November 17th, 2022

THE CROSS AS HINGE

We end the church year in an unconventional fashion: at the cross. Today’s gospel seems a strange capstone to the liturgical calendar, and that is intentional. This is because Christ the King Sunday is not a capstone at all, but rather a hinge that opens into the new year. We end at the cross because that is where we see most fully the great, culminating example of where God is willing to go to show love for humanity. We end at the cross because in the crucifixion we see Christ’s enthronement as the one that nothing, not even death, can destroy.

Christ’s kingship lies not in his exultation in glory but in his being raised upon the instrument of death from which God causes life to spring. The cross of Christ is the tree of life. But this life is hidden in what appears to be anything but life. Christ is not king because he conquers all in self-preserving might and force but because he conquers all in self-giving grace, and in doing so, he proves that he cannot be conquered even by violence.

Now we stand ready to step again onto Advent soil, where new life, hope, and possibility are germinating. We must remember, as we prepare to hear once again in the story of Jesus’ birth and life, that God’s glory is not found in power and might but in humility and sacrifice, in one willing to give his life for his friends, his enemies, and the criminal hanging beside him. That is the kingdom of God: that place where the friend, the enemy, and even the one rightly condemned receive the grace and forgiveness of Christ. For that, we praise Christ as king!

November 10th, 2022

GREETINGS AMERICANS,

We are Americans. We are Christians.  We are Lutherans. We are Children of God.  We enjoyed the freedom and the opportunity to vote on November 8 participating in our governing process.  Friday, November 11 is Veterans Day. It is not a religious holy day. It is a national holiday. We live with a dual citizenship belonging to God’s kingdom and belonging to this nation.

I invite you to take what we learned from our holy day, All Saints Sunday, a time to remember those who have died and the promise of resurrection and make some connections with this national holiday celebrating our veterans, their service, their sacrifice, their willingness to give of themselves for the larger purposes of this nation.  Reflecting on the service and sacrifice of our armed forces may help us to live more fully in this nation putting our gifts and talents to God’s use.  Reflect on the things you give yourself to and what you are willing to make sacrifices for.

Sometimes looking at other countries may help us to recognize the beauty of our nation with all of its complexity as we remember and give thanks for those who served and continue to serve in our armed forces.  We pray for peace and an end to war while humanity continues to fight and destroy each other, seeking power and control of others and resources.  We are grateful for those who are willing to defend and protect us.

We at CTK have supported for many years the missionary work of the Saha Family in Bangladesh through the World Mission Prayer League. This is a Lutheran community in the mission of God, numbering more than 6,000 praying people serving in Kingdom partnership with global workers around the country.

In the November 2022 newsletter for World Mission Prayer League, the first article, “Praying for the Persecuted Church” by Leslie Urie and Anita Jackson lifted up the top 50 countries where it is most difficult to follow Jesus.  The United States, Canada and Mexico do not make the list. Afghanistan, North Korea and Somalia are the top three and Bangladesh ranks 29 (opendoorusa.org/world-watch-list).

 Paul Gossman, the director of WMPL, article, “Evil Repurposed” reminds us of God’s creative power to turn evil on its head to accomplish God’s purposes.  In the section of the actionable prayer items, for Bangladesh the prayers are focused on visas.  Changes in government policy have led to several WMPL workers having to leave suddenly.  Please hold in prayer the Saha family and the important work they do in Bangladesh with health care for women and Bible study.

Looking beyond our nation might give us a better look at our nation and the freedoms and opportunities we have as we honor and celebrate our veterans on November 11.  Following is prayer litany for your use.

A Litany for Veterans

On this day, we remember those who have served in our armed forces

Pause for silent reflection

Prince of Peace, even as we pray

for an end to war,

We give thanks for our soldiers’ courage, for their love of country,

and for their work to bring

peace to our world.

Healer of All, bind up the wounds of all who have served

Show us how to comfort

those who are hurting.

Merciful God, all suffer the cost of war.

We remember widows and widowers, orphans, and all those separated from those they love.

We pray, Gracious God,

that swords will be turned into plowshares and that peace will reign.

We give thanks for all who have served. Shield from danger those who bravely protect us. With them, may we glory not in war, but in your love and righteousness. Strengthen us to be your peacemakers in the world. Amen.

(Adapted from “A Litany for Veterans,” The Rev. Tom Williams Whitefish Bay, Wis. Used with permission and reproducible for one-time congregational use with proper attribution.)

