​ Mel Suhr and Pastor Josh attended the annual Synod Assembly in Cedar Rapids, May 15th and 16th, held at First Lutheran Church. During the two-day event, delegates voted on a budget for the next fiscal year and elected leaders for synod council and standing committees. Bishop Amy Current was reelected as the synod’s bishop, serving another six-year term.
This was Mel’s first time as a delegate at a Synod Assembly. “It was refreshing to know there are ways to communicate with the synod,” he said. He appreciated the fairness and time taken for deliberation. Additionally, both Mel and Pastor Josh enjoyed catching up with acquaintances and colleagues from all around southeastern Iowa. They shared concerns, joys, and stories with one another.
What struck Mel and Pastor Josh at the assembly was the Bible study written for it. “Peace be with you!” from John 20:16-19 (which the people of GSLC have heard several times lately) was the focus. What made this study unique was that participants shared faith stories about fear, peace, and rejoicing. Faith stories are difficult to share, often because finding a place to start is unclear. People also are concerned that sharing a faith story might be unhelpful or unwanted. Mel and Pastor Josh found the faith storytelling helpful because it gave them ways to share faith when the occasion arises.
“Not everyone is struck down on the way to Damascus,” Mel said, noting that few of us have wild, incredible faith stories. Most faith stories are everyday, yet profound. “‘Tell them a story and they’ll remember,’” Mel added, quoting an old proverb.
“This is critical for us nowadays,” said Pastor Josh. “We don’t know how to share our faith anymore. We may not notice God getting involved in our stories until we tell them to one another.”
Look to hear more from the “Peace be with You” Bible study throughout 2026.
For details about this years Synod Assembly, head over to https://www.seiasynod.org/2026-synod-assembly/

Given a couple of weeks to reflect on the events of Quiltapalooza, we are humbled and grateful for the help of members of this congregation and our friends in the community. This celebration of 20 years of quilting began with a rummage sale to raise money for shipping quilts and kits. The donations of clothing, home goods, and other kinds of equipment were generous. Workers displayed the merchandise, helped shoppers carry their purchases, boxed, remaining items, and made a donation to The Well of items not sold. Two of our high schoolers created a display of clothing for children and youth. Tables were moved to prepare for the event, by many of our members. A little over $600 was raised. At the conclusion of the event, a small group moved tables into position for Quiltapalooza. That group included a friend of the congregation who came to help with heavy lifting when workers were weary.

The success of Quiltapalooza is the result of the work of many Good Shepherd members who planned, sewed, served food, ran errands, designed and distributed advertising, designed and built a parade float, wrote news  articles, told their own stories, the list goes on…We are truly blessed in this church community to have such a talented and willing congregation, and a church building that accommodates us so well. The outcomes we know include; 
-Increased awareness of our congregation in the community; 

• Many expressions of appreciation by those who participated on the day of the event, and those who are part of the network of quilters and kit makers who work at Good Shepherd on Mondays; 
  
• Many expressions of appreciation for the music provided throughout the event. 
  
• Expressions of thanks for the fun of playing and singing together for those 4 hours
  
• Expressions of thanks called out from the crowd as our float passed through the parade route
  
• Expressions of thanks for the sack lunches paid for with the Outreach Grant
  
• Expressions of thanks from Riverside church for the donation of the 35 leftover sack lunches to homeless folks they are serving.
  

The planning took a few months with meetings and conversations weekly as the vision became a plan. The planning committee met most weeks over those months and included Susan Mayer, Barbara Larson, Pastor Josh, and Rita Schacherer. Barbara Larson headed up the Rummage sale; Susan Mayer headed up the Quilting Event; Carol Adkins designed advertising and the float; Marty Adkins headed up the music event and helped with building the float.  Rita Schacherer coordinated aspects of the events and recruited workers. A friend of the congregation, Dr. Bob Leonard served as a consultant. We are thankful to a loving God for this experience, and for all of you.

