Author: FELC Office

In this post, we’ll be in regular connection with J. Mills, FELC transitional pastor.

27 June 2023

While I am uncertain of the future of my “musings” column, I thought I would broaden the conversation around a question received this week from one of our Siblings regarding the word “Evangelical” and its connection to both an expression of Lutheranism in the world and a movement of conservative Christianity sweeping the nationalist stage (addt’l context: https://statesman-tx.newsmemory.com/?publink=340f3abd2_134ac68). Here was my response to the conflicted-question: I am reminded of one of the Dwelling in the Word passages we use in Holy Fork in the Road Ministry, John 2:13-22. Verse 17 reads:

(First Nations) ¹⁷The ones who walked the road with him listened and remembered the ancient prophecy, “My desire to honor your sacred lodge burns like a fire in my belly.”

(NIV) ¹⁷ His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”

(NRSV-A) ¹⁷ His disciples remembered that it was written, ‘Zeal for your house will consume me.’

(New Life) ¹⁷ Then His followers remembered that it was written in the Holy Writings, “I am jealous for the honor of Your house.”

I share these multiple translations (versions) because I think that’s what we’re experiencing here around the idea of Evangelical (of or according to the teaching of the gospels of the second testament). A word is always defined by its use; the definition itself has no power in connection to the word but instead to the context of the usage. Context provides the definition, and we have a separation of contexts (etymologies) over time regarding the opportunity to experience zeal for the word ‘evangelical’, or ‘evangelical’ as a synonym for the negative aspects of the experience of zeal as a zealot or being zealous. Many of us would love to think that this current rise of Evangelical as a synonym for ‘zealot’ as new, and yet this manifestation of a ‘Christianity’ in this nation, specifically, is not new and you may be interested to know that the conflicted use of ‘evangelical’, as used today, has not yet crested its height of vogue in the 1840s (I wonder what could possibly have sparked that rise…?).

Now: scripture. In the four translations I’ve offered we have two starkly different understandings. Three translations seem to agree that zeal is a positive quality, a yearning that offers us an invitation to just be in God’s reality of moving heaven into earth with our entirety; every cell and sinew moving together to support and show God to our siblings. Then there’s this fourth translation that invites this sinful manifestation of jealousy into the mix, as though a) Jesus were at odds with God about how one might be honored OR b) experiencing the honoring of the world in PLACE of God in a space that is meant to be sacred (this latter opportunity makes the most sense in the entirety of our experience, but the former can’t be discounted just because we don’t like it; language is funny that way).

So where is it written that our historical friends, the disciples, finally remembered? Psalms, of course: (sticking with New Life because that’s where we get this idea of jealousy) ” ⁹ For the strong desire for Your house has burned me up. And the bad things said about You have fallen on me.” Now… no ‘jealousy’ here. How did we end up with jealousy in the Second Testament rehash of this psalmody where v.9 clearly does not invite us into a Hebrew understanding of jealousy at all? I blame Greek (as we all should) for having used the word ζῆλος (zelos) which, in English, can be translated as zeal (huh, weird that) or jealousy. We would not use these words interchangeably like this today, but was there a time? Nope, no there was not a time when English interchanged these words. Then it must be that the Greek invites us into the description of an emotion of consumption: either you are consumed in favor of something and desire a whole-self-support of that thing (zeal) or you are fully consumed against something and view it as an utter rival to your being (jealousy).

My question, in light of all of this: does it matter what Evangelical means or is the context more important? If for us the context is “of or pointing to the gospel” how are we living that, and do we describe that as evangelical in the face of continued coopting of a term that Luther (re)claimed in the 1500’s? I refer what we are called to be, in accordance with the gospel: loving. If that’s how people experience me then that’s how I hope they experience God and evangelical is just another word that might point to a thing that people do… by and large “evangelical” doesn’t point to love as the greater populace of the world understands it and, maybe? Never has.

I invite continued discourse around this and everything happening around here (and you 😉 ). I look forward to returning from a northern trip to temperatures my body is better suited for in time for our Pride 2.0 celebration with our Sibling RIC churches; sign up and show up on both the 12^th and 13^th of August (also blessing the back-to-school crews)! While I am gone (from 31Jul to 11Aug), please reach out to Pastor Sharolyn Browning for your pastoral care needs: (512) 289-2732. Peace+ be with you.

