|
Pastor Adam Arends has served NBC Lutheran since July 2019.
Pastor Adam grew up in small towns in Minnesota, and has also lived in Washington, DC, Minneapolis, and Buffalo, NY. He enjoys spending time with his family, reading, riding his bike and singing. He is a graduate of Wartburg College and United Lutheran Seminary. In his vocation as pastor he has focused on preaching, teaching, and pastoral care visits. |
Pastor's Page - November, 2022
“I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him…” ~ Ephesians 1:15-17
Thankful
At the end of each October when I sit down to write my newsletter article for November, I think, “what would be good to write about for November? Thanksgiving, of course!” Then I think, “Shouldn’t I come up with something new? Is it stale to always write about being thankful in November?” Well maybe, but it is never any less important to remind ourselves to give thanks to God!
This year, rather than think of all the things I’m thankful for, or the ways that I have what I need (though still important to acknowledge), I am mostly thankful for all of you. I am thankful for the saints (that’s all of you) of North Beaver Creek Lutheran Church.
I am thankful for the ways that you have continued to make Christ’s love known in our communities through 2+ years of a pandemic. I’m thankful for the council that gives of their time to help make sure our congregation is making good use of our finances. I’m thankful for our Sunday School teachers who give their time to help our children to learn about what God is all about through story, craft, and fun. I’m thankful to our families with children who bring them to Sunday School and Confirmation, encouraging them to live lives of faith, hope, and love.
I’m thankful for the Women of the ELCA who continue to serve in our kitchens at funerals and other events, creating a welcoming community in our buildings.
And I’m thankful for all the ways that each of you connect with one another in care and compassion, and how you come to worship to remind yourselves of your need for God’s grace, and our responsibility to share that grace with the world.
On Sunday, November 13th, we will have an opportunity to participate in that community through a potluck meal after worship. We’ll also have information and sign-ups about ways that you can get more involved in the life of our congregation.
Join us in continuing to make Christ known in our community and with one another.
And THANK YOU for being a part of our congregation!
In God’s Amazing Grace,
Pastor Adam
Thankful
At the end of each October when I sit down to write my newsletter article for November, I think, “what would be good to write about for November? Thanksgiving, of course!” Then I think, “Shouldn’t I come up with something new? Is it stale to always write about being thankful in November?” Well maybe, but it is never any less important to remind ourselves to give thanks to God!
This year, rather than think of all the things I’m thankful for, or the ways that I have what I need (though still important to acknowledge), I am mostly thankful for all of you. I am thankful for the saints (that’s all of you) of North Beaver Creek Lutheran Church.
I am thankful for the ways that you have continued to make Christ’s love known in our communities through 2+ years of a pandemic. I’m thankful for the council that gives of their time to help make sure our congregation is making good use of our finances. I’m thankful for our Sunday School teachers who give their time to help our children to learn about what God is all about through story, craft, and fun. I’m thankful to our families with children who bring them to Sunday School and Confirmation, encouraging them to live lives of faith, hope, and love.
I’m thankful for the Women of the ELCA who continue to serve in our kitchens at funerals and other events, creating a welcoming community in our buildings.
And I’m thankful for all the ways that each of you connect with one another in care and compassion, and how you come to worship to remind yourselves of your need for God’s grace, and our responsibility to share that grace with the world.
On Sunday, November 13th, we will have an opportunity to participate in that community through a potluck meal after worship. We’ll also have information and sign-ups about ways that you can get more involved in the life of our congregation.
Join us in continuing to make Christ known in our community and with one another.
And THANK YOU for being a part of our congregation!
In God’s Amazing Grace,
Pastor Adam
Pastor's Page - July, 2022
But [Elijah] himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a solitary broom tree. He asked that he might die, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors.” Then he lay down under the broom tree and fell asleep. Suddenly an angel touched him and said to him, “Get up and eat.” He looked, and there at his head was a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. He ate and drank and lay down again. The angel of the Lord came a second time, touched him, and said, “Get up and eat, or the journey will be too much for you.” He got up and ate and drank; ~ 1 Kings 19:4-8
I love the story above. It’s about the work of the prophet Elijah. He’s been out telling people the truth about God, and telling the rulers that they need to turn around and listen to God and care for God’s people. The rulers don’t listen and chase Elijah down to kill him.
Elijah is tired. He’s just exhausted. So he says, “God, I’m giving up. This isn’t working. I’m just going to stay here under this tree.”
A messenger of the Lord comes to Elijah and says, basically, “Take a nap, have a few snacks, and you’ll feel better.” And it works!
