Welcome!

Welcome home! The first words Amy and Tamie and Pastor Edwin spoke when the bus arrived from O’Hare with our Tanzania mission team. A hug from my wife and a wet nosed welcome from our Golden Retriever Baxter in the church parking lot and almost everything was right with the world once again.

Of course, our original mission team was split into three separate groups – Pastor Tony had flown home earlier from Ethiopia once Bob was out of the hospital; the Wards were beginning to explore Ethiopia as they waited for clearance for Bob to fly; and the seven members who went on to Tanzania after our original layover in Ethiopia arrived back at Ascension. Not exactly what I expected to happen as we loaded the bus for Tanzania on Thursday, June 29th. I should not be surprised; God has a way of allowing our journeys to unfold without us knowing fully the road before us.

Tanzania was everything I expected and more. The incredible heartfelt welcome of our sisters and brothers at the airport, every church, each school – so much joy and wonder and a little healthy skepticism. I wonder about the questions that probably ran through the heads of the members of our partner churches and students at the schools:

Who are these people from America?
What do people at Ascension think or know about us?
What does that white guy keep saying up front during worship?
Why does the whole school stop what it is doing when these people arrive?
What do you do with that frisbee thing?

In my own mind, there were other questions I was asking:

How can every tea offered to us be so much food?
How can we eat lunch after worship when just had tea an hour before?
Will there be Chapati (my favorite Tanzanian food)?
Will Pastor Nathan remember to translate for me at the front of the church?
What does the home life look like for each of these students?
Where does this overwhelming spirit of joy flow from for our friends in Tanzania?

The stories will continue to be told of our mission team visit. The prayers and concern for Bob offered from Pastor Nathan and our sister churches. The joy of being together after five years of being apart. Remembering faces that we met in 2018; renewing friendships, relationships, and making new connections. Hearing the stories of appreciation and gratitude for food for our partner school students and the gift of clean water. Remembering the looks on the faces of students for the presentation of soccer balls. No frisbees next time – just soccer balls…lots more soccer balls. Celebrating stories of success told with pride and joy for students success and their commitment to a well-rounded education including taking care of their needs for care and support. Every time we visit the schools, I want to spend twice as much time not only listening to reports but actually talking to teachers, sitting in on classes, actually playing soccer with the students. Every visit is simply the hook that makes me want to return to spend more time with them. Every church visit is a powerful reminder of the promise of God’s love across language barriers and customs. How the hospitality of a smile and a handshake can change our whole world.

It is always a humbling experience to travel to our sister parishes and be reminded that we are wholly dependent on them for our care and well-being. Always do our sisters and brothers reach far beyond what is expected to take care of us. Pastor Nathan, Eludi (our sister parish committee chair) and the partnership committee are one of the most beautiful gifts of grace I have ever experienced. God’s grace often comes to us in unexpected ways in this life. I am grateful for these glimpses of grace when I least expect them.

May these last days of summer offer you moments of God’s grace through the gifts of family, friends, sisters and brothers in Christ, moments of worship, times of reflection and rest, and the presence of the One who is the way, the truth, and the life…Jesus, the Christ. Amen.

Peace be with you and I hope to see you in church. And if not – well – Sunday, Sept. 10 at 10 a.m. is our Welcome Home Sunday. One service for the whole church. We will look for you then to once again tell you, Welcome Home!

Pastor Chris

Jump Into June

The gray days of May are out of the way. Hopefully! There were long stretches of days of gray in May that reminded me of weeks and months of gray days in Tacoma, WA while I was an undergrad at Pacific Lutheran University. I learned to appreciate the gray days while I waited for the few precious days when the sun would shine brightly across the campus. Gray days made it easier to study and write papers and be in class. On the days when the sun brought warmth to the campus, everyone moved outside to revel in the warmth of the sun’s rays.

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. As I type, I contemplate moving my laptop outside. 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 10:45 a.m. service moves to 10 a.m. and is outside in the Memorial Gardens behind the church on the 1st and 3rd Sundays. 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 we will enjoy BBQ on the 1st Sunday of each month offered by AMEN (men’s ministry). You are invited to bring a side dish or dessert to share.

