Spring is in the air around Our Savior! The temperatures are warming, the "fuzzies" are blowing out of the oak trees, the new, tender little green leaves are busting out, the "yellow dust" from the pines is on everything, alergies are kicking in and we've said "Goodbye til next season!" this past weekend to the first of our seasonal folks who are leaving! It's Springtime in Florida!




It's also time (although later than usual) to transition from the Epiphany Season into Lent. This coming weekend we celebrate Transfiguration Sunday, the last Sunday of Epiphany, as we remember that mountain top experience with Jesus, Moses, Elijah, Peter, James and John, and then lock away our Alleluias during our sending hymn.



At our 8:30 service this coming Sunday, we get to celebrate the consecration of our second deacon, Carole Olsen! A little over a year ago, Allan Klotsche was consecrated as Our Savior's first deacon. This follows a 2 year diakonia course of study and hands on service in the congregation. The deacon is an office in the church of "Word and Service", which differs from the office of Pastor which is an office of "Word and Sacrament". Congratulations to Carole as she takes this big step in her service to our Lord and to the church.



Speaking of service, this coming summer our Youth Group will be going on another mission trip to West Virginia! To help fund the trip, this coming Saturday, March 5, there will be a Youth Group Car Wash from 9am til noon, then a dinner and silent auction Saturday evening. One seating for the dinner will be at 5pm and the second seating will be at 6:30pm. Call our Youth Director, Jimmy Smith for more info. at 567-2253, or talk to him Wednesday night at our church supper!



Speaking of our Wednesday night supper, this week's menu is Swiss Steak, mashed potatoes and steamed carrots. PLEASE NOTE: This will be our last regular Wednesday supper before Lent. Next Wednesday, March 9 is Ash Wednesday and there will be no meals that day. However, beginning Wednesday March 16 and throughout Lent there will be a light Lenten lunch following the 11am Lenten Service on Wednesdays and a light Lenten supper at 6pm, preceding the Lenten Service on Wednesdays at 7pm.



Also, on this first Wednesday of the month, the Lutheran Men in Mission will meet at 7pm in room 4. All men of the church are invited and welcome to attend. This week we will be talking about the upcoming Easter Breakfast which the Men in Mission take on with help from the members of the Youth Group. Proceeds from the breakfast go to support summer camping and mission trip experiences for the youth group.



So, as we enter another season of the year, and as the new life and growth springs up around us, remember the words of Jesus from this past Sunday, near the end of the sermon on the mount: Look at the birds of the air and the flowers of the field. They neither sew nor reap, nor toil nor spin, yet look how the heavenly Father cares for them! Why should you worry about those things that the Father knows you need? Then go out and live your life as confident, faithful, generous and beloved children of God who know that your life is safely in God's hands!



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

These past several weekends have brought us on a wonderful journey through the Sermon on the Mount. This past weekend we continued that journey as Pastor Shelly gave us some wonderful new insights into those old, but ever new, words of Jesus. In telling us about turning the other cheek, going the extra mile and loving our enemies, Jesus shows us a way in which violence and hatred can be met in a way which neither perpetuates those things nor succombs to them, but which rather values justice and honors all people. This is yet another example of how the Christian life is always a work in progress.


As this week unfolds, and as we grow into the new life that Jesus brought and continues to bring into our world, here are some events and activities that you might want to be a part of.

Our Wednesday suppers continue at 6pm. Throughout the week items will be gathered for our WELCA "Grandma's Attic" sale this coming Saturday, Feb.26. Proceeds go to local charities. Next weekend, we will be receiving new members at all three services. This is a wonderful, gifted group of people who have come to us from within our community, from South Florida and from a number of northern states. Be sure to offer these folks a warm welcome. On Sunday evening, from 5-8pm, the Sunshine Physical Therapy Clinic will be holding their annual "Founders and Friends" event at which Pastor Jack will be the honored guest. The dinner is $35 and will be at the Heritage Center. Call 772-562-6877 for more information.

Our Savior's building plans are moving ahead quickly. Best case scenario is that the plans and financial gifts all come together so that construction can begin after Easter and be finished for our 50th Anniversary celebration late next Fall. These are exciting times! Be watching for more information and be thinking and praying about how you can be a part of this.

