through the years I have witnessed those who in similar moments seek to retreat to the safety of mountain tops. To places of control where one’s grief can be walled off. They have traded the valley, with all its emotional vulnerabilities, for the pretense of controlled safety where the shadow cannot surprise them. We need to be mindful that nothing grows on the tops of mountains.

The Good Shepherd’s “rod” (an instrument of authority and rescue) and “staff” (an instrument of comfort and support) are all I need when the shadow of death would again attempt to leave me disabled by grief. With your cards and well-wishes, you have been a critical part of my journey through the valley. Thanks to you, the journey is getting better, the shadow’s reach is gradually diminishing, and I am becoming ever more confident I will again be able to preach a sermon without becoming a blithering idiot.

For the record, with regard to the 23rd Psalm, I still prefer the poetry of the King’s English.

Thank you again for your love, it has meant the world.

Pastor Tom

Thank You Pastor Eric & Kathleen Ottum

Thank You Pastor Eric & Kathleen Ottum

Aug 10, 2022 | Pastor Jim's Blog

Today’s Word from Pastor Jim…

This Sunday we will be marking the retirement of Pastor Eric Ottum from Trinity Lutheran Church. Pastor Eric and Kathleen have served the Lutheran Church for more than 53 years. For the past sixteen years they have served here at TLC.

We hope that you will join us for worship this Sunday, August 14, as we honor this extraordinary couple and thank them for their faithful service. There will be cake at the coffee hour and photographs from their ministry.

Remember to bring a card of gratitude which will be added to other cards of thanksgiving and presented to the Ottums on this festive day.

See you Sunday!

Pastor Jim

No Cure for Being Human

No Cure for Being Human

Aug 6, 2022 | Pastor Jim's Blog

Today’s Word from Pastor Jim…

Author Kate Bowler reminds us that there is no cure for being human. On occasion, the inescapable human condition leaves us with loss, grief, tears, silent graveside visits, and empty chairs at the table. Dust, water, star stuff, the elements come together for a miraculous season called life.

…

We spent the morning sipping our coffee, laughing and crying, mostly crying, at the Seabiscuit Bakery. I drove back to my office, brick and mortar, that will someday have a new occupant. Something was off. The gift and the urgency were noticeably absent. I don’t write poems, but the words long dormant inside of me waited for release.

It didn’t seem right.

The cars were passing through the intersection,
The left turn arrow flashed green,
A cloud slipped by overhead,
the song on the radio remained unchanged from decades past.
It didn’t seem right.

They scurried into the grocery store,
The mailbox was filled with pulp and ink ready for recycling,
A bird moved through blades of grass looking for a snack,
It didn’t seem right.

Did they not know?
Could they have missed the news?
Would frivolous weekend plans go on as scheduled?
It didn’t seem right.

Time stopped when she died, did it not?
The road ahead suddenly is unfamiliar,
Against my will, life reset,
but the reset would prove impotent to fill the void,
— to span the chasm of loss.
It didn’t seem right.

Did I dream it all?
Does memory trick me?
Does flesh and blood grow cold,
leaving dazed corpses behind, warm with grief?
Can this orb continue its journey through space,
spinning on, as if it was not true?

It didn’t seem right.
It doesn’t feel right.
How can life resume as if it never happened?
Will I ever feel right again?

…

There is no cure for being human. We share our humanity. It is an exclusive club in the universe, those whose destiny is to live, to die, and to rise.

The mystery is beyond us.

One day closer,
Pastor Jim