Lord of life lutheran
september 2020
C O M P A S S
FOURTH IN A SERIES OF DISCIPLESHIP PRACTICES:
INVITE
C O N N E C T I O N S by Pastor Kaitlyn Forster (kaitlynf@lordoflife.org) In this season of life, how I view the world around me— pandemic or not—is largely influenced by the sing-song, rose-colored glasses wearing, painfully observant small children in my house. They are learning about the world for the first time and absorbing far more than I wish they would. Ok, I’m glad they are absorbing it, but it sometimes makes me have to reflect on what I am doing and why. Lately, my 3-and-a-half-year-old, who is secretly going on 13, has been clamoring for any opportunity to be around others his age. Asking if his friends can come over for a sleep over. Wanting to ride his bike near the busy park in hopes that we let him stop. Sharing the invitation list for his birthday party that is still months away. Seeing other kids in the neighborhood, stopping and staring, just really wanting to play. I know that this is a developmental milestone and it pains me to have to add extra layers of caution to this season of life that could have been filled with new friends and connections. As I’ve been reflecting on these moments, it is reminding me, yet again, how we are wired for connections. As humans we are created to be in relationship with God
Discipleship practices: INVITE..............2-3 BIBLE 101: COME AND SEE ...........................4-5 community life / PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7.....6-7 YOU ARE INVITED...........................................8-9 JOIN IN!.............................................................. 10 OUTDOOR WORSHIP / contacts .................. 11 2
and one another, sharing in the joys and sorrows that come with living in community. When we lean into these relationships, in authentic and vulnerable ways, we catch a glimpse of the best of humanity. We can recognize that we come from vast arrays of experiences, yet are held together through the love of the One who created us.
In this particular community, Lord of Life, one of the discipleship practices that we emphasize is invitation. Currently, invitation is something that may seem difficult or to be used with caution. After all, we are living in a time of life where keeping physical distances and staying out of small closed areas help to keep us safe. But inviting someone into this journey of faith is about so much more than asking someone to join you in a specific building. It’s about approaching others with child-like
Discipleship
wonder, wanting to share the best that life has to offer. It’s about seeing God through the eyes of strangers and figuring out the connections between you. It’s about love: deep, real,
Practice:
consuming love. Invitations are essential for connection, and that is something this world needs more than ever. So, I invite you
Invite at least five
to reflect on how your words and actions welcome others into this life-giving faith that we share. God’s love remains present with us, when we are together or far apart, calling us to share it with others.
How are you inviting others to experience the unending love of God? Do you invite friends and neighbors to worship with you? What does that look like?
people to worship at Lord of Life each year.
How do you share this important part of your identity with those whom you meet?
lordoflife.org/discipleshiponline 3
WHAT IS EVANGELISM?
C O M E
A N D
S E E by Pastor Joel Wight Hoogheem (joel@lordoflife.org)
In John 1:43-51, Jesus finds Philip and tells him, “Follow me.” And that’s exactly what Philip does. And after encountering Christ, Philip can’t contain himself and he finds his good friend Nathanael to fill him in about Jesus. He tells him, “We’ve found the one we’ve been looking for, the one we know about from the law and the prophets. It’s Jesus of Nazareth!” Since he’s from Cana, a rival village of Nazareth, Nathanael skeptically scoffs, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” He has his doubts about this Jesus character. Yet Philip doesn’t get defensive or angry or argumentative. He doesn’t storm off in a huff. And he doesn’t give up. Instead, Philip simply says to his friend, “Come and see.” In the face of Nathanael’s skepticism, Philip offers an open invitation to “Come and see.” And that’s exactly what Nathanael does. Now, Nathanael still has his doubts, but he trusts his friend. He knows Philip’s on the up-and-up, so he goes. And he sees. And he encounters Christ. And his life is changed forever as he comes to faith in Christ. Ultimately, Nathanael’s life was changed because of three little words from Philip, three little syllables uttered from one friend to another: “Come and see.”
