It is a good time to be the church. In these past 12 years, I’ve said that in every season of our ministry together - and meant it! This season, however, words cannot capture my excitement over what we get to do as the church right now.

Our college-age internship is off and running. By the end of the summer, we expect to have about 17 college-age students working with us in paid positions. On June 13, our high school Abiding Fellows internship program will launch with around 12 students with us at various times during the summer in paid positions.

Each morning this past week, Pastor Kelsey and/or I sat with our interns to share in morning prayer and scripture reading. We are not only modeling discipleship, we are intentionally teaching it. Then, our interns took part in the behind the scenes life of the church. They learned “life skills” like how to load the bypass tray of a copy machine and how to remove wall anchors before painting. They worked in the food pantry, brainstormed summer camp themes, painted, organized, helped with OWLs and much more.

Watch our livestream evening prayer service and read Pastor Keseley’s Epiphany message on the recent events happening in our country.

Last Sunday we hosted our first-ever “Kick-Off Sunday Drive Thru Blessing.” The past six months have been an endless series of “first-ever” moments and kicking off a new program was no exception. I continue to be impressed by the creativity of our staff, involvement of all of you and stirring of the Holy Spirit that is carrying us through these times. It is a good time to be the church, especially the people of God at Abiding Presence.

After waving and chatting with a steady stream of nearly 100 cars spread over two hours last Sunday, my heart was full. It was SO good to see all of you and have the chance to catch up for a moment. I loved seeing your faces, hearing about your summers and realizing how much our kiddos have grown. We were so close…and yet…so far, too. I longed to give hugs, share laughter and say, “Have a good week!” knowing that I would see you again in just a few short days.

We have several more “parking lot style” opportunities planned for this fall. Starting this Sunday, Michelle Galdames-Henry is hosting “Brunch Bunch” as an opportunity for kids to worship together with her in the parking lot. Second graders are invited this Sunday or next Sunday and can sign up here.

On Sunday, October 4 at 5:00 p.m. we will have our annual “Blessing of Pets & Stuffed Animals” service in the parking lot. This service lends itself well to being outdoors and distanced. We’ll ask all of the people to wear masks and practice social distancing (this will always be the case with our parking lot services/events). You will be able to either participate from your car in the parking lot or stand/bring lawn chairs to be in marked and distanced spots. We also have in the works a Reformation Sunday parking lot celebration after our outdoor confirmation service on October 25 and a special All Saints Sunday parking lot worship experience on Sunday, November 1 (stay tuned for details). Then, just wait for Christmas Eve when we’re planning a drive thru nativity experience, parking lot services and a late night livestream service! All that is to say, there will be lots of opportunities for us to safely see each other this fall!

Finally, I came across an article this week from the Pew Research Center titled “Will the Coronavirus Permanently Convert In-Person Worshipers to Online Streamers?” It reminded me that our current worship situation is temporary. For now, livestream worship is the best way we can be the church, but that won’t be the case forever. Soon, we’ll be back together again! If you need a laugh and some hope in the midst of this livestream season of worship, check out this fabulous Hamilton parody. It keeps me grounded in a fun way in the bigger picture of what is happening during these times.

If I can be of support, reach out! See you on the livestream this Sunday!

This Sunday, we will have our first livestream baptism. It’s one more step we are taking as a church during these pandemic times. When we started livestream worship back in March, we didn’t have communion. After Easter and a lot of prayerfully deliberation, we responded to the Holy Spirit’s nudging to figure out a way to offer the sacrament of Holy Communion. Now, we’re responding to that nudging again as we get ready to creatively celebrate the sacrament of Holy Baptism in our livestream worship, too.

Earlier in the pandemic, I wrote a reflection on “What is the Church?” I went back to the Augsburg Confession (part of our confessional documents) and the definition of the church found in it. We are told there that the church needs three things to be the church:

1. Saints (that’s people like us, even in our least saintly moments)
2. The Gospel (that’s the Word of God) rightly taught
3. The Sacraments (Holy Baptism and Holy Communion) rightly administered

Reflecting on this definition of the church is part of what challenged me back in April to expand my imagination, sacramental theology and understanding of how God is in relationship with us to lead us to livestream Holy Communion. For the past several months, we have experienced the Holy Spirit showing up each Sunday to join us together as one when we share in the bread and wine that is Christ’s body and blood. We have been – and continue to be – united from all of our different places, with the Holy Spirit and the risen Christ on the loose in the world and our homes. Now, this Sunday, I know that the Holy Spirit will show up in the same way. As a faith community, we will welcome Mackenzie into the body of Christ and the faith family of Abiding Presence.

