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Over the last 35 years of ministry, people have sometimes asked me why we sing during worship. Of course, most of the people who have asked are people who just stand there during the songs and don’t sing anyway. But I think it’s a valid question. There are few places in society today where the average person does sing.

First and foremost, we sing during worship because we are directed to sing by scripture/by God. All throughout the Bible, we find verses like the one above from Psalm 96 which tell us to sing to God and bless God’s name. Singing helps us respond to God’s grace in our lives by allowing our thankfulness to well up from our hearts and to come out of our mouths in praise to God. When we sing, we also learn parts of scripture because many, many hymns and praise songs use the very words found in the Bible. When the words of a song travel with us throughout a week, God’s word travels with us, also. We learn God’s word, and we remember God’s word.

Another reason that we sing during worship is because it is tradition. The ancient Israelites sang after major events in their lives and whenever they worshiped together. Plus, the Book of Psalms is entirely composed of lyrics and poems which were sung as a part of worship. And the Psalms reflect a wide variety of thoughts and emotions from praise and hope to lament and suffering. Our best music is music that honestly reflects our lives, and the Psalms have it all.

The final reason that I’m going to talk about here for singing during worship is because singing leads to community and unity. Singing together reminds us that we belong to a larger family of God. We are not alone in our journey. Harmonizing and sharing a melody, physically and emotionally and spiritually unites the group gathered together. So often when there is a tragedy, the people who gather together to support one another, also end up singing together. It seems very naturally to join together in song.

During these last two summers, we have gathered together favorite hymns from people in the congregation. Initially, when I suggested it, I was thinking about my first interim congregation. They had a tradition of ending every single Lenten worship service singing “The Old Rugged Cross.”  My co-pastor said that they had asked the congregation if this tradition was important to them, and they discovered that it held deep and abiding meaning in their lives. I have carried that story with me, and I often wonder why people love specific hymns.

The other reason for having you choose songs is that many of our current members have come from other congregations. Each congregation develops a repetroire of hymns and worship songs that they knew well, and each congregation is different. So, the songs I know well, this congregation may not know well. And the songs you know well, may not be anything I’ve heard of before. This “favorite hymn” exercise gives us all the opportunity to share what we know and love from other traditions. So, sing out to God!

Pastor Beth

I have been thinking recently about the promises we make when a child is baptized. In Lutheran tradition, promises are made by the parents, the godparents, and the members of the congregation:

• To live with them among God’s faithful people.
• To bring them to the word of God and the holy supper.
• To teach them the Lord’s Prayer, the Creed, and the Ten Commandments.
• To place the Holy Scriptures in their hands.
• To nurture them in faith and prayer.

That means all of us promise to keep in contact with the children who are baptized in our presence, to find out what they are interested in, to make sure they know the basics of faith, and to support them in whatever way we can. It is not always easy to do all of that, especially when we don’t see the children on a regular basis. However, I hope that we take the promises that we make seriously.

Sunday School begins again on September 20.  As I taught last year, I was surprised how few of our members my students knew by name. When I mentioned someone’s name, the boys didn’t know who I was talking about. So one day I tracked down one of the members and brought him into class to introduce him to them. That gave me an idea. Maybe other members should pop in periodically to my Sunday school class to just say “hi” to them. Then you can interact with them more one on one. I would love to have people stop in periodically, so please do.

Often I hear our members say that we don’t have any children at church. That is actually not true. We don’t have a lot of children, but we do have some. So when they are at church events, it would be good for us to remember the promises we made to them at their baptism. Talk to our children. Ask them how they are doing. Find out what they learned in Sunday School. Get to know them.

Please remember the children that God has placed in our presence and support them.

Pastor Beth

The picture below is not a photo of either of our cats, but it is a picture I can relate to. To me, this is a picture of contentment. This kitty looks like she has everything she needs and has not a care in the world. The definition of contentment is: “a moderate state of happiness and inner peace where one is fully satisfied with their current circumstances.” The look on that kitty’s face certainly says “contentment” to me!

