Immanuel Messenger. Immanuel Lutheran Church 122 East 88 th Street, New York, NY 10128

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1 Immanuel Messenger Immanuel Lutheran Church 122 East 88 th Street, New York, NY Eighty-eighth Street and Lexington Avenue, Manhattan Rev. Gregory P. Fryer, Pastor (212) , church phone (212) , church fax September 2017 A Word from the Pastor Looking ahead to Reformation Sunday October 29 th, 2017

2 This Autumn s Reformation Sunday I am happy and proud to point ahead to Reformation Sunday, this coming October 29 th. Please remember that good day, October 29 th, and try with all your heart to attend, and also to bring lots of people with you! On that great Sunday the 500 th anniversary of our Lutheran tradition we are bringing in one of the big names in Lutheranism here in America: I am speaking of theologian Gilbert Meilaender longtime Professor of Christian Ethics at Valparaiso University in Indiana. Let s try to fill the house this Reformation Sunday, like Christmas Eve or Easter Sunday. If you live far away but would enjoy a trip back to the city, please aim for this good day, Reformation Sunday, October 29 th, Thank you! Discipleship Carol and I, Vicar Caleb Douglas, and Congregational Representative Andrea Persaud really enjoyed the recent NALC convocation, in Nashville, Tennessee. It was one of those old-fashion Lutheran gatherings with great preaching, great teaching, great liturgies, and more than 600 Lutherans strongly singing out our Lutheran hymns. Some of my clergy friends from the ELCA were there, not for the convocation itself, but rather for the very fine two days of lectures that preceded the convocation: the Braaten/Benne theology lectures. Our friend Prof. David Yeago gave one of those fine lectures. There is a recurring theme to these convocations: Discipleship. It is a theme that has been on the heart of Bishop John Bradosky from the beginning. He told us that if we are getting tired of hearing about discipleship, well, we are just going to have to take it up with the Lord because it is a theme that is on His heart too! I believe that Bishop John is right and that what he is saying is important. The gospel is that Jesus of Nazareth is risen from death and that therefore all the universe is in his hands. But it is characteristic of this Jesus that he calls disciples to himself. As Jesus once walked by the Sea of Galilee and called fishermen to follow him, so he has called you and me in our baptisms. It is his nature. He is always calling people to follow him. He is not content to work in this world alone. He wants us to join him in a life of love and service to this world a life of love in his name. It is his dominical command to the church: go out to all the world and make disciples! We face a question each morning when we awake and open our eyes: Shall I walk with Jesus this day? Shall I stay with him through breakfast, on the sidewalk as I walk to work, on the job, at lunchtime, at suppertime, in the evening, day by day? Shall I let Jesus choose the path, with me following behind, trying to follow faithfully and with integrity? For a disciple, his or her relationship to Jesus is not an occasional thing, but rather a relationship that touches, improves, and blesses everything we do. Bishop John, I say, does well in encouraging us to renew our discipleship behind our Savior, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen In Christ, 2 Pastor Gregory P. Fryer

3 Vicar Caleb Douglas We have had the great joy this past month of welcoming Vicar Caleb Douglas as he begins a one-year internship here at Immanuel, along with his wife Lynnae and sons Elias and Nathaniel. Here are some photos from the Sunday of his installation (August 6 th ) and his first Sunday preaching at Immanuel (August 13 th ). 3

4 Hurricane Harvey The victims of the terrible storm and ensuing floods in Texas and Louisiana need our prayers and any material help we can provide. One way is through the NALC Disaster Response. There are details on this web page: You can also send monetary donations to this address: NALC Disaster Response, 2299 Palmer Dr. Suite 220 New Brighton, MN Monday Evening Bible Study The Bible As the Word of God Starting up again Monday, September 18 th, 6:30 PM, in the Martin Luther Room A note from Pastor Fryer This should be fun! Our congregation has been invited to study a teaching statement on Holy Scripture for the North American Lutheran Church (NALC). In my role as a member of the NALC Commission on Theology and Doctrine, I have early access to this statement. It has been written by a friend of our congregation, Prof. David Yeago. The Commission on Theology and Doctrine has invited our congregation to study this document and to prepare study questions that might help congregations across the land as they will someday study the document too. This is a subject that interests many of us, The Bible As the Word of God. Please join us on Monday evenings as often as you can. Vicar Caleb Douglas and I will plan to provide copies of the statement and to lead the discussion. The Martin Luther Room is in the church office building two doors to the right of our church front steps. Welcome! Votersʼ Assembly on September 10 th The Voters Assembly will meet on Sunday, September 10 th, after the Liturgy. This is the meeting that was postponed from June 4 th. There will be reports from the Pastor, and from the Council, Deacons, Treasurer and Trustees, as well as a presentation on continuing the exploration of Immanuel s real estate project. Church Council and Trustees will seek a vote in favor of continuing to explore the real estate project. The voting will take place on October 1 st. This will not be a vote on whether to sell Immanuel s apartment buildings, but rather a vote to take the next step in exploring the possibility. If you would like to become an official member of the Voters Assembly, please mention your desire to Pastor Fryer, who will present your name to the Assembly. Our Constitution gives this rule: The Voters Assembly shall consist only of such members who have reached the age of eighteen, who are diligent in worship, regularly partake of the Lord s Supper and live a life in conformity with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 4

