Son Times Winter 2023

SON TIMES ST. ANDREW LUTHERAN CHURCH

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WINTER 2023/2024

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Why Wait?

Leadership

A Lot of Ground Was Covered The other day, while at church, I saw a member of the congregation heading toward their vehicle. I wanted to say hello and so I ran for it. (Ok—I walked fast.) As we were talking, another member approached their car in the parking spot next to where we were. We all said hi to one another. As the three of us were talking I said to the person who had just joined the conversation, “Hey, I want to thank you so much for the tour you gave my family and I eleven and a half years ago.” (You see, this person gave my family and I a tour of St. Andrew before I began my ministry here.) Turns out, during the tour, she was a wonderful and accurate representation of the wonderful people of St. Andrew.

If someone were to ask me, “What’s the best part of your time at St. Andrew?” I would say without hesitation, “The people of St. Andrew are incredible! The people of St. Andrew are supportive and kind. The people of St. Andrew are understanding. The people of St. Andrew are adaptable.”

Here’s what I mean…

I have friends in the ministry and I hear about all the criticism they get from changing this, not doing that, or talking about the socalled “good ole days.” Here at St. Andrew, from the beginning and up until the end, you have been awesome! As you

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know, we are good at mixing things up around here. Sometimes we are traditional in nature. Other times it is our goal to keep things fresh and be creative. You understand that we’re trying to bring all people into our midst to experience the love and grace of Jesus Christ. From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank you.

In addition to worship on Sunday mornings, a pastor has the honor of walking alongside people as they go through life—with all of its challenges, victories, defeats, happiness, deep and great sorrow. It’s amazing how quickly you get to know people when their life has been turned upside down. Yet, what we do around here is always centered in and around the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Regardless of the circumstances, as people of faith, we all seek council, wisdom, comfort, and promise through God’s holy and eternal word. To all the people who allowed me to accompany them on their journeys of pain, sorrow, and new life—I will never forget you!

In closing, I just want to thank you once again for the kindness and support you have shown me and my entire family for over the past eleven years. I know that God will continue to bless and guide this holy and Christ-filled place. That we trust. That we know. That we believe.

Be well. God bless!

David Lillejord Senior Pastor

“Why Wait?” Sermon Series Sundays 9:00 & 10:30 AM

“Don’t wait until retirement to do the things you really want to do.” “Do not let the sun go down on your anger”–Ephesians 4:26b. “Don’t put off till tomorrow what you can do today.”

Advent is the first season of the Christian church year. Advent is the precursor to Christmas. A very common theme in the Lutheran church is to focus ourselves each Advent on a variation of the same theme—“It is now time to wait, prepare, make ready, don’t just rush off to Christmas.”

As good, right, and salutary as all that is, what about the people, for whom, this is their 22nd, 48th, 72nd, or 91st Advent? As much as we tell them to wait, prepare, and make ready—they are reasonable to conclude: “Ah, for the last 21, 48, 72, or 91 years, I have been living with Jesus—my Lord and Savior. How is it possible for me to, for four weeks, to act or behave like this is my very first Advent?” Well, my friends in Christ, do we have a new approach for you. Introducing—Advent —2023—“Why Wait?”

November 26 (Advent 1)......................................................“Come Now.” December 3 (Advent 2)................................................... “Comfort Now.” December 10 (Advent 3)....................................................“Lament Now.” December 17 (Advent 4)........................................................“Peace Now.”

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“Notes” From the Music Office

Worship & Music

An Act of Defiance “Light de candle, everything’s all right.”

-Randy Stonehill

I’m seeing a connection this year that I’ve never really noticed before. What I’m referring to is a connection between All Saints Sunday and the season of Advent.

As I was planning worship music with Pastor Matthew for our contemporary service for All Saints Sunday, we found that some of the songs that spoke most effectively into the grief and lament of All Saints were actually Advent songs.

The song “Drive Out the Darkness” addresses both our need for Jesus in the midst of grief and also the call to justice that is a common theme in Advent hymns. Echoes of Isaiah 61:1 are heard in that song as well as in many of our Advent hymns and songs: “he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor…” On All Saints Sunday, we always sing the hymn “For All the Saints” with its pomp and majesty, but we could just as easily substitute

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any of the great Advent hymns and they would ring true: “Comfort, Comfort Now, My People,” or “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.” Our hearts are yearning for the kind of peace and joy and comfort that can only come about through Jesus coming into our world.

