At Grace, we are called by God to be in the city for good! For those interested in volunteering this summer, we invite you to attend the orientation held in the North Room of Hope Hall on June 9th from 11:30a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Lunch will be served. Please RSVP at outreach@graceinthecity.com or call Clottee Hammons at 602-817-8996 if you plan to attend. View PDF flyer.
At the center of our religion, love. What heals us, love. What heals our communities, love. Also, the stated motive of most religious people, regardless of actual outcomes, love. I agree with the Beatles: “All you need is love.”
As we expectantly wait for Christmas, one persona dominates the church world, another persona our culture at large. These two prominent figures both speak of how we should act, what we should do—and the consequences if we do not. The persona of our culture at large? Who can we find everywhere at malls and on cards and sung about in songs during the month of December? Santa Claus.
How about the persona of the church world? Who is it who dominates our Advent stories? Right. John the Baptist.
People of Grace,
In this episode of The GLOW SHOW, we move away from the theme of Confounding Expectations and move towards another theme: Stories For This Time. Click the play button below and you will hear from Caleb Winebrenner, a gifted story teller and regular guest at GLOW. Caleb shares the story of one of the Bible’s most beloved characters, Ruth.
Leave us your comments and questions right here on the blog! We’d love to hear from you.
Enjoy!
In Faith,
Pastor Sarah and Vicar Beth
People of Grace,
In this episode of The GLOW SHOW, Pastor Sarah and Vicar Beth confound our religious expectations by discussing what it means to be a Lutheran. Click below to hear the cultural distinguished from the theological when defining Lutheranism, the particular theological lens through which Lutherans interpret the Bible and finally how we relate to other Lutherans from around the world.
Leave us your comments and questions right here on the blog! We’d love to hear from you.
Enjoy!
In Faith,
Pastor Sarah and Vicar Beth
Our whole world has sustained a loss: a loss of freedom, a loss of health, a loss of physical touch, maybe even the loss of a job, home, or business. We must grieve this loss. Below are the stages of grief most people go through when they mourn. You may find yourself in one of these stages, and in doing so, may better understand your own emotional and spiritual process. Though these stages are numbered, a person does not necessarily go through these stages in this order or only go through each stage once.
1. SHOCK & DENIAL
You will probably react to learning of the loss with numbed disbelief. You may deny the reality of the loss at some level, in order to avoid the pain. Shock provides emotional protection from being overwhelmed all at once. This may last for weeks.
2. PAIN & GUILT
As the shock wears off, it is replaced with the suffering of unbelievable pain. Although excruciating and almost unbearable, it is important that you experience the pain fully, and not hide it, avoid it or escape from it with alcohol or drugs. You may have guilty feelings or remorse over things you did or didn't do with your loved one. Life feels chaotic and scary during this phase.
3. ANGER & BARGAINING
Frustration gives way to anger, and you may lash out and lay unwarranted blame for the loss on someone else. Please try to control this, as permanent damage to your relationships may result. This is a time for the release of bottled up emotion. You may rail against fate, questioning "Why me?" You may also try to bargain in vain with the powers that be for a way out of your despair ("I will never drink again if you just bring him/it back").
4. DEPRESSION, REFLECTION, LONELINESS
Just when your friends may think you should be getting on with your life, a long period of sad reflection will likely overtake you. This is a normal stage of grief, so do not be "talked out of it" by well-meaning outsiders. Encouragement from others is not helpful to you during this stage of grieving. During this time, you finally realize the true magnitude of your loss, and it depresses you. You may isolate yourself on purpose, reflect on things you did with your lost one, and focus on memories of the past. You may sense feelings of emptiness or despair.
5. THE UPWARD TURN
As you start to adjust to life without your dear one, your life becomes a little calmer and more organized. Your physical symptoms lessen, and your depression begins to lift slightly.
6. RECONSTRUCTION & WORKING THROUGH
As you become more functional, your mind starts working again, and you will find yourself seeking realistic solutions to problems posed by life without your loved one/without whatever you have lost. You will start to work on practical and financial problems and reconstructing yourself and your life without him or her.
7. ACCEPTANCE & HOPE
During this, the last of the seven stages in this grief model, you learn to accept and deal with the reality of your situation. Acceptance does not necessarily mean instant happiness. Given the pain and turmoil you have experienced, you can never return to the carefree, untroubled YOU that existed before this tragedy. But you will find a way forward. You will start to look forward and actually plan things for the future. Eventually, you will be able to think about your lost loved one without pain; sadness, yes, but the wrenching pain will be gone. You will once again anticipate some good times to come, and yes, even find joy again in the experience of living.
Vicar Beth and Pastor Sarah are available to listen if you would like to talk through your own process of grief.
At this time of instability and uncertainty, many in our community are in need of food, baby formula, diapers, and wipes. If you would like to give, here are a few ways.
1) Grace is accepting donations of packaged granola bars, bags of nuts, snack crackers, and citrus from your trees. These donations are put out in a self-serve fashion for anyone who needs them each morning, Monday-Sunday, 9:00 am-12:00 pm. Call Adrienne in the church office (602-258-3787) or Pastor Sarah (602-318-6876) before you come to drop off donations. Thank you!
