Dancing in the Wilderness
This month I'd like focus on the third phrase of our mission statement.  
Loving God through all peoples, our community, our members and their families by reaching out in support to all on their faith journey.
     The time of year in which we focus most intently on our spiritual life as a faith journey is during Lent.  Lent is a season intended to highlight our companionship with Christ to the cross.  We journey there with him knowing that in Jerusalem he will die for our sake.  That gives this journey a certain weightiness.  Yet we know as well that the cross is not the end of the journey.  The journey continues on to empty tomb.  That gives this journey a certain lightness. 
To bring this weightiness and this lightness together, I would offer this analogy.  Think of Lent as a time to dance in the wilderness.  We experience many times of wilderness in our lives:  illness, unemployment, depression, death of a loved one, separation.  Unbidden these come from the outside and can be very weighty indeed.  Sometimes Christ seems close to us; sometimes Christ seems a million miles away. 
     The Lenten journey into the wilderness is different.  It is bidden; it is willful.  It is a time to be present to Christ as we feel the inner emptiness through whatever Lenten disciplines we may embrace.  The hope is that a certain clarity, lightness, or focus will be brought into our lives by means of these Lenten disciplines.  And this is what makes our journey on this earth real.  When things are real, we dance.  Like many Lutherans, you may not see us skipping around but there is an inner dance that happens when Christ connections are made on the journey.

     Lent is not a time to feel guilty.  It's a time to walk, to journey so that we might love God and encourage our community, our family and our brothers and sisters in Christ in this faith journey together.  May you find a lightness of step this Lent as we journey together toward the life giving waters of Easter.
Shalom,  ~Pastor Charles

Midweek Lenten services thru March 24  
7 p.m.

Palm/Passion Sunday, March 28 
8:45 and 11:00 a.m.

Maundy Thursday, April 1 
7 p.m.

Good Friday, April 2 
7 p.m.

Easter Vigil, April 3 
7:30 p.m.

Easter Worship, April 4 
8:45 and 11:00 a.m.

March 14.  Set your clocks ahead on Saturday night, March 13.

Deadlines for submission to The Light for the April 2010 issue is noon on Tuesday, March 16.  Items for the newsletter may be submitted to Sheryl Ann in the office (503-653-0250), or sent to editor@milwaukielutheran.org.  Please include an author name or contact with each submission.  Your editors appreciate every effort made to submit materials in a timely fashion. Ed.

We remember in our prayers this day:  
Health Concerns:  Marta, Grace, Verlyn, April, Helen, Christopher, Earl, Judy, Trudy, Barbara, Jeff, Joyce, Paul, Linda, Marilyn, Mary, Myra, Betty, Teresa, Jerry, Chris, Joy, Marilyn, Dale, Jean, Alta, Paulette, Damon, Darrell, Graydon, Dick, Tom, Mitchell, Bob, Jeremiah, Kelly, Shirley, Cheryl, Isaac, Holly, Jennifer, Julia, Vi, Palmer, Marilyn, Teena.
The Grieving:  The family of Laurie Fischer;  Dave Paulson and family on his mother's death; the family of Burt Schroeder.
Those participating in Companions on the Journey:  Alan and Sara DuVal, Pat Korsness, Linda Stambulski.
The Nations:  The President of the United States and our elected officials, the people and the governments of  Iraq, Palestine, Israel, Afghanistan, Liberia, Sudan and all other countries torn apart by strife. All people around the world in military service for their country.
Serving in the military overseas:  Sammy Thole, grandson in law of the Zabels, serving in Afghanistan. Michael Marks, grandson in law of the Schwabauers, serving in Iraq. Tyler Sanders, son of Jeff and Lisa, serving in Afghanistan.  Eric Hungerford, son of Betty, serving in Afghanistan, James Hubbard, grandson of Carl and Jean Anderson, serving in Iraq.
We pray for those serving Christ around the world: Marian Hungerford-Cameroun; Pastor Steven Ray - China,  Dr. Richard Young - Guyana.

Birthdays for the month are now posted in the Fellowship Hall, just inside the door as you enter.

Our March 2010 newsletter is eight pages long, and has more news and information than we can comfortably fit into an e-mail.  Please click through our link to read covering articles on Natural Church Development and new ways to help Haiti.  After the March issue of the Light went to press, we learned that the ELCA also will assist Chile after their 8.8 earthquake (ELCA and Chile).

 

An evening Women's Group is returning (once known as the Women's Wisdom group), and there is news of Preschool Registration.

 

Our Lenten bible study series for the Sunday Forum time is using 24-Hours that Changed the World, by Adam Hamilton.

 

The Women's Dinner Out will be at Gustav's off Sunnyside Road.  Men's Dinner Out will be at hte Old Spaghetti Factory also off Sunnyside Road.  (March 15 @ 5:30 pm)

 

There is an update from the Health Ministry, Janus Greenhouse, Lutheran World Relief, Backpack Buddies, and an invitation to extend our hospitality.

 

There is so much more to enjoy.  Please visit our newsletter for complete details.  March Newsletter.  Thank you!