What do you get out of going to church? Why do you do it? You could say it’s where you get guidance for your life.

Our spiritual lives follow the life of Jesus. We do what he does. If he prays, we try to pray. If he heals people, we bring people to him for healing. If we read that he helps people find a way to God, we follow him, and try to help others on that same way. The Christian life means helping and healing. First, we must allow ourselves to be helped and healed. Sunday the gospel from Mark shows a little Christian pattern of life. Jesus and his disciples begin with synagogue worship. Then they move out to continue the helping and healing that is central to faith.

I’ll see you Sunday. We’ll do our usual crazy things. We’ll sing together (imagine?), pray for everyone we can think of, sit quietly with our cell phones turned off, hold out our hands for the gift of life itself.

Confirmation students meet at 3:30 pm. Note the change in time. We’ll meet at 3:30 pm. Bring your Bible and a pencil.

Super Bowl Sunday!

I’m just pointing this out: The reading from Isaiah 40 for Sunday morning includes these words:

“…those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not grow weary.”

Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, 24 and he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” Mark 1:23.

I know who you are. You are a child of God, marked with the cross of Christ forever. The baptismal mark of the cross shows our citizenship in the kingdom of God. The cross on our foreheads is the sign that admits us to the Lord’s Table. The one who welcomes us into Christian fellowship–the risen Christ–is not afraid of the evil alive in the world, or of the meanness that is part of our experience every day. Christ names and transforms the dark spirits and encourages his chosen ones to be children of the light.

Sunday we welcome John Van Alsten and Shirley Koulopoulos into the membership of the church. They come by letter of transfer from Lutheran Church of Framingham. John and Shirley have worshiped faithfully for many months, and I am very pleased that both of them have chosen to live out their Christian life at Peace.

The semiannual meeting of the congregation will be called to order by Jordan Mueller at about 11 am. I hope that all adult members of the church will attend and take part in the votes. We will read part of a letter from our bishop and hear a special report on the good work of Family Promise. We meet together as a congregation, to conduct business, two times a year.

Our children and young people will spend the meeting time in activities planned and supervised by Carrie Munford and Dave Scheidemantel.

The season of Epiphany shines the light of the nativity into affairs and circumstances of life. We learn things and recognize the gifts and talents of others. We learn what we are meant to be as children of God. In the Gospel for Sunday. Jesus draws Philip into his life and gives him a new identity. Then Philip calls his friend Nathanael and says to him: You won’t believe what just happened to me. Then Jesus enters into a dialogue about important things with Nathanael. John 1:43-51

The spirit draws each of us into the environment of God’s kingdom. There our existence takes on new colors and shapes. The light of God’s love, brought to us in the name of Jesus, allows confession, forgiveness, healing, peace.

The choir meets at 8:45 am.

Faith formation at 11 am.

Adults are invited to join the confirmation students for a viewing of the PBS film: Martin Luther: The Idea that Changed the World. Thank you to Nancy Meshon for buying the DVD for us. The program will be shown in David Scheidemantel’s room, the first room on the left.

Thank you to Mary Ann and Libby for their work with the flowers and worship appointments.