Thousands of college students have heard or are hearing those powerful words this month. You have been accepted. You have done the work. You are qualified and ready to go!
Next month, thousands of high school students will hear the same thing. You are qualified to head off to college or vocational school or military or right into a job.
Do you remember hearing those words? At a graduation? Or in your baptism?
In Acts 16, we hear of one of the many times Paul heard he was qualified: “During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia, being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them.”
Essentially, God says to Paul: You have been accepted….as my prophet to the people. You have done the work…of listening to my directions for you. You are qualified and ready to go! And when Paul did, amazing conversations led to a baptismal celebration for Lydia. And then immediately, Lydia heard her qualification as a baptized child of God and began sharing hospitality.
This story is your story as well.
As a baptized child of God, you have been accepted!
As a baptized child of God listening to and discerning God’s direction for your life, you have done the work.
As a baptized child God in a world that is in dire need of more compassion, grace, hospitality, welcome, forgiveness and love, YOU ARE QUALIFIED and ready to go.
We remember those that lost their lives at the hands of a racist shooter at Tops three years ago today. They are:
Celestine Chaney,
Roberta A. Drury,
Andrew Mackneil,
Katherine Massey,
Margus D. Morrison,
Heyward Patterson,
Aaron Salter,
Geraldine Talley,
Ruth Whitfield,
Pearl Young.
Today we honor their stories, remember their families and lift them up in prayer. At St. Paul’s, we will ring the bell in their honor at 2:30pm, the approximate time the shooting occurred. We invite you to share in this moment with silence wherever you are.
The event lasted for six minutes. And in that short amount of time, it changed those families and this City forever.
At 2:36pm this Wednesday, I invite you to end your silence. End your inaction and inactivity. End your lack of speaking out and not saying something that you see that doesn’t match up with the teachings and life of Jesus. End your complacency. End your tolerance and acceptance of hatred and racism. End your laughing at racist comments or jokes due to peers around you. End your nervousness due to the color of someone else’s skin without knowing the depth of the person’s heart. End all the things that brought about that terrible six minutes.
And instead, do something. Do love. Do compassion. Do listening. Do discussion. Do reaching out. Do forgiveness. Do discomfort. Do love.
When we say on days like this, “never forget,” may we also say: “never again.” And then do something to make it happen.
Lord, may we never forget. And may we never again. Have mercy and inspire us. Amen
“Alright stop, collaborate and listen” The Prophet Vanilla Ice in ‘Ice, Ice, Baby’ circa 1990.
OK, maybe he wasn’t a prophet. But he’s not wrong.
I’m spending the morning with representatives from many of the Family Support Centers (FSC) around Erie County.
They are sharing ideas of how to “stop, collaborate and listen” with churches and non-profits to more fully bless the families they care far.
Not far off at all from what Jesus was asking the disciples. “Feed and tend my sheep please.” And the collaboration came by Jesus calling multiple disciples with various gifts and talents to use those abilities to bless the families in their care. Did they listen?
They did. Fairly well. In the stories ahead in the New Testament after their calling, we read about healings, feedings, compassion, baptisms, grace and love. They listened.
Can you give yourself time and space to consider your discipleship calling? Can you stop long enough to pause from the regular routines to see what Jesus might be inviting you into? Can you collaborate with other people, churches, schools, and teams to bless the kingdom of God around you? And can you listen to God reminding you that you are loved and gifted to do God’s work in the world?
If Vanilla Ice can do it, maybe we can too?
Lord, help us to be tenders and feeders with those around us. AmenStill in One Peace, ps
There seems to be a slight panic with the change in license requirements coming up. In order to fly around the country, you’ll soon need a new type of license. Either a Real ID and/or Enhanced ID will be required to get through TSA in just a few days.
So the joy-filled lines at the DMV are probably even more joyful I bet.
I went to the DMV a few weeks ago to get this all ironed out. I walked up to the cheery DMV worker and the conversation went like this:
Me: Hi.
CW (Cheery Worker): Hi. What do you need today sir?
Me: Nothing really. I just wanted you to know I’m all set.
CW: If you’re all set, why on earth are you in my line and making me less cheery?
Me: I just heard we needed to get Real ID and I just wanted you to know I have one already. In fact, it’s probably closer to an Enhanced ID.
CW: Do I need to call security sir?
Me: No I actually have security too. It comes with my ID!
CW: (Mumbles to themselves about how many more days until retirement)
Me: Yeah, I’ve got real, enhanced security through my baptismal ID!
CW: Sir, did you just come from a two-hour lunch at Duffs?
Me: Nope. Can you see it? (I press my forehead up against the plexiglass barrier). See? It’s the shape of the cross on my forehead from 53 years ago at St. Luke’s in Valarie NY. Still there, eh?!
CW: Sir, now I have an oily smudge on my window. Maintenance!!!
Me: Those are baptismal oils. Comes with the water. Oh, and the Holy Spirit. And…my spiritual gifts.
CW: You get all that at your baptism?
Me: You bet. Quite the deal.
CW: Well, I’m not sure you’re going to be able to get on planes with it, but it certainly makes you a more “interesting” person. Can you move on now?
Me: Interesting, indeed! Especially in the eyes of God. Interesting. Loved. Secure. Gifted. Yep, I can move on and forward and upward. Glad we got all this worked out!
CW: Glad we did too. NEXT!!!
See, I’m all set. The real, enhanced, secure ID is already in place. And people can still see the smudge of God’s promise.
Do you have your REAL ID yet?
Lord, thanks for the promises of our baptismal ID’s!Still in One Peace, ps
And I don’t mean weather forecast…although better experiences are coming on that front!
Here’s what Jesus’ forecast has in store…stormy conditions coming.
Even during the best time of the week when palms and coats were flying, people wondered and second guessed.
As he readies for a meal of grace, new covenant, new promise, new presence, someone is conspiring and plotting.
When he arrives in the garden to pray and reconnect and breathe and get strength, disciples sleep, swords are drawn and money is exchanged. And a kiss…of betrayal.
But as he enters the city and things are looking the bleakest, at least the government can help out. Until they don’t.
The beatings. The denying. The mocking commences.
The cross is dragged and erected. The nails are pounded. The screams are heard. And yet the criminals are welcomed and forgiven.
And then, the breathing stops. The doubts creep in. The denials speak out. The running away starts. The locking of doors takes place. The ladies do their job.
And they find that the forecast has cleared up. The storms of the tomb are empty.
And at the tail end of Jesus’ forecast this week, better experiences are coming….for our front.
Blessings during the Holy Week forecast.Still in One Peace, ps
Copyright © 2025 St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, All rights reserved.
Recent Comments