On Leave-taking

Tomorrow is our last day in the office until September. Yes, it feels really weird. No, I'm not "ready." I'm not sure what "ready" even means or would look like (though it would likely involve fewer post-it notes stuck to my computer monitor and less laundry waiting).

At the same time, I am ready: ready to take a big enough step back to get a wider view of things than I usually do. I'm ready not to have a deadline hanging over my head every day when I wake up. I'm ready to be outside more often, and to play more, pray more, read more, be creative more. And all because of the great gift of Sabbath - a rest, a ceasing, enjoying that who I am is a greater gift than what I can do, because God's grace says so.

So - farewell for now.

This blog will lie fallow this summer. We'll rev it back up when we return in September.

Pray, Play, Partner - Sabbatical 2016 - Finances

It's T minus 3 weeks until our last day in the office before our Sabbatical begins. Our last Sunday of worship at CtK will be May 29th, as the first weekend of June we'll be with CtK's Synod Assembly voting members, John and Tina Sheppard, at the Synod Assembly in Billings. Our Sabbatical officially begins on Monday, June 6th.

If you have any questions about the Sabbatical, or what it will entail for us as pastors, or for the congregation, please don't be shy about asking. Any member of the Sabbatical Team (Dawn Byrd, Joby Dynneson, Kristin Harney, Mark Ramseth, Mariann Witthar), Pastor Grant, and I, would be very glad to answer them!

One thing that's come up in recent conversations, is a desire for better understanding of the funding for the Sabbatical, and how it will affect CtK. The financial implications of the 2016 Sabbatical for the congregation are fairly straightforward:
- Pastors Grant and Lindean continue to receive regular salary and benefits, per CtK's  Sabbatical Policy.
- The congregation will offer the standard Montana Synod “pulpit supply” honorarium of  $100/Sunday to guest pastors/preachers. The sabbatical is 13 weeks long (June 6-September 6), so an additional $1300 was added to the 2016 spending plan, and approved at the Annual Meeting of the congregation.
- The congregation included $1500 for continuing education for pastors in the 2016 Spending Plan,  (an annual part of our compensation) which can be used to cover sabbatical expenses.

All the rest of the funds necessary to cover sabbatical activities (tuition, room/board, transportation, books) must either be raised - hence the We Raise campaign - or supplied by the pastors.

Sabbatical Costs

Grant – Center for Loss and Life Transition (Week 1): $775 Tuition,  $700 Room/Board, ?? for Transportation; The Daring Way: $250 Tuition, ?? Room/Board, ?? Transportation; Center for Loss and Life Transition (Week 2): $775 Tuition, $700 Room/Board, ?? for Transportation

Lindean – "Mini MBA for Pastors:" $1600 Tuition/Room, $200 Meals, $550 Transportation; Grunewald Guild: $885 Tuition/Room/Board, ?? Transportation; Monastery of St. Gertrude: $450 Retreat Fee/Room & Board, $150 Spiritual Direction, ?? Transportation

Lindean & Grant: Gottman Institute - The Art & Science of Love: $750 Tuition, $750 Room/Board

Total of Known Costs for Pastors: $8535 (which doesn’t include several variable costs, like driving/transportation - all the ??s, above)

Costs for CtK: The biggest "Sabbatical Project" will be the construction of a prayer labyrinth on CtK's grounds. Costs have not been precisely determined yet, but early estimates are in the $1500-$2500 range. This money may be raised through the We Raise crowdfunding site (if we get to the second "stretch goal") or will be raised by the congregation separately. The rest of CtK's summer ministries and projects will be funded through the general offering received, according to the Spending Plan adopted at the Annual Meeting, with oversight of the Church Council.

Again, if you've got questions, please ask them!

And, if you're inclined to support Pray, Play, Partner, with a financial contribution, thanks very much! Either way, Pastor Grant and I covet your prayers, for us, for our family, for CtK, and for all the opportunities God gives us to grow in faith, as we worship, learn, and serve.

Peace!
Pastor Lindean

Guest post: Reflections on Prayer

Reflections on Prayer

by Sabbatical Team member, Mariann Witthar
John 15:4-5 and Psalm 46:10
Are you tired of trying harder and doing more in desperate attempts to fix what's not working in your life? Are you facing a time on your faith journey when you have lost hope and feel like giving up? Have you tried every known human strategy to solve stubborn problems you are facing? If so, I invite you to join the rest of the human race. Is it possible that you've been trying to solve a problem that has no "human solution"?

