BETHANY EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH APRIL

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BETHANY EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH----------------------------APRIL 2017 1125 Parkside, Ewing, NJ (609)883-2860 www. BethanyEwingNJ.

1 BETHANY EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH APRIL Parkside, Ewing, NJ (609) www. BethanyEwingNJ.org The HERALD And for this gospel I was appointed a herald (2 Timothy 1:11) ======= Special Days in April: Fifth Sunday in Lent April 2 Palm Sunday April 9 Holy Week April 9-15 Maundy Thursday April 13 Good Friday April 14 Holy Saturday April 15 Easter Sunday April 16 Contents: Calendar insert Congregational News p. 2,3,4 Humor p. 8 Misc. - p. 6 Pastor s Letter p. 2 President s Letter p. 3 Recipes p. 7 Contibutors: Brad Bastedo Pastor Fred Gerlach Vickie Mark Nancy Sandmeyer Herman Smith Cherie Voorhees Marion Fisher, Copier Anita J. Mann, Editor

2 If it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith (1 Corinthians 15:12-14). Dear friends in Christ, These words of St. Paul are the focus of the Easter message: if Christ did not rise from the dead, our faith is useless. This fact is the foundation the Christian religion is built on. As St. Peter wrote, For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. The apostles went to their executions remaining steadfast in their teaching that Jesus rose from the dead. You and I are called to give the same testimony that Jesus is Risen! That s the primary anchor to our faith. Even with Jesus dying on the cross, without his Resurrection we would not have the same assurance of our salvation, On the second Sunday of Lent, my sermon talked about Abraham s faith, his willingness to do the unthinkable--murder his son as a sacrifice to God. Abraham s faith over the years matured to the point that He knew God is the ultimate good, and God s ways are not our ways. Abraham did not have the resurrection of Jesus to rely on as we do. He had to trust God would somehow raise his son to fulfill the promise that he would be the father of a great nation. Christians truly have a beautiful message. Even though the world and our lives have good and bad times in them, we have a loving God who in mercy and grace created a way for us to live eternally with Him in joy and peace. This is the Christian hope that all who believe in Jesus of Nazareth will rise like Him and live eternally in a new heaven and new earth. St Paul makes the point that if Jesus did not rise from the dead, then we are living a lie and we would be wasting our time. St Paul s life changed in a dramatic way when Jesus appeared to him. He had no choice but to trust in the risen Jesus, even though his logic and senses told him otherwise. Let us pray this Easter that God grant to us a humble joy and to share this message of hope because Christ truly rose from the dead. Easter lands conveniently in the spring time when flowers bloom, leaves turn green and everything comes to life again. We, in turn, can have our faith bloom more fully, knowing our sins are forgiven because of Christ s death on the cross. And we will live eternally in joy and peace because Christ rose from the dead. He is Risen!! Pastor Fred 2

CONGREGATIONAL NEWS Harold Eickhoff 4/2 Janet Simonson 4/3 April Marino 4/14 Lorenzo Tucker 4/16 Hannah Tarr 4/17 April Anniversary: Phil and Cherie Voorhees 4/2 If I have not included your

3 CONGREGATIONAL NEWS Harold Eickhoff 4/2 Janet Simonson 4/3 April Marino 4/14 Lorenzo Tucker 4/16 Hannah Tarr 4/17 April Anniversary: Phil and Cherie Voorhees 4/2 If I have not included your anniversary or birthday, please accept my apologies, and let me know when such an event will take place. Thanks. Anita President s Perspective The calendar will soon turn from March to April. Before that happens, I would like to thank all of the people who worked so hard to make the Pasta Dinner a success. I would also like to thank those members who traveled over to Hope Lutheran in Levittown, PA to participate in the Orphan Grain Train meal packaging event. Nearly 2000 years ago, Jesus, the Lamb of was slain for our sins yours, mine and the entire world. The story does not end in that selfless act of love, but was completed when Jesus rose on Easter Morning. When Jesus rose from the tomb, He conquered sin, death and the power of the devil for us and all people. Sadly, all do not receive that gift of salvation. We rejoice that we are among those who have received that gift! Jesus life, death and resurrection is the story that we must share with all people. This past month the Lord brought people to our church to hear His saving message. Let us embrace the opportunity of sharing His love with others. Traditionally, Easter Sunday results in the largest attendance of any service throughout the year. We rejoice in this fact, but encourage you to attend all of the services of Holy Week. Come join us on Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and on Easter Sunday as we journey with Jesus, focusing on the Biblical narrative of Jesus road to the cross His suffering and death because of our sin; then rejoicing in His Triumph over sin and evil, and His gift of salvation and eternal life with Him. These narratives are a blessing to hear, study and embrace. Please consider attending these services. This Easter Sunday I look forward to seeing our church filled with members and visitors celebrating Christ s victory for us! Please join us in declaring, He is Risen Indeed! Amen and Amen! - Brad Bastedo 3

