Update from Pastor Lanny
In last week's Update I mentioned Pastor Lanny Westphal, one of my interim ministry colleagues based in Wisconsin. His sister, Diane, has been teaching in an international school living on a farm outside of Kyiv, Ukraine since 2014, and is now married to Ukrainian Yurii. Lanny has shared several of her public posts on Facebook:
March 9
This has been a long day. We heard how Yurii’s sister and nephew had to be evacuated from Irpin on a bus with bullets flying around, then to sleep on the floor of the subway wagon with no cushions, no privacy and no fresh air. There were just so many to be evacuated that there were not enough supplies and space. I am so glad we can offer them our home, but I worry that our area could be a target soon. Please don’t not forget Ukraine and do what you can for a very peaceful people. Our tiny lamb did not make it through the night, and the mama had trouble giving milk today to the bigger one. I massaged her udders forever and I think some milk is coming now. Yurii went to a sheep farm and got raw milk. But there are no bottles in the stores so I used a syringe to feed the darling. It has been a day!
March 10
Good news first. Lyosha and Nastya are safely in Frankfurt with family. They got there last night. Baby sheep survived the night and after a morning udder massage and hot towels, mama sheep gave milk from both teats! We are hopeful now. Yurii’s sister and nephew continue to regain their health and composure after Russia invaded their city and they evacuated with nothing. Bad news. Russia is still invading Ukraine and people are losing their lives and their homes. Last night they bombed a maternity and children’s hospital in a city already under siege. Please take some time today to do something to help Ukraine. Together we will end this war.
Our MIdweek Lenten Series: Continuing in the Covenant of our Baptism
The first of five midweek Lenten worship services featuring the musical setting Holden Evening Prayer and focusing on the the five promises that we make in the Affirmation of Baptism service was held Wednesday at 6:30 pm. The focus for the first service was the promise "To live among God's faithful people." Those attending the service were given post-it notes and Sharpies to write down a word, phrase, or picture which expressed what this looks like in each of their lives. These notes were then collected by the ushers (our confirmation yout) and posted on an easel at the front of the worship are. A photo of the collected responses cam be viewed HERE There were about 45 persons in attendance at the service. Our schedule and themes for the remaining services is:
- March 16 - To hear the word of God and share in the Lord’s supper
- March 23 - To proclaim the good news of God in Christ through word and deed
- March 30 - To serve all people, following the example of Jesus
- April 6 - To strive for justice and peace in all the earth
Also, a reminder of the other Wednesday opportunities for observing Lent at Grace which include:
- Fellowship supper in the dining room at 5:30 pm
- Prayer service with Holy Communion at noon
Stewardship Team Zoom
The Stewardship Team met on Tuesday afternoon at 1, starting out by a Zoom consultation with Mitzi, the GSB Fundraising associate who has been leading the Communications and Storytelling Track that our team has been participating in. Mitzi gave us helpful feedback regarding our newsletter, including ways that we can improve what Mitzi call "deposits" as opposed to "withdrawals." A big way that we can increase deposits is for us to write and publish "impact" stories from congregation members. Our February 28 session with Mitzi focused on how to interview members and write their stories. This is our assignment for the rest of this month, before our next Zoom session with Mitzi on March 28.
Boundaries Training
Every three years, ELCA rostered leaders are expected to participate in what's called Boundaries Training. These trainings have become common in recent years, as denominations take to heart the age-old adage that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Boundaries establish limits. One of the great dangers facing pastors and congregations is that the role of pastor can be without limits. In an unhealthy congregation there are few boundaries between pastor and church. The pastor's identity may be completely tied up with the congregation, and the congregation may feel that it has complete control over the pastor's time and life. Boundaries are especially important with regard to what many pastors identify as their one of their most important concerns -- their families.
Other boundaries include when a pastor should or shouldn't accept invitations to officiate for pastoral events in congregations where they are no longer the called pastor. The rise of social media in recent years creates an entirely different set of boundaries that leaders need to recognize and observe. Pastors are encouraged and expected to practice diligent boundary keeping, and attend synod sponsored workshops that help them to identify the large number of areas where boundary keeping is essential.
I attended a synod sponsored Zoom based boundaries workshop on Thursday from 9:30 am - 2:00 pm.
Synod Interim Pastors
Thursday was a very Zoomy day, because after attending the Synod Boundaries Traing from 9:30 - 2, I then joined the Zoom for Synod Transitional Leaders from 3:30 - 4:30 pm. There are 15-20 persons who usually attend this meeting, representing the many congregations in the synod which are in transition between called leaders. We welcomed a new member to the group, Pastor Jeff, who is serving as interim in a Toledo congregation. Pastor Jeff has come to us via the Episcopal Church, one of the several denominations that we have full fellowship with, which means we can regularly exchange pastors and commune in each other's congregations. You can learn more what full communion means and the denominations we have this relationship with HERE.
Osterholm Update
Dr. Michael Osterholm, founder and Director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, continues to deliver solid scientific analysis of the Covid-19 pandemic in his weekly podcasts. The latest episode, posted on Thursday, March 10, is entitled "The Next Normal" In this episode, Dr. Osterholm discusses the Roadmap for Living with COVID-19 and what our next normal could look like, the state of the pandemic in China, the United States, and around the world, and ways that immunocompromised people can protect themselves in indoor settings. You can listen to or download this episode HERE.
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