LIGHT FROM THE HEIGHTS

Transcription

1 LIGHT FROM THE HEIGHTS March 2013 Volume LXVIII Issue 3 ARLINGTON HILLS LUTHERAN CHURCH, 1115 GREENBRIER ST ST. PAUL, MN 55106WWW.AHLC-STP.ORG INFO@AHLC-STP.ORG 651 LENTEN MID-WEEK SCHEDULE Yoga Classes at 4:00 p.m. The Lenten Soup Supper will be from 5:00-6:00 p.m. Worship service each Wednesday night at 6:00 p.m. through March 20th. March 28th Maundy Thursday 6:00 p.m. March 29th Good Friday service 6:30 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Breakfast following 7:00 p.m. Joint Choral Worship with Hope Lutheran Church. ROMEO BREAKFAST- The ROMEO S will be serving breakfast th, after the 8:00 a.m. and the 9:30 Sanctuary service. On the menu: Russ will be using Kathy s famous recipes to make us a delectable egg bake with trimmings, along with fruit, milk, juice, and coffee. Jon will top it off with one of his surprise garnishes as usual. Proceeds will be matched by Thrivent and will be used to benefit our Christmas Community Celebration put on by our own.alley Shoppe each December. INFO INSIDE PALM SUNDAY BREAKFAST by the Youth Spring Inner Mission Event MINISTRY RECYCLED- Financial Update: 2013 Monthly budget amount needed = $38, Month Amount Monthly Monthly Net Year-to-Date 2013 Received Expenses (Shortage) Net (Shortage) January $25, $43, ($18,213.25) ($18,213.25) February $14, $13, $ as of 2/18/2013 Thank you for your continued support to the ministry and mission of Arlington Hills Lutheran Church. If you are able to give a little extra, it will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

2 Page 2 Issue 3 Volume LXVIII Lent Easter: the great Christian cycle of death and resurrection Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth from the dead! Easter verifies and affirms our Lord s victory over sin, death and the devil. Easter vindicates Jesus life of love, compassion, tolerance, and acceptance of people in need of those gifts. In short, Easter testifies to Love s triumph over sin, death and the devil. We have come to the church s Lenten season of reflection on the passion of Jesus and our personal attempts at mortification of fleshly desires. We have come through most of winter s cold and gloom. Soon we will join in nature s springtime feast of new life and boundless hope. Nature s celebration of life comes with the rising sun that seems to move from south to north across our hemisphere. The snow melts, the soil warms, the songbirds return, and the solar energy draws flowering plants from darkness into the marvelous light of day. Spring is indeed a time of hope and new life. Our Easter season brings even greater life and joy. The victory won for all of us who trust in Jesus resurrection goes far beyond the seasonal joy of earth s annual cycles. The smell of lilies in the nave and the sound of organ-accompanied alleluias attest to the victory Jesus has won for eternity. For thousands of years humankind was in bondage to sin, death and the devil. We could not overcome our selfish desires, and we could not meet the law s demands. We fell from God s favor over and over again, and the most we could hope for was to die peacefully and sleep with our ancestors. Jesus lived the life for which we were created. Jesus faced temptation like all of us, but He lived the truly God-pleasing life of love, compassion, tolerance, and acceptance that God sought from all humankind. You will want to take in the church s remembrance of our Lord s passion and death on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, so that you can more fully delight in His sweet victory on Easter morning. Without our Lenten mid-week reflections on what it means to live Beneath the Cross of Jesus, and without Holy Week s worship around the table and our Lord s passion, Easter becomes just another family occasion to gather for a big meal. Worse, without our Lenten and Holy Week reflections, the resurrection of our Lord becomes cheap grace. Painful as it is, we need to witness the stripping of the altar as the words of Psalm 22 echo in our head. We need to hear those anguished words from the cross and then wonder at the silence that follows the sealing of the tomb. If there is to be a resurrection, there must first be a death. There can be no real celebration of Easter if there is not first the confusion, fear, and pain that arise from our Lord s betrayal, denial, and death. Only then we can begin to consider the depth of love Jesus offered each of us when He followed the Via Dolorosa, the way of love that lead to a terrible cross. We can only fully celebrate the amazing love of God in the context of the great Christian cycle of death and resurrection. I pray that each of you will return to worship this Easter season and delight in the victory our Lord has won for you. Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. Thanks be to God! Alleluia! Pastor Allmendinger

