Vol. 30, No. 4 The Season Easter April 2016 Sunday School 9:00 a.m. Holy Communion 10:15 a.m.

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1 Beaver Lutheran Church COMMENTARY Vol. 30, No. 4 The Season Easter April 2016 Sunday School 9:00 a.m. Holy Communion 10:15 a.m. Muskingum U. Wind Ensemble rocked the church March 3 On March 3 we enjoyed an evening of beautiful and boisterous music with a visit from the Muskingum University Wind Ensemble. The concert featured a wonderful trumpet soloist on "Amazing Grace" and a final piece that featured the percussion. The concert was preceded by a hearty, sit-down meal for all 41 band members and their director, for which they gave immense gratitude! Special thanks are due to many folks: For the meal, we thank especially Bonnie Mattern, Nikki Gesselman, Bobbi Leister, Teresa Hoffman, the Goss family (Bobbie, Gavin, and Lauryn), Jean Melton, Sara Mattern, Joe Feehrer, and Carole Morgan. For the overnight hosts: Nathan and Jennifer Baker-Trinity, Joe and Leslie Feehrer, Rusty and Robin Kauffman, Lois Mattern, Carole Morgan, Craig and Greta Wagner, Clair and Barb Bowersox, Gobel and Marge Kline, Charles and Elgarda Mitchell, Karen Dock, Phil and Bev Kline-Lash, Rich Mattern, and Mary Lee and Lamar Troup. We also thank the good people of Faith Baptist Church who provided the use of their mission house to house seven students! More photos appear on page 2. Beaver Lutheran Church, April Page 1

2 Left: Pastor Nathan greets the audience and introduces host families. Right: Members of the Ensemble enjoy a home-cooked meal. Below: Conductor, David A. Turrill, addresses the audience. Left: Mr. Don Kason performs Amazing Grace. Beaver Lutheran Church, April Page 2

3 Holy Week begins with our Hosannas and palm procession and moves to the cross. We hear the reading of the Passion story from Luke s Gospel and gather for Holy Communion on Palm Sunday, March 20. There will be no worship service on Wednesday, March 23 however the Parish Choir will rehearse at 6:30 p.m. Maundy Thursday service will be held on Thursday, March 24 at 7 p.m. The footwashing, Holy Communion and stripping of the altar marks the beginning of The Great Three Days. After gathering in silence at 7 p.m. Friday, March 25, we will once again hear the story of the Passion, this time from John s Gospel. The service concludes with an opportunity to kneel and meditate at the cross. The children will gather for our annual Easter Egg Hunt Saturday, March 26 at 1 p.m. Refreshments will follow. The Great Vigil of Easter begins at 7 p.m. Saturday, March 26. This is the night in which the chains of death are broken, for Christ is risen. We begin outside for the blessing of the fire and follow the Paschal Candle into the worship space. We hear the great stories of our faith. We celebrate Holy Baptism and share in Holy Communion. There is no other night like this one. A reception for everyone follows. The splendor, wonder, beauty and joy of the previous night spills over into Easter morning (March 27) with a festival celebration of the Lord s Resurrection. Christ is risen. Christ is risen indeed! Alleluia! Worship begins at 10:15 a.m. SU students return Palm Sunday On Sunday, February 21 we were blessed to have four Susquehanna University students help out with hymns, the Psalm and the anthem. Those four students make a return appearance on Palm Sunday, March 20. They will sing the Psalm, join the Parish Choir with the anthem Lamb of God, and give the blessing. Please welcome students Michaela Wagner, Rebekka Rosen, Jason Pandelidis and Matthew Lucero. Palm Sunday Walk in McClure On Palm Sunday, the Middle Creek Valley Council of Churches is sponsoring a Palm Walk in McClure. Christians of all denominations are invited to meet at the McClure Community Park at 3:00 p.m. on March 20 to make a public witness for the beginning of Holy Week and the sacrifice of our Lord. Bring your palm branches and witness to Christ! Annual Easter Egg Hunt Our annual Easter Egg Hunt will be held Saturday, March 26 at 1:00 p.m. Refreshments will follow the egg hunt. The Youth Group will be helping out again this year. If you haven t already done so, donations of Easter Candy would be appreciated. Please place your donations in the kitchen. Come on out for an egg-cellent time! Beaver Lutheran Church, April Page 3

