We Choose Welcome

Taking advantage of a rare 60-degree day just before Ash Wednesday, I decided it was time to clean the pavilion in the Memorial Garden. Because of the lingering cold and heavy snow, the stable—which had housed our live nativity scene—was still filled with hay bales and corn stalks.

When I entered the church, Pastor Chris noticed my gardening gloves and asked, “What are you doing?” I replied, “I’m cleaning the pavilion. Lent is starting, but it’s still Christmas in the garden. The pavilion has to be ready to celebrate Easter!”

It made me wonder: Is this what the prophets had in mind? Isaiah 40:3–5 tells us: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together.”

Brothers and sisters, we have entered the Lenten season—a time of intentional preparation and meditation as we approach the celebration of Jesus’ victory from death to life. It is a time to remind ourselves that our life in Christ is renewed every day. As 2 Corinthians 4:16 encourages us: “Therefore let us not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.”

During Lent, we are invited to acknowledge our need for repentance and God’s mercy. We were created to experience joy in communion with God, to love one another, and to live in harmony with creation. Sadly, our rebellion often fractures that harmony. However, God, as a loving and compassionate Father, carried out the plan of redemption through our Lord Jesus Christ. We are all called to repentance, and through confession, we find restoration: “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

To help you navigate this season, we have provided a guide, Daily Prayers for the Spiritual Practice of Hospitality and Welcome (from We Choose Welcome), available in both English and Spanish. Families in the Latino ministry have received their copies, along with a candle to light during their times of shared prayer. In a world that often obscures the Gospel, we must be reminded of the importance of practicing hospitality and welcoming others into our hearts.

As disciples of Jesus, we are called to resist all that separates us from God, our neighbors, and creation. May the breath of life that God gives us during this Lenten season guide our self-examination as we prepare for the great three days of the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Pastor Edwin

Reprinted from the March 2026 newsletter.

Moving at the Pace of Summer

Pastor Tony at Adventure Camp

I love the rhythm of summer. In some wonderful ways, it’s a slower pace and Lord knows we could all use a slower pace once and awhile. But life being what it is these days – the world doesn’t stop and there’s certainly no shortage of things happening or needing to be done. Still, I remain hopeful that each of us would be more intentional to try to take advantage of these slower summer moments as they become available.

By now we’re a few weeks into our shared sabbatical journey with Pastor Chris and since my newsletter article this month didn’t start out with panic and worry, I think you can rest assured that everything so far is going smoothly. We are all beginning to settle into new patterns and the quieter pace of summer planning.

That said, for some time now the following scripture from John 14:27 has been swirling around my head, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” Ever since Holy Week back in April it has felt like we’ve been going non-stop – Holy Week, Easter, First Communion, Graduate Toweling, renovations, BLAST end of year activities, CRASH service projects, JOLT Adventure Camp, worship schedule changes, and on top of that baptisms, weddings, funerals, and preparing for this Sabbatical time…it has felt like a whirlwind.

Life, both inside and outside the church can be busy, painful, chaotic, stressful, and full of things that pull us in countless directions. I’m certain that each of you could provide a list just as long if not longer, and this is precisely why peace from God is such a gift. Peace is something we all crave and desperately need, but often we are clueless how to find it or achieve it. And still, our gracious God continues to offer it.

Throughout these summer months and this sabbatical time, amid the uncertainty of ongoing renovations and all the things we will each experience, I pray that each of us will find and be intentional about seeking, creating, and enjoying the peaceful moments God offers us for renewal and reconnection. Moments that are not frantically moving from one scheduled thing to another or trying to accomplish one more thing. Soak up the sun, take a walk, read a book, go out for ice cream. Whatever it is I hope that we will all take time to recharge, refresh, and renew ourselves. Sabbatical is a journey for the whole community of Ascension, and I think there are many wonderful gifts we can receive from this time if we are open to it.

So, my friends for the next several months as we journey through summer and sabbatical and learn new patterns and practices, I invite each of us to take advantage of much needed opportunities for rest and reconnection but also to welcome new possibilities for connecting more deeply with God and serving our neighbors. I am grateful for your partnership and your willingness to journey together wherever God is leading us. May the peace of God be yours today and always!

Pastor Tony

Care Ministries

Christmas time is a time of hope, peace and joy. It is important to recognize that much of what we love about the Christmas season are the ways we have found to make love manifest. Gifts given, treats baked, visits made, and trips taken not only to show how full of love we feel for our friends and family but also for strangers who will benefit from our gift of time, talents and treasures.

The Christmas season during the pandemic challenges many of us to focus on simplicity. As we remember, millions of people around the world will miss more than simple traditions. They will miss the loved ones they’ve lost, the jobs they no longer hold, the health they can no longer count on. So for many people this may be a sad and lonely holiday. As Christians, Jesus is our hope for peace and joy during this pandemic time. So perhaps let us find new ways to show his love if we have to change our normal ways of tradition. Drop off cookies at doorsteps, use generous takeout orders to support local businesses, shop small businesses who may be struggling, share devotions and call those in our congregation who would love to connect with an Ascension member. We can all make a difference in our Christian lives to make this a holiday full of love.

