St. Luke's Lutheran Church News

Benediction for St. Luke's by Vicar Stephanie Luedtke

4/27/2021

Our time together has been full. It has been full of joy, full of sorrow, full of wonder, full of questions. It has been full of the goodness of God and of our striving to grow and to build in God's name. And now the time is full.
I am full of love for all of you, full of hope for what God is doing at St. Luke's, in our community, and in our world, and full of joy in what the Holy Spirit has shown me in and through you. I will bring you with me wherever I go.
The time has come for a new season for me, and a new season for you. We are gifted in Minnesota to experience four full seasons in all their glory. Their heat and cold, barrenness and fullness. We know how to embrace every season for what it is, knowing that it will be short (except for winter, which lasts forever-JK.) I pray you embrace the season to come with all the joy that God has given you. Look back on our season together fondly, as I will, but don't dwell there. God is doing a new thing in my life and in the life of each of you, individually and collectively.
Thank you for the beautiful send-off on Sunday, and for the words of love and encouragement in this season and throughout our time together.
And now receive this blessing, these sending words, from the pen of the prophet, Maya Angelou:
"Continue"- Maya Angelou
My wish for you
Is that you continue
Continue
To be who and how you are
To astonish a mean world
With your acts of kindness
Continue
To allow humor to lighten the burden
Of your tender heart
Continue
In a society dark with cruelty
To let the people hear the grandeur
Of God in the peals of your laughter...

...Continue
To dare to love deeply
And risk everything
For the good thing
Continue
To float
Happily in the sea of infinite substance
Which set aside riches for you
Before you had a name
Continue
And by doing so
You and your work
Will be able to continue
Eternally
* This is an excerpt. Please follow this link: h ttps://english.duke.edu/news/poem-day-continue to read the entire poem.*

Some thoughts on stewardship and loving our neighborGod comes DOWN to us

4/20/2021

Know that the Lord is God! It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Psalm 100:3

The woman left her water jar and went back to the city. She said to the people, come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he? John 4:28-29

Stewardship practice begins by looking at how God has come down to us in love - through creation, baptism, and grace. In our baptisms, we are claimed as God's children and receive God's grace. As such, we are called to love, not just with our words, but with our whole lives. When we practice stewardship, we use all our resources - time, talent, possessions, and financial resources - to love God and our neighbor.

Stewardship transforms God's commandment to love our neighbor as ourselves. God created us as relational beings. We were created in the image of a relational God - a God who has always existed in community - the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. So we are created in relation to God and in relation to one another, not to live independently but within community.

God came down to the woman at the well through Jesus who washed away her sins and cleansed her soul. The woman went to the well to get a jug of water. Instead, she got much more, including a cleansed and refreshed spiritual life. Then she immediately went to her neighbors and used her story to tell others about the living water found in Jesus.

Stewardship is ALL that we do, with ALL that we have, ALL the time. It is everything I do after I say, "I believe."

Go now as stewards of God's abundance; remembering the many ways that God has come down to you; looking in to celebrate all that God has entrusted to your care; and focusing out to do justice for the sake of the neighbor both near and far.
Go in peace; share God's love through stewardship year-round.

St. Luke's Blog -A note from Property

4/13/2021

Now that the snow has gone away, a lot of us are turning our thoughts to being outside again! We have many wonderful garden areas that greet us at St. Luke's that are lovingly cared for by volunteers.

We also have other garden areas and green spaces that are waiting for someone's imagination, gardening expertise and people that just like to play in the dirt! If you get a chance take a minute and go around the entire outside of the building. If you ever thought, gosh it sure would look nice if they did this here, or if they moved this plant here it would do better, or I don't know much about plants, but I can run a shovel, we would like to hear from you.

Also looking for anyone that has knowledge about the items inside the fenced area by the Fellowship Hall. If these items are still used, we will save them. If they no longer have a purpose, we can dispose of them.

Shortly there will be an email address that can be used for submitting ideas, comments, and questions. My understanding is it will be: property@stlukesbloomington.org

Thank you,

Marc Dunham, Property

April Mission Partner Tubman (www.Tubman.org)

4/6/2021

From a Kare11 report on Domestic Violence in 2020 during the Covid pandemic: Some reports say that domestic violence is up nearly 10% after experts analyzed data from 18 studies across the country. Including here in Minnesota. "I've gotten calls from people from the back of their closets, in the bathroom with the shower running, because they're not alone," says Mary Beth Becker- Lauth, Crisis Resource and Outreach Navigator with Women's Advocates. "We have been told by the Saint Paul Police Department that the number of domestic related calls to 911 are up, but our calls to the crisis hotlines are down," she says. "I think there's something to be said that the pandemics effect on closing and limiting hours to prevention programs."

Safety. Hope. Healing.
For more than 40 years, Tubman has helped women, men, children and families struggling with relationship violence, substance abuse, mental health, and other forms of trauma. Throughout the Twin Cities, Tubman provides safe shelter, legal services, counseling, elder care resources, youth programming, and community education.

Tubman is the state's largest provider of domestic violence services, with more than 20 percent of all Minnesota shelter beds for adults and children experiencing family violence. Each year, Tubman helps about 25,000 people in Hennepin, Ramsey, and Washington counties and the surrounding area get the support and information they need to experience safety, hope, and healing.

Self-Care Spring Drive
Please join us in supporting Tubman's Self-Care Spring donation drive. A list of most requested items is given below. Your support will help bring warmth and brighter days for people and families in the aftermath of violence and/or trauma.

All donation items must be new, unused, and unopened.
Twin and Full-sized bed sheets (New, unused)Craft and science kits
JournalsGel pens, colored pencils or fine-tip markers
Kids coloring books (non-religious)Adult coloring books/posters
NEW Family games
(Jenga, Connect Four, Uno, etc.) or Fidget toysNEW iPhone/Android chargers
Personal Care Items:
New, unopened, and full-sized
Dove Body WashDeodorant
Liquid face wash and face moisturizer (Dove, Neutrogena, Aveeno, etc.)Silk or satin hair caps
Wide-tooth combsBaby wash, powder, lotion, diapers
Hair grease (Blue Magic, Super Gro, Palmers, etc.)
Manicure/pedicure sets
Natural hair care products (Cantu, Shea Moisture, Carol's Daughters, etc.)
African American hair products

You can bring these gifts to church during normal business hours: Tuesday - Thursday 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM or on Sunday during either the 8:30 AM or 10:00 AM service time.

Monetary Gifts: There are 3 easy ways to donate:

Give Online: Visit Tubman's GiveMN page to donate now.
Give by Phone: To make your gift over the phone, please call the Development Department at 612.825.3333.
Give by Mail: Download the Tubman Donation Form, fill it out and mail to: Tubman, Attn: Development Department, 4432 Chicago Avenue S, Minneapolis, MN 55407.

Thank you for all you have done to support St. Luke's Missions outreach. We appreciate the kindness and giving sprit of the St. Luke's congregation; especially during these difficult times.

Blessings,
Bev Brosam, Missions

Benediction for St. Luke's by Vicar Stephanie Luedtke

Some thoughts on stewardship and loving our neighborGod comes DOWN to us

St. Luke's Blog -A note from Property

April Mission Partner Tubman (www.Tubman.org)

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