December
Keira Anastasia Miller
Born Sunday, November 9 at 2:26pm
weighing 6 lbs. 12 oz., 19” long
Pastor Lauren and Terry welcomed Keira into their family early in November. Mom, Dad and baby are all doing well, with the exception of being a tad tired!
  
Join us in congratulating Pastors Lauren and Terry on their new arrival. The Millers are temporarily residing in Walled Lake for the next couple months.
Their address is:
127 Leeds St.
Walled Lake, MI 48390
November
By the time you read this, I will most likely have welcomed a new little girl into the world! And all those questions about her name will be over.
But for now, I’d like to say a big “THANK YOU!” once more for all that you, the people of Hope, have done to support Terry and I throughout my pregnancy. Your outpouring of love and support has truly overwhelmed us. Our parents and siblings live far away, but we know that we have an incredible extended family here at Hope. We can’t imagine a better place to start our new little family!
I will be on maternity leave until January, but you’ll probably see me around from time to time—I’ve got to have some place to bring the baby to show off all those cute outfits from the baby shower! Please continue to keep us in your prayers, and know that you will be in mine.
Peace,
Pastor Lauren
October
There’s an old joke about a guy who was having trouble figuring out God’s will for his life. So, he decided to close his eyes, open his Bible at random, and point to a verse to see what God had to say to him. He did, and when he opened his eyes his finger was pointing to “And Judas went and hanged himself.” The man wasn’t quite sure what that meant for his life, so he tried again. This time his finger pointed to the verse that says, “Go thou and do likewise!”
We all may agree that the “random verse” method of reading the Bible is not a particularly helpful one. But how do we read the Bible? Or, maybe a more appropriate question is, are we even reading the Bible at all? Most of us probably have good intentions for daily devotions, but struggle with the discipline required to read them each and every day. Or, we simply aren’t sure where to start. Perhaps we occasionally flip through the Bible but have no idea what to read, because there’s simply so much there. Or we read a passage and aren’t sure what it means, or how to apply it to our lives today. Maybe you’re one of the many who decide to read the Bible cover-to-cover, and make it as far as the story of Noah’s ark before that plan is thrown out the window. Even though we probably realize that reading the Bible is important, it can sometimes be hard to find ways to regularly engage with God’s Word.
I’ve been thinking about the ways we interact with the Bible a lot more lately, as our confirmation students embark on their “Bible year” of lessons. We’re doing a whirlwind tour of the overall story found in Scripture, and I’m really looking forward to digging into the key stories of our faith. It’s been interesting how many adults who sat in on the first class commented to me,
“Wow, I really could use this class, too!” We all need to keep connected with the stories that form us as Christian people.
So if you’re one of those adults who’s thinking, “Yeah, I’d like to reconnect with God’s Word in my life,” where should you start? Well, here are a few resources to get you going:
Book of Faith. The ELCA is embarking on a new project to help the whole church become “more fluent in the first language of faith, the language of Scripture, in order that we might live into our calling as a people renewed, enlivened, and empowered by the Word.” They’re developing all sorts of new resources for folks to open and rediscover the “book of faith.” Their first book, “Opening the Book of Faith: Lutheran Insights for Bible Study” is a helpful introduction to just how Lutherans do read the Bible. Check it out at www.bookoffaith.org.
The Message and The Bible Experience. Sometimes the best way to re-engage with a familiar story is to hear it in a new voice. The Message is Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase of Scripture. It’s been very helpful in my own devotional life, as I’ve found it easier to sit down and read straight through than some other translations. The Bible Experience is an excellent recording of the Bible on cd (and mp3 via Itunes), and it’s a real, accessible, and experiential way to encounter God’s Word. I like listening to it as I drive around town!
N. T. Wright’s For Everyone series. Wright is an Anglican bishop and New Testament scholar whose series of books include Wright’s own translations of Scripture, explanation of the text, and thoughts for how it can be relative for our lives today. It’s interesting, accessible, and applicable.
