Messiah Lutheran

Sanctuary Dedication, Feb 19, 2012

2012-02-23T03:02:00.001-08:00

On Feb 19, 2012, the congregation of Messiah Lutheran Church in Madison, Alabama celebrated completion of our newly expanded Sanctuary. This event marked the culmination of a multi-year effort. Many thanks to everyone who worked so long and hard to make this day a reality. Many thanks to God for making this all possible.

The Great Piano Caper

2012-02-16T18:17:00.003-08:00

Many thanks to everyone who help build the ramp and move the baby grand piano back into the Sanctuary. Moving a 750 pound piano up stairs is no trivial task. Having it sound just as good at the end of the move is a minor miracle.The piano move is just one of a hundred tasks taking place across the Church community as we prepare for Sunday's Sanctuary dedication. Everyone has been working very hard to get the Church ready. After several years of planning, fund raising and hard work, we are all ready to see the culmination of our efforts. Just three more days. Don't forget that there will be a work day on Saturday to put the finishing touches on the Church!

Wheelchair Ramp Number 4

2012-02-11T19:04:00.000-08:00

Today the Messiah Carpentry Team built their 4th wheelchair ramp. This ramp was built for a very nice lady in Gurley, Alabama. She is 92 years old and has not been out of her home since October. Or rather I should say she had not been out of her home until today. She was able to roll down her new wheelchair ramp into the front yard. Previously, the only way should could leave her home was to be physically carried down the stairs. She was absolutely tickled by her new ramp and told us repeatedly how much this means to her. We were very happy to help her out.

Despite being a really cold day, we had an incredible time using the gifts that God gave us to help out someone in need.

The Messiah Carpentry Team is part of the Outreach Ministries of Messiah Lutheran Church. This team builds wheelchair ramps in support of CASA of Madison County. Madison County Care Assurance System for the Aging and Homebound (CASA) is a non-profit agency located in Huntsville, Alabama that provides services to individuals age 60 and older and to the homebound (wheelchair and bed bound) of all ages. Their programs are designed to enable the elderly and homebound to maintain their independence, dignity, health and safety by providing services that specifically address their special physical and emotional needs.

Here I Am Lord

2012-01-22T19:22:00.001-08:00

The Messiah Lutheran Church Adult Choir sings "Here I am Lord!". The choir is Directed by Randall Fields. The Director of Music Ministries is Lois Graff. Please contact Lois or Randall if you would like to learn how your musical talents can be used for the Glory of God at Messiah Lutheran Church. We have ensembles for all age groups and skill levels.

Season of Giving

2011-12-22T19:09:00.000-08:00

Tis the season of giving and that is exactly what Messiah Lutheran Church is doing. This week, several members of the Messiah Congregation collected up the gifts from our Angle Tree and delivered them to the Downtown Rescue Mission. This year we collected gifts for more than 30 children.

The Downtown Rescue Mission is a nonprofit organization serving the homeless living throughout northern Alabama and southern Tennessee. For more than 30 years, the Mission has saved lives and has had a profound impact on thousands of others by providing Christ-filled, enriched and compassionate services to those in desperate need.

In total, an estimated 200 children from the community will be coming to the Mission to receive toys at the annual Christmas Children's Party on Friday, December 23. This event is organized and executed by Mission staff and volunteers. The program has always been a wonderful experience that is fun for both adults and children of all walks of life.

Messiah also delivered clothing and gifts to Jamie, the social worker at Madison Crossroads Elementary School. Jamie immediately picked out a jacket for a boy who needs one. She also picked out presents for the last few children she needed gifts for.

Messiah also provided a bag of books and a set of puzzles for Health Establishments at Local Schools (HEALS) which is an non-profit health clinic next to Madison Cross Roads.

Many thanks to the Messiah Outreach Team and all of the congregation members who so generously provided the gifts and clothing for these great causes. You have touched many lives and have shared God's love and blessings.

If you would like to learn about additional opportunities to help those in need, please contact Janell Zesinger or the Church office.

Milestone Christian Academy

2011-12-19T18:17:00.000-08:00

Last week several members of Messiah Lutheran Church visited our adopted school, Milestone Christian Academy. While there, they delivered gifts from the congregation and spent time visiting with the school staff.Milestone Christian Academy, a division of Milestone Development Inc., was founded in 2008. It is a Christian based nonprofit organization that began as a small after school program serving only 25 children's in Huntsville, Alabama. It has now expanded to a new facility, and is licensed to provide service for over 100 children.

Milestone is unique, in that it offers a sliding fee scale based on income, for qualifying parents, who are employed or attend and educational instrtution. With the help from donations and grants, Milestone provides schalarships for tuition. Enrollment consists of full paying clients, single family homes, homeless children, and children under protection service. Milestone serves children from 6 weeks of age to 12 years. Their program offers more than just "child care". They provide a rich, nurturing environment for children's cognitive, social and physical growth in a fun learning enviorment.

Milestone believes that children are a gift and reward from GOD. They are capable, active leaners, constructing their knowladge through exploration, investigation, story, and play.

If you you would like to learn how you can help Milestone Christian Academy, please contact Claire Strand.

Related Articles

Messiah Lutheran: Milestone Christian Academy

Dec 29, 2010

Messiah Lutheran: Milestone Children's Corner

May 02, 2010

Steeple Raising, December 14, 2011

2011-12-15T04:39:00.000-08:00

On December 14, 2011 Messiah Lutheran Church raised its new steeple as part of the Sanctuary Expansion Project.

Wheelchair Ramp 3

2011-12-14T04:16:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, the Messiah Carpentry team constructed another wheelchair ramp for a gentleman in Huntsville. Despite a chilly morning, the ramp was constructed in a record time of just two hours on the work site. So this record begs the question, Why was the ramp constructed so quickly? Was it because everyone wanted to get out of the chilly air? Maybe. Was it because we didn't have to make a single trip to the hardware store? Maybe. Was it because we we had 11 carpenters show up for this build? Maybe. Was it because Joe Stuart fed us an awesome breakfast of Sweet Potato Pancakes and Hot Sausage? Probably not, but that didn't hurt and it sure got everyone energized. The real answer is that after building several other wheelchair ramps, we have generally figured out how to get the job done without a lot of wasted energy.

