Son Times Summer 2020 | Vol. 2

SON TIMES ST. ANDREW LUTHERAN CHURCH

SUMMER 2020 | VOL. 2

HARD QUESTIONS

Hard Questions

Leadership

“A boat is safe in the harbor, but that is not what ships are built for.”

John A Shedd One of the tendencies of a Scandinavian, Lutheran, Minnesotan is to just not talk about it. At least, openly that is.

We’re familiar with Ole telling his wife Lena that he loves her—and—if he ever changes his mind—he’ll let her know.

Instead of just facing things head on, many people tend to simply stuff their thoughts, feelings, anger, and disappointment and, the hope is, if one waits long enough, all that stuff will all evaporate into thin air. However, as we all know to a certain extent, those thoughts and feelings last about as long as a Twinkie.

One of the most important things to me, in the worship service, is Confession and Forgiveness. To me, it is only right and salutary that, from the get-go, we just do what we can to clear the air. “Hey God, it’s not like I’m telling you something that you don’t know—after all, you’re watch-

ing over me—24/7/365. Nevertheless, I just want to say that I am sorry for doing such a poor job of following the commandments and your hopes and dreams for my days and my deeds. Please forgive me—and—I would love to do better today—with your help, of course.”

In a time like this—with first a pandemic and then the killing of George Floyd—that MUST not be ignored and silenced. It is imperative for us to ask, to answer, and face some very important and difficult questions. So—be sure to worship with us—online or in person— as we wrestle with some very important and hard questions.

Hard Questions

Be well and God bless!

July 19 Jesus Calms the Storms of Life?

HARD 1

Pastor Lillejord Senior Pastor

Sermon Series July 5 Could This Be the End?

July 12 Is Love Actually All We Need?

July 26 Why is it So Hard to Live as One Body?

“Notes” from the Music Office

Worship & Music

“It takes courage to live through suffering; and it takes honesty to observe it.”

C. S. Lewis

Stories for Our Times A good sermon series needs to be not only timely but it also needs to address what people need to hear the most and it certainly cannot ignore the “elephant in the room.”

We have more than one elephant in the room right now, as it were, and they are monstrous. If the church were to carry on as usual and ignore what is happening in the world would be like “looking through rose-colored stained-glass windows” (to quote the late great Christian rock band Petra).

As Jacob once wrestled with angel of God, we’ll be wrestling with the deep questions in our July series “Hard Questions.”

Could This Be the End? Is Love Actually All We Need? Jesus Calms the Storms in Life? Why is it So Hard to Live as One Body? I can’t think of better work for the church to be doing right now in worship than to take a good hard look at these topics that weigh heavily on our hearts and minds. Another aspect of series preaching that I truly love is the opportunity to hear scripture passages that we don’t often hear and to see how they speak into these struggles in enlightening ways: • What does Jesus have to say to us about the signs for the end of time?

• What does the prophet Amos tell us about how God feels about our lip service when we avoid the hard work of justice?

• We all know the story of Jesus calming the storm but do we know how that act echoes the words of Psalm 107:23-29?

And because Jesus once calmed that storm on a Galilean sea, does it mean that that he will calm all storms? My storm?

How can our faith inform us about God’s presence and activity when the storm rages on?

• What does the story of the Tower of Babel in the book of

Genesis have to teach us about this era of unprecedented polarization in our country’s history? Can we ever start speaking the same “language” again?

It’s also important to find balance after we dig into the difficult topics addressed in “Hard Questions” so in August we’ll lighten things up a bit by heading back to Sunday School!

We’ll be revisiting those stories that shaped our understanding of God when we were children; the stories that we learned from our parents and grandparents and from Sunday School; the stories that still have much to teach us about God and about us.

“More Than Just Stories” promises to be an enlightening series for us this August.

