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Showing posts from June, 2021

Summer 2021: Being Church

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Stay close because I am going to tell you a mystery—something you may have trouble understanding: we will not all fall asleep in death, but we will all be transformed.  1 Corinthians 15:51 ( The Voice ) Lost and found treasure from the past By Nancy Meisel-Youngman   Should we sample some, grape nut mousse, carrot chowder or heavenly bliss at our next potluck? Thanks to a recent gift, these tasty treats can be concocted!   Pastor Steve received a package in the mail with a letter dated April 25, 2021. It was from Greg L. who lives in Blaine, MN. Greg found an old Epworth cookbook at a garage sale, tried a few recipes, and contacted Pastor Steve.   The cookbook is entitled,  Our Favorite Recipes  and was compiled by the Woman’s Society of Christian Service of Epworth Methodist Church. There is no copyright date but the pastor at the time was, Rev. Thomas B. Shorts. The photo of the church only shows the original building.    Pastor Steve, Don Erickson, and I looked through the book toge

Summer 2021: Welcoming All

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"All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another" (Anatole France). Photo Story : Staging new community space Photos by Aaron Jones, Nan Rice, Mike Ayers Dreams of building a stage in the Sonshine Room started becoming a reality in May with preparing the space where the stage will be built, drafting a construction plan, and ordering lumber   Above:  Lumber arrives and is brought inside. Below :  Don Erickson and Tim Rice lay paper on the floor.  Mike, Steve, and Tim attach boards.  Pastor Steve measures before cutting as Tim and Mike Ayers place boards that define stage area.   Below :  Tim Rice, Dominik Jones, and Nan Rice take a breather before  Dom and Nan start cutting lumber while A aron Jones holds board in place as Dom and Nan saw. Below  Aaron, Mike, Steve, and Tim attach boards for the stage foundation. Below:  Steve and Tim, preparing for the next st

Summer 2021: Doing Good

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To have faith is to trust yourself to the water. When you swim you don't grab hold of the water, because if you do you will sink and drown. Instead, you relax, and float. The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance. Alan Watts UMW Shows up for  Soup Singing On May 26, in continuing partnership with Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light (MNIPL), Minnesota Conference United Methodist Women (MNUMW) President Cindy Saufferer and MNUMW Nominations co-chair Shirley Durr attended a virtual Soup Singing to Stop Line 3.    Soup Singing is a ritual that connects people virtually and joyfully in their home kitchens to prepare soup and sing for Water. It is a grounding practice to co-create collective nourishment, honor Water and Indigenous treaty rights, connect with a growing community, and inspire courage to resist the Line 3 tar sands pipeline project. The Soup Sing featured Taysha Martineau, Fond du Lac Band of  Lake Superior Chippewa mem

Summer 2021: Nourishing Faith

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  "You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, so that my soul may praise you and not be silent." Psalm 30:11-12 ( NRSV ) Pastor’s Column: Last year of ministry together   by Pastor Steve Reiser Fellow Epworthians-     WOW! And that’s just about all I can say is, “Wow!” We’ve been in ministry together for five years. Can you believe it?  You might think that we lost a year due to the pandemic, but I would argue otherwise. We have certainly missed a year (and more) of weekly worship services together in the Sanctuary. However, through the whole time, we never stopped putting together worship. We never stopped “gathering” for our worship time. We certainly reduced our times having Communion together, but we have not stopped being community. Not even close. In the last year, we have re-thought the way Cabin Fever works and launched the Toy Library. Families in the neighborhood have responded to our offering and come to try “