November 2012 Monthly Newsletter of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church -LCMS SHEPHERD S VOICE. Mark Your Calendar Dance Worship. 11.

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1 November 2012 Monthly Newsletter of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church -LCMS SHEPHERD S VOICE Mark Your Calendar Why We Celebrate Reformation Sunday A Word from Pastor 11.3 Dance 11.4 Worship Worship Worship Thanksgiving Eve Worship Worship Advent Dinner Advent Worship Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." On October 28, 2012, at our church, we celebrated Reformation Sunday. If people (not just Lutherans) remember anything about Martin Luther, it s that he nailed the 95 Theses on the Wittenberg Church door in These propositions or statements addressed abuses in the Roman Catholic Church and pointed her back to Christ-centered worship. Luther the theologian and reformer has much to teach us about man s failed attempts to reach God through being good people. People are convinced deep inside that God exists, and then if we are going to get right with Him, we are going to have to do it ourselves. How do we convince God to be on our side? Luther said that all people have a problem. And that s the spiritual problem of our condition of sin. The Bible says we can t get right with God. We can t climb Jacob s Ladder or climb a stairway to heaven and meet God. Because God loves us, He came down to meet us in the form of His Son, Jesus Christ. God bridges the gap through His own saving work and effort through His Son, Jesus. Continued on next page

2 Reformation Sunday, continued Do-gooders think that if they do enough good in this life, then they can go to heaven and be with God. This is the moralist approach that Luther said doesn t work. If we just get back in line, God will be pleased with us. Nothing could be further from the truth. It s only natural to think that if Jesus did this for me, then I must DO something for Him. Jesus then becomes my example. This is like a credit card offer. No interest for the first year sound familiar? After the first year is up, we begin to pay a lot. This is like Jesus who saves us, and then Moses comes in and tells us what the real interest rate is. God isn t after people doing their best. Although that s the kind of soft-core moralism that is popular today. Luther taught us that our works must be seen in a faithful context, not in a moral context. God does not need our good works. Our neighbor needs our help. Jesus came not as our example, but as our Savior who lived a perfect life by fulfilling every work that would be required of us. We live in this saved condition (Ephesians 2: 8-9) by grace through faith. Christians are free to live our lives and do work to the glory of God. This work is for the good of our neighbor. The solution is not found in climbing the ladder, but in Jesus efforts to come down. Christ descended to us so that He may climb the ladder of the cross for us. He came down to earth, so that we don t have to climb up! That s Luther gift for all people that he pointed us to Jesus as the only path to heaven. In 5 years, in 2017, all Christians, not just Lutherans, should join in the celebration of the Reformation. Luther was a man for all seasons. If you wish to learn more and keep your study light, see the movie Luther, (2003) starring Joseph Fiennes. Or you might try the graphic novel, Luther: Echoes of the Hammer (2011) by Susan K. Leigh. Senior Youth Our Senior Youth were busy this month making apple butter to sell as a fundraiser for their trip to the National Youth Convention in TX. Cooking it in a copper kettle over an open fire proved to be a lot more fun than peeling all of the apples! The youth took turns stirring the kettle for about 4 ½ hours and ended up with 61 quarts worth of apple butter. Thank you to all of the parents that helped that day as well as Verda Adkisson, Eldora Lowry, and Roy & Karen Ricterkessing. We also want to thank Roy for the use of the modified watering trough that held the heat on the kettle. This shortened the cooking time by at least an hour. On October 30, we enjoyed eating with several of our church members at the Round Table. This added $124 to our Convention fund. We would like to thank everyone who came out to make this event a success! We also want to thank the Men s Club and the anonymous donors for contributing $410 to our Senior Youth this month. We are getting closer to our goal, only $4600 left to go! Lauren Sieder, Matthew Hoek, Shelby Mechlin, Lindsey Adkisson, Danny Hoek, Cody Jaeger, Brittany Mechlin, Caleb Graham, Katie Hoek, and Jon & Donna Hoek were registered to attend the National Youth Convention in San Antonio, TX, July 1 5, We should receive confirmation of their registration acceptance in January. We have made a $100 deposit for each person attending with the remaining $195/person due by May 1 to qualify for the express registration. We have also applied for a Texas tax exempt certification which will help save money on our hotel accommodations and other purchases in Texas. Our next meeting will be at the Hoek s home on Friday, November 16 at 6:00 p.m. We will have a Bible Study followed by pool, ping pong, and video games. Please feel free to invite a friend! Printed in revised form in Centralia Fireside Guard

