The Holy Spirit at Work Here

I am grateful for many things in this life. I am grateful, still more, for the people God invites to share in this journey of faith and life through the community of Ascension. During the month of May, our Mutual Ministry team met for conversation and reflection. Ascensions’ Mutual Ministry team consists of Paul James (chair), Elaine Kilgore, Jodi Keene, and Mike Jahner. They are dedicated members of this congregation always ready to listen and to learn from members of the congregation. When we gathered in May – the following prayer was shared during our time of devotion:

Almighty God…
You who called the universe into being.
You who formed us, and called us to be your people.
We give you thanks for your constant presence.
Through seasons of constancy, and especially change, you are with us – 
      calling us into deeper waters,
      calling us together into your spirit of unity,
      calling us out of ourselves into the world to serve others.
Grant that we who are being called into new waters might hold fast to your unending love and mercy – a love that promises to hold onto us as we go where your Spirit leads us.
May Ascension, always knowing the movement of your Spirit, hold fast to the promise that your mission is beyond ourselves always.
Grant that such a promise would bring both comfort and discomfort –
     comfort in a season of change,
     and discomfort as it drive us all to love you and each other, even more.
Strengthen us to be your Church in all times and seasons of life –
     a place where all are truly welcomed and embraced in your love;
     a place where we find ways you are active among us and call us to join in your saving work;
     a place where the story of your love and grace and mercy are embodied. Amen.

I have taken to praying this prayer daily. There are days we are far more attune to the work of God’s Holy Spirit and then there are seasons where we cannot possibly imagine God to care very much at all. In my life, the movement of the Holy Spirit reveals himself in the most unexpected moments. In the life of our congregation, the Holy Spirit is far more active than most of us would believe. Far outside of my vision, and I am guessing most of yours, God is at work moving and shaping us in new ways to tell the story of God’s love through our words but more often than not through our actions. Some of my favorite scriptures about the work of the Holy Spirit include:

 Joel 2:28: Then afterward I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.

 John 3:8 : The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.

Acts 10:44-48: 44 While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles, 46 for they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter said, 47 “Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” 48 So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they invited him to stay for several days.

1 Corinthians 3:16: Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

Jesus was very clear in the book of John, chapter 14:16 – And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever.

I give thanks for this mention of the Holy Spirit – in the original Greek – advocate translates as helper or encourager, literally it translates “one who walks alongside.” This is my favorite image of the Holy Spirit. God’s presence so close to us that we are can never be alone. A reminder that with every step, every breath God’s Spirit is by our side. As I have walked with confirmation students this spring, I have seen the work of the Spirit in their lives – heard the work of the Spirit in their words. I am comforted by God’s presence so close – tending each of them and all of us in ways far beyond our expectation or understanding. May these Pentecost days fill you with wonder and remind you of the presence of the One who promises to be with you forever. See you in church!

Pastor Chris

Reprinted from the June 2018 newsletter.

Resurrection People

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

I never tire of hearing those words. I wonder if we would be better representatives of the resurrection if we chose to begin every time of worship, every funeral, every wedding, every midweek Lenten service, every Advent service, every Sunday morning worship service with those words. Do you think the words proclaiming the good news of the resurrection would lose some of their power or would we find ourselves more emboldened to tell the story with these words of resurrection reality emblazoned on our hearts and written into our bones? The first Sunday after Easter, the Sunday we always hear about the disciple Thomas, our Pastoral Intern Tony preached a sermon where he asked this question, “What does it mean to be resurrection people?”

He went on to tell us the following:

  • Resurrection people do not feel the need to hide.
  • Resurrection people do not dismiss their doubts but believe in spite of their doubts.
  • Resurrection people don’t need to have it all figured out before coming to church.
  • Resurrection people don’t need to have it all figured out before helping a neighbor.
  • Resurrection people don’t need to have it all figured out before feeding someone who is hungry or caring for someone in need.

