The rest of the cast, crew and legion of volunteers behind the scenes are all feeling various levels of excitement mixed with anxiety as opening night approaches. I have the privilege of being in this church a fair amount each day. I have witnessed a steady stream of activity as this production is brought to fruition, from early planning sessions, set construction, pit orchestra rehearsals, publicity meetings, costume fittings, and the list goes on.

Oh, goodness – there goes that rapid heartbeat again. With all this commotion and nervous excitement, how do any of us caught in this whirlwind of activity center ourselves in the week ahead?

Recently I attended the Minneapolis Synod Assembly. Throughout the two days, we went about the business of the church. We passed resolutions and elected The Reverend Ann Svennungsen as our new Bishop for the Minneapolis Synod. This coming together of the body of Christ was truly wonderful. The worship service that began the assembly was uplifting. Over 700 voices rose in song…and everyone was singing! During the course of the day, prayers were offered up before every vote and we had Bible studies and devotions referred to as “Dwelling in the Word.” We attended to the business of the church, but always knew where our center was, in Christ.

I am forever grateful to have attended the assembly. It provided me with a guide to this coming week. I will take Pastor Kristie’s suggestion from her Lenten Activities Calendar and read a Psalm a day, so that I may dwell in the Word. I will take time to read a chapter a day from our Lenten study book, Sabbath: Finding Rest, Renewal, and Delight in our Busy Lives, to center myself and find inner peace. I will raise my voice in prayer and song during Lenten services with this wonderful congregation as part of the body of Christ. As I write this, I am feeling a sense of calm come over me.  Interesting how simply typing these words brings me a little closer to center.

The Lord is my strength, my shield. My heart was sure of him, I have been helped and my heart exults, with my song I give him thanks. ~ Psalms28:7

Marilyn Syverson, Church Administrator

I was at an ELEA early childhood conference recently and the guest speaker, Jason Kotecki, spoke about not letting adultitis take over your life. Adultitis is wanting to escape adulthood and return to the carefree days of being a child. It’s the crazy notion that there is more to life than the hectic busyness and overwhelming stress that are typical of most modern lives. Jason Kotecki states,” Life is meant to be lived to the fullest, and your life should be bursting with big dreams, oodles of passion, and an enthusiastic playfulness. I believe in curiosity, delighting in the little things, and a faith that knows things always work out for the best.”

Our focus during Lent, which begins next week, is to take more time for rest and renewal in our busy lives. If you hear yourself saying, “I just don’t have the time,” turn around and ask yourself if you really need to be so busy? It’s all about the little choices you make every day, your time management, and your priorities. It all comes down to YOU.

Don’t just exist. Fight adultitis and start doing something to bring meaning back into your life.

~Susan Schmidt, Preschool Director

We wake up every morning, not sure what the day will bring. Could today be a chocolate kind with caramel filling (my favorite), with smooth endings and perfect, just-as-planned beginnings?

Perhaps it could be a coconut chocolate, filled with surprises – I thought I had everything in order but nothing turned out just the way I expected. The day becomes filled with tasks I didn’t plan on doing and I rely on friends to cope with the surprise.

Then there’s the cherry-filled candy, not at the top of my list but still a piece of choclolate that’s included in the box. These particular candies make me stop in my tracks and want to choose another one instead.  Days like this come with no answer that seems right for what is going on in my world. These are the days when I need to remember that God is with us and God’s love never fails us.

We may not be able to see what kind of candy it is through the wrapper, just as we may not know in the morning what the coming day will be like.  But we can be certain that each day is wrapped in God’s love and perfection. And each one is a gift. So no matter what flavor ours turns out to be, we are thankful we had the opportunity to taste that piece of ‘chocolate.’

And here’s a thought — maybe we’re the chocolates in God’s box of candy. Some of us may be caramel-filled, some filled with cherries, and a lot of us may be various kinds of nuts. But God loves each of us, no matter what is revealed when God unwraps us and peers inside.

“Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end” ~ .1 Corinthians 13:8

Blessings,

Pam Schumacher, Connections Coordinator at Family of Christ Lutheran

In Muller’s opening pages, he observes how most of us continually talk about the fact that we are “so busy.” Muller writes, “We say this (‘I am so busy’) to one another with no small degree of pride, as if our exhaustion were a trophy, our ability to withstand stress a mark of real character. The busier we are, the more important we seem to ourselves and, we imagine, to others. To be unavailable to our friends and family, to be unable to find time for the sunset (or even to know that the sun has set at all), to whiz through our obligations without time for a single, mindful breath, this has become the model of a successful life….Life has become a maelstrom in which speed and accomplishment, consumption and productivity have become the most valued human commodities.”

I, for one, have fallen victim to the falseness of these beliefs. The busier I become and the harder I work the more I feel I am of value, a belief that is deep-rooted in me from childhood. Working beyond my capacity has become my norm, and as I read further into the book I started to question other reasons why I insist on being “so busy.” Could it be that keeping life hectic allows me to ignore a truth within that I don’t want to face? Have money and material things become my false idols? Would my confidence shed along with my identity if I attempted to slow down a little in life? All questions to ponder. I believe most of us at times have fallen victim to rushing through this life, forgetting to acknowledge our most wonderful Lord and His beautiful creation of life that has been gifted to each and every one of us. I can only imagine how much it saddens our Lord to see us running around, stressed out, burnt out, and frayed at the edges.

So, how do we lovingly combat this problem? How can we turn life around? Muller suggests the following: Remember the Sabbath. He goes on to state, “Sabbath is more than the absence of work; it is not just a day off, when we catch up on television or errands. It is the presence of something that arises when we consecrate a period of time to listen to what is most deeply beautiful, nourishing, or true. It is time consecrated with our attention, our mindfulness, honoring those quiet forces of grace or spirit that sustain and heal us.”

If any of these ideas speak to you, I suggest you pick up a copy of Sabbath and start reading it with the rest of us. And, for today, have the mindfulness to change one thing. Take the time to truly enjoy the flavor of your morning coffee. Light your favorite candle this evening and observe the flicker of the light and the essence of its scent. Acknowledge the beauty of God’s sunset. Find the glory in the simplest things today, even if just for a moment. God gave us our bodies, minds, and spirits that they may be whole. We must take care of ourselves and, in return, we’ll be able to take care of others, just as God intended us to live.

Finally, I quote the Dalai Lama. When asked what surprises him most about humanity, he replied, “Man….sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.” Definitely food for thought, don’t you think?

~ Andrea Jeitz, Interim Director of Worship & Music

Many times when you’re on a journey you can’t see much more than to the next bend in the path. You’re not always sure what’s around that bend – it could be a splendid view…or it could be a bear blocking your way. It’s only when you reach the peak that you can peek out and see what lies ahead of you. Sometimes you see rivers, lakes and forests. You may also see other peaks that call to you, urging you to keep climbing.

I think that we here at Family of Christ have reached a peak. What a great time to look out and see all that God calls us to be.

But we can’t stop for long here. We must move on. God is calling us to follow, wherever that may lead.

~ Greg Provo, Custodian

I’m fascinated by Evie, the grandma, who, after years of faithfully (and hilariously) tending her children and grandchildren, is now stepping out on her own to do the things she’s always dreamed of doing — like going on safari in Africa and joining in rebuilding Haiti after the devastating earthquake of 2010. She meets an attractive older gentleman there, so presumably there is more to the story than is revealed in a family newspaper (!). But I think Edie’s adventure is an experience of call.

Our gospel reading for this Sunday is Mark’s account of Jesus calling the first disciples – two sets of brothers, Simon and Andrew, James and John – who at Jesus’ invitation immediately drop their nets, i.e. life as they knew it, to follow him. What Evie is doing is a little like that, I think. She’s heard an inner voice and she sets out, not knowing exactly what she’s in for.

Wow…

I’m wondering, have you ever done that – followed a dream, let a passion be kindled into a fire that set you packing…maybe even to love and serve strangers? Write in to tell your story.

