By Rebecca Thomas
So Daniel, Joshua and I are in the process of moving. Fun, right? You know the drill: you start going through your current house, making a game plan for how you are going to pack. Logically, it should be a simple endeavor of just moving all the things you have from one space to another. I mean, this is all OUR STUFF, after all; we should know what everything is, when we got it, why we still need it, and where to put it in the future. (I can tell you are already smirking.) Even if you haven’t moved before, you must know that feeling of “where did all of this come from?” as well as, “but we can’t just get rid of it, can we?” and “where is all this supposed to go?!" Coincidentally, this reminds me so much of where CGS is with our constitution right at the moment. 

Last year, the council and Pastor Manda started working together to update our CGS constitution. We had a great plan to make it completely up to date, accurate, and address our current congregational needs. As it turned out, we were instead confronted with a little bit of “where did this come from?,” a dash of “do we still need this?,” and a helping of “can we just get rid of it?” Just like with moving, updating an institutional document is never as simple as one would hope. We found numerous details that needed more focus and debate than anticipated - not to mention grammatical errors, numbering issues, and all those little tidbits that can make your eyes cross.  Yes, we could metaphorically just shove everything into a box, store it in the attic, and hope we can find it later when we need it…but that is not how we want to handle this. We want our constitution to have no inconsistencies, no errors, and no room for misinterpretation. It is sad to say that through his work with the Synod, Randy Presuhn has witnessed other congregations at battle within themselves over minute details or omissions in their constitutions. We want our constitution - we need it to be - accurate down to the nth degree to be certain we are protecting the members of CGS, our mission, and our goals as a community. 

Thankfully, patient and detail-oriented Randy is willing to help us out and make sure we do this well. Over the next couple months a few designated council members will have open meetings with Randy in which we will hash out the details, decide on changes in the way we define ourselves and operate, and make preparations for our future. If you want to be a part of the decision making process or want to discuss the options that we're choosing, we hope that you'll join the meetings. The plan is to have a draft before November, when we gather again to vote. 

We waited a little too long to tidy up this part of our congregation and like packing up our house, the job has grown bigger than we anticipated. We hope that this plan satisfies our need for an open debate while also honoring our time and energy in a congregational meeting. And next time, we won't wait so long to do this spring cleaning and hopefully we won't be frustrated again. Thank you for your patience! 
 

One of my earliest childhood memories, from when I was five or six, is singing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" for my aunts and uncles in my grandmother's living room. I couldn't remember how the song ended, so I just kept repeating the first verse. By the time they finally told me to stop, it was too late. I already had my first taste of the thrill of having an audience!

At age twelve, I joined the elementary school choir, and continued singing in school choirs through the end of my time at university. Since I wasn't athletic, I didn't have a sports team to bond with. But the choir welcomed me, and it was my "tribe."

When Keynote Vocal Group formed around the end of 2010, I was happy to join them. For me, singing in a choir is a spiritual experience. It lets me listen to my tribe, to adjust my tone and volume and vowel sounds, and to connect. When I'm surrounded by people who are singing a lot like I am, my self-focus fades a bit and "we" are making beautiful music. We are serving anyone who is listening.
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I certainly hope I'll be able to carry a tune for another 20 years or so. But you never know, bodies change, things happen. So, while I still can, I'm so happy for the opportunity to sing in a choir at CGS.
 

“I have some definite views about the de-Christianizing of the church. I believe that there are many accommodating preachers, and too many practitioners in the church who are not believers. Jesus Christ did not say “Go into all the world and tell the world that it is quite right.” The Gospel is something completely different. In fact, it is directly opposed to the world.” C. S. Lewis

It seems that when I talk to people in the world about churchin’, the only conversation we have is a version of the same thing: the decline of the Church. I understand why we’re having this conversation over and over and my heart has deep compassion for the grief that many people are experiencing. Simultaneously, I’m eternally grateful to the movement of the Holy Spirit that I currently get to pastor a congregation that is thriving on transformation.

This last year we made HUGE strides toward being a community that Proclaims, Welcomes, and Serves. It hasn’t always left us feeling jubilant and carefree. But consider: In a year that wasn’t a banner year for the economy, civics, or social capital, we followed through on our plan to dedicate our property to our mission and end our financial dependence on a tenant. We didn’t pull back on our generosity, but started new big service projects and responded to each disaster and crisis that arose.

I have seen people be transformed by the work we are doing together and I give thanks to God that we are a community of faithful people who are open to the Spirit’s movement in our lives. Thank you for a wonderful 2018!

