SHEPHERD S VOICE. the MARKING THE END OF A SEASON IN MUSIC SHEPHERD OF THE HILLS LUTHERAN

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1 SHEPHERD OF THE HILLS LUTHERAN the CHURCH SHEPHERD S VOICE CASPIAN WAY, CLERMONT, FLORIDA MARCH, 2014 Ash Wednesday worship March 5 12 Noon & Worship 7 PM Full Liturgy with Ashes and Communion Message: Overheard: Conversations by the Cross- - Malchus & Mark Sundays in Lent March 9, 16, 23, 30 & April 6, 2014 Worship 8 and 10:15 AM One Wednesday Pre- Worship Pot Luck March 12, 2014 at 6 PM Wednesday Lenten Services Worship 7 PM Holdon Evening Prayer (Liturgy) Weekly Dramas: Overheard- Conversations by the Cross 3/12 Barabbas and Caiaphas 3/19 Pilate and his Wife 3/26 Simon and the Centurion 4/2 The Two Thieves 4/9 Mary and John MARKING THE END OF A SEASON IN MUSIC The Lenten season is upon us, and for us Christians this means that we now enter into a period of penitence, meditation, contemplation, and remembrance as we gather with the whole Christian community in participation of the death of Christ. Sunday, March 2 nd, is a bridge between the Advent-Christmas-Epiphany cycle that comes to a close on that day and the Lent-Easter cycle that begins in several days. On the mount of transfiguration Jesus is revealed as God's beloved Son, echoing the words at his baptism. This vision of glory sustains us as Jesus faces his impending death in Jerusalem. At the close of the services on that day, our Alleluias will be escorted out from our service and songs. Then, beginning Sunday, March 9 th, we will be making a slight change in our liturgy and in our music. The alleluias we have been singing throughout the year will be omitted. The simple word ALLELUIA emits such wonderful feelings of joy and elation. By putting it away for Lent, we will anxiously look forward to having it burst out again on the glorious Easter morning!

2 Grab a Broom, Lord There s Dust Everywhere! This is the title of a women s devotional by Karen Phillips Goodman. At first, I thought this would be a clever title to introduce our Old Fashioned Spring Cleaning event scheduled for March 15 th. When I read the subtitle, The Imperfect Woman s Guide to God s Grace, a deeper meaning bubbled to the surface. It is a perfect Segway into our new church season, the forty days of Lent. There is, indeed, dust everywhere. The dust I am referring to is that which we will remember on Ash Wednesday in the words, Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return (Gen. 3:19). As children of God, Lentenfocused disciplines including worship help us face the reality that we are mortal; we are imperfect, sinful, and need God s grace. Through prayer and reflection, we can discover how to refocus our attention from our human failings, that dust that covers our world, onto that which will help us return to the Lord our God (Joel 2:13). While this sounds like we will have a grueling 40 days ahead of us, we can choose to experience this time of reflection as an opportunity, a time of cleansing, a time of repair and letting go of the past. We can look through our dust and ask God to help us better understand it. Goodman suggests these questions as reflection tools: 1. Which of your imperfections or mistakes bothers you the most? How have you been dealing with them? 2. What have you tried to accomplish or correct without bothering God. How s that going so far? 3. Why have you been afraid or reluctant to seek and accept the gift of God s grace? 4. Will you let yourself rest in the safety of God s mercy and believe in the wonders he has yet to show you? Sometimes God s mercy seems far from our midst; we sort through our dust and becoming overwhelmed by the unending grit, we blindly proceed to sweep. We sweep and sweep but we cannot clear a square inch of space. We are imperfect and as fast as we put the past behind us, more dust piles up. We forget, however, that we are not alone, that we have help. Even this side of heaven, no dust-bunny can get the upper hand. God in Jesus Christ and through the power of the Holy Spirit sweeps alongside us until the ashes of this world are replaced with eternal life. Our ongoing supply of dust is forgiven; God s endless grace is, was, and will continue to be all that we ever need. So, grab a broom, Lord there s dust everywhere! A prayer for your Lenten Journey: Lord, I will go wherever your generous and loving heart leads! I pray that you will take my messy dust, wrap it all in your perfect grace, and let me begin the most amazing journey of all, my never ending walk with you (broom and all). Amen. Inspiration for this article came from: Grab a Broom, Lord There s Dust Everywhere! by Karon Phillips Goodman; Barbour Publishing, Inc. 2003; used by permission. 2