3 November 4 "The ONE Vote That Changed the World" Lutheran Hour Speaker: Rev. Gregory Seltz As important as the U.S. election is, there once was a much bigger vote that made an eternal difference. God cast that vote on your behalf. (Revelation 7:9-17) November 4 All Saints Day Message: Broken or Tame Text: Matthew 5: 1-12 November th Sunday after Pentecost Message: Not as it Seems Text: Mark 12: November th Sunday after Pentecost Message: Spiritual ADHD Text: Mark 13: 1-13 November 25 Last Sunday of Church Year Message: Coming Soon Near Text: Matthew 25:1-13 Monday Worship at 6:00 p.m. each week Thanksgiving Worship November 21 at 7:00 p.m. November 11 "The One Important Day" Lutheran Hour Speaker: Rev. Gregory Seltz Victory at last! You can have faith that you will prevail in the end because Jesus paid the price of your eternal freedom. (Hebrews 9:24-28) November 18 "There is a Right Way to Live Life" Lutheran Hour Speaker: Rev. Gregory Seltz By faith, the life of thanksgiving knows who God is, knows what God has done for us, and can trust in Him even when things seem uncertain at the moment. (1 Thessalonians 5:17-19) November 25 "Delivered" Speaker Emeritus of The Lutheran Hour: Rev. Dr. Ken Klaus Our deliverance came at the expense of another. (2 Timothy 4:18) Advent Dinner November 28 at 6:00 p.m. Advent Worship November 28 at 7:00 p.m. TELLING LOVING CARING in Christ

4 PRAYER CORNER SICK: Jeanette Stelzer Chemo treatments. She is the mother of Russell Stelzer and Palmyra Dubbert. Johnny and Georgia Trammell Johnny suffering with cancer. Uncle and Aunt of Jeff Bird Mary Darby in hospital in Fort Myers, Florida. Sister of Jane St. John. Karsen Trentham Friedreich s Atazia; son of Eric and Kim Trentham Nichole Wood taking treatments; granddaughter of Ed and Sheryl Bartels; mother of Elleigh and Bayleigh Wood. Carol Hoffman, Ralph Ostmann, Mark Ramsey son of Ed Ramsey; Dennis Adkins Jon Hoek recovering at home following an emergency appendectomy October 27. ARMED FORCES OF OUR COUNTRY Chris Macklin nephew of Ernestine Ramsey Ray Finlay husband of Suzanne (Hedberg) Finlay, Diton J. Parker son of David and Emma Parker; grandson of Margaret Parker Joe Martin nephew of Palmyra Dubbert and Russell Stelzer Dylan Kempker son of LeeAnn Mahieu Gregg Allmon grandson of Edgar and Mary Orth Caleb Bohlmeyer, Marcus and Mathew Younger, Jeremy Mitchell, Chris Greve, Justin Thurston, Ethan Lee son of Steve and Nancy Lee; grandson of Dick and Norma Keil. Matthew Bolin being deployed to Syria; grandson of Ed and Jean Morse Ryan Ball in Afghanistan; grandson of Betty Ball.

