Sabbatical: Q&A

Dear Friends in Christ,                                                                                                              

Back in September 2015, the church council approved a Sabbatical leave for Grant and me, for three months, beginning on June 6, 2016.

What is a Sabbatical?

A Sabbatical calls for an extended time of Sabbath-keeping, of stepping away from usual duties and responsibilities. It calls for rest of the body, though also rest of the spirit. For a work-loving person, this will be a challenge, though perhaps all the more necessary. Jewish scholar Abraham Joshua Heschel reminds us, a Sabbatical will be a good grounding in humility that the church will survive (even thrive!) without our help.

How long will we be gone?

We will begin our Sabbatical on June 6, 2016, following the conclusion of the Montana Synod Assembly in Billings. Our last day in the office will be June 3^rd. We will return to the office September 6, 2016.

What will we do?

We look forward to continuing education classes, rest, reading, increased time for devotions, and enjoying creation. As a family, we will travel to Minnesota and Washington, to learn and to spend time with extended family and friends. You can read more details about the classes we’ll take online, at: https://weraise.wheatridge.org/en/projects/30218-Pray--Play--Partner---Sabbatical-2016

All of our activities (and time for rest and renewal) focus around the theme: Pray, Play, Partner.

Where will we worship?

As it would be difficult for us to step out of the role of co-pastors here at Christ the King, our family will worship elsewhere during Sabbatical. Though we will miss being in worship here with you dearly, we hope to share ideas from other congregations upon our return.

Who will cover our responsibilities during our absence?

Pastor Mark Ramseth, member of CtK, is coordinating Sunday morning worship. A schedule of wonderful guest preachers, including some members of CtK, has been put together. Sunday services have already been mostly planned.

The Church Council will have a “council host” each Sunday, to answer questions and make announcements.

Pastors Mark and Carol Ramseth, and LPA John Sheppard will provide pastoral care in emergency situations. The Congregational Care Team has been trained and deployed to offer ongoing pastoral care to members of the congregation. If you are in need of a visit or pastoral care, please call the Church Office, 587-4131.

Kristin Harney is coordinating WoW (Worship on Wednesdays).

Jen Erickson is coordinating WoW dinners.

Josh Keehr is heading up the construction of the prayer labyrinth.

Dawn Byrd and Courtney Yovich will oversee church communications.

The Sabbatical Team is planning special summer events (Spring Clean-Up Day, Madison River Float Trip, Worship at Hyalite, etc.)

Lucy Peterson remains our faithful Family Promise Coordinator.

The Family & Youth Team will coordinate the Middle School Service Plunge and the High School Mission Trip through FLBC.

Amy Yovich and Renee Schon will head up Vacation Bible School.

Know that you all will continue to be in our prayers during this absence.

How is the Sabbatical funded?

The congregation voted at the Annual Meeting to increase the usual “pulpit supply” line item by $1300, to cover the cost of guest preachers for the Sundays of the Sabbatical. Also included in the spending plan is $1500 for continuing education (an annual part of our compensation). Costs above the $1500 will either be funded through our crowdfunding campaign, or paid for by us pastors.

Please see the May 13, 2016 post on the CtK blog (http://ctkbozeman.blogspot.com/2016/05/pray-play-partner-sabbatical-2016.html) for more detailed information on the Sabbatical budget.

Will we be in contact with CtK during Sabbatical?

An important part of a Sabbatical is to make a complete break from things. Dawn Byrd will notify us of any major events in the life of the congregation, and we will continue to receive the weekly email newsletter while on Sabbatical. We will not be checking our CtK email accounts. Please contact the Church Office during the Sabbatical, at 587-4131, or office@ctkbozeman.org.

How will we evaluate the Sabbatical upon our return?

We will submit reports to the Church Council upon our return, and will meet with the Sabbatical Team, the Mutual Ministry Team, the church staff to share experiences of the Sabbatical (both ours and CtK’s). I expect that all of our ministries will continue to flourish while we are away and new ones will arise. A Sabbatical is really a two-way process, with both the staff persons and the congregation reflecting upon prior ministry, being renewed, and seeing new patterns emerge as we discern God’s will for us.

