John Louk

Come celebrate the Consecration of our new facility on Ascension Sunday, May 17. Bishop Julius Trimble, who oversees the Iowa Annual Conference, will join us to consecrate, preach, and celebrate Holy Communion. It is a joy and a privilege to have our bishop with us. Our District Superintendent, Rev. David Crow, will also be with us. Consecration sets apart a person, object, or place for the worship and service of God. On May 17 we will set apart our new place of worship as a holy space dedicated for the gathering of people to hear the Word of God, offer prayer and praise, and to celebrate the sacraments. While the church building is not the Church, it does stand as an image of the Church in the world. In the Orthodox tradition, consecration has roots in Baptism. It is the Baptism of the church building, so to speak. Just as a person is changed in baptism and becomes a new creation, the consecration changes an ordinary building into the house of God. Likewise, this change takes pl...

The wrapping paper lays crumpled and thrown haphazardly about. Bows and ribbons are stacked on the arm of the couch. Boxes left opened. It’s hard to walk through the room. The dishes still dirty on the table. The food has just been put away. Everyone is tired. It’s a moment to sit down and relax, look at the glorious mess and smile, reminisce. Take a nap. You’ve been there. Whether it’s Christmas or a birthday, you know what this looks like, feels like. Perhaps that’s how it feels after a glorious Easter grand opening at Salem. We’ve been waiting and watching, anticipating, and working—not just for months but for years. And then our moment came. It was powerful, meaningful, beautiful. A new facility. 369 people! Lots of new people with more coming regularly. Now the downtime. The glorious mess. The need to sit down or take a nap. Is that it? Now what? Our bishop will be with us on May 17 to consecrate, to set apart our new facility for the worship and service of God. As we’ve...