“It’s a good time to be the church,” Pastor Josh said to me and handed me a book to read on the subject.
Now?
A good time to be the church with membership declining many places, shortage of money for ministries, and turmoil in the country?
It is important to trust the Pastor’s lead: even in difficult times, there are always moments to share the love of Jesus. That perfectly describes the quilting ministry at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. Here we are, looking forward to celebrating 20 years of this ministry. In that time, the Quilters of Good Shepherd and friends have made and given away 3,337 quilts. The work is done by church members, friends from other churches, folks who cut and sew quilt tops in their homes, kids, adults, men, and women.
Come to our celebration, Quilt-A-Palooza: August 7 from 10am-2pm. The core group of quilters will oversee the sewing of as many quilts as is possible at the church during this event. We will serve a light lunch, musicians will provide background music, and a relaxation area will be open for quilters and their families. Musicians who wish to play may bring acoustic instruments and join in. The quilts and quilters will receive a blessing at the end of the sewing day. This is truly a day of celebration for all!
You need not have sewing skills; you will be given a job that you can do. Participants can sew, design, tie, draw a design on a quilt square. An expert will be available to help with all. Quilters will later ride on a float adorned with quilts in the Nationals Parade on August 9 as we wrap up celebrating this anniversary.


So, thinking it over, can we really do meaningful work, be guided by experts, fed with a lunch provided to us, receive a blessing at the conclusion, and enjoy being in a parade at the end? It really is a good time to be the Church!

Sorry to bother you all, but we need to talk about a problem called Christian Nationalism.
 
I get it, bringing up politics in church is frowned upon. I don't like it either: politicking can have Jesus’ people shouting at each other in mere seconds. Politics also gets labeled as worldly. Why talk about worldly things in the one place where we go for heavenly peace? Yet, here I am, dragging politics into church. I need to disturb the peace and write to you all about this as Election Day will be here soon. Christian Nationalism is indeed a problem.
 
Never heard of Christian Nationalism? That’s ok! Let me break down its core beliefs for you all. The first belief is that God has made the United States better than other nations. The second belief is that our country is founded on values from the Bible. Third, the church and government should be wrapped up in each other’s business. Finally, being an American and a Christian are one-in-the-same. The United States is God’s state.
 
A good place to start when dealing with Christian Nationalism is by reading John 18:33-38. Pontius Pilate interrogates Jesus in this passage. Verse 36 reads:
 
“Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom belonged to this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here,’” (NRSVUE version).
 
Long ago in Roman times, the Jewish people longed for a king of their own. They wanted the mighty Roman Empire out of their lives. Some hoped Jesus would be that king. However, he turned down these earthly desires. Jesus once hid away when a crowd tried to make him king (John 6:1-15). Later on, he told folks to “‘Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s,’” (Mark 12:17).

Still, Jesus’ kingdom is quite revolutionary. Demons are driven out! The sick are healed! The hungry are full! The outsiders are brought inside! The authorities are shaken! This kingdom was more radical than folks had imagined.
 
Back to the Pilate story. Jesus replied: “‘You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice,’” (John 18:37b). He is a king, but not any average king. Jesus’ kingdom has no borders. Jesus’ kingdom is not limited to just one group of people. It’s not even limited by time!
 
Jesus had come to testify to the truth. It’s not a simple truth, like 1+1=2. Instead, the truth is that God is shown in him. He was soon going to show how far God’s love will go. Through Jesus, God truly knows people, and people truly know God. This was bigger than any rebel the Romans may have feared.
 
“What is truth?” replies Pilate, missing the point. The Romans crowned him with thorns. They gave him a cross instead of a throne. They even made a sign that said he was a king. This radical kingdom was just a pest to the Roman Empire.
 
Jesus' kingdom goes above all human ideas about government. His rule is over all creation. It’s both far out there and right there in the middle of your life. It comes to many folks, even people who live with some of the worst governments. It does not conquer peoples. Instead, it conquers sin and death.  It does not take taxes. Instead, it gives new life. No one person can say they have God’s glory and hold it over others. A nation can’t do that, either. Besides, Jesus’ glory was death on a cross. Are any of us ready to bear that?
 
Pilate would have made sense out of Christian Nationalism. It uses our faith as a tool for rulers to control people, take power, and get glory. The Romans really enjoyed control, power, and glory. That is still true of governments today. Nonetheless, Christian Nationalism’s core beliefs do not come from the teachings of Jesus, nor are they in line with the rest of the Bible.
 
