Welcome to the first weekend of October! Where did the summer go? Where did the beginning of fall go? Temperatures will soon be dropping (I think next week already!) and we’re on our way to those wonderful fall colors! This past week I had the joy of spending a few days up in Alexandria at the annual Bishop’s Theological Retreat with about a hundred other pastors from the Minneapolis Area Synod. We spent time in worship, prayer, and conversation, as well as Bible Study. Specifically, we looked at what it means to be “Baptized in Muddy Waters.” Here’s a summary of the retreat: “Life has a way of stirring up the waters around us, doesn’t it? Endings and beginnings, joy and grief, fear and trust swirl together like silt in a river. In those murky, sacred places, God meets us. The Holy Spirit does some of her most beautiful work: washing away what weighs us down, breathing new life into our being, boldly drawing us into a baptismal font of muddy, transformative material where what no longer serves us is submerged and new life emerges.”
Don’t be surprised if a few thoughts from the retreat show up Sunday morning at worship when we gather to hear a story about having the faith of a mustard seed. And as usual, we’ll also be gathering Sunday morning for prayers, songs, Holy Communion, the welcoming of new members, followed by Sunday School for the kids and Adult Education for the grownups where we’ll have another Transition Forum centered on sharing our stories of ministry here at Peace. See you Sunday!
God’s Peace,Pastor
Jeff Engholm