On a personal note, I want to express how much I miss seeing you dear people. Singing to you in your cars on June 21 was a unique and unforgettable experience (!) and having worshippers back in the sanctuary this past Sunday was truly joyful and emotional. For those of you who need to continue worshiping with us online, please know how much you are missed and loved. None of us knows how long it will take for things to return to “normal” but I am convinced that the work of the church is as crucial now as it ever was and it remains a joy and privilege to serve God through music ministry among you.

See you in church (and online)!

Tim Graf, Worship and Music Coordinator

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C

an you think of a list of memorable days in your life? Of course, we rank highly our weddings, births of our children, and other times of joy and achievement. We can also think of days like the space shuttle Challenger explosion or 9/11 as memorable days for different reasons. Recently, I experienced another one of those memorable days. On June 2 I participated in a 1,500-person clergy march to the George Floyd memorial in south Minneapolis.

The point was to come together to show support and resolve following the death of George Floyd. The march was called by a consortium of black clergy in Minneapolis. It began with a brief presentation by the organizers in a neighborhood church parking lot 8 blocks from the memorial. We marchers were welcomed enthusiastically and given instructions for the afternoon. The black clergy would start out at the head of the march. We white clergy would follow behind them, a symbolic gesture as we ‘have their backs’. Lay people would follow behind the white clergy who also ‘have our backs’. We were asked to march silently. At the memorial we would share a series of prayers lead by black clergy leaders. We then would reverse course and head back to our staging area.

What were my reflections on such an event? First, I grew up with parents who openly engaged and lived in the world’s more difficult questions. We lived in diverse locations and maintained 3

friendships with people of many different backgrounds. As my parents worked closely with Palestinians in Jerusalem through the 1990s through the mission of the Lutheran World Federation, we were deeply engaged in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the call for justice there. I have worked directly with refugees in Egypt. I also minored in history in college. Considering this background, I felt as though I was marching along with the many faithful marchers of the Civil Rights Movement that had marched before me.

Second, it was surprising how moved I was to march in silence. So often, when I am around people, I tend to engage in conversation. I suppose it is the habit of my trade. Michele and I use our daily walks together to talk about all sorts of things. So, on the one hand, marching and talking seems natural. But, to be asked to march silently, it allowed for me to think about what I was participating in. I could hear my own thoughts. I recalled the demonstrations I had participated in that advocated for Palestinian human rights. My knowledge of previous marches and speeches in America’s Civil Rights Movement came to my mind over and over, including leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr. As I marched, I broke the silence once when I said to Pastor Matthew beside me: “I feel like I am marching in the footsteps of all the people who have marched before.”

Third, because I was silent, I could

listen. Frankly, I think I had stopped listening. At times this dilemma of race in America seems older than time. It is easier to live in denial. What role can I really play in the larger scheme of things?

By being silent, I could listen again to what our black leaders were saying. We were called brothers and sisters in Christ.

They prayed about the tragedy of Floyd’s death and hope for the future. They invoked scripture about freedom, love, and peace between all people. They prayed about the coming of love into the world in Christ and loving all of our neighbors is the key to the future. We prayed together that voices might be found in new ways to address the ills in our society.

I listened. I prayed. I was a small piece within a far wider community, a community of faithful people much broader than myself.

A resolution for me out of the whole event was to keep on. I can spend more time listening rather than talking.

I can address my own complacency. I can bring my boys down to the George Floyd memorial. I can provide some thoughtful leadership at St. Andrew through A More Just World. I can be a part, even a small part, to the bettering of people in God’s world. I can do this: one step at a time.

Pastor Peter Johnson Pastor of Service & Small Groups

Hard Questions

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’m a curious person—and I know I’ve sometimes overwhelmed my family and co-workers with my quest for understanding. But, because I’m a nurse, I think I have a “pass”—because the questions I ask (and the answers I hear) help me focus on solutions. And I like figuring things out!

Maybe that’s why I subscribe to Consumer Reports and browse through the articles every month. I’m just curious. I have questions. I want to know which freezer is the most energy efficient, which chainsaw is considered the “CR Best Buy”, why cars are less safe for women and the latest reviews on pasta sauces and pillows.