Friday, June 2, is the beginning of the Synod Assembly for the Greater Milwaukee Synod at the Italian Community Center in Milwaukee. Pastor Tony, Edwin, and I are hosting worship for the Synod once again this year. If you have free time from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. we would love to have your help setting-up the ballroom and preparing the worship space. We would also happily host you at lunch in the Third Ward … something to think about. You can send me an email if you are interested, pc@ascensionelca.org.

JOLT leaves for Adventure Camp in the Wisconsin Dells area on Sunday, June 11, around 2 p.m. for three days of adventure and “challenge by choice.” Your prayers are appreciated. June 11, we are also hosting the Rev. Roy Nelson from Hope Center to share with us the new plans for the remodel and move of the old Chase Bank location downtown into the new Hope Center. Plans are already in progress. Roy is excited too. He will present during worship and then in-between services to share the many layers of ministry addressing homelessness, hunger, and other challenges facing a number of men, women, and families in Waukesha.

We will also meet at 11:30 a.m. on June 11, for a congregational meeting to vote to call Edwin Aparicio as our third pastor here at Ascension. You must be present to vote. Assuming the vote is a yes, and Edwin says yes, there is a Service of Ordination tentatively scheduled for Sunday, June 25, at 3:30 p.m. with a dinner reception to follow. We will be hosting a delegation of friends from our partner churches in El Salvador during the week of the 19th of June all the way through the ordination. And before you know it, June 29 will arrive and 12 of our members will travel to Tanzania to renew our partnership with our sister churches – Samaria, Neema, and Galilaya in addition to our two elementary schools, one secondary school, rehab center, special needs school, and coffee project. We return on July 10. Watch the Facebook page updates and pictures, pictures, pictures.

And on a personal note, you have been so incredibly gracious and caring in receiving the news of my upcoming surgery. Thank you for your kind words and for your prayers before, during, and after. Ileen and I are grateful for your concern.

See you in church.

Pastor Chris

Merry Christmas! Welcome 2023!

What a year we had in 2022. Ascension has continued to thrive in telling the story of the love of Jesus and I am grateful for your faithfulness and for your dedication to our God and this community of faith.

We continue to lift the importance of children in our midst. The joy of multi-generational gathering in worship and ministry. We are also celebrating the journey of living in this “holy experiment” of one congregation worshipping in two languages. Our Advent Concert Worship and Children’s Christmas Program Worship were two examples of hearing voices raised in praise of our God in both English and Spanish. One of the highlights of the last part of 2022 was the number of visitors we saw joining our community in worship and at other events. Journey to Bethlehem and Las Posadas offered wonderful opportunities to welcome new faces into our midst to experience the joy of sharing in the excitement of this community of faith.

As we enter the season of Epiphany, we find ourselves reveling in the light of Christ. Where the star of Bethlehem was leading us toward the manger in the season of Advent, the light of Epiphany surrounds us and invites us to live in the light. What joy to gather in these weeks of Epiphany to hear the stories of the life of Jesus and to reflect on how we learn from Jesus how to live and love.

How we live and love is our reflection of God’s light in our lives. I am grateful to be among so many who live out God’s love by inviting, welcoming, and tending those around you. I am humbled to continue to serve God and Ascension as one of your pastors. What joy to hear you tell the stories of introduction and welcome, moments of hospitality and excitement meeting someone new. Dear friends, we should always be ready to tell the story of God’s love, our faith, and the journey God continues to bless. Revel in the light, people of God, the joy of the Lord is our strength.

We expect to welcome new members to our community on Palm Sunday in early April. If you know someone who is considering looking for a church or is ready to join our community, please let Pastor Tony or me know. We are happy to reach out to connect and answer questions.

Blessings to you in these new days of Christmas on our way to Epiphany.

See you in church.

Pastor Chris

Jesus Is Here

Well, sabbatical has come and gone. And as one author writes, “into the mess I go.” Not the mess of the church. The church is far from a mess. Pastor Tony, our staff, and lay leaders were an incredible gift of confidence and stability during my time away. No, the “mess” I refer to is life. Life with all its journeys of mountains, valleys, twists and turns and even roadblocks. Yet we are here. And so is Jesus.

When we are broken. When we are hurt. When we are led astray. When we are treated poorly. When we struggle to breathe. Jesus is there. 

When we are sinful. When we hurt others. When we betray a confidence. When we treat others poorly. When we are a stumbling block to someone else. Jesus is also there.

