Pastoral Ponderings – May 2025

“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.  ”  ~  Psalm 100

I can hardly believe we are moving into the 5th month of 2025 already! The weather is warming up (a little) and the flowers are beginning to pop out of the ground (at least a few), and some of you (us?) are preparing to get things planted for gardens, landscaping, and even in the fields. These should all make us happy, but if I am being completely honest, I am feeling a little apprehensive about approaching the month of May this year.

Usually, May isn’t a month to get apprehensive over for me. May 1 is my dad’s birthday, and the day David proposed to me. But this year, this month, specifically the seventh day of this month, brings with it the first anniversary of my diagnosis of Neuroendocrine Colon Cancer. One year ago, my whole world (and subsequently, my family, and even yours—to a point), changed.

I know (because I have told some of you this before) it is just a date. But May 7 is a date that, like my wedding day, and the births of my children, this specific date is now seared into my brain.

My guess is, all of you have a date that affects you for one reason or another. So, how do we deal with these types of anniversaries?

First, we all deal with them differently. I know the day is going to be a highly charged day for me, so I plan to take the day slowly. It is a Wednesday, so I will begin with giving thanks to God for all of the healing I have done since then, and ask for God to continue to heal me. I will allow myself to “feel all the feels”, even if I don’t want to feel them. I will go to swim class in the morning, work like normal, and have a nice supper with my family. We may even settle in for a movie that evening. And who knows, plans always change.

Anniversaries of life changing events can be difficult. Disease diagnosis, loss of a job, loss of a loved one, and so on, all have big emotions attached to them. No matter what the emotion is, God is waiting for us to unload them onto Them. God is bigger than any emotion we could ever feel or experience. Anger, grief, sadness, anxiety, hopelessness, we can give all of them to God.

I am so grateful for a husband and sons who have walked this last year with me. Encouraging me when I didn’t feel like I could move forward. Helping me, even when I didn’t want the help.

I am also so grateful for all of you—for doing the very same things for me, and taking care of David and the boys as well. I—no, we—are so thankful and blessed to have this be our church home. I always believe that God places us where we need to be, when we need to be there. Because of your generosity—allowing me to take the time I needed to take care of myself, I have been able to heal. (This will never go completely away until they find a cure.)

For now, please know that I am doing well. I am still getting my monthly injections, and I have learned some of the side effects that happen every month. I am tired for about 2 days following the injection. I get horrible leg cramps, which are worst at night, but happen all day. For the first few months, the leg cramps didn’t show up until about half way through the month, but now, I have them all of the time. The other side effect is my blood sugar. It is still high, but not as high as it was. Now that I exercise a minimum of three days a week, and am eating MUCH better, I am losing weight, and it is slowly coming down. Because I will be on these injections my whole life, these will be things I will fight with for the rest of my life. But they could be way worse—so I will take this!

Thank you, again, for all your support and prayers along this journey. I love you all!

And please remember, anniversaries can be wonderful, but they can also be difficult. When you find yourself upon a difficult anniversary, turn to God. Ask God for strength and comfort. And know that you can always call me!

Always Peace,
Pastor Heidi

Pastoral Ponderings – April 2025

“About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”) .”  ~  Matthew 27:46

Later this month, we follow Jesus’ loved ones and band of followers to the base of the cross where Jesus cries out to God, then breathes his last breath.

Have you ever had the wind knocked out of you? I was in third grade when I was ice skating at our local outdoor ice rink. I did a “toe pick” (where the front teeth of my ice skates dragged across the ice when I wasn’t prepared for it) and down on my stomach I went. When I went to get up, I couldn’t. I couldn’t get a breath. Nothing in. Nothing out. I freaked out. The young girl who was keeping the warming house warm, saw me, and skated over. She told me to close my eyes, imagine my lungs bringing the cold air, and blow out my mouth. After the second or third try, the muscles around my lungs relaxed, and the air rushed out of my mouth. I was embarrassed, and thankful, all at the same time!

