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Dear Friends, As a child one of my favorite places to go for the summer was the family cabin. It was located in rural northern Wisconsin. The drive was over 7 hours long on back roads, the house did not have A/C, the dining room table was an old door with church pews for seats, no TV, and we shared rooms and space. Honestly, I loved all of it. The lake itself was amazing. You could see the bottom of it no matter how deep you went. The water was ideal for hours of swimming. But when we stood along the shore, it was always still until a fish would jump up out of the water to eat a bug or a fishing bobber would go under with the pull of a catch. But when I would throw out a rock, the water would ripple with energy and excitement beginning from the center of contact when the water and rock first connected. The image of the energy that occurred and multiplied in ripples from the center draws me to the image of Jesus in a boat looking out and telling Simon to cast out his nets into what appears, from the scriptures in Luke, to be a quiet day without a lot of productive fishing activity. "Cast out your nets," says Jesus in Luke 5:1-11. He was speaking to those who were exhausted after their disappointment in not harvesting a catch. Are you exhausted? Maybe your particular story of COVID, relationships, hurt, sorrow, struggles, and simply the day after day trials…and you are exhausted. Day after day, you cast out your net of productivity of some kind and maybe it has all come up empty. Jesus says to you and me today, "cast out your nets" with the confidence that God has been, is, and will forever be with us. "Cast out your nets" and witness God’s abundance. Jesus continued in his message to the people then and to us today, "Cast out your nets" and no longer fish for fish, but fish for people. This means we are to follow Jesus and share in the mission of the Good News, God’s message of hope, mercy, and grace is for all people here and now. This weekend at the Annual Meeting, we gather to check in with one another and look at our 2021 year. As a community we will celebrate, discern, and look to the days ahead at Holy Trinity’s mission and vision (see information below for in-person and zoom). We will talk about our collective exhaustion, but more than anything else talk about God’s abundance and joy! Please, join us! (in-person or zoom link information below). God is calling us all into God’s mission. Are we exhausted? Sure! Just like the disciples thousands of years ago, the work is hard and yet, maybe, because like Simon, we were depending upon our knowledge of possibilities. Jesus says and we hear the message today to "cast out your nets" for there is so much more yet to come and the nets will be filled with God’s gift of abundance! We cry out in our challenges and in our joy to our God who has and will always provide us with hearts of mercy, arms of strength, and grace and joy in the casting of our nets all for the glory of the Good News. Pastor Katie

Dear Friends, I’ve had my Bible out all day looking at this passage from the Gospel of Luke 4:14-21. It is so beautiful and full of history and vision. It has two of my favorite books of the Bible bookended together in one passage. A quick recap: Jesus went into the synagogue in Nazareth and read the Hebrew text from the prophet Isaiah written around 700 BCE. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free,19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”20 And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” All eyes were on Jesus. If we were to continue reading, we would learn that, at first, they are very proud of him. But they quickly turned on him when he spoke again saying, "in the days of Elisha, there were many people in need, and no one helped them." He implied the same was happening that very day. The crowd got so mad that the people tried to throw Jesus off of a cliff. I read that over and over again today. The people tried to throw Jesus off of a cliff, but he got away. To hear that the Spirit of the Lord upon him feels good to us as readers today. How quickly people took sides and judgment when Jesus told the people there had been hurt, hunger, feeling outcast and forgotten for generations upon generations. Jesus ruffled their feathers and they reacted by trying to throw him Jesus off of a cliff. How do we hear this message today? The Holy Spirit revealed then and reveals today that our God is indeed compassionate and merciful. Yet, do we respond with thanksgiving or react with distrust, fear, and anger? Our sermon series on being baptized continues this week in worship. A great question is: "Why would you or I want to be part of Jesus’ ministry to heal, to comfort, and love another person, especially a stranger, neighbor or forgotten friend?" We are promised, not by our hand but as a gift from God, that the Holy Spirit dwells with us in our hurts, sorrows, joys and challenges of this life. How do we respond to this gift of grace from God? We had a great night at WYN talking about refugees in our community and more to come. Thank you to Katie Splean, from the McAuley Center in Cedar Rapids. Thanks to Else Schardt, for sharing her story when she was a refugee as a child because of WWII. And huge thank you to all the youth for the gingerbread house activity and group purchase of food with Thrivent Action Dollars. Join us on Sunday as we talk about baptism in worship, host Family Sunday School at 9:40, and take a first look at our annual reports in adult forum. Peace to you always, Pastor Katie

