OSE-news: July 30, 2012

 

 First, it's good to be home!  I enjoyed reading Pastor Shelly’s OSE-news updates on the tile project and worshiping in the Fellowship Hall while I was on vacation.  Now that I’m back, she’s passed the baton back to me and is off on a much earned vacation. The Sunday morning before we left on vacation I was amazed at how quickly and well everyone worked together to move out of the sanctuary and into the Fellowship Hall in preparation for installing new tile throughout the sanctuary.  When I came back last week, it was in and the job is almost complete.  And what a beautiful addition it is!  As Pastor Shelly mentioned at the beginning of her sermon yesterday, many thanks to all who worked so hard to make it come together and to those who continue to work to bring this all to completion.  

 

As it worked out, our first weekend back in the sanctuary marked the beginning of a 5 week series of what we call "Bread Sundays".  Every 3 years in our lectionary, we come to this time of the summer with 5 "Bread Sundays" in a row as we walk through the 6th Chapter of John (beginning with the Feeding of the 5,000) and hear other readings about the manna in the wilderness and other related stories of God feeding his people.  For these weeks our liturgy and hymns will reflect this theme.  Our thanks to Ryan Hostler, our music minister, for writing some of the beautiful music and liturgy which we used and will be using during these weekends.  (By the way, Ryan was featured in the most recent "Seeds for the Parish" ELCA newsletter which goes to all leaders, clergy and lay alike, throughout the ELCA.  We're really blessed to have him with us, as any of you who have worshiped with us recently can attest to!) 

 

As this week now unfolds and we look ahead a bit beyond this week, here are a few things coming up.  This Wednesday (August 1) during the regular Youth Group meeting time, beginning at 6:30 pm, there will be a "Thank You/Farewell" party for Jimmy Smith, our Youth Director.  He has resigned as our Youth Director to go to help another church which presently has no Youth Ministry but would like to build one.  We thank Jimmy (and Rhonda) for their 10 years of service in Youth Ministry here at Our Savior and wish him well in this new chapter in his life.  

 

This also means a new chapter in the life of our Youth Ministry here at Our Savior.  So, in the middle of grieving a loss and dealing with the anxiety of change, at the same time already some good ideas are surfacing.  Next Wednesday (August 8) all Youth, from middle school through High School (and former Youth Group members who are now off to college) are invited, along with any parents, to come and share what's been best about Our Savior’s Youth Ministry, what they'd like to see continue, and what they'd like to see added or tweaked in the future.  All of the input from those conversations will be passed along to the new "Youth Ministry Search Team" as we prayerfully consider what this next chapter will be.  All input re: Youth Ministry ideas will be welcomed.  Feel free to pass along any thoughts or ideas or experiences  you’ve have in Youth Ministry to John Banitt, our congregational president or any of the staff or council members.  Thanks!

 

Looking ahead to next Tuesday, August 7, Our Savior Lutheran Church and Temple Beth Shalom are getting together at 6pm for an exciting drumming experience, which will be filled with fun, fellowship and “being in rhythm together”.   Under the leadership of Janine Jones, the music teacher at Osceola School, members of both congregations, regardless of musical experience, will connect African drumming with the music of our rich, religious traditions.  Sounds like fun!   I plan on being there and hope you can join us. 

 

Looking a little farther ahead (and I know this is a welcome thing for some and not so welcome for others) school will be starting the 3^rd week in August.  So, on the weekend of August 18-19 we will have our annual blessing of the backpacks and blessing of the teachers’ lesson plans!  Keep that weekend in mind, as a way of getting the school year off to the right start.  Our Social Ministry Team will also be gathering an offering that weekend to purchase backpacks for students in Suriname.   Watch for more details to come on both of these things.

 

As the week unfolds for you, and you take on each new day and each new challenge, may you be filled and nourished by the Bread of Life, Jesus Himself.   If I don’t  see you before, I’ll see you in church, where we once again can gather around His Table together.   

 

Peace and Joy,     Pastor Jack Diehl +          www.oursaviorelca.com  

 

 

 

 

 

 

O.S.E-News: Thank a woman of faith, come help clean, and bring fish (canned)!

In worship this weekend we heard the stories of two faithful women, Ruth and Mary Magdalene. Women who out of tragedy found hope, and women who were proclaimers of God’s story. If you weren’t in church this past weekend and you haven’t read the Biblical story of Ruth in a long time, read it! It is the best story about love between a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law there is. And this week give thanks for the faithful women who God has made a part of your life.

Sunday was our last day of worship in the Fellowship Hall, and we had another moving party following worship. Once again the work went fast thanks to so many who stayed to help. We even had several visitors who stuck around to help with the move. Thank you to all!

On that note, there is still more to be done before we will be ready for worship in the sanctuary this weekend. On Wednesday morning, 9:00am, volunteers are needed to be a part of a cleaning crew and putting-more-things-back-in-place crew.  Much help is needed, so if you can come even for a short time that would be a great help!

Finally this coming weekend in worship we will hear from the Gospel of John about Jesus multiplying the loaves and fish to feed a hungry crowd.  It is a fitting weekend to overflow our Food Basket, so bring what you have to share (non-perishable—doesn’t actually have to be fish!) to worship this Saturday or Sunday and let us multiply our gifts for those who are hungry.

