An integrated family journeying faithfully together, inspired by God’s grace, guided by Christ, and empowered and sustained by the Holy Spirit Lux March 2020 Page 1 Veteran Honored at Sewing Day Saturday, Feb. 1 was Quilts of Valor National Sewing Day all across the country. Twenty-four volunteers joined the Prayers & Squares quilting group at ULC to work on the QOV we will be awarding in 2020. Fourteen quilt tops were completed and bagged with their batting and backs ready to go to the longarm quilter, John Putnam. Another eight quilt tops are in the pipeline and will be completed in the next several months. We began the day by presenting Derek Dunbar of Haslett with a QOV in honor of his twelve years of military service in the United States Marine Corps. If you are at the Best Buy in Okemos, you can find Derek in the Geek Squad where he works wonders helping folks with their technology issues. See more photos on page 8. Bobbie Davis Mark Your Calendars . . . Pub Theology Tuesday, Mar. 3 at 7 p.m. Harrison Roadhouse, E. Lansing Daylight Saving Time Resumes Sunday, Mar. 8 Wednesday Lenten Worship Mar. 4 - Apr. 1 Noon & 7 p.m. Faith Stories: “For Such a Time as This” Soup & Bread Lunch Following Noon Worship Food Movers Thursday, Mar. 26 Fellowship Hall Set-up 3:30 p.m. Distribution 4:30 p.m. I I n n s s i i d d e e . . . . . . Pastor: Faith Stories ~ Lenten Worship ......2 One Community Campus Ministry ..............3 Family Faith Formation ..............................4 Forum ~ Library ~ Book Club ....................5 Music Notes ..............................................6 Kids Hope ~ Earthkeeping ~ Thanks! .........7 P & S ~ ULC Archives ................................8 President: Bigger Table ~ Rebuilding .........9 Feb. Council ~ Lead Management ............ 10 Greater Church: Speakers ........................ 11 Celebrations ~ Change for Change ........... 12 March Calendar ....................................... 13 Lenten Worship Guests ............................ 14 L L u u x x March 2020 The newsletter of University Lutheran Church and One Community Lutheran Campus Ministry at Michigan State University Miriam and Bobbie wrap Derek in a QOV quilt in honor of 12 years of military service. Sunday, Mar. 29 Noon Fellowship Hall Calling all Chili cooks! Dust off those family favorites or search for a new recipe and plan to enter the annual ULC Chili Cook-off! We also need tasters and voters, so plan to attend this intergenerational event. Prizes will be awarded for Meat-Free, Most Unique, and Tastiest Overall. Sign-up to enter the chili cook-off at the display in the narthex.
Transcript
An integrated family journeying faithfully together, inspired by God’s grace,
guided by Christ, and empowered and sustained by the Holy Spirit
Lux March 2020 Page 1
Veteran Honored at Sewing Day
Saturday, Feb. 1 was Quilts of Valor
National Sewing Day all across the
country. Twenty-four volunteers joined
the Prayers & Squares quilting group at
ULC to work on the QOV we will be
awarding in 2020.
Fourteen quilt tops were completed and
bagged with their batting and backs
ready to go to the longarm quilter, John
Putnam. Another eight quilt tops are in
the pipeline and will be completed in
the next several months.
We began the day by presenting Derek
Dunbar of Haslett with a QOV in
honor of his twelve years of military
service in the United States Marine
Corps. If you are at the Best Buy in Okemos, you can find Derek in the Geek
Squad where he works wonders helping folks with their technology issues. See
more photos on page 8.
Bobbie Davis
Mark Your Calendars . . .
Pub Theology Tuesday, Mar. 3 at 7 p.m.
Harrison Roadhouse, E. Lansing
Daylight Saving Time Resumes
Sunday, Mar. 8
Wednesday Lenten Worship
Mar. 4 - Apr. 1 Noon & 7 p.m.
Faith Stories: “For Such a Time as This”
Soup & Bread Lunch Following Noon Worship
Food Movers Thursday, Mar. 26
Fellowship Hall Set-up 3:30 p.m.
Distribution 4:30 p.m.
IInnssiiddee .. .. ..
