Pastor Nancy's February/March 2018 Message
Dear Lord, help us grow in our faith, and grow in our love for others. Use us to help others experience what it is like to be part of the body of Christ, committed to following God’s mission. Amen. Let’s keep praying this prayer!
Recently, a wonderful husband and father died. Not a dry eye in the service of over 200 people. It is not a secret that he took his own life. I bring this up because someone said, “Perhaps one way to honor the memory of people who are so sad that they take their own lives is to renew our commitment to be a community of people who truly care about each other.”
Suicide is a complex issue. Dianne Heapy teaches a course called QPR which stands for Question, Persuade and Respond. Heapy is the first to say that there are times when we are helpless. She also teaches in this class that there are ways we can help. Dianne will teach this class in the next few months. Watch for details.
One mom grabbed two pre-teens and told them, “Kids, whenever you feel really sad about anything, promise me you will talk with someone about it, OK?”
We have what the world needs. We have a call from Jesus to be a beloved community who invites, cares, prays, loves and receives forgiveness!
The season of Lent begins with Ash Wednesday on Valentine’s Day. What an interesting mix of symbols. One way to view this is that out of supreme sacrifice (death) and the ashes of death, we claim that something good came out of the tragedy: resurrection and new life!
During Lent we are asked to journey with Christ who eventually loved so much that others had him killed. Let us renew our commitment to journey with Christ this Lenten season. Part of this journey is alone and part of it is with community.
ALONE: Please make sure you get your Lenten devotional booklet. There is one for kids and one for adults. If you can’t come to weekly Lenten services, have your devotional time alone or with a loved one at home as often as you can in these weeks before Easter.
IN COMMUNITY: During Lent, followers of Jesus are asked to journey together. On Ash Wednesday, we will say, ‘I forgive you, will you forgive me?” We begin our journey dying to self. We believe that out of death comes new life. To honor those who found life so miserable, that they ended up taking their lives, let us recommit to watching out for one another. Who is sad in your life right now? If it is you, promise me that you will reach out and ask for help.
Is it a neighbor, friend, acquaintance? Reach out in a variety of ways including:
Pray for the person!
Ask this person to come to worship with you on Sunday mornings and Wed. evenings during Lent
Use the healing prayer sheet handed out on Sundays Jan 28 and Feb. 4. Pray using this sheet as a guide.
Let us be a community who truly cares for each other.
Love in Christ, Pastor Nancy
Message from Pastor Nancy
Advent, Christmas and New Year Greetings to all,
On Sunday December 3 Advent begins, a time when we consciously prepare for the birth of Christ. Devotional books are available at church for adults and children. Remember Christ every night during these days before Christmas by having time at home in prayer and sharing. Aim to do so and see how God works.
Why do we celebrate the birth of Christ? “It is in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for,” Ephesians 1:11, The Message. So we take time to worship Christ the newborn king on December 24. Note: There is no worship at 8:30 am on Dec. 24. Christmas Eve candlelight worship will be at 3:00 & 11:00 pm. Each service ends with singing Silent Night. Our job is to share the light of Christ with the world.
Planning Ahead: Cross Generational Service Learning Trip to Willmar, MN in July or August, 2018 Possibility July 27-29 or Aug 3-5 or Aug 10-12, 2018
This trip is not in stone yet. Pastor Ron Hanson is talking with people at Willmar area churches to see if they could provide a weekend of service and learning about cross-cultural awareness, homelessness, poverty and more. We would experience how Willmar has embraced their Hispanic and Somalian neighbors. Our service could be carpentry, Vacation Bible School assistance or a variety of other tasks.
Prayerfully consider if you would like to attend. Hoped for outcomes of a trip like this include participants saying: “I more appreciate all I have after I’ve lived with those with less. I loved getting to know people of all ages from Messiah and Willmar as we worked together. I hope to nurture the new relationships. The trip changed my life. I know Jesus calls me to walk alongside and learn from my brothers and sisters who are hungry and homeless. It could be me.”
Pastor Ron Hanson will be Messiah’s pastor when I am on sabbatical, April-June, 2018. To make those three months as rich as possible, Ron is asking all Messiah members to answer a few questions. Ron and I would love your answers by January 1st, 2018. Thank you in advance. Click here for the list of questions.
Love in Christ, Pastor Nancy
Email answers to nancyhanson1958@yahoo.com or leave at church office. Thank You!
On Sunday December 3 Advent begins, a time when we consciously prepare for the birth of Christ. Devotional books are available at church for adults and children. Remember Christ every night during these days before Christmas by having time at home in prayer and sharing. Aim to do so and see how God works.
