​Have you ever struggled with money or finances?
Do you typically have too much month left at the end of your money?
Have you ever laid awake at night wondering how you're going to get through until the next paycheck comes?
 
You are not alone.
 
You already know all the clichés about "these uncertain times" but let's face it -- not much is certain in these times.  One thing is though!  The St. Luke's Church community has been blessed with generous giving for almost 100 years.  YOU are responsible for that!  Even though we're still three years away, plans are already afoot for a massive 100-year celebration as the oldest Lutheran church in the 4th largest city in the state.
 
Whoa there -- are we putting the cart before the horse?  How can we talk about a party if our house isn't in order?  That's where Thrivent Financial's program called Balance Works comes in handy.  We're bringing this program to you because the world seems delighted to champion reasons to eradicate financial stability with things like pandemics and workplace insecurity, among others.  As you know, St. Luke's as a nonprofit religious institution is not immune from the ups and downs of finance, but our bills are paid and the lights are on and our mission continues…  Consider for a moment what our church would be like without the solid backbone of healthy givers -- if our givers aren't happy and healthy, can the church be also?
 
Balance Works is not a miracle, but for people like myself and my friend Katie Norton, the program has eased tension and garnered a greater understanding and ultimately respect for money and finance.  What it does is help you budget your money systematically and electronically so that your bottom line becomes front and center.  You will learn very quickly what you don't have so you can focus on what you do.  Jesus preached about giving cheerfully and Balance Works is designed to automate your budget so that giving can become more cheerful.
 
Please stay tuned for more information on Balance Works.  Prayerfully consider joining Katie and I for a 2-week series of Wednesday night conversations on July 22 and 29.  Further details are forthcoming.
 
Blessings,
Andy Hayden
 

Many years ago, I went to the Vali-Hi Drive-In with some friends from seminary. Many of us had graduated and this was the last time we would all be together. We got there early, parked in about the 3rd row--all three cars next to each other. Someone brought the grill, someone else brought the cooler, everyone brought something. It was a great community.
 
I cannot remember what outdoor games we played, but we played some great games, but they don't compare to the surprise that came as the sun was setting. About an hour before the first movie, a friend surprised us all by pulling out some cream, sugar, salt, and vanilla. She poured it into this ball and proceeded to pass it around the group.
 
I have no idea what the movies were that night. That wasn't the real reason we went to the drive-in. We went to be with each other one last time.
 
Lately, I've needed some of that.
 
Community.
 
I have the benefit of seeing a few of you every week while I record the lectors and assisting ministers. However, it has been tough to feel God's presence without the presence of my faith family.
 
Now the comparison between the seminary student drive-in and us having Drive-In Worship aren't perfect parallels, but there are some similarities. We won't be having games or grills, and, while I cannot predict whether or not Rob will surprise us with an ice cream machine, I would guess that he won't be doing that this time.
 
However, we gather to be in community, not for a future absence, but for a present/past absence. We gather for a surprise--not a confectionery surprise--but rather that God is still here with each of us. Whether we are in our cars, at our homes, or anywhere else. God is here. Because, if you're like me, sitting at home alone, God's presence isn't easy to feel.
 
I hope you are able to come on Sunday for our first-ever Drive-In Worship. It will start at 10:00 AM on Sunday, June 21. If there's a weather event happening, check Facebook or our website to see if it's still on. I'll be there, hopefully with my kids.

Sean Johnson, Choir Director

On June 18, 2015, I woke up not only to birthday wishes on my Facebook timeline, but also to dozens of laments from friends, especially those who live in the South. You see, on June 17th, Dylann Roof walked into Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, SC. He was welcomed into the Bible study circle by the participants. Forty minutes later, while the church members prayed, Roof took out a gun and started shooting, killing nine people.

At first, my groan was, “Lord, have mercy- another shooting.” But then I read more closely and realized that this particular shooting struck closer to home. Two of the Emanuel Nine, as the victims are now known, Rev. Clementa Pinckney and Rev. Daniel Simmons, Sr. had attended the ELCA seminary in South Carolina, and were known and loved by many whose laments I read. And then there was the painful and shocking discovery that Roof, a self-professed white supremacist who hoped to ignite a race war with this shooting, was also a member of an ELCA congregation. He is one of ours.

These tragic facts are what led to the Resolution at the 2019 ELCA Churchwide Assembly to declare June 17th Emanuel Nine Feast Day, a day of remembrance, mourning, and repentance. We, as the greater Church, have been charged with remembering the Emanuel Nine, but also with repenting of the sin of racism and committing ourselves to do better to eradicate it.

The ELCA has developed a number of resources to honor the Emanuel Nine, one of which we will use on Sunday, June 14th. The Litany of Remembrance for their Vocations will remind us that they were people just like us, called to serve God not only through their Bible study, the last thing they ever did, but through their entire lives. I hope and pray that their witness is what can call us to acts of justice, mercy, and love. 

If you would like to learn more about the Emanuel Nine, watch this documentary: https://www.emanuelmovie.com/

If you would like to learn more about the resolution and read biographies of the Emanuel Nine, go to this website: https://emanuelnine.epistles.faith/the-emanuel-nine/


Stephanie Luedtke

Brothers and Sisters of Christ,
 
I am grateful for the Word of God and even more so the Living Word–Jesus. When I’m confused, angry, hurt, afraid, I turn to scripture and prayer. I am never disappointed–although sometimes it is delayed based on my own self-righteousness getting in the way. These past few months and specifically the past week I have prayed and read continually.
 
On Tuesday, St. Luke’s joined others in a social media blackout. It was a way to encourage honest, reflective and productive conversation about what actions we need to collectively take to support the Black community.
 
George Floyd can no longer speak up for himself, so we as people of faith are called to do so.
 
Listen to what is found in the book of wisdom: