beverage pourers at the soup supperThe "weather-person" promised big snow by the evening rush hour.  While driving to SJA about 6pm, I noticed the sun had just slipped over the horizon.  No snow yet!!!  So the crowd for the Soup Supper kick off of the three step evening (Soup Supper, Prayer Service, Adult Lenten Program) was surprisingly healthy.

The Soup Supper was nicely spirited and tasty, as always.  Soup warm-uppers, soup-servers, beverage-servers, dish-washers, and clean-up folks all made it work.  If you were there to dine, you might find yourself slurping on one of the photos.  If you were a worker bee, you might find yourself buzzing around.

The Prayer Service, DANGEROUS STORIES "ILLUSIONS", featured Prayer Partners Joan Riebel and Debbie Wyman.  The notion of "illusion" in our lives was introduced.  Each person in the congregation was then invited to share an illusion in their life.  To symbolize extinguishing of an illusion, a candle was blown out.  Deb Harley and Joe Chouinard provided reflective music.

clearing dishes at soup supper The Adult Lenten Program explored the notion of How We See God: A Creation-Centered Vision  (aka "St. Joan's Theology 101").  SJA staffers Pete Eichten, Kathy Itzin and Tom Smith-Myott provided personal reflections.  After each of two small group discussions, the members of the congregation were asked to share their views on several questions.  Examples:  How do you understand a creation-centered God?  How do you understand traditional (fall-redemption) theology?  What is the impact of God in my life?

Fun and reflective, the second Wednesday of this Lenten Season at SJA had something for most everybody.  And as I departed at 8:45 pm, the promised snow was arriving.  A few inches of the white stuff gracefully added to the evening's reflections.  If you have an appetite for a tasty three phase evening, see you next week.  Have a fulfilling Lenten Season.

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Jerry Hartlaub commutes from New Brighton with his wife, Trish, to be refreshed and challenged at the "SJA spiritual oasis". He's a Sunday mass slide jockey and "worker bee" at many SJA events. For fun he has written a bunch of poetry, printed his first book, and invented lots of stuff in a 30-year bioengineering career. These days he teaches cardiac physiology (but he's mostly retired), serves on non-profit boards, does Junior Achievement gigs and plays softball. But most rewarding is providing child-care for two of the world's smartest, cutest grandchildren.
Ric Rosow has worn many hats at St. Joan of Arc. He is currently chair of the parish Finance Committee. He has also spoken several times at Sunday Mass and was on the Fellowship of Reconciliation trip to the Middle East in 2003. His wife, Vicki Underland-Rosow, is currently a member of the Pastoral Council.


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