For What It’s Worth: The Sermon from October 22nd:
“Children of God” Mark 10:2-16
Grace, Mercy and Peace to you …
Our Gospel Reading for today, you may have noticed, has two rather distinct sections. At first, they look disconnected, but they really aren’t.
The first section presents us with Jesus’ words to the Pharisees about divorce among God’s People. Divorce, especially in a Christian context, is a big topic that needs to be considered in light of these words of Jesus’ here, along with God’s words through St. Paul in the Epistles … and with an understanding of the Old Testament’s teachings, like our reading from Genesis for today. (Gen. 2:18-24)
The main thought in all those passages is this: God has established marriage for the sake of families. Why? Families are God’s appointed means to bring up Children … especially, to bring them up in the knowledge and love of the Lord.
Now, today we’re not going to go off on the tangent and talk about the challenges the concept of “family” faces in today’s enlightened age … let’s just reiterate that marriage is, and has always has been, God’s institution ...
As we see in the Book of Genesis, the reason God pronounced a world where man was alone as “not good” was because without that one who corresponds to him … and makes him complete … even as he makes her complete … namely woman … without the two … mankind could not be fruitful and multiply … which is and was God’s intent.
And so, it was God who instituted the union of one man and one woman … for life. And God declared creation “very good.”
But then … came sin. But in spite of sin, that never changed God’s intent for families … which is Jesus’ point to the Pharisees in our reading. And, I believe why this object lesson about Jesus blessing the children immediately follows His words about divorce.
We see how God feels about these little ones He has placed into this world by His Love … into the care of families of moms and dads.
And so, most significantly here … Mark tells us that people -- read here: “Parents”-- mothers and fathers -- were bringing little children to Jesus to have Him touch them.
Notice who’s taking the initiative here … the Parents! Parents making the effort to bring their children to have Jesus bless them.
That’s loaded. And yet we read, in spite of these parents’ good intentions, the Disciples, the faithful 12, set up a road block. “Nope, no kids beyond this point!”
Actually, what they do is worse than a road block … a road block just stands there … Mark tells us the disciples actually “rebuked” the parents!
Why would they do that? Protecting their Master from some needless trivia? He’s too busy having a theological debate with the Pharisees?
What ever. However you read it, their actions put children in a different camp. A lesser-than camp … a not-as-important camp. The disciples are making a distinction or discrimination based on age.
Jesus turns the tables. “You see this faith of a child?” He’s saying … “Aspire to that, you disciples!” Notice he doesn’t teach that the children should aspire to have the faith of the 12!
And then Jesus’ words and actions blow that all away … In fact, He tells us adults that unless we have that kind of child-like trust … that kind of faith … what? … We’ll never enter the kingdom of heaven.
He turns the tables. “You see this faith of a child?” He saying … “Aspire to that, you disciples!” Notice he doesn’t teach that the children should aspire to have the faith of the 12.
Now, let’s make sure we get our facts straight. First of all, it was the parents who brought the children to Jesus. … Not the children who brought the parents.
And the faith that Jesus commends the adults to see in the children came from somewhere. And that somewhere is reflected in the commitment of these parents who were not put off by the disciples’ rebuke.
We had a discussion this past week on this point in our Bible class downstairs between the services. Why we adults have such a hard time with some faith issues … and why the little ones don’t.
The upshot was that the little ones just believe because that’s what they’ve been told. They accept the word uncritically. We adults too often perhaps want to run the word through our rational and logical filters before we want to commit to it.
It’s one of those paradoxes about the Kingdom of God … when Jesus speaks of those of great faith … those he may be speaking of may not be the greatest in physical stature.
And so, as parents, grandparents, singles, and children … as we make up the body of Christ called His church and as a congregation … what do we learn from these words to us today?
Children … and their faith … are very important to Jesus. Families … and how they function in bringing the faith into the lives of children born into them is something very important to Jesus.