You can connect with Pastor J at: pastor@felcaustin.org | 512-478-1933 | 443-846-9203

Church leadership is pursuing both short- and long-term plans for filling the role of Office Administrator. In the short term, we have hired Randi Ladolcetta to support our administrative ministry temporarily, taking over the most critical duties (Sunday bulletins, weekly email newsletter, website updates and managing phone/mail) during July and August.

We are also reviewing the activities that were previously performed by the Office to determine which are best suited to be taken over by the new Office Administrator and which are better performed by others. Once that assessment is completed in early July, we will use that agreed upon scope for the Office Administrator to post a job description, with the goal of having the permanent position filled by September. Please continue to direct any administrative needs to office@felcaustin.org. Information sharing to the greater FELC community should continue to be shared with the office by noon on Tuesdays, for all publications. Reach out to a Council member with any questions. A note from Randi:

“I’m excited to join First English as the temporary Office Administrator. In my previous role I worked as the Office Manager at Lord of Life Lutheran Church. I was also a member there and served as Secretary on the Council. While Lord of Life closed, I am grateful to have been a part of a wonderful community there and look forward to working with everyone at First English. I am excited to work with a church that believes in welcoming everyone with intentionality and stands behind that with action. I grew up in Florida, and have been in Austin for over 14 years. Outside of work, I am married and have two wonderful boys. We love to spend our time swimming in our pool and traveling. I look forward to working with the administrative team and meeting the congregation members.”

For more information, contact LaRu Woody woodylaru@gmail.com

While the FELC Music Director, Bryan Rust, is away this summer we welcome Marti Mortensen Ahern as our guest pianist. Marti will be at FELC almost every Sunday through mid-August. Marti studied at Westminster Choir College, Princeton, New Jersey and she serves as artistic director of the Austin Chamber Ensemble. Welcome back, Marti!  Do you want to participate in summer music offerings? Contact Shannon Aguirre at shannon@shannonaguirre.com and Shannon will connect you with other music leaders.

FELC is a founding member of the Micah 6 Food Pantry ministries which serves food insecure people in the UT area.

Micah 6 is in need of these staples: any canned foods are fine; canned fruit is very popular. The type of cans we currently need are corn, green beans, tuna, vegetarian beans, and diced tomatoes; peanut butter would also be helpful; water bottles as well. You can bring these to the fellowship hall on Sunday mornings.

Refillable water bottles can be donated and are able to be refilled at either the food pantry and/or youth drop-in center. Additionally, women’s clothing can be donated to the youth drop-in center or at church.

Volunteers are needed on Thursday mornings from 9-11:00, Thursday nights from 5:00-7:30 or so, and Saturday mornings from 8:00-12 noon at Micah 6 , 2211 San Antonio Street, and parking can be found in the UT Coop garage at San Antonio and 23rd Street.

View a recent financial report from Micah 6 here.

We are grateful to the FELC community as we put our prayers into action.

Contact Andy MacLaren at 512-947-4186 or email at andymaclaren@cs.com. 

On Pride Sunday, June 25, we bid farewell and Godspeed to Bryan Rust, our outgoing office administrator of seven years.  He went above and beyond his role, especially during the pandemic. He has been instrumental in our beginning transitional ministry, holding it all together in so many ways this year. Bryan will be away from FELC for seven weeks and will return in late August in the ministry of music with us.

Bryan writes: “My heartfelt gratitude for the joys, hardships, and learnings in the administrator role with FELC. We did good together and the Gospel was proclaimed. Thank you for offering me the gift to release the congregation from turning to me and depending on me. I am filled with joy in anticipation of returning to share in the music ministry and outreach of our church. I offer my encouragement for the continued ministry here.  Pay attention, First English. The world, this community, and this neighborhood needs our congregation to grow and live abundantly. All my love, Bryan.”

In the last several years the FELC pipe organ has experienced several iterations of restoration. Approved as part of our last capital campaign, the pipe organ needed and needs considerable work to remain functional and a vital part of our worship and music life.

In late March, issues with the organ console (the box that holds the keyboards that the musician plays) became unworkable. This was always known to need adaptation, and now it’s become critical to the use of the instrument.

Music Director Bryan Rust is (re)forming an organ committee through the worship ministry team that reports to the church council. The committee will be gathering numerous proposals and options for a staged restoration of the instrument. These proposals will be gathered in earnest, beginning in late August, and presented to the church council for consideration.