The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs. OK, this one isn’t really a formal Bible study in any way. But Jacobs presents an entertaining story as he attempts to follow all of the Bible’s “rules” literally for a whole year. Though it’s not a very deep exploration of the Bible overall, a few of his insights are provocative and give the reader a chance to consider the ways that they interact with Scripture. Plus, it’s funny!
There are many ways to interact with the Bible, obviously, and the most important thing is simply to do it. So, the next time you’re looking for a new book to read, check out the best-selling book of all time—you might be surprised at what you find!
Peace,
Pastor Lauren
September
It’s September again—time for another big, fat newsletter overflowing with information about fall programs at Hope. But before we get too involved in looking ahead, let’s take a minute to look back on some of the things that Hope folks were busy doing this summer:
- 32 youth and 4 adults learned about the kingdom of God in the beauty of Camp Michi-lu-ca during a week at confirmation camp
- 15 youth and 7 adults worked side by side for a week exploring issues of justice and mercy in Washington DC
- 90+ kids and 30 adults discovered Jesus’ miraculous power through “Power Lab” Vacation Bible School
- 25 Hope members picked up their paintbrushes and spent a day working on a Habitat for Humanity house in Pontiac
- 200 gathered at Hope for the 2nd annual Racial Reconciliation Service hosted by the Southeast Michigan Synod
- One youth dug even deeper into issues of race and the gospel at the weeklong BRRICK (Building Racial Reconciliation in Christ’s Kingdom) camp at Michi-lu-ca
- 2 youth gained valuable leadership skills at Advanced Leadership Training School at Stony Lake Camp
- 4 elementary students camped, swam, and sang their way through a week at Elementary Camp at Michi-lu-ca.
- 3 youth and 2 adults studied Micah 6:8 during the Bass Lake Christian music festival
- 3 of our college students shared God’s love through their work as camp counselors or interns
AND
- HUNDREDS gathered at Hope each and every Sunday morning to come together as a community to worship God.
It’s a rampant myth that church somehow stops or doesn’t “count” during the summer—but our discipleship journey never ends. As you make your plans for next summer, make sure you’re not taking a vacation from God, too. The Spirit’s busy working throughout the whole year (thanks be to God for that)! We give thanks, too, for the great opportunities that so many people had to live out their faith this summer, and we look forward to many more opportunities to come this fall. Keep reading to see how you can get involved!
Peace,
Pastor Lauren
August
 Ever since I announced my pregnancy, I’ve received a number of suggestions for names for our child. And ever since we found out via ultrasound that we’d be having a girl, I’ve had a lot of people ask me what we’re going to be naming her. Since Terry and I have decided not to share the name until she is born, you can keep on suggesting and guessing...just don’t expect an answer from me! In the meantime, I thought I’d share a few of the names that we will not be giving our baby girl. All of these names are biblical—check out the listed verses to get the full story. I think you’ll see why these are names that we WON’T be naming our little girl!
Rahab: She’s a faithful woman who aided Joshua and the Israelite army, but I don’t think we want people associating our daughter with a prostitute! (Joshua 2 and 6)
Jael: I’m all for strong female figures, but Jael’s R-rated violence is a little too much. When Sisera, a Canaanite chieftain, is defeated by the Israelites, he flees and finds himself in Jael’s village. She invites him in, offers him a cup of milk, and then as soon as he’s asleep, drives a tent peg in his head. The Bible calls her “most blessed of women” for defeating an enemy of Israel. But I doubt anyone would ever want to go camping with my daughter if she were named Jael. (Judges 4:17-22, 5:24-31)
Jezebel: She’s got a bad reputation, much of it deserved. As the wife of King Ahab, Jezebel is not exactly a role model for young girls in her kingdom: she attempts to force her lewd cult on the people of Israel, has a bad habit of persecuting God’s prophets (including Elijah), frames and kills an innocent man so her husband can have his land for his vegetable garden, and refuses to repent when confronted with her misdeeds. She ends up being thrown off a tower and trampled by horses. (1 Kings 18, 19, 21 and 2 Kings 9)
Athaliah: Jezebel’s daughter Athaliah isn’t much better. When her son, the king, is murdered, she usurps the throne and sets about killing the rest of the royal family. She reigns six years, but is
unfortunately overthrown and also trampled by horses. (2 Kings 11:1-16)
Sapphira: The early apostles were sharing their possessions, but Sapphira and her husband Ananias decide to hold some of their money back, and then lie about it to the apostle Peter. When Peter confronts them, they drop dead! The name “Sapphira” means beautiful, but this probably isn’t a beautiful story to give our daughter. (Acts 5:1-11)
Mary Magdalene: She’s a faithful woman, staying with Jesus to the end and then boldly proclaiming his resurrection, but let’s face it, “Mary Magdalene Miller” is just too many M’s. (Matthew 27-28, Mark 15-16, Luke 8:2, John 19-20).
