The Inescapable God

Psalm 139: 1-6 

O Lord, you have searched me and known me.

You know when I sit down and when I rise up;

You discern my thoughts from far away.

You search out my path and my lying down,

And are acquainted with all my ways.

Even before a word is on my tongue,

O Lord, you know it completely.

You hem me in, behind and before,

And lay your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;

It is so high that I cannot attain it.

When I was growing up, my grandfather gave me a horse. For me that horse was my grand escape. I rode it everywhere. Lucky for me, my parents gave me the freedom to do that. 

At that time, our family lived in Brazil and, although I had many friends, my horse was my best friend. He never judged me, was always ready to listen, and took me wherever I needed to go to get away. It sounds like there were all kinds of problems that I needed to escape from, but actually it was just the normal growing up pains everyone has to face while becoming a teenager. It is that reluctance to allow people to get too close and vulnerable to criticism that can be hard.

At a young age, talking to God provided the only other place I felt free. The idea that God seeks me out, knows me…it’s a bit overwhelming. Then again, it can be a confidence builder. It can remind us that since we are known by God there is no point in hiding. 

The strangest part of the above Psalm is the idea that God “hems us in.” Not only does God not let us escape, he lays his hand on us. That is a bit frightening, right? Maybe, then again maybe not. I keep wondering if by hemming us in God keeps us from playing hide-and-seek with his love and grace. In my experience, that wonderful knowledge is so unbelievable that I cannot  grasp the depth of it.

This grace of God is beyond comprehension. That God knows us completely, flaws and all, and still extends His love and grace baffles us. But comprehension and acceptance do not always go hand in hand. Faith sometimes takes place between the moments when I think I get it and when I have a hard time accepting God’s gifts. Trusting in God’s goodness and grace is an awe-inspired moment. For those moments I have lived with this inescapable God.

Searching God’s grace!

Pastor Jeffrey HOLTER

Resurrection Weeping

“Weeping…it is all that’s left of me. It is all that keeps me connected to this world and what makes me still Me.”

The story of the resurrection is told in each of the Gospels in one way or another. They do not all agree exactly on the details but there are similarities that are shared by all of them. Personally, I appreciate both the similarities and the differences that make them so unique. 

This year we are reading Matthews’s Gospel (28:1-10), but I would like to make a few observations about John’s version (20: 1-31) of the resurrection. In particular, I am taken with the exchange that takes place between Jesus, who is “fresh from the tomb,” and Mary Magdalene who is anything but fresh. In fact, she is a bit bedraggled and has been weeping. No person wants to be seen when they have been weeping. But there’s a moment they both share and we get to peek deeply into this human/divine exchange that both informs and forms our thoughts and beliefs about who God is and who we are.

First, let’s remember that it is early in the morning, “while it was still dark.” says the Bible. Mary notices something is wrong, the stone from the tomb has been rolled away. Maybe she’s just frightened, but her instincts tell her to leave and tell the disciples. We also know Peter runs and gets there quickly with the other disciples closely behind him. What I want to comment on is what follows: when as the text reads, “then the disciples returned to their homes.”

There is this unwritten pause in the text. “But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb.” The weight of the words take a moment to adjust to. What comes next is a snapshot of Mary “bent” over to look into the tomb. I understand how fear and grief can bend a person over, but this seems to be more than just fear and grief. It feels to me more like a moment when a mother has given birth to a child she has long been waiting for hoping to hold her child only to be met by the doctor who informs her that her child has not survived. All the waiting, and hoping gone and nothing to show if all those yearnings for new life.

Then we hear the question; “Woman, why are you weeping?” Who could put all those emotions, questions and fears into words? I know that I couldn’t. Mary amazes me, I believe that she has suspected that she has been witnessing the presence of God in this “Rabbi” but then what does one make of this cruel death? How does one come to terms with the person who performs miracles and turns water into wine and who loves people. All people! Then seems to embrace this sentence of death as if nothing else mattered? 

