Christmas Services

 

Christmas Eve, Dec 24

Family Service 6 p.m.

(pre-service music begins 5:45p.m.)

 

Festival Service 11 p.m.

(pre-service music begins 10:30 p.m.)

 

Christmas Day, Dec. 25

Holy Communion, 10 a.m.

 

Wednesday of Advent 2 -- Vespers Sermon

Electricity was out tonight so we did not have Vespers. Sorry if anyone came out to the church to find nothing there.

But here is the sermon I wrote for tonight's service.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rev. 1:17-2:7¹⁷When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he placed his right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, ¹⁸and the living one. I was dead, and see, I am alive forever and ever; and I have the keys of Death and of Hades. ¹⁹Now write what you have seen, what is, and what is to take place after this. ²⁰As for the mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

2“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands: ²“I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance. I know that you cannot tolerate evildoers; you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them to be false. ³I also know that you are enduring patiently and bearing up for the sake of my name, and that you have not grown weary. ⁴But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. ⁵Remember then from what you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. ⁶Yet this is to your credit: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. ⁷Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To everyone who conquers, I will give permission to eat from the tree of life that is in the paradise of God.

A few years ago my wife and I along with the boys traveled to Las Vegas, not as you might expect for a new seminar in a new strategy for growing church offerings, but for the high school graduation of my wife’s niece. We spent almost a full week there. I even had the opportunity to attend church (a Missouri Synod congregation even!). Given both the ELCA’s and Missouri Synod’s stance in social statements against institutionalized establishment of gambling (lotteries, table games, video poker, etc.) Mary Lynne and I wondered what it would be like to be a congregation whose offering plate is mostly full of gambling-related revenue. A good portion of the people living there exists to either serve the casinos directly, or indirectly, since without say, super markets, people would have a hard time living there. So people’s salaries were being paid directly or indirectly from the casinos and hence, directly or indirectly, weekly offering was coming from these grand temples of Chance.

And of course a great deal of secondary industry springs up around these temples, walk down the Strip without a child in hand and you will be given numerous cards advertising the strip clubs. Move a little farther out of town and you find places where things go beyond simply stripping, as if that wasn’t bad enough. The system is completely turned around and upside down. But what is a church to do? Do they refuse any offering connected to these industries? And how would they know what money was coming from where since the casino money would be funneled through legitimate jobs anyway?

For Christians in Ephesus, I might wonder the same. Except perhaps it was worse. Ephesus was one of, if not THE most important city in the Roman Empire, outside of Rome itself. Located at the exit of the Cayster River into the Mediterranean, Ephesus was a major commercial city. Vast amounts of goods, of all sorts, moved through Ephesus. The temple of the goddess Artemis was there as well, which could mean a great deal of behavior that might make Vegas seem tame in comparison, making the city a religious power as well. And Ephesus was a major administrative outpost of the Empire which meant Ephesus was given the title of “free city.” Rome had granted to Ephesus no small amount of autonomy in ruling itself. It held a great deal of latitude in what went on there.

With all the activity supporting powers and principalities that often stood against the way of life in the Christian community, what was a church to do? Give in? Allow itself to be co-opted? That doesn’t seem to be the word that they receive from Jesus in the letter addressed to them. He says, “I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance. I know that you cannot tolerate evildoers; you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them to be false. ³I also know that you are enduring patiently and bearing up for the sake of my name, and that you have not grown weary.” Jesus knows, he says, of their works, that is their toil and patient endurance. Despite their incredible minority status, they have held fast to a particular way of life. Their zeal might have dimmed, but they have not grown weary. In the midst of things that threaten their lives as well as their souls, the church in Ephesus has maintained a witness for Jesus’ sake.

Thus is the task of the church in any place to patiently endure, to work for God’s kingdom, using the very security provided by earthly powers to ultimately subvert them. After all, the earthly kingdoms will end one day. They will gather around Christ, cast their crowns before his feet returning any authority granted unto them. The churches continue on in such work. They will take what the world gives, patiently enduring, proclaiming the gospel to a world distracted by temples of other gods, whether Artemis or Caesar or Chance.

And the church will do so at the risk of its very life, maybe with great fear. But the church is reminded by John the Seer, our faithful scribe, that even people who fall down dead, are raised by the touch of the Lord. For he “was dead, and see, I am alive forever and ever; and I have the keys of Death and of Hades.” He holds power over death and hell, and therefore nothing that belongs to him can be taken away forever from him. His power over the powers is for us the source of our patient enduring. And he continues to walk among us candlesticks, us lights to the world, and he encourages us and moves us that we might continue to work for the kingdom.

