CONNECTION. Pastor Michael J. Albrecht. March Beauty and Pleasure. Church Staff

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1 Beauty and Pleasure CONNECTION Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, people say. Some of us admire the beauty of freshly fallen snow, while others see only the work that needs to be done with a shovel or a plow, and the danger of falling on an icy sidewalk. People also say beauty is more than skin deep. Your first impression of a stranger may be that he or she looks rather ordinary, but when you get to know a person, you may be smitten by an unexpectedly kind and generous spirit. Beauty comes in many different forms. Our eyes see beauty in the Mona Lisa and our ears hear beauty in the Hallelujah Chorus. Beauty brings pleasure to our hearts and lives. How much are we willing to pay for beauty and pleasure? People spend millions of dollars on cosmetics and perfumes and jewelry. We invest in our lawns and flower gardens. We celebrate Christmas with trees and lights and we expect fireworks on the Fourth of July. Beauty and pleasure also enhance our worship. Architecture and stained glass are complemented by candles and vestments and flowers, including poinsettias at Christmas and Easter lilies. Of course, we could get along without most of these beautiful things if we had to, and our fellow Christians in other parts of the world who have to endure persecution or the threat of persecution do not get to enjoy all the beauty that we may take for granted. In some Christian churches it is customary to remove some beauty during the season of Lent. They bury the Alleluias and they do not place flowers on the altar. This can be a reminder that Jesus had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him when He bore our griefs and carried our sorrows. But even so, Lent has a beauty of its own. God demonstrated His own love for us in this: while we were sinners, Christ died for us. Pastor Michael J. Albrecht 460 Annapolis Street West / West Saint Paul, MN March Church Staff Pastor Michael J. Albrecht malbrecht@saintjameslutheran.com Pastor Dale Critchley Cell: dcritchley@saintjameslutheran.com Pastor Ralph M. Rokke rrokke@saintjameslutheran.com Pastor Richard H. Stadler Cell: rstadler@saintjameslutheran.com Terese Thune Youth Director tthune@saintjameslutheran.com Shirley Hess Parish Nurse pnstjlc@saintjameslutheran.com Heather Wald Office Administrator hwald@saintjameslutheran.com General Address stjlc@saintjameslutheran.com Worship Services Sundays 8AM & 10:30 AM Monday 6:30 PM Lord s Supper: 1st and 3rd Sunday and following Monday Bible Studies Sunday 9:10 AM Tuesday 10:00 AM Saturday 8:00 AM divided as follows: Women: 2nd / 4th Saturday Men: 1st / 3rd / 5th Saturday

2 NAT-Force to Host Town Hall Meeting Between Services on Sunday March 5 I sit in the fifth pew, lectern side, just about every Sunday. That s a fact. But it doesn t tell you much, does it? Is it because my children and grandchildren show up around there? Is it because that s where I can hear best? Maybe because someone I love tells me to sit there? You can t always tell much from the facts, can you? On the other hand, if you were to ask me why I sit there, it wouldn t take you long to find out. The Needs Assessment Task Force, formed to make recommendations on staffing at our church, partly because Pastor Rokke is retiring on October 31, 2017, partly because we need to think about staffing overall, shared many Church Facts last month. All by themselves, they really don t tell us that much. It takes talking about them for the facts to take on meaning. Here s an example. Adam and Mike, adept at both analysis and spreadsheet, scoured our church database and determined with our pastors how many people call Saint James their church home. But what did the number mean? That we need more staff? Less staff? Different staffing roles? Different counters? Try this fact. Our membership is equally divided among four major age quadrants. But what does that mean? That we have a healthy distribution of age groups? That we lack focus in our ministries? That our decades long focus on ministries to our youth and aging populations hasn t made a difference? Or that it has? One more? It s a fact that attendance at our services over the last ten years has declined at about the same rate we see in other churches, but our offerings have increased over the same period. What does this mean in terms of staffing? You could draw different conclusions and support them with the facts. The fact is the NATF has been bold about sharing Church Facts, but shy about interpreting them for our congregation. The member who has spent most of her decades at Saint James is going to have keen insights into what these facts tell us about our congregation, its strengths and weaknesses. But so will the teen who has just been confirmed. So will I when I see Saint James confirmation class pictures with dozens but also recall life in a new born congregation with one or two confirmed youth a year. What our Church Facts mean for us as we consider our staffing needs is something seven NATF members can t determine for Saint James. We all need to talk with each other, to synthesize meaning and direction from the facts. That is what our Town Hall meeting between the services on March 5 th is for. Please come ready to talk. In the month of March the NATF will begin to outline staffing options for Saint James Lutheran. We have waited this long because we have wanted to assess the facts of who we are and to hear what we collectively believe these facts mean. We have forced ourselves to have no preconceived direction, but to listen to what our fellow believers have to say. But now we start. And we want to start with your voices ringing in our ears. NATF Contact List Monica Bahls, David Farley, Stan Krueger, monica.bahls@wbdlaw.com dfarley01@comcast.net ruthkrueger@msn.com Mike Bock, Bernie Maday, Adam Readinger, bockmb@gmail.com adamreadinger@gmail.com Mariann Peterschick, mpeterschick@msn.com 2

