And so the days roll on…doesn’t it seem like months since this all started? As I interact with people I am sensing that it is beginning to wear on us. Our routines are out of wack, we are doing lots of things in new ways, and we just don’t see an end in sight.

In the midst of that reality, know that you are in God’s embrace. And that makes all the difference! More on that in a moment.

A quick update – don’t forget about the Wednesday evening devotions and conversation, using “Zoom.” We’ll start at 7 PM, and run about 30 minutes. To join us, go to https://zoom.us/j/520801254 . On a mobile device you might need to download the Zoom app. You will need a camera and microphone, though you can also phone in and join as if it’s a conference call. The phone number is on the web site; the meeting ID 520801254. Give it a try!

And watch later in the week for an update as we approach Holy Week. We’re working on it…

Now, on to some reflections. A number of years ago a professor at Luther Seminary, David Lose, began to share commentary and observations on the scripture readings each week. He used a web site – www.workingpreacher.org – which continues. It’s a good place for preachers, but also for, well, anyone, to explore the lessons in greater depth. Check it out!

David Lose went on to become president of one of our seminaries, leaving workingpreacher behind. Now, he is pastor of a large congregation in Minneapolis (actually, he is my brother’s pastor!) He still occasionally writes on the texts, and today shared the reflection below.

I share it because it’s timely…and good stuff. I’ve always really liked his insights. He has a knack for seeing how the Biblical words from 2000 years ago speak to us today.

I’ve reproduced his reflection as he shared it, other than I replaced the name of his congregation with ours. I invite you to read, reflect, ponder, and pray. Worth the few minutes it will take!

And now, from David Lose…

We also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. – Romans 5:3-5

I’ll be honest, the idea of “boasting in our sufferings” does not come easily to me. Like most of us, I tend not simply to avoid suffering but, when I am suffering or even struggling, for that matter, I prefer to hide it. I’m suspect there are a number of reasons for that – not wanting to burden others (a good Midwestern value!), not wanting to admit even to myself that I’m struggling, not wanting to appear weak in a culture that defines strength in terms of power rather than vulnerability or suffering. Yes, lots of reasons.

But the Apostle Paul doesn’t seem to share any of them! Rather, he believes that suffering is part and parcel of our life in this world and that, when approached from the point of view of faith, can actually lead to growth in faith and confidence.

But – and this is super-important to notice – that does not mean Paul is advocating suffering for suffering’s sake or that he believes God intends for us to suffer. Far from it! Rather, Paul asserts that we worship a God who surprises us by showing up to meet us right in the midst of our vulnerability, pain, and suffering. This was a surprise to his first-century audience – and is likely surprising to his twenty-first century audience as well – because we tend to think about God in terms of strength and power and might, and so we assume that’s what God looks for in return.

Truth be told, that’s likely what Paul believed for much of his life also. That the best way to meet God was through spiritual discipline, or strict obedience to God’s laws, or by displaying the kind of faith that can move mountains. But when Paul – who began his career by persecuting the early Church! – is confronted by the crucified and risen Christ, all of his ideas about who God is and where we can expect to meet God are turned on their head. God’s messiah showing up as a convicted criminal? Put to death in the most awful of ways? Surrounded by two-thieves? Suffering as weak and pitiful a death as one can imagine? That thought simply astounded Paul and forced him to think about God differently.

God, it turns out, is not waiting until we become good enough, or strong enough, or righteous enough, to come to us. Rather, God comes to meet us in our weakness, struggles, and vulnerability in order to comfort us, strengthen us, and equip us to comfort and strengthen others.

Two brief “take-aways” related to Paul’s conviction in light of our circumstances.

First, if you are feeling anxious or stressed or frightened, not only are you not alone – this is a pretty normal set of responses to a pandemic! – but you are also not somehow falling short or failing others. Rather, you are being honest, facing what is difficult and being truthful about the dramatic and challenging nature of our circumstances. Brené Brown, one of my favorite researchers and authors, regularly confronts us with the fact that courage is not the absence of fear or vulnerability, but rather is the ability to persevere in the midst of fear and vulnerability. She has challenged more than 10,000 people in the various presentations she’s given to come up with a single example of courage that did not entail vulnerability… and to date, no one has been able to offer one. Similarly, Admiral James Stockdale, a Medal of Honor winner for valor during the Vietnam War – during which he as tortured more than 20 twenty times while being held prisoner for seven years – once said, “You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end – which you can never afford to lose – with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever that may be.” So, dear people of Our Savior’s (and beyond), we will confront the challenges and hardships of this pandemic together, welcoming the fears, concerns, tears, and more as honest expressions of both the vulnerability and solidarity we share.

Second, we’ll remind each other that God chooses to meet us precisely in our weakness and vulnerability so that we know that God always loves and accepts every part of us– even the parts we have a hard time accepting and loving. This, I think, is what Paul means by saying that suffering can lead to endurance, and endurance to character, and character to hope. Because when you realize God is with you and for you – that God is always on your side – then you find a way not simply to survive challenges but even persevere and flourish. Sometimes, in fact, it’s only when things are most difficult that we recognize God’s presence most powerfully. And so we will continue to gather digitally in worship, continue to reach out to each other in the variety of ways possible, and continue to support each other in the confidence that, indeed, “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.”

We will get through this. And we will get through it together. And when we do, we may be surprised that we have grown in our faith, confidence, and awareness of God’s abiding grace!

Just a brief reflection, leading to an opportunity…and then an update.

As I see the unfolding of the Covid-19 pandemic it seems to me that more than anything else, this is an effort about “the other.” It’s not enough to care about me, I need to care about and for “the other.”

We’ve now been asked (well, ordered, really) by Governor Evers to stay home unless we in an “essential” business. Please, heed that order.

Why?

We imagine that this is about me, about my safety, my health, and it is. The less I interact with others, the less likely I will contract Covid-19. That’s a good thing. The two most challenged groups of folk are those with underlying conditions, and those who are older. I have no underlying conditions, but I am almost in the “older” group. I need to heed the warnings.

But this isn’t just about me. It’s about “the other.” By staying away, I not only protect myself, I protect others. Sure, maybe I can handle Covid-19 if it comes my way, but the more it gets out and around, the more it will threaten those who are at a much higher risk. So I need to ask myself – in this situation, just what would Jesus ask me to do? Insist on my right to do what I want, regardless of what it might do to others? (Hint – read 1 Corinthians 8 – the answer is a definite NO!)