On the livestream this Sunday, you will see Pastor Joe in the sanctuary and me “on location” in Mackenzie’s backyard with her parents, godparents and grandparents. There will be a backyard version of an altar and a baptismal font set up. We’ll practice physical distancing. While I will speak the words of the baptismal liturgy, Mackenzie’s family will be the ones to pour the water over her head and trace the cross of Christ on her forehead. We’ll do this live. We know the Holy Spirit will work, we’re hoping our technology works, too!

Let me assure you, we are going back to worship in the sanctuary! I have no doubt about it. We are already planning and preparing for what that will look like when the time is right to do so in a safe and healthy way. But, that time has not yet come. Honestly, I don’t expect to come this fall. So, instead of continuing to wait, we are going to move forward. We’re going to get back to baptizing, welcoming new members, first communion, affirmation of baptism and all sorts of other aspects of our worship life that we had put on hold. So, if you’ve been waiting for a baptism, let’s chat! I’d love to find a creative way to make it happen as part of our livestream worship.

Here’s the thing about the church. The saints, gospel and sacraments that make the church have not changed one bit! We are still the church. We are “Abiding Together” because God is abiding with us. I cannot wait to see what that looks like this fall, even if it won’t look like it usually does.

So, set your alarm, get your phone/tablet/computer/tv ready and join us for worship this weekend as we celebrate yet another first of these pandemic times! The Holy Spirit will certainly be there. I hope you will be there, too.

Earlier this month, we said farewell to our Abiding Presence Summer Interns. These eleven college-age students spent eight weeks with us engaging in ministry, building relationships with one another, wrestling with scripture and discerning how God might be calling them to use their gifts in the world.

As we say “thank you” to our interns, I want to give you a glimpse of a few of the many things they worked on this summer:

• Savannah spent time writing and editing various pieces. She wrote fabulous articles about members of our congregation living out their faith such as “The Impact of an Everyday Skill” and “They Never Threw Anything Away” as well as a piece featuring our Iron Men Ministry.

• Lillian worked on racial justice by co-leading our “All are Welcome” book group. She also created a list of racial justice resources for children, teens and adults for us to share on our website as we seek to further live into our core value of being a church where “All are Welcome.”

• Lexy and Katie identified mental health resources to be shared on our website and the Mental Health Facebook page. They researched future ministry possibilities and supported the work of our mental health ministry team.

• Oliver worked on the website, designed graphics and created the Sunday morning announcement slides before worship.

• Peter organized the church archives filled with pictures, papers, scrap books and much more. He created a “History of Abiding Presence” PowerPoint presentation that will soon be shared with the congregation.

• Emma worked behind the scenes on all sorts of random projects we tossed her way. She organized electronic files, supported the launch of our Neighborhood Groups, updated the website and posted events on Facebook.

• Scott updated our weekly worship plan and livestream page while supporting our Sunday morning livestream service.

• Peyton and Ally helped to lead our digital Vacation Bible School and Summer Camps by packing grab bags, offering “stretch breaks” and leading online craft sessions.

• Erika supported our food ministry in every way imaginable! She was especially involved with bag packing and volunteer scheduling.

In terms of a “pandemic pivot,” I think that launching the Abiding Presence Summer Internship Program was a win! As one of our interns shared with me:

In the midst of a summer where all my plans and expectations for my senior year of college were flipped completely upside down, Abiding Presence gave me an incredible opportunity to grow both personally and professionally. I am deeply thankful for the racial justice ministry that I focused on as well as the weekly cohort meetings to grow in my faith, and I look forward to however I can get involved in the future.

Your continued support of Abiding Presence helped to make our summer internship program possible. Thank you!

As we look ahead to the fall, I cannot wait to see how the Holy Spirit keeps stirring in our midst in more powerful ways.

Early Tuesday morning, a powerful tornado ripped through Nashville and other parts of Tennessee, leaving destruction in its wake. The tornado was part of a series of severe storms. At least 24 people have been killed, homes and other buildings have been destroyed, and thousands of people are without electricity. The worship space for St. John’s Lutheran Church of Nashville, an ELCA congregation, was crushed by the tornado. (quoted from an email update from Lutheran Disaster Response)

At times like this, we remember the words of the apostle Paul to the early Christian church in Corinth, “If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it. (1 Corinthians 12:16). As we gather for worship this weekend, we will hold the congregation of St. John’s and their surrounding community in our prayers. As we sing, pray, gather around the Lord’s Table and proclaim the good news of God’s love, we will do so mindfully of our brothers and sisters without a place to worship. The church is not gone. The church is, of course, the people. That said, we know that those people are grieving the loss of their sanctuary.

