Lent is in full swing
Our midweek Lenten series got underway on with the first (after an initial sharing of the wrong YouTube link -- sorry about that!) in our Wednesday messages on the theme "The Puzzle of the Cross." The first piece of the puzzle is "God", and our remaining pieces are:
- March 3 - "Humanity"
- March 10 - "Sin"
- March 17 - "Savior"
- March 24 - "Sacrifice"
- April 1 - "Salvation" (Maundy Thursday)
These services will all be livestreamed on our YouTube channel beginning at noon, and be available vor viewing then, or on demand at your convenience.
We are also participating in the ELCA Hunger Lenten Program "40 Days of Giving", This emphasis will enable us to participate more fully in this life giving ministry. To do this, I have suggested that we do the following:
- Commit to giving $1, $2, $3 or more a day for 40 days of Lent. I suggested $1,000 as a realistic goal. I know that we are already at least 1/3 of the way there. I have pledged at the $3 a day ($120) rate. You can give directly to this fund on through our online portal (your gift will automatically be deposited and your giving statement updated) HERE.
- Dowload and use the 40 Days of Giving Lenten Calendar for inspirational ideas for daily reflection and action, as well as prayers and relevant Bible passages. You can download the calendar HERE.
- Dive even deeper into our inspiring 40 Days of Giving content by subscribing to our weekly Lenten email series. You can find the subscription form HERE.
- Weekly videos, stories and information will explain about how our gifts to ELCA World Hunger are at work in the world. Links to these videos will be posted on our Facebook page.
- Kristen will also post daily prayers, scripture passages, and links to resources on our Facebook page.
Preschool Candy Sale
Mrs. Lilly has announced the 2021 St. John's Preschool Candy Sale, which will feature homemade buckeyes, turtles and pretzel rods. Once the order form for congregation members has been prepared, we will get that out the congregation. The order form will provide prices, order deadline, and pickup directions, which will be Palm Sunday, March 28.
Copier salesman
Today a representative from PERRY proTECHj, David Archer, visited the church office to introduce himself and the possible services he could provide. Part of his pitch was that MT Business Technologies, who we currently have a service contract with, no longer is an authorized service provided for Richoh, which is the brand of our copier. MT could still service our machine, but they would not longer have access to official service bulletins and official parts and supplies. He said that PERRY would be willing to buy out our lease if we want to get a new machine. Something to consider, I suppose.
Special Council Meeting
A reminder that Council will meet in a special meeting on Tuesday, March 2, to consider a proposal to return to in-person worship. A target date of Palm Sunday, March 28, was set at the February meeting. Executive Team will meet on Sunday at 9:30 to review and possibly revise our Plan for Return that was developed last May for a June 7, 2020 return to in-person worship.
Osterholm Update: Covid-19
I have been a relentless promoter of this informative and inspirational podcast hosted by leading epidemiologist Dr. Michael Osterholm, founder and director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. In the February 25 episode, entitled "Watchful Waiting,"Dr. Osterholm and host Chris Dall discuss why COVID-19 is declining in many areas of the US, where we're at with the variants, the latest CIDRAP Viewpoint report on strategic deployment of vaccines, and living with the virus after vaccination. This episode is available for listening HERE.
Confirmation Class
Our Confirmation youth continue to meet on Wednesdays at 6:30 pm. Our meetings have been lasting 45-50 minutes. We began an new unit of the Catechism this week - the unit on the Means of Grace, which for us as Lutherans includes the Word and the Sacraments. The Word, first and formemost, is Jesus Christ, proclaimed in scripture and preached and lived by pastors and all Christians. The key text for this lesson was not from Luther's Small Catechism, but from the Augsburg Confession, Article V, which reads thusly:
To obtain such faith God instituted the office of the ministry, that is, provided the Gospel and the sacraments. Through these, as through means, he gives the Holy Spirit, who works faith, when and where he pleases, in those who hear the Gospel.
We'll begin next week a closer look at the Sacrament of Baptism, after that Sacrament of Holy Communion.
The Downward Ascent
The Downward Ascent is a small, 92 page book that's been in my library for decades, and one that I read occasionally during the season of Lent. It was written by Edna Hong, who was a recognized translator of the works Danish philosopher and theologian Soren Kirkegaard. She was married to Howard Hong, for many years a philosophy professor at St. Olaf College, and also a translator or Kirkegaard.
In a January synod leaders Zoom meeting that focused on preparations for Lent, Caroline Guy asked if anyh of us had resources to share. I mentioned The Downward Ascent, and it appeared as a link to the book in Amazon in a subsequent email from the synod summarizing the Zoom meeting. Problem was, sellers wanted $28-$35 for a used. So I wrote to get permission to make copies and offer to send them to NWOS colleagues. I received permission for 20 copies, and five requested one, which I have made and sent. So I have permission for 15 more. If anyone reading this would be interested, let me know. The pdf is linked HERE and you can read a few pages to decide if it's something you might want a hard copy of, and if so, let me know and I'll make you one.
ELCA Rostered Leader Deaths
The March issue of Living Lutheran arrived today, and as I usually do, I check the "Deaths" page, which lists recent deaths of pastors, deacons, and other significant ELCA leaders. This issue had more than the usual number of names of persons who I have known. In this months list were:
- Charles Boomhower, 74. I got to know Chuck in recent years at synod interim pastors meetings.
- Oliver Dewald, 85. Pastor at a neighboring congregation in North Dakota
- Terence Fretheim, 84. For decades, a professor at Luther Seminary. One of the leading voices and writers in the US on the Old Testament. Never had any classes from him, but heard him speak many times on other occasions.
- Owen Gaasedelen, 92. Pastor at a neighboring congregation in North Dakota.
- Kermit Lauterbach, 86. Got to know Kert at conference pastors meeting in 2012 when, serving my first interim, I was in the Northeastern Ohio Synod.
- Herman Muus, 91. Never knew him personally, but he was a legendary leader, especially in the area of Lutheran Outdoor Ministries.
- Philip Quanbeck, 93. Dr. Quanbeck was a long time religion professor at Augsburg College. I didn't have any traditional classes with him, but I did attend the 1974 January interim trip he led to Israel.
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