December 2011

A voice cries out: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’

Isaiah 40:3-5

“Prepare” is the perfect word for where we find ourselves this Advent Season, as we prepare for Jesus’ coming. If you have the opportunity during this Advent season, I ask for you to see how the word “prepare” is used throughout Scripture. We hear the word in Psalm 23 where our Lord as our Good Shepherd “prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies.”

We hear from the prophet Isaiah 40:3 with the reference to John the Baptist who will be the voice who “cries out” In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” This text from Isaiah is used in the three gospels of Matthew 3:3, Mark 1:3 and Luke 3:4, again referring to John the Baptist preparing the way of the Lord.

We have a most powerful text from John 14:2-3 that Jesus will “go to prepare a place for you” And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.”

In 1 Peter 1:13, we hear from Peter calling all of us to “prepare your minds for action; discipline yourselves; set all your hope on the grace that Jesus Christ will bring you when he is revealed.”

Throughout scripture, we receive the powerful texts of how Jesus prepares for us a table and a place for all of us and how in return we are to prepare for Jesus’ coming, preparing our minds for action and discipline and setting all of our hope on the grace that Jesus has given to us when he is revealed.

May God richly bless us as we “prepare” for Christ’s coming!

Pastor Bonnie Gerber 

October 2011

Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard has a parable of a wild duck:
There once was a duck who, with his friends, was flying in the springtime northward across Europe.

During the flight, he came down in a Danish barnyard where there were tame ducks. He enjoyed some of their corn. He stayed for an hour, then for a day, then for a week, then for a month, and finally, because he relished the good fare and safety of the barnyard, he stayed all summer.

But one autumn day when the flock of wild ducks again was winging its way southward, the ducks passed over the barnyard, and their friend heard their cries. He was stirred with a strange thrill of joy and delight, and with a great flapping of wings, he rose in the air to join his old comrades in their flight.

But he found that his good fare had made him so soft and heavy that he could not rise higher than the eaves of the barn.

So he dropped back again to the barnyard and said to himself, “Oh, well, my life is safe here, and the food is good.”

Every spring and autumn when he heard the wild ducks honking, his eyes would gleam for a moment, and he would begin to flap his wings. But finally the day came when the wild ducks flew over him and uttered their cry, and he paid not the slightest attention to them.

God is calling All Saints into the future, to move onward with the gospel of Jesus Christ, sharing it with those around us and the coming generations. “From the days of John the Baptist,” Jesus said, “until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing…” (Matthew 11:12).

God’s kingdom is at work within us individually and corporately, and we respond to its call and commit ourselves to the future … to move onward.

Won’t you join us?

Our stewardship emphasis begins Oct. 3. Flap your wings, and fly with us onward into the future.

Onward!

Pastor Mike Weaver

September 2011

Some of you may recall in my sermon on Jan. 2 that I made a commitment to work with our youth, staff and families during this year to help All Saints’ youth ministry evolve into what God wants it to be.

The goal remains to provide a nurturing environment for children and their parents. As a result of six months of work to develop a ministry plan, All Saints Youth Ministry will be re-introduced to the congregation on Rally Day, Sept. 11.

Our youth ministry will now more intentionally encompass all youth from birth to high school graduation. I am very excited about this fresh way of thinking about the many great programs we already have in place. I also look forward to, with our staff and volunteers, expanding upon them.

When parents bring a child to be baptized we ask them to enter into a covenant with God and with God’s Church. That covenant contains these promises:
“As you bring your children to receive the gift of baptism, you are entrusted with responsibilities: to live with them among God’s faithful people, bring them to the word of God and the holy supper, teach them the Lord’s Prayer, the Creed, and the Ten Commandments, place in their hands the holy scriptures, and nurture them in faith and prayer, so that your children may learn to trust God, proclaim Christ through word and deed, care for others and the world God made, and work for justice and peace.” (ELW pg. 228)

After the parents have made their promise we, the Church, the body of Christ promise to partner with the parents in this covenant. “People of God, do you promise to support (this child or children) and pray for them in their new life in Christ?” (ELW pg. 228) We say we are willing to accept the challenge to help their child and all children of God grow in faith.

To accomplish our promise we must provide an environment where we work alongside parents from the first moment their child is baptized and continue to work with them through graduation and beyond.

The Staff Youth Ministry Team – Lisa Brooks, Pam Wachtel, Kay Labosky, Pastor Mike Weaver and me -- prayed and talked and wrestled about what we see as the desired outcome for each youth when we send them off to begin the next chapter in their life after high school graduation. We determined that for each youth we would like to see the following:

CONNECTED WITH CHRIST
So that:
The Good News of Jesus is
Woven in our hearts
Spoken on our lips
Shared through our love

This connection with Christ has movement. It is a sending of our youth into the world and therefore into places where God is already working. We send our youth with a connection to Christ and to the people they meet, acknowledging Christ as a part of their everyday lives. They will be strengthened by the knowledge that Christ has gone ahead of them into the world and gives them the courage to be his faithful followers.
Four ministry teams are being assembled to help us with this
enhancement of our youth ministry.

Beginnings - Birth to 3 years old
Our newest team will explore ways to connect parents to God and to each other so that their faith can grow and they feel that truly they are partners with the church to keep the promises made at baptism. Staff – Pam Wachtel, Kay Labosky and Chairs – Diane Hamilton, Darci Stoller

Children’s – Preschool through 5th grade
This team will continue Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, First Communion and JAM activities while finding new ways to partner with parents to raise faithful children of good character. Staff – Pam Wachtel and Chair – Heather Deutschendorf

Middle School – Grades 6 through 8
This team will continue Sunday School, confirmation, and Club 678 while finding new ways to work with parents to help connect our youth to their faith, parents and others. Staff – Lisa Brooks and Chair - Joe Cherubino

High School – Grades 9 through 12
This team will continue the work begun in our high school ministry in Christian education, fellowship and service while seeking new paths to prepare our youth to go into the world, connected with Christ. Staff – Lisa Brooks and Chair - Joe Cherubino

I am very confident about the direction we are taking for All Saints Youth Ministry, and I look forward to the plans God has for us as we endeavor to be Connected with Christ.
Pastor Bonnie Gerber

June 2011

I am looking at a pamphlet right now titled, “Judgment Day! May 21, 2011; The End of the World, October 21, 2011,” and I am trying to decide how to plan my time between now and then.

This information comes from a group that predicts the end based on information from the books of Daniel and Revelation. What always saddens me about these predictions is how much of what is stated is based on fear rather than on God’s love and mercy. Fear can be a strong motivator for people, but when something is done out of fear, it usually is done for the wrong reasons.

1 John 4:18 says, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love.”

End-of-the-world predictions often are based on misinterpretation of Scripture. For that reason, I am offering a class at 5:30 p.m. Thursdays on the book of Revelation. This is the one book in the Bible that gets misquoted more than any other, and the interpretation is generally meant to induce fear. So, we will look at the last book of the Bible and study the text as it was meant to be studied so that we can learn from it and use its contents in a correct way for our contemporary world.

There is one thing in this pamphlet that I agree with, “The purpose of this tract is to inform you of the great urgency there now is in the world for each and every person to be reconciled to God.”

In his day, the Apostle Paul would wholeheartedly agree with this statement, yet we have gotten away from a feeling of urgency in spreading the good news of Jesus Christ. If end-of-the-world predictions would drive us to live our lives differently so that the Gospel was preached in word and deed, then good could come from such predictions. My fear is that we remain as complacent as we have always been.

”One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, ‘Which commandment is the first of all?’Jesus answered, ‘The first is, “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” The second is this, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these.’ Then the scribe said to him, ‘You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that “he is one, and besides him there is no other”; and “to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength”, and “to love one’s neighbor as oneself”,—this is much more important than all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices.’” Mark 12:28-33

Pastor Bonnie Gerber

May 2011

Are you sleepless in Columbus?

“How did you sleep?” a friend of mine once asked me.

“Like a baby,” I replied jokingly, “I woke up every couple hours crying.”

There’s been a lot of talk in recent days about air traffic controllers asleep on the job. It seems they are not getting enough rest between shifts. Sleeplessness isn’t a problem just for the FAA and air traffic controllers. Many of us at one time or another face a sleepless night due to stress, poor eating habits or one of many other factors, and we know the side effects fatigue has on us,

Those that suffer from sleepless nights may find themselves feeling drowsy or fatigued during the day. The ability to concentrate or focus on a task diminishes and you are less mentally alert. Because the body needs sleep to support a healthy immune system, those that are sleep deprived may be more susceptible to both acute and chronic illnesses such as high blood pressure and diabetes. Sleeplessness not only takes a toll on your physical self but also your emotional well-being. Being unable to sleep well for a few nights may only produce minor irritability. However, if sleeplessness becomes chronic, the price could be much higher in the form of anxiety, depression and possibly substance abuse. (ehow.com)

Before you reach for the 5-Hour Energy to “Beat the 2:30 feeling” or the tall cup of Pike’s Place from Starbucks (two of my favorites), let’s consider what God says about rest.

Two of the most oft quoted texts from the Bible are about rest:
“Come to me all you who are weary and heavy burdened, and I will give you rest…” – Jesus (Matthew 11:28)

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures…” (Psalm 23:1-2)

And Solomon offers this bit of wisdom recorded as Psalm 127:

“Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain ... In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat – for he grants sleep to those he loves.”

Human beings were not meant to be perpetual-motion machines. We need rest.

As spring continues, give yourself permission to take a “holy nap” as one of my friend calls his weekly Sunday afternoon Sabbath siesta.

After all, even our God, creator of the cosmos, rested on the seventh day. If he can, so can we.

