The Future's So Bright...

No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him." [1 Corinthians 2:9, NLT]

During my college years I was a chemistry major who loved to skateboard and play heavy metal music on my guitar. I was also struggling with my feelings of attraction to other guys. When I felt the Spirit nudging me toward going to seminary, I remember asking God "Are you crazy? Isn't there a religion major out there who listens to contemporary Christian music you would rather send?" God's reply, although not audible, was "I know what I'm doing. You're going to have to trust me." "O.K., God," I finally consented, "If you're crazy enough to call me. I'm crazy enough to go."

Years later, I finally saw God's method to the madness. What I thought were handicaps and barriers were actually my greatest gifts. God would go on to use my analytical mind, my love of outsider sports, my guitar playing AND my being gay to share the love of Christ in ways I couldn't have done otherwise.

Do you believe that God can use you to do wonderful things in other people's lives? Do you really believe it? God has given LGBT Christians many amazing and wonderful gifts. We seem to have been blessed with more than our fair share of creativity, vision, passion and love. Never doubt the gifts that God has given you and trust with all your heart that God has exciting plans for your future.

Freaks and Lunatics

"Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye." [Matthew 7:3,5, NRSV]

Flannery O'Conner, a well-known Southern author, wrote a short story entitled "Revelation" that I think is a must read for everyone. It tells the tale of Mrs. Turpin, a bigoted church-going lady who can easily see the speck in the eye of her neighbor, but doesn't notice the log in her own. At the end of the story, Mrs. Turpin has a vision of God's kingdom that shocks and surprises her:

"Until the sun slipped finally behind the tree line, Mrs. Turpin remained there with her gaze bent to the hogs as if she were absorbing some abysmal life-giving knowledge. At last she lifted her head. There was only a purple streak in the sky, cutting through a field of crimson and leading, like an extension of the highway, into the descending dusk.

She raised her hands from the side of the pen in a gesture hieratic and profound. A visionary light settled in her eyes. She saw the streak as a vast swinging bridge extending upward from the earth through a field of living fire. Upon it a vast horde of souls were rumbling toward heaven. There were whole companies of white trash, clean for the first time in their live, and bands of colored people in white robes, and battalions of freaks and lunatics shouting and clapping and leaping like frogs. And bringing up the end of the procession was a tribe of people whom she recognized at once as those who, like herself and Claud, had always had a little of everything and the God-given wit to use it right.

She leaned forward to observe them closer. They were marching behind the others with great dignity, accountable as they had always been for good order and common sense and respectable behavior. They alone were on key. Yet she could see by their shocked and altered faces that even their virtues were being burned away.

She lowered her hands and gripped the rail of the hog pen, her eyes small but fixed unblinkingly on what lay ahead. In a moment the vision faded but she remained where she was, immobile. At length she got down and turned off the faucet and made her way on the darkening path to the house. In the woods around her the invisible cricket choruses had struck up, but what she heard were the voices of souls climbing upward into the starry field and shouting hallelujah."

If there's one thing I know for sure, it's that God is full of surprises. The guest list of who's going to be invited to the heavenly banquet will probably shock and surprise us all. O'Connor's story reminds us that we all have prejudices we need to deal with. Hopefully, God can help us all, gay and straight, to remove these logs so that we can join the "freaks and lunatics shouting and clapping and leaping like frogs" as, together, we make our way toward our heavenly home.

Sunday Sermon - 25th Anniversary of ASLC

25th ANNIVERSARY OF ASLC      David Eck

9/25/11

I.  While I was attending Pastor's Convocation

---At Camp Lutheridge earlier in the week,

---The guest speaker shared the following story.

---It's a Sufi wisdom tale by Idries Shah

---From the book Tales of the Dervishes.

The story is entitled "The Tale of the Sands."

---As soon as I heard it I knew it was the perfect way

---To begin my reflections

---On 25 years of ministry at Abiding Savior.

A stream, from its source in far-off mountains,

---Passing through every kind and description of countryside,

---At last reached the sands of the desert. 

Just as it had crossed every other barrier,

---The stream tried to cross this one,

---But it found that as fast as it ran into the sand,

---Its waters disappeared.

It was convinced, however, that its destiny

---Was to cross this desert,

---And yet there was no way. 

