 We are at war. There is no denying it. Our nation has started a war against Iran, and the outcome will not be settled quickly or easily. As the warfare bleeds into other nations, reigning destruction in ever widening circles, soldiers, sailors, and civilians die and chaos reigns. There is no such thing as a “good war.” Christians since the earliest days of Christian thought have agreed on this point. The question has been is this war a just war?
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 Every week members ask me if I have anything to say about the chaos and confusion of our days. I know they really aren’t asking for my personal opinions. They want to hear what God might have to say. Some want a word of clarity that will address the violence, division, misinformation of a civil order that is quite disordered. Others want to hear a word that gives them peace and comfort in the face of all that is spinning out of control. Some want to hear what scripture, and our God may have to say about ICE raids and a government seemingly out of control. Others want to hear nothing about these things. Rock, meet hard place.
 We live in a culture that doesn't know what to do when we're wrong.
We defend ourselves. We spin the narrative. We issue carefully worded apologies that don't actually admit fault. "I'm sorry if you were offended." "Mistakes were made." We perform contrition, then move on as quickly as possible.  There is an old joke about change in the church: How many Lutherans does it take to change a lightbulb? Seven. One to change the bulb and six to talk about how much better the old bulb was. Change often drives us crazy and brings out a boatload of anxiety and fear. Yet the only thing that never changes is the presence of change itself.
 My first day as the Lead Pastor of Holy Trinity was February 1, 2011, fifteen years ago, this past Sunday. My wife, and biggest supporter, bought cake for everyone to share. She made sure everyone knew so we could observe the partnership that is, and has been, pastoral ministry.
 The world feels heavy right now. There's a lot of fear about what's happening, what's coming next, fear for neighbors and families. The news cycles through crisis after crisis, and social media amplifies every reaction.
 It is where the rubber hits the road. That might be one way of describing the subject of morality and ethics when it comes to the Christian faith. Faith is lived out in the daily decisions we make about everything. How and where we spend our money are moral and ethical decisions. The way I treat others, from co-workers to neighbors, and the way I raise my children, are all exercises in moral and ethical decision making – doing the right thing. For a Christian, the ground from which our morals and ethics grow is the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. Doing the right thing is doing the Jesus thing.
 In the pre-modern age, asking the question, “Got God?” would have been unthinkable. Everything in heaven and earth was an expression of the transcendent reality of the divine. Today, this question has a growing number of people responding, “Nope. Don’t need one.” Now, there are still plenty of folks who would say they did have God, or at least desired God in their lives. Thirty years ago, when I started teaching confirmation it was rare to have a student say they did not believe in God. Today, it is a frequent statement, and I suspect the majority would say they did not have or need faith if they felt safe enough to be honest.
 The new year came and went. There were parties, countdowns, promises about fresh starts. We celebrated (if you do that sort of thing). Then we went through the weekend. Some of you are probably still making the rounds with extended family, squeezing in one more Christmas gathering because there are just so many people to visit this time of year.
And then, back to work. Back to regular life. Back to whatever your days usually hold.  According to St. Luke, when Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem the town’s population had swelled because of a census. Normally, people would go to the home of a relative and seek shelter. The obligations of hospitality in that culture would ensure an open door. The accommodation would be a guestroom, perhaps just a corner of the living quarters partitioned with a blanket for privacy.
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