Written by Nate Crary, Director of Worship Even though I have learned a lot since my sweet son, Noah Alexander, came into this world a bit earlier than expected back on November 20, I still have no idea what I’m doing. Noah weighed 4.2 pounds at 33 1/2 weeks, and as my mother (Grandma Nana) observed during her first visit to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the U of M, Noah instantly made my universe a whole lot smaller. How I was living life before baby suddenly shifted to revolve around his and Chelsey’s basic needs to eat and sleep. My first diaper change, under the careful supervision of Noah’s rotating nurse, involved a sudden stream of unbridled urinary expression. I have no idea what I’m doing. But I won’t let that stop me from trying to be a good dad. When Christ the King closed down in response to the threat of COVID-19 in our community, my job description more than slightly changed. Time once spent sending out weekly reminder emails to communion servers and coffee brewers was quickly filled by correcting audio drift and watching the snails-pace progress made during the rendering of worship videos. I have no idea what I’m doing. But I won’t let that stop me from trying to be a thoughtful Director of Worship. When George Floyd was brutally murdered at the hands of a white police officer on May 25, the complicit numbness I have been clinging to as a cisgender, straight, white man in the midst of a racist pandemic was laid bare, exposing raw anger and sadness. I will no longer stay silent while I examine and challenge the ways I’ve used my own whiteness to gain power in our country, one that was built on what it continues to benefit from by destroying Black lives. I have already made shameful errors, and I will continue to mess up. I have no idea what I’m doing. But I won’t let that stop me from trying to be an outspoken anti-racist. When Jesus told his disciples, “Take up the cross and follow me,” I’m guessing there were a few clarifying questions they wanted to ask before embarking on a lifelong journey of sacrifice, service, and certain exile. They were faced with a decision, like many of us face everyday, to leave the comforts of what we know and have grown used to, or to take a step in faith for the sake of love and for the sake of our neighbors. People of Christ the King, white supremacy and racism aren't going away. COVID-19 isn’t going away. Being a dad (or a mom, brother, son, sister, or daughter) thanks be to God, isn’t going away. God’s claim on our lives as beloved children isn’t going away. So why would we wait to respond? What are you waiting for? Nate pictured with his son, Noah.
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Written by Deb Wolterstorff, Director of Children & Family Ministry
Did you ever think at the beginning of 2020 that we would be asked to stay in our homes for an indefinite time? Since being quarantined, have you ever wondered out loud or in your head, “when will things be back to normal?” It got me thinking about how to incorporate these questions into our Vacation Bible School (VBS) time. Our VBS theme for the summer is “Lock Down Faith.” We will explore bible stories that involve being ‘locked up’ including: Noah’s Ark, Jonah and the Whale, and the Empty Tomb, just to name a few. Noah, Jonah, and the people in these stories were changed by their experiences. How were they changed? How have we been changed by our time in our homes? Did their lives go back to ‘normal’? What does ‘normal’ look like for us living through a pandemic? Will we be changed? VBS is scheduled via ZOOM on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:00-10:30 starting this Tuesday, June 16 through Thursday, August 6. This eight week forum is designed for children (ages 3 through 5th grade) but the whole family is welcome to join us. Each week we will focus on a new story. On Tuesdays, the story and music will be shared. On Thursdays, we’ll do an activity – a craft, game or science project – that highlights our weekly story in a creative way. It’s not too late to join us! Please go to lifeatctk.org and sign up. Blessings, Deb Wolterstorff Director of Children and Family Ministry Written by Ana Becerra, Seminarian & Cristo Rey Mission Developer
When I moved to the United States in 2000, I knew I needed to learn and adapt to a new culture. One of these culture changes was celebrating prom and graduation. The word graduation is only used when when someone finishes a two year technical college or a four year degree. Indeed, we have ceremonies from kindergarten until high school, but we use the word “finished" or "exiting.” In 2014, I had my first “graduate.” We had a family dinner with four of his grandparents to celebrate. This year I have my second “graduate.” I did have plans for a bigger celebration than his sibling had, but 2020 has been a tough year. A world pandemic has given us a new way to live. We need to be social distancing, and with that often comes the postponement of gatherings. My sweet Joshua is okay having a celebration with only six of us. Last week I was planning a celebration for him. However, three days after George Floyd was killed our hearts were not ready to celebrate. To all who graduate this year, I want to let you know that even if you have not had a celebration, I AM PROUD OF YOU. I recognize that the last three months of your school year were nothing as you would have planned. You’ve had to quickly adapt to e-learning and you did it. You did not get the opportunity to walk around your school for the last time as a student or the chance to sign your friend’s yearbooks. There are so many things you did not get to do. Now is the time for new chapters in your life. I pray to God that you may feel the presence of the Holy Spirit. The LORD blesses you and keeps you; the LORD makes his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turns his face toward you and gives you peace in the name of The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit. Written by Jen Miller, CtK Member
