Tom's Organ Concert on Sunday
Tom, our organist and music director, will present a musical program of African-American Heritage this Sunday, February 27 at 3:00 p.m. The concert will feature the music of African-American composers. All are invited and encouraged to come and enjoy!
Lent Begins Wednesday
Lent begins with Ash Wednesday worship at 6:30 pm in the Grace sanctuary. Prior to the service, a supper will be served in the Dining Room beginning at 5:30 pm. A Lenten Meditation Prayer Service will be held at 12 noon in the Sanctuary on each Wednesday in Lent. The Ash Wednesday service will include Holy Communion and Imposition of Ashes.
"Continuing in the Covenant of Baptism" will be Lenten Midweek Theme
Following Ash Wednesday on March 2, we will meet at 6:30 pm in the sanctuary for midweek worship using Holden Evening Prayer on March 9, 16, 23, 30, and April 6. The focus for each week is a portion of the baptismal covenant from the order for Affirmation of Baptism, which is not only used in the Rite of Confirmation, but can also be used on special days in the church year and life of the congregation. Those promises will provide the themes for our five services:
- March 9 - To live among God's faithful people
- March 16 - To hear the word of God and share in the Lord’s supper
- March 23 - To proclaim the good news of God in Christ through word and deed
- March 30 - To serve all people, following the example of Jesus
- April 6 - To strive for justice and peace in all the earth
Last Call for Mission and Vision Workshop
Several weeks ago I posted information about a Mission and Vision 101 workshop on Thursday, March 3, from 7:00 - 8:30 pm. As I said before, this could be a helpful resource, especially to the Call Committee as they will be articulating Grace's mission and vision to pastoral candidates whom they will interview. I have registered for the event and reserved six spaces. Let me know if you'd like to participate, so I can either reduce or increase our reserved spaces.
LIFT VBS Meeting
The LIFT VBS Leadership Team met on Tuesday, 4pm to do initial planning for our week of VBS, July 11 - 14, with daily evening sessions. We did some initial assigning of the many and various responsibilities that make for a successful VBS. Our next meeting will be April 26, 4:00 pm.
Call Committee Update
The Call Committee has met severa times over the past few weeks, most recently on Tuesday evening. The Committee has reviewed the MSP, and are fact-checking a few items in preparation for moving forward as a confident, united committee as they prepare for their "practice interview." The next meeting will be Thursday, March 10, with the agenda of updating the MSP as necessary, solidifying first round questions for candidates, and finalizing plans for the practice interview. Keep the Call Committee in your prayers. Thanks to all Committee members, and especially Kristen for her excellent leadership.
A Good Week of R&R
I'm sure you've all familiar with the term R&R - of course it could mean Rock n Roll, or Rules n Regulations, but mostly we understand it as Rest n Relaxation or Rest n Recuperation or Rest n Recreation. Or in the case of the continuing education event I attended last week (February 13-18) at Winter Park Mountain Lodge in Winter Park, Colorado, the meaning is "Revelation and Recreation." The "Revelation" part included learning sessions with two presenters in morning and evening sessions:
- Dr. David Lose - currently senior pastor at Mt. Olivet Lutheran Church in south Minneapolis, currently the largest ELCA congregation, and former president of United Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, and Professor of Homiletics (preaching) at Luther Seminary in St. Paul. Dr. Lose's topic was preaching and congregational leadership after Covid-19
- Dr. Anthony Bateza - currently a religion professor at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN. Dr. Bateza's presentations focused on blame, reconciliation, and the meaning of forgiveness, using the parable of the prodigal son as a focus point.
The "Recreation" part for most of us was hitting the slopes at Winter Park Ski area Monday through Thursday. We had good skiing days, including some inches of new snow on Wednesady afternoon
Boundaries Training
Every few years, rostered leaders in the ELCA are expected, if not required, to attend what is called "Boundaries Training." This is usually done in a one-day workshop which reminds leaders of the importance of maintaining healthy boundaries in life and ministry. I have registered for the training that will be held on Thursday, March 10, from 9:30 am to 2:00 pm via Zoom. Led by Pastor Heather Apel, Assistant to the Bishop for Leadership in the Indiana-Kentucky Synod, this training will explore the importance of healthy boundaries in ministry. Topics covered will include: the purpose of boundaries, personal/professional boundaries, understanding power, blurred boundaries, strategies for self-care and positive boundary practices, social media, and more.
Religious Underpinnings to Ukraine Crisis
Putin's invasion of Ukraine has been tragic and horrifying. We must continue to condemn the Russian government’s unjustified attacks on its neighbor Ukraine and pray for a peaceful end to this horrible action. Church historian Diana Butler Bass offers some insight on the religious significance and underpinnings of Putin's actions. You can read her intersting analysis HERE.
Latest Osterholm Update
Dr. Michael Osterholm, founder and Director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, continues to deliver solid scientific analysis of the Covid-19 pandemic in his weekly podcasts. The latest episode, posted on Thursday, February 24, is entitled "Shifting Baselines." In this episode, Dr. Osterholm covers the trajectory of the pandemic amid a decline in cases, the BA.2 subvariant, hospitalizations in children, and his decision to return to the Joe Rogan Experience podcast. You can listen to or download this episode HERE.
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