LOVE IN TRUTH & LOVE IN DEED
Saint Valentine was a Christian martyr who lived in the third century AD. While the exact details of his life and death are not well-known, there are several different legends and stories associated with him. One popular legend is that Saint Valentine was a priest who helped couples marry during a time when the Roman Emperor Claudius II had banned marriages. The emperor believed that unmarried men made better soldiers and when Valentine was eventually discovered, he was executed for disobeying the emperor's orders.
In some ways, Saint Valentine’s actions don’t seem all that uncommon because Christians, particularly during the early days of Christianity, were known for their compassion and care for others. They would often take in the poor, the sick, and the marginalized, providing them with food, shelter, and medical care. Over the years Christians have been known to establish hospitals, shelters, soup kitchens, and orphanages to care for those in need. In the early days of Christianity, the Church had such a strong emphasis on community and mutual aid, that members of the community would pool their resources to support one another. This spirit of care and concern for others was more than just a reflection of their faith and the teachings of Jesus, but it was the reason that Christianity grew to be the most popular faith in the world today. Christians were so uncommonly committed to care for others that others watched and said, “I’m not sure what it is that they believe, but I want what they have.”
As Christians, it is our duty to continue this commitment to care for others and love our neighbors as ourselves. Not just because people like Saint Valentine have done it in the past, but because it is the command that Jesus gives us: “But I am giving you a new command. You must love each other, just as I have loved you. If you love each other, everyone will know that you are my disciples” (John 13:34-35).
How are you responding to this command from our Lord? We can love and care for others in so many ways. When was the last time you shared an act of kindness with someone, visited someone who was sick, or offered a listening ear to a friend? Maybe you prefer to volunteer your time to a worthy cause or offer help to those in need. Donations of time or money to the food bank is a favorite way that many of us choose to show our love for others. Sometimes the biggest impact can come from the everyday ways that we reach out to those who are struggling emotionally or financially and offer support and encouragement.
Perhaps the early Christians who became known for their acts of love were motivated by reading 1 John 3:18: “Children, you show love for others by truly helping them, and not merely by talking about it.” I pray that we are each known by others for our acts of kindness and love. I hope that Vinje has a reputation around the community for loving others. As we celebrate love this month, let us remember that love is not just a feeling or an emotion; it's a choice. It's a choice to put others first and to actively demonstrate our love through our actions and deeds. It's a call to love in truth and to love in deed.
Pastor Justin
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SUMMER YOUTH OPPORTUNITIES
VBS DAYCAMP @ SHORES OF ST ANDREW
Kindergarteners through 5th graders are all invited for four days of day camp fun July 17-20th! Save the dates...more information coming soon!
BIBLE CAMP EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT
Early bird registration discount is available until February 16. We encourage campers to register now and if cost is any issue, we don't want that to be a barrier for anyone. As every year, Vinje will continue to provide scholarship money to help with the cost so that everyone has a chance to go!
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HIGH SCHOOL & MIDDLE SCHOOL MISSION TRIPS
Info has been shared about our high school trip to Nashville, Tennessee on June 23-July 2 and our middle school trip to Camp House (north of Duluth) August 6-9! We’d like to have all interested youth signed up by February 15th. Please contact Pastor Justin with questions.
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The season of Lent is just around the corner, so we want you to know about a few worship opportunities coming up! We'll begin a new sermon series "Making Space for Faith" where we explore everyday ways we can connect with God. We'll hear unique sermons on both Wednesdays and Sundays where we explore the ways we can notice God in everyday life (you may even hear a couple sermons from your pastors' spouses!). We'll also be offering Holden Evening Prayer on select Sundays and Wednesdays for the season.
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Ash Wednesday Worship
February 22, 6 pm
Making Space for Faith Sermon Series
February 26—March 29
Holden Evening Prayer
Sundays: March 5 and 19, Wednesdays: March 15 and 29
Holy Week
April 2—April 7
Lenten Mentoring
Weekly: February 22 through March 22
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ANNUAL MEETING
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5
FOLLOWING WORSHIP
The annual meeting of Vinje Lutheran Church will be on February 5 at 11:00am. All confirmed members of the congregation will have voice and vote at this meeting. We will vote on new council members and a budget proposal for 2023. See you all there!