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6 SEEN & HEARD The following is an edited Lutheran Witness (LW) interview with Rev. Stephen Starke (SS): LW: What sparked your interest in hymn writing? SS: I have loved hymns since my childhood, and I recall playing hymns from The Lutheran Hymnal on our piano when I was a young boy. I attempted writing my first hymn text when I was in my final year at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind. I was encouraged by those with whom I shared that text, and so I kept working at the craft. LW: What makes a good hymn, theologically and musically? SS: Theologically, a good hymn from a Lutheran perspective is Christ-centered, biblically grounded, doctrinally precise and rightly distinguishes Law and Gospel. Other linguistic issues also help make a good hymn, issues pertaining to the integrity of the poetry itself: proper rhyme and meter, freshness of expression, easily understood language and imagery while retaining the corporate nature of a hymn text. Musically, a good hymn is one in which the music serves the text and does not overwhelm the text. Luther once wrote that music is the handmaiden of theology, and his words still ring true today. A good hymn tune is one in which the music is churchly in character and singable by a group of people, both melodically and rhythmically, music that is congregational in nature and not soloistic. LW: What kind of foundation does our Lutheran theology provide for a hymnist? SS: Lutheran theology provides a unique foundation due to it'schrist-centered focus. One may also add to this our Lutheran understanding that the justification of the sinner by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone is the central theological truth of Holy Scripture. These two points are like two eyes that help provide vision and focus for a Lutheran hymnist. LW: Describe the challenge of leading the Hymnody Committee that produced LSB, a hymnal that has sold more than 1 million copies. SS: Looking back on the Lutheran Hymnal Project, it is now hard to believe how much work was accomplished by the men and women who were a part of not only my committee but also the other committees. The challenge was daunting, but the leadership provided by Dr. Paul Grime, project director, and the support provided by all those connected to the Commission on Worship helped keep all the committees coordinated. The Hymnody Committee's chief objective was merging the streams of our Synods' hymnal history represented by The Lutheran Hymnal of 1941, Lutheran Worship of 1982 and incorporating some of the best of the Hymnal Supplement 98. We also reviewed additional hymn collections and submissions. Our goal was to produce a hymnal that would be the most helpful to the worship life of the LCMS, and hopefully be embraced by the largest possible number of congregations. LW: Everyone has a favorite hymn. Whats yours? SS: There are so many beloved hymns, but I guess I would have to say my favorite is Paul Gerhardt's "A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth," set to the tune An Wasserflssen Babylon. Gerhardt does an amazing job of writing in a very personal way about Isaiah 53 and the atonement. I love the dialogue that takes place between the Father and the Son and then Gerhardt's reflection on what Christ's death means for us and for all. What joy for each person, individually, to be robed in Christ's blood-bought righteousness! I believe this hymn is also a great example of how a tune can support a text, as this tune has an understated strength and a broad range of feeling that underscore Gerhardt's marvelous words. LW: LSB includes hymns by Martin Luther as well as contemporary hymnists like you. Will the hymns sung by our great-grandchildren differ from those we love today? SS: Hymnody has changed over the years. Yet in spite of all the changes, time has served as the great sifter, sifting out texts and tunes of enduring value. These gems have been preserved for the Church of our present day. I recognize that the passage of time eventually will sift through my hymn texts, and I can only hope that those that are considered worthy will remain to help teach the faith to future generations. In that sense, some of the hymns our great-grandchildren will be singing may indeed be different hymns, written by future hymnists with tunes by future composers. But, prayerfully, the Christ-centered textual content of the hymns and the churchly and congregational character of the tunes will still be the standards of measure. Rev. Stephen P. Starke has written more than 175 hymns, including 32 in LSB. He has also written for special occasions church anniversary celebrations and the wedding of his daughter. He served as chairman of the Hymnody Committee for the Lutheran Hymnal Project that led to the 2006 release of LSB. He calls that eight-year task a daunting but rewarding challenge. "A hymnal is truly a treasure chest of the best of the past as well as what is considered worthy from the present time," Starke says. Since 2000, Starke, 56, has served as pastor of St. John Lutheran Church--Amelith in Bay City, Mich. Last year, Concordia Publishing House released We Praise You and Acknowledge You, O Lord, the first CD collection of Starkes hymns. The disc includes what is probably his best-known hymn in LCMS circles, "The Tree of Life." (Visit Reprinted from the March 2012 The Lutheran Witness article by Kim Plummer Krull

7 Women s Guild is taking orders for Christmas Cards. Samples are on the table by the narthex window. Last day to order is November 11. Cards will be here by Thanksgiving. LWML DISASTER RESPONSE OPPORTUNITY Our Women s Guild here at Good Shepherd decided at our last meeting to participate in gathering Mercy Kits to bring relief to those who have been the victims of tornadoes and floods. This was BEFORE any of us knew Hurricane Sandy was on the way! We will be gathering items for the Mercy Kits through November. LWML NEWS Women s Guild will meet on Thursday, November 8, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. at church. Hostess will be Jacki Stelzer and topic will be led by Palmyra Dubbert. Election of officers for Vice President and Treasurer will be held. We are selling Christmas Cards again this year. During the month of November we are collecting items for relief kits for people suffering from natural disasters. All women are invited to join us for our meetings or activities. You can come visit our meetings anytime, with no obligation to become a member. It s a great way to enjoy fellowship and make friends with other Christian Women. Contents to be included are: One bath towel, dark color recommended One wash cloth, dark color recommended One bath-size bar (4 5 oz) of soap, any brand, in original wrapping One adult sized toothbrush in its original packaging One tube of toothpaste One sturdy comb, remove packaging 6 Band-Aids (or similar brand), medium size, secured together All items should be in new condition. You can wrap the smaller items in the washcloth. Wrap the washcloth and the remaining items in the larger towel. How to wrap the items in the towel: Spread the towel out flat. On the two long sides of the towel fold in about 5 inches on both sides. Place everything in the center, between these folds and then roll the towel up. To secure the rolled towel use strong cord or a strong ribbon securely tied at both ends. These Mercy Kits pack very nicely in boxes.