These wheelchair ramps are built in support of CASA of Madison County which provides them free of charge to aged and homebound people. The Messiah Carpentry Team is led by Owen Wasmoen. If you would like to participate in a future wheelchair ramp build, please contact him for additional information.

Ring and Sing 2011

2011-12-12T16:38:00.001-08:00

Without a doubt, Messiah Lutheran Church is blessed with some exceptionally talented musicians. They gathered together this week to share their remarkable talents as part of Messiah Lutheran Church's Annual Ring and Sing Concert. Special thanks to Rhonda Gaede for organizing all of this talent and making this such a wonderful event.

Appalachian Christmas - Notabella (arr. Waldrop)
At the Manger - Notabella (arr. Morris)
Jingle Bells - Cherub Choir (Pierpont)
Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer - Cherub Choir (Marks)
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel - Seraph Choir (France 15th Century)
Sweet Little Jesus Boy - Randall Fields (MacGimsey)
What Child is This? - Audience Participation (England 16th Century)
Up on the Housetop - Audience Participation (Hanby)
Joy to the World - Hymn (Handel)
German Christmas - Notabella, Adult Choir (arr. Tucker)
For Unto Us A Child Is Born - Notabella (Handel, arr. McChesney)
Carol of the Bells - Notabella (Leontovych, arr. McChesney)
O Holy Night - Hymn (Adam)
He is Born - Handbell Quartet (arr. McChesney)
Caroler's Hoedown - Handbell Quartet (arr. Stephenson)
The Blessing - Youth Choir (Sleeth)

Building Getsemani, El Salvador

2011-12-09T18:42:00.001-08:00

November 5–13, 2011
By Susan Burrer

...how do you go on a mission trip and not be changed in some way—not possible. First of all—what is a “mission trip”? I believe it is whatever God speaks to your heart to do for others, whether across the street or in some far-off corner of the world; it is your particular way to pass on your blessings—play it forward—in my case, building houses with the people of El Salvador...only it is SO much more than that!

This was my fourth trip, the first three building Villa Esperanza, a Thrivent/Habitat for Humanity village of 75 houses, a community center, a preschool, and an outdoor marketplace—all now complete; this time, Getsemani, a community on the outskirts of Ahuachapan. Here, Thrivent/Habitat will build 90 houses over 3 years and develop programs in community leadership, values education, community health, cultural exchange, and microentrepreneurship. Ahuachapan is a city nestled in the valley of the mountain range Ilamatepec, located in the department of Ahuachapan, one of the 14 in El Salvador, bordering Guatamala and the Pacific Ocean. This department is rated as extreme poverty...what will that mean to us throughout the week?

Our team of 13, the other 12 from North Dakota, hooked up in the airport at San Salvador with Aleks, a local Habitat employee and friend from previous trips, and stayed the night there at the LaPosada del Angel Hotel, a quaint, very hospitable, little place, where we had orientation and regrouped our gifts of health/school supplies for the children of the church and those to take to the village. We also had our first El Salvadorian meal of various pupusas, a thicker tortilla made with freshly ground corn dough and stuffed with cheese, beans, or meat, and then grilled...yum!

Inside Cristo Rey Lutheran Church, Santa Ana; note pedestal flower pot is the baptismal font

From El Salvador 2011

Church—Sunday morning we loaded up everything again for the hour ride to Santa Ana...our team picked going to Cristo Rey Lutheran Church again, where we have been going the past four trips, instead of a larger church in San Salvador. There is something truly spiritual worshiping here, even though there isn’t much of the church and surrounding buildings left after it was destroyed in an earthquake in 2001. The church motto is “we are a poor church who serves the poor,” as most of the members are low-income families who work as day laborers, factory workers, or street vendors and many do not have decent homes themselves, but yet actively supported Habitat by coming to build houses for others in Villa Esperanza every Saturday. We also pick up our interpreter, Ronald, an awesome young man, an El Salvadorian, very compassionate with a truly caring heart, and perfect for the role he has in keeping everything going!


Outside the church—Pastor Carlos; Church coordinator,Carlos; Pastor’s wife (also a pastor), & Ronald

From El Salvador 2011

One little elderly lady in particular touched our hearts from the first time we met her—and don’t let her small size of not even 4 feet fool you—she was still quite able to sift sand or move block with the best of them!—but as she opened her small coin purse in church and removed the few remaining coins, she just had a glow about her, and was pleased that she could contribute to God’s work, and us knowing that it no doubt probably was her last coins—she had faith, and gave them with a thankful heart...

From El Salvador 2011

As usual, the newest members on our team got to participate in the service by reading the lessons in English and serving the communion. The songs are all sung in Spanish, without a piano...we try to keep up the best we can, some better than others!...but it is especially enlightening when the song is one we sing in our church, such as “Lord, You Have Come to the Lakeshore,” which we’ve sang three out of the four times! And no, I have not been requesting it, but it is so moving when sung in Español a cappella. When the service was over, all the children got up to sing several songs for us. We then presented the school and health kits we brought for them.

Accommodations—the opposite end of the spectrum this time...instead of staying in the midst of the busy city of Santa Ana, we are staying up on a mountain side at Hotel Alicante Montana (almost 5,000 ft in elevation), a beautiful, peaceful setting despite the armed guards at the gate...rustic but very moderized ...but still, we must stay focused...use bottled water for things like brushing our teeth, and no paper in the toilet...neither comes natural! There is no air conditioning, but not now needed, especially every evening when the sun sets, the strong mountainous “river of winds” pick up, blow like crazy!, all night until sunrise, when they normally go down for the day. After a hearty breakfast of eggs, beans, plantains, fresh fruit, and plenty of their wonderful locally grown coffee, we are ready for the 25-minute van ride down the mountain to embark on our mission.

