Inspire: Community

INSPIRE

CO M M U N I T Y

a m a g a z i n e f o r t h e s t. p h i l i p t h e d e a c o n c o m m u n i t y

Where Two or Three are Gathered • Look Down the Street and See • Taste & See • Sona Mehring: A Community of Caring • #FrontYardPeople summer <¤<¤

i

IN EVERY ISSUE

Spiritual Growth Retreat: Journeys in the Wilderness J U LY 2 3 - 2 6

Saint Johnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s University, Collegeville, Minnesota Facilitated by Pastor Valerie Strand Patterson, Kristine and Jim Houtman, and guest presenter Dr. Michael Chan, professor of Old Testament at Luther Seminary. For more information and to register, visit spdlc.org

3 Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Letter

4 Scripture Connection

5 Read, Watch, Listen

6 Ref lections on Faith

32 Modern Day Pilgrims

34 Giving Thanks

35 Out & About

AUGUST 10 -14

Join SPD members on our 2020 Habitat for Humanity Build!

Persons ages 16+ are invited to help us from 8:30 am-4:00 pm as we build a home. No experience is necessary! Contact Pastor Mark Schmid for more information.

36 Familiar Faces

1

St. Philip the Deacon

INSPIRE

F E AT U R E A R T I C L E S

NEIGHBORHOOD

CIT Y

WORLD

8

14

16

Devoted Living: Generous Hospitality

Wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t You Be My Neighbor?

A Community of Caring: An Interview with Sona Mehring

10

20

Making Lemonade

Presence Matters

12

22

Where Two or Three Are Gathered

#FrontYardPeople

24 Interconnected

26 Look Down the Street and See

28 Taste & See

2

INSPIRE

Vol. 2, Issue 4, Summer 2020 Published by St. Philip the Deacon Lutheran Church 17205 County Road 6 Plymouth, MN 55447 (763) 475-7100 editor in chief

Tim Westermeyer m a n ag i n g e d i t o r

Amanda Berger design

Malley Design s ta f f w r i t e r s

Cheryl Mathison, Kate Sterner contributions

Cindy Carlson, Sherri Larson website

spdlc.org/inspire email editorial

aberger@spdlc.org o n t h e c ov e r

Photo by People Images Š2020 St. Philip the Deacon Lutheran Church. All rights reserved.

submissions

WORSHIP FROM ANY WHERE SPDLC.ORG/LIVESTRE AM

Do you have an idea for a story or love to write? Contact our managing editor with your submission, but please keep in mind the following guidelines: (A) Your article may be edited for length and content. (B) Articles must fit in the larger themes of our publication and reflect the mission of St. Philip the Deacon. (C) All submissions will be reviewed by our editorial staff to determine the suitability for our publication.

While we would love to include all submissions, space and cost limit our ability to do that.

Submissions will not be returned.

INSPIRE

3

St. Philip the Deacon

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

This issue of Inspire was well into production as we faced the early days of the pandemic. As an editorial team, we wondered if a theme on community was tone deaf or insensitive. Ultimately, we decided it still felt important to talk about what it means to be community. And (as of this writing) as we continue to live into a new reality, maybe it is possible for us to embrace community with new appreciation for what that means—even when it means that our community is largely present in virtual spaces.

Currently, we face a common enemy (COVID-19) that challenges us to redefine what it means to be community. In 2020, caring for our community looks like staying home.

Isolation is how we love our neighbors.

Connection means spending more time on technology in different and creative ways. It may not be the most devastating crisis we have ever faced as a nation, but it challenges us physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

When we first moved to our neighborhood in 2013, one of the things that I loved most about it was the diversity in ages of our neighbors. There were retirees, newlyweds, empty nesters, a priest, and lots of families with kids of all ages. Some of the neighbors have lived in this neighborhood, and even in the same house, for their entire lives.

They knew the neighborhood’s history and regaled us with stories of how much it has changed over the years.

We know many of our neighbors by name, and hang out with some of them, but I wish we knew more of them even better. We are going to be living in our neighborhood for quite some time, so it makes sense to me to invest in those relationships.

So, back in January when another member of the SPD staff handed me the book

The Turquoise Table, I was immediately captivated by the author’s desire to be “front yard people” (more on page 22), to move the action of your outdoor family life from the secluded backyard patio into the front, where there is opportunity to interact with neighbors more regularly.

My daughter, Charlotte, was also inspired by the idea, dreaming of her own uses for the table with lemonade stands and picnics with friends.

We bought the picnic table for the front yard and painted it turquoise, hoping to use it as a catalyst for more neighborly interaction. This summer, the guests at the table may only be my little family, but perhaps our turquoise table can be a visual reminder that we will gather again—and that when we do, this table is for everyone. May it become a means for reconnection—a place to get to know each other again and share hope for the future when we once again emerge from the shelter of our homes.

Pax Christi,

P. S . We also have a turquoise table here at SPD—on the west side of the building. While we may not get to use it for its intended purpose this summer, as you drive by, let it be a symbol of hope to remind you that we will gather again someday, all at one table, with our Lord Jesus.

4

SPD BOOK CLUB The SPD Book Club does not meet throughout the summer months, so here are three great reads that we know will inspire you. Perfect for those lazy afternoons in the hammock or by the lake!

The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans & Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics

by Daniel James Brown

TASTE AND SEE THAT THE LORD IS GOOD SCRIP TURE CONNECTION

Summer is a great time to gather with family and friends around a table and share a meal. Because the summer months are often less structured it always seems as though there is more time to linger and enjoy one another’s company. It is also a great time to invite others to eat with you.

Then shall be said the Lord’s Prayer and the following:

As you gather around your table this summer, be it for a backyard barbecue, or a Fourth of July Picnic, a midweek dinner at home, or a shore lunch at the lake, make use of Martin Luther’s Table Grace below.

AFTER THE MEAL:

You will notice that Luther encouraged prayer both before AND after each meal.

This provides opportunity to invite God’s presence at the table as the meal begins and then to give thanks to God after the meal has ended. It is such a beautiful way to frame our time around the table—with the bookends of prayer.

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good.

His love endures forever. [He] gives food to every creature. He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call. His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor His delight in the legs of a man; the LORD delights in those who fear Him, who put their hope in His unfailing love. (Ps. 136:1, 25; 147:9–11)

Luther also included scripture to be recited. With regular use, you will have not only the prayers but also the scripture memorized in no time.

The Adventures of Geraldine Woolkins

by Karin Kaufman

May God bless all your gatherings this summer with good friends, meaningful conversations and wonderful food. Here are Luther’s instructions from The Small Catechism for Table Prayer: BEFORE THE ME AL : ASKING A BLESSING

The children and members of the household shall go to the table reverently, fold their hands, and say: When the English Fall

by David Williams

The eyes of all look to You, [O LORD,] and You give them their food at the proper time.

You open Your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. (Ps. 145:15–16)

Lord God, heavenly Father, bless us and these Your gifts which we receive from Your bountiful goodness, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

RETURNING THANKS

Also, after eating, they shall, in like manner, reverently and with folded hands say:

Then shall be said the Lord’s Prayer and the following: We thank You, Lord God, heavenly Father, for all Your benefits, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.

If you are looking for more table prayers, check out One Hundred Graces by Marcia and Jack Kelly. This is a lovely collection of mealtime prayers, both ancient and contemporary, from many different traditions. Or, visit talkpoints.com/shop/ prayer-cards-table-blessings and check out Table Blessings, a deck of cards with each featuring a different table grace, a Bible verse, and a passage of scripture.

INSPIRE

5

St. Philip the Deacon

Read FUTURE HOME OF THE LIVING GOD

Faith & Life

Prolific Native American author Louis Erdrich hits on tough topics of life, creation, stewardship, faith and hope and hits close to home in this Minnesota-set novel. If you

are a fan of post-apocalyptic literature like The Handmaid’s Tale and The Hunger Games, you’ll love this book.

