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April and Holy Week - Pastor's Column March 2025

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This Saturday (March 22nd) we had our first yard sale in a long time. A fund-raiser for our preschool, we raised over $3,000!! I give a huge thank you to everyone who gave all their time and effort to pulling off a project on this scale. The Preschool Advisory Board (PAB) and preschool staff, thank you all. The funds will offset costs and cover some of the expenses of advertising and marketing for fall.

It has been fun this year watching as we have increased our commitment to making it a more explicitly “church” preschool. It always was, but the connections were not as visible. Now we have art in the sanctuary, more flyers going out to parents with invites to church events, church members doing special presentations, such as Rick’s special music days. We also have more faith instruction in the classroom, beyond the weekly chapel times. It’s all part of our long-range plan to make the preschool more of a church ministry and less of a side-hustle. Again, our director Laura Tanem-Hernandez and the PAB are doing a great job with our new program.

With all this our liturgical year keeps moving towards Easter. I’ve enjoyed the Lent sermon series on Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Cost of Discipleship. I will admit that sometimes he gets a bit intense, leaving you feeling like you’re never a good enough disciples. And while I understand that intellectually – that I can never reach Jesus’ levels of love and obedience to God – it still can feel heavy. Of course, Jesus also says his burden is light, so while the challenge to discipleship is there, we can also view it as freeing us from serving the other things of our lives that pull us away from Godly lives.

Palm Sunday is April 13th, where we will walk with the crowd as they cheer Jesus on for being the earthly revolutionary he never claimed to be. They call it the “triumphal” entry, but it’s only so on the surface. The subtext is darker, knowing that Jesus knows the people will be disappointed when their dreams for him don’t come true.

Then comes Holy Week. Maundy Thursday will be a traditional worship service this year, not an agape meal. We end, as we always do, with the stripping of the altar.

Good Friday will feature the stations of the cross liturgy from last year. From 11am-1pm you can come in and walk through the art in the sanctuary at your own pace. Then at 6:30pm is the full service. One change I will make is to shorten the musical interludes between stations, just to keep things moving better. I still love the black-and-white graphics that come with each part of the story.

Holy Week is the highlight of our year as Christians, the time of spiritual focus, of walking through the last days of Jesus, of walking through his final dinner, his farewells, and his suffering, before the big celebration of Easter. It always sees thinner crowds, to the chagrin of many clergy. And I get the challenge with scheduling (I had to run from a dance practice to worship one Good Friday. That was the day they all learned what I did for a living 😊). I also get the desire to avoid the “downer” parts of the week and skip to the “happy” part. Who wants to sit and wallow in sin and death. Of course, that’s part of why I like doing the stations liturgy, and having music and art, to make it more of a spiritual journey than an exercise in self-flagellation for our moral failings. I avoid the dirgiest songs, like “Go to Dark Gethsemene” that literally ends with “teach us Jesus how to die”. Ouch. That’s all part of that “heavy religion”– where it just makes you feel sad and guilty, instead of living into the mystery and meaning of what Jesus did for us. The cross is not to induce emotional guilt, but a life of discipleship.

And, of course, we will end it on Easter, April 20th, with the first service and easter egg hunt and continental Easter breakfast and second service. If you have friends maybe looking for a church, it is a good day to invite them.

Finally, I have my usual gripe about how Holy Week is so counter-cultural. In a world where everything is marketed as being happy and fun, our culture has lost its ways to deal with grief and loss. They happen, to all of us, a lot, but yet when they do we lack the rituals and structure for them. We haven’t spent time allowing ourselves to be sad when we’re sad, to admit there’s emptiness, to dwell in the moment even when the moment is horribly unfulfilling. Then, when it happens, we’re uncomfortable and rush to make it “fun” and “celebratory” again. Our faith does not try to sugar coat what happened to Jesus, or hide from it, and, in fact, brings us to a healthier and more authentic faith by giving us spaces, at least one week of the year, to just dwell in the journey of betrayal and suffering before the rising again.

Peace,

Pastor Lars

Hiring: AV Coordinator for Sunday Services

Lord of Grace Church is looking for someone to operate the audio and visual for Sunday services. Duties include:

  • Running the audio

  • Running the visual software and slides

  • Operating the three PTZ cameras for the livestream

Skills preferred: knowledge of audio and video livestreaming.

  • Propresenter

  • Resi

  • Soundboards

  • PTZ cameras

 

Pay: $100/Sunday and $50/special service

Hours: 8am-12noon Sundays

Contact Pastor Lars Hammar if interested.

Outreach March 2025

Outreach Team – March 2025

Our members include Chris Kollen as lead, Carol Buuck, Phyllis Teager, Patty Clymer, Janette Carollo, and Gail Nicewander. We have a recent addition to Outreach! Sandy Mitchel will be joining us on the Team. She has been providing us with monthly updates for the Marana Food Bank. Welcome Sandy!

We are planning new and exciting projects this coming year. If you’d like more information about becoming a member of Outreach, contact Chris Kollen at lizzykollen@comcast.net or at 520-419-7475.

Continuing Events

Marana Food Bank
The Marana Food Bank would like to request that we collect canned spaghetti sauce, jelly, cereal, oatmeal, tuna/chicken, Spam/ham, mac and cheese, and instant rice.

 What a great way to show God’s love – by providing a nourishing meal to our neighbors in need.  

Donated items can be placed in the wooden cabinet located in the hallway outside the Fellowship Hall.  Please remember that the food bank cannot accept any food items that have been opened/used or expired.  Also, please no glass containers.

If you would like to donate and keep your gift for the needy of Marana, you can send a check to:

MFB-CRC

c/o Sahuarita Food Bank

PO Box 968

Sahuarita, AZ 85629 

Please make checks payable to Marana Food Bank – Community Resource Center or MFB-CRC.  You can also donate online at mfb-crc.org.

Your monetary gift goes a long way. 

Butler’s Pantry – Roadrunner Elementary

We will continue to have a work day each month and to staff the pantry the first Saturday of each month during 2025. We are always looking for volunteers to help with this ministry.  If this is something that you would be interested in getting involved in, please contact Phyllis Teager 520-906-1837.  Thanks to all at Lord of Grace for your support.