8 Caring and Serving Ministry Jesus said, This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God s People, but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. 2 Corinthians 9:12 GOOD SHEPHERD CARE MINISTRY Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. (1 Peter 4.10) Please notify the Care Ministry if you need any of these services: Meals for families of those hospitalized or otherwise incapacitated. Delivery or pick up of medicine, or groceries for ill or shut-in Delivery of meals Transportation to physician appointments Light housekeeping Hospital or shut-in visits Other as needed Care Committee: Mary Orth (573) Jeff Bird (573) Kathy Dickey (573) Serving the Lord Acolytes 11/4 Tyler Smith Kelsey Jaeger 11/11 Madison Smith Audrey Seider 11/18 Abby Hoek Kallie Tunink 11/25 Katelyn Rakers Caden Bird Ushers 11/4 Gary Seider Matt Hoek 11/11 Russell Stelzer Dan Hoek 11/18 Gary Seider Steve Maseman 11/25 Ed Bartels Matt Hoek Nursery 11/4 worship Lisa Smith 11/11 worship Alane Gronefeld 11/18 Starr Nadler Lori Gesling 11/25 Crystal Oetting Amanda Tunink Readers 11/4 Dayna Graham 11/11 Ann Seider 11/18 Danny Nadler 11/25 Russell Stelzer Altar Guild Greeters Kitchen Kathy Dickey Karen Richterkessing Edgar and Mary Orth Dayna Graham Starr Nadler NEW ADDRESS Thelma Schindler is currently residing at The Bluffs in Columbia. Her address is: The Bluffs 3105 Bluff Creek Drive Room 219 Walnut Columbia, MO (Walnut is the hall designation) She has her own phone The family reports she is doing well and loves cards, calls and visits from friends.

9 SERVING THE LORD WITH OUR TREASURES Date Offering Amount Attendance 9/30/12 64/17 Current $ Building st S. School 8.00 Chris. Child Shipping Total /7/12 69/9 Current Building st Sunday School Chris. Child Shipping Total /14 74/13 Current Building St Sunday School 4.00 Chris. Child Shipping Total /21/ /12 Current Building St Sunday School 2.00 OCC T-shirt order Total /28/ /9 Current Building St Sunday School 2.00 Chris Child Shipping Lutheran Witness Sr Youth Apple Butter Total A CONVENIENT WAY TO CONTRIBUTE The church is now set up to accept donations on our website. Go to and you will find the Donate button on the lower right side of the home page. You may pick from six designations: General Fund, Building Fund, Benevolence Fund, Youth Group Trip (San Antonio 2013), Capital Improvement, and Memorials. You may donate two ways: Through PayPal or from your credit/debit card. When you enter your amount, you will see that the Total Amount field will include fees. This fee will be charged to you and it includes % of your donation. Thank you for your donations however you choose to give; whether online, in the offering basket at church, through the mail, or in person to the Treasurer or Financial Secretary. If you have any question, please let me know. Jacki Stelzer Offering designations: Current 10% of current offerings are designated for Missions. The balance is used for budget expenses. Building 100% of money designated for building stays in our congregation for budget expenses. Other funds are set up from time to time as needed. Money can be designated to those funds by simply noting it on your envelope. You do not need to use separate envelopes or separate checks as long as you include a note, or indicate on the envelope how it should be divided. $ is needed in current and building offerings each Sunday to meet our budget. It was reported at the October Congregation meeting that we are running close to budget for the last quarter.

