from Pastor John D. F. Nelson
What is your goal when you come to worship? Do you have expectations when you walk in the door? I would guess that if you are like everyone else there are certain things you assume will take place within the service. We all have things we like and things we could do without, but for the most part we come to engage in a worshipful experience. We expect to hear music, readings from the Bible, a sermon that we hope is interesting and not too long, and to receive the sacrament. These are all foundational pieces to any worship service and how they are done holds great meaning to all of us.
As worship leaders we have additional goals for each service we create and lead. Our staff brings a variety of experiences and preferences for worship styles we find to be powerful – just as Gethsemane has many rich and meaningful practices in its tradition. There are different parts and pieces we each value, but as worship planners what we hold sacred is that when people come to worship, ourselves included, we want everyone to be engaged by God.
Now, in no way do we think we control how God works through what we do, but we certainly are intentional about trying to make everything we do in worship direct us toward God. We want to use whatever means we can to connect those who come with God at work in this place. Often that means getting out of the way, but other times it means trying new innovations to connect us with God. When we do that, the tension that builds is our wanting to work with new innovations while balancing our beloved traditions and rituals. We like to think of this process as Purposeful Innovation. We do not make changes and modifications just for the sake of change or personal preference, but we do them with the intended purpose of engaging the congregation with the living spirit of God.
You have probably noticed some changes, like the use of a new liturgy, real bread at communion, relocations of the baptismal font, and various other things that we are trying for the purpose of engaging people in a new way. We want to refocus people on what they are doing, and we are trying to use a variety of teaching elements and styles to do that. We will sometimes use full liturgy and other times use “non-churchy words” that use everyday language to connect with people in a different way.
At all times we want to know what works for you and what does not, and ask that you try it for a while to see how God might be present in this new way. We know there will be some disappointment for those who have grown accustomed to a particular style, but our goal is to create dynamic worship for all who come. In no way is this “the last will and testament” of our service formats but simply an effort to explore new options. We greatly value your input and the care you have for this church. Please continue to share your thoughts with us, and thank you for your partnership in creating a worshipful community.
In Christ’s Peace,
Pastor John
from Pastor Laurie Eaton
“Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” If we are lucky, we learn this early, and it provides a solid, life-long foundation for our sense of who we are, and our place in the world. A three-year-old can sing this familiar song and internalize the central message of the Christian faith. Jesus loves you. But for most of us, a three-year-old faith wears thin. We outgrow it, just as we outgrow tricycles and baby shoes. So, then what? When our questions, challenges, thoughts, and searching take us where this simple phrase no longer satisfies, what do we do?
We turn, of course, to the same place that gave us our first child-sized insight. The Bible, Holy Scripture, the written Word of God, contains wisdom, insight, history, poetry, passion, conviction, violence, love, and revelation passed on for generations. For Christians, Scripture contains our “first language of faith.” That is to say, it is through the stories and accounts recorded in the Bible that we hear about, read about, and learn how the Living God has been persistently pursuing all people since the beginning of creation! It is, quite simply, a love story of cosmic proportions.
The only way we can know that is to read it. But even reading on our own is not quite enough. Like the Ethiopian eunuch, whom Philip engaged while he was riding in his chariot, “how can I understand without someone to explain it to me?” (There’s a teaser for you – do you know that story?)
Our faith as Christians draws us deeply into a community of love, founded on real relationships – with God, with one another, and with the whole world. As we focus on the “Elements of a Living Faith” we begin by focusing on Studying Scripture. Sunday school begins. Children receive Bibles. Confirmation classes resume. And all of us are invited to take part in some truly good reading!
For starters, consider joining Behold! Bible Study. Pick up a copy of “Christ in Our Home” and read the few verses appointed for each day. Join one of the several Men’s Ministry Bible studies. Participate in a Women’s circle – each of which spend part of their time in devotions. Watch the newsletter, monitors, and web-site for the various Bible study opportunities that will be offered through this year. Attend Adult Forum and learn about the ELCA’s “Book of Faith” initiative.
Grow in faith by planting your roots firmly in the ground of scripture! Your name is written into the story!!
from Doug Rasmussen, Council President
It has been a great summer! Church camp outs, parade floats, new hymnals, and VBS! I still can’t get those Rain Forest Adventure tunes out of my head. Pastor John thinks he is ready to sign a recording contract! Although I mourn the ending of summer I am really excited about the plans our staff has made for the coming year.
It will all start with Rally Sunday on September 7th. As you read in Pastor John’s article we are kicking off a new congregational initiative called "Elements of a Living Faith." This initiative came out of our staff/council retreat and long range planning sessions. Our goal is to build up the body of Christ and send us out to serve. There is an amazing array of ministries at Gethsemane to help us do that and on Rally Sunday Day we lift them up and support them as a church.
As you may remember our approved budget included a $20,000 fundraiser to support our programs. Rally Day will be the one giving opportunity to do that. The Stewardship committee is working with the staff to put this event together called “Fulfilling the Body of Christ.” When we financially support our budget it pays for staff and programs that teach, reach out, and go out in Jesus’ name. The exciting part of this event is that we have a number of congregational members who are so excited about the energy and direction of our church they have made a $15,000 challenge gift to the event. They will match dollar for dollar, up to $15,000, all donations for this fundraiser so we have the opportunity to not only meet but surpass our budgeted shortfall and spread our reach even further in Christ’s name.