SUMMER 2020

While we take a break from our Faith & Life lecture series during the summer months, it does give you the chance to catch up with past lectures— or listen again to one that inspired you many months ago. Over the course of its 17 years, we’ve had the chance to hear the stories of faithful people from all walks of life in subjects as diverse as science, literature, health, sports and so much more.

Faith & Life curates a video and audio library of lectures with past speakers, going all the way back to 2008. If you missed wonderful lectures by people like Rebecca Stevens, Donald Miller or Father Gregory Boyle, you can hear their lectures at your own pace, from downloadable podcasts.

Catch up with these inspirational voices as you drive to the cabin, walk along the lakeshore or putter in the garden. Archives and podcast links can be found at faith-and-life.org/medialivestream.

Watch VISUAL LITURGY Each short film available at theworkofthepeople.com features a visual meditation, blessing or prayer designed to engage the imagination and foster connection through art around the world. This

subscription-based service is an affordable way to explore faith and creativity with some of the premier writers and thinkers of theology today.

Listen GOOD NEWS The music of the Christian band of Rend Collective has an eclectic, around-the-campfire kind of vibe that just feels

like summer. Favorite tracks include “Life is Beautiful” and “Rescuer.”

6

BY TIM WESTERME YER

A

s I write these words, I am focused on the ways the coronavirus is impacting our ability to experience community. We can’t be with one another in the ways we have come to expect, and that is hard and difficult and painful.

We can’t shake the hand of a friend.

Or hug a family member. We can’t gather for a spontaneous cup of coffee or meal at our favorite coffee shop or restaurant. Relatives in assisted care facilities can’t see their children or grandchildren. In some cases, spouses in these types of facilities are isolated from one another. We worry about the health of those we love.

Here at church, we haven’t been able to gather together for worship—surrounded by our brothers and sisters, joining our voices together to praise God. We haven’t been able to catch up over a donut and coffee in Fellowship Hall following worship. We haven’t been able to receive communion: “The body of Christ, given for you. The blood of Christ, shed for you.”

We miss and hunger for the type of in-person community which, if we’re honest, perhaps we have taken for granted.

And yet.

And yet—in the midst of all of this—we are finding ways to stay connected. Virtual meetings are replacing meetings that have typically happened in person. Families are finding ways to convene video conferences to stay in touch. Calls and emails and social media correspondence are becoming lifelines to reinforce the relationships we share.

And even if we can’t gather physically together in our sanctuary, we are still connecting as an online community during our weekly Sunday morning services, through our new daily prayer services, and via countless other offerings that are springing up as we creatively try to reinforce and celebrate—and yes,

even strengthen—the beautiful community we share here at St. Philip the Deacon. Through all of these, we are discovering new ways to “be together” even while we are apart.

Paul, while imprisoned and away from the Christian community at Philippi, wrote them to tell them how much he missed them all: “For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus.” They were part of his community.

Part of his family. And he grieved that he could not, at that moment, be with them.

He recognized, though, that his imprisonment—his distance from them—was actually helping to accomplish God’s work. “I want you to know, beloved, that what has happened to me has actually helped to spread the gospel.”

Do not misunderstand me. I don’t for a moment wish that any of this has happened. I miss all of you. I long to see you face to face. I look forward to the day when we can gather together again as God’s people to raise our voices in prayer and song.

Until that day, though, I pray that God is already at work in us—already at work in you— to strengthen the relationships we have with one another and with God.

I pray that—when we do come back together— we will be stronger, not weaker. I pray that we will be closer to one another than we have ever been. I pray that we will be ready to share God’s love in new and unprecedented ways—just as we are living through new and unprecedented times. And I pray that we will be so filled with gratitude for the amazing community we share—and that we so deeply miss—that we will never take it for granted again.

Grace and Peace,

INSPIRE

7

St. Philip the Deacon

When this is over, may we never again take for granted A handshake with a stranger Full shelves at the store Conversations with neighbors A crowded theatre Friday night out The taste of communion A routine checkup The school rush each morning Coffee with a friend The stadium roaring Each deep breath A boring Tuesday Life itself.

L A U R A K E L LY F A N U C C I

M E D I TAT I O N

When this ends, may we find that we have become more like the people we wanted to be we were called to be we hoped to be and may we stay that wayâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;better for each other because of the worst.

8

D E VOT E D L I V I N G

GENEROUS HOSPITALITY

BY AMANDA BERGER

INSPIRE

9

St. Philip the Deacon

Hospitality is a core value at St. Philip the Deacon. For us as a community, this value represents an openness to the guests among us and a desire to create a caring, compassionate community in which individuals and families can thrive.

Hospitality has long been a trademark of Christian communities. From the earliest gatherings of believers, who “broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people” (Acts 2:46-47) to the radical hospitality that is characteristic of Benedictine communities, Christianity has sought to model the unconditional welcome and love of Jesus.

In Benedictine communities, members follow the Rule of St. Benedict, written in A.D. 516 by Benedict of Narsia. The Benedictine understanding of hospitality is

that of seeing the visitor as Christ—rooted in Matthew 25:35, “I was a stranger and you welcomed me.”

If we understand the guest as Christ, then we can radically shift how we care for the stranger in our midst—a houseguest, a new neighbor or a recent immigrant to our country. If we take this principle to heart, it also asks us, “What does my response to a guest tell me about my relationship to Christ or my perception of Christ?”

In our modern American culture, we tend to hold the stranger at arm’s length until we are certain that they are safe.

This is antithetical to the pre-modern notion of hospitality where any visitor was offered shelter and a meal, no matter the circumstances. This kind of hospitality shows up repeatedly in the Bible. We see it as Abraham and Sarah entertain angels

unaware. We see it as a small child offers loaves and fishes to Jesus for the benefit of multitudes. We see it as children sit in the welcoming arms of Jesus. Radical hospitality is not only about modeling God’s generosity, but also practicing God’s unconditional acceptance.

Sometimes the guest may be difficult, stirring up a visceral reaction in us that makes us want to withhold our hospitality.

However, if we approach the guest with curiosity, perhaps that which was at first off-putting can instead inspire our compassion and allow us to see the Christ within.

Radical hospitality can be extended beyond the situations where you expect the guest.

A teacher offered the observation that perhaps, “Let all students who arrive…be received like Christ.” Where in your world can you receive the other as Christ?

“Let all guests who arrive be received like Christ…”

R U L E O F S T. B E N E D I C T, C H A P T E R 5 3

10

Making Lemonade

BY AMANDA BERGER

INSPIRE

11

St. Philip the Deacon

You could say it was the hot neighborhood spot last summer, with fancy lemonade flavors (Mint! Strawberry!) and homemade shortbread cookies. The Bradford family lemonade stand was certainly popular with their neighbors, as they set up shop a couple of times a week to raise money to donate to Feed My Starving Children.

Each summer the Bradford family does a bucket list—a list of ideas for fun, serving and learning contributed by all of the family members. It often includes things like going to ValleyFair and serving at Feed My Starving Children with SPD, but last year when “have a lemonade stand” and “FMSC” both landed on the list, an idea was born: to donate the money made at their lemonade stand to FMSC when they volunteered in August.

The four kids, Lilly (13), Abby (12), Will (7) and Matthew (3) set a goal of raising $100 to donate. “With charging 75 cents for lemonade and $1 for cookies, it took awhile for it to add up,” said Abby. But with many weeks of managing their stand, they eventually surpassed their goal, and kept resetting it throughout the summer. When they finally took all their dollars and coins to Feed My Starving Children, they had raised about $300.

The Bradford kids have some advice for others wanting to try out a similar proj-

ect. “Be kind and be nice about how you ask people to buy the lemonade,” advised Lilly. Abby said one of her best tips was to make signs and put them out in other places, like at the end of the street where more people will see it. All four kids quickly learned that it was not in their best interest to drink the lemonade and eat the cookies they were trying to sell—because then they just had to keep making more.

