The second chapter of Matthew tells the story of the magi who travelled from the east toward Jerusalem and ultimately Bethlehem after witnessing the appearance of a star that they knew to be a proclamation of the arrival of the Messiah. We know that the star went on before them and came to rest over the very spot where the infant Jesus could be found. That incredible star that they followed for so many miles, indeed, had led them to both the place and the moment where they could encounter the Son of God. They knew that their journey had been worth it as they worshipped him and offered gifts of great value. 

As we journey through this season of advent, leading to the incredible joy that is Christmas, I would invite us to give thought to the metaphorical stars that we follow. We know just how easy it can be for the busyness of the season to become overwhelming, pulling our attention, our time, our energy, and our resources in so many different directions. As people of faith, the star that matters most is not that of celebrity or politics. It is not those of rampant consumerism or holiday obligations. Rather, the star that we seek and follow is the one that bears the light of Jesus' love for each of us.  

The magi so long ago were able to look upon the countless stars in the night sky and find the special one that led them to Jesus. May we do the same this season, turning our gaze upon the promise, the hope, the joy, the peace, and the love that we know through our precious Savior. May you and all those that you love enjoy a safe and Merry Christmas as well as a joyous New Year! 

Be blessed!
​Pastor Gary

Brothers and Sisters in Jesus, 

All Saint’s Sunday is one of the high Sunday’s of the church year. It is on this Sunday that we remember all our loved ones who have gone home to be with Jesus. It is a time we remember how they touched our lives and the lives of those around them. We always start the service with the great hymn , “For All The Saint’s” It was written by William Walsham for All Saints Sunday. As the basis for this great hymn , he used the verse from Hebrews that I love to quote on this Sunday. In Hebrews 12:1,” Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and sin that clings so closely, let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us.” It was a few days after the New Year, in 2016, and Teresa & I were attending the funeral of Rev. Robert R. Mitchell Jr. at Christ Lutheran Church in Oley. It was a day the church was packed. He was well loved, and many pastor’s were in attendance. I had the honor to deliver the eulogy. The organist played, “ For All The Saints” and stopped after a few verses, and everyone kept singing. It was a powerful moment! Maybe this is what heaven was like when our loved ones arrived. And then as we hear in Revelation 7:17, “ God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” 
         
On this most holy day, come and celebrate with us as we remember all those who 
have joined Jesus in his Heavenly Home. 

​In Jesus’ Name,  Rev. Gary J. Dierolf 

Brothers and Sisters in Jesus,

When the Pharisees see only sinners are among the invited and refuse to be seated with them, Jesus reminds them that they too are guests at God’s table. Have we ever been like the Pharisees and refused to be involved with a group or sit at a table because of who was sitting there? We are all guests at the Table of the Lord and all are invited.

​When we sit at the table with Jesus, it means being transformed and saved by Him. His word penetrates deep inside of us, like a scalpel, and operates deep in the heart so as to free us from evil lurking in our life.

At times when the Word enters us, it is painful because it discloses deception, reveals all those false excuses we gave and it lays bare the hidden truths we try to bury. As we read the Word, it illuminates truths and purifies it; gives us strength and hope. In our journey in this life, the Word gives us the nourishment to keep going day by day.

When we come to worship and receive Holy Communion, we are nourished with the very life of Jesus. It is like coming to the altar and receiving an immensely powerful remedy and, in a mysterious way, Communion renews the grace we receive from God.

By approaching the altar with the attitude of humility that we are not worthy to receive such a Holy Gift; Jesus comes to us, giving of Himself in the Bread and Wine, Body and Blood. We are always accepted at His table with open arms.

Come, the Feast is ready! Yours in Jesus,
Rev. Gary J. Dierolf

July already?!? Where has 2023 gone?? It is an honor and privilege to be with you during this transition 
period.

You have all been so warm and welcoming to both Teresa and I. You have made us feel, very quickly, part of 
your family. We are blessed to share whatever time we have with you. We have worshipped together, prayed 
together and of course had many laughs together. Worshipping with you have been sacred times and I will 
remember them for a long time. 

You are a blessed congregation. The location of our church surely shows the glory of God’s handiwork in 
creation. We have a great staff of hard working people devoted to this congregation and its mission to further the kingdom of God. Our volunteers are truly amazing. You give so much of yourselves in everything you do: Wednesday wavers, Bible study, and the list can go on and on. The congregation loves being together. You can tell that by all the conversations before and after worship.

You are friendly and welcoming to visitors. I am so truly blessed being your supply pastor no matter how long I am here. Our future together is in God’s hands.