Why do we celebrate the birth of Christ? “It is in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for,” Ephesians 1:11, The Message. So we take time to worship Christ the newborn king on December 24. Note: There is no worship at 8:30 am on Dec. 24. Christmas Eve candlelight worship will be at 3:00 & 11:00 pm. Each service ends with singing Silent Night. Our job is to share the light of Christ with the world.
Planning Ahead: Cross Generational Service Learning Trip to Willmar, MN in July or August, 2018 Possibility July 27-29 or Aug 3-5 or Aug 10-12, 2018
This trip is not in stone yet. Pastor Ron Hanson is talking with people at Willmar area churches to see if they could provide a weekend of service and learning about cross-cultural awareness, homelessness, poverty and more. We would experience how Willmar has embraced their Hispanic and Somalian neighbors. Our service could be carpentry, Vacation Bible School assistance or a variety of other tasks.
Prayerfully consider if you would like to attend. Hoped for outcomes of a trip like this include participants saying: “I more appreciate all I have after I’ve lived with those with less. I loved getting to know people of all ages from Messiah and Willmar as we worked together. I hope to nurture the new relationships. The trip changed my life. I know Jesus calls me to walk alongside and learn from my brothers and sisters who are hungry and homeless. It could be me.”
Pastor Ron Hanson will be Messiah’s pastor when I am on sabbatical, April-June, 2018. To make those three months as rich as possible, Ron is asking all Messiah members to answer a few questions. Ron and I would love your answers by January 1st, 2018. Thank you in advance. Click here for the list of questions.
Love in Christ, Pastor Nancy
Email answers to nancyhanson1958@yahoo.com or leave at church office. Thank You!
Message From Pastor Nancy
Greetings in Christ to all!
On Tuesday, September 26, Niki Pohnl, Director of Discipleship and Ministry at English Lutheran Church in La Crosse was the guest speaker for Messiah’s All-Inclusive Worship held at the Washburn Cultural Center. She also presented a message for PFLAG later that evening.
Niki and her husband have three children. One of their two daughters came out as a lesbian in high school. Then, in college, she called home to tell her parents that she is actually transgender and will be transitioning from female to male. Niki told us her story which started with a sharing of her Christian values. She has Bible verses written on plaques hung on almost every wall of their home. She jokingly told us that her husband said there is no more wall space for any more verses. Their home also has a white board hung in a prominent location so that all the kids see the verse-for-the-day written on this board.
Living a life of faith was natural for Niki; so, she went to the Bible to get help with the brand new adventure of parenting a transgender child. Niki embodied God’s peace and joy as she spoke. She shared her favorite verses including James 1:2-5
“My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you.”
Niki and her spouse are learning as much as they can about raising a transgender child. When I asked why she was willing to travel from La Crosse to Washburn she said, “If my words could help even one parent, it is worth it. We do all we can to help others through this challenging, yet celebratory transition.”
Messiah parents have been asking me to make sure the people who come on Wednesdays are getting to know Jesus and the Bible. These parents and Niki encourage me. I’ll end this letter with verses we’ve been learning Wednesday nights at GIFT. Your ideas and prayers mean so much. May we all keep learning and growing in Christ,
Love in Christ, Pastor Nancy
On Tuesday, September 26, Niki Pohnl, Director of Discipleship and Ministry at English Lutheran Church in La Crosse was the guest speaker for Messiah’s All-Inclusive Worship held at the Washburn Cultural Center. She also presented a message for PFLAG later that evening.
Niki and her husband have three children. One of their two daughters came out as a lesbian in high school. Then, in college, she called home to tell her parents that she is actually transgender and will be transitioning from female to male. Niki told us her story which started with a sharing of her Christian values. She has Bible verses written on plaques hung on almost every wall of their home. She jokingly told us that her husband said there is no more wall space for any more verses. Their home also has a white board hung in a prominent location so that all the kids see the verse-for-the-day written on this board.
Living a life of faith was natural for Niki; so, she went to the Bible to get help with the brand new adventure of parenting a transgender child. Niki embodied God’s peace and joy as she spoke. She shared her favorite verses including James 1:2-5
“My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you.”
Niki and her spouse are learning as much as they can about raising a transgender child. When I asked why she was willing to travel from La Crosse to Washburn she said, “If my words could help even one parent, it is worth it. We do all we can to help others through this challenging, yet celebratory transition.”
Messiah parents have been asking me to make sure the people who come on Wednesdays are getting to know Jesus and the Bible. These parents and Niki encourage me. I’ll end this letter with verses we’ve been learning Wednesday nights at GIFT. Your ideas and prayers mean so much. May we all keep learning and growing in Christ,
Love in Christ, Pastor Nancy