 

May God’s grace and peace fill you this week,

Pastor Shelly

 

O.S.E-news: Moving Day this Sunday after Worship!

We heard in our Gospel reading this past weekend Jesus’ words to the disciples, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest awhile.” It was a reminder that with the overload of things to do and decisions to make (decision fatigue!) and the overload that the world around us can bring, we need these times of rest, quiet, sabbath, prayer, and worship. So wherever this email finds you, I hope you are finding time of prayer and rest and renewal.

 

We worshipped again in the Fellowship Hall this past weekend and again the comments were: “It's cozy,” “It's neat to see who is around us,” “The singing sounds terrific.” Meanwhile in the Sanctuary the tile is coming along (see photos). We will have one more weekend of worship in the Fellowship Hall and then back to the Sanctuary for the last weekend in July (28-29th). Hurray!

 

Speaking of transitioning back to the Sanctuary, next Sunday will be another moving day – with all hands needed. After worship in the Fellowship Hall everyone is invited to stick around to help carry a pew or a chair and help get everything back in the sanctuary. Bring your furniture dollies! Then during the week following (July 23rd to 27th) a team of volunteers will be re-connecting the pews and re-adhering them to the floor. Thank you in advance to those who have already volunteered to help with that part of things. We also need a team to help spiffy things back up in the church (lots of tile dust around!). If you are able to lend a hand for an hour or two during that week to help be a part of a cleaning crew, please reply to this email or call the church. Many hands will make light work and it will be wonderful to be back in the Sanctuary by the end of the month.

 

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Shelly

 

(Two photos: two different angles and stages of the process)

O.S.E-news: Worship in the Original Sanctuary

Our first weekend of re-located worship went well! We heard in our Gospel reading from Mark 6 about Jesus sending the disciples out with nothing--no money, no bread, no change of clothes. He sent them out with nothing really ‘cept for the grace of God. And truly that’s all that’s needed. Being in the Fellowship Hall we had a chance to reflect on the beginnings of our church since this was OSLC’s original sanctuary, and how it was all started by a handful of brave souls with nothing much to start with ‘cept for the grace of God. With God leading a whole lot of hard work, effort, sweat, money, care, and prayer, they built a church. And all that hard work, care, prayer has continued on since then through our current work of re-tiling the church and refreshing the sanctuary for what’s ahead. By God’s grace, good things are happening!

 

Everyone fit in the sanctuary at both of services, and there were still chairs to spare (a few more of them on Saturday night). So don’t stay away, there is room for you! And people were commenting that the Fellowship Hall worship was “fun.” Being closer together made for some terrific singing. Ryan also had us singing some great hymns, including several that had been sent in as favorites. More of those requested favorites to come in weeks ahead.

 

Back to the note of hard work, effort, sweat, care . . . a few more thank yous this week to those who have giving so much of those things lately, especially Greg Miller (deconstruction),  Mark Davia and Ron Lindner (electrical work and more), and cleaning angel Maureen Murphy for making the windows sparkle.

 

See below for a few pictures of worship in the Fellowship Hall.

 

God’s Grace and Peace,

Pastor Shelly

 

“My grace is sufficient for you”, says the Lord.  (2 Cor. 12:9)

 

 

 

O.S.E-News: July 2nd

Yesterday's Gospel reading spoke of Jesus' touch and healing. Pastor Jack's sermon gave us a new way to think about our motto God's work Our Hands in the ways we are a part of God's healing touch with one another even in simple ways like high fives and hugs. Then after worship another sense of God's Work Our Hands was put into action as many many hands made quick work of emptying the sanctuary of all pews, chairs, hymnals, everything. At the same time a new worship space was set up in the Fellowship Hall. Come see it next weekend for worship! The dismantling in the sanctuary and set up in the Fellowship Hall was finished in less than an hour. Wow. Many thanks to all who helped and extra special thanks to those who put in many hours of prep work to allow the work to go so quickly and smoothly yesterday, especially Mark Davia, Lynn Silkworth, Don Poust, and Brian Rodgers. (A few pictures of the whole process are below.)

 

Next weekend worship will be at the normal times 6:00pm Saturday and 9:30am Sunday in the Fellowship Hall. We have seats for 170 people so we should all fit; we've been averaging 300-350 total for both worship services the last few weeks. 

 

And in the midst of all of this activity our Confirmation campers and Mission Trip youth also returned home this past weekend. From both we have heard reports that they had wonderful, meaningful weeks. We look forward to hearing more stories in detail. Welcome home to all and thank you for being out in the world as servants of God and witnesses of grace and love in action!

 

Finally, it's not too late to email in your favorite hymns. We already have several on the schedule for worship in coming weekends and there is room for a few more.

 

For all of those traveling this summer, you are in our prayers. On that note, even in the different schedules that summer brings, don't forget to come and worship (or find some new place to worship where you are traveling). You will be glad you did. Nothing steadies and strengthens like God's Word and Meal.

 

Grace and Peace, 

Pastor Shelly