I was watching the news last Friday night, the night that the Post Office and the Wells Fargo bank on 31st Street were burned, and the news anchor said something that stuck with me. “Fire is something that gets people’s attention.” This week, as we celebrate Pentecost, we hear the story of the apostles receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit, accompanied by wind and fire. We often see this story depicted with delicate little flames perched lightly atop the heads of Peter and the eleven, but if we pay close attention to the text of Acts 2:2, we get a different picture: “And suddenly a sound came from heaven like the rush of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.” The flames of Pentecost aren’t cute, innocuous flames. They are the lifechanging flames, the flames of a burning house, accompanied by the noise a building makes as it’s about to fall down. Why fire? “Fire is something that gets people’s attention.” At the first Pentecost, in the city of Jerusalem, God wanted to get the attention of Peter and the other apostles, to show them that they were equipped to spread God’s message of salvation and love to the entire world. God wanted to get the attention of all of those in attendance, people watching from all over the world—Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia. God wanted to spread the message that God’s love was for everyone—there were no limits. God wanted to instill this message in people so strongly that they were willing to endure imprisonment and even death to make sure that it spread around the world. Two thousand years later, in the city of Minneapolis, fire should still get our attention. Fire should shake us up and help us see that we live in a country with fundamental inequality at its core. Fire should draw our eyes to the black man named George Floyd who begged for breath, for life, and for his mother, and who was denied everything by the white man kneeling on his neck. Fire should draw our attention to the ways in which we are complicit in enabling such racism, in the ways we look the other way, in the laws we enact, in the people we elect to office. “Fire is something that gets people’s attention.” But God’s fire can also be seen in the aftermath. God’s fire can be seen in the neighbors cleaning up Lake Street, offering water to those, white, black, and brown, working side by side to restore their community. God’s fire can be seen in the woman playing her violin the morning after the riots, offering beauty and hope in the midst of destruction. God’s fire can be seen in the hundreds of thousands of dollars already raised to restore the businesses destroyed along Lake Street. We should be part of this fire. Because, like on the original Pentecost, the whole world is watching. People from Miami to Seattle, from Toronto to Berlin, from Los Angeles to Chicago, are gathering together to see what happens in Minneapolis. Let us, like the twelve apostles, risk all that we have to spread the fire of God’s love and justice. Because fire is something that gets people’s attention. Written by Pastor Peter Hanson, Lead Pastor
Note: This was not the blog post I had planned to write. I’ll write more about my sabbatical time of renewal in the coming weeks. Pr. Peter On Monday, George Floyd, an African American man, died in the custody of Minneapolis Police, having been arrested for an alleged act of forgery. A deeply disturbing video recorded by a bystander showed an officer kneeling on the unarmed man’s neck for several minutes while he struggled to breathe. While the four officers who were at the scene have since been fired by the MPD, at the time of this writing no arrests had yet been made.* I personally grieve the brutal murder of George Floyd, a beloved child of God. While I know that I cannot speak for all of us, I know that others at CtK join me in sensing anger, rage, heartbrokenness and lament that is being expressed in so many ways throughout the Twin Cities and beyond. We condemn the systemic racism that is so deeply entrenched throughout our nation and which we can no longer ignore within our local communities. I must admit some of the dilemmas I feel as I write about this. While I am tired of white people like me feeling the need to each make our own profound declarations, people of color whom I love and respect have asked me to use my privilege to amplify their grief, their fear, their cries for justice. While I have been complicit in abstraction, what one friend calls the “preferred weapon of the white church,” I know we need to be more specific about our response to issues of racial injustice, putting our money where our values are, placing our bodies in spaces that allow us to listen directly to our siblings of color and other marginalized communities. And while I know that some think that churches should not venture into areas deemed too “political,” I believe that the Biblical witness says otherwise. The people of God have always been called to love our neighbors, and to show a particular care for the vulnerable among us. Christ the King is blessed with a certain