By Rebecca Walton
 
Franciscan Richard Rohr, through his Center for Action and Contemplation, sends out daily Christian meditations which explore a new theme each year. This year’s theme is Old and New. He explains that God’s truths are true for all time but that those truths reveal themselves in different ways and words and cultures through the ages. The theme of Old and New is drawn from Matthew 13:52, in which Jesus says that scholars of the [Jewish] law who become disciples of the kingdom of heaven [i.e., Christians] draw from their storehouse treasures both old and new. I read a few Bible commentaries about Matthew 13:52 and see some insights for our congregation in this coming year of transition.
 
The chapter in which this verse appears is a collection of parables (or teachings that convey a message indirectly through story). Story is central to Jesus’s teaching; approximately a third of Jesus’s teachings in the Gospels take the form of parables. I think this is not only because parables are an effective way to help people learn (by connecting new knowledge with old knowledge) but also because stories are central to the human experience. Many of us have treasured family stories that we’ve told and heard many times over the years: funny things kids said when they were little, impressive accomplishments, tough times endured and overcome. These storytellings are not just entertaining. Storytelling strengthens our family connections and values, reminding us of who we are, where we came from, what’s important to us.
 
On Jan. 13, Prince of Peace will have a Telling our Story potluck in which we’ll all work together to craft a timeline that tells the story of our church family. Knowing our story-- whom we have been, our major events and milestones, our treasured moments as well as our rough patches and challenges endured --is an important step in pursuing the hiring of a new full-time pastor. To get a good sense of whom we seek (or, more accurately perhaps, whom God may have for us), we need to know ourselves. (This makes me think of Lisa Green’s Council Corner article about our church “dating profile.” If you didn’t see it, check out July 2018 newsletter in the archives.)
 
Returning to Matthew 13:52, knowing whom we’ve been is important for informing whom we become. Old knowledge informs new. This is one interpretation of Matthew 13:52: that knowledge of the Jewish law can be richly informative and relevant for informing knowledge of the new kingdom that Jesus establishes in Christianity. Another interpretation of this verse is that when we become Christians, we bring with us gifts, qualities, and backgrounds that we should not throw out or ignore but rather intentionally devote in service to God. These old treasures are valuable. And as we mature in our faith, God will cultivate in us new qualities and characteristics and provide new experiences that serve as new treasures which are equally valuable. I’m looking forward to the Knowing Our Story potluck and the story timeline we’ll produce together. As a relatively new member of this congregation, I’ll be enriched by learning of the many old treasures in our communal storehouse. And I am eager to see what new treasures God has planned for us in the coming year.

By Joan Mahoney
“My Soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior …”
                                                                Luke 1: 46-47
 
And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.  Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.  His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.  He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.  He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.  He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”
                                         Luke 1: 46-55
 
Martin Luther said of Mary’s song (The Magnificat), “Here, the tender mother of Christ teaches us, with her words and by the example of her experience, how to know, love, and praise God”. (LW21:301)  His simple interpretation: “God exalts those of low degree; Mary is a simple, lowly maiden and for that very reason is allowed to experience great things; human beings look up, above themselves, to things that are splendid and glorious and showy, while God looks into the depths, chooses what is inconspicuous, what is nothing.  It is ‘his manner’ to look into the depths and behold things that are disregarded.  For where man’s strength ends, God’s strength begins – and the reverse as well.”[1]
 
Martin Luther began writing his “Commentary on the Magnificat” in late 1520 as a response/gift to the 17 year old prince, John Frederick (later elector of Saxony, also known as ‘the Magnanimous”).  Having to give up working on the text to appear at the Imperial Diet of Worms, he sent what he had written to the prince, but didn’t get to continue working on it until he was in hiding at Wartburg Castle after his condemnation at the Diet.
 
“Luther’s purpose in writing this commentary for the young prince was to provide some instruction, and at the very least reminders.  In his opinion, it rebuked many of the vices and failures that plague people in the position of leadership.  Rulers can be so wrapped up in their power and wealth that they forget about God and the fact that He is the giver of all good gifts (and can take them away again).  Just as a right understanding of Mary’s ‘humility’ can place devotion to her upon the proper footing, so also a right understanding of her song, with its teaching about God and how He regards the proud and the humble, can teach a ruler how to be grateful to God and serve the people with justice.
 