Abby also believes that advertising matters; she suggested making colorful signs or asking your parents to post it to social media sites like NextDoor or Facebook so that friends and neighbors would know about it. The Bradfords tried other products as well. Even bunches of herbs grown in their own garden.

One of the best parts of the lemonade stand was getting to know their neighbors better. “Many of the people would stay and talk while they drank their lemonade,” said Lilly. “We met people we really didn’t know and the fundraiser for FMSC was also a great conversation starter.” Many

neighbors would donate to their cause, well beyond what they paid for the lemonade. One neighbor, who didn’t have cash while out walking his dog, even paid by Venmo—making a nice donation besides!

All four kids found that it was a really fun thing to do together. Will was the most motivated of the kids, in part because he just has so much fun doing it. When asked if they would do it again this summer, all the kids enthusiastically replied in the affirmative. Do they have a fundraising goal in mind? Definitely to increase the amount from last summer. Three-year-old Matthew piped right up, “$600!”

“It was fun to raise money for others, instead of making money for ourselves,” said Lilly. “It felt good to give back.”

12

WHERE T WO OR THREE A R E G AT H E R E D

BY C H E R Y L M AT H I S O N

W

hile WELCA (Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) traces the origin of women’s circles in the church back to the 1800s, it is fair to say that the origin may very well date back even further. From the earliest times, families, friends and neighbors gathered around the fire circle to cook and eat their food, tell stories, share concerns and respond to needs, and pass down traditions and wisdom. These exact same things, sans fire, give shape and structure to women’s circles as we know and experience them today.

Over 500,000 Lutheran women come together each month in over 7,000 congregations across the United States for fellowship, Bible study, and service and they do it all over a good cup of coffee, a simple dessert or a full meal!

Here at St. Philip the Deacon, over 100 women gather once a month in one of four circles: Joy, Mary/Martha, Miriam and Elizabeth. While each circle varies in its particulars, there are two things they all share: a love of Jesus and a commitment to sisterhood. Joan Floren explained her commitment to her circle this way, “When we downsized, we only looked at properties close to church!” And Patrice Erickson said, “I so look forward to circle each month that I try my best to schedule things around it.”

Remarks like Joan’s and Patrice’s are not unusual. Many women report that holy and sacred things happen in circle. For example:

Circle member s pr ay for one another. One woman explained: “I was fairly new to circle when my husband went into hospice. I casually mentioned that to someone in circle and the

next day an email went out inviting prayer for me. I received so many comforting emails from the members. It touched my heart.”

Circle member s show up for one another, often w ith food. “When I had surgery and couldn’t do anything,” remembers Phyllis Suhr, “my circle friends brought full meals to us every day for two weeks. What a wonderful gift that was!”

Circle member s griev e and heal together. When a circle lost one of its members to death by suicide, they leaned on one another to try to understand, to grieve and to heal. One member said, “I knew there was much soul-searching about whether we could have done more for her.” Another woman said, “I’m so grateful we had each other during this difficult time.” And Cheryl Fontaine remembered, “We all had each other to lean on, pray with and work through that loss together.”

Circle member s giv e themselv es away in lov e. From volunteering at Families Moving Forward to writing and sending Get Well cards, to stitching the Baptismal cloths, to supporting the ministries of Interfaith Outreach, Kaleidoscope, Tree House, Mission Nursing Home, and Lutheran Social Services, these women are busy making the world a better place.

Bonnie Hana summarized circles as “a place to love and to learn.”

The relationships are deep and long-lasting because of a deep faith connection, raw honesty, and total and complete acceptance.

Sharon Connelly put it this way: “We all feel that this is a circle of love where you can reach for help—whether it is physical need or simply prayer support. It is an experience of love that makes you want to share it with everyone you know.”

INSPIRE

St. Philip the Deacon

BECOMING A MEMBER

Most often, a woman was invited to join a circle by another member as a great way to get acquainted with other women in the church and to make new friends. BUT, please know, you don’t have to wait to be invited to join a circle! All circles welcome new members at any time.

Women’s Circles vary in many ways: size (20-40 members), demographics (retired, with children at home, empty nesters, etc.), length of involvement (brand new to over 30 years), Bible study

13

curriculum (the Bible Study in WELCA’s Gather magazine, book discussion, DVD series, etc.), and meeting time.

If you are interested in finding out more about our circles or you are interested in starting a new one, contact Cindy Carlson at ccarlson@ spdlc.org. Cindy can help you to find out which circle might be the best fit. Or if there is not a circle that is a fit for you, we invite you to start a new one with our help and support. We will help you to find a meeting time, curriculum, how to get organized, and we can also help with inviting other women to join you.

14

WO N ’ T YO U B E M Y N E I G H BO R ?

BY AMANDA BERGER

When the lawyer poses the question, “Who is my neighbor?” in Luke 10, Jesus doesn’t give him a direct answer. Instead, Jesus offers the parable of the Good Samaritan, and to paraphrase, basically says, “Let’s not nitpick about WHO we serve, but instead just see other people and act with love because it’s the right thing to do.” We’re meant to consider everyone as our neighbor and treat them accordingly.

As Christians, our role is to be on the lookout for ways that we can love and serve those around us. One of the places in which we can act with love is right in our own neighborhoods—among the people that we see and cross paths with every day.

W H O A R E M Y N E IG H BO R S ?

The book The Art of Neighboring by Jay Pathak and Dave Runyon provides a wonderful exercise to help us see how well we know our literal neighbors. Using your house as home base, write down the numbers one through eight. Then, for each number write down each of the following: 1. The name of your eight closest neighbors—next door, across the street, and in your backyard. (First names only are ok.)

2. A piece of relevant information about them that you could only know from talking to them. (Drives a blue car doesn’t count—

you can see this from inside your house.)

3. Write down something in-depth about your neighbor that you could only know from having a real, purposeful conversation.

(For example, career plans or hopes for the future, their relationship with God or what they fear.)

How’d you do? The book also offers the following statistics: Only about 10 percent of people can fill out question one for all eight; three percent get question two for all their neighbors and less than one percent get question three. While it’s affirming to know that few of us know our neighbors very well, it’s also a little sad to think how little we know those who live right around us.

The solution? Be intentional. Look for ways to engage your neighbors in conversation, using the questions above as a jumping off point. How could you find or create opportunities for connection?

R EG U L A R GAT H E R I N GS

Consider inviting your neighbors to a gathering at your house—and it doesn’t have to be a fancy sit-down dinner or backyard BBQ. Consider popsicles in the front yard or a lemonade stand, simple and inexpensive, kids and adults can connect with each other possibly leading to other opportunities for gathering.

SPD members Bill and Mary Steinbicker live in a Minnetonka neighborhood that for the past 60 years has intentionally created opportunities for neighbors to know one another. “Bill and I have been co-presidents of the informal Woodgate Neighbors Assn for over 10 years,” said Mary. “We rely on a number of neighbors to help us with our spring coffee, a summer city-sponsored Nite for Neighbors, a fall PieFest and winter broomball game and potluck.” Both Bill and Mary commented that you have to create the kind of neighborhood that you want. They intentionally meet new neighbors and maintain a directory of neighbors and contact information. This connection to one another is built into the DNA of the neighborhood.

“It’s both communal and private. There’s respect and friendliness. If you need something, let us know. We are here to help.

Building trust is important—as neighbors are the key to safe neighborhoods,” Bill said. “We’re showing love by welcoming our neighbors. We want them to know that we’re here for them. We respect their privacy, but if they need us, we’re here.”

N IG H T TO U N I T E

The best way to build a safer community is know your neighbors and know your surroundings. In 1984, National

INSPIRE

15

St. Philip the Deacon

Night Out (NNO) was created with an emphasis in bringing neighbors together to create safer neighborhoods. Over the years, 16,000 communities have come to celebrate National Night Out—including 245 official communities in Minnesota.

For many reasons, local communities celebrate Night to Unite, like NNO, but apart from the national organization.

