Written by Pastor Peter Hanson, Lead Pastor
A little more than two weeks ago, I had what I considered at the time to be the least authentic (ie, fakest) experience ever in my ministry. At 3:00 in the afternoon on Wednesday, December 16th, I stood alone in the CtK sanctuary, looked directly at my own iPhone fixed to a tripod and declared “Merry Christmas, Christ the King!” Now, this is not the typical pastoral rant about Advent being its own season, urging us all to be better about waiting for Christmas. No, this is a revelation about how challenging it can be to fully inhabit the physical and emotional space required to lead worship within a faith community, particularly at such meaningful occasions as Christmas Eve. This is a confession about how the necessity of pre-recording our services during this ongoing pandemic can sometimes feel insincere. Fake. Like I’m simply pretending. When I shared this feeling with the members of my peer support group, I found their reflections to be helpful. First, they reminded me of the example we have in Mr Rogers (of all people!). An ordained Presbyterian pastor, Fred Rogers was perhaps the most authentic person ever on television—speaking kindness, calling for compassion, modeling connection with and for generations of children and adults alike. And he mostly did so, I was reminded, without any children present on the set of his show. Among the role models I regularly look to in my faith, I will now add Mr Rogers, who modeled a distinction between “pretend" and “make believe.” A second insight my peer group shared was that, while it seems intensified or exaggerated these days, worship has always been a place, a time, an experience of the “now and the not yet.” One friend joked that maybe my opening words for services like this should be “I am coming to you from the future!” There is so much wisdom in what she meant to be funny. After all, God calls us from the future, invites us to imagine that future together as the people of God, and then actually empowers us to live out that envisioned future for the sake of the world. Worship provides an intersection of the now and the not yet, a threshold between the world as it is and the coming world heralded by God’s prophets, ushered in by Jesus’ birth, and continually revealed to us through the Spirit. Christmas, you might say, throws wide open the door between the now and the not yet. Maybe that’s a word for us in this new year: that as the people of God in this time and place, we are called to more fully inhabit the now and the not yet. We proclaim a future that is not-quite-seen, but that in Christ we make believe. We express our faith in community, even though we are not yet able to gather safely, (paradoxically protecting one another by keeping our distance). We cheer the arrival of Covid vaccines, even as we faithfully continue such practices as masking, washing, distancing, and avoiding social gatherings. We give thanks for such technology that allows us to record, mix, upload, premier, and livestream, even as we long for the day we will gather, sing, pray, laugh, cry, and simply be together in one place. We profess the wonder of the Incarnation, the “God-with-us”of Christmas, even as we watch for the Advent of the One who is always arriving. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Christ the King!
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Written by Katie Ahern, Office and Communications Administrator
Along with thousands of others on Black Friday, I purchased a few Christmas gifts online. Knowing that many more people may opt for online shopping this year, it was a surprise when I received my packages within a few short days of ordering. For my sister, Meghann, I had picked out a special gift. When the packages arrived, I knew exactly which box was for her. It was the box that had the words “Handle with Care” printed on the outside. Inside the box was a 4-inch by 4-inch white porcelain tile that sits on a small black wooden easel. Printed on the tile in black ink is a quote from Mother Teresa. It reads, Wash the plate not because it is dirty nor because you are told to wash it, but because you love the person who will use it next. Part of me picked this gift for my sister because she and her husband have 3 kids all under the age of 7. As you can guess, my nephew and nieces need all the encouragement they can get in remembering to clean up after themselves. But more importantly, I loved the message. When we come from love in all that we do, I can’t think of a situation that isn’t transformed. The most mundane task, such as washing the dishes, all of a sudden becomes an opportunity to show an act of loving service to another. The everyday moments become special when we harness the gift of loving presence. It’s something that is completely free, innate to our human design, and simply asks to be expressed – not in grand gesture- rather, right into the experience that is in front of us. Isn’t this exactly what the spirit of Christmas is about? Doing whatever you do from a place of love, for no other reason than because it feels good to be a loving person? I invite each of you, in this week leading up to Jesus's birth, to reflect on one small way that you can be the presence of love in your everyday doings. Be the person who lights up those around you in the checkout line because you radiate a special lighthearted joy. Share a compliment with the cashier at the drive thru. I promise it will put a smile on their face or lighten their mood. Express an extra “I love you” to your kids, spouse, pets, or family members in an unexpected moment. There are so many different ways and opportunities to be the hands and feet of Jesus, but I encourage you to also radiate the heart of Jesus wherever you find yourself this Christmas, and in all the days after. May God shine His loving presence on each of you and those you love this Christmas season! Written by Jenny Popp & Deb Wolterstorff
