Lord of Life May/June Compass magazine

COMPASS

Lord of Life Lutheran Church, Maple Grove, MN

May/June 2023

LORD OF LIFE LUTHERAN CHURCH

763.420.5015

7401 County Road 101, Maple Grove, MN 55311-4313

Visit lordoflife.org/staff for a full staff listing with photos. Prayer requests may be submitted to prayernetwork@lordoflife.org

office@lordoflife.org

Compass is a bimonthly ministry from Lord of Life Lutheran Church (ELCA). Paper is the most sustainable natural resource. After reading, please recycle or share with a friend or neighbor, inviting them to Lord of Life’s community of faith. You don’t need to be a member to receive Compass. To receive it in the mail and/or electronically, call 763.420.5015 or email bevm@lordoflife.org. Credits: Creative Market, Lightstock, and Unsplash.

WELCOME

In our Minnesota climate, we are keenly aware of the four seasons and what each one of them brings. Even though this year it feels as though we just shrugged off winter, we are rolling headlong into summer! We know that each season of the year brings different and new opportunities. In the same way, we each experience different seasons in life, each with its own opportunities, too.

In this issue of Compass, you’ll read how Sarah Lee encourages us to embrace the words of Ecclesiastes 3:1 (“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.”) You’ll hear an invitation into a season of Bible reading, as Pastor Kaitlyn Forster describes the library we know as the Bible. Brian Schroeder shares different images of God, each of which may be meaningful during different seasons for each of us.

As you experience the beginning of summer, I hope you’ll enjoy this issue of Compass and find ways to live out your faith during each and every season!

EMBRACE THE SEASON

by Sarah Lee

It’s finally __________ season!

How would you fill in that blank? It’s finally cabin season? Fishing season? Gardening season? Hammocking season? Lake season? Summer camp season?

Will __________ season ever end?

What about that blank? Mosquito season? Sunburn season? School’s-out-for-summer season? Sweat-stain season?

In Minnesota, we get to experience all four seasons (although some feel like they’re just a blip—I’m looking at you, spring). We’re used to it. We understand what comes with each season, and we prepare for it by tuning up our snowblower or lawn mower, getting out our swimsuits or parkas, planting seeds or harvesting the last of the year’s produce from the garden.

Although I’ve lived here my whole life, I haven’t really accepted the changing seasons and am, somehow, always resistant to whatever season we happen to be in. Summer is too hot and humid, winter is too cold and dark, and spring and fall are too short and unpredictable. Unfortunately, I often have this attitude about other “seasons” of life as well—seasons of burnout, of intense work, of rest, of loss, job change, moving, or relationship changes. It’s difficult to accept and settle into, especially if it’s unwelcome or wasn’t planned for.

Ecclesiastes 3 says, “For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven.” But if we’re honest, there are a lot of things that we probably wish didn’t have

a season. We may wish there wasn’t a season for grieving or loss, for death or letting go. I would definitely be okay without having a time for mosquitos.

But what would it look like to accept and embrace whatever season we’re in? To take the time to do what needs to be done, put aside what it isn’t time for, and to learn what there is to learn.

In the past year, I’ve gotten really into plants—growing vegetables and flowers in the garden during the summer and houseplants all year round. I’ve been endlessly fascinated by watching new leaves unfurl, tomatoes ripen, and flowers bloom. Plants innately know what time of year it is, and their life cycles are based around this.

Even my houseplants know what time of year it is by the length of the sunlight and darkness each day. When it’s winter, it’s time for them to conserve energy and slow down their growth. When the days start to get longer, I notice that my houseplants start to put out more leaves, ramping up for the long days of sunlight and warmth. Even during Minnesota’s relatively short summers, the plants in my garden go through so many stages, from sprout, to bloom, to fruit, to seed.

Our lives may be a bit more complicated than the life of the tomato plant in my garden or the philodendron in my apartment, and it may take some discernment to know what season of life we’re in and what that time calls for.

Maybe you’re exhausted or burnt out and need a season of rest, like winter, where you need to conserve energy and take time

SEASON

to regroup. To take a step back from the busyness of life and to slow down.

Or maybe you’re in a season of productivity, where you’re turning out project after project, or putting all your energy into one big thing.