THIS WEEK AT ST. PAUL (Nov. 29-Dec. 6)

Monday 11/30 — LMM (Shoney’s)                                  8:00 AM

Tuesday 12/1 — Bible Study                                            10:00 AM

                               Lutheran Identity                                  7:00 PM

Wednesday 12/2 — Vespers                                             7:00 PM

                                     Choir Practice (following vespers)

Friday 12/4 — Piecemakers                                              10:00 AM

Sunday 12/6 —   Sunday School                                       9:00 AM

                              Communion Service                              10:00 AM

                              Confirmation Class1                              11:45 AM

                              Hanging of the Greens                          4:00 PM  

 

THIS WEEK AT ST. PAUL (Nov. 22-Nov. 29)

Tuesday 11/24 — Thanksgiving Service                         7:00 PM

Saturday 11/28 — Circle of Friends

Sunday 11/29 —   Sunday School                                     9:00 AM

                                Communion Service                            10:00 AM

                                Circle of Friends                                                          

 

 

Biblical Reading Plan Weeks 5, 6, and 7

Week 5 starting Nov.15

Su Ruth 1:15-18

M Acts 9:20-22

T Acts 10:34-35

W Acts 11:17-18

Th Acts 13:48-49

F Acts 15:6-9

Sa Acts 16:9-10

 

Week6 starting Nov. 22

Su Psalm 11:7

M Acts 18:8-11

T Acts 19:11-12

W Acts 20:35

Th Acts 21:13

F Acts 21:39-22:1

Sa Acts 28:30-31

 

Week7 starting Nov. 29

Su Ecclesiastes 3:1-2

M 1Thessalonians 1:1-3

T 1Thessalonians 2:13

W 1Thessalonians 3:11-13

Th 1Thessalonians 4:1

F 1Thessalonians 5:1-2

Sa 1Thessalonians 5:15-18

Confirmation Biblical Reading Plan Weeks 3&4

Week 3 starting Nov. 1

Su Psalm 9:1-2

M Luke 19:1-6

T Luke 19:36-38

W Luke 21:1-4

Th Luke 22:19-20

F Luke 23:38

Sa Luke 24:1-9

 

Week 4 starting Nov. 8

Su Proverbs 3:5-6

M Acts 2:1-4

T Acts 2:46-47

W Acts 4:32-35

Th Acts 5:12-16

F Acts 6:8

Sa Acts 8:35-38

 

Week 2 Bible Readings for Confirmation

Week 2 (10-25)

Su Psalm 5:11-12

M Luke 10:29-37

T Luke 11:1-4

W Luke 13:18-21

Th Luke 15:3-7

F Luke 16:10

Sa Luke 18:15-17

 

(…well, for Confirmation students and anyone else who wants to read along)

God's Story and Ours

I signed up for a daily quote to be sent to my email from Runner's World. They are meant to inspire and motivate. Sometimes they do. Sometimes, they don't. Today's quote, though, made me think. It read:

Nonrunners cannot see how they can afford the time to run every day. But runners cannot imagine getting through a single day without it. --Kevin Nelson, The Runner's Book of Daily Inspiration

Ok... granted, I don't run every single day (and I would include bike/swim in this list as well). And yes, the sloth within me REALLY looks forward to those rest days during the week, but I do understand this. And many people who don't run, often voice the opening part. "I just can't find the time..." Well, you're not going to find it. You make it. You rearrange your priorities so that you do it. You make time.

But today I thought along a parallel path. Replace the concept of running with "biblical reading." Daily biblical reading, time set aside in devotion and prayer, is something that few of us do. Mainly because it takes time. And there are always demands on our time. Work, family, life in general. How do we find the moment where we can squeeze reading the bible in? Well, the answer is simple. We don't. We can't. We make it.

And I would like to make bold and audacious claims about by making a few minutes to read the bible and pray, everything going on in life will seem better and all the blocks of life will click into place. But I cannot. Sometimes things will go smoother. Sometimes they will not. Life intervenes. But by making time to read the story of God and God's people, I think we find one thing. That we too are in the midst of that story. That in all of those crazy distractions and hectic pace, we find that Jesus is there in our midst. Making time to read this great story of what God is up to, reminds us again and again that God is up to something even with us,
even if we don't know exactly what it is at the time.

I am posting a weekly lectionary here for the Confirmation class (It comes out of Augsburg Fortress' Lutheran Study Bible. It's the Sampler Lectionary, just a few verses a day). Read along. Enter into this grand story and see where yours is interwoven with it.

