Interim Pastor
The Rev. Murray D. Finck, Bishop Emeritus
May 2023
“Witness to God’s Love”
May 2023 is a month filled with opportunities to witness to God’s love. From the 2nd Sunday celebrating our Mothers who taught and showed us the meaning of love by caring for us, to the last Sunday remembering our brothers and sisters who sacrificed their lives in service to our country on Memorial day, it is a month of loving remembrances. But in our church and May’s Holy Scriptures, we are also called to remember the love of Christ shared and embraced by those who follow our Lord Jesus Christ’s teachings. We are called to remember and live out our faith by sharing God’s love by being witnesses to Christ and recipients of the Holy Spirit.
Our Lutheran Bishop Dave Nagler shared a copy of his sermon that he will be delivering to our church’s Pacifica Synod Assembly on the 1st Sunday of May, and the concluding portion is particularly relevant to our community. After traveling through the Synod since his installation, he finds:
“From being around the synod with you, there is good news to share!…When I see all of you…bearing witness in our Synod….Alleluia! The Gospel is being proclaimed! Brothers and Sisters, Siblings in Christ, we are alive in God’s Spirit!”
When I met with Bishop Nagler a few months ago to discuss with him how Redeemer Lutheran and St. Theodore’s Episcopal churches were naturally merging together (and we will celebrate that with him and the Episcopal bishop in October when we celebrate 60 years of ministry in Leisure World), he shared with me how he and the Episcopal Presiding Bishop had spent a retreat weekend together and saw firsthand how our denominations are so clearly linked and have been living the proclamation of the Gospel together. He quotes the Presiding Bishop in his sermon this Sunday:
“The Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal church Michael Curry refers to the Episcopal church as the Episcopal branch of the Jesus movement. I love that term, so let’s think about ourselves that way. We are the Lutheran branch of the Jesus Movement here in this part of the world, the Pacifica Synod. This beautiful, diverse, complex, wonderful place.
We are a part of this movement going all the way back to Jesus of Nazareth who healed, and raised people to new life, and proclaimed good news in a time when people were talking about bad news. … So, let’s journey and go together into a new space, trusting that God is with us as he promised to be.”
Bishop Nagler’s Sermon to the Pacifica Synod’s Assembly, 5/7/23
The final Sunday of May 2023 is not just Memorial Day weekend, but one of the holiest days of the year: Pentecost. The day when God’s Holy Spirit descends and unites all of God’s people into one multi-faceted, Jesus-movement-based church. Let us remember the love of God shared through the life and ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ and do as our Bishops encourage us: trusting in a God who loves us now and forevermore through the moving power of Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. May our May 2023 be blessed, holy, and empowered by prayerfully uniting us in God’s love.
~~ Pastor Lisa
June 2023
“June Gloom? June Joy!”
Though we’re experiencing an intense “June gloom” as we get socked in with the cloudy and cooling marine layer, June is traditionally celebrated as the month when the joys of summer get into full swing. Remember the joy of the last day of school in June when all the crazy, hazy days of summer were in front of you? From graduations to weddings to Father’s Day barbecues, there is much to be celebrated and joy to be found in June.
As there is much joy to be found in our church by our faith. When we add the gifts of 3 faithful men together over the centuries — King David, Ludwig Van Beethoven, and Henry Van Dyke — we have our blessed seasonal hymn for June: “Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee”.
It is a hymn that has its roots in Psalm 71. Writing in the later twilight years of his life, David speaks of trusting God in all aspects of his life, with steadfast endurance in one's final years. In old age he sought God's help as his own strength waned:
Psalm 71 (NRSV) — Prayer for Lifelong Protection and Help
1In you, O Lord, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame.
2In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;
incline your ear to me and save me.
3Be to me a rock of refuge, a strong fortress, to save me,
for you are my rock and my fortress.…
9Do not cast me off in the time of old age;
do not forsake me when my strength is spent….
12O God, do not be far from me;
O my God, make haste to help me!
17O God, from my youth you have taught me,
and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.
18So even to old age and grey hairs,
O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might
to all the generations to come. Your power
19and your righteousness, O God,
reach the high heavens. You who have done great things,
O God, who is like you?
