Lord of life lutheran
MARCH 2022
C O M P A S S
SEE PAGES 8-9
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
THE LORD's PRAYER.................................................2-3 BIBLE 101: BOOK OF PSALMS..................................4-5 community life / 40 DAYS & 40 WAYS.............. 6-7 MANDALAS................................................................8-9
CELEBRATE RECOVERY...............................................10 MIDWEEK LENTEN WORSHIP / CONTACT US............11
ASH WEDNESDAY WORSHIP.......................................12
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T H E
L O R D ’ S
P R A Y E R
by Lead Pastor Joel Wight Hoogheem (joel@lordoflife.org)
Jesus was asked a lot of questions. As recorded in the gospels, he famously answered very few of them directly. Jesus’ encounter with a lawyer in Luke 10:2537 is a good example. The lawyer asks, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus’ response was to ask a question: “What is written in the law?” After answering Jesus’ question, the lawyer asks another: “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus’ response this time is the parable of the good Samaritan capped with yet another question: “Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” Interestingly, shortly after this encounter, Jesus’ disciples make a request of him: “Lord, teach us to pray . . . ” in Luke 11:1. Along with boatloads of questions, Jesus receives countless requests. And Jesus always responds with a resounding “Yes!” when a request is made for healing. Jairus’ daughter in Luke 8:40-56. A demon-possessed boy in Luke 9:37-43. A blind man in Luke 18:35-43. To his disciples’ request to be taught how to pray, Jesus gives a resounding “Yes!” He teaches them what we know now as the Lord’s Prayer. Considering how quick of an affirmative response Jesus offers to this request, perhaps prayer is a form of healing. It is about bringing us into right relationship with God, as made known in Jesus Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit. Since Jesus desires our health and wholeness, he does not leave us empty-handed about how we can pray. Frederick Buechner writes, “ ‘Thy will be done’ is what we are saying. That is the climax of the first
half of the prayer. We are asking God to be God. We are asking God to do not what we want but what God wants.” That’s an awesome and terrifying request, indeed, as we release our desires and invite God’s desires to take precedence. The Lord’s Prayer teaches us that prayer is not like putting money into a vending machine and selecting our desired outcome. Since we pray the Lord’s Prayer as a community so frequently, it can easily become aural wallpaper. We can recite the words from memory without pausing to reflect on just what power and potential is contained in these words Jesus taught us. There is comfort in the familiarity of the words, yes. And we are always invited to take a breath and consider what it means to pray, for instance, “Our Father, who art in heaven.” •
What does it mean that God is “our” God? What might it mean that “I, me, my, and mine” are nowhere to be found in the prayer?
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And what does “Father” mean as it relates to God? Is this about biology or about something bigger? And what does it mean about how God relates to us?
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Where is heaven? What is heaven?
This season of Lent at Lord of Life, we will be taking time each weekend in worship to wrestle with each phrase of this beautiful, challenging, life-shaping, and world-shaking prayer Jesus teaches us. We can trust that learning to pray as Jesus taught is for our own healing, and for the healing of this world Jesus comes to save.
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P S A L M S by Pastor Kaitlyn Forster (kaitlynf@lordoflife.org)
When it comes to prayer, I have more questions than answers: •
How am I supposed to pray?
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What should I pray about?
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Why do we pray?
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Where do we pray, is there a right or wrong posture?
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When do we pray?
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Are there different types of prayers?
I think they come from a deep sense of not wanting to get it wrong and wanting to be faithful. Telling myself that if I know the rules, then it will help me to play the game. So, it baffled me to no end when I was told that prayer is a conversation with God. A way to bring
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your whole self to God, no matter what—even if the words aren’t perfect, or my posture isn’t great, or my heart hurt with the aches and pains of the day. Learning about the book of Psalms helped me make sense of my own prayer life. There are 150 psalms. They are lyrical and poetic using imagery and metaphors to, essentially, talk to God. The psalmists, and there are believed to be more than one, bring to God their praise, worship, frustrations, anger, laments, joy—the whole spectrum of human emotions. Each can be separate on its own, and together they are a collection of humanity’s relationship with God.
