Holy Trinity Lutheran Church - Ankeny, IA

  • Home
    • Church Calendar
    • Mission Partners
    • Council
    • Staff
    • Governing Documents
    • Building Use
    • Employment
    • Mobile App
    • Realm Tips
  • Worship
    • Worship
    • Welcome Card
    • Devotions
    • Music Ministries >
      • Adult Choir Schedule & Resources
    • Baptism
    • Weddings
    • Prayer Requests
    • Flowers
    • Serve
  • Learn
    • Children's Ministry
    • Middle School Ministry
    • High School Ministry
    • Adult Learning
    • Grace Notes
  • GIVE
    • Give
    • Capital Campaign
    • Memorials
  • Participate
    • Sign Up
    • Small Groups
    • Calendar
    • Email News
  • WELCOME
    • Welcome
    • I want to Join
    • Our Mission
    • How We Worship
    • What to Expect
    • Contact Us
  • Food Pantry
  • Home
    • Church Calendar
    • Mission Partners
    • Council
    • Staff
    • Governing Documents
    • Building Use
    • Employment
    • Mobile App
    • Realm Tips
  • Worship
    • Worship
    • Welcome Card
    • Devotions
    • Music Ministries >
      • Adult Choir Schedule & Resources
    • Baptism
    • Weddings
    • Prayer Requests
    • Flowers
    • Serve
  • Learn
    • Children's Ministry
    • Middle School Ministry
    • High School Ministry
    • Adult Learning
    • Grace Notes
  • GIVE
    • Give
    • Capital Campaign
    • Memorials
  • Participate
    • Sign Up
    • Small Groups
    • Calendar
    • Email News
  • WELCOME
    • Welcome
    • I want to Join
    • Our Mission
    • How We Worship
    • What to Expect
    • Contact Us
  • Food Pantry

Grace & super sunday

2/10/2022

0 Comments

 
​I am to teach the 8th grade confirmation class about God’s grace this evening. On the one hand, grace is so central to our faith as Lutherans, it should be an easy task. On the other, I know that grace is about the hardest thing to grasp for people of every age, let alone middle school students. The notion that anything in life that is free, unmerited, without cost, can be of any value at all is at odds with everything we know.
​The Super Bowl is upon us this weekend. Unlike grace, it will celebrate some of the most central tenets of our society. In a culture where winning and losing defines everything, whichever team wins will reign as a champion, a symbol for all our desires and dreams. They will join the pantheon of those gods who motivate us to work harder, run faster, jump higher and take life on our own terms. To the loser will go anonymity and a little shame (I have cheered on my Vikings through four Super Bowl losses).

Grace does not keep track of winners and losers. In fact, contrary to conventional wisdom, grace reminds every participant, coach, fan in the seats or at home that the whole thing is one giant gift.  The players may have had record setting years in the performance department, but the path to the big game is also paved with many more things quite beyond their control. 

The expensive commercials will tell us what we need to be happy. Grace tells us that this is nonsense. The money spent on tickets, commercials, game attire will be seen as rewards for hard work, something we deserve. Grace will tend to those who can’t afford the TV to watch. The mountains of nachos and chicken wings, buckets of cold beer and soda will tell us that we are living large and doing OK. Grace will quietly remind us of those who have none of this and that the bounty is a gift from God.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I have watched almost every Super Bowl ever played. I have made and eaten a ton of snack food, dip, and my share of nachos and wings (just look at me!) while I viewed the spectacle. I don’t begrudge any of it to anyone. It does, however, remind me of two things. First, it reminds me why it is so hard to comprehend a God who does not distinguish between winners and losers; a God who I suspect always settles in the losing dressing room after the game. Second, it reminds me that this whole shooting match is an illusion because it is not rooted in the grace and mercy of God. In the kingdom of God, I wonder if there will be Super Bowls. If there are, I suspect that there will be no scoreboards.

We live in a world where we see everything in terms of wins and losses. Politics, business, even grade point averages and artistic performances are all about the honor or the trophy. The result is a world where beauty is diminished, and accomplishment is commodified.

A world that is all about winners and losers is comforting. It puts us in control. If we lose this year, there is always next. We can try harder and win the prize. A world of grace calls us to relinquish control and allow God to sustain us, accept us, love us, on God’s terms instead of our own. We are “winners” because God makes us so. Because of that fact, there are no losers. Therein lies the rub.
​
Pax Christi, 
Tim Olson – Lead Pastor
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    ​Categories

    All
    Learning
    Outreach
    Spiritual Transformation
    Stewardship
    Worship

    Archives

    June 2025
    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019

    RSS Feed

Holy Trinity Lutheran Church
A congregation of the Southeastern Iowa Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
517 SW Des Moines St.
Ankeny, IA 50023
Phone: 515-964-4348
Office hours: M-Th 9:00 am-3:00 pm

Worship Schedule:
Sundays at 8:30 and 10:00 am
Livestream on Sundays at 10:00 am on YouTube

Picture
Picture
Privacy Terms

Subscribe to News
Realm
download our app
Calendar