Grace's Blog
December 25, 2025
Where the Light Begins: For Christmas Day
A blessing for you all this Christmas. Merry Christmas!
Perhaps it does not begin.
Perhaps it is always.
Perhaps it takes
a lifetime
to open our eyes,
to learn to see
what has forever
shimmered in front of us–
the luminous line
of the map
in the dark,
the vigil flame
in the house of the heart,
the love
so searing
we cannot keep from singing,
from crying out
in testimony
and praise.
Perhaps this day
will be the mountain
over which
the dawn breaks.
Perhaps we will turn our face
toward it,
Toward what has been
always.
Perhaps
our eyes
will finally open
in ancient recognition,
willingly dazzled,
illuminated at last.
Perhaps this day
the light begins
in us.
by Jan Richardson; Circle of Grace: A Book of Blessing for the Season: Wanton Gospeller Press 2015.
December 18, 2025
Children Leading and Loving them in Faith
Children’s Christmas Programs can be faith-testing, especially the week before when inevitably someone gets sick or has to come late because of sports practice. But they are also faith-enhancing because somehow the Holy Spirit shows up by Sunday morning, and it turns out more beautiful than you could ever expect.
At my last church, I was the director of the Children’s Christmas Program—a position that I both loved and dreaded because of all the work involved! I give thanks for the dedication of Pastor Maria, Mr. Will Weikle, Kayla, and David for their work with our kids, plus the countless volunteers who show up and help out in so many ways.
These programs hold some of my own children’s most profound church memories. We can still sing the lyrics to most of the songs—Big Story, Stinky Smelly Sheep, and more. The words and tunes stick with you, and so do the funny moments and the ways God’s love comes alive through our children.
When I think about what we can do to pass on the faith to our children, it comes down to showing up for these moments. It means being present for our Christmas Program, even if you don’t have a kid or grandkid in it. It means finding one child afterward and telling them what you liked about their performance. Knowing our kids and supporting them as they grow as people and in faith is one of the greatest gifts of our community.
I am so thankful for the countless memories of Christmas Programs past, and I give thanks for this year’s program—for the hard work of many, for the dedication and love of our kids and their families, and for all the ways that God’s story of love is born in our world day after day.
I can’t wait to see you this Sunday morning at 8:30am or 10:15am to support and learn from our children as they share the Christmas story with us.
Blessings,
Pastor Joanna Mitchell
December 11, 2025
A Quiet Place to Worship
On Wednesday afternoon, a small group gathered in the sanctuary for an Advent-Christmas worship service held for our shut-ins and immune-compromised members. It was a small crowd in part because of the snow on Tuesday night. Nevertheless, we sang with gusto the songs: O Come, O Come Emmanuel, Silent Night, Joy to the World and more and heard again the familiar story of Jesus’ birth.
I was reminded, as I often am, that God’s Spirit will find a way to make the most ordinary of things, extraordinary. Though we began with only 4 people in the sanctuary at the start of worship the small crowd grew to 10+ a little later, as Pastor Maria held open doors and welcomed people in. We heard again about the fragility of our God who doesn’t stand at a distance but comes near. It seemed especially poignant in this group because there is a recognition that for most there are not many Christmases’ left. Pastor Maria invited people to share their ongoing preparations like hanging up grandchildren’s dresses as a sign Christmas has arrived, or baking goodies, or decorating a tree. And we talked about how these traditions are signs of hope and also a legacy we get to share with the world around us.
It made me wonder if what we all need in this time of Advent is simply a quiet place to worship, a place to sit and listen to this story again. In all our preparations for Christmas—the baking, decorating, and gathering—how are we preparing our hearts and bodies to receive this story of love? And how are we passing this legacy on to the children around us
In a dark and loud world, I give thanks for a quiet place to worship, to remember, that indeed Nothing is impossible with God, and how silently, how silently the humble Christ is born. Let us remember to pause, to pray, to listen for Christ is coming near.
I hope that you will consider who you might invite to join you for worship on Christmas Eve or Christmas day. For indeed we all are invited to celebrate and share this message of hope and joy.
Blessings,
Pastor Joanna Mitchell
December 4, 2025
Retreats!
What has been the most impactful event in your faith formation? I hope that you’ve had these moments in your life where you felt deeply rooted in community centered around Christ, and you knew that you were a beloved child of God because of the space you were in, the things you were learning or talking about, and the people you were surrounded by.
Youth retreats can be exactly that for our young people. We take a weekend away, and just have fun as we learn about Jesus, and learn how to be together in community. We have two big retreats coming up in January! The first is for students who are in 6th – 8th grade at Camp Wapo (January 9th – 11th), and the second is to Camp Luther Crest for students who are in 4th/5th grade (January 16th – 18th).
These retreats are just an absolute blast. Both locations have snow tubing. Last year was the first time I went on a winter retreat to Wapo, and I was very impressed with their epic snow tubing hill! Last year was also the first time I took the 4th and 5th grade group on a retreat to Luther Crest, and they also had a snow tubing hill. Another highlight were the pillow fights in the cabins that the kids told me about the next day. The weekend is filled with crazy games, worship, free-time, and food.
At these retreats, the kids get a chance to connect with each other in a different way that you just can’t get outside of a retreat. The deadlines are coming up quickly, though, so if you have a student in your life between 4th – 8th grade, register soon! The middle school retreat deadline is next Monday (December 8th), and the 4th/5th grade retreat deadline is January 8th. There are scholarships available, so please don’t let cost be a barrier! And thank you to everyone who supports these retreats, through scholarship donations or participating in fundraisers!
Blessings,
Will Weikle
November 27, 2025
Giving Thanks
A Liturgy for Giving Thanks
How beautiful it is to clear the room for gratitude,
To be gentle with our memories and generous in our value of them.
