Trinity Tidings. Eighth Sunday after Pentecost. Holy Communion 10:00 am One Service Only with Farewell & Godspeed for Glen F and Ginger H

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1 Trinity Tidings Thursday 26. July 2018 Trinity welcomes all to a community in Christ; serving others, growing in faith, living in hope, and reaching out in love. Eighth Sunday after Pentecost Holy Communion 10:00 am One Service Only with Farewell & Godspeed for Glen F and Ginger H 29. July Trinity Lutheran Church Gracious God, you have placed within the hearts of all your children a longing for your word and a hunger for your truth. Grant that we may know your Son to be the true bread of heaven and share this bread with all the world, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen Old Georgetown Rd. North Bethesda, MD Phone office@trinityelca.org Web TrinityELCA.org Facebook facebook.com/trinityelca A Reconciling in Christ and a Stephen Ministry congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Assisting Us in the Sunday Liturgy Acolyte Matthew B Assisting Minister Sabrina R Children's Church David C Greeters Pam B Lector Sarah G Ushers Nancy & Thor N Coffee Hour Susan D, Nancy N, Sarah G Altar Custodians Carol B Bulletin Assembly Dick J Tellers Margaret & Greg F Summer School Supply Collection Imagine having to choose between a meal or purchasing a notebook. You can give the school supplies so the parents can provide the meal. details on page 3

2 10 th Sunday after Pentecost (Lectionary 17) 29. July Kings 4:42-44 Ephesians 3:14-21 Psalm 145:10-18 John 6:1-21 Hungry for Rescue The miracle of multiplication began with a question. Jesus asked, "Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?" (John 6:5). Then, like fragments of the improbable barley crusts and pieces of fish, the questions multiplied until the crowd was fed. In the moment, baskets full of leftover questions didn't matter much. Maybe skeptics' curiosities dozed off on full bellies. Here's a question: Did Jesus get in the boat or not? Five thousand crowded the hillside. The gospel story doesn't say they were hungry or that they expected to eat. Whatever Jesus had been doing for the sick-his signs-drew the crowd. As for a meal, all John tells us, and only in passing, is that the Jewish Passover, the sacred meal that recalled and celebrated the miraculous rescue from a life of slavery in Egypt, was near. That mattered; oppression occupied more than their memories. Rome occupied Palestine with a fist of misery. Jesus awakened hope. Burdened people paid attention. They were so aroused that, full of bread and fish, and awestruck by all that was leftover, the crowd grew riotous, frantic to crown Jesus as their king. Hours later, the disciples, muscling against fierce winds on a black night sea, suddenly became terrified. Was it the storm or was it the sight of Jesus walking on waves that spooked them? When Jesus said, "It is I; do not be afraid," the disciples wanted him in their boat (John 6:20-21). Here's the question again. Did Jesus get in the boat or not? The episode ends with an undetailed report. The boat reached land. Period. The crowds and the disciples are hungry for rescue. We will make you our king! We will take you in our boat! Coming near, Jesus said "It is I; do not be afraid." But did he get in their boat? 2 nd Quarter Contribution Statements are available for pickup in Social Hall. Pledging for Mission BIGGER Than A Building! 66 families have pledged $479,040 to our 3-year mission appeal. Total amount received for BTAB! is $ as of 22. July. Thank you for your generous support. Congregation Council Meeting Notes 10. July End game in sight for Flood Repair, should be done by August Council members to meet with ELCA Bishop from local area to continue Transition Planning. 3. Music Committee to be reconstituted to begin process of finding Glen s successor. Thank You, Trinity Congregation Thank you for your thoughts and prayers after my automobile accident. Chris, Vincent, and I thank Leslie and Anita for organizing help while I was incapacitated and those who provided delicious dinners to us during my recovery: Leslie & Nicholas, Christine, Margaret, Lynn, Annie, Leonard, Elizabeth, and Miriam. I am still working on regaining mobility and strength and have a few more months of physical therapy ahead. You've helped us through the worst part of this! Thank you all and God Bless You!!! - Amanda M The Word in Season for July-September daily devotionals are now available in the Social Hall. Reprinted from Words for Worship, copyright 2017 Augsburg Fortress. Used by permission of Augsburg Fortress. 2

