Epistle. Paul s. June 2008 Volume 66, Number 6

Transcription

1 Saint Paul s Epistle Published Monthly by Saint Paul s Evangelical Lutheran Church, 371 Wolcott Hill Road, Wethersfield, Connecticut June 2008 Volume 66, Number 6 THE LUTHER ROSE WINDOW: A Symbol of Our Faith This month we turn to another window: Luther s Rose Window. This one will be a bit hard to find. It is in the narthex, at the top of the south-facing window, partially hidden by the ceiling. The Luther Rose (or Luther Seal) has long been a symbol of Lutheranism and Lutheran faith. The best explantation of its symbolic meaning comes from a letter written to one of Luther s friends. When asked by his friend, Lazarus Spengler, what his seal symbolized, Luther wrote: The first should be a black cross in a heart, which retains its natural color, so that I myself would be reminded that faith in the Crucified saves us. For one who believes from the heart will be justified (Rom. 10:10). Although it is indeed a black cross, which mortifies and which should also cause pain, it leaves the heart in its natural color. It does not corrupt nature, that is, it does not kill but keeps alive. The just shall live by faith (Rom. 1:17) but by faith in the crucified. Such a heart should stand in the middle of a white rose, to show that faith gives joy, comfort, and peace. In other words, it places the believer into a white, joyous rose, for this faith does not give peace and joy like the world gives (John 14:27). That is why the rose should be white and not red, for white is the color of the spirits and the angels (cf. Matt. 28:3; John 20:12). Such a rose should stand in a sky-blue field, symbolizing that such joy in spirit and faith is a beginning of the heavenly future joy, which begins already, but is grasped in hope, not yet revealed. And around this field is a golden ring, symbolizing that such blessedness in Heaven lasts forever and has no end. Such blessedness is exquisite, beyond all joy and goods, just as gold is the most valuable, most precious and best metal. (Luther's Works: American Edition, Vol. 49: ) It seems to be a growing trend within many Christian congregations to avoid too much discussion of Jesus death on the cross. It is one thing to mention it on Good Friday, but much more than that, and we can become uncomfortable. We want to hear about God s love for us, the new life that is promised for those who believe, and the Good News of the Resurrection. Yet, at the heart of Luther s belief system, and symbolized by the black cross at the center of his Rose, is the conviction, expressed initially by Paul that we Christians proclaim Christ (Messiah) crucified. (I Cor. 1:23) Paul recognized that a crucified Messiah would be a stumbling block to his fellow Jews who were anticipating a politically victorious Messiah, and foolishness to his gentile audience who saw Jesus death as an illogical outcome for one who was supposed to be the Son of God. In many ways this recoiling from Jesus ultimate sacrifice, especially the notion that it was necessary, can make us uncomfortable, too. Yet for Paul, and for Luther, it was only by way of the cross (Jesus s death) that humanity had access to any real and lasting hope. And while the cross may seem like an ugly and messy way to deliver that hope, it was, for Paul and Luther, the only possible way it could be done. Faith, the clinging by the heart to God s promise, is not a matter of the head and its intellectual processes. What may be hard for the mind to comprehend, the heart clings to by faith. And this faith, we are promised, brings with it a joy, comfort, and peace that the world cannot give. Through Christ s death, we have been given life. That life is eternal. That life can never be wrenched away. The Luther Rose: So much promise in so simple a window. It s worth searching for this window and pondering its promise. Pastor Hugh

