The Call eNewsletter

Weekly greetings to you all, and this will be the first of many weekly check-in’s in our new weekly format.

Our Gospel reading from Mark this week is centered on Jesus’ invitation to Peter to “Pick up the cross and follow”. It is a time of grieving for many in our congregation who knew and loved former Pastor Justin Johnson, who recently died unexpectedly. Times of grief, such as this, are a time where it is best to follow Jesus towards the cross and place our hearts there. In times where we can’t make any sense of the suffering, we turn towards the suffering and death of Christ. In doing so, we experience a God who suffers with us and turns us towards one another for mutual support. In the cross of Christ we don’t run away from the troubles but we move towards them in faith and hope.

We also will soon commemorate the 20th anniversary of the tragedy of 9/11. It will be a time of remembering the great loss of life and collective loss of safety many experienced then. It adds to some of those feelings we feel today too during the pandemic. It is a time to face the reality that we live in a hostile world where violence and suffering are all too prevalent.

Let us turn our hearts this week towards the cross and take Jesus’ invitation to follow in the steps only he could take. Help us to see that through the suffering, death and resurrection, Jesus shines a light on our tears and calls us to hang on in courage and hope. Help us to see that Christ is shining a light on the violent ways of humanity and calling us towards justice and peace for all of creation.

See you in worship at church or on the live stream,

Pastor Joel

It is with great sadness that we share the news of our former Pastor, Justin Johnson, who passed away suddenly this past weekend. We hold Melissa and his children in our deepest prayers during this time. We give thanks for his time serving at Our Saviour's and grieve with his family.
Services are as follows:

Prayer Service today, Wednesday September 8 @ English Lutheran in Hazen, ND
- Visitation (4-7 pm), service begins at 7:00 pm
Funeral Friday September 10, 11:00 am @ Zion Lutheran in Beulah, ND.

Cards may be sent to the Johnson family at: PO Box 148, Hazen ND 58545.
His obituary can be found here: Obituary for Rev. Justin Erik Johnson | Barbot Funeral Home

As previously mentioned, our eNews will be published weekly, and we've chosen Wednesdays as our day for publication. Therefore, if you want to include any articles, news, photos, events etc., the deadline for submissions each week is the Tuesday prior. Thank you!

You might notice that the RIC (Reconciling in Christ) logo at the bottom of this email was updated. The new colors added to the right of the heart represent love for the transgender, black, indigenous and persons of color (BIPOC) communities. A lovely update to further represent loving all people unconditionally.

Our little garden is still producing. Be sure to stop by for a visit and consider picking a few tomatoes or other produce after church. If you would like to help volunteer with the garden, contact the church office.

READINGS FOR SEPTEMBER

Every Thursday at 1 pm

In addition to serving OSLC, Pastor Joel also serves as Campus Pastor at WWU. Our student group currently meets on Zoom at 6pm on Wednesday evenings for Bible Study and social time. We are currently discussing Healing Our Broken Humanity: Practices for Revitalizing the Church and Renewing the Word. Let Pastor know if you want the Zoom link.

We are currently following the Governor's guidance, and we strongly encourage both un-vaccinated and vaccinated alike to wear a mask in worship. This will help us to ensure that we can continue to worship in person and we will continue to adjust based upon any new information we receive.

We meet in person and also live stream to YouTube.

If joining us by live stream click here to go to our YouTube Channel and click here to download a printer-friendly version of the bulletin for home (printed copies will still be available at the church on Sunday).

You are welcome to sing while wearing a mask.
You can take communion!
We have individual communion kits available on your way into the sanctuary.
We are social distancing!
We require masks and 6 feet of social distancing at all times. We have disposable masks available for anyone who needs one. There is also a contact trace sign-in sheet to keep track of people in attendance, just in case someone is exposed to the COVID virus.
Bring a friend or neighbor and join us soon!

Please pray for...

As a Reconciling in Christ congregation, we believe in a God who loves all people unconditionally. You are welcome here regardless of age, race, sexual orientation, religion, economic status or gender identity. We stand by our belief that God loves us all, no matter what.

Church Office Hours: Mon & Wed 9–12; Tues, Thurs-Fri 1–5
office@oursavioursbham.org | 360-733-6749

September 8, 2021

Sunday Worship Service

Join us at 10:30 am