Now a hidden voice, coming from the desert itself, whispered: 

---"The Wind crosses the desert, and so can the stream."

The stream objected that it was dashing itself against the sand,

---And only getting absorbed:

---That the wind could fly,

---And this was why it could cross a desert.

The voice spoke again..."By hurtling in your own accustomed way

---You cannot get across. 

---You will either disappear or become a marsh. 

---You must allow the wind to carry you over, to your destination."

"But how could this happen?" the stream asked.

"By allowing yourself to be absorbed in the wind."

This idea was not acceptable to the stream. 

---After all, it had never been absorbed before. 

---It did not want to lose its individuality. 

---And, once having lost it, how was one to know

---That it could ever be regained?

"The wind," said the sand, "performs this function. 

---It takes up water, carries it over the desert,

---And then lets it fall again. 

---Falling as rain, the water again becomes a river."

"How can I know that this is true?"

"It is so, and if you do not believe it,

---You cannot become more than a quagmire,

---And even that could take many, many years;

---And it certainly is not the same as a stream."

"But can I not remain the same stream that I am today?"

"You cannot in either case remain so," the whisper said. 

---"Your essential part is carried away and forms a stream again. 

---You are called what you are even today

---Because you do not know which part of you is the essential one."

[This story can be found online at http://www.Spiritual-Short-Stories.com]

II.  Brothers and sisters in Christ.

---We know what it is like to be that stream

---Coming up against the sand.

---We know what it is like to keep pouring out

---Our time, our passion, our sweat,

---Only to see our efforts being absorbed

---By the sands of life.

We know what it is like to give everything we've got

---And yet it doesn't propel us one step further.

We know what it is like to have a vision, a dream,

---That is somewhere far off in the distance

---And seems impossible to bring into fruition.

Many of us have seen drastic changes in our jobs.

---Some of us have, or are, facing unemployment.

---Some of us have had to take a second job

---In order make the same amount of money

---We once made with one job.

Some of us have had to absorb

---More and more work as our colleagues were eliminated

---And we are expected not only to do our job

---But their job as well.

Some of us have had to readjust our dreams

---Of having an apartment of our own

---Or owning our first home and, instead,

---We're forced to live with family or roommates.

Some of us who have retired

---And have seen our pensions and benefits

---Shrinking and shrinking.

---This is a cause for worry as well.

This is a challenging time in our nation,

---In term of jobs, salaries, and maintaining

---The standard of living we are used to.

Statistically, there are more and more people

---Slipping from middle class into poverty.

---This is both frightening and distressing.

In addition to job and financial worries,

---Many of us have had to deal

---With other stressors such as poor health,

---Battles with depression,

---The death of loved ones,

---Conflicts within our familial relationships,

---And so much more.

We used to think that if we only worked hard enough

---We could make it in this world.

---We could be successful and reach our goals.

But now, we're not so sure about that anymore

---It leaves us feeling like the stream in the Sufi story,

---Trying desperately to cross the desert

---But getting nowhere.

III.  This happens in the life of churches as well.

---Talking to other pastors as Convocation,

---I discovered that most churches in our Synod

---Are in about the same place we are.

In fact, I only talked to one pastor

---Who is actually in the middle of a building project

---While the others had similar stories to ours.

It is challenging to be the Church of Jesus Christ

---In this day and age.

Many churches feel like that little stream.

---We're giving it all we've got

---But we don't seem to be getting anywhere.

There are lots of reasons for this.

---Some have to do with the economic situation

---Our country finds itself in.

Some have to do with the mass exodus 

---Of people that have left church permanently.

---This is a trend that has been true in Christianity

---For several decades and it shows no signs of stopping.

Some reasons have to do with so many more activities

---That are vying for people's attention.

---The church is no longer the center of the community

---Like it once was and there are many more ways

---People choose to spend a Sunday rather than going to church.

In order to rise to these challenges

---The Church of Jesus Christ will have to

---Be a little more creative in the ways

---It does outreach and ministry in the community.

Back in the 1950's it was true

---That if you built a church, they would come.

---This is no longer necessarily so.

So, the Church will have to be more innovative

---In the way it does things.

---The Church will have to be willing to break out of the box

---If it wants to make an impact on the world around it.