*yawn*

Pastor Mike Weaver

April 2011

Spring is probably my favorite season of the year. Growth begins to happen, and it seems as if every day the green stuff that is poking out of the earth gets a little taller.

Today, after a storm, I could smell the scent that I find only after a spring rain. After a long season of winter, we appreciate the growth even more.

We at All Saints are coming out of a long winter. We long for growth, but perhaps we aren’t sure what that growth looks like. I would like to share with you how I envision this new growth to appear.

When you visit us at All Saints Lutheran Church, you will discover we are passionate about our relationship with Jesus and each other.

We are a growing church that serves a living God. We plan to grow spiritually, relationally and numerically. Christians grow deeper in their faith in the context of fellowship. Our aim is to be committed to Christ and to be as committed to one another as we are to Christ.
Most believers don’t lack commitment, but oftentimes, we are overly committed to the wrong things.

Jesus said in Mark12:28-31
28 One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, ‘Which commandment is the first of all?’ 29Jesus answered, ‘The first is, “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; 30you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” 31The second is this, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these.’
So, we ask everyone who is already connected and those who will connect to this community to be totally committed to a loving relationship with God and with one another.
As we approach Easter, we are reminded of the relationship that God longs to have with us. God loves us so much “he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” John 3:16

Ponder what we as a community of faith can do to grow in our love of God and love of neighbor as we at All Saints grow spiritually, relationally and numerically.

Pastor Bonnie Gerber

February 2011

“So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation:
Everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!”

2 Corinthians 5:17

Nothing that is can pause or stay;
The moon will wax, the moon will wane,
The mist and cloud will turn to rain,
The rain to mist and cloud again,
Tomorrow be today.

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

To live is to change; to change is to live. January is typically the month when we talk about new beginnings and change. A new year is commencing, which by its very onset creates change.

But for those of us at All Saints, we find ourselves in the midst of change in February. Some of this change is by choice; some is not.

We say goodbye to Marj Stevenson as our executive director of administration. Marj has served this congregation well for nearly 35 years. She has a wealth of information stored in her brain, but more importantly, she has a lode of love filling her heart. While Marj is retiring and choosing to enter a new chapter in her life, it doesn’t make this departure easier. She will be missed, not because of the work she did but because of the ministry she offered. Godspeed, Marj.

As we say goodbye to Marj, we also say hello to Gloria Bock, who steps into that position.

Gloria was chosen because of the skills she brings to this job but also because of the personality she shares. She is already a welcome member of the staff and valued for her insights, her care and her friendship. We look forward to the relationship that will develop over the years. Welcome, Gloria.

Other change is caused by circumstance, such as the current reality of the congregation’s budget. This month, we say goodbye to Evelyn Pagura, who has served as our assistant treasurer. Evelyn has brought 10 years of hospitality to this church by answering phones, greeting visitors and helping with finances. Her presence in the office will be missed, but look for Evelyn on most Sunday mornings, as she continues to greet people in our midst.

Cia Rodemann has been our Director of Pastoral Care for two and a half years. Cia finds herself blessed to be starting a new full- time job and sharing her gifts in new and exciting ways. She has touched many lives in her visits and has shared God’s peace and prayers (not to mention good food) with many of us.

We also see some internal staffing changes, as Lisa Brooks becomes the Interim High School Youth Director while maintaining her position as Middle School Youth Director. Pam Wachtel will serve as the Interim Children’s Ministry Director and continue in her position with Contemporary worship.

Change is difficult, even when it is anticipated and desired. We are led from a warm place of comfort and the familiar and forced to make adjustments. As Christians, we know God is with us in all times and especially when we are making difficult adjustments. We can all be comforted with the knowledge of faith in the assurances of our loving and ever-present God.

Change is happening in our midst. Change will continue to happen. Not to change is to stop living. Even our spiritual lives change. As we grow, we emerge into new light from the Lord and grow in ways we never thought possible before.

May the God who sees us through each day lead us into what will be.

Pastor Bonnie Gerber

January 2011

It’s cold outside. Snow covers the ground. The days are short and generally overcast. Welcome to January.

Not only is this our reality in weather; some of us feel like January. Grief over losses and anxiety about the future can cause us to live life as if the sun rarely shines in our lives, and all we want to do is stay indoors, isolated from others around us.

The cure to this kind of cabin fever isn’t pasting on a happy face, clicking our heels while saying, “There’s no place like home”, or numbing ourselves with various forms of escape. The cure comes from God through the care of others.

Jan. 6 this year – and every year on the church calendar – is the day of Epiphany. Traditionally, on this 12th day after Christmas, we read the story of the wise men come to visit the newborn king, Jesus (Matthew 2). They celebrated, as we celebrate today, that God’s light has come into the world through the newborn king, Jesus.

Throughout the season of Epiphany the readings remind us of this reality, that Jesus is the light of the world, a light no darkness can overcome; no matter if that darkness is literal or metaphorical.

Writing about Jesus, John proclaims, “In him was life, and that life was the light of all people” (John 1:4). And centuries before Jesus, David affirms the truth that, “even darkness will not be dark to you [God]…for darkness is as light to you” (Psalm 139:12)

Darkness is as light to God.

Darkness is as light to God. Wow!

Think about it. One of the first fears expressed by kids is fear of the dark. It’s scary; we move more slowly; and it is filled with potential dangers. When we suffer, we are plunged into darkness. St. John of the Cross aptly describes the difficulties and hardships we experience as people as the “dark night of the soul.” And yet, even as we experience dark times, our hope is placed in the One who sees clearly in our darkness and guides us through the dark times.

One of the important ways God works is through Stephen Ministers, people trained to walk with people, men and women, going through various losses and griefs (job loss, separation/divorce, death, and various other changes in life). Their 50 hours of training equip them to provide care to people so that God can provide the cure and way through darkness.

At All Saints our Stephen Ministers are ready, willing and able to walk along side you or someone you know through the darkness.
If you find yourself experiencing a deeper suffering than the January blahs, please consider a Stephen Minister to help you move through this time.

May the light of Christ shine brightly in the darkness of this world.

Pastor Mike Weaver

December 2010

The holiday season is upon us and my question to you is, “What presence are you giving this year?”

At first glance you may have thought that my spell checker made a mistake, because it does that with homophones (or homonyms). But my question remains-- What presence are you giving this year?

You see, during this time of year we are so busy buying presents that we neglect to give our presence, to simply be in a relationship with each other. However, ultimately, relationships are at the core of who we are as human beings.

God understood this need for relationship when He sent Jesus that first Christmas. God didn’t send presents for us to open, but God sent us Presence, a relationship with God’s Son and a renewed relationship with our Creator.

Cardinal Newman of England, once said, “As long as we are on this earth, we should never forget that the most important relationship we have is our relationship with God.” God’s gift to us was a relationship built on love.

Our response to God’s presence is and always should be our searching to be in relationship with God’s people and, more importantly, to seek out those who haven’t yet been introduced to Jesus.

We gather in worship to be fed, to be filled with grace, to be in relationship with Jesus and with all who gather as the body of Christ at All Saints. We go from worship to take Jesus out to the streets, out to our workplace, out to our schools, to be in relationship with a world that has yet to hear the Good News.

In the first Christmas and each day thereafter, God gives us Presence. This year give that Presence to someone else.

Pastor Bonnie Gerber

November 2010

There seems to be a rash of bullying in America today. It’s nothing new, but a recent study says that one in three students are involved in bullying and been teased for being different.

In the past many had to deal with one big bully on the playground throwing his or her weight around. Today, bullying has taken the form of cyber-bullying, a tragic misuse of technology which spreads the hatred from one person to many instantly. The tragic consequence can be suicide. Fortunately, many people began speaking out against it by developing various anti-bullying campaigns late last month.

It happens to the best of us, at school and at work. It even happened to Jesus (Luke 4:14-30).
The people from Jesus’ hometown synagogue in Nazareth invited him to preach and teach one Sabbath. “He stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it he found the place where it is written, ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor…’”

After further remarks including his bold proclamation, “Today, this scripture [Isaiah 61:1-2] is fulfilled in your hearing,” Jesus was led out of the synagogue and the congregation drove him out of town. They were furious with him. “They took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him down the cliff.” Behind the people’s show of power is a motivation to silence Jesus, conform him to their perception of him (“Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked), and keep him in his place. Sounds pretty much like being bullied to me!

How did Jesus respond? “But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.”

Jesus’ confidence came from his calling and not from the varied opinions of others. He knew who God the Father had created him to be and what he was called to do. Nothing could sway him from his purpose, not even bullying from his hometown.

As followers of Christ, I believe Jesus’ response to bullying is instructive for us. When we face bullying we can walk away or walk through, trusting that our source of life is in God’s love and care for us and that we have a purpose in this life beyond this moment.

John put it this way, “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

David, who experienced bullying at the hands of the Philistines, wrote these words, “In God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortals do to me?” (Psalm 56:4).
Been bullied?

Take heart, dear friend. Be not afraid. Trust in God. God loves you and so do I.

Pastor Mike Weaver

October 2010

I own a pair of socks with the saying, “Hier stehe ich. Ich kann nicht anders” on them (thanks to Jack and Donna Folk, Jack and Char Rennoe and others who made a Germany trip this past summer).

“Here I stand; I can do none other. God help me” is a saying many have attributed to Martin Luther as he stood before the Diet of Worms (“diet” meaning a formal meeting, not a weight-loss plan, and Worms being a city south of Frankfurt) in 1521. Luther wanted to defend his teachings; the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V would accept only a recantation. Neither one got what he wanted.

All of us have convictions to which we adhere. These principles are the basis on which we stand and that help direct our lives. This was so for Martin Luther as he stood firm in his beliefs and his faith in God. This was also true for Charles V.