As we start our further descent into Getsemani on the rocky trail with big pot holes from the recent torrential rains, we see building is going to be a little more challenging here with the slope of the hillsides. We will find out more about that as the week progresses! As we wind through the village, many people wave or call out to us “hola” (hello) or “dias” (short for buenos dias, or good morning). The children are especially curious to see who is coming this week!

Since this co-Thrivent/Habitat for Humanity El Salvador project has been in progress all year, the community center has already been built. This is the center of activity where we will eat lunch every day, cultural exchanges take place, training for various things within the village is held, AND it has two flush toilets for our use! Latin American people are very artsy and the inside of the Center is painted reflectively, with a beautiful mural all across the front, depicting how they envision the village. Our first introduction to the families, masons, and helpers we will be working with takes place...even the little children got up to tell us their name, welcome us, and thank us for coming to help build...truly heart-warming...

Team in the Community Center: (back) Jeff, Kent, Carol, Tim, Susan, Kelly, Craig
(front) Mark, Melton, Sandy, Rita, Evelyn, Kristen

From El Salvador 2011

The Build—We will be working on three houses, two just a half block from the community center, side by side, and another a block away. The houses are all single-family style here, again no larger than 400 square feet, with two 9x9 foot bedrooms, an open area for living (where many times they run a small business in part of that space also, such as a tienda (store) or hair salon), a patio area where they do all the cooking on little stoves and the large cement, three-compartment sink resides for ALL purposes, and then the small bathroom that has running water with a sink, shower, and a flush toilet! They are built to be earthquake resistant. It seems there is much weather-related activity in this area...volcanoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, torrential rains, flooding, mudslides...just when it seems like they are getting ahead, something happens to set them back again...it just doesn’t seem fair.

The first of the three houses has the footers dug, which is done by digging trenches by hand—no forms—and bucket brigades (human chains) to move the dirt, tamp the soil, and join rebar to build somewhat of a frame for the cement blocks to slip over when building the walls, to tie it all together. There are a few rows of block already up. Only the local masons can lay the block with a mortar called mezcla and volunteers fill in the center holes around the rebar with chispa. Blocks have to be moved, sand sifted, and “something” transported in the wheelbarrows. Work continues all week building the walls with this family.

House 2 is farther along—work progresses putting the final rows of block on, and before the week is over, the corrugated metal roof is put on, sidewalks and patio are poured, septic tank dug, floor prepared for the tile, and walls both inside and out are prepared for painting. Has anyone shovel-dug a 6-foot-deep hole by about 4 feet wide lately on a 90-degree day?!

House 3—the house I worked on all week—was going to be the residence of Francisco, his wife Evelia, two of their sons who are in their 20’s, and a couple grandchildren who sometimes stay there while their parents work. It appeared that 50% of the block laying was done, so in between hand mixing the mescala and chispa for the masons or hauling blocks up the hill in semi-rollable wheelbarrows, our job was to build up the floor...not so bad I thought...I’m experienced moving dirt!

Francisco and Evelia

From El Salvador 2011

After our pile of loose dirt from digging out the footers was gone, we would need to pickaxe the dirt apart on the mountain, pull out all garbage and tree roots...anything that would later decay and create a hollow spot under the tile, and by bucket brigade, the dirt would be passed into the house and dumped, bucket after bucket, maneuvering around the scaffolding set up in the doorways and throughout the house, until there was about 4 inches everywhere. Then, it would need to be tamped (compacted) to prepare for the next layer, and the next, and the next... (a handmade tamper is created by an empty paint can filled with cement with a tree branch handle in it). Each morning we would ask the masons, “quantos mas” (how much more), to which they would reply “poquito” (a little more)! Guess they didn’t think us gringos could handle the truth! Come Wednesday, we got an explanation that we had to build the floor up 27 cm above the elevation of the lot above ours. The amazing thing to me all the time is nobody complains—everyone just pitches in to “get ‘er done!”

Current house of Francisco and Evelia

From El Salvador 2011

Inspiration to keep on keeping on—Unlike building Villa Esperanza where we built a whole new village on an unoccupied flat piece of ground, we learned that the shack about 15 feet behind this new house of old corrugated metal scraps, branches, mud, plastic, and whatever else there was to make a wall of some kind was Evelia and Francisco’s current home of 8 years...something you’d see in a documentary...only now, it was real...we knew their names...they had a face...we felt their hugs, these happy, loving, grateful people with much faith lived here...truly surreal for all of us...the dirt floor, the bed set up on pieces of block to keep it dry as the torrential rains wash through their house, the big barrels of clothes soaking—the laundry. You can’t feel sorry for them, in the sense that we know, because they don’t feel sorry for themselves...they look ahead, that tomorrow is going to be better...one does not really know how to feel other than it is something unfamiliar to us. There appears a new sense of urgency and strength within to “move that dirt”!

Our dirt-moving team and masons—I’m feeling TALL next to Evelia!

From El Salvador 2011

Eventually, we heard “no mas” (no more), and moved on to put the last layers of another “recipe” that started with eight wheelbarrows of sand, all to be hand mixed twice, water added, and hand mixed twice more, and then more bucket brigades and tamping. Friday the floor was declared “done” until they put the layer of crushed lava and then tile, which would be next week’s team.

Francisco worked side by side with us every day...these people have an amazing work ethic...he did not rest it seemed. When we’d go for our 15-minute break and come back, a big mound of dirt magically appeared...he was trying to make our job easier!

