Grace and Peace to you all! February 6th, AshWednesday, ushers us into a new season of life together as God’s people. The season of Lent will be upon us, and lead us through a 40 day season of preparation for Holy Week and Easter! Especially in an ecumenical congregation, Lent is many things…a time for focused prayer, worship, almsgiving, service, fasting, repentance, preparation, cleansing. But, the season of Lent is greater than the sum of these parts. It is most simply put, a journey. Our Scriptures teach us about the value and nature of this journey of faith through many lenses – Noah floating for 40 days, the Israelites wandering for 40 years, Jesus in the wilderness for 40 days. As a spiritual journey to discover what God was doing in their lives, they each made the journey. And along the way, each of them discovered something about God’s calling for their life.
Noah discovered something about living in God’s faithfulness. Moses discovered something about living out divine freedom. Jesus discovered the path for which he had been revealed. They each physically ended up in a different place – Noah on the side of a mountain across the sea, Moses in a new country, Jesus in a new town to begin his public ministry. Yes, during a divinely appointed season each of them went somewhere. But, more importantly, during the season, each of them became something.
Hans Christian Andersen wrote in “The Fairy Tale of My Life” that “to travel is to live”. And indeed, for someone who struggled to travel the short distance from Odense to Copenhagen in his youth, he ended up spending 18 years of his adult life traveling to places like Amsterdam, Austria, Germany, Holland, Italy, Morocco, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland, which in the mid 1800s was a tremendous feat. It was during this time that so many of his fairy tales came to life, and he truth as Andersen was blessed to see it, was recorded through the images of life that left an indelible mark on his view of the world. In a sense, H.C. Andersen was blessed to make the journey due to his fame and the wealth of friends. And in these years, he certainly went somewhere. But more importantly, during this season of his life, he became something. And children’s lives around the world are richer for it.
We live in a transient time, and as an international community, we experience travels more than most communities, whether our own one another’s. Spanning the globe brings great joys and discoveries, and it also brings great struggles with our time and energy. In all of our comings and goings, the next 40 days, the season of Lent will provide us with a divinely appointed season to make a spiritual journey. We have the opportunity to travel extra miles in prayer as a group focusing on Spiritual disciplines, groups gathered in Bible Study, service through our Refugee Service or the collection of clothes for the women’s shelter, youth meeting for fun and Christian education, each of us gathered together for worship and fellowship…all of these parts of our life exist to help us to make the spiritual journey. There is such value in making this journey, just like H.C. Andersen said, “to travel is to live”. In making this intentional spiritual journey, we come alive, and discover God’s still small voice calling us to follow.
Yes, for some of us, this faithful pursuit can be literally displacing. But for all of us, the Spirit is calling us to be transformed by the journey. This newsletter is packed with many opportunities to engage the journey during this month, and our congregation is packed with beautiful children of God to share the journey in faithful support. As we make the trip through this season, it is my prayer that, as a congregation as well as individually, we will not so much think about where we are going, but what we are becoming. And at the end of the journey, we can marvel at where we how far we have come.
May your Lent be blessed.
Peace,
Pastor Chad
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Saturday, January 05, 2008
O Come, let us adore him...
When you receive this message, we will be in the middle of the 12 day season of Christmas. From December 25th, until January 5th, we celebrate the season in which the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us in the human form of the Christ child, Jesus. January 6th then, is the day of Epiphany – the day when we remember the Magi who came from the East to visit the Christ child and offer their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Today, from the land to the east however, Orthodox Christianity celebrates January 6th as the birth of Christ. And for we at ICC, who experience the ecumenical sharing of our varied Christian traditions, this means that we truly celebrate Christmas on December 25th until January 6th!
This year, January 6th happens to be a Sunday, which gives us the time and space to celebrate Eastern Christmas, and the day of Epiphany. Through music, readings, prayers and holy play, we will remember the way in which the star appeared to reveal the birth of Christ, and the way in which faithful, wise men came to Bethlehem to pay homage to the King of Kings. By way of announcement, I am encouraging everyone to bring something special to worship on that day…Your Wisemen! Everyone, young and old, bring the Magi from your home Nativity Crèches to worship on January 6th. Whether elegant or simple, delicate or plastic play toys, bring them, and we will gather them in from all corners of the earth in worship of Christ, just as they did 2000 years ago. This day will prepare us for the season of Epiphany, which takes us through the month of January. Epiphany is a season of light that reveals the nature of Christ to us, just as the star first revealed Christ to all the world. We will hear stories of the star that revealed his arrival, his baptism that revealed his identity, his healing miracles that revealed the healing presence of the Spirit, and his teachings that revealed the hope of new life that has been given to us in Christ.
