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It’s time for us to “Come Alive” again this weekend as a Christian community seeking to make signs of the resurrection evident within our personal lives and our life together! As we do, I couldn’t help but be struck by a number of recent social media posts from individuals who are disgusted with the Bible. More specifically, they have declared that they are increasingly frustrated by those who “cherry-pick” scriptures verses to back up their particular stance or claim. Some have gone as far as saying that they are never going to open a Bible again! Sadly, I can understand their reticence. I am disheartened to see how Scripture continues to be wielded as a weapon. Yet in that respect, I believe that we are blessed to be part of a tradition that has hopeful clarity to offer a world plagued by such tendencies. We have a lens through which to view the Scriptures in a way that helps to prevent or minimize examples of such abuse. It’s called… Jesus. As we’ll explore in the sermon this Sunday, it isn’t that Jesus was completely objective in how he used the Hebrew Bible himself ; he did plenty of filtering and prioritizing as it turns out. But because of his living witness to the heart of our God, he helps us to understand why the Scriptures have authority in the first place and gives us a clear criteria (himself) for how we might read and use it in his wake. There’s lots to learn and appreciate! Join us this Sunday on-line. Meanwhile, please know that our staff and teams are truly working hard to prepare for fellowship in-person (starting this Sunday morning from 9 to 10:30!) and worship in-person on April 25th. There is a lot to think through, plan for, and prepare. We appreciate your patience and understanding in the meantime! We remind you to review the instructions elsewhere in this note for pre-registering for worship at 8:30 or 9:45, as we’ll need to limit the number of families we can accommodate safely at first. I strongly encourage you, if you are fully vaccinated, to sign up as a worship or hospitality assistant in one form or another as the roles have changed a bit. It will take many hands to gather safely. Help us make our community gathering a reality! Sharing the Hope (and Work) of Resurrection! Pastor Tim

Dear Friends, What have you noticed in the past few days that seems to have COME ALIVE? · The grass or budding trees in your yard and neighborhood? · You have attended an outdoor sporting event or a concert? · Maybe you went outside in the warming spring air and spent time with family or friends for the first time in what seems like, forever. In the past year collectively, I think it is fair to say we have longed for, ached for, grumbled at, or maybe survived a year of being inside and feeling a little less than, well, alive. Recently, I experienced joy when I got my two vaccine shots! The vaccine clinic is like one big cheering section! They get it! This is hope. This is recovery. This is coming ALIVE. But I want the fullness of the story, for it indeed gives me hope! I want to feel safe to share there have been times when I, maybe we, have been afraid, ill, worried, hurting, and missing our freedom, our family, and friends. We may have even asked, “God, where are you?” In the Gospel of John 20:19-31, we hear the story of the disciples, the followers of Jesus in the very early church. On the evening of the Third Day, the Day we call Easter, they weren’t shouting for joy; they were afraid and locked in a room behind closed doors. Even after Mary runs to tell them that Jesus isn’t in the tomb and that Jesus has appeared to her and tells her “Don’t be afraid,“ they are terrified. Then Jesus appears to them. They don’t ask anything of Jesus, and yet he knows what is most likely on their mind. Jesus shows them his hands and side. He says, “Peace be with you.” We continue with this reading and the story of “Doubting Thomas.” Many of us were taught in Sunday School that the point of the story is simply, we shouldn’t be like Thomas we should believe in Jesus without having to “see Jesus” with our own eyes. I’m wondering what would happen if, instead of prohibiting questions, we experience the fullness of the story? What if we could allow ourselves to wonder, to think of our own journey of faith, and pause and remind ourselves and one another that it is a journey that goes on and on? How would our lives be if we opened up and shared that somedays we are hurting, fearful, and simply not feeling, well, not o.k? What if we believed this to be true: that our God, without skipping a beat, says, “Peace be with you?” In our passage, we hear that God loves us so much that God, once again, breathed into the disciples then and into us today. I’m wondering, what if instead of titling this passage in scripture, “Doubting Thomas” it is titled, “Thomas is loved. Thomas is safe to ask questions. Thomas’ faith grows. Thomas’ heart is transformed, forever.” What if this chapter is about your own journey and it titled, “God has faith in you” or simply, “You are so loved by the God who made you, loved you first, and loves you forever?” How would that message fill your heart, so that you too, come alive?! God’s embrace, mercy, and compassion are our sanctuary. We are beloved by God. We are made new each and every day. Our hearts are transformed. Oh, how lovely is it to “come alive!” Blessings to you always, Pastor Katie