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LOVING ARMS UPDATE
Sure, not all of us are excited about all the snow, but our Loving Arms kids are thrilled about all the fun they now get to have on “Vinje Mountain!”
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WHAT WE CAN DO TO SUPPORT OUR ENVIRONMENT
One of the most impactful things we can do is for the environment is to educe our use of plastic bags and bottles. Amounts of ‘nano’ particles of plastic in our water and our food supply (a nano particle is a microscopic piece of plastic) are on the rise. Here are some things we can do to help stop this pollution:
- Use reusable totes at stores (like those red Vinje bags!). By one estimate, if a person did not use one-time use plastic bags, they would remove over 22,000 plastic bags from the environment over their lifetime.
- Avoid buying products in plastic when possible.
- Refill your water bottle rather than using a store bought bottle of water.
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EXPLORING VINJE'S HISTORY
This month pastor Andrés asked Suzanne Napgezek to share her memories about the meal that Vinje used to serve once a month on a Saturday at noon years ago.
The Joys of Hospitality
For many years before COVID, our congregation participated at the initiative of the Methodist Church in an inter-church ministry of serving a free meal once a week. In the first years, about 8 to 10 churches were involved, and by the time the ministry ended, Vinje was one of only three churches participating. Some of the churches served the meal on Sunday either noon or evening. We did it always on a Saturday at noon once a month. Sometimes we provided music to eat by and always a short welcome and table grace by a volunteer or pastor.
Everyone was invited. Information was posted at the food shelf and provided each week about the following week’s time and location. One month the Outreach Committee which coordinated the meals walked all the blocks surrounding our church, leaving invitations in hands and doorways, and we met surprised new faces happy to join us for a meal.
People in the congregation made donations, and we had volunteers to buy the food, and to do all the work, and several cooks who took turns. After a while, we did not even have to call servers. They just came faithfully.
Once a year, Vinje and Iglesia Luterana Paz y Esperanza partnered at Vinje to serve a Hispanic dinner. Vinje and Paz members greeted guests together and we were unique in serving them at their seats.
Meatloaf, hot dishes, stews, homemade desserts… full course menus brought needy families, folks wanting companionship with supper, friendly parishioners, and neighbors to join us in fellowship. We fed peoples' stomachs and souls, often many more than a hundred.
Across generations and genders, we formed bonds cutting carrots and setting tables, planning menus, or doing dishes. Good times…warm memories. Working together made Vinje truly our church home.
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COUNCIL MEETING HIGHLIGHTS
At their meeting on January 23, the Vinje Council…
- Learned that December was our best financial month ever! We were pleased to meet our budget for 2022.
- Discussed exploring outside resources to fill our new Worship Leader position.
- Approved Pastor Justin's sabbatical: May 15-August 14.
- Shared the Lenten worship schedule.
- Discussed 8 week medical leave for Pastor Erika.
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A MESSAGE FROM PASTOR ERIKA
The week before Christmas, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. After lots of doctoring, folks much smarter than me have concurred the best first step in treatment is surgery. This will take place on February 6. Cancer treatments will follow, though we don’t know yet what those treatments will be. I will be on medical leave for the next several weeks as I recover. My family and I covet your support and prayers during this time, you will surely remain in mine.
In Christ, Pastor Erika
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SUPPORTING PASTOR ERIKA
As Pastor Erika mentioned, prayers for her and her family are welcomed. If you’d like to care for her by way of meals or cards, you are welcome to drop those off at the church office and we will see to it that they get to her. Of course, you’re also welcome to send cards to her directly (PO Box 426, Kerkhoven, MN 56252) if you’d prefer .
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QUILTERS WILL MEET AGAIN IN MARCH!
Vinje Quilters not meet in February, but are looking forward to being back together in March!
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Make a one-time contribution or set up reoccurring giving here. Need help? Call the church office!
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VINJE ON THE GO!
RADIO Listen on Sundays at 9:30 am on KWLM, 1340 AM.
INTERNET Watch anytime! (go to YouTube and search Vinje Willmar).
TV Watch local access channel, 180 Sundays at 2:30 pm and 8:30 pm and Tuesdays at 8 am and 5 pm.
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