The fact is that no matter how much we as Americans treasure our individual liberties (and we SHOULD), this pandemic doesn‘t care about that. And if we are to survive, if we are to overcome Covid-19, we are going to need to care more about “the other,” and less about me.

Politics aside, at this moment, that is God’s call to us!

So, this moment is about “the other” and working together with others. Even in the church.

Which leads me to the opportunity. We have been invited by Pope Francis to join in the Lord’s Prayer, at noon, local time, March 25. That’s tomorrow. Tomorrow, can you take a few moments, at noon, and join with Christians around the world and across denominational lines to put aside our differences and share in prayer, for the sake of humanity? Or, in other words, can we, for the sake of “the other,” join with “the others” in prayer?

I’m doing it. How about you? The invitation, transmitted through Presiding Bishop Eaton, is at the end of these reflections.

But before that a few updates:

• With Governor Evers’ order to close non-essential businesses, we have decided to close the office and the church building. We will still be there most days, in the office, working away, answering phones. We will be available, but the building will not.

• The Care and Share Food Pantry will still be open on Saturdays.

• Hey, want to try something new and different? I’m going to try a “zoom” devotions and community time tomorrow (March 25) at 7 PM. Go to https://zoom.us/j/520801254 .

• Looking for Bible study? I’ve got two going on, both on zoom:

  • Wednesday morning (starting March 25) at 9:30 AM. Looking at the gospel readings for the coming week. Join is at https://zoom.us/j/187713252 .

  • Sunday morning (hey, I’ve got that time slot open!) at 10:30 AM. Not sure what we will explore, but come and join me and let’s figure it out. Zoom in at https://zoom.us/j/570417034 . At least until I’m busy on Sunday mornings again!

• Don’t forget to check the web site videos page on Saturday evening for weekly worship, children’s message, and Sunday School lesson, all on YouTube videos.

• The Mom’s group will also be invited to a zoom gathering in the near future as we try to stay connected.

• Confirmation students have been invited to connect with me via zoom meetings over the next week.

• A great group of callers will begin phoning Our Savior’s folk over the next week, just to say hi and stay connected.

• The 11:45 prayers have been incredibly faithful, but now will pray from home…but I’ll still ring the bell!

• We continue to invite your partnership in our work together. Your gifts allow us to do what we have been doing – to bring hope to a very fearful world. This is a great time to try out electronic giving. To find out how, go to https://www.oursaviorswestsalem.org/giving/.

For the moment, that’s it. Please keep checking the web site for updates. And don’t forget to read Bishop Eaton’s letter below.

Know that you are in our prayers, and that God continues to hold you in the grace of Jesus!

 

Dear Church,

The Evangelical Lutheran Church America, as part of the body of Christ, is united with other Christians in our communities, in our country and around the world. This unity takes many forms, including prayer.

I am writing to extend an invitation we have received from Pope Francis, through the Lutheran World Federation and the World Council of Churches, to join in the Lord’s Prayer tomorrow, March 25, at noon your local time. Please share this invitation through your synods, congregations, ecumenical communities and individual networks.

During the global pandemic of COVID-19, the church can and should give witness to our unity in Christ and express our deep concern for God’s creation. Despite social distancing, through prayer we are able to enter together into the presence of Christ and the communion of believers. By praying the prayer that Christ taught us, we are united with followers of Jesus in every time and in every place. When the church gathers in this way, we can be assured that Christ, our eternal hope, is present in the midst of suffering.

In Christ,

The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton

Presiding Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

A story to share.

John Brandt was ordained as a Lutheran pastor in September of 1917. Two months later, he wed Emma, and together they served among five congregations in the western part of North Dakota. A number of years later, their youngest, Velma, was born. In 1960 Velma gave birth to her first born son. That was me.

John Brandt was my grandfather.

I knew Grandpa Brandt, a little. I was ten when he died, but he lived almost 700 miles away. I only saw him for a week every summer. Still, I always treasured those few, brief memories.

But these days I treasure something else.

A few years ago my aunt, my mother’s oldest sibling, shared a story about Grandpa. The Spanish Flu epidemic hit during his first year as a pastor. With five congregations spread across the prairie, he could only visit some of them for a few days each month. One of the congregations he reached by train. It seems that on one of his visits, the farmer who was to meet him at the station, didn’t arrive. Grandpa made his way to the farm, only to discover that the family was quarantined in the house. No one was getting out, and no one was going in. So much for that ministry!

Or maybe…Grandpa was farm boy, and looking around he realized that no one going out meant no one doing the chores, caring for the animals, etc. So…that’s what he did! His ministry changed from what was expected but longer possible, to what was needed and right in front of him.

I’m not a farm boy, so I’m not sure I’m much help in the barn. But this past week has been a flurry of new directions, new possibilities, new opportunities. Much of what I have done this past week has been well out of the norm, and certainly not what I trained for. Pastor Jean and I have attended numerous Zoom sessions and webinars, trying to learn and discover how to do ministry in a very different world. All this has pushed our boundaries!

But whether it’s Grandpa Brandt on the farm, or our new ministries at Our Savior’s, it’s not about us as pastors. It’s about – AND THIS IS IMPORTANT – it’s about us as baptized disciples of Jesus. Just like YOU!

What we are doing is living out the calling we have in our baptism, as faithful disciples of Jesus, to bring God’s work to those around us, using our hands.

During the past week I’ve seen a bunch of folk doing what God has called them to do, as baptized disciples of Jesus. Some of them are doing what they’ve always done. Take, for example, some of our Our Savior’s folk (with no names):

• Health care professionals still doing health care…

• A restaurant manager making sure meals are still available…

• Teachers planning new ways of teaching during an extended shut down…

• Law enforcement and first responders protecting the rest of us…

• Volunteers, a lot of them, making sure the Care and Share Food Pantry can continue to provide food for the vulnerable in our community…

• Numerous others, in business, construction, service fields, even day care, still contributing in various ways for the good of the community…

And then there are those finding new ways to be faithful:

• The teacher who wasn’t teaching at the end of the week, but making sure bags of food could get out to those who need it…

• The college student, now working at Mulder’s, taking the extra step to connect by phone a resident with her family…

• A few retirees and someone looking for a job, taking the time to be a pray-er each morning at 11:45 (want to be one of those – you can!)…

• People stepping forward to be phone callers, to call members of the congregation just to check in, to see how they are, and to stay connected (you can do this too!)…

That is the body of Christ, the disciples of Jesus, at work, making a difference even in hectic and challenging times.

