By the Strength and Grace of God

What joy it gives me to share summer greetings with you!

To be honest, I am a little overwhelmed. The month of June did not disappoint with outdoor worship services, baptisms, senior toweling, JOLT Adventure Camp, the delegation from our sister parishes in El Salvador, the ordination and installation of the newly-minted Rev. Edwin Aparicio, and the blessing and sending of our delegation of members to renew our relationships with our sister parishes in the Meru Diocese of Tanzania.

And now – Pastor Edwin running the world of Ascension. It is as it should be. “Let the new guy do it,” I said as I stepped onto the plane for Tanzania. The time in Tanzania is about renewing relationships and celebrating the education ministry of our partner schools as well as tending the grief of members of our sister parishes who have been forced from their land and repatriated to other land in the area in the government’s eminent domain landgrab. Crops are still struggling, which means livestock is struggling, which means our sisters and brothers are struggling and yet they are so very excited to welcome our return. They are also hungry to share their appreciation for your generosity in gifts to provide food for our three or four partner schools – so much to be grateful for as we return to Usa River and the people of God who gather to worship and minister in and through the Samaria, Neema, and Galilaya parishes. Your prayers are deeply appreciated for safety, health, smooth dirt roads and no impromptu rivers flooding our vehicles. The adventure continues.

Closer to home, I give thanks for so many who offer their hands and feet as the visible work of God in tending the needs of Ascension and our partners in the community. From continuing to tend the landscaping and maintenance needs of the church campus to volunteering to help out at the Hope Center to renewing our partnership with NAMI (the National Alliance of Mental Illness) to preparing for fall programming while we are still rejoicing in the days of summer. The great wonder and beauty of who we are as the community of Ascension is the reflection of God’s love in the gathered community as we serve each other and the world outside our doors. So many of you tend so many moments behind the scenes without recognition or reward. Let me simply say, “thank you.”

Someone outside Ascension sent me a note. It was handwritten which is the reason it stands out in memory. They shared their gratitude for a moment of ministry offered to them in the past couple of months and wanted me to know that it was a testament to the “flourishing” community of Ascension that they felt moved to write the note. Flourishing is a word I do not use very often. My wife’s garden is flourishing with the heat and the added water as long as I stay away from it. The junior high students at Adventure Camp were flourishing in their willingness to step out in faith and courage and face their fears. In response to my request, so many of you offered to help with the welcoming of our brothers and sisters from El Salvador and with the ordination of Pastor Edwin – which invites all of us to flourish when the Word of God is preached and our God is praised and the story of God’s love is shared. Wherever, whenever we gather together to walk together we flourish as the community of Ascension and in our own flourishing we invite others to flourish. After all, the tagline of Ascension is not simply a tagline for us – it is a way of life. It is our way of life. Remember?

Juntos nos levantamos … together we rise.

Yes, indeed, we do. By the strength and grace of God, together we rise. Thanks be to God!

See you in church.

Pastor Chris

Ordinary Life … Extraordinary!

“So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.” (1Corinthians 10:31)

My feet are killing me. I’m so hungry I could eat a horse. That plane ride took forever. This is the best book ever written. I’ve told you this a million times.

Much of our lives are sprinkled with hyperbole – a common expression defined as exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally. Perhaps that’s because we humans have always been enticed by the “shiny new object.” And I wonder if that’s because our misguided hunger for what’s new, popular, unique, and exciting holds us captive to our vanity?

In our Western Christianity we tend to follow the liturgical seasons and we are now in the time after Pentecost – a time Lutherans also reference as Ordinary Time. Depending how you count it, it’s 33 or 34 weeks and the liturgical color is always green.

When you hear the word “ordinary” what’s the first thing that comes to your mind? Boring? Familiar? Usual? Plain? I think it’s fairly common for most of us to think of “ordinary” in this way, but I do wonder if beauty and amazement can be found in the “ordinary,” especially because so much of our lives are spent in seemingly “ordinary” moments.

We usually eat and sleep at about the same time each day. Our daily diets are fairly usual. The routes we commute to work, school, and social activities are so routine that our smart phones often tell us where we’re going and when we’ll get there even before we’ve left the house.

But ordinary doesn’t have to mean insignificant or unimportant. Sleeping is certainly a very ordinary thing to do, but it’s critical for our health and well-being. The ordinary, “thank you” and “you’re welcome” exchanged between people might not solve world hunger, but it does matter.

So much of the ordinary in our world goes unnoticed. So much of the ordinary never makes the news. But let me tell you, ordinary matters. Just ask anyone going through grief counseling and they’ll tell you without hesitation that they’d give anything to have another “ordinary” moment with their loved one who died.

