Food on Thursday Nights!

If you missed the first of our Thursday Night Bible Studies on the significance of food/meals in the Bible, here's what you missed...nothing short of the Garden of Eden!

Yeah, we ate all that.  Between mouthfuls we also talked about eating being one of God's original instructions to humankind, the very first sin coming through the act of eating, and our complex and changing relationship with food in modern times.

You are NOT going to want to miss this Thursday.  Food has done some wonderful things in scripture and you get to sample firsthand!  7:00 at St. John's.  Bring friends!

--Pastor Dave (pastordave@geneseelutheranparish.org)

Monday Morning Sermon: October 31st, 2011

Yesterday's text was the offering from John traditional for Reformation Sunday:

 31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
 33 They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”
 34 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. 

What in the world does this have to do with the Reformation, let alone our celebration of it in the modern church?

Click through to read more...

Huh? Carving Pumpkins in Sunday School?

Today we carved pumpkins in Sunday School!
 What in the world does that have to do with teaching kids about God?
Well, first of all, here is what the kids were asked to do:

1. choose a pumpkin
2. wash your pumpkin
3. clean out the slimy, gross stuff inside
5. carve a new face
6. put a light inside

What does that have to do with our relationship to God?!   Well...

1. He chose us. He did. And He does.

"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you." John 15:16

2. He washes us clean.

"But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in

the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." 1 Corinthians 6:11

3. He made a way to get rid of the seeds of hatred in us and our most terrible thoughts.

  "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."Romans 5:8

 4. He forgives us our sins and throws them away; they are gone for good!

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever

believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life."John 3:16

5. He makes us new!

 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;

the old has gone, the new has come!"    2 Corinthians 5:17

 

6.  He puts Jesus right into our heart, to shine out into the darkness, for all the world to see!

 "For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,'

 made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge

 of the glory of God in the face of Christ."  2 Corinthians 4:6  

     

And

"In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds

and praise your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16

 

Now the students in our class today learned that whenever they carve or see a jack-o-lantern they are to remember to let Jesus, the Light of the World, shine out into the world, through their smiles, hugs, their kindness, and most of all, through their love.

Craft Night Wreaths

      Last Tuesday night at Craft Night I was reminded of something important about making art: What is important is the process, not the product. By thinking about the end product the whole time, we sometimes forget the simple pleasure in the doing. Most of us get a little panicky when we start a craft project, especially surrounded by others who already seem to be catching on while we are struggling to keep up.When I start to feel that panic set in, I remind myself not to take it so seriously by saying: "this isn't going into the Smithsonian." In other words, it doesn't have to be perfect! (Thank goodness! I have yet to make one perfect thing, and I craft all the time!)
    So just roll up your sleeves, grab some clay or paper or glue or whatever, and enjoy the process.

Here are the paper wreaths that Amy taught us to make last week:

Amy also showed us how to make paper flowers to adorn our wreaths!

Thanks, Amy! They were so fun to make!

Love

We're preparing to leave this week's text and embark on another sermon journey but before we do, one last, brief visit.  As I was driving around between visits today it struck me again how important it was that Jesus called love the greatest commandment.  He could have said anything in that moment.  He could have picked "don't murder" or "don't eat shrimp" or any of the Old Testament laws.  He could have clarified or made up something new.  He had the opportunity to address any of the social or political or economic issues of his time.  He had the opportunity to address any of them that would plague the world in years to come.  He didn't.

Instead of doing any of that he said, "It's simple.  You want to fulfill the Law?  Love God, love your neighbor as yourself.  That way you'll be fulfilling everything you were meant to do."

It's important not to take this lightly.  It's important not to discredit love or Jesus' greatest commandment it by trying to make other laws supersede this one.  It doesn't matter how worked up we are about an issue, how dire a problem seems, or how inconvenient it makes our life.  Love comes first, always.