Sometimes what we stand firm in differs from that in which another stands firm. How do we live our lives, with integrity, never compromising our beliefs but always living by what God would impart to us?

We are entering a new era at All Saints. I am humbled and honored to be your lead pastor.

There is much ministry to be done, and it will take all of us, working together, to accomplish God’s mission for this body of Christ. We won’t always agree; we won’t always stand firm in the same convictions. But my hope and prayer is that we will always stand firm in our belief and hope in the resurrection of Jesus the Christ. Because in the end whether 2,000 years ago, 493 years ago (when those 95 Theses were posted in 1517), today and tomorrow the cross of Christ is really all that matters.

Pastor Bonnie Gerber

September 2010

Every pastor has heard the old joke, “Pastors only work on Sundays, and it takes two people to take up the offering!”  If that were only true!             

Growing up, I had no idea how the pastor of our church spent his time. I saw him only on Sundays for an hour leading worship. Our family was active in the church and fortunately didn’t encounter situations where we needed the pastor’s assistance throughout the week.  Even as I entered seminary, the question remained: “What do pastors do?” It wasn’t until my first year at Luther that I had a chance to shadow a pastor for a day. Then I was able to see what a particular day for a pastor is like. It was instructive. These days, if you’d ask Ethan, my 7-year-old son, he probably would say: “He goes to a lot of meetings, reads the Bible and talks to people.” He’s close but still a bit off.             

Bonnie and I are ordained into the ministry of Word and Sacrament. We are called to preach and teach the Word of God and administer the Sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper faithfully. To that end, we spend time preparing and teaching a Bible Study or other classes, preparing and delivering sermons, meeting with families and individuals about baptism and/or preparing and leading devotions at the beginning of a meeting. Paul’s description of his ministry in the First Century is apropos, “I have become its [the church] servant by the commission God gave me to present you the word of God in its fullness. … We proclaim him [Jesus Christ], admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ” (Colossians 2:25, 28).             

Beyond that, there are staff meetings and committee meetings to prepare and participate in, prayer to attend to on behalf of the congregation, people to visit, pre-married couples to instruct, administrative tasks to engage, staff to oversee and work with, weddings and funerals to officiate, individuals to counsel, e-mails to respond to, worship services to prepare, administrative responsibilities...and the list goes on and on. A typical week? I don’t think a pastor has a typical week.             

In addition to the work we do on behalf of All Saints, we meet with colleagues in the area for support, encouragement and study; and at times, the Southern Ohio Synod calls upon us to serve on a particular committee. The Synod also, at times, calls upon us to help other congregations. During my first call in Logan, Christ Lutheran in Athens was between pastors and therefore had no one to teach confirmation that fall. In order to help them, the bishop asked me to teach confirmation to the kids at Christ in addition to the work I was doing in Logan and Sugar Grove.             

Being a pastor isn’t an hourly job. We don’t clock in and clock out on a daily basis. It is a calling where we are “on” quite a bit of the time during a given week. We recognize that no matter where we go we represent Christ and his church at All Saints. We don’t take that responsibility lightly. (And yet, please note: We don’t work ourselves to death. Fridays are our day off, and we each use our vacation time to refresh and renew ourselves.)             

To what end? What is the bottom line for our work? Are we busy just to prop ourselves up or to earn a paycheck? Or is there a deeper reason why we do what we do? In the end we echo Paul’s words recorded above, “so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.”

We work in cooperation with God and all of you to be transformed into servants of Christ to make a difference in the world. 

Pastor Mike Weaver

July 2010

“May you see the face of Jesus in everyone you meet, and may everyone you meet see the face of Jesus in you.”

Traditional Celtic Prayer

I first heard this saying as a blessing given to a group of us who were on retreat together. It has been a word that was profound when I first heard it and has made me stop and ponder my actions many times since I’ve heard it.

What if all of us truly embraced this adage, that when we look at others we really see the face of Jesus in them? Would it be easier for others to see the face of Jesus in us if we treated them in such a way?

When my road rage or self-indulgence or just plain “me” thinking invades my life, I have a hard time seeing anyone at all. Since I’ve been blessed with this blessing I have tried harder to see others and to imagine Jesus in them. Amazingly, and it should be no surprise, my life has changed. Now, the sins that I’ve commit still rear their ugly heads but I try harder to see people differently than I did before. In trying harder to see others differently, I have seen myself differently as well. 

So here’s a Celtic blessing and prayer for you. May it bless your life as it has mine; may you see others in a new way; and may others see you the same.

Pastor Bonnie Gerber 

May 2010

One of Jesus’ resurrection appearances in the days following the first Easter Sunday was to Peter. The last time Peter had seen Jesus alive before the crucifixion, Jesus predicted Peter’s denial, which came to pass around a campfire. This one to one conversation could have been pretty tense. Imagine if Jesus, Lord of the universe and Savior of the world, came alongside you and said, “Let’s talk.” For many of us, we know that might not be pleasant. Peter may have felt the same way.

Three times, Jesus asks Peter, “Do you love me?” echoing the three times Peter denied him. No guilt trip. No wagging of Jesus’ finger in Peter’s face. No “shame on you Peter.” Only a simple question, “Do you love me?” What drew out of Peter in that moment was a resounding “Yes, you know that I love you.”

What would Jesus say to you?  If he looked you square in the eye and said, “Do you love me?” what would you say?

Love for God, which we call a life of faith, isn’t a simply a static belief in Jesus. Jesus didn’t ask Peter, “Do you believe in me?”  He asked, “Do you love me?” Love is relational. God is relational. Love is personal. Belief is static and impersonal. I can believe in something but have no relationship with it. But I can’t love something or someone without having a friendship and/or history with it.

 Loving God will show up in our lives. What emerges from a life reflecting a love for God is a life of service. Peter’s relationship with Christ is not only restored in that moment, he’s also sent out on a mission to “feed and tend” sheep, God’s people. 

Daily, like Peter, we are sent to serve. Out of love for God we become ambassadors for Christ in our homes, schools, workplaces, malls, cars … everywhere. We, like Peter may be taken to places where we might not wish to go (John 21:18), but we do so by God’s leading. Like Peter, we lead and we follow. We serve and are served. We bless and are blessed. 

May you, like Peter, find purpose in serving and a home in Christ’s community.

Pastor Mike Weaver

April 2010

“Be still, and know that I am God!”  Psalm 46:10a

This is one of my favorite Bible verses but also one of the most difficult for me to follow.  BE STILL!  How can I do that?  If God saw my calendar then there would be no question that I am “busy for the Lord.” Or am I just busy?

I have spent much time the past year thinking about all I do and trying to put perspective on doing and being. You see, God made us as human beings, not human doings so I have to rethink all my doing and begin a sense of being in the presence of God.

But I must confess it is very hard for me to sit silently and listen. The end result is usually that I fall asleep. But I’ve learned to give my rest over to God and be thankful because God can speak to us even in our sleep.

I also find that when I try to be still the cares of the world come down on me. Everything that I need to be doing, everything that I’ve neglected arises to take space in my quietude. 

Because of these thoughts rushing in my head when I am trying to be still, another lesson for me has been to give all these things to God. They are important, and if I give up on my quiet time and let the cares overtake me I have given in. Let them take their rightful place in your thoughts but don’t let them own you. Give them up and eventually you will find rest in God.

Further, this command to “be still” forces us to think about two things: that we are finite, and that God is infinite. We cannot know what the future holds, but we can know who holds the future. This spiritual calm, which God commands, does not come from a lack of troubles; it derives from a steady, deep reflection on the ways God has intervened in history on behalf of his people.

So as your world is crumbling around you, the call from Scripture is: Don’t flinch in faith in God. Stand still—not because of a self-made confidence, not because you are the most composed person in the face of disaster, not because “you’ve seen it all.” Be still because of what you know about God.

It is God’s past that provides calm for our future. Know that he is God! Know it, not merely intellectually, but practically, spiritually and emotionally. He is your God. He is the ruler of kingdoms of this earth and the all-powerful Creator of the Universe.

Be still and know that I am God!

Pastor Bonnie Gerber

March 2010

It’s been a couple weeks of apologies.

Toyota apologized to consumers in America and China for its wrongdoings, and Tiger Woods went public with his apology.

He broke his silence and came clean about his transgressions. Since, people have questioned his sincerity saying that his apology was contrived, robotic and too polished. Others said, “Look in his eyes. They show his remorse.”

No matter what our opinion is of his confession, at least the guy apologized and took responsibility for his transgressions. Do we?
Saying “sorry” is one thing, amending a life is another. Confession teamed with repentance is where it’s at. Let’s hope that Tiger’s recovery has the hard work of amending his life behind the words he shared with the world on Friday, Feb. 19. And I hope that it is the same with all of us too.

Last month, Lent began with an appropriately somber Ash Wednesday worship service. Before ashes were placed on our forehead, we made confession to God; said sorry for our misdeeds. We confessed our selfishness, grieving the Holy Spirit, unfaithfulness, pride, envy, hypocrisy, self indulgence, neglect of human need, indifference to suffering, negligence in prayer and worship, false judgments, uncharitable thoughts toward our neighbors, our lack of sharing Christ with others, etc., etc...

The risk in a worship service on Ash Wednesday, or any worship service for that matter, is that the written confession becomes only a recitation of the words provided for us. We fall into reciting words, but with no desire for change, for repentance of the ways of sin that draw us away from God and others and into our selfish selves. God indicted his Jewish people long ago with these words: “They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” If we’re honest, God could indict each of us for the same thing.
The Greek word for confession is, homologomen, literally meaning “to agree about something.” When we confess to God, we’re not simply saying the right words, we’re allowing God to examine us and pull out all of the defects of character within us. God reaches in and says, “Here’s some selfishness,” and we agree with God and make confession, “Yes, God, I have been selfish.” God doesn’t throw it in our faces; he removes, as the psalmist says our transgressions from us “as far as the east is from the west.”

