WALKING HUMBLY WITH GOD
These days more than ever, I find myself wanting simple answers and it seems harder and harder to find them. I want to know which one of the talking heads on cable news is telling me the truth and which one is lying to me. I want to know if the Covid pandemic is coming to an end or if these new variants are about to launch us back into the depths of the crisis. I want to know which foods are really good for me and which aren’t. Maybe there is more clarity on pizza not being too good for me, but I just don’t want to believe it. Overall, I want there to be cut and dry, black and white answers to a lot of the questions that I have about life.
I’m pretty sure that there is a desire for this when it comes to our faith as well. Wouldn’t it be great if we could know exactly how God felt about every aspect of our lives? What is right? What is wrong? Perhaps we would still do the wrong thing from time to time, but at least we would know. I’m sure there are some pastors out there from other faith traditions that would tell us that we can know those things. They would say that the scripture makes everything clear. That everything is explained by the Bible and that faith is actually a simple matter. I certainly know there are plenty of preachers out there that are offering simple yes/no answers to many questions that keep me up at night. Yet, when I actually read scripture and live my life, I find that there are very few moments when the answers are so simple.
There is part of me that is envious of such a view of God. There are plenty of times that I wish life was simpler, when I wish faith was a journey of certainty. Yet I know this is not how God works. This is not the reality we live in. We can pretend that we have every aspect of God figured out, but scripture is filled with warnings of such pride. Faith is not a matter of certainty, but rather a matter of trust. Our life with God does not promise us easy answers to complicated questions, but rather, as faithful disciples of Christ we are called to seek understanding from God and from our neighbors. We are expected to remain humble, rather than assuming that we possess the truth that others do not.
Yes, the world grows ever more complicated each day. It certainly is desirable to have easy answers to all the big questions. It would likely allow us to sleep a little easier at night. But, while it may be easier to go through life thinking that we have God and life absolutely figured out, it is not faithful. Rather, our journey is, as the prophet Micah says, “to do justice, love kindness, and to walk humbly with God.”
Pastor Justin
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LENTEN WORSHIP IN-PERSON SCHEDULE
February 24-March 24 | 6-6:30 pm
Wednesday Holden Evening Prayer
All Wednesday services will be live-streamed and available for later viewing online.
Every Sunday | 9:30-10 am
Sunday services will continue to be broadcast online and on the radio as well.
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HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE AND EASTER SPECIAL CONTRIBUTIONS
Click here for our Holy Week schedule and a printable Easter Special Contribution form. Contributions can also be made online, we just ask that you also email Janet and let her know what your contribution is for (flowers and/or food shelf) and whom/what your gift is in honor/memory/thanksgiving of.
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SUNDAY SCHOOL UPDATE!
It’s been fun to welcome the children back for in-person Sunday school these past couple of weeks! Children have gotten to hear a bible story, do a craft, and simply enjoy sharing in the love of God with caring adults. In addition to in-person faith formation, we are continuing to deliver at-home activity kits so families can share the faith even from a distance. We look forward to the day when we can all be together in-person again and share in the love of God together!
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Reduce, Reuse and THEN recycle. In that exact order! While recycling is a great way to keep things out of the landfill, it should be our last line of defense. The first and best way to prevent waste from ending up in the landfill is to reduce the demand for the source material. Reduce the number of things you use by conducting an audit of the things you purchase. Decide what things you frequently use, and what things go to waste. From there, you can make informed purchasing decisions in the future. After reducing, try reusing! Think repurposing old clothes into rags, grocery bags into trash bags, plastic containers for planting seedlings. Finally, everything that can not be reduced or reused can be recycled and turned into something else. |
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VINJE PHOTO DIRECTORIES
If your family’s photo is in the Vinje directory, updated copies have arrived. Call the church office to make arrangements to pick up your directory.
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Director of Music, Karen Wojahn
LAMB OF GOD
During Lent in our online worship services at Communion time, you will hear “Lamb of God” in a different variation each week. These tunes will be taken from various sources, including the different liturgical settings in the front of the ELW hymnal. Each of the tunes uses various forms of these words:
“Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world; have mercy upon us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world; grant us peace.”
These age-old chants became widely used in Christian services in the Middle Ages and are usually heard after the Lord’s Prayer, before receiving Holy Communion. They are a good reminder to us that we all have sinned and need Christ’s forgiveness.
A version written by John Ylvisaker in 2000, uses these meaningful words:
“Lamb of God, you take away the sins of all who disobey;
Lamb of God to you we pray; release us from our guilt today.
Lord, have mercy on everyone. Lord, have mercy on everyone.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of all who disobey;
Lamb of God to you we pray; release us from our guilt today.
Grant us peace now and evermore. Grant us peace now and evermore.”
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After our midweek Lenten worship services, you will hear tunes in the postlude that do not appear in the ELW! They are songs of faith that declare our love for Jesus and His love for us. If you can “Name That Tune,” come and see me at the piano for a prize each week. |
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LOVING ARMS UPDATE
We are enjoying full days of fun activities with all
our friends. Valentines activities, hat day and dance parties are just some of the things that filled our February. We are overjoyed to be back to playing outside again!
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COUNCIL MEETING HIGHLIGHTS
- Council elected new officers for the 2021-22 year.
- Reviewed the 2021 Loving Arms budget.
- Discussed and amended the congregation’s Covid policies and procedures.
- Discussed applying for an intern from Luther Seminary.
- Discussed the process for sharing gifts from the Endowment fund for the 2021 year.
- Discussed the relationship with Saint John’s and the proposed changes to the Vinje staffing model. Agreed to vote on these recommendations on a March 8 council meeting.