Pastor: Faith Stories ~ Lenten Worship ...... 2 One Community Campus Ministry .............. 3 Family Faith Formation .............................. 4 Forum ~ Library ~ Book Club .................... 5 Music Notes .............................................. 6 Kids Hope ~ Earthkeeping ~ Thanks! ......... 7 P & S ~ ULC Archives ................................ 8 President: Bigger Table ~ Rebuilding ......... 9 Feb. Council ~ Lead Management ............ 10 Greater Church: Speakers ........................ 11 Celebrations ~ Change for Change ........... 12 March Calendar ....................................... 13 Lenten Worship Guests ............................ 14
LLuuxx March 2020
The newsletter of University Lutheran Church and One Community Lutheran Campus Ministry at Michigan State University
Miriam and Bobbie wrap Derek in a QOV quilt
in honor of 12 years of military service.
Sunday, Mar. 29 Noon
Fellowship Hall
Calling all Chili cooks! Dust off those family favorites or search for a new recipe and plan to enter the annual ULC Chili Cook-off! We also need tasters and voters, so plan to attend this intergenerational event. Prizes will be awarded for Meat-Free, Most Unique, and Tastiest Overall.
Sign-up to enter the chili cook-off at the display in the narthex.
Page 2 March 2020 Lux
From the Pastor's Pen . . .
Sharing Our Faith Stories
With the beginning of March, we
have entered into the season of Lent.
Actually, Lent began on Ash
Wednesday, Feb. 26 this year, and
our worship on Ash
Wednesday, included a
drama retelling the
story of Esther.
Esther is a unique
biblical book. Esther
was the Jewish Queen
of the Persian Empire
and the book of Esther
introduces the Jewish
festival of Purim. The
story of Esther is retold each year at
Purim and with lots of laughter and
frivolity. As such, the book is full of
lots of exaggeration and laugh-out-
loud silliness. There is no direct
mention of God in the whole book,
yet the presence and action of God is
implied.
Probably the most important verse in
the whole book is 4:14, where
Mordecai says to Esther, “For if you
keep silence at such a time as this,
relief and deliverance will rise for
the Jews from another quarter, but
you and your father's
family will perish. Who
knows? Perhaps you
have come to royal
dignity for just such a
time as this.” This
verse from Esther will
serve as the theme for
our mid-week Lenten
worship this year.
As I’ve come to
understand Esther, this verse speaks
about how God is at work in and
through our lives for the good of
God’s people and the world. It
suggests that just as God was at work
through Esther in order to save the
Jewish people, so God is at work
through us.
On the five Wednesdays of Lent, as
we gather at noon and 7 p.m. to
worship with Prayer Around the
Cross, five different members of the
congregation will be telling their
faith stories. Speakers will talk, not
simply from the standpoint of how
they came to faith, but how they are
living out their faith “for such a time
as this,” and how they see God using
them, for the sake of the world. It’s
bold when you think about it. But
that’s what Esther is about – how
God uses us to accomplish God’s
purposes in the world. And it’s also a
pretty Lutheran understanding.
As you listen to the Esther drama on
Ash Wednesday, and as you listen to
people sharing their faith story “for
such a time as this,” think about your
own lives and how God is at work in
you “for such a time as this.”
May this Lenten season deepen your
faith and provide insight into how
God is at work in and through you.
Pastor Gary
Lenten Worship
For Such a Time as This Sharing Faith Stories
Mar. 4 – Apr. 1 Midweek Lenten Worship
Noon - Worship 1 p.m. - Soup & Bread Luncheon
7 p.m. – Worship
(Sign up to bring soup or bread on the kitchen counter)
Holy Week
Palm/Passion Sunday - April 5
Maundy Thursday - April 9
Worship at 1 and 7 p.m. Soup and Bread Lunch at noon
Good Friday - April 10 Seven Last Words of Christ
Easter Sunday – April 12 Celebration worship at 8:30 and 10:45 a.m.
Lux March 2020 Page 3
Campus Ministry News
Ashes to Go
One Community students will join Pastor
Haley Vay this Ash Wednesday on the
MSU Wells Hall quad for the imposition of
ashes-to-go beginning at 1p.m.
Alternative Spring Break to Tennessee
As we venture out in
faith for our service-
learning trip over the
first week of March
(Feb. 29-Mar. 6) we
want to first and
foremost thank our
beloved congregation
for your support in the
mission and ministry we share. We encourage your
prayers for our 16 participants and pastors who will
travel to Maryville, Tennessee and serve with Habitat for
Humanity over the course of the week.