3 Saying Goodbye and Thank You.Saying Hello and Thank You.Time of Change, Growing Pains and Prayer..Making Known God s Grace! Goodbye and Thank You.. On Wednesday, February 19, 2014 we said goodbye to a long-time staff member and friend, Barbara West. Barbara learned earlier in the week that her cancer had returned and that she will be on chemotherapy for an extended period of time. Barbara has served this congregation since 1997 with a faithful heart adapting to many changes along the way. Her contributions to the ministry at Shepherd of the Hills will be remembered with great respect and gratitude. Barbara s exit was quick due to the need to begin treatments as soon as possible and the need to deal with the accompanying emotional stress of this situation. The congregation may send cards to her at the address below. At this time cards, notes, and letters are most appropriate. In addition, the congregation is receiving financial gifts through Sunday, March 9, 2014 that will be sent to her as a group gift after this date. Place cash in an envelope or checks made out to cash (either clearly marked Barbara or Secretary) in the weekly offering plate or bring them to the church office during office hours. Let us keep Barbara, Charley, their daughters Lindsay and Kelly, and family in our prayers. Hello and Thank You.. Welcome to Sara Holton who has stepped into the position of office secretary on a temporary basis. We are grateful to Sara for this interim service that will keep us up and running especially through Lent and Easter. Sara remains our part time music director in addition to the temporary office position. Be sure to thank Sara for her faithful partnership in ministry. Time of Change, Growing Pains, and Prayer At the annual meeting on January 26, 2014, the congregation approved funding for an additional office staff person. The Executive Team of Council (the officers) will be meeting to evaluate the current office situation and determine the next steps to staff the office in a fiscally responsible manner with a comprehensive position review. A job description is in the process of development and interviews for the new permanent position(s) will take place as soon as possible. If there are any questions, please see Pastor Nancy or Debbie Kiely, Council President. Please support our Council in prayer through this next phase of decision and implementation. Together, we Make Known God s Grace. 3

4 Small Group Ministry is a Congregational Core Team of the Congregational Council. Diane Bursey is the Council liaison. Small Group Ministry seeks To make known God s Grace by making disciples and nurturing leaders! Each Small Group has a focus: Bible or Mutual Care/Support or Ministry Task. All Small Groups contain: Prayer, Bible study/devotion, Mutual Care/Support, and a Ministry Task that supports and strengthens its focus. Bible Study Exodus: Meets Wednesdays after Worship, 7:30-8:30 PM Facilitator: Pastor Nancy Task: mailing cards to those who need encouragement Ministry Virginia Circle: Meets second Tuesday at 10 am Facilitator: Norma Thompson Tasks: Quilts, Crafts (Me Dolls), Easter Brunch, Receptions after funerals, Christmas and Spring Luncheon (all welcome), Pot Lucks Advent/Lent, Spring Cleaning, Garage Sale, other service projects as identified. Mutual Support Men s Fellowship: Meets twice a month at Bob Evans for breakfast at 8:30 am, second and fourth Saturday of the month Facilitator: Bill Wright Task: TBA Mutual Support Women s Support Group (Dealing with Grief and Loss of a Spouse) Facilitator: Pastor Nancy Format: six weekly meetings; due to sensitive subject the group is closed after second meeting. A new group may form if interest shown or existing group may continue with new focus. Task: TBA 4

5 continued from page 4 WE NEED YOUR HELP! In order to help us plan which future groups to establish, please fill out the survey and return to the church office or put in the offering plate. New Announcement Display You may have noticed a new display on the wall of our Fellowship Area. It has been provided to display announcements of church activities, information about church programs, information about members, pictures of our church staff and council, as well as many things we haven t even thought of yet. It also has the capability of viewing Skype calls, projection of powerpoint slide shows (for meetings, Bible studies, etc.) and movies. The display is a Memorial to Walt McCarty and Phyllis Ahlers and will be dedicated on March 23. 5

6 S Get ready! Get set! CLEAN!! Saturday, March 15 th, from 9 a.m. to noon(ish) we ll be dusting, waxing, weeding, wiping, tossing, scrubbing, and dumping! Pastor Nancy will be here all day to direct traffic and answer questions. And we ll have a leader assigned to each major area of the church building to help make decisions as to what stays and what goes! We ll definitely have something for everyone to do! Stay for as little or as long as you want! Here is a list of the major areas that we ll be focused on: Kitchen Sacristy (front and back areas) Electrical room behind the Sacristy Garage Women s group storage area (hallway and small room) Nursery/Quiet room Back of the Sanctuary (Welcome Center area) Confirmation classroom Exterior landscape Removal of entry area bushes Custodial storage room Sound room/tech supplies Sanctuary dusting chairs and placing hymnals back in their proper places If possible, please bring some cleaning supplies heavy duty trash bags, rags, paper towels, Windex, Clorox wipes, and anything else you think we may need. And if you have a truck (pickup or larger) and would like to bring it to help take things to the dump, please Pastor Nancy or Sara Holton (office) know what time you would be here. Later morning would be best for trucks. 6

