We can’t believe we are now about six weeks into social distancing. We have never had anything happen like this in our lifetime and I am sure that is true for most of you. Too often in our own minds we try to turn away from the awful reality of this virus – but the truth is that tens of thousands are dying from this disease and hundreds of thousands are suffering from it. Economies are taking hard hits. People are losing jobs and certain groups are constantly at risk of either disease or of financial ruin.

And yet for us Christians the power of the Easter message has not dimmed, Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia! How can the message of a risen savior give us hope in all this pain and loss? Some would say that we are indulging in a fantasy. And yet, in our household, we have seen over and over the power of the risen Lord touching us and giving us life in the darkest times.

Both of us lost our mothers around Easter and the pain of those moments was nearly overwhelming. Their loss still shapes us today. And yet the power of the Good News of life amidst death lifted us up. We knew that even though we could not hold on to our mothers, Christ was there to give them new life. And we were strengthened and encouraged by the life of God’s people. That moment of death was also filled with new life.

Five people of Cross Lutheran Church have died of Covid-19. From a distance we have watched Nick and the amazing ministry team of that congregation bring hope and strength into moments of death- made more difficult by social distancing. We have watched that congregation work on keeping their food program functioning to care for the most vulnerable. Lifted up by a risen Lord the Church refuses to give in to despair or resignation in the face of this disease.

We have watched all of you caring for each other, calling and lifting each other up. You refuse to isolate yourself in the face of this physical distancing. We have watched as people of faith continue to work for the good of all when some members of society look out only for themselves in the face of the impact of this disease. You know that life is abundant because of the risen Lord and you let that reality shape your response. You are not afraid of the future but enter it with hope and prayer and compassion.

If what we believe is a fantasy then give us the fantasy over reality. But we don’t believe it is fantasy because we have experienced the power of our risen Lord and savior.

Our call as minsters and our call as members of the body of Christ is to never let the world forget this Good News. In the midst of Covid-19, in the midst of social distance, in the midst of financial hardship, in the midst of illness and loss of life we cling to this glorious truth and continue to trust that God can bring new life even from this difficult time.

Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia. This truth continues to shape all we do, both during the pandemic and beyond. Thanks be to God.

Pastors Cris and Dave

It is harder to embrace our family these days in the face of the ongoing epidemic. We are practicing social distance but make no mistake we are still a family. You all continue to be in our prayers. Our hearts are full of your presence every day. Nothing can separate this family that is bound together by the love of Christ. And not only is the Trinity family bound together in this love, but the larger Christian family made up of all our siblings in Christ.

Jesus said, “Wherever two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” We have the powerful image of a few of the disciples, lost and confused after the crucifixion, going fishing. Suddenly the risen Lord is there among them. (John 21).

We need to reimagine this truth for today. Wherever we are gathered in prayer- on line and in our homes- Jesus is there among us. As we email and call each other in the love of Christ- there Jesus us among us. Even as we think about each other across distance and even time, there is the Lord with us.

Nothing can stop the risen Lord from being with us, especially in our greatest need. Mary alone in the garden is confronted by the risen Lord in John 20. The disciples in an upper room cannot hide from the presence of the Lord.

We approach Easter and the good news is even the isolation and finality of death cannot separate us from God’s love. And it cannot separate us from each other either. Paul’s words remind us this at the beginning of the book of Philippians:

I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because you hold me in your heart, for all of you share in God’s grace with me, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what is best, so that on the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.

This Easter may be different than any we have experienced in our lives. Yet come what may we will be together at Easter in God’s love and the risen Christ will be among us.

Alleluia.
Pastors Cris and Dave

This month we celebrate Valentine’s Day. Some have argued that it was a day created to capitalize on people buying stuff for the one’s they love. That is probably a fair critique. But there can be some incredible ways that love breaks through even in such a blatantly commercial day. True love can be revealed even in a world where we reserve our love for the lovable among us. There was a great story in one of the Chicken Soup books submitted by Dale Galloway.

