A Message from Pastor Dave
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“Okay campers, rise, and shine, and don't forget your booties ‘cause it’s cold out there… it’s cold out there every day.” – Groundhog Day
December 8 is listed on my calendar as National “Pretend to be Time Traveler” Day AND National Brownie Day! Fun!
Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day suggests wearing clothes from the past (no, not your underwear from yesterday); and it invites people to be appropriately confused by certain technology. Like technology from the stone age – oh cool!, a Paleolithic hand axe! Over the years I’ve read time travel books including A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle; The Time Machine by H.G. Wells (both books I read with a book club I was in); The Magic Treehouse series by Mary Pope Osborne (read with my kids); A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain (read in high school). A lot of you think we read from a time travel book every Sunday in worship because of how ancient and out-of-touch-with-our-culture Jeremiah and John the Baptist and Jesus all seem. A lot of us have also enjoyed time-travel movies like “Groundhog Day,” “Back to the Future,” and “Star Wars”/ “Star Trek.” And maybe you’ve seen or been interested in seeing “Manifest” on Netflix which is being watched by David Wagoner’s Sunday school class. So while you’re pretending with me, while eating a brownie of course, where would you travel to? Back in time or forward in time? What is your favorite Time Traveler story or movie?
But let’s flip the script for a moment. Let’s reverse the directional arrow of our time travel. Let’s remember today, and these Advent days, that - while we look back (travel back?) to Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem, and while we look ahead (travel forward) and prepare to celebrate Christ - mass 2021, and while we travel even further forward (we might hope) to look for Christ to “come again in glory to judge the living and the dead” (Nicene Creed) – let’s remember that it is always God moving towards us, coming to us, coming to dwell with us (John 1, Revelation 21), coming to be God with us (Emmanuel).
This stubborn, insistent, tenacious time-traveling God incarnate, is the Light of the world that keeps overcoming darkness, is the joy in the morning following a night of weeping. It’s the resilience of God’s kingdom rushing toward you, toward me, toward the whole world in love. It’s persistent perseverance and pursuit is fueled by the power of God’s Holy Spirit. Take hold of it again this day, this December 8, this “day that the LORD has made; rejoice and be glad in it,” for this kingdom has no end! It is never down for the count, never hopelessly stuck, never without resurrection.
So - Happy “Pretend to be a Time Traveler” Day! Godspeed in your travels. And, if you are Barb Glauer or Cooper Hatch - Happy Birthday today! Maybe you’ll receive a DeLorean time capsule (from Amazon) filled with baby photos and a recording of your first coos and cries; and a brownie with a candle on top. An Advent candle. Let your light shine as you travel back and/or forward with the grace of Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the power of the Spirit!
When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law.
Galatians 4:4-5

A Message from Pastor Vern

Happy first day of December!

Can you believe that we are in the last month of 2021 already?!

This past week (like most, if not all of y’all) I celebrated Thanksgiving with part of my family through sharing a big meal together. Turkey, gravy, beans, sweet potato casserole (3 or 4 different casseroles to be correct), deviled eggs, mac n’ cheese, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, blueberry “fluff,” all the fixings were there! Before that meal was shared though, there was an important step in the process. All that delicious food had to be “prepared.”

About a year ago now, Mandy and I moved to Mooresville. Into our first home: a house and plot of land that had our names attached to it. Moving to Mooresville was exciting. With the excitement of a new adventure and call to Mooresville, I wish I could say that all of our stuff just magically appeared in the new house. That just wasn’t the case. There was a lot of work to “prepare” before moving: packing and labeling boxes, deciding what to keep and what not to keep, holy conversations to have with folks that we had met and that had been influential in our lives while we were in Davidson County, there were movers to line up (twice actually), and of course all the fun phone calls to the post office, the utility companies, and other providers to let them know “Hey, we’re moving.” Not to mention, before the move there was also painting to be done in the new house, appliances to be procured, more of the “fun” of moving. All that “preparing” paid off and we made it all in one piece to Mooresville, thank you God!

To brag on my better half for a moment, Mandy this past year began her career in pediatric occupational therapy. However, before she could begin practicing her calling with her kiddos, she had to do a lot of work to “prepare” for her career: commuting back and forth to school, classes, exams, internships, more classes, more exams, board examinations, interviews, and onboarding at an employer.

On June 15, 2018 in Grace Chapel at Lenoir-Rhyne University, I was ordained as a rostered minister of word and sacrament in the ELCA. There was A LOT of “preparing” that preceded that ordination, that public affirmation of my calling to love and lead God’s people. From the summer of 2014, beginning “summer Greek,” my first seminary class, to approval by the faculty of LTSS and the SC synod of the ELCA, there were years of academic learning, spiritual discernment, and experiential learning that helped “prepare” me for ministry.

