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Weekly Memo from Prairie Church –
February 3, 2008
God’s grace and peace
to you. In these cold winter days, global warming seems a bit hard
to grasp, although those who document climate change show the evidence
to us. A warming trend is predicated for the weekend. As a congregation
we are blessed with a beautiful sanctuary that is warm and lets the
morning light brighten our worship space. This Sunday we focus on the
story of extreme light recorded in the Gospel
of Matthew 17:1-9. It is the story of the Transfiguration of
Jesus on a mountain with three of his disciples present. The story will
be read in worship this Sunday. The title of Pastor Lisa Dodd’s
sermon, based on this text is “A Light
Shining Through”. This Sunday, children will stay in
worship with their families. Nursery care will be provided for infants
and toddlers. Communion will be served at both worship times. Children
are welcome to come for communion.
The Youth
Vocal Choir will sing several anthems.
On Wednesday,
February 6, we observe Ash Wednesday
and begin the season of Lent. You
will be receiving a special brochure in the mail this week, outlining
our plans for worship and spiritual formation during the forty
days of Lent. This coming Wednesday our Ash
Wednesday worship service will be held in the sanctuary from 6:45
– 7:15 p.m. A Lenten Soup Supper
will be served in the Fellowship Hall from 6:00 – 6:40 p.m.
Come for soup and then move into the sanctuary for worship. The
remaining Wednesday evening worship services of Lent will be based on
the songs and format of the Taizé community in France. (Read more about
it in the Lent brochure).
I offer you the
following quote from writer Richard Rohr, taken from his book, Things
Hidden: Scripture as Spirituality:
“Isn’t
it a consolation to know that life is not a straight line? Many of us
wish and have been told that it should be, but I haven’t met a life
yet that’s a straight line to God…..It’s always getting the point
and missing the point. It’s God entering our lives and then fighting
it, avoiding it, running from it. There is the moment of divine
communion or intimacy, and then the pullback….Fortunately God works
with all of it, and that’s called mercy or steadfast love (or
faithfulness).”
I
look forward to being in worship with you this Sunday as we center
ourselves in the presence of GOD’S LIGHT and give thanks for God’s
abundant love through word, sacrament and song at 9:00 or 10:30 a.m. in
the sanctuary.
Be
Blessed,
Pastor Mike Mille
r
mikem@prairiechurch.org
Weekly Memo from Prairie Church –
February 10, 2008
God’s grace and
peace to you. This Sunday is the first Sunday of Lent.
Lent is a six-week season. There are 40 days in
Lent (not counting Sundays). Forty is an important number in
Biblical story telling. It was the number of days on the ark for Noah.
It is the number of days Jesus spent in the wilderness in prayer and
reflection before he began his ministry. Ash Wednesday was the official
beginning of Lent. The season will end on “Holy Saturday” the day
before Easter.
This Sunday we will
read the story of Jesus’ testing in the wilderness from the Gospel of Matthew
4:1-11. The title of my message based on this reading is “Wilderness
Encounter”.
The Chancel Choir
will sing for both worship services. During worship this week we will
recognize and bless those persons who have agreed to serve as spiritual
leaders for our congregation. During the time of giving, those who are
serving on Ministry Teams will be asked to stand in the sanctuary as we
give them our support and blessing.
In between worship
services this Sunday, you will have an opportunity
to thank Zach Taylor for his ministry of music with us at a
special reception in his honor. A basket for cards will be provided in
Fellowship Hall. This is his last Sunday as keyboard/organist. We
wish him well.
This coming Wednesday,
February 13, we will gather at 6
p.m. for our Lenten Soup Supper in the Fellowship Hall.
Following the meal we will move to the sanctuary at 6:45 p.m. to begin
our weekly worship based on the Taizé Community of France. The worship
style is simple and reflective. The music consists of simple phrases
sung many times. In addition to singing there will be times of silence,
prayer and reading of scripture. This peaceful worship style will be
offered each Wednesday evening during Lent. Following the Wednesday
evening worship this coming week; those who wish to explore other prayer
forms are invited to the Gathering Room. I will lead a half hour of
prayer. The first week we will use the prayer form called Lectio Divina,
a method of praying the scriptures.
I would like to let
you know that the Worship Ministry Team has recommended that during Lent
we simplify our method of serving communion and use only the common loaf
and common cup. The bread servers will also offer gluten-free wafers.
The common loaf and common cup are powerful symbols of the Christ’s
Body broken for us and restored by the power of the Holy Spirit as the
Church.
Here is a prayer
from the Taizé Community for your reflection:
Although
within us there are wounds, Lord Christ, above all there is the miracle
of your mysterious presence.
Thus,
made lighter or even set free, we are going with you, the Christ, from
one discovery to another. Amen.