3 Page 3 Issue 3 Volume LXVIII Book Nook News By Clair Haberman PROOF OF HEAVEN Please read Romans 8: 35 The book PROOF OF HEAVEN is author Eben Alexander's record of his journeys into the afterlife and the resulting change in his life. On pages 57 and 58 he poses the question "Is there a force or intelligence who cared about humans in a truly loving way?" On page 67 he repeats that question using the words "Is there a really loving God out there? His answer both times was "No." It is not clear if the author did not believe in God or did not believe in a loving God. Can one believe in God, but not in a loving God? He did change his answer to "Yes." The book's most important chapter is To Forget, and To Remember (pages 95 and 96). It concludes with the sentences "Each and every one of us is deeply known and cared for by a Creator who cherishes us beyond any ability we have to comprehend. That knowledge must no longer remain a secret." Is that knowledge a secret? The author's change in his belief in a loving God is the result of recovering from a life threatening illness. That statement is at the approximate midpoint of the book. On the pages preceding page 95 he describes his sky diving experiences, his life with his adoptive family, his acquaintance with his biological parents and siblings, and his illness (a rare form of meningitis) and his family's loving attention and faith. The seven days he spent in a coma included visits to places he referred to as Underworld (an ugly place), the idyllic Gateway and the heavenly Core. Those visits were very real to him although he was confined to his bed in an intensive care unit of a hospital. As he recalled those visits he leaned that life on earth and life in heaven are very different. The differences are described on pages 117 and 118. On page 144 he asks the question, one that is posed by many people who suffer illness or loss, "Why me?" What is his answer? Are people in comas aware of what is being said in their presence? While the author was comatose his relatives talked to him. It is uncertain if they purposely or accidentally chose the best topics for their comments. What do you think would be the best topics? Does the explanation on page 121 seem reasonable and a strategy that should be used for anyone talking to a comatose person? What effect would you expect the prayers offered by the visitors in the author's hospital room to have? Pages 102 through 104 describe the results of those prayers. The pages following 104 describe his recovery and the changes in his life, especially the changes in his faith, that resulted from the time he spent in heaven. The book PROOF OF HEAVEN is a record of the author's realization that disease would not separate him from God's love and would probably add it to the list in Romans 8: 35. PROOF OF HEAVEN is available on the book cart in the gathering area. Please return materials as soon as you have completed using them so they are available for use by others. Thank you. Clair

4 Page 4 Issue 3 Volume LXVIII PASTORAL ACTS Wedding Hillman and Charpentier Funerals June Sether DeLores Ackert We have Mail Dear Pastor and Staff: The family would like the gifts from the DeLores Ackert memorial given to the endowment fund. Thank you for your service to mother and dad over the years and the entire family since the 1950s. Sincerely, DeLores Ackert s Family 9 Reasons to Join the Choir Your favorite movie is Sister Act No rehearsals on Monday nights, which would conflict with Monday Night Football. Singing in the choir is both heart healthy and soul healthy There are no monthly membership fees and its easier on your knees than jogging. You can sing the melody but cant read music? Two words Soprano section If you think your singing in the shower sounds good, wait until you have sung with us for a few weeks. From the choir loft, you can see who is sleeping and who is praying If the church is full you always have a place to sit. You have a front row seat for the pastors sermons. PRAYER CHAIN THANKS SO MUCH.. A great big thank you to those that were responsible for the surprising and wonderful recognition and gift Sunday and at the annual meeting for all those enjoyable years I had of serving the congregation of Arlington Hills. Thank you! Dick Fuhrman Dear Alley Shoppe Staff Thank you for the gifts that the kids received. Thank God for the people in the world like you. Alley Shoppe Client Family Dear Staff and Volunteers at Alley Shoppe- We moved home almost a year and a half ago and some unforeseen circumstances have left us struggling severely. This is my 2nd time utilizing the Alley Shoppe THANK YOU VERY MUCH, for bringing some positive into our troublesome year. Alley Shoppe Client Family At AHLC there is a group of women who regularly pray for people who are hospitalized, sick, or in need of prayers. If you, or a friend or relative, are in need of prayer; get permission to share their name and information and then contact the church office at or cheryl@ahlc-stp.org and we will see that they are placed on the prayer chain. COME AND JOIN US DURING OUR LENT AND EASTER SERVICES MOVIES AND POPCORN 1ST AND 3RD FRIDAY S OF THE MONTH FAMILY MOVIES TO ENJOY WITH THE WHOLE FAMILY. DOORS OPEN AT 5:30 p.m. MOVIE AT 6:00 p.m.

