WHERE DOES THE TIME GO

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1 WHERE DOES THE TIME GO? Weren t we just at the manger celebrating the birth of Christ, and here we are preparing for the beginning of the church season of Lent? It feels like we missed the month of February! We missed so much of the season of Epiphany due to Nebraska winter, and so now it feels like we have had to fast forward through Epiphany finding ourselves preparing for Lent. I have missed worship!! March 2019 Evangelist the Reverend Billy Graham was once asked: I guess we re what you d call Christmas and Easter Christians, since those are about the only times we make it to church. But what's wrong with that? We head to our lake cottage most weekends, and isn t the Sabbath supposed to be a day of rest? Here is what he answered: You re right, up to a point; God knows we need rest, and one of the reasons He established the Sabbath was to give us rest. One of the Ten Commandments states, Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day you shall not do any work. (Deuteronomy 5:13-14). But God s plan also was to use the Sabbath to turn our hearts and minds toward Him. In other words, He wants us to set aside one day of the week as a special time of worship and reflection on God s Word. The real question for you and your family, however, is this: What place does God really have in your lives? On Christmas we celebrate Christ s coming into the world, and on Easter we celebrate Christ s victory over death. By His life and resurrection Christ gives us hope because He loves us. David Mathis, author of Habits of Grace, states,... I do not think it is too strong to call corporate worship the single most important habit of the Christian life. The reason corporate worship may be the single most important Christian habit, and our greatest weapon in the fight for joy, is because like no other single habit, corporate worship combines all three essential principles of God s ongoing supply of grace for the Christian life: hearing God s voice (in the Word), having God s ear (in prayer), and belonging to the Body of Christ (in the fellowship of the church). Hebrews 10:24-25 : Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another. We can pray anywhere, true, however, we miss out on so much when we aren t able to gather together and praise and worship God as one. From Epiphany a season in the church that represents a responsibility to reveal Jesus as the Divine Son and Savior sent by God the Father to atone for the sins of mankind, a time of healing and fellowship, where the Church comes together to love one another as Christ commanded which ends on March 3, Transfiguration Sunday we move into Lent. Each year, the Christian church embarks on a forty-day journey leading up to Easter, known as the be spoken at the Ash Wednesday worship service as I mark your forehead with a cross of black ashes. Lent is a time to reflect deeply on the nature of sin and the reality of death; a time to focus on the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ; a time to reflect deeply on the cross and the great cost that our Lord has paid for us and for our salvation! We will meet for soup and sweets every Wednesday during Lent followed by worship. Snow, cold and ice can t keep us away forever! Let us come back together in worship as we continue the journey of Christ from the cradle to the Cross into our lives! Together in Ministry, Pastor Di

2 Page 2 The Messenger March Shepherd of the Hills Budget Our total ministry expenses: $150,977 is needed to accomplish the work we discern God is calling us to do. Paul encouraged generosity at all times: "Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 1 Corinthians 8:2 Stewardship to serve as one who manages another s property, finances or other affairs is not just means for the church to raise money. It is a way of life that recognizes that everything we have is God's, and we are simply managing those resources while here on earth. Where Do Our Offerings Go? Our budget tells our story; what we value, what our priorities are, who we are. Our budget is a theological statement; reflecting our understanding of what it means to be church, our beliefs about God, and our commitment to God s redemptive mission. It illustrates how we, as stewards of the resources God has entrusted to us here at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, are being used to further the ministries of God s Kingdom in this place and beyond. Thank you for all the faithful who give to the ministry! Thank you for all who are stretching! Thank you! CHANGE! That s a difficult word! We have change all around us, our church is NOT what it used to be!!! When change occurs we often fear what the future we once imagined, will be. Unfortunately, fear, uncertainty, and doubt accompany change. There has always been change Lent is a good time to think change. It is a time of reflection, self-reflection and reflection as a church. Change doesn t have to be drastic, doesn t have to negative Change can mean growth and new life. Lent takes us to Easter; to the celebration and experience of the new life that Jesus won for us on the cross - but what does that mean to us individually and as a congregation? In Lent we acknowledge our brokenness, our sin our mistakes - AND own up to the consequences! This can be the beginning of change, of new life. Lent, the period of 40 days that precedes the celebration of Easter, has its origin in the early days of the Church. Converts seeking to become Christian, who at that time were mostly adults, spent several years in study and preparation. Under the threat of Roman persecution, becoming a Christian was serious business, so their process of preparation was intensive! Then they went through a final period of purification and enlightenment for the 40 days before their baptism at Easter. The rest of the Church began to observe the season of Lent in solidarity with these newest Christians. It became an opportunity for all Christians to recall and renew the commitment of their baptism. GIVING UP something for Lent was meant to help us turn our focus back to God. Lent is a time of turning our hearts and minds back toward God. The three pillars of Lent are prayer, fasting, and almsgiving; these observances help us turn away from whatever has distracted or derailed us and to turn back to God.

