Vicar Jarod Fenske’s Page

July 2022

As I had stated one year ago, let me start by saying how blessed Emily and I have felt to be a part of the Zion Family. Life comes with many different twists and turns, some great, and some challenging, but this chapter in our lives has been one that we will cherish forever. You all have welcomed us into your lives, and allowed me to share the Gospel with you on joyous occasions and difficult times. I have learned so much in the last year, but the most valuable lesson that I have learned is that the mission of Christ is a blessed place to work and to experience firsthand. You have all taught us what a giving and welcoming congregation looks like, and what it means to be the hands and the feet of Christ in this world. Although leaving is a sorrowful moment, it is also one that looks forward to many blessings. Zion has the privilege of welcoming Pastor Brandon Metcalf into its ministry and the school is growing beyond expectation. As for Emily and I, we look forward to seeing old friends and moving closer to a congregation of our own.

Paul writes this in 1 Corinthians 12 as a reminder that although Emily and I leave, we are still one
family. “For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. For in fact the body is not one member but many.” Brothers and Sisters, saying goodbye is always difficult, especially when the time that we have had together was such a joyous one, but the good news is that as Christians, goodbye is never the end. We are one in Christ, so whether we see you all again in a year, or ten years, or in God’s heavenly kingdom, we will in fact be together once again. With the utmost sincerity, Emily and I thank you for being such a blessing to us in the past year. I pray that God bless and keep you all in the years to come and lavish his love upon you, as you have all done for us.

June 2022

School is out for Summer! Warm weather has finally come to stay and with the seasonal change comes out- door adventures, family vacations, and a little much needed relaxation. When I think about summer, I can’t help but think of the places that I would like to visit and all of the relaxing or enjoyable activities that I want to try and squeeze in before it ends. Summer always seems to race on by and because of that, as soon as it begins, my mind becomes full of plans to fulfill my own desires and hopes. Unfortunately, it can be easy to fall into this trap. It can feel enticing to think that we “survived” winter and now we deserve all the fun that is coming and shouldn’t have to worry about others. The truth is that this simply isn’t true. Don’t get me wrong, vacation and relaxation are good, but unlike being a student or taking vacation, being a disciple isn’t something that we should put away in favor of our own desires.

 Jesus says this in Matthew 5, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” You see, by no means is taking vacations wrong, or simply taking that little weekend retreat, in fact they are important and good. What Jesus commends here instead is that we not change who we are when those seasons of life come around. It can be easy to turn a blind eye to others when we focus on ourselves and it can be easy to feel that church is optional when the sun is shining and adventure is calling, but what we must remember is that Christ’s call is most important. Being a light of Christ and a disciple is putting others first, even on vacation. It’s going to church even when the weather is perfect for that activity you love so very much. It’s even making time for worship when you take weekend getaways and letting the light of your faith shine out.

Fellow believers, it is a blessing that we are claimed up into the family of God and given a place in his kingdom. Blessings are lavished upon us each and every day, none so great as the forgiveness of all our sins, and being freed to new life. Rejoice in this freedom to be a child of God and let your actions and words freely point others to the unique and freeing love of Christ

May 2022

Greetings everyone, as we celebrate the resurrection of our savior, on this side of the cross, this
Easter season, I invite you to take some time to consider sharing the joy and love that is only found in
Christ. On May 7th, Zion will be partnering with Humanitri, a non-profit organization that houses and aids
homeless families, to revitalize and prepare a home for a new family. They have invited us to come and aid with tasks such as painting, landscaping, and general home staging, so that when the next family comes, the place they enter feels immediately like home. Everyone is invited to come and join in the blessing of serving others. We will meet at Zion at 9:00 a.m. on the 7th and carpool to the worksite. The coordinator has informed me the site will start work at 10 a.m. and generally ends by 1 p.m. If you are interested, there will be a signup in the mission center. This is a great opportunity to not only have fellowship with one another, but also to share the great blessings that are bestowed upon us by our Creator.