When I reread those words, I realized that every moment we walk in the footsteps of Jesus reminds us that we are resurrection people whether we proclaim, “Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!” with our lips or simply show our identity by following in the footsteps of the One we choose to follow. And yet I know there are times when it is easier to not follow our Savior out of the empty tomb. There are days it is easier to stay behind. Perhaps we do not believe we have the strength or the courage or the maturity of faith to trust God enough to leave the pain, the grief, the self-pity, the anger behind. In such moments, I return to the words Tony shared with us on April 8th. Tony writes:

“When I, like Thomas, am tempted to doubt the Easter message, I am reminded of the faces and the faithfulness of the people in this church. When musicians rehearse long hours; when meals are provided to those grieving the loss of a loved one; when refugees are welcomed; when a family cleans up the yard of a neighbor; when an invitation is spoken to a friend; when followers of Jesus pray and take a stand for the poor and the marginalized in our community; when a volunteer stays up late to prepare a BLAST lesson; when young people hear a word of blessing and affirmation spoken to them by adults; when people laugh and cry together over the joys and disappointments of their lives; when death is faced honestly and hopefully; when grace and mercy, not judgment and cruelty, direct our relationships, and when the church opens its heart and its doors to whoever comes longing for the love of God, excluding no one – I see signs of the resurrection. I see evidence that Easter has happened. I am convinced that Jesus is alive.”

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Thanks be to God! See you in church!

Pastor Chris

Reprinted from the May 2018 Ascension newsletter.

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!


Ascension finds itself in a time of hopeful expectation! Easter is upon us and with the announcement that the tomb is empty, we find ourselves looking to the joy of spring—the earth coming alive as the edges of winter begin to give way to the warm winds of life—new life. What would God have us do in the world to God’s great glory? How shall we look to the world around us and see the face of Christ calling out to us?

We have seen the miracle of Easter morning – the empty tomb was a welcome sight. Here at Ascension, we have also seen the power of God at work through our “Raise the Roof” Miracle Sunday on March 25th. As of the writing of this article – the week before Miracle Sunday – we have already raised $94,000 of our $300,000 goal to tend the roof, other deferred maintenance, and the expansion of our ministries. Thanks be to God!

Now that Easter Sunday has come and gone are you already setting yourself up for summer break—or is there still a hunger that gnaws at you calling you to something new, something different, something more in your relationship with God? The lilies have bloomed, the trumpets have sounded, the tomb stands empty and in these days of appearance as Jesus shows himself to the disciples and countless others before he ascends into heaven there is energy, curiosity, expectation in the air…do you feel it?

I tell you God is at work at Ascension! Do you believe it? Do you feel God’s presence—the Holy Spirit at work? The fruits of our labor in service to God are not in vain—nor do they go unnoticed! God is at work at Ascension and we are beginning to see the work of God all around us. We give thanks to God for the 12 first communion candidates who celebrated their first communion on Palm Sunday or will celebrate their first communion on April 8. What joy to welcome these fourth graders to God’s altar. Please join me in prayer asking God’s blessing on the journeys before each of our first communion candidates. We are also grateful for the work of musicians and altar guild who took extra time behind the scenes to prepare for the powerful and moving worship of holy week. We have received new members and look to the future where God will invite more people into the midst of our community. God is at work! The Holy Spirit is on the move and we are looking forward to the blessings of God among us in the gifts of each other!

We are preparing to celebrate Confirmation Sunday. On May 20th at both services we will welcome 16 young adults into our midst as full partners with us on our journey of faith. What joy to hear their stories unfold – to watch the next chapter of their lives begin to take shape.

As we have traveled the road of Lent to the cross—we are now on the road of the cross that carries us into the future. During Lent we were following Jesus to the cross—now, we look to Jesus who leads us within the shadow of the cross into the future. The cross was never an end but a place to begin again and again and again. Where will God in Jesus Christ take us in the days ahead? Where do we want to go as God’s people? Where do you want to go as God’s child? Who cares? As long as we travel together—following in the footsteps of our God! May God grant you joy in these Easter days!

Pastor Chris

Introduction to Raise the Roof

“I lift my eyes, to the hills. From where will my help come. My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.”

If you have been to any funeral I have planned in the past 7 years, you might have an inkling that Psalm 121 is one of my most favorite psalms. The psalmist speaks of a journey. When we lift our eyes to the hills – we lift our eyes up to the mountaintop. And of course, in the time of the psalmist, at the top of the mountain, one would find the city of Jerusalem, and therein the temple – the very house of God.