Confession followed by repentance is hard work. It demands an honest evaluation of our lives, where we’ve hurt ourselves, others, and our relationship with God. But it is the only pathway towards healing, forgiveness and freedom.

Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me;
Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I’m about;
See for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong –
then guide me on the road to eternal life.
~David
(Psalm 139:23-24,
The Message)

Pastor Mike Weaver

February 2010

Pastor’s Page

“Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”       Matthew 28:16-20

In my sermon preached at the 9:30 and 11 a.m. worship services Jan. 17, I commented about the abundant use of water at the two baptisms celebrated at 9:30.  Water was everywhere.  The babies got wet; I got wet; my hymnal got wet; the parents and sponsors got wet; the font was wet (and was still wet at 11) … WET! 

One of the sponsors came up to me after the service and commented how significant it was for him, seeing and feeling the water.  He also remarked how good it must be to have the reminder of a wet hymnal, a reminder of all the baptisms that have splashed water on this book, a reminder of God’s grace poured out for all.

We are the walking wet.  We are the baptized who have been splashed by the living water and who are called to go out and get others wet, to show God’s love so that they can be splashed by God’s grace as well.  We are the baptized.  We are the walking wet. 

Do you remember the promises you made at your Affirmation of Baptism (Confirmation)?

“You have made public profession of your faith. Do you intend to continue in the covenant God made with you in holy baptism: to live among God’s faithful people, to hear the word of God and share in the Lord’s supper, to proclaim the good news of God in Christ through word and deed, to serve all people, following the example of Jesus, and to strive for justice and peace in all the earth?”  (“Evangelical Lutheran Worship, page, 236)

During Lent, we will focus on baptism and how we as baptized should live out our faith.  The theme is “Water for Your Soul: The Baptismal Plunge with Christ.”  Our Lenten theme is based on Glenn Borreson’s book, “Water for Your Soul: Living in Baptism Every Day.”  As we journey through Lent, we will look at Christ’s saving work in baptism. Come join us for worship on Sundays and Wednesdays.

Take the plunge!

Pastor Bonnie Gerber

January 2010

“For surely I know that plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

As 2009 has winded down to its historic end (there will never be a 2009 again) and 2010 begins, I find myself reflecting on what has been and what will be.

A year ago at this time, All Saints found itself in the midst of conflict, and unfortunately, a very tense annual meeting was yet to come. We had many discussions, offered prayers and made decisions.  We entered 2009 with cautiousness but with trust that God was moving us forward.  God was active in 2009 and will be in 2010.  He’s committed to us. 

2009 was, I believe, a turning point in our congregation’s history. We have accomplished much, and we head into 2010 with much more confidence than last year. We experienced focused, dedicated and skilled work by the Vision Task Force this year, which has set our course for the next five years, and I believe we healed hurts from the past this year. It’s a better day, and while there may be still be puddles around from past storms, the sun has emerged to dry things up and move us forward into a new year.

Among many, here are a few good things happening as we move forward:

• “The Story Unfolds,” a year-long theme, is under way in the traditional worship services.  We will look closely at the liturgical calendar and how important it is for telling God’s story through Jesus’ story and our own stories.
• Many people are involved with Read the Bible in a Year or the 52-Week Bible Reading Plan.
• Daily blogs from Pastor Gerber and myself on the Bible reading for the day (Read the Bible in a Year)
• The call process for a lead pastor moves forward.

Together, we build upon the vision, values, and mission of All Saints, guided by the Holy Spirit, to make a difference in this area for the sake of Christ.  Look around, God is at work.  See how the will of God is being done here as he moves us into the future he has in mind for us. 

Pastor Mike Weaver

December 2010

Have you ever noticed how much easier it is to come up with new and exciting ideas when you are willing to share the process and listen to what others bring to the table?  I am excited about the direction we are taking in the Traditional Worship services during the next year and the creative ways we can explore how God’s story intersects our own stories.

“Stories to Tell & Gifts to Share” is our theme for the year at All Saints, as we listen to God’s story and then tell our stories as they relate to what God has done for us. Our traditional worship services will reflect this idea for the next year with the overall worship theme “The Story Unfolds.”  The new liturgical year will begin Nov. 29, the first Sunday of Advent, and we will reflect on “The Story Begins.”  

During the liturgical year, from Advent to Pentecost, we will see how God’s story is told through Jesus’ life, ministry, death and resurrection. In Ordinary Time, the long “green season” after Pentecost, we will look at how we take the story out into the world. It is a deliberate effort to look at the church year and to realize that it is laid out in a particular order so as to see Jesus’ example for our lives and then to truly live that example.

During Advent, we will do what we usually do, sing Advent hymns, light the Advent Wreath, look at the preparation, waiting and anticipation of the arrival of the Messiah.  But this year we will also add something new to our worship time: a Gospel procession.  The Gospel procession is a congregational enactment of the story, of bringing the word into the midst of the gathered. 

At the time of the reading of the gospel, the pastor will go out into the aisle to read the lesson and the congregation is asked to turn toward the reader and the Bible. In the Gospel of John, we read that "the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us" (John 1:14). The same Jesus who came in the flesh to bring us life still comes into our midst through his Word. Reading Jesus’ very words from the center of the congregation reminds us of this truth. Our eyes observe the procession into the congregation's midst, and our ears hear the words of Jesus at a much closer proximity. All the while, however, our attention is directed to the wondrous truth that Jesus is with us in his word of truth.

The Gospel procession also conveys another message: The Church's mission is to take the Gospel into the entire world. As the procession moves into the midst of the congregation, the people of God are reminded that this word of life which they have the privilege of hearing must be taken beyond the walls of the sanctuary to the very ends of the earth. 

We also invite anyone who wishes bring his own Bible to worship.  We will read the entire Bible together throughout the year (to find a printable 52-Week Bible Reading Plan, click here).  At each service, we will have a blessing of the story, where we each will hold our own Bible in our hands to be blessed.  It is symbolic of the story we hold in our hands, blessed and lived out in our own lives.

Come to Advent to hear how The Story Begins and then continue to witness how The Story Unfolds.

Pastor Bonnie Gerber

November 2009

“… they shared everything they had.”

That has to make you smile.  If you’re a parent picking your son or daughter up from school or play date and the adult leader commented about the group of kids, “they shared everything they had,” you’d probably be proud, and rightfully so. You’d probably compliment your child on his or her sharing with others. Sharing is one of the first community-building activities that we teach our kids. 

While that phrase could be applied to how a group of kids cooperated, it’s actually a comment made by Luke about the First Century Christian church. God had to have been proud of his children. 

Luke writes “All the believers were one in heart and mind.  No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had” (Acts 4:32).  The first followers of Jesus that made up first Christian Church of Jerusalem weren’t wealthy compared to the Romans. From what we know, they were ordinary Jewish people who loved Jesus and loved each other. This love influenced them so much that they shared everything with others.  The first Christian community was built on the values of cooperation and generosity that we still teach our kids today.

A hundred years from now, I wonder if there will be a “Luke” somewhere that writes about All Saints.  Will he/she characterize our life together as one of shared vision and mission, mutual ministry, cooperation and abundant generosity.  How will our grandkids and their grandkids tell the story of All Saints Lutheran Church 2010?

Earlier this year our visioning task force recovered and articulated our five shared core values at All Saints. One of those is faithful giving. As we looked back over the more than 45 years of ministry, one way we’ve behaved as God’s children is that we’ve given faithfully.  We share our resources with ministries outside our walls and share our resources together to make an impact for Christ in our community, state, and around the world.  Thank you for your faithful giving. 

It goes without saying that we live in economically challenging times.  But please do not let financial pressures keep you from sharing with our community.  Fear has a way of making us possessive of our possessions. Live by faith not fear.  Faithful giving at times can be easy, but always it is a matter of faith. We can truly be faith full as we share everything we have with our community of faith. We don’t give to a budget, we give faithfully because we love God and love others. 

May the abundance and generosity of the Holy Spirit fill you with faith and love.

Pastor Mike Weaver

October 2009

“Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus.* ‘Teacher,’ he said, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ He said to him, ‘What is written in the law? What do you read there?’ He answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbour as yourself.’ And he said to him, ‘You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.’”                                                                                                                        Luke 10:25-28 

I am especially excited about two events coming up in my pastoral life, one of which this congregation will share and another for which I must travel.

The first will happen Sept. 27, when I will travel to Brush Creek Lutheran Church in Irwin, Pa., to preach at Pastor Pam Power’s installation service.  I met Pam and her husband, Graham, at All Saints seven years ago when they were in a new member class I was teaching.  Graham proposed to Pam in one of those classes, and later I officiated at their wedding.  I am a sponsor for their son Matthew and was present and preached at his baptism.  But the part of their life I find the most joyful is being around to see Pam’s faith growth and her discerning that God was calling her to be a pastor in the Church.  The journey was filled with joy and struggles, but Pam is now a pastor in God’s Church.  I am blessed to be one of her mentors and to share in this time with her.

The other event will be Oct. 18, when Pastor Tom Wolfe comes to All Saints to share in our stewardship campaign “Stories to Tell, Gifts to Share” by preaching at the traditional worship services.  Tom is my mentor and was my internship supervisor at Christ Lutheran Church in Bexley.  I learned many things from Tom about being a good pastor, but the most important lesson I learned was how important our relationships are with God, family, friends and even people we haven’t met yet. 