Bold Inquisitive Belief Loving Expansively,

Pastor Connie Spitzack

November 4th, 2022

GREETINGS TO THE SAINTS IN THE MAKING,

All Saints Sunday is our time to remember those who have died and gone before us.  Different from Ash Wednesday where we remember our own mortality, with the words, “remember you are dust and to dust you will return”, this is a time to reflect on death as a community experience as we live in the wake of those who have gone before us.  As we age, we gradually come to know more and more that have joined the Communion of Saints and cheer us on while we remember and grieve and live with God who is with us. 

For us who live now, in time, this mystery of death and resurrection stretches before us.    It is a mystery what happens to us in death and resurrection.  We know the mechanics of what happens to our physical bodies, but Jesus’ resurrection points us beyond the physical to life with God.

We know that Jesus is with us but not much more than that.  We want to know more of this mystery, this promise.  Living with “Jesus with us now” helps us to trust how God is with us also in our deaths and resurrected lives. 

In our Adult Forum this past Sunday, we read of God’s call to Moses from the burning bush to go to Egypt and deliver God’s people out of slavery.  Moses is very reluctant.  He says, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?  God said, “I will be with you.” and this shall be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God on this mountain. (Exodus 3:10-12).  Moses is not convinced, and the conversation continues and a journey of deliverance from slavery begins as does a trusting relationship between God and Moses.

God wants us to be so at home, so aware of his presence with us and has gone to great lengths to show us. God says, “I am with you.”  And the sign that God is with us is our worship together.  Worship helps us to remember that God is indeed with us.  Moses was not convinced at first but the conversation continued and God faithfully showed Moses over and over again, “I am with you”.  When you leave worship, I hope the conversation with God continues.  I hope you will wonder and explore God’s presence within the lives of your loved ones who have died that we remember in community and in worship and in your life, and in your death to come.  We do this together and that is God’s sign. The “I am with you” sign is made known to us in worship. 

With us in water and bread and wine as our sacraments invite us to experience God with us. In worship, we experience God with us.  In remembering those who have died; Dwain Jordt, Gerald Vraspier, Carl Lund, Ray Hegtvedt, Carole Hegtvedt, Linda Liedtke, Larry Perkins and Connie Baines. In remembering the newly baptized; Ingrid Lind, Liara Buns and Zelda Rod.  In celebration with those affirming their baptism; Cooper Gray, Jena Frank and Daniella Buchholtz.  God is with us in our baptism, confirmation, in our lives and in our deaths and in our resurrected lives.  God is with us.

Bold Inquisitive Belief Loving Expansively,

Pastor Connie Spitzack

October 27th, 2022

GREETINGS REFORMING LUTHERANS,

Over the centuries, we Lutherans have kept a special day to thank God for the freedom that the word of God grants to believers and to pray that with the help of the Holy Spirit, we will be continually reformed and renewed for the ongoing health of the church. During the sixteenth century, some German Lutheran churches celebrated an annual day of thanksgiving for the Reformation, and in 1667 the festival was set for October 31 or the Sunday prior, since on this date in 1517 Martin Luther posted the Ninety-five Theses on the Wittenberg church door.

Along with thanksgiving we celebrate with hope and possibility what God has done and will continue to do through us, the church as Christ’s body. Think about how God shapes us as individuals and as a community of faith to be a witness to God’s activity in all creation.

As Martin Luther was shaped through the community of faith in his day, he was crushed by his sin, his failure to live up to God’s standards and expectations of holiness.  Repetitive confession and study of God’s word in community reformed and shaped him as he grew to discover God’s good news of grace made known to him in Jesus Christ.  God’s acting through Jesus, his life, his death, his rising and returning shaped Martin Luther by a grace that changed and shaped not only his life but the journey of the church.  A journey that ripped the church apart giving birth to the Lutheran Church and Protestant Churches and a journey where we find today, Catholics and Lutherans working together on all of the things we hold in common which are much more than our differences.

 God had not stopped shaping and forming us through the scripture,

 through God’s gift of grace pulling us toward God and God’s hope for humanity to live and thrive and grow into the people we have been created to be.  When difficulties arise, we can lose sight of God’s grace and the shape of God’s ideal for us.  In the midst of difficulties, it is all the more pressing for us to look and keep looking for God to shape and form us.  Luther’s journey reminds us to keep turning to God in community, with God’s word, dipping our fingers in the waters of our baptism and tasting the bread and wine of Jesus with us, trusting God to shape, form and reform us. 

