Category: Lent

A Holy Week to Remember

4/7/2020

Maundy Thursday Worship 7:00 PM | Good Friday Worship 7:00 PM | Easter Sunday Worship 10:00 AM

When I was in high school, I started a Youth Choir at my church, and since we were the last choir to come into existence we got to sing at all the fun services (that no one else wanted to do.) One of the services that we sang at was the Easter Vigil. I had never been to this service before, but I discovered it to be a beautiful, though very long, experience. It celebrates the dawn of the light, and is the first celebration of Easter.

This service has deep roots in the Passover celebration, and so includes a number of stories from the Hebrew Scriptures, narrating God’s saving acts in history. It is also historically a service of baptism, a time of welcoming in the adult catechumens who had been preparing throughout Lent. At my first Easter Vigil, I had the privilege of witnessing the baptism of a friend from youth group, along with his father and his brother. I have looked at Holy Week differently ever since.

I think we will look at Holy Week differently this year, and every year following. What are we bringing to this holiest of weeks, when we will join together...while still apart? Where do we see the sacred in celebrating Jesus’ last meal while at our own dinner tables? What is holy in honoring Good Friday, when the disciples were hidden away, while we are sequestered in our own homes?

You are invited to join us in these online worship experiences at 7:00 PM on Thursday and Friday. And then we will all rejoice together on Easter morning at 10:00 AM. This is a wonderful opportunity to invite friends who don’t have a church home to worship with us online, and then hopefully in person when we celebrate our second Easter- whenever we are rebirthed as a living, connected worshipping community!

May the peace of Christ be with you all in this blessed Holy Week.

Lenten Discipline: Gratitude

3/10/2020

Last Summer I spent 2 weeks in Tanzania, a country the size of Texas in East Africa. I was there with 20 other MN musicians who met with 35 Tanzanian musicians to put on 4 concerts throughout one of the dioceses there. There are so many things I could write about from that trip-- believe me, the choir is tired of the stories. However, one story came to mind that seems a bit different for a time of Lent.

One town we stayed in is at the outskirts of the district and diocese where we were staying. It was about 2 hour drive from the Lutheran Centre where we were staying in the city of Iringa. In fact, this was the last stop before we went on safari--not far from the gates of Ruaha National Park. Being so close to the park, there were lions that came through the town some nights and would occasionally eat unprotected livestock. Luckily the incidents involving people were few, but it does happen.

The town is very remote, but it does see travelers and gains income from tourists, but there isn't as much income as the needed, so many take the 5:00 AM bus back to Iringa. The road is so dusty that we Americans wore bandannas to cover our mouths. The road is extremely bumpy that some of us get woozy on our way there. However, people packed onto this commuter bus which went from town to town picking up people to take them to work every day.

I saw these lions were just a few miles from the town of Tungamalenga.

3 hours.
On a packed bus.
Each way.

The people who commuted in this way never complained about it. They were so grateful for the blessing to be able to provide food for their family that they gladly spent 6 hours on a bus to work for 8 hours. And when they got home there were lions!

It put many things in perspective for me. This Lent, many of the musicians are working through a time of gratitude. We are making paper chains that each link is something we are grateful for, big or small. Not only is it a good reminder to be grateful, but our gratitude is linked to others.

Snowflakes with Things My Family Is Grateful For

Here are some of the items my family has been grateful for so far.

At home, my kids, wife, and I are also doing the same thing. It was supposed to start around Christmas, hence the snowflakes, but I digress. You can see that while my 6 and 3 year olds may not get the entirety of gratitude, they are learning to be thankful for all the blessings we have. While I get to see what my little ones think about and watch their writing progress.

Now, since going to Tanzania I still get upset when I get cut off in traffic, but I'm reminded of the great gifts God has given me...a car, great roads, that it reframes getting cut off on the road.

This is our Lenten discipline. What's your Lenten discipline? If you don't have one, I recommend writing down one thing you are grateful for every day. It really helps us to focus on the gifts from God.

Sean Johnson
Handbell and Choir Director

Lenten Discipline

3/3/2020

We have now entered into the season of Lent, a time of contemplation, of focus on prayer and spiritual discipline. Lent is the traditional time when, in the ancient church, those who wished to be baptized would undertake their study of Christianity. This was an intense time of fasting, prayer, and education, which culminated in a celebratory baptismal festival at the Easter Vigil, the night before Easter.

As infant baptism became the norm, this time of intensive instruction of the “catechumenate” became less common. However, we still see remnants of it in our practice of instruction for people (often young people) preparing to affirm their faith (known as “Confirmation”.) It is also seen in our focus on fasting, prayer, and other spiritual disciplines during Lent.

It is also seen in our focus on fasting, prayer, and other spiritual disciplines during Lent.

As we move through this season, we will explore in worship and in our Bible studies the Marks of Discipleship. What distinguishes you as a disciple? What are the marks of Jesus that are on you as a believer that are clear to all who meet you? Is it your grace-filled ability to forgive? Or your tendency to lean on God in faith, rather than needing to see to believe? Are your practices, such as prayer, generosity, or fasting, an example to the believers?

No matter where we are in our faith journey, we are beloved by God, and we are called by God to even deeper discipleship. Come walk together with us this Lent, as we explore where God is calling us individually, and as a community.

Mark of Discipleship

2/26/2020

Welcome to the Journey of Lent. On Ash Wednesday you were invited to remember the frailty of life, receiving an ashen cross on your forehead as you heard the words, “Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.”

The Gospel of Mark is arguably the first story of Jesus life shared in written form. Many thought Jesus would return soon, as we heard in our Gospel reading on Sunday – as Jesus announced, “Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see that the Kingdom of God has come in power.” Many presumed that meant Jesus would return again creating the kingdom they pictured in their mind. Jesus did come again in power. Is there any greater power than to defeat death itself? And this is not just an end of life occurrence; it is moment by moment, through all of our struggles, pains, and losses that we have the gift of the resurrection.

This is the Good News we are called to share with others, just as it was shared with us. On Wednesdays we will study how the Marks of Discipleship were lived out in one of the early churches as we read 2nd Corinthians. As church we are called to care and encourage one another, offer forgiveness and peace, extend mercy and grace, live generous and thankful lives. Imagine what the world would be like if we lived in the way. That is the mission we have been given.

St. Luke’s was born here in Bloomington on February 23, 1923. In three years we will be celebrating our 100th Anniversary. We have the privilege to build on the mission that was passed down from those before us and pass it on to those who will follow.

Generosity and Thanksgiving are Marks of Discipleship and key components for our Capital Campaign, 100% for 100 years. The goal is having 100% of our members participate. Our guiding verse is Colossians 2:6-7

“…just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” – Colossians 2:6-7

During this season of Lent we are asking you to prayerfully consider making your mark for the next 100 years. St. Luke’s is a mission post where we welcome others to grow in this community of faith which is busy making Christ known to the world.

Welcome – Our building is in need of some repairs and we would like to do some enhancements to our sanctuary.

Grow – Reaching out online by strengthening our web presence and doing outreach in the neighborhood.
Making Christ Known - Sharing a tithe with our local, national, and international partner organizations.

You will be invited to participate in the Capital Campaign by making a three-year pledge, a one-time contribution, and/or a legacy gift. Mark your calendars for our celebration on Sunday, April 19.

Much more will be shared in the weeks ahead.

Ongoing prayers and blessings,
Rob Norris-Weber, Pastor

A Holy Week to Remember

Lenten Discipline: Gratitude

Lenten Discipline

Mark of Discipleship

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