3 Page 3 The Messenger March 2019 Ash Wednesday Service: Come on March 6 th at 2 p.m. or 6 p.m. A service in the sanctuary will be a great way to begin the season of Lent. Come for Holy Communion and the Imposition of Ashes. Wednesday Lenten Services: Soup Supper from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. followed by a Lenten service in the sanctuary at 6:30 p.m. All are welcome! Community Meal: Tuesday, March 19 th from 5-7 p.m. All are welcome! SPREAD the word! INVITE your friends and come celebrate with our community and church family! A Red Cross Blood Drive will be held at Shepherd of the Hills on March 10 th from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. To make an appointment, sign up online at RedCrossBlood.org & enter Shepherd, or Lisa Sorensen at lisa2204@rocketmail.com. Æbleskiver Lunch on Sunday, March 17 th : Everyone is invited to join in our annual Æbleskiver lunch in Enholm Fellowship Hall after worship on March 17 th. A signup sheet is on the bulletin board. Contact Connie Helmberger with any questions. Thursday Bible Study meets each Thursday at 1 p.m. in the Gathering Area. Our study of the Bible is focusing on the memorable stories of the Old and New Testaments. Please join us! If you have any questions, contact Del Finlay at (402) or delf60@cox.net. Faith Formation Classes for 3 year-olds thru High School meet each Sunday from 9-10 a.m. Contact Kathy Nelson at (402) or Lisa Sorensen at (402) if you have questions. An Adult Sunday School Class meets each Sunday at 9 a.m. in the Youth Room. All are invited to this study of Women of the Bible. Women s Circle s March Meeting will be March 11 th at 1 p.m. in the Gathering Area. The February meeting was canceled because of the winter storm. Our Bible Study will be from the October 2018 issue of Gather Magazine, Page 23, Session 2 A Time for Faithful Repentance. Women s Circle meets on the 2 nd Monday of every month except for July and August. All women are invited for Bible Study and Fellowship. Elda Juracek Lutheran Women of Omaha will meet at St. Michael Lutheran Church, Blondo Street on Tuesday, March 12 th for a noon luncheon. The program will Saving Grace and a freewill offering will go to Saving Grace. For reservations, contact Jean Mortensen at (402) or jmort0511@gmail.com. The Women s Metro East Spring Gathering will be April 27 th at St. Timothy Lutheran Church: 8:30 am registration, Program: 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Cost, $18. The theme is Fashion and Faith. Therefore, as God s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Colossians 3:12 Special Music: The Worship and Music Team would like to invite you to share your musical talents with the congregation! In place of a formal choir, we will be having special music throughout the year. Vocal and instrumental solos, duets or groups are welcome!! See Lisa or Janelle to practice or to schedule your date. Make a joyful noise to the Lord! Project HOPE: Pantry times = Monday, Wednesday & Friday, 11:00 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. Receive clothing and food pantries! Call (402) Volunteers from the congregation are always needed! Financial, clothing & food donations are appreciated. Project Hope is always in need of Hamburger Helper, Pasta, Canned Vegetables, Creamed Soups, Peanut Butter, Tuna, Soda Crackers, Juices and Cereal. April Newsletter Deadline: Monday, March 25 th. The Newsletter Folders will meet on Thursday, March 28 th at 9 a.m.

