God the Father

A blessed March and a blessed Lent to you!  I pray this brief note finds you well.

After a few weeks of general Lenten musings about fasting and other Lenten disciplines, I thought we might spend a few weeks back in our catechisms.  Lent is a time of returning to God.  And the creed teaches us about the God to whom we return.

The Apostles’ Creed is one of the oldest writings in the church.  And in each of the three articles, we learn something magnificent about God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

In the first article, we rejoice is a God who is more than some all-powerful, all-knowing being in the sky.  We confess that God is our Father, loving us as His children.  And just as a loving parent provides for her or his children, God provides us with all that we need each and every day.  Food, clothing, home, family, work, and everything else we need.  This same God protects us and makes sure that we have all that we need to love him and serve our neighbors.

But don’t we have some roll to play in that that?  James Nestingen has a gem of a booklet on the Lutheran faith called Roots of our Faith.  And he offers the following reflections on this first article that I find helpful:

The answer will appear if you can see the miracle in that load of bread on your table.  It began in some seeds that were planted in a ground full of nutrients – ground that no man or woman made – and nurtured by sunshine and rain that come from no human hand.  A farmer, … after planting and harvesting the wheat, sold it to a grain company.  It was ground into flour and sold to a baker or directly to you.  Mixed with yeast, it was kneaded, raised, baked, and finally taken out to be sold to you or placed on your table.

As common as it might be, there is a miracle in every slice of bread – the miracle of fertile soil, of decent weather, of the hands of men and women, of water and yeast all coming together.  Even if it’s store-bought white bread containing as much air as flour, how could anyone every pay for all the gift in it? (p. 27)

As part of this miracle, we don’t pay God for these gifts of daily life.  We do our best to pay each other.  And in that exchange of goods and services, we all get what we need each day.  At least when we’re at our best.  But that’s a topic for another time.  For today, let us focus our sights on God’s provision – and the call to share the priceless miracle of daily provision with one another.  Let it be so!

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Worship With Us!
There are lots of ways to worship with us these days.  You can show up in person Sundays at 8:30 (masks and physical distancing protocols will be followed).  You can worship with us live or recorded on Facebook.  You can join us on the radio, too. 

Frozen Meal Distribution TODAY (March 4), 1-2pm

Catholic Charities is giving away free meals this afternoon, March 4, at Immanuel’s parking lot in conjunction with the NAPS program.  You don’t have to be part of NAPS to qualify.  Anyone over 60 can get up to 30 meals.  There is just a simple, one-time form to complete.  Spread the word!

 

Wednesday Soup Suppers

If you would like a comforting bowl of soup on Wednesday evening, swing past the church 5-5:45pm and pick up a meal for your whole family.  No need to pre-register.  Just show up by the parking lot doors and someone will serve you!  March 10, 17, and 24!

 

Palm Sunday Youth Lunch – March 28, 11-1pm

The youth are serving a wonderful meal on Palm Sunday and would love for you to “Grab and Go” in Immanuel’s parking lot … and support our Youth Ministry at the same time!  To RSVP, call the church office (631-2738), or visit https://bit.ly/ILCPalmSunday  You can also sign up on the church bulletin board. 

Check out our news page to learn more and for other important announcements: https://www.wadenaimmanuel.org/announcements

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