What have you been feeling this year? Anticipation? Uncertainty? Frustration? Uneasiness? Gratefulness? Desire for safety? Longing for other times? Joy? Loss? Disappointment? Calm? Hope? We all desire normalcy. Yet, what does that even mean anymore? Just think, a year ago, we had NO idea what was coming. We gathered together...TOGETHER. That seems like such a magical thing right now. Since then, we have experienced and learned so many new things. Our kids, at a tender age, are now experts at wearing face masks, quarantining, Zoom meetings, social distancing, toilet paper shortages, stay at home orders, hybrid and distance learning, living with new disappointments, and at the same time learning to problem solve and be creative. It was while watching a flag football game (while sitting 6-feet physically distanced) that we, Jenny and Deb, had a conversation about the upcoming Advent season and what we would miss. We talked about how we would miss seeing familiar family and friends at church. We would miss the music, the decorations, the connection with one another, and sharing of stories. We would miss being able to sing “Silent Night” by candlelight all together. We also felt sad and disappointed for our kiddos who would miss out on the joy of our annual Christmas Pageant and choral celebration. “What could we do that could still bring some joy?” we thought. “How can we think differently about how to do a Christmas Pageant? How has our community been affected by events this year? Could we reach other members who might be feeling similar things as well?” We wanted to be able to come together in some way to bring to light concerns and struggles in our community. We also wanted to be able to tell the hopeful story of Jesus’ birth, even though it would be different. We might not be able to sing and act out things all together, but it didn’t mean that we couldn’t weave a new type of pageant together. We might have 3 different Gabriel angels, and 4 different people playing Mary, but we could still tell the story of Jesus’ birth. We are so excited to share with you a story we all know. A story about hope, peace, joy and love. We want to thank everyone who played a role in bringing this story to life. -Jenny Popp and Deb Wolterstorff ___________________________________________________________________ Part of my uneasiness, I discovered, involved grieving. We have been grieving so many things this year. Some of us more than others, some of us with very deep losses, and for various reasons. We have all probably felt some kind of loss. Yet, how can we be there for each other? How can Christ be our light and hope with us? “Welcome to Our World” by Chris Rice, to me has been a prayer in this season, in our world that currently seems so sick and broken. In our world that can still continue to have light and hope. -Jenny Popp Welcome to Our World Tears are falling, hearts are breaking How we need to hear from God. You’ve been promised, we’ve been waiting Welcome Holy Child. Hope that You don’t mind our manger How I wish we could have known But long-awaited Holy Stranger Make Yourself at home. Please make Yourself at home. Bring Your peace into our violence Bid our hungry souls be filled Word now breaking Heaven’s silence Welcome to our World. Fragile finger sent to heal us Tender brow prepared for thorn Tiny heart whose blood will save us Unto us is born So wrap our injured flesh around You Breathe our air and walk our sod Rob our sins and make us holy Perfect Son of God Welcome to our world. Written by Pastor Peter Hanson, Lead Pastor
One of the writing projects I completed on my Sabbatical was for the online devotional D365.org. Writing in the end of March—two or three weeks into the “stay-at-home” order as the Covid-19 pandemic was just unfolding—I imagined the joy we would all feel when we were finally able to gather again, to sing together and listen to our choir, to share handshakes and hugs, to occupy the same space, even at close proximity. At the time, I imagined that this might happen around Memorial Day, or maybe as late as mid-June. Nine months later, that all seems naïve, giving new meaning to the phrase “2020 hindsight.” Folks, I don’t have to tell you that we are in this for the long haul. What we imagined might last a matter of weeks is about to enter its tenth month—with the hardest months, many experts say, still ahead of us. Advent and Christmas are shaping up to be much different than we could have imagined. We will not gather in our crowded sanctuary to sing familiar carols by candlelight this year. We will not travel long miles to be with family on Christmas morning. We will not bounce from one open house to another to ring in the new year. We have set aside many of our traditions in order to do our best to keep one another safe and healthy. In a recent pastoral letter, our Synod Bishop, Patricia Lull, reminded us of some of the writings Martin Luther produced during his own 11-month quarantine. One such work reveals one of Luther’s core convictions, that “the God we have in Jesus Christ is a God who comes to us where we are.” Bishop Lull continues, “As Luther learned deeply from his own time in seclusion, announcing that venturesome faithfulness of God is the single message we have to offer others, speaking it in season and out. It is still God’s good news for us today. The kind of God we have in Jesus Christ is a God who comes to us where we are, even if that means coming to find us in all the messiness of 2020.” I have