Past Events

Feed My Starving Children – A group of 11 members from LOG participated in one of mobile packing event for Feed My Starving Children at Oro Valley Church of the Nazarene. Our group packed 234 meals. It was great to be able to work together with Lutherans! Overall in the span of 5 days, there were 1.55 million meals packed at Oro Valley Church of the Nazarene.

Lotsa Pasta Food Drive – we participated in the Interfaith Community Services Lotsa Pasta Food Drive during the month of February. We delivered 50 boxes of macaroni and cheese, 78 packages of pasta, and 39 cans of pasta sauce. Thank you everyone!

Upcoming Events

Lutheran World Relief Baby Care Kits – The drive ends on March 2nd and we will put together the kits on March 9th, volunteers are welcome! We’ll organize the items between services and put the kits together after the 2nd service. Last year we were able to collect enough items to send 11 baby care kits. Last year they distributed baby care kits to Angola, Lebanon, Peru, Senegal, Turkey, Ukraine, Zambia and the US.

Sister Jose Women’s Center - We plan on cooking an evening meal for the residents on March 12th. There is a signup sheet in the Narthex starting next Sunday. We need 4-5 people to volunteer. We also plan on signing up to cook another evening meal in May. Any questions, contact Chris Kollen.

 

Prayer Connection March 2025

Prayer Connection

 

Psalm 75: 1

1 We Praise you, God, we praise you, for your Name is near, people tell of your wonderful deeds.

 There have been so many things to be grateful for.  I try to remember to thank God for the blessings that I have experienced lately when I start to pray. And then sometimes thanking God for the goodness I have experienced in the past.   With the 20-20 view, one can see where God was right there beside a person and it is good to remember those blessings. 

I remember learning the Parable of the 10 lepers years ago.  There were 10 lepers, or people infected with a skin ailment, who asked Jesus to heal them.  And they received the blessing.  Jesus told them to go to the temple for cleansing.  They were healed as they went.  And one came back to thank Jesus.  I suppose there are many truths to learn from that story. 

Lately, I have witnessed special blessings to friends and to myself.  I try to come back to my Lord, like the one that returned, and thank Him for those blessings. 

Dear Gracious God, thank You for the good news of friends who are healed.  Thank You for being near and always listening to our prayers.  Amen

The Lord of Grace Prayer Team is always here to help you with any prayer requests you may

have!  The Prayer Team continues to pray over all prayer petitions sent our way, including the

requests entered in the prayer journal in the Narthex.  The Team will also continue to offer

individual prayer times after each worship service on the 4th Sunday of each month.

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The Ongoing Journey of Discipleship

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Pastor’s Column - March 2025

When Jesus calls people to be disciples he is very direct. “Follow me”. Sometimes he adds a line, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men”. It’s not much more. The details of what you do come later, and the instructions will come as you go with him from place to place and encounter the different situations he deals with.

I’ve wondered if Jesus knew the guys he called to be disciples before hand, and had shared some of his vision with them first. His hometown was only a few hundred people. Even if you counted the towns around it’s still just a few thousand. The odds that he had lived there for 30 years and they were strangers seems remote. I think he fished with Peter, hung our with Bartholemew, paid his taxes to Matthew etc. When Jesus comes and says, “Follow me”, I have to think he was also partly saying, “Now’s the time, let’s do this.”

Discipleship, the Jesus way, feels a little like being an intern or apprentice. You can take classes, to a point, and learn the basics that way. But eventually you have to follow around a veteran and watch them deal with things as they come up. I know the plumber we called learned all sorts of things fixing our plugged toilets (toothbrushes, toys, and one time roots had grown through the space between the pipe and the foundation – millimeters – and had filled the pipe). The apprentice got knowledge each time, and eventually showed up by himself. Our kids trained him well.

There’s something very individualistic about discipleship. Jesus calls individuals. It’s one person to one person. It’s Jesus and Matthew, not Jesus and all of Matthew’s family or town. Just one to one. And Matthew has to make a big break with his life, his income, everything he knew. There is no way this was not painful. But he did it.

The individualistic nature of being called is what leads us down theological rabbit holes, locking horns over whether one is saved when one accepts Jesus and makes a personal profession of faith, or whether faith is something that grows slowly without the clean “decision”. Both happen, of course, depending on your life. Most of us grew up with faith, but some decide later to commit to it. At the same time, even if we grew up in the church, we had to decide to stay with it. Every Sunday we make a decision to worship or not. Every day we have to re-decide if we’re going to make Jesus a part of that day. And every time a decision comes to us, is forced on us, we have to decide to follow the Jesus way or not (and discern what is the Jesus way). It’s as if it doesn’t matter if you have always believed; discipleship is re-committed every decision we make.

We are also called into a community. Jesus makes a call to the individual, who is then brought into a new group. It’s not a solitary quest, but a new family to live out this calling with. This is the community side of it. It’s why you aren’t really a disciple of Jesus if you just practice by yourself on your own time all alone. That’s not how following Jesus works.

Calls to discipleship can get turned into legalistic sessions of billy-clubbing people with guilt and pressure to “step up” and “do more” and “put yourself out there” from the pulpit. By themselves, those are good things. But discipleship is about so much more than simply increasing volume of service. It’s much more the “what” of our service, the things we do. Maybe it involves fewer things done differently. It’s our culture, and our program-driven church culture, that is always craving more time investment. Sometimes, we should. But at a deeper level, what things are we doing that mold our lives the way Jesus commands?

In Lutheranism we shy away from talk of personal decisions and clean breaks and making big faith statements. They give us vibes of “decision theology”, where we believe that while God’s grace is a free gift that saves, it’s our decision that makes it work, and thus that is the act, the deed, the good work, that saves. Fair enough. We don’t save ourselves by choosing to save ourselves. But at what point does this become a hair-splitting abstract argument. Is giving yourself up and surrendering to Jesus doing nothing, or actually something? Is choosing not to act an action? Does it matter?

Like a lot of these theological arguments, I worry we overreact to an abuse one way with an overcompensation the other. Just because we cannot earn salvation through making a choice, does not mean we should not be making a commitment to Jesus, or making choices, as individuals, to act upon our faith.