This life, for all its roads, is the only life we have. Jesus reminds us in John 10:10, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” Thanks be to God. When we are living out our faith in this world as a beautiful reflection of the love of Jesus and when we forget that each person deserves the dignity of the image of God placed upon them that we might love them and offer both welcome and hospitality. Jesus still offers us life. The gift of forgiveness. The gift of mercy. The gift of God’s grace is still ours by the generous hand of our God.

I share all of this to remind us that we are not alone on this journey. Nor does God leave us to fend for ourselves though many people believe they are on their own. What that means for me is that there are days I need to be reminded that God honors my efforts and forgives my failures. Of which, if I am being honest, I have many. Don’t we all?

One of the ways, at Ascension, in which we have begun to tend the challenges we face in this life is through a new ministry still in its infancy. “Pathways to Mental Wellness” began as a longing and a hunger among members to tend the fear, anxiety, worry, and other burdens either we, ourselves, are carrying or those we know are carrying in these days. On Sunday, Oct. 16, we had our first gathering. “A Pathway to Peace” offered an opportunity to rest in the cool darkness of the sanctuary illuminated by candlelight and enveloped in the gentle sounds of piano music where one could sit in relative anonymity and release all the gasping moments of these days. In the darkness there were holy sounds of tears and sniffles and sacred moments of sobbing. I am grateful that Ascension provided a place for release. A place for people to let go of their tightly wound lives and removal of the many masks we wear. An opportunity to choose not to keep spinning all the plates in the air. There was time for candle lighting and private prayers and people left with a blessing for all that we carry. I could not have hoped for a better entrance into a new ministry that is still being discovered and shaped through the movement of the Holy Spirit.

If you would like to join myself, Pastor Tony, and Brenda, our Director of Care Ministries, in the dreaming for what is next – you are most welcome to join us. We are looking to gather other dreamers and those who long for other pathways to explore as our mental wellness is tended by the power and promise of God. We are hopeful to explore possible roads in the following directions: A Pathway to Restoration, A Pathway to the Place Between, A Pathway to Revelation, A Pathway to Joy, A Pathway to a New Beginning, and A Pathway to Hope. And of course, so many other ways to dream. Even if you do not have a dream – consider joining us to listen and to imagine what could be in the days ahead. We are gathering on Monday, Nov. 28, at 6:30 p.m. I would love for you to be there.

There is much more to celebrate in the life of Ascension. As you read through this newsletter, you can almost feel the joy of the full return of ministry after the long hibernation and slow awakening back to life as much of the covid cloud begins to lift. May you be blessed as you consider the days ahead to the glory of God.

See you in church.

Pastor Chris

To Lambeau and Beyond

Well, it was long past due.

A holy pilgrimage to the center of devotion for all Wisconsinites. To the promised land of Lambeau. Where the water runs green and gold and so does the blood that pumps through our veins. Long lines of devoted pilgrims milling about in a sea of green and gold, praying the lines into the stadium moved fast enough to be seated before kick-off. It was a momentous experience.

Our tickets told us to climb as high as one can go in the stadium. Section 748S. So close to Jesus are these seats, that they do not show up on a normal seat map when you pull up the stadium on your laptop. And yet, they were perfect. Chairs with backs and just 22 of our closest friends to share in the experience.

Even Aaron Rodgers showed up on that late September night. Well, the real Aaron Rodgers. The one we celebrated for so many good years – even as we have struggled to be faithful in these last few years of difficult defeats and paltry passing games. Yet Rodgers did not disappoint. Especially in the second half of the game.

And the Pro Shop. Good Lord! If you think Lambeau is overwhelming – steer clear of the Pro Shop. Never have I ever seen such a display of fan fanaticism. What can you buy with a green and gold color scheme? The question is: what can you NOT buy washed in green and gold? They have everything. And so much no one should ever purchase, but to each their own.

Going to my first Packers game was an incredible moment. One I will not forget. Now, how to take that experience and package it into someone’s experience at Ascension? We are going to need fireworks and a jet for a flyover for sure. We will need bigger video screens for sure! And more entrances and metal detectors and bathrooms and concessions and expanded parking. And of course, an Ascension Pro shop where you can buy autographed 8×10’s of Pastor Tony all decked out and ready to preach. We can change the name of the Ascension Choir to the Frozen Tundra Choir and robes have to be green and gold striped like the bib overalls of Packer fame. Pews get switched out for silver benches and we can quit heating the place in the winter for more of the “experience.”

