Winter 2021: Luminous Darkness

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Nourishing Faith

Welcoming All

Doing Good

BEing Church

Epworth Echoes is a newsmagazine published 4 times a year by

Pastor: Steve Reiser

Editorial Board: Shirley Durr, Cynthia Lillquist, Mary Ellen Reetz-Pegues, Brian Lillquist, Saundra Johnson

Photographs: Aaron Jones (cover photo), Nan Rice, Nancy Meisel-Youngman, Cynthia Lillquist, Steve Reiser

Image Attributions:

· aurora borealis photo: (favim.com)

· Year of Justice logo: Steve Reiser

· Boundaries photo: “The Beginning is Near” (imgur.com)

· Warnock/Ossof photo: (Epiphany article) Brynn Anderson/AP Photo

· Devotional photo: “In the Wilderness of Sinai” by Igor Ulanovsky

If you would like an electronic version of this and future issues of Epworth Echoes, email. epworthechoes@gmail. com.

Share your story with us even if you don’t think you have anything to tell. You are living history that the future needs to know. Send to epworthechoes@gmail.com

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Christmas Eve traditions and innovations

Although our Christmas Eve service could not be in person to protect our families and neighbors from coronavirus infections, it still held many of the traditions we've enjoyed over the decades at Epworth plus some clever innovations, some necessary for our new reality. Christmas Eve worship, although filmed in the sanctuary, could only be seen on Facebook. The virtual worship experience opened with a video of luminaries lining the aisles leading to the altar decorated with our traditional poinsettia and Advent wreath Besides the innovative video, the manger that has decorated the balcony for the past few years was placed on the altar instead so that worshippers could see it from home. Traditionally, Christmas Eve services have consisted of scripture and familiar carols with special music interspersed throughout. This year was the same – with a few twists. Jasper Ayers Assad has been the first soloist for Christmas Eve for a couple of years and he carried on this new tradi

MNUMW, MNIPL collaborate for creation care, climate justice

By Susan Mullin and Cindy Saufferer “Don’t desecrate the land in which you live. I live here, too— I, God, live in the same neighborhood … .” ~ Numbers 35:34 ( The Message ) Minnesota Conference United Methodist Women (MNUMW) and Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light (MNIPL) received a Justice 4 All Grant from the National United Methodist Women to collaborate in two different campaigns, seeking an equitable and speedy transition to a renewable energy economy for the people of Minnesota while demonstrating the breadth of the climate justice movement in Minnesota and the groundswell of demand for strong action on climate justice. 100% Renewable Energy One campaign is MNIPL’s 100% Renewable Energy Campaign which embraces a vision of a Minnesota run on 100% renewable energy, with 100% access to the benefits of renewable energy. MNIPL plans to amplify this work in 2021 by working with congregations in Minnesota to help them craft their climate stories, and then join together in mee

Justice calls for Epworth in 2021

By Steve Reiser Epworth’s 2021 response to the crises of 2020 – pandemic, racial injustice, climate crisis, and political unrest – is to declare 2021 the Year of Justice . Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice.”–Matthew 5:6 (NLT). This year, we’ll hunger and thirst for justice in all that we do. Advocating for Racial Justice As part of this call to justice, we have already launched a virtual Racial Justice Book Club, which is open to both congregants and community. Crixell Shell, Assistant Executive Director of the Minnesota Peacebuilders Institute, is facilitating the current conversations. Read more about the Book Club on page 4. We want to continue not only facilitated conversations but also actions throughout 2021 and beyond to raise up justice issues we face. Hungering for Food Justice We came face to face with the food and hygiene product needs in our community while we hosted the First Aid station in the summer

Epworth Echoes: Winter 2021

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