Since we are now beginning to have regular meetings again with our auxiliary and ministry teams. Please be sure and get your newsletter information to the church office no later than the 20th of each month. This will enable Sherry to put your article in the upcoming newsletter.
Through the words of the prophet Joel, God called to His people and commanded that they turn from their sinful ways and return to Him for His grace and blessings. This has been the focal point of Lent for Christians as they observe the forty days of this season of penitence and reflection. Lent is a time for listening and responding to the call to return to faithfulness to the God who has been ever faithful to His people. Joel’s exhortation, “Return to the Lord, your God” will serve as our call to Lenten vespers each Wednesday leading to Easter. It is more than a verse sung as part of the liturgy. It is a heartfelt directive for our lives as together we follow the pathway of Lent.
Pastor David will join four other NALC pastors in a preaching series where each will visit one another’s congregation and preach according to five themes of Lent. The schedule for our Lenten series at St. Jacob’s is:
1st Week in Lent – Pr. Bill White (St. Peter’s Lexington) – Return from Betrayal
2nd Week in Lent – Pr. David Nuottila – Return to Prayer
3rd Week in Lent – Pr. Dave Tholstrup (St. Peter’s Chapin) – Return from Denial
4th Week in Lent – Pr. Andrew Loomis (Immanuel, Sumter) – Return to the Kingdom of God
5th Week in Lent – Pr. Cassie Boehringer (St. Peter’s, Lexington) – Return from False Witness
The liturgy we will follow for the Wednesday Vespers is Holden Evening Prayer. Please note that traditional Vespers liturgy does not include the Sacrament of Holy Communion, so there will not be communion on the Wednesdays in Lent. Please plan on attending each week as we journey together toward repentance and the cross of Christ, and finally are confronted with our risen Lord at the empty tomb of Easter. As it has been our tradition, a meal will be served prior to our Lenten mid-week worship services. Keep an eye on our weekly worship bulletin for more details.
Come and Rest
Read Mark 6:7-13, 30-33
The disciples returned from the mission from which Jesus sent them filled with excitement. They couldn’t wait to report to their teacher the many things they had done in his name. Pairing up and traveling from place to place, the disciples preached the message of repentance to all who would hear, cast out demons, and healed the sick. Certainly, there was plenty to discuss, but understanding their needs, Jesus invited them to come away to a place of rest.
Life as a disciple of Christ is much the same today. Those who are engaged in ministering to the sick, hungry, homeless, and lost find that there is seemingly no end to such mission. Even the people of God who come weekly to worship often lean heavily upon those called to ministry. Even still, the passion and excitement displayed by the twelve is paralleled by today’s disciple. Similarly, just as with the twelve, seldom is there a day when such a disciple may take full advantage of finding a desolate place to rest. Even in that desolate place, the disciple loves those whom God has placed in his charge; he cares for the sick, tends to the needy, and prays for the flock. The notion of rest seems unattainable, yet Jesus realizes and understands their needs.
Following the boat that carried Jesus and the twelve to that “desolate” place was a great crowd. When Jesus saw them, he had compassion and called his disciples to give them something to eat. What followed was perhaps one of Jesus’ most powerful miracles. Not only did Jesus feed the multitude, but he also fed the twelve. As we continue to trust and follow our Lord, Jesus continues to feed us with the truth of the gospel, the compassion of God’s love and with food from heaven provided in abundance.
The blessing of being in ministry and service in the name of Christ is such that as the disciple grows tired, Jesus fills them with power, even when the desolate place is not so peaceful.
Prayer: Dearest Jesus, bless us in our work of the gospel, and grant us rest in you. Amen.
As we emerge from the pandemic, many aspects of our life together will reemerge as well. One such event will be our annual Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper. Our Lutheran Men will serve as our cooks for the evening, providing a delicious breakfast for our supper time meal. The pancake supper will begin at 7 PM on Tuesday, March 1st in the Fellowship Hall.
I recently read the book, Chasing Francis: A Pilgrim’s Tale by Ian Morgan Crone. The book tells the story of a man facing his crisis of faith by following in the footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi, and although fictional it raised a lot of thought-provoking ideas about faith and worship. One that stood out to me was the question of when worship begins. Crone suggests that worship begins when you get into your car to head to church. He says that worship starts when you begin to step away from the worldly thoughts and enter into God’s presence. This struck me because I’d never understood why the alarm goes off at 5 AM on Sunday mornings, I’m not a morning person, or why there isn’t much conversation over coffee before heading out to church. I was intrigued by this passage because I realized that this is when David begins to enter into worship, and I wondered, when do I? As I prepare to meet Jesus on my own personal road to Emmaus so that He can open the scriptures for me and explain all that has happened so far, when do I start to put aside all the worldly thoughts that will keep me from focusing on what He is about to share. Perhaps it is worry over children, or bills, or the to do list that seems to grow longer each week that distracts me. It may even be excitement about upcoming activities that need to be put aside.
When do you begin to step away from the world and prepare for worship? I would expect most of you are like me and that’s not at 5 AM. For several of you it begins in Sunday School when you start to study God’s word. For most, this probably happens as you step into worship. Our worship service begins with an opportunity to do this, the prelude. Although this is often a time when we catch up with people we haven’t seen all week, the prelude is there to give us a moment of quieting our mind. It’s a chance to put away all those thoughts that will keep us from hearing what Jesus has to tell us and to be fully present with our Lord. We are so fortunate to have it played so beautifully by an extremely talented musician, Sarah. I encourage you to take advantage of this moment to prepare for worship and to consid er this week, “when do I begin to enter into worship with my Lord?”
God bless you all,
Angela
We are beginning to prepare music for the Easter season. Please come join us. I’m still praying for you to hear God’s call to serve.
The Congregational Care Team is actively seeking members. If you are willing to serve on our team, please contact Billy.
St. Jacob’s senior’s group, Up and Going, is in need of a new group leader. Helen has served in this position for a number of years and is planning to step down from the role. Anyone who is interested in stepping up should contact Helen for a description of what it means to be the leader for Up and Going. Pastor David is also willing to lend any assistance necessary.
St. Jacob’s will welcome our new Director of Youth and Family Ministries, Matt Burt, on Sunday, April 3rd during our Sunday service of worship. Matt is a graduate of Columbia International University with a degree in Youth and Family Ministry and Culture. He and his wife Kaily have served as missionaries to China.
Mid-week Morning Bible Study will resume on Wednesday, March 9th beginning at 10 AM. Our study will focus on an in-depth reading and study of the Passion of Our Lord Jesus. Traditionally, the church reads the Passion narrative of Jesus on Palm Sunday. This became the norm as people began wandering from attending worship during Holy Week. Without such services, there is no scriptural bridge connecting Palm Sunday to the celebration of the Resurrection of Our Lord. In our study, we will follow the events of Jesus’ final week of earthly life before his crucifixion, hear the words of the prophets and follow Jesus in his journey to the cross. All are welcome to participate in this study. Invite your friends and loved ones to come with you.
With the increase in traffic on Columbia Ave, our Church Council recognizes the existing safety issues with our current parking lot and requests the following: The designated entrance to the church parking lot is at the end in front of the Fellowship Hall. When exiting the parking lot, please drive up the driveway in front of the church office and exit from the driveway. Following this pattern will reduce the risk of accidents as traffic approaches the church coming up the hill on Columbia Ave. Please do not exit the parking lot by simply pulling out onto Columbia Ave.