Last week, after that Thanksgiving meal was prepared, love and food were shared by all who ate that meal. Every day since the moving vans left and boxes began to be unpacked, love has been a cornerstone of the Kinard home. In the learning and adapting to various activities of daily living, Mandy shares her love and compassion with her pediatric clients and their families. And thanks be to God that the Spirit continues to move, allowing me opportunities to love and serve with you all
at St. Mark’s!

There is a common denominator to all of these stories… From a season of “preparation,” comes a season for love to be seen, felt, and known.

And that, my friends, is the story of Advent!

Advent is a season of preparing and anticipating the joy of Christmas. In this season we are preparing and anticipating the celebration of God’s love for us that takes on our humanity and is revealed in Jesus. The wonder of Christmas is again returning to the barn in Bethlehem where we hear and see how deep God’s love for us is; a love so deep that it takes on the fullness of our human experience (eventually even death), wrapped in bands of cloth, and laid in a manger, so that with hope that we might know that in our experience (in our life and in our death) God is with us. And like the bands of cloth that surrounded the baby Jesus, God’s love surrounds and embraces us.

So, my friends, for the next 24 days how are you preparing for the anticipated celebration of Christmas? How are you sharing or experiencing the gift of love this Advent? And how might God be calling all of us at St. Mark’s to proclaim the gift of love that we celebrate in 24 days into the world now, next year, and for years to come?

O come, O come, Emmanuel.
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-Pastor Vern

A Message from Pastor Dave
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Thank you God for the cosmos and all colors. Thank you God for pumpkins, pecans, potatoes (sweet) and all the delicious foods of this season. Thank you God for the farmers and gardens, the soil and harvesters, bakers and cooks and for daily bread. Thank you God for grandma’s recipes. Thank you God for family and faith, freedom and friendships. Thank you God for words and wonders, water and thunder, the seen and unseen. Thank you God for birth and baptism; for voices of laughter and hearts of love and hands of labor. Thank you God for treasures and genes, music and mercy, St. Mark’s and all saints. Thank you God for my dad’s birth on this day. Thank you God for those who serve and for first responders and Psalm 23. Thank you God for trees and shelter, home and homecomings. Thank you God for your most gracious gifts and forgiveness of our sins and Jesus, Savior, Emmanuel and the Holy Spirit. – Pastor Dave (2021)

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:4-7
To be grateful is to recognize the love of God in everything. - Thomas Merton, Thoughts in Solitude (1956)

Continue / To let gratitude be the pillow / Upon which you kneel to / Say your nightly prayer / And let faith be the bridge / You build to overcome evil / And welcome good
- Maya Angelou, “Continue” (2016)

Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow. - Melody Beattie, The Language of Letting Go: Daily Meditations for Codependents (1990)

O my God, let me, with thanksgiving, remember, and confess unto Thee Thy mercies on me. - St. Augustine of Hippo, Confessions (c. 397-400)

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom He has redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. - Psalm 107:1-3

15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. 16 He prostrated himself at Jesus’[f] feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus asked, “Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? 18 Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 Then he said to him, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.” - Luke 17

I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have graciously kept me this day; and I pray that You would forgive me all my sins where I have done wrong, and graciously keep me this night. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen. - Martin Luther

A Message from Pastor Dave

​Thank you St. Mark’s for your worship, welcome, and witness, especially over the last several weeks that included Reformation/Confirmation, All Saints, and New Members Sundays! We remembered our baptism into Christ Jesus, celebrated and blessed nine confirmands, remembered the blessings of the Saints who lived and served among us, and we welcomed new co-workers into this faith place. Emmie Wemyss was also baptized on November 13 and this weekend we will welcome Mia Alexandra Hatch and Sloan Ivy Cooper into the body of Christ through Holy Baptism! We worship, welcome, and witness with faith, hope and love in Jesus’ name.
Jesus has shown us how to do this, as have others. If All Saints Sunday had not changed the lectionary, we would have read Mark 12:41-44. Those verses tell the story of a poor widow who came to the Temple and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. Jesus watched her, then said to his disciples, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on."
The widow is an excellent example of worship, witness and faith, hope and love. Who does she remind you of, widowed or single, young or old? Who do you think of – in addition to yourself – as someone who is a model of worship, welcome, witness, faith, hope and love? How often have we heard the widow’s story, and then increased our weekly contribution a few dollars? What this woman did seems to us a leap of faith—a giant mighty leap—and we do not know what happened to her or her copper coins after that. We also are asked to take leaps of faith in our lives, sometimes with our money, sometimes with other parts of our lives. Perhaps that leap is to reach out and get to know a confirmand or a new member, to walk with them in faith, hope, and love. Perhaps it is to contribute a special Thanksgiving offering or year-end financial gift. Like the widow, we often do not know whether our contribution or our actions were beneficial to others or not. Or we may only find out years later. That is also faith and hope. Hope that we were able to help and faith that it was the right thing to do at the right time.
Thank you for returning your “Committed & Engaged” forms for 2022. Thank you for your participation at the Congregation Meeting this past Sunday. Thank you for your worship, welcome and witness, your faith, hope and love. You, the Communion of Saints, make a difference in the life of St. Mark’s, in the lives of the baptized, and in the kingdom of God.
-Pastor Dave