Holy Week Greetings from our entire staff, who have been working diligently with some truly hearty volunteers to make this season a rich and memorable one! As we take time to ponder God’s faithfulness to us over the long season of this pandemic, I hope that we can approach these sacred days with a new sense of humility and appreciation. I know I need to! I invite you to join us a few remaining aspects of this week: 1) Good Friday Tenebrae virtual worship is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. tonight and will be available on demand via the website. 2) We will be offering the Holy Week Prayer Walk through three stations on site, focused on “Centering, Confessing, and Communing” using a self-guided approach between the hours of 4:00-8:00 p.m. tonight (April 2) and again from 9:00-10:00 a.m. tomorrow morning (April 3). If you’ve been yearning to experience Holy Communion in person, this is a great opportunity to do so! 3) A 20-minute Children’s video is available on our website that complements the kits that were hand-delivered last week. You can walk through the entire week’s events with your younger child. Take advantage of this resource featuring both of your pastors! 4) Festive EASTER worship celebrating the “Seventh Story” will be premiered on Facebook at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday! Be sure to savor this offering of choral music, fresh anthems, and some familiar faces this Sunday! 5) A short, informal fellowship time via Zoom is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. this Sunday immediately following the Premier of the Easter service on Facebook. Join us through this fellowship link. 6) Sign-up for our upcoming “Next Steps” series starting Monday, April 12, at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom is needed soon! Join Pastor Tim for three weeks of conversation exploring your questions, curiosities and stories of faith, even as you meet others and learn more about opportunities at Holy Trinity! E-mail me at tim@holytrinityNL.org to join in. You can find a link to the Next Steps sessions here. We will soon be seeking individuals to sign up for additional worship assistant roles as we move back to limited in-person Sunday worship. Don’t be shy! Many hands will still be needed for us to do what we’d like to do and to be what we are called to be! Watch next week’s Friday E-blast for the details! Sharing the Hope (and Work) of Resurrection! Pastor Tim

Dear Friends, My favorite week of the whole year is Holy Week. As a child, it meant that we got to, yes, got to go to church a lot. I loved going to worship and listening to the music. As a parent with young children, I often thought Holy Week was a lot of juggling little ones on my hip. Over the years as our children grew, I worried about my teenagers and what were they experiencing. It seemed their life lessons were less about Holy Week and what Jesus did for them and a lot more about giving up a rehearsal or practice to go to worship instead. I wonder how my parents made this time of worship so special? I wondered, "What have I passed along to my children and the children I have shepherded?" I think my parents made Holy Week special because they were “all in.” They read stories out of the Bible, worshipped with us, and even did the goofy activities and crafts with us. They made Holy Week more than a memory; they made it a part of the foundation of my own faith. Looking back, in my own home, with my children now grown, the lesson that has stuck the most is the baking of the Easter Cookies and the walk step by step through Holy Week. What do you remember as a child? What do you long for children of all ages to know this Holy Week more than ever before? In a world where we are on “sides,” we wonder what are we learning about one another. In a world that seems to be screaming or even killing one another out of anger, what message of hope do you want your children and children’s children to remember? My hope is they know that Jesus knew exactly what it means to be “US vs THEM.” In our final weeks of the 7th Story by Brian McLaren and Gareth Higgins, we struggle with the hatred and violence of US vs THEM – even if it means – to kill the “THEM” out of anger, distrust, frustration, or simply out of hatred. Jesus knew this violence of the mobs and said there is another way, God’s gift of grace. Children will learn what we teach them by what we value, engage in, talk about, and even fight for. Children will learn who we love, care about, have compassion for, and who we are as followers of Jesus Christ, especially how we act when they aren’t watching. What are we teaching them about God’s gift of grace? Join us this Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Morning to hear a God-sized message of hope that you are loved and forgiven, forever. And all God’s people shout out, AMEN Pastor Katie