Ted and Connie Fust, members of SPD since 1991, began participating in Night to Unite 25 years ago. “It started with us chatting in our front yard with our next-door neighbor, then after a while, we decided to order a pizza,” remembers Connie. “As we ate, we remembered that it was Night to Unite. The neighbors—a single mom, her high school age daughter and the mom’s boyfriend—and our family ended the evening by saying, ‘Let’s do this for real next year.’”

The Fusts have hosted the gathering ever since. Their early-August gathering includes the 30 households in their neighborhood, known as the Wyndemere Drive Block Club. The Fusts provide the meeting place and the hot dogs, and everyone else brings a dish to share. Some years have included bounce houses, prizes and visits from the fire department or police officers.

“Our neighborhood is very friendly. If you drive down the street, people recognize each other,” said Ted. “We’re very close with our next-door neighbors, but Night to Unite gives us the chance to get to know the families who live further away, at the ends of the block.”

As veteran hosts, the Fusts had this advice for those who would like to start something like this in their neighborhood. “NNO is such an easy thing to latch on to. It’s a bigger community event that people recognize. Or start small and grow; start with a couple of neighbors and then see how it grows,” said Connie.

“We bought a starter home and forgot to move; but part of it is that we love our neighbors,” said Connie. “We were afraid of moving and not having the relationships we have now. We’ve been there 30 years and it was a huge part of the decision to stay.”

For Ted and Connie, loving their neighbors looks like taking care of each other—helping with yard work or snow removal, sharing in MealTrains or looking after mail or packages when people are out of town. “It means we take care of each other. If there’s a situation going on, I know they’ll take care of me and we’ll take care of them in return,” said Ted. “We’ve got each other’s backs.”

MUSIC IN PLYMOUTH

Plymouth held its first community-wide concert with the Minnesota Orchestra in 1972, and it has grown to host over 15,000 people annually. This city-wide block party provides an evening of family-friendly entertainment and then climaxes in a beautifully choreographed fireworks show. While St. Philip the Deacon has long been a sponsor of the event, in 2017 we became a physical presence as we added a booth where SPD staff and members have the chance to connect with the community.

We’ve handed out water and cookies, and in general, brought smiling faces and a warm welcome from the SPD community to our whole city.

Be sure to stop by the SPD booth on Tuesday, August 4, at 5 pm as you enjoy the summer festivities!

16

A COMMUNIT Y OF CARING

AN INTERVIEW WITH SONA MEHRING

BY TIM WESTERMEYER

INSPIRE

17

St. Philip the Deacon

What was the biggest challenge in getting it started? Investing the time needed to build and grow the idea of CaringBridge.

I was in my mid-30s with three sons ages 8, 6 and 3. I was also running my own consulting business that was quite busy, and of course, the day-to-day of running the household. But CaringBridge felt like a calling.

In the last few years, the meaning of “community” has changed and developed to include all kinds of virtual and online interactions and relationships through the explosion of social media platforms.

Many of these platforms have become lifelines in 2020 as we have all become more isolated physically during the Covid-19 pandemic, and have had to find ways to connect more deeply electronically. One important pioneer in this transformation has been CaringBridge, an online platform that allows people to easily share information about their medical conditions with friends and family— and allows family and friends to express their prayers and encouragement. Many people at St. Philip the Deacon have used CaringBridge—either to follow the health journeys of loved ones, or to communicate information about their own story. In this interview, we chat with the person behind CaringBridge, a Minnesotan who started it in 1997 to help one family share their story. Since then, nearly a million individuals have been able to share their health journeys on the platform, and more than 2.4 billion people have surrounded them with a new kind of community.

What was the impetus for starting CaringBridge? Was there a particular event in your life that prompted you to create it? In June 1997, some very good friends, who were

expecting a baby, ended up in the hospital.

The mom-to-be, JoAnn, had preeclampsia and was in danger. Since she was only 23 weeks pregnant everything was scary.

JoAnn and husband, Darrin, have a large group of friends and family and they asked me to “let everyone know what is happening.” After just two phone calls, I thought, “There’s got to be a better way.”

That was a light bulb moment—I thought “I’ll create a website.” That night, the same night their daughter Brighid was born, CaringBridge was born.

Unfortunately, Brighid’s life was a short nine days. Her death was shared on CaringBridge. After the memorial for Brighid and feeling a deep connection to everyone there because we had been together on CaringBridge, I knew CaringBridge needed to be there for anyone going through a health journey. CaringBridge is Brighid’s legacy.

Was the creation of this type of platform something that you had some expertise in, or was this a “learn as you go” type of endeavor?

Or maybe some of both? My background is technology and in the 1990s I had a consulting business that did websites and programming. So making a website was something I could easily do. Taking the single website and then saying, “This service needs to be there for everyone,” was much more learn as you go.

How would you say the platform has changed and evolved since it started? 1997 seems like such an innocent era now in terms of what it meant to be online. In 1997, there was no Google, no Facebook—words like “social network” and “social media” did not exist. To think that within 20 years, the explosion of those platforms would become ubiquitous in so many people’s lives is amazing.

Is there one particular story about CaringBridge that stands out for you? About how it has impacted or touched someone’s life?

Soon after launching CaringBridge from that one site for Brighid, I received a $100 check in the mail. At the time, the CaringBridge service was not a nonprofit (it was just subsidized via my consulting business), so this was unexpected. Back then, we had a lot of our information printed on our checks, including phone numbers—so I called the donor. I thanked her and I also explained CaringBridge wasn’t a nonprofit and asked why she sent a check. She simply said, “I would have never known my granddaughter without CaringBridge, and CaringBridge needs to be there for every Grandma.”

18

That story, so early in providing CaringBridge, was validation and inspiration all in one.

A big part of the power of CaringBridge seems to be connected to allowing people to tell their story in their own words. Would you agree with that? Why do you think that’s so important? Yes. There are several studies on the power of journaling and, of course, the Journal within CaringBridge is the heart of the community. But it’s the words that the community provides that are an echo beat of that heart. The written word is very powerful. Reading/re-reading those stories—in the journal but also in the words provided by the community and between the community imprints the story, the feeling, the experience in our memory and on our souls.

Following the story of someone you know and love on CaringBridge makes sense, but there seem to be lots of people who end up following or reading about folks they don’t really know at all. What do you make of that?

Is there an element of voyeurism in that, or is it something else at work? The vast majority of CaringBridge sites are the circle of friends and family. When a site does have visitors expand beyond that, amazing things also happen. There are a few reasons sites become more public— the person is more of a public figure and

wants a place to control the story or if the person/family want an expanded circle of support—many times for prayers or it’s a story that has captured people’s hearts.

Those more public CaringBridge sites are another element that brings people together.

People want to be included and help.

In many ways, CaringBridge has made illness, grief and loss more accessible and more public. I assume you view this as a positive, but are there any downsides to that dynamic?

Illness, grief and loss are all part of life.

Bringing a community together during these times helps everyone heal. Health, joy and new life are also part of life. We need to embrace all parts of life and feel them fully.

Do you ever get the sense that the creation of CaringBridge has created a kind of unintended pressure on people to share? That it has become “one more thing” for them to do?

In reality, CaringBridge is replacing something people would need to do anyway, just through a different channel (phone, text, etc.). They need to answer the question “how are you?”

The ability to update people in one place means that “pressure” can be relieved much easier. The update/story does not need to be repeated over and over.

The theme of this issue is “Community.” How would you define or describe the type of community that CaringBridge has forged and created? Is it like the kind of community that other types of social media have created? If not, how is it different? For CaringBridge, its community is overwhelmingly positive and supportive. Caring and loving. And there certainly is the ability for other social network/media to be that as well.

But, unfortunately, a lot of social media can be very far from that. There are still a lot of norms to be established and sorted through in this new world of social networks/media.

Related to the above, is “virtual” or “online” community different than “face-to-face” community? Or are they just extensions of one another? Absolutely extensions of each other. Each community can be built and provide deep meaning on their own, but when used as complements to each other, all become stronger.