I value my relationship with both Pam and Tom, and I believe that God put them in my path to help me grow as a disciple.  The blessing of being a disciple of Jesus Christ is that we live in a cycle of learning and teaching along side of others, and we grow in our faith with them.

To God be the glory for the people I have met who have challenged me, taught me, nudged me and loved me into being what God would have me be.

Who are these people in your life?

Pastor Bonnie Gerber

July 2009

"I've got the power."

That's what my Vacation Bible School shirt says.  Right there on the left side of my chest, white letters on a fluorescent green. 

But ... before I get a big head, and begin to build my kingdom ... I look around and acknowledge all of our VBS shirts say the same thing.  They all say, "I've got the power."  We share the power.

God's design for the church is for us to share power – God’s power – and use that power to love and serve each other. 

We don't insist on our own way, boast, keep records of wrongs, delight in evil or fly off the handle.  Instead we humbly share power through kindness, humility, patience and forgiveness (1 Corinthians 13). 

It's not simply that the pastor or pastors, a group of leaders, a single leader, a long-time member, or the most vocal or most influential members who hold power.  God designed the church a different way.

The Spirit in all its fullness comes to each one of us in baptism.  God breathes on all of us equally.

But who’s in charge?

While we share the power, the source of our power is Jesus Christ.  Before his ascension Jesus said to the disciples, "All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples..."   (Matthew 28:18)  Jesus, who holds power over us, commands us to go.   We go and advance God's kingdom with boldness and graciousness.

Remember, we're all in this together.

Pastor Mike Weaver

 June 2009

“The miracle isn't that I finished.
The miracle is that I had the courage to start.”

                                                                                                  John Bingham

Courage is one of the virtues that when I see it in someone else I know what it is, but I am convinced I am not a courageous person. I believe this because I have been led to understand courage as being without fear, the absence of fear. Martin Luther King Jr. said that "Courage faces fear and thereby masters it." Courage isn’t the absence of fear, but it rather is our actions in the midst of fear.

Over the past year, I have made an attempt to learn how to live a healthy lifestyle. I had allowed “busyness” to take over my life, and my choices were reflected in that busyness. My spiritual life faltered, as did my physical and emotional well being. I am trying to lead a better balanced life for many reasons but especially so that I may remember that following God is central for me and not to allow stuff to get in the way.

In the midst of this learning I have chosen to set a goal for myself to run one mile by the middle of June. That may seem like such a minor goal for some, but for me it is a matter of being able to see myself as a runner and to accomplish the goal. It is facing the fear of not being able to finish and taking small steps to start so that I can accomplish what I’ve set out to do. It is envisioning me in a different way and then setting about to get there.

That’s what we are doing here at All Saints. We are envisioning ourselves as a part of the body of Christ and what we can become for God. It is seeing ourselves through God’s eyes and taking the steps to get there.  It will take courage, but as John Bingham says in his book, “The Courage to Start: A Guide to Running for Your Life:“ “The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.”

With God’s help and guidance, we will start and continue on an incredible journey together.

“Keep alert, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong. 
Let all that you do be done in love.”

                                                                                                        1 Corinthians 16:13-14 

Pastor Bonnie Gerber

May 2009

Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.

James

In his comments on this verse from James, J.A. Motyer writes, “James takes his gardening metaphor seriously.  Peace is the soil and those who make peace are the green-fingered gardeners.”  Thus, we are all gardeners.  We sow grace, mercy, kindness, humility, respect, unconditional love, patience, joy, etc. into the soil of peace.  The fruit, righteousness, is a life lived in a loving relationship with God and one another.

In our home, Jana’s the gardener. I’m woefully inadequate in this regard.

Some years ago, I planted tomatoes and corn in our backyard, and the harvest was quite poor.  Once I planted the seeds, I failed to tend to the plants and nurture their growth. The harvest just wasn’t there. Since then, I’ve been removed from my role in our household as gardener.  While I am inadequate in growing plants, I do want to do be an effective gardener sowing peace and growing healthy relationships.

As followers of Christ each of us are called to be peacemakers. Paul put it this way, “So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation. … All this is from God, who reconciled us himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.” 

The righteousness that is borne in our lives thanks to God translates into how we relate to others.  Crucified with Jesus on the cross were those negative qualities that destroy relationships. What remains are those qualities that enliven relationships: forgiveness, peace, sacrificial love, etc. Our lives mimic Jesus’ life of reconciliation by moving toward those with whom we’re in conflict.

I invite you to join me and others at All Saints on May 16 for a one-day “Blessed are the Peacemakers” seminar. Conflict happens – in our families, workplaces, and even in our congregation.  It’s not how often we face conflict, or if we face it at all, it’s how we face it that matters most.  Together as a congregation, we can learn when to overlook, how to confess and confront and what it really means to forgive one another and persevere in genuine and loving relationships.   

Psalm 133:1 reminds us that it is “good and pleasant when kindred live together in unity!”  Truly peaceful relationships produce righteousness.  If you are tired of fighting with the very people you love most in the world, if you are burdened by bitterness and resentment, if you simply need help to work through conflicts, I encourage you attend the seminar on May 16. 

See you there.  

Pastor Mike Weaver

April 2009

From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

2 Corinthians 5:16-21

What does Easter mean to you?

An empty cross, colored eggs, chocolate, resurrection, an Easter Bunny, spring, a new outfit, chocolate, baskets filled with candy, church, flowers, (did I mention chocolate?), celebration, marshmallow Peeps, family, trumpets, fake grass, reconciliation … reconciliation?

Central to Easter is reconciliation, the resumption of a healthy relationship, between God and human beings.  Paul urges the Corinthians to be reconciled to God through Jesus and then to share the ministry of reconciliation with others.  Reconciliation is the restoration of a relationship that once was broken by sin.  Because Jesus took on our sin, died on a cross and was raised from the dead, we can have a restored, reconciled relationship with God.  When our relationship to God is reconciled, we should want to be reconciled to others.

Reconciliation brings peace. Relationships need to be healed, and we need to forgive. But this isn't a process that we carry out on our own. God intercedes for us and participates with us to help us fulfill His will. Having been restored to a right relationship with God through Jesus, we can then, with the help of the Holy Spirit, be reconciled to each other.

This is a vital part of the message Jesus Christ preached to the people of he came in contact with and the message he sent to disciples out into the world to share. It is as timeless a message now as it was then.  We need reconciliation. We can be thankful that God allows us not only to experience it, but also to share it with others as God guides us to be reconciled and restored Easter people.

Pastor Bonnie Gerber

March 2009

“If a fellow believer hurts you, go and tell him – work it out between the two of you.  If he listens, you’ve made a friend.” - Jesus

Matthew 18:15, The Message

Gossip and rumors can be juicy. Sometimes, we may even rub our hands together thinking, “A-ha! I knew it. All my suspicions are verified.” Or we may be shocked and yet amazed by the rumor. We may even dwell on it in disbelief, just as we rubber neck at car accidents minor or major on the interstate as we drive by. Either way, rumors left unchecked and spread through a community can wreak havoc, destroying unity and increasing anxiety.

Unfortunately, some have spread various rumors and innuendos about All Saints during the past few months. It’s been troublesome and difficult. As we move together into the future God has planned for us, such behavior needs to cease.            

Some years after Jesus’ death and resurrection, Paul worked with a Christian congregation in Corinth struggling with division. He wrote, “For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be. … I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorder”(2 Corinthians 12:20).

In difficult times, it’s easy to talk around issues and people, instead of talking person to person. It’s easy to spread rumors and allow them to go unchecked. It’s much more difficult to approach people with questions, and yet, while it might be difficult, it is the path toward unity and peace. 

            So how do you handle a rumor when you hear one?  

• Do as God does. God, when he had difficulty with his people, said to them, “Come now, let us reason together…” (Isaiah 1:18) The division experienced between God and his people was too much. Someone had to make the first move. 
• Do as God teaches. Jesus’ counsel above encourages conversation between the one passing on the rumor/one offended and the other person at the heart of the rumor or with primary knowledge about the situation. Take a moment and check out the facts. If someone approaches you about a person or an event at All Saints, encourage them to bring it to the person in question, “It sounds like that is a concern for you. I would encourage you to talk to that person directly and find a resolution.” Maybe even offer to go with the person to talk with the other and check it out. Jesus’ wise counsel recorded in Matthew diffuses gossip and rumors by encouraging heart-to-heart conversation. The text note on this verse from Matthew in my study Bible indicates that Jesus gave this instruction “to protect the brother from the harm caused by gossip.”
• Don’t pass it on without checking it out yourself. As James writes, “The tongue is also a fire.” Many times holding your tongue is the best thing to do to stop the rumor from spreading. As Smokey the Bear says, “Only you can prevent forest fires” so is our life together, “Only you can prevent the spread of rumors.” 

Friends, we’re all in this together.  Be of courage and faith, approaching one another with humility and respect as children of the same living God and disciples of the same Lord who makes us one, Jesus Christ our Lord.

“Our conscience testifies that we have been conducting ourselves in the world, and especially in relations with you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God. We have done so not according to worldly wisdom but according to God’s grace."

Pastor Mike Weaver

February 2009

 “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.”  

Romans 12:15-18

Recently, at a funeral for one of our members Mary Pat (Gregory) Kington we ended the service by singing “Let There Be Peace on Earth.” 

Let there be peace on earth
And let it begin with me.
Let there be peace on earth
The peace that was meant to be.
With God as our father
Family all are we.
Let me walk with my family
In perfect harmony.

Let peace begin with me
Let this be the moment now.
With every step I take
Let this be my solemn vow.
To take each moment
And live each moment
In peace eternally.
Let there be peace on earth,
And let it begin with me.