Little Chad was a shy, quiet young man. One day he came home and told his mother that he’d like to make a valentine for everyone in his class. Her heart sank. She thought, “I wish he wouldn’t do that!” because she had watched the children when they walked home from school. Her Chad was always behind them. They laughed and hung on to each other and talked to each other. But Chad was never included. Nevertheless, she decided she would go along with her son. So she purchased the paper and glue and crayons. For three weeks, night after night, Chad painstakingly made 35 valentines.

 

Valentine’s Day dawned, and Chad was beside himself with excitement. He carefully stacked them up, put them in a bag, and bolted out the door. His mother decided to bake him his favorite cookies and serve them nice and warm with a cool glass of milk when he came home from school. She just knew he would be disappointed and maybe that would ease the pain a little. It hurt her to think that he wouldn’t get many valentines-maybe none at all.

 

That afternoon she had the cookies and milk on the table. When she heard the children out- side, she looked out the window. Sure enough, there they came, laughing and having the best time. And, as always, there was Chad in the rear. He walked a little faster than usual. She fully expected him to burst into tears as soon as he got inside. His arms were empty, she noticed, and when the door opened she choked back the tears. “Mommy has some cookies and milk for you,” she said. But he hardly heard her words. He just marched right on by, his face aglow, and all he could say was: “Not a one. Not a one.” Her heart sank. And then he added, “I didn’t forget a one, not a single one!”

This is the love of God which has not missed a single one of us. During Epiphany we look for the revelations of God’s overwhelming love and we find it revealed in amazing places. And we pray during this season that like Chad we might learn to love each other as Christ has loved us.

Blessed Epiphany and Happy Valentine’s Day to all of You Our Beloved Family,

Pastors Cris and Dave

And so we cry on January 1 . The old year with it joys and yes also with its struggles comes to an end and there is a fresh beginning. We make resolutions to move in new directions. We hope for new possibilities. There are hopes that old sins can be forgiven and new relationships can happen. There is true celebration that we are gifted another year of life and love and adventures.

But as Christians this is only a symbol of what is going on each and every day. In Christ we are constantly finding new life. Each day is a celebration of the gift of another day and all that it brings. Each day we know we are forgiven and new relationship is possible. Each day is celebration. The Psalmist says it all when it is written- “This is the day that the Lord has made, let us be glad and rejoice in it.”

Robert J. Hastings little piece “The Station,” Ends with these words:

So, gently close the door on yesterday and throw the key away. It isn’t the burdens of today that drive men mad, but rather the regret over yesterday and the fear of tomorrow. Regret and fear are twin thieves who would rob us of today.

“Relish the moment” is a good motto, especially when coupled with Psalm 118:24, “This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

So stop pacing the aisles and counting the miles. Instead, swim more rivers, climb more mountains, kiss more babies, count more stars. Laugh more and cry less. Go barefoot oftener. Eat more ice cream. Ride more merry-go- rounds. Watch more sunsets. Life must be lived as we go along.

Martin Luther had his own way of thinking about this. He wrote about baptism saying it:

“signifies that the old creature in us … is to be drowned and die through daily … repentance, and … that daily a new person is to come forth and arise up to live before God in righteousness and purity forever.”

So we give thanks for 365 new days each year, each day a new beginning, a sign of the new life we will experience forever. Don’t limit your joy to New Year’s Eve.

Yours in Christ, Pastor Cris and Pastor Dave

What are you thankful for? Are you thankful every day? Do you start the day thankful? Do you end the day thankful?

We have this one day a year when we all eat huge amounts of food, watch some football, enjoy our family and, oh yeah, we say thank-you to God. But what about the other 364 days a year? Do we live every day with an attitude of gratitude?

It really does change the nature of existence when we are thankful in all things. I know, because I sometimes lose track of just how blessed I am. In the moments of life when my gratitude is high, even when there are times of struggle, I find peace and hope. The pain still comes, but I can see that the pain is only one small part of a life truly blessed. I find courage to share and to care even when there are temptations to look out for myself first.

On the other hand, when I lose track of how deeply blessed I am, when I fail to offer a word of thanks at the beginning of the day, I often find myself asking why? Why does so and so have more than me? Why do people choose so and so over me for positions and honors? I feel low and depressed and I find it hard to reach out because I need to save everything for me.