Faith and civic life are two things I care about, but they are not the same. I am an American and strive to do my part as a citizen. However, far above being American, I am a Christian. Jesus believed I belonged in his kingdom and welcomed me in. If you are reading this, he believes you also belong and welcomes you into his kingdom, too! This Christian identity we have is on an entirely different level from any other identity. Governments come and go. Nations have expiration dates. Jesus’ kingdom does not. It is a deep insult to use Christian faith for the sake of national identity.
 
Sorry to upset the peace, my friends. I have talked about politics in church, and it probably will not be the last time. I wanted you all to hear about Christian Nationalism from me and not another pastor or even a talking head somewhere out on the internet. Christian Nationalism is causing problems for both our faith and civic life, and we need to speak up when it appears in our lives. Please understand, I am not telling you who to vote for.
 
This is not an easy topic. Are you still confused? Concerned? Upset? Not sure where to go from here? I would love to continue talking about the problem of Christian Nationalism with any of you. I am listening.

The following is a sermon on 1 Corinthians 12:12-26, reflecting on Good Shepherd’s Vacation Bible School experience from earlier this month. While still written for the ear, it has been edited to better fit as a blog post.
 
What happens when we gather? – That was the theme from June 27th’s VBS session. I think that’s a question many of us have asked from generation to generation. Is something happening here, as a group of people? Does something happen to me when I gather with these other Jesus followers? There has to be a reason we keep doing this time and time again. If something was not happening, would we gather? Reasons to not gather are quite visible nowadays:

• Some have said, “I can follow Jesus on my own. Who needs to gather with others?”
• Others have said, “I am strong; I don’t need to gather with anyone.”
• Still others have said, “I like Jesus, but look at that group gathered around him. Hypocrites! It’s dangerous to gather with them.”
• Yet others, in our age of divide and divide again say, “I’ll find a group that believes precisely like I do and is just like me.”

Gathering in and of itself is more of a problem nowadays: why gather at all when benefits are unclear and so much more vies for our attention, so much at many of us are exhausted? Yet, people still gather.
Take a moment to reflect as you read this: What happens to you, to us, when we gather? What have you noticed?
Yes, there is actually quite a bit that happens when we gather. Let me start with the smaller things:

• We talk with multiple generations of people. I counted and we have six generations of people who gather as Good Shepherd. Six! Where else does that happen anymore?
• We make friends across political and class lines. This part is getting harder and harder to do anymore, as people pursue same-ness and sort themselves into groups tailor-made for their economics and ideology. Where else can you sit with people so different than you? The DMV?
• We share skills and knowledge with one another, too. It’s a tremendous social resource and it’s cheap!

That’s great and all, but anyone can do these things when they gather with other groups, like the Lions Club or Kiwanis. They don’t have to be gathered by Jesus, let alone religious. And yet these groups are declining, too! Society is turning down these social benefits. There must be bigger reasons to gather!
You know what’s a good excuse to stop gathering? When you don’t get along with people. You don’t need a politically fraught and socially distraught environment for that; you just need people! Add people, expect conflicts to eventually occur. It doesn’t matter the time or the place. Go back two thousand years to meet one of the first churches: they have reasons to divide, and greater reasons to gather. Paul writes these folks who live in a city called Corinth. He teaches them these greater reasons. He teaches you and me, too.
“We’re parts of a body,” he writes. Jesus’ body. We are the body of Christ, moving about in the world. And the parts of the body are all interconnected. Something that bothers the gut is going to bother the brain. Something that bothers the hips is going to bother the back. Something that nourishes the emotions is going to nourish the body. Something that nourishes the body is going to nourish the emotions.
We are one body made of many members, and we are not just socially interdependent of one another, but spiritually interdependent. Our faith connects and supports each other. Our gifts given to us by the Holy Spirit, however big or small they may be, are all necessary and for building up one another. Even the parts of the body we think unimportant are the most important. The smallest gifts and end up being the biggest.  Without one another, we are diminished. That is why you are needed when we gather.
That’s why Paul says, “Since we are a body, it’s absurd for an eye to say to an ear, ‘you can’t see, you have no point here.’ Nor can the ear go and say the same thing!” Ears can’t see. Eyes can’t hear. Nor can hearts digest food, or lungs filter out toxins. An organ can’t be a body on its own, nor can a limb can’t be a body on its own. But together they make up the whole, and the whole is greater than all the parts together. Paul says when one of us suffers we all suffer. The opposite is true as well. When one rejoices, we all rejoice. What would happen in a church full of noses? Or, what would happen to the big toe if the big toe wandered off and decided to keep to itself?
The spiritual support, building up, and shared life together are some of the many things that happen when we gather together. Yes, I can find plenty of reasons not to gather with other Christians. But that sharing, that interdependence, and that wonder of how we are put together as the body of Christ are what keep me returning. Keep me using my gifts among us. And I don’t think I’m alone in that feeling.
 