We still need to grow in mission and outreach. We need to work together to ensure our church will be here for a long time. Churches are closing all the time. Our world is getting worse each day. We need to be the beacon of God’s love to all. This will only happen if we continue to pray, worship and work together for God’s 
glory. This is not about us only about what we can do for God. 

Thank you again for letting us be with you. Thank you for loving me and letting me grow with you. May our 
time together be a blessed time filled with the Spirit. 

Always in His Hands, 
Pastor Gary

What is change, coins as opposed to paper currency*, making or becoming different*? For St. Luke’s, it means to replace (something) with something else*. With the resignation of Reverend Morris, we, as a congregation, will hire a pastor who will lead us into the future. Hebrews 13:8 reminds us that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever.”** We are facing change at St. Luke’s, but our
 Lord and Savior will never change.

How does change affect us? Change can evoke many different emotions, fear, anxiety, anger, or excitement, enthusiasm, anticipation. Many of us have been through quite a number of changes, both in our personal lives and as a member of St. Luke’s.

How we manage change can make or break us as a congregation. In Isaiah 41:13, we read, “For I am the Lord your God, who upholds your right hand, who says to you, ‘Do not fear; I will help you.’ ”**

How can we know that we will remain a strong and faithful congregation? We ask God for guidance, knowing that he loves us and wants the best for us, and trust that he will provide us with what we need. Proverbs 3:5 says, Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” Proverbs 16:3 tells us to “Commit your works to the Lord, and your plans will be established.”**

The Search and Call committee and elders are working together to move St. Luke’s through the next phase of our church’s life, providing pastoral leadership and care until a new pastor is hired. May we all keep the promise of Jeremiah 29:11 in our thoughts: “ ‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.’ “**

Please keep St. Luke’s in your prayers.

Definitions from Oxford Languages
** Scriptures from the New American Standard version

It has never been easy for me to say good-bye to the congregations I have served. St. Luke’s  is no exception. As many of you have heard, I have taken a new position at Zion (Blue Mountain) United  Church of Christ, Strausstown, Pennsylvania. Strausstown is right off Interstate 78, 10 minutes south of  Hamburg. I am not new to Zion, Sharon was their pastor from 2008 to 2013. It is a half-time position and my primary reason for taking this position is the commute from Womelsdorf to Trappe. The trip was starting  to wear on me. Zion is only 13 miles from our home.

I hope you know how much I enjoyed serving you as your interim minister. You are good  people and so appreciative of my ministry among you. I believe that you have a future and when you find a  settled pastor you will blossom. I do not know who that person is but God does. Your search committee is  hard at work finishing your profile. I believe once it is in circulation you will find interested candidates. I  encourage you to take your time and find someone who has the capacity to love you as I have loved you.

You have a lot going for you. I know your leadership base has dwindled but the leaders  serving the church are committed Christian eager to serve the Lord. You are also blessed with a healthy  endowment which, if used faithfully, will sustain you for a very long time.

My last Sunday is May 28, Pentecost Sunday. What a perfect Sunday to bid you  farewell. Both you and I will avail ourselves to the life giving breath of God as it blows across our spirits  preparing us to do a new thing. I will always hold you in my prayers and I will remain a constant cheerleader  as I pray for you daily. That will be my commitment to you.

Thank you for your kindness and love.
Pastor Pat

Spring is my favorite time of the year. When Spring approaches, there are always clear signs of its arrival. The morning air is not as cold as it has been. The mud holes and wet spots around houses begin to dry up. Our yards gradually begin to change color, from a brown to a deep green. When we see these signs, we know Spring cannot be far behind.

As with spring, there are certain signs that mark the Easter season. We use some of the same imagery; the blooming of flowers, the newness of birth in nature, and brilliant sunrises, are all images we use to signify the spring season as well as Easter. Have you ever stopped to wonder why we make this connection?

In nature, we see spring as a time of renewal, a time when life around us is energized from the heat and moisture of God’s good earth. We see spring as a time of procreation for many of God’s creatures. Spring is a prelude to life and life’s abundance around us, to be enjoyed until the postlude of winter.

The Easter season has the same potential for Christians. Easter is a time of renewal. It is a time for all of us to take a closer look at the relationship we have with Jesus. As we progress through Lent in preparation for Holy Week, we have the opportunity to see the suffering in our lives as we reflect on the passion of our Lord.

Easter is also a time for us to be energized by the power of God’s spirit within our own lives.

