The Juniper Tree. Our Task as A Redeemed Child of God! A publication of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Easton, Maryland January 2019

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1 The Juniper Tree A publication of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Easton, Maryland January 2019 Our Task as A Redeemed Child of God! As I read the Bible on December 28 th and the connections to the Lutheran Hour devotion something new to mind. The text was And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. Luke goes on to say...they made known the saying that had been told them concerning the child. The author of the lesson stated: they talked to people Mary and Joseph, the neighbors, people in the street, who knows? Before reading this, I would have assumed the shepherds went home to tend the sheep, end of story! As we meet people on the streets, at our work site, and other times we have the same joy to share. Remember Pastor Jim has been sharing this same thought with us. He has asked us to consider two questions daily: 1. Jesus what are you up to today? 2. How would you have me join You? He reminds us that Jesus will guide us, give us the words to say, and more when the opportunity comes. If you have not participated in the Joining Jesus on His Mission Sunday school hour training I would encourage you to do so. The encouragement and directions provided by this training really gets one to thinking more about how God can and will use our lowly skills to reach others. I still miss many opportunities and know I often neglect and cower at the opportunity to say what I should say or stop to pray when someone shares a need. Regardless if you have been a part of the Joining Jesus on His Mission training or not, you most probably share His love daily as you go about your life. You may not even know it! The smile, the handshake, the eye contact and taking the time to be a light for Jesus is important. Remember the song Hide it under a bushel, No! I m going to let it shine! Pastor Jim s message on Sunday, December 30 th, reminded us of the task before us. He shared we have a role first as the redeemed, we know we are! Secondly, to share the good news! Remember to consider daily how you can join Jesus on His mission to tell others about Him. Take time to develop the relationship with someone (continued on page 2) 1 Immanuel Lutheran Church / January 2019

2 (continued from page 1) who may be on your heart concerning his or her relationship with God. We are encouraged to identify that person and pray for them, also pray that we can be used if God desires us to be the one to encourage that person to reconnect with their Savior. I personally have several on my mind and will continue to make an effort to spend time with them and encourage them in their faith walk. This training encourages prayer for these folks and more. I hope you will join those of us already working on relationship building and continue to ask God for help and give Him all the glory. God bless you as you serve Him! Sharon Pahlman T Joining Jesus Show Me How How to Disciple Everyday Missionaries The mission of God is to redeem and restore all things to Himself through Jesus. As we enter 2019 we ll continue to seek to join Jesus in this mission as we continue our discipleship training here at Immanuel Lutheran. Joining Jesus Show Me How: How to Disciple Everyday Missionaries is a video training curriculum which builds on the foundation laid with the first video training, Joining Jesus on His Mission. This is your opportunity to take the next-step in our mission training with Jesus. With Joining Jesus on His Mission we were trained to get off the bench and back into the mission fields of our neighborhoods, workplaces, and schools. Show Me How begins there and now seeks to train us to disciple our family and friends to do the same. Part One of the video training curriculum is made up of sessions 1-5 and will help us clarify and simplify how Jesus disciples His followers in the gospels. Here s what we ll learn in these sessions: Session 1: What is Discipling According to Jesus (Chapters 1-2). Why does the Invitation to Disciple People Scare Us? What is Discipling According to Jesus? Session 2: What is the Mission of God according to God? (continued on page 3) The Juniper Tree is prepared monthly for people who, like Elijah, find themselves somewhere sitting under a Juniper Tree facing life s frustrations... exhausted, broken, perhaps even wishing for death as Elijah did. These pages are offered to encourage, to strengthen, to build up, to challenge, to inform, to share the Word of God and to offer opportunities for Christian growth here at Immanuel. May you grow in God s peace and grace as you walk with Him this month. The Juniper Tree is published by Immanuel Lutheran Church, Easton, MD. Copyright 2018 by Immanuel Lutheran Church. All rights reserved. All submissions for the The Juniper Tree newsletter are due on the 15 th of the month prior to its publication. This allows us to publish the newsletter by the last Sunday of the month. We prefer them in an electronic format but do accept printed submissions. Unless otherwise noted, all pictures are by PJKreft. 2 Immanuel Lutheran Church / January 2019

