Lake Nokomis Lutheran Church

Dialogues on Race 'In the Spirit of Kinship'

1/27/2022

by Carolyn Hoolihan

This creative project was made up of seven small groups from our combination of churches: Lake Nokomis Lutheran, Spirit of St. Stephen’s Catholic Community and Living Table United Church of Christ.

During our time together we set rules to ensure respectful listening. Each session began and ended with prayer. Our learning was deepened by a visual presentation of the topic, an essay, and discussion. The essays, written by prominent Christian theologians and activists, covered issues around “race, the Bible, whiteness, African American and Native American experiences in the U.S., as well as the role of women in racial justice movements.”

Some of the cherished experiences of these sessions for us were:

Excitement to meet new friends from the other churches, and the trust we developed with one another. We were also impressed by the gripping honesty of some of our group members – sharing what they have encountered, and admitting the things we never realized.
An appreciation of the work that many in this small group have already done as well as their knowledge of resources and amazing commitment to justice.
Sharing our sorrow as we learned how our devastating systematic caste entrenchment has cruelly impacted people Christ asks us to love and serve and how the Bible has been interpreted to hold people of difference in judgment and control.
A specific essay by Jim Bear Jacobs taught us the impact of the Doctrine of Discovery, which declared that New World lands first discovered by a European Christian nation could be seized and claimed (its inhabitants and land) by that nation. This profoundly, sadly impacted the rights of indigenous people. He reminds us that since tribes were uprooted, the name of the tribe is a treasured designation, and speakers/writers should be respected by acknowledging their tribal name.
Lenny Duncan in our last chapter calls us to an image of a kin-ship, a family of Christ, a tapestry of people living in equality. He challenges us to become activists for the soul of the country. Our churches are the DNA of hope; God is empowering us. We are the embodiment of the Holy Spirit.

I'm encouraged and hopeful to learn that many of the dialogue groups have chosen to continue meeting to work on projects inspired by the dialogues in 2022, and the years beyond.

Summer stories: JUST LOVE!

9/9/2021

by Deacon Erica Larson

After a year of missed opportunities and changed plans, we were thrilled when 27 children, youth and adults registered for our 2021 summer trips! These experiences create community, promote team building and leadership development, bring the Gospel to life, and remind us loudly and clearly that we are all beloved children of God.

These are just a few of the highlights from some of our campers:

In June, Sasha Elavsky attended Augsburg Youth Theology Institute at Augsburg University. Under the theme “And It Was Very Good: Affirming and Advocating for Gender and Sexual Diversity in God’s Creation,” high school participants dug into scripture, learned about church history, and discovered tools for faithful advocacy that allows LGBTQ persons to be full members of society. Instructors used a theological lens to look at events in recent history, wonder what God is doing and where we are called to be, and help youth discover where discernment could lead them. Sasha’s highlight was hearing Bible stories in a new way, through a theological lens of radical welcome for all people.

We also had campers at Lake Wapogasset (Wapo), Ox Lake, and Wilderness Canoe Base, which are the three sites under the umbrella of Lake Wapogasset Lutheran Bible Camp. The camp mission is places of grace forming people of faith, and the summer theme was JUST LOVE. Psalm 33:5 says “The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord”. Throughout the summer, this theme helped campers and staff focus on living out justice that is formed and shaped by the unearned and utterly gracious love of God, which is longer, higher, wider and deeper than we can imagine!

Mother and son duo Tanya Refshauge and Jacob Pozega joined our groups at Wilderness Canoe Base; and Jacob and his buddy Henrik Karlsson spent a week at Wapo casting their rods during Fishing Camp. Jacob especially enjoyed fishing, learning to portage a canoe and pack a Duluth pack, and making new friends. He says that he experienced God in nature and learned to trust God, having faith that God would get him through tough portages while carrying canoes and heavy Duluth packs.

Tanya was thrilled to be able to say, “This ‘old-lady/COVID-body’ is still capable of carrying me – and a canoe – through the Boundary Waters!” She thoroughly enjoyed immersing herself in nature, seeing young people learn things about their capabilities that they didn’t know previously, seeing loons and bald eagles, and Luka Karkabi’s amazing sense of humor.

Throughout the week, she was reminded of God’s eternal and ever-present healing powers, and she experienced God through the love that Alex Grundeen repeatedly and consistently demonstrated to members of the group. What an incredible gift it was for this duo to bond with one another in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area!