3 Summer Worship One Service! July - August and Labor Day Weekend All July and August, and through L a b o r D a y w e e k e n d, 2..September, Trinity will be holding one Sunday service at 10:00 am, followed by Coffee Hour at 11:15 am. This is a great opportunity to meet Trinity members who normally attend that other service. You'll also leave church in plenty of time to enjoy the summer sunshine! Summer Music 2018 We would love to hear you during worship during the offering or during the Communion during Sundays in late June, plus all of July and August. Please sign up on the sheet located on the Bulletin Board near the Social Hall Kitchen. Summer Collection: School Supplies for Lutheran World Relief (LWR) Imagine having to choose between a meal or purchasing a notebook. LWR distributes school kits to places where even a few required school supplies may be more than a family can afford. Pencils and paper can help write a positive future for many children. We are collecting the school supplies listed below. On God s Work Our Hands Sunday, 9. September, Trinity will assemble the items into school kits during an Inter-generational Sunday School. Many donations have already been received, and with your continued support we can reach our goals! Please place donations in the bins in the Social Hall. Here are the total items needed to complete this year s goal of 140 kits: # Still Item Needed sheet notebooks of wide- or college-ruled paper approximately 8x10½"; no loose-leaf paper centimeter rulers, or rulers with centimeters on one side, inches on the other Pencil sharpeners Thank You! Blunt scissors Unsharpened #2 pencils with erasers Black or blue ballpoint pens (no gel ink) Box of 16 or 24 crayons ½" eraser Please note: LWR asks that all kit items be new and have no religious symbols, messages, or patriotic or military symbols. Please contact Kathy T or Anita S with any questions. 3

4 Remember in Your Prayers... the church our synod & bishops Bishops Elizabeth Eaton & Richard Graham our missionaries Stephen Deal & Marta Giron, Cent. America our congregation Trinity Church... the nations Afghanistan, Haiti, Korea, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Liberia, Libya, Mexico, Myanmar, Namibia, Palestine, Somalia, Spain/Cataluña, Sudan, Syria, Ukraine, United States, Venezuela, Yemen, Zimbabwe... the sick and suffering nursing/rehabilitation center Philip T, Manor Care Potomac John W, Sunrise of Rockville home Jean B Tigist G Susan K Amanda M Margo W family and friends* Cindy B, friend of Judy D Darwin V, brother of Keith C Dierdre & Matthew D, friends of Susan K Elaine F, friend of Lynn B Harold H, cousin of Marilyn C Terry L, friend of Marilyn & Bob C Dennis N, brother-in-law of Keith & Lily C *For family and friends, prayer requests will be kept on the list for four weeks. After four weeks, please complete another card. This Week at Trinity Sun 29. July Pentecost 10 / Lect 17 School Supply Collection for LWR 10:00 am Holy Communion 11:15 am Glen F Farewell Coffee Hour Youth Mission Trip Week of Hope Pittsburgh PA (29. July - 3. Aug) Tues 31. July 11:15 am Staff mtg 7:30 pm Congregation Council (Rm10) Next Sun 5. Aug Pentecost 11 / Lect 18 School Supply Collection for LWR 10:00 am Holy Communion 11:15 am Choir rehearsal Looking Ahead 26. Aug Blessing of Kindergartners and Backpacks 30. Jul Mary M 31. Jul Jerry B 3. Aug Carol B Birthdays Baptismal Days 28. Jul Robert M Wedding Anniversaries 31. Jul Meredith S & Scott M 3. Aug Nancy & Thor N Deaths Rob W May 2018 Funeral will be at Christ Church (16 th St., DC) Saturday 28. July at 3 pm Fred K + 4. July 2018 Funeral will be at Trinity Saturday 28. July at 11 am Antoinette B July 2018 grandmother of Dianez P 4

5 The Kingdom of this World vs. The Kingdom of Christ God created the world and the world has always and will always belong to God. God rules this world through: 1) the kingdoms (governments) of this world, providing safety and security through just law; and 2) the kingdom of Christ, offering God s full and free mercy and forgiveness, apart from human law. God rules in both these realms. To speak of either is thus to speak of a kingdom which is God's. We are sometimes in danger of looking on the temporal as something profane, as if God were active only in the spiritual. The temporal is not foreign to God, and Luther does not regard it as such. There is nothing which is profane, and no sphere in which God is not at work but there are corrupt governments, pharaohs, emperors, and leaders. The Kingdom of Egyptian Pharaoh at the time of Moses 5

6 However, secular rulers may choose to serve the devil or serve God. Any use of human power for its own sake is serving the devil. Power is a deadly temptation to selfishness and vainglory, and for that reason Luther utters the warning "He who would be a Christian ruler must put away the thought that he would rule and be mighty. For the mark of judgment is upon all life whose end is self-advancement, and upon all works which are not done in love. And these are done in love when their end is not the desire or advantage or honor or comfort of the doer, but the honor and advantage and good of others." The Kingdom of the Roman Caesar at the time of Jesus