The prophet Jeremiah speaks of the incurable wound of his suffering yet finds in God’s words the delight of his heart. When Peter doesn’t grasp Jesus’ words about suffering, Jesus tells the disciples they will find their lives in losing them. Such sacrificial love is described by Paul when he urges us to associate with the lowly and not repay evil with evil. In worship we gather as a community that we might offer ourselves for the sake of our suffering world.

We lost a treasure this week. Dolly. As someone said, “Dolly Parton didn’t just write the American songbook; she showed us how to live with unconditional love and kindness.”

Here are a few of her quotes. See you Sunday. Pastor Rich

“Find out who you are. And do it on purpose.”
“It costs a lot of money to look this cheap.”
“Storms make trees take deeper roots.”
“The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.”
“I’m not offended by all the dumb blonde jokes because I know I’m not dumb… and I also know that I’m not blonde.”

In Isaiah the people are advised to look to their spiritual ancestors as the rock from which they were hewn. Jesus declares that the church will be built on the rock of Peter’s bold confession of faith. God’s word of reconciliation and God’s mercy are keys to the church’s mission. Paul urges us to not be conformed to this world but to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, using our individual gifts to build up the body of Christ. From the table we go forth to offer our spiritual worship through word and deed.

And, for your information I thought I would send you the Christmas letter we sent to our friends and family this past week! See you Sunday. Pastor Rich.

Dear Family and Friends, August, 2026

We’ve all heard of things associated with “Christmas in July?” Well, this is a “Christmas Letter in August” from Margy and Rich. We haven’t done a Christmas letter in some time, and I know that trying to do one in December just doesn’t work for me (Rich, the scribe). So here you go. Feel free to read, toss or write “Return to Sender” on the envelope it arrived in…..(edited to end here.)

The Canaanite woman in today’s gospel is a Gentile, an outsider, who is unflinching in her request that Jesus heal her daughter. As Jesus commends her bold faith, how might our church extend its mission to those on the margins of society? In our gathering around word and meal we receive strength to be signs of comfort, healing, and justice for those in need.

 

And, the middle of August is here!

School starts this Tuesday with a minimum day in San Clemente.

 

The origins of “August” connect us to our faith in an interesting way. In 8 BC (4 years before Jesus was born), the Roman Senate renamed the month of Sextilis to “August” to honor Caesar Augustus. He is the one mentioned in the Christmas story you will remember. (Luke 2:1). Since Julius Caesar had the month of July named after him, it stands to reason that Octavian Caesar Augustus would have wanted his own month, too. Ego’s being what they are, and all.

 

But, our identity in Jesus is given in our baptism. What greater identity could there be than to be called a follower of Jesus! You are God’s chosen. Amen.

 

See you Sunday!

 

Pastor Rich

When the disciples face a great storm on the sea, they cry out with fear. Jesus says: “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.” Amid the storms of life, we gather to seek the calm presence of Christ that soothes our fears. In comforting words of scripture and in the refreshing bread and cup of the eucharist, God grants us peace and sends us forth to be a sign of God’s presence to others.

 

From Pastor Rich:

 

Do you have a favorite spot in your home where you like to relax?

Is it a place where you may feel led to think and pray with God?

 

My favorite spot is in a big blue chair in the room we call the lanai. It has all my “Stuff.” My books, laptop, a view out the window I enjoy, a ceiling fan, etc.

It’s my go-to place to unwind.

 

For some of you, I suspect the favorite spot is not a room but perhaps a garden. There’s nothing like the peace of being outside in the garden—it’s the perfect spot to unwind and recharge. While we live in a condominium, I love when I can spend time in a garden, perhaps on a bench watching people go by. “One is nearer God’s heart in a garden than anywhere else on earth” is a famous line from the poem “God’s Garden” by English poet Dorothy Frances Gurney, published in 1913.

 

Let me and others know your favorite place or places. Have a blessed week!

Pastor Rich

In Sunday’s first reading God invites all who are hungry or thirsty to receive food and drink without cost. Jesus feeds the hungry multitude and reveals the abundance of God. At the eucharistic table we remember all who are hungry or poor in our world today. As we share the bread of life, we are sent forth to give ourselves away as bread for the hungry.

 

Our prayers are with Donna and the family of Warren Vidrine following his peaceful reception into God’s loving arms July 26, 2026. A service celebrating his life will be held Saturday, August 1st at 1:00 PM at Christ Lutheran Church. From his family I quote, “Warren gave strength without demanding recognition, love without condition and wisdom without judgement.” He will be dearly missed and his memory will live on among us.

 

Rest eternal grant him, O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon him.

In today’s gospel Jesus offers everyday images that reveal to us the reign of God: a tree that becomes a sheltering home, yeast that penetrates and expands, a treasured pearl, a net that gains a great catch. Even as we seek the riches of God’s reign, the great surprise is that God’s grace finds us first!

