Greetings Our Saviors Family!
Grace to you and peace through Jesus Christ Our Lord!
"Winter is Coming!" is one of the mottos from a favorite TV show of mine "Game of Thrones." When the members of the fictional Clan Stark would say this motto, they would say it with relish and sometimes with warning. They said the motto with the knowledge that the lone wolf dies while the pack survives. The Dire Wolf was the sigil of Clan Stark.
Being a northern clan, Clan Stark had to embrace if not enjoy winter. Winter was a part of their soul and spirit. Winter protected them from their enemies. Winter was to be respected. You can have a great deal of fun playing winter games, but winter can also kill you. Our Savior's is similar to clan Stark in that we are a people of the north country. (By the way I'm also a true Stark on my Swedish great grandmother's side of the family, lol!) For people of the north country we also have to embrace if not enjoy some of winter. We could not live here if there was only suffering. There is much beauty in winter. We have many winter activities this time of year, thus we can have fun! We also know this is a time to live cautiously since winter can kill you! Watch those roads!
"Winter is Coming!" Was also used as a warning for Clan Stark in that difficult times may be on the journey ahead, and that the family had to stick together regardless of differences. This was the key to survival. Again, we people of the north know this lesson, for you as a congregation have stuck together for many years. We don't know what the future holds. This January of 2022 we are still experiencing another winter of covid-19. Is this the third year of the pandemic with more people getting infected then ever? Yes, we are still in the winter of this pandemic, and we must stick together! Our Savior's only survives when the members of this congregation stick with it in every way. Our Savior's only continues if we can build each other up in faith during both the difficult times and the good. One of God's greatest gifts to us is each other!
This past year I have enjoyed being your pastor, through the highs and lows, the celebrations and holiday services, covid cancelations, funerals, confirmation and youth ministry. Yes, Winter is here, but we can get through it together. The Holy Spirit empowers us and has given us each other with all our gifts! With spring we can then reach out and ask questions about growth. How do we follow the great commission to Baptize all people in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit?
We are people of winter! Knowing that the spring will soon be here. Knowing that Easter is both coming and is always with us. We are Easter people with the hope and knowledge that God will get us through anything! That God will continue to empower us through the gift of His Son our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen!
Peace be with you!
Pastor Greg Anderson
Message from Pastor Greg
Grace to you and peace through Jesus Christ our Lord! 2021 is now coming to an end, and what a year it was. Covid has been insane, and I cannot remember a time with such crazy politics, but my memory is short, and I've only been aware of politics since the mid 1970's. Does anyone remember that we once had a president named Nixon? And as the comedian Louis C.K. likes to point out "he quit the job, waved, then got in a helicopter and flew away." I think those times might have been a little crazy too, and there might have been a little nervousness in the county also. I have always prided myself as an amateur historian, so I like to take an historical perspective, and history teaches, almost all leaders never meet expectations, either good or bad. And that there is nothing that motivates the loyal opposition like a loss and the headline that their party is dead. The pendulum swings one way and then swings back again.
As a Christian I am concerned with the big questions such as how do we address the problems of the great disparity of wealth in this country and in the world. There has never been in the history of the world such a difference between the super-rich and the poor. This being said we also have never had so many people living above the starvation rate, no longer do we read headlines of millions starving in Russia, China and India. Starvation is now due to localized wars and disasters where countries are affected as opposed to continents. That being recognized we still have a long way to go working for global justice, nutritional equality and peace. The rich are still incredibly rich and the poor are still incredibly poor, and as Mother Teresa liked to point out, "If you are rich you must be incredibly gifted, and if so gifted God wants you to share those gifts!"
In our country I would hope there can be a recognition that capitalism will always have winners and losers (as does socialism). Pope Francis proclaimed in 2013: " One cause of this situation is found in our relationship with money, since we calmly accept its dominion over ourselves and our societies. The current financial crisis can make us overlook the fact that it originated in a profound human crisis: the denial of the primacy of the human person! We have created new idols. The worship of the ancient golden calf (cf. Ex 32:1-35) has returned in a new and ruthless guise in the idolatry of money and the dictatorship of an impersonal economy lacking a truly human purpose. The worldwide crisis affecting finance and the economy lays bare their imbalances and, above all, their lack of real concern for human beings; man is reduced to one of his needs alone: consumption." As Christians we are to seek a balance of capitalisms potential for prosperity and the fact that any economic system will be a slave to global markets, laws of supply and demand and greed.
The Christian perspective is thus defined by our Lord by two laws: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart soul and mind and love your neighbor as yourself." This law of love is a way out of the traps of political winners and losers. It reaches to the heart of capitalism and other systems failings and speaks to the injustice of global poverty and the disparity wealth everywhere. Why do we still have a debate in this country about the justice of health care for all and a $15 minimum wage that still would just help people barely make it? The crazy issue is that the pie is big enough for all to live well. And when we choose to divide the pie based on our Lord's laws, now we are getting somewhere. "Love is patient, Love is kind." "God is Love." Love the Lord your God with all your heart soul and mind and love your neighbor as you love yourself. “If this country was founded on Christian principles, that is what they are!
Thus, I for one am approaching the new year with hope. I have hope that the Creator of the Universe sees beyond our pettiness and divisiveness and still chooses us to bring the light of his Sons birth into the world. Yes, we our flawed vessels, but He still believes in us! This proves that God has a sense of humor. He still hopes in us that we will never forget the orphan, the widow, the outcast, the homeless, the oppressed! That is the light of Grace and of God himself, that we will always trust in his love and mercy, shown to us in a babe born in a manger. Have hope! Merry Christmas, peace on earth, and good will to all!
