I am supposed to write to you about giving more. It isn’t easy to do that without falling into the trap of telling you all the wonderful ways I have given of myself or all the wonderful things I have seen doing outreach work. So, I would like to challenge you to think about the idea that giving more equals really knowing the person you are giving to. Have you ever done a Secret Santa at work or school? Do you find yourself wishing for a certain name as the hat goes around and you get to draw?

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In November of 2008, we were involved in a car accident. Our SUV was t-boned after a truck pulling a trailer of horses ran a red light. We were fine, except for Libby having a few bruised ribs and a mild concussion. Everyone else involved (including the horses) was uninjured. However, our SUV was totaled. 

We were engaged at the time and in the process of figuring out how to join our two lives under one household, including finances. Thankfully, we had good insurance, so we received a payout amount for the vehicle. It was enough to basically cover the car loan plus a small sum leftover. Unfortunately, it wasn’t really enough for another down payment.  

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March 22 of this year was something I was never prepared for. I received the phone call from my sister that she had found our brother, John Fuller, dead in his bed having committed suicide. I screamed (scaring our daughter), ran up to our room and fell to my knees wailing. The days followed and the roller coaster cycle of grief began. My brother had lived a life that we considered to be so full. He was larger than life, engaged in the community, met with veterans to integrate art and healing to handle PTSD recovery, as he himself had served 17 years in the Army. We had not realized the extent of darkness that led to his death.

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We at Imago Dei Church have found ourselves again in a season of transition and waiting, as we search out a new pastoral candidate. The Leadership Team at Imago acknowledges the mixed emotions that come with any transition, especially one where we will be losing two people who have for so long been at the heart and soul of making our church run. While we anxiously await what this new phase of our church’s life will bring, I am reminded that God is never surprised by such changes. Just as he has brought us this far, he will continue to bring us into our next season of life as a church.

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I went to a small high school in a smal town. It was hard not to be part of an extracurricular. I was in nearly everything that wasn’t considered a sport. Every band (there were 3: marching, jazz and concert), scholastic bowl, musicals, plays and choir. But there was an activity that was considered a combination of music and sport: show choir (and if you’re wondering why marching band wasn’t considered a sport, ask the popular kids, who were in show choir, and not marching band).

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One of the most memorable lessons I ever received on prayer came from my pastor’s wife several years ago. She told me about how they had started baking and selling cakes to support themselves at a time when there wasn’t enough support at the church. He baked the cakes, and she frosted them. She wanted to learn how to pipe a rose. A friend told her, “Come on by, I’ll show you how to do it,” but with four kids, she never had time. She prayed, “Lord, show me how to make a rose,” and she learned to make a rose.

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“Thoughts and prayers.” “I’m praying for you.” Intercessory prayer is simple to do, takes just a moment and can be equally worthless. For those who don’t believe in God and the power of prayer, of course, it’s worthless. “I’m struggling and I need real tangible help now. And you are asking your imaginary friend to do some nebulous something?” For those who do believe, it can be a huge help. The problems we bring to God are often the sort that are too big for us: an uncle has cancer, a pregnant couple’s baby has been diagnosed with an abnormality and won’t live, a friend’s dad dies unexpectedly weeks before her wedding, even something as simple as a job loss.

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Prayer – that was one part of my spiritual walk that I once thought I had figured out. Of course, it has evolved over the years, starting with kneeling by my bed and praying, “God bless Mother, Daddy, my little sisters, my grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins.” As my horizons expanded, my list grew to include friends, classmates, my Sunday School teacher, pastor, and all the missionaries. As I became aware of needs, I prayed for healing, wisdom, redemption, and safety. The list grew and the responsibility became weighty as I worried about leaving out a crucial need.

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We’re hitting your inbox this Sunday afternoon because our church has some big news to process. If you weren’t with us this morning during our service, we invite you to check out today’s message on discernment.

Dustin and I were able to share about a discernment process we’re currently in, and if the opportunity plays out, our family will be transitioning to living in Austin, Texas in a tiny-home community called Community First Village - a master-planned village aimed at lifting those experiencing chronic homelessness off the streets. You can learn more about the village here.

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“Prayer tends to say more about you and your image of God than it does about God herself.” 

“True, whole prayer is nothing but love.” - St. Augustine

“Pray as you can, not as you can’t.” - Dom John Chapman

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Wandering around in the dark night of my soul looking for the light switch was not how I envisioned the end of my marriage of 44 years. In fact, I had always pictured this time of my life being the space where Randy and I got to start each other’s rockers! Like many Christians, we believed that our commitment to love each other for the rest of our lives was enough to ensure a lasting marriage. We were both aware of many of our own eccentricities and imperfections, but at 20-something, we envisioned marriage as just an endless sleepover with our best friend (or favorite weirdo!). As I read somewhere, in reality, a perfect marriage is just two imperfect people who refuse to give up on each other.

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A million years ago, I graduated from college as a nurse, and I decided to move to Chicago to go to seminary. While there, I found a church home in the Evanston Vineyard. The Vineyard is a church movement where laying hands on the sick and praying for them to be healed is part of almost everything that they do. We would stop to pray for someone as soon as they mentioned a sniffle or an ache. We would gather in groups to pray for our friends in the hospital. Praying for each other at the end of every church service was a given. My practice of prayer changed a lot during this time in my life. I was praying almost continuously. I talked to God about everything because I honestly believed that he was listening to and answering me.

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Lutherans love a good ceremony. Nothing splashy, of course. We don’t like to show off. But when it’s hard to talk about spiritual matters and deep emotions, it’s good to stop, say some important words together, and admit that life is full of big moments. We baptize, take communion, get married, get buried…and we confirm.

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It had to have been the spring semester of 2003 when Prince Dorough, my choir director from Illinois Central College, referred me to a church that was seeking a part-time choir director for the upcoming school year. Prince had to have either held a great deal of confidence in my potential, or he was completely oblivious to my skill level because I had never directed a choir before, and I lacked any inkling of confidence in doing so.

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“Holy Orders” isn’t a phrase that’s in my vocabulary. In fact, to be completely honest, I had to learn what the term meant before writing this article. I’m guessing that the term probably isn’t in a lot of our collective vocabulary at Imago, so just for clarity, the dictionary defines “holy orders” as “the rite or sacrament of ordination” or “the rank or status of an ordained Christian minister.” But I think it goes beyond making your faith your profession. With that in mind, I want to share my experiences and thoughts about feeling called to specific ministries for God.

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