For other information about the life and ministry of Our Savior, please check out our website at: www.oursaviorelca.com.

Finally, occasionally throughout the year you might see a big motor home parked in our field (which has been there again recently). On the side it says "SheaLaurel". In case you were wondering, this motor home belongs to one of the most talented families you will ever come across. This is Tom and Janet Burke's daughter and her family, who travel throughout the country (and the world) making beautiful music and bringing joy where ever they go. Below is some information about an upcoming performance of "Irish Music and Dance" at the Vero Beach Performing Art Center on Sunday March 13. If you haven't seen and heard these talented folks, here is a wonderful opportunity to do so. (In addition to the information below, check out their website for more information about them and other performances.)

Irish Roots

The Florida Irish American Society presents ShaeLaurel, Irish Music and Dance, on Sunday, March 13, 2011 at 2 pm and 6 pm at the Vero Beach High School Performing Arts Center, at 1707 16th Street, Vero Beach.

Tickets are $25 for the Lower Orchestra Level and $20 for the Upper Mezzanine Level. Visa & MasterCard are accepted. Call 772-564-5537 to reserve your seats today. For more information about this venue, please visit www.vbhs.org. This International Cultural Event is appropriate for the entire family!

ShaeLaurel has thrilled audiences all over the world with their amazing talent and dazzling showmanship. Performing a unique blend of fast fiddling Irish and contemporary music, ShaeLaurel’s fun and comedic stage show has thrilled audiences around the world: from the US to Canada, Europe, the UK and China. Their high-energy performances feature an amazing blend of musical acrobatics and traditional Irish Step and American Dance. Featured on regional television and radio shows as well as international programs and ABC TV, ShaeLaurel reaches out to audiences of all ages with heart-stopping performances that will leave you wanting more! For more information about this group, please visit www.shaelaurel.com.



The FIAS builds friendships in the Vero Beach community by promoting Irish spirit, culture and appreciation for Irish heritage. They hold weekly lunches, monthly meetings, conduct fundraisers, and participate in the St Patrick's Day parade. The club also has dinners and dancing with live entertainment. For more information about the Florida Irish American Society, please call 772-569-1460 or visit www.IrishClubVeroBeach.com

###

Crystal Corrigan, Auditorium Director

Office 772-564-5497

Fax 772-564-5546

To Order Tickets, please call the Box Office at 772-564-5537

Vero Beach High School Performing Arts Center

1707 16th Street

Vero Beach, FL 32960

crystal.corrigan@indianriverschools.org

www.VBHS.org

First, Happy Valentine's Day! While there are a number of legends about St. Valentine, through them all he is remembered as one who valued human love and marriage. One of the legends is that while the Emperor of Rome made it illegal for soldiers to marry (he thought the men would make better warriors if they weren't married) Valentine, a priest at the time, would secretly perform weddings for soldiers who wanted to be married. And eventually Valentine was imprisoned, and some legends say even killed for doing that. But since then, he has been remembered as one who recognized the power and wonder of human love. So, today, we too remember and celebrate that with those we love.




Here are a few things coming up in the both near and more distant future for us here at Our Savior:



About this time of the year we often have a class for all youngsters to begin receiving Holy Communion for the first time. If you have a child, or know of one, who isn't yet receiving Holy Communion, please let Pastor Shelly or me know and we'll make arrangements to have a class for both the parents and the children who would like to become a part of the communing members.



Habitat for Humanity is going to be having a special "Faith Build" in March, where a number of congregations from our community will join efforts to build a home in one month. Work will happen every day and volunteers and funds will be gathered from a number of congregations in Vero Beach. If you'd like to be a part of this in any way, contact the church office or Don Poust, one of our key Habitat volunteers.



This Wednesday our third of three "New Member" orientation classes meets at 6:30, following supper (which begins at 6pm). Anyone interested in becoming a member of Our Savior, or just in learning more about our congregation, is welcome to attend.



Our "Building Team" is coming together nicely and will soon be getting more and more information out about our building proposal. Please watch for this information and how you can be a part of it. Our goal is to have enough up front gifts and a financial plan together for the building to begin after Easter and be finished in time for our 50th Anniversary celebration next December. You will be hearing more very soon!



As this week now unfolds, may the love that we share on this Valentine's Day with those special people in our lives be a reflection of that great love that comes first from God and who gives us clean hearts and new and right spirits.



