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Quoting a recent sermon commentator, "the pangs of sorrow are everywhere these days." Nearly everyone I talk to is discouraged. Many people I talk to are lamenting the loss of friendships. We struggle to interpret what is happening in our country politically. We struggle to understand wars that have consumed the world. Our brains are burnt out by the news cycle. Social media consumes us.
Years ago, after a brief foray into Facebook, I "signed off" tired of reading posts from friends and parishioners who posted and reposted hateful and divisive messages, many of them absolute lies. I wondered if anyone actually listened to my sermons! When did we get to the point of accepting lies as truth? Why do we believe it is ok to lie as long as it justifies what we want to believe? The pangs of sorrow are everywhere these days. The bible says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23)." It's not my favorite bible verse, but it is certainly the most honest. Regardless of background or merit, political party or country of origin, gender or sexual identity, skin color or language, we do not measure up to God. We fall short. We say things and do things that do not represent the best desires of God for us. Humility goes a long way when it comes to understanding ourselves and our neighbors. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord (James 4:10). Humility is not thinking less of ourselves. Humility is thinking about ourselves less. It puts us in a proper relationship with God and with our neighbor. When you lower yourself, you lift God up. When you lower yourself, you lift others up. May you be blessed in the lifting! Pastor Geib
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It has been a dizzying and disorienting time in our country. Our neighbors to the north and to the south are struggling to define their new status with Americans. Friends or foes? Only a couple weeks ago, Canadian planes and firefighters joined Americans for rescue and relief efforts in California. Prime Minister Trudeau recalled that Canadian soldiers joined America's soldiers on historic battlefields, Normandy for instance, but many more.
Non profit organizations that have cared for the vulnerable in and outside of our country wonder if federal funds will be available to do the important work they do ... not to make money, but to serve others in the true spirit of the Gospel. These include many Lutheran non profits, like Global Refuge, once named Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services. Global Refuge is currently caring for 5800 legal immigrants/refugees, many from Afghanistan and Ukraine. Those from the former were American allies and their families. The latter are refugees from the war in Ukraine. Global Refuge is caring for them on behalf of the US Government. Now, Global Refuge is caring for them without financial support from the US Government. But, Global Refuge is one among many such non profit agencies struggling to continue their mission in the wake of the withdrawal of federal support. Other agencies provide adoption services, foster care services, senior care and more. Lutheran non profits run nursing homes that receive Medicare and Medicaid payments. If either program is threatened, so will services to the recipients of Medicare and Medicaid support. One of our synodical bishops reported that 1 in 50 Americans receive support from Lutheran Services in America each year. We can be proud to be part of a church that extends itself to serve the most vulnerable as a response to God's abundant grace and mercy. And they have been supported in this work through legitimate government contracts ... until now. The same goes for similar organizations in our mainline and evangelical partners. The same bishop writes, "Why do they/we do this work? Not for profit. Literally. They do it because it is the work of the gospel. It is our call." Amen to that! It is November 5, 2024 ... Election Day. Cathy and I headed to our new polling place shortly before 7 AM, so that I could vote, drop her off at home and get on my way to Marietta. Two voting precincts vote in the same place- Mount Joy 1 and Mount Joy 2. We vote in Mount Joy 1. Despite our early arrival, the parking lot was full and cars were parked bumper to bumper along a country road. As we stood in line waiting, you could hear the anxiety in the voices of those who joined us in line. Once inside, there were three people sitting quietly in chairs, appointed to be the vote monitors. They smiled at us, but said nothing. All the volunteers working the poll were cheerful, friendly and helpful. One knew our son, Andrew, because he officiated at a funeral of a friend. She was very enthusiastic about his leadership and pastoral care.
Eventually, we voted. The process was efficient. I dropped Cathy off and got on the road to Zion. Sometime before York, a screen popped up on my phone. It indicated that 99 year old Dick Van Dyke just weighed in on the election. I was curious. Who doesn't like Dick Van Dyke, after all? Stopped in traffic on 30 East, I skimmed the article and was moved by his comments. He quoted a speech by Rod Sterling, creator of the Twilight Zone. "Hatred is not the norm. Prejudice is not the norm. Suspicion, dislike, jealousy, scapegoating, none of these are the transcendent facet of the human personality. They are diseases. They are the cancers of the soul. They are the infections and contagious viruses that have been breeding humanity for years." No matter what the election news is later tonight, tomorrow or next week, it is a time for each of us to reckon with where we stand on such important matters. Hatred is not the norm. We were created for a "still more excellent way." "Renew in me a right Spirit, O Lord. And create in me a clean heart." AMEN. In late October, I plan to go to Penn State Harrisburg to watch a newly released documentary titled "Repairing the World." The film describes the aftermath of the shooting at Tree of Life synagogue in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh on October 27, 2018, the deadliest attack on a Jewish community in the United States. Eleven were killed and six wounded, including Holocaust survivors.