It seems fitting, therefore, to spend a moment this weekend giving thanks for the witness of the Lutheran church that extends far beyond just our own congregation here at Abiding Presence. Lutheran Disaster Response, our domestic disaster response agency, is already on the ground in Tennessee assessing needs, working with local partners and responding with immediate relief. In the information sent out to congregations this past week, Lutheran Disaster Response suggested that “given the extent of the destruction, recovery is expected to take years.” They are committed to being present “to address survivors’ needs over the long haul.”

At the same time, we are collecting supplies during Lent for Lutheran World Relief, our international disaster response agency.

These two organizations—Lutheran Disaster Relief and Lutheran World Relief—enable Abiding Presence to be part of a response much larger than ourselves, bringing hope and good news into the world.

During this season of Lent, there are lots of opportunities in addition to our usual weekend services, including:

· Monday Noon Worship
· Wednesday Evening Worship at 7:00 p.m.
· Small Groups throughout the Week

“Wait...What...More Church?” you might be thinking to yourself. Yes, more church!

Lent is about turning back to God by refocusing our lives on our relationship with God. There’s no better way to do this than by intentionally engaging in worship, prayer, scripture reading and study with other people of faith. So, here at Abiding Presence we offer a lot more opportunities for church during Lent.

In the midst of our busy lives, I often think that adding something for Lent is harder than giving something up. Giving up chocolate or social media for six weeks—while good—doesn’t impact our schedules much. While it can be hard to fast from these things, I’m not sure it always does much to draw us back to God.

Adding a weekly small group meeting or midweek worship service, however, is really inconvenient. As a mom, I know that Lent falls during the busy spring season of children’s sports and activities. Yet, something inconvenient is often exactly what we need during Lent. We need to be interrupted from our usual lives in order to refocus on God. It takes an interruption for us to reexamine our priorities.

So, I want to invite you this Lenten season to dig a little deeper in your disciplines to add something that will intentionally draw you back to the God whose arms are reaching out to you. Sign up for a small group even though you have never done one before, or don’t really like this kind of thing, or don’t know anyone else who is doing it, or don’t have time, or…(add your favorite reason not to do it here). Pick one of our midweek services and come to it every week. Come even when you are tired after work, the kids are grumpy or you prefer more contemporary rather than traditional worship. If none of these things really are possible in your schedule, then find something else to add—maybe daily Bible reading—that has to be worked into your schedule. Add an interruption that makes these six weeks different from all the other weeks of the year.

Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount” is one of his best known sermons. Found in the beginning of Matthew’s gospel, this sermon outlines for Jesus’ new followers what it means to be disciples. Spoiler alert—it’s going to be harder than they think! 

Journey is headed—to crucifixion, death and resurrection. Here at the beginning, everything is still new and exciting. But, it won’t always be that way. So, Jesus sits everyone down and preaches about who he is, who God is and who God is calling us to be in the world.

Following Jesus is hard. If it’s not, then you might want to ask yourself who you are actually following. Following Jesus means getting outside of our comfort zone to love those we cannot stand, serve those from whom we would rather look away and shape our priorities in ways that are counter to the culture around us. It means being different, which is both a blessing and a challenge at times.

If you have a few minutes this week, I encourage you to sit down and read the whole Sermon on the Mount. You can find it in Matthew 5-7. Spend some time listening to what God is saying to you through these words. One of the wonderful and challenging things about Jesus’ words is that they are just as applicable to us today as they were to his first followers. Anger, love for enemies, the discipline of prayer, struggling with worry, judging others—these are all themes you will find in Jesus’ sermon and, if you are anything like me, will find are things you struggle with today.

Following Jesus is hard, but it is also the most transformational thing we can do—not only for ourselves, but also for our world.

This weekend we will observe the festival of the Presentation of our Lord. This is one of those special days of the church year that we only celebrate when the festival day falls on a Sunday.