How would you say faith or spirituality is at work in and through CaringBridge? I have always said CaringBridge has been guided.

Whenever something key needed to happen with CaringBridge as an organization, a solution seemed to present itself.

I’ve jokingly said, “I’m good, but not that good!” And, oh my, you absolutely see and feel a connection with each other that is beyond a simple conversation within every CaringBridge site.

Now that CaringBridge is more than 20 years old, what surprises you most about what you’ve created? That CaringBridge is more relevant, more important today than even in 1997. The main reason CaringBridge was started is still at the heart of every site/every community. And that is to simply bring friends and family together when they need it most.

What are your dreams for the future of CaringBridge? To continue to bring people together and lift each other up.

CaringBridge should be part of any health journey.

INSPIRE

19

St. Philip the Deacon

In 2017, you retired from CaringBridge. How are you spending your time these days? What are you focused on post CaringBridge, and what does community look like for you at this stage of your life? Transitions to new stages in life, as life itself, are such a journey.

You take a bit of a leap into unknown.

Initially, as I stepped away from the day-to-day running of CaringBridge, I threw myself into several projects and, ironically, I ended up even busier and more stressed. I finally recognized that pattern and began to sort through what really brought me joy and tried to spend more time in those things.

I have several communities that are rich and bring joy. Everything from playing hand bells in my church hand bell choir to traveling to participating in curling at St. Paul Curling and rowing at Minneapolis Rowing Club. I also am still on some nonprofit boards to scratch my “leader” itch. And spending time with my family, including my first grandchild!

I would say the general theme I try to live (and not always succeed) is to be very present in what I’m doing. I try not to be anticipating/thinking/waiting for the next thing on the list.

What else would you like to share? One reason CaringBridge has been able to stay true to its ability to provide a safe, private community platform is that CaringBridge is a nonprofit. It was a decision I made very early—that it needed to be run through philanthropic revenue. I rejected the idea of placing ads or selling data, as it was vital to have the families that use CaringBridge as the true customer and at the center of everything CaringBridge did.

Everything at the heart of CaringBridge is the idea of giving. I think about the power of giving actions: writing a journal, making a comment, saying a prayer, making a donation…CaringBridge is able to survive and thrive through the power of giving.

PG. 16 CaringBridge founder Sona Mehring, standing, with her longtime friends JoAnn Hardegger and Darrin Swanson, whose infant daughter, Brighid, is the namesake of CaringBridge.

PG. 17 Sona Mehring’s home office in Eagan, MN, was the first CaringBridge office, after which operations moved to her more-spacious dining room. CaringBridge remains based in Eagan—in an actual office, with 44 team members—and serves patients and family caregivers in all 50 states and 235 countries.

PG. 18 In her free time, Sona enjoys being a part of the Minneapolis Rowing Club.

PG. 19 Marking the 20th anniversary of CaringBridge in 1997, founder Sona Mehring, right, with JoAnn Hardegger and Darrin Swanson, gather with the CaringBridge team.

PG. 19 Sona with her family.

20

P R E S E N C E M AT T E R S

BY K AT E S T E R N E R

The mission of St. Philip the Deacon invites us to Reach Out, Proclaim and Inspire by bearing witness to the love of Christ for our neighbors.

Whether or not they share the pew with us in worship, we are called to love and serve those around us. Throughout the years this congregation has found many ways to engage our membership in reaching out in caring ministry to our local community.

A CIT Y PA R TNER

St. Philip the Deacon has been actively engaged with the City of Plymouth as a civic partner. For many years we have supported the annual Music in Plymouth festival, where we regularly pitch our SPD tent and engage with festival goers.

Five years ago, we answered another call of civic duty opening our parking lot to become a MetroLink transit stop. The city built and landscaped a bus shelter on our property to benefit drivers who park their cars in the morning for their commute to and from downtown Minneapolis.

In addition, we have opened our doors to the voters of local Precinct 8 for local, state and national elections.

I N T E R FA I T H O U T R E A C H

Interfaith Outreach is a key partner for helping meet the needs of our neighbors who experience financial crises, hopefully keeping families in their homes. Two of our pastors, Valerie Strand Patterson and Mark Schmid, have been active members of the Interfaith board of directors, and leaders of the Sleep Out Campaign, Interfaith’s annual fundraising effort to support families experiencing homelessness.

The Sleep Out campaign provides our middle school and high school students with the opportunity to learn more about the difficulties faced by our neighbors who experience financial instability. Their participation raises donations as they sleep outside in cardboard boxes during cold weather. It also helps our young people grow in awareness and compassion for others.

Justin Daleiden, SPD’s director of high school ministry, regularly organizes volunteer opportunities for our students in Interfaith’s resale shop and food pantry.

INSPIRE

21

St. Philip the Deacon

Other members of St. Philip the Deacon also regularly participate in these opportunities to serve.

supplies, provide winter outerwear (such as boots, coats and hats), as well as tennis shoes and T-shirts for gym classes.

SCHOOLS

Our next-door neighbors, Oakwood Elementary School just across the street, regularly makes use of our building for off-site meetings, such as their annual Kindness Retreat for fifth graders, and meetings for parents of children with dyslexia.

“If you want to really impact your community then you should get to know your local schools,” said Cindy Carlson, SPD’s Director of Congregational Life.

“We learned the truth of that years ago.”

Fostering a solid commitment through the social workers at our nearby elementary schools, St. Philip the Deacon has earned a reputation as people they can turn to when their students need extra resources.

“We are known as a place that will help,” said Carlson. “When we give clothing, for example, we do not just give cast-offs and hand-me-downs. Our members know that children need the right clothes so that they can feel proud of themselves, especially outfits that match. Comments come back to us from the social workers that, ‘everything is always so nice.’ Our members take great care to choose items as if they were shopping for their own kids.”

We have particularly strong ties to Oakwood, Gleason Lake, Birchwood, Sunset Hill and Plymouth Creek elementary schools. In addition to the needs for clothing or lunch money, we gather school

R E ACHING OUT TO SENIORS

Several local senior facilities have benefitted from St. Philip the Deacon’s ministry by sharing our live streamed worship with their residents. We also provide them with our bulletins, so that participants can follow along in the service.

At the Folkestone community center we have held hymn sings, where residents of multiple denominations can sing, pray and share their faith stories with one another.

During the months of March, July and November, a team of SPD members serve as drivers for the Meals on Wheels program, delivering meals for neighbors who need help accessing proper nutrition.

We also host Lunch & Learn workshops,

a series of health and wellness learning opportunities for seniors. These gatherings are cooperatively led by the parish nurse programs of several area churches.

SHARING OUR TIME AND RESOURCES

Residents of the apartment complexes to the north and west of our property are able to take advantage of our parking lot when theirs is undergoing maintenance or plowing. These families are also invited to our annual Family Fall Festival and Trunk-or-Treat, as well as spring Easter Egg Hunt.

In times of community grief or crisis, we are able to accommodate welcomed large gatherings. On a more regular basis, we host Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, a suicide survivor support group and a Caregivers’ Support Group. We also host the West Suburban Grief Coalition, which will be meeting at SPD this fall, weekly on Thursdays between Labor Day and Thanksgiving.

Our sanctuary hosts a wide variety of musical events by visiting bands, orchestras and choral groups, including the National Lutheran Choir. We have a great acoustic venue to enrich these musical experiences.

And we are particularly proud to offer our Faith & Life Lecture Series each year.

This series of five presentations by a wide variety of Christian leaders is highly regarded in the community. For nearly two decades, speakers from all walks of life have shared their faith and experience with appreciative audiences gathered in our sanctuary from all over the metro and viewed by livestream nationwide.

The impact that SPD has on our local, state, national and world community is wide-ranging. The gifts of time, financial resources and faithfulness of our members allows us to be a major ally in supporting those in need, wherever they may be.