5 Our Recent Barbecue, on August 20 th We were blessed with a beautiful Sunday afternoon for our cookout welcoming Vicar Caleb and Lynnae Douglas and sons Elias and Nathaniel. Thanks to all who helped organize the event and clean up afterwards, and thanks to everyone who contributed dishes of their own. Special thanks to David Kogler for his expert hand at the grill! Marie Kohl +February 15, July 13, Memorial Service for Marie, 1 p.m. Sunday, October 8, 2017, at Immanuel Some notes from Pastor Fryer Marie Kohl was longtime Financial Secretary here at Immanuel. She lived in New Jersey and did not drive, and so that meant that each week she would take public transportation into the city to our church where she would do the important work of Immanuel s Financial Secretary. Then, come Sunday, she would travel to the city again to be with us for the liturgy. What a wonderful Christian lady she was! She lived to be 99 years old and she was a blessing to this old earth and to our congregation all of her life. Let s gather for a memorial service for Marie after coffee hour on Sunday, October 8 th. She was a dear person to many of us and it will be good to gather in worship to remember Jesus, and the resurrection of the dead, and eternal life through our God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen 5

6 Maker Fun Factory VBS Adventure A Note from VBS Director Karen Bazik Our Maker Fun Factory was a fun filled week of joy and learning about the Lord! Every day began with a Whiz Bang Factory Invention that reminded us of God s gift of knowledge. We learned the Bible Point and Bible Verse of the day. Our daily Bible Memory Buddy helped us to remember the Bible Point. Michael and his friend Ramon led us in song while learning hand motions. We sang that Jesus Loves Me and that He Has the Whole World in his Hands. Then, we traveled back in time to go on our Bible Adventures. With the help of our teen Bible Adventure Players we acted out the story of the day. After hearing the Creation story, the children created their own person. While hiding from the soldiers, we used a red rope given to us by Rahab to escape and promised to come back and save her family. Then, we joined Gideon as we blew our horns and raised our torches shouting A sword for the Lord and a sword for Gideon. We followed Jesus from the last supper to the cross and listened to an angel who told us that Jesus had risen from the dead. Finally, we helped Abigail collect food to bring to David so we would help keep the peace. Our crafts were masterfully taught by Jean. Everyday she provided a craft that reviewed the story and a maker fun invention. We created our own world, used wood to recreate the home where Rahab lived, created paper torches, made a prayer box in the shape of the tomb where Jesus lay and filled baskets with food for Abigail. We used old tin cans and bottle caps to make Creation Robots. Bathroom tissue tubes were transformed into Resurrection Rockets and Peaceful Donkeys. A favorite invention was a boat with sails that floated in the water. After a quick snack supplied by Ann Chomko, we proceeded to the Games. Our teen helpers helped with three legged race, water balloons which washed away our sins, a game of parachute launched God s creation in the air and the paper towel tubes passed balls from person to person as we learned to work together for God. At the end of the day, Vicar Caleb taught us our Bible Verse of the day and led us in an ending prayer. A good time was had by all! Thank you to all of the adults who gave of their time and effort to make VBS a success, including Luis Cartagena, Michael Celentano, Ann Chomko, Barbara Chomko, Angelica Cu, Sean Curnyn, Lynnae Douglas, Aristides Fasquelle, Jean Fischer, Kathy Jolowicz, Monica Marquez, Karen Rombey, Margaret Schulze, Victor Steinberg and Ramon Tenefrancia. And thanks to all our wonderful junior helpers, including Julius Dunn, Imogene Dunn, Parker Hicks, Dariya Hogan, Hans Kibler, Kirsten Kibler, Sarah Latcholia, Evan Marquez, Jason Marquez, Cameron Nelson, Katarina Schreiber, Katelyn Steinberg, and John, Nadia and Nora Stevenson. And thank you to Pastor Fryer and Vicar Caleb for their help and guidance! 6

7 Clothing Donations for Sisters Donations of lightly worn clothing for distribution by the Sisters of Fraternité Notre Dame are accepted on the second Sunday of every second month. They can best be left in the small Sunday School room. The next opportunity to drop these donations off will be Sunday, September 10 th. Room Needed A medical school student who has been worshiping with us recently needs a room to rent or an apartment to sublet for the coming year. If you can help, please contact Vicar Caleb Douglas: calebdouglas@gmail.com. Thank you. Choirs and Sunday School to Return September 17 th September 17 th is Holy Cross Sunday, and it is also Homecoming Sunday at Immanuel, with the start-up of our choir and the return of Sunday School. The Children s Choir will also officially begin again on Sunday, September17 th. Children under age 5 will rehearse during the service, from 11-11:30 a.m. Children age 6 and up will rehearse after the service from 12:30-1 p.m. Our Children s Choir Director is Lisa Richardson. (See Lisa to register your children for the coming season.) Teens (ages 12 and up) will also rehearse after the service from 12:30-1 p.m. with Michael Celentano. Please also note that children MUST attend rehearsal regularly in order to perform with the choir. Christmas Bazaar: Saturday, November 11 th Considering the early date, we may end up promoting it as an Autumn Bazaar, but one way or another we ll be selling the treasures you donate to raise funds for Immanuel. So put it on the calendar! More details to follow; questions can also be directed to our Deacons who are organizing the event, including Barbara Chomko, Kathy Jolowicz and Maria van der Merwe. 7