The Presentation of our Lord takes us back to the early months after Jesus’ birth when Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple to be dedicated to God. According to the book of Exodus, every first born human and animal was to be set apart for God. (You can read all about it in Exodus 13:1-2, 11-16.) Having given birth to their first born male child, Mary and Joseph knew this law applied to Jesus and they followed it. While Mary and Joseph went to the temple to do what all first born parents of male children did, they left the temple amazed about what was said about their son.

At the temple they met Simeon, who proclamation that Jesus was “a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for the glory to your people Israel.” Simeon recognized Jesus as the light of the whole world. He was and is God’s revelation for all people. Because of Simeon’s proclamation, in some places this festival is referred to as “Candlemas” and is a time to bless all of the candles that are to be used during worship in the coming year. 

Mary and Joseph also encountered a prophet named Anna. She, too, recognized that God was doing a new thing in Jesus’ birth, bringing light and hope into the world.

You hear me often preach, “God is not yet done with us or our world.” God continues to be doing new things in our midst, bringing light and hope into the world. The Holy Spirit, the breath of God, continues to stir among us at Abiding Presence and throughout the world to reveal the glory of God in Christ. In the midst of a world that often seems a mess, the fact that God is not yet done with us and is still doing new things is central to my faith.   

This weekend we will officially welcome our newest staff members. Pastor Joe Vought will be installed as our Teaching Pastor and Sarah Snow will be installed as our Congregational Care Minister. After a year of many transitions, I’m excited to settle in with our new staff team and get to work.

I’ve learned, however, that God rarely calls us to just settle in and get comfortable. So, let us keep anticipating and keeping our eyes open for the next new thing that God will do. Our new staff team and I will be watching, waiting and preparing. We hope that you will be, too!

During this time after Epiphany our scripture lessons will focus on the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. We will hear about the calling of the disciples and Jesus’ first sermon in Matthew’s gospel—the Sermon on the Mount. In these first two months of the new year, we will wrestle with what does it actually mean to follow Jesus.

The time after Epiphany is one of my favorite seasons of the year to preach. I love the stories of Jesus’ calling of the disciples and his building of the ministry team that will journey with him. I find the Spirit coming alive in these passages offering so much for us today through them. Following Jesus has never been easy. It’s always been a little strange and left people scratching their heads. 

Reading, studying and preaching the disciples’ call stories always reminds me of my own call story, too. This Wednesday will mark the 13th anniversary of my ordination into the ministry of Word and Sacrament. Some days of ministry have been just what I expected while other days have been far from it. Being a pastor—specifically, being your pastor—continues to be my “dream job.”

As I reflect on the calling of the disciples, my own call and our ministry together at Abiding Presence, I cannot help but wonder who else among us God might be calling into the ministry. Could it be you?

In celebration of Abiding Presence’s 40th anniversary a few years ago, we launched the Abiding Presence Fund for Leaders in Mission Scholarship. We are currently working to build an endowed scholarship that will provide financial support for members of Abiding Presence and others to attend an ELCA seminary to become a pastor or deacon. We want to ensure that not only Abiding Presence, but also the whole ELCA has faithful and innovative pastors and deacons to lead them into the future. This is one way that Abiding Presence is working to make a lasting impact on the larger church. 

Just as it did when Jesus called the disciples long ago, the church continues to need people willing to say, “Yes,” to God’s call. 

“What then are we to say about these things,” the apostle Paul asked in the 8th chapter of the book of Romans. The things of which Paul spoke were the “sufferings of this present time.” Of course, the time of Paul’s first century world was much different than the time in which we find ourselves today. That said, we still know suffering—in so many different ways, shapes and forms—all too well. We continue to face things that leave us wondering what to say and where to turn.  

In particular, this past week felt like one filled with uncertainty as we  watched and waited to see how things would play out in various places around the globe. It left me wondering with the apostle Paul, “What then are we to say about these things?” I wound up posting the following on my Facebook page:

Praying with sighs too deep for words for:
Peace in the midst of violence
Calm in the midst of rising tensions
Safety for those in harm’s way
Sleep for all who worry.
We may no longer be in the season of Advent in the church year, but as God’s Advent people I am praying, “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.” Come quickly, Prince of Peace.

We do not know what the future will bring, but we do know with certainty that whatever happens it will not be able to separate us from God. Paul writes in Romans 8:38-39, “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” There is nothing in this world that is a greater force than God. God’s presence with us is certain and God’s love for us is unwavering. 

In the midst of our present times, I cling to Paul’s words. I take great comfort in the conviction that there is nothing in all of creation that can separate us from the love of God. We can pray and act in confidence that God is with us. God is not done with us or our world. 

