Young at Heart Events

The Young at Heart group meets on the 3rd Wednesday of each month to gather for a potluck and play cards and enjoy fellowship. Below are some of the events we are in the midst of planning in 2022.

Mitchell Park Domes, Wednesday, July 13

Feel the heat of a desert oasis, the humidity of a tropical jungle and the bright colors of a floral garden…all at one destination! The Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory, better known as the Domes, is a living museum filled with plants from across the globe. Visit Milwaukee’s most unique destination.

“White Christmas” at the Fireside Theatre, Thursday, Nov. 3

The day includes a delicious lunch from the Fireside chefs followed by a heart-warming performance of “White Christmas.” Sign up at the Young at Heart meeting to reserve your ticket/dinner/show/transportation. Please contact Arlene Davis with any questions

Serving With Ascension

We have had a great response to the financial need for our sister parishes in Tanzania where we support the primary schools in Samaria and Savana. The money is used to provide simple lunches of corn and beans, which is often the only meal the children get for the whole day. The price on crops goes up by mid-summer so we want to get the donation to the congregations in time to purchase the food at the best rates. We will be collecting for at least the first two weeks in June to meet our goal of $12,000 to feed all 952 students for the entire 197 days of the school year and an additional $2000 to supply the technology that is needed to help the students be able to complete the required tests to pass their classes. You may give online, through a check or on Sunday mornings at the Welcome Center via credit card. Please help us achieve our goal to support these children not only to eat but to have a better chance at success in life by being successful students.

ELCA World Hunger and Lutheran Disaster Response

“Hope does not disappoint us because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.” (Romans 5:5)

Ascension is part of a bigger church body through the ELCA and because of that, our efforts can be multiplied as we respond to world issues. The words from Romans are the reminder that in spite of a pandemic that affected the whole world directly and now a war that indirectly affected us all, we have hope through our Almighty God. During the pandemic, the gifts from ELCA congregations to World Hunger grew by 8%, gifts that were greater than hoped for. The response to the war in Ukraine through gifts to Lutheran Disaster Response continues to pour in to  support the disasters that make the headlines, and those that do not. The gifts that were greater than hoped for and the need goes on.

Ending hunger and responding to disaster isn’t just about food and immediate need. It is about access, justice, caring for creation, and to provide for future needs. It is about caring for each other in tangible ways: “Love your neighbor as yourself”. God works through us to provide for each other. Together, we can be part of the solution.  Part of Ascension’s budget is donated to ELCA World Hunger each month and as needs arise, special donations are collected for Disaster Response. 100% of what is donated is given for direct help for those in need.

Donation Center

Our Donation Center has moved to the west coat room to make it more accessible. Bins are clearly marked for the partner we are collecting for and what is needed. Since needs change and requests are often limited, please check with the contact person before bringing in things not on the list. We want to put our efforts into things that are truly needed and not make more work for those who sort and deliver the items. Currently, our biggest needs are for the Blessing Box and the Waukesha Food Pantry. We cannot take things that are expired,  require refrigeration, are in open packages or baked items. As the weather warms up, there will be an increased need for single-serve drinks, snacks, and packaged fruits.  New needs will be updated as identified by our partners. There is also a bin for Lost in Found labeled in red. If you have left things at church, check the bins.

Mission Outreach News

Stay connected to ways to SERVE by following the Mission Outreach on Facebook. 

We update the programs of our global and community partners on a regular basis and also identify ways you can be involved. Often things change more quickly than the newsletter or even weekly announcements can inform the congregation so the Facebook page has become a big part of how we keep everyone informed.

There is also the ability to use photos and even videos which makes the partnership connections especially with our global partners more personal. Please like or share notices that you feel are important. If you would like more information about specific programs, contact Shirley Wehmeier.

Another Tragedy

Once again the power of death has made itself known in the world as we grieve the loss of life of children and educators at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.

The city and state are far enough away that we can briefly read those words and quietly dismiss the horror of the tragedy. However, we found out last November that we are not immune from the power of death or instance of tragedy as members of our own community ran for cover, jumped out of the way, assisted with the wounded and the dying, and held vigil for the grief of families in Waukesha.

I have said my prayers this day for the families of children who will never walk through front doors again. Prayers for summer activities ended before they began. Prayers for families who now plan funerals instead of end of year celebrations. And now we sit with our grief and ask ourselves once again: are these children finally worthy of our attention and care to beg for more mental health care resources to be offered, require background checks or waiting periods to purchase firearms, or offer a greater respect for those who put their lives on the line each day to protect our most precious gifts of God, namely our teachers and first responders.

