Gethsemane

Weekly Newsletter

April 14th 2024

Welcome to the Gethsemane Lutheran Church Newsletter. We welcome all who are members of Gethsemane, as well as those who are discovering us for the first time, to join us in our mission journey. We hope to keep you up-to-date in these times of amazing change for our church community. Feel free to forward the newsletter to others and give us the emails of those you think my wish to connect with us and see what great things God is doing with our church each week!


A New Time for Gethsemane


Dear Gethsemane Lutheran Church family,


As we continue to gather together every Sunday, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the changes and blessings that have been bestowed upon us. Our transition to a new bilingual service format has been met with open hearts and minds, allowing us to deepen our connection with each other and with God. The installation of our new projector signifies a commitment to enhancing our worship experience and reaching more individuals with a message of hope and salvation. Additionally, the influx of donations from our generous congregation members demonstrates a profound dedication to supporting the work of the church and furthering our mission in the community. With these resources, we are excited to embark on new projects that will positively impact those around us. Let us continue to move forward in faith and love, making Gethsemane Lutheran Church a welcoming Christian home for all in the North Minneapolis community. Thank you for your unwavering support and commitment on this journey.



Blessings,

Pastor Jeff

Gethsemane Website 

News and Announcements

Call for Volunteers:

Volunteering at the Food Shelf or Clothing Closet is not just an act of service, but a profound opportunity to make a tangible difference in the lives of those in need within our community. By dedicating your time and effort to these initiatives, you become an essential part of our mission to provide essential resources and support to individuals and families facing hardship in our community. Every task contributes to a larger cause of compassion and care. If you feel called to join us in this impactful work, please don't hesitate to reach out to Pastor Jeff or respond to this newsletter expressing your interest. Your willingness to volunteer is greatly valued and deeply appreciated as we strive to create a more compassionate and supportive community for all.

Contact us here to learn more on how to get involved! 

Bringing Community Voices to Gethsemane Lutheran's Online Platform


Gethsemane Lutheran Church is excited to announce a new addition to our online presence and community outreach efforts. Jacob Nehrbass, the son of our beloved Pastor Jeff, will be taking on a pivotal role each week, interviewing individuals within our community and uplifting our digital footprint.


Through his weekly interviews, Jacob will provide a platform for members of our congregation to share their stories, experiences, and insights. From long-standing members to newcomers, each individual's journey and perspective contribute to the rich tapestry of our church community. Jacob's interviews will not only serve to strengthen the bonds within our congregation but also to showcase the diversity and depth of our community to those outside North Minneapolis. Stay tuned for this and more starting May 1st!

Prayers For God’s People

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Please continue to lift up in prayer Linda Nehrbass, mom of Pastor Jeff, who underwent hip surgery after a recent fall, Jeff Nelson, who is recovering from hip surgery, Crystal Lund, who fell and hurt herself this past week, and the Schepker family as they continue to mourn the loss of a family relative. We lift these and many more in our heart this week in prayer.


If you have anyone who you would like us to lift up in prayer in the newsletter, speak to Pastor Jeff.

Camden Clothing Closet Hours


Please come and try on what fits you! The Camden Clothing Shop is open every 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month at Gethsemane. We also accept donations from those looking to give clothes or valued goods to the community.

Weekly FoodShelf Schedule


The Camden Promise Food Shelf feeds boxes of food to community families every week!


Our hours are 11 to 2:30pm Monday through Saturday.


We also supply lunch after church on Sundays, so please come worship with us as well as enjoy a warm meal



Psalm 33: 1-9


Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him.


Praise the Lord with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre. Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy. For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does.


The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love. By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.


He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; he puts the deep into storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere him.


For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.

Writer's Corner: Wiped Clean, Wiped Out

Peter addressed the people…

“And now, friends, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. In this way God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, that his Messiah would suffer. Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out.” (Acts 3: 19)


There has always been something satisfactory about wiping something clean. Messy mirrors with water spots are no match for Windex and paper towels. All the dust that shows up in the afternoon sun on all my wood tables and shelves disappears in one pass of a Swiffer duster or a matchless sock. Toothpaste wipes satisfactorily from the sink’s edge, and disappears down the drain. 