Paul writes these amazing words, Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

These words are amazing because they are written from prison. Even arrested and possibly awaiting death, Paul still sees his life as blessed. Paul understands that he has the greatest treasure of all, the love of Jesus Christ. This is a treasure that can never be taken away.

Don’t make Thanksgiving a once a year event. Why not a month of Thanksgiving? A year? A life?

Thank you God for all your blessings. Please help me remember.

Yours in Christ, Pastor Dave

It is hard to believe it is already October. But the truth is that God is always calling us forward. God is calling us forward in time, calling us forward in growth as God’s children, calling us forward in mission and ministry. There is a deep truth in the saying that we are either growing or dying.

We as the people of God at Trinity are always being called forward. We are called forward in our giving, as we will experience in the Stewardship focus that is coming in October. We are called to grow in generosity. We are called to grow in our responsibility as members of the body of Christ. We are called to grow in gratitude. We are called to grow in our giving to the work of the Gospel and our giving to Trinity. We are called to give money- yes money- to carry on the work of the church. But even more we are called to give ourselves to God in new and exciting ways.

We are called to move forward in mission. We are called to offer God’s love into the ever-changing world we live in. We have been called in the past to give to the needs of the hungry and the homeless. We have been called in the past to care for those with suicidal ideologies and people in foreign lands who need to hear the gospel. We have been called to hear the cries of the aging and the young in their need. But today we are called to hear new calls. We are called to hear the cries of those who are struggling with opioid addiction. We are called to notice the cries of the immigrant and refugee among us. We are called to be a voice for peace and unity in an ever more divided and contentious world. We need to grow in the ministry that we are doing. At Adult Forums throughout the month we will be asking what new thing is God calling us to do. Come and share in the struggle.

Most of all we are called to move forward in loving God and one another. It is always uncomfortable to face change and growth. But the essence of life is growth, is change, is movement into a new day. That is symbolized in the new commitments our confirmands will make on October 13th. You are invited to come and renew your commitment to growth with them. One of the most powerful images in the book of Acts is at the very beginning of the book. Jesus has ascended into heaven. For the disciples, everything has changed. What are they to do now? They stand looking up to where Jesus has gone, and some angels appear and speak these words:

‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up towards heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.’

What are we doing standing around? Jesus will return, but in the meantime, there is work to do and love to share. The Church should never be standing in place. We should always be moving forward. Sometimes faster, sometimes slower and it is ok to rest and celebrate some, but in the end, we are called to move forward, trusting in the grace of God.

Let’s go,

Pastors Cris and Dave

ral·ly/ˈralē/verb 1. (of troops) come together again in order to continue fighting after a de-
feat or dispersion: “De Montfort’s troops rallied and drove back the king’s infantry” synonyms: reassemble, re- group, re-form, reunite, gather together again, … more antonyms: disperse 2. recover or cause to recover in health, spirits, or poise: “she floundered for a moment, then rallied again” synonyms: recover, improve, get better, pick up, revive, … antonyms: deteriorate

noun
1. a mass meeting of people making a political protest or showing support for a cause: “a rally attended by around 100,000 people” synonyms: meeting, mass meeting, gathering, assembly, tweetup 2. a competition for motor vehicles in which they are driven a long distance over public roads or rough terrain, typically in stag- es and through checkpoints: “a rally driver”

Rally weekend is September 7th and 8th and all of the above parts of the definition have something to do with what Rally Weekend means in the Church.

We are coming back together after we have dispersed through the summer months. Some of us have traveled far and some not so far and yet we all come back together to celebrate as the people of Trinity Lutheran Church.

We also come together after defeats and struggles in our lives. Our congregation is a place to return to find comfort and support and strength to face the future. All of us at times need to have the Church rally around us and we promise to do that for each other here at Trinity. Most of us probably have a story to tell about the way the congregation has rallied around us, I know that both of us have such stories. We find in this place healing and recovery and we invite and encourage you to come and find healing and invite a friend as well.
We come together for a cause- to carry on the mission of our king- Jesus Christ. It is a mission to carry love and promise into the world. We rally here to coordinate and plan so that we can go into the world to make a difference.