3 Service Time Change for Town Hall Meeting with President Nadasdy on Sunday March 26 The Elders and Vestry have been working on a new/revised strategic plan, which they hope will be helpful to the NAT-Force as they formulate recommendations regarding future staffing at our church. The February Elders meeting included a lengthy discussion of the question whether the time has come for Saint James to join The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. It seems prudent to gather some up-to-date information to facilitate a discussion of the pros and cons. Therefore, the Elders decided to invite President Dean Nadasdy of the Minnesota South District to come to Saint James and explain to us how this might work. The Elders propose to assemble a list of questions we would like to ask President Nadasdy, and send the list to him ahead of time, so he can come prepared to address the congregation and answer our questions. You are invited to submit your questions by , or phone call, or by speaking in person to any of the Elders listed in the sidebar. Please get your questions in by Sunday March 19, so we can transmit them to President Nadasdy and give him time to prepare. The Elders want to make it clear that we have not made a decision to apply for membership. We simply want to have accurate information about how the process would work, if we were to proceed. The decision whether or not to proceed will be made later by the congregation. President Nadasdy has agreed to come on Sunday March 26. If we meet between services, this limits us to about 45 minutes of actual meeting time. That may not be sufficient. The Worship Committee discussed this and decided to adjust our schedule to have a summer Sunday in March and hold one service at 9:00, followed by our meeting with President Nadasdy. In consultation with our Sunday School Superintendents, it has been decided not to have Sunday School on March 26, so the Sunday School teachers can attend this meeting. We will do our best to have child care available during the meeting for younger children. Elders Contact List Mark Reichenbach m.reichenbach@yahoo.com Joan Bartholomew joanbart@comcast.net Ron Ecker rcecker@q.com Jim Frantzen frantzen78@gmail.com Bethany Grimm reinbr@gmail.com Stanley Krueger ruthkrueger@msn.com Cathryn Miller miller.david.g@comcast.net Dick Miller minncorndog@gmail.com Judy Murray judymurray@usfamily.net Sean O Malley spomalley1@gmail.com Patrick Wicker pjkwicker@comcast.net If you have any questions or comments, please contact one of the elders listed on the sidebar. 3

4 The Forty Days of Lent Begin on March 1 Prayer Is Crucial Ash Wednesday falls on March 1 this year. As is our custom here at Saint James, we will read the Passion History together once again, as we observe the forty days of Lent in services each Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. The season of Lent is a time of prayer, and the theme for this year s Lenten sermon series will be Prayer Is Crucial. The sermons will focus on the seven words of Jesus from the cross, combining each one with a petition of the Lord s Prayer. Ash Wed Mar 1 Pastor Rokke The Indispensable Thing Mar 8 Pastor Albrecht That s a Promise Mar 15 Pastor Critchley The Name of Forgiveness Mar 22 Pastor Rokke God-Forsaken or Not Mar 29 Pastor Albrecht Jesus Wants a Drink Apr 5 Pastor Critchley Is God s Will Accomplished? If you attend the 11:00 AM service, there will be a simple meal of soup and sandwiches available at noon. There will also be a Lenten Supper served from 5:00-6:00 p.m. each Wednesday in the Fellowship Room. Invite your neighbors and friends to come along with you! Lenten Lunches 12:00 p.m. following the 11:00 a.m. Service Join us in the Fellowship Room for soup, sandwiches, and dessert, Wednesdays, March 1 - April 5. The lunches are hosted by the Health & Wellness Committee. We look forward to seeing you there! Lenten Meals 5:00 p.m. followed by the 6:30 p.m. Service March 1 - Ladies Guild serving Sloppy Joes March 8 - Youth serving Pasta March 15 - Vestry serving Corned Beef March 22 - Youth serving Tacos March 29 - Choir serving Chili April 5 - Altar Guild serving brats, beans, sauerkraut Altar Guild will meet Wednesday, March 1st in the Fireside Room immediately following the 6:30 p.m. Ash Wednesday Lenten Service. 4

