AUGUST, St. Paul s Ev. Lutheran Church. E veryone Engaging the Entire Community for Christ

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1 The Carillon AUGUST, 2018 St. Paul s Ev. Lutheran Church E veryone Engaging the Entire Community for Christ Pastor s Column - AUGUST, 2018 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Your presence, and take not Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. Psalm 51: David was in anguish from his grievous sin (2 Samuel 12: 1 14). The words above echo David s lament for his sin, seeking God s restoration to be upon him, to once again revel in the joy of God s salvation, and to lift up his spirit. Like David, our sins from our past can gnaw away at us, they can break us down, they can paralyze us. Is there some unresolved guilt from your past that seems to haunt you, that causes you to lose sleep at night, or at times makes you feel so detached from others even when you are in a setting surrounded by loved ones? Have regrets from your past become more at the forefront of your thoughts as you grow older? My dear brothers and sisters in Christ at St. Paul s, know that you are not alone if you are nodding your head and acknowledging, Yes! to any of the above questions posed to you. The person who can say, No guilt, no shame, no regrets from days gone by, is indeed a rare find. It s how we handle sin and guilt from our past in moving forward that is critical in our lives as Christians, as His redeemed! We cannot avoid the responsibility of our sin, for if we do, the healing cannot begin. Rather, repentance is the only right preparation for the Gospel. In the Gospel of forgiveness, we are set free from our sins and made alive. If we turn to God s word, we see that Peter and Judas are two prime examples of handling their sin and guilt in two different ways. They both betrayed Jesus: Judas betraying him to the temple leaders, and Peter denying (denial is betrayal) Him three times, even after stating to Jesus that if everyone else fell away, he would never deny his Savior! Here is the key: Judas was clearly troubled that he had messed up rather than that he had betrayed his Savior. Judas had regret, but not repentance: he had not humbled himself before God. Certainly, he regretted what he had done, but there is no evidence that he had repented. For Peter, he had hurt the Man he had come to know and love It wasn t that he had really messed up big time, but that he was truly, truly sorry he had hurt his Lord. Regret is self focused, but repentance is God focused! Continue page 2 1 1

2 Continued from page 1 May we move forward, then, in these summer weeks of August in first turning to God in true repentance (New Testament Greek, metanoia, a transformative change of heart), confessing our sins in all humbleness and humility. In doing so we present ourselves before God as we are: broken, helpless, hurting. It is then that by grace through faith imparted to us by our loving God who has called us to be His own, through the life giving blood of His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ, that our sins are truly forgiven and remembered no more. We have God s word on that! Yes, the consequences of our past sins often remain with us, as they did within David s household. As difficult as those consequences may be to live with, may we know in true repentance that, As far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us. Psalm 103:12 As the barbeques continue, outdoor activities abound and the Cubs hopefully continue to move forward in this month of August, meet those past sins head on! Repent, and rejoice, your sins are forgiven! Go forth now in the peace of God, that peace that passes all understanding! Pastor Croon AUGUST GREETERS 10:00 AM Service AUGUST 5, 2018 Maria & Gene Bunte AUGUST 12, 2018 Kathleen, Joe, & Alex Erffmeyer AUGUST 19, 2018 Joyce & Brian Anderson AUGUST 26, 2018 Julie & Jeff Albrecht Everyone Engaging the Entire Community for Christ If you would like to be a greeter at St. Paul s - please contact the church office (708)

3 AUGUST Wedding Anniversaries Kristine & Mark Anderson Aug. 04 Kimberly & Mark Holtz Aug. 08 Mary & Rev. Duane Fluechtling Aug. 09 Leslie & Larry Bialasik Aug. 16 Karen & Jim Des Jardins Aug. 17 Natalie & Zach McGathey Aug. 20 Cynthia & Scott Holtz Aug. 23 Herta & Helmuth Erdmann Aug. 25 Randi & Mike Croon, Jr. Aug. 26 Debby & Kent Sieb Aug. 29 Ruth & Melvin Kranz Aug. 30 Peggy & Joe Bova Aug. 31 Maryanne & Robert Schultz Aug. 31 May the Lord Bless your Marriage Love doesn t make the World go round. Love is what makes The ride worthwhile. LWML NEWS Lots of things coming up for LWML ladies. The Northern Illinois District convention will be on September 21 thru 23 in Hillside, Illinois. The servant event is on Friday and the ladies will be making Witness Bracelets for MOST ministries to give out at their mission trips. They give away on average 1,000 bracelets on every mission trip. Donations are needed: 1/8 th leather strip (lace) pony beads Blue, Clear, Gray, Green, Red, White, and Yellow. Their biggest need is the strips. Please give any donations to Margo. ST. PAUL S SR. SAINTS 50 + YEARS Sr. Saints are planning a Holiday trip to Branson Missouri to see Great shows for the Holiday season. November 12th - November 16th Remember... Everyone is invited! Please inform you friends, relatives. We will need to have a full bus! Last year we had such a wonderful time, but we were not able to see some of the shows. This will be our last year of going as a group to Branson. WHY NOT JOIN US, WE ENJOY GREAT FELLOWSHIP AND HAVE A LOT OF LAUGHTER. Contact: Gene Bunte (708) Gloria Graham Smith (708) Also, for your information Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service has worked with refugees and migrants from around the globe, offering compassionate service that makes a difference in the lives of hundreds of thousands of people who have found safety and hope in America's communities. CONTINUE ON PAGE 6 3 3

