Written by Amity Lantz, Youth and Family Faith Formation
The time has finally come to confirm our now 10th grade class of students. With the pandemic causing us to postpone our Rite of Confirmation service to the fall, we were gifted the opportunity to spend a few extra months with the confirmands. The resiliency, growth, commitment, and flexibility they have shown as we navigate this completely unpredictable time in our lives, is not only amazing to experience, but is a reflection of the best their generation has to offer. This time has shown what great leaders, teachers, businessmen and women, athletes, artists, scientists and much more, these young people will become in the near future. I am proud and excited to watch them continue to grow in so many different ways. Every year we wrap up our confirmation year by asking the students to write a personal faith statement. Many chose to write a short paper summing up what confirmation has taught them about different aspects of their faith, and where they stand at that current moment in time. Here is what a few of them had to say: “I like viewing God as someone I can talk to without judgment, so I will often pray about many things. Whenever I feel guilty or stressed, I like to pray. It always calms me down. It is also nice knowing there is someone to always cheer me on and be on my side, so I don't feel so alone. I think this is why a lot of people are religious; because the world is really scary and it's nice to have something constant to lean on.” “I have experienced God in many ways. I experienced God when one of my cats passed away over a year ago. I had a hard time because I hadn’t lost anyone before then. I did a lot of praying in that time to help me get through. Another time I felt God is when I had to take my permit test. I was very nervous before taking the test. I prayed to God the night before asking to not be nervous and to do my best. I ended up passing the test. Later that day, I thanked God for answering my prayer. I understand the answers God gives are not always the answers I want, but I know He answers them in a way that is best for me to shape our future.” “I believe that there is only one God, a God that will love us no matter what. I have faith in Him and that means I know He will be with me always, and I trust that He has a path for me. Although I am still learning, I know that I have faith in Him. I am happy and excited to learn and build my relationship with Him. I still have a long way to go with my faith, but I am excited to continue to learn and grow. I am especially thankful for my mentor, my grandma. She has been so important in my faith development and in my life. I would not be where I am today without her. I hope that as I grow, my faith also grows stronger and I can live a stronger Christian life.” As an alternative to a traditional faith statement, this year we also gave our students the option to reflect on 2020 and how the different happenings have played out for them personally. We were gifted with art projects, bench building, podcast recording and many other ways the students were able to articulate and explore their feelings surrounding the past few months and how they have been affected. It was an extremely humbling experience to walk alongside the students as they contemplated who they are and how these months have impacted them in different ways. Looking towards the future, these students are ready and prepared to make a difference in the church, their schools, their communities and our world. As we join them in affirming their baptisms, I encourage us to all take seriously our part in their journey. “People of God, do you promise to support these sisters and brothers and pray for them in their life in Christ?” We do, and we ask God to help and guide us.
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Written by Pastor John Schwehn, Associate Pastor
Perhaps you have noticed that our worship this fall has featured one primary, Old Testament reading from scripture. Traditionally, our texts come from the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL), a three-year cycle of readings that weekly assign an Old Testament reading, Psalm, Gospel, and New Testament reading. Typically, the preacher will focus on the gospel text, a story about or teaching of Jesus found in Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John. As I'm sure you have experienced by now, 2020 is just a different kind of year! As we worship together virtually at a distance, or in our small Home Grown Worship (click here for more on Home Grown Worship) circles, we will be following a different lectionary called the Narrative Lectionary (NL). Developed by Luther Seminary faculty several years ago, the Narrative Lectionary aims to give a congregation the full sweep of the Biblical story in a single year. So, the first thing to know is that our central worship text will move sequentially through the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. One of my favorite things about this lectionary cycle is that it gives us an opportunity to listen to and reflect upon stories and lessons that don't routinely appear in the