Maybe something is winding down; you’re transitioning from one season of life to another and learning what that means and what that looks like.

How would you identify the season of life you’re in right now? Thinking back to the fill-in-the-blank questions at the beginning of the article, are you excited that this time is finally here, or do you wish it would end?

Wherever you find yourself, I invite you to embrace whatever you’re facing. That is not to say that times of loss or hardship need to be celebrated or welcomed, but knowing where you are, how can you do things to support yourself in this time? How can you ask for help? How can you create space to do what needs to be done?

And in times that do warrant celebration, how can you let yourself feel the joy and sink into gratitude for those times?

As we embrace the warm weather in Minnesota, let’s also embrace the other seasons of life, trusting that God is with us through every stage of life, and is ready to celebrate or grieve with us, to comfort or uplift, to laugh or to cry. For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven.

SEEKING WISDOM IN

by Executive Pastor Kaitlyn Forster

One of the wisest people I have ever met was my college advisor. She always seemed to know what to say and when to say it and her pursuit of knowledge felt unmatched by others. As I reflect on the impact she made on life, what made her wise had little to do with academics or being the smartest person in the room. Instead, it had to do with how she used poetry, literature, and metaphors to help people not only think about tough topics, but to also feel them. She taught us how to engage multiple senses to deepen our understanding of faith and the world.

In scripture, there are some books of the Bible traditionally known as wisdom literature. They are Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon. In the Jewish tradition, they are a part of scripture identified as the Ketuvim or “Writings” and almost read like the assignments of a creative writing class. Some are short, pithy insights that influence how we are to live, as in the Proverbs. Others are poetry, ballads of love, or narratives bursting with metaphors.

Ecclesiastes, for instance, shares the story of someone who has everything but doesn’t quite understand it. Wrestling with questions like, “What is the meaning of life?” “Why should I bother being a ‘good’ person?” “What do I need to do for faith to make sense?” The author weighs pros and cons, using intellect and reason to come up with a clear, concise answer. But, in the end, the author comes to the conclusion that what will keep them from

vain pursuits is to trust in God, the great teacher, and to trust in the journey more than the destination. Everything else is a vanity of vanities.

Really, what all the wisdom scripture writings have in common is they do not shy away from the tougher moments of life. They uncover something true about the nature of reality that guides us deeper into our understanding of it. Jesus even draws upon the psalms in his last moments on earth. On the cross, where the pain was so deep, he relied on the words of Psalm 22, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” when nothing else would do.

It shows us that there are some experiences of this life that cannot be framed logically. Which is why we need wisdom to help us make sense of the nature of life, love, and the pursuit of happiness. In a sense, engaging the wisdom stories becomes God’s way of holding space for us. Inviting us to also lay everything that we have, and everything that we are, on the table. To wrestle, cry, complain, offer thanks, and shout obscenities to our creator without self-consciousness and without fear. The Bible doesn’t shy away from bringing these things to God, and neither should we. Wisdom reminds us that life is a journey of humility and faithfulness, taken one step at a time. It is full of joys and sorrows that don’t always resolve neatly, and those are precisely the places where God meets us.

TheBibleisalibrary of books — visititofen!

GOD, OUR PARENT

by Brian Schroeder

Throughout human history, people have tried to find words to describe what God is like. How do you describe a presence that is beyond our understanding, an intangible entity that is also so deeply felt?

That’s where metaphors come in. While we may not be able to describe exactly who God is, we can use imagery and examples to describe what God is like. God’s Spirit descends onto Jesus like a dove (Matthew 3:16). God is a fortress in Psalm 18 and a potter in Isaiah 64. Of course, God may not literally be any of those things, but using metaphors like these helps us describe our indescribable God.

One of the most common metaphors used for God in the Bible and today is that of a parent. The Bible often refers to God as “Father” for a number of cultural reasons, but that does not limit God to one gender—God can also be a Mother and many other things beyond parental descriptions! As we celebrate Mother’s and Father’s Day in May and June, here are some ways the Bible describes God as a parent.

GOD AS A MOTHER

“For a long time I have held my peace; I have kept still and restrained myself; now I will cry out like a woman in labor; I will gasp and pant.”

—Isaiah 42:14

“Can a woman forget her nursing child or show no compassion for the child of her womb? Even these might forget, yet I will not forget you.”

