A Word From the Pastor (November 2006)

Dear Friends in Christ,

Recently, in Confirmation class, the students raised that troublesome question: “What is sin?” Some of the specifics that concerned them were: “Is it a sin to use foul language?,” “Is it a sin not to do my homework?,” “How come it’s sinful to use certain words in one context but not in another?” (For example, it may be appropriate to call a donkey by a certain word that would be inappropriate if applied to a person.), “How can you stand up to a bully without sinning yourself?,” “Is it a sin to be silent while someone else is being bullied or put down?” The specific sins the youth were concerned about were not earth shattering ones. They didn’t reflect concern for the bigger challenges of life like war and peace, poverty and justice and human rights. The issues, however, were representative of the struggles that our young people face every day. A healthy discussion ensued about what I consider to be one of the really big questions we all face. “How does one live as a Christian in a challenging, troubled, non-Christian world?”

We did not, as a class, discover any simple, easy answers. What we did discover is that living as a Christian requires us to ask tough questions. We need to dig and reflect and pray. We need to consider what the Bible says and what the church generally believes. We need to meditate on Jesus’ teaching and example. We need to take that important step of thinking about our lives in the light of our faith.

Assessing our everyday choices in the light of our faith might look something like this.

Question: Is it a sin not to do my math homework?

Answer: Perhaps God does not really care what grade I get in math. Perhaps whether I do my homework is pretty insignificant considering all the problems of the world and the greater issues that God has to deal with. On the other hand, my parents expect me to do my homework. God says in the Ten Commandments that I should honor my mother and father. If my parents expect me to do my homework and I don’t, I am disobeying my parents and thus disobeying God. Perhaps there are issues here beyond just mastering math equations.

In addition, we know that God creates us and gives us gifts and abilities. We are all responsible for developing and using the gifts God has given. Gifts are to be multiplied and nurtured, not wasted or hidden. If I don’t do my homework, I may be wasting God’s gifts. It’s an issue of stewardship.

The big questions that the youth asked in Confirmation class are ones with which we all must wrestle. No matter how old we are, no matter where we are on our faith journey, we all need to consider that troubling question “What is sin?” We all need to wrestle long and hard with the issue of how do we live as Christians in a challenging, troubled, non-Christian world. Such reflection is bound to affect every aspect of our lives including our work, our family, our relationships, our sense of community and responsibility, our stewardship, our politics, our care for the earth, and our compassion for other peoples and nations.
I pray that the example of our young people will lead all of us to pursue thoughtful, reflective, Christian lives. May we wrestle with the big questions as we seek to please the Lord and serve God’s will in the world.

Yours in Christ,
Rev. Peggy Ann Sauerhoff