¹Arise, shine; for your light has come,
  and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
 ²For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples;
 but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you.
 ³Nations shall come to your light,
  and kings to the brightness of your dawn. (Isaiah 60:1-3)

Dear brothers & sisters in Christ,

In Christ,

Pastor Carla

Dear brothers & sisters in Christ,

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ the Lord and Savior. Amen.

The word of God falls into three categories: the written word as found in Scripture; the proclaimed word; and the incarnate word in the person of Jesus Christ. God took on human flesh in order to bring comfort and hope to His people.

The Athanasian Creed confesses (in part): “For this is the true faith that we believe and confess:

That our Lord Jesus Christ, God’s Son, is both God and man. He is God, begotten before all worlds from the being of the Father, and he is man, born in the world from the being of his mother—existing fully as God, and fully as man with a rational soul and a human body;” The incarnate God maintains both natures equally. This child whose birth we commemorate each year is both mortal yet immortal, divine and human, eternal yet temporal. The immortal takes on mortality for the sake of human beings.

Paul phrased the resurrection of believers, “For this perishable body must put on imperishability, and this mortal body must put on immortality.” (1 Corinthians 15:53) God, imperishable, put on perishability in the form of Jesus Christ. The imperishable put on perishability in order that we may put on imperishability.

That is at the root the nature of incarnation. God fully enters His created world for the sake of that world. Jesus became flesh and lived among us. God entered this world in a form we could experience with all our senses. The disciples felt his touch, heard his voice, saw his tears, even smelled and tasted meals together. God was no longer abstract for them. God was (and is) real. God was no longer far off. He was right in front of them – walking among them, loving them, leading them, teaching and healing them. God fully entered into their reality.

As we celebrate the birth of the Savior, let us remember the ‘realness’ of this incarnate God. He is real. God sends His son into our reality, here and now – and brings us into his reality now and forever.  The grace and peace of God which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ¹⁴ And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1-2, 14)

The saints in heaven and on earth…

“See, I am coming soon; my reward is with me, to repay according to everyone’s work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” (Revelation 22:12-13)

Dear brothers & sisters in Christ,

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ the Lord and Savior. Amen.

No matter what life (or death for that matter) holds, God is the beginning and the end. God is in charge and in control of the world and all that is within it. In times of trouble or distress, it can be easy to forget that little tidbit. God has dominion over all things.

Each year on All Saints’ Sunday or Day, we hear the Beatitudes as recorded by Matthew or Luke. Most years, we hear this as a promise to those who have departed this life. It is also a reminder of God’s dominion. God has the power to comfort those who mourn; give the earth to the meek; grant mercy to the merciful; fill those who hunger and thirst for righteousness; reveal His glory to the pure in heart;  claim the peacemakers as children of God; and grant the kingdom of heaven to those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake; and give joy to those who are reviled for His sake. (paraphrase of Matthew 5:1-11) Who else can claim that power?

As we undergo turmoil and discord, we are reminded that God has the power to unify His people. Moreover, God does unify His people. The Apostle Paul wrote to the churches in Ephesus, “So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; ¹⁸ for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father. ¹⁹ So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, ²⁰ built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone.” (Ephesians 2:17-20) Strangers become family. Foreigners become citizens. The Holy Spirit “calls, gathers, enlightens, and makes holy the whole Christian church on earth and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one common, true faith.” (Small Catechism, 3^rd Article of the Apostles’ Creed)

Christ is the cornerstone upon which the Church in heaven and on earth rests. He blesses it with the Holy Spirit and guides it in the way of Truth. God holds the power over life, death, and resurrection. That power unites all the saints in heaven and on earth – making us no longer strangers, but brothers and sisters in Christ. Not dependent upon our own power, God’s good and gracious will that drapes the blessed cloak of sainthood upon of shoulders – now and forever. The grace and peace of God which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen. (Revelation 22:21)

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— not the result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Dear brothers & sisters in Christ,

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ the Lord and Savior. Amen.

As seasons change…leaves float to the ground…crops are harvested…temperatures drop…daylight fades…we remember it is all a gift. God has blessed us abundantly. God has strengthened us. God has protected us. God has infused us with faith.

You have been sealed by the power of the Holy Spirit and sealed with the cross of Christ forever. You have been given the Holy Spirit and united with the Body of Christ. “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!”it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God,…” (Romans 8:14-17) Your prayers are led by that Spirit that calls God, “Father!” You have been filled with the Spirit to call upon the name of the Lord and be confident that He listens.

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.” (Hebrews 11:1,3) God has blessed us with His Holy Spirit to allow us to trust His word and believe in that which we cannot see.