2 STEWARDSHIP IS... Taking care of the health that God has given you You probably think of the word stewardship as something we, at St. Paul s, mention only in the Fall as we prepare for our Stewardship Campaign. Stewardship is all about money, right? Wrong. Stewardship is actually about being good caretakers of all of God s many gifts and blessings. And while this includes the more material blessings, it is certainly not limited to these. Starting with this issue, the Stewardship Team will be including a Stewardship Is article on a number of different topics, especially on the stewardship of self-care, or maintaining ones health. This month we focus on... Health tip #1 Having fun in the sun What is a Healthy Suntan? According to nearly every dermatologist, there is no such thing. While a deep tan may look good now, a tan is your skin s response to the damaging effect of being exposed to the ultraviolet (harmful) rays of the sun. With too much sun exposure, your skin will at best age prematurely, and at worst, develop skin cancer. In the U.S., nearly 500,000 will be diagnosed with skin cancer this year. According to Judy Hedding, here are a few tips to avoid being one of them. Always use sunscreen. Using sunscreen protects the skin cells from ultraviolet rays which can lead to cancer by damaging cell DNA. When using sunscreen, be aware of the SPF. Judy explains, SPF is an acronym for Sun Protection Factor. Take the amount of time it would take to burn without sunscreen (UV Index) and multiply it by the sunscreen's Sun Protection Factor to figure out how long you can be outside with sunscreen. For example, if it will take 15 minutes to burn today without sunscreen, and you use an SPF 8 product, you can stay outside 2 hours without burning (8 x 15= 120 minutes or 2 hours). Know the Four Warning Signs of Skin Cancer : These "ABCD" guidelines are commonly used to help you be aware of the warning signs of cancer: A is for Asymmetry--one half of a mole is different than the other. B is for Border irregularity--mole has poorly defined edges. C is for Color variations--inconsistent colors on the mole. D is for Diameter--larger than a pencil eraser. As Judy explains, At any of these signs you should see your doctor. Judy Hedding, Avoiding Skin Cancer, from the website, 01.htm WE SAY THANKS TO DON KRUG For more than 12 years, Don Krug has been the Chairman of the Outreach Team. On June 1, the people of St. Paul s will officially thank him for his years of service as he steps down from this position in order to spend more time tending to the needs of his wife, June. Under Don s leadership the Outreach Team made sure that St. Paul s mission was directed beyond its walls and the lives of its members. As the chair, Don was responsible for balancing several the Outreach accounts, keeping track of what was donated to which charity and cause. He would meticulously research the charities requesting assistance in order to determine what percentage of donated monies went to help those in need, and how much went toward administration, advertising and million dollar salaries. Only if they were deemed worthy would the charity be considered. Under Don s leadership, St. Paul s became involved with Foodshare. We became a Foodshare distribution site, which allowed us to become a conduit for many tons of food distributed to area food pantries. Don regularly volunteered on site with Foodshare, and made numerous food pickups. Through our Outreach ministry, Don volunteered at the Maria Sanchez school for a period of time, tutoring intercity children. Every time the Outreach Team had a fund drive for world hunger, disaster relief, or to support a ministry somewhere around the world, it was Don who made sure the appropriate envelopes were placed in the pews, and then removed once the drive was over. Don s love and talent took other forms as well. As a skilled woodworker, his woodworking talents were often used to support the Outreach Ministry directly, such as when he built the Christmas card tree used for the Fuel Bank drive. But Don was also responsible for expanding the hymnal racks when we added a second hymnal, and redoing them again when we switched over to our new single hymnal. Don was instrumental in the construction of the Creche for the Christmas pageant, and many other projects around St. Paul s. Don Krug did all this in a quiet and dignified manner. And while he has never sought recognition for his many years of service, he certainly deserves it. Thank you Don! Your generous leadership has done much to heighten our awareness of our neighbors around the world and our calling to include them in our love and care. The Outreach Team 2

3 Herman, The Amish Friendship Bread Update Thanks to the 54 members of St. Paul's Family, who along with friends of St. Paul s have purchased over 190 loaves of Bread from February 24th to May 11th. During that time $ has been raised for the Stained Glass Window Fund, $ from St. Paul s members and $ from friends of St. Paul s. A special Thanks to Jared and Heather Anderson, Kathy Coyle and Winnie Sawrun for helping with the baking! Imagine This! Over 23 dozen eggs, 47 pounds of flour, 47 pounds of sugar, 8 quarts of canola oil, 190 teaspoons of vanilla and baking powder, etc, all mixed together to create 190 loaves of our delicious bread! Imagine the wonderful aroma in our kitchens every ten days for the last fourteen weeks! It s been a privilege and a pleasure, folks! And we know you ve enjoyed the end results. Our Friendship Bread will be available raising funds for the Stained Glass Windows until the end of June. After a summer respite, Herman will be back in September, anxious for your support. Thanks to one and all for your encouragement! Ellie Bengtson It is so good when Jesus sends us little reminders of His constant care wrapped in the thoughtfulness of people... A heartfelt thank-you for your continual prayers and kind words these past months and upon the loss of our dad. Our hearts are sad, but we know Whistle now rests in God s loving embrace. The Farley Family Youth Fundraiser - Car Wash Saturday June 14th 9 AM - 12 PM St. Paul s CONGREGATIONAL SURVEYS OF OUR CHURCH LIFE A total of 200 questionnaire surveys were sent out the beginning of April, and 68 of them have been returned for our study. These surveys were intended to seek recommendations for improving our worship experience. The committee wishes to thank those who filled out the questions, and to most who added their personal comments. We are most appreciative of the time and thought put into your answers. Each survey was opened and analyzed at a meeting of the whole committee. We have tabulated the results numerically. The comments will all be studied and will provide us with the thoughts and hopes of many of our members. Over the next several weeks the committee members plan to put together a summary and recommendation report to be presented to our Church Council. Lillian Doerschler for the Survey Committee J U N E 1 Robert Henderson 1 Debbie LePage 9 Allen Piscitello 11 Thomas DiCioccio 12 Shirley Acker 12 Eric Sullivan 13 Kim Koczka 14 Richard Mehl 17 Margaret DeBlois 17 Elizabeth Matteson 18 June Krug 18 Kimberlee Ruppar 18 Klaus Wittkop 21 George C. Howe 23 Nancy Malinguagio 23 Mary Simon 28 Jean Parsons