5 MINISTRY RECYCLED- HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN SOME- THING? We have Party Lites that have not been picked up that were ordered before Christmas. We will be holding on to the candles until April 1st at that time they will be donated to the Alley Shoppe. Thank you! Many years ago AHLC had a group of talented women that provided many hand-made items for the church and members. We would like to rekindle the sewing group! Alley Shoppe has a surplus of fabric and ideas that we would like to put to use for our members and ALLEY SHOPPE clients. You are invited to join us on Fridays from 8:00 am to 10:30 am in the Alley Shoppe sewing room. We will have some ideas for projects and we will welcome your ideas as well. If you would prefer to do projects at home due to your schedule we can set you up with a to-go packet. cheryl@ahlc-stp.org or call the church office for details. The staff of the newly renamed Open Door Learning Center would like to thank everyone at Arlington Hills Lutheran Church who helped make the open house on January 30 th a smashing success. Approximately 100 people came to check out our English classes in action, receive a tour from one of our students, and get information from any of the 8 community organizations represented at the event. My heart warmed as I watched new immigrants conversing with library staff and Alley Shoppe volunteers sharing experiences with ESL volunteers, and young interns from St. Kate s getting to know the staff of the Karen Organization of MN. Community connections were flying and smiles were abundant. We were thrilled to see so many members of AHLC! A big Thank You to Vicki O Connor who helped set up, serve, and clean up all the food. And to Jim Jaszczak, who moved furniture and cleaned up behind us with his usual smile. Thanks also to the many Alley Shoppe volunteers who talked about Alley Shoppe in the reception area and welcomed visitors into the Alley Shoppe space downstairs. And a very special thanks to Pam Wiehe, without whom, none of this would have been possible. Pam is amazing at planning events and bringing people together. She can look at two people and immediately see how they can work together for an even greater impact. The open house was a huge success and I hope that it marks the beginning of many more collaborations under this roof. We feel truly blessed to have found such great partners at Arlington Hills. Thank you from all the staff and students at Open Door Learning Center

6 Volume 1, Issue 1 Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, March is Minnesota Food Share month. Our faith community has participated in this food and cash drive for more than 25 years. The theme for this year s drive is: Be the Hero. Fight Hunger. Our goal for this year s campaign is a combination of food and $ 2000 or 2000 lbs. that exceeds 2013 $ s. Food Donations Food shelves need all types of food, paper, personal hygiene and cleaning products. Canned goods weigh more and would help us towards our combined weight and cash goal of Cash Donations Easier to collect and deliver, food shelves can stretch cash donations further because of their access to discount products and programs. Cash also gives them more flexibility to acquire perishable items like fresh produce, meat and dairy products. $1 of cash donation can be stretched to $8 in food. Please join us as we help to provide food to the hungry in our neighborhood. --OCM Board FILL A GROCERY BAG FOR A HUNGRY FAMILY A donated bag of groceries can go a long way at your local food shelf. By mixing and matching the items you choose, you can help a family eat balanced and nutritious meals. Drop off your gift to the food shelf. Canned Juice, Tunda, Soups, Pasta, sauce Food Staples Coffee, Tea, Sugar, Flour Baby Items diapers, wipes, powder etc. Special Treats Cake, cookies, packaged cookies Toiletries and Basics Anything is appreciated and thank you for your support!