After many years of desperately striving to get my life in order, I'm finally experiencing the truth of God's solution, which I find almost always looks like the opposite of what I expect. Rather than trying harder or doing more (which fit my deeply engrained work ethic), God was inviting me to practice "being still and abiding" in him. This idea sounds wonderful but in our culture, is this even a remote possibility? Living under a neurotic sense of co-dependent responsibility, in addition to the constant distractions of the world around me, I finally had to give up "striving" to get my life in order when I was diagnosed with a serious medical condition. The only option I had was to collapse in a heap and surrender my future into someone else's care.

"Burnout" is a very common (mental, emotional, and spiritual) condition in our society today. It is a diagnosable condition which indicates that something is wrong or out of balance in our lives. It is debilitating in that we, as human beings, are uncomfortable with the idea of giving up control or surrendering the outcome of our lives to someone other than ourselves. But from God's perspective, that is the best place to be. In my exhausted condition, I had no other choice but to give him permission to begin to reveal himself to me, the way he had always intended. In Sunday School, as a little child, I had memorized many Bible verses like, "He is the Vine and we are the branches", or "Be still and know that I am God", etc. Even though I could recite them easily, I had no experiential frame of reference for what God was saying to me personally. That is, until I experienced "burnout". I was finally ready for him to teach me how to "be still" and "abide" in him and how to practice remaining in his presence throughout the complex circumstances of my daily life.

LORD JESUS, continue to reveal yourself to me at deeper and deeper levels, as I practice quieting myself and remembering that you are God and I am not. THANKS BE TO GOD for this wonderful gift of rest.

So what could it look like if we allowed him to be the VINE and we practiced "abiding in him?" In my own life, I had to start by giving up the strange notion that "if I tried hard enough or just did the right thing", I could be my own "savior". What an arrogant thought! As I look back at it now, I see how absurd it was, and yet how subtle the temptation is for all of us to return to the garden and participate with Adam and Eve in the deception that separated them from the real source (the Vine) of their lives. As I confess my sin of trying to "save" myself, I'm becoming convinced that regardless of what I do, or how well I do it, good fruit will be a natural outcome. I no longer have to strive, because he is my Source, I am experiencing his life flowing through me, as the Vine continually gives life to the branches. Thank you, God, for this life-giving revelation and the "experiential knowledge" that Jesus is my Savior!

Would you like to join a group interested in becoming more intentional in learning how to practice entering into his rest, even in the midst of our hectic lives? I am willing to help individuals find useful resources and offer practical insights and suggestions which I have discovered in this exciting adventure of experiencing an organic/living relationship with Jesus where I am able to find rest. If there is interest, I am willing to offer a small group on this topic sometime this fall.

Guest Post - Lay Pastoral Associates

Lay Pastoral Associates in the Montana Synod

by Dr. John W. Sheppard

The Montana Synod of the ELCA is unusual. Spanning a large geographical region (over 147,000 square miles, not counting the parts in Wyoming) and serving only 38,000 baptized members, the synod finds challenges in bringing its ministries to rural and remote areas, often where ordained clergy are not available. To meet the varied needs for ministry in Montana, the synod formed the Lay Pastoral Associate (LPA) program to enable lay leaders in the synod to serve in leadership positions.

Becoming an LPA within the synod typically takes two years of training, with cohorts being formed at the start of these two year periods. Training consists of at-home study, guided mentorship by a pastor in the synod, and attendance at four retreats. Candidates also undergo criminal background checks when they enter the program. While not intended to be a substitute for seminary, the two-year program provides those wishing to become LPAs with a basic introduction to theological training, focusing in biblical studies (Old and New Testament), church history, Lutheran confessions, prayer and spirituality, worship, preaching, pastoral care, and Christian education. Upon completing the training, each candidate is recognized as a new LPA at the Synod Assembly and receives a “Certificate of Completion” for the LPA program. The new LPA is then listed by the synod as a resource to provide Word and Sacrament ministry where needed within the synod (with approval and license by the Bishop, and under continued supervision by an ordained pastor). Some LPAs act as “synodically authorized ministers,” where they serve in a congregation in a longer-term capacity.