I also routinely ask my staff questions--those questions help me understand what processes need to change and what supplies they need (including PPE) to care for our patients in the highest quality manner possible.

When I ask too many questions at the supper table, my son jokes, “That’s number 3, you only have 18 questions more!”

Recent life changing events including the COVID-19 pandemic, George Floyd’s murder and ongoing civil unrest brought many more questions. These events have challenged the world. There are so many unclear answers. This unrest makes me uneasy. I want answers. I need peace.

Where can we, as children of God, find reassurance and peace amidst hard questions?

Congregational Council/A More Just World Seek wisdom: “See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” (Matthew 10:25) Pray: We must reach for God. His presence will bring us peace. God said to Moses: “”My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest”. (Exodus 33:14) Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.” (Romans 8:26) Be courageous: “Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord our God is with you wherever you go.” ( Joshua 3:9)

“Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord our God is with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 3:9

Rely on Him: “The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory.” (Zephaniah 3:14) The questions are hard. There’s so many questions. I trust in Him. Jesus is always the answer.

Kathy Mason Congregational Council

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rior to the death of George Floyd, St. Andrew had already started work to develop a new ministry about justice and bias in our world.

Since George’s death, people have been reaching out asking, “What can we do?” Pastor Gail and Pastor Peter have teamed up with other members of our congregation to answer that question. Together we will listen, learn, have conversation and engage to work toward “a more just world.” Watch for more information in our weekly e-mails and fall newsletter on how you can be a part of this very important work.

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Hard Questions

Visitation Ministry

God always shows up We’re living during some very challenging times and we’re quick to think that life has never been so bad. I’m afraid that’s simply not true.

• Remember when the people of Israel turned away from God and spent 70 years in exile in Babylon?

• Remember the Stock Market Crash October 1929 when people’s savings were uninsured and they lost almost everything?

• Remember the Great Depression of 1931? My father was 12 years old in 1931 and he remembered standing in food lines with his mother, like thousands of others, during the Great Depression just for a few items of food.

This year hasn’t been easy for us with the pandemic, job loss, hope for a vaccine and recovery, and wondering what God is doing when we desperately need him to intervene. I’m reminded that the Psalmist also experienced

hard and challenging days but reminds us in Psalm 46, “God is a very present help in time of trouble.” I’m not sure it’s fair to ask what God is doing to help us but rather, “What is God prompting us to do to make a difference during this time of trouble.” God does his best work through us, his imperfect vessels!

I interviewed Helen Eckstein-Nielsen who is 98 years old. Helen may be the oldest member of St. Andrew and she lived through the Great Depression and several wars, high inflation, a poor economy but she’s still here and still can smile and find something to be grateful for each day. She grew up unsure about being wanted or loved. Those were hard times for Helen but she found ways to move ahead even though times were dark. Will Rogers once said, “Never let yesterday use up too much of today.”

That is how Helen has always been able to make the best of her circumstances. She says that two Bible verses have always been important to her:

“Never let yesterday use up too much of today.”

Will Rogers 5

1) Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” 2) Philippians 4:6 “Don’t be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, present your requests to God.” Helen moved to Chanhassen from Iowa, where she had lived her first 70 years, and found friendship, faith, and love! After living here for 28 years she’s formed some close friendships and one of those friends has modeled for her what faith in God looks like and has been a friend and helper to her. Helen says that her faith has grown most the last 28 years of her life and St. Andrew has helped that faith to grow. I asked Helen what she’d recommend for us to do during these challenging days. She said, “Stay connected with people” and “you got to have faith.” Helen fell in her apartment a month ago and broke her hip. A broken hip at age 98 is no small matter but Helen endured the surgery and rehab and moved back into her own apartment at the end of June. You can see that Helen isn’t one to give up but she’s always found a reason to move forward even during some very difficult days.