We are excited for this time of renewal and pray it will be a blessing for Christ the King as well.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us, before June 3^rd, with any questions or concerns.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Lindean

Lutheran Disaster Response - US Spring Storms

Photo Credit: David Valdez FEMA

Torrential rainfall, reaching more than 2 feet in some areas, is setting records in the South, especially Louisiana and Texas. River fl ooding has reached historic levels, affecting streets and highways, damaging or destroying homes, causing thousands to evacuate, and leaving at least five dead. More storms are predicted across the Midwest and throughout the South in the days and weeks ahead. 

Through congregations, synods and disaster affiliate organizations, Lutheran Disaster Response is working to assist those who have been affected by the flooding. Lutheran Disaster Response’s coordinators are present, working with local community leaders and
officials to begin planning the proper responses, particularly the long-term recovery efforts.

We know that the road to recovery is long, and Lutheran Disaster Response will be there to assist those who have been affected through every phase of this disaster recovery process. Our gifts are needed to begin relief efforts. Gifts designated for “U.S. Spring Storms” will be used in full (100 percent) until the response is complete to assist those impacted. Because of generous offerings of prayer and financial support, the ELCA walks alongside disaster survivors.

You can give through CtK (put US Spring Storms/Disaster Response on your check) or give online here. Check out the Lutheran Disaster Response blog here.

... for you were strangers in the land of Egypt

Last spring, Rabbi Ed Stafman, of Bozeman's Congregation Beth Shalom, was a guest speaker at CtK's adult forum for two Sundays. He reminded us just how often in the Torah God reminds God's people to care for the stranger, the alien, the sojourner, in their midst. As Deuteronomy 10:19 puts it: "You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt."

God uses the people's history to induce empathy, and still does.

I have never been a refugee, but I have felt lost. I've been sick. I've been scared. And over the past two weeks I've seen heartbreaking photos of children on beaches and old people on rafts whose seaworthiness is questionable. And Deuteronomy echoes in my ears: "you shall also love the stranger."

 

Lutheran Disaster Response (a ministry of the ELCA) and Lutheran World Relief are at work meeting basic needs for those fleeing war and crisis, and are working together with partners in the Middle East and Europe. Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service is calling for the welcoming of 100,000 Syrian refugees by the U.S. We have opportunities to make a real difference in the lives of individuals and families.

 

The Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hungary, Tamás Fabiny, wrote the following, about the refugee crisis in Hungary, and shared by the Montana Synod:

 

Walking with Refugees - the Church Amidst the Refugee Crisis in Europe
I would like to recall the poignant memories of the weekend when thousands of refugees set out from Budapest, Hungary, towards Austria and, finally, reached the other side of the border on board of buses provided by the Hungarian government.

I will never forget that march. I am very well aware that the refugees were hindering the traffic and broke several rules. However, what this persistent march gave proof of was their final desperation and their determination forged by the war, suffering, persecution and defencelessness they had left behind. And we have to admit that the heartlessness of some also strengthened their feelings of hopeless resolution.

 cannot forget that march. It was similar to the processions led by Martin Luther King in the cities of the US in the 1960s or to the opponents of the apartheid in South-Africa singing “We are marching in the light of God”. Looking at the crowds of refugees walking on the motorway I was also reminded of the wandering, let me use the word “migrant”, Jews on their way to a new homeland. This association is closely linked to a prayer written by the Reformed pastor Sylvia Bukowski: “God of Mercy, who led your people across the desert and shepherded them in the exodus; we cry to you for the millions of refugees who have left their homes in uncertainty and are escorted by poverty, persecution and violence on their way. May you be their guide and guardian, oh Lord!”

In the marching crowd of refugees you could see a one-legged man supporting himself on crutches and trying to keep up with the others. Many were carrying children in their arms or on their backs. One of the parents was pushing a toddler in a shopping cart. Yet others were carrying elderly or sick relatives on their shoulders.