My experience in the LPA training program has been unique since I entered the program having completed two years at Gettysburg Seminary. As part of this, I completed two guided field education experiences, including serving during my first year of seminary in a local parish, where I led worship, taught confirmation, and performed home and hospital visitation. I also completed a basic unit of Clinical Pastoral Education at Methodist Hospital in Dallas, where I served as a hospital chaplain in the intensive care unit, the ICU step-down unit, and the cardiac step-down unit. Because of my background, the self-study courses were waived; however, I participated in the four LPA retreats and have received mentoring from both Pastor Lindean and Pastor Grant.

This provides a sense of the mechanics of the LPA program. But what about the experience itself? While much of the actual training served more as a refresher of my seminary education, the most valuable part of the experience was meeting and growing with other members of my cohort. The cohort to be recognized at this coming synod assembly in Billings in June is the largest so far to go through the LPA training program. Over 20 new LPAs will be recognized. During these past two years, we have studied together, practiced together, prayed together, worshiped together, shared our life experiences with one another, and came to recognize the wide and varying talents each of us brings to ministry. We have musicians, teachers, professors, lawyers, and business people who have felt a call to deepen their faith and commitment to serving the church.
One of the most moving experiences I had while going through the LPA program was during the retreat on prayer and spirituality. This retreat was led by Pr. Dan Heskett, and a significant part of it focused on the discipline called Lectio Divina. Here, we chose a biblical passage and were guided through a process of slow, deliberate, and repeated reading and meditation on the passage. The entire process lasted about two hours, and when we finished, we each had a deeper connection to the passage. In fact, I believe any one of us could have stood up and given a sermon on the passage, right there on the spot. Another interesting experience of mine was preaching a sermon for Pr. Steve Loy, who led the preaching retreat. I say interesting because Steve and I studied preaching together under Dr. Richard Thulin while we were both students at Gettysburg Seminary. He was the best preacher in the class back then, and he is still amazing. Even so, it was a bit strange being a student of his after having been students together, 30 years ago.
Ultimately, it is good to be getting back involved in doing ministry within our church. For anyone interested in deeper theological study, a deepening of faith, and an opportunity to serve, I strongly recommend exploring becoming an LPA. I would be happy to discuss the program and my experiences with anyone interested. Let me know, and we can chat.

Guest Post - Loving Your Neighbor

Loving Your Neighborby Pastor John Lund

 

Kudos to the Darby library for going forward with the March 9 talk on Islam by UM scholar Samir Bitar. The rampant rhetoric of fear regarding Muslims immigrants is out of line with our core American value of granting life and liberty to all people. What has made us great is our willingness to give everyone a chance regardless of race, ethnicity, social class, or beliefs. Certainly, we need to denounce and fight ISIS, and we need protection from their attacks. It is reasonable to be concerned about screening immigrants from a war-torn nation. But to judge all Muslims because of ISIS is unfair. The claim that Islam is at war with Christianity or with the US and that all Muslims are out to get us is plain wrong.

For those of us who are Christian, we would do well to look first at the log in our own eye. We have to acknowledge that many Christians justified the killing of native peoples by calling them "heathens" and "savages." Later, Christians sent Native children to boarding schools so they could be "Christianized" and re-cultured. Christians also justified slavery, and many later fought against civil rights for Blacks and all people of color. European Christians perpetuated stereotypes and discrimination against Jews, which allowed the rise of Nazi hatred and the Holocaust. Many Christians fought against the right of women to vote, and some still believe that women should be subject to men and silent outside their homes. Even today, Christians fight the hardest against civil rights for people in the LGBTQ community. If the atrocities of some Christians were used to judge all of us, we'd be lucky to have any neighbors at all.

The truth is that there are an estimated 3.3 million Muslims in this country, and many have been here for decades. Most work hard as teachers, business owners, laborers, doctors, and in other professions, and are integrated into American culture and life. They wage peace through daily prayer, compassion, care for their neighbor, and devotion to the same God that Christians and Jews worship. They honor Moses and Jesus as Major Prophets and have great respect for the Bible. I have known many Muslims in my lifetime and feel fortunate to have some as friends. They are among the most genuine, gracious, giving and humorous people I know. In all of our major cities, Imams and Muslim leaders work with Christian, Jewish and other faith leaders to foster relationships, peace and unity among the world religions. Time after time, when Christians actually meet Muslims and get to know them and share a meal and conversation, relationships are formed, attitudes and perceptions are changed, and the whole community is enriched for the better. Thank God we have different languages, music, food, skin colors, traditions and beliefs! Because of that we learn and grow and become fuller human beings when we are together.

