Emmanuel News. Vol. LVII, No. 11 February 2018

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1 Emmanuel News Vol. LVII, No. 11 February 2018 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Romans 12:9-13 Our Mission Statement: We are called by the Holy Spirit and therefore commit ourselves to invite, nurture, and equip everyone with faith for daily living and Christian service that all may know God s saving love through Jesus. Sunday Worship Schedule: 8:30 - Traditional Worship 9:45 - Sunday Bible School 11:00 - Praise & Joy Worship Special Events Coming Up Shrove Tuesday Supper - Feb 13, 4:30-6:30 Ash Wednesday - Feb 14, Noon & 7PM Lenten Bible Study Starts Feb 15, 11AM, 6:15PM Bull & Oyster Roast - March 17, 7PM Palm Sunday - March 25 Maundy Thursday - March 29, 7PM Good Friday - March 30, Noon Easter Sunday - April 1

2 Emmanuel News February 2018 Page 2 Message from Pastor Ben The View But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us (Romans 5:8, NRSV). Saints of Love Here we are, in February again. As winter drags on through this month I often find joy in the holiday right in the middle: St. Valentine s Day. We call February 14 Valentine s Day, yet I have often been puzzled by the fact that Lutherans do not accept St. Valentine as a saint. Thankfully, we don t let that stop us from having at least one day to focus on love of others. However, according to Philip Pfatteicher (Festivals and Commemorations: Handbook to the Calendar in Lutheran Book of Worship, Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1980, 76-77) Lutherans do have two saints that we do recognize on the 14th of February: Cyril and Methodius. These two brothers were missionaries to the Slavs in the mid-late ninth century AD. One of their lasting contributions was to develop an alphabet on the language spoken by these peoples so that the Bible could be translated into Slavonic. The modern Russian alphabet is based on this alphabet. What a wonderful work of love to celebrate on February 14 the giving of the good news of Jesus Christ in a way that people in need could understand. A Weird Year A former parishioner of mine recently posted on Facebook pointing out that Ash Wednesday, the first day in the reflective season of Lent, is also on Valentine s Day this year, and that it s weird to both celebrate love while also beginning the process of disciplining ourselves to focus more on God. I will admit that it is a bit of an oddity to celebrate a bright holi- day of love while at the same time remember that we are nothing but dust, and to dust [we] shall return. Yet, St. Paul tells us in Romans 5:8 that God shows love for us in Christ dying for our sins even before we were born or knew Him. This is the message we find when we focus on God: that we are dearly and passionately loved, desired, and cherished by God. In fact, the point in reflecting on God in Lent is to reflect on the fact that He loves us so much that He would Himself become the full payment for any and every one of our sins. This is the message of Lent. So, as it turns out, Valentine s Day this year may not be as bizarre as we might think by simply looking at the calendar. Because whether we re celebrating Saint, I mean, uh, Mister Valentine, a couple of brothers bringing Christ s love to those in need, or Ash Wednesday the message is the same: each of us are dearly loved and deeply prized by God, Who in Jesus Christ bridged the gap of sin and death to ensure we never have to live without Him again. I d say that s a love completely worth celebrating. At least, that s the view from here, Rev. Ben Umberger Youth Confirmation Class Confirmation Class for youth in seventh and eighth grades began last month. We have two students this year: Alex and Aiden Treff. In our regularly scheduled time each week we are studying our way through the Lord's Prayer understanding what we mean when we pray each phrase of it. We also have received new English Standard Version (ESV) Bibles and the new 2017 Small Catechism. These greatly enhance our study of the Lord's Prayer, and we would like to thank the congregation for purchasing these items for us. We would like to thank Carl and Angie Treff for helping us through our study time as well. The conversations are enjoyable, and we'd welcome any time to talk with other members of the congregation about what we're learning. See you in worship!