~ Pastor Kristie

Evie is on Facebook so her fans can follow her from our armchairs (click here). Here’s a recent update to her wall:

Evie Stone / Stone Soup Cartoons

This is really hard work, and some days I really feel my age! But I’m getting stronger every day. Still, some days I wonder if I’m really that much help…there are people here much more skilled than me. But many hands make light work. I’m amazed at the houses that are done already, thanks to Haven, the crew from Ireland. It makes me want to keep doing this kind of work forever!

My favorite lesson or truth that I like to teach “my kids” (I think of all the children in church school and Christos as “mine” or ours), is from Ephesians 2:8-10: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not our doing; it is the gift of God – not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what God has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works.”

If each and every one of our children comes away from his or her time in church school with the firm and unwavering belief in his or her own uniqueness and specialness in the eyes of our Lord, we have done our job. For God loves each and every one of us just for who we are, and has a very special plan for us. God gives us the gifts of grace and love, and I pray that every one of “my” kids knows that they cannot and do not have to try to earn this grace – it is a gift.

Even as things change around me and bad things happen in the world, I’ll happily stay in my bubble, knowing that God is at work through me and all of the good people around me. Care to join me?

Lord, I pray that you continue to bless and keep the people of this wonderful church family as we travel together through the exciting future that you have in store for us, and that you work through all of us for good in all of our lives and in those lives that we touch. Amen.

~ Teri Burns, Minister to Children and Families

10. “I Luv Bethlehem” bumper sticker.

9. Subscription to “Better Homes and Stables.”

8. Rain check at the Bethlehem Holiday Inn.

7. A tube of “Deep Heat” (from the shepherds who were “sore afraid”).

6. Lifetime membership to the “Good Shepherd Society.”

5. McNally’s Guide to Egypt.

4. Movie passes to “Star Trek: Journey to THE King.”

3. Book: “All You Wanted to Know About Being Human But Were Afraid To Ask!”

2. A T-Shirt (infant size) with “My Dad’s Out of This World!” written on it.

1. SON glasses.

©1997 by Grant MacDonald. I hope he wouldn’t mind my passing this on!

I hope this gave you a chuckle. See you in church!

~ Jolene Satre, Publisher

A New Year’s resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other.

Many people look forward to the New Year for a new start on old habits.

Youth is when you’re allowed to stay up late on New Year’s Eve. Middle age is when you’re forced to. ~ Bill Vaughan

The New Year is here! It’s time to reflect on the past year and dream dreams for 2012. I don’t know about you, but I am not one to make New Year’s resolutions. Sure, they’re a nice thought, but does anyone actually go through with them? Regardless of whether or not you are a resolution-maker, the New Year always feels like a fresh clean slate. Sadly, that feeling typically doesn’t last for more than a few weeks. We find ourselves slipping back into old habits and before long we find ourselves saying, “maybe next year…”

Luckily, for us, God doesn’t wait until the New Year to give us a fresh start. Lamentations 3 tells us, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” How amazing is God? Each morning God gives us a fresh start, a clean slate, a “New Year” in which we can strive to be a light in our daily worlds. I want to encourage you to remember this after the glitz and glam of the New Year fades and you find yourself falling into old habits. God doesn’t make us wait until the New Year, God gives us a fresh slate each and every day!

Happy New Year!

~ Lindsey Ruhland, Minister to Youth & Families

Our family went to Las Vegas recently for the first time. I was anticipating the lights, the casinos, winning big, and watching a fabulous show. Well, money departed very quickly from my pocket into the casino slot machines. Wow, no wonder everything was so well maintained…  I was obviously doing my part to keep Vegas looking marvelous.

It didn’t take long however, for the “wow” factor to wane on me. The lights were brilliant and exciting, but I noticed my gaze kept moving to the mountains surrounding the valley. The deep darkness – no lights to be seen – comforted me. The show we saw had fabulous singers, but after it was done I longed for silence, perhaps interrupted by the sound of a soft wind through the trees.

I realized that for me, what happens in Vegas really can stay in Vegas. God puts on the best show around – without buying a ticket. So, as you get up to celebrate the birth of another Son this weekend, take a moment and look up from your coffee – enjoy the show.

~ Marilyn Syverson, Church Administrator