August 24th, 2023

GREETINGS TO THE HOLY PEOPLE OF GOD,

Who do you say that I am?  That is the question Jesus asks his disciples (Matthew 16:15) in the district of Caesarea Philippi.  It is an area that I visited in Israel.  Banias, named after Pan the half-human, half-goat flute playing Greco-Roman god of shepherds and flocks.  It is an area in northern Israel that had a reputation of pagan worship at the time of Jesus and is now not even a village but a tourist destination.  This is where Jesus also tells Peter that he is the rock upon which Jeus will build his church and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.  And the gates of Hades did not prevail as I walked among the ruins.

Where is Jesus asking you, “Who do you say that I am?”  Jesus comes into the context of our lives and invites us to join in God’s kingdom building efforts where we are.  Jesus empowers us, give us the authority to be ambassadors, representatives and witnesses of what God is doing and promises to work with us where we are.  Our youth this Sunday will share with us how they discovered Jesus in the midst of their mission work in Milwaukee in July.  Our Women of the ELCA will be exploring the Holy Places of Israel and their holy places in their fall bible study.

Now I’m back and still thinking about places and the context and holiness of those places I walk among the ruins in my own environment as I grieve the loss of my brother in-law, Dale, and change hits me from more angles than I like. It is a strange place to be. I wonder if the disciples thought about the strange place that Jesus brought them to and asked them about what others were saying and what they were thinking.  Who do I say that Jesus is? 

On that same day of walking amongst the ruins, we also took a hike to the spring and stream that was diverted by an earthquake in 1033.  The spring and stream that once flowed out of the mouth of the huge cave that now sits in ruins.  We could see the trout swimming and the paths of animals that made their way to quench their thirst.  And we were refreshed as we hiked along the stream with all its waterfalls.

Who do you say that I am?  Peter says, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”  What do we say?  You are Jesus, God’s Son who keeps coming to us in the midst of our ruins, the changes, the grief, the earthquakes and fires and new beginnings. Jesus, you are the source of life and I find refreshment in the diversions and changes I encounter as I keep turning to you and trusting you.

What do you say when Jesus asks, “who do you say that I am?”

Bold Inquisitive Belief Loving Expansively,

Pastor Connie Spitzack

July 27th, 2023

GREETINGS FROM THE HOLY LAND,

Wednesday is our desert day.  We are not going into the desert, but this place Jerusalem and Bethlehem sit on the edge of the desert with the dead sea, the lowest place on earth just a ridge of hills away.  This is a day where we have been given the gift of time to “savor and relish”, to attempt to digest all that we have taken in.  It has been a month-long feast and my mind whirls attempting to let this nourish me for I am one to take a fantasy journey with all that has been given and this holy place is indeed a place of dreams and hopes amidst harsh history and heavy realities of current living conditions as a new nation that is only 75 years old take shape in a land marked by many rulers. As one of our tour guides said, even though this is a hard time, it is the best time as this time we are not being ruled from the outside.

Shukran!! To my ear it sounds like a form of sugar, sweetness that means, “thank-you” in Arabic.  Shukran is a way to communicate appreciation to another for their kindness.  Kamal Mukarker, one of our guides spoke of his love for the Arabic language, it’s beauty and poetry so that when you say, shukran (thank-you) we follow it up with more words, picture words that map out more clearly the thanks we are giving.

When I read the Psalms with that in mind, one line feeding off of the other, giving more of a picture, I will now have more than what a picture can give for I have seen the places, the landscape.  My feet have touched the ground.  I have felt the heat of the sun as we scurried for shade whenever we could.  Psalm 121 comes alive in a new way – “The sun shall not strike you by day.” and “I will lift up my eyes to the hills”, hills that I have seen and walked for a brief time.  These people are a hardy bunch to live upon this land and thrive with all its conflict and history.  They have much to teach us.  Us, whose lives are not built upon such history or harshness.  There is wisdom to be found here.  I pray that God will help me to peel back the layers of what I have feasted on, giving me the ability to articulate what I have feasted on for you and the community where we find ourselves.