3 (Chapters 3-5). What is the Mission of God? My Small Part in God s Great Big Mission. Are We Under-Discipled for the Mission of God? Session 3: How does Discipling Work? (Chapters 6-8). The Rub Resolved: How Jesus Changes Us through Discipling. What Is My Discipling Plan? What Qualifies Me to Disciple Others? Session 4: What is a Disciple According to Jesus? And What Does a Disciple Do? (Chapters 9-10). What Does a Disciple Do According to Jesus? Session 5: What is Jesus Discipling Process? (Chapters 11-13). What is Jesus Discipling Process? Where is Jesus Discipling Classroom? What is Jesus Discipling Curriculum? Part Two is made up of sessions 6-10 and will help us then craft our own discipling plan using Jesus discipling plan as our model. Here s what we ll learn in those sessions: Session 6: How Do I Start? (Chapter 14). How Do I Start? Session 7: My 5 Discipling Practices (Chapter 15). 5 Discipling Practices Making the Most of Our Discipling Time. Session 8: My Plan for Discipling Others (Chapter 16). Creating your plan for Discipling Others. Session 9: A Sample Agenda for My Missional Community (p.172). Session 10: Wisdom for Disciple- Makers & Bonus Section for Congregations (Chapter 17). Personal Practices for the Wise Disciple-Maker. Bonus Section - Organizing the Congregation for Discipleship. We ll offer this new discipleship series both on Sunday mornings and with the Thursday night Missional Group that meets at the Kreft s. We ll have books available for participants to prepare and read before the session. The materials have been ordered and shipped. They are to be here Monday, January 7 th. We plan to start to new series on Sunday, January 13 th, during the 9:45 AM Bible Study time. The Thursday night Missional Group has agreed to meet on the first and third Thursdays as they will begin going through these same materials. Their first session will be on Thursday, January 17 th. (continued on page 4) 3 Immanuel Lutheran Church / January 2019

4 (continued from page 3) We encourage everyone to prayerfully consider joining us on this journey into a deeper understanding of discipleship and as we seek to join Jesus on His mission of redemption and restoration that He s still on even today. T Announcing the Kingdom Some Epiphany discipleship thoughts Epiphany is about light. Light is on the way. It s coming to those who dwell in darkness. And it s coming in the person of Jesus who, we will learn, is the light of the world. And so Jesus came, proclaiming, Repent! The kingdom of heaven is arriving (Matthew 4:17b). I would like to share two keys for disciples to discover from Jesus here. The first centers on repent. Most people understand repentance as a feeling, as in feeling sorry for something you ve done, with that something being wrong. Yet biblical repentance has nothing to do with feelings and feeling sorry in particular. All N.T. Wright quotes and translations from Matthew are from N.T. Wright s book Matthew for Everyone Part 1: Chapters 1 15, 2002, 2004 by N.T. Wright. Second edition copublished by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, London, and Westminster John Knox Press, Louisville, KY No, repentance means literally to change direction. It s turn around and go the other way. It is realizing that, first of all, the road along which you are traveling is simply the wrong road. It may feel right, look right, and you may even deep inside believe that it is right but that doesn t make the wrong way anything less that it is: the wrong road. It s the realization that it s taking you in the wrong direction. Yet that realization is simply the first step. The second is just as important and, if we re totally honest, even more difficult. The next step involves actually changing direction, not just talking about changing direction. Jesus call is a call to repentance. This is at the heart of discipleship. Disciples are people who have repented. So why are we called to repent? Because God s kingdom is coming! We have a few points to make on this so let s start with the simplest first. What s the difference between Matthew s the kingdom of heaven and the other Gospels the kingdom of God? Saying heaven instead of God is simply a regular Jewish way of avoiding using the word God out of reverence and respect, N.T. Wright reminds us (p. 28). So both are, in essence, saying the same thing to different audiences. A good writer knows the peculiarities of his or her audience. (continued on page 5) 4 Immanuel Lutheran Church / January 2019