Dear Partners in Ministry, As we gather for worship this weekend, whether in-person or on-line, I want you to know that our staff continues to pray for you and for our gathered community on a regular basis. We cannot afford to take one another for granted! In essence, that’s our primary focus this Sunday as we continue our series on “S.P.L.A.S.H.,” specifically the “L” this week, which represents the baptismal commitment to “Live among God’s faithful people.” What does that phrase represent to you? As I’ve reflected upon it this week myself, it’s intriguing to discover two realities: first, that it’s surprisingly hard to find much in the background information on how that particular commitment “came to be” in the first place, and, second, how presumptive and wide-ranging are the treatments on it published since! Along the way, we’ll be doing a little exploring of how Jesus himself viewed the people of his home congregation in Nazareth and how their own perceptions of him swung from one extreme to another! I hope that you can join us for this step into appreciating what our baptism in His name implies for us as modern-day disciples. See you in worship! Meanwhile, I would invite you to make a point of participating in this Sunday’s Adult Forum at 9:30, where staff and Visioning Council members will once again host a “Q & A” session about the Annual Report which is available for pickup or electronic delivery upon request. With many important issues to discuss prior to our Annual Meeting on Feb. 6th, it’s critical that we have as much opportunity as possible to recognize both the opportunities and challenges we face. In the end, it’s simply one more way in which we are asked not to take one another or our community as a whole for granted! Make a point to participate this week if you missed last week’s gathering. Sharing the Mission, Pastor Tim

A week before Christmas, we ventured out to Colorado for the wedding of our eldest son. It proved to be a crisp, but sunny day; and even though the couple elected to make several adjustments to their original plan due to COVID-19, the entirety of the weekend came off almost exactly as they envisioned. It was really a joy for me to witness their witnessing of the results! Oftentimes, that’s not quite the way things go with weddings. Typically, something goes askew despite the best of planning. We’ll hear one such story in the Gospel lesson for this week from John when Jesus attends the wedding of friends and does them one monstrous favor by avoiding a draining of the wine supply for guests. I envisioned him within that scene, witnessing the joy of that young couple from beyond the spotlight and simply being able to savor their celebration. I couldn’t help but give thanks for all of the folks I know who similarly serve quietly behind the scenes to facilitate life. I hope that they have the opportunity to witness some of what they make possible. As we dive deeper (pun intended) into our “S.P.L.A.S.H.” sermon series, we focus on the first of the commitments we make at baptism: to “Serve all people, following the example of Jesus.” We’ll use the Gospel lesson as a starting point; join us, whether in-person or on-line! Meanwhile, our staff and Visioning Council are working hard to pull together all of the details for our upcoming Annual Congregational Meeting next month (2/6). After finishing our current Adult Forum study this week, Adult Forum will offer a couple of informational sessions in advance of the Annual Meeting to share insights, ask questions, and hear perspectives. We hope that you’ll be able to take part - 9:30 a.m. in Room 1. We will change rooms if enough people attend. Let’s discover what WE are blessed to witness together, as we seek to live out our baptisms this week! Pastor Tim

Dear Friends, Can you remember the day you were baptized? Most likely you were in church and a little one would start to wiggle, or maybe an older child or adult would look down at the water with wondering eyes. You couldn’t help yourself…but smile! Most recently, because of the safety concerns with COVID, especially for young infants and siblings, along with our commitment to be abundantly cautious, some families have opted to have their children baptized with only the immediate family members present. Surely, there is much to be said about the presence of the church community. But what I have discovered is a new joy in the celebration of the sacrament of being baptized by the smaller crowds as they fill the bowl with hands of parents, siblings, cousins, and grandparents. Afterall, the Baptism of Jesus, was a family event! Let me take this back and set the stage a bit. John the Baptist, who was a cousin of Jesus, was inviting people to be washed clean or to be baptized (see this week’s scripture reading from Luke 3:15-22). As many people were stepping forward in the river to be washed clean of their sin, the other cousin, Jesus, arrived to be baptized. John stopped the baptism, but Jesus invited him to continue. I can imagine this scene of people walking up and down the banks of the river going in and out of the water as it flowed from here to there. Family members splashing water on one another in joyfulness as they played in the river after this once in a lifetime bath. Meanwhile, on this day, one cousin baptized another cousin…and a voice from heaven spoke to Jesus, “You are my Son, the Beloved, with you I am well pleased.” Two thousand years later, as we too, are washed clean of our own sin, we hear the message of hope. God does see us. God is please with us and we are gifted for the work of being God’s hands, feet, and voice in our world today. This act of the church and the families within shares the Good News and brings a much-needed smile for you and me this very day. In awe and wonder, Pastor Katie

