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A Day at La Casita Garden Club

by guest blogger Doug Odell, President of the Church Council at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Salem, Oregon

It’s hard to believe that the La Casita Garden Club just finished its ninth year educating the kids of our neighborhood. I remember when Holy Cross collaborated with many people across our community to transform a broken down playground and a neglected building into a gathering space and a learning center for our neighbors.  Salem Leadership Foundation, Mano a Mano, Catholic Community Services, East Salem Rotary Club, McKay High School students, and many others helped us breathe life into the space once the graveyard for forgotten dreams. Continue reading “A Day at La Casita Garden Club”

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Pentecost – The Holy Spirit in Action

The Apostles’ Creed – The Third Article

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

What does this mean?I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. In this Christian church He daily and richly forgives all my sins and the sins of all believers. On the Last Day He will raise me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ.

From Luther’s Small Catechism © 1986 Concordia Publishing House, cph.org

I’ll never forget the day I heard Nadia Bolz-Weber recite this quote on NPR one day in response to a question about ‘how she keeps her faith’. This is how. And these are the words I memorized in 1970 when I was confirmed at Christ Memorial Lutheran Church in Houston Texas.  (Pastor Zwerneman).

I am glad to be a Christian. I believe. But, come on, I can’t do anything at all by myself, out of my own ‘gumption’ or whatever. It’s the Holy Spirit who calls, gathers, enlightens and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth.

Continue reading “Pentecost – The Holy Spirit in Action”

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We are more alike – and why we need to remember that

Let us begin with a little Maya Angelou

Human Family

By Maya Angelou

I note the obvious differences
in the human family.
Some of us are serious,
some thrive on comedy.

Some declare their lives are lived
as true profundity,
and others claim they really live
the real reality.

The variety of our skin tones
can confuse, bemuse, delight,
brown and pink and beige and purple,
tan and blue and white.

I’ve sailed upon the seven seas
and stopped in every land,
I’ve seen the wonders of the world
not yet one common man.

I know ten thousand women
called Jane and Mary Jane,
but I’ve not seen any two
who really were the same.

Mirror twins are different
although their features jibe,
and lovers think quite different thoughts
while lying side by side.

We love and lose in China,
we weep on England’s moors,
and laugh and moan in Guinea,
and thrive on Spanish shores.

We seek success in Finland,
are born and die in Maine.
In minor ways we differ,
in major we’re the same.

I note the obvious differences
between each sort and type,
but we are more alike, my friends,
than we are unalike.

We are more alike, my friends,
than we are unalike.

We are more alike, my friends,
than we are unalike.

Continue reading “We are more alike – and why we need to remember that”

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Our Lady of Guadalupe for everyone

Last year, my friend, Manuel Borbon, wrote a pamphlet on Our Lady of Guadalupe, and was instrumental in producing an Our Lady of Guadalupe service in Silverton, Oregon. I went. The mark of good worship to me, is – How long do you think about it after the worship is over? Well, I’ve thought about that worship, and that information all year.

Because Our Lady of Guadalupe has a lot to teach me. And I’m still learning. The story takes place in Mexico, in 1531. A peasant man, Juan Diego, encounters a vision of the mother of God. And things change.

For me, that is what is important about the story for me, and for us all. God changes things. Encounters with the holy changes things. I admit that an apparition from God has never entered my life. But I am quite familiar with encounters with the holy. There is holiness in the prayers at the hospital bedside I have been part of over my career. There is holiness in the bible study where God’s love is laid bare in our discussion. There is holiness in the moment I stood in Germany looking at blatently racist anti Jewish sculptures, as I realized the depth of our culpability as Christians of German descent, in the persecution of the Jews.

So, how does this connect to Our Lady of Guadalupe? Juan Diego was a peasant. A mestizo – a person whose ancestry is linked to Native American bloodlines, as well as Spanish ones. In Mexico, like many countries, the Native Americans were looked down on, as not as noble, not as special as the Spanish conquerors. Juan Diego, by being a witness to God’s love through His Mother’s appearance, brings honor, brings nobility to his ethnic group. In fact, Our Lady becomes a visible representative of nobility for Native peoples for centuries. Cesar Chavez uses the image of Our Lady as a banner for his United Farm Workers  in the 20th century, because Her appearance empowers the powerless.

As my friend Manuel told me about the image of Our Lady last year, and I envisioned her brown skin (as a native would have) and her pregnant belly (with the Savior) I was drawn to the gift Our Lady gives to us all. An encounter with the holy. A reminder of our own status as ‘less than’ somebody. We can all connect with Our Lady this year and inform our own worth, our own worship life.

If you want to know more about Our lady, consider joining us for worship  at 9:30 am on Sunday, Dec 9 at Holy Cross Lutheran Church. We will also hear the story of St. Lucia, who has deep connections to Scandinanvian Christians, on Sunday Dec 16 at 9:30 am. And, we will connect at a Round Table where we discuss our Faith Intersections on Thursday December 13 at 6 pm at Holy Cross, 1998 Lansing Ave NE, Salem, Oregon 97301.  This Advent, won’t you think about the encounters with the holy that are less familiar to you, and see if that can bring new insights, and new joy to your own faith life? Blessings, Pastor Patricia