Life’s Moments

After having celebrated Thanksgiving Day with family and friends, now is the time to begin preparing for our end-of-year celebrations with families. As a church, leaders are also preparing so that in this Advent season of 2024, you, your family, and those you invite to visit Ascension can experience and meditate upon God becoming human in a variety of traditions.

As a multicultural congregation, we have the gift of offering an Advent season in which we can see, know, and experience God’s human revelation in various ways but with the same purpose. Activities such as the Advent Concert Worship, the Sunday school program, the annunciation of the angel, live nativity, the posadas, Christmas Eve, the visit of the three wise men in January, and Family Day in February. All of these revive us and remind us of the origin of our history as a Christian community.

On Thursday, Dec. 12, at 6 a.m., you are invited to join us in the Spanish Sanctuary where we will have the celebration of the Annunciation, the day in which we remember when the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and revealed God’s will that she would become the means by which the Word would become flesh and dwell among us. This celebration will be accompanied by mariachi music, and a shared breakfast after worship.

On Saturday, Dec. 21, we hope that you will join us, accompany us and experience how the Holy Family arrives in Bethlehem as strangers looking for a refuge that was not found. As Luke 2:7 says, “and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.” The Christmas story is a reminder for us that the first years of Jesus’s life was spent as a migrant, searching for housing and safety. The Holy Family’s journey as foreigners began on their way to Bethlehem and continued on their trip to Egypt in search of refuge due to persecution by King Herod. For this reason, it is our tradition to begin Las Posadas with the Immigrant’s Creed, a creed that professes the Christian faith through the lens of an immigrant.

I believe in Almighty God, who guided the people in exile and in exodus, the God of Joseph in Egypt and Daniel in Babylon, the God of foreigners and immigrants.

I believe in Jesus Christ, a displaced Galilean, who was born away from his people and his home, who fled his country with his parents when his life was in danger, and returning to his own country suffered the oppression of the tyrant Pontius Pilate, the servant of a foreign power, who then was persecuted, beaten, and finally tortured, accused and condemned to death unjustly. But on the third day, this scorned Jesus rose from the dead, not as a foreigner but to offer us citizenship in heaven.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the eternal immigrant from God’s kingdom among us, who speaks all languages, lives in all countries, and reunites all races.

I believe that the church is the secure home for the foreigner and for all believers who constitute it, who speak the same language and have the same purpose. I believe that the communion of the saints begins when we accept the diversity of the saints.

I believe in the forgiveness of sin, which makes us all equal, and in reconciliation, which identifies us more than does race, language, or nationality.

I believe that in the resurrection God will unite us as one people in which all are distinct and all are alike at the same time. Beyond this world, I believe in life eternal in which no one will be an immigrant but all will be citizens of God’s kingdom, which will never end. Amen.

Feliz Navidad!

Pastor Edwin

A Season of Thanks

For many years my wife and I have wanted to visit Door County in the fall, but we always found ourselves with either too much on the calendar or too little in the bank account. Finally this year we made it happen. Taking advantage of my wife having a day off of school at the end of October, my family and I had the opportunity to get away for two days. I had heard stories about the colorful beauty that can be seen during the fall. The stories are true, as you drive through the streets you can enjoy the beautiful landscape reflected in the forest.

As you may know, fall in Door County is one of the peak seasons for tourism. As we passed by, hotel after hotel had the messages on their entrances: No Vacancy. I immediately thought that the streets were going to be crowded all day but as we drove through the cities, the streets looked like they had little traffic. In the evenings, the streets, restaurants and shops showed something different. The reality was that most people during the day were immersed in all the hiking spots, forests, and lakes enjoying and giving thanks for the beauty that can be found around the peninsula. I thought to myself, what a great way to start the season of thankfulness.