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

Our journey through this wonderful season of Epiphany continues, as we bask in the light of Christ and then carry that light out into the world. Here are a few things especially on our minds here at Our Savior as this week unfolds.



This coming Wednesday (Feb. 9), after supper (chicken marsala this week), there will be a gathering for anyone interested in becoming a member of Our Savior, or simply in knowing more about our congregation. We will meet at 6:30pm in rooms 4 and 5 this Wednesday and the following, plus we will meet in the sanctuary next Sunday, Feb. 13 at 9:45am, during the Sunday School hour. These are always great opportunities to get to know both God and one another in some new ways.


We are now in the second week after our annual congregational meeting where the congregation voted to move ahead with a building proposal offered by one of our resident architects, Lynn Silkworth. This building plan involves a new narthex, expanded gathering/sending space, a "cry room/bride's room/extra meeting room, and a new covered walkway, along with some important maintenance work on our sanctuary which is now about 28 years old. Already some special gifts are coming in toward this project. Watch for lots more info to come. What a great 50th Anniversary project for our congregation this year!


Along with that project, Our Savior has also recently become one of only a few "teaching congregations" in the Florida/Bahama's Synod. As a "teaching congregation" we are an important part of our seminarian's (Bonnie Lanyi) "Distributed Learning" element as a student at Luther Seminary. What this means is that not only does Bonnie have an opportunity here to learn and develop skills as a pastor, but we benefit from the wonderful ministry she offers at the same time. It's a privilege and an honor to be working with Bonnie in this way.


Looking ahead, this coming Saturday, Feb. 12 at 10am there will be a "Celebration of Life" service remembering Bob Russell who died last week. Bob and Barbara have been an important part of Our Savior's life and ministry for many years. Please join us as we share both the loss and good memories with Barbara and her family, and as we commend Bob into God's gracious eternal keeping.


The following Saturday, Feb. 19, we will offer a "Spiritual Gift's Workshop" from about 9am til 2pm, as we explore what gifts God has given us and how we are called to use those gifts. Please call the office to reserve a place.


For more activities around Our Savior, please see our website at: www.oursaviorelca.com.


One final word: During Confirmation class yesterday between the services, we talked about being salt and light (from the Gosple reading from yesterday). The "being light" part was pretty understandable, but the question was, "What does it mean to be salt?" One of the things we talked about was how before refrigeration, salt was used to preserve food, to keep it from going bad. As "salt", by the power of the Holy Spirit, God sends us into the world to keep it from going bad! That's one simple way of looking at that image, but not a bad one! So, go out and be salt and light in a world that is in great need of both!


See you in church! Pastor Jack Diehl

Joys and sorrows; our life together is filled with both of those things, and especially this past weekend.



As most of you know by now, our dear Ruth Ann Gasparik died unexpectedly Friday morning. She was the president of WELCA and one of our key volunteers in the office (coming in 3 full days a week), among other things. A service for Ruth Ann will be held tomorrow, Tuesday, Feb. 1 at 11am here at the church.
Yesterday we held our annual congregational meeting. Copies of the reports are available in the church office. The main action taken was to approve the moving ahead of a proposed building program to expand the "gathering and sending" space for worship, which will also provide extra space for some classes and other gatherings both on Sunday and during the week. Much more information will be coming as we begin this 50th Anniversary Year for Our Savior Lutheran Church here in Vero Beach.

Our Wednesday suppers continue this Wednesday. The menu is: baked ham, pineapple casserole, parsley potatoes and "Lutheran Green Beans" (there's a story behind these!) Come and enjoy a meal and some great fellowship. Supper is served at 6pm. Helpers, especially for clean-up, are always welcome.

Last Wednesday after supper over 20 people gathered for an Enneagram presentation. This was a most enjoyable and interesting time of learning more about our various personality types and what our various gifts are. At the end of this email is some information on follow up gatherings on this topic at the Center for Spiritual Care here in Vero Beach.


Looking ahead, next Sunday, Feb. 6, it will be Scout Sunday nationwide. Here at Our Savior we will have a number of our scouts serving in worship in a number of ways along with our own scout troop providing a pancake breakfast, in appreciation for the support they receive here at Our Savior. The breakfast will be served from 8am til 11am in the Fellowship Hall.