3 Emmanuel News February 2018 Page 3 Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper The Shrove Tuesday annual pancake supper is scheduled for February 13th, 4:30 6:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. Also known as Fat Tuesday it is a time set aside for one last celebration before we begin our Lenten observance. Check out the weekly Extra for ticket prices and availability. Look for the signup sheet at the Information Center in the Lobby. Souper Bowl of Caring Unleash your Souper power, catch hunger in the act! The Souper Bowl of Caring is a youth-led, grassroots movement of caring the result of thousands of young people joining together to fight hunger and poverty in their communities. More than 140 million Americans watch the Super Bowl Game, imagine the impact we d have on hunger if each of those people gave just one dollar to help those in need. On February 4, 2018, we will have the chance to join thousands around the world to help put an end to hunger and poverty. We are asking each member of our congregation to give a monetary donation and/or canned goods during the weeks in February. Look for the big soup pot in the lobby area and place your donations there. Lord, as we enjoy this Super Bowl football game, help us to be mindful of those who are without even a bowl of soup to eat. Winter Relief Hosting We will be helping to host the Winter Relief again this year on Thursday March 1st, 4:30 pm., at Community UMC. We will prepare dinner, serve the guests, and clean up. Bring a servant heart and attitude. If you can help please sign up at the Information Center. Bull and Oyster Roast Our annual Bull and Oyster Roast will be held on Saturday, March 17th this year starting at 7PM. It will be held at Kurtz s Beach with the usual great food, dancing and games of chance. The ticket price is only $45 with a table of 10 at $425. Bring family and friends for a great fun filled evening on St. Patrick s day. We need volunteers to work the games and to donate baked goods and stuffed animals for the prizes. The Church Triumphant The Christian sympathies of Emmanuel s church family are extended to the family of Marie Leary. Marie was born on September 26, 1943 and passed away on Wednesday, December 20, Marie was a resident of Pasadena, Maryland at the time of passing. A graduate of Brooklyn Park High School, class of 1961, she was a "Queen Mum" and member of the Red Hat Society and the Just Country Dance Club. A Memorial service was held at the church on Saturday, January 6, officiated by Pastor Ben. Lenten Bible Study On Thursday February 15, we will begin our annual Lenten Soup and Study sessions. There will be two sessions (lunch and dinner), both sessions will have the same lesson: 11:00am Bible Study with Soup at noon 6:15pm Soup with the Study at 7:00pm We hope to see you there! Our Youngest Member On Sunday, January 14, Madeline Rose Rounceville, daughter of Joshua & Amy (Slichter), was received by Rite of Holy Baptism by Pastor Ben. We rejoice with her and with her family as we welcome Madeline into the life of the Church and pray for her continued growth, both physical and spiritual.

4 Emmanuel News February 2018 Page 4 Message from Cam The month of February is renowned for being dark, cold and short. But it is also known for Presidents Day, St. Valentine s Day and Groundhog Day. Based on this winter, so far, I don t think I need to say anything except this winter isn t short enough. The car dealers, mattress and appliance sales ads will take care of Presidents Day. St. Valentine's Day has become a holiday for card, flower and candy companies. What I want us to think about is Groundhog Day. Not February 2, where we wait for a large rodent to tell us how long winter will last, but the movie. We made our daughters watch this every year on Groundhog s Day. Then gave them their own copy when they left home. This 1993 comedy/romance movie stars Bill Murray as a self assured and very pompous weatherman named Phil and his news station s producer, Andie McDowell, as Rita. Phil is forced to relive the same day (Groundhog s Day) over and over again. After his initial confusion of waking up on the same day every day, he realizes that he can do whatever he wants. Since no one else notices the day keeps repeating, there are no consequences. He becomes even more despicable and he obnoxiously pursues Rita. After a while he becomes disgusted with himself and the situation and repeatedly kills himself, but wakes up on the same day with the same sad situation. He turns to Rita and asks her what she would do if she kept re-living the same day. Rita tells Phil if she had to re-live the same day over again she would try to learn new things and do good. Phil works day after day to make sure no one gets hurt, no one dies and that everyone has a wonderful Groundhog Day in Punxsutawney, PA. Finally he lives the perfect day. In the end, he makes the transformation to a genuinely good and caring person. As a bonus, Rita falls in love with him. Phil re-lives the same day innumerable times, until he gets things right in order to be redeemed. We could try, day after day, to live the perfect life in order to present ourselves to the Lord as redeemed. We would probably become as frustrated and filled with despair. There is nothing within our power that we can do to redeem ourselves. It is only through the grace of God and the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior that we are saved. All we have to do is repent and believe. Like Phil though, we need to care for those around us. We need to help people from being hurt, going hungry and being abused. We need to try each and everyday to make it a perfect day. Not to be redeemed, but to show that we are redeemed and are genuinely good and caring Christians. Yours in Christ, Cam Ash Wednesday Service Ash Wednesday services will be at Noon and at 7PM with the imposition of ashes and Holy Communion. Financial Challenge 2018 At the end of 2017, the church s income exceeded its expenses by $ However, our income was down almost 11% from last year, approximately $20,000. Our challenge for 2018 will be the need to put together a competitive pay package for a pastor and church administrator. Please prayerfully consider how you can help our church accomplish this goal. Financial Statements The 2017 financial statements are now available and can be picked up in the Lobby.

