Love One Another

Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all! Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. – Romans 12:9-18 (NLT)

Our world, our communities, our families and friends as well as the strangers who we are yet to encounter are all being impacted by so many destructive forces taking place in our world.

Recently I preached a sermon where I referenced a conversation with someone who stated that they were “at their wits end” because of all the heavy things taking place in their life and throughout the world. And lately I’ve been feeling that same tension and I’m guessing many of you are too. In my search for how to make sense of and navigate all the chaotic things that are happening I turned to the only place I know to find unfailing guidance – Scripture. And this particular passage from Romans seems to be a guiding light in the midst of all the darkness.

So, every morning I’ve been meditating on this passage as a reminder of how God calls me to be in the world each day. I pray that you would find comfort in taking time to read and reflect on these holy words and allow them to dwell deeply in your heart. Then, I invite you to consider how God might be speaking to you through this passage? And as you choose to live out these words how might the Holy Spirit be guiding you toward a blessing for your life and the world?

Pastor Tony

New Environments

I’ve slept at my mother’s house in El Salvador on a few visits since moving to Waukesha. On those occasions, I’ve had trouble falling asleep due to the heat, roosters crowing at 3 a.m., cats fighting over girlfriends on the roof of the house, and dogs barking almost all night. Things that didn’t bother me in the past now bother me when I stay at my mother’s house.

Our bodies adapt to new environments, and often returning to our previous surroundings presents some unsuspected challenges. At the end of May, I went to a meeting in El Salvador for a few days and slept at my mother’s house. My wife, as always, told me to be careful with what I eat and drink because my body was not like it used to be. I told her I would be fine.

It turns out my wife was right, and I became a little sick. I didn’t think I needed bottled water. Even my mom and sister told me not to drink too much tap water because it could make me sick, but I told them I would be fine. I was greatly surprised because I had never had this problem in all the trips I had made to my country. I thought my body could still handle it, but the reality is that my body now thinks Wisconsin water is normal and can no longer handle Salvadoran water.

Many of us have probably had similar experiences in our lives, in which our bodies react to environments that were once normal to us, but now they reject them as strange. This makes me reflect on the true change that occurs in our being when we truly follow the call that Jesus makes to all of us. 

In order to follow Jesus, we need to be intentional about living in an environment that lifts up Christ-like values. And not just the friends and family we engage with, but the media we choose to follow. Computer-generated algorithms have become a frighteningly powerful tool of controlling our environments in many ways. 

Following Jesus means that the things that were once normal and that damaged our being and our relationships with others are now strange and painful for us because we live under a new way of seeing life in Jesus. Injustice, lack of compassion, hatred, jealousy, resentment, persecution, war are and should be strange things for every true Christian. The Apostle Paul in Galatians 5:22-23 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”

In a world struggling in the shadows of despair, division, and doubt, Christians are called to be a light that resonates with profound urgency wherever we stand. We are not called to exist passively, but to illuminate, guide, and bring hope to a world desperately in need of actively embracing and utilizing the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which empower us to manifest God’s character and love to those around us. God calls us to work to create an environment that lifts up these values, not just for ourselves, but for those that share our environment with us.

Brothers and sisters, as we continue to enjoy the beauty of summer in a struggling world, let us exercise the fruits of the spirit to create both an internal and external environment where hatred, war, division, jealousy, and resentment find little fertile ground to take root and flourish. Let us surround ourselves with these.

Pastor Edwin

Serving and Growing With Ascension This Summer

Read all about our activities this summer!

Community Partner: SOPHIA

This month’s Ascension’s Community Partner focus is SOPHIA (Stewards of Prophetic Hopeful Intentional Action). SOPHIA is made up of people of faith united by a passion for justice, a commitment to community and a practice of hope. SOPHIA builds relationships in the public and private sectors, uniting people with common values to have a powerful voice; to stand together to change injustices affecting those who are marginalized. Together, this group can make our communities places where everyone has a chance to succeed.

Currently, there are three task forces working for change: Housing Task Force, Criminal Justice Task Force, and Immigration Task Force. Each task force meets monthly to identify how to have an impact in their specific area. SOPHIA is non-partisan and does not endorse candidates. SOPHIA is part of Wisdom, the statewide organization working for justice. Micah 6:8 states, “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
 
Ascension hosts the Immigration Task Force on the second Tuesday of each month at 6:30. If this topic is something you are interested in, please join the group. If you would like more information about the other task forces, see the SOPHIA website at: https://www.sophiawaukesha.org/. For specific information on Ascension’s role in SOPHIA, contact Joan Mikecz at: jdmikecz@gmail.com.

