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Pastor's Report

“Oh God, Our Help in Ages Past
Our Hope for Years to Come.”

In my report a year ago, I started out with the same quote from one of my favorite hymns, “Oh God, Our Help in Ages Past.” And since an annual report is a time to reflect back and look forward, I could very easily use that same hymn for every annual report I write. Without the “help” of God in the past, and the “hope” of God in our future, we would not exist, either as a church or as people for that matter. Last year, my report was filled with thanksgiving for many blessings that have been the foundation of our ministry together. I am a very fortunate person to have been able to do, what I do, with you. I remain just as thankful today. None of that has changed. God has been “our help in ages past” and our faith is “our hope” for the future.

But 2008 has been a rough year, both personally and as a congregation. The list of people who have entered into the fullness of the Kingdom of God since All Saints’ Day, 2007 reminds us that God’s “help in ages past” is most often manifest in the people God places in our lives. Lyall Cooper, Walter Haglund, Reta Carlotto, Viola Wahl, Robert Schoening, Ted and Lydia Peterson, Verna Gooding, Helen Lane, Marjorie Norwall, Esther Ermantrout, Alice Heinonen, Gladys Gustafson and Pearl Klocek. There were all people whose active, vibrant leadership in the church I remember well. They were all blessed with long lives. The average age of this group of saints was over 94 years. That is amazing. And personally, I add to that list, my father’s last two remaining sisters, who both died in 2008 at 91 and 93 years of age.

But then there are the deaths that seem untimely, premature, … way too early. Jon Sandstedt, Jim Nisser, Judy Van Putten, and Sharon Anderson. Average age: 60. Way too young. But in every case, we, as a community of faith, have experienced the healing of the Gospel. I don’t say that lightly. I have seen and felt personally the pain of the loss. And I have seen and experienced personally many moments of healing. The healing isn’t complete. There is much more that we seek. There is more to come. But that is part of “our hope for years to come.”

2008 has seen acts of great generosity. After the irritation of a hail storm that destroyed our air conditioner, we received a generous gift that replaced the air conditioner with a better one. And the new front “prayer way” is the direct result of a generous response to the visioning report that came out a year ago. We are awaiting the final touches, which will include a welcoming inscription as people enter the church which is a quote from the inspiring source of the gift:
“May all who enter share in the grace and peace of God’s love.” (Lillian Urban)

But 2008 has been a rough year. There are many financial challenges that lay before us as individuals, as a congregation, as a nation, and indeed as a world. Financially, these are difficult times. On the one hand, we as a congregation have been richly blessed with the regular generous giving of our members, and the generosity of our past members who have given the church memorial gifts and bequests. But we end the year with a sizeable deficit. Between unexpectedly high utilities’ costs, and the absence of our “December miracle” that has seen previously tenuous year-end deficits erased by dramatic year-end gifts, this year we as a congregation end the year in the same place as many individuals, business, churches, states and nations. We have a deficit.

And so, two things have made this a tough year: the loss of people we have loved and ministered with, and the worst financial climate we’ve seen since … well … since the church was organized in 1929. So what can we say about these challenges?

“Oh God, our help in ages past” reminds us that our congregation was founded during a time that was much worse than what we face today. We will get through this. It will require sacrifice, but I am reminded of a quote that was shared at the funeral of Jon Sanstedt, who died of cancer at only 54 years of age. Jon taught his son that, “any problem that can be solved with money, isn’t really a problem.”

Clearly the deepest sense of loss has come as we look at that list of those 17 saints who are no longer here to share our ministry with us. No amount of money can do anything to bring them back. But that brings us to our purpose for being. We are disciples of a church that celebrates Easter, each and every Sunday. Money can solve our financial struggles, but they’re really only irritations, not real problems. For “any problem that can be solved with money, isn’t really a problem.”

The problem of death, Jesus solved for us. God gave his only Son … a gift that is beyond value. That truth means that each and everyone of us is beyond value to God, and we need never be afraid of death: the one problem in life we’ll never be able to solve. But God has solved it for us. That is “our hope for years to come.”

And so, despite the problems and the loss we feel, I remain profoundly thankful; thankful for the saints, living and dead, who have made Wooddale the congregation it is; thankful for staff members, who served Wooddale faithfully: thankful for Karen’s gift of administration, Kristina and Jean’s partnership, passion and excitement for our families and youth, Mary’s delight in the excellence of praise, Solveig’s creative worship leadership, and Warren’s stewardship of the place where we gather.