“Do You Know Your Neighbor” is a game I have been thinking about as Lent approaches. It is often played at summer camps and church lock-ins. I played it many times as a camp counselor and church youth worker. Here is how to play it:
Gather campers in a big circle, then ask for a volunteer to be “it.” The one who is it quickly approaches people in the circle, asking “do you know your neighbor?” Participants must call out the names of their neighbors before the person who is it can count to ten. Participants then claim they do not like their neighbors because of some made-up trait: “I don’t like my neighbor because they wear shorts during the winter!” Those who match this rush to claim another seat before it is too late and they are left in the middle.
The game is fun to play, provides a relief for nervous energy and shyness, and helps the players actually get to know their neighbors for the week. It is part of a series of games designed to build trust and cooperation. Camp, like anything in life, is much more enjoyable when a person understands and trusts those around them.
 
Do You Know Your Neighbor?
 
One of the big parts of the Christian life is serving our neighbors. Who are our neighbors, anyway? A scholar once asked Jesus that very question. I suspect this question of neighbors has become more difficult to answer in recent decades. Our world is only getting smaller, neighbors are drawing closer, yet harder to reach. People move more often and further away from home, wherever home might be. People from other cities, states, and nations come to new locales, looking for a new home. What does a person do when they recognize fewer faces in their community? Furthermore, anyone on the internet is a few clicks and taps away, regardless of where they reside. Everyone on the internet is a neighbor, even from behind a screen thousands of miles away. Neighbors can be everywhere. If that is not complex enough, people are able to self-select out of any “neighborhood” that might exist in modern American society. Anyone with differing ideological, theological, or philosophical views can simply be tuned out. A person hardly needs to cross paths with others who disagree with them, anymore.
 
Throughout the Bible, the identity of the neighbor is left intentionally vague. God cares about the neighbor, but does not care so much where the neighbor comes from. We too are expected to care. Six of the Ten Commandments are about how we relate to neighbors. Jesus tells us to love our neighbor as ourselves. From a Lutheran perspective, we believe we are freed in Christ to serve our neighbor. We look for our neighbors and look out for them because of Christ’s love pouring out through us. People are meant for community – with God and all people - and we are freed to pursue it.
 
Do I know my neighbor?
I knew so many neighbors over the years of playing “Do You Know Your Neighbor.” I cannot remember them all. Neighbors come and go from our lives. Over Lent, it is my prayer for you and me that we hear the call to know our neighbors once more. I pray we see our neighbors everywhere we go, whether we encounter them in our actual neighborhoods of residence, neighborhoods on the internet, hometowns, or simply wherever we happen to be at the time.

As we drove away from the home we had just built for Nellie and her family in Agua Prieta Mexico, I was tired, a bit stiff and dusty from the work we had done laying the adobe bricks, cleaning the excess mortar, hammering, climbing, cleaning, carrying water to the workers. A block or so from the home we came across another home we had built one year ago and the family members were standing outside to wave in greeting. We stopped for just a minute or two and, somewhat uncharacteristically for me, I was moved to get out of the van and hug that mother we had come to know one year ago. It was as if she was a long lost family member.
The privilege of serving others by building a shelter they can call their own is amazing. Inasmuch as that family had known a year in their own residence, I had known a year of remembering fellowship: the fellowship with my friends from Good Shepherd; the fellowship we had shared with friends of our congregation from Oregon and Arizona; and the fellowship shared with the family that would live in that home. That mother was with us most days during which we built that house. Though we didn’t speak the same language, we shared the joy of windows in the new home that opened and allowed a cooling breeze. We shared enjoyment of her children who wanted to help and sometimes helped more by drawing pictures with me while we all stayed out of the way. A year later that family and the memories are precious to me.
This year we came to know Nellie, a grandmother of two school age kids and mother of an adult daughter. Their family now inhabits the home we built this year. Nellie was present every day during our build. She slept in the shelter of her new home even when it was only a concrete slab, protecting the building materials from theft and the structure from damage. Nellie also dipped and carried bricks, hammered nails, carried materials to those who were building. Though we didn’t speak the same language, we understood enough that we could communicate about the tasks we were doing. She is now also our friend and fellow builder. I hope she gets acquainted with the precious neighbor lady we came to know last year. Both are strong, amazing moms and grandmas.
Our recent Bible study in Gather magazine helped us to think of Home as a Holy place where people are safe and growth is possible. Prayers that both of these homes are Holy Places and that our contributions helped to make it so. The opportunities we have, to learn God’s word, to worship, to serve are amazing preparation for a full life. All are invited to worship, learn, and serve with us at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church.