In my time here with you all, I have come to know Zion as a place of kindness and faith. From the
moment I entered the doors, it was clear to see that Christ was active in this church and in this congrega-
tions’ lives. The time has come to begin thinking about the mission field that Zion has been placed in and
how to share the joy that is given to all of us in being Christ’s. It can be easy to remain where things are
comfortable and familiar, but like Christ we have been tasked with sharing the Gospel in all places, not just the familiar. Before Christ leaves his disciples to ascend to Heaven, he says this, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” This command begins with a very important word. Go.

There are some who walk in these doors for the first time, just as I did, and receive the loving kindness of brothers and sisters in Christ, but there are many more who will never step foot in a church or hear the Gospel without someone coming to them. The vocation of Christian isn’t to sit and wait, but to go. Even
more importantly is the fact that when Christians go, Christ goes too. We have received the blessings of
knowing and being claimed by an all-loving God. I invite you to take this opportunity to come out and allow that love to pour out of you into the lives of someone else alongside your fellow believers in a time of fellowship and of “going”. God’s blessings on your May, and may the comfort and courage that comes from the victory in Christ strengthen you to be uniquely loving.

April 2022

Now that spring is in full swing with Easter and the summer coming swiftly around the bend, I find myself being a bit fatigued by the impact of winter. I can’t bike nearly as long as I used to, and the inclines wind me much faster than they did even last summer. A change in season can mean a change in lifestyle, and often that can bring on fatigue, weariness, and ultimately discouragement, especially when we find ourselves a few steps back in whatever it is that we are coming back to. The same can be true for our faith life. Often the Lenten season is a time when individuals push themselves to pray more or be in scripture more often, but this can become discouraging when the practice and repetition that we hope to instill doesn’t take. We are creatures of comfort and often, when things become difficult to do or maintain, and especially when we fail, it can simply be easier to give up.

The good news for us this Lenten and Easter season is that we have been given the gift of forgiveness by a God who doesn’t become discouraged or give up. Although the path that Christ found himself on was difficult and the fatigue must have been great, he did not get to the pinnacle of his mission and give up. We have a Savior who lives a perfect life without mistake or failure so that when we make our mistakes and find the fatigue of life to be too much, we can fall on him for strength and forgiveness. Matthew 11:28-30 says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” The challenges found in change are difficult and failure is discouraging, but in Christ we are given an answer to all difficulties and forgiveness for all failures.

This Lenten and Easter season, remember that although fatigue and discouragement in failure will come; you are never defeated. Christ has claimed you by his own strength and bestows that on you by his own grace. Be patient with yourself in those moments of trouble, and then begin again knowing with confidence that Christ is with you.

March 2022

With Spring just around the corner, I am sure many of you are feeling the excitement of whatever it is that summer means personally. It could mean taking that vacation that you have been planning for the
last six months, or maybe it simply means taking in some sunshine with the winter coats and hats. For me, it means seeing all the local trails once again. Hiking, biking, and being in the woods that I have missed these past many months. It is good to have something that drives you forward, especially when the challenges of life press in. But sometimes we find ourselves placing our hope and motivation in the wrong place. When the point that we are driving toward suddenly disappears, we can find ourselves lost.

Paul speaks to this stumbling block in his Epistle to the Romans. “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope, in the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans
15:13) The issue with placing hope in a moment is that if it does not come, that hope turns to sorrow, and if it does come, the moment passes and leaves an emptiness in its place. As Paul says, the only true hope is found in our God. Our God is not a moment and he is not a means to an end. Our God is everything and he blesses us with everything. It is through the grace of Him that we are given the ability to hope and believe.  The unique hope that comes in our faith in God not only drives us forward, but it strengthens and empowers so that regardless of the blessings or disappointments we might face, nothing can lead us astray. 

It is good to have hope in things to come like time with family and vacations or even just as simple as a warm sunny day, but remember that these blessings are simply foretastes of what is to come. This Lenten season, remember that those blessings you look to in eternity were earned for you by our God and a sacrifice beyond all measure. Place your eternal hope in an eternal God, and let it carry you through every challenge you might face.

