Something which recently

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1 September 2013 Volume 7, Issue 7 Faith Lutheran Church Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Lead us not into temptation? Note: The Rev. John Nieman of Holden, Mass., returns Sept. 8 as our transitional pastor, as we continue with the process to call a new pastor. Bishop-elect Eaton Assembly elects first female bishop The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton from Ohio, who earned her Master of Divinity degree at Harvard Divinity School, Cambridge, Mass., was elected presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Continues on back page Inside Hardy asks prayers for patience, p.2 Council roundup, p.3 Strahan reflects on CWA, p.5 Justice gathering for women, p.6 Something which recently caught my attention was how frequently we say the words, Lead us not into temptation. Most of us say it every Sunday, and more often than that for many of us. We pray that our heavenly Father would not lead us into temptation. But, would he actually do that? In our current use of language the word, temptation, usually makes us think of something seductive, something forbidden. It may be that we associate temptation with things like sexual violations, or cheating on exams, or taking illegal short cuts in our business affairs. Surely these are all such things that we pray that our Father would help us avoid. But there is another meaning to the biblical word for, temptation, and that is the idea of being tested, of being put under a strain, of feeling pressure. What kind of testing would cause you to question God s love for you? What would be a strain in your life that would make you lose faith in God s care for you? Would a health issue shake your trust in God? Would the loss of a person dear to you put your faith in God under a strain? Maybe boredom, or loneliness, or fatigue, or even success and prosperity, would make God seem irrelevant in your life. The Rev. John Nieman Transitional Pastor The word that is translated, temptation, is a word that ancient Greeks used to speak of an experiment, or a test to find the breaking point of an object. Well then, we pray that our heavenly Father would keep us from reaching a breaking point. In our complex world, that is a pretty relevant prayer to be saying. Recently I ran across a kind of paraphrase of that prayer. It was prayed by the author, Fred Buechner, and it expresses well what we mean when we pray, Lead us not into temptation. His prayer goes: like this: Dear Lord, bring me through darkness into light. Bring me through pain into peace. Bring me through death into life. Be with me wherever I go, and with everyone I love. In Christ s name I ask it. Pastor John Nieman

2 Note: The buyers who were interested in converting 209 Lawrence St. into a high-end antique store have rescinded their offer. So, we await a new offer. We need to trust that this is part of God s plan for us, and so we pray. Sometimes, it s easy to get frustrated, isn t it? In lots of ways, I m not a patient person. I have a hard time waiting. Seems like there are a lot of us in that boat! We re frustrated that once again, the sale of 209 Lawrence Street fell through. We re nervous about the call process, wondering who the candidates will be and how long it s going to take. We re worried about the future of Faith. BUT in lots of ways, those fears and worries can be healthy! It shows that we care and that we want the best for Faith. It s frustrating when it feels like things have fallen apart. But that s exactly when and where we need to turn our faces to God! God desires to help us figure things out, God wants the best for us as individuals and as a church family! God has a plan. We need to pray that we re paying attention to God (and not our own fears, worries, frustrations). We need to pray for patience. Because we are the people, we are the church. Because we are the church, we have work to do! Prayers for Patience By Jena Hardy, Congregation President We shouldn t wait for the real ministry to begin when we call a pastor. There are lots of things we can and should be doing now in the waiting process! While we are waiting for some things to happen, we should be preparing ourselves for when those things actually do happen! During this time of waiting, let s practice preparing ourselves with prayer and praise! When we get frustrated with a situation or circumstance, let s avoid pointing fingers and laying blame. Instead, let s pray about it! Let s remember to be patient with the workers at Faith, remembering that they are imperfect people who are volunteering their time to do things for the good of all of us! Let s trust God and trust one another! Come to worship on Sunday with a grateful heart ready to praise God for all God s done for us! Let s pray for our future pastor whoever and wherever he or she may be! Let s pray that God shows us what to do with 209 Lawrence Street! Let s pray that we see glimpses of God s BIG plans for Faith Lutheran! Let s pray for one another, that we are fed and nourished at Faith, that we lift one another up! September Birthdays 1 G. Albert Anderson 3 Joan Conner 6 David Palojarvi 16 Robert Marinelli 16 Sister Virginia Strahan 18 Joyce Hosnander 18 Jonathon Pack 19 Sandra Turula 20 Kelsea Ashmore 20 Allie Hobby 20 Charlotte Hobby 20 Samantha Hobby 23 Clayton Ashmore 23 John Bourque 25 Richard Ares 25 Arthur Rocheleau Jr. 30 BarryTresback If your birthday is missing, please notify the Church Office at or firstlutherangardner@verizon. net as soon as possible so that we may celebrate the day God introduced you to the world. Thank You, Marv Thank you, Marv Bernstein, for your countless years of service as the Financial Secretary of Faith! Blessings to you during this new chapter in your life.

