Epistle. Paul s. WE ARE ONE FAMILY IN CHRIST A Special Worship Celebration by the Whole Congregation

Transcription

1 Saint Paul s Epistle Published Monthly by Saint Paul s Evangelical Lutheran Church, 371 Wolcott Hill Road, Wethersfield, Connecticut September 2009 Volume 67, Number 8 OH, FOR THE DISCERNING WISDOM OF SOLOMON AND THE BINDING LOVE OF JESUS! In I Kings 3, there is a story about King Solomon who was called upon by two women to determine who was the true mother of a baby that both claimed was theirs. One of them was the true mother, the other was not, her child having died. As there were no other witnesses to call upon, the king ordered that a sword be brought to him, and that this living child be cut in two, with each woman receiving half. The identity of the true mother was revealed when one of the women, in order to save the life of her child, begged the King to spare his life by giving him whole to the other woman. Discerning the selfless love of the real mother, Solomon gave her the child. In an historic change of church policy and 2000 years of church tradition the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, at its just-completed biennial Churchwide Assembly, voted by a simple majority of 61% to commit itself to finding ways to allow congregations that choose to do so to recognize, support and hold publicly accountable life-long, monogamous, same-gender relationships. Following that decision it committed itself by an even slimmer margin of only 55% to finding a way to allow persons in such same-gendered relationships to serve as rostered leaders of this church. Oh, how I wish we had a Solomon among us today. As a called and ordained minister within this Church, and one who has formally studied this issue for nearly two decades, I find myself torn in a multitude of directions. I hold one view that is shaped by Scripture, church history, and my own traditional gut response to this issue. I am also pulled by a relatively new perspective, a new word, that has come from a growing consensus in the developmental sciences and, more poignantly, from the lived experiences of those whose affectional orientation is the opposite of my own, and yet who still wish to create a family with their own beloved as much as I do with mine. I struggle with this issue. It is as complex as it is deeply personal and highly emotional. Some have argued that this divided vote represents a growing clash between the clear and unambiguous Word of Detail from Judgement of Solomon by Gustave Doré God as revealed in scripture, on the one hand, and the shifting opinions of the world, on the other. In other words, they see it as a matter of right verses wrong. I don t agree. Truth is more complex and nuanced than that. I believe that within the Church and among the faithful followers of Jesus, there is a fundamental difference in how we approach Scripture in the first place, and thus a difference in how we hear God s Living Word. It s not that some approach the word of God faithfully and others not. We encounter it differently. And this difference has created a deep challenge for the ELCA. While certain deeply personal and highly emotional issues can lead to a division of the body of Christ, it need not, and ought not do so. If I am absolutely and unambiguously clear about one thing, it is that the love and unity that we have in Christ, a bond forged by his death and resurrection, is stronger and more permanent than any issue that could divide us. So I propose a conversation. I have posted in the Fellowship Hall an invitation to those who wish to explore the implications of the Churchwide Assembly s decision. The ground rules will include the honoring of and respect for the deeply held beliefs of one another our bound consciences, as our church calls them. Let s talk. But as we do, let s not lose sight of the overwhelming faith and love, secured in Jesus, that can and will hold this body together. We may not always know where our journey will take us. But our faith tells us who it is that walks with us along its road. Pastor Hugh Haffenreffer WE ARE ONE FAMILY IN CHRIST A Special Worship Celebration by the Whole Congregation Sunday, October 4th One Combined Worship Service at 9AM Bring a Friend to Join our Celebration! A Barbecue/Potluck Cookout will Follow the Service!