Two important results came from Luther’s new translation of the Magnificat.  The first, in his perspective, the high regard and excessive devotion for Mary in the late-medieval church could no longer be maintained.  It is wrong to suggest that Mary somehow merited or earned the privilege of bearing God’s son through her great virtue because we can earn nothing from God – any gift we receive from God comes through pure grace and is undeserved.  Ascribing merit or deserving virtue to Mary would lessen God’s grace.  We should take her words seriously and realize God deserves all the credit – he looked at and chose someone who was ignored and even despised by everyone.
 
The second important result of Luther’s shift in interpretation is that now respect for or veneration of Mary can be placed on the proper footing.  She is a simple girl with no high opinions of herself, great expectations or ambitions for the future – a truly humble person, who doesn’t realize she’s humble.  She should be recognized and praised for her great faith and willingness, despite challenges to herself, to be the Mother of God.  Mary should not be thought of as ‘a goddess who could grant gifts or render aid’ as she didn’t do anything to earn these titles, and insists in her own song that all honor be given to God alone.
 
Luther closed his commentary with a prayer that Christ would grant us a right understanding of the Magnificat, and asked that it be granted ‘through the intercession, and for the sake of his dear mother Mary’.  For Luther, Mary is helping all of us by providing this beautiful and theologically rich song for us.  In the Magnificat, she teaches us how to pray and models the proper attitude that we should take toward God – she turns all the glory toward God, and praises him alone.
 
Mary intercedes for us in that she serves as a sign that says, ‘Look what God has done for me!’  She serves as an example of what God will do, and in fact has already done for us.  Mary has already received the benefits that God has promised to all of us, and so she stands as the sign and surety that we also will receive blessing and salvation.”[2]
 
So, during this season of Advent, let us rejoice in the words of the Magnificat and reflect on our humble beginnings.  Praise be to our God above!
 
God’s peace and multitude of blessings to one and all this Christmas season.             


[1] The Theology of Martin Luther - A Critical Assessment, by Hans-Martin Barth, pp.81-82

[2] Excerpted from “The Annotated Luther – Pastoral Writings – Vol. 4; Mary Jane Haemig, Editor; pp. 307-313

By Colin Johnson
 We seem to be living at a time of unprecedented flooding.  While certainly not something to
joke about, I offer no apology for retelling this old story, one of my favorites: 