I’ve long been a proponent of the “Advent should be different than Christmas” school of thought, and I’ve understood that if the season of Advent is approached as a time of renewed spiritual focus then it can lead to a richer experience of Christmas. Similarly, we don’t skip Lent and go straight to Easter. But, this year’s theme for Advent of “Why Wait?” is not a disregarding of the rich traditions that Christians have held for centuries as a way of appealing to the instant gratification mindset. It is, instead, an acknowledgment and a celebration of the fact that all of the most profound truths that touch us at Christmas are just as present with us in our Advent, in our season of hope and longing. The Jesus we long for is, in fact, the Jesus who has already come and is here with us now.

I remember hearing many years ago that hope is an act of defiance. When we light a candle, we say “no” to the darkness.

This is for me a powerful image. Perhaps there will still be a faint echo of All

Saints Sunday when we light our Advent and Christmas candles. We all know that our emotions are often brought closer to the surface around the holidays, and we feel the loss of loved ones a little more sharply. But if hope is an act of defiance, then it is also an act of trust. We are all in God’s hands and we all need the kind of peace and comfort that come to us through Christ. Our Christmas candles remind of us of this powerful truth: God is with us.

On a personal note, I’d like to express my deep gratitude to God for the years I got to spend working with Pastor David Lillejord. I’m thankful to God for his compassionate leadership, his inspired preaching, his humor, and his friendship.

I pray God’s richest blessings on David and Joy as they settle in their new home and faith community. And, speaking of acts of trust, I know that God will continue to bless St. Andrew in the future as richly as he has in the past.

In the spirit of our “Why Wait” theme, my prayer for you is that you “have yourself a merry little Christmas now.” See you in church!

Tim Graf Director of Worship & Music

Why Wait?

Church Operations

When, If Not Now? I’m very blessed with two fantastic BFFs —Best Friends Forever, Lissy and Susie.

We have been friends since High School.

Together, we turned 180 this year. And of course it was Lissy who organized a huge party on her birthday in February, and Susie and I happily tagged along. The party’s motto: “Wann, wenn nicht jetzt!?”

When, if not now!? To understand where that’s coming from, you need to know that Lissy is one of four sisters, and two of them have already passed away. They never turned 60. Therefore, Lissy lives life in the present, with a purpose, almost ferociously. She does not wait; she does not put off plans, especially when it comes to spending time with her family and friends. Now is the time. Today is the day. She is a force of nature!

When, if not now? Doesn’t that turn all our childhood lessons on their head? “You can eat one gummy bear now, but if you wait until after dinner, you can have two!” “Good things take a while!” And the ultimate wait: Advent.

It seemed to stretch on forever, those 24 doors of the Advent Calendar took a lifetime to open, and Christmas Eve seemed to take eons to arrive.

And now? Aging seems to accelerate time in a curious way. Advent is no longer a time of excited anticipation, but rather a looming deadline, for budgets, for benefits enrollment, for home decorations, cookie baking, trips to book, not to mention thinking through (meaningful! gasp!) presents. And this year, all of us at St. Andrew face another deadline: Pastor Lillejord’s farewell and celebration of his ministry here. (I wish I had Lissy by my side to organize that party!)

When, if not now? Or rather wait?

Maybe living fully in the present and keeping an eye on the future are not mutually exclusive. Maybe waiting means to take the time to reflect about what’s coming.

Christmas brings change. Christmas is actually a huge game changer! God comes to us in a vulnerable child, to walk among us, and redeem all of us. “The Trumpet shall sound, and we will be changed!” Christmas changes everything!

So maybe Advent is the time to prepare for and live into the fact that change is all around us, and that change is the only constant. And that it will be good. We can evolve and grow and

improve, together with God. Maybe Advent is the time to live into the trust that God will provide and come through for us. And to therefore embrace life and all the curve balls it throws us with zest and determination, hope and joy, together, as a community of faith. I look forward to celebrating Advent with all of you, and to be changed with all of you! When, if not now?

Meggy Wagner Sr. Director of Church Operations

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Why Wait?

Congregational Council

“Don’t wait until retirement to do the things you really want to do.”

“Do not let the sun go down on your anger” “Don’t put off till tomorrow

– Ephesians 4:26b

what you can do today.”

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hat a lifelong concept, waiting. I think a large portion of our lives are waiting. Whether it’s a child holding on to the idea of waiting to grow up or the literal version of waiting in lines at the grocery store or doctor’s office waiting rooms. Waiting for news, waiting for instructions, it’s all a part of what we are asked to do.