Peace,
Pastor Greg
Grace to you and peace through Jesus Christ Our Lord!
"Winter is Coming!" is one of the mottos from a favorite TV show of mine "Game of Thrones." When the members of the fictional Clan Stark would say this motto, they would say it with relish and sometimes with warning. They said the motto with the knowledge that the lone wolf dies while the pack survives. The Dire Wolf was the sigil of Clan Stark.
Being a northern clan, Clan Stark had to embrace if not enjoy winter. Winter was a part of their soul and spirit. Winter protected them from their enemies. Winter was to be respected. You can have a great deal of fun playing winter games, but winter can also kill you. Our Savior's is similar to clan Stark in that we are a people of the north country. (By the way I'm also a true Stark on my Swedish great grandmother's side of the family, lol!) For people of the north country we also have to embrace if not enjoy some of winter. We could not live here if there was only suffering. There is much beauty in winter. We have many winter activities this time of year, thus we can have fun! We also know this is a time to live cautiously since winter can kill you! Watch those roads!
"Winter is Coming!" Was also used as a warning for Clan Stark in that difficult times may be on the journey ahead, and that the family had to stick together regardless of differences. This was the key to survival. Again, we people of the north know this lesson, for you as a congregation have stuck together for many years. We don't know what the future holds. This January of 2022 we are still experiencing another winter of covid-19. Is this the third year of the pandemic with more people getting infected then ever? Yes, we are still in the winter of this pandemic, and we must stick together! Our Savior's only survives when the members of this congregation stick with it in every way. Our Savior's only continues if we can build each other up in faith during both the difficult times and the good. One of God's greatest gifts to us is each other!
This past year I have enjoyed being your pastor, through the highs and lows, the celebrations and holiday services, covid cancelations, funerals, confirmation and youth ministry. Yes, Winter is here, but we can get through it together. The Holy Spirit empowers us and has given us each other with all our gifts! With spring we can then reach out and ask questions about growth. How do we follow the great commission to Baptize all people in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit?
We are people of winter! Knowing that the spring will soon be here. Knowing that Easter is both coming and is always with us. We are Easter people with the hope and knowledge that God will get us through anything! That God will continue to empower us through the gift of His Son our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen!
Peace be with you!
Pastor Greg Anderson
Message from Pastor Greg
Grace to you and peace through Jesus Christ our Lord! 2021 is now coming to an end, and what a year it was. Covid has been insane, and I cannot remember a time with such crazy politics, but my memory is short, and I've only been aware of politics since the mid 1970's. Does anyone remember that we once had a president named Nixon? And as the comedian Louis C.K. likes to point out "he quit the job, waved, then got in a helicopter and flew away." I think those times might have been a little crazy too, and there might have been a little nervousness in the county also. I have always prided myself as an amateur historian, so I like to take an historical perspective, and history teaches, almost all leaders never meet expectations, either good or bad. And that there is nothing that motivates the loyal opposition like a loss and the headline that their party is dead. The pendulum swings one way and then swings back again.
As a Christian I am concerned with the big questions such as how do we address the problems of the great disparity of wealth in this country and in the world. There has never been in the history of the world such a difference between the super-rich and the poor. This being said we also have never had so many people living above the starvation rate, no longer do we read headlines of millions starving in Russia, China and India. Starvation is now due to localized wars and disasters where countries are affected as opposed to continents. That being recognized we still have a long way to go working for global justice, nutritional equality and peace. The rich are still incredibly rich and the poor are still incredibly poor, and as Mother Teresa liked to point out, "If you are rich you must be incredibly gifted, and if so gifted God wants you to share those gifts!"
In our country I would hope there can be a recognition that capitalism will always have winners and losers (as does socialism). Pope Francis proclaimed in 2013: " One cause of this situation is found in our relationship with money, since we calmly accept its dominion over ourselves and our societies. The current financial crisis can make us overlook the fact that it originated in a profound human crisis: the denial of the primacy of the human person! We have created new idols. The worship of the ancient golden calf (cf. Ex 32:1-35) has returned in a new and ruthless guise in the idolatry of money and the dictatorship of an impersonal economy lacking a truly human purpose. The worldwide crisis affecting finance and the economy lays bare their imbalances and, above all, their lack of real concern for human beings; man is reduced to one of his needs alone: consumption." As Christians we are to seek a balance of capitalisms potential for prosperity and the fact that any economic system will be a slave to global markets, laws of supply and demand and greed.
The Christian perspective is thus defined by our Lord by two laws: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart soul and mind and love your neighbor as yourself." This law of love is a way out of the traps of political winners and losers. It reaches to the heart of capitalism and other systems failings and speaks to the injustice of global poverty and the disparity wealth everywhere. Why do we still have a debate in this country about the justice of health care for all and a $15 minimum wage that still would just help people barely make it? The crazy issue is that the pie is big enough for all to live well. And when we choose to divide the pie based on our Lord's laws, now we are getting somewhere. "Love is patient, Love is kind." "God is Love." Love the Lord your God with all your heart soul and mind and love your neighbor as you love yourself. “If this country was founded on Christian principles, that is what they are!
Thus, I for one am approaching the new year with hope. I have hope that the Creator of the Universe sees beyond our pettiness and divisiveness and still chooses us to bring the light of his Sons birth into the world. Yes, we our flawed vessels, but He still believes in us! This proves that God has a sense of humor. He still hopes in us that we will never forget the orphan, the widow, the outcast, the homeless, the oppressed! That is the light of Grace and of God himself, that we will always trust in his love and mercy, shown to us in a babe born in a manger. Have hope! Merry Christmas, peace on earth, and good will to all!
Peace,
Pastor Greg