My favorite “wiped clean” habit is the kitchen blackboard on the side of my refrigerator where I write my long list of “To Dos” in yellow chalk. It is one of my favorite things to take a damp cloth to, once everything on my list has been checked off. Yes, it might take a few weeks to get to that point, but each day I can see the board when I go into and out of the kitchen. I cannot forget the things I need to attend to in order for life to run more smoothly. 


To be “wiped out,” like Peter says, is a much stronger expression that usually means that something is completely gone. A wave wipes out kids’ writing on a beach so it is smooth sand again with no trace of what words or names had been drawn. A tornado can wipe out a whole house, neighborhood or town—scattering all traces of belongings so far away they are never found, families must rebuild from scratch. And God wiped out humanity during the great flood to start afresh.


When Peter tells us to turn to God so that our sins may be “wiped out”, there is strength in the action of God. There is a bit of my chalk board and a bit of a flood, or an ocean wave in the mix. We are called to repent—take stock and be honest in the “list” of our sins; profess (like in the creeds we speak in church on Sunday) asking forgiveness for what we have done and what we have left undone. And God, through Jesus, comes like an ocean wave over the sand’s list of transgressions (not a wet rag that can leave traces of chalk and writing smeared and still visible on the blackboard surface) —and our sins are wiped out without a trace. 


This is good news! And, there is a caveat. Not on God’s end, but ours. The without a trace is true, but the permanency may not be so permanent. 

We are human, and even though we may repent, and our sins are mercifully wiped clean, we still may sin again. Sometimes, even the same sins that had been wiped out. And the cycle of our humanity and God’s forgiveness continues. But, if we truly know our sin, acknowledge it to the core, and truly ask for God’s forgiveness, and truly believe in God’s grace through Jesus, the cycle can weaken and eventually we might sin no more. Oh, let this be true! This is our hope in Christ. This is our strive as Christians who love our Lord. We long to keep the slate clean because we love God, and Jesus, and those around us (and even ourselves who are hurt from our sins) as much as we are grateful that God generously wipes it clean.


As a parent, I think of the times my children have said they are sorry, how I’ve watched them struggle to not repeat that which they are sorry for, praying on their behalf that they learn different behaviors. And as a child (even an adult child), I remember my parents doing the same for me: “As long as you’ve learned from your mistake and try not to repeat it,” is all they wanted (embedded in their unconditional forgiveness). God, like a parent longs for us to repent of our sins and have it stick, to wipe the slate clean just that once. But also, in faithfulness through Christ, will walk with us and be at the ready if we fail, if we seek forgiveness, again, ever hoping we will eventually learn. 



The Messiah struggled on the cross for our sins and to conquer death for us. We wisely need to heed Peter’s words, rise from ignorance and actively repent, turning to God, faithfully and respectfully, so we can experience the unconditional loving kindness and the true healing of our hearts, wiped clean and our sins wiped out, for good.


Amen.

Please Join Us for Weekly Worship!


We warmly invite you to join us at Gethsemane every Sunday for our in-person worship service. Whether you're a long-time member of our congregation or someone seeking spiritual connection, you'll find a welcoming community ready to embrace you. For those unable to attend in person, we offer the option to join us virtually via Zoom link, ensuring that everyone can participate in our worship experience regardless of their location. Our services, held every Sunday at 10:30 am, are conducted bilingually in Spanish and English, reflecting the diversity and inclusivity of our congregation. Come as you are and join us in lifting our voices in praise and worship. Below is the Zoom link for virtual attendance. We look forward to worshiping together with you.



Online Worship Service

Working Together So That All Experience Gracious Invitation Into Life-giving Christian Community


―Gethsemane Mission Statement

4656 Colfax Avenue North

Minneapolis, MN 55412

612-521-3575

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