And for that matter then, what we do as a congregation of believers to help families nurture the growth of the faith from infant to faithful adolescent to adult is important to Jesus.
And so … our reading for today is a call for us at all those levels … personal, family and as a congregation … to be alert to the obstacles, or road-blocks that we, like the disciples, might be imposing upon our younger members … or as the disciples did … on their parents.
How can each of us better support the nurture of these little ones? How can we as families, better support the nurture of our own, as well as other little ones in the faith? How can we as a congregation of believers make the kingdom of God more accessible to families, and hand in hand, to these little ones?
What we do well in those areas is pretty apparent. We have a well equipped, excellently staffed Christian Day school … right here. We have an excellent Sunday School program on Sunday morning for all ages.
We look around us in worship and there are many children in the sanctuary every week … and at the late service the pastor blesses nearly as many children as the number adults who take Communion.
In all these areas, this congregation has been well blessed by the Lord as it intentionally reaches out with His love to the children who are brought here.
So. What obstacles do we see? Sometimes with all the things that are going well …it’s hard to see the things that could be improved.
We could talk this morning about architectural improvements for a better cry-room, a larger youth room … or the need for more volunteers in the nursery … or for more Sunday School teachers …
But, honestly, those are small problems … small in the sense that we know how to fix them. We know how to volunteer. We even know how to move walls.
But we do have a problem with our ministry to our younger members we have not been able to solve. It can’t be fixed by moving walls or putting an addition on the building … Nor can it be solved by having more people step up and volunteer.
The problem is our ministry to our youth. What’s youth? One definition is: youth begins at birth, and then continues through Baptism, Confirmation, to young-adult hood … or for most practical purposes, college-age.
Ministering to youth is not about all-night lock ins, or off-site retreats, or having pizza and listening to a band on Sunday nights …
Those are some of the visible elements we might think of when we think of youth in the church. But they really aren’t youth ministry.
What is it? It’s what we see Jesus doing with the children in our reading today … once they got past the Disciples. Jesus blessed them.
And that wasn’t just a nice pat on the head. When Mark says, Jesus, God Himself, took them in his arms, put His hands on them, and blessed them … this was real ministry to them.
In our day, we would say that would mean making Jesus’ life, death and resurrection real in their everyday lives. Having a sense of Jesus’ presence in all that they do …
That kind of ministry happens when, and only when, there’s a strong, trusting relationship. A relationship between the little one, the youth, if you will, and a mentor, for lack of a better term … a person, who at that moment in their lives, can be Christ for them.
Now, you don’t create a mentor by building one out of concrete blocks … and by definition … a parental volunteer is not a mentor …
The parental role, as we see in our reading, is to bring the little one to Jesus … to make it happen … to get past the road-blocks and even the rebukes … to see their little one in Jesus’ arms.
The mentor, the one who serves in Jesus’ place, is a unique one who has a personal relationship with Christ, and has been so gifted by His Spirit … that he, or she, is the one through whom Christ’s blessing can come to these little ones.
So, that brings us back to our role … as individuals, families and as a congregation.
Look around. That person we’ve described as the mentor for our youth (children birth to college age) is not here. He’s not me. He or she’s not a parent, and he or she’s not on the staff.
God knows who he or she is. To be honest with you, we have a lot of trusting youth in our church … trusting us, trusting you and me, the ones with the where-with-all to bring that person here … to make it happen.
They’ve been hanging on, trusting, not following many of their peers elsewhere … trusting that we, as individuals, families and as a congregation, love them … and will do the right thing.
Please pray about this, what we’ve talked about this morning. Let us all … as individuals and families and finally as the congregation … seek the Lord’s will and, in that, be united in our love for one another.
In Him.
Amen.
Looking Forward“Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:13
It’s hard to imagine that only two months into the new school year we’re already working hard on enrollment for the next school year. But that’s the nature of the ministry. If we want to attract more families to our school, we need to be looking forward and preparing for our Open House on November 12. That’s a very important day. It is the first opportunity we have to introduce new people to the Word of God through our school ministry.