Mowing grass with machetes

From El Salvador 2011

His wife Evelia was no different. She was heading up a community clean-up program with her crew working the huge lot next door when she got done working her real job. In a few hours, they “mowed” the entire lot with machetes, had it raked with “tree branch” rakes, the tall grasses loaded onto sheets of cloth or plastic, and carried off into the woods. They then proceeded to dig up the land with pickaxes and large hoes to make a community vegetable garden...truly amazing to watch them work so diligently with such primitive tools but much enthusiasm! Evelia was also “in training” to learn how to sew—many try to subsidize their income ($200/mo is a good salary for working outside the home). This “sewing group” had hoped to get the contract to sew school uniforms, which the children need before they are allowed to attend school. She proudly showed me the uniform she made when I told her I sewed too!

Their house on Friday when we left

From El Salvador 2011

...now what? We then started to sand the outside of the house. How do you sand a cement block house? By taking a smaller broken piece of block and using it as “sandpaper” until the wall is smooth, then you wet down the blocks, brush on several coats of diluted cement until the entire house is sealed, and ready for painting. When asked what color they had picked out for their house, Francisco beamed with joy...the bottom third would be brown and the top light blue, knowing that this was the first time in his sixty-some years to have a REAL house with walls to paint. ...you then get the Thrivent Global Village motto...

Sample completed house—theirs will be light blue on top

From El Salvador 2011

Culture Exchange/Farewell Party—One of the things the masons look forward to all week is playing the great fútbol game (soccer) with us! One can see why that is the No. 1 sport in their country just watching even the smaller kyds play...they are good at it, and I’m sure it helps to be small, thin, fast, and coordinated! We also got to go back to Villa Esperanza on an outing to look over the completed village...many of us had not been there for the building of the market place, the last project before dedication of the village last November. Throughout the week we took a walking tour of more of Getsemani and visited the corn grinding station, toured through a house that was completed (they just welcome you in to take a look...nobody is concerned whether it is up to par for visitors or not; if you don’t have much “stuff,” it can’t be out of place!), bought a coke from the tienda in the house a couple doors down from where we were working...interesting concept! They don’t want you to take the glass bottle because it is refillable...so...they dump it into a clear plastic bag, tie it shut, and you bite the corner off and sip it out of there when you are ready!

Preschool in Villa Esperanza

From El Salvador 2011

...oh no, not Friday ALREADY...which means saying goodbye to our new friends is inevitable. The families whose houses we worked on all week got up to gratefully thank us all for coming to help build...that it just isn’t about the house, but hope, a way to a better life, and that people like us who don’t even know them, care, and come to help. It is almost impossible to maintain dry eyes through their heartfelt thankfulness.

Some of the local ladies prepared authentic El Salvadorian food for us, while we made “dirt cups” (crushed oreos, chocolate pudding, and gummy worms) for all of them! I believe it was their first time for dirt cups, and after a little hesitancy—about the worms perhaps!, they seemed to really enjoy them! ...then the mariachi comes around the corner and it is now time to be joyous and celebrate the week with music and dancing!! All too soon the party is over!

Why go there, people ask, there is plenty of people in need here? What truly inspires someone to keep going back after the first time, now knowing the work that is involved, and the conditions...it is something that really has no explanation...just a calling to do something I guess. One lady from a Canadian team working there in a different village with Habitat was there for her fourteenth time; most on our team have been there at least four times...what is it? Perhaps it is literally the sweat and tears that one shares working side by side with the families...you look into their faces and know they have some story...you cannot really speak, at least not in words, but the connection of our hearts is much more powerful than words could ever be. Perhaps it is the gratefulness in their faces and the feeling in their hugs. They may be poor in material things but they are much richer in faith, happiness, and spirit than we could ever hope to be...there is MUCH to be learned from our new friends.


Our hike to the inside of an inactive volcano; coffee fields in background (harvesting was just starting—Nov. through Feb.)

From El Salvador 2011

Las Ruta De Las Flores (the route of the flowers). Our team voted to tour the coffee fields/hiking, Apeneca (an artsy shopping town), and zip-lining for our Saturday adventure day! Our guide took us to the coffee bush field where he explained
the growing process of coffee. All the dark green criss-cross trees on the mountain side are to protect the coffee beans from being blown off the plants. We then continued our hike to the top of the volcano (beautiful views) and down to the lake inside of it, where there was a flower farm. After a delicious lunch on the patio back at the base, we went to Apeneca to check out the shops, have a fresh cup of coffee, and then on to do zip-lining! The open-air bus ride up to the top was great, and the 14-leg zip-lining was awesome! The longer runs took you out across the canyon! Did I say it was AWESOME! We went back to San Salvador for the night as most had an early flight Sunday morning. As we said our team goodbyes, we wondered...not IF, but WHEN, we get to come back to El Salvador again...as our bonds are not easily broken...

New Member Reception - 4 Dec 2011

2011-12-05T19:24:00.001-08:00

A special welcome to the newest members of Messiah Lutheran Church! We are so happy that you are part of our Church family!

Greg and Meredith Kilby
Chad and Regina Hyatt
Brandon, Rachel, Gabe, Nitin, and Kreneck Gardner
Bill Meyer
Keith Bux
Jeff, Heather, Gabriel, and Kara Ostendorff

Benito Montoya Graduation, November 2011

2011-11-28T21:04:00.000-08:00

For several years now, Messiah Lutheran Church has been supporting the Lunches for Learning Program and one special school in Honduras. This is the text of the Temple Talk delivered by one of the two missionaries who visited our school on the occasion of their graduation ceremony.

Two Sundays ago, you commissioned Sarah and me as your ambassadors to the 6th grade graduation ceremonies at Benito Montoya school in El Barrial Honduras. We promised to love them for you and we kept our promise.

Now let me try to tell you what it means to them. First just a few tourist pictures. The tropical storm at the end of the rainy season in October tore up the pan-american highway. There was room for one lane of traffic. These are sesame seed shocks harvested on the side of Elephant Mountain. We visited 2 other schools up there. The wildfowers had not dried up before our visit. Different varieties of red, pink, white, yellow, purple and orange flowers were hiding among the rocks and brush.

