Worshiping and Praying in Historic Cathedrals

While traveling during sabbatical, Pastor Matt and his family have been blessed to visit amazing churches and cathedrals in Europe. Visits included time to take in the history and beauty of sacred spaces, to pray (especially for the mission of Saint Luke), and even to worship, including a special festival Eucharist service at Westminster Abbey in London.

Pastor Matt’s Reflection

“I have been overwhelmed again and again by the beauty and history, from the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel to the soaring architecture and stained glass of cathedrals in Italy, Paris, and London. I have also been humbled to reflect on the simple truth that Saint Luke is connected to a community of believers that has endured centuries of human history and has participated in transformation time and again as God has worked among us.” God continues to meet us at this point in human history, calling us forward into a future of yet-to-be-discovered transformation. May we join today with generations and centuries of God’s faithful people in praying for the vision to live into everything that God wants for this world and the faithfulness to actively participate in the mission of living out the next chapter in God’s unfolding story!

Travel with Pastor Matt

While it may not be the same as being in person with Pastor Matt, we too can get swept away in the beauty and history of the Sistine Chapel. Spend a few moments “exploring” the chapel online. You can either watch a video or take a virtual tour to get a glimpse of what Pastor Matt just experienced.


Once you have spent some time exploring, join us in reflection and praying for the following:

  • Reflect: What did you see that stood out to you? Pay attention to your emotions and notice what you felt. What might God be showing you through the beauty of the chapel?

  • Pray for Saint Luke: Join us as we ask for God to reveal to our congregation how we can faithfully and actively participate in the mission.

  • Pray for the world: Thank God for the generations and centuries of faithful people around the globe. Ask for the next chapter to unfold with us living into everything God desires for our world.

Sabbatical Greetings from Athens

Pastor Matt has been diving into his sabbatical leave and has an exciting update to share. In 2019, Saint Luke received a National Clergy Renewal Program grant from the Lilly Foundation to fund a sabbatical for Pastor Matt Staniz. After a long wait and many unexpected set backs, his time of renewal leave is underway and we have the privilege of following along virtually and growing with him during this exciting time.

Pastor Matt brings greetings from Aeropagus Hill in Athens, the site that Paul visited in Acts 17:16-34. The start of Pastor Matt’s travel was delayed by two days after more than a week in isolation with Covid-19 and multiple infections, but he is grateful to begin an extended time of discovery, reflection, and growing connection with his wife Monica and son Michael.

When Paul was distressed by what he saw in Athens (“the city was full of idols”), instead of offering condemnation or retreating away, he intentionally entered into the life around him, including using God’s gifts of intellect/discourse and creativity/arts. (“so that they would search for God and perhaps grope for him and find him—though indeed he is not far from each one of us.”).

Questions to Ponder

  • How might our faith drive us into the world God loves today?

  • Where is your (or our) “Areopagus”?

  • How might creativity and the arts remind us that God is in need not far from us?

Turning a New Page During Sabbatical

Summer is the perfect time to get sucked into a new book. Books have a way of transporting us and even helping transform us as we are exposed to new ideas and ways of being. In many ways as we turn pages of a book, we too may find ourselves turning a page in our life, becoming more aware of what God has made us to be.

During sabbatical, Pastor Matt plans for these books to accompany him as explores music as a source of sabbath, renewal, and identity. You are invited to sample them, or even read along!

Jesus, Bread, and Chocolate by John J. Thompson

Author John J. Thompson will be accompanying Pastor Matt during sabbatical leave, including a 7-day retreat centered upon music as a source of spiritual renewal in Nashville, TN. “Jesus, Bread, and Chocolate” is fresh and enlightening. John’s stories and his memories of discovering and rediscovering music and the power of the arts remind me that it is all spiritual as it weaves itself into the fabric of our lives. I see why the psalmist implores us to ‘taste and see that the Lord is good.’” —Phil Keaggy (songwriter, recording artist, guitarist)

 

A Song to Sing, A Life to Life by Don & Emily Sailers

Co-authored by Don Saliers, professor of theology and worship at the Candler School of Theology (Emory University), and his daughter Emily Saliers, one-half of the popular musical group Indigo Girls. “This book will challenge you to trace the songlines of your life from childhood to the present. Whether writing about Christian hymns, the worship wars in churches, karaoke, or popular ballads, the Saliers demonstrate on each page their deep and abiding love of music.”

