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April 8, 2023 The rocks were still warm. Last night after Good Friday service, I knelt at the foot of a cross to pick up rocks that people had placed there during the service. As my fingers closed around one of them, I felt warmth. Then the next and the next. “The rocks are still warm!” I exclaimed aloud. Our Good Friday service did not offer bulletins, which people would have held in their hands. This year, we moved together through the crucifixion story with readings, silence, and song prompted only by the voices of our worship leaders. As we moved through the crucifixion story from the Book of Matthew, as we sang Were You There? seven times, as we sat in silence remembering the hours Jesus hung on the cross, the people had held these rocks in their hands. Into these rocks, they were encouraged to pour their sorrows, their worries and fears, anger, pain - all the emotions we encounter as humans. All the emotions that Jesus encountered as fully human in the crucifixion. At the end of the service, everyone was invited to place their rocks at the base on the cross. To leave the things in their lives that hurt them the most, knowing that Jesus’ suffering accompanies their own. They are not alone. As I knelt continuing to gather the rocks, I pictured the hands of the beloved people who had held them, and the sorrows and pain I knew existed in their lives. Holding the warm rocks in my own hands, I knelt in silence for just a few seconds. “The rocks are still warm,” I said to myself, this time in a whisper. Giving thanks to God for this community that I serve. Giving thanks for people willing to share their vulnerabilities and entrust God in Christ Jesus with their hearts and lives. Giving thanks for God, who loves us. - Pastor Marietta 
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Our Lenten devotional booklet was copied in black and white due to costs, so here are the images in color for you to enjoy. The artists' statements on each piece of artwork, can be read here. On Sunday, February 26, Spirit of Life Lutheran Church celebrated 30 years of ministry. Many memories, kind words, and songs and prayers were shared. A few tears were shed, too. Bonnie Ruehs-Lutz, Alicia Wells, Trevor Boe, Ed Higgins, and Bishop Richard Jaech shared stories. Rebecca Brown wrote an original song that includes the line: "Stack the chairs!" Brilliant.  Ash Wednesday service will be held on Wednesday, February 22, at 7 pm in the sanctuary. Please plan to join your friends at Spirit of Life for this special service as we enter the Lenten season and prepare in 40 days to celebrate the joy of Easter.
Each Sunday throughout Lent our worship services will be centered around the theme of Seeking:Honest Questions for Deeper Faith. We will study the questions of scripture: Is this the fast I chose? Who will you listen to? How do we begin again? Will you give me a drink? Who sinned? Can these bones live? Where are you headed? Will you wash my feet? Why have you forsaken me? And finally on Easter: Who are you looking for? These questions and your questions will be heard and respected. Please bring your open hearts and questions to Spirit of Life as we move through Lent together. Each Wednesday beginning March 1, we will enjoy soup, fellowship, and a short, meaningful time of worship with the Holden Evening Prayer liturgy. These gatherings start around 6 as we come together to eat first (about 6:30 pm) and then move into worship. They are informal and family style. For more than 30 years, Spirit of Life has been spreading the Good News of Christ in South Kitsap County. This year we celebrate the church's official acceptance as a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Spirit of Life became an ELCA congregation on February 28, 1993. Pastor George Larson was the mission developer pastor who helped, with many charter members, establish this congregation, the childcare center, and the food bank.
On Sunday, February 26, we will celebrate this anniversary with a special program, fun treats, songs, stories, and fellowship. You are invited! Please invite friends and family who have been part of Spirit of Life over the years. The event will be held from 2 to 4 pm in the church sanctuary.  Spirit of Life's annual report for 2022 is out! In it we celebrate the work that God is up to in South Kitsap and beyond. We are thankful for the ways in which the Good News is shared in and through this place. To read the entire report click here. If you are a voting member of the congregation, the congregational meeting will be held Sunday, January 29, after worship. Please check your email for the materials pertaining to this meeting. If you have not received the materials, please email Pastor Marietta at pastorsollm@gmail.com.  The stories, scriptures, and traditions of Christmas have passed down through the generations. At Spirit of Life this year, we are remembering those who have taught us the stories, who have shown us unconditional love, who have enacted their faith through loving others. You are invited to slow down, ponder, rest, and remember. Each week on Wednesdays at 6 pm we will gather for a simple meal of soup and bread, following by a short, contemplative worship service. On Sundays, we gather at 10 am for worship and fellowship. We will sing familiar Christmas carols, celebrate the people who were part of Jesus' birth story and be assured that we are part of the story that God is telling about the world. We will remember that God meets us in our fears and that we can choose a better way, especially when we see God in each other. This Christmas, amid the hustle and bustle, the concerns of our modern life, and the joy that we find in the little things, come to Spirit of Life to rest and remember. Peace, Pastor Marietta Details All events take place at Spirit of Life Lutheran Church 8730 Phillips Road SE, Port Orchard WA 98367 Wednesday Advent Soup and Worship at 6 pm November 30: There is Room December 7: Love Comes Running December 14: Instructions for a Hard Choice Sunday Advent Worship at 10 am November 27: There is Room for Your Story December 4: God Meets Us in Our Fear December 11: With God, We Can Choose a Better Way December 18: A No-Rehearsal, Quite Silly, Almost Accurat-ish Christmas Pageant Christmas Eve at 4 pm December 24: We Tell This Story Christmas Day at 10 am December 25: God Dwells With Us  From Pastor Marietta:
On the day of the shooting at Uvalde Elementary School in Texas in May, we had to go into lockdown here at Spirit of Life and Little Doves Children's Learning Center due to police action in the area. As that day unfolded, I was met again and again by the reality that gun violence is something we are collectively experiencing and that we can collectively work to unpack. Thankfully, our denomination, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, has created a resources that will help us begin: The 60-Day Journey Toward Justice in a Culture of Gun Violence. These free materials can be downloaded at this site: elca.org/60days. I invite you to join in this study with me on Wednesday nights on Zoom. We will meet at 7 pm from September 21 to November 16. The Zoom link is provided in your weekly email, or by contacting me. The study is an individual, daily reflection that lasts for 60 days. Over the course of the study we will be informed, inspired, and invited. We will gather once a week to share our thoughts, discuss what we are reading and to pray for an end to gun violence. I look forward to this time together. I have also invited our siblings in Christ at First Lutheran, Elim Lutheran and St. Bede's Episcopal to join us. As always, if you have questions or concerns, please reach out at pastorsollm@gmail.com or (360) 876 5094. RECORDINGS OF SESSIONS If you miss a session and would like to watch a recording of it, let Pastor Marietta know either by calling her, 360 876 5094, or emailing, pastorsollm@gmail.com.  Spirit of Life celebrated snow days by sharing their best photos and videos of God's beauty. We may have been stuck at home for a few days, but we celebrated by getting outside and enjoying the peace. Our dogs and kids definitely had a good time! Click here to watch the video on our YouTube Channel.
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