Sunday Morning Coffee

Coffee hour between services is enjoyed by many members and is a great way to engage visitors. During the summer, it is hard to get volunteers to be coffee hosts. Please let Al Gilgenbach know if you would be willing to take a Sunday. It is an easy way to get involved. Meru coffee is always for sale for you to enjoy at home. Check out the coffee cabinet by the glass doors in the Hearth Room or ask the coffee host. Purchasing coffee helps the farmers in the Meru Diocese of Tanzania to be able to support their families.

Hope Center Golf Outing

The 17th annual Tee Up for Hope Golf Outing is July 14 and Hope Center is hoping that YOU will join the fun this year. You can look forward to the usual on-course fun events including prizes, a putting contest and raffles, along with a post-golf program with appetizers! The event will be at Broadlands Golf Club to raise funds that will allow Hope Center to continue to help people of Waukesha County meet their basic needs. Get a group of golfing friends together or register on your own for this special event. Visit their website to register and for sponsorship information.

Support Hawthorne Elementary School

Show our support for the students and teachers at Hawthorne by helping to ensure that the teachers have all of the supplies they need for a successful school year. You can purchase the items from their Amazon Wishlist and have them delivered directly to Hawthorne. The school office is closed from July 11- August 4, so deliveries outside of that window would be greatly appreciated.

El Salvador Mission Trip

From July 29 to August 6, Ascension’s largest delegation yet is headed to El Salvador to visit our sister parish, San Jorge. We have a full schedule as our delegation of twenty-four strives to fulfill the agreements in our partnership covenant. We will be celebrating our 15th anniversary of partnership and the 10th anniversary of the signing of our original covenant. We will gather in homes, visit the sister parish school, meet with church leaders, do a beach clean of a sea turtle sanctuary, lead a field day for the children of the community while their teachers are at professional development, and worship together. We will continue to dream and plan for a chocolate project that will be both an economic development project as well as a way to lift up the Lutheran church in the eyes of the community. We will be the first church that brings in the artists from the Fernanado Llort studio in the capital to our rural sister parish community for the people to learn about their national artist as together we fulfill Llort’s vision of community art created for and by the common people. If the land cooperates, some in our group will climb Chaparrastique, also known as the San Miguel Volcano, while others in our group explore a monkey sanctuary and Jiquilisco Bay. In San Salvador, we will learn about the ministries of the national church as well as more about the history and current events shaping the lives of our brothers and sisters in El Salvador. Our mission is to leave with strengthened bonds of Christian brotherhood and a greater understanding of the human experience in other parts of the world. Please keep our delegates in your prayers as we travel.

Soul Sisters at the Beer Garden

Soul Sisters will be hosting a summer get together at the Tap Yard Beer Garden at Minooka Park on Thursday, July 10th. We plan to meet at 5:30 p.m. Please bring a lawn chair and an appetizer to share. Benets BBQ will be onsite and free trivia begins at 6 p.m. 

Who are the Soul Sisters? The Soul Sisters is our rebrand of Super Moms to be more inclusive of women in the under 60 age group, regardless of whether or not they are a parent. Sign up is not required for this event. If you do not have an annual park membership, you can purchase a daily park entrance pass up to 5 days prior to the event. You can purchase your pass online or in-person at Retzer Nature Center, S14 W28167 Madison St., or the Waukesha County Courthouse – Park System Main Office, 515 W Moreland Blvd AC 260. Please reach out to Lori, Sarah, or Ileen with any questions.

Young at Heart

On July 16, Young at Heart will have a band “A Little Bit of Heaven” playing at Ascension. They play 50’s and 60’s music, polkas and gospel. Anyone 55+ is invited to attend and bring a friend! We will start with a potluck lunch at noon. The band will play from 1-2 pm. Hope to see you there!

The Joy of Summer

Well, my friends, May’s gray days are slowly moving out of the way. Hopefully! There were long stretches of days that were gray and cooler than I might enjoy in the season of Spring. With the arrival of seventy degrees, sitting outside during the workday or in the evening for dinner is as close to heaven on earth as we might find ourselves until we set foot in the Kingdom of God.