5 Pastor Albrecht s Bible Class Sundays, 9:15 a.m in the Fireside Room The Remarkable Gospel of Mark Chapter fifteen concludes with the burial of Jesus, and chapter sixteen begins with His resurrection. How is Jospeh of Arimathea similar to Joseph the carpenter? How is he different? Did Joseph and Pontius Pilate already know each other? Was this the first time Joseph made his support for Jesus public? How old was Joseph when Jesus died? What did Pilate imply by giving Joseph permission to bury Jesus? Does Mark want us to recall the burial of John the Baptist? Did all of the women who watched Joseph bury Jesus return to the tomb early on Sunday morning? Were the women expecting to see an angel? Did they say anything to the angel? Why did the angel mention Peter by name? How does Mark s Gospel end? Your comments and questions are encouraged. Audio CDs will be available at the Welcome Center or you can download the recordings from our Saint James web site and listen at your convenience. Pastor Stadler s Bible Class Sundays, 9:15 a.m in the Chapel Chapel Bible Class Dives into Revelation in March In March, we look at the bewildering symbols and images in Revelation What do the 7 seals and the 7 trumpets represent? Our thesis for this study is that there is nothing in The Revelation that hasn t already been taught in the Gospels and the rest of the Bible. John is told that what he is being shown is going to happen soon, so we expect that these images meant something to the first readers in the first century. But since they are Holy Scripture, they also inform our faith for our times, too. The theme that runs through the entire book is that God wins, and Satan loses. This book was intended to fortify Christians in their Christian faith during a time of renewed persecution. We can approach The Revelation with the confidence that in it are nuggets of Gospel to give us hope in the midst of a turbulent, scary world. All participants are welcomed to ask their questions, suggest their own interpretations, or just sit and listen. Welcome. 5 Saturday Morning Women s Bible Study Reading Romans The women will meet in the Fireside Room on March 11 & 25. The doors open at 8:00 and Pastor Albrecht joins the group at about 8:30. All women are welcome. Does Paul expect the Romans to know the story of his conversion on the road to Damascus? Paul is sitting in Corinth as he writes to the Romans. Do we hear echoes from his second letter to the Corinthians? Is Paul s letter to the Romans a fundraising appeal? Did Paul expect to come to Rome as a prisoner? All women are cordially invited to join the discussion. Saturday Morning Men s Bible Study The Epistle of James The men will meet on March 4 & 18 to begin discussion of chapter 5. Does James expect the rich to hear this harsh criticism or is he talking to people who are suffering exploitation by the rich? Donuts and bagels are usually provided. Bring your own beverage, if you like. All men are cordially invited to join the discussion.

6 March is Food Share Month The campaign has already begun and goes through April 2nd. Five reasons to donate to Neighbors this March: 1. This annual effort helps raise more than half the food distributed by food shelves in the state. 2. Neighbors food shelf serves more than 500 families each month. 3. An average of 60,000 pounds of food is distributed through the food shelf each month. 4. One in 10 Minnesota families experiences food insecurity percent of the contributions go to hunger relief. February Funeral February 13 Alan Drenckhahn Condolences to his wife, Joyce, and sons, Theron and Daniel. This means your donation to Neighbors, Inc. is about to have a major impact! Almost 3 million visits to food shelves in Minnesota were made for children and seniors. Please help your neighbors in need by donating to Neighbors during this March campaign. Items needed: canned fruit, canned meat, pancake mix, corn, spaghetti, chili, canned soup, applesauce, shampoo, toothpaste, toilet paper and diapers size 5-6. Blessings and Thank you for your donations. Just bring them to church and they will be delivered to Neighbors! ~ Saint James Care Corps 6

7 Parish Nurse Notes Basics of Kidneys The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs about the size of a fist. They are located in the middle of the back, on the right and left side of the spine. Kidneys serve as a filter for the blood, and filter extra water out of the body and wastes out of the blood through the urine. Kidneys help control blood pressure and produce hormones that the body needs. If the kidneys are damaged, the wastes build up in the body. More than 20 million Americans have kidney disease, and even more people are at risk. Damage to kidneys usually occurs slowly and over many years. The damage is often due to diabetes or high blood pressure, and is termed chronic kidney disease. If the kidney function changes suddenly due to illness, injury or certain medications, it is termed acute kidney injury. When the kidney function becomes too dysfunctional, dialysis is required. Weddings February 11 Renewal of Vows Caitlin & Connor Christensen February 17 Shiovie Bornales & Daniel Ellingson Main factors in the development of kidney disease are: diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, or a family history of kidney disease. The initial phase of kidney disease displays no symptoms. One may not feel differently until the disease is advanced. A blood test is used to check kidneys functioning and filtering. Urine tests can also be used to detect glucose or protein, which are indicators of kidney function. Tips to help maintain healthy kidneys: Maintain blood pressure in range your care provider recommends (around 120/80-140/90). If you are diabetic, keep blood glucose level stable Keep cholesterol in good range (less than 200) Take medications as indicated and prescribed by your doctor Reduce salt intake (2300 milligrams of sodium daily) - read labels! Eat healthy Limit alcohol Be physically active If overweight, lose weight Omit the use of tobacco These are all tips for general good health! How we care for our body is an important responsibility. Each organ and system work together to make the entire body work properly. It is amazing what God has created! Let us praise and thank Him daily. Blessings and Peace, Shirley Hess, Parish Nurse 7