22

INSPIRE

23

St. Philip the Deacon

#FRONTYARDPEOPLE

BY AMANDA BERGER

Did you know that the Turquoise Table is a thing? I didn’t until I read The Turquoise Table by Kristin Schell last winter, and with the snow piled outside, I began to plot how I was going to convince my husband that our front yard was deeply in need of its own turquoise table.

The Turquoise Table is a symbol of hospitality and of a desire for connection between neighbors. It is a place to gather and spend intentional time getting to know those around you. What started with a turquoise picnic table in a suburban Texas front yard has become a movement with thousands of tables throughout the United States.

In her book, Schell recounts tale after tale of how moving her family’s outdoor table to the front yard has inspired deeper community connections. It has also been a way for her to share her faith in her neighborhood. From meeting for coffee to impromptu conversations with neighbors as they walk their dogs or exercise, seemingly simple gestures (front yard gathering) have changed her neighborhood. It has inspired others to become front yard people as well.

Originally, I had hoped to extend this same hospitality through a turquoise table in my own front yard and at church. The staff was excited to have a place to eat lunch outdoors during the summer months, with the hope that some of our neighbors and our members would also take advantage of this space to share stories, to share coffee, or to just simply share the sunshine together. While

the global pandemic has made it impossible for us to gather around the table as I had planned, we decided to put the table out anyway, as a symbol of hope that we will gather in the future.

Maybe this summer, our neighborhood gatherings happen in different ways. But it is certainly easier to connect with each other from the front yard or driveway, even if that means yelling across the street or wearing masks. Maybe you can move your own patio furniture out front, drape your table with a turquoise tablecloth, and live as #frontyardpeople for the time being. Perhaps it feels silly, but I do believe it can go a long way in decreasing our sense of isolation and help us to feel like a community, despite the uncertainty of this time.

Even if it is only you at your turquoise table, may it serve as a reminder that you are not alone. Bring a book and read or spend a few moments in prayer knowing that God is present at the table with you. And once it is all over, may the tables stay in the front yard, staying visible, and serving as a place for renewal and reconnection.

What can you do at the Turquoise Table?

• Read a book • Devotions or Bible study • Look through your mail • Write a note to a friend • Journal • Say hello to someone walking their dog • Invite someone to have coffee or a drink • Unplug from technology • Eat dinner with your family • Bible Art Journal • Play a game There are lots of things that you can do—either on your own, or better yet, with a neighbor!

The first step in creating community and connecting with others is to be available.

24

you God!” for our ability to find ways to create positive experiences for our faith community during this uncertain time.

INTER -

While some major pieces, like livestream were already in place, we also needed to explore new platforms.

Some of the opportunities for increasing our virtual connections, such as the new podcast, were already in the pipeline, but the need to launch such ministries became more pressing.

These online meetings allow us to be present with each other in ways that were somewhat more vulnerable than our regular interactions at the church or the coffee shop. As I teach yoga, I have opened up my home and participants get a glimpse into my personal space. In return, I see them sitting in their living rooms, bedrooms and offices. These are places that it feels privileged to be invited into and reveals something about each one of us.

BY AMANDA BERGER

E

Early 2020 brought with it some of the greatest challenges we’ve faced as a world-wide community—the likes of which we have not experienced since the early 1900s. While the World Wars and 9/11 certainly affected us economically and people experienced loss, fear and separation, more often than not, these were also times of profound community engagement and pulling together toward a common goal.

The COVID-19 epidemic sent us inside and isolated us in ways that we weren’t prepared for, including working from home, homeschooling and new ways of thinking about our roles as consumers and business owners. It challenges us in every way—including as a faith community. What does it mean to be the body of Christ away from each other? How do we stay connected? How does SPD continue to see and respond to the needs of our larger community? What does it mean to be present with one another in an uncertain time?

Within hours of the realization that we would have to close the church for worship, activities and in-person meetups, we knew we’d livestream weekly worship.

That was followed within days by our staff taking to virtual platforms for many activities—from yoga and youth group meetups to daily prayer services and Coffee with a Pastor. There was a collective, “Thank

Together, we leaned into new technologies— livestream, podcasts and Zoom—which allowed us to grow together as we figured out how best to use each platform. There was a vulnerability to admitting that we weren’t quite sure how the technology worked, but that we were going to figure it out so that we could continue to be community.

- C ON -

INSPIRE

25

St. Philip the Deacon

Youth still play games, attend confirmation and pray for one another with Justin Delaiden and Clay Thomas.

Children listen to stories of faith with Rachel Arends.

Worship takes place each week and God is present. While being together in person is always better, it is amazing to think that in our faith community of thousands, at any given time, someone, somewhere is praying, singing, worshiping and loving God at the same time we are.

- NEC TED

GR ACIOUS WORDS Our first weekend of meeting virtually we hosted over 700 unique IP addresses for our worship livestream— seven times our normal viewership! Since then, that number has continued to grow and expand. We continue to hear many positive responses to online worship and other virtual meet ups. Here are some of the gracious words we heard: “ Major kudos to you, Tim, the entire SPD staff and the musicians for delivering such a wonderful online church service during unique circumstances. My family watched/worshipped together and it was a uniquely special experience for us—and one that was very meaningful. The sermon was so well done and relevant.

My 13-year-old son Sam said, ‘That was such a good sermon. I wish Pastor Tim could hear me clapping through the TV.’ Even the dog enjoyed it.”

— CLAUDINE GALLOWAY “ Our family has just finished watching the service together and we are all so grateful to be a part of the SPD family. There have been many questions from my kiddos in the past few days. The sermon spoke directly to their thoughts and concerns!!”

—SARAH JOHANSEN

For several years, we’ve heard about how we need to limit technology, engage more face-to-face, to be intentionally present in the real world as opposed to our interaction happening primarily on social media or via text message. We’ve heard people talk about the toxicity of too much wired connection, but in the face of this new pandemic, technology became a saving grace. It continues to be one of the best ways to decrease our sense of isolation.

And, I truly believe that whether in person or virtually, wherever two or three of us are gathered, Christ is present there as well.

“ Next month I celebrate 38 years of membership at St. Philip. I’ve ushered at the Easter Service for some 30+ years and really missed it this year. That said, I’ve never been prouder of St. Philip, its staff, and its leadership.

I too am lonely, but felt I was with all of you today. My prayers and best wishes for all of you.”

—BRUCE WARNER “ Just watched the live broadcast and I wanted to reach out to let you know how much I appreciate SPD’s response to this whole mess, especially how you have grounded it in love of neighbor, especially the weakest and most vulnerable among us. You all make me proud and thankful to be a member.”

—DAVID BOIKE P.S. It is your faithful gifts that make it possible for us to pursue these online options, and your presence and participation continues to make them meaningful. As we say regularly, your gifts make a difference. Thank you.

26

LOOK DOWN THE STREET AND SEE

BY SHERRI L ARSON

Great stories engage readers differently each time they are read or told. This is true of scripture; God’s word is called “living” for this reason. But stories about little birds and sleepy southern towns also have this power. When all three converge to explore a question of faith, we are blessed indeed.

INSPIRE

27

St. Philip the Deacon

I

n P. D. Eastman’s classic book, a just-hatched bird, dislodged from its nest, goes on a quest driven by a simple question: “Are you my mother?” The tiny bird asks a kitten, a hen, a dog, a cow, “Are you my mother?” Receiving no positive responses, the bird inquires the same of the next moving things he encounters: a car, a boat and a plane.

It’s obviously a good story when a backhoe comes to the rescue, right? In response to the bird’s inquiry, “Snort” says the backhoe, and then lifts and deposits the young bird back in its nest. Shortly after, the mother returns. “Do you know who I am?” she asks.

Though he’d never seen her, of course the baby bird knows. Gathered in the shelter of the mother’s wing, he also knows exactly whose he is. Before she’d ever seen him out of his egg, his mother was preparing and providing for him.