The ordinary moments of our lives don’t have to leave us sedated, bored, or uninterested. Just take a good look around you. Take a moment to actually notice and appreciate all the people and things that ordinarily surround you each day.

Love, grace, mercy, death, resurrection, prayer, Jesus, rest, food, nature, laughter, work, family, and friends – these are just some of the amazing things that make up my ordinary life. And yet, as I take time to reflect on each of them and the value they have in my life I begin to notice them no longer as ordinary but extraordinary. My simple prayer is that in all things each one of us would take the time to dwell on and give thanks and praise to God who graciously gifts us every ordinary-extraordinary thing.

~ Pastor Tony

Ordination & Installation

By the grace of God and the call of the Holy Spirit, the honor of your presence in worship and prayer is requested by the community of Ascension Lutheran Church at the ordination and installation of Edwin Alexander Aparicio Ortez into the Ministry of Word and Sacrament in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

3:30 p.m., Sunday, June 25, 2023
Ascension Lutheran Church
1415 Dopp Street, Waukesha, WI  53188

A dinner reception will follow the worship service.

Bishop Paul Erickson – Greater Milwaukee Synod, Presiding
Reverend Christian Marien, Preaching

Clergy are invited to vest and process for worship. The color of the day is red.

Young at Heart (55+)

Dancing Horses Theatre Aug. 17

Over 55? You’re invited to the Young at Heart trip to the Dancing Horses Theater on Thursday, Aug. 17. For the cost of $75, enjoy a bus ride, box lunch, and watch the show at 1 p.m.

We’ll leave Ascension at 11 a.m. The box lunch includes a turkey club sandwich on croissant, potato salad, fruit cup, cupcake, and lemonade or water. Sign-up in church on Sundays, June 11 and June 18, or at the next Young at Heart meeting on June 21. Sign-up and pay by Wednesday, July 19.

Waukesha K-9 Unit Presentation & Demonstration June 21

The Young at Heart group meets on the third Wednesday of each month for a potluck and to play cards and games. At the June meeting, there will also be a presentation and demonstration by the Waukesha K-9 Unit. Bring a dish to pass for the potluck at noon. The presentation will be at 12:45 p.m. followed by cards and games.

Bunco — Not Just for the Young at Heart!

Join the Young at Heart and others on the fourth Wednesday of the month from 1 to 3 p.m. for a few rounds of bunco (a dice game) and a lot of laughter!

What’s Next?

Graduation is now a memory. As you know, on Sunday, May 14, my family and I had a wonderful weekend. My wife even took a day off of work for the first time to extend our stay in Dubuque. On Friday, we visited the aquarium before heading to the seminary. My daughters, Marta and Luisa, were very surprised when they saw Wartburg for the first time. Luisa said this, “Did Daddy go to Harry Potter’s school?” Having toured the building a bit, Luisa wanted to visit the seminary playground. Marta and I joined the cricket game for faculty, students and their families. Marta loved cricket and she’s ready to bring it to Ascension.

Edwin graduating from seminary,
May 2023

Saturday was a day of much practice and celebration. My daughters were part of the baccalaureate procession, so even they had to attend practice. That evening we all attended the banquet where families and friends participated and witnessed the wonderful stories of this brilliant Christian community called Wartburg Theological Seminary.

After four years of waiting — Sunday — graduation day arrived, but the day did not start the way I wanted it to start. I realized that morning that in my excitement I had never written the prayers of the people to send to Pastor Jay, who was subbing for me at Ascension. I stayed in the hotel room, but in my excitement, it took me longer to write the prayers than usual. Finally, my parents-in-law offered to drive to campus with our daughters to save us seats. They got there just in time to get the last seats in the last row! Finally, the prayers were finished, I emailed them to Pastor Tony. My wife and I arrived at seminary and we were able to walk in one minute before the procession started. 

In the afternoon, we had the graduation ceremony. During the ceremony, I was flooded with memories. Remembering my past as a child in my country El Salvador, memories of my time working with the Iglesia Luterana Salvadareña, thought of the ever-present support of the Ascension community, and reflections of all the things my family had to bear due to my absence and my stress. At last the diploma was placed in my hands. The first thing I did was check my name. It was misspelled in the program, so I was worried, but they got it right where it matters — my diploma was written correctly. 

In the month of May, I received an invitation from the Director for Latin America and the Caribbean Service of the ELCA to participate in a workshop in Mexico from June 5 to June 9. The workshop consists of Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation Processes for companions in Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. This will be my first learning experience in this type of event.

