An Open Letter to Graduates

A Graduation Blessing: An Open Letter to Graduates
Wednesday May 25, 2011, Muscatine, Iowa
I offer these thoughts as a blessing of wisdom to graduates, because they have reached an important milestone in life. I write from a perspective of faith, specifically as a Christian minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA):
• What to do with your life? The word vocation is from the Latin word vocare, which translates “calling.” Your vocation is more important than your “job.” You will find your “calling” when you use your unique talents and skills to meet the needs of others.
• Ultimately, faith teaches us that the most important thing in life is loving God and loving our neighbors as ourselves. You may not be able to write that on a job application, but God has written that in your heart.
• Jesus showed us that life is about loving and serving others. Life is too big to be just about “me.” The way of Jesus is the way of self-giving, not self-service.
• If you grew up in church, I suspect your church tried to teach you, as faithfully as it could, about Christianity, faith and stuff like that. But we are imperfect people and probably messed up along the way. Please know there is a lot about Christianity that we either didn’t convey to you in the best way, or that we simply didn’t know enough ourselves. Please forgive us.
• Forgiveness, compassion, mercy, justice, humility. These are the things that Christians do—how we live out our faith. It is much more important to do these things than it is to have memorized facts about religious-type stuff.
• If you have doubts about God, Jesus, faith, etc. that is okay.
• If you learn or see stuff that challenges your faith, that is okay too. God can handle it. It is usually our own ideas about God that need to be adjusted.
• Most people who say they don’t believe in God have a negative notion of who God is, and they spend a great deal of energy fighting against the God they say doesn’t exist. Go figure.
• Don’t listen to the religious people who don’t believe in science; and don’t listen to the science people who trash religion. God is much bigger than our minds can conceive, and God works in both science and religion, mostly in mysterious, hidden ways.
• Church and religious stuff is not that popular right now. Part of the reason for this is that people see Christians as old-fashioned, boring, confusing, judgmental hypocrites. We are often portrayed as people who are out of touch, insensitive and intolerant. Remember the church is a hospital for sinners not a country club for saints. Just because other Christians fail doesn’t give you a pass. One of my favorite quotes is from a guy named G.K. Chesterton who said: “Christianity has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult and not tried.”
• As Bob Dylan sang, “You gotta serve somebody.” Which is to say if you choose not to worship God in church, you will end up worshipping someone or something else (an idol). So worshiping God in church helps you to not worship other little gods like your job, your self, etc. One thing I learned as a restaurant manager for Chili’s is that you can love your job all you want, but it will never love you back.
• Your soul is precious and needs attention. Find a community of believers in which you can find nurture for your soul. You need a reverent, holy place you can go so that God can continue to shape you into the person God wants you to become. It may be possible to do on your own, but it is certainly a lot harder that way. We need help doing what Jesus taught: loving and praying for our enemies, etc.
• Rather than focusing on getting to heaven someday when we die, Christianity is actually more about living in freedom and joy right now.
• Christianity is actually pretty hard, but the payoff is pretty cool. Rather than being trapped by what we think of ourselves, or what others think of us, following Jesus allows us to see ourselves as God sees us. That takes a lot of pressure off, so you don’t have to choose the perfect life. This means the choices you make do not define you—you exist because God chose you.
• So many Hallmark graduation cards will tell you that you can accomplish whatever you want as long as you believe in yourself and follow your dreams. As with most things, this is only half true. It must also be tempered with the Christian belief that all of life is a gift. And by definition, a gift is not something you have to work for; you do not have to believe in yourself to receive a gift. The gift of life is just to be received.
• The best way to respond to the gift of life is to:
o live with humility (don’t think more highly of yourself than you ought),
o Live with gratitude (be content with what God has provided rather than focusing on what you don’t have) and
o Live free from fear (stop asking yourself over and over again: “Am I good enough?” “Am I worthy?” “Does anyone really love me?” “Do I belong?”).
• I hope you always remember who you are and whose you are. Faith teaches us that we are beloved children of God, no matter what grades you make, what job you do, or if you are “successful” or not. God’s love is unconditional, and the word we have for that is grace. You don’t belong to yourself, you belong to God who loves you.
• You have so many pressures, stressors, and expectations placed on you and/or that you have for yourself. Remember the Kingdom of God is all around you. Devote yourself first to God, and let God take care of you.
• If you ever need anyone to talk to or just to listen, just let me know.