Peace, God’s definition of peace, is not the absence of war but the presence of God. True peace comes when we can experience God in the midst of all the good and the bad that we encounter.  There is much that can take our focus away from God: the economy, conflict, hate, our own agendas, etc.  Paul writes, “If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.”

We are called, individually and communally to seek God and create peace. Creating peace is not to deny what is happening but to find a way, in the midst of it, to be able to continue to live as brothers and sisters of Christ, children of the same heavenly Father and workers TOGETHER in the Kingdom of God.

Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.

Pastor Bonnie Gerber                                                                             

January 2009

It was bad. I mean, really bad. It had not rained in three years. Famine was widespread.

 And you thought our financial crisis has been bad? Think again.

 Enter Elijah. After a dramatic encounter with the prophets of Baal, he said to King Ahab, “Go, eat, and drink, for there is the sound of heavy rain?” What?! Heavy rain? Where? Outside there was beautiful sunshine and a cloudless sky. 

Elijah then climbed Mount Carmel with his servant, “Go and look toward the sea [the Mediterranean],” he told his servant.  And the servant went up and looked. 

“There is nothing there,” he said.

Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.”

(Hold on a second. I’d be thinking, “What are you crazy, Elijah?  I’m wasting my time. There is nothing out there except blue skies, dry land and an ocean! It never changes.”)

The seventh time the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea.”

So Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’ ”

Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the winds rose, and heavy rain came on…

1 Kings 18:41-45

As God's people, we have hope. The recession and our financial insecurities will never have the last word. The future is in God's hands.

Maybe we’re crazy. We dare to focus on what might be instead of worrying about what is. Like Elijah our faith informs us that with God nothing is impossible. 

Consider Moses who “regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.  By faith he left Egypt not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.”  (Hebrews 11:26-28).  Ah-hem … “he saw him who is invisible.” Then consider Jesus who said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all of these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). Living by faith is seeking and seeing the invisible.   

God never gives up on us.  The incarnation of Christ that we celebrate reminds us that God is all grace, all love, all the time.  During this recession, may your faith give you hope, perspective, and eyes to see what is yet unseen. 

Pastor Mike Weaver

December 2008

We enter the Advent season. This is a time of anticipation and expectation of things to come, leading us to a joyous celebration of the incarnation. Advent is a time when we prepare to celebrate Christmas by lifting up the promise of hope, peace, joy and love. However, this is about more than Jesus coming into the world many years ago. It is also about the promise that Jesus will come again! When we declare the "mystery of faith" in the Great Thanksgiving, we express something vital and fundamental to our faith. "Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again."

Lee Strobel makes this statement after researching for his book The Case for Christmas:

"Yes, Christmas is a holiday overlaid with all sorts of fanciful beliefs, from flying reindeer to Santa Claus sliding down chimneys. But I became convinced that if you drill down to its core, Christmas is a historical reality - the incarnation: God becoming man, Spirit taking on flesh, the infinite entering the finite, the eternal becoming time-bound. It's a mystery backed up by facts that I now believed were simply too strong to ignore." (p. 90)

To put it another way, Charlie Brown is struggling with Christmas. He can't get the kids to do the program correctly. He's adopted a puny tree which causes the other kids to ridicule him. When it seems like all is lost, Linus takes the stage and relates the Christmas story from Luke 2.

Just when it seems that Israel was losing its national identity and its religious practice was being imposed on … Almighty God shows up!
The angels freak out lowly shepherds.
A star drags Eastern mystics to Bethlehem.
An odd prophet came preaching.
The King of kings and the Lord of lords was crucified.
A grave was emptied by the resurrection.
The world was forever changed.

Whether it is theologically sophisticated or child-like simple, the transforming power and love of God needs to be especially present during this season. This is what the season is about. Let us prepare for the great celebration of Christmas. Let the strength of our commitment to Jesus as Lord and Savior shine through us for all to see this season. Let us look forward to God's future for all of us.

Blessed Christmas!

Pastor Bonnie Gerber

November 2008

“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”

                                                                                                            Paul (Romans 12:18)

Over the past few weeks and months, All Saints has been through a time of conflict.  While not widespread across the entire congregation, there has been conflict which precipitated the Listening Post and its subsequent recommendations which, by now, I assume you have read.  It’s time to move forward into God’s preferred future for All Saints.  Together, not separate.  It’s time to heal relationships and find common ground among us for the sake of our higher calling as a congregation, to share the good news of Jesus Christ with the world. 

There are various reasons why Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome, some theological and some relational.  Theologically, Paul emphasized that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.  Relationally, he explained how we live together as a community rooted in Christ.  It’s this relational aspect that I believe speaks to our situation here at All Saints.  In the first century church in Rome, those who gathered were from different backgrounds and points of view.  Some came from a Jewish background, and others converted to Christianity as Gentiles from Roman religions.  Some of the Jewish Christians were being rejected by a larger group of Gentile Christians there.  Paul needed to address this concern.  He did so by reminding them that the church is a place where people of different backgrounds, gifts and points of view live together unified under Christ. Jesus Christ sets the tone for how we behave and relate with one another.  Nothing that we bring to the table unifies us and dictates our behavior other than Jesus Christ. 

As we consider our life together at All Saints, I hope that each one of us take to heart Paul’s instruction.  We are not responsible for the behavior and the decisions others make.  We are responsible for ourselves and our choices, hence Paul’s words, “as far as it depends on you.”  Since we are responsible for our own behavior, we mimic that of Jesus living at peace with everyone.  Not only those people we like or who agree with our point of view. Everyone.  I’m not saying we “sweep the past under the rug”, or “ignore it and go on” or “forget it and move on.”  Absolutely not.  We cannot forget the past, but we must not let it dictate our behavior today and in the future.  Together, we move peacefully into the future, with intention, by God’s direction.   

Conflict in any relationship and any organization happens. But as Drs. Les and Leslie Parrot wisely council: “Conflict is the price we pay for a deepened sense of intimacy.”  True community happens where Christ’s peace reigns once we’ve weathered the storms together. 

Pastor Mike Weaver

October 2008

And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”  Matthew 28:18-20

After the resurrection, Jesus caught up with the disciples and continued to give them instructions.  We see this is the words of the Great Commission in Matthew.  It is full of actions and direction: go, make, baptize, teach and remember.  We, like the disciples, are called to action in the world, not just to those closest to us but to all nations.

But even though the Great Commission gives us clear action words we sometimes get stuck in knowing where to begin.

Jesus answered, The first is, "Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind and with all your strength." The second is this, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these.   Mark 12:29-31

The Great Commandment helps us see where to begin. We begin by loving: That’s it. We begin by loving God and loving others as ourselves. 

We are a people of the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. Our mission is about loving and serving. We love God best when we love and serve others.

May we as children of God continue to do what we have been blessed and called to do, love God and love others.

Pastor Bonnie Gerber

September 2008

“Give careful thought to your ways…”
                                                                                                                God, (Haggai 1:7)

God’s direction to us to look at our lives may seem like a no-brainer to us. Of course we are giving careful thought to our ways. The state of our economy right now, with high gas prices, rising food prices, unemployment, etc., has pushed us to examine how we spend our time and our money. A careful examination of our lives is healthy and necessary in good times and in bad. 

But God’s directive to the people through Haggai had nothing to do with a response to a lagging economy. It had everything to do with a crumbling temple. In the sixth century, after nearly 200 years of exile, the Jewish people were allowed to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their temple. Tens of thousands returned and worked diligently to rebuild the foundation to the temple, but opposition from enemies halted the work until after 520 B.C. Inactivity created a lethargic people concerned mostly with their own lives and not with the life of the community focused on the temple. God called the people to action …

Give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored … You expected much, but see it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the Lord Almighty, “because of my house which remains in ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house.”                                                                                                                                                                                                           (Haggai 1:7-9)

                                                                                                                                           

God challenged all of the Jewish community to be involved in the rebuilding of the Temple. In Haggai’s day it represented God’s reign and activity in the world. It was the premier sacred space/place for the Jewish people for hundreds of years. It was a visual reminder, a witness, to the other nations that the Jewish still cared and remained in a vital relationship with the living God. Did the people care about God or did they simply care about the state of their finances, the state of their households?            

It takes all of us at All Saints to continue this mission God has called us into. The state of the economy may turn us inward on ourselves in a fearful survival mode. God lifts us from our self-concern to the continued concern of the mission of God in Christ in this world. Our life as a community of Christ at All Saints reminds the wider community that God remains alive and well. God continues to work and has called us all to a cause beyond ourselves: Share the good news of Jesus Christ, make disciples, and give glory to God. As we do so together, we move into the future with God. ‘Give careful thought to your ways’ searching for your important role within All Saints’ overall mission.

We’re in this together.

Pastor Mike Weaver

July/August 2008

The fundamental principle in Kairos Prison Ministry International is “Listen; Listen; Love; Love.”  This principle is among the first you learn when asked to work on a team that will go into the prisons to bring the love of Christ to those who are incarcerated.

The first thing we are called to do is LISTEN: listen to God and listen to the men and women who make a Kairos weekend. We are not to judge them or to ask why they are in prison.  We are just to listen to them and allow them the opportunity to share what they need to build a better relationship with God.

The second thing we are to do is LISTEN! It sounds a little redundant, but that is because many of us need to be reminded how important listening can be to another human being. We don’t cut them off; we don’t try to solve their problems; we don’t try to do anything for them but listen. 

After we’ve listened, the third thing we do is LOVE. No judging, no correcting, no preaching, just loving. We let them know that the grace of God is abundant and extravagant and for them. What a message this is to give people who often feel rejected and abandoned. There are no strings attached. We simply love them.

