Dear Church, 

Covenant is a challenge. 

Far too often, we think of covenant as “contract.” We take a theological concept about God’s grace and turn it into a human performance.  We think of Covenant as the goodies we deserve to get if we don’t get caught doing naughty stuff. 

Abraham, the traditionally recognized founder of monotheistic faith, failed frequently at Covenant with God.  In Genesis 12, the middle-aged Abram (aka “The Exalted Father”) is promised by YHWH (“The Lord God”) blessing and personal greatness if he would uproot his family and become a wandering immigrant.  But as soon as things got tough, Abram took everything he owned, went to Egypt, and committed fraud by suggesting to Pharoah that his wife Sarai was his sister.  Then Abram’s family splits up and his nephew Lot, seeing that his uncle was a bit of a hypocrite, took his share of the family wealth, and made a beeline for Sodom. Failure #1. 

In Genesis 15, Abram and YHWH meet up again.  YHWH tells Abram not to be afraid.  Abram points out that he isn’t getting any younger, and he has no heir.  YHWH tells Abram to look into the night sky and promises more descendants than stars.  They seal the deal with an ancient Covenant ritual. Next thing you know, Sarai and Abram conspire together to make Hagar a surrogate parent to a presumptive heir.  Failure #2. 

Two Covenants – two failures.  Abram, despite God’s promises, couldn’t trust God to care for his family during a short-term food emergency, nor could Abram trust God to provide an heir to fulfill his long-term legacy.   

For twenty-four years, YHWH and Abram go back and forth, and Abram, despite worshipping God, couldn’t fully trust the audacious promises.  Abram wanted to worship God, and to be in control of how God would bless him. Covenant doesn’t work that way. 

Then, God shows up again.  In Genesis 17, El-Shaddai (“The Almighty God”) shows up and renews the Covenant yet again.  Abram, the two-time failure, can only fall to the ground in surrender and the desire to obey.  This time, just as Abram saw a different face of God, God gave Abram a new name.  No longer an exalted Father, Abram becomes Abraham, the Father of Many. Many peoples.  Many nations.  Abram’s desired legacy was to be the founder of great family.  God gave Abraham the promise of launching a great movement of many peoples.   

That great movement began with the birth of Isaac.  With laughter (Isaac, in Hebrew means, “he laughs”), God starts something new that continues to this day.  Through these many peoples, over many generations, Jesus, the son of a carpenter, was born, and became God’s ultimate redemptive portrait. 

Friends, Lent is a season that teaches us that God doesn’t give up on us.  God takes the long-term approach with us.  And God takes our dreams and enlarges them through the mystery of grace.  God has so much in store for Blooming Glen Mennonite Church … if we want to welcome God’s Covenant grace. 

• What would Blooming Glen Mennonite Church become if we were confident in the promise that God won’t abandon us when we fail?

• What would Blooming Glen Mennonite Church become if we knew that God’s plans for us would take generations yet to come to fulfill?

• What would Blooming Glen Mennonite Church become if all our tangible assets were to disappear, and all we had left as a church together was the common, ancient confession:  “Christ has Died.  Christ is Risen! Christ will come again.” 

Covenant is a challenge.  It is so implausible, so improbable, that we are often too afraid to let God be God in our midst. 

Lent is an invitation to give up fear and embrace grace.  That’s all God really wants us to do. 

Keep at it, church – God isn’t going anywhere …

Pastor Jeff
jeff@bgmc.net

 PS – I’ll be at the Broad Street Grind this Friday, March 1, at 3:30 pm for caffeine and conversation.  This Monday, March 3, I’ll be away on a retreat with my Mosaic pastor colleagues.  Please feel free to meet up at A&N Diner at 7:30 am and have a good time anyway.  I’ll be back for more caffeine and conversation on Friday, March 8, 3:30-4:45 pm.

Dear Church,  

Lent isn’t always a quiet season!

 Here at Blooming Glen, we’ve got an eight-week Bible study for women underway, meeting on Wednesday mornings.  We’ve got an Intergenerational Choir, rehearsing on Monday evenings, and singing in worship through the Lenten season.  Kid’s Club, Junior MYF, and Senior MYF have a variety of activities planned.  There’s an Easter Celebration planned for March 23, and our regular monthly partnership with SEEDS, as a part of our neighborhood engagement efforts.  There are several children, youth, and adult formation groups (ie: Sunday School) happening during second hour on Sunday mornings.  There’s lots of pastoral visitation among our elderly community.  Our preaching ensemble is beginning to take shape.  Lenten dinners began this past week, with a meal and devotional (thanks to Gemeinschaft class for the meal and Libby Hollenbach for leading our devotional time).  And if all that weren’t enough, we are launching a three-week membership class on Sunday evenings at 5 pm, beginning on March 10 and continuing  March 17 & 24 (the March 24 class starting time may be adjusted so as to not interfere with the Lenten Song Service – more will be revealed).  This is a hybrid event, with both in-person and on-line options for attendance.  Everyone is welcome, but we only have ten copies of the class reading material, “What We Believe Together,” by Alfred Neufeld.  If you want to attend on-line or in-person and want a copy of the book, let me know (jeff@bgmc.net) as soon as possible.  The books are available first-come, first-served.  If you just want to refer to the core material of the class, go to https://mwc-cmm.org/en/shared-convictions. This global statement of shared convictions will serve as the backbone of our discussions.  Persons participating and attending all three sessions of the class can request church membership at Blooming Glen.   

So, what does church membership mean at Blooming Glen Mennonite Church?  The short answer is, “we’re working on that.” The Elders are currently giving attention to membership benefits, process, and recognition of church membership. There are organizational benefits, to be sure.  Things like, voting at congregational meetings and access to cemetery plots are two examples of “membership benefits.” But those tangible items aside, the real point of membership is the public commitment we make to mutual support and mission in the name of Jesus.  Church membership says, “we are in this boat together…on a journey with Jesus.”  We may not always act like Jesus toward one another, but church membership says that we as members aspire to be Jesus for, with, and even in spite of, one another. 

In this overly busy Lent, in an overly scheduled world, which is overly loud and noisy, I want to invite you to engage in our efforts to be disciples together.  Plug in.  Participate.  Reengage.  As a church, we are moving from a season of realigning leadership systems to a season of newly articulated core ministry.  God is at work at Blooming Glen, and together, we will labor in the anointing of the Holy Spirit to overcome the spirits of doubt, shame, guilt, and fear that are incapacitating many congregations in our culture.   

In my early days as a new Christian, there was a song we sang by John Fischer, which began, “Have you seen Jesus my Lord? He’s here in plain view.  Take a look, open your eyes, He’ll show it to you…” May the many varied activities of this Lenten season at Blooming Glen serve not to keep you overly busy.  May they instead provide each of us with the possibility of seeing Jesus our Lord. Together. 

I’m grateful for each of you!
Pastor Jeff
jeff@bgmc.net 

PS – I’ll be at the Broad Street Grind on Friday, February 23, from 3:30 to 4:45 pm to listen to whatever is on your mind.  I’ll be at the A&N Diner on Monday, February 26, from 7:30 to 8:45 am to listen to what’s up.  And I’ll be back at the Broad Street Grind on Friday, March 1, from 3:30 to 4:45 pm.  Clearly, I have given up for Lent neither coffee, nor hearty breakfasts, nor conversation.