Pastor's Blog

We have said several times during Covid that long-term planning is something like three weeks out. Guidelines change, variant strains emerge, and people’s comfort levels fluctuate. How can you plan now for something even two months away?

We have been searching, and we have finally found the right fit!! Several months ago, our full time Youth Director, Caroline Targonski, moved to Texas because of her husband Blake’s new job. Then, our part time Youth Director at Christ South moved on as well. So, we had two positions open. It was hard to cover the responsibilities of youth ministry, but with the help of wonderful parents, youth ministry still happened at Christ Lutheran.

I preached recently on Spiritual Sidetracks (Mark 5:21-43 NRSV) and this blog is a reflection on that particular message. If you’d like to hear the complete message, look at www.facebook.com/ChristSouth and look for the videos section. You should be able to access it by Tuesday at 5pm.

Sitting in your car at the corner of two busy roads, a person walks slowly towards you down the median, sign in hand, “Homeless. Anything helps. God bless you.” 

362 days without hugging our family and friends, without continuous in-person school, without our church community. The number our family tracked. Just shy of one year. A year that at times seemed to drag on and yet go by so fast. A year that was only supposed to be ‘two weeks.’ I remember in those first few weeks, trying to balance work, schooling from home and just the unknown. Boy was my patience and faith running on empty. Every time I was about to snap, I looked at my elementary-aged boys and saw hope, I saw faith. They had faith that we’d figure it out, that we’d be safe, that we’d be ok, that we would thrive. They had faith in me, even though I didn’t have faith in myself.

(OK. Maybe not the blood and tears part. Just the sweaty part.) “Tenny, you’re sweating. Are you OK?” “Just fine. It’s a gift.” Understand, this is just what I do, anytime the humidity gets higher than, say…2%! In my high school gym class (back then, we called it Phys. Ed—some of you remember), when Coach would tell us to warm up by taking a lap, I’d finish the lap looking like I took a detour through Niagra Falls. Every time. No one else. Just me.

On May 23, this congregation made the bold and faithful decision to move forward with the proposed building project on our Christ South land. Though we reviewed the design, sifted through the numbers, and walked through the timeline, this was a vote about the mission of Christ Lutheran to reach beyond our walls and further the work of the Kingdom of God. And for that, we were all in unison.

A couple weeks ago a crazy thing happened. A cyberattack targeted the pipeline that ran from the Gulf Coast to New Jersey. This happened on May 7. Thankfully with a full tank of gas, I was driving on May 11 and came to a standstill on Providence Road.

I love the Easter season. It’s the very center of the good news. And you all know that Matthew 28 is my favorite of all the chapters of the Bible, I bet. I preach on it… well… a TON. The chapter is full of such great stories and moments. They are really the bulk of the DNA of a mission developer pastor, which, by the way, is ALL pastors post-COVID – and maybe pre-COVID as well.

Around the time Jesus was born, Jewish believers held several different views on what happens to a person when you die. The Pharisees were known for believing in a resurrection, but another group called the Sadducees disagreed. They were “Sad You See,” because they held that once a person died there was no hope beyond the grave.

Pastor Scott and I had a vision and a plan. On March 1, 2020, I began my work as Online Minister at Christ Lutheran’s 4thcampus, 4th expression, Christ Online. We had a three-part plan; Engagement during Sunday Morning Worship, a Mid-Week Bible Study especially for those folks in the online space, and an In-Person Fellowship option, for those living in concentrated geographical areas around us.

“What color is your truck?” When asked that question, I wasn’t really sure how to answer. As we stood staring at it, I knew what color it used to be...

So, where are we? I hear that question often in terms of our building plans on the beautiful 13 acres of land we bought for our Christ South campus.

This is my favorite time of year! Spring is here; we just had an amazing Easter week, and we’re looking towards summer. This is also the time when we in family ministry start really thinking about Vacation Bible School. I love VBS! It’s a week where kids learn and grow closer to God in fun and amazing ways. There are Bible stories, crafts, songs, games, activities and so much more.

20 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. 2So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” 3Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. 4The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. 6Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, 7and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. 8Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. 10Then the disciples returned to their homes.