Resurrection Letter no. 6

                              

Dear Good Shepherd and friends,

I hope you all are doing well. I don't say that just as a matter of convention. I really mean that. I hope you're doing well.

Because it's tough these days. There is a lot going on in our lives and in our world. And the flood of information, people having something to say, people sharing their opinion, debating, and arguing -- it's all very overwhelming. And it's tough to shut it off. You can't really. If you turn off social media, still your neighbors, friends, or family members are talking. They all have opinions. And it's important now to talk, to share what we're thinking, and how we're struggling. Yet, even if we agree with those around us, it's still sometimes too much to talk about everything that's going on all of the time. Sometimes, maybe, you just want to take the next exit ramp and get off the busy and overcrowded road for a while.

But, don't. Stick in there. Whether you know it or not, there are people around you that need you. They might not need to hear your opinion or whatever. They just need YOU. They need your face, your presence, your laugh, your hug (social distance-ly), your comfort, your encouragement. 

The other day our son Tate wanted to make oatmeal pancakes. We make oatmeal pancakes at our house sometimes. It might sound strange, but don't knock it. It's good stuff. Jude could eat them every day, all day. Recipe will follow.

Anyway, Tate had never made them by himself before. And he had to learn to do it so that mom or dad didn't have to all of the time. So I walked with him through the process.

In my mind I had to sort out how I was going to do this. Do I just do it and let him watch? Maybe. Some people learn by watching. Or should I tell him what to do and walk away? Disaster in the making. No to that. Do I walk with him through the process? Yes. Better alternative. I can tell him what he needs, explain the steps, demonstrate where I feel I need to demonstrate. But let him go with it for the most part, just with me there to offer pointers as someone who has done it before.

So we began. He cracked an egg. Some of the shell got in the bowl. Had to fish that out. I stepped in to show him a good technique for that. When he was mixing the egg, it was clear he had never done that before. I could have just let that one go, but it was tough to watch. Had to step in and navigate through that. 

When we were adding ingredients, I walked him through what he needed. Since I don't really measure (I know some of you just cringed at that), I helped him get a "feel" for the amounts of oats, milk, salt, sugar, vanilla, and flour. I want him to not just measure amounts, but to "feel" the recipe. This gives him the openness to make it "his." So we walked through adding the ingredients and mixing them. He put in some vanilla, just one drop. 

"Keep going," I said. "Look at how much you're putting in. See how it starts to color the batter?" 

When I told him to stop, I said again, "Ok, now look at how much you put in. Get a feel for how much that is, ok? If you are making more batter, drop a little more in." I wanted to not just tell him what to do, but teach him to observe what he's doing, what's going on.

When it came time for the cooking, he was all ready to pour the batter into a cold pan. "No, wait," I interjected. "We need to heat the pan first." So we turned it on. And then waited. He was more eager to put the batter in. I was there to remind him to wait and feel for when the pan was hot enough. 

When I walked away for a moment and he dumped the batter in. Because I walked away without mentioning to put oil in the pan first, he didn't do that. We both learned. First, I learned to make sure he knew next steps before I walk away. Second, we learned that you don't need oil in the pan for oatmeal pancakes. 

In the end, Tate had made good oatmeal pancakes. I walked with him. It was a new experience, and it was good for both of us.

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I think this is how life and faith is for all of us. We are better when we are walking with those around us. Sometimes we're the ones in need of someone's help or direction. Sometimes we're the ones mentoring, helping someone else. Sometimes it's both.

Life is tough. The life of faith is tougher. We don't have it all figured out. I don't think we're supposed to. But we are supposed to walk with each other, journeying toward the heart of God. Journeying deeper into who we are. 

You are probably needed by someone today. To walk with them through some aspect of life. You might be the one in need of someone today to walk with you. It might be as simple as to help make pancakes. And let's be honest, more than making pancakes is going on here. We're not mechanical people who just live to do tasks. We're relational people made for companionship. That's how God has created us. 

In the story of creation, the emphasis of our human identity is companionship and relationality. "It is not good for man to be alone," God said in Genesis 2:18. On the one hand this is about male and female companionship, but at a deeper level this is about human companionship. We are not made to be individuals. We are made to be in community. We're made to need others.

And we're all made in the image of God. Something about being in the image of God and our relationality go together. When we're walking with others in life, needed by someone and filling that need for someone, we're living our primary vocation as humans made in the image of God. 

This is how it was with Jesus, who was God in flesh. He brought God's life and hope among us through being with us. That's the key word in the life of Jesus: with. Jesus didn't live to just tell us about how to be good religious people. He walked with us. He came and showed us our humanity by being "with" us. That's how Jesus is known in the gospel of Matthew, as God with us (Matt. 1:23). According to Matthew's gospel, Jesus is still with us as we are with one another (Matt. 18:20). It happens as we live with others, giving of ourselves in love and service to one another. 

So let me remind you, friends: you are needed today. And let me remind you that you need others. It's good to admit that. Find someone who has ministered Jesus' presence to you in your life by walking with you through something, and thank them. And carry that forward. This is how we carry one another, and how we know God is among us.

In defiant hope,

Pastor Kyle

Oatmeal Pancakes Recipe

1 egg

1/2 cup milk (give or take)

a few shakes of vanilla (depends on how much vanilla flavor you prefer)

couple pinches of sugar (depends on how sweet you like it)

pinch salt (don't overdo this one)

about 1 tablespoon flour (just to give it some substance)

about 1 cup oats (less oats, the more runny and spread out the pancake will be)

Mix it all. It should be just right between thick and soupy.

Heat pan.

Add oil (butter is better!)

Put in proper amount of batter. If you want one large oatmeal pancake, put it all in. If you want smaller ones, measure appropriately.

Cook until done. You can figure that out.

Eat with butter, cinnamon, and syrup.

Repeat next day.