So what will we name our daughter? Find out this fall!
Peace,
Pastor Lauren
July
In June, I had the opportunity to attend an excellent conference hosted by Sojourners, a Christian organization who works for social justice in local communities, the nation, and around the world. One of the speakers was Alexia Salvatierra, an ELCA pastor
who is also the executive director of an interfaith group that addresses the struggles of the working poor in California. Salvatierra reminded us that in Matthew 9, Jesus looked out at the crowds following him and felt compassion. Since the word “compassion” literally means “feeling with,” we can imagine Jesus standing with the crowd and feeling with them, because “they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matt 9.36). In that moment, Jesus revealed the depth of his connection with us. He also showed that the meaning of compassion is living the truth of that deep connection, feeling with those in need.
Salvatierra challenged us to reflect on the deep connection of humanity. “We are all one family,” she said. “We only have the choice of being dysfunctional, or being healthy.” Clearly there is much in the world that reveals the dysfunction of our human family, but that’s not where the story ends. Just as Jesus looked at the crowd and felt compassion, we too can look around at our communities and feel with those who are struggling or suffering in some way. Jesus has a different vision for our lives, and because of God’s breaking into this world through Jesus, we have hope for a new vision in our lives as well.
As you look around your community, where is compassion stirred up in you? Is it when you visit with a sick friend? Is it when you pass a homeless person on the street? Is it when you watch the news and hear stories of violence among our youth? Instead of pushing those “feelings with” others aside, let’s pay attention to those places where compassion is awakened in us, the places where we feel deeply connected to our brothers and sisters in God’s family. Let’s think and pray and talk about how God might be calling us to respond. Perhaps it’s through acts of charity, or maybe it’s through the more difficult work of challenging the social systems that keep people in poverty or violence or sickness. Let’s live the truth of the deep connection we have with those around us, and answer Jesus’ call to be laborers in God’s kingdom!
 Peace,
Pastor Lauren
June
On June 21, 16 youth and 9 adults from Hope will depart for a week-long justice trip to Washington, DC. But what is a “justice” trip, anyway? We’re far more used to hearing about mission trips or service trips. How is a justice trip any different?
First, we have to understand what justice is all about. In Chap Clark and Kara Powell’s book Deep Justice in a Broken World, they explain that “Deep
justice is not afraid to ask why the world is broken, and then take steps to fix it.” They continue:
“Why invites us to truly listen to and get to know the voiceless in our world.
Why requires a long-term perspective because poverty and powerlessness cannot be eliminated in weekend bursts of activism.
Why invites us to interact with social systems—because we cannot truly help individuals until we also change the systems that rob dignity.
Why forces us to face the truth about our own participation in the systems and structures that rob the poor of opportunities.”
So what does all this mean for our trip to DC? Well, it means we’ll be doing a lot of listening and learning from people who are very different from us. It means that instead of simply showing up at a homeless shelter to serve a meal, we’ll first be spending a few days eating meals with the homeless, building relationships and discovering what we have in common. It means breaking down cultural barriers by spending time with refugees and hearing their stories, trying to understand the systemic barriers in place that hinder them from building new lives in this country. It means spending time in prayer and Bible study, and being aware of how God is working in the city and in our lives. It means taking in everything that we experience and having it inform our meetings with Representative Joe Knollenberg and Senator Debbie Stabenow, as we advocate for those who do not have a voice. And it means that our work will not be done on June 28 when we return. In fact, it will have only just begun.