However, it is the psalm that comes next that carries the story of importance this day. Psalm 122 begins this way, “I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!” I am always heartened by the psalm. It is my reminder that God calls us to gather for worship. And that even in times of great suffering and pain, in the loss of those we love – still, the house of the Lord is a place of comfort; of peace; of joy – calm in the midst of the storm. Here, in God’s house we gather to celebrate new life. We walk alongside those who suffer. We shed tears of sadness for the power of death at work in our world. We hear messages of hope that point us toward the One who promises to be with us even to the end go the age. Dear friends, our church stands as a lighthouse in the storms of life. And it is no surprise that you are the light that shines into the world – a reflection of God’s light working through each of you.

No doubt, you have now heard of the upcoming Miracle Sunday on March 25th. It is our hope that we will indeed “Raise the Roof” of this house of God to the glory of God that day. Over the month of March, we will see and hear more about the needs of this house of God where we gather for worship and ministry and mission. So much happens in this place and so many of us move through this place as we tend to the world around us by sharing the story of God’s love for all people.

We have done our very best in tending the massive debt gathered for more than 30 years leading us to our first debt campaign in 2011. From $2.2 million, you cut the debt almost in half while still maintaining the yearly ministry needs of our church. In 2014, you again honored your relationship with God by hearing God’s call to sacrifice to cut the debt in half again. As of today, just 7 years later, we owe less than $600,000 on our mortgage. A miracle in itself – thanks to your faithful generous hearts. And as we have tended our mortgage debt and our annual ministry needs, we have managed only the most basic and necessary needs of our physical church campus. And now, we find, the time has come.

Over the month of March, we will hear the invitation to consider the giving of gifts towards the $300,000 goal to “Raise the Roof” on our Miracle Sunday, March 25th which will allow us to replace the East/West Hall roof as soon as this coming April. Now $300,000 sounds like a lot of money, and it is! Yet, God does amazing things through people who not only see the need but also choose to gather together in mission for a greater purpose than themselves. Our great hope, as we walk with our Great God, is to tend the immediately needed maintenance as well as increase our giving on our annual basis to tend the overall ministry God entrusts to us for the sake of the world.

I tell you this: every time I have been a part of a congregation feeling the call to tend the needs of its ministry and campus I have always been surprised by what God has done through God’s people. There never seems to be a shortage of miracles when God calls God’s people and in the same breath reminds them of God’s promise to always be with them.

You are a most amazing community of believers. You walk through some of the most difficult and challenging moments anyone could imagine and still you trust the One who calls you by name. Again and again, you teach me what it is to be a person of faith who follows Jesus. You love, you cry, you hurt, you celebrate. Through it all, you return to this house of God to worship, to grow, to walk, and to serve.

“I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!” To hear those words, means I, once again, will gather with people I love to worship the One who loves us. And maybe that, my friends, is the miracle.

So let the call of God go out into this community of believers. People of God, people of deep faith who know the story of God’s love deep in your bones – who are excited to share that love with our children – from generation to generation, it is time to believe, once again, that indeed our God still fashions miracles in our midst. It is time to “Raise the Roof.”

Come, faithful ones, and build alongside your God.

Pastor Chris

The Luxury of Lent

In late January, I gathered with 9th grade students and parents to talk about the students’ upcoming confirmation or affirmation of baptism, as it is called in more formal church circles. We talked about the journey of Confirmation at Ascension through our JOLT (Journey of a Life Time) junior high program.

It did not occur to me during the meeting, but days later I was struck by the journey of faith we invite our students to take towards their Confirmation Sunday.

How much like the journey of faith to their Confirmation Sunday is the season of Lent for the rest of us.

When we gather for the service of confirmation, we ask each student to make public profession of their faith, an “affirming of their baptism” in the midst of the worshipping community. Lent is no different. When we gather on the Sundays and Wednesday nights of Lent, we are once again affirming our baptism.

Do you renounce the devil and all the forces that defy God? I renounce them.
Do you renounce the powers of this world that rebel against God? I renounce them.
Do you renounce the ways of sin that draw you from God? I renounce them.

Midweek worship on Wednesday nights is our opportunity to be reminded of God’s great promises to us. We begin with Ash Wednesday on February 14th at 12 p.m. and 7 p.m. with the Imposition of Ashes beginning at 6:45 p.m. After Ash Wednesday, we will gather each Wednesday for soup at 6 p.m. with worship at 6:45 p.m. (Please note the time change.) Our worship will be shaped by the Holden Evening Prayer liturgy and conversations with characters around the Cross. We have arranged for worship to be done by 7:30 on the dot. Promise.

