Christ Is Risen

Christ Is Risen! He Is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!

Still the words of resurrection hope and promise ring in our ears as we make our way towards the last days of the season of Easter and are about to be overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit’s presence in the coming season of Pentecost. If you are having trouble remembering the story, the disciples are together in once place – Jesus has ascended into heaven – and the disciples are at a little bit of a loss even as they have received their direction from Jesus to, “go into all the world and baptize in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” And as the disciples are gathered, the winds of the Spirit begin to blow and tongues of flame rest over each of the disciples and scripture says, “all were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues.” There is so much more to the story, but what is important to me is the end of that verse where Luke talks about speaking in other tongues.

We so often hear those words and immediately begin to imagine other languages. I am led to believe that “other tongues” also references different expressions of who we are as the People of God together. As I write these words, I am reveling in the preaching and worship of colleagues who gather each year for the Festival of Homiletics. An Olympics of preaching if you will – preaching not for title or crown – but for the encouragement and conviction and upbuilding of fellow preachers in the Church. I use Church with a Capital “C” because there are Lutherans, Presbyterians, Methodists, Salvation Army, Catholic, Episcopalians, African Methodist Episcopalian, and Baptist preachers all together in once place. And the “other tongues” I am experiencing are preaching and proclaiming God’s Word in some incredible ways.

All that being said, I am wholly aware of this life and calling as pastor that always invites me to moments of reflection on who I am as pastor and who we are as the community of Ascension. I am overwhelmed with what the Holy Spirit has been doing around Ascension. The Mission Outreach dinner and fundraiser was really a tremendous outpouring of both God’s love and the Spirit’s presence. Yes – we raised a lot of money to tend travel costs for delegates from Tanzania and assist with travel costs for delegates heading to El Salvador; BUT we also saw the gifts of fellowship, education, partnership, and multi-generational community. It truly was a sight to behold. More than 140 members of Ascension, family, and friends gathered to help us walk the journey of accompaniment together.

In the midst of such joy, I am also excited and a little bit overwhelmed by the growth and ministry happening with our Spanish Language Worshipping community. Edwin Aparicio, Ascension’s Spanish Language Minister, has been providing for and tending a fledging community of native Spanish speakers that is now firmly standing alongside our English speaking worshipping community. I am grateful for the Holy Spirit’s work. Five years ago, if you had asked me if Ascension would be sharing in the development of a Spanish language worshipping community within our own walls I would have laughed and said, “probably not!” Except – God knew better. God knows better. And our ideas and hopes and dreams are but one side of the coin when we step into sharing God’s mission and ministry in the world.

In less than a year, our Spanish language worship has grown from 12 to 27 in average worship attendance. A Spanish language Bible study is meeting weekly with 7-12 in attendance. Edwin is preparing to begin first communion classes. It is a wonderful expression of the “other tongues” that Pentecost introduces not simply in language but in ministry and action and faithful following of our God.

I am a firm believer that a church expecting to not just survive but actually succeed in sharing the story of God’s love and the saving power of Jesus needs to be open to what God is doing in the world. A church, like Ascension, knows better than most that to give glory to God means to focus on worship – giving our very best to God. We are committed to tending people – young and old and everyone. We are confident and unapologetic in our telling the story of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. We are excited to be about God’s work in our church, our neighborhoods, our city, and our world. We know, and I am happy to remind you, that each of us carries a tongue of fire above our heads. We reflect God’s light into the world. We are “other tongues” telling the story of death and resurrection through our words, our actions, and our willingness to learn, reflect, and engage with the people we love – the enemies we need to love – and all those we have yet to meet. Thank you for being an “other” tongue of fire. Thank you for being another tongue of fire, added to other tongues of fire at Ascension and around the world that speak and live out words of hope to our world.

Blessed Pentecost to you! You are called to follow in this season of fire and freedom – where God unleashes the Holy Spirit’s power on you and all the world to the great glory of God.

