Messiah News

If you were a part of our "Internship Process Progress Potluck" February 25, or if you read our summary of that event in last week's Northern Highlights, you may have noticed that several groups said they looked forward to "new, fresh or alternative" perspectives a new pastor might bring. Really?! You shouldn't encourage me. I can do alternative perspectives! Here's what happened. Our Old Testament Lesson for Sunday, March 10, 2024, is Numbers 21:4-19. In this story Israel, doing their 40 years in the wilderness after the Exodus, is complaining to God about, I don't know, everything. Anyway, God gets tired of it and sends snakes into the desert which bite people and they die. (Complainers beware!!)  So, the people apologize for their whining and ask God to take the snakes away. That doesn't  happen (sigh) but God does tell Moses to make a bronze serpent and put it on a stake....

As you may already know, our Lenten Offerings this year go to the ELCA Fund for Leaders. (By Lenten Offerings we mean those specially designated for The Fund.) What you may not know is that a request has been made to Messiah's Endowment Fund to match your gifts, up to $1,500 total, for this worthy cause. If you missed worship this past Sunday, March 10, 2024, you also missed a short, video shot just for us by ELCA Fund for Leaders Director Rev. Marissa Krey. You can view it here if you wish. We also have a few brochures and other information at church. If you wish to support the fund you can do so with cash or a check, (there is a gifting box at the back of the sanctuary during our Wednesday Holden Evening Prayer services,) or you can give online in your usual manner. (You may also, of...

Sunday, February 25, 2024, Rev. Rebecca Shjerven from the SWWA Synod came down to be with us for worship and a potluck. Thank you to Pr. Rebecca for sure, but THANK YOU to all the great cooks. We had a wonderful meal!  It was great to have so many of us in conversation and just good fun together. Besides fellowship, part of the effort was to give us all a chance to talk about our developing hopes and dreams for the arrival of our new pastor. I promised the group a summary of what was said, and here it is. Participants ate their meal around 10 or 11 tables, each table with a variety of people so we weren't just talking to family members or our usual coffee clutch. We had time to discuss three major questions, and then we shared a little with the whole group about what ​our​ table had...

Lent is in full swing, and Easter Sunday will be here before we know it! We are collecting small, individually wrapped Easter candy that can fit into plastic Easter eggs.  Please ensure that all candy donations are nut-free and not processed in a facility that processes nuts.  Our supply of plastic Easter eggs has also depleted a bit over... Original author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (Ben McCarty)

The next Hop Topics will be March 19 at Heathen Brewing Feral Public House. Doors will open for the event at 5:30pm and discussion will begin at 6:30pm. Feral Public House is located at 1109 Washington St, Vancouver.  If you plan to attend, please RSVP to help give an accurate head count. RSVP here »For the March rendering of HOP TOPICS we wil... Original author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (Ben McCarty)