The Weekly View

Sunday, March 24, 2019

This Sunday

Dear St. Luke Community, 

Last Saturday’s Fundraiser-A huge, heartfelt thank you to our hosts who so graciously gave of their time to make the St Luke Progressive Dinner such a success;

Carolee and Terry Mech,  Ada and Clive Endress and Babette and Larry Gettler. Your time and hospitality is greatly appreciated by everyone. Everything was beautiful and delicious. And thank you to all who attended. We sure know how to have fun together.

This Sunday ~ 

I will be in worship with you but we have the honor or welcoming the Rev Dr Janie Spahr into the pulpit. Janie is an icon in the Presbyterian Church. Highly regarded for her conviction and strength to stand up for the rights of the LGBTQ community at a time when it was so unpopular to do she was forced to fight for her ordination title as minister. Since then Janie continues to trail blaze in other ways. And even more so, her warmth and expression of love is so infectious, you will be convinced there is no one in the room more loved than the person on the receiving end of her smile. And it’s genuine.

Janie will be preaching on two passages. One from the Book of Esther (1:15-24) where it is written that all men shall be rulers over their own households! Yikes. And the other is from Luke (15:8-10) The Parable of the Lost Coin, where a woman with broom in hand goes tirelessly searching. Janie emailed that she would be taking a feminist/womanist approach to preaching this scripture. I’m not entirely sure how she will carry us in that direction, but whatever she does, I imagine it will call on us to reimagine the ways we’ve related to God so predominantly in the church as a male figure. If we’ve learned anything at all about God, beginning with Moses, it’s that we’re not meant to box God into anyone name. God is beyond us and within us. The images for God are plentiful and include both male and female throughout our Bible. God is beyond our understanding and within our knowing. As distant as the stars and as close as our breath. Let us move into the collective wholeness of one humanity, called upon to love our God with all that we are created to be. 

After Worship ~ 

We gather in the Bayview room for an Educational Opportunity on Transgender Awareness given by Jordan Decker and Janie Spahr. 

Jordan Decker is a nationally and internationally known speaker and educator on TransYouth Suicide prevention and responsible for developing Trans HeartLine, a non-profit organization that educates and advocates for transgender humans in faith communities. Rev Dr. Janie Spahr created the Spahr Project to continue educating the church on the intersectionality of racism, sexism, heterosexism, ageism, as we move forward to advocate for justice and love.

Creating safe and caring places for transgender people and their families in both church and society is one of the most pressing challenges and opportunities for the Christian faith, community life and church growth today. What does it mean to be transgender, cisgender, or gender fluid? What might it be like to have the experience of feeling as though God doesn’t love you because you feel you were born “wrong.” Come gain insights, language and understandings. Invite neighbors, family and friends.

Bible Study ~ Wednesdays, 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM

St Luke Choir Rehearsal ~ Wednesdays 7:00-8:30 PM in the Sanctuary  

Morning Women's Spirituality Group ~ Thursdays, 9:00 - 10:00 AM

St. Luke Women’s Bridge Group ~ 4th Tuesday, Mar. 26th, 10:30 AM

Session ~ 4th Tuesday of the month, March 26th 7:00 PM 

Deacons Meeting ~ 2nd Tuesday or the month, April 9th, 6:00 PM

Pizza and Theology ~ 3rd Tuesday of the month, Apr. 16th, 6:30 PM, Creekside, SA

Acoustic Sunday ~ April date to be determined.