4 Youth Group enjoys Winter Retreat By Bryon Beaver On Friday evening March 4th, six of our youth (Chloe Wagner, Devan Leister, Alex Hockenberry, Alex Beaver, Gavin Goss, and Lauryn Goss), three adult leaders and Pastor Nathan took to the Beaver Springs Hunting Camp for an overnight adventure. The evening started with pizza for supper before heading to the cabin. When we arrived at the cabin everyone picked their bunks for the night before evening worship. Pastor Nathan led us in an evening service and prayer after which we all enjoyed a time of games and fellowship the remainder of the evening. Saturday morning arrived not by the sound of a rooster crowing but by the sound of loose change falling out of someone's pockets and making a very loud sound as the coins crashed to the wooden floor, kind of acting as an alarm clock for everyone to arise for the morning and help prepare breakfast. After a good hearty meal of bacon, eggs, home fries, and pancakes we all put on our hiking shoes and headed up the mountain for a brisk morning hike. The climb to the top of the lookout was a little challenging, but once we reached the top it was all well worth the effort. We stopped periodically along the way to not only catch our breath but to have Pastor Nathan read three readings along the way, one at each rest stop. First reading was the one lost sheep, second reading was the woman and her lost coin, and the third reading was the prodigal son. He asked the kids to reflect on the three readings as we ascended the mountain and discuss which one of the readings they could most relate with. After a few moments of discussion and taking in the scenery it was time to head back to the cabin, pack up our things, and prepare for our closing service. Pastor Nathan shared communion with us in the closing ceremony before we all headed home after a rewarding night away. I think it is safe to say we all had a great time together and I know the kids are already making plans for next year's retreat. We would like to extend a special thank you to Tom Hoffman and Allen "Beatle" Bailey for opening up the cabin and taking time out of their schedules so our youth and leaders could share a time of fellowship together. Beaver Lutheran Church, April Page 4

5 Mother s Day Meal and Plant Sale The Youth Activities Committee is planning a fundraiser for Saturday, May 7 (the day before Mother s Day!). Come on out and enjoy a meal of chicken and waffles. While you are here, pick up a beautiful potted plant for your mom at their plant sale. The meal will begin at 4 p.m. Cost is $8 for adults and $5 for children You can help out the youth by not only attending and/or purchasing a planter, but by donating items to prepare the meal. Look for a sign-up sheet for some of the following: chickens, flour, milk, eggs, cakes, etc. We are Looking for Your Graduates The church will soon be recognizing our graduates. If you have a loved one who will be graduating from high school or a school of higher learning, please let us know so they also can be blessed and prayed for on Graduation Sunday. We would also like a senior photo and a bit of information about your graduate for the Commentary. Please submit your information, along with a nice color photo to the secretary as soon as possible. Items may be ed to: secretary.beaverlc@verizon.net. Camp Mount Luther There s Still Time There's still time to register for Camp Mount Luther. Please register with the office by March 28. Registration forms are available on the information table outside the office or at the camp's website at campmountluther.org We are blessed to have the financial resources to make it possible for all our kids to attend camp, and registering now through the church secures our early registration discount. Beaver Lutheran Church, April Page 5

6 Faith On First Our next Faith On First event is April 3. This fellowship and educational opportunity for families with preschool and elementary-aged children includes a sit-down meal followed by activities for children and their parents together. We conclude by 1:30 with a brief closing worship in the sanctuary. Baptismal Preparation Blessing of Baptismal Candidates We will celebrate the sacrament of Holy Baptism at the Easter Vigil on March 26. This year we are delighted to be baptizing three little ones who have been born in the past year: Braxston Hayes Fike (parents are Aaron Fike and Jenna Dutrow), Cyrus Jacob Bickhart (parents are Nathan and Kim Bickhart), and Nola Rea VanHorn (parents are Ryan and Jenelle (Mattern) VanHorn). Along with their sponsors and the entire congregation, we will promise to support and pray for them in their life-long baptismal journey. The next opportunity for baptism is Pentecost Sunday, May 15. If you or your child would like to receive the sacrament you may contact Pastor Nathan. First-time preparation for baptism includes five sessions of learning and conversation. On Sunday, March 13 our three baptismal candidates were blessed prior to their baptism on Easter Vigil, Saturday, March 26 at 7 p.m. Presented were Braxston Hayes Fike, son of Jenna Dutrow and Aaron Fike; Cyrus Jacob Bickhart, son of Kimberly and Nathan Bickhart; and Nola Rea VanHorn, daughter of Jenelle and Ryan VanHorn. Beaver Lutheran Church, April Page 6