7 AARP FREE TAX AIDE- will be on Wednesdays from February 6 th through April 10 th, 8:30 a.m. 11:00 a.m. First come, first serve basis. You will need two forms of identification, social security cards, 2012 tax info, and a copy of 2011 tax return. DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME Turn your clocks ahead 1 hour th Newsletter Articles ALLEY SHOPPE WILL BE CLOSED MARCH 25TH THROUGH MARCH 31ST. REOPEN APRIL 1ST HELP WANTED The Lights welcomes news and features from readers and staff members. All articles are to be print ready. It is not up to the staff to write the article. The editors reserve the right to edit material for content and length. All articles sent via should be sent as an attachment; in doing so the editors can "cut and paste" and not retype the article. articles to Cheryl Hollman at cheryl@ahlc-stp.org or leave it in the church office. All articles are due the 15th of every month. Articles received after the 15 th will likely appear in the following month s edition. We need time to proofread and structure the layout. Thanks for your understanding. All address changes and mailing inquiries should be directed to Cheryl at (651) We are in need of some volunteers to help with jobs in the services. Communion Assistants, Sound Booth, 3rd Sunday in the Office, Coffee and Fellowship time. Alley Shoppe Needs Kitchen gadgets spoons, spatulas, can openers. measuring cups Baby clothes Pillowcases Trims, lace, and bias tape New Staff Tabiano Porras is being trained for the afternoon custodian position. Please Welcome him. Save the Date! May 2nd Thursday 6:00 p.m. Alley Shoppe Dinner & Fashion Show

8 Page 8 Issue 3 Volume LXVIII SERVANTS IN MINISTRY Communion Assistants 8:00 a.m. Worship Cheryl Hollman Dorothy Peterson Jim Persoon Dorothy Peterson 9:30 a.m. Worship. Kathy and Tom Brackey Florence Rasmusson Sally Keller,Carol Hansen and Diane Allmendinger Lectors Silvester Vicic Diane Allmendinger Catherine Schoonover Beverly Lamb Gordon Beneke Transportation Team Ben Meents Larry Reeve Tape Ministry Marcella Langton Clair Haberman Clair Haberman Ed Lee THANK S TO OUR VOLUNTEERS USHER STAFF Head Usher: Clair Haberman Asst. Head Usher: Virginia Iverson Lead Usher: Clair Haberman, Tom Brackey, Clarence Law, David Lauver Lead Usher: Florence and Dennis Rasmusson, Lead Usher: Clair Haberman Steve Johnson Lead Usher: Chuck Rohrbach Elaine Rohrbach, Steve Johnson 1 Lead Usher: Lead Usher: Chuck Rohrbach Elaine Rohrbach and Steve Johnson Greeters North Door North Door North Door North Door 1 North Door 1 Jon and Karen Helgason Cheryl Hollman Elaine & Chuck Rohrbach Clair & Dona Haberman Sharon Swanson & Gee Winter Gladys Robertson Bev and Bernie Lamb Skaidrite Zarins Gordie and Jeannie Beneke TBA Sound Booth Myrl Vietor David Lauver Mike Brown Lay Servant Coordinators Director, Alley Shoppe: Pam Wiehe Communion Assistants: Florence Rasmusson Greeters: Catherine Schoonover Lectors: Priscilla Reeve Sound Booth: Silvester Vicic Transportation Team: Chuck Larsen Acolyte Coordinator: Linda Strohrich Coffee & Cookie Fellowship Julie Stevenson March17 1 Acolytes Gwen Vandeburg Colton and Chloe Sherrill Oprah and Effie Woode Colton and Chloe Sherrill Selena Cincotta Coffee and Cookie Fellowship Hosts Russ Richards ROMEO Breakfast Breakfast by CYF/ Auction 1 Office Workers JoAnn Metling Priscilla Reeve Volunteer Needed Carol Hansen Sharon Anderson Church Council Meetings Members of Arlington Hills are welcome to attend the monthly Council meetings. Meetings are held on the 3rd Thursday of every month at 6:30 p.m. Copies of Council Meeting minutes are available in the office and are also posted on the main bulletin board every month.