RCL. The Bible is filled with so many beautiful and challenging texts, so the NL will give us an opportunity to hear some different voices that perhaps we have not listened to for a while in our corporate worship. The Narrative Lectionary runs through a typical "program year" of a church. It begins with Genesis in September and lands us at the early church by May. Because there is only one, central text each week, the NL will give us a common story to dive into each week, whether we worship virtually from home or in a small group. We will progress through wonderful, important lessons from the Old Testament through Advent. At Christmas, we turn to the New Testament and remain there through May. If you would like to look ahead at what we will be reading together each Sunday, you can click on this link: https://www.workingpreacher.org/content/narrative_lectionary_luke_2020-21.pdf?rev=1 Blessings to each one of you as we journey together through this sacred story in a strange time. The narratives we are living today are intimately bound up in the still unfolding story of the living God. May the Spirit continue to lead and guide us. Pr. John Written by Pastor Peter Hanson, Lead Pastor
Worship is central to our identity as followers of Christ, and is a foundational part of what binds us together as a Christian community. A hallmark of our ministry during these months of the Covid-19 Pandemic has been our online worship presence, to which we had to pivot quickly following the abrupt call to refrain from in-person gatherings in March. From that initial livestream, to editing segments pre-recorded from a variety of homes, to a “one-take” through-recording of a Sunday liturgy during the week prior, our worship has been constantly evolving. In addition, we’ve hosted midweek vespers through the summer on Zoom, held a handful of Drive-in Worship services, and met for “Pop-up Picnics Plus Prayer” when the weather cooperated. What we’ve learned through all this is that while it might be a bit more clunky or awkward than what we’re used to, worship during this strange time gives us an opportunity to feel a bit more connected, even though we are mostly separated from one another. For these early days of fall, we are adding more opportunities to gather in smaller numbers, with what we are calling “Home Grown Worship” (HGW). Weather permitting, a variety of groups will soon be gathering in backyards or cul-de-sacs, patios and driveways, in miniature worshiping communities made up of CtK members and friends. For some, this will augment their continued online experience, while for others, this may end up being their primary worshiping community. And that’s just fine. Not all the groups will gather as long or as often as one another, nor on the same days of the week. That’s okay, too. The idea here is to have a flexible and varied set of worship opportunities for CtK-ers, each one grown and cultivated among the group, according to the needs, the availability, and the gifts of the group itself. The CtK Worship Team—pastors, musicians, and other staff and volunteers—will provide resources each week to help groups check in with each other, hear and discuss God’s word, perhaps even to share communion (either on their own or with a visiting pastor), and then be blessed on their way again. A few pilot groups are up and running already, and others are now forming. We hope that this gives some balance between needing to stay apart and getting to be together, as well as between gathering online and in person. We expect that groups can get a least a few meetings in before the weather turns too wintery. If you are interested in finding out more, please check out the basic HGW outline of resources on our webpage by clicking here. These will be updated frequently, adding additional songs that can be played right from the website either for listening or singing along), plus Bible readings that coordinate to the weekly lectionary, and other video and audio tools for reflection and discussion. If you’re ready to join a group—or even to form your own!—an online sign-up form can also found here. Though we may be apart for now, we are together for good! Pastor Peter Written by Diane Shallue, CtK Member and Chair of the Caring for Creation Team
Today is the Feast of Saint Francis. It seems a good day for a deeper focus on caring for the earth, clean water and sustainable agriculture. I read an article in the Star Tribune on July 20 titled, “Grass Buffers Have Proven their Worth in Minnesota Farm Country.” I knew that there was a lot of resistance to the law passed in 2015 that required buffer land along waterways, but I was not aware of the end result. The law says that public waters, as defined by the Department of Natural Resources, must be buffered by permanent vegetation at least 30-feet wide, with an average of 50-feet. Public ditches, meanwhile, which typically are man-made or man-altered, require 16.5-foot buffers. I was very pleased to read that the current compliance with the law is high. Tom Gile, Resource Conservation Section Manager from the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources was quoted in the