20You who have made me see many troubles and calamities
will revive me again;
from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again.
21You will increase my honor,
and comfort me once again.
22I will also praise you with the harp
for your faithfulness, O my God;
I will sing praises to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel.
23My lips will shout for joy
when I sing praises to you;
my soul also, which you have rescued.
It is Psalm 71, verse 23 that the poet Henry Van Dyke based “The Hymn of Joy” in 1907 with the intention of musically setting it to the famous “Ode to Joy” melody of the final movement of Ludwig van Beethoven's final symphony, Symphony No. 9. The lyrics were first published in 1911 in Van Dyke's Book of Poems.
Van Dyke himself described his hymn: “These verses are simple expressions of common Christian feelings and desires in this present time — hymns of today that may be sung together by people who know the thought of the age, and are not afraid that any truth of science will destroy religion, or any revolution on earth overthrow the kingdom of heaven. Therefore this is a hymn of trust and joy and hope.” Another hymnologist wrote: “This hymn is generally considered by hymnologists to be one of the most joyous expressions of hymn lyrics in the English language.”
Beethoven did not write any of his compositions for congregational use, but various arrangers adapted some of his musical themes as hymn tunes — the most famous being “Ode to Joy” from the Ninth Symphony which he wrote in 1824. As one biographer wrote: “Although it would appear that the great calamity of Beethoven’s life was his loss of hearing, which turned to total deafness during the last decade of his life, he composed his greatest works during this period.”
So let us join King David, Beethoven, and Van Dyke across the centuries as they created a hymn for the ages, in their older years. Posting it on our refrigerator and our hearts, let us live into “the joy of my Lord is our strength.” May we reflect and sing of the joy of God for giving us age, faith, and trust knowing our God who is with us always (and especially in the light and joy of June :) —
Pastor Lisa
“Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee”
Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee,
God of glory, Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flow'rs before Thee,
Op'ning to the Sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness;
drive the dark of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness,
fill us with the light of day!
All Thy works with joy surround Thee,
Earth and heav'n reflect Thy rays,
Stars and angels sing around Thee,
center of unbroken praise.
Field and forest, vale and mountain,
Flow'ry meadow, flashing sea,
chanting bird and flowing fountain
call us to rejoice in Thee.
Thou art giving and forgiving,
ever blessing, ever blest,
well-spring of the joy of living,
ocean-depth of happy rest!
Thou the Father, Christ our Brother,
all who live in love are Thine;
Teach us how to love each other,
lift us to the joy Divine.
Mortals join the mighty chorus,
which the morning stars began;
Father-love is reigning o'er us,
brother-love binds man to man.
Ever singing, march we onward,
victors in the midst of strife,
joyful music lifts us sunward
in the triumph song of life.
July and August 2023
“Reflect on Romans this Summer”
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free (Romans 8:2)
Our monthly calendar flips to July and we are reminded to celebrate freedom on our country’s declaration of independence on July 4th.
Our summer liturgical calendar flips to July and August and we are instructed to celebrate our freedom found in Christ every day of our lives.
Each Sunday for the next few months has our New Testament reading taken from the book of Romans. Martin Luther’s proclaimed Romans the life-changing and essential book of Scripture, describing it this way:
“This letter is truly the most important piece in the New Testament. It is purest Gospel. It is well worth a Christian's while not only to memorize it word for word but also to occupy himself with it daily, as though it were the daily bread of the soul.”
(From Preface to the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans by Martin Luther, 1483-1546)
Need a good summer read or want to test your memory? Open the middle of your New Testament — the heart of it, if you will — and you’ll find your way into the book of Romans. Read portions of it daily and you will find verses to underline, commit to memory and your soul enlightened.
Or follow the Sunday lectionary calendar (printed in this newsletter) and follow along how Christ invites you into the life-expanding freedom that he offers to each of us by his life, death and resurrection.
Let us celebrate our freedom found only by faithfully following God, knowing Christ and letting the Holy Spirit lead us into a free and eternal life. In Jesus name, let us study and pray —
Pastor Lisa
December 2023 – January 2024
Message from Pastor Lisa
It is with a heavy heart that I must leave Redeemer and each of you at this time, due to my health issues. I have been blessed by your love and care during my time at Redeemer.
