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)

Epiphany — Living in the Light

In the early days of my ministry when the season of Epiphany arrived on the heels of Christmas – I was often at a loss for what to say to people of faith who had just recently knelt at the manger to witness the miracle of God coming to us.

If Advent is waiting for the light and Christmas is celebrating the coming of the light – Epiphany is surely the celebration of living in the light of Christ. Advent is my favorite time of year – the four weeks of anticipating and waiting and watching remind me that, in many parts of my life, I often stumble in the darkness or dim light of what I think I can see. Instead of my stumbling, I believe it would be better to simply wait and rest in the promise God makes to us that the Savior of the world will come. And yet, because I often know better than God (or so I think) I will rush in when I should hide out!

If Advent invites us to wait, Christmas invites us to revel. If one revels – they take pleasure, enjoy the party. Christmas is truly God’s party at the manger. Not exactly the way we think we should party here in this life. No fancy drink or dress – no luxury of hospitality. Instead, we revel in the joy of God’s promise to come to us coming true. Jesus is here. A light to chase away the darkness; a light to one-day drive out the darkness forever. If we stumbled in Advent – Christmas calls us to rest in complete joy in celebration of the pure gift of God’s love given to us.

Epiphany then is our invitation to journey in the light of our God. It is so much easier to walk in the light. I am not sure how many of us take advantage of such a gift.

The Scripture for the day of Epiphany is from Matthew 2. It is the story of the visit of Magi (you might know them as the wise men) and the middle verses of the Scripture are by far the best: On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.”

The Magi left for their home by another road. Once you have found the light of Christ, it is hard to travel the old ways. Or at least it should be. Who wants to walk the same roads of suffering and loneliness and regret they have known before they meet Jesus? Certainly, not me.

It is true for each of us, that in the light of God’s love we are invited to travel home by another road. And yet we all know people, and sometimes those people are us, that travel the same roads over and over again expecting different results each time. I was reminded that if you want different results for your life than we have to choose different approaches. In my life, that means traveling home by another road. Another road I may not have seen until I chose to open my eyes to the light of Christ and let that light lead me in a new direction – a new road – a new hope in my life.

Dear friends – the choice is yours. The light of Christ shines on the road before you. The question to ask is whether you wish to open your eyes to the new road before you, gifted to you by God, or simply choose to stumble forward hoping for something to change. When in reality, God has already changed everything with the gift of a baby, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

Blessings in these days of Epiphany full of God’s light and hope in your life.

Pastor Chris

Reprinted from the Jan 2019 newsletter

Pr. Chris’ Advent Message

I am grateful for the following poem from writer Ann Weems, This Year Will Be Different. She reminds me that the journey of December is far more about my own heart preparing to receive Jesus than all the hearts I want to reach in the giving of gifts and greetings in cards and smiles in pictures. Oh believe me, I love all the trappings of Christmas – right down to the Christmas tree cut-out cookie that somehow never looks like a Christmas tree. Yet, the season of Advent is always brings this longing inside of me to tend the lonely places in my life with the new life of our Savior. I wonder if you have lonely places too that hunger for the new life offered by our Savior Jesus.

Who among us does not have dreams that this year will be different?
Who among us does not intend to go peacefully, leisurely, carefully toward Bethlehem?
For who among us likes to cope with the commercialism of Christmas which lures us to tinsel not only the tree but also our hearts?
Who among us intends to get caught up in tearing around and wearing down?
Who among us does not long for:
Gifts that give love?
Shopping in serenity?
Cards and presents sent off early?
Evenings by the fireside with those we love?
The aroma of cinnamon and nutmeg mingling with pine?
The children cheerfully talking about giving instead of getting?

Who among us does not yearn for time for our hearts to ponder the Word of God: moments of kneeling and bursts of song and the peace of quiet calm for our spirit’s journey?
This year we intend to follow the star instead of the crowd?
But, of course, we always do intend the best. (And sometimes-best intentions tend to get the best of us!)
This year, when we find ourselves off the path again (and we invariably will!)
Let’s not add yet another stress to our Advent days, that of ‘trying to do Christmas correctly!’
Instead, let’s approach the birth of our Lord with joyful abandon!

And this year …
Let’s do what Mary did and rejoice in God.
Let’s do what Joseph did and listen to our dreams.
Let’s do what the Magi did and go to worship.
Let’s do what the shepherds did and praise and glorify God for all we’ve seen and heard.
As for the Advent frantic pace, we don’t have time for that. We’ll be too busy singing.
This year will be different!

Perhaps this year, we will all try to be different: rejoice in God; to listen to our dreams; to go to worship; to praise and glorify God for all we’ve seen and heard; and to gather at the manger to join with the angels’ song: “O come let us adore him, O come let us adore him, O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord!”

Dear friends – Blessings on your Advent and Merry Christmas (just a little early)! Peace and joy be yours in these dark winter days as we long for the light of a Christmas star once again.

Pastor Chris

Karibu Tena

“Karibu tena” translates from Swahili to English as “welcome again.” It is the invitation and the hope of our brothers and sisters in Tanzania who are already excited for our next visit either here in Waukesha or in Arusha, Tanzania. There is so much to share with you. If you missed Sunday, Aug. 26, during worship or the potluck gathering that evening, please consider joining our delegates on Sunday, Sept. 23, between services for more stories and inspiration from our visit.

As we are walking into our fall programming here at Ascension, I will only take the time to share one story with you from our time in Tanzania. I have a new understanding for the work of the Holy Spirit in our midst. I am well aware of God’s timing and tending in my life. Often times, I am overwhelmed by what God is doing to shape my life and my walk in different ways.