measure of diversity—particularly with folks from the Latinx and Liberian communities. At the same time, we are a congregation which is predominantly made up of white people. I believe God is calling Christ the King to confess how we have benefited both directly and indirectly from our white privilege, to repent of the ways we participate in and perpetuate the systemic racism we have inherited, and to commit ourselves to exposing and dismantling white supremacy among us and around us. Church, we have both internal and external work to do. We need to continue to pray with and for those people most affected by the killing of George Floyd, as well as those communities for whom his murder has triggered pent up frustration and anger about generations of inequality. We need to educate ourselves about systemic racism and white privilege. However, a one-off Forum or seasonal book study is not enough. We need to humbly seek how we are being called to confess our sins of the past and to repent of the ways we continue to perpetuate such injustice. As council president Isaac Warner says in his own reflection below, we need to commit ourselves not simply to rejecting racism, we need to become “actively anti-racist.” At the same time, we need to work beyond ourselves, individually and collectively connecting more closely with people of color and other marginalized communities. We need to go to them, actively listening to them in their own voices, within their own contexts. We need invest both time and monetary resources in organizations which are led by people of color, who are leading the way in confronting and dismantling racism and other injustices. It begins with prayer, but it must not end there. Pastor Peter Hanson *Since this writing, former MPD officer Derek Chauvin was taken into custody and charged with murder. Becoming the Body of Christ, Where All Bodies Are Valued by Isaac Warner Resources for Racial Justice Written by Heather Nelson, Director of Music
This year started out like any other year. Actually, I was looking forward to more things in 2020 than previous years! We had just finished a wonderful new Advent Rejoice service, and I was excited about the many upcoming musical opportunities at Christ the King for 2020. The youth put on a fantastic musical, I planned a whole season of fabulous concerts to kick off the Music and Arts series, I was looking forward to rehearsing and singing a brand new Cantata, “What Wondrous Love” for Good Friday, and the ultimate, taking the Sanctuary Choir to sing Kim André Arnesen’s, “Magnificat” in CARNEGIE HALL in April. What an exciting spring! Then, news hit about the spread of Coronavirus. On Wednesday night, March 11th, we were rehearsing like so many choirs around the world. We had an awesome rehearsal for our new shape-note style Cantata, and best rehearsal we had ever had of the “Magnificat” for New York. We were ready to perform this! The next day, the world came to a screeching halt. It has now been about 10 weeks since this happened, but it feels like it was years ago. I know I am not the only person whose life changed drastically in a day. Everywhere you looked something was cancelled. It felt like EVERYTHING was canceled. Every single person in the world now had some aspect of their life that was different. I never in my wildest dreams thought I would see anything like this during my lifetime. Yet, here we are. My evenings went from rehearsing and making incredible music with friends all over the Twin Cities, to “Zooming” with them in the evenings to hear about their new lives. Choirs quickly learned that the technology is just not supported and available to have live rehearsals, so our rehearsals turned into virtual happy hours and family check-ins. It has been so wonderful to continue to see people online and catch up on life. But musicians, like so many others, have been left with a huge hole in their heart where ensemble music making once was. I personally have gone through all of the stages of grief, and now, after news continues to prove that the choirs of the world may be among the last elements to return to normalcy, it is time to get creative. I have had many friends remind me that singing itself is NOT canceled. The Sanctuary Choir is very excited to bring to you a huge project that we have worked on during this time of quarantine. Make sure you tune into worship on May 31st, (Pentecost/Music Sunday) for a very special presentation from the Sanctuary Choir and friends! If you have spent any time on social media, you have probably seen a virtual choir or two. There is absolutely no substitute for singing in community, but virtual choir has been a great way to help us get through this global pandemic. My husband, Chris, has produced a handful of these videos for choirs in the Twin Cities. People always ask how he does it. Simply put, first someone records an accompaniment. Then, one singer at a time, listens to that piano accompaniment in headphones, while singing over it and recording themselves live from the comfort of their home. One by one, those audio tracks are aligned, balanced, blended, tuned, and synced. Then the entire process has to happen with the video files as well. It takes 30-60 minute per singer for each video. This is why you haven’t seen the Choir sing in worship on a weekly basis, but I am so proud of each and every one of them that has participated in this project! We are really excited to share this labor of love with you all. So, remember the things that aren’t canceled: love, kindness, hope, dreams, peace, faith, self-care, having fun, exercising, and singing. And when the danger has passed, we will gather again in person to sing together. Because nothing can replace the universal heartbeat we feel when we sing together. Heather Nelson, Director of Music Written by Amity Lantz, Director of Youth and Family Faith Formation