2) Lutheran Social Services of the Southwest (LSS-SW) is in great need of baby formula, diapers, and wipes for their foster families and families that utilize their Family Resource Centers. The address for the Phoenix LSS-SW office is 2502 E University Drive, Suite 125, Phoenix, AZ 85034, and the drop-off times are Mondays and Tuesdays, 10:00 am- 12:30 pm and 1:00 pm- 3:00 pm.
3) St. Mary’s Food Bank is open and in need of donations, both food and funds. To give food, go to this link to find your nearest drop-off location and their hours.
https://www.firstfoodbank.org/give/food/
Monetary donations can be made online at their website.
https://www.firstfoodbank.org/
The 2020 Census continues. Every ten years, the census counts everyone who lives in the United States which helps direct billions of dollars of funding for public projects like roads, schools, and emergency services. Everyone counts! Please fill out the 2020 census by going to 2020census.gov, completing the form sent to you in the mail, or by calling 844-330-2020. Then, invite your family, friends, and co-workers to do the same—through social media or simply by calling or emailing them. A possible social media post:
There’s still time to shape the future for your community. You can complete
the #2020Census now online, by phone, or by mail. Visit 2020Census.gov.
Thank you for tending your call as a community member!
People of Grace,
Pastor Sarah Stadler and Vicar Beth Gallen proudly present the second episode of The GLOW SHOW. In this episode, Pastor Sarah and Vicar Beth confound our religious expectations on how the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were composed and compiled. Click the play button to explore who authored these books, why they differ in content and style, and to hear musings on the relationship between fact and truth.
Leave us your comments and questions right here on the blog! We’d love to hear from you.
Enjoy!
In Faith,
Pastor Sarah and Vicar Beth
People of Grace,
Pastor Sarah Stadler and Vicar Beth Gallen proudly present the first episode of The GLOW SHOW. In this episode, Pastor Sarah and Vicar Beth confound our religious expectations on the book of Revelation. Click the play button below and you’ll hear a general overview of the book, it’s symbolic language and powerful imagery and finally a hearty discussion on the question we’re all asking: Are we living in the ends times?
Leave us your comments and questions right here on the blog! We’d love to hear from you.
Enjoy!
In Faith,
Pastor Sarah and Vicar Beth
Join Vicar Beth, Pastor Sarah, and others in our community for a virtual coffee hour on Sundays after worship! Below is the Zoom link. Please pop in any time between 12:30 pm and 1:30 pm to catch up with Grace friends via Zoom.
Join URL: https://zoom.us/j/828001533
Please plan to join us for Quarterly Pizza & Ministry Night on Tuesday, April 21 at 6:30 pm via Zoom! Ministry Night is an opportunity to both contribute to Grace ministry and ask questions about Grace ministry. BYOP! (Bring Your Own Pizza) Below is the Zoom link. Please contact Adrienne in the church office, Vicar Beth, or Pastor Sarah if you need help setting up Zoom on your smart phone or computer.
Join URL: https://zoom.us/j/224811068
A group of ELCA pastors and church leaders have created and shared an Easter Devotional centered on the Jesus words of comfort: Fear Not.
Sign up, and starting on Easter Sunday, April 12, you will receive your first devotion. And every morning for the seven weeks of the Easter Season, a daily dose of FEAR NOT will appear in your email inbox.
https://bit.ly/FearNot2020
Thank you to all who purchased Easter lilies for Grace’s Easter worship!
John & Linda Erickson / In memory of Palmer & Katherine Erickson
John & Linda Erickson / In memory of Esther Robbins
Cassie Harris / In memory of Fred Harris
Cassie Harris / In memory of Luke Fracker
Rita & Mike Holsten / In honor of DeLores
Ken & Evalyn Ehlen / In honor of our beautiful grandchildren
During this season of Covid-19, in lieu of a regular GLOW program, you are invited to subscribe to a new podcast called The GLOW SHOW with Pastor Sarah, Vicar Beth, and friends! For the remainder of April, we will continue our series “Confounding Our Expectations” with episodes on the book of Revelation, Hinduism, and Judaism, one 25-30 minute episode each Wednesday. In May, we’ll explore the theme of friendship.
To find the podcast, you can go to soundcloud.com or download the soundcloud app on your phone. Use the search tool which looks like a magnifying glass, and type in either “Pastor Sarah Stadler” or “Vicar Beth Gallen.” The GLOW SHOW should pop right up. We are currently working on getting the podcast to show up on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts too.
During the season of Easter, we normally read from the book of Acts and learn about the early Christian community in Sunday morning worship. With a simplified online Sunday morning worship, we are only reading the gospel. Therefore, each Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 12:00 pm via Facebook live, we will offer a short (10-15 minute) Daily Meditation on the book of Acts. Please join us!
All are welcome to participate in Grace Time Bible Study on Sundays at 9:45 am via Zoom! If you have a smart phone with wifi or data or a computer connected to the internet, you are able to participate. Please text or email Pastor Sarah if you would like to receive the link to participate.
The Garden of Grace is producing! If you are out getting groceries or completing other essential business, you are welcome to stop by the Garden of Grace to carefully harvest kale, chard, cilantro, or dill and/or to help with the weeding of the garden. In the Garden of Grace, weeds are easily identified as they are anything outside the white bags on the ground. All plants inside the white bags should stay there. If you need help identifying appropriate plants to weed or harvest, please call Pastor Sarah at 602-318-6876.
The vegetable in the photo is kale. :-)
1124 N Third Street, Phoenix, AZ 85004