Now I will try to convey what God has done in El Barrial because of you. If you made and donated a craft, shopped or worked at the Handmade market, made tacos or ate tacos at the spring taco lunch, designated your offering to L4L or prayed for their ministry then you are responsible for what I’m about to show you. You know the old saying “if mama’s not happy ain’t nobody happy?” Here’s a new one “when the kids are fed everybody’s happy.”

Remember the original kindergarten? Here is the new one. Gerard deJong secured funds for its construction from benevolence grants at his employer. Remember how the school looked when we began our sponsorship? This is the school now.

By sharing with them what God first gave you, the community and the school have blossomed like Miracle Grow in number and in spirit. About 150 children, parents, grandparents and friends came to El Barrial to celebrate not only an achievement, but also a new feeling of significance in a place where they have felt forgotten for a long time.

To make their day more like what the schools in the city do, the graduates of 6th grade and kindergarten wore new shirts, conducted a candle ceremony, and danced all afternoon.

They loved receiving the Bibles you sent. The parents especially seem to love them. For many homes that will be the only book they have. They loved the books and supplies for the new kindergarten. Each student was given a stack to carry over to the building.

And yes we did check on Deysi. The nurse from Healing the Children became a sponsor of a school and she went with us to see Deysi and offer once more the possibility of corrective surgery for her knee in the US.

The principal, the upper grade teacher, and the kindergarten teacher attribute the growth of their community to the relationship and cooperation we have together with them. They thank you with a gift and hope the relationship will continue to inspire the community

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Israel Pilgrimage: Masada, Qumran, Dead Sea

2011-11-08T09:27:00.000-08:00

Church at Masada

Karen and Sue in front of caves at Qumran

Bill and Marcie in front of cave #4 where Dead Sea scrolls were found

November 8-9, 2011

As Jesus came out ofthe temple and was going away, his disciples came to point out to him thebuildings of the temple. Then heasked them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly I tell you, not one stone will be left here uponanother; all will be thrown down.” When Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to himprivately, saying, “Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign ofyour coming and the end of the age?” --Matthew 24:1-3

The end? A thread running through the desertplaces we visited today (as we are nearing the end of our time in Israel) was theend.

At Qumran we saw 2,000year-old remnants of the Jewish sect usually called the Essenes. These devout Jews grew so disgustedwith what was happening in the capitol (Jerusalem), especially in the Temple,that they withdrew to the desert awaiting a final apocalyptic battle betweenthe forces of light and darkness. (Of course, they were on the side of light.) Before the Romans arrived to destroy their community, theyhid their precious writings in desert caves. Those writings, discovered only about 60 years ago, arecalled the Dead Sea Scrolls. Theygive us the oldest existing copies of the Hebrew Scriptures, our Old Testament.

At Masada we rodea cable car that took us up over a thousand vertical feet to see remnants ofKing Herod’s opulent palace/fortress perched atop an immense rockyplateau. Though built by Herod,Masada is most remembered for being the location of the last stand of almost1,000 Jewish zealots. This was theJewish version of the Alamo. Ittook a long time, phenomenal effort, and ample resources, but an estimated13,000 Roman soldiers finally breached the fortress walls and prevailed. This finally ended the Jewish War,which already had brought about the destruction of Jerusalem including theTemple in 70AD. This ending wasexactly what Jesus foretold 40 years earlier (see above). To the very end, those Zealots prayedfor and set their hopes upon the Lord rescuing them.

In recent years Ioften have been asked by people, “Do you think this is the end?” Usually that question has come after themost recent in a dreadful string of disasters. Some have been distant earthquakes and tsunamis, but othershave been tornadoes and hurricanes and tragedies that have hit us where welive.

So, is this theend? Only God knows. More important for us as Christians areJesus’ promises that the end of this age will be good news for us. Some have gone before us. All of uswill join them in the end that our Lord has prepared for His children. God’s end, God’s final judgment on youwas announced in your Baptism. That was when our Lord promised, “Youare mine. That is forever.” So now, as we are…

Waiting for the end:We have been told that this good news is for us to share. God even uses us to bring more into Hiskingdom. The risen from the dead Jesustold his first disciples and tells us, “Itis not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his ownauthority. But, you shall be mywitnesses, in Jerusalem, in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the ends of theearth” (Acts 1:7-8).

While we wait:Tomorrow our pilgrim band will celebrate the Lord’s Supper at the GardenTomb. (The Garden Tomb is anotherpossible location for Calvary where Jesus died on the cross and the tomb wherehis body temporarily rested.) Inthat simple meal we will again get the promise first announced to us inBaptism, and the nourishment needed to keep walking and witnessing as disciplesof the risen Lord.

This is the endof this blog for me, but I hope and expect this is a new beginning for many ofus pilgrims through life. That iswhat we all are. We are chosen andcalled to share the good news of our living Lord that has named and claimed usso we might be his witnesses.

Shalom from Jerusalem.

The Dead Sea

Swimming in the Dead Sea

Israel Pilgrimage: Mount of Olives, Upper Room, Israel Museum

2011-11-07T12:47:00.000-08:00

Marcie Emerson in front of Jerusalem model at Israel Museum

Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed." --Luke 22:7

TRAVELOGUE: Start from the top of the Mt. of Olives, walk the path of Jesus' Palm Sunday procession into Jerusalem, stop where He wept over Jerusalem for rejecting the ways that make for peace, and near the end of that descent skip ahead four days to Thursday night to visit the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus retreated for impassioned prayer immediately before his arrest.

Wait there is more....

Next, go to the room where Jesus celebrated the Passover and transformed that ancient ritual meal into his Last Will and Testament. Jesus bequeathed to disciples in every age all he had to give away--that is his very body and blood. (He did this so that when we receive the Lord's Supper we get the forgiveness, life, and salvation he came to bestow.) Then--before lunch--walk the short distance to the home of High Priest Caiaphas where the arrested Jesus was brought for trial and imprisonment that same Thursday night.