Happy New Year!

As we prepare for Epiphany Sunday, I want to share with you a reflection from Martin Luther on the wise men from a collection of his sermons in Martin Luther’s Christmas Book edited by Roland H. Bainton. Here’s what Luther preached:

“When they had heard the king, [the Wise Men] departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, the rejoiced with exceeding great joy.”

Now the Wise Men had the faith to follow the word of the Prophet Micah. They were not offended that the king was not born in Jerusalem. They left the Temple and went to the cow stall.

If I had been there, I would have stayed in the Temple and said: “God dwells here and if the Child is to be found anywhere in the world, it will be where all the priests are gathered and God is served.” We may profit from the example of these heathen, who, took no offense when directed from Jerusalem, the great city, to little Bethlehem. They followed the Word, and God comforted them by putting back the star, which led them now to Bethlehem and to the very door where the young Child lay.

Here the Evangelist (the writer of Matthew’s gospel) shows us the true nature of faith, how they believed simply what they had not seen and held fast to the Word. That is why God brought them from their land to where they should hear the Word, but God let them first fall into error and bewilderment. They thought the Child would be born in the capital, Jerusalem, and that is where they went. Then the star left them and no one in the city so much as knew that a king was to be born. The Wise Men supposed that he would be born in circumstances of pomp like the son of a potentate. God did not leave them long in their error but showed them through the Scripture that they would not find him as they supposed in the big city, but in a little village, and he directed them to the royal town of Bethlehem.

The watching, waiting and preparing of this Advent season will soon give way to the proclamation that Christ is born. Here at Abiding Presence, we cannot wait to worship with you. Learn more about our Christmas Eve services here.

Here are a few quick and easy ways that you can help spread the word about Christmas at Abiding Presence:

· Share our FB post pinned to the top of the page about Christmas Eve services and/or our tweet.

· Post our Christmas Eve services on your neighborhood Next Door.

· Watch your social media feed for people looking for a church to worship at on Christmas Eve. Mention Abiding Presence and link back to our website.

This is the time of year when people are looking for a church and you could be the one to help them find it. I believe that we have good news to share about God’s love for all people that the world is waiting to hear. Let’s share it!

If you are traveling on Christmas Eve, we have our 6:00 and 8:00 p.m. services live on our Facebook page. Feel free to tune in to worship with us from wherever you happen to be.

Also, be sure to check out and share our annual Christmas Day Video Service that will come live to your inbox and social media on Christmas morning. The staff has once again prepared a brief (10-15 minute) service that you can watch from home in the midst of your celebrations. We look forward to wishing you a Merry Christmas in this year’s matching staff style.

Finally, I would be remised if I didn’t end by acknowledging that I know we have many in our faith family who are struggling this Christmas season. Grief, illness, anxiety and loneliness are hard anytime of year, but they are especially hard this time of year. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you need a bit of support or care. You are not alone. We are a faith family, together.

As my reflection this week, I want to share with you the poem “The Birth of Wonder,” by Madeline L’Engle. I came across this poem when preparing for our midweek Advent services and I was immediately struck by the words. I found that the poem captured the feelings in my heart this Advent season. The poet speaks to the joy that goes beyond just a festive season, which is the joy for which I know many of us are longing.

The Birth of Wonder
As I grow older
I get surer
Man’s heart is colder,
His life no purer.
As I grow steadily
More austere
I come less readily
To Christmas each year.
I can’t keep taking
Without a thought
Forced merrymaking
And presents bought
In crowds jostling.
Alas, there’s naught
In empty wassailing
Where oblivion’s sought.
Oh, I’d be waiting
With quiet fasting
Anticipating
A joy more lasting.
And so I rhyme
With no apology
During this time
of eschatology:
Judgment and warning
Come like thunder.
But now is the hour
When I remember
An infant’s power
On a cold December.
Midnight is dawning
And the birth of wonder.

In the midst of your last minute holiday preparations this week, I hope you will take a moment to reflect on the joy we know as followers of Christ. It is the joy of a Savior who has put on flesh to dwell with us in the Christ child and who promises to come again, too. Let this joy fill you, even in the midst of the sadness, grief and challenges you may face.

I also encourage you to take a moment to invite someone to come to Christmas Eve services at Abiding Presence. There are so many searching for joy right now who are waiting to hear the good news of Jesus. Share the joy you know! Offer an invitation!