Finally, we love them more. In the body of Christ we are called to “love our neighbors as ourselves.” This double dose of love isn’t just what we give to them but a reminder to all of us that we are about the love of Jesus Christ. We are about the mission of Jesus to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.”

Jesus never said the mission would be easy, nor did he say we would never disagree. He did say: ‘This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” Jesus never said that loving each other would be easy. He told us to love each other anyway.

During this transitional time at All Saints “Listen, Listen, Love, Love” would be a good fundamental principle for each of us to adopt. We can take the time to look one another in the eye and acknowledge each other as the body of Christ. When we stop listening to and loving each other, we bring about the sin of the church, the separation of relationship with each other that ultimately results in our separation from God, which is the definition of sin. That is why we say these words each Sunday: “We confess that we are captive to sin and cannot free ourselves. We have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. For the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, have mercy on us. Forgive us, renew us, and lead us, so that we may delight in your will and walk in your ways, to the glory of your holy name. Amen.”

We believe in a merciful God who forgives us our sins and helps us to live in community with one another, even when we don’t agree. 

May our gracious and merciful God help us to “Listen, Listen, Love, Love” so that no one feels left out of the body of Christ.

Pastor Bonnie Gerber

June 2008

How good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity.

                                                                                                                           Psalm 133:1

Last fall, some guys from All Saints ran the rapids on the Upper Gulley River in West Virginia. As we approached the first class-5 rapid (class 5 is the highest degree of difficulty in whitewater rafting; class 6 is a waterfall) of the day – nicknamed “Insignificant” – our guide reminded us to listen to her commands and stay in sync with one another. This was my third time on this river. I thought to myself, “No worries; we’ll be fine. I’ll be ok.” 

Within the first few minutes of the rapids, four of us fell out of the boat, including yours truly, leaving fewer than half of the guys in the boat to get it safely through the rapid. After plunging head first into the chilly water and losing a shoe in the process, I surfaced and could see the boat just ahead of me. I swam as hard as I could toward the boat but still felt like a Dixie cup being tossed about in the waves and current. The guide did her level best to get us back in, but we realized that we had to run the class 5 on our own. Needless to say, it was one of the most harrowing adventures I’ve had in my life. Memorable? Yes. Fun? No. Once we got through “Insignificant,” we were pulled into the boat, and we all took deep sighs of relief. Everyone was safe, and we were together again.

As we transition through pastoral changes, it’s important that we remain unified around our Savior. Christ is our guide, and we must listen to him together. He’s been down this river before and knows what direction we need to head through the rapids. We’ve encountered a few rapids already, and there are probably more to come. The rapids we face today in the transition are significant, but together we can move through them.   

We must not toss anyone out of the boat out of anger. And, should someone get tossed out involuntarily, we need to focus our energies on getting them back in. This transition holds risks, no doubt. But, together, we’ll make it through to calmer waters.

Remember, we’re in this together. Let’s pray for one another.

Thanks for reading. 

Pastor Mike Weaver

May 2008

Editor's note: Pastor Glenn M. Zorb accepted a call from Mountain View Church in Phoenix, where he will begin his tenure as senior pastor in June. This is his final note "from the Pastor's Desk" at All Saints.

It is hard to believe this is the last time I will be writing to you in this space.

When I was called to serve as your senior pastor a little over 10 years ago, I knew the future would be exciting, challenging and full of unknown adventures. I feel the same as I write this article, but I have many other emotions, as well.

It is hard, indeed painful, to say goodbye to people you love, regardless of how or when it occurs. Sue and I obviously face new adventures in Phoenix, and All Saints also faces new adventures. I will have to build a pastoral team at Mountain View and get to know what is needed to grow disciples in the “Valley of the Sun”, as people call Phoenix. It will take time and the help of the entire congregation to shape where we go and, just as importantly, how we get there. I pray All Saints will do the same. I would encourage you to work closely with Congregation Council to develop a shared vision of the model of leadership best for All Saints and only after doing that, start a search process to call a pastor or pastors to All Saints to lead.

One insight I can give you after being asked to interview with a number of large congregations across the country: Almost every single one has decided, after losing one good pastor after another to health issues, stress, depression or burn out, that they need to change the model they have been using for pastoral leadership. Most of the churches were originally built or grown by one gifted leader who served as both the leader and the administrator, and they are now moving to a model in which one pastor is the Senior or Lead pastor responsible for visioning, worship and spiritual direction (i.e. the big picture) and a second pastor is the Administrative pastor who handles much of the day-to-day administration. Don’t take from this that I am burned out or dying of some stress-related illness. As I have told several of you, I am far from depressed, I am more a carrier of depression: I give it to those around me!

I thank all of you for 10 wonderful years of shared ministry, and I invite you to join me in Phoenix whenever you get tired of shoveling snow! It may be hot in the summer, but you don’t have to shovel heat!

In Christ,
Pastor Glenn M. Zorb

April 2008

“But Peter got up and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in,
he saw the linen cloths by themselves;
then he went home, amazed at what had happened.”    

Luke 24.12

Does anything amaze us these days? When we see the sunrise, a full moon, a baby, the seasons changing, flowers in bloom or snow melting, do we stand in awe? Or have we become so busy with stuff that we take for granted all of the wonderful things happening in our presence, like Easter and the resurrection of Christ.

Ann Weems has written a book "Kneeling in Jerusalem" that is a collection of her poems. One of her works is the following:

Amazed

The people who heard Jesus were repeatedly amazed.
Are we today so sophisticated that we are immune to amazement?
Can we know that he was crucified,
Goodness, Compassion and Love nailed upon the tree,
and go about our business of preparing Easter dinner?
Can we know that he arose from the dead
and walked the earth
and ate and spoke with his followers
and sit unamazed in the pew
as though we cannot hear the WORD OF GOD?
O God of Jesus the Christ,
the amazing thing
is our lack of amazement
in the face of your AMAZING AMEN!

May God’s Spirit so move in us that we are once again amazed this Easter, standing in awe at the empty tomb and speechless in wonder as we experience the relationship our Amazing God wants to have with us. Christ is risen!  Alleluia!

Pastor Bonnie Gerber

March 2008

During the first week of our visit to India, the local authorities in Guntur wanted to know who we were and why we were there. On Wednesday afternoon, each of us had to fill out a form giving them information about our identities and the purpose of our visit. It seems that during our trips around town we stuck out as westerners.

As we walked down the streets in India, we could tell on sight who was Hindu, Muslim or Buddhist, mostly by the way the person dressed and what was on his or her face. Christians, however, remained inconspicuous. There really isn’t anything that distinguishes Christians visually from the rest of Indian society. Christian men and women wear the same types of clothing as other Indians.

It’s the same in America. We don’t have outward signs that indicate we are Christians. The sign is inward. Our relationship with Jesus Christ changes our behavior, our perspective, our belief, our life … identity seen only by observation and listening. Jesus didn’t institute a uniform. He gave us the cross, He gave us Himself, so that He is seen through our lives.

Jesus says, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me” (Matthew 11:29). As followers of Christ, we work in partnership with Christ in this world allowing grace to flow through us to others. We learn the best way to live from Christ Himself. If we’re living as Christ in today’s world, we’ll stick out.

Jesus says, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” Like Jesus, we are cross bearers in the public. It’s deeper than wearing a cross or engaging in religious practices. As cross bearers, we engage in this world with humility, self-sacrifice, commitment and love for all people. We share the life of Christ with those around us. Like Christ, we’re willing to sacrifice our ambitions, plans and comfort for the sake of our friends and enemies around us. 

What distinguishes Christians in every culture around the globe is lifestyle, not dress. It’s been that way since the beginning of the Christian movement in the first century. For those of us who call ourselves Christians, we need to ask ourselves, do we stick out in our neighborhoods as followers of Christ by our cross- and yoke-bearing lifestyles? Or, do we blend in with most people we meet by adapting thoughts, beliefs, values and behavior of the majority? As America becomes increasingly religiously plural (maybe not to the extent as India, but clearly plural), the true yoke and cross bearers after Jesus will stand out. 

As we journey through life together as Christ’s community, may we encourage each other to be cross and yoke bearers for sake of the good news of Jesus Christ, so that people begin to wonder what’s gotten into us.  

Pastor Mike Weaver

February 2008

From the Pastor’s desk,

Who are we kidding with that greeting? You and I both know this comes from my computer, not my desk!

Those of you who have gotten to know me over the past 10 years (as of mid- March it really will be 10 years!) know that I am an analytical theologian who is always asking questions. Why does the Bible text say this or that? Why did Matthew or Mark write this? What is God trying to tell us in this passage? The faith journey to me is an adventure because I firmly believe God wants us to use our brains, not park them at the door when we enter the house of worship.

So here is my question for you: What is the ultimate question in life? Now, since I’m a pastor some of you are probably thinking it has to be something like, “Does God exist?” Since somewhere between 95 and 98 percent of  Americans agree on the answer to that one, I don’t think it is highly debatable. I would argue that the chief question of our age and every age deals with the meaning of human existence: "Why do I exist?"

Rick Warren sold millions of books about “The Purpose-Driven Life,” so we shouldn’t be too surprised. Our lives can be divided into two factors: the means by which we live, and the ends for which we live. The faith journey is largely about the second factor. I encourage you to join us this Lenten season and be challenged by the scriptures to find a cause worth living for.  Being honest, most of us in the Worthington area have plenty to live on or with, what we often lack as a clear sense on what to live for. 

Of all the people I have visited on their death beds, I have yet to hear one person tell me they wished they had worked harder, spent more time in the office or accomplished more. I have sadly heard many say, “I wish I had spent more time with my wife/husband/kids/family/ friends or Lord. Finding a balance between these two factors of the means we live by and the ends we live for is the key to a truly rich life! 