As these 25 people embark on their journey, we ask for your prayers and support. Please consider being a “DC Prayer Partner” during the week of June 21-28. As a DC Prayer Partner, you will be invited to a special prayer breakfast the morning of June 21 to send off the group. You will also be assigned a trip participant to pray for throughout the week, and asked to contact your partner once they return from DC so that they may share some of their experiences with you. This is a great way to “let justice roll down like waters,” (Amos 5:24), as the experiences of the group transform not just the trip participants, but roll down over our whole congregation!
Peace,
Pastor Lauren
May
The headlines were shocking: Detroit Public Schools were recently reported to have a 24.9% graduation rate.
I had to read the number twice. I thought I had read it wrong, and it meant a 25% dropout rate. But no, it really said graduation rate. That means that over ¾ of all students don’t graduate from high school!
DPS disputes the survey’s findings, of course, but whatever the real number, the reality is that large numbers of teenagers in the city of Detroit are not completing a high school education, setting themselves up for decreased job opportunities, and in many cases, continuing a cycle of poverty.
At a recent service team meeting here at Hope, we discussed this report, and one member of the team summed it up for all of us when he said, “I had no idea it was that bad! It makes me wonder what we can do to help.” It can be hard for those of us who live in comfortable suburbs to imagine the challenges faced by those in the inner city. It can be even harder for us to imagine what we can do to make a difference.
 Clearly, major reform of Detroit’s schools is needed, and it’s important for us in the suburbs to be aware of the issues surrounding these reforms and to advocate for changes that can truly make a difference in the lives of young people. It’s also important for us to build relationships with people in the city, and not just sit back shaking our heads, saying what a shame it all is.
As many of you know, we have been partnering with the 3rd grade class at Clinton Elementary in Detroit, to try to build some of those relationships and help to support their mission in the heart of the city. And there’s a special opportunity coming up this month that gives us a chance to do just that.
 May 14 is Career Day at Clinton Elementary, and the school is looking for career professionals to share their time, talents, and expertise with the young people at the school. You are invited to spend either a few hours in the morning or afternoon at the school, talking about your career and getting kids excited about the opportunities that they can have when they stay in school. You’re especially encouraged to bring materials or visual aids that will help grab the kids’ attention. The deadline for registering is May 7, and registration cards can be found on the bulletin board in the hallway at the church. Any questions, please call Gloria Northcross-Jenkins at 313-873-5705.
Giving a few hours of your time might not seem like much, but who knows? You might just inspire one kid to buck the trend, envision a new future, and stay in school. And for that one child, it might make all the difference in the world.
Peace,
Pastor Lauren
April
Do you remember the first time you stepped in the door at Hope? It may have been three weeks ago or thirty years ago, but you may have felt a little nervous coming to a new church. You may have been asking, “What will it be like? Will the people be friendly? Will I fit in?”
Perhaps after worshipping here awhile, you then decided to become a member of Hope. You attended a class, you stood up in front of the congregation to be officially welcomed, and then…you weren’t quite sure what to do. You were interested in a couple of the activities at Hope, but you didn’t know whether you’d be welcome, or who to contact to find out more information. You’d maybe started to get to know a couple of other people, but wanted to meet others, too.
It is right at this point in a new member’s journey that a sponsor comes in, helping a new member learn about the church, meet new people, and get involved in Hope’s ministries. Perhaps you joined the church when Hope had an active sponsorship program, and so you know how beneficial it was to have a sponsor help you learn your way around.
The small group ministry team recognizes how important it is for all who are part of the Hope community to have meaningful connections with
each other and with God, and would therefore like to help reinvigorate the sponsorship program. They are seeking members of Hope who would like to be sponsors to new members. Being a sponsor means getting to know all sorts of fantastic new people, making new connections, and getting to help build community at Hope. It’s fun, rewarding, and overall a fairly minimal time commitment.
If you’d like to be a part of this program, please plan to attend a sponsor orientation on Sunday, April 6. Orientation will be held after all three services, and will last about 10-15 minutes. Hope
to see you there!
