Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
We are just a little past the midway point in our Easter celebrations. It has been a glorious season. From lilies and trumpets and music to lead us in praise of our God to baptisms, baptisms, baptisms. A ministry fair and pupusas to purchase and a final trip to New Orleans before the 2024 ELCA Youth Gathering this summer. There is a lot going on and I, for one, am wondering when I can step down from the merry-go-round for a moment.
The school year is quickly coming to an end, which means a graduation to prepare for in our house. Fourteen years ago, when I arrived at Ascension, my oldest child was four years old and now he looks to a new chapter at University of Wisconsin at Madison. This is my moment to say thank you to all of you for helping to shape my son; for providing a place of welcome and hospitality and for allowing him to become his own person in your midst. Sometimes the children of the pastors must deal with a good deal of judgment and pillar balancing. I am grateful that you have allowed my oldest to be himself and know this faith community as a place of welcome and love for most of his life. All that being said, this pastor/dad is learning to balance all the pieces that come with preparing for the first of his children to make his way in the world. I confess, I am not sure how I feel about it. There are a lot of unknowns and several of you have already offered advice and honestly, thank you. Some of it makes me laugh and some of the advice is pure gold and somehow, it will all work itself out.
That is exactly how I am feeling about this summer and preparing to welcome 15,000 high school students – all of them for the very first time – to New Orleans and the Youth Gathering. In some ways, I have it easy this time around. It is my job to entertain and teach faith formation for about 3 and ½ hours each night of the event and make sure closing worship goes off without a hitch and everybody gets communion. Pastor Tony has to keep everyone safe. I think I will stick with my job, thank you very much! As I fly home from New Orleans, I am reflecting on all the work that has been done and the work still to do. Work, I can do because of your support and willingness to allow me to serve the national church in this way. It is no small task, and I am only able to balance the youth gathering and the ministry of Ascension with the partnership of Pastor Tony and Pastor Edwin and the amazing people who I work alongside each day. Amy, Ben, Sarah, Tamie, and Vicki tend to so many moments of ministry alongside the pastors – please thank them when you see them. Ascension runs as smoothly and provides so much to so many because of their dedication.
And then there is this incredible community of people. All of you who show up, step up, and stand up when there is a call to serve in some way to share in the ministry of this community of faith allowing all of us to grow and flourish. It is because of your commitment and faithfulness to the story of God’s love and your willingness to give of yourselves in leadership and love and in sweat and tears and laughter all along the way walking your individual journeys of faith as well, that Ascension becomes more and more of who God is inviting and leading and pushing us to be. Who we are, as the community of Ascension, a place of welcome and multi-cultural ministry, is because of who you are as God blesses you and invites you to share in the story and ministry of this community of faith.
In the season of Easter, as much I want to celebrate the resurrection and give praise to God alone, I am also filled with deep gratitude for the ways in which God inspires you to serve; to care for the other; to walk alongside each other and serve the world around us all to the glory of God. I am humbled to serve as one of your pastors and grateful for the ministry we share.
See you in church.
Pastor Chris