So, what are you doing? How are you making a difference. Even if it’s “just” your regular job, what are you doing these days that serves others in the midst of a pandemic? Let me know – I’d love to hear your story!

Meanwhile, Our Savior’s is still at work. The church may be silent, but it’s not empty (remember, the 11:45 AM prayer crew and the food ministries?) It’s also not dark. A light is on the altar. All the time. Right now. God is still at work.

As is the light at the back of the church, looking out on Leonard Street. All the time. Right now. We still have a mission in the world.

How’s that mission looking these days? Well, it’s changing – rapidly. Some things we thought might work a week ago are long gone. Others…they are working. All part of figuring out the new norm, but also part of seeking to be faithful to our calling.

So, here’s what’s happening at the moment:

• Worship, using the Holden service with a message, will be posted to the web site around 6 PM each Saturday, via a YouTube. Go to www.oursaviorswestsalem.org/videos to see the latest! If you want a copy of Holden to follow along, let me know.

• A Sunday School lesson and a children’s message will also be posted on the video page, by Saturday evening. And if you need the Sunday School lesson, or a children’s bulletin for the week, we can send that to you.

• We’re starting to use Zoom for some connections.

  • Wednesdays, from 7-7:30 PM, “Zoom” in for brief devotions, conversations about our world in a faith context, and connecting. Go to https://zoom.us/j/520801254. That link will be good each week. You may choose to download the Zoom software or not – your choice.

  • Wednesday mornings, from 9:30-11 AM – Bible study, via Zoom. Each week go to https://zoom.us/j/187713252. I’ll be waiting for you!

  • We’ll use it for more connections, so keep watching.

• The Mom’s Group is going strong – check out their Facebook page for more information. Look for “OSLC West Salem Mom’s Group” – it’s a private group, but they’ll let you in (tell them I sent you!) It’s been a busy place!

• Prayer at 11:45 each morning keeps happening. Watch the clock, listen for the bell, but join in praying and know that you are not the only one!

• We’re still working on this one – we are developing a group of phone callers, to make 15-20 calls each week, just to check in and see how people are, and gather any prayer concerns which can be lifted up by our 11:45 team.

• The Food Pantry and Feed Our Children continue to figure out ways to meet basic needs, even in a changing world. For info on the Food Pantry, contact us, and for Feed Our Children find them on Facebook.

All that…along with all that YOU are doing every day. The mission of the church continues, because our mission is God’s mission – and God remains at work in our world.

Finally, two things to remember. First, we keep you in our prayers, and we ask God’s blessings upon you. Let us know what is happening, and what we need to pray for.

Second, I know these are difficult and stressful times for everyone. Still, your support for our ministry is critical. As you are able I invite you to consider your financial support the work we do together as we continue to be a community of both faith and mission. You can always mail in a check, but consider the electronic giving options we have. You can find more information and access our electronic giving page at www.oursaviorswestsalem.org/giving. We are thankful for your support…but even more thankful are those whose lives are changed because of your generosity!

So, for the moment, for today, that’s about it. Stay safe, keep your distance, wash you hands – do all we are told. In the end, however, trust that you are in the very safe embrace of a good and gracious God!

Day whatever of the Covid-19 crisis, and all is…well, not well, just really crazy! Cancellations abound, new restrictions may come into play shortly, and it’s still hard to find toilet paper in the stores. And hand sanitizer? Forget it!

Now, before anything else – take this seriously! This is not the flu, this is not a hoax, and it is not a story inflated by panic or irrational thinking. It’s real, and it’s life-threatening.

But it’s also confusing…fearful…and overwhelming.

So, what I am thinking these days? I’m thinking Christmas!

Now, I know what some of you are thinking. You are recalling that several weeks ago I fell and hit my head, and finally it’s knocked a screw (or two) loose. But seriously, hear me out. This is about Christmas.

A couple of days ago my daughter (who has very wide tastes in music), was listening to some Christmas music. It made me ponder a bit. I know it seems a lifetime ago, but remember Christmas? No, not the warm, fuzzy time around the beautifully lit tree, with gifts below, bathed in soft, warm candlelight. The other Christmas – the real Christmas – the Christmas in a cold, damp stable, with a vulnerable infant lying in a dirty manger.

Now that’s Christmas!

Christmas, as much as we love the season, with its music, lights, and eggnog, isn’t about warm feelings, family gatherings, and an end of the year boost. It’s really about an extraordinary act – the act of God to join us in our journey. In the gift of Christmas God chooses to become human, to walk in our world, to join in our struggles, and to be with us, right here in our midst.

But then, to do more. To take our failures, vulnerabilities, weakness, sinfulness, and even the power of death from us. To place all that on the crucified Jesus. And then, to place in us new life and new hope. Even in the darkest of times. Like right now. All that starts at Christmas.

The key is that God is willing, able, even yearning to walk with us, by our side, and join us in a world that is frequently cold, unforgiving, even lifeless. And that means that contrary to our usual view, God is not somewhere out there, beyond the clouds, off in some fanciful place we call heaven. Instead, God has left all that behind, to come and join us in our journey, and to be vulnerable as we are vulnerable. Most of all, God’s presence isn’t just a brief encounter. God is in it for the long haul, with us for the duration. Like right now.

Of course, that starts with Jesus. Jesus, the child in the manger, is the presence of God in our world. In Jesus, the one who shares in our vulnerability as he hangs on the cross, God join us in times of good and wonder, in times of pain and sorrow. In Jesus God isn’t just “talking the talk,” God is “walking the walk.”

And so, we are not alone. As Covid-19 changes our world, turning it all around, leading to fear, confusion, and even a bit of despair, we are not by ourselves. Even though it sometimes feels that way. God is here, right here, even now!

That is really good news, news that our hurting world really needs to hear. We are concerned, we have a sense of urgency, and we have a lot of “un-ease.” But we also have something to share – we have an assurance that, remember…we are not alone! And the Jesus who walks with us, walks all the way to the cross, giving us new life and new strength. In that confidence, we discover a new and bold courage to live faithfully, even in the face of Covid-19.

But wait, we’re not done yet! Living faithfully means living out our calling as disciples of Jesus, making a difference in our frightened world. And as we make a difference, we become…are you ready for this…we become the presence of Christ to others. Or, to put it another way, we become the way in which God chooses not to remain way up, beyond the clouds, but instead to be here, right here, with people in need. Or, as our church body proclaims, “God’s work, our hands!”