Are You My Mother? is a story of faith, focused on an essential need to belong. In a similar biblical story, a lawyer seeks to know exactly where he belongs. He asks Jesus, “How do I get eternal life?”

“Love God with your whole self and love your neighbor,” Jesus said, quoting scripture.

The lawyer had certainly heard these words before, but he was unsatisfied.

Like a grade-grubbing student looking for a word bank in a one-word matching quiz, the man asks Jesus, “Ok, but who is my neighbor?”

Jesus could have ended the lawyer’s question with the simple truth: “Everyone is your neighbor.” Instead, he tells a story of a man who’d been attacked, beaten and left on the roadside. A priest and a highranking official cross to the other side of the road instead of helping the wounded man.

Finally, it’s a Samaritan who shows mercy.

The lawyer probably regretted his follow-up question, because Jesus’ story added even more worries. A Samaritan was his neighbor? This loving God and loving neighbor command was a pretty tall order.

If Miss Maudie from Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird had been present, she might have called the lawyer out: “There are just some kind of men who’re so busy worrying about the next world they’ve never learned to live in this one, and you can look down the street and see the results.”

loving, serving and respecting neighbors.

The precocious child characters, Scout and Jem, grapple with who their neighbors are at nearly every turn. Is the barefooted, lunchless Walter Cunningham their neighbor? Is the reclusive Boo Radley?

How about their odd summer visitor, Dill, or their annoying cousin, Francis? The naive teacher? The morphine-addicted Mrs. Dubose? The wrongly accused Tom Robinson? The law-breaking, abusive Bob Ewell?

Yes, yes, and yes. And yes. Thoroughly, unquestionably yes.

Scout and Jem’s community of Maycomb is full of people in need of compassion and care and understanding. Some are obvious and easy to love; but the constantly changing backdrop is the unfolding knowledge that people can and do harm each other, out of an abundance of misunderstanding or ignorance or both.

In the same spirit, one can look up and down the street—not to determine how narrowly to define whom to love and serve—but to celebrate the breadth and width and depth of God’s command to love neighbors. Like the young bird, the certainty of belonging means knowing both who we are and whose we are.

Another Harper Lee character—a lawyer as well—might have been able to help define what it meant to see the Samaritan as a neighbor. Atticus advised his daughter Scout, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view—until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”

Loving neighbors—every one of them— takes courage. And courage, Atticus shares, is “when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what.

You rarely win, but sometimes you do.”

The great thing about the parables is that they push well past the obvious. Not only is the Samaritan a neighbor, but so also the priest, the Levite, the wounded man, and even the criminals who had attacked the traveler. Each one is a neighbor.

Sherri Larson is an SPD member and joins us as a guest writer. Sherri is a former high school English teacher and still substitutes frequently in the Buffalo school district.

Drawing wisdom from To Kill a Mockingbird to explore this biblical story is fitting.

The novel focuses on the challenge of

Sometimes you do.

28

“Taste and see that the Lord is good.”

PSALM 34:8

INSPIRE

29

St. Philip the Deacon

Taste & See

BY AMANDA BERGER

You’d be amazed at how often food shows up in scripture!

Fish, salt, olives, figs—to name just a few— bring a whole new understanding to faith at the table as we gather with family and friends. Just to whet your appetite, here are some simple summer recipes featuring biblically-inspired ingredients.

“For food that stays our hunger, for rest that brings us ease, for homes where memories linger, we give our thanks for these.”

—Traditional English Blessing

30

fig. 1

fig. 2

Easy Artisan Bread Bread is everywhere in scripture. It is the manna that comes from heaven and the food that Jesus chooses to establish his new covenant with his disciples. For millennia, bread has provided the foundation of the human diet with variations found in nearly every world culture. While this recipe requires you to think ahead, it is almost completely hands-off and gives you a perfect crusty loaf that will disappear in minutes.

INGREDIENTS

3 cups All-Purpose Flour 1 tsp Salt 1 tsp Dry Yeast 1 1/2 cups Warm Water, 115° F Corn meal or extra f lour DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl combine f lour, salt and yeast. Pour the warm water over the f lour mixture and using a wooden spoon, stir to form a dough. Cover and let the dough rise at room temperature to about double its size—about 10-12 hours or overnight.

Place a Dutch oven,* with the lid on, into the oven and preheat at 450° F for 30 minutes. While you wait for the Dutch oven to preheat, place a large piece of parchment paper on the counter and dust it with f lour or cornmeal. Transfer the dough to the parchment paper and gather it into a ball.

Carefully take the hot Dutch oven out of the oven and remove the lid. Along with the parchment paper, transfer the dough into the Dutch oven. Cover with the lid and bake for 30 minutes.

Reduce heat to 425° F. Remove the lid, continue baking for 30 more minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the bread to cool inside the Dutch oven for 15 minutes. Then carefully remove loaf and cool to room temperature.

Bread will keep in a paper bag for 2 days at room temperature. *Any 4- 6 Qt oven-safe pan will work—safe to 450° F.

Goat Cheese, Asparagus and Quinoa Salad

Olive oil is used in more ways than we can count—including providing the base of many salad dressings. This oil was (and still is!) vital to life in the Mediterranean and Middle East. When we hear of people being anointed with oil, olive oil is what they are talking about. Serves: 4 INGREDIENTS

1 bunch of Asparagus, trimmed 1 tbsp Olive Oil 1/4 tsp Sea Salt 1/2 cup Tri-color Quinoa, made according to package directions 1/3 cup roughly chopped Pecans 2 oz. crumbled Goat Cheese 1 tsp Red Wine Vinegar 1 tsp Olive Oil 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder Salt and fresh ground black pepper, to season DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400° F. Place asparagus on a baking sheet. Drizzle asparagus with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt over asparagus. Toss to coat and then lay the asparagus out in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cut into 1/2" slices. Set aside.

While the asparagus roasts, gently toast the pecan pieces in a dry skillet over low heat until fragrant. Remove from heat.

In a medium bowl, add the quinoa along with chopped asparagus, pecans, goat cheese, red wine vinegar, olive oil, garlic powder, and salt to season. Toss everything together. Garnish with fresh cracked black pepper, if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature. Leftovers keep for a day or two (if you have any!).

INSPIRE

St. Philip the Deacon

31

fig. 3

Radiance Fruit Salad fig. 1 The wonderful contrast between the sweet honey, tangy lime and bright mint in the dressing are what set this fruit salad apart. The pomegranate arils add a burst of sweetness in every bite. Pomegranates are mentioned in scripture many times, but especially in Exodus 28 where they are embroidered onto the priestly robes as a symbol of fruitfulness. Serves: 6 INGREDIENTS

F ru it * 1/3 Cantaloupe, cut into 3/4-inch chunks 16 oz. container Strawberries, quartered 5 medium Kiwis, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch chunks ½ cup Pomegranate Arils D r e s si ng 3 tbsp Honey 3 tbsp fresh Lime Juice 1 tsp Lime Zest 3 tbsp finely chopped fresh Mint Leaves

fig. 2

DIRECTIONS

Place the fruit into a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, lime juice, lime zest and mint. Right before serving, pour the dressing over the fruit and toss gently to combine. Salad should be consumed immediately, as the fruit gets mushy if you try to make ahead or save for leftovers. *Any seasonal fruit will be delicious. You could also include blueberries, raspberries, watermelon, apples, mango or mandarin oranges. You want to end up with about 6 cups of fruit total.

fig. 3

32

INSPIRE

33

St. Philip the Deacon

Labor of Love

BY AMANDA BERGER

W

hen discussing possibilities for their summer family vacation, Claudine and Dan Galloway had the realization that what they really wanted for their family was the chance to travel, but also to do something deeply meaningful that their three children— Emma, Sam and Sydney—would remember for years to come. Not a week after that conversation, they received an email from Dan’s uncle Gene in Bismarck, North Dakota, about his desire to do a family mission trip to Guatemala to support the Bismarck-based organization, The God’s Child Project, which he had supported for many years.