Greetings, colleagues in Christ – I’m writing today from the hills of western North Carolina, where we are enjoying the opportunity to visit my mother for the first time in 18 months. We had planned a visit on spring break for a year ago, but COVID-19 forced a change of plan. It’s such a relief to finally be able to see light at the end of the tunnel and a joy to witness how well she has managed during this long pandemic season! In that light, rest assured that our Visioning Council will continue to evaluate our ability to eventually begin gathering at Holy Trinity in as safe a manner as possible once the vaccination rate extends a bit further. Patience is indeed a necessary virtue! Meanwhile, we’re returning to our “Us & Them” sermon series with unique elements on each theme every Sunday and Wednesday. This week, the focus will be on “The Victim story,” or “Us Better than Them because of our Suffering.” “The Victim Story” takes a multitude of shapes and is prone to stereotyping. For our purposes, however, we will especially be exploring the ways in which we sometimes allow our pain to define our identity and how the “Seventh Story” exemplified by Jesus offers us a healthier alternative. While we would never want to deny or minimize another’s suffering nor offer them unsolicited advice in the face of it, Christ’s example reveals possibilities we might often fail to consider. Join us for worship on Facebook at 9:00 a.m. Sunday and 6:30 p.m. Wednesday or on-demand on our website anytime! Let’s keep writing our “Seventh Story” together! I look forward to the opportunity. Pastor Tim

Dear Friends, I’m in my home sitting in my favorite spot, my sunroom, where I can see beyond the walls of the room and beyond my laptop. Tonight, I am watching the sunset as the geese land into the field in the back yard and migrating birds quiet down for the night. For many years, the only time we used this room was to keep pets out of the rest of the house. But this year, I hauled in my outdoor picnic table and chairs so that I could work in this space, open up the windows, mask, and safely, socially distancing myself when necessary. Tonight, I give thanks for this space. I pause to pray for all of the families and friends who have lost someone they care for because of COVID-19. I acknowledge the gift of science and the many new solutions that continue to unfold daily, if not by the hour. I invite you to remember where you were a year ago this past week? As a church staff, it was this week we made what we thought was a temporary decision to close the building. Where were you a year ago? Here at the church, in the same hours we decided it was safer to follow guidelines and not meet in the building, we were crafting ways to meet in new and unfamiliar places, such as online worship, online classes, and online meetings. We were thinking it was all “temporary.” We have entered into a new normal on our way to a new, new normal. We get to embrace that God has always been our God and our job continues to be to trust God. Together, we’ve got this!Yet, there continue to be challenges and challenging conversations ahead. In our current study from the book, The 7th Story, by Gareth Higgins and Brian McLaren, our theme has challenged all of us to think hard about what is us and them and how we create a new story together, a 7th story, that is different from all the others. I think we have an opportunity to dig deeper into this challenging question when we read from the Gospel of Luke 12:13-31 and the story of Rich Fool. Let’s put this in context. Scholar, theologian, and missionary Pastor Ron Schardt has put together a wonderful explanation of this passage and put it into a broader context for us all. Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem. Along the way he is sometimes alone and sometimes with the crowd. Along the way, he is constantly sharing parables or teachable moments. The teachable moments are meant to turn everything upside down from the typical, ordinary, and common responses to everyday life in general. Jesus challenged people to think of their own identity. He challenged them to think, “How do I label my neighbor?” In his explanation of the fourth petition in the Lord’s Prayer, “give us this day our daily bread,” Martin Luther asked, “What does this mean? God gives daily bread without our prayer, even to all people, but we ask in this prayer that God stirs in us to recognize what our daily bread is and to receive with thanksgiving.” What then does ‘daily bread’ mean? Everything our bodies need such as food, drink, clothing, shoes, house, home, fields, livestock, money, property, spouse, children, co-workers, good government, weather, peacefulness, health, decency, honor, good friends, faithful neighbors…” I would say that this petition is not about BREAD or even about asking for prosperity, us having more or less than others. It’s about God providing for us sometimes in unusual ways and our acknowledgement with thankfulness for all that God provides. The rich fool in Jesus’ parable doesn’t get that abundance is indeed wonderful. Instead of looking 100% inward, Jesus invites us to look outward through the parable. The rich fool forgot that God’s declaration “know that you have worth.” Jesus again tells us boldly that the greatest commandment is to love God and to love one another. God knows our hearts, our strengths, and our weaknesses. God knows you and me, our full selves. We are invited to look to this one-year anniversary and weep with those who weep. We hold one another’s stories of hardship, changes, online work, online school, life moments, and celebrations that were put on pause and scheduled for “some date” in the future. If you knew a year ago today that you would be reading this message right now, what would you say to yourself? What do you need to hear to continue on this journey to a new, new normal? Spend some time with that question! There are more adjustments, challenges, hurts, and joys ahead. We tell ourselves now: God is with us. That is the promise of life-everlasting grace. Pastor Katie