-Pastor Manda

By Daniel Thomas, CGS Musician

I am stressed out.

This month is a perfect storm of scheduling that has left me three steps behind on almost every task I have, and running on even less sleep than my insomniac body and mind normally gets. When I was younger, I (like many others) thrived on this stress, and I even gained energy during these times. It is that adrenaline, that excitement, that lets us pull all-nighters to write a paper or cram for a test, that doesn’t mind staying at work the extra couple of hours to get the project proposal done, that can clean the house and do all the laundry, and after all that can go out for a beer with our friends, then get up the next morning and do it all again. Now I want to chuck it all in the air and go crawl under the covers until April.

Perhaps it’s me getting older, or perhaps it’s that my overcrowded schedule now affects not just me, but my family. But what I’ve also found is, while my younger self also thrived on sharing just how stressed I was with everyone I knew (and this was before social media), my older self wants to keep it to myself. Put my head down and get it all done as best I can.
There’s an argument to be made on both sides of this: if I don’t let people know that I’m struggling, how can they offer me support and help? Surely my friends, my family, my co-workers would be more than willing to reach out and lend a hand when things get tough. I know that they would, and I’m grateful and appreciative for them. On the other side (and this is the side that currently prevails), what do I really have to complain about? I have a job, a loving family, a home, and my health, and I’m not in imminent danger of losing any of those things. Even at my most stressful times, I recognize I’m in better shape than billions of other people. So why is there the impulse – within me, and within so very many people, especially on social media – to not just share our struggles, but to prove that we’re the most stressed? Half of the posts I see are about what’s gone wrong with someone’s day – not directly reaching out for help, not directly asking for prayers – but the passive-aggressive “look how hard it is for me” trolling for “aw, poor you” comments and clicks on the sad face. Is this how we “win” today?

The verse I think of when in these situations is Galatians 5:22-23:
22 By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.
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I use a variation of this when I pray with Joshua at night – I ask God to help us be loving, tolerant, forgiving, kind, and thoughtful. I try and remember that no matter how stressed we might get, no matter how “bad” things seem to be (and I use the quotes to again remind myself how lucky we actually are), that the path Jesus walked was lined with positivity, and that trying to salve our bruised souls through a competition is only going to add to our struggles and burdens.

I hope that when you feel stressed or overburdened that you can simply reach out to your loved ones and say “I need a little help.” I think you’d be surprised at the response.

Greetings and blessing to you my fellow church members. As a member of your church council, I am told this is my month to write an article for the bulletin and update you on some of the actions and directions of the council.

At our Council meeting in December we discussed the need to address the needs of our members and friends who are especially vulnerable to infection. Out of that, I was appointed to lead a task-force to address these concerns. As I reviewed the available literature on infection control and churches I found a wealth of information and the universality of this problem across religious communities. The following people have agreed to be a part of this committee: Joy Larsen, Sophie Jobe, Judith Steger, Sara Tiller, and Susan Duran. We are working on a number of ideas to include disinfectant hand wash stations, changing the possibilities for the passing of the peace, providing gloves for service in the kitchen, providing masks. We have more work to do and further prayerful discussion to consider all the ways that we can decrease the risk of infection from communicable diseases in church. Some other areas being discussed are evaluating the standards suggested by the CDC and schools, evaluating our cleaning practices, having available pins for members who wish to communicate their vulnerability to disease so we can respect their needs. We have found many handy fliers that can be posted in key areas of the church to remind us of the most important practice which is hand washing. Unfortunately we were unable to meet in February mostly due to my inability to set up an online meeting, so our next meeting will be March 5th. I am so thankful that we are able to address the needs of the most vulnerable in our midst. More to come!!!

Bob Charves, RN and church council member
 

by Rey Lambatin, Choir Director
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As part of the special celebration worship we did this past Sunday with Christ Community Church, one of our choirs, the Keynote Vocal Group, sang “Sisi Ni Moja,” a song partly in Swahili and partly in English. Composed by Jacob Narverud, the title translates "We Are One," the theme being that all human beings have much in common. I believe this rings especially true in CGS where quite a number of our members come from varied cultures with different languages, backgrounds, and personal stories. Yet in spite of our differences, we are one in our needs and wants: to experience the joy of fellowship with one another, and to be encompassed with love and support from each other, our community, and our God. To help us understand more the song’s message, here is its full text:
 

