Published monthly by Holy Cross Lutheran Church

From the pastor . . .

            About twenty or twenty-five years ago, I took a vacation with my family to California.  One of the places we visited was San Francisco.  We happened to be there on a weekend, and as we were walking about on that Sunday morning, we looked for a place to worship.  Passing by an old Roman Catholic church in the middle of the city, we noticed that Mass was about to start, so we entered the church and took our seats among those that were gathering for worship.  I watched the people as they filled the pews.  What I noticed was that the people coming in were so different from one another.  There were different skin colors, different family configurations, folks who were rich and folks who were poor, couples who were of the opposite gender and couples who were of the same gender, people who were able bodied and people with handicaps, people who were clean and people who had been living on the streets, people in western dress and people dressed differently.  It was the most diverse gathering of human beings that I have ever experienced.  The priest who led the Mass was warm and welcoming.  I especially remember the moment when we all lined up for Holy Communion and how included we were all made to feel.  Deeply moved by the total inclusion I felt in that moment, with tears falling down my face, I thought to myself, “This is how Jesus wants it to be in His church.”   Ever since that day, I have been searching for a church that is that inclusive, that welcoming.

            Holy Cross has as its Mission Statement:  We are a blessed people loved by God.  We welcome all people to experience and accept God’s love.  We grow together in faith and learning as the family of God.  We go into the world sharing God’s love and caring for people. I believe that Holy Cross has the potential (and is well on its way) to becoming that church that I have been searching for all these years.  I believe Holy Cross is situated in a place and a time where total inclusion can and will happen.  I ask you to join me in prayer that we can take down any walls we have put up to keep people away, that we can see how to be welcoming, that we can genuinely love those who come through our doors.

            I heard a welcoming statement in a training film made for Reconciling in Christ congregations.  That welcoming statement is from Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Philadelphia.  This is how their affirmation of welcome goes:   

            “Who is welcome here? 

                        If you are Asian, Hispanic, Black, or White…

                        If you are male or female or transgender…

                        If you are three days old, 30 years old, or 103 years old…

If you’ve never stepped foot in a church; or if you are Buddhist, Roman Catholic, agnostic or are a life-long Lutheran…

            If you are single, married, divorced, separated, or partnered…

            If you are straight, gay, lesbian, or bisexual…

If you are a Republican, Democrat, Independent, Socialist, or not registered to vote…

If you have, or had, addictions, phobias, abortions, or a criminal record…

If you own your home, rent, live with your parents, or are homeless…

If you are fully-abled, disabled, or a person of differing abilities…

            You are welcome here!”

                                    The Lord Bless You and Keep You,    Pastor Magdalene

Welcome

What does it mean to welcome others to our church? For me, it means to welcome everyone. Everyone to me means everyone.
I belong to an organization called "Lutherans Concerned". This group welcomed me to a workshop here in Austin in January. There I met people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender. They each are beautiful and unique. God loves each of them. Each of them is precious to me for having the courage to come together to learn about the Reconciling in Christ program. It takes a great deal of courage to continue to put yourself out into the world, particularly when the difference you are holding is so different from others in our society. And the great news, the life-changing news is that God truly does love everyone!

I carried a sign to this effect in the Austin Gay Pride parade this evening, Saturday June 2nd, with a group of people from Lutherans Concerned. The reactions to this sign ranged from people asking me to stop so they could get a photograph, to a young man running up to me smiling from ear to ear loudly proclaiming to a huge crowd on 4th street: "Holy Cross! That’s my church! I grew up there! I really did!" Some people had tears in their eyes, some people made a thumbs-up sign to me, some people quietly said "thank you", and some people clapped. My heart overflows with humble, quiet joy that a sign I created in the name of God could have such an effect on individuals who have suffered endlessly at the hands of the church.


My prayer to God as president of the congregation is: if even one person finds his or her way back to the church, then each and every one of us welcome that person to Holy Cross with God’s love and without judgment. That is my prayer of welcome. Please join me in this prayer.


With Awe and Love,
Jan (Church Council President)

GROW

—By: Jan (Church Council President)

One of our mission statements is to grow. What does that mean, for our congregation at Holy Cross to grow? We can look at "grow" in several ways:

1. We can grow in faith. How do we grow in faith? How do we stay excited about spiritual growth? How can we listen to that quiet, still voice of God’s Holy Spirit inside of us competing with all of the outside messages in our world? Pastor, Mary and I attended a workshop this weekend on opening our hearts through contemplation. We learned and practiced ways we each individually open ourselves to hearing and experiencing God’s voice in our lives. Some people open their hearts through writing in journals, some through art, some through nature, some through their connections to children, some through gardening, some through music, prayer can help too. I learned I pray through painting and singing. How do each of you open your hearts and feed your spiritual selves? I want to learn more about that. Opportunities come along to help move us forward and to grow spiritually. We can ask for such opportunities and then listen for the nudges inside and outside of ourselves from others about opportunities to grow.