Yes, there are horrible things being done by some Muslims who manipulate Islam and the Quran to justify their own ideology of terror and control. Yes, some Muslims believe that women should obey their husbands and have fewer rights than men. Yes, some Muslims are fundamentalist and practice horrific forms of violent retribution. And this is true for some Christians as well. We see evidence of this today in KKK rallies, mass shootings and vandalism of Black churches and abortion clinics, and the high rate of domestic violence against women. The greater truth is that the huge majority of the estimated 1.7 billion Muslims and 2.4 billion Christians in the world are people who love God and neighbor, care for those in need, and seek peace in our world.

As Christians, we are called not only to love the neighbors who are similar to us, but to also love those who are different and even our enemies. Our world is already filled with fear, lies, hatred, and violence. We can do much better by waging peace, forming relationships, listening to each other, sharing life, and expecting the best from each other. That is exactly what a Galilean Jew did 2000 years ago amid times of great fear, much like today. Perhaps we can follow his lead.

      -Pastor John Lund is Campus Pastor at the University of Montana

Emmaus Campus Ministry at the University of Montana

Guest Post - 40 Days of Giving and Epiphany Star Words

ELCA World Hunger’s 40 Days of Giving and Epiphany STAR Words: Discipleship

by Dawn Byrd

When I drew the star word DISCIPLESHIP out of the basket on the Sunday we celebrated the Epiphany (January 3), immediately I wanted to throw it back into the basket and draw something I was more familiar with, something easier to accomplish and fulfill! In fairness, I couldn’t really do that. It wasn’t meant to be something we are familiar with! I believe it was intended as an exercise to help each of us stretch out of our comfort zone (both here in our church life AND out in the community). So, I kept the word (it sits on my desk in the church office so that I can remember it every day!).

Discipleship n. . . . break it down to its origination – Middle English, from Old English discipul and from Old French disciple, both from Latin discipulus,  pupil, to learn – 1.) a. one who embraces and assists in spreading the teachings of another; b. an active adherent, as of a movement or philosophy; 2.) often Disciple (with a Capital D) one of the original followers of Jesus; 3.) Disciple, a member of the Disciples of Christ.

But what does it mean to be a disciple? How does one practice discipleship? Clearly I’m not one of the original followers of Jesus, nor am I a member of the Disciples of Christ; however, I hope that I am one who embraces and helps spread the teachings of Jesus. Right? But how? I struggle with this daily.

So, a few Wednesdays ago, while doing the Lent in a Bag daily devotional from the ELCA World Hunger’s 40 Days of Giving booklet, the Scripture reading for the day was John 13:35. I grabbed up my Kindle, opened up the HOLY BIBLE app (I like Eugene H. Peterson’s translation, The Message, as I find it easier to understand), and this is what I read:

“Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples – when they see the love you have for each other.” John 13:34-35.

That’s it! This is what it means to be a disciple of Christ! Love one another! That is so much easier to understand AND DO than any of the other definitions of disciple(ship) I had previously found . . . to follow in Christ’s footsteps. What does that mean? How do we follow in his footsteps?

Love one another is so much easier to do! Right?  Then I continued reading the day’s devotion:

“Please help us to live in your reflection, shining your love through us not only onto those who are near and dear and easy to love, but onto ALL of your precious and beloved people.”
OK, so it is not always going to be easy to love everyone, but I can certainly start by loving those around me. I can show love when I help serve meals at the Community Café, host during Family Promise, bake bread for communion, read scripture during worship, do the dishes after fellowship hour, just to name a few.

I believe I was meant to pull that word out of that basket . . .  perhaps God’s way of nudging me out of my comfort zone . . . to show love. To share food with the hungry, shelter the homeless, perhaps it is as simple as that.

New Friday Morning Small Group Book

The Friday morning small group, which meets every other Friday morning at 7:00am at Clark's Fork, will begin reading and discussing a new book, Friday, March 18th. Being Christian: Baptism, Bible, Eucharist, Prayer by Rowan Williams is a short, but meaty, book about the essential elements of Christian life. All are welcome to join the conversation! You can order the book here, or find it at a local book store.
Want to read and discuss the book, but don't want to be up and out the door for a 7:00am small group? Let the church office know, and we'll talk about starting a new group!