Friday already? It sure is. We’ve not only reached the day when we can again see green grass, but we’re deep into the heart of our “Us & Them” sermon series, which contains unique elements on each theme every Sunday and Wednesday. What I’ve come to appreciate is the way this series gives us a fresh, even if sometimes unnerving, opportunity to examine the “stories” that govern our worldview or outlook on life. It gives us an awareness that could lead us to change it, if willing. When Jesus spoke of the coming of the Reign of God, he was trying to change others' foundational worldview and the “metanarrative” that often unconsciously governs their decisions and values. Richard Rohr once put it this way: "It is surely important to become conscious of such a primary lens or we will never know what we don’t see and why we see other things out of all perspective.”* Yet this is the key. Rohr adds: “Our operative worldview is formed by three images that are inside every one of us. They are not something from outside; they have already taken shape within us. All we can do is become aware of them, which is to awaken them. The three images to be awakened and transformed are our image of self, our image of God, and our image of the world. A true hearing of the Gospel transforms those images into a very exciting and, I believe, truthful worldview.”* In that light, l am keenly aware (again) that I have some real, intentional, internal work to do if I am to truly be able to “awaken” and grow in this ability. What practices have you been able to put in your life which have allowed or enabled you to do so? I would love to hear from you – and learn from you – as we continue this Lenten journey together. Meanwhile, please consider joining Pastor Katie and our women tonight at their (virtual) Annual Women’s Gathering, featuring great speakers, worship, and other elements. It’s free – yet requires you register in advance on our website. Do so if you haven’t already. I remind you, too, to plan on participating in our brief service of Holden Evening Prayer next Wednesday at 6:30. If your schedule allows, this year’s “Lutheran Day on the Hill” is offered virtually this Thursday from 9:30-11:30 and offering some timely insight into the issues that impact the most vulnerable in our state. Register in advance at “LSIowa.org.” Hope to “see” you there! Let’s keep writing our “Seventh Story” together! I look forward to the opportunity. Pastor Tim *Adapted from Richard Rohr, The Wisdom Pattern: Order, Disorder, Reorder (Franciscan Media: 2001, 2020), 135–138.

In our sermon Sunday (Mark 8:31-38), Jesus begins to tell his followers about the events we have come to know as Holy Week. Simon Peter tries to stop him and Jesus rebukes him saying, “Get thee behind me, Satan.” (King James version). In our Wednesday story, we will hear that Badger is ousted and new despots take his place. It all brings to mind the phrase “palace revolt.” We don’t always understand God’s ways and we think we can do better. Like Moses in the desert when he lost his composure (Numbers 20), we think we can do something better than God and set out to do it. Moses’ sin against God resulted in him ending his life on Mt. Nebo with the Promised Land in sight, but he was not allowed to cross into it. Our just condemnation for our disobedience is death. But thanks be to God through Jesus Christ, our sins are washed away. God sees us anew as newborn babes. “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.” (Isaiah 1:18) Our daily sin, a revolt against the authority of God, is washed away through the suffering, death, and resurrection of God’s Son. People, this is Good News! Our “palace revolts” against God are forgiven. We can claim the inheritance of God’s grace each day. Dear God, thank you for your amazing grace that saved a wretch like me. Like a shepherd, enfold me in your arms. Bring me safely through the raging storm. Forgive my foolish pride. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen

This weekend, we begin a new sermon series called “Us and Them,” based on a book by Brian McLaren called The Seventh Story. McLaren is a widely read Christian theologian looking to help move the church into new paradigms of ministry. Through fables for adults, The Seventh Story looks at six repeating themes in human history and posits a more loving and caring approach to human interactions. We are fortunate that our newly elected bishop of the Southeastern Iowa Synod, the Reverend Amy Current, will be our preacher as we open this series. To prepare for her sermon, you might want to read our Scriptures for the weekend, 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 and Luke 18:9-14, in preparation for worship. Thank you, Bishop Current, for bringing us the good news of Jesus Christ this weekend. Breaking down the barriers between us and them is something that many in the congregation do without realizing it. Ministries like the Bread Basket ministry and acts of kindness to your physical neighbors help show the world the love of Christ. One of your neighbors responded to the love of Christ that you showed in your daily interactions with her with a gift for the ministry of this congregation in your honor. Public acclaim is not the goal of our acts of kindness; our goal is bringing other souls to Jesus that they might find healing and love. Thank you for all you do! In the announcements below, you will see other opportunities this week and in weeks to come in which we share the good news of Jesus Christ with others. Please consider how you will respond. Last weekend, the blood drive collected 11 pints of love for our neighbors. Think out of the box in these trying times to share the love of God with others. “And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:6)

Dear Friends, If I start out saying "This message is all about love," what comes to your mind, especially this weekend when the stores and online sites are abundantly filled with flowers and chocolates as gifts of affection? I love a great mystery story; but honestly, I am more likely to watch or read a story about a relationship – a love story. I want to see the puppy saved from the cavern in the mountains. I like to see the people get together and save their downtown, parks, or schools. There are other kinds of stories of love that are unlike mine. These stories stir my heart. I can watch movies of prejudice or personal triumph. I can watch historical movies that provide a life-changing view of the world. February is the month of Black History, an opportunity to embrace one another with openness for one another. When it comes to a love story, I want to hold in my heart the promise that our God does not merely show up in glory and then remain on the top of the mountain. No, the Son, Jesus Christ, comes down the mountain and walks along side of us in our everyday breathing in and out. This is God’s love story of grace to you and me. It is our story of grace with one another. In our passage from the Gospel of Mark 9, we listen to God speak. God reveals that Jesus is the beloved Son of God, who is fully human and fully God. How can this be? We do not understand. This is when faith in a God who loves us transcends (rises above) the need for perfect understanding or explanation. We have FAITH Jesus is the fulfilment of the promise of God to God’s people that we are to be loved and forgiven forever. This weekend we will talk about transfiguration(changes in outward form). Jesus is fully human and fully God. It calls to us to be transformed (changes in thoughts and actions inwardly) so that our witness and our actions are different, merciful, and compassionate. This is our last week to dig deeper into what it means to be called into a deeper relationship with God and a more fulfilling relationship with one another. This work never stops, even when the building may be closed. The work of the church in 2020 was vibrant, meaningful, and engaging. We are working to post a special thank you created by Laurel Hibbard on the church website. Beginning next week with our special visit with Bishop Amy Current, we will dig into a conversation on growing in our relationship with the “other.” You are welcome to check out the ELCA’s statements of social justice. You are encouraged to join in one or more opportunities listed below. However your heart is stirred, begin with prayer for one another as Jesus taught us to pray… Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen Blessings to you always, Pastor Katie