I am grateful to the Church Council and people of Redeemer for the opportunity to serve. I am thankful for all the support given to me and my family throughout the time I have served and especially during this time of my illness and recovery.
Thank you for allowing me to shepherd Christ’s flock and I will continue to keep the people of Redeemer in my heart and prayers. May the Spirit bless you in all you do moving forward.
Every time I think of you, I thank God for you. I have joy in my heart every time I ask God to help you. I thank God for the joy we share in telling the good news from the very first day until now.
A Happy Christmas to you all and best wishes in the coming new year.
Blessings and Peace,
~~ Pastor Lisa
February 2024
Message from the Pastor:
Dear members and friends of Redeemer Lutheran and St. Theodore of Canterbury Episcopal Churches,
God's grace and peace be with you. It was suggested my first newsletter article share a few details about my life. I do so with the hope that in the weeks ahead, I will learn more about you, your lives, and your stories.
I was raised on a dairy farm in St. Charles Missouri, near St. Louis. My father's parents and one of his sister's family also lived on that farm, where we milked cows, raised beef and chickens, harvested our own crops and gardens to feed the animals as well as our family. A mile from our farm was the Lutheran Church and school, and also the parsonage where my other grandparents lived. In my youth, I was surrounded by loving Christian family members. Three of my uncles and one cousin were Lutheran pastors along with my grandfather on my mother's side. I attended Lutheran grade school for eight years, public high school for four years, Lutheran college for four years and Lutheran seminary for four years. When my grandfather retired, our next pastor and his family came to our community. His children went to the Lutheran grade school where I was attending. A few years later, that pastor left to become a college professor. Some years later I attended that college and reconnected with his family. I re-met one of his daughters who had been my childhood schoolmate. We fell in love. Rhoda and I were married 52 years ago after she finished college and while I was in my first year of seminary. She worked as a special Ed teacher, then took some years to be a full-time mother. She returned to elementary education when our children were older, serving in a variety of teaching capacities. She retired in 2015.
I was ordained in 1975 and served three different congregations, all in California. I had also done my one year of internship (vicarage) in 1973-74 in this state. Rhoda and I we were delighted to return to serve and live on the West Coast after my final year of seminary. We have three children, all in their 40s, all married to wonderful spouses, and together they have given us 5 delightful grandchildren, one girl and four boys. The oldest is 17 and the youngest is 7 months. To them we are Mimi and Papa. Two of our children’s families live in Southern California (Encinitas and Seal Beach) and the other lives in Williamsburg VA.
In 1993. Bishop Robert Miller invited me to join the staff of the Pacific Synod-ELCA as his Assistant to the Bishop. When Bishop Miller retired in 1998 as the first Bishop of the Pacifica Synod, I was elected to be its second Bishop. I served in that capacity for 18 years, retiring in 2016. In my “so-called retirement,” I served Saint Paul Lutheran Church in Fullerton for most of 2019 during their pastoral vacancy. When the Southwest California Synod, our neighboring synod to the north, experienced a vacancy in the Bishop’s office in 2020 and 2021, I was asked by our Presiding Bishop to fill that vacancy until a new Bishop could be elected.
For six months in 2022-2023, I provided pastoral ministry at Christ Lutheran Church in Orange after the sudden resignation of their pastor. In September of 2023, I came to Redeemer\St. Theodore to preach for Pastor Gil Moore's 70th anniversary of his ordination. I learned of your pastoral vacancy here. One thing led to another, and now for a season of time, I have agreed to be with the two congregations that worship together here in Leisure World.
It has been a delightful time for both Rhoda and me to be with you. Besides the pastoral ministry I have agreed to do for this season, I am committed to working with the Pacifica Synod and the Los Angeles Episcopal Diocese, their bishops and staff members, to help this worshipping community again have a more permanent pastoral ministry. Besides family and serving in interim capacities as I have, I do volunteer work on behalf of the ELCA Federal Chaplaincy Ministries. I also enjoy woodworking, and I have taken up the hobby of archery again, which I did as a boy on the farm many years ago. Rhoda and I are appreciative of your warm hospitality, open arms and open hearts, and your affirming and caring reception as we have come into your community of faith. We especially thank you for your prayers and care and the beautiful flowers you sent to our home following Rhoda's recent successful surgery. Thank you. God bless and keep you.
