Go into the World: Hope

Dear Friends,

In these days where winter and spring are enmeshed into one another, I find myself reaching for my phone to look at the weather app wondering (a) what to wear, (b) how will the roads be today, and (c) is it a coffee or ice water kind of day? It is during this season I find myself most comfortable being uncomfortable. There are days I am content to remain in my winter hibernation. Meanwhile, I am welcoming the hint of joy that comes when all things are lovingly made new!

In these winter/spring days, in this very day, are you thriving or surviving? Is this a day where you have stepped in your own way or the way of others and your actions have caused disappointment, hurt, or confusion? Is this a day that you have enjoyed and, with a smile, you can’t wait until the morning shine on a new tomorrow?

We are invited this week to hear the words from Psalm 51. The passage is credited to the heart-wrenching act of King David in which he begs God for grace assuming that his transgressions, his sin, will only result in a forever broken relationship with God. But that’s not how the story ended for King David then and we are promised it isn’t how it will end for us today.

Together we will live in the tension of conversations that seem at times repetitive as we ask for forgiveness. Here are a few things we will talk through:

1. The energy it takes to confront issues we thought we had already tackled. “That issue” and yet, here we are – again!

2. How strength can be oppressive unless it is strength fueled by and through Jesus Christ with grace.

3. How our act of asking for grace doesn’t make it happen. It is God’s gift freely and abundantly poured upon us time and time again.

4. How experiencing radical grace through the loving gift of life from God through Christ, that goes beyond our understanding, opens up the window for us to let in a new season, a new life, and a new hope.

How is your story of a life of grace going today? Come to the place, this place known as Holy Trinity, and experience love that sings out in our hearts – forever!

Blessings to all,

Pastor Katie

Go into the World: Reconciliation

Dear Partners in Ministry,

I am looking forward to a most eventful weekend at Holy Trinity! Among other things, we will be hosting our second “Men’s Gathering” on Friday (you’ve already registered, right?). On Sunday, we’ll be welcoming a host of new members into our community of faith, including a special reception for them after the 10:30 a.m. service. We’ll be giving thanks for the capable and generous ministry of Rebecca Pape, our piano accompanist for the past five years, as she prepares to move on to new and further adventures. While we hope to welcome her back to our congregation at some point, we’ll make a point of wishing her godspeed for now! Make a point of both introducing yourself to our newcomers and to expressing your gratitude to Rebecca!

Meanwhile, we will return to our “Go into the World” series with a focus on “reconciliation,” especially as it is represented in Luke’s familiar story of the Prodigal Son. That the parable is so widely known has often led me to feel that I have to get creative with it; so I’ve preached it from every possible perspective I can imagine - the younger son’s, the older son’s, the father’s, and even the fatted calf’s (OK, so I haven’t yet done so from the pigs’ point-of-view!). I’ve even retold it with an old Garrison Keillor sketch that included a talent sound effects creator and reference to characters in Jesus’ other parables! But at the end of the day, we’ve still got a classic parable that Jesus told to make a basic point - that the work of reconciling broken relationships is inherent to what the gospel is about.

A little more than 25 years ago, a youth walking by the old log Muskego Chapel on the Luther Seminary campus in St. Paul, Minnesota, peeped in its window and noticed a beautiful chalice sitting on the altar.

He broke into the chapel and stole it. Naturally, the young boy didn’t know that this chalice had been a gift to Luther Seminary in 1936 from Norway’s King Olaf. In October 2006, the pastor of a congregation neighboring the seminary called Luther President Rick Bliese, asking for a meeting to discuss “an interesting matter.” The boy who had stolen the chalice, now a grown man, had visited his congregation. He was dying of cancer and had one request: He wanted to return the stolen chalice to the seminary. He had kept the pewter chalice in perfect condition. It had sat on his mantel for 25 years. Finally, its presence had become a source of discomfort and disease. Before the man died, he wanted it returned to its rightful owner and place, Luther Seminary and Old Muskego Chapel.

President Bliese received the gift of “the prodigal chalice” with surprise and delight. Letters were written to this dying man expressing appreciation, as well as forgiveness for his deed. The lost had been found; now the blind were gaining their sight. The man received the letters with gratitude and died soon afterward. Now this chalice has become doubly special because it was returned after serving the purpose for which it was really intended: calling sinners to repentance, forgiveness, and the difficult yet essential work of reconciliation. It’s become a powerful sign of Luther Seminary’s mission.

Where do you still experience brokenness that is unresolved? What might you do to help see that it can be? I hope and pray that you can join us for worship this Sunday at 8:30 or 10:30 a.m. and again on Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. or 6:30 p.m. as we consider anew what it is possible in Christ.

Sharing the Mission,

Pastor Tim

Go into the World: Community

Dear Partners in Ministry,

Last weekend, Lisa and I ventured west to complete a postponed goal of visiting her mother in Colorado and our new granddaughter in Portland. We were fortunate to be able to make the connections work and thoroughly enjoyed our time with each of them.

Yet it was a really hard weekend to be away. Awful scenes from Ukraine continued to beg the asking of hard questions that I longed to discuss with you. New state legislation that felt oppressive begged for a timely response. Then the tragic news of a student taking his life, preceded by the death of a former firefighter killed while assisting at the scene of a crash. Accounts of the deadly tornadoes came next, along with an awareness that several from within our community were wrestling with significant challenges to their mental wellness.

Needless to say, I felt as I though I was a planet away and felt largely helpless to be present in the way I felt called to be. Indeed, landing a cold upon my return, which cost me the use of my voice, only added to my sense of inadequacy. It helped to humble and remind me all over again about the power of prayer and that, sometimes, it seems to be one of the few actions we can intentionally pursue in such circumstances, regardless of our location or circumstance. You were all in my prayers!

Meanwhile, I found myself feeling incredibly grateful for the obvious presence and support that so many of you were able to share with one another amid such deeply troubling circumstances. Indeed, it seems that a wide web of “stepping into the gap” was quietly taking place. That was duplicated once again on several fronts last evening, as we gathered for worship amidst a whole new set of challenges. I am humbled once again to witness the gift you are to me and to one another!

Throughout the week ahead, we are continuing our Lenten focus on “Go Into the World”, and on Paul’s appreciation of community in particular. As he addresses the beloved congregation at Philippi, he speaks of our having our “citizenship in heaven.” To my ears, this is a potentially rich metaphor that helps us to celebrate and recognize the ways in which fellow disciples frequently reach beyond what might be expected of them to engage each other with compassion, empathy, and concrete expressions of love.

I hope and pray that you can join us for worship this Sunday at 8:30 or 10:30 a.m. and again on Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. or 6:30.p.m. as we recall with new thanksgiving the distinctive privilege of our calling in Christ.

Sharing the Mission,

Pastor Tim