The school ministry needs your help to make the day a success. Please invite those you know who are looking for Quality Christian Education with a personal touch to “Come and See” us on November 12 from 2 - 4 in the afternoon. Our school students will provide entertainment throughout the afternoon. School alumni will help serve as tour guides for visitors. Displays of every sort will focus on various aspects of our educational offerings. Faculty, staff, and Board members will be present to answer questions. It will be a special day.
Sometimes in the hustle and bustle of all this preparation and excitement we can lose sight of what the true goal is that we are looking forward to achieving. Our school ministry must always focus on bringing the Good News of salvation to all; to “go and make disciples” for Christ. That is the prize we seek. That is the goal on which we focus.
May God grant us the energy, wisdom, and strength to always have that goal of sharing the Gospel as our primary focus.
In Christ,
Martin A. Brieschke
Golden OldiesJoining together in Christian Fellowship, Education, & Recreation
At each gathering you generally will find:
1. Lunch at 12:00 PM
2. Devotions
3. Speakers on a variety of topics or entertainment
4. Brief business meeting
5. Usually meet the 3rd Monday of each month
Occasional field trips or outings
November 20, at 12 (Noon) Steve Vest, editor/Publisher and Columnist of the Kentucky Monthly Magazine will be our guest speaker. He will entertain us with a presentation on a number of Kentucky folk legends that he has written about in his magazine.
Lunch will be served at noon. Please call either Norm Kendt or Dorothy Groemling for more information.
Sunday School in NovemberOPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD is in full swing with boxes collected until Sunday, November 19th. There will be a dedication of the boxes at the 11:00 service before delivery to the distribution center. Sunday School classes will be making boxes, and families are encouraged to make at least one at home. Do this with your child and JUST EXPERIENCE THE WONDERFUL FEELING YOU GET BY DOING THIS ACTIVITY TOGETHER. IT'S AMAZING!
SPECIAL THANKS to all the students who sang BEAUTIFUL SAVIOUR on Oct 15th and to Mrs. Crespo who directed the group. It was enjoyed by all!
THIRD GRADE BIBLE PRESENTATION by the fourth graders took place on Reformation Sunday for it's eighth year. Thanks to Thrivent for helping keep this tradition alive.
CHILDREN'S CHRISTMAS PROGRAM is scheduled for December 10th at the 11 service. A practice will be the morning of December 9th. This year's program will be new, fun, and have a different cultural twist to it! It is Las Posadas which translates to "lodgings", and is a celebration rooted in Mexican heritage. LAS POSADAS is a traditional Advent/Christmas celebration in Latin America, particularly Mexico. It dates back more than 400 years to Spain. It is a reenactment of the story of Mary and Joseph's journey to Bethlehem and their search for lodging. Children will be rehearsing for this during the month of November during Sunday School opening as well as December 9th. Parent/adult help is needed in the area of scenery, props, singing, and child supervision, and a possible "fiesta" to follow the service. Please call Heidi or Leanne if you can help with this fun event.
ANNOUNCING OUR OFFICIAL SUNDAY SCHOOL STAFFPre-school- Mrs. Teri Lindgren
Kindergarten and Opening- Mrs. Sally Crespo
First and Second Grades- Mrs. Pam McGinnis, Mrs. Billie Detroy, Mrs. Tracy Hannon
Third Grade- Mrs. Tricia Krueger and Mrs. Amy Masterson
Fourth Grade- Mr. Steve Lindgren
Fifth Grade- Mrs. Kim Hall
Sixth Grade- Mrs. Dianne Rowan
We are BLESSED to have these people serve our youth; please remember them in your prayers!
Don't forget to keep your eyes open for those fun items to put in your Operation Christmas Child shoebox.
