Greetings Faith and Jerusalem,
I write to you all in a time of excitement. Our program years are now both at full speed, and both congregations are engaged in great opportunities of ministry and fellowship. However, soon, another new start will begin. The start of the program year is just one of many new beginnings that happen each year. On December 1, 2024, we start another beginning. This is the beginning of the Church year, which is the season of Advent. This is the season when we wait and prepare for the coming of Christ Jesus on Christmas as a babe in Bethlehem. However, this year during Advent, we will also be starting something new. Together and individually, Faith and Jerusalem will be entering into a journey of spiritual renewal.
In Advent, we will begin our participation in a program called the “Nourishing Vocation Project” sponsored by St. Olaf College and funded through the Lilly Endowment’s Thriving Congregations Initiative. This project aims to help congregations discern their vocation. Vocation comes from the Latin word vocare, which means “to call.” “To embrace vocation is to recognize that what one does in life is not merely by one’s personal choice or for one’s personal fulfillment or gain. Instead, God calls people to be a part of God’s purpose in this world for the sake of the common good. Leaning into the call of God in all areas of life is to live attentive to vocation.” Foundational to this whole experience is the Nourishing Vocation Project’s spiritual practice called Vocare
“VOCARE” is a regular spiritual practice designed to help you discern and embrace your multiple vocations so that you can more intentionally live life on purpose for the common good. “VOCARE” invites ongoing reflection upon values, openness, call, attentiveness, regret, and the experience of the sacred in everyday life.
V – Values: What do I value, and how am I living my values?
O – Openness: To what am I being asked to be open? How do I respond?
C – Call: What voices are calling to me? Which ones do I listen to, and why?
A – Attentiveness: Where am I giving my attention? Does my attention align with my values?
R – Regret: What are my regrets? What insight do I gain from them?
E – Experience the Sacred: When, where, and how have I encountered the presence of the holy in my everyday life?
Throughout the year, we will spend some time reflecting on each of these letters. However, in Advent, we will prepare for this journey by listening to our longings, our hopes, and our joys for the future as we embark on this process. Then, we will reflect on these things as we wait in hope for the coming of Christ, listening to the longings and hope that God has for us. So, I invite you all into this time of discernment and spiritual renewal. There will be many opportunities throughout the year to participate in this program. There will be devotions and Bible studies to reflect on. However, if you would like to participate in a small group for a more focused reflection, please let me or the office know by the end of November. My prayers are that you all find peace and joy as we embark on this journey.
Peace and Blessings, Pastor Ethan Doan
I write to you all in a time of excitement. Our program years are now both at full speed, and both congregations are engaged in great opportunities of ministry and fellowship. However, soon, another new start will begin. The start of the program year is just one of many new beginnings that happen each year. On December 1, 2024, we start another beginning. This is the beginning of the Church year, which is the season of Advent. This is the season when we wait and prepare for the coming of Christ Jesus on Christmas as a babe in Bethlehem. However, this year during Advent, we will also be starting something new. Together and individually, Faith and Jerusalem will be entering into a journey of spiritual renewal.
In Advent, we will begin our participation in a program called the “Nourishing Vocation Project” sponsored by St. Olaf College and funded through the Lilly Endowment’s Thriving Congregations Initiative. This project aims to help congregations discern their vocation. Vocation comes from the Latin word vocare, which means “to call.” “To embrace vocation is to recognize that what one does in life is not merely by one’s personal choice or for one’s personal fulfillment or gain. Instead, God calls people to be a part of God’s purpose in this world for the sake of the common good. Leaning into the call of God in all areas of life is to live attentive to vocation.” Foundational to this whole experience is the Nourishing Vocation Project’s spiritual practice called Vocare
“VOCARE” is a regular spiritual practice designed to help you discern and embrace your multiple vocations so that you can more intentionally live life on purpose for the common good. “VOCARE” invites ongoing reflection upon values, openness, call, attentiveness, regret, and the experience of the sacred in everyday life.
V – Values: What do I value, and how am I living my values?
O – Openness: To what am I being asked to be open? How do I respond?
C – Call: What voices are calling to me? Which ones do I listen to, and why?
A – Attentiveness: Where am I giving my attention? Does my attention align with my values?
R – Regret: What are my regrets? What insight do I gain from them?
E – Experience the Sacred: When, where, and how have I encountered the presence of the holy in my everyday life?
Throughout the year, we will spend some time reflecting on each of these letters. However, in Advent, we will prepare for this journey by listening to our longings, our hopes, and our joys for the future as we embark on this process. Then, we will reflect on these things as we wait in hope for the coming of Christ, listening to the longings and hope that God has for us. So, I invite you all into this time of discernment and spiritual renewal. There will be many opportunities throughout the year to participate in this program. There will be devotions and Bible studies to reflect on. However, if you would like to participate in a small group for a more focused reflection, please let me or the office know by the end of November. My prayers are that you all find peace and joy as we embark on this journey.
Peace and Blessings, Pastor Ethan Doan