It is right that we commemorate this season at ICC, not just because it is part of the great Tradition of our Christian faith, but because the heart of our faithful gathering is reflected in the story of the first Epiphany. After all, we come from all corners of the earth, traveling from afar, all seeking the revelation of God’s love in our midst. Most of us come from different faithful places in life, and have many and varied experiences to bring, and offer in the presence of Christ. All of us have come to discover and experience the nature of God dwelling among us. This, after all, is why the Magi came.
We don’t know too much about these wise men. We don’t know if they believed in God. We don’t know if they hoped for this good news or even really cared about it. We don’t know exactly where they came from, how many there were, what traditions they brought with them, or what languages they spoke. But we know one thing. They saw the star at its rising, and faithfully pursued its light. They used their intellect to determine its location and its meaning. They used their resources to make the pilgrimage. They committed their time and energy to a journey that lasted years, and hundreds, if not thousands of kilometers. These wise Magi saw a brilliant sign, and wanted to follow its light wherever it went. And no matter why they came, when they arrived, the discovered the glory of God living among us.
At ICC, Christ is revealed in the sharing of the Word, the bread and wine, the water, the gathering of the faithful in fellowship, prayer and loving service to one another and the world. Here in this place, the light of Christ shines so brightly, especially in this season of Scandinavian darkness. And here in this place, people from all corners of the earth gather together. We come from afar, bringing a variety of gifts, and we come from a variety of traditions. And just like the first Magi, many of us have traveled hundreds if not thousands of kilometers to get here.
We may not know much at first about the gifts and traditions that each of us brings. But we find ourselves all gathered in one place, kneeling before the Christ child, reaching out to feel the touch of his hand, leaning in close enough to feel God’s breath on our faces. Here, in this place, we get to see the light that reveals the love of God dwelling among us. I hope that you will join the Magi of old, and all people from all ends of the earth who have followed the light of that same star. Let’s join the journey that helps us pursue the revelation of Christ in our midst. And celebrate the fact that you are surrounded by the faithful from all corners of the earth who can help you on this faithful path of discovery about one another, and the ways that Christ’s presence is revealed today. This is our “Epiphany”. This is a wise and faithful journey to experience the presence of God dwelling among us.
I give thanks that you are faithfully pursuing the light of Christ in the world. I give thanks that, even if for a little while, the light has led you to this place at this time on your journey. And I pray that just like the Magi, you will learn use your gifts and your traditions to discern the path. I pray that you commit to pursuing that faithful path, no matter where the light leads you. And I pray that on the way, you give thanks to God for those who grace your journey, and share their gifts along the way, so that together we can kneel, and lay down our gifts in the brilliant light of Christ revealed in our midst.
May your journey be blessed, and may it be Christ’s light that leads your way.
Peace to you,
Pastor Chad
This year, January 6th happens to be a Sunday, which gives us the time and space to celebrate Eastern Christmas, and the day of Epiphany. Through music, readings, prayers and holy play, we will remember the way in which the star appeared to reveal the birth of Christ, and the way in which faithful, wise men came to Bethlehem to pay homage to the King of Kings. By way of announcement, I am encouraging everyone to bring something special to worship on that day…Your Wisemen! Everyone, young and old, bring the Magi from your home Nativity Crèches to worship on January 6th. Whether elegant or simple, delicate or plastic play toys, bring them, and we will gather them in from all corners of the earth in worship of Christ, just as they did 2000 years ago. This day will prepare us for the season of Epiphany, which takes us through the month of January. Epiphany is a season of light that reveals the nature of Christ to us, just as the star first revealed Christ to all the world. We will hear stories of the star that revealed his arrival, his baptism that revealed his identity, his healing miracles that revealed the healing presence of the Spirit, and his teachings that revealed the hope of new life that has been given to us in Christ.
It is right that we commemorate this season at ICC, not just because it is part of the great Tradition of our Christian faith, but because the heart of our faithful gathering is reflected in the story of the first Epiphany. After all, we come from all corners of the earth, traveling from afar, all seeking the revelation of God’s love in our midst. Most of us come from different faithful places in life, and have many and varied experiences to bring, and offer in the presence of Christ. All of us have come to discover and experience the nature of God dwelling among us. This, after all, is why the Magi came.