Now May God Bless You and Keep You, and Lead Your Lives with Love,

David Ivie, Pastor

Facebook: facebook.com/DavidIvie1
Twitter: @DavidIvie1 (https://twitter.com/#!/DavidIvie1)

Thoughts on the Failed Rapture

Last Saturday morning I looked out the window and noticed all the varied greens in our backyard. There was the wise, aged dark green of the evergreen, the lighter green of the new leaves on the ash tree, the green whispering off the willow tree and the glowing green of the fresh-cut bluegrass lawn.

I noticed how beautiful the setting was and remembered how God had looked at the world in all of its newness and called it “good.” Then I remembered that this day was Saturday May 21, the day that someone had predicted either the world to end or a rapture to occur. This type of thinking was promoted by John Nelson Darby in the 19th century and is called “dispensationalism.” It is often related to “premillenialism” and promotes a pretribulation rapture. More recent interpreters have been Scofield and Ryrie.

Though this type of thinking may be popular, and it may have sold a lot of books (i.e. the Left Behind series), it is not what most Christians (especially Presbyterians) believe about God, the world, or about humans. In fact, rapture theology is in direct opposition to covenant theology found in the Bible and in most of Christian thinking.

Solid biblical teaching reminds us that the world is a good world and that God loves it and us. The Bible tells us so, from Genesis to Revelation. John 3:16 begins: “For God so loved the world.” And the Gloria Patri (praise to the Father) that many churches sing weekly ends with the strong claim: “world without end, amen, amen.”

So God would not lead us to escape from this world. God would not draw some out of the world so that the rest could be left behind, miserable for a 1000 year period of tribulation. This would mean God would break covenant with us--something God, we trust, God will never do. (It is we who break covenant while God remains faithful, patient and gracious to us).

Several points from our Reformed Presbyterian heritage are helpful. God is too large for us to comprehend, so we frankly have no business speaking on God’s behalf. We just don’t know and don’t need to know.

Our task? Tend our gardens, care for the earth, participate with God to bring healing and wholeness to this world and to others.

We trust in God who is working in the world to redeem the world and us. Now that is news—good news.

Staying behind, David

Introducing the Paschal Candle

I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. John 8:12

On Easter morning we introduced a new large candle to our sanctuary. Beth, one of our newly baptized members and recent confirmation student, processed down the aisle as we sang our opening hymn. This is the Paschal candle, a visible reminder that Jesus is the light of life who scatters our darkness. On Good Friday, the scriptures tell us that darkness covered Jerusalem as Jesus was crucified. The light that the Paschal candle shines forth is the same light that dawned on Easter morning, bringing new hope to our world.

Paschal is from the Greek word pascha (“Passover”) and was used by the early church to describe the events of Easter. This candle will be lit during our worship throughout the season of Easter, the season that celebrates the Resurrection of our Lord. After Pentecost, the candle will no longer be lit on Sundays, as the liturgical season shifts to focus on the presence of the light of Christ in our lives and world through the presence of the Holy Spirit.

The Paschal candle will always be lit for baptisms and funerals, however, a permanent reminder of the centrality of the death and resurrection of our Lord. A small candle, lit from the Paschal candle will be given to the newly baptized: “You have been enlightened by Christ.” At our funerals, the candle reminds us of the hope that comes with God’s promise of new life in Christ.

May the candle remind you that Christ is risen indeed. And may its flame guide your path and enlighten your world!