Really, it’s happening. As dark and dreary as things seem to be, God is at work. I’m saw it, earlier today. There were people in the building, some of whom I knew, and some who I didn’t know. They were gathering food together to share with others. With the word that school is now suspended indefinitely, people are working together to make sure all are fed. The plan is to repeat today’s food distribution to school families twice a week, and that in addition to the wonderful work the Food Pantry does. You can join that work – check out our “Covid-19 Response” page (click on the link on our home page at www.oursaviorswestsalem.org), or find “Feed Our Children – West Salem” on Facebook.

But back to the people in the building…in those folk, some known to me and some unknown, I saw God at work, God at work in a very tangible, incarnate way. Like right now.

How’s that for “A Christmas Story!”

So, the journey rolls on…with Jesus at our side.

And here at Our Savior’s? First, check out the “Covid-19 Response” page. We’ll keep it up to date as best as we can, and as quickly as we can.

There are, however, some things in the works…

• Watch the video page of our web site (https://www.oursaviorswestsalem.org/videos/) for a worship video by (I hope) 6 PM Saturday, then each Saturday afterward. The choir will sing Holden Evening Prayer, and either myself or Pastor Jean will provide a message.

• Check out the same page for a Children’s message on video, and a Sunday School lesson. We’ll be sending out some Sunday School material to parent’s e-mail addresses, probably by the end of the week, which kids can use with the video lesson. If you have a Sunday School child, and don’t get it by Friday, or if you have a friend or neighbor who would like the material, let us know.

• Remember that we are praying for you. Someone is in the sanctuary every morning from 11:45 to Noon, praying. You can join them wherever you are, or…be one of the pray-ers. Contact us to sign up!

• We are planning a “phone-tree” – to assemble a team to make phone calls. Just a connection, a hello, a “how are you” moment. Maybe you could be one of the callers?

• And finally, back to food – don’t forget about the Food Pantry. We expect an increase in needs. Can you be the presence of “God in flesh” in someone’s life?

There you go. Lots happening, just like at Christmas. Lots of gifts, lots of hopes, lots of dreams. But most of all, lots of “God in our midst” in Jesus!

Two final thoughts…first, if you have a need, let us know. We aren’t always sure how things will unfold, but we will figure things out. So, let know…

Second…know that in the midst of these days Pastor Jean and I are grateful for you, and we remember you in our prayers. So, please stay safe, and know that we yearn to see you again soon!

Well, it’s here. For years we have been warned that someday there would be a pandemic, a viral infection that would cover the globe, and challenge us with an illness for which, initially at least, we are not prepared to fight. Moreover, such an illness would cause our lives to be upended, and bring great disruptions to our routines, our plans and expectations, and our pocketbook. We were told it would happen, we just didn’t know when. Now we know. It’s now!

So what do we do in this moment of crisis? Schools have closed, sports is pretty much done for the foreseeable future, and toilet paper is in short supply. These are different times!

As these days unfold, a few things to remember and to do:

• Wash your hands – and do it well!

• Get the flu shot if you haven’t already. Won’t protect you from Covid-19, but it will keep you from developing something that will compromise your health, and it just might reduce the strain on the health care system.

• Cough or sneeze into your elbow – but don’t make your elbow a lethal weapon by doing an “elbow bump.”

• But also…don’t live in a vacuum. Ok, so you can’t be social the way you’ve been – find new ways to be social – and be intentional about it!

• And while you’re at it, figure out ways to work together with others – especially those who are vulnerable and have some needs. Know an elderly neighbor who might not have gotten to the store? Watch this video – www.cnn.com/videos/us/2020/03/13/woman-helps-elderly-couple-grocery-shop-nr-keilar-vpx.cnn – and then imagine how you might be a help to someone you know.

• Finally, take care of yourself. Get sleep, eat right, get some exercise, and live on the facts, not the hype or the fear.

But what about Our Savior’s? We are making some changes too, important, and in some ways, exciting changes. You can check them out on our web page (www.oursaviorswestsalem.org/covid-19-response), but in a nutshell, after this weekend we are suspending gatherings that involve groups of people. That means no worship or Sunday School after March 15. We will worship this Sunday, to have a chance to connect one last time, and them ask God’s blessings as we depart for…who knows how long!

Other ministries are also taking a break – confirmation, choir, Bible study. All taking a pause to keep people safe. Maybe consider these a bit of a “Lenten fast.”

At the same time, however, there will be some ministries that we will put in place during the time apart. We will post on the web site a video devotion each weekend, and Pastor Jean and I are in the process of developing a prayer ministry – each day at 11:45 AM someone will be in the sanctuary, praying – and at that moment, we invite you join us, and to know that you are not, at the very moment, praying alone. We might even ring the bell to announce the beginning of “prayer time.” We are also thinking about some form of worship together, where we could gather in the sanctuary, but spread out, giving the space we need, yet still being together. That one is still in development – watch the web page I noted above – we’ll keep that page up to date.

And then there is some conversation about lunch for kids. Since school will be out, will our kids have a meal? We do the summer lunch program, what about lunch now? We’re exploring that, so watch the web page for information on that ministry opportunity too.

What this means is that while we are being forced to suspend some things that are so central to who we are, there are other opportunities presenting themselves. And maybe that makes this a bit of a “cloud with a silver lining.” Maybe it helps us remember who we are. We are not a “worship organization,” or a “Sunday School club.” We worship (that is very important), and we nurture faith (that’s important too).

Most of all, however, we are the Body of Christ, disciples of Jesus, called to make a difference in the world. And we do that in whatever way we can, in whatever world we find ourselves. And right now that world is turned upside down. It desperately needs hope. And we have it – in Jesus!

Two final notes…a colleague observed that “while we are distant from each other, God is not distant from us.” Good words, to which I would add, “And the God who is not distant embraces us and brings us who are distant, together in the Body of Christ.”

Finally, I share with you below a message from the presiding Bishop of the ELCA. Bishop Eaton also has a video message (www.elca.org/publichealth). Read the message, watch the video, and know that the people of God are alive and well – thanks to a good and gracious God!

Pastor Jon

ELCA presiding bishop addresses concerns about COVID-19

​In 1527 the plague returned to Wittenberg, Germany. Two hundred years earlier the plague had swept across Europe killing up to 40% of the population. Understandably, people were anxious and wondered what a safe and faithful response might be. In answer to this, Martin Luther wrote “Whether One May Flee From a Deadly Plague.” In it, he emphasized the duty to care for the neighbor, the responsibility of government to protect and provide services to its citizens, a caution about recklessness, and the importance of science, medicine and common sense.