February 2022

The New Year is in full swing, and if you’re anything like me, you’re starting to think about spring. You can feel the call of warm weather and outside activities, but unfortunately those days are still sometime away, and so we distract ourselves with what’s coming sooner. The first thing that comes to mind for me is Valentine’s Day. February is the month marked with hearts and love on most calendars. Now the cynical side of many is to deem that holiday a “hallmark” day designed to encourage shopping and expensive dinners, and that may be right, but the core of Valentine’s Day is still an important one, Love.

This holiday can be difficult for those who have lost loved ones or those who are single because it shows us the empty space in our lives. We are designed by God to be communal creatures so when we find ourselves without an individual to lavish our love on, we can feel empty. The important thing to remember is that this isn’t true.  Whether you have someone to send a rose and box of candy to or not, know that you are loved and allow that love to be your focal point and your example. 

1 John says this, “In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.” Love is many different things to many different people. We take quizzes to find our love language and we seek someone who lavishes those kinds of love upon us, but what we often forget is that the most important love is one that we don’t have to seek out. The most important love is one that selflessly redeems. It’s one that is patient, seeing all the brokenness inside us and acting on our behalf anyway. The most important love you can know this Valentine’s Day and always is the love that claims you out of sin and condemnation and places you into the comforting promise of eternal life, in a new creation, with the one who loves you most.

This February, whether you find yourself to be a hopeless romantic, lost in the roses and loving gestures, or you find yourself to be the pessimistic type, focus on love, but focus on Christ’s love. Know his love for you first and foremost, and in knowing that love, then you can lavish love upon others. February will come and go, and with it will
go the fanciful gestures and hearts, but what will never leave is the love of Christ.

January 2022

Happy New Year! Now what? I don’t know about you but January can feel like kind of a letdown. I see it as soon as the new year starts and the lights and trees come down and the decorations get boxed up. We have spent the last month, or maybe even two, eagerly awaiting Christmas and the New Year festivities, and as soon as the ball
drops and the new year begins, it can be easy to ask ourselves, now what. Some of us might have made some sort of resolution that we can focus on for the time being, but the truth is, January can sometimes feel empty and I think I know why.

We like new things. We enjoy getting new clothes and new gifts, we enjoy the newness of another Christmas and the festivities, we even like the idea of a new year. But what happens when the newness is gone? Do we enjoy the new clothes once we have had the chance to show them off once or twice? Is that new fun thing still as exciting
as when you first got it? I think the answer could be no for a lot of it, and unfortunately, our celebration of Christ can sometimes fall into the same category. A week passes and once the decorations come down, the newness of Christ’s birth just doesn’t feel that new or exciting anymore and January feels empty because there just isn’t any more
“new”, right?

If this sounds familiar and January is starting to feel like this, sort of empty, listen to these words from the Nativity story found in Luke chapter 2. “But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” Mary knew that what had just happened was special. The Savior of all had come into the world and that is something to be cherished. You can bet that she waited eagerly for Jesus to come, and as we see in this verse, we can know confidently that she didn’t simply move on looking for the next new thing. She existed in the moment because it was one that was special and one that was given to her by a loving Creator.

In this New Year, as the days come and go, remember that eagerly awaiting isn’t a bad thing, but don’t let the days slip by either. Cherish those old relationships, find opportunities to keep growing in your faith, and most of all, rejoice in thankfulness for a Christ who came in order that you would be His. The newness might be worn off, but
the gift of salvation is still very real, and it is yours.

December 2021

With Thanksgiving behind us and Christmas Season in full swing, we find ourselves looking down the daunting task of gift buying, parties, and smiles all the time. When I think of Christmas, I think of the many events such as tree decorating or big meals, presents, and of course the music. You have probably been hearing the many different popular songs
on the radio and in stores as I have. One that always sticks out to me is “Joy to the World.” That’s kind of a daunting task, right? Joy to the entire world? Often, it’s difficult enough to muster joy in ourselves when things get difficult, much less for the world, but we think we must, so we wear our smiles and pretend for the sake of others that we are full of joy, but
what if we were honest this year?