Did he not realize that his leaving would change everything for those multitudes of people? Did Jesus not realize that I (Mary) would be devastated? Weeping…it is all that’s left of me. It is all that keeps me connected to this world and what makes me still Me. Did he not know?

The voice that breaks this moment is like an echo from a deep underground. As deep as a cave, tomb or grave. Mary! Weeping is the cover for all the death that permeates everything and every breath that could be life if Jesus is not who and what we believe Him to be. 

Jesus is God in the flesh…you heard me. Jesus is God in the flesh touching us and touching our emptiness if it is not possible that God is walking with us and freeing us from the weeping of our souls.

Easter is coming! It is coming soon, and the empty grave will find us weeping but not out of fear but out of the greatest surprise moment ever recorded in history. Jesus’s words striking our ears and we are left without words to speak. “I am going to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God.” 

Silence!

Connected in Ashes

Nothing says Lent like the Ash Wednesday service.

Nothing says Lent like the Ash Wednesday service. The fact that the weather has prevented us from gathering as usual has only made that even more apparent. What is it about Ash Wednesday that connects so deeply with us? I can only speak for myself but what I experience is a sense of having my life reduced to its basic elements. It’s that stripping away of all the pretense and expectations that either someone else places on me or that I place on myself. 

I remember the first time I ran an obstacle course. It was a part of a youth group activity at VLM. There was a training offered for youth leaders who were going to be leading camp that year, and I was one of the adult leaders for the training. The truth was that I believed I could easily complete the course with little problems. Guess again! 

I was standing on a rope tied between two trees and we were instructed to walk across on the rope, using our arms as balance. It took me two tries to realize I am no trapeze artist, and two more tries to agree to let someone help me. But with two other youth helpers, I made it. The lesson was to realize we are not in this alone. Asking for help is not an admission we are broken, but that we need each other. Connections matter. What Ash Wednesday reminds me of is although I am broken and sinful, Jesus stands with me, holding my hand and giving me the balance that I need to navigate the craziness of the world we live in.

Connections matter, and at times they are the line between being able to stand or crashing big time. Our churches are one of those places where we can be walking the tight ropes of life and still find someone to walk beside us giving encouragement or maybe some needed honest constructive criticism. This is not the same as bullying. Constructive criticism says unless you want to fall again, “Pastor Jeff,” you might want to take my hand. Ok, I get it! Connecting not only gives us balance, it also protects us. All of this leads up to my next point: Are you ready?

At the council meeting at Kenwood last week we discussed using name tags. Sounds boring, but it was actually pretty insightful. Both Kenwood and Family of God have occasions when we use name tags so people can get to know each other. I really appreciate those Sundays. 

For one thing, I know that my ability to remember names is limited. (Darn age!) I also know that getting to know people begins with their name. Yes, I rarely forget faces, but knowing someone’s name is about growing deeper with a connection that invites trust and offers a relationship that gives balance. Balance again in this tight rope of a life we share. So when we are sharing in the Lord’s Supper and Jesus says, “given and shed for you,” those words connect with the experience of having holy communion together.

We are connected at the table and we are connected in the ashes. We are broken and we are forgiven and loved. Hold on now because in my way of thinking (no funny smirks here), I would love to believe that even if you saw me falling, arms flailing, you would still be there saying, “Pastor Jeff, take hold. Here I am, right here with you.” Maybe I have a utopian view on life, so be it. I take my cues from the one who suffered death for me. Who died a cruel death on the cross for me. Who did not abandon me but rose again for me. Rose again for Us!

We have 40 days to get to know each other better. We have mid-week services on Wednesday evenings. Soup included! We have Monday evening bible study at 6:30 on Paul’s letter to the Romans. “Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ our Lord.” Sounds like we are pretty connected there. Getting connected is as easy as participating. So…clever! 

In Christ, seeing you!