Give thanks to God, the potter that shapes us, adding gracious life-giving water to make us into a new creation, a vessel that bears the image of God in this place with one another to the world.  Happy Reformation Lutherans!  God's not finished with us yet.  Thanks be to God!

BIBLE – Bold Inquisitive Belief Loving Expansively,

Pastor Connie Spitzack

October 20th, 2022

HUMILITY

The following is an adaptation of the synod’s Fall Stewardship offerings based on the upcoming Sunday lessons from Luke 18:9-14 and 2 Timothy 4:6-8,16-18.  Enjoy this gift from our Synod.

Unfortunately, most of the world looks at Christians and sees the Pharisee - self-righteous people who gather together and judge others. This view has been confirmed in several Pew and Barna studies, with the most damning of these studying whether people who called themselves Christians really acted that way. In this study, https://www.barna.com/research/christians-more-like-jesus-or-pharisees/

researchers polled people on actions and attitudes, with the following break-down:

The 10 research statements used to examine Christ-likeness include the following:

Actions like Jesus:

· I listen to others to learn their story before telling them about my faith.

· In recent years, I have influenced multiple people to consider following Christ.

· I regularly choose to have meals with people with very different faith or morals from me.

· I try to discover the needs of non-Christians rather than waiting for them to come to me.

· I am personally spending time with non-believers to help them follow Jesus.

Attitudes like Jesus:

· I see God-given value in every person, regardless of their past or present condition.

· I believe God is for everyone.

 · I see God working in people's lives, even when they are not following him.

· It is more important to help people know God is for them than to make sure they know they are sinners.

· I feel compassion for people who are not following God and doing immoral things.

The 10 statements used to assess self-righteousness (like the Pharisees), included the following research items:

Self-Righteous Actions:

· I tell others the most important thing in my life is following God's rules.

· I don't talk about my sins or struggles. That's between me and God.

· I try to avoid spending time with people who are openly gay or lesbian.

· I like to point out those who do not have the right theology or doctrine.

· I prefer to serve people who attend my church rather than those outside the church.

Self-Righteous Attitudes:

· I find it hard to be friends with people who seem to constantly do the wrong things.

· It's not my responsibility to help people who won't help themselves.

· I feel grateful to be a Christian when I see other people's failures and flaws.

· I believe we should stand against those who are opposed to Christian values.

· People who follow God's rules are better than those who do not.

Approximately 51% of the Christians polled exhibited Pharisaical tendencies, meaning they affiliated with self-righteous actions and attitudes. With these findings, it is unsurprising why Christianity continues to decline and people's belief in God is waning. But the good news of this study is that there is clearly mission for the church today, and that as disciples become better at stewarding the gifts God has given us with humility, we may reach even more people with the grace and love of God in Jesus Christ. Now - acting and believing as Jesus did seems a tall order, but we have just spent the last three weeks exploring how stewarding faith, gratitude, and persistence can lead to believing and acting Christ-like. When you think about the opposite of these characteristics: fear, ingratitude, complacency, and arrogance, it becomes even more clear as to just how living in discipleship can point to the goodness of God's love.

 When we steward with humility, we are ultimately surrendering to the belief that God is God and we are not. It is a posture that does not take claim on God's grace as a prize for good behavior, but rather as a gift given simply because God desires for us to have abundant life. The tax collector knew there was nothing he could do that would merit God's grace, and again taking the posture similar to the Samaritan from the gospel two weeks ago, asked for God's mercy and went home justified.

From a posture of humility, the gifts and lives that disciples steward become for the world an invitation to God's abundant life. Adopting this posture of humility means that life is less about being right and more about being in right relationship. Living in humility means that we give not out of a sense of checking a box but out of a belief that God might use the gift to make the world a better place. Humble lives that steward gifts become lives that invite others into abundance and faith, lights that shine in the darkness and a balm in the wounded world.

It is a gift for a disciple to arrive at the end of this God-given life and be able to say, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race." Living with humility acknowledges that we do what we can while we are able and leave the rest to God - not taking undue credit nor squandering the gifts bestowed upon us in baptism. Out of living waters, graced with mercy and forgiveness, disciples are sent into the world to live freely and joyfully, not because they are better than others but because, in humility, their lives give glory to the God who created the world and sent Jesus Christ to reconcile all things.

Knowing this, in humility, it becomes joyful to give - of time, of self, of possessions - because each of these gifts becomes an opportunity for the Holy Spirit to move in the world, to change hearts, and to breathe God's promises to life. May it be that for us as individuals and communities our stewarded lives are good news for the world.