I have to say that I am generally filled with contentment in my own life. Sure, there are days when I wonder about doing this or that, but it’s more out of a sense of adventure rather than discontent. I genuinely attribute my sense of contentment to my faith. In Psalm 90:14, we find: “Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, so that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.” Every morning when I awaken, I give thanks to God. I trust in God to take me through the day. And in the evening, I reflect on where I have seen God at work in my life, and I again give God thanks.

I don’t know what other people do in their lives on a daily basis. However, I know many people who do not feel content. Some of those people seem to need to occupy themselves with other things to quiet their discontentment. If even a moment goes by without something to do, they begin to spin a fidget spinner or they get their phones out or they find someone to talk to, even if the other person is occupied. Because I am of a certain age, I have friends who are counting down the days until they retire. Even though they have no plans for what to do in retirement, they just seem to think it will be better than now. I know people who keep constantly changing jobs, hoping that they will feel content with the next one. No matter what happens in the life of a discontented person, the next thing never seems to bring them what they are looking for either.

Sometimes I wonder if I am too content. Other people have big dreams. They want to advance in their careers. But I have pretty simple dreams, and I like where I am at in my career. I’m still living a really good life, and I think I’m fine where I’m at. I don’t need a lot of noise in my life or fidget spinners to keep me occupied.

To help someone find contentment, I suggest a few things:

1. Count your blessings
2. Take time to appreciate where you are in life
3. Show other people that you appreciate them
4. Stop and consider what your real reason is for wanting something else
5. Learn to enjoy the simple things in life

Blessings on everyone who finds their contentment!

Pastor Beth

When I was in school, I remember teachers always telling us to dream dreams and then to go after those dreams. When we had a dream, we were told to develop a plan so that we could chase that dream to make it a reality.

Through the years, my dreams have been getting a good education, finding a career/job I like, traveling, and lots and lots of animals. These things seem pretty manageable to me. None of them have really been out of my comfort zone. I have never dreamed of going to the moon or Mars, hang gliding, inventing the next great thing, or opening my own business. So, I really admire people who have those dreams, and I REALLY admire the people who make those dreams come true.

Back in December, one of my former students (from when I was a campus minister at UW-Green Bay) invited me to “like” a page on Facebook. Her sister and brother-in-law were preparing to open a Mexican restaurant in Shawano. This was a dream come true for Tiffany and Ignacio. When Ignacio was growing up in Mexico, food was not something that came from a package or a store shelf. Everything was made by hand from scratch. He has continued to cook that way throughout his life. He and Tiffany have long wanted to share that food tradition with others.

A few months later, Ignacio’s Puebla Street Food opened at 230 E. Green Bay Street in Shawano. It is a sit-down restaurant, not a food truck as the name might imply. It serves authentic trompo meats, homemade salsas, breakfast favorites, sweet and savory tamales, and simple dishes made with heart. Absolutely all of the food is prepared from scratch every single day. There is a set menu, and there are daily specials. Ignacio is the main cook, and Tiffany is the main tamale maker. It’s also a family affair with their children and other family members helping out and serving food. And Art and I have been repeat customers!

I just love feel-good stories like this! I am inspired by people like Ignacio and Tiffany who work hard to make their dreams come true. For people who have dreams, I hope your dreams come true. God’s blessings on your journey!

Pastor Beth

In Ecclesiastes 3:11, we find, “God has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”

I am a youngest child, so I do get impatient when things take (in my estimation) too long. I can preach about God’s timing, but I really prefer that things get done on Beth’s timing. I’m just being honest here. When I think a task should be done, I really think it should be done. I’m not a last-minute kind of person, so I plan and carry out plans in advance. My mother taught me that if you are not 20 minutes early for something, you are already late. That is my mindset.