9 Page 9 Issue 3 Volume LXVIII BOOK CLUB NEWS March Book Club meeting on the 18th at 10:30 a.m. in the Reception Room. The Book Club has chosen Truck by Michael Perry.and April s book will be Life of Pi by Yann Martel. All are welcome. Spring Inner Mission Event Circle your calendars now for the spring Inner Mission Event to be held on Saturday, March 23. We will begin with a service of Holy Communion in the Sanctuary at 11:00 a.m., then down to the Fellowship Hall for a delicious luncheon at noon. Our program following lunch is Showtime a singing group of Northwest Metro Seniors. Look for a letter in the mail soon and send in your card indicating you will be attending or call the church office. You won t want to miss it! Pastor Raymond Hedberg who served our congregation as senior pastor for 23 years, will celebrate his 98th birthday on March 7th. If you would like to remember him on this occasion with a greeting card, his address is: 900 University Street #342 Seattle WA CYF NEWS Chris Tomlin s concert at the Target Center on April 14th. Al l youth and one friend are invited to attend. Leaving the church at 6:00 p.m. concert at 7:00p.m. RSVP to Mary Cincotta by Mar 22. PALM SUNDAY BREAKFAST by the Youth CYF Board Youth and Families will be serving a hot breakfast for Palm Sunday, th. After the 9:30 Service, and breakfast we will be having a Pie Auction, sponsored by the Board for F.P.A. Bring your pies or desserts for the auction, all proceeds go towards the mission of the congregation. PAYNE PHALEN DISTRICT FIVE PLANNING COUNCIL On March 4TH District 5 will be having a Public Meeting at AHLC from 6:30-8:30 p.m. The Arlington Hills Library will eventually move to the new Payne Maryland facility after it is completed. What is the best new use of the current Library building? Meet with representatives of the SPPL and share your input on the best potential new uses for this historic building. View plans for the new joint recreation center and new library and receive updates on the current status of this significant project in our community. Questions? Call your Payne Phalen Distirct Five Planning Council at For updates please check phalen.org.

10 Arlington Hills Lutheran Church 1115 Greenbrier Street St. Paul, MN Dated Material February 25, 2013 Address Service Requested Non-Profit Organization U. S. Postage PAID Twin Cities, MN Permit No A RLIN GTON HILLS LUTH ER AN CHU RCH OFFICE HO URS : MONDAY -THURS DAY 9 :00 A.M. 4:0 0 P.M. FRIDAY 9 :00 A.M. 3:0 0 P.M. PHONE: Fax: PAS TORAL CAR E AFTER HOURS Diane s Cell Phone (Emergency Use Only Please) We re on the Web! Visit us at: Arlington Hills Lutheran Church Staff Ext.# Senior Pastor: Pastor Roger Allmendinger 17 Administrative Assistants: Diane Allmendinger* 11 Cheryl Hollman* 16 Local Mission Program Coordinator Pam Wiehe* 19 Chief Custodian: Jim Jaszczak 23 Asst. Custodians: Dorothy Peterson Kirk Solmonson* Tabiano Porras* Organist/Director of Special Music: Sharon Vicic* Chapel Organist & Choir Director: Barbara Rossow* Handbell Director: Chuck Linderkamp* Wedding Coordinator: Sharon Hanson* Funeral Coordinator Vicki O Connor* (*Part-time) Alley Shoppe (651) Companion Congregation Idegenda, Tanzania, Africa OUR MISSION: To Spread the Good News of Jesus Christ to all in word and deed. OUR VISION: Arlington Hills Lutheran Church Community, a Beacon for the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.