That was our morning.

How does a person process all that in a few hours? One does not. A lifetime of learning and contemplating the majesty and mysteries of those events are not nearly enough time to digest what God was doing for us in those events.

Yet, being here to see and touch and listen does shed light on it all. Some call the land here 'the Fifth Gospel' because it opens our eyes to the places and ways that our Lord used to work out his saving work on earth. I would encourage those who know someone on this pilgrimage to ask her/him, "What came to light for you in the Holy Land?"

If you asked me that question right now, I would say, "God came to earth for you and me. I saw and touched where that happened. That did not change God, but it changed me and my comprehension of God's work for you and me."

We are very safe, but some of our group have been ill. Today six of the 44 on our bus did not leave the hotel because of illness. Please pray for health for all in the last few days of our time here and for our return travels.

Grace and peace!

A view of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount from the Mount of Olives

Dominus Flevit Chapel: Shaped as a tear drop representing Jesus weeping over Jerusalem

The Upper Room

St. Peter in Galicantu

Steps on the outside of St. Peter of Galicantu where Jesus would have walked

Israel Pilgrimage Day 5: Via Dolorosa and Western Wall

2011-11-06T10:32:00.000-08:00

Matthew and Jutta in front of Church of the Holy Sepulcher

Matthew kneels at the site of Calvary

Christine in front of the Western Wall

Janet and Lee standing on the Teaching Steps

Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.
--Romans 6:3-4

Today we arrived at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher at 8:00am. God worked a miracle there this morning. That is, 37 of us were nearly alone as we climbed the steps up to the chapel perched on top of Calvary/Golgotha. It was relatively quiet and unhurried as below the altar we knelt to touch the rock that held the cross of Jesus. Then we descended the steps and, after a short wait, all were able to enter the tomb of Christ.

It has two chambers. Bending low we got into the chamber of the angels. Tradition says this is where the angel told the women on Easter morning that Jesus had risen from death (Mark 16:5-6). Then five of us at a time squeezed into the compact area believed to be where the body of Christ laid from Friday evening until Sunday morning.

To kneel and bow where everything changed for you and me and all humanity for eternity is a moving, humbling experience. Yesterday in Bethlehem we witnessed where heaven came down to earth. Today we witnessed the portal into heaven opened for us by our crucified, risen Lord
Jesus.

It was 8:57am. We walked less than a block to the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer. Before the bells stopped ringing the 37 of us were seated for the 9:00am All Saints' Sunday service of worship. In the prayers of the church we had an opportunity to speak the names of saints who have gone before us into the Church Triumphant.

So, this morning in Jerusalem, just down the street from where Jesus died and rose, the names of Jeffrey, Margaret, Randolph, Sue and Karen's niece, and many others were raised up. After that a meal was shared that united us with them and all the saints--past, present, and future. For us, it was a foretaste of the feast to come.

Do you see the connections? First, we walked and stood and knelt and touched where our Lord worked out our very salvation. Then, in worship, we remembered it, took hold of it, celebrated it, and longed for the joyous consummation of all the hopes our Lord has given us: Just like we do every Sunday in worship. These hopes will not be disappointed (Romans 5:1-5).

Thank you for your prayers. They are carrying us.

Shalom!

Israel Pilgrimage: Bet She'an and Bethlehem

2011-11-05T11:53:00.000-07:00

Roman Ruins at Bet She'an

Pastor Scott and Bonnie Jane are surprised to see Pastor Rolf Svanoe and his daughter, Siri from South Dakota while at Bet She'an

14 point star in Church of the Nativity representing Jesus' birth in Bethlehem

Sue Doubleday and her sister Karen Rushman at Church of the Nativity

While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the guest room. --Luke 2:6 -7

In 320AD Roman Emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan which basically served to make Christianity the religion of the Roman Empire. Shortly after that he sent his mother, Helena, to the Holy Land to find the places where the foundational events of Christianity took place. So Helena came to what now is Israel and began doing her research.

In Bethlehem she built the Church of the Nativity over the location she determined was the place of Jesus' birth. That is where we were today.

It took over an hour in line to have the privilege to kneel at a small altar and touch the place where Helena's research said was the birth place of Jesus.

Think of that. Think of that some more.

God came to earth arriving as a helpless infant. God chose to become one of us. Remember this is the same God who created the heavens and the earth. The God who created sub-atomic particles and the DNA helix and the human brain and the solar system and distant galaxies and black holes, etc. etc. This God beyond our small imaginations and limited minds decided to show up as a babe. Amazing!

As we exited from the Greek Orthodox managed site identified by Helena as where heaven came down to earth, we walked through the Armenian chapel into a lovely, relatively modern Roman Catholic church. We had to be quiet because we were barging into a Baptism already in progress.

A beautiful baby girl dressed in a stunning silk Baptismal gown became a child of God as the water washed over her "In the name of the Father, and of the Son (the One who showed up as a babe), and of the Holy Spirit." What a wonderful reminder that our Lord who arrived as a babe keeps announcing His promises to children of all ages.

As we exited we witnessed something else that is rare here--rain came down upon us. In this dry, dry land, every drop is a blessing. And, that water washed and renewed and reminded us of the unfailing promises our Lord has made to you and me in Baptism.

Shalom

Israel Pilgrimage Day 3

2011-11-04T11:32:00.000-07:00

Karen Ulbricht sitting in Herod's Theater

Entertainment in the Theater of Caesarea

Remnants of Herod's Caesarea

Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth

November 4, 2011

In the days of King Herod of Judea…

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” --Luke 1:5,26-27

Today we visited Caesarea and Nazareth. At Caesarea many of the remnants of that remarkable development are still evident. Nazareth today is a traffic choked small city with an uneasy mix of Jews, Moslems, and Christians. In Jesus’ time, the contrast between these two places could not have been much greater.