4 Weekly Scripture Readings & Sermon Summaries August, 2018 August 5, 2018 Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 145:10-21; Old Testament: Exodus 16:2-15; Gospel: John 6:22-35 The Bread of Life - Sermon Text: John 6: Rev. Dr. Daniel Brege Jesus is indeed the Bread of Life. He creates life for mankind by dying and rising from the dead, thus conquering both death and its cause. He then offers himself to be eaten, which here means to be believed in. He freely gives us His gifts of forgiveness and life through Word/Sacrament, through which we are empowered by the Spirit to believe in Jesus. As we are then eating the bread of life, we indeed possess eternal life. August 12, 2018 Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 34:1-8; Epistle: Ephesians 4:31-5:2; Gospel: John 6:35-40 Try It! You ll Like It! - Sermon Text: Psalm 34:8 - Rev. Dr. Thomas Ahlersmeyer What one thing is so important to you that you could not imagine living without it? Spouse? Children? Physical mobility? Intellectual ability? Experience teaches that any of these can be taken from us. What is the one abiding thing that cannot be snatched from our grasp? Try it! You ll like it! August 19, 2018 Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 111:1-5, 9-10; Old Testament: Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18; Gospel: John 6:51, Those Difficult Places - Sermon Text: John 6:51, Rev. James Elsner Life twists and turns. Our pleasant, peaceful places can suddenly become difficult places in life. Conflicts emerge in family and at work. Health declines and crisis rob us of freedom. In those difficult places, our help and hope are in God alone. August 26, 2018 Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 14; Old Testament: Isaiah 29:11-19; Gospel: Mark 7:1-13 Lip Service or Heart Service? - Sermon Text: Isaiah 29: Rev. William Mueller Do we merely give God "lip service" instead of true "heart service?" What difference does it make? How about God - which one does He give us? Worship for Shut-Ins can be seen every Sunday at: 11:30 am Eastern Time 10:30 am Central Time Comcast Channel 138 Total Living Network, Sunday 11:30 am DIRECTV Channel

5 Greetings, Members and Congregation. Hopefully your summer season is going well. With many of us busy with family member s proms, graduations, weddings, births, family gatherings and other social events, it tends to tire or cause us to be overwhelmed. But let us look at the positives and appreciate these times as the blessings God has given us. We are thankful and happy to hear those members who have had some major and minor medical procedures are up and about. As we are approaching our Fall season, we are planning a recognition and acknowledgement of the dedicated service of our members, so look for information to follow. Have a safe and enjoyable rest of the summer. God s Blessings, St. Paul s Altar Guild ******* ALTAR FLOWERS Please contact Marilyn Harris by phone, text, or if you wish to put flowers on the Altar for any special occasion. Her contact information for phone or text communication is (708) Send s to: marilynharris030@gmail.com. The cost of two fresh flower arrangements is $70.00, or our silk arrangements can be used by making a donation to the Altar Guild. SIGN UP EARLY SPLASH CANYON Make a splash at VBS! St. Paul s Ev. Lutheran Church 10th & Ashland Chicago Heights, IL (708) FRIDAY AND SATURDAY AUGUST 10 & 11, :00 am - 3:00 pm Ages 3 years - 8th grade 7th & 8th grades will be helpers Student s Name Birth Date Grade Just Completed Parent s Names Address Cell/Home Phone Emergency Contact Person Allergies or Other Medical Problems Brothers & Sisters (Names & Ages) Church Membership at Church Affiliation 5 5