Congregational News Continued---------- In Sympathy Our sympathy and prayers go to Nancy and Chelsea at the death of Nancy s father who passed into eternal life on February 25, and to Chelsea at the

May our compassionate Lord bless all who mourn, and grant them assurance that by faith in His life, death, and resurrection, they also will receive hope in eternal life.

Some topics include the healing of the lame man, the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus walking on water, I Am the Bread of Life, some followers desert Jesus, and Peter s famous words, Lord, to whom

4 Congregational News Continued In Sympathy Our sympathy and prayers go to Nancy and Chelsea at the death of Nancy s father who passed into eternal life on February 25, and to Chelsea at the death of her aunt.. Our prayers and condolences to the family of Joseph Melvin who lost his nephew this past month due to a brain tumor. May our compassionate Lord bless all who mourn, and grant them assurance that by faith in His life, death, and resurrection, they also will receive hope in eternal life. In April, we will continue our verse by verse study of John s Gospel. This month we will explore Chapter 5 and 6. Some topics include the healing of the lame man, the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus walking on water, I Am the Bread of Life, some followers desert Jesus, and Peter s famous words, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. - Brad Bastedo Easter Egg Hunt Saturday, April 15 at 10:00 AM Again this year Bethany will partner with the Glendale Association and host the annual Easter Egg Hunt on Bethany s lawn. Children ages 0 through the 6 th grace will have the opportunity to hunt for eggs and prizes. Please give the children s names and ages to the church office so we will have an accurate count. If you would like to make a donation of plastic eggs (filled or unfilled) or bags of candy, it would be greatly appreciated. Cherie Voorhees Nancy and Chelsea Sandmeyer thank you for the condolences, prayers and support following the death of Robert Ledbetter, who was Nancy s father and Chelsea s grandfather. He lived to age 83 and passed away on February 25, Robert moved to Atlanta, Georgia, in the mid-1990 s. He had retired a few years earlier from Allendale Insurance Company (now FM Global) where he was an executive for many decades. - Nancy Sandmeyer We have not the reason to despair, quite simply because Christ has risen. - Richard J. Newhouaw 4

Congregational News Continued ---------- contribute anything at least once in a while? It would be good to see the Bethany full every Sunday and not just Easter.

Sunday, April 16 8:30-9:30 AM Join us on Easter Sunday morning for a delicious breakfast of eggs & sausage, pancakes, muffins, milk, orange juice, coffee and tea.

We need a head count. Cherie Voorhees Let s not forget the envelopes Building with Bethany. There are a lot of things that need to be fixed, repaired and changed.

5 Congregational News Continued contribute anything at least once in a while? It would be good to see the Bethany full every Sunday and not just Easter. How about filling the pews other Sundays, too? Sunday, April 16 8:30-9:30 AM Join us on Easter Sunday morning for a delicious breakfast of eggs & sausage, pancakes, muffins, milk, orange juice, coffee and tea. Breakfast is $5 per person, children five years old and younger will be at no cost. Please complete the breakfast form which is in the bulletin and return it to the church office or offering plate. We need a head count. Cherie Voorhees Let s not forget the envelopes Building with Bethany. There are a lot of things that need to be fixed, repaired and changed. And don t forget, this is in addition to our regular offering. Anita Sculpture I took a piece of plastic clay And idly fashioned it one day. And as my fingers pressed it, still It moved and yielded to my will. I came again when days were past The bit of clay was hard at last. The form I gave it still it bore, And I could fashion it no more! I took a piece of living clay, And gently pressed it day by day, And molded with my power and art A young child s soft and yielding heart. I came again when years had gone; It was a man I looked upon. He still that early impress bore, And I could fashion it no more. - Author unknown - Contributed by Herman Smith The deadline for the May issue of The Herald is due Easter Sunday, April 16. Please give me a paper copy or me at FrauM@verizon.net. It would be GREAT if more people would contribute articles, poems, etc. So how about it? Can you 5

Living in Saturday Saturday of Holy Week is a strange day for the church. It s sandwiched between Good Friday when Jesus died on the cross, and Easter, when he rose.