7 congregation council Leaders 2014 There is an open position on the Memorial Committee. If you would be interested in serving, please notify the church office. Update on the collection we received on Souper Bowl Sunday: $ WOW! Every penny goes to the Faith Neighborhood Center. President: Debbie Kiely Vice President: Judy Lojko Secretary: Michelle Candage Treasurer: Pat Quellhorst Christian Formation: Open Finance: Nanci Etienne Small Groups: Diane Bursey Property: Open Worship and Music: Open If interested in either open position, please see any member of council or Pastor Nancy. Church Office Hours Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Closed holidays Office phone : Emergency phone: shephillsclermont.org 7

8 The Adult Choir is MOVING! The choir will now be rehearsing on SUNDAY MORNINGS at 9:30 a.m.! We re making the move for several reasons. The most important is now YOU have an even better chance to join too! By making this exciting move, we re not conflicting with work schedules, night vision, or bad weather during the week. We can now go to worship mid-week and not have to stay even later for choir rehearsal. And most importantly those of you who ve always wanted to sing in the choir, but never could get to practice on a Wednesday well, just come join us at 9:30 on Sundays and you re in! So, remember choir is now at 9:30 on Sunday mornings! Won t you join us? "Look Upon Us As His" a Lenten devotional booklet (prepared by Lutheran Indian Ministries--A Ministry of the Lutheran Association of Missionaries and Pilots U.S.) is now available for free at the Information Center in the rear of the sanctuary. Devotions begin on Ash Wednesday, March 5. "Lutheran Indian Ministries shares the Gospel of Jesus Christ with Native American Nations, encouraging them to proclaim Christ's Kingdom to their own and others. God's grace compels us to help build the capacity of Native Americans to impact their communities for the sake of Chris's Kingdom. May you be blessed as you read the messages contained in this booklet." Rev. Dr. Don Johnson, Executive Director March 19 at Olive Garden 11:30 am ALL ARE WELCOME BRING A FRIEND On Saturday, March 8 at 9:00 am, volunteers are needed to clean, plant, and mulch the Memorial Garden. Please bring gardening tools. Church Council Minutes and Monthly Financial Reports are located in the Members Blog on our website. If you don t know the password, Larry Holihan for it. 8

9 Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge. The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child. The winner was: PALM SUNDAY IS FOR KIDS! 1. A four- year- old child, whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman, who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old Gentleman's' yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When his mother asked him what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy just said, 'Nothing, I just Helped him cry.' Hey Kids!! We will be having a procession again this year of children and palms! ALL KIDS (young and old!) are invited to participate in this procession at each service. In the coming weeks, there will be a PARTICIPANT TICKET available for you to hold on to until Palm Sunday. On Palm Sunday, bring your ticket with you to worship, in exchange for a fresh palm to walk down the aisle with! Check handout on Information Table for more information 9

10 As we all age, members of our families (or even us) may need a little extra care. In our congregation, Nancy Adams is heading an effort to help provide resources for those in need. A website called Agingcare.com is great source of information in these circumstances. The website has kindly allowed us to reprint some of their material. This month we are focusing on the topic When an Elderly Loved One Needs Extra Help. This article is reprinted on the following page. In the following months, we will feature additional topics. If you need further information, please contact Nancy Humbyrd through the church office Three members of SOTH attended the recent SeniorFest at Hope Lutheran Church in the Villages. The event was sponsored by Adult Lutherans Organized for Action (ALOA), and included worship and music, a great speaker, outstanding lunch prepared by Hope volunteers, interesting and informative breakouts, interesting displays and even a blood pressure check. A woman s liturgical dance group (picture above) performed for the group. This is a perfect event for seniors. Although the attendance from our church was a little disappointing we are hoping we can greatly increase our attendance at next year s event. 10

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12 Note for your calendars! Mark Your Calendars May 18, 2014 Zion Lutheran Church Groveland, FL 95th Anniversary More info TBA Synod Interim Network News Friday February 7th and Saturday February 8th, 2014, eighteen (18) Interim pastors, along with Bishop Robert Schaefer and Assistant to the Bishop, Connie Schmucker (Associate in Ministry), met at Shepherd of the Hills for an annual training event. This training is part of an overall plan to develop continuing education and support for a growing interim network. In our ever changing world, there continues to be a significant need for interim pastors, those who help a congregation during the time of a pastoral vacancy prepare for the process of calling a new pastor. a special thank you goes to Pastor Nancy Vogel (Interim Leadership Team Member), Aimee Markussen (Food and Serving Coordinator), Wayne Ahlers and Sara Holton (Technology Support). This partnership in ministry is a true blessing. It is also another way that Shepherd of the Hills lives out its Mission Statement, making known God s Grace in Clermont and beyond. Shepherd of the Hills is centrally located in the synod and a perfect place to gather. The Interim Network and the Synod are most grateful for the hospitality of Shepherd of the Hills. In addition, 12

