To state the obvious, it is another election year. Recently, election years have escalated a tribal instinct within all of us.

What do I mean by tribal? We draw lines in the sand and make judgments like, “you are either with me or against me.” We “circle the wagons” and insulate ourselves from those who are different (for any reason) than we are.

There is a tribal instinct within all of us. It may stem from a dormant biological need to protect ourselves. Often this tribalism is expressed in benign and innocuous ways like, “I spend time with people who I agree with.”

The dark side of tribalism is that we start to hate the other. Once that hate grows, any means to shame or hurt the other is justified. Why? Because they are in the wrong and they are bad. To be clear, anyone who takes a side in anything, if they are passionate enough, it can lead to hatred if they do not guard their heart.

We see an example of this in the gospel of John when the Pharisees bring a woman who was caught in the act of adultery to Jesus. They wanted to stone this woman to death and catch Jesus in a trap to arrest him.

The religious leaders hated this woman for breaking the law and they hated Jesus for teaching about love and forgiveness.  They absolutely felt justified in their actions.

This was a “two birds one stone moment” for the religious leaders. It was just short of mob action.

Most of you know, Jesus deescalated the situation by saying, “When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, ‘If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.’” John 8:7

The religious leaders were ready stone her and arrest Jesus because of their hate of her sin and Jesus’ message of grace and love. They knew they were right and they would be justified in their response.

Tribalism evokes that sort of response today. That person is wrong, that group or individual is terrible… let’s go after them.

Yet Jesus stands between the woman who is wrong and the religious leaders who are hateful and says, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone…”

Two wrongs never make a right.

Jesus would say the same thing to us if we resorted to the same kind of hateful attitude or action. I’ve said it at church but let me say it again, “we are a no stones church.“

In a tribal mentality, people get spun up by others and it eventually leads to hate. And hate leads a person away from Jesus.

Jesus knew this and is why he said, “But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” Luke 6:27–28

This applies to “perceived enemies” and people you don’t agree with. Once hate takes hold, people will say and do very ugly things and can justify every single negative action.

Even King Solomon knew the dangers of hate when he wrote Proverbs 900 years before Jesus.

Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs. Proverbs 10:12

In other words, give love a chance before reaching for hatred and conflict.

We have been given a gift that is so unlike the world we live in. The gift is the Church of Jesus Christ. The Church stands above all notions of tribalism and line drawing. Jesus calls us into a new reality where the lines of division can be erased if we let love and forgiveness lead us into a true reflection of the Kingdom of God.

Remember, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” Matthew 5:9

I want to be a known as a child of God, what about you?

If you are struggling with having a tribal mindset, if you are quick to jump on a bandwagon of hate and anger. It’s time to take breath and breathe deep the Spirit of our loving God.

Like I said earlier, elections years have made all of us a little edgy. Turn to Jesus, turn to his love.

Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:31

If, while reading this you thought, “so and so should read this.” Maybe they should. However, go back and read it again for yourself.

God bless you,
Pr. Ben

Last week (Thursday, Friday and Saturday) I was in Mesa, AZ for our annual synod assembly.

Community Lutheran Church is connected to a larger church body known as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Within the ELCA, we are located within a synod (think area or district) in which we are connected to other ELCA Lutheran churches.

The Grand Canyon Synod’s boundaries include Saint George, UT, Southern Nevada and all of Arizona.

We gather once a year to do the business of the church. Last weekend was that meeting.

I went early to report to our synod council (like our church council) about the work of the national church. https://benbergren.com/article-april-elca-church-council-meeting/

At our synod assembly we re-elected our bishop, Deborah Hutterer to another 6 year term as our bishop.

We also heard reports about thriving ministries in our synod and how churches are innovating and doing their best to make an impact in our hurting world.

When we think of the church, we often think of our own congregation and rightfully so. Let us not forget that we are not only connected regionally but also nationally! Through our partnerships we are connected to the global Lutheran church through the Lutheran World Federation.  We are not an island.

I am reminded of what Presiding Bishop Eaton of the ELCA said at our last ELCA council meeting.