 

Rumors of Glory by Bruce Cockburn

Legendary singer-songwriter Bruce Cockburn delivers a chronicle of faith, fear, and activism, along with a lively cultural, political, and musical tour through the past five decades.Cockburn shares his family life, personal relationships, Christian convictions, and the social and political activism that has defined him and his music, and has both invigorated and incited his legions of fans worldwide. For Cockburn, music has always been a key way to explore culture, politics and the nature of the spirit, and his remarkable journey has seen him embrace folk, jazz, blues, rock, and world beat styles.

 

God on the Rocks by Phil Madeira

Phil Maderia is a musician, songwriter, producer and singer. He is a member of Emmylou Harris’ band, The Red Dirt Boys, and the creator of albums including Mercyland: Hymns for the Rest of Us."This gritty, gutsy, funny, moving, insightful spiritual memoir...exemplifies a growing phenomenon on the American religious landscape:an emerging spiritual ethos that defies standard labels and has the feel of our best roots music." —Brian D. McLaren (author, pastor, and speaker)

Opening Days of Sabbatical

Pastor Matt Staniz brings greetings from the Caribbean during the opening days of sabbatical leave. As he intentionally steps away, he also steps into reflection on the theme “We are What God Has Made Us”. Be sure to check out our introduction to Pastor Matt’s sabbatical to learn more about what will occur over the coming months & this exciting theme.

Join Pastor Matt in the Listening Room

Throughout sabbatical leave, Pastor Matt will be pursuing music as a source of sabbath, spiritual practices, and identity-building. “I am uniquely excited about the time and space sabbatical will provide me to appreciate and benefit from music. I knew as a young child that music is important to me, to my happiness, and especially to my spiritual life.” From the day he received his first 45rpm single or Walkman to the day he stepped in front of people with a guitar to lead worship music, Pastor Matt has found music to be formative to his God-given identity.Here are some playlists that Pastor Matt has curated for listening during sabbatical leave, both for himself and for anyone else who wishes to join him in the listening room.

 

Songs for Prayer & Renewal

“These are songs that I return to regularly: while praying, while reading scripture, and when preparing sermons and other teaching materials. Each one of them points to artists whose music has provided me with a space that invites me into a sense of the sacred.”

Songs of my Teenage Faith

“During my teen years in the 1980s, I found my place in the world at Christian camps, youth rallies, and in a church youth group. I also discovered “Christian rock music” that drew me into a Jesus-loving subculture where I felt comfortable, safe, and (most importantly to me at the time) COOL. I withdrew into songs that crafted my young faith by artists who were often too religious to gain a wider audience while also being too “rock and roll” to be trusted by many churches. When I listen to these songs today, I appreciate how far my faith journey has come since I was 16. I also can’t help but be thankful for how my youth (including these songs and artists) is apart of who I am.”

Summer Songs
”Just what the title says. Best listened to outdoors; perhaps near water.”

Songs of Relentless Faith

“These are songs that look beyond the surface of what faith looks like and dig deep into the struggle and tension that comes with waiting for promises to come true. They mirror the prayers of lament that make up many of the Psalms.”

Songs of Revolution and Resurrection

“These are songs that cry out for change ‘on earth as it is in heaven’, including a Christianity that looks more like Jesus. Like the biblical prophets, they also shine light on what needs to be transformed.”

Email Updates

Don’t want to miss a sabbatical update? While you can always read here on our blog, you also can sign up for our email reminders and we will alert you when Pastor Matt shares a sabbatical update.

We are What God Has Made Us

In 2019, Saint Luke received a National Clergy Renewal Program grant from the Lilly Foundation to fund a sabbatical for Pastor Matt Staniz. A time of renewal leave was planned and schedule to begin in April 2020, which was made impossible by the Covid-19 pandemic. Two years later than anticipated—and after the unforeseen challenges of both the pandemic and a pastoral transition—Pastor Matt is finally embarking on sabbatical leave for three months.

What is a clergy sabbatical?

Sabbatical leave provides an opportunity for pastors to step away from the persistent obligations of daily parish life and engage in a period of renewal and reflection. Renewal periods are not vacations but times for intentional exploration and reflection, for drinking again from God’s life-giving waters, for regaining enthusiasm and creativity for ministry. In February 2014, after years of preparation, Saint Luke unanimously approved a sabbatical leave policy after seven consecutive years of parish ministry.

We are what God has made us

“For we are what God has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.” –Ephesians 2:10

From Pastor Matt: “This passage from Ephesians reminds us who we are and how we are to exist in relation to one another and the world in which God has placed us. Identity is a gift created by God that defines who we are: as individuals, as families, and as a congregation. Identity evolves over time as we experience spiritual growth and new circumstances. During this sabbatical, we—pastor, family, and congregation—will seek a deeper understanding of our evolving identity that clears the way to outwardly live as an authentic reflection of God’s creative work within us.”