Dear Friends in Christ,

As we move through this season, I hope you are finding these summer days satisfying and nurturing. Each day we are reminded in ways small, and great of God’s quiet and steady grace in our lives. In Psalm 46:10, we read: “Be still, and know that I am God.” When we feel overwhelmed with our worries or uncertainties about the future, the Lord invites us to pause, breathe, and rest in His love. Thank you for being such a caring and faithful community. I will see you Sunday!

Pastor Rich

 

Several years ago I took great interest in the movie “Sideways” being released as it was filmed in the Santa Ynez Valley – Solvang and Buellton and Los Olivos, California to be specific. We lived in Solvang from 1995 – 1997. I was a pastor at the Lutheran Church there (Bethania) and Margy was consecrated in that church as the first deacon on the newly authorized roster of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Sideways is an interesting story and is set in the beautiful wine country surrounding Solvang. If you have not seen it,  the movie follows two men in their forties, Miles Raymond (Paul Giamatti), a depressed teacher and unsuccessful writer, and Jack Cole (Thomas Haden Church), a past-his-prime actor, who take a week-long road trip to Santa Barbara County wine country to celebrate Jack’s upcoming wedding. Sandra Oh and Virginia Madsen also star as women they encounter during their trip.

From a theological perspective, Sideways raises a lot of themes for consideration such as the meaning of being engaged to be married, the concepts of sin and free will and how grace operates in the individual lives of the four main characters. Grace is the unmerited favor of God. It cannot be earned through good behavior, and it is often given to those who deserve it least. It would make for an interesting discussion to ask how each of these four main characters experienced grace and from whom it was given.

The “AI Overview” describes a movie I saw recently on a flight as, “a quiet, character-driven drama that is widely considered well acted but very slow paced.”

I would agree with that assessment. But, I enjoyed it, nonetheless.

The story is about an aging, long-married couple who take a post-Christmas holiday from their home in Glasgow and spend a week in Amsterdam. During their time there they find they are examining in the bleak winter days the state of their marriage, the husband’s drinking, the wife’s long-lost sense of purpose, and if their marriage can move forward.

Spoiler Alert: Part of what I found engaging is that the woman is interested in a convent that she knew about in Amsterdam, but which she learns no longer exists. Years earlier in Northern Ireland during a shooting the woman had made a promise to God (Much like Martin Luther’s in the storm) that she would devote her life to him if only God would save her baby. The baby is able to pull through, and the result being that she feels she has wasted her life because she never fulfilled her promise to God in the ways she expected to do so. For his part, the husband is a secular man who really has little time for her religious imaginings.

For me, the story in part how our vocations in life (and I would suggest there are many of them, such as our family and career choices) can be understood in a variety of ways.

Some quotes from the book upon which the movie is based include:

“What was love but a lifetime of conversations. And silences. Knowing when to be silent. Above all, knowing when to laugh.”

“To him her presence was as important as the world. And the stars around it. If she was an instance of the goodness in this world then passing through by her side was miracle enough.”

“She knew that the only way to improve the world, without patronising anyone, was to improve herself.”

“In every relationship,’ said Stella, ‘there’s a flower and a gardener. One who does the work and one who displays.”

“Then in an explosion of wings all the pigeons rose and took to the air. ‘Why do they do that?’ ‘What?’ ‘The simultaneous thing. One goes, they all go.’ ‘They must be Catholics.”

“But some day, somehow she would move into soul. It happened to everybody who had ever lived since the beginning of time. Soul was her, minus her body.”

― Bernard MacLaverty, Midwinter Break

 

 

 

Sunday’s Texts: The mystery of God’s ways is sometimes hidden from the wise and intelligent. Jesus associates with those often excluded from the religious community. Like Paul, we struggle with our own selfish desires and seek God’s mercy and forgiveness. We gather to be refreshed by Christ’s invitation: “Come to me, all you that are weary.” Gathered around word, water, and meal, we find rest for our souls.

From Pastor Rich:

A blessed Independence Day. 250 years! A country we continue to love even amidst the challenges we face.

I enjoy a variety of patriotic songs, but one in particular is my favorite. It is lesser known than others, but it speaks of a love for a country that recognizes others who also love their countries as I love mine. It seems appropriate in these “World Cup” days as we appreciate the fans and cultures from different cultures. It is written below. See you tomorrow!

This is my song,

O God of all the nations,

A song of peace for lands afar and mine.

This is my home,

the country where my heart is;

Here are my hopes, my dreams, my holy shrine;

But other hearts in other lands are beating

With hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.

My country’s skies are bluer than the ocean,

And sunlight beams on cloverleaf and pine.

But other lands have sunlight too and clover,

And skies are everywhere as blue as mine.

Oh, hear my song, O God of all the nations,

A song of peace for their land and for mine.

To the melody of Finlandia

Lyrics by Lloyd Stone

Mark your calendars now August 23rd special one worship service – followed by a congregational gathering August 23rd.