Too Much Water

It's pretty difficult to avoid news coverage about the current flooding in the upper midwest of the United States. Once again, folks in North Dakota and Minnesota are watching the Red River rise, even above the records reached back in 1997. Of course this flood isn't the only news - there are other parts of the world where death tolls are higher. The flood caused by the breaking of a dam near Jakarta, Indonesia has left 50 dead, so far. And the world keeps on spinning...
We are not helpless, however, even in the face of forces we cannot control, even when the news is happening a half-world away, so that feels like it must be on another planet.
We can pray. We can give. The time may come when we can go and serve.
What follows is the text of an email from the Montana Synod office:

As of this writing, there is a serious flooding issue along both the Red River and Missouri River in the Upper Midwest. In some places, river and over-land flooding has already occurred, and in other locations, current forecasts predict floods of record-breaking proportion. Lutheran Disaster Response is already responding:
through local volunteers who are placing sandbags
by preparing for assistance in the communities where flooding will occur
in prayerful support for those who will be directly impacted
Now we ask that you:
Share this news with others - Invite the members of your congregation and your neighbors to monitor the situation in these communities. In this Lenten season of anticipation, we await the outcome of these floods, trusting that hope will abide.
Join in prayer - Pray that these communities may be bound together in unity in this time of great uncertainty. Pray as well for the faithful volunteers who are working tirelessly to prevent flooding and for those displaced by this high water.
Give a gift - Gifts to ELCA Domestic Disaster Response, designated for U.S. Flooding, allow for immediate and ongoing response, bringing help and hope to affected communities now and into the future. Gifts may be sent through your congregation, or given directly online or by calling 800-638-3522.
Lutheran Disaster Response is a collaborative ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod, which responds to the long-term needs of communities affected by disaster. For updates and more information about this and other responses, visit www.ldr.org.

Lutheran Disaster Response
Bringing Help and Hope...
Phone: 773-380-2748
Fax: 773-380-2493
Visit us on the Web at LDR.org
Are you on Facebook? Join the cause.

New Members and Spiritual Gifts

We're beginning another round of New Members' Classes here at CtK this Sunday. As part of the preparation for leading the class, I'm reviewing some materials and trying to get ready to answer questions, etc.
We ask people who are considering making a commitment to follow Jesus (ie live as a disciple) within this community of faith to tell us about their spiritual gifts. The thing is - a lot of folks have no real idea what their spiritual gifts are - or what we even mean by spiritual gifts.
If you are one such person: panic not! Here's a link to a website that will help you figure out how God has gifted you for ministry in everyday ways in everyday life.
Let me know what you learn!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

If you're not wearing green, don't panic - in my experience that's a relatively Irish thing to do (NOT wearing green, that is). The year I lived in Northern Ireland (granted, it was a Protestant part of the Province), St. Patrick's Day came and went without any of the fanfare we associate with it in the United States - it's a SAINT'S day, after all, which means you go to church if you're Catholic. And many Loyalists/Protestants would wear orange before they wear green, but the explanation for that can wait until another day (in the meantime, however, please continue to pray for lasting peace in Northern Ireland - friends of mine there are nervous about the growing violence and are afraid of a return to the Troubles).

It seems to me that Saint Patrick's Day is celebrated in the US the way so many other holidays are - as an excuse to behave in ways one might not otherwise, to spend money that's not so necessary to spend, and to find kitschy outfits and decorations to somehow prove something. What's going on here?

Perhaps it's time to remember the man behind the day. To that end, this History Channel website has some interesting articles, about Patrick and about Ireland in general. Hope you find it interesting.

We would also do well to think about the faith that inspired Patrick. There's a hymn in our hymnal based on St. Patrick's breastplate, which always serves to remind me that God's really not so far away and that the here and now can be holy - filled with the presence of Christ. It's number 450 in the ELW. Here's the 4th verse:
Christ be with me, Christ within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort and restore me.
Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ in quiet, Christ in danger, Christ in hearts of all that love me, Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

God bless you on this day and always!

Lent: Making a Space for Grace

There's a new edition of a great zine: Cafe - stirring the spirit within. You can find this issue with a theme of Lent: Making a Space for Grace, by Inez Torres Davis here. Enjoy!