Peace,
Pastor Lauren
March
At two o’clock A.M. on Sunday, March 9, we will move our clocks forward one hour to begin Daylight Saving Time. I have a bad habit of forgetting to change my clocks each fall and spring, so if you see me sneaking into worship an hour late that morning, you’ll know why.
I was surprised to learn that Daylight Saving Time is a relatively new phenomenon. In fact, it wasn’t until 1966 that Congress established a national pattern for summer time changes with the Uniform Time Act, though many states had been practicing their own summer time changes since World War II. I had always thought that DST was instituted to give farmers more time for harvesting. But many farmers don’t like DST because animals often have difficulty transitioning to the change in plow and feeding times.
DST was actually implemented to save energy, since the longer evening daylight hours mean that we use less electricity for lighting our homes, TVs, etc. And the reason why we changed the clocks later in November this past fall and will change them back earlier in March this year (rather than the October-April schedule we’ve used in the past) is due to the Energy Policy Act of 2005, in an attempt to conserve energy.
So Daylight Saving Time doesn’t give us more light, it just gives us a chance to make better use of daylight. As we approach our celebration of Easter this month, I think it’s appropriate that we are given an opportunity to make good use of light. After all, isn’t living in the light part of what Easter’s all about? “For once you were in darkness,” the author of Ephesians writes, “but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of the light” (Eph 5:8).
The light of the risen Christ shines bright. Let us live in that light, reflecting God’s glory to the world. May we shine with the joy and the love of the Lord!
Peace,
Pastor Lauren
February
OCUS. Often life gets so busy, we have to remind ourselves.
FOCUS. Don’t let the craziness of life be a distraction.
 FOCUS. On God…on God’s Word…on what’s really important.
It’s time for the people of Hope to FOCUS. During Lent this year, we’ll be zooming in on some important spiritual disciplines that help us to more clearly see God’s will and God’s work in our lives. We’ll see Jesus through the lens of various biblical narratives, and gain perspective on how our stories connect with God’s story.
Helping to frame the conversation will be the art of photography. The art team is hard at work preparing for Hope’s Art Exhibit, March 2-9, which will feature photographs related to our theme of FOCUS. Photographs will also provide focal points during our Sunday morning sermon series, as we explore how we can see God’s presence and God’s work in our lives. Each Sunday we’ll FOCUS on a spiritual practice that can help us open ourselves up to God, such as worship, discernment, and works of love. And on Wednesdays at 7:30pm, we’ll gather to try out various contemplative practices that help us keep our FOCUS on God.
Lent is a time that we as Christians set aside to consider our rebirth in Baptism and engage in spiritual renewal as preparation for Easter—in other words, to FOCUS. Join with the people of Hope this Lent as together we take time away from the busy-ness that distracts us and set our sights on the Lord who redeems us.
Peace,
January
Everyone knows the holidays are “supposed” to be a time of good cheer and great joy. But for many of us, the holidays are a time of depression, frustration, and sadness. For anyone who’s lost a loved one in the past year, this Christmas may be a time when grief and loss are felt most acutely. For those who are facing job loss or economic hardships, struggling to buy Christmas presents can bring up feelings of inadequacy. For those who are facing a medical diagnosis, the uncertainty of the future can be paralyzing. And for people who are estranged from family or friends, the Christmas season brings the constant reminder of broken relationships. It’s easy to feel “out of step” with the rest of the world in the midst of holiday parties and sentimental commercials on TV and proclamations of joy at Jesus’ birth at church.
Sometimes January is even harder to face, as many around us return to regular routines and forget about those who are struggling. But we are not alone in our grief, loss, and sadness. God promises presence and hope in our lives, and sends us members of the community to share in our struggles and lighten our load. This Epiphany, Hope will offer a special worship service entitled “Light In Our Darkness,” for all those who are going through difficult times. As we gather, we’ll sing, and pray, and hear God’s Word for our lives in the midst of dark and difficult times.
“Light In Our Darkness” will be Sunday, January 6 at 6:30pm. All who are seeking God’s light to shine in the dark spaces of their lives are invited to attend. Bring a friend or a neighbor, or simply come as you are to this special Epiphany worship.
Peace,
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