To provide care for the neighbor, Luther recommended that pastors, those in public office, doctors and public servants should remain in the city. Luther himself remained in Wittenberg to care for his people. He recommended that public hospitals be built to accommodate those with the plague. He condemned those who took unnecessary risks that put themselves and others in danger of contagion. Luther also encouraged the use of reason and medicine, writing, “God has created medicines and has provided us with intelligence to guard and take care of the body. … Use medicine; take potions which can help you; fumigate house, yard, and street; shun persons and places wherever your neighbor does not need your presence” (“Whether One May Flee From a Deadly Plague,” 1527).

We are living in the time of the coronavirus. We are also living in the time of social media and constant, relentless news coverage. Many of our people have the same concerns as those in Luther’s day. Many of our people are anxious. Luther’s counsel, based on Scripture, is still sound. Respect the disease. Do not take unnecessary risks. Provide for the spiritual and physical needs of the neighbor. Make use of medical aid. Care for one another, especially the most vulnerable.

The churchwide organization recommends the following for churchwide staff: Wash your hands, stay home when you are sick, wear a mask if you have symptoms, consult your medical provider. Bishops and pastors will provide guidelines for worship and church gatherings.

Luther also reminded his people and us that we should trust God’s faithfulness and promises, particularly the promise eternal life. Paul writes: “If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s” (Romans 14:8). 

In peace,
The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton
Presiding Bishop
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Earlier today I let you know about the new, extra photography dates for our pictorial directory. February 21-22 – sign up on our home page – www.oursaviorswestsalem.org. Over 200 already have had their photos taken. Please, if you haven’t, do it – we want you to be a part of our directory. You are part of us, and we value your presence. Even if you haven’t been around much lately, you are still important (really, I’ll get to that in a few moments) – and we want your “mug” with the rest of us!

After the first 200+ photos, we can say a few things for certain. We’ve heard good comments on the photographers, and a bit of relief that the days of the “hard sell” to buy pictures seem to be long gone. Pretty much everyone has said the experience was a good one.

But the best news is that not one camera has broken, and there haven’t been any reports of misplaced photographers thumbs in the picture. Sound a bit facetious? Hardly! The top three comments as people arrived to be photographed?

3. I hope the photographer’s thumb doesn’t make it into my picture!

2. Really, I don’t take a good picture.

1. I hope the camera doesn’t break!

OK, I know its a joke, but…is it? How many of us really, really like who we are, how we look, and what we are? Somewhere, deep down inside most of us – maybe all of us – is a little tinge of self-doubt and waning self-esteem. We may put on a good face, and project some confidence, but deep down, well, we’re not so sure where and how we rate.

We look at others and see those who seem to be better off, better looking, and better thought of. Some of that comes from social media. No one puts their “worst face forward” on Facebook. Instead, they project a confident, self assured life. We put our best looking pic (you know, our best “mug) for the world to see. We proudly share the accomplishments of our kids – not their challenges and “hiccups.” We let everyone see the fabulous vacation trip, and the other treats of life. All the while, we know that there is another side to our lives.

The problem is that then we look at the same stuff shared by others, without seeing the other side. And since we know our projection has a darker side, yet we don’t see theirs, we imagine we are behind. We are lacking.

Now, mind you, this is not a creation of Facebook or any other social media. It’s been around longer than that. Centuries, even millennia really. It’s been around pretty much forever. Part of what makes us human!

That makes sense. Being human means being vulnerable, broken, and flawed. And knowing what we are deep down inside, its just natural – we aren’t all that confident – or even comfortable – with what we really are.

But we are more than that. We reflect the divine.

From the creation story in Genesis: So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:27)

Of course, that doesn’t mean we “look” like God. I don’t look in the mirror and imagine that God is around 5’9”, male Caucasian, with some graying hair.

Yet, as I look in the mirror I do see God’s image. I see a face, flawed and imperfect, but nonetheless a face created by God in God’s image. Not in the color of the skin or the shape of the features. Deeper than that. Really deep. A face that bears God’s image in its very essence. That is my face!

That face was photographed last (well, other than the two new make-up dates). Pastor Jean, Rebecca and I had the last slot of the initial picture dates. And there’s good news – my face didn’t break the camera!

And the photographer’s thumb didn’t interfere!

And the picture wasn’t all that bad!

Because, that picture bears God’s image. Just like yours does.

Bearing God’s image means two things. First, I’m not so bad after all. Yes, I’m flawed, broken, vulnerable, and quite imperfect. Yet, at the same time I am beloved by God, marked with the cross of Jesus, and made in God’s image. I am precious and valuable. So valuable that in the fullness of time, and the right moment, God acted to secure my freedom, my life, and my future. God sent Jesus to the cross!

All because God sees something in me. God sees the image of the divine – God sees God in my face.

Makes me pretty special, don’t you think?

But second, God also sees that in you. In others. As I look out into a world of friends, foes, and strangers, in each face I see, I see the image of God. If I’m willing to really take a look!

And that makes you and everyone else around me not only bearers of God’s image, but also incredible gifts to me in the midst of my journey of life. YOU are something special! (So there, that’s why I really want you in the new directory!)

I don’t always get that, and I certainly don’t always act like that is true, so if I have hurt or harmed you, ignored or dismissed you, I am deeply and profoundly sorry. Because if I have done that, I have failed to see a very basic and fundamental part of who and what you are – that you bear the image of God.

But more than that, if I can acknowledge who and what you are, and who and what others are, maybe I can treat you with a bit more respect, and even begin to treasure you and what your bring to my life.

And if all of us could do that to each other, just what would that do the world in which we live?

One week to go.  Got your Christmas shopping done?

We’ve got ours done.  All the gifts are purchased.  Finished it off over the weekend.  That only leaves…Christmas Eve worship, a couple of sermons, two funerals, Confirmation and worship on Wednesday, Bible study, some home visits…  Yep, it’s “crunch time!”

But in the midst of the gift buying, wrapping, and the rest of the “crunch,” I’ve been pondering a special kind of “gifted-ness.”  So much so that I even included it in my sermon at the 8 AM worship yesterday, so if you were with us, you might catch where this will be going.

Way back in November, the day before Thanksgiving, we had some snow.  Wet stuff, slick underneath, but not really enough to use the snow blower.  Besides, I have a new shovel, and the excitement to try out my new shovel was just too much.  Out I went to clear the driveway.  As I pushed snow to the side, I was making decent progress, until…my feet went out from under me, and down I went. 