I am kidding and then again maybe not. What if people looked at the experience of worship in celebration of their faith with the same kind of dedication as they put into the planning of their tailgate menu and timing of entrance into the stadium? So grateful to our God that we are reminded that the table of welcome and worship is big enough for everyone not just those with a precious ticket. Grateful, still more, for the people who gather for worship week after week to give thanks and inspire me to reach out in love and hope to a world far larger than Lambeau Field.

I will go back in a heartbeat. Maybe even the same seats. I might skip the Pro Shop and find better food than the hotdog I bought this time around. And maybe not…that hot dog tasted so much better sitting in the stadium then they do at home. Yes, I will go back! I have more research to do!

For now, we will leave the pews in the sanctuary and keep the heat on. But the green and gold choir robes … I could get behind those tomorrow!

Peace to you people of God. Grateful for your presence. See you soon.

Pastor Chris

Reprinted from the Oct. 2021 newsletter.

An Ending & A Beginning

In the immortal words of the lyrics from the Sound of Music, “How do you solve a problem like Maria?” Except we are not solving a MARIA problem, we are solving a TONY problem. And truly, the LAST thing Tony is, to all of us, is a problem!

Yet, we have come this far by faith. Ascension hired Tony in the fall of 2013 and he began his ministry as the Director of Faith Formation in February 2014. Lord, how far we have come. In the spring of 2016, Tony and I started talking about the possibility of seminary. We realized through multiple conversations that Tony had been running from God’s call for a long time. Since Tony was a marathon runner – running was no problem. Yet, God has the power and the stamina to outlast us all, and even Tony could not run forever. So in the Fall of 2016, Tony entered Wartburg Seminary in Dubuque, IA. He entered a program that allowed him to work full-time at Ascension while concurrently taking classes full-time. After 18 months of classes he began his internship with us in February 2017.

For the last 18 months Tony has led a double-life as the Director of Faith Formation and Pastoral Intern and somehow kept his head above water in order to also be husband, father, and self-care advocate. It turns out we are coming to the end of Tony’s time as pastoral intern. On Aug. 18, Tony will preach his last sermon as our pastoral intern. We will celebrate the end of his internship with a reception in-between services and give thanks to God for his ministry among us as our pastoral intern. (BUT WAIT – HOLD ON!)

Tony is not leaving but his ministry among us is changing. After Sunday, Aug. 18, Tony will be away from Ascension from Friday, Aug. 23, through Friday, Sept. 8. The time away is to allow Tony to reset himself into the role of Director of Faith Formation and attend his normally scheduled “Prologue” week at the seminary. Tony’s time away also provides an opportunity for Ascension to reset as well. In September, Tony will return to his role of tending the faith formation and needs of primarily our children, junior high, and senior high populations along with their families. He will be, of course, available to chat and tend all of us as he always has, but he will no longer fulfill the role of pastor in our midst. It is unfair of us to ask Tony to continue in the role of pastor while he continues in his final year of seminary education. It is also unfair of Ascension to ask him to tend us as pastor, when we do not pay him appropriately for that specific role. All that being said…what is next?

At the July council meeting, the timeline for the next call process was introduced. In September, members will be invited to nominate other members to serve on the Call Team. The Church Council will craft the Call Team in October and we will install the Call Team in early November with the expectation that we will be ready to interview in February or March. And in February or March, as in September through November, as in every day of our lives, we will invite the Holy Spirit to tend the ministry of this place and the call process to come. We will pray for Ascension and our future; we will pray for Tony and his family and their future; and we will ask God to let God’s will be done among us. And we will not be singing, “How do we solve a problem like Tony,” we will simply continue to sing our praise to God as we have always done and lift our praise and our prayers to our God.

See you in church.
Pastor Chris

(Reprinted from the August 2019 newsletter)

Happy New Year! Now What?

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

For Those Who Have Far to Travel ~ An Epiphany Blessing

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

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

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

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

Rev. Chris Marien

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

Got Advent?

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

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

 

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

So the season of Advent comes to us.

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

Do you need the season of Advent?

I do.

Thank you God.
Rev. Chris Marien

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

Worship. Grow. Walk. Serve.

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

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

So what’s next? Are you ready?

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

And then what?

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

Okay, now what?

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

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

See you in church,

Rev. Christian Marien

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

Mountaintop Moments

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rev. Christian Marien

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