We look forward to our return and the opportunity to
share about our experience in worship at 10:45a.m. on
Sunday, Mar. 8.
Visit with Congregation Shaarey Zedek
Invited by Rabbi Amy Bigman, One Community
celebrated Shabbat with the Shaarey Zedek
Congregation on Feb. 7. The theme of this Shabbat
service was centered on Miriam’s song and dance—and
there was dancing! I encourage you to ask our students
about their awesome experience!
We were all particularly impacted by the sense of
“relaxed community” in worship, and by the Reform
Jewish prayer book, which Shaarey Zedek Congregation
is graciously providing for all our students.
During Shabbat, a beautiful song called “And Miriam
Sang,” composed by Zebulon Highben, was offered by
the Shaarey Zedek choir.
Valentine’s Day
On Valentine’s Day, One Community visited Marilyn
Wagenknecht in her home at Burcham Hills Retirement
Village. We shared “Dinner Church” with an Italian
dinner. After dinner, students hid valentines around
Marilyn’s home for her to find at random later in hopes
that she would be reminded of the love we share in our
Christ-centered community.
Young Adult Book Club
The book selected for March is Love
Big: The Revolutionary Relationships to
Heal the World by Rozella Haydee
White: Foreword by Nadia Bolz-Weber.
The April book is Inspired: Slaying
Giants, Walking on Water, and Loving
the Bible Again by
Rachel Held Evans. A copy of each
book can be picked up in the Student
Associate office, located in the rear of
the main ULC office.
Details about Book Club and Bible
Study are sent out in our weekly campus
ministry email. If you are interested in
getting involved, please speak with Pastor Haley Vay or
The first joint youth event was held Sunday, Feb. 23 at
Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Lansing and included
middle and high school youth. Congregations who are
participating in CAYMN include Bethlehem, Lansing;
Calvary, Lansing; Faith, Okemos; St. Stephen,
Lansing; and ULC.
Pastor Haley Vay
Mark Your Calendars:
Easter Egg Hunt: Saturday, April 11
Holy Communion Instruction: Saturday, May 9 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Confirmation/1st Communion: Sunday, May 17
VBS Summer Day Camp: Living Water Ministries returns! June 22-26. There will be a dinner gathering with all participants
and their counselors on Sunday, June 21
Daylight Saving Time Begins Sunday,
March 8!
Together with youth from five capital area ELCA congregations, our ULC youth depict their “reflections of Christ” in a group activity on Transfiguration Sunday. Our kickoff Sunday Night Live (SNL) youth event was a blast for middle school
and high school youth and their leaders.
We joined together in song, dance, and praise
before sharing a delicious pizza dinner.
Sunday School
Every Sunday, from 9:40 to
10:30 a.m., our children and
youth gather in Education
hall for music, fun, and
learning in faith formation.
We welcome your children
age two through 12th grade
to join us!
Pastor Haley Vay
Lux March 2020 Page 5
Sunday Forum
Variety of Topics this Month
Mar. 1 Dave Oslund - ULC Security Team updates.
Security today is more complicated and critical than ever
before. Learn more about the measures ULC has in place,
plans being discussed, and how we, as congregation
members, can help support their efforts.
Mar. 8 Pastor Gary Bunge - Beyond Belief,
Session five: An Emerging Way
Mar. 15 Pastor Gary Bunge - Beyond Belief,
Session six: Beyond Belief
Mar. 22 Jan Mace and Connie Lenkowski - The Art
of ULC. A slideshow tour of ULC’s fascinating art
collection and the history behind the acquisitions.
Mar. 29 Sue Kamens, Thom McCurdy and Bill
Trevarthen - “Unpacking White Privilege” Session one
of three (See description right).
Linda Trevarthen
ULC Memorial Library
Check Out Our New Books
We have many new books in the
library. You are welcome to come
downstairs and browse the shelves.
There are materials for all ages.
