Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus!
I’m not sure when the idea was first embraced but somewhere along the line folks started to believe that Sunday School was just for kids. Don’t get me wrong - Sunday School is an important part of the faith formation of children and youth. Through learning about the stories of God’s love from the Bible, little ones grow in their faith. As a pastor, I am proud of the good work that Patty Seewald and her dedicated group of teachers do at St. James. They carry on a tradition of providing a fantastic Sunday School experience for kids.
Still, to think that somehow our need for studying scripture and growing in faith somehow stops after we pass the threshold of Confirmation is foolishness. Faith formation is an unending process that needs constant nurture through prayer, study, and worship. Faith is a journey and not a destination. Part of being in Christian community is to provide opportunities and encouragement to each other as we make our way through the ups and downs of life.
St. James Lutheran offers a variety of ways for adults to grow in faith. Each week there are three Bible Studies that I lead on Thursdays (7:30 a.m. at Jo Jo’s Rise and Wine in Burnsville, 9:00 a.m. at Augustana Regents in Burnsville, and 11:00 a.m. at Savage Senior Living in Savage.) We dive deep into the preaching texts for the coming Sunday. All are welcome - you don’t need to be a resident at either of the senior living facilities to attend.
Faith Teams - small groups led by others from the church - meet at other times to work through topical Bible Studies such as HOPE, LOVE, and FAITH. We are in the process of scheduling the next round of topics so keep your eyes open for a time that works for you.
During the seasons of Advent and Lent, I share devotions with a large group of adults each morning. I write these to support the preaching themes of these seasons. For the last three years, I have also shared a prayer daily during the season of Easter.
AND…. starting this Sunday, I’m starting up a Sunday School class for adults. We begin with BIBLE BASICS. This five-week course (come for one, come for all, come as you can) will take a look at not only what the Bible is, what it does, but also how we read it. For those who haven’t opened their Bible in a long time - don’t worry, NO JUDGEMENT, NO TESTS. For those whose Bibles are worn from use, you will discover new things - might even be challenged to read in new ways. For everyone - we will have some fun and I promise to keep things engaging. I will hold class in the Idunda Room, which is right off the narthex, where we will be serving coffee this year. Grab a cup of coffee - we begin at 11:00 a.m. Bring your Bible or borrow one of ours. If you don’t have a Bible - let me know, I’ll get you one to keep. Discussion goes until 11:45 p.m.
Teaching the Bible is one of the really fun things that I get to do as a pastor. I look forward to sharing this joy with you on Sunday.
As always, I look forward to seeing you in worship.
In Christ’s Light,
Pastor Walt