“When we got that email, we knew that’s where we needed to go,” said Dan. As the family landed in Guatemala City at the beginning of July, the kids were surprised by the American influence. “We saw KFC and McDonald’s, which seemed so funny,” said Sam. “But we also saw motorcycles carrying four people and trucks packed with passengers. The roads were terrible and the driving crazy.” Traveling to the outskirts of Guatemala City, it didn’t take long before they were confronted with the needs of the people living in poverty. The family was eager to serve, and after three days of sightseeing, they began their work at The God’s Child Project Casa Jackson Hospital for Malnourished Children.

During their stay, they lodged with Marta.

Staying in this family home provided income to Marta, who often houses The God’s Child Project volunteers and those visiting the area. While the home was simple, it did have running water and provided a safe place to sleep—something that many of the area’s residents lack.

For the first couple of days, the Galloway family worked in the Hospital for Malnourished Children. At the hospital, they would hold the young babies and toddlers, feeding them with bottles or holding the nebulizer for them. One of Sam’s favorite memories came from the work he did at the hospital. “At the malnourishment center, it’s usually infants to age 4, but there was this boy Raul, who was 9, and was severely malnourished. Really tiny.

He was really fun to hang out with.”

The family’s biggest project was to build a home for a local family with three children.

During this process Sydney connected with the daughter, Amanda, who was her same age. While they didn’t speak the same language there was a connection there and the girls often worked together on the construction site.

While the recipient family does not have to help with the building, they must own and clear the land, which is a huge accomplishment. Dan went on to explain the process for building the home—something that happened over only three days.

“On day one, we dug a trench and poured a foundation. On day two, we put in the cement f loor and framed the walls and put on the roof. Day three was putting in the windows and doors and getting the home ready for the family to move in.”

This simple home—with no running water or electricity—was still a dream come true for the recipient family. The Galloways were delighted to provide bunk beds and bedding, towels and other small touches to help it feel even more like a home.

The family agreed that the day where they turned over the home to the family was

the most beautiful moment of the trip.

“That day of turning the house over to the family was my favorite moment. We had put up a cross on the wall and that was something that the family noticed right away. The mom saw the beds and the cross and just started crying,” recalls Dan. After their 13 days in Guatemala, the family was eager to return home, but reluctant to leave behind new friends. To maintain their connection there, they have chosen to sponsor a boy, Rubén, through the organization. They send letters back and forth and support him and his education financially.

Claudine urges any family to try this kind of experience. “Watching my kids, who’ve never had any experience with babies, just pick them up and do what had to be done was amazing. If a family is looking for a project, wants to go on a vacation and also do some good, don’t be intimidated by something like this,” said Claudine.

“Anybody can do it, and you could just hold babies for a few hours. It helps them to heal just through the human touch. The organization has jobs for volunteers like ‘hugger’ and ‘holder.’ You can easily just go and do what you can.”

The impact on your faith is profound, Dan went on to say. “You see the faith of the people—even though they have, what you would consider, little to be thankful for, and they have such a strong faith. It has to impact you.” Sydney maybe summed it up the best, “I felt like I took life for granted.

[This trip] changed my perspective of what I have.”

If you are interested in more information about The God’s Child Project, please visit godschild.org.

34

Giving Thanks Within the Wayzata School District, SPD has gotten a reputation as a go-to when families are in a tough spot—particularly when they need money for school lunches or need winter clothing. We are able to respond quickly with the generous support of our members. “ Thank you so much for the generous donation for our ‘Angel Funds’ to help families provide lunch for their child.

These families appreciate this so much! It is so nice to have a supportive community!”

AMY SCHMIDT & ROSS WILLIAMS Social Workers, Sunset Hills Elementary

“ On behalf of the staff and students at Oakwood, I wanted to say thank you SO much for donating money to our Angel lunch fund. This fund helps us and families who are struggling to make ends meet. We are so very appreciative. “ In response to a need for snow pants, which was immediately supplied by a generous member of our congregation: “ Got the clothes today! I was able to get them to the mom today and she was thrilled! Thank you so much to you and your congregation!”

AMY LIEN Social Worker, Oakwood Elementary

Donate Each year both Interfaith Outreach and Kaleidoscope (a Messiah Lutheran program, in the Phillips neighborhood), distribute school supplies to children in need. You are invited to help by donating school supplies, due by August 9. Items of particular need are: Backpacks Heavy Duty, Solid Colors Loose-Leaf Paper Spiral Bound Notebooks Markers & Crayons Pocket Folders Calculators Flash Drives

Highlighters 3-Ring Binders Colored Pencils Watercolors Glue & Glue Sticks Pens & Pencils

INSPIRE

35

St. Philip the Deacon

1.

2.

3.

6.

5.

4.

OUT & A BOUT

In March, 35 people from SPD took a day to tour two very different and beautiful churches in St. Paul. The first stop St. George Eastern Orthodox Church, whose current building was completed in 1968, featured stunning dome artwork and iconography, with tour led by Fr. Perry Kallis. After lunch at CafĂŠ Latte the group went to the Cathedral of St. Paul where Prof. James Callahan talked about the art and Beaux Arts architecture of the cathedral whose building began in 1907 and was completed in 1958. If you missed the tour, both churches offer virtual tours on their respective websites.

CAP TIONS 1.

The SPD group in the chancel of St. George Orthodox Church

2. The group listens as Fr. Perry Kallis talks about the iconography 3. Prof. James Callahan shares about the various chapels of the St.

Paul Cathedral 4. Fr. Kallis talks to the group about the Orthodox faith 5. Touring the St. Paul Cathedral 6. The beautiful dome of St. George Orthodox Church

36

FA M I L I A R FA C E S DENNIS KLEVEN

Dennis Kleven joined the staff of St. Philip the Deacon in 1992. As custodian, his primary role is taking care of the physical structure of our church, and ensuring that the building is welcoming and ready for all of the ministries that happen each week. Dennis is also especially gifted at hospitality when we host funerals, making sure that those mourning and their guests, who may be visitors to our building, are greeted warmly during a difficult time.

1.

Describe when you knew you’d be going into ministry.

When my mother-in-law told me about this job opening [at St. Philip the Deacon], I was scared as I had never done anything like this. I applied and got called for a meeting with Keith Benson, Pastor David Hoffman, and Tom Alstrom. I knew right away this was where I wanted to be.

2.

What’s one thing that people would be surprised to know about you? I am adopted and my biological family contacted me when I was 34 years old. They lived nearby and had watched me grow up, but promised never to contact me. However, my birth father was sick, and they thought dying, so they called our pastor and set up a meeting with me. After checking with my adoptive parents, who were truly my mom and dad, I agreed to meet my birth father. All went well, and my birth father ended up living for many more years. We would often celebrate holidays or play cards together, him, my family and my adoptive parents all together.

3.

What are three things on your lifetime to-do list? Travel all over the United States, go to Hawaii and take my whole family on a cruise.

4.

How do you take care of yourself—spiritually, emotionally and physically—so that you stay healthy in ministry? I spend as much time as I can with my family, as well as taking care of my birds—my three parakeets and the wild birds outside. I go through about 30 pounds of birdseed a week. I also enjoy doing lawn work.

5.

What are you passionate about right now? Spending as much quality time as I can with my family.

Join us for scripture, meditation and movement.

Tuesdays @ 7:00 pm Thursdays @ 9:00 am Classes led by Amanda Berger, 200-CYFT. For more information and Zoom class link contact aberger@spdlc.org.

COFFEE WITH A PASTOR

T H U R S D AY S , 1 1 : 3 0 - N O O N

Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/273268495 Meeting ID: 273 268 495

17205 County Road 6 Plymouth, MN 55447

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Listening is a form of spiritual hospitality by which you invite strangers to become friends, to get to know their inner selves more fully, and even to dare to be silent with you.â&#x20AC;?

HENRI NOUWEN

V I S I T U S O N L I N E AT S P D L C .O R G