  A certain community was experiencing a 100-year flood.  As the waters approached his 
​doorway, a retired widower was hailed by a neighbor who was hurrying out-of-town in his SUV.  “Wanta come along now?” called the neighbor. “No, I’ll be fine.  The Lord will keep me safe, ” answered the widower from his porch .   The neighbor drove on. Soon the floodwaters rose to the middle of the first floor and the man retreated to the upper story of his home.  A patrol boat came into view on the flooded street.  “We can get you down through that window.  Grab this rope,” shouted the team. “No, I’ll be fine.  I trust in the Lord.  He will watch over me and keep me safe.”  The boat motored on. The water rose above the eaves, and the man managed to escape to the roof of his house.  A helicopter flew into view.  “We’ll lower the winch and airlift you to hig h ground at the rescue center,” yelled the pilot over his bullhorn.  “No, I’ll be fine.  The Lord will keep me safe.  This can’t get much worse or last much longer.”  The pilot flew on. The water continued to rise above the roof of the house.  The man was washed away and drowned.   At the Gates of St. Peter the man was angry and railed at the gatekeeper, “I trusted i n the Lord to the end and was faithful.  I shouldn’t be here.  My death was your fault because you abandoned me.” A figure peered over a ledger from above.  There was a moment of silence.  “ Abandoned you?  Our fault?” came the voice.  “We sent you an SUV, a boat, and a helicopter.”    At a recent Prince of Peace meeting, someone was asked, “How do you feel without a pastor at this time?”  That someone—perhaps several someones—replied, “Kind of in limbo, drifting, nothing much is happening.”  Mentally, I understood the response, but at the same time I had some disagreements about it.  One way to look at is that our ministry had become like a piece of comfort food . . . a cinnamon bun.  With the loss of our pastor, it has become a donut.  There is a hole in the middle, but it is still a donut and, I hope, a pretty tasty one at that.  But what we want is a complete cinnamon bun; we don’t want a donut.  The issue is that we will need to accept the idea that our new bun is going to be different.  It will have a different taste, a different aroma, and different consistency (notice that I resisted the temptation to say “more nuts, fewer nuts”).  Why?   Because we are not just changing pastors, but we should be looking at a change in our ministry as well.  It need not be a large shift, but change will happen.  What do we want to come out of "bakery?" That is a subject of a different discussion.
stagnant “Limboland.”  In my mind, I began to enumerate the SUVs, boats, and helicopters in our inventory.  1) A congregation old enough to have traditions and an established, sound method of operation and yet young enough to endure the vagaries of change, perhaps even welcome it as a means to renew the vigor of the church.  Yes, I assume that, on the whole, you will find evidence that most people are generally ambivalent to change.  Some welcome it, some fear it, some resign themselves to it.  More about that later.   Let’s just say that there is much evidence that congregations with a willingness to change and demonstrating past change experience smoother transitions and calls.  A prospective pastor might think, “If they can’t show me that their previous pastor moved them from A to B, how can I expect to get them to C?” 2) A solid group of dedicated council members consistently taking care of church business with monthly meetings under a solid constitution and set of by-laws, along with a “Covenant of Leadership” that defines some of its operational boundaries. 3) A host of ministry teams and committees with an understanding of their domains and tasks.  For example, the Worship Committee responsibly plans services months in advance, clearly respecting the traditional liturgy while looking for creative ways to provide variety and diversity in the worship experience for all tastes. 4) A binder in the hallway full of multiple copies of specific instructions for tasks related to services.  No one needs to be in the dark about specific tasks they can perform. 5) An interim pastor trained to lead us in the very thing we are engaged it.  Make no mistake:  intentional interim ministry is a “thing,” a recognized calling within the church body that is backed by curriculum at many seminaries, like chaplaincy or seminary teaching.  It is not just a form of glorified pulpit supply or what pastors gravitate toward in retirement for extra income.  Those are something completely different.  I am certain that you can come up with others.  Change.  Those of you who have known me since way-back-when recognize that in my “previous” life I was a Missouri Synod Lutheran.  In fact, I came into the Lutheran Church through my first wife, who was a PK, a “pastor’s kid.”  Her oldest brother was also an LCMS pastor and another brother and his wife were Lutheran school teachers in California.  A few of her uncles were pastors.  As many of you know, the LCMS has a reputation for being quite conservative.  You can’t take communion there without “announcing” for it or requesting a consultation with the pastor.  The synod’s radio outlet, “The Lutheran Hour,” was a feature of our household when we could get it as it was often broadcast during service hours.  (Remember when you last recorded a radio program!?)  I may be misremembering, but I recall the opening strains of some staunch hymn like “Lift High the Cross,” while the charismatic and beloved Dr. Oswald Hoffman—or his announcer--intoned,  “The Lutheran Hour, for an unchanging church in a changing world” [emphasis mine].  No, I haven’t heard the program for years; perhaps much or all of that has been altered. 
 “Unchanging?”  Imagine my reaction when I discovered the first chapter in our interim committee’s guidebook Temporary Shepherds:  A Congregational Handbook for Interim Ministry, now 20 years old itself, to be titled “The Changing Church.”  Lordy, what’s that all about?!  As I have come to appreciate, to call it a “changing” church is not heresy, but only reality.  For one living in Utah, a “changing” church means one that revises its heritage and history about once every five years.   In the 70’s the “unchanging” Missouri Synod found itself in the midst of a true schism stirred by the faculty of the St. Louis Seminary, a bunch of theologically rabble-rousing liberals.  My father-in-law regarded them as fodder for excommunication; my brother-in-law kept his lips tight.  The schism threatened to divide families.  It was that rift, by the way, that indirectly created the ELCA by bringing about the merger of the Lutheran Church in America, the American Lutheran Church, and a third group that included those that had split off from the LCMS.  The Missouri Synod had advocated years earlier for a merger of the synods, but then refused to join it when it occurred.  They would also later be active in creating and promoting a new hymnal that they then refused to use, but that is another story.  Ah, well.   
 The LCMS was big on church discipline.   Absent members were tracked down and notified that their membership would be wiped off the books at a certain time.  As an elder, a position we do not have in the ELCA, I was once asked to “disfellowship”—I believe that was actual, official term used--from membership an abrasive communicant and his family.  He habitually challenged some point of doctrine I can’t even begin to remember.  Later, when pastoral misbehavior came into the picture in the same congregation, I submitted evidence to the regional synod office that resulted in his defrocking.  Boy, wasn’t I the synodical “hottie!”  And also, boy, wasn’t I hit by change . . . in more ways than one?!  When I was asked to join the Mutual Ministry Committee at Prince of Peace some years ago, I requested assurance from Pastor Scott that no disciplinary actions were part of the duties.  None were.  I suited up. 