When many of us think back at our time as youth in the Lutheran Church, we may conjure up a memory or two about our time in Confirmation. These could be happy memories of summer retreats and camps, memorizing bible verses and the Apostles’ Creed in church basements, or in my case- shaving the head of my pastor. Either way, Confirmation has come to be an important milestone in the life of our church youth. The tradition of Confirmation has been around for much of our Lutheran history, and many of us may have wondered “what is the point?” As a lover of tradition, church history, and youth ministry, I love to answer this question! I would say it’s important to note that the Rite of Confirmation ceremony is also referred to as the Affirmation of Baptism. After we have been welcomed into the body of Christ, oftentimes as babies, this is an opportunity to affirm those things that our parents and sponsors promised during our baptisms, but this time for ourselves. We spend our classroom and education time not only teaching our youth, “… to live among God’s faithful people, to hear the word of God, share in the Lord’s supper, the Lord’s Prayer, the creed, and the Ten Commandments.” But we also strive to focus much of our time together on the second half of the promises their parents made, “so that they may learn to trust God, proclaim Christ through word and deed, care for others and the world God made, and work for justice and peace.” We answer beautiful, deep and profound questions of faith, the character of God, and of Jesus, and how to be a believer in the current times and atmosphere. Through mentorship, classes, retreats, service work, and worship participation, we hope to engage the faith of the youth in a way that will be impactful and long lasting. We also welcome these newly confirmed peoples to be full participants in the democratic side of our denomination, making them full voting members, as well as eligible to hold various positions on any of our councils and committees. Here at Christ the King, we view Confirmation as a step in the journey of faith. We look to partner with families as we continue to empower our youth to experience their faith in new and relevant ways in our ever changing society. We would have celebrated this milestone this Sunday in our church, congratulating a class of 9th grade students who have worked diligently over the last few years to achieve this milestone. As we are not meeting during these uncertain times there is a sadness in having to wait to engage in celebration on this accomplishment. Yet, we look forward to the time when we will be together again. We will congratulate these young people on their dedication to their faith and welcome them in a new form into our diverse and loving body of Christ, as they join their Christian brothers and sisters around the world, and especially here at Christ the King. Until we are together again, peace and blessings. In His love, Amity Lantz Director of Youth and Family Faith Formation Written by Deb Wolterstorff, Director of Children & Family Ministry
When I was growing up, my mom would say these words to my brothers, my sister and I as we headed out the door to go to school. I never knew how much it meant to me until one day she didn’t say them to me. I was a junior in high school, and we had had an argument before I left for school. I had stormed out the door. When I got to school, I couldn’t focus and kept replaying the argument in my head, as well as the fact that I did not hear those words, “God be with you”. The argument was stupid (I don’t even know what it was about) and I was feeling bad. I ended up going to the office and used the phone to call mom (back in those days it was a dial phone) and apologize. Both of us were in tears. We both apologized, said that we love each other and then she said those words, “God be with you”. My mom is strong in her faith, full of life, love and laughter - laughter that at times she just could not stop. She’s my teacher and comforter. She loved to read, play games and go shopping. She was silly (reminded me a lot of Lucille Ball). She “feels” deeply, and has much empathy for others. There is so much more I could say about what my mom has meant to me. Today, my mom is tiny and frail looking. She has had a lot of health issues and at times she is confused. There are many things that I miss doing with her. But here is what I know…when she looks at me, I know she loves me. She is happy. She still has her laughter-which she still cannot stop at times and it is contagious. She cares deeply for all of us kids and grandkids and LOVES to just be with us as much as she can. She is a fighter, she keeps coming back to us after a health issue. I am blessed to have her for my mom and count each day a blessing that she is still here with us. Today, we celebrate moms….and the amazing people God has made them to be. Some of us are celebrate being a mom and the amazing blessing that is. This might be a hard day for those who have lost their moms, for those that have dreamt about being a mom and having that dream not become a reality and for those whose mom was never really there for them. A mom could also look very different to each of us. It could be a grandma, a sister, an aunt, a godmother, a