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You are reading this today because you have somehow, someway, somewhere encountered Jesus Christ and He has made a claim on you. This is precisely what happened to Philip. And what do those of us who have encountered Christ do? Well, we do two things. First, we follow Jesus. And second, we invite others to come and see Jesus, too. This scene between Philip and Nathanael is nothing more than pure, unadulterated evangelism. And what evangelism boils down to is simply inviting others into an encounter with Jesus Christ. There’s no defensiveness. There’s no convincing. There’s no arguing. There is just friendship and an invitation. And look at Philip. He didn’t have all the answers. Heck, he barely had any answers! I’d guess he had as many questions as Nathanael did— and that is a key to a vibrant faith: it’s not about having all the answers, but about asking really good questions. We don’t exist for ourselves, but we are given our faith so that we may give it away. We evangelize, we share the good news about Jesus, we give away our faith so that others may have an encounter with Jesus Christ. We invite others to experience what is so meaningful to us that they may come and see: the One who has wonderfully made them, the One who knows them and loves them more than anything, the One who forgives and redeems them, the One who invites them into eternity with him.
Bible 101 reflection Who has invited you to “come and see” Jesus? Why do you think they extended that invitation to you? Who can you invite to “come and see” Jesus? How can you share that invitation with them?
We invite others so that they may come and see Jesus Christ.
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C O M M U N I T Y baptisms
weddings
At Lord of Life, we baptize individuals at any age. For the next baptism class or to schedule a baptism, call the church office (763.420.5015).
For details on having your wedding at Lord of Life, visit lordoflife.org/weddings. To schedule a wedding, contact Wedding Supervisor Michelle Tomlinson (michellet@lordoflife.org).
July 5 Leilani London Ellis July 8 Archer Stanley Pierce July 11 Caleb Gerald Rothenbueler July 12 Everett Adam Erickson July 25 Henry Eusten Miller
bereavements Prayers of sympathy for those we have lost in our community and for those grieving the loss of a loved one. May there be comfort in the promise of the resurrection.
Tom Bahl and family at the death of his wife Cleo & Rik Groves and family at the death of their niece Wayne Kratz and family at the death of his wife
July 18 Cate Dahlberg & Nithin Joseph July 19 Beth Kanthak & Michael Jester July 25 Allie Bergstrom & Paul Candelario July 31 Jenna French & Alex Greff
welcome new members Robert Gacek Scott Janneke Membership at Lord of Life means you make a commitment to be an active participant in congregational life. The expectation of not only new members but all members—is to worship regularly, grow in faith, serve others, and support the church
Bruce Palmer and family at the death of his mother
and its programs financially. For more information,
Kurt Palmer and family at the death of his mother
763.420.5015) or visit lordoflife.org/membership.
Pam Sheedy and family at the death of her father
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L I F E
contact Katie Gartzke (katieg@lordoflife.org or You are invited to become a part of the Lord of Life faith community.
Do no t worry about a nyt hi ng , b ut i n everyt hi ng b y p r ayer and supplica t i on w i t h t ha nksg i vi ng l et your r equests be made k now n t o G od. A nd t he pea c e o f God, which surpasses a l l u nderst a ndi ng , w i l l g ua r d yo ur hearts and your mi nds i n C hri st Jesu s. —Philippians 4:6-7
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TO WALK, TO PRAY, TO GROW IN FAITH—
YOU ARE INVITED As we continue to find innovative ways to grow in our faith as a community, we look forward to a fall filled with new opportunities. Think about how you want to be involved, and consider ways you can invite your friends and neighbors. Our time is spent differently while we’re in the midst of a pandemic, which means you may have availability for a Bible study or book study that you couldn’t fit in to your busy schedule before. Perhaps you’re interested in connecting with a small group to develop new relationships that explore faith or other topics. If you’re in need of support for a particular area of your life, online groups will encourage you along the way. If you are not already subscribed to the weekly enews that comes out each Wednesday morning, submit your email address at lordoflife.org/enews so you can stay informed of the options. You may also check lordoflife.org for information on all that will be available this fall. Invite those in your family or friendship circles to expand their horizons and grow in their faith alongside you.
Steps in the Spirit is a walk on the Lord of Life campus based on Galatian 5:22-23. Along the walk, there is a boulder or group of boulders providing a resting spot for contemplation on the fruits of the Spirit. Visit lordoflife. org/prayerwalk for a map and more details.