 As a PK, my wife insisted on being on “best buddy” terms with every pastor of every congregation to which we belonged (and, no, I don’t regret a bit that I once regarded Prince of Peace founding Pastor Barry Neese as my closest friend in Cache Valley).  Our pastors were treated like family, given generous gifts, and expected to attend major dinners in our home:  Thanksgiving, Easter, progressive dinners, you name it.  It was only later that I understood some of the darker aspects of this behavior, although I confess that I still don’t understand it all that well.   Consequently, when the misbehaving pastor was forced to leave the congregation, there came about a complicated system of transactions whereby our family had to it was a case of God opening another door for we eventually found our way to Prince of Peace just as it was being formed.  Also, you see, my daughter adored her Uncle Clifford, the LCMS pastor.  Had we stayed in the Missouri Synod, she would have been unable to realize her dream because the LCMS would have barred her from the very thing she wanted most:  to become a pastor herself.  Then “Change” happened.  Our move to the ELCA allowed her to enter the University of Chicago Seminary with some endowment support of our home church Mt. Tabor in SLC, earn her M.Div. degree, and serve several ministries to this date in northeastern Illinois. 
 But I make the above revelations (testimony?) without intending to preach from my private confessional.  It is just what it is, as they say. 
 [See Postscript II here.]  
 Our Temporary Shepherds text claims there are three types of people in a church:  (1) those who make things happen, (2) those who let things happen.  Don’t be one of those in the third group who wake up one day and say, (3) “Hey, wha’ happened?”  In closing, I would admit that I left one critical item—deliberately--off my “SUV, boat, helicopter” list.   That would be you all and the talents and skill sets you bring to the process.  They may be, in the end, the most important.  And so I challenge you to examine your gifts, your resources, and get to work.  Need some references?  Try Ephesians 4, Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, and 1 Peter 4.  If you are cut from a more interpersonal relations cloth, maybe brush up on one of the old human systems programs you have in a file drawer or in your set of self-help books (se below).  Ask us about the one we are using.  We will be coming to you for help, but there is much you can do to help yourself during this time.  God bless!   
 Submitted by Colin Johnson, PoP Council Secretary and Liaison to the     Transition Team  
 Postscript I:  As I re-read this rambling blog while continuing to study the interim ministry manual, I discovered that I had unconsciously revealed something actually recommended by the manual during this time.  That is, I had told a story, made a testimonial—actually more than one story--that revealed a topic of some concern to me that might be dealt with openly during the interim.  It was a story that I might not otherwise have told.  In fact, I have been trying to find a format it for some time.  I had written it up last year, and then rejected it, believing the matter to be unsuitable for various reasons.  Now it seems appropriate in this context.  If you missed it, please re-read this from the middle point on.  Hint:  it has to do with church discipline.  While my story is obviously not about Prince of Peace and occurred 30+ years ago, perhaps you have one that contains personal concerns about the ministry here—positive or negative--that could be opened up for dialogue and incorporated into the interim ministry report that will inform the call committee in its own work. Often, issues are brought forward and resolved during this period that might be ignored at any other time.  Don’t let it fester.  Think about it.  Postcript II:  As I reviewed my “essay,” the following paragraphs seemed to contribute to its length as an irrelevant interruption, so I appended it as a separate section here.  Feel free to ignore it and just stop reading here if you are not interested in such things, as I am.  One of the first things presented to us by Pr. Teri was one such tool like those described below: 
 Coping with change is hard work.  One “tool” often used in addressing this challenge is an operational format based on human systems thinking that attempts to explain why we act—and interact—as we do.   Often these represent a plotting of means to reduce conflict in institutional human transactions, paths for resolving organizational issues, instructions for conducting productive meetings, and the like.  They help to explain why some relations work, some do not work, and what choices one may elect to do about it.  If you have ever been appointed to a leadership position in an institution—most probably a job for which you were not specifically trained—you will discover in your files--as I did when I retired--numerous folders containing such programs handed out in workshops sponsored by your superiors.  In recent decades, systems thinking methods have moved from analytic ones to more holistic structures.  I used to tell my students there were two processes in examining a work of art, both necessary and essential:  an analytic and a synthetic process.  “Analyze” literal means to take apart, to break down; and “synthesize” its opposite.  You may have to tear apart a non-functioning clock to see how it works (analyze), but it is never, ever going to run again unless you “synthesize” it, put it back together. . . correctly.  Could be that it works with congregations, too. 
 Analytic systems tend to be vertically hierarchical with the single “vision” and the visionary (Steve Jobs) at the top, the various goals somewhere in the middle (tackled by the engineers, and the middle-managers), and the myriad tasks at the bottom (the assemblers of computers, team lead-persons, and so forth; in other words, the workers).  Those systems are marked with illustrations that are usually plotted in one direction, straight.  We tend not to like those structures, especially in universities and churches.  Today’s more integrated, holistic systems give us many illustrations that are circles or at least healthy triangles, often with feedback going in several directions.  No part is more important than another; all parts contribute to the health of the system.  Not only is the whole greater than the sum of its parts, but a part contains/reflects the entirety of the structure.  A “bad” part can infect the whole organism; in an analytic system, the bad part can just be lopped off.  Good riddance.  In a holistic system, we see how eliminating it would affect the entire body.  Some of us are old enough to remember Eric Berne’s popular self-help book I’m OK—You’re OK, where the object was to replace unhealthy triangles of "Parent," "Child," and "Adult" role-playing scenarios based on real-life situations (which one are you in this situation??) with healthy -- or healthier -- ones. His book was dozens of circles, triangles, and arrows that were fascinating to sort out in a system called transactional analysis. 
 But make no mistake:  I want to be clear that I enjoyed the process of studying such systems and still do.  I found them valuable in the short term as they seemed to open up a world of insight directed at specific problem-solving techniques in a variety of human relationships.  Fascinating to study, they nevertheless required extensive concentration to incorporate into one’s everyday working environment.  As much as one sorted through them, there was always the problem of why no one liked working with Jane (a fictional example).  Jane was an anomaly.  Was this our problem or was it Jane’s problem?  Maybe it was Jane who didn’t like everyone else.  Maybe Jane was not a circle or a square.  Maybe Jane was a pentagram.  I digress, but, as you can see, I am having a lot of fun with this.  I once diffused a hallway fistfight between two of my colleagues.  I don’t know what human systems thinking tool I used during the half-hour confrontation, but I’m certain my colleagues didn’t care, nor did the students trembling behind nearby office doorways, or so they later told me.  Nor did the system give me much confidence in my continence in that particular stressful moment. (Way, way too much fun now!)

