March 1st - March 15th, 2020 Edition

"The Rhythm of Lent"

High in the Cascades mountains in Washington, there is a remote community called Holden Village. It used to be a little mining town, and now is a Lutheran renewal and retreat community. I have had a number of friends and colleagues visit and even live there. From the town of Chelan (itself very remote), it is a 2-4 hour ferry ride up the fjord-like Lake Chelan, followed by an additional 11 mile ride up mountain roads. There is no internet or cell reception - a friend awaiting job news once had to take a two hour hike up to a ridge-line to be able to make a spotty connection to hear they'd been hired. Some classmates went in the winter during college, one noted that they would get the week's newspapers only once or twice a week as deliveries were made. A far cry from our always-on, always-urgent culture.  It is a place to get attuned to different rhythms - days and seasons and the routine of meals, quiet, and worship.  The composer Marty Haugen lived there for a few years, and one of his compositions there was "Holden Evening Prayer," which we will be using on Wednesdays during Lent. It is a service of singing and scripture, psalms and readings. During this Lenten season, we'll use it as our worship on Wednesday evenings. I invite you to come and join us for a different rhythm, a different grounding, a time for devotion during Lent. Grace and peace to you, ~Jeff

March Calendar of Events

At the beginning of Lent , we are reminded that our possessions, our rulers, our empires, our projects, our families, and even our lives, do not last forever. “You are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19). The liturgies throughout Lent try to pry loose our fingers, one by one, from presumed securities and plunge us into unknown baptismal waters, waters that turn out to be not only our death tomb but surprisingly our womb of life. Rather than falling back into nothingness, we fall back on everlasting arms. Death? How can we fear what we have already undergone in baptism?

March is Minnesota FoodShare and IOCP Prevent Hunger Month

BloomEarlyLearning.org

Anyone interested in volunteering with the babies, toddlers or preschoolers, please contact Melissa or Kati Halliday (764-559-0045) to go through the background check and get started. Bloom welcomes volunteers in the classrooms. Join the Friends of Bloom committee to develop and maintain strong ties between Bloom and PPC. Sign up for one-time volunteer activities, such as stuffing envelopes or providing hospitality at an event. Join the Marketing Committee. We especially need people experienced in marketing, public relations, social media, writing, videography and photography. Share your talents with us! Next Friends of Bloom Meeting: March 29th, at 11:00 a.m.

"Bloom continues to add students and staff while remaining committed to a 50/50 split of scholarship and full-pay children. With eight children, the infant room is full." Bloom Pantry Needs Some of the Items we are looking for are: Canned fruit and veggies Cereal Noodles Bread Ketchup, Salsa. Mayo, Jam Syrup Soup Ramen Toiletries Paper product Still a big need for snacks for the snack basket for the kids and teachers: fruit snacks, juice boxes, granola bars, raisins, etc. (no peanuts) Children’s clothes, diapers, wipes New socks and underwear, Sizes 2T—4T Other items to help out the young families Contact Kriss Peek if you have any questions at 952-292-8151, or email [email protected].

Mission 2020

Jesus then told them: “Go and preach the good news to everyone in the world.” Mark 16:15 Can you help the Mission Ministry follow this commandment? We are looking for some people to help organize or arrange our various mission projects throughout the year. This would include projects like: Making sandwiches for 363 Scheduling meal making at Feed My Starving Children Various projects and drop offs at IOCP Volunteering at Bloom Or, maybe you have some new ideas to support the mission work at PPC. If you can help the Mission Ministry, please contact Mark Kipp at [email protected] or 763-404-2476). The Mission Ministry team wants to thank all that everyone that donated to our 94 lbs of food we dropped off to IOCP in January. This included over 150 rolls of toilet paper, which they desperately needed. Also a big shout out to the 11 members that volunteered in the Food Shelf on our fifth Wednesday in January. Our next food shelf Wednesday will be on April 29th. Please look for more details after Easter. Thank you!

Again this year, PPC will be supporting Ben Holman in his Soles4Souls shoe drive. Soles4Souls will turn your unwanted shoes into opportunity, by keeping them from going to waste and putting them to good use - providing relief, creating jobs and empowering people to break the cycle of poverty. Please start collecting your unused shoes and drop them off in the box at PPC.