For more financial information, see our Budget and Expenses
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Contact us:
13564 St. Andrews Drive
Seal Beach, CA 90740
Phone: (562) 598-8697
Fax: (562) 598-8697
email: redeemer_lutheran@verizon.net
website: redeemersealbeach.com
Sunday Holy Communion Service is at 10:30 a.m.
St. Theodore of Canterbury Episcopal Church
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Redeemer Lutheran and St. Theodore of Canterbury Episcopal Church
In Leisure World, Seal Beach, CA
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Redeemer & St. Theodore, 13564 St. Andrews Drive, Seal Beach, CA 90740
Communiqué from the Interim Pastor
Friday, May 2, 2025
Dear Members and Friends of Redeemer and St. Theodore,
I wish to offer four bits of news this first weekend in May…
Two of our dear members had surgeries this week,
Kay Pushman and Cedric Elmer
Kay continues to be hospitalized at UCI Medical Center in Orange. Cedric has returned from Saint Joseph Hospital in Orange to the Rehabilitation Center of Seal Beach. Please hold them both in your hearts and prayers.
There will be cards to sign for both Kay and Cedric this Sunday morning.
The Wednesday Bible Study (12:00-1:15pm) will begin again on May 7th in the Fellowship Hall (downstaris). We will pick up where we left off in the middle of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, chapters 5-7. (We are also cross referencing Luke’s writings about these teachings of Jesus). On Sunday morning, participants will be able to pick up the Sermon on the Mount handoutfor this class on the back table of the sanctuary
As I begin writing this week’s communiquè, we are about to complete theSpring Fling Bazaar.
For two days, yesterday (Thursday) and today (Friday) there has been a constant flow of people finding their way into the Fellowship Hall to discover all the treasures many talented and artistic people are offering. There are baked goods, sandwiches, and everything one needs for a great lunch, topped off with fresh baked, just-out-of-the-oven cookies.
So many of our congregation’s members and friends, as well as, artisans from the community contributed to another very successful Bazaar. Thank you to everyone who worked, had a table, and / or visited this event
Finally, a word about this coming Sunday…
In these days as we hear the echoes from an empty tomb saying
“He is not here! He is risen!”
we continue the readings that tell the post-resurrection stories of Jesus and his disciples.
This Sunday, May 4th, the sermon, based upon Matthew 21:1-19, is entitled,
“Time To Step Up.”
Within 40 days of his resurrection, Jesus would return to his heavenly home, giving his followers his spirit and the assurance that spiritually he would always be with them (and us). Now we read in John’s Gospel, Jesus is “passing on the mantel” of his ministry to those who would carry the message of God’s love and Jesus’ sacrifice to the world. Now was the time for the followers of Jesus, and others along the way, to “step up” and share the Good News of God
God bless you during these holy days of the Easter season,
+Murray D. Finck
The Rev. Murray D. Finck
Communiqué from the Interim Pastor
Thursday, June 26, 2025
This week’s communiqué addresses the following:
The Feast Day of June 29th
Saint Peter and Saint Paul
Women of the Bible in the Times of Judges
“When the Heat is On”
Dear Members and Friends of Redeemer and St. Theodore,
May God continue to bless and keep you in the early days of summer.
These are some of the OPENING WORDS of the sermon I will offer on this coming Sunday, June 29…
“Archaeologists and biblical historians have discovered that the Christian Church has been observing June 29th as a ‘special feast day’ as far back as 258 AD. For many centuries it has been called the Day of Peter and Paul, Apostles. Church historians believe that Saint Peter was martyred on June 29, 64 AD. (He was crucified upside down by the Romans.) It is also thought by many, that three years later, Saint Paul also was martyred on that day (or very close to that day) in Rome in 67 AD. For most of the Christian Church’s history, those two apostles have been especially remembered on June 29th, as they were among the first to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the people and lands beyond the Israelite nation, preaching and teaching in Asia Minor and Southern Europe, and ultimately giving their lives for that high privilege. When Roman emperors felt threatened by this rapidly growing and emerging new expression of faith, they attempted to subdue Christianity by killing many of its primary leaders and other faithful followers of Jesus. It is believed that ten of the original twelve disciples were martyred because they refused to reject or deny Jesus as the one true Son of the Living God. This year June 29th falls on Sunday, something that only happens rarely.”