Dear Friends, When my children were very young, we were so thrilled when they said their first words that we would clap and cheer them on! Eventually one word alone would either launch us into conversation or make us shake our heads to wonder “Why?” In the past year, that may be our most common question: Why? Why did we have to experience challenges alone, as a family, or even as a world? I invite you to think of your own specific “why” question for just a moment. In our scripture this week, we hear this message of hope from the Gospel of John 1:1-18: “…and the Word was made flesh.” We may ask, "Why would God enter into our world as a child?" The answer is in the same passage. “14And 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 … 16From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known…” (NRSV) Jesus Christ walked alongside of his people centuries ago and we are promised this very day that Jesus dwells in our greatest joys and our deepest heartaches. But still we cry out, “WHY?” The answer is because God will stop at nothing to reach out and connect with us so that we know the depth of God’s love that has been, is, and will always be a love for you, me, and all of God’s creation. Then maybe the question is "Why are we called to gather for worship, learning, and service?" We gather so that, like the generations before us, the generations after us will all know and continue to be witnesses to others that God’s story of hope is our very own story of life everlasting. It is the story of God loving us in our days of laugher and holding us in our times of tears. It is God with us, God for us, God saving us, not because of our acts, but out of God’s promise to give us a hope that is life now and forever. Blessings to you and your household as this New Year is just about to begin. Pastor Katie

Our Advent focus this year has been on the theme of “coming home.” Sometimes it feels as though I am doing anything but that! Last weekend, Lisa and I were in Colorado to celebrate our son’s wedding and all of the delightful family-filled activities around it. Treasured memories abound! Next week, we are headed to Portland for a few days to spend time with our first grandchild and family again, as we were made aware it is the only window to do so on the near horizon. On the road again! On Christmas Eve, we are again invited to “come home.” No doubt, many in our midst will have done just that. We will recall, however, that above all of our travels and gatherings this year (or to the extent that Covid-19 allows), Christmas is first about “God Coming Home” to us in the person of Jesus. God loved us so much that God was willing to walk in our shoes and invest in our flesh and bone. We’ll explore some of the implications of that willingness, which encourage us to “love as God has already loved us,” and how we might best do some of the preparation long after Advent is behind us which allows God to use us in all of our messy humanity. We help each other recognize how God still believes in us, even when we may struggle to believe in God. I hope that you and your family can join us in the sanctuary at 1:30, 3:30, 5:30 or 7:00 this Christmas Eve, You can even join us on Facebook Live at 1:30. Either way, we experience the comfort of being a community in Christ! I offer a hearty thanks in advance to all those who have and will serve to make it possible. I pray that we won’t take them for granted. I should remind you that we will share a single service on Sunday, Dec. 26th, at 9:00 a.m. that includes familiar carols and a special Christmas message from our Bishop Amy Current. A pre-recorded version of this service will also be available on YouTube and our website by 9:00 a.m. Sunday. Hope that many of you can be a part! No matter whether your travels are taking you home this year or others are making their way to your doorstep, or whether you find yourself in the midst of faces only distantly familiar, know that God has promised that you won’t be alone. For “unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11) Merry Christmas! Pastor Tim

Dear Friends, Many times, in my life I have celebrated Christmas in July just for fun. But July in December? Wow! I pray that the winds have been gentle to you and your home. We pray for the people who have experienced loss, damage, and fear from the storms that have occurred across many states. Please see the message below from Lutheran Disaster Response. Making a donation to this ministry to those who are hurting, may be the most meaningful Christmas gift you share. This week our Advent theme is Come Home to Hope! Our ministry partner this week is Safe Families. Safe Families partners with churches asking for prayer, support, and encouragement for the families who host and foster children of all ages with so many different stories. They ask for prayer for the families who are in the midst of challenges and transitions. We are thankful for the opportunity to celebrate what God has done and continues to do through the lives of the many servants, known as foster families. When life seems all but hopeless, Safe Families shine God’s message of Hope! Let’s connect the dots from the ministry of Safe Families to the story of Mary, speaking with the Angel of the Lord in Luke 1:46-55. 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.” The music in my office continues to play, over and over again, Fill This Place, by Red Rock Worship. It may not be a Christmas song in your mind, but it is for me. You can imagine the sleigh bells in the background and imagine how they sang this song on the roof tops waiting and waiting for a miracle. I hear the words over and over again, …Father we are on our knees with every heartbeat… We bring you this offering…Father we’re crying out… Glorious love surrounds us, Lord come and fill this place... They cried out and we cry out in our own time for God’s gift of hope right here and now. It is indeed God who fills this space by filling each of us with the gift of hope, the gift of God’s grace! This is a message of hope we invite our family, friends, and all neighbors to celebrate on Christmas Eve. Please plan to join us at one of our four services. We expect the 7 p.m. service to be smaller in attendance if you are hoping for more social distancing space. Peace to you always, Pastor Katie