See you in church.
Pastor Chris

Reprinted from the June 2019 newsletter.

The Blessings of a Second Sanctuary

Ascension is not alone in starting a worship service in a second language, but we have a unique approach.

Most churches have their Spanish service separate from when the English-speaking community is in the building. As we began to plan for this new ministry, our Latino members didn’t want their children to be kept separated from the rest of the activities on Sunday morning and the adults still wanted to be able to see their friends during the fellowship time between services. The most logical way to achieve this was with simultaneous worship. This has allowed us to continue to create a more diverse congregation at Ascension instead of two separate congregations that share a building. The children of the new members can’t wait to join the children’s music ministries and BLAST in the fall. Because of sharing time together Sunday mornings, Latino members of all ages have felt comfortable participating in other activities of the church.

By reverting the East Hall into a part-time sanctuary, this has allowed our Latino members to create a worship space that makes them feel completely at home. They spend nights and weekends working on projects as their gifts to the church to beautify the space. Because of this sacred space, Latinos that are in the building for other events have begun to feel a part of this ministry as well. Anell, the church’s cleaning person, has told Edwin that she has been moved by the Spanish Sanctuary and now comes early to work in order to have time to pray before she “punches in.” She has such love for this new ministry that she spent $55 of her earnings on a basket to support Spanish-language ministry at Ascension that we auctioned off at the mission outreach dinner. She is saving money for another raffle basket.

Feel free on a Sunday morning to stop into the Spanish Sanctuary to experience worship in another language or simply to say “Buenos Dias!” before or after service.

Reprinted from the June 2019 newsletter.

Our Story, Part I

First Ascension, Madison and Fairview

History is one of those subjects either people love or hate. If you’re one that hates history you may want to skim these few paragraphs. But if you have a little interest in the story of Ascension you may want to stick around for a few more words. Trust me there will not be a test at the end of this history lesson, just a surprise quiz.

Ascension will be 70 years old this coming September. Our church was born on the eleventh of that month on the western outskirts of the City of Waukesha. Not where the church stands now but on Madison Street and Fairview Avenue, a few blocks away. We were not large, but we filled a great need at that time. World War II had ended only a scant four years prior to our birth. Service men and women were being wed and beginning to raise families at one of the highest rates the United States has ever seen. And those men and women needed God. Most people do after seeing and feeling war like everyone did. So God filled the need and brought together a small group that gave birth to Ascension Lutheran Church.

Now Waukesha was a lot different back in 1949 than it is today. Just west of Moreland Road stood nothing but open fields and dairy farms as far as Genesee Depot. Dopp subdivision, the homes that surround our wonderful church right now, had just been commissioned but not a home had been raised yet, and you could still catch the trolley in downtown, or take the train into Milwaukee.

Waukesha was just over 21,000 people, mostly to the east of the Fox River or on the cliff side to the west. You had your choice of three movie theaters in town: The Pix, The Park and The Avon, and you still had to go to the butcher for meat, the bakery for your bread, milk was delivered, and your other necessities came from Schultz Brothers, Woolworth or the Metropolitan. You were well off financially if you made over $4,000 a year and a new 5-room ranch home would have cost you $8,900.

If you would have picked up the Sunday Milwaukee Sentinel (The Freeman didn’t publish on Sundays in 1949) on the day Ascension came to be, the three biggest headlines you would have payed attention too in the 201 page paper would have been, “The Future of Heating Will Be Natural Gas,” “The Brewers Have Beat the Saints to Clinch Third Place” (that’s the St. Paul, Minnesota Saints), and “Green Bay to Play an Exhibition Game … Against Their Rivals the New York Bull Dogs, in Rock Island Illinois.”

Yes, life would have been a little different back in 1949 but now that we have set the stage for where we came to be, next month we will explore how our church was formed and by whom and those first years until we broke ground for our second church here on Dopp St.