Fortunately, I was wearing padded winter gloves.

On reaching the driveway in a sudden, quick, and uncontrolled motion, my left hand arrived first (probably better than my face!)  I’m not totally sure exactly what happened (there is no video of the event), but as my hand reached the pavement, my thumb and the rest of my hand went their separate ways, and the ligaments, muscle, and tissue that holds them all together paid the price.   

The end result of all this is that for the past weeks I’ve had a bum left hand (and yes, I am left handed).  Nothing broken, but after initially wearing an Ace bandage, I’ve since graduated to a more stylish splint.  The good news is that it is slowly getting better. 

That was not quite as apparent a week ago.  Around December 9^th the hand was still bothering me, aching and still quite tender.  That evening was our Congregational Council meeting, at our home.  Pastor Jean and I usually host the December meeting, with families joining us for a Christmas party after we finish our business.

Earlier in the day when we received another inch of snow.  Again, not really enough to use the snow blower, but enough to need to be removed.  After all, others don’t need to replicate my adventure!

As I drove home from making some calls in La Crosse, I pondered the dilemma of removing the snow with a bum hand.  Pastor Jean insisted that she and Rebecca would clear the driveway.  I was, to say the least, skeptical of that.

However, when I arrived home I found the driveway and sidewalks clear, and to be quite honest, cleared well.  Maybe I was wrong?  Maybe they could handle it after all.  That would be a gift! 

No such luck.  There was a gift here, but not what I thought.  And quite frankly, the gift was better, far better that Pastor Jean and Rebecca becoming our snow removal team.

As Pastor Jean and Rebecca had arrived home, there were some neighborhood kids working on our driveway.  It seems the kids had gone around the neighborhood to clear some driveways.  Rebecca helped them finish up, and off they went, just minutes before I got there.  A good deed, an “act of random kindness.”  The snow was only one inch, and it probably wasn’t that big a deal, but they were out there, making a difference in the lives of others.  And I’m sure others appreciated their gift.

But there is more to the story.  The story is not just about their willingness to make a small gift of a clear driveway.  Remember my hand?  Pastor Jean did!  She made a point of telling the kids that this was REALLY helpful, because I would struggle to get it done – and now, I didn’t need to.

Think about that for a moment.  They did something relatively simple and small.  An act of kindness, to be sure, but really, what was it worth?  About 20 minutes of “cardio-vascular exercise?”  I would have appreciated their time and effort, really I would.  But with my bum hand, torn (and still healing) ligaments and all, this simple gift became much more than that.  It was a huge gift, at the right moment.  And I’ve told people about it over the past week, mentioned it in a sermon, and now shared it with you.  This was big!  For me at least!

But how did they know that this was my moment of greater need?  How did they know that this would be a gift of much greater value because of my need?

They didn’t.  They just came out the make a difference and stumbled on a need.  And because of that their action took on new value.

And that’s my point here.  As we walk (or sprint, it seems) through these last days of Christmas, think of the gift of “random acts of kindness,” of reaching out to make what seems to be a small difference in the lives of others.  Have you done that before?  Probably.  Will you do it again?  Hopefully.  And will it make a difference in someone’s life?  Certainly! 

But what you don’t know, and probably can’t know, and maybe most of the time won’t ever know, is when that act of kindness comes at a crucial moment, not in your life, but in the life of the person you touch.  Like the kids who happened to shovel my driveway on the very day I was trying to figure out how to get that done, you might just be there at the very moment someone really needs you to be there.  You won’t know, you can’t know, you may never know, but your gift will suddenly take on new and greater value. 

So, how do you know when and where to be?

Maybe the answer is the power of “coincidence” and “blind luck.”

Or maybe not.  Maybe this the power – and presence – of the Holy Spirit!  Who is to say that those kids didn’t just happen to show up on their own, but that in fact the Spirit was working in them that day.  Who is to say that the Spirit doesn’t work in you and in me – guiding, nudging, sometime even gently whacking us to move in a particular direction, even without us realizing it, that we might not just make a difference, but for someone in need, make a big difference.  For them, at that moment.

As you ponder the gifts you share this season – and then the gifts you continue to share into the new year – keep those “random acts of kindness” on your list.  Know that you are a gift.  And maybe, as the Spirit works in you, you are a much bigger gift than you imagined, making a difference beyond what you can see.  I know those kids working on my driveway did, and I am thankful to them, and I am also thankful to the Spirit!

Earlier today Pastor Jean and I were out shopping. At the last moment, as we were heading to the registers, she thought of “Thanksgiving napkins.” As she looked on the shelves, finding little that excited her, she finally said, with a bit of resignation in her voice, “I’m just not into Thanksgiving yet this year!”

Hey, I get it – all of sudden, Thanksgiving is staring us in the face…and then Advent…and then (yikes!) it’s Christmas already! I’m not even close to being ready for all of that.

But the calendar is not slowing down, and like it or not, it’s Thanksgiving time!

On the other hand…, yes, it’s Thanksgiving, and ready or not, there’s a lot to give thanks for.

That’s pretty obvious, right? Let’s see…turkey, cranberries, and all the other goodies…home and shelter…clothing and the toys in the garage…health and healthcare…community and country…education and recreation…friends and family (and especially for me, Pastor Jean and Rebecca)…and lots of other things, a list too long to even imagine.

But at the top of the list, of course, is Jesus!

No surprise there. Jesus. But not just any Jesus. Jesus, the Christ. Christ the King!

That’s what we lift up this weekend. And it’s the ideal way to move into Thanksgiving.

Look, we thank God for so much (remember the really long list?) And well we should. God is the giver of well, everything. Absolutely everything. Reason enough to give thanks, and thanks again.

But more than anything else, I need to have some hope in the midst of what seems to be darker and darker days. That’s always been the case – think 9/11, Y2K, the Cold War, Vietnam, WWI and WWII, the Great Recession and the Great Depression. Times have always been tough.

So maybe these days are tougher than others, but they are tough enough – political drama in Washington, an economy that might be slowing down, global warming, and terrorism. On top of that, a culture that encourages us to want more and more, so that no matter bow much we get, we are more and more empty. All of that saps our hope, drags us down, and drains us of our life.

