Pastor’s Page

 

Matthew 19:13–15

Jesus Blesses Little Children

Then little children were being brought to him in order that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples spoke sternly to those who brought them; but Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.’ And he laid his hands on them and went on his way.

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Oh, the places you will go…

This is the name of a popular Dr. Suess book that is often given to graduates as they dream about the future and the possibilities that await them. This is also a good title for the summer months. It describes well this season full of change and possibility. Many of our members will head north for the weekends to enjoy family and friend time on a lake and/or in a cabin. Many of our members will take vacations to new places or old familiar ones. Many of our members will just enjoy a different pace, either busier as crops grow or slower as activities decrease. Oh the places and experiences people will have this summer.

 

I am a curious person by nature. It seems that the older I get, the more curious I become…about other people’s lives, about other places I have not visited, about other cul- tures and sights and sounds. Summer gives way to exploration. As I read regularly with my children, I cannot help bet get caught into their unending curiosity about the world around them. I think Jesus blesses children because they help us not take life for grant- ed or make assumptions but that children continually live in a state of curiosity.

So at church we are going to focus on Dr. Suess books this summer. As you go to other places and yet find yourself in the place of our church on the weekend, we will explore through Dr. Suess Jesus’ desire for us to be curious about God. Dr. Suess piques our curiosity through themes in ways other authors do not. His books are poetic and have a cadence similar to our psalms. So in place of the psalm we will hear one of Dr. Suess’s books. While his words might be silly at times and make little sense, they also playfully hit at deep aspects of our lives which invite us to respond as Christians.

So let us see the places we will go this summer. Either away from our church on the hill or as part of worship at our church on the hill. Let us learn from someone who never claimed to be a Christian bridge God’s Word with curiosity about life. We will see the places we might go….

Summer Blessings,

Pastor Holly

 

“We had hoped. . .” they said. Two men who had been followers of Jesus were walking on the road with Jesus on the same evening that he had risen from the dead. “We had hoped. . .” they said. It’s a powerful thing, hope is.

The unemployed woman hopes for a job. The troubled teen hopes for a better relationship with his parents. The young woman hopes to find a suitable life partner. The sick man hopes for a new treatment for the disease that persists in eating away at his body.

It’s hard to hope without the impish fear that stands in the corner, whispering, “What if?” What if there are no jobs? What if my parents never understand me? What if I never find the right man? What if I die?

When hope is threatened, as Christian’s from a Lutheran perspective we turn to the truth and reality of Jesus’ resurrection. To the conscious and the unconscious fears, to the suspicion that life is meaningless, to the doubt that there life can be fulfilling, to the cynical mindset that eternal life really doesn’t matter. The Christian proclamation of Easter, of resurrection, is an affirmation.

Listen to these words from the First Epistle of Peter (1:3-9), and listen with Easter ears: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith—being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed.    Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

The resurrection of Jesus is at the heart of what we believe. It is an historical fact upon which our life with God depends, upon which our hope for tomorrow depends, upon which our   confidence of life after death depends. If Jesus did not really come back from life, forget it! But don’t waste your time on a Christ who simply lives in our memories, simply in our hearts, simply in a sentimental picture on a church wall. That Christ deserves to stay dead.

Our Christ is alive. Alive now. More alive than you and I have ever been. Alive as God, alive as the human being that shared our humanity. Alive for us, for you and me. Alive for rebirth, alive for transformation. There’s this one, big Easter event, upon which everything else      depends. But God isn’t about just this one resurrection. God is in the resurrection business. God is about transforming our lives every day.

What are your moments of transformation, of resurrection, of new life? Where have you found them in your faith journey, in your relationship life, in your work life? We believe that God is a God of resurrection, that what happened on that first Easter was not only transformative for all of creation and all of history, but set the stage for how God  continues to work in your life, my life, the life of this  congregation, even in the world. Look for them and share them!

Blessings,

Pastor Holly

 

On Maundy Thursday, which begins the tridium (or holy three days leading up to Easter) the story we hear is from John 13.  In verse 34 Jesus says, “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.”

Jesus shares these words at his last supper before he will begin his path towards crucifixion.  Jesus shares these words on the night in which he was betrayed, on the night in which he foretells of Peter’s denial, on the same night he washes the disciples’ feet.  It is the same night he says, “bless and break this bread, drink this wine, do these in remembrance of me.”

Jesus is going to be betrayed by his closest friends, denied by his closest friends, shamed by authorities of his own religion and condemned to death by people who do not even know him.  Yet his final words at his final meal with his most trusted friends is, “love one another,” and continue to love one another each time you break bread together.

This Lent we have gathered around the tables of our lives and watched where Jesus the Shepherd of Love has sat at these tables.  Simultaneously our church council has received the data from our survey regarding baptism, marriage and burial of those who consider themselves homosexual.  The results of that survey are in this newsletter.  We were pleased with the number of people who took a seat at that table by taking the time to express their opinions.  The response was huge, so thank you.

