The Weekly View

Sunday, April 26, 2020

THIS SUNDAY

Dear St. Luke Community,

This Sunday's Worship ~ Luke 24:13-35 ~ The Road to Emmaus

Jesus goes for a walk and meets two people on the road to Emmaus. They talk for what seems like a long time on that road while Jesus interprets the scriptures along the way.

By now we’re all familiar with the old Irish blessing that begins “May the road rise up to meet you…” In reading about the Irish blessing, I learned that the more accurate meaning is “may you succeed in life" -  the road being your life, and the rising up meaning success. As Christ followers, we know by now that success doesn’t mean monetary wealth and status. Success is more aligned with justice in the Bible. Living a just life means living a life for Christ, expressed with kindness, generosity, humility, and our ability to love others as self.

The disciples were on that kind of road. The road rose to meet them with the presence of Christ. How often does the road rise up to meet us? How often are we met with prophecy, wisdom and grace, only to miss it? It’s easy to meet the gaze of others these days on any road or path we walk. Most have their eyes averted. Masks cover up smiles, and we’re left with waving. Some wave back, others don’t. Children seem unsure. But that’s only one part of this story. The other part happens in the breaking of the bread and the disciples eyes are opened to perceiving Christ with them, who had been with them all along, on the road even when the road seemed cold, quiet and empty. That's the Good News, and that's the beauty of this God.  Never abandoned, partially felt at times, but fully present always.  Thanks be to God.

See you Sunday,
Nicole

Upcoming Events & Announcements

All are welcome to attend / participate.

SUNDAY WORSHIP, 10:00 AM via ZOOM
Join us and invite your friends and family for this Sunday's worship service.   We will send a reminder on Saturday.

ZOOM MEETINGS
We continue to have recurring meetings via Zoom throughout the week.  Details for the meetings will be sent on Monday.

Wednesday Morning Bible Study
We gather weekly from 10:00 to 11:00 am to look at upcoming scripture focus for Sunday. We ponder, reflect, investigate, compare and go deeper into scripture as we relate how it works in our lives. All are welcome.

Women's Meditation Group
Join Rev. Nicole for a Women’s Spirituality Group meeting on Thursday mornings from 9:30-10:30 am. Each week, Nicole leads us with scripture or some other meaningful piece of writing as a jumping off point followed by a time of meditation. It is through practice we deepen our faith. The “what we do, see, feel” matters.. The “how we listen, look, and communicate” becomes the stuff life and faith is made of.

Pizza and Theology via Zoom - Thursday, April 30th, 6:00PM
Order your pizza and join us for a lively session of “True or False." This will be less in depth and more fun as we navigate discussion together over Zoom. Nicole will make a statement and others can discuss whether or not they feel it’s a true statement or a false one. 

Sunday, April 19, 2020

THIS SUNDAY

Dear St. Luke Community,

We’re in the season of Easter now. Last Sunday we celebrated what is the apex of our faith and this season continues for many weeks as Jesus Christ makes his presence known through what we call resurrection appearances.

For Thomas (and I would suggest for any of us) the presence of Christ begins with desire. The disciples come to Thomas and tell him he missed Jesus’s appearance. And Thomas says “Unless I put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.” (John 20: 24-30.) Reverend Dan White will be preaching on this text, but I will be with you all as well.

Thomas, we can imagine, is heartbroken on having missed out. He doesn’t want to celebrate, he wants to see for himself. He desires Jesus so much that Jesus comes again and offers Thomas what he needs. 

Desire seems to be key, on this path and in this life. The more we desire for God to show God’s self to us to more we will naturally begin paying attention to all the ways God is already there. The more we desire to go deeper in communion with God and one another, the more God finds ways to offer just that. Resurrection experiences happen individually and collectively. Our world is need now of resurrection experiences and beginnings. 

Remember the end of the Praise Song for the Pandemic we watched last Sunday?  The last lines…..