I am not interested in the debate of these things. There is always a time for more words – Lord knows, I use too many words much of the time. My concern is whether the amount of words we use will only delay the inevitable next e-alert as we grieve with another city in another state about another school and the loss of life.

Maranatha, come Lord Jesus.

Pastor Chris

Summer Worship & More

With the return of summer, the 10:45 a.m. services (both English and Spanish) will move to 10 a.m. starting May 29, Memorial Day to Labor Day. Worship will be held in the Memorial Gardens on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of June, July, and August. The 8:30 a.m. worship service will continue to be held at 8:30 a.m. throughout the summer.

Labor Day weekend, Sept. 4, we have plans for only one service, held at 9:30 a.m., in the sanctuary.

Livestreaming of Worship

We’re now offering livestreaming of our English worship on our YouTube channel so you can join us virtually Sunday mornings at 8:30 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. (or 10 a.m. starting May 29, indoor worship only).

Where Are the Handbells?

Easter Sunday celebrated the sounds of the handbell choir. The handbells have been a beautiful addition to worship services at Ascension for the past 20 years. As with any instrument, handbells require tending and maintenance under the skilled hands of those who make handbells. 

In order for our handbell choir to be ready for the fall, it was decided that after Easter Sunday, the bells would be packed up and shipped to the company that originally made the handbells in order for them to be reconditioned and ready for another 10 years of glorious music. We expect the bells to return to their home here at Ascension at some point over the summer months.

May Flowers

The old saying, “April showers bring May flowers,” has always reminded me about hope. With all the rain we’ve been receiving lately it has me wondering if we can expect the flowers of May to bloom even more beautiful than normal this year.

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:”

(Ecclesiastes 3:1)

At times it feels like the showers of April can represent the many challenges we encounter in life – strangely enough, they never conveniently hit us only one month of the year.  These challenges could be health issues, financial struggles, relationship problems, stress at work or at school, tension within the family, or any number of other things. And while everyone is certain to go through some difficult times in life because no one is exempt from living “real life” – when you’re the one facing those “real life” issues, it’s easy to wonder what good can come from them.  

God’s Word reminds us that the difficulties of life can actually lead us to “hope.” Listen to the words of Paul in Romans 5:1-5, “Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.”

Did you notice the progression? First there are faith, peace and grace. Those are important to have when the problems of life come. Then Paul states that when suffering does come, it can produce perseverance, character, and finally hope. And it’s all made possible because of God’s love which is poured out on us.

We had plenty of showers in April (and most definitely over the past two years), so I invite each of us as we move through the seasons of our lives to pay closer attention for the hope-filled flowers in life that are certain to bloom in May and beyond. And if you are going through a difficult time right now, my hope is that you will continue to believe and trust in God’s promise that God is with you and desires to help you through it and ultimately fill your heart with hope!

Here is one of those “May flowers” I was talking about. Last week I received a thank you letter from the chairman of the Harvest of Hope Fund in response to the recent $2000 donation check we sent them – the result of YOUR generosity through BLAST collections, noisy offerings and an amazing matching donation. Hope filled signs of resurrection and God’s glory all around us.

“Thank you so much for your gift of $2000. I was having a very stressed week wondering if we were going to get through to the next milk check. It truly was a ray of hope.”

“Thank you for the generous gift we received. We appreciate the gift immensely. The funds will be used to pay our farm bills (vet bills, machinery repair, medical bills). We are truly thankful for this program and that it helps farm families. May God bless you and all your efforts.”

“A heartfelt thank you goes out to all who made it possible at Harvest of Hope to provide my family assistance during this trying and stressful time. The funds are very gratefully appreciated and will be put towards keeping our farm in operation. The generosity of others shows there is still good in the world. Hoping you, your committee and families are safe and healthy. Thank you again!”

Dear friends, as the seasons of our lives change, I pray that the April showers in your life will subside to reveal beautiful May flowers of hope and peace and joy immersed in God’s love throughout your life. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed. Alleluia!

Pastor Tony

In Search of Sanctuary

As an immigrant learning English, the word sanctuary confused me at first. I saw it at church. I saw it when hiking. I saw it in news about immigration. What in the world was the meaning of this word that it was being used in such different settings? Now of course I know that it means a place of safety and protection from the dangers of the outside. And after everything we have been through in the past couple of years, we all need a sanctuary more than ever.