As we approach gathering and celebrating Thanksgiving with family and friends, let us thank God for the things and moments God has given us. We as a Church thank God for the eight students from our Church who made their confirmation of faith on Reformation Sunday. We are thankful for the 75th anniversary of our Church that reminds us that we are always growing. We are thankful to have attended the Youth Gathering in New Orleans last summer and that the energy from that experience still inspires our students to have an active faith life in the church. We are thankful that a delegation was able to visit El Salvador this summer and that Rick Frowein is visiting Tanzania, strengthening the bonds of our partnerships and exploring new ways that Ascension can support our brothers and sisters. We are thankful for new members. As we also approach Dia de los Muertos, we give thanks for all those who have gone before us, but left wonderful memories in the hearts and minds of many of us.

I personally thank God for allowing me to visit Door County in the fall with my family. I am thankful that this summer I was able to celebrate my first year as an ordained pastor and my twelfth wedding anniversary. I am thankful to have had my first experience leading a youth trip and looking forward to our next one.

And you, what are you thankful for during this Thanksgiving holiday season?

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his loving-kindness is everlasting.” (1 Chronicles 16:34)

Happy Thanksgiving.
Pastor Edwin

Thankful for You

Well, friends, I am just a week past my hernia surgery. It has been a journey. No doubt in the month of November you will hear Pastor Tony or Pastor Edwin yell at me for preparing to pick up a chair or move a table. God forbid I move a candlestick! I am not a fan of being dependent on another person. Ask my wife! Though I am very content to ring a little bell so that my wife will know it is time to refill my coffee cup. In my dreams…at least.

It has been a glorious October – Green Meadows worship on the farm, new member brunch and the joy of 27 new members sharing in the gift of this community of faith, CRASH cooking and serving breakfast to the teachers at Hawthorne Elementary, and Reformation Sunday celebrating the public profession of faith of our confirmands. And I thought September was a full month with our 75th anniversary celebration weekend and the kick-off to fall programming. None of this was done by one person alone. The ministry and mission of Ascension is the power of God lived out through the energy and faithfulness of so many of you that make Ascension the community of faith that it is.

November brings the gift of All Saints Sunday and the remembering of those who have died in our community in the last year as well as lifting up the memory of loved ones who still rest in our hearts even as they enjoy the Kingdom of God. Young at Heart will take 50 people to an event to hear the sounds of Christmas a bit early while enjoying the gift of fellowship and community. Ascension’s annual meeting will be on Sunday, Nov. 17, at 9:45am in-between services. An opportunity for us to gather to celebrate where we have been and where God may be leading in the year ahead. Christ the King Sunday celebrates the end of the church year on Sunday, Sept. 24, and the season of Advent will be right around the corner. Again, all of this takes place, with your passion and partnership in the ministry of the body of Christ.

It turns out I am dependent on all of you – though not for my coffee. As one of your pastors, my ministry is encouraged, enriched, and inspired by your ministry and presence in worship, study, and in serving each other and those outside the walls of Ascension. In this month, where we celebrate the day of Thanksgiving, I want to take a moment to give thanks to God for all of you and to thank you for all that you do to share the story of God’s love throughout the world. What joy it brings to walk together in this time and place.

See you in church,
Pastor Chris

Always Thankful

As I sit here staring at a blank document on my computer wondering, “What am I going to write about for the November newsletter?”, I thought, since no new and original idea was coming to mind, I should go back and look at some of my previous articles over the years. I came across one I wrote several years ago about being thankful and even though I was trying to avoid using the ever popular “be thankful” theme, something slightly different came to mind which I think is still applicable to all of us today. So, here we go.

November is a month where people tend to list out the things we’re thankful for, (it’s probably because of that one holiday called “Thanksgiving”). Some will even list something every day on their social media pages (which is not something you’ll never find me doing). Don’t get me wrong, it’s good to be thankful, and I am thankful for many different things – I just don’t care to broadcast it all over social media. Besides, many times the things listed after family and friends are all material things which eventually break, get lost, or simply need to be replaced.