Brenda Lytle, RN, Director of Care Ministries

Grateful Hearts

Thank you for your generous donations for the Be the Village Ministry’s ToyPalooza Drive for Chosen. Many new toys were collected to distribute to foster children. Thank you for making a difference in our community!

Thank you to CRASH and JOLT for your generous service work for Chosen. Thanks to Be the Village Ministry for setting up all of the materials so that the kids could finish 30 tie blankets for foster teens in Waukesha! Great job!

Thank you to everyone that supported Chosen in Love’s Gala in November. It was a great evening for a great cause!

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).

Instead of the End – the Beginning

The Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America Elizabeth Eaton offers these words:

After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to the tomb. So begins the Easter story in the Gospel according to Matthew. The women had lived through the pain of Friday and the emptiness of Saturday and were expecting death. All of their hope had come to a dead end. And just then, as the first day of the week was dawning, hope was restored. The angel said, “Do not be afraid; I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here: for he has been raised, as he said.”
 
Instead of death – life. Instead of the end – the beginning.
 
On Easter, we will have glorious celebrations in our congregations and worshiping communities. There will be rejoicing and music and flowers and alleluias. And that’s a good thing. But when the flowers fade and the pressures of life seem so heavy, when the brokenness of this world breaks our spirits, when we have come to a dead end … rejoice. Because it is exactly there where the risen Christ meets us. It is precisely there where we are given resurrection life. It is at that point that we say, “Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. Hallelujah.”

The cries of resurrection can still be heard on the mountaintops. Thanks be to God! From the mountaintops we travel to the upper room where the disciples have hidden themselves out of fear. There, Jesus appears. A week later, disciples are still in the upper room. There, Jesus appears. It will be on the beach, where a campfire is tended, that Jesus will appear to his disciples and feed them breakfast. There around the warmth and light of the fire, the light of the world, will ignite a flame in the disciples that will inspire the world.

Instead of death – life. Instead of the end – the beginning.

I read this reflection before the great celebration of Easter. It has carried me forward since we began the celebration of these great 50 days of resurrection. It is entitled Setting Out Once Again by Kelly Hall and Phuc Luu:

Out of the stale darkness, he rises into the light, bright rays of sun split the tops of trees, and clouds depart and blue fills the sky – the smell of angels lingers in the air – his hair feels the cool breeze again. This was not the garden, but a new world made from the eruption of hope and a life that could not be held down. We were witnesses to the life that rose from the dead. God’s relentless love, who comes close to us moving stones from tombs opening the heart to another possibility, death no longer stands. My heart races in my chest as I step forward to face the future, my future, that I grasp with open hands with new naiveté, a child toward a mother to be held and lifted up, and cradled with care. At times, I hesitate and I grasp onto memories of what once was but I know that I am not alone in my apprehension. I feel the hands of others holding me. These are my sisters, my brothers, who are not strangers to my fears and frailties, who have also confronted a hope that frightens them – who can feel their own scars, both fresh and old, they step in pace with me – the weeping women at the gravesite, the scared disciples waiting in the upper room.
 
This is our future, where we walk together toward our new home built by the hands of a wounded king – the new Zion, forsaking the kingdoms marked by borders and divides where all our settlements are only temporary shelters, sanctuaries of rest for the wounded and weary. Then the Christ returns to visit us, as Galilee’s boats pull to shore, these places seem familiar – the lapping water and the sand, but we are not to return to these lands, not those dreams – but become pilgrims, to set our belongings in another home, to wash our sandy feet in some other place, to lay down our tired souls on a distant promise, quilted from both the today and the tomorrow.
 
And we dine as a day sees another setting sun sitting across from each other once again – seeing each sweet face laughing deeply feeling whole once more. And we see the Savior’s smile, he knows our journey’s end and pours us another cup full of his own love and this time, our eyes tell him that we understand.

Thanks be to God!  See you in church,
Rev. Christian Marien

(This article is taken from Ascension’s May 2017 newsletter).

Welcome to Lent

Welcome to the season of Lent!

Wednesday, March 1, is Ash Wednesday. We will worship God with the imposition of ashes and Holy Communion at both our 12 p.m. and 7 p.m. services. Our hope is that you will take time, not find time, to let the world know that for just a moment on Wednesday night, March 1, you will come before your God and bow down and worship and praise to honor the One who has given you life in this world and promises you eternal life in the world to come.

I am always grateful to God for the change in rhythms during the season of Lent. Wednesday night gatherings for soup suppers and worship are a gift to my heart. God provides an opportunity to share in this journey of faith in different ways from Sunday mornings at  Ascension. On Wednesday nights, I have more time to simply sit and enjoy conversation with friends in the congregation. Worship is intended to be brief but meaningful. Music orients our focus to the worship of God. Sermons are exchanged for brief meditations. In the dark of night – the candles shine brighter. There is a beautiful quiet that hovers in the sanctuary even with the joyous sounds of children squealing with delight over the little things in their lives that we so often miss. On Wednesday nights in Lent, this year, Pastor Angela, Tony, and I will all be taking different aspects of our worship. Children’s messages will be a part of each Wednesday night and music will guide our steps in worship into the way of peace. I hope you will consider joining us for a time of refreshment…one night a week – you can skip cooking and the dishes (unless you sign up for either one at church). What a wonderful gift to come share in the joy of gathering together to the glory of God.