Quiz Time (and no cheating)! Who was the president of the United States back in 1949? How many presidents have there been since Ascension came to be? Who was our state governor? And last, how many church buildings has Ascension been in from 1949 to today? Bonus Question for those looking for an A+: How many Pastors have we had in the last 70 years? You will get the answers next month.

Scott Tenwinkel
Council board member, Ascension’s 70th anniversary team

Reprinted from the May 2019 newsletter.

Lutheran Campus Ministry Update

Lutheran Campus Ministry at the border.

In January, Shirley Wehmeier spent an evening at the Corner House, the home of Lutheran Campus Ministry at UWM sharing our experiences working with refugees and new immigrants.

In return, several students and Pastor Rachel participated in a tutoring session at Ascension so they could experience working alongside our tutors with our students from varied backgrounds.

This was all part of their preparation to travel to the border for their spring break to truly experience what was happening there. In April, Ascension members participated in a special event where Pastor Rachel and the students shared their experience through stories and songs. It was an inspirational evening and hearing their honesty and passion about what they saw and heard at the border was awe-inspiring to all who were there. These young people are strong in faith and guided by God’s love and are ready to go into the world and lead. We were truly blessed to be a part of this special evening and to hear firsthand what they had seen and heard.

The Symbolism of the Latino Alfombras

During Holy Week, the Latino Ministry led the effort to bring a Central American Holy Week tradition Ascension and the Spanish sanctuary. In Central America, these carpets would created directly on the pavement of the main streets in town, but we used plywood as a base to protect the actual carpet. The sawdust was donated by Bliffert and was colored ahead of time using fabric dye purchased with a grant from Thrivent.

Here is some of the symbolism behind these carpets.

Alfombras are a bookend to Palm Sunday. On Palm Sunday, Jesus enter Jerusalem on at path of cloaks and palms; the alfombras beautify his walk to the cross.

As Jesus walked to the cross on Good Friday, the procession walks on the alfombras, destroying the artwork on their way to the altar. As Jesus dies, the world becomes an uglier place for three days, so the beauty of the alfombras comes to an end. It is also symbolic of the tearing of the curtain in the temple.

Alfombras are traditionally made primarily with sawdust and enhanced with salt and sand. Salt is mentioned over forty times in the Bible. Sand represents both the earth and Jesus’ connection to the sea and fisherman. Sawdust is used because Jesus was the son of a carpenter. It also reminds us of the passage from Genesis that we are from dust and we will return to dust.

Gracias to everyone that joined the Latino ministries for our Holy Week activities.

Memorial Bricks

Memorial Bricks

Please consider ordering a brick memorial paver for the remembrance of lost loved ones, positive thoughts or anything that may bring healing and hope to you or friends/ family.
Download the order form or contact the church office for a copy. The cost is $50/brick and you will be notified once the brick(s) are installed for viewing.

The Faith Journey of Lent

We are knee deep in the season of Lent. We find ourselves caught half way between the longing for earlier days of peace and light in Epiphany on one side and on the other the glory of Easter morning. Yet here in the middle of our journey, we are captured by moments of struggle – wanting to be obedient to our Savior’s call to follow but finding it difficult to see his footsteps in the shadows of Lent.

We spend a good amount of time looking to the end of the journey of Lent. Just get us to Easter morning. In the dawn of the resurrection of Jesus, let us hear the cries of Alleluia! God’s promise is that we will, indeed, find ourselves outside an empty tomb come Easter morning. Yet, I am convinced that the joy of Easter is often difficult for us to grasp in the midst of our journeys in this life. It is the reason I need the reminder that I do not walk alone in these days of Lent. Earlier this week, I was reminded of the words of the song that express my hope for these long and some times desperate days.

I want Jesus to walk with me; I want Jesus to walk with me;
all along my pilgrim journey, Lord, I want Jesus to walk with me.

In my trials, Lord, walk with me; in my trials, Lord, walk with me;
when my heart is almost breaking, Lord, I want Jesus to walk with me.