All of this can easily make us feel like that little stream.

---We, as a church, keep trying,

---But sometimes it feels like we just not getting anywhere.

IV.  So, what's the solution?

What can we, as individuals and families, learn

---To help us make it across the desert

---And water the land on the other side?

What can we, as Abiding Savior, learn

---To help us make it across the desert

---And water the land on the other side?

Well, if the Sufi story is correct,

---And I believe it is,

---We need to learn to surrender to the wind.

God's people are well acquainted with the wind.

---It is the Old Testament RUACH,

---The Spirit/wind/breath of God,

---That flapped its wings over the waters of chaos

---And gave birth to light in the midst of darkness

It's the New Testament PNEUMA AGION

---That descended on the disciples of Jesus

---On the day of Pentecost like tongues of fire,

---And empowered them for mission and ministry in the world.

It's not enough that we as individuals,

---Families and churches work hard.

---We must also be Spirit-led and Spirit-fed.

We must allow the winds of the Spirit

---To carry us through desert times

---And trust we WILL be carried to the other side,

---We WILL transform and reform

---So that we can water the mountains and plains

---On the other side of the desert.

Do you believe this, brothers and sisters?

---Do you really believe this?

Today, we as a church celebrate 25 years of ministry.

---During this quarter century there have been both

---Fertile, green times as well as dry, desert times.

---There have been periods of prosperity

---As well as periods of struggle and challenge.

During this time, lots of saints have put their hard work into this church.

---Their efforts have been absorbed by the Spirit

---And passed on through us,

---Just as our efforts will be absorbed by the Spirit

---And passion on through future generations.

We need to realize that this work is not really our work,

---It is the Holy Spirit's work.

---And if we can give into the wind,

---This powerful Spirit will sustain us

---During desert times.

---It will help us to reach the other side

---Where we can water the wilderness

---With God's love, hope, peace and joy.

V.  Will we surrender to the wind of the Spirit?

---Will we allow it to carry us as individuals,

---As families, as a congregation?

---I hope so.

Here's what I propose this morning:

---That every member of this congregation

---Seek to nurture their relationship

---With the Holy spirit.

That everyone set aside a little time each day

---For prayer, be it meditation or prayer with words,

---Whatever works for you.

And in this time of prayer, 

---I want us all to listen to the Spirit

---And see what that Spirit has to say to us.

I want us to let that Spirit challenge us

---To grow in our relationship with Christ.

This may mean spending more time

---Reading the Bible and growing in our faith.

This may mean we need to re-examine

---the stewardship of our time, talent and treasure.

This may mean we need to learn

---How to let go of worry, stress and anger

---And let God carry us for a while.

You see, brothers and sisters in Christ,

---It's not all about us.

We cannot work hard enough or dream hard enough

---In order to cross the desserts of life

---At some point, we have to surrender to the wind

---We have to be Spirit-led and Spirit-fed.

VI.  I believe Abiding Savior is at a crossroads in its history.

---We are headed into new and exciting territory.

We are not the church we were 25 years ago

---We will be a different church 25 years from now.

But at this point in our history, we are called

---To reach out to those in our community

---Who haven't had a place to call "home" in a long time

Some of these folks are gay and lesbian.

---Some of these folks are homeless and in poverty.

---Some of these folks have been rejected by other Christians

---And they are extremely gun-shy about opening their hearts again.

I believe we are in a unique position

---To reach out to these groups of people.

---I believe God has equipped us already

---With the gifts we need to do this work.

So, are we willing to surrender to the wind of the Spirit?

---Are we willing to go where it blows us

---Even if that wind takes us in some unexpected directions?

---Are we willing to trust that the desert times will not last forever?

I hope so.

---We cannot be the Church through our own sweat and will power alone.

---But with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit on our side

---We can become the church God needs us to be

---Not only today but also 25 years from today.

Happy Anniversary.  Amen!

I'm Coming Out

Michael Boynton, in his short story "Learning To Swim," from "The Gay Times Book of Short Stories: The Next Wave," makes the following observation about coming out of the closet: "Coming out is kind of like learning to swim. Sometimes you've just got to put the fear aside, close you eyes, and jump on in.  The trick to it is realizing you need to do it in the first place. I guess some people realize it gradually. Now, mine came to me like an epiphany a couple of months ago. You know, a sudden insight, when you finally get something and it makes sense? Something that changes you instantly?"