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In Lord of Life’s backyard, the prayer path/labyrinth is a tool for meditation and can be a source of healing, creativity, self-knowledge, and connection with the Holy Spirit. Unlike a maze, which offers many possible routes, some going nowhere, the labyrinth has only one path which goes to the center and back. Visit lordoflife. org/prayerpath.
The first and third Tuesday of each month from 7-8pm is dedicated to Pause for Prayer. These sessions incorporate prayer(s) that all attendees are invited to pray for, as well as individual prayers for healing, intercessory, or other. Visit lordoflife.org/ prayerlife.
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JOIN IN! by Brian Schroeder (brians@lordoflife.org)
If you’re like me, somewhere in your house, you have the blue and yellow magnet from Lord of Life that says “Grow in your faith this year.” Our discipleship practices are listed on it, and if you look under Invite, it says “Invite at least five people to worship at Lord of Life each year.” How in the world do we do that when worship is online?
faceboook.com/lordoflifelutheran
I’m Lord of Life’s social media coordinator, and let me tell you: there’s lots you can do! On Facebook, we make an announcement post for each worship service. If you share that to your page and say something like “Join me for worship this weekend,” then boom—you’ve invited your friends to worship! Commenting during the online services is also a great way to interact with others who are worshiping with you. It can really help remind us that we are still in community, even though we’re online. We also post inspirational Bible quotes every week—maybe that’s the one thing that a friend of yours needs to hear that day. Click that “share” button! Part of being involved with Lord of Life means inviting others into this community. In a chaotic world, Lord of Life offers a space for people to experience the peace that Jesus brings. And who knows, once we’re finally able to worship in person in the sanctuary again, you may see the people you’ve invited in the pews!
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August 10 Monday Backyard Worship
July 19 Sunday Parking Lot Worship
LORD OF LIFE LUTHERAN CHURCH (ELCA) 7401 County Road 101, Maple Grove, MN 55311-4313 phone 763.420.5015 fax 763.420.7286 web lordoflife.org Visit lordoflife.org/staff for a full staff listing with photos. Prayer requests may be submitted to prayernetwork@lordoflife.org.
PASTORAL STAFF
WORSHIP / CONNECT
Rev. Dr. Joel Wight Hoogheem, Lead Pastor, joel@lordoflife.org Rev. Kaitlyn Forster, kaitlynf@lordoflife.org Rev. Dr. Karen Geisendorfer-Lindgren, Pastor Emeritus, karengl@lordoflife.org Rev. Peter Geisendorfer-Lindgren, Pastor Emeritus, peter@lordoflife.org Rev. Karen Greimel, ksgreimel@lordoflife.org Rev. Charles ‘Chick’ Lane, chickl@lordoflife.org Rev. David McCarty, davem@lordoflife.org Rev. Donna Rohrer, donnar@lordoflife.org
Visit lordoflife.org/worship for the most up-to-date worship schedule.
lordoflife.org
office@lordoflife.org
To connect with an adult ministry representative, contact Karen Nelson (karenn@lordoflife.org). To connect with a children, youth, and family representative, contact Chelsey Grandstrand (chelseyg@lordoflife.org). For all ministry events and calendar items with the most current dates, times, details, event locations, and registrations—visit lordoflife.org.
/lordoflifelutheran /lolcyf
/lordoflife /cyf_lordoflife
/lordoflifeluth
Photo credit: Lightstock. Compass is a monthly ministry by Lord of Life Lutheran Church (ELCA) printed by Wallace Carlson Printing using ecofriendly inks. Share it with a friend or neighbor inviting them to the Lord of Life faith community. To receive Compass in the mail or electronically—call 763.420.5015 or email office@lordoflife.org. Copyright 2020 Lord of Life Lutheran Church
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Lord of Life Lutheran Church
Loved by God. Sent to Serve.
NonProfit Org. U. S. Postage
7401 County Road 101 Maple Grove, MN 55311-4313
PAID
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RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
Name Address City, ST 00000
physically distanced? spiritually enriching? healthy activity? You are invited to try the “Steps in the Spirit” contemplative walk (about one mile long) within Lord of Life’s campus. Learn more on Page 8!
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