We don’t know too much about these wise men. We don’t know if they believed in God. We don’t know if they hoped for this good news or even really cared about it. We don’t know exactly where they came from, how many there were, what traditions they brought with them, or what languages they spoke. But we know one thing. They saw the star at its rising, and faithfully pursued its light. They used their intellect to determine its location and its meaning. They used their resources to make the pilgrimage. They committed their time and energy to a journey that lasted years, and hundreds, if not thousands of kilometers. These wise Magi saw a brilliant sign, and wanted to follow its light wherever it went. And no matter why they came, when they arrived, the discovered the glory of God living among us.
At ICC, Christ is revealed in the sharing of the Word, the bread and wine, the water, the gathering of the faithful in fellowship, prayer and loving service to one another and the world. Here in this place, the light of Christ shines so brightly, especially in this season of Scandinavian darkness. And here in this place, people from all corners of the earth gather together. We come from afar, bringing a variety of gifts, and we come from a variety of traditions. And just like the first Magi, many of us have traveled hundreds if not thousands of kilometers to get here.
We may not know much at first about the gifts and traditions that each of us brings. But we find ourselves all gathered in one place, kneeling before the Christ child, reaching out to feel the touch of his hand, leaning in close enough to feel God’s breath on our faces. Here, in this place, we get to see the light that reveals the love of God dwelling among us. I hope that you will join the Magi of old, and all people from all ends of the earth who have followed the light of that same star. Let’s join the journey that helps us pursue the revelation of Christ in our midst. And celebrate the fact that you are surrounded by the faithful from all corners of the earth who can help you on this faithful path of discovery about one another, and the ways that Christ’s presence is revealed today. This is our “Epiphany”. This is a wise and faithful journey to experience the presence of God dwelling among us.
I give thanks that you are faithfully pursuing the light of Christ in the world. I give thanks that, even if for a little while, the light has led you to this place at this time on your journey. And I pray that just like the Magi, you will learn use your gifts and your traditions to discern the path. I pray that you commit to pursuing that faithful path, no matter where the light leads you. And I pray that on the way, you give thanks to God for those who grace your journey, and share their gifts along the way, so that together we can kneel, and lay down our gifts in the brilliant light of Christ revealed in our midst.
May your journey be blessed, and may it be Christ’s light that leads your way.
Peace to you,
Pastor Chad
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Advent...a three dimensional season, for a three dimensional faith...
One night last week, I crashed into the chair in our family room, and turned on the television to catch up on the news of the day before heading off to sleep. The first thing I saw was a commercial about a program that focuses on the abilities of those we categorize as “dis-abled”. It began with a man sitting at a canvas, painting a breathtaking seascape with his fingers using thick paints that left a raised texture giving the image a three dimensional depth. The interesting part of the scene…the man is blind. And as you see an image of his face, eyes closed, he says, “You call me blind, but I can see more with my fingers than most people can see with their eyes.”
His three dimensions of sight include a texture that you can feel. His ability to “see” is enhanced because has dimensions of sight that those of us with fully functioning eyes often lack.
Like our sight, we long for a three dimensional faith which helps us to see God in our midst, have faith that is alive and relevant for the way we lead our lives hear and now, and gives us hope that directs our decisions for the future. We want to be able to see much more than our eyes allow. We want that texture of faith whereby we can “see” God in three dimensions.
Well, the season of Advent is upon us. And honestly, most of us relate to Advent as the four weeks of December that give us time to prepare for Christmas. But the word “advent” means, among other things, “arrival”. It is a time when we anticipate the arrival of Christ. However, this anticipation is three dimensional. In our readings for Sunday, we will remember the past hope of the prophets that anticipated the coming of the Messiah. We’ll remember the story of the way in which God finally broke into our present world as a newborn baby of flesh and blood. We’ll also hear passages of the New Testament that guide our faith towards the fulfillment of the Kingdom that awaits us in our future. Emmanuel, God with us, in the past, present and future. Advent is a three dimensional season that helps us to “see” the ways in which our faith in Christ fits into the texture of God’s work in the world that began in the past, continues to this day, and leads us into our promised future.
Just as the innkeeper made room for the Holy Family in his stable, just as Mary made room in her very body for the Christ child to be born, Advent is a time when we make room in our lives to see the Christ Child coming to us in real, incarnate ways. But sometimes, we can feel “dis-abled” by the rush of schedules and events to prepare for this season, and we need other dimensions to help us “see” this incarnate reality. So, as we gather together this season for worship, fellowship and service, (three dimensions of our faith in action) let us feel the depth of those who anticipated this good news in the past, experience the faith of those who touched the hand of God in the manger, and help one another see the way that follows the Prince of Peace, leading us into our future.