As the Church around the world again remembers those two remarkable apostles, Peter and Paul, we too will observe this special day during our normal worship hour. The sermon is entitled “Builders and Blood-Brothers.” Please join us for worship at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday as we remember and celebrate the lives, the ministry, the impact, and the sacrifices made by Saint Peter and Saint Paul.
THE MIDWEEK (WEDNESDAY) BIBLE STUDY, continues in the Fellowship Hall from 12 pm - 1:15 pm., with the study of “Women of the Bible.” We have now studied Eve, Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and five different women who had significant impact on the Exodus during the time of Moses, including his mother, sister, and wife. Next, we will turn our study to some of the women during the days when the Hebrew nation was ruled by people who were called “judges.” Including is this upcoming study will be Rahab and Deborah. While most of the judges were men, there were some very faithful and significant women who rose up and were instrumental in shaping the biblical narratives of God’s people. Among them are Rahab, Deborah, two other courageous woman who were willing to battle against the tyrants threatening the Israelites, and the mothers of Samson and Samuel. There stories are threaded through the books of Joshua, Judges, and 1 Samuel. Study guides are available. Please join us and bring your lunch if you wish.
WHEN THE HEAT IS ON. As many of you know, during these past winter months when we gathered on Sunday mornings for worship, the sanctuary was rather cold. When we turned the thermostats on, nothing happened. The very large heating unit in the basement had succumbed after 60 years. Replacement parts are scarce and sometimes unavailable, and to repair one part of a unit that old and obsolete would be futile because other parts are also worn out. So, during those colder Sunday mornings when we wanted to turn the heat on, nothing happened, and the very small portable units placed in the sanctuary helped to only a minimal degree.
We have been exploring the possibility of new and efficient heating and air conditioning units being placed throughout the building so that this next winter when heat is needed, we will be able to easily turn the heat on and warm our gathering places both upstairs and downstairs. And as a second benefit of this plan, when the heat is on outside and the days are very warm, these new units will be able to turn on air conditioning and make our gatherings for worship, fellowship, Bible study and all other events more comfortable. We have the following plan to meet the expenses that this project will incur:
1.Appeal to the people of our church community to consider making an over and above contribution toward this fund.
Appeal to the people of our church community to consider making an over and above contribution toward this fund.2.Request from both the Pacifica Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Diocese of Los Angeles of the Episcopal Church USA for any available grants or assistance that may help us with the expenses related to this new HVAC system for our church property.
Request from both the Pacifica Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Diocese of Los Angeles of the Episcopal Church USA for any available grants or assistance that may help us with the expenses related to this new HVAC system for our church property.3Appeal to the Church-at-Large for a loan from its Mission Investment Fund to cover any amounts that cannot be raised by the appeals listed above. That loan could be paid off on a monthly basis for the next 10 years at a very reasonable rate.
Appeal to the Church-at-Large for a loan from its Mission Investment Fund to cover any amounts that cannot be raised by the appeals listed above. That loan could be paid off on a monthly basis for the next 10 years at a very reasonable rate.Very soon we will be launching this project and raising the funds to make it all happen. Please begin prayerfully considering if you might be able to help with the initial fundraising from the members and friends of our community of faith.
We continue to ask you to hold in your hearts and prayers those recovering from illness and surgery, and pray for all those in need of ongoing healing.
I hope to see you all very soon. God’s peace be with you,
+Murray D. Finck
The Rev. Murray D. Finck
AN ADDENDUM TO YESTERDAY’S COMMUNIQUE
FRIDAY, JUNE 27, 2025
Dear Members and Friends of Redeemer and St. Theodore,
I need to add an addendum to the message that was sent yesterday regarding the proposed HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING project we have been working on. In the final paragraph of yesterday’s announcement of this project, I failed to mention one important step in the process… that being “getting congregational approval in a voters’ meeting.” For a major project such as this, the congregational members will be called into a special meeting during July* following one of our worship services to hear the proposal, and then receive a resolution in support of the proposal, after which the voters will have an opportunity to discuss it and then vote to either approve or reject the proposal. The first announcement of that special congregational voter’s meeting will be made on this coming Sunday morning.
