The Resurrection Connection | | |
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The Lutheran Church of the Resurrection
A Reconciling in Christ Congregation
in the Saint Paul Area Synod of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
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Winter 2024
In this Issue:
What's in Worship
Pastor's Corner
What We've Been Up To
From the ELCA
From the Saint Paul Area
Synod
Thank You
Links
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The Triduum, Easter, and Pentecost
The Triduum (three days including Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday's Easer Vigil) are truly a roller coaster of emotions, seemingly covering the entire spectrum of the human experience. This can be a tough thing to face in church. But this range of emotion is one that should be fully embraced in our worship. We begin with Jesus’ mandate that we love one another. The next evening, we remember the events that lead us to proclaim the victory of the cross. Finally, we gather in darkness to tell incredible stories of our ancestors in the faith. The stories take us up to the moment that our joyful “Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia!” can no longer be contained. We cover a lot of ground liturgically, emotionally, and theologically and it is truly a gift to do this in community with one another.
Then, for the fifty-day Easter Season, we proclaim the resurrection dawn. An overarching theme of the Easter season is one of belonging. From Thomas still finding his place despite, or perhaps because of, his doubts, to our place in the sheepfold and on the vine, to the embrace of the Spirit, we are reminded repeatedly about our place in God’s family. When we find our place and sense of belonging within the abiding, triune God, we are also reminded that there are others who belong to God with whom we are encouraged to build community despite our differences.
It all builds to Pentecost when we are brought together through language and deeper understanding. Through this journey, we are taken from the very familiar group of disciples, to images out of nature that show unity without diversity, and then finally to an image that is highly relatable: a large group of people who go from only seeing their differences to being unified by the Holy Spirit. It is this unity, within God and within the body of Christ, that drives our Easter season and should continue to drive our efforts to live out our roles as disciples in the world.
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Calendar
Check out the on-line calendar for up-to-date activity information! Click the button below.
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Beloved of God,
Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed!
Well, if you are reading this before March 30th, it may seem like I'm jumping ahead a bit too far. It is, after all, still Lent for a couple more weeks. And there is much to witness between now and that Easter celebration. Yet every Sunday is like a mini-Easter, and there is always new life taking shape all around us.
With that in mind, I want to share with you an exciting opportunity for our congregation. The Season of Renewal process is led by consultant Rev. Mary Frances in connection with the Saint Paul Area Synod Office and Rev. Justin Grimm. We join a cohort of five congregations, including our Guatemala partners, Como Park Lutheran Church, in a process of discernment and action towards our future. A team of six to seven congregation members will work with me and the consultant. We'll conduct a vitality survey discerning areas of strength and growth within the congregation. We'll explore the neighborhood and the demographics of our community. We'll create two to three actionable plans to carry out within six months to a year and then evaluate together. The intent is that we discern what are the areas where we have passion and vision for the future so that we can organize ourselves around what God is calling us to be and do in this time and place.
cont'd below
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Our campaign to reduce the mortgage and to invest in ministry is titled Rooted and Renewing, and while the initial pledge drive is well over, we are still living into this campaign. A Season of Renewal is a wonderful way to take next steps in renewing our congregation for God's purpose.
After the great work we did as a congregation last spring to identify our staffing needs and other priorities, we knew that we would need to engage in a next step to help us better define our way forward. We also know that in the next few years, we will face some significant challenges, as are so many congregations. This process will give us common language and vision for our future so that we can serve God and our neighbor.
I hope that you will prayerfully engage in this process as you are invited and able. We are in the very earliest beginning stages yet and anticipate a team to form and a vitality survey to be distributed among the congregation within the next two months. I am very happy to talk more with you as questions arise. And I look forward to sharing in this process with you.
As always, I thank God for you and for the blessing to serve among you. And I look with hope to the resurrection dawn and the new life God is opening before us.
In Peace,
Pastor Sarah
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Worship, Music and the Arts | | |
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Civic Life and Faith
The ELCA is developing a social statement on civic life and faith, the relationship of church and state, and related matters, as called for by the 2019 ELCA Churchwide Assembly.