"Repairing the World," in Hebrew "tikkun olam," describes the logical outcome of a Torah life or a Tree of Life life. The Torah is a Tree of Life. For Christians, who see the cross as our Tree of Life, tikkun olam or repairing the world flows from the sacrificial love of Jesus. Because God loves us, we love each other. Our love for others leads Christians to reject extremism, hate speech and antisemitism. The survivors of the attack on Tree of Life synagogue decided, in the aftermath of that horrible day, to not just survive, but to live out the character of a Torah life and were all the more determined to be who they were created to be by living, loving and serving in their community. Tikkun olam ... they became repairers of the world. During this time, when our country seems so deeply divided, cast your lot with the bridge builders. Be the one who uses your gifts for tikkun olam. Be a repairer of the world! Blessings! Pastor Geib Like many of you, we watched the first presidential debate, at least until we could watch no longer. I will never tell you who to vote for. I will always tell you TO vote. As hard as that may be in this upcoming election, it is a right and privilege passed onto us by wise forefathers and mothers, as well as a right and privilege paid for by the blood of America's heroes. In America, you and I have the responsibility to protect the political inheritance of this land we love. Voting is our voice!
Having said that, I have always believed that a good name and a good character are the first qualifications for any form of leadership- from the office of president to the office of pastor and to all the various ways we live out our vocations. And, as followers of Jesus, ours is a servant leadership, not motivated by hubris, but by humility. As these summer months continue and as you go here and there, remember that God has blessed you with much. In turn, be a blessing to many! Blessings! Pastor Geib I'm sitting in my church office in late May. Traffic is light on 441. The church lawn is green and freshly mowed. Lancaster County farmland is to my left. To my right, looking out my office window, I can see the Marietta cemetery. I changed the church paraments from red to green this morning, signaling the movement to ordinary time. The building is quiet.
I loved coming to my office at my previous congregation early on Saturday mornings. When I left my home, none of my neighbors were even out of bed. Arriving at my office, I could expect to have several hours of uninterrupted time. It was a blessing for me in a busy congregation and ministry. Time is a blessing. I know, when my dad died, he would have liked more time. He didn't fear death, he just loved life. Sometimes we confuse the two notions. There is much in life to fear. There is much in life to regret. But, there is much in life to love. Today is my marriage anniversary. Cathy and I were married at St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Lancaster on May 28, 1983. Our life together, while not absent of the typical growing pains and expected bumps in the road, is a confirmation of God's blessings. Children, grandchildren, extended family, wonderful friends including all the church family we've come to know are at the top of the list. And, they are reason enough to remember the old adage to "count your blessings." Yes, there are plenty of things to worry about in the world. But, our blessings are even more abundant. When our children went off to college, I reminded them repeatedly to remember "who and whose they are." I'll remind you of the same. Take some time to count your blessings. Entrust the worries to God. God's got this! And, God holds you in the palm of God's hand! Blessings! Pastor Geib Over the past month, what we’ve seen happening for years in the church, has taken a more personal dimension for the ELCA. Our seminary in the south- Lutheran Southern Theological Seminary in Columbia, SC- has made a decision to close its campus and sell it. The faculty, at least some of them, will labor on, offering instruction on the campus of our ELCA college, Lenoir-Rhyne University, in Lenoir, NC.
Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the country, Pacific Lutheran Seminary, will soon suspend all in person instruction and focus only on online education for future rostered leaders of the church. Declining student bodies and higher costs have conspired to lead to these dramatic changes in preparing church leadership. Gettysburg Seminary, now part of the two campus United Lutheran Seminary, has sold most of its dormitories. They will be torn down to make room for a new Gettysburg Library. The few in person students who remain on campus will be housed in one of the remaining dorms. The bishop has said repeatedly that the Covid pandemic only aggravated what we’ve seen for some time- fewer pastors, smaller congregations, young adults not returning to church. The Easter Season has arrived. It is a time for new life. It is a time for us to consider our commitment to the church and to speaking on behalf of Christ to the world and our neighbor. As we live in this season of new life, prayerfully consider the opportunities you have to share the Good News with others. In a hurting world, among hurting neighbors and friends, the Good News of Christ’s victory over death shared through loving words and deeds is a powerful testimony to the faith of the Church and the power of a Christ like life! Blessings! Pastor Geib Continuing Pastor Glover’s efforts to offer some thoughts to ponder each month through Zion’s web page presence and since it’s snowing outside, leading me to work from my home office today, I thought I’d give it a shot.