When I was younger, I naively thought you only had to come out once. Little did I know then, that coming out would be something I would have to do for the rest of my life! As a pastor, I come out to all visitors who show an interest in my church. I don't do this when they first walk in the door, but I do let them know who I am as soon as possible. My partner and I have made a pact to be honest with everyone who asks us a question about our relationship and so I find myself coming out to people in my community on a regular basis. Each time I share my story I feel stronger and more at peace with myself. It is a liberating experience.

The reason why we need to show the world who we are is because it's much harder to hate a person than it is to hate a thing. Therefore, each time we come out, we help to change people's minds about what LGBT people are like. Who do you feel led to come out to? Although it feels a bit like jumping into the deep end of a swimming pool for the first time, it is an important part of our spiritual and life journeys.

Love to Love Me, Baby

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind." This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. [Matthew 22:37-40, NRSV]

Over the years, I've come across numerous sermons on the subjects of love of God and love of neighbor.  But aside from Whitney Houston belting out "The Greatest Love of All," I've rarely heard anyone talk about the need for us to learn to love ourselves. It seems like a taboo subject, something we shouldn't do too much of. However, I would argue that we cannot fully love our neighbor until we learn to love ourselves.

The key to understanding this concept lies in the Greek word for "as" which can also be translated as "like" or "in the same manner." Eugene Peterson's "The Message" renders this verse as "Love others AS WELL AS you love yourself." This means that love of neighbor and love of self are intricately linked together. We cannot have one without the other.

This presents a particular challenge for the LGBT community. We have been conditioned by both church and society to hate ourselves. We have been told time and time again that there is something wrong with us. We are sick and need to be cured. We have heard these messages for so long that, unfortunately, we begin to believe they are true.

When we can learn to love ourselves, when we can see ourselves as people who are "fearfully and wonderfully made," [Ps 139:14] we will unleash in our spirits a power to love others that will sometimes shock and amaze us. Our compassion will run deeper. Our patience will last longer. Our tenderness will grow sweeter. All of this because we took the time to learn to love ourselves.

Sunday Sermon - Parable of the Vineyard Workers

18 PENT A     Matthew 20:1-16     David Eck

9/18/11

I.  Jesus said...the reign of God is like

---The owner of a vineyard in Southern California

---Whose grapes were ready for harvest

---But he had no one to harvest them

He jumped into his pick-up truck

---Before the break of dawn and headed into town

---Hoping to find enough workers to help him with the harvest

He found a group of men standing in a vacant lot

---Who were willing to work for the usual daily wage

---He crammed as many as he could into the back of his pick-up truck

---And headed back to the vineyard

At 9:00 he realized he did not have enough laborers

---To complete the harvest and so he went back into town

---Appeared at the same vacant lot

---Picked up the rest who were standing there

---Telling them he would compensate them fairly for their labors

---They all piled into the truck and headed back to the vineyard

He did the same thing at 12:00

---Picking up a group of women having lunch at a local restaurant

And then at 3:00

---Picking up a group of kids who had just finished school for the day

And finally at 5:00

---Picking up whoever else he could find

---So that the harvest would be complete by day’s end

When quitting time came at 6:00 PM

---The owner of the vineyard was grinning from ear to ear

---Because the work was done...the harvest was complete

He told his manager to line everyone up

---And compensate them for their wages

---Beginning with the last to be hired

---And ending with the first

When the manager approached those who had been hired at 5:00

---He gave them a full day’s wage

They were shocked and amazed at the vineyard owners generosity

---They even protested a little at his extravagance

Those who were hired at 3:00 were next

---They figured since the vineyard owner was so generous

---To those who had been hired at 5:00

---He would be even more generous with them

---And so they were a little disappointed

---When the manager handed them a full days wage

---Even thought it was still more than they deserved

The manager continued to go down the line

---Giving each group the same compensation

Finally he reached the group

---Who had been hired at dawn

---By this point they knew what was coming

---And they began to get very angry

When the manger handed them each a full day’s wage

---They went to the vineyard owner and began to complain

---WE DON’T UNDERSTAND...they cried

---YOU GAVE EVERYONE THE SAME PAY

---IT’S JUST NOT FAIR

---WE WORKED HARD ALL DAY IN THE SCORCHING HEAT

---WHILE SOME PEOPLE ONLY WORKED FOR AN HOUR

---AND YET EACH OF US RECEIVED THE SAME WAGE

The vineyard owner looked at them

---A little disappointed by their griping and complaining

---He said to them...DID I DO SOMETHING WRONG?