I’m hoping that we all can learn from Helen and even from history. I read that more Lutheran churches were built during the Great Depression than at any time in our history. For me, this symbolizes planting hope in God; it says that we’re here to stay and see a way with God through the ‘challenging times.’ We’re given this promise by God, “I will never fail you or forsake you.” So, we move forward together in faith. Helen said it well, “Just let God be God!” Never give up!

Pastor Roger Schindel Visitation Pastor

Hard Questions

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recently saw one of those funny memes going around on social media. It was a photo of a huge wasp nest. The caption read, ‘If 2020 were a piñata.’ Clearly—the truth.

At the first swipe of the 2020 piñata, the wasps released. We had to scatter, hide, and take cover. We have had to isolate. We no longer can hug our kids who don’t live in our home. We wash our hands constantly. We talk with our parents and grandparents through windows. Our loved ones are hospitalized and we are not allowed to be there to comfort them. We ZOOM and share our major life events virtually. We wash our hands again.

Our masks are our constant companions who keep us safe as well as hide our feelings. We wash our hands once more. Our friends get sick. We feel anger at those who are not taking the recommended Covid-19 precautions seriously—knowing we are not to judge. Yet, we point fingers. For those of us who have work—we work in our own invisible circle of protection, always being careful not to come into contact with another co-worker. Friends and loved ones are unemployed in greater numbers than we have ever seen. Our finances have taken a nose dive.

Financial security is a thing of the past. We worry about today.

We worry about tomorrow. Stress lives in our bodies and robs us of sleep. We see despair everywhere we turn. We’ve become almost used to this crazy, new normal living with Covid-19.

Then the next swarm of wasps hits us: world disorder, political discord, senseless violence, social unrest, re-learning what white privilege means. The list is long. The list is heavy.

We look for pockets of peace in the midst of chaos. We pray—not knowing how or where to start. We find peace anywhere we can. Sometimes we find peace in binge watching Netflix, over-eating, and pouring a drink. In this isolation, we look for peace as we grieve the loss of community… but there is hope.

We can think of St. Andrew, our church family and staff, as a pocket of peace. We remain together in spirit “Living out Our Faith in Daily Life’. In the midst of this chaos, our shared Christian faith provides us a firm foundation upon which to stand to face the tough times now and ahead. Our staff members continue to work to see that programs go on, childcare is available, services are recorded, and communications go out to keep us all informed. We continue to offer hope to each other and prayers for healing as we all deal with personal limitations and lifestyle changes. Creativity abounds. We communicate in new and innovative ways utilizing social media posts, videos, blogs and on-line worship. We reach out to those who are shut in. We call. We write letters. We deliver meals. We donate. We provide life’s essentials to those hardest hit by social unrest in our cities. We support Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in their

outreach to their neighbors who have great need. We conduct food drives with neighborhood hubs gathering and donating non-perishable items to PROP. We continue to learn and reflect, gather and give, live and love every day. As Christians, by knowing that God is with us, we continue to spread the love of Christ in the world—even in hard times—especially in hard times. We are the church. We thrive in spite of isolation. This is where we find peace—right here in our own pocket.

Many of us have so much weighing on our hearts these days. We may worry about how to keep our thoughts and prayers together, not knowing where to begin to pray. It is at that very moment that the Holy Spirit steps in and we are reminded that God is the one that keeps it together. It’s not up to us. There are many stories in the bible that show fear, anger and despair and lashing out at God for undeserved hardships.

There are stories of struggle and wrestling with injustice and then literally limping away from God. We can relate to those stories —right here, right now. And in spite of it all, God remains the same. God will never turn His back on us—no matter what. God knows what is in our hearts. God loves us. God has a plan for our lives regardless of our current situation. He can work through it and promises to “give you a hope and a future.” God offers us a pocket of peace. Be still and know. God’s got this.

