St. Luke’s Episcopal Church

The other day, I took my stand-up paddleboard out to Cascade Lake. I love being out in nature, especially the way it draws me out of myself and deeper into connection with God. I was excited to have a big, watery stretch of it to explore so close to home.

As I paddled around the lake, I enjoyed the feeling of the sun and breeze and the quiet joy of exploring a new place. Birds chirped, honked, and scattered as I drew near. Hundreds of tiny fish (and a few big ones) darted into deeper water when my shadow neared. Dragonflies hovered for a moment before zipping off. Out in the middle, I floated over ridges of sand and gravel rising up from the dark water. The trees and grasses around the lake were emerald green, the hills behind covered in trees. The natural beauty of creation was everywhere.

So was civilization. St. Mary’s and much of downtown were easily visible. Houses filled one shore and the hills around. Noise from the traffic on adjacent freeways was nearly constant. Power lines along the creek ran to a power plant and its huge oil tanks. For all its nature, the park is a thoroughly urban place.

Beyond that, it is an entirely constructed place. The lake itself is new, the product of sand mining begun in the 1960s. The underwater ridges of sand and gravel are remnants of the land that used to be. The meandering stream was dug just twenty years ago to move the creek away from the mining operation. For all the nature, there’s hardly a natural thing about the place.

Knowing that and feeling city elbowing in on all sides left me a little uneasy. Like, this is nice, but does it count? Is it really “nature”? Can I really connect to God with all of humanity’s mess on display?

On my journey back to the beach, out in the middle of the lake, I found a sand bar that was larger than all the rest and just knee-deep. I wiggled my paddle down into the sand. Holding on to it, I laid back on my board. And there, in the middle of a lake that didn’t used to be, surrounded by traffic noise and the clutter of city, I was surprised by a view of something entirely natural: the sky. I just had to chuckle: A priest was surprised to find heaven waiting there above all along.

When I sat back up, I saw my surroundings with different eyes. However that place came to be, it was indeed full of beauty, the wildness of God’s creation asserting itself against the backdrop of human intervention. I know God isn’t literally above us, but I’m grateful for the idea that God is always “up there,” just like the sky. Wherever we go, whatever our surroundings, God is there with us, watching us, covering us, and reaching out to us in beauty and in love.

Yours in Christ,

Justin

Sunday, 9:30 a.m.: Holy Eucharist

Please join us for worship on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. as we celebrate the feast of Enmegahbowh (pictured at right), the first Native American ordained priest in The Episcopal Church. As always, please join us for coffee hour following worship.

If you can't make it in person, please tune in for the livestream on St. Luke's Facebook page. You don't need an account to watch the video; just click the link above and the livestream should be the first post on the page. Download the bulletin to follow along at home.

The time we spend together in conversation and fellowship after the Sunday service is as important to the life of our community as our worship. There are a number of ways you can help to make coffee hour happen. For each of them, you can do it alone or pair up with a friend.

1. You can provide the treats, make the coffee and clean-up afterward.
2. You can just bring a treat and others will serve, make the coffee and clean-up afterward.
3. You can order a treat to be delivered on Friday afternoon, and others will serve, make the coffee and clean-up afterward.

Everyone’s help is needed and appreciated as we take this time to enjoy each other’s company.

If you have questions about any of it, from setup to coffee making to clean up, Harold Solbrig is the one to talk to (harold@solbrigs.us / 507-319-2628)



St. Luke’s was featured on KIMT’s coverage of last Saturday’s A Time of Remembrance. Organized by Diane O’Mara and Toni Kay Mangskau, the event offered support to people in the community affected by addiction and suicide through a resource fair, worship service, and several speakers, one of whom was St. Luke’s very own Beth Pritchard. The event attracted more than 75 people, most of whom had never been to St. Luke’s before.

Check out KIMT’s article and video here.

Our huge thanks goes out to Diane O’Mara for all her hard work in organizing the event and to the St. Luke’s volunteers who helped out. Your work made possible an event that touched the lives of many!

Thanks to everyone who attended last week's congregational meeting!

We had a report and conversations on our finances and discussion of our ongoing work in becoming a thriving congregation. We recorded the meeting, but were dismayed to discover that the sound cut off just after the opening prayer. If you weren't able to attend, please get in touch with Rev. Justin or one of the wardens. We'd be happy to fill you in on the details.



Episcopal Night at the Minnesota Twins!

Thursday, August 24, 6:10pm

Target Field

Reserve tickets here.

Last year's Episcopal Night at the Minnesota Twins was so much fun, we decided to do it again! Plus, Bishop Loya has yet to throw out the first pitch, so we've got a mission. Join us for the best night of the summer!