August 2020
Greetings St. John’s,
I’m glad to say that our last couple of Sundays we’ve been able to meet outside for worship together in person. These have been our first gatherings since the beginning of the pandemic. We’ve been blessed to have clement weather on both weeks as of my writing this, and have worshiped together in a safe, responsible, distanced way. It bears repeating - we gather for worship on Sundays in the grove when the heat-index is below 90°, the grove hasn’t been rained on overnight, and there’s no inclement weather forecast during worship and set-up. We make the call based on the weather forecast by noon on Saturday. We’ll be continuing to meet for in-person worship in this way for the foreseeable future.
That we move from worshiping in the Church building to worshiping in the grove each year is meaningful to me. Nature is God’s creation. It’s worthy of respect, and should be treated with dignity as a sign of affection for its creator. Nature can be beautiful, but it can also be dangerous. In scripture, there are incredible miracles that happen outside within nature, but also terrible and terrifying events. In more palpable terms, a perfect morning or evening in our Church’s grove is profoundly restful. A terrible storm that knocks down trees in our Church’s grove and nearly destroys the cars in the parking lot is quite the opposite. The bacteria in your gut that helps you get extra energy from food is natural, but so is Covid-19. Nature can be both awesome, and awful. Awe is important, but awe alone does not have the power to create lasting hope. We believe that lasting hope comes from promises, and that God makes and intends to keep promises.
In baptism we are given a promise that even though we can die, God can make us alive. Even if we lose, God can make us restored. Even though we are nothing on our own, God can give us everything. In the resurrection of Christ we know that God prefers life over death and weal over woe. We can’t really get that from nature on its own, but only nature with the Word of God applied to it. Through this promise, we can look at what’s awful and life-ending as something to defy and what’s beautiful and life-giving as something to uphold.
When we worship in the grove together, wearing our masks, hearing God’s word, and sharing God’s peace in creation, or when we worship from afar over the internet - we act in accordance with God’s word. We uplift what is good, and we defy what is bad. We show care for our neighbors, and receive hope for ourselves. So however you worship with us this season around the circumstances of nature - see this world as belonging to God, and see it with eyes full of hope.
See you Sunday,
Pastor Kaegler
Greetings St. John’s,
I’m glad to say that our last couple of Sundays we’ve been able to meet outside for worship together in person. These have been our first gatherings since the beginning of the pandemic. We’ve been blessed to have clement weather on both weeks as of my writing this, and have worshiped together in a safe, responsible, distanced way. It bears repeating - we gather for worship on Sundays in the grove when the heat-index is below 90°, the grove hasn’t been rained on overnight, and there’s no inclement weather forecast during worship and set-up. We make the call based on the weather forecast by noon on Saturday. We’ll be continuing to meet for in-person worship in this way for the foreseeable future.
That we move from worshiping in the Church building to worshiping in the grove each year is meaningful to me. Nature is God’s creation. It’s worthy of respect, and should be treated with dignity as a sign of affection for its creator. Nature can be beautiful, but it can also be dangerous. In scripture, there are incredible miracles that happen outside within nature, but also terrible and terrifying events. In more palpable terms, a perfect morning or evening in our Church’s grove is profoundly restful. A terrible storm that knocks down trees in our Church’s grove and nearly destroys the cars in the parking lot is quite the opposite. The bacteria in your gut that helps you get extra energy from food is natural, but so is Covid-19. Nature can be both awesome, and awful. Awe is important, but awe alone does not have the power to create lasting hope. We believe that lasting hope comes from promises, and that God makes and intends to keep promises.
In baptism we are given a promise that even though we can die, God can make us alive. Even if we lose, God can make us restored. Even though we are nothing on our own, God can give us everything. In the resurrection of Christ we know that God prefers life over death and weal over woe. We can’t really get that from nature on its own, but only nature with the Word of God applied to it. Through this promise, we can look at what’s awful and life-ending as something to defy and what’s beautiful and life-giving as something to uphold.