In Tanzania, early in our trip, Bishop Elias Kitoi offered these words. He said, “In America you have all the clocks, and In Tanzania we have all the time.” A reminder that everything that happens will happen in God’s timing. Our rush to keep a schedule was limited by the smoothness of the road before us and the length of the welcome and hospitality of the place where our visiting was coming to an end. I learned to slow down and to let the rhythm of Africa and the leading of our brothers and sisters set the tone for our sense of direction and timing.

The second interaction with the Bishop of the Meru Diocese came with this story. We planted trees at every church we visited. Our first Sunday visit brought us to Maroroni Parish where the Bishop joined us for a building fundraiser during a 4½ hour service. At the end of the service, the Bishop and I planted a tree together. I got dirty, somehow he did not. When we went to take the picture together to commemorate the planting, I apologized for my dirty hands trying not to get dirt on his hands or alb. He looked at me as he grabbed my hand and said, “Pastor Chris, it is okay. In Africa, God reminds us that we all come from the dirt.” Such a simple reflection overflowing with both hospitality and relationship. I was humbled to go as a delegate to Tanzania. I was privileged to meet people of faith who now call us family across an ocean and a continent. Thanks be to God!

And now, back to the clock! Or at least back to the school year that calls us to new fall programming here at Ascension. I want to share with you two invitations for you to consider as September unfolds.

First, we are preparing for a fall small group emphasis around Max Lucado’s new book, “Anxious for Nothing.” Lucado writes these words, “Does the road you’re traveling loom large with mountains to cross, obstacles to avoid, and hairpin curves to navigate? Could you use some calm? If so, I have a scripture for you:

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7.

This new small group study begins the week of Sept. 16. I will be leading one small group at church on Monday nights beginning on Sept. 17. Join me or ask at the small group table beginning on Sunday, Sept. 9, about other possible groups to join.

The second invitation has been brewing in my heart for a long time. In the Lutheran Christian world, we only baptize once. As the Apostle Paul says in the book of Ephesians, “4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” In our Lutheran theology, when someone is hungry for a reformation or renewal of their faith, we invite individuals to affirm their faith by entering into a time of study and reflection and spiritual discernment with the eventual response becoming a crafted and shared statement of faith affirming who they are as a disciple of Jesus.

I am excited to invite you to consider an adult confirmation experience – an affirmation of your faith with twice monthly gatherings and book study conversations; reflections on our Lutheran Christian theology, and a crafting of a public profession of faith to be shared along with the laying on of hands. Regardless of your age or your place on this journey of faith – perhaps this is an opportunity for you to consider in the days ahead. We will meet for the first time together on Monday night, Sept. 10, 7 p.m. to provide an introduction. If you can’t make that gathering but want to join us, just drop me an email and I will add you to the list.

So much is ahead of us…Opportunities to GROW like BLAST, JOLT, CRASH and Adult Education on Sunday mornings between services; Opportunities to SERVE like literacy tutoring, the NAMI walk and the Outreach for Hope bike ride; opportunities to WALK like GriefShare, small groups, Supermoms, Knit Wits; opportunities to WORSHIP like communion assistants, readers, choirs, handbells, Altar Guild, ushers, worship leaders, and well – WORSHIP. Come, join us, welcome to the ministries of God’s church – your church – Ascension Lutheran Church!

Peace be with you!

Pastor Chris

From the September 2018 Newsletter

The Light of Epiphany

Dear People of God,
I am borrowing the words of one of my favorite poets, Ann Weems, to share with you the hope of this new year. She has an incredible gift to describe with such clarity my feelings of these days after Christmas. She writes:

3 wise menI must admit to a certain guilt about stuffing the Holy Family into a box in the aftermath of Christmas. It’s frankly a time of personal triumph when, each Advent’s eve, I free them (and the others) from a year’s imprisonment boxed in the dark of our basement. Out they come, one by one, struggling through the straw, last year’s tinsel still clinging to their robes. Nevertheless, they appear, ready to take their place again in the light of another Christmas. The Child is first because he’s the one I’m most reluctant to box. Attached forever to his cradle, he emerges, apparently unscathed from the time spent upside down to avoid the crush of the lid. His mother, dressed eternally in blue, still gazes adoringly, in spite of the fact that her features are somewhat smudged. Joseph has stood for eleven months, holding valiantly what’s left of his staff, broken twenty Christmases ago by a child who hugged a little too tightly.The Wise Ones still travel, though not quite so elegantly, the standing camel having lost its back leg and the sitting camel having lost one ear. However, gifts intact, they are ready to move. The Shepherds, walking or kneeling, sometimes confused with Joseph (who wears the same dull brown), tumble forth, followed by three sheep in very bad repair. There they are again, not a grand set surely, but one children (and now the grandchildren) can touch and move about to reenact the silent night. When the others return, we will wind the music box on the back of the stable and light the Advent candles and go one more time to Bethlehem. And this year, when it’s time to pack the figures away, we’ll be more careful that the Peace and Goodwill are not also boxed for another year!

The days of Epiphany call us to bask in the light of Christmas. Not the light of a star, but the light of a Savior. Here, the darkness is chased away by the promise of new life. The long nights of winter are beginning to give way to days filled with increasing moments of light. For many of us, the darkness seems to overwhelm us. It is only when we remove our hands covering our eyes and lift up our heads that we are able to see the light of Christ that surrounds us. May you be blessed by the hope that God has already placed within you in these days of Epiphany – these days of light.

Peace be with you,

Pastor Chris Marien