God's Loving Presence in a Hurting World

Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost

September 20, 2026

Musings from the Pastor's Desk

Luther’s Marks of the Church

Week 6: Prayer and Worship

This is the 6th week of Luther’s Marks of the Church. Martin Luther identified seven visible signs, or “marks,” that help us recognize where the church of Jesus Christ is present. These marks are not merely doctrines we believe. They are gifts through which Christ continues to meet us, shape us, and sustain us. We experience all seven marks in our weekly liturgy.

Last week, the fifth mark was Ministry Called to Serve. Ministry belongs to the whole people of God. Luther spoke powerfully about the priesthood of all believers. Through Baptism, every Christian has a vocation, a calling to love God and serve the neighbor. Ministry is acting for others, doing God’s work with our hands. We are Christ’s ears when we listen. We are Christ’s voice when we speak words of compassion, justice, or hope.

This week, the sixth mark is Prayer and Worship. Week after week we gather, sing familiar hymns, pray, hear scripture, and receive communion. We pray for the church, the world, those in need, and those who have died.

Martin Luther saw prayer and worship as one of the marks of the church because church is a community that continually turns to God. We bring our whole lives with us, our gratitude, worries, grief and hopes that are difficult to put into words.

Some Sundays we sing with joy and other times, the person next to us may be singing the words for us because we do not have the strength. That is one of the blessings of being a part of a worshipping community. When our faith feels weak, someone else is praying beside you. When someone cannot find the words, the congregation supplies them. When grief makes prayer difficult, the ancient prayers and hymns give us words until our own words return.

Prayer is less about giving God information than about opening our lives to God. God already knows the burdens we carry. Prayer simply says, “Hear is my joy, fear and hear is the situation I cannot fix.” We then entrust it to God.

We worship because we need each other, and because we need to be reminded that our lives belong within a much larger story of grace.

Reflection: What are you carrying now that you need to give it up to God in prayer?

We worship at 10:30 AM and are also live on Facebook. Come pray, sing and long for God’s peace. Everyone is welcome.

Peace+

Pastor Eric

Two-session

Congregational Discernment Process Meetings

The congregation is encouraged to attend a meeting with Tom Knoll, a retired pastor who will help us discern what a faithful and hopeful future for Hope might look like. 

We have two sessions planned: September 13th and September 27th, both held after worship. The first 2-hour session will focus on where we are as a congregation, who we are, and what our future might look like. 

The second session, on September 27th, will explore our options, what might change, and a process for moving forward. 

Everyone's participation is encouraged! If you have any questions, please speak with Pastor Eric or Lorna. 

Session One —Listening and Discernment (September 13)

Our first meeting will focus primarily on listening rather than planning.

We will explore four questions:

1.    Where are we?

What is happening at Hope right now? What is working? What isn't? What are we tired of? What are we proud of? What are we grieving?

2.    Who are we?

What gifts and strengths do the people of Hope bring? What is unique about Hope? What do we most want to preserve? What might we be willing to let go of?

3.    What is happening around us?

What do we see in our surrounding community that Hope might respond to? The community presents opportunities related to caregiving, aging, grief, families, economic stress, youth, and multicultural relationships.

4.  What might our future look like?

We will begin exploring several possible directions:

• Rebuilding Hope as a congregation
• Remaining a small but sustainable congregation
• Becoming a community ministry center or hub
• Developing a new partnership with another congregation or organization
• Dissolving as a congregation but creatively and faithfully using Hope’s assists to the glory of God.

We will end session one by asking one important question: “Which of these possibilities gives you hope?”

Session Two — Exploring Our Options (September 27)

The second meeting will build on what we heard in the first session. We will identify the possibilities that seem most promising and begin exploring what each would require.

We will consider:

• What would we need to change?
• What resources and people would be required?
• What partnerships might be possible?
• How could we make better use of Hope's building and other assets?
• What could Hope realistically sustain with its current human and financial capacity?

We will also develop a clearer picture of Hope's financial situation, including its monthly income and expenses, building and staffing costs, available reserves, and opportunities to reduce expenses or extend its financial runway.

What Comes After the Two Sessions?

Following these conversations, we will develop a 3–9 month discernment and action process:

First 2 months: Listen, assess, and clarify Hope's strengths, finances, building, and priorities.

Months 3-4: Explore possibilities, potential partners, community needs, and new ministry models.

Months 4-6: Experiment with one or two promising ideas rather than simply planning.

Months 7-8: Evaluate what is creating energy, relationships, ministry, and sustainability.

Month 9: Make decisions about Hope's next chapter.

Our Guiding Question: The goal is not necessarily to preserve Hope exactly as it exists today.