God be with you all,
+Murray D. Finck
*Note: The meeting will take place on Sunday, July 13, 2025
Communiqué from the Interim Pastor
Friday, June 20, 2025
The Second Sunday of the Season of Pentecost, Wednesday Bible Study
Dear Members and Friends of Redeemer and St. Theodore,
May God continue to bless and keep you as we approach the first days of summer.
THIS SUNDAY, JUNE 22ND, IS THE SECOND SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST. The Season of Pentecost is the longest season in the Christian Church’s calendar, beginning as it did two Sundays ago on Pentecost Sunday. This liturgical season will continue until the pre-Christmas Advent season, which this year begins at the end of November. The Pentecost season is 24 weeks long this year. Week after week, we will hear in our Scripture readings stories from the Old Testament that have some connection with the life and ministry of Jesus. The Gospel stories will come primarily from the Book of Luke. This coming Sunday, we will read and hear about a time in Jesus’ early ministry when he went into a non-Jewish neighboring territory, where he was confronted by a man whose mental and emotional life had been overtaken by powers that were destroying him. Jesus compassion for that poor man, regardless of his wild and dangerous condition, his lowly status in life, and his national identity, again shows us that God’s love is for everyone, absolutely everyone! The sermon title for Sunday’s worship, “From Chaotic Turmoil to Comforting Transformation.” Please join us for worship at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday.
THE MIDWEEK (WEDNESDAY) BIBLE STUDY, continues in the Fellowship Hall from 12 pm - 1:15 pm., with the study of “Women of the Bible.” This coming week, we transition 400+ years forward, from the stories of the matriarchs, Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel, as we hear and learn about the women in the days when Moses was called to lead God’s people out of Egyptian bondage and slavery. The primary biblical characters this week are Jochebed, Miriam, and Zipporah, the mother, sister, and wife of Moses. Their stories are told in Exodus, chapters 1-15. Please join us. Bring your lunch if you wish.
Please hold in your hearts and prayers those recovering from illness and surgery, and pray for all those in need of ongoing healing.
I hope to see you all very soon. God’s peace be with you,
+Murray D. Finck
Communiqué from the Interim Pastor
Friday, June 13, 2025
Holy Trinity Sunday, Wednesday Bible Study, Fathers’ Day
Dear Members and Friends of Redeemer and St. Theodore,
May God be gracious and merciful to us all, to our nation and all the nations of the world.
SUNDAY OF THE HOLY TRINITY, JUNE 15TH, is the first Sunday after the Day of Pentecost when Christians around the world celebrate the “triune” nature of our Lord God. God is one God revealed to us in three persons, as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is one of the great mysteries of our faith. In the Holy Scripture readings appointed for this festival day in the church, we will read about the majesty of God as we focus on the mystery of the Holy Trinity… thus the sermon title for Sunday’s worship, “Majesty and Mystery … Can We Believe It?” In or near the year 1410, Andrei Rublev, a Russian Orthodox monk and renowned artist painted the picture below, entitled “The Trinity.” Rublev saw “the Holy Trinity” in the Genesis 18 story of the three heavenly visitors who came to the tent of Abraham and Sarah to bring them the news that they were going to have a son. That story enhances the church’s doctrine about the mystery of the Holy Trinity. All are always welcome to the 10:30 a.m. worship each Sunday as we give God the glory, hear the Holy Word, and receive the Holy Sacrament. It will be another holy day of worship and praise.
THE MIDWEEK (WEDNESDAY) BIBLE STUDY, continues in the Fellowship Hall from 12 pm - 1:15 pm., with the study of “Women of the Bible.” This coming week, we will learn about the matriarchs of ancient days, Rebekah, the wife of Isaac, and Rachel, the wife of Jacob, along with several women who appear in the biblical narratives of those times and days. All are always welcome. Please join us. Bring your lunch if you wish.
WHILE FATHER’S DAY IS NOT CONSIDERED A “CHURCH HOLIDAY,” we will give special thanks for all the fathers and grandfathers and those with a loving father’s heart on Sunday. More than a century ago, Sonora Smart Dodd of Spokane, Washington began a special effort of recognizing her father. William Jackson Smart was a Civil War veteran who raised six children as a single parent after his wife died. One of the first state-sponsored Father’s Days was observed in Washington on June 19, 1910. Having a special day for remembering and recognizing fathers had its ups and downs for the next 62 years until President Nixon signed a proclamation making Father’s Day a national holiday to be annually observed on the third Sunday in June. In the Christian Church, since the Middle Ages, March 19th has been a day that Christians have remembered Saint Joseph as the earthly father of Jesus.
