Author: Pastor Aleese Kenitzer

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Worship:Abiding in Christ to Bear Fruit

John 15:1-8 | Vines. Here in Iowa, some vines are invasive, taking over everything in their path. But other vines – like grapevines or clematis bushes – have a purpose. Their purpose is to bear fruit – whether that’s an edible fruit or something that adds beauty to creation. But for vines to bear fruit, they need to be connected to their base. In the same way, as disciples of Jesus, and also as the church, our purpose is to bear fruit. But without first abiding in our vine – Jesus Christ – and without allowing the Holy Spirit to prune and shape us, we cannot live out our purpose in God’s Kingdom. So as we continue through the Easter season, join us for worship, as we once again are given the invitation to abide in Christ as he abides in us, and as we are sent forth to live out our purpose in God’s garden.

Sunday, April 28, 2024, Fifth Sunday of Easter Bulletin

Copyright acknowledgments: Music covered under Augsburg Fortress License #SB135131, CCLI License #1141706, One License #738128-A. Scripture from New Revised Standard Version Bible, © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. Prelude: There is a Fountain. Text and Music: Mark Hayes. Text and Music: © 2014 The Lorenz Publishing Corporation. Covered under One License subscription. Gathering Song: Now the Green Blade Rises. Text and Music: John MacLeod Campell Crum, NOEL NOUVELET, French Carol. Text and Music: © 1928 Oxford University Press. Covered under One License subscription. Hymn of the Day: O Blessed Spring. Text and Music: Susan Palo Cherwien, Robert Buckley Farlee. Text and Music: © 1993 Augsburg Fortress Publishers. Covered under One License subscription. Offering Song: Just As I Am. Text and Music: Mark Hayes. Text and Music: © 2022 The Lorenz Publishing Corporation. Covered under One License subscription. Communion Song: Vine and Branches. Text and Music: Trevor Thomson. Text and Music: © 2012 spiritandsong.com. Covered under CCLI subscription. Sending Song: Alleluia! Jesus is Risen! Text and Music: Herbert F. Brokering, David N. Johnson. Text and Music: © 1968, 1995 Augsburg Fortress Publishers. Covered under One License subscription.

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Blog: Sheep or Shepherds?

This past Sunday we celebrated both the gift of baptism as Gracelynn was baptized, and we also commemorated Good Shepherd Sunday. On such a day, we recall that we have been gathered into God’s fold as sheep, and we are united with all in the flock of Christ. 

So are we sheep, or are we shepherds? 

Really, we’re both. First and foremost, Jesus Christ is our Good Shepherd and is the one who laid down his life for us so that we might belong to God, and so that we might have abundant life. And as such, as Psalm 100 tells us, “we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture” (Psalm 100:3). But now, having been brought into the fold of Christ, we are also the ones sent to be shepherds by devoting ourselves to one another in community and by creating spaces of belonging for all God’s people. 

There’s no question about it: so many people in our society are longing for a place to belong. People want to seen for who they are, and people crave a “crew” to call their own. So what would it be like for us, in the way we live together as a community of faith (and as we live together across congregational lines) to model what it means to be devoted to one another in community? What would it be like for us live into our responsibility to each other as fellow sheep in God’s pasture? 

It may sound strange to hear that we have a responsibility to each other in a congregation, let alone in the body of Christ. But connect it for a moment to a family unit: in a family unit, it’s likely you have responsibilities that don’t only impact you, but impact others. And your commitment to those responsibilities won’t only positively or negativesly impact you, but will impact others in your family. 

In the same way, even in the church – in the body of Christ – we belong to each other. And because of that, we have a responsibility to each and every person in God’s flock, and a responsibility to each and every person who is not yet in this flock. 

So…are you a sheep or are you a shepherd? This week, I encourage you to be both. Be God’s sheep. And live as a fellow sheep alongside the other sheep of God’s pasture. And, live as a shepherd: upholding your responsibility to care and nurture those in God’s flock, and those who are still seeking the depth of God’s belonging. 

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Worship: Belong

John 10:11-18 | Belonging. The word may simply refer to the ownership of property, or, may refer to an intent for acceptance and inclusion. More and more within society, groups have made efforts to create a space of “belonging.” But in Christ, belonging goes to the next level. For in Christ, belonging is not simply being a part of a group, but as the Gospel of John points us to, belonging is an experience of God’s abundant life – now, and into the future. So this weekend, as we witness God’s gift of grace poured out in baptism, drawing us to God’s self, join us for worship as we are invited to belong to Christ as a part of God’s flock, and as we are invited to belong to one another in community.

