Lord of life lutheran
JUNE 2022
C O M P A S S
G R O W T H
about the cover— Sometimes a vine may appear dead, without growth or any sign of buds. Yet by the miracle of nature, spring and summertime come along and that’s when the growth occurs. In this watercolor, I wanted sharp piercings of a thorny vine to symbolize the crown Jesus wore. The two vines intersect as the cross that he died upon. These vines are not dormant because fresh leaves and flowers are bursting forth into the shape of a heart. The heart at the center of the cross symbolizes God’s undying love and desire for growth in all of us. May we welcome many blossoms to emerge in our own hearts as we grow in faith to our Lord and risen Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
—Bev Mello
GROWTH.....................................................................2-3 BIBLE 101: JEREMIAH 17:5-8.................................. 4-5 community life / GROW IN GRACE..................... 6-7 SUPPORT........................................................................ 8 COMMUNITY GARDEN...................................................9 Welcome / guest preacher.................................10 ALTAR PARAMENTS / CONTACT US...........................11 SUMMER WORSHIP......................................................12
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by Pastor Kaitlyn Forster (kaitlynf@lordoflife.org)
Quilting was never meant to be one of my pandemic hobbies, but over time it has become a spiritual practice that brings me hope. I started sewing in 2017 with simple pieces, including a baby quilt for a friend. The act of creating quilted items has given me space to process, pray, and grow. Since then, I continue to learn and have created countless quilts and more. Quilting has also taught me many life lessons that have helped me grow as an individual.
Lesson 1: The journey is filled with lots of emotions. Quilting often begins with anticipatory
excitement as a pattern is chosen and fabrics are picked. It then goes through nearly every emotion as fabric is cut; pieces are sewn together; the front and back are basted together; the actual quilting happens, and the binding occurs. Whatever emotion I am feeling, I find it helpful to ask, what is this emotion trying to tell me?
Lesson 2: You may not enjoy every part of the process; it can be tedious and hard at times. But working through the painstaking details and sometimes going back and starting over yields some of the best results.
Lesson 3: The process is more enjoyable with others alongside. Having others around to ask questions and share the milestone moments adds to the joy of creating something new. I also enjoy making something for someone else and praying for them along the way. I invite you to think about what practices in your life help you grow and what you have learned from them. What lessons on faith and life have come from simple actions that bring you hope?
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T R E E S by Sarah Lee (sarahl@lordoflife.org)
Thus says the Lord: Cursed are those who trust in mere mortals and make mere flesh their strength, whose hearts turn away from the Lord. They shall be like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see when relief comes. They shall live in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit. —Jeremiah 17:5-8
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Bible 101
What does resiliency look like? If you’re a tree, there are several different answers to that question.
Trees are some of the oldest living organisms that we know of, and while you may think that a tree must have perfect living conditions to grow to thousands of years old, that’s not entirely true. The bristlecone pine tree often lives in high altitudes, facing fierce winds, belowfreezing temperatures, and sparse soil. Despite these inhospitable conditions, bristlecones are extremely tough and can live thousands of years. One of the oldest known trees is estimated to have taken root in 2,832 BC! Another kind of tree, the quaking aspen, survives over thousands of years in a very different way. While each trunk may only live about 100 years, an entire aspen grove can be a single organism, sharing one root system and pushing up new shoots to replace the old, dying ones. One of the oldest groves of aspen is estimated to be around 10,000 years old.
Imagine the things these trees have lived through— the rise and fall of empires, seasons of drought and seasons of abundance, the establishment of nations, the genocides of entire people groups, deforestation, and changing climates. These trees were probably even alive when Jeremiah 17:5-8 was written. This passage paints a vivid picture of two trees doing everything they can to survive and thrive in very different circumstances. Jeremiah compares these trees to people who choose to trust in very different things. The first, a tree that lives in the parched desert, is like a person who relies solely on human strength. Even when there is water to be found, this tree isn’t able to access it—it doesn’t even notice! The second, a tree planted by a stream, is like a person who trusts and relies on God. This tree has deep roots that can reach water—it stays green and produces fruit even in times of drought. It’s tempting only to see the stark differences between these two situations, but when we look closer, we see one similarity. Both of these trees face a lack of water, whether from the climate they’re planted in or the season of drought they’ve found themselves in.