As we prepare for hosting National Night Out, you might try to add this Arabic word to your greetings to our neighbors, many of whom just might speak Arabic.  Go to the internet and listen to the sound of it and become familiar so that we can thank our neighbors for coming.  For God is working through us, patiently waiting for us to lift up our eyes knowing that our help comes from the Lord.  God will help us to reach out and walk with our neighbors and so much more.  For God is all about helping us to live together, loving one another and loving God.

After our desert day we will head to Jericho, Jordan River for an affirmation of our Baptism, Dead Sea float and farewell dinner.  Friday, we head to Tel Aviv and will spend time in another body of water, the Mediterranean Sea and travel home on Sunday.  I hope to see you at National Neighborhood Night Out. I’ve missed you all and look forward to seeing you again.  Shukran!!!  Thank you for this amazing time of continuing education.  

Bold Inquisitive Belief Loving Expansively,

 Pastor Connie Spitzack

July 20th, 2023

GREETINGS FROM THE SEA OF GALILEE,

This week we are on the road, staying a couple of nights in Nazareth and a couple of nights at the Sea of Galilee.  It has been very hot here with temperatures reaching 100 degrees.  Good for us that we are at the sea for not only a boat ride but also swimming.  What a delight it is to be in the land and on the waters where Jesus lived, to see the ruins and imagine his life among the people.  There is a saying here that Jesus spent 30 years in Nazareth, 3 years in Capernaum and 3 days in Jerusalem.

The 30 years has been referred to as the “hidden years”, the years of common, everyday life that Jesus lived in his hometown with his family, relatives and friends in a town of about 200.  He knew everyone and they knew him.  Think about how hard it is for us to hear a new thing, a different thing from someone we know well.  Jesus is rejected by his hometown folks when he makes claims about his relationship with God.

It is thought that Joseph and Jesus would have sought carpentry or stone work in Sepphoris which would have been a large city at the time of Jesus.  Jesus would have had access to Torah scrolls through the larger synagogue as well as exposure to a larger culture. This was part of his preparations for the 3 years of ministry.

Those 3 years of ministry are done in the region of Galilee, a beautiful and lush area.  Calling fishermen, teaching and healing and bringing good news to all the people. And meeting the disciples after the resurrection giving them the command to love and tend God’s people.  And that is what we do together in community – love and tend to one another following our good shepherd, Jesus who shows us the way.

Thank you for your prayers.  I pray for you as well.  I pray for our youth on their mission trip and for the final preparations for our hosting of national night out.  God’s peace and presence surround and keep you all in his loving care. 

Bold Inquisitive Belief Loving Expansively,

Pastor Connie Spitzack

July 13th, 2023

GREETINGS FROM ISRAEL,

Thank you so much for this opportunity to explore the Holy Land through this Tantur program.  I hope you have been able to browse through the pictures I’ve been sharing on our CTK group Facebook. We are a community of 12 pilgrims with 3 guides that know well how to shape, support and encourage community.  They have partnered with wonderful people in this larger community to share the many complexities of this holy place.

We begin each day with mass or morning prayer and end the day with ecumenical prayer which each of us takes turns leading and sharing from our respective backgrounds.  There is a good mix of Catholics, Anglicans, and Lutherans.  The food is very good and westernized to fit the college student’s tastes.  I was hoping for more hummus but there is lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. 

Each Monday afternoon we share our reflections as well as when we have our meals together.  Our time is interwoven with lectures and outings.  We explored how the cannon of the Bible was put together and how we weave our lives with God’s story to share God’s good news.  Our evangelism, our good news telling is wrapped up in the books of the Bible.  The beauty and complexity of community and how God slowly works through us, desiring us to bear God’s name faithfully in our lives and communities.  It took a long time for the cannon, the 66 books of the library of our Bible to come together and shape our communities of faith.