Walter Brueggemann places the psalms into three categories: orientation, disorientation, and reorientation. The orientation psalms such as 1, 33, and 104 are where God is trustworthy and reliable. They feel confident and serene, singing praises and orienting the person to God’s goodness. These are psalms most often in worship as they describe the world, God, and how we want God to be present with us. In disorientation psalms such as 13, 22, and 88, the tone changes quite significantly. These are often harsh, sad, and honest about pains of the world—giving voice to hurt experienced without
sugar-coating it. Psalm 22, which is most often heard at the end of a Maundy Thursday service during Holy Week, begins with “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me . . .” Notice the deep angst the psalmist conveys, and Jesus too, will also utter these words while on the cross. It may feel uncomfortable to know people express their anger and sadness directly to God, but there is great power in giving voice to the very real realities of living in a hurting world. Anger and lamentation are also the only things that lead us out of suffering to enter a new place. Without acknowledging pain, we are never able to work through it. This leads us to the third
type of psalm: reorientation. Psalms 30, 40, and 138 are all examples of how bearing witness to difficulty has led the person to trust God into a new space. Feeling the surprise of grace when it abounds. Finding resolution or comfort in unexpected ways. Called to deepen the relationship with God and find love in one’s life again. What I love about the psalms is that they show how there is no right or wrong way to pray. We can bring everything—and I mean everything—to God. There is nothing to hide, no need to refrain from being ticked off or ashamed. God desires a relationship with us, and with that means bringing our whole selves to the relationship. Anything less is
pretending instead of being fully present. Take a moment to close your eyes, breath deep, and let it all out. It doesn’t have to be perfect, you simply get to be you. God will be with you, no matter what.
Bible 101 reflection questions •
What psalms are meaningful for you—why?
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Have you ever wanted to yell at God?
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. . . cry with God?
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. . . trust God?
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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 next
For details on your wedding, visit lordoflife.org/weddings.
baptism class or to schedule a baptism, call the church office
To schedule a wedding, contact Wedding Supervisor
(763.420.5015) or visit lordoflife.org/baptism.
Michelle Tomlinson (michellet@lordoflife.org ).
January 9, 2022 Charlotte Marie Hempel January 16, 2022 Maylee Monroe Anderson Leighton Laine Christofferson Jaxson Lyle Flicker January 23, 2022 Harper Ann Starling
welcome John & Maggie Novak 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
bereavements Prayers of sympathy for those grieving the loss of a loved one; may they be comforted in the promise of the resurrection.
Sheryl Britsch and family at the death of her father, Derrel Britsch Carole Cliff, Denise Kuchta, and family at the death of husband and father, Dennis Cliff Vicki Doar and family at the death of her mother, Shirley Lunde Al and Gary Hendrickson and family at the death of wife and mother, Sharon Hendrickson Sandy Hofman and family at the death of her mother, Shirley Lunde Gordon Priebe and family at the death of his father Colleen Schrom and family at the death of her husband, Roger Schrom Kathy Simula and family at the death of her brother, Doug Mangan Tom Spoden and family at the death of his father, Harold Spoden
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all members—is to worship regularly, grow in faith, serve others, and support the church and its programs financially. For more information, contact 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.
40 Days & 40 Ways to love God and neighbor during the season of Lent
Apologize
Put your hand over your heart and breathe
Turn off the TV
Ask a stranger, “How are you?”
