If you indeed cry out for insight,
      And raise your voice for understanding;
If you seek it like silver,
      And search for it as hidden treasures--
Then you will understand the fear of the Lord
      And find knowledge of God.
For the Lord gives wisdom;
      From his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.
           (Proverbs 2: 3-6)

     We have recently attended two Bat Mitzvahs. We have known the date for the first one for at least a year. We have watched our friend Pam prepare for years and heard about the plans for the event for a long time. When the perfectly planned day arrived, it went beautifully. God gave our friends a lovely spring day. Pam read Hebrew fluently and sang with a pure sweet voice. She exuded confidence, poise, and joy. So well prepared was she to lead the service, that the Rabbi and Cantor often turned away from her as she led the congregation. She was surrounded by a loving family. It took over an hour for great-grandparents, grandparents, parents, uncles and aunts, cousins, godparents, and close friends to come to the bema (lectern) for the honor of reading (in Hebrew) from the Torah. It was obvious that Pam comes from strong Jewish stock, that she has been well nourished in her faith and now has claimed her heritage. It was a glorious day.

     At one point in the service, a commentary to the scripture pointed out that it is not necessary to be a learned Jew, but a learning Jew.

     A few weeks ago we were unexpectedly invited to another Bat Mitzvah. Our neighbors are Russian émigrés. We did not know they practiced any faith. Esther is a timid child who stammers her answer in a whisper if you offer her refreshments. Her Bat Mitzvah was this past weekend. The jovial Rabbi assumed a large guiding role in this event. He frequently offered explanations of what was happening in the service, he helped people follow their texts, he nodded approval, etc. When the time came for people to come to the bema to read the Torah, first Esther's parents came forward, then the Rabbi and then Esther. The Rabbi gave a sermon, directed to Esther, in which he mentioned that Esther was the first person in her family to be a Bar or Bat Mitzvah for many generations. Esther began her studies of Judaism at a much older age than most children. He spoke of how hard she had had to work to learn Hebrew and how her parents had had to learn how to be part of a congregation. Finally, he told Esther she would always have a home in this synagogue. She had reclaimed her heritage. It was a glorious day.

     The sincerity and beauty of both a polished and a fledgling performance, and the validity of being learned or learning were demonstrated by these celebrations. In our own church, the Confirmation Committee has been discussing whether it is possible to pack the teachings of the church into any two or three year program. Of course it is not! We are discussing what it means to continue the confirmation process throughout our life.

     I confess that I have not read scripture enough. For many years I made a conscientious effort to read the week's scriptures in advance of Sunday School classes but I did not sit and read whole books of the Bible at once. My children have both commented on this. Since participating in a couple of Bible study classes and joining the Running in Faith team I have begun to do so. It is refreshing. We all seek wisdom and insight; Martin Luther translated the Bible so all could read it; why not claim our heritage and begin to read more and more of the Bible all the way through? What does it mean to be part of a congregation? It is a home, a place where we are secure enough to speak our deepest thoughts and expose our gravest doubts; where we can sincerely question, listen and learn. Certainly worship service provides us an opportunity to hear the word of God and aids us in the interpretation of the word. It is a start. Wisdom says: "I love those who love me and those who seek me diligently find me." (Proverbs 8:17).

Dear God,
Bless the seekers in the world. Help us to be learning Lutherans and to find the joy of your wisdom throughout all of our lives. Amen

Contributed by Susan
Sunday May 14, 2006
Liturgical Year B Week 25