As the end of the church year approaches...

Here is something borrowed from Dr. Dale Meyer and his Meyer Minute.

A beautiful rosy sunrise is how today begins here in Collinsville. “Rosy fingered dawn” was how the Greek poet Homer described it thousands of years ago, a great image for beginnings and hope, but what about the end? Last Sunday in church we sang, “The golden evening brightens in the west,” and our church tolled the bell for the 28 members who died since the last All Saints Day. Is life winding down or just beginning? Is it morning or evening?

After writing this Minute, I’ll empty out the ceramic pots that decorated our porch this season, pots with flowers and herbs, ornamental grass and even potatoes. It’s a winding down, cold, gray winter is coming, but even as I put the pots away, I’ll be thinking of next spring, of rosy fingered dawns still to come, new births, new growth. “‘All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.’ And this word is the good news that was preached to you” (1 Peter 1:24-25, quoting Isaiah 40:6, 8).

I offer this as a little illustration of the beauty of Christian faith as we age. “The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of our God. They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green, to declare that the Lord is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him” (Psalm 92:12-15).

For a Christ-centered life, the approaching evening brings anticipation of a morning like none other. “But, lo, there breaks a yet more glorious day: The saints triumphant rise in bright array; / The King of Glory passes on His way. Alleluia! Alleluia! (Lutheran Service Book, 677:7). “You believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 8-9).

These three weekends...

Two weekends ago we had a wonderful Pastor Appreciation reception between worship services. Thanks to Jennifer Anders, Jeff Shoumaker, the elders and the members of Redeemer for their heart-warming affirmation!

Last weekend was a wonderful reminder of God’s grace in bringing the message of His Gospel back to the forefront. Thanks be to God for the suffering, death, and resurrection of the only-begotten Son of the Father, Christ Jesus, for the forgiveness of the sins of the world!

This next weekend we will give thanks to God for all the brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus who support and encourage us, lead us and sustain us. We will also give thanks for the cloud of witnesses to the Faith who have gone before us.

Oh, and remember, it’s the end of Daylight-Saving Time, too. Set those clocks back and hour – or be prepared to take some coffee to church with you to share it with others awaiting the unlocking of the doors!

The Blessing of Being the Church

In an article “Hope for a Worn-out Church” from Science for the Church, Drew Rick-Miller revealed these ominous statistics: Depression rates in the US population, which were 8.5% before the pandemic, increased from 27.8% in March/April 2020 to 32.8% a year later. That’s one in three Americans who are worn out with diagnosable symptoms of depression.

Thankfully, he also pointed out that hope is one of the better antidotes for depression. Such hope does not come from church growth or full pews. It comes from Jesus Christ. Jesus entered into our suffering and defeated sin, death, and the devil through His resurrection. One way we experience the hope of Christ is when the faithful gather, in-person and virtually, for worship.

Thankfully, we have been able to gather in both those ways for months, now. In an article by Harvard’s Tyler J. VandeWeele from 2017 here are some highlights:

• Regular church attendance over a lifetime translates to approximately seven additional years of life.

• It is associated with less smoking, drinking, and drug use.

• It leads to 20-30% lower rates of depression and 3-to-6- fold lower rates of suicide.

• It leads to life satisfaction, lower divorce rates, and a greater sense of meaning and purpose.

Attendance alone isn’t it. “Religious Attendance” is rather a proxy for the “black box” of activities packaged into “church” – all the forms of social support which come from a healthy faith community.

Thanks be to God that we belong – to Him and to one another. Thanks, furthermore, that we’ve been able to worship, witness, and serve!