We will gather for soup suppers at 6 p.m. on March 8, March 15, March 22, March 29, and April 5.  March 8 will be hosted by JOLT; March 15 will be hosted by our Tuesday Morning Bible Studies; and April 5 will be hosted by CRASH. Congregational sign-ups will be available to help with soup and bread for both March 15 and March 29. Check the narthex/lobby for the posters. We need about 18 soups each week to provide for the 100-150 who attend. Our Wednesday night gatherings will center on some wonderful reflections offered to provide us with directions to wander while we find ourselves in the wilderness of Lent.

Wednesday Worship Themes
March 8
Discovering the Spirit
March 15
Renewing My Mind
March 22
Redeeming My Time
March 29
Deepening My Relationships
April 5
Transforming My Experience

I am grateful to the psalmist who wrote these words for us, “How very good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” Come and join us on the journey. I wonder – how could your life be different if you made the conscious decision to gather with fellow believers for fellowship and worship on the Wednesday nights in Lent? What would change in your life? Would you be happier? More content? Would you discover new things about God? Would you find your mind renewed? Would you find your time better spent? Would your relationship with God and other believers go deeper? Would you find your life transformed? My guess is that your answer would be yes!  I know, for me, year after year, my answer is always, always…yes!
Peace be with you. See you in church.
Rev. Christian Marien

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

A Place of Welcome

Dear People of God,

One of my favorite gifts in ministry was the worship service I attended where the following words were shared before the beginning of communion:

From all corners of the earth, Christ invites everyone who hungers to this table. So come to this table, you who have much faith and you who would like to have more. Come to this table, you who have been to this sacrament often and you who have not been for a long time. Come to this table, you who have tried to follow Jesus and you who have failed. Come to this table for Christ invites us to meet God here.

I have been grateful to hear from visitors on Sundays that someone from the congregation took the time to say hello. I was even more grateful to hear from a colleague who anonymously worshipped with us. She said, “Not only were we greeted during worship, but after worship those same people sought us out and introduced themselves by name.” What joy that brings to the pastor’s heart!

Our worship will always be a place of welcome. Every Sunday offers the invitation to the altar of God for bread and wine and the welcome of our God. I am grateful to God that the disciples who sit in our church remember their own welcome to God’s table and, in turn, invite others to join them.

There is always room for one more at God’s table. Who might you invite to join you in the days ahead?

Rev. Christian Marien

This article was taken from the February 2017 Newsletter

Autumn Rituals

Dear People of God,

Already the winds of autumn have brought us to the gates of November. How quickly the days of summer have given way to falling leaves and crisp morning breezes. November 6 will gather us to the celebration of All Saints Sunday. We will once again read the names of those, connected to our community, who have died during the past year and light candles in remembrance of all who have gone before us and now rest from their labors. This year we will give thanks for:

Fabricio Aparicio John Gresl

Lorraine Birner Susan Krist

Judy Ewell Elmer Norris

Andrew Frey Barbara Wendorf

We live within the communion of saints. We trust the promise of God that the power of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ holds true for each of us – as it has for the generations that have come before us—as it will for the countless generations that will come after us. Often times in our world we find the power of God’s promises overshadowed by the darkness of the cross in our lives. Where Easter joy should reign over us we find ourselves overwhelmed with pain, death, and grief. All Saints Day gathers us with the whole communion of saints in heaven and on earth.

In Celtic Christian spirituality the place where heaven and earth meet—the moments where God enters into our world—are called “thin places.” An idea that offers a thinning of the veil between life and death, between human and divine, between ordinary and miraculous. For most of us, these places are what we crave for in our lives of faith. “Give me a sign, Lord.”  Ever heard yourself speaking those words? I have. Usually in the most despairing moments—the moments when no answer seems best—that is when I hear myself telling God to get on with it. Tell me which way so I can move on, step up, go forward, put something behind me. Once in awhile I really feel that God nudges in one direction or another—most of the time, I pray and I hope and I cross my fingers—not the sign of the cross mind you—just that hopeful kind of lucky wish and jump. Sometimes God blesses and other times God somehow puts me back at the beginning and lets me start over. The path is not always easy but I hold on to the hope and I trust that God is there in the midst.  

November 13 will call us to gather for the annual meeting of the congregation. In our church governance, it is the congregation that approves a yearly budget, elects new church council members, and approves a slate of candidates to attend our regional assembly of congregations next June. The meeting will begin at noon and will be a potluck. We invite you to join us to hear about Ascension and the mission and ministry of the congregation as well the continued work on our Ascension Arise our 2025 Vision.  

November 6, in-between services at 9:45, you will have the opportunity to ask review the budget for 2017 and ask questions in a smaller setting before the annual meeting happens the following week. Our community continues to renew itself as God guides and shapes the ministries entrusted to us in this time and place. I give thanks to God for the power and presence of God and God’s people as we walk together to the glory of God.

~ Pastor Chris Marien