One by one we put these gifts on display,
Like a parade of blessings that never end,
Like a string of pearls—weighty with worth and
Shimmering with significance.
We sing a song of praise to You, Oh Giver of good things,
As we call to mind the ebenezers of your faithfulness,
The emergence of your unexpected provision,
The valleys where you did not forsake us.
As we remember may we linger a little longer over what
has brought us joy.
This is the beginning of a liturgy from a book I received a few years ago written by Audrey Elledge and Elizabeth Moore. It was our devotion for staff meeting on Tuesday. After reading the liturgy, we paused for a moment to give thanks for those moments of joy and gratitude.
I have been busy preparing year-end video over the last few days. I have searched through my photos of life at Grace and find it easy to clear room for gratitude. The pictures are good reminders of what has happened, and I find myself smiling as I look at the connections that have been made, the laughter, and joy experienced and the profound ways that this community cares about each other, and the world around us.
In my list of gratitude, I give thanks for my tried and true 8:30am acolyte who is always willing to take care of our candles, for our new communion trays that actually stack correctly, for a funeral team that has been called more times than any of us would like.
I give thanks for adults who love youth and play games with them till late on Wednesday nights, for people who pick up communion kits and bring God’s grace to those who can’t join us for worship; for nurses, ushers and other caring people who respond to medical emergencies that happen during worship (on occasion), for the band who plays on no matter what is happening, for those who load and unload the dishwasher, for those who make the coffee, and for the bountiful love of our God that is poured out on all of us.
Blessings to you this Thanksgiving. Let us linger a little longer over what has brought us joy, and what has filled our heart with gratitude.
Pastor Joanna Mitchell
November 20, 2025
Winning at Feeding the Hungry
I’m overwhelmed in thanksgiving. Grace Lutheran you continue to fill me with hope and inspire me in faith. Last week, we had an amazing turn out at Feed My Starving Children where we packed boxes and boxes of food for hungry kids across the world. And then the following morning, I watched people walk in with full grocery bags for our food shelf because you care deeply about making sure hungry people are fed. Thank you for your continued generosity and your willingness to follow Jesus’ example and carrying for all members of God’s family.
Matthew 25:35, 40. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in… And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me.
Blessings,
Pastor Joanna Mitchell
November 13, 2025
There’s a Place for You at my Table.
On World Communion Sunday, Pastor Maria sang the JJ Heller Song, “At My Table.” The chorus goes like this:
“If you’re broken, you are welcome. If you’re outside looking in, if you have no place of your own, my door is open, it’s always open. There’s a place, there’s a place for you at my table.”
These lyrics have been in my head this past week. They are Gospel words to me. A reminder of the unconditional love and welcome of God. This is who I believe God calls us to be as a church. A place where on your very worst day you find a community that accepts you as you are and loves you. A community that feeds you when you’re hungry, embraces you when you’re alone, and welcomes you in your despair and shame. I can’t say that we do this perfectly, we are human after all. But this is the goal, to keep striving to be a church where indeed in our brokenness, sorrow, loneliness and shame we follow Jesus example and proclaim, there is a place for you at my table.
On Sunday, Tom Baker shared his story of being welcomed for a “Rock around the clock” fundraiser even though he came unprepared and didn’t know what he was in for. But the love of his youth leaders changed his life, leading him to a deep calling to youth ministry. I am so thankful for his story. My prayer is that this is the same welcome we give to all people, allowing them to come as they are- prepared or not and know there is a place for you at Grace. And more importantly, there is a place for you in God’s family.
In just a few weeks we will sit down at our own thanksgiving tables. As we prepare for this tradition, I invite you to consider your own tables of welcome. When have you been welcomed in a radical way and what difference did it make in your life? How might JJ Heller’s lyrics inspire you to reflect God’s welcome and love and proclaim: “There’s a place for you at my table,” however that looks.
Blessings,
Pastor Joanna Mitchell
November 6, 2025
Transformed Inside & Out
I’m blown away!!!! No, not by the wind during the transition months of fall but by the generosity of a congregation and a community that embraced our Transforming Inside and Out campaign. Planning for this campaign began in November of 2021 in the fellowship hall at church with our entire church staff, campaign chairs, key campaign leaders for various areas, our vision board and our generosity coach. I remember that day well. The vision discussion about our building and how it needed to evolve and how we hoped and prayed that it could evolve into a space that welcomes all. There were so many things we wanted to accomplish with this project and even more that had to be accomplished. The dreams were extensive, and we set a goal for our team to work toward a million dollars in contributions towards the project. I remember thinking a million dollars….whoa….but the Lord provided….and then some!!!
Thanks to all of you, through October 31st, 2025, we have raised a grand total of $1,705,388.14! This is generosity above and beyond all our expectations that allowed us to add back in additional projects of fellowship hall lighting, narthex lighting and carpet updates, addition of a dishwasher in our narthex, updating our sacristy with new counters, revitalized cupboards and new carpeting, new exterior signage on our building, coverage of payments towards our new mortgage and additional gifts to ministries to name a few. The Transforming Inside and Out Campaign crew and all of the generations to come after us cannot thank you enough for the investment that you’ve made in our building to support Grace’s various ministries that impact our community and beyond!
Finally, while I can give the number above that details the financial giving of this campaign and thank you for that, it is impossible to put into words the personal and collective impact of a campaign that was never only about the funds given. There is celebration in the transformation process in each of you throughout the campaign as well as the acknowledgement that transformation is a lifelong process. Never forget the importance of this piece of the journey and know that your stories, your growth shared and your experiences during this campaign will forever live in my heart with an eye looking forward to how the Lord will continue to provide….and then some!
Blessings,
Tracie Russell
Transforming Co-Chair Signing off!