---YOU AGREED TO WORK FOR ME FOR THE USUAL DAILY WAGE

---AND THE USUAL DAILY WAGE IS WHAT YOU GOT

---FAIR AND SQUARE

---NOTHING MORE...NOTHING LESS

I GAVE EVERYONE THE SAME WAGE

---BECAUSE THE HARVEST WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN COMPLETE

---WITHOUT THE EXTRA WORKERS

---I WANT EVERYONE TO RECEIVE MY THANKS

---AND SHARE IN MY JOY

THEREFORE MY FRIENDS...YOU HAVE TWO CHOICES

---YOU CAN REJOICE IN MY GENEROSITY

---OR YOU CAN TAKE YOUR MONEY AND LEAVE

I SUGGEST YOU CHANGE YOU ATTITUDE AND REJOICE

---BECAUSE THE HARVEST IS COMPLETE

---AND NO ONE WILL GO TO BED HUNGRY TONIGHT

---BECAUSE ALL HAVE RECEIVED A FULL DAY’S WAGE

II. The parable I just retold is a parable that leaves us scratching our heads

---Somehow the kingdom of God is like this

---Somehow God operates in a similar manner

---I don’t know about you but my first reaction to this parable

---Is that it is horribly unfair

Somehow an injustice has been done

---And we’re supposed to smile about it

---Go our merry old way

---And ask no questions

If anyone in our day and age treated their employees like this

---There would certainly be a riot

---Labor unions would organize

---Strikes would be imminent

---No one would be happy

---Except for those who worked a little and received a lot

It seems to me that the vineyard owner in this parable

---Is a little foolish and a little extravagant with his money

---Somehow it leaves us feeling like some people were gypped

---And should have received more than they did

But this is exactly what the parable wants us to think

---If we look at it in terms of what is fair and just

---The parable is clearly unfair and unjust

If we look at it in terms of labor and work ethics

---And rewards for hard work and a job well done

---This parable flies in the face of all that we hold sacred

The common wisdom of our day says

---Those who work hard should be compensated for their labor

---While those who are slackers should get exactly what they deserve

---Which is nothing

---This is what is fair and right and just

---It make sense to us

But the parable throws a monkey wrench in the whole thing

---Jesus tells us that the kingdom of God operates differently than this

---It does so in a way that seems a bit unfair and unjust to us

III.  So where do we go from here?

---Well...I’ve wrestled with this parable all week long

---And have come to the conclusion that if we only focus

---On the issue of fair wages for hard work

---We...like the workers who griped and complained in the parable

---Miss the entire point

The emphasis of the parable is not on fair wages

---But on the call to work in the vineyard

Each of the workers received a full days wage

---Because each one was important to the harvest

---Whether they worked a full day or not

If one group of workers had been missing

---The harvest would not have been complete

---This would have been the greatest loss of the story

Therefore...the vineyard owner rewards all equally

---Because all helped to complete the harvest

---He wanted them to share in his joy of a job well done

---It couldn’t have been accomplished

---Without the contributions of everyone

If we only view this parable in terms of wages and fair rewards

---We get the impression that God’s kingdom is a very unfair place indeed

---However...if we see this parable in terms of the call to work in the vineyard

---The parable begins to make some sense

In God’s Kingdom...each worker is important and valuable

---From the greatest to the least

---Each person contributes to the success of the harvest

Some are required to do bigger...more visible jobs

---Because of the gifts and talents God has given them

---Others are required to do smaller...more invisible jobs

---Because of the gifts and talents God has given them

Some work in the vineyard their entire lives

---While others work in the vineyard for only a season...a day...or an hour

However...what is important is not how visible the job is

---Or how long the work is

---But the fact that a valuable harvest is at stake

It will take the combined efforts of all

---To ensure that the work is accomplished

From the greatest to the least...all are important

---All will be rewarded equally

---And join the vineyard owner in the celebration

For some people this might seem a bit unfair

---But this is the way the Kingdom of God operates

---And we’d better get used to it!

