"Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth?"
Luke 12:51
As unsettling as it seems, Jesus surprised us in yesterday's Gospel by sounding sort of crabby. The division he speaks of in Luke 12:49-56 may make us uncomfortable and squirmy in the pews. But, there it is. What we learned in our sermon yesterday makes sense to me, though, as I see it played out in history. Sometimes division is necessary for growth and positive change to happen. Sometimes something disconcerting leads us to make a change in our lives--a change for the better. Jesus asks hard things of us. We can't have an encounter with Jesus and come out unchanged. And that change may come with division. As Pastor Gretchen said, unity at all costs may not always be the way of growth. One example she gave is that, nearly fifty years ago, the ELCA branch of Lutheranism decided women should be ordained. Fifty years ago! That must have brought division and discomfort, certainly. But as I listened to her powerfully reflect on the word of God, and watched her preside over the Eucharistic table, I thanked God for the division that led to THAT change. And speaking of change, after attending Immanuel Lutheran Church for over six months, I have officially become a member. Sometimes growth means change...Love, heidi
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