Leanne and Heidi
The OssuaryYou diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about Me.--John 5:39
What is an “ossuary”?
a. spotted South American jaguar
b. an ancient burial box
c. a refuge for ostriches
The answer is b, a few years ago one surfaced in the Holy Land and created quite a stir among biblical scholars. It dates from the first century AD, is constructed from sandstone from Mount Scopus, and isn’t a fake. Most significant is the Aramaic inscription carved on its side: “James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus.” In the sand at the bottom of the box are a few ancient bone fragments that may be the remains of James who became Jesus’ follower, leader of the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15), and writer of the book that bears his name.
While most scholars believe that a person named Jesus actually lived, this is the earliest piece of hard evidence that supports it. Who else could it be who was named in the inscription? Although James, Joseph, and Jesus were common names, the chances that they would be named on an ossuary in the proper sequence (Joseph the father, Jesus the brother) are extremely small. This has led the prominent French scholar Andre Lemaire to declare a 95-percent probability that this is James’ burial box—given that Jesus actually lived on earth as the Bible says.
We who believe in Jesus and the Bible do not really need proof of His existence from the world of archaeology. Our faith in Him does not depend on empirical or scientific data but on the evidence of God’s Word. We are convinced that it is inspired by Him. The Scriptures say Jesus lived. We believe it. We don’t need an inscription on a stone box to authenticate what we know to be true.
We welcome finds such as this, but our salvation and hope do not depend on them. If the box turns out to be phony, our faith will not be shaken, because we rest on the solid reality of the Bible. Continue to study the reality of the Bible as you read His Word and join together with other Christians to study and discuss what God is saying to you through His Word.
ADULT BIBLE CLASS OPPORTUNITIES Sunday Morning 9:45 AM Bible Classes
1. THE LUTHERAN DIFFERENCE: BAPTISM – Fellowship Hall – Pastor Fausel
2. EXODUS – Scout Room – Kyle Lohmeyer
3. BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS – Faculty Lounge – Caron Fausel
4. THE MASTERPIECE MARRIAGE – 7th Grade Classroom – Paul Nickel
Tuesday Morning 10:15 AM Class
MATTHEW – Fellowship Hall – Paul Nickel
Monday Evening (6:30 PM – Melissa Nelson – Faculty Lounge)/Friday Morning (9:30 AM – Paul Nickel – Fellowship Hall) WOMEN’S BIBLE CLASS
Beth Moore’s DANIEL
ChristCare - Up DateBy the time you read this article our ChristCare Group Leader trainees will have completed eight weeks of their training to become ChristCare Group Leaders. That means there are 16 more training sessions to go, a mere 40 more hours of training and at least an equivalent amount of time spent on pre-class readings. Becoming a ChristCare Group Leader is no easy walk in the park! Your trainees – Emily Hayes, Mark Otten, Pat Otten, Scott Kamman, David Robison, and Leah Robison – as well as your ChristCare Equippers – Marsha Puckett, Charles Puckett, and Paul Nickel – all need your prayers. Pray that God would help them find the time needed for pre-class readings, remove any obstacles that might prohibit class attendance, and for guidance for their future in their ChristCare ministry. ChristCare groups will be forming after Easter. Watch for more about this in the months to come.
EACM Thanksgiving BasketsNVP along with the help from all the churches are trying to provide a Thanksgiving Basket Meal for families this year. Each basket should have 5 pounds of potatoes (real or instant), canned yams or sweet potatoes, canned vegetables (green beans, corn, or mixed), 3-4 cans of fruit or bag of apples, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie filling, or mix, pie crust, a large dry stuffing mix, a large can of chicken broth, and a beverage mix (tea, Kool-aid, lemon-aid or coffee). Each basket also needs a gift certificate for all perishable food items such as turkey, ham, eggs, biscuits, milk, etc.
Good News: Thanks to all the students who supported SALT (OSLS student council) on the recent dress down day that supported NVP Holiday Food Baskets. The students raised $143 which will go towards gift certificates for perishable food items for the Thanksgiving and Christmas food baskets. What a wonderful way to support our local food pantry and have a uniform free day. Thanks to all the students who helped!