And again this year, I echo the Apostle Paul’s words, “I give thanks to God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus. I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers.” Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

There remains much to do to further God’s Kingdom here on earth. And I can’t think of people I would rather be doing that with than you, the members of Wooddale Lutheran Church. As we continue serving the Kingdom of God together in this place, I remain so very grateful to be walking this path with YOU.

Peace,

Christmas Worship Opportunities

Christmas Eve, Wednesday, December 24

5:00 p.m. -- Family Service that focuses on the telling of the Christmas story and features our children’s Chapel Choir.

11:00 p.m. -- Candlelight Communion Service featuring our Senior Choir in the quiet beauty of the sanctuary, bathed in candlelight.

Christmas Day, Thursday, December 25,

10:00 a.m. -- Christmas Morning, a quiet, more reflective service of worship and Holy Communion.

Every year at Christmas, we hear those familiar words from Isaiah:
“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;
those who lived in a land of deep darkness — on them light has shined.
For to us a child is born; to us a son given to us;
authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

The angel choir in Luke proclaims the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophesy.
“For to you is born this day, in the city of David, a Savior who is the Messiah, the Lord. And this will be the sign for you: You fill find a baby, wrapped in swaddling clothes, and lying in a manger.”

But the hopefulness of Isaiah and the joy of the angels seem different this year. The evening news reveals very few signs of hope. Bankruptcies, foreclosures, unemployment, falling real estate values, shrinking retirement accounts, corruption, sluggish sales, bleak forecasts. And the “experts” say it will get worse before it gets better.

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could return to those hopeful days of Isaiah? Wouldn’t it be nice if we could return to the simplicity of Jesus’ birth somewhere in Bethlehem over 2000 years ago?

But it is precisely to people who were surrounded by signs of hopelessness far worse than what we have, that the words of Isaiah and the angel choirs spoke so clearly and profoundly centuries ago. To the uncertainty and fragile nature of life on this earth, God proclaimed a hope that is eternal; a hope that declares to us an assurance that plunging stock values, poor holiday sales figures, and uncertain financial times can never defeat or destroy.

So why did the angels announce “good news of great joy” to lowly shepherds whose lives were lived on the margins of society? Maybe the shepherds were less distracted by the financial fears and uncertainties of their time and were better able to hear the good news of the promised Messiah.

The “good news of great joy” is the powerful truth that through the birth of Jesus, God dwells among us. In the gospel of Christ’s nativity, we learn that no space in our lives is too small or shabby for God to enter; that in fact, God seeks out the humble. And so, we join with the angels in celebration of Jesus’ tender presence on earth: “Glory to God in the highest heaven!” We join the wise men in bringing gifts to our Savior.

Come! Gather at the manger to worship and bring to the Christ child the gift of your heart.

Thanksgiving Worship: A 35 Year Tradition

We are fast approaching the national holiday of Thanksgiving Day. Thanksgiving is not an official church festival, in that it does not appear on the calendar of the church year. But there is something very profound about the timing of Thanksgiving every year.

The last Sunday of the church year is called “Christ the King Sunday.” (This years it’s November 23.) It is followed a week later by the first Sunday of the new church year - “The First Sunday in Advent.” (November 30.) Between these two Sundays is “Thanksgiving Day.” (November 27.) This happens quite by accident. The First Sunday in Advent is always four Sundays before Christmas Day ... and Christ the King Sunday comes the Sunday before that. Thanksgiving Day is always the fourth Thursday in November by government degree. But accident or not, I like the message this sends. We end the year giving thanks to God! And we begin a new year giving thanks to God! For the Apostle Paul, thanksgiving was one of the most important of all spiritual qualities. Paul, in writing to the Christians in Philippi, gives this instruction about the nature of prayer.

In everything, with prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

So, how do you say “Thank You” to God? We associate Thanksgiving in the United States with gastronomic overindulgence – eating too much turkey, mashed potatoes, dressing, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie. And while God certainly doesn’t mind that we enjoy a good meal, there certainly are better ways of saying Thank You to God.

I love reading from the apostle Paul’s letters, because for Paul, thanksgiving was an integral part of his everyday life. For Paul, Thanksgiving was worship. I hope you will begin your family’s Thanksgiving festivities by joining us for the annual Thanksgiving Eve worship service on Wednesday evening, November 26, at 7:30 p.m. As is the case every year, this will again be an evening of wonderful music, worship, and fellowship for the entire family. This year’s service will be held at Wooddale.

A couple of years ago, Warren did a little archive hunting and discovered that the first of these ecumenical Thanksgiving Eve worship service was held on November 27, 1974, at Most Holy Trinity. That makes this year’s service the 35th Thanksgiving Eve worship service that we will have shared with our sisters and brothers at Most Holy Trinity.

This year, Most Holy Trinity has a new priest. Father Brian Fier has replaced Father Paul Feela, and will be bringing the message to the worship service. As always, the choirs, including our Chapel Choir, will be featured with lots of special music. And you will certainly want to spend a little time following the service indulging in a little gastronomical pleasure with a piece of homemade pie.

God’s Peace and a blessed Thanksgiving to you all.

Amazing Grace – Amazing Journey

On Sunday, October 26, 2008, Reformation Day worship was led by a group of six young people who, on that day, became adult members of the congregation through the rite of Affirmation of Baptism, otherwise known as Confirmation. This was the twenty-sixth group of Wooddale youth whom I have been privileged to work with as they prepared their Confirmation worship service. Over those years, the biggest class has been sixteen. The smallest, four. Every class has been different. Every class has taken its charge – to write and lead worship for the whole congregation, very seriously. Again this year, we have been reminded that the promises we made to these children when they were baptized have been noticed, appreciated, and embraced by them, and they in turn, made promises to God and Christ’s church as they affirmed their baptismal covenants.

Why do we do Confirmation on Reformation Sunday? There are practical reasons. But what makes it so appropriate for me is that the powerful witness of our newest adult members publicly testifying to their intention to be disciples of Christ is the most powerful continuing re-forming of the church that there can be.

Every year, after the service, I hear many expressions of amazement at the powerful, articulate, mature, poised witness that our new confirmands give at their worship service. This year was no exception. Again, the service reflected the thoughts and ideas, the gratitude and the commitments of six new young adult members of Wooddale: Katherine, Alex, Cailin, Claire, Grayson, and Mara. Many of the expressions of amazement come from visitors who are here to honor one of the confirmands. Because of that, they may be a bit biased. But that is something Wooddale members have come to expect: that they will hear a thoughtful, poised, expression of faith from the new confirmands on Confirmation Sunday.

It’s an amazing thing to see how far these young people have come, from when they started Confirmation as 7th graders, in their ability to give witness to their faith. Actually, it’s amazing to see how far they have come in just the last week, from when they headed off to Wapo for their final retreat just over a week before Confirmation Sunday.

Again, every class is unique, but every class, in some ways, is the same. They always go to the retreat willingly, but with a bit of apprehension. Before the retreat, they don’t know what to expect. They aren’t sure what they’re supposed to do. And they are surprised when, after some preliminary reminders of how far they have come in their faith journey, when I turn the whole service over to them. This year, I asked a simple question: “What do you want your Confirmation worship service to be?” – and I left the room.

And somehow, from the time I first left the room, until Sunday morning, each of these six young adults – Mara, Grayson, Claire, Cailin, Alex, and Katherine – pulled together, brainstormed ideas, made decision, altered decisions, wrote, prayed, took risks, contemplated their journeys, thought about their futures, and invested themselves in one another in a sincere effort to say thank you to YOU – the congregation – and more importantly to God.

There were moments of frustration, moments of awkwardness, moments of fun, good humor, renewed friendship, and commitment to their faith.

I hope Alex, Cailin, Claire, Grayson, Katherine, and Mara are proud of their witness last Sunday. I know I’m very proud to be their pastor.

Peace,

Jim Nisser - 1943-2008

The funeral for Jim Nisser was on Wednesday, September 17, 11:00 a.m. at Wooddale Lutheran Church. To read the funeral sermon, click on the "Sermons" link on the left side of this page.





All of us at Wooddale are deeply saddened at the untimely death of Jim Nisser. Jim had been a member of Wooddale since about 1951 and has been an active supportive friend to people of all ages. He was tragically killed in a hit and run accident as he rode his bike to work at the Minikahda Club where he had served for 45 years. We will miss his gentle spirit, his willingness to set up, clean up, usher, make coffee, report on the Wooddale softball team, but most importantly, greet all people, members and visitors alike with his genuinely, kind friendship.

During the sermon last Sunday, (September 14) I invited people to write down their experience of how Jim helped them see the Kingdom of God more clearly. The response to Jim’s witness has been incredible. I expected maybe 20 people would share something with me; 40 I would have considered amazing. To date, the number is at about 110 and they’re still coming in. Many are in the form of stories about shared experiences. A consistent theme that is present in all of the responses refers to Jim’s friendly smile and cheerful greeting which he freely extended to all, and Jim’s sincere willingness to help with whatever needed to be done. Along with the stories were also short concise impressions. “Humility” was all one person wrote. “Jim is love” another wrote. “Jim was the heart of Wooddale.” “He loved this church and each member in it.” And another short one (that will be recognized by those of you who remember Ralph, our longtime custodian): “One of the good ones.”

