While Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. famously preached "I have a dream," currently it feels like we are in a nightmare. I heard another inspiring sermon from the Presiding Bishop Michael Curry of the Episcopal church where he said, "the power of love will save us." That love is none other than the transformative love of Jesus who embraces a hurting world, with arms as outstretched on a cross. The cross itself is God's embrace to hold us in our brokenness and usher in love and restore us to newly abundant and eternal life.

Yesterday I was on the phone with a dear friend and colleague, Pastor Kirsten Fryer from Bethlehem Lutheran on the Midway. She serves at our mission partner congregation there. For the past twenty years, OSLC continually feeds the hungry and homeless at Open Hands, a ministry housed out of Bethlehem. I asked her, "How can we help? We want to be there for you." Kirsten responded, "The needs are on-going. There is now no grocery store within walking distance of our church. We essentially are the store. As soon as supplies come in, they quickly leave. We need everything. A list is continually being updated on our website and our Facebook page."

As you can imagine, the needs are even greater now. As we navigate through the waters of a stormy pandemic, and now the tumultuous crisis of fires, riots and trauma, now is a time more than ever to share the love of Jesus in concrete ways.  We also want to help not only now in the immediate needs, but for the long-haul. As I type this, we are also working on thorough plans for multiple ways for you to be involved in these relief efforts. Stay tuned for an additional announcement detailing ways you can help love the neighbor in need. It is our calling to demonstrate God's love for all and live into our mission as a caring congregation. As Jesus once said, "I was hungry and you gave me food." (Matthew 25:35) Let us love the neighbors before us, Jesus in our midst. Let us also trust and know that Jesus too holds us close to his heart, and holds us in this collective pain. God's love does indeed have the power to redeem and save us all.

Faithfully,

 

Pastor Karna

 

Communion on Wednesday & Sunday  

The world is hungry for God. You are invited to use bread or crackers; wine or juice as we celebrate how the Holy Spirit is working in our midst. As a special activity, below is the recipe from our First Communion Class if you would like to make something special for use at communion time during worship. Extra loaves may be frozen for use at another time.  

 

Additional option: We have several loaves in the church freezer. If you are interested in receiving one of those loaves for your communion, please email Darla Goble or call her at (651)308-8641 and she will make sure you receive a loaf.

 

Measure dry ingredients:

2 c whole wheat flour

1 c white flour

1 ¼ tsp baking powder

1 ¼ tsp salt

 

Mix wet ingredients together until dissolved:

¾ c + 2 TBS very hot water

TBS honey

TBS molasses

4 tsp oil

 

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix well. Dough should be slightly sticky. Do not kneed. Divide into four balls and flatten each into a ¼ inch thick disk. Lay loaves on a baking sheet. With a knife, score a  V cross onto the loaf. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. 

 

Remove bread from oven and brush the tops with oil. Bake an additional 5-8 minutes. Let cool.

 

Conclude preparations with this blessing: Gracious God, you tend and nourish your family with loving care.  You provided bread to the prophet Elijah, bread to the crowd who gathered around our Lord and the Bread of Life in your Son Jesus our Lord. As we offer this bread for a holy meal, we offer our hearts and hands into your service. In your love and care, nourish and strengthen those who eat this bread, that through the Sacrament all may know the comfort of your abiding presence. AMEN.