A Message from Pastor Vern

“I want you to know all about Christ’s love, although it is too wonderful to be measured. Then your lives will be filled with all that God is.” (Ephesians 3:19)

Love…. Christ’s love…. When you think about that love, the love of Jesus, what comes to mind? Maybe it’s a spouse or partner. Maybe it’s the wisdom of a family member or neighbor that was shared with you sitting on front porch swing one Carolina summer evening. Maybe Christ’s love takes you to that view of standing in the surf looking out to the horizon at the beach, or the endless canvass of those rolling blue ridge mountains from a cabin. Maybe Christ’s love is in the smell and taste of granny’s apple dumplings or broccoli casserole. Maybe Christ’s love is that classmate that cried with you when your teammate died in an accident. Maybe Christ’s love is in the pastor, counselor, or friend who held space with you as you opened up for the first time about your parent who abused you at home, or helped guide you through the conversation of if your marriage be reconciled or not. Maybe Christ’s love surrounds you in the melody of singing “Thine is the Glory” on an Easter morning or “Silent Night” in the darkness of a candlelit room at Christmas where the only discernable color was the vibrant red of 100 poinsettias.

Has an experience or moment been triggered in your mind? An experience where Christ’s love was palpable? Ephesians 3:19 is an invitation to experience the boundless love of Jesus, so wonderful that it can’t be measured. This Ephesians text is also the central text for an experience that several of our young people at St. Mark’s are going to have the opportunity to take part in - The ELCA Youth Gathering in the summer of 2022.

Next summer, thousands of 8th-12th graders from all across the country will gather in the Lutheran mecca known as Minneapolis/ St. Paul, Minnesota, at US Bank field (home of the Minnesota Vikings) where they will have the opportunity, the experience to hear, see, know, and feel Christ’s boundless love for them through worship, through service, through prayer, and through building and nurturing relationships.

My hope and prayer is that just as that moment that came to your mind earlier that you quickly recalled, that moment of knowing Christ’s love, this experience, this Youth Gathering will be one of those moments in the minds of our young people for the rest of their lives where they say - “There, at US Bank field, in Minneapolis, in the summer of 2022, that is where I experienced Christ’s love.”
In months to come you are going to hear A LOT about Youth Gathering. You will have an opportunity to be a part of making this experience a reality for 8th-12th graders at St. Mark’s. We will need your prayers, your financial generosity and participation in fundraising, your encouragement and words of support, all so that just as you were able to recall that moment where Christ’s boundless love flooded your memory, together we can create that experience for Christ’s boundless love to be experienced by some of the youth among us.

Think again about that moment where you experienced Christ’s love… and know that love that you felt then, is with you right now, wherever you are, and is with you wherever you go.

Peace to you in the boundless love of Christ,
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Pastor Vern

A Message from Pastor Dave
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Mark Relyea spoke Sunday about being called. His story and his words were heartfelt about how he was called to follow Christ with Young Life and with St. Mark’s Lutheran Church. Thank you, Mark, for sharing that. You gave and give us a good example of following and serving – using your gifts in finance to help the church, using your gifts in faith, hope and love to help your family and neighbors.

Nine young people were confirmed this past Sunday. They listened to Mark. They heard about being called too. Mara, Kaelyn, Brooklynn, Maggie, Niko, Charlie, Benjamin, Jacob, and Liam – all gifted by God and blessed with the Holy Spirit to “serve all people following the example of Christ Jesus.” (Affirmation of Baptism promise #4). “Do you intend to continue in the covenant God made with you in holy baptism?” They responded:” I will and I ask God to help and guide me.”

During the Reformation, Martin Luther argued that a HOLY CALLING was not just reserved for those in ordained ministry; it belonged to everyone. We call it the “priesthood of all believers.” Too often we reduce the meaning of that to ministry done by lay people at, with, and for the church. Yes, you are valued and needed here at St. Mark’s!