We have explored the churches that have been built upon holy sites.  The Church of the Holy Sepulchre that is shared by Christians and claims the place of crucifixion and tomb.  The Chapel of the Ascension that claims the place of Jesus’ feet leaving the ground as he ascends back to his Father. We worshipped and prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane and explored the churches and chapels. I am learning more about the Eastern Christian Churches – Armenian, Syrian, Coptic.  There are 14 leaders in the Eastern Orthodox Church.

Christ Church is the oldest Protestant community in the Middle East and is a center of prayer for all nations with worship reflecting the Jewish context of the gospel and was influential in providing health care and education which the Lutherans also followed suit which helped to transform the society encouraging more religious communities to reach out to those in greatest need.

We had an introduction to Judaism from three different Jews, two who served in the Israeli military as young adults.  It is so good to hear first-hand stories and explanations of their faith, ethnicity, and practices.  I finally have the Jewish lectionary laid out for me and have gathered some wonderful resources to tap into Midrash, Mishnah and Talmud which Jesus would have been familiar with.  I’m getting my bearing in a whole new way and meeting Jesus again and anew.  It’s like discovering a whole new part of a friend you’ve known for a long time.  It’s a wonderful surprise. 

Thank you again for this wonderful opportunity.  I am so grateful. 

Bold Inquisitive Belief Loving Expansively,

Pastor Connie Spitzack

July 13th, 2023

GREETINGS FROM ISRAEL,

Thank you so much for this opportunity to explore the Holy Land through this Tantur program.  I hope you have been able to browse through the pictures I’ve been sharing on our CTK group Facebook. We are a community of 12 pilgrims with 3 guides that know well how to shape, support and encourage community.  They have partnered with wonderful people in this larger community to share the many complexities of this holy place.

We begin each day with mass or morning prayer and end the day with ecumenical prayer which each of us takes turns leading and sharing from our respective backgrounds.  There is a good mix of Catholics, Anglicans, and Lutherans.  The food is very good and westernized to fit the college student’s tastes.  I was hoping for more hummus but there is lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. 

Each Monday afternoon we share our reflections as well as when we have our meals together.  Our time is interwoven with lectures and outings.  We explored how the cannon of the Bible was put together and how we weave our lives with God’s story to share God’s good news.  Our evangelism, our good news telling is wrapped up in the books of the Bible.  The beauty and complexity of community and how God slowly works through us, desiring us to bear God’s name faithfully in our lives and communities.  It took a long time for the cannon, the 66 books of the library of our Bible to come together and shape our communities of faith.

We have explored the churches that have been built upon holy sites.  The Church of the Holy Sepulchre that is shared by Christians and claims the place of crucifixion and tomb.  The Chapel of the Ascension that claims the place of Jesus’ feet leaving the ground as he ascends back to his Father. We worshipped and prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane and explored the churches and chapels. I am learning more about the Eastern Christian Churches – Armenian, Syrian, Coptic.  There are 14 leaders in the Eastern Orthodox Church.

Christ Church is the oldest Protestant community in the Middle East and is a center of prayer for all nations with worship reflecting the Jewish context of the gospel and was influential in providing health care and education which the Lutherans also followed suit which helped to transform the society encouraging more religious communities to reach out to those in greatest need.

We had an introduction to Judaism from three different Jews, two who served in the Israeli military as young adults.  It is so good to hear first-hand stories and explanations of their faith, ethnicity, and practices.  I finally have the Jewish lectionary laid out for me and have gathered some wonderful resources to tap into Midrash, Mishnah and Talmud which Jesus would have been familiar with.  I’m getting my bearing in a whole new way and meeting Jesus again and anew.  It’s like discovering a whole new part of a friend you’ve known for a long time.  It’s a wonderful surprise. 

Thank you again for this wonderful opportunity.  I am so grateful. 

Bold Inquisitive Belief Loving Expansively,

Pastor Connie Spitzack