4 New Church Picture Directory Save one of the following dates: Tues. August 5th, 3-9:30 PM Fri. September 19th, 3-9:30 PM Sat. September 20th, 10 AM - 5 PM St. Paul's is planning for a new pictorial directory. The last time we did this was in 1998! Families are encouraged to sign up, at no cost to them, to have a professional photographer from Olan Mills take their picture so that it can appear in the new directory. There will be 3 dates when the photographer will be at St. Pauls: Tuesday, August 5, from 3 to 9:30PM, Friday, September 19, from 3 to 9:30PM, and Saturday, September 20, from 10AM to 5PM. How do I sign up? There are 2 ways to schedule an appointment. The first is to use the sign-up sheet that will be available in the Fellowship Hall on Sundays. If you forget, you can call Janet at the Church office and have your name and relevant information put on the sheet. A second way is to sign up online. By going to St. Paul s website ( you ll find a link to the Olan Mills Signup Site where you'll be walked through an easy-to-follow signup process. Furthermore, you'll receive an reminder when your scheduled date and time approach. If you have any questions or wish more information, please contact Janet at the Church office at If all goes according to plan, we should have our new directory in time for Christmas! PASTOR HUGH S STUDY WEEK DID YOU KNOW... Pastor Hugh will be taking a week-long course this summer at Hartford Seminary entitled, Growing Healthy Congregations. There he will learn the latest about how to create a climate of healthy growth within a congregation. The course will take place during the last week of June. Before the course even begins, he has to have read 6 books and have written a 2-3 page report on each. Expect to hear a lot more about this in September when the Council has a retreat devoted to implementing those recommendations appropriate to St. Paul s. DO YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW NEED SOME CLOTHES? One of our members is looking for a home for some clothing. The clothes are men s size medium and some large. Pant size is 34 or 36 waist and a 30 inseam. There are shirts, pants, shorts, suits, and even hats, scarves and gloves. If you know of anyone who might benefit from these clothes, please contact Pastor Hugh. 4

5 Please note: The 2008 Member Directories are available in the Fellowship Hall Class of 2008 Kevin Kratzer, UCONN School of Law *Please contact the office if you would like to have your graduate s name in next months Epistle. Do you know where the big Outreach Fair Sign went to? Carol Farley and Janice Pergande have been looking everywhere for it. It was last used 2 years ago. It was quite large, about 5 x 3 or so, was all nicely boxed up with the PVC pipe that acted as its stand, and labeled clearly with the instructions, Do Not Throw Out. If you have any info, please contact the Church office. Our Church Gardners Janice Pergande & Lillian Doerschler work very hard at least once a week to keep our church grounds and beds looking beautiful. Thank you!!! 5