IV. If you still don’t understand the meaning of this parable

---I’d like to share with you another parable

---Told by Rabbi Abba bar Kahana...third century Jewish teacher

---Which helps us to see the meaning of our gospel lesson more clearly:

The matter is like a king who hired laborers

---And brought them into his garden

---He hid...and did not reveal

---What was the reward of working in the garden

---So that they might not neglect that part of the work

---For which the reward was small

---And go and do that part for which the reward was great

In the evening he summoned them all and said

---”Under which tree did you work?”

---The first answered, “Under this one.”

---The king said, “That is a pepper tree; its reward is one gold piece.”

He said to the next, “Under which tree did you work”

---He said, “Under that one.”

---The king said, “It is a white flower tree; its reward is half a gold piece.”

He asked a third, “Under which tree did you work?”

---He said, “Under this one.”

---The king replied, “That is an olive tree; its reward is 200 zuzim.”

The laborers said to him, “Shouldn’t you have told us

---The tree under which the reward was greatest?”

---The king replied, “If I had done that

---How would all of my garden been tilled?”

V. Taking these two parables into consideration

---I believe the message we are to take from them is as follows:

There is a great harvest in this world

---That harvest is the souls of human beings

---Who need to be brought into a living dynamic relationship

---With the God and his Son Jesus

In order for this to be accomplished

---God will have to use many workers

---Who will be called to a variety of tasks

---Some greater...some smaller

---But all are important if the harvest is to be complete

Our job is not to question

---Whether or not someone is working harder than us

---Whether or not a certain task is more important than another

Our job is simply to be faithful to the call to go into the vineyard

---To do the tasks that God has called us to do

---Be they great or small

---With no thought of their reward

We simply do them because God has called us to do them

---With the realization that each job is vital if the harvest is to be a success

What this means for us as a congregation

---Is that God appears to be calling Abiding Savior 

---To reach a certain population of our society

---That is sometimes hard to reach.

In order to rise to this challenge

---It will take all of our combined efforts

---To fulfill our ministry and mission

Some of the work is more visible than others

---Such as leading worship,

---Serving on the Reconciling in Christ Taskforce

---Or being the president of the congregation

Some of the work involves simple and mundane tasks

---Such as taking care of landscaping....fixing leaky faucets

---Cleaning the church...inviting a friend to worship

However...all of these jobs are important and vital to the harvest

---All of these calls to work in the vineyard are important

---If Abiding Savior is to be all that it can be

---Accomplish all that God has called us to do

Therefore...this morning I challenge each and everyone of us

---To really listen to God’s call upon our lives to work in the vineyard

---To discern the jobs God has called us to undertake

---In order that the harvest may be complete

---Some of those tasks might not be too exciting

---However all are important if the harvest is to be complete

This means we must be faithful to God’s call in all areas of our lives

---We must discern how we are to support this congregation financially

---Realizing that God uses and blesses all financial gifts...be they great or small

---We cannot be successful if one of those gifts is missing

We must discern how we are to support this congregation with our time and talents

---Realizing that God has many and various tasks for his servants

---All are important if the harvest is to be complete

We can never underestimate the importance and value

---Of a task God has called us to undertake

---Because all are valuable and all are important in his eyes

---From the most visible to the invisible

---From the greatest to the least

Finally we must discern how we are able to support this congregation

---Through extending the invitation for others to work with us in the vineyard

---When was the last time you invited a co-worker to join us for worship?

---When the last time you shared with a neighbor your excitement

---About what God is doing among us at Abiding Savior?

Each of us must extend the invitation to others to work with us in the vineyard

---Each of us must invite our friends...neighbors...co-workers to join us

---In mission and ministry

---In worship and fellowship

---As...together...we discover the extravagant generosity of our God

---Who loves us more than we deserve

---Showers us with an abundance of grace and mercy

Let us all be faithful to God’s call to work in the vineyard

---Don’t worry about the size or importance of the task

---Just do it!  That the harvest may be complete

---And we can all join together in the celebration!

AMEN