Pastor Jeffrey Holter

The Finite and the Infinite

The Finite and the Infinite

by Pastor Jeff Holter

As I drove on Skyline the other day, it was one of those overcast mornings with air so heavy that you could see the droplets of water in the air. It wasn’t the most inspiring kind of weather, just very still. So still, in fact, that time seemed to stop like a long pause after holding your breath under water. And in that moment of absolute quiet, I sensed the presence of God. It was not a voice or anything like that. It was this feeling that God was close.

Looking out over Lake Superior that morning, I was filled with the realization that my life and everything that fills my days seems like a single bleep on a hospital monitor. Perhaps I am just getting closer to the realization that all of us will have to deal with: that we are finite people living in infinite moments in time and that being finite creatures, we tend to live day to day without truly appreciating how short life can be or appreciating how precious life is and how quickly it passes.

Since this is the February newsletter article, I should probably be wishing everyone a Happy Valentine’s Day. Happy Valentine’s Day!! That being the case, and this article being what it is, let me add to that message the wish that you tell the people you love that you do, in fact, love them. This is the moment and this is the day. Take the time and embrace the moment to live fully into this time and special day!

Let me reflect a little bit more. As I was looking out over Lake Superior that morning, it seemed so endless. On a nice sunny morning, one can usually see the shoreline of Wisconsin. I can detect the outline of those distant shores, As I was looking out over Lake Superior that morning, it seemed so endless. On a nice sunny morning, one can usually see the shoreline of Wisconsin. I can detect the outline of those distant shores, but I think God is just showing off, and I marvel and scratch my head because God being God is just so beyond “Me.” 

Here is what I am driving at: I want to explore God and get close to God. I do not want to explain God or take away the awe that God inspires in me every single day. I do not want to reduce the infinity of God to fit into my finite self. I want to always be surprised by God. I “do” know and hope to continue this infinite search until my finite self can be clothed with His infinite glory. At that moment, I will not settle for anything less than to know God in all of His creative and abundant life. To this end, I want to embrace this day and love those who I love and who, for whatever reason, love me. Isn’t life grand? 

Friends in Christ… Peace!

Pastor, Jeffrey Holter

All Paths Lead to Bethlehem

Almost every year for the Christmas Eve service I choose a story to read to the kids. I started this tradition almost forty years ago mostly because I remember as a child someone reading a story to us at that service. At the time I was perhaps 3 or 4 years old and our family was living in a small town in Eastern South Dakota. The church was an old country church with an entrance that was about ten steps up to the sanctuary and about eight steps down into the basement. The Sunday School program was held that Sunday and after the service we each received a bag with peanuts and hard candy along with an apple. But the highlight of the service was when the pastor or the Sunday school superintendent would have us sit on the altar steps and they would read a Christmas story to us. Most of the time it was just a reading from scripture but I remember that there were other stories read as well. 

Significance of Story

This year I will be reading a story called “All Paths Lead to Bethlehem.” The significance of this particular story is that it tells the biblical story with verses from the three gospel writers but then also traces the different traditions from around the world. We get to hear about Christians from Poland, Norway, Iceland and Russia who share the story we all love, but who also celebrate this season with their own unique traditions. So why is this significant? Through my eyes and ears and mind this year I am a bit concerned about what is being taught and propagated concerning the human family. I am even more concerned about how our children may hear the Christmas story. 

Good Will to ALL

From the first moment that I understood this story, I have always believed that God was coming into the world to bring salvation to everyone. Not just to my small-town world of Eastern South Dakota or my grown-up world of Eastern Minnesota, or even to my extended South American world in Brazil, but to the whole world. Jesus was born in Bethlehem to save all people. All people created in the image of God and who need His saving grace. This is where the story gets complicated these days. There is a part of the human family that believes that this story is an exclusionary story. Intended for just a few of God’s created children. That story has been gaining traction in many communities and I know that if I remain silent about that I am contributing to this version and, may I say, perversion of this gospel. So yes, I am trying to lay my cards on the table for anyone and everyone to see. I find that in my older age I am increasingly less likely to look the other way or remain silent. Peace on earth and good will to humankind is an admirable goal. I want that with all my heart but it cannot be achieved by labeling some as honorable and good while others are labeled as dirty and garbage. 

