Dear Friends of Peace,
Our Annual Meeting will be held this Sunday morning right after worship. When we gather, it will be a time to reflect on where we have been this past year, and it will be a time to consider where we are going. And we’ll have that conversation in the midst of the “creative tension” between past and present during this interim time between pastors.
In light of that, here is a picture of the statue of Karl Oskar and Kristina Nilsson, the two main characters of Vilhelm Moberg’s classic book, The Emigrants. The statue is located in Sweden and depicts Karl Oskar and Kristina as they are about to emigrate from Sweden to America. As you can see, Karl Oskar’s gaze is set on the journey ahead, while Kristina looks longingly back at the homeland she is about to leave. This tension between the past and future is a major thread that runs through the series of novels, and it’s also a major thread that runs through our lives as well. Every day we have to decide how much time we are going to spend looking back, as well as how much energy we are going to spend looking forward.
This interim time is a crucial period for Peace Lutheran Church. While we want to hold on to the crucial components that have made this congregation’s ministry strong in the past, we also know that God also calls us to focus on the future, discerning together where God is leading us. Please join us for this important annual meeting as we work to discern our future together.
And as always, we’ll gather for worship at 9:30am when we will hear what it means for God to bless the poor, the meek, the merciful, and the peacemakers.
Here are a couple of options for your daily devotional:
- God Pause – A daily devotion brought to you by the alumni of Luther Seminary
- Stand and I Will Be With You — Center for Action and Contemplation
I look forward to seeing you on Sunday!
God’s Peace,
Pastor Jeff Engholm
P.S. In light of recent events in the Twin Cities, there will be a Bloomington Community Supply Drive this Saturday, January 31 from 12:00pm-4:00pm at Nine Mile Brewing. For more about this event and the recommended donations, click here