Sunday, April 21, 2024, Fourth Sunday of Easter Bulletin

Copyright acknowledgments: Music covered under Augsburg Fortress License #SB135131, CCLI License #1141706, One License #738128-A. Scripture from New Revised Standard Version Bible, © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. Prelude: Morning Has Broken. Text and Music: Larry Shackley. Text and Music: © 2001, 2013 Hope Publishing Company. & Children’s Medley. Text and Music: Mark Hayes. Text and Music: © Lifeway Christian Resources. Covered under One License subscription.
Gathering Song: Have No Fear Little Flock. Text and Music: Marjorie Jillson, Heinz Werner Zimmerman. Text and Music: © 1974 Concordia Publishing House. Covered under One License subscription. Hymn of the Day: Children of the Heavenly Father. Text and Music: Ernst W. Olson. Text and Music: © 1925, 1953 Augsburg Fortress Publishers. Covered under One License subscription. Offering Song: Child Of the Water. Text and Music: Hans Peterson, Larry Olson, David Lee Brown. Text and Music: © 1998 Dakota Road Music. Covered under One License subscription. Communion Song: Agnus Dei. Text and Music: Michael W. Smith. Text and Music: © 1990 Sony/ATV Milene Music (Admin. by Sony/ATV Music Publishing. Covered under CCLI subscription. Sending Song: Praise the Lord, Rise Up Rejoicing. Text and Music: H.C.A. Gaunt, Public Domain. Text and Music: © 1978 Oxford University Press. Covered under One License subscription.

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Blog: You Are Witnesses Of These Things

When you hear the word “witness” what immediately comes to mind?

For some, the word “witness” is related to a courtroom setting in which a “witness” is brought to the stand and testifies to what they’ve seen and heard in a specific incident. Whereas for others, the word “witness” might carry a negative connotation in which someone is pushing another to be convinced of a certain way of believing, or a certain way of life. 

There’s a whole spectrum of what it means to “witness” and what it means to be a “witness.” So when Jesus tells us in our Gospel reading from this past Sunday that we are “witnesses” of these things, what does that mean? And, what have we witnessed? 

Well, going back to the courtroom analogy, to be a witness for Jesus is testify to what we have seen, heard, and experienced. That may be pointing to the story of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. But even more so, we are called to testify to how we, ourselves, have experienced God’s resurrection in our lives. That is, we are called to give voice to how Christ has freed us, how God has surrounded us with peace, and how the Spirit has liberated us to new life…perhaps in ways we can’t even imagine. In short: we are called to testify to the ways that God is still moving and working within us, within the church, and within the world. That is our witness today. 

So as we move into the season of Easter, I invite you to consider for yourself: what story would you share about how Christ has given you new life? Or, what experience might you share in which God’s faithfulness to you was palpable? And as an extension of your personal reflection, I also invite you to consider: what stories you would point to that illustrate God’s continued work through this congregation, Shepherd of the Cross. I am convinced that God is still moving among us, and is ever breathing new life into us. So, if that is the case, how might we witness to what God is doing, here in this place?

God is up to something, even when we cannot percieve it, and even when we cannot understand it. But guided by the Spirit, and drawn into the presence of Christ, we trust that we will be given language to articulate what it is that we’ve experienced and given language to articulate the impact of Jesus Christ on our lives. 

So what does it mean to be a witness? It means to testify. And what are we witnessing to? Sure, we are witnessing to Christ. But we do so by witnessing to the power of Christ within our lives, within the world, and within the church…ever moving and ever rejuvenating us, day after day. 

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Worship: Repetition of Life in Christ

Luke 24:36b-48 | Not too long after Jesus appeared to his disciples after his resurrection, he boldly told them, “You are witnesses of these things.” But before sending them out as witnesses, Jesus offers them God’s peace, he invites them to come close to him, and he opens their minds to understand the Scriptures and all that has taken place. In the same way, Jesus comes and seeks us out today. And even before sending us out as witnesses, first, Jesus speaks God’s peace upon us, draws us in close, and invites us to create space so that our minds and hearts may be opened to understand not only the Scriptures, but also what God is doing in our midst. So, as we continue to gather this Easter season, join us as we trust Christ’s presence in the midst of us, preparing us to go out as witnesses in his name.

