Profit Org. The Parish Helperemmanuellancaster.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Sept_2018_PH.… · began to proclaim that a particular Jew, Jesus of Nazareth, had been raised by God

The Rev. Kurt S. Strause, Pastor

Pastor’s email: [email protected]

Emmanuel Office: 717-397-6195

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.emmanuellancaster.org

Valerie Lefever Hughes, Director of Music

The Parish Helper Emmanuel Lutheran Church

540-546 West Walnut Street

Lancaster, PA 17603 DATED MATERIAL “Return Services Requested”

No-Profit Org.

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Lancaster, PA

Permit No. 426

The Parish Helper Emmanuel Lutheran Church

September 2018

From the Pastor’s Desk

With this edition of the “pastor’s page” I want to embark on a few months considering

worship. The weekly gathering of God’s people for worship on Sunday mornings is clearly the

most important and frequent event we do. But why do we do it? What happens here when we

gather for worship? Can we speak of a distinctly “Lutheran” form of worship? What has changed

in worship and what has remained the same? I’m not sure if I will be able to completely answer

all of these questions, and others that will surely arise, but we might begin a conversation that

leads to greater understanding.

“I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord!’” (Psalm 122:1)

Any understanding of Christian worship begins with God’s call of his people Israel. The

community of Israel, later a nation, was created and called by God to live in a deeply intimate

and exclusive relationship. This relationship with God is at heart “personally communal.” That

may seem like a contradictory phrase, but it’s meant to convey that each individual person finds

his or her ultimate identity in a community living in relationship with God. Israel became the

unique community called by God to worship him to the exclusion of all other gods.

Israel’s worship of God centered on remembering the mighty deeds of God, later written

down and read aloud, and offering sacrifices of animals and grain in the Temple of Jerusalem.

About the same time the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans, a group of Jews

began to proclaim that a particular Jew, Jesus of Nazareth, had been raised by God from the

dead. Jesus’ death on a cross and his resurrection meant, they came to believe, the end of the

animal and grain sacrifices in the Temple. However, these particular Jews (they aren’t yet called

Christians) continue to read the Bible (what we now call the “Old Testament”) where they see

God at work preparing the way for Jesus the Messiah. In addition to reading and commenting on

the scriptures these early followers of the risen Jesus continue the practice of gathering for a

simple meal of bread and wine which they now come to see as the way in which Jesus continues

to be with them.

So we see in the very early worship of the Christian church a continuity of Jewish

worship centered on reading scripture and commenting on it. We also see the emergence of a

simple meal of bread and wine begun by Jesus and continued by his followers after his death and

resurrection. Here are the two great elements of Christian worship, the “Word and Sacrament”

that stand at the center of our worship today. Our weekly gathering stands in continuity with

Israel, called by God through Abraham, Sara, and Moses, to be a people who worships him

exclusively, and also with the early followers of Jesus who gather to celebrate his death and

resurrection in a simple meal of bread and wine in which he is present.

Next month we’ll begin an examination of the “shape” of our worship in greater detail.

But you must always remember the source of what we call “Word and Sacrament,” two words

which point to a single reality in our understanding of Christian worship.

Peace to you,

Pastor Kurt Strause

September 2

Acolyte Ivan Shrom

Lector Mary Kay Mulcahy

Deacons Roger and Lisa Strause

Ushers Mary Kay Mulcahy, Suzanne Burkholder

Greeters Jo Kuhn, Bonnie Allman

Spark Margaret Thomsen

September 9

Acolyte Faith Siegrist

Lector Diane Ehemann

Deacons Gini Horn, Mary Royer

Ushers Marilyn and Karl Soutner

Greeters Andy Geist, Phyllis Strittmater

Spark

September 16

Acolyte Tommy Hockeneberry

Lector Phyllis Strittmater

Deacons Ed and Lori Hockenberry

Ushers Phyllis Strittmater, Bill Hannegan

Greeters Ellen Kerstetter, Anne Lefever

Spark

September 23

Acolyte Tommy Hockenberry

Lector Karl Soutner

Deacons Pastor Roger Burkins, Keith Frey

Ushers Don Styer, Mary Royer

Greeters Deb Long, Joanne Lefever

Spark

September 30

Acolyte Cecilia Shrom

Lector Mark Moffett

Deacons Mary Kay Mulcahy, Suzanne Burkholder

Ushers Marcus Thomsen, Diane Ehemann

Greeters Marilyn and Karl Soutner

Spark

Usher captain - Bob Miller

ASSISTING ON SUNDAYS

Wednesday Morning Bible Study

lead by Pastor Strause will start September 5, at 9:30 A.M.

Morning Prayer is at 9:00 A.M. ________________

The Regular Worship Service Schedule resumes on

Sunday, September 9, at 10:15 A.M. ______________

Start-Up: September 9th at 9:00 A.M. Classes will be

offered for Adult, Youth and Primary Students.