On Rally Day we will have our fall festival worship service at 10:00 a.m. and then invite everyone out to the front parking lot for the celebration and fund raiser. There will be games, food, and lots of information on all of the ways our programs help us “Fulfill the Body of Christ” together. At the different booths you will have the opportunity to make a donation to the different areas of ministry and help Christ’s feet walk, Christ’s heart care, and Christ hands reach those in need.
This will be a great time to "be the church" as the VBS kids will sing in worship and we may even see the now famous VBS Band featuring the soon-to-be-recorded (in his head), Pastor John! Come join us for the party and let’s get the year started right!
As always pray for our church and the church council.
from Pastor John Nelson
Have you ever noticed someone who is really excited about something he/she newly discovered or something they figured out how to use after a great deal of frustration. Think of a child when they figure out for the first time how to tie a shoe, or ride a bike. They know this is a useful skill but they just couldn’t figure out before how to properly use it. Then, all of a sudden it all comes together and they light up with their discovery and they can not wait to show others. It makes all the difference, like something has come alive that was dead.
It can be the same way with our faith. Faith is a gift we are given by the grace of God. Perhaps it began for us in our Baptism or later when we first began to hear about God and wondered how everything came to be. Faith is a gift that starts small and needs to be opened, nurtured, and wrestled with so that it can grow and bring us the fullness of life that God promises. We don’t usually get it all right away; it takes time.
Sometimes faith lies dormant like a seed. Other times it is a withering plant, lacking nourishment and care. The reality is that faith is not an object that once you have it you are good to go and have nothing else to do. We are given faith in the expectation that we will learn to use it. We are given faith to bring us new life, life that we would not have otherwise. However, to have a living faith we have to tend to it, work with it, learn how to use it, engage it, and help it come to fruition. Only then will our faith produce fruit for our lives and blossom so that new seeds of faith will fall on others.
To make this happen there are certain ELEMENTS that naturally feed a living faith. They are a part of a living faith, and they are the fruit of a living faith.
Prayer
Worship
Studying Scripture
Sharing God's Story
Acts of Service & Justice
Building Spiritual Friendships
Stewardship of our Life and Resources
For the next year our congregation and every ministry we have will be lifting up these seven elements to help us all focus on what it means to be a Christian. The theme came out of our Five-Year Plan and we chose this year to focus on identifying who we are as Christians and what difference that makes in our lives. "Elements of a Living Faith" speaks in a universal language that we all can relate to. It uses sacramental language to connect faith to life; for we use earthly elements in the sacraments that deliver God’s grace, and in turn God uses these practices to help bring about God’s kingdom in our lives and in the world.
How is your faith life? Are you a strong vibrant tree with deep roots of faith, or are you going through a drought in your spiritual life? Is God present in your daily life and work or does God seem distant?
I invite you to join us on Rally Sunday as we kick off a four-week sermon series on the Elements of a Living Faith and explore together what it means to live a life of faith and how you can help your faith come alive in Christ!
I hope to see you there.
from Pastor Laurie A. Eaton
While we remember that Jesus sent his disciples out into the world to be witnesses to the radical love of God revealed in Christ, we also have a responsibility for hospitality to those who make their way to our church home. This ministry of hospitality has taken this verse as its defining mission on behalf of Gethsemane:
“Welcome one another, therefore, as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” - Romans 15:17
You have heard from me before about the variety of ways in which we seek to make all of God's children comfortable in this beautiful space that is ours to share and care for. Over the summer months, a small group of committed members, actually a sub-committee of the Hospitality Team, has been looking specifically at what it means to actually be welcoming, and to encourage all of us to be more intentional about sharing the joy of extending hospitality to others.
Named "Hospitality Plus," this group is sponsoring a series of sessions to help each of us consider exactly what we mean when we think of ourselves as a "welcoming" congregation. In other places in this newsletter, you can find a general overview of what the committee has been working on (see "What in the World Are We Doing?") My purpose here is to encourage each of us – especially those who have not been able to participate in the sessions – to really reflect on how it is that Christ has welcomed you into this community of faith. Whether your family has been here for generations or you just moved into the apartment next door, each of us is part of this community solely because God claimed us in baptism into Christ. Jesus takes up residence in each of us and continues God's good work of new creation in and through us for the rest of our lives.
While we are all tempted to make generalizations about an "average" Gethsemane member, we learned in our first session that very few of us actually "fit" that description. What that means, more significantly, is that in one way or another we all know what it is like to feel "excluded" or as though we don’t really belong. Even here in church! What's more, we learned that the color of our skin, our family or economic status, and where we were born determines whether we have privileges in our society or not. Regardless of any personal responsibility!
In the session last week, we looked at some of the ways in which scripture is used to divide and reject rather than to welcome and invite. And we are reminded again to consider the welcome we ourselves have received from Christ. We will continue our conversations, learning from the leader of another congregation that has wrestled with similar questions and challenges, and we will hear the stories of our very own members and friends about what it is like to be an "outsider" within God's family.
Our job, our call, is to proclaim the good news of God's radical and inclusive love in Christ Jesus. That call is not just for a few, but for every single person, for the sake of all creation. Because we have been made part of Christ's body, let us work together to include everyone in God's loving embrace!
