Cross Ways. February Marked by Ashes. From Pastor Nate: Thought for the Month:

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1 Beaver Lake Lutheran Church February 2018 Grow, Go & Glorify God From Pastor Nate: Marked by Ashes The advent of the season of Lent arrives a bit earlier this year than it did last year. This year, Lent commences on February 14. Of course, we always mark the beginning of the season of Lent by having ashes rubbed on our foreheads in the sign of the cross. Christians have been taking part in this ritual for centuries. And there is something about Ash Wednesday that remains incredibly meaningful, and even powerful, for many Christians. So people in our time and place continue to attend church to have black ashes smudged on their foreheads and to hear the words, Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return. This annual ritual is a stark reminder of our mortality which is, honestly, usually something people try not to think about. Most of us really don t like to think about our own deaths which is why I find it so interesting that this ritual, which annually inaugurates the season of Lent, is still so compelling for so many people. And yet it truly is a tradition that reminds us how truly fragile we are created from dust at our births and then decaying back into the dust of the ground when we die. From dust, to dust. And, if we take a moment to really consider all of this, even the things we might enjoy during the in between times our possessions, our goals, our treasures, our work, our dreams these things will also return to dust when we die. And honestly, this can all seem pretty depressing. It can all seem like some pretty bad news. Except for the Good News. The Good News that our birth, that moment when we ascend from the dust, didn t just happen by accident. We were created by a God who chose to create us who chose to form us into the marvelous, incredible beyond belief, people that we are today. Our lives are incredible gifts from a loving Father who chose to shape us from the dust of the earth and who chose to breathe life into us and send us on our way into this amazing creation surrounded by people who would decide to love us and accompany us on the journey through our lives. We are created by a loving Parent who not only sent us out into the world, but who also promised to journey with us, to love us and to redeem us. And remember, the ashes that are placed on our foreheads to mark that beginning of Lent aren t just put there randomly. No, they are traced in the form of the cross that unmistakable sign of God s unfathomable love for us. That same symbol that many of us wear around our necks and that is at the front of most church sanctuaries that reminds us just how much our creator loves us and just how far God would go to save us. That is precisely the symbol that is placed on our foreheads by the thumbs of our pastors and priests around the world. One more reminder that even though we are dust, and to dust we shall return, dust is not the end. Death is not the end. Because on the other side of our journey through Lent, on the other side of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday is Easter Sunday. And, of course, on that day we celebrate that Christ conquered the grave and because of this, we have the promise that we too will rise from the dust of our deaths to eternal life. And that is an amazing promise and some really Good News! So, Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return. But also remember that the journey doesn t end in dust, that is only another beginning. For when we return to dust, God is there, holding us still, recreating us once again. And this time, it is with the gift of a new life and a new body that will not turn to dust. As the Apostle Paul says, For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. (1 Corinthians 15:53) (Continued on page 2) He sends forth His word, and melts them; He makes His wind blow, and the waters flow. Ps 147:18 Thought for the Month: Salvation is a gift you can ask for.

2 Page 2 So please join us for our Ash Wednesday services on February 14. Take a moment to remember that you are dust from beginning to end. Then, as you walk away with cruciform ashes on your forehead, remember that dust is not the end. Thanks be to God! Yours in Christ, Pastor Nate COME! Join us! Feed My Starving Children Volunteer Event On Saturday, March 3 from 2:00-4:00 pm, a group from BLLC will pack meals for hungry kids at the Eagan location. Car pooling will be arranged for anyone interested, meeting at church by 1:15 pm. FMSC offers volunteers a one-of-a-kind experience. You ll hand-pack rice, soy, dried vegetables and a nutritionally complete blend of vitamins and minerals into bags which are then sealed, boxed, placed on pallets and shipped to our incredible partners working hard to reach the neediest children around the world. How They Forecast a Cold Winter (With the recent stretch of cold weather we ve experienced, I thought you might like to know just how the weatherman makes his predictions.) One day in early September the chief of a Native American tribe was asked by his tribal elders if the winter of 2011/12 was going to be cold or mild. The chief asked his medicine man, but he too had lost touch with the reading signs from the natural world around the Great Lakes. In truth, neither of them had any idea about how to predict the coming winter. However, the chief decided to take a modern approach, and the chief rang the National Weather Service in Gaylord Michigan. 'Yes, it is going to be a cold winter,' the meteorological officer told the chief. Consequently, he went back to his tribe and told the men to collect plenty of firewood. A fortnight later the chief called the Weather Service and asked for an update. 'Are you still forecasting a cold winter?' he asked. 'Yes, very cold', the weather officer told him. As a result of this brief conversation the chief went back to the tribe and told his people to collect every bit of wood they could find. A month later the chief called the National Weather Service once more and asked about the coming winter. 'Yes,' he was told, 'it is going to be one of the coldest winters ever.' 'How can you be so sure?' the chief asked. The weatherman replied: 'Because the Native Americans of the Great Lakes are collecting wood like crazy.'

