From the Pastor
Do you ever wonder if the life you’re living is “too
trivial to be true”?
That’s the question I asked in my sermon
February 21. “. . . too trivial to be true.” It’s not my phrase; it comes
from Paul Scherer, quoted by Dallas Willard in his book, The Spirit of
the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives, which the Church
Council will be reading and discussing throughout the year.
The question gets at the issue of whether
there is any meaning or value in our daily lives, or if, as the author of
Ecclesiastes might wonder, if all is vanity.
Willard quotes Flora Wuellner: “The church
has become an organization of well-meaning idealists, working for Christ but
far from his presence and power.” It’s an indictment that strikes too close
for comfort.
The disciplines of our Lenten pilgrimage,
especially prayer, worship, study, service, and hospitality, open us up to
experience the presence and power of Christ, the power and presence that
Wuellner and Willard suggest are missing in the lives of many Christians.
The disciplines of Lent draw us more deeply into the life of discipleship,
to be formed more and more into the likeness of Christ. Therein lies true
life, authentic life.
Do you ever wonder if the life you’re
living is “too trivial to be true”? There is nothing trivial about life in
Christ.
Blessings of Lent,
Pastor David
Annual Meeting Recap
The Annual Meeting was held Sunday,
February 7, having been rescheduled from January 24 due to weather, with XX
people in attendance. In addition to a review of our ministry during the
last year and a look at ministry emphases for 2010, elections were held and
a provisional deficit budget was passed, to be revisited at a special
congregational meeting Sunday, May 2, at noon. Annual Reports from 2009
continue to be available in the Narthex or from the office.
Elections included the following:
Church Council: Greg Grunwald (another term), and
Michelle Anderson and Carol Kari (first terms)
Voting Members to the Conference and Synod Assemblies:
Lynsey Carlson and Scott Hoecker
CHUM Delegate: Jen Marcusen
Voyageurs Lutheran Ministry (VLM) Delegate: Mike
Edwards
Gustavus Adolphus College Delegate: Kristin Peterson
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