Lent is coming in March this year, starting with Ash Wednesday on March 5th. We’ll do our traditional service for the day with imposition of ashes, same as every year. Some things are worth doing over and over. For mid-week services we’ll explore in depth topics of discipleship, with some original art to augment the theme, though without the discussion so focused on the art, and more on sharing individual stories and insights. And Sundays will be built around themes from Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s book, The Cost of Discipleship. You don’t need to read the book to understand the sermons. It’s just the bouncing off point for ideas. Hopefully we’ll all be able to see discipleship as something that is a way of life, a joy (not a burden) to take up, a concept that brings joy and freedom along with responsibility. I hope as well we can all come away from it with tools for finding our paths to discipleship in our lives.

Pastor Lars

HIking Group

Do you like to get out and enjoy the Arizona natural world?  Do you want to spend time in God’s creation.  On February 15th at 10:00 a.m. we’re inaugurating the 1st hiking event for Lord of Grace.  This activity is for casual hikers who like to meander a bit, get in a little bit of a workout , enjoy some good company and fresh air.  The first trail we will tackle will be the “Thunderbird Trail” in Saguaro National Park West which is on the east side of the park.  To get to the parking lot, take exit 252 off I-10 and head west on Camino del Cerro for 5.6 miles until you arrive at the dirt covered parking area where we will meet at 10:00 a.m.  Don’t forget your hiking boot, water, sunscreen, snacks and of course more water.  So, we have an idea of who will join us, please contact via text either Joy Folkvord or Laurie Graham to let us know you’re coming or if you have questions.  (Note: this will also serve as a contact list in case weather causes us to cancel).  We’re hoping to put together an event once a month so if you have other favorite places to go let us know.

Hope to see you on the trail.

Joy Folkvord

Outreach February 2025

Outreach Team – February 2025

Our members include Chris Kollen as lead, Carol Buuck, Phyllis Teager, Patty Clymer, Janette Carollo, and Gail Nicewander.

We are planning new and exciting projects this coming year. If you’d like more information about becoming a member of Outreach, contact Chris Kollen at lizzykollen@comcast.net or at 520-419-7475.

Continuing Events

Marana Food Bank
The Marana Food Bank would like to request that we collect jelly, cereal, oatmeal, pancake mix and syrup, and cans of tomatoes for spaghetti. Hygiene items are also always needed as well.

 What a great way to show God’s love – by providing a nourishing meal to our neighbors in need.  

Donated items can be placed in the wooden cabinet located in the hallway outside the Fellowship Hall.  Please remember that the food bank cannot accept any food items that have been opened/used or expired.  Also, please no glass containers.

If you would like to donate and keep your gift for the needy of Marana, you can send a check to:

MFB-CRC

c/o Sahuarita Food Bank

PO Box 968

Sahuarita, AZ 85629 

Please make checks payable to Marana Food Bank – Community Resource Center or MFB-CRC.  You can also donate online at mfb-crc.org.

Your monetary gift goes a long way. 

Butler’s Pantry – Roadrunner Elementary

We will continue to staff the pantry the first Saturday of each month during 2025. Another group, Mary Butler’s sorority group will be staffing the Pantry one Saturday a month, so the Pantry will now be open every other Saturday.. We are always looking for volunteers to help with this ministry.  If this is something that you would be interested in getting involved in, please contact Phyllis Teager 520-906-1837.  Thanks to all at Lord of Grace for your support.

Upcoming Events

Lutheran World Relief – Baby Care Packs

We will be holding a drive during the month of February for baby care packs to send to Lutheran World Relief. We held a drive last year and were able to collect items for 11 baby care packs. In 2023, LWR provided baby care packs to Angola, the Dominican Republic, Mali, Tanzania, and Turkey. We will start the Baby Care Pack drive on February 9th and will end on March 2nd. We’ll put together the baby care packs on March 9th and mail them to Lutheran World Relief.

Sister Jose Women’s Center

We plan on cooking an evening meal for the residents of San José Women’s Center on March 12th. There will be a signup sheet in the Narthex. We need 4-5 people to volunteer. We plan on signing up to cook another evening meal in May. Any questions, contact Chris Kollen.

Interfaith Community Services 

Lotsa Pasta Food Drive – this year we’ll be participating in the ICS Lotsa Pasta Food Drive. We’ll start the drive on February 2nd and it will end on February 28th. They are asking that we collect pasta, pasta sauce (only cans or plastic, no glass), and macaroni and cheese. Please help them meet their goal of 5000 packages of pasta, 5000 cans of pasta sauce, and 5000 boxes of macaroni and cheese. You can also shop using their Amazon Lotsa Pasta Wishlist! You can easily add items into your cart and then select the Front Office Coordinator Address to have your pasta donation mailed straight to ICS!  Thank you!

Empty Bowls – ICS is having their annual fund raiser, Empty Bowls, on March 1st. You need to purchase tickets before the event. Attendees of Empty Bowls will enjoy signature soups, breads, and desserts generously donated by local restaurants and food partners, while also having the chance to bid in a silent auction featuring jewelry, artwork, home décor, unique experiences, and more. Plus, each attendee will also select a handmade pottery bowl to take home, crafted and donated by Tucson’s talented local artists. For more information and to purchase tickets, go to https://www.icstucson.org/emptybowls/. 

Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest – Refugee & Immigration Services Program     

LSS-SW Refugee and Immigration Service Program’s Refugee Youth Mentorship Program (RYMP) provides a wonderful volunteer opportunity to mentor refugee youth (ages 15-24). The program pairs volunteers with youth to help them adjust to life in the U.S., set personal goals, and thrive in their new community. Mentors meet with their mentees regularly, focusing on building language skills, supporting academic progress, and guiding them through the challenges of resettlement.

How You Can Help:

  • Commitment: Mentors meet with their youth once a week digitally and twice a month in person. This is a year-round program, and we’re looking for people who are willing to build meaningful, lasting relationships. The commitment is for four months.

  • Impact: Through mentorship, we have the opportunity to empower these young people, help them gain confidence, and show them tangible love and hope.

How You Can Get Involved:
These programs are an incredible way to make a meaningful impact on the refugee families and youth we serve—and also on our own growth. Serving others is one of the most powerful ways to live out our faith and reflect love.

Get Started Today:
To begin volunteering or to learn more, visit lss-sw.org. If you have any questions or need additional details, don’t hesitate to contact Peter Lopez at plopes@lss-sw.org.