Confirmation Daily Bible Reading

Week 1 (starting 10-11)

Su Psalm 24:8-10

 

M Luke 2:1-7

 

T Luke 2:41-52

 

W Luke 3:21-22

 

Th Luke 5:12-16

 

F Luke 6:20-23

 

Sa Luke 9:18-22

 

 

 

Good News, Bad News

Ok, not THE good news, but a much lesser good news... with some bad news.

Good News: We will be worshiping back in St. Paul on Sunday Oct. 18, 10:00 a.m. Sunday School will resume at 9 a.m.

Now, the bad news... the carpet will not be installed. The flaw that was found was not just on the carpet we had, but in the entire lot of carpet in the warehouse. The entire batch needs to be remade. We are waiting patiently.

So we will be gathering for worship in the sanctuary but using chairs. And our main entrance will be unusable, since pews are stacked in the narthex. Please use the upstairs doors of the education wing.

See you at St. Paul on Sunday morning!

Shifting Vision

From Helen Harms, the WV-WMD Synod’s Director for Evangelical Mission.  A shift in our vision for what the church is…

Old model: Attractional church (marketing church so people will come to us)

New model: Incarnational church (God putting on flesh through us so that we can be Jesus, meeting people where they are)

Old model: Temple in Jerusalem, people have to go there

Ancient/future model: Jesus is cornerstone of new Temple, his people are living stones, the Temple is mobile, and not a building

Old model: church growth

New model: kingdom growth- thy will be done, thy kingdom come, on earth, as in heaven

Old model: you need a building to be a “real” church

Ancient model: Jesus and the early church never owned buildings. In 100AD there were 25,000 Christians. By 310 AD there were 20 million

Future model: you don’t need a building to be “real” church. Consider China at the beginning of the “cultural revolution.” Christianity had been essentially outlawed. There were 2 million Christians. China today has more than 60 million Christians. Not only that-- many congregations have to share a Bible, a page at a time!

Old question: How can we get people to come to church?

New question: How can we be Jesus to the people in our neighborhoods, blessing them with his love?

Continuing worship at the chapel

Sunday, October 11, 2009 we continue to worship at Christ the King Chapel while our sanctuary awaits its new carpet.

Worship is as usual at 10 a.m. Come early to get a good parking spot and partake in some coffee and donuts!

Let the children come to me...

Having heard Jesus' words to his disciples about letting the children come to him, I came across the following video. I talked in my children's sermon with the kids about their example for us when it comes to trust. Well, I realize now that it is not just about their ability to believe and trust, but also their ability to be prophetic. Powerful speech by a girl in front of a UN meeting in Brazil.



"...for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs."

THIS WEEK AT ST. PAUL (Oct. 4-Oct. 11)

Tuesday 10/6 - Bible Study 10:00 AM
Bible Study 7:00 PM
Wednesday 10/7 - Choir Rehearsal 7:00 PM
Thursday 10/8 - Council Meeting 7:00 PM
Friday 10/9 - Piecemakers 10:00 AM
Sunday 10/11 - Sunday School 9:00 AM
Communion Service 10:00 AM

The FAITH 5 (Faith Acts In The Home)

I received this today from the synod's Director for Evangelical Mission, Helen Harms. Consider working the Faith 5 into your evening routine

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Care to have some fun, keep your family communicating every night, and grow in your understanding of yourself and God? Try this simple five-step process for the next six weeks and see if it doesn’t help!

Here’s how you do it: Whoever is going to bed first in your home calls “FAITH 5” or “Huddle Up!” Everyone must drop what they’re doing, turn off the television, put down the newspaper or their homework, set the cell phone on silence and gather in a room of the convener’s choice. Then take turns going through these five simple steps:

1. SHARE highs & lows of the day

2. READ and highlight a verse of Scripture in your Bible

3. TALK about how the verse relates to your highs & lows

4. PRAY for your highs & lows, for your family, and for the world

5. BLESS one another

You want a great relationship with your kids? You want openness, honesty, caring and sharing in your family? You want to raise a child to be a strong, thoughtful, empathetic, positive, healthy adult out in the world some day? You can’t buy that. You have to invest in it. And the investment is the most expensive currency you own – your TIME – aimed at that most precious young person in your life.

Kids spell love TIME. Be intentional. Be consistent. Be caring. Be the parent. Every night. Every home.

No one else can do that for you.