5 (continued from page 4) So if God s kingdom is coming, what does that mean? Christians usually focus on the eternal hereafter and not on the here and now in reference to God s kingdom. It s as if the here and now aren t important in our relationship with God. So many Christians just focus on eternity and ignore God s rule (or reign) in their lives today. I ve come to see this as many are looking to their relationship with God merely as fire insurance. For them it s like insurance that comes to play just at the end of life. For them it s not a constant, growing relationship with the Lord and God of the universe every day. And that s simply the wrong attitude! This relationship with God is about the rule of God in our lives, even today. The point is God s rule or God s reign. God would be king, not just of Israel, but king of the entire world. And that includes you and me. He is A king who would bring justice and peace at last, who would turn the upside-down world the right way up again (Wright, p. 29). And that brings us to yet another discipleship lesson. As we become His disciples, this discipleship has a claim on our here and now, not just on our eternity. For disciples, Jesus is our King, now and eternally. That means He rules our hearts and minds and even our actions today. It s right here that disciples so often fail. We fail to live up to the calling we re to have as disciples here and now. Jesus being our Savior is okay. In fact, that s what we want but, for many, that s all we want. It s the Lord part that so many disciples shy away from, no, more than that, run away from with all their might! We follow our will, not God s will, for us. Our values and actions are not transformed our repentance is merely saying we re sorry and not a total change of direction which is what true repentance is all about. We fail to have a new King reign over us. Instead, we use Him as an advisor only when we want something and then wonder why things go wrong for us. We re simply following the wrong direction for our lives! Or we try to bargain with God as in if You do or give me X, I ll then do Y for You. That s not what it means to have a King rule our hearts and lives. It means His will and direction become preeminent and governing in our lives. It means He rules me and I seek to help extend His (continued on page 6) 5 Immanuel Lutheran Church / January 2019

6 (continued from page 5) rule even in the here and now. It means we believe as Jesus believed, love as Jesus loved, live as Jesus lived, and serve as Jesus served. And, yes, it means that we seek to join Him on the mission He s still on to redeem and restore all things unto His Father. Regards, in Christ, Pastor Jim Kreft T Wow, that s a lot from a simply Repent! The kingdom of heaven is arriving! But right here, in these simple words and their meaning for our lives, is where we begin to fail in our lives as His disciples. Dear Lord, help me to place You as more than my Savior but also as my Lord. Help me to see You as my King and submit to Your Kingdom and Kingdom in my life, here and now, not just for eternity. Let me not lose sight of eternity, but to also focus on Your claim to the here and now on my life as well. Transform me into the person You wish me to become. And, in so doing, may I join Jesus in the mission He s still on to redeem and restore all things. In Jesus most precious name. Amen. Lessons in Wise Faith The Magi teach us true faith, said Martin Luther. Given the obstacles they encountered, we would understand if they had given up altogether! First, the travelers were off the mark, coming to Jerusalem to seek a newborn king in a royal palace. Then, directed to Bethlehem, the wise men found a sight so utterly out of keeping with a king a poor young woman and child, in a poor hut that one might expect them to head straight home. But, declares Luther, with a great, strong and full faith they... follow the word of the prophet and the witness of the star in all purity of heart, bowing to worship and honor the Savior. Based on Luther s sermon for the Festival of the Epiphany (1522), Luther s Works. T Worship Services in January 2019 January 6 th The Epiphany of Our Lord Theme: Lighting the way Ephesians 3:7-12. (continued on page 7) 6 Immanuel Lutheran Church / January 2019