—Isaiah 49:15

“As a mother comforts her child,so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem.”

—Isaiah 66:13

[Jesus said,] “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!

—Luke 13:34

GOD AS A FATHER we are GOD’S children

“Father of orphans and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation.”

—-Psalm 68:5

“See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God, and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.”

—1 John 3:1

“…yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.”

—1 Corinthians 8:6

“But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.”

—John 1:12-13

No one has ever seen God. It is the only Son, himself God, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.

—John 1:18

“But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.”

—Galatians 3:25-26

[Jesus said,] “This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

—Matthew 6:9-10

BAPTISMS

At Lord of Life, we baptize individuals at any age. To schedule a baptism, call the church office (763.420.5015) or visit lordoflife.org/baptism. The next baptism class is May 1 at 5pm via Zoom. A blessed welcome to all of these newly baptized into the family of God!

FEBRUARY

February 11, 2023

Jayce Jesse Sorum

February 19, 2023

Everett Charles Bryz-Gornia

Graham Thomas Lienemann

Analise Noel Perkins

MARCH

March 12, 2023

Charlotte Rae Bingham

William Walter Dworak

Banks Knutson Miller

Margot Charlie Nelson

Vinny Thomas Lee Skylondz

March 18, 2023

Hailey Jo Smith

March 19, 2023

Nolan Bryce Ellefson

Jonah Richard Greff

March 26, 2023

Sadie James Hillery

Blakely Sue Woosley

BEREAVEMENTS

Prayers of sympathy for those grieving the loss of a loved one; may they be comforted in the promise of the resurrection.

FEBRUARY

Kirstin Delp and family at the death of her mother, Kay Peterson

Jason Espeseth and Becky Wacker and family at the death of their daughter, Brianna

Terri Hendrickson and family at the death of her husband, Dave Hendrickson

Kevin Osterberg and family at the death of his son, Erik Osterberg

Erik Schefers and family at the death of his mother, Carol Schefers

Michael Schlicht and family at the death of his father, Thomas Schlicht

Ronald Schoening and family at the death of his wife, Elrena Schoening

Sonia Wessman and family at the death of her mother

MARCH

Marge Avery and family at the death of her husband, Dick Avery

Galen Becklin and family at the death of his sister, Eileen Wilke, and cousin Janell McDougal

Karonne Becklin and family at the death of her cousin, Janell McDougal

Laura Butler and family at the death of her father, Allen Ackland

David and Joann Cross and family at the death of cousin, Janell McDougal

Jessica Dexheimer and family at the death of her grandmother

Tom and Julie Gilstad and famlly at the death of cousin Janell McDougal

Kyle Neu and family at the death of his mother

WEDDINGS

Lord of Life would be delighted to assist you in preparation for one of the most important days of your life! To schedule a wedding, contact Michelle Tomlinson (michellet@lordoflife.org or 763.420.5015 x118). All couples who desire to be married at Lord of Life must attend a two-day seminar. More details are at lordoflife.org/weddings.

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

Allen and Brianne Aaseby with Julian

Justin and Maari Berg with Greta and Griffin

Shawn and Sarah Cheesman

Steve and Mary Daley

Laurie Hansen

Donna Koosman

John and Deb Moorse

Charlie and Jackie Schumacher with Bryson and Lainie

Membership at Lord of Life means you make a commitment to be an active participant in congregational life. The expectation—of not only new members, but all members—is to worship regularly, grow in faith, serve others, and support the church and its programs financially. Contact Diane Steffen (dianes@lordoflife.org or 763.420.5015) or visit lordoflife.org/membership for more information. You are invited to be part of the Lord of Life faith community.

NOW WHAT?

by Lead Pastor Joel Wight Hoogheem

This May, Lord of Life will complete our journey through The Story. Our community will have traveled through the entire biblical narrative, from Genesis to Revelation. It has taken a lot of hard work and dedication to make this project come to life, and it is a testament to the faithfulness of Lord of Life’s members and attenders who were willing to take the risk of faith and dive in.

Our first order of business will be to celebrate! The Story will wrap up in worship on the weekend of May 13/14. We’ll take a look back at how God kept God’s promises throughout the entirety of Scripture and look ahead to how God will continue to keep those promises for the rest of our lives and beyond.

