Pie Day 2025

It’s that week of the year when it’s hard to concentrate in the office because of the good smells coming from the kitchen! That anise smell lets me know there are pfeffernũssen being baked at some point. This Wednesday I anticipate the smell of cooking pie filling, and then Thursday is pie day! Which, of course, means this coming Friday and Saturday is the Illinois Mennonite Relief sale.

Speaking of smelling good, the GLAPS pancake and sausage breakfast was a huge success. You can read about the details elsewhere in this E-Gram. But let me add a big thank you to all of the volunteers from NDMC who helped make it such a great morning!

It was so nice to see the number of people who had remembered to set their clocks ahead (or the clocks remembered automatically). It was a nice, bright Sunday and we had a good number who joined together for our worship service yesterday. We looked at Jesus’ statement to Martha: “I am the resurrection and the life,” from John 11, and then we saw the way that he backed up this extraordinary claim by raising Lazarus to life. It’s an account from the Bible that gives us a good deal of hope. Next week we’ll look at that famous story from John 13 where Jesus modelled what it means to serve.

Today is supposed to be a good day with a high temperature that we haven’t seen for months. If you’re like me, you’ve got more than enough things to do outdoors that you’ve been putting off until it got warmer. Hope you are able to get out and enjoy the weather some.

It’s a busy week at NDMC, but that what many here are so good at—looking for a way to serve others. I hope to see you at the Relief Sale, or around the church building this week. If not, I hope to see you next Sunday. Don’t forget to invite someone to come along with you.

God bless,  Brian

Scripture readings for next Sunday

John 13:1-17—What do you learn from Jesus’ actions here?

Isaiah 49:1-7—What strikes you about this prophecy?

Matthew 20:20-28—In what ways are we sometimes like James and John?

Galatians 5:13-18—In your own words describe what’s being taught in this passage.