Greetings Faith,
We are now heading into the month of March, and we are fully in the season of Lent. This Lent Faith, as a congregation, has been focusing on our mortality. This is something that we as Christians are called to do. On Ash Wednesday, we are marked with the cross of Christ on our foreheads, and we hear the words, “remember you are dust and to dust you shall return.” This is not necessarily an easy task. Talking about death can be a taboo subject, and it can sometimes bring up sad memories for us. No matter the reason, it can be a hard topic to discuss.
Recently, I was reminded of an article that was published in September of 2019 by Lutheran Seminary. The article was written by Dwight Zscheile. The article stated that “According to projections from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s (ELCA) Office of Research and Evaluation, the whole denomination will have fewer than 67,000 members in 2050, with fewer than 16,000 in worship on an average Sunday by 2041.” I was reflecting on this statement as I was driving home from Faith. My first thoughts were of a selfish nature. I started worrying about my own well-being. I started worrying about the viability of my vocation as a pastor. I asked myself “why did I spend eight years in undergrad and Seminary when the denomination that I feel called to be in will essentially cease to exist in 20 years?” I then started worrying about the future of Faith. I started getting myself worked up over it all. However, then I remembered the main point from my Ash Wednesday sermon. The main message of that sermon was that we, as Christians, are a people of death and resurrection. In our baptism, we are baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection, and because of this we are called into death and life. For us, death and life cannot be separated. However, we know from the cross that death leads to life. This gave me hope. I was reminded that there will always be life because of the cross, because of Jesus’ death. The cross also stands as a reminder of God’s presence with us. Even in our darkest of times, God is with us.
So, there is a lot that is unknown for us in the future. However, there will always be life because of the cross. Congregations may change. Ministries may change. However, the Church will always remain.
In the Gospel of John, when Martha comes to find Jesus for her brother Lazarus is dead, Jesus says to her “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live,26 and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” My question is do you believe this? So, as you continue on through this season of Lent, “remember you are dust and to dust you shall return.” Remember that you are a people of death and resurrection, and so go and live.
Peace and Blessings, Pastor Ethan Doan
We are now heading into the month of March, and we are fully in the season of Lent. This Lent Faith, as a congregation, has been focusing on our mortality. This is something that we as Christians are called to do. On Ash Wednesday, we are marked with the cross of Christ on our foreheads, and we hear the words, “remember you are dust and to dust you shall return.” This is not necessarily an easy task. Talking about death can be a taboo subject, and it can sometimes bring up sad memories for us. No matter the reason, it can be a hard topic to discuss.
Recently, I was reminded of an article that was published in September of 2019 by Lutheran Seminary. The article was written by Dwight Zscheile. The article stated that “According to projections from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s (ELCA) Office of Research and Evaluation, the whole denomination will have fewer than 67,000 members in 2050, with fewer than 16,000 in worship on an average Sunday by 2041.” I was reflecting on this statement as I was driving home from Faith. My first thoughts were of a selfish nature. I started worrying about my own well-being. I started worrying about the viability of my vocation as a pastor. I asked myself “why did I spend eight years in undergrad and Seminary when the denomination that I feel called to be in will essentially cease to exist in 20 years?” I then started worrying about the future of Faith. I started getting myself worked up over it all. However, then I remembered the main point from my Ash Wednesday sermon. The main message of that sermon was that we, as Christians, are a people of death and resurrection. In our baptism, we are baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection, and because of this we are called into death and life. For us, death and life cannot be separated. However, we know from the cross that death leads to life. This gave me hope. I was reminded that there will always be life because of the cross, because of Jesus’ death. The cross also stands as a reminder of God’s presence with us. Even in our darkest of times, God is with us.
So, there is a lot that is unknown for us in the future. However, there will always be life because of the cross. Congregations may change. Ministries may change. However, the Church will always remain.
In the Gospel of John, when Martha comes to find Jesus for her brother Lazarus is dead, Jesus says to her “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live,26 and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” My question is do you believe this? So, as you continue on through this season of Lent, “remember you are dust and to dust you shall return.” Remember that you are a people of death and resurrection, and so go and live.
Peace and Blessings, Pastor Ethan Doan
