ST PETER'S NEWS
June 18, 2020
A WORD FROM PASTOR V
This Sunday we take the first step into moving back to in-person worship. Worship will be live-streamed via YouTube. For those who miss it, you can watch it anytime afterwards. Saturday's worship email will have any special instructions on joining the live-stream.

The Building Committee is working hard to get us closer to breaking ground. Visit the buildingtobless.org website to get the latest information and details on where things are.

I think this week's video bible study on sin is particularly rich in light of all that is going on in our society. I wonder if we shy away from talking about sin because it sounds like a bad word...or maybe sounds too churchy and think its only something the pastor is qualified to speak on (definitely not)...or maybe sin is hard to face...because it asks us to look in the mirror and see what we rather not want to see in ourselves or our world.

Sin in Hebrew is this rich word "khata" which means "to fail." In the New Testament, the Greek for sin is "harmartia" or "to miss the mark." The video below has great imagery to capture these two meanings. I encourage you to give it a view.

Sin is definitely those things we do that are not life-giving, yet sin is also part of the human condition...it's just part of who we are...a reality we want to avoid by not talking about it. Yet, to avoid our human condition is to also avoid God...who became human to not sin, but instead take on our sin in Jesus...to live, die, and rise from the dead so that we know we are not defined by our human condition, but by the radical love of God.

As we wrestle with whatever is bothering us these days. As we fume and lament about those things that burn in us right now. Maybe there is purpose in having a mirror in the our bathrooms, that each morning we begin our day by looking at ourselves.

We begin with the honesty of seeing the human condition before us. The mirror in ungracious in not hiding our failings, where we have missed the mark. This mirror can bring us down, but it can also help us connect to our neighbor who also has struggles.

Yet, as Christians, we also see in this mirror one who is also holy and righteous, precious, honored, loved, and redeemed…not because of any good thing we have done, but because of the love of Jesus. It is with this reminder of who we are despite our our failings and shortcomings, that we go into our day to reminder EVERYONE we come across that they are holy and righteous, precious, honored, loved, and redeemed, not because of anything they have done, but because of the love of Jesus.

Let us not be afraid to call out sin where it is...maybe in the mirror...or those places that miss the mark...that are not life-giving for all...those places that fail to reveal God's love for the world. But in doing so, let us also not be afraid to name the image of God at work in these same places, that grace might run like mighty waters over us, that love might terraform our view of world, that the peace of God might be felt by all simultaneously.

Peace,
Pastor V
WORSHIP UPDATE
Join our live-stream worship this Sunday at 9AM!

We are making final preparations to have our FIRST live-stream worship this Sunday. Note that we are only having worship leaders present. So, please DO NOT come to the church building, but continue to participate in worship online or through our weekly email and mailings (for those without internet). NOTE: the live-stream video can be viewed from our YouTube channel (same as before) and after the live-stream event, the video will be viewable anytime.

SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS FOR ONLINE VIEWING THIS SUNDAY WILL COME IN THE SATURDAY WORSHIP EMAIL.

PV is planning a special Monday email/video for the congregation on our phased re-gathering plans. The re-gathering team is finalizing details on a phasing process for council to review and approve on Monday to share with the congregation. We are using the CDC and Whitehouse guidelines on a phased re-gathering approach, as well as resources from our synod, ELCA, and ecumenical partners to develop a process that fits well our context and congregation to best steward the health and wellness of our community. We are aware that cases have relatively been few in Burnet County, but we are very near 3 of the highest case counties in Texas. We are also mindful that what we have historically done for worship (gather indoors for long periods of time, sing, share communion, hug and shake hands) are high risk ways of spreading this virus. A number of the current hotspots across the country have been traced back to churches gathering to worship. So, we are working on how to adapt for in-person worship that makes your health our highest priority as we seek to BOLDLY embody Jesus call to love our neighbor. In this time, we love each other by ensuring the health of our neighbor. And, the church has not stopped being the church in this time of no large gatherings. This is simply a reminder that the church has never been a building, but that the church is the body of Christ...you. So, be BOLD in being church in new ways in this time that both stewards wellness as well as embodies love for neighbor.

The current timeline:
6/21 - debut of live-stream worship (only leaders)
6/28 - a special email will come out on 6/22 with update
JOIN THE NEW A/V TEAM!

Please contact Olivia Cheesman if you would like to learn more about helping run our live-stream equipment for worship.
ST. PETER'S MINISTRY UPDATE
Our Building Committee is working diligently and faithfully to complete their task. We thank them for the many hours they have dedicated.

