Week 7: Faith of Our Fathers
When I was in Norway this summer, I visited Heddal Stavkyrkje, the largest stave church in Norway. The church gets its name from the pillars (staves) that support the roof. With it’s three tall turrets and exquisite wooden carvings framing the towering doors, it is a destination for many Christians. In fact, when I saw it on our itinerary, I planned to take a picture and collect brochures so I could write a blog entry about the value of tradition and the pillars of faith. But that was before I knew we would visit the church of my great-great-grandfather, Ole Kingland.
Nestled in a valley in the Telemark region, Amotsdal Church was home to Ole’s family—my family. Now it is home to Bjørg Oseid Kleivi a gifted rosemaler and local historian. When I told her I’m a Lutheran Pastor, she invited me to climb into the pulpit. My cousins goaded me into giving an impromptu sermon. The scripture that came to mind was Ephesians 2:19-22:
So then, you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone; in him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God.
When I remember this visit, the moment that moved me most was not viewing the fascinating construction of Heddal Stave Church, it wasn’t even standing in the pulpit. It was sitting in the pew imagining my ancestors being baptized in that font, hearing the word of God from that pulpit, and kneeling at that railing to receive holy communion. It was being in a holy space where time overlapped through faith: my faith, the faith of my forefathers, the faith of Bjorg’s worshiping community, the enduring faith of Jesus.
Amotsdal Church is much smaller today that when my great-great grandfather attended as a child. Many Norwegians don’t attend church anymore, except for baptisms, weddings, and funerals. The church has changed over the years, both in Norway and here in the US. There is a lot to grieve AND there is a lot to rejoice in.
Today I rejoice in the gift of faith my great-grandfather passed on to his son, who passed it on to his son, who passed it on to my mom, who passed it on to me, as I pass it on to my daughter. I rejoice in the community of living and deceased saints who keep the faith and support one another in difficult times such as when Norwegians rallied in resistance against the Nazi regime, standing firm in the morals of our Christian faith. I rejoice in the faith we receive from God every time we worship together. Let us rejoice in faith today!
Read this: Ephesians 2:11-22.
Try this: Invite your children or grandchildren to come to your church to worship and share our living faith. Tell them why church is important to you. Share memories about going to church with your parents or grandparents.
Be Curious: Notice the details of your church. The colors, shapes, textures, smells…what does your worship space tell you about God?
Pray: Thank God for the inheritance of faith. Ask God to show you how to pass on the faith to the next generation. Ask God to forgive the ways our ancestors and church leaders have caused physical and spiritual pain and separation.