This summer, if you find yourself exhausted from doing the work of caring for your neighbor and the world, if you’re exhausted and want a break, know this: a holy, Biblical response to being overwhelmed is to take a nap, and have a good snack!
This summer, in the middle of lots of plans and activities, I pray that you will take time to refresh, recharge, and recreate, so that you are able to take up that challenging call of God to love our neighbors.
Let’s pray:
Holy God, we give you thanks for refreshing holy naps, and the food and water that refreshes our bodies for your service. Be with us in our work and in our play, and in our rest.
Amen
In God’s Amazing Grace,
Pastor Adam
I love the story above. It’s about the work of the prophet Elijah. He’s been out telling people the truth about God, and telling the rulers that they need to turn around and listen to God and care for God’s people. The rulers don’t listen and chase Elijah down to kill him.
Elijah is tired. He’s just exhausted. So he says, “God, I’m giving up. This isn’t working. I’m just going to stay here under this tree.”
A messenger of the Lord comes to Elijah and says, basically, “Take a nap, have a few snacks, and you’ll feel better.” And it works!
This summer, if you find yourself exhausted from doing the work of caring for your neighbor and the world, if you’re exhausted and want a break, know this: a holy, Biblical response to being overwhelmed is to take a nap, and have a good snack!
This summer, in the middle of lots of plans and activities, I pray that you will take time to refresh, recharge, and recreate, so that you are able to take up that challenging call of God to love our neighbors.
Let’s pray:
Holy God, we give you thanks for refreshing holy naps, and the food and water that refreshes our bodies for your service. Be with us in our work and in our play, and in our rest.
Amen
In God’s Amazing Grace,
Pastor Adam
Pastor's Page - June, 2022
This is my father's world
He shines in all that's fair
In the rustling grass, I hear him pass
He speaks to me everywhere.
~ Beloved Hymn
No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us, and his love is perfected in us. ~ 1 John 4:12
Do Geese See God?
My family loves palindromes: words or phrases that are the same when read forwards or backwards. One of my personal favorites, which my son recently discovered in his class is, “Do geese see God?” It’s a silly sentence, but also, so theological.
Now I can’t tell you definitively whether geese see God or not, but I can tell you that I can see God. And so can you.
This summer I hope that we continue to look for the risen Christ who is active in our lives through the Holy Spirit.
The first few times that we discussed in worship where we have seen God, many of you mentioned seeing God in nature: in the sunrise, or sunset; in the flowers blooming; in the trees turning green; in the animals that accompany us.
In the natural world we do see the imprint of God. The psalms tell us that creation gives praise to God! I’m reminded of that line from that old beloved hymn, “In the rustling grass, I hear him pass / God speaks to me everywhere.”
Some of the moments where I have known God’s presence most clearly have been in the woods, or outside.
Yet I know God not just because of the natural world, but also through God’s people.
I have known God’s presence when I sing silly songs with 3 year-olds eager to dance and sing. I have seen God’s face in the faces of families sharing a meal together. God sat down with me to eat along with women experiencing homelessness, as well as at catered parties dedicated to raising funds for non-profit service. God is present in the hands that place Cheerios and Lucky Charms in the donation box for the food pantry. And God has held my hand along with the hand of someone ill at the hospital bedside.
Because no one has seen the face of God, we experience the divine Spirit when compassion and love connect us.
In this season of Pentecost, we recognize that through the risen Christ, the Spirit is on the loose throughout the world, acting, moving, changing us through relationship with one another and connection to God.
Will you see geese that see God?
I’m not sure, but I know we can!
May we recognize when God makes God’s presence known in nature, and in the faces of those we meet.
Pastor Adam
He shines in all that's fair
In the rustling grass, I hear him pass
He speaks to me everywhere.
~ Beloved Hymn
No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us, and his love is perfected in us. ~ 1 John 4:12
Do Geese See God?
My family loves palindromes: words or phrases that are the same when read forwards or backwards. One of my personal favorites, which my son recently discovered in his class is, “Do geese see God?” It’s a silly sentence, but also, so theological.
Now I can’t tell you definitively whether geese see God or not, but I can tell you that I can see God. And so can you.
This summer I hope that we continue to look for the risen Christ who is active in our lives through the Holy Spirit.
The first few times that we discussed in worship where we have seen God, many of you mentioned seeing God in nature: in the sunrise, or sunset; in the flowers blooming; in the trees turning green; in the animals that accompany us.
