March 2022 – From the Pastor’s Desk
Posted on Mar 6, 2022 in General, Newsletter |
Prayer:Dear Jesus, forgive us when our lives produce bad fruit.
Please send your Spirit to produce in us fruit that is
pleasing and glorifying to God. Amen.
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December 2021 – From the Pastor’s Desk
Posted on Dec 28, 2021 in General, Newsletter |
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November 2021 – From the Pastor’s Desk
Posted on Nov 1, 2021 in General, Newsletter |
One of the questions we hear and may wonder about ourselves is “does God care if I am in church on Sundays?” Or whenever our worship services and other activities are held. Since Covid has been around, this question is even more obvious as we have discovered
we can watch our services on Facebook as we are relaxing in our living rooms. Some may even ponder the thought of why it is important at all.
First, it’s important to make all of you aware that God is NOT going to love you any less or send you to hell if you don’t come to worship. However, for your information, it’s not what God wants for you, and it very easily could hurt your spiritual growth. As we are taught, church is not the building. Church is the people who gather within the building. Those who gather are the Body of Christ as defined in our Bible. You will often read the Apostle Paul speaking to the Church, the body of believers who gather in the name of Christ.
We often refer to our Body of Christ as our Faith Family. If you are part of a Faith Family, it embraces many aspects that are beneficial. These aspects include being there for each other in whatever way necessary; to support each other, to encourage each other, to pray for each other, to guide each other, and to provide direction and learning opportunities. Being a part of a faith family is where we grow, where we love, where we laugh, where we serve and spread the good news of Jesus.
Hebrews 10:24-25 says,
“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,
Happy November in the name of Christ…
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October 2021 – From the Pastor’s Desk
Posted on Oct 3, 2021 in General, Newsletter |
For the last weeks we have been walking with some of the women of the Bible. It has been a rich time, discovering that although the culture of the time tried to control and hold back our gender, there were those who rose to the challenge and were used by God to continue forwarding his plan for us! We concluded recently with some time with the Mary’s of the Bible, honoring and reflecting especially on the mother of Jesus.
I want to share one more woman with all of you, even though there were more we did not talk about, like Miriam, Martha, Bathsheba, Hannah, Leah…. Esther is one of the women in the Bible who stood strong and provided a cultural lesson for us today, even in our current state. A special lesson of unity and taking care of each other as well.
Esther has her very own book in the Bible, and it is intriguing and a good read! She was basically an orphan, whose family had stayed behind when the Israelites began returning to their land. Her family integrated into the Persian community around them and eventually was chosen by the King to be his next Queen. It’s a beautiful story, deep and interesting.
A leader in the King’s deploy was found to be manipulative and dark, this knowledge held by Esther. Haman worked to justify the slaughter of Esther’s people, causing the King to issue a decree and forcing Esther to make a decision to bring her identity to the King in order to save her people. She had a plan to expose Haman and it worked almost flawlessly. The King supported Esther and allowed her to develop a plan to save her people.
Sometimes it’s easy for us to think that God is all about perfection and when we fall short, we can’t possibly fit into the plan. We especially use this theory to beat ourselves up or hold ourselves back from experiencing God’s goodness. This entire series in looking at the Old Testament and beyond through the eyes of women, knowing the culture around them, reminded us that no matter what happens in our life walk, God is always present and working to bring his plan to reality. When we open our hearts to consider his plan, well, God can still make it happen!
And oh….here’s to girl power!
Be blessed and safe through harvest family!
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September 2021 – From the Pastor’s Desk
Posted on Sep 1, 2021 in General, Newsletter |
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August 2021 – From the Pastor’s Desk
Posted on Aug 8, 2021 in General |
Are your hearts tender and compassionate? 2 Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. 3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. 5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
These words are from a recent message in church. They can be very impactful words should we choose to see them as such. Our series of the Holy Spirit has ended and hopefully we were able to learn things we hadn’t known about this power source given to us by God. This source helps us to strive to have this same mind, the same attitude that Jesus had and the very thing which helps us to live and love in this world.
There are many articles written today about churches emerging from our pandemic months. Some of the articles write of the dying church and some of them write about the churches need to adapt. Most all of them write from an honest evaluation that trends are showing some serious statistics. Statistics that were concerning even before the pandemic.
direction and peace.
The Bible teaches us many things about being together as the community of Christ:
some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
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July 2021 – From the Pastor’s Desk
Posted on Jul 7, 2021 in General, Newsletter |
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June 2021 – From the Pastor’s Desk
Posted on Jun 1, 2021 in General |
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May 2021 – From the Pastor’s Desk
Posted on Apr 30, 2021 in General, Newsletter |
We are sitting on the verge of a beautiful season and frankly, I can’t wait! It is always very refreshing to be able to spend time in the outdoors and watch the beginnings of Spring and Summer take place! With that comes a new season of worship!
The end of May brings the celebration of Pentecost, a time when we acknowledge and remember the Holy Spirit coming upon the disciples and a group of people who were gathered in Jesus Christ’s name. Do you remember Peter’s speech when everybody thought him to be drunk? It was then, the Bible teaches us that Jews from every nation were gathered when the Holy Spirit came as was told to them. Here was the Acts Church, the beginning of The Way that strengthened and encouraged the teachings of Jesus and shared the ways of Christ for all who would listen. It was the Holy Spirit who came to help the people – us – understand those ways and teachings! The Spirit was poured out.
