We are so blessed to be able to announce that Audrey Keller has accepted our offer to become the new Youth & Family Minister here at Shepherd of the Valley.
She will bring wonderful experience, thoughtfulness, passion and inspiration to our fabulous youth and family program. Audrey is currently completing her Master of Arts degree in Children, Youth and Family Ministry from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN. She will most likely begin work here in the valley sometime between mid-July and the beginning of August. Pray for her. The heat is HOT in July!
Things we already know about Audrey:
She is a self-proclaimed "pop-culture junkie."
She studied advertising and PR during her undergraduate years.
She likes sports.
She loves Jesus, youth, their families, the church.
She's tons of fun to be around.
Please keep her in your prayers as she completes her studies, moves to Phoenix, and begins the next phase of her ministry here among us at SOV.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Cancer in the news
I don't always manage to watch the news or read the paper as much as I'd like. To be honest, I get most of my news on the radio (3 cheers for public radio!) driving to and from SOV.
That said, I did notice how "in the news" Elizabeth Edwards' recurrence of breast cancer has been. Below is a post from a "Care Page" blog, this is the link. I appreciate the thoughts and perspective of the author, Lori Hope.
That said, I did notice how "in the news" Elizabeth Edwards' recurrence of breast cancer has been. Below is a post from a "Care Page" blog, this is the link. I appreciate the thoughts and perspective of the author, Lori Hope.
On the Decision of Elizabeth and John Edwards
Like many, I was shocked to learn that John and Elizabeth Edwards had decided to continue their presidential campaign in spite of Elizabeth's breast cancer recurrence. I fully expected John Edwards to do what I imagine I would want my own husband to do if I my cancer were to return: drop everything and stay by my side.
My initial question — "How could he?!"— faded quickly as I realized what I was doing: passing judgment.
Though I'm not a Bible-quoting kind of gal, "Judge not lest ye be judged" popped into my head.
How can anyone know what they would want, what they would do in such a situation? You cannot know until you've walked a mile in someone else's shoes. You just can't.
And as I learned when researching my book, Help Me Live: 20 Things People with Cancer Want You to Know, cancer patients need others to support their decisions, not second-guess them. "I want you to trust my judgment and my treatment decision," agree most patients. We arrive at such decisions after much thought and consideration, after exploration of feelings and imagined consequences. To question vital decisions – about treatment or other courses of action -- is to insult people's intelligence and make arrogant assumptions that infantilize them.
Whether you applaud the Edwards family for not letting cancer "win" in the sense of allowing it to take over their lives – whether you admire them for putting the nation's needs above their own (although that's making yet another assumption) – whether you think a "good" husband drops everything to support a wife battling a deadly disease – if you want to know what helps, what hurts, what heals, listen up.
What helps is to accept their decision. What hurts is to judge and disparage them. What heals is to offer our love, to send thoughts of peace and light and forgiveness, to know that they made the best choice for them and their family.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Quite the Trend
One of my favorite professors at Luther Seminary is Mary Hess. She's on sabbatical right now, but still maintaining her blog "Tensegrities." One of her recent posts is about the new Barna report on religious life in America - how many people are involved in faith communities - and how many aren't.
Here at SOV we're doing some long range planning, as part of the celebration of the congregation's 50th anniversary in 2008. Next weekend we'll be doing a neighborhood study, teaming people up in pairs and sending them door to door to ask 4 questions: What do you like about this neighborhood? If you could change one thing about the neighborhood what would it be? What could a church in the neighborhood help you with/provide that would interest you? Is there anything we can pray about for you?
I'm really excited to see what happens. It's a big, new step out for members here. Some folks are scared. I trust it will be wonderful.
There are lots of people who haven't heard the good news. If we don't tell them, who will?
Here at SOV we're doing some long range planning, as part of the celebration of the congregation's 50th anniversary in 2008. Next weekend we'll be doing a neighborhood study, teaming people up in pairs and sending them door to door to ask 4 questions: What do you like about this neighborhood? If you could change one thing about the neighborhood what would it be? What could a church in the neighborhood help you with/provide that would interest you? Is there anything we can pray about for you?
I'm really excited to see what happens. It's a big, new step out for members here. Some folks are scared. I trust it will be wonderful.
There are lots of people who haven't heard the good news. If we don't tell them, who will?
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
It Matters
Have you ever had one of those days?