And while we wait together, may you have a blessed Advent, and Glædelig Jul.
His three dimensions of sight include a texture that you can feel. His ability to “see” is enhanced because has dimensions of sight that those of us with fully functioning eyes often lack.
Like our sight, we long for a three dimensional faith which helps us to see God in our midst, have faith that is alive and relevant for the way we lead our lives hear and now, and gives us hope that directs our decisions for the future. We want to be able to see much more than our eyes allow. We want that texture of faith whereby we can “see” God in three dimensions.
Well, the season of Advent is upon us. And honestly, most of us relate to Advent as the four weeks of December that give us time to prepare for Christmas. But the word “advent” means, among other things, “arrival”. It is a time when we anticipate the arrival of Christ. However, this anticipation is three dimensional. In our readings for Sunday, we will remember the past hope of the prophets that anticipated the coming of the Messiah. We’ll remember the story of the way in which God finally broke into our present world as a newborn baby of flesh and blood. We’ll also hear passages of the New Testament that guide our faith towards the fulfillment of the Kingdom that awaits us in our future. Emmanuel, God with us, in the past, present and future. Advent is a three dimensional season that helps us to “see” the ways in which our faith in Christ fits into the texture of God’s work in the world that began in the past, continues to this day, and leads us into our promised future.
Just as the innkeeper made room for the Holy Family in his stable, just as Mary made room in her very body for the Christ child to be born, Advent is a time when we make room in our lives to see the Christ Child coming to us in real, incarnate ways. But sometimes, we can feel “dis-abled” by the rush of schedules and events to prepare for this season, and we need other dimensions to help us “see” this incarnate reality. So, as we gather together this season for worship, fellowship and service, (three dimensions of our faith in action) let us feel the depth of those who anticipated this good news in the past, experience the faith of those who touched the hand of God in the manger, and help one another see the way that follows the Prince of Peace, leading us into our future.
And while we wait together, may you have a blessed Advent, and Glædelig Jul.
Monday, November 05, 2007
Do you know who made your shoes?
So, it’s the harvest season, and in the month of November, ICC is going to see a unique harvest as we celebrate our annual Harvest Festival, and also as we consider our time and talent, share our gifts in music and worship, gather gifts for our refugee brothers and sisters at Sandholm, and help our children prepare their gifts to share during the holiday season. Yes, there will be much harvesting of gifts, time, talent, and resources in the next few weeks.
And I have no doubt that just about every newsletter from just about every parish in the world is going to have a pastoral epistle about the Harvest during this month...and this one won’t be any different.
But, I want to share my thoughts on the harvest in a little different way...
Our congregation has many mission partners, who serve the Gospel around the world, and right here in Copenhagen. One of those partners, is Rygaard’s Skole, here in Hellerup. As a part of our relationship to Rygaard’s, I go multiple times during the year to lead the opening assemblies for the International Department. And a few weeks ago, I went to lead the primary department in an assembly on the Harvest. We sang the song, “Oats and Beans and Barley Grow”, which (much to the angst of the teachers who were trying to keep their kids calm!) describes in great kinetic flair the work that the farmer puts into growing and harvesting our food. I was asking the children to not only give thanks for the food that is on our table, but to give thanks for the farmers that put so much of their life into making sure we had food to eat.
Well, it wasn’t a few weeks later that ICC hosted the Trade Week of Action. (If you missed it, feel free to listen to the service on my website:
http://www.therimmers.org/pastors-blog/2007/10/15/trade-justice-lord-bless-the-bread-you-have-given.html )
In worship on that day, and in the Trade Justice forum that followed, we considered the real cost of our consumption to local farmers and producers around the world, the relationship between economics, public policy and justice, and especially, the link between our faith, our lifestyle, and justice in God’s vision for this world. It was truly a day to give thanks not only for the harvest of goods and food, not only for the farmers and workers that make our lifestyle possible, but to give thanks for a God who frees us to think imaginatively about ways that we can live and share the harvest in order to bring justice to all of God’s children who toil in creation just to survive.
Well, only a week later, I caught up with an old friend for a little acoustic jam, and he played a song called, “I Know Who Made My Shoes”. After weeks of thinking about the harvest, justice, solidarity, shalom and my calling to live in a just, sustainable and faithful way, I was blessed to hear him sing, “I know who grew my food and yes, I know who made my shoes.”