But remember – it’s not just Jesus, or even Jesus Christ, it’s Christ the King. This weekend we will hear the story of Christ the King (spoiler alert) on his throne. His throne, the cross. There, on the cross, Christ the King holds court. Facing the power of evil, in the presence of those who are broken and vulnerable, Christ the King rules – and acts. Acts as he dies on the cross. (We don’t hear the rest of the story, but we’ve heard it before, and we know where this is heading – just days later he completes his work in the resurrection.)

So what’s the point? Jesus, the Christ, the King, God’s presence in our midst, acts to change our world. We are still confronted by all sorts of dangers, threats, and challenges. They aren’t going away. But Christ the King has acted. Christ the King has taken upon himself all that overwhelms, frightens, and even smothers us. And in our journey that is what we desperately need (even more than turkey and stuffing!) Even when the days seem the darkest, Christ the King, hanging on his throne, renews our life and restores our hope.

And that is the lead-in to Thanksgiving, the “thanks” that tops the list. Everything else flows from the hope we have in the crucified Jesus, in Christ the King.

But here’s the best part. Even when we don’t feel it, even when we aren’t really in the mood, even when it just doesn’t seem to be working, it still is. It’s still working because all of this is not about us, it’s about Jesus. It’s about God gifts of grace and life, at work in our lives through Jesus, through Christ the King, Christ crucified.

And that’s the gospel – God at work, even when we aren’t. God at work, even when we don’t see it. God at work, even when we don’t believe it. God at work, in Jesus.

So, please celebrate Thanksgiving big time. Turkey and trimmings, family and friends, maybe a few days off – all good gifts of a gracious God. But most of all, have new and renewed hope. And if it just isn’t happening right now, know that it’s still there. And when you are ready, you’ll see it. Because it’s still there!

The clock is ticking…my sabbatical is nearing its end. Just a few more days and I turn into a pumpkin…or at least a pastor again – we’ll see. This is my last full week – next week I’ll ease back in by working half days.

Next week ends with a bang – Pastor Jean and I will attend Tim Bowman’s ordination (Tim has been called as Associate Pastor at Christ the King Lutheran Church, Mankato). Not only that, Tim has asked me to preach – I’m pumped for that! Tim was our interim youth director for about nine months a few years back. He says his call to ordained ministry really came out of the work he did with us, so we can claim a little bit of credit for that. By the way, if you want to attend:

Saturday, August 24, 2 PM
Faith Lutheran Church
Dodge Center, MN

You are welcome!

But now back to this week. As my sabbatical comes to a close I’m not traveling anymore, and just trying to tie up a few loose ends. I worshiped two Sundays ago at West Salem Presbyterian Church, and then this past Sunday at Halfway Creek. I am thankful to our friends at the Presbyterian Church for welcoming me into their midst, and at Halfway Creek I connected again with Gary Anderson. In my seminary days (long, long ago, in a galaxy far, far away…) I worked in the bookstore, and Gary was my boss. Over 30 years ago! Now, Gary is retired and his wife is the interim pastor at Halfway Creek.

I’m also finishing up my reading list. One book a week, other than the weeks I’ve been traveling. My book last week, and the book I’m reading now have a connection. I’ll get to that in a moment.

Last week I read German Boy, by Wolfgang Samuel. Without a doubt the best book I read all summer. You know it’s an intriguing read when both Pastor Jean and I like the book. I don’t think we’ve ever both read the same book – too many differences in our likes and dislikes. But this one…this one is special. We have both found the book to be gripping, intense, and poignant. We kept coming back to the story, eager to see where it would go, engaged by its sheer humanity, yet almost drained at times by its energy.

Wolfgang Samuel is a retired United States Air Force Colonel, who grew up in Nazi Germany. This is his story of his family’s escapes (more than once) from warfare, hunger, disease, and the Communist side of Europe. He begins by relating their rushed departure from his hometown Sagan in early 1945 (at age 10) as they fled from the oncoming Russian Army as it made its way into Germany. To Berlin and bombings, then to small towns, and several more last minute escapes. Finally, after years of living very much on the edge of life, witnessing death in a number of ways, and experiencing both the worst and (surprisingly) the best of humanity, Wolfgang’s mother meets an American Air Force sergeant. Leo’s love for Hedy (mom), but also for Wolfgang leads to their marriage, and to Wolfgang’s new life in the United States. The story ends at this point, but in the Epilogue he relates how his love for airplanes, along with his commitment to his new country, born out of his refugee experience of generous Americans, led him to serve in the Air Force.

The power of the story (for me) is the plight of real people, as they endure the collapse of the order and structure of their society. As the story wears on, more and more people need to be resourceful and find new ways to live. Some can’t, and give it up. Others are swept up in new forms that are no better than the old. But still others are able to forge a new life and a new future.

This week I’m reading Blood, Sweat and Chalk, by Tom Layden – the one really fun book on my list. Layden explores a variety of football formations, mostly offense, but a few defensive ones as well…The Single Wing, the West Coast Offense, Air Coryell, the Cover 2, and others. He gives a description of each formation, then relates the history of the plays – how and why they developed. He interviews a number of coaches and players to understand how the plays changed football and established new approaches to the game. Not nearly as gripping as German Boy, but not as deep either. Just fun.

Yet both books share something important, even vital. Football formations, Layden argues, were born out of necessity, of the need to try something new, and usually because the team lacked the athletes to compete. They needed a new edge, a new twist that would be more than just novel – they needed some way to level the playing field. A new offense or defense, bringing unexpected challenges to the other side, can do just that. In the process, the new formation creates something of a new paradigm, a new era for the game. For a few years, anyway, until another coach figures out something new…and recreates the game yet again.

That ability – and willingness – to improvise and try something new is also what kept Wolfgang Samuel alive. Early in the book Hedy (mom) isn’t willing to be bold and go in new directions. Quickly, however, she discovers the need to do what would have been unthinkable, for the sake of her children. She too needed to come up with some new plays – like sneaking back into the Eastern zone of Germany to retrieve her daughter. Or even to do some things that were unthinkable, in order to put food on the table. When survival itself is at stake, you do that!

We, of course, are not quite in that spot. Very few of us, if any, could relate to Wolfgang and Hedy, and the challenges they faced. Yet, as a church, we too need to be thinking “outside the box.” Like football coaches, we need to find new and innovative ways to do something very basic. In football it’s getting the ball in the end zone (or keeping it out of the end zone). For a Christian community it’s being faithful.