When I first learned that the ELCA includes an advocacy office, my reaction was ‘What? Wait – I thought Christians aren’t supposed to be political!’  I decided to look for the biblical underpinnings of advocacy, and investigate further as to what the Advocacy Office does.
Advocacy can be defined as ‘public support for or recommendation of a particular cause or policy’, or (and this is my favorite definition), ‘the act of pleading for, supporting, or recommending; active espousal’. So advocacy is standing up for something you feel strongly about.
In the Bible, there are numerous examples of people of faith standing up for others – here are just a few. Moses heard God’s call and faced Pharaoh, demanded the release of his people, and eventually led them out of Egypt. (Exodus 5-12). Queen Esther stood up and bravely pled with King Xerxes on behalf of her people, the Jews (Esther 3:8–4:17, 7:1–8:8, 8:11–13). Nehemiah lobbied King Artaxerxes and his officials, to seek permission to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. He also confronted high-ranking Jews who were profiting from unfair lending practices (Nehemiah 1:2–4, 2:1–20, 5:1–13). Of course, Jesus is the ultimate Advocate. In addition to sacrificing himself for our sins (1 John 2:1-2), he modeled servant leadership (John 13:14-15), gave dignity to the marginalized (Luke 7:36-50, Luke 18:16), and challenged corruption (Mark 11:15-17), among other acts.
What does advocacy look like today? Today, we can advance the dignity of all people by advocating for racial and gender justice, accessibility to food, adequate housing accommodations, immigration policy, environmental sustainability, and much more. Advocacy actions can include: exercising your right to vote, speaking out when you witness injustice, writing or calling your elected officials to express your viewpoint, or volunteering nationally or internationally to share God’s love and serve your neighbor.
The ELCA maintains an advocacy action center, found online at https://www.elca.org/Our-Work/Publicly-Engaged-Church/Advocacy  ELCA advocacy “works for change in public policy based on the experience of Lutheran ministries, programs and projects around the world and in communities across the United States. We work through political channels on behalf of the following biblical values: peacemaking, hospitality to strangers, care for creation, and concern for people living in poverty and struggling with hunger and disease.”
At the ELCA Advocacy action center, there are links to resources for getting involved with causes such as: AMMPARO Migrant Children, Congregation-based Community Organizing; Corporate Social Responsibility; ELCAvotes!; Faith, Science and Technology; Lutheran Office for World Community; Justice for Women; Peace Not Walls; Racial Justice Ministries; and Social Issues. You can sign up to receive ELCA Advocacy News and Alerts. There is also a section on Volunteer Opportunities. If you are looking to become an advocate, or just want to learn more about these timely issues, check out the website.
Advocacy for Christians is an outworking of obedience to God, a desire for justice and compassion for others (particularly people who are poor, marginalized and vulnerable) and it is a way of pointing people towards Jesus. As Paul reminds us in Galatians chapter 6: “Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”