13 Shofars, also spelled shophars, are musical instruments created and developed by ancient Hebrews. The shofar is made of a ram or antelope horn. It has a flattened mouthpiece from which the user blows air. The Shofar The Hebrews conquered the ancient city of Jericho by marching an army around the walls and blasting the shofar seven times. The sound of the trumpets coupled with the shouts of the Hebrews caused the walls to collapse (Joshua 6:2-5). The shofar was sounded in the Jewish temple on the Day of Atonement. This was the day that the Hebrews presented their sacrificial lambs in the temple as an atonement of their sin. At the very birth of the Jewish people at Mount Sinai it is related in the book of Exodus that the blast of the Shofar emanated from a thick cloud over the mountain. Additionally, we learn from the Bible that the Shofar was used in order to announce holidays, the Jubilee year and the start of a war. The blowing of the Shofar on Rosh Hashanah is mentioned in the book of Leviticus as it is termed "a memorial of blowing." Later on, the Shofar was also employed in processions and as a musical instrument in the Temple. In the Temple, the Shofar would sometimes be blown together with trumpets. On New Year's Day the Shofar was the main feature in the principle ceremony and was accompanied by two trumpets on either side of it. On fast days the order was reversed and the trumpets were featured in the center and a Shofar would accompany them on either side. In post-biblical times, the Shofar is still blown on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, at four different places in the services, and is also blown at the end of the Yom Kippur services- the services of the solemnest day of the year. The Shofar is blown in the month of Elul which is the month preceding Rosh Hashanah, so as to prepare the Jewish people for the High Holidays. Shofars are also used during penitential rituals such as on Yom Kippur Katan, and in optional prayer services that have been arranged due to communal distress. There are many symbolic meanings associated with the shofar and one of the best known is when God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. The story is recounted in Genesis 22:1-24 and culminates with Abraham raising the knife to slay his son only to have God stay his hand and bring his attention to a ram caught in a nearby thicket. Abraham sacrificed the ram instead. Because of this story some Midrashim claim that whenever the shofar is blown God will remember Abraham s willingness to sacrifice his son and will therefore forgive those who hear the shofar s blasts. In this way, just as the shofar blasts remind us to turn our hearts towards repentance, they also remind God to forgive us for our trespasses. This Lenten season, we too will be hearing the blast of a shofar at various times during our worship services in the coming weeks. May the musical blast of the shofar remind us also to turn our hearts toward repentance. Excerpts taken from the following online articles: history.html history 13

14 Thoughts from the counters So really how important are those Offering envelopes that I have?! Oops forgot mine oh, well I ll just use the envelope on the chair. As long as I put money in there, it ll be fine! We ve all felt that way at some point. And we all moan and groan over those little envelopes! BUT they are truly more important than we can possibly know. Just ask a counter! (You know those people who count the money in the offering plates after worship.) Recently it was discovered that they were here for several HOURS after church one Sunday, just trying to match up what was given with the proper donor and all because of that little number on those little envelopes. So here are a few suggestions that they would like to pass on to you PLEASE remember to use your envelope for your offering If you don t have your envelope, please put your number on a blank one If you aren t able to use an envelope on a given Sunday, please put your number on your check Please do not tape the envelopes Print your name and other information Please complete the information on the front of the envelope (if nothing is designated, the offering will always go into the General Fund) If you fill out the Other line item, please specify what is Other (music, education, building, etc) All these items just make it more efficient for our wonderful counters to complete their tasks. We do want them to know how much we appreciate all they do every week! Thank you, COUNTERS!! And THANK YOU, congregation, for making these important adjustments! Lenten Potluck March 12 Memorial Garden Cleaning March 8 Spring Cleaning Day March 15 Lunch Bunch March 19 Men s Small Group March 8 & 22 Memorials Dedication March 23 14

15 Pictures of the Month Doris and Irving at our 90th Birthday Party The Tolanders give their gift of music. Souper Bowl Sunday skit and collection. New Information Display 15

16 SHEPHERD OF THE HILLS LUTHERAN the SHEPHERD S VOICE CHURCH the SHEPHERD S VOICE Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church Caspian Way Clermont, Florida Phone: Web: Click HERE to view the church calendar