Christ Lutheran Church APRIL 2017 ISSUE #344. Christ Lutheran Church. The Tidings. The Tidings

Transcription

1 Christ Lutheran Church APRIL 2017 ISSUE #344 The Tidings Christ Lutheran Church The Tidings

2 christlutheran-lj.org 2

3 The Tidings 3

4 We Journey from Lent to the Risen Christ The things we daily take for granted, others may lack. If you ve not kept up with a forty day box of giving, it s never too late to think of a few things others may need or enjoy. Each day, add something that seems ordinary to you; a bar of soap, box of tissues, pair of socks, a few coins, a new comb or brush, candy, gum, safety pins, toothbrush, little sewing kit (you get the idea). These things for which we scarcely give a second thought can be a blessing in someone s life. After Lent, we will see that these gifts of the heart go where they are heartily needed. April 2 nd. 5 th Sunday in Lent. Jesus dear friend, Lazarus, was near death and in fact, did die before Jesus arrived. Jesus dawdled a day or two so that Lazarus death and resurrection might show God s glory through Jesus. April 9 th. Palm Sunday. On his final journey into Jerusalem, Jesus is welcomed by throngs of people, triumphant in His entry to the city. Yet, it wasn t long after sharing the Passover meal with his disciples that He was betrayed, arrested, persecuted, beaten and crucified. The Three Days, Schedule of Events April 13 th. Maundy Thursday. 7:00pm. We will once again gather at a table of twelve to share the Lord s supper. Before their last meal together, Jesus washed the dirty feet of his disciples, shared the Passover meal, and talked with them about their being a servant of all. April 14 th. Good Friday. 7:00pm. As has become our tradition, we will nail our sins to the cross. There s something about that sound that makes us feel responsible for the suffering and death of Jesus. We will also bring our Thirty Pieces of Silver, the amount Judas received for betraying Jesus. After His betrayal, Jesus was sent between Caiaphas and Pilate, as the Jews tried to find a way for Jesus to be condemned and crucified. They did. Jesus was crucified between two robbers, as a common criminal. After he died, his body was removed by Joseph of Arimathea, aided by Nicodemus, both whom were secret followers of Jesus. From there, he was laid in a tomb. April 14 th 15 th. Easter Vigil Our goal is to have every time slot covered either at church, or in your home. We will keep watch through the night in prayer, readings and contemplation of Christ s sacrifice. There will be sign-up sheets in the gathering area to select your time. christlutheran-lj.org 4

5 Easter Schedule Easter gathering 7:00am. (Please let Pastor Paul know if you would like to gather at this time.) Easter Day Celebration 9:00am. Brunch fellowship following our worship service April 16 th. Easter Celebration, Christ is arisen! We get our Alleluias back! John 20:1-18. Near daybreak, Mary of Magdala went to Jesus tomb where she saw the stone had been moved from the entrance. She ran back to the disciples, and then all returned to the tomb, where the saw nothing but the linen burial cloths. The others left, but Mary remained, weeping in despair. She thought it was the gardener approaching, but then recognized Him as the risen Jesus! April 23 rd. 2 nd Sunday of Easter. Jesus appeared to his disciples, offering His peace, a commission to be able to forgive sins or not, and the promise of the gift of the Holy Spirit. One of the disciples, Thomas, was not there. April 30 th. 3 rd Sunday of Easter. After the puzzling few days, two disciples of Jesus were walking to the village of Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, when they were joined by who appeared to be a clueless individual. It was the risen Jesus, but for some reason the two were unable to discern whom He was. After sharing a meal, their eyes were opened when Jesus broke the bread, blessed it, and offered it to them. Then He vanished. They returned immediately to Jerusalem to share their news! Bread for Life Study Group Bread for Life Study Group began in January, If you can t make it to Sunday School, but would like to learn more from the Bible, join us! We meet Wednesdays from 11:30 12:30, in the church library. April discussions come from Romans, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Peter Oh, my! We have rousing, interesting, thought-provoking discussions. And when in doubt, we ask Pastor Paul for insight, or find some answers on Google as we discuss the upcoming epistle lesson. Copies of the appropriate study are usually on the library table. There is no leader, no test, nothing but great fellowship and discussion and a bit of chocolate. The Tidings 5