I imagine that was how Jesus felt as he yelled to God—”why have you forsaken me? Why won’t you take me down from this cross and save me?” Then the air rushed out of his lungs, and he died. Embarrassed, maybe more for everyone else than for himself, and thankful that the pain of suffering of all the sins of the world—past, present, AND future! – was almost past….. Just a few more moments……

If we were to over think life right now, in this current time and space of history, it just might feel like a gut punch, and getting the wind knocked out of us. All of the pain and suffering, all of the death and decay, all of the loneliness and despair. It is simply overwhelming to feel and experience the immense unsure-ness of what each moment of each day will bring.

But at the end, after Jesus’ lifeless body is taken down from the cross by his friends, and buried deep within the earth; after the setting and rising and setting of the sun, the rising and setting of the sun, and on the third morning, the rising of the sun, we find a stone that has been rolled away, and grave clothes lying with no body because the unimaginable has happened! Our Savior beat death! While those who witnessed this first hand, may have had the feeling like the wind had been knocked out of them, 2000+ years later, we know the beauty and excitement of what that empty tomb means!

It means that, while we will all experience death, we will be given new life after death. It means that this new life will be better than anything we could ever imagine. It means that God—who created everything and everyone, to be in relationship with one another and with God—wins! LOVE WINS! It means that hope will always prevail.

This season of Lent has been a journey of looking at life through the lens of beauty, wonder, meaning, curiosity, delight, connection and self-giving. We are being invited to see that we can find new life in the ordinary things around us. By opening our eyes, ears, mind, and heart to seeing the awe that we are surrounded by, we are healthier, more filled with joy, but best of all, we are not alone.

God has so much planned for each one of us. Things may not go the way we thought they would—nothing does. But the promises of our Creator remind us that God is always working in and through us, for the greater world. our only job is to trust. Trust that God is working for good, and trust that the good is going to be more amazing that we could ever imagine!

So, when you get the wind knocked out of you—regardless of why—close your eyes, imagine the air in your lungs flowing freely in and out. Allow your body to relax. Breathe. Deep, cleansing breaths. In, and out. In, and out. Feel the cool air being drawn into your nose, and the warm air leaving your nose.

God is with you. God is as close to you as your very next breath.

Always Peace,

Pastor Heidi

Pastoral Ponderings – March 2025

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”  ~  Philippians 4:6-7

 I wanted to start out by saying, “we are living in uncertain times,” but as I think back on what I have learned, and more importantly, what I have experienced over my life, I understand we have always lived in “uncertain times.”

The simple reason is that we cannot predict the future with any more accuracy than we can predict the weather.

So, more accurately, we are living in a time of change. But wait….. We have always lived in a state of change. Nothing around us, not even we as humans, were created to stay the same. Seasons change, weather changes, the sun and moon are always changing, our human bodies change—think of everything inside that never stops changing!

If this is true, that everything changes, then why can’t we find comfort in change?

I believe it is because we are not spending enough time seeking the presence of God, and when we don’t seek the presence of God, we begin to look away, we begin trusting less in God and more in ourselves. And when we trust more in ourselves than in God, the change we experience leans into fear—fear of not having or being enough. Fear of having our power or privilege (real or perceived) taken away. Fear of the “other” and what they are doing. And when each of us as individual humans begin to fear like that—well, we can clearly see what happens—just look around you for 30 seconds. It is not pretty!

March 5 begins our 40 day journey of reflection on Jesus and the cross. Traditionally, it has been viewed as a time of sacrifice—giving something up, or more recently, adding a spiritual discipline.

This year, I want to challenge you to just open yourself to what is happening around you. Open your eyes and purposefully and intentionally seek God in creation as well as those humans you encounter—family, friend, stranger, or enemy—where God is shining through them. And if you say you can’t see God shining through, I want you to remember that they, too, are a child of God, just like you, and God works through ALL of us, not just a few. Then Pray for God to reveal themselves through that/those people.