Each of our life situations is unique, but inevitably, we will face tough times. And even how we face those tough times and survive through them may need to be unique—like we see with the bristlecone and the quaking aspens. The way I survive and thrive may look different from the way you survive and thrive. We don’t get to choose where we’re planted, but we do get to choose how we prepare for and face the difficulties of life. Thankfully, there’s one sure help that we can always tap into. We can grow deep roots of faith, drawing from the living water that is Jesus Christ. That doesn’t mean the droughts won’t come—they will—but it does mean that we have a reservoir of strength that we can access no matter what.
reflection questionsn •
Which tree from the passage do you relate to most? Why?
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What does resiliency look like in your life?
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How can your faith in Jesus prepare you for difficult times?
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C O M M U N I T Y
L I F E
baptisms
weddings
At Lord of Life, we baptize individuals at any age. For the
For details on your wedding, visit lordoflife.org/weddings.
next baptism class or to schedule a baptism, call the church
To schedule a wedding, contact Wedding Supervisor
office (763.420.5015) or visit lordoflife.org/baptism.
Michelle Tomlinson (michellet@lordoflife.org ).
April 2, 2022 Warren Bradley Engel Tess Elizabeth Scheidnes
welcome
April 3, 2022 Miles Henry Klesk Nora Rose Klesk April 10, 2022 Amelia Schultz Eli Schultz Mason Schultz April 30, 2022 Isla Marie Svendsen
Robb Meyers Nate & Kelli Jo Miller with Jessa and Graham Cameo Rye 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. For more information, contact
bereavements Prayers of sympathy for those grieving the loss of a loved one; may they be comforted in the promise of the resurrection.
Mark Beyer and family at the death of his father Janna Bursch and family at the death of her father Craig Gust and family at the death of his sister Steve Kahl and family at the death of his mother Laura Lind and family at the death of her father, Howard McPhail Donna Rohrer and family at the death of her sister, Marsha Barz Gayle VanSchepen and family at the death of her father Sherry Warhol and family at the death of her mother, Patty Whalen
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Katie Gartzke (katieg@lordoflife.org or 763.420.5015) or visit lordoflife.org/membership. You are invited to become a part of the Lord of Life faith community.
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S U P P O R T Sometimes we are not in a place of growth and may need support. Lord of Life’s faith community is here for you in good times of celebration or blessings and in not-so-good times of challenges or setbacks. To learn more about the following ministries, visit lordoflife.org/support:
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Alone Together widow’s group
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Celebrate Recovery
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GriefShare
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Job Transition
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Lutheran Social Service Counselor
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Men’s & Women’s Cancer Support
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NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Family Support
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Prayer Support
C O M M U N I T Y G A R D E N Lord of Life’s garden and apple orchard, LifeGARDEN, is located in the northeast corner of the campus. More than half of the area is a community garden where all produce harvested is provided to food shelves. There is also an herb garden, butterfly and pollinator areas, and individual garden plots. You are always welcome—especially during midsummer when crops are growing—to visit and stroll through the main pathways, with children under supervision. On the garden bulletin board near the tool shed is information identifying all crops and their location. Use of individual plots is contingent upon a gardener’s commitment to work in the communal portion for planting, weeding, and harvesting. During the growing season, fresh produce is provided to families through Gethsemane in north Minneapolis and CROSS. Since it started in 2010, the garden has donated over 153,000 pounds of fresh produce to food shelves. Last year alone almost 20,000 pounds was donated along with $5,000 to CROSS and Gethsemane from proceeds given during the Fall Pumpkin Harvest and neighborhood farmer’s markets.