In the natural world we do see the imprint of God. The psalms tell us that creation gives praise to God! I’m reminded of that line from that old beloved hymn, “In the rustling grass, I hear him pass / God speaks to me everywhere.”
Some of the moments where I have known God’s presence most clearly have been in the woods, or outside.
Yet I know God not just because of the natural world, but also through God’s people.
I have known God’s presence when I sing silly songs with 3 year-olds eager to dance and sing. I have seen God’s face in the faces of families sharing a meal together. God sat down with me to eat along with women experiencing homelessness, as well as at catered parties dedicated to raising funds for non-profit service. God is present in the hands that place Cheerios and Lucky Charms in the donation box for the food pantry. And God has held my hand along with the hand of someone ill at the hospital bedside.
Because no one has seen the face of God, we experience the divine Spirit when compassion and love connect us.
In this season of Pentecost, we recognize that through the risen Christ, the Spirit is on the loose throughout the world, acting, moving, changing us through relationship with one another and connection to God.
Will you see geese that see God?
I’m not sure, but I know we can!
May we recognize when God makes God’s presence known in nature, and in the faces of those we meet.
Pastor Adam
Pastor's Page -- January 2022
Faith First in the Light
Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.
The unfolding of your words gives light…
~Psalm 119:105, 130a
When I was a summer camp counselor at Good Earth Village in Minnesota, we would have campers from Sunday afternoon until Friday morning. Friday evenings we could leave camp if we wanted or stay and relax. One of the favorite places at camp was an overlook on a bluff that was gorgeous during the day. I had heard that it was a great place to sit and reflect at night, especially when the moon was shining.
A Friday with a full moon arrived and it was so bright that I decided to see it from the overlook and reflect on a tough week, taking time to pray alone. It also seemed so bright that I decided, in my youthful confidence, that I did not need a flashlight. I was looking forward to having a reflective time alone.
As I entered the path that led down to the overlook, I realized that under the trees, it was much darker than I had anticipated. Yet, my youthful optimism persisted and I knew the path pretty well, so I found my way in the dark to the overlook. As I sat down on a rock next to a tree, ready to gaze upon the moon and reflect, I heard low growl. I froze. Maybe it will go away?
There was another growl, longer this time. Slowly, heart beating quickly, I stood up, and backed away up the path, step by step.
After that, if I ventured out at night, I brought a flashlight with me, just in case!
We often think we can go through life on our own: that we don’t need any guidance, that we don’t need any help. Without a bit of guidance, without some extra light when we can’t see the dangers around us, we can find ourselves in situations that are frightening. We can find ourselves unprepared for what is around us.
Scripture can be our help and guide, and help us to see more clearly.
In this season of Epiphany, we celebrate that the Magi from the East saw a new star, a new light in the sky, and it changed their lives, and lit up their path. We read about Jesus, as a child teaching from scripture in the temple, giving new light, new understanding to ancient texts, we read about John the baptizer realizing that the scripture points to Jesus, the Christ, we read about Jesus himself teaching that he is in fact the light that has come into the world, to be a light unto our path.
If you are feeling lost this season, if you hear scary sounds around you, I pray that Christ, through the Word of scripture, lights your path.
In God’s Grace and Peace,
Pastor Adam
Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.
The unfolding of your words gives light…
~Psalm 119:105, 130a
When I was a summer camp counselor at Good Earth Village in Minnesota, we would have campers from Sunday afternoon until Friday morning. Friday evenings we could leave camp if we wanted or stay and relax. One of the favorite places at camp was an overlook on a bluff that was gorgeous during the day. I had heard that it was a great place to sit and reflect at night, especially when the moon was shining.
A Friday with a full moon arrived and it was so bright that I decided to see it from the overlook and reflect on a tough week, taking time to pray alone. It also seemed so bright that I decided, in my youthful confidence, that I did not need a flashlight. I was looking forward to having a reflective time alone.
As I entered the path that led down to the overlook, I realized that under the trees, it was much darker than I had anticipated. Yet, my youthful optimism persisted and I knew the path pretty well, so I found my way in the dark to the overlook. As I sat down on a rock next to a tree, ready to gaze upon the moon and reflect, I heard low growl. I froze. Maybe it will go away?
There was another growl, longer this time. Slowly, heart beating quickly, I stood up, and backed away up the path, step by step.
After that, if I ventured out at night, I brought a flashlight with me, just in case!
We often think we can go through life on our own: that we don’t need any guidance, that we don’t need any help. Without a bit of guidance, without some extra light when we can’t see the dangers around us, we can find ourselves in situations that are frightening. We can find ourselves unprepared for what is around us.