Later on Sunday afternoon there will be a "Four Chaplain's Service", remembering the four chaplains, of four different faith communities, who gave their lives so that others could survive when the Dorchester was torpedoed and sunk during WW II. The service will be held at


Now, as this week unfolds, may we remember the words of the beatitudes from yesterday's Gospel reading (Mt. 5:1-12) where Jesus speaks words of blessing, then go out into the week both as God's children who are both blessed and called to be a blessing. Have a blessed week!

Pastor Jack Diehl +

This is a great time of the year here at Our Savior! This past weekend it was so good to have so many of our regular seasonal folks worshipping with us again, along with new visitors and new residents in the area. Welcome, and welcome back to all!

As we live out our identity as God's beloved, called to be children of the Light and of the Day, here are some settings and ways for that to happen this week. (This isn't an exhaustive list, but some of the highlights. For more info check out our website: www.oursaviorelca.com).

Our Wednesday suppers continue at 6pm, with Youth Group following at 6:30pm. This Wednesday we will start serving a little early so that whoever would like can get to the book signing at the Vero Beach Book Center at 7pm! Kent Annan, Pastor Shelly's husband will be there signing his new book," After Shock: Searching for Honest Faith When Your World is Shaken".

On Friday, there will be a Haiti Partners dinner at 6pm at the Community Church. The theme of the evening is "Focusing on Hope". There will be videos, guests from Haiti, a silent auction and great food as we hear about life in Haiti since the earthquake one year ago and the signs of hope that are springing up. Cost is $30 and tickets are available through Wednesday by calling 772-778-1070.

The "Spiritual Gifts" workshop scheduled for this coming Saturday, Jan. 22, is being rescheduled for Saturday, February 19 here at Our Savior. This will put it closer to, and connect it with, our next New Member Gatherings which will take place on Feb. 9, 13 and 16. If you're interested in becoming a member of Our Savior, or just learning more about Our Savior, mark your calendars and join us on those dates.

Looking ahead to next Sunday afternoon, at 4pm, there will be a service of prayer for Christian Unity at Christ by the Sea Methodist Church. Ten congregations, including ours, will be involved in this service. In our ever increasingly polarized world, here is a place we can affirm a unity we share in Christ and celebrate that together. All are welcome.

As this week unfolds, may you live in God's peace and let your light shine! See you in church! Pastor Jack Diehl

Dear Called, Chosen, and Sent Ones,


That's quite an identity, but in Baptism that is all true! This past weekend in worship we both celebrated that and reflected on that. In Pastor Shelly's sermon, she mentioned one way that can help us live that out. For all of you "list people" out there, this will be especially meaningful. (I'm one of them, so I really appreciated this gift this past Christmas.) What Pastor Shelly was referring to is a little notepad we each received this past Christmas from Melissa, one of our members, for making a "to do" list. The unique part of this notepad is that the first 5 things on the "to do list" are already written in. They are: 1) Love God; 2) Serve God; 3) Praise God; 4) Remember to ask God for help; and 5) Thank God. No better way to start your "to do" list than like that!


One other note from yesteday's worship: "Here I raise my Ebenezer: 'Hither by thy help I've come'". Say what???!!?? That's the opening line of the 2nd verse of "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing", and probably one of the most non-understandable (if that's a word) lines in any hymn. That expression comes from an Old Testament reference to a stone monument of sorts that was raised to mark the place where God intervened and helped his people. The word actually means "stone of help". So, to "raise an Ebenezer" is to mark a place, actually or figuratively, where God has stepped in to help his people.


Looking to this week: Our Wednesday suppers continue at 6pm. This week, Chicken Cordon Bleu. Following the supper the Lutheran Men in Mission will be meeting at 7pm in room 4. This is the meeting that was postponed from last week. Also, the Enneagram workshop has been postponed til a later date. If interested, let me know. The tentative date for that workshop is Wednesday January 26.


As a part of our "End of Life Issues" adult Sunday School class, there will be a tour of the Lowther Funeral Home and Crematory, 1655 27th Street, just east of the new County Administative buildings complex, this Friday, January 14 at 1pm. You don't have to have been at the class to join us.


May you all live out your Baptism faithfully this week! See you in church! Peace and Joy + Pastor Jack