Social statements are the ELCA’s primary documents to address significant social issues. They are intended to aid reflection, shape conscience and set forth the ELCA’s teaching and policy on the major social issues and questions of contemporary life. Social statements are developed by task forces, using an established process of study and widespread participation across the church to guide theological and moral deliberation.
At this time the task force encourages you to study and give feedback on a draft version of the social statement. You can participate by filling out a survey, or by participating in a hearing in your synod, if available. Hearings are public gatherings where participants share their specific affirmations or concerns about a draft statement.
The feedback period will be open until Sept. 30, 2024.
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News from the Saint Paul Area Synod | | |
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Upcoming Events
Reading the Bible like a grown-up
A two-session Bible study for lay persons on Zoom March 11 & 18.
For many of us, the encounter with classic stories from the Bible began when we were children, reading stories of heroes and villains, talking animals, and miraculous surprises. Moreover, these were stories that tended to have clear lines, straightforward lessons, and happy endings. These stories shape our imagination about what it means to be a child of God and a member of a faith community. But as we grow and our lives become more complex, so too should the way we read the Bible. In this two-week series, we will revisit some familiar stories from the Bible and read them with “grown-up glasses” on, finding new avenues to explore, and new possibilities for how the Bible can engage our imagination. Click here for more information.
Summer Internships
The Saint Paul Area Synod is excited to offer a unique vocational opportunity for young adults through paid summer internships. Whether you want to build a career in a certain field, or you’re just looking for a meaningful summer work experience, this program will be an opportunity to learn, serve, and reflect.
Interns will be paid a $4,000 stipend for their internships, funded by the synod’s Planting Hope Campaign.
Each intern will be matched with a specific placement site, where they will work closely with a supportive mentor.
Interns will work 20-24 hours each week, June 10-Aug. 23. They will begin Monday mornings with “cohort gathering,” when all 10 interns meet at the synod office for a time of worship, learning, and conversation. The rest of their weekly hours will be served at their placement site. Scheduling is flexible and will be determined with your site supervisor.
We’re accepting applications now for young adults, age 17-21, interested in an internship for Summer 2024. Applications will be reviewed by a team at the synod as they are submitted; we may reach out to you for more information and/or an interview. The online application process will close on March 31. Click here for more information.
8th Annual EcoFaith Summit
April 6th 9am - 4pm
First Lutheran Church, Duluth , MN
Keynote Speaker: Larry Rasmussen,
environmental ethicist and author of The Planet You Inherit
Click here for more information.
Synod Assembly
The Saint Paul Area Synod’s 2024 Synod Assembly will be held May 10-11 at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church in Mahtomedi. With a theme of “Called to Show Up,” we will explore what it means to show up for each other, to show up in the neighborhoods where we live, and to show up as people of faith in contexts where our presence is both expected and unexpected. The assembly features poet, author and spoken word performer Joe Davis. Click here for more information.
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Dear Lutheran Church of the Resurrection,
Thank you. Your partnership with Twin Cities Habitat gives the best gift anyone could want: the firm foundation of home. Your gift means a local family can buy a home they love with a mortgage they can afford. You gave a child the gift of a quiet place to study. You gave parents the gift of financial stability so they can save for the future. You gave a neighborhood the gift of a stable home that will be an anchor for the community.
Naja grew up in her parents' Habitat home, just like the one your gift helped build. Now she's a homeowner herself. She wants to share this message with you.
"The impact of Habitat is generational. It's been 20 long years, but you have left a forever long-lasting impact on our lives. To this day, we are still very thankful. And I'm sure that my kids will learn about my parents' story - so they forever be grateful too."
Like Naja says, your gift will impact many generations. Again, thank you so much for your gift.
With gratitude, Chris Coleman, President & CEO
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Dear Lutheran Church of the Resurrection,
You are making a difference today and every day!
Thank you so much for your generous gift to Keystone Community Services for our food shelf programs. Everything we do is made possible by caring people like you, and I want to personally thank you for choosing Keystone as a way to provide support for our neighbors.