2. How do we grow as a congregation? How do we open ourselves and our church up so that those who aren’t yet there can join us? Do we want to grow our congregation, or do we feel we have a well-kept beautiful secret in our church, pastor and congregation? I know sometimes when I find an extraordinarily wonderful place I love - most recently a bakery in Dripping Springs called "Thyme and Dough", I don’t really want it to grow and change. I have a hard time letting my friends know of the wonder of the homey, bright, cheerful place where the chef, Fabienne creates melt in your mouth food. Maybe Holy Cross is so wonderful, we don’t want to change and grow. Maybe that’s why we don’t advertise or make it easier to find?

Food for thought, maybe.

3. Grow in connection with each other- How close do we want to be to each other? Do we send cards of encouragement to each other, celebrate birthdays and anniversaries, give of our time to visit those who are not able to attend services. Do we pray for each other? Do we know what each of us is going through on a regular basis? Do we ask and really want to know? Do we attend services on a semi-regular basis? Do we take the summer off from God? These are questions I ask myself constantly. Holy Cross to me is a family - one I’ve found and love. It’s hard for me to know when to ask when I notice someone’s sad. It’s hard for me to feel comfortable visiting someone in the hospital. It’s hard to talk about the wonderful things I know and see as well as the painful times our members are going through. Our church and ministries are so full of light! I’ve never known a congregation like ours! We do so much and sometimes the same few folks. Maybe we can get together more often. Maybe you each have ideas you’re hesitant to share about how we can be closer as a group. We each have a unique opportunity here and now to grow closer in connection with each other and the faith community outside of our church. How close do we want to grow? Who do we want to be as a church family? What additional ministries are close to our hearts?

Thank you for reading this. These are ideas I have, issues I struggle with, food for thought - maybe even nudgings from that still, small voice inside. We are truly "Pencils in the Hand of God" as Mother Teresa has said.

May God Bless our Holy Cross Ministry as we Grow!

LOVE—By: Jan

I began reading a book today about love and relationships.  A close friend and therapist gave me her opinion,  “We can’t analyze love”. I believe this is a true statement. We can’t analyze love, and I do believe we can describe it, or at least make a good faith effort at beginning to describe love.  That is my goal here.

 I have a beautiful 10-year-old dog, Rocky. He’s half German Shepard and half Wolf.  I love that dog beyond all reason.  He’s super intelligent, very big, and determined to have his way in every situation.  I fell in love with Rocky when he was a couple of weeks old.  I had chosen a female sibling of his to adopt who wasn’t paying much attention to me.  Rocky walked over, put his head on my leg and looked up into my eyes.  I fell in love with him that instant and have been deeply connected to him ever since.    There is really no good reason for me to love Rocky as I do.  He’s been to both individual and group training sessions as a pup with little results.  He’s difficult to walk, almost impossible to groom, puts his teeth on me when he chooses to obey a command, opens the back door by using those same teeth, gets in the house and puts mud on all of the furniture and carpet, and in spite of all of the above, I love Rocky with my whole heart, beyond all reason. At times, it feels like we truly have no control over who touches our hearts.

  Love – What is it?  If we can’t analyze it, we certainly can’t judge it.  “No greater love hath a man than to lay down his life for his friends”.  Why did Jesus lay down his life for each of us?  Jesus showed love to lepers, the poor, widows, children, outcasts, those others despised.   He showed love most to those who were suffering.  He healed the sick, the lame, the deaf, those who could not speak, the blind, those filled with psychosis (demons).  Women and children were dear to him as well as men.  “I shall make you fishers of men” (and women and children and……….), he told his disciples.  I believe he tells us the same.  My prayer is that Holy Cross is open, welcoming, and loving to everyone including those who are suffering and those who are in need of a church family inclusive of:  gays, lesbians, bisexual and transgender people, all those who need love and a church home the most.  