This is not the faith of the weak. This is not the faith of the wavering. This is not the faith of the anxious or timid. This is not the faith of the world or of the flesh. This is the faith of those who belong to Christ. It is the Holy Spirit within us bubbling with the faith and power of Christ Himself. It is the faith and power that in perfect obedience conquered sin and death.

This is the faith that strengthens the weak. This faith bolsters the wavering. This faith calms the anxious and fortifies the timid with valor. This is the faith that heals the sick and raises the dead. This is the faith that forgives sin and conquers evil. This is the faith bequeathed upon you by God, your refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

The grace and peace of God which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. (Psalm 46:1)

For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. ¹² Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. (Jeremiah 29:11-12)

Dear brothers & sisters in Christ,

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ the Lord and Savior. Amen.

As we face the beginning of another school year with almost as much uncertainty as the last one ended, we are reminded that God has a plan. We usually do not understand it, but He has a plan. We wait with patience for God’s plan to be revealed to us. We wait with hope knowing that whatever that plan is – it is for our welfare, not for harm.

The wise man wrote, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:” (Ecclesiastes 3:1) God created time and continues to be at the helm of all time. Amidst all the uncertainty and turmoil of our time, we are constantly reminded that God alone knows the plan or the timing. We trust in His promise to us.

We trust in God. We bolster one another in faith. We hear God’s promises. We experience God’s consolations. We lift our voices together in pray confident that God indeed hears those prayers. When our hearts grow weary, we lean on the community of brothers and sisters in Christ and cling to Christ Himself. As is written in the letter to the Hebrews, “Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful.” (Hebrews 10:23) We share that mission together. We remind one another of God’s everlasting faithfulness.

Pray together. Cry together. Rejoice together. Praise together. Know that the Lord God Almighty is with you now and always.  The grace and peace of God which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

In Christ,

Pastor Carla

When the cares of my heart are many,
    your consolations cheer my soul. (Psalm 94:19)

… they shall not hunger or thirst,
neither scorching wind nor sun shall strike them down,
for he who has pity on them will lead them,
and by springs of water will guide them. (Isaiah 49:10)

Dear brothers & sisters in Christ,
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ the Lord and Savior. Amen.
God has promised to preserve us through any adversity we may face. He will lead us and protect us as we journey through our time here on earth. We, as His people, gather around His throne worshipping.
In his explanation to the third commandment, Luther exegeted ‘keeping the Sabbath’ as “We are to fear and love God, so that we do not despise preaching or God’s word, but instead keep that word holy and gladly hear and learn it.” As the Church, we are commissioned to assist and encourage one another fulfill this commandment. COVID-19 provides an interesting challenge to the church in our endeavor to complete this commission while simultaneously protecting the physical well-being of our neighbors.
We will continue to gather both online & in-person with safety protocols. As clarification, recognizing the difficulty some (children in particular) have wearing masks properly, attendance has been low enough to permit mask removal while in the pew (Ushers will continue to ensure safe physical distancing to facilitate this possibility. Remember to remain your designated area and to don your mask properly upon dismissal.) Since changes to these protocols are unlikely before fall, both the July & August calendars are included. Safety protocols, council minutes, & financial reports are included specific to congregational membership.
As the weariness of 2020 continues to wear on us, we are reminded who is in charge. We remember and remind one another that God provides us with the strength, patience, and wisdom to face each day. We shall persevere with God’s help and guidance.
The grace and peace of God which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

In Christ,
Pastor Carla

For this reason they are before the throne of God,
and worship him day and night within his temple,
and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them. (Rev. 7:1)

For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to one another. ¹⁴ For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Galatians 5:13-14)

Dear brothers & sisters in Christ,

In Christ,

Pastor Carla

By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. ²⁴ And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ²⁵ If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22-25)

Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. (Romans 13:10)

Dear brothers & sisters in Christ,

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ the Lord and Savior. Amen.

We confess that Jesus is Lord. We trust that God is active in the world. Even in times of confusion, uncertainty, & anxiety, we firmly believe God has the final word. As we wait & adapt this summer, we need to remind ourselves & one another of that very fundamental fact. Jesus Christ is Lord.

Christ gave the disciples & us the command to love one another. Paul exegeted that command for the Romans as “love does no harm.” In our context, this makes us more cautious with the health & lives of our neighbors than perhaps we would be of our own.