3 Take Another Look The next time you re at Faith, take a look around and see what you notice. Here are some things to get you thinking: Did you notice the big sign out front letting passersby know our times of worship? Did you notice that there s been a lot of landscaping and pruning done? Did you notice how LARGE the lawn is and that it s mowed? Do you notice the people who help lead us through worship each week (pastors, greeters, ushers, lectors, worship assistants, acolytes, our organist and our praise band, and the ladies who run the computer)? Do you notice the people who are trying to engage our congregation in outreach projects? Did you see who purchased the coffee or cream or snacks that we use at coffee hour? Did you notice who is behind the counter in the kitchen making the coffee and putting out the snacks? Did you notice who fixes the little things around Faith? Did you see who cleans the building each week or who takes the trash out or who brings the trash cans up from the road? Did you notice who has been working hard with realtors, city officials and lawyers to try and sell 209 Lawrence St.? Did you notice who has been checking on 209 Lawrence St. or the parsonage on a regular basis? Did you notice who has been working during the summer months to coordinate Sunday school teachers and students? Do you know who spends hours each month preparing various publications that we all see/read? Do you notice who goes out of their way to talk to new people? Do you notice who spends time talking to people in general? It might seem that right now, there s nothing going on at Faith. However, when you take another look and really pay attention, there are LOTS of things happening at Faith! Thank you to those of you who notice things and work to fix / change / make those things happen! Please take the time each week to notice the workers at Faith and to sincerely say thank you for making Faith work! Let Us Pray Francis C. Gingras, 90, of Gardner, died Aug. 10. He retired in 1984 after teaching chemistry and physics for 19 years at Gardner High School, from where he had graduated in 1940 as valedictorian and class president. He also taught in Maine, New Hampshire and Connecticut. Memorial contributions may be made to the Scholarship Fund of Faith Lutheran Church. Edward R. Hosnander Jr., 79, of Winchendon, husband of Joyce Hosnander, died peacefully at home July 30 with his family at his side. For the past 23 years, Ed and his wife Joyce opened their home, fostering and mentoring countless children and families in need, a true example of serving as God s hands, doing God s work. The funeral was held Aug. 3 here at Faith, with burial with honors at the Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Winchendon. Our prayers are with Joyce and their eight children, Steven Hosnander, Lisa Tenney, Jennifer Chagnon, Paula Rocheleau and Paul Michaud, all of Winchendon; Vicki Doyle of Rindge, N.H.; Heather Connor of York, Pa.; and Karl Hosnander of Hampden. Memorial donations may be made to Calumet Lutheran Ministries, PO Box 236, West Ossipee, N.H May God comfort all those who mourn the loss of these two fine men, who were faithful members of our Faith family. We miss them. Outreach at work In August, the Outreach Committee brought flowers to Tauno Tamminen, the eldest member of Faith, who celebrated his 98th birthday Aug. 20, and Eleanor Wallace, who turned 91 Aug. 24. Tauno lives at The Legends, while Eleanor is at Baldwinville Nursing Home. We thank Stephen Blanchard for designing the birthday cards we bring to our friends. Outreach thanks our church secretary, Kim, and Sister Virginia for sharing this information in the bulletins and newsletters.

4 Faith Roundup Updated Officers, Council Members President: Jena Hardy Vice President: Jeff Belitsky Secretary: Megan Reiser Treasurer: John Liddy (not a council member) Financial Secretary: Susan Hobby Scott Anderson Bob Clark Dot LaRoche Doug Rau Ottmar Rau Kelly Schaeffer Tamara Taylor Dave Thompson Parsonage Caretaker BIG THANKS to Bob Clark for being the caretaker of the parsonage for the past several months! In August, the Congregation Council voted to have Bob Boutwell temporarily move into the parsonage to be the caretaker until we call a pastor to live there. Thanks Bob C. and Bob B.! If you have any questions about this arrangement, please talk to a council member! Reminders In an effort to be good stewards of our resources, the Congregation Council has voted to stop mailing postcard reminders to greeters, counters, ushers and others serving at worship on Sundays. Please look in the bulletin each week to see if you are scheduled to serve the next Sunday. Thanks you. Council Summer Highlights Here is a synopsis of action taken by the Congregation Council of Faith Lutheran Church this summer. A complete copy of the minutes is posted on the church bulletin board. 6/10/2013 Discussions: Sister Virginia Strahan, a guest, spoke about archiving Faith s historical materials. Marv Bernstein will retire as Financial Secretary as of July 31. Susan Horvath, current Council Secretary, will take over as Financial Secretary, so another Council member needs to volunteer to serve as Council Secretary. Sale of 209 Lawrence Street Closing was set for 6/22/13 but had to be postponed since the Gardner Zoning Board of Appeals has a full agenda and can t review the sale in June. The buyers, who are eager to close, may need to live in the parsonage briefly due to the postponement. Nils Anderson will organize a schedule to mow the lawns at all our buildings. The wooden pews at Lawrence Street will be offered for sale to parishioners. 07/8/2013 Discussions: Meghan Reiser will serve as Council Secretary, replacing Susan Horvath, who volunteered to serve as Financial Secretary since Marv Bernstein has retired. Sale of 209 Lawrence St. The Gardner Zoning Board of Appeals is scheduled to review the sale July 30. Pews at 209 Council will set the price for the pews from 209 Lawrence St. Discussion was held to check on ebay and ask Ray Pfeifle to recommend a price. Lawns have been mowed at all locations. Possible mice problem in the parsonage. Susan Horvath, Bob Clark and Meghan Reiser agreed to join forces to find leaders for the Confirmation Class in the absence of a pastor. The class will consist of nine students. 08/12/2013 No minutes available from Congregation Council at press time.

