Called, gathered, enlightened and sustained

It's the season of family reunions.  All those relatives, many who live at great distances, some whose names are lost in memory, gather in one spot to drink coffee (and most times beer) and to eat 4 kinds of potato salad and try to catch up.  "My Lord how the children have grown!"  is a favorite refrain to each greeting.

It's all a bit awkward at the beginning....there are new in-laws to introduce and that search for a safe topic of mutual interest.  There's a lot of talk about sports teams and children's graduations, the weather and golf games, and if you happen to be related to me, Tim Hortons.  But if the stars align just right, and God smiles on your gathering, you will begin to share family stories....the buried treasure of every family.

There is the story about mom chasing the kids with water pistols on the first really hot day of the year.....in the house!  Then there is dad's love for anything plaid.  Great-grandma's sour cherry pie and Uncle Carl's crankiness.  There will be the detailed re-telling of someone's birth, and the sadness ladden story of where each one was when they heard of Great Grandpa's death. There are happy stories, funny stories, scary stories, and of course, sad stories as well.

It takes about 4 hours to get comfortable enough with one another to begin to tell the sad stories, and just possibly if everyone hangs in there long enough, you can get to those stories of conflict and crisis. If you get that far, you will have managed what many never do - to speak the truth about your lives together, your shared history, and have gained some insight into how meaning has been formed in you.

You might just take a moment, quietly, off to yourself, to realize that managing this life is beyond challenging; that the road is twisted and rocky and often dangerous; that having someone else know your story gives you strength and resilience; and in the end, there is so much for which to be grateful.

My daughter is taking the lead to plan our family's small reunion this summer.  I doubt that she has given a moment's thought to Martin Luther's explanation to the work of the Holy Spirit in his Small Catechism who 'calls, gathers, enlightens and sustains' the church.

Would we not paint our family reunions with a different color if we saw the Spirit moving among and through us to bring others to life.....to abundant life.......in the midst of joy and sorrow and evil and anger.........this Spirit works to sustain us.....in this frail collection of flawed human beings.......where we can practice being life for one another?

It is in the back yard, eating hamburgers and cole slaw, playing horseshoes or corn hole and waiting for the fireworks to start that the Spirit is working to call and gather God's holy people into one body...in Jesus' name, out of love, for the sake of each one.

Perhaps I need to re-think my approach to this year's hot dog extravaganza; it's a lot more holy than I realized.

Reformation Monday: Luther's morning prayer

In the morning, as soon as you get out of bed, you are to make the sign of the holy cross and say "God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit watch over me. Amen."

Many of us know the Small Catechism of Martin Luther from years gone by in confirmation class.  For most of us, it was about the Ten Commandments, the Lord's Prayer and the Apostle's Creed and their explanations.

The Small Catechism was written by Luther for use in the home, where the head of the household would instruct his/her children and servants in the faith.  It is written in a question and answer format so the student would first recite, for example, the First Commandment and then the household head would ask  "What does this mean?"  Remember that?

Also included in the Small Catechism was an outline for morning and evening devotions, many of which were held as a family around the family table.  At the very least, Luther wanted all to begin their day reminded of their baptism and renewing their relationship with God through prayer.  Here is Luther's morning prayer:

"I give thanks to you, heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ your dear Son, that you have protected me through the night from all harm and danger.  I ask that you would also protect me today from sin and all evil, so that my life and actions may please you.  Into your hands I commend myself: my body, my soul, and all that is mine.  Let your holy angel be with me, so that the wicked foe may have no power over me.  Amen"  ELW p1166

Starting your day with prayer is always a good idea, and the advantage to having memorized a prayer is that it will fall easily from your lips.  There are many within our 60+ age group who know this morning prayer from memory.

From my time at seminary, where we as a community worshipped daily and the order of Matins was the form every Tuesday and Thursday, I learned the morning prayer from the matins service.  It is my 'go-to' prayer in the morning and so I share it here with you

"Almighty and everlasting God, you  have brought us in safety to this new day.  Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin nor be overcome in adversity.  In all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen  ELW p304

Prayer is not a reformation thing.  Prayer is a transformation thing.  It is a lifeline between the Divine and its Creation.  It is a conversation between the Lover and the Beloved.  If only for a few seconds each morning, it centers our day on God before the crush of the world's demands.

Perhaps memorizing one of these prayers will prove especially transformational for you.