“Life Together” this fall at Spirit Garage

Life is so much better together…

even when it is messy, it’s better together

Autumn is coming, and with it some new things to think about. This autumn at Spirit Garage we will explore “Life Together,” through the lens of a short and insightful book by Deitrich Bonhoeffer that wrestles with what Christian community looks like. Christian community isn’t an “Ideal” community that always behaves the way you want it to, but it is a “Spiritual” community that is sometimes messy. 

Bonhoeffer was a Lutheran Theologian in Germany during WW2, where he was one of the people who started the “confessing church,” which arose in resistance to Nazi Germany, which desired to have a unified, pro-nazi German-Evangelical Church (a form of Christian Nationalism). Bonhoeffer wrote “Life Together” while he taught at an underground seminary.

The whole of Bethlehem Lutheran Church Twin Cities is participating in this series, so there will be some opportunity to learn from a Bonhoeffer scholar, in addition to our own book study conversation. 

In September we’ll be reading and talking about Bonhoeffer’s Book by that title in our Book Discussion (9/25, 7-8:30 pm at Bethlehem Lyndale Campus). In September’s worship services (Sundays at 10:30 am in-person and online), we will explore each of the ideas from the book’s five chapters and see how and what they speak to us today.

9/1 Community Life

9/8 The day together

9/15 The day alone

9/22 Ministry

9/29 Confessing and Communion

Then during the month of October we explore what our Life Together looks like through some of our origin stories.

• We’ll begin the month on our Fall Retreat. Did you sign up yet? Here’s the link to more information and registration. It’s October 4-6, and while we are on retreat there will be NO IN PERSON GATHERING at Meraki on October 6. 

• On October 13th we will celebrate our Reconciling In Christ anniversary! Reconciling in Christ is our ongoing commitment to strive to be a fully inclusive community especially including queer folx, and anti-racism work.

• On October 20th, we explore the origins of Spirit Garage, as we celebrate 27 years. We’ll consider who we were then and the various ways we keep becoming who we will be.

• On October 27th, we think about the birthday of the Protestant Reformation, when Martin Luther presented the church with all of his group of friends’ ideas about what needed some conversation in the church. 

• Then, November 3rd we celebrate All Saints’ day, and think about life together with all that has come before us. 

• Wrapping up our “Life Together” series, we will have a Coffeehouse Worship, with poetry and songs that speak to the themes we’ve explored during this time of considering our Life Together.

Thanks for being with us. Life is so much better together!

Pastor Holly