7 Children s Word During Children s Word on Sunday, March 13, Pastor Nathan gathered the children around to discuss the story of Mary of Bethany and the fragrant oil she used to anoint Jesus feet (John 12:1-8). Pastor Nathan gave each child a small drop of fragrant oil to massage into their hands so the whole church would smell like Jesus. Wednesday Evenings in Lent Our Wednesday evenings in Lent concluded on March 9. Five Wednesday evenings included a relaxed meal of soup and bread followed by a simple, contemplative service of Evening Prayer in the nave. Wednesdays in Lent were the perfect mid-week moment of rest in God's presence and fellowship with one another. Sundays still available for Altar Flowers It s not too late to sign up for altar flowers. There are many open Sundays, especially in the fall and winter. We still have one open Sunday in April the 11 th. August has the 28 th. Available in the fall and winter are: September 4, 18 and 25; October 16 and 23; November 13 and 27; and December 4, 11 and 18. We would like to thank WELCA for purchasing the altar flowers on open weeks. Beaver Lutheran Church, April Page 7

8 Goodness is Stronger than Evil During the Easter season, we sing the good news: Christ is risen! Alleluia! We can t sing it enough, because every day, the world will tell us otherwise. Shootings, Hatred, Bigotry Greed, Rancor, Slavery Poverty, Abuse, Homelessness And all many more needs we could name on our lips and in our hearts. This Easter season, the choirs will introduce us to a short song that gets at the heart of the Easter message, that sings of the hope we have in a God who surprises us with life and light. The words are based on Romans 12:21 and penned by Bishop Desmond Tutu. Goodness is stronger than evil; Love is stronger than hate; Light is stronger than darkness; Life is stronger than death; Vict ry is ours, vict ry is ours, Through God who loves us. (ELW 721) John Bell wrote the simple tune for this text (other tunes by John Bell you know include Take, Oh, Take Me as I Am and Will You Come and Follow Me? ). The tune is made up of two melodies, each of which gets repeated. It will be memorable and easy to learn. Tutu and Bell care deeply for matters of justice and reconciliation. As we learn and sing this song, we join the chorus of all those who believe in God s promise of reconciliation. When the voices we hear on the airwaves and on our screens call us to division and hatred, may songs such as this lead is to works of peace, love and justice. Goodness is stronger than evil. Soli deo Gloria, Jennifer WELCA to meet March 29 The Beaver Lutheran Women of the ELCA (WELCA) will meet Tuesday, March 29 at 6:30 p.m. The Mother and Daughter Banquet will be on the list of topics to discuss. The group is looking to increase its membership! Currently there are just six active members. The women s organization is responsible for many things within the church. Please prayerfully consider joining this important group and its ministry. If you are interested, please see Nikki Gesselman, Teresa Hoffman or Sara Mattern. Beaver Lutheran Church, April Page 8