Guest Post - Fasting for Hunger

This Lent, CtK joins thousands of other ELCA congregations in ELCA World Hunger's 40 Days of Giving. A daily devotional booklet, a piggy bank, and the challenge from CtK's 40 Days of Giving Team to give $0.25/day will help us learn about hunger issues, and make a difference in our world. Look for occasional guest posts from team members during this season!

Fasting for Hunger

February 29, 2016 - LEAP DAY!

by Barb Benson

Are you giving up something and fasting for Lent? …how about on February 29^th?

I sort of grimaced when Pastor Lindean asked me to write up something about fasting for our CtK blog. Given I am a registered dietitian, I would be expected to know something about fasting…and I do. Unfortunately, I did too much of it as a teenager in angst that it imprisoned me into an unhealthy binge/purge cycle.  After individual and group counseling and regular visits with a dietitian in my early college years, I am thankful that I learned to like my body and take better care of it. I also changed my major to nutrition and have not had the desire to fast or restrict my eating since then.

The word “fast” from the Unger’s Bible Dictionary means, in Hebrew, “to cover” (the mouth) and in Greek “to abstain.” Yet the purpose of “fasting” described in the Bible also has a spiritual component connected to it that goes far beyond restriction and dieting for the sake of self-sacrifice or the hope of cleansed living or temporary weight reduction.  Many of the Bible’s Greats like Moses, Elijah, Daniel, Paul, and even Jesus, fasted as a way to draw closer to God, as it seems to be combined with prayer and often repentance. I’m told that fasting can help remind us of our dependence on God and his provisions- help fine-tune the senses to be more like-minded with our Creator.

We are given an extra day this year on February 29^th. The ELCA World Hunger’s 40 Days of Giving is challenging us to consider fasting and instead of eating a meal or drinking a fancy coffee to spend that time with God and pass the money “saved” to someone in need. Collectively this could be a big “drop” into our piggy banks and not only make a difference in our World Hunger giving but time alone with God promises to have an even more profound impact on our living. That’s exciting!

Jeff and I have seen first-hand what “piggy bank” donations can do. Early in our marriage we returned to Jeff’s home in Tanzania and were Associates in Mission with ELCA Global Mission. Jeff worked for MSAADA that helped church-related projects design and build buildings such as hospitals, colleges, and churches. They designed a rural hospital cooking structure for families to use for providing food to sick family members. Actually- CtK's Sunday School donations helped fund that project! CtK also was a part of starting the “nutrition program” at that same hospital, to provide local and nutritious foods to malnourished children and microloans in the surrounding community. For under $1/day, “piggy bank” donations helped treat a malnourished toddler for a day in that hospital. God really does miraculous things with little offerings.

Will you join me in some sort of “fast” this leap year? Your fast will look different than mine. Could be you will fast from the technological feast we devour each day or the extra hours you spend at the office. Whatever you “give up”…may God and the amazing things he can do through us be our focus as we entrust our time, talent, and treasure back to him.

Guest Post - The Faces of Hunger

This Lent, CtK joins thousands of other ELCA congregations in ELCA World Hunger's 40 Days of Giving. A daily devotional booklet, a piggy bank, and the challenge from CtK's 40 Days of Giving Team to give $0.25/day will help us learn about hunger issues, and make a difference in our world. Look for occasional guest posts from team members during this season!

Faces of Hunger, by Jerry Johnson

The many faces of hunger are . . . emaciation, bloated bellies, stunted minds, helplessness, hopelessness, disease and death . . . a trackless wasteland . . . a vast emptiness . . .

About 34 years ago, shortly after I returned from an ALC (American Lutheran Church) hunger-justice study trip to Mexico and Nicaragua, I was sitting in a church council meeting in Whitefish, MT and one of the members said he was tired of hearing about hunger. As a new hunger advocate, I vigorously disagreed.

A few years later, in 1998, I wrote an essay where I quoted Martin Luther who said, "If you preach the gospel in all aspects with the exception of the issues which deal specifically with your time, you are not preaching the Gospel." It was at that time that the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, Reno, NV, began a once a month second offering with fast food cups to support the ELCA World Hunger Appeal against world hunger.