 
December is a joyous time for many reasons, but it can also be a difficult time. We remember those we lost, we become bogged down in the perceived needs of the month and the holiday, and we lose the freedom to feel as we need to feel. Instead, we bottle it up and carry on because it is the Christmas season. Society has told us to smile, to want, and
to consume all it has to offer…with the utmost joy. The only difference between what society says all year-round verses at Christmas time is that we must do all of that joyfully. It is in this one month every year that we get placed in a box and the right to feel anything, but joy is taken away lest we be labeled misfits. The good news is this isn’t society’s month.

Though it may be hard to accept, Christmas is not about the music or the gifts or the meals; it is about Christ. It is about the same Christ who came here for the purpose of offering his life on our behalf. It is about celebrating the arrival of the only thing we could ever need: a
Savior. When we view Christmas like that—the arrival of a new hope, we not only have something to rejoice in, but we also have the freedom to feel as we each see fit as well. The holiday is stressful, it can be grating on our patience, and it might be a time in which we mourn those
we have lost, but it is also a time in which we are reminded that all those maladies are removed by the one who has come in the form of a helpless child, born of a virgin in the humblest of places, a manger.

 
As you face the holiday season and the stresses of planning begin to wear, remember that it’s ok to show what you feel. It is ok for mistakes to happen and imperfections to show because we have a Savior who has come to take all those imperfections on himself and make us whole. Let your emotions show this holiday season because even more               important than the songs and the presents and the food is the connection with one another and the realization that we are all equally in need of a Savior who loves and restores.

November 2021

With November in full swing, what are you thankful for? As the weather starts to get cold and the time approaches when walking is the only way I can be on the trails, I found myself reflecting on the
last few months and the blessing it has been to be back to the activities I had lost for so long. Interestingly though, my time of giving thanks for what I had been able to do only gave way to more desire; wanting the next summer to come so that I could have those things back. What comes to mind when you think of Thanksgiving? Do you think of the meal or maybe you think of Black Friday and the great sales, or maybe you think about Christmas and the planning to come? Isn’t it interesting that a holiday named for reflection and giving thanks would be the holiday we pass over without a second thought in favor of desires?

 
The truth is, is that we live in a world always pointing us forward. Individuals are driven to be better and to attain their goals. Businesses are always competing with one another and only the strongest thrive. If we need evidence of that, just look at Black Friday, the “holiday” that has slowly outgrown Thanksgiving. In the last 15 years Black Friday has gone from an early morning race to the best deals, to a multiday, multifaceted dash to all the things we desire. Thanksgiving becomes nothing more than a meal to fuel the flipping through ads and the planning of purchases and speedy routes. It becomes easy to let ourselves focus on Christmas right after Halloween, and Thanksgiving simply becomes a transition period. Instead of taking inventory of all that has been done for us in our lives, and all that we are blessed with, we take inventory of what we don’t have and all that we want. When do we stop focusing on what we want and give thanks? When will we realize everything we have, everything we want, and all we desire could be gone in a blink of the eye?

1 Timothy 6 says this, “But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either. If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.” The key here is godliness. Of course, we are not called to be like gods but we
are called to lead godly lives, by fearing, loving, and desiring God. It is when we live truly looking to God in all things, and are content in what God has laid out for us in this life, that we are able to see the blessings with which he lavishes upon our lives. All of which is completely undeserved by us. Not only does he continually care for us in this life, but he sacrificed his very own Son, so he could care for and love us for all eternity. As we continue into this month, take the time to love, fear, and desire all that God does and is. Be content on the path that he has laid out for you and rejoice that you are his. The world will continue to try and point you to what is coming next, but rather than burdening yourself with the stress of tomorrow, rejoice in the blessings of today as a redeemed child of God. Give thanks and praise to the one true Creator and Redeemer and let your thanksgiving and contentment be a unique and powerful example to a world that only desires.