There Is No Other

There has been a long history of seeing some people as the “untouchables.” The gospel in response portrays Jesus as one who is constantly reaching out and touching us with the love of God. I pray that we can somehow learn to lay aside our fears of the “other” and open our hearts to the stranger and know that as we do, we are in fact reaching out to God. For in the “other” we come face to face with the image of our loving creator God. I love the manger: burly shepherds, smelly cattle “lowing,” curmudgeon inn keepers, lofty heads in the sky angels, a silent father and a pondering mother. Who writes this story? God does and we are all the better for it!

Enjoy this Christmas!

Pastor, Jeffrey P. Holter

Northern Lights

by Pastor Jeff Holter

Photo Credit: Sally Sundeen

A few weeks ago, we were showered with the beauty of the northern lights. They swirl and turn in just the right way to appear that they are showering us with star lights from heaven. The distinctive greens and reds and oranges, and the mesmerizing turquoise blues lure me into thinking I can defy gravity and fly. This past week was no different.

It was kind of late when my wife Joan and I went for a ride to witness the display of lights, (chilly too). The main objective is to find a place that is dark enough so that one can see the lights without allowing the ambient city lights to obscure the beauty of the heavenly display.

On Sunday, Nov. 30, we will begin a journey that brings us from our mundane everyday existence into the presence of the light of the world. Even now, the light exists in each of us, but is in a constant battle with many ambient lights that are trying to extinguish its radiance and its message of hope. The light of the world also comes to shower us with a message: that although darkness is everywhere, it cannot overcome the light.

Soon it will be a new year. It’s the second year of the existence of the Bridge of Faith Parish and as we enter this new year, it is our prayer that God continues to shine on us with the light of his son. Jesus is that true north star that guides us and invites us to come follow Him. Still, we are not naïve; in fact, we are very much aware that the ambient light of the world is constantly trying to outshine Jesus’ presence in our lives. We have endured a very difficult year in 2025. But we have also been blessed. The gospel of grace and peace in Christ has been preached and lived and shared here. We are alive in Christ, and fear has not outshined Jesus’ message of life and salvation. Hallelujah! 

Keep your eyes on Jesus, that true light from heaven. Take care of each other, lift each other up in prayer and thoughts of peace. Make it known that your hope is in the light that can overcome darkness and bring a new day to be lived in joy and love. Enjoy this Advent season everybody!

Peace, Pastor Jeff

Hearth and Home Advent

Is it possible we could be preparing for the arrival of the savior? Many of us have a tendency to wait until the last moment to unpack the Advent season decorations. I know without an ounce of reservation that procrastination is not a season in our calendars, but in our minds. So how might we change that? I’m not proposing new ideas, but new actions. (And I pray that my wife never reads this article and holds me to the things I am proposing.)

I’m imagining a room-by-room approach to Advent. Let’s start with my favorite room in the house: the kitchen. I don’t need to say why it’s my favorite room in our home…(food). Yes, I am a foodie and I make no apologies about that. What I suggest is that because food is such an important necessity for all of us, we should see how we can help support the many organizations that help people with food insecurity. We have a long relationship with organizations like CHUM and Lutheran World Relief. Set aside a donation to support these organizations. If you don’t know how, visit their websites (chumduluth.org and lwr.org) or just ask. I will direct your gift to the correct people in charge.

Advent Living Room

What does an Advent living room look like? Probably has food in it, right? Don’t let me digress here. Yes, it has food of course, but it has people in it. Conversations and shared time together; that is so special. I suggest opening your home to friends and family or even someone who is going through a difficult time. Share conversations, a croissant, a donut, a chocolate chip cookie…you get my meaning. Open a place in your Advent to get together with people.