However, discovering the value of waiting is not always seen in the forefront. It’s asked of us because of a benefit we might see far after the waiting is over.

A lesson learned can be linked to waiting and reaping the benefits from that said waiting. Waiting requires faith. Waiting asks us to believe passive behavior can result in rewards we might not feel we have earned. Waiting in Advent is the ultimate example of the biggest benefit, the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. But within waiting we can be an active participant, just as we practice rituals in Advent, waiting for Christmas.

I’ve got 3 ideas. (Sound familiar?)

1. We can listen. Seeking to learn from others’ experiences can guide our own opinions on waiting and expose us to new ideas and practices.

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2. We can reflect. Looking back on our own life and finding times when we waited in anticipation for something big or small can remind us what was gained and lost.

3. We can pray. Talking to God through prayer can center our desire and need to learn about what is next and how to fully be prepared and present for it.

Our journey to Christmas through Advent is a special time of waiting. Pausing and practicing “active” waiting is a way to honor the arrival of Jesus and recognize when the waiting is over, and how to accept the gift of eternal salvation with deep gratitude.

I for one am thankful I get to experience this each year in Advent with my St. Andrew family.

Blessings, Joy Altmann Congregational President

Why Wait?

Do You Know?

Do you know?

A column featuring useful-in-jeopardy information from our teaching pastor.

Advent as Immediate Urgency

Perhaps you are familiar with the theme of waiting for the season of Advent. It’s a common occurrence in church-y circles.

A clergy friend of mine, Pastor Adam White, who serves Faith Lutheran in Waconia, recently confessed to being his family’s liturgical police. The kids would want to decorate for Christmas and Adam would grinch on them, insisting on following the traditions of the church year, where Christmas is celebrated for twelve days following December 25 (you know, lords-a-leaping, pear trees, golden rings, and all that jazz).

But, upon invitation from Pastor Angela Khabeb and me, Adam felt a nudging of the Spirit. As Angela shared, people are leaning into the Christmas story between Thanksgiving and the end of the year. They might dust off old recordings from college choirs or attend public celebrations of the Christmas spirit. Angela observed that people are generally more kind, more generous. They work toward peace and goodwill more than they might at other times of the year. And if the church is saying, “Wait!” We become the gate keepers for God’s incarnation that will fling wide the doors.

Our sermon series, Why Wait?! was born from this exact conversation. I was an easy mark. I’m never waiting for Christmas. You can’t make me!

The word advent comes to us in English from Latin, adventus.

It means an arrival, the surprise of something unexpected coming to us. Of course many of us may immediately think of the surprise that young children feel upon opening presents on Christmas Eve, but the themes of Advent draw us a bit deeper.

This Advent season, we’ll be reading calls from scripture that offer immediate urgency, calling upon God to deliver them from world-shaking challenges in front of us. In a time such as this, why wait?!

Isaiah calls for an advent, a surprising appearance of God with all the pyrotechnics that one would expect for God to arrive on the scene: O that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your presence When you did awesome deeds that we did not expect, you came down; the mountains quaked at your presence.

–Isaiah 64:1 & 3 Many of you know that I don’t wait for Christmas very well. Hannah and I generally have our Christmas tree up right after (if not shortly before) Halloween. We love to listen to Christmas music, to smell pine scents, and to take in the season together as a family. But let’s not only linger on the holiday cheer. Together, let’s lean into the prophetic call of advent. We can be bold in our prayers, demanding God’s presence here and now, calling God to come down and be near us, changing our lot, making peace where there is war or discord, carving a path forward for a people in desperate need for goodwill and peace on earth.

May we, with the urgency of calls for peace, like the people of Israel in their darkest hour, like each and every one of us in the storms that life throws at us, dare to call for the light of Christ’s coming while it is still dark. May we be awake and alert enough to catch a glimpse of adventus among us. May we be bold enough to call out to God to rend open the heavens and be near us today.

Matthew Ian Fleming Pastor of Teaching Church Anew Director

Why Wait?

Small Groups

Small Groups: “Finding Your People—Why Wait?”

Think about the various people who share your life with you. Think of what they provide—fun, encouragement and support, companionship, and purpose (just to name a few).