2 DIDACHE (EDUCATION) TEAM NEWS The Didache (education) Team has been very busy this summer, as have been all of the teams formed in response to our discernment process. Our charge is to make a comprehensive examination of the faith education needs of our people children, youths, families and others and to propose a detailed plan to meet those needs. We have begun the process of contacting our youths and families to better understand their needs and once we have a clearer and more comprehensive assessment of them, we will begin to determine the kinds of changes, new initiatives or programs that we can offer in order to better equip our children, youths and families for spiritual and faith challenges they face. While we are interested in the long-term, we recognize that we must also respond to the immediate needs of our children and youths. Plans for the Fall: In anticipation of our Sunday Church School needs, and recognizing that a shortterm plan must be made for September, the Sunday School is adopting a new curriculum that we believe will really stimulate our children s faith and imaginations. It is called Spark. Sunday School (Pre-K and Kindergarten, and First Grade through Third) will begin in the Fall on Sunday, September 13 at 9:00AM. As in the past we will start with music at 9:00 and then go to our classes at 9:20 to have our children s faith and imagination sparked! Sixth grade through high school: We recognize that the needs of our older children and youths are unique and to this end we will be offering a Sunday morning time for our youths in the sixth grade and up to gather to explore what their faith means in the real world in which they live home, school, among their peers, and in the world out there. Matt Perry and Pastor Hugh will join forces to make this a really great (and meaningful) experience for all who attend. Our first meeting will be on the 13th at 9AM in the upstairs lounge. Future Plans: Over the course of the next few months the Didache Team will continue to seek input from children, youth, parents and all others in order to determine the educational needs of our people. We are exploring many possible ideas and changes that would better serve our faith and education needs. At this point we are open to any and all ideas. Please let us know if you have some you would like to share. We need your help! Do you like helping children? Do you want to help St. Paul s Church grow in fulfilling its calling? Now is your opportunity to lend a hand. We need Sunday School teachers now. No experience is necessary, just the ability and desire to share your love of Christ with the next generation. For more information on how you can volunteer as a Sunday School teacher (even if you can only volunteer once or twice a year), please contact Alice Ruppar at This may be the most important volunteer job you ll ever love. KERYGMA (WORSHIP) TEAM NEWS Our Teams have been very productive this summer. Our Kerygma or Worship Team has been looking at the worship and spiritual needs of our church family. It was observed by many that once the school year begins, St. Paul s essentially divides into two groups: one that worships at 8AM and another that worships at 10:30AM. In order to nurture our relationships and strengthen our family bonds, we will combine our two services on 3 or 4 special Sundays throughout the school year. These whole-congregation Sundays are: October 4 (We are One Family in Christ), December 20 (Children s Christmas Pageant), March 7 (theme to be announced), and possibly one more Sunday in either May or early June. Each of these combined services will be held at 9AM. At each of these special worship celebrations will be a unifying theme, special involvement by our children and youths, special music and... a special meal or enhanced coffee hour following. Please mark your calendars now, especially for the October 4th celebration. We are One Family in Christ. That s a promise worth celebrating and passing on to our children, youths, families, and neighbors. OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE AT SOUTH PARK INN St. Paul s, under the leadership of Jim Newmark, has made the commitment to serve meals on a regular basis at South Park Inn, in Hartford. The next dates will be: September 10 (Thurs.), 16 (Wed.), and 29 (Tues.). For more information or to indicate your desire to participate, please contact Jim Newmark at

3 WOMEN S WRITING GROUP On Sunday September 13, Mary Dossin will attend our 10:30 AM worship service. Mary has been training women to lead writing groups throughout our church synod for several years. Recently she had a book published containing materials to use while leading writing groups for women! Ellie B. attended one of Mary s sessions at Synod House in Worcester, MA in 2006, and led a group of St. Paul s women in the Spring of 2007 as we wrote stories of our life experiences. It was a positive time for us all. Members of our writing group are urged to come that day (September 13 th ), to meet Mary and to share a Pot Luck Luncheon following 10:30 AM service. She is looking forward to seeing you all, and I know you ll be excited to meet Mary! With anticipation! Ellie Bengtson HARVEST FAIR Saturday September 26th 9 AM - 3PM All money raised will go to help renovate and upgrade our kitchen (including the purchase of a new industrial-grade freezer). New to this year s fair is: A raffle for a gorgeous quilt, and a Yankee Pot Roast Dinner! Dinner will begin at 5PM Also included in this year s fair will be: Handmade Crafts, Country Store Items, Baked Goods, Children s Crafts, Mums, Pumpkins and much more... The Quilt for the raffle has a springtime boutique theme and is 68 square. Made up of floral fabrics with Pink, Yellow, White, Blue and Red as the primary colors. Tickets for the raffle can be purchased after the Sunday Church Service or by contacting Ellie Bengtson at: If anyone is interested in volunteering for this year s fair please contact: Carol Farley ( ), William Fischer ( ) or Debbie Viola ( ). WEDNESDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY will resume on Wed., Sept. 9 at 10:30AM SAVE THE DATE Sunday September 20 th Following the 10:30 service Please attend the Stock Holder s Brunch Hosted by St. Paul s Youth Enjoy the recap of Jesus, Justice & Jazz The 2009 National Youth Gathering that was held in New Orleans Look for the sign-up sheet in Fellowship Hall so we can prepare accordingly Choir rehearsals will begin Wednesday, September 9, at 7:30 PM. 3