Please hold in your hearts and prayers those recovering from illness and surgery, and pray for all those in need of ongoing healing.
I hope to see you all very soon. God bless you during these holy days,
+Murray D. Finck
The Rev. Murray D. Finck
Communiqué from the Interim Pastor
Friday, June 06, 2025
Please read about--
Pentecost Sunday, Wednesday Bible Study, The Nicene Creed,
Dear Members and Friends of Redeemer and St. Theodore,
God’s grace and peace be with you as we approach the Day of Pentecost.
PENTECOST SUNDAY, JUNE 8TH, is one of the three major festival days of the Christian Church calendar (along with Christmas and Easter). It is considered the birthday of the Christian Church… the day the Holy Spirit filled the followers of Jesus with courage and boldness to tell the story of God’s grace and love, to call people to repentance and to put their trust and faith in the very Son of God, Christ Jesus. We will celebrate that day on this coming Sunday. The liturgical color of Pentecost is RED. You are invited to wear something red on Sunday if you have something to wear in that color. We will read the Pentecost story from Acts 2. The sermon is entitled, “New Creations,” as we focus on the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Please join us for this wonderful celebration of God’s presence in our lives! (and wear RED is you can.)
The midweek (Wednesday) Bible study, which meets in the Fellowship Hall from 12 pm - 1:15 pm., has begun our new study of the “Women of the Bible.” We started with the story of Eve this past week. This coming Wednesday, we will read about Sarai, who received a new similar name, Sarah (she was the wife of Abraham). We will also learn about Sarah’s daughter-in-law, Rebekah, as well as the wives of her grandsons. (And we cannot tell the story of Sarah without speaking about Hagar, too.) All are always welcome. I hope you will join us.
In this 1700th anniversary year of the Nicene Creed, which dates back to 325AD, we have learned that the First Council of Nicaea was convened by Emperor Constantine in 325 AD to address what was and is called “the Arian Controversy,” a debate the early church was having about the nature of Christ Jesus. Was he really God? Was he really a human being? Was he one but not the other? Was he half-God and half-man? Could he possibly be 100% God and 100% human? The latter was the mystery of faith the Church was professing at Nicaea when more than 300 leaders of the Church crafted the Creed saying Jesus is “true God from true God,” and he “became truly human.” One interesting note… when the Creed was originally written in Nicaea, which is part of the Eastern Church, it professed “we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father.” When this profession of faith found its way to Europe and the Western Church, those Church leaders accepted it, but added several words, namely, “who proceeds from the Father and the Son.” Church scholars have estimated that around the world as many as two billion Christians worship on any given weekend. More than half would be Christians who profess their faith in the Creeds of the Church. As we declare our faith again this weekend, we join our voices with more than a billion other Christians! What a wonderful and amazing reality!
Please hold in your hearts and prayers those recovering from illness and surgery, and pray for all those in need of ongoing healing.
I hope to see you all very soon. God bless you during these holy days,
+Murray D. Finck
The Rev. Murray D. Finck
COME, HOLY SPIRIT, COME
PENTECOST SUNDAY – JUNE 8, 2025
Communiqué from the Interim Pastor
Friday, May 30, 2025
Today’s message is about…
Ascension Day, Sunday’s Worship, The Nicene Creed, Wednesday Bible Study
Dear Members and Friends of Redeemer and St. Theodore,
God’s grace and peace be with you these last days of May.
Yesterday, the calendar of the Christian Church, reminded us that it was the ASCENSION OF OUR LORD day, the fortieth day after Easter. Saint Luke tells us at the end of his Gospel and again at the beginning of his book, The Acts of the Apostles, about Jesus’ ascension to his heavenly home. Ascension Day is an important day for the Christian Church. It is one of the highlights of Jesus’ ministry that is included in our creeds which we profess every week. The important teachings for us are that Jesus had fulfilled his mission of redeeming the world. He told his disciples he would be physically leaving. He said his Spirit would always be with them. They were assured that he would return as we also profess in our creed… “He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.”