3 Page 3 Projection From Above The horses in the pasture so calm and serene. The grass and the trees a beautiful green. The clouds in the sky so fluffy and white. The sun going down at the approach of night. The wind over the hills so gentle and cool. The only disturbance, the frogs in the pool. The birds through the sky, hurry to their nests. The lights flicker off as the people rest. Peace and quiet descend on this land As He reaches down His gentle hand. He closes the eyes of a country at rest. The moon is His smile on what He loves best. The crickets are chirping, still gentle, the wind. He has forgiven a land that He knows has sinned. The sun then rises in the morning sky. The birds awaken and start to fly. A new day come, another chance for this land. And He still reaches down with His gentle hand. By: Joseph Callaci The Lenten Season February 14, 2018 Ash Wednesday Services at 11:00 am & 7:00 pm Luncheon follows the 11:00 am Service February 21, 2018 (and next 4 Wednesdays) 5:30 pm Soup Supper March 25, 2018 Palm Sunday 10:00 am Worship Service March 29, 2018 Maundy Thursday March 30, 2018 Good Friday Prayer Vigil 6:30 am-6:30 pm April 01, 2018 Easter Sunday 10:00 am Worship Service Deadline for Publications Crossway articles are due by the 20th of each month. Info for weekly bulletin is due by noon each Friday. Electronic content can be ed to jdhilpert@comcast.net. Do We Have Your Correct Address? Please notify the church office when you have a new address, phone number or address. This will help us with our church directory, other publications and mailings. Thank You!

4 Page 4 By: Deb Houtkooper My Discontent with Really Cold Weather Everyone who knows me knows that I am almost always cold. When normal people are wearing t-shirts, I ve got a sweatshirt on; when others have long-sleeves on, I m wearing at least two long-sleeved layers. I m just chillier than the average bear, and I always have been. I remember as a little kid, playing outside, I d always need more warm clothes than my sister. Walking to school in the winter required as much clothes as I could wear and still bend my arms. I attended a Catholic girl s high school and we wore uniforms, which included a blazer and a skirt. I walked about a mile to school and was one of the very few who wore a pair of slacks under my skirt to keep me warm until I got to school. As a nurse, when I was involved in bedside care (which is very physical; bending, lifting, walking, carrying, etc.) I wore at least three layers even in the summer because of the air conditioning to stay comfortable. I always apologized to my patients before touching them because I knew my hands were like ice. I made lots of jokes about cold hands, warm heart and using my hands to soothe a fevered brow, but I knew my touch could be startling. Later, as an Administrative Nursing Supervisor, and sharing an office, my colleagues called me Queen of the office thermostat as I struggled to stay warm, without turning the heat up so much they were sweating. In the past couple of weeks, we ve experienced some very cold weather. One day at home I was wearing my flannel-lined jeans, wool socks, warm slippers and two layers of fleece. I was watching TV under a quilt of course, feeling pretty grumpy about the cold and eagerly looking forward to our trip to Arizona in February. I glanced outside, taking in the pine trees and the snow, and I thought about the extreme cold and I think the Holy Spirit gave me a small whack upside the head. Yes, it was bitterly cold outside, but I was inside, in my warm and cozy house, with a good furnace, warm clothes, the gas fireplace burning, and cuddled under a warm flannel quilt. Instead of lamenting the cold, far better for me to be grateful for all my riches and blessings. Yes, it was nasty cold outside, but I have a home when many don t. I have a good, working furnace that keeps the indoor temperature 70 degrees warmer than outside. I have warm clothes and many layers of them! I have a loving husband and family, a warm bed, plenty of food to eat and a church family brimming with love and welcome. I know my neighbors don t all share my blessings. We know families at Achieve that can t feed their kids on the weekends. While dwelling on the cold and my general discontent with it, I lost my sense of gratitude and appreciation for all that I have. I forgot to be thankful to God for everything I ve been given. Changing my perspective changed my attitude. Nope, I don t suddenly love the cold. I still wear many layers and venture outside only when wrapped in wool and down. But I am striving to live in gratitude and thankfulness. To constantly remind myself of the myriad of blessings that are mine. To give thanks and give back, so that others may share in the blessings I ve received. Flu Season is upon us! The viral influenza season is peaking now, which is really much earlier than expected. Because of this, please NO handshaking or fist bumps when sharing the Peace! Our hands no matter how much we wash them - carry and spread germs easily and freely. Hugs are OK because then our hands are on other people s backs very little opportunity to transmit bugs. Remember, influenza is not just vomiting and diarrhea, influenza is a serious respiratory illness with cough, fever, aches and chills. It is an acute illness that can necessitate hospitalization and cause death, especially in the very young and those 60 and older. So, no handshakes or fist bumps when sharing the Peace for the next 5 weeks (through the month of February). None of us wants to catch the flu or infect others!

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