Come and join us on the journey. Hear the promise of God in a new way and renew your journey of faith that leads you into a deeper relationship with our God.

Pastor Chris

Happy New Year! Now What?

One of my favorite authors is a woman named Jan Richardson. She writes in a way that shapes her words into pure inspiration. I find myself returning to her words again and again as I travel this journey of faith and life. A couple of years ago, Richardson lost her husband after a brief and complicated illness. Over the past couple of years, Richardson has explored her grief as she has wandered the path of love and loss and anger and sadness and resurrection. What I am most grateful for in Richardson’s words is her honest and straightforward heading as she has undertaken her own journey into the unknown, unplanned world she never expected to entertain. So…in celebration of the season of Epiphany – the appearing of the Magi and the overwhelming presence of the light of Christ upon the world – I leave you with these words, written by Richardson, as a blessing in these first days of the new year. May God bless your journeys – each and every step.

For Those Who Have Far to Travel ~ An Epiphany Blessing

If you could see the journey whole
you might never undertake it;
might never dare the first step
that propels you from the place
you have known toward the place you know not.

Call it one of the mercies of the road:
that we see it only by stages as it opens before us,
as it comes into our keeping step by single step.
There is nothing for it but to go and by our going take the vows the pilgrim takes:
to be faithful to the next step;
to rely on more than the map;
to heed the signposts of intuition and dream;
to follow the star that only you will recognize;
to keep an open eye for the wonders that attend the path;
to press on beyond distractions
beyond fatigue
beyond what would tempt you from the way.

There are vows that only you will know;
the secret promises for your particular path
and the new ones you will need to make
when the road is revealed by turns
you could not have foreseen.
Keep them, break them, make them again:
each promise becomes part of the path;
each choice creates the road that will take you to the place where at last you will kneel
to offer the gift most needed—
the gift that only you can give—
before turning to go home by another way.

May the light of the star over the manger shine light on a new road in this new year. To God be the glory!

Rev. Chris Marien

(This article was written for the January 2018 Newsletter).

Got Advent?

I have a friend who argues with me about the start of the season of Christmas. He is convinced that November 1st is the true start date of the Christmas season. (Mainly, because he wants to decorate the house, put on his elf shoes, and blast the Christmas music continuously through December 25th).

Every year, on November 1st, he announces that the Christmas season has begun and “O Little Town of Bethlehem” begins to be heard by his neighbors on both sides of his house. I argue that December 15th is as early as I can possibly go! You see, I need the season of Advent. It brings me hope. Lingering days of darkness call me to my knees praying to the One who promises that the light will shine in the darkness.

 

I need the season of Advent to fill me with anticipation for what is coming.
I need the season of Advent to remind me that God promises peace to a violent world.
I need the season of Advent to quiet my own heart for the noise around me.
I need the season of Advent to call me to love at the manger of my Savior.
I need the season of Advent to lift up my head bowed down in prayer for the brokenhearted.
I need the season of Advent to calm my restless soul from its distractions.
I need the season of Advent to remind me that God’s love has no end.
I need the season of Advent to share the joy of the shepherds.
I need the season of Advent to answer the darkness with light.
I need the season of Advent to shock me out of my complacency.
I need the season of Advent to remind me that we are Bethlehem-bound.
I need the season of Advent. It brings me hope. And hope does not disappoint!

So the season of Advent comes to us.

How will you welcome God’s gift of the season? A flurry of shopping, spending, wrapping, worrying, and willing to do Advent differently next year? Or might you take one moment from your day to acknowledge that God has gifted you a season to prepare for the birth of a Savior? To light a candle to chase away the darkness and simply pray the prayer, “Thank you God,” might be all you need to re-center your Advent days into days and nights of peaceful wanderings toward a manger full of joy. I wonder…

Do you need the season of Advent?

I do.

Thank you God.
Rev. Chris Marien

*This article was originally published in Ascension’s December 2017 Newsletter.

Worship. Grow. Walk. Serve.