As we enter this season of the church year of preparation for Christmas, we pause to reflect on these significant people in our lives. There is always family. For me, this is both my local, nuclear family here in Minnesota who I care for deeply and with whom I share daily life: Michele, Alex, Andrew, and Liam. I also am grateful for my daily conversations with my mom Mary Ann, in Pennsylvania.

I also have a special closeness with my siblings, Eric and Anna, both living on the East Coast. There are my college friends from Gustavus and friends who share hobbies. I have a great share of ‘faith’ friends as well. Each of these people form up the community around me to give me balance and meaning, a place to turn, and a place to relax and smile. I am sure that you have your own community around you, too.

I am confident that there are others in our community who you could add

to your collection of friends. Take this example of our son, Liam, who started his first year at Gustavus this fall. From my perspective, I care about his fitting into and enjoying his professors and classes. I care about how his adjustment to everyday routine is going. But chiefly, I care how he might be fitting into the community and making new friends. In a phone call after a few weeks on campus, he made the statement, “Dad, I think I have found my people.” This is all I needed to hear—everything else can fall into place. It is so good for any of us to find a community of support and care.

I believe that the faith community at St. Andrew is a place to discover and create relationships that are meaningful and supporting. There are many people who share your interests and life experiences. Are you willing to step into a new program designed to introduce you to new friends?

We are beginning Dinner for Eight.

These groups will be made up of eight people with the commitment to gather together four times between January and April 2024. They commit to getting to

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know each other in a casual setting and let relationships develop. Individual groups can define what they want to do together.

You could host each other for dinner in your homes, meet someplace for dinner, or just meet for coffee or a glass of wine or beer. We will provide some simple ice-breaker activities and some deeper, faithful questions to consider if you want.

Sign up to meet a whole new people or pull a group of people you already know to participate with you.

Why wait? We know that expanding ourselves in relationships with others brings a measure of companionship in our lives. You are welcome to be a part of Dinner for Eight, or any other small group at St. Andrew. Let me know how I can get you connected.

Welcome, Pastor Peter Johnson Pastor of Small Groups & Service

oming in January 2024—Financial Peace University—These nationally acclaimed Christian finances course is being offered at St. Andrew in January 2024. It is meant for everyone, whether you are trying to get out of debt or save for retirement, you’ll learn God’s and grandma’s ways of handling money. Topics include mastering the budget, saving for emergencies, paying off debt for good, and building wealth (and keeping it). The course is hosted here at St. Andrew for 9 weeks and presented

by FPU facilitators. Contact Pastor Peter Johnson if you are interested in more information.

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Why Wait?

Holiday Giving

St. Andrew’s Holiday Giving Responds to Needs of Local Families through the PROP Shop Each year, St. Andrew Lutheran Church’s Holiday Giving program selects partners in the community to bring our enthusiasm and faithful generosity. It is a way to exercise our faithful calling by God to love one another as we have first been loved in Christ. Historically, the program has impacted a variety of organizations all located within the Twin Cities. We are pleased to invite your support for our one Holiday Giving partner this season: the PROP Shop of Eden Prairie.

Honestly, my past knowledge of the PROP Shop was limited. Like many of you, I was accustomed to dropping off household or clothing at their Donation Center. I also knew they had a thrift store, but I had never been inside to shop.

What I did not realize was the breadth and depth of the organization’s programs.

Did you know that the PROP Shop’s Family Services has cared for nearly 3,400 needy families seeking basic items for their household since 2007? This includes 170,205 bags of clothing, kitchen, and other items. This also includes over 3,000 beds. Today, there are 700 active families seeking repeated assistance for their homes. The shelves used by these families to receive needed household supplies and clothing are lightly stocked or even empty.

Together, we are aiming to keep the PROP Shop shelves stocked for these needy families. There are many ways that you can help: 1. In-kind donations: New and gently used items from the ‘most needed items’ list will provide immediate assistance for families. Check the website for the list. Donate right to the PROP Shop drive up.

2. Financial donations: Contribute to the purchase of needed items, PROP Shop’s Buy-a-Bed program ($250 for a queen, $200 for a double, $150 for a single), or support capital improvements for the PROP Shop building.

Thanks to the generous pledges of a St. Andrew family for $10,000 and the St. Andrew Benevolence Fund for $5,000, the first $15,000 given will be doubled.

3. Service projects: participate in builda-dresser dates or tie a fleece blanket at one of our fleece tie blanket stations at St. Andrew.

The Holiday Giving website will share with you all the details, times and dates of these activities. Let’s not wait to make a difference in the world around us.