Caesarea was a wonder of Roman architecture and ingenuity. It was one of the gems built by Herod the Great. Caesarea had an aqueduct over three miles long serving a remarkably constructed port. Herod’s palace was on a peninsula into the Mediterranean that sported his fresh water swimming pool. For the community Herod built an amphitheater for drama and debates, a hippodrome for sporting events and public proceedings, and residential villas to house this bustling community. Herod the Great was a bad man who did remarkable projects.

Nazareth, on the other hand, was an out-of-the-way little Jewish village with just several hundred residents. When disciple Philip told his friend Nathanael he just had to meet this guy Jesus of Nazareth, Nathanael responded, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46) It was a fair question to ask.

So, what does that say about our God who chose to announce His eternal plans for saving us from sin and death in Nazareth (rather than Caesarea or Jerusalem or Rome)? For sure, it says a lot more than I could possibly put in this blog and infinitely more than I will ever understand. Yet, I do believe God has some good news here for you and me.

Our Lord shows up and works among common people in common places. The God who makes the final, eternal decisions about this world and each of us, is not impressed by architecture or ambition. Our Lord’s ways are not our ways. God was certainly just as present with you today, as He was when we visited the place where Gabriel announced to Mary and Jesus grew up (Luke 1-2) and St. Paul stood on trial (Acts 25-26). Hopefully both you and we were open to hearing that.

Grace and peace to you.

Israel: Day in Galilee

2011-11-03T12:12:00.000-07:00

Sea of Galilee: view from boat ride

Bill's St. Peter fish at Ein Gev Kibbutz

Israel Pilgrims at the Jordan River

Lois standing beside the Jordan River

The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. --Mark 1:1

BEGINNINGS: Gospel writer Mark certainly had in mind Genesis1 (In the beginning the Lord created theheavens and the earth.) as he opened his gospel. Like Genesis, Mark’s gospel begins packed with action. Nonativity scenes here; Mark jumps in with the prophecy of Isaiah pointing aheadto John the Baptist (1:2-4).

By verse 9, Jesus is baptized. Verse 14: Jesus begins preaching in Galilee. The firstdisciples—four fishermen: Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John—are quicklycalled and immediately follow Jesus (vs. 16-20). Then Jesus entered the synagogue in Capernaum and healed aman with an unclean spirit. Afterthat Jesus went with his disciples to Simon Peter’s house and healed hismother-in-law and many others. Allthat and we are not even through the first chapter of Mark.

TODAY WE SAW ALL THOSE BEGINNING PLACES and more. We dipped our hands and in water of theJordan River, walked along the shores of the Sea of Galilee where Jesus calledthose first disciples, saw Simon Peter’s house where Jesus did all thathealing. Not only that, we visitedthe location believed to be where Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount(Matthew 5-7), and the site traditionally identified as the place Jesusmiraculously fed over 5,000 with just five loaves and two fish (Mark6:30-44). What a beginningto our time in the Holy Land!

AN ENDING TOO: We also saw the mensa Christi (table of Christ) located where it is believed therisen Jesus fed breakfast to disciples after He guided them to haul in 153large fish with just one drop of their fishing net. That is my favorite fishing story in the Bible and brings toan end to the fourth gospel (John 21). I picked up seashells and stones from the beach there to bring home toshow you.

Wish you could be here with us. Yet, you do not need to be here to know that Jesus is withus from the beginning, calls us to follow Him just as He called the firstdisciples, comes into our homes to bring healing, faithfully feeds us, and asour risen Lord sends us out to feed His sheep.

Shalom!

Israel Pilgrims Land in Tel Aviv

2011-11-02T13:49:00.000-07:00

November 2, 2011

I lift up my eyes to the hills--from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, whom madeheaven and earth. Psalm 121

LIFTED UP: Our pilgrim band was lifted up three times. Most of us lifted off fromHuntsville, Atlanta, and finally (all 14 of us) from New York City. We landed in Tel Aviv at 2:00pm. There we were joined with others whowill be touring with us. Theyswelled the group to over 40. Wemet our guide, Hillel Kessler, and got on the bus to Tiberius.

TO THE HILLS: I am writing from the Royal Plaza hotelperched on a hillside above the Sea of Galilee. On the way here Hillel pointed out the hill named Mt. Carmelwhere Elijah and the prophets of Baal dueled (I Kings 18). And, with darkness falling he pointedto the lights of the city crowning a hilltop which likely prompted Jesus tosay, “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid.” Tomorrow morning we begin on the Mount of the Beatitudes:the traditional site of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.

OUR HELP COMES FROM THE LORD: That certainly is evident in the safe travels, the storiesthat ooze from this land, and the kind people who have brought us thus far onour journey.

Our guide Hillel opened his Bible for the first time to readand said, “I like to read this Psalm as groups of pilgrims arrive in the HolyLand because I think it is a fitting way to begin.” Then he read Psalm 121. This moved me deeply because at my father’s funeral onMonday the Bible passage written on the memorial folder and read in the serviceof worship was Psalm 121. Indeed, in life and in death our help comesfrom the Lord.

Trunk or Treat and Chili Cook-off 2011

2011-10-30T07:49:00.000-07:00

Good times were had by one and all at this year's Trunk or Treat and Chili Cook Off.

The kids had a great time filling up their bags with treats in the parking lot. There were some very creative costumes. All of the cars were well decorated. The lengths that some of the adult participants went to in order to decorate their cars was a little frightening in and of itself. Good job everyone.

The food was delicious as always and the games and activities for the younger kids were a lot of fun.

There were 13 different chili's entered in this year's cookoff. All of the chili's were delicious and the competition was pretty tough. Second place went to Mary Mast. Mary was only one vote behind the first place winner and she was somewhat dismayed to learn that her husband did not vote for her chili. First place went to Bonnie Flowers. This was Bonnie second trip to the winner's circle. Here last win was in 2001.

