Reinventing Christmas

As we flip yet another page on our calendars to reveal the month of December, I admit my heart is heavy to think of all the stuff that happens in this month that won’t happen this year. At least, not in the same way. Having a young child clumsily wield the lighted acolyte torch to light the advent wreath at worship is always entertaining, but that won’t happen this year. Standing out in the cold with yappy, happy dogs for our annual Live Nativity is always memorable, but that won’t happen this year. Passing the candle flame from person to person throughout a filled sanctuary as we sing “Silent Night” is always moving, but that won’t happen this year.

This December may come with significant grief as we mourn the things that we have been robbed of due to the pandemic. So, let’s just take a moment to acknowledge that…

*sigh*

Okay. Now, let’s think about how we can reinvent these things! Lighting the advent wreath in worship will still happen this year. But it will require YOU to have a few candles out at the place where you join me in online worship. Or dig out those no-flame wreaths that the children at CtK made a few years ago, and put one of the stick flames in that tube to mark off the weeks. It’s not the same, but it’ll connect all of us together this year!

We had hoped to still do the Live Nativity in person this year, but current restrictions have led us to abandon that hope and plan to do it online instead. So, thanks to Mandy Gardner and our awesome CtK Youth, we will still have an amazing Live Nativity to watch during worship on Sunday, December 20! We’ve been working on putting it together for some time already, and it’s amazing. You’re gonna’ want to see it. Again, it’s not the same, but it’ll connect all of us together this year!

Candle lighting at Christmas Eve worship… well, there’s no good way to recreate that. Christmas Eve will just feel off for many of us this year without the opportunity to be together in person. But we’re doing our best to create a phenomenal online Christmas Eve worship service that you and your family can watch at home. Our musicians have been hard at work creating the music and visuals for this service already, and I’m excited to watch it all come together. Again, it’s not the same, but it’ll connect all of us together this year.

One more event in December is also still happening this year, albeit differently: Holiday Hoopla! This annual event brings together people of all ages to build “gingerbread” (actually graham cracker) “houses” (rarely do people build houses). The event will still take place this year, but this year you can participate from the comfort of your own home! RSVP is required so that we know how much candy building supplies we need to purchase. We will make pre-measured kits for participants to pick up at the church the week of December 6. Then, connect with others on Zoom on Sunday, December 13 starting at 2:30pm for the building competition! It’s not the same, but it’ll connect all of us together this year!

Thank you to all of you at CtK for your flexibility and patience these last many months. And, although this year will be different, I hope that you will join me in celebrating Advent and Christmas in reimagined ways.

Peace,

Pastor Tim

First a little aside: PLEASE plan to attend CtK’s semi-annual meeting on Sunday, November 15 at 10:00am. The link to the meeting can be found at our website, www.ctkdurango.org. We will be ratifying the 2021 Budget for Christ the King Lutheran Church and voting on amendments to the Constitution, Bylaws and Continuing Resolutions. Materials can be found at www.ctkdurango.org/learn-more/documents.

Brrr! As I write this, it is snowing and blustery outside. Thank God! We so badly need the moisture, and I always welcome the first snow of the season. (I’ll change my tune about that by the time we get to February, though!)

As we head into this winter season, we at CtK are working hard to continue to offer worship, fellowship and ministries in a safe way that protects those who are most vulnerable. As cases rise in La Plata County, as they are around the country, we are once again learning to be very flexible with our plans for in-person gatherings as public health guidance and recommendations from local and state officials change. Thank you for your patience as we navigate CtK events through the next couple of months.

One of the changes we have been planning as we head into the colder months is a new format for Holy Communion on Sunday afternoons. I’m so pleased that we’ve been able to offer this Sacrament to our community over the last many months, and we’ve been blessed with weather that has cooperated with that service week-in and week-out since we started back in May! Still, cold weather (and hopefully lots of snow!) will start to be the norm for a while. So, we’ve been trying to come up with ways to offer this service in a way that keeps people safe and warm!