In 1999, when Margaret and I joined Christ the King Lutheran Church, we mentioned this way of collecting funds for World Hunger and CtK began using the fast food cups, also. Christ the King's "hunger" offering went from almost nothing to several thousand dollars a year for hunger relief, locally (Food Bank) and globally (ELCA World Hunger Appeal).

On the first Sunday of every month, when the ushers pass around the fast food cups for a second offering, it does two great things: 1) it helps educate people to curb obesity, and stave off diabetes and hypertension; and 2) it helps feed hungry  brothers and sisters and teaches them how to combat hunger, thus achieving dignity and life quality.

A couple of the Montana Synod congregations have adopted this same means of collecting special offering for ELCA World Hunger, but I must admit I haven't been able to get the churchwide organization to adopt this as a good way to increase hunger giving churchwide.

There are approximately four million members in the ELCA and the 2016 budget for hunger is 24 million dollars. This amounts to $6.00 a year per member, 50 cents a month or 1 3/4 cents a day. If every ELCA member gave a dime (10 cents) a day, it would add up to $3.00 a month and $44 million dollars a year. Can you imagine what could be done to alleviate world hunger with that?

I hate to say it, but in 10 years the average ELCA Lutheran has only increased hunger giving by 3/4 of a penny a day. We pray for God to help, but God uses our hands to do it! We don't give to pat ourselves on the back, but I thank you, thank you CtK for holding up our end of the bargain and also for taking on the 40 Days of Giving journey.

Day of Service

Tomorrow, September 13th, is God's work. Our hands. Day of Service. Everyone who worships with CtK tomorrow morning (worship is at 10:00am and will include an opportunity to hear from the youth who went to Detroit for the ELCA Youth Gathering this summer) will be invited to stick around to help assemble school kits for Lutheran World Relief or decorate cookies and assemble boxes of treats for those who protect and serve our community (first responders, hospital employees, etc.). We'll need a few folks to make deliveries of treats, too.
Would you rather spend some time serving outside? There will be a group heading to God's Garden to pick green beans. Wear your sunscreen and take a water bottle!

What a privilege it is to serve in God's world!

Fall Schedule Begins

CtK's fall schedule begins THIS SUNDAY, September 6th. Worship will begin at 10:00am.
After Labor Day, many other ministries begin again for the season:
- Youth Group begins this week, with dinner served ($2/person) at 6:00pm. This week, all 6th-12th grade youth are asked to BRING THEIR PARENTS to discuss the year.
- Adult Choir will begin rehearsals on Wednesday, September 9th, from 7:00-8:00pm.
- Sunday School for all ages begins in two weeks, on September 20th, at 9:00am.

It's time to plug in!

Exploring Faith and Life Together - Friday Morning Small Group has a new book

The Friday Morning Small Group will begin reading/discussing a new book at their next meeting on August 28th: Wearing God: Clothing, Laughter, Fire and Other Overlooked Ways of Meeting God, by Lauren Winner. The group meets every other Friday morning at 7:00am at Clark's Fork, for conversation about the current book and life and faith. Participants usually head out about 8:30am or so. Now is a great time to join the group!
If you have questions, please talk to Pastor Lindean.

Middle School Service Plunge 2015

Last week, 10 CtK youth, plus a couple of their friends and some fabulous adults, joined middle school youth from Hope Lutheran Church for a week of worship, learning and SERVICE here in the Gallatin Valley.
The theme verse for the week was Micah 6:8 - He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
Monday morning the group weeded at God's Garden, which produces thousands upon thousands of pounds of food for the Gallatin Valley Food Bank and the Community Café.
Tuesday morning was spent on trail maintenance with the Gallatin Valley Land Trust, at the Cherry Creek Fishing Access. It was hard work (there were blisters to be had!) but great to see the results of the effort, before and after.
Wednesday morning half the group went to the Gallatin Valley Food Bank and packaged macaroni noodles into one-pound bags (finishing off a 1,000 pound box of noodles - that's a lot of pasta!). The other half of the group offered a free car wash, with donations accepted for the food bank.
On Thursday morning, the two groups switched places - half for a carwash, the other half to the Food Bank. This time, the Food Bank crew sorted eggs and repackaged unbroken eggs into cartons.
Friday morning, everyone headed to the Family Promise Day Center to help with cleaning, yard work and other projects.
Every afternoon included Bible study, lots of games, a crafty project, and worship.
It was a great week! Look for more photos in worship on a Sunday in the near future!