As you finish up this week take a moment to reflect on how much of your time you spend expressing love versus doing other things.  Obviously love comes through some of those other things...there's no such thing as abstract, unexpressed love.  When performing your daily tasks, though, do you consciously make an effort to let love shine through?  Or are you just kind of doing stuff and checking it off the list?  Did you remember to express love to the people around you this week?  Did you take the most loving course of action even when it was radical or difficult?  If we don't think about love it tends to fall by the wayside.  That's not a good thing when Jesus called it the most important fulfillment of God's intentions for us.

--Pastor Dave (pastordave@geneseelutheranchurch.org)

Bible Study Reflections: October 27th, 2011

This week's Bible Study reflection comes from our Sunday morning study of Genesis.  This week we covered Genesis, Chapter 3 wherein Adam and Eve bit the fruit and broke the world.  Ooops!  Not good.

One of the observations that came up was that this seemed like the birth of independent thought.  For the first time humans did something against God.  It's hard to argue that definition, but we also need to be careful about how we define, let alone value, such independence.

There's a strain of thought out there, often found among folks who deny and decry belief in God, but also in rebellion against other aspects of society, that says, "Yeah, I'm rebelling against this.  I'm my own person.  Right or wrong, nobody tells me what to do!"  Bad becomes good in a sense.  Even if the act is unethical or immoral, we kind of respect the stubborn, anti-authoritarian stance.  This devil-may-care attitude makes a person look strong somehow.

Certainly this was the serpent's argument.  Before they bit the fruit he told Adam and Eve it would make them wise like God.  Even though that didn't exactly happen, his post-snack argument almost certainly would be, "Hey...you're stronger than God!  You showed him what for when you ate that fruit.  Nobody controls your destiny now!  You proved it!"

Click through for a little chagrin about how well this trick works and how it still affects us today...

Weekly Devotion: October 25th, 2011

Time for our devotional thought for the week: remembering our Baptism.

Martin Luther was a huge proponent of Baptismal remembrance because of all the important things Baptism does.  Baptism washes us clean, like an eternal fountain.  Whenever sin, our own or the world's, blankets us the waters of Baptism sweep it away and make us new again.  Because of Baptism we can hear the words "you are forgiven" on Sunday and be sure that they are true.  Being washed clean also makes us fit for God's family and eternal life.  Nothing impure may rightfully stand before God nor live forever.  We cannot make ourselves pure or perfect by our own power or effort.  Baptism's cleansing power allows God to see us as his beautiful, shining saints instead of our old, disobedient selves.  And speaking of old selves, whenever that old nature threatens to arise and take us over Baptism drowns it.  Baptism is a little like the cross in that way, putting to death our sin and the part of us that would cling to it, robbing evil of its power.  We emerge from Baptismal water as a new creation, living a new life.

Although Baptism itself happens in an instant its effects remain for a lifetime...an eternal lifetime.  Being continually dunked in water day after day would get annoying so God spares us the physical splashing.  But the washing, the dying and rising, the embrace into family all happen continuously.  Each moment we are made new by our loving, gracious God.

One of the convenient things about Baptism happening through water is the ample supply of reminders.  We don't go a single day without interacting with water...usually multiple times.  Take water in your daily life as a reminder of all the good things God has done for you through Baptism.  When you shower in the morning remember you are cleansed and made new this day.  Drink in God's grace when you see water in your glass.  Let rain remind you of God's nourishment for the whole world.  Or if you're having a bad day, let rain remind you that nothing evil will stand before God, that his power will overcome any darkness and stretch across the whole world like the rain stretches across the sky.  Washing your hands, preparing pasta, crossing a river, brushing your teeth...all of these and more can remind us of God's Baptismal gifts.

Remember your Baptism this week.  Remember how tenderly God cradled you in his arms through it and how insistent he is every day in keeping his promises to you.  Give thanks and shape your life around the message God is sending you in every drop.

--Pastor Dave (pastordave@geneseelutheranparish.org)

Sermon Note Questions

One of the great privileges I have is to read sermon notes taken by the Confirmation students.  They help me understand how my words are perceived and keep me on my toes! One of the most important things we have them do is write down a question about the sermon or the scripture, something they'd like to understand more about.