 What does it mean to love?  I sat down to write about love, and this is what flowed from my fingers onto the keyboard:

 To me, love is:  Lighting up when someone you care about walks into a room.  Sharing connection, conversations, plans, working together towards a common goal that is dear to your hearts.  Understanding.  Watching the face of others for reactions, emotions, laughter, and tears.  Knowing likes and dislikes, sharing hearts.  The sweetness you feel with a hug, sharing a smile, feeling God’s blessing and the Holy Spirit in the room.  Seeing light shining from the faces of those you love.  Touching their hands, feeling their veins.  Knowing life flows through them and they’re in your life for a purpose.  Growing from your relationships in ways you never could have imagined.  Experiencing God’s presence and light reflected in their eyes.  Beaming light and energy standing next to those persons.  Waiting to hear what they’ll say next and not knowing.  Happy to be in the same room regardless of whether or not you’re speaking.  Knowing when they enter and when they leave.  Knowing when they want to be close and when they don’t.  Listening, to hear the vibrations of their hearts.  Watching their eyes, lips, and mouths speaking.  Feeling illuminated by spending time with them. 

 Knowing God loves each hair on their heads and yours too.  Gratitude for each day that you get to speak with them and see them and exist in their presence for a minute or an hour.  Feeling proud that you’re their friend.  Feeling blessed by your friendships, so lucky that you’re highly regarded by them.  Going above and beyond the call of any role to please them.  Saying the unexpected to comfort them.  Really listening to what they’re saying beneath the words.  Having no expectations other than you can call them when the pins have been knocked out from under you.  Feeling touched, deeply touched, moved in your heart by their words.  Allowing your heart to open wide. 

 Getting more pleasure by pleasing them with no expectation of anything in return, than anything they could do to please you.  Being willing and happy to do things so they won’t have to such as:  taking out the trash, painting, moving furniture, cleaning the carpet, doing dishes, putting away food, trying not to embarrass them in any way, using a loving tone of voice, smiling big when you see them, hugging them goodbye.   Saying prayers for them each day.  Sharing your joys and pain with them without asking them to fix anything.  Without expecting them to fix anything.  Without expecting anything in return.  Serving them in any way possible, feeding them, heating their food, serving their food, bringing them coffee, pouring them coffee, getting ice for their drinks, playing their favorite hymns and songs on the organ and piano, remembering their suggestions and ideas and carrying them out.  Supporting them and not criticizing their decisions.  Telling them you love them in writing and on the phone and in person. 

 Dancing with them while keeping clear boundaries.  Opening your heart to others because they are in your life.  Feeling proud of yourself and proud to be their friend.  Feeling energized with them and letting them tease and charm you back into a good mood instantly.  Not being jealous or angry when they’re not there exactly when and how you want them to be.  Being kind.  Supporting their growth and knowing their weaknesses and not trying to control them or mention those weaknesses, or do anything about them.  Trusting they’re growing too.

 Knowing them inside and out and still loving them.  Allowing yourself to be vulnerable enough to hurt to the core when they do something painful and still loving them even more because of it.  Wanting to have them at your side no matter where you are and welcoming them when they walk in the room with a smile, a hug, a greeting.  Asking them how they are, remembering their birthdays and anniversaries, saying, ”Bless you” when they sneeze.  Loving looking in their eyes.  Noticing how they’re feeling.  Laughing together.  Sharing books, poems, ideas and time.  Noticing when they’re angry and silent.  Being a champion for them when others criticize them and what they do.  Being grateful for their presence in your life and for God’s gift of these friends.

 Feeling physically safe with them.  Feeling emotionally safe with them and knowing that when they say something hurtful that it wasn’t intentional and forgiving them instantly.  Sharing gifts with them.  Giving them treasures and hand-made beautiful objects of art.  Painting them pictures and sending them cards with ideas you know they’ll love without even putting a lot of thought into it.  Doing things you know they would do, for yourself.  Being proud of yourself in their presence.

 Love is beautiful.  Feeling beautiful and strong and energetic within yourself because you know them as a friend.  Being who you are with them, your truest, best self.  Caring about what they think about you and life issues.  Knowing and validating their strengths and reflecting them back to them.  Stating things they may not know about themselves aloud to them. 

 Feeling lucky to be alive at this exact time so that you have the opportunity to be in their presence.  Not taking the opportunity to be in their presence for granted.  Gratitude, growth, learning, stretching, dreaming together and making the dreams reality together.  Working as a team, the best sort of team.  Watching each other’s backs and protecting each other out of strength rather than care taking.

  “ Love is patient and kind.  Love hopes all things, endures all things, and believes all things.  Love is not envious or boastful.  Love never ends. Faith, hope, love… the greatest of these is love!”

 In honor of those who are closest to my heart, including each and every one of you in our Holy Cross family and those who will join us in the future,

Holy Cross Lutheran

The choir is meeting on Sunday mornings at 9 for a short rehearsal before service begins. We’d like to take the opportunity to work in some new cantors and musicians. If you are interested in canting or play an instrument and would like to play during service please contact the church office at 892-0516.