article. “On public waters, our compliance is now over 99 percent statewide,’’ Gile said. “On public ditches, compliance is higher than 96 percent.” Cleaner water is one result. Another result is that the buffers provide much needed wildlife habitat in parts of Minnesota that have lost hundreds of thousands of Conservation Reserve Program set-aside acres. The members of the Caring for Creation Team were surprised at the high rate of compliance and encouraged by it. Another discussion with the Caring for Creation Team was sustainable farming. I did an internet search and found that Minnesota has a Sustainable Farming Association. (See https://www.sfa-mn.org/.) This is what the organization says about itself. “For 30 years, we’ve quietly proven that farming differently works—for us and the environment. We run small farms, some organic, some bigger than others. We help each other clean up and grow more, row-by-row, pasture-by-pasture. We treat our animals humanely and with respect. And we know that the soil-building techniques we teach can capture carbon and fight climate change--all while increasing farmers' profitability.” Although the Caring for Creation Team has not been meeting regularly, we still encourage members of CtK to care for creation in whatever ways they can. Recycle, reuse, and reduce use of water, production of waste, pollution of air and water, and deforestation. It seems like an overwhelming project, but God calls us to be good stewards of the gifts of creation. Step by step and little by little, we can answer God’s calling. Written by Judy Hill, CtK and Global Mission Team Member Christ the King’s Global Mission Team is excited to present Pastor Christopher Smith as our 2020 Global Mission Sunday preacher. A Minnesota native, he has served as a pastor in several Minnesota communities and has also taught at Luther Seminary and the Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity at St. Thomas. He and his wife Mary, also a pastor, attended graduate school together at Harvard. Some years ago they accepted a joint call to serve at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church in Apple Valley. During Pastor Smith’s 19 years serving a variety of pastoral roles at Shepherd of the Valley, the church began and developed its long and rich partnership with the Iringa Diocese of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania (ELCT). He and his parishioners learned much about the country, and he led groups to visit Tanzania. The Saint Paul Area Synod then asked him to found and lead an affiliate of Bega Kwa Bega that would partner with the Huruma Centre Children’s Home, and “Friends of Huruma” began in 2017. He now divides his time between being the Volunteer Coordinator of Friends of Huruma and serving as an interim pastor for a local congregation. Pastor Smith has visited Huruma Centre several times, working directly with its director, staff, and the children who are under its care. He also works with the Iringa Diocese of the ELCT. His role is to learn what the Centre needs to thrive, providing a safe and loving home and education for homeless children. He works with communities of faith in Iringa, in the St. Paul Area Synod, and beyond to gather the resources to accomplish those goals. Friends of Huruma also has a special partnership with the Evangelical Church in Germany, particularly in the Berlin area. Here are some quotes from Pastor Smith, reflecting his passion for ministry:
Pastor Chris Smith
Written by Julie Philbrook, Faith Community Nurse
I hope you are staying well in the middle of this outbreak of the COVID-19 virus. It seems that every day we are faced with change and loss. Changes to how we work, learn, and worship. Loss of physical connection with others including hugs, handshakes, and even smiles are hidden by masks. While hard to deal with for these past several months, we do have hope of a COVID-19 vaccine on the horizon. While we follow the health expert recommendations for dealing with the pandemic, there are other things you can do to assure you and your family stay as healthy as possible. I have always enjoyed organizing our CtK annual Flu Shot Clinic. It was fun to connect with people and make it easy for members to get this important yearly vaccination. This year it is more important than ever to do all you can to prevent the flu. Unfortunately, we will not be able to offer the flu shots at CtK this year. There will be Flu Shot Clinics* set up around the community in September and October. It may be at your regular clinic, a pharmacy, or a location that can accommodate the physical distancing requirements. Plan ahead, as some clinics may require appointments or may have longer lines do to spacing. The cost is usually covered by your health plans and/or Medicare, so come prepared with all your health cards. All family members should be vaccinated against the flu for their own health and that of others. If you do develop symptoms here is a link to a guide to help determine if you might have the flu, a cold or COVID-19 (Symptom Chart). Contact your health provider if you have any questions or concerns. Stay well, stay safe and God bless, Julie Philbrook, RN, DNP CtK Faith Community Nurse _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ *For those looking for a Drive-thru Flu Shot Clinic, click here to see the attached flyer. Written by Elaine Foell, Faith Community Nurse