8 Tiger McLuen Working with the Elders on Strategic Planning Since Pastor Rokke will be retiring at the end of October, the NAT- Force has been asked to bring one or more recommendations to the congregation regarding future staffing. They are working hard to be ready to do so by the congregational meeting in May. The NAT-Force Charter that was adopted by the congregation instructs the NAT-Force to consult with the Elders, because the Elders and Vestry are working on a new/revised strategic plan, and they hope to have something ready to present to the congregation in May. The January Vestry meeting included a presentation by Tiger McLuen, the President of Youth Leadership/Church Consulting. He has come to speak at Saint James in the past and has some familiarity with our church. He talked about a clear vision of our core values that is shared by a large group of people. He recommended pictures that make people passionate about the goals we aim to reach. After his presentation, he left and the Vestry discussed what they had heard, and decided they would like to have Tiger help them with strategic planning. He will be meeting with the Elders and Vestry on March 6. New Luther Movie Coming Soon to a Local Theater Plans are being made in collaborat io n wit h LCMS churches in our area to host the new Luther movie at a local theater. More information will be coming as it becomes available. To see the trailer click on the link: How Care Corps Started In the early 1980s there were many inquiries to the church for services from both congregational and non-congregational families, seeking help with doctor appointments, grocery shopping, housework, and respite care. Marybelle Johnson, with the assistance of Pastor Johnson, assembled six women and formed a group to meet this need. Soon other members came forward, and the group became known as Care Corps. This group has grown to what it is today, a group of caring people who volunteer their time and talents to serve others who are in need of some help. ~ Donna Furey 8

9 Sign Up for Pastor Albrecht s Lutherland Tour by March 15 Pastor Albrecht and Donna will lead a tour to Lutherland August 31-September 12, 2017 in connection with the international celebration of the 500 th anniversary of Martin Luther s posting of the 95 Theses. A $250 per person down payment is required. Thirteen people have already signed up, and 13 spaces are still available. If we get a total of 26 travelers, we won t have to share our bus with another group. Reservations are requested by March 15, and final payment is due by June 26, The original cost of $4,545 per person for this tour, quoted by Globus, includes all hotels, entrance fees, 11 breakfasts and 8 dinners, and airfare. This included an estimated cost of a little over $1,700 for airfare. Thanks to Mavis Post, our friendly travel agent, airfare is now available for $ per person. This brings the total cost of the trip down to $3, per person. The Wartburg Castle Where Martin Luther translated the New Testament into German Twenty airline reservations are being held at this price, available on a first come basis. Some travelers want to go early and meet us there when we arrive. Others wish to stay longer when the group comes home. If there are more than twenty people who want to travel with the group, the cost of airfare may be slightly higher for those who sign up after the first twenty seats are taken. If you have any questions, please contact Mavis at International Cruise and Tour or mavis@intlcruisetour.com Brochures with detailed itinerary are available at the Welcome Center or from Pastor Albrecht. Pictures and Stories from India and Bhutan During the Bible class hour on Sunday March 12, Pastor Albrecht will show pictures and tell stories from his recent trip to India and Bhutan. The currency crisis in India made this year s trip a little different from previous trips. Furthermore, the Bible Faith Lutheran Church hopes to send two pastors to the United States this Fall for graduate study. Yogen Chhetri and his wife Kamla operate the Himalayan School of Music in Bhutan, a Bhuddhist country on the northeast border of India. One of the highlights of this first visit was the baptism of three young people. All are welcome to come to the Fireside Room for this presentation. There will be plenty of time to ask questions. 9

