John Louk

I have been with you for three weeks now. Much has happened in this short time. We have been worshiping at Lovely Lane UMC since the flood (may God bless them for their hospitality!). Now, on the first Sunday in August (3rd) we will gather for worship at our Salem East location (the former Kenwood Park Presbyterian Church building). With the change in location we will also change our worship time to 9:30 am. We will continue to have one service for the rest of the summer at 9:30 am. Our location, time, and single service are all temporary. Please know, there will be changes. The stability and tradition Salem enjoyed has evaporated with the flood waters for the time being. That means, as a congregation we need to be patient, flexible, and light on our feet. Following Jesus isn’t easy but it is an adventure! While we are preparing to begin worshiping at Salem East, the real estate agent selling the building has been showing the building to several people. Potential buyers have shown quit...

“To the church of God that is in Corinth [and Cedar Rapids!], to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (I Corinthians 1:2-3 NRSV). Brothers and Sisters, I am very excited to begin this new adventure as the pastor of Salem Church. Many have asked me how I am feeling about being appointed to Salem considering the flooding of 2008 that has wreaked havoc on us. After all, this is one of the 10 worst disasters in the nation's history. But what an opportunity to be the church, the people of God. We are not constrained by buildings. We the people of Salem Church are a royal priesthood. We exist to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. How are we part of God’s mission in transforming Cedar Rapids? Following Jesus may not be safe, but it is good. I am looki...

I spoke to Pastor Linda Bibb this evening. She’s the outgoing pastor at Salem Church where I have been appointed effective July 1. Salem is just a couple of blocks from the Cedar River in downtown Cedar Rapids. She told me they were evacuated from the church building at 4:00 pm yesterday. The wonderful people of this congregation worked together sandbagging and moving as much as they could to the second and third floors. But the river was too much. Linda said the water is at least 8-10 feet deep at the church building. There is a car port over one of the entrances and the water is above that car port. So the water could be to the second floor now. This picture from the Cedar Rapids Gazette shows how high the water was earlier today at the Dairy Queen which is right across the street from Salem United Methodist Church. Unfortunately, the river hasn’t even crested yet so the flooding will probably get worse. We will attempt to get to Cedar Rapids tomorrow. In the midst of all this we ar...

Last Sunday I preached for the last time at First Church. You can listen to the sermon here . It was a wonderful day. At the beginning of the service, the Lead Pastor, Kevin LaGree, invited my family to the front of the church and said the church had a surprise for us. At that moment five people in the congregation stood up and came forward. It was such a cool moment. They brought prayer shawls to each member of my family and placed them around our shoulders. The prayer shawls are an important ministry of First Church. Each shawl is beautifully knitted and crocheted and blessed and given to a person in need of the congregation’s prayers. They symbolism was clear: We are going on to a new place of ministry covered with the prayers of our brothers and sisters in Des Moines. Following worship the Staff-Parish Relations Committee hosted a farewell reception for my family. It was a great experience to have so many people greet us lovingly, and to see friends who surprised us by showing up. ...

My daughter, Kaitlyn, made a movie at the end of last year. She has now posted it online for others to see. It’s a stop time animation. I thought it was really cool. In fact, I was quite amazed as she did this on her own without any help. She started by taking 97 digital pictures of scenes she created and ended up with this...

We are ending the 9:00 am worship service as of now. I’m sorry for the abruptness. I know this isn’t the best situation but this is how it's working out. We have the early 7:30 am Easter sunrise service tomorrow, and then I'm gone on vacation the next Sunday. We wouldn't be having the 9:00 am service while I’m gone. Then if we start the 9:00 am service back up when I return from vacation, it would only be for a few more weeks (since I am moving to another church this year). So we'd stop it and start it and stop it again. Furthermore, I'll be doing the 10:30 am service all of April as Kevin is gone on vacation during that time. Therefore, while it's not the best timing and we haven't had a chance to really talk about it, we're ending the 9:00 am service after tomorrow. If you have any questions or comments, don’t hesitate to let me know.

We are now in the midst of Holy Week (the days from Palm Sunday to Holy Saturday), traveling with Jesus during the last days before his death. Today is Maundy Thursday (or Holy Thursday) which gets its name from the new commandment ( mandatum novum in Latin) Jesus gives to love one another in John 13:34 . Tomorrow, Good Friday, marks Jesus’ trial, crucifixion, and death. This is all part of the story that leads to the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection on Easter Sunday. The message, “He is risen!” turns the events of Holy Week into a celebration of joy. This is the story of Jesus the Christ. I invite you to participate in our Maundy Thursday worship at 7:00 pm this evening. My sermon, “Everyone Will Know,” is based on John 13 and Kevin LaGree is celebrating Holy Communion. Tomorrow, our Good Friday worship service is at 7:00 pm. Kevin LaGree’s sermon, “Lead Us, Lord,” is based on Isaiah 52:13-53:12 and Hebrews 10:16-25 . This Sunday is the beginning of Easter. Our first celebration ...