From the Sabbatical Planning Team: “Because we have called Pastor Staniz as a spiritual leader, we are committed to his personal and spiritual well-being. We know that a time of rest and renewal is not only needed for him and his family at this moment in their life, but will also deepen and strengthen his identity as a Christian and a pastor. His expression of that renewed identity will serve our desire to be a congregation that provides genuine, enthusiastic welcome to every person. We also affirm the need to faithfully reflect upon Saint Luke’s evolving identity in order to equip people to express their faith in meaningful ways throughout every unique chapter of life.”

Journey with Pastor Matt during his Sabbatical Activities

We are invited to journey with Pastor Matt and his family during his sabbatical. Together, may we all find ourselves more rested, renewed, and reenergized for the great work of knowing, loving and serving Christ. Here are some next steps that we can take together:

 

  • Pray with us: Keep the Staniz family in your prayers as they enter this exciting season.

  • Follow along on the blog: To share the renewal as it unfolds, Pastor Matt plans to send brief updates, pictures, and videos that will be shared via this blog during and after sabbatical leave. These updates will provide exciting glimpses of the stories and insights that Pastor Matt will bring back to Saint Luke during his ministry as lead pastor during the months (and years) ahead!

  • Sign up for email updates: Don’t want to miss an update? Sign up for email updates each time a new post is shared.

Lenten Midweek: Connected By Anticipation

After a season of ongoing isolation, our hearts long to return and reconnect. With the help of lay preachers from our congregation, each week we have taken steps to explore our faith during the season of lent. We begin our lenten journey connected in dust, moving through the wilderness, all while clinging to a promise. Together, we will go on to explore how repentance and reconciliation help us to draw near to one another and God. As we near Holy Week, we will be filled with great anticipation and look forward to Easter, a celebratory day of resurrection and reconnection!

We had the privilege of hearing from lay preacher, Sparky Lok this week. He helps us explore the gospel lesson in a fresh way, as we conclude our Midweek worship gatherings.

Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?” (He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.)  Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial.  You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”

-John 12:1-8


Questions to Ponder

Sparky reflects on the gentle loving counsel Jesus offers to Martha as her sister does not offer the help she expected. Similarly, he reminds us that Jesus wept at the news of his friend Lazarus’ death. Then, in tonight’s reading, Jesus is at a special meal and Mary amazed everyone with an act of devotion that shocked everyone. She was the only one that seemed to really get what was occurring.

Have you ever witnessed an extravagant act of worship? What did you learn from it?

Bethany, where today’s story occurred, seems to be a “thin place” allowing close encounters with the divine.

Where is a “thin place” for you, where you sense God’s presence in a special way?

Thank you for journeying with us this lent. We pray you have been blessed by our times of worship together.

Lenten Midweek: Connected Through Repentance

Are you ready to return and reconnect? Many of us have deeply missed gathering in person with loved ones and worshipping together in the same room. The isolation we experienced has been challenging in so many ways. We rejoice for the ways that we have remained in relationship with one another at Saint Luke, but are so thankful to be together each Wednesday evening, sharing a bowl of soup and hearing from lay preachers. Journey with us this lent as we discover how connected we are in Christ.

Suffering, repentance, and barren fig trees. This week’s lessons weren’t exactly filled with obvious hope and feel-good associations to our midweek Lenten theme of “return and reconnect,” but guest preacher Amanda Heintzelman walks us through them with such thoughtfulness, vulnerability, and grace. Be blessed, friends.

At that very time there were some present who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. He asked them, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans?  No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did.  Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them—do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.”

The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree

Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. So he said to the gardener, ‘See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?’ He replied, ‘Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it.  If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”

—Luke 13: 1-9

QUESTIONS TO PONDER

Amanda shares about how we too have moments of functioning like the fig tree. Sometimes we see each other or ourselves or our situations as a lost cause, but God just sees us as lost and know we have potential. We just need a little more nourishment and a little more patience and little more tending, and another chance to bear fruit. We don’t need to be cut down, we need to be seen and loved.

Have you ever felt this way? How did others around you respond?

When you are in a place of suffering or disconnection, where or how do you feel God's presence? What helps you turn back toward God?

Reconnecting through repentance is all about being able to look each other in the eye when we are in pain. Bearing witness to each other’s suffering. Enduring the loving gaze of God looking us in the eye when we are in pain, and knowing we are seen and understood, even, no, especially when we don’t understand.

