Greetings children of God.

John 15:13-15a – “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing, but I have called you friends.”

The word “friend” gets used a lot today, and very loosely so. Many have “Facebook friends,” people they only know and are connected with on Facebook. How many “friends” do you have? Because the thing of it is, “friend” often gets misused for “acquaintance.” A friend is someone who knows you, supports you, cares about you, is there for you no matter what, and will hold you accountable. Many of the people we say are our friends don’t really know us or care about, and when push comes to shove, they aren’t there for us no matter what. How many “friends” do you have that you would lay your life down for? The chances are the answer is 0. But what about the other way? How many “friends” do you have that would lay their life down for you? My initial guess is you said 0, but that’s not true. We all have 1 friend who laid down his life for us, and that friend is Jesus. Jesus took the sins of all upon his shoulders and bore them on the cross, taking our place, sacrificing himself, in order that we all may live and have eternal, and abundant life in him. What a friend we have in Jesus / All our sins and griefs to bear / What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer! / O what peace we often forfeit / O what needless pain we bear / All because we do not carry / everything to God in prayer. / Have we trials and temptations? / Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged / Take it to the Lord in prayer. / Can we find a friend so faithful / Who will all our sorrows share? / Jesus knows our every weakness / Take it to the Lord in prayer.

As of right now, we are planning to have a spring clean-up day this Saturday from 9am-12pm. If you’re able to come and help, that would be great. If the weather changes and it rains, we’ll reschedule for another day.

Angi is holding a painting fundraiser on May 9 for Victoria, our former custodian, to help with her finances as she had to retire due to a medical condition. There’s a sign-up sheet in the coatroom.

God’s blessings,

Pastor Tim

Greetings children of God,

“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light”
(Matthew 11:28-30)

These words from Jesus have long been a source of comfort and assurance. These are the words that I memorized as a Sunday School student. These are the words that I am privileged to pronounce when a stole is placed upon the shoulders of a brand-new pastor in the Service of Ordination. I was most recently blessed to speak these words when Pastor Melanie Forrey was ordained on January 6, 2024, at Zoar Lutheran Church in Perrysburg. These are also the words that were spoken, when a new red stole was placed on my own shoulders almost 28 years ago by Bishop James Rave. I can still hear the echo of his strong, deep voice, “Come to me all you that are weary…”.

In these verses from St. Matthew, Jesus promises to give rest to those who are weary and burdened. And that word, weary, is a word that strikes me. Jesus doesn’t use the word tired, but the word weary. And there is a difference between being tired and being weary. When you’re tired a good night’s sleep brings needed refreshment and relief. When you’re weary, it takes more than a good night’s rest, it takes the rest that only Jesus can give, which is a rest for the soul. “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29). So may you find rest in the one who calls you to come to receive the love and the rest that only Jesus can provide.

Let us pray, “Blessed Jesus, we are weary, and we are burdened, Carrying so many worries and cares. And then you bid us to come to you. To learn from you. To love like you. Lead us to be gentle with ourselves and others. Help us to be humble in heart. That in you, always and ever in you, we may truly find rest for our souls. This we pray in the name of Jesus. Crucified and Risen for the world”. Amen ~ Bishop Daniel Beaudoin

NWOS 2024: The Year of Rest

As we prepare for the new year, we invite you into 2024: The Year of Rest. Time and time again God calls us into rest through scripture. We read stories of Jesus retreating into the hills, journeys being paused, and creation being celebrated with rest. So what does it mean for God’s people to engage in rest? Throughout 2024 we will explore this question, not just through sleep or vacation time, but through little moments each day that nourish and renew us. Instead of our traditional daily Bible reading guide we invite you to engage in daily rest practices, using the seven types of active rest. By grounding these practices in a weekly Bible verse, we pray this guide will help you discover moments of rest and peace.

Learn more about the7 Types of Active Rest (Video)

Learn more about the7 Types of Active Rest (Article)

Our grounding verses for January are brought to us by Shea McGrew, treasurer of the Synod Council. Here’s what he had to say when asked how he rests:

January 2024 Rest Calendar

I wish I had developed good habits for getting rest and renewing myself many years ago, but it didn’t happen. My career was consuming, involving extensive travel and many late nights and early mornings. When I was home, there was the press of family activities, church involvements, and a job that required me to be on top of things and available. Today, while I have multiple jobs (two, both part-time) and some volunteer commitments, there is more time and no good excuse for not having habits for rest and renewal. I have a hard time slowing down, but two things force me into that mode: 1) prayer time and 2) exercise. Prayer time is essential, and mine is in the evening. God, I suspect, doesn’t want me to enter into that time rushed and distracted, so I try to calm down and pray slowly and purposefully, and then just try to be silent for a while and open myself to what God might want to put on my mind or heart. Exercise (usually running), while not rest in the normal sense, actually produces a slow-down in me. When finished, I have worked out some physical anxiety and I am more alert for the rest of the day. This is all about habits and discipline, I know, and those two things renew me in a way nothing else does. ~ Shea McGrew