Kathie Radcliffe Communications Administrative Assistant

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Hard Questions

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hen I was a fresh, new, baby Spanish teacher, I was equal parts enthusiastic and terrified. I had worked all through college and student teaching to train to be a good teacher—to learn how the brain expertly processes information, to discover the beauty of diverse cultures and dialects, to fumble over my clearly Midwestern accent when speaking Spanish, and to imagine the possibilities of teaching in my very own classroom!

And amidst the excitement with which I hung colorful posters and bulletin boards before my first day of teaching, I was also nervous. Because speaking a non-native language is hard, I imagined that teaching it would be astronomically harder. My ‘stress dream’ going into the first week of school was the same each night—I was expertly teaching a lesson in front of the class, a student would raise their hand, and they would ask me what a word meant in Spanish that I did not know. And I would inevitably be exposed as a sham.

So there I was on the first day of school, bell ringing, students finding their seats, and I a whirring blob of emotions inside. And what happened next?

The exact fear I had been fretting about.

On my very first day of teaching, during the very first 5 minutes, a student came up to me and asked me what a word was in Spanish, and I had absolutely no clue.

I stared back in disbelief, knowing there was no way a word I had never used in a foreign language was going to magically pop into my head. So I took a deep, defeated breath and responded, “I don’t know.” The student waited for my next move, and I squeaked out, “Can you find a dictionary and we can look it up together?” The student nodded calmly, went back to his desk, found the word, and we learned it together. Easy peasy. No big deal. I was not the laughing stock of Teachers Everywhere as I had previously 7

Middle School Ministry dreamed. In that moment I realized the important truth of that one little 3-word phrase. We don’t always know. We don’t have all the answers. It just isn’t human nature.

Since then, in both my teaching career and my ministry career, many a youth have asked me extremely creative questions to which I most definitely do not know the answer! A few examples from Confirmation this spring that make me smile include: • Do you celebrate your birthday or deathday in heaven?

• How did God get all God’s power?

• What is heaven like?

• Do you think God has a favorite color?

And, of course, the real kicker, the MVP of tough questions: Why doesn’t God prevent bad things from happening?

I do not know. I don’t understand why there is so much suffering in this world, why some of the best and sweetest people die too soon, why a global pandemic has terrorized life as we know it, or why grief feels so physically real that it knocks the wind right out of you.

However, what gives me hope is the certainty that God is still here through that suffering, too. In fact, if anyone understands grief, loss, and suffering, it’s God. God is familiar with our grief in the death of God’s own Son on the cross. In the darkness, God knows us and sees us.

God walks beside us and comforts us. As we read in Isaiah 41:10, “Do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.” I am comforted in these moments of darkness. God is with me no matter what. I may not know what is in store in the future, how I will navigate the challenges, or why suffering happens in the first place. But I am also so sure of God’s loving presence more than ever.

Youth ministry has been a beacon of light in the darkness that is COVID-19, the death of George Floyd, and many other moments of pain and suffering over these past few months. I have witnessed 7th graders create wonderful pen pal relationships with senior members of our congregation. I have gathered countless times on Zoom with youth to paint and cook and pray and meet their awesome pets (pictured below). I have listened to our Breakfast Club summer bible study kids share their thoughts on the importance of empathy and racial equity. These are beautiful experiences and holy moments for which I am constantly grateful.

I don’t know a lot. And it seems that the more I learn and age…the more I don’t know. But, I do know that God’s presence is so evident in the darkness, at St. Andrew, and in our middle schoolers. And for that knowledge I am eternally grateful.

Reilly Orner Middle School Ministry Director

Hard Questions

High School Ministry

D A moment is all it takes to change the course of someone’s life

uring high school I worked at a local grocery store where I bagged groceries.