The continuous life of learning and discernment continues. A cycle has ended. Now, I’m waiting for what the Holy Spirit says about the next journey he has prepared for me, my wife and my daughters. Psalm 32.8 says, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;  I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.” 

Edwin Aparicio, Spanish-language minister

Life’s Journeys

 As we begin stepping into the summer months I find myself reflecting on how much I love the rhythm of summer. In some wonderful ways, the pace is a bit slower, or so I’ve been told, but life being what it is my summer schedule is filling up fast – so I’m not quite sure how much slower this summer promises to be.

For many people, summer typically brings with it the opportunity to take a vacation, and for a good number of people this means traveling. Maybe it’s visiting family or friends in another state. Or maybe it’s going to visit a national park or a theme park. Perhaps it’s going up north to a summer cottage.

Regardless of where we go, who we go to see or what we go to do, traveling offers us new opportunities for fun and reconnection with family, friends, creation, and even our likes and our passions. Surprisingly, it can also give us a pretty good idea of what we can expect in this life as the children of God.

In biblical times traveling was a challenge and often required endurance. It certainly came with its own set of difficulties that arose along the way – where will we stop to eat? Can’t you hold it just a little bit longer…and didn’t you just go the last time we stopped? What’s that smell? Are we there yet? What’s taking so long? Any of this sound familiar?

No matter how seasoned a traveler you are, from time to time we all encounter some challenges when traveling. And although we love when everything goes smoothly, deep down we know there’s always a possibility that things might not go as planned. But despite the bumps, we make adjustments, we change our timeline, and we keep going because we’re committed to reaching our destination.

In a similar way, I think many of us are guilty of expecting that our lives will always go smoothly. However, if we think of life in this world in the way we understand travel, then we’ll be reminded that the bumps along the way are a normal part of the journey.

When my family takes a road trip or flies somewhere for vacation, we definitely enjoy seeing what’s around or below us as we pass by – like stopping at different restaurants and experiencing exciting places and things along our journey, but ultimately our hearts are not set on what we’ll pass along the way – our hearts are set on our destination and on the people we’ll see and the time we’ll get to spend with them.

I think sometimes difficult journeys can be beneficial to us because they can cause us to take a step back, gain a new perspective, and reconsider how we travel in the future, but ultimately, we will keep on traveling.

The days of traveling through life can at times be amazing and challenging at others. There are bumps in the road – delays, frustrations, cancellations and the possibility of so much more along the way. But, when we set our eyes on the wonderful destinations that lie ahead promising to offer us joy, excitement, peace, comfort, happiness, and more, we are able to maneuver through the difficulties and setbacks with determination because we know what lies ahead.

So too it is with our journey through life. We will certainly encounter wonderful days along with the difficult ones, but if we keep our eyes fixed on our ultimate destination – on what God has promised us – eternal life with God and a life more wonderful that we could ever comprehend, then we will also find renewed courage, strength, determination, and joy for whatever lies ahead.

My friends, I encourage you to keep your eyes and your hearts focused on the destination that God has promised and gifted to each of us. I pray that God blesses your summer and any travels that come with it. And wherever you go, I hope that you allow the experience of those journeys to offer you a new perspective as you continue on the journey of life. May you know the depth of God’s love, peace, and joy in all the days to come!

Pastor Tony

Summer Worship

Summer Time Changes & Outdoor Worship

The late services (both Spanish and English) will move to 10 a.m. starting May 28. Beginning June 4, the 10 a.m. English worship service will be in the Memorial Gardens on the first and third Sundays of June, July and August. Please consider coming early at 9:30 a.m. to help set-up chairs and tables for outdoor worship.

Sing for a Sunday! June 25

Join us to Sing for a Sunday on June 25 at the 8:30 service. Singers of all ages are invited to take part in an intergenerational ensemble. We will meet for one rehearsal on Wednesday, June 21, from 6 to 6:30 pm. The song is easily learned and all are welcome! Email vicki@ascensionelca.org to sign up and sing with us.

Tanzania and El Salvador Trips

Tanzania and El Salvador two folded flags together

The Tanzania/El Salvador Dinner & Auction was a success! Thank you to the many volunteers and donors who contributed to the fun-filled evening!

As we get closer to the delegation visits (both from El Savador and to Tanzania), there are a couple of things we could use.

  • A twin bed (including mattress) that is not overly difficult to move that could be used as a bed for one of our Salvadoran guests for just over a week. It will be in a smoke-free/ pet-free house. (Edwin and Sarah’s house)
  • Donations for Welcome Kits for the El Salvador delegates.