I hate to admit it: I am poorly read. Some of the books generations of Americans have read I somehow missed.

• The Catcher in The Rye – I did not catch that one.
• Where the Red Fern Grows – I have never heard of red ferns.
• The Grapes of Wrath – I have eaten sour grapes, but not wrathful ones.

I also missed out on the quintessential poetry of Maya Angelou. Many have read her work for school or enjoyment, but I have never taken the time to read her poems.  That changes during Advent this year.
                Angelou has much to say about a life of faith, and what she says often pertains to the yearnings of Advent. She knows what it is like to sit in darkness and point over the horizon toward a new light. She speaks of hope when all a person might have are reasons to despair. Her words are joy, love, and peace in moments when they are direly needed. Each Sunday during Advent at Good Shepherd, selections of her poetry will be read as a part of the wreath lighting litany. Devotionals for the season will also be available on the Welcome Center starting November 19th. GSLC members may request an electronic edition to keep on their devices if they wish.
                Advent is a season for reflection, preparation, and wonder; it needs its time. As Advent is short this year, Good Shepherd is starting the season a week early on November 26th. Advent is four Sundays, marking time as we await Jesus in history, mystery, and majesty. That time is cut short when the fourth Sunday coincides with Christmas Eve, which is what happens this year! Readers, please mark your calendars accordingly; come and hear the poetry that speaks of Advent.

Author’s note: this originally ran in the October Shepherd’s Staff Newsletter. The congregation takes time to focus on the faith practice of stewardship every October.
 
"Why do finances need to be brought up? We know the church can't keep doing its mission without money. Let's all make a commitment then be done with it!" This is some stewardship advice I have received from a few seasoned church workers over the years. Minimize discussion of wealth because it will cause more problems than it will solve.
Sometimes I agree with that notion. It feels dirty, talking about our resources in church, and is not limited to money – it is land, cars, and more! Talking about owning stuff and faith can leave the everyday Christian feeling guilty, brow-beaten, and maybe even manipulated. Sometimes that is intentional on the part of fundraisers. Why bring up an issue with so much baggage?
Often times, the best thing to do with baggage is unpack it and throw it in the laundry. I hope to do some unpacking with you all this October. "Why do we have to talk about our stuff in church?" is some baggage I will briefly unpack right now, here in this blog post.
I think the reasons for discomfort around faith and resources are multiple: bad theology and religious trauma come first to my mind. However, I think there is a more common cause: perceived scarcity. Something stirs in us that tells us our hard-earned-but-easily-lost resources are threatened when we mention them in church. We think we might get in over our heads if we promise to give more. Will we be able to afford our lifestyle, should we give the church a larger cut of it? What if we end up needing that money we give? We could make ourselves vulnerable to hardship. Things like retirement and unstable employment only add to this peril of giving!
                You have heard it said on October 1st here at Good Shepherd to store up treasures in heaven, where they cannot be stolen, rust, or go obsolete. Our resources are a means to share those treasures; they are not treasures in and of themselves. There is more to what Jesus says in this teaching. He says, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” (Matthew 6:25 NRSV). Jesus does not mean to disregard our needs, instead let go of the anxieties that come with a mindset of scarcity. If God provides for wildlife, God will provide for you too, teaches Jesus. There is enough.
                I hope this baggage is now a little lighter. When you fear losing your resources, then your resources control you. Jesus frees you so you may live your life he gives you, rather than your stuff doing the living. Any talk of resources in church must rest in Jesus’ good news. If there is need among communities, then we are freed to meet it. There is enough, and that needs to be brought up more often.