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ST JOHN’S CHURCH & PASTORAL STAFF CHANGES
On March 8, your council leaders are preparing to vote on a three year agreement to provide pastoral ministry at Saint John’s in Raymond, and we are looking for feedback from you. There are documents on our website, vinjechurch.com, that outline what leaders of the two congregations have discussed and why we think this is an agreement that benefits both congregations. This agreement would likely result in Vinje calling a new pastor to share in ministry here at Vinje as well. Here is a quick summary of why your council leaders are excited about this possibility.
WHERE WE ARE
Vinje Growth For the last few years we have seen a steady growth in youth who are participating in Confirmation. We have formed a high school youth program that meets on Wednesday night and middle school youth have expressed an interest in a youth group of their own. Grace Notes has grown too large to meet in one group on Wednesday afternoons. As a congregation our average worship attendance has also increased in recent years.
WHERE WE ARE GOING
Reaching Out This will allow Vinje pastors to spend more time in relationship with our Willmar community. This will lead to the development of multiple meaningful outreach ministries for all members of the congregation to engage in.
Reaching In This will allow Vinje pastors to spend more time in faith formation ministry with our youth and children. We believe this is a meaningful investment in not only the future, but the present church.
Reaching Deeper This will allow Vinje pastors to spend more time with members of all ages in small group ministry settings. Whether those are formal Bible studies and circle groups or informal gatherings for members to discuss faith around pizza we want to have more opportunities to connect in small groups.
HOW WE WILL GET THERE
Collaboration Over 70% of this new position will be paid for by Saint John’s. The new cost to Vinje amounts to a 2% increase in our budget, a rate of increase that we have seen in our stewardship pledges in recent years. Additionally the past generosity of Vinje members in recent years and the PPP loan forgiveness allows for this expense to easily be covered.
WELCOME TO OUR NEW 2021-22 VINJE COUNCIL MEMBERS
President Shelly Bormann
Vice President Scott Hovland
Secretary Brad Schmidt
Treasurer Christina Boike
At Large Member of Executive Committee John Hotek
Council Members Jennifer Bobbe, Ceci Buzzeo, Deb Habbena, Angie Hoppe, Kathy Hund, Joe Kuehn, Steve Leitch, Tim Ostby
SINGING RETURNS TO WORSHIP!
At the February meeting, the Vinje council approved a return to congregational participation in singing and liturgy during in-person worship. Wearing masks and keeping an appropriate distance from others continues to be an important aspect of combating Covid-19 and will still be required during worship. Council consulted the recommendations of the Minnesota Department of Health and local doctors in making this decision but continues to encourage members to engage in worship as they feel comfortable. Online and radio worship offerings will continue for both Wednesdays and Sundays. There is always the possibility that a spike in local infections would cause us to return to previous safeguards but we are happy to join together to sing praises to God once again.
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EXPLORING VINJE'S HISTORY: CYNTHIA BIDDLECOMB'S VINJE MEMORIES
Pastor Andrés is digging into Vinje’s unique history. This month, he reached out to former Director of Education, Cynthia Biddlecomb.
From May of 1994 to the end of January of 2000, I was honored to serve Vinje as Director of Education, one of three Associates in Ministry (now Deacons) to serve Vinje in those years. I came to Willmar after 3½ years at my first call congregation in San Francisco. Admittedly, serving in the Midwest was an education for this Lutheran convert with California roots. The dear people of Vinje quickly won me over. My 5½ years with all of you were wonderful, and many friendships that were formed there have withstood the test of time. In fact, the Engans even came to my wedding in New Mexico, ten years later!
When I first visited Vinje for my interview, I was bowled over by the physical plant. It was so different from any church I had ever seen. The shape of the sanctuary, the symbolism built into the architecture and accoutrements, it was all a surprise, and I took several pictures of it to show folks back home, before I was offered the position. I remember being really impressed when someone told me that a rabbi, visiting when the sanctuary first opened, commented on the significance in the continuity in the ribbon of life, the red stream, that surrounds the space in the stained glass windows. A round sanctuary to create a feeling of sharing with others in the service, where you can see more faces rather than backs of heads, the elliptical choir loft (at that time), the raised circle of the chancel area, the prie-dieus set as communion rail, the seven lampstands/torches around the altar table, I loved it all.
Added to all that was the impact of the names of many faithful witnesses throughout the Bible and Christian history, carved as a frieze around the walls. And below the names, the verse from Hebrews that gives even more meaning to the shape of the sanctuary: “Therefore since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith…” (Heb. 12:1-2a) This verse sets the tone. The names of the witnesses offer many examples of faith from which we can learn.
We did, in the late 1990s, notice that the names of the witnesses did not include many women. I think there are only three, is that right? None of us was brazen enough to do anything about it. But we did make sure, when teaching the children of the congregation, to point out that many more names could be added, especially women’s names. We would ask which women they would add if they could? We made sure they knew that the two blank panels in the frieze were where they were to mentally put the name of the person who most influenced their own faith, and their own name. Had they noticed that Thomas’ name was right over the main doors through which we enter and exit, reminding us that it’s OK to be a doubter at times in the life of faith. The room was rich in meaning!
As Director of Education, I joined in teaching the Release Time kids every Wednesday afternoon. For the 5th and 6th grade kids in that program, I developed an annual fieldtrip called the “Sacred Spaces, Holy Places Tour”, to be sure kids saw just how unique Vinje’s sanctuary was, while also getting to visit a synagogue, an Orthodox Church, and a Catholic Cathedral. We had a great time doing this each year. Another great memory of my time at Vinje!
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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, WRAC 8/180, Sundays at 2:30 pm and 8:30 pm, Tuesdays at 8 am and 5 pm or Saturdays at 6 pm.
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