Sunday, April 14, 2024, Third Sunday of Easter Bulletin

Copyright acknowledgments: Music covered under Augsburg Fortress License #SB135131, CCLI License #1141706, One License #738128-A. Scripture from New Revised Standard Version Bible, © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. Prelude: Higher Ground. Text and Music: Mark Hayes. Text and Music: © 2006 The Lorenz Publishing Corporation. Covered under One License subscription. Gathering Song: O God, Who Gives Us Life. Text and Music: Carl P. Daw, Jr. Text and Music: © 1990 Hope Publishing Company. Covered under One License subscription. Hymn of the Day: As We Gather at Your Table. Text and Music: Carl P. Daw, Jr. Text and Music: © 1989 Hope Publishing Company. Covered under One License subscription. Offering Song: Magnificat Fugue. Text and Music: Johann Pachelbel, 1653-1706. Text and Music: Public Domain. Sending Song: Let Us Talents and Tongues Employ. Text and Music: Fred Kaan/Doreen Potter. Text and Music: © 1975 Hope Publishing Company. Covered under One License subscription.

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Blog: Clothed in Christ’s Resurrection

Since Easter Sunday, you likely noticed that our altar looks different than normal. Similar to last year, we transformed the altar to resemble Christ’s tomb, and on top of the altar we’ve placed our funeral pall. 

That’s right: on top of our altar is a piece of cloth that’s intended to drape caskets at funerals. Which, at first, it might seem like an odd thing to see in worship outside of a funeral…especially during the season of Easter. Because isn’t Easter supposed to be a season of resurrection and new life? Not a season that reminds us of death? 

Yes. But, without death, there cannot be new life. And, the funeral pall is a sign of new life. At the beginning of many funeral services, we hear these words (referencing Romans 8:4-5):

When we were baptized into Christ Jesus, we were baptized into his death. We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live a new life. For as people united with Christ in a death like his, and as people clothed with Christ, we shall certainly be united with Christ in a resurrection like his.

The pall that we place on caskets is physical act of draping our loved ones in their baptismal garments. It is not on our own merit that we receive eternal and abundant life. But clothed in Christ, God’s life becomes our life. 

So though it seems odd, to drape our altar with a funeral pall is actually quite appropriate. In the Eucharist, we believe that Jesus Christ – as our crucified and risen Lord – is present to us. And through his death and resurrection, the sacrament we receive offers us grace, hope, healing, forgiveness, and life everlasting. 

So next time you’re in worship, take a moment to reflect on our altar for the season of Easter. Reflect on how you have been united with Christ through his death and resurrection and how you have been clothed with Christ in your baptism. And as you receive the elements of communion, give thanks that God’s promises to you are not merely words…but a lived reality as we go forth forgiven, healed, and filled with life. 

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Blog: The Unfinished Story of the Resurrection

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! This past Sunday we exclaimed with shouts of joy that God has triumphed over sin, death, and the devil. Nothing is impossible with God, and because of Christ’s life, death, and ressurection, we have been given new and abundant life. 

So now what do we do with this message? 

It’s a good question, because even the women who came to the tomb on that first Easter Sunday didn’t quite know what to do with what they’d seen and heard. Understandably, they were afraid and their terror paralyzed them. But eventually, eventually, they must’ve said something to somebody. Otherwise, we would not be telling the story of Easter still today. 

In the Gospel of Mark, the story of Jesus ends on a note of apprehension. Unlike other Gospels, we never hear about Jesus appearing to his disciples, and we never know for sure if the women did anything with what they heard. But I wonder if Mark intentionally wrote his Gospel that way as an invitaiton for us – for you – to join in the ongoing story of Christ’s resurrection. Yes, the ongoing story. Because Christ’s ressurrection is not just something that happened thousands of years ago. Christ’s resurrection is a mystery that, now, we are called to participate in as we become co-writers along with God (and Mark!) – writing the story of God’s resurrection in our lives, in the world, and within the church. 