Your gift is hard at work already, providing food, support, connection, and stability for neighbors in our community. I know that, because as I write this, neighbors - youth, older adults, and families - are connected to programs that are helping them live with dignity and hope!
Your generosity is providing community resources that keep people coming back because they know Keystone cares. Neighbors feel grateful that Keystone can be there however they need it, as Judy explains, "After so many years of figuring things out on my own, Keystone was there for me. I'm grateful they're here for people like me, just when they need it...and for the friendship I've made along the way."
Thank you again for entrusting Keystone with your generous gift to provide all of the vital programs that provide food, support, connection, and security for our neighbors. As a supporter, you are showing what it means to be part of a community of people caring for one another. I truly cannot say thank you enough!
With heartfelt appreciation, Adero Riser Cobb, President
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Dear Lutheran Church of the Resurrection,
Thank you for your gift to ELCA Global Mission.
Your support enables Global Mission to send missionaries, including Young Adults in Global Mission, to serve in over 40 countries. It provides scholarships to international women leaders responding to God's call to ministry. And it funds investments in evangelism, education and church expansion.
Thank you for your gracious gifts. The glory of God shines through you.
With gratitude,
The Rev. Benjamin a Hogue, Director, Giving, Christian Community and Leadership
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Dear Lutheran Church of the Resurrection,
Thank you for your gift to ELCA World Hunger. "Jesus said, 'Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?' The lawyer said, 'The one who showed him mercy.' Jesus said, 'Go and do likewise.'" (Luke 10:36-37)
As a church, we are freed by the transformative life of Christ, and this freedom emboldens us to love and serve our neighbors just as Christ has shown us. Your gifts to the ministries of the ELCA help people around the world feel the power of God's love.
Your generosity is getting at the root causes of hunger and poverty in over 60 countries, including the United States. It provides access to clean water, health care, agriculture, livestock and education, and it advances peace and justice. Through your gifts your join the whole church in working toward a just world where all are fed.
Thank you for your gracious gifts. The glory of God shines through you.
In Christ, Amanda White, Director, Congregational Generosity.
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Friends at Lutheran Church of the Resurrection,
Thank you for your continued support of Washburn Center. Your generosity supports children and families in our communities. Your gift will expand our services to connect with the 835 kids we have currently on our waitlist.
With gratitude, Jenna Egan
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Dear Friends at Lutheran Church of the Resurrection,
I want to thank you for your dedicated support of Cherish All Children, and pray that we will be a part of your Mission of the Month giving again in 2024.
We continue to reach many youth and families to keep them safe from sexual exploitation, especially in the world of online social media and gaming. Our Youth Guide is being used across the country, and will soon be available in Spanish to support our Spanish-speaking congregations here in the U.S. as well as in Guatemala.
Thanks be to God!
Joy McElroy
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Hi Lutheran Church of the Resurrection,
We're so grateful for your church's support of medical debt relief through THEE Alliance. Your generosity eliminates burdensome medical debt for families facing devastating hardships across the nation. Throughout the years, we're heard from beneficiaries that this relief has been a life-changing catalyst for rebuilding their lives. Please don't hesitate to contact me at sofia.delvalle@ridmedicaldebt.org if you have any questions or thoughts. Thake care and stay well!
Sincerely, Sofia DeValle, Development Coordinator
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Links to Sunday morning worship services are on our website prior to each service. Or go to the LCR YouTube page to livestream. | |
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Wednesday Morning Prayer
Join us each Wednesday at 8 am on Zoom for Scripture, prayer, learning, and delightful discussion!
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/91793468392
Or call: 312-626-6799
Meeting ID: 917 9346 8392
Email or call Pastor Sarah with any questions:
pastorsarah@lcr-elca.org
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Taking Faith Home is a weekly Bible study and prayer resource developed for individuals, families, and friends to use during the week. It offers suggested readings, a hymn, questions to consider, and a ritual to engage our whole lives in faith practices. find out more by clicking below. | |
Want to check out the upcoming readings and some related artwork? Click the button below to go to Vanderbilt Divinity Library's Revised Common Lectionary website. | | | | |