How many times since March have you heard “ we will get through this “ or “ we are all in this together”? As the light at the end of the tunnel hasn’t emerged yet, what can we do to help relieve our stress and anxiety? For me, I have to keep to a routine and stay busy. I do distance learning for two of my grandchildren three times per week. After they leave, I wipe down everything and I have hand sanitizer everywhere! I wear a mask when out and about. No risk taking here! I read a lot and take advantage of all the PBS DVDs on loan at the library. I knit, which studies have shown releases serotonin to help me relax. I don’t watch the news until 5:30pm and don’t channel surf. I golf and it feels very good to whack that poor golf ball. Bye-bye stress! If the weather doesn’t cooperate, you’ll hear loud music from the 60’s and 70’s coming from my house. Staying in touch with others is doable with Zoom, and I’ve held socially distanced coffee hours on my patio. Planning for fall and winter will need to be more intentional. I’ll probably need to walk, masked, at the gym. I’ve made lists of movies, books, and podcasts that have been recommended for future use. I’ve become more savvy with the DVD player, my cell phone, and my computer; as I feel this will be a life line for communication. As I’ve never been in this situation before, who knows what else I’ll come up with? I thank God for my health, my family and the CtK community. I think we all now realize that we need the help of others. I thank God for all the researchers, guinea pigs, medical personnel and scientists that are collecting new information and developing treatment options. I believe we will get through this together with God’s help. Stay safe and sane CtK! _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ It is completely normal to have increased stress and anxiety during this time of COVID. It is important to be gentle with yourself and others, as well as to take steps to support both your own and your family’s mental well-being. Resources: Disaster distress line: 1-800-985-5990 National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI): namimn.org CDC: Stress and Coping: cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/managing-stress-anxiety.html National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-TALK Minnesota Mobile Mental Health Crisis Line: Call **274747 Christ the King Faith Community Nurses Judy Benke: 651-631-2022 Elaine Foell: [email protected] Julie Philbrook: [email protected]t Written by Pastor Peter Hanson, Lead Pastor
I must admit that I have long had mixed feelings about Rally Day, the somewhat arbitrary church holiday that celebrates a congregation’s return to fall programing—scheduled for next Sunday, September 13. Part of it is that I’ve never understood what exactly the “rally” is in Rally Day. A race? A campaign-type event? A surge or uptick after a time of slump? (Which of these corresponds to the fall return of Sunday School?) Part of it has to do with my frustration about the ongoing need to point out that Church isn’t closed during the summer. That while the pace is indeed different, worship, learning, community-building and outreach continue for all twelve months of the year. Why do we celebrate returning to church when (under normal circumstances, anyway) we haven’t been away? Of course, it goes without saying that this year is different. This year we have been closed—the building at least!—not just for the summer but for three full months before. This year, we have longed for and planned for and wondered out loud about what it will be like to be gathered together again. This year, I could practically imagine all three kinds of rally—racing towards a big event, surging again after a prolonged downtime. Sadly, it is not yet to be this Rally Day. As we continue to care for one another—and especially for the most vulnerable in our congregation and community—we still need to stay put, stand apart, mask up, and wash our hand frequently, ever vigilant in doing our part to stop the spread of Covid-19. At the same time, we are excited about some of the new opportunities we have to be in ministry together despite the unique nature of the times:
We may be apart for now, but we are together for good! In Christ, Pastor Peter Written by Trish Blomquist, CtK Member