4 I learned a lot during my week in New Orleans. It was very inspiring to see 37,000 like-minded people working toward the same goal of compassionate justice. It gives me hope that we can make a difference. And most importantly we brought hope to the people of New Orleans. I also learned to be thankful for all the opportunity my life holds. I ve never felt so fortunate. Three years worth of restoring & rebuilding, in three days of service, has got to be the grace of God. ~ Kyla Anderson My favorite part of the trip was when we spent the day working in the Lower Ninth Ward cleaning up the lots. It was a lot of work but it was very rewarding and great to know we were helping someone keep their land. There is so much left to do in New Orleans and anything someone does, helps the city get one step closer to the way the city was before Katrina. People don t realize the condition the city is still in and it was great to help out. ~ Amanda Viola One of my Must Share Moments from the New Orleans (that s Nawlins) service trip, was the whole atmosphere at the Super Dome. When you finally get to your seat and you look around to take it all in, it is so cool! 37,000 people, most of them teenagers, gathered together to worship, praise, listen and learn. The speakers were amazing with their stories of inspiration and the music carried God s message as well. An experience I ll never forget. ~ Kaitlin Anderson My must share moment is when we were on our way home from our service project. We had spent all day working hard chopping down impossible, over grown weeds. This was to help the people who do decide to come back and rebuild their homes and lives. We had finally finished and were driving home when we decided to stop and see how one of the projects Amanda had worked on previously, was going. As we stopped, a woman across the street came out of her house so excited to be asked if we were there to help her. She began to list all the things that needed to be done on her house but could not be done without the help and support from others. This was our last day in New Orleans, so unfortunately we had to tell her we couldn t help. To see her begin to cry as we told her we couldn t help was one of the things I will never forget. The way her face dropped and all her hopes of finally being helped were once again put down was heart breaking. I will never forget this moment because it shows that the people in New Orleans still need extreme amounts of help, even after 4 years. There are people being forgotten everywhere and they need our help. They can t do it on their own. ~ Roxanne DeBlois Hammonassett 2009 September Food Drive Sunday Offering Once again we will be collecting food for the Connecticut Food Bank. They will be dropping off a truck on Friday afternoon and leave it for the weekend. We collected nearly ONE TON of food 2 years ago. Let s see if we can top that this year! While the Food Bank will accept anything we bring, here is a list of some of the preferred items: Tuna and Other Canned Meat Peanut Butter Chunky Soups & Beef Stew Macaroni & Cheese Spaghetti & Sauce Rice, and Dry & Canned Beans Canned Vegetables & Fruits Powdered Milk 100% Fruit Juice (Cans, Bottles, Boxes) Any of the above as Sugar Free, Low Sodium, &/or No Salt

5 St. Paul s, St. Marks & Our Saviors Church Youth 2009 ELCA Youth Gathering Jesus Justice Jazz - New Orleans, July 22-26, 2009 BIRTHDAYS THIS MONTH: 10 Gloria Brocker 11 Lois Woy 12 Gerry Caughman 13 Alice Ruppar 14 Patrick Farley 17 Carol Farley 18 Danielle DeBlois 18 Bernice Noeker 23 Patricia Scirocco 27 Judy Lundin 27 Heather Christiansen 27 Curt Lenard 28 Debora Broderius (Haffenreffer) 30 Franklyn Chuck Matteson III Confirmation Classes Begin Wednesday, September 16 at 6PM We are really excited this year that Confirmation Sunday is scheduled for Reformation Sunday, October 25th, during the 10:30 service. In the past when our young people have been confirmed, there is often a sudden and noticeable disappearing act on the part of some. In order to fill this void, and provide continued spiritual care for our youth, we will begin an ongoing Wednesday program that will pick up after Confirmation and continue each Wednesday throughout the school year. While our confirmands will be new adult members of St. Paul s, they will be given, and strongly encouraged to participate in, an ongoing opportunity for spiritual growth, meaningful service opportunities, fun fellowship gatherings (including potlucks and pizza), and some plain non-scheduled hang time. More details will be forthcoming. In the meantime, please include our young people in your prayers as they prepare to assume the mantle of the faith in which they were each baptized and in which the congregation has nurtured them over their lifetime. 5

