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Changing the world, one person at a time

Scholarships for 7 young persons in our church community. The church where I am honored to be pastor took a journey into the future in the past few years. Holy Cross had dreamed of an Endowment Fund for many years. But, it didn’t happen. There was enthusiam, and interest, and donations, but we never broke the ‘glass ceiling’ that would create the endowment. We needed an initial investment of $25,000 in order to enter the investment pool offered to us by our denomination that would create an enduring legacy- a fund for the future. And we didn’t get there. For years. Faithful people served on committees, and gave money, but we didn’t get there. Until 2018. Somehow, the parts came together and the donations passed $25,000, and we were able to establish the Endowment. Nice. The giving and serving of all those people over the past 10 or 15 years came to something.  Continue reading “Changing the world, one person at a time”

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We wake to grief

We wake again to grief today. Overnight, people died in Dayton, Ohio, at the hands of a madman with a gun. Yesterday afternoon, the town of El Paso, Texas was decimated by an evil person with a gun, shouting racist epithets. I am grieved. I know you are too. Whatever shall we do? I turn to God’s word for encouragement and direction, and then I realize that I must begin with lament. My heart is broken, and so, like the Psalmist before me I cry out.

Awake! Why are you asleep, O Lord?
    Arise! Cast us not off forever! 
Why do you hide your face,
    forgetting our woe and our oppression? 
For our souls are bowed down to the dust,
    our bodies are pressed to the earth. (Psalm 44:24-26) Continue reading “We wake to grief”

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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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Get Outside!

This week, our FLY (Faithful Lutheran Youth) youth group attended Camp Lutherwood for a mission trip/camp week. We took Jesus’ advice to “Get Outside” (more on that later). Boy was it good! Here’s how the idea came about – our group fundraised and attended the ELCA Youth gathering last year – really great but very expensive. We also went on a Youthworks trip the year before – again great, pretty expensive. We wanted to continue to fundraise this year, but take a trip that was less expensive, and of course, the group LOVES Camp Lutherwood! Pretty amazing place.  Continue reading “Get Outside!”

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Extending the reach of Pastoral Care – offering care to those you don’t know

This is part 3 in a blog series about caring. Maybe you read the first blog about When to call the pastor, or the next blog about offering pastoral care to others. Here’s where all that caring leads – to care for those you don’t know but who need care. This is where the rubber meets the road. Because God laid down this template for us about how to live a life that is full, and meaningful, and honors the Creator. The Old Testament is the story of a relationship – a relationship of God the Creator with a group of people to whom God poured out God’s Love. From the beginning, God saw that it was not good for humanity to be alone. (Genesis 2:18). Relationship is everything. God’s loving relationship is reflected in all our relationships. The world today is struggling to find a way to reach out and love those in need. Sure, you have seen many people do it, you do it yourself. But as a society, I find we reach out in love less and less. Why? I believe one reason is that we feel starved for care, and so we withhold it from others – parceling it out in small bits to worthy individuals or groups, but withholding our caring from others because we feel a scarcity of care in our own lives.  Continue reading “Extending the reach of Pastoral Care – offering care to those you don’t know”