Armor Builder

Almighty and

Eternal God,

we pray that you

would uphold us

through the right

knowledge

of your divine Word

through your

Holy Spirit.

Grant us peace

and health

as we do the work

of our callings

with your blessing;

through your dear Son,

Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

By Martin Luther

Sword of the Spirit

“And many peoples

shall come, and say:

“Come, let us go up

to the mountain

of the LORD,

to the house

of the God of Jacob,

that he may

teach us his ways

and that we may walk

in his paths.” ...

Isaiah 2:3

From the desk of Pastor Mike…

Jerusalem, Our Happy Home

When I was a young pastor-in-training, I had a mentor who would al-ways pray the same prayer every Sunday morning as we were getting ready to lead worship. Taking a deep breath and pausing the hectic activi-ty of Sunday morning for but a moment, he would say, “I was glad when

they said to me, ‘Let us go unto the house of the Lord.’” It didn’t matter what difficulty the week before had brought, nor did it matter what the days ahead had in store. Even if only for a moment, we paused to thank God for the joy of being in His house.

“I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go unto the house of the Lord.’ Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem!” These words come from Psalm 122, what the Scriptures entitle a “Song of Ascent.” It’s quite possible psalms bearing this title (Psalms 120-134) may have been used by God’s people of old as songs of worship and praise as they journeyed to Jerusalem to visit the temple during the great feasts held each year. Regardless of what difficulty life held, there was joy that accompanied the journey, a lasting consciousness of the blessing of being in the presence of God at His holy temple. Jerusalem, after all, was the city where God had promised to be present for His people. Therefore, gladness and joy would accompany the journey of God’s people from their homes to the place that was their spiritual home.

“I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go unto the house of the Lord.’ Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem!” How these words ring true for us today. How unprecedented it is that we should be absent from in-person worship for so long! How we have longed to be in the presence of God’s people—our church! And now, at long last, those of us who are able to safely come to worship have gathered in our spir-itual home—a home not made with human hands, but rather made of living stones, the people of God gathered to hear His Word and receive His sacraments. There is joy that comes even in the midst of difficulty and sorrow. There is joy in our homecoming to the house of the Lord.

In the New Testament, it’s no accident that the inspired Apostle Paul mentions “the Je-rusalem above,” the Jerusalem which “is our mother” because we are children of the promise given to Abraham (Galatians 4:21-31). And while still await the day when we shall see the heavenly Jerusalem and know its joys in full, in our gathering, in our wor-ship, in the Word and in the Lord’s Supper we catch a glimpse of what is ours now in Christ and of what is yet to come. Therefore, with all the more confidence, we join in the great hymn and prayer of old: “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go unto the house of the Lord.’ Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem!”

In the Joy of Jesus Christ, Pastor Mike Badenhop

2020 2020

May your faith bloom… in all seasons!

A Happy Day at Ascension

Facing the “storm” together...

Ascension Day,

Memorial Day,

and 1st Time Together

Since Covid-19

“I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go unto the house of the Lord”.” Psalm 122:1

A big Thank You to Ricky Ledesma, Heather Eldridge and Shanda Knight for the great pictures.

May 24, 2020

“for He (God)

has said,

““I will never leave you nor

Cady Burrington – Valley Lutheran School, Cedar Falls. Cady will be attending UNI to study Psychology. She is the daughter of Dave and Treva Burrington.

Austin Galbraith – River Hills School, Cedar Falls. Austin will be living at home with his family and participating at NorthStar in Waterloo. He is the son of Adam and Stefanie Galbraith.

Caleb Haag – Waterloo West High School. Caleb will be attending Upper Iowa University where he will be studying Business Management. He is the son of Ryan and Sara Haag.

Nick Beier – Valley Lutheran School, Cedar Falls. Nick will be attending Hawkeye Community College where he will study Police Science. He is the son of David and Tracy Beier.

Ascension 2020 Seniors Congratulations to all of our high school graduates! May the Lord lead you and guide you in the next chapter of your lives. We are proud of you and of your achievements.

Jackson Ridder – Cedar Falls High School. Jackson will be attending Iowa State University to study Engineering. He is the son of Tom and Sherri Ridder.

Morgan Galbraith – Hudson High School. Morgan plans to attend Central College to pursue a degree in Pre-Athletic Training and to minor in Spanish. She is the daughter of Adam and Stefanie Galbraith.

Gabe Dengler – Waverly-Shell Rock High School. Gabe plans to attend culinary school to become a chef. He is the son of Marcus and Elly Dengler.

Rachel Brokenshire – Cedar Falls High School. Rachel will be attending Iowa State University to study Landscape Architec-ture. She is the daughter of Pastor Len and Beth Brokenshire.

Rachel Brokenshire – Cedar Falls High School. Rachel will be attending Iowa State University to study Landscape Architecture. She is the daughter of Pastor Len and Beth Brokenshire.

Savannah Schmitz – Valley Lutheran School, Cedar Falls. Savannah will be

attending Concordia University – Chicago to pursue a degree in Lutheran

Teacher Education and then a Master’s degree in School Administration. She

is the daughter of Eric Schmitz and Anne Meyer-Schmitz.