I’ve heard a few people half-jokingly refer to the Ministry Site Profile (https://www.rmselca.org/congregations-transition) as our dating profile. This is worth a chuckle, and I decided to give it more thought. I’ve observed a handful of couples whose relationships began with online profiles (I once met both halves of a match in towns 570 miles apart before eHarmony set them up and they eventually married!), and I’ve dabbled in the world of algorithmic matchmaking myself in the past. Therefore I’m marginally qualified to share this listicle on finding a pastor and online dating.

1. Ask yourself why you're filling out the profile.

Is there a creative dating solution you haven’t considered? Are we in a place to search for a match? Do we have the time, money, and motivation to search for and start a new (pastoral) relationship? Are you looking for something part-time, a casual fling, or something more stable? Some of these types of questions have been inherently answered by our initiation of the call process, but they’re worth keeping in mind throughout. Online dating works best when you know who you are and what you’re looking for.

2. Make it creative.

If you want to write a boring profile, stick with a few lines about how you’re laid back, like to spend time with friends and family, and enjoy adventure. Get into some details: Where do you like to go on adventures? What kinds of things make you laugh when you’re out with your friends? What is unique about our ministry context? What needs exist in our community?

3. Don’t stop loving the world around you.

It’s easy to get caught up in the search, but don’t stop engaging with all the really neat people you already know! You could miss out on meeting someone great who lives across town. Or not notice an opportunity to join the ministry of a local organization you haven’t checked out yet. Dating profiles work better when you can write about what you’re doing now, and not just that one cool thing from five years ago.

4. “Christ’s Church: Better Together!”

