Redeemer Prayers & Announcements | February 12, 2021

ASH WEDNESDAY DRIVE-UP IMPOSITION OF ASHES & COMMUNION // Weather permitting, Redeemer invites you to come to the Redeemer Logan parking lot (behind Milda’s Cafe) on Ash Wednesday, February 17th at 12 noon only for Drive-Up Ashes Imposition and Distribution of Prepackaged Sacrament of Holy Communion. Pastor Kelly will place ashes on a spoon for you to make the cross on your forehead and those of your family, speak the blessing for ash imposition and the promise for Holy Communion (distributed with gloved hand), and offer a prayer. 

VIRTUAL COMMUNION NEXT SUNDAY //  We welcome you to Redeemer’s Virtual Sacrament of Holy Communion next Sunday, February 21st. Whether you partake by sharing bread and wine or grape juice at home, or simply joining our prayers, know that all are included in the loving and forgiving communion of the Spirit of God in Christ Jesus for our life together. We will continue to offer the sacrament each first and third Sunday of the month. 

WORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES // We need readers for Lent worship!! Please register online or email Amy to sign up to record yourself and/or your family speaking the assigned lectionary readings for our prerecorded worships during the months of January and February. Know that you can speak aloud the readings linked on the sign-up or from a children’s or other translation in your home. 
 
WEDNESDAY EVENING LENTEN ZOOM GATHERING // We invite you to join us each Wednesday evening during Lent (beginning February 24th) at 6:30pm for zoom gatherings. We will share in pre-recorded Holden Evening Prayer and discuss different topics each week in smaller groups. Bring a bowl of your favorite soup or a cup of your favorite tea and join us here. (Meeting ID: 874 4538 4114 | Passcode: 340861 or dial-in by phone to 301-715-8592)
 
THANK YOU! // We thank Dr. Robin Bell for providing emergency pastoral care during Pastor Kelly’s vacation, Pastor Babette, Campus Pastor at Augsburg University, for presiding and preaching on Sunday Feb. 7th, and Chaplain Bill Dexheimer Pharris for our birthday song!

OPPORTUNITY to TAKE ACTION to PROTECT THE HEALTH OF NORTH MINNEAPOLIS and the PLANET // The MN Pollution Control Agency is proposing an important rule change that will further reduce greenhouse gas emissions from new cars beginning with 2025 models, and it will increase the availability of zero emissions cars in MN. Currently only 19 of the 43 zero emissions vehicle models are available in MN. This legislation will require manufacturers to add increasingly more zero emissions vehicles to the MN market. Currently, MN is falling far below our greenhouse gas reduction goals and the people most adversely affected by gas emissions are here in North Minneapolis. This is an important rule for our community and our planet; the Service and Advocacy Committee is partnering with MN Interfaith Power and Light to ask you to support the rule change and sign the following petition. Please log in here to sign MN Interfaith Power and Light’s petition. It is important to note that Redeemer’s own, Sam Benson, works for MN Interfaith Power and Light and has been spearheading this effort!

ORDER YOUR “REDEEMER BELIEVES BLACK LIVES MATTER” T-SHIRTS // Redeemer’s Service & Advocacy ministry (led by Holly De Souza) is offering new “Redeemer Believes Black Lives Matter” shirts for a suggested donation of $10 (or more which will fund the ongoing work of the S&A committee). These high quality, no shrink t-shirts come in sizes: Youth XS, S, M, & L and Adult S, M, L, XL, and XXL. Order your t-shirts by filling out the online order form.

ZOOM FELLOWSHIP: SUNDAY at 10:30AM // Please join us at 10:30am this Sunday  for Zoom Fellowship. Next Sunday, February 21st, will be hosted by Dr. Bell (Redeemer Council minister for Racial Justice), Amy Koopman, and others among the recently-trained Redeemer community organizers.They will share their experiences of the weeklong Community Organizing for Faith Leaders training and discuss what you might experience should you join the June 2021 training! (Meeting ID: 828 2807 5412 | Passcode: 371196 or dial-in by phone to 312-626-6799)

PRAYERS FOR REDEEMER BABIES // Please hold in your prayers Redeemer households expecting new births in the coming weeks and months: Alyssa Schwitzer (and Elizabeth Hanson), Linnae Nelson-Seys (with Jamie and Abraham Seys), Rachel Birkedahl (and Derwim Halim), and our accompanist Steven Hobert’s partner Sarah Lindsey. We can’t wait to meet these little ones and shower their families when it’s safe to do so!

COVID-19 PREVENTION & VACCINES // The best protection from the various mutations of the COVID-19 virus—whether you are vaccinated or not—is to: 
-- stay home whenever possible; 
-- stay 6 feet away from others in all spaces; 
-- wear a mask (or two) so that there is adequate filtration and a snug fit over the bridge of your nose, cheeks, and chin; and
-- wash your hands often and well. 
See the MN Department of Health COVID-19 site for more in-depth and current information about symptoms, testing, and vaccines. At this time, in MN, vaccines are being given to long-term care residents and staff, healthcare workers, K-12 teachers, child care workers, and people over 65. Currently, vaccine demand exceeds the supply. MN Department of Health offers a vaccine locator site. When you receive a vaccine appointment, be sure to dress appropriately so that your upper arm is easily accessible (for example, wear a short-sleeve t-shirt under your sweater/jacket). 

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Transfiguration of our Lord | Readings & Gospel: 
2 Kings 2:1-12 | Psalm 50:1-6 | 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 | Mark 9:2-9

Guided by Christ made known to the nations, let us offer our prayers for the church, the world, and all people in need . . .
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For the gospel proclaimed in word and deed, for communities of faith far and near, and for all who show the face of Christ throughout the world, let us pray. Have mercy, O God.
 
For creation: sun, moon and stars; life forming in the dark earth and ocean deep; mountains, clouds and storms, and creatures seen and unseen, and for the Holy Spirit’s guidance in our stewardship of God’s creation, let us pray. Have mercy, O God.
 
For those responsible for safety and protection: attorneys and advocates, civil servants and leaders of governments, that they witness to mercy and justice in Buffalo, MN,  Ecuador and throughout the world, let us pray. Have mercy, O God.
 
For all who suffer this day, Dennis, Itasca, Ione, Kogo Nora, Mary, and Sarah, our local and global siblings, the vaccinated and unvaccinated, all living with surging and variant COVID-19 in Argentina, France with accompanying lockdowns alongside of quarantines, for all emergency responders, security guards, as well as disaster volunteers, the unsheltered campers at 2nd Ave North and Van White Memorial Blvd, brothers James and Bobbie, Cindy, Linda, Jovita, Maggie, Samantha, William . . .  that Christ our healer transform sickness into health, loneliness into companionship, bereavement into consolation, and suffering into peace, let us pray. Have mercy, O God.
 
For companions on life’s journey in this worshiping community, for loved ones who cannot be with us this day, and for guidance during struggles we face as we anticipate our next pastor, as Minneapolis children and youth return to school that God’s glory is revealed around and among us, let us pray. Have mercy, O God.
 
In thanksgiving for the faithful departed who now rest from their earthly pilgrimage especially missionaries Cyril and Methodius with Chris, Fessehatsion Kiflu Berhane, and Agui Elicki that their lives of service and prayer inspire us in our living, let us pray. Have mercy, O God.
 
Merciful God, hear the prayers of your people, spoken or silent, for the sake of the one who dwells among us, your Son, Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.