Together, we can make a huge impact.

Thank you, St. Andrew, for coming together to support this worthy organization in our community.

In Christ’s service, Pastor Peter Johnson Pastor of Small Groups & Service

Holiday

iving 2023

S T. A

ND R E W

L U T HE R A N C HU

RCH

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Why Wait?

Early Learning

“Be patient as you wait for the Lord to help you. Trust him to bring help.

Do not become angry or upset.

It will only bring trouble for you."

–Psalm 37: 7-8

Why Wait?

Waiting is so hard and let’s face it—nobody really likes to wait. It can be so frustrating, and it seems there are numerous times in our lives where we are asked to wait—wait in traffic, wait in line at the grocery store, the post office, being told there is a 30 minute wait at a restaurant. Just think of the expectations we put on very young children to wait every day all day long—wait your turn, wait in line, wait for snack time, lunch time, wait for your parent to pick you up from school.

As a young girl I can remember my dad repeatedly telling me “Good things come to those that wait,” when I was excited about going to my grandma’s or receiving something I was expecting.

Man, how I disliked that phrase! Why did I ALWAYS have to wait for what I wanted? Little did I know that in my dad’s life experience, he had found that by waiting sometimes it was possible to receive something even better than was 9

anticipated. By waiting we are trusting God to provide for us, whether it be a solution, a gift or a need.

In Psalm 37, we are asked to resist fretting and choose patience. It is easy to say we trust in God to provide, but observing our reactions to waiting, disappointment or difficult situations will show us where we place our trust. We must trust that God knows what is best for us and that God will provide when the time is right.

Kathi Wieman Preschool Director

Melanie Eggers Childcare Director

Melinda Eddihi Childcare Assistant Director

Why Wait?

Children's Ministry

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any years ago, when my children were little, we went to my in-laws for Christmas. My husband was preparing them for my children for what would happen on Christmas Eve, and going through all of the rituals and routines with them. He told them we would go to church, and then share in their traditional dinner on Christmas Eve and then after all the clean up and dishes were done, we would open presents. As you can imagine, our children were eager and excited to see everyone, and get to the present opening part of the evening. When we arrived, we greeted all of the extended family, and my mother in-law told us that she had decided, that this year, we were going to have pizza in addition to the oyster stew that was their tradition (for the grandkids sake) and that they were going to use paper plates so the clean up would be faster. The more “formal” celebration would happen on Christmas Day. My husband and sister-inlaw shared a look of disbelief and began to share stories of how long they used to have to wait on Christmas Eve, until every dish had been washed and dried and put away and my motherin-law said “being grandparents has its privileges, why wait? We are just as excited as they are!”.

I couldn’t help but replay that conversation as I pondered our theme for Advent this year. Forever in the church, we have been telling people to slow down and focus on the waiting in Advent. There is some beauty in focusing on the waiting, but the truth of the matter is, we already know the story and it is Good News! The BEST news! It is hard not to be excited, and get caught up in it. In the midst of news cycles that can sometimes be dark and dreary, the story is still relevant to us today. God today, is still coming to us, bringing to us the Good News that is for us—that a baby was born in a manger over 2000 years ago, a baby so special that we still celebrate that birth today. Why wait to talk about that?

In Children’s Ministry we will be working to bring you the story in new ways through our Christmas Program which we will share on December 17th at the 9:00 AM worship service.

We can’t wait for you to see the story through the Children’s eyes this season!

Shawna Berg Children’s Ministry Director

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Why Wait?

High School Ministry

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igh school ministry has been in a bit of transition since August. We have been searching for a new youth director to come and walk with, support, and create spaces where high schoolers’ faith lives can be tended to. Sometimes it seems that during this type of transition, everything just gets put on hold until someone new comes in and puts life back into the program. We sit around waiting for something to happen. Just like we usually do during Advent. We coin the season of Advent as a season of waiting. When we do that, we can miss out on all the ways God is present right now.

But in the advent spirit of, “Why Wait?”, we don’t have to wait until someone new comes along before we do all those things. We still have Wednesday Night Youth Group, we can still make connections, and be leaders within our church community. There are plenty of ways to be a part of our youth programs whether that is coming to youth group, being a Confirmation small group leader, being in youth choir, volunteering at Wednesday nights dinner, helping with Sunday School, and the list goes on and on. We can still be a St Andrew youth group together.

