Pastoral Message 9/29/22

Pastoral Message

Week of the Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost

September 29, 2022

Dear People of God at Faith/La Fe!

First, some reminders: Please make note of the direct dial phone number for me, your Pastor: 602-265-5860! If I am not available to take your call, leave a message, which will immediately be sent to me via email so that I can be prompt in my replies to you. I cherish ease of communication in the body of Christ – it keeps our spiritual circulatory system healthy and vital!

This Sunday, October 2, kindly make every effort to join us for the special congregational meeting to vote to call Veronica Alvarez as half-time pastor for our Spanish language ministry. This meeting will take place between the 9:00 and 11:00 am liturgies. This is another very important event in our missionary life together.

On Wednesday, October 5, I covet your presence for my installation as Pastor, formally and liturgically initiating our shared life together in ministry. Worship begins at 6:00 pm, with Bishop Hutterer preaching and presiding, as we also commemorate Francis of Assisi, a model of Christian humility in servanthood and a major proponent of creation care, so important as we endure the ravages of climate change and seeking the healing of our earthen, island home. A reception follows in the parish hall.

Midweek bible studies are scheduled for each Wednesday at 10:30 am and 6:00 pm (unless other special congregational events are otherwise scheduled), and take place in the conference room of the church office suite. Contact me at pastor@faithalive.com if you wish to join in via Zoom. These are important occasions not just for biblical study, but for faith formation and spiritual and devotional growth. If you have not tried this kind of devotional bible study before, or if it’s been a long time, I heartily encourage you to give it a try!

Getting to Know Each Other Better

In the natural rhythms of congregational life, we are beginning to get to know one another more fully. Some of this happens naturally in our life together via conversations before and after worship, at coffee hour, at meetings and bible studies. Some of it happens when I reach out to you, as I become aware of your pastoral needs. Other occasions are scheduled, as members invite other members along with me into their homes and other places for conversation and often meals. So, you may receive such an invitation from fellow members of the congregation to join in one of those occasions. But I also encourage you to take the initiative should you wish to schedule a time to meet with me one-on-one and/or to invite a group of members to join you for getting acquainted encounters. Don’t hesitate to call or email me, even as I will also be reaching out to make contact with our members in coming weeks and months, all so that we may deepen our relationships in Christian community, a stated priority in our life together. 

Your Pastor as Teacher and Occasions for You to Grow in Faith and Spirituality

As an expression of my commitment to ministries of teaching, learning, and spiritual development, and in addition to the Wednesday bible studies, I am also planning to begin adult forums on Sundays beginning on October 30 (Reformation Sunday). These sessions will focus on the spiritual dimensions of our communal Sunday worship. These will be brief offerings of about thirty minutes between liturgies (10:15-10:45) and will occur in the far end of the parish hall as part of coffee hour for those who wish to join us. I’ll have further descriptive word about these occasions in coming pastoral messages.

Additionally, I’ve been asked about hosting occasions for new member instruction. Watch for further word, but what I have in mind, to start with, is a Saturday event, from mid-morning to mid-afternoon which will serve as an introduction to the Lutheran tradition and to Faith/La Fe as a congregation. Such an occasion will be great for those who desire to join our congregation, but it will also be a compelling refresher event for life-long Lutherans who want to be reminded of the central dimensions of our theological heritage. Watch for the announcement of date and time.

I continue to be glad to be here to lead and to serve as your Pastor!

Appreciatively in Christ,

Pastor Jonathan Linman