Today, on the campus of Ascension, the sun is shining. It is beautiful. The leaves move just enough to tell us a breeze is blowing. The Memorial Gardens, flowerbeds, and butterfly garden are alive with blossoms and fresh, tender green leaves. I am grateful for countless hands with dirt under their fingernails that have tended our garden beds and renewed this house of God in spectacular ways as a sign of hope within the community of Waukesha. We give thanks to God for the countless hours that many of you have offered to bless this house of worship with grounds that give glory to God.

Although our regular ministry programming slows down in the summer months, it is always a good time to enjoy the gift of God’s creation. Our 10:45am service moves to 10:00am and is outside in the Memorial Gardens behind the church on June 1st, 15th, and 29th. The Praise Band provides the music and we still do all the things – music, prayer, children’s time, reading, sermon, and communion. It is BYOC (bring your own chair) and the new sidewalk all the way through the Memorial Garden will allow those of us with mobility issues an easier opportunity to share in a community of worship.

On Sunday, June 8, we will celebrate the season of Pentecost and the gift of the Holy Spirit’s presence among us. We will also participate in the ritual of toweling for our graduating seniors. Prayers will be prayed as we wrap a towel around the shoulders of each graduating senior. The towel is a symbol of service reminding us of how Jesus washed the feet of the disciples at the last supper. John writes in chapter13, verse 14: “Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.” It is a helpful reminder for all of God’s people that we are called to serve our neighbor.

JOLT leaves for Adventure Camp in the Wisconsin Dells area on Monday, June 16th for three days of adventure and “challenge by choice.” Your prayers are appreciated. The goal is to show up all the junior high students by still climbing to the top of the mountain cliff. I only need to do it once and then all is right with the world for another year. 

In other news, I want to take a moment to say thank you for your generosity as we have raised all the funds needed for both the Memorial Gardens sidewalk and the new six-foot grand piano to help lead worship and ministry in East Hall for both our lively Spanish language ministry and other moments of mission and fellowship to the glory of God.

Finally, let me share with you the joy of summer worship at Ascension. Life continues to happen, and I wonder how you might consider giving thanks to God for the blessings you enjoy – family, friends, lakes, pools, sprinklers, and time to refresh? How will you ask God to tend the challenges in your life that we all face at one time or another? Certainly, your prayers can be spoken on the trail, in the kayak, on the airplane, and at the cabin. Yet, I would invite you to consider finding your way to church. In the summer, worship rhythms move and shape themselves in different ways. For the summer, we plan to return to kneeling at the communion railing to receive bread and wine knowing all too well that some of us have knees that do not bend like they used to. You will be invited to kneel or stand to receive as you are comfortable. The railing offers a different invitation as we come to the table. Still, the welcome is the same: from God, for all, always.

People of God be blessed, be well, be hopeful – the promise of God is alive and well at Ascension.

See you in church.

Pastor Chris

Every Sunday Is a First Sunday for Someone

Do you remember the first time you were a visitor at Ascension? Did you walk in not knowing anybody? Did you encounter unfamiliar faces, practices, music, and traditions? What made you feel welcome? What brought you back?

Consider this – every Sunday could be someone’s first Sunday. At one time or another all of us have been visitors here – at some point we are all visitors somewhere, and how we experience welcome, comfort, and inclusion can significantly impact our decision to return or want to get more involved. For someone walking through the doors of Ascension, this may very well be the first time they’ve stepped into a church in years – or ever. It may have taken courage, hope, or even desperation to come. And what they experience when they arrive can speak louder than any sermon or song. 

Ascension is a congregation built on profound relationships with God and each other. I know this to be true, not simply because I’m one of your pastors, but because at one time I too was a visitor here. In fact, the very first time I visited Ascension it was with my family to see if this was a place I wanted to serve. And although I don’t recall the names or faces of the people we encountered that day, what I can tell you is that we felt a deep sense of welcome from the moment we walked in the door. I felt it then and I continue to feel it today – there is something special about Ascension. And what’s special about Ascension is YOU.

My friends, it doesn’t matter if you are a longtime member or someone who recently started to worship or serve with us, we are all called to be part of something greater – to participate and contribute as each of us are able – to be involved rather than stand on the sidelines as spectators – to be a family rather than an audience. We are called to share joys and concerns, successes and struggles, faith and doubt. And ultimately, our greatest coordinated efforts are to serve others in the name of Jesus rather than satisfy our own selfish wants and needs. These are marks of the body of Christ. This is what it means to be the family of God.