5 Churchwide Assembly an amazing experience Holy Hannah! Note: Sister Virginia Strahan reflects on her experience serving as a voting member from the New England Synod in August to the 13th biennial assembly of our Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in Pittsburgh, Pa. She ll also make a brief presentation at both a contemporary and traditional worship service this fall. By Sister Virginia Strahan This may seem an odd question, but have you ever felt the Holy Spirit act in your life? This may seem even odder, but I have a couple times, and one was during the ELCA Churchwide Assembly last month in Pittsburgh. And I am amazed, amazingly amazed, astoundingly amazed at how the Holy Spirit works. As many of the other 900 voting members, I came to the ELCA Churchwide Assembly expecting the current presiding bishop, the Rev. Mark Hanson, to easily win a third term, and that the assembly would close early and that I would have a good chunk of time to kill before I flew back home on Saturday. Well, that sure didn t happen! The election for presiding bishop required the full five ballots, and an unknown female synod bishop from Ohio was called as our new presiding bishop. Did I want her? Nope. Well, not initially. However, as I prayed, the Holy Spirit gently, but firmly nudged me to vote for her on the third ballot, and I did (even though I kept offering reasons why I shouldn t). When the results of the third ballot were announced, I was awed to learn that a lot of others had voted for Liz Eaton on that ballot, as well. Holy Hannah! Something was happening. By the fourth ballot, it was clear that Eaton was being called as presiding bishop, and on the fifth ballot, this unknown woman was elected, (Another voting member from New England connected what happened at the churchwide assembly to the election of Margaret Payne, another unknown woman, as bishop of the New England Synod in 2000.) Despite some initial misgivings, I liked that Eaton had spoken about us having each other s back and about being authentic community. I was there, as one of 15 voting members from the New England Synod! Those are my sneaker-clad feet in the HUGE convention center in Pittsburgh. Yes, the Holy Spirit was at work, leading us to do new things, which was the assembly theme, and it was an amazing experience. Actually, I experienced many amazing things at churchwide assembly. On the day I wore my t-shirt uplifting diaconal (servant) ministry, the Eucharist (just by chance?) focused on servant ministry, commemorating Florence Nightingale and Clara Maass. It was amazingly healing to hear the preacher say, Blessed are you who got laid off... blessed are you who are unemployed... in his sermon on Luke 6:20-36, since I have been without a call now and unemployed for nearly a year. Even though my voice remained raspy from my throat surgery in July and I hadn t been singing, I was compelled to sing the hymn of the day, We Are Called, because of its significance to me as a Deaconess. Holy Hannah! I also discovered that people in Pittsburgh love French fries INSIDE their sandwiches and in their salads not on the side, but INSIDE! Our first meal included sandwiches with meat, coleslaw and french fries between the buns. One evening out, I enjoyed a traditional Pittsburghstyle salad: grilled chicken breast with French fries mixed in among the greens, raw vegetables and jack cheese, at a popular micro-brewery opened several years ago in an old church that Continues on next page