We begin a journey, not in a car, but through life. We travel through public places and rough terrain and we know where we are going- we are going to meet the Lord in all kinds of places along the way. It is a journey filled with struggle, yes, but with joy and adventure. And we know we will finally reach the finish line with a winners wreath for each of us and a celebration that has no end.

So come and Rally with us, not just on September 7th and 8th , but every day. Rally around our Lord and Savior and you will find life.

Yours in Christ,
Pastors Cris and Dave

As this is being written our young people are preparing to leave on their trip to North
Carolina. What will happen on this trip? Who knows? Some of the youth trips in the past have gone without a hitch. Other trips have had a host of problems along the way. Rooms given away at hotels where they had reservations. Derailing on a train track that meant getting off taking a bus for miles to go around and then getting on another train. People getting sick.

Yet each trip led to new growth and new joy. Each trip gave our young people a chance to grow in faith and maturity. Each trip opened doors to a new understanding of God, of self, and of the world. Our young people are showing us the depth of life in Christ.

We move through the journey of life in faith. Who knows how bumpy or smooth the trip will be. There will be challenges and there will be the deepest joys you can imagine. If we travel the road in faith we can be sure that we will grow. We will grow in faith toward our Lord. We will grow in love for one another. We will grow in thankfulness for life. We will break out of the cocoons that bind us and fly into ever new skies.

All we have to do is have enough faith to take the trip. God has promised to be with us along the way and so we face each path with hope and strength and we know where the journey ends. And so with the psalmist we sing:

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me;
your rod and your staff—they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long (or forever).

What will happen in the journey of life? Who knows? But we do know where we are going and where the path leads. So let us take the adventure that is given us.

Yours in Christ, Pastor Cris and Pastor Dave

As I write this letter I cannot help but think of Paul’s words in the book of 1 Corinthians.

To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) so that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one out- side the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law) so that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, so that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I might by any means save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.

Since our synod assembly I have become more aware of the fact that there is much I need to learn, much I need to hear, if I am to be a part of God’s plan to make a place at God’s table for everyone. Lately I have been trying to more actively listen to people from all different places in life.

I have been spending time with people of different gender identities and sexual orientations because I want to hear how they have encountered God in their journey. They have pushed me to new understandings. I have been trying to be more open to the experiences of people from different Christian experiences by worshiping with people at various congregations including Missouri Synod, Catholic, Episcopal, and those suspicious of the organized church. I am trying to hear the voices of people from different racial and ethnic understandings. I have struggled to hear the voices of those with different political understandings than myself.

It is never easy to really listen: to really try to understand people who see the world through different eyes. I know, try as I might, I still struggle. We are so quick to want to defend our perspective. But as Christians we are called to embrace those who are claimed by God and yet are so different from ourselves. If we are to live into the vision we have at Trinity then this needs to be our constant work. As you move through these summer months, traveling to new places, attending new places of worship, or just listening to the news from around the world- truly listen to those around you. Let others share their experiences, their hopes, their dreams and their struggles. These are important- even precious- to our Lord, and they must become important to us as well. If we are truly to share the love and promise of God, then we need to meet people where they are, praying that God frees us from snap judgements and unfounded prejudices. Again quoting Paul:

As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.

Let us live into this vison.

The main message of the assembly was that all are welcome at the table of Christ. Whether you are old, young, divorced, gay, lesbian, here in the US legally, or just trying to make a better life for your family, with a home, or without a home (the list could go on as we know from our mission statement); we are all children of God and deserve to feel loved and welcomed in the ELCA. This was the main focus of the Synod Assembly and they challenged us and encouraged us to find ways to incorporate all people from all walks of life into our own church communities.

It was great to hear what other ELCA churches throughout the Milwaukee area and the country are doing in order to encourage this message. It was also extremely interesting to hear about the different issues the church as a whole feels needs to be addressed in our area such as the heroin epidemic or the recent deportation of another pastor within the synod.

It was a really informative and interesting experience!

Thanks, Haley Kordosky