Lenten Midweek: Connected by Reconciliation

Are you ready to return and reconnect? Many of us have deeply missed gathering in person with loved ones and worshipping together in the same room. The isolation we experienced has been challenging in so many ways. We rejoice for the ways that we have remained in relationship with one another at Saint Luke, but are so thankful to be together each Wednesday evening, sharing a bowl of soup and hearing from lay preachers. Journey with us this lent as we discover how connected we are in Christ.

Lay preacher, Emily Fowler leads us through a though provoking parable and gives us the courage to take a look at how we respond to frustration, anger, and pain. Together, we discover that we are connected by reconciliation and welcomed into the forgiving arms of God.

 

Then Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons.  The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ So he divided his property between them.  A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living.  When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need.  So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs.  He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything.  But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger!  I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you;  I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.”’  So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him.  Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’  But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.  And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate;  for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate.

“Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing.  He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on.  He replied, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.’  Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him.  But he answered his father, ‘Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends.  But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!’  Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.’”

-Luke 15:11-32

QUESTIONS TO PONDER

Emily sympathizes with us as she explains that many people wrestle with short tempers and turn their pain and anger into retaliation.

How do you respond? When someone you love hurts you deeply; when they cause you pain? How do you respond to this frustration?

In the parable of the prodigal son, despite all that had occurred the father did not respond to his son with retaliation. In the same way God offers forgiveness to us, even when we feel we do not need it.

When was the last time you forgave others? Or even forgave yourself? What gets in the way of you offering forgiveness?

Consider grabbing a pen and piece of paper. Then follow along with Emily in the video above and embrace forgiveness. Embrace love. God is working through you. God forgives you, so that you can show that same forgiveness to others. That’s the power of the love of God. That’s the power of grace. That, my friends, is good news.

Lenten Midweek: Connected by a Promise

After a season of ongoing isolation, our hearts long to return and reconnect. With the help of lay preachers from our congregation, each week we will take steps to explore our faith during the season of lent. We begin our lenten journey connected in dust, moving through the wilderness, all while clinging to a promise. Together, we will go on to explore how repentance and reconciliation help us to draw near to one another and God. As we near Holy Week, we will be filled with great anticipation and look forward to Easter, a celebratory day of resurrection and reconnection!

Our journey continues! On our second Midweek in lent, we have the privilege of hearing from congregant, Marcia Skoglund. Together, we explore how we are connected by a promise.

 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”And Abram said, “You have given me no offspring, and so a slave born in my house is to be my heir.” But the word of the Lord came to him, “This man shall not be your heir; no one but your very own issue shall be your heir.” He brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” And he believed the Lord; and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness.

Then he said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess.” But he said, “O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess it?” He said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” He brought him all these and cut them in two, laying each half over against the other; but he did not cut the birds in two.  And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.

As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and a deep and terrifying darkness descended upon him.

-Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18 

QUESTIONS TO PONDER

Marcia helps us reflect on the disconnect many of us experienced during the pandemic and throughout our lives. She reminds us that one doesn’t always need a close physical encounter to maintain a loving relationship. Memories and even lessons learned continue to bind us to those that have impacted us. The same is true for our relationship with God. Even though we don’t always sense God’s physical presence, there is a strong bond that buoys us during those dark periods in our lives.

Have you ever felt “buoyed” by your relationship with God? What was that like?

God has promised to protect us and keep us safe, even though times get dark and scary. That is his promise to all his people. The pandemic was a dark and scary time. You may have experienced other stormy moments as well. During this Lenten period, let’s challenge ourselves to think about how we respond to those who may need help and love. 

As you consider those around you who may be going through a storm, what is the face that you offer up? Are you open to reconnection? Are you open to loving and accepting those who need reconnection, without exception? 

Together, we ask God to show us the way.

Lenten Midweek: Connected in the Wilderness

After a season of ongoing isolation, our hearts long to return and reconnect. With the help of lay preachers from our congregation, each week we will take steps to explore our faith during the season of lent. We begin our lenten journey connected in dust, moving through the wilderness, all while clinging to a promise. Together, we will go on to explore how repentance and reconciliation help us to draw near to one another and God. As we near Holy Week, we will be filled with great anticipation and look forward to Easter, a celebratory day of resurrection and reconnection!

As we begin our journey, lay preacher Monica Gilbert shares with us about how we are connected in the wilderness. Together we took a closer look at Luke 4:1-13:

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.” Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone.’”

Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And the devil said to him, “To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.”  Jesus answered him, “It is written,

‘Worship the Lord your God,
    and serve only him.’”

Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here,  for it is written,

‘He will command his angels concerning you,
    to protect you,’

 and ‘On their hands they will bear you up,
    so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’”

Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.