This coming Sunday, June 1st, is the last Sunday of the Easter season. We people of the resurrection, filled with glad “Alleluias,” have been hearing the stories of those first days after Jesus’ death, burial, and rising from the tomb. We have heard some of the stories of a new emerging Church… how the believers embraced Jesus as the Son of God and Savior of the world. On this Sunday, we will contemplate what it really means to walk in Jesus’ footsteps. We will hear what it means to not just follow him at a distance but to actually walk so closely to him that we are on the very pathway he created for his community of faith. “Following in His Footsteps” is the sermon title this Sunday. All are always invited and welcome to “put on your walking shoes” and worship the One who leads us and love us.
I promised last week I would write more about the 1700th anniversary of the Nicene Creed. In the Early Christian Church, the First Council of Nicaea was convened by Emperor Constantine in 325 AD to address what was and is called “the Arian Controversy.” A Christian man from Alexandria named Arius taught that Jesus was a human being, and could not, at the same time, be a divine being. Based upon Jesus’ words and the writings of the apostles, the Church was teaching that Jesus was at the same time both true God and true man. They believed and taught that we have one God, who is revealed as a Creator and Father, as the Son and Savior, and as the Holy Spirit. Arius’ teachings were inconsistent with this basic theology about the triune nature of our God. The Emperor called for a gathering in the town of Nicaea. 318 leaders, bishops, theologians, and teachers of the Christian Church came together to resolve this important matter that was dividing the early Church. The Council of Nicaea rejected the teachings of Arius, declaring them to be heretical. They created the creedal profession of faith we still use today, the Nicene Creed, which declares the mystery of the Holy Trinity… one God in three persons.
The midweek (Wednesday) Bible study, which meets in the Fellowship Hall from 12 pm - 1:15 pm., finished our study of the Sermon on the Mount. The class attendees offered four suggestions what to study next. They voted on a ballot their choices in the order of their preference. Here are the results of that balloting
Women of the Bible44 points The TV series “The Chosen”42 points The Acts of the Apostles39 points The Book of Ephesians13 pointsThe vote for the top three choices were very close, as you can see. We will continue our Midweek Bible Class as we study some of the primary biblical characters and personalities who we learn about in the pages of Holy Scripture. Our first study will be about the first women named in the Bible… Eve, Adah, Zillah, Naamah. We will do an overview of the first 11 chapters of Genesis to put that ancient history and these first name women in context.
Please hold in your hearts and prayers those recovering and in need of ongoing healing.
I hope to see you all very soon. God bless you during these holy days,
+Murray D. Finck
The Rev. Murray D. Finck
Communiqué from the Interim Pastor
Wednesday, May 21, 2025
Dear Members and Friends of Redeemer and St. Theodore,
God’s grace and peace be with you these Spring days of May.
I have three questions and three thoughts this morning about…
• Wednesday’s Bible Study
• Worship this coming Sunday, May 25th
• A 1700th Anniversary
Question: Did you know “the Golden Rule” can be traced through 4000 years of human history? This rule of human behavior has a fascinating history. We will be talking about that today. The Wednesday Bible Study (12:00-1:15pm) will continue today in the Fellowship Hall with our study of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount,recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, chapters 5-7. Today we will be hearing Jesus’ words about “judging others; keeping “the holy” holy; asking, seeking, knocking; and the Golden Rule. Our biblical text will primarily be Matthew 7:1-12. We will finish the Sermon on the Mount study next Wednesday and begin a new study in June.
When is the last time you went to a mountaintop? We are going to the mountaintop with Jesus this weekend. The Sunday Morning Worship at 10:30 a.m. will focus this Sixth Sunday of Easter on passages of the Bible that continue to tell us how the resurrection of Jesus changed the world. This coming Sunday, as we near the Day of Our Lord’s Ascension, that story of Jesus’ return to his heavenly reign will be woven into the worship service. The sermon is entitled, “To the Mountaintop and Back Down Again”
2025 is an anniversary year for something very familiar. What is amazing is that it is the 1700th anniversary, dating back to 325 AD. How many things 1700 years old do you observe and celebrate every week? Not many? But we are doing just that. Let me tell you about the Nicene Creed. In the Early Christian Church, the First Council of Nicaea was convened by Emperor Constantine in 325 AD to address what was and is called “the Arian Controversy,” a time in the early Church that was questioning the nature of Christ's divinity. One of the outcomes of this council was the Nicene Creed, a unified declaration of faith that affirmed the belief in the Holy Trinity and addresses the mystery of one God revealed in three distinct personages. We still profess that creed week after week. The doctrine of “consubstantiality” was much of the focus 1700 hundred years ago. I will be writing more about this significant anniversary in the next several midweek communiqués.