When I’m in trouble, Lord, walk with me; when I’m in trouble, Lord, walk with me;
when my head is bowed in sorrow, Lord, I want Jesus to walk with me.

Our journey of faith is full of twists and turns, mountains and valleys, and often surprises that can be both unexpected moments of joy and shattering times of sadness. God allows all of it in this life. We live. We love. We learn. We walk this journey of faith without being able to see the outcome. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Faith is taking the first step, even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” I need that reminder in my life. I find myself needing to be reminded that God is the one leading this journey. God leads – I follow. The great challenge is in letting go of my own needs and wants long enough to let God lead me where God invites me to go. This is my struggle and hope in this faith journey we call Lent. When I am desperate for Jesus to walk with me, I forget that God has promised to always be near.

I will keep singing the song. The words help me to remember and refocus my days on the promise of God for my life. All along my journey; in my trials; when my head is bowed in sorrow…Lord, I want Jesus to walk with me. And that will be enough.

All the way through the rest of Lent – into the holy days of Palm Sunday and Maundy Thursday and Good Friday – all the way to the cross. And then when I am at my end – when we have buried Jesus in the tomb – I will keep singing the song. I will sing in sadness and shadow until Jesus rises from the dead and gives me a new song to sing. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

See you in church,
Pastor Chris
(Reprinted from the April 2019 newsletter)

April Council Update

I wanted to use the April newsletter column to give everyone an update on council activities and to share the wonderful things that are happening at Ascension.

Our council in February decided that additional information was needed before making a decision on whether to sell one or more of our housing properties. Jeremy Poling is leading a housing review workgroup and I anticipate that the council will address this issue within the next few months.

While we are being guided by our current strategic plan, we have added objectives for this year of promoting congregational health and wellness, increasing member engagement experiences, and strengthening Council leadership. The council at our March meeting decided to begin strengthening council leadership by reading a book together over the next year and by having a retreat. We will be reading Pursuing God’s Will Together by Ruth Haley Barton and our spring retreat on May 11 will have the goals of team building, reflecting on progress toward our 2025 vision, participate in training on the ELCA “Stewardship for All Seasons” program, and having a ‘drill’ to test our Ascension disaster plan.

Cynthia Carlson continues to lead our building team which is overseeing our current construction. Our church looks better every week as work continues on Phase Two. Thank you all for your generosity toward our Raise the Roof project.

Scott Tenwinkel is leading our Ascension 70th Anniversary team which includes council members Linda Hansen, Bryn Kirk, and Roger Nordberg. They will need assistance so if you are curious about whether to serve on this group, please contact Scott.

Lastly, Chris Holloway is leading a workgroup looking at technology issues including phone/video conferencing. This will allow the council, wing workgroups, and others to attend meetings without having to be at Ascension, which is important to allow increased meeting participation, as well as when we have adverse weather events or in case of a disaster.

This is an exciting time at Ascension and I hope that you feel encouraged and blessed by all that God has given us. I look forward to what we can do together this year.

May this season of Lent bring a deeper and more meaningful faith for you and your loved ones.

Jay O’Grady
Council President
(Reprinted from the April 2019 newsletter)

In the Wilderness, God Is at Work

I am always caught by the use of the word “wilderness” in Scripture. In the New Testament, we find Jesus in the wilderness when he is tempted by Satan and again on the edge of the Sea of Galilee looking to find a quiet, set-apart place to pray. In the Old Testament we enter the wilderness when Moses leads the Hebrews out of Egypt and again when the Babylonians overwhelm the Israelites and carry them away into captivity not to mention countless other moments in the lives of prophets, kings, and God’s chosen ones.