Adult Non-Fiction
Love God, Heal Earth by Sally
Bingham (695.5 Bin)
For Everything a Season: 75
Blessings for Daily Life by the
Mary Ylvisaker Nilsen Family (242 Nil)
Preaching from the Old
Testament by Walter
Brueggemann (221.6 Bru)
Reclaiming the “L” Word:
Renewing the Church from its
Lutheran Core by Kelly Fryer (284.1 Fry)
Love, Medicine & Miracles:
Lessons Learned About Self-
Healing from a Surgeon’s
Experience… by Bernie Siegel (615.5 Sie)
Intermediate
Same Sun Here by Silas House (INT Sil)
Audio-Visual
Come to the Water: Animated
Video by Daniel Erlander (DVD E
265.1)
Visit the library soon. There is always
something new.
The Library Team
ULC Book Club
Dive into a Good Book
The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See is the
March selection for the ULC Book Club. The
Book Club meets on Thursday, Mar. 26 at 10 a.m.
in the ULC Library. All are welcome.
From the publisher: “On an island off the South
Korean coast, an ancient guild of women divers
reckons with the depredations of modernity from
1938 to 2008. The women divers of Jeju Island, known as
haenyeo, don’t display the usual female subservience.
Empowered by the income they derive from their
diving, harvesting seafood to consume and sell,
haenyeo are heads of households, their husbands
mind the children and do menial chores. This is an
enthralling portrait of a unique culture and a
turbulent time in history and the two women whose
lifelong friendship is tested during impossibly
difficult times.”
Judy Kindel
“Unpacking White Privilege”
From Miriam Bunge and Thom McCurdy: An invitation to
attend “Unpacking White Privilege” in March and April.
The topic of Sunday Forum on Mar. 29,
Apr. 5 and 19 will be “Unpacking White
Privilege,” an article in the January 2020
ELCA Living Lutheran magazine, by
Yolanda Denson-Byers and Shari Seifert.
We will use a study guide on the article
provided by the Living Lutheran. The facilitators – Sue,
Thom and Bill – are all ULC members who attended the
Racial Justice workshop last fall.
Everyone is welcome to attend Forum, but we are
requesting an RSVP for this series so that we may print
enough study guides. Please RSVP by emailing or calling
Summer Youth Music Camp Students entering 3rd Grade through 5th Grade
Advanced Summer Youth Music Camp Students entering 6th Grade and Older
Cost: $60 per student ($50 for each additional student from the same family)
Camp Directors: Janine Novenske Smith & Kristie Wiggert Application Forms are available in the church office or at
www.ulcel.org
Enrollment Deadline: Thursday, June 11
Ringers from East Lansing and Holt Join Forces
Senior Choir Scholarship Concert a Beautiful Success
music AMP d
The Ringers of the Kirk (First Presbyterian Church of Holt) and the ULC Handbell Choir (University Lutheran Church) join forces to share “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee” (arr. Sandra Eithun) and “I Will Lift Mine Eyes Unto the Hills” (Cathy Moklebust).
They performed during worship first at ULC on Sunday, Feb. 9, then at First Presbyterian on Sunday, Feb.16.
2019-20 Choir Scholarship recipients perform at the annual Senior Choir Scholarship concert on Jan. 26.
A Look Back – Our Ministry to the Community in 1958
The display case in the narthex shows
many items taken from the time capsule
of the education annex of the Ann Street
church. Included in the box was the
annual report from 1958. Following is
some of “The State of Our Congregation”
report by Reverend Charles Klinksick
and Reverend Donald Herb.
“Our Ministry to the Community”
University Lutheran Church, in a quiet dignified way,
has been steadily maturing in status in the East
Lansing community. It has not resorted to sensation-
alism, personality appeals, or psychological exploits,
but has become known and wanted by East Lansing
people and others because of its proclamation of
Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Visitors and
members have appreciated our worship of Him in the
attractively completed Nave. Early use of the new
Service Book and Hymnal to honor Him with new
beauty has offered a standard of worship to other
churches.
The evangelical efforts of the pastors,
evangelism committee teams, and
individual members has resulted in
accession of 92 new members. We take no
pride in this for such growth is our
minimum duty, especially in view of the
offsetting losses of members. Our
daughter congregation, Faith Lutheran,
Okemos, chartered late in 1957, has been a part of our
evangelism work by reaching a membership of 391
persons last Dec. 31…
To further our purposes in this community, ULC was
officially incorporated in February 1958, thereby
giving ecclesiastical status to the work carried on
previously under the name of the Lutheran Student
Foundation at MSU.”
