pastor's pen

Services

Sunday morning Worship with Pastor Shawn Brooks (with communion)

The latest at Peace Lutheran Church

Stay up to date with the happenings of Peace Lutheran Church by visiting our blog. You'll find information such as announcements, reflections and thoughts from our pastor to encourage and challenge your walk with the Lord.

grateful

by: Elizabeth Krolak

11/20/2020

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Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  Philippians 4.6

As we prepare for Thanksgiving, I'd like to share a video version of one of my most treasured books, Grateful, that happens to come with a song. I discovered this one years ago when a dear friend was in her last days, and it was hard to be grateful in the middle of the storm of her terminal cancer. She and I listened to this ov

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together, while apart

by: Elizabeth Krolak

11/13/2020

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We gather as many individuals, yet we are one body.

We gather in many places, yet we belong to God’s kingdom.

We gather as God’s many children, yet we are one church.

We are one body, gathered in God’s kingdom, as God’s church. Alleluia!

These are the words with which we begin each online worship service. During this Covid-19 pandemic, we have had to be nimble with our worship plans, switching quickly from in-person to online-only worship. This week we have made the shift back

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All Saints Day

by: Elizabeth Krolak

10/31/2020

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38For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 8:38-39

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1-2-3 Go! to In-person worship

by: Elizabeth Krolak

10/10/2020

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Dear members and friends of Peace Lutheran Church,

 I’m writing this on behalf of myself and the Gathering Together Task Force. We’ve been working on a preparedness plan and the many logistics involved in gathering again in person for worship and other activities. We recognize that other churches in our community have already resumed in-person worship, and many of us are eager to meet in person again in the sanctuary. Our decision was to wait until November, with an anticip

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A Prayer and a Song for Today

by: Elizabeth Krolak

10/02/2020

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This morning we have news that our President, First Lady, and White House staff have tested positive for COVID. We join our hearts in prayer for them, for our country, for the world, for medical workers, and for the millions who have contracted this disease.

We pray to you almighty God, in this time of pandemic. You are our refuge and our strength, a very present help in time of trouble. Do not let us fail in the face of these events. Uphold us with your love, and give us t...
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Creation

by: Elizabeth Krolak

09/29/2020

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“For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” (Matthew 18:19)

How God creates Church:

God puts two or three messed-up people

In the same place and the same time,

And gives them the deep, deep longing to be with one with God

Together

Somehow.

There is so much joy, and yet—

God does not make it completely clear

How this church of two or three,

In this time

and this place

 Is to happen.

They make mistakes.

It gets messy.

Some get hurt,

Some don’t understand,

Some ca

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Pastor Beth's retirement

by: Elizabeth Krolak

09/18/2020

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Dear members of Peace Lutheran Church,

 

Since the beginning of 2020 I have been prayerfully looking ahead to the conclusion of my term call and the subsequent call process for long-term ministry at Peace Lutheran Church. My discernment has led me to not continue with the call process but, instead, to retire. As the ending date of my two-year term call was extended from June 1 to December 31 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, my retirement will be effective January 1, 2021.

 

I’m a

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A message from the Gathering Together Task Force

by: Elizabeth Krolak

08/20/2020

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August 18, 2020

 

Dear People of Peace Lutheran Church, 

 

It was exactly five months ago that we had to make the difficult but necessary decision to close our building and suspend in-person worship in the sanctuary. I feel a sense of disbelief at writing those words! Yet the reality is before us: Covid-19 is still a force that has caused us to change how we are church. 

 

We quickly switched to online worship and experimented with new formats as we found better ways to be toget

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One body, many gifts

by: Elizabeth Krolak

08/20/2020

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Romans 12:1-8

1I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.   3For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you oug

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Anticipation, the bittersweet gift

by: Elizabeth Krolak

08/14/2020

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Dear friends, Dave and I froze a big batch of sweet corn last night, and as always I thought about the coming change of seasons. In a few months we'll be enjoying that taste of summer at our Thanksgiving feast, in the dish of corn we'll share on a frosty day thanks to this steamy hot endeavor of putting up the harvest! The anticipation even as we put those bags of corn in the freezer was delicious. And it feels great to anticipate something good right now!God gives us the

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The Elevator Speech

by: Elizabeth Krolak

07/31/2020

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The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made.The Lord upholds all who are falling, and raises up all who are bowed down.The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season.You open your hand, satisfying the desire of every living thing.The Lord is just in all his ways, and kind in all his doings.The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who...
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A Letter from Bishop Regina Hassanally

by: Elizabeth Krolak

07/30/2020

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Peace Lutheran Church is one of many congregations in the SE MN Synod of the ELCA. Here is an important and encouraging message from Bishop Regina Hassanally which reflects on our current situation with the Covid-19 pandemic. We're grateful for her encouragement!

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Welcome To The New Peace Lutheran Church Website

by: Elizabeth Krolak

07/21/2020

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We are so excited to present our newly designed website. As you can see, it has a fresh new look and easy navigation to help you get the information you need quickly and efficiently. Many thanks to the ChurchSpring team for helping us launch such a beautiful new church website. To God be the glory!

Peace Lutheran Church's mission is to meet people at the crossroads of life with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to help one another along the journey of spiritual growth. Pleas

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