Month: August 2020

Fall Plan and Programming

Our plan is to get the congregation together in person, safely, as much as possible in the next two months. We know that time is short, and winter is coming. We know that, barring a miracle(which we are praying fervently for!) we are likely going to be exclusively online for most of the late fall and winter. Knowing that we are offering a robust series of outdoor worship opportunities, each including Holy Communion. I encourage you to take advantage of these.

On Sunday mornings we gather on the lawn of the church for worship. We sit six feet apart and wear masks. Holy Communion waits for us on our chairs. We worship using the video created for that week, stopping it for the children’s dismissal to Sunday School after the children’s sermon and then again to celebrate Holy Communion prior to the prayers. After worship we get to fellowship and catch up, all while remaining safe with the added security of the outdoors. Join us at 8am or 10am.

On Wednesday morning, beginning on September 9th, we will begin having worship weekly at 9am. We’ll begin a new sermon series called “The Church has Issues!” exploring the letters Paul wrote to the early church as they figured out how to be Christians. There will be music and prayers and Holy Communion.

On Wednesday evenings, beginning on September 9th, we launch a new worship service called Wednesday Night LIGHT. LIGHT stands for Living in God’s Holy Truth. As the sun sets we’ll gather under new lights on the lawn and enjoy a pleasant evening of worship together. This service will focus on the basics of the Christian faith. We’ll begin with a series on Martin Luther’s small catechism discussion of the Lord’s Prayer and the Apostle’s Creed. This service will also be live-streamed. Following worship, which includes Holy Communion, we’ll gather confirmation students for their class and one of the pastors will lead a conversation with the adults.  We intend to add this service as a permanent feature of our ministry going forward.

We will continue to pour our energy and resources into the online video as that reaches the largest percentage of our congregation. However, if you haven’t had communion for awhile, if you’re feeling isolated and lonely, if you just miss seeing your congregation I encourage you to take advantage of one of the above opportunities. I think we all need this and it will serve us well during this Covid year.

-Pastor Travis

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Family Movie Night on the Lawn – Starts Friday August 28th

Everyone is invited! This week we’re showing a fun movie for all ages. We will start the movie on the lawn at 8pm. Bring a blanket or chairs and a mask or face shield.  Kids under the age of 13 must be accompanied by a parent.  Youth between 13 – 18 are welcome to come alone if their guardian has submitted the Youth Permission Form on site or online 

https://flccs.net/ministries/youth-group-permission-form

Kids are welcome to bring friends as long as their parents have submitted the same form. Hope to see you there!

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“Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me;” -Matthew 16:23

What are your stumbling blocks these days? It’s so easy to get caught up in whatever is center stage right now; and today we’re in the middle of a pandemic, a civil rights movement, and an election season. No joke that we might find stumbling blocks in how we navigate any of those current situations. I like to think that when we look at the world through our lens of faith we find ourselves living as Christ has called us, but I’m afraid this verse holds more truth in naming that the stumbling blocks are likely each of us. In my mind it offers us two possibilities for response we can either get out of the way and let Jesus work through those who are willing to lose their life for him or we can get behind and follow him.

So often we think we have all the answers or we expect that others who we align ourselves with, who we follow, who we trust, that perhaps they will guide us over or through the stumbling blocks that keep us from a life with Christ. We’re not so different from Peter who in one breath (Matthew 16:17) is praised for his faithful confession, and in the next he is condemned for his lack of faith. Peter is not alone in this experience. Try as we might, all people fail God. All people turn away from the life our Lord offers. How will you overcome the stumbling blocks in this season to take up your cross and follow Jesus?

-Pastor Carrie

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“And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:18

’ll be honest, when I think of a building with gates I think of the church. First Lutheran has a metal fence that goes all the way around it, so maybe it’s natural to think of this. So I’ve probably misread this passage from Jesus throughout the years. I’ve thought of the church as A Mighty Fortress too. But reread the verse. Who owns the gates? Who is on the defensive? Who is protecting their turf? It’s not the church. The church, it seems, is pushing against the gates of Hell. The church is the one doing the invading. Jesus has done it again, totally upended my thinking and challenged my preconceived notions. What might it mean to think of the church on the move working to overtake the defensive positions of the enemy?

-Pastor Travis

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First Lutheran Youth and Families: We need your help!

You likely got a survey or two in your email and mailboxes this past week. We are polling our youth and their families to help craft a youth ministry that is supportive and formative in this pandemic time. We know that things are strange, so we need your honest opinions on ways we can move forward. How comfortable do you feel to meet in person following current protocols? Would your youth actually attend online events and ministry offerings? We want to provide something that is both fun and formative for you in this anxious and unusual time. Help us by filling out those surveys and getting them back to us swiftly. Thank you in advance!

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First Lutheran Mom’s Group is TONIGHT!

Online via Zoom – 8 pm on Tuesdays

As a mom of two little ones, I feel the social isolation and stress that this pandemic has put on an already hard situation. That hard situation is parenthood. It was never the easiest job, though at times very rewarding, but now it had gotten even harder. I will be leading fellow mom’s in a weekly zoom conversation to just vent to one another, share stories, and lift each other up in this time of trial. Moms of all ages are welcome!

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85184821426
Meeting ID: 851 8482 1426

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“Jesus answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.” Matthew 15:26

Excuse me? Did Jesus really just call that woman a dog? Is Jesus refusing to help someone in need because she doesn’t have the right background? Sometimes you read scripture and you do a double take or maybe a spit take! Jesus almost never acts in predictable ways and this story of his interaction with a Canaanite woman asking mercy for her daughter is no exception. My first thought is how Jesus moves aside so this woman can take center stage. She seems to be the hero here. She argues persuasively against Jesus and convinces him to heal her daughter. She seems to be a better person than Jesus in the story. I wonder if Jesus did that on purpose, to help us see her and others like her in our own life with new eyes? I think Jesus might be playing the fool here, for our sake.

-Pastor Travis

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High School Youth are going to Pueblo Reservoir!

Please join us on August 15th for a day at Pueblo Reservoir!  We will meet there at 9:00 am and weather permitting, spend the day swimming and relaxing.  Bring $5 for lunch; drinks and snacks will be provided.  We ask that you bring a mask to be worn when not in the water. We will do our best to keep socially distanced, so please come based on your own comfort level. Bring your rafts and tubes – we can stay distanced as long as there is one person per floatie!

Permission slips are required (even if kids are 18)  and can be found here. Details will be emailed to you once your permission slip is uploaded.

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