Our second task will be to find ways to stay engaged with the biblical story. Hopefully your interest was piqued by something you read in The Story, something you talked about in a small group, or something you heard in worship. It’s likely that the Holy Spirit is at work through your questions, your insights, and your engagement with the Bible.

If you’re interested in having a good resource that can help you explore the Bible more deeply, I recommend a good study Bible. The two best ones I’ve found for congregational use are the Lutheran Study Bible (published by Augsburg Fortress) and the CEB (Common English Bible) Study Bible. Both offer insights into each book of the Bible, along with historical and literary insights throughout. These study Bibles also align well with our theological traditions and perspectives as ELCA Lutherans.

If you’d like to have a helpful overview of the Bible, a couple books to read are How the Bible Actually Works by Peter Enns and Making Sense of the Bible by Adam Hamilton. Both of these books are accessibly written and give good insight into just what the Bible is—and what it isn’t.

If you want to wrestle with some of the challenging realities of Scripture, two other books I recommend are The Difficult Words of Jesus by Amy-Jill Levine and Inspired Imperfection by Gregory Boyd. Instead of shying away from or glossing over the hard parts of the Bible, both of these volumes dig right in.

And if you’re looking for a way to stay dedicated in your habit of reading Scripture, I recommend finding a Bible reading plan that works for you. The Bible app (from Lifechurch.tv) has hundreds of different reading options, from thematic plans to whole Bible plans. You can get daily notifications to help keep you on track.

As a community, Lord of Life has made it a priority to hear the story for these past nine months. One more next step for us is to make it a priority to live the story. Just as Lord of Life has focused on the Discipleship Practices of Worship and Learn this past year, we will dig deeply into Serve and Give, beginning in September. This will be a great opportunity for us to take what we’ve heard in the good news of Jesus Christ and put it to use to serve the world.

Five ways to strengthen

by Lynn Leisen

Serve together

- help a neighbor

- pack food at Feed My Starving Children

- carefully pick up trash at the beach or on your walk

Worship as a family

- visit a new church while away from home or on vacation

- find a spot to watch the sunrise / sunset and praise God

- write your own prayer for mealtime

Start a summer

- ask “What was good today?”

- take after dinner or early

- follow the “Faith

5” model

1: share highs & lows

2: read the Bible

3: talk about what you

4: pray

5: bless each other

Bring God into your play

- sing camp songs around the bonfire

- pray before your bike ride

- talk about creation as you work in the garden

2 strengthen your family’s faith this summer!

tradition today?” at the dinner table early morning walks model (faith5.org) for devotions:

Invite others to join you

- invite neighbors to your fire pit for s’mores

- take a friend to worship

- share Lord of Life’s summer program information (lordoflife.org/summer) and when your kids are going. It’s fun to go with a buddy!

Please keep all families in your prayers for a safe, faith-filled summer!

PASTOR JOEL’S SABBATICAL

Lord of Life’s Congregation Council awarded Pastor Joel Wight Hoogheem a sabbatical from May 22-August 22, in accordance with the church’s sabbatical policy. This time includes three main elements:

(1) rest and disengagement;

(2) study and exploration; (3) reflection and prayer.

During these months, Executive Pastor Kaitlyn Forster will serve in the lead pastor role, and the other pastors have made plans to cover other responsibilities.

Especially when the summer season is finally here, you may want to consider experiencing prayerful moments in the great outdoors.

On Lord of Life’s campus are two fabulous options: a labyrinth and a prayer walk

A labyrinth is an ancient form of a prayer path; it has been revived as a prayer tool in the Christian tradition. Unlike a maze, which offers many possible routes (with some going nowhere) the labyrinth path only goes to the center and back out.

You’re invited to walk the labyrinth (shown in photo at right) in the backyard of Lord of Life. During daylight hours, follow the path in, around, and back out as you pray. Typically, a labyrinth meditation involves three stages:

l“Pastor Joel’s dedication to the congregation’s spiritual growth and the needs of our community is truly inspiring. The council recognizes the need for rest and renewal, and we are thrilled to grant him a well-deserved sabbatical. We pray that the Holy Spirit continues to guide him during this time of reflection, rejuvenation, and prayer.

