Newsletter Thoughts March 29, 2025

Dear Friends,

Sunday is the Fourth Sunday in Lent. I’ve enjoyed the contemplation of life in the extremes in this series. So far, we’ve explored: intention & action; stranger & neighbor; faith & works; and rest & growth. This week’s words are lost & found.

This reminds me of a license plate frame that I used to have. It said, “all who wander are not lost.”

I like the phrase because it is a gentle pushback to those who assume unchurched people are “lost.” The truth is, God knows exactly where we are, and this includes the unchurched and those of other faiths. Nobody is lost from God’s grace.

A better way to think about “lost” is as the feeling we have when all seems to be going wrong, and we don’t know what to do. We even say, “all is lost” to convey the desperation. The good news is that even when we cannot feel it, or are overwhelmed, God is with us and cares for us. I think of the words of the 23rd Psalm, “even though I walk through the darkest valley, I am comforted". Close to the end, the psalmist expresses their understanding of God’s gracious presence, “goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life…” It’s like there is no place we can go to be lost from God. This is a comforting psalm for funerals, but it’s good to remember that it is a powerful psalm for living. I invite you to read the entire psalm and remember that these words can provide comfort whenever we feel lost.

Maybe the opposite word, to be “found” is to experience the peace of the Holy Spirit’s comforting presence. That’s what comes to me. What about you?

Over the past few months, members of the ALC Transition Team and the Church Council have been working to discern the vision and mission for our congregation. We are ready to share it with you now, and in God’s timing, our gospel lesson for Sunday touches on it.

As you read this, we invite you to pray about it, and to offer any comments to me or Ric by Sunday April 6. We will then share your comments with the council at their meeting on April 8. We hope to adopt it and begin using it on Easter.

Proposed vision (who we believe God is calling us to be):

We are called to be a nurturing community practicing acceptance, hope, love, and service.

Proposed mission (how God is calling us to do ministry):

We follow Jesus’ action to be a shepherding force by accepting, embracing, and nurturing all of creation.

Blessings on you all as you worship together this weekend and I will see you April 6.

Peace,

Pastor Nancy