We were so excited to be back in our sanctuary for Holy Week for normal worship this year. Holy Week services in 2020 were all online and the alfombra was on my home driveway on a cold and rainy Good Friday. Last year we were at least back in person, but there was no singing and communion was at the door as everyone exited the building. We were making big plans. And then we received the exciting and disappointing news that the renovations of the Spanish Sanctuary were going to be taking place over Lent and Holy Week. We would be worshipping in the Hearth Room for the rest of Lent and possibly all of Holy Week. So our plans changed. We slashed the number of alfombras we were planning. We uninvited the guest musicians for Easter Sunday since it was unknown where Easter worship would be. If we were still in the Hearth Room, there would barely be room for the piano. There definitely wouldn’t be room for extra musicians.

When we first started down this road, we were so excited about the project that the disappointments weren’t that big of a deal. But by the time Palm Sunday arrived, it was our third week in the Hearth Room. The energy level of worship was lagging regardless of my energy level. We decided to avoid publicizing our Holy Week worship schedule because we were afraid if visitors came, they would never come back again.

But at the same time, as we were having our own little moment of feeling sorry for ourselves, there were stories of worship in bombed buildings and in subway stations in Ukraine. We were seeing stories of drought and locusts in Tanzania. Yet worship continued. Violence and the government reaction was taking over life in El Salvador, yet worship continued. The story of Jesus’s death and resurrection always overcomes the troubles of this world. If worship was continuing in these terrible circumstances, surely we can do Holy Week in the Hearth Room.

And then we had our own little miracle, and we were able to get into the sanctuary in time for Maundy Thursday. We had a place for the alfombra procession for Good Friday. It was still under construction, but we were energized. And in spite of our efforts to try and hide our worship schedule from visitors, we had over 20 visitors for Easter morning. We had to bring in extra chairs and run additional bulletins. It was a full worship service filled with singing and shouts of resurrection joy. ¡Él ha resucitado!

Edwin Aparicio, Pastoral Intern, Spanish-Language Minister

May Council Update

President’s Letter

Renewal — this is the feeling we want to have at this time of the year. The renewal of spring, the renewal of the Easter promise, and the renewal of our church building. 

It seems that two of these are taking longer than we like. While we can do nothing about the slow start to spring this year, your church council is carefully monitoring the building renovation. As of this writing, the process is moving along with a few unexpected “bumps” on the way. All additional work is being done with an eye to keeping within the costs outlined for the project. Any extra outlay of expenses will be discussed, if needed, by the Council.

You can do your part for the renewal of our environment on Saturday, May 7, as we look to spruce up the inside and outside of our property. Hope to see you there!

Sincerely,

Susan Otto, Council President

Financial Report

We closed out the first quarter of 2022 in a solid financial position. Our total income has exceeded what we had projected by 6.8%. We had a slight uptick in expenses in March, but those were mostly attributable to bills for snow removal — something I hope we won’t have to worry about for the next eight to nine months. Our resulting year-to-date expenses are 1.2% higher than we’d budgeted, and the net result is a year-to-date budget surplus of nearly $11,000. 

Sincerely,

Zach Wittchow, Treasurer

Tanzania News

Holy Week, Drought, and School Lunches

Tanzania is in the midst of a severe drought alongside excessive heat. At the same time, they are also dealing with waives of locusts. Cattle are dying and food costs are increasing every day. We have had requests for prayers. Pastor Makenge has also asked for prayers for the disabilities classroom project, the evangelist education program, and the widows project.

Worship is carrying on as usual in the midst of the hardships. Families at Galiliya preaching point celebrated baptisms on Palm Sunday. During Holy Week, Pastor Makenge gathered the Evangelists from all of the preaching points of Samaria Parish for a seminar. Communion was shared on Maundy Thursday. Easter is referred to as Passover in Tanzania, and on this day, it is customary for families to bring a goat or a sheep with them to church for their offering. They believe it will help save their families. Following church, the goats and the sheep are auctioned off in the yard in front of the church to raise funds for the church. 

Samaria and Savana primary schools, the schools that are part of our sister parish partnership, recently received the results of their standard seven exams and for the first time there was a drop in test scores. When asked why this happened, the head teacher told the church committee that there has been a change in the required curriculum and there is now work that must be completed via print outs. Without access to a printer, a laptop, and a scanner, the students were unable to complete all of the work necessary to be prepared for their exams. They have asked for our support with this, and the cost is just under $2000.

At Ascension, May is the month where we typically raise funds to cover the cost of lunches for the children at our two sister parish schools. There are 400 students at Savana primary school and 552 students at Samaria Primary School and the school year is 197 days long. The cost of a lunch is just over 6¢ per meal, but with 952 students to feed for nearly 200 days, plus the technology needs, we are hoping to collect $14,000 in May. Donations may be made via check to Ascension or online. Please mark “Tanzania” in the note/memo line.