Four Questions

1. For Parents of Young Children: What would it be worth to you to have a teenager some day who won’t go to sleep without talking to you about their day? Praying with you? Blessing you? Would it be worth five minutes? Tonight? Every night?

2. For Parents of Pre-Teens: What would happen to your family over time if you were able to keep this open, caring communication going every night throughout adolescence?

3. For Parents of Teenagers: Once the teen years begin and drivers’ licences come into play, communication between parents and teens can become a challenge. How might this type of five-minute conversation change a family if they were intentional and consistent about it? Would the benefits outweigh the hassle of trying to invest this time of care, listening, and prayer each night in your home? Why or why not?

4. For Church Leaders: What would happen to a family over time if they made an intentional point of doing the Faith 5 most every night? What would happen to your church five years from today if the majority of your households were doing active listening, scripture, faith talk, prayer, and blessings every night?

Painting the sanctuary

The painting has moved along amazingly quickly. On second day of painting, the walls are nearly done.

Farmington Mine Disaster

St. Paul Lutheran Church goes to the theater:

The Fairmont State University Theater Department is holding a student-created production of Remembering #9: Stories from the Farmington Mine Disaster on Sunday, September 27 at 2:00pm, in Wallman Hall Auditorium.  Tickets may be purchased at the door or in advance at the Fairmont State University Box Office, 304-367-4240. 

Armed with information and digital recorders, the student researchers talked with wives, children and friends of the victims and survivors of the Farmington explosion. Seventy-eight people died in the explosion at the Consol No. 9 mine in Marion County on Nov. 20, 1968. Among the interviewees was Rev. Richard Bowyer, the long-time director of the Wesley Foundation House at Fairmont State, spent seven days comforting families and during those dark days in 1968. The transcripts of his and others interviews will be used to create the projection.

Please contact Pastor Brian if you would like to carpool to the event.

3rd Annual Buckwheat Cake and Sausage Dinner for Rock Forge!

From Rock Forge Neighborhood House:

Please join Rock Forge Neighborhood House as we celebrate the Preston County Buckwheat Festival again with our 3rd Annual Buckwheat Cake and Sausage Dinner from 4-9pm on Friday, Sept. 25 and on Saturday, Sept 26 from 9am-9pm at the Sabraton Community Center. The dinner is RFNH's biggest fundraising activity of the year and helps us raise much-needed dollars to support the childcare and outreach programs we offer to Monongalia and Preston County Residents. Price is $8 for Adults, $5 for children, and free for children under 5 years old. Please come out to support RFNH and spread the word! To volunteer or for more information, contact Alexis McMillen at 304-292-3286 or alexis@rfnh.org.

Sweet Sweet Bernard...

I have returned to the devotional For All The Saints as my daily devotions, and am reading it now when I enter my office as the first thing I do. Trying to read right when I go to bed is a problem since I have many many times fallen asleep while I read, only to have my set my book on the nightstand and turn out the light for me. Moving this practice to when I enter my office is very helpful... I am able to give the texts my undivided (mostly) attention and then I often tweet a verse or two or three from the readings, both scriptural as well as others. Today I had in my readings, a passage from Bernard of Clairvaux. In a culture which demands the individual response to the gospel, these words of Bernard are such a clear and distinct speaking of the gospel that they soothe and relieve my irritated nerves, worn away by the constant demand that I must choose, that I must believe. He writes:

I said before that God is the cause of loving God. I spoke the truth, for he is both the efficient and final cause. He himself provides the occasion. He himself creates the longing. He himself fulfills the desire. He himself causes himself to be (or rather, to be made) such that he should be loved. He hopes to be so happily loved that no one will love him in vain. His love both prepares and rewards ours (cf. 1Jn 4:19). Kindly, he leads the way. He repays us justly. He is our sweet hope. He is riches to all who call upon him (Rm 10:12). There is nothing better that himself. He gave himself in merit. He keeps himself to be our reward. He gives himself as food for holy souls (Wis. 3:13). He sold himself to redeem the captives.
Lord, you are good to the soul which seeks you. What are you then to the soul which finds? But this is the most wonderful thing, that no one can seek to be found so that you may be sought for, sought so that you may be found. You can be sought, and found, but not forestalled. For even if we say, "In the morning my prayer will forestall you" (Ps 87:14), it is certain that every prayer which is not inspired is half-hearted. Now let us see where our love begins, for we have seen where it finds its end.

