Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
As I mentioned last week, following his ordination on Saturday, June 19th, Pastor Twietmeyer will begin his service as Messiah's pastor this coming Sunday, June 20th!
First, please plan to join Pastor Twietmeyer as he leads his first Adult Bible Class at 9 am. We'll be back in the Fellowship Hall for this class; he'll spell out what we'll be studying that morning. Bring your Bible and be ready! Current building use policies will continue to be in effect in the Fellowship Hall. (FYI, our technical team is working on livestreaming Adult Bible Class from the Fellowship Hall as soon as feasible.)
The Divine Service will follow at 10 am; this service will be livestreamed as usual at our YouTube channel, our website and our Facebook page. An identical service will be held on Monday, June 21st at 7 pm.
As mentioned last week, at their June meeting Messiah's Board of Elders voted to restore all pre-pandemic worship practices beginning this Sunday, June 20th. This means that Messiah's special Guidelines for In-Person Worship will no longer be in force as of that date. In addition to changes already made last month, no RSVPs are required for this weekend's services; there will be no designated seating to ensure social distancing (the narthex and choir space will continue to be available for those who wish to have distanced seating); offering plates will be passed; and the distribution of Holy Communion will return to pre-pandemic practices. Again, please contact any member of the Board of Elders if you have questions.
In this Sunday's readings, we see how life is filled with profound ambiguity. The Lord answers Job’s barrage of questions with more questions, asserting His divine foreknowledge about every aspect of creation. (Job 38:1-11) In life’s storm, we struggle to understand the balance between the known & unknown, the seen & unseen, the sorrowful & the joyful, the poor & wealthy, the temporal & eternal. (2 Corinthians 6:1-13) In all of this, Christ infuses His words “Peace! Be still!” Through His command, creation is tamed & hearts are stilled. (Mark 4:35-41) As we begin a new era at Messiah, may we rejoice this weekend and always in the peace that Jesus alone gives!
Yours in Him,
Rick Krueger, Parish Assistant