But don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to be the Scrooge or Grinch of Thanksgiving, it is good to be thankful. The Bible even tells us that. First Thessalonians says, “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Wait, look closely, did you notice what it says? “Give thanks in all circumstances…”. So, does this mean we’re supposed to give thanks in those times when life isn’t going like we’ve planned or when something bad happens? Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but, yes, that’s exactly what it means.

We all know that bad things are going to happen. People will get sick, things will break or be stolen, feelings will be hurt by those we call our friends, and relationships are going to go through tough times and may even come to an end. It may be hard to see these as times to give thanks, but they are. And here’s why…

Notice the word that comes before “all.” What is it? It’s the word in. We’re told to give thanks in all circumstances, not for all circumstances. The evil, the bad things of life don’t come from God, those are a result of sin being in the world. This is why we’re not thankful for all circumstances. We’re thankful in all circumstances because no matter what we’re facing in life, God is still in control and God’s presence is still with us. This means that his love, mercy, compassion, and all the other wonderful things God is and does are still with us. They are with us because we are his beloved children. And to prove that, God sent Jesus, His only Son, so that anyone who believes in him may have eternal life.

So in this month of reflection on what it is that we’re thankful for…the thing I’m most thankful for is this – the precious gift of Jesus and his victorious resurrection! Because through this we are claimed as God’s children. And I’m thankful that God continues to go with us wherever it is that we go. It’s my constant prayer that no matter what any of us experience in our lives, that we remember that he’s always there with us and we can lean on him all the time. May you have a blessed and thankful Thanksgiving!

Pastor Tony

Council News & 2024 Annual Meeting

It’s hard to believe we are already talking about November, but Fall is here! The Council met this week to review and discuss Ascension’s budget, as we move into budget season and planning for next year. The Council had a good discussion about all of the incredible things happening inside, and outside, the walls of Ascension and how our budget can continue to support those things in the coming year. The next two steps in the budget process are a budget listening session on Sunday, Nov. 10. This is an opportunity for members of the congregation to ask questions and review the budget in more detail, before it is presented for a vote by the congregation at our annual congregational meeting on Sunday, Nov. 17. Both sessions will take place in between services. We hope you can join us.

Amanda Payne, President

October Worship News

Worship at the Farm Oct. 6

Just a reminder that on Sunday, Oct. 6, there will be no late service held at Ascension. Everyone is invited to Green Meadows Farm to celebrate worship with our BLAST families and Latino community. Registration is required. Register online at https://tinyurl.com/RSVPgreen. The cost is $15 per person (under 2 free) and includes sandwich, drinks and petting farm. Please also sign-up for a dish to pass, https://tinyurl.com/ALCGreen24. Please register and pay by Sept. 29. Questions? Contact Pastor Tony, tony@ascensionelca.org.

Introducing a New Youth Choir

We’re beginning a new Youth Choir for students in grades 6-8 on Thursday, Nov. 7, 5:45-6:30. This is a short-term commitment with rehearsals on Nov. 7, 14, 21 and Dec. 5 and 12. The Youth Choir will then sing for the Advent Concert Worship services on Saturday, Dec. 14, at 6 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 15, at 9:30 a.m. To sign-up, please contact Director of Music Ministries Vicki Taylor, vicki@ascensionelca.org.

Children’s Choir

Children’s Choir for children in grades K-5 returns on Thursday, Nov. 7, 5 to 5:40 p.m. Children’s choir will rehearse on Nov. 7, 14, 21 and Dec. 5 and 12 and will sing for the Advent Concert Worship services on Saturday, Dec. 14, at 6 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 15, at 9:30 a.m. Email vicki@ascensionelca.org to join. 

Sing for a Season

Love to sing but not sure about a year-long commitment? Sing with the Ascension Choir for the Advent/Christmas season. Rehearsals are from 7:15-8:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov 6; Saturday, Nov. 9, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.; Wednesdays, Nov. 13 and 20; Tuesday, Nov. 26; Wednesdays, Dec. 4 and 11. The choir will sing for the Advent Concert Worship services on Saturday, December 14 and Sunday, December 15. Please contact Director of Music Ministries Vicki Taylor, vicki@ascensionelca.org, with questions or to join!