We all laugh, we all cry, we all feel hunger, we all feel pain.
We all love, we all hate, we all hope, and we all dream.
We are one world, one people, and we all breathe the same.
A tribe of many languages, a group of many heartaches,
fighting for peace among the land.
Heja, heja, sisi ni moja. Heja, heja, sisi ni moja.
Heja, heja, sisi ni moja. Heja, heja, we are one.
We all want, we all need, we all seek passion, we all seek joy.
We all bruise, we all scar, we all fail, but learn to thrive.
We are one world, one people, and we all breathe the same.
In the darkness of the night and in the glory of the morning,
we walk along the path and find our way.
Heja, heja, sisi ni moja. Heja, heja, sisi ni moja.
Heja, heja, sisi ni moja. Heja, heja
Now we stand here together and lift our heats in song
To the rhythm of this moment in our lives:
Heja, heja, sisi ni moja. Heja, heja, sisi ni moja.
Heja, heja, sisi ni moja. Heja, heja, we are one.
 

About the composer: Jacob "Jake" Narverud was born in 1986 and is an American composer, arranger, and conductor. Holding degrees from the Conservatory of Music at University of Missouri - Kansas City (Doctor of Musical Arts, Master of Music, Choral Conducting) and Emporia State University (Bachelor of Music, Voice Performance), he has taught at both secondary and collegiate levels. A native of Meriden, Kansas, Narverud is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Tallgrass Chamber Choir since it was established in 2009. He is currently based in New York and is an active guest conductor for district, regional, and all-state choirs across the country.

By Pastor Manda
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

That last sentence is familiar to you. But how many times have you connected it to prayer? The tangible things of this life are all, by design, finite. But prayer – that connection to God herself – is immortal. There is nothing that can separate us from the love of God, and still, the way that we relate to that God can affect our lives.

I remember the first time someone told me that I should be the first answer to all my own prayers. Before hearing this I had a hard time reconciling the practice of prayer that had been taught to me with the way I understood God. I didn’t believe that God was Santa Claus, or a wish-granting fairy, or a holy judge who could or not grant me clemencies. So if prayer wasn’t a request for mercy or blessings, and it wasn’t a time to list grievances, what was it for?

When my mentor told me that I should be the first answer to my own prayers they introduced me to the idea that prayer can shape my thinking. By opening a conversation with God about the things that were on my mind and on my heart, they would be opened. I had to remember what God said about similar things in scripture, what I had learned from my community of faith, what others who had gone before me had hypothesized. This internal dialogue could open me up to considerations that were difficult to hear, shameful to admit, or too complex to understand.

That practice sometimes led me to hearing God speak in the voice of my mother. Sometimes it made me hear God in the voice of poets, historical figures, friends, or enemies. Each time, because I was searching for the voice of God, I had to carefully consider if these people had been speaking the Word. Sometimes I had to decide if I was choosing to make God how I wanted to see them, or if I was allowing God to be something other than I desired.
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All of this was discernment: figuring out, wrestling with, wondering. Which, it turns out, is exactly what prayer is.

A life of faith isn’t alive unless we’re taking part in it. We could barrel ahead with what we think is right but knowing our identity as people of God means stopping long enough to ask and discern what God’s will might be. I can think of at least 10 things happening in our community of faith that require prayer. What else is happening in your life that could use some prayerful discernment?
 

by Daniel Thomas, CGS Musician
It seems that, suddenly, the world has become obsessed with tidying. Everyone I know is either KonMari-ing their house or actively rebelling against it, and the jokes and memes about things “sparking joy” have reached a fever pitch. I have always tried to be tidy, but the accumulation of years usually means the accumulation of stuff.

In fifteen months, Rebecca and I got engaged, got married, got pregnant, sold two houses, quit our jobs, moved to a new city, got new jobs, bought a house, and gave birth. The sheer rush of such major life events left very little time for consideration of our stuff. When we moved, we were just happy to get two households’ worth of stuff packed up and into a storage unit – the idea of methodically parsing and pruning our material possessions just wasn’t in the cards. Add a newborn to that, and then the newborn becomes a toddler, and we now find ourselves, like many on the show Tidying Up, overwhelmed by the thought of going through all the stuff we have – and I would guess we actually have comparatively little. However, we’ve started the process – mainly motivated by the fact that, as we are in the market for a new house, we just don’t want to pack up and unpack all that stuff again. We are dutifully following Ms. Kondo’s instructions, looking at each item and asking if it “sparks joy,” then either keeping or discarding that item. And indeed, we are shedding ourselves of a lot of stuff.