I ended up having that day today, though I didn't know it was coming til this afternoon. But when "one of those days" caught up with me, it did so full-force, and I was caught a little off-guard. I sometimes pride myself (perhaps too much so) on being able to go with the flow and lead meetings, lead worship, teach - whatever - and be fully in the moment, regardless of what's going on in my own life or how I feel at any particular moment. I think ministry teaches and requires that, sometimes. In order to be helpful in someone else's crisis, we need to be able to put our own issues on hold and at arm's length, for a time anyway.
To get to the point: my bad day smacked me upside the head tonight in the middle of teaching the 7th-9th grade confirmation class. The students were largely not paying attention to what I was trying to say about Jesus sending out the 70 (see Luke 10), but were focused instead on their neighbors or whatever interesting spot was on the wall over my right shoulder - all as is pretty normal for 13-16 year olds. We were sort of having a conversation about the opportunities we are each given every day to share the good news of God's love in Jesus, sometimes in unexpected places and in totally unplanned ways. But then I hit the wall. Or the wall hit me. So through the tears and shaky voice (why does it always happen like that?) I asked them "Who here has had a crappy day?" Of course everyone raised their hands. And I said, "Right. I'm having that crappy day, and you guys aren't really helping very much."
I reminded them - and myself - that what we do and say really does matter. Our words really can build up or tear down. The way we treat people says something about what we believe to be true and important, it can tell us what we think of others, and ourselves, and how we relate to the rest of the world.
In 2 Corinthians 5:19-20, the Apostle Paul says
... in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
Ambassadors for Christ. What a job! What a privilege! What a responsibility! What an honor, to be the one to tell someone: Jesus knows. God loves you and won't leave you. Your sins are forgiven, for Jesus' sake.
I ended up having that day today, though I didn't know it was coming til this afternoon. But when "one of those days" caught up with me, it did so full-force, and I was caught a little off-guard. I sometimes pride myself (perhaps too much so) on being able to go with the flow and lead meetings, lead worship, teach - whatever - and be fully in the moment, regardless of what's going on in my own life or how I feel at any particular moment. I think ministry teaches and requires that, sometimes. In order to be helpful in someone else's crisis, we need to be able to put our own issues on hold and at arm's length, for a time anyway.
To get to the point: my bad day smacked me upside the head tonight in the middle of teaching the 7th-9th grade confirmation class. The students were largely not paying attention to what I was trying to say about Jesus sending out the 70 (see Luke 10), but were focused instead on their neighbors or whatever interesting spot was on the wall over my right shoulder - all as is pretty normal for 13-16 year olds. We were sort of having a conversation about the opportunities we are each given every day to share the good news of God's love in Jesus, sometimes in unexpected places and in totally unplanned ways. But then I hit the wall. Or the wall hit me. So through the tears and shaky voice (why does it always happen like that?) I asked them "Who here has had a crappy day?" Of course everyone raised their hands. And I said, "Right. I'm having that crappy day, and you guys aren't really helping very much."
I reminded them - and myself - that what we do and say really does matter. Our words really can build up or tear down. The way we treat people says something about what we believe to be true and important, it can tell us what we think of others, and ourselves, and how we relate to the rest of the world.
In 2 Corinthians 5:19-20, the Apostle Paul says
... in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
Ambassadors for Christ. What a job! What a privilege! What a responsibility! What an honor, to be the one to tell someone: Jesus knows. God loves you and won't leave you. Your sins are forgiven, for Jesus' sake.
The Brick Testament
Don't panic. The New Revised Standard Version is still my preferred English translation of the Bible. But there's something to be said for Bible stories in Lego. And here they are, at The Brick Testament. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
REAL HOPE FOR REAL LIFE
Since I've got 7 minutes before the Executive Committee of the Church Council meets, I want to put up this beautiful piece of artwork drawn by Mary Erickson for our Lenten theme this year: Real Hope for Real Life.
How is Jesus real hope for your real life?
Come and hear the answers of SOV members on Wednesday, March 21 or Wednesday, March 28, at 11am in our Chapel or 6:15pm in the Sanctuary.
Our weekend worship schedule is:
Saturday - 5pm in the Chapel
Sunday - 8, 9 and 10:30am in the Sanctuary
All are welcome here!
LET THE FUN BEGIN!!
Pastor Brian and I have decided to start a blog for Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church. Well, I guess it was MY idea, but he says he's up for it.
This will be a place for random pastoral thoughts, updates on congregational life, and musings on what it means to be a Lutheran follower of Jesus in the world today.
Let us know what you think.
This will be a place for random pastoral thoughts, updates on congregational life, and musings on what it means to be a Lutheran follower of Jesus in the world today.
Let us know what you think.
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