Greetings from Peace Lutheran Church!
I’m looking forward to gathering for worship as usual this Sunday morning where we will sing, pray, and hear a word of hope from scripture. The passage we will hear has to do with humility and hospitality in a world where we have too little of either. Yes, I’m thinking of the tragic shooting on Wednesday at Annunciation Catholic Church and School in south Minneapolis. It’s still hard to know how to respond.
So in spite of the tragedy – or maybe because of it – this past week I went to the State Fair. As an act of defiance. To spread joy. To celebrate life. Even as we support the families who have lost loved ones in the midst of this tragic event, we also carry on, we carry the light of life as a reminder that hope is stronger than despair and life is stronger than death. I found special joy at the fair working at the Salem Lutheran Dining Hall that is still going strong after 75 years! Of course, times have changed since they first began, which means they rely on outside volunteers to work with the church members to keep things going. So I got to spend the day serving coffee, eggs, and Swedish meatballs to happy, hungry crowds! Which is why I spent my time there. Whenever I work in that dining hall, what I receive is so much greater than what I give. My spirit gets recharged in the midst of serving with these humble, gracious people.
So in light of God’s presence all around us, let us pray in the midst of this tragedy, let us light a candle in the midst of the darkness, and let us smile in the face of death. Because we know that in the end, LIFE has the final word.
See you Sunday morning.
God’s Peace,Pastor Jeff Engholm