The God Who Comes

Luke 13:1-9

Some who were present on that occasion told Jesus about the Galileans whom Pilate had killed while they were offering sacrifices. 2 He replied, “Do you think the suffering of these Galileans proves that they were more sinful than all the other Galileans? 3 No, I tell you, but unless you change your hearts and lives, you will die just as they did. 4 What about those eighteen people who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them? Do you think that they were more guilty of wrongdoing than everyone else who lives in Jerusalem? 5 No, I tell you, but unless you change your hearts and lives, you will die just as they did.”

6 Jesus told this parable: “A man owned a fig tree planted in his vineyard. He came looking for fruit on it and found none. 7 He said to his gardener, ‘Look, I’ve come looking for fruit on this fig tree for the past three years, and I’ve never found any. Cut it down! Why should it continue depleting the soil’s nutrients?’ 8 The gardener responded, ‘Lord, give it one more year, and I will dig around it and give it fertilizer. 9 Maybe it will produce fruit next year; if not, then you can cut it down.’”

This Sunday’s service can be viewed on our Facebook page @ Sunday, March 30, 2025

Hello NewDay Friends!
Well, today is one day that we are OFFICIALLY in the realm of Spring! Hopefully we are all done with being in the realm of sneak attack Wednesday blizzards too. 
This week, we are also midway through Lent. This week we will be studying Luke 13:1-9. This passage leans into the topic of repentance, the gift God gives us in time, and also our wondering about the sources of calamity and tragedy. How do all these relate? 
Derek pointed out something to me when we were discussing the text for this Sunday, about Luke's intentionality and orderly account of Jesus' words and actions that Luke presents throughout his Gospel. 
At a first glance, this conversation and parable seem disjointed. But, it's not. 

The conversation in Luke 13 with Jesus and His disciples, and the parable are connected. They point to our human need to find a source of blame when there is disaster or death- was it because of sin? Was it because of Herod? Who did something wrong? It could be like 2 people discussing something bad that happens to someone, or the sinful actions of someone resulting someday in 'Karma'- "What goes around comes around." If you do something bad, in short, you will get punished. 

And, then Jesus shifts the conversation to a parable He tells a story about a fig tree not producing fruit, and turns His listeners attention to the gift of time, opportunity and soil of all things. 

I am looking forward to sharing God's Word with you on Sunday, and exploring this text together, as we journey through Lent. 

In Christ, Pastor Kari


 

GATHERING FOR SUNDAY
CAN BE FOUND AT:
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Following the worship gathering, worship services will be uploaded to our website and will be available at www.newdaycov.org/listen.
NewDay Online Giving: https://newday.churchcenter.com/giving

Search Committee Update 3/21/25

What's happened: 

The search committee met Monday. We: 

  • posted NewDay's part-time job opening to the ECC and NW Conference websites so that candidates will be able to find the full-time or part-time option

  • chose seminaries outside of the Covenant denomination and sent our job posting 

  • discussed referred candidates and sent a request for a get-to-know-you video call to 8 candidates. The purpose of these conversations will be to gauge personality fit and mutual desire to move forward with a formal interview

What's next: 

The search committee will meet again within the next couple of weeks to work towards next steps: 

  • determine interview questions

  • review candidate referrals on an ongoing basis as we receive more

  • continue to discuss how to keep the congregation engaged and involved

  • continue to explore ways to recruit candidates from inside and outside the Covenant denomination

What you can do: 

  • connect us! If you would like to suggest any candidates to connect with the search committee, please contact one of us. We are happy to take name suggestions and connect with them through the official NW Conference channels. We are unable to share follow-up information about their potential candidacies. 

  • please pray for wisdom, patience, and creativity for the search committee and for the congregation.

  • please contact any of us with questions or concerns at any time.

Pastoral Search Committee email address: newdaysearchcommittee@gmail.com

Members and roles:

Kristi Florek: chair

Charlotte Florek: secretary

Curt Harlow: member

Jeff Hester: prayer committee coordinator

Natalie Woodberry: congregational communications liaison

Hi Friends!
Last week, we talked about how Aaron and Hur held up Moses' arms during a battle so the Israelites could win against their enemies (Exodus 17:8-13).  This week, we will learn from Nehemiah and read about the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. Our bottom line this week: Work together to solve problems.  See you then!
- Miss Laura

Angela DickinsonComment