The visit by Pastor Leslie and Janet Philipp last Sunday makes me think that maybe the Ministry Site Profile isn’t at all like an online dating profile. I attended the Rocky Mountain Synod Assembly this spring as a voting member from Prince of Peace, and we must have heard Bishop Gonia say “Christ’s Church: Better Together!” at least 20 times. The Rocky Mountain Synod does a lot to embody this theme. We heard stories about congregations building relationships with other people in their communities, global partnerships where our partner ministries across the world are doing good work, and a congregation giving back a small piece of tribal land in urban Colorado (we were exhorted by Rev. Dr. Tink Tinker to do this more often). Our congregation, our synod, the ELCA, our ecumenical partners, and the whole Christian church are better together. We don’t write our profile alone. Unless you’re in the habit of enlisting the help of 50 friends and family to help write your profile, the (admittedly tongue-in-cheek) analogy falls apart. We have the guidance and prayers of the Synod, God in our midst, and the leadership of the congregational council and Pastor Teri. We are the Beloved of Christ whether or not we find a match.

Living God, you have called us be the conduits for grace and healing in this community. Strengthen the witness of this congregation and help us to better see the needs of our community. Give wisdom to those called to lead your church and be with those discerning a call to congregational leadership.

​

Have you ever wondered why we don’t say or sing alleluia during Lent and Holy Week?  Alleluia is a word of great praise to God which was prominent in early Christian liturgies and is based on the Hebrew word hallelu yah, meaning “Praise the Lord’.
 
As the Lenten season is one of repentance in the western church, singing or saying the word “alleluia” has been suspended during these forty days.  During this time of reflection on the quality of our baptismal faith and life, it is deemed that the joyful nature of alleluia would be more appropriate during our Easter celebrations when sung fully and jubilantly.  Hence, the alternate Gospel Acclamation for Lent which omits the alleluia; this omission goes back to at least the 5th century in the western church.  But, the custom of actually bidding it farewell developed in the Middle Ages.  “Alleluia, song of gladness” (ELW #318) has a translation of an 11th century Latin text that compares an alleluia-less Lent to the exile of the Israelites in Babylon.  It then anticipates the joy of Easter when glad alleluias will return in all their heavenly splendor.
 
Additionally, some congregations have used the practice of physically “burying” the alleluia.  A banner or other visual representation of the alleluia is created and then “buried” inside or outside.  Alleluia is last used on the Sunday prior to Ash Wednesday – Transfiguration of Our Lord – until the Great Easter Vigil, or Easter Sunday.  The burial of alleluia could happen at Mardi Gras, aka Shrove Tuesday, either by simply suspending its use or physically burying a crafted alleluia – inside within a container or outside in a sturdy box – to be resurrected during the hymn of praise at the Great Easter Vigil or on Easter Sunday.
 
Alleluia cannot always be our song while here below;
alleluia our transgressions make us for a while forgo;
for the solemn time is coming when our tears for sin shall flow.
 
In our hymns we pray with longing:  Grant us, blessed Trinity,
at the last to keep glad Easter with the faithful saints on high;
there to you forever singing alleluia joyfully.
 
--- “Alleluia, song of gladness”   ELW 318 verses 3 & 4 ---
 
At the Great Easter Vigil, may your alleluias be silenced no more; may you rejoice and sing loud, strong and joyously!!
 
Joan Mahoney, Vice President 

Valentine’s day is the perfect holiday to consider what you will be giving up for Lent. Lent starts on Wednesday, February 14th – Valentine’s Day.  So, the timing is right to start making your plan for a Lenten fast, but there’s more to it than that.
 
Valentine’s day is a day to celebrate the people you love. Often, we do that in very tangible ways, with a card—sometimes handmade, a thoughtful gift, a special dinner or by spending quality time together.  Valentine’s day is a day to be more intentional about expressing love to your significant other. Well, the same is true of Lent and the expression of our love for God.
 
During Lent, Christians are encouraged to give something up as one of the 3 Lenten disciplines. The “giving something up” is an example of fasting, which isn’t commanded for Lent (but is expected by Jesus as the Gospel appointed for Ash Wednesday, Matthew 6:1–6, 16–21, indicates). The same Gospel touches upon the other 2 disciplines of Lent, prayer and generosity to the poor. All 3 are appropriate ways for individuals to express our devotion to God. They are like Valentines, given to a loved one. They are expressions of love. They are ways to show God your love, not prove it.
 