However, Luther also stated that this holy calling extended far beyond church and into our homes, workplaces, and neighborhoods – that we could and can and do serve Christ in a variety of ways and places. He lifted up his wife Katie as one of many role models living out a holy calling. In Ruth Tucker’s “First Lady of the Reformation” she writes: Katie “was a farmer and a brewer with a boarding house the size of Holiday Inn. All that with a large family and nursing responsibilities. She was far more than a simple housewife. In reality, she was what we would consider today a manager of a mid-size business with low intensity production.”
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Jesus, Mark, Martin and Katie are all inviting us this November to consider how, when, where, and to what we are called; how we will serve the Lord again this day. Good and Gifted Confirmands and Good and Gifted Church – to be honest – You are needed to serve Christ in, with, and through St. Mark’s AND You are needed to serve Christ in your home and workplace and world!
Let’s take our lead from the confirmands and also answer affirmatively: I will and I ask God to help and guide me with my financial commitment to St. Mark’s; with my physical commitment to St. Mark’s; with my spiritual commitment to St. Mark’s; and in my personal commitment to Jesus Christ, I will do my part with “Thy Kingdom come; Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

A Message from Pastor Vern

For the past two days one of the hymns from the WOV (Hymn 783, to be exact) that I remember singing as an anthem in the children’s choir at Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in Newberry has played on repeat in my head. It’s based off of the Matthew 7 “Ask, Seek, Knock” text. The hymn reads, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and its righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. Al-le-lu, al-le-lu-ia. Ask and it shall be given unto you; seek and you shall find; knock and the door shall be opened unto you. Al-le-lu, Al-le-lu-ia.”

Thinking about this text, Jesus challenged those who heard him live and in stereo, and Jesus challenges us today to “activate” faith. Ask, seek, knock - these are all action words. And if three actions words in a row isn’t direct enough, Jesus follows this statement in the Gospel of Matthew with another action word - “Do.” If the Bible you use has subtitles, it would be titled The Golden Rule - “In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets.”
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Last night we had an important Council meeting at St. Mark’s. Council started articulating its vision for ministry next year, specifically through financial planning. 2022 will be here before we know it, friends. And in the closing weeks of 2021, maybe this text from Matthew 7 is helpful to hear again.
Now is a good time to ask, “What is the Spirit inviting us into through our ministry together?” “What goals do we seek to accomplish in the coming year?” “What barriers are God calling us to knock down, or new doors to open?” What other action words is Jesus calling us to see; to be; to do as St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Mooresville, NC and in our greater mission as the body of Christ in the world?

One more note about the “Seek Ye First” hymn. Each verse concludes with the same phrase, “Al-le-lu, Al-le-lu-ia.” Alleluia means “Give thanks/ give praise to God.” I pray that in all of our words, and in all of our actions, that we think, we say, we do, from a place of giving thanks to God for the ways that we are continually and abundantly blessed to participate in sharing and being signs of God’s love.

-Pastor Vern

A Message from Pastor Dave

We share our mutual woes,
our mutual burdens bear,
and often for each other flows
the sympathizing tear.
From sorrow, toil, and pain,
and sin we shall be free;
and perfect love and friendship reign
through all eternity.
(by John Fawcett, 1782. ELW 656, Verses 3-4)

These concluding verses are from the last hymn we sang Sunday, Oct. 3.
We speak of God as a God of relationship. (See Psalm 8 from Sunday too).
We are formed in creation for community. And God uses our community – our church, our family, our friendship circles – to witness to the best of God’s love and care for creation and for one another.

In the best cases:

God’s people share their mutual woes in order to help support one another and edify the community as a whole.
God’s people share their mutual burdens in order to lighten their loads together.
God’s people share their griefs in order to cry together.
One of the saddest things I’ve known are congregations that cannot model the reality of a loving community. And some of my most blessed moments have been the expressions of love in faith-filled congregations.
What woes do you need support for today? What burdens can we help one another lessen? For what griefs can we share a sympathizing tear or ear?
Care and compassion is the work of our Lutheran Christian community.
Can you help with that today for someone else? How? Who?
Let us together look forward to the final freedom from sorrow, toil, pain, and sin, - when perfect love and friendship will reign through all eternity - by the grace of God, who unites us all in Jesus’ name.

Let us pray.

God of Community, make us living witnesses to your heavenly reality. Today we include in prayers your creation, and those in our community including Guil, Jim, Ken, Wendy, Carol, Herb, Dovie, Janet, Martha, and all those we now name aloud or silently.