When we worship in the grove together, wearing our masks, hearing God’s word, and sharing God’s peace in creation, or when we worship from afar over the internet - we act in accordance with God’s word. We uplift what is good, and we defy what is bad. We show care for our neighbors, and receive hope for ourselves. So however you worship with us this season around the circumstances of nature - see this world as belonging to God, and see it with eyes full of hope.
See you Sunday,
Pastor Kaegler
July 2020
Greetings, St. John’s!
As I write this article to you, I pray that you are all staying well and healthy in the quarantine. By my calendar, the 100th day of Quarantine will (has as you’re reading this) passed on June 23rd. It has been a strange time to be God’s people in the world! I pray that in your quarantines you have developed a deeper appreciation of your ability to handle stress. I pray that you’ve grown closer to your families and have come to treasure the things we’ve all missed over these months. And I pray that you have spent time with God, deepening your faith, learning from God’s Word, and trusting that in spite of all that seems out of control in this world, that God’s got this.
As we move to reopening - I just want to leave you with a few reminders for now (it’s the middle of June while I’m writing this). First: We’re focusing exclusively on online and outdoor worship for the summer. That means when it’s projected to be too hot out, or too wet out, we’ll be staying at home. We’ll be making that call in the early afternoon on Saturdays.
Second: Online services are continuing one way or the other. We know from our conversations that a lot of us are being cautious about returning to church. We want to provide as much access to worship as we can for each of you. Online services have also helped members who are at a distance who wouldn’t otherwise go to church, and have provided us some outreach to folks beyond our congregational community. We want to keep encouraging that.
Third: Worship will be a little different for us when we start reopening. For now, it’s still not safe to engage in congregational singing, to pass the peace, or to distribute Holy Communion. So these things are all on hold for the time being. We will still have music, confession and forgiveness, prayer, and of course the Word of God.
Fourth: Set up is going to take work. Worship and Music is getting together for worship rehearsals on the 24th of June, just so we can do a walk-through of a few set-ups and find out which ways work best for now. Once those are done, we’ll know more about what help we may need. But what we know already is that we’ll need your good-faith efforts from home to take your temperature, keep watch for symptoms, and bring your masks, your hand-sanitizer, and whatever else you’d need to spend this holy time together. And of course, as always, pray for us as we figure this all out!
We’re all so excited to see you again. Be well and keep your ears open for our first reopened services!
In Christ,
Pastor Kaegler
Greetings, St. John’s!
As I write this article to you, I pray that you are all staying well and healthy in the quarantine. By my calendar, the 100th day of Quarantine will (has as you’re reading this) passed on June 23rd. It has been a strange time to be God’s people in the world! I pray that in your quarantines you have developed a deeper appreciation of your ability to handle stress. I pray that you’ve grown closer to your families and have come to treasure the things we’ve all missed over these months. And I pray that you have spent time with God, deepening your faith, learning from God’s Word, and trusting that in spite of all that seems out of control in this world, that God’s got this.
As we move to reopening - I just want to leave you with a few reminders for now (it’s the middle of June while I’m writing this). First: We’re focusing exclusively on online and outdoor worship for the summer. That means when it’s projected to be too hot out, or too wet out, we’ll be staying at home. We’ll be making that call in the early afternoon on Saturdays.
Second: Online services are continuing one way or the other. We know from our conversations that a lot of us are being cautious about returning to church. We want to provide as much access to worship as we can for each of you. Online services have also helped members who are at a distance who wouldn’t otherwise go to church, and have provided us some outreach to folks beyond our congregational community. We want to keep encouraging that.
Third: Worship will be a little different for us when we start reopening. For now, it’s still not safe to engage in congregational singing, to pass the peace, or to distribute Holy Communion. So these things are all on hold for the time being. We will still have music, confession and forgiveness, prayer, and of course the Word of God.
Fourth: Set up is going to take work. Worship and Music is getting together for worship rehearsals on the 24th of June, just so we can do a walk-through of a few set-ups and find out which ways work best for now. Once those are done, we’ll know more about what help we may need. But what we know already is that we’ll need your good-faith efforts from home to take your temperature, keep watch for symptoms, and bring your masks, your hand-sanitizer, and whatever else you’d need to spend this holy time together. And of course, as always, pray for us as we figure this all out!