Green thumbs abound in LifeGARDEN; visit lordoflife.org/garden for more info. 9
W E L C O M E
Pastor LisaMarie Doerrmann Lord of Life warmly welcomes Pastor LisaMarie Doerrmann as Interim Pastor for Care Ministries. The congregational council voted to extend a call for her to serve in this part-time position during their April council meeting. Pastor LisaMarie graduated from Luther Seminary in 2015. She was ordained at Lord of Life in 2017 and served a congregation in Anoka before accepting this call. Pastor LisaMarie has a strong desire to listen to people in all stages of life and walk beside them as they experience transitions. Her role will include visitations, overseeing support groups, working with Care Ministries, and officiating funerals. Lead Pastor Joel Wight Hoogheem shares, “Pastor LisaMarie brings a passion for caring and loving in the name of Jesus to our pastoral team at Lord of Life. Her gifts and her presence will serve our community well during this interim time. It’s so exciting to have her as part of God’s mission for Lord of Life!” Pastor LisaMarie is married to Craig, and they have three adult children—Nicole (and her fiancée Michael), Jon, and Caitlin.
G U E S T
P R E A C H E R
Rev. Dr. Mitri Raheb
Sponsored by Lord of Life’s Holy Land ministry, Pastor Mitri Raheb will be the guest preacher on Saturday, June 4, at 5:30pm. Born and raised in Palestine, he is co-founder of Bright Stars of Bethlehem and currently serves as president of Dar al-Kalima University of Arts and Culture. Previously, he was the pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem. Immediately following the worship service will be a brief discussion on Pastor Mitri’s most recent book, The Politics of Persecution. Books will also be available for purchase. To learn more about the Holy Land ministry as well as Pastor Mitri’s Minnesota itinerary, feel free to visit lordoflife.org/theholyland. 10
Altar Paraments Lord of Life has been recently blessed with two new altar paraments. Colors for these altar pieces are based upon the liturgical church year: purple for Lent and green for Ordinary Time. Thank you to Leila Mikkelson Preston of Threads in Harmony for incorporating the sanctuary’s stained glass window designs into these paraments. Her weaving includes the textures of many fibers: cotton, linen, chenille, metallic, wool, and angora, which all bring a creative focal point to our worship space. Based in Alexandria, Minnesota, Ms. Preston has been creating fiber art for as long as she can remember. She was introduced to the art of weaving and built a small table loom while living at Holden Village in the Cascade Mountains of Washington. To learn more about her and see more of her beautiful work, you are encouraged to visit threadsinharmony.com.
LORD OF LIFE LUTHERAN CHURCH (ELCA)
7401 County Road 101, Maple Grove, MN 55311-4313 phone 763.420.5015 web lordoflife.org Visit lordoflife.org/staff for a full staff listing with photos. Prayer requests may be submitted to prayernetwork@lordoflife.org.
PASTORAL STAFF
WORSHIP / CONNECT
Rev. Dr. Joel Wight Hoogheem, Lead Pastor, joel@lordoflife.org
Visit lordoflife.org/worship for the most up-to-date worship schedule.
Rev. LisaMarie Doerrmann, Interim Pastor, lisamaried@lordoflife.org
To connect with an adult ministry representative, contact Karen Nelson (karenn@lordoflife.org).
Rev. Kaitlyn Forster, Pastor, kaitlynf@lordoflife.org Rev. Dr. Karen Geisendorfer-Lindgren, Pastor Emeritus, karengl@lordoflife.org Rev. Peter Geisendorfer-Lindgren, Pastor Emeritus, peter@lordoflife.org Rev. David McCarty, Pastor, davem@lordoflife.org
lordoflife.org
office@lordoflife.org
To connect with a children, youth, and family representative, contact Kirstin Delp (kirstind@lordoflife.org). For all ministry events and calendar items with the most current dates, times, details, event locations, and registrations—visit lordoflife.org.
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Compass is a monthly ministry by Lord of Life Lutheran Church (ELCA) printed by Wallace Carlson Printing using ecofriendly inks. 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 office@lordoflife.org. Credits: Guilmerme Simoes and The Icon Z with The Noun Project, Lightstock, Unsplash. Copyright © 2022 Lord of Life Lutheran Church
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