February 23, 2024
Dear Peace members and friends,
There are a lot of important things to share today, so I hope you read, or at least scan, today’s e-note all the way to the end!
Whenever Lent comes around, I remember a story about Jeff, who loved his grandfather more than anyone in the world. One day, when Jeff was about two, he went with his grandfather for a ride in the car. This was long before seat-belts and seat-belt laws. So Jeff rode in the front seat, unbelted, sitting nudged up against his grandpa. Suddenly a dog ran in front of the car and Jeff’s grandfather grabbed him at the same time he slammed on the brakes. But he couldn’t restrain his grandson completely. Jeff’s forehead slammed into the dashboard just hard enough to hurt a bit, which set him off on a 5-minute cry. Once he had caught his breath enough to speak, he looked at his grandfather through his tears and asked, “Grandpa, what did I do wrong?”
It’s a story that always makes me sad because Jeff’s loss of innocence is something we all have to suffer. We go along in our lives early on, believing in a world that rewards good punishes evil, until one day the world slams on its brakes and we learn the truth that you can do everything right and still get hurt. Goodness is no protection from pain.
Eventually, the world teaches us all that truth and, in Sunday’s Gospel reading, Jesus confirms it. Jesus was as good as it gets, and he still suffered pain—all kinds of pain. And, he tells us, his followers, so will we. I’ll say more about this Gospel reading—Jesus’ suffering and our own—in a message, “Pick Up Your Cross.“
We will also hear from the Alleluia Choir, the Peace Choir. Gather as people of God around the Lord’s Supper. A good Sunday worship ahead!
In the Adult Education Hour (10:45am), “Forgiveness.” This week, we continue our look at some more Lenten vocabulary with a study and discussion about the word and practice of, “forgiveness.” We use the word often but what does it mean for us? What is forgiveness, anyway? Does time heal all wounds? Is forgiving just forgetting? What does it mean when we say, “God forgives”? How do we practice forgiveness with one another? We’ll discuss these and other questions around the essential Christian act of forgiveness. Join in!
We’ve had a great start to this year’s congregational Lenten Service Project is with VEAP and Minnesota FoodShare. We continue to receive the most sought-after items: laundry detergent, personal care items, paper towels, and toilet paper. In addition to those most-wanted items, we continue to collect money for food. VEAP can buy food at a discount getting 7 to 10 times the amount of food we can buy with our dollars. If you wish to give for that effort, you can write a check to “Peace Lutheran Church” with “Food Drive” or “VEAP” on the memo line. Stop by the Service and Mission Table in the narthex for more information or to make a donation. Thank you to all!
Finally, we passed on to you on Monday, our sister in Christ, Virginia Johnson, died last Sunday at the age of 103. There will be a funeral service at Peace on Saturday, March 9th at 11:00am. Reception to follow. All are welcome.
See you Sunday!
Mark