Beloved in Christ,

My last few letters in the Eagle have included lists and descriptions of where God is leading us on our discipleship journey. But as we all know, any journey involves a lot of planning and many decisions. If we try to keep cramming more and more things into our lives, they become an exhausting burden rather than the joy intended for us by God.

Our discipleship journey together is not about carrying heavier burdens, backpacks filled with “thou shalls” and “thou shall nots.” Our discipleship journey is about growing together in faith and living the lives intended for us by God through the power of the Holy Spirit. The discipleship journey requires that we make difficult choices. These choices are God’s gift to us.

For example, do we join in worship each week, or do we choose to do something else? It’s our choice. We are each wondrously unique, with gifts, struggles and joys which are not the same as those of any other person in God’s creation. And yet, God calls us together to live as one body, the Body of Jesus Christ in the Church. Jesus Christ has invited us to follow him. We have received the Holy Spirit of God in Baptism, but it’s our choice to follow Jesus, or not, to live in the Holy Spirit, or not.

This fall, many opportunities at St. John’s will equip, encourage and inspire us on our discipleship journey together. You will be blessed on your discipleship journey by participating in them and, in doing so, you will build up this body of Christ. Our Sunday morning worship services will return to the schedule we had last year beginning on Rally Sunday, September 7: Contemplative Service - 7:30am; Service of Word and Sacrament - 8:30am and 10:45am. Our Sunday morning Service of Word and Sacrament will include music by our senior choir, bell choir, children’s choirs and our St. John’s quintet (which is searching for a name!).

Our new Family Night ministry will begin on Wednesday, September 10, with a simple supper at 6:00pm and will meet each Wednesday as indicated on our on-line church calendar (www.stjohns-shakopee.com). Confirmation class will begin that night as well. In fact, our confirmation class will lead a new, weekly Wednesday night worship service of Word and Sacrament which will begin at 6:30pm and will conclude at 6:50pm. Family night will include learning and fun activities suited for people of all ages in our congregation. These activities, including confirmation, will conclude at 7:30pm, except for some of our adult education ministries. Of course, our gifted senior choir will continue to meet on Wednesday evenings at 7:00pm and welcomes all those with a passion for singing.

There is no place I would rather be than joined in discipleship with this Body of Christ at St. John’s. God has called us on an amazing discipleship journey together. We are both comforted and challenged by the Holy Spirit on this journey. A journey on which we are committed to serve Christ in the world. A journey which blesses us with lives empowered through the Holy Spirit to live with integrity, power, joy, peace, justice and compassion for the sake of God’s loving, creative will for us.

God’s peace, joy in Christ,

Pastor Randy