7 (continued from page 6) Scriptures: Isaiah 60:1 6; Psalm 72:1 11; Ephesians 3:1 12; Matthew 2:1 12 Sunday Schedule: 8:30 AM Divine Worship Service with Holy Communion 9:45 AM Sunday School & Bible Classes 11:00 AM Praise Worship Service (continued from page 6) Wednesday, January 9th Midweek Communion Service Formerly called our Homebound Service and offered for those who have a difficult time attending on Sunday mornings, we ve opened this short service up to any and all who wish to attend. We encourage you to join us at it! Schedule: 11:30 AM Midweek Worship Service with Holy Communion January 13th The Baptism of Our Lord Theme: The mission begins Luke 3: Scriptures: Isaiah 43:1 7; Psalm 29; Romans 6:1 11; Luke 3:15 22 Sunday Schedule: 8:30 AM Divine Worship Service 9:45 AM Sunday School & Bible Classes 10:10 AM The Pines Worship Service 11:00 AM Praise Worship Service with Holy Communion January 20 th Second Sunday after the Epiphany Theme: Turn up the light John 2:11. Scriptures: Isaiah 62:1 5; Psalm 128; 1 Corinthians 12:1 11; John 2:1 11. Sunday Schedule: 8:30 AM Divine Worship Service with Holy Communion 9:45 AM Sunday School & Bible Classes 11:00 AM Praise Worship Service January 27 th Third Sunday after the Epiphany Theme: A famine, a widow, and a leper Luke 4: Scriptures: Nehemiah 8:1 3, 5 6, 8 10; Psalm 19:7 14; 1 Corinthians 12:12 31a; Luke 4: Sunday Schedule: 8:30 AM Divine Worship Service 9:45 AM Sunday School & Bible Classes 10:10 AM The Pines Worship Service 11:00 AM Praise Worship Service with Holy Communion T (continued on page 8) 7 Immanuel Lutheran Church / January 2019

8 (continued from page 7) Enter In Tired of making small talk at church about the weather or sports? Then follow Edward Welch s advice to enter in to the lives of your fellow worshipers. A churchgoer once asked Welch, author of Caring for One Another (Crossway), two simple yet profound questions: What was the best thing about your week, and what was the worst thing about your week? About a month later, when some issues were weighing heavily on Welch s heart, he wondered who d be willing to pray for him. Immediately, the person who d asked him those two questions came to mind. When worshipers are willing to enjoy one another s blessings and be burdened by one another s difficulties, Welch says, the body of Christ gets built up. T Did You Know That... on behalf of the LifeLighters Bible study ladies, Nadine and I wish to thank all who contributed to the gifts for the twenty-four children identified as needy by their school staff. Your generosity made our task so much easier. The Talbot County school board personnel greatly appreciated our willingness to do this and already sent one note of thanks. This note is displayed on the bulletin board set aside for missions and the Trustees notes. Sincerely, Sharon Pahlman T we d like to thank Judy Gaston and Shawn Parks for the weekly prayer cards, special greetings and treats after the service which encouraged fellowship on Sunday mornings in December? T much thanks is due to Emma Jean & Ken Morgan, Robin s Nest Florist, for the absolutely beautiful decorations, tree and so much more to glorify God during the joyous season of Christmas? The festive decorations were removed on Thursday, January 3 rd. T... the Nursery received a thorough cleaning and preparation for visitors and guests before Christmas? Thanks to Sharon Pahlman and Cindy Kreft for this act of service. T (continued on page 9) 8 Immanuel Lutheran Church / January 2019

