Midweek Lenten services/Seminary Weekend/First Communion and more....

Dear People of the Promise/God’s Covenant People,   To be on the receiving end of a promise is a real blessing.  In our Baptism, God promises forgiveness of sins and a place in God’s kingdom, now and into eternity.   Life then consists of living up to being on the receiving end of that kind of promise!   So, Lent is a good time to reflect on that and grow into that special identity.  

 

Starting this Wednesday, Feb. 29 our regular mid week Lenten services begin with worship at 11am (spoken service of prayer) followed by a soup and salad lunch, and 7pm (Holden Evening Prayer) preceded by a soup and salad supper.  At both services the message will be via “Sand Art”.   This is a most engaging way of seeing some of the Biblical stories unfold before your very eyes.   Last year this was so well received that we are offering the same kind of message looking this year at different Biblical stories. 

 

Speaking of lunches and suppers, if you can volunteer to help set up and/or serve and/or clean up for any of these simple Lenten meals, please call the church office at 56 7-2253.   All the food will be here and prepared.  We just could use some help with the serving, etc.  And most of the dishes/etc. are of the disposable variety, so not a lot of dirty dishes to wash or anything like that.   You can sign up for one lunch, or one supper or more or a combination of those.  Many thanks!

 

This coming weekend will be “Seminary Weekend” at Our Savior.   The Rev. Dr. Shauna Hannan, a homiletics professor at Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in Columbia SC will be our guest for the weekend.   During the Sunday School hour she will meet with our combined Adult Sunday school classes in the Fellowship Hall.   Even if you haven’t been in one of those classes, feel welcome to join Dr. Hannan and others for this special time together.

 

Looking ahead, First Communion Classes will be offered to all children not yet receiving Holy Communion.  The classes will be held during the Sunday School hour three Sundays in a row in the sanctuary:  March 11, 18 and 25.  The classes are for the children and at least one of the parents.  If you have any questions about these classes or when a child might be ready to attend, talk to either of the pastors. 

 

And one more “looking ahead”:  There will be 3 “New Member” gatherings on Wed. April 11 at 6:30pm, Sunday, April 15 during the Sunday School hour, and Wednesday April 18 at 6:30pm, for anyone interested in learning more about Our Savior and would like to become a member of Our Savior. 

 

For other information re: the life around Our Savior Lutheran Church, please visit our website at: www.oursaviorelca.com. 

 

See you church, as we continue our Lenten journey together.        Pastor Jack Diehl +

 

 

 

Keeping a Holy Lent; and some updates . . .

UPDATES

 

There will be a staffed nursery for our Ash Wednesday service this evening at 7pm.  (By the way, it’s a very nice service, and this evening we’ll be sent out with bagpipes!)

 

Remember, no meal tonight, but there will be soup and salad lunches and suppers beginning next week.

 

There will be no “Dancing with the Lutherans” tomorrow night (Thursday).   Call Betty Lou if you’re interested down the road,  569-4117.

 

This coming weekend our parish health team will be offering blood pressure checks after the 6pm Saturday service and 11am Sunday service, but before the 8:30am Sunday service. 

 

On Sunday evening, there will be a free concert at the Vero Beach High School Performing Arts Center at 7pm by a local orchestra made up of volunteer musicians from our community (including a few from our congregation!)

 

 

KEEPING A HOLY LENT               

 

On this first day of Lent here are some suggestions for the 40 day journey ahead.*

Get into God’s word 
You could….
1. Join the Wednesday morning Bible study (Wednesdays at 9:45am in room 4).
2. Expand your Sunday morning "church time" to include one of the Adult Sunday school class Sundays at 9:45  (quiet room or room 4)
3. Join a ChristCare group and grow in Bible study and faithful conversation with a covenanted group of others (call Carole Olsen, 562-3009 to get started.)
4. Worship mid-week on Wednesdays at 11:00am or 7:00pm. Service of Prayer at 11am, Holden Evening Prayer at 7:00pm

Try A Lenten Discipline. 

You could…
1. Commit to Pray daily.
2. Commit to spend time each day in Scripture.
3. Commit to Worship weekly.
4. Commit to attend Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter worship in order to experience Holy Week in its entirety. 
5. Commit to Practice generosity each day.
6. Commit to Invite someone to worship with you during Lent or Holy Week.
7. Commit to Fast from something that distracts you from God whether that is Facebook or over-committing to activities or not being able to put aside work or television or worry or fear or anger or something else.
8. Commit to Practice thankfulness each day.
9. Commit to reading a book that nurtures your faith or deepens your spirituality.
10. Commit to Sabbath-taking by setting aside time each week to do that which brings you the most joy.
11. Commit to doing a work of love each day.