Members & Friends of Holy Cross,
You’ve seen the prayer request in the newsletter and bulletin for several months now for my cousin Paul Burton and his family who accepted a missionary call to Tanzania, Africa. I thought you might like to see the most recent note I received from Paul’s wife, Lana, regarding prayer requests and some insight to their lives as missionaries. Thank you so much for your continued prayers.
Ursula

Dear Prayers,
Prayer Update for June 2007 We just boarded the plane in Zambia to return to Tanzania. We have survived our "camping" experience. Experiential learning was the purpose of this last month of training. We started at a seminary where the 4 of us shared a dorm room that was about 10’x13’. We shared bathrooms w/ everyone else there. About 15 women and 15 men shared 2 showers and 2 toilets. We went out in different sections of the city of Lusaka to engage Zambians and learn culture. This was a wonderful experience. I rode the city bus across town everyday and & Paul went to a village. We had Zambian helpers with us. God used Paul and the ones he was with to bring about 22 people to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. The Zambian helpers are now connecting them to other believers and the churches there. I mainly visited church members and was able to encourage them to be witnesses where they are and to pray for their many needs. I was so encouraged by their great faith in God through many trials I have never considered. After about 10 days in Lusaka we got on nice buses and drove about 6 hours east to a smaller town where we have very strong Baptist work. We stayed in the bush in tents. Our family had two tents. But this was much better than I was expecting. The first afternoon an overwhelming sense of peace came over me and I knew it was b/c so many of you were praying. Even after I found bats flying in and out of the toilet that first night, I didn’t freak out…I just walked across the camp (in the dark) and went outside the tent at night. Sorry if that was too much information for some of you. We went out each day in the town and then out to nearby villages a few days. The idea was to understand the differences between urban, semi-urban and rural viewpoints. We rode into town each day on a large flat bed truck. We were the Wazungu Parade. That means White Person. It was quite a spectacle, but the people were very gracious. Our African leader was able to speak on the local radio station and told the people we were there as missionaries to learn about culture and not to ask us for money. Paul and I actually were interviewed on the radio before we left. I’m sure their ratings went through the roof! At the end of that time we got to stay in African’s homes. I will just say that some had better experiences than others. At least I never had a bat on my pillow…a very long story. After 2 weeks we got on the buses again and went north of Lusaka to a resort for 3 days. The food was great…Even big delicious T-bones! When I think of all we experienced during this time, I realize we learned so much that will help us move on to the next step of this journey. But the one thing that has been most difficult is knowing that our young friend and brother in Christ, Chas Phillips has gone to be with the Lord. We are learning that one of the hardest things about being overseas is not being able to be there when big life events happen to people we love. It has been hard not being able to hug Charlie, Joetta and Hannah and to talk about what a difference Chas made in this world for the sake of Christ, and how he allowed God to work through Him to the glory of God. Thank you for praying for us this last month. We have remained very healthy. And here is some great news- Our crates (stuff) is in port here in Dar. Everything you have been praying for, God is answering. Thank you so much. We are always covetous of more prayers, so here are some more things to pray for: We are leaving Sunday to move to our permanent residence. We have at least three days of clean-up to do to it, then we are painting it. Pray for safety and endurance as we move. Language study will continue soon and we are praying for great advancement in our Swahili ability. Pray for us as we begin to be a part of the local population, that we will be able to make a difference in the community. Continue praying for the B people, that God will be preparing their hearts to meet the real God face to face. We love you all. Paul, Lana, Ethan and Eli

Dear Austin Musicians,

We have recently had the opportunity to purchase a wonderful grand piano for our music program at Holy Cross Lutheran Church. We would like to offer our facilities to the public for music concerts, recitals and programs. The acoustics in the church are exceptional and highlight the gorgeous sounds of voices and instruments alike. Our church also has a large fellowship hall that can be used for receptions following a recital or program. Both facilities can easily accommodate 150 people. 

The church sanctuary and fellowship hall are available afternoons and evenings during the week and on Sunday.

Holy Cross Lutheran Church is centrally located just south of Highway 290 and Loop 360 on South Lamar Boulevard. It is an undiscovered south Austin music treasure – a perfect venue for any occasion. 

For more information on our facilities or scheduling your next program, please contact Leigh Ann at 512-892-0516.

Thank you for considering our facilities for your next event.

Sincerely,                                                                                                                   

Worship and Music Committee

Holy Cross Lutheran Church

The LWR Quilting group / service group  is offering another opportunity to get together and work on the quilts and kits. We will  meet on Wednesdays, starting at 9:30 am and work throughout the day. You are invited to join us for an hour, part of the day, or the whole day, whatever your schedule (and inclination) allows.

 

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