6 Assembly, continued from previous page had been closed by the local Roman Catholic diocese; we sat in the old pews, surrounded by beautiful stained glass windows. (Just by chance Lawrence Street?) I have so much I am eager to share with you, but, for now, here s a summary. The assembly: adopted The Church and Criminal Justice: Hearing the Cries, a social statement on criminal justice. The statement affirms the fundamental principles of the U.S. criminal justice system, such as due process of law and the presumption of legal innocence, and it also recognizes serious deficiencies overly harsh sentencing and persistent inequalities based on race and class. It calls ELCA members to hear the cries of those affected, recommit to visiting the prisoner, correct the flawed criminal justice system and participate in God s work with hands and hearts. approved a five-year campaign to raise $198 million to increase the ELCA s capacity to renew and start new congregations, educate and develop leaders, bolster global mission efforts and expand the impact of our relief and development work, as well as to encourage and form lay youth and young adult leaders, and to support disability ministry. affirmed the Book of Faith Initiative as a continuing emphasis and priority that invites us to become fluent in the first language of our faith the language of Scripture and to be renewed for lives of witness and service. approved a variety of memorials that came from synod assemblies during the summer on topics that include community violence, Israel and Palestine, Holy Communion, immigration reform, pastoral ministry among same-gender couples and their families, the Uniting American Families Act, gender identity discrimination, immigration detention, hydraulic fracturing, fossil fuels and more. approved resolutions on topics ranging from the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation (2017) to a social policy resolution concerning the guarantee of voting rights to all citizens. The next churchwide assembly will be held in August 2016 in New Orleans. Click to view plenary sessions and worship at Expressions/Churchwide-Organization/Office-of- the-secretary/elca-governance/churchwide- Assembly/LiveVideo-Stream.aspx. What Happened in Pittsburgh? By New England Bishop Jim Hazelwood New England Synod Bishop Jim Hazelwood, who was among the 60 percent of voting members attending their first churchwide assembly, believes that there were multiple forces at work in the election of the Rev. Elizabeth Eaton as presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The first is our North American preference for the new, he blogged recently. There was a time when baseball coaches could stay with a team for decades, but the era of Walter Alliston, Tommy Lasorda, Joe McCarthy, Casey Stengell is no more. We tire of our U.S. Presidents in their second term, regardless of political party. Some of what I was hearing in Pittsburgh reflected this view. In other words, it was not Mark Hanson in particular, he is well loved; it was the idea of a third term. As one person said to me, I am a believer of allowing new leadership to regularly come forward. As the days unfolded and the ballot results were announced, there was a spirit of something new in the air. This is hard to explain. There was no campaigning, no strategy, no back room deals. Elizabeth Eaton spoke with clarity and candor. Her sense of humor was evident. She spoke theologically, but in a way that was down to earth. She reached out, as is her style, to the broad diversity of our church. It became clear throughout the day, that Elizabeth was the right person for the call. The Holy Spirit was speaking loud and clear. I look forward to her serving as our Presiding Bishop.

7 Doing What is Fair and Just Oct. 5 How does God want us to live? It s quite simple, according to Micah 6:8. Do what is fair and just to your neighbor. (The Message) The New England Women of the ELCA will spotlight justice action opportunities Saturday, Oct. 5, at a Gathering for Justice at Trinity Lutheran Church, Worcester. Guest speaker will be Inez Torres Davis, director for justice for the Women of the ELCA. Torres, a powerful, poignant and popular speaker, develops programs, events and conversations related to racism, cross-cultural understanding, commercial sexual exploitation, and the care of creation. The day will include bible study, workshops and a restorative worship service. Learn how to recognize trafficking (Lutheran Social Services); make a plan for justice with your neighbors; start a project; be a voice; become more aware. Check out the insert in this newsletter and register. All women invited! Come and make a difference! Volunteer Opportunities Altar Guild (contact Betty Wiinikainen); Counters About an hour after the traditional service and you work in pairs (contact Dot LaRoche at ) Worship assistant, lector, usher or greeter at the traditional service (contact Karen Payne at or payneslk@ comcast.net). Your help is appreciated! Banner with assembly theme, I Am Making All Things New, and cross at the ELCA Churchwide Assembly August in Pittsburgh.

8 Faith Lutheran Church 627 Green Street (1/4 mile north of MWCC) Gardner, MA New Bishop, continued from front page Church in America (ELCA) at the ELCA Churchwide Assembly Aug in Pittsburgh, Pa. Eaton will be our first woman presiding bishop. The churchwide assembly is the chief legislative authority of the ELCA. The theme for the triennial assembly was Always being made new. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the ELCA. We are a church that is overwhelmingly European in a culture that is increasingly pluralistic. We need to welcome the gifts of those who come from different places, that is a conversation we need to have as a church, Eaton told the assembly shortly after the election. Prior to becoming presiding bishop, Eaton served as bishop of the Northeastern Ohio Synod. She also was a pastor for congregations in Ohio. She attended University Lutheran Church in Cambridge, Mass., while studying for her Master of Divinity degree at Harvard Divinity School. The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with more than 4 million members in nearly 10,000 congregations across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of God s work. Our hands, the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA s roots are in the writings of the German church reformer, Martin Luther. Worship Schedule 9 a.m. Contemporary Worship 10:15 a.m. Education Hour 11 a.m. Traditional Worship Congregation Council meets the second Monday of every month at 7 p.m. Outreach Team meets the second Monday of every month at 10:30 a.m.