Adult Sunday School 9:00 – 10:00 ~ Fireside Room ~

September 9, 16, 23, 30: Bad Girls of the Bible October 7: Discussion with Bishop Dunlop October 14, 21: Have We Been Lost in Translation October 28 and November 4, 18, 25: Soli Deo Gloria – JS Bach November 11: Global Mission Sunday – Konde Diocese update December 2: Advent Workshop December 9, 16, 23, 30: The Nativity in Art

First Sunday Coffee

September 2

following worship

BASKETS of PROMISE

In support of Each week from the end of August through October, Emmanuel will be collecting needed items for school kits. Our goal is to provide 50 school kits for LWR. Please feel free to purchase any single item or multiples for the school kits. Following are the collection dates for these needed items: August 26: 70-sheet Spiral Notebooks September 2: Ball Point Pens Unsharpened #2 Pencils September 9: Blunt scissors September 16: Crayons (16 or 24 ct.) September 23: Pencil Sharpeners Erasers 30 Centimeter Rulers/cm and inches September 30: 70-sheet Spiral Notebooks

Kit assembly is after church on September 30. Blessing of the school kits during worship October 7.

Money is also needed to cover the cost of shipping and the purchase of backpacks. Please see the display in the Narthex for details and a shopping list. For additional information please see Deb Barrett.

Save the Date

Reformation Dinner -

Sunday October 29

If you are INTERESTED IN VOLUNTEERING to prepare the Parish helper for mailing, please contact Jan at the office. This would occur once a month, usually the third

Thursday, for about two hours.

If there is a move in your future

make sure to notify the church

office so that you may continue to

receive the good news from

Emmanuel.

Deadline for the October Parish Helper is

Wednesday, September 12.

Please send all information to [email protected]

September

3 Shree Lynn Shrom

10 Marilyn B. Soutner

11 Elizabeth Hannegan

13 Roger Strause

14 Rebecca Miller

16 Franklin Lynn

17 Sandra Cole Brubaker

18 William R. Deichert

21 Amy Walborn

22 Trista Brubaker

22 Emma Claire Strause

24 Steven Volker

26 Marcus Thomsen

29 Tara Carper

29 Janice Dunlevy

Start Saving Your Change!

Noisy Offerings Returning in November!

Collections will support medical missions for

children in Tanzania.

Financial Report

July YTD General Fund Income $14,182 $91,866

General Fund Expense $10,639 $95,160

Difference $3,543 - $3,294

Gutenberg Gabs

~ a book discussion group ~

One More Foxtrot by Joyce Hicks

Monday, September 10th

1:30 to 3:00 Hostess: Betsy Weidler

HARVEST OF HOPE supports the

ELCA World Hunger Appeal

Each Sunday through the end of September a table

will be available in the back of the church for

sharing garden produce. This may include, but is

not limited to: vegetables, herbs, fruits, cut flowers

and other homemade goodies. Help yourself to the

garden goodies available and support the ELCA

WHA by leaving a free will offering.

Please see Deb Barrett with questions.

CHOIR REHEARSALS for the program

year will resume on Sunday, September 9.

We meet after worship in the balcony for

approximately one hour each week. The

choir sings a variety of music most Sundays

throughout the school year, and no

experience is required.

Come join us any time!

Fall Sunday School Offerings Support Sick

Children in Tanzania

Millions of children are born pre-mature and

severely malnourished in Tanzania every year.

ELCA missionaries Dr. Stephen and Jodi

Swanson are serving as teachers bringing the

healing ministry of Jesus to children

desperately in need. Jodi Swanson serves as a

pediatric nurse at Selian Lutheran Hospital, a

rural medical facility located outside Arusha, Tanzania. Her ministry

focuses on helping small children suffering from kwashiorkor, a disease of

acute malnutrition. Dr. Swanson in a pediatric physician leading the

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Arusha Lutheran Medical Center.

The NICU admits babies born pre-maturely who need respiratory and other

medical services in the first month of life.

A very informative video about the Swanson’s medical missionary service

may be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mmsgyqm9UPg.

Words of Thanks Thank you for the prayers, calls, visits, cards and the meals. These Lutheran women sure can cook! I am so fortunate to be part of Emmanuel's church family!

June through Sept. is a long time. I'm certainly hoping to have enough flexibility to be presentable and able to drive sometime in Aug. and am looking forward to seeing you then! Being home bound gets boring quickly and I find it very difficult, I am determined to return to a "normal" life, may God grant me the patience to do this right!

Thank you again for all the kindness you've shown me, it is so very much appreciated!

Sincerely Ellen Kerstetter

Marriage

Lyndsie S. Wszola

and Zachary R. Brubaker

On August 5, 2018

Altar Flower sponsorship of a single vase is available

October 28. Contact the Office