As you sift through the results remember that all different types of people were present around the table at that last supper.  We have those same people around our church table.  Some might feel betrayed by the results, others might want to deny them.  Some might be elated and overjoyed.

But know that Jesus makes that mandate, hence the name Maundy Thursday to his own followers who fell along a spectrum.  Christ issues a new mandate, a new commandment.

Jesus loves each of us and expects us to respect and love one another, especially in difficult times when decisions do not go the way we want them to go.  He reminds us to continue to break bread together.

The council will be making some decisions regarding baptism, marriage and funerals by summer. The survey will be part of the decision making.  At 10:15 on April 15 and 22 the council will be available in the sanctuary for additional feedback.  Please pray for them as they gather around the table and make decisions taking into account the feelings and best interest of the congregation.

Peace,

Pastor Holly

 

 

You must sit down, says Love, and taste my meat: So I did sit and eat. George Herbert

Jesus said, “I am the bread of life.  Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” John 6:35

There is something about the table, the place where we are filled for the hours ahead that gives us more than just physical sustanence.  It is the place where stories are shared, where lives are opened up, where hurts and celebrations are exchanged.  As I shared on Ash Wednesday, important days of this Lenten Season fall on holidays…Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day and April Fool’s Day.  For me holidays are just as much about the meal and the people present at the meal as are the holidays themselves.

As we journey through Lent, we will see how Christ the Shepherd emerges from our tables and not only nourishes our physical body but our spiritual and emotional bodies as well.  It might seem strange to focus on the different tables that Christ shows up to during Lent because many of us our taking part in the ritual of fasting.  But even as we fast from one meal, we are hoping to be filled by another.

So this Lenten season we will be following my parents rule, “even if you eat nothing, taste everything.”  We are tasting how Jesus the Shepherd comes into the tables of our lives.  Some that we are sitting at, some that we are driving through, some that we are invited to, others that seem to find us.

As we experience the various tables I am hoping a few different things emerge.  First that because of Christ’s love he promises to eat whatever he wants, whenever he wants, with whomever he wants. The next is that by hearing Jesus’ table talks, we will see God at our table talks, around our tables.  We do not have to come to Christ’s table for Christ to be present at ours.  That being said, I hope that we do value our communal table and the various tastes we are exposed to in one another.  I hope that we take advantage of the relationships in our own community.

I invite you to take time to be holy at the table this Lenten season.  Jesus didn’t come to the tables of our lives to help us be moral, but to help us in becoming whole, through healing.  Let us receive that wholeness Christ can and does provide by being fully present with one another at the tables of our lives we find ourselves at this season.

Jesus said, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven.” John 6:51

Jesus lives through our tables and is the bread of life.  If you want to begin to experience that life, bake this bread (which I made on Ash Wednesday) and then have it for breakfast, lunch and dinner in Nelson Mandela fashion and see how your taste may change!

Have your breakfasts all alone.

Share lunch with your best friends.

Invite your enemy to dinner.

Nelson Mandela

Chocolate Chip Challah from Genius Kitchen

10g dry yeast(approximately 1.5 packages)

1 tablespoon sugar

¹⁄₂ cup sugar

1 ³⁄₄ cups warm water

¹⁄₂ cup vegetable oil

5large eggs

1tablespoon salt

8cups all-purpose flour

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and 1 Tablespoon of sugar in the water. Whisk until completely combined.
2. Add vegetable oil and whisk. Then add 4 of the eggs, whisking for about one minute after each egg is added. Whisk in remaining sugar and salt. Add flour one cup at a time, mixing with a sturdy spoon after each cup.
3. When all of the flour has been added, turn dough onto floured surface and knead the dough to remove all lumps. Knead in the chocolate chips.
4. Remove dough from warm spot and place dough ball onto floured surface. Using a long serated knife, cut the dough in half and then cut each halve into thirds. Reform all six dough balls so that the chocolate is encased in the center of each ball. Then, using your hands, roll out each ball into a strand approximately 15 inches in length. Take three strands and pinch them together at one end, tucking the pinched ends under the bread. Braid the three strands together. When you get to the end of the strands, pinch the strands together and tuck under loaf. Repeat for remaining three strands to create a second loaf.
5. Lightly grease a large baking sheet. Gently transfer the challahs to the baking sheet.
6. Allow the braided loaves to rise until it is approximately double in size.
7. Whisk remaining egg in a small bowl and brush generously onto each challah. Be sure to get egg wash into all the cracks and crevices.
8. Preheat oven to 375. Place loaves into oven on middle rack. Fill a baking dish or roasting pan with about two inches of water. Place dish on the rack below the challahs. Bake the challahs for twenty to thirty minutes, rotating the baking sheet once in the middle of baking time. Challahs should have a medium golden brown crust and sound hollow when tapped. Be sure to check challahs near end of baking time in order to avoid over cooking.