We’re all so excited to see you again. Be well and keep your ears open for our first reopened services!
In Christ,
Pastor Kaegler
June 2020
Greetings St. John’s!
How have you been doing? Where have you been seeing God during this pandemic? Have you seen God by your and your family’s side, or has God felt distant?
In his sermon to the Festival of Homiletics in quarantine, the Rev. Otis Moss III asked this very question: Can you see God amid all this? Drawing from the story of the disciples on the Road to Emmaus, Rev. Moss drew our attention to the fact that when we look at ourselves, and the world around us, we tend to frame ourselves at the center. But when we do so, we can’t necessarily see the world around us. Like when we are looking into a mirror, we can only see the confines of the frame. We can’t see the things that aren’t “us”. This means our frame is messed up. What we can’t see rules over what we can. We can get overwhelmed and feel unprepared for the challenges and the changes in the world around us.
But there is still hope. Moss preached “God is present, even when we do not recognize the presence of God.” Upon that moment, the video panned out and revealed that Moss’s wife was just outside of the frame. She had been there, praying for him the entire time. Just outside of our vision. Just beyond what you and I could see.
There are a lot of things in this world we can’t see. And a lot of people. Let us praise God for being at work right there.
When we cannot see God, we can still (and must!) take heart. Just because God is not in the frame, doesn’t mean that God isn’t there and it doesn’t mean that God is not listening. Along the way we have partners and friends, who draw our attention beyond ourselves and our confines and into a wider and holier world that neither you nor I are at the center of. So who is praying for you? Who is just beyond the frame? When your frame expands, or when you shift your focus, there is so much more to see, and so much more to take comfort in.
So take time this month to look at those who are “just outside” of the frame. The folks, the places, the things that don’t always capture your attention. The unthanked, the underpaid, the unappreciated. There is godly stuff happening right there in the breaking of the bread, and the sharing of the wine. God is among them. And God is with you. God is here. Let us see and treat God’s world and its people accordingly.
Alleluia, amen.
Pastor Kaegler
Greetings St. John’s!
How have you been doing? Where have you been seeing God during this pandemic? Have you seen God by your and your family’s side, or has God felt distant?
In his sermon to the Festival of Homiletics in quarantine, the Rev. Otis Moss III asked this very question: Can you see God amid all this? Drawing from the story of the disciples on the Road to Emmaus, Rev. Moss drew our attention to the fact that when we look at ourselves, and the world around us, we tend to frame ourselves at the center. But when we do so, we can’t necessarily see the world around us. Like when we are looking into a mirror, we can only see the confines of the frame. We can’t see the things that aren’t “us”. This means our frame is messed up. What we can’t see rules over what we can. We can get overwhelmed and feel unprepared for the challenges and the changes in the world around us.
But there is still hope. Moss preached “God is present, even when we do not recognize the presence of God.” Upon that moment, the video panned out and revealed that Moss’s wife was just outside of the frame. She had been there, praying for him the entire time. Just outside of our vision. Just beyond what you and I could see.
There are a lot of things in this world we can’t see. And a lot of people. Let us praise God for being at work right there.
When we cannot see God, we can still (and must!) take heart. Just because God is not in the frame, doesn’t mean that God isn’t there and it doesn’t mean that God is not listening. Along the way we have partners and friends, who draw our attention beyond ourselves and our confines and into a wider and holier world that neither you nor I are at the center of. So who is praying for you? Who is just beyond the frame? When your frame expands, or when you shift your focus, there is so much more to see, and so much more to take comfort in.
So take time this month to look at those who are “just outside” of the frame. The folks, the places, the things that don’t always capture your attention. The unthanked, the underpaid, the unappreciated. There is godly stuff happening right there in the breaking of the bread, and the sharing of the wine. God is among them. And God is with you. God is here. Let us see and treat God’s world and its people accordingly.
Alleluia, amen.
Pastor Kaegler
May 2020
Greetings St. John’s!