We would have to offer to take grocery bags out to the cars of everyone, so once you finished packing all of the groceries you would ask which door are we going out today. Every now and again people would not know that this was done as a courtesy as part of our employment. They would then grab their wallet and would offer a tip, we were instructed that if someone offers you a tip you respond politely, “no thank you.” One day this elderly man came into the store and I bagged his groceries as always and started bringing the groceries to the car. While we were heading to the car the elderly man reached into his pocket, I was getting ready to inform the man that we do not accept tips. He then pulled out a cross made of nails. He offered the cross to me and I accepted it. It was weird because it was only days earlier that I decided to go to Concordia University to study Theology. This was the confirmation I needed to know that I made the right decision. I talked with the man for a while and then we went our separate ways.

A moment is all it takes to change the course of someone’s life; it can be a positive moment or a negative moment. This man in my life was a positive moment that helped solidify me studying theology and helped me follow God’s path for me, bringing me to where I am today. We have tremendous power as Christians to impact others’ and be that moment. We are seen in a different light even if we do not see ourselves in a different light. People look to us for hope and answers, answers that we sometimes do not have. There are a lot of hard questions in life, we know we do not have the answers to all of these questions, but we have a God that does and we have faith in him.

We can all be like this elderly man who helped answer my question with a simple act of kindness. We can show love and kindness in our daily life and as a result shine Christ to all we encounter. We can strengthen our own faith by attending events and worship at St. Andrew and grow closer to one another. We can do so much to prepare ourselves for that moment in others’ lives and as a result become a moment in our own lives. A moment that helps us answer questions about ourselves and define who we are.

So join us on Wednesdays for youth group, join us on Sunday for service and join us every day in being servants of Christ and making a difference in our world. We look forward to seeing you in person when you are ready and until then we enjoy seeing you online with us. Please keep looking for our monthly emails with events for our high school students. Events like our Senior Camping Trip or our Summer Game Night.

We look forward to seeing you soon and wish you God’s blessings and guidance as we navigate these difficult times.

TJ Helgren High School Ministry Director

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Hard Questions

Section

Church Anew Blog: Reflecting on God’s Word in Challenging Times The Church Anew Blog was launched in the early stay at home days of this COVID-19 pandemic with the hope “to provide brief moments of encouragement to pastors and church leaders during this difficult time.” Mary Brown, St. Andrew member, supports the Church Anew Blog as a passionate and gifted volunteer leader on our editorial team. She also serves as the Director of Development at PROP—and is an ordained Lutheran pastor, “This means I am able to sit in the sanctuary each Sunday and listen to sermons given by others. The outstanding preaching at St. Andrew is always biblical and relevant to the world in which we live. Church Anew strives to do the same in what it brings to congregations across the country.”

Following George Floyd’s death on May 25, 2020, Mary “knew many pastors would want to address this tragic event and racism in America from their pulpits the following Sunday. Most of their parishioners would expect it.”

What will I say to my congregation this Sunday? How will I preach about racism?

“We prayed God would bless our efforts as we quickly reached out to a diverse group of nationally recognized clergy and thought leaders to offer preaching helps, each from their own point of view on whatever scripture passage God lead them to use.”

Several writers immediately said yes including Diana Butler Bass, author of Grateful, who wrote a full sermon, “Pentecost, Prejudice, and Pandemic” in less than two days: We are named, each with our individual names, and with that familial name: Child of God. We have names. We share a name. We are fully ourselves; we are fully one with each other.

Eric D. Barreto, Princeton Theological Seminary, wrote a Pentecost sermon in 2017 based on Acts 2:1–11 which Church Anew republished in May 2020, “Difference Is a Gift.” Words of his prayer still hold power for today: God, we are a people in need of a miracle. Ours is a world riven by division and injustice, but you, God, have shown us a different path. Lead us on the paths of understanding and love. Forgive us when we declare the differences you have created a curse.

Teach us to cherish our differences as precious gifts. Amen.

Ten more nationally recognized and locally committed visionaries provided their answers to our hard questions in less than four days for “Racism in America: What Will We Preach This Sunday?”

And we continue to publish responses.