10 Are you dreaming of spring gardening? Now is the time to plan your spring gardens and support the youth! The youth of Saint James will be offering Gerten's hanging baskets, bedding plants, perennials, and garden decorations for sale as a fundraiser in the month of March. Proceeds will benefit the 22 youth traveling to work and serve at Camp Restore in New Orleans this summer. Plant pickup will happen on Saturday, May 20th. Pine Car Derby & Car Show On Sunday March 12th! On Sunday, March 12th drop by the Narthex to see the Pine Car show and then stay for the races at noon! We have two categories one for the youth and one for "Old Timers". Cars must be submitted by Sunday, March 5th to Terese or Roger so they can be set up for the car show and all racers need to be weighted by Roger Ohmann! Contact Roger or Terese with any questions or if you need more time to prepare your car! The youth category is for ages pre-k through 8th grade and the "Old Timers" is for 9th grade through adult. Dust off your pine cars from the 1950's to the new fangled designs of today and bring them in for the show and maybe enter them into the race as well! We will have awards in each category for best design & speed. This event is fun for all ages so come down for lunch and to cheer your favorite race car and rub elbows with your church family. Indoor Rock Climbing- Sunday March 19th Contact Terese if you want to go rock climbing after church on Sunday, March 19th. More details are on her office door! Calling all YOUTH to Serve! Contact Terese if you are able to help serve a meal to your church family on Wednesday, March 8th or March 22nd during Lent. Times are 4:30-5pm, 5pm-6pm, 5:45pm-6:30pm & 7:30-8pm for the final clean-up. 10

11 March Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Saint James Lutheran Connection Submissions for the April issue are due March :00am Ash Wednesday Divine Service with Holy Communion 12:00pm Lenten Lunch 5:00pm Confirmation Class 5:00pm Lenten Meal 6:30pm Ash Wednesday Divine Service with Holy Communion 7:30pm Altar Guild Meeting 7:30pm Saint James Choir Rehearsal 2 6:30pm Puppet Theater 3 5:00pm - 11:00pm Puppet Conference 4 8:00am Men s Bible Study 8:00am - 5:00pm Puppet Conference 5 8:00am Divine Service with Holy Communion 9:15am Town Hall Meeting 9:15am Sunday School 10:30am Divine Service with Holy Communion 6 4:30pm Executive Committee Meeting 6:30pm Evening SonRise Contemporary Worship 7:30pm Handbells 7:45pm Elders/ Vestry 7 10:00am Mark Bible Class 6;30pm NATF 7:00pm DDD 8 11:00am Lenten Worship 12:00pm Lenten Lunch 5:00pm Confirmation Class 5:00pm Meal 6:30pm Lenten Worship 7:30pm Saint James Choir Rehearsal 9 6:30pm Puppet Theater 10 10:00am Lilydale 11 8:00am Women s Bible Study 12 8:00am Worship Service 9:15am Pictures of India and Bhutan 9:15am Sunday School 10:30am Worship Service 11:30am A3 Event: Pine Car Racing 13 9:00am James Staricha Visitation 10:00am James Staricha Funeral 6:30pm Evening SonRise Contemporary Worship 7:30pm Handbells 14 10:00am Mark Bible Class 2:00pm Wilder 514 6:00pm Youth Committee Meeting 6:30pm NATF 7:00pm Stewardship Committee Meeting 7:00pm DDD 15 11:00am Lenten Worship 12:00pm Lenten Lunch 5:00pm Confirmation Class 5:00pm Meal 6:30pm Lenten Worship 7:30pm Saint James Choir Rehearsal Germany Tour Sign-up Deadline 16 6:30pm Puppet Theater 17 9:00am Wilder :00am Men s Bible Study 19 8:00am Divine Service with Holy Communion 9:15am Puppet Show 9:15am Sunday School and Bible Classes 10:30am Divine Service with Holy Communion 12:00pm Rock Climbing 20 6:30pm Evening SonRise Contemporary Worship 7:30pm Handbells 21 10:00am Mark Bible Class 6:30pm NATF 7:00pm DDD 22 11:00am Lenten Worship 12:00pm Lenten Lunch 5:00pm Confirmation Class 5:00pm Meal 6:30pm Lenten Worship 7:30pm Saint James Choir Rehearsal 23 6:30pm Puppet Theater 24 7:00pm Family Game Night 25 8:00am Women s Bible Study 26 9:00am Worship Service 10:00am Town Hall Meeting with President Nadasdy 27 6:30pm Evening SonRise Contemporary Worship 7:30pm Handbells 7:45pm Vestry 28 10:00am Mark Bible Class 6:30pm NATF 7:00pm DDD 29 11:00am Lenten Worship 12:00pm Lenten Lunch 5:00pm Confirmation Class 5:00pm Meal 6:30pm Lenten Worship 7:30pm Saint 11 James Choir Rehearsal 30 6:30pm Puppet Theater 31