Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus Christ!
Are you thirsty? Does it seem like life is dried up and in need of refreshment? Dehydration is a common enough experience and it not only affects our bodies, but it can also wreak havoc on our souls.
For centuries, Christians have observed a period of forty days prior to Easter as time of spiritual renewal. Lent is a wonderful season that yearns for resurrection of not only our lives but of all creation. All life thirsts and struggles for the living waters that only God can provide.
The community of St. James invites you to use this Lent as a time to replenish your weary spirit. Refresh yourself in the waters of your baptism. Remember God’s promise to forgive and always be near you. Recall that you are beloved and that nothing, not even a pandemic, can separate you from the love of Christ. Respond to God’s invitation to allow love to flow through your life to others.
Here is what St. James is offering this Lent to help with your spiritual thirst:
Sunday worship: Drive-In communion (8:00 am), Livestream online (9:30 am), Hybrid in Fellowship Hall (registration required ahead, 9:30 am), and Online/Phone communion (12:00 pm.)
Wednesday Evensong: Livestream online (7:30 pm).
Daily Devotional – starts on Sunday, February 21. I’ve written a new series entitled, Water Ways; A Baptismal Journey for Lent. Sign up today through website or through this link: (CLICK HERE)
Digging Deeper: Refreshing Water Stories from the Bible: On Sundays February 28 and March 21 at 7:00 p.m., I will teach online/phone Bible classes. No experience is necessary, just come and get to know your Bible better. To Register for February 28 (click here) and/or March 21 (click here).
Lenten Seasonal Offering: We gather financial resources to close the gap between our annual pledges and the cost of ministry. Ten percent of this offering is passed onward to support the work of our mission partners Lutheran World Relief and CATCH (transitional housing).
Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, February 17. We will gather online at 7:30 p.m. There is also limited space available to register for a hybrid communion experience in the Fellowship Hall. Sign up (click here) or call the church office (952)890-4534.
I trust that you will find in these things, Living Waters for Thirsty Souls.
In Christ’s Light,
Pastor Walt