Powerful personal reflections grounded

FREE Virtual Event

Being Church Today August 17 | 10:30am-1:00pm Register online at churchanew.org

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in God’s Word for God’s people during challenging times.

Pastor Lillejord included a quote from Dr. Valerie Bridgeman’s Juneteenth post in a recent sermon: “Once you know you can never not know; once you see you can never un-see.”

Church Anew is taking action around hard questions—addressing systemic racism and compelling others in the church and beyond to do the same.

Jesus shows us the way every day.

We encourage you to check out Church Anew Blog posts, and consider how you will respond to, share, and act on answers to these hard questions as we live out our faith in daily life.

Deb Hetherington Director of Leadership Event Planning

Church Anew is for YOU! Find us at churchanew.org

Hard Questions

“Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.”

Jeremiah 33:3

Early Learning

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here are always hard questions that come up in the world of Early Childhood. As educators we continue to try finding a balance between being developmentally appropriate and answering questions thoroughly. As we all know the world we live in now is full of unanswered questions for kids and parents.

We believe that having a relationship built upon the foundation of trust and security is crucial for answering any hard questions that young children and parents may have. Sometimes it is okay for us to say to them that we don’t have all the answers to their questions. St. Andrew Early Learning staff is here to walk with our families, not in front or behind, as they navigate through this world of hard questions. We encourage you as you face hard questions to work together and lean on your faith to find the answers that are right for you.

Melanie Eggers

Melinda Eddihi

Kathi Wieman

Childcare Director

Childcare Asst. Dir.

Preschool Director

Hard Questions

St. Andrew Family In these hard times, look to the children and love them. They will guide us and show us what to do. After spending eight years with your kids, I am convinced of this. I am so grateful for my time with them and with you all, and no words can express how deeply you have influenced my life. You are kind, loving, generous people who have shown me Jesus. I will miss you and I treasure all you have taught me. Many of you have asked if I will continue to worship at St. Andrew. I will take a break for a time to allow the new person to get to know you and feel your love. I will come back to visit! Sending LOVE to you all.

Arlene Flancher Children’s Ministry Director

Things I’ve learned in Children’s Ministry • • • • • • • • • • • • •

There is always room for another angel in the Christmas program.

Farts and Crafts is way more fun than Arts and Crafts.

Go, Tell It On The Mountain is the BEST Christmas song, ever.

Two sticks and sparkly ribbons make the best crosses.

If you don’t have palms on Palm Sunday—color the palms of your hand with a green marker—no worries!

Kids love to hang out and do whatever comes to mind.

Zoom bands with 5th and 6th graders are epic. They consist of trombones, recorders, flutes, and guitars playing Hot Cross Buns and selections from Star Wars.

If Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River today, my 3 1/2 year old friends are sure he would wear goggles and water shoes.

If you need anything at all—from art supplies to Epsom salts— check the children’s ministry supply closet.

It is absolutely possible to get an Oreo from your forehead to your mouth without using your hands.

Sometimes when you are 3 years-old, it is best to pray with your feet.

Your kids are kind, kind, kind—and love serving people and caring for creation. Always.

Kids can lead us all.

Kids’ Prayers For Our Time

Dear God, during these unprecedented times we have been living in fear. Help us to overcome COVID and everything else in our lives. Lots of things have been happening, good and bad, but you have helped us through it all. Thank you lord. Let’s hope for a better year. Help us, keep us safe, and heal our hearts. AMEN –Tayler Schwartz

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Children’s Ministry

Quotes To Live By

“You can show love by NOT calling your brother a butt-crack.”

“Carriages are fancier than coaches—but neither of them have GPS.” “It is not a good idea to bring cats to Disney because of—you know—Mickey Mouse.”

An exchange between Nick, a high school student Sunday school leader, and a first grader not wanting to go to Sunday school...

Nick: Hi, Buddy! You are with me!

1st Grader looks sad - no response.

Nick: I never wanted to go to Sunday school when I was your age.

But now I love to go because I get to be with kids like you!