Thank you for your unwavering commitment to our congregation, Pastor Joel!”

—Council President Clark Hjelmstad

• Release, be quiet, and empty your mind of worldly concerns while walking toward the center

• Wait and receive while at the center

• Return back to the everyday world

Lord of Life’s prayer walk is called “Steps in the Spirit.” It is a meditative prayer walk focusing on the fruits of the Holy Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23. During daylight hours, you’re invited to go on a prayer walk around the perimeter of the Lord of Life campus, beginning in the north parking lot (near the garage). With each sign identifying a fruit of the Spirit, you may choose to rest for a while or continue on the approximately one-mile path. During all of your “Steps in the Spirit,” it is our hope that you will be reflective, prayerful, and mindfully present in the moment.

PRAYERFUL MOMENTS

WORSHIP

Saturdays 5:30pm with Livestream

Sundays

8:30, 9:45, and 11am with Livestream

Childcare available (birth - age two) during regular Sunday worship. For children’s programming during regular Sunday worship, visit lordoflife.org/churchschool for details.

1: Baptism Class via Zoom, 5-6 pm

Church School, 8:30, 9:45, 11am

4: Faith, Food & Fellowship with OWLs (Older Wiser Lutherans), Naturalist Jim Gilbert, 12-2pm

7: Dominican Republic Informational Meeting, 12:15-1pm

Church School, 8:30, 9:45, 11am

Getting Ready for Confirmation (Option 1), 6:30-8pm

Holy Land Informational Meeting, 11am or 7pm

8: Getting Ready for Confirmation (Option 2), 6:30-8pm

14: Church School 8:30, 9:45, 11am

Congregational Meeting, 10:45am, Sanctuary

18: Landscape Arboretum with OWLs

19-21: Men’s Retreat

21: Breakfast Honoring Church School & Confirmation Volunteers, 9am-12:30pm No Church School

Graduation Recognition, 11am

22: Tiny House Informational Meeting, 5pm

28: No Church School

Events may be subject to change. Visit lordoflife.org or call the church office (763.420.5015) for the most up-to-date calendar items, specific event times, or severe weather cancellations.

JUNE

1: Faith, Food & Fellowship with OWLs, Physical Therapist Karen Hansen, 12-2pm

4: Summer Sundays Begin for Children’s Ministry (2 years through 3rd grade)

5: Baptism Class via Zoom, 5-6pm

11: Summer Stretch Open House, 9am-12noon

Summer Sunday (2 years through 3rd grade)

12: Adventure Week Begins

Summer Stretch Open House, 5:30-8pm

14: Minnesota Twins with OWLs

Summer Stretch Begins (Wednesdays)

15: Summer Stretch Begins (Thursdays)

18: Summer Sunday (2 years through 3rd grade)

19: Preschool Vacation Bible School Week 1 Begins

25: Middle School Mission Trip Pre-trip Meeting, 12:30-2pm

Summer Sunday (2 years through 3rd grade)

26: Preschool Vacation Bible School Week 2 Begins

For specific recurring events during the summer, please check lordoflife.org for ministry contact info or call the church office to confirm if a group is meeting—happy summer!

Alone...Together widows’ group, third Mon.

Alone...Together widowers’ group, second Mon.

Canticle Choir, Wed. (ends May 17)

Celebrate Recovery, Tues.

Children’s Choirs, Thurs. (ends May 18)

Fellowship with the Fellas, first & third Tues.

FreedomWorks Connection, third Thurs.

Gethsemane Clothes Closet, first & third Sat.

Gethsemane Food Market, Mon.

Griefshare, Tues.

Job Transition Group, first & third Wed.

Love to Paint, Tues.

Men’s and Women’s Cancer Support, first Mon.

Men’s Small Groups: Mon. 6pm, Tues. 7am, Sat. 7am

Pause for Prayer, first & third Tues.

Prayer Shawl Ministry, second Thurs.

Ring and Sing, children’s music ministry, Thurs. (ends May 18)

Sharing and Caring Hands, second Sat.

Lord of Life

Loved by God. Sent to Serve.

At the cabin or a weekend away? Plan to worship online with the Lord of Life community! Livestream is available at regular worship times or anytime via Lord of Life’s YouTube channel.

lordoflife.org/worship

YouTube: lordoflifeluth