October 2021

The time has finally come when I am strong enough, since my surgeries, to get back on my longboard and ride. The experience though, was not what I expected. What should have been joy and complete excitement was quickly replaced with fear and flashbacks of a fall that had taken a year from me, seeing me unable to find rest in the activities that brought me joy. With every jolt or movement of the board beneath me, my heart would jump and my mind would prepare for that next big fall. Fear had replaced joy in my heart and it was controlling my actions. I went home that day earlier than planned, after a very short “ride” defeated by my fears.

October is here and with it comes the Jack-O-Lanterns and the silly ghost decorations hanging on everyone’s porch. We enjoy hot drinks and cool weather and for many of us, October means spooky films and jump scares. It can be fun to seek out those cheap thrills because we know they aren’t real and that after they are done, life goes back to normal. But what about those other things in our lives that get our hearts racing. The fear of being rejected, or turned away from for speaking our faith. Or maybe the fear of those sins you hide away getting out of the shadows and everyone knowing what vices control you still. Maybe it’s the fear that you simply aren’t good enough, undeserving of help from others, and more-so, undeserving of the love and salvation of Christ. These are the fears that can stop our lives, making every movement a heart pounding and anxiety ridden experience.

Romans 8:39 tells us this, “Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” What is fear? It’s that height and that depth—the distance that we perceive in our lives. We think we need to be in control of our lives and yet when we look around we see uncertainty and the darkness of the unknown but truth be told, that distance is not real. It is a veil that we put up in an attempt to control our lives but the truth is that when we lift that veil we can see that God is right there walking with us. He is the light that keeps the dark away and the love that wipes away our sins. It is when we walk with Jesus that we see our sins dissolved in the love of his sacrifice and in that freedom, we have nothing left to fear. There is no fear great enough to separate us from Christ and that means you, a saved Child of God, you have the freedom to walk in confidence on the path laid out before you by the Creator.

Since that day of fear keeping me from doing what I enjoy, namely riding my board, I have gone out and am happy to say, the freedom and joy I used to know in those moments returned. That happiness came back because I understood that regardless of what happened, whether I fall or not, a plan is set out before me for my life as a Child of God, and though hardships may come, I am redeemed and saved and safe in a love that knows no failure. Live your lives with confidence in all you do knowing full well that no matter the challenge you face, no matter the mistakes or falls you may take, you are His and that is all you need.

September 2021

Whenever I am out on the trail, whether it be hiking or biking, I am always looking forward. I am planning my next footstep or seeing where the trail may bend sharply so I am prepared to turn and not fall. Sometimes when I am on a trail that I have been on before, I am even planning how I will maneuver my bike in spots I can’t even see yet. I am a planner. When I start moving quickly with the eb and flow of a trail, I don’t think I have the luxury of not planning. Life moves by us so swiftly and often our eyes are fixed on tomorrow, or the next week, or maybe even on the next big holiday.

August has come and gone, giving way for September to settle in. The youth are back in school and although you might be happy to have them out of the house again, your schedule gets more chaotic by the day. Before long, sports kick in and you have to schedule the meets and games with your work. Then you’re reminded that fall is just around the corner and with that comes preparing the home for the cold that will soon be biting in the air. That lends itself to thinking about who is hosting Thanksgiving and then you are starting to keep your eyes out for good deals on toys and tech. Does this sound familiar? I’m not trying to say that looking forward is bad, because it isn’t. Just like biking, if we stop looking forward, we miss something and before long we are tumbling because we missed a key detail, and those falls can be hard to get up from.

It is good to have our eyes checking the horizon for all the blessings and challenges that will come our way, but we need to remember to keep our heart and our mind here. Scripture tells us this, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:34). Tomorrow will come. The holidays will come and they will all be great, but don’t let tomorrow mask today. It is a blessing to know that we have a God in control of tomorrow. He has you wrapped in his love and salvation. Don’t let yourself forget that today is a blessing and a challenge so take today on first, with confidence that you have the King of all things standing with you.