As we move through this process, though, it occurs to me that most of us not only hold on to physical stuff that don’t spark joy, but mental and emotional stuff as well. We worry, criticize, judge, engage in schadenfreude, mock, demonize, vilify, judge some more, fret, and snark. And we’re left feeling – what? Morally superior? Momentarily amused? Quasi-successful in our attempt to bury our own insecurities? What I’m sure we’re not feeling is joy.

When we can start to let go of the foibles and failings of other people – when we can realize that their failures do not equal our successes – then we can begin to focus on our own behaviors and actions, and to make sure that what we do, what we say, and how we treat others sparks joy in ourselves and all of those around us.
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To be certain, I’m not advocating burying our heads in the sand about matters of social, political, or economic justice – participating (actively participating) in the quest to make the world the loving, tolerant, and forgiving place that Jesus wished for us can and should spark joy in us. But the small, day-to-day behaviors – silently (or loudly) cursing the driver that cut us off; questioning the motives of someone’s social media post; or building our tiny boxes to place the rest of humanity in, each box labeled with our pre-conceived notion of them based on their race, gender identity, sexuality, ideology, income bracket, or how messy their house is – we can, and should, pick each one of these behaviors up, thank them, then get rid of them. And suddenly, we find our hearts and souls have become a lot more tidy.
 

There is the another congregation that worships in our building each Sunday. They came to be at CGS out of a desperate need for a space to hold their worship. What started out as a home Bible Study between Kenyan immigrants bloomed into a worshipping congregation when they found plenty and safe space to gather. The size and demographic of that community has changed dramatically over the past 6 years as they have struggled to find a place to worship.

It’s difficult for us to understand a congregation that doesn’t look, sound, or operate like we do. Many people in this congregation work jobs that require their time on Sunday mornings. CCC most often meets in the Fireside Room but sometimes they have special events and need the space of the Great Hall in order to welcome all their worshippers. Their worship lasts multiple hours and their fellowship looks differently than ours.
Just this past year, Pastor Jared Oluoch was approved to be ordained in the ELCA. Hopefully, in the next couple of years, Pastor Norah will also be ordained in the ELCA. They began as a Swahili speaking congregation but many people who spoke English as a second language have been attracted to CCC and changed their mission to be an ESL (English as a Second Language) congregation. This year, they will enter the first step of becoming a congregation of the ELCA.

By hosting this congregation and being in relationship with the people of CCC, we are helping to birth a new congregation of our Church. Amazingly, it’s a very American story; people migrating to this valley for a new chapter of their lives and gathering together to let faith transform their lives. Language, ethnicity, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, these things are the details that make them a unique community but the essential identity is the same – beloved disciples of Christ.

This is the future of our Church: established communities of faith helping to bring about new communities of faith that look quite different from ourselves, ever expanding the expressions of the Body of Christ. To celebrate this, our two communities will worship together on February 10th. It will be an amalgamation of our different ways centered in the sacraments that claim us all. And it will be capped with a potluck to showcase the yummiest ways we nourish one another.
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Save the date of February 10th in your calendar to come and see the abundance that God is making in this place! 
 

by Rey Lambatin, Choir Director

Traditionally, at the point of transition between the outgoing and incoming years, people make new year’s resolution. Something that will hopefully make them a better person or improve their situation. Make healthier choices: eat better, exercise more. Be better with relationships: spend more time with loved ones, communicate better, exert more effort to be more patient and understanding to people around us. Be better with finances: get a better job, be mindful with spending, or set aside money for savings.
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However, it’s very seldom do we make resolutions concerning music to which we listen. Music is a part of our everyday life, whether by choice or not. We often hear it in public places: restaurants, elevators, different business establishments or even while on hold in a phone call. It is a proven study that music influences our mood or how we feel, thus affects how we react to certain situations or products. Slow music calms, upbeat music excites, and holiday music brings us to a spirit of spending. It is therefore important that we become more aware of what kind of music we listen to. The same way a lot of thought is put into choosing music for our choirs to sing: the worship occasion, historical relevance when applicable, connection to the readings and Gospel, and more importantly, the message the music brings to the congregation. As a minister of music, I believe that it is my responsibility to choose music that inspires and uplifts spirits, and delivers a positive message, whether singing in a worship service, a community event, or a social gathering outside of church. Sometimes, it’s easy to fall into a beautiful beat or melody without paying attention to the lyrics of the song. I hope that this coming year, 2019, we’ll have the “music resolution” to be more aware of what kind of music we listen to and let other people hear. May our music not only bring joy, but healing and inspiration to those hear it. A blessed New Year to everyone!