The following is an excerpt Luther wrote in reference to an outbreak of the bubonic plague in Wittenberg. “Therefore I shall ask God mercifully to protect us. Then I shall fumigate, help purify the air, administer medicine, and take it. I shall avoid persons and places where my presence is not needed in order not to become contaminated and thus perchance infect and pollute others, and so cause their death as a result of my negligence. … See, this is such a God-fearing faith because it is neither brash nor foolhardy and does not tempt God.” (& he did so without the internet)

We have a long tradition of believing that God sends the Holy Spirit into every aspect of our lives & into the world around us. The Spirit is not relegated to working within the walls of church buildings. The Holy Spirit is fully capable of working in scientists, healthcare workers, & civic leaders. God brings vocations together to discern the best path to love one another. We trust God will provide whatever is necessary to carry out that love.

As unfortunately experienced by several congregations around the world, there are challenges particular to congregations. Despite efforts to practice physical distancing, some have tragically encountered the reality of engrained habits & traditions designed to promote congregating colliding with physical distancing measures. It is imperative that each of us do everything possible to make worship safe for this parish and the communities we serve. St Olaf council has prayed, studied guidelines, and developed a strategy by which they hope to fulfil both peoples’ desire to gather and our responsibility to provide as safe an environment as possible. Please review and do your utmost to follow these protocols. (Zion will discuss adopting similar protocols at their June meeting.)

God’s Spirit in us & in the world will guide us in ensuring that ‘no harm is done to our neighbor’ in our continued endeavor to proclaim Christ in Word and Deed. The grace and peace of God which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Jesus Christ is Lord. Amen.

In Christ,

Pastor Carla

¹ God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
² Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,
though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
³ though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble with its tumult.

¹⁰ “Be still, and know that I am God!
I am exalted among the nations,
I am exalted in the earth.”
¹¹ The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge. (Psalm 46:1-2, 10-11)

Dear brothers & sisters in Christ,

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ the Lord and Savior. Amen.

Each year we set aside a day of civic mourning – Memorial Day. We remember the loss of lives given during service to the United States Armed Services. We thank God for strengthening and calling them to lay down their lives in defense of our own.

Sparked by the high casualties of the American Civil War, a day set aside to remember the lives lost was initiated by both sides (albeit differing days & names) following the war. The purpose was to honor, remember, and grieve those many lost lives. Especially due to the domestic nature of the war, many families had lacked the closure (or even timely notice) at their loved one’s time of death. The tradition grew and it evolved into a communal memorial for the nation.

With each passing war, the national cemeteries expanded. Each generation added its own grief, hopes, and traditions to what we now know as ‘Memorial Day’ alongside the graves of its compatriots. Poppies were a contribution of the First World War, courtesy of the poem ‘In Flanders Field’ by Canadian soldier John McCrae. In the aftermath of World War Two, Truman signed a proclamation in 1950 (ironically during the Cold War and just shy of the onset of the Korean War) proclaiming Memorial Day’ a day of ‘prayer for permanent peace.’ During the Conflict in Vietnam, finally the official law was enacted making Memorial Day a Federal holiday. In 2000, between the two Gulf Wars, a ‘Moment of National Remembrance’ at 3PM local time.

We continue the traditions of our ancestors as we continue to honor the many lives sacrificed in service. We decorate the graves of servicemen and women who are no longer going about their daily lives here on earth. We offer comfort to those families who never had a ‘welcome home’ celebration for their loved ones. We come together as citizens to honor all those who have lost their lives defending our civil liberties. Most of all, we rest assured in the conviction that God did ‘welcome’ them home. We give praise to God for being their ‘refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble’ – just as He is for us. “The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.” (Psalm 46:11)

The grace and peace of God which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

In Christ,

Pastor Carla

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. ²⁷ And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

²⁸ We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:25-28)

 

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Grace and peace to you from God our heavenly Father and Jesus Christ the Lord and Savior. Amen.

In our present circumstances, many people could describe their prayer life in one of two ways. On one hand, we have person A, who is exhausted and worries about having enough time or energy to properly pray for all the troubles in the world. They feel like their list of prayer concerns continues to grow exponentially. On the other hand, we have person B, who feels paralyzed by the overwhelming uncertainty of it all. They wonder where and/or how to even start to pray. There are probably even more of us who feel like we are riding a roller coaster between those two descriptions.

Paul’s reminder to the Romans speaks to all of us. God promises to hear our prayers. He listens to our inmost fears. God hears our unspoken (even unspeakable) prayers. He knows the inmost yearnings of our hearts. Even when we cannot find the words, God is listening. God promises to hear our prayers even when we do not have the strength to verbalize them. That promise gives us the power to pray.

We do not need the ‘right’ words or form or posture. God is listening. God hears our prayers no matter how chaotic they feel to us. The Holy Spirit does intercede for us. We can have confidence to approach God in all circumstances. Even when we feel overwhelmed or paralyzed, God is listening.

The grace and peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

In Christ,

Pastor Carla