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Green Blades Preaching Roundtable

15th Sunday after Pentecost

Year A
September 10, 2023
Pastor Jamie Brieske

Psalm 119:33-40
Romans 13:8-14
Matthew 18:15-20

 

In our scripture from Matthew today, Jesus is guiding his followers in conflict resolution within the community. This process of truth telling and confronting another member of the community begins individually and then expands to include more witnesses from the group. It is a compassionate response to someone who has made a mistake. There is grace in first responding to this person individually and working to resolve the issue. Then, if this fails, there is still another opportunity, a second chance afforded to that person, now with more people involved. Finally, there are clear boundaries for those who cannot live within the bounds and expectations of the community of love and care that is created in Jesus’ name.

 

This process follows the values that Jesus teaches. Forgiveness and reconciliation are top priorities in Jesus’ teaching of how to embody the kingdom of heaven right here on earth. Jesus even teaches us to love our enemy and pray for those who hurt us. That is how serious Jesus is about reconciliation and what it should look like in the lives of those who follow him. Perhaps this model for community conflict can also be used on a broader level as well. 

 

I am a Lutheran pastor in the ELCA, and in January, our synod’s Theological Event focused on our relationship with our indigenous neighbors, both through learning our history and examining our actions today. We learned from Barbara Blackdeer-Mackenzie, a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation and community healer and teacher, and Larry Littlegeorge, a member of the Ho-Chunk Nations and a UUC lay minister, among others. There was much truth telling and listening involved in this event, and I think it was very transformative for everyone who participated. I couldn’t help but be overwhelmed by the graciousness that Barbara and Larry and others showed by being willing to share their stories and experiences with us. It was a holy experience, and reconciliation was definitely one of the goals. Yet, before reconciliation can occur I, and others who identify as white Americans (and that includes the Church), have to listen, learn and understand the ways that we have harmed our native neighbors. There has to be confrontation, both of the history and of the very people that live in our communities. There has to be the reckoning and work that leads to true change and restoration of relationships. 

 

As we closed the day, there was a discussion on reparations. In this discussion there were practical suggestions and examples such as: giving land back that was unfairly taken from tribes, paying money for damages, formally acknowledging harm and wrong that was done, advocating for missing indigenous women and teens, and other tangible ways we as Church can participate in the work of justice for tribes. 

 

In addition to this Larry also proposed the following as a method of reparations: care of creation. This really stuck with me. One way we can work to make things right with our tribal neighbors is to stop harming the earth and do our part to be good stewards. Many native American tribes have a long history of sustainability and living on the land with great care and connection. To continue in this tradition is to honor their ancestors and help make a better home for their future descendants. The future of clean water and clean air is being decided right  now by our actions. We have the chance to stop the cycle of damage that was done and truly consider how our actions will affect seven generations beyond us, as the Iroquois wisdom saying goes. 

 

“Where two or three are gathered together on earth to represent me, I will be there in spirit to guide you. Then, under my guidance, whatever two or more of you agree upon and ask for will be done by my Father from above.” (Matthew 18, First Nations Version)

 

Four months after our Theological Event, our synod met at our assembly and passed a resolution that every congregation should have a land acknowledgement and devote one Sunday for education and prayer for Native Heritage Month in November. (We had already passed resolutions repudiating the Doctrine of Discovery and a resolution that every congregation should have a Green Team.) These resolutions are only the first step of course, but the above scripture reminds us that when we come together in Jesus’ name and agree upon something, it is holy work. When we work toward reconciliation, even when it’s hard, we are living into the kingdom of God. 

 

Maybe this teaching from Jesus can inspire us in our public peacemaking as well as peacemaking within our Church communities. We might also imagine how this text could speak to other present-day issues of justice as well. Living into this work of reconciliation, peacemaking, and caring for the earth is one way we love our neighbors. And that love fulfills the law as Paul writes in our Romans text from this week. Here we love our neighbors as ourselves by recognizing our shared humanity and our shared home. 

 

The ‘love your neighbor as yourself teaching' is a very rich theme, one that Jesus of course teaches in Matthew and Paul now reteaches in Romans. It could be a very strong connection between the gospel and first reading. The theme of waking up from the Romans passage could also have a great preaching effect if you are bringing light to ecological issues or other needs of your community. The psalmist also longs to live a good life in the eyes of God and follow the commandments. Therefore these three readings tie together by modeling a life of fulfilling God’s purpose in our lives through being in right relationship with our neighbors, including or more-than-human neighbors, and with God.

 

I think the good news to be found in this week’s texts is the very practical steps we can take to start loving our human and more-than-human neighbor and loving God right now. We can start really small, by being reconciled to the people closest to us and by taking care of the land right under our feet. Then we can expand that by getting to know our neighbors and hearing about their needs. We are always loved and forgiven in Christ- no matter what the state of the world is. The peace of Christ always reigns in our hearts. Yet, our baptismal identity as beloved children of God calls us to share the love and grace of God with others and work for justice and peace in this precious world, this one, irreplaceable Earth home.There is actually great meaning and transformation found in that work. God’s kingdom comes every time we embody that peace of Christ in public. 

 

Pastor Jamie Brieske
Pastor Jamie Brieske
Immanuel Lutheran Church
Eau Claire, Wisconsin

Jamie has been a pastor in the ELCA for 9 years. She currently serves Immanuel Lutheran Church in Eau Claire, WI. She loves teaching confirmation and watching baseball with her husband and two sons.

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