And if you can’t see, then close your eyes and listen. Listen to their story—do not interject your thoughts, expectations, or bias. Instead, let their story reveal God. And if you can’t hear, then pray for God to drown out the noise and reveal the truth about that person.

And if you can’t see or hear—then breathe deeply, clear your mind, and pray that God grant you the wisdom to understand and learn the truth that surrounds you.

God has promised to always be with us. God fulfilled that promise through Jesus’ birth, death and resurrection. And when Jesus left this earth, he gifted us with the Holy Spirit our Advocate and Guide, who now dwells within us, never leaving us.

During this Lent season, I invite you to calm your fears and anxiety by returning your focus to God. When you feel anxious, pray. When you are confused, pray. When you don’t know who to trust, pray to the one who has promised never to forsake you. Spend time talking to God, and intentionally seeking God within creation and others. Who knows, change may come more easily.

May the change that is happening manifest through you, through us, to bring about God’s year of Jubilee, offering peace and justice throughout the world. May God’s Kin-dom reign here on earth, now and forevermore, so that we no longer have to say, “we are living in uncertain times,” but rather ”our time is certain.” May it be so.

Always Peace,

Pastor Heidi

 

Pastoral Ponderings – February 2025

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your God in heaven.”    ~    Matthew 5:16

Do you know that you carry with you the presence of Jesus? Do you know what it means to have the presence of Jesus?

Looking at the life of Jesus,

No matter what Jesus did, no matter where he was,

This past week, David and I were running errands and stopped to pick up supper at Jersey Mike’s. He and I entered and as we were talking, a woman pushing a walker tried to get in the door. I noticed she was struggling, so went to help her. I turned back to finish my conversation with David, but I heard her crying.

I walked over and asked what I could do to help her. As she rubbed her hands together, she told me about having to wait for her cab, but the Credit Union lobby closed so she had to wait outside. It was cold, so she decided to walk to Jersey Mike’s to wait inside and stay warm. But the walk was brutal.

She shared that she has stage 4 metastatic breast cancer, and being in the cold makes her extremities hurt. (I assume there are a few of you who understand that.) I shared with her that I had cancer as well. I gave her a hug, and as we continued our conversation, I reached into my coat pockets and helped her put on my fuzzy gloves. After a moment, it registered what happened, and she looked at me with eyes of confusion. In between sentences, I told her they were for her, and her face melted, and once again, we were in an embrace.

She noticed David had our bag, and abruptly ended our conversation, thanking me for like the tenth time for the gloves. David looked over and said, “You can keep talking. We realized they forgot one of the sandwiches so it will be a few minutes.”

Just like that, we were hugging again, and I was able to pray over her like I wanted to in the beginning.

As David and I headed home, he told me I need to wipe of the words “Tell me what is going on in your life.” from my forehead. Of course, he was joking, but here’s the thing. Even if it were actually posted on my forehead, I couldn’t stop asking the questions or helping those I see who need help. Even if it is one at a time.

Many of you have come into my office during my office hours, and you always apologize for interrupting me. How many times have you heard me say, “Ministry is interruption.”? It is the truth.

I would challenge you to go through and read several (or all!) of Jesus’ miracles. Most of them are done because Jesus was interrupted. Most of the time, Jesus had other plans.

He and his friends were enjoying themselves at a wedding where his mother instructed him to do something about the couple running out of wine.

He was teaching and preaching to a crowd of people when Jairus, a synagogue leader, approached him about curing his sick daughter.

Then, he was on his way to Jairus’ house when a woman who had been bleeding for 12 years touched his tunic, believing he could heal her. And he did.

He was sleeping soundly in the boat when the disciples woke him because of the storm, and he calmed it.