Eastertide seems a lot more like “Quarantide” this year, doesn’t it? But even in these difficult times, I find myself giving thanks:
Thanks to all of those who are in essential lines of work - especially the ones we don’t think about or give that many thanks to in normal times: grocery workers, garbage services, mechanical repair, and the non-medical staff of medical facilities and nursing homes. All of those folks who don’t get the credit they deserve in normal times, but are really are on the front lines of Covid-19. Thanks to medical workers - from anesthesiologists to x-ray technicians. Thanks to nurses and doctors. And thanks for funeral home workers - who help us say good-bye to our loved ones at a time when that happens at personal risk.
Thanks to members of our congregation who display generosity by asking how they can help. Who sew masks and give blood. Who drop off food for their vulnerable neighbors, who help food pantries. Who know what matters in their lives - and give accordingly so that in tight times, more may be secure.
Thanks to those who are displaying wisdom. Those who are staying home even when it is inconvenient, or are getting a little stir-crazy because they know their health matters. Those who wear masks and have a responsible amount of hand sanitizer and personal protective equipment. For those who are using Zoom and FaceTime, and making phone calls to their elders instead of going in person even.
Thanks to the congregational council, to worship and music, and to all those who are finding new ways to be together as one congregation from a distance. Thanks for those who help worship services happen in a different way. Thanks for those who attend our ministries, and thanks to everyone who prays.
What you are doing makes a difference - whether you can see it or not. Keep up the good fight of keeping your communities safe from this illness. Do not give into panic, or fear, but advocate for the well-being of your neighbor and as always - keep Christ’s love and saving work at the center of what you do.
In Christ,
Pastor Kaegler
Greetings St. John’s!
Eastertide seems a lot more like “Quarantide” this year, doesn’t it? But even in these difficult times, I find myself giving thanks:
Thanks to all of those who are in essential lines of work - especially the ones we don’t think about or give that many thanks to in normal times: grocery workers, garbage services, mechanical repair, and the non-medical staff of medical facilities and nursing homes. All of those folks who don’t get the credit they deserve in normal times, but are really are on the front lines of Covid-19. Thanks to medical workers - from anesthesiologists to x-ray technicians. Thanks to nurses and doctors. And thanks for funeral home workers - who help us say good-bye to our loved ones at a time when that happens at personal risk.
Thanks to members of our congregation who display generosity by asking how they can help. Who sew masks and give blood. Who drop off food for their vulnerable neighbors, who help food pantries. Who know what matters in their lives - and give accordingly so that in tight times, more may be secure.
Thanks to those who are displaying wisdom. Those who are staying home even when it is inconvenient, or are getting a little stir-crazy because they know their health matters. Those who wear masks and have a responsible amount of hand sanitizer and personal protective equipment. For those who are using Zoom and FaceTime, and making phone calls to their elders instead of going in person even.
Thanks to the congregational council, to worship and music, and to all those who are finding new ways to be together as one congregation from a distance. Thanks for those who help worship services happen in a different way. Thanks for those who attend our ministries, and thanks to everyone who prays.
What you are doing makes a difference - whether you can see it or not. Keep up the good fight of keeping your communities safe from this illness. Do not give into panic, or fear, but advocate for the well-being of your neighbor and as always - keep Christ’s love and saving work at the center of what you do.
In Christ,
Pastor Kaegler
Quarantined - April 2020
Greetings St. John’s,
I pray that this newsletter finds you in good health at the start of our region’s quarantine for Covid-19. Most of what you need to hear about our church’s procedures in these days are outlined in the e-mail we sent out earlier (which will also be attached in our newsletter). The situation is rapidly changing, and we’re doing our best to meet everyone’s needs in it. Your work in these times is to pray, to stay healthy, and to stay connected with one another.
In the Sunday before our quarantine, I read you a letter written to us by the Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Elizabeth Eaton. Her letter is accessible to you all online. Bishop Eaton’s letter made use of Martin Luther’s work “Whether One May Flee from a Deadly Plague.” I thought we’d take a moment to revisit some of that wisdom.
In Luther’s time, the Bubonic Plague had already gone through its worst period (1347-1351), but it would still emerge from time to time in outbreaks. One of them happened in Wittenberg, on August 2, 1527. And would you believe it, one of the first things they did was close down the school (the University of Wittenberg), send its students home, and figure out what they should do together. Lots of people asked Luther for advice about what to do, and Luther had a very wise response that he wrote to an open letter to another pastor in Breslau that we still think highly of today.