From time to time I'll share with you some of their best questions and my best attempt at a reply.  I won't reveal who wrote them because I want the students to feel confident writing whatever they wish on those pages.  But these are real questions, asked by real students in our church.  You might be surprised how much they reflect your own!

This question regards last Sunday's sermon on love and the Law:

Though we know we can't always keep the Law, should we feel guilty every time?

Click through below to hear the reply...

Monday Morning Sermon October 24th, 2011: Matthew 22: 34-46

Time again for our Monday Morning Sermon feature, recapping some things that either didn't make it into Sunday's sermon or that we didn't have time for.

The text for this Sunday was Matthew 22: 34-46.  You can read it here and the click through (where it says "read more" below) for the reflections.

Matthew 22: 34-46

 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. ³⁵ One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: ³⁶ “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
 ³⁷ Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
 ⁴¹ While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, ⁴² “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?”   “The son of David,” they replied.
 ⁴³ He said to them, “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’? For he says,
   ⁴⁴ “‘The Lord said to my Lord:
   “Sit at my right hand
until I put your enemies
   under your feet.”’
   ⁴⁵ If then David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?” ⁴⁶ No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.

Next Quarterly Meeting: November 6th, 2011

All members of the congregation are invited to join us for the next Quarterly Meeting following worship on Sunday, November 6th.  Come and hear about our fall ministries and the exciting plans for Advent and Christmas!

--Pastor Dave (pastordave@geneseelutheranparish.org)

People in the Parish

An introduction to Gayle's blog: A Glorious Life of an Idaho Farm wife

Gayle's blog is a fascinating glimpse into her life as an Idaho farm wife. She tells the story of an American farm family with video and pages about her home on the farm and recipes, including desserts, the cake of the month, and a variety of good eats.Gayle illustrates that "farming isn't just a job, it's a way of life."

Belief vs. Trust (further reflections)

In our Tuesday Devotion this week we talked about the extra faith mileage you'll get if you read in "trust" every time you see the word "belief".  Today I was out running and listening to a podcast wherein people talked about certain beliefs which, though bearing a Christian label, bordered on prejudice.  As their words rolled over me I was struck by how certain they seemed of themselves, their opinions, and by extension of God.  That's when it struck me that up until now in my theological life I haven't realized how far apart belief (as popularly defined) and trust can be.

My issue with belief comes when it gets married to certainty, as it did in this broadcast.  In the common consciousness belief is defined as the enemy of doubt.  The more you believe the less you doubt, the less you question, the less uncertainty you bear...or so the story goes.  Thus you hear people exclaim "You need to believe harder" or "Just believe more and everything will become clearer and be OK".

Here's my issue: by definition the more of that kind of belief you have the less you need to trust!  After all if you know everything, if you're sure of everything, then you've got it all handled and under control.  You don't need anyone outside yourself.  You don't need anyone telling you anything different than what you already know.  In fact someone telling you different is a threat to your certainty, and thus belief.  If the goal of belief is to become more certain then by extension the goal of belief is to depend less and less on anything outside of yourself and the construct your brain has built around your belief system.  Perfect belief, then, would be such a strong internal certainty that nobody or nothing could touch it...or you.

The problem here is all the people you crowd out while pursuing this ideal of belief.  A pastor preaches a sermon different than you expected?  He must not be a man of God.  A friend turns out to think differently than you on an important issue?  They must not be a real friend.  Your child's life takes a different path than the one you envisioned?  Disown them.  Ultimately your lack of dependence on anyone external extends to God himself.  Who needs to read scripture when you already know what it says?  What lack could God possibly fill, what aid or salvation could he possibly render, when you've already got everything down and fully under control?

When you've shut out God, what exactly are you believing in anymore?  Is there anything sadder or more ironic than denying God by saying you believe in him?