Activities to Welcome El Salvador Delegates

We’d love to have you join us as you are able!

  • Welcome Brunch: You’re invited to a potluck brunch at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, June 20, to welcome the El Salvador delegation to Ascension!
  • Potluck Picnic: June 24, 5 p.m. at Ascension. Let’s share our Wisconsin hospitality!
  • Worship at Ascension, Sunday, June 25 8:30 & 10am

Meet the Delegates from El Salvador

We are looking forward to hosting a group from our sister parishes in El Salvador at the end of June. We hope you are able to join us in some of the activities while they are here. Watch for more details as we get closer!

San Jorge Church / Iglesia Milagro de Dios (God’s Miracle Church)

  • Mayra Criselda Campos de Quintanilla: Mayra is the secretary of the church council for San Jorge Church. She works as a kindergarten teacher.
  • Claudia María Flores Menjívar: This is Claudia’s second visit to Ascension. She is the facilitator of San Jorge’s church council. Claudia is a school principal.

Usulután Church / Mi Buen Pastor (Good Shepherd Church)

  • Julio Cesar Chávez Aguilar: Pastor Julio is the pastor at Usulután Church, Llano El Coyol, and Puerta Parada Churches. Pastor Julio is the brother of Pastora Blanca from San Jorge church.
  • Pastor Rafael Menjivar on behalf of Bishop Gomez, who is too ill to travel.
  • Victoriano Amilcar Torres Ramirez: Amilcar is the president of the Usulután church council. He buys old homes and cars, repairs them and then resells them.

Meet the Delegates to Tanzania

  • Pastor Tony Acompanado: I have served here since 2014 first as the Director of Faith Formation and then, after completing seminary, I was ordained and called to serve here as one of the pastors. I preach and teach and love to stay involved with our youth. I especially enjoy using my gifts in pastoral care to help people find peace and joy in God while experiencing difficult times. I’ve traveled internationally for mission trips many times but this will be my first time going to Tanzania.
  • Jackie Bosanac: I am a lifelong member of Ascension. I was involved with the baby ministry, knitting afghans for baptisms but took a hiatus from it when my husband got sick. I want to start up again knitting soon. I work two days a week for my sister at her daycare in Mukwonago. I have two adult children whom blessed me with five grandchildren.
  • Dianne Frowein: Dianne has been a member of Ascension Lutheran Church for almost 20 years. She is married to Rick Frowein. Dianne and Rick have three grown children and two grandchildren. She has been a substitute teacher in the Waukesha School District for 20 years. Dianne moved to Waukesha, Wisconsin, 40 years ago from the Chicago area where she worked for the Bank of America. She is a member of the Waukesha Service Club where she has been a buyer in the Gift Shop at Waukesha Memorial Hospital for 11 years. She enjoys reading, golfing, boating and sewing.
  • Rick Frowein: Rick retired six years ago from GE Healthcare after working there for over 38 years. He has been married to his wife Dianne for 41 years. Rick enjoys traveling, home improvement projects, and outdoor activities (boating, golfing, and skiing). He has been a long time Board member of the local YMCA and currently serves as its Foundation Board president. He is also a Vice President on the Mt. Meru Coffee Project Board responsible for its weekly operations.
  • The Ward Family: Bob Ward was baptized and confirmed at Ascension. Additionally, Bob and Kim were married in 2003 and went on a honeymoon with complete strangers to Honduras on their first mission trip with Ascension. Bob has been an electrician for 28 years and currently works at Preferred Electric. He’s been known to volunteer his time with projects around church. He has three beautiful children, two of whom are going on this trip. In his limited free time, Bob enjoys working on home improvement projects, traveling, hiking, and cheering on the Packers, Bucks, Brewers, and his kids’ sports teams.
  • Kim Bingen-Ward has been a member at Ascension since approximately 2003. She fell in love with the contemporary service and enjoys listening to the Praise Band. The trip to Honduras was life-changing, and she still thinks of one of the girls that she instantly bonded with. Kim has been working with children with autism for nearly 28 years. In 2010, Kim opened up Autism Treatment for Children, a small clinic that provides behavioral therapy, with her close friend and business partner. In Kim’s also limited free time, she enjoys traveling, hiking, cuddling with her cats Midge and Gilmore, and supporting her three children in all of their extracurricular activities.
  • Zack Ward was baptized and confirmed at Ascension. He is currently finishing his sophomore year at Mukwonago High School and fingers crossed will maintain his 4.0 GPA. Zack works part-time at Metro Market in Mukwonago and has played high school and club volleyball and high school tennis. Zack loves playing video games with his brother who undoubtedly is his best friend.
  • Alina Ward was baptized and will be confirmed in October at Ascension. Alina is finishing up her eighth-grade year at Parkview Middle School in Mukwonago. Currently, Alina is studying for her finals in Algebra and Spanish in which she will receive high school credit as a middle schooler. Alina is involved in dance and volleyball. Her aspirations are to be a doctor or veterinarian. In Alina’s free time, she likes to hang out with her friends and her guinea pigs, Smore and Pepper.
  • Jeremy Poling: Jeremy is a drummer in the Praise Band at the late service. He is also a former council president. Jeremy traveled to El Salvador with Ascension on our most recent trip.
  • Sarah Wehmeier Aparicio: Sarah is a life-long Ascension member and coordinates our sister parish relationships in El Salvador and Tanzania. Sarah is a music teacher, currently at Summit View Arts Magnet School. In addition, Sarah is a part-time administrator in the church office and is the music leader for Spanish worship. When not at work, Sarah and her husband Edwin can be found supporting their daughters Marta and Luisa in one of their many activities.

