A Beautiful Expression

Transcription

1 NOVEMBER 2016 volume 18 number 9 What s INSIDE 1 The Pastor s Pen 2 Social Concerns 2 Mission Statement 2 Finance Report 3 Worship times 3 Stewardship 5 Making Worship More User Friendly th Anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation 6 Serving 7 Calendar 8 Annual Congregational Meeting Hope Lutheran Church 2882 Arlington Avenue Riverside, CA Pastor: The Rev. Tim Edmondson Organist: Norma Townsend Office Manager: Doris Diaz Office: (951) Fax :(951) Web Address: hoperiverside@att.net Pastor s tmedmondson@sbcglobal.net A publication of Hope Lutheran Church, Riverside, CA From the Pastor s Pen The Journey has a Purpose Dear Friends If we think of Lent as journey, we can see it as symbolic of more than just the 40 days the season of Lent encompasses; for it reminds us that all of life is a sort of pilgrimage. But this pilgrimage is not a linear one, and is hardly neat and orderly. Chart the most efficient distance and it will be a straight line between two points. Chart a person s life and it will be circular and meandering. You look at your past and it stretches back behind you like those big, looping rivers that you see when you fly over the American Midwest. Everyone s life looks like that, in retrospect an apparently random and wandering course of a pathway they have followed. But rather than view such lives as evidence of chance or confusion, we ought to recognize that they are as natural to the flow of a life as the curving watercourse way is A Beautiful Expression Flowers are needed for the sanctuary on Sunday, April 30 and Sunday, May 7. Your flower donations recognizing special dates for family members, or dedicated simply to the glory of God make a beautiful display adorning the altar area. Please sign up on the flower chart in the Narthex. natural to the river. The journey metaphor tells us about many important things. It reminds us that every time in life carries its own baggage and that our attempts to become something new often require us to pay a fare. Journeys, like portions of our lifetimes, have their announced destinations, but it is also common to discover that whatever the purported destination, the journey was its own justification. That journeys carry us along to their destinations, not ours, helps to make sense out of the experience that we have already discovered that often in life we end up in a very different place than we could ever have planned or imagined. A journey may take us to Canterbury or Mecca, but really all journeys are pilgrimages. A journey may be a business trip, but again they Continued on page 2 1

2 Voice of Hope volume19, issue 4 News from Social Concerns Guest Chef There was a flurry of activity in the kitchen at Hulen Place March 4 th! Larry Dodson and Johnnie Corina were busy making quesadillas with blackened turkey breast and cheese, rice with vegetables while Barbara Morris and I chopped the vegetables for the rice and salad. We also served individual peach pies which Larry was able to buy at Feeding America. Feeding America carries very nice fresh vegetables, bread and desserts these days compared to years past. Many times the vegetables were in cans only, the bread was unsuitable, and the candy was left over from holidays. The four of us served 135 people. Submitted by Carol Haffter News from Worship Committee We had our first meeting with 10 people present on March 15, Thank you each for being there. The feedback on the new worship bulletins has been very positive; therefore we have decided to continue with them. The only change will be that we will print some in large print for those who need them. Our next area of focus was Holy Week. We discussed Palm Sunday, Maunday Thurs., Good Friday, and Easter. Be sure to attend each of these special services. Each promises to be filled with wonderful lessons, music and the Spirit of the Season. In His Love, Lori Lane Mission Statement: At Hope Lutheran Church, Riverside, Jesus Christ leads us to welcome and respect all people, to grow in our whole being as gospel ministers, to equip children for life in the Christian heritage, to serve basic human needs in our community, and to worship God in word, in song, and in life. February Finance Report February 2017 Year-to-Date Total Income: $18, $37, Total Expense: $14, $29, Difference: +$3, $8, Average Worship Attendance for February 2017: 55 From the Pastor s Pen Continued from page 1 all are, for on any journey there is business to attend to. And every journey is ultimately a homecoming, often upon returning home, we discover that home is much the same, though we are now different for having taken the journey. Another way to say it, is we always sail towards a New World and often when we arrive at that new world, it looks strangely like the old, only we see it in a completely different light. Wherever the journey starts and whatever its destination may be, the real direction is toward a new reality a greater awareness of something we ve always possessed but have never really known. We get closer to the hidden truth of our own life. Every step along the way becomes a little awakening, a momentary glimpse behind the veil, a temporary glimpse at a profound truth. In those moments of clarity, we see ourselves for who we truly are and the world for what it truly is. We may even see God with renewed understanding. Perhaps the journey is the natural process by which one Continued on page 3 2