Belief based on certainty is the enemy of trust.  When you stop trusting God, stop needing God, you stop being in right relationship with God.  This is why it's so critical to define belief primarily as trust, because with trust you can't go wrong.  Trust means you don't know, you don't have it all handled, you aren't perfect in knowledge or any other sense but you know someone who lifts you up and sustains you anyway.  That's belief...not when you "know" but when you don't know but trust anyway!

Think of all the arguments the Christian faith has experienced.  Many have ended with the interrogative "Don't you believe in God and what he says?" or worse the accusation "You don't believe in God then!"  How many of them would be better resolved if those statements were replaced by "We all need to trust in God, even in this circumstance"?

"I'm not sure whether this is right or wrong!"

Do you trust in God?

"I'm not sure what the right path is here."

Do you trust in God?

"I'm not sure where we've ended up.  It's so different than I'm used to!"

Do you trust in God?

Trusting in God helps us understand that our answers in these situations aren't as important as knowing that we are taken care of, meant to live in love and peace, no matter where our journey may lead.  Certainty of belief only works on one path...the path you've chosen, the path you "believe" in.  Trust as belief works on every path, no matter where they may lead, no matter how certain you are of your surroundings or footing.

In the end, equating belief with certainty ends in weakness.  Feigned strength becomes only rigidity and blindness when the fancy shroud gets removed.  Equating belief with trust looks less sure to the casual eye but becomes the only true source of strength for the faithful.

--Pastor Dave (pastordave@geneseelutheranchurch.org)

Bible Study Reflections October 20th, 2011

Bible Studies are an amazing thing.  You get a bunch of different people in a room with the Word of God, read a little bit, and a ton of conversation comes pouring out.  Some reflect on scripture theologically, some from a historical standpoint, others draw from their own experience.  Put it all together and you have a crucible of wisdom, idea, and thought that enriches all the participants...or at least gets them thinking.

Each week we'd like to bring you a snippet of Bible Study conversation, something we've pondered in the last week.  With four Bible Studies ongoing--Sunday morning at 9:00, Wednesday morning at 10:00 for the women, Thursday night at 7:00, and the first Saturday of each month at 7:00--there's sure to be plenty of material.

Today's reflection comes from our Wednesday morning women's Bible Study.  The women of the church are discovering the wonders of the Book of Acts.  This week we concentrated on Acts 17, wherein Paul explained Jesus to a group of Greek philosophers who had never heard the story.

You can click through to see the passage and hear our reflection.  (For those new to online sites, "clicking through" means clicking on the "read more" line you'll see right below these words.)

Soul Talk

An interesting phenomenon is growing at Genesee Lutheran Parish.  First of all, there's something going on at church nearly every night of the week now.  That's not the remarkable part.  The real eye-opener is that even after all these events, people are staying after to talk together, work together, be together.  Our formal activities are only the beginning.  Half an hour, sometimes an hour or more, after they're finished you can walk in and still find people sharing stories, ideas, and often laughter.  It's completely unscripted and completely Spirit-filled.

The lessons we learn, scriptures we study, meetings we plan for and participate in are the root of this phenomenon.  Coming together in God's name grounds us and brings us together in a way that nothing else can.  It binds us with ties that transcend all other commonalities or differences.  It also allows us to trust one another.  That wonderful, impromptu, Spirit-filled discussion is the flower that grows from those roots.  And oh, is it marvelous!

I love that our church is a place where people gather and want to stay.  I love that our church is a place where you can find new friends, forge new bonds, discover that you're never alone but a part of a huge network of caring, supportive, interesting, and downright fun people!

It may seem frivolous at times, but this is deep, deep soul talk...the kind that brings grace and heals the heart of everything the world throws at it.  Every time I have to tear myself away and go home after one of these conversations I'm reminded of God's wonderful way of working.  How blessed we are to have this place and each other!  It's an amazing thing to discover.

--Pastor Dave (pastordave@geneseelutheranparish.org)

How the Site Works

A couple of people have been asking how the site works as far as contributions.  We'll clarify here.

We have a few key members designated as authors:  myself, Patrick Adams who administers the site, Jennifer Parkins as Council President, Susan Rigg as Treasurer and general correspondent, and Verna Studer who tapes the sermons on Sunday.  Those people post articles when the need arises.