4 Page 4 The Messenger March 2019 The Season of Lent Is Here! Lent is a time when many Christians prepare for Easter by observing a period of fasting, repentance, moderation, and spiritual discipline. The purpose is to set aside time for reflection on Jesus Christ - his suffering and his sacrifice, his life, death, burial and resurrection. Here are special dates at Shepherd of the Hills: Sundays in Lent March 10, March 17, March 24, March 31, April 7 Wednesday Lenten Suppers March 7, March 14 and March 21 5:30-6:30 Soup Supper 6:30 Lenten Service in the Sanctuary Palm Sunday April 14, Fellowship Breakfast from 8:30-9:30 a.m. Palm Procession & Worship at 10:00 a.m. Maundy Thursday April 18, Worship and Communion Good Friday April 19, Service of Darkness at 7 p.m. Easter Sunday April 21, Resurrection of Our Lord-Service at 10 Thank you to the many many many volunteers it takes to keep the ministries at SHLC and in our community running! I don t even have space in this newsletter to list all of you, from watering plants, cleaning the church, setting up for Communion, newsletter folding team, lectors, counters, projectionists, worshipers, ushers, teachers, cooks, servers, bakers, singers, banner makers, council members, greeters, Project Hope Volunteers, Project Hope Donors, and on and on (I know I have missed MANY) Thank you for all the beautiful birthday greetings! I am truly humbled by all the love and support shown by this congregation! Pastor Di Preaching the Narrative Lectionary in 2019 In an effort to benefit from the wide scope of the God s Good News for us, pastors often use the Lectionary readings as a of reading, reflecting and preaching. While the Lectionary adds meaning by highlighting the seasons of the church year, and challenging the pastors to vary from their favorite scriptures and pet subjects, the lectionary readings sometimes feel disjointed as they skip from book to book. The Narrative Lectionary is that focuses on only one gospel each year (through the winter and spring). In 2019, we will be following the gospel of Matthew, enjoying a through-reading which gives us a deeper sense of the gospel-writer s context and continuity. We encourage you to spend time in private devotion and study of the gospel of Matthew in You can read the entire gospel in less than 30 minutes! It is a treasure!

5 The Messenger March 2019 Red Cross Blood Drive March is Red Cross Month, and Shepherd of the Hills is hosting a Blood Drive on Sunday, March 10 th from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Red Cross is in desperate need of blood and donations to respond to the disasters near and far. To make an appointment, sign up online at RedCrossBlood.org and enter Shepherd; or Lisa Sorensen at lisa2204@rocketmail.com Page 5 Daylight Savings Time Arrives March 9 th. Are you tired of winter and ready for an extra hour of daylight? Be sure to Spring your clocks FORWARD one hour before going to bed on Saturday, March 9 th. Don t be late for worship on Sunday! 2019 Lenten Devotions As part of the We Are Church Together Strategic mission/vision theme for 2019, the Nebraska Synod will be sending out daily lenten devotions. If you are interested in receiving these via , please sign up on the Nebraska Synod website, (scroll to the bottom of the homepage and select We Are Church Together Lenten Devotionals and click sign up). Please feel free to contact your SHLC Council Members when you have questions or concerns. Bob Hoff Council President hoff860@cox.net 4706 Redick Ave Omaha (402) (402) cell Deborah Becker Council Vice President the-beckers@cox.net (402) work 2022 S. 80 th Ave Omaha (402) (402) Pam Cummings Treasurer pdcummings@cox.net 9607 Florence Heights Blvd, Omaha (402) Connie Helmberger Secretary helmberger@cox.net (402) work 6803 N 60 th St. Omaha (402) (402) Kay Drain 4502 Larimore Ave Omaha (402) Bill Myers williamjmye@msn.com 4021 Verona Ave Omaha (402)