long said that I believe that this ongoing time of separation and confinement, of innovating our ministries and refining our priorities, may just be preparing us for some yet undetermined new way of being church together. Convinced that God comes to us where we are, perhaps this season is a new and extended take on Advent. We are watching, we are waiting, we are preparing. We are attentive to God’s word, listening for God’s voice, ready for God’s presence. We remain engaged—joining for worship over previously unknown platforms, connecting with one another via phone calls and email, holding each other more deeply in prayer than ever. We imagine what it will be like to be together again, even as we become more and more aware that it may still be quite some time before that happens. We give thanks for health care workers and essential service providers, and others who make this separation more bearable. We watch and wait for an efficient vaccine, continuing to do what we can to slow the spread of the virus in the meantime. We are in this for the long haul. And so is our God. The God we know in Jesus Christ comes to us where we are, sits with us in our confinement, and walks with us along each and every one of these unfamiliar pathways. Thanks be to God! ____________________________________________________________________________________ Covid Relief Funds Still Available. As the long-haul effects of Covid-19 and related economic challenges continue, please know that CtK still has funds available to help members who are experiencing financial difficulties as a result. We are all in this together! If you are in need of some of these funds, please speak with any of the pastoral staff for assistance. Written by Pastor John, Associate Pastor
I have written some version of these words many times throughout 2020, but here they are again: this Advent and Christmas season will be unlike any other we have experienced. With a newly issued executive order in our state, and hospital beds across Minnesota completely full, it's more important than ever that we stay put in our homes for the next few weeks. We hope and pray this will be the last time. Even though we know this is the right thing to do, it's still hard. Especially at this time of year, as cold weather and darkness encroach. There's nothing that gets me through a long Minnesota winter more than gathering in warm, bright places with my community, singing carols and inhaling all the sugar, butter, and lefse my body can handle. There's nothing better for my spirit than lighting a candle, singing a prayer, and remembering the hope of Christ Jesus being born anew within our hearts, within this whole groaning creation. This year, we won't get to physically do any of these things in the company of others. Which means, more than ever, we will each have to figure out a way to dwell and trust in the faith we carry within us, the faith we have in Christ. Simple words from a plaintive chant will ground and center our worship this Advent season: In silence we wait, in darkness you come to us; bring us your light. These words have already been serving as a kind of mantra for me this winter. Every other year, we have been so quick to buy into dualisms between darkness and light, despair and hope. "Don't let darkness snuff it out, I'm gonna let it shine!" we sing from an early age. But here, in the words of this chant, another truth breaks through: Christ comes to us in darkness. Darkness, in this sense, is not at all equated with "bad." Darkness is a reality of life sometimes, and God consistently shows up most powerfully in dark places: Daniel is entombed in a lion's den, and God protects him there. God's Spirit hovers over the deep darkness and is present there before those first words of the Creator usher forth: "Let there be light." A new creation begins to grow within the darkness of Mary's womb. When this baby grows up and faces death, something happens within the darkness of that tomb - the grave - that has laid the foundation of our faith for millennia. This has been a hard year, but there really can be a gift in hard things. God meets us in suffering and in darkness just as powerfully as God meets us in joy and in light. Church, let this be the year where we find the power of God in the beautiful darkness. Next year, by God's grace, it will be all joy, all carols, all brightness. In silence, we wait. Pr. John Written by Pepe Demarest, Pastoral Intern
Is it just me, or does it seem like Halloween supplies were not even put away before the stores started to put out Christmas decorations? The weather too seemed to play along with an early snow covering. In my neighborhood, I noticed trees were decorated, lights were adorning houses, and wreaths were hung up on doors before the jack o’lanterns were off the stoop. In my own house, my wife and daughter started listening to Christmas music the first time they lit a fire in the fireplace. If it isn’t just me, what is going on? Well, we did just end a very contentious election season that still isn’t settled, the Covid-19 pandemic- instead of flattening- continues to spike. Hospitals are near capacity. Most schools have gone to distance learning. We have to be so careful about visiting (if we can visit at all) our vulnerable friends and relatives. The colder weather also put an end to outdoor worship. Even when we try to be neighborly and smile at our neighbors, they can’t see it because our mouths are covered with masks. The sense of isolation and dread got so bad for me, I needed to stop using social media- and social media was how I connected with a lot of my friends. So, I get why people want some to create a sense of warm and fuzzy feelings. I totally understand wanting