We’d love to help you get involved!

 

 

 

 


 

 lved!

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New Hexagons for Sanctuary Liturgical Arts

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With the remodel of the sanctuary, one of our plans was to have a cable-pulley system that can be used to hang liturgical art projects from. I copied the idea from one at Our Saviour's, where I would be in charge of lowering and raising the advent wreath each week. So I asked my dad to make two big hexagons that attach to a carabiner. He came up with the idea of using old pew wood, and made two of these. Right now one is hanging with Epiphany stars that the preschoolers made. They can be for Pentecost doves, Christmas garland, anything we want to make and hang and not have to get up on a lift. 

So big thanks to Rev. Paul Hammar for constructing the hexagons. Big Thanks to Laura Tanem-Hernandez and the kids for making the stars, and the help from the Preschool Advisory Board in hanging them up.

Pastor Lars

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Clothed in Honor

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“Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.””
— 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

This Epiphany season (technically, the “Sundays after Epiphany”) I’m doing a sermon series called “What is Love”? It’s based mostly on First Corinthians 13, the famous “love is patient, love is kind” passage. The last two will be about the Beatitudes and loving your enemies. The impetus was partly the lectionary: first Corinthians is often the Epistle readings for the season, and lots of my own concern to take back the word from the culture.

The whole section on love is squished into the middle of a section on spiritual gifts and living in Christian community. The church in Corinth is in conflict, as people are jockeying for status and position, arguing that their spiritual gifts make them higher or closer to God in some way. It was what people did in the Roman Empire all the time; it was how their world worked. Powerful people gave status to lower status people who kissed their ring and did them favors. It was a whole culture that ran much like prison gangs or high school cafeterias. Now that they are Christian, where do they stand? Who’s on top? Who do I kiss up to? Who do I push down? How do I assert my position?

As a camp counselor you would see this with some cabins: the first day and a half was social jockeying, establishing in and out groups, using secrets to form boundaries between insiders and outsiders. Then I would take my cabin to morning worship, and see another one in a circle on the lawn having a “talk”. It was the counselor calling them out on the politicking, and forcing them to name it in the open. Rarely did it last once it was named. The popular always seem to want to look like they’re ordinary. Rip off the veil, and they look like ordinary people who are just mean. At Bible camp, of all places, there should be no hierarchy. It should be a safe place for all, where nobody is the loser or the outcast like in school.

Paul encountered exactly this. The first letter to the church in Corinth is essentially a cabin “talk”, where they’re being called out for using this wonderful outpouring of spiritual gifts for social positioning. I have tongues, so I’m better than the one with hospitality etc. They could be forgiven for doing this, because it was second nature. But it isn’t the Gospel.

So Paul gives a lecture first on the different spiritual gifts, chapter 12. They get named, and then he gives this one verse in there that never gets enough traction:

On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.

1 Corinthians 12:22-26

The weaker are indispensable. The inferior are honored more. If one is honored we all rejoice.

That sounds so collectivist. Doesn’t it?

You go through the community and deliberately give more to those who have less, and less to those who have more.

Now you can see why it gets glossed. Shouldn’t those with more be honored more, because, obviously, they are more hard working and deserving? Shouldn’t the inferior be told to clean up their lifestyle habits and quit being so profligate with spending? Doesn’t the presence of superior gifts prove that God is blessing them, that God’s favor proves their superior worth?

So I look around today and see an interesting contrast.

I ride my bike down The Loop, and homeless camps are all over. I’ve had to stop on underpasses to avoid riding over people passed out. I’ve almost hit people stumbling out on the path – who then saw my “live generously” shirt and laughed at it. There was some sort of irony there.

Research shows that the ranks of the homeless are disproportionately veterans dealing with untreated PTSD, people with childhood trauma and abuse, people fleeing domestic violence, people born in poverty. Many opioid addicts started with work injuries and the Vicodin for the back pain turned into an addiction. Yes, there are some who had it good and blew it through drinking too much or recreational drinking or drugs; I’ve met them. But the data doesn’t lie: the hard circumstances of birth and chance have put most where they are. It wasn’t too much Door Dash and video games.

Then I turn to the news and see who is getting elected to congress and getting nominated for positions in the cabinet, and I see behavior that is the worst of every moral vice and personal sin. Serial adulterers, accused rapists, men who blow the family savings on strip clubs and bankrupt businesses, cocaine-fueled parties. Decadence and profligate spending everywhere. and instead of getting the same judgment heaped on them that goes to the homeless, they get lionized for being “real men” who are just “so manly they can’t help themselves”. What was a scandal is now proof of virility and strength. Double standard.

Is it that hard to believe that they are no better or deserving, they just have a huge financial and political cushion to fall back on when their bad choices catch up with them. People dealing with a childhood of abuse and poverty don’t get to just say, “well, I wasn’t a perfect person, but that’s in the past”.

Which brings me back to First Corinthians. Paul’s church had people very wealthy, and very poor. Traders and owners came to the same church as slaves and prostitutes. Then the Holy Spirit comes and the Word of God pours fourth in prophecy and tongues and visions. And the Spirit doesn’t seem to honor wealth and class. Of course those on the world’s bottom of the ladder would be excited to finally have their shot at status. But that’s still not the Gospel.

Not entirely.

The point is that the Spirit is not trying to replace one social hierarchy in Greece with a new hierarchy in the church. It’s that the Spirit is spreading out the wealth and evening the scales by giving more to those who the world deems as less. It’s distributing to the have nots where the haves already have.

This is what the late theologian Gustavo Gutierrez called the “preferential option for the poor”. It’s that God chooses to take a side in the struggles of the poor, and advocates for them. God does not hate the wealthy and powerful. They just don’t particularly need God’s help with money and social problems. And, of course, God is challenging us to ask about the structures of our economy that leave some poor for doing the same things that make others rich and powerful.

The Spirit gives honor to the less honorable, and raises up the inferior. And when the least are raised, we all benefit. It’s one of those paradoxes of Christian faith, that the path forward for the church does not lie in finding the most beautiful, wealthy, and popular and using their status to attract more people (a strategy that many churches employ). It’s to seek out those that the world clothes in less honor, and clothing them with more honor (and sometimes better clothes). It’s to raise up the lowly, and in doing so, the Spirit pours out and the Word of God is shown to the world. The way to more is through those who have less.

