Picture This!

We're almost there! The church construction process in the home stretch, and we are going through inspections to get a temporary occupancy permit. In that we are dealing with the city, who knows how long that will take! All of the carpet and tile is down, the lights are one, and the furnaces...well...they work part of the time. The organ is installed but cannot be tuned until the heating system gets a little less cranky, and a constant temperature can be maintained. I have included a picture of our current "church home", one of the classrooms in the education wing. It is serving us well and allows a little more elbow room than up in the "house church". The seating capacity is about 70...we could jam a few more in if we need to. The seating in the new sanctuary will be a little over 200, so there should be lots of elbow room. We're Lutherans you know, so we all want to sit in the back and have plenty of space between us! I'm in the middle of preparing for tomorrow evening's Lenten Service, and then a special worship service on Thursday as St. John's is hosting the monthly circuit pastor's meeting. There is always a communion service in the morning, and I will be leading the liturgy and presenting the day's message. It is a little unnerving to have to preach in front of a bunch of preachers...most of whom are older than dirt. Well, maybe not that old, but they have been around the block and down the street a few times. The main theme is going to be "Why are Lutherans so grumpy?" I don't have an answer for that yet...maybe we're all born that way. If you can help...please let me know, SOON! Anyway, the object lesson is this one German Lutheran that I know that loves his wife so much that at one time he almost told her! If the sermon goes well, I can use it again for our regular service on Sunday. There won't be a bunch of preachers around, but there will be a lot of folks who are older than dirt, and I mean that in the nicest way possible.