|  Today, Jan. 21, 2013, was definitely an historic day for our country. On this Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, it was the inauguration day of our country's first black president now beginning his second term, 50 years after the first Civil Rights March in Washington DC. It all goes to show that this great social experiment called the United States of America is an amazing work in progress! I was thinking earlier today of my visit to the Martin Luther King Jr. campus in Atlanta this past Spring, where one can walk through the history of the Civil Rights movement. While I was a child in those early days, it was still in my lifetime that, hard to believe, there were black and white water fountains, bathrooms and entrances to various stores or businesses. While we've made a lot of progress in this area, there is still a lot of work to do here and in all kinds of ways in all areas of our life together. And the challenges just don't seem to get easier. As Dr. King said, "We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope." That last quote reflected very much his Christian faith. That is something we all share. In light of our worship this past weekend, not only can we be a people of infinite hope, but we are also called to be a people of joy. In the middle of all of the challenges and changes of life, and the divisive, contentious world we live in, God calls us into joyful community with him and with each other. And that really is something to celebrate and be grateful for. Finally, speaking of joy, below is a picture of a handbell workshop which some of our ringers attended this past weekend. Lots of joyful music shared both at this event and the Christian Unity service on Sunday afternoon when our choir joined the mass choir. Coming up this week, the popular "Run 4 God" group will start another group tomorrow, Tuesday evening at 6pm (call Pr. Shelly for more info). That was a fun group before and promises to be the same again. And speaking of fun, this week's Wednesday night supper will be pulled pork. What a nice way to gather and break bread with other folks from Our Savior in the middle of the week. For more information on these and other things happening in and around Our Savior, please visit our website at: www.oursaviorelca.com. Remember if you miss a Sunday sermon, or would just like to hear the message again they are posted on the website! Have a blessed and joyful week! Pastor Jack Diehl +  | 
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