In Christ,
Pastor Glenn Zorb

January 2008

 “But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write in on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer shall they teach one another or say to each other, 'Know the Lord,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sins no more."

                                                                                                               Jeremiah 31:33-34

When I was 16 years old, I lived in Brazil for a year as an exchange student. Brazil is the only country in South America where the people do not speak Spanish; they speak Portuguese.

Not knowing any Portuguese before I went meant I would be learning the language there among the people. Hindsight allows me to understand that living the language is the best way to learn a new language.

I also had some very good advice a few months into my stay. I was told by a wise man that I wouldn't’t really learn the language until I allowed my mind, my heart, my world to be consumed by the language to the point that even my dreams would be in Portuguese. Instead of seeing a tree in English and then translating in my mind, I needed to see a tree in Portuguese. He was right.

When my mind became focused on living this new language it seemed as if the language was written on my heart, and I knew better what I wanted to say. I was freed up to really enjoy the experience and to live fully in the moment instead of always translating. I really learned to live in the joy of not always understanding but living anyway.

Being a servant is much the same as learning a new language. We must live the experience not just learn about it. Being a servant should become a way of life and not something we translate in the moment. We ask the question, “Is now a good time for me to serve?” when the question should always be, “How can I serve now?”

When being a servant becomes a part of who we are, when it becomes written on our heart so that we are always living the life of a servant, then we will be transformed into a servant. And we will never ask the question when is the right time to serve because we will always serve God by serving others.

Clear your mind and your heart of worldly issues, and focus on God and others. Live the language of being a servant and then go and serve.

Pastor Bonnie Gerber

December 2007

Umami (n) [Japanese]—delicious, yummy.

On Nov. 5, National Public Radio aired “Sweet, Sour, Salty, Bitter…and Umami,” a piece that caught my attention.

For thousands of years, since the time of Democritus, Plato, and Aristotle, the commonly held belief has been that human beings have four tastes: sweet, sour, salty and bitter. Even in the 19th century, scientists discovered taste buds on the tongue and confirmed that yes, Virginia, we do only have four tastes.

Not so fast, partner. French chef Auguste Escoffier invented veal stock and discovered that it had a brand new taste that could not be classified in the four. It was, as Jonah Lehrer points out, considered “the best food you’ve ever tasted in your life.” Scientists tasted Escoffier’s stock, and while thinking it delicious, recognized that they too could not classify the taste. They concluded it was all in the head.

About the same time, Japanese chemist Kikunae Ikeda discovered a taste beyond classification, while eating a bowl of dashi, a classic Japanese soup made from seaweed. His curiosity piqued, he began to investigate this taste and uncovered the secret: L-glutamate, common to many vegetables, cheeses and meats. It is, Ikeda claimed, the fifth taste (the same sort as in Escoffier’s stock). He named it “umami” which means “delicious” or “yummy” in Japanese. Still, scientists denied it.

Journalist Robert Kruwich continues: “Almost 100 years after Escoffier and Ikeda, a new generation of scientists took a closer look at the human tongue and discovered, just as the two had insisted, that yes, there is a fifth taste. Humans do have receptors for L-glutamate and when something is really, really yummy in a non-sweet, sour, bitter, or salty way, that’s what you taste. ... It’s in the textbooks now, and scientists decided to call this “new” taste, in Ikeda’s honor, umami.”

Here’s why this story caught my attention: It reminds us that artists and others sometimes discover or sense something outside of our norm that scientists haven’t noticed or conclude isn’t true. This has been the contention of every Christian since science and humanism moved into the mainstream during the Enlightenment.

Christian, have no fear of scientists, atheists or agnostics who say that there probably isn’t a God. God is ... our senses are right. There are facts to back it up. No worries: They said the same thing about umami.

During Advent, we immerse ourselves in the hope of Christ’s second coming again, and Christmas reminds us that the Prince of Peace was born for us. When Christ returns, everyone will understand. Until then, we proclaim our hope, love others as ourselves, love and trust God and taste and see that the Lord is umami through Word and Sacrament.

Pastor Mike Weaver

November 2007

Thanksgiving Day (Thursday, Nov. 22) many of us will gather in the sanctuary at 10 a.m.  to give thanks for the abundance of our blessings.

We have much to be thankful for, but we will finish the service in less than an hour. Most of us will head off for family gatherings, football games and feasts at which we will overeat and convince ourselves that we’ll start getting back to our exercise and diet routines, “tomorrow.”

What will you be most grateful for? Good health? Good fortune? A great family? I know Sue and I are looking forward to seeing Brian and Julie home with us for a few days, along with some other family members and friends. Thinking of giving thanks caused me to think: What do we have to give thanks for as a congregation?

Some amazing facts about All Saints you may not know:

• Our 10 best years in worship attendance have come in the past 10 years.
• We are in the top 1 to 2 percent of ELCA congregations in the country in almost every impartial measurement: membership, worship attendance, total giving, benevolence giving, etc.
• We are blessed with a deepest and most skilled staffs of any church.
• In the past 10 years, we have cut our debt load to less than half of what it was 10 years ago. At the same time, we have added staff, increased worship attendance, installed a new pipe organ and spent more money to support mission projects beyond our doors, than almost any Lutheran congregation in the state. And we did all this while the population base in Worthington was declining, according to a report in the “Worthington News,” U.S. Census Bureau data confirms that Worthington’s population declined 7.3 percent since 2000, and the population has aged as well.

Now, don’t waste much time patting yourself on the back: God has a great future in store for us!  I firmly believe our best and most challenging years are ahead of us. If we give thanks for anything as a congregation, it should be to give thanks for having such a great and gracious God leading us! May your Thanksgiving be joy filled and may your future be even better!

In Christ,
Pastor Glenn M. Zorb 

October 2007

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:19-20

This command, the Great Commission, seems like an easy task … make disciples. At All Saints we recognize how important it is, because we’ve included this in our Mission Statement:

All Saints strives to: Give glory to God; share the good news of Christ; and encourage growth in faith and discipleship.

Another interesting piece of information about discipleship comes from an article by Anthony B. Robinson, “The renewed focus on discipleship: ‘Follow Me’ ” from the Sept. 4, 2007, issue of “The Christian Century.”

He states: “The word disciple appears 269 times in the New Testament, and the word Christian shows up a scant three times. So notes Dallas Willard, who declares that the church today has inverted that emphasis: being a Christian in many churches does not necessarily entail being a disciple – a student, follower, or apprentice of Jesus.”

Has the Church changed the emphasis of following Jesus? Being a disciple of Jesus is hard work and is very demanding. In fact Jesus says in Luke 14:27: “Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”

We’ve even watered this down by referring to every affliction we have as “carrying our cross.” To Jesus a cross was not a mere inconvenience of the fleshly life. The cross was an instrument of suffering and death.

People who carry crosses end up dying on the very cross they carry. Carrying a cross is not a path to glory and personal reward. It is demanding and not for the faint-hearted. Jesus is seeking committed followers, those who are willing to pick up their cross and follow Him. Because, you see, we cannot follow Jesus; we cannot pick up the weight of the cross, if our hands and if our hearts, are full of our own agenda.

Lord, I want to be your disciple. Help me to be a student, a follower, a devoted cross bearer. Take my stuff from me, and help me to focus on you. When I fall, pick me up. Mold me to be more like you. Amen.

Pastor Bonnie Gerber  

September 2007

“He has showed you what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God .”

Micah 6:8

“If I had to travel over a thousand miles to hear Will Peters speak, then I would do it. I was inspired. I’m glad I came.” said one participant during our recent Pine Ridge Mission Trip.           

Thirty-three people from All Saints journeyed to southwest South Dakota near the Black Hills to serve among the Lakota people living on the Pine Ridge Reservation. The Lakota are part of the Oglala Sioux nation whose two famous historical leaders are Crazy Horse and Chief Red Cloud. However, given the feedback from the group, one of the most influential leaders on the Pine Ridge today is Will Peters, high school teacher and former Tribal Council member.

Will has lived on the reservation since his birth and is proud to call himself a Lakota. One evening during our trip, he spoke to our group about the stark reality of life on the reservation today with its joys and struggles, and how the Lakota got where they are partly because of the current and historic U.S. government policies.

Our group from All Saints left Pine Ridge Aug. 4 with a greater sense of empathy for the Lakota people, a satisfaction for work completed, deepened relationships with others within the group and, hopefully, a deeper sense of working for justice on behalf of the poor in our nation.  Painting a house, spending a few hours each day for three days or assisting the construction of a permanent ministry at Pine Ridge doesn’t turn the tide of a host of difficulties facing the Lakota today, but it is at least a step in right direction. 

We need not pity the Lakota. We are no better than they; we just have different opportunities, live in a different culture, and live in a different place. Pity is useless. Empathy gains friends and leads toward permanent, creative solutions. There are glimmers of hope at Pine Ridge. The men are warriors; the women are strong; and they are deeply spiritual.  People and places like Red Cloud Indian School, run by the Roman Catholic Church; the 555 Ministry in White Clay, Nebraska; the aforementioned Will Peters; and Pastor Larry Peterson (a Lutheran pastor working with Habitat for Humanity) are just a few organizations and people making strides to assist the Lakota to being truly a sovereign, strong people within the United States.

God is good and faithful to bring justice to the oppressed. The oppressed live in Columbus and Pine Ridge. May you and I mercifully work together to do as the Lord asks of us.

“Seek justice, encourage the oppressed,
defend the cause of the orphan, plead the case of the widow.”

Isaiah 1:17             

Together with you in Christ,
Pastor Mike Weaver

Traditional: 8:15, 9:30 and 11 a.m.

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