However, plans can change. Sometimes because I think they should, and often because someone else thinks they should. We had plans last summer to travel to Seattle. We were going to take in some Brewers games, go to the national parks nearby, and explore what Seattle has to offer. But when I had to have the ankle surgery in June, those plans went out the window. My surgeon said, “No!” for good reason, but it was still a big disappointment.

We knew that we could not go to Seattle this year because the Mariners play in Milwaukee, instead of the other way around. We also figured that we couldn’t afford it because of the trip to Scandinavia that we just took. So, we are kind of looking at traveling there next year when the Brewers would once again be scheduled to play there.

Here is where God’s timing is amazing. Before we went on our Scandinavian trip, we knew that everyone else on the trip was a group from a church, but we had no information beyond that. Turns out, that group was from an ELCA in the Seattle area! Now we have lots more information about the Seattle area, and we have several invitations to come and visit. Now, whenever we end up going to Seattle, we will have lots more to do and see and lots of friendly people to visit.

I am always amazing at how God’s plans work out. Sometimes I see it right away, and sometimes I have to look back in order to realize how it happened. But always I praise God for that very precious timing that I don’t always understand.

Pastor Beth

“If had my life to live over, I’d dare to make more mistakes next time. I’d relax. I would limber up. I would be sillier than I have been this trip. I would take fewer things seriously. I would take more chances. I would climb more mountains and swim more rivers. I would eat more ice cream and less beans. I would perhaps have more actual troubles, but I’d have fewer imaginary ones.

You see, I’m one of those people who lived sensibly and sanely, hour after hour, day after day. Oh, I’ve had my moments, and if I had to do it over again, I’d have more of them. In fact, I’d try to have nothing else. Just moments, one after another, instead of living so many years ahead of each day. I’ve been one of those persons who never goes anywhere without a thermometer, a hot water bottle, a raincoat and a parachute. If I had to do it again, I would travel lighter than I have.

If I had my life to live over, I would start barefoot earlier in the spring and stay that way later in the fall. I would go to more dances. I would ride more merry-go-rounds. I would pick more daisies.”  Nadine Stair, 85 years old, Association for Humanistic Psychology Newsletter, July 1975

When I was in college, I took a religion class from one of the campus ministers, and he introduced our class to the above poem right at the end of the semester. Then he challenged us to follow the advice of this poem, and from that day forward, I have tried to do just that. I have tried to grab onto the opportunities that have come my way. I have tried to enjoy both big things and little things. I have tried to make the most of what I have been given.

When my husband had a stroke two years ago and then follow-up surgery to fix the heart issue that caused it, I challenged him. I told him that he has always wanted to go to Norway, so he should book something. And he did! This month we will be touring Spectacular Scandinavia. I didn’t want him to miss out on something he has wanted to do for a long time.

I encourage everyone to follow the advice of the poem. Take the opportunities that come your way. Grab onto life. Dare yourself to do things that you never thought you could. Take some chances. And, above all, pick more daisies!

Pastor Beth

Holy Week is coming. Palm Sunday will be on March 29. Maundy Thursday will be on April 2. Good Friday will be on April 3. Easter will be on April 5. And Holy Week is quite the emotional rollercoaster.

Palm Sunday was outstandingly wonderful for the followers of Jesus. When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the donkey, he was hailed as a king. People waved palm branches and shouted “Hosanna” which means “save us.” For the disciples and the others who had followed Jesus closely, this was an amazing sight to witness. So often during his ministry, Jesus had run-ins with Pharisees and Sadducees and others who were constantly trying to trick and trap him so that they could have him arrested. Having the crowds recognize and celebrate Jesus as king certainly gave all of Jesus’ followers hope that he would no longer be in danger.

