Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus!
I am pleased to introduce four new styles that we will be using this Fall at St. James at our 9:30 a.m. in-person/online worship. Each one of these worships is named using a Greek word that describes its tone and character: AGAPE (love), CHARIS (grace), LOGOS (Word), and PNEUMA (spirit). Although each employs a variety of music and liturgical styles, all are Word and Sacrament worships rooted in our Lutheran identity. For more information on each (click here).
Although we will vary the style of worship at 9:30 a.m. each week, at 8:00 a.m. we will maintain our Drive-In standard worship in the parking lot. From the safety and comfort of your vehicle, you can tune your radio in to listen to a spoken Word and Sacrament worship. Since the Delta variant continues to impact Scott and Dakota counties, we will continue this outside worship option throughout the Fall.
This Sunday, we begin with Agape. I am grateful for the talents and musical leadership of Kjersten Dysthe, our Praise III choir director, who was instrumental in developing and will be helping to lead this informal liturgy. During the gathering portion of the worship, you will be invited to submit names and prayer concerns. Since the worship is both in-person and online, we will be using our new capacity for text messaging to gather everyone’s prayers.
Those who have opted-in to receive text messages from St. James and indicated they wish to receive “Agape Prayer” texts will receive a message around 9:00 a.m. (a half-hour before worship begins). All you need to do is respond to that text message with your prayers and they will be a part of the prayers that are raised during worship. No matter where you text from, whether inside the sanctuary or at home, we’ll hear from you and you will be part of the Prayers of the People.
To sign up to receive the “Agape Prayer” text, which will be sent to you only on Agape Sundays, click here.
I look forward to this interactive in-person/online worship debuting on Sunday, September 19, and wish that you try it out. I trust that you will find it refreshing and filled with inspiring music, uplifting prayers, and a message about finding our unity in Christ. I can’t wait to wave a greeting to you whether you decide to worship with us in-person. online, or in the parking lot.
In Christ’s Light,
Pastor Walt