6 Page 6 The Messenger March 2019 Personal Notes... I want to thank everyone for the prayers after my surgery. They were greatly appreciated. I also want to thank those of you who provided meals for my family. I can t tell you how grateful we are for helping out. It means so much to be part of such a caring congregation. Angie Yeshnowski Thanks for the great ongoing financial support of the Shepherd of the Hills Congregation Thanks to all who brought canned items for the Souper Bowl of Caring in February For Angie Yeshnowski, Barb Buzbee and Bill Myers as they recover from surgery Prayers for Becki Todd, who was diagnosed with stage 2 non-hodgkin's lymphoma. Prayers for Mike Bruckler, on the death of his wife Loretta, after she battled pancreatic cancer. Becki and Mike are both cousins of Angie Yeshnowski. Thank you to all of you for your prayers and well wishes during our son s surgeries and recovery period. They are appreciated! Pastor Di and David and family. For Schneiders friends Mark Moyer and family: Mark s young nephew needs a kidney transplant. For Schneiders friends Tiffany Deshatel and family as Tiffany is going to be an organ donor for her sister. Prayers for Kris Luxon and family on the death of her father, Ken Van Zandbergen For our political leaders, and for the divisions in our country For those who are grieving the death of a loved one For the victims of snowstorms, wildfires, floods, tornadoes and other natural disasters Everyone has heard of something in the Bible: The Ten Commandments, the Golden Rule, the story of Daniel in the lions den But how do you know where to look for them, and what do they mean for us in today s world? To answer these questions, the Thursday Bible Study Class is studying important Bible events and teachings from the Old and New Testaments. Each topic is basically a one-week session, so participants can attend as little or as much as their schedule or desire dictates. We hope these studies and discussions will help you learn some of the basic facts about the background and message of each book in the Bible. Æbleskiver Lunch on Sunday, March 17 th Everyone is invited to join in our annual Æbleskiver lunch in Enholm Fellowship Hall after worship on March 17 th. Æbleskiver Pancake Puffs, also called appleskives are traditional pancakes in a distinctive shape of a sphere. The name literally means apple slices in Danish, although apples are not usually an ingredient in present-day versions. Somewhat similar in texture to European pancakes crossed with a popover or Yorkshire pudding, æbleskiver are solid like a pancake but light and fluffy like a popover. The English language spelling is usually aebleskiver or ebleskiver. JOIN US for our Danish pancake puffs on Sunday March 17 following worship!

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8 Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church ELCA 6201 North 60 th Street Omaha, NE Phone: (402) Fax: (402) Office Hours: 10 am to 3 pm Monday-Thursday 10 am to 1 pm Friday Every Sunday: 10 am Worship in the Sanctuary Pastor... Rev. Diana ME Kuhl Office Manager... Dwight Williams Organist... Janelle Miller Custodian... Scott Yeshnowski 2019 Church Council: Bob Hoff... President Deb Becker... Vice-President Marge Sawerbrey... Secretary Pam Cummings... Treasurer Bill Meyers Kay Drain Marv Knapp Serving in March Ushers: Bob Hoff, Angela Yeshnowski John Sawerbrey, John Quist, Kay Drain Video Tech: Lisa Sorensen Communion Assistant: Inta Nielsen Altar Guild: Angie Yeshnowski and Ann Hoff Counters: Anita Larson Andres and Deb Becker March Birthdays 1 st Karen Schultz 2 nd Gabe Becker Marge Sawerbrey Andrew Kroeger 4 th Jose Torres 8 th Valda Grinbergs 11 th Amy Black 20 th Skyler Slack 21 st Elda Juracek 24 th Mary Murphy 25 th Olivia Virus 28 th Maija Jankevics 31 st Haley Gabelhaus If we have inadvertently omitted your birthday, or anniversary, please contact the church office so we may update and correct our records! Thank you. Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church 6201 North 60 th Street Omaha NE 68104