3 Voice of Hope volume 7 number 3 Voice of Hope volume 19, issue 4 Worship Schedule: Sunday Worship & Communion Service and Sunday School: 9:00 a.m. Adult Forum: 10:30 a.m. Monday Thursday 9 a.m. 2 p.m. (Closed holidays) From the Pastor s Pen Continued from page 2 dies in order to discover a deeper, more authentic life. For without releasing the fruits of one season, we cannot blossom into the next. We have to let go of who we have been to clear the ground for the growth of who we are becoming. And we do so with only this encouragement: to do one s best and then to let outcomes be what they will; for outcomes are often beyond our control and trying to predetermine where the journey will take us may abort the very gift the journey has to offer. Jesus knew about the value of the journey. But did He know exactly where the journey would lead? Or did He too have to place His life in the hands of His Father with no more certainty than we have, thus calling us to do what Jesus Himself had to do trust in God. For God is already aware of the destinations of our journeys, with us on the journey and also at the destination bringing grace and calling us more deeply into life. Lent is a journey. We think we know where it ends. Easter, right? But what will Easter look like for you and how will it be different in what it looks like for me. Regardless, we need not be preoccupied by such things all we can do is walk the journey, embracing the experiences along the way, and trust that God has a destination in mind, even it seems we are taking a long time to get there. May this Easter for you be the destination. For Jesus, the empty tomb, new life, was on the other side of the cross. How did He get to resurrection? He walked the journey to the cross, perhaps even embracing the unknowingness of the final outcome. He trusted His Father for that. And my friends, look what happened! The promise is ours. The journey has purpose; it will most assuredly lead somewhere though where exactly we may not know. But in the meantime, trust that the God of the final destination is also the God of the meandering, winding road on which we find ourselves now. Deep Peace, Pastor Tim Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. John 12:24 Some of the ideas expressed in this article come from William Bridges book, The Way of Transition: Embracing Life s Most Difficult Moments. It is the book he s been using with the Transition Team. A Thank You from Pastor Tim A very special thank you to all who attended the forum of a few weeks ago where we talked openly about a potential future relationship between us as pastor and people. Your comments, as well as the sentiment behind them, have all been taken to heart. I have been using my Lenten journey/pilgrimage as a time of prayer and discernment, seeking a sense of God s call as to my future and your future. I intend to announce my decision soon after Easter. May God continue to bless us in the partnership we share. Pastor Tim 3

4 Voice of Hope volume 19, issue 4 News from Property Management Spring is here and the church property looks very nice. The rains and a timely addition of fertilizer have brought forth a fine lawn area, as you can see. Additionally, take a look at the large plants around the property. We continue to try to keep up with the little items around the property. Our sanctuary overhead lights seem to keep us scratching our heads. Maybe it is just the age of the lights or the controllers. We remain undaunted in our approach however. Locks and doors being left unlocked are also something that is a concern. Please help us all by checking for locked doors when you are departing the campus. We understand that we are all busy but we all need to take an active lock when you leave approach. Coming up: Well it will soon be time for the air conditioning so we will then be checking that the a/c is turned off when we depart a building. Ok, let s close on a more positive note. We have a very beautiful campus and we are managing God s property with love and commitment to keep Hope looking great! Blessings from the Property and Facilities committee, Del and Bill Palm Sunday, April 9 th, 9:00 am Maundy Thursday, April 13 th, 7:00 pm Good Friday, April 14, 7:00 pm Festival of the Resurrection, April 16 th 9:00 am Stay connected We want to be connected with you. If you would like to receive information by from Hope Lutheran and are not currently receiving them, please include your address on The Little White Card the next time you re in church. 4

5 Voice of Hope volume19, issue 4 Reformation Quotes In short, I will preach it, teach it, write it, but I will constrain no one by force, for faith must come freely without compulsion. Take myself as an example. I opposed indulgences and all the papists, but never with force. I simply taught, preached and wrote God s Word; otherwise I did nothing. And while I slept, or drank Wittenberg beer with my friends Philipp and Amsdorf, the Word did everything. Martin Luther ( ) It is impossible to understand modern history apart from the Reformation. We cannot understand the history of Europe, England or America without studying the Reformation. For example, in America there would never have been Pilgrim Fathers if there had not first been a Protestant Reformation. Jack Arnold, church history professor, IIIM Magazine Excerpts from: Visit website for more Anniversary resources and recommended reading. Luther was the man who, guided by experience in the life of his own soul, again made people understand the original and true meaning of the gospel of Christ. Herman Bavinck ( ), theologian April 25 - Important Meeting with the Bishop s Assistant On Tuesday, April 25 th at 6:00 pm a very important meeting will take place. Rev. Terry Tuvey Allen, Assistant to the Bishop, will meet with Hope s Church Council, Transition Team and Call Committee. This begins the next phase of our pastoral search. Please keep this meeting in your prayers. Thank you! 5

6 Hope Lutheran Church 2882 Arlington Ave. Riverside, CA The Journey has a Purpose Page 1 Voice of Hope volume 7 number 19, issue 3 4 Palm Sunday, April 9, 9 a.m. Join the crowds that gather in Jerusalem, waving palm branches as they welcome the coming Messiah. Hear the cheers turn to jeers as they realize that Jesus kingship was not to be what they expected. Palm Sunday, beginning in joy and ending in bewilderment, sets up the unfolding drama for the week ahead. Holy Week Services: Maundy Thursday, April 13 th, 7 p.m. Good Friday, April 14 th, 7 p.m. Festival of the Resurrection, April 16 th, 9 a.m. 6