The Reverend Murray D. Finck
Bishop Emeritus
March 2024
Message from the Pastor:
Dear Members and Friends of Redeemer and St. Theodore of Canterbury,
I don't remember who said it or where I might have read it, but in my childhood I either heard or read that the reason March winds blew strong like a roaring lion was nature’s way of removing old bird nests that had been built in the treetops the year before. Thus, the birds would need again to busily weave new nests of sticks, string, and straw. As they skillfully crafted their new homes, they would sing their little hearts out, and the air was filled with joyous chirping and cheeping, truly nature’s choir bringing joy-filled melodies to the outdoor temples and cathedrals of trees.
There are many quotes about the month of March being a time of new beginnings, new life, hope, and re-creation. It promises the same for us.
This month of March 2024 for the Redeemer/St. Theodore of Canterbury community will be like those birds in the trees--a month filled with many opportunities, perhaps the busiest month of this year.
•
Sunday Morning Worship. There will be five Sunday mornings to worship, and one is Palm Sunday, and another is the Day of Resurrection, Easter Sunday. (And please remember on March 10th to reset your clocks the night before as we lose that hour moving back to Daylight Savings Time.)
Sunday Morning Worship. There will be five Sunday mornings to worship, and one is Palm Sunday, and another is the Day of Resurrection, Easter Sunday. (And please remember on March 10th to reset your clocks the night before as we lose that hour moving back to Daylight Savings Time.)•Pastor David Anderson, the United Methodist pastor who has been worshipping with us, will be our preacher on March 17, (which is also St. Patrick’s Day.) Thank you, Pastor Anderson.
Pastor David Anderson, the United Methodist pastor who has been worshipping with us, will be our preacher on March 17, (which is also St. Patrick’s Day.) Thank you, Pastor Anderson.•Palm Sunday, the Sunday of the Passion is March 24th, during which we will receive new members and give existing members an opportunity to re-affirm their baptismal covenants.
Palm Sunday, the Sunday of the Passion is March 24th, during which we will receive new members and give existing members an opportunity to re-affirm their baptismal covenants.•Easter Sunday, one of the church’s highest and holiest days of celebration and praise as we break forth again our glad “alleluias.”
Easter Sunday, one of the church’s highest and holiest days of celebration and praise as we break forth again our glad “alleluias.”• Theology Classes. There will be three more Lutheran/Episcopalian theology classes on Wednesdays (March 6, 13, 20) meeting in the sanctuary at 3:00 p.m.
Theology Classes. There will be three more Lutheran/Episcopalian theology classes on Wednesdays (March 6, 13, 20) meeting in the sanctuary at 3:00 p.m.•Lenten Study, Song, and Soup. On those same three Wednesdays at 4:00 p.m., we will continue to gather in the Fellowship Hall downstairs for our study of the Passion Narratives as recorded by the four Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Then we will sing and enjoy soup suppers together, continuing our conversations and fellowship.
Lenten Study, Song, and Soup. On those same three Wednesdays at 4:00 p.m., we will continue to gather in the Fellowship Hall downstairs for our study of the Passion Narratives as recorded by the four Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Then we will sing and enjoy soup suppers together, continuing our conversations and fellowship.•Maundy Thursday. On March 28, we will gather at 10:30 a.m. for a special Maundy Thursday worship service, remembering the day Jesus gathered with his disciples for the Passover meal “on the night in which he was betrayed.” It is the day Jesus first gave his followers the Lord’s Supper.
Maundy Thursday. On March 28, we will gather at 10:30 a.m. for a special Maundy Thursday worship service, remembering the day Jesus gathered with his disciples for the Passover meal “on the night in which he was betrayed.” It is the day Jesus first gave his followers the Lord’s Supper.•Good Friday. We will be participating with other community churches for a Good Friday observance beginning at 12:00 p.m. through 3:00 p.m. hearing reflections from local church leaders and clergy, including brief homilies on the Seven Words of Jesus spoken from the cross. More details are forthcoming. People are welcome to come and go as you are able during the three-hour service.