9 Blood Drive at BLC The American Red Cross will conduct a Blood Drive at our church on Tuesday, April 12 from 1 to 6 p.m. In order to give blood, you must not have given blood in the past 56 days. You must be healthy, be at least 17 years old and weigh at least 110 pounds. Please consider donating. Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood. Closet & Pantry Dates The Closet and Pantry will be open March 19 from 8 to 11 a.m. due to Holy Week. They will be back on schedule in April (April 23). However, due to a private party scheduled in May, the May Closet and Pantry will be moved up a week to May 21. Please take note and pass the word along. A work party to organize the Closet and Pantry is held each Thursday morning before the opening. Volunteers are always welcome to come out and give the Outreach Committee a hand. Also, if you d like to help out in the kitchen to prepare or serve the breakfast, please see Joe Feehrer. March Council Highlights The church council met on March 9 at 7:30 p.m. Highlights of that meeting include: Appointment of Albert Bickhart, Carole Morgan, and Dallas Klingler to audit the 2015 books Approved three additional Sundays off per year for the Organist, Jennifer Baker- Trinity, so that she may sit with her children during worship. Jennifer will continue to rehearse the St. Nicholas choir, plan worship and convene the Parish Choir on all Sundays. Bereavement Support and Life After Loss Evangelical Community Hospice is sponsoring two programs designed for anyone who has recently experienced the loss of someone close to them. More information is available on the church's bulletin board. You can also call the Hospice of Evangelical at Beaver Lutheran Church, April Page 9

10 Hunger Facts These facts come from a letter written to us by our ministry partner, Bread for the World, whom we supported at this year's Souper Bowl of Caring: "Of all the world's advanced economies, the United States has the highest percentage of families that don't have enough food. And that means one out of five children in America faces the risk of hunger. "For more than 40 years, we have worked with Republican and Democratic leaders to pass legislation that helps end hunger...almost every day that the Senate and House of Representatives are in session, Bread for the World staff are walking the halls of Congress. They often arrange for church leaders to meet with key members of Congress." "You probably give to provide food directly to people in need through your church and local food banks. We urge you to continue to support those essential efforts. But I'm sure you know that food banks can't solve this problem. In 1980, there were 400 food pantries in the U.S. Today, there are 40,000 food pantries- and still kids are hungry." "For every dollar's worth of food provided by churches, food pantries, and other charities in this country, the federal government provides $20 for school meals and other time-proven, cost-effective programs. With your support, Bread for the World recommends specific changes to the programs to increase efficiency and effectiveness so that more children receive the food they need. "Feeding our nation's children actually saves money in the end because it reduces medical, social, and educational costs later. So please pray, act, and give to help Bread for the World make sure children don't go hungry." Haven Ministry Helps the Homeless Twenty-five years ago, our Synod and other local partners helped form the area s first homeless shelter in Sunbury. The Haven Herald offers these highlights: The mission of Haven Ministry is to respond, through faith in God s covenantal relationship with us, to the basic needs of God s people by providing emergency shelter, nurturing, and advocacy for individuals and families in Northumberland, Snyder and Union Counties. One question that is frequently asked of us is what do you need the most? Our answer is a second floor. We receive an average of five calls a day from individuals looking for a warm bed for either themselves or their family. It is absolutely heartbreaking to tell a desperate person that we don t have room especially when it is a family with small children. No, you don t see our homeless sleeping on the streets like you do in the big cities, but they re out there. They may under a bridge on the outskirts of town, in an abandoned garage, shed, or building in a back alley, or couch surfing at a friend s house where they can t stay more than a night or two. We average individuals in our shelter at any given time. As soon as a bed is empty, it s only a matter of hours until a new person or family moves in. Since 1991, we have served over 4,500 individuals. Of those, 1,500 were children. Our congregation is proud to annually support this ministry through our All Saints (Endowment Fund). This year, through Raise the Region, we were able to have our $1,000 donation receive matching funds. Last December, some of our youth and leaders spent the afternoon at the shelter and helped prepare their evening meal. Check out The Haven Herald on the bulletin board outside the church office. Beaver Lutheran Church, April Page 10

11 Happy Birthday Braxston! Braxston Hayes Fike will be celebrating his very first birthday Sunday, April 10! Braxston is the son of Jenna Dutrow and Aaron Fike, and the great-grandson of Warren Dutrow and the late Mona Dutrow. Little Braxston will be welcomed in baptism at this year s Easter Vigil. April Birthdays & Anniversaries The following members of the Beaver Lutheran Church family will be celebrating birthdays this month: Donald Watson, April 1. Rylan Feehrer and Emilee Wagner, April 3. Andrea Schuck, April 4. Braxston Fike, April 10. Alec Klose, April 12. Darren Shultz, April 15. Mitzi Saylor, April 16. Linda Romig, April 17. Dallas Klingler, April 18. Jake Plummer, April 19. Greta Wagner, April 22. Michael Frye, Isabella Furgison, Fred Krebs, April 23. Howard Benner III, April 26. Justin Dively, Daniel Edmiston, Weston Shultz, Jerre Thomas, April 27. Members celebrating wedding anniversaries this month include: Matthew and Ann Zerby, April 14. Beaver Lutheran Church, April Page 11