Sometimes I wonder, whether we are in the top or bottom of the social stratus here in Copenhagen, while we harvest such an abundance of food, life, security...do we know who made our shoes? Do we know who grew our food? Do we always or ever really know how much life and energy were drained into the abundance that we feast on? Do we know what cost our security exacts on our neighbors?
Of course, there is a spiritual pulse to all of this. Whether we are talking about caring for creation, economics, agricultural practices, fair trade, or caring for our neighbor, we give dignity and honor to our neighbors when we consider how our lives impact all of creation. We give honor to the God who leads us to see our neighbor, and the God who gives voice to our calling to care, to share, and to work to use our harvest in fair and just ways.
Even in matters of faith, Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 3, that he is the one who planted the seeds, a man by the name of Apollos watered the seeds of faith, but God gave the growth.
None of us can ever claim to reap a harvest on our own. Shalom is dependent upon our ability to recognize, give thanks for, and then bear the fruits of the work of God’s people and God’s Spirit that surrounds each of us every day, nourishing us to grow, and in return, to care for this little corner of the vineyard that has been entrusted to us.
So, this harvest season, let’s keep these three things in mind as we reap the harvest and share our gifts faithfully…
1) Feel thanks for the one who nourishes us with abundance to grow towards the ultimate vision of peace, justice and wholeness.
2) Live thanks for the fruits of your harvest by striving to live more simply, equitably, sustainably.
3) Find out who made your shoes.
For the fruit of all Creation, thanks be to God!
And I have no doubt that just about every newsletter from just about every parish in the world is going to have a pastoral epistle about the Harvest during this month...and this one won’t be any different.
But, I want to share my thoughts on the harvest in a little different way...
Our congregation has many mission partners, who serve the Gospel around the world, and right here in Copenhagen. One of those partners, is Rygaard’s Skole, here in Hellerup. As a part of our relationship to Rygaard’s, I go multiple times during the year to lead the opening assemblies for the International Department. And a few weeks ago, I went to lead the primary department in an assembly on the Harvest. We sang the song, “Oats and Beans and Barley Grow”, which (much to the angst of the teachers who were trying to keep their kids calm!) describes in great kinetic flair the work that the farmer puts into growing and harvesting our food. I was asking the children to not only give thanks for the food that is on our table, but to give thanks for the farmers that put so much of their life into making sure we had food to eat.
Well, it wasn’t a few weeks later that ICC hosted the Trade Week of Action. (If you missed it, feel free to listen to the service on my website:
http://www.therimmers.org/pastors-blog/2007/10/15/trade-justice-lord-bless-the-bread-you-have-given.html )
In worship on that day, and in the Trade Justice forum that followed, we considered the real cost of our consumption to local farmers and producers around the world, the relationship between economics, public policy and justice, and especially, the link between our faith, our lifestyle, and justice in God’s vision for this world. It was truly a day to give thanks not only for the harvest of goods and food, not only for the farmers and workers that make our lifestyle possible, but to give thanks for a God who frees us to think imaginatively about ways that we can live and share the harvest in order to bring justice to all of God’s children who toil in creation just to survive.
Well, only a week later, I caught up with an old friend for a little acoustic jam, and he played a song called, “I Know Who Made My Shoes”. After weeks of thinking about the harvest, justice, solidarity, shalom and my calling to live in a just, sustainable and faithful way, I was blessed to hear him sing, “I know who grew my food and yes, I know who made my shoes.”
Sometimes I wonder, whether we are in the top or bottom of the social stratus here in Copenhagen, while we harvest such an abundance of food, life, security...do we know who made our shoes? Do we know who grew our food? Do we always or ever really know how much life and energy were drained into the abundance that we feast on? Do we know what cost our security exacts on our neighbors?
Of course, there is a spiritual pulse to all of this. Whether we are talking about caring for creation, economics, agricultural practices, fair trade, or caring for our neighbor, we give dignity and honor to our neighbors when we consider how our lives impact all of creation. We give honor to the God who leads us to see our neighbor, and the God who gives voice to our calling to care, to share, and to work to use our harvest in fair and just ways.
Even in matters of faith, Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 3, that he is the one who planted the seeds, a man by the name of Apollos watered the seeds of faith, but God gave the growth.
