Happy Easter!

We had a great weekend here at CtK- many thanks to all who helped make the celebration possible! Here's an Easter greeting from our Presiding Bishop, Elizabeth Eaton:

Good Friday

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

By your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

Holy Week and Easter Schedule

Baskets of Promise

During the season of Lent, CtK is collecting items for Personal Care Kits, to be distributed by Lutheran World Relief. Each week, we add to our "Baskets of Promise" by collecting one of the items for the kits. This week (March 30th) we are collecting combs; next week (April 6th) we are collecting metal nail clippers. On April 13th we'll collect individually wrapped bars of soap (again), since every kit contains two bars of soap.
The response to this effort has been overwhelming. THANK YOU to all who have so generously donated items for care kits. While our original goal was to assemble 50 kits, it looks like we may be able to send even more than that.
I don't know about you, but I take a lot of things for granted - my toothbrush (given to me by my dentist), soap in the shower and near every sink (which are all indoors, with hot and cold running water safe to drink and bathe in), clean towels, my favorite hairbrush... Should I forget something while I'm traveling, I might be inconvenienced, but that's about the worst of it. Hotels often offer spares, and it's easy enough to go out and purchase a replacement whatever if I need it.
But for those recovering from natural disasters, or living in severely impoverished or refugee communities, the gift of a personal care kit means a lot. Personal care kits are a tangible expression of God's love and care for those in need.

Students open Personal Care Kits in their class.

If you'd like to learn more, check out the interactive map which shows distribution of Lutheran World Relief quilts and kits. (Personal care kits were shipped in late January to Syrian refugees in camps in Northern Iraq, and the timeline on the link will show when they arrive).

Be still and know that I am God.

My life is not very quiet these days.

This is why I need the quiet atmosphere of midweek Lenten worship to calm my mind, body, and spirit.

I have always enjoyed evening worship. There is something about darkness, candlelight, quiet music, and gentle voices that calm me and help me be still.

My eldest daughter Marit won’t take an afternoon nap unless she is still and quiet.

I have a hard time sensing the presence of the Holy Spirit unless I am still and quiet.

Evening worship provides an opportunity to be still and quiet.

A musical prelude and postlude draws me into the worship space, and keeps me there when I think I need to leave to tend to my duties as a pastor, husband, and father.

The contrast between darkness and light during evening worship holds my attention, unlike some other lighting arrangements.

Quiet voices reading scripture, uttering prayers, and singing hymns calm me down much like when I speak to my boisterous children with a still, small voice.

I will continue to participate in evening worship because I need the quiet, I need the calm, and I need the stillness to help me sense the presence of God’s Holy Spirit.

Perhaps that is God’s gift to us during this season leading up to Holy Week and Easter.

We need the quiet. We need the calm. We need the stillness to help us sense the presence of God’s Holy Spirit.

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.