Walking the Wilderness
A message from Pastor Holly Aastuen

I’ve been walking with some companions through the wilderness lately. Depression, divorce, detachment from society have put my travel companions in some difficult places.

Part of the heartache of traveling with friends through these times is that you often feel so helpless, so unable to do anything to bring them along, to help them see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Jesus had wilderness experiences, many of them to rest and rejuvenate as he nurtured his connection to God through prayer. But one wilderness experience in particular came right after he was baptized by John in the Jordan River. Here he was in this pinnacle moment, baptized by John and the Spirit descended in the form of a dove and a voice from the heavens declared, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” And then, seemingly the next moment, he was in the wilderness being tempted and tried by Satan.

It must have felt a bit like whiplash to have such extreme experiences so close to each other. It reminds me that things can change at a moment’s notice.

One of the things that wilderness walkers have going for them is that even though some of the times feel lonely and frightening, we are never alone. Though we may not always remember, God walks with us, alongside of us, as a companion on the journey. Another thing that we can be assured of is that when we are in the wilderness it is not through our strength alone that we are going to get out.

In an article by preacher and author Barbara Brown Taylor, she writes, “When we agonize too much over [the choices we make]…we fall into the ancient trap of works-righteousness—that comfortable old delusion that we can, by our good decisions and good deeds, save ourselves.” These people that I’ve been walking with through the wilderness are good people, upstanding people, people you would never suspect are going through a wilderness period. They are doing and saying good things, yet their wilderness journey goes on.

The good news is that the wilderness journey isn’t forever. It always lasts longer than we would like and sometimes longer than we think, but at some point we find ourselves bathing in the light and we realize that the disease or malaise that held us back then has dissipated.

Never underestimate the power of God to pull you through those wilderness times to, as Taylor puts it, “invade the most hapless lives and fill them with light; to sneak up on people who are thinking about lunch, not God, and smack them up side the head with glory.”

On the journey,

Lois Rene Appreciation Sunday
February 5th there will be a celebration of Lois Rene's ministry: past, present and future! Index cards (4x6) are available to express your individual good wishes. The Staff-Parish Relations Committee is gathering these cards and would appreciate them by Sunday, January 29th. If you are unable to do that please bring them on Sunday, Feb. 5th. Please plan to attend coffee hour after worship that morning to express your appreciation for all that Lois has done and help make this a special day for her.

Youth Active in Church!
Come and enjoy the special treat of having the youth of our congregation provide our entire Worship experience on Youth Sunday, February 12th. Their theme will be the Imagine No Malaria initiative and they’ll be providing the music, the liturgy and message. We have many talented and special youth here at Aldersgate, come and appreciate their gifts.

Youth Active at Camp!
Believe it or not, it’s time to start thinking about summer! Swimming, crafts, canoeing, campfires and making new friends are just a few of the fun things kids can do at camp. The Minnesota Annual Conference Summer Camping Brochures are available on the table outside the office or you can view it on line at www.campminnesota.org. There are lots of great camping opportunities for kids, youth and adults. Please talk to Marjie about available scholarship funds if the cost of camp is a hardship. We don’t want anyone to miss a camping opportunity because of finances.