All of these tributes and stories, I expected. But the ones that took me a bit by surprise were the responses from people who were visiting last Sunday who had never met Jim.

“I’m a visitor here but very much felt Jesus here. I’ll have to wait ‘till heaven to meet him (Jim) and I look forward to that. I lost my husband 3½ years ago, and he’ll meet Jim immediately. Thank you as a church for honoring him even before the funeral. It made me feel warm and fuzzy to know such a church exists today.”

And another person wrote:

“We are visitors. It was amazing to hear how simple service is!J God is with us. Thank you to the whole congregation for being here to share the Good News of how God continues to bless us.

So what is it, that makes this such a huge loss for our congregation? We have certainly experienced other tragic deaths. We have mourned people who have shared just as much commitment and hard work. We have had to commend others to God’s eternal care who were equally accepting and loving as Jim. Why has this struck so many people so deeply? I’m not sure I know the answer to that, but here’s a thought.

Twelve years ago, when Jim’s mother, Hazel, died, many wondered how Jim would do on his own. There was something very childlike, in the most positive sense, about Jimmy Nisser. But it became clear, immediately, that Jimmy Nisser was fully capable of also being James Nisser, the adult. (He actually liked being called James, but never made a big deal of it. It wasn’t that important.) However, James never gave up that childlike delight in other people that most adults trade in for skepticism and cynicism. He was a fully capable adult, but he was also, as one person put it, “everyone’s son, everyone’s brother, and every child at Wooddale was Jim’s child.”

Thank you, James, Jim, Jimmy, for your servant spirit, your kind acceptance of all people, your gentle patience, and the twinkle in your eye which revealed an amazing wit and sense of humor. Thank you for making each of us feel so loved and special by finding unique and special ways of showing us how much you cared for us.
And … “Go Twins!”

Peace,

Volunteer Opportunities

1. Once again the St. Louis Park Schools are looking for adults who are interested in volunteering for a wide variety of programs. Help is needed in math, literacy, media centers, clerical, and other areas, including onetime events. Contact Sarah Krzesowiak at 952-928-6025 or krzesowiak.sarah@slpschools.org, to volunteer or learn more.

2. Methodist Hospital Hospice will be providing training sessions this fall for new volunteers. These volunteers will give respite care to caregivers who are caring for terminally ill loved ones in their own private homes. Commitment is a maximum of four hours per week, and training is four sessions. If you are interested, please call Libby Swanson at 952-9393-5381, or talk to Carol Fiedler, who has been a hospice volunteer for many years, if you have questions.

Dust off Your Tap Shoes, or Oboe, or Hula Hoop, or Accordion, or...?

The Wooddale Social Committee is planning to host a "PERFORMING ARTS SUNDAY" in a few months. That means we're having a talent show! It's been a while since we’ve had one of these events and we're ready to expose all that talent that lives in our members, friends, families and neighbors. So please start thinking about your act - whether it be music, gymnastics, juggling, poetry, painting, etc! We want it all. Invite people you know. This takes lots of preparation, so put on your thinking caps and spread the word. Mark your calendars for Sunday afternoon, February 22, 2009! Make sure you let us know you are interested! Thanks to the Ennengas, Goddards, Poeschels, Julie Galvin, Rosemarie Zipoy and Arlene Holte for helping with this event.

Prayer Corner

From Char Carlotto

I have been thinking about this idea about God needing us, and it is a really attractive concept. I mean, doesn’t that make us pretty important? And don’t we all want to be important, at least somehow in our lives? Maybe it is good for us to feel important and needed in God’s eyes. But I don’t believe it is necessary. And for me, it is the wrong reason to work for God’s Kingdom. It tends to get in the way of the choices I make: The choices tend to become focused on me—not God. I sincerely believe that God could make anything He wanted to happen—without us. He doesn’t need us to accomplish His will. But it just happens that he chooses to use us for this very thing. He wants us to be an active participant in His Kingdom, and not because we have to, but because we want to. For me, my efforts are more pure and real when I do things because I want to, not because I should or someone needs me to do them. So what is it that God wants us to do? God obviously wants us to be doing something, right? So, here are a couple ofchallenges for you. (I really got excited about the commitment of the church in Mexico to pray for us every Friday at 3:00, and Kristine’s response that we will do the same.) And now, the challenges:

1. Spend time every Friday afternoon praying for the church in Mexico, for Wooddale, for our country, for those in need, and who or whatever else you find needing God’s attention. God wants you to do this! And yes, I think God’s Kingdom needs you to do this. 2. The second challenge is this: As you know, Lutherans are not well known for talking much about their faith and their faith journey. But God wants you to! So how about it? I would love to hear from you. Tell us through this newsletter about your faith journey, struggles, blessings, questions. Whatever! God wants us to share Him with each other. I don’t want to be the only one writing for the Prayer Corner. I will continue to do so as long as God wants me to, but I would welcome your thoughts and ideas. So keep praying, keep participating in God’s Kingdom. That is what He wants.