1st Grader goes off happily with Nick.

Me: How did people in Bible Times Light their homes?

Kids: Candles and lamps.

Me: Right!! What were the candles and lamps filled with?

Kids: Ear wax!

Me at the Happy Birthday, Jesus party: Whose birthday is it on Christmas?

Marguerite: Mine!! I am going to be 4!

Me: So cool! You and Jesus share a birthday. Let’s sing happy birthday to Jesus and Marguerite.

Marguerite’s Mom: Ummm. She thinks her birthday is on Christmas. It is really in February...

Me: Who is your favorite person in the Christmas story?

Hannah: The shepherds.

Me: Cool! Why are they your favorites?

Hannah: Because of the posts. You know—they carry around those posts.

Me: Yup.

Dear Lord, we thought that 2020 couldn’t have gotten worse, but it seems as if it has. Please keep us safe through a possible second wave of Coronavirus.

We pray that you can help those in need, and people in Minneapolis. The death of George Floyd was unjust and brought forth many examples of racial inequality. The riots in response to this have wreaked havoc to business owners, as rioters destroyed many buildings. Please watch over us as we continue to do our best to stay safe, and with all that has already taken place, we hope you can watch over those as well. We also hope that we

can see all people treated equally, for that is something that breaks the heart of many. Thank you, amen.

–Michael Sullivan

Dear God, Help us to be safe during scary times and please help everyone who is sick. Thank you for health care workers. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen –Nora Nemec

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Hard Questions

New Member Gatherings Scheduled in August Even during a time of physical distancing, people still want and need to be part of a faith community. If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a member of St. Andrew, we will hold two new member gatherings over Zoom during the month of August. The first session will be on Thursday, August 20th at 7:00 PM. The second session will be on Tuesday, August 25th at 7:00 PM. You can sign up for either of these sessions by contacting Pastor Gail at pastorgail@standrewlu.org or 952-697-7115.

Announcing Our New Church Directory We are excited to announce we are rolling out our new church directory online!

One of our main goals at St. Andrew is to do all we can to make a big church “feel” small. It is our hope that this digital directory will help you get connected with new people—as well as—develop an even deeper relationship with those people you already know and care about.

Our church directory is available to view on any web browser. Instant Church Directory—the program we use to build our church directory—has a free website for church members to view our directory online.

What do I have to do? It’s easy. Watch your email for an invitaion to login. In the coming weeks we will be sending login instructions to each member. Once you login, double-check that your info is correct, upload your favorite family photo, and submit.

We hope that this directory helps foster connections between members and make a large church feel a little smaller.

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Connecting Virtually

Upcoming Sermon Series

More Than Just Stories The stories of the Old Testament are more than just stories. They have shaped the people of God for countless generations and they still have the power to reveal who God is and how we fit into God’s story‌and how God is at work in our stories. Join us as we celebrate and explore these Biblical narratives that are just as important and profound for us as they are for our children who learn them in Sunday School.

August 2....................Let There Be Life (Creation) August 9....................God Has Heard (Hagar and Ishmael) August 16...................God Intended It For Good (Joseph and his brothers) August 23..................My Strength and My Song (The Exodus) August 30.................And If I Perish, I Perish (Esther) September 6............Should I Not Be Concerned? (Jonah)

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

HARD QUESTIONS 2020 has proven to be a challenging year in so many ways. How does our Christian faith speak into the difficult times that we have lived through and the challenging times that may lie ahead of us? Can God’s Word speak into the darkness of the hard questions that we have been asking ourselves and bring forth light?

Join us as we wrestle with deep questions as Jacob once wrestled with the angel of the Lord. There is good news to be found in the struggle when we face it together with our Savior beside us.

July 5 July 12 July 19 July 26

Could This Be the End? Is Love Actually All We Need?

Jesus Calms the Storms of Life?

Why is it So Hard to Live as One Body?

/standrewlu @standrewlu @standrewlu