September 16, 2022
Dear Peace members and friends,
At the end of today’s e-note, I have an important announcement and invitation to our Sunday morning Adult Education Hour a week from this Sunday, September 25,th that I think many of you will be interested in, so be sure to read today’s note to the end.
This Sunday, I’m looking forward to preaching about relationships. Relationships—be they marriage or any kind of partnership or close friendship—often just happen. But after we realize we’re in relationship with another human being, we make choices every day.
That is what happens in the Old Testament story of Jacob, Rachel, and Leah, which is the next story in our sermon series, “Great Stories of the Bible.” In this story, Jacob has two wives; the wife he wanted (Rachel) and the wife he had to marry (Leah) in order to get the wife he wanted. It’s an odd story. The significant cultural and historical setting of this story doesn’t make much sense to us today. But what is timeless is the reality that there’s always a stranger in every relationship. In a sense, everybody has two wives or two husbands! I’ll say more about this story and the daily choice we make in all our relationships in the message on Sunday.
In Sunday worship (9:30am), we’ll also receive Holy Communion, the Peace Choir will sing, a children’s message will be shared, and there will be a beginning-of-the-Sunday School-year, Blessing of Students and Teachers.
Sunday morning Adult Education (10:45am) we will welcome Catherine Duncan who will present on, “The Road to Resilience.” How do we manage in the midst of anxious and challenging times? Catherine will explore stress, health, and the healing benefits of attending to our bodies, minds, and hearts. Join us!
Finally, here’s the special announcement and invitation: next Sunday, September 25th, we will welcome to Peace and the Adult Education Hour (10:45am), Dean Phillips, who represents Minnesota’s 3rd congressional district (which includes Bloomington) in the U.S. House of Representatives. I have asked him to speak about gun violence legislation.
Why did I extend this invitation? As some of you know, my wife, Marcie, and I live in the southeast neighborhood of Minneapolis. And over the last year there has been an increasing amount of gun violence both in our neighborhood, in downtown Minneapolis, the suburbs and throughout our country. Then there were the May shootings at the elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. Daily I was hearing and seeing news about the shooting deaths of fellow citizens, especially children. It was and is horrible. This is not “of Christ.” How can it be curtailed?
I do know that gun violence/gun safety is a complicated issue. I also know that legislation is one of the pieces to helping diminish gun violence among us. So in June I wrote two legislators—one state and one congressional—to come and speak to us about the gun violence problem. The only one who replied after two attempts was Congressman Phillips. Let me be clear: whether it was a Republican, a Democrat, or an Independent in office, the same invitation would have been extended. Earlier this month, the Congressman accepted the invitation.
I don’t know what other topics Congressman Phillips might broach. I don’t know if he will take questions (I’m guessing he will). I don’t know what you would ask him.
What I do know is that gun-violence is a challenge for all of us. I do know that our government can and does make a difference. And I do know that you, Peace members, are thoughtful and reasonable people who share my concern about gun violence among us.
Come join us on September 25th and welcome our local representative, Congressman Dean Phillips.
See you Sunday!
Mark