So, beginning November 1^st, we are planning to offer two different weekly Holy Communion service options. The first will take place at Noon each Sunday. This service will be offered indoors, inside the Sanctuary. Participants will be required to sign up ahead of time (go to www.ctkdurango.org/signup or call Pastor Tim at 970-426-9681), and we are restricting the number of people to a maximum of 16 participants. Walk-ins or those who have not pre-registered will not be able to attend, so that we can ensure that we don’t exceed capacity. Face masks and physical distancing between households will also be required for those who attend. Windows and doors will be open, and the ceiling fans will be on to provide the best possible ventilation for the space; so, dress appropriately – it’ll be cold in there! The communion service will be a maximum of fifteen minutes long. And, of course, the availability of this service is subject to change based on the recommendations or orders from public health authorities.

The second Holy Communion worship service will be held at 1:00pm each Sunday. This will be a drive-in service at the CtK parking lot. Participants will stay in their cars, and Pastor Tim’s voice and the musicians will be transmitted through your car radio. Simply tune into 96.5 FM when you arrive at the parking lot for sound. Bread and wine will be delivered to you in your car. There is no limit to the number of people we can have at this service (except the number of parking spaces, of course!), but please sign up so that we have adequate communion supplies prepared. Just go to our Sign-Up Hub www.ctkdurango.org/signup or call Pastor Tim at 970-426-9681 to register for this, too.

We are all learning how to navigate these challenges together, and I’m ever so grateful for your support of Christ the King Lutheran Church and the ministries we have adapted over the past many months to support you in your faith. I know it is not the same, but we’re working hard to sustain or even expand ministries in this new environment.

Peace,

Pastor Tim

Praying Towards Reformation

For the past many years, I have intentionally tried to shift the focus of Reformation Sunday away from the historical Reformation and instead to the concept of reformation, in general. In other words, I’ve really tried to stress the idea that Reformation Sunday is a day to celebrate how God is still re-forming the church in this time and place. This, I think, was the whole point of Martin Luther’s movement. It was to make people see that God is alive and active, and the church is always being transformed to be the hands, feet, and voice of God in the world.

This year, in the midst of a convergence of multiple theological, civic and political “storms,” I find myself longing for Reformation Sunday. I find myself aching to see and experience God’s re-formation of our world, of our leaders, of our sense of value and justice for all people regardless of skin color, race, sexual orientation or creed. I am thirsting for re-formation of myself, to be able to once again see and celebrate God’s actions in a world where I struggle day-to-day to perceive such actions. I guess what I’m saying is this: this year, I am approaching Reformation Sunday less as a chance to celebrate a historical event and more as a hope and a fervent prayer.

So, I’m taking that as a cue for what I should be doing in this month leading up to Reformation Sunday (which is October 25^th this year, by the way). Each day this month, I will be praying for Re-formation to be active, and for me to do what I can to see and be a part of it.

1          A prayer to re-form creation

2          A prayer to re-form attitudes towards those whom I see as “other”

3          A prayer to re-form my friendships

4          A prayer to re-form broken relationships

5          A prayer to re-form the way I see and respond to hunger

6          A prayer to re-form the way I see and respond to homelessness

7          A prayer to re-form the way I see and respond to race relations

8          A prayer to re-form the way I see and respond to economic disparity

9          A prayer to re-form the way I see and respond to those with mental health disabilities

10        A prayer to re-form the way I see and respond to suffering

11        A prayer to re-form the way I participate in civic society

12        A prayer to re-form global partnerships and relations

13        A prayer to re-form my elected political leaders

14        A prayer to re-form those who are running for political office

15        A prayer to re-form political dialogue and debate

16        A prayer to re-form the criminal justice system

17        A prayer to re-form the education system

18        A prayer to re-form CtK’s ministries to children, youth and families

19        A prayer to re-form CtK’s ministries to the elderly and homebound

20        A prayer to re-form CtK’s ministries to those who suffer in mind, body or spirit

21        A prayer to re-form CtK’s leadership

22        A prayer to re-form Christ the King Lutheran Church

23        A prayer to re-form the ELCA

24        A prayer to re-form the church universal

25        A prayer to re-form myself

Join me in praying for reformation to become a reality this year. Let it be so. Amen.