It's all rather counter-intuitive to us, but very Biblical.

So this will be our walk this Epiphany – to see what love means in a context of competition, rank, class, and conflict. To see what love means in Christian community and social interaction. And to see again the beauty of a God who is so full of love that the most suffering and clothed with the most from our creator.

Peace,

 

Pastor Lars

Prayer Connection February 2025

‘ Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you.  Let not your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.’  John 14:27

     This morning I read the above verse as part of my daily devotions.  It really spoke to me.  Last evening’s news was troubling and left me so concerned for our country’s future.  This verse reminded me to give my fears to God and He will give me peace.

     My sister and I pray every week together over the phone as we live in different states.  We usually spend about an hour between catching up on each other’s week and sharing prayer concerns.  We always end in prayer.  Last week she reminded me about the time we were young girls due for our immunizations at our doctor’s office visit.  She carried her white leather covered Bible with her name inscribed on the front.  She had us place our hands on the Bible and she sang out  a song we had learned in Sunday School in a clear voice, ‘I will not be afraid.  I will not be afraid.  I will look upward, travel onward, and not be afraid.’  I can picture those two small girls, knees shaking, yet encouraging each other during a difficult time. 

     I have decided to make a plan as we face trying times ahead.  I will seek God’s peace through daily prayer, devotion time, and meditation.  I will put on the armor of God as instructed in Ephesians 6:13-17.  May God bring each of us peace and hope in the new year ahead.  Blessings to each and every one of you in Christ Jesus.  

    The Lord of Grace Prayer Team is always here to help you with any prayer requests you may have!  The Prayer Team continues to pray over all prayer petitions sent our way, including the requests entered in the prayer journal in the narthex.  The Team will also continue to offer individual prayer times after each worship service on the 4th Sunday of each month.  

Prayer Connection January 2025

Immanuel, God With Us All Through the Year!

The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel (which means “God with us”). Matthew 1:23

As we turn the calendar to 2025, many people see it as a time for a new start -- new year, new you; a time for making lists, and setting goals and actionable challenges. It can sound a bit overwhelming, or like a media meme.

The Scriptures offer us another way. Our life in Christ is already a new start for us: “So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; look, new things have come into being!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). We are God’s new creations, not just a new year’s resolution.

It is a blessing that January comes after the Christmas season! As we step forward into the new year as new creations, we can rest in the joy and assurance of God’s love for us and take heart in the message contained in the Scriptures: God is Immanuel, God With Us. Yes, God is with us, in the good times and the hard times – that is part of the hope and joy of Christmas that we can carry with us throughout the new year.

Let us approach God’s throne of grace with thankful and hopeful hearts. This month, the Prayer Connection would like to connect you to two prayer resources (links below). May the Holy Spirit guide you and inspire you as you pray in the coming year, knowing that you are God’s new creation, and God Is With YOU. 

Here are the first six days of prayer from Prayer Ventures for January 2025, taking us to Epiphany: 

1 New Year’s Day  Ask God to grant us strength, wisdom and patience to accomplish new goals this year. Give thanks for God’s forgiveness and for the support of others, which help us to continue when we fail, grow frustrated or are redirected in our pursuits.

 2 “So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; look, new things have come into being!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Our newness in Christ is realized in our present life and in the future, when we enter the kingdom of God. Pray for the Spirit to strengthen our faith and to help us embrace our new selves — every day.

 3 Pray for the Spirit to stir our patience, understanding and respect for others when we find ourselves in conflict with our neighbors or siblings in Christ.

 4 Pray for our synod bishops attending the Bishop’s Academy in Puerto Rico as they study and reflect on the challenge and promise of Lutheran mission and theology in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean.

 5 Give thanks to God that Jesus Christ lived among us, that we might believe in God’s grace and truth and be filled with joy and relief as children of God who are set free to live as Jesus did in service to our neighbors.

 6 Epiphany  “This star, as bright as day, that will never lead astray with its message so appealing, is the word of God, revealing Christ, the way, the truth, the life” (ELW 301). Praise God for the gift of Jesus Christ, who reveals to us the way, truth and life of God’s love, forgiveness and promises.

We close this month’s Prayer Connection with “A Simple Prayer for the New Year” taken from 15 Power-filled Prayers for the New Year:

Use the word AWARE as an acrostic prayer to direct your attention to God.

A - Abiding in Awe. God, I am in awe of You and I am ready to abide in You today.

W - With me. I celebrate that You are with me today.

A - Alert. I am alert to Your presence and Your voice.

R - Rest. I am resting in Your love for me. I do not strive because I have a secure and glorious place in Your kingdom,

E - Expecting. I am expecting Your miraculous within the ordinary of my day. I await Your wisdom, Your generosity, Your leadership, and Your power to be made perfect in my weaknesses.

The Lord of Grace Prayer Team is always here to help you with any prayer requests you may have!  The Prayer Team continues to pray over all prayer petitions sent our way, including the requests entered in the prayer journal in the narthex. The Team will also continue to offer individual prayer times after each worship service on the 4th Sunday of each month.

Resource links:

Prayer Ventures for January 2025. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America provides inspiration and guidance for daily prayer in a variety of formats - -this is one of them! https://resources.elca.org/prayer-ventures/prayer-ventures-january-2025/

15 Power-filled Prayers for the New Year. These prayers were compiled and edited by the Crosswalk Editorial Staff. They include prayers for hope, prayers after a hard year, prayers for strength, and the Holy Spirit’s direction in the new year. https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/prayer/14-power-filled-prayers-for-the-new-year.html

 

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Discipleship - God in the World

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““I should like to speak of God, not on the boundaries but at the centre, not in the weaknesses but in strength, and therefore not in death and guilt but in man’s life and goodness”
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— -Dietrich Bonhoeffer in Letters and Papers from Prison

I have been a fan of Dietrich Bonhoeffer since first reading his book, The Cost of Discipleship, years ago. I even did an adult study on it here at Lord of Grace in 2012, so I’m probably due for another one. As a lifelong Christian who grew up loving the church, but watching so many of my classmates fall away from the church, I have been captivated by the why of it all? Why did it stick with me, but fade with so many others? Then I read this quote from his Cost of Discipleship, and it hit hard.