The promise of the gospel is not that we can find God, but that God allows himself to be found. Even if we have a world-shaking conversion experience, or make a decision to follow Jesus, or sit quietly in the pew trusting in full confidence that God has called us through the waters of baptism, we must give thanks that God has made this all possible, that he has granted us faith to believe and the power to become children of God.

(reposted from my other blog In The Parish )

THIS WEEK AT ST. PAUL (Sept. 6-Sept. 13)

Tuesday 9/8 - Bible Study 10:00 AM
Wednesday 9/9 - WELCA 2:00 PM
Choir Rehearsal 7:00 PM
Thursday 9/10 - Council Meeting 7:00 PM
Sunday 9/13 - Sunday School 9:00 AM
Communion Service 10:00 AM
Rally Day
Youth Group Meeting 5:00 PM

Be Careful What You Wish For... Aidan of Lindisfarne

Checked out a website that lists commemorations of saints, James Kiefer's Hagiographies, to find a man listed today that I had never heard of, Aidan of Lindisfarne. Aidan was a missionary, abbot, and bishop in the seventh century in northern England. He died this day (August 31) in 651.

I was surprised to read an account from Kiefer about Aidan. Kiefer wrote:

During his exile, Oswald [King of Northumbria] had lived at Columba's monastery of Iona (see 9 June), where he had been converted and baptized. Hence he sent to Iona (56:19 N 6:25 W), rather than to Canterbury, for missionaries. The first monk to preach was a man named Corman, who had no success, and returned to Iona to complain that the Northumbrians were a savage and unteachable race. A young monk named Aidan responded, "Perhaps you were too harsh with them, and they might have responded better to a gentler approach." At this, Aidan found himself appointed to lead a second expedition to Northumbria.

Evidently God has a good sense of humor. We give thanks for this servant who answered God's call and provided a holy example for us.

ELCA Churchwide Assembly -- Big News

When I turned on Headline News this morning, the very first thing I saw was a short clip about the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's Churchwide Assembly being held in Minneapolis this week had approved the resolution that opens the door to the rostering of gays and lesbians in publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous relationships.

Following the vote, Bishop Hanson gave a response. You can view his response here at the online archive.

ELCA Churchwide Assembly begins Aug. 17, 2009

Starting today, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) begins its biannual churchwide gathering. All of its plenary sessions will be broadcast live over the internet. You can watch them by going here. You can also watch missed sessions at a later time. The Churchwide Assembly is the highest legislative authority in the ELCA.

While all of the attention seems to be focused on the sexuality statement and the following resolutions regarding non-celibate gay and lesbian clergy in committed relationships, there are other important issues to be decided.

• Full Communion with the United Methodist Church will be voted on-- full communion is the highest level ecumenical agreement denominations can share. Full Communion means that our fundamental beliefs are in alignment with each other. In addition, clergy become fully interchangeable. If a Lutheran pastor were not available, a congregation could call a pastor from the United Methodist Church to serve.
  

• The Lutheran Malaria Initiative -- from the ELCA website: "In 2007 the United Nations Foundation (UNF) approached Lutheran World Relief (LWR), Baltimore, and asked it to mobilize Lutheran constituents in the United States against malaria. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, provided substantial funds to UNF for this purpose, and UNF plans to provide a grant to assist in fundraising for the initiative. The ELCA and the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod have been working with UNF and LWR to develop the initiative."

• HIV and AIDS funding strategy--the ELCA Church Council adopted strategy for the ELCA regarding HIV and AIDS. The Church Council is asking the Assembly to appropriate $10million over three years for the funding of this strategy, and in addition to endorse the strategy.

• Possible social statement on justice for women-- if approved, this would start the process for writing a social statement about justice for women. The social statement would be voted on at the 2015 Churchwide Assembly.

Pray, please, for the voting members and all involved. Pray that God's will is done. Pray that debate and deliberation is sincere, that all the difficult issues are discussed and that people's ears are open to hearing. Pray that the actions taken are a testimony to God's Kingdom breaking in around us, and that God is glorified.

THIS WEEK AT ST. PAUL (Aug. 16-Aug. 23)

Tuesday 8/18 - Bible Study 10:00 AM
Wednesday 8/19 - Corn & Kielbasa Social 6:00 PM
Friday 8/21 - Piecemakers 10:00 AM
Saturday 8/22 - Circle of Friends
Sunday 8/23 - Communion Service 10:00 AM
Circle of Friends

Riding across the plains

Today is Wednesday the 29^th, but I can only tell it’s Wednesday by looking at my watch.  Keeping track of time is a little weird right now.  I am trying to write this as we drive across Oklahoma/Kansas on our way to Wichita.  Yesterday we were in Norman and Tulsa, OK doing some riding (about 30 miles total) and two presentations. 

