St. Andrew's Lutheran Church

Dear Friends, Several years ago, I reached a stage of life where I could not order in a restaurant without reading glasses and sometimes even the flashlight on my phone!  The strange thing is that it doesn't seem that long ago that I was a teenager teasing my father about this very thing (Although he did not have the luxury of a phone or a flashlight - which is why he did not like restaurants that were darkened for ambience!)  This kind of humbling experience caused me to not only look at my menu differently but at my father differently as well. We all have experiences in life that change our perspective, our questions and concerns, and our faith.  Paul, a persecutor of Christians, was blinded by a light on the road to Damascus and delivered into the hands of his "enemies," that is followers of Jesus.  He would not only regain his sight but also his vision as so much of what he believed before had been radically changed.   During this season of Lent, we

Dear Friends,          At the heart of the Christian faith is the death and resurrection of Christ.  On one side of this event and it's remembrance are the 40 days of Lent (not including Sundays), a time of preparation for the celebration of our Lord's passage from death to life.  On the other side are the 50 days of Easter, a time of proclaiming and rejoicing in the promise of new life.  Right in the middle of it all is Holy Week including Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, the Easter Vigil, days in which our attention is riveted on Christ's death and resurrection.  The entire 90 days is best seen as a whole viewed from two sides, from the cross and the empty tomb, each incomplete without the other.  Listed below is a schedule of Lenten observances in the weeks ahead:  Ash Wednesday - February 26 (This week!) - Come join us as we begin this season of renewal  seeking strength for our daily lives. -  Noontime D

Dear Friends,  This upcoming Sunday, churches throughout the world who follow the assigned readings and festivals of the Church Year will be celebrating Transfiguration Sunday, the final Sunday before the Lenten season begins.  On this day, Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up  to a mountaintop to pray.   There they will experience an awesome vision they will never forget.  We need mountaintop experiences of our own, places to pray, and sources of strength for the valleys ahead.  We will also be following Jesus through the valleys during the season of Lent.  Our daily journey with Jesus will take us to:     - quiet places of prayer     - opportunities to feed the hungry     - nights in lonely gardens and angry storms     - the joy and peace of more mountaintop moments     - instructions to care for ourselves and those around us     - reminders that we are never alone but always in the power of the Spirit     - ass