For Jesus' sake . . . Stir us up!

Confirmation Day for one of my sons.

Worshiped this morning at Gloria Dei Lutheran in Dana Point.  Always great to be in the presence of Pastor David Mattson and Pastor Sabrina Vasta.  Today was the Rite of Confirmation at Gloria Dei.  Once again, hands were laid on those affirming their faith and the prayer for the Holy Spirit was spoken: "Father in heaven, for Jesus' sake, stir up in 'name' the gift of your Holy Spirit; confirm their faith, guide their life, empower them in their serving, give them patience in suffering, and bring them to everlasting life."

 I've been reading a new book:  The Benedict option.  It has a pretty hard critique of both church and culture that I don't always agree with (for example I understand the basic good of civil rights for all people to be a positive movement--not a negative) but he brings up some very thought provoking observations.  Here is one:

 "American Christians are going to have to come to terms with the brute fact that we live in a culture, one in which our beliefs make increasingly little sense.  We speak a language that the world more and more either cannot hear or finds offensive to it's ears."   

I agree with Rod Dreher on this.  I'm not sure that we would always agree on what aspects of Christianity makes little sense to our society; but I can think of a few things that seem to be pretty Anti-Christ out there: Desire for Vengeance vs the desire for forgiveness.  The need to hate vs the call to love our neighbor.  The desire to 'Lord it above all' vs the call to humility and service.  The disregard for the need to use our words and lives to build up vs the desire to tear things down.

Confirmation at Our Savior's
Lutheran Church, San Clemente

Pastor David preached about the power of the Holy Spirit today.  Amen pastor, may the Holy Spirit be stirred up and may the people of Christ continue to make no sense to the world that lives by hatred.   And to those confirmation kids...look out, you've made public profession of your faith, you are now marked women and men!  Amen, come Holy Spirit and stir us up!