The high school programs don’t cease to exist, because there are still youth and there is still God. Those are the two most important things to be a youth group! So if you are a high schooler waiting for what’s next, come and be a part of our youth program. You will meet new and old friends, talk about life, and learn about Jesus. There is no need to wait any longer!

Sarah Fike Pastor of Children, Youth, & Family

We are excited to introduce you to Caleb Wragge! Caleb will join St. Andrew Lutheran Church on January 2 as the Youth Engagement Director.

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Spirit in the Pines

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ife is all about context. In parenting, this is especially true. Sometimes it is the right thing to make sure that your kids stick to their routines, finish all their chores, do their homework before screentime, etc. Other times, however, it is the right thing to listen to them and notice they need something more restful on a particular night. We see this even in the scriptures, about how God set up this world for us to work six days and rest on the seventh. But in our modern life, it is hard sometimes to figure out where all those lines between working and resting, between waiting and celebrating, between Advent and Christmas, really belong.

This of course leads me straight into thinking about life at camp. Because even during the school year, our whole camp team is working every single day to plan and revamp for next summer. Sometimes

it is the right thing to encourage a hesitant camper to try that new-to-them game, but other times it’s the right thing to offer them an alternative space where they can do arts and crafts or read and rejuvenate before rejoining the large group. There are no formulas for these moments in life, although I know we all wish there were.

When we are able to hold these multiplicities together, what can emerge is a truth that runs through all the possibilities. We have each other; God is with us. God is with us in the waiting, and God is also with us in the celebrating. God is with us in our moments of courage, and God is with us when we need to step back.

We are never ever alone. If we rush off to Christmas without Advent, we might miss the realization that God was with us, not just as this newborn king, but actually all along. In the end I’m not so sure God is

too worried about us figuring out where the lines need to go all the time, between working and resting. Mostly, I think, God wants those small moments of connection with us all day long, on all the different kinds of days.

So as you go through the holiday season this year, whether it’s advent time or Christmas day itself, remember to pause and wait, and let it be the most important thing you do to really see and embrace all the different ways the people around you are showing up. Let’s offer ourselves and one another the same attentive loving kindness that God offers us every day.

Sarah Blasing Outdoor Ministry & Youth Leadership Director

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Why Wait?

Hospitality

Waiting for Crème Brûlée As Christmas approaches, we make ourselves ready with decorations, shopping for and wrapping gifts, playing Christmas music, and baking special once-a-year treats. The sights, sounds, and scents of Christmas abound in every hall, home, and storefront as an outpouring of the building anticipation because we just can’t wait!

My husband and I married on December 1st, 2001. We returned from our honeymoon to a flurry of family Christmas events and a much smaller checking account. My father and sisterin-law’s birthdays are both on December 27th. Before gathering for birthday celebrations, Andrew and I found ourselves with nothing to give and no budget. Putting on our creative hats, we designed gift certificates to “Chez Anu,” a fine-dining experience in our home. (“Anu” was my toddler niece’s pronunciation of “Andrew”). Andrew, who enjoys the finer arts of cooking more than I do, would make a special meal for the recipient and their guest. Together, we would serve

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them as though at a restaurant. Given four different menu options, my sisterin-law chose the one which included crème brûlée for dessert. The response to this sumptuous treat echoed for months afterward. With repeated praises, others wanted a taste of this treat, too. This led to what is now more than a 20-year tradition of crème brûlée for Christmas Eve. With only four ingredients, crème brûlée is simple, but it requires both patience and care. Extra effort is made by straining the custard twice through a fine mesh before carefully pouring each serving into its own ramekin. A roasting pan is prepared with a water bath and a towel layered at the bottom to ensure an even baking temperature. Even with these precautions, each custard is meticulously monitored during baking.

Around 45 minutes the pan comes out and each custard is tested with a tap and a tilt of the ramekin. If there is a slight jiggle and no bulge with the tilt, it is done. Those that don’t pass the test are returned to the oven to ensure the

eggs are done. Experience identifies the next stretch of waiting—sometimes five minutes, sometimes fifteen—until each custard passes the test. The waiting can be excruciating especially for the tired back, but the intentionality is crucial to avoid rubbery, curdled custards. The scent of vanilla filling the air hints at the coming delight of that first silky spoonful —perfectly made by waiting perfectly.

How are you waiting for Advent perfectly? What preparations will you make to prepare your heart and home?

Let St. Andrew be a part of that tradition.

