‘The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain…” Exodus 24.12
‘Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves.’ St Matthew 17.1

Mountains. We are blessed with them here in Oregon. Mt Hood is an icon of the state, and up and down the Cascade Range tall mountains stand out in all their glory. They are places of mystery, danger, beauty, and inspiration.

Moses met God on Mt Sinai, as an intermediary between the people of Israel and the holy God. His face radiated God’s light when he descended to the people. Jesus’ entire being was changed in front of the disciples on the mount of transfiguration. They saw the glory of the resurrection, the majesty of God. But in between lay the journey to Jerusalem, the Passion, the Cross, the grave.

February 3 is Transfiguration Sunday. It serves as a vision of the risen Christ, but between Easter and now there is the journey of Lent. Climb the mountain with Jesus. Then go with him down into the valley of daily life with faces and spirits radiating the light of his love.

ASH WEDNESDAY SERVICES: 12 noon and 7pm, February 6. The noon service will be a bit shorter than the evening, for those who need to get back to work. But both services will include the Imposition of Ashes and Communion. Ash Wednesday is the church’s entry into the season of Lent, a time of personal growth and renewal done within the community of faith. We invite you to begin this journey by worshiping on Ash Wednesday.

CONGREGATIONAL GATHERING: Saturday morning, February 9, from 9am – 12 noon at the latest. Our NCD Health Team is putting this information and planning meeting together so that we can look together at what we as a congregation want to do in order to deepen and strengthen our Loving Relationships. Please make every effort (including getting out of bed earlier than you may wish!) to join your brothers and sisters in Christ for this important time together. Breakfast—with plenty of coffee—will be waiting for you here!

‘JESUS AND THE GOSPELS’, the title of my Adult Sunday Class, continues this week as we begin four sessions on the Gospel of John. This DVD-based course includes a 30 minute presentation by Dr. Luke Timothy Johnson, followed by group discussion. Each unit is complete in itself, so it doesn’t matter if you’ve missed what preceded any given lecture. Join us in the Commons Room at 8:50am with your coffee! A great time to grow, fellowship, and learn.

A BIG THANK YOU to all who helped organize and set up / clean up our Annual Meeting lunch! Also, all your ideas for the coming year were wonderful, and the Boards and Council now have exciting planning to do. Here are the ideas that came forward during our meeting: church campout…all-neighborhood BBQ…youth band / concerts…revitalizing the Redeemer chapter of LWML (Lutheran Women’s Missionary League)…weekly women’s Bible studies…women’s retreat…more interaction with Vietnamese congregation…healing worship service…parish nursing ministry…exercise room…Thrivent money for congregations (planning meeting)…connect Redeemer preschool with congregation.

MIDWEEK LENTEN WORSHIP AND SOUP SUPPERS: The soup and bread suppers at 6pm, followed at 7pm for Holden Vespers, provide a wonderful oasis for us each Wednesday of Lent. Take advantage of this opportunity on Feb 13, 20, 27, and March 5, 12. Also, please volunteer to help with the food (soup, bread, desserts) by signing up on the bulletin board.

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We Wish You God's Peace and Blessing

Sandy Cooper, Secretary
Redeemer Lutheran Church
503-393-7121
4663 Lancaster Drive. NE
Salem, OR 97305
office@redeemer-lcms.org