Members are asked to fill a basket (or a bag) completely (or team up with another person) and return it to church no later than November 12. Thank you for your support in providing a meal for a local family in need. We will not be collecting for Christmas Baskets. Prayerfully consider assisting us now, to share and to show the love of Christ to those less fortunate.
Upcoming Worship Dates November 5 All Saints’ Day (observed)
November 22 Thanksgiving Eve Service, 7:00 PM
November 23 Thanksgiving Day Service, 10:00 AM
November 26 Last Sunday in the Church Year
December 3 First Sunday in Advent
December 5 Messiah Sing-A-Long, 7:30 PM
December 10 Sunday School Christmas Program, 11 AM Service
December 6, 13, 20 Wednesday Evening Advent Services, 7:00 PM
December 14 OSLS “Carols by Candlelight,” 7:00 PM
December 24 Sunday Morning Worship, 10:00 AM (time change!)
Christmas Eve Services:
5:00 PM, Majestic Celebration (led by Praise Team)
7:00 PM, Joyful Heritage (led by Adult Choir and Handbells)
11:00 PM, Liturgical candlelight Service
December 25 Christmas Day Service, 10:00 AM
December 31 Sunday morning Services as usual, 8:30 & 11:00 AM
New Year’s Eve Service, 7:00 PM
Messiah Sing-a-LongTuesday, December 5, 2006 at 7:30 PM
Join us for an evening of the Christmas portion of Handel’s
Messiah. The event will feature a stringed ensemble and organ
and soloists. The public is invited to sing on the chorus parts. Light refreshments follow. This is a special way to prepare your hearts and minds for the coming of our Lord and Savior.
SUNDAY MORNING MARRIAGE SERIES UP DATE
Beginning This Month
9:45-10:45 AM ~ 7th Grade Classroom
THE MASTERPIECE MARRIAGE:
God Has Plans to Make Your Marriage A Masterpiece!
Discover God’s master plan for your marriage. The Masterpiece Marriage explores God’s plan for marriage as a reflection of His glory to the rest of the world rather than the world’s view that marriage is the way to happiness and self-fulfillment. The themes of the four sessions are:
Great Expectations: God’s primary purpose for marriage
The Divine Triangle: The three-way relationship between a man, a woman, and God
The Great Adventure: God’s instruction to be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it
A Walk In The Garden: How sin has marred our relationship with God and how we can overcome it
Poinsettias for the Church Altar LWML will be selling Poinsettias again for the altar. You may order them in celebration of, memory of, or dedication of a loved one. This is a wonderful way to remember a special person and help add beauty to the altar at Christmas. Watch for the display in the narthex in early December.
Looking to Get Involved at Our Savior Through Music?Adult Handbell Choir meets on Thursday evenings, 6:30 PM in the Music Room.
Adult Choir meets on Thursday evenings, 7:30 PM in the Music Room.
Contemporary Worship Teams still graciously welcome any musician who is interested in using his or her talent to help us in our contemporary worship. Time commitment depends solely on you, as little or as much as you desire. We are in need of singers and instrumentalists, especially those of you talented in bass or guitar. Practices usually are on Friday evening or Saturday morning.
Beginning Handbell Choir meets on Wednesday afternoons, 3:30 – 4:30 PM in the Music Room. (For grades 4 and up)
Our Savior Lutheran School Band meets on Wednesday and Friday mornings from 8:00 – 8:45 AM. (For grades 3-5)
Questions? Contact Director of Music Scott Kamman.
MEN’S MINISTRY BREAKFASTSecond Saturday Each Month
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 11TH
8:00 – 9:30 AM
Pancake Breakfast
Bible Study –
“Hope Under Construction: Insights Into the Life of Nehemiah”
Join Us and Bring a Friend
Women’s MinistryGreetings to the Ladies of Our Savior. Oh my goodness, did your flower garden survive that frigid air that flew in last month? Hopefully the Lord will give us additional days to do our fall projects.