Holy Week in El Salvador

In the early morning hours of Sunday, March 27, El Salvador was declared in a state of emergency after a violent Friday and Saturday. After a couple of years of decreased violence, the country was shocked when 67 people were murdered on March 26. In the weeks that have followed, the government has been arresting anyone with a hint of gang affiliation. The arrest of over 14,000 people in a short amount of time has been met with relief that the government is doing something, but also fear that the government is recklessly locking people up without regards to guilt.

While the entire country has been impacted by the state of emergency, fortunately our brothers and sisters in San Jorge have been spared from the violence. Most of the violence has been centered in San Salvador, hours away from Usulután and San Jorge. In San Jorge, the barrio were all of the church members live, there is almost no issues with gangs.

In San Jorge, there was worship on Maundy Thursday and fasting on Good Friday. Traditionally, Easter morning worship begins at 4 a.m., but with the government orders, they had worship at 6 a.m. Worship on Easter tends to be a simple service, more in-line with the early morning visit to the empty tomb.

They are grateful that Covid numbers have decreased and, as of the end of April, masks are becoming optional.

Welcome to Resurrection

Well, my friends, we do not always get to choose the timing for the work God calls us to do. We are neck deep in the season of Lent. At the same time, we are neck deep in the second phase of our remodel as walls and kitchen are demolished; asbestos is abated; and flooring is being prepared to be installed. So much chaos. Welcome to the wilderness, and if I am being honest, welcome to the story of the resurrection.

The key word for all of us in this season of Lent is flexibility. Please take a moment to thank staff who are redesigning worship, meetings, storage areas, and tending ministry on-the-fly. If the pandemic has taught us anything: even when we have made all the preparations, anything can change with a moment’s notice.

There are times when the wilderness is something that happens to others, and we watch from afar. Like the people in Ukraine. The wilderness they find themselves in was not of their choosing. At other times, the wilderness is the place we go to find a new road. When we choose a new relationship, career, vacation, retirement – all are wilderness moments that we can often choose for ourselves.

The wilderness, even when we enter by choice, can be a place of chaos. We can be fearful. We can be optimistic. We can be emboldened. We can be discouraged. In the wilderness, we can meet all those emotions and much more.

The season of Lent invites us to explore the faith we hold on to while also nurturing the relationships we hold so close. Our relationship with God, with stories of faith, with family and friends, and with strangers as well. These long forty days call us to remember who we are while at the same time releasing our grip from what we hold onto. And yes, these days can sometimes feel chaotic but God does not leave us to figure things out on our own. God is with us, even when we have difficulty believing God is present.

The season of Lent moves us to the holiest of weeks when Jesus enters Jerusalem to crowds gathered to welcome him. An upper room on Maundy Thursday gathers friends for a Last Supper and a cross overshadows the “good” of Good Friday. There will be upset in the temple grounds when Jesus turns over tables of the moneychangers. Chaos. There will be darkness and an earthquake to blot out both the light and our hope for a time on Good Friday. Chaos. A stone will be rolled in front of a tomb and the story of God’s one and only Son will come to an end. Chaos for all who believed.

Perhaps the chaos is just one more opportunity for God to reveal God’s self to us.

Come Sunday, there will be rumors of a stone rolled away and an empty tomb where Jesus once laid. Chaos. Roman guards will not be able to tell the story with much clarity. Chaos. Disciples will question the validity of the stories of three women who believe Jesus has risen from the dead. Chaos. Jesus, himself, will appear to Mary in the same garden where he was laid to rest, and Mary will question his identity. Chaos.

And the days of Easter will reveal Jesus to disciples in a locked room; on a beach; on the road to Emmaus; and on a mountain before his ascension into heaven. Chaos. I love that God uses the chaos of Easter resurrection stories to balance the chaos of our days in Lent and our journey through Holy Week. The same chaos that cause us to struggle and to doubt becomes the chaos that offers us the miracle of God’s resurrection power and the stability and grounding of our trust in God’s promise of eternal life through the death and resurrection of our Savior Jesus, the Christ. Thanks be to God!

On a personal note…I would invite you to not let the chaos of these last two years of pandemic planning keep you from remembering that on Easter Sunday in 2021 we did not have the opportunity and benefit of praising God with our voices through the journey of Holy Week and into Easter Day. Perhaps, you will not take worshipping our God in such simple ways for granted ever again. Come, join us for the journey of our Savior. Find your way to worship, if you have not been for a time. We will be glad to welcome you home. See you in church!

Pastor Chris