to rush to the season of Christmas. Christmas is, after all, a time of nostalgia, remembering through rose-colored glasses the happier days. For others, Christmas is a time to look to a bright future, imagining reconnected relationships gathered in harmony around a plentiful table. Theologically we remember the birth of the infant Jesus and look forward to the new Kingdom his second coming will bring. But church, we are not there yet. We haven’t even gotten to Advent yet. In the liturgical calendar, we still have the Feast of Christ the King to celebrate. Besides it being our name day, Christ the King Sunday focuses on the end times when the kingdom of Jesus will be established. With all of the political turmoil, and all of the various powers vying for dominion in our lives (money, material goods, perfect relationships, trying to make our insides feel as good as others’ outsides look), it is important to remember that there is really only one King for Christians, and that King has made us his co-heirs. But again, that Kingdom isn’t fully established yet, so how do we get through this cold, dark winter? If Christmas asks us to look to the past and toward the future, and Christ the King points to a not yet realized future, how do we live day to day in this “valley of tears”? Perhaps what we need “right this very minute” is not Christmas, but Thanksgiving. If we can be present in the moment, gratitude is an excellent tool to use throughout the day to refocus on what the present moment is, instead of wishing for what it might be. Try to establish a habit, like when you brush your teeth, of focusing your attention on what you are grateful for right at that moment. We are all so physically distanced, yet electronically connected, and yet still suffering from Zoom fatigue. So, maybe as an Advent practice, try to write notes of gratitude to people. Store clerks, police officers, receptionists rarely are thanked for their important work; they would appreciate the recognition and you can help bring this community together. I am sad when I project to what Thanksgiving and Christmas are going to be like this year; small gatherings and lost loved ones. Yet, if I can live one day at a time, one hour at a time, and be grateful in those moments for the breath of God that continues to sustain me, I will be more ready for that beloved community that is coming. Written by Pastor Peter Hanson, Lead Pastor
In the summer of 2014, we welcomed the creation of the St. Paul Area Synod’s brand new mission to the Latinx [*] community in and around New Brighton. Though one of the faith communities supported through Christ the King’s Local Mission Partners team, Cristo Rey has always been more than just a partner. Meaning “Christ the King” in Spanish, Cristo Rey is a faith community planted, taking root, and growing up completely within the existing faith community of Christ the King. Even though it has gotten financial and organizational assistance from the Synod and the ELCA, Cristo Rey has always been a part of CtK. Our staff and church councils overlap. Children and youth from Cristo Rey regularly take part in BAM, Confirmation, Youth Musical and more. We have intentionally gathered for bilingual worship on such occasions as Ash Wednesday. At various times Ana Becerra, Cristo Rey’s Mission Developer, has likened the Christ the King/Cristo Rey relationship to a reversible jacket (“it’s the same, but it looks different depending on which side you’re wearing out”) or to one house with two different doors (“once you’re inside, you realize you’re in the same place!”). It’s true that there are important linguistic and cultural differences between Christ the King and Cristo Rey. At the same time, we are united in Christ and in shared mission we have to be God’s hands, feet, voice, and body in this world. We may say it in different languages, but the meaning is the same: We are Christ the King! ¡Somos Cristo Rey! _________________________________________________________________ Two more things before I go:
Written by Isaac Warner, CtK Council President
Come senators, congressmen Please heed the call Don’t stand in the doorway Don’t block up the hall For he that gets hurt Will be he who has stalled The battle outside ragin’ Will soon shake your windows And rattle your walls… In 1964, native son Bob Dylan wrote the classic hit “The Times They Are a-Changin’.” Penned at the height of the civil rights movement, the lyrics confront the listener and give off a get-with-the-program vibe reminding us that change often comes whether we’re ready or not. The song’s everlasting nature transcends decades and movements and could just as easily describe America today as it does the America of the 1960s. While each generation could credibly claim they witnessed the greatest changes to American life, the year 2020 feels uniquely qualified to take the cake. In just the last nine months, we have been devastated by the coronavirus, which in Minnesota shows no signs of letting up anytime soon; witnessed the brutal murder of yet another Black man at the hands of the police, George Floyd; endured one of the most excruciating presidential campaigns in modern history; and realized that the advances in racial equity some thought we had achieved in the ‘50s and ‘60s were nothing more than superficial fixes to a system that continues to deny Black, Brown, and Indigenous peoples full participation in society. When I was asked to write this blog post offering a reflection on the election and where we go from here, I was wary—I don’t exactly hide the fact that I personally think Donald Trump is unfit for office. But, the longer I spent thinking over how I would accomplish the seemingly impossible, it became clear that