Speaking of fall, the core committee is preparing for the WM fall event set for November 12th. It will begin right after second church is over in the Fellowship Hall. Lunch will be served. Based on Scripture from Psalm 25:4, “Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths” our theme will focus on Christian education. Our speaker will be Marcia Hermann, who is in charge of the after-school tutoring program at Redeemer Lutheran Church. A free will offering will be taken with matching funds given by Thrivent to benefit the program.
Again referring to Scripture, 1 Peter 4:10 “ As each one of us has a special gift, employ it in serving one another”, each one present will fill out a survey and indicate how they would like to provide service to OSLC.
Elections will be held on November 5th for new leaders of our WM. The newly-elected will be introduced on November 12th. As we elect new leaders, it means that my time as a co-leader has come to a close. My prayers and blessings go to the new leaders and I hope you, too, will keep them in your prayers in the future. My time with WM has been a gift to me in many ways. One of which was getting to know and work with such spirit- filled and hard working ladies. I pray that as sisters in Christ we have made a difference in each other’s spiritual walk.
Your sister in Christ,
Joyce Berndt
Cedarbrook NewsOur next Board meeting will be on Sunday, November 12 at 3:00 at Cedarbrook. THANKS! Pastor Ron Richeson & Jill,
Pastor Lutz, Greg Walts, Clyde Lang, Pastor Peters, Angela Smith & her helpers & Lois Lutz for all their hard work on our last workday of 2006. Jack & Barb Blombach came out earlier to put new steps to the cabin basement so it could be cleaned out. Lots done and it is much appreciated. Long range plans include enclosing the pavilion so that several groups could use the camp at the same time. The cost of water & electricity could be quite a lot. New stools were recently put in the restrooms, one being a handicapped style. Hopefully we can get new floors laid when we get all the leaks under control. The scouts trimmed several trails for the camp. No report at this time on our Octoberfest for next Sunday, Oct. 22 from 1:00-5:00.
Donations for the camp may be sent to Mr. Greg Walts, 1503 Stone Ridge Dr., Georgetown, In.. Make reservations with Lois Lutz.
Our Savior Lutheran School Open HouseOur Savior Lutheran School cordially invites all members of the congregation, especially those with school-aged children, to our Annual Open House on Sunday, November 12, from 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm.
Meet the faculty & staff
Hear the students perform
See what a SmartBoard is and what it can do
Learn about the extracurricular programs
Discover a Quality Christian Education with a personal touch
STEPHEN MINISTRYby Pastor Berndt
We are delighted to announce that a new training session of four Stephen Ministers has begun at OSLC. New class members are: Lois Lohmeyer, Norma Brown, Eric Brian, and Steve Lindgren. We are particularly pleased to have two men in this class. This is critical because in the Stephen Ministry program men are paired with men and women with women. As of now, we have only one man trained as a Stephen Minister at OSLC.
Since 2001, our congregation has been blessed with ten Stephen Ministers of which six are currently caregivers. Once the 50-hour training is completed, Stephen Ministers provide one-on-one spiritual and prayer support to individuals in a congregation who are experiencing hurt – whether through loss of a loved one, divorce, job loss or a stress-related change in life. The individual commitment is for two years, though many choose to serve longer. New class members attend a weekly training session of two hours for approximately six months. The training is intensive and covers such areas as the art of listening, compassionate assertiveness, crisis theory intervention, confidentiality and distinctive Christian caregiving I have the privilege of instructing this class. Melissa Nelson, a trained Stephen Minister Leader, also assists. Steve Lindgren, one of the new class members, brings the evening ‘treats’- compliments from his wife, Terry.
We at OSLC are indeed blessed to have this outreach ministry that brings Christ’s healing love to folks who are hurting. It is a ministry which is rewarding to both caregiver and carereceiver. Praise be to God!
