Love Intentionally
Love Inclusively
Love Universally
Love Completely
Love Everyone
Love Better!
January 14, 2021 (Week 44)
Sisters and brothers, good afternoon!
Not much new to report today. (Although…in the midst of a global pandemic, the likes of which we haven’t seen in over 100 years, and domestic political polarization, the likes of which we haven’t seen for perhaps 200 years, it does seem odd to say, “not much new to report today.”)
This weekend, your church council is going into retreat, and I invite you to be in prayer for all of us as we begin the process of reflecting on a strategic plan for the coming years. It is an exciting time to be sure, for God’s church is alive and well in the midst of our worldly chaos.
As always, we invite you to stay on top of your faith by accessing all of the spiritual resources available to you on our website: https://www.godamong.us. Once you find the website, click on “ILC Online Activities. There you will find worship services, daily devotions, daily Bible readings, Bible studies, devotional materials, etc., to help you at a time of relative isolation, and for many, significant anxiety.
With respect to our daily devotions, each of us who have participated have managed the devotion differently. I have done a couple of different series: on contemporary theology, and Luther’s Small Catechism, for example. Beginning tonight, on the occasions that I am privileged to share the evening devotion for the next while, I will take a particular passage and highlight some nuance from the original Greek that is typically not seen. The fact that the Bible is translated from ancient languages, makes it’s interpretation a challenge. It is my hope that shedding a bit of light on some of these small details might make for a fulfilling devotion for everyone involved. Join me at 7pm tonight to hear of what righteousness is and isn’t, based on Matthew’s story of Joseph and the dilemma he faced in taking Mary as his wife.
Please do remember to take care of one another: yourself to be sure, and in so doing, those around you. We are very close to a hopeful place in this pandemic. We will overcome this, but we can also extend and exacerbate its ills if we are not attentive. Please be full of care now! If you need some support or help, please remember to call us. We’re here for you and we look forward to serving you whenever and wherever we can. (Besides, all of us, to a person miss you….each and every one of you!)
We’re blessed, my dear friends…let’s live as if we are!
Pr. Luther
- Before worship, around 9 am, Darrell and Nancy Datte host our after worship coffee/donut fellowship time (BYOC/D) on Zoom, and look forward to welcoming everyone in our community. Please think about joining in and saying hi to your brothers and sisters. That gathering can be found here:
https://zoom.us/j/98483096300?pwd=aTVJV0JJWkdsaG9ESFFMTlNuWVVDUT09
ANNOUNCEMENTS: -2020 Annual Congregational Meeting Our Annual Congregational Meeting will be Sunday, January 31, 2021 at 11:15 am. Please plan ahead to attend. Here is the Zoom Link. Topic: ILC CONGREGATIONAL MEETING Time: Jan 31, 2021 11:00 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8584995166