The Feast of Trumpets: Memory in Minneapolis, Mission, and Hope

On this Feast of Trumpets, I reflect on fifty years of Church history in Minneapolis–St. Paul and the enduring faith that sustained the congregation through seasons of growth, hardship, change, and loss. I begin with the congregation’s founding in 1963 and share my own story of first attending services as a seventeen-year-old in 1965. Although I was raised in a devout Orthodox home, my questions about the Sabbath and other biblical teachings led me toward a deeper, more personal relationship with God. In the Church, I learned to pray from the heart, understand God’s grace and law, and recognize the Kingdom of God as humanity’s great purpose. Drawing on Acts 14 and Colossians 1, I point to the Apostle Paul as a model of courage, endurance, prayer, and servant leadership, I articulate a vision for a Church centered on Jesus Christ—one that resolves conflict, cares for its members, communicates effectively, welcomes younger generations, and removes the “broken rungs” that keep people from moving toward deeper involvement. My message concludes with the meaning of the Feast of Trumpets. Jesus Christ will return as King of Kings and Lord of Lords while continuing to serve as humanity’s compassionate High Priest. The Holy Days do not diminish Christ; they reveal His central role in God’s plan—from redemption and the founding of the Church to the resurrection and the coming Kingdom. This anniversary message is a hopeful call to remain faithful, serve others, and endure to the end.