Like vines in the garden, these are rambling thoughts of expressing the joys of gardening! God, the very first gardener, planted his garden with love. Today we plant and tend the Community Garden with love. God planted his garden with joy. We plant our community garden with joy in knowing that we are serving our friends and neighbors with food for their tables. We ask God to open our eyes to see more clearly the relationship of gardener and Father’s love for everyone. Gardening is an important part of many people’s lives every year. Each year we come to appreciate the garden more, even though our joints and muscles might say otherwise. The word that keeps coming to me is solace. The feel of the soil in your hands and the beauty and resilience of the plants that populate the garden soothe the soul. Watching the blossoms grow and the fruit develop knowing that it will feed someone is a gift from God. Viewing a garden can fill you with peace and happiness. For me it brings joy when I am looking at the green vegetation and have the opportunity to “play” in the dirt. Christ the King’s Community Garden has been in existence for approximately five years. The garden is not only a source of food for the community, but also as an opportunity for relationship building and connecting with our neighbors. The original stated purpose for the Community Garden was building relationships, connecting with neighbors, and providing food for the local food shelf. These goals have been met with joy and awe, especially when we harvest the produce, share at Local Night Out, share on the “Sharing Table” in the narthex, and contribute to the local food shelf. Last year we donated over 300 pounds of produce, and we are well on the way to that amount again this year. It is a joy to have neighbors walk by the garden as we are working and begin a conversation – outreach in the simplest of forms! The Community Garden “buddies” are grateful for the time together and the work we do in the name of our Lord. Gardening is a work of heart! In the Bible, there are many references to gardens or seeds. Here are a few examples. Genesis The story of creation and Adam and Eve in the garden. Psalm 8:16 He is like a well-watered plant in the sunshine, spreading its shoots over the garden. Matthew 13: 31-32 The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Matthew 13:37 The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. Mathew 14:13-21 Feeding the 5,000. This is similar to our contributing to the local food shelf. If you are interested in being a part of the Community Garden group contact me, Trish Blomquist, at 651-283-3173 and we will get you involved. Lettuce turnip the beets in the garden together! Written by Vern Rice and EiA Members
How is the pandemic affecting elders? We really miss CtK, the people and activities. Most of us are resilient and already used to more limited activity as we get older. We have learned to adjust to a quieter schedule, and in many cases, are quite content that we do not have to go out. Of course, there is loneliness and virus-fear that burdens us. Some of us are bored, depressed and challenged with physical limitations. Those who have computers are deeply grateful for CtK's online worship services. We miss the choir and singing in groups. Zoom is good but without physical contact, the quality of our life together is surely diminished. In the calling of all our members, many expressed gratitude that their congregation still remembers them and cares enough to reach out to them. What plans does Elders in Action have for the fall? Normally, we are an active group. For example, we regularly visit Feed My Starving Children and, using Thrivent Action Team money, we support several educational, fundraising, and community service events. We have for several years been major co-sponsors of the Christmas Luncheon. We've gone on several educational trips to religious, theatrical, baseball, nature and athletic events. All of those things have been called off now because of the pandemic. We have recently reached out to Community Partners with Youth (CPY) and are hoping to expand our giving. We have been in service to CPY’s crucial ministry that delivers food and activity supplies to students of families who usually use CtK’s building. During the summer, we have continued our twice a month planning sessions while socially distancing outdoors. We will continue this through the fall and hope to responsibly meet indoors as the weather gets colder. What have you been doing to keep going through this difficult time? We have been working on plenty of projects around the home, farm, and cabin. Finally cleaning out closets, shelves and drawers. We watch a lot of television; news, educational shows, or old movies. We read; we're learning a lot about racism and the virus. We mostly stay home, but if we go out, we are learning to wear our masks. What in your life has prepared you for this pandemic? Our faith, our church, and our religion has helped to prepare us. You might say it has been a lifelong preparation. We have gotten used to facing difficult challenges. Many of us remember World War II, polio and other health crises, the Korean and Vietnam Wars, depressions and a lot of world-wide turmoil. With God's help and a lot of human persistence and creativity, we have survived many challenges and we are resilient in facing this one, too. We want to be part of the solution. So, we enter into the debate of issues, vote faithfully and intelligently, and do all we can to support our church, our community, our state, our country and our world! |
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July 2024
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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 |