I needn’t look any further than one of our our own. In response to disparaging comments made by President Trump toward immigrants, ELCA Presiding Bishop Eaton remarked that, “We should be fostering a world where each of us sees every person—regardless of race, origin, ethnicity, gender, or economic status—in the image of God and, therefore, worthy of dignity and respect. In working for a healed, reconciled and just world, we all should faithfully strive to participate in God’s reconciling work, which prioritizes disenfranchised, vulnerable and displaced people in our communities and the world, bearing witness—each of us—to the love of God in Jesus Christ.” Regardless of political party, we should be placing our trust first in God and then in leaders who, at an absolute minimum, treat others with a basic dignity that we deserve. At the time I’m writing this, we don’t yet know who our president will be for the next four years, but I have hope. It feels like the times they are a-changin’. I’m hopeful that good will prevail; that we will eradicate the disease that is systemic racism; that we will acknowledge our failure to honor the rights of the Indigenous; that we will live out God’s word through our actions; that we will treat all Americans with the compassion that has so often been denied the “least of us;” and that we will continue to carry out our values in ways that directly benefit our community. For me and my husband Nate, things are going to look a little different too. He has had the good fortune of being offered a dream job and we are following it down to sunny California. We will be moving later in November and I will be stepping down as Council President at the end of the month. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve this congregation these past 15+ years as a member, leader, council member, and now president for two terms. I will cherish the relationships I have built here, and I will miss working with all of you creating a church that is more inviting, inclusive, and inspiring than ever before. I am confident that the work we have done together will continue to unfold and that our best days are ahead. Thank you for everything you have done for me and my family and I look forward to joining you again in community when I visit home. Heavenly Father, please watch over us as we elect our leaders. Give us the strength to carry out your will and to continue our journey to the beloved community. We pray for our country and ask that you guide us to a future that is more equitable and just and treats all people with the dignity they deserve. Amen. Written by Ana Becerra, Seminarian and Cristo Rey Mission Developer
In 2017 we commemorated the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation. Then as now, I like to point out that we do not celebrate the separation from the Roman Catholic Church, but rather we commemorate the ways the church has been reformed. 2020 is also a year when we are constantly reforming or adjusting things in all aspects of our life, from having doctors visits via Facetime, to having school on Zoom, to having our worship pre-recorded on YouTube or as drive-in services held in the parking lot. For some people this reformation has been easy—but for me (and others like me) it is hard because I truly love to be with people! Giving proper hugs is in my Latinx DNA, and technology has never been my strength. Even so, I have come to see all these new ways as beautiful opportunities to stay connected with you. One example of reformation and adjustment is how we will be commemorating Dia de los Muertos on Sunday, November 1st at 12 noon in the fire pit by the CtK Community Garden. Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) started in Mexico as a way to remember and honor our deceased loved ones. It is a pre-hispanic tradition, meaning that it was practiced before the arrival of Spanish conquistadors and Christian missions. Later, when the Roman Catholic faith had become predominant in Mexico, Día de los Muertos was connected with the festivals of All Saints Day (November 1st) and All Souls Day (November 2nd). We observe Día de los Muertos by visiting cemeteries to decorate the graves of our departed. Some of us make little altars with photos to honor our loved ones. Like so much in life and faith, the way we observe Día de los Muertos has changed and reformed. As Christians, we do not celebrate the way our ancestors did. Today, when we make altars we use 3 levels to represent God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—not the three levels of earth, heaven and Mictlan (the Aztec underworld). The candles we light remind us of the light of Christ in our lives, and the water represents our baptism. In addition, we add food that our muertos loved when they were with us. Especially popular are calaveras made with sugar and painted in bright colors, which represent the sweetness of our time on earth, and even sweeter when we go to our Lord. (The recent movie “Coco” lifts up some of the traditions of Día de los Muertos). Luther helps us see that the call to be church in the language of the people is connected in a particular way to how we Latinxs members of Cristo Rey /Christ the King relate to our faith through our culture. May God accompany you in whatever way you celebrate All Saints Day, knowing that your siblings in Christ from Cristo Rey will be praying in Spanish for all who have passed away and now are in God’s presence. |
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Christ the King Lutheran Church
1900 7th Street NW New Brighton, MN 55112 Phone: 651-633-4674 Email: [email protected] Office Hours: 9 am - 2 pm Mon - Thurs or by appointment Sunday Schedule Morning Worship at 9:30 am |