 

Today will be the same, but in Wichita and Kansas City.

 

I am so very grateful for the time to be able to help out, even for a short while.  Increased reflections of poverty and hunger are ongoing.  I think a great deal about our hunger ministry Circle of Friends, and I wonder how this trip might affect my thoughts about that. 

 

We had some issues with the bike yesterday, but overall it was a good day for riding, although there are some decent hills in the Tulsa area… who knew?

 

Grace and Peace.

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Brian O. Bennett - bbennett@blackngold.net

   Lord, to those who hunger, give bread.
          And to those who have bread,
                 give the hunger for justice.
                       --Latin American Prayer

 

Out of New Orleans... on the Tour deRevs

So I have more stuff to share about New Orleans... that I have to post later, it's late and the day was long. However... an important note... I left New Orleans earlier than planned, because I was needed on the Tour deRevs. I will return home in a week, but won't miss another Sunday, unless something goes wrong with the flight.

We left New Orleans, and are headed to Dallas. You can follow the Tour at the website.

THIS WEEK AT ST. PAUL (July 26-Aug. 2)

Monday 7/27 - LMM (Shoney's) 8:00 AM
Tuesday 7/28 - Bible Study 10:00 AM
Friday 7/31 - Piecemakers 10:00 AM
Sunday 8/2 - Communion Service 10:00 AM

Pics from Wednesday

Yesterday we had a chance to check out the city. We ate coffee and beignets at Cafe du Monde. We took a carriage tour through the French Quarter, hearing some great stories of the city, toured St. Louis Cathedral and Jackson Sq. We walked a LOT! And we had our first Mass Gathering at the Superdome... light show, music, and opening speakers, who talked about reconstruction of New Orleans and the program Free the Children. It was an amazing day... and this morning we all rested a little extra since we weren't scheduled for anything right away and Saturday morning we will have to get up really early.

Here are some photo highlights...

Resonances of a Master...

Right before dinner last evening, we were walking along the Mississippi River, and an elderly man came up to the group and started talking to them. I had been behind the group taking a couple of pictures. When I arrived, he was telling the group to pick any one of twelve singers (B.B. King, Otis Redding, Fats Domino to name a few) and he would sing a song of theirs and sound exactly like them. I forget his name, but he called himself the "Human Jukebox." To be honest it was a little awkward, getting a stranger walk up to you and start this kind of conversation with us. Finally though I acquiesced, and picked B.B. King and told him the song was his pick. He sang "The Thrill Is Gone." I am no expert on B.B. King, but I will say that the Human Jukebox was not exactly like plunking in a CD and hearing B.B. play on Lucille. But there were some resonances. He certainly knew the phrasing and the soul of the music. There WAS something of B.B. King about him... it was a joy and a treat to be able to stand there and listen to this man sing.

Our youth even mentioned him when we asked them where they had seen God that day. For many to watch him spontaneously sing and give an offering of something which brought him great joy was a sign of God in this world. Someone placed some money in the box he carried with him, but I was touched by his insistence on sharing his gift and his joy. "Go on," he insisted, "pick one! I'll sing any song you want!" I don't know why I didn't walk away from him with some half-hearted excuse, but I didn't and we were all blessed to see this offering.

I can't help but wonder if when we speak we carry the resonances of our master in our voices, in our hands, and in our very lives. Are we the divine jukeboxes we are called to be? Do we in response to the gift given to us, respond spontaneously and joyfully with others? Can others hear God at work in us?

Arrived in New Orleans... Greeted like kings and queens!

We arrived safe and sound in New Orleans yesterday. It had been a long day of travel, but when we wound our way to the baggage claim we had quite a surprise. A jazz group, whose tuba bore the logo of "Jesus, Justice, Jazz", gave us a performance, serenading us as we waited. I might never have received such an incredible greeting. I shared some reflections with our group that evening.