So as we move away from Easter Sunday, take the mystery of the resurrection with you. And, take up the story of Christ’s life into your own life as you join with Christ in co-writing the story of God’s grace in the world. It’s not that God couldn’t write the ending of the story on God’s own. But it is God’s longing for us to discover this story for ourselves, and to add our own unique flair to this ongoing story…a story that will never grow old, and a story that will never be finished until Christ comes again. 

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Worship: The Unfinished Story of the Resurrection

Mark 16:1-8 | Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! Today, with the whole church we shout our praise to our Lord who has risen victorious over sin, death, and the devil. Jesus has triumphed over all things, giving life to all the world. Each Easter, this news is proclaimed with acclamation, and each year, many gather in worship of our crucified and risen Lord. But then what? What happens after the service, after the lilies have faded, after the ham is eaten, and after we return to our day-to-day lives? Well, taking a cue from Mark’s account of the resurrection, that is where our work begins as we become people who are co-writing the story of Christ’s resurrection in our lives, in the world, and in the church. So as we rise this Easter to the dawn of another new day, join us for worship as we hear again the Gospel message of Christ’s resurrection, and as we are sent forth to continue the story of God’s resurrection promise…here and now.

Sunday, March 31, 2024, Easter Sunday Bulletin

Copyright acknowledgments: Music covered under Augsburg Fortress License #SB135131, CCLI License #1141706, One License #738128-A. Scripture from New Revised Standard Version Bible, © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. Prelude: Prelude and Fugue in C Major. Text and Music: Johann Sebastian Bach. Text and Music: Public Domain. & Magnificat Fugue. Text and Music: Johann Pachelbel, 1653-1706. Text and Music: Public Domain. Gathering Song: Jesus Christ Is Risen Today. Text: Latin carol, 14th cent., sts. 1-3; tr. J. Walsh, Lyra Davidica, 1708, alt.; Charles Wesley, 1707-1788, st.4. Music: J. Walsh, Lyra Davidica, 1708. Text and Music: Public Domain. Hymn of the Day: Christ is Risen! Alleluia! Text: John S, B, Monsell, 1811-1875, alt. Music: Frederick C. maker, 1844-1927. Text & Music: Public Domain. Offering Song: There Is a Fountain. Text and Music: Mark Hayes. Text and Music:© 2014 The Lorenz Corporation (admin. by Music Services) All Rights Reserved. ASCAP. Covered under One License subscription. Communion Song: The Strife is O’er, the Battle Done. Text: Symphonia Sirenum, Köln, 1695; tr. Francis Pott, 1832-1909. Music: Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, 1525-1594; arr. William H. Monk, 1823-1889. Text and Music: Public Domain. & Here, at your Table, Lord. Text & Music: Mark Hayes. Text and Music: © 2016 The Lorenz Publishing Corporation. Covered under One License subscription. & Jesus, Keep me Near the Cross. Text: Fanny J. Crosby, 1820-1915. Music: William H. Doane, 1832-1915. Text and Music: Public Domain. & There in God’s Garden. Text: Kiraly Imre von Pecselyi, c. 1590-c. 1641; tr. Erick Routley, 1917-1982. Music: K Lee Scott, b. 1950. Text: © 1976 Hinshaw Music, Inc. Music: © 1987 Birnamwood Publications, a div. of Morningstar Music Publishers, Inc. Covered under One License subscription. & I Want Jesus to Walk with Me. Text and Music: African American spiritual. Text and Music: © 2006 Augsburg Fortress. Covered under One License subscription.
Sending Song: Now All the Vault of Heaven Resounds. Text: Paul Z. Strodach, 1876-1947, alt. Music: Geistliche Kirchengesänge, Köln, 1623. Text: © 1958 Service Book and Hymnal, admin. Augsburg Fortress. Covered under One License subscription. Postlude: Psalm XIX. Text & Music: Benedetto Marcelo, 1686-1739. Text and Music: Public Domain.

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Worship: Beneath the Cross of Jesus

John 18-19|This Friday is named “Good Friday” in the life of the church. On the surface, there is seemingly nothing “good” about this day. It’s a day filled with darkness; it’s a day filled with the depth of humanity’s brokenness and deception; it’s a day filled with seemingly the absence of God’s light. And yet, even in the darkness, and even as we look upon Christ as he is raised upon the cross, there we find the truth of God, and there we find the depth of God’s covenant with us and with all creation. So join us for worship as we remember the sacred story of Christ’s passion, as we recall our sin and brokenness, and as we wait and watch – with patience – for the dawn of God’s light.