10 November 2012 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY pm Dance 4 8:30 am Confirmation 8:45 am SSchool/Bible Class 10:00 am Worship 5 6:00 pm worship 6 9:00 am Bible Study 7 3:00pm Heritage Hall Worship 8 7:00 pm Women s Guild :30 am Confirmation 8:45 am SSchool/Bible Class 10:00 am Worship 12 6:00 pm Worship 13 9:00 am Bible Study 7:00pm Christian Growth :30 am Confirmation 8:45 am SSchool/Bible Class 10:00 am Worship 19 6:00 pm Worship 20 9:00 am Bible Study 7:00pm Worship Committee 21 7:00 pm Worship 22 Thanksgiving Day Community Thanksgiving Service 7pm Methodist Church 25 8:30 am Confirmation 8:45 am SSchool/Bible Class 10:00 am Worship 26 6:00 pm Worship 6:30 pm 27 9:00 am Bible Study 28 6:00 pm Advent Dinner 7:00 pm Worship Birthdays 11/1 Gregory Hedberg 11/4 Avery Oetting 11/7 Ed Bartels (75) 11/8 Oscar Kueker (91) 11/12 Allison Hulen 11/15 Sheryl Bartels 11/15 Madison Smith 11/16 Susan Harris 11/19 Tyler Smith 11/25 Jane St. John 11/26 Becky Jennings 11/27 Ed Bettenhausen 11/29 Thelma Schindler (91) 11/30 Curt Nadler 12/1 Brittany Mechlin Anniversaries 11/5 Jeff and Tracy Jaeger 11/11 Darrell and Alane Gronefeld 11/14 Brady and Cindy Toedebusch 11/15 Dick and Norma Keil 12/1 Greg and Hilary Hedberg

11 Psalm 119:105 Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, And a light unto my path. How many times have you read these treasured words or perhaps sung the hymn containing this refrain? We recognize how the words of the Bible add structure to our lives, and verses such as this one resonate with us daily. Last year, while on vacation at my sister-in-law s home in Holland, Michigan, this verse resonated with me in a worldly application. It was the first night of our visit and we were vacationing with Pastor John s two sisters and their families. We d stayed up late playing games, laughing, and singing our traditional, if off key, version of The Wreck of the Edmund FitzGerald (seems only appropriate when you re on one of the Great Lakes). We finally all agreed it was time to get some sleep so that we d be ready for the planned activities of the next day. Pastor and I were assigned our bedroom the same one we d stayed in the previous year and quickly said our prayers and dropped off to sleep. Somewhere around 3:00 a.m. I awoke and after lying there a while decided I would visit the ladies room. Knowing that it was right around the corner from our room, and not wanting to disturb anyone by turning on lights, I set off on my mission. No problem crossing the floor in the bedroom. Ah, there s the door; okay, just run my hand along the hall wall until you feel the opening and then turn left shouldn t be far. Gee, it s darker than I thought out here in the hall! Ah, there s the wall, keep walking; okay, there s the opening, now turn left, just a few steps. Suddenly, with my next step I felt my foot move downward into blank space, not the solid footing I had expected. The thought raced through my mind there s no step down into the bathroom! With that motion, the realization struck that I had overshot the entry into the bathroom and was now plunging down the stairway. I reached for the railing, wrenching my wrist and shoulder as I tumbled LOUDLY the ENTIRE length of the stairs, bruising my hip and hitting my head as I reached the bottom (fortunately I have a very hard head). Dazed, I quickly limped back up the stairs to the safety of my bedroom. However, my trip did not escape notice. Lights came on in the other bedrooms and hallway. I slowly emerged from my bedroom to find my sisters-in-laws standing in the hallway. Sheepishly I asked if they had heard a loud noise. Yes, what was that? Did something hit the house? To my total embarrassment, I admitted it was only me falling down the stairs. All the way? they asked. Yep, I admitted. Are you hurt? they asked in concern. Only my pride. How many times do we try to do things on our own, thinking we can handle things without God s guidance and protection? What a wonderful light God has provided for our lives through his chosen words of the Bible. What safety and direction we can find when we turn to those words and listen willingly in our time of need. The idea that God s word helps provide us with a light and a direction, to prevent us from stumbling over obstacles or from following paths that lead us into temptation and danger. God s words are a light to guide and a landmark to mark our way. When we shine the light of his word onto our thoughts and actions, we see them as they are not distorted or hidden in shadows. Sometimes we are embarrassed by how far we have strayed from his path. But all we need do, is look for the light-- look back to what God tells us in his word, then be willing to let him be the light and guide. If I had only chosen to turn on a light, my experience would have been different. Will I let God be the guide to my life will I trust and obey? The next evening as I prepared for bed, I noticed a night light had been placed in the bathroom hallway Thanks, Sis! God blesses and provides! Karen Butcher

12 Good Shepherd Lutheran Church 120 W Gano Chance Road Centralia, MO TELLING LOVING CARING in Christ CHECK OUR WEBSITE You can find it on the website! Member Directory (Resources) Preview of upcoming Sunday message Calendar for church events Find out about Men s Club or LWML View pictures of Church activities Read current and past newsletters (Resources) Current events Constitution and church officers Donations to Good Shepherd through PayPal or your credit card VERSE OF THE MONTH Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."