Pastor Tim

“Holding Future Plans Lightly in the Midst of Covid”

One of the things that was quickly learned as COVID-19 wrapped itself around the globe was that future plans need to be held lightly. Events like vacations or work travel or even sporting events are all subject (and likely) to change in a moment’s notice. One of my plans that changed because of COVID was my Renewal Leave.

We had been talking about this for many months, preparing the congregation for a three-month leave. We held meetings and took polls of the congregation, and ended up writing a detailed grant application that would help fund this time of leave. The theme that we had used for the Renewal Leave was “Rooted” – the thought being that this would be a time to reconnect with our roots within ourselves, within our community and with God. However, as the reality of COVID set in, it became clear that postponing this Renewal Leave for another year was necessary. So, now my leave is scheduled for summer 2022.

Boo.

On the plus side, it means that we have more time to prepare for this time of renewal! Yay!

To that end, I am excited to announce plans to begin working towards this Renewal Leave with an Enneagram Seminar on Saturday, November 21, 2020 via Zoom. I have found the Enneagram to be a marvelously useful tool in learning more about myself over the past many years. But it is so rich and complex, helping me to understand my relationships, my leadership style, and even my spirituality. I am excited to be able to lead this seminar for you at CtK (and beyond!). If you’re interested in learning more about the Enneagram and beginning your own preparation for a time of Renewal, please let me know. A signup page for this seminar will be coming to our website soon, along with materials that you can read ahead of time.

Peace,

Pastor Tim

“On the Horizon”

In normal times, August is a pretty quiet month. It is a month for planning the upcoming (academic) year for the congregation. A month for scheduling lunches with community leaders and organizations. A month for taking a deep breath before September arrives with its barrage of activity.

In COVID times, August is… well, it’s just different. There’s still a lot of planning to do, but we still live in a world where the ground is constantly shifting under our feet; so, any plans that we make have to be held somewhat lightly. Lunches with community leaders are being replaced by Zoom meetings. And taking a deep breath is replaced by holding my breath as the kids head back to school, wondering what in the world that is going to mean for health and safety in our household.

These are strange times.

So, first, please know that I’m praying – praying for you (individually, each day!), praying for the needs of the world, praying for CtK and our local community, praying for teachers and parents and kids as they navigate life in this COVID era.

Second, please know that CtK is here if you find yourself in a place of need. If you or your family find yourself in financial need, or in need of food, or in need of pastoral counseling, or in need of someone to help you run errands, or simply in need of a listening ear, please let me know. CtK has people and resources that are ready to help you. But we won’t know of your need if you don’t let us know. If you find yourself in that situation, please call or email me.

Third, let me encourage you to look forward to just a few of the events that are coming in the months ahead.

• August 9 – Outdoor, In-Person Worship at CtK at 9:15am
• August 23 – ZOOM Worship at 9:15am, including special focus and prayer for Parents, Teachers and Students as School Resumes
• September 13 – Outdoor, In-Person Worship at CtK (starting at 9:15am) celebrating God’s Work. Our Hands Sunday.
• End of September / Beginning of October – Mission Partners ZOOM Fundraiser Event (stay tuned for specific date, time and information on this event to support NELM and our partners in Guatemala)
• November 7 – Art Gallery & Gala based on the Book of Daniel
• Fall 2020 – Enneagram Workshop (stay tuned for specific date, time and information on this event led by Pastor Tim based on this incredible tool for personal, spiritual and relational growth)

These and several other events are taking shape that are aimed at helping our community stay connected and spiritually nourished in the months ahead. And, I don’t know about you, but having plans like these to look forward to gives me hope!

Peace be with all of you.

Pastor Tim