What's Happening

One of the dangers of life is that we fall into the trap of living our life on auto pilot. We can go through days, weeks, even years without making real decisions about and commitments to what is important to us, such as our family or our faith. Our goal in life can simply become providing financial security. Such a limited goal can rob us of a meaningful life. 

Our Easter Sermon Series is inspired by these questions: What is a good life? What makes death a good death? The series is entitled, Embracing A Life of Meaning. The five week sermon series will examine topics on what matters to many people in living lives of meaning: Belief, The Scriptures, Community, Place, and Ourselves, and how we choose to live with the time we have been given. This series is based on material from award-winning poet and writer Kathleen Norris.
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As we well know, none of us is guaranteed a long life, but each of us can live a meaningful life. How one person describes a meaningful life may not be the same for someone else, but I think as people of faith, there will be some common characteristics. The rich young ruler asked Jesus what was the most important law, and Jesus replied, “Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, mind and body, and your neighbor as yourself.”  How does this verse translate into living our lives in the twenty first century? 

I invite you to join me and the rest of the St. Luke community as we ask important questions and examine the lives we live.

As we begin week five in Lent, spend 5 minutes every morning for 5 days, praying these 5 prayer petitions.

1. 1. Give thanks for three personal blessing of which you are especially conscious today. This helps you move toward God by moving away from a sense of your own self-sufficiency.
2. 2. Ask God to help three people you feel need God’s help today. This moves you toward God by moving you away from self-centeredness.
3. 3. Ask God to forgive the pain you have caused other people. Ask God to forgive any specific sins that are weighing on you, and to give you the strength to forgive others the pain they caused you. This puts you squarely in God’s mercy and grace.
4. 4. Ask God to help one person you find it hard to like. Ask God to provide that person insights into his or her problems and difficulties. Ask for the power to let God’s love flow through you to him or her. Ask God to provide you insight into your own problems and difficulties. This reminds us we are all saints and sinners.
5. 5. Ask God to bless and guide your church family at St Luke Lutheran Church. Ask God to lead St. Luke in our vision to Seek God, Serve Others and Share Life. St. Luke is positioned to grow. Pray for growth both numerically; that we welcome and add new members, and spiritually; that we each grow in love, grace and mercy toward one another.

Lenten Prayer Exercise
Our prayer discipline in week five of our 40 Day Lenten prayer journey focuses on our congregation, St. Luke Lutheran Church. God has placed us in this congregation. We have been blessed to have our children baptized here, we have attended funerals, weddings and confirmations services at St Luke. We have knelt at the altar and we have received the sacrament of Holy Communion and heard the words of forgiveness. Our church is part of who we are as followers of Christ. We pray for our church.

1. 1. We begin by praying for the three parts of our church. The Churchwide office of the Presiding Bishop is in Chicago connecting some 8,000 congregations in the ELCA. The Southeastern Synod office is in Atlanta, serving four states under the leadership of Bishop Julian Gordy. Pray for our ELCA Bishops and Clergy. Pray for visionary leadership.
2. 2. Pray for our leaders here at St Luke. Many of us have served as officers in the church, on committees or as Sunday School teachers. We know our leaders give of their time and talent in service. We pray for God’s wisdom upon our leaders.
3. 3. St. Luke is known as a serving congregation. We host families in transition, we feed the hungry, we build homes, we serve near and far in the name of Christ. Let us pray for specific people we have served. Let us remember that ministry is about people.
4. 4. Pray for our visitors. It takes a lot of courage to enter a church service for the first time. How can you be a kind and welcoming face to a visitor? Most people choose to attend a church because of the invitation of family or friends. Pray for friends and family you can invite to attend St. Luke this Easter.
5. 5. St. Luke is a congregation of many. Each and every person is important to the life of our church. Our offerings and our time are vital to the continued success of our church. Pray for the people who sit around you during Sunday services. Pray for our St. Luke vision to Seek God, Serve Others and Share Life.