 

Questions to Ponder

Monica shared that we are connected with all of God’s creation. Wilderness can be a physical space, but it can also be within our body. Monica shares the challenge to consider how our body, especially the mental space, is something that is similar for all humans. Our thinking can be tempted to be taken over by negative emotion.

Are you aware of times when you have been tempted to negative thinking and emotions? What helps you in those moments?

We need help doing the work in the wilderness. The Holy Spirit helped Jesus and offers help to us, too. It can feel like getting a second wind!

Have you ever felt like you were getting a second wind?

Welcome 2022

This year has been unique. In many ways 2021 was filled with challenges, heartache, loss and fatigue. Loved ones were lost, milestones passed without the celebrations imagined, concerns about health and safety continued, and fatigue set in leaving many weary.

However, at the same time, 2021 was a year with so much good that we cannot help but stop and say “Thanks be to God.” Babies were born, students matured and graduated, accomplishments were honored, and many families and friends reconnected in ways our hearts deeply needed. It may not have been all that we hoped the year would be, but we are so grateful for all of the blessings that came our way.

 

More & Less

As a church, like many of you, we have paused as we are about to enter a new year. New beginnings by their very nature make us reflect on the past and contemplate what the fresh start may hold for us. Often New Year resolutions are made. We set goals thinking of the areas that we want to improve, promising to do less of what has harmed or hindered our progress, and often promising to do more of what we long for. Less procrastinating. More going after our dreams. Less cookies. More salads. Less complaining. More gratitude. Less Netflix. More exercise…. and so on.

Our Council members are looking towards 2022 with some resolutions, or better yet prayers, for what this new year may hold for us as a church, community, and world. They shared what they are longing to see “more” of and what they’d like us to experience “less” of in this New Year. Join them as we pray for great things in 2022.

More Time Together…

We pray for more together time in real life. Holding a cup of coffee in a bustling Narthex, catching up with people we see every week or welcoming people we’ve just met for the first time.

Less Division & Impatience…

Lord, let there be less division and impatience in the world. Less hate and violence. We all need a world to feel safe and loved in!

More Peace…

Grant us confidence and clarity in our mission and purpose. Peace is the product of being genuine and authentic in our identity as a congregation.

Less Worry…

Thank you that every circumstance doesn't have to be perfect to move forward. We pray that we will resist the urge to be overwhelmed and remain focused on just doing the next right thing.

More Connection…

We ask that 2022 will bring a “great reconnection” for Saint Luke. May You show us opportunities to discover new relationships and rekindle our connections with one another after the isolation we have endured in 2020 and 2021.

Less Unease…

The challenges of the past 2 years have brought with them an understandable amount of uncertainty, apprehension, and worry. Reduce the fear and anxiety in our lives, Lord. We pray that 2022 will bring increased clarity to how You are equipping us for life together in a world that looks so different than we expected.

More Involvement & Friendship…

God, we know that You can help all of our members & our community to find ways to connect with each other in and out of church. May friendships grow & mature. May more people discover meaningful ways get involved in the many fulfilling opportunities to serve at Saint Luke, in our community and in our world.

Less fear…

The opposite of love is fear. We pray that each of us makes an effort to choose love over fear in the way we see our neighbors, our community, our country, and our world.

 

Eternal God, you have placed us in a world of space and time, and through the events of our lives you bless us with your love. Grant that in the new year we may know your presence, see your love at work, and live in the light of the event that gives us joy forever - the coming of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen (ELW)

Starry Night: Hold

Virginia Wieringa Fine Art

The night sky filled with stars is one of the most breath taking sights in all creation. Can you imagine the starry Christmas night many years ago?  What a sight that must have been!

 As the psalmist wrote, 

“The Lord determines the number of the stars and calls each of them by name.”   

-Psalm 147:4

As we journey through Advent, we will gaze at the stars and hear from various friends from our congregation, pondering their star’s unique name. Each thoughtful reflection will help us all see Advent and Christmas in new light.  Enjoy! 

Today’s reflection is from Pastor Matt Staniz:

Hold

Christmas Day blessings to you, dear child of God! As we arrive at the culmination of Advent Starry Night, the final star in our virtual planetarium is Hold. Church sanctuaries and worship livestreams around the world have been swept up in both singing and listening to the invitation extended to us as we enter the 12-day season of Christmas: Come and BEHOLD him; born the king of angels!  I always experience a deep comfort in singing those majestic words, accompanied by soaring pipe organ and a joyous congregation, while contemplating the beauty and vulnerability of a newborn baby held by a young mother in Bethlehem. All of the power and majesty of God contained in that baby. Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning; Jesus, to thee be all glory given! As we behold our newborn king, we can also rest in the good news that Christmas brings us: God has come down into our world and into our lives—even into the parts that are messy and even painful. God has arrived for you to behold, and promises to hold you through everything that you face: all that you carry from the past, all that you experience today, all that you will find in a future still unwritten. The Holy One born in Bethlehem is the same yesterday, today, and forever. May the light of Christ shine into your life this Christmas and be the brightest star in your sky.

