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Reflections from Vicar Jaren

We have spent the past year journeying through the entirety of Scripture. We started with Genesis in the Old Testament, travelled through the Gospels, and ended with the stories of the Church in Acts and Paul’s letters in the New Testament. It has been a wonderful time full of God’s written word. We have completed Year One of the narrative lectionary and I think it is so important to reflect on what this journey has been like for all of us. You can see the entirety of this journey through the displays set up in the gathering space where you may interact with various reminders of the Bible stories that we encountered every week. By reading through the entirety of the Bible this year, we can also take time to recognize that the Bible’s story, God’s story, continues with us today. We are continuing to participate in God’s story just as our ancestors of faith have done long before us. We have travelled through the Bible from beginning to end, but God’s story does not end there. God’s story continues in every one of us, in our communities, in our homes. And so let us take a moment to reflect and be thankful for all we have encountered this year. Let us thank God for the gift of scripture and for the opportunity to learn about our Creator who relates to us in grace-filled love. I hope this year has been a great opportunity for you all to dive deeper into God’s written word, where we encounter God’s Living Word—Jesus Christ. Remember that God’s story continues with us all and that we continue to rely on God’s Word to sustain us. To celebrate this achievement, we encourage everyone to bring their Bibles to worship this Sunday, May 28. We will be using them in worship where we will be gifting Bibles to our 2^nd graders. We look forward to seeing you here!

Get ready to “Splash in God’s Living Water!” at Vacation Bible School the week of Monday-Thursday, July 10th-13th (with a kickoff event on Sunday, July 9th).  Children in Preschool through 5th grade wishing to attend can sign up with this link.  Paper registration forms are also available at the church welcome center.

Our summer Vacation Bible School will be a wonderful time as we learn about the importance of ordinary water for life and growth.  While water is essential to our physical growth, God’s living water is necessary for our spiritual growth.

Everyone is invited to the VBS Kickoff Splash Party from 4:00-6:30 pm on Sunday, July 9th.  We’ll have water fun and games on the front lawn beginning at 4:00 followed by an indoor potluck dinner.

There are many ways for everyone (children, youth, and adults) to volunteer the week of VBS (Monday-Thursday, July 10th-13th).  Below are brief descriptions of roles that still need to be filled:

• Shepherds:  Lead a small group of children through the stations on Monday-Thursday, July 10th-13th.  No planning or advance preparation is necessary.
• Station Leaders:  Materials are provided for you to lead small groups of children for 25-minute sessions. Station Leaders are still needed for crafts and recreation time.
• Registration:  Welcome and sign in children as they arrive at VBS each morning from 8:45-9:15 am.
• Decorate:  We’ll be decorating the sanctuary and gathering space right after worship on Sunday, June 25th.  All are welcome to help!

King David said, “I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing” (2 Samuel 24:24).  David knew the importance of giving to God something meaningful or of value.  David felt that his giving should cost him something.  When we give sacrificially, as David did, we understand that it has less to do with how much we give than how much we give up.  To give sacrificially means that we give something we love to something we love even more.  For example, we value our money, but we value God’s love for us even more. For more information about stewardship, please contact Max Buban at maxmbuban@sbcglobal.net.

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In Luke 12:21, Jesus predicted disappointment for those who are not “rich toward God”.  Have you wondered what it means to be “rich toward God”?  Certainly, we are rich toward God when we see everything as a gift from God.  Those who are rich toward God are givers rather than takers.  By grace, we freely receive, and we freely give.  Through faith, we are empowered to express God’s love and are being rich toward God as we love our neighbors.  Those who are rich toward God will seek first God’s righteousness and do God’s will.  For more information about stewardship, please contact Max Buban at maxmbuban@sbcglobal.net.

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Have you ever wondered why we believe the things that we do? Maybe you have asked yourself questions such as: What does it mean for Jesus to be God? What did Jesus accomplish on the cross? What about the End Times? These questions and more will be the focus of our adult Faith Formation series on Sundays through May at 9am in the church library. We will be using a resource called Making Sense of the Christian Faith to do exactly that, make sense of our faith from a Lutheran perspective. This is a great class to learn why we believe the things that we do and to search for answers to questions you may have had but never got a chance to ask. Everyone is welcome! This is a great opportunity to learn more about our faith and to have discussions and answer questions together. I hope to see you there.

– Vicar Jaren

This summer’s VBS team is in need of several items that will help us prepare for some splashing fun!  If you have any of the following items that you’re willing to donate or lend to VBS from now through July, please drop them off in the bin at the sign up table or reach out to Noelle Fox.  Items needed:  blue fabric (to make lakes, ponds, and rivers), large boxes (copier paper box or larger), fountains, unused aquariums, garden benches, ocean animals (stuffed animals), toy boats, dove stuffed animal, walking sticks, large rock (real or fake).  Please label items with your name so we can return them to you at the end of July.  Thanks for helping to make VBS great!