Cool challahs completely on wire baking rack.

Pastor Holly

 

Food. It’s integral to us as Lutherans.

It always seems that you can find a larger crowd at a gathering if there is food present.  And free food, even better!  Also, when I think about holidays, food is one of the first images which comes to mind.  The Superbowl means appetizers.  Valentine’s Day means chocolate.  St. Paddy’s Day means shamrocks and corned beef and cabbage.  Mother’s Day is brunch, Father’s Day is grilling out.  I could go on and on.

Key dates of this upcoming Lenten season fall on holidays.  Nothing says, “I love you,” more than the sigh of ashes on our loved one’s forehead.  Valentine’s Day this year marks Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent.  And surprise!  There ain’t no foolin,’ Jesus will resurrect on April Fools.  So the focus this Lenten season will be on food, specifically bread and wine (communion) and how those two elements can be part of our Lenten discipline.  How our sense of taste can be aroused in new ways, how the spiritual discipline of fasting can open the door for new ways of experiencing God, how being intentional about eating with others can fill the soul.

 

For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure. 2 Corinthians 4:17

I do not always believe that we have to have tribulations in order to receive gratitude, but I do  believe that good can come out of bad in strange and holy ways.  That happened for us as a congregation this past year.  And so in this new year I am reminded of how blessings can come in some of the most unexpected ways.  And as we enter this new month still in the Christmas season (until January 6, to be exact), I would like to share a story of a blessing in disguise.

In September we had our paraments (the linens which cover our altar, pulpit and lectern) dry cleaned.  The company that was supposed to dry clean them accidentally washed them instead.  This ruined our white paraments.  The colors ran into one another and the pieces shrunk in strange ways.  These are the linens we use for All Saints Day, Christ the King, Christmas and Easter.

As the worship and music committee met to decide what course of action we should take, people came forward reminding us that we have amazing seamstresses in our midst.  The Worship and Music Committee decided that we would see if our seamstresses would create new white paraments.  Lenore Swalheim designed the paraments and she, Elaine Olson and Kaia Fry sewed them.  They are gorgeous!  Not only are they beautiful, they capture the essence of congregation.  They have quilted blocks and golden angels and trumpets.

We have many women who regularly quilt in our education center.  We have many angels who are part of our community of saints.  We regularly share good news within our community and beyond.  What seemed to be detrimental was indeed a blessing.

As we move from the season of Christmas into Epiphany, let us be aware of how God is creating blessings out of frustrations.

New Year’s Blessings,

Pastor Holly

 

Galatians 3:26-28

²⁶for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. ²⁷As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.²⁸There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.

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This passage from Galatians gives much of the power to God in relation to who we will find in heaven.  God through Christ has done amazing things in regard to     unifying people.  Yet, we continue to quarrel about who deserves eternal life, who deserves to be in our friend circles, who deserves this or that.

This past month I was in continuing education with other rostered leaders in our geographical region called the South Central Synod of Wisconsin.  I was fortunate enough to have one of my college dorm mates as our speaker!  Dr. Kathryn Lohre is assistant to Bishop Eaton and spoke on “Reconciliation within inter-religious    circles.”

We delved into questions such as, “How do we respect those who have different religious      beliefs than us?” and “How do we gain a better understanding of other religions, an understanding which is often different than what is portrayed through the media?”

These are questions and topics that continue to come up this day and age as we hear about Isis, as we remember the Holocaust, as we try to live together globally.  I partnered Dr. Lohre’s lectures with ones that I heard at my other Continuing education this past summer with Dr. Kristen    Johnston from     Gettysburg Seminary in Pennsylvania.  She spoke on “Holy Envy.”  Dr. Johnston described “Holy Envy” as loving an aspect of another person’s religion so much that it creates a need for one to become even more    devoted to that aspect of their own religion.  For example, she said, one might appreciate the meditative aspect of Buddhism so much that one then looks for ways to more deeply meditate in God’s Word.  Or one might appreciate daily ritual public prayer of Muslims so much that one might grow their own Christian prayer life.

As we complete our commemoration of the 500^th year of the Reformation, one of the areas our church is spending time is in conversation with religious leaders from other religions, specifically our Catholic, Jewish, Muslim and Black Church brothers and sisters.

What does that mean for us at the local level?  We don’t have as many people of different     religions in our own communities we live in.  So we are going to seek out and visit others in their church home to learn about them.  This month Confirmation Students and others in the congregation are invited to visit Bethel Synagogue.  Our Jewish brothers and sisters in Madison have been receiving more threats, more negative attention, more criticism.  We can only bridge our religious understandings by learning, so that is my goal.  Think about joining us to learn and appreciate all that those who are active Jews can bring us.