God invites all of us to welcome and walk alongside people to take part in what God is doing in and through us. Relationships don’t grow by accident and neither do churches. Signs, websites, social media posts, special events, and ministry programs all have their place but if openness and connection aren’t distinguishing marks of this congregation then we will never become the reflection of God’s kingdom we’ve been created to be.

When we are committed to being a reflection of Jesus’ radical welcome to our neighbors, coworkers, friends and more importantly to the strangers and onlookers with whom we cross paths, that spoken and often unspoken invitation is far more welcoming to visitors and newcomers than any fancy brochure, expensive advertising campaign, sermon, or song.

My ongoing prayer is that all of us would dedicate ourselves again to welcoming anyone who hears the Holy Spirit’s call to come into our doors on a Sunday morning or cross our path at other times. Here are a few easy ways you can be a glimpse of God’s love in action:

  • Introduce yourself to someone you don’t know. If you forgot someone’s name ask.
  • Try sitting in different places, staying longer or arriving earlier so you can meet different people.
  • Invite a visitor or someone you don’t know to sit with you.
  • Say hello to a few people you don’t know before spending time with the people you know well.
  • If someone appears confused or lost take a moment to help them find their way.

So let us commit together to being an even more welcoming church than we already are, and not just in theory, but in practice. Let us pray for eyes to see the stranger, courage to start conversations, and hearts ready to listen. Let us invite, include, and involve our visitors. And if someone decides to return, not because of our building or programs, but because they felt seen and valued, then we’re being the church God calls us to be.

Pastor Tony

Matthew 25

“When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.” (Leviticus 19:33-34)

This month it was very difficult to narrow down which verses to use for my article because in the Bible, God constantly calls us throughout all generations to practice love and hospitality toward immigrants. We follow a savior that began his life as an undocumented immigrant as the Christmas story ends with Mary and Joseph fleeing to Egypt to protect Jesus. The command to care for the immigrant is one of most written about topics in the Bible, so I had literally pages of Bible verses to choose from.

Many member and non-member families come to Ascension for help. They know that Ascension is a faith community that welcomes, supports, walks with, and identifies in many ways with immigrants. One of those identifications was experienced last month when we celebrated Pupusa Fest. The cold weather and wind were no obstacle. Many visitors came to buy pupusas and see the facilities. Many were surprised to see that we have two sanctuaries and were impressed to learn that worship is held at the same time.

Sadly, three days after the festival, just as I was waking up, I received a call that ICE was arresting a member of our ministry who is of Salvadoran origin. I immediately went to his home to accompany the family and, above all, prevent intimidation. When I arrived, the officers had already entered the apartment without a warrant and were preparing to take our member away. Ultimately, our member had the luck that many immigrants don’t have. He was temporarily freed and released under surveillance. You can imagine the pain felt by many in our community. In a three day period, Salvadoran food was celebrated by the same city that cheered the suffering inflicted on a Salvadoran father who just wanted to keep his family safe.

Many immigrants do not believe those who say they welcome immigrants who come here as long as they do so legally. We see that the people who pledge to support only legal immigrants are the same people who also oppose immigration reform that would allow us to be here fully documented. We watch immigrants that are going through the process to be here legally getting deported when they show up for their appointments at immigration offices. A person can not truthfully say they support legal immigrants if they also prevent the possibility of legal migration.

I have the advantage that other immigrant pastors don’t have in this journey of persecution and intimidation. I am very grateful that Pastor Tony and Pastor Chris are walking hand in hand with me, supporting and spiritually assisting immigrant families as we fulfill Jesus’s calling. I know that there are some of you reading this article that are unhappy with me. I want to remind you of what Jesus tells us in Matthew 25.

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

If Matthew 25 is not enough, Jesus also tells us in John 13, “A new command I give you: “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” If my words bother you, I can not say sorry, because that would be rejecting Jesus’s message. As a pastor and a Christian, I will never apologize for doing what Jesus commands us to do, even if God’s word makes some church members unhappy. What I will do is pray for you. I humbly ask you all to pray for all immigrant families and for your pastors as we continue walking in this journey.

May the peace of Christ be with you all,

Pastor Edwin

Make a Joyful Noise to the Lord, All the Earth

Ascension choir

Faith Sharing: Linda Elder

Music has always been a part of my life. I sang my first solo at my church when I was 6 years old. Every church where I’ve been a member, I have been in the choir or praise group. When I walked into Ascension in 2007, my heart was overjoyed to hear all the music and singing, praising our God. I knew I was “Home” once more.