Try Something Different. 

You could …
1. Assist in worship or encourage your child/youth to assist in worship. Let one of the Pastors know if this is something you feel called to do.
2. Sing in the Easter Choir, (rehearsals Wednesday evenings at 7:45PM). 

3. Knit a prayer shawl to be given out in a care kit. (Call Bonnie Lanyi for pattern.)
4. Walk for a purpose. Join the OSLC team to walk in the Care Net Annual Walk for Life (call Gretchen in the church office 567-2253). 
5. Start a new practice of bringing a bag of food with your to worship and place it in the food pantry basket.

6. Have faith based dinner conversation one night a week with your family--use the Taking Home Faith inserts in your bulletin for conversation.

 starters.
7.Come up with your own idea and share it with us!

 

Lenten Blessings,

Pastor Shelly and Pastor Jack

(*With gratitude to colleague Pastor Keith Spencer for a modified version of the above.)

 

OSE-news: Lent Begins

 

We've been to some mountain tops.  We've been in some valleys.   Life is made up of both of those.  But in this upcoming season of Lent, we are reminded that Jesus knows both the mountain tops and the valleys.   In the season of Lent we see God's willingness to come to the darkest valley, for us, for you, for me.  

 

Plan on joining us this coming Ash Wednesday, Feb. 22, for services at 11am and 7pm, which include the imposition of ashes.  This will mark the beginning of our 40 day Lenten journey.  Please note, there is no supper on Ash Wednesday.  

 

However, on the following Wednesdays in Lent, there will be a lunch following the 11am service, and a light Lenten supper preceding the 7pm service.  The setting for worship will, “by popular demand”, Holden Evening Prayer.  Both services will also include some new "Sand Art" messages, which were also so well received last year by young and old alike. 

 

This Saturday morning Feb. 25, our Women of the ELCA will be holding a rummage sale in the Fellowship Hall.  You can bring items (about anything but clothing) to the west end of the Fellowship Hall this week between the hours of 9am and 3pm or before or after our Ash Wednesday services or call to make sure someone is here at another time.   Proceeds go to a number of local charities and other ministries supported by WELCA.  

 

May this approaching Lenten season be one of growth and renewal for you, and for all of us, as we enter this journey toward Easter together.        

 

See you in church.    Pastor Jack Diehl +     www.oursaviorelca.com 

O.S.E-news: 2/13/12

From: Our Savior Lutheran Church
Sent: Monday, February 13, 2012 2:08 PM
To: Our Savior Lutheran Church
Subject: O.S.E-news: 2/13/12

 

If someone like Naaman in our Old Testament reading yesterday…commander of Aram’s army, a mighty warrior, powerful, influential, proud…can humble himself before God and be made whole and well, there’s hope for us all!  Lord, help us set aside our pride and not get in our own way of becoming the kind of person you would have us to be! 

 

As the week unfolds here at Our Savior, this coming Wednesday will be the last of our regular Wednesday night suppers (and a great one it will be again…pulled pork, baked beans, cole slaw, dessert, ahhh.)  The following Wednesday, Feb. 22 is Ash Wednesday!   There will be no meals on that day.   However, the week after that we begin our Lenten Lunches and Lenten suppers, which will be lighter fare. 

 

One of Pastor Shelly’s favorite stories about these suppers happened last year.  Some of our neighbors have joined us for our Wednesday suppers.  One man in particular, who wasn’t real familiar with the church but whom we were glad to have join us, loved the full meal we had each week.  The first Wednesday in Lent our suppers become much simpler…soup and salad or something like that.  The man looked at the meal, and asked what had changed.  He was told it was Lent, and the meals take on a different look.  The following Wednesday he returned, saw the simple meal again and said, “Is it still Lent?!”  So, not only did he learn about Lutheran eating, but I think he learned something about the church year as well!  J

 

A big THANK YOU to Thrivent members.  This past week we received a  check from Thrivent (a fraternal Insurance/Investment company for Lutherans) for $1,827.  This is not the first “Thrivent Choice” check we’ve received from them.   At least once a year, we receive that kind of check from Thrivent because many of you, Thrivent members, have designated your “Thrivent Choice” dollars to go to Our Savior Lutheran Church.  This is always a nice surprise and a wonderful way to help support Our Savior.  And this happens because 26 members (and some not even members of Our Savior) have designated their “Thrivent Choice” dollars for Our Savior.  If you are a Thrivent member, and aren’t sure where your “Thrivent Choice” dollars are going (and they are going somewhere whether you designate them to a place or not) you might want to check that out.  You could also designate your dollars to go toward places like the Lutheran Outdoor Ministries of Florida, or seminaries, or the like.  For more information about this or about Thrivent Insurance or Investments, contact Sam Lyons, our local Thrivent agent at:  772-978-9999 or sam.lyons@thrivent.com.   And thanks again!   

