Posts by Pastor Joe Orner

Dear Families and Friends of Peace, This Sunday will be a very special day in worship as we host the annual Peace Christmas Program. This year’s program is called “Great Joy for All,” and there are 25 Sunday School students participating. In addition, the Peace Choir will sing, and the congregation is invited to join in the festivities as well.  Altogether, we will share the Christmas story through music, scripture, and storytelling—and don’t forget about the costumes! There will be…

Dear Families and Friends of Peace, Growing up as the son of a nurse, and having an occupation where I am around people and students a lot, I’ve always had a pretty good immune system and don’t often get sick. But once or twice a year, I’ll catch something that completely knocks me off my feet, and it takes much longer than I’d like to get back up. That happened last Thursday, causing me to miss Sunday worship and last…

Dear Families and Friends of Peace, This past Sunday was the first Sunday in the season of Advent—the four weeks that lead up to Christmas (similar to how Lent is the season that precedes Easter).  For us, Advent is a season of hopeful expectation. Over 2000 years have passed since Christ’s birth, and we know what we’re going to celebrate on Christmas—that God came to us in the flesh, fully God yet fully human—through the birth of Jesus Christ, the…

Dear Families and Friends of Peace, Happy Thanksgiving to all! Today and this weekend, as you gather with family and friends, it’s my prayer that your time together would be filled with love, joy, and gratitude; that you would be able to enjoy laughter and smiles with everyone gathered at your tables, and that the thankfulness shared would fill you with faith, hope, and love. And as we give thanks for the blessings in our lives, I pray that our…

Dear Families and Friends of Peace, On Sunday our Confirmation students had their fall retreat. Aligning with the year’s theme, “What is Church?” we visited two ELCA congregations that are very different from Peace, and each other—Central Lutheran and Fabric, both in Minneapolis. Pastor Stephanie Friesen described Central’s history for us, saying: “The short story of Central is that we are a 107-year-old congregation that was started by 12 local, Lutheran businessmen who saw the need of a unified Lutheran church in Minneapolis. There…

Dear Families and Friends of Peace, This Sunday is Stewardship Sunday. And as I reflect on my personal and our communal stewardship of time, talents, and resources, one of my favorite aspects of our Sunday morning church services happens during the offering—it’s the children’s offering. Each week it is a delight to see the children come forward to participate in this great act of generosity. Always with smiles on their faces, they joyfully bring gifts forward that glorify God–gifts that…

Dear Families and Friends of Peace, This past weekend we observed All Saints Sunday. It is a day in which we honor all the saints—past, present, and future—by remembering the dead and celebrating the baptized. And as Lutherans, we have a unique understanding of sainthood. While Catholics venerate exceptional individuals who have performed miracles or done amazing things with their lives, as Lutherans we believe that every person is a saint.  Because it’s in the waters of baptism that we are sealed by the…

Dear Families and Friends of Peace, Thanks to everyone who came out for this year’s Trunk or Treat event on Sunday! I was so grateful to everyone who hosted trunks and for the top-notch hospitality and creativity you all showed. This event truly would not be possible without you—kids, parents, trunk hosts, community members, and everything in between—and I’m so grateful to you all for your help in making it happen. The love of God was most certainly shared!  Additionally, while we celebrated…

Dear Families and Friends of Peace, Over the last two weeks, students in Confirmation and Sunday School have been working on a service project—making care cards to send to Peace’s college students around the country.  It was very impressive how intentional the students were while making their cards, and the kind and encouraging notes they wrote inside are super uplifting. Having spoken with our college students over the last several years, I know that they will really appreciate receiving the…

Dear Families and Friends of Peace, Last week, I was invited to speak with the retired principals of the Minnesota Elementary School Principals Association (MESPA) on the subject of teen mental health. Having served for decades in public school systems, this group of principals shared my concern and care for students and their wellbeing.  There are many biological (genetic), psychological (chemical imbalances in the brain), and environmental (experiences of trauma) factors that can cause mental health issues. In fact, 1/5…

Dear Families and Friends of Peace, Why does the Church matter? What makes it relevant and important for us—2000 years after the time of Jesus? Our middle school students were invited to wonder about these questions last week as we discussed the Early Church and the New Testament. And while younger generations continue to be questioned—overly and unfairly—about their engagement in the church, they continue to show that God’s Spirit is alive and active within them.  According to our students,…

Families and Friends of Peace, Somehow, the calendar has already turned to October—which means that Trunk or Treat is just around the corner! On Sunday, October 27, from 3:30-4:30pm, we are so excited to welcome kids and families from all across our neighborhood and community for this event. With your help, we hope to greet everyone with joyous hospitality, which I’m sure will include plenty of candy, smiles, and laughs. For those new to Trunk or Treat, it is much like Trick or…