Matthew Mueller was so excited about spending his first full week at Wapo that it was impossible for him to name just one highlight. He loved swimming, campfires, skits, songs, tie-dye, cabin friends, counselors and gaga ball! When asked how he experienced God at camp, Matthew said, “God loves me. God is all around me. God helps me. I can talk to God.” He enjoyed talking about God and love, and will always remember that his counselor Pinky helped him when he was scared of a severe thunderstorm on the last night of camp.

We think Bible camp was a smashing success for Matthew, whose mom Lori shared that he “came home feeling so independent; it was really an accomplishment for him to manage in a new environment and be away from his usual supports. He made friends and had a fun time in the outdoors.” We’re proud of you Matthew!

As summer approached, Sam Karkabi was getting ready to join our group for the Boundary Waters Canoe Trip at Wilderness Canoe Base as well as Senior High Camp at Ox Lake. And then he received an invitation to apply for Servant Leadership Camp at Wapo! Sam was accepted, and he spent a week growing in faith and leadership by working with younger campers and learning leadership skills.

Sam reflected, “This summer I had three amazing experiences, all thanks to Lake Nokomis Lutheran Church. In June, I got to be in the Servant Leader Program at WAPO which meant that I helped out for a week at camp. As we were driving in, I said to my mom "I just hope they don't put me in a cabin with the youngest kids.” And that's exactly where they put me! In the end, I really loved being with this age. In fact, I want to apply to help with the Seeds program next summer.

“Then in July, I got to go to Wilderness Canoe Base in the Boundary Waters. We had an amazing trip with many inside jokes, hardships, and laughs. In the end, we pushed hard and I was very proud of my group.

“Lastly, in August, I attended Ox Lake with other senior high students. It was one of the best camp experiences I've had in my entire life. I was reunited with old counselors and old friends and met some new ones. I played a lot of chess with Alan Atkinson and just enjoyed hanging out and being together.

“In reflecting on these trips, I truly saw God in all three experiences. I left each experience feeling better than when I arrived. I recommend Wapo to everyone. Thank you to Lake Nokomis Lutheran for making this possible for me.”

In addition to those who participated in these incredible experiences, three young people from our congregation stepped into leadership roles in outdoor ministry. Kathleen and Erin Grube were on staff at rustic Camp Vermilion, a Lutheran outdoor ministry near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. And Taylor “Tugboat” Birchem spent his eighth summer on staff at Wapo Bible Camp. It’s a beautiful thing to see young campers grow up to become leaders who invest in the lives of the next generation of young people!

We are thankful for the generous support of our Summer Trip Fundraiser, which allowed campers of all ages to experience God in simple and profound ways. May we never forget the unearned and utterly gracious love of God, which is longer, higher, wider and deeper than we can imagine! Wherever you go and whatever you do, remember to JUST LOVE!

The gifts of sabbatical

8/12/2021

by Deacon Erica Larson

“You’re my favorite.” This was an oft repeated phrase this summer, whispered in my mom’s ear as we hugged goodnight, or when I was feeling particularly overwhelmed with my love for her. The greatest joy of my summer sabbatical was the time I spent with my mom – more than five weeks together – one of the many gifts of this special time away. As I grow older and my parents move further into the last third of their lives, I am becoming acutely aware of the precious gift of time spent with those we love. It’s one of the things the COVID-19 pandemic took away from us; and I’m grateful for every moment of time I was able to spend with my friends and family this summer.

I had several goals for my three-month sabbatical away from Lake Nokomis Lutheran, and some of them were accomplished! Others went by the wayside as new opportunities arose. By far the most significant and special part of sabbatical was the four weeks that I spent at my parent’s home on Lake 15…so small it doesn’t even have a real name! But it’s a beautiful and serene lake that I enjoyed as I spent hours in my favorite place on earth, laying in a hammock, reading books, listening to birds chirping, and taking lazy naps under the trees.

I read 28 books during my sabbatical, including the wonderful “Made, Known, Loved: Developing LGBTQ-Inclusive Youth Ministry” by Ross Murray. I attended a three-week book club with the author and other ministry professionals, talking about the often painful and difficult journey our LGBTQ friends take as they navigate the world and our communities of faith. Church is more often than not an unsafe space for those who don’t fit into our “boxes” in this world. As I read this wonderful book and listened to others, I began to imagine ways for Lake Nokomis Lutheran to become an even more welcoming and safe community where all people know that they are deeply loved by their creator God.

