Posts by Pastor Joe Orner (Page 9)

A happy Thanksgiving to you all! And beginning on Sunday, a blessed Advent to you all as well. As we continue into this holiday season, I pray that this time would filled with love. That you would be able to see family members, laugh over old stories, and smile over tables of delicious food. That your hearts would be opened to the needs of your neighbors and that your eyes would be opened to the divine within them. That God would fill you with…

November 17, 2022 Dear Peace Families, There are three things I’d like to inform you about today! The first is about this year’s Christmas Program, “Follow the Star.” The program follows Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem, where Jesus is born. And above Bethlehem, a star shines bright for all to see. The angels proclaim, “Follow the star!” And so the wisemen, shepherds, sheep, and all the animals abide, and find the greatest gift the world has ever known. You can…

November 10, 2022 Dear Peace Families, November. When colorful fall has officially become brown and gray fall. When the warm, sunny days have been blown out by the cold winds of the oncoming winter, and the rain chills you to your bones. I won’t speak for everyone, but for me, it can be hard to feel grateful when it feels so dreadful outside.  But I’ve found that something that gets me out of the late fall funk is thinking about…

November 3, 2022 Dear Peace Families, There’s an uncomfortable conversation that many parents dread having with their kids, and it’s one that is usually put off until they’re forced to have it—talking about death. We all die. It’s a fact of life, and it unites all of us in our common humanity. Yet it can sometimes seem taboo, as if avoiding the discussion will make it less likely to happen. But no matter how far we try to run away…

October 27, 2022 Dear Peace Families, This weekend marks two important days for us—both of which are formally celebrated on October 31st.  On Sunday, we will celebrate Reformation Sunday—a day in which we commemorate Martin Luther’s posting of the 95 Theses and having freedom in our faith. Christian freedom is important. The prevailing thought in Luther’s day (one that still lurks around today too) was that your had to do good works in order to get into heaven. But in rebellion against…

October 20, 2022 Dear Peace Families, This week I had to bring my car into the local auto shop to get an oil change, in addition to some extra items that came up in my 100,000 mile inspection. It’s certainly not the most fun thing to do, for my time or for my wallet, but it is necessary to keep my vehicle running well and efficiently for as long as possible. And, it forces me to stop and assess how…

October 13, 2022 Dear Peace Families, Over the weekend, I had the privilege of taking our Confirmation students on a World Religions Retreat. On Saturday we visited a Hindu temple, a Buddhist meditation center, and an Islamic mosque, while also stopping to eat some Middle Eastern food for lunch at the Holy Land Deli.  The retreat was an opportunity for our students to gain a richer understanding of who our neighbors are and what they believe. When we pray for…

October 6, 2022 Dear Peace Families, You probably (hopefully!) have already realized this, but I love working with students. They are fun and adventurous, humorous in their own unique ways, and delightfully curious in a way that adults sometimes lose touch with.  One example of this occurred at last night’s Confirmation gathering. Middle school is a strange time in one’s life. Some students still cling to their elementary school days. Some can’t wait to start high school. All of them…

September 29, 2022 Dear Peace Families, As of today (Thursday), we are still in the month of September. But much to my dismay, I have neighbors down the street from me who have already had Halloween decorations up for multiple weeks. Skeletons sit on deck chairs. Ghosts loiter near the sidewalk. Witches grovel over a murky cauldron. The front yard is now a graveyard. I understand putting up Christmas lights early, or listening to Christmas music before Thanksgiving. But Halloween–in…

September 22, 2022 Dear Peace families and friends, This weekend at Peace, we will be giving Bibles to our 3rd grade students. When a child is baptized (there is a baptism on Sunday too!), parents, sponsors, and the congregation make promises: To live with children among God’s faithful people To bring them to the word of God and the holy supper To teach them the Lord’s Prayer, the Creed, and the 10 Commandments To place in their hands the holy scriptures…

Dear Peace families and friends, I want to say thank you to all of you who have made our fall kickoff week so special. Many volunteers came together to host our Gathering Sunday meal, and more yet who helped lead worship. Our middle school Confirmation students gathered for the first time yesterday evening, as did our high school students, and our new parents of teens group. And this weekend, our Sunday School year begins, with thanks to all of our…

September 1, 2022 Dear Peace families and friends, It’s with great excitement that I share that we are just one Sunday away from Gathering Sunday, which will occur on Sunday, September 11. After worship we hope you and your families will join us for a meal, a time of fellowship, and some ministry previews. That week, our Wednesday evening programming will begin, and Sunday School will begin the following week on September 18. However, to make that happen, we need…