Give someone the benefit of the doubt
Let go of a grudge
Give generously
Be patient
Don’t take the easy way out
Reserve judgment
Give your best
Forgive someone Forgive yourself
Make peace
Rest
Pay attention
Say “yes” to something new
Take the day off
Take a walk
Be thankful
Act justly
Say “no” when you need to
Go outside on a clear night and look at the stars
Say a prayer aloud
Grieve
Face a fear
Help someone
Listen
Keep your word
Slow down
Be thankful
Care for the planet
Think gracious thoughts
Sing
Celebrate
Learn
Consider someone else’s perspective
Stop looking at your phone
Have faith
Choose your words wisely
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M A N D A L A S by Bev Mello (bevm@lordoflife.org)
Because of its focus on Lent, this Compass uses minimal color— except for these beautiful mandalas made by participants in Lord of Life’s Contemplative Community during January. They learned that throughout history, mandalas have been meaningful. Contemplative Community Spiritual Director Karen Wight Hoogheem shares, “Mandala is a contemplative practice that crosses a variety of cultures and religious traditions. For example, mandala can be found in Buddhism, Hinduism, Native American spirituality, and Celtic Christianity. Mandala coloring can create inner calm, which develops an awareness of our wider connection to other people, the world, and to God.” With the sanctuary window in greyscale on the cover, dear reader, you are invited to create your own mandala. Even if you color outside the lines as I tend to do, ‘mistakes’ may be absorbed into heavy black areas; have fun blending color on top of greys. Grab crayons, markers, colored pencils, highlighters—whatever media is preferred. Be in the moment. Welcome the Holy Spirit to be with you. Offer your creation to God. 8
This process allows me to leave behind the busyness in my brain and fall into a more peaceful state that allows me to feel closer to God and open to hearing from the Holy Spirit. That doesn’t always happen, but sometimes it does and that is amazing. I decided to use colors I wouldn’t normally choose to mix things up a little. —Cheryl Myhr
The yellow in my mandala symbolizes Jesus as the light of the world. It is hard to put into words what the experience felt like—it was a quiet time reserved for God: to both talk and listen.—Barb Lindberg
This mandala was done during a prayer for healing. My husband is recovering from pneumonia, I broke my left leg, two of our extended family have covid, as well as all healing needs throughout this world. After completing and reviewing the mandala, I felt the healing rays flowing from God in the center of the universe. I hope it blesses all who view it the same way. — Chris Vevea
This is not a classic mandala, but it is a drawing my granddaughter, Maren, and I drew together. For twenty minutes neither of us spoke except to say, “Pass that marker please.” Our time was peaceful, creative, fun, quiet, calm. It was just the two of us but I don’t think we were alone. —Peter Geisendorfer-Lindgren
I call my mandala “Joy to Creation.” One thing to note whenever I do a project, I always intentionally do one mistake to remind me to be humble: only God is perfect. —Laurie Schultz
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C O M E
A S
Y O U
A R E
by Kris Dooley
“Celebrate Recovery— I don’t need recovery from anything! I am not an alcoholic! I do not do drugs! I need help for someone else who has substance-abuse issues!”
Those words on the left were mine ten years ago. My first meeting of Celebrate Recovery was to find out if this was the “right” program for someone else, not me! As the meeting progressed, I heard phrases such as: try not to fix one another but support one another; anonymity and confidentiality; hurts, habits, and hang-ups. I also heard ‘Christ-centered 12-step recovery program’ and that sharing is to be focused on my own thoughts, feelings, and actions. With that revelation, I thought I may benefit from this program. Even though I did not have drug or alcohol issues, I did have difficulty knowing the difference between fixing and supporting someone. Destructive habits that were impacting my mental, physical, spiritual, and relational health had developed because I did not understand the difference. Remember, I did not have any drug or alcohol issues, but I still came back that next week to Celebrate Recovery. I participated in large group worship and small group sharing. Listening to others share their experiences, I realized that I needed recovery from the destructive habits I had developed. I have learned about co-dependency, setting boundaries, healthy relationships, how to ask for help and accept help, trusting others with my deepest fears, and accepting others where they are at without judgment. But by far the best part of Celebrate Recovery is that I have developed a very personal relationship with Jesus Christ regardless of circumstances in my life. These “Come As You Are” lyrics by Crowder are your invitation to Celebrate Recovery:
So lay down your burdens, lay down your shame All who are broken, lift up your face Oh, wanderer come home, you’re not too far So lay down your hurt, lay down your heart Come as you are. 10
LORD OF LIFE LUTHERAN CHURCH (ELCA)
7401 County Road 101, Maple Grove, MN 55311-4313 phone 763.420.5015 fax 763.420.7286 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. Face masks are required for Saturday 5:30pm worship.
Rev. Kaitlyn Forster, kaitlynf@lordoflife.org Rev. Dr. Karen Geisendorfer-Lindgren, Pastor Emeritus, karengl@lordoflife.org Rev. Peter Geisendorfer-Lindgren, Pastor Emeritus, peter@lordoflife.org Rev. Karen Greimel, ksgreimel@lordoflife.org Rev. David McCarty, davem@lordoflife.org
To connect with an adult ministry representative, contact Karen Nelson (karenn@lordoflife.org). To connect with a children, youth, and family representative, contact Chelsey Grandstrand (chelseyg@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: Lightstock and all mandala artists (Pages 8-9). Permission given by Gather magazine January/February 2022 issue and author Sarah Carson to reprint Page 7 with new title and minor edits. Copyright 2022 Lord of Life Lutheran Church
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