Advent Dining Room

Then there’s the dining room. I know what you’re thinking, I want you to find more time for food, right? (Well maybe, but that’s not where I am going here. Surprise!) Often at night when our “night owl” kids seem to be at their best, we find time for board games. This involves finding a place to play which usually lands us at the dining room table. As crazy as life is, as stressful as each day can become, a competitive game of Pig Mannia, Five Straight, or Farkle always produces a few good laughs. What possibilities could inviting a few friends over for a game night offer? In this season of Advent, connections are what tell the story best. Anticipation and seizing the moment are good Advent disciplines to develop. So find some friends and play a few games.

Advent…Bedroom?

That last room is the frightening one: the bedroom. I’m sure I am going to hear about this one, but here goes. I don’t think Joan and I are alone here, but we often listen to the news right before we go to sleep. Probably not the best way to close out the day. Far too often the news of what is going on in our world and the Northland are not great sleep-producing stories. So I would suggest first: turn the news off. Maybe even the TV all together. 

Then make a list of those you love or are concerned about. And pray. Prayer can be many things at this moment, formal or informal. It can be a soft conversation lying there together before your heavenly father and telling God what you feel and are concerned about. Tell God your hopes and dreams for those you love and those around our world whom you know are going through difficult times. This Advent can be a time to reignite your faith and prayer life. Enjoy the season and make it work to draw you closer to God, and to those you live your life with.

This is my Advent suggestion for this year: May God bless us, prepare us for the greatest gift ever given to humankind. This article comes early; it might take some getting used to before implementing. Consider trying it out this November and then just continue in December. I know I am never early on these things, so this is a new approach.

Good luck, and as always, God Bless!

Pastor Jeff

Autumn Apples

Psalm 17:8 Guard me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings.

This is the time of year when change is everywhere. From the leaves on the hill sides of Spirit Mountain to the apples on the trees in my orchard, change is all around us. Some of these changes are welcomed by a casual observer. What’s not to like in the reds, oranges, and yellows of the leaves on the trees. Even given that we realize these leaves and all the fall beauty is soon to be swept by the wind and blown about on the ground, we still are awed by the wonder of this time of year.

Another of those wonders is just the abundance of apples I have been seeing everywhere. For a while, I thought that it was just my apple trees. Their branches seemed bowed in glorious praise to the God of creation. So many apples that many of the branches could not even sustain the weight of them. SO many, that I have been afraid that I could not use them all or even give them all away. Not to worry though, because the birds and deer are benefitting from this abundance and they also bow in praise to the God of creation and the gifts given with such gracious numbers. Red and ripe and filled with sweet energy. Apples that remind me that I am not the only apple of God’s eye.

Psalmist also shares another wonder that continues to surprise me each and every day. I am not certain how I want to hear these words.

“Hide me in the shadow of your wings.” Why do I need to hide? What would cause me to feel the need to hide? Seems everyday a new threat of freedom is being challenged in our country. Not just a few obscure rights or freedoms but freedom its self seems to be at stake lately. But does this mean that I need to hide? Should I hide? Or is the psalmist merely suggesting that when confronting hard times, we need to find our words knowing that God is with us. God’s holy wings have long been an image of God’s divine power and protection. We should not give up on turning to God for a path that leads to wholeness and hope.

Autumn may be a time to prepare for the coming of winter; then again, it may just be the time to let our colors shine. To be sweet grace and courage in the face of hard times to come. Time to savor the abundance of goodness given to us by a loving creator and to share that abundance with all God’s creatures. I want you, my reader, to know that you matter to me.

Together we are joined in this colorful world that bows us in absolute awe and praise of a God whose love has been given in such abundance that we over flow in thanksgiving. Soon I will be harvesting the apples and I cannot wait to share them with you! Please let me know if you need any for pie or jelly or apple sauce, I will be happy to share.

