Blogs And Devotionals (Page 14)
E-Note December 8, 2023
Dear Peace members and friends, It was terrific to see so many of you at Advent worship on Wednesday. To gather this time of year in the evening; to share a meal and conversation; to worship quietly—well, it was wonderful, thank you! Advent evening worship (6:30pm) and a light meal (5:30-6:15pm) continue this coming Wednesday, December 13th. Join in! Coming up this weekend is the Third Sunday of Advent. In the Gospels, there are two main Advent characters: John the Baptist and Mary, the mother of Jesus. Last Sunday, John the Baptist was…
CYF Blast December 7, 2023
Dear Families and Friends of Peace, This week I’d like to share some thoughts from last night’s conversation during Confirmation, which I think are incredibly important for all of as we read and do our best to make sense of the Bible. After focusing on the Ten Commandments last week, this week our Confirmation group focused on all 613 of the laws given in the first five books of the Bible. The laws existed to help people better love God and their neighbors…
E-Note December 1, 2023
Dear Peace members and friends, Coming up this weekend is the Second Sunday of Advent. We will mark the progress of Advent by lighting a second candle on the Advent wreath. The candles represent the coming of Jesus, the Light of the World. Zechariah says as much in the Gospel: “By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness…..” We will continue our sermon series, “Heaven to Earth” with that theme of light.…
CYF Blast November 30, 2023
Dear Families and Friends of Peace, This past Sunday was the first Sunday in the season of Advent—the four weeks that lead up to Christmas (similar to how Lent is the season that precedes Easter). For us, Advent is a season of hopeful expectation. Over 2000 years have past since Christ’s birth, and we know what we’re going to celebrate on Christmas—that God came to us in the flesh, fully God yet fully human—through the birth of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. Yet…
E-Note November 24, 2023
Dear Peace members and friends, Thanksgiving Day is past and, all of sudden, Advent and Christmas are upon us. This year, with the 4th Sunday of Advent on Christmas Eve Day, we decided to jump ahead on many church calendars and begin Advent this coming Sunday. I love Advent; the promise and hope in it. I love the weeks of preparation. I love the anticipation of the celebration of Christmas. Advent in church begins with the hymn, “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence.” The hymn has a deep,…
CYF Blast November 22, 2023
Dear Families and Friends of Peace, A very happy Thanksgiving to you all! As you gather together with family and friends this weekend, I pray that your time together would be filled with love and joy. That you would be able to laugh over old stories, see the smiles of your loved ones across tables of delicious food, feel the satisfaction of a full stomach, and enjoy a time of peace and rest and relaxation (after everyone helps clean up!). And as…
E-Note – ThanksGiving 2023
Dear Peace members and friends, Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! I hope this holiday is a blessed one for you; even in the midst of whatever challenges you are facing. As I write that, I think of Paul’s words: “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).” My response? “Really, Paul? Really?” Every day there are reasons not to feel grateful and not to give…
E-Note November 17, 2023
Dear Peace members and friends, It’s hard to believe but it’s Thanksgiving week just around the corner! And what better way to begin the week than to join us in worship on Sunday and our second Sunday in a two-week stewardship emphasis. What is stewardship, anyway? Stewardship begins with God. From the Psalmist we hear: “The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it.” It’s God’s, all of it! Sometimes I slip into thinking that says, “I have stuff and time and I give…
CYF Blast November 16, 2023
Dear Peace Parents and Families, Last Friday, November 10th, our Confirmation students had the privilege of visiting Temple Israel, a Jewish synagogue in Minneapolis. Temple Israel describes themselves as an “urban congregation dedicated to serving a diverse community,” and it was actually the first synagogue established in Minneapolis. Additionally, it’s currently one of the ten largest Jewish congregations in the United States. We began the evening with a tour the synagogue and some conversation time with our host, Jonathan. After, we…
E-Note November 10, 2023
Dear Peace members and friends, I have many things to share with you today; things about Sunday’s worship, Harvest Pack, and Veteran’s Day. But first, a word about grace. As Lutheran Christians, we hear the word “grace”……a lot. What is grace? Frederick Buechner defines the word in this way: “Grace is something you can never get but can only be given. There’s no way to earn it or deserve it or bring it about any more than you can deserve the taste of raspberries and cream…
CYF Blast November 9, 2023
Dear Peace Parents and Families, As we move through November and daylight “savings” time has hit, it’s clear that warm and colorful fall has officially become cold and dull fall. For me personally, all the seasonal change can be pretty challenging–especially as it gets so dark so early. I have a distinct memory from a few years ago that describes my viewpoint on late fall well. Looking for something to help improve my mood, I went to Bed Bath and Beyond…
E-Note November 3, 2023
Dear Peace members and friends, First of all, don’t forget to turn your clocks back on Sunday! Here’s one reason why: it’s All Saints Sunday, one of my favorite days in the life of the church…..and you want to be in worship. Every year this festival calls us to remember that Jesus Christ has made all the world a thin place between the living and the dead. Saints are not simply the dead in Christ. Saints, according to the New Testament, are any believers who…