Attending church has always been a huge part of my life. I truly believe that God has a plan for each of our individual talents to be shared with praise and thanksgiving to Him who created each of us. Have you really looked at the words of some of our well-known hymns? They each have a message for us in our individual walks of faith. Does singing bring joy to your heart?

Being a member of Ascension’s adult choir is an honor and a blessing. I have such wonderful memories of some of the numerous songs of praise that we’ve lifted to our God and Savior. Truth be told, I wake up each morning with a song in my head. That’s been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. While walking my dog, I sing songs of faith, all while enjoying God’s beautiful creation surrounding me with His love.

If you have been looking for a way to use your God-given talents, maybe He’s leading you to “make a joyful noise to the Lord.” Blessings to you on your journey!

~ Linda Elder

Sing for a Sunday June 29

Intergenerational Choir will sing on Sunday, June 29, and singers of all ages are invited to join us! We will meet for one rehearsal on Wednesday, June 25, from 6 to 6:30 pm and sing for 8:30 worship on Sunday, June 29. The song can be easily learned by listening and all are welcome! Email Vicki Taylor and say you’ll join us!

Music Reading Boot Camp June 25

Have you ever wondered how to interpret music notation? What do all those signs and squiggly lines mean? What is a time signature? How can I ever learn to read music? If these or other questions have crossed your mind, this session on Wednesday, June 25, at 6:30 p.m. is for you! Ascension member and school music teacher Scott Greger will have you reading rhythmic notation in one short session, and will answer any questions you may have. Additional sessions will be offered if there is interest. Email Vicki Taylor to sign-up.

Summer Worship at Ascension

Summer worship began on May 25th: 8:30 English and 10 a.m. English & Spanish worship

Important Dates

  • Senior Toweling: Sunday, June 8, 8:30 & 10 a.m.
  • 10a Outdoor Worship
    • Sunday, June 1, 15, 29
    • Sunday, July 6, 27
    • Sunday, August 17, 31
  • Blessings and sending of El Salvador Delegation, Sunday, July 27

Worship With Ascension

Summer Worship Schedule Begins!

We start our summer worship schedule on Memorial Day, May 25. Join us for worship at 8:30 a.m. in the sanctuary and 10 a.m. in the Memorial Gardens, weather permitting. Bring a chair! The Spanish-language service also moves to 10 a.m. starting May 25.

Can You Imagine Ascension Without Music?

Each week we would sit in our “usual” spot. (You know the one!) Sometimes we felt a bit left out because we longed to be a part of the musical offerings the musicians made to our God. Although we both had musical backgrounds, somehow our skills didn’t seem to have a place.

One day, it was announced that Ascension was forming a handbell choir. (Truth be told, it was actually a handchime choir with aspirations of becoming a handbell choir some day.) We inquired about the possibility of joining and were welcomed with open arms. As they say, the rest is history.

For a short time, we rehearsed with the handchimes, which were quickly replaced by a three-octave set of handbells. We were hooked! The joy that we felt from being a part of the Ascension musicians was like nothing we had felt before! We now had the opportunity to make our own offering to God using our time and talent. It’s very easy to make a monetary offering, but there is something so unique and special from an offering of one’s time and talent….and we were doing it! We won’t lie, when we are able to take a fleeting glance away from our handbell music, it is such a joy to see the congregation’s expressions when they are experiencing a performance of the handbells.

After nearly a quarter of a century, we, along with the handbells have shared some really unique experiences. We have played many times outside of the walls of Ascension. Together we have “gone on the road” and have been a part of many educational handbell camps and mass ringings in a variety of venues. Stay tuned for something on the horizon that will literally take our handbell ministry to the world!

We speak for all the Ascension musicians when we say THANK YOU for the opportunity to make a joyful noise unto the Lord! We are truly humbled and are grateful for your support!

Steve & Carol Spieker

Season of Resurrection

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

Welcome to the season of resurrection joy. Unimaginable!

Around the middle of the season of Lent, someone asked what day it was and Vicki Taylor, our Director of Music Ministries said, “It is the 294th day of Lent.” There are days it feels like Lent, with its less than joyful nature and lack of energy, lasts far longer than the 40 days that collect between Ash Wednesday and Easter Day (not counting Sundays).

The words of Mark 16:6 share with us the great joy of Easter. But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. Thanks be to God!