Next month we will continue the report with the ministry
to the university.
The Archive Team
Join us in March!
March sewing day is the second Tuesday, Mar. 10 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Atrium at the foot of the stairs. No sewing skills needed, but we’ll teach you if you would like to learn!
Lux March 2020 Page 9
From the President
Building a Bigger Table
I’m eager to share additional details of the goals Council
created at the end of January. As I mentioned last month,
we are centering our work around three themes: Justice,
Engagement and Community. The overall theme for the
year is Building a Bigger Table, based on our Statement
of Intentional Welcome and Jesus’ sermon in the
synagogue at Nazareth. Within this
context Council hopes to accomplish the
following:
Justice
Establish a racial justice team
Apply for Endowment grant for
another racial justice workshop
Engagement
Dialog with the congregation on worship
- Feedback on use of the Narrative Lectionary
- Explore the possible installation of a
projector/screen in the Sanctuary
Hold a Ministry Fair
Check in/follow up of members who are missing
from worship
Community
Host an intergenerational community-based service
activity at Forest View
Identify two barriers and work to remove them. (We
commit to remove all barriers that exclude people
from full and active participation in our church –
from ULC Statement of Intentional
Welcome)
These goals are doable in the coming year and
deepen our service to and compassion for each
other, our surrounding community and the
marginalized in ways that model our response
to Jesus’ call to “Love one another, as I have
loved you.” If you have thoughts or want to be involved
in any of these areas, please reach out to me or any
Council member. I look forward to building a bigger
1 Gary Dawson 4 Marian Stoll 5 Kirstan Jolin 7 Wendy Guilfoyle 8 Philip Brooks 9 Diane Goddeeris James Kocher
10 Kristi Sneed 11 Pr. Haley Vay Beaman 12 Max Miller 15 Michael Anderson
15 Barbara Kissling
16 Lynn McCurdy 17 Patrick Milligan 19 TJ Christian
Dave Oslund 21 John Foley
Bill Nicholas
Brielle Williams
22 Lena Oslund 23 Paul Brooks 25 Virginia McKinstry
28 Sarah Gallagher 29 Jeffrey Andresen Harold Prince 30 Matthew Bracken 31 Lori Althouse
Anniversaries 4 Steven & Darra Haase
9 James Sype & Vivian
Leung
17 Bill & Linda Trevarthen
18 Max & Lou Ann Miller
Paul & Mary Kotnik
19 Gail & Barbara Riegle
20 Louise & Lee Paquette
Change for a Change
Support Samaritas with Your Lenten Collections
The Social Action Team is holding the
annual “Change for a Change” collection
during Lent. The idea is to contribute
funds to a worthy recipient that is
making positive permanent changes in
people’s lives. The recipient of funds
this year is Samaritas (formerly called
Lutheran Social Services of Michigan).
Samaritas provides varied social services
to people in need including foster and refugee children.
We are asking members to take a green ULC water bottle
home and fill it with loose change as you empty your
pockets through the season of Lent. Actually, any
container you wish to use is fine. The green bottles will
be available in the narthex until we run out.
Return your container by the Sunday following Easter,
Apr.19th. There will be a collection box in the narthex
beginning Easter Sunday, Apr. 12. If you would rather
donate paper bills or checks you may
place those items in your chosen
container or hand them to a Social
Action Team member at any time.
Team members include Bryan Rahe,
Connie and Mike Lenkowski, Linda and
Bill Trevarthen, Mike Anderson, Carol
Mackin, Barb Riegle, and Darra and
Steve Haase.
You may also donate electronically using the Paypal
donation button on the ULC website. Please note on
Paypal that it is for “Change for a Change.” All donations
in any form are greatly appreciated. Last year we raised
over $3,000 for Women at Risk and we hope to exceed
that this year. We need everyone to contribute to this
worthy cause. Thank you for participating.
Social Action Team
The deadline for the Mar. Lux is Friday, Mar. 13. E-mail articles to Amy Wagenknecht at [email protected] and Britny Pollard at [email protected] or place them in the Lux mailbox in the ULC office. Articles may be edited for size or readability, but you will be contacted if significant changes are made. Keep those wonderful articles coming! Thanks!