My singer/songwriter friend, the late John Prine, was fond of pointing out the idiosyncrasies of modern life and modern people. He made a career out of giving voice to the things we thought, but chose not to speak. He often used familiar phrases to share his thoughts, phrases that we might use when we can’t figure out anything else to say and turn to in “default.” Try this one. “That’s the way that the world goes round.” Ponder the lyrics. “That’s the way that the world goes round. You’re up one day. The next your down. It’s a half an inch of water and you think you’re gonna drown. That’s the way that the earth goes round.” It is a topsy turvy world. You’re up one day. The next you’re down. Climate news is troubling. The evidence seems clear that we are sinking our own ship. Still, opponents oppose any efforts at addressing our own demise. The party of National Security voted against its own bill to provide some. Those who used to stand in the way of Russian aggression, now cheer them on. More shootings … in a church, a subway, city streets and more. It is a topsy turvy world. What to say? “That’s the way that the world goes round.” When we feel helpless, we echo such thoughts because we have nothing better to say. Scripture says, “God is our refuge and strength.” It is a simple reminder that in the helplessness of life in the world, people of faith turn to the ready help of God, who is our refuge and strength. God is the light on the horizon with the promise of a safe arrival. God is the open arms of a neighbor offering comfort in a time of need. God is the warm bowl of soup for an empty belly. God is bread and wine given and received kneeing or standing elbow to elbow next to a beloved sister or brother in faith. God is hope. God is promise. God is love. The world is topsy turvy. We cannot comprehend or make sense of much of it. But, God is steadfast. That is true and can be trusted. Blessings! Pastor Geib What was it about being adults as children that had us not able to wait until we grew up? Was it the sense of freedom? The ability to make our own choices? Wear the clothes or the styles we wanted to wear? What were we thinking??
This past week was one of those weeks I was simply done with adulting and all the responsibilities that go along with it. I had returned from vacation and continuing education tired, and exhausted. By the time I arrived home, I wanted nothing more to do than unload the car and go to bed. Never mind Bonnie and Shadow were clamoring for attention -- and food. The next morning, I learned why I was so tired and exhausted -- I tested positive for covid. Covid was not on the post vacation to do list. It meant changing plans quickly for Sunday services. My deep gratitude to Holly Gainor and Jason Spickler for pinch hitting at the last minute Saturday morning. It meant cancelling lunch plans with friends, and it meant not being able to visit Vaughn in skilled care. Thankfully, this second round of covid was mild. It was still miserable, but mild. I was able to talk with Vaughn, and tell him it would be a few days before I would be able to see him. A couple of hours later, the skilled care facility called, sharing they thought he had a heart attack and were sending him to the hospital. I was a little scared. OK, a lot scared. I couldn't be there with him, and both our adult children were dealing with health crises in their families as well. God heard our prayers: symptoms were related to a uti Vaughn has. Two days later, the microwave decided to go on the fritz while trying to cook an ear of corn (A colleague joked the microwave caught the corn-a-virus). The next day, I discovered the water heater had a leak and needed to be replaced. This was my last straw. I needed to make decisions that seemed hard: spend money on a service call for the microwave, or buy a new microwave? A service plan for the water heater, or ignore it until it gets too worse? I wanted Vaughn's presence to make the difficult decisions, to sit home and wait for the water heater to be repaired, to remind me to breathe, and take a deep breath, that in the words of Julian of Norwich, "All will be well, and all will be well." Only he wasn't -- and isn't. So I called home, and got my parent's voicemail. The next day my Mom called to tell me she too had tested positive for covid. Ugh! This is it. I'm done adulting. I'm ready for a vacation in the middle of the ocean, with no internet or cell phone. I know I just returned, but I'm ready to sit under the unpredictable plant (see Eugene Peterson's book), and have an adult beverage. Complaint and whining aside, I was reminded by several, of God's grace. Yes, there are and will be weeks where it feels as though everything is falling apart at the same time. There are weeks where it will feel as though nothing can be done correctly, that there will always be more needing time and attention than what is necessary or what can realistically be done. Even in the middle of weeks like these, where we declare to anyone who will listen our doneness with adulting, is the reminder from Romans 8 (paraphrased because of this week): I am convinced that neither fried microwaves or leaky water heaters, or the inability to visit loved ones in skilled care, or being a distance away from loved ones with covid can separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus. God loves me in the rough moments of life. God loves you in the rough moments of life. God loves you, me, and the entire world -- always and forever. Maybe you're done adulting -- temporarily. Maybe life is super overwhelming at this point in time. Maybe world news is just too much to read or listen to. Whatever leads you to not want to adult anymore, please know you are not alone. You are loved. God loves you and so do I. One of the musical artists my Mother listened to when I was growing up was Neil Diamond. He had a song that began with the line "Hello, Again, Hello."
It's been awhile -- a long while since anything has been posted on Zion's website. Even though we may have been silent online, we haven't been silent in person or in the community. We continue to partner with the East Donegal/Conoy Food Bank, helping our neighbors in need. We continue to offer Prime Time once a month for seniors in the community who enjoy food and socializing with others around Bingo. We continue to sponsor Tools 4 School, to be held this year on Saturday, August 12th. We're continuing to tend to the seeds of faith sprouting among us. We're here. To that, we say, "Hello, Again, Hello." If you're visiting Zion's webpage for the first time, hello. We're glad you're here with us. If you're visiting to see if content has been updated, hello! We're glad you're here. Join us as you are able -- in person or online! Check upcoming events and join us, especially for our upcoming Connecting with God through the Arts series beginning in July. Hello, again, hello. We're glad you're with us today! May God's peace be with you! |
AuthorSPastor Richard Geib Archives
March 2026
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