Middle School Service Plunge 2015 - the closest thing we got to a photo of the whole group.

Let them deny themselves and take up their cross...

They say that preachers preach the sermons they need to hear. And some Sundays that seems more true than others, at least for me. This past Sunday was one of those. I've continued to think about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus, and to deny my selfish, self-seeking, self-justifying self. And it's that last one (self-justifying) that gets me most often. What about you?

It's Lent

Today is the Friday after Ash Wednesday, which makes it the first Friday in Lent. And it's not too late to take up a special discipline for the season. The traditional practices of the season are prayer, fasting and almsgiving. In keeping with the idea of fasting, lots of folks talk about "giving something up for Lent." The first few paragraphs of this article proved a helpful way for me to think about that - so helpful that I quoted them in my sermon last week.
I know a lot of people who "pick something up for Lent" instead, or who do a little subtraction for the sake of the addition - a "fast 'from' and feast 'on,'" if you will.
Here are a couple links to creative practices for Lent. Personally, I'm doing the Lent Photo a Day as part of my keeping of the season this year - I find it helps focus my vision, and helps me see what I might otherwise miss. If you decide to do the Photo a Day, too, consider posting your pics on your favorite social media platform, and be sure to tag them with the word for the day as well as #ctkbozeman. Thanks!

Lent Photo a Day

40 Things to Give Up For Lent: The List

If you're wanting to make a greater commitment or are looking for something a bit more robust, consider enrolling in Jan Richardson's online retreat - Beloved: An Online Journey Into Lent + Easter. There's a fee for participation, but everyone I know who's ever done one of her online retreats speaks highly of it!

New Blog from PLTS (Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary)

An invitation from PLTS:

 

PLTS  - Out of the Fog, Into God's World blog

  

Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley, California has launched a blog that engages theological perspectives with pressing, urgent public issues of our day. This blog involve a wide range of contributors from the PLTS faculty, other faculties at California Lutheran University, students and alums, as well as others committed to the purpose of this blog. A link to our blog can be found here: http://outofthefogplts.wordpress.com/ 

In faith communities and the wider society, there increasingly is moral outrage about what is occurring, such as entrenched violence and inequalities. However, critical biblical and theological perspectives are seldom brought to bear on what is at stake. Ordinary people of faith are either left "in the fog" about how their faith engages such, or certain "religious" voices are featured in the media that tend to be judgmental or polarizing. The public voice of, especially Lutherans, tends to remain muted or confined within churches, as it was not for someone like Martin Luther. Our audience is those preparing sermons or discussions that better equip people to think and act on timely issues in the news in light of their faith.  The hope is that this might contribute to reflective deliberation amid differences rather than furthering the polarization that is all too pervasive in our common life.
Check it out and let us know what you think in the comments. Thanks!

Blessed Ascension Day!

Easter was 40 days ago, which means that today we celebrate the Ascension of Our Lord. Ascension always lands on a Thursday (since Easter is always on a Sunday), which means it can get overlooked pretty easily.

Here's the story from Acts 1 (from The Message):

 

When they were together for the last time, [the disciples] asked, "Master, are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel now? Is this the time?"

[Jesus] told them, "You don't get to know the time. Timing is the Father's business. What you'll get is the Holy Spirit. And when the Holy Spirit comes on you, you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, all over Judea and Samaria, even to the ends of the world."

These were his last words. As they watched, he was taken up and disappeared in a cloud. They stood there, staring into empty sky. Suddenly two men appeared - in white robes! They said, "You Galileans! - why do you just stand here looking up at an empty sky? This very Jesus who was taken up from among you to heaven will come as certainly - and mysteriously - as he left."

So, how to celebrate the Ascension of Our Lord?
- Watch some clouds for a few minutes, and then go find someone to serve.
- Fly a kite.
- Be a one of Jesus's witnesses right where you are, and tell someone how much God loves them.

Happy Ascension Day!

Good Friday

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.

By your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

It's Lent

It's Lent. We're three days in already, having observed Ash Wednesday two days ago, with the solemn reminders that we are all, indeed, going to die; that sin is real; and that neither of those two realities is the last word on us. Thanks be to God.