I searched through the bible (which took only moments with the electronic bible thankfully) for mention of trumpets... and there were many. Trumpets (which really mean the "shofar" or ram's horn, but I think we can extend the meaning in this case) are used for many purposes: consecration, warning, victory through unusual warfare (think Jericho), praise, God's voice, and even the resurrection. And in some ways, they all seem appropriate for our gathering. We are sent, consecrated, to be out in the world. Our group has seen some very worldly things while here in New Orleans, which bring about the warning for us to remember WHO and WHOSE WE ARE. We are here to engage in holy things and to BE holy; therefore not all the things we see, are available to us, and this we know might lead to some intentional conversation. We also carry God's voice in our own. We speak words of comfort, consolation, love, mercy to a place that is still hurting, years after the hurricane moved through. This gathering is the largest group to be here since Katrinal, which means that we are present to bring about a rebirth, a resurrection of sorts... hoping that as we labor here, we might make the love of Jesus known, speaking the gospel so faith might grow. Maybe being greeted like kings and queens, or even royal messengers, GOD'S royal messengers, was appropriate after all.

THIS WEEK AT ST. PAUL (July 19-July 26)

Tuesday thru Sunday - Youth Group Gathering Trip, New Orleans
Wednesday 7/ 22 - Ice Cream Social 7:00 PM
Friday 7/24 - Piecemakers 10:00 AM
Saturday 7/25 - Circle of Friends
Sunday 7/26 - Communion Service 10:00 AM
Circle of Friends

THIS WEEK AT ST. PAUL (July 12-July 19)

Today thru Thursday - Vacation Bible School
Tuesday 7/14 - Bible Study 10:00 AM
Sunday 7/19 - Communion Service 10:00 AM

THIS WEEK AT ST. PAUL (June 14-June 21)

THIS WEEK AT ST. PAUL (June 14-June 21)
Tuesday 6/16 - Bible Study 10:00 AM
Wednesday 6/17 - Hot Dog Social 6:00 PM
Friday 6/19 - Piecemakers 10:00 AM
Sunday 6/21 - Communion Service 10:00 AM

Trinity Sunday -- Trinitarian Couplets

For my children's sermon yesterday, I wrote some short rhyming couplets for the children's sermon since I wanted to avoid all of the ice-water-steam analogies... I offer them again here for all of our reflections.

Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
Mystery that we inherit.

Holy Spirit, Father, Son,
Not three gods, but Three-in-One.

God the Father made the world,
Through the Spirit and the Word.

God the Son was sent to save all,
So we might live with him eternal.

God the Spirit makes us holy,
Gives us faith to love God wholly.

Holy Trinity we praise you.
In your love, our life’s made new.

THIS WEEK AT ST. PAUL (June 7-June 14)

Tuesday 6/9 - Bible Study 10:00 AM
Wednesday 6/10 - WELCA 2:00 PM
Thursday 6/11 - Council Meeting 7:00 PM
Friday 6/12 - Piecemakers 10:00 AM
Sunday 6/14 - Communion Service 10:00 AM

THIS WEEK AT ST. PAUL (June 7-June 14)

Tuesday 6/9 — Bible Study                                              10:00 AM

Wednesday 6/10 — WELCA                                             2:00 PM

Thursday 6/11 — Council Meeting                                  7:00 PM

Friday 6/12 — Piecemakers                                              10:00 AM

Sunday 6/14 —   Communion Service                             10:00 AM

 

 

THIS WEEK AT ST. PAUL (May 24-May 31)

Monday 5/25 - Office Closed
LMM (Shoney's) 8:00 AM
Tuesday 5/26 - Bible Study 10:00 AM
Wednesday 5/27 - Choir Rehearsal 7:00 PM
Friday 5/29 - Piecemakers 10:00 AM
Saturday 5/30 - Circle of Friends
Sunday 5/31 - Sunday School 9:00 AM
Communion Service 10:00 AM
Youth Group Meeting 11:30
AM-2:00 PM
Circle of Friends

Flooding in Southern West Virginia

From: Community Lutheran Partners, Inc.

http://www.clp-online.org/

May 12, 2009

FLOODING IN SOUTHERN WV

For more information, visit this website: http://www.disasternews.net/news/article.php?articleid=3894

 

AFFECTED AREAS:

·         Mingo (hardest hit), Wyoming, Logan, McDowell, Boone, and Raleigh.  Currently FEMA and state assessment teams are on the ground and more info will be available by end of the week.

 

Initial estimates include:

·         2,500-3,000 structures damaged,

·         2,300 homes without water/electricity,

·         over 40 mudslides

·         many roads caved in making access to homes in hollows nearly impossible.

 

WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW:

As we organize the details and timelines for these responses, you can begin to:

·         gather STUFF supplies (sheets, towels, utensils for families; may also include laundry detergent and pillows)

·         build One+Plus kits to replenish the several hundred that will be used in the upcoming weeks. (For a list of kit supplies, log onto clp-online.org and click on Relief Supplies.)

