|  This past weekend, we at Our Savior were a part of celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, with congregations around the country! A part of our celebration was a service project which involved making personal hygiene kits to be shared with places like "The Source," "The Homeless Family Center," "Harvest Food and Outreach" and more. Almost 400 kits were made following worship on Saturday evening and Sunday morning! Young Conner Dally gets a big congratulations for making the most kits, 22! Way to go Conner! The kits included a washcloth, shampoo, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, lotion, a razor, and perhaps most importantly, were made with caring hearts and hands and included a note of encouragement.  As a part of our celebration, Pastor Shelly shared some fascinating information in her sermon about the benefits of our singing together, which proved that church choirs and church people, sometimes thought to be kind of nerdy, really have had it right all along! Click here to listen to the sermon. On that note remember that Our Savior's Sanctuary Choir starts back up this week, see below for rehearsal times and information. As Pastor Shelly reminded us, "All God's people have a place in the choir!" As this new season begins to unfold (a new school year and people beginning to return) please check our website to see what all is going on around Our Savior. www.oursaviorelca.com Finally, and I've saved this for last, because it is longer than most articles, but had to pass it along. It is an article from the Port Huron Times Herald that came out right around "Grandparents Day" last year (which happened to be this past Sunday this year). It's written by Jim Ketchum, who with his wife Linda, were first time "snowbirds" for a brief time last winter, and who worshiped with us during that time, coming down from Pt.Huron Michigan. I've been reading his articles for many years, and as a grandparent now, this one was just too good not to pass along. So, for all you grandparents out there, here is "Grandchildren are Truly a Gift" by Jim Ketchum. Dear Zoe, Since you have been a citizen of planet Earth for only nine days, allow my to introduce myself: I am your grandfather. I'm not entirely sure what is grand about it, unless it is that it's grand to have you among us, sharing time, energy and life. Your father is taking care of the father part of things. Maybe what's grand is that your grandmother and I get to come and spoil you rotten and then go home. We'll get into that as you grow. Besides the ride home from the hospital, your first real ride was over the fiscal cliff. You can thank the knot heads who run our federal government for the mess. It's one you did not help create. I surmise my generation has had much to do with it. We baby boomers helped drive things to bust. Your share of the national debt is approaching $55,000 as of this morning. Let's think about more pleasant things. You join two siblings and four cousins scattered all over this country. It's a joy to have you in the family. Grandma already is buying out the baby section of every department store we pass. She is having fun. All I do is had the cashier a little piece of plastic, and Grandma keeps having fun. Grandchildren are wonderful. Each time another one arrives, I'm reminded that they come with a perfectly blank slate. They bring no baggage, no prejudices, no preconceived notions about life or love or ride or an itch for war. The only complaints they have involve getting a clean diaper and enjoying some nourishment. Keep them dry and fed, and generally you are in business. Its is not rocket science; it's basic nature. I am reminded that you and your siblings and everyone else's children and grandchildren are true gifts of a benevolent creator. That creator loves us enough to entrust us with the job of raising children to carry on all sorts of divine work every day, the likes of which most of us don't begin to understand. It is profound stuff very much beyond our reckoning. Each time a grandchild arrives, for an instant at least, I entertain the notion that, just maybe, this time we can get it right. This time we can raise up a child devoid of the prejudices and hatreds and baggage that too often define our human race. Then I recall that we live in a broken world where that is not possible. So we have to do the best we can to train and protect and educate each succeeding generation in the ways of peace and reconciliation and genuine love for one another. Since our generation did not do such a hot job of it when it was our turn to run things, sometimes I have my doubts. In your case, Zoe, you have something going for you. Your have parents, and grandparents, who will do their best to instill in you a deep and abiding faith in a God who loves you and who will always be there for you. That truly is the grandest part of it all. Thanks, Jim for those great words about grand-parenting and we look forward to seeing you again this winter! | 