“The price we are having to pay to-day in the shape of the collapse of the organized Church is only the inevitable consequence of our policy of making grace available to all at too low a cost. We gave away the word and sacraments wholesale, we baptized, confirmed, and absolved a whole nation unasked and without condition. Our humanitarian sentiment made us give that which was holy to the scornful and unbelieving. We poured forth unending streams of grace. Bu the call to follow Jesus in the narrow way was hardly ever heard.” (Cost of Discipleship, p.54)

I could go on, and on. It’s a wonderful book. And it comes to a conclusion much the opposite of our theories on growth and evangelism: that we are declining because we’ve made the Gospel less rigorous and expected too little. We’ve just dispensed with baptisms willy-nilly, lacking any requirements, and declared that since there’s nothing we can do to save ourselves, why bother? Baptism is supposed to be preceded by clear change of mind and behavior (for adults), and be the beginning of a life of service and sacrifice, not the substitute it. If everyone believed that all that mattered was getting into heaven, and Jesus did that for me, and Baptism just seals the deal, why bother with anything else? You’re just wasting time. You go to the same place after you die, whether you worship or give or serve - or not, then why not just take the easy way? It’s perfectly rational. And not at all what Luther had intended.

So the whole German nation was baptized, whether they really wanted it or not. And the result was a nation that saw Jesus placing no demands on their lives, just being a cultural thing one does to be a good German and lock in a spot after you die. Hence, when the Nazis came around promising national pride and lower interest rates, they did not encounter a population of people ready to critically examine their practices compared to the radical love and sacrifice of Jesus. They found a population that had separated Jesus from ethical life decades ago. Politicians did not need to prove that they were improving the lives of the widow and orphan and alien. They just had to show that they would keep the funding stream going to the state church, and take out its critics and competition – a happy exchange of protecting the institutional/cultural religion for political power. A good analogy today is Bishop Kirill, the Patriarch of Moscow, who seems utterly unconcerned with the deaths and atrocities in Ukraine, but enjoys a big, beautiful cathedral and Orthodox teachings in the public schools, courtesy of Vladimir Putin.

As I’ve said before, I believe that we Lutherans have taken the pendulum swing way too far in our concern for teaching “works righteousness”. This is the doctrine that I can make myself right before God through doing good things, that my good actions earn me salvation. Clearly that’s a bar of perfection we’ll never approach. So we teach that we are saved by grace through faith. We can’t earn it, only accept it. Our actions flow from being saved, not to get it.

As eloquent as that sounds, in common practice it quickly becomes one of apathy, of not even bothering with changing my life, of being against all rules and requirements for following Jesus (called antinomianism), and just figuring that avoiding killing and the most egregious crimes is all that’s needed to live like a “good person”. But most of the people who put Hitler in power were not out killing anyone themselves; they supported him through their votes and their inaction. Most would probably have been what we call “good people” today, in that they are not street criminals or child abusers. They obeyed the laws and shared sugar with their neighbors. And they voted for Hitler.

Bonhoeffer would rage at the way Jesus, who openly said that everyone who wants to be a disciple must take up a cross to follow him, would end up just being a symbol of proper middle class citizenship, that being saved had been reduced to the afterlife, that following him had been made infinitely subjective, and that the role of God in people’s lives had been seen as mattering only in the places where our knowledge or power failed us – in the gaps.

This comes out in his final writings, made while he was in prison. He ruminates about how God has become someone people turn to only when they can’t fix things themselves. God exists to help you when you suffer, comfort you in pain, fill you with awe when you don’t have answers, save you in the life after death – but is irrelevant in the daily life most of us live. If I’m not struggling, generally happy with things, and filling my head with scientific knowledge, why God? The gaps keep getting smaller, so does the need for God to fill them. Hence why northern Europe is so irreligious. They have high standards of living, good health care, clean streets, strong safety nets, lots of education. Life is so good without God, I don’t need him except in the afterlife, which doesn’t worry me at all. So other things take priority in life, and how I vote and spend have nothing to do with Jesus. It’s all just subjective interpretations anyways.

It's why I tend to preach about Jesus’ way of life and way of living, of what God expects from us, as well as what God does for us. But I don’t talk a lot about heaven. It’s just not that important to me. I believe I am saved. Heaven’s a given. Now what do I do? What is my cross to bear? How does that make my life better, even if it makes me less wealthy and potentially invites conflict from powers that be? And how do we find God in the heart of life, in joy and pleasure and excitement? Where is God in enriching life and making it more full and meaningful and good? Is God there when I’m having fun, or only when I’m sick?

Discipleship is hard. I know I don’t do it well. One reaction in 2012 when we got through the book Cost of Discipleship was that we all felt like sell-outs. None of us were assassinating dictators or chaining ourselves to trees or protesting with the indigenous peoples. Whatever good we did never felt like enough. The paradox of Christian faith is that we find more meaning and fulfillment in living the life of giving and sacrifice than in self-indulgence and materialism. But that’s a hard sell, and a hard concept. When I’m in jail for a civil rights protest, it’s still a miserable time in a jail. I am making the world better, but it’s still a jail.

With all this in my head I made a series of videos last year for YouTube, about Bonhoeffer’s reflections in his letters from prison. The point was to show that he was not a nationalist or fundamentalist taking up arms – some sort of theological Clint Eastwood. He was not against a tax and spend social safety net, nor an enemy of gay marriage (he never wrote about it, so we don’t have hard proof of his thoughts). He was a Lutheran pastor trying to go back and correct abuses and get back to what being a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Well, since spring of 2023 Dietrich Bonhoeffer has become a talked-about thing again. The movie, “Bonhoeffer: pastor, assassin, spy” came out, depicting him as having a moral crisis of only accepting that his calling was really to pick up that gun and kill for Jesus. Violence is the answer here, and you need to accept it, Dietrich, and get over your qualms, and take out the big bad guy. It was never that simple for him. He engaged in the plot to kill Hitler with massive thoughtfulness and moral struggle. He was always torn about it, and never saw it as more than a lesser evil. Nonetheless, the publicity has increased the searches on YouTube, and now those twelve videos, long and full of ruminations and drawings, are the most watched on the Lord of Grace channel. Who would have thunk it?