Luther’s advice boiled down to this: love your neighbor. What this meant for Luther is that everyone who served in a civic or religious office: Mayors, pastors, judges, healthcare workers, and so on needed to stay in order to take care of the people who depend on them. This goes for all people in positions of responsibility: take care of your charge. If your responsibilities are met, then get somewhere safe. I think we can all agree that this is sound advice rooted in love.
It wouldn’t be a letter from Luther if it didn’t have a sharp edge, though. Because Luther gets quite sassy at people who are resolved at doing nothing - saying that it is simply God’s punishment and we shouldn’t bother with protecting ourselves or those around us, or that God will miraculously protect all and only the faithful. Luther argued that this was as foolish as them sitting in their own houses while they burned down. But those who are active in faith are generally called to go and help the owner of the house put out the fire.
Luther is also wary of those who treat the sick and the suffering with scorn, as though “they deserve it,” or as though they are lesser than us. Luther argues that this tendency towards judgment and revulsion within us is simply satanic, and he beckons us to defy this inner devil with all our might and with trust in God’s word. Luther reckoned that if God were out to get us, God would get us. In the meantime God has commanded us to care for one another, so let’s keep doing that.
So Luther provided some simple advice 1.) trust in God’s promises, 2.) pay attention to doctors and public officials who are called to provide access to life-saving care, 3.) take medicines and follow procedures to mitigate the effects of epidemics, 4.) not expose people to the illness unnecessarily, and 5.) not neglect spiritual needs or cares, including access to the sacrament.
As a church we’re trying to follow this pattern of advice - but there are a few cultural, technological and medical innovations and insights that we’ve adjusted for. Medicine is way better today, fleeing is probably a bit much when quarantine is effective, and we have telephones and recording equipment to stay in touch. If any of you all need anything, don’t hesitate to reach out. Our Church will do its best to help.
In Christ,
Pastor Kaegler
Greetings St. John’s,
I pray that this newsletter finds you in good health at the start of our region’s quarantine for Covid-19. Most of what you need to hear about our church’s procedures in these days are outlined in the e-mail we sent out earlier (which will also be attached in our newsletter). The situation is rapidly changing, and we’re doing our best to meet everyone’s needs in it. Your work in these times is to pray, to stay healthy, and to stay connected with one another.
In the Sunday before our quarantine, I read you a letter written to us by the Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Elizabeth Eaton. Her letter is accessible to you all online. Bishop Eaton’s letter made use of Martin Luther’s work “Whether One May Flee from a Deadly Plague.” I thought we’d take a moment to revisit some of that wisdom.
In Luther’s time, the Bubonic Plague had already gone through its worst period (1347-1351), but it would still emerge from time to time in outbreaks. One of them happened in Wittenberg, on August 2, 1527. And would you believe it, one of the first things they did was close down the school (the University of Wittenberg), send its students home, and figure out what they should do together. Lots of people asked Luther for advice about what to do, and Luther had a very wise response that he wrote to an open letter to another pastor in Breslau that we still think highly of today.
Luther’s advice boiled down to this: love your neighbor. What this meant for Luther is that everyone who served in a civic or religious office: Mayors, pastors, judges, healthcare workers, and so on needed to stay in order to take care of the people who depend on them. This goes for all people in positions of responsibility: take care of your charge. If your responsibilities are met, then get somewhere safe. I think we can all agree that this is sound advice rooted in love.
It wouldn’t be a letter from Luther if it didn’t have a sharp edge, though. Because Luther gets quite sassy at people who are resolved at doing nothing - saying that it is simply God’s punishment and we shouldn’t bother with protecting ourselves or those around us, or that God will miraculously protect all and only the faithful. Luther argued that this was as foolish as them sitting in their own houses while they burned down. But those who are active in faith are generally called to go and help the owner of the house put out the fire.