We are already into the heart of December and the darkening days of the Advent season; yet it has already been one rich with possibility and ministry. The invitation to “Come Home” to both love and to joy over the past two weeks has awakened us to be mindful of the needs of our neighbors and to help them experience “home” in fresh new ways. Last week’s furniture-building effort in support of “Houses into Homes” proved to be a great example of generations working together to create a few of the elements needed to transform a space into a welcoming abode and inspired several of our member families to donate their own gently-used furnishings to the cause - and even an entire hotel’s furnishings. Way to go! Those gathering last night (Dec. 8th) for “worship and work” repackaged a veritable mountain of urgently needed diapers and tissue for the North Liberty Food Pantry, which is attempting to keep up with growing community need. Many thanks for your inspiring efforts and to the Thrivent members who helped purchase the supplies. What teamwork was evident again! (See the picture of the supplies packed into a truck for transport to North Liberty Community Pantry. Even the front seat was full!!) This Sunday, we will be highlighting “Come Home to… Peace,” and noting the many forms which “peace” can take, especially in light of the Hebrew concept of “shalom” or harmony. It’s a far richer vision than I have often treated it and one that is both inviting and inspiring in ways both obvious and otherwise. One of our focused responses to the issue will be to highlight the needs and opportunities to help welcome those fleeing war-torn Afghanistan, who have experienced little of it in recent decades. For those of you who are able, we’ll be continuing our discussion of refugees in the Sunday forum at 9:30 and engaging in advocacy and encouragement activities for them next Wednesday. We would welcome your presence! Meanwhile, our Visioning Council has been actively sharing their gratitude for those who submitted a “Faith Promise” for the 2022 ministry year. Your efforts to get your pledges submitted really helped them to craft an initial budget proposal. While we still have a way to go to meet our goal, the fact that over half of families elected to raise their support of our Ministry Fund next year (by 9% collectively) has truly provided encouragement to pursue our mission through ever more creative means in these challenging times. Many thanks! What shape will “peace” take within your own life and home this week? Let’s see how we might envision that together this Sunday! See you in worship! Pastor Tim

Dear Friends, I can’t help it, but there are songs that get stuck in your head and they simply won’t go away. Let’s try it… “Don’t worry…be happy…” sung by Bobby Mc Ferrin I started listing songs that are often on my mind and then I thought, "Uff dah! Am I giving up my thoughts, age, drama of my youth, good decisions, bad decisions, dance songs, study songs, play songs, funny songs, symphonies, and reflective songs!?!" I typically have a song playing in my head at all times. I once had a co-worker tell me they could tell what was on my mind by the song that I would be whistling when I entered into the building. Maybe music isn’t your thing; but it surrounds us all the time whether in nature, sporting games, movies, video games, and places we shop. We can simply call out to our cell phone to play a song without so much as raising a finger. Oh, “back in the day,” we all had to listen to the same song on the radio because we were not able to pre-select, delete, or sound out the world with only our very own play list going on. It was a time, long ago, when we used to share music. I believe that, in sharing music, we are sharing our stories. Sometimes, music gives us the oomph to shout or even dance! Sometimes, music gives us space to share our tears and our fears. In this week's scripture for our Advent journey, we are going to dig deeper into the idea of being joyful. As we read in the scriptures on joy, we will consider that maybe it isn’t about being joyful as in a moment, but being thankful for a forever love and grace from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Music filled with joyfulness is singing praise not for what we are doing but for the One who has done it. It is God's hardship and the victory over death as a gift of grace. We come to think of joy as our response of gratitude. Where do you find yourself this 2nd week of Advent? Already counting the remaining shopping days or, for that matter, delivery dates? Is there room in our Advent Season to prepare our hearts with joy? I invite you to pause for a moment and hear this message from Zephaniah 3:17-20. The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love; he will exult over you with loud singing as on a day of festival. I will remove disaster from you, so that you will not bear reproach for it. I will deal with all your oppressors at that time. And I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth. At that time I will bring you home, at the time when I gather you; for I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth, when I restore your fortunes before your eyes, says the Lord. This week, we share our joy and our treasures of food, paper products, mittens, and pajamas with North Liberty Community Pantry and Closet. These are the most wanted items in December for the pantry: Soaps and Body Wash Shampoo and Conditioner Soups and Stews Fresh Produce Canned Fruit 100% Fruit Juices Tomato Products Cooking Oils and Spices Baking Ingredients Snacks Feminine Hygiene Products NEW Socks and Underwear WYN will be wrapping up toilet paper next Wednesday evening ; we need donations! And don't forget to bring mittens, hats, and pajamas for the tree. We are thankful for our WYN Teams from Club 56, Confirmation, and High School Youth (and some adult helpers) for assembling furniture for Houses Into Homes and finishing up the outdoor lighting. Blessings to you always, Pastor Katie

