Posts by Pastor Joe Orner (Page 8)

Dear Peace Families, Lent begins next week on Ash Wednesday (February 22).  And as we approach the season that leads up to Easter, I realize that there is a misnomer about Lent—it’s a pervasive one, but not one that is necessarily biblical. In my growing years, however, it’s one that I used to believe too.   It is the belief that Lent is all about sin, suffering, and death. And because of that, we need to engage in practices of…

Dear Peace Families, Last Saturday our Confirmation students enjoyed a day-long retreat at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter. The time at Gustavus is always a highlight for the students—many have never been to a college campus before, and everyone gets excited for something new and different. After our fall retreat was spent learning about world religions and visiting their houses of worship, this day was spent learning about Christian denominations, and Lutheranism in particular. Our closing time was spent…

Dear Peace Families, In about three weeks, the season of Lent will begin.  When I shared this with our Confirmation class last evening, one student replied, “You mean like the lint that gets stuck in my belly button?” No, not that… Lent is the season that precedes Easter and is symbolic of the 40 days that Jesus spent wandering in the wilderness before beginning his ministry. Beginning on Ash Wednesday (February 22), we are reminded of our finite mortality as well as our…

Dear Peace Families, This Sunday after worship, we will all gather together for the Peace annual meeting. During the meeting, we will review and rejoice in our 2022 ministries , elect new church council members, pass our 2023 budget, and hear some of the wonderful ways God is moving through our community.  In addition, the annual report itself contains ministry reports from Pastor Mark and me; Council President Scott Moe; Treasurer Gayle Haugen; and from the Worship and Music Committee, CYF…

Dear Peace Families, On Sunday, eleven elementary aged students and their parents got to enjoy our annual communion class. While Peace gives communion to everyone who wants it—therefore we don’t have a “first communion” like many of us adults may have had in the past—this class gave students the opportunity to learn more about communion, why we do it, why it’s important, and where it comes from.  The group also got to enjoy a meal together, do a taste test…

January 12, 2023 Dear Peace Families, Last week I shared with you that some of our camp registrations had opened, and as of this Sunday, January 15, all of our camp and trip registrations will be open for summer 2023.  Camp Wapogasset provides students with the opportunity to come together with friends and neighbors from all across Minnesota and Wisconsin. Between the field games, water activities, bible studies, and campfire worships, it is a fast-paced experience filled with fun. Students currently…

January 5, 2023 Dear Peace Families, Over the few days, Minnesota has gotten plundered with snow, and winter breaks have been extended. So to help you think warm thoughts, I’m excited to share with you some opportunities for your students to enjoy the outdoors, grow in community, and grow in their faiths this coming summer. The summer schedule, in chronological order, is as follows: We hope that everyone will be able to participate and enjoy these events. If cost is…

December 29, 2022 Dear Peace Families, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I hope you’ve all enjoyed quality time with friends and family, eaten good food, and rejoiced in the celebration of Christ’s birth.  As we prepare to turn the calendar to 2023, I invite you and your families to look back and reflect on 2022. What were your favorite memories? What aspects of your life have brought you the greatest joy? What experiences brought you closer together as a…

December 22, 2022 Dear Peace Families, Christmas blessings, from all of us at Peace to you. First, I would like to take a moment to thank everyone who helped make this past Sunday’s Christmas Program possible. It was such a joyous morning, and the Sunday School children did an amazing job singing, acting, and sharing the Christmas story and the love of God. As I mentioned on Sunday and wrote in the bulletin, it took a great team to bring…

December 16, 2022 Dear Peace Families, This Sunday will be a very special one—the Peace Christmas Program. This year’s program is called Follow The Star, and there will be 31 Sunday School students participating, including our 11 Alleluia Singers. They’ve been doing a wonderful job rehearsing and preparing, and we are so excited to praise God with you on Sunday. They will share the Christmas story through music, scripture, and costume, and they’ll be joined by the Peace Choir’s participation—and yours…

December 8, 2022 Dear Peace families, This year I’ve waited a little bit longer than usual to listen to Christmas music. I’m not sure if there was any specific reason for it—I just wasn’t ready yet.  But when I did start to listen, I noticed something—that the music always seems to meet us wherever we are in our lives and proclaim Christ’s presence, promise, and peace into them. Presence—that God will not leave us alone in our deepest challenges nor…

December 1, 2022 Dear Peace families, Next Friday, December 9, our Children, Youth, and Family Committee will be hosting a Parents Night Out event from 6:00-8:00pm. If you need time to do some Christmas shopping, enjoy some quality time with your spouse, or sit in the quiet alone, this event is for you!  Registration before the event is required (no walk-ins), and there is a limit of 20 children. We also ask that you give a suggested donation of $5…