I
look forward to being in worship with you at 9:00 or 10:30 a.m. this
Sunday as we center ourselves in the promise of God’s abundant love
through scripture, word, song and prayer
Be
Blessed,
Pastor Mike Miller
mikem@prairiechurch.org
Weekly Memo from Prairie Church –
February 17, 2008
God’s
grace and peace to you in these days of Lent.
If you have not yet attended a Wednesday evening Lenten
Taizé service or enjoyed the fellowship of the soup supper,
make plans to come this coming Wednesday: 6
p.m. – soup supper; 6:45 – Taizé Prayer Service.
This
Sunday we will read the story of Jesus’ encounter with Nicodemus, a
religious leader of the Temple. The story is found in the Gospel of John
3:1-17. The title of Pastor Lisa’s message, based on
this reading is “Late Night With Nicodemus”.
Communion will be included in worship. This is the first Sunday when we
will use only the common cup and loaf and the bread servers will also
offer gluten free wafers. Brenda Starkey has graciously agreed to
provide interim music leadership as we begin the search for a new
keyboard/organist.
As
we continue to grow in our understanding and expression of being a “Welcoming
Congregation”, I would like to remind you to wear
your name badge each time you come to worship or other events in
the church. Although we are not a mega church, we are not so small that
we know everyone’s name. So PLEASE WEAR YOUR NAME BADGE EACH WEEK and
save yourself or another some embarrassment! Your
name badge also helps the greeters and the pastors identify the visitors
more readily on Sundays. Thanks
for being intentional with this simple but very important request.
When
you come into the building on Sunday mornings, you may be wondering:
“What happened to the Greeters?” They are still present in the
gathering area/narthex, but are moving about the room rather than
standing right by the door, so they can be more flexible in welcoming
folks, especially first time guests. The Welcoming Ministry Team has
taken on this important role and will be recruiting additional folks for
the work. They will no longer stand behind the Welcome Center, but be
moving about the entire space. If you are interested in serving in this
way, please contact Barb Clay or Eric Hyde. They will help orient you to
the “plan”!!
Here
is a prayer of welcoming from the Iona Community for your reflection:
We
saw a stranger yesterday,
We
put food in the eating-place,
Drink
in the drinking place,
Music
in the listening place,
And,
with the sacred name of the triune God,
He
blessed us and our house, our cattle and our dear ones.
As
the lark says in her song: Often, often, often, goes Christ in the
stranger’s guise. (Celtic rune of hospitality)
I
look forward to being in worship with you at 9:00 or 10:30 a.m. this
Sunday as we center ourselves in the promise of God’s abundant love.
Be
Blessed,
Pastor Mike Miller
Weekly Memo from Prairie Church –
February 24, 2008
God’s grace and
peace to you in these days of Lent.
If you have not yet attended a Wednesday evening Lenten Taizé service
or enjoyed the fellowship of the soup supper, make plans to come this
coming Wednesday: 6 p.m. – soup supper; 6:45
– Taizé Prayer Service.
This Sunday we will
read the story of Jesus’ conversation with a woman at a village well
in the region of Samaria. The story is found in the Gospel of John
4:5-42. The title of my message, based on this reading is “Water,
Word, Witness”. The Chancel Choir will sing at both worship
services. Brenda Starkey has graciously agreed to provide interim music
leadership as we begin the search for a new keyboard/organist.
As we continue to
grow in our understanding and expression of being a “Welcoming
Congregation”, I would like to remind you to wear your name badge each
time you come to worship or other events in the church. Although we are
not a mega church, we are not so small that we know everyone’s name.
PLEASE WEAR YOUR NAME BADGE EACH WEEK and save yourself or another
person some embarrassment! Your name badge also helps the greeters and
the pastors identify the visitors more readily on Sundays. Thanks for
being intentional with this simple but very important request.
For the past two
Wednesday evenings following the Taizé worship in the sanctuary, I have
offered a time of prayer in the Gathering Room called “Continuing
the Conversation”. We have been using historic prayer forms of the
church, which are focused more on listening than talking. This past
Wednesday, we concluded with the following prayer by Catherine of Siena
(1347-1380 – Italy)
You,
O eternal Trinity, are a deep sea into which
The
more I enter, the more I find,
And
the more I find, the more I seek.
O
abyss, O eternal Godhead, O sea profound,
What
more could you give me than yourself?
God’s
grace, unsought and unearned, blows through my life,
And
all I need to do is raise my sails to catch the full wind!
I
look forward to being in worship with you at 9:00 or 10:30 a.m. this
Sunday as we open ourselves to the warm spirit-wind of God’s abundant
love.
Be
Blessed,
Pastor Mike Miller
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