It’s hard to believe that Advent is just around the corner. It will begin Sunday, November 28th, with an initial dive into this year’s theme: “Come Home.” Together, we’ll reflect on the words of the Hebrew prophets, Jesus, and the Apostle Paul to explore what it might mean to come home to love, to joy, to peace, and to hope. We will worship together and we will serve the broader needs of the community each Wednesday night as we assemble furniture for Houses into Homes and engage in projects for the North Liberty Food Pantry and Clothing Bank, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services, and Safe Families. It promises to be a season rich with possibilities! And as in past years, we have several “Giving Trees” displayed with additional opportunities to share “Good Gifts” that honor not only the recipient, but others in need of our compassion throughout the world. I hope that you’ll be a part! I give thanks to all who have helped us assemble and light up our trees indoors and out and for those who have generously shared their “Faith Promise” to date! In fact, fifty-one families have now pledged $223,382 toward our 2022 Ministry Fund. Because our anticipated budget is estimated at this time to be around $350,000, we still have a way to go. We’re hoping that the remaining 100 families will respond this week, such that our Visioning Council can do their work as faithfully as possible. The more they know, the less they have to assume, and the more ministry can be planned. Let’s look forward to the possibilities that Advent invites us into! See you in worship! Pastor Tim

“I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. - Philippians 1:3-5 “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up by him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” - Colossians 2:6-7 I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for Thanksgiving. No, I haven’t bought a turkey or cleaned the house yet. No, I haven’t tracked down the fresh cranberries, nor completed all of the things that tend to pile up at this time of year - preparing for Advent (which always sneaks up SO quickly), articles for the December newsletter, etc. etc. But I’m ready nonetheless; because even with so much yet to do, I realize just how much I need to pause and give gratitude for what IS already and not just what will be or might be. I know that when I really pause to notice, recall, and name those specific people, blessings, gifts, and experiences that have been a blessing to me, it has profound and long-term benefits for my health, my outlook, and my perspective. I am sensing the need for that again today! Therefore, I’m ready for giving thanks again, even if I haven’t accomplished all that might feel that I have to do. How about you? I’ve provided a couple of resources that might help. First are the verses from St. Paul above. As much as I sometimes groan about his chronic verbosity, often each phrase can be a goldmine of insight, when I truly pause to let it sink in. See if one of them speaks to you today. Secondly, I’ve provided a potential meal prayer for your use as you gather next Thursday (see below). Please know just how grateful I am to have each of you as partners in ministry. As I look around and note all of the many ways in which so many of you have served, shared, endured, and encouraged, I can’t help but be amazed! Thank you for being a vital part of our community in Christ! I hope that you’ll use this season to stop and be grateful for the incredible generosity that has already been shared as part of our annual Faith Promise request. In fact, 40 families have already collectively pledged nearly $190,000 toward Christ’s ministry here! If you haven’t already done so, please use their example to put your best foot forward as well - on “Giving Tuesday” if not beforehand, and let’s be humbled once again by what Christ is able to do through us! Happy Thanksgiving Week! Pastor Tim P.S. - All those who might be able to help us with holiday trees, whether indoors or out, are encouraged to drop me a note! We hope to be able to enjoy such annual rituals Monday-Wednesday of next week. We could likely use your assistance! Can you lend a hand? PRAYER FOR THE THANKSGIVING TABLE “Lord God, our hearts are crowded with gratitude as we celebrate this feast. We come to this table with great joy and eagerness, for we are truly needing to share our thanksgiving with you, O God, for all that you have provided. We pray for those whose hunger is all too real today. And we pause now, and in silent prayer, name the elements of your generosity… We thank you for gifts of family, of love and affection, and of those who are present at this feast today (name individuals), as well as for all those who have labored in love in order to provide this meal today. May you, O God, now bless this feast and all of us who shall share it, through Christ our Lord. Amen”