Wonder of wonders, I also bought a FitPro this summer, and began taking daily walks. This is just one of many places of growth as I worked with my life coach, Dawn Trautmann. Many of the women in our congregation will remember Dawn from our 2018 Women’s Retreat. Dawn is an absolute joy, and she is helping me develop some new healthy habits, tackle personal goals, and organize my life! I look forward to utilizing new techniques when we’re able to move into our new offices in a few months time.

Even though I was on sabbatical, I continued to ponder what comes next for Lake Nokomis, and for the worldwide church. Some of my reading was focused on answering those questions. Early in May, I was surprised to receive an email from Joy McElroy, the Executive Director of Cherish All Children (CAC). CAC is one of our ministry partners, working with congregations and leaders to prevent child sexual exploitation. They are now under the umbrella of Lutheran Social Service of MN, and Joy had begun developing a youth guide and curriculum about safe and healthy relationships. Joy asked if I would like to help write this curriculum, so we spent the summer writing a four-session resource with a leader and youth guide. I was thrilled to be able to ask one of our young adults, Sarah Zaepfel, to create art pages for the youth guide; and, they did a brilliant job! Our work will soon be available on the Lutheran Social Service website, and I hope to be able to use it with our youth this upcoming school year.

In addition to time under the trees, working with Joy McElroy, and meetings with my life coach, I also took a week-long water color painting class and discovered that I not only love to paint, but also find it to be a meaningful spiritual practice. As people of faith, we often make the mistake of thinking that time spent with God has to look a certain way. But in my journey of faith, I have learned that God is everywhere, and the Spirit will show up in surprising ways. As I learned brush strokes and painting techniques, I found myself smiling and pondering the wonders of creation. I was the youngster (52) in a class of 55+ painters who were such a joy, with God’s Spirit shining through; and I reflected with our instructor about the need for us to have a safe space to share our stories and find the freedom to express ourselves. She shared, “I feel like this is my calling from God, to create a safe space for people as they learn to paint. I wanted to tell you that because I thought you would understand.” I sure do, Mary Lee!

For my last week of sabbatical, I took one last trip to mom and dad’s for a very special week. For the first time since 2017, my brother and his family came home for a visit. My nephews Henry and Evan FINALLY got to meet my cat Simon, and now they are even more obsessed than they were when they just got to see him over Facetime. Every morning that week I would hear the thump, thump, thump of boy footsteps as they made their way to the basement to see the cat. I was just the bonus. But I did get some snuggles out of it, my cat delighted in all of the attention, and I grew to love those boys even more. At the end of the week, our friend Hazim stopped by to say goodbye before he was deployed oversees to serve as a linguist for our armed forces; and we took some family photos before our tearful goodbyes.

And now I’m back at Lake Nokomis Lutheran Church, tentatively dipping my toes back into ministry. I’ve come back to a building under construction, continued COVID-19 protocols, a single basement office/storage room shared by the entire staff, and so many unanswered questions about what comes next for our beloved community. To say it has been slightly overwhelming is an understatement! We have been living with uncertainty and change for not just a year, but several years. And just like the rest of the world, we are starting to show signs of stress and trauma and grief. As we sat in staff meeting this week, I shared that it feels like we are in a season of winter. It feels a bit like we’re buried underground. Pastor Sara laughed and said, “We literally ARE underground!” We were sitting in the windowless basement Nokomis Room, so she was absolutely right.

But, do you know what comes after winter? Spring. New life. The rain falls, the dirt is washed away, the sun shines, the trees and flowers begin to bloom, the animals come out of hiding, and life begins anew! And THAT is what is just around the corner for us!

Our community has been through so much in these past few years…changes in leadership, changes in ministry partners, changes in the faces around us, changes to our building, and more changes to come. It can be overwhelming and anxiety producing, and it will take an extra measure of patience and love as we navigate these new waters. So, we will remember that we are STILL beloved community, centered around our creator God and Savior Jesus, asking the Spirit to move and show us exactly where God needs us to be. There is a community and world that needs our faith and our hands and our love. If there is anything I’ve learned during my time away, it’s that we need each other! We’ve all been buried…in our homes, in our makeshift basement offices, in front of our computer screens and Smart phones, away from the people, places and things we love. But we won’t be buried forever.

I’m excited to re-engage in our precious community of faith. You are all so very loved, and I look forward to seeing your faces, hearing your voices, and sharing the joy of the Lord with you. You matter! Let’s come together to dig our way out of the ground and experience the wonder and joy of new life! I’ll see you soon.