Our blogging platform only allows a limited number of designated authors.  Plus it's important to coordinate posts and subjects.  So our number of authors is small right now.  But other people can also post articles, just not as directly.  All you have to do is type up your article and e-mail it to one of these two administrators:

pastordave@geneseelutheranparish.org
patrickadamas@geneseelutheranparish.org

We will copy your article and find an appropriate spot and label for it.  It's as easy as pie!

As we're testing our wings comments are turned off for the site.  Technically the entire internet has access to our blog if they find it.  We want our online footprint to stabilize and to see how much traffic we end up getting.  If it looks manageable we'll talk about enabling comments and see how that goes.  For a while, though, it's baby steps.  Neither Patrick nor I can watch the site 24/7 and we'd prefer not to have a random internet comment ruin the experience for anyone while we're still new at this.

Hope that clarifies for everyone.  Enjoy reading!

--Pastor Dave (pastordave@geneseelutheranparish.org)

Tuesday Devotion: October 18th, 2011

Every Tuesday we're going to do a short devotion to carry you through the week.  It'll be a single thought, simple to remember, a pick-me-up of sorts!

Today's thought is one we've been batting around in Thursday night catechism study.  There are as many definitions of the word "faith" as there are people who carry it.  Most folks equate "faith" with "belief".  This is accurate, but needs further definition.  In our culture a "belief" is something you carry in your head, an idea that you agree with and choose to adopt.  That isn't adequate to describe faith.  Faith does involve belief, but it's not the "idea in your head" kind.  It's the same kind of belief you employ when crossing a bridge.  You'd never say, "I believe this bridge exists".  That's obvious.  Instead by crossing it you evidence trust in its solidity, structural integrity.  You trust that it will hold you up.  And it's not even an intellectual thought most of the time.  You show your trust by simply crossing.

That's the same way we have faith in God.  When you read "faith" you can think "belief" as long as you define belief as trust.  Every time you read the word "believe"--from Jesus saying "You believe in God, believe also in me" in John 14 to "I believe in God the Father Almighty" in the Apostles Creed--your mind should automatically translate the verb as "trust".

Think about anyone you're close to.  Which option is better?  "I acknowledge you exist and hang around with you because I find you compatible with my ideals and I'm hoping you do good things for me" or "I trust in you and in our relationship"?  Which would you prefer to hear from your loved ones?  Which do you think God wants to hear from you?

Prayer for the Week:  Dear God, I trust in you above all things.  Strengthen my faith, help me believe even when I'm unsure, let me make trust in your love the foundation of my life and all my relationships.  Amen.

--Pastor Dave (pastordave@geneseelutheranparish.org)

Monday Morning Sermon October 17th, 2011: Matthew 22: 15-22

Welcome to a new feature of our Genesee Lutheran Parish website, the Monday Morning Sermon. In the wake of every sermon pastors are left with things they didn't have room to say or things they wish they would have explained better. Sometimes we even get questions from congregants that we wish we could share with everyone. That's what the Monday Morning Sermon is for. It will encapsulate, illuminate, and/or explain some of the wrinkles in the gospel or sermon that might have gone unnoticed or unmentioned. Hopefully it'll be a nifty addition to your worship experience.

Click through to read the very first Monday Morning Sermon post!

Last Week's Hand-Crafted Items

 Last week (at Tuesday's Craft Night) we did some decoupage (which means we glued pretty paper to other stuff!) and here are some of the results:

Some of us made paper covered boxes, while Hannah made a "prayer jar," and Jaeli made
 an ornament and a light switch plate. Just FABULOUS!

Cowboy Soup Recipe

Here's the recipe for the Cowboy Soup we had at last night's Harvest Party.