5 Emmanuel News February 2018 Page 5 News from Social Ministry We re planning some changes in the library over the next couple of months, with plans to paint, clean out bookcases, and add some cabinet space with a nice countertop and outlets on the wall, that can be used for serving. We will also be adding a large pantry sized kitchen cabinet to house the safe, up off the floor. Once the safe is moved, we ll be adding shelving to the Bread of Life food pantry. Marilyn Trout is planning to lead this project for her Girl Scout Gold Award. In order to prepare for this work, we need to find a home for the sofa, side table and lamp, and the bookcase on the far left (the one that doesn t match). First come, first served if you want it or know someone who wants it, please let me know and make arrangements to take it. If it s still in the library at the end of February, it will be donated to charity. We ll also be cleaning out the bookcases. There are books and tapes in those cabinets that haven t been touched in 10 years or more. Old books and VHS tapes will be donated to charity. The plan is to maintain a library of current contemporary Christian books and CDs. If you know of a special book or bible study that we should keep, please let me know and I ll make sure we keep it. Blessings, Liz Downes lizdownes@verizon.net Helping Hands Wishing Well Emmanuel s Women of the NALC invite you to participate in saving pennies for their Wishing Well located in the Lobby. We ask that you bring any extra pennies you may save during the week. Our goal is to collect miles of pennies which turns out to be 83,321 per mile. Pennies are counted and we keep you informed in our Emmanuel News. All pennies received are used whenever a special appeal comes to our attention. As of January 21, 2018 we are traveling toward our 14th mile with 11,912 pennies. Thanks to you! Birthdays 2/2 Jeff Adler 2/4 Anthony Glorioso, Paulette Vitkauskas 2/5 Keith Beckner 2/7 Shaun Snyder Jr. 2/10 Ben Roe 2/14 Pat Couture 2/16 Bonnie Phelps, 2/18 Dorothy Cockrell, Cliff Stoffel 2/19 Robin Stern Rhonda Moore 2/21 Susan Beckner 2/22 Clarice Krammer 2/24 Mike Trout Anniversaries 2/15 Nancy & Russell Phelps 2/16 Dorothy & Dennis Cockrell Inclement Weather Policy The following policy will be in effect should inclement weather arrive in our area at the time of a church activity. In order to protect the safety of our members, the following will apply: If Anne Arundel County Public Schools are closed or close early, all church activities are cancelled. On non-school days, such as a Sunday, if Anne Arundel County Phase I or II Snow Plan is in effect, all church activities are cancelled. If there is inclement weather and the snow plan is not in effect, members with limited mobility should plan on coming to the later (11:00) service. This gives us time to clear and salt the sidewalks and driveways. If there are any questions, please call the church office at If there is any doubt about your own personal safety, please stay in the safety of your home.

6 Emmanuel News February 2018 Page 6 Recipe of the Month Cowboy Butter - Great for a Super Bowl Party 1 c. butter, melted Juice of 1/2 a lemon 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 small shallot, minced 2 tbsp. Dijon mustard 1 tbsp. prepared horseradish Pinch of cayenne pepper 1/4 tsp. paprika 2 tbsp. Freshly Chopped Parsley 1 tbsp. freshly chopped chives 2 tsp. minced thyme kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper Directions In a small bowl, combine butter, lemon juice, garlic, shallot, mustard, horseradish, cayenne, and paprika. Whisk to combine. Stir in parsley, chives and thyme and season with salt and pepper. Serve with grilled meats, like steak or chicken, for dipping. It also tastes delish with cornbread! EMMANUEL NEWS is the parish paper of Emmanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church, Stoney Creek, MD. It is published monthly, except August, for the purpose of informing members of worship and meeting schedules, special events and concerns of our church family. Most of this information can also be found on our website. Pastor- Rev. Ben Umberger Church Office Phone Office@emmanuellutheranmd.org Website: News Editor - Carville Downes Phone News@emmanuellutheranmd.org Lay President Vice President Rec d Sec y Corr. Sec y Treasurer Financial Sec y Other Councilpersons: Weezer Allen, Jr. John Roth William Beckner Ed Messersmit Cam Stickley Gregory Kline Charles F Grey Charles E Grey Renee Roth Tina Jones Dennise Stickley Michael Dausch Rhonda Moore Trinity Gray The deadline for the March issue of Emmanuel News is Sunday February 18th. Please anything you would like to share with the congregation (pictures, recipes, community events). Thank you!

7 Emmanuel News February 2018 Page 7 Sunday Servants Schedule If you as a volunteer cannot serve when you are assigned, contact the coordinator listed below. USHERS - Mike Glorioso: LAY READER - (8:30AM) Bonnie Phelps: GREETERS - Bill Tayman: NURSERY Tina Jones: ACOLYTES, AUDIO/VISUAL, WORSHIP ASSISTANTS (11:00AM), CASH COMMITTEE Office Administrator:

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