Call Committee Update
I received the following Call Committee Update from Committee chair Kristen Lindsay:
Greetings from the Call Committee! To begin, I'd like to ask you to reflect on this prayer that we recited as part of a devotion at our last meeting:
Gracious accompanying God, the One in whom we live and move and have our being, give us a vision of the times of our lives, the new situations in which we live out our faith in Jesus. May we ask anew what it means to be the Church in our time, in our place. And as we work to call a new pastor to our congregations, may we welcome - according to your spirit - the one you are sending to us to lead us into the new days ahead. Amen.
All in God's time. It's often difficult for many of us to "put on our patient pants" and pray and wait for an outcome. Especially when the outcome is so important. Rest assured that we all have a part to play in the preparation for this next chapter in the life of our faith community. As the Call Committee has met, explored our role, and charted out our first-round candidate questions, we have had great conversations and reviewed your comments / suggestions that were collected via survey - and in-person at the cottage meetings held last year - and reflected in the Ministry Site Profile. As you may recall, the Ministry Site Profile is like a reverse job description. It provides a detailed description of our congregation and our community. A small announcement about our search for a Senior Pastor is posted on the ELCA website for potential candidates to see. It is live and viewable right this second for potential candidates to ponder a potential match with our congregation. Their next step would be to contact the synod level Call Process Facilitator to express interest in us. Our next synod recommended step is to host a practice candidate Zoom interview. And that step is scheduled for Thursday, March 24, 2022. Whenever a candidate presents him - or her - self, the committee is ready to rock and roll!
In addition to the Call Committee members' role, you also have a critical part to play. We need your prayers to help lift up the committee's efforts, and propel us toward a positive conclusion. We also want to encourage you to ask questions if you are curious. Find any one of us and we'll update you on progress. When we are matched with a pastoral candidate to interview, of course we will need to practice confidentiality. Keep in mind they may still be shepherding another faith community as they prepare for their potential transition. But we can certainly answer process questions and assure you that things are moving in the right direction.
So please continue to pray. Pray for the candidate that could - this very moment - be discerning a change in their life trajectory. Pray for our committee as we dedicate time and effort to this valuable process. And pray for each other as we continue forward as a congregation focused on growing in faith and sharing the light of Christ.
Thank you!
Kristen will bring a personal greeting and update to the 10:00 service this weekend. Maureen will do this on Saturday, and Ed at 7:45.
Our Midweek Lenten Series: Continuing in the Covenant of our Baptism
The second of five midweek Lenten worship services featuring the musical setting Holden Evening Prayer and focusing on the the five promises that we make in the Affirmation of Baptism service was held Wednesday at 6:30 pm. The focus for the first service was the promise "To hear the word of God and share in the Lord’s supper." Those attending the service were given post-it notes and Sharpies to write down a word, phrase, or picture which expressed what this looks like in each of their lives. These notes were then collected by the ushers (our confirmation yout) and posted on an easel at the front of the worship are. Our schedule and themes for the remaining services is:
- 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
Also, a reminder of the other Wednesday opportunities for observing Lent at Grace which include:
- Fellowship supper in the dining room at 5:30 pm
- Prayer service with Holy Communion at noon
Updates from Pastor Lanny
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, I have mentioned Pastor Lanny Westphal, one of my interim ministry colleagues based in Wisconsin and his sister, Diane. She has been living in Ukraine and teaching in an international school since 2014. She is now married to a Ukrainian, Yurii, and they live together on a farm outside of Kyiv. Lanny has shared several of her public posts on Facebook. You can view and read them HERE and HERE and HERE. A post with photos of war damage from the German Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ukraine can be viewed HERE.
Care Center Visits
I visited Grace members at Valley View on Wednesday. They are all doing reasonably well, including Amy L., who is there for rehab following knee surgery. Husband Gus was there with her, so was good to see him again and offer Holy Communion.
Dramatic Readings for Good Friday Planned
Our Good Friday observance will include Good Friday Worship beginning at 6:30 pm. This service will feature a dramatic reading of The Passion of Our Lord according to John, utilizing three readers. The service will also include a sermon, the Bidding Prayer, and at the close of the service the Procession of the Cross and The Solemn Reproaches.
Kent Watkins has volunteered to do a dramatic reading that he adapted from the novel Ben-Hur by Lew Wallace, which describes the crucifixion of our Lord (remember the scene from the movie?). Our tentative plan is to record this dramatic monologue, upload it to Facebook, and schedule it to go live at noon on Good Friday, available on demand after that. Thanks, Kent, for your willingness to share your dramatic gifts!
Seeds Monthly
Seeds Monthly is published by the ELCA as a resource for congregations. The current issue can be found HERE.
ELCA Worship News
ELCA Worship News is published monthly. The current issue is available HERE.
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, March 17, is entitled "Expect the Unexpected" In this episode, Dr. Osterholm and Chris Dall discuss the rise in cases in Europe and the Western Pacific Region and what that could mean for the United States. Dr. Osterholm also provides insight on the COVID situation in Ukraine and answers a COVID query on if and when a fourth dose of vaccine will be needed. You can listen to or download this episode HERE.
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