As you get up each day this month, remember that it’s a blessing. Each day will have its blessings and its challenges, but it’s a gift none the less. It’s another day as saved and redeemed children of God. Enjoy the ride that is your life and keep on pedaling along.

August 2021

Let me begin by saying just how blessed Emily and I feel to be a part of your congregation and family in Christ. Zion Lutheran Church is a congregation that exemplifies hospitality and Christ like love for even the newest of visitors and lifelong members alike. When asked to write an article for the month of August, I immediately knew what it was that I would speak of. For those of you who heard my sermon in July, this should come as no surprise. August 15th. For those of you who hadn’t heard yet, I have had a long string of bad luck with two knee surgeries and a lot of physical therapy. August 15th is when I should be able to get back to full health. Even though I am very much looking forward to being able to ride my bike and get back to other physical activities that I miss, I found myself still focusing on what has happened to me in the past. Instead of completely focusing on the goodness to come, I find myself turning back to the difficulty and brokenness of the past. I am so quick to tell others of my troubles and lament about my tribulations instead of rejoicing in coming blessings.

Often, we as Christians find ourselves hanging onto our sins and failures, rather than clinging solely on the promise of what is to come, and the title given to us by Christ himself; redeemed. It has been said to me that often it is the bad parts of our lives and our challenges that become the defining moments in our lives. We define ourselves by the most recent tribulation, especially when we overcome it, and then wait for the next trial so that we might have a new relevant lament to title our lives. Truth be told, the only defining moment that we need to remember and speak of is our baptism. The moment in which we are claimed by the Father and made a child awaiting the return of the eternal kingdom.

“As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.” (Ps 103:12). We have the perfect example of living a life undefined by our past in this Psalm. How quick are we to say that we are post-sin? I cannot speak for you, but I know that I would much rather refer to myself as the continually redeemed Child of God rather than someone who is post-sin. The thing to understand here is that we do not forget our past. Am I a sinner? Of course, I am, but God has blotted out my sin and washed me in the blood of Christ, making me clean in his eyes. It’s true, I was broken of body. I have gone through surgeries but those are in the past. I could continue to tell everyone of my past and lament about the trouble I had faced, or I can live in today with a focus on tomorrow. We are not defined by the mistakes and brokenness of yesterday, we are defined by the promised perfection to come, given to us in the blood of Christ.

Christ has claimed you as his and redeemed you so that his Father will not see your sin but instead, see his perfect child. If the God of all creation and source of all wisdom does not remember your sin and releases you of your debt, you can take comfort in knowing that it is gone and that you are his in complete perfection.

July 2021

Greetings Zion Lutheran Church,
I am truly honored and blessed to have been granted the opportunity to serve you as a vicar in the coming year.
From the few interactions I have been able to have with the family of Christ at Zion Lutheran, I know that my wife
and I are going to be blessed with a year of true Christ like love and fellowship. We hope to get to know all members
over the course of the year and pray that you all find the same sense of blessing in getting to know us as well. A little
about us: I was raised in the Upper Peninsula and attended Concordia University Wisconsin for the Pre-Seminary
program, as well as the languages. It was there that I met my wife Emily. She was studying for a degree in Lutheran
secondary education. After a few years of dating we were joined in marriage in July of 2020. Since then life has been
a bit of a journey with a first year of teaching for her as well as a few surgeries for myself, but through it all Christ
maintained us and we are grateful. We both are eagerly awaiting the many blessings of this year, as well as getting
to know each of you personally, sharing the blessings and challenges that await in the
coming year as a family sustained in Christ. My wife and I cannot overstate just how
blessed we feel to be welcomed into your congregation. It is clear to us that Christian
value and Christ-like love is at the core of every interaction you partake in and that is
nothing shy of God’s light in this world.
Alive in Christ, Jarod & Emily Fenske