I am paraphrasing but essentially our Bishop said, “We are not a social service and we are not an NGO (Non Governmental Organization). We are the Church and we are called to share the good news of God’s love found in Jesus. That is our first and most important priority.”

Yes, we serve the community and each other. Yes, we do good works because of our faith in Christ. Above all, we are to share the name and love of Jesus with all who will listen.

As Saint Peter once wrote…

Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect… 1Peter 3:15

God bless you,
Pastor Ben

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Philippians 2:3-4

Some of us are really good at making snap judgments about other people. In the blink of an eye, we assess someone and decide if they are beneath us or someone we strive to be. Once we do that, we start to disdain others who don’t measure up to our standards or beliefs.

It feels like we are wired to establish a pecking order and where we fit into that order.

Societal rules quietly reinforce the notion that we are better than others.

This stands in stark contrast to our calling as people of faith and even how Jesus views us.

Christ could look down on us and view us as poor lost souls without any redeeming qualities. Instead, Jesus loves us, invites to be a part of his family, and then equips us serve others with the help of the Holy Spirit. Wow.

Rather than God looking down on us and shaking his head in disappointment, Jesus invites us in and tells us that we are siblings!

If God doesn’t look down on us why do that very thing to others?

Saint Paul reminds us to be humble. Humility is looking to God for all things and giving God all the credit (glory) for the good things in your life. When we look to God for all things, we are also acknowledging that God doesn’t negatively look down on us.

When we adopt a humble mindset, we treat others more equitably. We are less condescending and recognize the gifts and qualities that others bring to a situation.

Being humble also insulates you against being selfish and self-centered. Rather than always looking out for yourself, you keep others in mind and their needs.

The church (the family of God) is at its best when we care for and serve one another.

This is what happens when we hold others closely in care and kindness…

When we serve others in the church we are not only preparing  “God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” But the end result will be this… “Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness humans in their deceitful scheming.” Ephesians 4:12-14

Our relationship with Jesus and our unity within the church insulates us from the hate and anger of this bitter world.

God bless you,
Pr. Ben

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—God’s eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse (to believe). Romans 1:20

Saint Paul is making a simple argument: look at the world around you and you should come the inevitable conclusion that someone is responsible for creating the world we live in.

Is the beauty of our world and even very selves a result of random events?

Some would argue yes, and I would say no. As a person of faith, I acknowledge that God created us and all that we see.

As I have said more times than I count, “The Bible is not science book” but it points to the author of all creation.

Even scientists wonder what caused the universe began. Let me explain.

There is universal agreement among astrophysicists that creation began with a big bang. But what CAUSED the big bang?

American Astrophysicist Robert Jastrow, a self-described agnostic, stated this…

 “The seed of everything that has happened in the Universe was planted in that first instant; every star, every planet and every living creature in the Universe came into being as a result of events that were set in motion in the moment of the cosmic explosion…The Universe flashed into being, and we cannot find out what caused that to happen.”

Here is what Jastrow is saying, the big bang didn’t just happen. Something or someone caused it.

There has to have been a catalyst, even scientists understand that.

Sir Isaac Newton’s laws of Motion of 1666 tell us that things don’t just happen. Something or someone must have caused the creation to happen.

Although there is general agreement about the moment of creation among scientists, they don’t know how or why it happened.

Steven Weinberg, a Nobel laureate in Physics, said at the moment of this big bang, “the universe was about a hundred thousands million degrees Centigrade…and the universe was filled with light.”

Hmmm… light at the moment of creation. That sounds familiar.

Oh that’s right, the first thing God did when the universe was created.

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. Genesis 1:3

As I said before, the Bible isn’t a science book, but God inspired the author of Genesis to write it down this way. God was there at the beginning and God knew.

Is there someone behind creation or did it come about by chance. If it is by chance, what are the odds? Glad you asked. According to the astrophysicist and astronomer Dr. Frank Drake, the odds of us being here by chance are only one in a trillion…

A one in a trillion chance that the earth has the right combination of chemicals, temperature, water, days and nights to support planetary life as we know it.

We are either here by chaotic chance or by divine purpose.

I choose divine purpose. I choose God.

God bless,

Pr. Ben