Easter Eggs

What a month March has been! That blizzard was one for the record books. Many of us were stuck at home, digging out (and digging out again), checking on neighbors, and just trying to get through the day. It was exhausting - and at times, honestly, a little overwhelming. But even in the middle of it all, there were glimpses of grace: people showing up for each other and reminding one another, “You’re not alone.” Now things are starting to shift. The snow piles are melting, the days are getting longer, and you can almost feel spring trying to break through. And right in the middle of this transition comes a powerful word from God: “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” (Isaiah 43:19) That verse hits differently this time of year. After winter, it can be hard to imagine anything “springing up.” We get used to the cold, the gray, the heaviness. We start to expect more of the same. But God says: Look again. Pay attention. Something new is already beginning. Not someday. Not far off. Now it springs up. Maybe that “new thing” looks like small signs of life returning outside your window. Maybe it’s a renewed sense of connection after helping each other through the storm. Maybe it’s a quiet stirring of hope you didn’t expect to feel yet. And maybe - just maybe - it’s God doing something new in you. That’s what makes this so fitting as we head toward Easter on April 5th. Easter is the ultimate “new thing.” When everything seemed lost, when hope looked buried for good, God was already at work. And on that morning, the world changed forever. As Scripture tells us, “He is not here; He has risen!” (Luke 24:6). Resurrection isn’t just something that happened once. It’s something God keeps doing—bringing life out of death, hope out of despair, and new beginnings out of the places we thought were finished.  So as we move into April, I want to invite you to hold onto that question from Isaiah: Do you not perceive it? … Where do you see signs of new life? Where might God be at work in ways you didn’t expect? What is beginning to “spring up” in your own life? Let’s step into this season together with open eyes and open hearts. The snow is melting. New life is on the way. And Easter is coming.

This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.” Matthew 8:17 We’re in the season of sore throats, coughs, colds and flu. Many of us are reminded of just how fragile our bodies are. It is amazing to me that a microscopic virus can silence our voice and sap our strength to the point we aren’t able to do anything. One of the gifts Jesus brings is healing. One of the Christian martyrs commemorated in the month of February is a man God graced with healing, a man named Blasius or Blaise. Blaise was an Armenian who lived back in the 4 th Century. He was born into a rich household to parents who followed Jesus – a rarity of that day. So, as you would expect, he received a first-rate education given by Christian teachers. His ambition was to become a physician. In this Roman territory – now present-day Turkey – Blaise began practicing medicine. He was good at it. Even more so, he became known as a Christian with healing hands. As often happens in church families, Blaise was quickly promoted as a Christian teacher and healer. He was elevated to the office of bishop at a young age. I can’t imagine the responsibility – running a medical practice and being a chief shepherd of a number of churches – all of this in the community of Sebaste in Armenia which is modern-day Sivas, Turkey. Here’s where the story gets interesting. . . The Roman Empire was divided into smaller sections to ensure stability. It didn’t work so well. Valerius Licinius and Flavius Valerius Constantinus (Constantine) were co-emperors. Licinius ruled the eastern Roman Empire and Constantine ruled the west. A rivalry deepened between them causing civil war. Constantine was a Christian convert. Licinius was a loyal Roman pagan. Blaise – the doctor and bishop – lived in the territory ruled by Licinius. Licinius began to view Christians as a threat to his authority. In order to consolidate his power and to punish his chief rival (Constantine was a Christian), he began a state-sponsored campaign to persecute Christians. He rewarded people to hunt them and bring them in to face torture and death if they refused to renounce Jesus and bow to the Roman gods. During this time, Blaise left his comfortable home to live life as a hermit in a cave. He was eventually discovered by hunters and taken to the governor. The governor was impressed with Blaise’s ability to heal and serve, unapologetically, in Jesus’ name. One story included a boy who was near death from choking on a fishbone lodged in his throat. Blaise prayed and went to work and saved his life. As impressed as the governor was, it didn’t stop him from insisting that the Blaise renounce his faith. When he wouldn’t, the governor had him beaten, tortured with an iron comb (a tool used for combing wool), and eventually beheaded. In the Roman Catholic world, Blaise became the Saint to those suffering from sore throats. Why do such stories come to mind? Jesus is the true physician. Blaise was faithful to follow Jesus in that task. Blaise knew that God does not stand far off from our coughing, aching and fevered bodies. He comes close. He touches, and He speaks life. Blaise could not turn away from such a Savior. So as you nurse a sore throat, or care for a sick child or spouse, do it unapologetically in Jesus’ name. Know that this is holy work, and God is deeply invested in your humanity. Even more so, tell the stories of how God empowers our simple acts of love and service to bring life. Just as He did in the days of Blaise, so may we see Him meet us as our Great Physician who came to “take our illnesses and heal our diseases.” Keep and live the faith!