Fall Into Thanksgiving

It’s the end of August and already it is getting a bit chilly in the morning. Not cold, but a reminder that Fall is closing in and things are about ready to change. The leaves are changing, breezes are cooler in the evening. I love Fall, yet with those changes comes a more demanding schedule. Confirmation Orientation, Sunday School, liturgy changes, and a host of other activities make for a full Fall.

There are some moments to truly look forward to. I’m particularly interested in Thanksgiving, and not just for the food. (Ok, maybe for the food.) Thanksgiving is a great community event and this year will be even more so. We have a Parish worship service and new friends to share time with. This is the heart of what we are about. Could it be that God has awakened something in us we could not see? Both congregations were struggling financially and that tends to take center stage in all matters. But what if God gives us a chance to rewrite our story? What if we’re given the chance to see what was once our main concern has given way to a new story? A story about joint ministry and the outreach we can now offer to our ministry partners.

We often fall into things that we hadn’t planned for, not aware of the potential for growth for these opportunities. Take the picnic this month: The laughter and food were contagious. The music with members from both congregations was wonderful. Celebrating Holy Communion together felt good. (Dare I say, “right?”) Like going to a sporting event and bumping into a distant cousin. You know each other but just haven’t had a chance to get to know each other and suddenly the opportunity is right there in this strange place. So, this is our strange place and we are embracing it.

Fall into Thanksgiving is this moment. We didn’t know to be thankful, but now we are. Thankful for this new Parish. Thankful that we did not perish but have new life. So thank you, God, for the joy of this fall. The ”Fall into Thanksgiving,” the cool breezes and new life. It is the breezes we recognize as your spirit moving in us and calling us to give thanks for your mercy endured forever.

Peace be with you all!

Pastor Jeffrey Holter

Picnic Worship

Picnic Worship

How Changing a Few Details Can Bring Others to Light

For some reason these two words seem to go together. There is nothing quite so fun as singing a few great camp songs and then eating a slice of watermelon. This combination in more than likely fully imbedded in our long-term memories as one of the “fun” times in our lives.

I was just a young boy the first time I attended family camp. My parents and my sisters would go to camp and sing songs that were considered camp songs which basically meant that they were not hymns we sang in church on Sunday mornings. The camp preachers were the same pastors we often saw at Sunday worship only now they we wearing T shirts and cargo shorts. It was a bit confusing actually because you weren’t quite sure how to address them. Do you call them by their first name, or “Sir,” or “Pastor”? It didn’t matter because, at that age, I was running, jumping, and having a good time with my friends.

The other thing I enjoyed at camp was the lake. Seems like we always attended a camp where water was a very important attraction. I would swim with my friends and throw lily pads at my sisters or girls that bugged me. Of course, at that time in my life, all girls bugged me. So everyone was fair game. We played softball and, my favorite, Dodgeball. It seems I had a gift for both throwing and catching the dodgeball and that made camp I wonderful place to spend time with my friends and family.

Maybe I haven’t presented this picnic and worship world fully yet because, as fun as it was, it was also the place where I heard about the love of Jesus at a time when my heart was young and open. It was at camp that the story of Jesus and the love of God began to take ahold of my heart. It was “picnic worship” that spoke the story in a tone that made my heart yearn to hear more. I have much to be thankful for, but I love the fact that my parents gave me and my sisters experiences like that to build a relationship with Jesus. I am grateful for their wise examples.

So, I call you, all you wise people, to come and worship at the picnic coming up on August 13, 6 p.m., Rice Lake Park. There will be singing, stories, and of course, watermelon. YUM! There will be coffee and conversation, and there will be the story we love about a man whom God sent into our world to share God’s love with us. Can there be any better reason for being there?

Blessings, my friends, on your summer fun.

See you soon!

In Christ,

Pastor Jeff Holter