2 pounds ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
2 (15-ounce) cans Mexican-style tomatoes
2 (14-ounce) cans pinto beans
2 (14-ounce) cans kidney beans
1 (14-ounce) can whole kernel corn
4 (4-ounce) cans chopped green chiles
1 envelope taco seasoning mix
1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix

Brown the ground beef in a stockpot, stirring until crumbly; drain. Add the onion, undrained tomatoes, undrained pinto beans, undrained kidney beans, undrained corn, green chiles, seasoning mix, and dressing mix and mix well. Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Ladle into soup bowls.
Serves 6 to 8

by Phyllis K.

Sermon: October 15, 2011

Give to God the Things that are God's.  Matthew 22:21

Harvest Party Reflections

What a wonderful get-together we had on Saturday evening! Thanks to the Renton Family for hosting us, to the Rigg family for the planning and coordination, and to everyone who brought food and helped with activities.

The strongest impression I came away with is how much this church feels like family these days. I was talking with one of the other people who went and he said, "You didn't have to worry about a thing. You just walked in and ate and fit right in." Everyone was happy to see everyone else. It just felt right. I imagine this being similar to what the disciples must have felt following Jesus. They were different from each other. They all suffered through many trials. But I imagine when they were together with Jesus they felt that family, "belonging" feeling no matter what else was going on.

I hasten to add that I'm able to celebrate this impression without reservation because I'm confident that the welcome extends to all...that anybody could have walked into that light-filled, love-filled, and food-filled shed and felt the same. This is the challenge to church families. Many create their family feeling artificially, by limiting their inner circle to people who think the same and have similar church credentials. That's where family threatens to turn into a club and that "family feeling" becomes exclusionary and destructive. But as I looked around the room Saturday night and saw people of all backgrounds, ages, and church experiences together arm in arm I really felt that anybody (no, everybody) belonged there. That's a special, rare spirit and it's one that right now this church has naturally.

Take a moment to celebrate that spirit today and to reflect on how amazing it is that we can get together like that! Let's also resolve to keep it going and to extend it to people well beyond this generation of Genesee-Lutheran-Parish-goers. Defining our church by just this kind of spirit would be a good thing.

--Pastor Dave (pastordave@geneseelutheranparish.org)

Tuesday Night Crafting!

Tuesday nights at 7 pm are buzzing with creativity in the basement of our church! Last Tuesday we did some decoupage. Beautiful! Pictures to come!
This Tuesday Amy will teach us how to make a beautiful paper wreath--
I am so excited! Bring five pieces of craft paper (holiday colors, maybe?) and be ready to cut and paste! (Or just come to visit with us.) Can't wait!

-- by Rosanna Cartwright

The Happy Transformation!

Today I want to share with you a wonderful transformation that's happening in our church this fall. A multitude of people have come forward to create and lead new events and programs. This happened all at once, without real prompting or coordination from me. It's been a spontaneous outburst of ministry led by our people! Check out some of the activities:

• A Tuesday night craft group formed and led by Rosanna Cartwright where women from around the community gather, work on craft projects (individually and together), and share about their lives and faiths.
• A Thursday night catechism study led by Jennifer Parkins and Rosanna Cartwright (with a little help from yours truly in the theological department) complete with homemade prayer necklaces.
• A Wednesday night high school "God Group" full of discussion and fellowship led by Miranda Carter.
• A group for support of those grieving the loss of loved ones led by Susan Rigg.
• An Advent/Christmas worship planning group (bursting with ideas for November and December already) led by Phyllis Kanikkeberg
• A pre-school Sunday School class with curriculum researched and designed by Erika Grieser, a corresponding 1st-5th grade group with curriculum by Rosanna Cartwright with help from church members, and a 6th-8th grade group formed around finding faith in music submitted by the students from their iPod play lists.
• A new group called "Theology on Tap" starts in November. It will meet at people's houses and center around God talk accompanied by beverages from our church's fine homemade beer crafters...kind of a Bible Study for people who don't like Bible Studies!
• Music on most Sundays chosen by the people who share it along with a new hymn-based liturgy designed in large part by Louise Marone, our organist.
• The very website you're reading, created by Patrick Adams and friends.