None of us can ever claim to reap a harvest on our own. Shalom is dependent upon our ability to recognize, give thanks for, and then bear the fruits of the work of God’s people and God’s Spirit that surrounds each of us every day, nourishing us to grow, and in return, to care for this little corner of the vineyard that has been entrusted to us.
So, this harvest season, let’s keep these three things in mind as we reap the harvest and share our gifts faithfully…
1) Feel thanks for the one who nourishes us with abundance to grow towards the ultimate vision of peace, justice and wholeness.
2) Live thanks for the fruits of your harvest by striving to live more simply, equitably, sustainably.
3) Find out who made your shoes.
For the fruit of all Creation, thanks be to God!
Faith and Friendship...
This month, I have been thinking a great deal about friendship and faith.
During our Council meetings, we have been devoting time to discernment about our identity as an English language, international, ecumenical ministry in Denmark, and our roles as Council leaders in that ministry. Among the wonderful conversations of care and concern, is the ongoing desire for individuals in our congregation to get to know one another, as a means to relate deeply to our diverse experiences of life and faith.
In other words, how are we as a congregation finding ways to build relationships with one another than can lead to the deep learning, sharing, and caring that members of a Christian Community need to nurture a life of faith?
At first, it seems that there is an obvious answer to this question. Of course, ICC provides multiple opportunities every month, not just to gather in worship on Sundays, but worship, education and fellowship throughout the week. We are reminded of these events in weekly bulletins, monthly newsletters and on the website, too.
But honestly, there are so many organizations that demand our time, energy, and provide social outlets for us who make Denmark our home.
So, what is the quality and nature of friendships that we seek to build in a Church? With so many places and opportunities to find friendships in our community, what is unique about friendships that we experience in a community of faith?
It just so happens that as our council is asking these questions, Tværkulturelt is hosting their annual conference on the first weekend in November. The theme is Venskab på tværs, and it will consider the nature and purpose of making friendship across cultures and faiths.
I will open the conference on Friday night at Freden’s Kirke, with a lecture given on the subject of Friendship’s role in forgiveness and reconciliation, globally and locally. The weekend will continue with lectures and practicuums given on building friendship across cultures and faiths. The conference will end on Sunday morning with a panel discussion at Sct. Andreas, followed by the conference joining our regular worship and fellowship at ICC.
This conference will be a chance for us to continue to ask this question about why it is that we seek friendships with one another, and why you would choose to make a community of faith a source of our friendships.
In the Bible, there are different kinds of love that are mentioned, and one is “philos”, which is the love that one has for friends. This is the kind of love that we find when we dedicate ourselves to gathering for fellowship after worship, attending bible study, coming to outings, participating in Diner for Six and the many group activities that are offered at ICC. But, again, we can find friends of this kind of love in many places. So, the question remains...what is unique about the friends that you will make in a community of faith?
Jesus reminds us through his teachings and parables, that there are many reasons to make friends in this world...to benefit one another, return favors, support one another, be comfortable when we are outside of our comfort zone. But Christ defines the purpose of friendship through the lens of faith in the 15th chapter of John, “no one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” He goes on to say, he does not call us servants any longer, but friends, and that we will be his friends if we follow in his way. In other words, we have been given the opportunity and means to develop friendships that live out the love of God that we yearn for.
One way to discover the love of God is by deepening friendships that bear a quality of shared faith. We do need all kinds of friendships based on common interests, gifts and activities, but no less important are your friendships that bear an authentic texture of God’s love, and provide the space to share God’s love active in your life. The purpose of Christian community is always to increase our relationship with and experience of God. But if we want to nurture that experience of God in our daily lives, might one way be through deepening friendships that have a different texture than what we commonly find in the world? In these days, I encourage you to strive to share your time in fellowship, developing your friendships with your fellow Christians in your community of faith.
For where two or more gather in Christ’s name, he promised to be there. Christian community is not just another activity in a busy schedule, it is a nourishing gift from God.
In your journey to seek God active in your life, I encourage you to devote the time to finding a friend at ICC or where you live, gather in Christ’s name, and watch what happens!
During our Council meetings, we have been devoting time to discernment about our identity as an English language, international, ecumenical ministry in Denmark, and our roles as Council leaders in that ministry. Among the wonderful conversations of care and concern, is the ongoing desire for individuals in our congregation to get to know one another, as a means to relate deeply to our diverse experiences of life and faith.
In other words, how are we as a congregation finding ways to build relationships with one another than can lead to the deep learning, sharing, and caring that members of a Christian Community need to nurture a life of faith?