Notes from the Music DirectorDear friends in Christ,
It is so exciting to be on the verge of debuting a new hymnal in our church body! The last time this occurred in our Synod, I was a young teen, and I remember the great changeover to Lutheran Worship. It was both an exhilarating and frustrating time. We had a lot of learning to do! With our new Lutheran Service Book, we hopefully will have a lot more of the exhilaration and much less of the frustration. Much of our rich heritage is preserved, while new additions provide additional richness to our worship.
Commonly referred to as “the hymnal,” it is, in reality, so much more. Lutheran Service Book is a rich compilation of services, psalms, hymns, and prayers that will nourish and edify the faithful week after week for generations to come.
HymnsCentral to any hymnal is the corpus of hymns that it contains. Numbering at nearly 630, the hymns in Lutheran Service Book span the centuries of Christendom. Hymn texts dating from the third and fourth centuries can be found next to texts and tunes written as recently as three years ago. In addition to hundreds of familiar hymns included in previous hymnals, fresh expressions of the Gospel are represented in over 100 hymns that are new to our hymnal.
Restoring Favorite Hymns A careful examination of Lutheran Worship and The Lutheran Hymnal has led to the restoration of some favorite hymns. Among the familiar texts that have been restored are: My Faith Looks Up to Thee, Take My Life and Let It Be, and I Am Trusting Thee, Lord Jesus. Some favorite tunes have also been restored to well-known texts, including: God Loved the World So That He Gave, Fight the Good Fight, Ride On, Ride On in Majesty, and The Day of Resurrection.
Musical settings of the hymns have been carefully scrutinized. For the majority of hymns, standard, four-part harmonizations are provided. In addition, the keys of some hymns have been lowered both to aid with singing and to provide keys easily played by musicians.
For approximately one-fifth of the hymns, only the melody line will be provided in the pew edition. Because many parishioners cannot read music, the inclusion of only the melody line will assist them in following the tune. The use of melody line only is reserved primarily for more difficult tunes, hymns of greater length, and melodies that are intended to be sung in unison.
Adding an International Flavor Lutheran Service Book includes hymns from around the world, including Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Argentina, the Caribbean, and China. In addition, a number of hymns originally written in Spanish are included not only in English translation but also with the original Spanish. Spanish translations to some very familiar hymns are also provided. German texts are provided for two beloved hymns (“Silent Night” and “Now the Light Has Gone Away”).
Congregation members are invited and encouraged to help Our Savior acquire the new Lutheran Service Book for worship by purchasing copies of the new hymnal for our pews. This can also be done in conjunction with a memorial or in honor of a loved one or family member. The cost is $20 (that includes shipping and handling). Order forms are available on the display poster in the narthex. Please turn in your order to the church office with checks made payable to Our Savior Lutheran Church.
Members may also special order a personal copy of the hymnal for home use or as gifts for confirmation, graduation, or other special events. Special engraving is available at an extra cost.
The Lord Almighty order our days and our deeds in His peace.
Yours in Christ,
Scott Kamman
Director of Music
Our Savior Music “Notes”Thanks! Special thanks to those who helped out in any way with the Lutheran Service Book workshop on October 21 or the Circuit Reformation Service on October 29. Your kindness is greatly appreciated.
Thanksgiving Services: Once again, we will be offering two services on Thanksgiving to help accommodate busy schedules. Our first service will be on Thanksgiving Eve, Wednesday, November 22, at 7:00 PM. The second service will be on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 23, at 10:00 AM. Come, you thankful people, come!
NEW! Carols by Candlelight! On Thursday evening, December 14, at 7:00 PM, Our Savior Lutheran School will be performing a new Our Savior Christmas experience, “Carols by Candlelight.” Mark your calendar and invite your friends and family for a night of music and celebration.
Hymn of the month: The children in our dayschool learn a special hymn or song of the month as part of their worship and religion class experience. For the month of November, they will be learning the hymn, “Now Thank We All Our God,” written by Martin Rinckart. The tune is attributed to Johann Crüger, 1647.
