Worship

Announcements: Worship, Sunday School, and all other activities are
suspended at least through April 12th. This means that we will not have
in-person worship on Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, or
Easter Sunday.

Please tune in to BEK Channel 26 as we broadcast worship on Sundays at
10am. We will broadcast Maundy Thursday (7:30 pm), Good Friday (7:30pm),
and Easter Sunday for both the 7am worship and the 9:30 am worship
experiences.  We will also be live on Facebook.

Opportunities to support God’s ministry at Sunne still exist. Checks can
be mailed to the church at PO Box 217 Wilton, ND 58579, click the
Give Now option on the website OR download
tithe.ly on your phones/iPads, set up your account, and give through
that option. Instructions for setting up tithe.ly can be found here.

GO IN PEACE. SERVE THE LORD. THANKS BE TO GOD.

Food Pantry

The Wilton Food Pantry has suspended Friday distributions until further notice.

A Letter from Your Interim Bishop

March 25, 2020

Holy Communion in a time of COVID-19

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

In 1527, Germany, like many places in Europe, faced a deadly outbreak of
the bubonic plague. When a fellow pastor asked Martin Luther for his
advice on how to handle the situation, Luther responded:

“I shall ask God mercifully to protect us. Then I shall fumigate, help
purify the air, administer medicine and take it. I shall avoid places
and persons where my presence is not needed in order not to become
contaminated and thus perchance inflict and pollute others and so cause
their death as a result of my negligence.

If God should wish to take me, he will surely find me, and I have done
what he has expected of me and so I am not responsible for either my own
death or the death of others.

If my neighbor needs me however I shall not avoid place or person but
will go freely as stated above. See this is such a God-fearing faith
because it is neither brash nor foolhardy and does not tempt God.”

“Whether one may flee from a Deadly Plague,” Luther’s Works volume 43

This is indeed a time for us to be neither brash nor foolhardy. It is
also a time when we must keep the well-being of our neighbor foremost in
our minds. The spread of COVID-19 has come later to North Dakota than to
other parts of the country which means we are likely just beginning to
see its impact on our communities. We will continue to follow the
recommendations of Governor Burgum’s office and the ND Department of
Health. Continuing to limit our public gatherings for the sake of the
neighbor is our ongoing recommendation at this time.

One concern that continues to be raised is how the people of God might
receive Holy Communion during this time? As Lutherans, we understand
that in a time of emergency, all baptized Christians are authorized to
administer the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
Remembering also that Martin Luther provided the Small Catechism with
the understanding that the home is the first church and the head of
household the first pastor or teacher of the faith, during this time, it
would be appropriate for families to celebrate holy communion together
in their homes. For that purpose, we asked one of our synod pastors to
write a liturgy booklet that could be used in the home when we are
unable to worship together. The liturgy booklet and a recipe for making
your own communion bread can be found at the end of this letter.

During this time of emergency, you may in good conscience deliver these
Words of promise in your home and know that it is a valid delivering of
Christ’s promise of forgiveness, life, and salvation. I do want to
reinforce that these measures are only in place for as long as we are in
this state of emergency. Once we are holding regular worship services,
we will follow good church order and understand that while all baptized
Christians may deliver Christ’s promise in emergency situations, this
is not a role you can assume in your congregation outside of such times.
Regular congregational duties are rightly administered by those called
to a public ministry office.

Along with the home communion booklet, we have also provided a link to
Martin and the Family Table. This resource was written by pastors and
deacons from our synod in celebration of the 500th anniversary of the
Reformation. Martin and the Family Table is a compilation of activities
that bring the teachings of the Small Catechism to life and were written
to be shared as a family. Each contains a bit of scripture, prayer,
activity and conversation related to a portion of Luther’s Small
Catechism.

We pray these resources will deepen your life of faith in this time.

* Home Communion Liturgy (available in various formats below)
* Holy Home Communion Booklet (Doc) [1]
* Holy Home Communion Booklet (PDF) [2]
* Holy Home Communion 8 x 11 (Doc) [3]
* Holy Home Communion 8 x 11 (PDF) [4]

* Martin and the Family Table [5] (Small Catechism activities for the
family)

Yours in Christ,

The Rev. David B. Zellmer
Serving as Interim Bishop, Western North Dakota Synod – ELCA