I hope to see you all very soon. God bless you during these holy days of the Easter season,
+Murray D. Finck
Communiqué from the Interim Pastor
Friday, May 9, 2025
Dear Members and Friends of Redeemer and St. Theodore,
God’s grace and peace be with you these early days of May.
I offer a few words about the following:
• Mother’s Day
• Worship this Sunday, May 11th
• Wednesday Bible Study
• A report from the Spring Fling Bazaar Team
• A few words about choosing of Pope Leo XIV
Happy Mothers’ Day to all mothers, grandmothers, great-grandmothers, and those with a mother’s heart. For some people it can be a day of varying emotions. I hope this weekend will be blessing for us all, as we also remember how deeply and dearly our Lord God has loved and nurtured us.
The Sunday Morning Worship at 10:30 a.m. will focus this Fourth Sunday of Easter on passages of the Bible that tell us God is our Good Shepherd – leading us to green pastures and still waters, restoring our souls, calling us by name, and protecting us. The sermon message, based on Psalm 23 and John 10:22-30 is entitled, “Do You Hear It?”
The Wednesday Bible Study (12:00-1:15pm) will continue on May 14th in the Fellowship Hall,studying Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, chapters 5-7. On this coming Wednesday, we will be hearing Jesus’ words about “fasting, storing up treasures, living in the light, serving only one Lord and Master, and why we need not worry.” Our biblical texts will primarily be Matthew 6:16-34.
The Preliminary Report about the Spring Fling Bazaar indicates yet another wonderful effort that welcomed at least 270 people into our Fellowship Hall to peruse and shop and discover many different kinds of treasures. Baked goods, sandwiches and other items of lunch were offered. A large array of potted plants and flowers were prepared and purchased, and many vendors displayed and sold their beautiful artistic creations. The fundraising aspect of the bazaar which came from the sale of baked goods, plants and flowers, food sales, sold items from the boutique, and vendor contributions totaled $2,498.55.
Finally, I offer a few thoughts about the choosing of a New Papal Leader of the Roman Catholic Church…
• It is estimated that today there are 2.3 billion people who adhere to the Christian Church.
• The Roman Catholic Church, the most global of all Christian Churches, has about 1.4 billion members, more than all the other Christian Churches combined. It is very understandable why the whole world has been watching, as we did this past month, when Pope Francis died and Pope Leo XIV was chosen as the 267th pontiff.
• Pope Leo XIV, born and raised in Chicago, educated in US schools, and then served as a priest, missionary, pastor, and bishop in Peru. He was called to the Vatican to minister in a number of capacities. Two years ago, he was elevated into the College of Cardinals and then given very prominent duties as he served his church and his pope.
• Pope Leo XIV is the first pope from the Order of the Augustinians. Augustinians are adherents of Saint Augustine, the Bishop of Hippo, who lived 354-430 AD. Their ministry emphasizes living in community and in harmony with all those around them, especially caring for and sharing with those in need, the marginalized, and the oppressed, striving for a more equitable society as they love one another and strive for justice. Those of that order faithfully attend to their spiritual formation and practice, which leads to a strong emphasis in pastoral care one for another. They have a high regard for education and learning. Augustinians are dedicated to fostering ecumenical dialogue and unity among Christians. I found it interesting that several reporters have reminded us this week that Martin Luther was an Augustinian and John Calvin was also deeply influenced by the writings of Saint Augustine.
Over the years, I have been blessed with a number of wonderful relationships and friendship with some people, priests and sisters, and bishops of the Roman Catholic Church. In seminary, we Lutherans schooled and studied with Jesuit seminarians and professors. In the late 1990’s, it was an honor to be among a small group of people undertaking a four-year time of spiritual formation and development with the Sisters of Saint Joseph in Orange. I have enjoyed friendships with several Roman Catholic bishops in California and Hawaii who have truly been a blessing in my life. I long for greater unity and shared ministry with Roman Catholics, Episcopalians, and Lutherans.
God bless you during these ongoing holy days of the Easter season,
+Murray D. Finck
The Rev. Murray D. Finck