6 From the Pastor, to My Partners... Lutherans have a long reputation for shyness and blandness. Evangelism and Lutherans in the same sentence sounds like an oxymoron. Evangelism is actually very simple. It s "love" - caring about people, caring what s happening in their lives and helping them to see how faith has something to say to those things. Evangelism isn t about recruiting them to come to our church. It s about knowing them and sharing the good news of God s love with them. As Christians we are called to love one another in the name of Christ, to re-present Christ to others. We are the hands of Christ wherever we go. That can get kind of scary, especially for us shy, bland Lutherans, until we remember that Christ died for us and gives us new life and a spirit of boldness in the world. "Easter people" go with the strength of Christ's resurrection behind them. Although huddled in the locked room right after Easter, the disciples soon moved out with the power of God's love supporting them. According to the Book of Acts, "when [the religious leaders] saw the boldness of Peter and John, [their prisorners,] and realized that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and recognized them as companions of Jesus." (4:13) A total of ten times Acts mentions that the disciples acted and spoke boldly of Christ's resurrected life and God's love for others.the Christian church began because the Spirit led these ordinary people to live and serve boldly in the name of Christ. The Protestant Reformers, particularly Martin Luther himself, surely acted boldly when they spoke out to re-claim the core of the Gospel in God's grace. One of Luther's main aides, Philip Melancthon, once struggled with indecisiveness, and Luther reminded him that we all make mistakes, yet we all live in God's embrace. In his famous "sin boldly quote," he said Be a sinner and sin, but believe and rejoice in Christ even more boldly. For he is victorious over sin, death, and the world. As long as we are here we have to sin. This life in not the dwelling place of righteousness but, as Peter says, we look for a new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.... Pray boldly - you too are a mighty sinner. This Easter season, sin boldly! And rejoice in Christ even more boldly! Do not be afraid to take up your skills and abilities and God-given talents to reach out to those around you and share the power of Christ's resurrection! (Now, if we can try to cure some of the blandness, too...) God's peace, Paul Geisler Pastor christlutheran-lj.org 6

7 The Tidings 7

8 SINGING WITH THE LUTHERANS, by Garrison Keillor I have made fun of Lutherans for years - who wouldn't, if you lived in Minnesota? But I have also sung with Lutherans, and that is one of the main joys of life, along with hot baths and fresh sweet corn. We make fun of Lutherans for their blandness, their excessive calm, their fear of giving offense, their lack of speed and also for their secret fondness for macaroni and cheese. But nobody sings like they do. If you ask an audience in New York City, a relatively Lutheranless place, to sing along on the chorus of 'Michael Row the Boat Ashore', they will look daggers at you as if you had asked them to strip to their underwear. But if you do this among Lutherans they'll smile and row that boat ashore and up on the beach! And down the road! Lutherans are bred from childhood to sing in four-part harmony. It's a talent that comes from sitting on the lap of someone singing alto or tenor or bass and hearing the harmonic intervals by putting your little head against that person's rib cage. It's natural for Lutherans to sing in harmony. We're too modest to be soloists, too worldly to sing in unison. When you're singing in the key of C and you slide into the A7th and D7th chords, all two hundred of you, it's an emotionally fulfilling moment. I once sang the bass line of Children of the Heavenly Father in a room with about three thousand Lutherans in it; and when we finished, we all had tears in our eyes, partly from the promise that God will not forsake us, partly from the proximity of all those lovely voices. By our joining in harmony, we somehow promise that we will not forsake each other. I do believe this: These Lutherans are the sort of people you could call up when you're in deep distress. If you're dying, they'll comfort you. If you're lonely, they'll talk to you. And if you're hungry, they'll give you tuna salad! The following list was compiled by a 20th century Lutheran who, observing other Lutherans, wrote down exactly what he saw or heard: 1. Lutherans believe in prayer, but would practically die if asked to pray out loud. 2. Lutherans like to sing, except when confronted with a new hymn or a hymn with more than four stanzas. 3. Lutherans believe their pastors will visit them in the hospital, even if they don't notify them that they are there. 4. Lutherans usually follow the official liturgy and will feel it is their way of suffering for their sins. 5. Lutherans believe in miracles and even expect miracles, especially during their stewardship visitation programs or when passing the plate. christlutheran-lj.org 8

