PASTOR NAN DEHNKE

   Pastor Nan Dehnke was ordained in 2009 after receiving her Master’s of Divinity degree at The Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago and receiving her first call to the Indiana-Kentucky Synod. She enjoys creating and encouraging relationships for the sake of God’s mission in the world…..so collaboration, respect, and the Word guide God’s ministry through her. Chaplaincy, working with folks suffering with addictions, empowering leaders, nurturing faith and spirituality through the Word, the Sacraments, and relationships are some of the tools she uses to love God’s people wherever and whoever they are. With God, she leads to empower, encourage, and engage people to help them deepen their relationships with God and with one another.

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Dear People of God in Jesus,

    Greetings! It is Friday morning. The Son and the sun is shining!  I am happy and thankful to be alive! Hope you are too.

   So, this Sunday our Gospel text shifts us into the 4th Gospel, the Gospel of John. (John does not get his own year in our cycle of readings like Matthew, Mark, and Luke). John's Gospel was the last to be recorded and the language has shifted. John does not speak of "miracles" instead he uses the word "sign". All of the "signs" in this Gospel point to Jesus. Jesus is the sign; everything else....the multiplying of the loaves and fish, plenty of wine at the wedding, etal.....are revelations of Jesus---- the sign of God with us.

   For the next several weeks, we remain in John 6, specifically in the Bread Discourses aka the Bread Sermons from Jesus. But they are more than sermons! First, the disciples receive a revelation, then Jesus (the SIGN) has conversation with them and usually the crowd, and then Jesus clarifies again who He is. This "to and fro" rhythm of the conversations mirror for us how we are to engage with the Bible and the Living Word, Jesus. We are called to bathe our study in prayer with God (ask and listen) and also encouraged to share conversations with others (share, listen and pray together).

   So we begin with the feeding of the 5000+ (5000 only represents the number of men present, but we know that there were children and women) with 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread. This "sign" story is then paired with Jesus walking on the water (another sign in a transition). Come, and hear, come and see, come and be fed.

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