The BtB website ( buildingtobless.org ) is updated and you can now look at all the updated schematic designs (presented at the annual meeting). There is an updated blog post that covers what has happened in 2020 so far and what's next. The giving page also now has a graph noting how we are doing in our campaign as we enter our final year of the program.

Thank you for your continued support of this project to blessing our neighbors, congregation, and world. God had definitely tossed us a few curve balls along the way here, but I God is forever challenging us to Together, BOLDLY live and share God's grace with all. Thanks be to God.
YOUTH AND FAMILY NEWS
SUMMER VBS 2020

Good News!  A 4 day VBS will be emailed to families for July 6-9 (church, school, and previous year attendees will be emailed). Others can sign up, they just need to get their email information to Vonda Orton by .   The theme is RESCUE.  We will study the Fiery Furnace, Daniel and the Lion’s Den, Jonah and the Whale and Jesus.  Each family will pick up a supply bag for the activities the weekend before VBS begins.

Last day to register is June 27.
Bag pickup days will be July 1, 2, 3.

While this is an at-home VBS, your help and participation is still vital to our VBS this summer. A gift of $10 dollars will help pay for the craft supplies and snacks for one VBS camper.    

You can drop off your donation at the church office or you may use the on-line giving portal (choose seasonal and put "VBS" in description box).

We have currently raised $50 of our $500 June 28th goal.

Thank you for helping us pivot and offer VBS in a new way this summer! If you have any questions, please contact our our Youth and Family Coordinator, Vonda Orton (vorton@splcmf.org).
DIGITAL SCAVENGER HUNT
(OPEN TO ENTIRE CONGREGATION)

Need a reason to safely get out during this time? We took 25 random pictures. All of the pictures are in the Marble Falls / Burnet county area. From Spicewood, to Smithwick, to Horseshoe Bay, to Kingsland, etc.

  • All 25 pictures will be on an email with a corresponding number for grading purposes
  • 5 points will be awarded for each correct identification / location / name of place 
  • 3 bonus points will be awarded for each picture you take of yourselves in front of the location
  • A family could earn 200 points total if they ID each picture correctly and take a “selfie” in front of each location (From any distance)

This is a great opportunity for parents with smaller youth to make a day trip out of the hunt. They could ID all the locations and then the next day have everything mapped out for pictures. 
This will give a small local historical lesson to anyone who would like to participate!

Please contact Craig Orton for more information if you are interested! corton@splcmf.org
ICE-CREAM SOCIAL SUCCESS!

Thanks to everyone who came out to enjoy some ice-cream, games, and trivia Wednesday night.

Each family had their own parking spot to help us be mindful of physical distancing, as well as plenty masks and sanitizer for all. It was good to see everyone and be in the same general space together. Thanks to Craig and Vonda for being well organized and thoughtful in how we can gather as families during this time.
BIBLE STUDY AT HOME
BOOK STUDY ON RACE

We begin our book study on June 24th @ 5:30pm. It's not too late to join. Send Pastor Vanicek an email so he can add you to the Zoom invite list.

For those interested, go ahead and order your copy of the book to and start reading PART 1.
BIBLE STUDY AT HOME
Faith is scripture is rarely a noun...but most often a verb...an active and alive thing. Faith is like muscles, requiring exercise to stay healthy and strong. While we are in Diaspora (separated...), use these short videos as a weekly way of growing in your faith and love.

This week is a powerful look at the very churchy word "sin," yet this word point to something that all have encountered...the human condition...both the voluntary and involuntary parts. If all are created in the image of God, our failure to see God in our neighbor is sin...because at its root sin is about failure. This is why Jesus makes such a strong connection between love of neighbor and love of God. You can only achieve one by doing the other. When have you failed to see the image of God in someone else? What keeps you from seeing the image of God in all things? How does Jesus dying FOR our sins create in us both apathy(inaction) and holy purpose/passion(a life well lived)?
Dig deep into the studying the word "sin." CLICK HERE.
DEVOTIONS AND MAGAZINES IN THE PORTICO BIN
CHRIST IN OUR HOME
WORSHIP & PRAYER RESOURCES
If you missed a recent online worship, want to read the text of sermon, are looking for daily prayer resources, or want to find something noted in our weekly emails, CLICK HERE for a one-stop page on our website.
GRATITUDE AND CONGREGATIONAL NOTES
Please send Tristan any notes that you would like to share with the congregation. Thank you.
OTHER RESOURCES