Our goal is to have a seamless worship and life experience. We believe God leads us with the Word in worship and in our journey in life.
Spiritual growth is supported through a broad and varying set of programs and resources at First Lutheran, from short Bible studies to long-established spiritual growth groups, whose participants both nurture each other in faith over long periods of time and welcome newcomers. Listed to the left is a sampling. For more information, check the Current Calendar and links to spiritual growth websites.
So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. (Matthew 28:8 NRSV)
It was not possible to just walk away from the empty tomb-to stroll along that Sunday morning as though languishing in dreamy contentment or cloudy consciousness. These women had a startling awareness of things being turned upside down. They saw what God was doing. What they saw changed everything. Nothing could go on as before. The vision of the future was breaking into the present. Jesus was alive!
Nothing is so unstoppable as a clear and compelling vision. Visions of what can be have inspired revolutions and religions. Clear and compelling visions create community and move us to great persistence and selflessness. People who have a vision have a purpose that beckons them out of sleep in the morning, that designs their priorities for every part of their day, and that gives them gratitude at the close of their day. To possess a vision of what can be and will be is what really matters. It fuels our ministry and mission as a congregation.
One of the steps that God is encouraging us to do during this time of transition is to be clear and focused on the mission and ministry of First Lutheran Church. I know that you have been working hard on that for several years now, but something has changed. You are not the same people you were six months ago. A new reality has broken into your presence. God is compelling you to make the journey of faith with a new companion to walk beside you.