Good Friday. We will be participating with other community churches for a Good Friday observance beginning at 12:00 p.m. through 3:00 p.m. hearing reflections from local church leaders and clergy, including brief homilies on the Seven Words of Jesus spoken from the cross. More details are forthcoming. People are welcome to come and go as you are able during the three-hour service. On my calendar that is no fewer than 13 different reasons and opportunities to gather as the people of God... a very full month giving us wonderful opportunities to worship our Lord who sacrificially gave his life for us and the world that God so dearly and deeply loves. It also offers us many times to be together with friends and fellow believers. Like the birds in the treetops, weaving their nests, we will have or opportunities to nurture our relationships with God and one another. And we will have many opportunities to sing joyful melodies of praise to our good and gracious God.
Please join us. Invite a neighbor or friend to come with you. May your March be filled with hope!
To God alone be the glory,
The Reverend Murray D. Finck
Bishop Emeritus and Interim Pastor
April 2024
Message from the Pastor:
Dear Members and Friends of Redeemer and St. Theodore of Canterbury,
Looking Ahead – Sunday Worship and
Midweek Bible Studies
As the Weeks of Easter unfold for the next seven weeks, our over-arching theme on Sunday mornings will be “Living the Resurrection.” Hearing about the resurrection is the work of ears and minds. Believing in the resurrection is the work of our hearts. Living the resurrection is the work of body, soul, heart, and mind as we give witness to the greatest gift God has given us. Our Sunday’s in April will
April 7 – We will be with the disciples and Thomas as they struggle to believe that the one who was crucified and buried was now alive and in their midst.
April 14 – After his resurrection and before his ascension into heaven, Jesus opened the hearts and minds of his disciples to better comprehend the promises of God. He continues to do the same for us.
April 21 – Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd who is willing to lay down my life for my sheep.” On that Sunday we will gather as the flock in need of our beloved and dedicated shepherd.
April 28 – The story of Philip is about a disciple who was able to witness to a traveling Ethiopian. We hear Jesus tell of our life-giving interconnectedness--he is the vine and we are the branches.
Midweek Bible Study reconvenes on Wednesdays at 12:00 noon. Since we did not quite finish our classes before Easter on Wednesday afternoons, we are going to pick up where we left off and finish the conversations we had about our Lutheran and Episcopalian beliefs, practices, and understandings. The time has been moved to 12:00 noon. We will decide a few “housekeeping” matters about future meetings and determine the studies we will undertake as we gather again on Wednesday, April 3rd in the sanctuary. Please bring your Bibles and come with some ideas about the kind of study you would enjoy after we finish the one we are completing now.
Looking Back
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! So many people took on many different important roles during our Lenten and Holy Week gatherings. We are thankful for the music and the hands that played at the keyboards and the voices that filled our sanctuary with praise and thanksgiving. We are thankful to those who week after week attend to the altar, set up the Holy Communion, and then clean up and put everything away afterwards. We are thankful for altar assistance, readers, ushers, greeters including those distributing the bulletins, gathering the offering, and having everything ready to go each Sunday morning. We thank those who stay behind at the end of a Sunday morning to count the offering and get it to the bank. We are grateful for those who help us to sign up and participate and take responsibilities for many different aspects of our church life together. This past month we were very grateful for soup makers, bread bakers, and those who brought desserts for our Lenten gatherings, and week after week those who provide for our Sunday morning fellowship time enhance that time with their skills in the kitchen. We are thankful for flowers and decorations both inside and out. The artwork is amazing and speaks in a language of its own about the stories of faith that are bringing us together as the people of God. The Church Council conducts the business of the church on behalf of us all. Know you are calling each other, checking-in with each other, caring for one another, and making sure the connections between our members and friends is very strong. We appreciate every participant, everyone who comes and is involved. We give thanks for as your support of this congregation’s ministry as you attend, as you pray, as you give financially, as your offer your talents and resources. Thank you!
As you join us week after week, invite a neighbor or friend to come with you. May your April be filled with joy!
To God alone be the glory,
The Reverend Murray D. Finck
Bishop Emeritus and Interim Pastor