Sundays at 7 Continues

Did you know that Sundays at 7 will continue throughout the year? An addition will be a time for refreshments and visiting after each service. Join your neighbors for relaxed, casual worship each Sunday evening at 7:00, at First Lutheran, 5801 Minnetonka Blvd. This is a shared community worship offered by the Lutheran churches in St. Louis Park.

Stretch Your Food Dollars! Fare for All Express is for Everyone!

Stretch Your Food Dollars! Fare for All Express Is For Everyone!Fare For All Express, a program of the Emergency Foodshelf Network, works with community partners to offer quality, affordable grocery pack-ages each month. No pre-payment or pre-registration is needed, and there are no income restrictions for participating in the program - You simply visit the location on the monthly distribution day to purchase grocery packages. There is no limit to the number of packages that can be purchased each month, and the prices are 30-50% off retail prices. For residents in our area, Fare For All Express is located at Central Community Center, 6300 Walker St., St. Louis Park, and the upcoming distribution dates are Sept. 30, Oct. 28, Dec. 2, Feb. 3, March 3, March 31, April 28, 4:00-6:00 pm, each of those Tuesdays. To learn more you may call 763-450-3880, 1-800-582-4291, or go to www.fareforall.org. (As a way to improve local communities, Fare For All Express encourages participants to contribute two hours of volunteer service each month, but this is not a requirement for participation in the program.)

Continuing our Mission to Mexico

A thank you…
So many of you have contributed to the success of the mission trip to Mexico this summer. Your involvement in the youth fundraisers, your generosity in donating towards a gift to the church in Mexico and most importantly, your prayers and words of encouragement have carried us all on a journey we will never forget. You have also made it possible for our Wooddale family to stretch further than you realize…across the border and across language boundaries into a little part of the world called Huachichil, Mexico. We were blessed to meet these brothers and sisters in Christ and extend an overwhelming thank you from them, to you!

A blessing…
Not only do these Mexican friends of ours send their gratitude, they send their blessings, to us! While in the midst of poverty and accommodations much less than what many of us are used to, these friends continually offered us their prayers that God would bless our community, guide us and give unto us in abundance. These prayers I have no doubt continue in our absence. They are prayers of blessing from around the world directed towards our own Wooddale community.

An invitation…
It goes without saying that there is an open door, a kind smile and a friendly “Hola” awaiting you if you ever find yourself in Huachichil, Mexico. However, we may not all get the chance to be a part of such a journey and so we invite you to partner with this community and their mission from a distance. Pastor Marco and his team have huge dreams of serving the young people in Mexico by building a retreat center for youth Bible camps on the church property in Huachichil. Your resources of time, supplies, and finances are always welcome, but even more so, we invite you to keep this community and its mission in your prayers. We invite you to pray for the community of Huachichil, for Pastor Marco and his team of passionate individuals and for the continued progress of the youth retreat center.

A promise…
As we were piling into our vehicles the last day in Huachichil, Pastor Marco stopped us and made a simple request followed by a promise. He asked that we would take time every Friday at 3:00 pm to remember him and this mission in Huachichil in prayer. He continued with the promise that he would be holding us in prayer during this time as well. For distance and language are no obstacle to the power of our heavenly Father who has called us all in different ways to serve one another in the name of Jesus Christ. This is a promise for you, for me, and for our brothers and sisters in Christ both near and far away. God’s blessing to you as you live in the promise every day.

A visit…
Pastor Marco will be at our worship service at Wooddale on Sunday, October 5.

Confirmation Refresher

When Luther reflected on what was important for Christians to know about their faith, he created a simple but profound “Catechism” that examined The Lord’s Pray, The Apostles’ Creed, The Ten Commandments, and The Sacraments. If you understand these important tenants of faith, Luther felt, you would have a good foundation for continued growth in the faith.

Too often only our Confirmation students take time to explore these important statements of faith. Beginning Tuesday, September 16, at 10:00 a.m., I am offering a class for adults that will explore weekly these important topics. So whether you simply want to take a refresher course from your Confirmation days, or have never gone through Confirmation, YOU ARE WELCOME.