Crosscurrents weekly edition |
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This Sunday, we mark the one year that has passed since we made the then-difficult decision to suspend in-person worship. We had no idea when we recorded worship for the first time on the first Sunday in March, 2020, that a year later, we still would be needing to “worship together differently” through our recorded worship services.
As we remember this past year, Pastor Dave is joined in this week’s recording by our Director of Worship and Music Ministries Ben Fowler and Congregational President Colin Walker in a panel discussion on topics ranging from what it takes to record, edit, and share these services, to what this experience has been like for each of us, to what we have learned about what worship is really all about. That’s the theme of this Sunday: The Heart of Worship.
Please join the core worship recording team as well as guests including Pastor Judy Brennan, organist Dean Robinson, and recording team member Matt Pohle in a time of worship and reflection.
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Comfort Food: Midweek Lent Zoom Gatherings |
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In this Lenten season when we are not able to worship in-person, or share Soup Suppers and Midweek services which are our tradition, we’re offering Comfort Food, with both pre-recorded and live interactive elements which we’ll share from 6 to 7 pm for the next five Wednesdays in Lent via Zoom.
Part Lenten devotionals, part advocacy for agencies working to alleviate and eliminate hunger and poverty, part cooking show, and part fellowship time, Comfort Food will be hosted by one of our staff members or lay leaders who will invite you into their kitchens as they share a favorite soup recipe, reflect on how they are finding comfort in these uncomfortable times, and highlight one of Cross of Christ’s partner organizations, especially those serving our neighbors in need, near and far away.
Following these pre-recorded portions, your host will join you in conversation on Zoom. This Wednesday, Director of Worship and Music Ministries Ben Fowler shares his mom’s recipe for a soup he grew up loving and learning to cook. Links to the Zoom Room are sent via email each Wednesday morning. Comfort Food videos will also be posted on the Cross of Christ YouTube channel.
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Each week Pastor Dave invites you to join him as he takes a deep dive into the Bible lessons for the upcoming Sunday. Along the way he usually takes a few interesting side trips into the original languages of the Bible, Biblical culture, geography, and history, and even some trivia and “did you know” nuggets that come from our readings – including this week’s notes on Babylon and Mesopotamia and the linguistic link to the name of an African animal.
Intrigued? Please join us as together we “grow in faith” this week in…The Pastor’s Study.
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WELCA March Bible Study
The WELCA March Bible Study Guide will be posted to the Cross of Christ YouTube channel by Sunday afternoon. This Guide is for Circle Leaders and anyone else who would like to join us.
Based on the study from Gather magazine, we’ll continue our series on Angels. A link will also be sent via email when the study is available. You can also request my notes be mailed or emailed to you by contacting Office Administrator Judy Giseburt at office@CrossOfChristBellevue.org.
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Make an Easter Dedication Donation |
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In years past, many members have appreciated being able to make donations in honor or memory of someone special to them by helping to purchase Easter lilies and other flowers to decorate the Sanctuary. This year, we will be purchasing far fewer lilies, but we will be adding several ways new to give in honor or memory of those you care about.
Because we will be celebrating Holy Week from our homes rather than in-person in the Sanctuary, we want to enhance this experience by providing individual worship bags with palms for Palm Sunday, communion material for Maundy Thursday, and candles and bells for Good Friday. You will be invited to use these items during Holy Week recorded worship. There will also be some Easter goodies in the bags for you to enjoy!
The bags will be available for pick-up the week before Palm Sunday. More information will be provided in the coming weeks. If you would like to support this project, you can make a special donation and mark it for Holy Week Worship Bags. The cost of each bag is approximately $5, and we are putting together 100 of them. Donations beyond actual costs will be applied to future congregational fellowship events.
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Additionally, donations can be made to Easter Flowers and Trees. Funds will be used to purchase flowers to decorate the Sanctuary for our recorded Easter Sunday worship service. After recording, the Easter lilies will be available to distributed to various homebound members.
Donations beyond the actual cost will be passed on to two agencies planting trees locally and globally. Locally, 300 Trees is a non-profit organization in Bellevue with a goal to help the city meet the target of a 40 percent tree canopy by planting 50 trees a week (on average) for 1,500 weeks. That’s 75,000 trees! More than 95% of each donation received by 300 Trees is used to buy trees from local nurseries. Volunteers deliver and plant the trees at no cost to the city.
Internationally, Cross of Christ will also make a donation from your contributions through ELCA Good Gifts, which helps buy special varieties of fruit trees (such as oranges, mango, and guava) known to thrive in the driest of conditions. These low-maintenance trees are an investment in the community that can span generations, protecting the soil from erosion and providing nutritious fruit to children and adults alike. If you would like to contribute to the cost of buying these flowers or trees, please mail in or drop off in our mailbox a check marked Easter Flowers and Trees. You can also donate online.
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Donations to either the Holy Week Worship Bags or Easter Flowers and Trees special funds can be made in recognition of a loved one. Please mark on your envelope or attach a note indicating your name as the donor, and the name (or names) of the people you would like recognized - In Honor of… or In Memory of....
We hope these two special projects will enhance your Holy Week and Easter worship experiences as we beautify our Sanctuary, share lilies with homebound members, and support the planting of trees locally and around the world. If you have any questions, please contact: Pastor Judy Brennan – pastorjudybrennan@gmail.com or Office Administrator Judy Giseburt – office@crossofchristbellevue.org .
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Thanks to the hard work of our dedicated volunteers, most of the downed trees and branches from recent storms have been removed. The larger branches have been cut up into fireplace or firepit appropriate sizes. If you would like some free firewood, you can pick up what you would like for your personal use. The cut wood is stacked and located behind the dumpster in the Cross of Christ lower (west) parking lot. |
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Bellevue Mobile Vaccination Team |
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A representative of the City of Bellevue Fire Department contacted Cross of Christ to inform us about their Mobile Vaccination Team, serving homebound folks unable to drive to a vaccination site. To learn more, you can call 425-452-2026, or email vaccine@bellevuewa.gov.
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Online Synod Assembly Delegates |
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This year’s Synod Assembly – like so many other things – will be online on Saturday, May 15. Cross of Christ is eligible to “send” five lay delegates – two female, one male, one young adult (18-30 at time of Assembly) and one youth (Confirmed member under 18) – in addition to Pastor Dave and Pastor Judy. The deadline for us to register delegates is March 31, so please let us know this week if you are interested in attending.
If you are interested in being considered as a delegate, please send an email to our Congregational President, Colin Walker, at colin@crossofchristbellevue.org.
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While the Cross of Christ office has been physically closed during the pandemic, we have kept “virtual” office hours, with Office Administrator Judy Giseburt available to answer phone calls and emails Monday through Thursday, 9:30 am to 2 pm.
Remember: any campus visits must be arranged in advance. Contact Pastor Dave to coordinate campus visits.
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Cross of Christ Lutheran Church
CrossOfChristBellevue.org
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