 

While Lent may not be the happiest of seasons, I need it. I need the raw honesty, the reminder that I do indeed need saving from "weak resignation to the evils we deplore" as the old hymn puts it, and that I frequently need saving from myself. I need a fresh start. Again.

One of the downsides of Lent is how "do-able" it can seem - the invitation to embrace a discipline, or to undertake a "40 ___ for the 40 Days of Lent" challenge can make someone like me feel like maybe if I just try hard enough, and buckle down, and build up that will-power, I could keep a "Holy Lent." While I tend not to enjoy failure, I need that, too, especially during Lent, otherwise I'm tempted to make a god of my own good intentions and small successes.

 

It's a paradoxical season: Struggle with sin, and don't resign yourself to it; "return to God," to paraphrase the reading from the prophet Joel on Ash Wednesday. At the same time, recognize that you have, and always will, fail in that struggle. And that's precisely why returning to God (who never left us, by the way) is such good news. In Lent we are invited again to acknowledge that God always comes down to us, to our world, to the messiness of our hearts. And loves us. And takes up residence right in the middle of the broken, and weary, and otherwise hopeless.

So - pick a discipline (prayer, fasting, almsgiving, 40 ___ for 40 days) and embrace it with all you've got. When you follow through, give thanks. And when you falter, give thanks. You are human. You will die. And you are held, and loved, by a God who raises the dead to life.

The College Girl's Guide to: Bible Study - Guest Post by MSU student Molly Wright

Gathering with a few other Christians each week, or every other week, has been an important part of my life for years. Reading the Bible with others helps me know them, and helps me hear God's word in ways I might miss on my own. Having a small group of mutual support can make all the difference - joys are multiplied, and burdens are divided. It's my hope that every participant in the community of faith that is Christ the King Lutheran Church would know the fun and challenge of discipleship with a small group.

Back in January I asked Molly, a first-year student at MSU, to write an article for the monthly CtK newsletter about her Bible Study/small group experience.

            The College Girl’s Guide to: Bible Study

            To say that college is overwhelming would be an understatement.

            Before coming to MSU, I thought I had it all figured out. I had no fears about tackling schoolwork, making new friends, or getting involved with every club on campus. But boy, was I wrong. It’s pretty scary to go from a class of 300 kids to a school of 15,000 undergrads. You feel as if you have the word “freshman” stamped on your forehead, and you have no idea how to handle this unfamiliar territory.

            Feeling disconnected and lost, I turned to my mom for help. (It’s true... She really does know best.) She told me to try attending Christ the King, where Lindean, the former pastor of my home congregation at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, and her husband led worship. The warmth, energy, and inviting atmosphere of the church was immediately apparent. I felt like I was home.

            Soon after, we arranged to meet Wednesday nights for a small group bible study at International Coffee, a small coffee shop right next to campus. I had reservations about going. What if I don’t know enough about the Bible? What if I say something that sounds dumb, or I disagree with someone else? I don’t even know Annie and Pastor Lindean that well... Will I be comfortable speaking up? Maybe I should just stay home and do homework. But by the end of the first meeting, those thoughts has disappeared. Over a steaming mug of tea, we talked, laughed, prayed, and explored God’s word. I was already looking forward to next week’s meeting, and ventured home feeling a bit better inside knowing that I had found somewhere I could fit in.

            Being part of a small group within the church, especially a Bible study, is so incredibly rewarding. Sharing thoughts, emotions, and ideas with others allows us to open up in ways we don’t normally do in casual conversation. And, exploring the different stories in the Bible and how they relate to our lives reminds us of God’s unfailing love for us, a comforting thought for a lonely 18 year old. I guarantee you’ll learn something new, or at least have some preconceived notion busted. It happens every time for me.

            Sometimes, we get too caught up in ourselves and our own worries, and lose sight of the bigger picture. Luckily, we have wonderful people in our lives who are there for support, love, and growth. We need to lean on them so that we can all grow stronger in our faith and our friendships with each other. In attending this Bible study, my feelings of loneliness have subsided. They’ve given way to feelings of desire to continue learning and growing in faith, and have left room to develop friendships with women who are as excited about Christ’s love as I am.

            Making time on a busy Wednesday evening is a small sacrifice to pay for the benefits we reap by simply coming together over God’s word. While I still struggle with finding my place on campus, I know I have found my place within the church.