We are well on our way. Our first Spotlight Sunday celebrating our Joyful Worship wing of the Ascension butterfly is in the books. I am grateful to the ministry leaders among us. What a joy to share in the journey of discovery of all of the aspects and logistics of worship life at Ascension.

Worship. Our first mark of discipleship. Gathering together to give thanks and praise to God is what we are created to do to the glory of God.

So what’s next? Are you ready?

We explore the Spiritual Growth wing of the butterfly on October 8. Where are you in your journey of faith? In what ways are you exploring the journey of your faith? When do you take the time to offer your spiritual life the opportunity to grow, to ask questions, to move deeper in your relationship with our God? Grow. Our second mark of discipleship. We grow in our knowledge of God and in our faith life by reading our Bibles, studying God’s Word together, and asking questions that sometimes need the gifts of time and tending to be answered. Through the Spiritual Growth wing of the butterfly, our community of faith can seek out new moments of understanding about our God, our faith, and our life together to the glory of God.

And then what?

October 15 invites us to serve God in new ways through the Mission Outreach wing of the butterfly. Learn about the different ministry partners that we serve alongside in our community, state, nation, and world. Explore new opportunities to get involved in something bigger than yourself and live out your faith by serving God as you serve others. Serve. Our fourth mark of discipleship. We serve God by serving others. Ask questions. Hear the stories of the ways that our faith community impacts the world around us to the glory of God.

Okay, now what?

It takes four wings to fly. On October 22, we complete the image of the butterfly as we discover the Caring Relationships wing. Join us as we walk with each other learning about the different ministries of the congregation that build relationships within the body of Christ. Walk. Our third mark of discipleship. Small Groups, Care Ministries, Purpose Groups such as Knit Wits, Spirit Spinners, and many more invite us to find more intimate ways of connecting with other believers. In a church of our size, sometimes it is easy to get lost in the whirlwind of activities. The Caring Relationships wing offers the opportunity to walk together in smaller groups inviting deeper relationships where community can flourish to the glory of God.

The journey continues all to the glory of God.
Come and join us on the journey to the glory of God.

See you in church,

Rev. Christian Marien

(This article first appeared in the October 2017 Newsletter).

Mountaintop Moments

July 2017 and the grace of God took Ascension to the mountaintop!

What joy it brings to share with you the events of the last month and all that is coming in the days ahead. July gathered our CRASH high school ministry to a first-time “Mission Next Door” event, in which each day, the students and adult leaders gathered for devotions and breakfast and then headed out into the community. Day one took our high school servants to the Memorial Gardens and flower beds all around the church campus. A full day of weeding, tending, and shaping the space all the way to the ash garden. An incredible day! Later in the week, the Waukesha food pantry would get a cleanup inside and a makeover outside complete with mulched flowerbeds. Thursday took the students to one of our member’s homes for a healthy weeding of flowerbeds and the tending of a relationship. In the middle of “Mission Next Door,” Ascension welcomed the arrival of our brothers and sisters from El Salvador. Bienvenidos!

Thursday was full of feasting and canning and swimming at Ottawa Lake. Friday was busy with tours of partner churches in Milwaukee, community gardens, and captured rainwater projects. But, my favorite part came Friday afternoon when we gathered to bowl at Bayshore, where there are video screens and glowing neon lights. Explaining bowling in Spanish was fun to watch. Explaining in signs and gestures was even better. Watching the smiles unfold when just one pin fell down and the ball stayed out of the gutter. Now that was priceless.

I tell you God is at work! I am grateful to our Mission Outreach Team under the leadership of Wing Leader, Shirley Wehmeier. It is wonderful to watch the church be exactly who the church should be with hospitality overwhelming and joy overflowing. Edwin and Sarah Aparicio have been incredible hosts and representatives of Ascension as they have navigated translation after translation after translation and every blessed detail of the delegation’s visit. A moment of great celebration took place on Sunday, July 16 with a gathering at the home of the Wehmeiers for the delegation, church staff, church council, and partner churches. It was a glorious day. We heard updates on EVERYTHING! But most importantly – we feasted – we played volleyball – we had one-on-one conversations with Pastor Julio about healthcare, challenges of ministry in El Salvador, and especially the deep concern and request for prayer for the children and young adults of El Salvador. Please include them in your prayers – especially for the opportunity to simply and safely grow up. In my sermon from July 16, I spoke of the belief that the visit by the delegation from El Salvador was nothing short of a miracle. It is true – every word. The journey is a gift of God in every single way. Thank you for your hospitality of the delegates through the days of the visit and in worship.