Serving in October

El Salvador / Tanzania Partnership Meeting

Are you considering traveling to El Salvador or Tanzania with Ascension in the next summer or two? International travel not your thing, but you want to be a part of our partnership? Have you previously traveled with us?

We are meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 1, at 6:30 p.m. A few things on the agenda include: Rick Frowein’s upcoming trip to Tanzania with the coffee project, discussing financial requests from Pastora Blanca in El Salvador, making initial plans for our next trips and hosting, and hearing the latest on our exploration to begin a chocolate project in El Salvador. Contact Sarah Wehmeier Aparicio if you have any questions, or you are interested but you can’t make the meeting, sarah@ascensionelca.org.

Who Is My Neighbor?

Ascension had good participation in the Greater Milwaukee Synod Immigration and Refugee Task Force event in early September. The response was NOW WHAT? Ascension’s SOPHIA leadership team is taking on the challenge since the topic so closely links to SOPHIA’s goals. Join us on Thursday, Oct. 3, at 6:30 p.m. at church if you have questions about immigration and refugee resettlement and how to live out your faith in response. You are invited to attend whether you were at the synod event or not. We will learn together and prayerfully discuss our next steps. Contact Joan Mikecz, joanmikecz@sbcglobal.net, with questions.  

There will be a series of Did You Know? questions and answers on the Mission Outreach Facebook page beginning on October 1 to help us all have a clear understanding of terms and the myths and misunderstandings of the many aspects that impact refugees and immigration. The synod taskforce has provided some good resources that will guide us. Please follow us on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/Ascension.ELCA.MO.

Walk for NAMI Oct. 5 

This annual event helps to end the stigma surrounding mental health and to help achieve the goal of mental health for all. NAMI has been an Ascension Community partner for many years. We support their work in areas that impact all of us at some point in life. 

Join Ascension’s team on Saturday, Oct. 5, to walk for NAMI at the Milwaukee County Zoo beginning at 9:30. Sign-up online https://www.namiwalks.org/team/68935 or https://www.namiwalks.org/participant/teamascensionchurch.

Celebrating 50 Years of ELCA World Hunger

Are you aware that Ascension supports the ELCA World Hunger program each month as a part of our budget? When we work with the larger church body, so much more can be done than if we tried to conquer hunger on our own. Through ELCA World Hunger, 66 countries and 41states and territories received support in 2023. Here are ways you can participate in the celebration via the ELCA announcement.

  • World Food Day Celebrating 50 Years of ELCA World Hunger
  • When: Tuesday, Oct. 15, 7 p.m. Central time
  • Where: Zoom webinar. Register online.

Savor

Recently a friend who I haven’t seen in many years reached out wanting to reconnect. I was thrilled when he called, and it was so great to hear his voice. I’ve missed him a lot over the years. Then, just last week I spent some time away with my four siblings to celebrate my 50th birthday. We’re spread out around the country, so we aren’t all together regularly. But the days and nights together around the table, at the pool, on the couch, and out hiking were filled with great food, sharing stories, laughter, and reconnection and they were glorious.

Time is fleeting, or so I’ve heard from countless people over the past few weeks. But this old adage feels suffocating. I’m sure most of you can relate to life being busy, hurried, overstimulated, and overscheduled.

For quite some time I’ve been fascinated by the concept of savoring and it’s something I’ve been working on. This one word is changing me – more than I expected. To savor something means to taste it, to enjoy or appreciate it completely, especially by dwelling on it and being fully present to whatever is.

I want to do all these things, admittedly though I don’t always do it all that well. Like so many others I find myself multitasking or continually filling my schedule with more and more. I think most of us would say that we are rarely idle.  And I think herein lies the problem.