Luther is also wary of those who treat the sick and the suffering with scorn, as though “they deserve it,” or as though they are lesser than us. Luther argues that this tendency towards judgment and revulsion within us is simply satanic, and he beckons us to defy this inner devil with all our might and with trust in God’s word. Luther reckoned that if God were out to get us, God would get us. In the meantime God has commanded us to care for one another, so let’s keep doing that.
So Luther provided some simple advice 1.) trust in God’s promises, 2.) pay attention to doctors and public officials who are called to provide access to life-saving care, 3.) take medicines and follow procedures to mitigate the effects of epidemics, 4.) not expose people to the illness unnecessarily, and 5.) not neglect spiritual needs or cares, including access to the sacrament.
As a church we’re trying to follow this pattern of advice - but there are a few cultural, technological and medical innovations and insights that we’ve adjusted for. Medicine is way better today, fleeing is probably a bit much when quarantine is effective, and we have telephones and recording equipment to stay in touch. If any of you all need anything, don’t hesitate to reach out. Our Church will do its best to help.
In Christ,
Pastor Kaegler
Lent - March 2020
Greetings!
Welcome to the Season of Lent. We’ve spent most of this year in Epiphany - a season where we focus on Jesus being the light of the world, and turn towards Lent. Lent is a forty day fasting season in the Church that was historically used for baptismal preparation. New catechumens would spend this period in intense daily study, prayer, and worship under congregational leadership.
While we still prepare people for baptism (I usually ask for about three hour-long sessions of baptismal preparations with adults and older children seeking baptism, or with the parents of infants), it doesn’t quite look like it once did. Lent isn’t just for catechumens now. It’s for all of us, if we want it. It’s not a mandatory practice, but it is an invitation to carefully consider our discipleship together, look at any tensions we have between faith in Christ’s way and our daily life.
At St. John’s our practice has been to have extra Lenten services each Wednesday. In these last few years we’ve been lucky to lead Holden Evening Prayer services - which has been a real blessing for us. We’ve also made use of candles in worship to look for the places in our lives where we need just a little extra light, guidance, and memory of God’s blessings. We hope these things will help and inspire you to deeper acts of love. But it’s also a time to consider putting something down, or picking something up. Putting down the things that harm yourself and those around you, or picking up something that strengthens your relationships with the people who need you. And it doesn’t have to end on Easter. It might just last even longer as our life together deepens in faith.
We know God is pleased when the people who depend on us are cared for, and when the weak and the vulnerable have no cause to doubt God’s love. For Christ has come to save, and we are Christ’s people -saved and sent. So prepare the way, act in love, and trust that God is at work in this world. You’ll have many occasions to care for this world God has made and redeemed.
Amen.
Greetings!
Welcome to the Season of Lent. We’ve spent most of this year in Epiphany - a season where we focus on Jesus being the light of the world, and turn towards Lent. Lent is a forty day fasting season in the Church that was historically used for baptismal preparation. New catechumens would spend this period in intense daily study, prayer, and worship under congregational leadership.
While we still prepare people for baptism (I usually ask for about three hour-long sessions of baptismal preparations with adults and older children seeking baptism, or with the parents of infants), it doesn’t quite look like it once did. Lent isn’t just for catechumens now. It’s for all of us, if we want it. It’s not a mandatory practice, but it is an invitation to carefully consider our discipleship together, look at any tensions we have between faith in Christ’s way and our daily life.
At St. John’s our practice has been to have extra Lenten services each Wednesday. In these last few years we’ve been lucky to lead Holden Evening Prayer services - which has been a real blessing for us. We’ve also made use of candles in worship to look for the places in our lives where we need just a little extra light, guidance, and memory of God’s blessings. We hope these things will help and inspire you to deeper acts of love. But it’s also a time to consider putting something down, or picking something up. Putting down the things that harm yourself and those around you, or picking up something that strengthens your relationships with the people who need you. And it doesn’t have to end on Easter. It might just last even longer as our life together deepens in faith.
We know God is pleased when the people who depend on us are cared for, and when the weak and the vulnerable have no cause to doubt God’s love. For Christ has come to save, and we are Christ’s people -saved and sent. So prepare the way, act in love, and trust that God is at work in this world. You’ll have many occasions to care for this world God has made and redeemed.
Amen.