6 Living in Saturday Saturday of Holy Week is a strange day for the church. It s sandwiched between Good Friday when Jesus died on the cross, and Easter, when he rose. Why We Celebrate Jesus is a redeemer, a restorer in every way. His day on the cross looked like a colossal failure, but it was His finest moment. He launched a kingdom where the least will be the greatest and the last will be first, where the poor will be comforted and the meek will inherit the earth. Jesus brought together the homeless with the privileged and said, You re all poor, and you re all beautiful. The cross leveled the playing field and no earthly distinction is valid anymore. There is a new us people rescued by the Passover Lamb, adopted into His family and transformed into saints. It is the most epic miracle in history. That is why we celebrate. - Jen Hatmaker Certainly, we know the truth and triumph of the Resurrection, but until Jesus comes again, we re living in Saturday. The Lamb of God has been sacrificed, and the curtain of sin that separated us from God has been torn down. Yet we re still looking forward to, as Jesus said, the renewal of all things. Although we may be battered and bruised, stumbling, limping or crawling, we should not wallow in defeat. Instead, we can be confident in the victory Jesus has won for us. We can shout with Paul, Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 15:57). While you look back to Friday and forward to Sunday, live victoriously in Saturday. Jesus has won and has run the victory lap and he s coming around again. Newsletter newsletter Something Borrowed When a Sunday school teacher told her class that Jesus was buried in a borrowed tomb, one girl raised her hand to share an insight. I know why, the girl said. It s because Jesus only used it for three days. 6

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Dr. Geezer s Clinic An old geezer became very bored in retirement and decided to open a medical clinic. He put up a sign outside that read: Dr. Geezer s Clinic. Get your treatment for $500; if not cured, get back $1,000.

Geezer, I have lost all taste in my mouth. Can you please help me? Dr. Geezer: Nurse, please bring medicine from box 22 and put 3 drops in Dr. Young's mouth. Dr. Young: Aaagh! - this is gasoline! Dr. Geezer: Congratulations!

8 Dr. Geezer s Clinic An old geezer became very bored in retirement and decided to open a medical clinic. He put up a sign outside that read: Dr. Geezer s Clinic. Get your treatment for $500; if not cured, get back $1,000. Doctor Young, who was positive that this old geezer didn t know beans about medicine, thought this would be a great opportunity to get $1,000. So he went to Dr. Geezer s clinic. Dr. Young: Dr. Geezer, I have lost all taste in my mouth. Can you please help me? Dr. Geezer: Nurse, please bring medicine from box 22 and put 3 drops in Dr. Young's mouth. Dr. Young: Aaagh! - this is gasoline! Dr. Geezer: Congratulations! You ve got your taste back. That will be $500. Dr. Young (after having lost $1000) leaves angrily and returns after several more days. Dr. Young: My eyesight has become weak: I can hardly see anything! Dr. Geezer: Well, I don t have any medicine for that, so here s your $1000 back and hands him a $10 bill. Dr. Young: But this is only $10! Dr. Geezer: Congratulations! You got your vision back. That will be $500. Moral of story - Just because you re young doesn t mean that you can outsmart an old geezer. Words of Wisdom If at first you don t succeed, skydiving is not for you. If tomatoes are technically a fruit, is ketchup a smoothie? No matter how much you push the envelope, it ll still be stationery. Dr. Young gets annoyed and goes back after a couple of days figuring to recover his money. Dr. Young: I have lost my memory, I cannot remember anything. Dr. Geezer: Nurse, please bring medicine from box 22 and put 3 drops in the patient's mouth. Dr. Young: Oh, no you don t that is gasoline! Dr. Geezer: Congratulations! You've got your memory back. That will be $500. 8

Fifth Avenue United Methodist Church Family Connections

Fifth Avenue United Methodist Church Family Connections Volume 22 No. 4 April 2017 Our Mission: We are a welcoming Christian Community where all can experience the saving grace of Jesus Christ. We are