I encourage everyone to take a look at Bonhoeffer’s own writings, more than writings about him. He’s not hard to understand. The many biographies out there can be confusing, but you can get the best one from Bonhoeffer’s own friend Eberhard Bethge, who knew him personally. Avoid Erik Metaxas’ version, as that’s revisionist history – trying to make Bonhoeffer into some sort of right wing Christian Nationalist.

People followed Jesus not because it was easy, but because it was real. They could sense that God was with him, that his teachings were the real deal, that his power was from God, and that this was a life they wanted to emulate. It didn’t grow with clever strategies and better light shows. It was discipleship, a way of life, that offered an alternative to the life of the world around, driven by money and power and exploitation. It’s a life of Godliness, and a path to joy.

Peace,

 

Pastor Lars

Outreach January 2025

Outreach Team – January 2025

Our members include Chris Kollen as lead, Carol Buuck, Phyllis Teager, Patty Clymer, Janette Carollo, and Gail Nicewander.

We are planning new and exciting projects this coming year. If you’d like more information about becoming a member of Outreach, contact Chris Kollen at lizzykollen@comcast.net or at 520-419-7475.

Continuing Events

Marana Food Bank
The Marana Food Bank would like to request that we collect tomato sauce, ready-to-eat meals (Ravioli, Spaghettios), soups, tuna/chicken/spam, instant rice (Rice-a-Roni), and jelly. Hygiene items are also always needed as well.

Let’s help our neighbors to start the year right by experiencing God’s love by providing them with food they need to nourish themselves and their families.

Donated items can be placed in the wooden cabinet located in the hallway outside the Fellowship Hall.  Please remember that the food bank cannot accept any food items that have been opened/used or expired.  Also, please no glass containers.

If you would like to donate and keep your gift for the needy of Marana, you can send a check to:

MFB-CRC

c/o Sahuarita Food Bank

PO Box 968

Sahuarita, AZ 85629 

Please make checks payable to Marana Food Bank – Community Resource Center or MFB-CRC. You can also donate online at mfb-crc.org.

Your monetary gift goes a long way. 

Butler’s Pantry – Roadrunner Elementary

During the month of December, we had volunteers work several days sorting and stocking food shelves with donations from Lord of Grace and many other groups that surround the Roadrunner community.  This month, Gladden Farms Elementary held a food drive for Butler’s Pantry. The results were amazing-there were so many donations it took Lord of Grace volunteers several days to sort and stock the shelves. Now the Food Pantry is full and ready for Roadrunner neighbors to visit.  We also received a generous donation from the Lord of Grace Novemberfest that will be used to purchase more personal hygiene items for the pantry. We will continue to staff the pantry the first Saturday of each month during 2025.  We are always looking for volunteers to help with this ministry.  If this is something that you would be interested in getting involved in, please contact Phyllis Teager 520-906-1837.  Thanks to all at Lord of Grace for your support.

Past Events

Adopt a Family – Roadrunner Elementary

Thank you to everyone who donated gifts and food for Adopt a Child for Roadrunner Elementary students and their families. This year we supported 10 families, a total of 19 children, both for their needs (clothes and shoes) and wishes (such as toys, games or electronics), and gift cards for the parents. The food you donated will help them have an enjoyable holiday meal and have food for their pantry. You’ve made a huge difference at the holidays for these families! Thank you!

Roadrunner sent a thank you note to all who participated in Adopt a Family at Roadrunner:
“Thank you to everyone who participated in making this holiday season just a little brighter for someone else. Every family greatly appreciated your generosity and kindness this year. Without you, many of these families wouldn't have had a joyful holiday season. We were able to provide 172 children with presents and meals this season due to your support! I hope your holiday season is as happy as you have made the families we helped this year!”

Upcoming Events

Feed My Starving Children

We will be participating again in Feed My Starving Children mobile pack event on Saturday Feb. 8th from 7:45 to 10am at Oro Valley Church of the Nazarene with other Lutheran churches. The event packs specially formulated meals for malnourished children worldwide. The need is great and continues to rise each year. The overall goal is to pack 1.6 million meals during the weeklong mobile pack event. Sign up is either through the Oro Valley Church of the Nazarene website at http://ovcn.church/fmsc or using the QR code below. Click on “Register Here” and select session #18. On the drop-down menu select “Lutheran Churches”, fill in your name and contact information. Each person participating needs to sign up individually.

Information and help to register will be available after both services on Sunday December 29th.

Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest – Refugee & Immigration Services Program     

Chris Kollen participated with other LSS-SW Congregational Connector members in a wonderful event, Colors of Resilience: A Refugee Journey Through Art. The event was a guided painting experience uniquely blended art with the inspiring story of Jolie, a former refugee who overcame immense challenges to build a new life for herself.   

Lutheran World Relief – Baby Care Packs

We plan on holding a drive in the new year for baby care packs to send to Lutheran World Relief. In 2023, they provided baby care packs to Angola, the Dominican Republic, Mali, Tanzania, and Turkey. More information to come in next month’s newsletter.

Sister Jose Women’s Center

We plan on offering to cook an evening meal for the residents of San José Women’s Center. Outreach will provide additional information in next month’s newsletter. Any questions, contact Chris Kollen.

 


 

 

Check out Lord of Grace Preschool

Looking for a preschool?

Lord of Grace has quality teachers, skills development, socialization - all in a Christian environment. Our updated classrooms and new playground offer an ideal environment to learn and grow and be ready for kindergarten.

Enrolling now, 2-5 years old (potty trained).

Contact us at preschool@lordofgrace.org or 520-744-7400 to schedule a tour. We'd love to show you around.

Check out our web pages for more specific information:

Lord of Grace Preschool, Marana, Arizona

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The Play of Structure and Freedom

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Pastor’s Column

December 2024

Advent comes early and short this year, a function of the calendar - just after Thanksgiving, and only 3½ weeks from Christmas. Our church calendar has a full line-up of worship services and events. We still have our four Sundays, and our Longest Night service (Dec. 18). Our music ministry has a full line-up of concerts, starting with the all-Tucson ELCA concert Dec. 1 (at Our Saviour’s), and then the Southern Arizona New Discourses and Neoteric Chamber Choir on Dec. 14. It’s fun to be host to arts in different styles, and be a place of music and creativity. Many ways to glorify God in this season.