Now, understand, I am not suggesting that we should not plan and be prepared for what we expect to come. Haphazard ministry usually fizzles. What I am suggesting, however, is that we should not anchor ourselves to a plan as if the plan is faithful living. Instead, our ministry plans are road maps to where we think we are heading.

Life, circumstances, a changing world, and most of all, God’s very active Holy Spirit, can render those maps obsolete. And so like a good coach, or resourceful refugees, we might need to find new ways to be faithful. New ways to be what God has called us to be. New ways to do “God’s work with our hands.” We may need to pivot, to re-invent, to even “move on the fly” in order to be faithful in a very rapidly changing world.

That requires us to be confident that God is at work in our midst, and in our lives. It also requires us to trust each other. Both challenging, but in the power of the Holy Spirit, both very possible.

All of that is what our Forward: Fearless and Faithful team, and the Stewardship for All Seasons group, have been about this summer. Embracing a challenge, confident that God is at work, and seeking new ways to be faithful to God’s call – all in the power of the Holy Spirit, and the embrace of Jesus.

I’ve been away from their work, but Pastor Jean has shared some of what they’ve been doing, and I’m excited about it, and what it means for us. And yes, again, a bit of a spoiler – that’s some of what my sermon on August 24/25 will address.

So, I hope to see you August 24/25 (10 AM worship is “Gospel on the Green,” over at the Lion’s Shelter). We have a couple of baptisms set, and we’ll remember Tim Bowman and Christ the King in our prayers. What a way to come back!

The news today from El Paso – another shooting, at a Walmart, 20 dead – makes me absolutely ill. More senseless death, and this time (for me) getting a bit closer personally than usual (more on that in a moment.)

We don’t know the facts yet – we know nothing about the shooter, or a motive, or a weapon, or any other details. Much of that will come out in the coming days. What we do know is that once again someone with a weapon has turned that weapon on innocent people, most of whom, possibly all of whom, were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Twenty lives ended…twenty people who will not enjoy the rest of the summer, look forward to the coming of autumn, and will not celebrate Christmas this year. Twenty fellow human beings whose hopes and dreams have been snuffed out, and whose many gifts and abilities have been silenced. Twenty futures that have suddenly and violently come to an end.

And that’s just the twenty.

What about their families? What about mothers and fathers, spouses, siblings, and most of all…children…forced to grieve on what should have been an August day leading into the “dog days of summer?” How many other lives have been shattered, forever?

And then the injured…twenty four will bear the physical scars of this attack. And how many others will bear the trauma of being too close to the action?

I wonder about that. Our vacation trip last year took us to Western Texas and New Mexico. We didn’t, but initially we planned to drive through El Paso and stop at that very Walmart. What if?

All this by one man, one man carrying…and using…a gun.

And so with all of this the debate will be renewed, and there will be many who will say, “That’s the point – it was a person who did the killing.” Agreed. But he used a gun.

Guns have very few purposes in this world. They are designed to do one thing – to destroy. Really, to kill, but someone recently said, “Well, what about trap shooting?” OK, but what of that – it’s really target practice to allow one to use the gun more effectively. And besides, what happens to the poor target? Blown to bits!

But what of other weapons? Knives, dynamite, rope, baseball bats – all have creative purposes. Even the chainsaw in “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” was built for a constructive purpose.

Look, I get it. Hunters are protective of their right to have a gun – or more. I’m OK with that. I spent over 20 years in the UP of Michigan, where hunting is so big, they close school on the first day of firearm deer season (their season always begins on November 15, so usually its a weekday.) I’m not against hunters, or even against collectors. But why is it so “evil” in the minds of some to even require a background check before purchasing a weapon? And why do hunters need semi-automatic weapons?

They don’t, and in all my years, I’ve never spoken with a true hunter who used that kind of firearm. No sport in that!

Still, the special interests work hard on this one, seeking to convince us that we need to allow unfettered access to firearms. Tell that the families of the twenty killed today. Or the twenty four who were injured. Or the however many who will be killed, injured and forever scarred by the next attack.

Tighter gun laws might not have prevented what happened today. But if even one attack is prevented, isn’t it worth it? Or we allowed lives to become so devalued, that the right to have a gun, with no checks and balances, is more important than people, than children who are precious in God’s sight.

So somewhere, somehow, we need to make a change – or two. I’m not a “policy wonk,” and I have no instant cures for what ails us. I just know we need to begin to take a stand, and decide what is important. And start to make things happen.

Now, I know this is a charged issue, but somewhere God’s precious gift of life has to become our priority. Isn’t that what the cross is about, God acting through the death of Jesus to make life the priority? And not just life someday. Life, here and now. The death of Jesus has to make a difference in the life and death routines of daily life, or, well, it just isn’t all that important.

In some respects that has been one of the gifts of my sabbatical. Of course, I already knew that. I’ve been a pastor for 33 years, proclaiming that God is at work, and that in Jesus God makes the difference that brings life out of death. Still, the past weeks have given me some time to reflect on that, and (yet again, a spoiler alert for my sermon on August 24/25, my first week back) seeing the congregation from a bit of a distance has also allowed me to see new ways in which God is at work in the congregation, and through the congregation. Cool stuff, really!

So there you have it. Another reason for me to be thankful for my sabbatical time, but also to begin anticipating my return.

By the way…Tim Bowman, our interim Youth Director a few years back will be ordained on Saturday, August 24, at 2 PM, at Faith Lutheran Church, Dodge Center, Minnesota (you are invited to attend). Tim has been called to serve as Associate Pastor at Christ the King Lutheran Church, Mankato. Pastor Jean and I will attend the ordination, and Tim has asked me to preach. I’m honored to do that. Tim had a two year seminary degree when he worked with us, but it was during his time here, and in large part because of his interaction with us, that he decided to go back to seminary. Hey, this one’s on us – or on the God who works in us and through us (sound familiar). Cool stuff, really (again)!

One final note – last Sunday, as our vacation drew to a close, we worshiped at Pastor Jean’s old church (Ascension Lutheran Church, Riverside, Illinois). And this week I read Gettysburg Rebels, by Tom McMillan. Using very little source material, because there isn’t much, McMillan sketches out the story of five natives of Gettysburg, who moved south in the years before the Civil War, and then came back as part of the Confederate army to fight at Gettysburg. One – Wes Culp – died on the battlefield. Another fought on a part of his father’s land and visited his father at night. Very poignant and personal. A good read.

So, there you have it. I have two full weeks left, and then a part time week. I will continue to savor this time, but also look forward to returning to the office, to worship, to ministries, and most of all, to you!