I believe that the Bible’s account is relevant today as well: Jesus has compassion on the crowd, because they are like sheep without a shepherd.
Are we able to have mercy? Do we dare to show empathy? Can we speak words of compassion even if others demand us to demonstrate power?

Let politicians be concerned with politics. As a church we should ask ourselves: are we able to use the voice of humanity and act in a credible manner? When the bodies of 71 suffocated refugees, including women and children, were found in a delivery van on Austrian territory, the Austrian Lutheran Bishop Michael Bünker suggested that, following the identification of the deceased, the victims should be buried in a respectful way according to the rites of their own religion. In Hungary, a middle-aged Syrian man collapsed and died near the railway station of Bicske. Do we know anything of him? Has anyone tried to track his identity or his family down?

Although official reports consequently refer to the alienating term ‘migrants’ instead of refugees, we should make an effort to imagine how traumatised these people must be with all their experiences of war and life-threatening situations. Can we realize what it must feel like to be scapegoated all the time? Can we fathom what it means to give birth to a baby during such a flight and spend the night at a railway station five days later? We should keep this in mind at Christmas time when writing and listening to heartbreaking sermons about the Holy Family...

Still, something has changed. More and more people dare and manage to express their feelings of solidarity towards refugees. Voices of disapproval and reservation seem to be less frequent and the willingness to help is getting stronger.

Beside the sadness and despair expressed in this text, I would also like to voice my hope and even joy. Although the past few weeks have been full of hardships and painful experiences, we have also seen examples of resourceful love. Several Lutherans have shared their insights and practical advice on the internet. The spontaneous help offered by many civil activists is side-by-side with the conscious and relentless efforts of the Diaconal Service of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hungary to organize aid activities. The Hungarian Interchurch Aid, one of the country’s largest and internationally recognized charity organizations, is also present with its decades-long professional experience. Secondary school students are inquiring about ways to contribute, university students are acting as voluntary interpreters and congregations are collecting donations. Many of our international partners have also stated their willingness to help.

All of us can do something to make the suffering of refugees more visible in our countries and to give a face to people who might seem threatening and frightening as members of a crowd. We can make their story heard. Most of all, we can help to recover their dignity.

In my experience, something is stirring within more and more of our Hungarian fellow-citizens. We might indeed be capable of showing our purer sides. We can see Ezekiel’s prophecy fulfilled: “I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh (Ez 36:26)”.

I know that we could talk about Schengen borders, quotas, registration, hot spots and similar subjects for a long time. These are indeed serious issues. Everyone has their own responsibilities. At the same time, wherever we stand, let us not forget the most important thing of all: exercising mercy.

 

Bishop Tamás Fabiny
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hungary

Souper Bowl of Caring - CtK Cares!



The Souper Bowl of Caring offering at CtK Feb. 2nd, 2014
Picture from http://www.abcfoxmontana.com/story/24614186/churches-participate-in-souper-bowl-of-caring#.UvEke3MXrx8.facebook

Many thanks to the friends and members of CtK who participated in the Souper Bowl of Caring last Sunday. We had a good-sized stack of food donated, and the soup-pot offering was full of clangs and pings as the coins landed. What fun! And, that special Souper Bowl of Caring offering totaled $463.87! Thanks!
Some local news sources picked up on the Souper Bowl of Caring as well. Check out this article on CtK's participation. And feel free to keep bringing in non-perishable food for the food bank - we'll make sure it gets there.

Montana Synod Newsletter

The June issue of the Montana Synod Newsletter is available. (It came while we were on vacation in Alaska - more about that some other time...)
Check the synod newsletter out here.

Front Page News

The ELCA National Youth Gathering is front page news in New Orleans today. You can read The Times-Picayune coverage of the Gathering under the headline LIFTING, LOVING, LEARNING: Lutheran youths, 37,000 strong, come to New Orleans to help rebuild city and open themselves to a spirit of service larger than themselves.

Please remember to keep the 4 youth and 2 adults from CtK in your prayers this week - and don't forget to check out the Bozeman/Billings youth blog about the Gathering!