At first, it seems that there is an obvious answer to this question. Of course, ICC provides multiple opportunities every month, not just to gather in worship on Sundays, but worship, education and fellowship throughout the week. We are reminded of these events in weekly bulletins, monthly newsletters and on the website, too.
But honestly, there are so many organizations that demand our time, energy, and provide social outlets for us who make Denmark our home.
So, what is the quality and nature of friendships that we seek to build in a Church? With so many places and opportunities to find friendships in our community, what is unique about friendships that we experience in a community of faith?
It just so happens that as our council is asking these questions, Tværkulturelt is hosting their annual conference on the first weekend in November. The theme is Venskab på tværs, and it will consider the nature and purpose of making friendship across cultures and faiths.
I will open the conference on Friday night at Freden’s Kirke, with a lecture given on the subject of Friendship’s role in forgiveness and reconciliation, globally and locally. The weekend will continue with lectures and practicuums given on building friendship across cultures and faiths. The conference will end on Sunday morning with a panel discussion at Sct. Andreas, followed by the conference joining our regular worship and fellowship at ICC.
This conference will be a chance for us to continue to ask this question about why it is that we seek friendships with one another, and why you would choose to make a community of faith a source of our friendships.
In the Bible, there are different kinds of love that are mentioned, and one is “philos”, which is the love that one has for friends. This is the kind of love that we find when we dedicate ourselves to gathering for fellowship after worship, attending bible study, coming to outings, participating in Diner for Six and the many group activities that are offered at ICC. But, again, we can find friends of this kind of love in many places. So, the question remains...what is unique about the friends that you will make in a community of faith?
Jesus reminds us through his teachings and parables, that there are many reasons to make friends in this world...to benefit one another, return favors, support one another, be comfortable when we are outside of our comfort zone. But Christ defines the purpose of friendship through the lens of faith in the 15th chapter of John, “no one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” He goes on to say, he does not call us servants any longer, but friends, and that we will be his friends if we follow in his way. In other words, we have been given the opportunity and means to develop friendships that live out the love of God that we yearn for.
One way to discover the love of God is by deepening friendships that bear a quality of shared faith. We do need all kinds of friendships based on common interests, gifts and activities, but no less important are your friendships that bear an authentic texture of God’s love, and provide the space to share God’s love active in your life. The purpose of Christian community is always to increase our relationship with and experience of God. But if we want to nurture that experience of God in our daily lives, might one way be through deepening friendships that have a different texture than what we commonly find in the world? In these days, I encourage you to strive to share your time in fellowship, developing your friendships with your fellow Christians in your community of faith.
For where two or more gather in Christ’s name, he promised to be there. Christian community is not just another activity in a busy schedule, it is a nourishing gift from God.
In your journey to seek God active in your life, I encourage you to devote the time to finding a friend at ICC or where you live, gather in Christ’s name, and watch what happens!
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Welcome to ICC...
“For everything, there is a season”, is the wisdom of Solomon, as it is written in Ecclesiastes. Even as the sun shines and the summer continues to bloom, I have begun to notice the shortening of days, the darkening of the nights, our members and families returning from summer holidays, and the reality that several of our beloved are not returning after having moved on to the next chapter in their life’s journey. But, for ICC, this change in season means that we also look forward to this season when we will welcome many new members at ICC. Summertime is the season when we say goodbye and Godspeed to many of our members but it is also the blessed season when we at ICC get to say hello to our brothers and sisters in Christ who are arriving to call Copenhagen home.
This summer season has seen some wonderful worship and fellowship, and also the Senior Youth Missions Trip to Khayelitsha, South Africa. In that beautiful, struggling township, I, Rachel Bucnis and 8 of our Senior Youth we were met by our brothers and sisters at St. Michael’s and All Angels Parish, the staff of Sophumelela Preschool and St. Michael’s Primary School, members of the parish and the beautiful children of Sophumelela.
Though we had never met one another, the bond that we share in Christ laid the foundation for open arms, an open home, hospitality and an open Church to receive us - their family of faith from Copenhagen. While we were present to serve the children and staff of Sophumelela and St. Michael’s we were received into the warm embrace of Christian hospitality. We returned with the warm sun of South Africa on our faces, and the warmth of Christian love in our hearts. As our Youth return from their holidays, we will be gathering our stories, pictures and memories, in order to share them with you at a dinner in the month of September. Please watch the website, newsletters and bulletins for updates on the time and place. There, we will share with you the lessons learned from our family of faith’s living hope in the wake of poverty and AIDs. But we will also share with you this beautiful season of our life, where we were welcomed with the love of Christ.