We teach our confirmands that the Holy Spirit is the third person in the Trinity and is considered their helper, the one who guides them in decision making. The Holy Spirit is their advocate and is often described as our Life Coach. We could benefit greatly from learning even more about this powerful third part of the Trinity. Join us in May and June for this impactful teaching!
Blessings,
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April 2021 – From the Pastor’s Desk
Posted on Mar 31, 2021 in General, Newsletter |
Today, the idea of Church means different things to different people. Even though past generations usually stayed grounded in one church their entire lives, it’s not unheard of for people to be members of several churches during the course of their lifetimes…which is great as long as people are growing in their faith during this journey.
God created us to be in community, united with other believers and strengthened by the love of family. Loving and encouraging each other, supporting, and caring for each other, embracing and holding each other when it is important to do so. While our relationship with Jesus is quite personal, God wants it to be something we share with each other. In fact, Paul refers to all of us as members of a living body…and all of us are part of this living body…
God has watched over us and we are thankful – The Resurrection of Jesus is complete – the lessons remain important to us.
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March 2021 – From the Pastor’s Desk
Posted on Mar 5, 2021 in General, Newsletter |
as Spring approaches and we get a tease of what’s ahead. I still remember the May Day Event when we were watching the snow
pile up in the basement window wells while we celebrated the special day. We ended up with six inches that day!! Thank you,
Lord, that we are hearty Minnesotans and adjust as Mother Nature provides!
the will of those in professional positions making decisions fitting of the science they know well. We have the awesome responsibility
to respond to those offering guidelines and directives based on their professional opinions. All of it has created a need to be very
thoughtful with every step we take.
through the valley
which we are find ourselves challenged. God doesn’t always want to answer us by granting our request, but often seeks to
know if we hold his hand and TRUST in Him while going through it. And honestly, we do learn more in that part of the walk
then we really do in the results.
process, it sure makes a difference! Hold on now…don’t always pray for tomorrow…God wants to be in your life today! Be
blessed by that…deepen your faith!
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January 2021 – From the Pastor’s Desk
Posted on Feb 3, 2021 in General, Newsletter |
We have been on quite a journey this last year with COVID! It has challenged us, changed us, shook us, scared us, and encouraged us to think about things in many a different way! It has also taught us that we are very much able to adjust and adapt, hasn’t it? Some of us thought that was not possible!
In Colossians, there is scripture (honestly there are several throughout the Bible) which teaches and encourages us by way of building our
relationship with Jesus and deepening our roots in him by growing our faith and walking in his love. (See picture). And it goes to reason that as we deepen our roots in him, our wings are reaching and strong. Which means we have even a greater ability to accomplish mighty things!
Sometimes struggles and challenges help us to contemplate who Jesus is to us, they might help us to step back and evaluate what our faith means to us, and it might even help us to realize that we might have been neglectful of our relationship with Jesus.
We have been searching and talking about some of the promises in the Bible and how they remind us of just how much God loves us and all the things God has made available to us. Many of us have been striving for a stronger foundation. We have been craving another level of peace and even trying to learn more about what it means to simply just surrender. God is always about helping us to transformation!
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” ~ Isaiah 41:10
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” ~ Proverbs 3:5-6.
We might remember that moment in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus bowed his head and talked with his Father about what was ahead for him. In one way he asked God to take it all away, but yet, his surrender was imminent, he knew how important what was ahead for him (and for us, as well!) and Jesus had trust and a deep love for us. Jesus would go on to make the greatest sacrifice of all for each one of us as he surrendered his own life to God!
It is precisely that sacrifice that gives us the hope we need to take each step we take every day! It is what Jesus did for us which
reminds us we can do anything, especially as we plant our steps in God! Remember, Jesus came to live a human life, to show us how he could relate to the things we go through!
This month, let us deepen the love we have for Jesus by growing closer to him, by building on our friendship with him and trusting everything will be okay, in spite of all the things around us which might teach us otherwise.
Be blessed,
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December 2020 – From the Pastor’s Desk
Posted on Dec 1, 2020 in General, Newsletter |
during this special season. It is precisely the promises given to us that remind us we have everything we need to get through a time such as this. In fact, in the Second Book of Peter, he gives us the words to remember this specifically….
whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.”
difficult….and if we allow, we can be moved to godliness, which allows
us mutual Affection, which moves us to love.
life becomes necessary and central to living a life of faith, of developing deep relationships in Christ, which take us to LOVE. We are not only challenged to embrace such attributes, but the struggle of these times almost feed our ability to lean in on them, rely on them.
While we may not understand what is happening, while we may find ourselves full of emotions and questions, we can relate to the people
in our biblical history and take their guidance.
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November 2020 – From the Pastor’s Desk
Posted on Nov 3, 2020 in General, Newsletter |
As we continue through this very interesting time, which is challenging us in many ways, we also continue to lean upon our God who has made numerous promises. And though it seems like we turn around and another branch of this time takes our breath away. We continue to pray and hope, using this time as an opportunity to grow in our faith.
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