Maundy Thursday started out as another day of celebration. Jesus and his closest followers gathered in an upper room to celebrate the Passover meal. This annual meal was one of joy and fellowship. As they gathered around the table to enjoy their feast, there was laughter and teasing and a spirit of unity. However, that atmosphere started to change after supper when Jesus became very serious. He washed the feet of the disciples and then instituted the practice of the Last Supper or Holy Communion. Then Jesus said one of them would betray him, and that shook them to the core. After all of that had transpired then Jesus took them to the garden to pray. As they prayed, soldiers came and arrested Jesus.

Good Friday, of course, was devastating. Jesus was put through a mock trial and sentenced to death. The crowd turned on Jesus. The disciples watched all of this unfold right before their eyes. Then Jesus was crucified. There was no lower point than to watch their friend, their rabbi die on a cross. At the end of the day, Jesus’ body was placed into a tomb, and everyone went their own way.

Easter Sunday was the best day ever. Jesus Christ rose from the dead. The followers and disciples found the tomb empty. The Risen Christ appeared to the women in the garden, to followers on the road to Emmaus, and to the disciples who were hidden behind locked doors. How glorious was this event! There were no words. There was no true way to respond. Jesus had come back from the dead! Everything they believed about him was true!

That’s a lot of emotional highs and lows for one week. The heads of every single person must have been spinning. Most of us don’t have many weeks like this. But the story of Holy Week is a story which reminds us that life is a mixture of beautiful days and challenging days. We all have ups and downs. We all can face high mountaintop experiences and very low valley experiences. All throughout any of our life experiences, God travels with us and seeks to have a closer relationship. God uses every single one of our experiences to draw us closer.

Pastor Beth

Many of you have heard this story, but I thought I would share it anyway, in case you haven’t heard it. Art and I have a new member of our family. When we were on our recent vacation in Florida, one of the places we went to was the Turtle Hospital in Marathon. This is the place where sick or injured turtles which are found in the wild are brought for treatment. The goal is always to treat and to release the turtles back into the wild.

However, some of the turtles cannot be released back into the wild. That’s where our adopted turtle comes in. Hanson Buoy (name chosen by her rescuers and she adopted by my husband) is a permanent resident at the hospital. She was brought to the hospital in 2016 because she was hit by a boat and has bubble butt. When a boat strikes a turtle, all their insides such as stomach, heart, lungs, and intestines get juggled about, and air then seeps in and gets trapped inside the shell. When that happens, the turtles can only float along the surface of the water. They cannot dive. They cannot swim.

They cannot find food. When they are brought to the Turtle Hospital, the medical personnel attach weights on the shell to counteract the trapped air. This allows the turtles to once again swim and dive. However, the weights often fall off and need to be replaced. That’s why they cannot be returned to the wild. Hanson Buoy has two weights on her shell, so she’s easy to spot in the pool that is home to the permanent residents.

She is at least 33 years old. She had been brought in once before in 1994, healed, and released with a tracker as part of a special program. She was young when that happened and weighed only 38 pounds. Now, she weighs over 310 pounds! Sea turtles generally live to be about 50, so we will be supporting Hanson Buoy for a few more years. When we adopted her, we agreed to pay about 10 cents a day to help pay for food and medical care.

Both Art and I are huge proponents of doing good wherever we can. This just seemed like a natural place where we can help, and it gives us the opportunity to educate others about the sea turtles and their care and how people can help.

From the very beginning of creation, God has asked us to care for all that God has created. We have opportunities in big ways and small ways.

Pastor Beth

When we get to February, most people think about Valentines Day. While that is a good holiday since it celebrates human love, it’s not the only holiday. This February we also have Groundhog Day and Ash Wednesday.

I am fascinated by Groundhog Day. It’s a uniquely American holiday, though some believe the idea behind it came from the German Candleman’s Day. During the dark of winter, German clergy blessed and distributed candles for people to place in every window of their homes. If the sun came out on February 2, it meant six more weeks of wintery weather. In the United States, that tradition became watching a groundhog pop out of its den to see if it would see its shadow. If it  does see its shadow on February 2, it means six more weeks of winter for us. The earliest record of this groundhog practice is from February 1841.