Join us in making our place of worship ready, building the anticipation together while we wait to welcome the precious gift of God that is the Christ child, the Messiah, born of a virgin to offer forgiveness for our sins.

Kari Shellenbarger Hospitality & Volunteer Coordinator

Why Wait?

Visitation

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

–Matthew 13:44

Is it worth waiting for?

In Galatians 5 ‘patience’ is listed as a “fruit of the Spirit,” but studies show that most of us lack patience. According to engineers at Google, 40% of users abandon a website that take more than three seconds to load. I read that 45% of Millenials responded to the question about how patient they feel by reporting that they feel less patient than they were 5 years ago and they blame it onto ‘technology.’ Of course, with today’s smart computers and smart phones, we are used to getting responses and answers to our questions about as quickly as it takes to type in the question for our browser.

Not needing to wait seems to add up to “don’t want to wait.”

Are you familiar with the phrase “Patience of Job?” It’s used to describe a person who’s faced repeated adversity, one hardship after another and yet, maintains a sense of positivity and hope. Job lost his children, his vast property, and his health but insisted on trusting that God would bless him eventually, if he only remained faithful to him. Ultimately, Job’s faith got pretty thin but in the end God blessed him enormously. We might say that “the

reward was worth waiting for.” Imagine just how long God has been waiting for his creation to live in harmony and love for one another. Ultimately, there’s no reward for God, if humankind ever fulfills this hope but surely the good that would come to all people from such an effort is worth waiting for and working for.

Studies show that increasing the reward results in our willingness to wait.

Yes, we’ll wait longer for larger rewards.

Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure in a field. When a man found it, in his joy he went and sold all he had and bought that field.” (Matthew 13:44) So, my friends, on November 26 our church will observe the start of the first season of the church year, Advent. It means a coming. God’s gift of love and salvation to the world is coming today, tomorrow, and for every future generation. God’s grace and hope and salvation are worth waiting for!

Roger Schindel Visitation Pastor

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Why Wait?

Children, Youth, & Family

“I

f we live in the Advent season waiting for Jesus to come then we might just miss out on all the ways Jesus is present in the here and now.

A

dvent is traditionally a season about waiting. Where we wait and wonder will come on Christmas. The theme goes perfect with prepping and gift buying because we do all that preparation leading up to Christmas parties and celebrations.

We often ask, “How will that new beginning change our lives or better yet transform us to live into this new life that Jesus brings? How are we preparing for the Christ child to enter into our world?” We usually lean into the season as if we are starting over each season to hear of Jesus’ birth.

BUT why wait?

Does living into a season of waiting for the coming Savior of the world change things? Because, Jesus is already in the here and now. Why do we wait for Christmas to express Jesus is in our midst? Especially when we don’t really celebrate and live into the birth of Jesus after Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. It almost seems like we waste a season if we always wait.

I have always thought that hearing Christmas music at the end of October was too soon. Or the fact that they started bringing Christmas decorations out in stores a couple weeks ago sounds insane. It appears our culture is starting earlier and earlier to celebrate Christmas. However, I was reading something that said people who put up Christmas trees and decorations earlier tend to be happier.

So maybe, our Advent theme of “Why Wait?”, applies to other parts of our lives surrounding the holiday. If we live in the Advent season waiting for Jesus to come then we might just miss out on all the ways Jesus is present in the here and now. The ways we see Christ and people being Christ to others during the Advent season. We don’t have to wait to share that good news of what Jesus’ birth means to us nor do we have to wait to share the good news of what Jesus is doing for us right now! This could be the solution to all the stress, anxiety, and running around during the holidays that we should slow down, stop the waiting, and look around at all the ways Jesus is calling you to experience the season of Advent with Christ’s presence. Go ahead, put that tree up early and also spend some time with Jesus.

Sarah Fike Pastor of Children, Youth, & Family

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Why Wait?

Chruch Anew

Enfleshing Witness: Rewilding Otherwise Preaching Church Anew (a ministry of our own congregation!) actively builds partnerships to create possibilities for fresh Chrsitian expression. One of our core pillars reads: “We believe there is room for everyone at the table of new vitality and momentum for the body of Christ. In all of our endeavors, we seek to identify and work closely with faith-based organizations, emerging change-makers, and trusted institutions.”

But I always think stories speak better than principles, so here is one such tale. In 2020, in the throes of the pandemic, I was watching a neighboring preaching conference who had translated their entire 4-day festival into an online format. It didn’t work and I was just forming some of that dangerous idea, “I think we could do this better.”