From an online commentary I read this week: “In the Bible, the wilderness is a locale for intense experiences—of stark need for food and water (manna and quails), of isolation (Elijah and the still small voice), of danger and divine deliverance (Hagar and Ishmael), of renewal, of encounters with God (Moses, the burning bush, the revelation of the divine name, Mount Sinai). There is a psychology as well as a geography of wilderness, a theology gained in the wilderness. Linguists will make the point that the Hebrews did not have an exact equivalent of the contemporary English word “wilderness.” Nevertheless, the Hebrews evidently knew the experience of confronting the wild. Turning to the New Testament, which was written in Greek, not Hebrew, the word most often translated as “wilderness” is eremos (or eremia), an isolated place. The wilderness figures at critical junctures in the life of Jesus. Jesus is baptized by John and then is driven by the Spirit into the wilderness for forty days. The Devil is there, but so is the Spirit. “A great while before day, he rose and went out to a lonely place, and there he prayed” (Mark 1:35). This records a search for solitude, for self-discovery, [and] for divine presence.”

In the season of Lent, which begins with Ash Wednesday on March 6, we find God calling us…inviting us into the wilderness. Sometimes that invitation is met with joy. On Facebook, I read posts asking the question, “Who would want to live in this beautifully pictured log cabin for a month on the edge of this river without cell phone or Internet or TV? A sign of the times of being overly connected and often feeling alone, I guess.

And yet other times, we are pushed or even launched into the wilderness without any chance to pack a bag. An illness, a job loss, a new diagnosis, a divorce, a death – any of these events can propel us into a time of unknown without map or compass. For many reasons, the season of Lent seems to be a time each year in my life when I am both grateful to welcome the wilderness moments in my journey of faith and also afraid to venture where I am unable to see the finish. In some ways, I find the wilderness of Lent to be the destination and it forces me to trust that God is at work in ways I cannot always see or understand.

I offer these words to you as a reminder that our journeys of life and faith are never what we expect. And even though I am unable to see the finish, I hold on to the promise that God is at work. In the midst of our wilderness moments; in the midst of the death and resurrection moments in our lives; in the midst of not knowing what comes next – God is at work. So my friends, in these coming days of Lent when we cannot see the finish – God invites us to hold on to the promise – that in the midst of our wilderness moments… God is at work.

See you in church.

Pastor Chris
(Reprinted from the March 2019 newsletter)

Council Update: Raise the Roof, Spanish Language Ministry

I want to begin the Council newsletter column for March by thanking God for His blessings as we celebrate our 2018 Raise the Roof project. Due to our members’ generous response we have received $240,616 toward renewing our Ascension Church facilities. In addition to this amount we have $75,836 from the proceeds of the house sale last year resulting in total available funds of $316,452.

Our expenses for fixing the roof (phase one) were $128,815 which covered the Sanctuary roof, the East and West Hall roofs, the Narthex roof, some siding, and the skylights. Our budget for just the East and West Hall roofs was $160,000 based on initial estimates so we were significantly under budget with additional work done.
With $187,637 currently available we have begun phase two which involves siding for the Sanctuary, Office, East and West halls, 2 security doors, windows for the East Hall, and window trim for the Sanctuary. Estimates for this work are $164,985 which should give us $22,652 for additional facilities work.

I want to thank the Raise the Roof team for all of their efforts and especially Craig Greenwood who led this project, Doug Bue as the Stewardship leader, and Cynthia Carlson as our Director of Operations with significant contributions by Darin Maas and Michael Jahner.

The Ascension Church Council this month appointed Edwin Aparicio as our Spanish Language Minister. I want to thank Edwin for his courage in joining with us to begin a new ministry at Ascension and his willingness to serve in this role. We look forward to seeing how our Spanish language service, bible study, and other efforts will be blessed. The Council is committed to supporting this effort as our church family grows.

Michael Hamm has agreed to become the Ascension treasurer for this year. Please thank him for his willingness to serve in this role.
Lastly, Ascension has decided to become a voting site for the City of Waukesha for the April 2nd election. We have a team preparing for this event and look forward to serving our neighbors in this new way.

May God bless you as you grow in your faith,

Jay O’Grady
Council President
(Reprinted from the March 2019 newsletter)