We sing of Zion in worship, but many times we don't stop to think about what the words we sing mean. This Sunday we will be digger deep into this multi-faceted word and what it means to our lives. 

Since 1983, MN Adult & Teen Challenge has been restoring hope to people struggling with drug and alcohol addiction. The Teen Challenge Choir will not be able to attend due to Covid-19 instead they are sending five current participants. Their purpose is to encourage congregations by testifying about God’s healing power in the lives of our clients and to help others see that through Him, they too, can overcome their struggles. There will be a special offering for Teen Challenge. Worship will be outside, so bring a lawn chair and hat.

What an exciting Sunday - it’s Confirmation Sunday! Our five Confirmation students (Aimire Lloyd, Jacqueline Wyne, Katelyn Bautch, Noah Bonsell and Tony Lloyd) will all share their faith testimonies and publically commit to follow Jesus. Two of them (Aimire and Tony) will also be baptized! We will see how God takes the tiny, shaky faith–like the size of a mustard seed–and grow it into a large and committed maturity–like a tall mustard tree. Come expecting your faith to also grow this Sunday, too! We will worship outdoors again: bring a hat and lawn chair, or there will also be spaces for drive-in worship.

 This Sunday is Pentecost, the third of the three biggest Christian celebrations. We mark the gift of the Holy Spirit given to us as God’s people, to live in us and through us. We are not alone! The Bible also calls the Holy Spirit “The Spirit of Truth.” On Pentecost we will have the last of our Ten Commandment messages: “Don’t lie.” We celebrate that we have the Spirit of Truth so that we can stop lying and start speaking words of life and truth!

This Sunday we take a pause in our spring worship series for intentional and focused prayer. Sunday morning we will host a worship prayer walk on the church grounds to 1. Be together safely as a church community, 2. Pray for our communities during this trying time, 3. Grow in our discipleship through prayer, and 4. Be visible in our community witnessing to our hope in God. Come if you are able! If not, pray along with the worship recording.

The Seventh Commandment is just two words in the Hebrew, “no” and “adultery.” God compares marriage to a vine. You’ve got to invest a lot, and you’ve got to wait a long time. You’re going to need to be patient and tending to it if you want it to grow and be fruitful. Adultery is like a weed eater that carelessly severs the vine’s base, killing it in an instant. This Sunday again is a provocative message on the Biblical understanding of the holy act of the sexual experience.

Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble.” Jesus said that His way was steep, and narrow, and hard. Then, Jesus headed toward Jerusalem to take up His cross. He calls to His disciples, “Take up your cross and follow me.” When we do, we find that there are great blessings during the curves!

 The Speed Limit road sign is a spiritual reminder to travel at a speed that God prescribes, not at the speed we want. It means trusting God with our lives, a contentment to do it God’s way: not being too complacent, and not to be too impatient. This Sunday we’ll see how God’s speed is the best speed for us . . . and for those around us!