Scripture can be our help and guide, and help us to see more clearly.
In this season of Epiphany, we celebrate that the Magi from the East saw a new star, a new light in the sky, and it changed their lives, and lit up their path. We read about Jesus, as a child teaching from scripture in the temple, giving new light, new understanding to ancient texts, we read about John the baptizer realizing that the scripture points to Jesus, the Christ, we read about Jesus himself teaching that he is in fact the light that has come into the world, to be a light unto our path.
If you are feeling lost this season, if you hear scary sounds around you, I pray that Christ, through the Word of scripture, lights your path.
In God’s Grace and Peace,
Pastor Adam
Pastor's Page -- December 2021
Faith First in Preparation
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” ~Isaiah 9:6
Those big red tubs in the basement are ready to be brought up to make their annual appearance. The books are about to be boxed up to make room for the ceramic winter town that will replace them on the shelf. The tangle of Christmas lights is ready to be untangled and hung in windows and around posts and the outlines of the house. The oven waits patiently for the sweet warm smells of cinnamon and ginger which will fill the house as the cookies bake. The nativity scenes will be set out prominently on the buffet, reminding us what this time is all about.
It's time to get ready for Christmas!
As we get our houses decorated, and our rooms ready for visitors, and our stockings hung up for presents, we also begin to think about giving gifts to those we love. Giving a good and thoughtful gift can be especially meaningful to the one we give it to. But to give a really good gift, it takes time. It takes listening well to the person we want to give the gift to; it means thinking of time we’ve spent together; it means paying attention to the things this other person loves to do, and hopes for.
Giving a gift can take time and effort, just to decide what to get.
As Christians, we are , of course, waiting and preparing for Christmas that time that we remember God came into the world as one of us. God gave to us the gift of Jesus, the Christ who showed us what compassion means.
It might be easy to think that all our preparations for Christmas are a gift to God, and that’s what’s important about Advent and Christmas. Certainly giving God thanks and praise is part of a life of faith.
Yet it is important to remember at Christmas who is the giver and who is receiving.
God knew humanity so well, God knew and knows our hearts: the wonderful loving parts of us and the not so caring parts of us. Two thousand years ago God knew the gift that we needed, and still need today. The gift of Jesus was and is and will continue to be the gift that humans need. We will continue to need the grace, joy, peace, and compassion promised in Jesus the Christ.
As you make preparations for Christmas this year, and as you plan to give gifts, remember too that God has a gift for you, and asks that we open our hearts and our lives to be lived in that gift that is the Christ.
May we live in Christ’s Grace,
Pastor Adam
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” ~Isaiah 9:6
Those big red tubs in the basement are ready to be brought up to make their annual appearance. The books are about to be boxed up to make room for the ceramic winter town that will replace them on the shelf. The tangle of Christmas lights is ready to be untangled and hung in windows and around posts and the outlines of the house. The oven waits patiently for the sweet warm smells of cinnamon and ginger which will fill the house as the cookies bake. The nativity scenes will be set out prominently on the buffet, reminding us what this time is all about.
It's time to get ready for Christmas!
As we get our houses decorated, and our rooms ready for visitors, and our stockings hung up for presents, we also begin to think about giving gifts to those we love. Giving a good and thoughtful gift can be especially meaningful to the one we give it to. But to give a really good gift, it takes time. It takes listening well to the person we want to give the gift to; it means thinking of time we’ve spent together; it means paying attention to the things this other person loves to do, and hopes for.
Giving a gift can take time and effort, just to decide what to get.
As Christians, we are , of course, waiting and preparing for Christmas that time that we remember God came into the world as one of us. God gave to us the gift of Jesus, the Christ who showed us what compassion means.
It might be easy to think that all our preparations for Christmas are a gift to God, and that’s what’s important about Advent and Christmas. Certainly giving God thanks and praise is part of a life of faith.
Yet it is important to remember at Christmas who is the giver and who is receiving.
God knew humanity so well, God knew and knows our hearts: the wonderful loving parts of us and the not so caring parts of us. Two thousand years ago God knew the gift that we needed, and still need today. The gift of Jesus was and is and will continue to be the gift that humans need. We will continue to need the grace, joy, peace, and compassion promised in Jesus the Christ.
As you make preparations for Christmas this year, and as you plan to give gifts, remember too that God has a gift for you, and asks that we open our hearts and our lives to be lived in that gift that is the Christ.
May we live in Christ’s Grace,
Pastor Adam