Gracious God, just as you came down into the manger of Bethlehem, come down into our lives and our hearts. May we greet you with joy as our savior, behold you as our king, and follow you with faithful obedience as our Lord. Shine the light of your love into our lives, that it might shine through us into the world that you loved enough to send Jesus. May our lives reflect your love during the season of Christmas and throughout the year ahead. Amen.

Starry Night: Calm

Virginia Wieringa Fine Art

“O star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to thy perfect light…”

Advent season is the perfect time to slow down and gaze at the stars. This Advent season each star has been given a unique name and our Saint Luke friends have been invited to reflect on what that name means to them.  Their thoughtful reflections help us to also see the Advent and Christmas in new light.  

Today’s reflection is from Marty Meyer:

Calm

For several years as a church musician, I played services on Christmas Eve. My family would attend the early service. After taking them home, I’d start watching the typical TV Christmas specials, but never actually see the endings. I would sneak off to bed for a nap, asking the kids to wake me. Then we’d pass on the stairs—the kids off to bed, mom off to work. 

When I remarried, my new husband seemed bewildered that I had to leave the house late on Christmas Eve. Somehow he thought it was optional for me to play the church service. After attending with me our first year, he found excuses not to go. That pattern was sealed the year my mother visited and refused to leave the house so close to bedtime. And my husband couldn’t leave our guest by herself, could he? He had to help her work on the jigsaw puzzle and then make popcorn while they watched “It’s a Wonderful Life” or “The Christmas Story”. So I went off to do my thing, leaving a cozy Christmas scene behind me. 

Often the frenzy of preparing for Christmas dropped away as I walked alone into the dark quiet of the night. By then, usually, my gift shopping was done, most gifts were wrapped, food stuff was bought. So I could walk away with a clear conscience. Stores had closed so there were few cars on the road. Quiet prevailed as holiday chatter subsided.

As always I was amazed to see so many volunteer choir members at church when I arrived. These folks had left families at home too. We all looked forward to singing and playing our hearts out on this special night of nights. After rehearsal, we found the sanctuary packed. Family members, college kids and distant relatives home for Christmas came for the traditional candle light Christmas Eve service, ending with “Silent Night” sung a cappella. 

Wet as a dishrag after the last “Joy to the World” and carillon postlude, I would walk to my car. Church lights blinked off inside the building. Parking lot lights glowed. I sat warming up my car as choir members called “Merry ChristmasI ” and drove off for home. I still had music echoes in my head and felt the peace of a service well sung and well played. 

As I drove out of the parking lot, little white snowflakes started to fall. My warm cocoon carried me back home, making first tracks in new snow. The streets were quiet.  The houses dark. The night Jesus was born. “Silent Night, Holy Night, all is calm.”

Fill us with your peace & calm. Amen.

Starry Night: Comfort

Virginia Wieringa Fine Art

Once we change our clocks and return to Eastern Standard Time, a growing darkness will swallow up the sun’s rays a little earlier each evening. While we will miss the long sunny evenings, we are enchanted by the night sky and its stars. As the psalmist wrote, 

“The Lord determines the number of the stars and calls each of them by name.”   

-Psalm 147:4

As we journey through Advent, we will gaze at the stars and hear from various friends from our congregation, pondering their star’s unique name. Each thoughtful reflection will help us all see Advent and Christmas in new light.  Enjoy! 

Today’s reflection is from Dave Satterfield:

Comfort

The Advent star of Comfort immediately brought to mind the familiar carol “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” with the refrain:


    “Oh tidings of comfort and joy,
    Comfort and joy,
    Oh tidings of comfort and joy.”



This hymn reminds me of fond memories caroling with my church and family.   We visited church members who could no longer get to church and I loved seeing the joy on their faces when a group of 20 carolers showed up at their doorstep!  I like to think we brought them a little comfort with our visit and singing.

Singing carols is just one Christmas tradition that brings us comfort.  Many of our favorite traditions such as holiday meals with family and watching classic movies like “It’s a Wonderful Life” give us a sense of comfort.  Traditions are comforting because of the familiarity and fond memories they stir up, but more important than traditions, we can take comfort in remembering that we have the gift of Jesus who comes into our world each year at Christmas as a baby.   This Advent star reminds us that Jesus is the true gift of comfort to us all!