Coronavirus and World Missions: ”The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation,

by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And

the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts

and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:5-7

Pastor Scott, GHT: They continue to deliver wheelchairs and food packets and strive to bring hope to those who are most isolated. Pray for continued financial support so they can meet people's needs and bring the love of Christ.

Mike and Diane and Chris and Emily, World Mission Prayer League: in SW Asia life continues much as be-fore, with many restrictions and limited communication.

Shannon and Lisa Sandquist, Navigators: All mission trips have been cancelled. All students planning to come to Colorado to learn how best to share the Gospel are now being counseled (taught) via internet. The Sandquists themselves are doing fine in Colorado.

Don and Dawn Hall, EEMN: The stay-at-home restrictions in Albania are much more strict than here in Ameri-ca, so there are fewer opportunities to share the Gospel one-on-one. Like the rest of the world, they reach out via Facebook, etc. The Hall family is doing fine.

They ALL need Prayer!!! We can do that even while quarantined. (remember the sign above the door in the first narthex at Ascension: "You are now entering the mission field")

Happy Memorial Day “We celebrate Memorial Day not only to remember those

who have fallen, but also to reflect on the cause for which

they gave their lives. Those we honor on Memorial Day

have sacrificed it all so that we can enjoy the safety and

freedom we so often take for granted — and one of the

greatest ways to pay our respects to the fallen is to appreci-

ate these gifts. So when you and your friends are talking

politics and religion at your Memorial Day barbecue,

remember the many men and women who fought to protect

this freedom.” -Natalie O’Neill, NY Post

Take the time this Memorial Day to show gratitude for the

freedoms you are fortunate enough to enjoy. Won by the

fallen and those that came home. Thank You all!

Janet Bergan, Steve Bergan, Janet Freed, Ivy Gibbons, Hel-en Green, Marilyn Haag, Nancy Hausler, John McNally, Anna Rohrs, Marnie Stewart and Marv Wente.

Condolences to Barb Edsill and family on the death of her father, Bill King, who died on April 27. Condolences to Janet Freed and family on the death of her mother, Delores Lynch, who died on May 2. Condolences to Jean Mingus and family on the death of her husband, Dick, who died on May 4.

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. James 5:16

Please keep the following Ascension members in your prayers…

God bless America

God bless America, Land that I love,

Stand beside her, And guide her,

Through the night with the light from above.

From the mountains, To the prairies,

To the oceans, White with foam.

God bless America,

My home sweet home.

Irving Berlin originally wrote the song in 1918 while he served in

An Ascension Parade

I would like to thank everyone who played a part in my birthday on

May 1 with the parade, phone calls, balloons, and cards. I couldn’t

believe it but I even got a couple cards from people I didn’t know. They

just saw the announcement in the newspaper that I was turning 100 and

thought they should recognize that milestone. I was also surprised by the

number of cards and balloons they make for a “100th” birthday.

Sometimes I can’t recognize people because my eyesight is not good, and

sometimes I don’t hear people if I’m in the back part of my house. So

after some investigation, I would like to thank Pastor Mike for

delivering the palm branch and Pastor Len for bringing the

Easter Lily.

It was a birthday that I’ll always remember. Hopefully, we

will be able to get together this fall once COVID leaves.

God Bless you all,

Violet Smith

The song most of us have sung, Jesus Loves Me was written by Anna Bartlett Warner who was born August 31, 1827 and died January 22, 1915. Warner was an American writer, the author of several books, and of poems set to music as hymns and religious songs for children. (Via Wikipedia)

Anna’s family home was quite close to the United States Military Academy at West Point, in New York, in the era just before the Civil War. Each Sunday Anna taught Bible classes to the cadets. Her remains are buried in the military cemetery, and her family home is now a museum on the grounds of the United States Military Academy.

Undoubtably, her most well-known work (and the point of this post) came from the poem from her and her sister’s 1860s quite sentimental and best-selling novel entitled Say and Seal. It was soon set to music by William Bradbury, who added the chorus we still sing today in one of the most well-known children’s Christian hymns of all time…you guessed it! Jesus Loves Me. Many soldiers on the battlegrounds during the War Between the States sang this hymn and found spiritual comfort.

In a scene that brought many people to tears in the novel, a child lays dying and is comforted from his pain, as the main character recites a poem:

Jesus loves me! This I know,

For the Bible tells me so.

Little ones to Him belong;

They are weak, but He is strong.

Children of God, let it be your simple prayer for today.

From: https://lisadelay.com/blog/the-a-story-behind-the-song-jesus-loves-me-poem-by-anna-bartlett-warner/

During these services, we will provide three options for

worship to maintain safety for our members.

Option 1: Outside worship. For those healthy and comforta-

ble being outside together with social distancing measures.

• We encourage you to bring your own chair. We will have

folding chairs available for those who need them. We will

maintain social distancing from non-family members.

Option 2: Drive-in church. For those not comfortable with

being outside together but wanting to worship at Ascension.

• We will have designated parking spaces to allow you to

stay in your car and listen to the service live through your

car speakers.