Our winter wonderland continues! Now if I could just find a place to put all that snow in the driveway… Perhaps your appreciation for the white blanket over our community has continued to blossom. Maybe you’ve found yourself feeling a bit grumpy about a forecast of yet another 5” coming tomorrow; but personally, I have to recognize and give thanks for the ability to work largely from home in this season, such that on mornings like this, I can pick away at that fresh dumping on my driveway as I have opportunity. In other words, I didn’t have to be among those neighbors out working after midnight last night nor counted among the “blower community” that was actively working at 5:30 a.m. This week’s sermon text reminds me that plenty of others don’t have that luxury. We’re exploring the brief story of Jesus healing the mother-in-law of Simon Peter, a woman who quickly rebounds from her illness to serve them without so much as missing a beat. While I won’t go into the potential offense one might feel when reading this, I do want once again to commend the many “service workers” upon whom you and I depend. They often don’t have the choice of whether or not they will wander out into the 40 mph winds to do the essential work that keeps our community humming. It’s not just the snow plow drivers, of course, but every grocery employee, food deliverer, nurse, store manager, and technician whose wage depends on the hours they spend outside of their abode. Let’s each make a point to thank them for their work as they have been doing so amid a COVID environment for a year now! I hope that you will also pause to give thanks for Kim Behr and Bryce Henson who are stepping away from their respective roles on our Visioning Council. They have each been gifts to our community during this challenging year in ways you likely can’t begin to appreciate! I hope that you will be praying for those who have answered the call to serve in coming months – Ben Meyer, who will assume the president’s role, Marcy Duncan, serving at-large, and those who have been re-elected, including Jack Fratzke, Steve Roe, and Gretchen Warkentin. Their willingness to step up at this time inspires me. I hope that it encourages you to ask where you are being called to serve. I am humbled by the bold step to approve our $358,000 proposed budget this year, which will greatly help us to sustain ministries and further them in ways that we have yet to discover and imagine! Many, many thanks for your generosity and willingness to invest anew in the causes of Christ. Hope that you can be present with us this weekend and to give thanks in whatever way you can! Pastor Tim

Dear Friends, Here's a simple question: “Who has the authority in your life?” I want you to imagine that I have a bull horn or a huge megaphone in my hands. It is the kind used to encourage a football crowd. Now imagine we are at a place like a school, a library, or a church and you hold up a book to read. But every time you say a word, I scream and shout in the bull horn. What is your reaction? In our scripture from the Gospel of Mark, just as Jesus speaks, he is interrupted again and again by a man who is yelling. The man eventually asks, “…who are you? Are you here to destroy us?” Then this man says, “I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” How does Jesus respond? He tells the man, “Be silent.” I have a quick activity for your household to try! I invite you to have everyone pause at the same time and be silent. Turn off the TV, put down phones, devices, food, or whatever you are doing at that moment that keeps you from experiencing the fullness of the gift of silence. Maybe it is attitude, fear, anger, disappointment, or another feeling that you just need to put on pause for a moment to listen. The challenge is to quiet your household down and one person counts to 10. Then ask everyone "How did that feel?" Try it a second time. Ask the same question. Or another question could be: "How many things did you have to turn off or quiet down so that you could listen for all of 10 seconds together with each other and with God? How much noise do we have going on around us?" I was in a meeting somewhere and an individual said, “Our decisions, how we live in our lives today, is creating a story of history for generations to come.” I wish I could remember who said that, but I’m adding that I wonder what generations yet to come will say about our willingness to create, to listen, to be merciful, to be kind, and to be graceful. Our history of grace could say that we were willing to proclaim that God has authority in our lives and we shout out, “We love all our neighbors.” While I was preparing this message, I was looking at the tree stumps in my back yard and the orange plastic snow fence that holds up my deck on the backside of my house ever since the August 2020 storm. What I see is loss, absence, and disappointment. When I pause and listen to God, when I join God’s mission of healing and welcome joy in what could be, I hear the message, "Katie, plant some new trees." Planting a tree is not meant to re-create, reopen, nor will it reclaim the land AS IT WAS. The land has forever been changed. We listen and pause while giving thanks for the gift of land as it once was. We plant trees together as we respond to the gift of grace now for generations to come. We are part of a God-sized story of hope that will grow and grow. Honestly, I want to work for Jesus. I want to be part of the solution in the here and now. Here are some challenges that everyone in your household can try today! SMILE, especially behind your mask! Your eyes can’t smile unless your whole face smiles. STOP if you cannot say something on social media that is God-honoring, trustworthy, or merciful. Reconsider how you respond to things that raise your dander! PRAY and be silent so that we can listen to the call to be compassionate and merciful. SURROUND yourself with people who are willing to be real, who are willing to create, build, and grow, and who dare to change in order that more people will experience the love of God. SHARE the message of a God-sized hope that God has, is, and will forever love us, God’s people. Peace, Pastor Katie