As we observe the church year in our tradition, there is the potential for us to become lackadaisical in our participation in the life of the church. Church life becomes predictable and boring, therefore we disengage. But there is always the Easter season to breathe life back into our sleeping souls.

Most importantly, Easter is a time for new life. Jesus Christ went to the cross as a sacrifice for the sins of humanity. No longer would men and women be held in bondage to the sin in their lives. Jesus death on the cross, and the power of the resurrected Lord, was and is a act of procreation. Because we believe, we are created anew through Jesus. (John 3:3)

I encourage you to see this Easter season as a time of new birth and growth in your life. There are many opportunities in the life of St. Luke’s where you can experience the signs of the Easter season. My prayer is that you will not only experience the season but also you will experience the power and presence of the risen Lord.

God's Blessings,
Pastor Pat

This has been a very mild winter, hardly any snow at all. And that’s fine with me. When I was a child, there were two things I learned about snow. The first thing was you never eat any of the first snow that falls. The reason you did not was because of the "contaminated snow theory." You see, my older brothers and sisters, inspired by all the nuclear testing that was taking place in the early 60's, convinced me that the first fallen 
snow was laden with nuclear particles. For one's own personal safety, it was important to wait until the second snow fall of the year before ingesting any snow. When the first snow fell, it would wipe out all the nuclear fallout floating around in the sky. By the time the second snow fell, it would be safe to consume.
 
I certainly hope my brothers and sisters enjoyed jerking me around this way. Everybody knows there is nothing to the "contaminated snow theory." Everybody knows the reason you don't eat the first snow is because it is stale!
 
I remember as a child, my mother going out and collecting some good, second-snow-fall snow, and making snow ice cream. She would take snow and mix it with some sugar and vanilla and create one of the best winter treats a young boy could ask for. As I think about it, you could probably mix sugar and vanilla with just about anything and come up with a tasty treat.
 
My brothers and I would spend many days out on the hills on our farm sleigh riding. My father or one of my older brothers would take the tractor out and run it up and down and up and down the hill until we had a tightly packed surface. When our farm pond was frozen, we took our trail right out onto the surface of the frozen water and across the pond we would fly.
 
We had a real sled back then, not these plastic imitations. The "Snow Rider" was written in bright red letters across it's deck. It was not a simple matter of just setting down on it and expecting a ride. You had to know something about navigation. To ride a "Snow Rider" you had to learn how to steer with your hands or feet. And leaning with your body from side to side was an important part of steering, especially if you rode double.
 
As they say, whoever "they" are, "those were the good old days." I hope these few lines of reminiscence has made a cold rainy day a little more bearable for you. I hope as I share my own memories, you have been taken back to a place that holds as much fondness as my past does for me. And just think, Spring is right around the corner.
 
Oh by the way, the second thing I learned about snow-never, under any circumstances do you eat yellow snow.
​
Gods Blessings, Pastor Pat

"The turn of the year seems to offer an opportunity to start over, to become more like what we want to be.  This desire springs from a deep human need.  Those who reflect on their lives usually see that they fall short of their own ideals and of God's way, and they yearn for something better" (The Upper Room, Jan.-Feb. 1998). 

I came across these words while browsing through a devotional guide that I use on occasion.  I found these words to be very profound.  The turn of the year has become a time in our lives when we reflect on "who we are" and "what we want to be."  Many times, the "who we are" is a person who needs some positive changes in his/her life.  The "who we are" is overweight, is physically inactive, works too much, does not have enough free time, lacks direction in his\her life, and so on.   
     
On the other hand, the "what we want to be" person is a person on the opposite end of the spectrum.  The "what we want to be" person is a person who maintains an ideal weight, has a body like Mr./Ms. America, has a great career and achieves the proper balance between work, play, and family time. 
     
In our desire to become "what we want to be" many times we set our goals too high, quickly become frustrated, and soon give up on trying to become "what we want to be" and settle for "the way we are." 
     
I would like to propose to you an alternative way of reflecting on your life as you begin this new year.  As you reflect, instead of beginning with those things you would like to change, lift up those areas that are positive in your life and bring you great joy.  Perhaps you are engaged in some type of volunteer work.  You may be active in some ministry at this church or another.  Perhaps your occupation affords you the opportunity to help others.  Maybe it is a simple act of kindness you were involved in over the Christmas season. 
     
Hopefully, during this new year, you will find positive aspects of your life that you do not want to change, but to celebrate.  As the New Year begins it is important to remember that God is behind all that we do for the good of others and ourselves.  May you continue to be about the good work of the Lord until we are united in Christ as the Kingdom of God on earth. 

God's Blessings,
​Pastor Pat