Watching that wonderland of yesteryear formerly known as Twitter, I stumbled upon a tweet from Rev. Mihee KimKort, who longed for a preaching conference that would center alternative styles of preaching from the traditions and ancestries represented by preachers of color. Mihee was kind enough to jump on a zoom call and discuss the possibility of offering exactly this kind of gathering through Church Anew. With this idea in hand, we applied for a grant from a neighboring congregation. Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Twin Cities provided a grant of over $11,000 to fund our initial virtual gathering. More than 800 preachers from around the country registered for Enfleshing Witness in 2021 and sparked enough momentum to build a larger table of leadership and offer a gathering in 2022.

But in March 2023, Rev. Dr. Theresa Thames, who serves as Associate Dean of Religious Life at Princeton University, invited the entire leadership team for a two-day retreat in Princeton to discern next steps and hatch a vision for the future.

Matthew Ian Fleming Director, Church Anew

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If you’re keeping score at home. In three years, this went from idea to tweet to team to fully funded movement. A song in our family that we sing at bedtime goes like this, “It only takes a spark to get a fire going and soon all those around can warm up in its glowing. That’s how it is with God’s love, once you experience it. You spread God’s love to everyone. You want to pass it on.” Mustard seeds moving mountains. Tweets igniting movements. This is the stuff of miracles. This is the stuff of the Spirit.

Thank you for being part of the movement.

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“Our goal is to rewild the preacher and the sermon, allowing them to flourish in the diverse landscapes of the communities we live in,” said the Rev. Winnie Varghese.

“By encouraging preachers of color to embrace their unique perspectives and draw from their rich cultural backgrounds, we aim to amplify the voices that are often overlooked and bring new life to the art of preaching.”

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Rev. Winnie Varghese, Rector (Lead Pastor in the Episcopal tradition) of St. Luke’s in Atlanta offered to be the fiduciary agent of a grant co-led by Church Anew and St. Luke’s. After lots of hours of writing, budgeting, and revising, we submitted a grant application to cultivate networks of BIPOC preachers across the nation and revolutionize preaching more broadly.

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Why Wait?

Building Projects

Update on Building Projects: Walkway to the Prayer Garden: This project is nearing completion, and it is shaping up to be beautiful! The concrete works are finished, the path lighting is in, and we are waiting for the final inspections to be able to pull the silt fencing. The railing for the steps down from the back exit of the Sanctuary will be installed later in December.

Landscaping plans with Bachman’s are under way, and new plantings will be installed in the Spring. We are deeply grateful to our generous sponsor who made this project possible!

Restroom Renovation: Starting November 13, our main restrooms by the Childcare entrance will get a full makeover! After much planning and even more delays, we are excited that the project is finally happening, and our contractor Doran Companies is confident that they can get it all done before Christmas! During construction, we will use the bathrooms in the basement by the Gym, and the staff bathrooms behind the music room will serve as our accessible bathrooms. Thank you for your patience while we update our space!

Welcome Wall: We are also very happy to announce that thanks to a generous donation, we can build our new Welcome Center in the Narthex! We have signed the contract for the project and hope to get at least the main information center at the sound booth wall done before Christmas. This project will also include moving the reception desk inside the Admin area, and creating a window into the entrance vestibule. We are excited for this redesigned gathering space to take shape!

Meggy Wagner Senior Director of Church Operations

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More Christmas Red…

Scan to Order Poinsettias

We joyfully anticipate this time of year when we can decorate our sanctuary with poinsettias. Orders for 8" red poinsettias are now being taken. The flowers will decorate our sanctuary through Christmas and can be taken home on Christmas Day. You may place an order in honor of, in memory of, or in celebration of any person or event. Please do so by going online and placing your order or by stopping by the front desk to fill out an order form.

The deadline for orders is Sunday, December 10th. Cost is $20 per flower. Thank you for your contribution as we prepare to celebrate Christmas at St. Andrew.

Christmas at St. Andrew Worship Times I Won’t Be Home for Christmas Monday, December 18 7:00 PM

Christmas Eve Sunday, December 24 9:30, 10:30* AM–Wiggle & Worship, 2:15, 3:30*, 4:45 & 10:00 PM

Christmas Day Monday, December 25 10:00 AM *Online worship available at standrewlu.org/live

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13600 Technology Drive Eden Prairie, MN 55344 952.937.2776 | standrewlu.org

Wishing you a

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year