·         Work crews will also be needed, but those details are not available at this time.  Please consider this as an option throughout the summer too.

 

The greatest need CLP sees in the next week or two will be for assistance with transportation of supplies to the affected areas. If you are able to drive a truck with supplies, please contact Sherri at 304-312-4222 or Sarah at 304-582-4264.

 

If you would like to make a donation to assist with this response, please send it to CLP, PO Box 174, Shepherdstown, WV 25443.  If you are a Thrivent member, please fill out a Giving Plus form and your donation will be matched. The form is available on our website.

 

THIS WEEK AT ST. PAUL (May 17-May 24)

Tuesday 5/19 - Bible Study 10:00 AM
Wednesday 5/20 - Choir Rehearsal 7:00 PM
Sunday 5/24 - Sunday School 9:00 AM
Communion Service 10:00 AM

THIS WEEK AT ST. PAUL (May 10-May 17)

Wednesday 5/13 - WELCA 2:00 PM
Choir Rehearsal 7:00 PM
Thursday 5/14 - Council Meeting 7:00 PM
Friday 5/15 - Piecemakers 10:00 AM
Saturday 5/16 - Elder Law Workshop 1:00 PM
Sunday 5/17 - Sunday School 9:00 AM
Communion Service 10:00 AM
Confirmation Sunday

THIS WEEK AT ST. PAUL (May 3-May 10)

Tuesday 5/5 - Bible Study 10:00 AM
Jesus Over Java
7:30 PM
Wednesday 5/6 - Choir Rehearsal 7:00 PM
Friday 5/8 - Piecemakers 10:00 AM
Sunday 5/10 - Sunday School 9:00 AM
Communion Service
10:00 AM

THIS WEEK AT ST. PAUL (April 26-May 3)

Monday 4/27 - LMM (Shoney's) 8:00 AM
Tuesday 4/28 - Bible Study 10:00 AM
Jesus Over Java 7:30
PM
Wednesday 4/29 - Choir Rehearsal 7:00 PM
Friday 5/1 - Piecemakers 10:00 AM
Sunday 5/3 - Sunday School 9:00 AM
Communion Service
10:00 AM
Confirmation Class
11:45 AM

THIS WEEK AT ST. PAUL (April 12-April 19)

Monday 4/13 - Office Closed
Tuesday 4/14 - Bible Study 10:00 AM
Jesus Over Java 7:30 PM
Thursday 4/16 - Council Meeting 7:00 PM
Sunday 4/19 - Sunday School 9:00 AM
Communion Service 10:00 AM
Confirmation Class 11:45 AM

THIS WEEK AT ST. PAUL (April 5-April 12)

Tuesday 4/7  —  Chrism Mass                                          11:00 AM

Wednesday 4/8  —  WELCA                                             2:00 PM

                                     Choir                                                 7:00 PM

Thursday 4/9 — Foot Washing Service                           12:00 PM & 7:00 PM

Friday 4/10 — Stations of the Cross                                 12:00 PM

                           Adoration of the Cross                             7:30 PM

Saturday 4/11 —  Children’s Program                             1:00 PM

                                Vigil                                                       8:00 PM

Sunday 4/12 —   Matins                                                     7:00 AM

                               Continental Breakfast                           8:00 AM

                               Festival Service                                     10:00 AM

 

 

THIS WEEK AT ST. PAUL (April 5-April 12)

Tuesday 4/7 - Chrism Mass 11:00 AM
Wednesday 4/8 - WELCA 2:00 PM
Choir 7:00
PM
Thursday 4/9 - Foot Washing Service 12:00 PM & 7:00 PM
Friday 4/10 - Stations of the Cross 12:00 PM
Adoration of the Cross 7:30 PM
Saturday 4/11 - Children's Program 1:00 PM
Vigil 8:00 PM
Sunday 4/12 - Matins 7:00 AM
Continental Breakfast 8:00
AM
Festival Service 10:00 AM

THIS WEEK AT ST. PAUL (March 29-April 5)

Monday 3/30 — LMM (Shoney’s)                                    8:00 AM

Tuesday 3/31  —  Bible Study                                          10:00 AM

                                 Jesus Over Java                                   7:30 PM

Wednesday 4/1—  Lenten Dinner                                    6:00 PM 

                                  Vespers                                                7:00 PM

                                  Choir Practice (after vespers)

Friday 4/3 — Piecemakers                                                10:00 AM

Sunday 4/5 — Sunday School                                           9:00 AM

                          Communion Service                                  10:00 AM

                          Confirmation Class                                    11:45 AM