Education at Emmanuel
LECTIONARY PLUS: Prepare for Worship This Sunday.
This Week’s Readings: Micah 6:1-8 • Matthew 5:1-12
These readings are the focus of the Lectionary Plus and this Sunday’s sermon. In Matthew, Jesus shares the Beatitudes, mapping out discipleship. In Micah, we are brought into a courtroom scene where God lays out issues of justice—contrasting godly justice with the ways power is often exercised by human regimes.
Together, these texts raise important questions about justice, power, and responsibility. One of the central themes that emerges is environmental and communal responsibility. When we fail to follow God’s ways, our sin affects not only us as individuals, but our communities as well. Scripture even suggests that creation itself struggles under the weight of human sin.
We see evidence in the world around us that we are not fully living into Jesus’ Beatitudes. Conflicts arise when people misuse power over one another—seen globally in places like Russia and Ukraine, across Africa, and even here in the United States, including Minneapolis. These realities invite us to ask an honest question: Is Jesus’ standard set too high for us?
Watch the video this week for deeper insights from Pastor Bliese, and then join us this Sunday as he explores these powerful texts further and invites us to reflect on how they shape our faith and our call to live justly.
THIS WEEK’S SUNDAY FORUM. QUILT SUNDAY:COME AND SEE!
Watch the Sunday Forum video this week to learn more about Emmanuel’s quilting ministry. Our quilters share the process that goes into making each quilt, their need for supplies, and how additional volunteers can help support this meaningful work.
The quilting group meets Mondays at 9:30 AM, November through April. Members bring their lunch and take a break at noon to enjoy fellowship together over a meal. The quilts they create are donated both locally and globally, sharing comfort and care with those in need.
On your way from the Sanctuary to the Community Room, be sure to stop in the Life Center for coffee and a treat. Then visit the quilt tables to see a demonstration on how the quilts are assembled and learn how you can help this ministry continue to grow.
BIBLE STUDY: BEGINNING FEBRUARY 5th | 10:30 AM
Join Pastor Bliese on Thursdays he leads a Bible Study based on the book “Witness at the Cross”. If you would like a copy of the book, you may purchase one for $10.00 from Gina in the front office.
In Witness at the Cross, biblical scholar Amy-Jill Levine invites readers to encounter Jesus’ crucifixion through the eyes of those who were present—such as Simon of Cyrene, the two thieves, the centurion, the women at the cross, and the crowds. Levine honors their differences and explores what each perspective reveals about suffering, responsibility, faith, and discipleship.
Drawing on historical context and Jewish tradition, Levine challenges familiar assumptions and easy interpretations of the crucifixion. She encourages readers to resist blaming others, to confront injustice honestly, and to reflect on how they themselves respond to suffering and violence.
Ultimately, the book calls readers not just to observe the cross, but to examine their own roles as witnesses—asking how the crucifixion shapes their faith, ethics, and daily lives.