Shining all the way into Lent

“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, ‘Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.’” (Matthew 2:1) It’s January. With the shortest day of the year behind us, some find this stretch of the calendar cold and dark. Yet Scripture repeatedly reminds us that God often does His boldest work in unlikely seasons and less-than-ideal circumstances. This is the time of year when the Church remembers the Magi—wise men who followed a star to Bethlehem. Their journey was anything but convenient. It would have been costly, time-consuming, and dangerous. One can’t help but ask: what kind of people would leave comfort and security behind to chase a mysterious light across unfamiliar terrain? Interestingly, no other historical records from the time of Jesus’ birth mention a star like the one Matthew describes. Astronomers (not astrologers) have suggested several possibilities near the time of Jesus’ birth: a supernova, Halley’s Comet, or a rare conjunction of Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars that would have appeared as a single, brilliant light. Whether the star was one of these phenomena or a uniquely supernatural sign, we cannot say for certain. What we do know is this: God used it to draw the Magi to His Son. Matthew does not describe these travelers as kings, but as magi—a Greek term referring to learned men or oriental scholars. Over time, the Church came to view them as kings, largely because of the gifts they brought: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. These gifts echo Psalm 72, a royal psalm that proclaims, “May the kings of Sheba and Saba bring gifts; may all kings pay him homage” (Psalm 72:10–11). Their titles matter far less than their obedience. At great personal cost, the Magi followed the light they were given. And though their understanding may have been incomplete, their gifts demonstrated remarkable insight. Gold honored a king. Frankincense acknowledged divinity. Myrrh—used for burial—hinted at suffering and sacrifice. Somehow, they grasped that this child was more than a ruler; He was the Redeemer the world had long awaited. Here’s the challenge of this story: How willing are we to follow the Son of God? Have we quietly set boundaries on how far we are willing to go, or what we are willing to risk, in response to His call? New opportunities are before us. I invite—and challenge—you to join in. As we enter this new year, may God find us faithful to reflect His light here in Tomah. Keep and Live the Faith Pastor David Dahl

A blessed New Year to you! As the calendar flips and we all pretend we’re absolutely going to stick to our resolutions this time, I thought it might be good to talk about some Christian resolutions—those small, habits of faith that help us grow, even if we occasionally trip over our good intentions on the way to the refrigerator. January always feels like a fresh sheet of paper. It’s a natural time to ask: What habits help me stay rooted in His grace? Not “What would make me a perfect Christian?”—That list would be unmanageably long, and Jesus has already taken care of perfection for us. I mean what are some simple practices that give God just a little more room to shape our days. As Paul writes, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17). A new year doesn’t magically make us new people—but Christ does. So… 1. Dust off your Bible—literally or figuratively. Try reading a short daily passage, maybe from a Gospel. If the Bible feels intimidating, start small. God doesn’t hand out gold stars for reading Leviticus at 6 a.m. without coffee. 2. Pray for one thing each day. Just one. That’s it. A person, a joy, a worry, your neighbor’s noisy dog—whatever’s on your heart. You might be surprised how that one moment of honesty with God steadies the rest of the day. 3. Come to worship even on the “I’d rather stay in my pajamas” Sundays. Gathering as God’s people strengthens us in ways we rarely expect. 4. Practice small mercies. Forgive quickly. Speak kindly. Hold a door. Send a note. Luther said our daily vocations are holy callings, even the ordinary ones. God does beautiful things with small acts of grace. 5. Remember the Gospel is not a self-improvement program. Resolutions are good, but they don’t save us. Christ has already claimed us, loved us, forgiven us, and renewed us—long before our January motivation fades by February. If you fail at your resolutions, welcome to the club. God’s mercies are new every morning, not just on January 1st. And if you do keep one or two habits that draw you closer to Christ and neighbor, thanks be to God for that, too. May your new year be full of grace and a few holy habits that help you recognize God’s presence in the everyday. Blessings on the new year. Pastor Kay

Christ has Come.