12 From the Pastor s Desk Pastor Nathan Baker-Trinity From a sermon preached on the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) on the Fourth Sunday in Lent: The more I hear this story, the more I'm convinced that God's ways are not our ways. More and more, this story shocks me to see that God's grace is so vast and boundless, so rich and loaded, so foolishly extravagant. It humbles me to see that I could never love as God loves, forgive as God forgives, show grace as amazing as God's. This father does not "decide" to forgive the younger son after he says he's sorry. No, this father is already hard-wired to forgive him, his heart already conditioned to have compassion. From the very beginning, from the moment his son leaves an arrogant rascal and returns a moral failure, the father has already forgiven him. He's been patiently waiting for him, looking for him every day to see if he'll come home, ready to run to him and hug him and kiss him. The younger son has his poor excuse of a speech ready, but his father quickly interrupts him and proceeds to shower him with ridiculously extravagant gifts. The story has traditionally been called the "prodigal son," but one well-known preacher, Timothy Keller, recently corrected that by calling his book on this parable, "The Prodigal God." Generous. Lavish. Unsparing. That is the meaning of "prodigal" in this story. It's not enough give his son a new set of clothes: Only the finest of robes, the highest of fashions, will clothe his wasteful son. It's not enough to let him wash-up a bit: Nothing less than a fine ring, an expensive piece of jewelry will do for this spendthrift son. It's not enough to feed him a simple meal of soup and bread: No, it's time to kill fatted calf, it's time for a feast with music and dancing, to which the entire town is welcomed and for which the father will pick-up the entire tab- all for his son who has treated his father like dirt, made a complete wreck of his life, and has nothing to show for it! No wonder, then, that the older son is royally ticked-off! His father is a complete idiot, an enabler of his son's destructive habits, foolishly in love with a son who devours his father's property with prostitutes! I don't know, brothers and sisters, are you ready for a God like this? Are you ready for a God who is foolishly in love with the scoundrels? Are you ready for a God who's going to love the failures no matter what? You see, this is why I'm convinced that this is not a story about how we ought to forgive. This is a story about a God who loves us at our worst. I would imagine, of course, since we're almost all good church people here, that we definitely identify with the older son- the one who does all the right things, who works hard, and obeys his father's every word. We definitely are dumbfounded, even angry, at a father who throws the party of the century for the loser-brother. In protest, we stand outside the door and refuse to go in. "You killed the fatted calf for him! Why not for me, too!" But then the cat gets out of the bag: The older son has a complete meltdown, and in the process reveals the arrogance he's hidden all these years, undoing himself in utterly rude behavior toward his father. But did you notice? The father doesn't scold his older son. Nor does he reprimand him for his lack of love toward his younger sibling. The father simply says: "Son, you have always been my son and will always be my son. And everything that is mine, including this great feast and the fatted calf, it's all for you, too, just as it's for your brother. We're rejoicing because your brother was lost but now is found. And now that I've found you, you for whom I dropped everything, you for whom I left the party and all the guests, you who were lost to me but now I've found you!- well, now, don't you see, I'm throwing this feast for both of you. So come in, my child. Come join the party. All that is mine is yours. This is your feast, too." I am humbled, brothers and sisters. Truly I cannot love as God loves. And neither can any of you love as God loves. No human love can ever be as mysteriously blind yet unbelievably compassionate as God's love. All we can do- all we're expected to do- is simply join the party, eat and dance and sing all night, be content to live off the dole of God's love, and celebrate God's compassion for every lost soul. We can't understand why God loves us and the whole world so much. We just know it to be true by faith. God's promised feast of plenty, for saint and scoundrel alike, is the hope God has given to us. The door stands open to the party. We are free to go in, and feast on the abundance of God's house. Beaver Lutheran Church, April Page 12

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