For ICC, our whole life is a season of Christian hospitality, but the fall takes on a special hue, as it is tinted with the promise of new beginnings. There are so many opportunities for you to share and receive the gift of hospitality that will nurture your faith. I encourage you to find the place where your life will intersect the ministry at ICC. You are welcome to be a greeter, usher, Sunday School teacher, fellowship volunteer, Youth leader, 20-Somethings member, FISh assistant, member of the prayer chain or Sunshine Committee, PLAY Mentor, Assisting Minister, reader, and the list goes on. Many details about these opportunities are included in this newsletter.
Whether you are a seasoned member of ICC or brand new to Copenhagen, family or stranger, here in this place, you are seen through the welcoming eyes of Christ. We see one another as brothers and sisters whose life we share, whose gifts we embrace, whose faith we experience, whose stories we hear, and whose talents we employ.
As ICC turns towards this coming season, this, too, is our season to welcome you. Welcome back, welcome home, welcome friends, welcome strangers. Just as Abraham and Sarah welcomed the three men by the oaks of Mamre and received the blessing of the Lord, so, too, we receive one another in Christian love. In this place, we will see the blessing of God revealed as we gather in the tent of worship, fellowship, and service in the name of Christ. This coming season, we anticipate reuniting with old friends, and being united with members of our family of faith that we have yet to meet. Solomon goes on to say, there is a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing. This, my brothers and sisters is a season to gather up into the family of God. It is a season to embrace.
Welcome to the love of God…welcome to ICC.
Peace to you all,
Pastor Chad
This summer season has seen some wonderful worship and fellowship, and also the Senior Youth Missions Trip to Khayelitsha, South Africa. In that beautiful, struggling township, I, Rachel Bucnis and 8 of our Senior Youth we were met by our brothers and sisters at St. Michael’s and All Angels Parish, the staff of Sophumelela Preschool and St. Michael’s Primary School, members of the parish and the beautiful children of Sophumelela.
Though we had never met one another, the bond that we share in Christ laid the foundation for open arms, an open home, hospitality and an open Church to receive us - their family of faith from Copenhagen. While we were present to serve the children and staff of Sophumelela and St. Michael’s we were received into the warm embrace of Christian hospitality. We returned with the warm sun of South Africa on our faces, and the warmth of Christian love in our hearts. As our Youth return from their holidays, we will be gathering our stories, pictures and memories, in order to share them with you at a dinner in the month of September. Please watch the website, newsletters and bulletins for updates on the time and place. There, we will share with you the lessons learned from our family of faith’s living hope in the wake of poverty and AIDs. But we will also share with you this beautiful season of our life, where we were welcomed with the love of Christ.
For ICC, our whole life is a season of Christian hospitality, but the fall takes on a special hue, as it is tinted with the promise of new beginnings. There are so many opportunities for you to share and receive the gift of hospitality that will nurture your faith. I encourage you to find the place where your life will intersect the ministry at ICC. You are welcome to be a greeter, usher, Sunday School teacher, fellowship volunteer, Youth leader, 20-Somethings member, FISh assistant, member of the prayer chain or Sunshine Committee, PLAY Mentor, Assisting Minister, reader, and the list goes on. Many details about these opportunities are included in this newsletter.
Whether you are a seasoned member of ICC or brand new to Copenhagen, family or stranger, here in this place, you are seen through the welcoming eyes of Christ. We see one another as brothers and sisters whose life we share, whose gifts we embrace, whose faith we experience, whose stories we hear, and whose talents we employ.
As ICC turns towards this coming season, this, too, is our season to welcome you. Welcome back, welcome home, welcome friends, welcome strangers. Just as Abraham and Sarah welcomed the three men by the oaks of Mamre and received the blessing of the Lord, so, too, we receive one another in Christian love. In this place, we will see the blessing of God revealed as we gather in the tent of worship, fellowship, and service in the name of Christ. This coming season, we anticipate reuniting with old friends, and being united with members of our family of faith that we have yet to meet. Solomon goes on to say, there is a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing. This, my brothers and sisters is a season to gather up into the family of God. It is a season to embrace.
Welcome to the love of God…welcome to ICC.
Peace to you all,
Pastor Chad
Sunday, May 06, 2007
Today the ICC Blog has Gone Live
Welcome to the Pastor's pages of the International Church of Copenhagen
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