9 6. Lutherans feel that applauding for their children's choirs would make the kids too proud and conceited. 7. Lutherans think that the Bible forbids them from crossing the aisle while passing the peace. 8. Lutherans drink coffee as if it were the Third Sacrament. 9. Some Lutherans still believe that an ELCA bride and an LC-MS groom make for a mixed marriage. (For those of you who are not Lutherans, ELCA is Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and LC-MS is Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, two different divisions of the same Protestant religion. And when and where I grew up in Minnesota, intermarriage between the two was about as popular as Lutherans and Catholics marrying.) 10. Lutherans feel guilty for not staying to clean up after their own wedding reception in the Fellowship Hall. 11. Lutherans are willing to pay up to one dollar for a meal at church. 12. Lutherans think that Garrison Keillor stories are totally factual. 13. Lutherans still serve Jell-O in the proper liturgical color of the season and think that peas in a tuna noodle casserole add a little too much color. 14. Lutherans believe that it is OK to poke fun at themselves and never take themselves too seriously. And finally, you know you're a Lutheran when: *It's 100 degrees, with 90% humidity, and you still have coffee after the service; *You hear something really funny during the sermon and smile as loudly as you can; *Donuts are a line item in the church budget, just like coffee; *The communion cabinet is open to all, but the coffee cabinet is locked up tight; *When you watch a 'Star Wars' movie and they say, 'May the Force be with you', you respond, 'and also with you'; *And lastly, it takes 15 minutes to say, 'Good bye'. The Tidings 9

10 Apr 1 Apr 3 Apr 4 Apr 5 Derek Tweedle April Vaughn Riley Maeck Pat Northam Steve Maeck April showers won't stop the Tiki players from playing Join us on Thursday, April 6 at 6:30 pm for fun and fellowship. It's a fun evening, and all are welcome. Bring a snack to share. Hoping to see you! Apr 10 Byron Sims Apr 11 Pam Poklikuha Apr 12 April Disisto Apr 19 Robert Massey Apr 21 Bob Lundahl Apr 29 Kyler Lange In celebration of their 45th anniversary, Kinsmen in Houston will host a Crawfish Boil and Festival for the entire community. The festival will be held on April 22 from 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm and will feature a street party atmosphere with inflatables, children's activities, country/cajun/zydeco music, and more Champion Forest Dr. Houston, TX Replace burned out light bulbs in sanctuary and narthex as needed. Replace AC filters. Trimming, edging and mulching flower beds as needed. Spread dirt in ruts in front of LICC gym where Gym AC was replaced. Saturday, April 1 starting around 8:00 AM Alison Blevins Liz Ellett Dennis Jones Roselyn Lykken David Naill Jimmy Neese Dorothy Rayburn Leota Romine Doris Schwank Dennis Smith Gail Smith Ruth Wetherell christlutheran-lj.org 10

