Restore Faith, Reclaim Life

News | February 14, 2018

Lent is a journey – a path for people from all walks of life – to the joy of Easter. There are many ways to explore the words of God to prepare your soul for the Resurrection of Christ.

Wednesday nourishment in Lent

The St. Paul community of faith gathers for worship services and meal fellowship on five Lenten Wednesdays, February 21 — March 21.

Worship | 12 noon-12:30 p.m.

Chapel gatherings will include music, silence, a pastoral reflection, and Holy Communion. Restore Faith, Reclaim Life is the unifying theme. The message will be centered on a different word each week: reliant, rehearse, relax, restraint, renovate.

Suppers | 5:30-6:55 p.m.

Enjoy a meal in community. Catered by HyVee, there will be a different menu each week to feed stomachs and a sense of togetherness. A freewill donation of
$8/ person or $20/family is welcome to cover the cost. Volunteers bring cookies to share.

Red Apron Crew: This crew offers the warmth of hospitality and service. Put on an apron and help fill drinks, clear tables, and offer conversation to those who come. To help, contact Tammy Hermanson at tammy@stpaulqc.org or 326-3547, ext. 215.

Green Apron Crew: Scrape some plates, make some friends. The Environmental Team will scrape and wash dishes to reduce the amount of waste going tothe landfill. Scraps will be composted, too. To help, contact Steve and Jane Strittmater at jjazz20@mchsi.com, 563-370-7166.

Learning from Lives Reclaimed | 5:30 – 6:15 p.m.

Restore your own faith as we consider the stories of women and men whose faith enabled them to reclaim the gift of life for themselves and others. Some may be well-known, others you may meet for the first time. We’ll put their lives in conversation with our own. Large group session led by Ryan Bailey, director of faith formation, followed by small group discussion. In Luther Loft. No need to sign up, just come.

February 21: Reliant; Mary Antin

February 28: Rehearse; Maya Angelou

March 7: Relax; Thomas Merton

March 14: Restraint; Richard Allen

March 21: Renovate; Jimmy Carter

Choir rehearsals | 6 p.m.

All choirs will rehearse on Wednesdays during Lent. Children’s and Youth Choir will be from 6-6:45 p.m.; Chorale will gather from 6-6:55 p.m.

Confirmation | 6:30-7 p.m.

Seventh-graders will participate in a mentoring relationship with a member of the congregation. This will consist of 30 minutes of conversation about life and faith. Eighth-graders
will experience a unique activity connected to a different spiritual pathway each week – service, nature, study, contemplative, artistic, relationships, and traditions. Confirmation will not meet on Ash Wednesday, Feb. 14.

Worship | 7-7:35 p.m.

A service in the Sanctuary features the beautiful Holden Evening Prayer liturgy, led by the Youth Choir. Restore Faith, Reclaim Life is the unifying theme. The message will be centered on a different word each week: reliant, rehearse, relax, restraint, renovate. Using ordinary items, pastors will guide our minds and hearts to think about these “re” words in our lives. Children encouraged to worship; childcare also available.

Special offerings: World Hunger

By providing immediate relief to those who are hungry, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) World Hunger organization meets basic needs and recognizes the universal human right to food. But ending hunger is about more than food. By connecting people with education, health care, and sources of income, long-term, sustainable change can be accomplished.

The ELCA is active in 60 countries through World Hunger. All midweek Lenten offerings at St. Paul (in envelopes or cash) will be given to fight hunger. St. Paul aims again to exceed $20,000. If you would like to make an additional Lenten offering towards this cause, please earmark your check memo line with “World Hunger.”

Devotional book: A Way Other Than Our Own

A Way Other Than Our Own by Walter Brueggemann provides readers with a gentle guide through the Lenten season, from Ash Wednesday through the week after Easter. Lent recalls times of
wilderness and wandering. Brueggemann writes that despite our culture of self-indulgence, we too are called to walk an alternative path, one of humility, justice, and peace. The book is available in the Book Corner.

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