Dear Lord, Thank you for the Advent star of Comfort as we look forward to the birth of Jesus at Christmas.   Thank you for our Christmas traditions that bring us comfort and joy.  May we remember to look to the star of Comfort when we are feeling afraid and uncertain and may we always remember that we have the Advent star of Comfort to remind us of Jesus and His love for us.   Amen

Starry Night: Joy

Virginia Wieringa Fine Art

“O Holy Night!
The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of the dear Savior's birth!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Till he appear'd and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary soul rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!…”

As we journey through Advent, we continue our devotional series featuring various friends from our congregation, pondering their star’s unique name. Each thoughtful reflection points us towards our Savior and fills us with a thrill of hope. Enjoy!

Today’s reflection is from Ron Harmon:

Joy

Advent starts the church year and we celebrate as we sing ‘Joy to the World’ with the angels and shepherds at the birth of our Savior, Jesus.

We have that ‘Joy, joy, joy down in our hearts’.  We have feelings of happiness, jubilation and exultation.

We have peace, love and Joy like a river.

We also wept tears of relief and Joy when a broken relationship is healed, when the diagnosis is cancer-free, when the rising and setting sun splash many colors on the horizon, when we lose a loved one, when we can worship together during this pandemic, when a newborn baby joins our family, when the pastor announces our sins are forgiven, and when we ask God to help us love others as Jesus loves us. 

The star of Joy is not always visible as we face the myriad of challenges in today’s world. During this season of Advent, we ask Jesus help to find Joy every minute of every day. Amen.

Starry Night: Touch

Virginia Wieringa Fine Art

The night sky filled with stars is one of the most breath taking sights in all creation. Can you imagine the starry Christmas night many years ago?  What a sight that must have been!

 As the psalmist wrote, 

“The Lord determines the number of the stars and calls each of them by name.”   

-Psalm 147:4

As we journey through Advent, we will gaze at the stars and hear from various friends from our congregation, pondering their star’s unique name. Each thoughtful reflection will help us all see Advent and Christmas in new light.  Enjoy! 

Today’s reflection is from Marcia Skoglund & Ron Spangler:

Touch

I have always thought of touch as the most intimate of all the senses. One can see, hear and even smell from afar. However touch requires proximity; necessitates togetherness. Yet when viewing the night sky on a December evening, we can all take comfort in knowing no matter how distant from one another we might find ourselves, we are all bathed in the light of the same stars.

Dear Lord, as we approach this dark time of the year, let the light from the heavens shine onto us and inspire us in all we do during the Advent season. We thank you for the many people who touch us, both physically and mentally. We thank you for our parents, either here or gone, who have given us so many opportunities and offered unlimited love and support over the years. Thank you for our families, both near and far. May we touch them and show our love and support as they need it. Thank you for the military and politicians throughout the world, though unknown to many of us, touch our lives dramatically by their actions. Guide them to make wise decisions. Be with each of us that we may offer comfort and aid to those struggling this season in order to make their life a bit brighter.

Starry Night: Thrilled

Virginia Wieringa Fine Art

“O star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to thy perfect light…”

Advent season is the perfect time to slow down and gaze at the stars. This Advent season each star has been given a unique name and our Saint Luke friends have been invited to reflect on what that name means to them.  Their thoughtful reflections help us to also see the Advent and Christmas in new light.  

Today’s reflection is from Emily Fowler:

Thrilled

O Holy Night!
The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of the dear Savior's birth!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Till he appear'd and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary soul rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!

We are broken, hurt, tired, weary. We have been masking, distancing, and getting vaccinated, praying to find “a thrill of hope” in the midst of this ongoing pandemic. Yet, it seems we grow wearier. Our world today is full of “sin and error pining”— we are in desperate need of healing, of love, of Jesus. 

We must look for the “thrills of hope” in this pandemic; the times, moments, and things that make us “feel its worth.” The closeness the pandemic has brought to families—allowing parents and kids to stay home and be in each other’s presence. The connections it has made—from virtual gatherings to livestreaming church services. The love we have shown to one another—caring for someone in quarantine or praying for those in the hospital. These are the trills that make our “weary souls rejoice.”

It’s easy to be weary and see the negatives of this pandemic; it’s challenging to pick out the positives. But, this Christmas, I challenge you to see “the stars brightly shining.” I challenge you to find the positives, the joys, the times that gave you a “thrill of hope.” Because Jesus is here today. He is here to walk with us through this troublesome time, to guide us on our journey, to help us find the “thrills of hope” and allow our “weary souls to rejoice.”