Sunday services have a theme: “Words for the Beginning” from sanctifiedart.org. As much as I like coming up with worship ideas, they make some amazing things way beyond my skill level – paintings, poetry, liturgies, children’s curriculums and more. You know I rarely do the Advent verses from the lectionary anymore, as they feel so tone deaf to the season. John the Baptist calling Pharisees a “brood of vipers” and crying about judgment and fire, then Jesus talking about wars and rumors of wars and the beginning of the end….just doesn’t have a whole lot of hope and grace. I know there’s a time and place for all of scripture, and, yes, I know the lectionary comes from a time before December was a month of pre-Christmas everywhere. But this is our world.

So I try to make Advent its own thing, with its own emphasis and meanings. This year we get a collection of quilt patterns, one for the season, which will go on the podium, and one for each Sunday, which will go up front on a stand. Each pattern goes with the theme for the day. The quilt squares play off the idea of new beginnings, how the pieces of who we are, where we come from, what we deal with, sometimes fall apart, but God takes them and makes new beginnings, new starts.

To me, quilt squares perfectly express the back and forth interplay of creativity and structure.

It’s often taught that the two are opposites, that rules and limits stifle and oppress, and that the fullest life is lived with the least restraints. Well, some times. Of course rules can be stifling, and so restrictive that no space is left for anything new. On the other hand, when given no limits, we often don’t know where to start. If I told an art class to paint a family on the lakeshore under a tree, I’d get all sorts of interpretations, but every artist would have to figure out how to make beauty out of that particular scene (Monet made a version; it’s a classic). But if I simply said, “make anything and see you Monday” I would probably get very little. I’m sure someone would try to be clever and hand me an empty canvass and tell me the lack of paint represents the emptiness of his soul being deconstructed of the normative influences of bourgeois society. One might even tape a banana to it and call it something. But I would be suspicious they were having too much fun over the weekend, and the philosophy-babble is just covering up laziness. Limits force you to problem solve, to imagine possibilities, to think of things you haven’t. No-limits creativity doesn’t push you, and you end up with, well, a banana taped to the wall.

I picture so much overlap between good art and engineering. The city comes to the architect and says, “there’s a river this wide, and two roads to connect, and they’re not straight across, and the ground is soft, and you have to put a ship X feet high underneath it, and it can’t all break apart if one section cracks. Go”. That will take a lot of creativity to solve, undoubtedly a good deal of artistic imagination too, so the selection committee likes it.

Structure and limits force creativity. But without variation and creativity, structure becomes stale.

So it comes back around to quilt squares. I imagine it was a challenge to the original artists: how do you express this Bible reading in a quilt, using only straight lines? How do you do it with only a small palette of colors? How do you convey blue, the liturgical color of Advent, with lively colors of hope and opportunity? Now you have to get creative.

This is what it’s all about: not just being able to paint, not being “artsy craftsy” necessarily, but being willing to problem solve and imagine new possibilities within the limits life has given you, using the spiritual gifts God has given you. Worship should be like that: a structure, an architecture, that remains largely the same, but which can be redecorated, repurposed, reimagined from time to time. The predictability of the order gives the security from which to explore and imagine the possibilities of a living God with words of new beginnings.

Peace,

Pastor Lars

Outreach December 2024

Outreach Team – December 2024

Our members include Chris Kollen as lead, Carol Buuck, Phyllis Teager, Patty Clymer, Janette Carollo, and Gail Nicewander.

We are planning new and exciting projects this coming year. If you’d like more information about becoming a member of Outreach, contact Chris Kollen at lizzykollen@comcast.net or at 520-419-7475.

Continuing Events

Marana Food Bank

The Marana Food Bank would like to request that we collect jelly, pie crusts, tuna/chicken, spam, canned cooked ham, ready-to-eat food like ravioli, beans, canned veggies, and low-sodium soups. Let’s continue to show God’s love by sharing what we have with those who currently have less. Let’s make this a wonderful Christmas season for all!

Donated items can be placed in the wooden cabinet located in the hallway outside the Fellowship Hall. Please remember that the food bank cannot accept any food items that have been opened/used or expired. Also, please, no glass containers.

If you would like to donate and keep your gift for the needy of Marana, you can send a check to:

MFB-CRC

c/o Sahuarita Food Bank

PO Box 968

Sahuarita, AZ 85629

Please make checks payable to Marana Food Bank – Community Resource Center or MFB-CRC. You can also donate online at mfb-crc.org. Your monetary gift goes a long way.

Past Events

Thanksgiving Boxes – Roadrunner Elementary

We put together 28 Thanksgiving and Pantry boxes, providing needed food for the holidays for 14 families – 12 families at Roadrunner Elementary and 2 additional families recommended by members of the congregation. Each family received $50 gift card to buy perishable food. Enough food was donated to start putting together food boxes for Christmas families. The congregation donated $425 in gift cards and $270 in cash. Thank you to the Preschool for making cards for each one of the families! Thank you to everyone who helped sort the food and put the Thanksgiving and Pantry boxes together and Bryan and Patty Clymer for donating the boxes!

Upcoming Events

Adopt a Child – Roadrunner Elementary

Thank you to everyone who took gift tags from the tree, all gifts were signed up for! The gifts need to be returned by December 1st. Please don’t wrap the gifts, the parents would like to see what’s being given and wrap the gifts themselves. Instead donate wrapping paper and tape. Thanks to everyone for supporting families at Roadrunner!

Feed My Starving Children

Feed My Starving Children will be coming up at the beginning of February, dates have not been set yet. The sign-up sheet will be available by December 31st. Stay tuned for information about this wonderful event.

Lutheran World Relief – Baby Care Packs

We plan on holding a drive in the new year for baby care packs to send to Lutheran World Relief. In 2023, they provided baby care packs to Angola, the Dominican Republic, Mali, Tanzania, and Turkey. More information to come in 2025.

Sister Jose Women’s Center

We plan on offering to cook an evening meal for the residents of San José Women’s Center. Outreach will provide additional information in the new year. Any questions, contact Chris Kollen.