For many of us the daily norm is centered around productivity and trying to cram as much as we can into every minute until there’s nothing to spare.  But sometimes this makes it hard to even breathe. Savoring on the other hand involves delight, pleasure, relishing. There’s no hint of duty in savoring.

At times my life tends to be much more focused on duty than on savoring. My schedule revolves around “ought to do” more than “want to do.” And in these times duty looms large in the choices I make.

Of course, duty is important. But when life is all about duty, there is little room for delight. When a good day is defined by getting everything done on my to-do list, I leave little room for the important things – things that can’t be jotted down and crossed off a list. And this was never more evident than recently when my friend unexpectedly called and when I spent time away with my siblings.

Savoring means being fully present, and this can be in all areas of our lives not just in relationships. We can delight even in mundane things like fresh laundry, unexpected laughter, a delicious sandwich, or a sunset. There are so many things in life to savor, to delight in – if we’re willing to take the time to notice. I don’t necessarily live slow…but I’m learning.  And I wonder if you would like to as well.

Savoring, living slow, delighting – they’re all part of a conscious mindset. And truthfully, it all begins by taking time to savor God.  Taking time to recognize, dwell, and appreciate all that God has done, is doing, and will do in our lives is the first step. Savoring God involves being fully present and dwelling in his sacred presence. And when we lean in to God, practice his presence, pay attention to his voice, only then are we able to taste and savor the goodness God offers. And when we savor Jesus in our lives, we delight in God’s presence.

Jesus is not something we need to check off on our to-do-list and go on with our day. He is not an obligation; He is life. And the more time we spend with Him, the more spacious our life feels. Sitting unhurried with God, letting Him fill us, is the best way to savor Him. And I always find it interesting that when I am filled in this way, I also have more space than ever before.

Take a moment to reflect on the people and things in your life. Consider what it would be like if this were the last moment you had with them. If you knew this was the last time, would you appreciate them more, be more fully present in the moment, listen to them more intently, savor them more? I’m working on it, and I hope you will to. Both with God and with all that God has so graciously gifted to us.

Pastor Tony

Jello and Posole

In September, we celebrated our 75th anniversary. It was a wonderful weekend celebration. On Friday, I had a lot of fun cooking carne asada and dancing with many of you. I like to dance! On Sunday, we had a beautiful bilingual worship where everyone sang in Spanish and English. You also had three sermons from your three pastors. I shared my sermon in Spanish and it was in English on the screen. I know it was a challenge to follow. For that reason, I decided to include my entire sermon in my article for this month.

In 1949, twenty-four disciples guided by the Holy Spirit took a leap of faith and decided to begin a new church. Seventy-five years later, I spend most of my Sunday morning at 8:30 worship with a couple hundred members. But then at 10:45, I move to the Spanish sanctuary where we are still in double digits for attendance. As we planned for today’s event, I have been inspired by imagining those original twenty-four  Ascension members meeting the Spanish-speaking members of our congregation. New Lutherans who were willing to take a risk by becoming part of a new church. History is repeating itself. 

I wonder if among the dreams of those 24 disciples was that this church would cross borders in its journey of hearing the call of God through our companions in faith. I wonder if any of them imagined that 60 some years in the future, a member of Ascension would travel to El Salvador on a synod trip and two years later, that member and I would be married and I would be moving to Waukesha and joining Ascension, eventually becoming a pastor and leading Spanish language worship. I left behind everything, including my home church. But God found me and many of you and led us to this new home of Spanish worship. I wonder if they could imagine that by 2024, Ascension would have sent multiple delegations to El Salvador.

I wonder if any of them would have been able to imagine the technology that would allow a group of Ascension members to gather at church to have breakfast while praying together over a tv screen with our brothers and sisters from Tanzania. Time spent connecting with friends Ascension has built in Tanzania over the past nine years.  

I wonder if they could imagine our high school crossing state lines to travel to other states for service trips and youth gatherings and that they would return to help lead worship and children’s sermons.