Friday, March 29, 2024, Good Friday Bulletin

Copyright acknowledgments: Music covered under Augsburg Fortress License #SB135131, CCLI License #1141706, One License #738128-A. Scripture from New Revised Standard Version Bible, © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. Prelude: I Surrender All. Text and Music: Mary Hayes. Text and Music: © 1993 Shawnee Press. Covered under One License subscription. Gathering Hymn: O Sacred Head, Now Wounded. Text: Paul Gerhardt, 1607-1676, based on Arnulf of Louvain, d. 1250; tr, composite. Music: German melody, c. 1500; adapt. Hans Leo Hassler, 1564-1612; arr, Johann Sebastian Bach, 1685-1750. Text and Music: Public Domain.
Hymn: Jesus I Will Ponder Now. Text: Sigismund von Birken, 1626-1681; tr. August Crull, 1846-1923, alt. Music: Melchior Vulpius, 1570-1615. Text and Music: Public Domain. Hymn: Ah Holy Jesus. Text: Johann Heermann, 1585-1647; tr. Robert Bridges, 1844-1930, alt. Music: Johann Crüger, 1598-1662. Text and Music: Public Domain. Hymn: Go to Dark Gethsemane. Text: James Montgomery, 1771-1854. Music: Richard Redhead, 1820-1901. Text and Music: Public Domain. Hymn: Alas, And Did My Savior Bleed. Text: Isaac Watts, 1674-1748, alt. Music: Hugh Wilson, 1764-1824. Text and Music: Public Domain.
Hymn: Were You There. Text and Music: African American spiritual. Music: © 1999 Augsburg Fortress. Covered under One License subscription.
Hymn: When I Survey the Wondrous Cross. Text:Isaac Watts, 1674-1748. Music: Lowell Mason, 1792-1872. Text and Music: Public Domain.

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Worship: Interruption of Love

John 13:1-17, 31b-35 | To gather for worship on a Thursday isn’t “normal.” Indeed, it might feel like an interruption to our weekly rhythm. In the same way, the entire week of Holy Week may feel like an interruption in our calendar and in our lives. And yet, it is through interruption that God gets our attention. On the eve of Christ’s betrayal and arrest, Jesus captures the attention of the disciples as he got up from the table and started washing their feet. No one expected it. And it clearly interrupted dinner. But that interruption sent the disciples, and us, on a different trajectory. So, as we begin our trek through the Great Three Days, take an hour out of your day to join us for worship as we receive the interruption of God’s love given to us, and as we are challenged to allow our lives to be interrupted as we share Christ’s love with those around us. 

Thursday, March 28, 2024, Maundy Thursday Bulletin

Copyright acknowledgments: Music covered under Augsburg Fortress License #SB135131, CCLI License #1141706, One License #738128-A. Scripture from New Revised Standard Version Bible, © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. Prelude: Oh Sacred Head Now Wounded. Text and Music: Rudy Davenport. Text and Music: Public Domain.
Gathering Hymn: Just As I Am, without One Plea. Text: Charlotte Elliott, 1789-1871. Music: William B Bradbery, 1816-1868. Text and Music: Public Domain. Confession and Forgiveness: I Have Decided To Follow Jesus. Text and Music: Mark Hayes. Text and Music: © 2013 The Lorenz Publishing Corporation. Covered under One License subscription. Hymn of the Day: Love Consecrates the Humblest Act. Text: Silas B. McManus, 1845-1917. Music: German melody, 18th cent.; adapt. X.L. Hartig, Melodien zum Mainzer Gesangbuche, 1833. Text and Music: © 2012 MorningStar Music Publishers/Birnamwood Publications. Covered under One License subscription. Offering: My Shepherd Will Supply My Need. Text and Music: Mark Hayes. Text and Music: © 2006 The Lorenz Publishing Corporation. Covered under One License subscription. Communion Song: Lamb of God. ELW Setting. Text and Music © 2022 Augsburg Fortress. & Jesus Remember Me. Text and Music: Jacques Berthier, Taizé Community. Test and Music: © 1981 Taiz , Les Presses de (North America). Covered under One é License subscription.