I am fascinated by how seriously some people take Groundhog Day. There are celebrations. Predictions make the news. It’s a popular topic of discussion among many people on February 2. However, it is not the most accurate way to predict the weather. Punxsutawney Phil, the most famous groundhog, has been correct only about 39% of the time. That’s not the most reliable meteorologist, but overall it is a cute and fun winter tradition. Plus, it gives us something to look forward to during the long days of the winter season.

Ash Wednesday this year is on February 18. Unlike most of our holidays, the date of Ash Wednesday moves, depending on when Easter falls each year. Easter always falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox. (That’s as clear as mud, right?) Ash Wednesday is six and a half weeks before Easter.

Unlike Groundhog Day, Ash Wednesday is not uniquely American. The use of ashes is a biblical tradition. It was used as a sign of confession and repentance. In the early Christian Church, the 40-day Lenten fast came into being, along with the tradition of receiving ashes on the first day of the Lenten fast.

Today ashes symbolize both repentance and death and are used on Ash Wednesday to allow people to reflect on their sins throughout Lent. This helps to prepare us to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday. When we receive the black mark of ashes upon our foreheads, we hear the words, “You are dust, and to dust you shall return.” Immediately, we are reminded that our time on earth is limited. In the story of Adam and Eve, the first humans were made out of the dust of the ground and then had life breathed into them. That is the origin of “you are dust.” When we die, part of a funeral service includes “earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust.” Therefore, we are reminded that our lives will come to an end at some point, “and to dust you shall return.” These words cause us to pause and to reflect, which is very appropriate as we enter into the season of Lent.

February is a transition month most years. It usually is the final month of continuous Winter, before we begin to see signs of Spring. Therefore, all of these holidays remind us that something better is coming. Winter will not last forever.

Pastor Beth

My Great-Grandpa Wallace who lived to be 97 ½ years old used to say that time seems to speed up as we age. Birthdays come faster. Holidays come faster. The seasons change faster. What used to seem to take forever later seems to go by in the blink of an eye. I was 10 when he was 97, so I didn’t understand it then, but now I’m beginning to understand. In many ways, time does seem to move along faster now than it did when I was a child.

I also recently heard the DJs on the radio talking about a poll that had just come out. The question for the poll was “Do you stay up until midnight on New Year’s Eve?” Among the people who answered the poll question, it was 50/50. Only half of adults stay up to actually ring in the New Year. Then the DJs started wondering how many of the people polled are over age 45 because, in their opinion, the older one is the less likely it is that person would stay up.

I can’t disagree. When I was younger, especially in my 20s, I always stayed up to watch the ball drop at midnight. However, that has happened less and less often as I got older. The main reason I think is because I often have had to work on New Year’s Day. When January 1 is a Sunday, I lead worship. When I worked in retail and when I worked in grocery, stores are open on New Year’s Day, and I would work. My husband, too, as a baker, still has to work on holidays because people still want their baked goods.

The other reason I don’t stay up is because I like my sleep, and I need a regular schedule. Because I rarely every stay up until midnight on any night, in order to keep a regular schedule, I go to bed at my regular time. I used to laugh at my parents for going to be at 9:00 pm, but now I do that, too.

But the New Year is still an exciting time. When we turn the page on the calendar, we also feel like we have a new lease on life. Everything feels like it resets, and we get another chance. People make resolutions to do better in the New Year. People make changes in their lives, sometimes big changes and sometimes smaller changes, but we feel braver to make changes when the clock strikes midnight.

My life goal is to be that brave every day. When I need to make a change, I hope I’m brave enough to make it when it’s needed. I know that because of Jesus Christ my Savior, I get a new chance continuously and I try to utilize those chances. I try to remember how blessed I am as a child of God and to live my life accordingly.

Pastor Beth