Jump Into June

The gray days of May are out of the way. Hopefully! There were long stretches of days of gray in May that reminded me of weeks and months of gray days in Tacoma, WA while I was an undergrad at Pacific Lutheran University. I learned to appreciate the gray days while I waited for the few precious days when the sun would shine brightly across the campus. Gray days made it easier to study and write papers and be in class. On the days when the sun brought warmth to the campus, everyone moved outside to revel in the warmth of the sun’s rays.

Today, on the campus of Ascension, the sun is shining. It is beautiful. The leaves move just enough to tell us a breeze is blowing. The Memorial Gardens, flowerbeds, and butterfly garden are alive with blossoms and fresh, tender green leaves. As I type, I contemplate moving my laptop outside. I am grateful for countless hands with dirt under their fingernails that have tended our garden beds and renewed this house of God in spectacular ways as a sign of hope within the community of Waukesha. We give thanks to God for the countless hours that many of you have offered to bless this house of worship with grounds that give glory to God.

Although our regular ministry programming slows down in the summer months, it is always a good time to enjoy the gift of God’s creation. Our 10:45 a.m. service moves to 10 a.m. and is outside in the Memorial Gardens behind the church on the 1st and 3rd Sundays. The Praise Band provides the music and we still do all the things – music, prayer, children’s time, reading, sermon, and communion. It is BYOC (bring your own chair) and we will enjoy BBQ on the 1st Sunday of each month offered by AMEN (men’s ministry). You are invited to bring a side dish or dessert to share.

Friday, June 2, is the beginning of the Synod Assembly for the Greater Milwaukee Synod at the Italian Community Center in Milwaukee. Pastor Tony, Edwin, and I are hosting worship for the Synod once again this year. If you have free time from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. we would love to have your help setting-up the ballroom and preparing the worship space. We would also happily host you at lunch in the Third Ward … something to think about. You can send me an email if you are interested, pc@ascensionelca.org.

JOLT leaves for Adventure Camp in the Wisconsin Dells area on Sunday, June 11, around 2 p.m. for three days of adventure and “challenge by choice.” Your prayers are appreciated. June 11, we are also hosting the Rev. Roy Nelson from Hope Center to share with us the new plans for the remodel and move of the old Chase Bank location downtown into the new Hope Center. Plans are already in progress. Roy is excited too. He will present during worship and then in-between services to share the many layers of ministry addressing homelessness, hunger, and other challenges facing a number of men, women, and families in Waukesha.

We will also meet at 11:30 a.m. on June 11, for a congregational meeting to vote to call Edwin Aparicio as our third pastor here at Ascension. You must be present to vote. Assuming the vote is a yes, and Edwin says yes, there is a Service of Ordination tentatively scheduled for Sunday, June 25, at 3:30 p.m. with a dinner reception to follow. We will be hosting a delegation of friends from our partner churches in El Salvador during the week of the 19th of June all the way through the ordination. And before you know it, June 29 will arrive and 12 of our members will travel to Tanzania to renew our partnership with our sister churches – Samaria, Neema, and Galilaya in addition to our two elementary schools, one secondary school, rehab center, special needs school, and coffee project. We return on July 10. Watch the Facebook page updates and pictures, pictures, pictures.

And on a personal note, you have been so incredibly gracious and caring in receiving the news of my upcoming surgery. Thank you for your kind words and for your prayers before, during, and after. Ileen and I are grateful for your concern.

See you in church.

Pastor Chris