 

Dear God, thank you for today. Thank you for being here with us and holding us up as we grow weary. Please show us the bright stars and help us to find the thrills of hope in the midst of this pandemic. Please keep everyone safe, happy, and healthy. 

In your name we pray, Amen.

Starry Night: Embrace

Virginia Wieringa Fine Art

Once we change our clocks and return to Eastern Standard Time, a growing darkness will swallow up the sun’s rays a little earlier each evening. While we will miss the long sunny evenings, we are enchanted by the night sky and its stars. As the psalmist wrote, 

“The Lord determines the number of the stars and calls each of them by name.”   

-Psalm 147:4

As we journey through Advent, we will gaze at the stars and hear from various friends from our congregation, pondering their star’s unique name. Each thoughtful reflection will help us all see Advent and Christmas in new light.  Enjoy! 

Today’s reflection is from Amanda Heintzelman:

Embrace

Let’s start with confession, I am a hugger. Just like Olaf the snowman from the movie Frozen, “I LOVE warm hugs”, and this pandemic situation, with its physical distancing, has been HARD.

Embracing is accepting the other in fullness and complexity, and an embrace is the antithesis of exclusion. An embrace communicates more clearly than words that you are not alone; you are welcome here no matter what. Advent and Christmas are the story of God’s ultimate embrace of humanity. We are not alone; “For God so loved the world that he gave his only son...”- John 3:16 We are embraced by our creator, and no one is excluded from His plan for redemption.

Dear God, thank you for embracing us and for welcoming us with arms wide open. Thank you for sending Jesus, Immanuel, to remind us that you are with us always. Help us to fully accept Your embrace and to embrace one another in return. Amen.

Starry Night: Mingle

Virginia Wieringa Fine Art

“O Holy Night!
The stars are brightly shining
It is the night of the dear Savior's birth!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining
Till he appear'd and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary soul rejoices
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!…”

As we journey through Advent, we continue our devotional series featuring various friends from our congregation, pondering their star’s unique name. Each thoughtful reflection points us towards our Savior and fills us with a thrill of hope. Enjoy!

Today’s reflection is from Madison Miller:

Mingle

The word mingle means “to move freely around a place or at a social function, associating with others.” Especially after the solitude of last year, I am looking forward to mingling with loved ones! The word “freely” in that definition stands out to me because the virus still prevents us from feeling completely “free” when interacting with others. Yet we know that in anything we are facing, true freedom comes through Jesus. Better yet, Jesus mingles among us. John 1:14 says “And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us”. Later in the Gospels, after the disciples had locked themselves in a room following Jesus’s death for fear of persecution, Jesus appeared, “stood in their midst and said peace be with you” - John 20:19. Christmas reminds us that Jesus always shows up in the midst of our fears, joys, and heartaches, and He gives us freedom from sin and brings us into communion with other believers. This advent, as you mingle with others, imagine Jesus mingling there in your midst.

Dear God, we love you. Thank you for mingling among us always. Thank you for giving us the gift of your Son. Help us to honor you and to mingle especially with people who need your love and care the most this Christmas season. Amen.

Starry Night: Include

Virginia Wieringa Fine Art

The night sky filled with stars is one of the most breath taking sights in all creation. Can you imagine the starry Christmas night many years ago?  What a sight that must have been!

 As the psalmist wrote, 

“The Lord determines the number of the stars and calls each of them by name.”   

-Psalm 147:4

As we journey through Advent, we will gaze at the stars and hear from various friends from our congregation, pondering their star’s unique name. Each thoughtful reflection will help us all see Advent and Christmas in new light.  Enjoy! 

Today’s reflection is from Pastor Mary Konopka:

Include

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. -Luke 2:2-7

The whole point of a census is to include everyone – as a former translation said, “that all should be counted.”  Yet still in our world, so many find themselves excluded. In fact, in these last few years, it has seemed to me that the demons of exclusion, and the ignorance, hate, contempt and lack of experience that fuels it seem to be ‘be-deviling’ us - sowing the seeds of division in many arenas of human life.  After Mary and Joseph made their way to Bethlehem in order to be ‘counted,’ Mary gives birth to her son, given as the Savior of the world – not just a part of it or parts of it. Savior of the world – no one person or no group of people were singled out to be excluded from God’s love and salvation in Jesus the Christ.  

Dear Jesus, Savior of the world, give us the grace and strength to be heralds and messengers of your divine love and keep us alert to ways to include all who need your presence with them through our words and actions. Amen.