6 LWML CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 A brief reminiscing from one of the oldest members of St. Paul s. Warren (Bud) Kurth has been a member of St. Paul s since Previous to that his family attended St. Paul s, Grant Park which was located six miles northeast of Grant Park. Bud s mom was an organist for 25 years at St. Paul s Grant Park. She was not invited to play the organ here at St. Paul s because only men were allowed to play the organ. Ralph Brauer and Bud ushered on Good Friday mornings. Ralph and Bud worked at a bank in Chicago Heights. In 1950 Bud married Carolyn (Connie) Peterson. They were blessed with three children. Kris was the first confirmation class at the present location. Kathy was the last baby to be baptized at the old church on Route 30. Karl was baptized on the stage in the gym here at St. Paul s school. Thanks Bud for sharing with us here at St. Paul s. Revision of the Proposed Constitution Did you pick up a copy of the current revision of the Proposed Constitution? If you did not pick one up Sunday July 29th, you will find a copy for you to take in the Narthex. Meetings to discuss the constitution will be held: Sunday, August 26th after service Thursday, August 29th - 7 p.m. in Parlor Sunday, September 9th - Immediately after services at Voters Assembly Today nearly 65 million people have been displaced by violence and persecution around the globe. LIRS works every day to pair vulnerable refugees with LIRS service partners who are uniquely equipped to support their needs. In 2016 LIRS resettled more than 13,000 refugees. Successful protection, stabilization, and integration processes are core elements of the mission. The grant from NID LWML for $10,000 provides Bibles to immigrants waiting in detention as their cases are processed. We pray for blessing through the Word of hope in Jesus Christ. LWML NID Stamp Ministry The stamp ministry receives stamps from more than just Northern Illinois District. We receive inquires from all over the nation. And interest continues! If you want to contribute to this ministry here is what we look for: 1. All intact picture postcards. Do not cut off the stamps, send the entire post card. 2. All old (pre 1930) envelopes intact. Do not cut off the stamps. 3.All foreign stamps, large and small. 4.Large commemorative U.S stamps. 5.Small definitive (common) US Stamps (including USA nonprofit bulk stamps) except DO NOT save Love and Christmas stamps. Save unused charity return mail stamps. 6.Any collections of stamps, save on sheets if possible and do not remove stamps from pages or albums. If at all possible, stamps should be trimmed leaving about 1/4 th margin around the stamp Do not trim stamps to touch perforations or the stamps will be discarded. Next news Dignity For Girls has changed to Dignity 4 Girls. A new program has started to teach women in Uganda to sew and teach others to sew. They are ready to expand to Kenya and teach more women to sew to broaden our efforts in Kenya by helping them to sew the kits on their own. Purchasing machines in Kenya, rather than sending them from here, makes sense: understand how to use machines that are bought there, encourage in-country sale and running faster. Our shipments take a long time to get there, travel typically takes three months. Dignity 4 Girls is looking for donations for this expanded project. We are praying that the Lord is preparing the hearts He has in mind to support this project. 6 See everyone soon, Margo 6

7 BIRTHDAYS IN AUGUST Marsha Doyle August 01 Nicholas Reardon August 01 Erich Guenter, Sr. August 02 Anthony Porter August 03 Cori Stiso August 04 Trisha Reardon August 05 Eric Schultz August 05 Leonard Walter August 05 Carol Johnson August 08 Blair Priebe August 08 Robert Wilcox August 08 Mark Lichtenberg August 11 Renate Pocius August 11 Mike Croon, Jr. August 12 Larry Heusmann August 12 Ruth Kranz August 13 Okner, Benjamin August 14 Warren (Bud) Kurth August 15 Elwood (Woody) Roeske August 15 Shirley Veste August 15 Erna Selent August 16 Loana Lundquist August 17 Shirley Morrison August 17 Leslie Bialasik August 18 Jeff Krabbe August 18 Westen Okner August 18 Robert Pillman August 20 Tabitha Bloom August 22 Rylin Fluharty August 22 Lyn Reardon August 24 Dieter Thiem August 27 Markus Baum August 28 Katherine Becker August 28 Renee Albrecht August 29 Ladye Cook August 29 Walli Mayer August 30 Special Birthday s Warren (Bud) Kurth Ruth Kranz Walli Mayer Carol Johnson Leonard Walter Larry Heusmann Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to all of you, Happy Birthday to you. God s Blessings to you, God s Blessings to you, God s Blessings to all of you, God s Blessings to you A Blessed Birthday from Everyone at St. Paul s Lutheran Church

8 AUGUST,2018 VBS - AUGUST 10th & 11th FRIDAY & SATURDAY 9 AM TO 3 PM SPLASH CANYON 5 11th Sunday after Pentecost Worship with Comm. 10 AM Coffee Hour/ Bible Study 6 Worship 7PM w/communion 7 Chgo. Hts. Bike Nite At St. Paul s 6 PM 8 9 Elders 7 PM 10 VBS 9AM-3PM 11 VBS 9AM-3PM 12 12th Sunday after Pentecost Worship 10 AM Coffee Hour/Bible Study Worship 7PM 19 13th Sunday after Pentecost st day of Worship with Comm. 10 AM Worship 7PM w/communion School for Deer Creek Coffee Hour/Bible Study 26 14th Sunday after Pentecost Worship 10 AM Coffee Hour/Bible Study Constitution Meeting church 27 Worship 7PM Sunday Worship 10 AM Monday Evening Worship 7 PM Coffee Hour/Bible Study Sunday 9AM Church Office (708) Pastor Croon (708)