Martin Rinkart, a Lutheran minister, was in Eilenburg, Saxony, during the Thirty Years’ War. The walled city of Eilenburg saw a steady stream of refugees pour through its gates. The Swedish army surrounded the city, and famine and plague were rampant. Eight hundred homes were destroyed, and the people began to perish. There was a tremendous strain on the pastors who had to conduct dozens of funerals daily. Finally, the pastors, too, succumbed, and Rinkart was the only one left—doing 50 funerals a day. When the Swedes demanded a huge ransom, Rinkart left the safety of the walls to plead for mercy. The Swedish commander, impressed by his faith and courage, lowered his demands. Soon afterward, the Thirty Years’ War ended, and Rinkart wrote this hymn for a grand celebration service. It is a testament to his faith that, after such misery, he was able to write a hymn of abiding trust and gratitude toward God.
Now thank we all our God, with heart and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things has done, in Whom this world rejoices;
Who from our mothers’ arms has blessed us on our way
With countless gifts of love, and still is ours today.
O may this bounteous God through all our life be near us,
With ever joyful hearts and blessed peace to cheer us;
And keep us in His grace, and guide us when perplexed;
And free us from all ills, in this world and the next!
All praise and thanks to God the Father now be given;
The Son and Him Who reigns with Them in highest Heaven;
The one eternal God, Whom earth and Heaven adore;
For thus it was, is now, and shall be evermore.
Chapel worship: Everyone is invited to worship with the school children each week as they gather for chapel on Wednesdays at 8:45 AM in the sanctuary. It is an excellent opportunity for midweek worship. Come and join us!
Answer to the October quiz: The hymn that states, “Lord, may your body and your blood be for my soul the highest good” is “I Come, O Savior, to Your Table.” (LW 242)
November quiz: Which hymn lists the following blessings: “Harvest of sown fields, Fruits of the orchard, Hay from the mown fields, Blossom and wood”?
Our Savior’s Nursery Hours: Did you know that our church provides nursery care through both services and the Sunday School hour, thanks to the gracious efforts of many of our nursery volunteers? (THANKS, LADIES and GENTS!) If you’d like to volunteer, contact Michelle Lehenbauer.
Hearing Assist devices: Had trouble hearing well in our sanctuary? These small sound amplifying devices are available from the ushers. Please ask for them! They amplify what is going through our sound system. If you would like to purchase your own personal set of earphones for use with the church sound system, please contact the church office. (These devices do not work outside the sanctuary.)
Worship Reminders: Remember to turn the ringer of your cell phone off when entering the sanctuary! (If Someone Important needs to get your attention during worship, you’ll hear the trumpet sound.) Thank you for maintaining a worshipful atmosphere.
Worship Notes! In an effort to try to help us all learn about our worship life and liturgy, we offer this little “tidbit” of information each month. It can serve as a review for you, an answer to that question, “Why do we do that?”, or as a teaching tool for our children or grandchildren. Please share this with your family. Discuss it prior to worship. If there is something you would like to have answered, let me know. I’ll do my best to find out! Check out this month’s edition of “Worship Notes!”
THIS MONTH’S WORSHIP NOTES: The Creed is a confession of our Christian faith that we usually speak as a group after God’s Word is shared. It is customary to speak the Nicene Creed when the Lord’s Supper is celebrated. This statement of belief was adopted by the Council of Nicaea around A.D. 325. The Apostle’s Creed is often spoken on non-communion Sundays. It is a shorter confession of faith put together by the early Christian church, not the Apostles themselves. The lengthy Athanasian Creed is often used on Trinity Sunday. All creeds state our belief in the Triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Monthly rotation of hymnal liturgies for “Joyful Heritage” Services from Easter through Pentecost season, 2006:
First week: Divine Service II, Setting 2 with Holy Communion (p. 158)
Second week: Divine Service I with Holy Communion (p. 136)
Third week: Divine Service III with Holy Communion (p. 197)
Fourth week: Divine Service II, Setting 2 with Holy Communion (p. 158)
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