“The good news of Easter,” writes Trevor Hudson, “reminds us that God’s action in raising Jesus is the bottom line of our faith. On the third day, after his crucifixion, Mary Magdalene, Mary, the mother of Jesus and Salome find Jesus’ tomb empty. The love that Jesus proclaims – the love he lives and the love he is – is not defeated by the powers of evil and death. This is breathtakingly good news. No faith could be more tragic, no belief more futile than Christianity without its risen Lord. It would be sad and foolish to base our lives on a dead hero. The strongest evidence for the resurrection is the transformed lives of Jesus’ disciples. How else do we explain the sudden transformation that took place in their lives? Within days those frightened and grieving disciples are transformed into bold and courageous witnesses willing to die for their faith. Something most extraordinary must have taken place for this to have happened. The One whom they follow is raised from the grave, and they encounter him in a way that convinces them he is now living beyond crucifixion.”

The resurrection means much for our lives today. Jesus is present with us as a friend who walks by our side. He can support us in our struggle with the forces of evil, sin and death. We too can experience “little Easters” in the midst of those things that makes us “die” each day – the betrayal of a friend, the failure of a dream, the death of someone we love. What is the prayer we pray every-so-often in church? Holy God, reveal your resurrection joy to us. Amen. Easter reminds us that the risen Jesus always can bring life where we see only death. We are always and ever an Easter people living in a Good Friday world. This is good news. The risen Jesus is with us. He continues to make available another kind of life to anyone and everyone. He has promised that all those who seek will find. This is the good news of our risen Lord Jesus.

Dear friends, it is Easter. Finally! Again we can shout words of praise, words of light into the blinding shadows of this world in these days. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

It is enough. It is all we need. Easter has come. The grave is empty. The victory is ours! Thanks be to God!

See you in church!

Pastor Chris

God Is in Control

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” ~ Ecclesiastes 3:1

This past week, I figured it was finally safe to take the snowbrushes out of our cars, but as luck would have it just a few hours later – it was snowing! It wasn’t much, but I’m sure we can all agree we’ve seen enough of that white stuff until next winter!

The season has begun to change over the last few weeks, and between the warmer weather and greener grass, it’s been a welcome change. But the changes in our weather aren’t the only seasons that we experience in our life. In fact, King Solomon wrote in the third chapter of Ecclesiastes that “for everything there is a season.” Solomon gives many examples of “changing seasons” in that chapter and here are just a few examples: our life is merely a season in the wholeness of time. There’s a planting season and a harvest season, times of sadness and times of laughter, seasons to save and store, and there are times to spend and give.

However, for many of us, the warmer weather isn’t the only change of season happening right now. Some are getting married in the next few months. Others are expecting babies. Many are entering into a time each year defined as “lake season.” There are graduating seniors who are ending this season of life and heading off to college in the fall, and college seniors who are graduating, finding jobs, and maybe moving to a new place. And some are entering into a new relationship or beginning a new job. These are just a few of the many ways our lives change over time, and these kinds of things happen throughout our life!

At the end of his list of seasons in Ecclesiastes 3, Solomon says that this is the business God has given to us and that he has made everything beautiful in its time. 

And while many of the changes that we experience are wonderful, there are also changing seasons that are painful and filled with worry, sadness, and grief – an unexpected illness or diagnosis, a changing work environment or job loss, the end of a relationship, or perhaps the death of a loved one. Those seasons can last days or weeks, months or even years. One of the main points of the book of Ecclesiastes is that God is in control through all these seasons of life and that he is good to us – even if it may not always look like it. But we must remember God sees things from a different angle, a better and eternal perspective and he makes everything beautiful in its time!

Because of that, Solomon says in Ecclesiastes 3:12-13 that the best thing for people in whatever we do in any season is to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we live. He says that this is God’s gift to us. In other words, God’s in control so enjoy yourselves!

Sometimes changes in our life cause us fear, stress, or anxiety. By nature, we don’t always like change. If that’s you, whether you’re graduating from high school or college, getting married or having a baby, moving or retiring, going through a job transition, having a change in relationship, or experiencing any of the countless things that happen in our daily lives, just remember God is in the midst of all of it and working in all things for our good.

It suggests that the best thing for humans is to be joyful, do good, eat, drink, and take pleasure in our work, as these are God’s gifts. The verses encourage a mindset of contentment and gratitude for the good things in life, rather than focusing on what’s missing or unattainable. God is good to us and promises to always take care of us, so take time to enjoy whatever God has in store for your next season of life because God will make everything beautiful in its time.

Pastor Tony