Option 3: Worship at home. For those who need or want to

stay at home. (The government recommendations are for

persons over 65, those with at risk health conditions, and

those who have been in close contact with a person that has

Covid-19 to remain isolated.)

Sunday May 24

One outdoor service at 9:30 am where we will honor Memorial Day and celebrate Ascension Sunday - Wednesday May 27 - 6:30 pm outdoor worship

Sunday May 31 One outdoor service at 9:30 am where we will celebrate Pentecost and our high school graduates - Wednesday June 3 - 6:30 pm outdoor worship

Sunday June 7 Two outdoor services at 8:30 am and 10:30 am where we will welcome our guest preacher, Presiding Pastor Curtis Leins and celebrate Holy Communion - Wednesday June 10 - 6:30 pm outdoor worship with communion

With the ever changing times during this pandemic, Crusader

Knight needs to change again. The date and time remain the

same, June 12 @ 6:30 p.m., but the format is different. A

portion of the event will be virtual, the auction and Dessert

Frenzy will take place Sept. 12, 2020 at Valley. Stay tuned

for more details.

UPDATE - CRUSADER KNIGHT

Jesus Loves Me, This I Know

The story behind the song

Three Types of

Ascension Services

Jesus loves me He who died Heaven's gate to open wide He will wash away my sin Let His little child come in Yes Jesus loves me Yes Jesus loves me Yes Jesus loves me The Bible tells me so.

Jesus loves me this I know For the Bible tells me so Little ones to Him belong They are weak but He is strong Yes Jesus loves me Yes Jesus loves me Yes Jesus loves me The Bible tells me so.

UPDATE: Quilts of Valor for Ascension Veterans: Even though we had to cancel our work day at the church, I want to "thank" the volunteer quilt makers who have been using their time during this COVID-19 to sew the quilts for this project! They are doing an awesome job, and we look forward to presenting ten or more quilts on November 8 during the Sunday School hour! If you wish to contribute to this project, you can send your contribution to Ascension- Quilt of Valor project! “Well done Good and Faithful Servants” (Matt 25:23)! - Ivadean Herter

SUMMER PROGRAMS FOR ASCENSION ARE STILL ON!!! We look forward to when we can join together again and worship and grow and we hope you are growing at home in your time with the Lord as well.

Camp VBS will not be held June 9-11 as originally planned. We plan to reschedule for later in the summer - perhaps in a slightly different form for this year. Those involved or in that age group - please check your email of FB message from Shanda. (I appreciate all prayers as we adjust and try to make wise decisions.)

VBS - for our little ones ages 4-3rd grade is still sched-uled for July 27-31, 9-11 am. The theme is "Kicking it Old School" and will once again feature the Go Fish Guys on video with music and fun! More information will be arriving as we know the Covid-19 status.

My heartfelt thanks for the cards,

calls and remembrances that made my

2020 birthday such a special one. May

our Lord as richly bless each of you as He has blessed me

through each of you! - Jim Neebel

Ascension Quilting Ladies (TOL)

Thank you so much for the adorable quilt

made for Lucas. We love it and appreciate

all the hard work you put into making him

such a meaningful and perfect keepsake.

- Lucas, Caity & Bob Schotter

Visit us online… at www.ascensionwaterloo.com! If

you are unable to make our worship services on Sun-

day, the sermons are available here! Don’t forget to

“like” and follow us on Facebook! Also, our radio

broadcast is on each Sunday morning at 8:00 and

10:00 on KXEL (AM 1540).

HEY! Ascension family!

Check out the new color Spirit, on our Ascension Waterloo website!!!

Do you have some news? Or a funny story?

Do you have a blessing to share?

Please write it up and leave it in the

board room mailbox, or Email to:

spirit4ascension@gmail.com

Thanks and Praise to God for my healing

from surgery and cancer! Thank you to everyone

for the prayers, cards and kindnesses during my

recovery! - Linda Gray

We would like to give a big “THANK

YOU” to our Ascension family (and their

friends) who prayed & brought us food. It was

April 25, 2019 when we began this trek with

Gillian-Barre Syndrome. It is a disease that attacks the nerves

and muscles in your whole body. Physical Therapy is the

only cure.

Ellen was in 6 different institutions in 3 months. Then 5

months in Bartels in Waverly.

At this point, there is still a lot of Physical Therapy, but her

health and physical abilities are getting better every day.

Thank you for everything! Prayer Works!

- Roger and Ellen Bauer

Thank you to everyone who sent cards

and took part in my 80th Birthday card

shower and drive-by parade. It was an

awesome day and I truly appreciated all of

the messages written in the cards. THANK YOU!

- Ivadean Herter

Attention College Graduates

All College students: please let us know if

you are planning to graduate in 2020! We’d

like to celebrate with you by adding your

information to the next newsletter. Please

send us the date, place and time.

Thank you!

Thank you to our Ascension Pastors, Staff, Board

and volunteers for your dedication to

keep us all fed with God’s Word and

the assurance that we’re walking through

these unusual and difficult times together! We appreciate you

and your efforts so much! The Ascension Congregation