What can you learn from the stories of these mountaintop moments? So very much! In all these things, we are reminded that God goes before us. We remember that we need to hear the story of God’s love as much as we tell the story of God’s love. We remember that the great cloud of witnesses that surrounds our worship and our faithfulness to God has grown once again – with the great and faithful servants of CRASH serving our God and God’s people; with the visit of the saints of San Jorge and Usulutan; and with the great gift of good news shared by Pastor Angela!

I give thanks to God for all of it. I give thanks to God for each of you. Gracias a Dios. Thanks be to God! See you in church.

Rev. Christian Marien

(This article was first published in the August 2017 newsletter).

Instead of the End – the Beginning

The Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America Elizabeth Eaton offers these words:

After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to the tomb. So begins the Easter story in the Gospel according to Matthew. The women had lived through the pain of Friday and the emptiness of Saturday and were expecting death. All of their hope had come to a dead end. And just then, as the first day of the week was dawning, hope was restored. The angel said, “Do not be afraid; I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here: for he has been raised, as he said.”
 
Instead of death – life. Instead of the end – the beginning.
 
On Easter, we will have glorious celebrations in our congregations and worshiping communities. There will be rejoicing and music and flowers and alleluias. And that’s a good thing. But when the flowers fade and the pressures of life seem so heavy, when the brokenness of this world breaks our spirits, when we have come to a dead end … rejoice. Because it is exactly there where the risen Christ meets us. It is precisely there where we are given resurrection life. It is at that point that we say, “Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. Hallelujah.”

The cries of resurrection can still be heard on the mountaintops. Thanks be to God! From the mountaintops we travel to the upper room where the disciples have hidden themselves out of fear. There, Jesus appears. A week later, disciples are still in the upper room. There, Jesus appears. It will be on the beach, where a campfire is tended, that Jesus will appear to his disciples and feed them breakfast. There around the warmth and light of the fire, the light of the world, will ignite a flame in the disciples that will inspire the world.

Instead of death – life. Instead of the end – the beginning.

I read this reflection before the great celebration of Easter. It has carried me forward since we began the celebration of these great 50 days of resurrection. It is entitled Setting Out Once Again by Kelly Hall and Phuc Luu:

Out of the stale darkness, he rises into the light, bright rays of sun split the tops of trees, and clouds depart and blue fills the sky – the smell of angels lingers in the air – his hair feels the cool breeze again. This was not the garden, but a new world made from the eruption of hope and a life that could not be held down. We were witnesses to the life that rose from the dead. God’s relentless love, who comes close to us moving stones from tombs opening the heart to another possibility, death no longer stands. My heart races in my chest as I step forward to face the future, my future, that I grasp with open hands with new naiveté, a child toward a mother to be held and lifted up, and cradled with care. At times, I hesitate and I grasp onto memories of what once was but I know that I am not alone in my apprehension. I feel the hands of others holding me. These are my sisters, my brothers, who are not strangers to my fears and frailties, who have also confronted a hope that frightens them – who can feel their own scars, both fresh and old, they step in pace with me – the weeping women at the gravesite, the scared disciples waiting in the upper room.
 
This is our future, where we walk together toward our new home built by the hands of a wounded king – the new Zion, forsaking the kingdoms marked by borders and divides where all our settlements are only temporary shelters, sanctuaries of rest for the wounded and weary. Then the Christ returns to visit us, as Galilee’s boats pull to shore, these places seem familiar – the lapping water and the sand, but we are not to return to these lands, not those dreams – but become pilgrims, to set our belongings in another home, to wash our sandy feet in some other place, to lay down our tired souls on a distant promise, quilted from both the today and the tomorrow.
 
And we dine as a day sees another setting sun sitting across from each other once again – seeing each sweet face laughing deeply feeling whole once more. And we see the Savior’s smile, he knows our journey’s end and pours us another cup full of his own love and this time, our eyes tell him that we understand.

Thanks be to God!  See you in church,
Rev. Christian Marien

(This article is taken from Ascension’s May 2017 newsletter).