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.
Other Happenings Archive
Choir Notes
Posted February 28, 2022 By adminCongregational Care
Posted February 28, 2022 By adminThe Congregational Care Team is actively seeking members. If you are willing to serve on our team, please contact Billy.
Up and Going
Posted February 28, 2022 By adminSt. 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.
Welcome Matt Burt
Posted February 28, 2022 By adminSt. 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
Posted February 28, 2022 By adminMid-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.
Church Parking Alert
Posted February 28, 2022 By adminWith 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.
Council Briefs
Posted February 28, 2022 By adminGood Things at St. Jacob’s for January:
• Sunday attendance was up
• Bill Nuottila funeral service was beautiful
• Visitors from out of Chapin
• Record high of 16 views for on-line service
Lutheran Women
Posted February 28, 2022 By adminThe Lutheran Women will meet on Sunday, March 20th at 4 PM in the Fellowship Hall. Looking forward to seeing you all.
Easter Lily Orders
Posted February 27, 2022 By adminWorship and Music will once again be accepting orders for Easter Lilies to be placed in the church for our Easter Services in honor and/or memory of loved ones. The cost for each plant is $14.00 and orders must be placed on or before Sunday, March 27th . If you’re interested in purchasing an Easter Lily, please pick up an order form on the “Offering Table” or at the church office. The completed form and payment should be turned in to Marie on or before the deadline date. Also, the form is on the next page in your newsletter and you can use it as well.
From the Pastor’s Heart by Pastor David Nuottila
Posted February 19, 2022 By adminDo you have enough faith?
Read Mark 7:24-30
Do you have enough faith? Do you have enough faith to pray even when it seems God is not listening? It is not always easy to maintain faithfulness, especially when it seems God is silent to our pleas for help. Just as the Psalmist wrote; “O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest…” (Psalm 22:2) many feel they experience silence from God. On the night he was handed over, Jesus himself prayed that the cup of suffering might be removed from him, yet he remained faithful. The fact remains that Jesus’ crucifixion was God’s greatest silence.
We have all experienced this silence of God. We pray for something, and the opposite seems to happen. We pray for healing yet still suffer. We pray for companionship, yet we remain lonely. This is where faith enters. Having faith means understanding and believing that Christ was, is and always will be Emmanuel, God with us. Even as we do not understand God’s ways, through faith we are enabled to believe that God’s mercy endures. Even as we don’t always seem to get what we want, the Holy Spirit leads us through faith to realize God gives us what we need.
In the text listed above, the Syrophoenician woman pleads for her daughter’s healing; she believes the crumbs from the Master’s table have the power to save. It is all she needs. Even as we plead, “Lord have mercy”, Christ reaches out and fills our empty hands with this same bread from heaven. Christ is our only source for forgiveness of our sins and the promise of eternal life. Through faith in him we are saved.
Do you have enough faith? What do you think? Do you believe that God’s blessings are for you even if you are an outsider? Having enough faith is not hoping we will get what we want; it is knowing Jesus is Lord. Having enough faith is believing that no matter what chaos threatens us, we are not alone in a storm. Having enough faith means knowing Christ is our Lord and our God, and through him only is the way to eternal life.
Grace to you and peace,
Pastor David Nuottila