The title of hottest chili went to Stephen Strand for his 5 alarm entry. Stephen didn't think his entry was especially hot. The rest of us however were considering an emergency phone call to the EPA. We thought his chili was in the range of uranium spill, sulphuric acid, oops I accidentally drank Drano hot.

For those of you who are keeping count, here are the previous winners of the Chili Cookoff Title

1999 - Stephen Strand
2000 - Doug Hendrick
2001 - Bonni Flowers
2002 - Tammy Stender
2003 - Sue Stough
2004 - Paul Zutter
2005 - Stephen Strand
2006 - Katrina King
2007 - Paul Zutter
2008 - Stephen Strand
2009 - William Strand and Anita deJong
2010 - Dan Byers
2011 - Bonni Flowers

Special thanks to our youth director Lauren Gray and the Fellowship Committee for organizing this years event.

Wheelchair Ramp #1

2011-10-29T18:18:00.000-07:00

Today Messiah Lutheran Church embarked on a new ministry. The carpentry team, which consists of veterans of Habitat for Humanity, decided that they needed a project to keep them busy during the off season. They teamed up with Care Assurance System for the Aging and Homebound (CASA) of Madison County to build wheel chair ramps. CASA currently has 55 elderly or homebound people on the waiting list for a wheelchair ramp. Today the Messiah carpentry team help scratch one off of the list. The lady we constructed a wheelchair ramp for today has been on the waiting list since April of this year.

For the last several weeks, the carpentry team has been preparing parts of the wheelchair ramp during Wednesday Night Activities. We joke with each other that this gives us something to do while all of the people with musical talents are participating in their activities.

Today was the big build day. We met at the Church at 7am and enjoyed a hearty breakfast prepared by Joe Stuart. We then loaded up the trailer and headed out to the work site. We were joined by Max Bennett who has built over 100 ramps for CASA. He showed us some of the finer points of ramp building. We expected the build to take about 4 hours, but the learning curve coupled with a few false starts and runs to the hardware store made the build last 6 hours. We are pretty sure that we can build ramps much faster now that we have a better understanding of the process.

Our plan is to build one ramp per month. If you would like to participate in a future ramp build, please contact Owen Wasmoen for more information.

Sanctuary Expansion Update

2011-10-23T18:48:00.000-07:00

Have you noticed the transformation taking place in the front of the Church. There was a lot of activity on the Sanctuary Expansion project during the last several weeks. Here is a quick status of what has happened recently.

The the installation of the major steel supports and glulams are complete and remainder of the framing is being installed.
The installation of the roof has begun.
The steeple was delivered this week and is now sitting in pieces in the front of the Church.
The pews in the sanctuary were moved temporarily to storage to facilitate installation of the new fire sprinkler system and the new chandeliers.
Ten new pews were ordered along with new fabric to cover the 20 old pews.
A team has begun the work of designing the stained glass window which will be installed on the front of the Church.
The water system was converted from Madison water to Huntsville water.
As of this time, we expect to move back into the Sanctuary some time in February 2012.

2011-10-23T14:38:00.000-07:00

This year's Handemade Market was a great success.Hundreds of donated items were sold including every imaginable manner of handicraft including paintings, photographs, sewed and knitted items, woodwork, food, seasonal decorations and much, much more. The Handmade Market team also served a delicious taco lunch. The community turned out in full force to support the event. In total, over $3,500 was raised through the sale of donated items and food sales. This year $800 additional dollars will be added to the total through matching funds from Thrivent.

Proceeds from the Handmade Market are used to support our Lunches For Learning Ministry.

Lunches for Learning exists to help break the cycle of poverty by providing nutrition and nutritional supplements to the very poor children in public schools in the Republic of Honduras. It costs approximately $15 per month to feed one child a nutritious meal each day of the school year. In the schools where the Lunches for Learning program have been in place, the results have been outstanding. The children are coming to school to receive a meal, but they are also receiving an education. And those children who receive an elementary school education in Honduras are much more likely to be able to get a well paying job and end the cycle of poverty.

Many thanks to all of the artisans and craftsmen, coordinators, shoppers and volunteers who worked so hard to make this event a success.

Holy Land Pilgrimage

2011-10-22T13:36:00.000-07:00

Fourteen members and friends of MLC will be touring the Holy Land November 1-10, led by Pastor Scott and Bonnie Jane Peterson. They will start in Galilee where Jesus lived, worked, and began his ministry. Then they will travel to Jerusalem and the surrounding areas. Watch this blog for reports on their adventures. Please include these pilgrims in your prayers as they are on this journey of faith.

Handmade Market (Sat - Oct 22, 2011)

2011-10-15T10:37:00.000-07:00

From 2010 Handmade Market

This year's Handemade Market will be on Saturday, October 22nd from 9 - 4.

Contact Jackie Myers for more information.

Drop off items and inventory on October 13, 14, 18, 19 at 9 am at Messiah. **The sooner you drop off the items the better, but on those days we will be at church pricing and tagging all of the items.
Baked items can be dropped off on Friday, October 21st at 2 pm, or Saturday, October 22nd at 8 am.

Proceeds from the Handmade Market are used to support our Lunches For Learning Ministry.

Last year, the talented artists and craftsmen of the Messiah congregation donated over 700 items. The donated items include every imaginable manner of handicraft including paintings, photographs, sewed and knitted items, woodwork, food, seasonal decorations and much, much more. A host of volunteers organized the donations and manned the cash registers. The community turned out in full force to support the event. In total, over $3,750 was raised. We can do even better this year.

Lunches for Learning exists to help break the cycle of poverty by providing nutrition and nutritional supplements to the very poor children in public schools in the Republic of Honduras. It costs approximately $15 per month to feed one child a nutritious meal each day of the school year. In the schools where the Lunches for Learning program have been in place, the results have been outstanding. The children are coming to school to receive a meal, but they are also receiving an education. And those children who receive an elementary school education in Honduras are much more likely to be able to get a well paying job and end the cycle of poverty.