11 SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT 1 Property Work Day, 8:00 AM Dartball Tournament, 2:00 PM 2 9:00 AM Worship Sunday School 10:15 AM Food Pantry Offering 3 4 Art Discussion Group, 7-8 PM 5 Bread for Life, 11:30 AM Adult Choir, 6 PM Lenten meal 6:30 Worship, 7 PM 6 Faith 4 Good Pastor Dinner 6:30-8:30 PM 7 Lunch Bunch, Beef O Brady s 11:00 AM 8 9 Palm Sunday 9:00 AM Worship Sunday School 10:15 AM 10 Servant Ministry, 9 AM Bread for Life, 11:30 AM Adult Choir, 6:30 PM 13 Maundy Thursday Service 7:00 PM 14 Good Friday Service, 7:00 PM Ester Service, 7:00 AM (??) 9:00 AM Worship Sunday School 10:15 AM Easter Brunch Church Council Meeting 7:00 PM 19 Bread for Life, 11:30 AM Adult Choir, 6:30 PM Thrivent Movie Day, LICC 11:00 AM 5:00 PM 23 9:00 AM Worship Sunday School 10:15 AM Home Group, Rayburns, 6 PM 247 Chestnut 30 9:00 AM Worship Sunday School 10:15 AM Bread for Life, 11:30 AM Adult Choir, 6:30 PM May 1 May 2 May 3 Bread for Life, 11:30 AM Adult Choir, 6:30 PM May 4 May 5 May 6 The Tidings 11

12 Not sure what it is? Well, it is FUN and always welcoming new players. Join in on the upcoming tournament, Saturday, April 1st at 2:00 PM. Byron Sims, who built the Dart Ball frame along with Walter Dean, confers with Ronnie Tweedle about his next throw. Marge Janke throws for a hit in Dart Ball, while Harry Janke looks on. christlutheran-lj.org 12

13 2017 Crawfish Boil Fundraiser Crawfish Boil benefitting NAMI Gulf Coast! May 13th, 2017 Runge Community Park 4605 Peck Avenue Santa Fe, Texas No entrance fee! Crawfish Plate Tickets $30 $40 at the door Kid s Crawfish Plate Tickets $10 Buy Tickets at our office!!! Crawfish, Beer, Music, Kid s Event, Silent Auction, Cornhole Tournament, and More! All proceeds benefit NAMI Gulf Coast s support programs and events, education classes and Volunteer-to-Work Program. Please consider sponsoring this great event. We have many levels and great perks! The Tidings 13

14 Sunday, April 2nd Sunday, April 9th Readers Sandy Wand Susan Geisler Ushers Don White Dave McCrery Jean Warren Floyd Ellington Greeters Julie Saavedra Sissy Ppt Tech Dave McCrery Jean Warren Musician TBD TBD M Counters Donna Tetlow Dan Wand Byron Sims Alter Guild Jean Warren Jean Warren Sunday, April 16th Sunday, April 23rd Readers Dave McCrery Sandy Wand Ushers Don White Floyd Ellington Jean Warren Donna Tetlow Greeters Agnes Harris Sissy Ppt Tech Kathy Sims Jean Warren Musician TBD TBD M Counters Sandy Wand Dan Wand Jean Warren Byron Sims Alter Guild Jean Warren Jean Warren Sunday, April 30th Sunday, May 7th Readers Mary Morgan (?) Susan Geisler Ushers Don White Dave McCrery Jean Warren Donna Tetlow Greeters Agnes Harris Sissy Ppt Tech Kathy Sims Jose Saavedra Musician TBD TBD M Counters Sandy Wand Jean Warren Alter Guild Jean Warren Agnes Harris Home Group is going to Europe on April 23. After a European meal at 6:00, they will have the pleasure of comparing how other cultures celebrated their Easter! Gathering at the Rayburn's, 247 Chestnut. Hope you can make it! christlutheran-lj.org 14

15 CHRIST LUTHERAN CHURCH 86 Plantation Drive Lake Jackson, TX Pastor..Pastor Paul Geisler, Jr... Secretary..Mary Gibson.. Office Hours..Mon.-Fri..8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Phone Fax Web Site.. Ministers..The People of Christ The Hands of Christ Worshiping Learning Serving Together Worship Schedule Sunday at 9:00 M Christian Education at 10:15 AM THE TIDINGS is published monthly by CHRIST LUTHERAN CHURCH, 86 PLANTATION DRIVE LAKE JACKSON, TX The Tidings 15