 

This Thursday, Feb. 16, is our Women of the ELCA brown bag lunch at 11:30,  with a guest speaker from Thrivent. 

 

Coming up this Saturday, Feb. 18 is a SeniorFest at Advent Lutheran Church in Boca Raton.  This is a wonderful day long event of “food, fun and challenge” for seniors and friends (retired, not high school) J, with speakers, music, worship, worshops on health ministry, technology and more.  Our own Bonnie Lanyi is one of the speakers and has room to bring others along with her.  Judy Kloski is going and there is room for up to 4 more people to ride along.  The event is from 9am til 4pm.  Bonnie will be leaving around 7:30am.  Call her at 567-2253 asap if you’d like to go along.  Cost is $30 per person. 

 

Looking ahead, “Dancing with the Lutherans” resumes on Thursday, Feb. 23!   Call Betty Lou Hamilton at 569-4117 to sign up.  Great fun!

 

For more information about life at Our Savior, please see our website at: www.oursaviorelca.com or check out our new outside bulletin board over the water fountain between the rest rooms off of our walkway to the church.    

 

Have a blessed week!    

Menu correction!

From: Our Savior Lutheran Church
Sent: Tuesday, February 07, 2012 12:10 PM
To: Our Savior Lutheran Church
Subject: Menu correction!

 

Oops!   The menu for this Wednesday’s supper (tomorrow night, Feb. 8) will be spaghetti and meatballs, salad, dessert, etc…ahh.  Another nice meal!   The pulled pork and fixins will be next Wednesday, the 15^th!        See our website for other good stuff going on around Our Savior:  www.oursaviorelca.com. 

O.S.E.-news: Feb. 6, 2012

 

What a special time of the year this is, with so many of our winter residents back, and all of the extra activities going on at Our Savior and in our community.  This past weekend was a great example of that.  “Scout Sunday” was wonderful, with the pancake breakfast, scouts participating in worship in all kinds of ways, and hearing the report at the beginning of worship from Dr. Glenn Tremmel, this year’s scout master.  Of the 17 Eagle Scout awards received in this area this past year, 9 of them were from our own troop 567 .  This is truly and exceptional group.  Dr. Tremmel also presented the church with a nice check from the troop’s fundraisers this year.  Our scouts and Our Savior are certainly reaping the rewards of lots good nurturing from our longest active “scout”, Glen Pierson, 80 years young and still involved with our kids.  Thanks to all for a great weekend. 

 

This coming Wednesday’s supper menu will be: pulled pork (one of Nancy’s specialties!), baked beans, slaw, rolls and dessert.  These suppers have been great: the food, the conversation, even all the comradery that goes along with the set up, serving and cleanup!  Supper starts at 6pm and is followed at 6:30 by:  Youth Group, Beth Moore Bible Study, Lutheran Men in Mission (rescheduled from last Wednesday), and choir practice at 7pm. 

 

Coming up on Friday, Feb. 10, will be the Haiti Partners Annual Banquet at the Community Church.  6pm silent auction; 6:30pm Haitian Dinner.  Tickets are $30 and all proceeds go toward education in Haiti.  Visit www.haitipartners.org for more info.

 

The above, among so many other things that go on at Our Savior, are all ways that we can, like Jesus did in our Gospel this past week again, reach out to lift each other up and offer hope and healing.  That’s really what being a part of the church is: reaching out, extending a gracious hand, offering hope and healing. 

 

And here I’d like to offer a personal note of thanks.  As many of you know, my father in law, Harry Olmstead, whom I’ve known since I was 18, died last week.  His memorial service was this past Saturday.  He was a member of Our Savior for 22 years. On behalf of our whole family, we want to say a heartfelt thanks to all for the many kind cards, love and care, attending the service, the wonderful lunch offered by our Bereavement Team of ladies, and so many other acts and words of kindness.  We certainly all felt, and continue to feel God’s gracious hand reaching out to us and lifting us up.  And we’re also grateful for all the kindness offered to Harry these past few years after Virginia’s passing.  After 65 years of marriage, these last few years without her were hard.  But so many of you reached out, and offered that gracious hand which lifted him up and helped him along the way.  For that we are all very grateful.

 

For more information about life around Our Savior, please visit our website at:  www.oursaviorelca.com.

 

Have blessed week…and think about someone to whom you might be able to reach out and lift up.          Gratefully,    Pastor Jack Diehl +