Believe me, I could not be happier about this explosion of creative ministry! My first few years here were a difficult balancing act between people who had the gifts and skills to do this kind of thing and people who had strong faiths of their own and strong ideas about how the church should be. I spent a fair amount of my time trying to referee, encouraging our blossoming new leaders while trying to placate (and in some cases make space between) the old. The end result was me feeling like I had to shepherd most events to make sure that nobody said the wrong thing to the folks who were trying to lead in a different way and to make sure those new leaders navigated the minefield successfully. Serving as the barrier was stressful and ultimately fruitless. The other shoe would always drop, someone would say something, and people got ground down and discouraged...especially me. For years it felt like despite all of the effort and great intentions, things didn't really change. I suspect that was the ultimate intent behind it all.

I don't know about you, but I much prefer this new way of doing things! All it takes is a "YES!" to these bright, young ministry leaders and a promise that nobody's going to tell you "We don't do that here." The shackles are off and people are free to be as brilliant as God made them! It's no accident that these things happened all at the same time. That simple, powerful "YES!" has revitalized our church and people feel it.

I want to thank everyone who is doing these ministries and those who will lead more that are coming around the corner. (Yes, we've got so many now we had to put some off until later!) I also want to encourage everybody in the church to support these ministries by participation, through prayer, and by affirming that glorious "YES!" What a place this is turning into! We are a living example that change can be great! Be happy about what God is doing in our church today. I know I am!

--Pastor Dave (pastordave@geneseelutheranparish.org)

Welcome to a New Era!

Welcome to the new era of communication at the Genesee Lutheran Parish!

This is an exciting day, one we've planned for over two years now. Thanks to Patrick Adams and his band of merry helpers we are now ready for the re-launch of the Genesee Lutheran Parish website.

The church has technically had a site for years. It was well-done but ahead of its time in most respects. Few people were computer-savvy in the heyday of the original site. Now the vast majority of our church members communicate by computer. We are primed and ready to leap into this new venture.

No doubt you have already noticed some differences with the new site. Handy information is permalinked in the upper right sidebar. We have a calendar that's being updated continually. No more waiting a month to find out what's going on! It's all at your fingertips. You'll find pictures, sermon recordings, and regular posts from church members. So many things go on behind the scenes in worship and at church events that we can't share with you any other way. Now you can experience more of God's story in Genesee.

This site will give you a window into what's going on at your church and keep you connected! It'll be updated regularly so bookmark it and check back often. We're excited to walk together with you into this new venture. Welcome, and enjoy!

--Pastor Dave (PastorDave@geneseelutheranparish.org)

Map to St. John's

Communion Bread Recipe

Yield:  Four 8 oz. loaves; each loaf serves approximately 40-60 people (depending upon the size of the piece broken off).

            1. Sift dry ingredients three times:

                2 c. whole wheat flour
                1 c. white flour
                1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
                1 1/4 tsp. salt

            2. Cut in oil:

                1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. oil

            3. Mix water and sweeteners together, add to dry ingredients and mix well.

                3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. very hot water
                3 Tbsp. honey
                3 Tbsp. molasses

            4. Dough should be a bit sticky. Sprinkle with a little water if necessary.

            5. Divide into 4 rounds and roll into 1/4 inch thick circles.

            6. Mark with a cross.

            7. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

            8. Remove and brush with oil.

            9. Bake an additional 5-8 minutes.

            10. Cool.

Hours of Worship

Winter Worship

The 3rd Sunday in September through the last Sunday in April.

St. John's Church
  8:45 Christian Education Hour
10:00 Worship Service
11:00 Fellowship Hour

Summer Worship

The 1st Sunday in May through August.

Genesee Valley Church
  9:00 Worship Service
10:00 Fellowship Hour

Help Us With Our New Blog

Beginning on Sunday, October 16th, Patrick and his laptop computer will be available to post items on the church's blog during fellowship hour. He will also add events to the church's calendar and photos to the church's online photo gallery. Help us add content to the church's new blog. Bring your posts, digital photos, and calendar entries to fellowship hour on October 16th.