And when this has passed, may we say that love spread more quickly than any virus ever could. May we say this was not just an ending, but a place to begin.

If we can begin again from a place of desire, and succeed in having spread love more quickly, then when this is over, we will witness together resurrection experiences for all who received love. As we revaluate what is most important in our lives, which is life and love itself, let us be able to say that our lives changed, that the world changed, and that beginnings are resurrection appearances of their own when love brings new life born from the ashes of pain and suffering.

Yours in Christ,
Nicole

SUNDAY WORSHIP, 10:00 AM via ZOOM

Join us and invite your friends and family for this Sunday's worship service.   We will send a reminder on Saturday.

ZOOM MEETINGS

We continue to have recurring meetings via Zoom throughout the week, including Bible Study, Women's Meditation and Choir.  Details for the meetings will be sent on Monday.

Holy Week

Dear St. Luke Community,

Maundy Thursday, John 13:1-35
Today is Maundy Thursday, the day we remember Jesus’s greatest commandment, which is to love one another. The Reverend Nadia Bolz-Weber gives a lovely reflection on John’s Gospel. You can read Rev. Bolz-Weber’s reflection here.

If you recall we also reflected on this Scripture just a few Sunday’s ago. If you missed it, you can go to our website and read or listen here.

In Bolz-Weber’s reflection she speaks about how we usually think about loving one another in the active form of giving, but we forget that it’s equally important to know how to receive love. I often hear many of you, whom I know have spent the better part of your lives giving, tell me how hard it is to ask for help. “It’s your turn to allow others the opportunity to give,” I’ll say. 

And there’s another way we receive and it comes in the form of unconditional love. It’s the kind that comes from God, Christ, Spirit and for many of us, our dogs. It’s the kind that sees you, all of you, and loves you, imperfections and all. It’s the love that says, ‘It’s okay, you’re okay, and I love you.” This Maundy Thursday, may you be reminded of how our goodness is born directly out of this unconditional love that never quits.

Good Friday Worship, 12:00pm via Zoom (link sent via email)
The Seven Last Words from the Cross: 
A Service of Scripture, Reflection, Meditation and Music
We’ll hear the last words of Jesus from the cross and sit together in sure and certain hope of the resurrection. Life is born in the dark, in the earth in the womb and reborn in an empty tomb. May this time together enrich your experience of what’s to come in gratitude for life, it’s gifts and the companionship of Emmanuel, God with us.

This Sunday, Easter Worship, 10:00 am via Zoom
Join us and invite your friends and family for this Sunday’s Easter Celebration of Resurrection and life.   (Please note, we are continuing to use passwords for Sunday Service. Link to worship sent in weekly email.)

While some of us are carrying the sadness of a world devastated by this pandemic, we’re also reminded that God has the final word, which is God’s  “yes” to the world’s “no.” God brings new life out of darkness. While some of us still can’t wrap our heads around the physical manifestation of the resurrection, our bodies know all too well the smells of wisteria blooming on vines that looked bare just months ago. We witness buds on trees and the light green ivy growing on top of the older deeper green leaves. Our bodies know spring. Our psyches too, know joy after grief. We know that life continues in periods of darkness, and we know that even the death of a loved one is not the end of love. We know the rising of tides and we know growth after wildfires. We know the waning of the moon and we know that babies live in wombs, alive and well before they can breathe on their own. These are the ways we can wrap our heads around the resurrection of Christ. Christ is in everyone of those experiences. 

While we can’t physically be together, we are still the body of Christ as we discover new ways of being the church together on Zoom. If there’s anyone who still hasn’t figured out how to use Zoom and wants to, Beth and I are happy to help you practice on Saturday. Please email me back if you’d like help. We want to see you!

Easter Bonnets
This is a joyous occasion and I invite you to make an Easter Bonnet at home. You’re encouraged to get creative with whatever supplies you may have at home.

Yours in Christ,
Nicole