6 ST. PAUL S MEMBERS IN SERVICE FOR September 2009 ACOLYTES: Linda Anderson, Coordinator, Sep 6 - Gretchen Schultz 13 - Josh Marzano 20 - Jamie Piscitello 27 - Celia Cheyney ALTAR GUILD: Linda Anderson, Coordinator, Sep 6 - Ann Baledes & Elaine Strecker 13 - Helen Peterson & Mary Sulsa 20 - Carol Farley & Debbie Howe 27 - Mary Procyk & Cindy Seip ASSISTING MINISTERS: Sep 6 - William Fischer Jr. - 9: Emily Lourigan - 8:00 - Jerry Vaillancourt - 10: Jim Newmark - 8:00 - Mary Procyk - 10: Patty Bengtson - 8:00 - Kathy Coyle - 10:30 COMMUNION ASSISTANTS: Sue Agne, Coordinator, Sep 6 - Helen Peterson 13 - Dick Agne 20 - Curt Leonard 27 - Sue Agne FELLOWSHIP HOUR HOSTS: Winnie Sawrun, Coordinator, Sep 6 - Lillian Doerschler & Winnie Sawrun 13 - Ellie & Charles Bengtson 20 - Helen Peterson & Harriet Fritsch 27 - Grace & Robert Durkin FINANCE: Mary Procyk, Coordinator, Sep 6 - Winnie Sawrun 13 - George Howe 20 - Bob Bowman 27 - Mike Coyle LECTORS: Lillian Doerschler, Coordinator, Sep 6 - Lillian Doerschler 13 - Dave Bayek 20 - Mary Procyk 27 - Jeanette Serafine NURSERY: Ann French, Coordinator, Sep TAPING MINISTRY: Coordinator, Sep USHERS: Brian Beckwith, Coordinator, 8AM, Sep - Brian Beckwith Louise Lostocco, Coordinator, 10:30AM, Sep 6 - Walter Ruppar & Art Bruce 9:00AM 10:30AM Service begins on Sept Walter Ruppar & Carol Farley 20 - Walter Ruppar & Bob Bowman 27 - Walter Ruppar & Bob Bowman 6

7 September 2009 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 Outreach Team 7PM 2 3 Thurs. Group 10AM 4 AA 10 AM 5 AA 7:30PM 6 Last Sunday of Summer Worship! Worship 9AM 7 Labor Day office closed 8 9 Bible Study 10:30AM Ed. Team 6:30PM Choir rehearsal 7:30 PM 10 Thurs. Group 10AM 11 AA 10 AM 12 AA 7:30PM 13 Holy Comm. 8 AM Holy Comm. 10:30 AM Sunday School Begins! Women s Writing Group Luncheon after 10:30 service 20 Holy Comm. 8 AM Holy Comm. 10:30 AM Stock Holders Brunch following 10:30 service 27 Holy Comm. 8 AM Holy Comm. 10:30 AM Kerygma (Worship) Team 12PM 14 Ed Gentino down stairs 21 Ed Gentino down stairs 28 Ed Gentino down stairs Parish Admin. 6:30PM Council 7:30PM Bible Study 10:30AM Confirmation 6PM Choir rehearsal 7:30 PM 23 Bible Study 10:30AM Confirmation 6PM Choir rehearsal 7:30 PM 30 Bible Study 10:30AM Confirmation 6PM Choir rehearsal 7:30 PM 17 Men s Breakfast 7:30AM Thurs. Group 10AM 24 Thurs. Group 10AM 18 AA 10 AM 25 AA 10 AM 19 AA 7:30PM 26 Church Fair 9 AM -3 PM Yankee Pot Roast dinner 5 PM AA 7:30PM Mark Your Calendar!! Sunday, October 4th One Combined Worship at 9AM One Family In Christ Potluck Cookout to follow the service!

8 Saint Paul s Epistle SAINT PAUL S EV. LUTHERAN CHURCH 371 Wolcott Hill Road Wethersfield, CT RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED SAINT PAUL S EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH WORSHIP SCHEDULE Worship at 8:00 and 10:30AM SCS & Adult Ed. at 9:00AM OFFICERS AND STAFF Rev. Hugh R. B. Haffenreffer, Pastor...Office: (860) Cell Phone: (860) pastorh@stpaulswethersfield.org Office Manager...Janet Vasel: janet@stpaulswethersfield.org Council President...Rick Seip: rseip@stpaulswethersfield.org Council Vice President...Jim Newmark: jnewmark@stpaulswethersfield.org Secretary...Bill Fischer: bfischer@stpaulswethersfield.org Treasurer...Tom Grottke: tgrottke@stpaulswethersfield.org Financial Sect y/bookkeeper...mary Procyk: mprocyk@stpaulswethersfield.org Minister of Music...Melissa Cheyney Superintendent of Sunday Church School...Alice Ruppar REMINDER: Bible Study to begin Wed., Sept. 9 at 10:30AM Stockholders Brunch, Sunday, Sept. 20, following late service Harvest Fair, Sat. Sept. 26th from 9AM to 3PM, Dinner at 5PM September 2009