6 ST. PAUL S MEMBERS IN SERVICE FOR June 2008 ACOLYTES: Linda Anderson, Coordinator, June 1 - Josh Marzano 8 - Jay Viola 15 - Erica DeBlois 22 - Jamie Piscitello 29 - Kaitlin Anderson ALTAR GUILD: Linda Anderson, Coordinator, June 1 - Helen Peterson 8 - Helen Peterson 15 - Jennie Dotts & Betty Lamo 22 - Ann Baledes & Elaine Strecker 29 - Anderson s ASSISTING MINISTERS: Kathy Coyle, Coordinator, June 1 - Mike Coyle - 8:00 Kathy Coyle - 10: Patty Bengtson - 8:00 Emily Lourigan - 10: Jim Newmark - 8:00 Mike Coyle - 10: Kathy Coyle - 9: Art Bruce - 9:00 COMMUNION ASSISTANTS: Sue Agne, Coordinator, June 1 - Sue Agne 8 - Walter Ruppar 15 - Lillian Doerschler 22 - Jim Newmark 29 - Art Bruce TAPING MINISTRY: Crystal Brozynski, Coordinator, June- Jan Pergande EUCHARISTIC MINISTER: Kathy Coyle, Coordinator, FELLOWSHIP HOUR HOSTS: Winnie Sawrun, Coordinator, June 1 - Danielle & Serge DeBlois 8 - Debbie & Amanda Viola 15 - Helen Peterson & Harriett Fritsch 22 - Margaret DeBlois & Carol Farley 29 - Pam & Jodi DiNatalie FINANCE: Mary procyon, Coordinator, June 1 - Lois Woy 8 - Harriett Fritsch 15 - Betty Lamo 22 - Cindy Seip 29 - Bob Bowman LECTORS: Lillian Doerschler, Coordinator, June 1 - Vicki Anderson 8 - Emily Lourigan 15 - Sue Agne 22 - Winnie Sawrun 29 - George Howe NURSERY: Ann French, Coordinator, June 1 - Matt & Julie Perry 11 - Steph Heinzman, Angela & Grace 15 - Volunteer Needed USHERS: Brian Beckwith, Coordinator, 8AM, Louise Lostocco, Coordinator, 10:30AM, June 1 - Brian Beckwith - 8:00 Linda, Kyla, Kaitlin Anderson - 10: Brian Beckwith - 8:00 Linda, Kyla, Kaitlin Anderson - 10: Brian Beckwith - 8:00 Linda, Kyla, Kaitlin Anderson - 10: Linda, Kyla, Kaitlin Anderson - 9: Linda, Kyla, Kaitlin Anderson - 9:00 6

7 June 2008 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Holy Comm. 8 &10:30AM SCS 9AM, Youth w/ Pr. Hugh: 9AM Choir, 9:45 AM PM (lower) Ed. Gentino 7PM Outreach 7:30 PM OA 4 10:30AM Bible Study 7 PM AA 7:30 PM Choir New England Synod Assembly, Worcester 10 AM Thur. Grp. 10 AM AA AA 7:30 PM 8 Holy Comm. 8 &10:30AM SCS 9AM, Adt. Disc. 9:15 AM Choir, 9:45 AM PM (lower) Ed. Gentino 7:30 PM OA 11 7 PM AA 7:30 PM Choir AM Thur. Grp AM AA 14 Youth Fundraiser Car Wash 9AM- 12PM AA 7:30 PM 15 Father s Day Holy Comm. 8 &10:30AM SCS 9AM, Adt. Disc. 9:15 AM Choir, 9:45 AM Epistle deadline PM (lower) Ed. Gentino 7:30 PM OA 18 7 PM AA 19 7:30 AM Men s Breakfast 10 AM Thur. Grp AM AA 21 AA 7:30 PM 22 Holy Comm. 9:00 AM 29 Holy Comm. 9:00 AM PM (lower) Ed. Gentino 6:30 Parish Admin 7:30 Council 7:30 PM OA PM AA Please note: Pastor Hugh will be out of the office taking a week-long continuing education course from June AM Thur. Grp AM AA 28 AA 7:30 PM

8 Saint Paul s Epistle SAINT PAUL S EV. LUTHERAN CHURCH 371 Wolcott Hill Road Wethersfield, CT RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED SAINT PAUL S EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH WORSHIP SCHEDULE 8:00 and 10:30AM Sunday Church School (through June 15) 9:00AM Summer Worship (starting June 22) 9:00AM OFFICERS AND STAFF Rev. Hugh R. B. Haffenreffer, Pastor...Office: (860) Cell Phone: (860) pastorh@stpaulswethersfield.org Office Manager...Janet Vasel: janet@stpaulswethersfield.org Council President...Linda Anderson Treasurer...Tom Grottke Financial Sect y...mary Procyk Minister of Music...Melissa Cheyney Superintendent of Sunday Church School...Alice Ruppar REMINDERS: Summer Worship begins June 22 at 9:00AM June 2008