I am sure that they never imagined that the place where they met to worship God in one language, is now a Holy place where the message of love, joy, peace and above all hope is proclaimed in two languages ​​at the same time, in their own sanctuaries and with a blend of traditions. Traditions that help us see our own faith in a new way: the celebration of Las Posadas in which we meet to remember the journey of the Holy Family, the making of the alfombras for Holy Week, remembering our loved ones on the Day of the Dead, celebrating the gift of the Jesus, the light of the world on Three Kings’ Day. If they could imagine a Lutheran potluck where posole and jello molds sat side by side on the serving table.

Ascension’s founding members had no idea about the future of the church they started, but God knew the fruits that this community of faith would have over the years. God knew that this community of faith over the years would become a multicultural community, where children, youth, and adults celebrate, learn, and walk in this ongoing journey of learning about God’s calling, here at home and afar.

Brothers and sisters, Jeremiah 29:11 says, For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Together we rise, Juntos nos levantamos!

Pastor Edwin

Into the Mess

I have spent much of the summer reading a book entitled “Into the Mess & Other Jesus Stories.”

The introduction to the book begins like this: “I don’t like messes, in life or in faith. I doubt I’m alone; no one chooses Christianity because they crave unruliness or disruption. In fact, many of us embrace religious faith for the opposite reason; we assume – and our churches encourage us to believe – that our spiritual commitments will keep life neat and orderly. At the same time, many of us twenty-first century believers are tired of religious language and imagery that skirt the messiness of our lived lives. We’re weary of platitudes, easy answers, and quick “fixes” that fix nothing. We might want tidiness, but we also want a faith with hard edges – a robust and relevant faith that integrates the hard stuff of our days and still makes possible transcendence and joy.” And that was enough to capture my wondering. Few of us enter into a new day wondering what mess we can find ourselves in by the end of the day. More often than not, the messes come to us not the other way around. Which led me to the road I have walked more than once – mess or method, interruption or invitation.

In his book “Life Together,” Dietrich Bonhoeffer writes: “We must be ready to allow ourselves to be interrupted by God. God will be constantly crossing our paths and canceling our plans by sending us people with claims and petitions. We may pass them by, preoccupied with our more important tasks. . . It is a strange fact that Christians and even ministers frequently consider their work so important and urgent that they will allow nothing to disturb them. They think they are doing God a service in this, but actually they are disdaining God’s ‘crooked yet straight path.’”

I know some of you are probably tired of stories from the 2024 ELCA Youth Gathering, but I am afraid there will be a few more along the way this fall. For all of the organizing, coordinating, planning, preparing, contracting, praying, celebrating – I am ALWAYS glad when it comes to an end. It is a mountaintop moment that cannot last and I am convinced I do not want it to last beyond the five days of the event. It is glorious in almost every way, and yet, returning to life in Wisconsin, prepping for the fall at Ascension, dreaming about what is next for this community of faith I deeply love – those moments are just as important, and I miss this place when I am away too long. Prepping for the fall; dreaming about ministry; celebrating 75 years of ministry; collaborating on our 2035 Strategic Plan can all be moments of messiness and at the same time little mountaintop moments to lift our eyes to the hills and to the glory of God as the psalmist says.

One might believe that the work of the Youth Gathering can be exhausting. Of course. And also, the work inspires me to return to my call at Ascension to live, to lead, to discern, and to dream alongside you. Fall programming is always exciting. What will work for us? What will fail? What are we hungry for? What will spark interest for people outside our doors? How will new members enter into our patterns of life and ministry? Who believes they are ready to grow in their faith in a new way? Yes, it gets messy AND even the mess can be a mountaintop moment when we trust that our God leads us into the mess and up to the mountaintop and promises to stay with us all along the way. 

So my friends, welcome to the mess that is life and ministry and new chapters of new school years, new chapters of empty nesting, new chapters of ministry for our community of Ascension and for each of us to the glory of God. Holy God, bring on the mess, it is where we are able to see your hand leading us most clearly into the future you have planned for each of us.

See you in church…

Pastor Chris