Tis the season...to be overwhelmed? Just looking at our Gloria Dei calendar shows many opportunities for service, learning, community, and growth. But I caution: Watch out for overload during the Christmas season. Culturally, December is a smorgasbord of festivities: freshly-strung Christmas lights, holiday parties, trips to the tree farm, and more! Here at Gloria Dei, too, there is much to do, like our Advent Tea and Advent Fest, Blue Christmas, our children’s program, and Cantata event. Frankly, I love this season for all that is happening--and how fun much of it is! But how do we keep from getting so depleted? The idea isn't to refrain from doing what you love; the aim is to invest your time and energy intentionally, into things that nourish and encourage you, so you wake up Christmas morning feeling renewed and fully present. I'll share with you some of the goals I'm working toward this season: Seek God in a new way. Ready to start a new morning quiet time with scripture by candlelight? Want to start an evening walk with God, savoring the changing sky overhead? Feeling the nudge to find a prayer partner for accountability? Try it! When you say you don't have time to do something, pause and consider. Sometimes, when I think, "Oh, I don't have time for this," it means I have neither time nor interest. I'm not feeling within it an invitation from God. I pray we'll make time for what may be the powerful moments of connection and politely skip the others. Choose a way to give back that feeds your soul. There are many, many causes in the community worthy of your investment of time or resources--places where God's love is being shared abundantly and tangibly. Ring bells for the Salvation Army, support Neighbor for Neighbor, volunteer to drive for Faith in Action, call someone who is alone. In the midst of the busy-ness, hold fast to spiritual rhythms that keep you whole. These might include prayer, worship, and time in small groups. Do you really want to make Sunday worship? What does it look like for you? How can you safeguard it as things get busier? I hope you give yourself permission to choose well how you spend yourself this season. Whatever you choose, may it give you life--and may you show up fully within it. These two things--life and presence--are vital pieces of "preparing the way" for love to be born, right here and now. Psalm 5:11 ~ Oh Lord, let all of us who take refuge in you be glad, let us sing for joy, protect us that we may rejoice in You. Have a very blessed Advent season and Merry Christmas!

One beef I have with the Bible is that Jesus’ encounters with many of our favorite people were short. I’m left wondering, “What next?” · How did the formerly demon-possessed man live after Jesus removed his demons and he moved out of the cemetery, and returned to his family and his town? · How did Lazarus live once Jesus raised him to life? · What was Zacchaeus’s life like after he became a follower of Jesus and, against the advice of his friends and started giving back money to those he'd robbed? What happened to his business? · What happened after the woman at the well confessed Jesus as the Messiah? What did her live-in boyfriend think? What happened next? We know that something happened next, because Jesus changes people. They become disciples. Pr. Kay and I were privileged to attend the 25th Annual Gathering of Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC). We revisited the history of the past 25 years. We heard from some of the “founders” of LCMC. Many of you remember Pr. Mark Vander Tuig – a man to whom God gave a lot of personality. He shared the struggles of the struggles in defining the focus of what would become our shared vision to be “in Mission” for Jesus. LCMC holds true to its founding principles that the local congregation, not a central office, is the front line of mission. God’s purpose is to save the human race. And His strength accompanies all who embrace their part in His purpose. · We were encouraged to “chase failure.” We accomplish more when we’re not afraid to fail – when we’re willing to break out of the way we’ve always done things to pursue a new approach. · We were challenged in workshops on how to “neighbor”, as our culture tends to encourage rigorous independence which leads to isolation and often fosters loneliness. · We were reminded that “busyness” in our culture is killing us, and that we need to take steps to reclaim the Third Commandment to keep the Sabbath. This keeps us in tune with God’s purposes at work especially when everything around us may seem dark and forbidding. The mission focus of LCMC continues to captivate followers of Jesus around the world as LCMC surpasses the benchmark of 1,000 member congregations. What next? The mission focus of making disciples is alive and well. That brings us to the “what next” of Gloria Dei. We’re celebrating our 80th year of God’s blessing. I invite you to take note of a particular feature to our building: When you enter the church building, you’ll discover a tree. That tree is a joint work of several people. It demonstrates our longstanding rootedness in God’s Story and in the “what next” of God’s purpose. This tree is made up of a slab of redwood that is estimated to be 1,200 to 2,000 years old. The metalwork demonstrates a variety of textures and cloudlike shapes that illustrate the amazing variety of the branches of God’s people. If you look closely, you’ll find the face of Jesus embedded in the trunk (Yes, it’s really there! Look for it!) Beside it is a Bible passage from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians – which is also so appropriate to us. The whole passage had to be shortened, so I’ve bolded the excerpt on our wall and have included the full context of what Paul wrote: “For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. 16 I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthen in your inner being with power through his Spirit, 17 and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. 18 I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:14b-19) Note all the references to growth in his words: “Rooted and grounded”, “to comprehend”, “to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge”, “be filled with all the fullness of God.” These words describe the constant change that happens in those who follow Christ. So, “What’s next?” It is rewarding to see so many of you digging into the Bible. It’s rewarding to see teachers involved in teaching our kids and adults mentoring our Confirmation students. This year, we sent more quilts, school kits, baby kits and personal care kits than ever! And we have room to develop more women’s circles and small groups. This leads to an open invitation to the “what next” of our neighbor: We have so many opportunities to bring someone with us. When you come to worship, when you’re working, helping, teaching, quilting, cooking, praying, bring someone with you. You have no idea what doors a little connection might open. You and they will grow in ways not possible by any other activity. And you’ll have the amazing experience of seeing others grow as well. Remember, God’s purpose is to save the human race. He’s given you a part in it. This church is rooted in it. So, “what next?” I can’t wait.  Keep and Live the Faith. -Pr. Dave Dahl

Give Thanks IN ALL!