From the Desk of the Senior Pastor

I took this picture from my backyard in early September. You may not realize it at first glance, but this photo is packed with interesting objects. The larger object to the upper right of center is the galaxy known as NGC 7331. It is about 40 million light years from Earth. The bright star that is just to the left of the galaxy’s bright center is a newly discovered supernova (an exploding star) that appeared on September 1st. Just above the galaxy and supernova are a few other galaxies that appear like faint smudges. They are each around 300 million light years away. At the bottom left corner there is another set of galaxies known as Stephen’s Quintet. Most of them are also around 300 million light years away. I took the picture because I was interested in getting a shot of the newly discovered supernova. It wasn’t until I started looking at the photo that I realized that I had captured so much more.

I cannot truly comprehend the vastness of our universe. This supernova occurred 40 million years ago, but the light from that explosion just reached us on September 1st of this year. Creation is so much larger than even this picture would suggest. And yet, God, who created all that we see and all that we cannot see, cares for each one of us.

As we celebrate the 100th anniversary of Advent Lutheran Church this month, we celebrate our small part in the history of God’s vast creation. We celebrate the fact that in this incomprehensibly large and amazing universe, God is mindful of us, cares for us, declares through his Son, Jesus Christ, that we matter, that we are loved, that we are not alone.

I am excited for Advent to celebrate this milestone. I pray that as we tell the story of the last 100 years here, we connect it with the greater story of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is not just 100 years old, not just 2000 years old, but older than creation itself. For Jesus “is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible… all things have been created through him and for him.” (Colossians 1:15-16, NRSV)

Just as the heavens and the earth are God’s creation, so are each one of us, created in God’s image, loved as God’s children, and called to carry that love into the future, whatever it may be. Happy anniversary to Advent. May we continue to proclaim God’s love and grace today and always.
Peace,