9 the season of Epiphany is a season that emphasizes Jesus mission not just to Israel but to everyone? We ll seek to see how Jesus disciples those who follow Him and seek to implement those efforts in our own lives, too. As we do that, people become members of His kingdom and then, once discipled, seek to disciple others. Pray for God to open your eyes and open your heart to all He s doing right around you. And then pray asking Him how you can join Him in what He s already doing in the lives of the people you know. T (continued from page 8) Immanuel s January Birthdays, Baptismal Birthdays, and Anniversaries January Birthdays Regina Chapman...1/1 Bob Mildenberger...1/2 Mike Parks...1/2 Herman Heinlein...1/5 Dawn Holland...1/6 Cindy Kincaid...1/6 Pam Kline...1/8 Sarah Trice...1/12 Marjorie Boone...1/13 Pastor Jim Kreft...1/13 Mark Greene...1/15 Alexander Disque...1/16 Noah Greene...1/17 Brenda Hughes...1/17 Annaliese Ney...1/17 Kaylee Schmidt...1/18 Christian Disque...1/20 Don Galloway...1/21 Larry Anders...1/22 Anna Mildenberger...1/22 Jim Phillips...1/22 Hunter Littlepage...1/26 Earl Grey...1/29 (continued on page 10) 9 Immanuel Lutheran Church / January 2019

10 (continued from page 9) January Baptism Birthdays Neil Andersen...1/12 Sharon Pahlman...1/14 Kimberly Keeney...1/15 Pastor Jim Kreft...1/30 January Anniversaries Jay & Dee Craig...1/2 Brenda & Paul Hughes...1/8 Pastor Jim & Cindy Kreft...1/16 Bill & Laramie Weise...1/30 10 Immanuel Lutheran Church / January 2019

11 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Latino Activities & Services: 5:00 P Sundays 7:00 P Tuesdays, Fridays, & Saturdays 7:30 P Wednesdays Latino Bible Study 7:00 P Thursdays Latino Band Practice 6 Epiphany Sunday 8:30 A Traditional Worship with Holy Communion 9:45 A Sunday School & Bible Classes 11:00 A Praise Service 13 Baptism of Jesus Installation of Officers 8:30 A Traditional Worship 9:45 A Sunday School & Bible Classes 10:10 A The Pines Service 11:00 A Praise Service with Holy Communion 20 2 nd Sunday after Epiphany 8:30 A Traditional Worship with Holy Communion 9:45 A Sunday School & Bible Classes 11:00 A Praise Service 7 6:00 P Youth Confirmation Class 14 6:00 P Youth Confirmation Class 21 No Youth Confirmation Class :00 A Circuit 1 meets in Dover 7:00 P Joining Jesus Missional Krefts 8 8:00 A Mature Men s 11:00 A Bayleigh Chase Service 1:30 P Parkinson s Support Group 6:00 P Trustees meet w/ Latino Cong. 7:00 P Elders Meet 15 8:00 A Mature Men s 10:30 A Candlelight Cove Service 6:30 P Ministry of Worship 22 8:00 A Mature Men s 9 10:30 A LifeLight 11:30 A Midweek Communion 6:00 P Praise Team 7:30 P Choir Practice 16 10:30 A LifeLight 11:00 A Dixon House 6:00 P Praise Team 7:30 P Choir Practice 23 10:00 A Bayside Quilters 10:30 A LifeLight 6:00 P Praise Team 7:30 P Choir Practice 10 7:00 P Trustees Meet 17 7:00 P Joining Jesus Missional Krefts 4 8:30 A Blood Bank 11 Pastor s Day Off Pastor s Day Off Pastor s Day Off 5 7:30 A Men s Bible Panera Bread 12 7:30 A Men s Bible Panera Bread 19 7:30 A Men s Bible Panera Bread 9:00 A 7:00 P Latino Church (Fellowship Hall) 26 7:30 A Men s Bible Panera Bread 27 3 rd Sunday after Epiphany 8:30 A Traditional Worship 9:45 A Sunday School & Bible Classes 10:10 A The Pines Service 11:00 A Praise Service with Holy Communion 28 6:00 P Youth Confirmation Class 29 8:00 A Mature Men s 30 10:30 A LifeLight 6:00 P Praise Team 7:30 P Choir Practice Immanuel Lutheran Church / January 2019

12 Immanuel Lutheran Church 7215 Ocean Gateway Easton, MD ImmanuelEaston.org January 2019 The Juniper Tree monthly newsletter 12 Immanuel Lutheran Church / January 2019