Carrying the presence of Jesus means that we intentionally choose to meet people where they are, no matter what we are doing at the time. It means that we are intentionally paying attention to what is going on around us, and noticing when people need help, or a hug, or a smile, or a kind word. It means we intentionally show compassion, grace, mercy, and love even when we don’t think we have time; even if the person is a stranger; even if it makes us feel uncomfortable.

But Pastor Heidi, walking up to someone who is crying, or even just approaching someone is really hard. Of course it’s hard! If it weren’t hard, everyone would be doing it, and we’d be living in a whole different kind of world!

But that different kind of world—the Realm of the Kin-dom of God, is our goal. And those of us who believe we carry the presence of Jesus within us, must be the ones to begin the conversations. “Is there anything I can pray about for you today?” “What can I help you with today?” “Hi. My name is ……… “

Kindness, gentleness, mercy, grace, forgiveness, faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is LOVE.

Always Peace, Pastor Heidi

 

Our sign has been updated!

The sign in front of our church facing 38th Street has been updated to include our new name and logo! Plus, we added an electronic sign that we will update via a website.  We are thrilled with it!

Pastoral Ponderings – January 2025

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not over come it.”        ~    John 1:5

When I was young, I didn’t like the dark. I was afraid. It’s natural for humans to be wary in the dark. It’s because we weren’t created to be nocturnal. We were meant to rest between the time the sun sets and when it rises. We can’t see what surrounds us. In a dark room, we have to be careful when we walk so we don’t trip over things, or stub our toes—which I seem to do an awful lot!

But, what happens when you are in a dark room and one small candle is lit? Or one tiny light is turned on? All of a sudden, you can see, and the things you once thought of as monsters, are just things like your coat hanging over your chair; or your lamp shade standing tall in the corner.

Most of you know, but three years ago our oldest son found himself in this situation. He was hunting in the wilderness of Montana, and shot his first mule deer. In the excitement, he realized he forgot one of the tools necessary for him to carry the deer back to his truck—which was 2 miles away. He had to walk back to it, then return to the deer. In the meantime, his cell phone died, and it was getting colder. As he reached the deer with the tools he needed, he looked up to see the sun setting over the mountain. And if you know anything about Montana, or Colorado, or Wyoming, or any place that doesn’t have cities scatters across the land, you know that when it gets dark, it gets DARK. And that night, the moon was new, so there wasn’t even light from the heavens.

As he prepared to head back to the truck, after walking longer than he thought he should have been, he realized he was lost. Once he was able to calm himself down, he prayed for a light. When he opened his eyes, he looked across the valley to the mountain side, and saw the tiniest of lights. He spent the next 16 hours walking toward that light, which brought him to safety and warmth.

Jesus was born to be the light in our darkness. Jesus said, “Come to me, you who are weary and tired, and I will bring you rest.”

After Jesus was born, men (Magi) from far away noticed a new light in the sky. (Side note—although there are many differing views about who the Magi were, how many, and from where, the consensus is that generally they would have been wise men who probably “dabbled” in astrology and magical arts, and were revered for their knowledge, and often consulted by the ancient kings.)

They were curious so they followed this new light, and what they found was new life—both in the literal and spiritual sense. They found a baby (actually, a toddler) who would change the world. A child who would grow up and light the way for all people to return to right relationship with God.

This is what we are called to do. As the shadows grow and surround us, we must shine our light so that others can find their way. Sometimes our lights are so bright, they tend to blind people. And other times, they seem so dim we think nobody will see them.

But remember that dark room void of light? All it takes is a tiny light to make a difference. In a world that feels like the shadows are pushing in we must open our eyes and seek the Light.

No matter how bright you feel—shine with all your might. When we all shine together—even just a little—we will light up the world! The Light will shine in the darkness, and the darkness has not, [and will not] overcome it! May it be so!

Always Peace,
Pastor Heidi

Christmas Eve

  • Post author:
  • Post category:Worship

“The Manger: A Place of Care” Worship – 5:00 p.m.