Welive in a world filled with noise. Notifications buzz. Calendars overflow. There is always one more headline to read, one more email to answer, one more thing demanding our attention. But in 1 Kings 19:9-15, the prophet Elijah discovers that God is not found in the wind, the earthquake, or the fire, but in what one translation calls "the sound of sheer silence." Sometimes God's voice is heard not by adding more noise to our lives, but by creating space to listen.

So this weekend we'll explore Elijah's encounter with God on Mount Horeb and consider the ancient Christian spiritual disciplines of silence and solitude. Together we'll reflect on how making room for quiet can help us remember God's presence, hear God's gentle leading, and be renewed for whatever lies ahead.

Sometimes the greatest gift we can offer God, and ourselves, is simply the willingness to be still.

Grace & Peace,

Blessings,

This weekend, we will hear the familiar story of Jesus feeding the five thousand from Matthew 14. But this story is much more than a miraculous picnic in the wilderness. It comes in the shadow of Herod's violence and John the Baptist's death, among people hungry for bread, healing, justice, and hope. Into that hunger, Jesus does something surprising: He does not hand out weapons for a revolution of war. He gives bread for a revolution of peace.

In the sermon, "You Give Them Something to Eat," we will reflect on Jesus' compassion and His call to the disciples to participate in His work. When they see only scarcity — "we have here only five loaves and two fish" — Jesus reveals the abundance of God. Together, we will consider what it means for Ascension to be a community shaped by the broken bread of Christ: fed by grace, moved by compassion, and sent to feed a hungry world.

Blessings,

This weekend we are delighted to welcome Pastor Kristin Engstrom, ELCA missionary serving in Madagascar, as our guest preacher. As part of our upcoming Gifts of Hope this holiday season, Kristin will share stories of God's work through her ministry and invite us to consider Jesus' vision of the Kingdom of God. In this week's Gospel, Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52, we hear that God's kingdom often begins in small, ordinary ways, a tiny seed, a bit of yeast, a hidden treasure, but grows into something far more beautiful and transformative than we could imagine. Worship is one of the places where God shapes our hearts to become more like Jesus, and this weekend we will have the opportunity to see that transforming love at work both here at Ascension and around the world.

Grace & Peace,

This weekend, we continue our two-week mini-series on Jesus' parables from Matthew 13 with the parable of the weeds and the wheat. Last week, we reflected on the Parable of the Sower and prayed that God would make us good soil — receptive to His Word and ready for the harvest He longs to grow among us. This week, we turn to a harder question: If God is planting good seed, why are there still weeds in the field?

We will reflect on how Jesus teaches us to live faithfully in a world where good and evil are often tangled together. This parable reminds us that evil is real, justice matters, and truth must be spoken—but it also warns us against taking final judgment into our own hands. As we continue to seek God's vision for Ascension, we will consider what it means to be a church centered on Jesus: wide in grace, deep in truth, patient in love, and faithful in hope.

Blessings,

After three months away on sabbatical, I am grateful to be returning to worship with you this weekend! During my time away, one of the questions I have been studying, praying, and reflecting on is this: What is God planting for this next season of our life together? I am excited to begin a two-week mini-series on two of Jesus' parables from Matthew 13, beginning this Sunday with the Parable of the Sower.

In this sermon, "When Grace Gets Delivered," we will listen to Jesus' parable alongside a modern-day parable about a DoorDash driver delivering meals to four different homes. The same gift arrives at each door, but each household receives it differently. Together, we will reflect on what it means to truly receive the Word of God—not merely to hear it, but to allow it to take root, nourish us, change us, and bear fruit in our lives. My prayer is that God would make us hungry, receptive, and ready for the harvest He longs to grow among us.

Blessings,

As our nation celebrates its 250th anniversary this weekend, the word freedom will be on many lips. This weekend's readings invite us to consider a different kind of freedom. In the Gospel, Jesus says, "Come to me… my yoke is easy and my burden is light." At first, that sounds like a contradiction. How can we be both yoked and free?

From the Israelites' deliverance from slavery in Egypt to Jesus' invitation to find rest for our weary souls, scripture reveals that true freedom isn't found in having no one to answer to. It is found in belonging to the One whose love lifts burdens instead of adding to them. The Sabbath itself reminds us that God's ways are never meant to enslave us but to restore us.

This Sunday, we'll explore the beautiful paradox of being yoked to Christ—and discovering that in walking with him, we are finally free to live in the unforced rhythms of God's grace.

Grace & Peace,

At all of our worship services this weekend, we will offer a special blessing for grandparents. I am especially thankful to welcome Pastor Paul to the pulpit as he is a grandfather himself. So many of you have shared with me your deep desire to help your grandchildren know Jesus and develop a vibrant faith. We will have resources available to help grandparents pray for their grandchildren and encourage them in their faith journeys. Recently, I read an article in Christianity Today titled "Let the Little Children Hang with Church Grandmas." Author Nayda Williams writes, "In our age-segregated society, I'm grateful for the elder saints who counsel and invest in my children." I love that image. Even if you are not a grandparent, I believe all of us who are of "grandparent age" are called to be lights for the children and youth among us. One of the great gifts of the church is that faith is passed from generation to generation, not only within families, but within the larger family of God.

Pastor Chamie Delkeskamp

How might the texts for the day be especially instructive for those among us who are grandparents as we interact with our wonderful grandchildren?

I look forward to considering this together this weekend.

I hope you are enjoying the beginning of summer. It will be wonderful to gather for worship on this Father's Day weekend and give thanks for our heavenly Father whose love for us is beyond measure.

I am delighted to welcome Dr. John Nunes as our guest preacher this weekend. Dr. Nunes became the ninth president of California Lutheran University on June 1, 2025, following a year of service as interim president. A respected educator, author, and speaker, he brings more than 30 years of leadership experience in higher education, nonprofit organizations, and ministry. His previous roles include serving as president of Concordia College New York and CEO of Lutheran World Relief.

Grace & Peace,

Pastor Chamie

How peaceful are you feeling these days? Between the headlines, the hurried schedules, and the worries we carry, peace can feel more like a distant hope than a present reality. Yet in this weekend's Gospel, Matthew 9:35–10:14, Jesus speaks these provocative words to his disciples: "Let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you."

What does it mean to carry the peace of Christ into a world full of angst and uncertainty? How do we become people who offer peace without being consumed by the anxiety around us? This weekend in worship, we'll explore Jesus' words and ponder what it might look like to move through our daily lives grounded in his peace.

As you come to worship this weekend, my prayer is that the peace of Christ would rest upon you and that you would leave strengthened to carry that peace into the week ahead.

Grace & Peace,

This weekend we welcome Pastor Beth Gallen as our guest preacher. Pastor Beth is the campus pastor at California Lutheran University, fresh off completing her first academic year in this role. She is going to help us enter the next season of the Christian year: "Ordinary Time."

Pastor Beth said this:

"We move into the long, green season of Ordinary time with learning that what counts with God, finally, is not sacrifice or offerings, but mercy. In Jesus, we notice that life in the kingdom of God is rooted in healing, restoration, and steadfast love of neighbor. By the work of the Spirit, we are continually formed into the likeness of Christ–learning to practice mercy, to tend the wounds of the world, and to embody the fullness of God's compassion in daily life. Let us learn and live it together."

Grace & Peace,