On Wednesdays in Lent attend our special Lenten Worships held at 6:30 p.m., you are welcome to come early for soup suppers!  This is a way to take up the discipline of prayer and spend extra time during the 40 days in Lent in worship.
 
Make a plan to increase your giving during Lent or support a charity, financially. This can be a church or other non-profit that serves the poor. The ELCA has some great extensions that serve the needy in the world including Lutheran World Relief and ELCA World Hunger or you may support our local Cache Community Food Bank.
 
Last, make a plan to fast this Lent. This is one of the most personal things we can do to express our love to God and our need for God. Fasting is an interesting exercise, to intentionally NOT do something as a way of expressing devotion to God. Lenten fasting isn’t always about giving up an unhealthy thing in order to become healthier! So maybe this year it’s time to go a little further than giving up candy, French fries or Lattes. Here are two suggestions for fasting this year.

1. Choose one day a week where you won’t eat anything. Drink water only. You might want to check with your doctor on this one to make sure you’re healthy enough to attempt this. Then throughout the day as you feel the hunger pains, let them serve as a reminder to pray and express to God your commitment.
2. Bury your smartphone. Ok, maybe just turn it off for a length of time and perhaps put it in a drawer. But you know you spend way too much time checking apps like e-mail and Facebook and that silly game you hope you never get caught playing. Imagine spending that time in prayer instead. Every time you get the urge to check your phone and find that it’s not in your pocket or purse, use that as a reminder to express your commitment to God.

 
 
Oh, and don’t forget, you don’t fast on Sundays. Why? Because that’s the day Jesus rose from the dead and it’s a day to celebrate His love for us!
 
Happy Valentine’s day!
 
Deanna S. Outsen
Council President

By Joan Mahoney, Council Vice President

Advent is the beginning of a new church year where scripture and tradition beckon us to slow down and wait; a season of anticipation and longing.
 
The Advent wreath is the most powerful symbol of the season – it can be traced back to the Romans’ ancient rite of waiting in the darkness for the return of the sun, and for the Feast of the Sun on December 25.  The ancients took a wheel off of their wagons and fastened torches to it to see them through the darkness.  The only thing alive in the winter, evergreen, was brought inside and fastened to the wheel – in darkness, it was a sign of vegetation and springtime.  More than 300 years ago, German Christians fashioned the same elements into the Advent wreath – the greens a sign of hope and eternity.  What was once the Feast of the Sun has become the Feast of the Son.
 
Advent wreaths and Advent calendars are symbols and tools of what Advent urges us to do - mark the passage of time as we wait.  Advent is about the art of waiting.  Now is the time for slowing down and leaning together; and, as with the ancients, we gather in the darkness to wait for the light.  And, like the ancients who gathered together for courage and hope that the sun would return, we gather each week to hear the word that does not pass away.  The season’s texts give us voice for our brokenness and the promise of the savior.
 
WEEK 1 of Advent:  we are reminded of our desperate need for a God to restore and save.  Mark’s gospel warns us to keep alert, stay awake.
WEEK 2 of Advent:  we are urged to reorder our lives.  As John the Baptist prepared the way of the Lord, so do we.  We prepare our hearts and homes, not in haste, but in love and with longing.
WEEK 3 of Advent:  we who walk in darkness, especially in the season of waiting and watching, also rejoice.  God is turning our mourning into laughter and joy.  That is good news for people awaiting light.  We walk in our own wildernesses, but are called to join the baptized of all generations to testify to the one who brings light and life to a broken world.
WEEK 4 of Advent:  the angel Gabriel tells Mary that God will keep His promise to continue the reign of David.
 
With texts and traditions as guides, this Advent, let us challenge one another to honor these dark days.  It is in the waiting that we learn about ourselves and others, taking important steps toward understanding.  Over the first four weeks in December, let’s gather together in stillness with confidence that the savior is coming, that Christmas is “on the way”, but not here yet.
 
Be sure to join us each Sunday in December (3rd, 10th, 17th & Christmas Eve) @ 7PM for our service “Unfailing Light” (an evening service with Holy Communion).  A Craft Activity for All will begin @ 6PM. There will be NO morning service on these Sundays.
 
Slowing down, waiting, and anticipating,
 
Joan Mahoney
Vice President