friend’s mom, etc. Where ever we find ourselves, take some time today to celebrate that special someone in your life that you call mom. As we navigate through this time of uncertainty together, and learn to celebrate moms and other life happenings in a different way – I leave you with these words, God be with you. I’m excited to share with you what Christ the King (CtK) is planning this summer for kids. Because we cannot safely gather in person, the week-long June Vacation Bible School (VBS) has been transformed. CtK will be hosting a VBS Zoom time together each Tuesday and Thursday morning for 30 minutes throughout the summer beginning on Tuesday, June 16. The overall theme of VBS is about dwelling in our homes. I’m working on a catchy title to match the new VBS format. On Tuesdays, we will introduce the story and share some music. Possible story ideas include Noah’s Ark, Jonah and the Whale and the man who built his home on sand and rock. On Thursdays, we will feature fun activities that deepen our understanding of the story. Stay tuned for more information about registration. And, if you’re interested in volunteering, please let me know. We need story-tellers, creative folks to teach a craft, scientists to help with science projects and fun people who love to play and lead games. Blessings to you all, Deb Written by Katie Ahern, Office and Communications Administrator
We’ve all heard that smiling is contagious. Currently, we live in a world where the majority of smiles are covered by a mask when we are out in public. We don’t get to see the smiles on the faces of our friends and family as often as we’d like, if at all. Yet even with our faces covered or distance between us, I’ve experienced that the contagious energy of a smile can still be shared. In an effort to keep connected with members and their needs while CtK is temporarily closed, I had the opportunity to make personal phone calls to members and check in with them. When I asked how they were doing or if they needed anything, I found that many members who I have never met face-to-face before were more interested in checking in on me to make sure I, too, was doing well. Toilet paper jokes were shared. Prayer requests were collected. I knew I couldn’t change much for anyone with my phone call, but I hoped at the very least my phone call was a good part of someone’s day. What I hadn’t anticipated was the effect that speaking with CtK members would have on me. Despite so much happening in the world that could cause anyone to justifiably choose to embrace any quality besides love, love was the overwhelming choice that people were choosing. Love to ask about my needs on a call that was meant to be focused on them. Love to seek the positive and take each day at a time. Love in finding a way to laugh during challenging times. Love to be okay with living through tough and lonely days. Love to embrace new ways of being in community. We may currently live in a world less full of visible smiles, but that can’t stop the infectious nature of human love, care, and connection from being felt and spread, person to person. These qualities are not stifled by cloth or distance, and only require an open heart to be known and felt. Whether in person or apart, the CtK community is a strong one. Please know if you are in need of anything, we are here for you. We are all here for each other. Written by Judy Hill, Christ the King Global Mission Team
Sunday, April 26th, was scheduled to be Christ the King's Global Mission Sunday. Plans were in place for an informative and heart-warming service highlighting CtK's global mission work in Tanzania and our continued commitment to God’s people throughout the world. Instead, we will be worshipping remotely in our own homes, virtually reaching out to our friends from Christ the King, and thinking of our companion congregation, Nduli Parish, Iringa Diocese, Tanzania. The Global Mission Team is currently exploring other options for a Global Mission Sunday later in 2020. Meanwhile, we continue our commitments in Tanzania. One commitment is to grow in faith as we and our companions learn from one another how to give from the heart, worship joyfully, dedicate our lives to God, and pray for one another. Another major commitment is to support education for Tanzanian students. We do this through secondary school, nursing school, and university scholarships. Our financial gifts for scholarships change lives not just for Tanzanian students but for their families, too. The need for scholarships is ongoing, and the students are so grateful for our generosity. We hope that you will continue to make contributions now or any time in the next several months so that these students can continue their educations. We thank you for your contributions and memorials; your gifts are changing lives. (Checks may be payable to CtK Global Mission with TZ Scholarships written in the memo line.) Our companions in Tanzania are facing some of the same challenges as we are – public gatherings prohibited, schools closed, people living in fear of the COVID-19 pandemic. An Easter note from Nduli says that they want us to know that they are praying for us at this time and that they are grateful for our ongoing relationship with them. Please keep our Tanzanian friends in your thoughts and prayers, too. Your Global Mission Team appreciates the faithful support so many of you continue to give to our partners in faith. Asante Sana! (Thank you!) |
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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 |