Pastor's Blog

There’s something about summertime that exposes what’s been hidden beneath the surface. Maybe it’s the longer days. The busier schedules. The constant movement. The heat. The pressure to make memories, attend every event, go on the trip, chase the goals, or somehow make this season feel meaningful.

We have all been lost before. I used to like getting lost; it helps with learning my way around.  These days I tend to have kids in the car and getting lost is less of a priority. And less likely. We have Apple maps, Waze, etc.  

No, I’m not talking about The Masters, but rather the tradition here at Christ Lutheran that we have been celebrating for over 25 years. QUILLOWS!

I am getting excited about Vacation Bible School! The Family Ministry Team has been ordering supplies, planning decorations, and getting everything in place for a fun and vibrant theme: Rainforest Falls.

Unlike many modern celebrations centered around commercialism, Pentecost directs our attention away from ourselves. So, while Pentecost may not have candy sales, greeting cards, or elaborate decorations, it gives something infinitely greater: the promise that the Holy Spirit is still calling, gathering, enlightening, and sanctifying the whole Christian Church through the Gospel.

Have you made your summer plans yet?  A trip up north to see the family?  A week at the beach?  Maybe an Airbnb in the mountains?  Summer is a great time for a change of pace and a time to get away.  The purpose actually is to unplug.

It’s hard to believe that we have wrapped up another year of Wednesdays Ablaze! It was a great year of learning, fellowship, music, and…dance!

I wasn’t sure what hit me. It was solid and came out of nowhere! I was on my hippity-hop, a giant exercise ball with a handle, hopping down the grass field as fast as I could. I was doing well in second place and had my eye on the prize: master of hippity-hop ball. My legs were burning, my heart was screaming, but I had been trained for this moment my whole life.

That’s the motto of SHP (Sleep in Heavenly Peace). It is a commitment to the community, particularly the children, to provide a decent and safe place to sleep. The estimate is that 3% of children do not sleep in their bed. They either are on the floor or a sofa or share a bed with other children or adults.

On a recent Sunday evening we gathered with our high school seniors and their parents for a new Stepping Stone event. It’s called “Leave Your Mark” and it goes with our Quillows Stepping Stone coming up in June.

A Parable (not from Jesus): Life is like a pot of boiling water, and there are three ways for you to interact. You can be like a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean. 

In the world of music, a fermata is a simple marking with profound implications. It tells us simply to hold–-to stretch a moment beyond its written value. Time suspends. The rhythmic pulse dissipates. The music lingers, inviting us to listen more deeply, trying desperately to hold on to a single note or chord for as long as we can.

Too many Christians jump from Palm Sunday to Easter without considering the arduous and worthwhile walk of Holy Week. They go from the Triumphant Entrance into Jerusalem with the crowds waving palm branches and shouting, “Hosanna” to an empty tomb and shouts of, “He is Risen, Indeed!” So much is lost if you don’t walk this entire Holy Week.

Dear families, grace and peace to you. We are writing to share a brief update regarding some steps we are taking to care for our congregation in a practical way.

Most days the battle isn’t between good and evil. Hollywood, and fairytales, and fantasy novels have all convinced us that there are these big battles. Good is having to struggle against evil. Satan is fighting Jesus. Raging battles engulf us, and we must be ready, for the fate of the world hangs in the balance.